George W. Bush Library To Be Commemorated Today

The George W. Bush Presidential Library will be commemorated today in a ceremony that will bring together all four current living ex-presidents as well as President Barack Obama. The library, years in the making, was funded through private donations and cost over $200 million making it the most expensive presidential library to date. Taxpayers traditionally pick up the operational costs, which for 2013 is expected to be around $63 million. 

The ACN Morning Report -- Monday April 8, 2013

WikiLeaks Publishes 1.7 Million Records -- Palestinian Leader Warns Of Slipping Opportunity -- North Korea May Be Preparing Nuclear Test...Or Not -- US Diplomat To Afghanistan Killed -- A Deal On Immigration? One Senator Thinks So -- White House Asks GOP For Compromise -- Clinton Hints Clinton May Run in '16 -- China's Bird Flu Outbreak -- Gas Prices Are Dropping

WIKILEAKS PUBLISHES 1.7M DIPLOMATIC RECORDS

Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

WikiLeaks has published more than 1.7m US records covering diplomatic or intelligence reports on every country in the world.

The data, which has not been leaked, comprises diplomatic records from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1976, covering a variety of diplomatic traffic including cables, intelligence reports and congressional correspondence.

PALESTINIAN LEADER WARNS WINDOW CLOSING FOR LASTING TWO-STATE SOLUTION 

Majdi Mohammed/AP

Time is running out on the two-state solution for Middle East peace and the current push to relaunch peace talks may be “the last opportunity,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warns.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail at his presidential compound in Ramallah, the Palestinian leader, in the midst of an intense round of international diplomacy aimed at reviving the moribund peace process, insisted he can make a deal, but time is slipping away. “I think there was some opportunities in the past, but unfortunately we missed these opportunities,” he said.

NORTH KOREA TESTS NOT IMMINENT SAYS SOUTH

Image Credit: GeoEye

A defence ministry spokesman said while activity had been detected at the Punggye-ri underground test site, it appeared to be routine.

South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae had earlier said there were indications a test was being prepared.

Meanwhile the North has said it is withdrawing all its workers from the shared Kaesong industrial complex.

FATHER: YOUNG US DIPLOMAT KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN DIED DOING WHAT SHE LOVED

(AP Photo/Courtesy of Tom Smedinghoff) (The Associated Press)

CHICAGO –  The family of an American diplomat who was among those killed in a terrorist attack in southern Afghanistan is taking solace in knowing she died doing what she loved.

Anne Smedinghoff, who was killed Saturday, was the first American diplomat to die on the job since last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya.

KEY US SENATOR SEES DEAL THIS WEEK ON IMMIGRATION

WASHINGTON (AP) — A noisy debate over the flawed U.S. immigration system begins in earnest this week as senators finalize a bipartisan bill to secure the border, allow tens of thousands of foreign workers into the country and grant eventual citizenship to the estimated 11 million people living here illegally.

Negotiators warned of struggles ahead, but all involved are optimistic that it's time to make the biggest changes to the nation's immigration laws in more than a quarter-century.

WHITE HOUSE ASKS GOP FOR COMPROMISE ON BUDGET DEAL

Associated Press

The Obama administration said Sunday that it is searching for rank-and-file Republicans willing to work with the president on a budget deal who “don’t think compromise is a dirty word.”

The outreach was made just days before President Obama plans to formally unveil his proposed 2014 federal budget, but details of the blueprint that leaked early have Republican leaders and Mr. Obama’s liberal base fuming.

HILLARY MAY RUN FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 2016 HINTS BILL CLINTON

REUTERS

Washington: Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, could run for the 2016 presidential elections, her husband Bill Clinton has hinted.

Bill Clinton, one of the most popular American presidents in recent past, added fuel to the speculation when at an event on Saturday night he said that the country would have some good choices in the 2016 presidential elections.

CHINA'S BIRD FLU OUTBREAK NOT CAUSE FOR PANIC: WHO

REUTERS

(Reuters) - A strain of bird flu that has been found in humans for the first time in eastern China is not a cause for panic, the World Health Organization said on Monday, as the number of people infected rose to 21, with six deaths.

The WHO praised China for mobilizing resources nationwide to combat the H7N9 flu strain by culling tens of thousands of birds and monitoring hundreds of people close to those infected.

GAS PRICES ARE GOING DOWN, AND THE TREND COULD CONTINUE

Photo Credit: Yakima Herald

The extra weekly cash incentive that Brad Hurd receives as a courier is tied to gas prices.

When gas prices were going up, his boss would have to cut those incentives to make up for the higher fuels costs for company vehicles, leading to a smaller paycheck for the Yakima resident.

But as gas prices in Yakima have dropped over the year, Hurd saw that incentive increase from $25 a week to $100.

The ACN Morning Report Tuesday March 19 2013

GOOD MORNING! TODAY IS TUESDAY MARCH 19TH 2013. HERE ARE TODAY'S MOST INTERESTING AND TOP STORIES FROM ACN:

Pope Francis Inauguration Mass -- Chemical Weapons In Syria? -- 10th Anniversary Of Iraq War -- Fl. Student Plotted Attack -- Hillary Clinton Comes Out On Gay Marriage -- Cyprus To Vote On Taxing Deposits -- The Bernanke Buzzkill -- NASA Curiosity Rover Suffers Glitch -- NYC Plan To "Hide" Tobacco 

Pope Francis Pleas For Poor At Inaugural Mass

Pope Francis has inaugurated his papacy at a Mass in Rome, calling on global leaders and all the people of the world to defend the poor and the weak.

Up to 200,000 people attended the Mass in St Peter's Square.

His homily focused on protection - of the environment, children, the elderly and those in need, who he said were "often the last we think about".

Francis was elected by a conclave of cardinals last week to take over from Benedict XVI.

Syria Says Rebel "Chemical Weapon" Attack Kills 6

www.chron.com

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's information minister says a chemical weapon fired by rebels on a village in the north of the country is the "first act" by the opposition interim government announced in Istanbul.

Omran al-Zoubi says the missile containing "poisonous gases" was fired from Nairab district in Aleppo into Khan al-Assal village on Tuesday.

He says 16 people were killed and 86 wounded in the attack. He spoke to the pro-government Al-Ikhbariya TV station.

On 10th Anniversary Of Iraq War 20 Killed, 96 Injured

BAGHDAD, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Up to 20 people were killed and more than 97 wounded in a series of bombings and shootings in central Iraq on Tuesday morning, the police said.

In Baghdad, eight car bombs ripped through crowded areas mainly in Shiite districts across the capital, killing a total of 15 people and wounding 73 others, an interior ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Also in the capital, two people were killed when two sticky bombs attached to their cars detonated in western and eastern Baghdad, while a third shot dead by gunmen in the southern part of Baghdad, the source said.

Meanwhile, a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into the entrance of an Iraqi army base in the town of Iskandariyah, some 50 km south of Baghdad, killing at least two people and wounding more than 10 others, a local police source anonymously told Xinhua.

Central Florida Student Plotted Attack On Other Students

FSU

Authorities say a University of Central Florida student who pulled a dorm fire alarm in the middle of the night had a more sinister plan than sending students scurrying out into the night.

Campus police said Monday that 30-year-old James Oliver Seevakumaran was armed with two guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a backpack filled with explosives and a plan to attack other students as they fled the seven-story dorm where he lived.

His plans were thrown off by campus police officers' quick response to the fire alarm and a 911 call from Seevakumaran's roommate who had holed himself in a bathroom after Seevakumaran pointed a gun at him.

Hillary Clinton Comes Out On Gay Marriage

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may not have declared whether she’s running for president in 2016, but her public declaration supporting gay marriage on Monday puts her on the same page with other potential Democratic candidates should she decide to run.

Clinton made the announcement in an online video released by the Human Rights Campaign. “LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones, and they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law,” she said. Clinton acknowledged her evolving position on the issue. “Like so many others, my views have been shaped over time by people I have known and loved, by my experience representing our nation on the world stage, my devotion to law and human rights, and the guiding principles of my faith.”

Cyprus Parliament Says Bank Levy Unlikely

A number of members of Cyprus's parliament have told CNBC that the legislation to tax bank deposits is unlikely to pass, a move that could potentially put the country into default.

Parliament is due to convene at 4 p.m. London time on Tuesday and despite the ruling party saying they will approve the proposal, several parties have said they will reject the levy. No single party has a majority in the 56-member chamber to push through the vote.

Fed Meeting: Bracing For Bernanke Buzzkill

Stocks are rallying, job growth is strengthening and a housing recovery is well underway -- but don't expect the Federal Reserve to back away from its stimulative policies just yet.

If anything, the Fed is likely to deliver a buzzkill after its two-day meeting wraps up Wednesday. Fed chairman Ben Bernanke will also address the state of the economy in a press conference following the release of the Fed's latest statement on interest rates and new economic forecasts.

Second Computer Glitch Stalls NASA's Mars Rover

NASA.Gov

Computerworld - After a computer glitch sidelined NASA's Mars rover Curiosity late last month, another problem has it down again.

NASA reported that Curiosity put itself into safe mode on Saturday after a software bug caused a command file to fail a size-check.

"This is a very straightforward matter to deal with," said Richard Cook, Curiosity's project manager. "We can just delete that file, which we don't need any more, and we know how to keep this from occurring in the future."

