House rebukes Obama but won't halt funds for Libya

House rebukes Obama but won't halt funds for Libya

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, leaves the House floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2011, after a vote on funding for U.S. military action in Libya.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Challenging presidential power, a defiant U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Friday to deny President Barack Obama the authority to wage war against Libya. But Republicans fell short in an effort to actually cut off funds for the operation in a constitutional showdown reflecting both political differences and unease over American involvement.

In a repudiation of their commander in chief, House members rejected a measure to authorize the Libya mission for a year while prohibiting U.S. ground forces in the North African nation, a resolution Obama had said he would welcome.

The vote was 295-123 with 70 Democrats abandoning the president just one day after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had made an unusual appeal to rank-and-file members. A Senate committee is to consider the same resolution next Tuesday and is expected to support it, raising the prospect of conflicting messages from Congress.

Friday's votes showed lawmakers' concerns about an open-ended U.S. commitment to a civil war between Moammar Gadhafi and rebel forces looking to oust him - as well as growing weariness among Americans with drawn-out conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition, the resounding number rejecting the authority resolution was a clear sign of anger toward the president for failing to seek congressional consent for the operation within 60 days, as stated in the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Republicans and Democrats argued that an arrogant Obama had run roughshod over the Constitution, ignoring the authority of the legislative branch that the founding fathers had insisted has the power to declare war.

(See: House Roll Call: on use of force in Libya)

While Republican as well as Democratic presidents have often ignored the War Powers Resolution, a frustrated House voted earlier this month to rebuke Obama for failing to provide a "compelling rationale" for the Libyan mission and for launching U.S. military forces without congressional approval. They requested a report to Congress on the operation.

Obama further incensed lawmakers last week when he said he didn't need authorization because the operation did not rise to full-blown hostilities, a decision he reached by overruling some of his advisers.

It's not about Gadhafi, foes of the authorization said.

"I support the removal of the Libyan regime. I support the president's authority as commander in chief, but when the president chooses to challenge the powers of the Congress I, as speaker of the House, will defend the constitutional authority of the legislature," said Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Added Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla.: "The last thing that we want as Americans is for some president, whether it's this president or some future president, to be able to pick fights around the world without any debate from another branch of government."

(See: House Roll Call: use of funds for Libya)

The rejected money-cutoff bill, sponsored by Rooney, would have barred drone attacks and airstrikes but allowed the United States to continue actions in support of the NATO-led operation such as intelligence gathering, refueling and reconnaissance. The effort to cut off money was defeated, 238-180. While GOP leaders backed the measure, they didn't pressure Republicans to support it.

Supporting Obama, Democrats opposed to the votes argued that they would empower Gadhafi, aggravate NATO allies desperately needed in the fight in Afghanistan and send a dispiriting message to those who led the Arab spring uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere.

They reminded lawmakers of Gadhafi's role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and said he had American blood on his hands.

"The message will go all over the world, the message will go to Moammar Gadhafi, the message will go to our NATO allies, the message will go to every nation of the world that America does not keep faith with its allies," said Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House.

The authorization vote marked the first time since 1999 that either chamber had voted against backing a military action. The last time was to limit President Bill Clinton's authority to use ground forces in Kosovo. There will be no immediate effect on American involvement in the NATO-led mission in Libya, the same as in 1999.

(See: Mullen sees risk in Obama's Afghanistan withdrawal)

Since NATO took command of the operation in early April, the U.S. role has largely been limited to support efforts such as intelligence and electronic warfare. However, the U.S. has launched airstrikes and drone attacks, flying more than 3,200 sorties. The effort has included 39 drone attacks and 80 strikes with jet fighters.

The bill to cut off funds failed, in part, because several Republicans feared that even a vote for limited authorization for a NATO support mission amounted to support for the war effort.

"By dictating to President Obama how he can use American military forces in support of the NATO effort in Libya, we would authorize him to continue the same mission he has been carrying out for the past three months without congressional approval," said Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J.

The votes Friday were not the last word in the House. Lawmakers plan to target money for Libya when the House considers the defense spending bill the week of July 4.

Reacting to the votes, Clinton said she would have preferred a different outcome on the authorization vote but was "gratified that the House decisively rejected" the bill to cut funds.

"We need to stand together across party lines and across both branches of government with the Libyan people and with our friends and allies and against Gadhafi," Clinton said.

In Benghazi, Libya, rebel spokesman Jalal el-Gallal, said he didn't know why the House voted against the authorization measure.

"America is the beating heart of democracy and should support the birth of a democracy in our time," he said. "I believe the American people will put the pressure on the government to change its mind."

White House spokesman Jay Carney said, "We think now is not the time to send the kind of mixed message that it sends when we're working with our allies to achieve the goals that we believe that are widely shared in Congress: protecting civilians in Libya, enforcing a no-fly zone, enforcing an arms embargo and further putting pressure on Gadhafi."

The authorization resolution mirrors a Senate measure sponsored by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider that resolution on Tuesday, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has indicated it has the panel's support.

Twins Markieff and Marcus Morris go back-to-back in NBA draft

Twins Markieff and Marcus Morris go back-to-back in NBA draft

On Sept. 2, 1989, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris were born seven minutes apart in North Philadelphia. On June 23, 2011, the twin brothers and former University of Kansas standouts were chosen back-to-back, just seven minutes and 13 seconds apart (thanks, ESPN Stats and Information), in the 2011 NBA draft, in Newark, N.J., about two hours away from their place of birth. Symmetry's a heck of a thing, ain't it?

The Morrises are the third set of twins to be chosen in the first round of the NBA's first-year player entry draft, following sibling pairs Horace and Harvey Grant, and Brook and Robin Lopez(notes). Horace was the 10th overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1987, while Harvey went 12th to the Washington Bullets the following year. The New Jersey Nets chose Brook with the 10th pick in 2008; five picks later, Robin came off the board to the Phoenix Suns.

As he was in birth, Markieff Morris came first, going to those same Suns with the 13th selection in the first round of this year's entry draft. After his brother exited the green room and stepped to the podium, Marcus Morris briefly allowed the emotion of the moment to overtake him. It was a touching scene, one that drove home the likelihood that the twins, inseparable since birth, would find themselves on different teams and in different cities for the first time in their lives.

Shortly thereafter, in an interview televised on ESPN's draft coverage, a more composed Marcus cracked a joke about the prospect of splitting from Markieff.

"It ain't the end of the world. I'll see him again," he said. "I mean, I'll send him flowers or some fruit. It'll be good."

Marcus Morris (right) didn't have much time to compare gift basket prices, because minutes later, the Houston Rockets chose him with the 14th pick in the first round.

Jeff Eisenberg, the ace college basketball writer behind our Y! brother blog The Dagger, echoed the sentiments of many college and draft observers who were somewhat taken aback by Markieff Morris coming off the board before Marcus, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year last season.

