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8A – Daily News – Thursday, April 7, 2011 WORLD BRIEFING Progress but no deal to avoid shutdown WASHINGTON (AP) — Time growing short, Congress’ leaders reported progress Wednesday in talks to cut spending and avert a partial government shutdown that the White House warned would hit U.S. combat troops abroad and taxpayer refunds from the IRS at home. President Barack Obama checked in separately by phone with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majori- ty Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., then asked the two men to join him at the White House for an evening meeting. He acted after deciding ‘‘not enough progress had been made,’’ said spokesman Jay Carney. Determined to avoid political blame if a shutdown occurs, Boehner said the House would vote Thursday on a one-week stop- gap bill to keep the government open while cutting $12 billion in spending and provid- ing the Pentagon with enough money to stay open until the Sept. 30 end of the bud- get year. ‘‘I think this is the responsible thing to do for the U.S. Congress, and I would hope the Senate can pass it and the president can sign it into law,’’ he said. He also criticized Obama, though saying he likes the commander in chief personally. ‘‘The president isn’t leading,’’ Boehner said. ‘‘He didn’t lead on last year’s budget, and he’s not leading on this year’s budget.’’ Gadhafi asks Obama to end to air strikes WASHINGTON (AP) — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi appealed directly to President Barack Obama on Wednesday to end what Gadhafi called ‘‘an unjust war.’’ He also wished Obama good luck in his bid for re-elec- tion next year. ‘‘You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action,’’ Gadhafi wrote in a rambling, three-page letter to Obama obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. ‘‘I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that.’’ The White House confirmed the let- ter, but top officials shrugged it off. ‘‘I don’t think there is any mystery about what is expected from Mr. Gad- hafi at this time,’’ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, repeating U.S. and NATO demands that Gadhafi’s forces pull back and cease attacks. She also renewed a demand that Gadhafi step down from power and leave the country. ‘‘There needs to be a ceasefire, his forces need to withdraw from the cities that they have forcibly taken at great violence and human cost,’’ she said. ‘‘There needs to be a decision made about his departure from power and ... his departure from Libya.’’ No. 1 China Buffet CHINESE RESTAURANT Open 7 Days A Week Now Under New Ownership Lunch: $5.75 - Mon-Sat 11am-3pm Dinner: $8.25 - Mon-Thurs 3:30-9:30pm Carry out rates Lunch: $2.99 lb. COUPON Dinner: $3.99 lb. Bring in This Coupon to Receive Free Drinks with meal purchase COUPON The dire message, delivered two days before the federal government’s spending authority expires, appeared aimed at jolt- ing congressional Republicans into a bud- get compromise. Billions of dollars apart, congressional negotiators were working to strike a deal by Friday to avert a shutdown by setting spending limits through the end of September. The last such shutdown took place 15 years ago and lasted 21 days. President Barack Obama telephoned House Speaker John Boehner on Wednes- day, and Boehner’s office said the speaker told Obama he was hopeful a deal could be reached. Ivory Coast strongman’s home comes under fire ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Heavy arms fire rang out Wednesday near the home of the country’s strongman who remained holed up in a subterranean bunker, as forces backing his rival assaulted the residence to try to force him out, diplo- mats and witnesses said. Forces protecting Laurent Gbagbo appeared to rally Wednesday night, pushing back the armed group fighting to install democratically elected president Alassane Ouattara. A spokesman for Ouattara’s fighters, Yves Doumbia, said their forces breached the gates of the ruler’s compound, only to be repelled by heavy arms fire. ‘‘We retreated but we are preparing for a second assault,’’ Doumbia said by tele- phone. Gbagbo has suffered debilitating losses in the past two days. United Nations Mi-24 helicopters attacked and destroyed his arms depots on Monday. On Tuesday, his soldiers were seen abandoning their posts across the city, some rushing inside a church to tear off their uniforms and dump their weapons before discreetly exiting in civilian clothes. Shutdown will 343 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530-527-8889 (No Checks) disrupt recovery WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration warned Wednesday that a federal shutdown would undermine the economic recovery, delay pay to U.S. troops fighting in three wars, slow the pro- cessing of tax returns and limit small busi- ness loans and government-backed mort- gages during peak home buying season. 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Spring Special 2002 CHEVY CAMARO T-Tops, low, low miles, p/wheels, local trade, super clean! #107340 $7,877 To Please We Aim As the talks continued, the White House sought to put the prospect of a shut- down in terms people would care about, warning even that the beloved National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in the nation’s capital would be wiped out. The Smithsonian Institution and national parks around the country would also be closed. A shutdown would come at an espe- cially busy time for the Smithsonian. The Cherry Blossom Festival, which concludes this weekend, draws many tourists to an area near the museums. The Smithsonian counts about 3 million visits each April and has already sold 23,000 IMAX movie and lunch combos to school groups for the month. Synthetic drugs send thousands to hospitals INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — Until he tried a marijuana look-alike product called ‘‘K2,’’ David Rozga’s most dubi- ous decision was getting a Green Bay Packers tattoo on his shoulder. Then the 18-year-old athlete and band standout got high on the fake pot last June and complained to a friend ‘‘that he felt like he was in hell,’’ his father said. Though he had never suffered from depression, the teenager went home, found a shotgun and killed himself — one of at least nine U.S. deaths in the last year that authorities suspect were caused by synthetic products designed to mimic marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs. An Associated Press analysis shows that the substances are increasingly causing users to fall seriously ill, with some suffering seizures and hallucina- tions. 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