Obama Says He Deserves A Second Term
President Barack Obama joined NBC "Today" show anchor Matt Lauer on Sunday for a pre-Super-Bowl chat. when the talk inevitably turned to politics, Lauer asked the president about his comment three years ago, that if he couldn't turn the economy around in three years, he wouldn't deserve a second term. Yesterday, Obama said he does deserve a second term -- but "we're not done." "When you and I sat down (three years ago), we were losing 750,000 jobs a month...Now we're creating 250,000," Obama told Lauer. "We created 3.7 million jobs over the last 23 months. We created the most jobs since 2005... the most factory jobs since 1990. But we're not finished." CNS News

GOP Gets Minn. Focus Now, Uphill Fall Fight Awaits
In presidential politics, Minnesota is as close to a Democratic fortress as states come. It has tantalized Republicans in recent presidential campaigns, but it's still wound up as general election fool's gold for the GOP ever since Richard Nixon last won it for the party in 1972. So it's easy to understand why Minnesota Republicans are basking in the presidential glare now. For Tuesday's caucuses at least, they have the spotlight to themselves — and a genuine piece of the action. This year's Minnesota caucuses drew their first significant attention from the contenders in memory, with all four hopefuls dropping by in the final week. Front-runner Mitt Romney stopped in last week, while Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were in town as late as Monday. Houston Chronicle

Romney Intensifies Fight For Social Conservatives
Presidential contender Mitt Romney is fighting to win over social conservatives in Tuesday's Republican caucuses. Romney, who previously supported abortion rights, has struggled to convince some cultural conservatives that he's conservative enough. And rival Rick Santorum hopes to use those voters to score strong finishes in Colorado and Minnesota on Tuesday. In recent days, Romney has emphasized his social conservative credentials at campaign events and in interviews. In a radio interview, he said he supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation's decision to strip funding from Planned Parenthood. Komen later reversed that decision. In a rally near Denver, he said the Obama administration is forcing religious institutions to distribute "abortive pills." Atlanta Journal

Democrats’ Chances Of Retaking The House Improve
Democrats have been saying for a long time that the House could be in play in 2012, and now some Republicans are starting to join them. “For Democrats to take 25 seats, they will need a wave,” former congressman Tom Davis wrote in an op-ed in The Hill recently. “Continued polarization and obstruction could create such a wave.” Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele agreed that keeping the majority isn’t a done deal: “It could be very, very hard.” And last week, a member of the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board opined that the GOP majority could be in jeopardy if Republicans don’t make it a priority. “The House is no sure thing,” wrote Kimberly A. Strassel. In fact, there is a growing behind-the-scenes sense among House Republican leaders that the more the presidential race has enveloped the daily news, the importance of keeping the House has been lost – exactly the point Strassel sought to make. Washington Post

Obama To Host White House Science Fair
President Barack Obama will stress the importance of science and technology education today when he hosts the second White House Science Fair. The fair celebrates the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math competitions from across the country. The president will view exhibits of student work in the State Dining Room. Afterward, he will speak to students, science educators and business leaders about how important science education is to the country's economic future. In the afternoon, Obama will meet with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in the Oval Office. Boston Globe

Obama Re-Election Campaign Seeks Historic Grass-Roots Effort
Every time a bell rings in the field office of President Obama's re-election campaign here, it means a phone bank worker has just persuaded a potential volunteer to come in for a one-on-one meeting. That would seem a small victory to celebrate — except that it's repeated virtually every hour of every day in scores of field offices across the country, including eight in Michigan. The details of all those phone calls and more are entered into the Democratic Party's "Vote Builder" database and sent to Obama's Chicago headquarters each night. There, the data are collected, sorted and analyzed by some of the 300-plus paid staffers who have taken over an entire floor of the Prudential building. USA Today

Romney Campaign Takes Aim At Santorum
Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney on Monday focused his campaign's firepower on Rick Santorum to head off his surge in two of three states with nominating contests this week. Coming off a runaway victory in Nevada on Saturday, Romney hopes to cement his front-runner status on Tuesday in caucuses and primaries in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri - the next battlegrounds in the state-by-state fight to pick a challenger to face Democratic President Barack Obama in November. Romney's attention has been focused heavily on former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich but he is no longer a big threat in this week's contests. Reuters

