Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/49185
6A Daily News – Friday, December 2, 2011 WORLD BRIEFING Senate backs military custody of terror suspects WASHINGTON (AP) — Ignoring a presidential veto threat, the Democrat- ic-controlled Senate moved methodically Thursday to complete a massive defense bill that would deny suspected ter- rorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation's borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefi- nite detention. The Senate rejected an effort by Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein to limit a military custody require- ment for suspects to those captured outside the Unit- ed States. The vote was 55-45. Feinstein, D-Calif., said her goal was to ensure ''the military won't be roaming our streets look- ing for suspected terror- ists.'' The issue divided Democrats with nine sena- tors, many facing re-elec- tion next year, breaking with the leadership and administration to vote against the amendment. Republicans held firm, with only Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mark Kirk of Illinois and Mike Lee of Utah backing Feinstein's effort. Overall, the deficit-dri- ven bill would authorize $662 billion for military personnel, weapons sys- tems, national security programs in the Energy Department and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Reflecting a period of austerity and a winding down of decade-old con- flicts, the bill is $27 billion less than what President Barack Obama requested and $43 billion less than what Congress gave the Pentagon this year. The Senate pushed to finish the bill by day's end. Its version must be recon- ciled with a House-passed measure in the final weeks of the congressional ses- sion. Herman Cain campaigns but recovery unlikely ATLANTA (AP) — Herman Cain is still cam- paigning for president. But by most measures, his White House bid is all but over. His standing in polls is cratering. Supporters are wavering if not fleeing. Fundraising is suffering. And, these days, the former pizza company executive is less a serious candidate than the butt of late-night comedy jokes after a string of accusa- tions of sexually inappro- priate behavior and, now, an allegation of a 13- year-long extramarital affair. ''His chance at win- ning the presidency are effectively zero,'' said Dave Welch, a Republi- can strategist who worked on both of John McCain's presidential bids. And Republican strate- gist Kellyanne Conway said: ''It's the daily dose of the wince-and-cringe factor that leaves people wondering what could be coming next,'' Romney facing double- barreled threats WASHINGTON (AP) — Suddenly Mitt Rom- ney is fighting a two-front political war. The Republican presi- dential contender has skated along for much of the year as GOP chal- lengers surged and faded. But now he faces an unex- pected, more serious threat from Newt Gin- grich — just as Barack Obama's team is sharpen- ing its criticism of Rom- ney, whom the president's aides view as his likeliest foe next fall. With only a month before the Iowa caucuses kick off the nominating fight, Gingrich's rise has forced Romney's cam- paign to evaluate a new reality: He no longer has the luxury of staying above the Republican pri- mary fray, avoiding tough questions about his own record and hammering Obama at will while essentially ignoring his GOP rivals. Well aware of the new challenge, Romney has started fighting back against two opponents from opposite ends of the political spectrum — no easy feat — while also defending himself from continuing criticism of reversals, equivocations and shifts on a range of issues. What does he have to say now about Gingrich? Congress bickers toward compromise WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats bickered and blustered Thursday toward eventual compro- mise legislation extending expiring Social Security payroll tax cuts and long- term jobless benefits through 2012, each seek- ing political advantage for elections almost a year distant. The White House weighed in with a written statement opposing the GOP approach, which presidential press secre- tary Jay Carney said includes ''window dress- ing'' hung by Republi- cans seeking to cut costs by freezing federal work- ers' pay through 2015 and reducing the government bureaucracy. By contrast, President Barack Obama and most Democrats in Congress want to extend and expand the payroll tax cut and pay for it by slapping a 3.25 percent surtax on incomes of $1 million or more. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Republican opponents ''insist on helping the very wealthy while turn- ing their back on the mid- dle class,'' while another member of the leadership, Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, said they ''put up a transparent fig leaf'' that would kill jobs rather than create them. Apple juice can pose a health threat It's true — apple juice can pose a risk to your health. But not necessarily from the trace amounts of arsenic that people are argu- ing about. Despite the govern- In remarks on the Sen- ate floor, the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the issue reflected poorly on both Obama and his allies in Congress. Obama announces $50M in new funding to combat AIDS WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama set an ambitious goal Thursday for signifi- cantly increasing access to life-saving AIDS drugs for people in the U.S. and around the world, as he announced a renewed American commitment to ending a pandemic that has killed 30 million people. ''We can beat this dis- ease,'' Obama declared during a World AIDS Day event in Washington. For- mer Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also participated via satellite. Obama pledged U.S. support to help 6 million people in countries hardest hit by the virus get access to antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2013, increasing the original U.S. goal by 2 million. And he announced plans to boost spending on HIV treatment in the U.S. by $50 million. ''The rate of new infec- tions may be going down elsewhere, but it's not going down here in Ameri- ca,'' he said. ''There are communities in this coun- try being devastated still by this disease. When new infections among young, black, gay men increase by nearly 50 percent in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter.'' Corning's 16th Annual Hometown Christmas Gott Trees? Schedule of Events Saturday, December 3, 2011 As part of Obama's new overseas initiatives, the U.S. will also aim to get antiretroviral drugs to 1.5 million HIV-positive preg- nant women to prevent them from passing the virus to their children; dis- tribute more than 1 billion condoms in the developing world in the next two years; and fund 4.7 million volun- tary medical male circum- cisions in eastern and southern Africa over the next two years. Research shows circumcisions reduce the risk of female- to-male HIV transmission by more than 60 percent. Israeli defense chief says Israel not seeking to attack Iran JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel does not want to take military action against Iran over its nuclear program, but at some point may have no other option, Israel's defense minister said Thurs- day. At this point, Israel does not intend to launch a strike against Iranian nuclear facilities but it retains the option as a ''last resort,'' Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israel Radio. ''We don't need unnec- essary wars. But we defi- nitely might be put to the test,'' he said. ''The non- diplomatic point is a last resort. The fact that all options are on the table is agreed upon by everybody.'' Barak said he hoped that sanctions and diplomacy would pressure the Iranian leadership to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program, but said he does not expect that to happen. Israel, like the West, sus- pects Iran is developing a nuclear bomb, despite Tehran's insistence that its nuclear program is designed to produce energy. Alan Wylie Local Inspector Mobile: 530/638-1015 FREE & TERMITE INSPECTION or UP TO 15% OFF TERMITE TREATMENT SERVICE* ment's consideration of new limits on arsenic, nutrition experts say apple juice's real danger is to waistlines and children's teeth. Apple juice has few natural nutri- ents, lots of calories and, in some cases, more sugar than soda has. It trains a child to like very sweet things, displaces better bev- erages and foods, and adds to the obesity problem, its critics say. ''It's like sugar water,'' said Judith Stern, a nutrition professor at the University of California, Davis, who has consulted for candy makers as well as for Weight Watchers. ''I won't let my 3-year-old grandson drink apple juice.'' Many juices are fortified with vitamins, so they're not just empty calories. But that doesn't appease some nutri- tionists. ''If it wasn't healthy in the first place, adding vita- mins doesn't make it into a health food,'' and if it causes weight gain, it's not a healthy choice, said Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian in New York and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Associ- ation. GM to buy back Volts NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors will buy Chevrolet Volts back from any owner who is afraid the electric cars will catch fire, the company's CEO said Thursday. In an exclusive inter- view with The Associated Press, CEO Dan Akerson insisted that the cars are safe, but said the compa- ny will purchase the Volts because it wants to keep customers happy. Three fires have broken out in Volts after side-impact crash tests done by the federal government. Akerson said that if necessary, GM will recall the more than 6,000 Volts now on the road in the U.S. and repair them once the company and federal safety regulators figure out what caused the fires. Magic of Christmas Cone & Kimball Plaza Santa's Workshop Dec. 3rd PEST EVALUATION FREE & SAVE 10% OFF PEST CONTROL SERVICE* 10-2pm Dec. 17th & 10th Kids do present making at no cost to parents 10-2pm Arts & Crafts Festival Sponsored by Downtown Red Bluff Business Assoc. Published through an event co- sponsorship agreement with D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY