NATION & WORLD
Thursday, February 20, 2014 THE NEW MEXICAN
Ukraine puts ‘extremists’ on notice Posting on presidential website declares a truce
24 hours had shown “a growing escalation of violent confrontation and widespread use of weapons by extremist oriented groups.” In Kiev on Wednesday, protesters By Andrew Higgins and Andew E. Kramer stoked what they called a “ring of fire” The New York Times separating them from the riot police in a desperate effort to defend the KIEV, Ukraine — The security remnants of a stage on Independence authorities in Ukraine offered the first Square that has been a focal point of indication Wednesday that the deadly their protests. political violence afflicting Kiev had The Interior Ministry said all the spread far beyond the capital, announcpolice officers killed on Tuesday had ing a crackdown on what the Interior died from gunshot wounds, although Ministry called “extremist groups” that witnesses said it appeared that several had burned down buildings and seized officers had been trapped in a burning weapons nationwide. armored vehicle. The Interior Ministry announcement As the scope of the violence became of an “antiterrorist operation” across Protesters hide behind barricades as a fire burns to prevent riot police from clear, Russia — Yanukovych’s most the country came a day after Kiev was entering Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine, on Wednesday. The Ukraiimportant ally in the crisis — issued gripped with the deadliest mayhem nian authorities announced an ‘anti-terrorist’ crackdown across the country, even as they agreed to a truce. SERGEY PONOMAREV/THE NEW YORK TIMES a blistering statement blaming the since protests erupted in November, leaving at least 25 dead, including nine “criminal activities of radical opposition police officers. The Health Ministry said forces” for causing the bloodshed. mander of the navy, suggesting possible East-West tensions over Ukraine’s that 241 people had been wounded, but A statement Wednesday from the future, with Russia denouncing the pro- loyalty issues among Yanukovych’s Ukrainian news accounts put the numRussian Foreign Ministry described the military leaders. Yanukovych gave no testers as Nazi-like coup plotters and ber at more than 1,000. violence as an attempted coup and even the European Union threatening severe explanation for the change, but it came A statement issued by President Vikused the phrase “brown revolution,” tor Yanukovych’s press office, posted on sanctions against Ukrainian government as the government has suggested it may an allusion to the Nazi rise to power in deploy the armed forces to quell the the presidential website late Wednesday, leaders. Germany in 1933. violence. The United States said it might join said that he had agreed to a truce with The ministry said Russia would use An announcement by the SBU, the the main opposition leaders and to start the European sanctions effort, and Pres“all our influence to restore peace and Ukraine state security service, offered ident Barack Obama pointedly warned negotiations “with the aim of ending calm.” that there would be consequences if the a new indication of turmoil extending bloodshed and stabilizing the situation A spokesman said President Vladimir beyond Kiev. Ukrainian military was ordered to end in the state in the interests of social Putin of Russia had spoken by tele“In many regions of the country, the protests. peace.” But there was no immediate phone with Yanukovych and expressed municipal buildings, offices of the Earlier, Yanukovych described the comment from the opposition, and no support for a swift settlement, but said Interior Ministry, state security and the violence as an attempt to overthrow the sign that riot police officers or protestgovernment by his political adversaries, prosecutor general, army units and arms it was up to Ukraine’s government to ers in Kiev were pulling back. resolve it without external interference. who want to push Ukraine closer to the depots, are being seized,” Oleksandr The violence turned a protest Through the day Wednesday, many Yakimenko, the head of the SBU, said in European Union. encampment in Kiev’s central Indethousands of people turned up to help a statement. In another indication of the gravity pendence Square into a fiery war zone “Courtrooms are being burned down, the young men defending Independence of the crisis, Yanukovych announced Tuesday and sharply escalated the Square, suggesting that Kiev remains vandals are destroying private aparton the presidential website that he had political crisis that has convulsed the solidly behind the protesters, providing ments, killing peaceful citizens,” the former Soviet republic of 46 million for replaced the head of the armed forces, statement said. Yakimenko said the past them an logistical and moral support. the past three months. The crisis raised Gen. Volodmyr Zamana, with the com-
Downside of low inflation: A weaker global economy Most people aren’t likely to work up much anxiety about low inflation. After all, the benWASHINGTON — Since efits can be great. Cellphone the Great Recession ended service has gotten cheaper. 4½ years ago, Americans have Breakfast cereal prices have struggled with high unemploy- dropped the past two years. ment, static pay and a slow So has the cost of bedroom economy. Yet they’ve had one furniture. TV prices have plumthing in their favor — low infla- meted 29 percent since 2012. tion. And low inflation is surely Well, hold the applause. preferable to runaway inflaIt might be unfathomable tion. Back in 1980, U.S. inflation to people who still bear scars reached 13.5 percent. from the double-digit inflation Last year, overall U.S. prices of the 1970s, but what the global inched up just 1.1 percent, economy could use right now is according to the Federal a dose of higher prices. Reserve’s preferred gauge. Overall prices are barely Inflation has stayed below the budging because the economy Fed’s 2 percent target for two is still weak. And the reverse years. Yet Ben Bernanke, the may be true, too: Super-low just-departed Fed chairman, inflation has likely slowed has said policymakers worry as growth from the United States much when inflation is too low to Japan to Europe. It’s why the as when it’s too high. world’s central banks would What’s wrong with very low like prices to rise. inflation?
