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Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Senate panel postpones vote on Hagel nomination

FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2013, file photo Republican Chuck Hagel, a former two-term GOP senator from Nebraska and President Obama's choice for Defense Secretary, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. A Senate panel on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, abruptly postponed a vote on Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary amid Republican demands for more information from President Barack Obama's nominee about his paid speeches and business dealings (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A Senate panel on Wednesday abruptly postponed a vote on Chuck Hagel's nomination to be defense secretary amid Republican demands for more information from President Barack Obama's nominee about his paid speeches and business dealings.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, had hoped to vote on the nomination on Thursday during a separate hearing on Libya, but Levin issued a statement late Wednesday saying no vote would occur this week.

"The committee's review of the nomination is not yet complete. I intend to schedule a vote on the nomination as soon as possible," Levin said.

Hours earlier, committee Republicans said they were dissatisfied with information Hagel had provided the panel after his confirmation hearing last week, and no vote should occur. They focused on his speeches and affiliations with organizations such as the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan public interest group.

Hagel, a former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska, has faced strong opposition from his ex-GOP colleagues who have questioned his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran and nuclear weapons. It was unclear whether the delay in the vote would derail the nomination or merely postpone action on Obama's choice to replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

In a letter to Hagel, Republicans complained that he failed to answer several questions, including details on all compensation of more than $5,000 that he had received over the past five years. They also had pressed him on his recent speeches, the groups he has addressed and their donors.

"The committee, and the American people, have a right to know if a nominee for secretary of defense has received compensation, directly or indirectly, from foreign sources," Senate Republicans wrote. "Until the committee receives full and complete answers, it cannot in good faith determine whether you should be confirmed as secretary of defense."

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter, which was signed by more than two dozen Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Freshman Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who opposes Hagel's nomination, had complained to his colleagues about the information the nominee provided during a closed meeting on Tuesday. Other Republicans raised objections to a vote.

"I'm not going to make any decision on Sen. Hagel until we get all the information we've requested," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told a small group of reporters Wednesday. "I don't think we should be voting."

Hagel, in a separate letter to committee Republicans, had tried to explain that some of the information they were seeking was not available.

"My role with respect to the entities you identify is as a current and former board or advisory board member. I was not involved in the day-to-day management of any of these firms, and have not been involved with some for the firms for years now," Hagel wrote. "Thus, as a matter of fact, I do not believe I have any of the information requested. More importantly, the information you seek is legally controlled by the individual entities and not mine to disclose."

Senate Democrats, who hold the majority, continue to stand behind the nomination, and no Democrat has said he or she would vote against the president's pick for his second-term national security team. Hagel, 66, is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran.

About a dozen Republicans have said they would oppose their former colleague and several others have indicated they were likely to vote no.

Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate, and two Republicans have announced their support for Hagel ? Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Johanns of Hagel's home state of Nebraska. More than a handful of Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., have said they oppose a filibuster of the nomination.

Last month, Hagel told Pentagon officials he would divest some of his financial holdings and resign from several corporate boards and public interest groups to avoid potential conflicts of interest if he wins Senate confirmation.

He said he would resign his corporate board post at Chevron Corp. and shed investments in the energy company, a major government contractor. He also would cut ties and investments with the McCarthy Group LLC, an Omaha-based private equity firm.

Hagel also pledged to cut ties with several academic and public interest groups, including Georgetown University and the Atlantic Council.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-06-Hagel-Vote/id-802853703b5348e1b1f02872a597272a

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Sunday, 3 February 2013

PoppyFox: The fragmentation of motherhood

Tully just turned one month old this week and the time has just flown.

All those hours cuddling, feeding, on the couch reading +?playing with Miss Three,

eating and creating new family rituals.

The last few weeks have been sacred, joyful, life-altering, tedious + special spending it as a little family of four and yet it's been a little nuts. There have been times when l have felt fragmented and pulled in every direction. Being the mother of two children- you hold so many roles- the cleaner, cook, disciplinarian, carer, listener, kinder garden teacher, resident artist, story teller, mediator, juggler and miracle worker.

It's all new and a little overwhelming still.

Piecing together some sense of normalcy in our family nest has been a challenge but I'm getting there. I think whilst exhausted and a little sleep deprived I've coped even when I have felt like being in the trenches. That continual battle to find a moment for oneself, be happy and keep your head afloat, the family nest running, have dinner on the table and the kids happy. Sure there have been moments where tears, raised voices and a little crazy has featured but hey I'm far from perfect.

There have been changes for the better and some New Years resolutions for our tribe. The house has been reorganised and our possessions reduced. We still have a ways to go but so much has gotten done.

Gone are the days of waiting for Ads to come home from work to start dinner at 6:30pm. Dinner's now a 5:30pm affair after taking some very sound advice from a friend. I've achieved it three nights this week with the kids in bed by 7:30pm but it hasn't been easy. Tonight l had Miss Three going mental before dinner was served and falling asleep in my arms but you know you'll get that.

