World AIDS Day Newsletter - November 28, 2009

World AIDS Day Newsletter - November 28, 2009

World AIDS day is December 1 http://bethegeneration.nih.gov/

World AIDS Day Events http://www.examiner.com/x-26847-SF-Holidays-Examiner~y2009m11d28-World-AIDS-Day-2009-Events

Chicago World AIDS Day 2009 events. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. November 26, 2009 http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/4118


International

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Mr Obama goes to Copenhagen. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 26 2009 20:15 | Last updated: November 26 2009 20:15. Barack Obama is right to visit the Copenhagen climate talks. The meeting will achieve less than was once hoped for, and Mr Obama’s hands, to be sure, are tied by domestic politics. But his personal commitment is still valuable. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/financial-times-editorial-comment-mr.html

Obama to Offer Firm Pledge on Emissions Cuts in Copenhagen By JOHN M. BRODER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/us/politics/26climate.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

China Joins U.S. in Pledge of Hard Targets on Emissions By EDWARD WONG and KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 26, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/science/earth/27climate.html?hpw

New York Times Editorial: The Senate’s Duty on Climate. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 21, 2009. The news that world leaders have abandoned hope for a comprehensive, legally binding climate change treaty in Copenhagen next month inspired no end of finger-pointing. Environmentalists blamed eight years of inaction under George W. Bush. The Europeans noted that the Chinese and several other big developing nations had done little to move the ball forward. Our own candidate for criticism is the United States Senate. We cannot rewrite the Bush years any more than we can persuade the Chinese of the merits of a binding treaty to control greenhouse gases. What the United States can do is assume responsibility for its own emissions, and this the Senate has manifestly failed to do. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/opinion/22sun2.html?_r=1&ref=global

Bomb Causes Derailment of Russian Train, Killing 25 By CLIFFORD J. LEVY and ELLEN BARRY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 28, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/world/europe/29russia.html?ref=global-home

Eurozone PMI growth at two-year high By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 23 2009 11:43 | Last updated: November 23 2009 11:43. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/eurozone-pmi-growth-at-two-year-high.html

Sweden rules out state bail-out for Saab - New parties show interest in GM unit By Andrew Ward in Stockholm. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 27 2009 17:40 | Last updated: November 27 2009 17:40. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/sweden-rules-out-state-bail-out-for.html

Philippines Declares Emergency After Killings By CARLOS H. CONDE. Copyright by The New York Times and The Associated Press. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/world/asia/25phils.html?ref=global-home

Region Finds U.S. Lacking on Honduras By GINGER THOMPSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 27, 2009. WASHINGTON — Drug cartels are running amok in Mexico, Raúl Castro is tightening his grip on Cuba and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is making mischief with Russia and Iran, but it is a relatively obscure backwater, Honduras, that has provided the Obama administration with its first test in Latin America. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/world/americas/28honduras.html?ref=global-home



China


Washington Post Editorial: The currency quarrel - China won't change on command. America must retake control of its own financial destiny. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, November 24, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/23/AR2009112303039.html




Mess-o-potamia


Britain failed to establish ‘legitimacy’ of Iraq invasion - Former ambassador to UN gives evidence By Alex Barker. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 27 2009 13:23 | Last updated: November 27 2009 18:08. The US and UK launched a war to topple Saddam Hussein in spite of failing to “establish the legitimacy” of the invasion, according to Britain’s former ambassador to the United Nations./‘Tougher’ Blair could have shaped Iraq plan - PM committed to war prematurely, inquiry told By Alex Barker, Political Correspondent. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 26 2009 23:14 | Last updated: November 26 2009 23:14 http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/tougher-blair-could-have-shaped-iraq.html. Editorial Note: I prefer the British version

Britain Begins Hearings in Iraq War Inquiry By JOHN F. BURNS and ALAN COWELL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/world/europe/25britain.html?ref=global-home

Iraq’s January Elections Face Near Certain Delay By STEVEN LEE MYERS. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/world/middleeast/24iraq.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1259082011-TWXCLtc6MChhalyMIqzsuQ

Iran Expanding Effort to Stifle the Opposition By ROBERT F. WORTH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/world/middleeast/24iran.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Iran’s Death Penalty Is Seen as a Political Tactic By MICHAEL SLACKMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 22, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/world/middleeast/23iran.html?th&emc=th

