Obama Proposes 94 Cent Tax Hike on Cigarettes

President Obama is back to suggesting tax increases.

His latest idea is to raise the tax on cigarettes.

The proposal would see an increase of ninety-four cents were pack of cigarettes.

According to the White House, the suggested increase would raise seventy-eight billion dollars, over the next decade.

Obama's suggestion would have to pass Congress.

Any tax increase should have trouble, as Republicans are pledging to not raise taxes.

Manchin and Toomey Announce Background Check Compromise

Manchin, left, Toomey, right

US Senators Manchin and Toomey have announced an agreement to increase gun background checks.

Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, are calling their plan the best compromise that the two party's can reach.

Under their proposal, background checks would be required at gun shows and for online sales.

Only sales between friends and family would be exempt from the "universal" background checks.

Similar bills have been recently passed in individual states.

USPS Gives up on Eliminating Saturday Service

The United States Postal Service is withdrawing it's plans to cut Saturday deliveries, as they have been unable to convince Congress of the necessity of doing so.

They had been hoping to cut Saturdays in order to get closer to within budget limits.

With Congress blocking the attempt to cut costs, by ending Saturday delivery, the USPS will now have to look at other options.

Congress suggested they renegotiate union contracts, but that is highly unlikely to succeed.

The option they may be forced to go with would be an increase in postal costs.

However, in the past that has backfired as it cost them customers and business.

Another 50,000 Tons of Meat Found to be Horse Not Beef

Europe's horse meat scandal has once again spread.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that more than fifty thousand more tons of meat were horse not beef.

The meat was supplied by two companies from the Netherlands.

Wiljo Import en Export BV and Vleesgroothandel Willy Selten are both owned by the same man, who has been investigated over health concerns, before.

Five hundred and two companies, across Europe, bought the meat from the suppliers.

Recall attempts are under way, but most of the meat has already been consumed, as it was all sold by February 15.

South Korea Raises Alert Status as North Fuels Missiles

South Korea raised it's alert status to the highest non war time level.

The government made the decision to go to "Vital Threat" over North Korea readying missiles, along the coast.

At least one Musudan mid range missile is fueled and ready for launch.

North Korea has yet to test the Musudan missile, and is banned from doing so, by a UN Security Resolution.

Japan, South Korea, and the US all believe that the North is ready to test the missile, which comes during an extremely tense time in the region, thanks to the North's barrage of recent threats.

Malaysia Sets Elections For May 5

Malaysia has changed the date for general elections to May 5.

Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved the Malaysian parliament on April 3.

Nominations will begin on April 20, allowing for a two week campaign period.

Initially, the elections were set to be held on April 27, which only gave one week for campaigning.

Razak's National Front party has controlled parliament for fifty-six years, and this election will be their toughest.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim leads the opposition, which is very hopeful that it won't just have a good showing, but believes it might be able to take the majority for itself.

US Army: Specialist Deflin M. Santos Jr.

US Army Specialist Deflin M. Santos Jr., twenty-four of San Jose, California, died on April 6 from wounds sustained.

His unit was attacked with a car bomb, in Zabul, Afghanistan.

It was his second tour in Afghanistan.

Santos was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia.

US Army: Specialist Wilbel A. Robles-Santa

US Army Specialist Wilbel A. Robles-Santa, twenty-five of Juntos, Puerto Rico, died on April 6 from wounds sustained.

His unit was attacked with a car bomb, in Zabul, Afghanistan.

It was his second tour in Afghanistan.

Robles-Santa was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia.

US Army: Staff Sergeant Christopher M. Ward

US Army Staff Sergeant Christopher M. Ward, twenty-four of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, died on April 6 from wounds sustained.

His unit was attacked with a car bomb, in Zabul, Afghanistan.

It was his first tour of Afghanistan, following two in Iraq.

Ward was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia.

US Air Force Grounds 1/3 of Combat Aircraft

The US Air Force began to feel the effects of the sequester, on Tuesday.

One third of active duty combat aircraft are now grounded, as there isn't the finances to keep them going.

Units in active duty zones, such as Afghanistan, are not being touched by the cuts.

To meet new financial limits, the Air Force must cut at least forty-five thousand hours of flying.

Air Force sources say that the cuts mean that they may be unable to respond to any new issues, within a timely basis.

Once stood down, it will take most units sixty to ninety days of retraining to return to readiness levels.