Ruling on health care case hard to predict - The Washington Times

		Monday, March 26, 2012 Today's Top Stories
Ruling on health care case hard to predict A curious thing about this week's Supreme Court hearings on President Obama's health care law is that while nobody doubts how the four Democrat-appointed justices will decide, there is no such certainty on how the Republican appointees will rule in the case, which will go a long way toward defining the scope and limits of government power in the 21st century. Obama wants to push reduction of nuclear stockpiles Seeking to lead by example on the nuclear dangers posed by North Korea and Iran, President Obama said Monday he'll pursue talks with Russia to further reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. Budget gridlock imperils national defense Defense analysts and Capitol Hill insiders are anticipating that automatic federal budget cuts will occur Jan. 1 and force the armed forces to scrap plans for new weapons systems. Louisiana win steels resolve of Santorum to stay in race Fresh off a big win in Saturday's Louisiana primary, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Sunday hammered front-runner Mitt Romney by painting him as "the worst candidate" the party could put up against President Obama. D.C. settlement deal with Thompson raises questions More than a quarter-million dollars from a legal settlement between D.C. contractor and prolific political fundraiser Jeffrey E. Thompson and the D.C. government went to a favorite charity of Mr. Thompson's that also is a prominent client of his accounting firm, records show. White House sure its energy policy is an election winner The Obama re-election team believes the ambitious budget plan released last week by Rep. Paul Ryan will be a liability for the Republican presidential candidate this fall, and it began on Sunday to tie the controversial proposal to front-runner Mitt Romney. Report: Campaign funds become 'a family affair' Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul used campaign funds to pay salaries and fees to more members of his own family than any other lawmaker in the House, according to a recently released report, handing over more than $300,000 during the 2008 and 2010 election cycles. CURL: GOP's 2012 primary plan creates a colossal mess After the exhilarating 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, the Grand Old Party decided it wanted a bit of that next time around. Ethics panel investigates Reps. Berkley, Buchanan The House Ethics Committee is conducting a preliminary investigation into Rep. Shelley Berkley, Nevada Democrat, who is running for the Senate, over allegations she used her congressional position to help her husband's business. Inside the Beltway: Romney's chicken soup Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney may have a cure-all for health care reform as the Supreme Court hears arguments about the constitutionality of the law on Monday. Redskins seek arbitration for salary-cap cut The Washington Redskins have sought arbitration to dispute the $36 million salary cap penalty the NFL and players union recently agreed to impose against them. Afghans: U.S. paid $50,000 per victim in shooting spree The United States has paid $50,000 in compensation for each Afghan killed and $11,000 for each person wounded in the shooting spree allegedly committed by a U.S. soldier in southern Afghanistan, an Afghan official and a community elder said Sunday. Tiger Woods wins first tournament since scandal Tiger Woods finally brought the buzz back to the very thing that made him famous — winning. Obama, Turkish leader agree to up 'nonlethal' aid to Syrian activists President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed during a nearly two-hour meeting Sunday to beef up "nonlethal" aid to Syrian opponents of the regime of dictator Bashar Assad. Kentucky dumps Baylor to advance to Final Four again Top-seeded Kentucky cruised into the Final Four for the second year in a row, blitzing Baylor with a dominating first half on the way to an 82-70 rout at the South Regional on Sunday. Maoist rebels free one hostage, hold two others in eastern India Maoist rebels in the eastern state of Odisha freed an Italian hostage Sunday after 11 days of captivity, but the rebels continued to hold another Italian and an Indian lawmaker whom they kidnapped early Saturday. Commentary MILLER: Obamacare's hefty tax bill President Obama promised to make health care more affordable, but instead he's done the opposite. The White House and congressional Democrats slipped 20 new taxes into the Obamacare legislation to raise $500 billion to help pay for the new entitlement's $2.6 trillion cost. It's now up to the Supreme Court to provide relief. WEST: Why Obamacare is bad for America's health On Monday, the Supreme Court will consider the legality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare. The high court will pore over Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution to determine the true meaning behind the words, "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common Defense and general welfare of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes." The 2012 Supreme Court must determine whether the Founders had any intention of mandating the behavior of private enterprises and individuals. KNIGHT: Taming the EPA monster Slowly, inexorably, the monster is being driven back to its lair. Its days of terrorizing villagers may soon be over. I wish I were talking about the federal government, but it's the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), better known as the Environmental Protection-or-else Agency. EDITORIAL: Next time, sue the weatherman Climate alarmists have lost a major court case that had the potential for turning every weather emergency into endless litigation. It's a victory for the law, for science and for common sense. LAVROV: Seoul Summit: A view from Moscow Russia and the United States are the most advanced states in terms of nuclear energy use. We have put an end to the Cold War and the arms race, including the nuclear one. Today, our coun- tries have taken a common stand for the strengthening of the nuclear nonproliferation regime and have intensified their cooperation in combating nuclear terrorism. 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