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Factbox: U.S. conservative grassroots groups' funding outlook

(Reuters) - In the 2008 presidential election, conservative grassroots groups were a cottage industry. But with the advent of the Tea Party, these groups have become more prominent and between them could raise more than $140 million in 2012. Below are some estimates provided by these national groups to Reuters: Americans for Prosperity. This group, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, is backed by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch of oil and gas conglomerate Koch Industries. AFP has operations in 34 states. ...

Wisconsin recall tests conservatives' ground game

OCONOMOWOC, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Robin Milaeger whoops for joy and punches her fist in the air when the man at her door asks if she wants a yard sign supporting Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, who faces a contentious recall election on June 5. "I was wondering when you would show up," Milaeger says to Mike Kozaria, who is canvassing voters in her conservative neighborhood in Oconomowoc, some 30 miles west of Milwaukee. "Walker promised he'd make tough choices to fix Wisconsin and he kept his word. ...

Wisconsin recall tests conservatives' ground game

OCONOMOWOC, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Robin Milaeger whoops for joy and punches her fist in the air when the man at her door asks if she wants a yard sign supporting Wisconsin's Republican governor, Scott Walker, who faces a contentious recall election on June 5. "I was wondering when you would show up," Milaeger says to Mike Kozaria, who is canvassing voters in her conservative neighborhood in Oconomowoc, some 30 miles west of Milwaukee. "Walker promised he'd make tough choices to fix Wisconsin and he kept his word. ...

Clarification: Panetta-Syria story

A story that moved May 31 about Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's comments on Syria mischaracterized earlier statements by Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, saying that she suggested military intervention may be the only remaining option. Rice said the most probable outcome in Syria was that the Kofi Annan peace plan would fail. In that case, she said, the U.S. and its allies should increase pressure on President Bashar Assad through economic sanctions.

Politicians React to Dismal Jobs Report

The May jobs report, released Friday, showed a paltry 69,000 jobs added to the economy and a slight uptick in the nation’s unemployment rate to 8.2 percent. Republicans were quick to pounce on the report as an indictment of President Obama’s stewardship of the economy....

Correction: Massachusetts Senate-Warren story

In a May 31 story about the U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts, The Associated Press incorrectly quoted Sen. Scott Brown as saying: "My mom and dad have told me a lot of things, too, but they're not always true." Brown actually said: "My mom and dad have told me a lot of things, too, but they're not always accurate."

Jobless rate now a leading political indicator

The weak May unemployment report presents President Barack Obama with a sobering reminder that his stewardship of a gradual recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression presents a tenuous argument for his re-election.

Jobless rate now a leading political indicator

The weak May unemployment report presents President Barack Obama with a sobering reminder that his stewardship of a gradual recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression presents a tenuous argument for his re-election.

Wal-Mart chairman: Integrity "is our business"

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc stressed its strong financial performance this year, and Chairman Rob Walton promised at its annual shareholder meeting to make sure the company acted with integrity. The comments on Friday came as a Mexican bribery scandal loomed over the world's largest retailer's meeting and 50th anniversary party, which was hosted by actor/singer Justin Timber and featured performances from Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie and other entertainers. "Acting with integrity is not a negotiable part of this business. ...

Wal-Mart chairman: Integrity "is our business"

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc stressed its strong financial performance this year, and Chairman Rob Walton promised at its annual shareholder meeting to make sure the company acted with integrity. The comments on Friday came as a Mexican bribery scandal loomed over the world's largest retailer's meeting and 50th anniversary party, which was hosted by actor/singer Justin Timber and featured performances from Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie and other entertainers. "Acting with integrity is not a negotiable part of this business. ...

Clinton declines comment on China espionage case

OSLO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declined to comment on Friday on the arrest of a Chinese state security official suspected of spying for the United States, saying only that the two countries continued to cooperate on many issues. The official, an aide to a vice minister in China's security ministry, was detained early this year and accused of passing information to the United States for several years on China's overseas espionage activities, three sources earlier told Reuters. ...

Dow plunges more than 200 after dismal jobs report

Stocks fell sharply Friday after the release of a dismal report on hiring and employment in the United States. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 200 points, erasing what was left of its gain for the year.

In Letter to Polish President, President Obama Expresses Regret Over Term "Polish Death Camp"

President Obama wrote a letter to the president of Poland in which he expressed regret for his words during the Medal of Freedom ceremony in which he referred to World War II-era “Polish death camp” instead of a Nazi death camp in Germany-occupied Poland. “In...

