Monday, July 25, 2011

Stories under consideration for the 7/26 Oakland Press

The Oakland Press is considering the following Associated Press stories for the 7/26 print edition.

Stories likely to be included are in bold

To join the conversation about what is important, and what is not, add comments below

Nation /world at 4:45

NEW & DEVELOPING
— DEBT SHOWDOWN — Congressional meetings continue throughout the day.
Has moved:
— RECRUITERS SHOT — Defendant sentenced to life without parole in Arkansas soldier killing; guilty plea ends trial.
— AIR TRAVEL-TAXES — Tax holiday for air travel ends quickly, more airlines raise fares to offset expiring taxes.
— CHRISTIE-FOX NEWS — NJ Gov. Christie sued over refusal to release records of communication with Fox News head.
— TV-ANTIQUES ROADSHOW — Chinese rhinoceros horned cups appraised at $1M-plus most valuable item on ‘Antiques Roadshow.’
TOP STORIES
DEFIANT NORWAY
OSLO, Norway — Confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik wrote that he hoped to trigger a nationalist revolution in Norway. Instead, he has stirred defiance in this nation with a renowned commitment to peace. People already are talking about the need to protect the best of Norway — a society unafraid and open to the world. In cafes and on a central square filled with memorials to the dead, a common sentiment is expressed: Thank God the attacker was Norwegian, not a foreigner. AP photos, video.
NORWAY-EXPLOSION
OSLO, Norway — The self-described perpetrator of the mass killings in Norway tells authorities that he expects to spend the rest of his life in prison, but two other cells of his terror network remain free. Officials say they believe Anders Behring Breivik killed on his own, but they cannot rule out that he had allies in a secretive network that he likened to a brotherhood of modern European knights. By Bjoern Amland and Sarah DiLorenzo.
AP photos, graphic, video.
DEBT SHOWDOWN
WASHINGTON — With a threatened government default barely a week away, House Republicans push for a solution the White House has already rejected: raising the national debt limit for a relatively short period unless Congress agrees to major spending cuts in short order. So fapfroker, U.S. markets are shrugging off the uncertainty.
AP photos.
— DEBT SHOWDOWN-DAILY SUMMARY — Brief explanation of debt standoff and latest developments.
NFL LABOR
WASHINGTON — Now it can be said with certainty: Get ready for some football! NFL players vote to OK a final deal, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and the sides finally manage to put an end to the 4 1/2-month lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history. By Pro Football Writer Howard Fendrich.
AP photos, video, interactive.
AP POLL-STRESSING OVER DEBT
WASHINGTON — Americans’ worries about their debts are on the rise. While Congress is consumed with arguing over the national debt, a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows nearly half the country feeling the stress of personal credit card balances, mortgages and other debts. Just last fall, the poll showed growing confidence about personal finances. By Connie Cass.
— AP POLL-STRESSING OVER DEBT-METHOD — How the poll was conducted.
NORTH KOREA-FEEDING THE PEOPLE Hundreds of ostriches, a bird native to sunny Africa, squat and squabble in the morning chill on a farm in North Korea. The ostrich farm was an expensive investment that made little difference to hungry North Koreans. The country’s perennial food shortage reached a crisis point this year, aid workers say, because of heavy rains, the coldest winter in 60 years and rising prices. Yet food aid has withered along with North Korea’s relations with the U.S., South Korea and Japan. AP photos
WASHINGTON
DEBT SHOWDOWN-DIVIDED GOVERNMENT — Lawmakers are divided, it turns out, on what divided government means. With Republicans controlling the House, and Democrats controlling the Senate and White House, neither party can get everything it wants in a debt deal. To some politicians, that spells compromise. To House Republicans elected on a promise never to raise taxes, it spells “no deal.” AP photos.
CENSUS-WEALTH GAP, HFR — The wealth gaps between whites and minorities have grown to their widest levels in a quarter-century. The recession and uneven recovery — including the slump in housing prices — have erased decades of minority gains, leaving whites on average with 20 times the net worth of blacks and 18 times that of Hispanics, according to analysis of new Census data. By Hope Yen. For release at 12:01 a.m.
— AVIATION SHUTDOWN — Contractors have been told to stop work on airport modernization projects across the U.S. because Congress has failed to pass legislation necessary to keep the Federal Aviation Administration in operation.
— WU-SEX SCANDAL — Rep. David Wu of Oregon faces a likely House ethics probe after a young woman accused him of an unwanted sexual encounter, the latest sex scandal for Democrats six weeks after Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned for sexting photos of himself.
INTERNATIONAL
EAST AFRICA-FAMINE
DOLO, Somalia — The U.N. will try to get food this week to parts of drought-ravaged Somalia still controlled by al-Qaida-linked militants, even though aid workers were banned here before and must act quickly to keep refugees from dying along what an official calls the “roads of death.” U.N. agencies say $1.6 billion is needed for the relief effort. By Jason Straziuso.
AP photos by Schalk van Zuydam.
— US-CLINTON — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton moves to reassure China and Asian financial markets that America’s debt crisis will be resolved.
NATIONAL
STRAUSS-KAHN-ASSAULT-ACCUSER
NEW YORK — She’s on a magazine cover and national television, telling her emotional and explicit story of being attacked by Dominique Strauss-Kahn and pressing for him to be tried. But it’s unclear what effect, if any, that Nafissatou Diallo’s interviews will have on prosecutors’ decisions to continue to investigate or try the case. By Jennifer Peltz and Tom Hays.
GAY MARRIAGE-RESISTANT STATES
As hundreds of jubilant gay couples became newlyweds in New York, their well-wishers included many far-flung gays wistfully aware that their own states may never willingly allow same-sex marriage. “The victories in other states are always a little bittersweet,” says a gay-rights activist in Georgia, one of 30 states with a constitutional ban on gay marriage. AP photos, interactive.
— GAY MARRIAGE-NY — With same sex weddings occurring all over New York, opponents sue seeking to stop them a day after they became legal. AP photos, video.
ALASKA BEAR MAULINGS — A group of teenagers in a survival camp attacked by a grizzly during a trip to the Alaska wilderness describe a horrifying scene in which they were crossing a river when the giant mother bear pounced. The teenagers at the front of the pack bore the brunt of the attack, while others ran away into the woods. “I thought I was going to die when I was being attacked. I was so scared,” one teenager says of the encounter. AP photos, video.
RAMADAN-SUMMER FASTING — The Muslim holy month of Ramadan falls during the long, hot days of August this year, and Muslim Americans are getting ready to accommodate the daylight fasts required during Ramadan with adjustments in their schedules and eating habits. It can be even tougher for Muslims in America than for their counterparts in majority-Muslim countries, where business slows during Ramadan and people take it easier during the day.
AP photos.
— POLYGAMIST LEADER-TRIAL — Jury selection begins in polygamist leader’s sex assault trial despite request for delay. AP photos.
BUSINESS
DEBT WALL STREET — Investors are trying to prepare for a U.S. debt default by moving their money into cash or other currencies, buying gold, and betting against stocks. No one is completely sure what to do because no one’s been through this before. A guide to which market indicators Wall Street is watching as the debt deadline nears.

