U.S., Cuba To Announce Embassy Openings Wednesday: Report

US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a briefing on the '2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices' at the State Department on June 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) | MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will announce Wednesday that the U.S. and Cuba have reached an agreement to open embassies in Havana and Washington, a senior administration official said.

The announcement marks a major step in ending hostilities between the longtime foes.

The U.S. and Cuba have been negotiating the reestablishment of embassies following the Dec. 17 announcement that they would move to restore ties.

For Obama, ending Washington's half-century freeze with Cuba is seen as a major element of his foreign policy legacy. He has long touted the value of engagement and argued that the U.S. embargo on the communist island just 90 miles south of Florida was ineffective.

Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are expected to speak Wednesday morning about the embassy openings. The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter ahead of the president.

Since the late 1970s, the United States and Cuba have operated diplomatic missions called interests sections in each other's capitals. The missions are technically under the protection of Switzerland, and do not enjoy the same status as full embassies.

While the opening of embassies marks a major milestone in the thaw between the U.S. and Cuba, significant issues remain as the countries look to normalize relations. Among them: talks on human rights; demands for compensation for confiscated American properties in Havana and damages to Cuba from the embargo; and possible cooperation on law enforcement, including the touchy topic of U.S. fugitives sheltering in Havana. - The Huffington Post

U.S. Women's Soccer Set To Face Off Against Germany In World Cup Semifinals

German midfielder Sara Daebritz (L) and U.S. forward Alex Morgan (R) during their respective FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal matches. (Credit: Getty) | Getty

MONTREAL (AP) — The Germans are going to have to be vigilant about giving too much away with their on-field chatter on Tuesday night. Defender Ali Krieger will be listening.

Top-ranked Germany faces the United States in the semifinals at the Women's World Cup at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Krieger is fluent in German, stemming from a long stint with FFC Frankfurt of the first division women's Bundesliga. She also knows many of the team's players and is familiar with their play.

"Germany is where I had to become a true professional," Krieger said. "They play in big games when they are young. We could model some of our soccer system after what they do."

That makes Germany a tough opponent.

"They're very good one-v-one attacking," Krieger said. "They can shoot from anywhere. And they're very good in the air."

Midfielder Morgan Brian was on the team that lost to Germany in the group stage of the under-20 Women's World Cup, but came back to beat the Germans in the final. Some of the players she faced are now with the German national team.

"It takes an organized team to defend Germany," Brian said. "They're so good on the ball, and in tight spaces."

Germany has a lot to prove: Not only is the team seeking its third World Cup title and first since 2007, but the Germans are still stinging from failing to make the final four years ago at home. The United States has also won two World Cup titles, but its last was in 1999.

"Every tournament's different. Obviously, we're just concerned about this game and winning and being successful and beating the best team in the world," Krieger said.

NO CANADA!: Canada's dream of a world championship at home ended the same way that the past two World Cup hosts' dreams did: a quarterfinal loss.

Coach John Herdman and his crushed players had the weekend to lament their 2-1 loss to England in Vancouver, British Columbia, keeping them out of a semifinal matchup with Japan on Canada Day.

"We could just cry, eh?" Herdman said. "You win this, you've got a real shot to go all the way through. ... I'm proud of my girls. They give you everything, and it just wasn't good enough tonight."

Canada followed China's 2007 team and Germany's 2003 entry, which both also lost in the quarterfinals of their home World Cups. The 1999 U.S. team is the last World Cup host to win it all.

Herdman refused to single out Lauren Sesselmann, whose turnover led to England's first goal. The coach also blamed himself for matching defender Allysha Chapman, who played with an injured oblique muscle, against the taller Lucy Bronze on her header for England's second goal.

Canada's future is still bright, with a talented young core gaining valuable international experience under the enormous pressure of playing at home. Herdman already is thinking about the young Olympic team he must select for next year in Rio de Janeiro.

"We had a World Cup here without consideration that the cycle of players may not be peaking," Herdman said. "If we went all the way, we were punching well above our weight."

NO CANADA! PART DEUX: Count Japan coach Norio Sasaki among those disappointed with Canada losing to England in the quarterfinals Saturday.

Sasaki was hoping for a chance to play the Canadians in the semifinals at Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday, if only for the opportunity to play a game in front of a full house — and on Canada Day, no less.

