Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/24847
8A – Daily News – Wednesday, February 9, 2011 WORLD BRIEFING Leader energizes Egyptian protests CAIRO (AP) — A young Google executive who helped ignite Egypt’s uprising energized a cheer- ing crowd of hundreds of thousands Tuesday with his first appearance in their midst after being released from 12 days in secret detention. ‘‘We won’t give up,’’ he promised at one of the biggest protests yet in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Once a behind-the- scenes Internet activist, 30- year-old Wael Ghonim has emerged as an inspiring voice for a movement that has taken pride in being a leaderless ‘‘people’s revolu- tion.’’ Now, the various activists behind it — includ- ing Ghonim — are working to coalesce into representa- tives to push their demands for President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. With protests invigorat- ed, Vice President Omar Suleiman issued a sharply worded warning, saying of the protests in Tahrir, ‘‘We can’t bear this for a long time, and there must be an end to this crisis as soon as possible,’’ in a sign of growinig impatience with 16 days of mass demonstra- tions. For the first time, pro- testers made a foray to Par- liament, several blocks away from their camp in the square. Several hundred marched to the legislature and chanted for it to be dis- solved. In Tahrir, the massive, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd’s ranks swelled with new blood, including thou- sands of university profes- sors and lawyers who marched in together as organizers worked to draw in professional unions. The crowd rivaled the biggest demonstration so far, a week ago, that drew a quar- ter-million people. Obama to call for $53B for rail WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling for a six-year, $53 billion spending plan for high-speed rail, as he seeks to use infrastructure spend- ing to jump-start job cre- ation. An initial $8 billion in spending will be part of the budget plan Obama is set to release Monday. If Con- gress approves the plan, the money would go toward developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 mph, and connecting exist- ing rail lines to new pro- jects. The White House wouldn’t say where the money for the rest of the program would come from, though it’s likely Obama would seek funding in future budgets or trans- portation bills. Obama’s push for high- speed rail spending is part of his broad goal of creating jobs in the short-term and increasing American com- petitiveness for the future through new funding for infrastructure, education and innovation. During last month’s State of the Union address, Obama said he wanted to give 80 percent of Americans access to high- speed rail within 25 years. At the same time he’s calling for new spending on sectors like high-speed rail in the upcoming budget, Obama also has pledged to cut overall spending as he seeks to bring down the nation’s mounting deficit. The White House has said environmental programs for the Great Lakes, and block grants for community ser- vice and community devel- opment are among the pro- grams that will face cuts. But it’s unlikely the cuts Obama proposes in the budget will be enough to appease the GOP. Republicans now control- ling the House have promised to slash domes- tic agencies’ budgets by nearly 20 percent for the coming year. Probe finds no electronic flaws in Toyotas WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama adminis- tration’s investigation into Toyota safety problems found no electronic flaws to account for reports of sudden, unintentional acceleration and other safety problems. Govern- ment investigators said COMFORT SERVICE INC. Air Conditioning & Heating Tehama Counties Factory authorized Bryant Dealer Your First Call For Comfort • RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • NEW CONSTRUCTION • SALES • SERVICE • REPAIRS 24 HOUR SERVICE 530 529-1990 Lic #593323 www.CascadeComfort.com $10 OFF SERVICE CALL Mention this ad for Whatever it takessm CASCADE smoking. ‘‘Yes, he has,’’ his wife, Michelle, said Tuesday at the White House when asked whether he had con- quered a nicotine habit that began as a teenager. ‘‘It’s been almost a year,’’ she said, offering no details on exactly when or how he quit. But is the breakup with Tuesday the only known cause of the problems are mechanical defects that were fixed in previous recalls. The Transportation Department, assisted by engineers with NASA, said its 10-month study of Toyota vehicles conclud- ed there was no electronic cause of unintended high- speed acceleration in Toy- otas. The study, which was launched at the request of Congress, responded to consumer complaints that flawed electronics could be the culprit behind Toyota’s spate of recalls. ‘‘We feel that Toyota vehicles are safe to drive,’’ said Transporta- tion Secretary Ray LaHood. Toyota said in a state- ment that the report should ‘‘further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehi- cles’’ and ‘‘put to rest unsupported speculation’’ about the company’s elec- tronic throttle control sys- tems, which it said are ‘‘well-designed and well- tested to ensure that a real world, un-commanded acceleration of the vehicle cannot occur.’’ Officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said they reviewed con- sumer complaints and warranty data in detail and found that many of the complaints involved cases in which the vehicle accelerated after it was stationary or at very low speeds. GOPleader expects House to block spending for health care WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the House’s top Republicans says he believes the chamber will soon vote to block spending for President Barack Obama’s health care over- haul law. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told reporters Tuesday that by the time the House approves a govern- ment-wide spending bill for this year, it will end up pro- hibiting the use of money for the overhaul. The House is expected to debate that legislation shortly. That overhaul, which became law last year, is one of Obama’s proudest leg- islative achievements. Republicans have opposed it as a costly, big-govern- ment overreach. Spending for govern- ment programs expires March 4 unless Congress approves new legislation providing extra funds. First lady: Obama hasn’t smoked WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has finally done what mil- lions of fellow Americans are still struggling to achieve — he’s given up Pumpkinland Sweets FOR THE SWEET Chocolate Company Chocolates & sweets handmade by our Chocolatier • Solid milk chocolate valentine heart boxes (100% edible novelty!) • Chocolate valentines & lollypops (many sizes and styles) • Decortated gift trays • Boxed chocolate assortments Dark Chocolate * Milk Chocolate * White Chocolate * Sugar-free Dark Chocolate * Sugar-free Milk Chocolate Asparagus season opens soon! 10am-6pm daily UNDERWAY! VOTING IS Vote for your favorite Tehama County Businesses! Online Ballots Only at www.redbluffdailynews.com at random from all eligible ballots on March 1. Each will receive a $100 Shopping Spree at the Tehama County business of their choice! Five Lucky Voters will be selected 12000 Highway 99E, Red Bluff Ca. 96080 527-3026 tobacco final? One in five adults, about 46 million people, still smoke, and brain research shows that nicotine is pow- erfully addictive. Three out of four smokers who try to kick the habit relapse within six months, and repeated attempts often are required to quit long term, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dow Jones’ longest stretch since July NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average closed higher for the seventh consecutive day Tuesday. That’s the longest series of gains for the index since July. McDonald’s Corp. was the biggest gainer of the 30 stocks in the Dow, rising 2.6 percent after reporting Janu- ary sales that were higher than analysts expected. Investors took in stride a move by China’s central bank to control inflation by raising short-term interest rates. The Dow Jones industri- al average rose 71.52 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 12,233.15. The index has had only one down day in the last 10, on Jan. 28 when the protests in Egypt esca- lated. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 5.52, or 0.4 percent, to 1,324.57. The Nasdaq composite index rose 13.06, or 0.5 percent, to 2,797.05. Rumsfeld urged Iraq strike during Powell talk WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Pentagon chief Donald H. Rumsfeld reveals in his new book that he urged a U.S. military strike on a suspected chem- ical weapons site in north- ern Iraq in 2003, and that he wanted the attack timed to coincide with Colin Pow- ell’s address to the U.N. Security Council making the case for war. In his memoir, Rumsfeld wrote that the Joint Chiefs supported a strike, based on what Rumsfeld called extensive but not conclusive CIA evidence that the site housed an underground facility for testing chemical weapons.