"It's not a huge shock that Markieff Morris would go as high as No. 13 to Phoenix, but it's definitely a surprise he came off the board before his more highly regarded twin brother Marcus," Eisenberg wrote. "Maybe the fact that Markieff has a defined position at power forward made him more attractive to teams than his twin brother, a hybrid forward who critics say lacks the height to play in the paint and the lateral quickness to play on the perimeter."

Whatever the reasoning behind Phoenix electing to take Markieff, the seven-minutes-older brother noted a mix of elation and anxiety after hearing his named called.

"Once I was called, I still had a little, you know, a little pressure on me waiting for my brother to be called," Markieff Morris told reporters. "Once he was called, it just came off, and we are both grateful and thankful."

"It's just amazing. It's just amazing how things play out," Marcus Morris said. "[I'm] just thanking God. He really has a plan for us. It just plays out the exact way we wanted it to. It's just so amazing."

Phoenix Suns selected Markieff Morris with the 13th pick

Phoenix Suns selected Markieff Morris with the 13th pick

The Phoenix Suns have selected former Kansas forward Markieff Morris with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Markieff is the first of the Morris twins to be selected with brother Marcus still on the board (who went 14th to the Houston Rockets).

At 6'9" 241 pounds, the 21-year-old Morris averaged 13.6 points a game while shooting 58.9% from the field at Kansas. He also pulled down 8.3 boards a game.

The Suns are a team in transition after a 40-42 season that placed them 10th in the Western Conference. Morris should help provide a physical presence for the Suns who clearly missed Amar'e Stoudemire last year.

Markieff can the shoot the ball so that likely factored into the offensive-minded Suns who are expected to keep Steve Nash for the final year of his contract.

Originally Marcus was projected to go higher, but the Suns went with Markieff who may be more willing to play in the paint than his sibling.

For an enlightening study of both Morris Twins, HOOPSWORLD's Susan Bible wrote Morris Twins Prepare to Separate back in May.

Markieff is probably more of an NBA four than his brother who may be able to play three as well.

The Suns have an assortment of power players in Marcin Gortat, Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick, Robin Lopez, Gani Lawal and Garret Siler.

Gortat is a physical player, but Frye is far more comfortable on the perimeter. It remains to be seen if Lawai and Siler develop into regular contributors. Warrick has his moments but Lopez really struggled this past year.

Morris may be able to carve out a role in the rotation even as a rookie.

Rockets take F Morris with 14th pick

FILE - This March 12, 2011, file photo shows Kansas forward Marcus Morris (22) dunking in front of Texas guard Jai Lucas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, for the championship of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament, in Kansas City, Mo. Morris is a top prospect in the 2011 NBA Draft

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets selected Kansas forward Marcus Morris with the 14th pick in the NBA draft Thursday night.

The 6-foot-9 Morris was drafted immediately after his twin older brother, Markieff, was taken by Phoenix at No. 13. Marcus Morris was named the Big 12 player of the year after averaging 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in 38 games for the Jayhawks in the 2010-11 season.

The Rockets missed the playoffs and ended up with the 14th overall pick for the second straight season. Houston also has the 23rd and 38th overall picks in the draft.

With Morris, Houston added some size with the future of Yao Ming in doubt. The top overall pick in 2002, the 7-foot-6 Yao has been plagued with foot and leg injuries in recent years, and played in only five games in the past two seasons.

The Rockets had three weeks to prepare for the draft since hiring Kevin McHale to replace Rick Adelman, who parted ways with the team after four seasons.

Houston international scouting director Arturis Karnisovas said the Rockets liked Morris' defensive versatility and toughness. He also said Morris will contribute offensively, after shooting 57 percent from the field and topping 20 points in 12 games last season.

"He's tough inside and he can score close to the basket," Karnisovas said. "He can take you outside, as a perimeter shooter. He's a tough player, who can also defend. He's an all-around good player."

Morris worked out with the Rockets and impressed with his finishing ability and basketball smarts.

"High basketball IQ," Karnisovas said. "We were looking for a versatile guy who can do many things, and that's what he does."

Police Issue Warrant For Arrest Of Suspect In 7-Eleven Hit-Run

YEADON, Pa. (CBS) — After several citizens came forward to help police identify the driver in a shocking hit and run in Delaware County that was caught on tape, police now have a warrant out for the driver’s arrest.

Thirty-two-year-old Willaisha Rankins, of Upper Darby, is facing seven charges, including having an accident that resulted in bodily injury and failing to render aid to the victim.

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

BREAKING: NJ Assembly Passes Legislation Requiring Public Workers To Pay More For Benefits

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – The New Jersey Assembly has passed landmark employee benefits legislation requiring more than 500,000 public workers to pay sharply more for pension and health benefits.

The divisive bill did not have the backing of most Democrats. It passed with support from the GOP caucus and a smattering of Democrats.

The Senate approved the bill Monday. And Gov. Chris Christie is expected to sign it soon.

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

76ers Take USC Center Vucevic

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia 76ers have selected Nikola Vucevic with the 16th pick in the NBA draft.

The 7-foot, 260-pound Vucevic, out of USC, gives the Sixers the frontcourt help they needed. Vucevic (Voo-CHAY-vitch) worked out for the Sixers in the weeks leading up to the draft.

The Sixers also have the 50th pick in the second round.

Philadelphia has won only one playoff series since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA finals. This year, the Sixers won 41 games and stretched the Miami Heat to a five-game playoff series in Doug Collins’ first season as coach.

For full story go to:

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Cavaliers take Irving with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

Cavaliers take Irving with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

Kyrie Irving, a former Duke basketball player, is congratulated after being take with the No. 1 pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2011, in Newark, N.J.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Kyrie Irving traveled just a few miles down the road to become the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

The players that followed him came from across the globe.

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Irving with the No. 1 pick in a draft filled with internationals, confident his foot is healthy enough to lead the rebuilding effort that follows LeBron James' departure.

Loudly cheered by family and friends not far from where he starred at St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, Irving showed no signs of the toe injury on his right foot that limited him to 11 games last season as he walked up the stairs to shake hands with Commissioner David Stern.

"I didn't have any doubts about going to No. 1. I was looking to the organization to pick who they felt was the right choice," Irving said. "But now to this moment, from being a fan of the NBA draft and now being drafted, it's a special feeling in my heart and knowing that my friends and family were together, it's a memory I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."

(See: Irving becomes third Duke player to go No. 1)

Three of the first six players taken were from Europe, capitalizing on the absence of some American college players who might have gone in their spots and made this a stronger draft. It was the first time four international players who didn't play at a U.S. college were selected in the lottery.

Even Irving has international ties. He was born in Australia while his father, Drederick, played professionally there and said he might be interested in playing for the Australian national team.

After grabbing him with their first No. 1 pick since taking James in 2003, the Cavs used the No. 4 selection on Texas forward Tristan Thompson. They were the first team since the 1983 Houston Rockets with two top-four picks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves took Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 pick. The Utah Jazz then took Turkish big man Enes Kanter third with their first of two lottery selections.

