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The world reacts to the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs with kind words, tributes and makeshift shrines

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From California to China, mourners laid flowers and lit candles at makeshift shrines while celebrities, politicians and technology icons offered their thoughts on the passing of Jobs, 56, who reinvented the way we all interact with technology.

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CUPERTINO, Calif. - As news spread around the world that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had died on Wednesday, people across the world reacted with sadness and an appreciation for the mark he left on every person who uses a cell phone or computer in their daily life.

From California to China, mourners laid flowers and lit candles at makeshift shrines in front of Apple stores and in parks, with their iPhones and iPads in hand, recording the end of an era of innovation in high definition.

Celebrities, politicians and technology icons offered their thoughts on the passing of Jobs, 56, who reinvented the way we all interact with technology.

"Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," said President Barack Obama. "And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and chief executive described Jobs as a "mentor and a friend."

"Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world," Zuckerberg said. "I will miss you."

Jobs' rivals and competitors also turned out online, showing class and respect for the deceased re-inventor.

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Among them was Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and Apple rival.

"Melinda (Gates' wife) and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work," Gates said in a statement. "Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

Although Jobs is gone, his legacy and words will likely inspire generations to come. After all, it was the college dropout's ambition and dedication that led he and business partner Steve Wozniak to create Apple Inc. from a garage in 1976.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work," Jobs said in a 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, following a battle with cancer. "And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

Jobs also discussed his inevitable death in that speech, a remark which has also been a source of inspiration through the news of his passing.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," Jobs said. "Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

Jobs is survived by his biological mother, sister Mona Simpson; Lisa Brennan-Jobs, his daughter with Brennan; wife Laurene, and their three children, Erin, Reed and Eve.

To read Jobs' full obituary, click here.

Steve Jobs: A life in technology

Easthampton Parsons Village opponents appeal developer's claim that special permit for housing project was granted by default

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The appeal, filed in Hampshire Superior Court, seeks to nullify the notice, saying it has "no basis in fact or law."

Parsons Village Aerial View.jpgView full sizeAn aerial view of the lot at 69 Parsons St. taken from Valley CDC's special permit application.

EASTHAMPTON – Seven neighbors of the proposed Parsons Village affordable housing project have appealed the developer’s claim that the special permit was approved when the Planning Board waited too long to deny it.

And some residents are upset that they, not the city, are the ones who took action.

On Monday, attorneys representing the neighbors challenged Valley Community Development Corp.’s notice of constructive approval, which contends the board’s decision came eight days too late and the permit was granted by default.

Under state law, the board has to vote within 90 days of closing a public hearing. The hearing closed May 10, but, on June 7, the board voted to reopen it starting July 19, sparking controversy over the deadline.

Valley CDC says a vote was due by Sept. 5 while others, including board member Chester A. Ogulewicz, Jr., say the board had until mid-October or even longer. The application was rejected Sept. 13.

The appeal, filed in Hampshire Superior Court, seeks to nullify the notice, saying it has “no basis in fact or law,” and prevent City Clerk Barbara L. LaBombard from issuing the permit.

The filing also contends that any Planning Board approval of the project would be “arbitrary and capricious, and/or rested on legally untenable ground” because it allegedly violates the zoning ordinance.

The defendants are Valley CDC, LaBombard and each member of the Planning Board. Plaintiff Mary Westervelt said she and the other neighbors have no quarrel with the City Clerk or the board and are only following procedure by naming them.

Valley CDC attorney Edward Etheredge did not respond to a request for comment by press time. In the past, he has defended the notice, but said he did not expect it to hold up in court.

City solicitor John H. Fitz-Gibbon said the city did not feel the need to “instigate any action” on the notice.

“We didn’t feel there was any obligation to appeal,” he said. “It appears to me that no constructive grant took place. That’s after my preliminary review.”

He said that the city may have chosen not to release the permit anyway, leading to possible legal action from Valley CDC. If that happened, the city would have responded, he said.

The filing cost $300 plus attorney fees, said Westervelt.

“Ideally, we wouldn’t have engaged in this at all,” she said. “Whether you’re for or against the project, I’m just really disheartened and surprised that the city would decide not to support its own Planning Board.”

Resident Amy Heflin, who has fought the development for almost a year but is not a plaintiff, said the city’s position is “deplorable.”

“So what this says is, essentially, that if any developer comes into our town, applies for a special permit and then does not get it, they can just railroad it through anyhow when the city refuses to back their own decision,” she said. “It’s ridiculous hiding and cowardice on (the city’s) part.”

“It’s unfortunate that the neighbors have any issues or feel slighted. That certainly wasn’t our intention,” Fitz-Gibbon said.

Appeal of Parsons Village Notice of Constructive Approval

At Large candidates in Northampton square off in debate

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Perhaps not surprisingly, each of the candidates promised to be a unifying force in city government.

NORTHAMPTON – The four candidates for the two at large seats on the City Council fielded questions from an attentive crowd at the Robert K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School Wednesday in a mostly mild-mannered debate.

More than 100 people crammed the school’s gymnasium for a candidates’ night that also included a mayoral debate and a brief segment featuring the four candidates for the two citizens’ seats on the Community Preservation Committee.

Incumbent Jesse M. Adams, Board of Public Works member MJ Adams-Pullan, former city councilor William H. Dwight and Southampton school paraprofessional Michael E. Janik are all vying for the two council seats in the Nov. 8 election. Adams, who is completing his first term, touted his experience, adding that his time on the council has not diminished his enthusiasm.

“I love doing these things as your advocate,” he said.

Dwight, who served eight years as the Ward 1 representative, left the council in 2006. He told the audience Wednesday that absence has made his heart grow fonder of the job.

“Once I left city government, I found out it didn’t leave me,” he said. “It was the thing that meant the most to me.”

Adams-Pullan, the executive director of the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, said she brings perspective as a live-long resident of the city.

“I understand the background of what Northampton has been, and I also have great ideas for what Northampton can be,” she said.

Janik painted himself as the candidate who will challenge the status quo, particularly on spending issues.

“I want to see the city do things differently, financially,” he said.

