World Politics News

Lawyer files involuntary bankruptcy petition in Rothstein case

2009-11-10T15:40:00.003-08:00

An attorney has filed a petition on behalf of three investors to force Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein's law firm into involuntary bankruptcy. Attorney Jeffrey Sonn filed the petition Tuesday afternoon in federal court. He filed it on behalf of three investors who say they lost money through Rothstein's alleged investment scheme: Bonnie Barnett, who lost $500,000; Aran Development,

Marco Rubio takes tougher stance on illegal immigration

2009-11-10T15:40:00.001-08:00

As an underdog U.S. Senate candidate courting the GOP's conservative wing, Marco Rubio takes a hard-line position against illegal immigration: no amnesty. But as the powerful speaker of the Florida House, presented with a slew of bills aimed at curbing illegal immigration, he didn't put a single proposal up for a vote. ``A lot of us are mad at him because he did block those bills,'' said

Gov. Charlie Crist backpedals on stimulus

2009-11-07T22:17:00.001-08:00

Facing a potentially bruising Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, Gov. Charlie Crist continues to run from any assertion that he is linked to President Barack Obama. Last week Crist told reporters he didn't know Obama was traveling in Florida. On Wednesday, Crist told a national television audience he didn't endorse the $787 billion federal stimulus bill pushed by Obama and passed by

Fate of Ray Sansom probe on agenda

2009-11-07T22:16:00.001-08:00

On Nov. 5, 2008, Ray Sansom pulled up a chair before a swarm of reporters and effectively began his term as speaker of the Florida House, exulting in Republican success at the polls the night before and staring down a $2 billion budget deficit. ``It's going to be a tough one, no question about it,'' he said of the coming year. A few weeks later, those words would prove brutally true.

Marco Rubio warming up Panhandle voters

2009-11-05T15:55:00.003-08:00

NAVARRE -- U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is an unlikely contender in northwest Florida, a strip of the Bible Belt closer to Alabama than his hometown of Miami. For the young, Cuban-American politician, Panhandle voters could be a tough crowd: They've come across few Hispanic candidates and often view South Florida as a cesspool of incivility and corruption. But in a

Disabled foster child granted U.S. residency

2009-11-05T15:55:00.001-08:00

Selim Isimer, a severely disabled teen who entered foster care after his parents brought him to Miami from Turkey, will be able to remain permanently in the United States -- ending fears the teen would be deported to an uncertain future. Isimer, whose story appeared in July in The Miami Herald, became a foster child last year after his mother became overwhelmed caring for him. State

Honduras interim gov't makes new offer to Zelaya

2009-11-03T15:52:00.003-08:00

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- A negotiator for Honduras' interim government said Thursday that he is offering a new proposal aimed at resolving the country's political standoff. The plan would allow both supporters of interim President Roberto Micheletti and ousted President Manuel Zelaya to consult whichever branch of government they wish to decide if Zelaya should be restored to office,

Book: Obama seriously considered Hillary for VP

2009-11-03T15:52:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama seriously considered Hillary Rodham Clinton for the vice presidency, even though his top aides weren't enthusiastic about it, his presidential campaign manager says in a new memoir. "Neither Ax (top-level adviser David Axelrod) nor I were fans of the Hillary option," David Plouffe, who ran Obama's 2008 race, said in his memoir, portions of which were published by

Biden speaks at South Florida fundraisers

2009-11-02T16:22:00.001-08:00

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Vice President Joe Biden said President Barack Obama inherited a "god-awful mess" when he took office in January. Biden spoke for about a half hour Thursday afternoon at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Boca Raton. The vice president said the economy is getting better but acknowledged that overall improvement isn't necessarily helping individuals in high

Cuba frees political prisoner jailed in crackdown

2009-11-02T16:21:00.003-08:00

HAVANA -- Cuba has freed one of the 54 political prisoners still behind bars following a state crackdown on dissent six years ago and also paroled a Spanish businessman awaiting trial for bribery, officials in Spain and a Cuban political opposition group said Tuesday. The moves appear to be gestures of goodwill on the heels of a visit by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos -

Florida House asks federal government to stop Seminole games

2009-11-02T16:21:00.001-08:00

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida House of Representatives declared an impasse Wednesday in gambling talks with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and asked the federal government to stop casino games on the tribe's reservations. After decades of fights in the courts and halls of the Legislature, a clear agreement between the state and the tribe over its games seemed closer than ever this year.

