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February 14, 2012 | | TRANSPARENCY Following recent reports and protests over inhumane working conditions at its Chinese suppliers, Apple has asked an outside organization to audit its plants. Until recently the company has strongly resisted divulging information about its suppliers. The move is designed to forestall the kind of public-relations disasters that hit Nike, Gap, and other companies. In fact, the auditor, the Fair Labor Association, was formed out of a task force created by President Clinton and apparel companies, including Nike, to help combat child labor. Critics say the association isn't independent enough, but other analysts say the move could result in greater transparency throughout the industry. SUSPICIOUS Gen. Ziauddin Khawaja, an ex-security chief for Pakistan, has accused former president Pervez Musharraf of knowing where bin Laden was hiding and saying nothing. The Daily Beast’s Bruce Riedel on the explosive new charge, why Musharraf should be questioned next time he sets foot in America—and how the allegations could help find bin Laden’s al Qaeda successor, Ayman Zawahiri. Concession It looks like there may not be a major showdown over renewing the payroll-tax cut after all. House Republican leaders announced that they will support an extension of the tax holiday through the end of the year without demanding it be paid for by cuts elsewhere in the budget, as they had during the fight at the end of last year. The plan came as a surprise to many Republicans, several of whom vocally attacked the deal. Democrats appear warily optimistic, though some, including Nancy Pelosi, say they want to press for the inclusion of benefits, such as unemployment insurance, which the GOP leadership has separated from the tax-cut extension. MEMORIAL The funeral for Whitney Houston will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., the singer’s hometown. The Associated Press reports that Houston's body has landed in New Jersey, having flown on a private plane from Los Angeles. Police will then escort the body to Whigham Funeral Home. Houston's family is planning to hold a more intimate wake on Thursday before Friday's funeral service at the Prudential Center, which holds 18,000 people. The cause of death is still unknown, though it's understood she was found unconscious and underwater in a hotel tub. While Houston's death shocked her family and friends, she had reportedly been partying a lot in the week leading up to the Grammys. A source told People that the singer had been "on a downward spiral for a long time." Diplomacy China’s Vice President Xi Jinping is visiting the Oval Office today in a closely watched diplomatic mission. It's Xi’s first major step onto the international stage, a test run for when he takes over the presidency in March 2013. He's also the first high-ranking Chinese official to visit the U.S. since President Obama announced a military “pivot” toward Asia to counterbalance China's expansion in the region. Further complicating matters, China recently vetoed the United Nations resolution on Syria over the U.S.’s strenuous objections. China announced today that its envoy held talks with the head of the Arab League. | | 
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