Obama can't kick his legacy down road











By Gloria Borger, CNN Chief Political Analyst


February 20, 2013 -- Updated 1530 GMT (2330 HKT)







President Obama has a small window of opportunity to get Congress to act on his priorities, Gloria Borger says.




STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Gloria Borger: Prospect of deep budget cuts was designed to compel compromise

  • She says the "unthinkable" cuts now have many supporters

  • The likelihood that cuts may happen shows new level of D.C. dysfunction, she says

  • Borger: President may want a 2014 House victory, but action needed now




(CNN) -- So let's try to recount why we are where we are. In August 2011, Washington was trying to figure out how to raise the debt ceiling -- so the US might continue to pay its bills -- when a stunt was hatched: Kick the can down the road.


And not only kick it down the road, but do it in a way that would eventually force Washington to do its job: Invent a punishment.



Gloria Borger

Gloria Borger



If the politicians failed to come up with some kind of budget deal, the blunt instrument of across-the-board cuts in every area would await.


Unthinkable! Untenable!


Until now.


In fact, something designed to be worse than any conceivable agreement is now completely acceptable to many.



And not only are these forced budget cuts considered acceptable, they're even applauded. Some Republicans figure they'll never find a way to get 5% across-the-board domestic spending cuts like this again, so go for it. And some liberal Democrats likewise say 8% cuts in military spending are better than anything we might get on our own, so go for it.


Opinion: Forced budget cuts a disaster for military


The result: A draconian plan designed to force the two sides to get together has now turned out to be too weak to do that.


And what does that tell us? More about the collapse of the political process than it does about the merits of any budget cuts. Official Washington has completely abdicated responsibility, taking its dysfunction to a new level -- which is really saying something.


We've learned since the election that the second-term president is feeling chipper. With re-election came the power to force Republicans to raise taxes on the wealthy in the fiscal cliff negotiations, and good for him. Americans voted, and said that's what they wanted, and so it happened. Even the most sullen Republicans knew that tax fight had been lost.


Points on the board for the White House.






Now the evil "sequester" -- the forced budget cuts -- looms. And the president proposes what he calls a "balanced" approach: closing tax loopholes on the rich and budget cuts. It's something he knows Republicans will never go for. They raised taxes six weeks ago, and they're not going to do it again now. They already gave at the office. And Republicans also say, with some merit, that taxes were never meant to be a part of the discussion of across-the-board cuts. It's about spending.


Politics: Obama more emotional on spending cuts


Here's the problem: The election is over. Obama won, and he doesn't really have to keep telling us -- or showing us, via staged campaign-style events like the one Tuesday in which he used police officers as props while he opposed the forced spending cuts.


What we're waiting for is the plan to translate victory into effective governance.


Sure, there's no doubt the president has the upper hand. He's right to believe that GOP calls for austerity do not constitute a cohesive party platform. He knows that the GOP has no singular, effective leader, and that its message is unformed. And he's probably hoping that the next two years can be used effectively to further undermine the GOP and win back a Democratic majority in the House.


Slight problem: There's plenty of real work to be done, on the budget, on tax reform, on immigration, climate change and guns. A second-term president has a small window of opportunity. And a presidential legacy is not something that can be kicked down the road.


Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter.


Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.


The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Borger.











Part of complete coverage on







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1419 GMT (2219 HKT)



Michael Hayden says the U.S. shouldn't let a lack of consensus at home drive policies on drones, cyber attacks.







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1719 GMT (0119 HKT)



Apple is getting pushed around these days and its coolness factor seems to be fading. But John Abell says don't be too quick to count Apple out.







February 20, 2013 -- Updated 0100 GMT (0900 HKT)



Actor/producer Jesse Williams says Quentin Tarantino's film "Django Unchained" subordinates black characters and fails to illuminate the history of slavery.







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1933 GMT (0333 HKT)



Ruben Navarrette believes that it's the guest workers program that will make or break the prospects for immigration reform.







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1219 GMT (2019 HKT)



Howard Kurtz says lesser news stories eclipsed the follow up coverage that Obama's State of the Union deserved.







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 0024 GMT (0824 HKT)



President Obama may not have the votes to pass gun legislation, but David Frum says the government could do a lot to increase gun safety anyway.







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 0047 GMT (0847 HKT)



Since Canada will not tolerate an influx of zombies, we have to get ready and secure our borders, says Dean Obeidallah.







