plus 4, European Stocks Edge Down Ahead of Key US News - ABC News |
- European Stocks Edge Down Ahead of Key US News - ABC News
- 3 Democrats _ 2 senators, 1 governor _ to retire - Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
- UK Warns Iceland of Pariah Status - ABC News
- Democratic Sens. Dodd, Dorgan won't seek reelection in fall - Los Angeles Times
- Dem. Senators Dodd, Dorgan Bowing Out - WCCO
| European Stocks Edge Down Ahead of Key US News - ABC News Posted: 06 Jan 2010 02:57 AM PST
European stock markets edged down Wednesday despite modest gains in Asia, as investors remained reluctant to stake out new positions ahead of some key economic news out of the U.S. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 23.85 points, or 0.4 percent, at 5,498.65 while Germany's DAX fell 27.13 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,004.73. The CAC-40 in France was 8.2 points, or 0.2 percent, lower at 4,004.71. Wall Street was also poised for a subdued opening — Dow futures were down 29 points, or 0.3 percent, at 10,486 while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 futures fell 4.1 points, or 0.4 percent, 1,128.20. Since Monday, when investors charged into the New Year in a buoyant mood, trading has been lackluster — disappointing U.S. housing figures Tuesday dented some of the optimism and U.S. stocks ended more or less flat. Analysts said this Friday's U.S. nonfarm payrolls data for December could be the catalyst for renewed direction — the jobs data often set the stock market tone for a week or two. However, there's some economic news later that could prompt some positioning for Friday's data, including the monthly jobs figures from private payrolls firm ADP. In addition, the monthly services sector survey from the Institute for Supply Management will be pored over to see if it is as buoyant as the equivalent manufacturing report on Monday. The publication of the minutes to the last rate-setting meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve could also excite interest as investors try to get a clearer idea about the growing tensions between the doves and the hawks on the Federal Open Market Committee. Meanwhile in London, Europe's busiest financial center, trading activity was affected by big snowfalls in counties around the capital, where many traders live. "We have still been plagued by lower volume since the return from the Christmas break and things may be similar today as the big freeze continues to disrupt across Britain," said James Hughes, market analyst at CMC Markets. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| 3 Democrats _ 2 senators, 1 governor _ to retire - Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Posted: 06 Jan 2010 03:25 AM PST WASHINGTON _ With the 2010 election year barely under way, two senators and one governor _ all Democrats _ ditched plans to run for re-election in the latest signs of trouble for President Barack Obama's party. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| UK Warns Iceland of Pariah Status - ABC News Posted: 06 Jan 2010 03:40 AM PST
Britain warned Iceland on Wednesday that it could be blocked from joining the European Union after the tiny North Atlantic nation's president voted against the repayment of $5.7 billion in loans to Britain and the Netherlands. Icelandic President Olafur R. Grimsson's decision Tuesday not to sign into law a bill on the loans caught many by surprise and threatens to damage Iceland's international standing as it attempts to recover from financial collapse. International credit ratings agency Fitch slashed Iceland's credit rating to junk status, while Standard and Poor's said it may cut the country's currency ratings if political uncertainty and external liquidity pressures continue. Grimsson said Tuesday the matter would be decided in a referendum among Iceland's voters, where opposition is so strong to the bill that many fear a "no" vote that would overturn the bill's narrow passage through parliament last month. A draft bill on the referendum, to be put before the Icelandic Parliament on Friday, gives Feb. 20 as the tentative date for the poll. The legislation would have repaid the British and Dutch governments for the funds they have already paid out to their citizens who lost money when Internet bank Icesave, a subsidiary of Icelandic bank Landsbanki that was available only in Britain and the Netherlands, collapsed. The savings of Iceland's own citizens were protected from the collapse of its banking sector in October 2008 by an unlimited domestic deposit guarantee. British Financial Services Minister Paul Myners said that Iceland risked pariah status if the country's 243,000-strong electorate votes "no." "The U.K. government stepped in to ensure that all retail depositors with Icesave were fully paid out, and now we expect the Icelandic Government to ensure that we are repaid that amount which Iceland owes us," Myners was quoted as saying in The Times newspaper. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Democratic Sens. Dodd, Dorgan won't seek reelection in fall - Los Angeles Times Posted: 06 Jan 2010 02:57 AM PST WASHINGTON - With the 2010 election year barely underway, two senators and one governor -- all Democrats -- ditched plans to run for reelection in the latest signs of trouble for President Obama's party. Taken together, the decisions by Sens. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, as well as Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, caused another bout of heartburn for Democrats as they struggle to defend themselves in a sour political environment for incumbents, particularly the party in charge. As 2009 ended, Democrats watched a string of their House members announce retirements and one congressman defect to the GOP. Now, with Dodd, Dorgan and Ritter out, Republicans have even more to crow about, if not better opportunities to pick up Democratic-held seats. Democrats, who have a 60-40 Senate majority that includes two independents who vote with them, now will have to defend four open seats in the Senate. The others are Delaware and Illinois, where Sens. Ted Kaufman, who replaced Vice President Joe Biden, and Roland Burris, who replaced Obama, aren't running for full terms. Among governors, Democrats are seeking to maintain their 26-24 majority in a year when those elected will oversee the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts for the next decade. Republicans and Democrats alike say they now expect competitive races for the Senate seat in North Dakota, a GOP-tilting state, and the governor's seat in Colorado, a pivotal swing state that has trended toward Democrats in recent years but may be shifting back toward Republicans. But in Democratic-leaning Connecticut, Dodd's retirement may actually heighten the likelihood that the seat he's held for five terms will remain in Democratic hands. The party can now recruit a more popular candidate to run, bolstering the prospects of thwarting a Republican victory. Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal is among potential candidates. Considered by many insiders to be the most endangered Senate Democrat, Dodd planned to announce his retirement Wednesday, according to Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly preempt the senator's remarks. Dodd told Democrats of his plans late Tuesday. Dodd, 65, is chairman of Senate Banking Committee, which was at the center of efforts to deal with the economic meltdown. And he has played a prominent role in the debate over overhauling healthcare, taking over for his friend Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) during his illness and then after his death. Dodd underwent surgery for prostate cancer in August; he said it was in an early, treatable stage. His poll standing has fallen precipitously since 2008. Dodd ran for the Democratic presidential nomination that year, moving his family to Iowa for weeks before the caucuses and angering Connecticut constituents. He dropped out after a poor showing in Iowa. The senator also has drawn criticism for his role in writing a bill that protected bonuses for executives at bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc. and for allegations that he got favorable treatment on mortgages with Countrywide Financial Corp. Early polling in the race showed him consistently trailing potential GOP challenger Rob Simmons, a former House member who is competing for the Republican nomination against World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon. Dorgan, the chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and a member of the Senate Democratic leadership, said Tuesday he reached his decision after discussing his future with family over the holidays. "Although I still have a passion for public service and enjoy my work in the Senate, I have other interests and I have other things I would like to pursue outside of public life," said Dorgan, 67. The move stunned Democrats. They were confident heading into the new year that Dorgan, a moderate Democrat in a GOP-leaning state, would run for reelection even as rumors intensified that Republican Gov. John Hoeven would challenge him in November. Early polling showed Dorgan trailing Hoeven in a hypothetical contest, and Democrats expected a competitive race if the matchup materialized. Hoeven has not announced a candidacy but he said Tuesday that he was "very seriously" considering one. Democrats quickly started recruiting a candidate to run in Dorgan's place. Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy may be interested as well as Heidi Heitkamp, a former state attorney general and tax commissioner who was defeated by Hoeven in the 2000 gubernatorial race. In Colorado, Democratic officials informed Tuesday of Ritter's decision said the governor planned to announce Wednesday that he won't run for a second term in November. Elected in 2006, Ritter was among those Democrats who helped the party make inroads into what was once a solidly Republican state. He helped pave the way for Obama to win Colorado in 2008 and had been widely considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. Top contenders to replace Ritter on the Democratic ticket include Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. Two Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination: former Rep. Scott McInnis and businessman Dan Maes. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Dem. Senators Dodd, Dorgan Bowing Out - WCCO Posted: 06 Jan 2010 03:40 AM PST Dem. Senators Dodd, Dorgan Bowing OutColo. Gov. Bill Ritter Also Expected Not To Seek ReelectionDemocrats 60-Seat Senate Majority Threatened
Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd, a five-term Democrat whose political stock began falling after the financial meltdown and his failed 2008 presidential bid, has decided not to seek re-election in November, Democratic officials told The Associated Press early Wednesday. Word of his retirement came just hours after North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan announced he will not seek re-election. Adding to the party's woes: officials said Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter planned to announce Wednesday that he won't run for a second term in November, according to two Democrats with knowledge of Ritter's decision. The moves come at the start of an election year that's shaping up to be a challenging one for lawmakers of all political stripes, and particularly for Democrats. Anti-incumbent sentiment is rippling through the electorate, a majority of the country says it's on the wrong track, and the party in power typically gets blamed for the nation's troubles. Dodd, 66, a five-term senator whose popularity in Connecticut has tumbled since his failed 2008 presidential bid and who has faced criticism over allegations he got a favorable deal on a mortgage, was expected to disclose his decision Wednesday, according to two Democratic officials with knowledge of his plans. They spoke only on condition of anonymity ahead of Dodd's announcement. Dorgan, a moderate who was first elected to the Senate in 1992 after serving a dozen years in the House, said Tuesday he reached the decision after discussing his future with family over the holidays. Dorgan, 67, said: "Although I still have a passion for public service and enjoy my work in the Senate, I have other interests and I have other things I would like to pursue outside of public life." Democrats face a challenging environment as they seek to maintain their advantage in the Senate, where they hold an effective 60-40 majority, including two independents who align themselves with Democrats. That's just enough to break Republican filibusters, a legislative maneuver to block final votes on legislation, if all 60 stick together. The decisions by Dodd and Dorgan mean Democrats now will have to defend open seats in four states. The others are Delaware and Illinois, where Sens. Ted Kaufman, who has Vice-President Joe Biden's old seat, and Roland Burris, who has President Barack Obama's old seat, aren't running for full terms. Republicans, for their part, are defending six open seats, in Ohio, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky and Kansas. Dodd is chairman of Senate Banking Committee, which was at the centre of efforts to deal with the economic meltdown. And he has played a prominent role in the debate over overhauling health care, taking over for his friend Sen. Edward Kennedy during his illness and then death. Dodd in August underwent surgery for prostate cancer. Dodd ran for president in 2008, moving his family to Iowa for weeks before the caucuses and angering Connecticut constituents. He dropped out after a poor showing in Iowa. Since then, his popularity continued to drop in Connecticut as he faced inquires into a Countrywide mortgage loan. Dodd has been consistently behind potential Republican challenger Rob Simmons in polls in Connecticut. Simmons, a former House member, has his own Republican primary challenger in World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon. Among the early favorites to replace Dodd is longtime Connecticut state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is seen as one of the state's most popular politicians. With the embattled Dodd stepping aside, Democrats can now try to recruit a more popular candidate such as the popular longtime state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to run in the Democratic-leaning state, bolstering the prospects of thwarting a Republican victory. Dorgan's decision, on the other hand, cuts the other way and stunned members of his party. Democrats were confident heading into the new year that Dorgan, a moderate Democrat in a Republican-leaning state, would run for re-election even as rumors intensified that Republican Gov. John Hoeven would challenge him in November. Early polling showed Dorgan trailing Hoeven in a hypothetical contest, and Democrats expected a competitive race if the matchup materialized. Hoeven has not announced a candidacy but he told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was "very seriously" considering a Senate race. Democrats quickly started recruiting a candidate to run in Dorgan's place. Democratic Rep. Earl Pomeroy, who was first elected to the House in 1992, could be interested in seeking the Senate seat, along with Heidi Heitkamp, a former state attorney general and tax commissioner who was defeated by Hoeven in the 2000 gubernatorial race. Obama praised Dorgan, citing his work on energy issues and for supporting farmers and the state's Indians, and for "standing with North Dakota's families through difficult economic times." Dorgan is chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and leads his party's policy committee as a member of the Senate Democratic leadership team. His decision could have ramifications for one of Obama's top priorities, climate and energy legislation. With no re-election race and nothing to lose, Dorgan could be even more of a wild card on the issue than he already has been. Representing a large oil and coal-producing state, Dorgan opposes the bill backed by the White House and Democratic leaders that would put a limit on heat-trapping pollution and would allow companies to swap valuable emissions permits. Dorgan instead has pushed an energy bill that would boost renewable energy production and oil drilling and wait to tackle global warming pollution. In Colorado, potential Democratic candidates for governor include Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff, a former state legislator who is challenging Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet for the party's nomination for the Senate. Two Republicans are seeking their party's nomination: former Rep. Scott McInnis and businessman Dan Maes. (© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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