NASA said late on Monday that bringing Curiosity out of safe mode is expected to take a couple of days.

NYC Plan Would Keep Tobacco Products Hidden

AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Cigarettes would have to be kept out of sight in New York City stores under a first-in-the-nation plan unveiled by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday, igniting complaints from retailers and smokers who said they've had enough with the city’s crackdowns.

Shops from corner stores to supermarkets would have to keep tobacco products in cabinets, drawers, under the counter, behind a curtain or in other concealed spots. Officials also want to stop shops from taking cigarette coupons and honoring discounts, and are proposing a minimum price for cigarettes, below what the going rate is in much of the city now, to discourage black market sales.

Clinton 2016

From The Greek Reporter: 

Angelo Tsakopoulos, a close friend and top political donor to the Clintons as well as the Democratic Party, confirmed that Hillary Clinton will seek the Democratic nomination in the next Presidential election.

Tsakopoulos told Greek Reporter that the former Secretary of State will run for President in 2016, putting an end to speculation over whether Clinton will make a second bid for President that has been circulating around the internet and international media.

“Hillary will be our next President and she will be a great one,” Tsakopoulos told Greek Reporter at a private gala in California this past weekend.

Asked if this was confirmed by Clinton or whether it’s his personal view, he replied, “I talk to her husband, and he confirmed it. She will run.”

Tsakopoulos’ daughter, Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis, is the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and was sworn into office by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 7, 2010.

“My daughter will continue serving as an Ambassador for the next three months, and then she will return to the U.S. to help elect Hillary [as] President,” he continued.

Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis has very close ties to the Clintons as well, and she is expected to play a major role in the “Hillary for President 2016″ campaign. In the 2008 primary, Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis raised more than $1 million for Mrs. Clinton.

Hillary Clinton’s office has not responded to Greek Reporter‘s request for comment on the matter.

When asked last week at a global town hall if she was thinking of making another run for the White House, Clinton said, “I am not thinking about anything like that right now,” CNN reported

A recent Quinnipiac University survey shows the former Secretary of State to be the most popular U.S. politician, with a 61% to 34% favorable to unfavorable rating. She could do well enough to beat out possible Republican opponents Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), and former Governor Jeb Bush (Fla.). She even surpassed President Obama in popularity. His favorability rating is 51%, while 46% view him unfavorably.

Born in Rizes, Greece, Tsakopoulos came to the U.S. in his teens as a poor immigrant and managed to become one of the largest developers in California. He founded AKT Development, a leading developer in the Sacramento region. His donations to former President Bill Clinton were rewarded with a night in the prestigious Lincoln Bedroom.

Hillary Clinton has been a leading female political figure since taking the title of first lady in 1993. She has also been a Senator as well as the nation’s Chief Diplomat, coming closer to the White House than any other woman. Her record as Secretary of State, despite the controversy over Benghazi, has been a testament to her work ethic and humility.

Even though the next race for the White House is a few years away, there’s already intense speculation over whether Clinton will make a second bid for president and according to Tsakopoulos, her husband – former President Bill Clinton – has confirmed it.

For the full article from The Greek Reporter USA visit: http://usa.greekreporter.com/2013/02/11/exclusive-hillary-clinton-will-run-for-president-in-2016-confirmed/

Hillary Clinton Says Goodbye

Hillary Clinton To Write Second Memoir

Reuters

Hillary Clinton plans to write a memoir once she steps down as Secretary of State, she said at a global town hall Tuesday.

Although her immediate plans involve “catching up on about 20 years of sleep deprivation,” Clinton said she does plan to write a book.

“I don’t know what I will say in it yet,” she said.

A memoir would be her second. Her first, “Living History," was released in 2003.

Clinton also mentioned that her biggest regret from her job was “certainly, the loss of lives in Benghazi.” But she says she will leave her job with “far more positive memories.”

Lindsey Graham: Hillary Clinton 'Got Away With Murder'

Senator Graham offered his harsh assessment of her performance.

“Hillary Clinton got away with murder in my view. She said they had a clear-eyed view of the threats. How could you have a clear-eyed view of the threats in Benghazi when you didn’t know about the ambassador’s cable coming back from Libya?” the South Carolina Republican told host Greta Van Susteren Monday on “On The Record”.

“Our guys tried to ask questions, she is very good on her feet, deflecting the questions. But she said two things that will come back to haunt her, they had a clear-eyed assessment of the threats in Libya, and they had close contact with the Libyan government. I don’t believe either one of them,” the lawmaker added.

Hillary: "I Don't See Myself Getting Back Into Politics"

Reuters

Hillary Clinton said this to NPR when asked what questions she would have to consider before deciding to run for president.

"I'm not even posing those questions. I am really looking forward to stepping off the fast track that I've been on. I've been out of politics as Secretary of State. I don't see myself getting back into politics," she said, according to an excerpt of the interview.

