43% Have Less Than $10K For Retirement
The percentage of American workers with virtually no retirement savings grew for the third straight year, according to a survey released Tuesday. The percentage of workers who said they have less than $10,000 in savings grew to 43% in 2010, from 39% in 2009, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's annual Retirement Confidence Survey. That excludes the value of primary homes and defined-benefit pension plans. CNN
VOA VIEW: Democrats in Congress have been in the majority for the three years.

Time Warner Cable Urges U.S. To Block TV Blackouts
Time Warner Cable Inc. plans to ask U.S. regulators to block broadcasters from cutting signals during fee disagreements, aiming to avoid disruptions such as Walt Disney Co.’s blackout of the Academy Awards. The company plans to submit a petition to the Federal Communications Commission this week, according to an e-mail today. Time Warner Cable will ask the FCC to consider arbitration and force broadcasters to maintain their signals during disputes. Bloomberg

OPEC Raises 2010 Oil Demand Forecast
OPEC has raised its projections for oil demand growth this year by 100,000 barrels per day, but stresses that gains could be eroded if the U.S. government scales back on stimulus efforts before the country's economy fully recovers. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a report released Wednesday that world oil demand was projected to climb to almost 900,000 barrels per day, or 100,000 barrels a day more than its February projection. Charlotte Observer

Obama More Popular Than Congress
Americans have come to detest Congress ever more deeply as it nears the end of a nasty fight over health care. But more than half still back President Barack Obama, a bright spot for a Democratic Party counting on its leader to help stave off expected losses in elections this fall. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll found that fewer people approve of Congress than at any point in Obama's presidency. Support has dropped significantly since January to a dismal 22 percent as the health care debate has roiled Capitol Hill. Neither Republicans nor Democrats are safe; half of all people say they want to fire their congressman. San Diego Union
VOA VIEW: Obama would lose in a midterm election.

Taliban Claim Suicide Attack On NATO-Afghan Base
The Taliban claimed responsibility Wednesday for a suicide bombing inside a U.S.-Afghan base in eastern Afghanistan that killed two NATO service members. A Taliban operative wearing an Afghan police uniform infiltrated the base Tuesday night and detonated his explosive vest next to a group of soldiers who were warming their hands beside a fire, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press by phone. Indy Star

White House Sticks To Healthcare Deadline
The White House said Tuesday it still believes the U.S. House will vote on a healthcare bill by March 18 even though a key lawmaker suggested that's unlikely. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs renewed his earlier prediction that the House will vote on the Senate healthcare bill before President Barack Obama leaves March 18 for a weeklong trip to Indonesia and Australia. UPI

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Turkey, Angry At U.S., Pledges Support For Iran
As the Obama administration scrambles to contain the diplomatic fallout with Turkey over the “Armenian genocide” resolution in the U.S. Congress, Turkey’s tilt towards Iran continues largely unnoticed. Turkey’s “formerly Islamist” president, Abdullah Gul, in a weekend telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart called for a deepening of bilateral relations and voiced support for Iran in international forums. Turkey is non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the most important international body to have Iran on its current agenda. CNS News

U.S. Millionaire Ranks Up 16 Percent Last Year
Households with a net worth of $1 million or more, excluding their primary residence, totaled 7.8 million in 2009, up from 6.7 million in 2008, according to Spectrem Group. The number of millionaire households shrank by 27 percent in 2008, it said. The current total is still well below the record 9.2 million millionaire households reported in 2007, Spectrem said. Last year's spike came as U.S. stock markets rallied. Reuters

Biden Slams Jerusalem Housing Plan
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden condemned a new Israeli plan to build hundreds of homes in disputed east Jerusalem on Tuesday, casting a cloud over a high-profile visit that had been aimed at repairing ties with the Jewish state and kickstarting Mideast peace talks. Israel's Interior Ministry said late Tuesday that it had approved construction of 1,600 new apartments, an embarrassing setback for Biden after a day of warm meetings with top Israeli officials. MSNBC
VOA VIEW: Biden is an idiot to criticize Israel on an issue that will not change -  Israel will not give up east Jerusalem.