In that vein, Janik said the feedback he has gotten from residents has made him hesitant about supporting the Community Preservation Act. In November, Northampton voters will have a chance to repeal the act, which uses a small property tax surcharge to leverage matching funds from the state for a variety of projects.

Adams flatly stated his support for the act and took Janik to task for not being more forthright about his position. Dwight and Adams-Pullan also said they favor retaining the act, citing projects such as the Academy of Music renovation and the purchase of the Bean/Allard property as valuable investments of the money.

Adams and Janik said they would prefer that the city council president run council meetings, rather than the mayor, one of many elements of the governmental process currently being studied in a charter review. Dwight pointed out that the change would give more power to the council president.

“We have to figure out what that means,” he said.

Adams-Pullan said she has no opinion on the subject but would study it.

Perhaps not surprisingly, each of the candidates promised to be a unifying force in city government. Dwight noted that, in his post-council career as a radio host, he invited advocates of all sides of various issues onto his show.

“It’s what I do well and what I’m most proud of,” he said.

Janik said he is a good listener who would be willing to work with everybody. Adams said he is a believer in unity.

“I’ve always encouraged spirited and respectful debates,” he said.

Janik took the city to task for dragging its feet on rezoning King Street, saying the process has taken too long. Asked what each candidate would ideally like to see on the street in terms of development, both Adams and Adams-Pullan suggested it might be a good location for a inter-modal transportation center that could be built when passenger rail service is restored to the city.

AM News Links: A look at Apple's future after Steve Jobs' death; Customers ditching Bank of America for smaller banks; and more

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A look at what the future holds for Apple as its visionary leader is laid to rest; a report uncovers that U.S. troops are already fighting the drug war in Mexico; and more of the morning's headlines.

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NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

As Occupy Wall Street movement gains steam, Occupy Northampton protest to be held outside Bank of America

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The Occupy Northampton protest will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Occupy Wall Street movement continues in New York, Boston and other major cities this week, and has sprouted smaller demonstrations here in Western Mass.

Our media partner abc40 reports that Occupy Northampton, a demonstration largely organized on Facebook, plans to bring several hundred people outside the Bank of America in downtown Northampton Thursday morning.

The Republican reports that more than 150 protesters marched from the University of Massachusetts campus to the Amherst Common Wednesday.

Nokiko Richardson, one of the Amherst demonstrators who has also been taking part in the Wall Street protests, told The Republican she was out demonstrating for her eight-year-old daughter.

“Her future has never been bleaker," she said. Read more »

The Boston Globe reports that the Occupy Boston movement has been joined by Boston-area college students and registered nurses, as well as Cornel West, a Princeton University professor and well-known civil rights activist.

The Boston Phoenix reports that Mayor Thomas Menino has said the demonstrations can continue "as long as they don't disrupt the peace and tranquility of our city."

The demonstrations have not been popular with Republican presidential hopefuls. The Associated Press reports that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a GOP candidate for president, has called the protests "class warfare."

The Occupy Northampton protest will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Facebook event.

Mass. Senate set to resume debate on casino bill

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The Senate approved several amendments during two days of debate last week, including a one-year ban on lawmakers working in the gambling industry after leaving office.

c7d322169cfba814f80e6a706700ad78.jpgFormer state Sen. Susan Tucker, D-Andover, speaks against casino gaming at a rally outside the Statehouse in Boston, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. House Democrats caucused behind closed doors to discuss legislation that would license three resort style casinos and a slot machine parlor.

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate is set to resume debate on a bill that would license three resort-style casinos and a slots parlor in the state.

Debate was abruptly cut off on Tuesday after Sen. Karen Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, used a parliamentary maneuver to delay a vote.

Spilka said more time was needed to review dozens of pending amendments.

Under Senate rules, a bill can be tabled up to three times without a vote. Senate President Therese Murray's office say opponents have now used all three of those opportunities.

There's at least one more maneuver that opponents could use to again postpone a vote.

The Senate approved several amendments during two days of debate last week, including a one-year ban on lawmakers working in the gambling industry after leaving office.

GOP choice of experienced Mitt Romney, novice Rick Perry

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The 2012 primary season is just 3 months away.

rick perry, mitt romney, apRepublican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, passes behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry during a break in a Republican presidential debate Monday, Sept. 12, 2011, in Tampa, Fla.

KASIE HUNT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP presidential field apparently set, Republican primary voters are likely facing a choice between an experienced, establishment candidate in Mitt Romney and an insurgent presidential campaign novice in Rick Perry.

With three months until voting begins, that's the dynamic that's starting to emerge now that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have said they won't run for president in 2012.

Their decisions — announced over the past two days — mean it's all but certain that the Republican nominee will come from the current crop of candidates despite earlier hunger within the party for more options.

For now at least, the race is focused on Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who lost the Republican nomination in 2008 and in recent days has started to shore up support among long-time party leaders, and Perry, the Texas governor who has emerged as the top challenger despite a rocky few weeks that have stoked concerns among GOP elders about whether he's ready to take on President Barack Obama.

The dynamic is familiar.

In 2000, Arizona Sen. John McCain mounted an unexpectedly fierce challenge to George W. Bush, who had the backing of much of the Republican establishment. McCain won the New Hampshire primary but lost the nomination to Bush.

Eight years later, McCain ran for the party nomination a second time and, early on, struck a tone of inevitability and got many party leaders to support his bid. He flamed out for a while and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who hadn't run for president before, came out of nowhere to win the Iowa caucuses. Huckabee briefly emerged as the alternative to McCain, but the Arizona senator eventually won the nomination.

This year, a segment of the party's conservative base has been eagerly rallying around candidate after candidate without finding a favorite. They flirted with real estate mogul Donald Trump; they backed Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in a key test vote in Iowa; now they're driving a surge in polling for businessman Herman Cain.

Christie's backers, who include many party elders and long-time donors, and Palin's ardent fans had been waiting to see whether either of them would run.

Now that neither of them are, those supporters are free to choose sides. It's unclear where they will turn.

