Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Independence Day!

BREAKING NEWS

Saturday, July 4, 2009

For the entire news of the day as well as archived news and information on domestic and international policy ,

visit the  E-NewsBriefing below

Friday, July 3, 2009

For the entire news of the day as well as archived news and information on domestic and international policy ,

visit the  E-NewsBriefing below

Proposal that requires parental consent for abortion is certified (Alaska)

Advocates want abortion question back on ballot (Colorado)

Obama Supports ‘Robust' Protection for Catholic Health-Care Workers (President Barack Obama said today that he still favors a "robust" federal policy protecting health-care workers who have moral objections to performing some procedures even though he plans to roll back a Bush administration rule that expanded such protection.)

Cheb Mami awaits verdict in forced abortion case (Two women and a man then tried to carry out an abortion on her. Returning to France, the woman learned that her pregnancy had not been terminated and went ...)

Abortion decline may be due to family planning access (Wisconsin)

Is Adoption Reform Common Ground on Abortion?

Pope accepts resignation of Brazilian who spoke about girl's abortion

In the firing line for abortion (Dr George Tiller)

Women Against Abortion petition signed by more than 30000 in Spain

Schweppe: Abortion is culprit in problem with low birth weights

Obama Administration Calls for Universal Access to Abortion at U.N. Meeting

Sunday School class using dolls as visual abortion protest

Karzai's pardons hurt US antidrug efforts (Afghan President Hamid Karzai; When five drug traffickers in military uniforms were caught transporting heroin in a police truck in 2007, it was a victory for a dogged team of Afghan investigators and their US mentors who are waging a Quixotic battle against narcotics, the nation's largest industry. )

U.S. seeks to ensure Afghan elections

Dug-in Taliban spread terror in shadows

Afghanistan: Operation Hope in Hell  (It may take some time for the US marines to convince the local population in Helmand that they are there to protect, not kill them)

Early success as US Marines flood into Helmand

Taliban Slip Away From Surge Battle

U.S. Faces Resentment in Afghan Region (A new American military operation in southern Afghanistan may ignite further tensions among a weary population, residents and local officials warn. )

African leaders reach deal on new AU Authority

Tomato plants pulled from stores in 6 states due to late blight

Islamic revival tests Azerbaijan's tolerance

Shares close lower on Wall St lead

Toyota Australia's 'top seller'

Town offers $1 rents to break resident drought (A tree change could cost families less than a cup of coffee, with a drought-hit Mallee town offering farmhouses for a dollar a week.)

New dinosaurs found in Australia  (Three new dinosaur species are found in Queensland, Australia, and named after the Outback song Waltzing Matilda. )

Services sector takes unexpected rise (Rising confidence among consumers about the outlook for the economy has helped the services sector expand for the first time in 15 months in June, a survey shows.)

Brothels put on staff for US navy (Perth brothels are increasing staff to contend with the arrival of two US warships carrying more than 5400 sailors.)

Child abuse six times higher for Aborigines

What the future of the auto industry will look like

'New GM' envisions initial public stock offering in 2010

GM Bondholders Try to Block Firm's Sale (One of the main challengers to the proposed sale of General Motors on Thursday urged a federal bankruptcy judge to act as a check on an "overbearing" government and reject the restructuring plan pursued by the Obama administration.)

Ford bets new 2010 Taurus will be key to its future

Happy Upside-down Day, America (It's Independence Day, but only for those of us who refuse to be eaten by Fedzilla.)

Government's Comedy of Errors (Government-run plans don't save money; they add costs. Those who claim otherwise ignore history. )

Brazil's Lula scolds rich nations on migration

Arab group disavows Canada Day diatribe  (The head of the Canadian Arab Foundation has distanced himself from an anti-Canadian rant posted on a Facebook site by an official of the group.)

Canada a 'genocidal state': former Arab Federation VP  (A former vice-president of the Canadian Arab Federation is not backing down after posting “F--- Canada Day” on his personal Facebook page...)

Globe and Mail management, union agree on tentative deal

Debt tripping up Canadians

Canadian Arab Federation takes Conservatives to court

Retirement age needs to be 70: think-tank

Manitoba sends $1.2M in munitions to Saudi Arabia

Grand Jury Inquiry on Destruction of C.I.A. Tapes

Chinese Fireworks Display  (When contemplating the United States and its future, it's impossible not to think about America's role in the world and its relationship with China.)

