GOP: Taxing wealthy would stifle growth
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Republicans said Sunday that President Obama's plan to raise taxes on millionaires, set to be announced Monday, would hurt economic growth.
As a way to pay for his job's plan, Obama is expected to announce cuts to the nation's debt by ensuring that the country's millionaires pay at least the same percent in taxes as middle-income taxpayers.
Chairman of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan, R.-Wis., said on "Fox News Sunday" the tax increase would stifle job growth.
"If you tax job creators more, you get less job creation. If you tax investment more, you get less investment," he said.
Ryan labeled Obama's tax increase as class warfare, saying there's little incentive to create jobs when U.S. businesses are taxed less than in other countries. He pointed to a law Obama pushed for 2013 that Ryan claimed would tax individual and small businesses up to 44.8 percent.
"The world taxes their businesses at about 25 percent and (Obama's) saying we're going to tax these (U.S.) job creators at above 45 percent with this new tax. What it does is it adds further instability to our system, more uncertainty and it punishes job creation and those people who create jobs," Ryan said.
Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain agreed, saying the millionaire tax is a "bad idea."
"If you were to tax the millionaires more using that bad idea, it still doesn't solve the problem of how to reduce the spending. So, that's just class warfare flowering in my opinion and it's not going to help," he said.
Gunman kills woman, wounds 2 pastors
LAKELAND, Fla., Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A gunman killed a woman in Lakeland, Fla., then burst into a nearby church service and wounded two pastors Sunday morning, police said.
The gunman was tackled by members of the congregation and held for police, Centeral Florida News 13, Orlando, reported. No others in the church were hurt.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Jeremiah Fogel, 57. The report gave no motive for the shootings, but police said more information would be forthcoming later Sunday.
Pastor William Boss and Associate Pastor Carl Stewart at Greater Faith Christian Church were transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center. The identity of the woman was not released.
Boss was shot in the head but the report said his injury was not considered life-threatening. Stewart was in critical condition and was undergoing surgery Sunday.
Central Florida News 13 said deputies were still to determine Sunday afternoon what led to the shootings.
At least 12 killed in northern India quake
NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Rescue efforts were under way Sunday in northern India where an earthquake caused damage and at least a dozen deaths, officials said.
The shaker was measured at magnitude 6.8 and was centered in Sikkim along India's mountainous border with Nepal and was felt as far away as New Delhi.
NDTV said power outages were widespread and several buildings in the Sikkim capital Gangtok suffered structural damage.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police were mobilized and the air force had dispatched five aircraft to the area to help with rescue efforts.
The India Meteorological Office said two aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.0 were recorded shortly after the primary quake.
Libya rebels say resistance will crumble
TRIPOLI, Libya, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Libyan loyalist troops remained dug in around two final holdout areas this weekend, but rebel commanders predicted their stand would not last much longer.
Despite stiff resistance, rebel commanders predicted the coastal city of Surt and the desert crossroads of Sabah would soon fall.
"I can say that things will change drastically in the upcoming days," Col. Ahmed Bani, spokesman for the National Transitional Council, told reporters in Tripoli Saturday.
CNN said the NTC downplayed the resistance and the continuing hunt for ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi. Bani noted that the few towns held by Gadhafi's forces were cut off and the rebels were pressing their attacks.
There were, however, some disturbing signs that the loyalists were not just running out the clock. CNN said there were reports that loyalists were holding civilians hostage in Bani Wadi and were well stocked with heavy arms.
The Los Angeles Times said the continued resistance coupled with Gadhafi's elusiveness could lead to a long-running insurgency that could complicate the transition of Libya to a democracy.
Meanwhile, NATO forces continued to provide air cover and naval support to the rebels. The alliance said in a written statement it flew 106 sorties Saturday, including 42 airstrikes that knocked out anti-aircraft installations and an assortment of vehicles.