In bowing out of a bid, Palin, whose unconventional style and sheer celebrity would have been an unpredictable but unquestionable force in the primary season, made clear she still would try to have a voice in the 2012 race.

"You don't need a title to make a difference in this country," Palin said Wednesday. She declined to endorse anyone but indicated she would back the eventual nominee.

It's unclear whether her backers will heed her advice. Many turned to social networking sites to assail her decision.

Romney, meanwhile, is pursuing Christie's supporters, with some success. Several high-profile figures backed him after Christie's announcement Tuesday, including New York financier John Catsimatidis and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone.

Romney has a strong case to make. He has national name recognition and a top-notch national campaign staff. He has a national fundraising network. His weaknesses already have been vetted and he has been able to dispatch questions about them. He's built a strong campaign in New Hampshire and is quietly organizing in Iowa, where he learned from the mistakes he made last time and is working to keep expectations low. He's racking up endorsements in key states like Florida. And while he's had trouble winning over the restless conservative base, he can argue that his even-keeled campaign can take its well-honed economic message and use it to beat Obama.

But what Romney hasn't shown is that he can gain from Perry's stumbles. The latest Washington Post-ABC news poll of Republicans found Romney's popularity unchanged at 25 percent. Perry dropped to 16 percent from a previous survey, tied with Cain, the former pizza executive who has surged in recent weeks.

"Nobody wants to put a candidate forward just because they happen to be the most electable," veteran campaign consultant Terry Nelson said.

Perry announced Tuesday that he had raised more than $17 million in the first six weeks of his presidential bid. He has a third-party SuperPAC to raise outside funds, so he potentially could match a similar effort by Romney's team. On Tuesday, he earned the support of a prominent Christie backer in Iowa. And much of his support comes from the tea party Republicans — a group in part defined by their opposition to establishment politics — who are driving Republican enthusiasm in 2012. An August AP-GfK poll showed 74 percent of tea party backers viewed Perry positively.

But because he's the new guy, most voters are still learning who Perry is. His inexperience has shone through, and it's already driving doubts about his candidacy and left him to prove to both voters and to party insiders that he's ready to be president.

Perry stumbled in recent debates. On the campaign trail, he's been pushed off his core message about jobs in Texas by voter questions about immigration, Social Security and other issues that are of less concern to voters.

And he's behind Romney in setting up campaign organizations in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early voting states. That's a weakness made even worse by an accelerating primary election calendar. Nevada Republicans announced Wednesday they will hold their caucuses Jan. 14. That's likely to push the New Hampshire primary up to early January and could mean Iowa caucus-goers meet in December.

Scientists seek to document later fall colors

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Scientists caution that heavy rain, drought-like conditions or temperature extremes can cause dramatic year-to-year fluctuations that don't establish a long-term trend.

Climate Fall FoliageFallen maple leaves carpet a lawn across the street from the First Baptist Church of Kingfield, Maine, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. As trees start showing autumn's golden, orange and red hues, nature lovers aren't the only ones taking note: Scientists are watching trees and making note of time that leave change and drop as they seek to determine climate change's impact. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

DAVID SHARP | Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Clocks may not be the only thing falling back: That signature autumn change in leaf colors may be drifting further down the calendar.

Scientists don't quite know if global warming is changing the signs of fall like it already has with an earlier-arriving spring. They're turning their attention to fall foliage in hopes of determining whether climate change is leading to a later arrival of autumn's golden, orange and red hues.

Studies in Europe and in Japan already indicate leaves are changing color and dropping later, so it stands to reason that it's happening here as well, said Richard Primack, professor of biology at Boston University.

"The fall foliage is going to get pushed back," Primack warned.

Down the road, scientists say there could be implications not just for ecology but for the economy if duller or delayed colors discourage leaf-peeping tourists.

Phenology is the study of timing in nature, whether it's crocuses emerging in the spring, leaves falling from trees, or Canada geese heading south for the winter.

And it's tricky business for fall foliage.

The budding of plants each spring is tied almost exclusively to warming temperatures, while fall's changing colors are linked to cooling temperatures, decreasing sunlight and soil moisture.

The brilliant colors associated with fall happen when production of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants that's crucial to photosynthesis, slows down as the days get shorter and the nights grow longer. That exposes leaves' yellow, red and orange pigments that are normally hidden from view.

How and when that happens depends on temperatures and moisture levels. In some years, the colors are more vibrant than others. Further complicating matters: A tree that's stressed may simply drop its leaves, with no color change, or brown leaves.

"Fall is still an enigma," said Jake Weltzin, executive director of the National Phenology Network in Arizona and an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Scientists caution that heavy rain, drought-like conditions or temperature extremes can cause dramatic year-to-year fluctuations that don't establish a long-term trend. For example, heavy rainfall in New England this spring, followed by a deluge caused by Irene, is causing fungal growth that's causing some trees' leaves to turn brown and drop earlier than normal.

William Ostrofsky, forest pathologist with the Maine Forest Service, is skeptical about whether there's a proven link between fall foliage and climate change.

"I just don't know that there's any evidence to indicate there's a trend one way or the other," said Ostrofsky, who points out that year-to-year fluctuations make it difficult to discern long-term trends. "I really don't think we've seen any long-term trend, as far as I can tell."

While there's no definitive study in the U.S., some data points toward later leaf drop:

— Researchers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and at Seoul National University in South Korea used satellites to show the end of the growing season was delayed by 6 1/2 days from 1982 to 2008 in the Northern Hemisphere.

— In Massachusetts, the leaves are changing about three days later than they were two decades ago at the Harvard Forest 65 miles west of Boston, according to data collected by John O'Keefe, a retired Harvard professor and museum coordinator who's continuing to collect data.

— In New Hampshire, data collected at the federal Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in Woodstock suggests sugar maples are going dormant two to five days earlier than they were two decades ago.

— In Vermont, state foresters studying sugar maples at the Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill found that the growing season ended later than the statistical average in seven out of the last 10 years.

And then there are regular folks like 83-year-old Nancy Aldrich at Polly's Pancake Parlor in New Hampshire, who has been keeping her own records since 1975. Her numbers show that color change is a moving target, and she's not willing to go out on a limb in terms of making any declarations.