"We would take on either England or Canada," Sasaki said through an interpreter, following Japan's 1-0 win over Australia. "But to play a semifinal in a packed stadium is my personal wish."

Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium has a 53,000-plus seating capacity. Defending champion Japan will face No. 6 England in the semifinals.

Canada drew 53,058 fans for its tournament-opening 1-0 win over China on June 6 in Edmonton. And 35,544 were in attendance for Canada's 0-0 tie against New Zealand in Edmonton five days later.

By comparison, the announced attendance for Japan's quarterfinal against Australia was 19,814.

___

AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham in Vancouver and John Wawrow in Edmonton contributed to this report.

Source: The Huffington Post

A Hard Day's Work Deserves a Fair Day's Pay

Photo by Associated Press

It's been a good few days for America.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the Affordable Care Act. It is here to stay.

And, Democrats and Republicans in Congress paved the way for the United States to rewrite the rules of global trade to benefit American workers and American businesses.

On Friday, the Court recognized the Constitutional guarantee of marriage equality. With that ruling, our union became a little more perfect -- a place where more people are treated equally, no matter who they are or who they love.

These steps build upon America's steady progress in recent years. Out of the depths of recession, we've emerged ready to write our own future. Our businesses have created 12.6 million new jobs over the past 63 months -- the longest streak on record. More than 16 million Americans have gained health insurance. More kids are graduating from high school and college than ever before.

But more work lies ahead, if we are to succeed in making sure this recovery reaches all hardworking Americans and their families.

We've got to keep expanding access to affordable health care. Right now, 22 states haven't expanded Medicaid -- even though, under the ACA, they can. We'll keep encouraging those governors to do the right thing for their constituents. And we're making sure people know all the ways that they can benefit from the ACA. Wednesday, I'll go to Tennessee to meet Americans whose lives have been changed by this law, and to talk about how, instead of refighting settled battles of the past, we can move forward together.

We've got to keep making sure hard work is rewarded. Right now, too many Americans are working long days for less pay than they deserve. That's partly because we've failed to update overtime regulations for years -- and an exemption meant for highly paid, white collar employees now leaves out workers making as little as $23,660 a year -- no matter how many hours they work.

This week, I'll head to Wisconsin to discuss my plan to extend overtime protections to nearly 5 million workers in 2016, covering all salaried workers making up to about $50,400 next year. That's good for workers who want fair pay, and it's good for business owners who are already paying their employees what they deserve -- since those who are doing right by their employees are undercut by competitors who aren't.

That's how America should do business. In this country, a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay. That's at the heart of what it means to be middle class in America.

As president, my top priority is to strengthen the middle class, expand opportunity and grow the economy. That's why I believe in middle-class economics -- the idea that our country does best when everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. It's driven me from day one. It's fueled our American comeback. And it's at the heart of the fundamental choice our country faces today.

Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do exceptionally well? Or will we push for an economy where every American who works hard can contribute to and benefit from our success?

Will we invest in programs that would help educate our children, maintain our roads and bridges, and train our workers for the high-paying jobs of the future? Or will we cut these programs, and decide to give more to the wealthiest Americans instead?

To me, the answer is clear. Let's invest in America's future. Let's commit to an economy that rewards hard work, generates rising incomes, and allows everyone to share in the prosperity of a growing America. Let's reverse harmful cuts to vital programs, and instead make the critical investments we need to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class.

That's what I'll be talking about this week -- this choice, and these priorities.

America is at its best when we look out for one another. We soar when we strive to do better for one another. That's what I'm focused on and that's what I'll fight for every day for the next 18 months. Let's get to work. - The Huffington Post

Obama To Unveil Plan To Bring Overtime Pay To 5 Million More Workers

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama this week will propose a plan to extend overtime pay to 5 million American workers who are currently excluded under federal law, according to sources.

The president will recommend updating overtime rules so that salaried workers who earn less than roughly $50,400 per year would be guaranteed time-and-a-half pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. Under the current rules implemented by former President George W. Bush, salaried workers must earn less than $23,660 per year in order to be automatically eligible for overtime pay.

The president announced his intention to make overtime reforms last year, but the details of the plan have been kept secret until this week. The president is expected to discuss the proposal later this week during a visit to Wisconsin. Details of the proposal were first reported by Bloomberg.