I've stopped feeling mother guilt over setting boundaries with Miss Three and being the disciplinarian, someones got to do it. I've spent more time talking to her honestly about our love for her and the need to teach her how to grow up + be good. I'm hoping she'll understand given time.

Our toilet training journey has been a great success with Miss Three rejoicing in her new found independence. She's a big girl now and she's wearing undies.

I'm proud of birthing such an incredible little girl. Her hugs have healing powers, her humor makes you laugh till your insides hurt and her smile makes my day. But talk about testing her limits I've had her in timeout so much her little couch has a permanent bum imprint from where she sits. And I've yelled so much I've loved that glass of wine when all is quiet late at night bugger what anyone thinks. Sometimes motherhood is just one big hard slog.

Oh the wonderful Three's.

I've also been working through the breastfeeding paradox. Having too much milk and a little baby boy that isn't drinking enough, it would be comical if I didn't have others pressuring me to take their advice. I mean WTF, 150 grams weight gain a week being what ideally a newborn has to put on and 130 grams just not being good enough. Miss Three was a small baby so pray tell why can't Tully and I find our own rhythm and let him set his own pace of growth.

He didn't want to wake up and feed when he was born. Then it was all about him not putting on enough weight + needing to express on top of his feeds + demand feed.

- it's all been a bit much.

I've nearly cried when dinners have been dropped off by friends - it always seems to be at a time when we just haven't been able to get around to cooking or things are going astray. Thank you to those that have cared for us. I know that having a newborn is a tremulous time where routines go out the window and you just grin and bare it. I also know it gets better. I've just got to hang in there and keep telling myself l am not a failure when it's not perfect or every one's not happy. I've just got to keep going, stay calm and it'll all be OK.

Reading several rather timely blog posts found here, here and here, photo sourced?here?about the many facets of motherhood has been a supportive, warm hug as I navigate my way through these early days. I salute you for your honesty, it's sometimes hard putting yourself out there;?it's caused a smile and much laughter. I know it's only been four weeks so one shouldn't expect things to have become routine but I'm mindful of the struggle when days don't go according to plan or design and I'm trying to enjoy the juggling act of motherhood because l love my little ones. I'm honest enough to admit that I'm happy but tired and dreaming of a little boy who feeds, a Miss Three who understands what quiet is and the chance to get a good night's sleep.

How do you all do it?

x Mummafox

Source: http://www.poppyfoxathome.com/2013/02/the-fragmentation-of-motherhood.html

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A glance at the life of Chris Kyle, ex-Navy SEAL (Providence Journal)

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton formally resigns

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Hillary Rodham Clinton formally resigned Friday as America's 67th secretary of state, capping a 4-year tenure in the office that saw her shatter previous records for the number of countries visited.

In a letter sent to President Barack Obama shortly before she was to leave the State Department for the last time in her official capacity, Clinton thanked her former foe for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination for the opportunity to serve in his administration. Clinton said it had been an honor to be part of his Cabinet and that she remained convinced of the "strength and staying power" of American global leadership.

"I am more convinced than ever in the strength and staying power of America's global leadership and our capacity to be a force for good in the world," she said in the letter.

Her resignation will be effective on the swearing-in of her successor, John Kerry, who was to take the oath of office in a private ceremony later Friday.

Clinton left office with a slap at critics of the Obama administration's handling of the September attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya. She told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that critics of the administration's handling of the attack don't live in an "evidence-based world," and their refusal to "accept the facts" is unfortunate and regrettable for the political system.

Clinton told the AP that the attack in Benghazi was the low point of her time as America's top diplomat. But she suggested that the furor over the assault would not affect whether she runs for president in 2016.

Although she insisted that she has not decided what her future holds, she said she "absolutely" still plans to make a difference on issues she cares about in speeches and in a sequel to her 2003 memoir, "Living History," that will focus largely on her years as secretary of state.

Clinton spoke to the AP Thursday in her outer office on the seventh floor of the State Department less than 24 hours before she walks out for a final time as boss. She was relaxed but clearly perturbed by allegations from Republican lawmakers and commentators that the administration had intentionally misled the public about whether the attack was a protest gone awry or a terrorist attack, or intentionally withheld additional security for diplomatic personnel in Libya knowing that an attack could happen.

An independent panel she convened to look into the incident was scathing in its criticism of the State Department and singled out four officials for serious management and leadership failures. But it also determined that there was no guarantee that extra personnel could have prevented the deaths of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans. Clinton herself was not blamed, although she has said she accepted responsibility for the situation.

"I was so unhappy with the way that some people refused to accept the facts, refused to accept the findings of an independent Accountability Review Board, politicized everything about this terrible attack," she said. "My job is to admit that we have to make improvements and we're going to."

Hours after Clinton made those remarks, a suicide bomber linked to a domestic terror group exploded a device just outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, killing himself and a guard.