"I'm know I'm vague about it, but so is nature," Aldrich said from the restaurant in Sugar Hill, in New Hampshire's White Mountains.

Scientists are getting serious, and in Maine they're enlisting gardeners, 4-H programs, teachers, students and families in their efforts to collect data.

"There are signs everywhere that things are changing — how is the question. Some species are being affected while others are not," said Esperanza Stancioff of the University of Maine cooperative extension and Maine Sea Grant, who has trained 195 citizen scientists to enter data online in her "Signs of the Season" phenology project.

To assist both backyard observers and researchers alike, the National Phenology Network has spent the last four years coming up with standards to be used by observers in reporting foliage color changes. Final tweaks on the uniform reporting standards should be completed in a few weeks, Weltzin said.

Another part of the effort to study climate change through the lens of fall foliage is being conducted from space by the U.S. Geological Survey utilizing satellites from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Right now, the effort is focused on Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, where scientists are attempting to understand the factors that go into the metrics to ensure proper analysis of the photos taken from above, said John W. Jones, a research geographer with the USGS outside of Washington, D.C.

For now, there's no reason to fear drastic changes.

In the short term, people may have to adjust the timing of their foliage-viewing vacations, and long-term implications for climate change could alter the schedule altogether, Primack said.

Foliage aficionados insist there's been nothing — not even felled trees or record August rainfall caused by Irene — this year to prevent the nation's leaf peepers from getting their full-colored fix this fall. "Tourists are coming, regardless of the weather. Many of our properties are filled to capacity," said David West, vice president of marketing for the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau in Stroudsburg, Pa.

The bigger concern is whether tourists can afford to get out and enjoy the sights. "The economy, I think, has a bigger impact on what people do and their travel plans," said Lisa Marshall of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

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Associated Press reporters Genaro Armas in State College, Pa., and Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee contributed to this story.


For Herman Cain, a surge in the polls

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The former pizza magnate and radio talk show host has enjoyed a surge in support from a restless Republican electorate.

100611hermancain.jpgRepublican presidential candidate businessman Herman Cain shakes hands with a family during a book signing Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

ATLANTA (AP) — Rick Perry's loss has been Herman Cain's gain.

As the Texas governor has tumbled in polls for the Republican race for president, Cain — the former pizza magnate and radio talk show host — has enjoyed a surge in support from a restless Republican electorate sifting through would-be suitors.

Cain has topped a slew of recent straw polls — tests of conservative activists — notably pulling off an upset in the battleground state of Florida. His fundraising has apparently picked up and his poll numbers are climbing, too. A new CBS survey had the Atlanta businessman in a statistical tie for the lead with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. His just-released, rags-to-riches political memoir has landed among Amazon.com's top 10 best-sellers.

Yet, with his presidential campaign suddenly in the spotlight, Cain isn't canvassing in Iowa or New Hampshire but at a Barnes & Noble in St. Petersburg, Fla., as part of a two-week book tour to promote "This Is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House." He'll be hawking the optimistically titled memoir at appearances in Florida, Texas, Virginia and South Carolina, states likely to play key roles in the 2012 race.

He's also made splashy national appearances on "The View" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and won't be back in Iowa — the first-in-the-nation caucus state — until next month.

It's not the traditional strategy of a serious White House contender. But then Cain is not the traditional presidential candidate.

The former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza has never held elected office, having lost a 2004 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. In other years, such a sparse political resume might be disqualifying, but Cain is running for the tea party mantle and he brandishes the outsider status like a badge of honor.

Cain told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he's working hard to build his name recognition and the book tour — which has been interspersed with political events — helps do just that. Once supporters come aboard, he said, they stick.

"That's the reason I am not worried about being the flavor of the week," Cain told the AP. "Because we have a whole lot of substance we are putting out there, and Cain supporters do not defect."

Indeed, several hundred people packed a St. Petersburg bookstore Wednesday to meet the candidate.

"I like everything that he says and all his ideas," said Lynn Drag, a 62-year-old retiree from St. Petersburg. "I think he's more of a common-man kind of a person. He has specific ideas that I can understand. And he seems like a self-made man."

Steven C. Wright, a 59-year-old St. Petersburg-based church pastor, said part of Cain's appeal is his faith.

"He is a true, biblical Christian," he said. "I think that he's the real deal."

"Look at the turnout. I did not expect this," said Wright. "That shows he has a strong grass-roots effort."

But does Cain have the campaign infrastructure and fundraising muscle to capitalize on the momentum? Or will he flame out like other conservative darlings in the GOP race who've wilted under close scrutiny, such as Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann?

Cain's Iowa organization has been beset with problems, prompting some caucus activists to look at other candidates. Cain's Iowa campaign manager and two top caucus organizers, including influential tea party activists, quit in late June, unhappy with the candidate's commitment to appearing in the state.

Last election cycle, Cain lent himself $500,000 to keep his campaign afloat.

And even in his home state of Georgia, where Cain enjoys strong tea party support, elected officials and deep-pocketed donors have pledged their allegiance elsewhere.

Republican strategist Dan McLagan, a veteran of four presidential races, called Cain "this week's Michele Bachmann until he shows some organizational strength and fundraising ability."

But McLagan also credited Cain for pushing a tax reform plan that's resonating with voters hungry for solutions.

"And that could serve as a lesson to the others to find something to be for," he said.

Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan is the centerpiece of his campaign and has the catchy ring of a Godfather's pizza promotion.

It would scrap the current tax code and replace it with a 9 percent tax on corporations and personal income as well as a 9 percent national sales tax. The sheer simplicity of the change, Cain argues, would boost the economy. Conservatives generally like the plan. Some liberals argue it would harm lower- and middle-income families.

But the sudden buzz surrounding Cain reflects more of the unsettled nature of the Republican race — with conservatives trying out and then rejecting would-be suitors — than it does Cain himself.

"He is the next guy to go through the conservative vetting process and will have to prove to be able to beat both Romney and (President Barack) Obama for conservatives to embrace him," said Erick Erickson, who runs the conservative blog RedState.

"If he can't show that, conservatives will probably go back to Perry."

Cain has also had his share of stumbles, mostly on foreign policy and Islam.

An African-American, Cain likes to say that he is American first, black second and conservative third. But he's created some waves in the black community by suggesting that blacks have been "brainwashed" to vote Democratic.

"A lot of black Americans are thinking for themselves. Now there are some that are so brainwashed that they won't even consider a conservative idea," he said on "The View" this week.

Still, new polls give the Cain camp reason to be hopeful. The son of a chauffeur and a maid, Cain seems to have a quality that some other rivals lack: likability.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll out early this week found that 47 percent of voters said the more they get to know about Cain the more they like him. That tops the GOP field.

The latest Gallup poll measure Cain's "positive intensity" score at 30, the highest Gallup has measured for any GOP presidential candidate to date.

"The media has tried to make this a two-person race," Cain told the AP. "But I think what we are seeing is that the voice of the people is more powerful than the media."

Amherst police arrest 26-year-old Aiidan Gibbons, suspected of 2 residential break-ins

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Police arrested the suspect on a warrant Wednesday night.

AiidanGibbonscrop.jpgAiidan Gibbons

AMHERST – Police Wednesday night arrested a 26-year-old Amherst man suspected of at least two residential break-ins last month.

Aiidan Gibbons, of 165 Summer St., was arrested on a warrant pertaining to the two burglaries which occurred on April 17, according to a release issued by Amherst police.

Police arrested Gibbons on Cottage Street at about 6:35 p.m. He was charged with two counts of breaking and entering in the daytime, two counts of larceny over $250 and destruction of property less than $250.

Police said they continue to probe several other residential burglaries that were reported at that time. Items taken in the break-ins included electronics and jewelry.

Gibbons was held overnight at the Hampshire County House of Correction in lieu of $500 cash bail. He is slated to be arraigned Thursday at the Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

Hank Williams Jr. off Monday Night Football following Hitler remark

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Hank Williams Jr. will no longer sing the words "Are you ready for some football?" on Monday nights on ESPN.

hank williams jr espnIn this July 14, 2011, file photo, Hank Williams Jr. performs during the recording of a promo for ESPN's broadcasts of "Monday Night Football," in Winter Park, Fla. ESPN is pulling Williams' classic intro song from its broadcast of Monday night's NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars after the country singer famous for the line "Are you ready for some football?" used an analogy to Adolf Hitler in discussing President Barack Obama.

BRISTOL, Conn. — Hank Williams Jr. will no longer sing the words "Are you ready for some football?" on Monday nights on ESPN.

Each side claimed Thursday it had decided to part ways after Williams' tune opened "Monday Night Football" for more than two decades. The network had pulled the intro for this week's game after the country singer used an analogy to Adolf Hitler in discussing President Barack Obama on Fox News on Monday morning.

Williams issued a statement Monday night insisting his remarks were misunderstood, then apologized Tuesday.

ESPN says: "We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams Jr."

But in a statement to The Associated Press, Williams says: "I have made MY decision. ... Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE."

Partners, Blue Cross strike deal to save $240M

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Blue Cross has about 3 million members in the state but the deal covers only about 200,000.

BOSTON — The largest health care provider in Massachusetts has teamed up with the state's largest health insurer to renegotiate a reimbursement contract they say will save nearly $250 million and slow the growth in health care costs.

Partners HealthCare System Inc. and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced Wednesday that the deal will save $80 million per year over the three-year length of the contract.

Rate increases during the contract period will be held in line with general inflation.

The new contract takes effect Jan. 1.

Both organizations say the deal will not compromise quality of care.

Partners operates several hospitals including Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's in Boston. Blue Cross has about 3 million members in the state but the deal covers only about 200,000.

Obama: Occupy Wall Street protests express public's anger

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Obama says the U.S. must have a strong and effective financial sector for the economy to grow.

100611occupypolice.jpgA New York City police lieutenant swings his baton as he and other police try to stop protesters who breached a barricade to enter Wall Street after an Occupy Wall Street march Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in New York.

NEW YORK (AP) — Concerns over Wall Street practices and economic inequality that have led to sit-ins and rallies in New York and elsewhere reverberated up to the White House on Thursday, with President Barack Obama saying the protesters are expressing the frustrations of the American public.

Thousands of protesters, including many in union T-shirts, marched the day before in lower Manhattan, joined by labor leaders who say they will continue to support the protests with manpower and donations of goods and services.

The protests have slowly grown in size and attention over more than two weeks, with the president's acknowledgment at a news conference a sign they might be jelling into a political movement.

Obama said he understood the public's concerns about how the nation's financial system works and said Americans see Wall Street as an example of the financial industry not always following the rules.

"It expresses the frustrations that the American people feel that we had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, huge collateral damage all throughout the country, all across Main Street," the president said. "And yet you're still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on abusive practices that got us into this problem in the first place."

He said, though, that the U.S. must have a strong and effective financial sector for the economy to grow, and that the financial regulation bill he championed ensures tougher oversight of the financial industry.

The protesters have varied causes and no apparent demands, but have spoken largely about unemployment and economic inequality, reserving most of their criticism for Wall Street. "We are the 99 percent," they chanted Wednesday, contrasting themselves with the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.

"The great thing about Occupy Wall Street is that they have brought the focus of the entire country on the middle class majority," said George Aldro, 62, a member of Local 2325 of the United Auto Workers, as he carried the union's blue flag over his shoulder through lower Manhattan.

"We're in it together, and we're in it for the long haul."

Ed Figueroa, a janitor in a public school in the Bronx and a shop steward with Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, said the march was "the first time in these weeks that unions have shown their face."

"But it won't be the last time," he said.

The unions were donating food, blankets and office space to the protesters, said Dan Cantor, head of the Working Families Party. But he said the young protesters would continue to head their own efforts. The movement lacks an identified leader and decisions are made during group meetings.

"They're giving more to us than we're giving to them. They're a shot in the arm to everybody," Cantor said.