The league's uncertain labor situation hung over the draft, and likely weakened it. Potential top-10 picks such as Jared Sullinger of Ohio State and Harrison Barnes were among those who decided to stay in school, without knowing when their rookie seasons would have started.

(See: Cavaliers host 3 players as NBA draft nears)

Stern, who could lock out his players next week if a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement is not reached, was booed when he came onto the stage at the Prudential Center, which is hosting the draft while its usual home, Madison Square Garden, is undergoing summer work.

New Yorkers made the trip across the river, cheering loudly when Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette were taken in the top 10 and booing when the Knicks made Georgia Tech guard Iman Shumpert the No. 17 selection.

The draft was filled with question marks, with a number of unknown European players expected to go in the first round. Kanter hasn't played competitively in a year, forced to sit out last season at Kentucky after being ruled ineligible for being paid to play in Turkey.

Lithuania's Jonas Valanciunas went fifth to Toronto and Jan Vesely of the Czech Republic was taken sixth by Washington.

"Basketball in my country is not so popular, but after this night, I think - I hope - that the basketball will be more popular," Vesely said. "I will do my best to help that."

(See: Bucks select Fredette with 10th pick)

Bismack Biyombo of Congo went seventh to Sacramento - a pick that will be traded - as the record of nine international first-round picks in 2003 quickly became threatened. The 18-year-old forward will end up in Charlotte as part of a three-way deal agreed to earlier that also included Milwaukee, a person familiar with the deal Thursday.

Kentucky's Brandon Knight went eighth to Detroit as common fans finally heard a name they recognized again. He was followed by Walker of national champion Connecticut to Charlotte and NCAA scoring champion Fredette of BYU - both New Yorkers who were loudly cheered after their names were called. Walker, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, wiped away tears on the draft stage.

"It's been like a movie. This whole year has been magical, honestly," Walker said. "So many different, crazy things have been happening to me, and you know, I just feel lucky."

Fredette would be moved by Milwaukee to Sacramento if the three-team trade went through.

Irving becomes the third point guard taken first in the last four years, following Derrick Rose in 2008 and John Wall last year. Rose was the NBA's MVP this season, ending James' two-year reign.

Irving insists he's not trying to replace James - whose highlights were booed when showed on the overhead screen - in a different manner now.

"I'm looking forward to getting to Cleveland," Irving said. "It's a big sports town and I cannot wait to embrace all of the fans there and the fan support. I can't wait."

Kansas twins Markieff and Marcus Morris went with back-to-back picks to round out the lottery. Phoenix took Markieff at No. 13 and Marcus followed to the Rockets.

US and others plan biggest release of reserve oil

US and others plan biggest release of reserve oil

In this June 21, 2011 photo, Shell gas worker Toke Fusi lowers gas prices at a Shell gas station in Menlo Park, Calif. Wary of a new surge in gas prices, the Obama administration has decided to release 30 million barrels of oil from the country's emergency reserve as part of a broader international response to lost oil supplies caused by turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly Libya.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The United States and other nations that depend on oil imports will release and sell 60 million barrels of crude from emergency stocks in an effort to ease the strain of high oil prices on the global economy.

The release by the International Energy Agency, a group of more than two dozen countries, covers only what the world uses roughly every 16 hours. But it was enough to send oil prices lower, at least for the moment.

In addition to helping the struggling economies of the U.S. and Europe, analysts said the move was meant as a rebuke to OPEC, which has refused to increase oil production to bring down prices.

It will be the largest sale of crude ever from world strategic reserves and only the third since the IEA was formed in 1974 after the Arab oil embargo. The IEA released oil in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait.

Half the oil will come from reserves in the U.S. Refiners who turn crude into gasoline will be able to bid on the extra oil and have it shipped to them from the salt caverns along the Gulf Coast where it is stored.

(See: IEA: Countries to release 60M barrels of oil)

The IEA said high oil demand and shortfalls of oil production caused by unrest in the Middle East and North Africa threatened to "undermine the fragile global economic recovery."

The uprising in Libya has taken 1.5 million barrels of oil per day off of the market - half a million barrels less than will be released each day by the IEA for 30 days.

The price of oil rose to nearly $114 per barrel in at the end of April, the highest since the summer of 2008, has fallen 20 percent since then to about $91 a barrel on Thursday. Analysts questioned how much relief the move would provide the economy, and for how long.

One analyst, Andrew Lipow, said the timing of the announcement, a day after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered a negative outlook on the economy, suggests that industrialized countries are grasping for solutions. He said Americans should expect the price of gasoline to fall, but not dramatically, in coming weeks.

"Fifteen or 20 cents a gallon of relief is not enough to make people feel good about their job prospects or losses on the stock market or our general economic slowdown," he said.

(See: Obama releasing 30M barrels from US oil reserves)

The IEA and the White House said they were acting to increase the supply of oil available during the peak summer driving season.

"We are taking this action in response to the ongoing loss of crude oil due to supply disruptions in Libya and other countries and their impact on the global economic recovery," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

Gas prices have already fallen for 20 days in a row. They were down another penny Wednesday, to a nationwide average of $3.61 per gallon, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. That's about 21 cents lower than a month ago. Gas prices peaked this year at a national average of $3.98 per gallon in early May.

The timing of the release brought criticism from business groups and Republican lawmakers, who accused President Barack Obama of playing politics with the country's oil reserves, which are intended to address emergencies.

The amount of oil to be released, 2 million barrels per day, represents 2.2 percent of daily global oil demand. The 60 million barrels to be released over the span of a month is less than one day's demand, about 89 million barrels.

Obama says gay couples deserve same rights as all

Obama says gay couples deserve same rights as all

President Barack Obama speaks during a Democratic National Committee event at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, Thursday, June 23, 2011, in New York.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Treading carefully, President Barack Obama praised New York state lawmakers who were debating landmark legislation Thursday to legalize gay marriage, saying that's what democracy's all about. But as expected, the president stopped short of embracing same-sex marriage himself, instead asking gay and lesbian donors for patience.

"I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country," the president said at a Manhattan fundraiser, his first geared specifically to the gay community. Coincidentally, the long-planned event occurred just as lawmakers in Albany were debating legislation that would make New York the sixth and by far the largest state to legalize gay marriage.

That served to spotlight the president's own views on same-sex marriage, a sore point with gay supporters who've otherwise warmed to Obama. The president has said his views are "evolving," but for now he supports civil unions, not same-sex marriage.

Obama said progress will be slower than some people want, but he added that he was confident that there will be a day "when every single American, gay or straight or lesbian or bisexual or transgender, is free to live and love as they see fit.

"Traditionally marriage has been decided by the states and right now I understand there's a little debate going on here in New York," he said to laughter. New York's lawmakers, he said, are "doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do."

(See: NY Gov. Cuomo makes major push for gay marriage)

Debate on the measure continued into the night at the statehouse, and the outcome was uncertain.

As Obama spoke a handful of people shouted out "marriage!" And Obama said, "I heard you guys." He never directly mentioned gay marriage.

