World/Nation Briefs 7.2.2012
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
WASHINGTON (AP) — In promoting the health care law, President Barack Obama is repeating his persistent and unsubstantiated assurance that Americans who like their health insurance can simply keep it. Republican rival Mitt Romney says quite the opposite, but his doomsday scenario is a stretch.
After the Supreme Court upheld the law last week, Obama stepped forward to tell Americans what good will come from it. Romney was quick to lay out the harm. But some of the evidence they gave to the court of public opinion was suspect.
A look at their claims and how they compare with the facts:
———
OBAMA: ‘‘If you’re one of the more than 250 million Americans who already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance. This law will only make it more secure and more affordable.’’
———
Return of the old school: Mexicans elect party that ruled country for 71 years back to office
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The party that ruled Mexico with an iron grip for most of the last century has sailed back into power, promising a government that will be modern, responsible and open to criticism.
Though Institutional Revolutionary Party candidate Enrique Pena Nieto’s margin of victory was clear in the preliminary count from Sunday’s election, it was not the mandate the party had anticipated from pre-election polls that had at times shown the youthful, 45-year-old with support of more than half of Mexico’s voters.
Instead, he won 38 percent support, about 7 points more than his nearest rival, according to a representative count of the ballots, and he went to work immediately to win over the two-thirds who didn’t vote for him, many of whom rejected his claim that he represented a reformed and repentant party.
‘‘We’re a new generation. There is no return to the past,’’ he said in his victory speech. ‘‘It’s time to move on from the country we are to the Mexico we deserve and that we can be ... where every Mexican writes his own success story.’’
But his top challenger, leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, refused to concede, saying he would await a full count and legal review. He won roughly 31 percent of the vote, according to the preliminary count which has a margin of error of 1 percentage point. Lopez Obrador in 2006 paralyzed Mexico City streets with hundreds of thousands of supporters when he narrowly lost to President Felipe Calderon.
———
Mid-Atlantic region could see difficult commutes after summer storms cut power to millions
WASHINGTON (AP) — A weekend without electricity was already trying for millions in the sweltering, storm-swept mid-Atlantic region. But Monday morning brings another grim challenge when many embark on a difficult commute over roads with darkened stoplights and likely mass-transit delays.
To alleviate congestion around Baltimore and Washington, federal and state officials gave many workers the option of staying home Monday. Federal agencies will be open in Washington, but non-emergency employees have the option of taking leave or working from home. Maryland’s governor also gave state workers wide leeway for staying out of the office.
There were more than 500 signal outages in Maryland on Sunday afternoon, including more than 400 in hard-hit Montgomery County outside the nation’s capital, according to the State Highway Administration. There were 100 signal outages in northern Virginia late Sunday afternoon, and 65 roads were closed, although most were secondary roads.
‘‘If you have to drive or need to drive, leave yourself a lot of extra time,’’ Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie Gischlar said. ‘‘There’s going to be delays.’’
All 86 Metro subway stations in the Washington area were open, but delays were possible Monday because power was being routed through the system to serve some areas where power was not being supplied by commercial utilities, spokesman Dan Stessel said. Some stations in Montgomery County were running on backup power, he said, meaning escalators may not work — bad news for commuters braving the stifling heat. Metro bus riders were expected to experience significant delays.
———
Chinese court says Apple pays $60 million to settle iPad name dispute with local company
BEIJING (AP) — Apple has paid $60 million to settle a dispute in China over ownership of the iPad name, a court announced Monday, removing a potential obstacle to sales of the popular tablet computer in the key Chinese market.
Apple’s dispute with Shenzhen Proview Technology highlighted the possible pitfalls for global companies in China’s infant trademark system. It also posed a challenge for the communist government, which wants to attract technology investors to develop China’s economy.
Apple Inc. says it bought the global rights to the iPad name from Proview in 2009 but Chinese authorities say the rights in China were never transferred. A Chinese court ruled in December that Proview still owned the name in China. Proview, which is struggling financially, asked Chinese authorities to seize iPads in an apparent effort to pressure Apple to settle.
