Key US senator sees deal this week on immigration - KVUE

Associated Press

Posted on April 7, 2013 at 7:33 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — A noisy debate over the flawed U.S. immigration system will begin in earnest this week as senators finalize a bipartisan bill to secure the border, allow tens of thousands of foreign workers into the country and grant eventual citizenship to the estimated 11 million people living here illegally.

Negotiators warned of struggles ahead, but all involved are optimistic that it's time to make the biggest changes to the nation's immigration laws in more than a quarter-century.

"There will be a great deal of unhappiness about this proposal because everybody didn't get what they wanted," Republican Sen. John McCain, a leader of the eight senators negotiating the legislation, said Sunday on CBS.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, another of the eight senators involved, told CBS he's hoping for a bipartisan deal by the end of this week.

In a bitterly divided Congress, the immigration bill appears to be one of the few major pieces of legislation that is likely to receive bipartisan support and become law. For many opposition Republicans, their loss in last year's presidential election, when Latino and Asians voters backed President Barack Obama in big numbers, resonates as evidence that they must confront the immigration issue.

"Every corner of the Republican Party ... is now understanding there has to be an earned pathway to citizenship," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said.

A deal on immigration is a top priority for Obama in his second term, and senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday on Fox that the bill being developed in the Senate is consistent with Obama's approach. He didn't answer directly when asked whether Obama would sign legislation making a path to citizenship contingent on first securing the border.

Obama has stressed that a path to citizenship should not have major hurdles, and some immigration advocates believe that's what a requirement for a secure border would amount to.

But Republicans involved in the Senate negotiations have made clear that border security is a must for them before those living here illegally can be allowed to move toward citizenship.

"We are going to secure that border and it will be tied to a pathway to citizenship or there will be no deal," Graham said.

Graham also suggested that disagreement over a new low-skilled worker program could still be hanging up an overall immigration deal — even after an agreement a week ago between the AFL-CIO labor federation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an influential pro-business lobbying group.

The hard-won deal between labor and business would ultimately allow up to 200,000 workers a year into the U.S. to fill jobs in construction, hospitality, nursing homes and other areas where employers now say they have a difficult time hiring Americans or legally bringing in foreign workers. Even after the deal was struck, some industries, such as construction, continued to voice complaints about the terms.

Without offering details, Graham said on NBC that negotiators were revisiting the low-skilled worker deal. But he issued a statement a short time later saying he was confident the agreement would hold.

Graham sounded optimistic overall, predicting the bill would pass the 100-member Senate with 70 votes in favor. Senators believe an overwhelming bipartisan vote is needed in the Democratic-led Senate to ensure a chance of success in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Floor action could start in the Senate in May, Schumer said.

___

Associated Press writer Erica Werner contributed.

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US diplomat died 'doing what she loved' in Afghanistan - CNN

• NEW: Anne Smedinghoff joined the Foreign Service after college, worked in Caracas
• Friend: "Every dangerous place, she wanted to go there ... that's where the hard work was"
• She is believed to be the first U.S. diplomat killed since last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya
• Kerry: Her death is a grim reminder of the risks facing diplomats

(CNN) -- Anne Smedinghoff lived inside a heavily secured compound.

But the public diplomacy officer for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul was always pushing to get out.

"We thought she was relatively safe in the embassy compound, but as it turned out, Anne really wanted to do a lot more," her father, Tom Smedinghoff, told CNN on Sunday.

"She was always finding projects and assignments that took her outside to the various provinces within and around Afghanistan, and that was what she wanted to do. That was what really drove her."

Kerry: Smedinghoff believed in change

He said his daughter relished the opportunity to work directly with the Afghan people and that she volunteered to go to Kabul because she felt there was "a lot of good she could do there."

This weekend, the 25-year-old was trying to do just that -- delivering books to a school in southern Afghanistan -- when a suicide bomber smashed into her convoy Saturday. She is believed to be the first U.S. diplomat killed since the September attack in Benghazi, Libya.

Her death was a grim reminder of the risks and importance of pushing for change in "one of the toughest places on earth," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday.

It was an "extraordinary, harsh contradiction," Kerry said, to see an attacker kill "a young, 25-year-old woman with all of the future ahead of her, believing in the possibilities of diplomacy, of changing people's lives, of making a difference, having an impact, who was taking knowledge in books to deliver them to a school."

Officials did not say who they believe was behind the blast. But Kerry offered a sharp condemnation of the violence as he spoke Sunday to U.S. diplomats stationed in Istanbul.

"The folks who want to kill people, and that's all they want to do, are scared of knowledge. And they want to shut the doors and they don't want people to make their choices about the future. For them, it's 'You do things my way and if you don't, we'll throw acid in your face. We'll put a bullet in your face,' to a young girl trying to learn," Kerry said. "So this is a huge challenge for us. It is a confrontation with modernity, with possibilities, and everything that our country stands for, everything we stand for, is embodied in what Anne Smedinghoff stood for."

Friend: 'She pushed you to be better'

Smedinghoff graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2009 with a degree in international relations and joined the Foreign Service soon afterward.

"I remember how excited she was when she got in and started her training. She would always talk about it, because she was one of those natural leaders," said Christopher Louie, 26, a close friend who first met Smedinghoff in college. "When she was passionate about something, she would let everyone know. ... You could just tell when she got in the Foreign Service, she saw that this was her opportunity to make a big impact on the world."

And her enthusiasm was infectious, said Louie, a medical filmmaker in Washington who recently vacationed with Smedinghoff in Jordan.

"She always got people interested in what she was involved in. ... Whenever I knew I was going to see her, I'd always make sure I was brushed up on foreign affairs. She was one of those people, you didn't want to let her down," he said. "She pushed you to be better."

It was clear that "there was no better place for her" than the Foreign Service, her parents, Tom and Mary Beth Smedinghoff, said in a written statement.

After a tour of duty in Caracas, Venezuela, Smedinghoff volunteered for an assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and had been working there since July, her parents said.

"We are consoled knowing that she was doing what she loved, and that she was serving her country by helping to make a positive difference in the world," they said.

Before she joined the State Department, Smedinghoff served on the board of directors for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults' 4K for Cancer program, spending a summer cycling across the United States to raise money and awareness.

"Anne was an incredibly optimistic, fearless, and giving person," said Ryan Hanley, the program's founder

"We mourn a life cut short," he said Sunday, "but are blessed to have shared in it."

Father: 'I think she really enjoyed the challenge'

Smedinghoff's Facebook profile gives a glimpse of her life in Afghanistan. One photo shows a group skiing in the Afghan mountains. Another shows her standing behind a lectern at the embassy, surrounded by American flags. Another, titled "Helicoptering around Helmand," shows a smiling Smedinghoff sitting beside men in camouflage, wearing a helmet and a flak jacket.

