S. Korea President Accepts PM's Resignation

SEOUL — South Korean President Geun-hye's office says she will accept her prime minister's resignation, but not until the Sewol ferry disaster has been brought under control.

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won offered his resignation earlier Sunday, following a public uproar over his government's response to the April 16 ferry disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing.

A somber-looking Chung announced his resignation in a brief televised address Sunday morning, saying "keeping my post is too great a burden on the administration."  The prime minister's position in South Korea is largely ceremonial, with the president wielding most of the power.

Chung said he would like to offer an apology to the people as a representative of their government. He said the government could not solve many problems that occurred in the process of preventing the incident, the initial response, and in controls afterwards.

12 days since sinking

The 5-story ship, the Sewol, capsized on April 16th southwest of mainland South Korea with 476 people on board and quickly sank.

Most were teenagers on a trip organized by their high school, just south of Seoul, to the resort island of Jeju.

Authorities were severely criticized for what many saw as a slow and poorly coordinated initial response to the disaster.

Inaccurate information on the numbers of rescued, passengers and missing made matters worse for already distraught parents.

Education authorities initially indicated most of those on board the sinking ship were rescued before corrections revealed the scale of the loss.

Hundreds of rescue divers were deployed but were hampered by weather, strong currents and poor visibility. Relatives of those on board, hoping for survivors, watched helplessly as it took days to get divers inside the sunken ship.

Bodies were still slowly being recovered more than a week later as bad weather continued to plague recovery efforts.

PM accepts blame

Prime Minister Chung, along with the Coast Guard chief, was in charge of the rescue operation. He says his resignation would be a sensible way to offer the people of South Korea an apology.

He said he should be responsible as a prime minister. He saw the pain of the families of victims who writhed in agony from losing their loved ones and the sorrow and anger of their people.

During separate visits to a gym on Jindo island housing the relatives, angry parents pounced on the prime minister and heckled the president.

Opposition politicians criticized the prime minister's offer to resign as irresponsible and demanded President Park be the one to apologize.

But most of South Korea's outrage is directed at the captain and crew in charge of steering the ship. They have been arrested and charged with negligence and violating maritime law for telling passengers to stay put and then later saving themselves.

It is still not clear what caused the ferry to sink. Investigators are looking into many possibilities including an alleged sharp turn, design or repair flaws, or overweight cargo.

Prime Minister Chung last week announced plans for a safety overhaul to prevent similar disasters.

He is not the only official to take a fall from the ferry disaster.

A Coast Guard official was removed from duty for remarks deemed insensitive to relatives of victims. Another official was fired for taking photos of worried relatives.

Resignations by prime ministers are not uncommon in South Korea. The mainly ceremonial nature of the post makes it convenient for prime ministers to take the blame during political crises.

The last prime minister to resign was Chung Un-chan under the previous president Lee Myung-bak. He twice in 2010 offered to step down for the party's defeat in regional elections and a then again for failing to stop an administrative relocation to a town south of Seoul.

Obama Faces Tough Questions on Malaysia Rights

KUALA LUMPUR — U.S. President Barack Obama is winding down a visit to Malaysia, where he faced tough questions Sunday on political freedoms in the country.  Next, the president heads to the Philippines, where U.S. officials confirm they will sign an agreement to rotate U.S. troops into Philippine military bases.   

After a lavish welcome on Saturday, President Obama on Sunday toured Malaysia's large National Mosque, which sits on more than five hectares and holds up to 15,000 people.

The mosque visit was a gesture of goodwill toward Malaysia's predominantly Muslim population. Obama sought to portray the country as a model of democracy and a model for coexistence between a Muslim majority and the sizable minorities of  Buddhists, Christians and Hindus.

Earlier, Obama held talks with Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak on the third leg of a four-nation tour of Asia - the first trip to the Southeast Asian nation by a sitting U.S. president in nearly five decades.

At a joint news conference Sunday, Razak expressed his gratitude for American help in the search for missing Malaysia Airline flight 370. Obama pledged to continue providing all the assistance possible in the search for the plane, which has been missing for seven weeks.

