Legendary Music Icon Whitney Houston Unexpectedly Dies at 48
CNN Newsroom reports that just this past Saturday, Feb. 11 around 3:30 p.m. in the af ternoon, two loud thuds were reported coming from Whitney Houston's hotel room at the Beverly Hilton. The loud and urgent voice of a man was heard next. It was soon learned that Houston had died at the mere age of 48 of unknown causes. According to the report, "Police and fire officials were called to Houston's room at 3:43 p.m. after Houston's bodyguard found her unconscious body." It was reported that just days before her passing, she was reported swimming at the hotel pool with her daughter, and she looked happy and healthy. No obvi ous signs of criminal intent were detected and an autopsy has been scheduled. The shock of Houston's death was immediately felt worldwide, as her "grit and glamour had made her an icon." Throughout her career, Houston had accumulated many awards and recognitions including numerous number one hits, Emmys, Grammys and seven back-to-back multi-plat inum albums.
Obama's New Budget to Raise Taxes on Rich
CNN Newsroom reports that just this past Saturday, Feb. 11 around 3:30 p.m. in the af ternoon, two loud thuds were reported coming from Whitney Houston's hotel room at the Beverly Hilton. The loud and urgent voice of a man was heard next. It was soon learned that Houston had died at the mere age of 48 of unknown causes. According to the report, "Police and fire officials were called to Houston's room at 3:43 p.m. after Houston's bodyguard found her unconscious body." It was reported that just days before her passing, she was reported swimming at the hotel pool with her daughter, and she looked happy and healthy. No obvi ous signs of criminal intent were detected and an autopsy has been scheduled. The shock of Houston's death was immediately felt worldwide, as her "grit and glamour had made her an icon." Throughout her career, Houston had accumulated many awards and recognitions including numerous number one hits, Emmys, Grammys and seven back-to-back multi-plat inum albums.
According to a BBC news report, Obama's new budget plan that is proposed for the year 2013 is to raise taxes on the wealthy. The proposal includes "$1.5 trillion in new taxes, much from allowing Bush-era tax cuts to expire." Another aspect of this plan includes a call for a "Buffet Plan tax hike." This would affect millionaires and infrastructure projects. At the heart of the plan is the idea that wealthier Americans should pay more taxes than lower income families. All of this extra revenue would go toward creating more jobs while manu facturing and upgrading the nation's schools. Re publicans have already shown opposition toward this plan, calling a budget that is "dead on arrival." Republicans have portrayed President Obama as a "tax-and-spend liberal stoking class warfare" while Obama urges, "This is not about class warfare. This is about the nation's welfare." BBC's Steve King stone said the budget seeks to offer a clear contrast between Mr. Obama's vision and that of Republi cans. By allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire, it would then affect families making $250,000 or more per year. The president has also proposed more than $100 in investments that would look to improve transportation projects and revamps for tens of thousands of schools as well as hiring more teachers and emergency service workers.
Primary Candidates Hope to End Chavez Rule in Venezuela
According to CNN News, the citizens of Venezuela hope for an end to the reign of Hugo Chavez's presidency as they voted for who will run against him in a primary on Sunday. Vot ers arranged themselves in lines that wrapped around voting stations at school buildings to cast their votes. The polls were permitted to stay open much later than scheduled due to the massive turnout, all the while officials reported that everything preceded smoothly. "There have been no problems and there has been respect among all of us, even though we are sup porting different options. We are all here pushing for this process to be transparent and push ing for democracy in Venezuela," Zulia state Governor Pablo Perez told reporters after casting his ballot. According to the report, 11 percent of Venezuela's registered voters, which is about two million people, had been expected to vote in the primary. Supporters of Hugo Chavez have bashed the opposition coalition, saying there is no doubt the incumbent president will win in October. Simon Bolivar University political science professor Jose Vicente Carrasquero told reporters, "Chavez is running for re-election for the fourth time, and these are the same problems that he did not resolve the three previous times."
Austerity Measures Drive More Protests in Greece in Hopes of Eurozone Deal
According to CNN news, the Lawmakers of the debt stricken country of Greece have approved a new round of austerity measures in hopes of earning a new eurozone bailout deal as protests raged in the streets just outside. Buildings in Athens, ranging from banks to cafés to movie theaters, went up in flames as police sent tear gas and stun grenades into the crowds of demonstrators. "They are protesting because they feel that there is no end in their financial suffering. More and more [people] every day are getting poorer and [becoming] homeless in Greece, and especially Athens," wrote CNN iReporter Thanasis Trompoukis. This particular package that has been passed includes deep cuts in government spending, wages and pensions. All of these cuts are geared to help pave the way for "eurozone finance ministers to sign off on the new €130 billion ($172.6 billion) bailout deal." Prime Minister Lucas Papademos spoke of the possibility of a "catastrophic bankruptcy" if the deal was not passed.