"I think she really enjoyed the challenge. She really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the local people in the community," her father told CNN.

He said she did a lot of public outreach work, helping to organize educational efforts in schools and working with women's groups to promote equality.

Tom Smedinghoff spoke to on his way to Dover Air Force Base, where his daughter's body is expected to arrive on Monday.

On Easter, her father told the Chicago Tribune, she excitedly talked about Kerry's recent visit.

"She sounded so upbeat and so positive and so excited about all the work she'd been doing," he said.

Kerry was emotional Sunday as he spoke of Smedinghoff's death. He said that they met two weeks ago when he visited Afghanistan.

"I remember her -- vivacious, smart, capable, chosen often by the ambassador there to be the lead person because of her capabilities," he said.

Neighbor: 'She had candle power'

Residents in the River Forest, Illinois, neighborhood where the Smedinghoff family lives said they were devastated by the news.

"Anne Smedinghoff was one of those rare people who, you were lucky if you were near her. She had candle power," one neighbor told CNN affiliate WGN. "She brightened everyone's life."

Katie Whiting, whose sister was Smedinghoff's best friend, told the CNN affiliate that the "beautiful and brave" diplomat was doing her dream job.

"The world has really lost somebody who was going to do a lot of good things. ... Every dangerous place she wanted to go there, because that's where the hard work was," Whiting said.

In Smedinghoff's memory, CNN affiliate WBBM reported, American flags lined the road near her family's home on Sunday.

A large photograph she posted on her Facebook profile less than three weeks ago shows another road on the other side of the world, lined with Afghan flags.

CNN's John Branch and Rick Martin contributed to this report.

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Afghan children 'killed by Nato'

7 April 2013 Last updated at 08:08 ET

Up to 12 civilians - 10 children and two women - are reported to have been killed in a Nato air strike in eastern Afghanistan.

A further six women are believed to have been injured in the incident in Shigal district, Kunar province.

Villagers and officials told the BBC that a roof of a house collapsed during an air strike, causing the casualties.

Nato confirmed that "fire support" was used in Shigal but said it did not have any reports of civilian deaths.

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Youth PCC apologises over tweets

7 April 2013 Last updated at 05:05 ET

Paris Brown is paid £15,000 a year in the role as Youth PCC

A teenager who became Britain's first youth police and crime commissioner (PCC) last week is facing calls to resign after a series of offensive tweets.

Paris Brown, 17, was appointed to work alongside Kent's Independent PCC Ann Barnes representing young people across the county.

The Mail on Sunday reported she tweeted violent, racist and anti-gay comments from her Twitter account @vilulabelle.

The page has since been removed.

The newspaper also reported Paris boasted about her sex life, drug taking and drinking on the social networking website.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select committee, said Miss Brown should be removed from the post immediately, the newspaper reported.

Nicholas Rogers, a Conservative councillor in Kent, tweeted: "Naive to throw a teen into robust political environment. Youth PCC nice bit of PR but ended in tears."

The appointment of a youth PCC was one of Ms Barnes's main manifesto pledges in the campaign ahead of her election as Kent's first PCC in November.

She said the youth PCC would receive £15,000 for the year, part-funded from her own £85,000 salary.

View the original article here

Red meat chemical 'damages heart'

7 April 2013 Last updated at 20:08 ETBy James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

A chemical found in red meat helps explain why eating too much steak, mince and bacon is bad for the heart say US scientists.

A study in the journal Nature Medicine showed that carnitine in red meat was broken down by bacteria in the gut.

This kicked off a chain of events which resulted in higher levels of cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.

Dieticians warned there may be a risk to people taking carnitine supplements.

There has been a wealth of studies suggesting that regularly eating red meat may be damaging to health.

In the UK, the government recommends eating no more than 70g of red or processed meat a day - the equivalent of two slices of bacon.

Saturated fat and the way processed meat is preserved are thought to contribute to heart problems. However, this was not thought to be the whole story.

"The cholesterol and saturated fat content of lean red meat is not that high, there's something else contributing to increases in cardiovascular risk," lead researcher Dr Stanley Hazen told the BBC.

Gut bugs

Experiments on mice and people showed that bacteria in the gut could eat carnitine.

Carnitine was broken down into a gas, which was converted in the liver to a chemical called TMAO.

In the study, TMAO was strongly linked with the build-up of fatty deposits in blood vessels, which can lead to heart disease and death.

Dr Hazen, from the Cleveland Clinic, said TMAO was often ignored: "It may be a waste product but it is significantly influencing cholesterol metabolism and the net effect leads to an accumulation of cholesterol.

"The findings support the idea that less red meat is better.

"I used to have red meat five days out of seven, now I have cut it way back to less than once every two weeks or so."

He said the findings raised the idea of using a probiotic yogurt to change the balance of bacteria in the gut.

Reducing the number of bacteria that feed on carnitine would in theory reduce the health risks of red meat.

Vegetarians naturally have fewer bacteria that are able to break down carnitine than meat-eaters.

Continue reading the main story

Red meat meals versus daily guidelines

Meal or processed meat	Cooked weight	Within guideline?
Source: NHS/World Cancer Research Fund
1. Cooked breakfast	130g	No
Assumes two standard sausages and two thin rashers of bacon
2. Spaghetti bolognese	140g	No
Standard portion of minced beef
3. 5oz rump steak	102g	No
A 5oz steak is smaller than a typical restaurant serving
4. Doner kebab	130g	No
Typically comprising several slices of processed marinated lamb
5. Big Mac	70g	Yes
Contains two thin burgers
6. Sunday roast	90g	No
Assumes three slices of beef, lamb or pork

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This is certainly an interesting discovery and sheds some light on why red meat might have an impact on heart health.

"While the findings won't necessarily mean a change to existing recommendations, these scientists have served up a good reminder for us to think about alternative sources of protein if we regularly eat a lot of red or processed meats."

Catherine Collins, a dietitian at St George's Hospital, said: "It's a very persuasive argument, but we know that eating a couple of portions of red meat weekly is of no risk, heart wise.

"There's no need to change our dietary recommendations from this - a Mediterranean-style diet with modest meat, fish, dairy and alcohol intake, coupled with more pulses, vegetables fruits, wholegrains and mono-unsaturated fats, remains the nutritional blueprint for a healthy and healthful life.

"But I would strongly recommend that unless you're a vegetarian or vegan, there is a potential risk from taking L-carnitine, lecithin, choline or betaine supplements in an attempt to ward off cognitive decline or improve fat metabolism.

"If the evidence is confirmed these supplements would do more to damage arteries than provide health benefits."