February 18, 2013 -- Updated 2259 GMT (0659 HKT)



Pablo Spiller says consumers will likely get more choices and improved quality of service.







February 18, 2013 -- Updated 1629 GMT (0029 HKT)



Convincing Congress to take on climate change will be an uphill battle, unless there's strong grass roots support, says Julian Zelizer.







February 17, 2013 -- Updated 1337 GMT (2137 HKT)



Bob Greene says the stories of former slaves, compiled in 1930s, tell of families torn apart, people deprived of basic freedoms







February 18, 2013 -- Updated 0028 GMT (0828 HKT)



Cameron Russell says her looks fit a narrow definition of beauty and her career as a model gives her views undeserved attention







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 0116 GMT (0916 HKT)



Meg Urry says the likelihood that a meteor hits and an asteroid passes close by Earth on the same day is quite improbable, yet the two events happened on Friday







February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1728 GMT (0128 HKT)



Frida Ghitis says the murder of Reeva Steenkamp allegedly by Oscar Pistorius is a reminder that we have to do more to protect women.



















Read More..

Paul McCartney tops Bonnaroo music festival lineup






NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) – Paul McCartney will perform at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee in June along with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Mumford & Sons, Bjork and Wilco, festival organizers said on Tuesday.


“Top to bottom, this is one of the strongest lineups we have ever had,” Bonnaroo spokesman Jeff Cuellar said in an interview. “Looking at the festival landscape out there … no other American festival has Mumford & Sons, Paul McCartney and Bjork all under one roof.”






Bonnaroo is among the top live music gatherings of the year, much like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California and the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in Britain.


Up to 100,000 fans flock to the annual festival in Manchester, Tennessee, to see singers, comedians, art and films.


The 2013 concert lineup announced on Tuesday also included R. Kelly, Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne & St. Vincent, ZZ Top, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Gov’t Mule and Dwight Yoakam.


Tickets for the festival go on sale February 23 on bonnaroo.com.


(Reporting by Tim Ghianni; Editing by David Bailey and Stacey Joyce)


Music News Headlines – Yahoo! News





Title Post: Paul McCartney tops Bonnaroo music festival lineup
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/paul-mccartney-tops-bonnaroo-music-festival-lineup/
Link To Post : Paul McCartney tops Bonnaroo music festival lineup
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Cameron calls for faster RBS reform







The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has called on Royal Bank of Scotland to speed up the overhaul of its business.






Speaking on a trip to India, Mr Cameron said he wanted the largely state-owned bank to “accelerate the adjustments” it was making.


He added he was “keen to examine all possibilities” for putting RBS back into the private sector.


However, he played down reports that the government was preparing to sell its stake in the bank.


RBS is 82%-owned by the tax payer after the government injected £45bn to stop it from collapsing during the financial crisis.


When asked to respond to comments that the government was preparing to sell its stake by 2014, Mr Cameron responded with: “These are all interesting questions for the future.”


“The first job is to turn around the performance of RBS and to strengthen its balance sheet, strengthen its business and that’s what [RBS chief executive] Stephen Hester and his team are doing.”


Mr Hester started the process of reforming the bank in 2009 and said it would take up to five years.


The aim of the overhaul is to make the bank safer and more profitable. It includes selling off its less important businesses and paring back its investment arm. A 30% stake in its insurance business, Direct Line, has already been floated on the stock market.


In November, the bank said that its restructuring plan was on track and would be completed in the next 18 months.


As part of the restructuring, RBS has been struggling to sell more than 300 branches by 2014, at the behest of the European Union, in return for its state aid. A deal with Santander fell through last year. The latest reports suggest that City investors are poised to enter the fray.


The bank was also recently fined for being embroiled in a global rate-rigging scandal. It was fined £390m ($ 610m) by UK and US authorities, which it intends to pay from past, current and future bonuses.


BBC News – Business





Title Post: Cameron calls for faster RBS reform
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/cameron-calls-for-faster-rbs-reform/
Link To Post : Cameron calls for faster RBS reform
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

IIROC: Halt, VICTORIA GOLD CORP






VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – Feb. 19, 2013) - The following issues have been halted by IIROC / L’OCRCVM a suspendu la négociation des titres suivants :










Company / Société :VICTORIA GOLD CORP
TSX-Venture Symbol / Symbole à la Bourse de croissance TSX :
VIT
Reason / Motif :At the Request of the Company Pending News / À la demande de la société en attendant une nouvelle
Halt Time (ET) / Heure de la suspension (HE)12:14

IIROC can make a decision to impose a temporary suspension of trading in a security of a publicly listed company, usually in anticipation of a material news announcement by the company. Trading halts are issued based on the principle that all investors should have the same timely access to important company information. IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.