The two leaders said they had agreed to upgrade upper-level ties to a "comprehensive partnership," and to cooperate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact and the nuclear Proliferation Security Initiative, both of which Malaysia has opposed in the past.

Human rights

Not at the forefront of the president's visit were discussions on what critics say are the Malaysian government attempts to clamp down on press freedom and quash the opposition.  Obama's schedule did not include a meeting with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The government has for years been pursuing sodomy charges against Anwar in what his supporters say is an illegitimate attempt to keep him from running for office.  

At joint briefing with Razak, Obama was asked why he did not meet with Anwar.  

“The fact that I've not met with Anwar is in and of itself not indicative of a lack of concern given the fact that there are a lot of people I don't meet with and opposition leaders that I don't meet with, and that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about them,"  Obama said.

The U.S. president said he did raise the issue of civil liberties with Prime Minister Najib.   

“What I have shared with the prime minister is the core belief that societies that respect rule of law, that respect freedom of speech, that respect the right of opposition to oppose even when it drives you crazy, even when it's inconvenient, respect for freedom of assembly, the respect for people of different races and different faiths and different political philosophies, that those values are at the core of who the U.S. is but also are a pretty good gauge of whether society is going to be successful in the 21st century or not," said Obama.

On the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, Obama said the U.S. remains absolutely committed to providing whatever resources it can to facilitate the search.

Historical visit

Lyndon Johnson was the last U.S. president to travel to Malaysia in 1966 during the Vietnam War, when the United States was working to maintain support among its Southeast Asian allies against the spread of communism.  Now, Obama has a different challenge in the region:  the threat of China's expanding military and - primarily - its growing assertiveness in the East and South China Seas, where it has competing territorial claims with a number of countries.

Those claims and the threats they pose to regional security are the main theme in the Philippines, his fourth stop on this Asian tour. The Philippines and China are locked in a dispute over islands in the South China Sea.  

The major item on the president's agenda in Manila is an agreement on enhanced defense cooperation to rotate U.S. troops into the country and station them temporarily on Philippine military bases.  It would allow for the largest U.S. military presence in the country since the Philippines ended the leases on U.S. bases more than two decades ago.

The agreement says U.S. troops can come only by invitation of the Philippine government.  But critics say the deal violates Philippine sovereignty and have staged demonstrations ahead of Obama's arrival.

Pope Francis Canonizes 2 Predecessors

Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, proclaimed two of his predecessors ‒ John XXIII and John Paul II ‒ as saints at a ceremony Sunday in St. Peter's Square.  

Officials say as many as one million people crowded St. Peter's and the nearby streets of Rome for the elevation-to-sainthood ceremony.  

Francis read the formal proclamation at the canonization Mass also attended by emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

It is the first time two former popes have been elevated to sainthood at the same time.  

Relics of the two new saints were brought to the altar during the ceremony -- John Paul's blood used in his 2011 beatification, and a small piece of John's skin taken after his body was exhumed for his 2000 beatification. Relics are used to help the faithful venerate.    

Churches throughout Rome were open Saturday night, filled with pilgrims from around the world who came to witness the canonization of the two 20th century popes.  

The newly canonized popes are widely seen as representing contrasting factions of the Roman Catholic Church.

John, an Italian also known as the "Good Pope" because of his friendly and open personality, died before the Second Vatican Council ended its work in 1965, but his initiative set off one of the greatest upheavals in church teaching in modern times. 

The Council ended the use of Latin at Mass, brought in the use of modern music, and opened the way for challenges to Vatican authority, which alienated some traditionalists.
John Paul continued some of the reforms but tightened central control, condemned theological renegades and preached a stricter line on social issues.

Groups representing victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests say he did not do enough to root out a scandal that emerged towards the end of his pontificate and which has hung over the church ever since.

Both canonizations have involved some intervention with the normally strict rules governing the declaration of a saint. Francis ruled that only one miracle was needed to declare John a saint, while Benedict waived a rule that normally requires a five-year waiting period before the preliminaries to sainthood can even begin in order to speed up John Paul's canonization.

