Obama's immigration-impeachment gambit
The Obama administration could be planning a "very significant", large-scale immigration reform sometime before November's mid-term congressional elections. According to the White House, Obama is frustrated with the lack of progress Congress is making toward immigration reform and will take action unilaterally, if necessary. Such measures could include granting work permits "to potentially millions of immigrants who are in this country illegally, allowing them to stay in the United States without threat of deportation". As word of the possible move has leaked out, Republican politicians expressed outrage. On Monday Senator Jeff Sessions issued a warning to the president: "It would be an affront to the people of this country which they will never forgive. It would be a permanent stain on your presidency." Given the near certain right-wing fury were Obama to proceed, one may wonder whether the president might be intentionally provoking a constitutional crisis. Could he be daring Republicans to impeach him? Impeachment may be on the table as a result of the administration's actions.
Proposed rules expose rifts among Bitcoin enthusiasts
A new front has opened in the battle over Bitcoin. Since New York became the first state to propose virtual currency regulations two weeks ago, Bitcoin enthusiasts have had a mixed reaction on whether the new rules will help legitimize the virtual currency or whether they will thwart innovation and threaten the very freedom that Bitcoin was meant to promote. The draft legislation has also exposed a division among virtual currency companies with enough resources to comply with the regulations and those without. Bitcoin supporters are planning to send an open letter to Benjamin M. Lawsky, New York State's top financial regulator, requesting more time to comment on his proposed legislation. "Many of us are individuals or small start-ups operating on limited budgets without access to extensive legal resources," the letter states. "This imposes a substantial burden as we seek to understand the proposed rules and their current and future impacts on our businesses, open-source projects and educational research." The letter also refers to "inconsistent statements" and opaque language in the draft regulations.
Khmer Rouge duo begin genocide trial
The last two surviving leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime are to begin their second trial, this time for genocide, in Phnom Penh.
New legislation targets inversions from different angle
Lawmakers in Washington ratcheted up the pressure on Tuesday on companies seeking tax relief by moving overseas, introducing a bill that would withhold government contracts from companies that undertake so-called inversion deals. The No Federal Contracts for Corporate Deserters Act – introduced by four Democrats, Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois and Carl Levin of Michigan, and Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Lloyd Doggett of Texas – seeks to discourage companies from reincorporating abroad by threatening to withhold federal dollars from the offending companies. The proposed bill would also allow federal agencies to stop doing business with companies if they subcontract with inverted corporations, potentially widening the scope of those affected. "With every successful inversion, the tax burden increases on the rest of us to pay what the corporate inverter doesn't," Mr. Durbin said in a statement. "The burden is made worse by allowing companies to profit off of federal contracts paid for by US taxpayers, while those very companies run from their US tax responsibility. We should make permanent the longstanding ban on federal contracts for corporations that have renounced their American corporate citizenship."
Russia to appeal against $50bn Yukos shareholder payout
Russia says it will appeal an unfavorable decision by a court in The Hague. The Permanent Court of Arbitration awarded $50 billion to shareholders of the defunct Yukos oil company. Russia seized the company in 2003 and put owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky in jail on tax and fraud charges. The Hague court said Russian officials had manipulated the legal system to bankrupt Yukos, and jail its boss. One decade ago, the Russian government seized the massive oil company Yukos. Today, an international tribunal called that seizure illegal, and it ordered Russia to pay $50 billion to shareholders with the now defunct company. The Russian finance ministry said the ruling was "flawed", "one-sided" and "politically biased". The ministry added that the Permanent Court for Arbitration in The Hague "had no jurisdiction to consider the questions it was given". It's not clear when or if Yukos shareholders will get any money.
McDonald's ruling sets ominous tone for franchisers
McDonald's Corp. could be treated as a joint employer with its franchisees in labor complaints, according to a National Labor Relations Board legal determination that could have far-reaching implications for how restaurant companies deal with their workers. The decision by the NLRB's general counsel came in response to complaints alleging that McDonald's and its franchisees violated the rights of employees involved in protests against the company. McDonald's vowed to fight the decision, which business and labor groups both said could set a precedent for restaurants and retailers that rely on franchising. McDonald's doesn't own most of its outlets, but the ruling could make it liable for labor conditions there.
FedEx pleads not guilty to illegal drug deliveries
FedEx Corp. pleaded not guilty Tuesday in San Francisco federal court on 15 charges related to transporting painkillers and other prescription drugs that had been sold illegally.
France presses on with deal to sell two warships to Russia
France plans to go ahead with the sale of two warships to the Kremlin, even as amid continued fighting in Ukraine and the aftermath of the downed Malaysian airliner. People in St. Nazaire, the port town where the boats are being built, agree: The contract with Moscow should be fulfilled, they say. Despite mounting international pressure, cancellation of the deal, they say, would be a bad move for business. There's not much love for Putin in France. But in St. Nazaire, the contract is more about preserving a way of life than anything else.
