The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 1

Recovery has widened the gender gap7A Prize recruit awaits A rare glimpse of nod from NCAA 1C 'Cymb elineV Weekend High: 89 Weather, 3B Final Edition Greenville, South Carolina Friday, July 8, 2011 GreenvilleOnline.com A GANNETT COMPANY toamraai aoirges oiniapir mi i mr He rmunlle Mercs Political pain expected as lawmakers will meet at White House on Sunday the meeting vowing not to increase taxes, and Democrats came out vowing to protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts in benefits. That leaves the two sides short of even the lesser, $2.4 trillion goal a different group of negotiators sought for the past two months. The parties are still far apart on a wide range of issues," Obama said after the meeting. "Everybody ac knowledged that there's going to be pain involved politically on all sides." The latest threat of pain pointed Thursday at Social Security, which had been left largely out of the talks until now. The White House denied a report in The Washington Posf that 0-bama would consider cuts in the popular retirement program to help reduce the budget deficit, but that didn't stop House Demo roll tax increases or a hike in the retirement age.

But the money saved would go back into the trust fund to pay future benefits not to deficit reduction. Another proposal endorsed by two bipartisan deficit-reduction panels last year would change the inflation calculation used for Social Security cost-of-living increases. That See DEFICIT on page 4A crats and outside groups representing seniors, labor and liberals from issuing warnings. Social Security is on a path to insolvency, but with a separate trust fund, it does not directly contribute to the $1.5 trillion annual deficit or $14.3 trillion national debt Obama and lawmakers have consistently said it should be overhauled, which could include benefit cuts, pay That was the upshot Thursday from a White House meeting in which negotiators decided to try for the biggest possible deal by Aug. 2, when the government faces a possible default on its $14.3 trillion debt They will meet again Sunday.

Republicans went into Two Senate districts, formerly bound by county lines, will sweep across parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties Atlantis ready to roll into history 1 w- -l By Richard Wolf USA TODAY WASHINGTON President Obama and congressional leaders have agreed to seek about $4 trillion in savings from the spiraling national debt over the next decade. But with just 23 days to reach a deal, there's little else they agree on. 0 unaertne newpian. KM Current District 5 Nw Districts Current District 12 He District 12 I GreemSe i.Wi.'W" jr ajar T3i" -Z. 1 'fc a ft 4 New political districts cross county lines Shoopman, Bright trading parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties 1 ft Ek Space shuttle Atlantis is shown as the rotating service structure is moved away at Kennedy Space Center Thursday in Cape Canaveral.

Atlantis is scheduled to launch Friday on the final space shuttle mission. From first to last shuttles have landed on Michelins iLndnm 6 tommy ,1 Cfng hum goin( Springs f1, Dtehick hod 221 SUZIE RIDDLEStaff REVIEW THE MAPS Review new and old political boundaries at GreenvilleOnline.com travels the corridor regularly. Shoopman, who sat on the Senate Redistricting Subcommittee, said it made sense to include the rural parts of northern Spartanburg County Landrum and Campobel-lo included with the Greenville County areas such as Tigerville and Slater that share rural highways and common interests. Bright's new district encompasses more of the 1-85 corridor, with BMW, Michelin and numerous subdivisions and golf courses contained in the swath. In some ways, the new lines reflect how the busi- See LINES on page 4A INSIDE TAB People Abby TAB People TAB Area News IB Sports 1C Bridge TAB Television TAB Business 7A Theaters TAB Classifieds 6C Things To Do TAB Comics TAB Upstate Pets TAB Crossword-TAB U.SyWorid2A Horoscope TAB Voices 6A Kids Page TAB weekend TAB Obituaries 4B weather 3B wwuigreenfilleonline com Cirrulatum hotline 800-736-7136 OasstfeiAds 2984221 Copyright 2011 Greenvie News-Piedmont Co.

A Gannett Newspaper 135th year No 139-28 pages mama imikum mvtaanrn fi-oo FINAL LAUNCH At 11:26 a.m. today, shuttle Atlantis and four astronauts plan to blast off from Kennedy Space Center on the 135th and final mission, a 12-day supply run to the recently completed International Space Station. Watch the launch at GreenvilleOnline.com DAviD J. PhiluP Tne Associated Press he will watch on July 20, the 42nd anniversary of man's first steps on the moon, for the 135th scheduled touchdown at Kennedy Space Center on the See TIRES on page 3A TV By Woody White Staff writer rwwhiteSgreenvilleonline.com Tens of millions will fix their eyes on a television screen this morning, if the thunderstorms hold off, to watch Atlantis blast off on NASA's last shuttle mission, one big emotional send-off for a nation proud of its exploration of outer space. But for one Greenville company, the bigger tears will flow 12 days later when By Ben Szobody Staff writer bszobodygreenvilleonline.com Among the effects of new political boundaries emerging from the Legislature is a voting populace increasingly defined by lifestyle instead of by strict county line.

One of the most striking examples centers around Greer, where Sens. Phillip Shoopman and Lee Bright are swapping sections of Greenville and Spartanburg counties to make one district mostly rural and the other mostly suburban. The move puts both senators on two county delegations, introducing Bright to a Greenville constituency. "Obviously, I've got to get to know those folks in Greenville County that I'm going to be representing," said Bright, noting that he lives within four miles of Interstate 85 and i la v. saics tax.

6620 Scholarships rise for Greenville grads Atlantis comes back and touches Earth with its Michelins. Stan Mays, a technical engineer for Michelin North America, told GreenvilleOnline.com that it will be a proud day "but also kind of sad. The space program has been a big item for the whole nation. This is a sad time for me." Mays, 64, started work on the project in 1975 as a young engineer on Miche-lin's team developing the students lure college dip to the recession. This is the report that we wait for all year," she said.

"As you know, graduation is the goal." In Pickens County, this year's graduates earned $22.5 million in scholarships, with Easley High students claiming nearly half of that, at $9.3 million. Daniel grads had $7.5 miL lion, Pickens High totaled $5.7 million and Liberty, Unheard of low prices 10th! shuttle tire and is now the company's technical liaison with NASA. Michelin North America has been the sole tire supplier for the space shuttle program from the first launch in 1981. Mays said $1.7 million, according to district information. Anderson District 1 students lured $7.5 million in scholarship offers, and 86 percent of Wren High's graduates plan to go to college, according to spokeswoman Jane Harrison.

Three out of four Greenville County graduates said they plan to go on to higher education. This year, 3,902 Greenville County students earned high school diplo- See GRADS on page 3A Our CFO Pickens, Anderson 1 millions in offers for By Ron Bamett Staff writer rbarnettgreenvilleonline.com Greenville County's Class of 2011 pulled down $95 million in scholarship offers this year an increase of about $6 million over last year but still $4 million less than the year before, according to school district figures. Superintendent Phinnize Fisher attributed last year's GEORGE GARDNER Staff Greenville County's 3,902 graduates of the class of 2011 pulled down $95 million in scholarship offers this year. won't let us cut our prices anv lower uaox Hoy Souih Cqyo I inq No Sales Tail so we figure we pay your 3005 Kemet Way Simpsonville, SC High quality flooring Ends Sunday, July (864) 881 Carolina. Sale ends 710201 1.

Valid in the state of South amnwtw mmtmmmm.