Obama said there were those who shouted at him at events about other causes of the gay community, such as the need for anti-hate crimes legislation and for the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay military service, and both of those have since been achieved.

Obama also has won favor by instructing the Justice Department to stop defending in court a law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Obama told of receiving a letter last year from a teenager in a small town. He said the boy was a senior in high school who was gay and was afraid to come out. The boy wondered to the president why gays shouldn't be equal like everyone else.

(See: NY gay-marriage talks hinge on religious rights)

"So, yes, we have more work to do," Obama said. "Yes, we have more progress to make. Yes, I expect continued impatience with me on occasion."

He said teenagers such as the one who wrote to him "remind me that there should be impatience when it comes to the fight for basic equality. We've made enormous advances just in these last two and half years. But there's still young people out there looking for us to do more."

In a direct appeal for votes, Obama said: "With your help, if you keep up the fight, if you will devote your time and your energies to this campaign one more time, I promise you we will write another chapter in that story. ... I'll be standing there, right there with you."

Overall the reaction Obama got was warm from the crowd of nearly 600 who paid up to $35,800 each to hear him speak at a midtown hotel. And only a small group of protesters showed up to demonstrate outside for marriage equality. It was a measure of how much the gay community has warmed to Obama since earlier in his administration when donors threatened to boycott Democratic fundraisers to pressure Obama on "don't ask, don't tell."

If Obama were to endorse gay marriage, it would give a jolt of enthusiasm to his liberal base and perhaps unlock additional fundraising dollars from the well-heeled gay community. It's not clear it would get him too many additional votes in 2012 though, because the Republican field's general opposition to gay rights gives activists no alternative to Obama.

(See: NY Gov. Cuomo the new face of gay marriage rights)

At the same time, supporting gay marriage could alienate some religious voters that the politically cautious White House might still hope to win over for Obama's re-election campaign.

Obama has indicated support in the past for states allowing gay people to marry. As a presidential candidate, he went so far as to congratulate gay couples in California who married during the short period when gay marriage was legal in that state before voters shut it down.

The president also signed a questionnaire in 1996 as a candidate for Illinois state Senate saying he supported gay marriage, something the White House hasn't fully explained.

Even as the president deliberates, public sentiment is marching decisively in the direction of supporting gay marriage. Depending on the poll, people are now about evenly split or narrowly in favor.

"There's been a noticeable shift the last couple of years," said Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. In March, the center found that 45 percent of those surveyed favored gay marriage and 46 percent opposed it. That was the first time that the survey found an essentially even split instead of majority opposition.

It's something the president has noted, telling liberal bloggers in October that "it's pretty clear where the trend lines are going."

The question is when, how and if the president goes there too.

SI: 76ers, Lakers Talk Iguodala Deal

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The 76ers are reportedly involved in trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers on a deal that would potentially send Andre Iguodala to L.A. in exchange for either Lamar Odom or Ron Artest, according to Sports Illustrated.

According to the report, the 76ers are looking to move Iguodala, who has three years left on a contract worth $44 million, for Odom who is set to make $8.9 million next season in the final guaranteed year of his contract.

For full story go to:

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Lee Dominates, Phillies Beat Cardinals 4-0

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Cliff Lee threw a six-hitter for his second straight shutout and the Philadelphia Phillies got homers from Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard in the fourth inning of a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals have totaled two runs on 11 hits in their first two games without injured Albert Pujols, expected to miss six weeks with a fractured left wrist. It didn’t help that they’ve faced two of the game’s best, with Roy Halladay giving up four hits in six innings on Tuesday.

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Philadelphia Teacher To Run 100 Miles For School Funding

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) – A Philadelphia teacher plans to run about 100 miles to the state Capitol to stress the need for school funding.

Louis “Luigi” Borda is leaving for Harrisburg on Thursday. The 45-year-old marathoner hopes to run about 25 miles a day and will be tailed by a motorhome.

For full story go to: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

BLOG: NBA Draft

Sixers fans, the NBA Draft is upon us! It’s been a fun night for me through the years, as it is for a lot of hoop heads. It is fun pretending that you know a lot about the dozens of college prospects, even though you really don’t.

I remember saying the Sixers should have taken Al Thornton in the first post-Iverson draft in 2007. Instead, they drafted some guy named Thaddeus Young. Same draft, it was obvious, as good as Kevin Durant was going to be, Greg Oden was the next Bill Russell and HAD to be taken first overall. In 2009 I was pegging Ty Lawson as the Sixers 17th pick and point guard of the future. Not a really young kid out of UCLA named Jrue Holiday.

For full story go to:

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

US advances to Gold Cup final

US advances to Gold Cup final

United States' Clint Dempsey (8) celebrates with teammate Landon Donovan (10) after Dempsey scored a goal against Panama during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal soccer match Wednesday, June 22, 2011, in Houston.

HOUSTON (AP) -- Clint Dempsey scored in the 77th minute off an assist from Landon Donovan, and the United States advanced to the Gold Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday night.

The Americans will play in the biennial tournament's championship game for the fourth straight time after avenging a 2-1 loss to Panama on June 11.

Freddy Adu made a long-awaited return to American soccer in the second half, and set up the winning play with a cross-field pass to Donovan, who played in his 27th consecutive Gold Cup match to extend his own record.

Donovan then threaded a pinpoint pass through the Panama defense to Dempsey, who slid as he redirected the ball into the low corner of the net.

The U.S. will play the winner of the later Honduras-Mexico semifinal for the championship at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

The United States defeated Panama in the knockout stage of the tournament for the fourth straight time. The Americans had never lost in the group stage of the tournament, or to Panama in international play until the shocking defeate earlier this month.

Both teams were missing top players in the rematch.

Panama forward Blas Perez earned a red card in his team's quarterfinal win over El Salvador, and U.S. forward Jozy Altidore was ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a strained hamstring.

Altidore has scored two of the Americans' six goals in the event. He was hurt in the ninth minute of the 2-0 victory against Jamaica on Sunday.

Tickets sold out for the semifinals doubleheader, but the stadium was only about half-full at the start of the first game.

The Americans generated the first scoring chance in the 17th minute, when Alejandro Bedoya hooked a high cross into the goal area. Dempsey redirected a header toward the goal, but Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo corraled it before Juan Agudelo could finish.

A minute later, Panama's Luis Tejada collided with Bedoya near midfield to earn the game's first yellow card. Tejada came into the game with three goals in Gold Cup play.

Agudelo hit the post with a diving header off a cross from Steve Cherundolo in the 25th minute. The near-miss incited swelling chants of "USA! USA!" from the partisan crowd.

Panama's Alberto Quintero was tripped up deep in the American zone in the last minute of the first half, setting up a restart from the left side of the goal. Nelson Barahona then fired a high, hooking shot over the crossbar.

Donovan sat out the start for the second straight game in the tournament. He attended his sister's wedding in California and rejoined the team on the morning before its 2-0 win over Jamaica on Sunday.