Uber, Airbnb under attack in Spain as old and new economies clash
This summer, more people than ever before are booking rooms on Airbnb and using carpooling websites and smartphone apps to get around on vacation. The new "share economy" can be a money saver in areas hard hit by the economic crisis, like southern Europe. But in sunny Spain, authorities are cracking down. In Barcelona — one of the top destinations for European tourists this summer — police are pulling over and ticketing drivers suspected of using the private taxi app . The regional Catalan government is also trying to thwart , fining the US company some $40,000 and threatening to block its website. This is the first such punishment for the popular room-booking website, and other municipalities could follow suit. Spain is emerging as a battleground for such apps and a test case for how governments handle innovations beloved by many citizens but hated by the hotel lobby and powerful labor unions.
Court rejects law threatening Mississippi's last abortion clinic
A federal appeals court has rejected a Mississippi law that would have forced the state's only abortion clinic to close. In a 2-1 decision , a panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday turned aside arguments that women seeking to have an abortion could have the procedure done in a neighboring state. Closing the clinic in Jackson would place an "undue burden" on women, the court found. "Pre-viability, a woman has the constitutional right to end her pregnancy by abortion," Judge E. Grady Jolly wrote for the majority. "Mississippi may not shift its obligation to respect the established constitutional rights of its citizens to another state." The Mississippi law , enacted in 2012, requires abortion providers to have on staff doctors with admitting privileges at neighboring hospitals. Physicians at the Jackson clinic applied for privileges at area hospitals, but were unable to obtain them.
More than five-a-day 'no effect'
New research backs the five-a-day target for fruit and vegetables, but suggests eating more may have no added benefits. An analysis of 16 worldwide studies suggested that for every portion of fruit and vegetables consumed, there was a lower risk of premature death. But after five portions a day, there was no further impact, researchers report in The BMJ. There have been calls to up the quota to seven-a-day, to prolong lives.
White House says delayed action on climate change could cost billions
In a report issued Tuesday, the White House warned that the cost of inaction when it comes to climate change outweighs the cost of implementing more-stringent regulations on greenhouse gas emissions. the White House is "struggling to incorporate the costs associated with global warming into its energy decisions."
Deadly Israeli shelling hits Gaza UN school
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
U.S. woman who lost husband to Ebola urges aid to fight outbreak
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
Tesco shelves banning Israeli products
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Bank to unveil bonus clawback plan
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Girl hit by plane on beach dies
CNN International, London, England
Jasmin Walia helps Joey Essex celebrate his birthday in Ibiza
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Clever trick that lets you TRIPLE your pension pot
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Last launch for Europe's space cargo freighter
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France
Deadly shelling strikes Gaza UN school
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Turkish Popstar denied entry into Greece for having Turkish Cyprus visa
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
Israel-Gaza conflict: At least 13 dead in shell attack on UN school
Independent The, London, England
Major Ukrainian TV provider drops Russian channels
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia
Celebrities take sides over Gaza
Telegraph The, Conservative daily, London, England
Pharrell wore Vivienne Westwood Buffalo hat 'to death', says designer
Telegraph The, Celebrity news, London, England
Khmer Rouge tribunal readies way for genocide case
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
No End to Japan's Kleptomania
Chosun Ilbo, Conservative daily, Seoul, South Korea
Sniffer dog warning sends Australian jet passengers on a rush to flush
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
50 villages marooned in Thane after heavy rain
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
U.K. orders child back to Japan under Hague Convention
Japan Times, Independent centrist, Tokyo, Japan
GOP-led House ready to OK lawsuit against Obama
New Zealand Herald, Conservative daily, Auckland, New Zealand
Ukraine President cancels trip over protests in eastern Ukraine
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore
Manu's kitchen doesn't rule
Sydney Morning Herald, Centrist daily, Sydney, Australia
Terror threats at chemical plants underestimated
Taiwan News, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
House ready to OK lawsuit against Barack Obama
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India
At least 15 dead after Israeli tank shells hit UN school in Gaza
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Argentine debt talks end without deal as default looms
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Liberty Reserve Brought Down By 'Joe Bogus': How The Feds Arrested Arthur Budovsky
International Business Times, Business news organization, New York, U.S
Human Development: Latin America Less Than Halfway There
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
China's local GDP data points to recovery, rebalancing
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S
At least 43 Palestinians killed as Israel maintains pressure on Gaza
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S
Disclosure of First Nations salaries raises eyebrows
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Guinea concert stampede kills 24
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
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