North Korea, China hold talks

Beijing, China (News Today) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing, Chinese state-run media reported.

The meetings took place during Kim's "unofficial" visit to China that began Monday and concluded Friday, according to the Xinhua news agency. No other details were available.

Kim's trip to China comes as North Korea is seeking a conditional return to the six-party talks, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing the terms as a peace treaty with the United States to end what North Korea considers a state of war on the Korean Peninsula and the lifting of U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

North Korea last year cut off the six-party talks also involving the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, in anger over international criticism of its nuclear and missile tests.

The trip also came amid increasing speculation that North Korea may have attacked a South Korean warship that sank in March, killing dozens of sailors. Seoul is demanding answers in the probe into the sinking before six-party talks can resume.

Source : CNN

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Goodluck Jonathan: By name and nature?

(News Today) - Who is Nigeria's new president, Goodluck Jonathan?

In keeping with his name, he is sometimes regarded as one of the luckiest men in Nigerian politics. Goodluck Jonathan, 52, with a degree in zoology worked as an environmental officer until he entered politics. He ran as deputy governor for Bayelsa state in 2001-- one of Nigeria's main oil-producing states in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

After the state governor -- Diepreye Alamieyeseigha -- was indicted by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on corruption charges in 2006, Jonathan was promoted to governor of one of the richest regions in Africa.

This rather obscure politician is then widely regarded by political analysts as having been hand-picked by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to run as vice-president with Umaru Yar'Adua in the 2007 national elections.

In what are widely considered the most flawed in Nigeria's history they won.

Then in November 2009, President Umaru Yar'Adua was taken to Saudi Arabia because of a heart condition -- but without signing over power to his vice president.

Since November, Jonathan and his supporters struggled to gain presidential power against an array of factions competing for influence and power. In February, Jonathan was finally made acting president by the House of Representatives. With Yar'Adua's death and the consequent swearing in of Jonathan to the presidency he has now solidified his position.

Some Nigerians put Jonathan's rise to power down to 'good luck.' The removal of those above him -- through no act of his own -- provided the opportunity for his rise. Others credit him with the political patience to sit out events until they play in his favor.

Whatever the case he has no further to rise and his political prowess and skill will now be truly tested to try to introduce any of his promised reforms before elections next year.

How well known is he on the African stage?

Not at all, and not especially even in Nigeria. Jonathan's first main interview after assuming the vice presidency was CNN's "Amanpour" show.

He is a quiet man, who appears to have had little obvious ambition in reaching the dizzying heights of the presidency.

However, his recognition has skyrocketed as he assumed the presidency of Africa's most populous country, with about 150 million people. His agenda before the elections will be less about projecting Nigeria's image across the continent and world -- but maintaining stability and preparing the country for elections next year.

What was his relationship with Yar'Adua?

Very little is known about the private relationship between Yar'Adua and now-President Jonathan, who had little public influence in the administration during Yar'Adua's tenure.

Nigeria holds an unofficial policy of power sharing between the south-west, south-east and north. Yar'Adua was the north's "turn" and Jonathan's appointment to the vice presidency was seen as appeasing the South-East in the power-sharing arrangement.

However, both Yar'Adua and Jonathan were members of Nigeria's biggest political party -- the PDP or Peoples Democratic Party. With little opposition it's a party with little coherent political alignment other than maintaining control of Nigerian politics. Both Yar'Adua and Jonathan agreed on the main polices of the administration and now Jonathan promises to continue Yar'Adua's main agenda of political reform and peace in the Niger Delta.

How likely is Jonathan to get re-elected next year?

The 2011 elections are the prize for the on-going political struggles. Jonathan has not said publicly that he will run but he has also not ruled out running.

Already several of Nigeria's big political players are intimating that they will run -- in particular Ibrahim Babangida, an ex-president who annulled the country's elections in 1993.

However, holding the presidency would give Jonathan considerable influence and support as the incumbent if he decided to run. But many analysts believe Jonathan's much touted electoral reform will be difficult to implement if he decides to run in a race that he is also trying to influence through his reforms.

Jonathan also hails from Nigeria's south, and the PDP's unofficial policy of power rotation means that the presidency still belongs to the north. They are traditional powerbrokers in much Nigeria's history since independence in 1960 and feel that despite Yar'Adua's death, the president should continue to belong to a northerner for at least one more term.

In April Jonathan fired the whole of the cabinet. Why did he do this?

Jonathan and his supporters struggled to maintain their grip on power after Yar'Adua left for Saudi Arabia because of a heart condition.

What was widely criticized by political commentators and even some ministers as a "cabal" of ministers around both the president and his wife, Turai, tried to prevent the transfer of power to Jonathan and keep control of Nigeria's massive oil economy and political power for the upcoming elections for themselves.

During the political impasse, hundreds were killed in ethno-religious violence in central Nigeria, attacks against oil facilities in the oil-rich Niger Delta resumed and thousands of protesters took to the streets.

To try to clear the impasse, assume political control, bring a sense of stability, as well as bow to popular pressure Jonathan fired the entire cabinet. His new cabinet is widely regarded as trying to appease most of the factions -- bringing back some of Yar'Adua's ministers, introducing ministers of his own, as well as Former Goldman Sachs executive Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga as finance minister whom many hope will continue economic reforms.

What is his attitude toward the militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region?

Jonathan is from the Niger Delta, and has plenty of political experience in the region after his time as governor of one most oil-rich states in the region.

As a politician from the Niger Delta he carries considerable political influence with the armed gangs and militants in the Niger Delta, who now see his rise to the presidency as their opportunity to wield true political power and implement long-term changes in favor of the region.

However, the Niger Delta is a region of many ethnic and political groups and many do not support Jonathan -- some even attempting to prevent him assuming the Presidency.

An amnesty for militant groups introduced under Yar'Adua maintains a relative peace in the region -- and Jonathan has stated his aim to support the amnesty and rehabilitation of militants who accepted it.

However, it must be noted that the militants were originally funded and armed by politicians in the Niger Delta who used the armed young men to win political power. This is the background against which politicians like Jonathan rose to power in the region. There is a concern that with the 2011 elections the cycle could begin again.

What other key issues face Nigeria? What are Jonathan's plans?

Nigeria has a host of problems it needs to tackle -- corruption, ethno-religious violence in central Nigeria, armed gangs in the oil-rich Niger Delta, the rise of Islamic sects in the north, dependency on oil (oil accounts for 80% of budgetary revenue), and a overwhelming population explosion.

Perhaps the most important key to alleviating most of these issues is free and fair elections and Jonathan is promising electoral reform.

However, so too have many of his predecessors, and Jonathan's rise to power is on the back of what are widely regarded as some of the most flawed elections in the country's history. But even some a small improvement in the election process would help return from what is a complete erosion in the legitimacy of government in the eyes of Nigerians, and in turn hope to promote better governance.

Jonathan is a product of Nigeria's current political system who has attempted few big reforms against the status quo during most of his time in office. Why would he start now? Nigerians don't care -- they just want him to start.