China: carbon tariff could trigger trade war

China's Green Dam project will go ahead

Deadly bus blaze in SW China deliberate

Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese Desert

Thousands flee south China floods

Cuba hope for Chernobyl children  (Young victims continue to receive treatment in Cuba two decades after Ukrainian nuclear disaster )

North Korea starts the fireworks early

Pyongyang plans fourth of July fireworks (United States officials are scrambling for a response as North Korea reportedly plans a fireworks display to mark US Independence Day in the form of a long-range Taepodong-2 missile test. As a military reaction could lead to nuclear war, perhaps the Treasury Department is right to concentrate on attacking Pyongyang's finances.)

North Korea launches ... beer ad

North Korea Test-Fires 4 Short-Range Missiles

Could a North Korean missile reach Hawaii?  (North Koreans on Thursday tested several short-range missiles, but their track record on longer-range missile technology has been poor.)

More Jobs Lost   (With job losses already far exceeding four million since the recession began, the Obama administration must start preparing for a tough legislative fight over more stimulus. AVIPP COMMENTARY: Another stimulus plan will cause more jobs to be lost and the economy to decline further.  If the Obama administration big government intervention programs are not stopped the US will lapse into a depression.)  

45% of Voters Say One-Party Rule Bad for U.S., 27% Disagree

Dearborn Silences Arab Christians (Do Dearborn residents have First Amendment rights? Not if they're trying to convert Muslims. ...)

 Flag Burning and Free Speech   (The Founding Fathers agreed that the First Amendment protected 'symbolic expression.')

Jefferson jury hears secret FBI tapes  (Secretly recorded conversations played Thursday at the corruption trial of former US Representative of Louisiana  William J Jefferson revealed what prosecutors say is the Louisiana Democrat soliciting bribes.)

Guantanamo suspect to be tried in U.S. court in 2010

Hawaii judge blocks furloughs for thousands of state workers

W.Va. Supreme Court delays ruling in DuPont appeal

Lawsuit claims Conyers did nothing to stop harassment (Detroit, Michigan; One week after pleading guilty to a five-year felony, Monica Conyers faces more legal woes, after a former staffer filed a lawsuit this week alleging the councilwoman threatened to fire her over handwriting, coffee cups and telephone greetings. )

Hawaii judge blocks furloughs for thousands of state workers

Unions sue over pension changes (Police and firefighter unions filed twin class-action lawsuits against Massachusetts yesterday, arguing that a new law designed to curb pension abuse illegally strips them of benefits guaranteed by the state constitution and …)

 In New York City, Fewer Murders on Rainy Days (An analysis of rainfall and homicides for the last six years shows that when it rains substantially in the summertime, there are fewer homicides. )

Police: S.C. shootings of farmer, 2 women linked to same killer

Bus stop shooting suspect released (Jamel Turner, the 18-year-old whom Detroit police identified as a suspect in Tuesday's shootings of seven teens near Cody 9^th  Grade Academy, was released Thursday from custody because there wasn't enough evidence to charge him with a crime, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.)

Bentley slaying might have cartel link (California, The Los Angles Police Department is investigating whether a December shooting on the 101 Freeway near downtown may have stemmed from an Arellano Felix drug rivalry. )

Tennessee Wins Ruling on Execution (A federal appeals court overturned a lower court's finding that the state's lethal injection procedure is unconstitutional. )

Hitman sentenced  to death by injection  (Georgia)

Liberty And Liberation On July 4

Free Men and Free Markets (As we celebrate America's independence, let us not forget its enterprise.)

44% Say America's Best Days In the Past, 38% Say Best Is Yet To Come

Rockets' red scare (Americans will celebrate their freedom on Independence Day with a certain irony tomorrow. Not all Americans have the freedom to ...)

233 Years Later, a New Independence Push  (Today, as it was 233 years ago, it will take more than our public leaders to keep America independent. )

Making History  (In appreciation of our country's founders and its greatest living historian.)

Our Declaration of Independence (We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator ...)

Remembering What the Declaration of Independence is Not

The Last Best Hope of Earth  (Independence Day is much more than just an American holiday.)

Integrity of Federal 'Organic' Label Questioned (Three years ago, US Department of Agriculture employees determined that synthetic additives in organic baby formula violated federal standards and should be banned from a product carrying the federal organic label. Today the same additives, purported to boost brainpower and vision, can be found in...)