Child Abuse Bigger Threat Than SIDS
Nearly 4,600 U.S. children were hospitalized with broken bones, traumatic brain injury and other serious damage caused by physical abuse in 2006, according to a new report.  Babies younger than one were the most common victims, with 58 cases per 100,000 infants. That makes serious abuse a bigger threat to infant safety than SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, researchers say in the report. "There is a national campaign to prevent SIDS," said Dr. John Leventhal of Yale University, who led the new study. "We need a national campaign related to child abuse where every parent is reminded that kids can get injured." The new study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, is the first broad U.S. estimate of serious injuries due to child abuse. MSNBC

Obama Orders New Sanctions Against Iran
President Obama Monday morning signed an executive order freezing all assets of the Iranian government, including its Central Bank, held in the United States even as he continued to try to ease fears that Israel is preparing to carry out a unilateral strike on the Islamic Republic. The presidential order is the latest in a string of sanctions the U.S. has pursued against Iran in recent months as Tehran steps up the development of its nuclear capabilities despite warnings from the U.S. and other members of the international community to halt its activity. Washington Times

"Hidden" Mortgage Fee Paying For Payroll Tax Cut
Just before Christmas, American workers got a rare gift from Washington politicians - the current payroll tax cut would be extended for two more months. At the time, both President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner lauded the move to avoid a tax increase for millions of working Americans. But there's something the politicians weren't bragging about - the fact that they're paying for the two-month tax cut with what has turned into a brand new fee on home buyers. The new fee is a minimum of one-tenth of 1 percent on Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-backed loans, and is likely to go much higher. It will be imposed for the next 10 years on most mortgages and refinancings and it lasts for the life of the loan. For every $200,000, it amounts to an extra $15 dollars a month. CBS

House And Senate At Impasse On Medicare Payments
House and Senate negotiators are deadlocked over how to prevent a deep cut in Medicare payments to doctors who treat millions of Medicare beneficiaries, an impasse that could threaten broader legislation on a payroll tax cut. Lawmakers in both parties said they wanted to give doctors a small increase, but could not agree on how to cover the cost. The issue, which is being negotiated as part of the talks over maintaining a reduction in payroll taxes for 160 million Americans, pits health care providers against one another — doctors versus hospitals — in a type of conflict that is most likely to become more common as the federal government tries to throttle back the growth of Medicare costs. The payroll legislation would also continue jobless benefits for many of the nation’s unemployed. In the absence of agreement, doctors’ fees will be cut 27 percent next month, and many doctors say they could not continue treating Medicare patients under the lower payments. NY Times
House And Senate At Impasse On Medicare Payments
House and Senate negotiators are deadlocked over how to prevent a deep cut in Medicare payments to doctors who treat millions of Medicare beneficiaries, an impasse that could threaten broader legislation on a payroll tax cut. Lawmakers in both parties said they wanted to give doctors a small increase, but could not agree on how to cover the cost. The issue, which is being negotiated as part of the talks over maintaining a reduction in payroll taxes for 160 million Americans, pits health care providers against one another — doctors versus hospitals — in a type of conflict that is most likely to become more common as the federal government tries to throttle back the growth of Medicare costs. The payroll legislation would also continue jobless benefits for many of the nation’s unemployed. In the absence of agreement, doctors’ fees will be cut 27 percent next month, and many doctors say they could not continue treating Medicare patients under the lower payments. NY Times

Rural Alaska Air Travel Subsidies Survive Cost Cutting In Congress
Subsidies for rural Alaska air travel survived the cost-cutting talk as Congress passed a four-year funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday after years of dispute. Alaska is part of a hotly contested federal subsidy program known as Essential Air Service. The advocacy group Citizens Against Government Waste called the subsidies "low hanging fruit, something all members of Congress should oppose." Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain tried to kill the program entirely. Modest cuts were made to the Lower 48 portion of the program but Alaska's subsidies emerged unscathed in the FAA bill, which passed the House on Friday and the Senate on Monday evening. The president is expected to sign it into law. Charlotte Observer

Bain Execs Spent Nearly $5 Million On Romney's White House Runs
Of all the investments made by the super-wealthy partners at Bain Capital, perhaps none have a greater potential return than the one they've made in Mitt Romney. Current and former Bain executives and their relatives have given about $4.7 million to organizations dedicated to making Romney the next president of the United States, according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation. Some Bain associates have been filling Romney's campaign coffers since 2004, long before the former Massachusetts governor officially embarked on a presidential run. Since then, they've given to political committees in early primary states - some without contribution limits - for both of Romney's presidential campaigns and to federal "leadership PACs" controlled by the candidate. McClatchy