U.N. Nuclear Agency Calls Iran Inquiry ‘Dead End’ By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD. Published: November 26, 2009. The director general of the United Nations nuclear watchdog declared in unusually blunt language on Thursday that Iran had stonewalled investigators about evidence that the country had worked on nuclear weapons design, and that his efforts to reveal the truth had “effectively reached a dead end.” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/world/middleeast/27nuke.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

China's backing on Iran followed dire predictions - Before Obama's visit, NSC warned leaders of Mideast turmoil By John Pomfret and Joby Warrick. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, November 26, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/AR2009112504112.html?hpid=topnews

Russia and China Endorse Agency’s Rebuke of Iran By HELENE COOPER and WILLIAM J. BROAD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 27, 2009. WASHINGTON — The United Nations nuclear watchdog demanded Friday that Iran immediately freeze operations at a once secret uranium enrichment plant, a sharp rebuke that bore added weight because it was endorsed by Russia and China. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/world/28nuke.html?th&emc=th

Obama to Speak From West Point Tuesday on Afghanistan By HELENE COOPER and ERIC SCHMITT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/us/politics/26afghan.html?hpw

Afghans Offer Jobs to Taliban Rank and File if They Defect By DEXTER FILKINS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 27, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/world/asia/28militias.html?th&emc=th

U.S. Still Running Secret Prison in Afghanistan By ALISSA J. RUBIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 28, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/world/asia/29bagram.html?ref=global-home

Pakistan warns US on Afghan troop surge By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 26 2009 17:49 | Last updated: November 26 2009 17:49. Pakistan’s prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani warned on Thursday that a US military surge in Afghanistan could further destabilise his country and urged the Obama administration to consult before making any decision on troop numbers. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/pakistan-warns-us-on-afghan-troop-surge.html

Pakistan Charges 7 in Mumbai Attacks By SAHAR HABIB GHAZI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/world/asia/26mumbai.html?ref=global-home

Israel Offers a Pause in Building New Settlements By ETHAN BRONNER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/world/middleeast/26israel.html?ref=global-home

Hopes Grow as Israel and Hamas Discuss Prisoner Swap By ETHAN BRONNER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/world/middleeast/24mideast.html?_r=1&ref=global-home





National


Change has come to the national debate By Georgie Anne Geyer. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. November 26, 2009. This Thanksgiving, coming in the good year of Our Lord 2009, wears a cloak of indecision as it strolls around these gray city streets, topped off by a droopy hat of disappointment and a scarf of desolation. This Thanksgiving, you might say, is not exactly a "Yes, we can" holiday. The predominant hues are gray and brown; the voices, hushed to whispers. Will the cranberries even be red this year? The Republicans are in a festive mood, happy to be full-on attacking the new president. But even some of President Barack Obama's own Democrats and independents are critical -- they feel that their savior/president has let them down by not being more activist in pursuit of his campaign promises. With your permission, of course, I will once again defy popular suppositions. For while the free-floating disappointment with President Obama, not the thinker but the actor, is all too real, the fact is that in less than one short year, he has wrought change so profound in the American scene that one would barely recognize today's country compared to that of 2006 and 2007. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped1126geyernov26,0,4782020.column

Washington Post Editorial: The jobs jam - Political grandstanding never put anyone to work. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, November 22, 2009. ONE OUT OF 10 American workers will not have a job for which to express gratitude this Thanksgiving. If you add what the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls "marginally attached workers" and those who want to work full time but can find only part-time jobs, then the true employment picture looks even bleaker: 17.5 percent of the labor force is now either unemployed or underemployed. This is a disastrous situation, and you would expect voters to pressure the White House and Congress to address it. You would also expect the federal government to respond. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/21/AR2009112101939.html

The Phantom Menace By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 22, 2009. A funny thing happened on the way to a new New Deal. A year ago, the only thing we had to fear was fear itself; today, the reigning doctrine in Washington appears to be “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” What happened? To be sure, “centrists” in the Senate have hobbled efforts to rescue the economy. But the evidence suggests that in addition to facing political opposition, President Obama and his inner circle have been intimidated by scare stories from Wall Street. Consider the contrast between what Mr. Obama’s advisers were saying on the eve of his inauguration, and what he himself is saying now. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/opinion/23krugman.html

Modern Flourishes at Obamas’ State Dinner By RACHEL L. SWARNS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/us/politics/25dinner.html?th&emc=th