USDA seeks approval to reopen shipping of citrus from Florida

DHS Cybersecurity Plan Will Involve NSA, Telecoms

Emerging-Markets Share of World Stocks Hits Record; China Tops $3 Trillion

World markets slide on grim US jobs report

Asian stocks fall following release of U.S. jobs report

New data indicate recovery not near

Joblessness Hits 9.5%, Deflating Recovery Hopes (The pace of job losses quickened last month with the American economy shedding 467,000 jobs, as unemployment rose to its highest level in 26 years. )

Another stimulus will have same result as first (Be sure to thank the President and Congress. This week, with news of some 467,000 jobs lost in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the US has now lost about 2 million jobs since the economic stimulus package was passed. Even more notable is that the average workweek has been...)

Stock markets slide in US and Europe

Stop The Madness That's Killing Jobs (More grim news — 467,000 jobs lost in June, with unemployment hitting a 26-year high of 9.5 percent Some people are rightly starting to wonder: Where's that stimulus we were promised?)

Stagnant Pay Stalls Potential Recovery

Everyday Job Growth, Wal-Mart-Style (U. nonfarm payroll employment has declined by 6.5 million jobs since the recession started in December 2007. One exception is Wal-Mart, which has expanded its domestic work force by 40,000 (2.9 percent) and announced June 3 that it will add 22,000 jobs in its US stores in 2009.)

New Evidence on the Foreclosure Crisis

A decade of new jobs — all gone (How bad is this recession? Here's one measure: The US has fewer jobs than it did nine years ago, even though the work force — the number of people either working or looking for work — has grown by 12.5 million people since then.  )

5 percent unemployment: still a decade away?  (The economy is recovering, but forecasters suggest that America is headed for a third straight 'jobless recovery.' )

Tilting at Windmill Jobs

Don't Put Too Much Stock in Economic Good News

EDUCATION (Click On To View)

Oil hovers above $66 in Asia after weak jobs data

Obama Should Stop Mountaintop Mining (When will President Obama end mountaintop removal coal mining?)

Energy job losers could get windfall

The EPA Silences a Climate Skeptic

Georgian commanders proved blamed for attack on South Ossetia

EU ambassadors leave Honduras

Gangsters stand for election in Bulgaria (Reputed mobsters are freed to campaign in Sunday's election under a loophole giving immunity from prosecution to candidates)

Europe Releases $1.7 Billion to Ailing Latvia

FBI chief defended Saudis (The pro-Saudi bias of former FBI director Louis Freeh during the investigation of the 1996 Khobar Towers terror bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 United States airmen shut down a probe in which Osama bin Laden was clearly implicated. Had the case run its course, the US may not have been so brutally blindsided by 9/11.)

Banks trim borrowing from Fed's emergency program

FTC Urged to Require Liability Warnings on Chryslers (Consumer groups petitioned the Federal Trade Commission yesterday to require that Chrysler vehicles display stickers warning prospective buyers of liability risks.)

Banks raise fees to pump up income

 Air France plane didn't break up? Skepticism grows.  (Many wonder how French investigators, who announced their findings Thursday, could arrive at that conclusion when so little evidence has been recovered. )

France seeks to bank on war-wrecked Iraq

France imports UK electricity as plants shut (EDF's reactors are generating the lowest level of electricity in six years, forcing the utility to turn to Britain for supplies)

Prosecutors: Demjanjuk fit to stand trial  (German prosecutors say doctors have determined that John Demjanjuk is fit to stand trial over allegations that he was an accessory to murder at a Nazi death camp.)

Journalists protest Global Warming spin cycle (Even journalists are beginning to revolt at tactics the government is now using to spin the Global Warming myth.)

F-35 Program Takes Heat from GAO (The US Congress and military divisions are not cooperating to shrink the gap between defunct …)

Top Greek judge's car, tax office hit by bombs

Swine flu outbreak will get worse, officials warn (Officials, many of whom are now meeting in Mexico, say the US, Mexico and Canada fear that a stronger virus will return north with the winter cold. )

Plan To Slash U.S. Health Costs May Be Tough Pill To Swallow

Promise-Driven Healthcare  (Why ObamaCare cannot deliver. ....)

