Obama faces racism in West Virginia

Many blue collar Democrats are not ready for a black President.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 02.27.08

Obama and Clinton square off in Ohio.

Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama went head to head in Cleveland last night. The two had their final debate before the primaries in Texas and Ohio next week. Obama took on Clinton for her past position on the Iraq war, while Clinton attacked the Illinois senator on health care mailings and NAFTA. She also said Obama was unprepared to handle foreign policy crises. Clinton has upped her attacks on her opponent recently, after he took 11 states in a row.

The European Union is fining Microsoft for failing to obey an antitrust order. The EU is fining the corporation a record 1.3 billon dollars for charging its rivals too much for software information. Microsoft says the fine refers to past problems, and they're now working to make their product more open. This is the largest fine the EU has ever issued to a single company for this issue.

The U.S. dollar has hit a new low in Europe today. The euro reportedly soared to more than $1.50 and the British pound reached $1.99...making it more expensive for Americans to travel in Europe. This comes as reports released show the U.S. economy is slowing and predicts the Federal Reserve will continue cutting interest rates. Meanwhile the sliding dollar caused oil prices hit a new high today...at $102 dollars a barrel.

Today is day three in the trial for the shooting of Sean Bell. Bell was killed on his wedding day by New York detectives last November...the 3 officials accused of the shooting say they thought Bell was reaching for a gun. The young man's father William testified in court yesterday, emotionally recalling the night of his death. Bell's father was with him celebrating his bachelor party, shortly before his death. The defense claims Bell was drunk and disorderly on that night.

Russert Plays the Farrakhan Card

Tim Russert moderating the Democratic presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, February 26, 2008.

UPI VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 02.05.08

Robert De Niro campaigns for Obama.

Stars are stepping out on the campaign trail to show support for presidential candidates. Robert DeNiro joined Democratic hopeful Barack Obama on stage yesterday at a rally in New Jersey. The actor said Obama has inspired him and is the one person he believes can bring change to the U.S. The Illinois Senator has also had continued support from Oprah Winfrey. Other celebrity endorsements came from Jack Nicholson...he announced his support for Hillary Clinton on a morning radio show yesterday.

Britney Spears' father is staying in control of her wealth for now. A Los Angeles court ruled yesterday to keep Jamie Spears as the conservator of her affairs...which apparently includes her 40 million dollar fortune. Her Dad will hold onto control until the pop star is healthy. This comes after a Spears lawyer argued against the decision. He said the pop star was strongly opposed to the decision, fearing it may cause more tension and estrangement.

Heath Ledger's family is now back home in Australia after an emotional week. The actor's father Kim and other relatives reportedly solemnly walked through an airport in Perth yesterday. Ledger's family was in Los Angeles for several memorial services in honor of the actor. He'll now apparently be buried in a family plot near the family's home. Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment last month. The cause of death is still unknown.

Sean "Diddy" Combs is taking on acting and producing in a new made for TV film. He stars and was the executive producer for "A Raisin in the Sun"...a film version of a 1959 Broadway play. The actor attended the premiere for the new release last night in New York. His co-stars Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald were also at last night's event. "A Raisin in the Sun" will air on ABC February 25.

Amy Winehouse apparently still plans on making an appearance at the Grammy Awards. The singer reportedly took a break from rehab to visit the U.S. Embassy in London...She was accompanied by her father and a nurse from the facility. Her rep says she was looking to get a Visa in order to attend the Award ceremony on Sunday. Winehouse is nominated in six categories. The singer checked into rehab for substance abuse treatment last month.

TPMtv: Sunday Show Roundup: Bill Clinton Pile-On

Coming off Saturday's South Carolina blow-out, the Sunday shows were a wall-to-wall Clinton pile-on. In today's episode of our weekly Sunday show roundup we bring you the high/lowlights.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 01.22.08

Fed cuts interest rates.

The Federal Reserve has cut two key interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point. The rate cut happened earlier today, just as stocks plunged at the opening bell. The Fed lowered its federal funds rate from 4.25 percent to 3.5. That rate affects how much people pay on credit card debt, home equity lines of credit and auto loans. It also lowered its discount rate three-quarters of a point to 4 percent. That rate determines what it costs banks to borrow directly from the central bank. This was the biggest rate cut by the Fed since October 1984.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama engaged in their most heated debate yet last night. Just minutes into the debate in South Carolina, the two exchanged sharp criticisms over health care and other issues. On numerous occasions, they interrupted each other and even turned to direct their responses to each other instead of a panel of moderators. Former Senator John Edwards tried to stay out of the heated exchange. South Carolina voters will go to the polls on Saturday for the first Democratic primary in the South.

Israel is allowing fuel and medical supplies into Gaza today after an earlier blockade left residents struggling with major power cuts. Last week, Israel closed all border crossings with Gaza after days of rocket attacks on the southern part of the country. That sparked massive protests and a fear from aid agencies that the move could turn into a humanitarian crisis.

President Bush marked the Martin Luther King holiday yesterday with a visit to Washington's downtown library named after the historic individual. The President, First Lady and D.C.'s mayor participated in a lesson for a handful children. Bush posted pictures on a bulletin board and taught the students how King fought to change unfair laws.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 01.07.08

Barack Obama, John McCain lead in N.H.