— RESEARCH IN MOTION-JOB CUTS — BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. is cutting 2,000 jobs — 10 percent of its work force — as part of a cost savings plan announced last month and is shuffling some senior executives.
HEALTH/SCIENCE
HEALTHBEAT-MEDICAL CAMP
WARRENTON, Va. — Dissecting a human eye isn’t the normal fare of summer camp. But it’s part of an unusual program at a small northern Virginia hospital that aims to hook kids as early as middle school on the possibilities of a medical career. It’s not for the squeamish, but “I’ve got a strong stomach,” says 12-year-old Brianna Bowes. By Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard.
AP photos, video.
ENTERTAINMENT
COMIC-CON
SAN DIEGO — Storm troopers cavorted with zombies, Steven Spielberg chatted with Peter Jackson, and the stars of “Cowboys & Aliens” swooped into San Diego, making for an action-packed Comic-Con. The 42nd annual fan festival closed Sunday after four days of pop-culture indulgence. By Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen.
AP photos, video.
ALSO GETTING ATTENTION
— BRITAIN-AMY WINEHOUSE — Police: Autopsy on Amy Winehouse did not establish cause of death; tests results awaited.
— FILM-CHILEAN MINERS — Story of trapped Chilean miners coming to big screen; film set to begin production next year.
— CHINA-TRAIN CRASH — Doubts about China’s breakneck plans to expand high-speed rail across the country have been underscored by a bullet train wreck that killed at least 38 people. AP photos, videos.
— MALTA-DIVORCE — Maltese lawmakers approve law allowing divorce on heavily Catholic island nation.
— BIG BANG MACHINE — Atom smasher closing in on energy level where elusive ‘Big Bang’ particle might exist.
— SOUTH AFRICAN-MORGUE AWAKENING — Fatal mistake: South African man wakes after 21 hours in morgue fridge; family thought he had died.
— JACKSON-TRIBUTE CONCERT — Michael Jackson’s mother, siblings announce tribute concert in Wales in October.





Business News at 1:30 p.m.