Texas marriages in legal limbo because of constitutional amendment, candidate says BY DAVE MONTGOMERY dmontgomery@star-telegram.com. Copyright by The Star-Telegram. Posted Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009. AUSTIN — Texans: Are you really married? Maybe not. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state. The amendment, approved by the Legislature and overwhelmingly ratified by voters, declares that "marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman." But the troublemaking phrase, as Radnofsky sees it, is Subsection B, which declares: "This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage." Architects of the amendment included the clause to ban same-sex civil unions and domestic partnerships. But Radnofsky, who was a member of the powerhouse Vinson & Elkins law firm in Houston for 27 years until retiring in 2006, says the wording of Subsection B effectively "eliminates marriage in Texas," including common-law marriages. http://www.star-telegram.com/local_news/story/1770445.html

Terrorism Trial May Point Way for 9/11 Cases By BENJAMIN WEISER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 22, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/nyregion/23ghailani.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1258996560-btdmaTSaLetgX64pJD81Rg

Charges Detail Road to Terror for 20 in U.S. By ANDREA ELLIOTT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009. Federal officials on Monday unsealed terrorism-related charges against men they say were key actors in a recruitment effort that led roughly 20 young Americans to join a violent insurgent group in Somalia with ties to Al Qaeda. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/us/24terror.html?th&emc=th

Race haunts politics - Will it ever be OK to go there without name-calling? By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. November 25, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped1125pagenov25,0,936143.column

Mass. GOP gov. candidate chooses running mate By Glen Johnson © Copyright 2009 Associated Press. November 23, 2009. BOSTON—Gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker followed a Massachusetts Republican tradition on Monday by selecting a veteran state legislator to be his running mate in next year's election. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/23/mass_gop_gov_candidate_chooses_running_mate/

Looking for a Leader in the Post-Oprah Landscape By BRIAN STELTER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 22, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/media/23oprah.html?th&emc=th



Health Care Reform


“The good news is that the bill just approved by the House and a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee would implement or test many reforms that should help slow the rise in medical costs over the long term. As a report in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded, ‘Pretty much every proposed innovation found in the health policy literature these days is encapsulated in these measures.’ Medical spending, which typically rises faster than wages and the overall economy, is propelled by two things: the high prices charged for medical services in this country and the volume of unnecessary care delivered by doctors and hospitals, which often perform a lot more tests and treatments than a patient really needs.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: Reform and Medical Costs. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 14, 2009. Americans are deeply concerned about the relentless rise in health care costs and health insurance premiums. They need to know if reform will help solve the problem. The answer is that no one has an easy fix for rising medical costs. The fundamental fix — reshaping how care is delivered and how doctors are paid in a wasteful, dysfunctional system — is likely to be achieved only through trial and error and incremental gains. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/opinion/15sun1.html?th&emc=th

ER death's sticker shock By Bobby Caina Calvan. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. November 13, 2009. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - -- For five frantic minutes, emergency room doctors at the University of California Davis Medical Center tried to revive Scott Hawkins. Hospital officials said the 23-year-old beating victim was given the highest level of emergency care, with a phalanx of specialists and nurses at hand. His parents called the effort "heroic." Five minutes later, doctors pronounced him dead. Few question the extent to which doctors tried to save the student's life Oct. 21, but the amount billed for his emergency care has provoked outrage -- evidence, critics said, of health costs spun out of control. The charge for those five minutes: $29,186.50 -- including a single-ticket item for $18,900.50, described on the itemized bill as "Trauma Rescue Service." http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-tc-nw-er-bill-1111-1112nov13,0,2322411.story

From the Hospital to Bankruptcy Court By KEVIN SACK. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009. NASHVILLE — Some of the debtors sitting forlornly in this city’s old stone bankruptcy court have lost a job or gotten divorced. Others have been summoned to face their creditors because they spent mindlessly beyond their means. But all too often these days, they are there merely because they, or their children, got sick. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/health/policy/25bankruptcy.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Senate Votes to Open Health Care Debate By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and ROBERT PEAR. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: November 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/health/policy/22health.html?_r=1&th&emc=th



Health Care



Trying to Explain a Drop in Infant Mortality By ERIK ECKHOLM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 26, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/us/27infant.html?hpw





GOP Bashing


“The so-called purity test is a 10-point checklist -- a suicide pact, really -- of alleged Republican positions. Anyone hoping to play on Team GOP would have to sign off on eight of the 10 -- through their voting records, public statements or a questionnaire. The test will be put up for consideration before the Republican National Committee when it meets early next year in Hawaii.” Kathleen Parker

The GOP's suicide pact By Kathleen Parker. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, November 29, 2009. Some people can't stand prosperity, my father used to say. Today, he might be talking about Republicans, who, in the midst of declining support for President Obama's hope-and-change agenda, are considering a "purity" pledge to weed out undesirables from their ever-shrinking party. Just when independents and moderates were considering revisiting the GOP tent. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/27/AR2009112702325.html

