
##4113750 The man set to become Yemen 's president is a soft-spoken technocrat who has good relations with the West and has avoided the limelight during his 18 years of loyal service to the outgoing autocrat. # The U.S. has backed Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in hopes he can and will help fight the country 's active al-Qaida branch . Many Yemenis support him too , considering him the best man to replace President Ali Abdullah Saleh and shepherd the Arab world 's poorest country out of the year-old anti-government uprising that has battered the nation and left hundreds dead . # Hadi is to be rubber-stamped as Yemen 's new leader Tuesday in a vote that can hardly be called an election . He is the only candidate , and even those who go to the polls ca n't vote against him . # Yemen has one of the world 's most active al-Qaida branches and the U.S. has remained heavily involved in the leadership transition , fearing chaos and the collapse of military cooperation in the fight against the terror network . The U.S. gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , and President Barack Obama 's top counterterrorism adviser , John Brennan , flew to Yemen over the weekend to meet with Hadi. # " I am very encouraged by his comments . He is committed as well to destroying al-Qaida and I consider him a strong partner against terrorism , " Brennan said Sunday . # One newspaper ran Hadi 's photo on its front page Monday under a headline : " The President Tomorrow . " Even Obama sent him a letter this week , voicing his support . # While highly respected by most Yemenis , few have any idea how Hadi who has not appeared in public and given only one televised speech in recent months will tackle the huge problems Yemen faces . Many just want Saleh to go . # " We want to finish with the stage we are going through now , " said driver Mohammed Abdul-Khaliq , 25 , who had pasted posters of Hadi on the doors of his taxi . " Saleh is finished . " # The two men could hardly be more different . During his 33-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , exploiting tribal loyalties and using the threat of Islamic militancy to win support from the West . # Hadi has remained behind the scenes , maintaining good relations with Saleh 's enemies and avoiding the corruption accusation that have mired other officials . # " He 's not very flashy , he 's not very well known , but he is considered a straight-shooter , " said Les Campbell , Middle East and North Africa director for the Washington-based National Democratic Institute , who has met with Hadi many times , most recently in December , 2011 . He said low-key approach could be a benefit after decades of Saleh 's bombast. # " Yemen had a very charismatic politician , so maybe it needs a period of time with someone who is in the background , " he said . # Hadi , now 66 , served in the military of South Yemen , then an independent nation , before defecting to the north in 1986 after a civil war . The two countries united into the modern state in 1990 , and Saleh made Hadi defense minister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his role appeared small , as reflected in diplomatic memos released by Wikileaks . One 2009 cable said he had " little influence with the president with regards to decision-making " and was expected to " take orders from him and implement his decisions . " # This track record gives little indication of how he will govern . # " Vice President Hadi is a blank slate precisely because President Saleh wanted it that way . His role was to stay in the shadows , " said Yemen researcher Letta Tayler of Human Rights Watch , who is in Yemen for the vote . " All of Yemen is waiting to see if he has what it takes to implement desperately needed reforms and move the country forward . " # Many worry that Saleh will remain a power broker in Yemen through relatives and allies he put in key state positions . Two of his sons run elite security forces , and his nephew heads the air force . # It remains unclear if Hadi will be able to challenge those who benefited from Saleh 's rule . # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lose power in the Arab Spring uprisings . To the chagrin of many protesters , he will likely remain in Yemen , where nothing bars him from political activity . # Yemenis first took to the streets to call for Saleh 's ouster in January , 2011 , inspired by the uprisings that toppled presidents in Tunisia and Egypt . # Since then , protesters have camped out in public squares and marched in huge numbers , despite crackdowns by Saleh 's security forces that have killed more than 200 protesters . Hundreds more have died in armed clashes between armed groups and security forces . # Yemen 's government has long struggled to extend its authority outside the capital , and faces a Shiite insurrection in the north and a separatist movement in the south in addition to the al-Qaida problem . # Security deteriorated during the uprising , and al-Qaida exploited the vacuum to seize territory . # In June , a bomb blast in Saleh 's palace mosque badly wounded the defiant leader , who spent nearly four months in treatment in Saudi Arabia . # After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he signed a deal brokered by Yemen 's powerful Arab Gulf neighbors in November to pass power to Hadi in exchange for immunity from prosecution . Under the deal , Tuesday 's vote is supposed to start a transitional period during which Yemen will draft a new constitution , reform its security services and elect a new parliament and president . # Saleh is now in the U.S. for further medical treatment . He is expected to return to Yemen after the vote . # Despite the lack of suspense , the vote has transformed the capital Sanaa . Once-universal pictures of Saleh have been replaced by photos of Hadi , and posters urging Yemen 's to vote wallpaper the city . # " Together , we build a new Yemen , " some say . Others show a white dove dropping a ballot into a box . # The vote has split the youth activists who led the protests . While some say it falls short of their aspirations for " the revolution , " most support Hadi if only as a means to boot Saleh. # " We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the revolution 's goals and we will support Hadi , " said protest leader and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman. # Still , many activists have vowed to continued their sit-in to press for trials for Saleh for his alleged role in killing protesters . # Hubbard reported from Cairo. # # 
##4113751 Despite its confident saber-rattling , Israel 's concern is growing that the country is vulnerable to a devastating counterstrike if it attacks Iran 's nuclear program . # An announcement this week that a mobile rocket-defense system will soon be built just outside Tel Aviv , where Israel 's sprawling military headquarters sits smack in the middle of office towers , museums , night spots and hotels , caused some jitters . Israeli officials cite intelligence reports that Tel Aviv would be a main target of any attack . # Increasingly , the debate in Israel is turning to whether a strike can do enough damage to the Iranian program to be worth the risks . Experts believe that any attack would at best set back , but not cripple , the Iranians . # Skepticism about Israel 's ability to defend itself runs deep here . Israelis still remember Iraqi Scuds landing in the center of the country 20 years ago . In 2006 , the Lebanese Hezbollah militia seemed able to rain rockets at will during a monthlong conflict with the Jewish state . A scathing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woefully unprepared . # In a questionably timed move , the Cabinet minister in charge of civil defense in recent days resigned to become the ambassador to faraway China . # Vice Prime Minister Dan Meridor , who also serves as minister of intelligence and atomic energy , indicated Saturday that Israel was