L’OCRCVM peut prendre la décision d’imposer une suspension provisoire des négociations sur le titre d’une société cotée en bourse, habituellement en prévision d’une annonce importante de la part de la société. Les suspensions de négociations sont imposées suivant le principe que tous les investisseurs devraient avoir un accès égal et simultané à l’information importante au sujet des sociétés dans lesquelles ils investissent. L’OCRCVM est l’organisme d’autoréglementation national qui surveille l’ensemble des sociétés de courtage et l’ensemble des opérations effectuées sur les marchés boursiers et les marchés de titres d’emprunt au Canada.


For further information: IIROC Inquiries 1-877-442-4322 (Option 3) – Please note that IIROC is not able to provide any additional information regarding a specific trading halt. Information is limited to general enquiries only.


Pour de plus amples informations : Service des enquêtes de l’OCRCVM, au 1 877 442-4322 (option 3) – Veuillez prendre note que l’OCRCVM n’est pas en mesure de fournir d’informations supplémentaires au sujet d’une suspension des négociations en particulier. L’information est restreinte aux questions générales.


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance





Title Post: IIROC: Halt, VICTORIA GOLD CORP
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/iiroc-halt-victoria-gold-corp/
Link To Post : IIROC: Halt, VICTORIA GOLD CORP
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

M&A deals lift shares, suggest more value in market

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as merger activity suggested the market could offer investors still more value even as the S&P 500 and Dow industrials hover near five-year highs.


Equities have resisted a pullback as investors use dips in stocks as buying opportunities. The S&P is up about 7 percent so far in 2013 and has climbed for the past seven weeks in its longest weekly winning streak since January 2011, though most of the weekly gains have been slim.


Office Depot Inc surged 9.4 percent to $5, pulling back from earlier highs after a person familiar with the matter said the No. 2 U.S. office supply retailer was in advanced talks to merge with smaller rival OfficeMax Inc . A deal could come as early as this week.


OfficeMax jumped 20 percent to $12.94 while larger rival Staples Inc shot up 9.4 percent to $14.17 as the best performer on the S&P 500.


More than $158 billion in deals has been announced thus far in 2013. Last week, agreements included the acquisition of H.J. Heinz Co by Berkshire Hathaway , and the sale by General Electric of its remaining stake in NBCUniversal to Comcast Corp .


"Equity investors have to be encouraged by M&A since, if the number crunchers are offering large premiums, that shows how much value is still in the market," said Mike Gibbs, co-head of the equity advisory group at Raymond James in Memphis, Tennessee.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 37.81 points, or 0.27 percent, at 14,019.57. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 6.84 points, or 0.45 percent, at 1,526.63. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 9.39 points, or 0.29 percent, at 3,201.42.


U.S. markets were closed on Monday for the Presidents Day holiday.


Health insurance stocks tumbled, led by a 7 percent drop in Humana Inc to $72.50 after the company said the government's proposed 2014 payment rates for Medicare Advantage participants were lower than expected and would hurt its profit outlook.


UnitedHealth Group lost 1.7 percent to $56.37the biggest drag on the Dow. The Morgan Stanley healthcare payor index <.hmo> dropped 1.6 percent.


Express Scripts rose 2.4 percent to $56.87 after the pharmacy benefits manager posted fourth-quarter earnings.


Wall Street's strong start to the year for was fueled by stronger-than-expected corporate earnings, as well as a compromise by legislators in Washington that temporarily averted automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that are predicted to damage the economy.


The compromise on across-the-board spending cuts postponed the matter until March 1, at which point the cuts take effect. Ahead of the debate over the cuts, known as sequestration, further gains for stocks may be difficult to come by.


"If there's no major contention with sequestration, it looks like stocks are prepared to handle it, but until then we'll probably stay in a consolidation period marked by sideways trading with a slow rate of ascent," said Gibbs.


Economic data showed the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market index unexpectedly edged down to 46 in February from 47 in the prior month as builders faced higher material costs.