He started the second half on Wednesday, replacing Sacha Kljestan.

The Americans controlled possession in the opening minutes after the break, but still struggled to create good scoring chances. Eric Lichaj sent a cross in front of the Panama net, but it was too high for any of his teammates to reach and bounced out of bounds.

Panama then generated its best chance of the game to that point, when Armando Cooper sent a cross toward the U.S. goal, just out of the reach Quintero's foot.

Adu, the one-time teen phenom who turned 22 last month, drew cheers when he trotted onto the field in the 66th minute. Adu was playing in Turkey when he got the call to rejoin the Americans' roster for the Gold Cup.

Panama nearly took a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute, when Cooper fired a left-footed shot that U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard leaped to deflect with his left hand.

The Americans finally broke through six minutes later.

Red, white and blue streamers floated onto the field as the Americans celebrated and the crowd roared.

Adu set up another chance with about five minutes left, but Michael Bradley passed up an open shot and lost the ball.

The United States is unbeaten in 22 of its last 24 games in the Gold Cup, a tournament with 12 teams from Central and North American and the Caribbean. The Americans improved to 7-1-2 against Panama all-time.

Obama: 30,000-plus surge troops leaving Afghan

Obama: 30,000-plus surge troops leaving Afghan

President Barack Obama delivers a televised address from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, June 22, 2011 on his plan to drawdown U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Beginning to wind down a long and devastating war, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night he was pulling home 33,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by next summer, withdrawing the "surge" of forces he had sent to rescue a flailing effort. Said Obama to a country eager for an exit: "The tide of war is receding."

A total of 10,000 troops will leave the war zone by the end of this year - fulfilling Obama's promise for a withdrawal starting next month - and more than 20,000 additional forces will leave by the summer of 2012, shortly before the president will go before voters in search of a second term.

Still, almost 70,000 U.S. troops will remain in an unstable country, fighting in a war bound to see more Americans killed. Obama said they will leave at a steady pace, but the U.S. combat mission is not expected to end until December 2014 - and even then, a sizable and enduring contingent may remain in a different role.

Obama's announcement from the White House came in a perilous political environment, with Americans soured on the war and the economy, many members of Congress pushing him to get troops home even faster, and his Republican presidential rivals taking shots at his leadership at every chance.

Plenty of disgruntled Democrats also took Obama to task, however politely, for not withdrawing more troops more quickly.

"I am glad this war is ending, but it's ending at far too slow a pace," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Added the House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi of California: "We will continue to press for a better outcome."

At least 1,500 members of the U.S. military have died and 12,000 have been wounded since the war began in late 2001. The financial cost of the war has passed $440 billion and is on the rise, jumping to $120 billion a year. Those costs have risen in importance as a divided U.S. government struggles to contain its soaring debt.

Conceding the economic strain of waging war at a time of rising debt and fiscal constraint, Obama said it was time for America "to focus on nation building here at home." The president's chances for re-election rest largely on his ability to show faster job growth in a time of deepening economic pessimism.

The withdrawal is supported by the bold bottom-line claims of his security team: Afghanistan, training ground for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America, is no longer a launching pad for exporting terrorism and hasn't been for years. But that could also fuel arguments for even greater withdrawals by voters wondering what the point of the war is after all these years, especially since the face of the enemy - al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden - was killed by American forces this spring during a raid in Pakistan.

Yet the White House insists the U.S. must maintain a strong fighting force in Afghanistan for now to keep the country from slipping back into a haven for al-Qaida terrorists.

The initial withdrawal is expected to happen in two phases, with 5,000 troops coming home this summer and an additional 5,000 by the end of the year.

Obama will visit troops Thursday at Fort Drum, the upstate New York Army post that is home to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most frequently deployed divisions to Afghanistan.

He said materials recovered during the raid to get bin Laden showed that the al-Qaida terror network was under deep strain. He said bin Laden himself expressed concern that his organization would be unable to effectively replace senior leaders that had been killed.

The president declared, "We have put al-Qaida on a path to defeat, and we will not relent until the job is done."

Even after the troops come home, the war will remain expanded on Obama's watch. He approved 21,000 additional troops for Afghanistan shortly after taking office in 2009, bringing the total number to 68,000. That means he is likely to face re-election with more troops in Afghanistan than when he took office, although he has also dramatically reduced the U.S. footprint in Iraq.

The president spoke for just under 15 minutes from a silent East Room. It was a strategic moment for him to try to explain a turning point in the war effort without elevating it to a major Oval Office address - more of a stay-the-course case of progress and resilience.

"Of course, huge challenges remain," the president said. "This is the beginning - but not the end - of our effort to wind down this war. We will have to do the hard work of keeping the gains that we have made while we draw down our forces and transition responsibility for security to the Afghan government."

Significant questions still loom, including whether an Afghan government marred by corruption will be up to enormous job ahead.

Regardless, Obama made clear the United States was ready to move on from a decade defined by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, at a cost at of thousands of lives lost and more than $1 trillion spent. "We will not try to make Afghanistan a perfect place," Obama said flatly.

Potential GOP presidential candidates were quick to weigh in with criticism of Obama's plan - but they did not speak with one voice.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accused Obama of proposing an "arbitrary timetable" and said the decision on withdrawing troops "should not be based on politics or economics." Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said the approach in Afghanistan should be focused on counterterrorism, "which requires significantly fewer boots on the ground than the president discussed tonight."

Back on Capitol Hill, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, accused Obama of acting based on political considerations. "I am increasingly concerned by the lagging public support for the mission, and it was disappointing that the president failed to bring more clarity to the situation," he said.

Obama argued that reinforcements he sent have accomplished their mission: eroding the capacity of Taliban insurgents, diminishing the al-Qaida network and providing time and training for Afghanistan's forces to take charge.

Most Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan and are far more concerned about the teetering economic recovery at home.

Military commanders favored a plan that would allow them to keep as many of the 30,000 surge troops in Afghanistan for as long as possible, ideally through the end of 2012. That timeline would have given them greater troop strength through two crucial fighting seasons.

Obama overruled them.

Many Afghans are eager to see the Americans leave, yet there are big risks for the government there.

"There will be some battles, there will be suicide attacks and bomb attacks," acknowledged Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi. "But we in the Afghan forces are prepared to replace the foreign forces, and I'm confident the army has enough capacity and ability."

U.S officials have been saying for several years that al-Qaida's safe havens had shifted from Afghanistan to Pakistan. While there has been some success in degrading the terror network in Pakistan, there are still deep concerns among U.S. officials about Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism.

"So long as I am president," Obama said of Pakistan, "the United States will never tolerate a safe haven for those who aim to kill us. They cannot elude us."

Bucks County Mom In Kidnap Hoax Pleads Guilty In Fraud Case

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Bucks County mom who fabricated a kidnapping tale and fled to Florida in 2009 with her 9-year-old daughter to avoid charges she took thousands of dollars from an elderly relative and the law firm where she worked, plead guilty to fraud and identity theft Tuesday. She now faces a September 21 sentencing date.