facing a new type of peril . # " Whereas in the past , there was a battlefield where tanks fought tanks , planes fought planes , there was a certain push not to see the homefront affected . Now the war is mainly in the homefront , " said the normally tight-lipped Meridor. # " The whole of Israel ( is vulnerable to ) tens of thousands of missiles and rockets from neighboring countries . So of course we need to understand the change of paradigm , " he continued . " If there is a war , and I hope there is n't a war , they are not just going to hit Israeli soldiers . The main aim is at civilian populations . " # Both Israel and the West believe Iran is trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes a nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to its very existence , citing Iranian leaders calls for its destruction . # Israel has welcomed international sanctions imposed on the Islamic regime , but it has pointedly refused to rule out military action . In recent weeks , top leaders have sent signals that patience is running thin . # An Israeli military strike would very likely draw an Iranian retaliation , experts believe , which would involve either Iran firing its long-range Shahab missiles or acting via local proxies of Hezbollah in Lebanon , Hamas in Gaza or even Assad loyalists in Syria . # Experts believe the experience of the 2006 war against Hezbollah , in which the guerrillas rained 4,000 rockets onto Israel , is just a small taste of what could lie ahead . The chief of military intelligence recently said that Israel 's enemies now have some 200,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel . # But this time , Israel 's main population centers are believed to be possible targets . In the past , rockets fired from Gaza or Lebanon have been directed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Haifa in the north or Beersheba in the south . # Leaders believe that Israel 's main cities would be targeted by more sophisticated , longer-range missiles . # Jerusalem is considered relatively safe because of its Islamic holy sites . But the Mediterranean coast , home to most of the country 's population , with Tel Aviv as the gleaming target at its center , seems like a very attractive target . # The business and cultural capital of the country , with a metropolitan population of over 2 million , Tel Aviv is critical to Israel 's image of itself as a modern place with a Western lifestyle . Israel happily markets the city as a high-tech , fun-loving hub . # Aside from a spate of Saddam Hussein 's rudimentary Scud missiles in 1991 , the city has never truly been tested before . Although the Scuds caused little damage memories of that war are vivid ; the strikes caused widespread panic and tens of thousands of people fled to safer areas of the country or left altogether . # A prolonged siege on the city today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warn that Syria , a close Iranian ally , is believed to possess GPS-guided missiles and chemical weapons . Hezbollah has greatly improved its arsenal since the war , and militants in the Gaza Strip , to Israel 's south , are believed to be smuggling powerful warheads from Libya . # The officials , speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a sensitive security matter , said intelligence reports indicate that Tel Aviv military headquarters will be targeted and an alternative site for military headquarters is being prepared . # Defense Minister Ehud Barak has estimated that an Iranian attack would claim fewer than 500 Israeli casualties a statement intended to calm the nation , but which has achieved the opposite effect . # The concerns for the homefront have dovetailed with fears around the world that an attack could unhinge the global economy and spur terrorist attacks against the West . # For the past five years , Matan Vilnai a veteran Cabinet minister and one-time deputy military chief of staff has been responsible for preparing such scenarios . Vilnai recently announced he was stepping down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Sunday , he gave Cabinet a progress report on homefront preparations . His comments were not made available to the public and Vilnai did not respond to requests for an interview by The Associated Press . But Israeli media quoted the former general as being outraged at insinuations that he was " running away . " # Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged after Vilnai 's presentation that more work must be done in " an era of threats to the Israeli homefront. " # Israel 's performance in the 2006 war was widely seen as a disaster , particularly because of the military 's inability to stop the barrage of Hezbollah rockets on northern Israel . The country 's military chief and defense minister at the time were forced to resign ; a government report found " serious failings and flaws " by politicians and the military . # Five and a half years later , Israeli air defenses are vastly improved . # Its multilayered shield includes the " Iron Dome " defense system , which shoots down rockets fired from short distances , the " Magic Wand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arrow " missile defense system meant to protect Israel from Iran 's expanding array of missiles . # The Iron Dome has already proven effective in knocking down Palestinian rockets from the Gaza Strip.But only three Iron Dome batteries have been deployed , while expert say 14 are needed to cover the country . # The system is expected to be deployed in central Israel for the first time in the coming days . The military insists the timing is part of an annual training plan for the system , but the deployment in the nation 's heartland has added to fears that Israel was approaching a threat it has never encountered before . # The Arrow , built by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. and Chicago-based Boeing Co. for more than $1 billion , has been designed specifically to intercept Iran 's Shahab ballistic missile , which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and whose range of 1,250 miles ( 2,000 kilometers ) easily covers all of Israel . The Arrow has not yet been tested in combat . # There are signs that budget cuts threaten some preparations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government 's internal watchdog agency , found local authorities failed to properly conduct homefront emergency drills and that hundreds of thousands of Israelis did not have functioning gas masks or a designated bomb shelter . The government pledged two decades ago to distribute gas masks nationwide . # The military would not confirm a report that the country 's annual national homefront drill had been canceled due to a financial shortfall . " A variety of measures are being assessed in order to avoid harming the operational readiness of the Home Front Command , " it said in a statement . # Uzi Rubin , a former director of the Arrow project in Israel 's Defense Ministry , said the Israeli homefront is far more organized , coordinated and prepared than it was in 2006. # " Given the circumstances , we are more ready than in the past . But we still need to do so much more , " he said . # Heller can be followed at -- # # 
