1. SENATE DEFEATS GOP KEYSTONE PIPELINE MEASURE
A Republican-sponsored measure that would have fast-tracked the Keystone XL oil pipeline was narrowly defeated in the Senate on Thursday. President Obama had lobbied Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid, to reject the measure, which would have bypassed administration objections to moving forward on the project before environmental impact studies are complete. Supporters of the 1,700-mile pipeline say it will create jobs and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil; opponents fear it could leak and lock the U.S. into using a "dirty" form of crude that is difficult to extract. [CNN]
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2. GREECE SECURES MASSIVE DEBT SWAP
Greece has succeeded in convincing more than 85 percent of private investors holding its Greek-law bonds to slash the value of their holdings and forgive more than 100 billion euros ($132 billion) in debt, clearing one of the last hurdles needed to secure a 130-billion-euro bailout package to avoid bankruptcy. Euro-region finance ministers have scheduled a conference call for Friday to decide if the swap merits proceeding with the bailout. [Bloomberg]
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3. SYRIAN REBELS REJECT CALL FOR TALKS
On Friday, the leader of one of Syria's main opposition groups rejected a call by Kofi Annan, former U.N. secretary general and recently appointed special envoy on Syria, for a dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition. Burhan Ghalioun, the head of the opposition Syrian National Council, called Annan's proposal unrealistic and "disappointing," and said "any political solution will not succeed if it is not accompanied by military pressure on the regime." [Associated Press]
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4. ECONOMY ADDS 227,000 JOBS IN FEBRUARY
The U.S. Labor Department issued its monthly jobs report Friday morning, reporting that the economy added 227,000 jobs in February. On average, the economy has added 245,000 jobs per month over the last three months, one of the best stretches since the recession began. Unemployment remains at 8.3 percent. Other signs also suggest the job market is gaining steam, despite a slight uptick in weekly unemployment applications last week. Since October, unemployment applications have fallen 14 percent. [Associated Press]
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5. WORLD POWERS URGE IRAN TO ALLOW INSPECTIONS
In an atypical show of unity, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany on Thursday urged Iran to allow international nuclear inspectors access to its Parchin military facility. Iranian media reports this week suggested that inspectors would be granted access to Parchin, but the International Atomic Energy Agency says Tehran has not made official contact about such a trip. Recent satellite images suggest that Iran might be cleaning up evidence of nuclear activity at the site before allowing inspections. [Reuters]
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6. SOLAR STORM HAS LITTLE IMPACT
Scientists say the impact of one of the biggest solar storms in years, which hit Earth early Thursday, has been "pretty benign" so far, but that the storm's orientation could change and disrupt power grids, airline flights, and satellites. [Associated Press]
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7. SPANX FOUNDER MAKES BILLIONAIRE LIST
Sara Blakely, the founder of the Spanx shape wear company, graces the cover of Forbes' "billionaire" issue. At 41, she's the youngest self-made woman to gain entry into the billionaire's club. [Huffington Post]
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8. BULLY MOVIE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES
A 17-year-old high school student this week delivered a petition with more than 200,000 signatures to the Motion Picture Association of America protesting the R rating the organization gave a documentary called Bully. The MPAA upheld the rating, even though the film's studio, the Weinstein Company, believes the R rating will diminish the ability of the documentary on bullying to reach adolescent audiences and have a positive impact. It says it will continue to pressure the MPAA. [Entertainment Weekly]
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9. COKE AND PEPSI TO CHANGE FORMULA
Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are changing their recipes in the U.S. to comply with a California law that demands cancer warning labels on drinks with certain levels of carcinogens. The companies had already made adjustments to chemicals found in their caramel colorings in California, but they will now do so nationwide. "Consumers will notice no difference in our products and have no reason at all for any health concerns," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. [Telegraph]
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10. GAME CHANGE DEBUTS SATURDAY
Game Change, the controversial, highly anticipated movie about the 2008 presidential election, airs Saturday night on HBO. Julianne Moore plays Sarah Palin and Ed Harris plays John McCain in the adaptation of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's best seller. Palin has worked to discredit the film, but some reviewers say it actually humanizes her. [Washington Post]
