World/Nation Briefs 7.10.2012
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s Islamist-dominated parliament has convened in defiance of a ruling by the country’s highest court dissolving the legislature.
Speaker Saad El-Katatni told lawmakers gathered for Tuesday’s session that the legislature has met to find ways to implement the ruling rather than debate it out of respect for the principle of ‘‘the supremacy of the law and separation of authorities.’’
The lawmakers then approved by a show of hand el-Katatni’s proposal that the house seek legal advice from a high appeals court on how to implement the supreme court’s ruling. He then adjourned the session, which lasted about five minutes.
He said he would advise lawmakers in due course of the date of the next session.
———
Obama heads to Iowa to push for tax cuts for households earning less than $250K
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans over tax fairness.
Obama was making his pitch Tuesday in Iowa, the state that launched his presidential bid in 2008. He faces a tough contest there against Romney this fall.
The president wants Congress to pass a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for households earning less than $250,000 before they expire at the end of the year. Romney has pushed for an extension of cuts for all earners.
‘‘This nation runs on economic freedom and we have to restore it,’’ Romney told radio host Michael Medved on Monday. ‘‘And to restore economic freedom we have to have taxes that are competitive with other nations.’’
Obama sought to elevate the tax debate as one of the defining issues of the campaign, saying the outcome in the November election would determine the fate of the tax cuts for higher income earners. The White House and Obama’s campaign want to use the tax debate to portray congressional Republicans as obstructionists and Romney as a defender of the wealthy who is willing to push an across-the-board extension of the tax breaks at the expense of those earning more modest incomes.
———
Senate Democrats pushing tax cuts for companies that hire workers, give raises, buy equipment
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats want to push tax cuts through the Senate for companies that hire new workers, give raises or buy major new equipment this year.
With neither party eager to let the other claim campaign-season victories, the ultimate fate of the roughly $29 billion legislation seems dubious. Debate was to begin Tuesday, though it was possible Republicans would use procedural blockades to quickly derail the measure.
The legislation would grant tax credits — which are subtracted from a company’s tax bill — equal to 10 percent of the amount its 2012 payroll exceeds the salaries it paid in 2011. The maximum credit would be $500,000, a figure that would disproportionately help smaller businesses.
It would also let companies that buy major new property in 2012, such as machinery, deduct the entire cost of the purchase this year. Currently they can only deduct half the amount.
In an election year in which the slumping economy gives President Barack Obama and the Senate’s majority Democrats little to boast about, the proposal lets Democrats take the offensive on the tax issue while asserting they are trying to encourage job creation. It was reaching the floor days after the latest gloomy Labor Department report that a scant 80,000 jobs were created last month, leaving the unemployment rate at a rugged 8.2 percent.
———
Clinton urges Egypt’s president and military to settle differences
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday urged Egypt’s Islamist president and its military to settle their differences for the good of Egypt’s people, or risk seeing their nation’s democratic transition derailed.
Egypt’s newly elected President Mohammed Morsi is locked in conflict with the powerful military over whether the country’s legislature should reconvene after a court ruling last month dissolved it. It’s the latest crisis in nearly 17 months of political drama since last year’s overthrow of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking in Vietnam, Clinton refused to take sides in the simmering dispute. She cited Egypt’s progress, as evidenced by competitive elections and the first popularly elected president in the country’s ‘‘very long history.’’ But she stressed that much more needed to be done.
‘‘Democracy not just about elections,’’ she told reporters. ‘‘It is about creating vibrant, inclusive political dialogue; listening to civil society; having good relations between civilian officials and military officials, where each is working to serve the interests of the citizens.’’
Delivering a cautionary message, Clinton said, ‘‘We strongly urge dialogue and a concerted effort on the part of all to try to deal with the problems that are understandable, but have to be resolved in order to avoid the kind of difficulties that could derail the transition that is going on.’’
