Obama eyes repaid gov't bank loans for jobs help
WASHINGTON (AP) — Under heavy pressure to get Americans back to work, President Barack Obama on Monday suggested using a suddenly available pot of money left over from the government's bank bailout to help create more jobs. Obama, who will address the subject in a speech on Tuesday, has been struggling to trim the nation's painfully high unemployment rate, now at 10 percent, just below a quarter-century high.
Senate Dems seek expansion of Medicare, Medicaid
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic liberals are seeking expansion of two large federal programs, Medicare and Medicaid, in exchange for dropping a government-sold insurance option from health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama, several lawmakers said Monday. Under the potential trade-off with party moderates, near-retirees beginning at age 55 or 60 who lack affordable insurance would be permitted to purchase coverage under Medicare, which generally provides medical care beginning at 65. Medicaid, the federal-state health care program for the poor, would be open to all comers under 300 percent of poverty, or slightly over $66,000 for a family of four.
Historic EPA finding: Greenhouse gases harm humans
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration took a major step Monday toward imposing the first federal limits on climate-changing pollution from cars, power plants and factories, declaring there was compelling scientific evidence that global warming from manmade greenhouse gases endangers Americans' health. The announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency was clearly timed to build momentum toward an agreement at the international conference on climate change that opened Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark. It signaled the administration was prepared to push ahead for significant controls in the U.S. if Congress doesn't act first on its own.
Shoals still in path of Wall Street regulations
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweeping regulations to tame Wall Street and protect consumers in dealings with lenders are on the verge of passing the House but their fate is hardly sealed. Crucial pieces are still flashpoints, fiercely opposed by various sectors of the financial services industry and likely to be fought on the House floor and beyond.
Comparison of Democratic health care bills
A comparison of the health care bills before Congress: —
Famous Miranda rights warning could get rewrite
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday seemed headed toward telling police they must explicitly advise criminal suspects that their lawyer can be present during any interrogation. The arguments in front of the justices were the latest over how explicit the Miranda warning rights have to be, as justices debated whether the warnings police gave Kevin Dwayne Powell made clear to him that he could have a lawyer present while being interrogated by police.
Groups try simple steps to avoid hospital rebound
WASHINGTON (AP) — Talk about unnecessary misery: One in five Medicare patients winds up back in the hospital within a month — even worse, one in four patients with heart failure. A major push is under way around the country to cut rehospitalizations, in part by arming patients with simple steps to keep their recovery on track — like getting past harried receptionists for quicker follow-up doctor visits, and reducing medication confusion.
Secret Service report details 91 security breaches
WASHINGTON (AP) — An internal Secret Service document reveals that last month's gate crashing incident at a White House state dinner was one of 91 security breaches since 1980. The 2003 report was used for training purposes, and helped agents evaluate security procedures and improve their response to breaches, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said. A breach can range from a White House fence jumper to a fame-seeking Virginia couple making their way inside a state dinner without an invitation, he said.
Erdogan resists US calls for Iran sanctions
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama failed to win immediate new pledges of support from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for U.S. goals toward Iran and Afghanistan. At a news conference after his White House meeting, Erdogan stressed the role of diplomacy in persuading Iran to give up any nuclear ambitions it might have and made clear that Turkey does not see the need yet for new sanctions.
Northwest pilots blame air traffic controllers
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot Minneapolis have blamed air traffic controllers in part for the incident, saying controllers violated procedures. Capt. Timothy Cheney, 54, of Gig Harbor, Wash., and First Officer Richard Cole, 54, of Salem, Ore., said in documents filed Nov. 24 with the National Transportation Safety Board that controllers didn't follow rules and practices contained in the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control manual and didn't coordinate effectively with Northwest dispatchers. The documents don't offer any details on those violations.
