GOLF: Donald back atop world rankings

One great round. One solid swing out of the rough. One clutch birdie putt.

That's what Luke Donald needed to win the Transitions Championship in a playoff and get back to No. 1 in the world.

Donald was starting to feel overlooked in the two weeks since Rory McIlroy replaced him atop the world ranking, and he even allowed a few doubts about his game to creep into his head.

That changed on a steamy Sunday at Innisbrook, where Donald closed with a 5-under 66 and won a four-man playoff on the first extra hole with a 7-iron out of the rough to 6 feet below the cup for birdie to beat Jim Furyk, Robert Garrigus and Bae Sang-Moon.

"I think people thought that my last year was maybe a little bit more of a ... not a fluke, but I don't think many people thought I could do that all over again this year," Donald said. "Hopefully, I can prove them wrong."

Donald, with his fifth win in his last 31 starts around the world, went back to No. 1 and will stay there until he gets to Augusta National and tries to capture his first major championship.

Garrigus birdied the last two holes for a 64 and was the first to finish on 13-under 271, which turned out to be enough for the playoff. Bae, the South Korean with the fluid swing, made a 6-foot par putt on the final hole for a 68. Furyk had a 69 and was the last one to join the four-man playoff.

Missing from the group was Ernie Els, whose bogey-bogey finish cost him a chance not only to win but maybe a trip to the Masters.

Els could have secured a Masters invitation by winning. Because he tied for fifth, he only moved to No. 62 in the world. Bay Hill does not have as strong of a field, which means Els might have to win next week or the Houston Open to get back to Augusta National.

"It's going to be tough," he said. "I'm pretty hot now, and it's difficult to talk with a straight head here. If I take stock, I think I'm playing good golf, and I've got to head into the next couple of weeks trying to get a win."

Scott Piercy, who finished his 62 before the leaders teed off, joined Els (67), Ken Duke (68) and Jeff Overton (66) in a tie for fifth.

Champions Tour

NEWPORT BEACH - Loren Roberts shot a 69 to win the Toshiba Classic by two strokes over Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Kite and Bernhard Langer.

Roberts made a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole to ensure the victory after bogeys on three of the previous four holes.

Roberts began the day two strokes behind Calcavecchia, but made birdies on three of his first four holes. Even with a bogey on the seventh hole, Roberts was able to maintain a two-stroke lead, until the 16th hole. He missed a 3-foot par putt on 16 after his second shot hit a spectator box.

The victory was Roberts' 13th and was worth $262,500. His last victory was in 2010, a 34-tournament span.

LPGA Tour

PHOENIX - Yani Tseng two-putted for par from 40 feet in fading light to hold off Ai Miyazato and Na Yeon Choi by a stroke in the Founders Cup.

The top-ranked Taiwanese star, who earned $225,000, won her 14th tour title and second in four events this year. She closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 18 under.

The second-ranked Choi also shot 68, and Miyazato had a 69.

Tseng, three strokes behind Miyazato at the turn, birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine and closed with three pars.

Because of lightning near the Wildfire Golf Club, play was delayed three times for a total of three hours. Azusa's Lizette Salas, playing in her first LPGA event, tied for 22nd at 6-under 282. She won $15,230.

European Tour

MARBELLA, Spain - Julien Quesne tied the course record with an 8-under 64 to win the Andalucian Open for his first tour victory.

The 31-year-old birdied four of his final five holes to finish at 17 under and won by two strokes over Matteo Manassero of Italy (68).

"This is the best day of my life. I have been dreaming of this moment since I was 10," Quesne said. "It was not easy, you know. Matteo, Miguel (Angel Jimenez), Eduardo de la Riva, they all played good.

"I asked my caddie all the time since (No.) 15, and I knew that if I holed my putt on 18 I would have a good chance. So I am very proud that I won shooting a 64, finishing with a birdie on 18, the toughest hole on the course.

"I will remember this day for the rest of my life."

Quesne, who has been to tour's qualifying seven times, also earned a one-year tour exemption and qualified for November's WGC-Champions event at Millions Hills in China along with a start in next year's Volvo Champions.

Jimenez, the tournament host who was looking to become the oldest winner on the European Tour, carded a 71 to finish 11 under.