Mediators in Ukraine to Negotiate Release of Detained Observers

— A group of European monitors detained by pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine appeared in public Sunday to give assurances they are not being mistreated, even as negotiations began to secure their release.

With armed rebels watching as they spoke, the leader of the monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, German Colonel Axel Schneider, assured reporters in Slovyansk they were in good health.

The insurgents called the eight military observers "prisoners of war." Schneider said they were being held for political reasons.

"Our presence here in Slovyansk is for sure a political instrument for the decision-makers here in the region, and the possibility to use it for negotiations."

The OSCE sent a team of negotiators to eastern Ukraine to meet with the self-proclaimed mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, about freeing the military monitors.

The rebels also displayed three bloodied and blindfolded officers from Ukraine's Security Service it captured. The officers were shown with heads bowed, and stripped of their pants and shoes.

Meanwhile, at a news conference in Malaysia, U.S. President Barack Obama warned economic sanctions against Russia will be stiffened because he said Moscow is encouraging unrest in the largely Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.

"There is strong evidence that they have been encouraging the kinds of activities that taking place in eastern and southern Ukraine and so, collectively, us and the Europeans have said that so long as Russia continues down the path of provocation rather than try to resolve this issue peacefully and de-escalating, there are going to be consequences. And those consequences will continue to grow."

In a joint statement late Friday, the Group of Seven major economies announced it had agreed to "move swiftly" on new sanctions against Russia because of its interference in Ukraine.

The G-7 nations said they would take measures to intensify "targeted sanctions" against Moscow. A U.S. official said the penalties could take effect as early as Monday.

Obama says the U.S. and Europe must act together in levying sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine that he says threaten that country's independence and sovereignty.

The American leader said a deal had been reached with Russia to de-escalate the crisis, but "Russia has not lifted a finger to help."

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for Russian support "without preconditions" for efforts to free the European monitors seized Friday.



A senior State Department official said Kerry delivered his demand in a telephone call to Russian 
counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Moscow later said it is taking what it called "all measures to resolve the situation," but blamed Ukrainian authorities for failing to secure the safety of the team.

The German-led OSCE team was acting under the authority of a four-party agreement directing the OSCE to monitor security and human rights in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east and south. The deal, reached in Geneva, was signed by Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union.

Separately, interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters Saturday that Russian aircraft had violated Ukrainian airspace seven times overnight.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its "objective monitoring of the air situation" had not detected any overflight violations.

Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, VOA correspondent Brian Padden says he was confronted by an angry mob Saturday as he tried to cover a rally in front of an occupied building. He says protesters accused him of supporting a "fascist" U.S. government.

Armed pro-Russian gunmen have seized government facilities in about 10 cities in eastern and southern Ukraine, and are demanding a referendum on whether to secede from the country and join Russia.

INVESTMENT ADVISORS OPT FOR OPTIONS

Financial advisors are increasing their usage of options both as an investment choice for clients and as a way to hedge client positions.

“We’ve seen a notable increase in trading and inquiries surrounding options and options-based strategies by advisors,” said Dan Carver, options trader at Fidelity Capital Markets.

A 2011 survey by Bellomy Research on behalf of The Options Industry Council (OIC) provided a benchmark measure of options usage among advisors, and insights into how, when and why advisors used options and a comparison of advisors who use options with those who do not.

“The CBOE and OIC have expanded their educational resources over the last few years in response to that,” Carver said. “The OIC in 2012 offered its first conference geared toward this segment of institutional investors and together with ongoing educational support from the industry the conversion rate has the potential to grow further.”

One of the key findings of the survey was that options have gone mainstream. The survey found 48% of advisors reported using options at least once in a client account in 2010 and one-third planned to increase their usage going forward.

“Advisors will generally use options to derive income via covered call writing or for use in protecting a portion of their client’s portfolio,” said Carver. “While some are actively managing client-specific stock risk themselves, others are choosing to allocate to sub-advisors who run a base options strategy, ’40 Act fund, or an active ETF.”

Another finding was that usage by advisors is broad and deep. While covered call writing is the most popular options strategy, the majority of advisors are also using options to hedge client positions or to acquire stock for a client’s portfolio at a specified price and time in the future.