View the original article here

Portugal PM outlines new budget cuts

7 April 2013 Last updated at 15:59 ET

The austerity measures are already deeply unpopular

Continue reading the main story

• Is Cyprus's euro membership viable?
• Q&A: Cyprus deal
• UK Laiki depositors escape levy
• Q&A: Banking union

Portugal's prime minister has said a court ruling striking down parts of his government's budget means it will have to make other deep spending cuts.

Pedro Passos Coelho said social security, health, education and public enterprises would have to be cut.

This would allow the country to avoid a second eurozone bailout, he said.

In a statement to the nation on Sunday evening, the PM repeatedly used the phrase "national emergency" to describe Portugal's situation.

The Constitutional Court struck down more than 1bn euros (£847m; $1.3bn) of savings that the right-of-centre government had said were needed to meet the terms of its existing bailout.

Mr Passos Coelho said the ruling striking down the budget's suspension of holiday bonuses for public sector workers and pensioners - about 7% of their annual income - meant it must find alternative savings or seek a second bailout.

The government would, he said, do everything in its power to avoid having to ask its European partners for more aid.

Since tax increases were out of the question after the unprecedented increases already in the budget, he said, the only option was to cut back on other public services.

'Life more difficult'

"Today, we are still not out of the financial emergency which placed us in this painful crisis," he said.

"After this decision by the Constitutional Court, it's not just the government's life that will become more difficult, it is the life of the Portuguese that will become more difficult and make the success of our national economic recovery more problematic."

Opposition leaders have accused Mr Passos Coelho of using the court ruling as an excuse to press ahead with cuts to public services that he was planning anyway.

They say the government must resign, having lost credibility after two budgets in two years were ruled unconstitutional.

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Man who took hostages from Clinton office in 2007 missing from unit - Fox News

Published April 07, 2013

Associated Press

MANCHESTER, N.H. –  A man who took hostages at a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign office in 2007 escaped from a minimum-security correctional facility on Sunday, authorities said.

Leeland Eisenberg was discovered missing during a head count Sunday afternoon at the Calumet Transitional Housing Unit in Manchester, state Department of Corrections spokesman Jeff Lyons said.

Eisenberg was sentenced in May 2010 to 3 1/2 to 7 years for probation violations. The 52-year-old would have been eligible for parole in August.

Once he is found, he will be charged with escape, a felony punishable by 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison, Lyons said. Eisenberg isn't considered armed.

Eisenberg spent about two years behind bars for the November 2007 siege at Clinton's Rochester campaign office in which he claimed to have a bomb. No one was hurt in a five-hour standoff and the bomb turned out to be road flares.

At his arraignment in that case, public defender Randy Hawkes portrayed Eisenberg as a man at the end of his rope emotionally after being repeatedly turned down when he sought psychiatric help.

Eisenberg "heard voices and saw a movie in his head telling him he had to sacrifice himself" to shine light on the flaws in the health care system, Hawkes said.

Eisenberg was released on probation in November 2009. His first violation occurred soon after his release, when he failed to charge his monitoring bracelet. He was incarcerated in January 2010 after failing to take mandatory alcohol breath tests.

In February 2010, he cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and fled, a day after being given a last chance at freedom by a judge who released him despite multiple probation violations. He was found in his Dover apartment the next day.

Eisenberg's long criminal record also includes two rape convictions.

He was sentenced to 10 years for rape in Worcester, Mass., in 1985 but escaped the next year and committed another rape, prosecutors said. He was sentenced to 11 to 20 years for that. He was released from prison in March 2005.

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Changes begin for disability benefit

7 April 2013 Last updated at 19:03 ET

People with disabilities will eventually all move over to the new PIP system

Major changes to disability benefits for new claimants are being introduced in the north of England.

The existing system of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is being phased out and replaced by Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

The government says the existing model is outdated and needs to be reformed, and that benefits are not being cut.

But disability charity Scope says 600,000 people will eventually lose their financial support.

Other critics argue that those losing out will find it harder to be part of their communities.

PIPs will be introduced gradually for new claimants in Merseyside, north-west England, Cumbria, Cheshire and north-east England.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show that more 70% of claimants get DLA for life.

But ministers believe the circumstances of some individuals can improve over time, so there is a case for more regular assessment.

Minister for Disabled People Esther McVey said the PIP would give more targeted support to those who need it most.

"Disability Living Allowance is an outdated benefit introduced over 20 years ago and needs reform to better reflect today's understanding of disability," she said.

"At the moment the vast majority of claimants get the benefit for life without any systematic reassessments and around 50% of decisions are made on the basis of the claim form alone - without any additional corroborating medical evidence.

"The Personal Independence Payment will include a new face-to-face assessment and regular reviews - something missing in the current system. This will ensure the billions we spend give more targeted support to those who need it most."

Phased introduction

New claimants in the north of England will now begin face-to face assessments with ATOS - one of two companies administering the process.

From June new claims will begin in the rest of the country and in October, some of those currently receiving will start moving to the new system, if there is a change in their circumstances or an existing award ends.

But it will be two years before most of the 3.3 million existing claimants begin moving over to PIP.

Scope says a "financial lifeline is being cut", but the government says it will continue to spend the same amount on the benefit in 2015 as it does now.

Richard Hawkes, chief executive of Scope, said: "In 2013 disabled people are struggling to make ends meet. Life costs more if you're disabled. But this year living costs are spiralling and income is flat-lining. Disabled people are getting into debt to pay for essentials.

"What's the government's response? It is cutting a financial life-line for disabled people, which helps them meet the extra costs of day-to-day living when you have a disability. The reform is fundamentally flawed.

"DLA needs reforming and could be better targeted to meet the extra costs people face. But disabled people are frightened by the government's plans. They believe it's just an excuse to cut their support."

Other changes to the benefits system include the Universal Credit scheme, which will replace benefits including income support and housing benefit with a single payment.

The first trial of the system begins on 29 April in Ashton-Under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

Other changes came into place on 1 April, including a cap of £26,000 of benefits per household and payment reductions for those deemed to have a "spare bedroom".

View the original article here

N Korea in foreign embassy warning

5 April 2013 Last updated at 10:49 ET

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul: "North Korea is unpredictable and the stakes are very high”

Continue reading the main story

• Mobilising the propagandists
• Vexing issue for US
• Business as usual in South
• Past lessons

North Korea has told foreign embassies in Pyongyang it cannot guarantee their safety in the event of conflict, and to consider evacuating their employees.

The UK Foreign Office said it was "considering next steps". Russia said it had no plans to evacuate.

The North's move comes amid threats to attack US and South Korean targets.

South Korea has reportedly deployed two warships with missile-defence systems after the North was said to moved a missile to its east coast.

Military officials told South Korean media the two warships would be deployed on the east and west coasts.