———
Targeted because of redistricting, veteran House Democrats gear up for competitive races
WASHINGTON (AP) — For Rep. Lois Capps of California and other vulnerable House Democrats, a string of successful re-election bids and double-digit margins of victory may mean little this year.
Her Santa Barbara-area district has been redrawn in the wake of the latest census, turning it from Democratic-leaning to one evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Capps has responded by spending more time than ever raising money, hiring campaign staff and meeting voters.
‘‘It’s totally intensive, labor-intensive,’’ she says.
And unheard of for a six-term congresswoman who routinely defeats her Republican opponents by 20 to 36 percentage points. At least seven other veteran House Democrats — in California, Iowa, Utah, Massachusetts, New York, Georgia and North Carolina — have become top GOP targets because of new district boundaries.
The prospect of making Democratic veterans fight for their seats, if not lose them, offers House Republicans a chance to show some political muscle after a wrenching two-year term in which the factions of the GOP struggled to govern in the wake of recession. With the electorate still down on Congress and deeply concerned about the economy and joblessness, Republicans seeking to fortify their 51-seat House majority are rushing to frame the 2012 election as a referendum on President Barack Obama’s stewardship, as well as that of his Democratic allies.
———
Ex-Israeli PM Olmert cleared of most charges in landmark corruption case
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli court cleared former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday of the central charges in a multi-case corruption trial that forced him from power, but convicted him of a lesser charge of breach of trust.
The verdict was seen as a major victory for Olmert, who stepped down as prime minister for the centrist Kadima party in 2009 to battle allegations that included accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from a supporter and pocketing the proceeds from a double-billing scam on overseas travel.
His conviction on the lesser charge of ‘‘breach of trust’’ made him the first Israeli prime minister ever convicted of a crime, and his legal troubles are far from over.
He will be sentenced on Sept. 6 and is currently standing trial in a separate real estate bribery case. For now at least, a return to politics for the 66-year-old Olmert appears unlikely.
Olmert, 66, appeared calm and relieved as the verdict was delivered in the Jerusalem court. As he left the courtroom, the former prime minister had a wide smile on his face and kissed defense lawyers and advisers.
———
Episcopal bishops OK trial gay blessing prayer; full church affirms transgender ordination
Episcopal bishops approved an official prayer service for blessing same-sex couples Monday at a national convention that also cleared the way for transgender ordination.
At the Episcopal General Convention in Indianapolis, the House of Bishops voted 111-41, with three abstentions, to authorize a provisional rite for same-sex unions for the next three years. The liturgy next goes to convention’s deputies for their authorization.
In a separate vote Monday, the full convention approved new anti-discrimination language for transgendered clergy candidates and church members. Some dioceses already ordain transgendered people or elect them to positions of parish leadership. However, advocates for the amendment argued they needed an explicit statement of acceptance as the churchwide policy.
The Rev. Carla Robinson, who is transgendered and a vicar of All Saints Church in Seattle, said she was lucky to have the backing of parishes and bishops when she was considering ordination, but she said others haven’t had the same support.
‘‘I stand here as a priest today because my diocese specifically said that my gender identity and expression didn’t disqualify me from the discernment process,’’ Robinson said from the floor of the convention. ‘‘I ask that as a church we do the same for my trans sisters and brothers.’’
———
Some homeowners lose houses for a little as $400 in overdue taxes, consumer group says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The elderly and other vulnerable homeowners are losing their homes because they owe as little as a few hundred dollars in back taxes, according to a report from a consumer group.
Outdated state laws allow big banks and other investors to reap windfall profits by buying the houses for a pittance and reselling them, the National Consumer Law Center said in a report being released Tuesday.
Local governments can seize and sell a home if the owner falls behind on property taxes and fees. The process helps governments make ends meet at a time when low property values and the weak economy are squeezing tax revenue.
But tax debts as small as $400 can cause people to lose their homes because of arcane laws and misinformation among consumers, says John Rao, the report’s author and an attorney with NCLC.