##4113752 Car shoppers today are less likely to end up with a lemon . # In the past five years , global competition has forced automakers to improve the quality and reliability of their vehicles everything from inexpensive mini-cars to decked-out luxury SUVs. # The newfound emphasis on quality means fewer problems for owners . It also means more options for buyers , who can buy a car from Detroit or South Korea and know it will hold up like a vehicle from Japan . # With few exceptions , cars are so close on reliability that it 's getting harder for companies to charge a premium . So automakers are trying to set themselves apart with sleek , cutting-edge exterior designs and more features such as luxurious interiors , multiple air bags , dashboard computers and touch-screen controls . # " It 's a great time to be a consumer , " says Jesse Toprak , vice president of industry trends for the TrueCar.com auto pricing website . " You ca n't really screw up too badly in terms of your vehicle choice . " # It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honda and Toyota dominated in quality , especially in the key American market for small and midsize cars . Japan began building high-quality small cars and tapped into America 's growing appetite for fuel efficiency in the 1970sWith their sterling reputation , they were able to charge more than Detroit automakers and cut Detroit 's U.S. market share from 78 percent in 1980 to just under 43 percent in 2009 , according to Ward 's AutoInfoBank. # Cars from Detroit generally were n't as trouble-free in the 1980s and ' 90s . Hyundai executives concede their quality used to be poor . # However , around 2006 , as General Motors , Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC were heading into financial trouble , they realized that people were shifting away from trucks and sport utility vehicles to smaller cars and car-based crossover SUVs . Gas prices were on the rise again , and the companies , which relied on bigger vehicles for their profits , had few cars to offer . # Fearing the shift , Detroit decided to go after the Japanese and shifted research dollars from trucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Hondas and Toyotas were quieter and more reliable , so they spent more on engineering and parts to close the gap . # Meanwhile , Korean automakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp . were busy redesigning their cars , changing to more cutting-edge looks to boost sales . Then , Toyota 's reputation was tarnished by a series of safety recalls , and Honda played conservative with new models that looked similar to the old ones . # The newfound emphasis on quality has closed the gap between best and worst in the industry . In 1998 , J.D. Power and Associates , which surveys owners about trouble with their cars after three years , found an industry average of 278 problems per 100 vehicles . By this year , the number fell to 132. # In 1998 , the most reliable car had 92 problems per 100 vehicles , while the least reliable had 517 , a gap of 425 . This year the gap closed to 284 problems . # " We do n't have total clunkers like we used to , " says Dave Sargent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automakers are improving in quality , but manufacturers that are at the bottom of the rankings are improving more quickly than those at the top , Sargent said . # Detroit 's three automakers have narrowed the quality gap considerably against brands from other countries . In 1998 , J.D. Power found 42 more problems per 100 vehicles with GM , Ford and Chrysler cars and trucks . This year the gap had narrowed to just 13 . While car prices are still rising , the narrow gap keeps Japanese automakers from charging a premium over rivals with similar models . # The competition helps consumers by giving them more choices and more car for their money . # Some examples : # Compacts : It used to be that the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic were far better than the rest , and they cost more . But the new Chevrolet Cruze and the vastly improved Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus are giving consumers more options . The Cruze , which went on sale in 2010 , is far better than the car it replaced , the Chevrolet Cobalt . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for second place and come within 9,000 of the Corolla , the small-car sales leader . # While Corollas and Civics were in short supply following Japan 's March earthquake , the Cruze offered a good alternative for people who did n't want to wait . In May , Cruze sales surged 40 percent over the Cobalt 's year-earlier sales , besting all rivals to become the top-selling U.S. compact that month . The competition has nearly erased the premium paid for Hondas and Toyotas . But that 's largely due to price increases by competitors . Since compacts have more features , people are paying more for the Focus , Elantra and Cruze. # For example , in 2007 , Toyota got an average of $15,820 for every Corolla it sold , a premium of $1,708 over what GM charged for a Chevy Cobalt . The average Cobalt sold for $14,112. # But last year the roles reversed . The premium instead went to General Motors , which got an average price of $19,858 for the Cruze , which replaced the Cobalt in 2010 . That 's $2,028 more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # Midsize cars : Toyota 's Camry and Honda 's Accord used to be dominant . But Ford 's Fusion , Nissan 's Altima and Hyundai 's Sonata are cutting into their sales . The Camry kept its long-held title as the nation 's top-selling car last year , but the Altima and Fusion passed the Accord , which is typically No. 2 . The price premium paid for Hondas and Toyotas has nearly vanished in midsize cars as well . Like with small cars , people are paying more because of more standard equipment and options . # " It 's very hard to find products that are n't good anymore , " says Jeremy Anwyl , CEO of the Edmunds.com automotive website . " In safety , performance and quality , the differences just do n't have material impact . " # First-year law student Randall Rosales found many good choices last year when he began looking for a small luxury SUV to replace his mother 's 2008 Infiniti sedan in Dallas . At 22 years old , he 's his family 's designated car expert . Unlike previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list has similar quality and options . # " It 's getting harder to choose because every manufacturer , at least in the luxury class , tends to have all the features we consider essential , " Rosales said . # In past searches , some automakers , including those based in the U.S. , were behind in features like Bluetooth cell phone links and touch-screen controls , Rosales said . But that has pretty much evened out , he said . # He considered the BMW X3 , Mercedes GLK350 , Lexus RX 350 and Infiniti EX35 before picking an Audi Q5 because the fuel economy of its turbocharged four-cylinder engine and its interior quality set it apart . # With quality , fuel economy and price close to equal across the U.S. market , companies also are pushing the edge on exterior design to differentiate their cars . Honda , for instance , unveiled a daring new Accord coupe in Detroit that looks like a far more expensive car , while Ford did the same with its new Fusion . # " It 's got to be beautiful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who led work on a new Cadillac small luxury sports sedan . # Another way to stand apart is to lower a car 's base price , sacrificing profits to gain market share , at least initially . # That 's what Chrysler is hoping for with the new Dodge Dart compact , which starts around $16,000 , about $700 less than a Cruze and $500 less than the Ford Focus , the Dart 's two main competitors . # CEO Sergio Marchionne says the company wo n't make much money on a basic Dart . But the lower price will get the car on shopping lists , and Marchionne is hoping people will add features and pay more . # Chrysler in the past spent little on compact-car development and has n't offered a competitive one for years . But being late has its benefits . Chrysler learned by avoiding mistakes made by other companies , says Ralph Gilles , the company 's chief designer . # " Coming last to the party , you can bring a nice bottle of wine , " he says. # # 