Seoul has played down the North's missile move.

It said the move may be for a test rather than a hostile act.

Creating a crisis?

British diplomats said on Friday the North had asked them to respond by 10 April on what support the embassy would need in the event of any evacuation - and they were considering their moves.

Russian diplomats said they had no immediate plan to evacuate, stressing there were no outward signs of tension in Pyongyang.

But anecdotal reports from inside the capital, Pyongyang, say the mood there is calm, and many believe North Korea is deliberately trying to create a sense of crisis, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul.

One of the US targets named by Pyongyang was the Pacific island of Guam, which hosts a US military base.

On Thursday, the US confirmed it would deploy a missile-defence system to Guam in response to the threats.

"The moves that we have been making are designed to ensure and to reassure the American people and our allies that we can defend the United States," said state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

Footage has been released of North Korean President Kim Jong-un watching a military drill

South Korea's foreign minister told MPs on Thursday that the North had moved a missile to the east coast, which is the location for previous military tests.

Unconfirmed reports on Friday said the North had moved two missiles, and had loaded them onto launchers.

Continue reading the main story

Aegis missile defence system

• Allows warships to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles while they are still in space
• Interceptors are fired to hit missiles before they re-enter the atmosphere
• The US, South Korea and Japan all have Aegis capability

• Business as usual in South
• Guide: Missile defences in the region

The missiles are thought to be mid-range Musudans, which are untested in flight but are thought to have the capacity to reach as far as Guam.

The South Korean news agency Yonhap said that two warships equipped with Aegis defence systems would monitor the situation.

"If the North fires off a missile, we will trace its trajectory," Yonhap quoted an official as saying.

'Turn down volume'

Despite North Korea's belligerent rhetoric, it has not taken direct military action since 2010, when it shelled a South Korean island and killed four people.

But in recent weeks it has threatened nuclear strikes and attacks on the US and South Korea.

It has announced a formal declaration of war on the South, and pledged to reopen a mothballed nuclear reactor in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

Continue reading the main story

Regional papers reflect on crisis

In South Korea

• Chosun Ilbo says: "The military has pledged to maintain a solid defence amid increasing threats from North Korea, but incident after incident shows how empty that pledge is."
• JoongAng Daily writes: "The escalation of tension by the North has hardly affected the South. Pyongyang's provocations are aimed at consolidating Kim Jong-un's power base at home."

In Japan

• According to Yomiuri Shimbun: "Kim should be keenly aware that the pursuits of nuclear armament and economic reconstruction are incompatible."
• Asahi Shimbun writes: "The United States and its two regional allies, Japan and South Korea, should start working closely together in serious efforts to figure out the best way to deal with North Korea."

• How potent are threats?
• Missile programme

Many of North Korea's angry statements have cited the annual military exercises between US and South Korean forces as provocation.

The US flew nuclear-capable B-2 and B-52 bombers over the South as part of the drill, and has since deployed warships with missile-defence systems to the region.

North Korea's official media say the US is surrounding the peninsula with a nuclear threat from land, sea and air.

Reports in US media quoting unnamed Pentagon officials suggest Washington is now questioning whether some of its actions may have contributed to the tension.

CNN quoted a Pentagon official as saying the US would now try to "turn the volume down" on its rhetoric.

In recent weeks, the North has shut down an emergency military hotline between Seoul and Pyongyang and stopped South Koreans from working at a joint industrial complex in the North.

The Kaesong complex, one of the last remaining symbols of co-operation between the neighbours, is staffed mainly by North Koreans but funded and managed by South Korean firms.

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Pope calls for action on sex abuse

5 April 2013 Last updated at 08:29 ET

Pope Francis has called for "decisive action" in the fight against sex abuse of minors by priests.

He instructed Bishop Gerhard Mueller, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith - the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog - to deal decisively with cases and to protect children.

It was the Argentine Pope's first public statement on clerical sex abuse.

He was elected last month, replacing Pope Emeritus Benedict, who became the first pope in 600 years to resign.

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Top rate of income tax falls to 45%

5 April 2013 Last updated at 19:04 ET

A number of tax and benefit changes have come into effect

A cut in the top rate of income tax from 50 pence in the pound to 45 pence has come into effect.

The reduction, which was announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his 2012 Budget, affects people with incomes of more than £150,000.

Other tax and benefit changes that start on 6 April include the freeze on the level of income pensioners can receive before they have to pay tax.

Dubbed the "granny tax", the amount will no longer rise with inflation.

The tax allowance level for people aged 65 and older has instead been set at £10,500.

Pension rise

For almost everyone else there's a jump in the tax allowance - the amount people can earn before paying income tax.

It has risen to £9,440, leaving an extra £267 a year in the pockets of millions of basic rate taxpayers.

However, the chancellor paid for this cut in part by bringing down the threshold for 40% tax to £41,450, adding 400,000 people to that tax band.

Meanwhile, most tax credits and working age benefits, including Jobseeker Allowance, are being increased by a below inflation 1%.

Pensioners get a more generous rise in the state pension which goes up by 2.5% to £110 a week.

Child benefit has been frozen for a third year.

The reduction in the top rate of income tax sparked a political row when it was first announced last year.

Labour said the coalition government was giving an unfair tax cut to the richest people in the country, while the Conservatives said the 50% level damaged UK growth and competitiveness, making it a less attractive place for overseas investment.

Conservative Party chairman, Grant Shapps MP, said that all the changes coming into effect on Saturday were "really good for hard-working people".

He added: "Twenty four million people will benefit and a further 2.2 million people will be taken out of that tax entirely under this measure today."

However, shadow chancellor Ed Balls said that as a result of the changes, working families would be up to £4,000 worse off, while millionaires get average tax cuts of £100,000.

Mr Balls added: ""The whole country will today see whose side this Conservative-led government is really on and who is paying the price for their total economic failure."

Regarding the freezing of the tax allowance for pensioners, Labour say it is an unfair attack on elderly people. The Conservatives counter that the allowance level remains higher than for people of working age, and that the government had increased the state pension by more than the former Labour government had planned.

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No citations in fatal bus crash; investigation continues - Chicago Daily Herald

The scene would make any parent gasp.

A school bus was flipped on its side with the rear emergency door kicked open, the windshield and side windows shattered. There were bloody marks on the ceiling.

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A mangled yellow Jeep Wrangler was nearby, not far from a tan Jeep Cherokee with front-end damage.

The horrific three-vehicle crash at 8 a.m. Friday in rural northern Lake County left one driver dead. However, the 34 students on the bus suffered only minor injuries, even though the vehicle rolled over during the crash, authorities said.

Lake County Sheriff's Office Operations Chief Brian Keller said the high-backed seats played some role in protecting children, and young children are more resilient than adults. Maybe it was something more.

