US News - News April 11, 2011

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Wis. rail exec charged with illegal donations to governor (chicagotribune)
A Wisconsin railroad executive was charged with two felonies on Monday for making illegal campaign contributions to Republican Governor Scott Walker and other candidates, according to court records.William Gardner, the head of Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, was charged with making excessive contributions and for unlawful donations. He has an initial court appearance scheduled May 2.

Global military spending hits high but growth slows (reuters)
Worldwide military spending edged up in 2010 to a record $1.6 trillion, a leading think-tank said on Monday.Global spending rose 1.3 percent in real terms, a slowdown from 5.9 percent the year before as the economic downturn caused by the 2008 financial crisis hit military spending, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said.

First authorized biography of Steve Jobs, 'iSteve' to be published in early 2012 (examiner)
Simon & Schuster announced on Sunday that, for the first time, an authorized biography of Steve Jobs will be published in early 2012. The book is called "iSteve: The Book of Jobs" and is written by Walter Isaacson.

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GOP Gets Its Turn on Medicare Hot Seat (EDGEchicago Health/Fitness Feed)
In this April 5, 2011 photo, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., touts his 2012 federal budget during a news conference Now it's their turn to try to fix the health care mess.

House Votes to Repeal Regs on Internet Access (EDGEfireisland Technology Feed)
House Republicans adamant that the government keep its hands off the Internet passed a bill Friday to repeal federal rules barring Internet service providers from blocking or interfering with traffic on their networks.

Jenn Sterger to Dish Details on Favre in GMA, ABC Interviews (huliq)
Former Jets employee Jenn Sterger is set to appear on "Good Morning, America" and ABC's "Nightline" this week, and she will finally reveal some details on the Brett Favre scandal that rocked NFL football during the 2010 season.

Boehner: GOP not going to 'roll over' on debt (content.usatoday)
House Speaker John Boehner today defended the budget deal that kept the government running and expressed low expectations for President Obama's upcoming speech on the deficit .

Japan expands nuclear evacuation zone, new quake hits (tribune.pk)
Japan on Monday expanded the evacuation zone around its crippled nuclear plant because of high levels of accumulated radiation, as a strong aftershock rattled the area one month after a quake and tsunami sparked the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. ...

Farm subsidies face $30B hit under GOP budget plan (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
The Republican head of the House Budget Committee has proposed cutting agriculture subsidies by $30 billion over the next 10 years as part of a broad effort to slash federal spending, but it remains to be seen whether his ideas will be incorporated in legislation that sets funding for agriculture programs.

US set to appoint envoy to revive Myanmar policy (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
President Barack Obama plans to name a special envoy to Myanmar who is expected to seek more help from the repressive government's neighbors in pressing for democratic reform.

Mexico Gains As a Home for Gay U.S. Retirees (EDGEprovidence News Feed)
As baby boomers enter retirement, the American dream of spending carefree golden years in a tropical oasis has never seemed further out of reach.

Small plane crashes into Maine house; 1 dead (Houston Chronicle)
A small plane crashed into a house in Maine and burst into flames Sunday evening, killing one person on the plane, authorities said.

US company in Haiti blames Cuba for loss of barge (WTEN)
A U.S. housing company is blaming Cuba for the loss of a barge loaded with supplies to build shelters for displaced earthquake survivors in Haiti.

Cantor Sees Current Medicare and Medicaid Programs As A 'Safety ... (thinkprogress)
Having secured "draconian" cuts in a last-minute budget deal last week, House Republicans are hyping House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) new "Path to Prosperity" plan. The proposal professes to reform programs like Medicare and Medicaid to rein in spending by $6.2 trillion over the next decade. But as the Washington Post's Ezra Klein notes, Ryan's Medicare and Medicaid plans "rely on the same bait-and-switch: They use a reform to disguise a cut." By making Medicare a voucher program and Medicaid a block grant program with $750 billion less in funding, Ryan's plan forces seniors to pay more for the same benefits, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, and jeopardizes vital health care services for millions of low-income Americans.

Sailor charged with murder in nuclear sub shooting (WBMA)
Police charged a Royal Navy sailor on Sunday with murdering an officer aboard a British nuclear-powered submarine.