Irish leader welcomes voter approval of EU treaty

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny says his government is relieved that voters have approved the European Union's deficit-fighting treaty, and now must work with EU partners to build a plan to boost growth prospects across the debt-battered eurozone.

NATO, Afghan forces kill 14 after rebels attack base

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - NATO and Afghan forces killed 14 insurgents during a rebel attack on a foreign military base in the eastern city of Khost on Friday, the coalition said, in one of the heaviest rebel tolls in a single incident in weeks. Several insurgents, including some wearing suicide vests, attacked the base with rocket propelled grenades. "As of now, we have reports of 14 insurgents killed," a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said. ...

Obama says he regrets 'Polish death camp' gaffe

President Barack Obama has written a letter to the Polish president expressing "regret" for an inadvertent verbal gaffe that caused a storm of controversy in Poland this week.

As US hiring slows, experts ponder what would help

The U.S. economy suddenly looks a lot weaker.

Global manufacturing growth weakens in May: PMI

LONDON (Reuters) - Global manufacturing activity expanded at its weakest pace for five months in May with a battered Europe proving the main drag on growth, a report showed on Friday. The Global Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), produced by JPMorgan with research and supply management organizations, fell to 50.6 in May from April's 51.0, its lowest reading since December. But the index held above the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction for a sixth consecutive month. ...

New Honduras top cop once investigated in killings

The new chief chosen to clean up a Honduran national police force tarred with allegations of corruption and involvement in murders was accused by the department's internal affairs investigators of running a death squad when he was a top regional police official.

Send money now! Candidates compete for online cash

Republican strategist "Karl Rove and his allies have taken the gloves off" in Ohio. Send money to stop them.

White House: Unemployment 'Will Not Be Solved Overnight'

In its first reaction to this morning’s worse-than-expected jobs report, the White House stressed that the nation is still fighting back from the recession and that the “problems in the job market were long in the making and will not be solved overnight.” “There is...

Turkish pianist charged with insulting Muslim values

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An internationally acclaimed Turkish classical pianist is to stand trial on charges of insulting Muslim religious values in comments posted on Twitter, an Istanbul court ruled on Friday. Fazil Say has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Berliner Symphoniker, Israel Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France and Tokyo Symphony Orchetra and has served as a cultural ambassador to the European Union. The 42-year-old pianist quoted a well-known poem by the 11th Century Persian poet Omar Khayyam that ridiculed the hypocrisy of people who pretend to be pious. ...

Correction: Choosing-Nursing-Homes story

In a story May 23 about choosing nursing homes, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires patients get a minimum amount of daily attention from a nurse and nurses aides. Those minimum times are recommended, not required, to reduce patient complications.

Walton heir vows no tolerance for violations

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chairman Robson Walton, son of founder Sam Walton, pledged to shareholders at the company's annual meeting on Friday that it will get to the bottom of recent allegations of bribery.

Colorado researchers raise Atlantic storm forecast

MIAMI (Reuters) - Colorado State University researchers on Friday raised their forecast for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season to 13 tropical storms, with five hurricanes and two major hurricanes. In April they forecast 10 tropical storms, with four strengthening into hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes with winds of at least 111 miles per hour during the six-month season that began on Friday. ...

Colorado researchers raise Atlantic storm forecast

MIAMI (Reuters) - Colorado State University researchers on Friday raised their forecast for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season to 13 tropical storms, with five hurricanes and two major hurricanes. In April they forecast 10 tropical storms, with four strengthening into hurricanes and two becoming major hurricanes with winds of at least 111 miles per hour during the six-month season that began on Friday. ...

Clinton says Russia stance on Syria seen as supporting Assad

OSLO (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday Russia's stance on the conflict in Syria was seen as supporting the government of President Bashar al-Assad. "I repeat the appeal that I have made to Russia because their position of claiming not to take a position is certainly viewed in the Security Council, in Damascus and elsewhere, as a position supporting the continuity of the Assad regime," Clinton told a news conference. ...

Nasdaq plays tough with clients angry over Facebook

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's crisis communications 101 for Corporate America: when a company bungles an event as big as the Facebook IPO, alienates customers, and spawns lawsuits and regulatory inquiries, the CEO apologizes and agrees to provide compensation to make things right. Everyone can then move on. Not so at Nasdaq OMX Group, where technology glitches and a communications breakdown marred Facebook's $16 billion initial public offering on May 18. ...