40-year-old Bonnie Sweeten, her brunette hair at shoulder length and wearing a green prison-issued jumpsuit, stood before U.S. District Judge William Yohn Jr. and pleaded guitly to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft – two of 23 charges lodged against her.

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Mexico nabs leader of cult-like La Familia cartel

Mexico nabs leader of cult-like La Familia cartel

This undated image taken from the Mexican Attorney General's rewards program website on June 21, 2011, shows the alleged leader of the La Familia cartel, Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, alias "El Chango,'' or "The Monkey." Mexico's security spokesman said on Tuesday June 21, 2011, that federal police have caught Mendez Vargas, one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords.

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Federal authorities apprehended the leader of the cult-like, pseudo-Christian La Familia cartel on Tuesday, saying they had dealt a debilitating blow to a major organized crime group that terrorized western Mexico.

Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, alias El Chango, or "The Monkey," was arrested in the central state of Aguascalientes without confrontation or casualties, said federal security spokesman Alejandro Poire.

A state official who was not authorized to speak on the record said Mendez was taken at a federal police checkpoint, but authorities didn't provide more details.

"With this arrest, what remained of the structure of this criminal organization has been destroyed," Poire told a news conference.

With the death of La Familia founder and leader Nazario Moreno Gonzalez in December, Poire said Mendez was "the last remaining head of a criminal group responsible for homicides, kidnappings, extortion, corruption and even cowardly attacks on the authorities and civilian population."

But the leadership of a violent splinter group, known as the Knights Templar, remains at large.

President Felipe Calderon personally lauded the arrest on his Twitter account, calling it a "big blow" to organized crime. The cartel was born in Calderon's home state of Michoacan in 2006, prompting him to deploy thousands of federal police there and warning that La Familia was corrupting local officials, extorting businesses and terrorizing the population.

According to the reward statement issued by the Attorney General's Office, Mendez was "responsible for the transfer and sale of cocaine, marijuana, crystal methamphetamine in various states of Mexico and the United States of America. He is the alleged mastermind of kidnappings and killings, mainly of members of other criminal organizations."

The government had offered a $2.5 million reward for his capture.

La Familia first appeared four years ago when it rolled five severed heads into a Michoacan nightclub, vowing to protect local citizens from rival cartels.

Moreno set a code of conduct for its members that prohibited the use of hard drugs or dealing them within Mexican territory, even as they gruesomely decapitated foes and sold cocaine and methamphetamine by the ton.

"They believe they are doing God's work, and pass out Bibles and money to the poor," according to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration profile. "La Familia Michoacana also gives money to school and local officials."

Moreno was killed in December during two days of shootouts between his gang and federal police. After his death, the group split into warring factions, causing increased bloodshed in the state in western Mexico.

Mendez was believed to have remained the leader of the La Familia faction, according to federal police, while messages appeared in March that the Knights Templar sought to replace La Familia.

That name alludes to a Christian order of knights founded in 1118 in Jerusalem to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land after the First Crusade.

Former school teacher and La Familia leader Servando "La Tuta" Gomez is believed to lead the Knights Templar, federal police say. Gomez, who has not been arrested, is wanted in the U.S. for conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine, according to an October 2009 Justice Department indictment.

The indictment says he also may be behind the murder of 12 Mexican federal law enforcement officers whose bodies were found in July 2009 while he still operated under La Familia.

An increase in firefights between factions and clashes with police in Michoacan forced as many as 3,500 people to flee their hamlets in May and seek refuge in churches, schools and recreation centers in larger towns nearby.

Federal police arrested 36 La Familia members a short time later, seizing more than 70 rifles, 20,000 weapon cartridges, three grenades and 14 handguns in an air and land raid that left two officers injured.

Federal Police Commissioner Facundo Rosas said at the time that Mendez's faction had been substantially weakened.

Poire told reporters that with Mendez's arrest, 21 of the country's 37 top drug traffickers have been apprehended or killed since 2009.

More than 35,000 people have died in drug violence since, according to government figures. Local media say the number is closer to 40,000.

Obama likely to cut 10K troops from Afghanistan

Obama likely to cut 10K troops from Afghanistan

FILE - In this June 15, 2010 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Pensacola, Fla. Nearing a critical benchmark in the Afghanistan war, President Barack Obama is considering both how many U.S. troops to bring home next month and a broader withdrawal plan to give Afghans control of their security in 2014. But there are deep divisions over how to achieve that, with military leaders favoring a gradual troop reduction and other advisers pushing for a significant decrease in coming months.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Facing a war-weary public, President Barack Obama is expected to call for a major withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan Wednesday night, with roughly 10,000 coming home to the U.S. in less than a year.

The phased drawdown is likely to start with 5,000 troops recalled this summer and an additional 5,000 by winter or spring 2012, according to a senior U.S. defense official. Obama is also weighing a timetable for bringing home the 20,000 other troops he ordered to Afghanistan as part of his December 2009 decision to send reinforcements to reverse the Taliban's battlefield momentum.

The withdrawals would put the U.S. on a path toward giving Afghans control of their security by 2014 and ultimately shifting the U.S. military from a combat role to a mission focused on training and supporting Afghan forces.

Obama is to address the nation from the White House at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

The president reached his decision a week after receiving a range of options from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan. Obama informed his senior national security advisers, including outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, of his plans during a White House meeting on Tuesday.

"The president is commander-in-chief," said spokesman Jay Carney. "He is in charge of this process, and he makes the decision."

The Obama administration has said its goal in continuing the Afghan war, now in its 10th year, is to blunt the Taliban insurgency and dismantle and defeat al-Qaida, the terror network that used Afghanistan as a training ground for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. As of Tuesday, at least 1,522 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count.

Roughly 100,000 U.S. troops are in the country, three times as many as when Obama took office. Even by drawing down the 30,000 surge forces, there will still be great uncertainty about how long the remaining 70,000 troops would stay there, although the U.S. and its allies have set Dec. 31, 2014, as a target date for ending the combat mission in Afghanistan.

A reduction this year totaling 10,000 troops would be the rough equivalent of two brigades, which are the main building blocks of an Army division. It's not clear whether Obama's decision would require the Pentagon to pull out two full brigades or, instead, a collection of smaller combat and support units with an equivalent number of troops.

If Obama were to leave the bulk of the 30,000 surge contingent in Afghanistan through 2012, he would be giving the military another fighting season - in addition to the one now under way - to further damage Taliban forces before a larger withdrawal got started. It also would buy more time for the Afghan army and police to grow in numbers and capability.

Under that scenario, the emphasis in U.S.-led military operations is likely to shift away from troop-intensive counterinsurgency operations toward more narrowly focused counterterrorism operations, which focus on capturing and killing insurgents.

Afghan security forces and judicial institutions are expected to take up many aspects of the counterinsurgency fight by establishing the rule of law and respect for government institutions, U.S. officials in Afghanistan said Tuesday.

