Clem’s Chronicles: Climate Summit/Health Care/Brazil Boy

Howdy folks-tomorrow is Charles Gibson's last day at the helm of WORLD NEWS. I hope you can tune in! Here's tonight's news……

COPENHAGEN CLIMATE SUMMIT-The President departed for Copenhagen earlier this evening to attend the global Climate Summit. Lowered expectations may be the order of the day. Jake Tapper, filing for WORLD NEWS, notes that “the original goal of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen was a legally binding international treaty reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. That will not happen-leaders are now working on a more informal agreement…but that might not happen either.” Yikes-what’s the problem? Tapper: “Two major obstacles…1)will China agree to allow international verification of its pledges to reduce carbon emissions and 2) will wealthier nations keep promises to help developing nations economically while they adapt to new environmental rules?” Those obstacles appear to be linked, at least in part. Tapper: “Earlier today Secretary Clinton tried to resolve tensions by offering to help raise $100 billion for the developing world to address their climate change needs…but ONLY…(Secretary Clinton soundbite) ‘in the context of a strong accord, in which all major economies stand behind meaningful mitigation actions and provide full transparency as to their implementation’….and China is so far unwilling to commit to that ‘full transparency’.” The President’s last visit to Copenhagen, for the Olympics announcement that didn’t go to Chicago, was less than satisfactory. Tapper notes that should Obama come home empty-handed again, “this would be a much more international failure, with much higher stakes.”

START TALKS-It’s not just climate issues for President Obama in Copenhagen-there’s arms control issues with Russia to try and nail down. From Kirit Radia: “Senior US officials tell ABC News that if there is no breakthrough on the deadlocked START treaty renewal within 24 hours, there’s no way a deal can be reached before the end of year goal the administration has set. Keep in mind this deadline is already beyond the December 5 deadline that was missed.
President Obama will meet with (Russian President Dmitry) Medvedev in Copenhagen tomorrow, according to US officials on background, after Jim Jones meets with his counterpart earlier in the day to try and break the logjam. If no agreement is reached, negotiators, who have been working on this in Geneva for months, will likely come home on Wednesday to celebrate the holidays, officials said. They added that in that case talks likely wouldn’t restart until after the Russian Christmas on January 7.
What’s the holdup?
Officials say that the warhead reduction numbers have already been agreed to, putting around the range of 1500-1675 agreed to last July. What’s holding up a deal is agreement on verification of nuclear sites. Simply, the Russians don’t want it.
Officials say the Russians do not want as robust a verification mechanism as the US does. Specifically, Washington wants Moscow to agree to data sharing, not just monitors on the ground.”

SENATE AND HEALTH CARE-We’ve got a timetable…even if we don’t have a consensus yet. Voting on the health-care bill is scheduled to begin at 1am ET Monday morning with a final vote “likely on Christmas Eve” (all this following Senate work on a defense spending bill-see entry below). Tonight on WORLD NEWS, Charles Gibson asked Jon Karl “why are they doing this, setting this kind of schedule?” Karl: “They are doing this because they feel missing another deadline would be devastating. Going home for Christmas without passing a bill would allow opposition to grow more to this bill. As one top democrat told me, at this point, delay is a recipe for doing nothing. But that said, Charlie, with all the late night antics, they need 60 votes to pass a bill and they are still not there yet.”

CONGRESSIONAL SPENDING: Congress is rushing to finish its work as the year comes to a close. Zach Wolf notes that the Senate is recessed until midnight and is poised to vote for cloture around 1 am EST Friday on a defense spending bill. The $626 billion bill includes two-month extensions of several programs set to die at year's end, among them federal jobless benefits, health insurance subsidies for the unemployed and federal funds for highway and other infrastructure projects.However Jon Karl points out on World News that the defense spending measure is packed with billions of dollars for programs and projects that the Pentagon does not want. They include $500 million for 9 F-18’s, about $465 million for an extra engine for the F-35 fighter jet, and about $4.2 billion for more than 1700 earmarks. Aside from the questionable spending, Jon also reports that much of the money for the special projects comes by squeezing other defense projects. (thanks to Jason Volack for this entry)

BRAZIL CUSTODY BATTLE: An unusual custody fight that's spanned two continents and five and a half years is going to drag on even longer.  New Jersey father David Goldman arrived in Rio today with high hopes of bringing his 9-year-old son out of Brazil. But just hours after he landed – a Brazil court ruled that the child must stay in the country while it hears another appeal. The ruling means that the boy will be in Brazil until at least February 1, 2010. Goldman told CNN this evening he is awaiting for his lawyers to return from the capitol, Brasilia, to discuss what his next steps will be. Jeffrey Kofman reported for World News that Goldman should triumph, but he’s up against a system that’s influenced by powerful people. (thanks to Jason Volack for this entry)