Enthusiasm for Palin, and Echoes of 2008 Divide By KATE ZERNIKE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/us/politics/22palin.html?th&emc=th

Lou Dobbs Weighs Senate Run, as a Steppingstone By DAVID M. HALBFINGER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/nyregion/25dobbs.html?th&emc=th

Glenn Beck Stakes Out Activist Role in Politics By BRIAN STELTER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/business/media/22beck.html?th&emc=th

Sanford Impeachment Considered By SHAILA DEWAN. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 24, 2009. COLUMBIA, S.C. — Over the protests of Gov. Mark Sanford’s lawyers, South Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday began the preliminary steps of a process that could lead to the governor’s impeachment and removal from office. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/us/25sanford.html?th&emc=th

From Shadow to Limelight for a Governor’s Wife By ROBBIE BROWN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 27, 2009. As the political standing of Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina continues to crumble, the career of his wife, Jenny Sanford, seems to be taking off. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/politics/28jenny.html?th&emc=th




Immigration


New York Times Editorial: Immigrants, Criminalized. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 26, 2009. A bedrock premise of smart immigration reform is the sharp distinction it draws between criminal aliens and Americans-in-waiting. While it acknowledges that illegal immigrants need to get right with the law, it treats illegal status as a civil matter to be resolved by the machinery of naturalization, not by the police and prisons. To hard-line opponents of legalization, illegal immigrants are irredeemable lawbreakers by definition, and the only thing they should be waiting for is deportation. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/opinion/27fri2.html?_r=1&th&emc=th




Chicagoland


Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Why are we still paying their salaries?. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. November 24, 2009. Gov. Quinn, consider how the following negative political ad might play out on television. An action shot of federal subpoenas being slapped down on the governor's desk. Then sinister close-ups of an inspector general's report recommending the firing of specific state employees "for unethical and fraudulent activity." Followed by a shot of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the current poster boy for state corruption. Quickly fading to a shot of you, governor. Then the voiceover: "Pat Quinn promised to 'fumigate' state government of Blagojevich appointees and his big-salary hires. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1901012,CST-EDT-edit24a.article

Illinois' Gitmo could bring 3,000 jobs: White House BY LYNN SWEET. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. November 22, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/1898018,CST-NWS-sweet22.article

Thomson prison: State moving to clear decks on possible sale - Illinois lawmaker wants to speed up federal takeover By Ray Long. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. November 27, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-thomson-prison27nov27,0,1666098.story

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: It's your call, Cook County. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. November 24, 2009. To no one's surprise, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger once again on Monday did his one-two punch on taxpayers. He worked to block efforts to give residents a little sales tax relief, by vetoing a half-cent sale tax rollback. And he did his best to frighten our neediest residents that their county health care is at risk. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1901010,CST-EDT-edit24b.article

Ministers, activists exploit Scott's death BY LAURA WASHINGTON. Copyright by The Chicago Sun times. November 23, 2009. 'Are the Ministers Meddling?" blared the headline on a local cable TV talk show. An investigation into the controversial death of Michael Scott has morphed into a political opportunity for political opportunists. Scott, the Chicago Board of Education president and the mayor's go-to guy, was an irreplaceable city asset and singular link between the city's grass roots and downtown towers. After his death, the Rev. Jesse Jackson put it best when he told WMAQ-Channel 5 that Scott "had a real roots connection to Chicago, from the very low zone of pain and poverty to the high zone of the upper echelon of Chicago." http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/1898952,CST-EDT-laura23.article






Economy


Dubai Fund Asks for Stay on Debt Payments By LANDON THOMAS Jr. Copyright by Bloomberg News. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/business/global/26dubai.html?ref=global-home

Asian Stocks Fall Amid Dubai Fears. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: November 27, 2009. Filed at 2:43 a.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/27/business/AP-World-Markets.html?ref=global-home

Dubai Debt Woes Raise Fear of Wider Problem By LANDON THOMAS Jr. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 27, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/business/global/28dubai.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Vietnam Devalues Currency and Raises Interest Rates By BETTINA WASSENER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/business/global/26devalue.html?hpw

Wave of Debt Payments Facing U.S. Government By EDMUND L. ANDREWS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 22, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/23rates.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

U.S. Fund for Bank Deposit Insurance Falls Into the Red By ERIC DASH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/economy/25fdic.html?hpw