##4113753 When Paula Symons joined the U.S. workforce in 1972 , typewriters in her office clacked nonstop , people answered the telephones and the hot new technology revolutionizing communication was the fax machine . # Symons , fresh out of college , entered this brave new world thinking she 'd do pretty much what her parents generation did : Work for just one or two companies over about 45 years before bidding farewell to co-workers at a retirement party and heading off into her sunset years with a pension . # Forty years into that run , the 60-year-old communications specialist for a Wisconsin-based insurance company has worked more than a half-dozen jobs . She 's been laid off , downsized and seen the pension disappear with only a few thousand dollars accrued when it was frozen . # So , five years from the age when people once retired , she laughs when she describes her future plans . # " I 'll probably just work until I drop , " she says , a sentiment expressed , with varying degrees of humor , by numerous members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baby Boomers , Symons and her husband had the misfortune of approaching retirement age at a time when stock market crashes diminished their 401(k) nest eggs , companies began eliminating defined benefit pensions in record numbers and previously unimagined technical advances all but eliminated entire job descriptions from travel agent to telephone operator . # At the same time , companies began moving other jobs overseas , to be filled by people willing to work for far less and still able to connect to the U.S. market in real time . # " The paradigm has truly shifted . Now when you 're looking for a job you 're competing in a world where the competition is n't just the guy down the street , but the guy sitting in a cafe in Hong Kong or Mumbai , " says Bill Vick , a Dallas-based executive recruiter who started BoomersNextStep.com in an effort to help Baby Boomers who want to stay in the workforce . # Not only has the paradigm shifted , but as it has the generation whose mantra used to be , " Do n't trust anyone over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distrust by younger Generation X managers who question whether boomers have the high-tech skills or even the stamina to do what needs to be done . # " I always have the feeling that I have to prove my value all the time . That I 'm not some old relic who does n't understand social media or ca n't learn some new technique , " says Symons , who is active on Twitter and Facebook , loves every new time-saving software app that comes down the pike , and laughs at the idea of ever sending another fax . # " Ahh , that 's just so archaic , " she says . # Meanwhile , as companies have downsized , boomers have been hurt to some degree by their own sheer numbers , says Ed Lawler of the University of Southern California 's Marshall School of Business . # The oldest ones , Lawler says , are n't retiring , and more and more the youngest members of the generation ahead of them are n't either . It 's no longer uncommon , he says , for people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been out of the workforce are still there , taking jobs that would have gone to what we now call the unemployed , " he said . # John Stewart of Springfield , Mo. , sees himself becoming part of that new generation that never stops working . # " No , I do n't see myself retiring , " says Stewart , who is media director for a large church . " I think I would be bored if I just all of a sudden quit everything and did whatever it is retired people do . " # Then there are the financial considerations . Like many boomers , the 60-year-old acknowledges he did n't put enough aside when he was younger . # For more than 30 years , Stewart ran his own photography business , doing everything from studio portraits to illustrating annual reports for hospitals and other large corporations to freelancing for national magazines and newspapers . # As the news media began to struggle , the magazine and newspaper work dried up . As the economy tanked , his large corporate clients began to use cheaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ones . Eventually he took his current job , producing videos of pastors sermons and photos for church publications . He says he is glad to be one boomer to make a late career change and keep working . # " There were times when the money was really rolling in , " he says of his old business . " But somehow retirement was n't really in the forefront of my thinking then , so saving for it was n't an automatic thing . " # Steve Wyard , of Los Angeles , says he and his wife have planned carefully for retirement . # He 's worked for 30 years for a company that sells and services commercial washers and dryers , and she 's been with a health maintenance organization for even longer . They 've invested cautiously , lived in the same house for decades and meticulously paid down the mortgage . # Plus he 's one of the few boomers who figures that , no matter what technology comes along , his job wo n't go away . # " Everyone has to do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his wife have two sons , 19 and 21 , to put through college , and Wyard , 61 , sees that pushing back retirement for several years . # Until then he plans to keep working , which is what every physically able boomer should consider doing , says USC 's Lawler. # Union membership , which has been declining for years , now includes only about 10 percent of all eligible U.S. employees , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Meanwhile , the number of defined benefit retirement funds offered by private enterprise have fallen from about one in three employers in 1990 to about one in five in 2005. # With unions no longer in a strong position to fight for benefits like pensions , with jobs disappearing or going overseas , and with Gen Xers and even younger Millennial Generation members coveting their jobs , Lawler warns this is no time for boomers to quit and allow the skills they 've spent a lifetime building to atrophy. # " My advice is above all do n't retire , " he says . " If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Because getting back in in this era is essentially impossible . " # # 
##4113754 A sense of order and decorum prevails at Noble Street College Prep as students move quickly through a hallway adorned with banners from dozens of colleges . Everyone wears a school polo shirt neatly tucked into khaki trousers . There 's plenty of chatter but no jostling , no cellphones and no dawdling . # The reason , administrators say , is that students have learned there is a price to pay literally for breaking even the smallest rules . # Noble Network of Charter Schools charges students at its 10 Chicago high schools $5 for detentions stemming from infractions that include chewing gum and having untied shoelaces . Last school year it collected almost $190,000 in discipline " fees " from detentions and behavior classes a policy drawing fire from some parents , advocacy groups and education experts . # Officials at the rapidly expanding network , heralded by Mayor Rahm Emanuel as a model for the city , say the fees offset the cost of running the detention program and help keep small problems from becoming big ones . Critics say Noble is nickel-and-diming its mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids administrators do n't want . # " We think this just goes over the line ... fining someone for having their shoelaces untied ( or ) a button unbuttoned goes to harassment , not discipline , " said Julie Woestehoff , executive director of the Chicago advocacy group Parents United for Responsible Education , which staged protests last week over the policy after Woestehoff said she was approached by an upset parent # Students at Noble schools receive demerits for various infractions four for having a cellphone or one for untied shoelaces . Four demerits within a two-week period earn them a detention and $5 fine . Students who get 12 detentions in a year must attend a summer behavior class that costs $140. # Superintendent Michael Milkie said the policy teaches the kids overwhelmingly poor , minority and often hoping to be the first in their families to attend college to