US Politics

Elections 2012

Australia PM battle looms after foreign minister quits

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd resigned on Wednesday, saying he could no longer work with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, igniting a new and bitter leadership crisis for the struggling minority government. Gillard's … [Read More...]

The Note’s Must-Reads for Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Compiled by ABC News’ Jackie Fernandez, Jayce Henderson, Amanda Van Allen and Carrie Halperin PRESIDENT OBAMA The Boston Globe’s Brian C. Mooney: “Obama donations fall short of ’08″ Campaign downplays import of Jan. Figures. President … [Read More...]

Unions gearing up to spend big in 2012 election

Unions say they are gearing up to spend more than $400 million to help re-elect President Barack Obama and lift Democrats this election year in a fight for labor's survival. … [Read More...]

Unions gearing up to spend big in 2012 election

Unions say they are gearing up to spend more than $400 million to help re-elect President Barack Obama and lift Democrats this election year in a fight for labor's survival. … [Read More...]

US Politics

Obama administration to unveil corporate tax reform plan to lower top rate to … – Fox News

Fox NewsObama administration to unveil corporate tax reform plan to lower top rate to …Fox NewsThe Obama administration plans to unveil a long-awaited corporate tax reform plan on Wednesday, lowering the top income-tax rate for corporations to 28 per…

President Obama Sings ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ – Wall Street Journal (blog)

New York Daily NewsPresident Obama Sings 'Sweet Home Chicago'Wall Street Journal (blog)By Lyneka Little At a blues concert in the East Room of the White House, President Barack Obama once again showed off his pipes. During a performance of “S…

Obama praises Merkel’s euro crisis leadership – The Local.de

The Local.deObama praises Merkel's euro crisis leadershipThe Local.deDespite plenty of transatlantic tensions over the eurozone debt crisis, US President Barack Obama phoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel to congratulate her on concluding a new Gr…

Foreign Policy

Iran defiant as UN nuclear talks fail – Reuters

Globe and MailIran defiant as UN nuclear talks failReutersThe United States and Israel have not ruled out using force against Iran if they conclude that diplomacy and sanctions will not stop it from developing a nuclear bomb. "This was only to be …

Tangled in diplomacy, EU struggles to frame new financial rules – Reuters

Tangled in diplomacy, EU struggles to frame new financial rulesReutersWhile the United States agreed in 2010 an initial framework to prevent financiers taking the kind of risks that sparked the deepest global recession since the 1930s, the European Uni…

PROCUREMENT: Diplomacy By Other Means – Strategy Page

PROCUREMENT: Diplomacy By Other MeansStrategy PageFebruary 22, 2012: Israel is buying 30 Italian M-346 advanced jet trainers. Italy has already bought 15 and Singapore 12. Several other nations are negotiating purchase deals. Until recently, Israel pla…

Justice

Justiceline: February 22, 2012

Welcome to Justiceline, ThinkProgress Justice’s morning round-up of the latest legal news and developments. Remember to follow us on Twitter at @TPJustice. Anti-immigrant Sheriff Joe Arpaio gave presidential candidate Rick Santorum an advance briefing on the sheriff’s birther investigation into President Barack Obama. A pro-gun website suggests that gun groups should support President Obama’s reelection [...]

Health Groups Line Up Almost Unanimously In Favor Of Health Reform In The Supreme Court

Friday marked the final deadline for amicus briefs discussing the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court, and a pattern that has proven true throughout this litigation repeated itself once again — organizations with real, on the ground expertise in health care lined up almost entirely in support of the law. Amici [...]

Pro-Choice Protestors Line Walkway To Virginia Capitol

Yesterday, several hundred protestors lined the walkway to the Virginia Capitol to protest the many attacks on reproductive freedom making their way through the state legislature — including a “state-sponsored rape” bill that requires most women to be vaginally probed before they can receive an abortion. Because the Virginia Capitol’s rules apparently do not allow [...]

Business

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell (WFC, C, SPY, TOL, HPQ, CHK)

Good morning. Here’s what you need to know.

Asian markets were up in overnight trading with the Nikkei rising 0.96 percent. Europe is sharply lower on eurozone PMI data and skepticism over the Greek deal, and U.S. futures are moderately lower.

Eur…

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning (AAPL, GOOG, RIMM)

Good morning! Here’s the news:

Google’s Terminator glasses will be ready for sale by the end of the year.

Nightline aired a special on Apple’s Foxconn factories last night — here’s what you missed.

Foxconn allegedly hid underage employees for i…

You Probably Do Not Appreciate How Much Taxes On Rich People Are About To Go Up…

There has been a lot of fighting about the possibility of raising taxes on the highest-earning Americans.
There has also been frustration about how much President Obama’s healthcare plan will eventually cost Americans, especially high-income American…

World News

Police Storm Bali Prison after Riot – TIME

The GuardianPolice Storm Bali Prison after RiotTIMEBy AP Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012 (BALI, Indonesia) — Security forces stormed a prison on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Wednesday after rioting inmates temporarily took control of the facility,…

Megaupload’s Kim Dotcom Released on Bail – TIME

The GuardianMegaupload's Kim Dotcom Released on BailTIMEBy AP / NICK PERRY Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012 WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload was granted bail and released on Wednesday after a New Zealand jud…

Four killed, many wounded in Afghan Koran protests – report | – Reuters

CBC.caFour killed, many wounded in Afghan Koran protests – report |ReutersBy Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi | KABUL (Reuters) – Four people were shot dead and dozens wounded in protests in Afghanistan which flared for a second day on Wednesday in se…

Politics & Media

Kate Upton: Donald Trump’s Model Management Company Tried To Sign Me At Age 12

Sports Illustrated cover model Kate Upton was on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night, discussing how she scaled the heights of the modeling world to … [Read More...]

The Daily Show’s Lewis Black Goes Off On Whitney Houston Death Coverage

Appearing on Tuesday night’s Daily Show, a hilariously agitated Lewis Black ripped into the tabloid-saturated media coverage of Whitney … [Read More...]

Lawrence O’Donnell Rewrites ‘Semicoherent Preacher’ Rev. Franklin Graham

The Rev. Franklin Graham‘s appearance on Tuesday’s Morning Joe is a fine example of created-for-cable “news.” Graham, son … [Read More...]

Jon Stewart Explains Ultrasound Law To GOP: ‘A TSA Pat-Down In Your Vagina’

Jon Stewart had a few bones to pick with social conservatives today, and though he began attacking Chris Christie for vetoing the same-sex … [Read More...]