Additionally, advisors that use options had significantly more successful practices. According to the survey, 85% of advisors with books of business over $100 million use options, while only 38% of those with under $100 million use options. Inflows into options strategies were very positive in 2013 despite the steady market run-up.

“Most likely, it’s due to limited expertise in the product compared to equities,” Carver said. “Pension funds are a good example of limited option usage. This is due mainly to pension boards who may perceive options as risk enhancing rather than risk reducing. Pensions represent the largest untapped pool of potential options business.”

On The Scene: Ukrainian Military Helicopter Downed

KRAMATORSK, UKRAINE — VOA reporters were on the scene as a Ukrainian military helicopter exploded at a base near the eastern town of Kramatorsk on Friday, apparently after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

A local resident saw the explosion but not what caused it.

“Something exploded,” he said. “Then the helicopter caught fire. We saw nothing. We did not see the any people near the helicopter.”

Multiple explosions followed and echoed throughout the surrounding area.

Officials in Kyiv said the explosion was caused by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Until the blasts, the air base was quiet, except for a few protesters manning a makeshift checkpoint. They said they were there to defend local people from the Ukrainian military.

Afterward, security forces cleared out the protesters.

Area residents like Sergei Kalina said that civilians could get hurt during these military operations.

"Schools are closed,” he said. “Kindergartens are closed. How are we not worried?"

Ukraine Crisis Impacts Turkey's Economy

ISTANBUL — With the crisis continuing to deepen in Ukraine, concern is growing in neighboring Turkey about the economic fallout, but Ankara also sees opportunities.

Rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia are putting regional neighbor Turkey in an increasingly difficult position, having close political and economic ties with its Western allies and Moscow.

A visiting scholar of the Brussels based Carnegie Europe Institute, Sinan Ulgen, said there are significant risks to Turkey.

"The political economic risks are increasing, because the more the West hardens its position against Russia, the more it talks about introducing sanctions, the more difficult it will be for Turkey to keep a balanced act with Russia and the West," said Ulgen.

Even though Ankara criticized Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, it has not followed its Western allies and imposed economic sanctions on Russia, which is Turkey’s sixth-largest export market.

In a move seen as a goodwill gesture by Ankara to Moscow, the Turkish national air carrier Turkish Airlines announced the resumption of flights to Crimea. While observers say Ankara has tried to stay on the sidelines, Finans Bank chief economist Inan Demir warns that Turkey will not be able to escape the financial fallout from the crisis.

"If we see the tensions escalating further, then perhaps investors will take another look, and that will not be in the emerging markets' favor either. Even though there is some scope for capital outflows from Russia finding their way to Turkey, I think the broader emerging markets' sentiment will be weaker and that will have an indirect effect on Turkey as well," said Demir.

With Russia providing half of Turkey’s natural gas needs, much of which comes from a pipeline running through Ukraine, analysts warn the Turkish economy is vulnerable to disruption.

Energy also represents the potential for powerful leverage by Moscow against Ankara, like the rest of Europe, according to political consultant Atilla Yesilada of Istanbul-based Global Source Partners.

But Yesilada also says the Ukraine crisis could eventually be to Ankara’s advantage.

"One way to effectively discipline Russia is to create an alternative to Gazprom’s monopoly on most of European natural gas services, and that could be to accelerate building the Iraqi-Kurdish gas pipeline to Turkey, and then eventually to persuade Ankara help keep peace with Cyprus and to reconcile with Israel, so undersea pipelines can be built to Turkey," said Yesilada.

Cyprus and Israel have recently discovered large natural gas reserves and analysts say that could help Europe diversify its gas supply and lessen dependence on Russia. But aware of Europe’s talk of diversification, Gazprom is seeking to shore up its relations with Turkey, its second-largest customer after Germany.

This week Gazprom deputy head, Alexander Medvedev, held talks with Turkish energy minister Taner Yildiz to expand cooperation between the countries.

While the deepening crisis in Ukraine poses economic risks to Turkey in the short-term, analysts predict ultimately the crisis could be a catalyst leading to Ankara’s achieving a key strategic goal of establishing itself as a regional energy hub.

