Congress breaks for 5 weeks, but much work undone

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress' performance matches its approval rating ? abysmal.

Lawmakers headed home for a five-week break with a lengthy list of uncompleted work and little to show for the past year and a half except an eye-popping amount of dissatisfaction: Nearly 80 percent of Americans are unhappy with them. The Republican-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate have set record lows for production and record highs for dysfunction.

Partisanship and election-year politics have left a drought-stricken nation wondering if new help will ever come and the U.S. Postal Service uncertain about its solvency. Some $110 billion in automatic, across-the-board cuts are due to hit military and domestic programs on Jan. 2, yet no bipartisan solution is in sight or even under discussion by those who really matter.

At the same time, President George W. Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans expire, threatening to send a sluggish economy right back into recession.

The standoff is what happens when a bitterly divided government mixes with election-year politics to throw sand in the gears of official Washington. The tea party-dominated House and a Senate controlled by Democrats struggling to keep their narrow majority in November view each other with a palpable disdain.

House Speaker John Boehner, who came to Washington in 1991, bluntly described the divide that has made consensus a rare commodity.

"The American people are probably more polarized now than any time since I've been here," the Ohio Republican told reporters. "And as a result we see that polarization reflected here in the halls of Congress. And even though both sides have some sharply different views and ideologies, our job is still to find the common ground."

But common ground is scarce. This is a Congress that can't do the big stuff while even the small stuff, such as a one-year extension of student loan subsidies that passed in June, makes them sweat.

Congress stumbled out of Washington for a five-week vacation one day early on Thursday on a typical note: a GOP filibuster in the Senate of a bipartisan cybersecurity bill and the House's abandonment of a one-year extension, as Republican leaders had planned, of food and farm policy.

Senate Republicans were unhappy about being denied a chance to amend the cybersecurity bill. House Republicans were unable to find party unity on food stamps and farm subsidies

The House settled for a paltry restoration of expired disaster programs for livestock producers and tree farmers. The Senate wouldn't do even that, demanding instead a full five-year farm bill with 80 percent of it, or about $400 billion, devoted to food stamps.

More broadly, just 151 laws have been enacted in 19 months; more than two dozen of them were to rename post offices and courthouses, or add individuals to the Smithsonian board. By comparison, the previous Congress enacted 383 laws with President Barack Obama in the White House and Democrats controlling Capitol Hill.

Even in 2007-08, when Republican Bush was president and Democrats ran Congress, 460 laws were enacted.

"They think compromise is a dirty word when compromise is necessary to get things done in the era of divided government," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

A poll last month by CBS News and The New York Times found Congress with a 12 percent approval rating and 79 percent disapproval score.

Lawmakers will return in September for what promises to be an abbreviated pre-election session with two main items of business.

Most important is a six-month spending bill to keep the government running through March and prevent any possibility of a politically explosive government shutdown before the election. Not one of the 13 must-pass spending bills has been completed and the new budget year begins Oct. 1.

The warring sides also need to find some solution on farm subsidies and food stamps before the programs expire Sept. 30. The Senate gave bipartisan approval to its farm bill in June but the House has been unable to pass it or a version of its own.

"The House is pretty well divided. You've got the left concerned about reductions in the food stamp program, you've got the right who don't think the cuts go far enough in the food stamp program," Boehner said. "And frankly, I haven't seen 218 votes in the middle to pass a farm bill."

A leading option would be to punt the issue into the future, as Congress has done with so much else.

Even what passes for accomplishment often simply extends current policy. There were the recent extensions of transportation funding and student loan subsidies, along with earlier action to extend Obama's payroll tax cuts and his demand for additional jobless benefits for the longtime unemployed.

"That's just sort of continuing the status quo," Van Hollen said. "But in terms of tackling big issues, this Congress has been out of commission."

Defense hawks hope political pressure in August will force Congress to address the automatic cuts. The reductions were the default that Obama and congressional Republicans agreed to last year as part of a deficit-cutting plan that also raised the nation's borrowing limit.

