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4A Daily News – Tuesday, December 6, 2011 WORLD BRIEFING Democrats change payroll tax cut WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama accepted a move by Senate Democrats to scale back his Social Security payroll tax cut extension on Monday, then prodded Republicans to support it despite a require- ment for the very wealthy to pay more taxes. Obama also called on lawmakers to renew a pro- gram of extended unem- ployment benefits due to expire on Dec. 31. He said the checks, which kick in after six months of jobless- ness, are ''the last line of defense between hardship and catastrophe'' for some victims of the recession and a painfully slow recovery. The president made his remarks at the White House as Republicans and Democ- rats in Congress said a holi- day-season package was beginning to come into focus that could cost $180 billion or more over a decade. Elements include not only the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefit renewals, but also a provi- sion to avert a threatened 27 percent reduction in fees to doctors who treat Medicare patients. While there are differ- ences over the details of the three principal components — many Republicans are reluctant to extend the tax cut — there is at least as much disagreement between senior lawmakers in the two political parties over ways to cover the cost so deficits don't rise. Officials said that to off- set the two-year, $38 billion price tag of the Medicare provision, House Republi- cans want to cut funds from the year-old health care leg- islation that stands as Obama's signature domestic policy accomplishment. Some Democrats want instead to count defense funds approved but unspent for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — a proposal that many GOP lawmakers deem an accounting gim- mick. Gingrich meets with Trump in NY NEW YORK (AP) — Surging in polls, Newt Gin- grich declared confidently Monday that he plans to run a general election campaign in all 50 states should he win the Republican presi- dential nomination. But he also found himself defend- ing comments he had made about poor children — hint- ing at the potential troubles and new scrutiny he faces in the race. ''I do not suggest chil- dren until about 14 or 15 years of age do heavy, dan- gerous janitorial work,'' Gingrich told reporters, seeking to explain previous remarks that rivals have used to criticize him. ''On the other hand, there are a number of things done to clean buildings that are not heavy or dangerous.'' At issue is a remark Gin- grich made last week in which he suggested that poor children as young as 9 should work at least part time cleaning their schools in order to learn about work. The Republican said his original point had been ''distorted'' to make him look insensitive, and he twice tried to explain where he stood. The idea, Gingrich said, would be ''to get them into the world of work, get them into the opportunity to earn money, to get them into the habit of showing up and realizing that effort is rewarded and America is all about the work ethic.'' Trying to show sensitivi- ty on the issue, Gingrich also said he had persuaded Donald Trump — the real estate mogul with whom he met privately earlier in the day — to mentor a group of children from New York City's poorest schools. Germany, France seek treaty changes to save euro PARIS (AP) — Seek- ing to restore confidence in the euro, the leaders of France and Germany jointly called on Monday for changes to the Euro- pean Union treaty so that countries using the euro would face automatic penalties if budget deficits ran too high. But not everyone on Wall Street was reassured that Europe would get control of its 2-year-old debt crisis. Stock prices rose and borrowing costs for Euro- pean governments dropped sharply in response to the changes proposed by French Pres- We are Grateful for... Gold Exchange M-F 10am-5:30 pm • Sat. 10 am-4 pm "Come in and be treated like family" www.redbluffgoldexchange.com 423 Walnut St., Red Bluff • 528-8000 What are you Grateful for? The service ident Nikolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some of the optimism faded late Monday when Standard and Poor's threatened to cut its credit ratings on 15 eurozone countries, including the likes of Ger- many, France and Austria which have been consid- ered Europe's safest gov- ernment debt issuers. The announcement came only hours after Sarkozy and Merkel revealed sweeping plans to change the EU treaty in an effort to keep tighter checks on overspending nations. The proposal is set to form the basis of discussions at a summit of EU leaders on Thursday and Friday that is expect- ed to provide a blueprint for an exit from the crisis. While the Franco-Ger- man plan would tie the 17-eurozone nations clos- er together, a tighter union would likely also result in heavier financial burdens for the region's stronger economies, which have already put up billions of euros to rescue Greece, Ireland and Portugal. US