Obama: US, Europe Must Act Collectively Against Russia

U.S. President Barack Obama says the U.S. and Europe must act together in levying sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine that he says threaten that country's independence and sovereignty.

The president, speaking Sunday in Malaysia, said the U.S. and Europe must act collectively, showing Russia the world is united in initiating sanctions.

Mr. Obama said a deal had been reached with Russia to de-escalate the crisis, but "Russia has not lifted a finger to help."

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for Russian support "without preconditions" for efforts to free European monitors seized Friday by pro-Russian gunmen in eastern Ukraine.

A senior State Department official said Kerry delivered his demand in a telephone call to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Moscow later said it is taking what it called "all measures to resolve the situation," but blamed Ukrainian authorities for failing to secure the safety of the team.

Near the eastern city of Slovyansk, separatists on Friday seized a bus carrying more than a dozen people from the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe .

The German-led monitoring team was acting under the authority of a four-party agreement directing the OSCE to monitor security and human rights in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east and south. The deal, reached in Geneva, was signed by Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union.

Separately, interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters Saturday that Russian aircraft had violated Ukrainian airspace seven times overnight.

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said its "objective monitoring of the air situation" had not detected any overflight violations.

Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, VOA correspondent Brian Padden says he was confronted by an angry mob Saturday as he tried to cover a rally in front of an occupied building. He says protesters accused him of supporting a "fascist" U.S. government.

Armed pro-Russian gunmen have seized government facilities in about 10 cities in eastern and southern Ukraine, and are demanding a referendum on whether to secede from the country and join Russia.

In a joint statement late Friday, the Group of Seven major economies announced it had agreed to "move swiftly" on new sanctions against Russia because of its alleged interference in Ukraine.

The G-7 nations said they would take measures to intensify "targeted sanctions" against Moscow. A U.S. official said the penalties could take effect as early as Monday.

Ukraine's PM Accuses Russian Military of Airspace Violations

Ukraine's prime minister says Russian military aircraft have repeatedly crossed into Ukraine's airspace, in what he called Russian aggression designed to undermine global security.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters Saturday that Russian forces had "violated" Ukrainian airspace seven times overnight.

"We do understand the reason Russian military did it. The only reason is to provoke Ukraine to strike missile and to accuse Ukraine of waging the war to Russia," he said.

On Friday, U.S. military officials also said Russian aircraft had flown into Ukrainian airspace, a charge Russia denies.

In a Saturday statement carried by the Itar Tass news agency, Russia's Defense Ministry said its "objective monitoring of the air situation" had not detected any air border violations.
Prime Minister Yatsenyuk had made the accusation in Rome, after announcing he was cutting short a trip to Italy that included talks with Pope Francis.

The pontiff told Yatsenyuk that he would "do everything possible" to promote peace in Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists continue to occupy government buildings in about a dozen cities in eastern Ukraine.

According to VOA correspondent Brian Padden, who is on the ground in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, anti-American sentiment appears to be on the rise among pro-Russian separatists.
An angry mob confronted him on Saturday as he tried to cover a rally in front of an occupied building. He says protesters accused him of supporting a "fascist" U.S. government.

"As we were walking away, the crowd just got more angry and started following us and one guy tried to grab my colleague's camera," he said. "I tried to stop him. Then he grabbed me and another guy came with a baton. But before anything could really deteriorate into a real scuffle, the police kind of came between all of us and pulled us out and we just kept walking."

International monitors

In another development, Russia vowed to help free a team of international military observers who are being detained by pro-Russian separatists who suspect the observers are "NATO spies."

On Friday, the separatists seized a bus carrying more than a dozen people from the Vienna-based Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), near the town of Slovyansk.

According to a senior State Department official, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday demanded full Russian support "without preconditions" in efforts to free the European monitors.

Kerry delivered his demand during a telephone call to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who said Ukraine must stop its military operations in the country's southeastern region as part of efforts to end the crisis.