SEASONAL FLU GETS “NO RESPECT”-Is seasonal flu becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of viruses? Dr. Richard Besser, reporting for WORLD NEWS, notes that “right now-across the country-99% of all flu cases are caused by the swine flu virus. The seasonal flu virus, which spreads far and wide each and every winter, is nowhere to be found.”Besser reports on how that could be…”Over the past 8 months, swine flu has spread easily from person to person. Not only did millions of people get sick, but their immune systems ratcheted up to fight the flu. That may have created a defense not just to the swine flu, but to seasonal flu as well.” Another possible contributing factor? Besser: “With all the warnings to get vaccinated for swine flu, we know more Americans went ahead and got regular flu shots too-much earlier than in normal years.” But never say never…..Besser cautions “The one thing everyone in the medical community can agree on is that flu is very unpredictable. So no one is saying we're in the clear. Seasonal flu could appear in January or February. Still, Charlie, it's possible this could go down as one of the rare years without widespread seasonal flu.”

UTAH MISSING MOM-Susan Powell, a Utah mother of two, was reported missing Dec. 7th when she didn’t show up for work. Ten days later…still nothing. Her husband, Josh Powell, has said he went camping with the couple's boys, ages 2 and 4, in subfreezing temperatures about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 7 and returned in the evening. Mr. Powell was named “a person of interest” in the case, in part due to his actions and reactions to events since the disappearance, although he has not been named a suspect. "Josh's unusual lack of cooperation for a husband looking for his wife with the police department, you know, it certainly causes us to ask questions as to why would he do things to exclude the resources that we can bring to the table to find Susan," West Valley City, Utah Asst. Police Chief Craig Black said Wednesday. Today, a spokesman for Susan Powell’s family, Shelby Gifford, questioned the camping alibi-"We know that Susan is an excellent mother and would not have tolerated her children being taken out of the home after midnight to go camping in dangerously cold conditions," Gifford said.

DRONE INTERCEPTS: Insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan have hacked into live video feeds from Predator drones using off-the-shelf software. Luis Martinez reports that although militants could see the video, there is no evidence they were able to jam the electronic signals or take control of the vehicles. And Luis points out that it’s difficult to understand feeds unless you are trained. The interception was possible because the remotely flown planes had unprotected communications links. The Defense Department has addressed the issue, and is working to encrypt all of its drone video feeds from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite the concern over video intercepts – the military on Thursday continued on as usual with the use of predatory drone strikes. Two missile strikes pummeled targets inside Pakistan today killing 17 people. The missiles rained down on North Waziristan, a haven for many al-Qaida and Taliban militants. It was not immediately clear exactly who or what was the target of the strike, and the Pakistani officials said they were trying to establish the identities of the dead. (thanks to Jason Volack for this entry)

FORECLOSURE HOLIDAY RELIEF- Citigroup says it's suspending foreclosures and evictions for 30 days (through January 17, 2010). Charles Herman reports the holiday reprieve should help some 2,000 homeowners with scheduled foreclosure sales and another 2,000 due to receive foreclosure notices. Also providing a Yuletide respite…Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Matt Jaffe reports the government-backed mortgage giants will suspend foreclosure evictions through January 3rd.

OTHER STUFF-
–NFL’ER HENRY DIES-Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died today from injuries sustained yesterday when he fell out of the back of a pickup truck his fiancee was driving. Police say it was a domestic dispute. (AP)
–CRUMBLING CLIFF-Anxious times for residents of a Pacifica, California apartment complex that sits on a fast-eroding bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Building officials in Pacifica ordered residents out immediately Thursday morning as large chunks of cliff plunged into the ocean, leaving the 12-unit building just 10 feet from the edge of the wave-battered 50-foot bluff. Recent heavy rains have exacerbated a problem that officials have been trying to fix since the spring. A wave-deflecting barrier has been erected since then but the cliff erosion began before the barrier could be completed. KGO and NNS material in-house. (AP)
–SENATE BANKING OKAYS BERNANKE- The Senate Banking Committee today voted in favor of the reappointment of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke to serve a second term at the helm of the central bank. The panel this morning voted 16-7 in support of Bernanke, with the opposition led by ranking Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama. Republican senators Jim Bunning of Kentucky, David Vitter of Louisiana, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Mike Crapo of Idaho, and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, as well as Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, also voted against the Fed chief. (Matt Jaffe)