Source : CNN

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Obama calls on Congress to work on immigration reform

Washington (News Today) - President Obama on Wednesday called on Congress to work on comprehensive immigration reform this year, saying it would be the best way to fix the nation's broken immigration system.

Speaking at a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the White House, Obama again criticized the recently enacted Arizona immigration law as the wrong approach.

"The answer isn't to undermine fundamental principles that define us as a nation," Obama said to applause. He called instead for "common-sense comprehensive immigration reform."

In an apparent effort to clarify his comment last week that the political climate might be too difficult to take up immigration reform, Obama said Congress should begin work now on the issue.

"I was pleased to see a strong proposal for comprehensive reform presented in the Senate last week, and I was pleased it was based on a bipartisan framework," Obama said. "I want to begin work this year. And I want Democrats and Republicans to work with me."

Without a comprehensive federal approach, the president said, state and local authorities would continue to take "misconceived" steps at addressing the illegal immigration problem, such as the recently enacted Arizona law that allows police to ask anyone for proof of legal U.S. residency.

Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling, while supporters say it involves no racial profiling and is needed to crack down on increasing crime involving illegal immigrants.

In Arizona, the city councils of Tucson and Flagstaff have decided to file a lawsuit against the new immigration law. Members of the Phoenix Suns basketball team, meanwhile, planned to wear jerseys in Wednesday night's playoff game that say "Los Suns" as a tribute to the state's Latino community, Suns' managing partner Robert Sarver said in a statement.

Obama made a reference to the basketball team's gesture, saying that some attending the White House celebration probably wanted to watch the game between the San Antonio Spurs and "Los Suns."

"Make no mistake -- our immigration system is broken" and people were right to be frustrated, including those in border states such as Arizona, Obama said.

However, "we can't start singling out people depending on who they look like or how they talk or how they dress," he said, adding he has asked for a review of the Arizona law.

Comprehensive immigration reform would include continuing government efforts to secure borders from illegal immigrants as well as steps to crack down on businesses employing illegal immigrants, Obama said.

In addition, he said, those living illegally in the United States would have to pay a penalty and any taxes they owe, learn English, "make themselves right with the law" and then start the process of gaining legal citizenship.

Getting congressional approval for a bill would be tough, he said.

"We need bipartisan support, but it can be done and it needs to be done."

Source : CNN

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Nigerian President Yar'Adua has died

Lagos, Nigeria (News Today) - Nigeria's ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua, who gave amnesty to armed militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region, died Wednesday, the country's information minister said. He was 58.

Yar'Adua had not been seen in public since November, when he went to Saudi Arabia for treatment of an inflammation of tissue around his heart. He was diagnosed with that condition, acute pericarditis, last fall after he complained of chest pain.

He returned to Nigeria in February but had remained out of sight.

Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has served as the country's acting leader since Yar'Adua fell ill.

Yar'Adua took office in 2007 in an election mired in controversy and accusations of vote-rigging.

"There was ballot snatching, voters were molested, voters were beaten ... and also payment inducement to vote for certain candidates," said Eneruvie Enakoko of the Civil Liberties Organization, a human rights group in Lagos.

The president, a soft-spoken and unassuming figure who did not bask in the media spotlight like past leaders of the West African nation, pledged to fight to improve the country of 150 million people despite the accusations.

"Our collective goal is to deliver for our children a Nigeria better, stronger, more peaceful, more secure and more prosperous than we met it," Yar'Adua said.

President Barack Obama issued a statement late Wednesday expressing his condolences to Yar'Adua's family and the Nigerian people.

"President Yar'Adua worked to promote peace and stability in Africa through his support of Nigerian peacekeeping efforts as well as his strong criticism of undemocratic actions in the region," Obama said in the statement. "He was committed to creating lasting peace and prosperity within Nigeria's own borders, and continuing that work will be an important part of honoring his legacy."

His election followed wide support from his predecessor, leading critics to label him a puppet of the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

After he was elected, Yar'Adua replaced some of Obasanjo's top officials, including the head of the army, a move analysts said was aimed at shedding off his predecessor's influence.

One of Yar'Adua's biggest successes was offering amnesty to militants in the troubled oil-rich Niger Delta region, a move that brought fragile peace to the area after years of conflict. The well-armed Niger Delta rebels have been battling Nigeria's armed forces over oil profits, which they say are unequally distributed.

While he has hospitalized in Saudi Arabia, the militants called off the truce, dealing a blow to plans to end violence that has crippled oil production in the nation.

Analysts say he did little to institutionalize reform in a country where two-thirds of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.

"Because many people feel disillusioned economically and as long as they have those sentiments -- I think the risk of radical uprisings in places like northern Nigeria and certainly southern Nigeria in the Delta will continue regardless of who is in power," said Rolake Akinola, an analyst at Control Risks West Africa.

Yar'Adua, a former chemistry teacher, was married twice and has nine children.

Source : CNN

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Obama was top recipient of BP-related dollars in 2008

Washington (News Today) - As petroleum giant BP comes under congressional scrutiny as its ruptured oil rig pumps thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, its political contributions are being scrutinized, too.

The top recipient of BP-related donations during the 2008 presidential election was Barack Obama, who collected $71,000, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

When questioned about the donations Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs made a point of noting that the money came from employees and not the company itself.

White House spokesman Ben LaBolt added that Obama wasn't tied to big oil companies.

"This claim lacks one thing: credibility," LaBolt said in a statement. "President Obama didn't accept a dime from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists during his presidential campaign. He raised $750 million from nearly 4 million Americans. And since he became President, he rolled back tax breaks and giveaways for the oil and gas industry, spearheaded a G20 agreement to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and made the largest investment in American history in clean energy incentives."

BP employees gave more than $3 million in campaign contributions during the past decade and almost $110,000 in 2010.

Fifty-seven percent of BP's contributions went to Republicans, while 43 percent went to Democrats.

BP America President Lamar McKay has been asked to appear next week to discuss the oil spill before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose members received the largest share of BP's campaign contributions over the last two election cycles, the Center for Responsive Politics notes.

"In 2009, individuals and political action committees associated with BP donated $16,000 to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee," the center found.

The center says five of the top 10 recipients of BP dollars in the House sit on that committee: John Dingell, D-Michigan; Joe Barton, R-Texas; Ralph Hall, R-Texas; Roy Blunt, R-Missouri; and Fred Upton, R-Michigan.

"All have received upward of $13,000 from BP-related individuals and political action committees during the past two decades," according to the Center for Responsive Politics. "Dingell, the second most favored recipient of BP money in the House, has received $31,000."

Congress is demanding answers in its investigation of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the BP executives likely to be grilled in the weeks ahead are no strangers to the ways of Washington.

"If BP faces heavy federal scrutiny, it's well-positioned to fight back: The London-based company has consistently spent top dollar to influence legislative and regulatory activity in Washington, D.C.," according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The company spent almost $16 million lobbying Congress in 2009 and more than $3.5 million this year, the center found.