Gates In Saudi Arabia To Discuss Iran
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here on Wednesday for talks with the Saudi royal family that senior defense officials said would be focused on Iran. His visit follows recent trips to Riyadh by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as well as Gen. David H. Petraeus, the head of United States Central Command, and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The talks are to include discussions about United States military cooperation with Saudi Arabia in building up its air and missile defense. Mr. Gates is to provide an update to Saudi officials, who are intensely concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, on the American-led effort to impose new sanctions on Tehran. NY Times

NKorea To Replace Top Diplomat In Geneva
North Korea plans to replace its top diplomat in Switzerland who is believed to be a key manager of leader Kim Jong Il's alleged secret funds stashed overseas, a news report said Wednesday. Ri Tcheul, North Korea's ambassador to U.N. agencies in Geneva, is to step down as early as late this month following about 30 years of service in Switzerland, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified diplomat in Bern. Kansas City Star

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Cisco Unveils Ultra-Fast Internet Technology
Cisco unveiled a new Internet technology Tuesday that it says will provide the ultra-fast data speeds necessary to stay ahead of users' rapidly growing online video demands. The new technology, known as "CRS-3," is a network routing system that will be able to offer downloads of up to 322 Terabits per second, according to the company. Translation: Well in Cisco terms, the router will be able to provide download speeds of 1 Gigabit per second for everyone in San Francisco, download the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress in 1 second and stream every movie ever created in less than 4 minutes. CNN

The Line Between Jobless Benefits And Welfare
Millions of Americans have been forced to rely on unemployment payments for extended periods as the nation struggles through its longest period of high joblessness in a generation, and critics are taking aim, saying that the Depression-era program created as a temporary bridge for laid-off workers is turning into an expensive entitlement. About 11.4 million out-of-work people now collect unemployment compensation, at a cost of $10 billion a month. Half of them have been receiving payments for more than six months, the usual insurance limit. But under multiple extensions enacted by the federal government in response to the downturn, workers can collect the payments for as long as 99 weeks in states with the highest unemployment rates — the longest period since the program's inception. MSNBC

Dispute Over Candidate Disqualifications Could Mar Iraqi Vote's Legitimacy
A controversy over the disqualification of candidates threatened Tuesday to undermine the legitimacy of Iraq's recent elections and inflame supporters of a coalition seeking to topple the alliance led by the prime minister. U.S. officials, who had deemed the elections historic, were growing increasingly concerned by the dispute Tuesday evening, fearing it could lead to violence. Washington Post

Brown Calls His Election ‘A Message’ Against Health Bill
Senator Scott Brown railed yesterday against President Obama and congressional Democrats for continuing their quest to pass a comprehensive health care bill, saying the majority party in Washington has failed to heed the lessons of his own surprise victory in January. “I was sent here in a message almost, to the administration and people up on Capitol Hill, that the American people expect us to do better,’’ the Massachusetts Republican told a conference of the National Association of Health Underwriters in his most extensive remarks on health care since arriving in the capital. Boston Globe
VOA VIEW: Democrats will be butchered in November if they push through a partisan health care bill.

Stock Futures Inch Higher Ahead Of Opening
Investors are continuing to search for direction Wednesday, after two days of relatively flat trading. Stock futures edged higher. The Dow Jones industrial average is down less than 2 points for the week. A market surge that began a year ago appears to have run out of steam recently. Traders are no longer looking for just anecdotal evidence that a recession is easing like they were last year. Now they want to see signs of sustained economic growth. Houston Chronicle

Health Reform's Real Effect On Abortion
President Obama's health care bill would change federal policy on abortion, but not open the spigot of taxpayer dollars that some abortion opponents fear. Abortion rights groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America say the House and Senate versions of the bill represent the biggest expansion of abortion restrictions in years, yet they're not trying to defeat the measures. Instead, a bitter dispute among abortion opponents over which version is stricter could derail Mr. Obama's quest to remake the health insurance system. CBS

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U.S. Census Has ‘Policy Of Self-Identification’ For Same-Sex Couples
What kind of questions are going to be on the U.S. Census form? Just ten “basic” questions, says the U.S. Census Bureau. And on a question about relationships, same-sex couples may go with personal preference rather than truth. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, the 2010 Census form will allow same-sex couples to labels themselves as “husband or wife,” even if the relationships are not recognized by law. CNS News

US Official Apologizes For Insulting Libya Leader
A senior State Department official apologized Tuesday for a joking remark he made about Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi that prompted Libya to threaten diplomatic retaliation. Chief department spokesman P.J. Crowley said he regretted any offense caused by his response to a reporter's question about Gadhafi's recent call for a holy war against Switzerland. Libya said last week said it might take action against American interests there if a formal apology was not made. Las Vegas Sun