In recent speeches, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has criticized American forces, suggesting his ally is in danger of becoming an occupying force. He has even threatened action against international forces that conduct air strikes and has accused allies of undermining and corrupting his government.

Yet there are concerns in his country about the withdrawals. Some of the areas slated to transition to Afghan control have been struck by attacks in recent weeks despite assertions by Karzai that peace talks have started between the U.S., his Afghan government and Taliban emissaries. Publicly, the Taliban say there will be no negotiations until foreign troops leave Afghanistan.

The transition to full Afghan control will begin in earnest on July 20 in five provincial capital cities and two provinces. The provincial capitals identified for transition are Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, plus capitals from provinces in the west, east and north and most of Kabul, the nation's capital. The largely peaceful northern provinces of Bamyan and Panjshir will also start to transition to Afghan control.

Some U.S. military commanders have favored a more gradual reduction in troops than Obama is expected to announce Wednesday night, arguing that too fast a withdrawal could undermine the fragile security gains.

But other advisers have backed a more significant withdrawal that starts in July and proceeds steadily through the following months. That camp believes the slow yet steady improvements in security, combined with the death of Osama bin Laden and U.S. success in dismantling much of the al-Qaida network in the country, give the president an opportunity to make larger reductions this year.

Obama has previously said he favors a "significant" withdrawal beginning in July, his self-imposed deadline for starting to bring U.S. troops home. Aides, however, have never quantified that statement.

Pressure for a substantial withdrawal has been mounting from the public and Congress. Even Gates, who has said he favored a "modest" withdrawal, said Tuesday that Obama's decision needed to incorporate domestic concerns about the war.

"It goes without saying that there are a lot of reservations in the Congress about the war in Afghanistan and our level of commitment. There are concerns among the American people who are tired of a decade of war," Gates said during a news conference at the State Department Tuesday.

According to an Associated Press-GfK poll last month, 80 percent of Americans say they approve of Obama's decision to begin withdrawal of combat troops in July and end U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014. Just 15 percent disapprove.

On Capitol Hill, even the more conservative members of his party, such as Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, are pressing for significant cuts and a shift in mission.

"The question the president faces - we all face - is quite simple: Will we choose to rebuild America or Afghanistan? In light of our nation's fiscal peril, we cannot do both," Manchin said Tuesday.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that improved conditions in Afghanistan would permit Obama to withdraw at least 15,000 troops by the end of the year.

Obama aides have sidestepped questions about what role the cost of the Afghan war played in Obama's decision, saying only that the president was focused on meeting the goal of transferring security by 2014.

Following the announcement on the drawdown, Obama will visit troops Thursday at Fort Drum, the upstate New York Army post that is home to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most frequently deployed divisions to Afghanistan.

Victorino Helps Phillies Beat Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) — Shane Victorino figured he was the guy who would have to step up against Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez in the seventh inning Saturday night.
Victorino came through with a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning and finished a single shy of the cycle with a season-high four RBIs, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-1 victory over Hernandez and the Mariners.

Hernandez (6-6) lasted seven innings, allowing the three runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out five but it was Victorino who struck the biggest blow.

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Vargas Lulls Phillies’ Bats To Sleep In Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) — It was pointed out to Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel, after his team lost two of three to the Seattle Mariners, that it was a long way to travel for just one win.

“I’ve gone farther,” said Manuel after Sunday’s 2-0 loss.

That was Manuel’s wry way of maintaining his perspective but it didn’t ease the sting of wasting an outstanding outing by Cole Hamels.

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NJ Senate Approves Changes To State’s Pension, Benefits System For Public Workers

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) – The New Jersey Senate has approved changes to the state’s pension and benefits system for public workers. That vote is being hailed by Governor Chris Christie as a “watershed moment” of bipartisan cooperation. But unions do not agree.

The final vote in the democratically controlled senate: 24-to 15 in favor of the changes. Steve Baker is spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association.

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Guide To The 2011 Wawa Welcome America Festival

Get ready for 11 days of food, fun and festivities: The Wawa Welcome America Festival is back! Starting June 24th, the massive 4th of July fest will sweep the city, bringing with it a plethora of events for the whole fam. Here’s your guide to the annual celebration. –Chelsea Karnash

WHAT: Wawa Welcome America celebrates the birth of the good ol’ US of A in a uniquely Philadelphia way. In addition to more than a week of activities and three fireworks shows, the outdoor 4th of July concert is the largest free concert in the nation.

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US troops coming home? Obama to say on Wednesday

US troops coming home? Obama to say on Wednesday

FILE - In this June 15, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Pensacola, Fla. Nearing a critical benchmark in the Afghanistan war, President Barack Obama is considering both how many U.S. troops to bring home next month and a broader withdrawal plan to give Afghans control of their security in 2014. But there are deep divisions over how to achieve that, with military leaders favoring a gradual troop reduction and other advisers pushing for a significant decrease in coming months.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will announce the critical next steps in America's decade-long war in Afghanistan on Wednesday, outlining both a plan to start bringing thousands of U.S. troops home next month and a broader withdrawal blueprint aimed at giving Afghans control of their own security in 2014.

But even as Obama finalizes those plans, there are divisions in his administration, with military leaders favoring only a gradual reduction in troops but other advisers advocating a significant decrease in the coming months.

Administration officials say Obama is still working through the details on how many troops will start leaving Afghanistan in July, his self-imposed deadline for beginning the drawdown. He is considering a range of options presented to him last week by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

"He's finalizing his decision. He's reviewing his options," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday.

Obama is expected to make Wednesday's announcement in Washington. On Thursday, he will visit troops at Fort Drum, the upstate New York military base that is home to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most frequently deployed divisions to Afghanistan and Iraq.

While much of the attention is focused on how many troops will leave Afghanistan next month, the more telling aspects of Obama's decision center on what happens after July, particularly how long the president plans to keep the 30,000 surge forces he sent in 2009 in the country.

There is a growing belief that the president must at least map out the initial withdrawal of the surge troops when he addresses the public. But whether those forces should come out over the next eight to 12 months or slowly trickle out over a longer time is hotly debated.

Military commanders want to keep as many of those forces in Afghanistan for as long as possible, arguing that too fast a withdrawal could undermine the fragile security gains in the fight against the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, the al-Qaida training ground for the Sept. 11 attacks. There are also concerns about pulling out a substantial number of U.S. forces as the heightened summer fighting season gets under way.

Retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he believes the initial drawdown should be "modest".

But other advisers are backing a more significant withdrawal that starts in July and proceeds steadily through the following months. That camp believes the slow, yet steady, security gains in Afghanistan, combined with the death of Osama bin Laden and U.S. success in dismantling much of the al-Qaida network in the country give the president an opportunity to make larger reductions this year.

There is also growing political pressure on Capitol Hill for a more significant withdrawal. Twenty-seven senators, Democrats as well as Republicans, sent Obama a letter last week pressing for a shift in Afghanistan strategy and major troop cuts.