The consequences are ‘‘devastating for individuals, families and communities,’’ Rao said. He said states should update laws so speculators can’t profit from misinformed homeowners and people who have difficulty managing their finances.
———
Splish-splash: Fielder wins Home Run Derby for 2nd time, joins Griffey Jr as multiple champs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Prince Fielder made a splash at the All-Star Home Run Derby. Eight of them.
The Detroit slugger joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple titles, thrilling the crowd at Kauffman Stadium with several shots into the right-field fountain and beating Toronto’s Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final Monday night.
‘‘Just being mentioned with him is real special,’’ said Fielder, who spent time at Griffey’s house when he was a kid. ‘‘My dad would let me go over and play video games all day. He always took care of me when I was a kid.’’
On a night when the Yankees’ Robinson Cano was repeatedly booed and went homerless, Fielder put on the most powerful display among baseball’s big boppers. Winner at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium three years ago, Fielder had a total of 28 home runs over three rounds to cap the main event on the eve of the All-Star game. He hit the four longest drives of the night, including a pair at 476 feet.
‘‘They were far,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s not easy to hit it out there.’’
———
Person familiar with situation: Yankees tell Reggie Jackson to lay low after pointed remarks
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have told Mr. October to stay away this summer.
The Yankees want Reggie Jackson to steer clear of the clubhouse and team events following his pointed remarks about Alex Rodriguez and several former stars, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Hall of Famer will lay low for several weeks, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no formal announcement. Jackson was not disciplined or fined, and will remain as a special adviser to the Yankees.
ESPN initially reported Jackson would be indefinitely absent from the Yankees.
Jackson recently was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying some of Rodriguez’s statistics were tainted because the Yankees slugger had admitted using performance-enhancing drugs. Jackson has spoken to Rodriguez since then to explain his comments.[[In-content Ad]]
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CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s Islamist-dominated parliament has convened in defiance of a ruling by the country’s highest court dissolving the legislature.
Speaker Saad El-Katatni told lawmakers gathered for Tuesday’s session that the legislature has met to find ways to implement the ruling rather than debate it out of respect for the principle of ‘‘the supremacy of the law and separation of authorities.’’
The lawmakers then approved by a show of hand el-Katatni’s proposal that the house seek legal advice from a high appeals court on how to implement the supreme court’s ruling. He then adjourned the session, which lasted about five minutes.
He said he would advise lawmakers in due course of the date of the next session.
———
Obama heads to Iowa to push for tax cuts for households earning less than $250K
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking an election-year fight over taxes, President Barack Obama is hitting the road to press Congress to extend tax cuts for low- and middle-income earners, framing a debate with Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans over tax fairness.
Obama was making his pitch Tuesday in Iowa, the state that launched his presidential bid in 2008. He faces a tough contest there against Romney this fall.
The president wants Congress to pass a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for households earning less than $250,000 before they expire at the end of the year. Romney has pushed for an extension of cuts for all earners.
‘‘This nation runs on economic freedom and we have to restore it,’’ Romney told radio host Michael Medved on Monday. ‘‘And to restore economic freedom we have to have taxes that are competitive with other nations.’’
Obama sought to elevate the tax debate as one of the defining issues of the campaign, saying the outcome in the November election would determine the fate of the tax cuts for higher income earners. The White House and Obama’s campaign want to use the tax debate to portray congressional Republicans as obstructionists and Romney as a defender of the wealthy who is willing to push an across-the-board extension of the tax breaks at the expense of those earning more modest incomes.
———
Senate Democrats pushing tax cuts for companies that hire workers, give raises, buy equipment
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats want to push tax cuts through the Senate for companies that hire new workers, give raises or buy major new equipment this year.
With neither party eager to let the other claim campaign-season victories, the ultimate fate of the roughly $29 billion legislation seems dubious. Debate was to begin Tuesday, though it was possible Republicans would use procedural blockades to quickly derail the measure.