follow rules and produces in a structured learning environment . He points to the network 's average ACT score of 20.3 , which is higher than at the city 's other non-selective public schools , and says more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # While fights can be an almost daily occurrence in some urban high schools , Milkie says there 's only about one a year on each Noble campus . # By " sweating the small stuff ... we do n't have issues with the big stuff , " he said . # Milkie said the fines also help defray the cost of administering after-school detention and the salary of the network 's dean of discipline , which otherwise would divert money intended for education . # But Donna Moore said the district is manufacturing problems that lead to unproductive badgering of students , including her 16-year-old son , who had to repeat ninth grade at Noble 's Gary Comer College Prep after racking up 33 detentions and several suspensions. # " It was nothing egregious , but just that the little things added up : a shirt unbuttoned , shoes not tied , not tracking the teacher with his eyes , " said Moore , adding that her son has an attention disorder . " It 's not normal to treat a young adult as a 2-year-old ... kids internalize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed their children from Noble schools because they could n't keep paying the fees , though Moore said her biggest complaint is the infractions . Milkie said Noble sets up payment plans and on rare occasions waives the fees , and students never would be held back a grade solely because they could n't pay . # Even so , Matthew Mayer , a professor in the graduate school of education at Rutgers University , said a monetary fine is " highly inappropriate " because it likely has no bearing on students academic performance and disproportionately hurts poor families . # " It 's almost medieval in nature . It 's a form a financial torture , for lack of a better term , " Mayer said . # Emanuel defended the school , saying it gets " incredible " results and parents do n't have to send their children there . Charter schools are exempt from most district policies . # Parent Tammy O'Neal said her two daughters are excelling at Noble 's Muchin College Prep , and only one ever got detention , for not wearing a belt . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble and not taking school seriously , then ( the fines are ) a steep slope , " she said . " But why do n't you tell your kid to straighten up ? " # Chadie Morris , 16 , a sophomore at Noble Street College Prep , carries a 3.8 grade-point average at Noble Street College Prep , but figures she has paid $45 already this year for such things as talking in class . # " Sometimes it can be about the littlest things and you can still get demerits , " she said . " Demerits are horrible ; detentions are horrible . " # But the aspiring lawyer , who struggled with absences until her adviser and principal persuaded her to come back , looks forward to attending a one-week summer college program . # Other charter school operators in Chicago and elsewhere said they do n't fine students but respect Noble 's academic success and its right to adopt its own discipline policy . # Tim King , CEO of Urban Prep Academies , which operates three high schools for boys in some of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very firmly in a more therapeutic or restorative approach vs. punitive toward student conduct . " # Every student in Urban Prep 's first two graduating classes was accepted to a college or university . # At Knowledge is Power Program , a network of 109 charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia , middle school students are rewarded for good behavior with a weekly incentive " paycheck " fake money that can be redeemed at the school store or used to defray the cost of field trip , spokesman Steve Mancini said . The system is phased out by high school because it 's no longer needed . # Milkie , though , does n't plan to change a thing . # " It 's a beautiful system , " he said . " I do n't want to brag , but it is . It 's why the kids are so successful . " # # 
##4113755 Eurozone governments hoped to sign off on Monday a long-awaited rescue package for Greece , saving it from a potentially calamitous bankruptcy next month , but several key points of division remained , senior officials said . # Finance ministers meeting in Brussels were still wrangling over how to further reduce Greece 's debt load and impose even tighter control over the country 's spending , and the meeting was expected to stretch late into the night . Rich countries like Germany and the Netherlands and the International Monetary Fund want to be sure that Athens can eventually survive without aid . # But after months of delays , time for Greece is running out . The country needs to secure the euro130 billion ( $170 billion ) bailout so it can move ahead with a related euro100 billion ( $130 billion ) debt relief deal with private investors . That deal needs to be in place quickly if Athens is to avoid a disorderly default on a bond repayment on March 20. # " I am of the opinion that today we have to deliver , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juncker , the prime minister of Luxembourg who also chairs the meetings of eurozone finance ministers , said as he arrived in Brussels . # An uncontrolled bankruptcy would likely force Greece to leave the 17-country currency union and return to its old currency , the drachma , further shaking its already beaten economy and creating uncertainty across Europe . # Heading into the meeting , ministers were optimistic that a deal could be reached . # " We now have all of the elements to achieve an agreement , " said French Finance Minister Francois Baroin . " Greece knows what it has to do , and we 'll watch over it continually . We also know what we have to do . " # But the finance ministers were also negotiating on several fronts , trying to move Greece 's other creditors to increase their commitments . Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos rushed to Brussels to back up his finance chief , Evangelos Venizelos , in talks with the IMF , the European Central Bank and representatives of private holders of Greek debt . # The goal is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gross domestic product by 2020 the maximum the IMF sees as sustainable . At the moment , the country 's debt load stands at more than 160 percent . # Last week , a new report prepared by the European Commission , the ECB and the IMF concluded that the new bailout , Greek spending cuts , and a planned euro100 billion debt relief from private investors would still leave Greece 's debt at almost 129 percent of economic output by the end of the decade . # Ministers were exploring several options to close that gap , but as talks dragged on Monday , no final solution appeared imminent . # A Greek official said Monday morning that there seemed to be agreement on further reducing the interest rate on Greece 's first , euro110 billion bailout as well as having national central banks in the eurozone , which also hold some Greek bonds , participate in the debt relief . The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential . # However , other officials questioned the participation of national central banks , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from its Greek bond holdings back to Athens . # On the sidelines of the finance ministers meeting , Venizelos headed into a new round of talks with representatives of Greece 's private bondholders mostly banks and investment funds to explore whether they would be willing to accept further losses . # A current plan foresees private creditors swapping their old Greek bonds for new ones with half the face value , lower interest rates and much longer repayment periods . # But now some countries are pushing for bondholders to also give up on an accrued interest payment