Stanford's AttorneysPortraying Ex-CFO As Liar
Attorneys for jailed Texas tycoon R. Allen Stanford are trying to portray the prosecution's star witness at the financier's fraud trial as a liar and a crook who can't be trusted. James M. Davis, the former chief financial officer for Stanford's companies, has told jurors he lied and helped hide the fraud at Stanford's Caribbean bank but that he is telling jurors the truth about the tycoon's complicity in what prosecutors say was a more than 20-year Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of more $7 billion. "Can you tell the jury how we know when you are telling the truth?" Robert Scardino, one of Stanford's attorneys, asked Davis as the defense began questioning him Monday after spending three days answering prosecutors' questions. San Diego Union

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Move Over Robo-Calls, States Sell Email Addresses For Campaigns To Reach Voters
If your email inbox starts overflowing with messages from political campaigns this election season, it could be because your state sold you out. A Fox News study has found 19 states plus the District of Columbia, now ask for an email address on voter registration cards. In nine of those states, email addresses from the cards are then sold to political parties, organizing groups, lawmakers and campaigns who can use them to send unsolicited emails. If it were a Viagra ad, it be considered a crime in some states. But a political message, that's all perfectly legal. The CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) law enacted in 2003 puts restrictions on commercial mass emailing, but not on political mass emailing. Politicians can "spam" and do. Political messages of any kind, including electronic, are protected free speech under the First Amendment. Fox News

The Romney Kids' $100 Million Trust Fund
Mitt Romney's five sons -- Matt, Tagg, Craig, Ben and Josh -- are sitting pretty with a trust fund worth $100 million. Getting there took investments that produced great growth, according to the Romney campaign. It also took smart tax strategies. Romney and his wife Ann have been giving to the boys since 1995, and, according to a spokesperson for the Romney campaign, all of their contributions have been below gift-tax contribution limits. The limit for a couple in 1995 was $20,000 and has since grown to $26,000. In addition, there's a "lifetime gift-tax exclusion" for all the boys that totaled $1.2 million back in 1995 and has since grown to $10 million. Add it all up, and the Romneys could have gifted $1.3 million in 1995, and a total of $10.6 million through 2011. All tax free. To get to $100 million, the account would have needed a 26% average annual compound rate of return, said Jonathan Bergman, chief investment officer at Palisades Hudson Asset Management. Stocks over that same time have gained about 10%. CNN

Furor Over Clint’s ‘Bam-Boosting’ Chrysler Ad
Clint Eastwood made President Obama’s day by cutting a Super Bowl ad on Detroit’s rebirth that sounded as if it could have been a re-election appeal — yet both Chrysler and the White House yesterday denied having anything to do with the attention-grabbing spot. “It has zero political content,” the automaker’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, told a Detroit radio station. “It was not intended to be any type of political overture on our part. We are as apolitical as you can make us.” The ad, featuring Eastwood’s gravelly voice, cost about $3.5 million to make, and reached more than 100 million Americans. NY Post

Maldives President Quits After Weeks Of Protest
The first democratically elected president of the Maldives resigned Tuesday and was replaced by his vice president after the police and army clashed in the streets of the island nation amid protests over the arrest of a top judge. Mohammed Waheed Hassan, who previously worked as a top UNICEF official, was sworn in as the new Maldivian president in the afternoon. The resignation marked a stunning fall for President Mohamed Nasheed, a former human rights campaigner who defeated the nation's longtime ruler in the country's first multiparty election. Nasheed was also an environmental celebrity, traveling the world to persuade governments to combat the climate change that could raise sea levels and inundate his archipelago nation. Seattle Times

Foreclosure Deal Deadline Arrives
U.S. states that balked at liability releases in a proposed $25 billion nationwide settlement over bank foreclosure practices must decide today whether its mortgage relief and reforms are worth legal claims they’ll lose. While some states have already announced their intention to sign the deal, others including California Attorney General Kamala Harris have yet to publicly commit in part due to terms that protect the banks from future litigation. Without Harris, the deal’s value will drop by several billion dollars, according to a person familiar with the matter. The agreement is “beyond fixing,” said George Goehl, executive director of National People’s Action, a network of community organizations which advocates for fair lending and affordable housing. Bloomberg

