Austin Morning News with Mark, Ed and Sam

Stories 1 to 10 of 6956
9/3/2010 White House considering emergency economic stimuli The Obama administration is mulling a raft of emergency fixes to stimulate the economy before the midterms, including an extension of the research and development tax credit and new infrastructure spending, according to several people familiar with the situation. Administration officials have been huddling almost continuously during the past week, brainstorming for ideas that would boost employment without hiking the massive federal deficit – with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner rushing to the West Wing for further consultations late Thursday. The White House press office on Thursday refused to say how much a financial package might be, other than to say it won’t be a “second stimulus.” But the administration will have a tough time selling nearly any package to terrified, Obama-phobic Hill Democrats who increasingly blame the president – and his ambitious, expensive legislative agenda – for their dismal prospects this November. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/41727.html#ixzz0yTSdUu45 Read Full Story
9/3/2010 BP Says Limits on Drilling Imperil Oil Spill Payouts BP is warning Congress that if lawmakers pass legislation that bars the company from getting new offshore drilling permits, it may not have the money to pay for all the damages caused by its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Clifford Krauss and John M. Broder report in The New York Times. The company says a ban would also imperil the ambitious Gulf Coast restoration efforts that officials want the company to voluntarily support. BP executives insist that they have not backed away from their commitment to the White House to set aside $20 billion in an escrow fund over the next four years to pay damage claims and government penalties stemming from the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. The explosion killed 11 workers and spewed millions of barrels of oil into the gulf. Read the full story here. Read Full Story
9/3/2010 New Yorkers Want Islamic Center Moved, Poll Finds Two-thirds of New York City residents want a planned Muslim community center and mosque to be relocated to a less controversial site farther away from ground zero in Lower Manhattan, including many who describe themselves as supporters of the project, according to a New York Times poll. The poll indicates that support for the 13-story complex, which organizers said would promote moderate Islam and interfaith dialogue, is tepid in its hometown. Nearly nine years after the Sept. 11 attacks ignited a wave of anxiety about Muslims, many in the country’s biggest and arguably most cosmopolitan city still have an uneasy relationship with Islam. One-fifth of New Yorkers acknowledged animosity toward Muslims. Thirty-three percent said that compared with other American citizens, Muslims were more sympathetic to terrorists. And nearly 60 percent said people they know had negative feelings toward Muslims because of 9/11. Read the full story here. Read Full Story
9/3/2010 Industry's critics pounce on Mariner blast Mariner Energy's platform fire Thursday could prove a costly setback for a U.S. oil and gas industry trying to reassure policymakers already shaken by the BP oil spill that offshore drilling and production is safe. While Thursday's accident took no lives and may not have spilled any oil, it provided fresh fodder to critics who contend the industry has systemic safety problems requiring a sweeping overhaul. "It seems that everyone is content to let another oil rig explode every few months rather than taking concrete steps to clean up the industry," said Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz, joining a chorus of lawmakers and interest groups that pounced on the event Thursday. Read the full story here. Read Full Story
9/3/2010 Officials say Quintana fired for more than drunken driving arrest Former Austin police officer Leonardo Quintana knew he was too drunk to drive when he got behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade after a night of partying in January, his lawyer said Thursday. But how severely he should be punished — Quintana was fired — became the central issue at a city hearing in which Quintana is seeking reinstatement. Police officials argued that the decision by Quintana, who fatally shot Nathaniel Sanders II in May 2009, to get on the road culminated a series of judgment lapses by the officer, including the posting of a Facebook photo late last year that alarmed supervisors. They said they considered those lapses in firing him. Read the full story here. Read Full Story
9/3/2010 Texas tax incentives still pending for 'Machete' A controversial film from Austin filmmaker Robert Rodriguez opens today as questions continue about whether it will receive a tax break from Texas. Machete, a bloody spoof of exploitation films, boasts a star-studded cast and a politically charged plot playing off the debate over immigration. Danny Trejo plays an assassin from Mexico working as a day laborer in Texas hoping to avenge the murder of his family. His quest for revenge gets him mixed up with a right-wing, immigrant-bashing Texas politician played by Robert De Niro. Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/09/02/2443013/texas-tax-incentives-still-pending.html#ixzz0yTP9zBr8 Read Full Story
9/2/2010 Christian group: Some school anti-bullying programs push gay agenda Gay-rights groups' push for anti-bullying legislation and school programs is an effort to "promote homosexuality to kids," according to a conservative Christian activist organization. http://abcnews.go.com/US/school-anti-bullying-programs-push-gay-agenda-christian/story?id=11527833 Read Full Story
9/2/2010 Swing sets removed at some W. Va. schools Elementary school playgrounds in one West Virginia county are losing their swing sets. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jipihOxAqElcMmGrKLcFCD5HYUAgD9HV7U500 Read Full Story
9/2/2010 Controversial anti-abortion campaign coming to Houston A controversial new anti-abortion billboard campaign focusing on blacks in Texas is making its way to Houston. http://www.khou.com/news/local/Black-and-Unwanted-billboards-coming-to-Houston-102028498.html Read Full Story
9/2/2010 Keller school district debates policy to limit penalties for late work Class assignment a few days late? That would not be a problem in the Keller school district if administrators go ahead with a proposal to limit penalties for high school students who turn in late work.http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/31/2437453/keller-school-district-debates.html Read Full Story