Third-Quarter U.S. Growth Revised Lower By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/economy/25econ.html?hpw

US GDP growth revised down to 2.8% - Home prices grow for fifth month running By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 24 2009 14:03 | Last updated: November 24 2009 16:27. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/us-gdp-growth-revised-down-to-28-home.html Editorial Note: I prefer the British version

The right reform for the Fed By Ben Bernanke. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, November 29, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/27/AR2009112702322.html

Savers squeezed by low bank, CD, money market rates - Saving is back, but it's hardly paying off; here's how to boost your results By Tom Petruno. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 6:18 a.m. CST, November 24, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tc-biz-savings-1123-1124-nov24,0,1293501.story

On Wall Street: Apocalypse how? - Conflicting bets on inflation or deflation By Spencer Jakab. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 27 2009 17:11 | Last updated: November 27 2009 17:11. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/on-wall-street-apocalypse-how.html

Data show rise in consumer spending, drop in jobless claims By Neil Irwin. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, November 25, 2009; 10:09 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/AR2009112500273.html?hpid=topnews

Price War Brews Between Amazon and Wal-Mart By BRAD STONE and STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM. Copyright by Bloomberg News. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/24shop.html?th&emc=th

US retailers report strong ‘Black Friday’ crowds - Strong emphasis on sales of practical items By Jonathan Birchall in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 27 2009 18:05 | Last updated: November 27 2009 18:0. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/us-retailers-report-strong-black-friday.html

Credit card delinquencies down to 1% By EILEEN AJ CONNELLY. Copyright by The Associated Press. 10:53 a.m. CST, November 23, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ap-credit-card-delinquencies-nov23,0,318861.story

U.S. Looks to Australia on Credit Card Fees By KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/25card.html?hpw

Retailers Extend Deals Beyond Black Friday By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM and CLAIRE CAIN MILLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/business/26friday.html

Cadbury warms to Hershey tie-up - US group seen as better cultural fit than Kraft By Jenny Wiggins. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 27 2009 23:30 | Last updated: November 27 2009 23:30. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/cadbury-warms-to-hershey-tie-up-us.html



Housing


October Home Sales Far Exceeded Expectations By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/economy/24econ.html?hpw

Buyers throw a house party in October - Tax credit, low prices and interest rates credited for upsurge, but some say it could be short-lived By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. November 24, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-tue-home-sales-1124nov24,0,7399950.story

New-home sales rise 6.2%. Copyright by The Associated Press. 9:07 a.m. CST, November 25, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ap-new-homes-sales-nov25,0,2212321.story

Home Prices Rise at a Slower Pace By DAVID STREITFELD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/economy/25home.html?hpw

Mortgage rates back at record low Copyright by The Associated Press. 10:42 a.m. CST, November 25, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ap-mortgage-rates-nov25,0,6137582.story

Wall St. Finds Profits Again, Now by Reducing Mortgages By LOUISE STORY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/business/22loans.html?th&emc=th

More than 18 percent of Illinois mortgages are underwater By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 10:09 a.m. CST, November 24, 2009. Almost 410,000 Illinois mortgages, or 18.4 percent of home loans, were underwater in September, meaning homeowners owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-underwater-homeowners-1124-,0,7503564.story




Commodities


Dollar lurches to 16-month low - European and US equities challenge year’s highs By Jamie Chisholm. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 25 2009 07:09 | Last updated: November 25 2009 16:56. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/dollar-lurches-to-16-month-low-european.html

Wall Street Takes Off as Dollar Retreats By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/24markets.html?hpw

Dollar and government bonds rally as investors seek havens - European bourses stabilise after early sell-off By Jamie Chisholm. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 27 2009 07:13 | Last updated: November 27 2009 22:32. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/dollar-and-government-bonds-rally-as.html

Japan Shows Concern as Dollar Slides By BETTINA WASSENER and HIROKO TABUCHI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 26, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/business/global/28iht-dollar.html?hpw



GLBT


Hate Crimes Based on Sexual Orientation Up in 2008. Copyright by The Windy City Times. News update Nov. 22, 2009 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23588