"Honestly, it really is a miracle and a blessing that not one of these kids is more seriously injured than they are," Keller said.

Officials say one of the vehicles ran a red light at the fully signaled intersection of Route 173 and Kilbourne Road near Wadsworth moments before the crash, and they are working to determine which had the right of way. No citations have been issued.

Keller said police have conflicting witness statements about what happened.

Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said the driver of the Wrangler, Phillip Smith, 62, of Beach Park, died at the scene. A woman who answered the phone at Smith's house said she did not want to comment.

The school bus was carrying the students and the driver to Newport Elementary School, Beach Park Elementary District 3 Superintendent Robert DiVirgilio said. The school serves kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

"It was scary," said third-grader Mariah Smith of Zion, who was on the bus and lost a shoe. "At first, I didn't know what was going on."

Maria's father, Cliff Smith, came upon the accident site as he was headed to the College of Lake County. He reunited with his daughter at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where 25 kids were taken.
"I'm feeling better now," Smith said. "It was a rough morning."

Dr. Debra Susie-Lattner, vice-president of Medical Management at Condell, said all of the injuries they treated were minor. Bruises, scrapes and some broken bones were reported.

Social workers from the school and hospital were in the emergency room with families to work through the trauma, she added.

Six bus passengers, ages 5 to 11, were taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, spokesman John Griffin said.

One 11-year-old girl was in fair condition with a skull fracture. She was stabilized and taken by ambulance to Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Five other students were in good condition, he said.

Authorities said the driver and passenger of the Cherokee were picked up immediately after the accident by an unidentified motorist and taken to Vista Medical Center West in Waukegan. Griffin said they were in good condition.

Three other students were sent to St. Catherine's Medical Center in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., according to a spokeswoman. Their conditions weren't unknown.

Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Sara Balmes said a deputy accompanied the bus driver to a hospital. Her condition was unknown Friday. Balmes would not identify the driver or the hospital.

Keller said the initial investigation shows the bus was heading west on Route 173, the Cherokee was eastbound, and the Wrangler was driving south on Kilbourne when they converged at the intersection.

Speed limits are 55 mph on Kilbourne and 45 mph on Route 173.

Keller said the bus slammed into the passenger side of the Wrangler. He said the bus flipped, rolled over, then landed on its passenger side and slid across the road, where it hit the Cherokee. The bus continued sliding, and eventually came to rest facing east in the westbound lane, Keller said.

Barbara Taylor said she heard the loud thud, saw the bus on its side and ran from her house at the northwest corner of Kilbourne and Route 173 with blankets.

She ran to the bus and saw crying children suffering from mostly eye injuries and bloody noses.

"They were scared, and they didn't seem to know what happened," Taylor said.

The Route 173 intersection was closed until about 6 p.m. while investigators examined the crash scene. They will use witness statements, vehicle computer evidence, skid marks, debris and other elements to determine what happened.

"You treat it like a crime scene. It's a matter of piecing it together," Keller said.

The bus was owned by Durham Bus Services, said spokesman Blaine Krage. He said the company is working with authorities to determine the cause of the crash.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the driver of the Jeep who sustained fatal injuries, as well as with all of those affected by this accident," Krage said in an emailed statement.

The last documented fatality on a school bus in Illinois was in 2003, when a 14-year-old girl was killed after the bus driver drove off a downstate road, overcorrected and overturned the bus. The driver and 15 others were severely injured in the crash.

Statewide, less than 1 percent of crashes involving school buses have resulted in a fatality of any kind between 2007 and 2011, according to the most recent Illinois Department of Transportation data.

In those five years, 15 occupants of other vehicles involved in a crash with a school bus have died and another 1,200 were injured.

According to an IDOT spokesman, there were 53 accidents at the intersection of Kilbourne and Route 173 between 2004 and 2011, including 24 injury crashes and one fatal crash.

Because of the high total, the intersection received traffic signals in August 2012 as part of the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program. There is no information on whether crashes decreased after traffic signals were installed, state officials said.

Authorities said 27 fire departments from northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin participated in the rescue effort, and 18 ambulances were sent to scene.

Newport Fire Protection District Chief Mark Kirschhoffer could not explain how the children were not more seriously injured.

"Amazing," he said. "Thank God it turned out that way."

Daily Herald staff writers Eric Peterson, Jake Griffin, Jessica Cillela, Russell Lissau and Jake Griffin contributed to this report.

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Hiring slowed to 88000 jobs in March; unemployment rate drops to 7.6 percent - Washington Post

Businesses sharply reduced their pace of hiring in March, according to government data released Friday morning, deflating hopes that the nation’s economy is ready for takeoff.

The Labor Department reported that 88,000 jobs were created last month. Although industries such as construction and health care reported gains, they brought on fewer workers than in previous months.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service alone shed 12,000 jobs. And the retailer sector lost 24,000 jobs after six straight months of increases.

The closely watched government report was particularly disappointing because it came on the heels of a stronger February than expected. The Labor Department on Friday actually moved up its estimate of that month’s job growth to 268,000.

“The job market continues to improve — but in fits and starts,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics.

The drop-off in the March data follows a pattern established over the past two years, in which momentum in the winter dissipates by the summer. Several other economic indicators this week have clocked in below expectations. The ADP National Employment Report estimates that 158,000 jobs were added in March, significantly lower than predicted. And the number of people filing for new unemployment benefits rose to 385,000 during the last week of March.

A Gallup report released Thursday showed that the percentage of Americans holding full-time jobs has remained essentially unchanged over the past year. Gallup chief economist Dennis Jacobe said the recent spate of job growth has done little more than keep pace with population growth.

“If you’re out there looking for a job, the dismal situation is no better now than it was a year ago,” he said.

Some businesses have cited the uncertainty and cost of government regulation as key factors that are holding back hiring. About 15 percent of small- and medium-size businesses surveyed by PNC said they planned to bring on full-time workers in the next six months, down from 28 percent during the same period last year. Lack of demand was the primary reason, followed by government regulation, according to the report released Thursday.

“Small- and medium-sized businesses have really been through the wringer,” said Gus Faucher, senior macroeconomist at PNC. “They’re still being quite cautious.”

Still, there are glimmers of life in the economy. The rebound in the real estate market has helped rebuild the equity many Americans have in their homes. That is not only helping consumers feel more comfortable spending money, but it’s also spurring new hiring in construction. Major stock market indexes hit record highs last month, and Americans’ retirement accounts have reached new levels as well.

If the economic recovery gets back on track, the Federal Reserve could start dialing back its massive stimulus program as soon as this summer. But a sustained slump could change the game.