Victor Rivera, a vice president for the powerful 1199 Service Employees International Union, which represents health care workers, said the union had donated "all the food they need for this entire week" to the protesters. Union leaders had also assigned liaisons from their political action committee to work with demonstrators.

"We are here to support this movement against Wall Street's greed," he said. "We support the idea that the rich should pay their fair share."

Late Wednesday, some demonstrators marched toward the New York Stock Exchange but were stopped by police about two blocks away. Police said 23 arrests were made, mostly for disorderly conduct. One person was arrested for assaulting an officer; police said the officer was pushed off his scooter.

Videos show demonstrators clashing with police, screaming expletives and swelling toward uniformed officers, trying to break a police line. A captain in a white shirt swung a baton at the group as several people click photos.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said the line charged at officers after they were told not to do so.

"Those officers have a right to defend themselves," he said.

No injuries were reported, Browne said. Another officer used pepper spray under similar circumstances, Browne said. According to the patrol guide, officers are allowed to use such instruments in order to defend themselves.

The Occupy Wall Street protests started Sept. 17 with a few dozen demonstrators who tried to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, hundreds have set up camp nearby in Zuccotti Park and have become increasingly organized, lining up medical aid and legal help and printing their own newspaper.

On Saturday, about 700 people were arrested and given disorderly conduct summonses for spilling into the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge despite warnings from police. A group of those arrested filed a lawsuit Tuesday, saying officers lured them into a trap before arresting them. Video shows officers using bullhorns to try and tell the group to get off the road.

Several Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for the protesters, but some Republican presidential candidates have rebuked them. Herman Cain called the activists "un-American" Wednesday at a book signing in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"They're basically saying that somehow the government is supposed to take from those that have succeeded and give to those who want to protest," the former pizza-company executive said. "That's not the way America was built."

On Tuesday, CBS reported that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called the protest "class warfare" at an appearance at a Florida retirement community.

Activists have been showing solidarity with the movement in many cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle and Providence, R.I.

Many of those protesting are college students. Hundreds walked out of classes in New York, some in a show of solidarity for the Wall Street movement but many more concerned with worries closer to home. Protests were scheduled at State University of New York campuses including Albany, Buffalo, Binghamton, New Paltz and Purchase.

Danielle Kingsbury, a 21-year-old senior from New Paltz, said she walked out of an American literature class to show support for some of her professors who she said have had their workloads increased because of budget cuts.

"The state of education in our country is ridiculous," said Kingsbury, who plans to teach. "The state doesn't care about it and we need to fight back about that."

Sen. Scott Brown responds to Warren claim she 'kept her clothes on' to pay for college with 'Thank God'

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Brown shot back at a joke made by Warren during a Democratic debate.

elizabeth warren vs scott brown.jpgHarvard law professor Elizabeth Warren, left, and U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., right

Sen. Scott Brown shot back with a barb of his own during a radio appearance Thursday, after having been the butt of possible opponent Elizabeth Warren's joke during a Democratic debate earlier this week.

During the debate between the six Democratic hopefuls looking to unseat Brown, a Republican, the candidates fielded questions on how they managed to pay for their college educations.

"I kept my clothes on," Warren quipped, referencing the now-famous Cosmopolitan magazine spread when Brown was declared “America’s Sexiest Man” by the magazine in 1982.

“Thank God,” Brown said when asked to respond to Warren's joke on WZLX radio in Boston. After some laughter, Brown elaborated:

Listen, bottom line is I didn’t go to Harvard, you know. I went to the School of Hard Knocks. And I did whatever I had to do to pay for school. And for people who know me and know what I’ve been through — my mom and dad married and divorced four times each, and you know some real challenges growing up — You know, whatever. You know, let them throw stones. I did what I had to do. And but not for having that opportunity, I never would’ve been able to pay for school, and never would’ve gone to school and I wouldn’t probably be talking to you. So whatever.

Brown attended Tufts University and has said he put the money he made from the Cosmo spread toward tuition at Boston College, where he received his law degree. At the debate, Warren said she relied on student loans for her education. She attended the University of Houston and Rutgers School of Law in New Jersey.

In a statement responding to Brown's comments, Massachusetts Democratic Party Executive Director Clare Kelly said they "send a terrible message that even accomplished women who are held in the highest esteem can be laughingly dismissed based on their looks."

Well-drilling accident in Hampden takes life of 61-year-old Martin Petersen of Vernon, Conn.

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Rescue workers were hampered by unstable ground and other factors.

police lights.jpg

HAMPDEN – A 61-year-old Connecticut man lost his life Wednesday afternoon after falling into a well that he had been helping to drill near the Connecticut state line.

The 1:30 p.m. accident was initially reported to have occurred in Somers at 215 Hampden Road and state police and personnel from a number of Connecticut fire departments responded to the scene.

Abc40 / Fox 6 reported that rescue workers were hampered by unstable ground, a 60,000 pound rig overhead and water in the hole. The victim, Martin Petersen, of Vernon, Conn., was pulled from the hole nearly 4½ hours later and pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Connecticut emergency personnel determined, however, that the accident occurred in Hampden, approximately 50 feet over the Massachusetts line. Hampden police were summoned to the scene shortly after 5:45 p.m.

Connecticut State Police then turned their investigation over to Hampden police, according to a release issued by that department.

Petersen was an employee of Stavens Brothers Inc. of Willington, Conn.

Massachusetts State Police and the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration are also investigating.


Florence man held for dangerousness hearing in kidnapping case

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In 2002, McCoy pled guilty to manslaughter in Hampden County in the beating death of his two-month-old son.

HAKAM-MCCOY.JPGHakam McCoy appears in Hampden Superior Court in March, 2001.

NORTHAMPTON – A judge ordered a Florence man held without right to bail pending a dangerousness hearing Thursday after the defendant pleaded innocent to kidnapping and assault charges.

Hakam A. McCoy, 28, of 217 Nonotuck St., is accused of smashing his fiancee’s head into a door, throwing her to the floor and barring her from leaving the apartment they shared during an incident in July. The woman managed to escape while McCoy was in the bathroom and approached police outside the Cumberland Farms convenience store on Main Street, crying out, “I need some help!” according to police.