The legislation would grant tax credits — which are subtracted from a company’s tax bill — equal to 10 percent of the amount its 2012 payroll exceeds the salaries it paid in 2011. The maximum credit would be $500,000, a figure that would disproportionately help smaller businesses.
It would also let companies that buy major new property in 2012, such as machinery, deduct the entire cost of the purchase this year. Currently they can only deduct half the amount.
In an election year in which the slumping economy gives President Barack Obama and the Senate’s majority Democrats little to boast about, the proposal lets Democrats take the offensive on the tax issue while asserting they are trying to encourage job creation. It was reaching the floor days after the latest gloomy Labor Department report that a scant 80,000 jobs were created last month, leaving the unemployment rate at a rugged 8.2 percent.
———
Clinton urges Egypt’s president and military to settle differences
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday urged Egypt’s Islamist president and its military to settle their differences for the good of Egypt’s people, or risk seeing their nation’s democratic transition derailed.
Egypt’s newly elected President Mohammed Morsi is locked in conflict with the powerful military over whether the country’s legislature should reconvene after a court ruling last month dissolved it. It’s the latest crisis in nearly 17 months of political drama since last year’s overthrow of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking in Vietnam, Clinton refused to take sides in the simmering dispute. She cited Egypt’s progress, as evidenced by competitive elections and the first popularly elected president in the country’s ‘‘very long history.’’ But she stressed that much more needed to be done.
‘‘Democracy not just about elections,’’ she told reporters. ‘‘It is about creating vibrant, inclusive political dialogue; listening to civil society; having good relations between civilian officials and military officials, where each is working to serve the interests of the citizens.’’
Delivering a cautionary message, Clinton said, ‘‘We strongly urge dialogue and a concerted effort on the part of all to try to deal with the problems that are understandable, but have to be resolved in order to avoid the kind of difficulties that could derail the transition that is going on.’’
———
Targeted because of redistricting, veteran House Democrats gear up for competitive races
WASHINGTON (AP) — For Rep. Lois Capps of California and other vulnerable House Democrats, a string of successful re-election bids and double-digit margins of victory may mean little this year.
Her Santa Barbara-area district has been redrawn in the wake of the latest census, turning it from Democratic-leaning to one evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Capps has responded by spending more time than ever raising money, hiring campaign staff and meeting voters.
‘‘It’s totally intensive, labor-intensive,’’ she says.
And unheard of for a six-term congresswoman who routinely defeats her Republican opponents by 20 to 36 percentage points. At least seven other veteran House Democrats — in California, Iowa, Utah, Massachusetts, New York, Georgia and North Carolina — have become top GOP targets because of new district boundaries.
The prospect of making Democratic veterans fight for their seats, if not lose them, offers House Republicans a chance to show some political muscle after a wrenching two-year term in which the factions of the GOP struggled to govern in the wake of recession. With the electorate still down on Congress and deeply concerned about the economy and joblessness, Republicans seeking to fortify their 51-seat House majority are rushing to frame the 2012 election as a referendum on President Barack Obama’s stewardship, as well as that of his Democratic allies.
———
Ex-Israeli PM Olmert cleared of most charges in landmark corruption case
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli court cleared former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday of the central charges in a multi-case corruption trial that forced him from power, but convicted him of a lesser charge of breach of trust.
The verdict was seen as a major victory for Olmert, who stepped down as prime minister for the centrist Kadima party in 2009 to battle allegations that included accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from a supporter and pocketing the proceeds from a double-billing scam on overseas travel.
His conviction on the lesser charge of ‘‘breach of trust’’ made him the first Israeli prime minister ever convicted of a crime, and his legal troubles are far from over.
He will be sentenced on Sept. 6 and is currently standing trial in a separate real estate bribery case. For now at least, a return to politics for the 66-year-old Olmert appears unlikely.
