BLOOMBERG News, Jul 04, 2011

White House to pay $37 million in salaries for 2011 Sun,3 Jul 2011 09:16 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday it will pay $37,121,463 in salaries for 454 employees in 2011. Full Story1

Myanmar diplomat defects in Washington: report Sun,3 Jul 2011 09:14 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The deputy chief of mission at Myanmar's embassy in Washington is seeking political asylum in the United States, Radio Free Asia reported Sunday. Full Story1

Afghan drawdown may hurt battle for east: McCain Sun,3 Jul 2011 03:05 PM PDT Reuters - KABUL (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's decision to bring troops home from Afghanistan faster than the military recommended could jeopardize the next major push of the war, to unseat insurgents in the east, U.S. senator John McCain said on Sunday. Full Story1

French Socialist party head calls for calm amid DSK affair Sun,3 Jul 2011 01:57 PM PDT Reuters - Jul (Reuters) - By Leila Abboud Full Story1

Minnesota Zoo reopens using own revenue during state shutdown Sun,3 Jul 2011 12:48 PM PDT Reuters - MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - As day three of the Minnesota state government shutdown began on Sunday, residents shut out of state parks and historical sites had one option restored over the holiday weekend -- the Minnesota Zoo. Full Story1

California calls on citizen to redraw political lines Sun,3 Jul 2011 05:02 AM PDT Reuters - LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When Stanley Forbes is not helping to redraw California's electoral map, he is growing almonds at his ranch or running his independent book store. Full Story1

Little-known Republican McCotter opens White House bid Sun,3 Jul 2011 04:12 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thaddeus McCotter, a guitar-playing Michigan congressman with an independent streak, formally launched a longshot bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination on Saturday. Full Story1

Vote to replace former Congressman Weiner on September 13 Sat,2 Jul 2011 01:52 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - A special election to replace disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who resigned after lying about sending lewd photos of himself to women over the Internet, has been set for September 13. Full Story1

Massachusetts lawmakers OK $31 billion budget Fri,1 Jul 2011 03:06 PM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Massachusetts legislature enacted a nearly $31 billion budget on Friday, which shuts a $1.9 billion budget gap without raising taxes by cutting spending and relying on one-time revenues. Full Story1

Analysis: Geithner may want to go; will Obama let him? Fri,1 Jul 2011 02:58 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Timothy Geithner may be musing about stepping down as Treasury secretary but President Barack Obama has ample reason to try to talk him out of it, not least that doing so would avoid a bruising succession battle. Full Story1

Warnings sounded over precipitous defense cuts Fri,1 Jul 2011 02:02 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cuts in defense spending as part of President Barack Obama's bid to trim the $1.4 trillion U.S. budget deficit could hurt the economy or imperil security unless undertaken as part of a careful review of military needs, an industry representative and a key lawmaker said. Full Story1

U.S. sees South Sudan independence set despite violence Fri,1 Jul 2011 01:57 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes South Sudan will split smoothly from the North when it declares independence on July 9 but the two sides face tough economic and security challenges that could threaten further violence, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. Full Story1

Treasury says Congress has month to reach debt deal Fri,1 Jul 2011 01:53 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury on Friday stuck with an August 2 deadline for Congress to approve new borrowing and avoid a default, applying more pressure on lawmakers to break partisan gridlock and reach a budget deal. Full Story1

New defense chief Panetta sees tough budget choices Fri,1 Jul 2011 01:48 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leon Panetta was sworn in as U.S. defense secretary on Friday promising to keep the military strong while making tough choices on defense spending cuts. Full Story1

New defense chief sees tough budget choices Fri,1 Jul 2011 12:31 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leon Panetta was sworn in as defense secretary on Friday promising to keep the military strong while making tough choices on defense spending cuts. Full Story1

Republican McCotter launches longshot 2012 presidential bid Fri,1 Jul 2011 12:10 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thaddeus McCotter, an independent-minded congressman from Michigan, launched a longshot bid on Friday for the 2012 Republican nomination to run for U.S. president. Full Story1

Obama nominates Olsen for counterterrorism post Fri,1 Jul 2011 11:08 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama nominated Matthew Olsen on Friday as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center to replace Michael Leiter, who resigned. Full Story1

Analysis: Some revenue hikes likely in budget deal Fri,1 Jul 2011 11:07 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans reject revenue increases in deficit-reduction talks, but the betting in Washington is that if and when a budget deal is brokered, at least a few of those Democratic ideas will be included. Full Story1

Senate approves Treasury security, TARP nominees Fri,1 Jul 2011 09:19 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate has confirmed the Treasury Department's top national security officials, the head of its bailout programs and its top spokesperson, easing a backlog of Obama administration nominees delayed by political wrangling. Full Story1

Treasury warns of crisis absent debt limit deal Fri,1 Jul 2011 08:25 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Treasury on Friday kept up the pressure on Congress to strike a deal to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a default, repeating that it would run out of legal room to borrow on August 2. Full Story1