Illinois’ Audio Recording Law Under Scrutiny
Illinois residents don't have the right to record audio of their conversations with police, a law that some state legislators say needs to be changed, especially with the likelihood of protests at this spring's NATO and G8 summits in Chicago. Illinois' strict eavesdropping law requires all parties in a conversation to give consent in order for it to be audio-recorded. Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, is sponsoring a bill that would allow for exceptions. She says she doesn't believe there is an expectation of privacy for public officials on public property doing public duties. The current law faces multiple challenges in state and federal court. Illlinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed for the state Supreme Court to address the law after a Crawford County judge declared it unconstitutional last September. Las Vegas Sun

Chinese Nod For Citi Cards May Signal Market Opening
China’s decision to allow Citigroup Inc. (C) to issue credit cards in its own name may signal a step toward the government in Beijing opening its banking industry. New York-based Citigroup is the second foreign bank, and the first Western one, to be permitted to issue credit cards in China. The announcement yesterday came as the World Trade Organization, acting on a U.S. complaint, probes the legality China’s refusal to let foreign companies issue their own bank cards denominated in its currency or to permit companies such as Visa Inc. (V), American Express Co. (AXP), MasterCard Inc. (MA), Discover Financial Services (DFS) and First Data Corp. (FDC) to process card transactions in China. Bloomberg

Casinos Generated $125B Spending In 2010
A new report shows U.S. casinos and the industries that depend on them made a $125 billion economic splash in 2010 _ the equivalent of 1 percent of the total U.S. gross domestic product. The study released Monday by the American Gaming Association counts direct casino industry spending and tallies the indirect spending that comes from industries supported by casinos and activities spawned by casinos. "There is no doubt the commercial casino industry is a significant and vital part of our nation's economy," association president and CEO Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., said in a statement. "The industry generates and supports economic activity that stretches far beyond the communities that host casinos." The report shows 566 casinos in 22 states supported about $125 billion in spending and nearly 820,000 jobs in the U.S. in 2010. Las Vegas Sun

Ga. Court Overturns Assisted Suicide Restrictions
Georgia's highest court concluded Monday that a state law restricting assisted suicides violated free speech rights, a ruling that destroyed a long-running criminal case against members of a suicide group and could reshape the state's end-of-life policy. The Georgia Supreme Court's unanimous ruling struck down the 1994 law, which bans people from publicly advertising suicide. It was adopted by lawmakers hoping to prevent right-to-die supporters from offering their services in the state. The ruling means that four members of the Final Exit Network who were charged in February 2009 with helping a 58-year-old cancer patient die won't have to stand trial. The group, which was once based in Georgia, was at the center of a lengthy investigation by state authorities who infiltrated its operations. Newsday

Faculty To Be Removed At LA School Following Sex  Abuse Charges
The entire faculty at an elementary school where two teachers were arrested on suspicion of lewd conduct will be removed while the school district investigates, the Los Angeles school superintendent told parents Monday. Superintendent John Deasy told parents and media on Monday night that the Miramonte Elementary School staffers are being replaced because a full investigation of allegations is disruptive and staffers require support to get through the scandal, too. An entire staff has been trained to come into classrooms at Miramonte to take over teaching for the time being, and there will be a psychiatric social worker in every classroom to help students and staff cope with any issues. Detroit News

Iran Calls New US Sanctions 'Psychological War'
Iran has dismissed the new U.S. sanctions on Tehran, with the Foreign Ministry spokesman saying Tuesday they are part of a "psychological war" meant to sow discontent among Iranians and insisting the measures would not halt the country's nuclear program. Washington ordered the new penalties on Monday, giving U.S. banks additional powers to freeze assets linked to the Iranian government and close loopholes that officials say Iran has used to move money despite earlier restrictions imposed by the U.S. and Europe. The United States and its allies suspect Iran's nuclear activities are geared toward producing an atomic weapon. Iran denies the charge, insisting its controversial uranium enrichment program is only for peaceful purposes, such as power production. Tamp Tribune

Greek Hopes Prop Up Euro, Results Hit Shares
The euro was underpinned by hopes a way would be found to push through a second bailout deal for Greece, though poor results from some top European firms on Tuesday rekindled unease about the region's debt crisis, sending shares lower. Greece's prime minister and the leaders of the country's main political parties are set to resume talks today on new austerity measures demanded by the EU in return for a second bailout. The deal needs to be approved by February 15 if the money is to be available in time to meet a March 20 bond redemption. Sun Sentinel