Are American Hospitals Behind the Disaster Curve? (The average wait to be seen in US emergency rooms in 2005 was 3 hours and 42 minutes. )

The Elephant in the Room: Obama's plan? Or yours?  (We should choose a health-care system in which decisions are made closer to home.)

Hospitals nearing a deal with W.H.  (Three hospital associations are closing in on providing $150 billion in savings to pay for health care reform. )

Michael Jackson to be buried in gold plated coffin  (Michael Jackson will be buried in a solid bronze, gold-plated coffin worth $25,0000, it has been reported )

Honduras And Drugs (A Honduran official has warned that deposed President Mel Zelaya was in league with Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez to ship drugs to the US If true, can this really be the man the US wants back in power?)

Honduran coup leaders soften stance before OAS visit

Hands Off Honduras! (Why is President Obama in camp with Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega and Hugo Chavez? AVIPP COMMENTARY: President Obama is a Marxist just like Castro, Ortega and Chavez that is why he is not support Honduras. )

U.S. reaction to Honduras coup could enhance image in region

Envoy Prepares to Visit Honduras, Warning of Obstacles (The head of the Organization of American States said he was prepared to call for sanctions if he failed during a visit to the country. )

Honduras Coup May Be Legitimate (Honduras is guilty of two sins: impatience and size. The rest of the world is committing two more: hubris and hypocrisy.)

Honduras coup spotlights Latin America's growing instability  (Unrest has also erupted in Guatemala and Nicaragua in the past year, and the region is dealing with powerful organized crime and drug traffickers. )

Honduran Leadership Stands Defiant (Honduran leaders who supported the coup against President Manuel Zelaya maintained a defiant stance Thursday in the face of international pressure, as diplomats conceded that a quick, painless resolution to the regional crisis might not be possible.)

House Delays Web Posting Of Expenses  

Bill Clinton to Headline Maloney Fund-raiser (The former President Bill Clinton  is the featured guest at a fund-raiser long planned for US Representative of New York Carolyn B Maloney, but her more recent threats to challenge US Senator of New York Kirsten Gillibrand for the Senate puts Clinton in a bit of a pickle. )

Capping and Trading Away Our Jobs (Examining the alternative universe in which this is good for America.)

Rangel lashes out at Obama (US Representative of New York . Charles Rangel defended colleague Carolyn Maloney's right to take on  US Senator of New York . Kirsten Gillibrand and lashed out anew at President Obama for butting into New York's Democrat primary.) 

Cap and Trade: The Big Con (Masquerading as an instrument of environmental salvation, the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill will result in one of the largest seizures of wealth in human history)

Climate vote threatens Dems' careers

 Eligibility bill wins more co-sponsors (Proposed law would require proof of future Presidential candidates)

The Carbonated Congress  (Orszag nails it: The 'largest corporate welfare program' ever. President Obama is calling the climate bill that the House passed last week an "extraordinary" achievement, and so it is. The 1,200-page wonder manages the supreme feat of being both hugely expensive while doing almost nothing to reduce carbon emissions.)

Waxman Is Out of the Hospital (US Representative of California Henry Waxman hospitalized after fainting in his office, is "in good spirits. " )

El Niño Variant Is Linked to Hurricanes in Atlantic (The discovery that a periodic warming pattern in the central Pacific Ocean is linked to more frequent hurricanes in the Atlantic may help improve forecasts. )

U.S. Shifts Strategy on Illicit Work by Immigrants (The Obama administration is replacing workplace raids and roundups of workers by immigration authorities with a less confrontational approach to employers such as American Apparel. )

Quiet revolution in India

Mumbai terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed's release challenged  (The Punjab provincial government on Friday moved the Pakistan Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court decision to release Jamaat ud Dawa chief and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, whom India has blamed for masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. )

Nasty impact on common people from India's Gasoline and diesel price hike

Air India employees begin strike despite stern warning  (A section of Air India Employees Union began a two-hour strike to protest delay in payment of salaries despite the authorities warning them of stringent action. )

New Delhi Lifts Colonial-Era Ban on Gay Sex (A top court in the Indian capital of New Delhi yesterday overturned a colonial-era law banning homosexual sex between consenting adults as the world's biggest democracy struggles to balance tradition and modernity.)

Head Scarf Emerges as Indonesia Political Symbol (The jilbab, the Islamic style of dress in which a woman covers her head and neck, has become an issue in Indonesia's presidential campaign this year.)

