Posts Tagged ‘scandal’
The latest Senate Finance Committee’s health care overhaul would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost that’s expected to reduce federal deficits by $81 billion over the decade, and could lead to continued reductions in federal red ink in the years beyond. (AP)
Italy’s Berlusconi, 73, vows to govern with “even more grit,” and calls the top court’s Wednesday ruling that no long protects the PM-in-office from corruption charges “laughable.” But, the rest of the country may a bit more worried. (Reuters)
A suicide bomber‘s blast kills 17 and wounds more than 60 outside the Interior Ministry and Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban has taken responsibility. (BBC)
Meanwhile, the Pentagon moves to overhaul Afghan prisons — including one jail run by the U.S. — that breed insurgents. (NYT)
U.S. Democrats have blocked a move from Republicans to oust Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) from his powerful chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee, the House’s chief tax-writing team. Mr. Rangel is under investigation for major discrepancies in his personal financial disclosures involving real estate and perks from lobbyists — complicating things for the committee that steers unemployment benefits, Social Security, and Medicare policy. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Today, reforms to New York’s infamously harsh Rockefeller drug laws go into effect. The reforms stress treatment for lower level drug offenders who will also now have the opportunity to petition judges for lighter sentences. (Newsday)
The Pakistani government readies to launch an assault against the Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold of South Waziristan, in defense of a criticized U.S. aid package which would provide Pakistan with $1.5 billion a year over the next five years, tripling the state’s nonmilitary assistance. (Guardian)
Manhattan… a feasable option? The New York borough’s leasing is now down 59% from last year. (Crain’s)
Some U.S. lawmakers are worried that the Federal Housing Agency may be doing its job too well. As pillar of the still-wobbly housing market, the FHA provides insurance enabling borrowers to qualify for loans with as little as 3.5% down — but allowing too many people with shaky finances to get loans may, in effect, set up a repeat of the housing bubble fueled in part by no-questions-asked subprime loans. (LAT)
Irving Penn, renowned photographer of fashion and the iconic, is dead at 92. (NYT)
— Staff
Iran says it has a new nuclear enrichment facility. Whoop-dee-doo. (Al Jazeera)
And to be clear, peep the world’s official nuclear powers: U.S., Russia, France, Britain and China. Then there are those other (self?-) declared ones: North Korea, India, Pakistan. Then the stealthily unofficial: Israel, and Iran. (Reuters)
Hamas has been having problems consolidating its power in Gaza since the most recent Israeli Invasion. What does this mean for Palestinians? (Foreign Affairs)
Somali pirates took another ship off the coast of Mogadishu. (BBC)
India’s first lunar mission data uncovers water in moon soils. For shame, NASA. (Bloomberg)
The Economist is not impressed with world leaders at New York’s climate change meeting. (Economist)
Yesterday, Eric Cantor (R-VA) defended his callous treatment of a constituent with a sick relative. I mean, telling her to find a charity or like, “an existing government program” is totally sympathetic or whatever, right? (TPM)
US Ambasador to Russia says the “heavily edited video” of his second secretary with Russian prostitutes is a fake effort to “smear him in the eyes of his contacts.” The old Russian editing tactic is nothing new… (Moscow Times)
Thanks Hipsters! Brooklyn’s economy is fairing better than the rest of New York City’s. (Crain’s)
— Staff
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