Republicans accuse Obama of jeopardizing national security. Democrats counter that sparing the military will require Republicans to concede on raising taxes on high-wage earners.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., eagerly talked about trying to work out a compromise in August, but other Republicans and Democrats have shown little interest, content to use the issue as a political club.

"I don't know how we get out of debt if we don't have bipartisanship," Graham said.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggested that Congress put off the issue, delaying the cuts for at least one year. Whether Congress can resolve the issue in the postelection session or wait until next year depends on the outcome of the presidential and congressional races.

The possibility of Romney being sworn in Jan. 21 and Republicans taking control of the Senate and House makes a delay more likely.

The real concern ahead is the debt limit.

The Treasury Department has said the government's borrowing limit will be reached near the end of 2012, but it has the ability to shift money to buy a few months reprieve to give the next Congress time to act. That puts the likely deadline for the borrowing authority on a collision course with the expiration of the temporary spending bill to keep the government operating through March.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congress-breaks-5-weeks-much-undone-130349376--finance.html

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Source: http://hot4shopping.com/the-key-things-in-added-benefits-linked-with-superfoods

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Personal Finance Guidelines With The Energy To Change The Way ...

Finances can be stressful. A lot of the time it may seem like your funds is getting sucked away! Nonetheless, it is nevertheless feasible to understand to handle your finances nicely and stay away from spending funds needlessly. This will permit you to save.

Appear at the fees before you invest your money. Full service brokers levy costs for services they give. Something you spend them in costs operates to reduce your overall earnings. Avoid using brokers who charge huge commissions and steer clear of high-expense management funds.

If old-style checkbook balancing sounds lame, let your personal computer do it for you. Technology makes it easy to produce a monthly price range and a savings plan.

Open a new savings account at your bank, and deposit cash into it on a typical basis. The savings income should only be utilised for emergencies, college fees or major costs, like a down payment on a residence. What you save does not have be a large quantity, but always place a thing in the account every month. Even saving a tiny bit each month adds up over time.

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Source: http://artyapt.com/blog/personal-finance-guidelines-with-the-energy-to-change-the-way-you-save-and-commit/

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The Coming Obama Landslide?

There?s a secret lurking behind everything you?re reading about the upcoming election, a secret that all political insiders know?or should?but few are talking about, most likely because it takes the drama out of the whole business. The secret is the electoral college, and the fact is that the more you look at it, the more you come to conclude that Mitt Romney has to draw an inside straight like you?ve never ever seen in a movie to win this thing. This is especially true now that it seems as if Pennsylvania isn?t really up for grabs. Romney?s paths to 270 are few.

First, let?s discuss Pennsylvania. There has been good reason for Democrats to sweat this state. True, Obama won it handily in 2008, by 10 points. But it?s a state that is older and whiter and more working-class than most of America. Obama benefited from all the unique circumstances of 2008 that helped him across the country, but if ever there were a state where the ?well, we gave the black guy a chance and he blew it? meme might catch on, it?s the Keystone State.

READ MORE Clinton Becomes 2012 Touchstone

But the jobless rate there is 7.5 percent, well below the national average. Democratic voter registration has held its own. The Philly suburbs have grown. And this odious voter ID law is facing meaningful challenges. A hearing on the law?s validity has just been concluded. A state judge says he?ll rule on the law?s constitutionality the week of Aug. 13. It sounds as if the law?s opponents made a stronger case at the hearing than its supporters. In any case, the losing side will appeal to the state Supreme Court.

But whatever happens with that law, Pennsylvania has been trending back toward Obama lately. He now holds a lead there of nearly seven points, and he?s close to 50. And as I wrote the other day, Nate Silver now gives Barack Obama a slightly better chance of winning Montana than he does Romney of winning Pennsylvania. That tells you something.

READ MORE Hope for the Greens?Fresh From Jail

The Democrats? Pennsylvania sweat also had to do with its size?20 electoral votes, tied with Illinois for fifth biggest in the country. Democrats have been able to count on those votes for 20 years. Losing them would be a dagger right in the heart, a maybe irreparable sundering of the party?s electoral coalition. Imagine Republicans losing usually reliable Missouri (10 EV?s) and Arizona (11). Big ouch.

