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Obama-Clinton Ticket Draws More Interest
Tweet Share on Facebook February 29, 2008 CommentSenior Democratic strategists, many of whom had previously panned talk of a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket, are now talking up the idea of a ticket headed by Barack Obama with Hillary Clinton as his running mate.
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Morning Buzz: Feb. 29, 2008
Tweet Share on Facebook February 29, 2008 Comment (1)Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are pointing to record fundraising totals in February as evidence of the health of their respective presidential campaigns. Clinton announced on Thursday that her campaign raised $35 million in February—her best month so far. Obama has yet to release figures, but a spokesperson says his fundraising total will surpass that of his rival.
After a weeklong foray into the Kurdish region of Iraq, Turkish forces have now withdrawn and returned into the country's interior. The incursion, which reportedly killed at least 300 Kurds, was designed to target members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which is fighting for an autonomous state and has recently launched attacks in the southern parts of Turkey.
Britain's Prince Harry, who had been serving in near secrecy with a British army unit in southwestern Afghanistan since mid-December, was pulled from the region today by the country's defense ministry after news of his presence was leaked this week by the Drudge Report.
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Obama Scorned for High Court Nomination Comments
Tweet Share on Facebook February 28, 2008 Comment (6)The Committee for Justice, the conservative group that was instrumental in promoting the Supreme Court nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, took aim this morning at Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama for comments he made during the justices' confirmation debates.
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U.S. Warns of Steadily Rising Violence in Afghanistan
Tweet Share on Facebook February 28, 2008 Comment (1)Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have managed to increase the number of their attacks every year since 2002, according to U.S. military figures. In 2007 alone, violence jumped 33 percent over the previous year. Part of that was because of a rise in suicide bombings, but small-arms attacks were up 47 percent.
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Morning Buzz: Feb. 28, 2008
Tweet Share on Facebook February 28, 2008 CommentFuhgedaboudit. That's the official verdict this morning from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about the possibility of a third-party presidential run. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Bloomberg writes: "I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be -- a candidate for president. I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership."
Hillary Clinton is expected to unveil a new multibillion-dollar child poverty plan at a speech today in Ohio. The plan will call for new initiatives to improve child nutrition, especially in schools, and will seek to cut the number of children living in poverty — currently 12 million — in half by 2020.
One more grim figure to add to the festering pile of economic bad news: In a new report, the Commerce Department finds that the U.S. economy was nearly stagnant at the end of last year. From October to December, the GDP rose just 0.6 percent, down from a rise of 4.9 percent in the previous three-month period.
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Homeland Security Cites Successes
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2008 CommentJust days from its official fifth birthday on March 1, the Department of Homeland Security is crowing about its successes in establishing tighter security to thwart terrorism.
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Chertoff Defends Border Fence on Private Land
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2008 CommentThe Department of Homeland Security, currently building real and virtual fences on the nation's southern border, won't give in to local lawsuits or complaints from landowners because protecting the nation is a larger responsibility than protecting a landowner's property, according to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
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Turkey Defies U.S. on Iraq Incursion
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2008 CommentEven as Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged Turkey to wrap up its military operation in northern Iraq in the coming days, Turkish diplomats say the incursion will continue as long as the Turkish military deems necessary.
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Jump in Wheat Prices Confirms Security Worries
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2008 CommentWhen wheat prices hit a record high yesterday after jumping 25 percent in a single day, the economic implications were clear.
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Morning Buzz: Feb. 27, 2008
Tweet Share on Facebook February 27, 2008 Comment (1)In the last face-to-face debate between the two Democratic candidates before the potentially deal-making March 4 primaries, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama clashed in Cleveland over trade, healthcare, and the war in Iraq. In addition, they delved into claims of negative campaigning, bringing up the photograph circulating online of Obama wearing traditional garb when he visited northeastern Kenya. Some thought the Clinton campaign was responsible, but Clinton denied it. "I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo," Obama said.
Is Microsoft abusing its market dominance? The European Union thinks so. Today it fined the software giant a record $1.3 billion for overcharging rival developers who have sought to design Windows-compatible programs. The current fine follows hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of fines in 2004 and 2005 for similar problems.
Three hours and 135,000 trained baristas later, Starbucks is promising its customers the perfect beverage. Starbucks coffee branches across the United States were closed yesterday for several hours so that employees could get a refresher course in making a good cup of joe and espresso, too. The 7,100 company-operated Starbucks stores now have signs that tout: "Your drink should be perfect, every time. If not, let us know and we'll make it right."