Source http://www.sbsun.com/sports/ci_20203919/golf-donald-back-atop-world-rankings

Health digest hosts wellness expo 2012

T&T is in the height of the Carnival season, and health concerns may not be at the top of the list of priorities of many people. But once the season of revelry is over, some people may be seeking information that will guide them in their quest to attempt to reverse the effects of their weeks of indiscretion—sleepless nights, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy and unbalanced diets.

A good place to start may be The U—Health and Wellness Exposition, scheduled to take place from March 19 to 21 at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. Hosted by U–The Caribbean Health Digest, the event will once again create a forum that allows organisations and individuals the unique opportunity to promote their health related products, services and solutions to a captive audience. This exposition was held for the first time in September 2010 and subsequently cancelled in 2011 as a result of uncertainties surrounding the then state of emergency.

This year promises to be much more interactive, with many more exhibitors that include major players in the insurance and finance sectors, health food providers, private hospitals, spas and fitness centres, each armed with solutions to creating healthier and more informed citizens. On March 19, Minister of Health Dr Fuad Khan will officially open the expo, and that day will cater to corporate T&T. The subsequent days will be open to the public, including schools, at no cost. Some exhibition spaces are still available for companies that wish to capitalise on the opportunity to market themselves to a audience that has a keen interest on health and wellness issues.

Source http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2012-02-05/health-digest-hosts-wellness-expo-2012

Congress kills funding for Obama's high-speed rail

The House and Senate voted today to eliminate most of the $8 billion that President Obama sought next year for his vision of nationwide high-speed rail.

Republicans trumpeted what they said was the death of the president's six-year, $53 billion plan, saying the future of fast trains lies along the Northeast Corridor, The Hill writes. The funding was eliminated in a deal with Democrats on a spending bill for the Transportation Department and other agencies. The measure cleared the House by 298-121 and the Senate by 70-30 on its way to Obama's desk.

"Today's vote marks the end to President Obama's misguided high-speed rail program, but it also represents a new beginning for true intercity high-speed passenger rail service in America," Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, said in a statement.

The Associated Press points out, however, that "billions of dollars still in the pipeline will ensure work will continue on some projects. And it's still possible money from another transportation grant program can be steered to high-speed trains."

California was hoping for several billion dollars to keep its plans on track for what could be the nation's first genuine bullet-train network, with trains reaching 220 mph. Construction on the first phase, between Fresno and Bakersfield, is expected to start next year and be finished in three to five years, the San Francisco Chronicle notes. The price tag is $6 billion: $3.3 billion from Washington and $2.7 billion in state bonds.

Source http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/11/congress-kills-funding-for-obamas-high-speed-rail-plan/1?csp=34news

Obama Campaign Borrows From Bush ‘04 Playbook

The last time an incumbent president faced re-election, George W. Bush exploited social and national security issues to offset his economic vulnerabilities.

Over the next year, President Obama will try the same thing.

Circumstances have changed drastically since 2004. America’s economic woes stand to dominate the 2012 dialogue no matter what — probably to Mr. Obama’s detriment.

Yet in important electoral battlegrounds, Mr. Obama’s strategists intend to use abortion, gay rights, the environment and successes in the fight against Al Qaeda to counter economic attacks and drive a wedge between Republicans and swing voters.

The Democratic shift from defense to offense on those issues stems from evolving public attitudes, intensifying Republican conservatism and the raid that killed

Osama bin Laden on Mr. Obama’s orders. The perilous state of the American economy undercuts the president’s assertions that he prevented something worse.

The result: over the weekend, Mr. Obama accused his Republican challengers of displaying a “kind of smallness” by not denouncing a debate audience that booed a gay soldier. He used the incident to question their readiness to become commander in chief.

Days earlier at a California fund-raiser, Mr. Obama cast his re-election bid as an appeal to “people of like mind, people who believe in a big and generous and a tolerant and ambitious and fact-based America.”

Those “people of like mind” include the affluent, college-educated residents of suburbs around Denver, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, Orlando, Boston and Washington — the epicenters of Mr. Obama’s fight for Colorado, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire and Virginia.