‘‘The iPad dispute resolution is ended,’’ the Guangdong High People’s Court said in a statement. ‘‘Apple Inc. has transferred $60 million to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter.’’
China is Apple’s second-largest market after the United States and the source of much of the Cupertino, California-based company’s sales growth.
———
Pentagon review: National Guard and Reserve pay, benefit plans are convoluted, should change
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s citizen soldiers, who train in their hometowns for a weekend a month and two weeks a year, receive more money for one day of training at home than their fellow National Guard and Reserve members earn for a day serving in the war zone.
Pentagon officials defended the pay discrepancy as incentive for National Guard and reservists who give up their weekends and must be ready on a moment’s notice to serve. But it’s one of many problems in the complex Guard and Reserve compensation system detailed in a new Pentagon review that recommends changes to make the salaries and benefits more equitable across the board.
The study noted that Guard members and reservists get two day’s pay for each day of weekend training — totaling four day’s pay for the weekend every month. In contrast, when they are called up to active duty and are deployed overseas to Afghanistan, they get a day’s pay for a day’s work. As an example, an officer in the reserves or the Guard could get $407 for a day of weekend duty, but get $269 for a day on active duty, or $318 for a day deployed to Afghanistan. Enlisted members could get $171 for a day of weekend duty, $134 for a day on active duty and $161 for a day deployed to war.
The Defense Department will consider the preliminary recommendations made in the review.
Solving the issue, however, is tricky because defense officials realize that one remedy would be cutting the pay that Guard and Reserve receive for weekend training at home.
———
Early full-term babies may face later academic woes; more time in womb is better, study says
CHICAGO (AP) — Even for infants born full-term, a little more time in the womb may matter.
The extra time results in more brain development, and a study suggests perhaps better scores on academic tests, too.
Full-term is generally between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; newborns born before 37 weeks are called premature and are known to face increased chances for health and developmental problems.
The children in the study were all full-term, and the vast majority did fine on third-grade math and reading tests. The differences were small, but the study found that more kids born at 37 or 38 weeks did poorly than did kids born even a week or two later.
The researchers and other experts said the results suggest that the definition of prematurity should be reconsidered.
———
Barclays chairman Marcus Agius stepping down after bank hit with massive fine for data scandal
LONDON (AP) — The chairman of Barclays announced his resignation Monday after accepting responsibility for a price-fixing scandal that saw the bank slapped with trans-Atlantic fines of $453 million.
Last week, U.S. and British agencies imposed the fines on Barclays for submitting false data on interbank borrowing rates between 2005 and 2009. The bank’s executives have been under fire since then and the calls are growing for chief executive Bob Diamond to quit too.
‘‘As chairman, I am the ultimate guardian of the bank’s reputation,’’ said Marcus Agius, who had led the board since 2007. ‘‘Accordingly, the buck stops with me and I must acknowledge responsibility by standing aside.’’
Agius also submitted his resignation as chairman of the British Bankers Association, the trade body that helps calculate the interbank borrowing rates.
Barclays shares were up 5.2 percent at 171 pence in midmorning trading in London. Its share price has fallen sharply since the imposition of the fine.
———
Houston tribute, obscenities highlight BET Awards; Beyonce, Brown, Jay-Z, Kanye each win 2
With all the star power at the BET Awards — Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few — the most stirring moment came not from a superstar, but from the mother of one.
Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy provided the emotional highlight of Sunday’s ceremony as she sang ‘‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’’ in tribute to her late daughter, leaving audience members like Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.
Mariah Carey opened the tribute, and her voice wavered as she told stories about Houston. She recalled the last time she saw Houston last year, and how the two laughed and gossiped together.
‘‘I miss my friend,’’ Carey said. ‘‘I miss hearing her voice and laughter.’’
R&B singer Monica was vocally top-notch as she sang ‘‘I Love The Lord,’’ a gospel song once sang by Houston; Brandy sang two upbeat Houston hits, ‘‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’’ and ‘‘I’m Your Baby Tonight.’’ Chaka Khan blazed the stage with ‘‘I’m Every Woman,’’ which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney’s brother, also performed; and Houston’s ‘‘Waiting to Exhale’’ cast mates — Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine — also honored the singer.