The woman told officers that a verbal argument between her and McCoy turned physical and that McCoy also bit her on the arm, threw a glass at her and punched a hole in a closet door. In addition to kidnapping, he is charged with three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property over $250 and assault.

In 2002, McCoy, then 18, pled guilty to manslaughter in Hampden County in the beating death of his two-month-old son. Jordan A. McCoy was removed from life support on March 27, 2001, after his brain activities ceased. An autopsy showed that the infant died of a fractured skull and shaken baby syndrome, which severed blood vessels supplying blood to his brain. The autopsy also revealed several other fractures of the baby’s arms and legs, some of which had healed.

In a victim’s statement read by prosecutor Brett J. Vottero, the child’s mother, who had been living with McCoy in Springfield, recalled the trauma of waking up and finding the infant in a coma, and her shock when McCoy was arrested.

“I never thought love could turn to disgust so quickly,” the woman wrote.

McCoy was sentenced to 7-10 years in prison.

The dangerousness hearing, scheduled for Oct. 12, will determine if there is any amount of bail that can be set for McCoy that will ensure the public’s safety if he is released.

Obituaries today: Carol Beaver was Certified Financial Planner

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Obituaries from The Republican.

100611_carol_beaver.jpgCarol Beaver

Carol B. Beaver, 58, of West Springfield, died Monday. Born in Yonkers, N.Y., she was raised in New Rochelle, N.Y. A Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant, Beaver worked for 24 years with Vinson Associates in Springfield. An avid tennis player, she was a member of the Field Club of Longmeadow. She enjoyed long walks and loved her gardens.

Obituaries from The Republican:

Court complaint alleges Springfield resident Dominick Manzi, 47, forged nearly $22,000 in checks, stole cash, from St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral

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Dominick M. Manzi, of 24 Kensington Ave., is slated to be arraigned Oct. 21 in District Court.

StGeorgeCathedral2009.jpgSt. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 22 St. George Road, is seen in Springfield's North End.

SPRINGFIELD – A 47-year-old city man faces arraignment in District Court later this month on charges that allege he forged nearly $22,000 in checks and stole more than $15,000 in cash from St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Dominick M. Manzi, of 24 Kensington Ave., is slated to be arraigned Oct. 21 on larceny over $250 by single scheme, utter false check, forgery of check and larceny over $250, according to court documents.

In a statement of complaint submitted to court, Nicole Lipp, president of St. George Cathedral of Western Massachusetts, wrote that she hired Manzi to serve as the cathedral’s accountant in mid-2010. While Manzi had access to the cathedral’s books and records he did not have the authority to sign checks, the complaint states.

Lipp wrote that she began her own investigation into Manzi after finding short-comings in the cathedral’s account with United Bank and shortcomings in it’s cash donations.

Lipp found, according to her complaint, that Manzi had forged her name and the treasurer’s name onto 40 checks, tallying to $21,846.61, which he had made out to himself.

Manzi also stole, according to Lipp, “over $15,00 in cash that we are still uncovering.”

The larceny, uttering, and forgery occurred between Sept. 25, 2010 and Jan. 17, 2011, according to court documents.

The court found probable cause for the offenses during a hearing on Sept. 20, according to court documents.

$20 million renovation of Caring Health Center building in Springfield's tornado-battered South End moves forward

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Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray visited the city's storm-battered South End to celebrate the revival of the Caring Health Center's expansion project after it was nearly decimated by the June 1 tornado.

 10.06.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - The building at 1049 Main Street, which is being redeveloped by the Caring Health Center, was the site of a press conference Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – With protective tarps still blowing from one side of a tornado-marred roof, state and city officials lauded the renewed refurbishment of Caring Health Center’s downtown headquarters.

The stunning storm bumped the project, already in progress, from about $18.7 million to just over $20 million, and a damning orange FEMA “X” remains on the far side of the building at 1145 Main Street.

But Executive Director Anne Awad said "hear, hear" for close calls.

“It’s kind of nice that it’s still on the building,” Awad said, just before a press conference with Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, who came to celebrate the resumption of construction at that site in the city’s South End, which was particularly battered by the June 1 tornado cluster. “It’s a reminder of how close we came.”

The building was slated for demolition by federal disaster watchdogs, but Awad said she and other advocates for the project pleaded with code enforcement officials and demonstrated that the building was, in fact, structurally sound.

One side of the building lost thousands of bricks and sustained damage to the roof, but Awad said she and others searched far and wide to match thousands of unique historic bricks and found a match in Iowa City, at an old middle school. It was like getting a match for an organ donor.

“So much of this project has been such an adventure,” she said.

Aside from acting as a beacon for post-tornado Renaissance, the project illustrates that economic development can persevere in a city already flagging before a natural disaster, organizers said.

The biggest nonprofit agency outside Worcester, the preventive health network – which includes four medical and dental care sites for the poor across the city – currently employs 150 workers and Awad said the expansion will yield 150 more jobs after it is complete.

Awad lauded Mayor Domenic J. Sarno for the city’s support since the storm. Murray echoed that the project embodies economic stimulus efforts that predated the tornado and have ramped up after.

“We want to make sure Springfield is moving forward period … before tornado, after tornado,” Murray said.

Awad said the project will be staffed solely by union workers and expects it will produce 60 to 80 construction jobs. Caring Health Center serves 14,000 low-income adults and children and the expansion will boost their capacity to over 20,000.

Defiant Obama challenges GOP to support jobs bill

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The president declared that if Congress fails to act "the American people will run them out of town."

100611obama.jpgPresident Barack Obama gestures during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defiant and frustrated, President Barack Obama aggressively challenged Republicans Thursday to get behind his jobs plan or explain why not, declaring that if Congress fails to act "the American people will run them out of town."

