ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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January 14, 2014 (San Diego’s East County ) --ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

 

WORLD

For excerpts and links to full stories, click "read more" and scroll down."

U.S.

Spending bill could end shutdown threat (Washington Post)

Congressional negotiators unveiled a $1.1 trillion funding bill late Monday that would ease sharp spending cuts known as the sequester while providing fresh cash for new priorities, including President Obama’s push to expand early-childhood education.

Court strikes down net neutrality (The Hill)

A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down the Obama administration’s net-neutrality rules.The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission overstepped its authority by prohibiting Internet providers from blocking or discriminating against traffic to lawful websites.

Death Dust (New Yorker)

Dust storms in the West stir up microscopic spores of the toxic soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides immitis (Valley Fever). The Centers for Disease Control reports a tenfold increase in infections, some of them fatal.

Clean energy should do without special tax breaks (Washington Post editorial)

ONE OF the oldest federal policies to combat climate change just expired. Good riddance.

On Jan. 1, Congress allowed a collection of special tax breaks to lapse. Among them was the wind production tax credit. With a cockroach-like resilience, the supposedly temporary tax credit has handed money to wind-farm operators since its 1992 passage, deriving support from a powerful coalition of renewable-energy Democrats and wind-state Republicans.

Automotive Black Box Mandatory by September 1, 2014 (Yahoo News)

You’ve probably heard about the forthcoming automotive black boxes. These “automotive data recorders” are able to let government and insurance personnel determine the conditions leading up to an accident. Whether you like this idea or not, pretty soon, it’s going to be mandatory in all cars.

Christie fires aide in NJ bridge scandal; prosecutor launches probe (Reuters)

 New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday fired a top aide who helped orchestrate massive traffic jams at a busy commuter bridge to settle a score, saying he had been blindsided in the scandal that has tarnished his political reputation on the national stage

Colorado to launch 'don't drive stoned' ads with U.S. funding

(Reuters) - Colorado will warn motorists against driving stoned in a campaign backed by $430,000 in new federal funding, officials said on Monday, two weeks after the first U.S. recreational marijuana retail shops opened in the state.

Electronic Rights At The U.S. Border: What They Can Search (NPR)

This week, a federal judge upheld the government's right to search, without a warrant or "reasonable suspicion," a traveler's electronic devices at U.S. borders. The case had revolved around an American whose laptop was searched as he entered the U.S. from Canada.

What would a Republican 'war on poverty' look like, circa 2016? (+video) (CS Monitor)

 Republicans, especially possible 2016 presidential contenders in 2016, want to change their party's image as unfeeling toward the poor. Here are five ideas from prominent Republicans for helping low-income Americans advance.

NSA snooping didn't make America much safer, report says (CS Monitor)

 President Obama has said controversial NSA data-collection programs helped America avert dozens of threats. But the data suggest the programs' impact was minimal, a report says.

WORLD

Ariel Sharon: A Bulldozer in War and Peace (JPost)

 Sharon was always consistent in his desire to secure Israel’s borders and was often photographed with a map in hand.

Afghanistan to free most inmates seen by U.S. as threat (Reuters)

 Afghanistan has enough evidence to try only 16 of 88 prisoners that the United States considers a threat to security and plans to free the remaining detainees, the president's spokesman said on Thursday.http://reuters.us.feedsportal.com/c/35217/f/654198/s/35b2e847/sc/1/mf.gifhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Reuters/worldNews/~4/ITbiIUdPexI

Iran’s fingerprints in Fallujah (UT San Diego)

What happened in Iraq to allow the recent resurgence of al-Qaeda?

Exclusive: Iran to get first $550 million of blocked $4.2 billion on February 1 (Reuters)

 Iran would receive the first $550 million installment of a total of $4.2 billion in previously blocked overseas funds on or about February 1, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday.

Thai protesters move to shut down Bangkok to force out PM (Reuters)

 Thailand braced for a "shutdown" of its capital on Monday by protesters who want to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and install an unelected government, as fears grew that the southeast Asian country could be heading for civil war....

50 hurt in West Bank clashes over UN strike (Reuters)

 At least 50 people were hurt on Sunday in a clash between Palestinian police and residents of a refugee camp protesting against a strike in a UN aid agency that has paralyzed services, police and an ambulance service said.

Pakistani Teen Dies Stopping Bomber From Striking School (NPR)

Aitizaz Hasan, 15, was late for school on Monday and as a punishment wasn't allowed to attend assembly, theExpress Tribune newspaper said.  Hasan and two schoolmates were standing outside the Government High School Ibrahimzai in Hangu, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when they saw a man approach. One of Hasan's friends spotted a detonator on the man; the schoolmates ran inside. But, as the newspaper wrote, "Aitizaz stood his ground and got hold of the bomber, who then detonated his vest."...

While U.S. Shivers, Australia And Brazil Sizzle (NPR)

While it's been extremely cold in the U.S., it's been extremely hot in some parts of the Southern Hemisphere. So hot, in fact, that bats are dropping out of trees Down Under. / ... the heat in Australia "is so severe that it has already caused up to 100,000 bats to die under stress, littering the ground and alarming authorities who warn locals not to touch the animals for fear of infection." / The Perth Now news site says the thermometer will hit 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday. That's 111 degrees Fahrenheit.


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