Illinois governor signs budget but state's problems mount Fri,1 Jul 2011 07:43 AM PDT Reuters - CHICAGO (Reuters) - Just hours before a new fiscal year was to begin, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on Thursday signed a new state budget after vetoing $376 million in spending approved by the General Assembly. Full Story1

Analyst view: Geithner mulls departing Treasury: sources Fri,1 Jul 2011 03:06 AM PDT Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is considering stepping down later this year, but will not make any decision until after until after debt limit negotiations conclude, people familiar with his thinking said on Thursday. Full Story1

Clinton decries Belarus crackdown at democracy talks Fri,1 Jul 2011 02:34 AM PDT Reuters - VILNIUS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized the repression of peaceful protests in Belarus on Friday as she urged nations to support fledgling democratic movements in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere. Full Story1

Obama criticizes tone of early 2012 campaigning Thu,30 Jun 2011 05:51 PM PDT Reuters - PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - President Barack Obama struck back on Thursday against his political rivals seeking the Republican presidential nomination, saying they were attacking his economic record without having solid plans of their own. Full Story1

Privacy groups ask Congress for stronger law Thu,30 Jun 2011 05:15 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of consumer and privacy groups is pressing the Senate for stronger legislation to ensure that consumers' private information is kept safe. Full Story1

Senate approves Petraeus as CIA director Thu,30 Jun 2011 04:59 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to confirm General David Petraeus, now commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to be the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Full Story1

Republicans block action on Bush trade pacts Thu,30 Jun 2011 04:20 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked action on three free trade agreements they have long supported to protest against President Barack Obama's decision to include a retraining program for workers hurt by trade in one of the bills. Full Story1

Romney raises $15-20 million, leads Republican cash race Thu,30 Jun 2011 04:06 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is expected to report raising between $15 million and $20 million in campaign cash for the quarter ending on Thursday, a campaign aide said, a sum that far outpaces rivals. Full Story1

Lockheed, Boeing in $1.1 billion US Air Force deal Thu,30 Jun 2011 03:25 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, has won a $1.1 billion U.S. Air Force contract for work on the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program, the Defense Department said on Thursday. Full Story1

Factbox: What's on the table in the debt talks Thu,30 Jun 2011 02:40 PM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats are weighing a scaled-back budget deal that would avert a looming U.S. default but force Congress to tackle the politically toxic issue again before the 2012 elections, a Senate Democratic aide told Reuters on Thursday. Full Story1

Obama 2012 campaign says it exceeds 480,000 donors Thu,30 Jun 2011 02:07 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign said it had attracted more than 480,000 contributors by Thursday afternoon, as it aimed for what campaign officials have said is a goal of raising $60 million in the second quarter of this year. Full Story1

Democrats weigh short-term debt limit increase Thu,30 Jun 2011 02:03 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats are weighing a scaled-back U.S. budget deal that would avert a looming default but force Congress to tackle the politically toxic issue again before the 2012 elections, a Senate Democratic aide told Reuters on Thursday. Full Story1

Big Medicare cuts to reduce deficit unpopular: poll Thu,30 Jun 2011 12:44 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Few Americans would support major cuts to Medicare to reduce the federal deficit, but many would be okay with minor savings in the popular healthcare program, a survey released on Thursday said. Full Story1

Republicans block Senate panel meeting on trade Thu,30 Jun 2011 12:34 PM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans boycotted a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday to deny the panel a needed quorum to consider free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. Full Story1

California Governor Jerry Brown to sign budget Thursday Thu,30 Jun 2011 12:25 PM PDT Reuters - SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown on Thursday will sign a state budget approved by fellow Democrats in the legislature to close a roughly $10 billion deficit, according to a statement from his office. Full Story1

Obama awards Defense chief Gates Medal of Freedom Thu,30 Jun 2011 10:36 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama awarded retiring Secretary of Defense Robert Gates the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a farewell ceremony on Thursday morning. Full Story1

White House snubs McConnell invitation to Obama Thu,30 Jun 2011 09:51 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House effectively turned down an invitation by Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell for President Barack Obama to visit his members on Capitol Hill on Thursday to discuss raising the debt limit. Full Story1

Factbox: What is the Muslim Brotherhood? Thu,30 Jun 2011 09:33 AM PDT Reuters - (Reuters) - The United States will resume limited contacts with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday. Full Story1

U.S. shifts to closer contact with Egypt Islamists Thu,30 Jun 2011 09:33 AM PDT Reuters - BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The United States will resume limited contacts with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed on Thursday, saying it was in Washington's interests to deal with parties committed to non-violent politics. Full Story1

Obama to do Twitter session on economy on July 6 Thu,30 Jun 2011 09:16 AM PDT Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will hold a "town hall" meeting on the U.S. economy and jobs on July 6, the White House said on Thursday, but it will be in the virtual world of Twitter, not a brick and mortar building. Full Story1

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