Mexico extradites 11 fugitives to US

2009-11-02T16:20:00.003-08:00

WASHINGTON -- Mexico has extradited 11 fugitives, accused of crimes including murder, sex offenses, drug trafficking and money laundering, to face trial in the United States, the Justice Department said Sunday. "The extradition of these 11 defendants exemplifies the strong cooperative relationship between the United States and Mexico," said Attorney General Eric Holder. Justice said Mexico

Obama signs first major federal gay rights law

2009-11-02T16:20:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed the first major piece of federal gay rights legislation, a milestone that activists compared to the passage of 1960s civil rights legislation empowering blacks. The new law adds acts of violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to the list of federal hate crimes. Gay rights activists voiced hope that the Obama

Pelosi: New health care bill is 'historic moment'

2009-11-02T16:19:00.003-08:00

WASHINGTON -- After months of struggle, House Democrats rolled out sweeping legislation Thursday to extend health care coverage to millions who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance. A vote is likely next week on the plan largely tailored to President Barack Obama's liking. Speaking on the steps of the Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress was at a "historic

Chile president proposes limiting military courts

2009-11-02T16:19:00.001-08:00

SANTIAGO, Chile -- Chile's president has sent to Congress a bill that would strip military courts of their ability to try civilians. President Michelle Bachelet says the jurisdiction of the military justice system was "excessively expanded" during the 1973-90 dictatorship and should be limited now that Chile is a democracy. Bachelet signed the bill accompanied by the ministers of defense

Clinton to meet Abbas, Netanyahu over weekend

2009-11-02T16:18:00.001-08:00

ISLAMABAD -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders over the weekend to push ahead with flagging efforts to restart peace talks, the State Department said Thursday. Clinton, along with the Obama administration's special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell, will see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud

Florida gubernatorial candidates take plenty of time off

2009-10-28T15:02:00.001-07:00

TALLAHASSEE -- Since taking office nearly three years ago, Attorney General Bill McCollum has scheduled nearly a year's worth of half-days, personal and vacation days, or weekdays with no planned events. Over the same time, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink scheduled the equivalent of more than 26 weeks of half-days, personal and vacation days, or days with no listed events, according to

President Obama rallies Florida Democrats in Miami Beach

2009-10-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

President Barack Obama dashed from a Navy hangar in Jacksonville to a swanky Miami Beach hotel Monday to buff his image in a recession-weary state and bag $1.5 million to defend the Democratic majority in Congress. Obama's second trip to Florida since the state helped seal his 2008 election had the feel of an ambitious campaign swing, with stops scheduled in three far-flung cities. On Tuesday

Report: Haiti PM faces challenge over gov finances

2009-10-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haitian Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis is expected to face questions in the Senate this week over the handling of government finances. Radio Kiskeya says the Caribbean nation's No. 2 official will go to the upper chamber Thursday. The 30-member body has the power to remove the prime minister by a simple majority vote. Pierre-Louis was approved as Haiti's head

Census: 'Brain gains' for high-tech cities

2009-10-27T16:59:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Many college graduates are passing up the Sunbelt and industrial centers, which have been hit hard by the recession, in favor of life in urban, high-tech meccas. Their moves are fueling a resurgence of brainiacs in parts of California, North Carolina and Texas. Census data released Tuesday offer the first detailed look at U.S. migration data, broken down by education and income

Poll says Rubio gaining on Crist for Senate

2009-10-26T14:03:00.003-07:00

Turning a romp into a race, U.S. Senate contender Marco Rubio has cut Gov. Charlie Crist's lead in half in a new Quinnipiac University poll. Crist, who surpassed Rubio by 29 points in an August survey, now leads 50-35 percent in the contest for Florida's open Senate seat, according to the survey released Wednesday. îîHis margin is still formidable, but obviously Marco Rubio's focus on

At FPL rate hearing, Plantation power outage gets attention

2009-10-26T14:03:00.001-07:00

Everglades High School history teacher Stephanie Nagel arrived home on Wednesday and, once again, her clocks were off. It was another sign of the persistent problems she and her neighbors have had with Florida Power & Light's electric service to the Mirror Lake Estates neighborhood in Plantation. Since she moved into the neighborhood in 1974, temporary electrical outages have nagged her

Clinton in talks with Russians about Iran

2009-10-25T16:27:00.001-07:00

MOSCOW -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was meeting with Russian leaders on Tuesday to urge their support in pressuring Iran to prove its nuclear program is peaceful. In talks with Russia's president and foreign minister, Clinton is trying to gauge Moscow's willingness to back specific measures that could be imposed on Iran if it fails to comply with international demands to

Insurers say they still want health overhaul deal

2009-10-25T16:26:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Health insurers insist they're still committed to getting a health care overhaul bill passed this year. But all around Washington, people are wondering if - or when - the industry will change its mind and try to kill it. The industry's chief lobbyist, Karen Ignagni, said Thursday that insurers "can continue to make a major contribution" to the overhaul effort. She told a

Yet another review ordered of Afghan policy — fifth this year

2009-10-24T09:45:00.003-07:00

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has given the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan 60 days to conduct another review of the American strategy there, the fifth since President Barack Obama took office less than five months ago. The Defense Department announced Monday that Gates has ordered the new U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, and his deputy, Lt