According to the Thomson Reuters data through Monday morning, of the 391 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported results, 70.1 percent have exceeded analysts' expectations, compared with a 62 percent average since 1994 and 65 percent over the past four quarters.


Fourth-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies have risen 5.6 percent, according to the data, above a 1.9 percent forecast at the start of the earnings season.


(Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Kenneth Barry and Nick Zieminski)



Read More..

Pistorius: Thought lover an intruder in shooting


PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius wept Tuesday as his defense lawyer read the athlete's account of how he shot his girlfriend to death on Valentine's Day, claiming he had mistaken her for an intruder.


Prosecutors, however, told a packed courtroom that the double-amputee known as the Blade Runner intentionally and mercilessly shot and killed 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp as she cowered inside a locked bathroom.


Pistorius told the Pretoria Magistrate's Court at a bail hearing he felt vulnerable in the presence of an intruder inside the bathroom because he did not have his prosthetic legs on, and fired into the bathroom door.


The Valentine's Day shooting in Pistorius' home in Pretoria shocked South Africans and many around the world who idolized him for overcoming adversity to become a sports champion, competing in the London Olympics last year in track besides being a Paralympian. Steenkamp was a model and law graduate who made her debut on a South African reality TV program that was broadcast on Saturday, two days after her death.


In a major point of contention emerged even during Tuesday bail hearing, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said Pistorius took the time to put on his prostheses, walked seven meters (yards) from the bed to the enclosed toilet inside his bathroom and only then opened fire. Three of the bullets hit Steenkamp of the four that were fired into the door, Nel said.


Pistorius said in his sworn statement that after opening fire, he realized that Steenkamp was not in his bed.


"It filled me with horror and fear," Pistorius said. The 26-year-old Olympian said he put on his prosthetic legs and tried to kick down the door before finally bashing it in with a cricket bat. Inside, he said he found Steenkamp, slumped over. He said he lifted her bloodied body into his arms and tried to carry her downstairs to seek medical help.


But by then, it was too late.


"She died in my arms," the athlete said.


Nel charged Pistorius with premeditated murder and said the athlete opened fire after the couple engaged in a shouting match and she fled to the bathroom.


"She couldn't go anywhere. You can run nowhere," Nel said. "It must have been horrific."


A conviction of premeditated murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in jail.


Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that Pistorius must face the harshest bail requirements available in South African law. That means Pistorius' lawyers must offer "exceptional" reasons for the athlete to be free before trial, besides simply giving up his two South African passports and posting a cash bond.


Pistorius sobbed softly as his lawyer, Barry Roux, insisted the shooting was an accident and that there was no evidence to substantiate a murder charge.


"We submit it is not even murder," he said. "There is no concession this is a murder."


Pistorius' emotional outbursts again played a part in how the hearing progessed, as it did during an initial hearing Friday. At one point, Nair stopped the hearing after Pistorius wept as Roux read a portion of the athlete's statement describing how Steenkamp bought him a Valentine's Day present, but wouldn't let him open it the night before.


"Maintain your composure," the magistrate said. "You need to apply your mind here."


Pistorius' voice quivered when he answered: "Yes, my lordship."


Affidavits from friends of Pistorius and Steenkamp described the two as a charming, happy couple. The night before the killing, they said, Pistorius and Steenkamp had canceled separate plans in order to spend the night before Valentine's Day together at his home, in a gated neighborhood.


Outside the court, several dozen singing women protested against domestic violence and waved placards urging that Pistorius be refused bail. "Pistorius must rot in jail," one placard said.


As details emerged at the dramatic court hearing in the capital, Steenkamp's body was being cremated Tuesday at a memorial service in the south-coast port city of Port Elizabeth. Six pallbearers carried her coffin, draped with a white cloth and covered in white flowers, into the church for the private service.


South Africa has some of the world's worst rates of violence against females and the highest rate in the world of women killed by an intimate partner, according to a study by the Medical Research Council. Professor Rachel Jewkes of the council said at least three women are killed by a partner every day in this country of 50 million.


Steenkamp campaigned actively against domestic violence and had tweeted on Twitter that she planned to join a "Black Friday" protest by wearing black in honor of a 17-year-old girl who was gang-raped and mutilated two weeks ago.


What "she stood for, and the abuse against women, unfortunately it's gone right around and I think the Lord knows that statement is more powerful now," her uncle Mike Steenkamp, the family's spokesman, said after her memorial.