Postal Service plans cuts to first- class mail WASHINGTON (AP) — Already mocked by some as ''snail mail,'' first-class U.S. mail will slow even more by next spring under plans by the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service to eliminate more than 250 processing cen- ters. Nearly 30,000 work- ers would be laid off, too, as the post office strug- gles to respond to a shift to online communication organizations that assist those in our community M-F 6am-2pm* Rosser's Bakery & Specialty Foods Now on Facebook "Bread is our Specialty" Milling Wheat into Flour Made with Organic & Local Ingredients 446 Antelope Blvd. #38 Left side of Antelope Holiday Mkt 529-1687 (530) 528-TATT 648 Main St. • Downtown Red Bluff Christmas Open House Saturday, Dec. 10 6pm Featuring Juan Nava's exclusive 2012 Tattoo Calendar Refreshments will be served and bill payments. The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. They would vir- tually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class deliv- ery standards that have been in place since 1971. The plan technically must await an advisory opinion from the indepen- dent Postal Regulatory Commission, slated for next March. But that opinion is nonbinding, and only substantial pres- sure from Congress, busi- nesses or the public might deter far-reaching cuts. Many postal customers will be upset. ''The post office is a mainstay of America, and the fact that these services will no longer be avail- able is absolutely crazy,'' said Carol Braxton of Naperville, Ill., as she waited in line at a mail sorting center Monday with the holiday shipping season picking up steam. Obama, GOP candidates scrap over Israel WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and his Republi- can opponents are clash- ing over U.S. policy toward Israel as each side jockeys for support from Jewish voters, who could be critical in the 2012 election. Aiming to cast Obama as unfairly harsh toward Israel and soft on the Palestinians, Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Newt Gin- grich have called on the president to fire his ambassador to Belgium. The envoy, Howard Gut- man, had said that some anti-Semitism stemmed from tensions between Israel and the Palestini- ans; Romney and Gin- grich say his remarks unfairly blamed Israel. The White House says Obama has a strong record on support for Israel, and quickly fired back with a statement condemning ''anti-Semi- tism in all its forms.'' The State Department said Gutman would remain in his job. Republicans also chal- lenged Obama's assertion at a fundraiser last week that ''this administration has done more in terms of the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration.'' Romney said Obama has ''repeat- edly thrown Israel under the bus'' — an accusation the Republican National Committee repeated Monday. Firing back, Democrat- ic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called Romney's comments ''outrageous'' and ques- tioned his own policies. The White House cited military aid to Israel and support at the United Nations, and pointed to statements from Israeli officials backing up Obama's assertion. Two elderly women complain about having to lower their pants for security check NEW YORK (AP) — With age come such things as catheters, The best place to train if you want to be a fighter... or just look like one! First Class Is FREE! No Initiation Fees! • Fit Camps • Kickboxing • Grappling • Psycho Fit • Caveman Workout 1450 Schwab St. Red Bluff 530-200-0526 colostomy bags and adult diapers. Now add another indignity to getting old — having to drop your pants and show these things to a complete stranger. Two women in their 80s put the Transporta- tion Security Administra- tion on the defensive this week by going public about their embarrass- ment during screenings in a private room at Kennedy Airport. One claimed she was forced to lower her pants and underwear in front of an agent so that her back brace could be inspected. Another said agents made her pull down her waist- band to show her colosto- my bag. While not confirming some of the details, the TSA said that its agents were justified in one case and that it is still investi- gating the other. But experts said the potential for such searches will increase as the U.S. popu- lation ages and receives prosthetics and other medical devices, some of which cannot go through screening machines. ''You have pacemak- ers, you have artificial hips, you have artificial knees,'' said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. ''As we get older and we keep ourselves together, it's going to take more and more surgery. There's going to be more and more medical improve- ments, but that can create what appears to be a security issue.'' Ruth Sherman, 88, of Sunrise, Fla., said she was mortified when inspectors pulled her aside and asked about the bulge in her pants as she tried to board a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Nov. 28. 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