A new poll out shows Senator Barack Obama leading over Senator Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. The state will hold its primaries tomorrow. Obama, who won last week's Iowa caucuses, stands at 39 percent. Clinton is at 29 percent. On the Republican side, Senator John McCain leads former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney by a narrower margin...32 to 26 percent. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is in third place at 14 percent.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is blaming former prime minister Benazir Bhutto for her own assassination. Musharraf says it was her fault to stand up outside the car. Bhutto was killed last month while she was standing in an armored moving car after rallying supporters for parliamentary elections. Those elections have now been postponed. Her head was above the roof and unprotected. The cause of her death is still not clear. Musharraf says he welcomes an international investigation.

The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up the issue of lethal injection today. It will hear arguments in a death penalty case to decide whether the lethal injections used to execute criminals cause unacceptable pain. The court's ruling is expected by the end of June. It could decide if the current lethal drug combination is constitutional or whether states have to come up with alternatives that pose less risk of pain and suffering.

In sports, former major-league pitcher Roger Clemens is suing his ex-trainer for defamation over allegations of steroid use. The trainer reportedly injected Clemens with steroid and human growth hormones between 1998 and 2001. The lawsuit claims the trainer was threatened with jail if he didn't connect the pitcher to steroids. Both men are expected to testify under oath next week before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 01.02.08

Pakistan elections delayed.

Officials say parliamentary elections in Pakistan will be delayed. Members of The Election Commission of Pakistan says they'll be pushed back until February 18. Voting was supposed to take place on January 8. This comes following the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Since her death, the country has been filled with violence and rioting. Several election offices have been destroyed as a result of the riots.

With the Iowa caucuses right around the corner, one poll shows Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee are leading the way. The most recent poll out by the Des Moines Register shows Obama has the support of 32% surveyed while Senator Hillary Clinton is at 25%. Former Senator John Edwards is following close behind. The poll also shows Huckabee has a six point lead over Mitt Romney. But Iowa is still anyone's game, a large percent of voters are apparently undecided.

Violent riots and civil unrest is continuing in Nairobi, Kenya following the recent elections. At least 50 people, many of them children were found burned in a church fire there. Victims were apparently seeking refuge from the violence at the church. Riots erupted following the recent presidential election results. President Mwai Kibaki was re-elected, beating out Raila Odinga but a slim lead. At least 148 people have died since results were read.

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is apparently trying to appeal to Christian conservative voters. He's released a commercial in Iowa where he is standing in front of a Christian fish symbol. In the ad Huckabee is addressing the Iowa Christian Alliance, discussing his pro-life position on abortion. With the Iowa caucus tomorrow, he's looking to grab undecided voters.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 12.18.07 (500th Post)

House passes spending bill to fund war, agencies.

Money for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq is no longer likely to be cut. That's because the House approved a $516 billion spending bill yesterday that funds the wars in both of those countries as well as 14 Cabinet agencies. President Bush says he'll sign the measure if $40 billion more is added by the Senate for the Iraq war. The Senate is expected to debate the bill today, and analysts predict that it'll pass. The measure mostly falls within Bush's budget, but does shift billions of dollars into politically sensitive programs he sought to cut.

Bill Clinton says former President George H.W. Bush will pitch in to help him and his wife when they move into the White House. The Democratic president hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton will apparently dispatch Clinton and Bush on an around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by Bush's son, President George W. Bush. Clinton added that that would be his wife's number one priority as president. There's no comment yet on whether George H.W. Bush would chip in when his son leaves office next year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he'll become prime minister if the man he's backing for president wins elections. Dmitry Medvedev is Putin's choice as successor. Yesterday, he was officially confirmed as the presidential candidate for the United Russia Party. Shortly after, Medvedev asked Putin to serve as prime minister if elected. The 42-year-old presidential candidate is expected to win in elections scheduled for next March.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced trip to Iraq earlier today. She visited the volatile northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, then went onto Baghdad to meet with Iraqi officials there. It was reported that she was also meeting with President Jalal Talabani there. The trip comes as Turkish troops recently crossed into Iraq to attack Kurdish separatist rebels. It's a conflict that the U.S., Iraq, and the Kurdish Regional Government don't want to spiral out of control.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 12.13.07

No fireworks in last night's Republican debate.

Last night's debate among Republican presidential candidates in Iowa lacked any brutal exchanges. That's despite previous meetings that resembled more of a street-fighting scene. The debate focused on education and economic issues while hot-button topics like illegal immigration weren't discussed. Nor was Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton mentioned, who's been a top target in most of the recent GOP debates.

For a second time in three months, President Bush vetoed a children's health bill. The bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years and would have boosted its enrollment to about 10 million children. Bush said he vetoed the bill for the same reasons as the previous one, saying that it raised cigarette taxes and provided coverage for children of middle-class families, instead of the working poor. This was the President's seventh veto in seven years.

Democratic lawmakers say they're closing in on a budget deal that would give President Bush as much as $70 billion in war funding. The deal would lack a key condition Democrats had attached to previous funding bills that called for most U.S. troops to come home from Iraq by the end of 2008. That omission would be a significant legislative victory for Bush. Democratic sources say the president is likely to get new money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before Congress adjourns for the year

Former Vice-President Al Gore says the U.S. is principally responsible for blocking progress at the United Nations Climate Conference. Gore made at the comment at the conference earlier today and urged delegates there to take immediate action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The U.S., Japan and several other governments don't accept a draft document that suggests industrialized nations cut emissions by 25 to 40 percent by the year 2020. They say specific targets would limit the scope of future talks.