BP's ruptured undersea well off Louisiana continues to spew about 210,000 gallons -- or 5,000 barrels -- of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico. Efforts to corral the rapidly growing spill have been unsuccessful.

There is a sheen of oil up to 60 miles across in the Gulf, threatening the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as well as the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The overall area affected by the spill, CNN estimates, is almost as large as the state of Delaware.

Source : CNN

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Ex-FEMA chief: Obama using oil spill to his advantage

(News Today) - Former FEMA director Michael Brown is not backing off his charge that the Obama administration wants to use the Gulf Coast oil spill as a plot to put an end to offshore drilling.

"They want a crisis like this, so that they can use a crisis like this to shut down offshore and gas drilling," he said Tuesday night on CNN's "AC 360°."

His remarks came a day after he told Fox News' "Your World with Neil Cavuto" that the oil slick is "exactly what they want, because now he can pander to the environmentalists and say, 'I'm going to shut it down because it's too dangerous.' While Mexico and China and everybody else drills in the Gulf, we're going to get shut down."

Pressed by CNN for evidence to back up his claim, Brown pointed to an interview that then-Sen. Barack Obama gave to The San Francisco Chronicle in January 2008. Obama told the Chronicle editorial board that he wanted cap-and-trade legislation to be as strong as possible.

"So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted," Obama told the board, after discussing the importance of figuring out how to use coal without emitting greenhouse gases.

Brown told CNN that he didn't mean to imply the administration wanted the slick to spread, but he suggested that the White House was exaggerating the ramifications of the spill by claiming the damage would last forever.

"Look, when you have an administration who is leading the country, and their political position is that we want to move away from a carbon-based energy supply to something else, this crisis occurs, the Rahm Emanuel rule No. 1 of never letting a crisis go to waste kicks in, and they have done that," Brown said.

At the daily White House news briefing on Tuesday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs slammed Fox's "very special and unique interview" with Brown, which he said "didn't appear to be pushed back on real hard."

Gibbs' criticism came after Fox News reporter Wendell Goler started to ask a question about critics referring to the spill as Obama's "Katrina."

"Can I say this?," Gibbs interrupted. "You opened both the double doors and, voilà, here I am."

Goler pointed out that the networks' reporters and television personalities are not one in the same.

"You should call headquarters, my friend," Gibbs said. "Ask for somebody who makes the decisions to put people like that -- because I've got to tell you, Wendell, I'm not entirely sure that a factual answer that I might give to any one of your questions is going to change the notion that your network put out the former FEMA director to make an accusation that the well had been purposely set off in order to change an offshore drilling decision."

Brown headed FEMA under the Bush administration and resigned in September 2005, two weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. His resignation came 10 days after President Bush famously told him, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

Source : CNN

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Obama's plea for civility is exactly right

New York (News Terupdate) - We don't listen to each other anymore.
It's not just a complaint in relationships -- it's a fair characterization of the state of our national political debate. The bond between fellow American citizens is being weakened by screaming and suspicion.

That's why President Obama's commencement address at the University of Michigan this past weekend is worth contemplating.

It was a call for civility rooted in American history; a challenge to the bitter and predictable partisanship that is afflicting our country. It was a timely reminder that the success of the American experiment depends on every generation being able to reason together in the pursuit of solving our common problems.

Right now, even a speech by the president of the United States is considered suspect by committed partisans -- actually listening is not as satisfying as reinforcing a play-to-the-base political narrative.

For journalists, a speech is not news unless there is a scandal. Attack ads, process stories and gotcha politics too often trump substance and analysis. As the president said, "The media tends to play up every hint of conflict, because it makes for a sexier story, which means anyone interested in getting coverage feels compelled to make their arguments as outrageous and as incendiary as possible."

This is true. There is an editorial undertow in media that rewards the most extreme ideological voices. This is polarizing for profit under the banner of political principle.

It is the specialty of partisan talk radio hosts who get high ratings from intense niche audiences by cultivating conflict, tension and resentment. But what can be good for ratings might also be bad for the country.

This destructive dynamic has now crossed over into politicians who -- aided by the rigged system of redistricting -- follow the exaggerated play-to-the-base model instead of trying to form broad coalitions and winning over the reasonable edge of the opposition.

It is also true, of course, that we have had brutal partisan battles throughout our history. One notable radioactive nugget the president referenced cited was when "a newspaper of the opposing party once editorialized that if Thomas Jefferson were elected, 'Murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will be openly taught and practiced.' "

But there is a deeper tradition of debates beyond demonizing people who disagree with you, which the president described this way: "We've been fighting about the proper size and role of government since the day the framers gathered in Philadelphia. We've battled over the meaning of individual freedom and equality since the Bill of Rights was drafted."

These debates are profound and important -- they are philosophical, not personal. President Obama framed the competing claims as representing twin strands of our national DNA.

First, the skepticism of government intrusion that comes from our war of independence from the British. Second, the recognition that "there are some things we can only do together, as one nation -- and that our government must keep pace with the times."

From this strand comes everything from government assistance in building the transcontinental railroad to the national highway system. But false choices between the all-or-nothing extremes are inevitably both wrong and impractical. The best articulation of the right balance came from a Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, who said the proper role of government is to do what individuals cannot do for themselves.

In recent decades, we learned that the excesses of government action, however well-intentioned, can have counterproductive results. For example, President Obama owned up to the fact that "For many years, we had a welfare system that too often discouraged people from taking responsibility for their own upward mobility."

But increasingly we've become entrenched in old dichotomies that don't fit the challenges we face: "We know that too much government can stifle competition and deprive us of choice and burden us with debt. But we've also clearly seen the dangers of too little government -- like when a lack of accountability on Wall Street nearly leads to the collapse of our entire economy." You can add to that calls for greater government action in the wake of the devastating oil spill in the Gulf Coast.

Our political debates are filtered through a hyper-partisan prism where scoring political points is more important than solving problems. Policies are reflexively supported or opposed based on the party of the president who proposes them. This is not just intellectually dishonest; it leads to logical absurdities like the protest sign "Government -- Get Your Hands off my Medicare." Which leads me to quote two of the key paragraphs of the speech in full:

"We can't expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down. You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it. You can question somebody's views and their judgment without questioning their motives or their patriotism. Throwing around phrases like 'socialists' and 'Soviet-style takeover' and 'fascist' and 'right-wing nut' -- that may grab headlines, but it also has the effect of comparing our government, our political opponents, to authoritarian, even murderous regimes.

"Now, we've seen this kind of politics in the past. It's been practiced by both fringes of the ideological spectrum, by the left and the right, since our nation's birth. But it's starting to creep into the center of our discourse. ... The problem is that this kind of vilification and over-the-top rhetoric closes the door to the possibility of compromise. It undermines democratic deliberation. ... It makes it nearly impossible for people who have legitimate but bridgeable differences to sit down at the same table and hash things out. It robs us of a rational and serious debate, the one we need to have about the very real and very big challenges facing this nation. It coarsens our culture, and at its worst, it can send signals to the most extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response."

