POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world. Click on the headlines for more.

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news:http://www.CNNPolitics.com

CNN: Obama outlines $3 trillion debt plan; GOP slams tax component
President Barack Obama released his long-awaited debt reduction plan Monday, outlining a roughly $3 trillion savings blueprint that was immediately criticized by top congressional and other Republicans.

CNN: Progressive groups warm to president over deficit reduction plan
Two leading national progressive groups that have been critical of President Barack Obama are applauding the president's plan to reduce the nation's budget deficit. …MoveOn.org says it's raising money in order to go up later this week with a 30-second television ad on national cable.

CNN: Bachmann: Campaign 'alive and well' after former manager says she won't last beyond Iowa
[Michele] Bachmann said her campaign is "alive and well" after [former campaign manager Ed] Rollins said in a cable television news interview that Bachmann doesn't have enough political mojo to make it beyond Iowa.

Houston Chronicle: Texas Tea Party to Rick Perry: ‘We are fed up’
Texas Tea Party leaders are unhappy with Gov. Rick Perry’s immigration-related positions and want him to call another special legislative session to give state lawmakers a third opportunity to ban sanctuary cities.

NATIONAL
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CNN: Repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' seen as 'tipping point' in gay rights movement
Advocates for the change overcame intense opposition from some who claimed allowing gay men and women to serve openly would hurt the military by making other troops uncomfortable and less effective, hurting morale and the military as a whole.

CNN: Georgia parole board hears last-ditch appeal from death-row inmate
Georgia's parole board heard a last-minute appeal Monday by Troy Davis, who is set to die by lethal injection for the murder 22 years ago of a Savannah police officer. …Since Davis' 1991 conviction, seven of the nine witnesses against him have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

CNN: FBI: 2010 sees further decline in violent crime
Violent crime in the United States declined 6% last year, according to statistics compiled by the FBI and released Monday. Despite difficult economic conditions, the 2010 figures show a continuing decline in violent incidents nationwide, which have been dropping annually since 2006.

Washington Post: A future for drones: Automated killing
One afternoon last fall at Fort Benning, Ga., two model-size planes took off, climbed to 800 and 1,000 feet, and began criss-crossing the military base in search of an orange, green and blue tarp. The automated, unpiloted planes worked on their own, with no human guidance, no hand on any control.

INTERNATIONAL
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CNN: Violence stokes fears of civil war in Yemen
A violent crackdown by Yemeni authorities has left dozens dead at protests, witnesses and medical officials said Monday. …An official with the human rights group Amnesty International said Yemen is on a "knife edge" and the situation could spiral into a civil war.

CNN: Diplomatic deals in play to avert Palestinian showdown at UN
While there are a number of ideas in play, senior U.S., European, Israeli and Palestinian officials have told CNN they center around Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivering a letter to the Security Council seeking full Palestinian statehood, but not forcing a Council vote.

CNN: News International to settle in hacking scandal
The publisher of the former News of the World newspaper is negotiating a settlement that would pay 2 million pounds (U.S. $3.1 million) to the family of a murdered U.K. teenager after journalists at the paper hacked into the girl's voice mail when she went missing, a company source told CNN on Monday.

CNN: NTC claims humanitarian disaster in Gadhafi stronghold
Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi are creating a humanitarian disaster in Bani Walid, the National Transitional Council's military spokesman charged Monday. Col. Ahmed Bani told reporters that Gadhafi forces are robbing food stores, leaving civilian residents to starve.

BUSINESS
For the latest business news:http://www.CNNMoney.com

CNNMoney: Stocks cut losses on hopes for Greece
U.S. stocks trimmed earlier losses by more than half Monday afternoon, amid hopes that Greece may avoid a default. But the uncertainty over the debt-laden nation's future still ended the market's 5-day winning streak.

CNNMoney: Greek default: What it would mean
A default in Greece could cause investors to flee the debt of other troubled European economies, including Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain. Investors trading in credit default swaps are now placing the chance of default in those countries at between 28% to 66%.

CNNMoney: S&P downgrades Italy on weak economic outlook
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut Italy's sovereign credit rating late Monday, saying the nation's weakening economic growth and political uncertainty have dented its financial stability.

In Case You Missed It…
A new book paints an unflattering picture of President Obama and his top aides. CNN's Brian Todd looks at the uproar.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2011/09/19/todd-obama-confidence-man.cnn