Clinton faced a barrage of hostile questions about Benghazi from Republican lawmakers when she testified before Congress recently in appearances that were delayed from December because of illness. Afterward, some lawmakers continued to accuse her and the administration of withholding evidence. Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., told a television interviewer that he thought Clinton was getting "away with murder."

In the interview, Clinton had little patience for such allegations.

"There are some people in politics and in the press who can't be confused by the facts," she said. "They just will not live in an evidence-based world. And that's regrettable. It's regrettable for our political system and for the people who serve our government in very dangerous, difficult circumstances."

Because of that, she said, the partisan divide should not dissuade anyone with a cause from getting involved in politics, and she hinted strongly that a divisive atmosphere would not stop her in any future endeavor. "You have to have a thick skin because (politics) is just going to be a contact sport as far as we can look into the future."

Clinton is no stranger to partisan politics. As first lady, she railed in 1998 against a "vast right-wing conspiracy" that she asserted had been attacking her husband, Bill Clinton, ever since he had become president.

But the woman who was once considered a divisive figure in American politics, yet leaves office as one of its most popular, remained coy about whether she would run for president in 2016.

"I am making no decisions, but I would never give that advice to someone that I wouldn't take myself," she said. "If you believe you can make a difference, not just in politics, in public service, in advocacy around all these important issues, then you have to be prepared to accept that you are not going to get 100 percent approval."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-formally-resigns-secretary-state-192317961--politics.html

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Saturday, 2 February 2013

Which T-Mobile smartphones will support LTE?

It's no secret that T-Mobile is on the cusp of lighting up its first LTE network in Las Vegas, but with Kansas City soon to follow -- and ambitions of extending LTE coverage to 100 million Americans by mid-year -- it's time to start factoring this consideration into your next smartphone purchase. While the carrier's HSPA+ 42 network is certainly speedy, there's no point in saddling yourself with a device that's rooted in the past. Want to make sure you're ready for what comes next? Read on for everything you need to know.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/31/t-mobile-lte-smartphones/

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Friday, 1 February 2013

Suit claiming Hebrew National hot dogs not kosher dismissed

NEW YORK (Reuters) - ConAgra Foods Inc has won the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by consumers claiming the company's Hebrew National hot dogs and other products are not kosher.

U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank in St. Paul federal court ruled on Thursday that he does not have jurisdiction over a dispute that he described as "intrinsically religious in nature."

Eleven consumers filed the lawsuit last May, asserting that ConAgra misled customers into believing that its products were kosher according to "the most stringent" Orthodox Jewish standards by including a symbol on its packaging.

The lawsuit alleged that ConAgra's contractors, meat processor AER Services Inc and kosher supervisor Triangle K, failed to follow proper religious procedures. The plaintiffs sought unspecified damages and an injunction against the labels as well as class-action status for consumers who have bought Hebrew National products since 2008.

But Frank said he was constrained by clear Supreme Court precedent barring civil judges from resolving faith-based disputes.

"Any judicial inquiry as to whether defendant misrepresented that its Hebrew National products are "100% kosher" (when Triangle K, an undisputedly religious entity, certified them as such) would necessarily intrude upon rabbinical religious autonomy," Frank wrote.

He noted that ConAgra, the only named defendant in the lawsuit, is a secular entity, while the plaintiffs chose to leave Triangle K and AER out of the lawsuit.

"It is Triangle K and its Orthodox rabbis who make such determinations," Frank said. "Naturally, therefore, this court cannot determine whether defendant's Hebrew National products are in fact kosher without delving into questions of religious doctrine."

Hart Robinovitch, the plaintiffs' lawyer, did not immediately return a call for comment on Thursday evening.

In a statement, ConAgra spokeswoman Becky Niiya said the company has "always stood by our kosher distinction and status."

"We know how important kosher quality is to our consumers, and we look forward to continuing to make Hebrew National 100% pure kosher beef franks and other kosher offerings," she said.

The case is Wallace et al v. ConAgra Foods Inc, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, No. 12-01354.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suit-claiming-hebrew-natl-hot-dogs-not-kosher-005925753--finance.html

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SKorea chaebol chief sentenced to 4 years prison

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? A Seoul court has sentenced the chairman of South Korean conglomerate SK Group to four years in prison for embezzling millions of dollars of company money for personal investments.

Seoul Central District Court said Thursday that Chey Tae-won was guilty of embezzling 46.5 billion won ($42.7 million) from two SK Group affiliate companies, which he invested in stock futures and options. Chey had denied the charge.

SK Group is South Korea's third-largest chaebol, or family-controlled conglomerate, with telecoms and energy businesses.

The ruling comes after President-elect Park Geun-hye vowed to toughen punishment of crimes by chaebol bosses.

Chey received a suspended prison term in 2008 for accounting fraud but was later pardoned by President Lee Myung-bak.