Olmert, 66, appeared calm and relieved as the verdict was delivered in the Jerusalem court. As he left the courtroom, the former prime minister had a wide smile on his face and kissed defense lawyers and advisers.
———
Episcopal bishops OK trial gay blessing prayer; full church affirms transgender ordination
Episcopal bishops approved an official prayer service for blessing same-sex couples Monday at a national convention that also cleared the way for transgender ordination.
At the Episcopal General Convention in Indianapolis, the House of Bishops voted 111-41, with three abstentions, to authorize a provisional rite for same-sex unions for the next three years. The liturgy next goes to convention’s deputies for their authorization.
In a separate vote Monday, the full convention approved new anti-discrimination language for transgendered clergy candidates and church members. Some dioceses already ordain transgendered people or elect them to positions of parish leadership. However, advocates for the amendment argued they needed an explicit statement of acceptance as the churchwide policy.
The Rev. Carla Robinson, who is transgendered and a vicar of All Saints Church in Seattle, said she was lucky to have the backing of parishes and bishops when she was considering ordination, but she said others haven’t had the same support.
‘‘I stand here as a priest today because my diocese specifically said that my gender identity and expression didn’t disqualify me from the discernment process,’’ Robinson said from the floor of the convention. ‘‘I ask that as a church we do the same for my trans sisters and brothers.’’
———
Some homeowners lose houses for a little as $400 in overdue taxes, consumer group says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The elderly and other vulnerable homeowners are losing their homes because they owe as little as a few hundred dollars in back taxes, according to a report from a consumer group.
Outdated state laws allow big banks and other investors to reap windfall profits by buying the houses for a pittance and reselling them, the National Consumer Law Center said in a report being released Tuesday.
Local governments can seize and sell a home if the owner falls behind on property taxes and fees. The process helps governments make ends meet at a time when low property values and the weak economy are squeezing tax revenue.
But tax debts as small as $400 can cause people to lose their homes because of arcane laws and misinformation among consumers, says John Rao, the report’s author and an attorney with NCLC.
The consequences are ‘‘devastating for individuals, families and communities,’’ Rao said. He said states should update laws so speculators can’t profit from misinformed homeowners and people who have difficulty managing their finances.
———
Splish-splash: Fielder wins Home Run Derby for 2nd time, joins Griffey Jr as multiple champs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Prince Fielder made a splash at the All-Star Home Run Derby. Eight of them.
The Detroit slugger joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple titles, thrilling the crowd at Kauffman Stadium with several shots into the right-field fountain and beating Toronto’s Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final Monday night.
‘‘Just being mentioned with him is real special,’’ said Fielder, who spent time at Griffey’s house when he was a kid. ‘‘My dad would let me go over and play video games all day. He always took care of me when I was a kid.’’
On a night when the Yankees’ Robinson Cano was repeatedly booed and went homerless, Fielder put on the most powerful display among baseball’s big boppers. Winner at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium three years ago, Fielder had a total of 28 home runs over three rounds to cap the main event on the eve of the All-Star game. He hit the four longest drives of the night, including a pair at 476 feet.
‘‘They were far,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s not easy to hit it out there.’’
———
Person familiar with situation: Yankees tell Reggie Jackson to lay low after pointed remarks
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have told Mr. October to stay away this summer.
The Yankees want Reggie Jackson to steer clear of the clubhouse and team events following his pointed remarks about Alex Rodriguez and several former stars, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Hall of Famer will lay low for several weeks, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no formal announcement. Jackson was not disciplined or fined, and will remain as a special adviser to the Yankees.
ESPN initially reported Jackson would be indefinitely absent from the Yankees.
Jackson recently was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying some of Rodriguez’s statistics were tainted because the Yankees slugger had admitted using performance-enhancing drugs. Jackson has spoken to Rodriguez since then to explain his comments.[[In-content Ad]]
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