He said the family had planned a big get-together at Christmas but that had not been possible. "But we are here today as a family and the only one who's missing is Reeva," he said, breaking down and weeping.


Pistorius has lost several valuable sponsorships estimated to be worth more than $1 million a year.


On Tuesday, the athlete was ousted from a pro-gay campaign being launched in Cape Town, organizers said. In a video axed from the campaign, Pistorius says: "You don't have to worry. You don't have to change. Take a deep breath and remember, 'It will get better.'"


And Clarins Group, which owns Thierry Mugler Perfumes, said in an email that "out of respect and compassion for the families involved in this tragedy, Thierry Mugler Perfumes have taken the decision to withdraw all of their advertising campaigns featuring Oscar Pistorius."


Read More..

How can U.S. deal with cyber war?




Michael Hayden says lack of domestic agreement is driving U.S. to take the offense on cyber attacks.




STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Obama administration beefing up effort to counter cyberattacks

  • Michael Hayden says emphasis is on striking first, as the U.S. does with drone attacks

  • Ex-CIA director says drone policy reflects lack of consensus on handling prisoners

  • Hayden: Is killing terrorists preferred because of division over how to try them?




Editor's note: Gen. Michael V. Hayden, who was appointed by President George W. Bush as CIA director in 2006 and served until February 2009, is a principal with the Chertoff Group, a security consulting firm. He serves on the boards of several defense firms and is a distinguished visiting professor at George Mason University.


(CNN) -- Human decisions have complex roots: history, circumstance, personality, even chance.


So it's a dangerous game to oversimplify reality, isolate causation and attribute any particular course of action to one or another singular motive.


But let me tempt fate, since some recent government decisions suggest important issues for public discussion.



Michael Hayden

Michael Hayden




Over the past several weeks, press accounts have outlined a series of Obama administration moves dealing with the cyberdefense of the United States.


According to one report, the Department of Defense will add some 4,000 personnel to U.S. Cyber Command, on top of a current base of fewer than a thousand. The command will also pick up a "national defense" mission to protect critical infrastructure by disabling would-be aggressors.


A second report reveals another administration decision, very reminiscent of the Bush Doctrine of preemption, to strike first when there is imminent danger of serious cyberattack against the United States.


Both of these represent dramatic and largely welcome moves.


But they also suggest the failure of a deeper national policy process and, more importantly, the failure to develop national consensus on some very difficult issues.


Chinese military leading cyber attacks


Let me reason by analogy, and in this case the analogy is the program of targeted killings supported and indeed expanded by the Obama administration. Again, I have no legal or moral objections to killing those who threaten us. We are, as the administration rightly holds, in a global state of war with al Qaeda and its affiliates.








But at the level of policy, killing terrorists rather than capturing them seems to be the default option, and part of that dynamic is fairly attributable to our inability to decide where to put a detainee once we have decided to detain him.


Congress won't let him into the United States unless he is going before a criminal court, and the administration will not send him to Guantanamo despite the legitimate claim that a nation at war has the right to detain enemy combatants without trial.


Failing to come to agreement on the implications of the "we are at war" position, we have made it so legally difficult and so politically dangerous to detain anyone that we seem to default to killing those who would do us harm.


Clearly, it's an easier path: no debates over the location or conditions of confinement. Frequently such action can be kept covert. Decision-making is confined to one branch of government. Congress is "notified." Courts are not involved.


Besides, we are powerful. We have technology at our fingertips. We know that we can be precise, and the professionalism of our combatants allows them to easily meet the standards of proportionality and distinction (between combatants and noncombatants) in such strikes, despite claims to the contrary.


And we also believe that we can live with the second and third order effects of targeted killings. We believe that the care we show will set high standards for the use of such weapons by others who will inevitably follow us. We also believe that any long-term blowback (akin to what Gen. Stanley McChrystal calls the image of "arrogance" such strikes create) is more than offset by the immediate effects on America's safety.


I agree with much of the above. But I also fear that the lack of political consensus at home can drive us to routinely exercise an option whose long-term effects are hard to discern. Which brings us back to last week's stories on American cyberdefense.


In the last Congress, there were two prominent bills introduced to strengthen America's cyberdefenses. Neither came close to passing.