The president used a White House news conference to attempt to heighten the pressure he's sought to create on the GOP by traveling around the country, into swing states and onto the home turf of key Republican foes including House Speaker John Boehner and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Giving a bit of ground on his own plan, he endorsed a new proposal by Senate Democrats to tax millionaires to pay for his jobs program. "This is not a game," he said.

Obama made no apologies for his decision to abandon seeking compromise with Republicans in favor of assailing them, sometimes by name. He contended that he'd gone out of his way to try to work with the GOP since becoming president, reaching hard-fought deals to raise the government's borrowing limit and avert a government shutdown, and had gotten nothing in return.

"Each time, what we have seen is games playing," the president said. "I am always open to negotiations. What is also true is they need to do something."

Obama was still at the lectern when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Republicans he would permit a test vote as early as late Thursday on the president's original measure. There was little doubt it would fail, the outcome Republicans hoped for.

The president predicted dire political consequences for his opponents if they don't go along.

"I think the American people will run them out of town because they are frustrated and they know we need to do something big, something bold."

"We will just keep on going at it and hammering away until something gets done," he said. "And I would love nothing more than to see Congress act so aggressively that I can't campaign against them as a do-nothing Congress."

Yet Obama's campaign has not swayed Capitol Hill Republicans who oppose the higher taxes he and other Democrats want to use to pay for his proposal. They accuse Obama of playing "campaigner in chief" instead of working with them.

"If the goal is to create jobs, then why are we even talking about tax hikes?" Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday.

Republicans are resolutely opposed to much of Obama's jobs initiative, both for its tax increases for wealthier people and small businesses and its reprise of stimulus spending on roads, bridges and schools and grants to local governments to pay the salaries of teachers and first responders. They criticize his bill as another version of his $825 billion stimulus of 2009, one that this time would rely on raising taxes.

Obama did say he would support a new approach by Senate Democrats for paying for his jobs bill with a tax on millionaires rather than his plan to raise taxes on couples making more than $250,000.

The president's strident tone underscored a difficult political predicament as he seeks re-election with the economy slowing and unemployment stuck above 9 percent. "Our economy really needs a jolt right now," he said.

The president said that without his nearly $450 billion package of tax cuts and public works spending there will be fewer jobs and weaker growth. He said the bill could guard against another economic downturn if the situation in debt-laden Europe worsens.

"If it turns out that there are Republicans who are opposed to this bill, they need to explain to me, but more importantly to their constituents — who's the American people — why they're opposed and what would they do."

"What I've done over the last several weeks is to take the case to the American people so that they understand what's at stake."

Obama said the economy is weaker now than at the beginning of the year. Citing economists' estimates, he said his $447 billion jobs bill would help the economy grow by 2 percent and create 1.9 million jobs.

"At a time when so many people are having such a hard time, we have to have an approach, we have to take action that is big enough to meet the moment," he said.

Obama addressed the disaffection with politics pervasive among the public that's driven down his approval ratings — and even more so, Congress' — as he seeks a second term.

Appearing fed up, Obama blamed it on Republicans who he said refuse to cooperate with him even on issues where he said they once agreed with him. He talked about the ugly debate over raising the government's borrowing limit that consumed Capitol Hill and the White House over the summer, until Obama gave in to Republican demands for deep spending cuts without new taxes.

"They don't get a sense that folks in this town are looking out for their interests," Obama said of Americans in general. "So if they see that over and over again, that cynicism is not going to be reduced until Congress actually proves their cynicism wrong by doing something."

"What the American people saw is that the Congress didn't care."

Obama also said the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrators protesting against Wall Street and economic inequality are expressing the frustrations of the American public.

He said he understands the public's concerns about how the nation's financial system works. And he said Americans see Wall Street as an example of the financial industry not always following the rules.

Asked why there hadn't been more prosecutions in the financial sector, Obama said that many of the activities that precipitated the financial crisis in 2008 were not necessarily illegal. He said many financial schemes were probably immoral, inappropriate or reckless and required new regulations.

Obama criticized efforts in Congress, led by Republicans, to roll back some of the financial rules approved last year. He defended the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created by that the legislation against GOP efforts to weaken it.

Obama also said that some banks are now using new regulations as an excuse to charge consumers more. It was a reference to a fee some banks are imposing to make up for restrictions on debit card fees they charge retailers.

"It's not necessarily fair to consumers," he said.

Obama also said the European Union has to act fast to deal with its debt crisis, but he said he is confident that European leaders are ready to take the necessary steps.

He said he hopes that European leaders have a "very clear, concrete plan of action that is sufficient to the task" by next month's meeting of the Group of 20 rich and developing nations. Obama said the European debt crisis had already affected the U.S. economy.

On other topics, Obama:

—Said he was concerned by the Pakistani military and intelligence community's ties to "unsavory characters." But he said he is not inclined to cut off U.S. aid to Pakistan because he has a great desire to help the Pakistani people.

The president's comments follow just-retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen's claim that the Haqqani insurgent network acts as "a veritable arm" of Pakistan's intelligence agency. While Obama did not endorse Mullen's assertion, he did acknowledge that Pakistan engages with individuals the U.S. finds troubling. However, Obama said Pakistan has been a valuable partner in U.S. efforts to go after al-Qaida.

—Criticized China for "gaming" the trading system by keeping its currency undervalued but expressed concern that bipartisan Senate legislation to penalize China could conflict with international agreements. Still, he did not say whether he would veto the legislation.

—Defended his administration over two brewing controversies. One concerns a multimillion-dollar federal loan guarantee to a California solar company, Solyndra, that has declared bankruptcy and that Obama's administration supported despite warnings over its solvency. The other involves a Justice Department program aimed at building cases against major weapons traffickers in Mexico that lost track of numerous guns.

On Solyndra, Obama said the loan guarantee program carried inherent risk, and the administration knew not every company would succeed. And he said continuing the program was crucial in order to counter China's aggressive investments and subsidies to boost its own clean energy industry.

On the gun program, called Operation Fast and Furious, Obama said he has confidence in Attorney General Eric Holder, who's come under criticism from Republicans. The president said both he and Holder would be "very unhappy" if guns were allowed to pass through to Mexico in a way that could have been prevented.

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