TOP STORIES:
DEBT WALL STREET
NEW YORK — Investors are trying to prepare for a U.S. debt default by moving their money into cash or other currencies, buying gold, and betting against stocks. No one is completely sure what to do because no one’s been through this before. A guide to which market indicators Wall Street is watching as the debt deadline nears. By Matthew Craft and David Randall.
With:
WALL STREET
NEW YORK — The debt showdown in Washington is rattling the stock market again. Stocks fell Monday after congressional leaders failed to agree on a deal to raise the U.S. debt limit and avoid default. By AP Business Writer Chip Cutter.
— DEBT SHOWDOWN — With a threatened government default barely a week away, House Republicans push for a solution the White House has already rejected: raising the national debt limit for a relatively short period unless Congress agrees to major spending cuts in short order. By David Espo.
— US-CLINTON — Clinton assures China on U.S. debt crisis, presses for help with North Korea talks.
AUTOS-CONTRACT TALKS
DETROIT — To help American carmakers stay in business, autoworkers grudgingly gave up pay raises and benefits four years ago. Now that GM, Ford and Chrysler are making money again, workers want compensation for their sacrifice. Just how much they get is the central question hanging over contract talks that start this week between Detroit and one of the nation’s largest and most powerful unions. But there’s more at stake than just pay. After the industry’s brush with financial ruin, both sides know how quickly Detroit’s sales and profitability could vanish. By Dee-Ann Durbin and Tom Krisher.
With:
AUTOS-CONTRACT TALKS-GLANCE. AP Photos.
RESEARCH IN MOTION-JOB CUTS
NEW YORK — Faced with tough competition and falling profits, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. is cutting 2,000 jobs as part of a cost savings plan announced last month and is shuffling some senior executives. The job cuts amount to about 10 percent of the company’s work force. By Barbara Ortutay and Peter Svensson.
AP Photo.
AP POLL-STRESSING OVER DEBT
WASHINGTON — Americans’ worries about their debts are on the rise. While Congress is consumed with arguing over the national debt, a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows nearly half the country feeling the stress of personal credit cards, mortgages and other debts. Just last fall, the poll showed growing confidence about personal finances. By Connie Cass.
AVIATION SHUTDOWN
WASHINGTON — Dozens of airport construction projects across the country are on hold and thousands of federal employees are not working because Congress failed to pass legislation to keep the Federal Aviation Administration operating. The FAA’s operating authority expired at midnight Friday. By Joan Lowy.
MARKETS & ECONOMY:
— OIL PRICES — Oil prices are falling to near $99 a barrel amid investor concern that the lack of an agreement among U.S. lawmakers to raise the country’s debt limit could trigger a default and damage the global economy.
EARNINGS:
EARNS-KIMBERLY-CLARK
DALLAS —Consumer products maker Kimberly-Clark says its second-quarter profit fell 18 percent, dragged down by higher commodity costs and an increased tax rate. By Christina Rexrode.
EARNS-LORILLARD
RICHMOND, Va. — Cigarette maker Lorillard says its profit increased more than 10 percent in the second quarter as it sold more Newport and Maverick cigarettes at higher prices. By AP Tobacco Writer Michael Felberbaum.
INDUSTRY:
NFL-LABOR
WASHINGTON — NFL owners and players agreed early Monday to the terms of a deal to end the lockout, and players were expected to begin the voting process later in the day, two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
CHINA-GENERAL ELECTRIC
BEIJING — GE Healthcare, a maker of diagnostic imaging equipment, says it is moving its X-ray global headquarters from the United States to Beijing as it seeks to tap China and other emerging markets.
SAUDI-DOW CHEMICAL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dow Chemical and the Saudi Arabian Oil Company have agreed to set up a joint venture to build a massive $20 billion chemical complex in the desert kingdom.
— NETHERLANDS-ING — ING Groep NV says it has agreed to sell most of its Latin American businesses to Gruposura for around $3.8 billion.
— JAPAN-AUTO PRODUCTION — Japan’s automakers reported mixed vehicle production figures as the industry works toward recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Some, like Nissan, are doing considerably better than others.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA:
MURDOCH-US INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON — The FBI is just cranking up a preliminary review of whether alleged phone hacking and bribery by Rupert Murdoch’s media empire violated U.S. laws, but any resolution may well have to await the outcome of British investigations. By AP Writer Pete Yost.
EARNS-NETFLIX
Netflix Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close. By Mike Liedtke.
— INDONESIA-HOLLYWOOD — An official says Hollywood studios have agreed to screen several summer blockbusters including the final “Harry Potter” movie in Indonesian theaters. The decision could signal a softening of major studios’ boycott of the country.
INTERNATIONAL:
GREECE-FINANCIAL CRISIS
ATHENS, Greece — Moody’s downgraded Greece’s bond ratings by a further three notches and warned that it is almost inevitable the country will be considered to be in default following last week’s new bailout package.
CHINA-TRAIN CRASH
BEIJING — Doubts about China’s breakneck plans to expand high-speed rail across the country have been underscored by a bullet train wreck that killed at least 38 people.
JAPAN-EARTHQUAKE
TOKYO — Japanese lawmakers have approved nearly $25.5 billion in extra funds to pay for reconstruction from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the nuclear crisis that followed.
— CHINA-APPLE — Chinese officials have found five fake Apple stores in the southwestern city of Kunming, and ordered two of them to suspend business while they’re investigated, a local government website said.
— IRAN-GAS — Iran on signed a preliminary $10 billion deal with Syria and Iraq to export its natural gas, its latest effort to boost its energy sector that has been targeted by international sanctions.
— HONG KONG-CHINA-NUCLEAR PLANT — Hong Kong utility CLP Holdings Ltd. said it has bought a 17 percent stake in a nuclear power plant in southern China for $11 billion.
PERSONAL FINANCE:
FYI-TEXTBOOK RENTALS — College textbooks can cost students hundreds of dollars each semester. One way to save could be Amazon’s new textbook rentals.
Eds: Available exclusively on AP Exchange/ AP Web Feeds

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