———
Dara Torres’ quest to make 6th Olympic swim team down to 1 last lap; Phelps locks down 8 spots
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Dara Torres’ quest to make a record sixth Olympic team is down to one last chaotic lap.
The 45-year-old mother needs to finish first or second in the 50-meter freestyle final at the U.S. trials on Monday night to earn a spot in London.
‘‘I’m ecstatic,’’ she said after qualifying third-fastest in Sunday night’s semifinals.
Jessica Hardy, who won the 100 free, led the way in 24.56, followed by Christine Magnuson at 24.72. Torres wasn’t far behind in 24.80.
‘‘It wasn’t all I’ve got,’’ said Torres, one of five women to go under 25 seconds in the semis.
———
Saudi female athletes fear pressure to send women to Olympics may lead to crackdown on sports
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — While Olympic leaders and human rights advocates are encouraged by signs that Saudi Arabia may bow to pressure and send female athletes to the Summer Games, women athletes in the ultraconservative kingdom are worried about a backlash at home.
Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee to end the tradition of sending men-only teams to the Olympics, Saudi Arabia said on Monday it will allow women who qualify to compete at the London Games.
The announcement came as the leadership’s favored candidate, equestrian Dalma Rushdi Malhas, was ruled out of the Olympics — sending officials on a hunt for other female athletes they could include on the Saudi team and avoid IOC sanctions a month before the start of the games.
Women who play soccer and basketball in underground leagues around Saudi Arabia support those efforts, yet they also fear the hardline Muslim leaders will punish them for being pressured by the West and will crack down on women’s clandestine activities after the Olympic flame goes out in London.
‘‘We have to wait. I am afraid of their reaction, if we push too hard,’’ said Rawh Abdullah, a captain of a female soccer team in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. ‘‘We risk being shut down completely, and I do not want to reach a dead end because of impatience.’’
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WASHINGTON (AP) — In promoting the health care law, President Barack Obama is repeating his persistent and unsubstantiated assurance that Americans who like their health insurance can simply keep it. Republican rival Mitt Romney says quite the opposite, but his doomsday scenario is a stretch.
After the Supreme Court upheld the law last week, Obama stepped forward to tell Americans what good will come from it. Romney was quick to lay out the harm. But some of the evidence they gave to the court of public opinion was suspect.
A look at their claims and how they compare with the facts:
———
OBAMA: ‘‘If you’re one of the more than 250 million Americans who already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance. This law will only make it more secure and more affordable.’’
———
Return of the old school: Mexicans elect party that ruled country for 71 years back to office
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The party that ruled Mexico with an iron grip for most of the last century has sailed back into power, promising a government that will be modern, responsible and open to criticism.
Though Institutional Revolutionary Party candidate Enrique Pena Nieto’s margin of victory was clear in the preliminary count from Sunday’s election, it was not the mandate the party had anticipated from pre-election polls that had at times shown the youthful, 45-year-old with support of more than half of Mexico’s voters.
Instead, he won 38 percent support, about 7 points more than his nearest rival, according to a representative count of the ballots, and he went to work immediately to win over the two-thirds who didn’t vote for him, many of whom rejected his claim that he represented a reformed and repentant party.
‘‘We’re a new generation. There is no return to the past,’’ he said in his victory speech. ‘‘It’s time to move on from the country we are to the Mexico we deserve and that we can be ... where every Mexican writes his own success story.’’
But his top challenger, leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, refused to concede, saying he would await a full count and legal review. He won roughly 31 percent of the vote, according to the preliminary count which has a margin of error of 1 percentage point. Lopez Obrador in 2006 paralyzed Mexico City streets with hundreds of thousands of supporters when he narrowly lost to President Felipe Calderon.