"Given our successes, it is the right moment to initiate a sizable and sustained reduction in forces, with the goal of steadily redeploying all regular combat troops," the senators wrote. "The costs of prolonging the war far outweigh the benefits."

There is broad public support for starting to withdraw U.S. troops. According to an Associated Press-GfK poll last month, 80 percent of Americans say they approve of Obama's decision to begin withdrawal of combat troops in July and end U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014. Just 15 percent disapprove.

Obama has tripled the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan since taking office, bringing the total there to about 100,000. The 30,000 troop surge he announced at the end of 2009 came with the condition that he would start bringing forces home in July 2011.

The president took months to settle on the surge strategy. This time around, aides say the process is far less formal and Obama is far more knowledgeable about the situation in Afghanistan than he was in 2009, his first year in office.

Obama has said the July withdrawal will be "significant," though aides haven't quantified that. They do say Obama sees the initial drawdown in July as part of a larger strategy aimed at ending the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and turning security responsibility over to the Afghans.

On a trip to Afghanistan earlier this month, Gates advocated for a comprehensive decision from the president.

"I think to make a decision on July in complete isolation from anything else has no strategic meaning," Gates said. "And so part of that has to be kind of, what's the book end? Where are we headed? What's the ramp look like?"

Gates is retiring from the Pentagon June 30.

There are also indications that the administration, having learned from the U.S. experience in Iraq, will set deadline dates for the drawdown as it progresses, in order to keep pressure on the Afghans and give Congress mileposts.

With Iraq as a blueprint, commanders will need time to figure out what they call "battlefield geometry" - what types of troops are needed where. Those could include trainers, intelligence officers, special operations forces, various support units - from medical and construction to air transport - as well as combat troops.

Much of that will depend on where the Afghan security forces are able to take the lead, as well as the state of the insurgency. Part of the debate will also require commanders to determine the appropriate ratio of trainers versus combat troops.

Boondocks At Philadelphia Front Page News

Boondocks At Philadelphia Front Page News

Temple Psychology Professor Speaks On Heroic Fathers Of Today

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Despite the climbing divorce rate, influence of the internet in helping to disintegrate long-term relationships and public figures behaving badly, a temple university psychologist still believes there are heroic fathers out there on this Father’s Day.

Psychologist Frank Farley says he laments how much society dwells on the negative and fails to recognize the positive among fathers today.

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Dads Share Why They’re Thankful They Are Fathers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Every year we make sure to set aside a special day to honor dad. But what exactly makes a man a father?

Some would say it’s taking the best of you, and putting it into another. Others see it as more of a teaching role.

Dad: “To be a mentor, to teach him different things to let him experience life, and give him opportunities.”

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Greek PM: Talks on new bailout package under way

Greek PM: Talks on new bailout package under way

Greek main opposition conservative leader Antonis Samaras addresses the Parliament in Athens, Sunday June 19, 2011. Opening a three-day parliamentary debate that will culminate in a confidence vote late Tuesday, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou blamed Greece's bloated state sector for bringing the country to its knees and has vowed to effect deep changes.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greece is talking with international creditors about a second bailout package "roughly equal" to the first euro110 billion ($157 billion) rescue it accepted a year ago, the prime minister confirmed Sunday.

George Papandreou also blamed Greece's bloated and inefficient state sector for bringing the country to its knees and vowed to effect deep changes with a fall referendum on the constitution that would make it easier to get rid of inept officials or workers.

His proposals were a populist response to widespread popular anger at politicians as austerity measures cut deeply into disposable incomes. Riots erupted on the streets of Athens last week against a new round of spending cuts and tax hikes being demanded by the European Union and the IMF.

"I ask for a vote of confidence because we are at a critical juncture ... the debt and deficits are national problems that have brought Greece into a state of dependence that may have protected us from bankruptcy, but which we need to get out of," Papandreou said, opening a three-day parliamentary debate that culminates Tuesday in a confidence vote.

He dismissed any calls to default on the country's massive debt, saying this would be "a catastrophe for households and banks alike" and made it clear he would not back off from efforts to reduce the debt.

Papandreou called for an autumn referendum on changes to the political system, including to the country's constitution. He said he will appoint an independent commission of up to 25 people to collect proposals from citizens and submit a report before the fall vote.

Papandreou said the constitutional revision will make it easier to prosecute delinquent government officials, now protected by a strict statute of limitations. He added other changes would include reducing the number of deputies, more transparent funding of political parties and candidates and a new electoral system, possibly even with term limits.

European donors and the International Monetary Fund are demanding that Greece pass new austerity measures before they release the next euro12 billion ($17 billion) loan from the first rescue package.

Many experts say Greece's debt load is too great and expect it to eventually default. The European Central Bank, however, has been adamant that a Greek default is unthinkable because it could set off an unpredictable chain reaction that would badly hurt European banks, roil markets and make it harder for other indebted countries to cope. The ECB also has significant exposure to Greek debt.

Spooked by financial markets' reaction to Greece's political turmoil, Germany on Friday dropped its demand that the private sector be forced to share in the pain of a second Greek bailout. Papandreou also reshuffled his Cabinet and named a new finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, who was in Luxembourg on Sunday at a EU finance ministers meeting.

Papandreou said the original loan's assumption that Greece would be able to borrow from the markets in 2012 was no longer valid, but insisted his Socialist government had done all it was required to, passing painful austerity measures and reducing the deficit as a percentage of GDP by 5 percent in 2010.

Instead, he blamed ratings agencies, tax havens, "derivatives speculators" and the media for allegedly spreading panic and discouraging potential investors.

Papandreou said his government had tried from the start to negotiate lower interest rates and reschedule payments for the first bailout package, something he said his government finally achieved in March.

"This way, we will save, by 2015, euro48.5 billion ($69 billion) in debt repayments, including euro4 billion ($5.7 billion) on interest alone," he said.

Opposition leader Antonis Samaras, meanwhile, called for early elections and said Papandreou's referendum proposal was an evasive maneuver masking his inability to govern. He demanded that Papandreou be tougher in negotiating bailout terms with international creditors and repeated that raising taxes and cutting wages and pensions was the wrong way to go.

"We do not ask you to better apply the wrong recipe but to change it," Samaras said.

Samaras also proposed that Papandreou reactivate stalled highway projects to create jobs and seek faster EU funds for such projects.

With 155 deputies in the 300-seat parliament, Papandreou is expected to win the confidence vote. His next task is to pass the new austerity package by the end of the month, despite near-daily protest marches and sit-ins.

Protesters who flock each afternoon to Athens' central Syntagma square in front of parliament have been wearing stickers saying "We owe nothing, we'll sell nothing, we'll pay nothing" - rejecting creditors' demands to sell off state assets.

Keeping up the anti-austerity drumbeat, GENOP, the powerful union of state electric employees, was to begin rolling 48-hour strikes at midnight Sunday, threatening blackouts across the country.

Unions are planning a 48-hour general strike on the date, yet to be determined, when parliament votes on the new austerity package.