The ‘Monied’ Suburbs

In his 2008 victory, Mr. Obama broke through among several important voter groups. Exit polls showed that he carried suburbanites, college graduates and those earning more than $200,000.

Mr. Obama won handily in areas that the research organization Patchwork Nation calls “Monied ’Burbs.” Residents of these high-income suburbs, which add up to roughly a quarter of the United States population, tend to be less religious and more tolerant of homosexuality and abortion rights, said Dante Chinni, Patchwork Nation’s director.

They narrowly backed Republicans in the 2010 House elections. Their disappointment over the economy cloud Mr. Obama’s 2012 re-election prospects.

But their distance from the Republican right on social issues gives Mr. Obama a tool for fighting back.

“The question is whether it’s possible to pop those issues when the economy is this bad,” said Jim Jordan, a campaign manager for Senator John Kerry’s bid for the White House in 2004. “The answer is maybe.”

Recent evidence is mixed.

In Colorado, the incumbent Democratic senator, Michael Bennet, survived the 2010 Republican wave after he “shifted a chunk of the conversation off the economic and onto social issues,” said Laura Chapin, a Democratic strategist in Denver. Mr. Obama’s strategists view that victory as an object lesson.

It didn’t work in the 2009 race for governor of Virginia. Democrats tried to cast the Republican nominee, Bob McDonnell, as an extremist on social issues; Mr. McDonnell, now governor, focused relentlessly on the economy.

Truce Proposed

That’s why Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, a Republican, has called for “a truce” on social issues. With Mr. Obama faring so poorly on the economy, the topics that rallied the conservative base for Mr. Bush now carry more costs than benefits.

Nor can Republicans capitalize on national security as they did in 2004. No leading Republican candidate has foreign policy experience. Mr. Obama’s successes in targeting Al Qaeda, from the Bin Laden raid to the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki on Friday, give him potent tools for defusing a traditional Democratic vulnerability.

Mr. Obama’s success in using social issues to attract affluent suburbanites will depend significantly on the outcome of Republican primaries. Former Gov.

Mitt Romney of Massachusetts now opposes abortion rights and backs a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

But Mr. Romney, a former finance executive, has focused overwhelmingly on the economy. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who is reconsidering whether to join the race, has defined himself politically through his drive to cut government spending.

The emphatic social conservatism of Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who opened his campaign soon after addressing a “Call to Prayer” Christian gathering in Houston, would provide a bigger target. “You can’t have a big religious rally and not scare the hell out of suburban Philadelphia,” said Kim Alfano, a Republican consultant who advises Mr. Daniels.

Mr. Perry’s insistence that man-made climate change remains unproved, mocked by Mr. Obama at that California fund-raiser, provides another opening among college-educated swing voters. Jill Hanauer, who directs the Democratic consultancy Project New West, said the issue could weaken Republicans’ economic message by making the party appear to be “looking backwards” in an era of global competition.

Republicans have their own strong economic arguments for upscale suburbanites, including Mr. Obama’s proposals to raise taxes on households earning more than $250,000. Those will echo Democrats’ 2004 warnings to working-class voters — that social issues obscured how Mr. Bush had hurt their pocketbooks.

Source  http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/obama-campaign-borrows-from-bush-04-playbook/

Obama talks '12, debt and Cordray

Sitting for another round of interviews with local television news stations Wednesday, President Barack Obama said the debt and deficit talks have "been taking up all the oxygen in the room," preventing the federal government from tackling job creation.

"What we have to do is we have to continue with some of the tax breaks that we provided in December: The payroll tax cut that has put $1000 in the pockets of the average family," Obama told Lara Moritz, news anchor for ABC's Kansas City station. "That creates more demand and more business for folks, because that money gets spent and that means small businesses and large businesses have more customers and they hire more people to service those customers," he added.

Moritz followed up by asking the president which Republican candidate could beat him in 2012, but Obama didn't bite.

"Well I have to tell you, I am so occupied with doing the people's business that I'm just not spending a lot of time right now worrying about the Republican field," he replied. "Ultimately I will be judged based on the American people believing that I'm fighting for them."

Jerry Revish of 10TV News in Columbus, Ohio, asked how the president intends to convince Ohioans to vote to reelect him next year.