of around euro5.5 billion on their old bonds , a demand that could further discourage investors from signing up to the debt swap . # Amid the ever-changing mood over the country 's rescue , some frustration was setting in among the Greeks . # " Greece comes into today 's Eurogroup meeting having fulfilled all the requirements for the approval of the new program , " Venizelos said . " For Greeks , this is a matter of national dignity and a national strategic choice and no other integrated and responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greek parliament has faced down violent protests to approve the austerity measures demanded by the eurozone . Its main political leaders have committed in writing to uphold the bailout terms even after general elections in April . And later Monday , the government in Athens is expected to introduce in parliament another two pieces of emergency legislation , including wage and pension cuts . # Despite Athens efforts , however , some countries have indicated their patience with Greece was growing short . # " We 've seen that Greece time and time again fails to satisfy the conditions that the international community makes . ... In the Netherlands , it really is an issue that you have to lend money to a country that for the umpteenth time has n't held itself to its agreements , " said Jan Kees de Jager , the finance minister from the Netherlands , which has been especially hard on Greece . " So it 's indeed essential to me , and also the Dutch government , that we have control over the money that we 're going to lend . " # To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up a separate account that would ensure it services its debt . This escrow account would give legal priority to debt and interest payments over paying for government services . That would maintain pressure on Greece to stick to promised austerity and reform measures and spare the eurozone the risk of a destabilizing default . # The escrow account would , however , be an unprecedented intrusion into a sovereign state 's fiscal affairs and could ultimately see Greece forced to pay interest on its debt before paying salaries to teachers and doctors . # In addition , Greece 's international creditors will station permanent representatives in Athens to monitor the country 's progress . # Another issue under discussion is how much the IMF will contribute to the new rescue . The fund has provided one-third of the bailouts for Ireland and Portugal and Greece 's first rescue package . # " The indication is that the figure will be rather low , " a European Union official said , adding however that a final decision from the fund 's board is still outstanding . The official was speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . # Some worry that more austerity could exacerbate Greece 's problems by putting a stranglehold on growth . Prime Ministers from a dozen European countries including the U.K. , Italy and the Netherlands wrote a letter Monday to EU President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso calling for growth across the bloc . # " The crisis we are facing is also a crisis of growth , " the letter said . " It is now time to show leadership and take bold decisions which will deliver results that our people are demanding . " # Don Melvin in Brussels , Toby Sterling in Amsterdam , and Elena Becatoros and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens , Greece , contributed to this story. # # 
##4113756 Philosophical differences between the top two Republican presidential candidates are becoming starker as Rick Santorum drives harder on religious and social issues that Mitt Romney rarely discusses in detail . # In recent days , Santorum has questioned the usefulness of public schools , criticized prenatal testing and said President Barack Obama 's theology is not " based on the Bible . " On Monday , he likened Obama to politicians who spread fear about new oil-extraction technologies " so they can control your lives . " # The remarks contrast sharply with Romney 's even-tempered emphasis on jobs , the economy and his resume as a can-do corporate executive . # The differences give Republican voters clear choices to shape their party 's identity and image heading into the fall battle against Obama . They also will test whether social conservatives and tea partyers can outperform the GOP establishment in key states such as Michigan and Ohio . # Both men campaigned Monday in Ohio , where their audiences , styles and messages produced distinctly contrasting atmospheres. # Santorum , the former senator from Pennsylvania , appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees of the town 's Franciscan University . In his hour-long talk , Santorum never mentioned Romney or Newt Gingrich , who campaigned in Oklahoma . # He aimed squarely at Obama as he discussed abortion , marriage , the church and family . When he touched on non-social issues such as energy and the environment , he couched them in terms of epic struggles between reasonable conservatives and radical , sometimes devious Democrats . # " I refer to global warming as not climate science but political science , " Santorum said to loud applause . He said Obama has " radical environmentalist policies " that reject robust extraction of oil and gas from many U.S. areas , including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska . # In Cincinnati , on the opposite side of the state , Romney hit Santorum 's spending record as a member of Congress but stayed away from the former senator 's recent comments on social and other hot-button issues . # " One of the people I 'm running against , Sen. Santorum , goes to Washington and calls himself a budget hawk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no longer a budget hawk , " Romney said . " Well I am a budget hawk . " # " When Republicans go to Washington and spend like Democrats , you 're going to have a lot of spending , and that 's what we 've seen over the last several years , " Romney added . # Santorum said Obama and his allies want to frighten people about alleged dangers of petroleum-extraction techniques , including hydraulic fracturing , or " fracking , " which might lower energy prices . He said these officials seek to " get your dollars , turn it to politicians who can win elections so they can control your lives . " # " Understand what 's at stake , folks , " Santorum said . " It 's your economic liberty . It 's your religious liberty . It 's your freedom of speech . " He said government has accumulated power " by weakening the institutions that people rely upon in their lives . " # Santorum said those institutions include : marriage , which is hurt by the so-called " marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he said is under assault by Obama 's policies regarding contraception coverage in health care plans ; and charities , which he said would suffer if Obama succeeds in ending the tax deductibility for charitable donations . # " It 's not surprising to see the president 's assault on , first , charities , " Santorum said . # It 's not unusual for the GOP to face intra-party struggles between conservatives focused largely on social issues such as abortion and school prayer , and those focused mainly on financial matters such as spending and taxes . Sometimes the quarrels become loud and problematic , as when Pat Buchanan called for a " culture war " at the 1992 Republican national convention . President George H.W. Bush , already facing troubles , lost to Bill Clinton that fall . # Santorum , a devout Catholic , clearly welcomes the renewed emphasis on social issues generated in part by the flap over contraception policies at Catholic-affiliated institutions and the quarrel between Planned Parenthood and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer charity . # Even with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the same style and message he has used for months . The