May auto sales disappoint; demand slows

DETROIT (Reuters) - Disappointing auto sales in May from General Motors Co , Toyota Motor Corp and Chrysler Group LCC suggested industry demand slowed from the strong pace of the first four months. The weaker-than-expected sales, which included mixed results from Ford Motor Co , were a bad sign when combined with an anemic jobs report on Friday. "Since our last monthly sales call over the last 30 days or so, the economic indicators came in just a little softer than in the first quarter," Ford senior economist Jenny Lin said on a conference call. ...

Speaker Boehner Challenges Obama to Play Political Rugby

After what he called another month of “disappointing job gains,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, challenged Presient Obama to abandon his day-t0-day campaigning and engage Congress on “the big policies that are affecting our economy.” Whether it’s the tax rates that all expire at the end of...

Exclusive: China arrests security official on suspicion of spying for U.S.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Chinese state security official has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the United States, sources said, a case both countries have kept quiet for several months as they strive to prevent a fresh crisis in relations. The official, an aide to a vice minister in China's security ministry, was arrested and detained early this year on allegations that he had passed information to the United States for several years on China's overseas espionage activities, said three sources, who all have direct knowledge of the matter. The aide had been recruited by the U.S. ...

Exclusive: China arrests security official on suspicion of spying for U.S.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Chinese state security official has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the United States, sources said, a case both countries have kept quiet for several months as they strive to prevent a fresh crisis in relations. The official, an aide to a vice minister in China's security ministry, was arrested and detained early this year on allegations that he had passed information to the United States for several years on China's overseas espionage activities, said three sources, who all have direct knowledge of the matter. The aide had been recruited by the U.S. ...

Colombian rebels want French negotiating help

Colombia's FARC rebels are asking France's new Socialist president for help in facilitating talks with their country's government, according to a French journalist freed from captivity in the Colombian jungles.

Heavy security for Milan visit by scandal-hit pope

MILAN (Reuters) - Some 15,000 policemen deployed in Milan on Friday to keep protesters at bay during a visit by Pope Benedict which is unlikely to provide much respite from the worst crisis of his papacy. The pope, who has expressed sadness and pain over a scandal which exploded last week when his butler was arrested for stealing his private documents, will begin a three-day visit to Italy's financial capital on Friday evening. ...

U.S. nuns push back against Vatican crackdown

(Reuters) - The largest organization of U.S. Catholic nuns on Friday rejected a Vatican assessment that they had fallen under the sway of radical feminism and needed to hand control of their group over to a trio of bishops. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, whose members represent about 80 percent of nuns in the United States, issued a sharp statement calling the Vatican's rebuke "unsubstantiated" and "the result of a flawed process that lacked transparency. ...

S&P 500 breaks below 200-day average

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell further on Friday on dismal job market data, dragging the S&P 500 index down 2 percent and taking the benchmark below its 200-day moving average for the first time since December 30. Job growth was much weaker than expected in May and the unemployment rate rose for the first time in 11 months. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 224.52 points, or 1.81 percent, to 12,168.93. The S&P 500 Index dropped 25.69 points, or 1.96 percent, to 1,284.64. The Nasdaq Composite fell 58.05 points, or 2.05 percent, to 2,769.29. ...

Vatican has long history of intrigue and controversy

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict is fighting the worst crisis of his papacy, but his problems are only the latest in a long history of controversies and intrigue in the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The "Vatileaks" scandal, in which the pope's private papers are alleged to have been pilfered by his own butler, pales in comparison to the scandals of centuries past when popes were accused of violence, nepotism and sexual excesses. ...

Vatican has long history of intrigue and controversy

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict is fighting the worst crisis of his papacy, but his problems are only the latest in a long history of controversies and intrigue in the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The "Vatileaks" scandal, in which the pope's private papers are alleged to have been pilfered by his own butler, pales in comparison to the scandals of centuries past when popes were accused of violence, nepotism and sexual excesses. ...

JPMorgan fined for "wash trades" in oil, gasoline

(Reuters) - JPMorgan executed 'wash trades' on 10 separate occasions in U.S. crude oil and gasoline futures in the first half of last year in an effort to manage position limits, CME Group said in a disciplinary notice on Friday. CME, which operates the New York Mercantile Exchange, ordered JPMorgan to pay a fine of $30,000. ...

Is Dismal Jobs Report the Signal Independents Are Seeking?

In life, when things seem like a close call in debating whether to take a job or move somewhere or dive deeper into a relationship, we look for a signal of which way to go. In facing really difficult choices, we are open to all...