Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio House passes bill protecting gays from discrimination
Ohio House lawmakers moved to shield gay and transgendered Ohioans from being discriminated against in housing and employment issues in a historic vote Tuesday afternoon.
By a vote of 56-39, the anti-discrimination measure passed the House with five Republicans, including Rep. Matthew Dolan of Russell Township, joining all 51 majority Democrats present in the House chamber in approving the measure. It now moves to the Senate, where Senate President Bill Harris, an Ashland Republican, has told reporters the measure is not needed.
Supporters painted it as bringing fairness to the workplace by adding protections for gay and transgendered Ohioans, while opponents said it forced people to endorse a lifestyle that many object to on religious grounds.
WORLD
CNN: Obama: No plans for additional troop increase in Afghanistan
There are no immediate plans to commit more U.S. troops to the ongoing war in Afghanistan, President Obama said Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama said he would consult with U.S. allies before determining a strategy in Afghanistan after last month's elections there.
"I'm going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions," Obama said. "There is no immediate decision pending on resources, because one of the things that I'm absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make a determination about resources."
The United States has about 62,000 U.S. troops in the country, and NATO allies -- including Canada -- have another 35,000. The Pentagon is planning to add 6,000 troops by the end of the year.
Reuters: World food aid at 20-year low, 1 billion hungry-WFP
Food aid is at a 20-year low despite the number of critically hungry people soaring this year to its highest level ever, the United Nations relief agency said on Wednesday.
The number of hungry people will pass 1 billion this year for the first time, the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) said, adding that it is facing a serious budget shortfall.
To date the WFP has confirmed $2.6 billion in funding for its 2009 budget of $6.7 billion.
"This comes at a time of great vulnerability for the hungry," the WFP said in a statement.
Newsweek: Intelligence Agencies Say No New Nukes in Iran
The U.S. intelligence community is reporting to the White House that Iran has not restarted its nuclear-weapons development program, two counterproliferation officials tell NEWSWEEK. U.S. agencies had previously said that Tehran halted the program in 2003.
The officials, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, said that U.S. intelligence agencies have informed policymakers at the White House and other agencies that the status of Iranian work on development and production of a nuclear bomb has not changed since the formal National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran's "Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities" in November 2007. Public portions of that report stated that U.S. intelligence agencies had "high confidence" that, as of early 2003, Iranian military units were pursuing development of a nuclear bomb, but that in the fall of that year Iran "halted its nuclear weapons program." The document said that while U.S. agencies believed the Iranian government "at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons," U.S. intelligence as of mid-2007 still had "moderate confidence" that it had not restarted weapons-development efforts.
BBC: Trafigura knew of waste dangers
BBC Newsnight has uncovered evidence revealing that oil-trading company Trafigura knew that waste dumped in Ivory Coast in 2006 was hazardous.
Trafigura had persistently denied that the waste was harmful but internal e-mails show staff knew it was hazardous.
On Wednesday, Newsnight learned that Trafigura has offered to pay damages to settle a class action brought on behalf of 31,000 who said they were injured.
Up until now Trafigura has refused to settle, denying it was to blame.
ABC: With All Polling Stations Counted, Karzai has 54% of Afghan Vote
With 100 percent of Afghanistan's polling stations reported, the Independent Election Commission announced today that President Hamid Karzai has been reelected president with 54.6 percent of the vote, avoiding the need for a second round runoff.
That statement may not settle the election, however. The tally by the IEC is a preliminary count and the Electoral Complaints Commission has ordered a massive recount of at least 10 percent of all votes cast.
The ECC, which is dominated by international monitors, must certify the vote before it can become a final and that is at least weeks away.
The longer the counting of the votes takes, the more questions about the legitimacy of the election.
CNN: First rocky planet found outside solar system
Scientists have discovered the first confirmed Earthlike planet outside our solar system, they announced Wednesday.
"This is the first confirmed rocky planet in another system," astronomer Artie Hatzes told CNN, contrasting the solid planet with gaseous ones like Jupiter and Saturn.
But "Earthlike" is a relative term.
The planet's composition may be similar to that of Earth, but its environment is more like a vision of hell, the project's lead astronomer said.
UNITED STATES
CNN: Senate passes measure to allow gun transport on Amtrak
Amtrak would lose its federal subsidies if it doesn't put a system in place by early next year to check and track firearms so that passengers can legally put the weapons in their checked baggage, the Senate voted Wednesday.
The measure, an amendment to the transportation and housing appropriations bill, passed 68-30.
The House version of the bill, passed in July, does not include the provision, so further steps would be needed for it to reach President Obama's desk.
Amtrak's current policy prohibits passengers from carrying "any type of gun, firearm, ammunition, explosives or weapon" in carry-on or checked baggage.
Reuters: Obama to reassure G20 on Wall Street reform: aide
President Barack Obama will pledge U.S. action on financial regulatory reform at the Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh and underscore the need for global coordination on the issue, a senior aide said on Wednesday.