Missteps in Crash's Aftermath Dull Fenty's Luster (DC)

The Internet isn't tax-free (California should require online sellers to collect sales taxes, not leave that job to the buyer.)

Diplomatic isolation in store for Ahmadinejad  (The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be celebrated in some anti-US corners, but he faces slights and snubs from other nations.)

Tehran Needs to Stop Meddling (Iran goes abroad in search of Westerners to destroy.)

After the Crackdown  (The challenge now for the West is to engage Iran in a way that will give hope to the opposition and reinforce the doubts of Iran's political elites — without provoking a backlash.) 

New National Security Council official: Iran can be stopped

In Iraq, Biden to Press Officials to Forge Progress (Vice President Joseph R Biden Jr began a two-day mission that he said was intended to “re-establish contact” with Iraqi leaders. )

U.S. Handover Stands for Success in Iraq (We have given the Iraqis what we owed them -- a decent chance at success.)

Documents Show Iraqi Dictator's Fears (Newly released summaries of interrogations of the captured dictator show how much he miscalculated the risks he faced before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. )

Touch of Evil (Art imitates life, and vice versa, in 'The Stoning of Soraya M.')

Muslim gathering to reach out to others

Israeli-Palestinian Arab Conflict Briefing (Friday, July 3, 2009)

In possible signal to Iran, Israel sends sub through Suez Canal

Bibi's Choice (Israel approaches a moment of decision on Iran's nuclear threat.)

Supreme Court justices still not chosen

Plan: Ease of restrictions in return for Shalit  (Kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit) 

Netanyahu gets barely passing grade for first 100 days  (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu)

Hamas: The Terror Elite

Israel hopes Congress will lift F-22 ban

Israel worries over intense 'legal war'  (The defense establishment is concerned at intensifying legal campaigns in foreign courts that aim to deter Israel from using force against Hamas and Hizbullah.)

Israel's 'angel of destruction' is gambling on Iran

'

Saudis block US push for normalization'  (There are no guarantees the Arab world would move forward with steps of normalization toward Israel if Jerusalem declared a settlement freeze, according to assessments reaching Jerusalem,…)

Amnesty International Accuses Israel and Hamas of War Crimes in Gaza

IDF shoots Palestinian woman carrying toy gun near Nablus  (Israel Defense Forces)

Activists Held by Israel for Trying to Break Gaza Blockade

IDF assessment changes: Gaza girl killed by army (Israel Defense Forces)

For some Israeli Bedouin, border smuggling is a way of life

PA: Arrested Hamas activists planned to assassinate Abbas  (Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas)

Sound of explosions may be soon be heard in western Galilee

Slight Shift in Obama Policies Detected (Arab intransigence & the realization that Iran nukes might be more important than Jewish houses lead Obama administration to a slight policy shift. )

UN's Richard Falk: IDF seizure of Gaza-bound ship is 'criminal'  (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF soldiers arrest 3 Palestinians in Nablus, Hebron (Israel Defense Forces)

How much are we paying for Netanyahu's bloated cabinet?  (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu)

Japan enacts law announcing S Kurils its original territories



Holder: 'Gays' protected, ministers not (Attorney general's testimony on 'hate crimes')

Justice Dept. Seeks More Time to Review Report on Interrogations

Malaysia urged to stop caning immigrants (Human rights watchdog Amnesty has urged Malaysia to abolish caning, saying that tens of thousands of migrants have received the "inhuman and degrading" punishment in recent years.)

Treason and Patriotism (It was surprising this week to learn that a leading liberal columnist got the nerve to call out those who work to undermine their nation...)

WaPo cancels lobbyist event  (For a price, the paper offered lobbyists off-the-record access to "those powerful few." )

Drug-Cartel Links Haunt Election  (The candidacy of Mario Anguiano, running for governor in Mexico, shows how blasé some voters have become about allegations of ties between their politicians and the drug underworld.)

Four decapitated in Mexican violence

Mexican Official Seeks Arrest of Day Care Center's Owners

Mexican fireworks pack too much pow (Powerful Mexican fireworks are being seized at the US-Mexico border from American travelers.)

