Liberal activist Tom Steyer pledged to spend $100 million in the 2014 election cycle to promote his favored cause of fighting climate change. David Greene talks to Steyer about his political plans.
Monday, 24 February 2014
America's Richest Political Activists Pour Money Into SuperPACs
Hedge fund billionaires Thomas Steyer and Paul Singer are among those deploying their money to promote their issue agendas.
Pentagon Officials To Outline Defense Budget Priorities
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will outline budget priorities during a news conference on Monday. A key question for the Pentagon: how to curb growth of military pay and benefits.
Rai says Army sole protector of Lebanon
BEIRUT: Cardinal Beshara Rai saluted Lebanon’s Army from Rome Monday, saying the military is the only authority that can protect Lebanon.
“Each time an Army martyr falls, the military and its leadership become stronger and we are more convinced that only the Army protects the Lebanese and preserves their dignity,” said Rai during a ceremony held by Lebanon’s Ambassador to Rome to welcome Army Commander Jean Kahwagi to the Italian capital.
Rai offered his condolences over the death of two Army soldiers killed over the weekend by a suicide bombing that struck a checkpoint outside the northeastern town of Hermel.
A civilian was also killed by the car bomb, which wounded 17 others. The attack was claimed by the Lebanese branch of the Nusra Front, a militant group fighting in Syria that has declared war on Hezbollah over its decision to fight alongside Syrian regime forces. Hermel is one of several areas in Lebanon associated with Hezbollah.
Media reports quoted Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi saying that the military is determined to prevent the ongoing war in neighboring Syria from spilling over into Lebanon.
Kahwagi also said he was upbeat about the future, adding that his visit to the Italian capital is intended to boost bilateral ties between the armies of the two countries, in particular ahead of a conference set to be held in Italy to support the capabilities of the LAF.
The army commander also held talks on Sunday with Rai.
Nokia targets emerging markets with Android phones
BARCELONA, Spain -- Nokia is targeting emerging markets with three low-cost smartphones that use Google's Android operating system rather than the Windows Phone software from Microsoft, which is about to buy Nokia's phone business.
Nokia will ditch many of the Google services that come with Android, which Google lets phone makers customize at will. Instead, the new Nokia X line announced Monday will emphasize Microsoft services such as Bing search, Skype communications and OneDrive file storage. Its home screen sports larger, resizable tiles resembling those on Windows phone.
"More and more people are buying smartphones for less that 100 euros," said Stephen Elop, Nokia executive vice president, as he presented the new phones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. "That sub-100 range is a massive opportunity for us. According to analysts, it will grow four times as fast as rest of smartphone market."
The Nokia X is on sale immediately for 89 euros ($122). The Nokia X+ will cost 99 euros and the Nokia XL will cost 109 euros, with both going on sale in early March.
The Nokia X and X+ both have 4-inch screens, but the X+ offers an SD card. The XL has a 5-inch screen and a better 5-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
Elop said all three phones will be "available broadly around the world, starting in growth markets." The aim is to make the Nokia X a bridge to high-end Windows smartphones under the Lumia brand.
They won't be available in the U.S., Canada, Korea and Japan in part to avoid competing with Lumia phones, which cost hundreds of dollars in the U.S. without subsidies from phone carriers.
Elop said that the use of Android on these phones in no way means Nokia is shifting away from its work with Windows and Microsoft, which is buying Nokia's phone business and patent rights in a 5.4 billion euro ($7.3 billion) deal expected to be completed next month.
Once the No. 1 maker of cellphones, Nokia has been struggling to keep up with the iPhone and devices running Android. Nokia's smartphone revenue fell 29 percent in the recent holiday quarter compared with a year earlier. And even as competition intensifies for high-end smartphones, Nokia has been hit by competition from cheaper made by Chinese and other Asian companies.
Nokia announced two even cheaper phones on Monday, also expected to go on sale in early March:
— The Nokia 220 is meant as a starter phone for 29 euros ($40). It will have Facebook, Twitter and some games already installed, but users won't be able to add apps.
— The Asha 230 will offer more options for apps. The 45-euro ($62) phone is meant for people who are not yet ready for the Nokia X. It comes with a touch screen, but lacks the power and versatility found in smartphones.
For a first-time smartphone experience, Nokia Corp. is pushing the Nokia X. Because it uses Android, it will be able to run most Android apps. However, app developers may have to tweak some of their software because the phone doesn't have key Google services.
For instance, location services will have to be designed for Nokia's Here mapping software rather than Google Maps. In-app payments will have to be tweaked to allow billing through mobile carriers rather than credit cards, which many people in emerging markets lack.
Jussi Nevanlinna, vice president for product marketing, said Nokia is trying to lure those who might have been drawn to the large offering of apps available on Android. Instead of having them hooked on Google services through Android, he said, Nokia could steer them to Microsoft services with a customized Android system.
Both the Asha and the Nokia X will have a feature called Fastlane. It remembers your favorite apps and services and offers quick access, along with recent notifications, on a single screen that is one swipe away from the home screen.
HSBC sees profits rise as it benefits from cuts
LONDON -- HSBC PLC, Europe's biggest bank by market value, saw profits rise for the year as it took advantage of rigorous cutting, but analysts were disappointed because they were hoping for more.
Net profit rose 15 percent to $16.2 billion from $14.03 billion.
Group chief executive Stuart Gulliver, says the group is now leaner and simpler than in 2011. The bank has cut some 41,000 jobs out of a workforce of 295,000 in the last three years and has dumped 63 non-strategic businesses.
The bank, meanwhile, downplayed volatility in emerging markets. The institution, which has a big presence in Asia, is predicting GDP growth in mainland China of 7.4 percent this year, together with 2.6 percent growth in the UK, 2.5 percent in the U.S. and 1.2 percent in Western Europe.
Anti-methamphetamine bills move ahead in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. -- Legislation to stop the sale of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine to people convicted of methamphetamine-related crimes is moving ahead in Lansing.
The state Senate last week overwhelmingly approved bills to alert Michigan stores not to sell cold medicine containing the popular ingredients for meth production to criminals convicted of meth offenses. The stop-sale alert would apply for 10 years after a conviction.
Senators also voted to make it a 10-year felony to buy ephedrine or pseudoephedrine knowing it's intended to make meth.
Michigan already restricts the sale or possession of certain amounts of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.
The legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. John Proos (PROHS) of St. Joseph now goes to the House.
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Online:
Senate Bills: 535, 563-64, 756: http://1.usa.gov/1hJxr5A
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