former Massachusetts governor sells himself as the efficient CEO who will fix the economy . He makes little mention in his standard campaign speech of the social issues that increasingly have dominated Santorum 's events . # Romney , who is Mormon , has pushed a petition aimed at ensuring " religious liberty " and criticizing the Obama administration for requiring health plans to cover contraception , even at Catholic hospitals that oppose birth control . # He rebuked Santorum during a campaign rally in Boise , Idaho , last week but focused strictly on Santorum 's spending record in Congress . In several recent stops in Michigan , Romney did not mention Santorum. # Romney 's campaign schedule has stayed largely the same . He holds relatively few traditional campaign events in a day . Monday , for instance , Romney held one event to Santorum 's four in two states . # Romney spends significant time making phone calls and raising money , a vital task in which he outpaces his opponents . # His public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By rarely taking questions from his traveling press corps , Romney has avoided being dragged into issues such as Santorum 's claim that Obama 's theology is not Bible-based . ( Santorum later said he did not question that Obama is a Christian. ) # His target audience is the business wing of the Republican Party and most of Romney 's campaign events are held at factories or outside small businesses , giving him the opportunity to highlight his economic credentials . Romney has used the strategy since Iowa . Monday 's event was held at Meridian Bioscience , a Cincinnati-based medical device maker , where Romney addressed a handful of employees and toured the factory . # Romney advisers say they are n't changing the messaging strategy they believe has worked in other states . Holding small events allows the campaign to reach local media and show that Romney is putting in time in the state . Romney held a series of rallies in South Carolina only to lose , and switched back to holding smaller events leading up to Florida 's primary , which he won . # Hunt @ @ @ @ @ 
##4113757 Decked out in Angels gear from head to toe , Albert Pujols looked like the same slugger whose swing in St. Louis became as symbolic as the Gateway Arch . # With a halo-topped " A " logo on his cap , Pujols , his massive chest and arms filling out every corner of his red shirt , sat behind a microphone and excitedly announced the start of a new stage of his career . # " Here I am , " he said . # And here he goes . # Arriving just as the morning sun crept above the horizon , and more than a week earlier than required , Pujols reported to training camp Monday with the Los Angeles Angels , who will pay the three-time NL MVP $240 million over the next 10 years to be the face of their franchise and to hopefully bring them several World Series titles . # " I 'm just really excited to be here , it feels good to be outside , " Pujols said during a news conference held at a nearby luxury hotel . " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cage in St. Louis , and it feels good to be here for some spring baseball . " # Although only the Angels pitchers and catchers had to be at camp this early , Pujols wanted to be there from Day One as well . That 's how the 32-year-old has done it since breaking into the big leagues in 2001 and he was n't about to change his routine . # He also felt it was important to begin bonding with his new teammates , some of whom were caught staring at him from across the clubhouse. # Driving a black Mercedes still tagged with Missouri license plates , Pujols pulled into the players parking lot at 7:15 a.m . There were only a handful of fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the nine-time All-Star , who helped lead the Cardinals to a championship last season before leaving the only baseball home he had known . # Pujols stopped in the equipment room and shook a few hands before heading to the clubhouse , where his locker is flanked by veterans Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter . # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " They well-received me as soon as I walked in there . " # Shortly after dressing , Pujols made an early request to one of the team 's media relations members . # " Let me take a peak of the ballpark , " he said before walking out a side door for his first look at Tempe Diablo Stadium , the Angels spring home , which is sure to be packed with fans throughout March . # It did n't take long for Pujols to feel like he was part of the club . # During manager Mike Scioscia 's first team meeting , Pujols cellphone rang , earning the superstar his first petty fine , which according to a team official , will require him to buy his skipper lunch . # No major league manager had a more productive offseason than Scioscia . Angels owner Arte Moreno spent $320 million in signing Pujols , left-hander C.J. Wilson ( 5 years , $77.5 million ) and reliever LaTroy Hawkins ( 1 year , $3 million ) . # Scioscia , entering his 13th season with the Angels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onto his lineup card in the No. 3 spot and at first base . # " His whole game , not only being a presence hitting in the middle of the lineup , running the bases . He 's an offensive machine , " Scioscia said . " He 's a special player and special players are usually multidimensional , and Albert is. " # Scioscia said unless there 's a need because of injury he has no plans to use Pujols at third , where the Cardinals had him for seven games last season . # After taking some swings in an indoor cage , Pujols was driven in a golf cart to one of the back fields on the team 's minor league complex . With over 100 fans doing everything possible to get a close look from behind the right-field fence , Pujols fielded some grounders before taking his first outdoor batting-practice cuts of the spring . # With Moreno , trainers , coaches and instructors watching , Pujols ripped a few fastballs from hitting coach Mickey Hatcher for line drives and then launched a deep shot over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giant palm trees and disappearing into the brush . # " It 's too early for that , " a smiling Hatcher yelled as Pujols switched spots with Kendrys Morales , who will likely bat in the cleanup spot behind him . # Jumping to a new league and facing unfamiliar pitchers might unnerve some players . Not Pujols . He intends to dig into the batter 's box the same as always , square up a fastball the way he has for years and pad statistics that are likely to grace his plaque in Cooperstown. # " The game does n't change , " he said . " When I got into the big leagues in 2001 , I did n't know anybody , so that 's how I 'm going to take it . It 's a different league , but in 2001 I did n't know any pitchers around the league . It 's going to be a little different , but when it comes to playing the game , nothing has changed except that we have a DH in the American League . " # Pujols has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he will always have fond memories of his years with the Cardinals . # " You know what , I had a great time in St. Louis , " he said . " Obviously , 11 years , you do n't just flip the page and move on . There were some great moments . I was able to accomplish two World Series and that experience is something I want to bring to this city , to Anaheim , to this ballclub and have hopefully better seasons than I had in St. Louis and hopefully more championships . " # Pujols said he 's fine physically and dismissed the idea that a wrist injury that nagged him early last season lingers. # " Just look at my numbers after the wrist injury , " he said . " It does n't bother me at all . " # And neither does his decision to leave St. Louis , right after the Cardinals won the championship . # There was a point where it looked as if Pujols might stay with the Cardinals , and be that rare player in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one team . However , the second-largest contract in baseball history along with the chance to prolong his career as a DH and an additional 10-year personal services contract with the Angels was too much to resist . # It was time for him to go . # Pujols is pushing on . # " I ca n't go back and feel sorry , " he said . " It 's time to move forward . It 's like another chapter in my life and it 's time to open a new one . I do n't want to go look over my shoulder and regret the decisions I made . It was the best for me and my family " # # 