These are the stakes -- and this is what politicians have forgotten by pumping up fear and hate in the service of narrow partisan gain. It is what we enable in the media when we polarize for profit. It causes us to forget a fundamental truth that our democracy depends upon -- the understanding that what unites us as Americans is far greater than what divides us.

"When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us," as the president said. "We, the people, hold in our hands the power to choose our leaders and change our laws, and shape our own destiny." It is a shared responsibility.

Source : CNN

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Could oil spill sap appetite for Obama's offshore drilling plans?

(News Terupdate) - A month after announcing plans to expand offshore drilling, President Obama visited ground zero of the Gulf Coast oil disaster and warned that residents could be facing a "potentially unprecedented environmental disaster."

"The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states and it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home," Obama said Sunday in Venice, Louisiana.

The president reiterated that oil company BP is responsible for the leak and will foot the cost of the cleanup. He pledged to "spare no effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues."

Obama's remarks were a stark contrast from his late March proposal to open swaths of U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling.

Obama said then that the decision did not come lightly, but it was one that he approached with confidence.

"The bottom line is this: Given our energy needs, in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs, and keep our businesses competitive, we are going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable, homegrown energy," he said as he unveiled his plans.

Obama said the federal government would begin the process of leasing some areas off the coasts of Virginia, Alaska and possibly Florida to oil companies for drilling.

New offshore drilling in most U.S. waters has been banned since the early 1980s, when mounting public pressure pushed lawmakers into action. A disastrous oil spill off the California coast in 1969 sparked protests that grew into a broader environmental movement, which eventually forced a drilling moratorium.

But as the environmental impact of the Gulf Coast spill comes ashore, the appetite for Obama's offshore drilling plan and the enthusiasm from administration officials appear to have subsided.

CNNMoney: Oil spill may threaten offshore drilling plans

"All he has said is that he's not going to continue the moratorium on drilling," White House senior adviser David Axelrod told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday. "No domestic drilling in new areas is going to go forward until there is an adequate review of what's happened here and of what is being proposed elsewhere."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday that moving ahead on offshore drilling is "going to require a balancing act."

"That is a national security concern because we have to do better to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. But it has to be done safely. It can't be done at the risk of having to spend billions of dollars cleaning up these spills," she said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

And Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Sunday that the Gulf Coast disaster "sends out the clarion call that we need to diversify our energy resources."

"Our intention is to move forward thoughtfully, looking at how we can protect the resources of the United States and making thoughtful decisions," he said on CNN's "State of the Union," noting that deep-water drilling has been done thousands of times without incident.

Time.com: Obama promises help, but containing spill is still talk

Obama said Friday he still believes that domestic oil production is an important part of the strategy for energy security, but he added, "I've always said it must be done responsibly, for the safety of our workers and our environment."

The president ordered Salazar to conduct a review of the oil spill and report back in 30 days on what precautions, if any, should be required to prevent future accidents.

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida has asked Obama to shelve his proposal, at least until the cause of the current spill is fully investigated.

In a letter to the president, Nelson also said he would file legislation "that would, for the time being, prohibit the Interior Department from acting on your administration's plans to expand offshore drilling, including seismic testing and other exploratory operations."

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who in the past has been a proponent of offshore drilling, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that such drilling has "got to be tabled, for sure."

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs indicated last week that Obama's offshore plans aren't set in stone.

"I think our focus right now is, one, the area, the spill, and two, also to ultimately determine the cause of it and see the impact that that ultimately may or may not have," he said, noting that Obama's announcement was the beginning, and not the end, of a longer process.

Source : CNN

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First lady's first tweet

Washington (News Terupdate) - It was my first chance to spend some quality time at dinner with First Lady Michelle Obama, so I decided to do what my pal Ali Velshi would probably do in the same situation: get her hooked on Twitter.

I was sitting with the first lady and Jay Leno at the head table for Saturday night's White House Correspondents Association Dinner because I'm a member of the association's board, a front-row seat to the slew of celebrities who walked up to gawk at Mrs. Obama and the president, who was a few seats from me.

Teen sensation Justin Beiber, famous-for-being-famous Kim Kardashian, comedian Chevy Chase and actor Morgan Freeman all walked up to the rope line separating the head table from the rest of the ballroom to send the first couple a shout-out.

I was snapping pics of the celebrity parade on my iPhone and posting them to my Twitter account, @edhenrycnn, during dessert, just a few minutes before the president and Leno would take their turns at telling some jokes.

Leno, a social media skeptic, finally turned to me with squinted eyes and said in a conspiratorial tone, "Are you tweeting right now?"

I confessed to Leno that I was, sparking Mrs. Obama to ask me whether journalists find value in social media or whether it's mostly trivial. I said I find it helpful to get feedback, good and bad, from people who follow my tweets.

When Mrs. Obama mentioned that she had never tweeted, I noted that the president had sent out his first tweet a few months ago from a Red Cross account to promote relief to Haiti and wondered aloud: "Why don't you send out your first tweet on my iPhone?"

The first lady laughed and said her press staff wouldn't be happy if she went rogue like that. Besides, she said, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would have to sign off first.

Noting that Gibbs was sitting at the other end of the head table, I stood and told the first lady I'd ask him.

To my surprise, Gibbs instantly told me it was a fun idea, on one condition: I had to first send out a tweet saying he had endorsed it, so that colleagues on Mrs. Obama's staff were not blindsided.

I typed out a tweet saying, "i am trying to coax First Lady to do her first ever tweet. Gibbs @presssec just gave his blessing."

Then I walked back to Mrs. Obama to tell her the good news. But she told me good-naturedly, "Gibbs did not say that; you're lying!" I assured the first lady I would not tell her a fib, which prompted Leno to jump to his feet to say he'd go get Gibbs to sort this out once and for all.

A laughing Gibbs came over and advised the first lady it would be a harmless exercise, but she was skeptical until the commander in chief finally weighed in.

Hearing the light-hearted argument playing out a few seats down, the president asked, "What's going on?"

The first lady explained her dilemma, but the president waved his hand as if to say "no big deal" and told her to go for it.

I handed the first lady my iPhone, but it quickly became apparent that she had very little experiences with this smartphone. Like many people, she said, "How do you type on this?"

Gibbs, who was looking over our shoulders, suggested that I type it out, so I told Mrs. Obama to start dictating the note. I started my typing "from flotus," as in "first lady of the United States."

She joked about the pressure of coming up with something interesting to say. She started simply with how she was at the dinner and dictated, "this is officially my first Twitter" and added her thoughts about the comedy acts about to perform.

I knew Mrs. Obama should have called it her first "tweet," but I didn't want to be in the uncomfortable position of correcting the first lady -- my mom would be appalled -- and sounding like a tech know-it-all.