So if Pennsylvania is off the boards, let?s look around. Imagine it?s election night, say 10:45 east coast time. Four eastern states haven?t been called yet: Ohio (18), Virginia (13), North Carolina (15), and Florida (29). Also, in some Western states, the polls haven?t closed, or the races are too tight to project just yet?Colorado and Nevada, say. Arizona has just been called for Romney. At this point, Romney actually leads, 188 to 182. In this scenario I?m assuming Obama has won Iowa (6), which is admittedly close but where his lead has been stable at three or four points, and New Hampshire (4), where Obama has a similar fairly small but stable lead, and Michigan (16), where the gap appears to be opening up a little.

READ MORE Porn Star Jenna Jameson Backs Mitt

So it?s a six-vote Romney edge. They?re feeling great up in Boston. Especially with the big Eastern four still up in the air. Right?

Not really. Let?s look at these West Coast states. Even though they?re still voting in California, obviously Obama is going to win it (55). And equally obviously, he?s going to win Washington (12) and Oregon (7), where neither side even bothered to spend a dime. Throw in Hawaii (4). Those 78 votes haul Obama up to 260. That?s something to keep in mind for election night: Whatever Obama?s number is at 10 pm Eastern, add those 78 EV?s?they?re a mortal lock, and a hefty insurance policy. If he wins Nevada (6) and Colorado (9), it?s over.

READ MORE Jobs Report Masks True Change

In other words, Obama can lose the big Eastern four?Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida: all of ?em!?and still be reelected.

And barring some huge cataclysm, he?s not losing all four of those states. If he wins even one?say Virginia, the smallest of the four?then Romney has to win Colorado, Iowa, and New Hampshire; all possible, certainly, but all states where he has been behind, narrowly but consistently, for weeks or months.

READ MORE Is Ted Cruz the GOP?s Obama?

The list of states where Obama holds that narrow but consistent lead is long: Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, and New Hampshire. Michigan and Wisconsin are no longer really narrow. Florida is more or less a dead heat. The bottom line is that of the dozen or so key swing states, Romney leads only in one: North Carolina. And that lead developed only over the summer. We?ll see whether the Democrats? decision to convene in Charlotte has any impact on Romney?s three-point margin.

All this explains the interesting little chart toward the lower right-hand corner of Nate Silver?s home? page, headed ?Electoral Vote Distribution.? It rates the probability that Obama receives a certain number of electoral votes. Most outcomes, in a range running from 150 EV?s up to 400, rate around a 2 percent chance of Obama receiving that number. The highest spike on the chart? It?s at around 330 EV?s, which Silver reckons Obama has a 14 percent chance of hitting. Now, most political journalists would chuckle derisively at the idea that Obama is going to carry home 330 EV?s. Deride away. And while you do, bear in mind that Silver called 50 out of 51 states last time (counting D.C.; he missed only Indiana) and every single Senate race.

READ MORE Romney: Jobs Report a ?Hammer Blow?

Sure, something big could happen to alter the dynamic completely. But we?ve watched these guys go, what, six or seven rounds now (out of 15). After seven rounds, you can pretty well tell some things. All the supposedly game-changing events of the last few weeks haven?t changed much of anything. This is a paradoxical situation that has little or no modern precedent, which makes it hard for people to accept. Liberals are too nervous to think it, reporters too intent on a ?down to the wire? narrative, and conservatives too furious and disbelieving, but it?s shaping up to be true: An extremely close election that on election night itself stands a surprisingly good chance of being not that close at all.

Related from The Daily Beast

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/coming-obama-landslide-025409605.html

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Custody Death: Watchdog Reviews Officer's Evidence | USEC IM UK ...

Jack Sommers ? Police Oracle

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating a Metropolitan Police sergeant over information he provided to an inquest into the death of a man who died in police custody.

The watchdog said it would appoint a new team of investigators who had no previous involvement in the case of Sean Rigg to look into information that Sgt Paul White gave to the IPCC and to Mr Rigg?s inquest.