Ticking off a list of his administration's goals -- from clean energy investments to rebuilding the national infrastructure -- Obama said it will all come down to whether the "economy is growing." If it is, he said, "the politics will take care of itself."

Asked by Revish about his nomination of Richard Cordray to direct the new Consumer Financial Protection Board, the president defended the new agency from Republican critics.

"We are going to, for the first time, have a consolidated agency whose only job is to make sure that consumers aren't getting ripped off," Obama said.

The president said Ohio Republicans have complimented Cordray's public service in the past. Cordray was state attorney general from 2008 to 2010.

Back on the debt issue, Obama laid out for KABC-Los Angeles anchor David Ono what's at stake:

"The full faith and credit of the United States of America is at stake," Obama said. "We've always been an AAA-rated nation. The dollar is the reserve currency of the world. If we do not solve this problem in a serious way, you can potentially see a downgrading of U.S. credit, which would mean potential interest rate hikes for everyone, whether you are trying to get a car loan or your credit card. It also would add interest costs that would actually worsen the deficit. It doesn't make sense for us not to do it. We intend to get this done. I'm going to keep members of Congress here for as long as it takes to get it done."

Source http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0711/meet_the_locals_a92adb0a-4a5d-45de-bc9b-04494391ec4c.html

Obama pressures Republicans on federal debt ceiling

He depicts GOP leaders as supporting tax breaks for jet-setting corporate executives at others' expense, and chides lawmakers for taking frequent recesses instead of staying in Washington to finish the job.

President Obama is sharply intensifying pressure on congressional Republicans in negotiations over the federal debt, depicting GOP leaders as supporting tax breaks for jet-setting corporate executives at the expense of college scholarships or medical research.

Obama chastised Republican leaders in an hourlong televised news conference Wednesday, moving the debt talks out of the realm of closed-door Washington meetings and into full public view, and setting off a high-stakes effort to mobilize public opinion.

Obama and Republicans have been locked for more than a month in a confrontation over raising the nation's borrowing limit. Republicans have insisted they will not approve the increase unless Obama and congressional Democrats agree to reduce the debt in the long term — though the GOP spending plan would also require raising the debt ceiling. Last week, top Republicans pulled out of discussions with Vice President Joe Biden, objecting to a White House demand that any deal include additional revenue as well as spending cuts.

The news conference represented a rare instance of Obama using the presidential megaphone to defend his position. In the past, the president has been prone to delivering lengthy answers in a professorial tone, relying on abstract ideas. By contrast, Obama on Wednesday laid out his arguments in simple, everyday terms, echoing an ex-president that he has been studying: Ronald Reagan.

"These are bills that Congress ran up," Obama said, in explaining why the U.S. must not default on its debt obligations. "They took the vacation. They bought the car. Now they're saying, 'Maybe we don't have to pay.'"

Obama also chided lawmakers for taking frequent recesses instead of staying in Washington to finish work on the debt question. He added that his two young daughters exhibited more diligence in doing their homework than Congress had shown.

"They don't wait until the night before," he said. "They're not pulling all-nighters. Congress can do the same thing."

Reacting to the criticism, senators considered abandoning a weeklong July 4 recess, and House leaders said they would stay in session until negotiations were finished.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said the chances of the Senate being in session next week were "pretty good."

But Republican leaders offered scant hope of a shift on the issue of tax revenues. "The president is sorely mistaken if he believes a bill to raise the debt ceiling and raise taxes would pass the House," said House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).

Some of the GOP rank and file, however, indicated they would consider new revenue sources, posing a potential challenge to party unity. "I'm not too sympathetic to all these jets myself, so I'd be willing to consider that," said Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Budget Committee.

Others said it would depend on which loophole was being eliminated. "I'm willing to take a look at the special deals," said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). "I would love to do away with special tax breaks, but not legitimate business deductions."

Obama cited the high-profile tax break offered to owners of corporate jets several times in the news conference, even though it would bring in only an estimated $3 billion over 10 years. Other Democratic proposals would tighten oil and gas tax credits, netting $41 billion over 10 years, and eliminate credits for hedge fund managers, netting $21 billion.