“I don’t want to be complacent,” Chicago Fed President Charles L. Evans said Thursday during a panel discussion at the University of Dayton, according to Bloomberg. “I want to make sure I have enough confidence in the improvement in the labor market outlook.”

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Pressure mounts on HBOS bankers

5 April 2013 Last updated at 12:26 ET

Pressure is growing on the three senior HBOS bankers accused of a "colossal failure" over the bank's 2008 collapse.

The Banking Standards Commission says regulators should consider barring Sir James Crosby, Andy Hornby and Lord Stevenson from future banking jobs.

One MP has also called for Sir James, described as the "architect" of HBOS's downfall, to be stripped of his title.

The bank was forced to merge with Lloyds in early 2009 and received a £20.5bn taxpayer bailout.

It was one of the most high profile casualties of the UK's banking crisis, which precipitated a wider economic downturn.

Sir James, who served as chief executive at HBOS between 2001 and 2006, earlier resigned from an advisory position he held at a London-based investment firm.

The BBC understands the board of Bridgepoint, a private equity firm, requested that Sir James stand down.

Goodwin precedent

But he retains other positions, including the post of non-executive director at Compass Group, a food services company.

Banking Standards Commission chair Andrew Tyrie says there had been "a colossal failure of leadership"

John Mann MP, who sits on the House of Commons' Treasury Committee, told the BBC that the three men should be immediately banned from working in the banking sector.

He also said Sir James should follow in the footsteps of Fred Goodwin, the former boss of Royal Bank of Scotland, who was stripped of his knighthood in 2012.

"Fred Goodwin lost his knighthood, and therefore James Crosby should lose his knighthood as well," he said.

"We need to be seen not to be rewarding bankers for failure and to hold them properly to account."

But speaking earlier to BBC, the head of the Banking Commission, Andrew Tyrie MP, refused to be drawn on whether Sir James or Lord Stevenson should lose their titles.

Continue reading the main story

Who are the HBOS three?

Andy Hornby, chief executive of HBOS from 2006

• Degree in English from Oxford University and MBA from Harvard Business School
• 1996 - 1999: Senior roles at Asda, including managing director of the George clothing brand
• 1999 - 2008: Senior roles at Halifax and later HBOS, becoming chief executive in 2006
• 2009 - 2011: Chief executive of Alliance Boots
• 2011 - Present: Chief executive of bookmakers Coral

Sir James Crosby, chief executive, HBOS chief executive from 2001 to 2006

• 1994: Joins Halifax bank as managing director of Halifax Life after 20 years in financial services
• 1999: Becomes chief executive of Halifax, and first chief executive of HBOS in 2001
• 2004: Appointed a non-executive director of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), while still head of HBOS
• 2007: Becomes deputy chairman of the FSA following resignation from HBOS in 2006
• 2009: Resigns from FSA
• 2006 - Present: takes on various roles including non-executive director of Compass Group, chairman of Mysis, a trustee of Cancer Research UK, and an advisory role at private equity firm Bridgepoint
• 2013 - asked to resign by board of Bridgepoint

Lord Stevenson, chairman of HBOS from 2001 to 2008

• Begins business career in the 1960s after leaving university
• 1979 - Present: Takes on several non-executive directorships at companies including BskyB, Pearson, Manpower and Western Union.
• 1997 - 1999: Knighted and later made a peer for life, taking a seat in the House of Lords
• 1999: Appointed chairman of Halifax, and later HBOS after its formation in 2001
• 2008: Stands down as chairman of HBOS
• Presently director of Cloaca Maxima, a consultancy, and non-executive director of Waterstone's

"That is not our jobs, we were not set up as a Banking Commission to strip people of their titles," he said.

No formal punishment

"I don't think the public are so concerned about knighthoods, what they want is reassurance that they won't get hit by this again, that people who do such damage are identified and are prevented from practising and that people should not be allowed to gamble with our money and then walk away with huge bonuses."

None of the three former bosses have been formally punished for their roles leading up to HBOS's failure, despite what the commission described as a "colossal failure of management" and a strategy dating back to 2001 that "sowed the seeds of disaster".

Lord Stevenson, who presided as chairman of HBOS throughout its 8-year existence, is currently a non-executive director at the bookseller Waterstone's.

Mr Hornby, who took over the running of HBOS in 2006, has been the chief executive of gambling company Coral since 2011.

In a statement on Friday, Coral's board expressed its full support for him.

"Coral is performing extremely well, and we are really pleased with the great job Andy is doing," a spokesman said.

In its report, the Banking Commission expressed its frustration that City regulators had "taken no steps" to consider banning the three men from further involvement in financial services.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said the government would consider whether more should be done to hold those responsible for HBOS's demise to account.

"Unfortunately, the regulatory regime that was in place at the time was nowhere near tough enough," he said.

"We're just taking action this week as a government to put in place a tougher, new regulatory regime to try and make sure that some of the mistakes that were made can't happen again."

Paul Moore, a former HBOS executive turned whistleblower, said the most important thing now was for the three former bankers to "examine their consciences".

"Thirty two thousand people lost their jobs as a result of the merger between HBOS and Lloyds," he said. "That's a lot of people."

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Obama sorry for Kamala Harris 'good looking' comment - Los Angeles Times

Kamala Harris and President Obama in 2012. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press)

From a Times staff writer

April 5, 2013, 5:50 p.m.

President Obama in no way mean to "diminish" California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris' credentials when he described her as "by far the best-looking attorney general in the country" during a talk, his spokesman said Friday.

The White House was responding to criticism over the remark, which some found to be sexist.

On Friday, the president apologized for the remark. "He called her to apologize for the distraction created by his comments," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

The president “did not want in any way to diminish the attorney general’s professional accomplishments and her capabilities. He fully recognizes the challenges women continue to face in the workplace and that they should not be judged based on appearance,” Carney added.

Harris has not commented. But according to PolitiCal, her communications director, Gil Duran, issued a statement saying "the attorney general and the president have been friends for many years. They had a great conversation yesterday and she strongly supports him."

Harris, it turns out, once commented on Obama's appearance. The San Jose Mercury News found a 2009 YouTube video in which she says:  "He looks and he sounds like a million bucks."

The controversy began Thursday when Obama was at a California fundraiser. Here are the remarks:

"You have to be careful to, first of all, say she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you'd want in anybody who is administering the law, and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake.

“She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country -- Kamala Harris is here.  (Applause.)  It's true.  Come on.  (Laughter.)  And she is a great friend and has just been a great supporter for many, many years.”