A previous IPCC investigation had concluded that nobody had committed a criminal offence in relation to the death of Mr Rigg, at Brixton Police Station on August 21 2008.

A file was sent to the CPS suggesting lawyers consider common assault allegations against four officers but no charges were brought.

According to his family, Mr Rigg (40) suffered a ?mental crisis? and was arrested. He died after being restrained by officers, while in a prone position for eight minutes.

An inquest attributed his death to cardiac arrest, acute arrthymia, ischemia and partial positional asphyxia. Jurors returned a narrative verdict on August 1 2012 which said the force used to restrain Mr Rigg was unnecessary and unsuitable.

His family said the IPCC?s investigation had been ?inadequate and obstructive?.

The watchdog said it was reviewing the inquest verdict and would include Mr Rigg?s death in a study of custody deaths, which begins next month.

A spokeswoman said the investigation into Sgt White was prompted by a referral from the Met.

The latest investigation is also looking at evidence that emerged during the inquest, she added.

IPCC Commissioner Amerdeep Somal said she acknowledged Mr Rigg?s family?s ?sense of frustration? with the watchdog?s first investigation and said lessons needed to be learned. She praised the family?s determination to establish exactly what had happened.

Met AC Simon Byrne said: ?It is clear from what the jury said and our own conclusions that the way we handled the calls about Sean?s behaviour let us down and set off a series of events that resulted in him being taken ill whilst being restrained and dying in police custody.

?Our officers deal with challenging situations every day and in this case they responded to a difficult set of circumstances.?

Source: http://usecmagazine.usecnetwork.com/uk/?p=46541

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US men's basketball set for familiar Nigerian team

USA's Kevin Durant (5) slams a dunk over Tunisia's Makram Ben Romdhane, left, and Mohamed Hadidane (9) during a men's basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

USA's Kevin Durant (5) slams a dunk over Tunisia's Makram Ben Romdhane, left, and Mohamed Hadidane (9) during a men's basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

USA's Lebron James, center, jokes with teammates Kevin Durant, left, and Russell Westbrook, right, a preliminary men's basketball game agaisnt Tunisia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

USA's Andre Iguodala (9) towers over Tunisia's Mohamed Hadidane as he slam dunks during a men's basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

USA's Kobe Bryant (10) works the ball past Tunisia's Mourad El Mabrouk, right, during the first half of a preliminary men's basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

USA's Lebron James, right, dunks over Tunisia's Mohamed Hadidane, left, during the first half of a preliminary men's basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

LONDON (AP) ? While teams such as Nigeria want to test themselves against LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, they may have to settle for Kevin Love and Andre Iguodala.

U.S. Olympic men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski already knows what his superstars can do, and doesn't need to be reminded in the kind of blowouts his team routinely racks up during pool play.

What he needs to find out is what would happen if they weren't available, when the Americans were playing against teams that could beat them.

"You don't know who it's going to be that might help us win the gold medal," Krzyzewski said. "I mean, if you look at look at the gold-medal game against Spain in '08, Tayshaun Prince gave us eight points in an abbreviated role that were huge for us, because LeBron and Kobe had two quick fouls each in that game.

"And you know if you don't give these guys that level of experience over an extended period of time, then they may not be ready for those moments, so that's what we're trying to do."

With that in mind, Krzyzewski gave plenty of time to his subs on Tuesday in a 110-63 victory over Tunisia. Iguodala's 20 minutes were one more than James played, while Bryant got on the floor for just 9 minutes, half the time Love received while tying for the team lead with 16 points.

The bench even started the second half, Krzyzewski insisting that was his plan all along and not that he was angry with the first unit. He will probably do plenty of tinkering Thursday night against the Nigerians.

Even without playing their best basketball, the Americans are big and bad as advertised ? romping through their first two games at the London Olympics by an average of 37 points.

But is that reason to be afraid of them?

Nigeria isn't.

"We will not be intimidated by those guys," Ike Diogu, a former top-10 NBA draft pick who has played 225 NBA games, said after Nigeria's 72-53 loss to Lithuania. "A lot of us went to school in the U.S. and have played against those guys. We have no reason to feel overwhelmed."

