Clinton, Bush to Debate

Ex-presidents criticize 'overeager promoter'

(NEWSER) - A heavily hyped "debate" that was to feature Bill Clinton and George W. Bush has been canceled because the promoter aggressively pushed it as a showdown between the two men. It “was supposed to be a discussion between the two former presidents, and has been canceled because it was not being billed as such by an overeager promoter," a spokesman for Clinton tells the New York Post . More»

US increasing spending on HIV treatment by $50 million

(NEWSER) - President Obama marked World AIDS Day with a promise of more money and increased attention both in the US and abroad, reports AP :

• The US will increase spending on HIV treatment within its own borders by $50 million.
• He promised to help 6 million people in hard-hit countries get access to proper medicine by 2014, raising the original goal by 2 million.
• The US also aims to help get drugs to 1.5 million pregnant women who are HIV-positive, to distribute 1 billion condoms in the developing world over the next two years, and to pay for 4.7 million male circumcisions in Africa.

Bush policies account for $7T: Washington Post

(NEWSER) - The United States started 2001 with a cozy nest egg of more than $2 trillion, and now the country owes about $10 trillion—but who's to blame? Put simply, Obama-era policies account for $1.7 trillion of the debt, and Bush policies for over $7 trillion, the Washington Post reports in an economic breakdown of the past 10 years. As the Post has it, America's biggest challenge entering the 21st century was figuring out how to spend its Clinton-era surplus—and Bush decided to throw most of it at tax cuts. More»

And more Occupy developments across the globe

(NEWSER) - Not even Bill Clinton is safe from the ire of the Occupy movement. Occupy Surrey protests are expected near Vancouver today outside an economic summit featuring Clinton and George W. Bush, CNN reports. (Yep, this is the visit during which Amnesty International would like Canadian authorities to arrest Bush .) Elsewhere in the Occupied world:

• Los Angeles: Occupiers are damaging the City Hall lawn where they’re camped, the LA Times reports. The city has already forked over $45,000 in demonstration-related expenses, and repairing the lawn could cost up to $400,000. Meanwhile, the protests are growing and organizers are looking at places to expand.
• Seattle: The city has ponied up $104,869 in overtime pay so far, the Seattle Times reports.
• London: Across the pond, protesters are also costing St. Paul’s Cathedral, where about 180 tents are pitched. Visitors’ donations and gift shop sales are down, and the cathedral has asked protesters to move, the Telegraph reports.

Heroism on 93 an example of democracy in action: Bush

(AP) - The 40 passengers and crew who fought back against their hijackers aboard Flight 93 on 9/11 performed one of the most courageous acts in US history, former President George W. Bush said today at a ceremony dedicating the first phase of a memorial at the nation's newest national park. Bush also pointed to what he called a shining example of democracy in action, referring to the group's decision to hold a vote to decide to try to overpower the hijackers. He was among several high-profile speakers at the ceremony, including Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and John Boehner. More»