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.

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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."

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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

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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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