Obama, GOP escalate the rhetoric on shutdown

WASHINGTON — President Obama and House speaker John A. Boehner amped up their rhetoric Tuesday as the standoff over the shutdown and a potential default on the nation’s debt reached a new level of discord and uncertainty.

Even a temporary route to break the logjam — the possibility of raising the nation’s borrowing authority for a few weeks to stave off economic calamity and allow time for substantial negotiations — did not win any agreement, despite offering an opportunity for both sides to save face.

Obama and Boehner had a brief phone conversation Tuesday morning, then followed that up with dueling press conferences that revealed how deeply the two sides remain divided.

“If reasonable Republicans want to talk about these things again, I’m ready to head up to the Hill and try,” Obama said during a press conference. “I’ll even spring for dinner again.”

But, he added, “I’m not going to do it until the more extreme parts of the Republican Party stop forcing John Boehner to issue threats about our economy. We can’t make extortion routine as part of our democracy.”

The economic warning came Tuesday as stocks fell sharply and consumer confidence, as measured by Gallup, has fallen by more than it has in any week since the Lehman Brothers collapse of 2008, the beginning of the global economic crisis.

The Obama administration has warned that the nation faces default on its credit beginning Oct. 17. Republicans have pounded Obama for days for refusing to negotiate terms for an end to the dispute. Obama, in a press conference lasting more than hour, went to extraordinary lengths to explain to ordinary Americans why he believes “paying ransom’’ in exchange for raising the debt ceiling is “nonnegotiable.’’

Cantor calls White House meeting useful

"WASHINGTON — Urgent efforts to prevent an economy-tanking U.S. default rose and then retreated with astonishing speed Thursday, as House Republicans floated a compromise and the White House appeared amenable, only for Senate Democrats to declare it unacceptable.

‘‘Not going to happen,’’ declared Majority Leader Harry Reid, standing outside the White House after he and fellow Democrats met with President Barack Obama. The Republican plan would leave the 10-day-old partial government shutdown in place while raising the nation’s $16.7 trillion debt limit and setting up negotiations between the GOP and Obama over spending cuts and other issues.

Heartened by any hint of progress, Wall Street chose to accentuate the positive. After days of decline, the Dow Jones industrial average soared 323 points on hopes that the divided government was taking steps to avoid a default. Reid’s dismissive comments at the White House came at the end of the trading day."

Tom Brady, rookie WRs get results

"FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady was at it again on Sunday, hollering at his rookie receivers on the sideline, unleashing pure, unfiltered, raw emotion.

Only this time, he was screaming his approval.

[+] Enlarge

Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY SportsTom Brady blowing another gasket? Actually he's fired up about a TD by Kenbrell Thompkins.

After their underwhelming performance last week, New England Patriots rookiesKenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobsonundoubtedly could have used a hug, but instead their quarterback delivered a swift kick to their collective posteriors. The message was clear: We don't have time for this. Get up to speed. Learn your assignments.

Now.

"I didn't mind it,'' Dobson said of the scolding Sunday, after he caught seven passes for 52 yards against the (still) winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "You've got to learn from it. We know mistakes are going to happen. Our job is to take something positive from it.''"

Ninkovich on extension: 'Happy to be here'

"

• 
  RECOMMEND28
• TWEET0
• COMMENTS14
• EMAIL
• PRINT

The New England Patriots locked up a critical cog in their defensive front seven on Sunday, as the team agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension with defensive end Rob Ninkovichthat includes $8.5 million in bonuses and guaranteed money, as first reported by colleague Mike Reiss.

Ninkovich

Ninkovich, who was out of work in early August 2009 when the Patriots signed him as a low-profile free agent, spoke to the “Mut & Merloni” program on WEEI sports radio in Boston on Monday morning and expressed his gratitude for the new deal.

"I'm happy to be here, I'm happy to stick around,” he said. “The Kraft family and my family worked it out to where it works well for both sides and I'm happy to be here for the next three, four -- four years now."

In extending Ninkovich’s deal, the Patriots re-upped their top pass-rusher from last season and now have both he and Chandler Jones under contract through 2016.

The veteran Ninkovich said that the discussions on the new deal dated back to training camp.

"In training camp we were talking, I knew that I wanted to be here, this is the place I was given an opportunity and I really respected that because if it wasn't for the opportunity that was given here, I don't know where I would be right now,” he said.

Originally a 2006 fifth-round draft pick of the Saints, Ninkovich bounced around during his first three NFL seasons, spending time with the Dolphins before a second tenure in New Orleans. But it was in New England where he thrived and found his greatest success.

Now, he has a chance to continue to help the franchise move forward in its winning ways.

“Given that, I really wanted to stick around and win games and be on a winning team,” Ninkovich said. “That goes a long way as well. You can go search for money and all that stuff, but if you’re losing every week, you’d be pretty miserable. I want to be here, I want to win and I want to help the team and just continue to be a good football player and be reliable.”

In announcing resignation, Davis says ‘it is time to go’

"Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis today thanked Mayor Thomas M. Menino for the opportunity to lead the department, declaring that as he leaves, the department is better than when he arrived from Lowell nearly seven years ago.

“It is time to go,” Davis said today, his voice trembling slightly, during a news conference at police headquarters.

“I feel very positive about leaving on my timeline,’’ he said. “I leave the department on my own accord. I wanted to clear the deck for the new administration.’’

Davis also defended his record on diversity in the department, which has come under criticism from some within the department and in the community. Some mayoral candidates have faulted Davis for what they see as an insufficient effort to diversify the police department."

Most marijuana dispensary applicants pass 1st review

he vast majority of the 181 applications competing to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts were approved Monday to continue on to the second and final round, when the number will be whittled to just 35 licenses.

The state public health department announced that 158 applications were eligible to continue in the competitive process. The initial round of applicants were reviewed for non-profit status, financial viability and compliance with other application requirements.

“This is a very competitive process and we required applicants to meet high standards to advance,” state public health commissioner, Cheryl Bartlett, said in a statement.

“We are fortunate that Massachusetts has a large field of serious applicants, who are capable of making a significant investment to benefit qualified patients and safeguard communities,” Bartlett said. “While no decision to deny an applicant was taken lightly, we wanted to ensure that those who advance could demonstrate the ability to operate a successful non-profit Registered Marijuana Dispensary.”

Twenty-two applicants did not meet the criteria to proceed in the process and one applicant withdrew, the state said.

Applications were denied for a wide variety of reasons, state officials said, including failing to incorporate as a non-profit or a lack of demonstrated financial viability."

Pregnant Harvard grad among those killed in Kenya attack

"A pregnant Harvard University graduate and her partner were among the dozens killed during the terrorist attack at an upscale shopping mall in the capital city of Kenya.

Elif Yavuz, who recently graduated from Harvard’s School of Public Health, died during the attacks, a university spokeswoman said Monday.

Yavuz, a Netherlands native, was with her partner and Australia native Ross Langdon, who was also killed during the attack, according to numerous media reports and online tributes from friends and colleagues.

The couple traveled the globe together to work on humanitarian causes"