Obama/Clinton 60 Minutes Interview: Part 1

Clinton vs. Obama: They Weren't Always Friends

Obama's Parting Gift To Hillary Clinton

Getty Images

Josh Green reports that a team of top Obama donors decided to surprise Hillary Clinton -- "and thank her for her loyal service" -- by raising enough money to pay off her 2008 campaign bills.

"The challenge was tougher than it may appear, since it required a particular kind of donor. In order not to run afoul of campaign finance laws, the Obama team had to find people who had not already given Clinton the 2008 maximum primary donation of $2,300 or maxed out their total federal candidate donations during the 2012 cycle ($46,200). And of course, those people also had to be warmly disposed toward Clinton and still have plenty of free cash on hand."

"In the end, it took the checkbooks of about 120 people and several months to retire the debt... And as it turned out, the Obama folks substantially overshot the mark. Clinton's campaign, which has not yet formally been shut down, now shows a surplus of about $205,000."

The Morning Report -- Monday January 28, 2013

POTUS & Secretary Clinton -- Immigration Reform A Possibility -- Obama's Political Fork -- Healthcare's Reality -- Super Bowl Looms -- Tiger Has Big Lead -- Aspirin Eye Abuse

PREVIEW: THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE

IMMIGRATION REFORM: LAWMAKERS SEE OVERHAUL OF IMMIGRATION SYSTEM CLEARING CONGRESS THIS YEAR

WASHINGTON -- Republican and Democratic lawmakers were cautiously optimistic Sunday that a long-sought overhaul of the nation's immigration system that includes a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the country will clear Congress this year, the result of changes in the political landscape shown in November's election.

"We are trying to work our way through some very difficult issues," said Illinois' Sen. Richard Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate. "But, we are committed to a comprehensive approach to finally, in this country, have an immigration law we can live with. We have virtually been going maybe 25 years without a clear statement about immigration policy. That's unacceptable in this nation of immigrants."

OBAMA: COMPROMISE OR 'POLITICAL CONQUEST'? 

Associated Press

As he moves into his second term, President Obama says he’s going to spend more time communicating directly with the American people – something he acknowledges having done too little of during his first term – while working to present his administration and most congressional Democrats as willing to compromise on important issues.

“I've been spending a lot of time just thinking about how do I communicate more effectively with the American people?” Mr. Obama said in an interview with the New Republic magazine. “How do I try to bridge some of the divides that are longstanding in our culture? How do I project a sense of confidence in our future at a time when people are feeling anxious?”

CONSUMER ALERT: NEW HEALTH CARE MARKETS ON THE WAY

Getty Images

WASHINGTON - Buying your own health insurance will never be the same.

This fall, new insurance markets called exchanges will open in each state, marking the long-awaited and much-debated debut of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

The goal is quality coverage for millions of uninsured people in the United States. What the reality will look like is anybody's guess , from bureaucracy, confusion and indifference to seamless service and satisfied customers.

Exchanges will offer individuals and their families a choice of private health plans resembling what workers at major companies already get. The government will help many middle-class households pay their premiums, while low-income people will be referred to safety-net programs they might qualify for.

SUPER BOWL XLVII COACHES DEFINED BY BOLD MOVES DURING RUN TO BIG GAME

NFL head coaches make dozens, maybe hundreds of decisions every day. Who to start, who to promote, who to demote, who to cut, who to keep, how to attack, how to defend, all the way down to whether to kick, receive or defer at the start of the game.

Baltimore's John Harbaugh and San Francisco's Jim Harbaugh each made one critical decision down the stretch of the 2012 season that propelled their teams to a historic showdown between brothers in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3 in New Orleans.

TIGER WOODS HOLDS BIG LEAD HEADING TO MONDAY

Associated Press

Due to the fog that wiped out an entire day of golf, the Farmers Insurance Open was never going to end on Sunday, even though Tiger Woods effectively ended it.

Woods walked off Torrey Pines with a six-shot lead and only 11 more holes between him and winning on this course for the eighth time in his pro career.

He drove the ball with superb control in the third round on his way to a 3-under 69 to build a four-shot lead after three rounds. He lost control with his driver in the fourth round and still managed three birdies in seven holes.

ASPIRIN USE LINKED TO AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE

i.stockphoto

The research, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, shows that the risk appears to be independent of a history of smoking, which is also a known preventable risk factor for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is commonly used in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.

While a five-year European study published last year suggested that regular aspirin use – defined as once or more per week in the past year – was associated with AMD, other studies had reported inconsistent findings. The new study was conducted over a much longer period and found clear evidence of the risk.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/01/27/4034141/super-bowl-xlvii-coaches-defined.html#storylink=cpy