She asked Gibbs for his opinion on what she had dictated, and he said the proper way to say it was that it was her first tweet. Mrs. Obama grilled me on whether Gibbs was right, and I said he was but I didn't want to be the one changing her words, so she politely asked me to change it so that she sounded as hip as possible.

The final version, for the history books: "from flotus: 'here at dinner this is officially my first Tweet. i am looking forward to some good laughs from the potus and jay'".

Some of my followers were particularly amused that Mrs. Obama referred to her husband as "the potus" -- as in the president of the United States -- and started re-tweeting it.

It also got me a few more followers, which brings me back to Ali Velshi.

On our daily segment on his show -- the "Ed Henry Segment," of course -- Velshi and I tease each other about necktie choices and who has more people following our tweets.

For the record, I have 12,313 followers as of this morning. Velshi seems stuck on 11,025.

So let me take this opportunity to encourage the first lady to set up her own Twitter account. I bet it will be a smart way for her to push her initiatives, just as former first lady Laura Bush now has a Twitter account to help sell her memoirs and talk up her pet causes, too.

Besides, I'm hoping Mrs. Obama will follow me, and not Velshi, since I hooked her up with her first tweet.

Source : CNN

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A Supreme Court without Protestants?

(News Terupdate) - For most of American history, a Supreme Court with no Protestant Christian judges would have been unthinkable. Nearly three quarters of all justices who've ever served on the nation's high court have been Protestant. And roughly half of all Americans identify themselves as Protestant today.

But since John Paul Stevens announced his retirement last month, legal and religious scholars have begun entertaining the unprecedented prospect of a Supreme Court without a single Protestant justice.

Besides Stevens, who is Protestant, the current Supreme Court counts six Catholics and two Jews.

"It's an amazing irony given how central Protestantism has been to American culture," said Stephen Prothero, a religion scholar at Boston University. "For most of the 19th century, Protestants were trying to turn America into their own heaven on Earth, which included keeping Jews and Catholics from virtually all positions of power."

Many religion scholars attribute the decline of Protestants on the high court to the breakdown of a mainline Protestant identity and to the absence of a strong tradition of lawyering among evangelical Protestants.

"Mainline Protestantism isn't a pressure group," said Prothero, "It's not like the National Council of Churches is lobbying Obama to get a Lutheran appointed to the Supreme Court."

And while Judaism and Catholicism have their own sets of religious laws that date back millennia, many branches of Protestant Christianity do not. For much of the last 150 years, evangelical Christianity has stressed an emotional theology of "heart" over "head" -- not a recipe for producing legal scholars with eyes fixed on the Supreme Court.

"Evangelicals have put more effort into getting elected than in getting onto the bench," said Michael Lindsay, a Rice University professor who has studied evangelical elites. "Electoral politics is more similar to the style of rallying of around revival campaign than it is to the arduous journey of producing intellectual giants that could be eligible for the Supreme Court."

President Obama is expected to nominate Stevens' replacement early this month. Of the three candidates who are reported to lead Obama's short list, two -- Solicitor General Elena Kagan and federal appeals judge Merrick Garland -- are Jewish, while one, federal appeals judge Diane Wood, is a Protestant.

Obama's first Supreme Court appointee, Sonia Sotomayor, is Catholic.

One explanation of Catholics' and Jews' high court hegemony is that members of both traditions have long pursued legal degrees as a way to assimilate into a majority Protestant country.

"Most American Catholic law schools were not formed to be elite institutions of lofty legal scholarship, but as way to respond to the fact that other law schools were excluding Catholics," said Richard Garnett, a professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School. "It was a vehicle to get Catholics into the middle class."

"Early on, those schools admitted a lot of Jewish students who were being discriminated against," Garnett said.

Today, Catholic law schools at Georgetown University, Fordham University, and Notre Dame are considered among the best in the country.

Evangelical Protestant colleges, meanwhile -- including Regent University and Liberty University, founded by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, respectively -- have opened law schools only since the 1980s.

And law schools with Protestant roots -- like Harvard and Yale -- shed their religious identities a long time ago, part of the broader fading of a distinct mainline Protestant identity in the U.S..

Some legal and religious scholars say the dearth of qualified evangelical candidates for the Supreme Court came into sharp relief in 2005, when President George W. Bush nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to the high court.

An evangelical Christian who the White House promoted strenuously among evangelicals, Miers' nomination was brought down largely by conservatives -- nonevangelicals, mostly -- who said she was not qualified for the position.

In the last couple of decades, however, more evangelicals have begun pursuing legal degrees, including at elite colleges. "There are now vibrant Christian fellowships at Harvard and Yale," said Lindsay. "Ten years from now, it will be entirely possible to see an evangelical Protestant on the Supreme Court."

Rachel Heflin, a senior at Patrick Henry College -- a Virginia school whose students are mostly evangelicals from homeschooling backgrounds -- said many of her friends are heading to law school next year.

"When your circle of friends is comprised of aspiring lawyers, the joke is about who's going to make it to the high court first," said Heflin, an evangelical Christian who will be attending George Washington University Law School on scholarship.

Which means that a Protestant Supreme Court resurgence may not be too far off.

Source : CNN

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Iran's Ahmadinejad heads for U.S.

(News Terupdate) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Sunday for the United States to take part in a conference on nuclear nonproliferation, a Foreign Ministry spokesman told state television.

Ahmadinejad will address the the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York on Monday, spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told Iran's News Network.

Ahmadinejad told reporters in Tehran before his departure that the NPT has failed.

"The biggest threat to the world today is the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons," he said.

"Unfortunately the [International Atomic Energy Agency] in the past 40 years has not been successful in its mission. We have no disarmament or nonproliferation and some countries have even procured the nuclear bomb during this period," Ahmadinejad said Sunday.

A top Ahmadinejad adviser, Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, said Saturday that the Iranian president planned to offer major proposals at the conference but that the plans would allow Iran to maintain its nuclear program, the IRNA official news agency reported.

Iran insists its program is aimed at producing nuclear energy, while Washington accuses it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

With the United States pushing for new international sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt its nuclear program, Ahmadinejad said Saturday that his nation "cuts any hand that signs a document against Iran," according to the semiofficial FARS news agency.

Ahmadinejad began his trip a day after saying he has proof that the United States and Israel are linked to the world's leading terrorist organizations, according to state-run media.

"We have documents that prove [Washington] is the root of world terrorism," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Tehran, Press TV reported. "It has been aiding and abetting extremist groups over the past years."

The United States "is the only country to have used the atomic bomb in military conflict," Ahmadinejad said Saturday, according to Press TV. "They even admit themselves that they resorted to using [similar weapons] during the war they waged on Iraq."

The United States has not admitted using such weapons in the Iraq war.

Ahmadinejad urged the United States to engage his government, saying that "companionship is better than confrontation," FARS reported.

His remarks came at a ceremony celebrating May Day, or International Workers' Day.

The U.S. State Department said Friday that it is granting some of the visas requested by the Iranian delegation planning to attend next week's conference but would give no details about a visa for the Iranian president.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned Ahmadinejad in some of the Obama administration's strongest language to date.