US Trip Of China's Next Leader: From Obama To Iowa
In 1985, Xi Jinping led a delegation to Muscatine, Iowa, to study advanced hog-raising techniques. He returns next week, preparing to lead the world's most populous nation. China's vice president, who will take over the presidency from Hu Jintao next year, will be in the U.S. to meet President Barack Obama and other leaders and introduce himself to a U.S. audience. His decision to also visit the families who hosted him years ago is a rare personal touch for a Chinese leader, one that feeds his reputation as a new type of official who dares to step away from the traditional aloofness of Chinese high office. "He appreciated learning about America on that level, and he is signaling by going there that he is going to be a different kind of leader," said Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an author and a longtime adviser to the Chinese government who has met with Xi for private talks. "He is going to be open. He is going to be appreciative." SF Gate

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Green Tea Could Be Secret To Healthy Old Age
Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people. Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far. For the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers decided to examine the question of whether green tea drinkers have a lower risk of frailty and disability as they grow older. Yasutake Tomata of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and his colleagues followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 65 or older for three years. MSNBC

Obama Frets Over Super PAC Spending
President Obama predicted an onslaught of negative campaigning by “super PACs” during the general election, although he did not disavow his own fundraising machine or the outside groups backing him for president. “One of the worries we have, obviously, in the next campaign is that there are so many of these so-called ‘super PACs,’ these independent expenditures that are going to be out there. There’s going to be just a lot of money floating around,” he said during an taped interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer that aired Monday. “And I guarantee you a bunch of that’s going to be negative.” Despite his concerns, Mr. Obama declined to say whether he would call on the groups not to run negative campaigns on his behalf or try to convince the Republican nominee to elevate the political discourse. Washington Times

Romney Continues Republican Line Of Attack On Obama Over "Religious Liberty"
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday stepped up the Republican charge that President Obama is infringing upon "religious liberty" by requiring faith-based organizations provide birth control coverage for their employees. The Romney campaign on Monday was promoting a petition, which says, "The Obama administration is at it again. They are now using Obamacare to impose a secular vision on Americans who believe that they should not have their religious freedom taken away... If you have had enough of the Obama administration's attacks on religious liberty, stand with Mitt and sign the petition." CBS

Ron Paul: ‘Hard To Say’ When He Will Win A Caucus Or Primary
Coming off of a back-of-the-pack finish in the Nevada caucus Saturday night, Ron Paul said Sunday morning that it is “hard to say exactly when” he expects to score a victory in an upcoming caucus or primary. “Of course you set [your target] for victory, but you have to live within the real world,” Paul told me on “This Week”. “But we have three or four caucus states that we believe our numbers are doing pretty good and we have to wait and see and keep doing exactly what we’re doing.” Paul, who is the only 2012 GOP presidential candidate who has not won a primary or caucus, said despite his losing record, he has already achieved his goal igniting a “big change in this country.” ABC

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US Closes Embassy In Syria, Pulls Out Diplomats
The U.S. closed its Syrian embassy Monday and Britain recalled its ambassador to Damascus in a dramatic escalation of Western pressure on President Bashar Assad to give up power, just days after diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to end the crisis collapsed. The U.S. evacuated all its diplomats from the country as Syrian forces intensified a shelling assault on the restive city of Homs. The offensive began Saturday, the same day Syria's allies in Russia and China vetoed a Western- and Arab-backed resolution aimed at trying to end the brutal crackdown on dissent. Fox News

WH: Women ‘Deserve’ To Have Catholic Church Buy Them Sterilizations, Contraceptives And Abortifacients
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Monday that American women “deserve” to have their employers buy them health insurance plans that cover sterlizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives, including those that cause abortions, with no fees or co-pay, even if the employer is a Catholic or Catholic organization that adheres to the church teaching that sterilization, artificial contraception and abortifacients are morally wrong and that Catholics cannot be involved in them.  CNS News

Obama vs. Reagan: A Tale Of Two Recoveries
Faced with a strong jobs report Friday, Republicans tried out a new rhetorical message: This isn't a disaster, but Ronald Reagan could have done better. "It didn't have to be this way," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington. "There is a different approach that we could've taken. President Reagan took a very different approach." On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have been careful not to compare the recovery to anything like Reagan's fabled "Morning in America." Alan Krueger, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, said that while the jobs report "provides further evidence that the economy is continuing to heal," it is "important not to read too much into any one monthly report." So the parties are in agreement: The recovery of today is not like the recovery of 1983 and 1984. CNN

