Politicians Close to Deal on Fiscal Cliff

With hours to spare before the 2013 fiscal year, politicians in Washington are close to a deal on the "fiscal cliff".

CBS reports that Vice President Joe Biden went to the nation's capitol to tell Senate Democrats the specifics of a proposal; some of which are:


    - An extension of tax rates for those who earn less than $400,000 a year and couples who earn less than $450,000 a year

   - An increase of the estate tax from 35% to 40% "with the first $5 million worth of property exempt from being taxed

    - Those who are registered unemployed workers will receive their benefits despite the expiration date this past the weekend.


President Barack Obama says that Congress is close to a compromise, but "they're not there yet".

The "fiscal cliff" is a deadline that Washington aims to meet in order to make decisions such as replacing the expiring 2001 and 2003 Bush administration tax cuts.


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Missing Georgia Children Found in Texas

The two Roswell, Georgia brothers Ben and Henry Cleary that went missing ten days ago were found Saturday evening in Austin, Texas.

CBS reports Austin Police were tipped that a citizen had seen the boys and said they were staying at a hotel.

The boys’ father Daniel Cleary was arrested and police found a handgun and a sum of money at the scene.

ABC reports that the two boys were supposed to return to their mother December 26^th after an arranged stay with their father.

When they did not return, their mother went to the father’s house and found that the house was empty.



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Suspects of Indian Gang-Rape Charged with Murder

 Indian authorities charged six men with murder on Saturday in regards to the death of a 23-year-old woman.

The woman was gang-raped aboard a bus in New Delhi two weeks ago by several men; one of which is believed to be a juvenile.

 The woman was taken to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in New Delhi and was reported to have suffered severe injuries to her brain and body.

 A CBS correspondent reports that the protesters have come forward saying that rape “often goes unpunished, or the victims are blamed”.

 Protesters have also called for more protection for woman and consequences for those responsible.

 Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has since spoken on national television assuring viewers that women’s safety will improve in India.

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Foreign Surveillance Law Extension Gains Senate Approval

An extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was passed by the Senate on Friday.

This extension has brought about controversy due to the fact that it gives intelligence agencies the ability to conduct surveillance without a warrant.

The extension also has been approved by the House and President Barack Obama has given his approval of the bill and intends to sign it.

When signed, it will mean that that communications between U.S. citizens and those foreigners abroad are subjected to being tapped without consent.

When the first FISA was put into action in 1978 its intention was to gather foreign intelligence.

That bill was then extended in 2008 during the Bush administration.

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Putin Will Sign Ban Preventing U.S. Citizens From Adopting Russian Children

Russian president Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday his support for the ban of adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens.

This ban comes in addition to a bill retaliating a set of human rights sanctions issued by President Barack Obama.

The ban will also nullify an agreement made between the U.S. and Russia in regards to adoptions earlier in November.

Putin has said that he will be making a decree to improve the lives of children in Russia’s orphanages.

The New York Times reported Putin saying, “There are probably many places in the world where living standards are better than ours. So what? Shall we send all children there, or move there ourselves?”

In 2011, close to one thousand adoptions in America were of Russian children.

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World’s Longest High Speed Rail Opens/ Toyota Agrees to $1 Billion Settlement

The 9AM from Beijing to Guangzhou in China made history as China opened the world’s longest high-speed rail on Wednesday.

Trains that run on this 1,428 mile line will travel at 186 miles per hour, making travel time a total of 8 hours between cities.

Also in news today, Toyota has agreed to a $1.4 billion lawsuit settlement to customers; reportedly the largest settlement in U.S. history involving vehicle defects.

The class action lawsuit brought against the Japanese car manufacturer comes after reports of vehicle issues such as the brake override system.

A fund of $250 million will be set up in order to compensate Toyota owners who sold their vehicles due to the issues.

Toyota has said that the issue with previous acceleration complaints was not an electric issue, but rather “driver error, floor mats, and sticky gas pedals”. 


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Egypt’s Drafted Constitution Passes

The Islamist-backed constitution was passed Tuesday with a majority vote of 63.8 percent (more than 10 million votes).

The voting of the new constitution took two separate sessions to be passed; the second of which secured its passing with 56.6 of the vote.

This constitution is the first one to be implemented since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak.

Since the announcement of the newly drafted constitution, protests have been demonstrated throughout the country.

CNN report that critics of the constitution feel that it was passed very quickly and want a new assembly.

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