In the Senate, the Collins-Lieberman Bill created a near perfect storm with the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Chamber of Commerce weighing in strongly against the legislation. That two such disparate bodies had issues with the legislation should suggest how far we are from a national consensus.


In the House, a modest proposal from the Intelligence Committee to enhance cybersharing between the private sector and the National Security Agency was met with a presidential veto threat over alleged privacy concerns and was never even considered by the Senate.


Indeed, my preferred option -- a more active and well-regulated role for NSA and Cyber Command on and for American networks -- is almost a third rail in the debate over U.S. cybersecurity. The cybertalent and firepower at Fort Meade, where both are headquartered, are on a short leash because few dare to even address what we would ask them to do or what we would permit them to do on domestic networks.


And hence, last week's "decisions." Rather than settle the roles of these institutions by dealing with the tough issues of security and privacy domestically, we have opted for a policy not unlike targeted killing. Rather than opt for the painful process of building consensus at home, we are opting for "killing" threats abroad in their "safe haven."


We appear more willing to preempt perceived threats "over there" than spill the domestic political blood that would be needed to settle questions about standards for the defense of critical infrastructure, the role of government surveillance or even questions of information sharing. And we seem willing to live with the consequences, not unlike those of targeted killings, of the precedent we set with a policy to shoot on warning.


I understand the advantage that accrues to the offense in dealing with terrorists or cyberthreats. I also accept the underlying legality and morality of preemptive drone or cyberstrikes.


I just hope that we don't do either merely because we don't have the courage to face ourselves and make some hard decisions at home.


Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter


Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion


The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Hayden.






Read More..

Clive Davis reveals in memoir that he’s bisexual






NEW YORK (AP) — Record executive Clive Davis says he’s bisexual.


In his new memoir, out Tuesday, the 80-year-old, who is twice divorced, reveals that he had sex with a man in the 1970s. Davis writes in “The Soundtrack of My Life” that he hadn’t been repressed or confused during his marriages and that sex with a man “provided welcome relief.”






He also writes that he started dating a man from 1990 to 2004, which he says was a “tough adjustment” for his son Mitchell. He says after “one trying year,” he and his son worked things out. Davis is the father of three children.


Davis is the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment. He writes that he’s been in a “strong monogamous relationship” with a man for the last seven years.


Entertainment News Headlines – Yahoo! News





Title Post: Clive Davis reveals in memoir that he’s bisexual
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/clive-davis-reveals-in-memoir-that-hes-bisexual/
Link To Post : Clive Davis reveals in memoir that he’s bisexual
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

Draghi dismisses talk of currency war, but watching euro






BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Central Bank President Mario Draghi sought to take the heat out of a debate about currency wars on Monday but said the ECB would still have to assess the economic impact of the euro’s strength.


The euro hit a 15-month high against the dollar earlier this month, complicating the ECB’s policy-making tasks by weighing on growth and feeding expectations that it may have to take fresh policy action, which some ECB members oppose.






While he expected a very gradual recovery in the euro zone later this year, Draghi said the euro’s exchange rate was important for growth and inflation and that it could threaten to pull down inflation too far.


“We will have to assess in the coming projections whether the exchange rate has had an impact on our inflationary profile, because it’s always through price stability that we address issues like that,” he told European lawmakers in Brussels.


The Group of 20 nations, responding to feverish debate last week about competitive devaluations between the world’s economic powers, said on Saturday there would be no currency war – essentially countries competing to weaken their currencies.


Japan’s expansive policies, which have driven down the yen, escaped direct criticism in a statement thrashed out in Moscow by G20 policymakers.


While Japan and the United States are pursuing loose monetary policies, the ECB is starting to unwind some of its crisis measures – a contrast has helped drive up the euro.


“Most of the exchange rate movements that we have seen were not explicitly targeted, they were the result of domestic macro economic policies meant to boost the economy,” Draghi said.


“In this sense, I find really excessive any language referring to currency wars,” he said, adding that the euro’s exchange rate was “around its long-term average.”


The G20 statement was not disappointing, he said.


“What I did say at the G20 in Moscow, I urged all parties to (exercise) very, very strong verbal discipline,” Draghi said.


While G20 finance ministers and central bank governors can promise not to devalue their currencies directly, there can be no guarantees while central banks are pumping money into economies to make them grow again.


The euro’s real effective exchange rate is up some 2.2 percent since the start of the year, and has risen by as much as 3 percent.