In a blog post on The Huffington Post Monday night, Obama said that "too many Americans are working long days for less pay than they deserve," and that his proposal would help assure that "hard work is rewarded."

"That’s how America should do business," the president wrote. "In this country, a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. That’s at the heart of what it means to be middle class in America."

With heavy lobbying by business groups, many progressives feared the White House would recommend only modest changes, thereby impacting relatively few workers and employers. Instead, the White House has proposed a substantial reform that has the potential to change pay and scheduling for millions of people.

Employers whose workers become newly eligible for overtime will now face a choice: Either pay a premium for those extra hours worked, or get the employee's hours below 40 per week, likely by shifting the labor to other workers. The proposal would be robust enough to cut across industries, bringing many workers either more pay or more time off, and forcing many employers to grapple with overtime costs that they never had to before.

The proposal must still undergo a public-comment period before it can be finalized and go into effect, but the release of a concrete proposal will mark a major step in what's likely to be one of the president's most far-reaching reforms undertaken without congressional approval. The changes are expected to go into effect in 2016.

Last year, Obama signed an executive order directing the Labor Department to overhaul the overtime rules, setting off a lobbying campaign in Washington. On one side were labor groups, progressive economists and Democratic lawmakers who pressed for an ambitious reform that would reach a large share of the U.S. workforce. On the other side were employers and business lobbies that wanted to limit the rule's effects as much as possible, given the new labor costs they would face.

Under wage laws established during the Great Depression, employers must pay overtime to hourly wage earners and salaried workers who aren't considered white-collar. But the current rules give employers a lot of leeway to classify workers as managerial and therefore ineligible for time-and-a-half pay. As HuffPost reported in 2013, this phenomenon is especially prevalent in the retail industry, where store managers can work 80-hour weeks without any pay beyond their base salary, even though they may be doing mostly manual labor.

Obama pointed expressly to these workers in an interview with HuffPost in March.

"What we’ve seen is, increasingly, companies skirting basic overtime laws, calling somebody a manager when they’re stocking groceries and getting paid $30,000 a year," Obama said. "Those folks are being cheated."

Workers whose salaries fall beneath the threshold are guaranteed overtime pay regardless of what their bosses call them. Although the reforms are expected to hit industries like retail the most, the impact will be felt in any field where the hours are relatively long and the pay relatively low.

Since the threshold hasn't risen alongside American salaries, overtime pay has become something of a foreign concept for most Americans -- something that could now change. According to estimates from the Economic Policy Institute, just 11 percent of salaried workers in the U.S. are covered by overtime law under the current rules. That share would be closer to half of salaried workers under the new proposal, by EPI's estimates.

Source: The Hufftington Post

Mike Huckabee Explains How To Resist Gay Marriage Decision

PHOTO BY: ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Supreme Court may have made marriage equality the law of the land, but that doesn't mean people should go along with it, 2016 Republican presidential candidateMike Huckabee said Sunday, comparing those opponents to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

"I don't think a lot of pastors and Christian schools are going to have a choice" but to resist, Huckabee said on ABC's "This Week." "They either are going to follow God, their conscience and what they truly believe is what the scripture teaches them, or they will follow civil law."

"They will go the path of Dr. Martin Luther King, who in his brilliant essay the 'Letters from a Birmingham Jail' reminded us, based on what St. Augustine said, that an unjust law is no law at all," he continued. "And I do think that we're going to see a lot of pastors who will have to make this tough decision."

After the Supreme Court ruled Fridayagainst bans on same-sex marriage, Huckabee urged his supporters to "resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat."

"This Week" host George Stephanopoulos asked Huckabee to explain what that would mean in practice and whether he was calling for civil disobedience.

Along with pastors, Huckabee said that he expects to see Christian business owners, university presidents and school administrators resist. He said county clerks should not be required to issue licenses for same-sex marriages if they do not want to.

Huckabee, like many Republicans, has said that the Supreme Court's ruling will usher in an age of discrimination against Christians who oppose same-sex marriage and may be forced to acknowledge or serve gay and lesbian weddings.