##4113758 Eurozone governments worked into the night on Monday , hoping to agree on a long-awaited rescue package for Greece that would save it from a potentially calamitous bankruptcy next month , but several key points of division remained , senior officials said . # Finance ministers meeting in Brussels Monday were still wrangling over how to reduce Greece 's debt load further and impose even tighter control over the country 's spending , and negotiations were expected to stretch late into the night . Rich countries like Germany and the Netherlands and the International Monetary Fund want to be sure that Athens can eventually survive without aid . # But after months of delays , time for Greece is running out . The country needs to secure the euro130 billion ( $170 billion ) bailout so it can move ahead with a related euro100 billion ( $130 billion ) debt relief deal with private investors . That deal needs to be in place quickly if Athens is to avoid a disorderly default on a bond repayment on March 20. # " I am of the opinion that today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any more time , " Jean-Claude Juncker , the prime minister of Luxembourg who also chairs the meetings of eurozone finance ministers , said as he arrived in Brussels . # An uncontrolled bankruptcy would likely force Greece to leave the 17-country currency union and return to its old currency , the drachma , further shaking its already beaten economy and creating uncertainty across Europe . # Heading into the meeting earlier Monday , ministers were optimistic that a deal could be reached . # " We now have all of the elements to achieve an agreement , " said French Finance Minister Francois Baroin . " Greece knows what it has to do , and we 'll watch over it continually . We also know what we have to do . " # But the finance ministers were also negotiating on several fronts , trying to move Greece 's other creditors to increase their commitments . Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos rushed to Brussels to back up his finance chief , Evangelos Venizelos , in talks with the IMF , the European Central Bank and representatives of private holders of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's debt down to around 120 percent of gross domestic product by 2020 the maximum the IMF sees as sustainable . At the moment , the country 's debt load stands at more than 160 percent . # Last week , a new report prepared by the European Commission , the ECB and the IMF concluded that the new bailout , Greek spending cuts , and a planned euro100 billion debt relief from private investors would still leave Greece 's debt at almost 129 percent of economic output by the end of the decade . # Ministers were exploring several options to close that gap , but as talks dragged on Monday , no final solution appeared imminent . # A Greek official said Monday morning that there seemed to be agreement on further reducing the interest rate on Greece 's first , euro110 billion bailout as well as having national central banks in the eurozone , which also hold some Greek bonds , participate in the debt relief . The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential . # However , other officials questioned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ECB would be willing to transfer profits from its Greek bond holdings back to Athens . # On the sidelines of the finance ministers meeting , Venizelos headed into a new round of talks with representatives of Greece 's private bondholders mostly banks and investment funds to explore whether they would be willing to accept further losses . # A current plan foresees private creditors swapping their old Greek bonds for new ones with half the face value , lower interest rates and much longer repayment periods . # But now some countries are pushing for bondholders to also give up on an accrued interest payment of around euro5.5 billion on their old bonds , a demand that could further discourage investors from signing up to the debt swap . # Amid the ever-changing mood over the country 's rescue , some frustration was setting in among the Greeks . # " Greece comes into today 's Eurogroup meeting having fulfilled all the requirements for the approval of the new program , " Venizelos said . " For Greeks , this is a matter of national dignity and a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be opposed to it . " # The Greek parliament has faced down violent protests to approve the austerity measures demanded by the eurozone . Its main political leaders have committed in writing to uphold the bailout terms even after general elections in April . On Monday in Athens , the government introduced in parliament another two pieces of emergency legislation that would introduce austerity measures including wage and pension cuts . # Despite Athens efforts , however , some countries have indicated their patience with Greece was growing short . # " We 've seen that Greece time and time again fails to satisfy the conditions that the international community makes . ... In the Netherlands , it really is an issue that you have to lend money to a country that for the umpteenth time has n't held itself to its agreements , " said Jan Kees de Jager , the finance minister from the Netherlands , which has been especially hard on Greece . " So it 's indeed essential to me , and also the Dutch government , that we have control over the money that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Greece is expected to be forced to set up a separate account that would ensure it services its debt . This escrow account would give legal priority to debt and interest payments over paying for government services . That would maintain pressure on Greece to stick to promised austerity and reform measures and spare the eurozone the risk of a destabilizing default . # The escrow account would , however , be an unprecedented intrusion into a sovereign state 's fiscal affairs and could ultimately see Greece forced to pay interest on its debt before paying salaries to teachers and doctors . # In addition , Greece 's international creditors would station permanent representatives in Athens to monitor the country 's progress . # Another issue under discussion is how much the IMF will contribute to the new rescue . The fund has provided one-third of the bailouts for Ireland and Portugal and Greece 's first rescue package . # " The indication is that the figure will be rather low , " a European Union official said , adding however that a final decision from the fund 's board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of anonymity because talks were not yet concluded . # Some worry that more austerity could exacerbate Greece 's problems by putting a stranglehold on growth . Prime Ministers from a dozen European countries including the U.K. , Italy and the Netherlands wrote a letter Monday to EU President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso calling for growth across the bloc . # " The crisis we are facing is also a crisis of growth , " the letter said . " It is now time to show leadership and take bold decisions which will deliver results that our people are demanding . " # Don Melvin in Brussels , Toby Sterling in Amsterdam , and Elena Becatoros and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens , Greece , contributed to this story. # # 