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Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Morning Scoop - Strauss-Kahn Replacement Emerges-Along With Exclusive Details on Alleged Assault
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French finance minister Christine Lagarde became the lead contender to head up the International Monetary Fund, in the wake of former managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest for sexual assault and subsequent resignation. IMF heavyweights France, Britain and Germany all threw their support behind Lagarde. Plus, exclusive new details emerged about Strauss-Kahn's alleged assault of a hotel maid in a posh New York hotel--how the alleged victim was so distressed that she had difficulty breathing and tried to vomit, and the quick reaction by her supervisors and hotel security led to Strauss-Kahn's arrest only hours later at JFK Airport, sources told The Daily Beast's John Solomon.
The GOP presidential primary is beginning to take shape: Hermann Cain is in, Mitch Daniels is out. The Indiana governor sent an email to supporters saying he has decided not to run for president in 2012, citing the "interests and wishes" of his family. Although he didn't give specifics, Daniels' wife Cheri was widely known to have misgivings about the public spotlight a presidential campaign would shed on their relationship. She left Daniels and their four daughters in 1993, married a former sweetheart in California, then returned and remarried Daniels. Daniels had strong fundraising ties from his time in the Bush administration, and he was a favorite of the Republican establishment, which now may have to choose between Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Hermann Cain and most likely Tim Pawlenty, who is expected to announce his Monday his intention to run.
You don't stay president for 33 years without having a few tricks up your sleeve. Despite saying he planned to sign an internationally negotiated deal with his opposition, Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh now dismisses the agreement as a "mere coup operation" and says he will only sign it in a public event. Saleh has twice dodged the plan, which was mediated by the Gulf Co-operation Council and supported by the United States. It requires him to hand over power to his vice president in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Elections would be held three months later. Saleh's opposition signed the deal Saturday, and Saleh was scheduled to sign the deal Sunday, but hours before the signing he balked, saying he would not sign it "behind closed doors." Some protesters remain skeptical that Saleh would step down even if he eventually did sign the agreement. "I don't believe [Saleh] will sign tomorrow," said a protest coordinator. "but if he does it will be fake, something to allow more maneuvering."
Spanish voters headed to the polls for regional and local elections Sunday. But demonstrations continued despite a Spanish law banning pre-election protests. On Saturday, 30,000 people had camped out in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square Saturday—and police declined to disperse the demonstration Sunday. Demonstrations began a week ago in the form of a sit-in by people frustrated with the country's 45 percent youth unemployment, but have since grown with people angry over the country's economic recession and government austerity measures. Protesters are urging others not to vote for either of Spain's two main parties, the current governing Socialists or the center-right opposition, which they hope will demonstrate their need for democratic change. Despite the large number of demonstrators, analysts say the protests will not alter the outcome of Sunday's elections much.
Some of the nation's largest labor unions are dramatically cutting their donations to the Democratic Party, saying they are frustrated with the Democrats for failing to put up strong resistance to Republican proposals that are opposed by labor, such as the efforts to eliminate collective-bargaining rights for public-sector workers. Unions are shifting their funding to target political races at the state level. In the first quarter of this year, union political action committees cut funding for House Democrats by half compared with the first quarter of 2009, from $5.8 million down to $3.1 million. Corporate PAC's cut their contributions to House Democrats by 26% to $7.2 million. Union contributions to Republicans decreased as well, but by only 13 percent.
He's a charming Southern black conservative with an American dream success story and the energy to whip crowds into a frenzy. Why the "pizza guy" could be this year's big surprise.
Why Are Pro-Lifers Targeting the Girl Scouts by Alizah Salario They sell cookies, they earn merit badges, they—promote abortion? Alizah Salario on how two teens from Texas are accusing the Girl Scouts of creating boot-stomping, sexualized radicals.
Cannes' Winners and Losers by Richard Porton As the festival jury names the top film, Richard Porton says that though both give great performances, Ryan Gosling in Drive outshines Tilda Swinton in the critically acclaimed We Need to Talk About Kevin. Plus, photos of Cannes' red carpet.
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