Egyptians wait in long lines to vote

Egyptians wait in long lines to vote

cairo

They waited in long lines for hours to vote, despite a new wave of unrest, fears about a sharply divided society and uncertainty over the nation’s future.

For the millions of Egyptians who cast ballots Monday, the first parliamentary elections since they ousted Hosni Mubarak were a turning point in history — if for no other reason than they were finally getting a chance to be heard after decades of rigged voting.

The outcome will indicate whether one of America’s most important Middle East allies will remain secular or move down a more Islamic path, as have other countries swept up in the Arab Spring.

Frank announces his retirement

newton, mass.

Democratic Rep. Barney Frank, a gay pioneer in Congress and a Massachusetts liberal whose name as well and fingerprints are on last year’s sweeping bill regulating Wall Street, announced plans Monday to retire at the end of his current term, his 16th in Congress.

“There are other things I would like to do with my life,” the 71-year-old lawmaker said at a news conference. He added that his retirement plans were hastened by two years by reapportionment, which moved 325,000 new constituents into his district.

Frank’s career has traced an arc from early promise to near career-wrecking scandal to legislative triumph, accompanied by a quick-witted intelligence and an often partisan and frequently acerbic speaking style.

Medicare back on the brink over cuts

washington

Politicians of both parties outdo each other vying for the approval of seniors, but their inability to compromise on the federal budget has put Medicare in the crosshairs again.

Unless Congress acts before Jan. 1, doctors face a 27 percent cut in their fees for treating Medicare patients. That could undermine health care for millions of elderly and disabled beneficiaries.

Last year around the holidays, doctors were looking at a cut of about 20 percent. It’s become a recurring symbol of the government’s budget dysfunction. The cuts are the consequence of a 1990s budget law that failed to control spending but never got repealed.

3 managers claim $254M jackpot

rocky hill, conn.

Three asset managers from Connecticut’s affluent New York suburbs claimed a $254 million Powerball jackpot Monday off a $1 ticket.

Greg Skidmore, Brandon Lacoff and Tim Davidson came forward as trustees for The Putnam Avenue Family Trust, which they formed after Davidson bought the winning ticket at a Stamford gas station.

They will take the after-tax lump sum of nearly $104 million in cash. They say a significant portion will go to charity.

The jackpot was the largest ever won in Connecticut and the 12th biggest in Powerball history.

Cause of fatal raid?

washington

A U.S. military account of a NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers over the weekend suggests the deaths resulted from mistaken identity, The Associated Press learned Monday.

The incident was the deadliest case of friendly fire with Pakistan since the Afghanistan war began, and has sent the perpetually difficult U.S.-Pakistan relationship into a tailspin.

The AP has learned details of the raid, which began when a joint U.S.-Afghan special operations team was attacked by militants just inside Afghanistan.

Associated Press