"It is urgent," Michael Froman, Obama's top negotiator for next week's G20 gathering, told reporters.
He added that there must be "a consistent approach to regulation across jurisdictions" to avoid a "race to the bottom" in which financial players flock toward countries with more lenient oversight.
Obama used a high-profile speech on Wall Street on Monday to try to breathe new life into his proposals to fix regulatory gaps blamed for the 2008-2009 market panic that brought the financial system to the brink of collapse.
ABC: FBI Raids Denver Home of Terror Suspect
FBI agents have raided the suburban Denver home of the man authorities say is at the center of an alleged al Qaeda plot to carry out attacks in New York.
The agents arrived at the home of 24-year old Najibullah Zazi late this afternoon. One of the agents told ABC News the squad was carrying out a search warrant but declined to comment further.
ABC News has learned that FBI agents in Denver served a search warrant at a second home this afternoon, also located in the suburb of Aurora.
Records show that the home is occupied by Rabia Zazi, the aunt of Najibullah Zazi. FBI Special Agent Kathy Wright would not comment on details of the investigation, but confirmed that the two locations were the only ones searched today."
MSNBC: White House disputes Carter’s analysis
The White House says President Barack Obama doesn't believe he's being criticized because of his race.
Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Obama — the nation's first black president — doesn't think that criticism of his policies is "based on the color of his skin."
Gibbs was asked about the topic following comments on Tuesday by former President Jimmy Carter. Gibbs says some people have disagreements with some of Obama's decisions but that those concerns were not because of his race.
On Tuesday, Carter said Tuesday that Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst to President Obama during a speech to Congress last week was an act "based on racism" and rooted in fears of a black president.
Google: Kansas senators drop roadblock of Obama nominees
Two senators who have been blocking confirmation of Obama administration nominees, including the man put forward for secretary of the Army, say they'll back off and let the approval process go forward.
Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback had been standing in the way of confirmation of New York Republican Rep. John McHugh for the Army secretary job as well as Senate clearance of nominees for a host of other senior Defense and Justice department positions. It was done in a joint protest of administration policy on U.S.-held terrorism-era detainees at Guantanamo.
Roberts and Brownback said in a statement Wednesday that they now believe the detainees won't be relocated to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., which they had vehemently opposed. They said they reached that conclusion after discussions with the administration.
BBC:
Five current and former directors of Bank of America have been subpoenaed by the office of New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, according to sources.
They are likely to be asked how much they knew of Merrill Lynch's problems and bonuses when they agreed to buy it.
Bank of America saved Merrill Lynch from collapse a year ago.
Earlier this week, a US federal judge ruled the bank would have to go to trial to settle allegations it misled shareholders about bonus payments.
CNN: Stocks spike to 1-year highs
Stocks gained Wednesday, pushing Wall Street to its highest level in a year, with a rise in industrial production and a spike in commodity prices and equities fueling the advance.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) gained 108 points or 1.1%, closing at the highest point since Oct. 6, 2008. The S&P 500 (SPX) index rose 16 points or 1.5% and closed at its highest point since Oct. 3 of last year. The Nasdaq composite (COMP) rose 30 points or 1.5% and was on track to close at its highest point since Sept. 26, 2008.
"Market friendly news over the last several weeks has created a more upbeat tone on Wall Street," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial Group.
"The question going forward is whether this is too much euphoria given the somewhat uncertain outlook for the consumer and financial markets as we head into 2010," he said.
ABC: White House Calls ACORN Employees' Behavior 'Unacceptable'
At today's White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, asked by ABC News about recent government actions taken against ACORN, had a forceful response.
"Obviously the conduct you see on those tapes is completely unacceptable," Gibbs said, raising the issue of videotapes posted online by BigGovernment.com and aired frequently by Fox News Channel that seem to show ACORN employees advising a faux prostitute and faux pimp on how to skirt housing and tax laws. "The administration takes accountability extremely seriously."
Gibbs said the Census Bureau decided that ACORN could not assist the group in meeting "the bureau's goal of achieving a fair and accurate count in 2010" and that some other agencies are evaluating their relationship with the group. "We constantly evaluate to ensure that any grantee is living up to what has to happen in order to fulfill that grant application."
CNN: U.S. government sets up online 'app store'
The Obama administration has unveiled a government "app store" designed to push the federal bureaucracy into the era of cloud computing.
The change means some federal employees will begin using services like YouTube, Gmail and WordPress, which store data on private Internet servers instead of on those paid for with public money.
The process will start small but will ramp up quickly, Vivek Kundra, the U.S. chief information officer, said in a blog post on Tuesday.
"Our policies lag behind new trends, causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology," Kundra writes in the post on WhiteHouse.gov.
WSB: Cracker Barrel Beating May Be Hate Crime
The FBI is investigating the beating of an African-American woman by a white man at a Cracker Barrel restaurant as a possible hate crime.