———
Mid-Atlantic region could see difficult commutes after summer storms cut power to millions
WASHINGTON (AP) — A weekend without electricity was already trying for millions in the sweltering, storm-swept mid-Atlantic region. But Monday morning brings another grim challenge when many embark on a difficult commute over roads with darkened stoplights and likely mass-transit delays.
To alleviate congestion around Baltimore and Washington, federal and state officials gave many workers the option of staying home Monday. Federal agencies will be open in Washington, but non-emergency employees have the option of taking leave or working from home. Maryland’s governor also gave state workers wide leeway for staying out of the office.
There were more than 500 signal outages in Maryland on Sunday afternoon, including more than 400 in hard-hit Montgomery County outside the nation’s capital, according to the State Highway Administration. There were 100 signal outages in northern Virginia late Sunday afternoon, and 65 roads were closed, although most were secondary roads.
‘‘If you have to drive or need to drive, leave yourself a lot of extra time,’’ Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie Gischlar said. ‘‘There’s going to be delays.’’
All 86 Metro subway stations in the Washington area were open, but delays were possible Monday because power was being routed through the system to serve some areas where power was not being supplied by commercial utilities, spokesman Dan Stessel said. Some stations in Montgomery County were running on backup power, he said, meaning escalators may not work — bad news for commuters braving the stifling heat. Metro bus riders were expected to experience significant delays.
———
Chinese court says Apple pays $60 million to settle iPad name dispute with local company
BEIJING (AP) — Apple has paid $60 million to settle a dispute in China over ownership of the iPad name, a court announced Monday, removing a potential obstacle to sales of the popular tablet computer in the key Chinese market.
Apple’s dispute with Shenzhen Proview Technology highlighted the possible pitfalls for global companies in China’s infant trademark system. It also posed a challenge for the communist government, which wants to attract technology investors to develop China’s economy.
Apple Inc. says it bought the global rights to the iPad name from Proview in 2009 but Chinese authorities say the rights in China were never transferred. A Chinese court ruled in December that Proview still owned the name in China. Proview, which is struggling financially, asked Chinese authorities to seize iPads in an apparent effort to pressure Apple to settle.
‘‘The iPad dispute resolution is ended,’’ the Guangdong High People’s Court said in a statement. ‘‘Apple Inc. has transferred $60 million to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter.’’
China is Apple’s second-largest market after the United States and the source of much of the Cupertino, California-based company’s sales growth.
———
Pentagon review: National Guard and Reserve pay, benefit plans are convoluted, should change
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s citizen soldiers, who train in their hometowns for a weekend a month and two weeks a year, receive more money for one day of training at home than their fellow National Guard and Reserve members earn for a day serving in the war zone.
Pentagon officials defended the pay discrepancy as incentive for National Guard and reservists who give up their weekends and must be ready on a moment’s notice to serve. But it’s one of many problems in the complex Guard and Reserve compensation system detailed in a new Pentagon review that recommends changes to make the salaries and benefits more equitable across the board.
The study noted that Guard members and reservists get two day’s pay for each day of weekend training — totaling four day’s pay for the weekend every month. In contrast, when they are called up to active duty and are deployed overseas to Afghanistan, they get a day’s pay for a day’s work. As an example, an officer in the reserves or the Guard could get $407 for a day of weekend duty, but get $269 for a day on active duty, or $318 for a day deployed to Afghanistan. Enlisted members could get $171 for a day of weekend duty, $134 for a day on active duty and $161 for a day deployed to war.
The Defense Department will consider the preliminary recommendations made in the review.
Solving the issue, however, is tricky because defense officials realize that one remedy would be cutting the pay that Guard and Reserve receive for weekend training at home.
———
Early full-term babies may face later academic woes; more time in womb is better, study says
CHICAGO (AP) — Even for infants born full-term, a little more time in the womb may matter.
The extra time results in more brain development, and a study suggests perhaps better scores on academic tests, too.
Full-term is generally between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; newborns born before 37 weeks are called premature and are known to face increased chances for health and developmental problems.
The children in the study were all full-term, and the vast majority did fine on third-grade math and reading tests. The differences were small, but the study found that more kids born at 37 or 38 weeks did poorly than did kids born even a week or two later.