In a statement, Moscow later said it is taking what it called "all measures to resolve the situation," but blamed Ukrainian authorities for failing to secure the safety of the OSCE team.

In a Saturday statement, a White House official said U.S. President Barack Obama underscored the importance of solidarity in responding to Ukraine's crisis during talks with his European counterparts.

Earlier, the Group of Seven major economies announced it had agreed to "move swiftly" on new sanctions against Russia because of its alleged actions in Ukraine.

In a joint statement, the G-7 nations of Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.S. said they would take measures to intensify "targeted sanctions" against Moscow.

A U.S. official said the sanctions could begin as early as Monday.

On Saturday, about 150 U.S. troops arrived in Lithuania. They are part of a U.S. contingent of about 600 troops being deployed to the region.

Russia's Ukraine Policy Part of Broader Shift

Russia’s intervention in Ukraine has surprised many experts, but some say it should have been expected based partly on its interaction with Armenia last fall

Chinese Rejection of Some GMO Corn Worries US Farmers

Factory Owners Boycott Wage Talks for Cambodian Garment Workers

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — Demonstrators and police clashed Friday outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court building where 23 labor activists were brought for trial following their arrests in January. The activists face charges related to incitement of violence in the protests. They were arrested following garment sector protests in which security forces killed least four people and wounded dozens more. The workers had been demanding a doubling of the country's minimum wage. One of the accused, union activist Von Pov, talked Friday with reporters outside the courthouse. “I need freedom. It's unjust. I do everything for the Khmer people. I am innocent,” he said. Supporters say the 23 activists are being prosecuted as a deterrent against further labor demonstrations. About 100 supporters clashed with an equal number of riot police outside the court, with a number of protesters being injured. Protester Kek Chanreaksmey told VOA she was kicked and beaten by police, but that she stood by the labor activists. “Our protest is to demand the Cambodian court to deliver justice to us, not just the 23. There must be justice for all of us because the court system must be independent and no one can dictate it,” she said. The hearings are scheduled to resume May 5.

Obama Makes Landmark Visit to Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR — President Barack Obama has become the first U.S. president to visit Malaysia in nearly half a century. Obama on Saturday arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the third stop on an Asian tour aimed at reassuring allies in the region. President Barack Obama is the first American leader to set foot in Malaysia since President Lyndon Johnson came here in 1966. With a red carpet, and an elaborate honor guard at a ceremony in central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's King, Sultan Abdul Halim and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak welcomed Mr. Obama on this two-day visit aimed at strengthening already robust trade and security ties. Malaysia is predominantly Muslim and the national Mosque is on the president's itinerary as a gesture of good will. Obama arrived here from South Korea, where he offered reassurances to his allies as North Korea appears to prepare another nuclear test. Before departing Seoul, the president spoke at Yongsan Garrison to some of the 28,000 troops the U.S. has stationed in South Korea. Referring to North Korea, he said real strength lies not in military displays but in allowing democracy, free speech, and open markets that lift millions out of poverty. “We don't use our military might to impose these things on others, but we will not hesitate to use our military might to defend our allies and our way of life," he said. The president gave his condolences to South Koreans following the loss of more than 300 people in the recent ferry disaster. He comes to Malaysia as the country remains preoccupied with last month's mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 with 239 people aboard. At a state dinner Saturday, the Malaysian monarch thanked Obama for U.S. cooperation in the ongoing search for the missing plane.

Obama: Congress Needs to Act on Minimum Wage

U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Congress to pass a bill raising the the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. The president said in his weekly address "nearly three in four Americans support raising the minimum wage," a move that would affect almost 28 million people across the country. Obama said the average minimum wage worker is 35 years old and works hard," often in physically demanding jobs. The U.S. leader said Republicans in Congress are blocking the wage increase and some want "to get rid of it entirely." President Obama said Republicans have voted more than 50 times to undermine or repeal the Affordable Care Act that provides health care to millions of people. He said Congress should vote at least once to raise the minimum wage for millions of working families. In the Republican address Saturday, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said the federal government needs to get out of the way as small businesses try to plan for the future. Boehner said House Republicans are pursuing economic initiatives that put jobs first.