"Iran, with its anti-Semitic president and hostile nuclear ambitions, also continues to threaten Israel, destabilize the region, and sponsor terror," Clinton said, addressing the annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee.

"The United States is committed to pursuing [a] diplomatic path," she said. "But we will not compromise our commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons."

Source : CNN

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Celebrities, journalists join for night of comedy

Washington (News Terupdate) - President Obama's punch lines targeted a diverse group Saturday -- from teen sensations the Jonas Brothers to comedian Jay Leno, whom he described as the only person with worse ratings than his.

"Jonas Brothers are here tonight," the president said at the annual White House Correspondents' dinner. Daughters "Sasha and Malia are huge fans. But boys, don't get any ideas. Two words: predator drones."

Obama said he was happy to address the crowd before Leno, who headlined the annual event.

"Glad to see the only person whose ratings fell more than mine last year. ... I'm also glad that I'm speaking first," he said.

"We've seen what happens when someone takes the time slot after Leno," the president added, referring to comedian Conan O'Brien leaving NBC after an unsuccessful stint hosting "The Tonight Show."

Members of the Obama administration, including Vice President Joe Biden and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, were not safe from the zingers either.

Former rivals and volatile current issues were also part of the stand-up.

The president noted that Arizona Sen. John McCain did not identify himself as a maverick this year -- a title he frequently touted when he was running for presidency against Obama.

"And we all know what happens in Arizona when you don't have an ID. ... Adios amigos," Obama said.

The president's quip referred to a new immigration law requiring officers in the state to question people about their immigration status if they think they're in the country illegally. Arizona is McCain's home state.

Leno also took a dig at the Arizona law.

"I got stuck behind the Arizona congressional delegation -- luckily all their papers were in order so I didn't have any trouble getting in," the comedian said while describing the event's tight security.

On the president, Leno said he's not as antisocial as some critics accuse him of being.

"He loves to socialize ... health care, car companies, things of that nature," Leno said.

The first White House Correspondents' Association dinner was held in 1920 to boost communication between the press and the president, according to the association's website.

It was open only to men until 1962, when President John F. Kennedy said he would not attend unless women were invited.

Saturday's glitzy event featured various big names, including lawmakers, celebrities and journalists.

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Ahmadinejad blasts U.S. before visit

(News Terupdate) - Just days before his planned trip to New York, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he has proof the United States and Israel are linked to the world's leading terrorist organizations, according to state-run media.

"We have documents that prove (Washington) is the root of world terrorism," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Tehran, Press TV reported. "It has been aiding and abetting extremist groups over the past years."

Ahmadinejad said his nation "cuts any hand that signs a document against Iran," according to the semi-official FARS news agency.

His remarks came as the United States pushes for new international sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt its nuclear program.

Ahmadinejad plans to attend a United Nations summit on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which opens Monday,

The United States "is the only country to have used the atomic bomb in military conflict," Ahmadinejad said Saturday, according to Press TV. "They even admit themselves that they resorted to using (similar weapons) during the war they waged on Iraq."

The United States has not admitted using such weapons in the Iraq war.

Ahmadinejad planned to offer at the U.N. conference major proposals that would allow Iran to maintain its nuclear program, his top adviser, Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, said, according to IRNA official news agency.

Iran insists that its program is aimed at producing nuclear energy, while Washington accuses it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Ahmadinejad urged the United States to engage his government, saying that "companionship is better than confrontation," FARS reported.

His remarks came at a ceremony celebrating May Day, or International Workers' Day.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned Ahmadinejad in some of the Obama administration's strongest language to date.

"Iran, with its anti-Semitic president and hostile nuclear ambitions, also continues to threaten Israel, destabilize the region, and sponsor terror," Clinton said, addressing the annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee.

"The United States is committed to pursuing [a] diplomatic path," she said. "But we will not compromise our commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons."

Source : CNN

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Uncertainties Left as Sri Mulyani Quits

Jakarta, Indonesia (News Today) - Indonesian opposition politicians welcomed on Thursday Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati’s decision to quit, a sign the country faces a prolonged fight over reform seen as crucial to luring investment and spurring growth. While investors and reformers now face uncertainty over the pace of reform, some opposition politicians stepped up criticism of Indrawati, adding they hoped her fellow reformer, Vice President Boediono, was next in line to quit.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won a second five-year term last year on promises to continue the fight against corruption and drive economic growth. With the presence of reformers such as Indrawati in his cabinet, investors have poured money into Indonesian assets on expectations of strong economic growth and improved prospects of an investment grade credit rating for this G-20 member.

Stocks tumbled nearly 4 percent on Wednesday and continued to drop on Thursday, while the rupiah weakened to 9,225 per dollar on Thursday, from 9,030 on Wednesday following the announcement Indrawati would join the World Bank as a managing director. But economists said the sell-off was mainly a reflection of investor jitters over euro zone woes, rather than a reaction to Indrawati’s departure from the financial driving seat in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

Indrawati, a respected economist and former IMF director who has pushed civil service reform and taken a tough stance on corruption, has made many enemies among Indonesia’s political and business elite during her time as finance minister. Her clean-up of the notoriously corrupt tax and customs offices has hit powerful vested interests ranging from the businessmen and law-enforcement officials who benefited from smuggling goods to tycoons who routinely evaded paying millions of dollars in taxes and duties.

Over the past 18 months, Indrawati and fellow reformer Vice President Boediono have come under attack from political opponents eager to unseat two of the most powerful drivers of change in Indonesia, in particular for their role in approving a bank bailout. Indrawati and Boediono, the former central bank governor, agreed to the bailout of a small lender, Bank Century, at the height of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis to stave off the risk of widespread panic in Indonesia’s financial markets.

Both faced months of questioning and highly politicised criticism and grandstanding by parliamentarians. The investigation failed to find any evidence of corruption by either, and President Yudhoyono publicly backed Indrawati and Boediono, but parliamentarians continue to attack both.

Fuad Bawazier, a senior member of the opposition Hanura Party, told local media he believed Indrawati’s departure is in line with the recommendations made by the Bank Century inquiry committee. “I hope Boediono is next,” he told Republika.

Akbar Faizal, another member of Hanura critical of Indrawati, told Reuters both Indrawati and Boediono had been “a big problem” for Indonesia because of the bailout. Separately, he told local media Indrawati should be banned from travelling overseas to take up her post at the World Bank because she still has a pending criminal case in the country.

Source : Kompas.com

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Obama pushes for Wall Street reform on Main Street tour

(News Terupdate) - Continuing to hit on environmental and economic topics, President Obama will wrap up his "White House to Main Street Tour" Wednesday with stops in Illinois and Missouri.

Obama will tour a biorefining plant in Macon, Missouri, on Wednesday afternoon and talk with workers about economic issues, according to the White House. He was expected to discuss Wall Street reform during an appearance in Quincy, Illinois.