The researchers and other experts said the results suggest that the definition of prematurity should be reconsidered.
———
Barclays chairman Marcus Agius stepping down after bank hit with massive fine for data scandal
LONDON (AP) — The chairman of Barclays announced his resignation Monday after accepting responsibility for a price-fixing scandal that saw the bank slapped with trans-Atlantic fines of $453 million.
Last week, U.S. and British agencies imposed the fines on Barclays for submitting false data on interbank borrowing rates between 2005 and 2009. The bank’s executives have been under fire since then and the calls are growing for chief executive Bob Diamond to quit too.
‘‘As chairman, I am the ultimate guardian of the bank’s reputation,’’ said Marcus Agius, who had led the board since 2007. ‘‘Accordingly, the buck stops with me and I must acknowledge responsibility by standing aside.’’
Agius also submitted his resignation as chairman of the British Bankers Association, the trade body that helps calculate the interbank borrowing rates.
Barclays shares were up 5.2 percent at 171 pence in midmorning trading in London. Its share price has fallen sharply since the imposition of the fine.
———
Houston tribute, obscenities highlight BET Awards; Beyonce, Brown, Jay-Z, Kanye each win 2
With all the star power at the BET Awards — Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few — the most stirring moment came not from a superstar, but from the mother of one.
Whitney Houston’s mother Cissy provided the emotional highlight of Sunday’s ceremony as she sang ‘‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’’ in tribute to her late daughter, leaving audience members like Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.
Mariah Carey opened the tribute, and her voice wavered as she told stories about Houston. She recalled the last time she saw Houston last year, and how the two laughed and gossiped together.
‘‘I miss my friend,’’ Carey said. ‘‘I miss hearing her voice and laughter.’’
R&B singer Monica was vocally top-notch as she sang ‘‘I Love The Lord,’’ a gospel song once sang by Houston; Brandy sang two upbeat Houston hits, ‘‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’’ and ‘‘I’m Your Baby Tonight.’’ Chaka Khan blazed the stage with ‘‘I’m Every Woman,’’ which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney’s brother, also performed; and Houston’s ‘‘Waiting to Exhale’’ cast mates — Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine — also honored the singer.
———
Dara Torres’ quest to make 6th Olympic swim team down to 1 last lap; Phelps locks down 8 spots
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Dara Torres’ quest to make a record sixth Olympic team is down to one last chaotic lap.
The 45-year-old mother needs to finish first or second in the 50-meter freestyle final at the U.S. trials on Monday night to earn a spot in London.
‘‘I’m ecstatic,’’ she said after qualifying third-fastest in Sunday night’s semifinals.
Jessica Hardy, who won the 100 free, led the way in 24.56, followed by Christine Magnuson at 24.72. Torres wasn’t far behind in 24.80.
‘‘It wasn’t all I’ve got,’’ said Torres, one of five women to go under 25 seconds in the semis.
———
Saudi female athletes fear pressure to send women to Olympics may lead to crackdown on sports
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — While Olympic leaders and human rights advocates are encouraged by signs that Saudi Arabia may bow to pressure and send female athletes to the Summer Games, women athletes in the ultraconservative kingdom are worried about a backlash at home.
Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee to end the tradition of sending men-only teams to the Olympics, Saudi Arabia said on Monday it will allow women who qualify to compete at the London Games.
The announcement came as the leadership’s favored candidate, equestrian Dalma Rushdi Malhas, was ruled out of the Olympics — sending officials on a hunt for other female athletes they could include on the Saudi team and avoid IOC sanctions a month before the start of the games.
Women who play soccer and basketball in underground leagues around Saudi Arabia support those efforts, yet they also fear the hardline Muslim leaders will punish them for being pressured by the West and will crack down on women’s clandestine activities after the Olympic flame goes out in London.
‘‘We have to wait. I am afraid of their reaction, if we push too hard,’’ said Rawh Abdullah, a captain of a female soccer team in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. ‘‘We risk being shut down completely, and I do not want to reach a dead end because of impatience.’’
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