Yemenia Crash Stirs Calls for Stronger Watchdogs (Bahia Bakari arrived in Paris on Thursday for an emotional reunion with her father, just as the French media raised new concerns about air safety. )

U.S. Soldier May Be Held by Taliban, Military Fears

Syria amends honour killing law

Assad invites Obama to Syria, signalling thaw  (Syrian President Bashar Assad/ President Barack Obama)

Egypt: Court Grants Custody Of Sons To Coptic Mother (But twins will keep father's Muslim identity in their records, creating future problems.)

U.S. Soldier May Be a Captive of Taliban Forces

Troubles Plague Cyberspy Defense

In Tactical Shift, Troops Will Stay and Hold Ground in Afghanistan (Almost 4,000 Marines moved to clear Taliban fighters from the volatile Helmand River valley.)

All-black D-Day battalion vet no longer forgotten

US Marines push deeper into southern Afghan towns

U.S. Troops Move Deeper Into Afghanistan's Helmand Province; One Marine Killed

U.S. Joins Whistleblower Suit Alleging SAIC Rigged Contract (SAIC, one of the Pentagon's largest contractors, conspired with federal officials to rig a $3.2 billion technology contract and tried to cover up the scheme by destroying documents and electronic records, federal prosecutors said in newly unsealed court documents.)

Inside the Ring  (The commander of the US Northern Command, Air Force General Victor E Renuart Jr., said that cyberattacks -- from nation states to individual computer hackers -- pose one of the most serious threats for the military command that is dedicated to protecting the US from attacks on the homeland.)

US Marines to 'drink lots of tea' (The new strategy of the United States in Afghanistan is now in play, including a troop surge, fresh attempts to curtail the poppy trade and a mission to get to know the locals. Questions linger, though, about the feasibility of concentrating US forces in areas where the Taliban have established full control.)

Navy investigating gay Houston sailor's death

On the Offensive (Can commanders in Afghanistan tell the president the truth about troop shortages?)

In Myanmar, U.N. Chief Lobbies to Free Suu Kyi

Bomber Strikes Government Bus in Pakistan

A UN crapshoot in Pakistan (The United Nations has finally begun an investigation into the assassination of former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto in 2007. A three-man tribunal will look into the "facts and circumstances" of her death. If the progress of a similar UN probe into the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 is anything to go by, the details of Bhutto's demise will be a long time in coming - if ever.)

Pakistan redeploys troops to stop Afghan Taliban escape

15 dead in suspected US missile strike in Pakistan

Sarkozy's adviser promises military equipment (French President Nicolas Sarkozy)

Suicide Bomber Attacks Government Bus in Pakistani Garrison City of Rawalpindi

In Pakistan, Generations of Brickmakers See Few Changes

Suicide attack on bus: 1 dies, 25 hurt President, PM condemn blast

Christian Left Mounts Political Campaigns  (Emboldened by what they see as a kindred spirit in the White House, liberal Christians are stepping up their political activism in a big way.)

Finishing the Job (Russia tightens its grip on Georgia's breakaway regions.)

A moment of truth for Obama in Moscow (Through a series of labyrinthine maneuverings, Russia has sought leverage in US-Russia relations by offering greater cooperation to President Barack Obama over Afghanistan. It is possible that at a juncture when the overall US-Russia relationship is lurching dangerously close to breakdown, cooperation in the Hindu Kush might provide a much-needed leitmotif for Monday's summit in Moscow.)

Preparing for Trip to Russia, Obama Praises Putin's Protégé, at Putin's Expense (US President Barack Obama said that  Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V Putin had “one foot” in the cold war, but that Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev was ready to move on. )

 Reset the Obama Foreign Policy (Or get eaten by the bear.)

Russia's Neighbors Resist Wooing and Bullying (Using carrots and sticks, Russia has tried to win over its ex-Soviet neighbors, but they often have other ideas. )

New triggers found for Alzheimer's  (For decades, scientists have struggled to understand what causes Alzheimer's disease, once even suspecting that exposure to aluminum pots...)

The Gun I Didn't Have (I've been in Washington, DC for three months and had almost gotten used to not having a weapon handy... )

Senator Grassley Asks Aetna About Limited Health Policy  (US Senator of Iowa Charles Grassley)

Al Franken — Democrat From Acorn (The former Stuart Smalley becomes the 60^th  Democrat in the US Senate, thanks to the community organizers at Acorn and the little-known Secretary of State Project. Is the system being rigged?)

The Al Franken shtick  (The Minnesota Supreme Court has now ended months of vote fraud and other assorted acts of skullduggery to pronounce Al ...)