Lots. When prices barely move, many people postpone purchases. Why rush, if the same price — or lower — will be available in six months? Collectively, these delays slow consumer spending, the economy’s main fuel. Ultra-low inflation also makes the inflation-adjusted cost of a loan more expensive. And too-low inflation raises the prospect of something worse: deflation — a broad decline in prices, pay and the value of stocks, homes or other assets. Deflation can further restrain spending and even tip an economy into recession. Just ask the Japanese. Japan has been stuck in a deflationary trap for most of two decades. Its economy has barely grown. Fears have spiked that Europe might be next. So why is inflation so low across the developed world?
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By Christopher S. Rugaber The Associated Press
FCC takes on ‘net neutrality’ By Edwad Wyatt
The New York Times
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WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission will propose new rules to encourage an open Internet, including prohibiting companies that provide broadband service to consumers from blocking any sites or services. The proposals, to be introduced by Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the commission, also will include measures that will seek to prohibit Internet service providers from discriminating against any providers of Internet content. A federal appeals court ruled last month that the FCC overstepped its authority with rules that treated Internet service providers as regulated utilities or common carriers, such as telephone service. The commission’s move comes as it will begin considering the formal request by Comcast, one of the nation’s largest cable and broadband service providers, to take over Time Warner Cable, one of its biggest competitors. The deal has raised concerns that the increased power represented by the merged companies would allow it to strong-arm providers of Internet content, like video, into paying for the right to reach broadband customers. The new rules would prohibit discrimination — that is, a broadband service provider would have to treat all content equally, an approach that is called Net neutrality.
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Blame a persistently subpar economy and a tough job market. Low inflation does help when pay increases are weak. Consumers can stretch their dollars, yen and euros. In hardhit European economies, prices have actually fallen in the past year. In the United States, many economists have long feared that the Fed’s efforts to stimulate growth would ignite inflation. Yet to the surprise of many, all the money the Fed has pumped out hasn’t caused prices to jump. “It’s a bit of a riddle,” says Richard Fisher, president of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Most economists foresee inflation remaining low for at least two more years. Fed policymakers have forecast that inflation will be just 1.7 percent to 2 percent in 2016.
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By Jim Kuhnhenn
The Associated Press
TOLUCA, Mexico — Pressed by North American allies on an array of politically fraught issues, President Barack Obama on Wednesday vowed to press ahead with stalled efforts to expand trade agreements for the Americas into Asia and overhaul fractured U.S. immigration laws. But Obama made no promises to frustrated Canadian leaders about his long-anticipated decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. Closing a day of talks with the leaders of Mexico and Canada, Obama said the North American partners must maintain their “competitive advantage” on trade, in part by expanding into the fast-growing AsiaPacific region. While Obama acknowledged that “elements in my party” oppose the TransPacific Partnership deal, he disputed the notion that Democratic concerns would derail the agreement. “We’ll get this passed if it’s a good agreement,” Obama declared during a joint news conference with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The North America Leaders’ Summit coincided with the 20th year of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a deal that has vastly expanded crossborder commerce in the region. Despite the widespread agreement on trade, there were some sources of tension between the North American partners on immigration and the Keystone XL pipeline, both sensitive political issues in the United States. In Mexico, government officials and the public alike are eager for progress in overhauling U.S. immigration laws.
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