Nigeria guard Tony Skinn agrees.

"I mean, listen, man, I've been playing ball for a long time," said Skinn, who was part of George Mason's improbable Final Four run in 2006. "At some point in time, I played against those guys or seen those guys play. A lot of us, obviously we're Nigerians, but we play in the States and I don't think we have that mentality to just come in the game and just, you know, get our (butts) whooped."

Skinn and the Patriots beat Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut ? all perennial powers who had been recent national champions. He wasn't in awe of those teams and he shows no fear of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or any other U.S. player, either.

"That's not what we're here for," he said. "We're here to compete. We're competitors, and I think that everybody on the team has that approach."

The Americans, who did not practice Wednesday, are approaching the Nigeria game as the next step in their quest for a second consecutive gold medal.

The contest is the second straight, and perhaps last, lesser opponent for the Americans. The schedule picks up again Saturday with a matchup against Lithuania before the final game of group play Monday against longtime rival Argentina.

The U.S. improved to 2-0 with Tuesday's rout of Tunisia, a team Nigeria beat by only four points in its opening game. The Americans led by just 13 points after a surprisingly close first half, then rang up 64 points in the second half to turn it into the easy victory that was expected.

"It's not easy to us," James said. "The final score may look that way, but we go out and we work hard, we work our habits and we try to get better, and I feel like we try to get better."

The Americans still have times where they struggle against a zone defense, settling for 3-pointers instead of attacking and using their athletic advantages, and got themselves out of position defensively a few times early in Tuesday's game. So there's plenty to work on.

They will do it Thursday against some familiar faces.

Besides the 6-foot-9 Diogu and Skinn, Nigeria also has forward Al-Farouq Aminu ? the No. 8 pick in the 2010 draft ? on its roster. Aminu was traded last year by the Los Angeles Clippers to New Orleans in the deal for the U.S. starting point guard Chris Paul.

As always, the Americans will try to use their swarming defensive pressure to force mistakes that lead to easy baskets. Nigeria will need much better offensive execution to stand a chance after recording a pathetic three assists and going 1 for 16 from 3-point range in its loss to Lithuania.

"They're the best players in the world, obviously. It's no secret, but we're competitors. I know I am, so doesn't really make a difference," Skinn said. "I'm going to go out there and play the best basketball I can. We obviously have to play smart. You can't make very many mistakes against a team like that, so we've got to cut down on our turnovers" and make some shots.

Wednesday's day off will probably be the last day of rest at the Olympics for the U.S. The Americans have dealt with a hectic schedule that took them across the United States and a couple of stops in Europe before arriving in London, and Krzyzewski has clearly been trying to give extra rest to Bryant, who will turn 34 this month and has played just 21 minutes in the tournament.

Nigeria is ready for the Americans' best. And after a chance to catch their breath, perhaps the U.S. players will bring it.

"We're going to have a day off but we're still going to be around each other," Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday. "We'll be in the hotel. We might go to some events tomorrow. We've been going since Vegas nonstop and put in a lot of work in. We definitely need that day."

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-02-OLY-BKO-Nigeria-US/id-97383b97775347d5b7963b0a86de7bc3

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Rebekah Brooks formally charged with phone hacking

LONDON (AP) ? Former Rupert Murdoch protege Rebekah Brooks has been formally charged with conspiring to hack into the phones of hundreds of well-known people and their associates, a move first announced last month by Britain's Crown Prosecution Service.

The development had been expected since July 24, when prosecutors named Brooks as one of eight people accused of participating in a campaign of espionage which targeted more than 600 celebrities, sports stars, politicians and crime victims.

In Britain, police formally charge suspects. In Brooks' case, that happened late Thursday at a London police station.

Brooks, who quit as chief executive of Murdoch's News International when the phone hacking scandal exploded last year, has vowed to fight the charges.

Police listed the 44-year-old's current occupation as "unemployed."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rebekah-brooks-formally-charged-phone-hacking-194442510.html

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