There is no shortage of stories dominating the news this week, but what will be leading the headlines on Sunday morning? These are some of the stories in the news this week.
Senate Dem accuses Romney of not paying taxes: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) caused a commotion when he said Mitt Romney is not releasing his tax returns because he has not paid taxes in over 10 years. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Reid said he learned of Romney’s tax history from “a person who had invested with Bain Capital.” Reid repeated the claim on the Senate Floor today saying “the word's out that he hasn't paid any taxes for ten years.” Romney adviser Eric Fernstrom pushed back hard, telling Fox News “I’m telling you authoritatively speaking on the behalf of the Governor that those charges are untrue, they are baseless, and there is nothing to back them up.”
Kofi Annan resigns: As fighting intensifies in Syria, Kofia Annan announced that he is resigning his post as the U.N. and Arab League joint special envoy to Syria. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N. and Arab League are actively seeking a successor; however Annan will be deeply missed. “[Annan] deserves our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments,” Ban said. Annan is best known for pushing the six-point peace plan for Syria that, had it been implemented, would have called for an end to violence on both sides, free passage of aid, freedom of media and demonstration, and for a Syrian-led political process to address the aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people. So far, the civil war in Syria has claimed roughly 15,000 lives as the international community scrambles to find a diplomatic solution to end the violence between the government and the rebel Free Syrian Army.
Obama, Romney campaign in key states: On Thursday, President Obama and Mitt Romney traveled to battleground states. Romney spoke at a campaign event in Colorado, outlining an agenda that will boost job creation and benefits. After campaigning in Ohio, Obama stopped in Florida and Virginia as his campaign launches a new tax-equality advertisement claiming that Romney’s tax plan would mean cuts for the wealthiest Americans and higher bills for everyone else.
Dems Gay Marriage Shift: Democratic Party officials have announced that after a recent platform-drafting meeting, they have started the process to officially support gay marriage in their party platform. At the meeting, committee members voted to include language supporting gay marriage into their platform, which will then be presented to delegates to vote on at the Democratic National Convention in early September. This change in policy comes just two months after President Obama spoke out in support of same-sex couples.
Much more to come, make sure to check back Friday for our full Rundown and don’t forget to tune in Sunday at 9am & Noon ET.