U.S. Court To Rule Tuesday On California Gay Marriage
A U.S. appeals court will rule on Tuesday on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage, the court said. The ruling on California's same-sex marriage ban, passed by voters in 2008, could set national policy, if the Supreme Court takes the case. Both sides have indicated they will appeal if they lose the case in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. About 40 U.S. states have outlawed same-sex marriage, but the issue has been decided on a state-by-state basis. Reuters

Romney Keeps Focus On Obama While Surrogates Slam GOP Rivals
While one of his chief surrogates lobbed attack after attack on GOP rival Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney himself stayed entirely focused on President Obama today, providing a laundry list of reasons why he does not deserve to be elected to a second term. “President Obama three years ago was on the today show and he said if he couldn’t turn the economy around in 3 years, he’d be looking at a one term proposition,” Romney said at a rally. “We are here to collect, and by the way, he was on the ‘Today’ show again this morning on the anniversary of that statement and he said he deserves a second term. “No, Mr. President you do not deserve a second term,” he said, speaking in the ballroom of the Country Inns of America hotel.  ABC

Tax Reform In This Election Year: It's Not Likely
Tax reform sounds like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the popular deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax? Not likely. Politicians of all stripes in this presidential election year are clamoring for simplifying the tax code and closing loopholes. But that would... Newsday

New Tension In Iran Standoff
World concern that Israel could soon launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities is rising amid new bellicose statements from Tehran. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a "great event" was coming that would demonstrate Iran's power, and that "the Zionists and the Great Satan" would soon be defeated. Israel, he added, was a "cancer" that "should be cut and will be cut." Israeli Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Yaalon said Tehran is building a missile with a distance of 6,000 miles "aimed at America," while Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that Iran is moving steadily to place its facilities in so-called "immunity zones" -- areas such as underground bunkers and within mountains where they cannot be hit by missiles and bombs. UPI

Recall: Hard-Cooked Eggs Sold In 34 States
Michael Foods says it's recalling buckets of hard-cooked eggs in brine sold for institutional use from its Wakefield, Neb., facility due to potential Listeria. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported 150,000 pounds of eggs were involved in the recall and KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, said that amounted to 1 million eggs. Michael Foods, based in Minnetonka, Minn., said no illnesses had been reported as a result of the potentially tainted eggs. UPI

'Egyptian NGO Crackdown Could Impact US Aid'
The White House said on Monday that an Egyptian crackdown on pro-democracy non-governmental groups that has enmeshed a number of US citizens could threaten the country's $1.3 billion in annual US military aid. Nineteen Americans are among 40 foreign and Egyptian activists whose cases have been referred to criminal court by the country's army-backed government. A number of the US citizens involved have sought refuge in the American embassy. The end of a beautiful friendship?"These actions could have consequences for our relationship and for our assistance programs," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. The row has strained ties between Cairo and Washington, which backed the overthrow last year of Egypt's longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak, upon whom it relied for decades to uphold a peace treaty with Israel vital to US strategy in the Middle East. Jerusalem Post

Netanyahu: Fatah-Hamas Deal Will End Diplomatic Process
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu blasted the emerging reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah on Monday, sending a clear message to the international community that if the deal is consummated, the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic process is over. One reason for Netanyahu's extremely sharp response to reports of a deal – he made it a point to make his remarks both in Hebrew and in English – was to get the international community to pressure Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas not to implement it, one government official acknowledged. Anyone in the international community concerned about the peace process should be intervening now with the Palestinians to prevent the consummation of this marriage," the official said. Jerusalem Post

Iran's Parliament Summons Ahmadinejad
Iran's parliament has summoned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questioning over a long list of accusations, including allegations that he mismanaged the nation's economy. It's the first summons of its kind for an Iranian president since 1979. It follows a petition by a parliamentary committee and is part of a power struggle ahead of March parliamentary elections. Mohammad Reza Bahnoar, the parliament deputy speaker, said Tuesday that lawmakers are demanding Ahmadinejad answer questions on the economy, including purportedly bypassing a special budget for the Tehran subway and public transportation.
He is also to be queried about foreign and domestic policy decisions. Maimi Herald