"I'm not sure that every governor and every attorney general should just say, 'Well, it's the law of the land because there's no enabling legislation,'" Huckabee said. "For the states who have a constitutional amendment that affirms marriage, as has been affirmed by the courts for 135 years since the ratification of the 14th Amendment, right up through the first time we've seen same-sex marriage enacted by any state, which was Massachusetts, in many states you have overwhelming majorities of the people who voted to say that they believe marriage is between a man and a woman."

Earlier on the show, Stephanopoulos talked to Jim Obergefell, one of the plaintiffs in the same-sex marriage cases that went before the Supreme Court. Obergefell was fighting to have his name listed on the death certificate of his husband, John Arthur, who died in 2013.

Huckabee said he was "deeply moved" by Obergefell's story, but still convinced the Supreme Court overstepped.

Obergefell had a message during his appearance for Huckabee and others who oppose same-sex marriage.

"I would simply like to say, think about your brother, your son, your sister, your daughter, a dear friend," he said. "If one of them were gay, they would still be the same person. You would still love them. And wouldn't you want them to enjoy the same rights that you do and that everyone else in this country does? We're simply asking to be treated equally and fairly and to enjoy the institution of marriage and to be able to commit to the ones we love."

Source: The Huffington Post

Some States Are Still Trying To Resist Gay Marriage

County clerks in Texas will be able to turn away gay couples seeking marriage licenses, the state's attorney general Ken Paxton (R) announced on Sunday.

Clerks can refuse based on religious objections, Paxton told the Austin American-Statesman, and because the clerks will probably be sued, "numerous lawyers stand ready to assist clerks defending their religious beliefs," he said.

Texas was one of 13 states that banned gay marriage before the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that those bans were unconstitutional, effectively legalizing gay marriage across the country. Therefore, it's not surprising that its lawmakers are trying to resist following the ruling.

Paxton railed against the ruling in an opinion, ordered by Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who wanted to find a way to legally protect those who were against gay marriage.

"Friday, the United States Supreme Court again ignored the text and spirit of the Constitution to manufacture a right that simply does not exist. In so doing, the court weakened itself and weakened the rule of law, but did nothing to weaken our resolve to protect religious liberty and return to democratic self-government in the face of judicial activists attempting to tell us how to live," Paxton wrote in the opinion.

Lawmakers in Louisiana and Mississippi, which also previously had bans on gay marriage, are actively resisting the ruling by delaying its implementation. Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell (R) claimed that because the Supreme Court's ruling did not include an official order for states to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, "there is not yet a legal requirement for officials to issue marriage licenses or perform marriages for same-sex couples in Louisiana." County clerks were instructed to hold off on issuing licenses for 25 days, the amount of time states are allowed to appeal the Court's ruling.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) said the Supreme Court "usurped" each state's "authority to regulate marriage within their borders." He and other state leaders are considering various legal options, including halting all marriage licenses.

Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are in the minority: most other states that had same-sex marriage bans in the books are now abiding by the Supreme Court's historic ruling.

In Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal (R) said Friday the state "is subject to the laws of the United States" and a judge at a county court in Atlanta began performing the state's first gay marriages.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) urged compliance with the ruling on Friday, asking the state to "treat everyone with the respect and dignity they deserve."

Alabama's attorney general, Luther Strange (R), issued a statement acknowledging that "the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling is now the law of the land" and pledging to enforce the ruling, though some counties in the state have stopped issuing all marriage licenses in an effort to avoid allowing gay marriages.

Source: The Huffington Post

European banks, bonds shaken by Greek turmoil

Pedestrians walk past electronic boards showing Japan's Nikkei average (top C L) and the exchange rates between the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar (top C R) outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, June 23, 2015.

REUTERS/YUYA SHINO

European bank stocks and borrowing costs for Italy, Spain and Portugal bore the brunt on Monday of financial markets' fright at the growing risk that Greece will leave the euro.

The worst fall in shares for six months and a 30 basis point rise in bond yields for other southern euro zone states was the start of an acid test of policymakers' hopes that, if Greece does go, the rest of Europe is isolated from the fallout.

After an initial wave of selling, however, most markets recovered ground. The one-day moves were large but looked pale in comparison to the events of 2008 or the last major round of Greek-spurred turmoil in 2011-12.

Wall Street was set to open around 1 percent lower while the FTSE Eurofirst blue chip index was down by just over 2 percent overall.