ALSO:

Obama: Kamala Harris is 'best-looking' attorney general

Obama apologizes to Kamala Harris for 'best-looking' remark

Obama apologizes for Kamala Harris remark; some cry sexism

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IPCC keeps 'Plebgate' under review

5 April 2013 Last updated at 11:14 ET

Andrew Mitchell resigned after the "Plebgate" story was reported in the press

The Independent Police Complaints Commission will not investigate claims by ex-cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell that parts of the report on the "Plebgate" incident were leaked.

It said the Metropolitan Police's own inquiry was being carried out in a "robust and thorough" way.

Mr Mitchell had asked the IPCC to look into claims that the Met had leaked details of its own report to the Met.

He denies claims he called Downing Street police "plebs" during a row.

Mr Mitchell resigned as government chief whip after the alleged comments were reported in the press last autumn.

He has said he will sue The Sun newspaper, which ran the original story on its front page.

'Public interest'

Mr Mitchell has also claimed the Metropolitan Police Service leaked details of its own report into the original incident to journalists.

He wrote to the IPCC last week, accusing it of a "dishonest and illicit attempt to blacken my name and destroy my career".

In her response, IPCC deputy chairman Deborah Glass says: "While I fully understand your concerns about these press reports, it appears to me that the public interest is best served by ensuring that the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] are indeed carrying out a robust and thorough investigation into the initial incident and its aftermath.

"Should you wish to formally pursue your complaint in the meantime, I understand that DAC Gallan is happy to meet and discuss with you in the first instance, and I will keep the situation under review."

So far four people - including three police officers - have been arrested as part of the investigation into the incident, which happened in September last year.

Initial reports had said that the former Conservative cabinet minister lost his temper and swore at police when they refused to open the gates for him as he cycled out.

Mr Mitchell admitted there had been an exchange and resigned from the cabinet - but denied directly swearing at any officers and denied using the word "pleb".

CCTV footage of the incident later cast doubt on the police reports.

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Soybeans Hit by China's Bird-Flu Outbreak, US Supplies - Wall Street Journal

By IAN BERRY

CHICAGO—U.S. soybean prices slumped to a fresh 10-month low amid fears that export demand for the oilseed will slow due to a bird-flu outbreak in China.

Traders worry the outbreak will lead to reduced poultry consumption in China and prompt producers to cull their flocks to prevent the spread of the new bird-flu strain.

A cutback in chicken production would result in lower demand for soybean meal, a widely used ingredient in chicken feed. Chinese state media reported Friday that six people have died after being infected with the H7N9 virus.

The outbreak comes as Chinese soybean imports already have been slowing and trail forecasts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, analysts said. China is the world's largest soybean importer, accounting for about 60% of imports, and its purchases have a significant impact on prices.

Soybean futures for May delivery fell 10.25 cents, or 0.8% to $13.6175 a bushel Friday at the Chicago Board of Trade. That marked the lowest closing price for the front-month contract since June 5, 2012.

Soybean prices have dropped 6% since the USDA reported March 28 that U.S. supplies of soybeans, corn and wheat as of March 1 were all significantly higher than analysts had expected.

The USDA report, along with sharp declines in corn futures and the emergence of the bird-flu outbreak, have led speculators such as hedge funds to exit from bets on rising soybean prices as they brace for more losses, analysts said Friday. Corn and soybean prices often move in tandem, as the crops are planted on the same ground across the U.S. Midwest and both are used in animal feed.

Analysts said the soybean market may remain under pressure as long as weather is favorable for farmers, who are preparing to plant their crops in coming weeks.

"This is a liquidating market until we run into a crop problem," said Rich Feltes, vice president of research for R.J. O'Brien & Associates LLC, a Chicago futures-brokerage firm.

Traders expect U.S. farmers to dedicate more acreage to soybeans this year, and some say a chilly start to the spring may lead to even more plantings as farmers who had intended to grow corn switch over to soybeans, which have a later growing season.

A large U.S. crop would add to the record South American crop currently being harvested, expanding global supplies and pressuring futures prices. Brazil is expected to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest soybean producer this year.

In the near-term, however, domestic supplies of soybeans remain historically tight. Mr. Feltes noted that Bunge Ltd., one of the world's largest soybean processors, said this past week that it would shut down a Kansas facility until the fall harvest because of scarce supplies.

"I expect more of that, as more areas simply run out of soybeans," Mr. Feltes said.

Corn futures declined one cent, or 0.2%, on Friday to $6.29 a bushel, a fresh nine-month low. Corn has fallen 14% since last month's USDA report showed greater-than-expected supplies of the grain.

Write to Ian Berry at ian.berry@dowjones.com

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Trayvon Martin's family settles wrongful death claim: report - Reuters

Tracy Martin (L) and Sybrina Fulton, the parents of Trayvon Martin, participate in a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary of the shooting death of their son in New York, February 26, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Keith Bedford

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Italy pardons US colonel in CIA case

5 April 2013 Last updated at 19:06 ET

Abu Omar said he was tortured in Egypt

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has pardoned a US Air Force colonel convicted in absentia over the rendition of an Egyptian imam in 2003.

Joseph Romano was one of 23 Americans tried and sentenced by Italian courts over the CIA-led operation to abduct a cleric known as Abu Omar.

The Egyptian said he was flown to his home country and tortured there.

Mr Napolitano's office cited what it said were changes to US security policy undertaken by President Barack Obama.

It said Mr Obama had "immediately after his election, put an end to an approach to the challenges to national security... considered by Italy and the European Union not compatible with fundamental principles of rule of law".

It added that the Italian president "hoped to provide a solution to an affair considered by the United States to be without precedent because of the conviction of a US military officer of Nato for deeds committed on Italian soil".

The statement said the decision to pardon Col Romano was inspired by the same principle that Italy hoped to see used in the case of two Italian marines facing murder charges in India over the shooting of two fishermen.

Nato base

Abu Omar was subject to the process known as extraordinary rendition, through which the CIA transferred terrorism suspects to countries that practiced torture.

The policy was increasingly used in the wake of the 11 September, 2001 attacks in the US.

Italian courts convicted 22 CIA personnel over the Abu Omar case. All are believed to be living in the US and are unlikely to serve their sentences.

Col Romano was the only American convicted who was not a CIA employee.

At the time of the rendition, he was in charge of the northern Italian military air base at Aviano, where Abu Omar was flown before continuing to Egypt via Germany.

The Italian trials, which began in 2007, were the first to convict Americans over extraordinary rendition.

Last month, a court in Milan sentenced Italy's former intelligence chief Nicolo Pollari to 10 years in prison, and his former deputy, Marco Mancini, to nine years, over the Abu Omar case.

Both are expected to appeal.

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Jolie lauds Malala Yousafzai charity

4 April 2013 Last updated at 21:07 ET

Malala returned to school in Birmingham, England in March

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has honoured Pakistani schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai, who has launched a charity to fund girls' education.