ExoMars Co-operation Between Nasa And Esa Near Collapse
The American space agency looks set to pull the plug on its joint missions to Mars with the European Space Agency. Nasa has told Esa it is now highly unlikely it will be able to contribute to the endeavours, which envision an orbiting satellite and a big roving robot being sent to the Red Planet. The US has yet to make a formal statement on the matter but budget woes are thought to lie behind its decision. Europe is now banking on a Russian partnership to keep the missions alive. A public announcement by Nasa of its withdrawal from the ExoMars programme, as it is known in Europe, will probably come once President Obama's 2013 Federal Budget Request is submitted. BBC

US And Israel Working Together On Iran, Says Obama
The US is working closely with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, President Barack Obama has said. He told NBC he believed Israel had not yet decided how to deal with the issue, amid reports that Israel may strike Iran as early as spring. Mr Obama said the aim was to resolve the crisis diplomatically, but added that no option was off the table. The US and Israel suspect that Iran is building a nuclear bomb. Iran says its programmes are for peaceful purposes. Last November, the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said it had information suggesting Iran had carried out tests "relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device". BBC

Disbelief As Greek Politicians Delay Deal On €130Bn Rescue Package
Greece appeared intent on taking make-or-break talks over a €130bn (£108bn) rescue programme for the debt-choked country down to the wire tonight as officials announced that the discussions would be delayed. Confounding market expectation and European hopes, the government said agreement over the conditions attached to further aid could not be reached as a meeting between political chiefs and the prime minister, Lucas Papademos, had been deferred until today. "All parties have basically accepted the deal," said a well-briefed source, referring to the three elements in Papademos's national unity coalition. "But it is felt that the details have to be fine-tuned. The leaders want to know what they are signing up to." Guardian

USAid Now Free To Buy Goods From Companies In Poor Countries
The US agency for international development, USAid, will no longer have to "buy American", thanks to a policy change that will open up the agency's contracts to firms in developing countries and could herald a significant shift in how the world's largest aid donor does business. The US, which spent $30.4bn in official development assistance in 2010, is known for its policy of "tied aid" – foreign aid that must be spent on goods and services purchased from companies in donor countries. But last month, USAid revised its procurement regulations. The new rules, which come into effect on Monday, will allow the agency to purchase most goods and services from developing countries, with notable exceptions including US-funded food aid, motor vehicles and US-patented pharmaceuticals. Guardian

Roman Catholic Leaders Criticise Barack Obama Over Healthcare
Roman Catholic leaders have furiously criticised President Barack Obama for approving new regulations that compel religious organisations to include morning-after pills and other contraceptives in employee health insurance coverage. New rules, introduced under Mr Obama's overhaul of the US healthcare system, mean that religious charities, universities and other groups must now provide contraception in staff insurance packages. Failure to do so would result in fines being levied by the federal government that larger Catholic organisations claim would cost them millions of dollars a year. Telegraph

Costa Concordia: Capt Francesco Schettino 'Could Be Sentenced To Over 2,500 Years'
The captain of the capsized Costa Concordia could be sentenced to a cumulative total of more than 2,500 years in prison if convicted of causing a shipwreck, abandoning ship and multiple counts of manslaughter, it emerged on Monday. The length of sentence was calculated by Italian newspapers, which totted up the jail terms that Capt Francesco Schettino could face if convicted on all the charges that are expected to be brought against him. He could face an eight year jail sentence for every one of the 300 passengers and crew he allegedly left on the crippled vessel when it grounded on the shores of Giglio island on the night of Jan 13. Telegraph

UN’s Global Report On Youth Highlights Rising Concerns Over Lack Of Job Prospects
A lack of job opportunities, inadequate education, vulnerable working conditions and insufficient government investment are some of the main concerns of young people around the world, according to a United Nations report on youth published today. The latest World Youth Report, released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), for the first time included inputs from young people – with many participating in an online discussion on youth employment. UN News

Ban ‘Appalled’ By Escalating Violence Across Syria
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the escalating violence in Syria today, calling on President Bashar al-Assad’s Government to immediately cease all hostilities against the country’s civilian population. According to media reports, Syrian troops have continued their assault on the city of Homs, using heavy artillery and shelling against civilians as part of their wider crackdown against a public pro-democracy movement that emerged early last year. “Such violence is totally unacceptable before humanity,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, which noted that the Secretary-General was particularly “appalled” by the mounting death toll in the country. The UN recently reported that more than 5,000 people have perished.No government can commit such acts against its people without its legitimacy being eroded. UN News

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