The largest Democratic tax proposal would limit the deductions that may be claimed by those earning more than $500,000 a year. The White House said earlier this year that in all, it wants $760 billion in new revenue over 10 years.

With the Fourth of July weekend coming up, the Obama administration will send top officials to appear on television to echo the president's message and build a consensus behind what he calls a "balanced" approach to deficit reduction. Gene Sperling, the president's top economic advisor, will be one of those leading the push.

The government reached the limit of its borrowing ability in May, and federal officials warn that maneuvers to continue paying the nation's bills will be exhausted by Aug. 2, risking a default on federal obligations.

Underscoring the concerns, the International Monetary Fund warned in a report Wednesday that failure by Congress to raise the borrowing limit could result in "a severe shock to the economy and world financial markets."

Nonetheless, many Republicans regard the administration's warnings as a scare tactic and refuse to raise the debt ceiling without major reductions in the nation's deficit, chiefly through spending cuts. They oppose new revenue from any source, even unpopular credits and loopholes.

"The corporate plane tax hike that the president now wants would bring in about $3 billion in new taxes," said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "The president wants hundreds of billions in new taxes. Where would they get the rest?''

Democrats have countered that its significance is symbolic, showing that Republicans refuse to consider even such obvious measures.

The president painted a stark image of the winners and losers under the debt deal favored by Republicans. Oil companies that are already making money "hand over fist," he said, would continue to receive taxpayer subsidies, at the expense of "a bunch of kids out there who are not getting college scholarships."

Medical research would be undermined and food inspection would be weakened if the Republicans pursued their "maximalist position," the president said.

"If you're a wealthy CEO or a hedge fund manager in America right now, your taxes are lower than they have ever been," he said. "You'll still be able to ride on your corporate jet; you're just going to have to pay a little more."

He added: "It would be nice if we could keep every tax break there is. But we've got to make some tough choices here if we want to reduce our deficit."

Source http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-20110630,0,4151868.story

Michelle Obama helps build DC school playground

First Lady Michelle Obama mixed and poured concrete, attached swings to a swing set and raked mulch for an hour Wednesday at a charter school in a low-income Southeast Washington neighborhood. By the time she and hundreds of other volunteers were finished, the school had a new playground on what previously was barren land.

The first lady was the guest of honor as KaBOOM!, a nonprofit that gives children opportunities for unstructured outdoor play, constructed the 2,000th playground in its 15-year history.

"This is a very cool experience," Obama said. "It really is a source of pride to be here today to celebrate the 2,000th build."

The first lady is an advocate for exercise and healthy eating and worked with KaBOOM! before President Barack Obama was elected. It was the second time she has joined the group to build a playground.

KaBOOM! advocates for play as a critical part of children's physical, intellectual and emotional development. The group works primarily in low-income neighborhoods that lack playgrounds within walking distance, and community members are asked to raise some money for the project and participate in the construction. The playgrounds are built in a single day.

"Play is on the decline in the United States," KaBOOM! founder Darell Hammond said. "Kids are getting less and less of it, both in recess and at parks and playgrounds."

Imagine Southeast Public Charter School was chosen in part because the group wanted to celebrate its 2,000th project in Washington, where it is headquartered, said Karen Duncan, an adviser to KaBOOM! and the wife of Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

The group gets about 14,000 requests a year for new playgrounds, and Imagine Southeast stood out because its principal and parents were so enthusiastic about the project, Karen Duncan said.

The 4,000-square-foot playground cost $195,000 and was funded by the Knight Foundation, a charitable entity founded by the former owners of the Knight Ridder media company.

The Duncans also helped out with the construction, along with NBA veteran Antawn Jamison, a former Washington Wizard who's now with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jamison traveled to Washington from his offseason home in Charlotte, N.C., to volunteer his time. It was the fifth time he had worked with KaBOOM!

"You see the gratification when you see the smiles on the kids' faces," Jamison said. "I'll be able to sleep good tonight, knowing that I made a difference."

Jamison said he doesn't often get starstruck but was thrilled to meet the first lady.

"I was surprised by how tall she was," the 6-foot-9 power forward said.

Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jf4c7ID10ieCsbnaRNluJIn5SN4A?docId=f8309a5ad67843f49ebda7e109a7fc06