Bank Capital Relief From CDS Should Be Restricted,
Regulators should restrict banks’ use of credit-default swaps to prevent their capital requirements from falling to the “dangerously low levels” reached during the financial crisis, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler said. Under so-called Basel II rules, banks were able to reduce their regulatory capital by relying on instruments that shift credit risk, including credit-default swaps, Gensler said today in prepared remarks at a derivatives forum sponsored by data provider and credit-default swaps index administrator Markit Group Ltd. in New York. Bloomberg

Racist E-Mail Affecting Tennessee Tourism
A racially offensive e-mail comparing first lady Michelle Obama to a chimpanzee is affecting the Tennessee tourism industry, officials said. Walt Baker, the CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Association, forwarded the e-mail Thursday to about a dozen people, including the mayor of Nashville and the president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, The (Nashville) Tennessean reported. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development heard from several potential tourists saying they would not be visiting the state after hearing of the e-mail, the newspaper said. UPI
VOA VIEW: Few really care.

'US Determined To Prevent Nuclear Iran'
US Vice President Joe Biden expressed America's "absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel' security" at a press conference in Jerusalem following a meeting with Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu Monday morning. As such, Biden said, Washington was "determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and we are working with many countries around the world to convince Iran to meet its international obligations to cease and desist." Jerusalem Post

U.S. Says "Drugged Driving" Growing Threat
Motorists under the influence of drugs are a growing threat on U.S. roads, while the number who drink and drive has fallen thanks to education and law enforcement, a top U.S. drug control official said on Tuesday. The United States is calling for discussions at United Nations level to tackle "drugged driving" and says it wants to collect data to gauge the scale of the problem among public sector drivers and commercial truckers. Reuters

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Senate Staffers Warned To Stay Clear Of Drudge Report
The Senate's official gatekeeper, said the Drudge Report, a conservative news aggregator, and whitepages.com "are responsible for the many viruses popping up throughout the Senate," according to an e-mail to the Environment and Public Works Committee. In the very body sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, an e-mail is circulating warning U.S. Senate staffers not to view one of the most popular news sites on the Web, claiming it could spread computer viruses. Fox News

Gov't: Baby Slings Can Cause Suffocation
The U.S. government is preparing a safety warning about baby slings — those popular and fashionable infant carriers that parents can sling around their chests to carry their baby. The concern: Infants can suffocate, and at least a few have. The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum, said Tuesday that her agency is getting ready to issue a general warning to the public, likely to go out this week, about the slings. CBS

US Playing `Game' In Afghanistan
Taking aim at the U.S., Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that it's the United States that is playing a "double game" in Afghanistan, fighting terrorists it once supported. At a news conference in the Afghan capital, Ahmadinejad was asked to respond to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who earlier in the week accused Tehran of "playing a double game" by trying to have a good relationship with the Afghan government while undermining U.S. and NATO efforts by providing some support to the Taliban. Tampa Tribune

Bank Of America To Deny Debit Card Overdrafts
In a significant policy reversal, the USA's largest bank plans will stop allowing consumers to overdraw their checking accounts with one-time debit card transactions. Bank of America's (BAC) new policy — which takes effect in mid-June for new customers and early August for existing customers — comes amid intense public scrutiny of financial institutions' overdraft fees. In 2009, banks earned about $38.5 billion from overdraft and insufficient-funds fees, estimates Moebs Services, an economic research firm. USA Today
VOA VIEW: Government constraints will now cause debit card users tighter credit.

White House Laughs Off Emanuel's Naked Lobbying
Tales about the White House's hot-tempered, foul-mouthed chief of staff are legion, from Rahm Emanuel's mailing of a dead fish to a pollster to a lawmaker's accusation that Mr. Emanuel berated him over a vote in the shower at the congressional gym. Mixing mockery and scorn, the Obama administration Tuesday dismissed new accusations about Mr. Emanuel from Rep. Eric Massa, a freshman New York Democrat who has formally resigned his seat amid a growing ethics scandal and charges of sexual misconduct involving his staff. Washington Times

Pringles Recall: Flavor Company Kept Shipping After Finding Salmonella
A nationwide seasoning recall that started with dips has expanded to include popular Pringles potato chips as FDA investigators report the company behind the recall kept shipping products even after finding them tainted with salmonella. Investigators believe the contamination is in the pepper coating.Proctor & Gamble has announced the recall of two flavors of Pringles: Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night. Both products included hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), an obscure but widely-used flavor-enhancing ingredient made by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. ABC