"The European financial system now has much less exposure to Greece than in 2011 and 2012," said Stephanie Flanders, Chief Market Strategist for Europe at JP Morgan Asset Management.

"It is also better equipped to deal with contagion to other countries -- and so are the countries themselves."

Greece's banks and stock market were closed on Monday and were expected to remain so until after the July 5 snap referendum called by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on further austerity demanded by euro zone partners.

The euro zone's banking index .SX7E fell 5.5 percent, with the worst falls for Portuguese, Spanish and Italian lenders.

Adding to the gloomy backdrop, China shares dived another 3 percent, bringing the losses in the past two weeks to 25 percent, with the Chinese central bank's measures on Saturday to support the economy failing to calm jittery investors. [.SS]

BUY IN

By mid-morning in Europe, there were a number of voices arguing that the sell-off represented an opportunity to buy shares cheaply in markets into which the European Central Bank will pump billions of extra euros over the next year.

"I think Greece will vote to remain in the euro, and the market seems to agree with me," said Lex van Dam, a hedge fund manager at Hampstead Capital. "I was a buyer on the initial dip this morning in both the euro as well as the European stock markets, and continue to remain constructive."

The euro itself proved resilient, recovering much of a roughly 2 percent initial fall to trade just half a percent lower at $1.1102, well within the past month's ranges.

It was helped by Switzerland's National Bank confirming it had intervened to counter gains for the franc and by a fall in U.S. Treasury yields that reflected speculation the Federal Reserve would hold off for longer in raising interest rates if the trouble in Europe worsens.

"Fed/ECB divergence bets have been partially wiped off as a result of rising Grexit risk (and) less favorable USD rate differentials slow dollar strength down," said Stephen Gallo, head of European FX Strategy with BMO in London.

Gold prices gained 0.8 percent to $1,184.20 per ounce on safe-haven buying, while Brent crude oil futures fell 1.4 percent to $62.38 per barrel, hitting a three-week low.

Source: REUTERS

Donald Trump Pressed On How 'Traditional' His 3 Marriages Are

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump didn't have much of an answer on Sunday when pressed about how he squares his own marriage history with his opposition to same-sex marriage.

CNN "State of the Union" host Jake Tapper asked the business mogul to respond to criticisms over the twice-divorced Trump touting "traditional marriage."

"What do you say to a lesbian who's married, or a gay man who is married, who says, 'Donald Trump, what's traditional about being married three times?'" Tapper asked in a taped interview, which the host said was conducted ahead of the Supreme Court'sruling Friday against bans on same-sex marriage.

Trump didn't argue with the question, saying the hypothetical lesbian or gay man would "have a very good point."

He said his divorces were more about the fact that he worked too much, even though his two previous wives "were very good" and he is currently in "a great marriage."

"I blame myself because my business was so powerful for me," Trump said. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Tapper asked him again what he would say to a lesbian or gay man who was married and pressed him on traditional marriage.

"I really don't say anything," Trump said. "I am just, Jake, I'm for traditional marriage."

After the Supreme Court ruling on Friday, Trump criticized Republican-appointed Chief Justice John Roberts, who dissented from the same-sex marriage ruling after siding with Democratic-appointed justices the day before to uphold a key provision of Obamacare.

Once again the Bush appointed Supreme Court Justice John Roberts has let us down. Jeb pushed him hard! Remember!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2015

Trump announced his campaign earlier this month and is narrowly trailing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in GOP primary polls, according to HuffPost Pollster tracking.

See more at The Huffington Post

Bob Costas Doesn't Have Time For Your Bulls--t Pitching Performance

Bob Costas has called some games, you know? You could even say he's called some of the great games in the history of U.S. sports. So when you step up to the mound and you know Bob Costas is on the mic, you better bring it. You better bring it every goddamned time. And if you don’t, well, he sure as hell will bring it for you.

Such was life for Chicago Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop on Friday after he gave up a home run, hit a batter, walked a batter and then got pulled out of the game only to point to the sky, much to Costas' apparent disapproval.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop apparently did not not play to Bob Costas' liking.

Bob Costas doesn’t have time for this bullshit. Seriously, does this look like the face of a man who messes around? No, it does not.

Source: The Huffington Post