Senate Dems say health bill covers 97%

Under Senate health care plan, either way you pay

Revisions to Health Bill Are Unveiled by Democrats (Action by the leaders of the Senate health committee cleared the way for a vote by the panel next week.)

McCain, Feingold Team Up Again Over FEC (Seven years after their landmark campaign finance legislation became law,  US Senator of Arizona John McCain and  US Senator of Wisconsin Russell Feingold are reuniting under the banner of spending reform at a time when restrictions have come under fire both in the courts and at the embattled Federal Election Commission.)

N.D. GOP chairman pushing Hoeven to take on Dorgan (The chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party is vowing to let Governor  John Hoeven (R) know just how much his constituents want him in the Senate.  But although GOP chairman Gary Emineth will have an uphill climb to convince Hoeven, serving his third term, to take on  US Senator Byron Dorgan (D))

Obama, Party Tout Lower Figure for Health Reform (Senate Democrats and President Obama, trying to assuage fears about the cost of health reform, yesterday touted new estimates that put the price tag for one bill at $611 billion over the next decade.)

Foreign Reserves Hit 9-Month High

S. Korea mobilizes maritime squads

Korean Automakers Shine in US Market

S. Korea: N. Korea may test long-range missile aimed toward U.S.

Korea Braces for Credit Card-Less Society

Coup prompts Mesi to resign Senate post (New York; Joe Mesi, the former heavyweight boxer appointed to a controversial new office in Buffalo by State Senate Democrats, resigned Thursday effective immediately.)

Budget Woes Spell Doom for Rest Stops  (States are lowering budgetary axes on the public pit stops that have lined the interstate highway system since its creation in 1956. But rest stops aren't going quietly.)

Caterpillar infestation leaves swath of destruction in northern Michigan

E-mails possibly used to threaten Sanford, lover (An alleged e-mail threat to Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford and his Argentine lover adds to the mystery of who hacked into her Hotmail account and pirated the couple's love notes. )

IOUs spell trouble for Calif. businesses

Coffers Empty, California Pays With I.O.U.'s (Vendors and taxpayers awaiting refunds will get IOU's as the governor and state lawmakers continue to wrangle over how to close a $27 billion budget gap. )

Statue of Liberty gets her view back

Texas trying to save 'NAFTA Superhighway'? (Governor Perry calls special legislative session on transportation)

Wife of S.C. Gov. Sanford says she may forgive affair

Senators at an Impasse Find That Their State Pay Is at an Impasse, Too (New York's comptroller said that he would withhold paychecks from senators in the midst of their leadership stalemate, the latest attempt to increase the pressure on them. )

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Waste is killing California (Cutting fraud and waste won't solve the entire budget mess, but it needs to be done, the governor says.)

Mayor defends big election spending: 'I made every dime that I have' (Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg defended the overwhelming pile of money he is spending, while two Dems who want to replace him said he was running a city for the rich.)

Holiday Plans? Senators Will Be Stuck in Albany (New York; As the power struggle in the State Senate ends its fourth week, lawmakers remain stuck in the Capitol, looking for ways to pass the time.)

Sanford Didn't Improperly Use State Money, South Carolina Officials Say (Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford did not improperly use state money to pay for trips to New York and South America to see his Argentine mistress, state law enforcement officials concluded yesterday, as the governor reiterated that he has no plans to step down despite mounting pressure to do so.)

For Hispanic Firefighter in Bias Suit, Awkward Position but Firm Resolve (Called a turncoat by some, a New Haven lieutenant has held to a view that merit should govern promotions. )

Justices Move Political Censorship Case (Postponed censorship case will focus on Chief Justice Roberts as the swing vote, not Justice Kennedy. )

Ricci Decision Moves Toward Equal Protection (The Ricci case moves us closer to a colorblind society.)

Republicans Question Sotomayor's Role in Puerto Rican Group's Legal Battles (White House and GOP senators disagree over whether Sonia Sotomayor can be closely tied to controversial lawsuits pursued by a civil-rights organization. )

Administration backs Ou on Chinese trade remark (The minister of foreign affairs said that Taiwan does not oppose its diplomatic allies setting up economic and trade offices in China, or vice versa)

President expects speedy conclusion to beef talks with U.S.