Obama Pushing On Health Care End Game
President Barack Obama has chosen a suburban St. Louis high school to make his closing argument for a health care overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast. Obama is to speak Wednesday at St. Charles High School, his second health care address in three days. His speech comes as congressional Democrats stand on the brink of delivering the president a dramatic success with passage of his sweeping overhaul legislation — or a colossal failure if they can't get it done. SF Gate

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Class-Action Lawsuits Could Cost Toyota $3B Or More
Toyota owners claiming that massive safety recalls are causing the value of their vehicles to plummet have filed at least 89 class-action lawsuits that could cost the Japanese auto giant $3 billion or more, according to an Associated Press review of cases, legal precedent and interviews with experts. Those estimates do not include potential payouts for wrongful death and injury lawsuits, which could reach in the tens of millions each. Still, the sheer volume of cases involving U.S. Toyota owners claiming lost value -- 6 million or more -- could prove far more costly, adding up to losses in the billions for the automaker. Fox News

White House: Eric Massa's Charges Are 'Ridiculous'
The White House today dismissed comments from a retiring Democratic congressman who claimed his own party had hounded him out of office because he had planned to vote against President Obama's health care bill. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says focus is on people, not insurance companies. Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y., announced his resignation last week amid allegations that he sexually harassed two male aides. The congressman first said he was stepping down because his cancer had returned, but then shifted his story, suggesting in a radio interview that he was being forced out of Congress as part of a "setup" involving the White House. ABC

Israel Apologizes For Embarrassing Biden
Israel apologized Wednesday for disrupting the visit of Vice President Joe Biden with its announcement of 1,600 new homes in disputed east Jerusalem, but made clear it had no intention of reversing the order that has cast a shadow over the latest U.S. push for Mideast peace. As Biden held talks with top Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai, whose office announced the new construction on lands Palestinians claim for a future state, said the problem was about timing, not substance. Seattle Times

Crafting The US No-Fly List: A delicate, High-Stakes And Imperfect Effort
It starts with a tip, a scrap of intelligence, a fingerprint lifted from a suspected terrorist's home. It ends when a person is forbidden to board an airplane — a decision that's in the hands of about six experts from the Transportation Security Administration. The no-fly list they oversee constantly changes as hundreds of analysts churn through a steady stream of intelligence. Managing the list is a high-stakes process. Go too far in one direction and innocent travelers are inconvenienced. Go in the other direction and a terrorist might slip onto an airplane. It could take minutes to put a name on the list. Or it could take hours, days or months. Sun Sentinel
VOA VIEW: Stopping terrorists from entering the U.S. is next to impossible.

Beijing Vows Not To Use U.S. Debt For Political Gain
A top Chinese official said Tuesday that Beijing will not use its vast holdings of U.S. government debt for political gain, just a few days after a forecast projected that the U.S. national debt is on course to triple to $20 trillion over the next decade. China holds the world's largest cache of foreign exchange reserves, which soared more than $450 billion last year to reach $2.4 trillion at year's end. Concerns about Beijing's plans for its holdings have peaked in recent weeks after Chinese military officials suggested using that debt to pressure the United States in other policy areas. Washington Times

Roberts: Scene At State Of Union `Very Troubling’
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Obama's State of the Union address was "very troubling" and the annual speech has "degenerated to a political pep rally." Obama chided the court, with the justices seated before him in their black robes, for its decision on a campaign finance case. Responding to a University of Alabama law student's question, Roberts said anyone was free to criticize the court, and some have an obligation to do so because of their positions. "So I have no problems with that," he said. "On the other hand, there is the issue of the setting, the circumstances and the decorum. Las Vegas Sun

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'Israel Accepts Ankara As Mediator'
A source from the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday afternoon denied a news report quoting the Turkish prime minister as saying Israel has accepted that Turkey will again mediate talks with Syria, and said that Jerusalem has not made any decision to resume peace talks with Damascus. Turkey's NTV television quoted Recep Tayyip Erdogan as telling reporters in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that the stalled talks may resume soon. Jerusalem Post

Dutch Church Orders Inquiry Into Sex Abuse Allegations
Earlier, the Vatican defended its response to child sex abuse allegations in a number of European states, saying it had reacted rapidly and decisively. In the latest revelations, the head of an Austrian monastery confessed to abusing a boy more than 40 years ago. Separately, Pope Benedict's brother said in an interview he slapped pupils in the face at a German choir school.  The Dutch investigation will be opened "as soon as possible", it was announced after Dutch bishops met to discuss abuse claims by about 200 alleged victims, some from several decades ago. BBC