“SHAM DISCUSSION”


In Vienna, another ECB policymaker, Austria’s Ewald Nowotny, said the euro’s exchange rate versus the dollar was moving in a range seen previously and that the appreciation against the yen had not been dramatic.


“That means if it stays likes this we are having a sham discussion,” Nowotny added, calling talk of a currency war “absolutely unnecessary”.


Draghi reiterated the ECB’s view that the euro’s exchange rate is not a policy target but he added that “it is important for growth and price stability”.


The ECB targets inflation of close to, but below, 2 percent.


“Inflation is expected to decline to below 2 percent in the near term,” Draghi said.


Turning to the economic outlook for the euro zone, Draghi said weakness in early 2013 should be followed by a very gradual recovery later in the year.


“The risks surrounding the economic outlook for the euro area continue to be on the downside,” he said, though he did not single out the currency’s strength as a growth risk.


However, Draghi did say the appreciation of the euro was one of the “downside risks” to price stability, though overall these were broadly balanced.


He said repeatedly that the ECB’s monetary policy is “accommodative” and stressed that the central bank’s top priority is to enhance its transmission across the euro zone.


(Additional reporting by Michael Shields in Vienna, writing by Paul Carrel. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)


Business News Headlines – Yahoo! News





Title Post: Draghi dismisses talk of currency war, but watching euro
Url Post: http://www.news.fluser.com/draghi-dismisses-talk-of-currency-war-but-watching-euro/
Link To Post : Draghi dismisses talk of currency war, but watching euro
Rating:
100%

based on 99998 ratings.
5 user reviews.
Author: Fluser SeoLink
Thanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comment




Read More..

TECHNICOLOR: Further reinforcement of the cooperation between Tata Sky and Technicolor






PARIS–(Marketwire – Feb 18, 2013) – Further reinforcement of the cooperation between Tata Sky and Technicolor The India leading satellite operator renews its contract for Technicolor MediaPlay STBs


Technicolor (Euronext Paris : TCH) today announced that it has won two extension contracts from Tata Sky, India’s leading satellite operator with over 8 million subscribers. Pursuant to the long standing relationship between both parties and the commercial success of its high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) digital TV offerings, Tata Sky has granted Technicolor, until mid 2015, extension of the initial contracts for the STBs already delivered over the past years:






* The HD-enabled zapper (MediaPlay DSI715) is optimized to deliver all essential features at low cost while enabling future-proof services such as video on demand.


* The SD satellite zapper (MediaPlay DSI309) has been tailored to Tata Sky’s needs and enables MPEG-4 decoding in a compact design.


Michel Rahier, President of Technicolor’s Connected Home division, said “We are very proud to support the commercial success of Tata Sky in its digital television services. As a long standing partner of Tata Sky, the renewal of the previous contracts awarded up to two years ago proves us that we have been able to build a strong relationship thanks to the high quality of our products”.


“Technicolor’s solutions have met our expectations in terms of reliability because we want to guarantee a trouble free experience for our customers. They also help meet our Total Cost of Ownership requirement, which is key for an operator with a large subscriber base like ours. The latest agreements mark the continuation of our trusted relationship with Technicolor” added Harit Nagpal, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Sky.


Deliveries of these set-top boxes are scheduled from 3Q 2013 to 2Q 2015, while Technicolor will continue providing locally-based after-sales support to Tata Sky.


Technicolor’s range of MediaPlay set-top boxes provide a wide array of services encompassing advanced functions such as multi-room and multi-screen, on demand, wireless streaming or Over-The-Top services. Truly committed to ecodesign, Technicolor puts environmental issues at the heart of the design process of all products within a complete product lifecycle approach.


***


About Technicolor


Technicolor, a worldwide technology leader in the media and entertainment sector, is at the forefront of digital innovation. Our world class research and innovation laboratories enable us to lead the market in delivering advanced video services to content creators and distributors. We also benefit from an extensive intellectual property portfolio focused on imaging and sound technologies, based on a thriving licensing business.


Our commitment: Enhance media experience on any screen, in theaters, at home and on the go.


Euronext Paris: TCH Ÿ www.technicolor.com


Further reinforcement of the cooperation between Tata Sky and Technico: http://hugin.info/143597/R/1679124/548237.pdf


This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:


(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and


(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.


Source: TECHNICOLOR via Thomson Reuters ONE


[HUG#1679124]


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance




Read More..