Morrow police said they arrested Troy Dale West, of Poulan, Ga. after he attacked Tasha Hill after she asked him to "be careful" at a Cracker Barrel restaurant.
Morrow police were called to the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Southlake Plaza Drive in Morrow Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
CBS: Experts Push 1 Cent per Ounce Soda Tax
In a bid to ramp up the public health battle against obesity, a group of nutrition and economics experts are pushing for a tax of 1 cent on every of ounce of sodas and other sweetened beverages.
Proposals for a hefty soda tax though have repeatedly fallen flat. The idea was even floated as a way to help pay for health care reform, but government officials on Wednesday said that's not likely to happen.
The experts' plan was released by the influential New England Journal of Medicine, in a health policy article by Arkansas' surgeon general, New York City's health commissioner and five national experts on health and economics.
A soda tax would generate tax revenue while discouraging people from consuming extra calories, the authors contend. They cited a series of studies that showed higher rates of obesity and diabetes among women who drank more sugar-sweetened beverages. They argue that a steeper soda tax would borrow the same strategy that helped drive down cigarette smoking while bolstering government revenues.
Reuters: U.S. industrial output rises again, inflation tame
U.S. industrial production rose for a second straight month in August, reinforcing views the nation's recession had ended, while a spike in gasoline costs pushed consumer prices higher.
A separate report showed confidence among U.S. homebuilders this month vaulted to its highest level since May 2008.
The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities increased 0.8 percent last month after gaining 1 percent in July. The data came a day after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the economic slump that started in December 2007 was "very likely over".
CBS: Medical Examiner: Anne Le Was Suffocated
A Yale graduate student found stuffed in the wall of a research center had been suffocated, the medical examiner reported Wednesday as police awaited DNA tests on evidence taken from a lab technician who worked in the building.
Police call Raymond Clark III a "person of interest" in the slaying of Annie Le. Authorities hoped to compare DNA taken from Clark's hair, fingernails and saliva with more than 150 pieces of evidence collected at the crime scene on the Ivy League campus.
Investigators said they expect to determine within days whether Clark should be charged in the killing. He was escorted in handcuffs from his apartment in Middletown, Conn., and released early Wednesday into the custody of his attorney, police said.
NY Times: Mary Travers Of Peter, Paul and Mary Dies
Mary Travers, whose ringing, earnest vocals with the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary made songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “If I Had a Hammer” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” enduring anthems of the 1960s protest movement, died Wednesday night in Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. She was 72 and had lived in Redding, Conn.
The cause was cancer, said her spokeswoman, Heather Lylis.
Ms. Travers brought a powerful voice and an unfeigned urgency to music that resonated with mainstream listeners. With her straight blond hair and willowy figure and two bearded guitar players by her side, she looked exactly like what she was, a Greenwich Villager straight from the clubs and the coffee houses that nourished the folk-music revival.
MSNBC: NCAA president Brand loses fight with cancer
Myles Brand, who fired Bob Knight as Indiana University basketball coach and went on to become NCAA president, died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer. He was 67.
The first former university president to run college sports’ largest governing body, Brand worked to change the perception that wins supersede academics and earned accolades for his efforts.
Brand broke the news that he had cancer in January at the NCAA convention and continued to handle the organization’s day-to-day operations, despite undergoing treatment. NCAA officials, who announced his death, were not ready to say who would replace Brand or when they may begin searching for a successor.
ENVIRONMENT
Guardian: Investors call for action on global warming
More than 180 of the world's largest investors, with collective assets of $13tn, put their combined weight behind a passionate call for strong US and international action on global warming in New York today.
"We cannot drag our feet on the issue of global climate change," said Thomas DiNapoli, who heads the $116.5bn New York state pension fund. "I am deeply concerned about the investor risks climate change presents, and the human cost of inaction is unthinkable."
The summit drew together managers of the world's leading investment funds, including those from HSBC, Henderson, Schroders, Société Générale and Scottish Widows, and pensions funds from California public employees to the BBC and Church of England. It was aimed at overcoming entrenched opposition within the US and elsewhere to climate change legislation, by showcasing the scale of investor support for climate change action and the potential for mobilisation of private capital.
"For anybody who suggests that regulating carbon or acting on climate change is impractical, here is appropriate contradiction," said Mindy Lubber, the president of Ceres, the green investor network that helped organise the conference. However, she warned: "Investors are ready to put money into green tech, but they are not going to act until the government acts and makes clear that the right incentives are in the right place."
MSNBC: Controversial Bush smog rule under review
The Obama administration said Wednesday it will review a controversial Bush-era smog rule, saying it might have fallen short of scientific recommendations.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would propose any revisions by December and a final decision by next August.
"This is one of the most important protection measures we can take to safeguard our health and our environment," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement. "Reconsidering these standards and ensuring acceptable levels of ground-level ozone could cut health care costs and make our cities healthier, safer places to live, work and play."