Sudan's Elections To Be Crucial Test
A U.S. official says Sudan's upcoming elections must be as transparent as possible to prepare for a referendum on independence for the oil-rich south in 2011. U.S. Special Envoy Scott Gration said Wednesday that April's presidential and parliamentary polls would not be perfect but could still "reflect the will of the people." Sudan has been wracked by decades of war. A 2005 peace agreement ended the north-south conflict that killed 2 million people but by then the western Darfur region was at war. Philadelphia Inquirer

China Tells US To Do More On Climate Change
China told the United States on Wednesday to make stronger commitments on climate change and provide environmental expertise and financing to developing nations. At the same time, China said its own efforts to reduce energy intensity have been hampered by its economic recovery in the latter part of last year, which brought growth in heavy energy-consuming industries. China's top climate change negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, acknowledged the current U.S. administration's greater stress on greenhouse gas reductions, but said its pledges thus far fall short of expectations. Atlanta Journal

Brazil Slaps Trade Sanctions On US Over Cotton Dispute
The Brazilian government has announced trade sanctions against a variety of American goods in retaliation for illegal US subsidies to cotton farmers. The World Trade Organization (WTO) approved the sanctions in a rare move. Brazil published a list of 100 US goods that would be subject to import tariffs in 30 days, unless the two governments reached a last-minute accord. It said it regretted the sanctions, but that eight years of litigation had failed to produce a result. BBC

Somali Leader Welcomes US Military Support
Somalia's president yesterday welcomed any US military involvement in a long-awaited offensive in his country aimed at driving Islamist rebels from the capital. During a visit to London, President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed said US air support would help his troops to seize areas of Mogadishu as he seeks to enlarge his weak government's tiny power base. Independent

China And India Join Copenhagen Accord
China and India wrote to the UN's climate secretariat today agreeing to be "listed" as a parties to the Copenhagen accord, the last-minute agreement that emerged from the chaos of the UN's summit in Copenhagen. The action falls short of full "association" and highlights the gulf between the US – the strongest backer of the accord – and the other key nations on how to deliver a global deal to combat climate change. Guardian

Patients' Medical Records Go Online Without Consent
Those who do not wish to have their details on the £11 billion computer system are supposed to be able to opt out by informing health authorities. But doctors have accused the Government of rushing the project through, meaning that patients have had their details uploaded to the database before they have had a chance to object. The scheme, one of the largest of its kind in the world, will eventually hold the private records of more than 50 million patients. Telegraph

Millions Will Have To Wait Until 4PM For Post
Under the terms of a new three year Royal Mail pay deal, which has been criticised for allowing postmen to get paid more for working less, letters and parcels will be delivered one hour later - 3pm in towns and cities and 4pm in the countryside. Currently, the latest the post should be delivered is 2pm in towns and cities, and 3pm in rural areas. The new, even later deliveries were criticised by politicians and campaigners last night, with some suggesting that "the householder and the small businessman working from home is paying the price of this peace deal". Telegraph

Dalai Lama: China Aims To Annihilate Buddhism
The Dalai Lama blasted Chinese authorities today, accusing them of trying to "annihilate Buddhism" in Tibet as he commemorated a failed uprising against China's rule over the region. The Tibetan spiritual leader's angry comments appeared to signal his frustration with fruitless efforts to negotiate a compromise with China. However, he said he would not abandon talks.The Dalai Lama says he only wants some form of autonomy for Tibet within China that would allow Tibetan culture, language and religion to thrive. Detroit News

Head Of UN Mission In Haiti Says Humanitarian Aid Will Be Needed Until 2011
Nearly two months after Haiti was struck by a catastrophic earthquake, the top United Nations official there says the country is moving towards recovery and reconstruction but will need continued urgent humanitarian relief for at least the next 12 months. “That first phase of humanitarian aid and assistance will have to be there in a parallel track with the other two – recovery and reconstruction – because the rainy season is already arriving and we will have the hurricane season in June,” Edmond Mulet, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), told journalists today in New York. UN News

UN And Aid Partners Call For $60 Million To Help 110,000 Congolese Refugees
The United Nations and its partners today launched an appeal for just under $60 million to help more than 100,000 refugees from the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who have fled ethnic violence and are seeking refuge in neighbouring Republic of Congo (ROC). The funds will help some 110,000 refugees, the vast majority of whom are women and children, as well as 58,000 people in the Republic of Congo’s host areas for a six-month period. UN News

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