In New York, Ms Jolie said Malala would be "in charge" of the Malala Fund. Malala, 15, said in a video the launch was "the happiest moment of my life".

The charity's first grant will fund the education of 40 girls in Pakistan.

Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban in October in retribution for campaigning for girls' education.

She now attends school in Birmingham, England following her recovery from the shooting and has signed a book deal worth about $3m (£2m) for her memoir.

The book, titled I am Malala, is scheduled for publication in the autumn.

"Announcing the first grant of the Malala Fund is the happiest moment in my life," Malala said in a video message at the Women in the World conference in New York.

"I invite all of you to support the Malala Fund and let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million girls."

The teenager started school again in mid-March following surgery to fit a titanium plate and cochlear implant into her skull.

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Pressure Builds on Rutgers President - New York Times

Robert L. Barchi arrived at Rutgers University in September as a man with no time to waste.

Gov. Chris Christie had pushed through a plan to reorganize higher education in the state, and he wanted it done in less than a year. No one knew how much it would cost, but it was clear that Rutgers would have to find a way to pay for it.

As Barchi has pushed toward that goal in his first six months on the job, he has alienated faculty, state legislators and the student body. He has been accused of marginalizing needy students, shortchanging major departments and acting detached and even dismissive.

All this has left Barchi little good will as he finds himself at the center of a Rutgers basketball scandal, with faculty and students asking why he waited for news media outrage to fire Coach Mike Rice, instead of dismissing him when he learned of his abusive behavior last fall.

Some faculty members have seized on the crisis to call for Barchi’s resignation. Others suggest that he was so focused on the merger of Rutgers and the state medical schools that he did not have enough time last fall to consider that Rice’s berating of students and throwing basketballs at their heads violated basic university values — and that the fact it was on video was a disaster waiting to explode.

“What we’re struggling with is a president who has a mission that doesn’t apparently involve active involvement in university life,” said Thomas Prusa, a professor of economics. “Maybe if the president was more tuned in he would think that we have 58,000 students, 18 to 22 years old, and what exactly is happening? He is throwing balls at students’ heads? And he’s calling them what? He was not interested in that. He was interested in how do I make this merger work.”

On Thursday, the university continued to draw fire for its handling of the Rice situation. State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney called for the athletic director, Tim Pernetti, to resign. One of Rice’s assistants, Jimmy Martelli, resigned Thursday after ESPN reported that he too was on videos berating players and hurling basketballs at them.

As more faculty members signed a letter calling for his resignation, Barchi did not respond to requests for comment, and he canceled a long-scheduled town-hall-style meeting at the Newark campus.

The reorganization of the state’s higher education system, passed by the Legislature in June, reflected the sheer force of will of Christie, whose predecessors had tried and failed to pass similar plans.

The chief requirement was the merger of Rutgers and the three schools of the long-troubled University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, attaching two to the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick and one to Camden, by July 1, 2013. Officials argued that having a medical school would raise the prestige of Rutgers, allowing it to attract more grant money, which would make up for chronic funding problems in a state that spends less than most on public higher education.

But the plan was hard fought, with students and faculty protesting it had been done too hastily and legislators warning that no one knew how much it would cost. Trustees signed off on it only reluctantly in November.

Barchi, a physician who had been president of Thomas Jefferson University, a Philadelphia medical school, was considered an ideal person to oversee the merger.

He has put the cost of the merger at $75 million and has said that the university cannot expect help from the state in paying. In meetings with senior administrators, he has argued that the university can make up some of those costs by attracting more out of state students, who pay premium tuition.

To lure more enrollees, he wants to raise the average SAT scores of incoming students, which would also raise Rutgers’s rankings in the prestigious Association of American Universities. The university’s entry into the Big Ten athletic conference, engineered by Pernetti, was another part of that bid for prestige. That bid could have been complicated by the videos of Rice’s behavior, which Pernetti first saw last November, just as the university was finalizing terms with the Big Ten. At the time, Rice was suspended for three games and fined $50,000, a punishment that critics now view as far too soft.

On Thursday, as rumors of high-level resignations swirled on campus, some Rutgers donors stood behind the university’s leaders, reaching out to board members to voice their support.

Steven Plofker, a real estate developer and donor, said that while Rice “clearly stepped over a bunch of boundaries that are unacceptable,” Barchi and Pernetti deserved another chance.

In New Brunswick, faculty members complain that in trying to pay for the merger, Barchi froze hiring in the school of arts and sciences, the largest faculty on campus.

His first town hall meeting with students, in late February, got terrible reviews in the student newspaper, which reported that he spent most of the time discussing the merger and almost none taking questions from students, and that he dismissed concerns about student debt.

The bid for prestige has set off alarms particularly at the Newark campus, where average SAT scores are lower, but students routinely outperform predicted graduation rates. Newark has some of the programs that Rutgers needs to remain a research university — the business school and a law school among them. But faculty say Barchi wants to turn it into a satellite campus so Rutgers would not have to count its students SAT scores in the average.

Barchi has announced plans to merge the law schools in Camden and Newark under one banner. The university is also building a new business school attached to the New Brunswick campus. It is circulating plans to move many of Newark’s neuroscience programs to New Brunswick, and to eliminate the Graduate School in Newark, moving its strongest programs to a new, larger school in New Brunswick.

The reorganization law was supposed to give Newark and Camden a more equitable share of money, requiring that each get their own separate line item in the state budget. But Barchi’s administration submitted one number for Rutgers in the state budget, and inserted a provision that would void the requirement for separate funding for Newark and Camden. Officials in Camden and Newark say they were barely consulted, if at all.

“The number of things that have been done without even consulting senior leadership on campus is endlessly frustrating,” said Jack Lynch, the associate dean of Arts and Science in Newark.

Barchi’s initial strategic plan for the university designates the mission of Newark as “diversity,” the mission for New Brunswick, “research,” and Camden, “service.” That he is shortchanging Newark, faculty members say, suggests he does not care about diversity.

“To propose to defund and destabilize the most diverse campus in the country is unconscionable, especially one with the level of success of Rutgers-Newark,” said Maggie Shiffrar, dean of the Graduate School in Newark.

“I think he’s in a really tough financial bind,” she said. “He’s made it very very clear that he wants Rutgers to move up in the rankings. How do you do that when you not only have to do things that are expensive, but you’re not getting money to cover those expenses?”

The fear about diversity was fanned last month when Barchi met with a Latino faculty advisory group in New Brunswick. When a professor expressed her frustration as a “female of color” at Rutgers, he replied that he had experienced similar or worse difficulties as a white man early in his career, because departments wanted to hire minorities.

The meeting prompted about 100 faculty members to sign a letter of protest.

Nate Schweber and Steve Eder contributed reporting.

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