America soon to crumble to 'The Third Jihad'? ('We all know about terrorism. This is the war you don't know about')

U.S. Says It Will Preserve Secret Jails for Terror Case

Treasury Debt-Purchase Plan May Be Smaller Than Anticipated at $20 Billion

Turkish gov't official backs bill to allow civilian courts to try army staff

Government may 'delay IMF accord'

Hospital patient so shocked at dirty ward she climbed out of bed to clean it herself  (After 12 years cleaning care homes and private houses, Tereza Tosbell Tereza Tosbell has a keen eye for a dirty room. )

British embassy staff in Iran may face trial

Taliban kill most senior officer in three decades  (The highest ranking British officer to be killed in action in almost three decades – Lieutenant Colonel  Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the Welsh Guards - has died in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, the MoD has announced. )

An affront to British justice: Why are MPs doing nothing while the U.S. extradites this naive hacker to face 60 years in jail?  (With absurd ease, Gary McKinnon hacked into Pentagon computers in a bid to prove the existence of little green men. But the US authorities insist the British UFO fanatic, who has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, is a 'cyber-terrorist' who must be extradited and tried in their courts. )

Rogue trader sends oil to year-high on $10m bet (PVM Oil Futures has suspended an employee who sent crude to over $73 in the early hours of Tuesday morning )

Father hangs himself after discovering schoolgirl's killer could be released to an address close by

Homosexual 'weddings' should be celebrated in church, says Chris Bryant (Homosexual "weddings" should be celebrated in churches, a Government minister has said in defiance of religious teaching. )

Illegal immigrant deported for sex attacks returned to UK with false passport to continue terrorising women

Britain sidelined on Iran by EU partners (Calls for a dramatic walkout of all ambassadors from Tehran are rejected in favor of a 'wait and see' approach)

Swine flu to infect 100,000 a day by autumn (Swine flu is spreading so rapidly across Britain that there could be 100,000 new cases a day by the end of next month.)

Britain set to seize Caribbean islands  (The Queen approves takeover of Turks & Caicos Islands following corruption claims, prompting allegations of colonialism)

Warning over fake Tamiflu sales  (People should not buy anti-flu drug Tamiflu over the internet without a prescription, experts warn. )

'Get real' - Darling warns the bankers  (Chancellor says return of bonus culture threatens to undermine economy again and threatens much tougher regulatory system.)

Britain Asks Allies for Help on Employees Held in Iran (Britain continued to push other European countries on Thursday to take a tough stance against Iran for detaining at least one employee of the British Embassy in Tehran. )

The office workers who worked naked together for a whole day to boost team spirit

Japanese Diplomat Elected U.N. Nuclear Chief

Nobel winner seeks UN human rights envoy for Iran

Should America Ban the Burqa?

Iraqi sect struggles in America

Obama taps Kmiec, fundraiser for foreign posts (President Obama picked a conservative legal scholar to serve as ambassador to Malta while sending a big donor to the Netherlands.)

Obama Reaches Out Before Vatican Trip

Helen Thomas: Who do they think we are, puppets? (Obama press management too much even for Thomas)

On Obama's Watch (On June 20, after a week of post-Iranian-election presidential mealy-mouthing, and a day after both houses of Congress had passed resolutions condemning the behavior of the Iranian regime, the White House put out a statement from President Obama. It began: )

Hail Colombia (President Barack Obama has come around to seeing the progress Colombia has made in human rights areas and is rightfully backing a free-trade agreement.)

Lead Found in White House Garden (The administration insists the levels are within acceptable limits. )

New White House Office to Redefine Urban Policy

Complaints arise about White House kibitzing in key Senate primaries

Obama: "I grew up on Jackson's music"  (The President Barack Obama says the King of Pop will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers.)

White House claims N. Korea sanctions are working (Even as the North Koreans tested four more missiles this week, the White House said Thursday that tough new United Nations sanctions are showing signs of working.)

Gibbs: 'Stimulus plan is working' despite job losses (White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs)

President Obama Wrong Again  (For those who care about things more important than the passing of a "pop-music legend," here's the rest of the story. )

Obama Dismantles Free Press  (The President follows the example of Hugo Chavez, who dismantled Venezuela's free press a little at a time. ...).

Honduras and Iran: Obama Betrays Freedom Again (The real story behind the chaos in Honduras is a huge story that needs to be exposed to the world. And the bottom line is that Obama got it wrong, again)

World Bank battles crisis by allocating record US$58.8 bil.

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