On Tuesday, Obama told a crowd in Ottumwa, Iowa, that it is "not right" for Republicans to prevent a Wall Street reform proposal from coming up for debate in the Senate.

Senate Republicans blocked a motion Tuesday to begin debate on a bill that would overhaul financial regulations. The GOP senators say the proposal is too broad and needs to be tightened in closed-door talks with Democrats before coming to the Senate floor for debate.

In his Ottumwa appearance, Obama challenged Republicans to allow a public debate on Wall Street reforms.

"The American people deserve an honest debate this bill." Obama told the crowd. "You should not have to have to wait one more day."

The proposed reforms are intended to prevent another Wall Street meltdown like the one that led to the U.S. recession, Obama said.

"We can't let another crisis like this happen again," he said. "We can't have such a short memory that we let them convince us that we don't need to change the status quo."

Senate Democrats have accused their Republican counterparts of stalling momentum on the bill in an attempt to water it down.

Republican leaders have identified their main concern as a Democratic plan to set up a consumer watchdog agency to protect against lending abuses such as unfair credit card charges and mortgage practices.

The votes Monday and Tuesday on opening debate were intended to generate public pressure on the Republicans by raising awareness of their opposition to moving forward on the popular issue. A third vote on launching debate on the measure is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

One moderate Republican, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, indicated Tuesday he would switch his vote from 'no' to 'yes' if negotiations on the bill between Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, fail to reach agreement soon.

The American people "want us to get something done," Voinovich said in explaining why he would eventually join Democrats in insisting the bill be debated on the floor.

Voinovich wouldn't say how long he would wait before switching his vote, but added, "I have an idea of how much time it takes to cut a deal." According to Voinovich, "a whole bunch" of other Republicans are likely to make the same decision.

Dodd and Shelby have repeatedly said they were close to a deal, with agreement on most of the issues. However, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, who also has taken part in negotiations, said Tuesday he was "far less optimistic" that a deal would come anytime soon.

Obama's remarks in Illinois on Wednesday will continue to focus on Wall Street reform legislation, the White House said.

In addition to the visit to a biorefining plant, Obama's time in Missouri earlier in the day will include a visit to a farm near the town of Palmyra, according to the president's schedule.

Obama kicked off the White House to Main Street tour in December with a visit to the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Since then, the president has made stops in Lorain County, Ohio, and Savannah, Georgia.

The tour is explained on the White House Web site as an effort to "spend some time outside of Washington and talk to American families about what they are experiencing during these tough economic times."

In segments of the tour, "the President will regularly visit communities across the country and meet with members of the community and share ideas for rebuilding our economy for the long term," the Web site says.

Source : CNN

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Obama to Republicans: Let Senate debate Wall Street reform

Ottumwa, Iowa (News Terupdate) - President Obama challenged Republicans to allow a debate on Wall Street reforms, telling an Iowa crowd Tuesday it's not right for the GOP to prevent a proposal from coming up in the Senate.

For the second straight day, Senate Republicans blocked a motion to begin debate on a bill that would overhaul financial regulations. The GOP senators say the proposal is too broad and needs to be tightened in closed-door talks with Democrats before coming to the Senate floor for debate.

"The American people deserve an honest debate on this bill," Obama told the crowd. "You should not have to have to wait one more day."

Obama said Senate Republicans "unanimously blocked efforts to even being debating reform."

"They won't let it [the bill] get on the floor to be debated," Obama said. "It's one thing to oppose reform, but to oppose just even talking about reform in front of the American people and having a legitimate debate? That's not right."

The proposed reforms are intended to prevent another Wall Street meltdown like the one that significantly worsened the U.S. recession, Obama said.

"We can't let another crisis like this happen again," he said. "We can't have such a short memory that we let them convince us that we don't need to change the status quo."

Senate Democrats accuse their Republican counterparts of stalling momentum on the bill in an attempt to water it down. The votes Monday and Tuesday on opening debate were intended to generate public pressure on the Republicans by raising awareness of their opposition to moving forward on the popular issue.

A third vote on launching debate on the measure was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

One moderate Republican, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, indicated Tuesday he would switch his vote from no to yes if negotiations on the bill between Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, fail to reach agreement soon.

The American people "want us to get something done," Voinovich said in explaining why he would eventually join Democrats in insisting the bill be debated on the floor.

Voinovich wouldn't say how long he would wait before switching his vote, but added, "I have an idea of how much time it takes to cut a deal." According to Voinovich, "a whole bunch" of other Republicans are likely to make the same decision.

Dodd and Shelby have repeatedly said they were close to a deal, with agreement on most of the issues. However, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, who also has taken part in negotiations, said Tuesday he was far less optimistic that a deal would come anytime soon.

"I just know where they are, policywise, and I just don't see it," Corker said."I don't think anytime in the near future there's going to be a bipartisan agreement."

Republican leaders have identified their main concern as a Democratic plan to set up a consumer watchdog agency to protect against lending abuses such as unfair credit card charges and mortgage practices.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, contended earlier Tuesday that the consumer agency would extend far beyond Wall Street to infiltrate daily transactions of all Americans.

Shelby headed to another negotiating session with Dodd after Tuesday's vote against starting debate on the bill. Asked whether Dodd is offering any flexibility on the consumer protection provision, Shelby said no.

"They've been pretty steadfast in their view of the consumer agency," Shelby said. "We think we have some constructive recommendations."

Dodd questioned the Republicans' sincerity, saying: "They don't want a consumer protection agency at all. Let's be honest about it."

Source : CNN

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Obama pushes wind power in Iowa visit

Fort Madison, Iowa (News Terupdate) - President Obama took his renewable energy push to the heartland Tuesday, trumpeting the merits of wind power during a visit to the state that launched him on the road to the White House a little over two years ago.

Obama's visit to the Siemens wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Fort Madison, Iowa, was the latest stop in his "White House to Main Street" tour, part of his pitch to middle-class workers hurt by the economic downturn.

"Lately, we've been able to report some welcome news after a hard two years. Our economy is finally growing again," Obama told workers at the plant.

But "times are still tough for middle-class Americans, who had been swimming against the current for years before the economic tidal wave hit."

While in Iowa, the president also toured an organic farm in Mount Pleasant and was scheduled to host a town hall meeting at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa.

"The country that leads the clean energy economy will be the country that leads the 21st century global economy," Obama said at the Siemens plant. "I don't accept second place for the United States of America. That's why our energy security has been a top priority for my administration since the day I took office."

The president cited his controversial $862 billion economic stimulus plan, which passed over solid GOP opposition early last year. The measure helped reverse the economic downturn and will create or save more than 700,000 jobs by 2012, he claimed.

It will do so in part by funding larger investments in renewable energy projects, according to the administration. Obama claimed that, if the proper investments are made, wind could generate up to 20 percent of America's energy two decades from now.

"Wind power isn't the silver bullet that will solve all our energy challenges," he said. "There isn't one. But it is a key part of a comprehensive strategy to move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels to one that relies on more homegrown fuels and clean energy."

Republicans have repeatedly slammed the economic stimulus plan, characterizing it as a pork-laden bill that failed to prevent unemployment from rising.

Obama is scheduled to spend Tuesday night in Des Moines, Iowa, resting up for stops Wednesday in Illinois and Missouri.

It was just a month ago that Obama spoke at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, to tout the health care reform bill he had just signed into law. In May 2007, the then-presidential candidate chose Iowa to unveil his health care plan, which the White House says "launched a grass-roots campaign for reform that led directly to the legislation passed" by Congress last month.

Obama made his first trip as president to Iowa on April 22, 2009. He marked Earth Day in Newton by announcing an initiative to lease federal waters for the purpose of generating electricity from wind and ocean currents.

Obama's victory in January 2008 in his party's Iowa caucuses boosted him into front-runner status along with Hillary Clinton in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, a fight he won when Clinton dropped out in June.

Obama ended up winning the state by 10 points, a switch in fortunes for the Democrats. Four years earlier, President George W. Bush narrowly won the state.

But the political climate has changed for the president and for the Democrats since those heady days of 2008. Iowans are now divided on the job Obama is doing in the White House.

According to a KCCI-Research 2000 poll conducted two months ago, 49 percent of Iowans approved of the president's performance in office, with 46 percent saying they disapprove. The same survey indicated that 35 percent of Iowa voters thought the country was headed in the right direction, with six in 10 saying it was headed the wrong way.

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Twin brother hopes to succeed late Polish president

(News Terupdate) - Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of the Polish president killed in a plane crash earlier this month, will be a candidate to succeed him, his party announced Monday.

Poland will hold elections on June 20 to elect a successor to Lech Kaczynski, who died April 10, along with 95 others including his wife and many top military leaders and officials.

Acting President Bronislaw Komorowski has also said he will be a candidate.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski was prime minister for about two years, until the brothers' Law and Justice party lost parliamentary elections to the Civic Platform in 2007.

Lech Kaczynski and his wife were laid to rest on April 18, marking the end of a journey filled with grief for the central European nation.

Their bodies were taken along Krakow's historic "royal route" from St. Mary's Basilica to Wawel Castle after the funeral mass.

Kaczynski's coffin was draped in the presidential flag, while his wife's was covered with the red-and-white Polish flag during the ceremony at the huge, elaborately decorated cathedral.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, ashen-faced, led mourners at St. Mary's. Dressed in a simple black suit and tie, the surviving twin was joined by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, former President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Lech Kaczynski's daughter and foreign dignitaries.

Tens of thousands of Poles dressed in black lined the streets and tossed flowers at the motorcade carrying the president and first lady, who were killed in a plane crash in Russia April 10.

About 50,000 mourners, some waving flags, sat in silence in Market Square outside the cathedral, where giant monitors televised the service, the Polish government press office said.

Images of Poland's collective grief

Ninety-six people died in the plane crash, including dignitaries and top military leaders. The group was on its way to a service commemorating Polish prisoners of war massacred in Russia during World War II. The plane crashed in bad weather.

Source : CNN

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Sudan president wins election, officials say

(News Terupdate) - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir won the country's controversial but historic presidential election with roughly two-thirds of the vote, the National Election Commission said Monday.

The elections were the first in 24 years in the oil-rich African nation, which has been riven by fighting in Darfur and a civil war between north and south.

A top United Nations official in southern Sudan called the voting "a necessary step in moving towards democratic governance in Sudan."

"The fact that it has come this far can seen as a step forward. It is a step forward in the peace agreement" signed in 2005, said David Gressley, UN resident coordinator for southern Sudan.

He confirmed that two supporters of an independent candidate for governor in Unity State were killed in clashes in the state capital Bentiu on Friday. But he said that in general, the post-election period has been relatively quiet.

The United States and other international observers criticized the elections, saying there were irregularities in many parts of the country.

The elections were "an essential step" in the peace process, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement last week.

But there were problems with the process, he said, citing "reports of intimidation and threats of violence in South Sudan, [and the] ongoing conflict in Darfur did not permit an environment conducive to acceptable elections."

Al-Bashir won 68.24 percent of the vote in the presidential race, getting just under 7 million votes, the commission said.

Salva Kiir won 92.99 percent of the vote in the race for president of Southern Sudan, a semi-autonomous region that is scheduled to vote next year on whether to become independent.

The results reflect the divisions between north and south that continue to plague the country, a leading independent political analyst said.

"Omar al-Bashir did very well in Northern states and it is not surprising that he did not do well in the South as he is not really well liked by the people in the South," the expert said. The analyst is not authorized to speak on the record and asked not to be named.

There could be isolated incidents of violence in response to the results, but they are what was expected, the observer said.

Al-Bashir, a former military officer who took power in a bloodless coup in 1989, has been indicted over allegations of war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

His implementation of Islamic law created divisions between the north and south.

The voting -- for president, parliament and other local positions -- was scrutinized by about 750 international and 18,000 domestic observers.

The election was a key part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which helped end decades of civil war between the country's north and south.

The conflict pitted Christian and animist southerners against Muslim northerners, leaving more than 2 million people dead.

The peace deal also called for a referendum next year to determine whether the south should become an independent nation.

"The elections in the south experienced a high incidence of intimidation and the threat or use of force," the Carter Center said after the voting on April 18.

"There were numerous instances of the Sudan People's Liberation Army intimidating voters and being stationed too close to polling stations. State interference in the campaigns of opposition candidates was widespread in the south," said the Atlanta, Georgia-based organization headed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

However, the EU mission said, the elections showed progress on gender equality, "as a minimum of 25 percent of all legislative seats will be occupied by women."

Source : CNN

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New York Yankees to visit Obama on World Series tour

Washington (News Terupdate) - President Obama, a diehard Chicago White Sox fan, will test a different kind of diplomacy Monday when he hosts the New York Yankees at the White house.

Derek Jeter and the rest of the Yankees will be in town to celebrate last year's World Series victory. The Yankees' White House trip will be one of many events to mark their win.

Before stopping at the White House, players will take the World Series trophy to the Walter Reed Medical Center in the nation's capital, where they'll visit with wounded soldiers.

Obama has stayed true to his Chicago team. He recently wore a White Sox cap while throwing the first pitch at a home opener for the Washington Nationals.

The president has made it clear that he's more loyal to the White Sox than the Cubs, another Illinois team.

During his inaugural events, he thanked military members attending the Commander-in-Chief Ball for their service. "It is wonderful to be surrounded by some of the very best and bravest Americans," he said.

Then he turned to a less serious issue: Polling soldiers on whether they were fans of the Cubs or the White Sox.

"Terrible!" Obama chuckled when most said they were Cubs fans.

After the White House visit, the Yankees will meet Tuesday with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a New York native. Other events Tuesday include lunch in the U.S. Senate and with wounded soldiers, according to the team's website.

Source : CNN

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