New York Times Editorial: The Church and the Capital. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: November 22, 2009. Gay people will eventually win full civil rights — including the right to marry — throughout the United States. Between now and then, there will be many more disputes like the one unfolding between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the District of Columbia City Council over a bill recognizing same-sex marriages that could be voted on as soon as next week. City lawmakers who are negotiating with the archdiocese over the language of the bill should try to settle it without acrimony — but not by abandoning the District’s equal-rights tradition or by selling out same-sex couples. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/opinion/23mon1.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: New Jersey’s Marriage Moment. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 25, 2009. There can come a moment in a politician’s career when doing the right thing requires summoning the courage to buck strong voter sentiment. The drama over same-sex marriage in a lame-duck session of the New Jersey State Legislature is not that kind of moment. Doing the right thing — promptly enacting legislation discarding inadequate civil unions in favor of full marriage equality for same-sex couples — requires no gargantuan amount of courage or risk-taking on the part of rank-and-file New Jersey legislators or their leaders. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/opinion/26thur3.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1259231319-zqYlisqyCuodkbtC+BcPHA

N. Y. Gay Spouses Due Benefits in the State, Court Finds By DANNY HAKIM. Published: November 19, 2009. ALBANY — The state’s highest court on Thursday upheld policies giving some government benefits to same-sex couples who are legally married outside the state, but did not rule on whether gay marriage should be legal in New York, leaving that issue for the Legislature to decide. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/nyregion/20marriage.html?scp=1&sq=ny%20gay%20ouples%20get%20recognition&st=cse

Same-sex marriage legalized in Buenos Aires. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-11-25 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23594

Adam Lambert By Jennifer Vanasco. Copyright by the Chicago Free Press. November 26, 2009. Hiphop artists and women get away with salacious performances all the time without an uproar. Of course, there was that famous Madonna-and-Britney kiss that caused a stir, but that was likely because the artists were—well, Madonna and Britney. And yes, Adam Lambert, your performance on ABC’s American Music Awards this week was not really all that raunchy. A kiss is a kiss, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I could have done without you sticking a guy’s head in your crotch spontaneously, but it happened so quickly, and in the midst of so many other things, that if the dancer didn’t mind, I’m not sure “offensive” is what I’d call it. What I’d call it, instead, is misguided. http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/4125

Midlife Crisis No. 290: Pussy Wussy Prissy Sissies By St. Sukie de la Croix. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. November 26, 2009. The leaves are crispy brown and dropping from the trees as fall turns to winter and that means two things–1) I slip into my Snuggie and 2) I suffer an attack of vagina flu. Every year about this time my labia gets the sniffles and I prescribe myself a few days on the sofa re-watching old black and white movies and diving headfirst into the Godiva chocolates. Now I’m back at work in time to read the headline: “Prince Harry Kisses Gay Man For a Beer.” http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/4135

Windy City Times releases gay news iPhone application. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-11-25 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=23612





Technology


A Permanent Outpost on the Moon? By SASWATO R. DAS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/opinion/25iht-eddas.html?ref=global

Near Geneva, Particles Finally Come Together With a Bang By DENNIS OVERBYE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/science/24collide.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Keeping Personal Data Private. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/opinion/25weds2.html?th&emc=th

Group of Magazine Publishers Is Said to Be Building an Online Newsstand By BRIAN STELTER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/media/25mag.html?th&emc=th

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Murdoch attempts to weaken Google. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: November 24 2009 19:47 | Last updated: November 24 2009 19:47. Rupert Murdoch’s effort to change the economics of the internet by stopping Google linking to stories in his newspapers looks, at first glance, like an act of self-destruction. That is how News Corp’s negotiations on a deal to favour Microsoft’s search engine Bing instead is viewed by many rivals and technology experts. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/financial-times-editorial-comment.html

Facebook Will Form 2 Classes of Stock By BRAD STONE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/technology/internet/25facebook.html?th&emc=th


Religion


“The cover-ups spanned the tenures of four Dublin archbishops and continued through to the mid-1990s and beyond, even after the church was beginning to admit to its failings and had professed that it was confronting abuse by its priests. But rather than helping the victims, the church was concerned only with ‘the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the church, and the preservation of its assets,’ said the 700-page report, prepared by a group appointed by the Irish government and called the Commission of Investigation Into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.” SARAH LYALL

Report Says Irish Bishops and Police Hid Abuse By SARAH LYALL. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 26, 2009. LONDON — The Roman Catholic Church and the police in Ireland systematically colluded in covering up decades of child sex abuse by priests in Dublin, according to a scathing report released Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/world/europe/27ireland.html?ref=global-home

Obama can't let bishops set U.S. Policy BY CAROL MARIN. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. November 25, 2009. Barack Obama, the unapologetic pro-choice presidential candidate, needs to find his strong voice again on the issue now that he is president. And he needs to stand up to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a tax-exempt religious organization, declaring that reproductive rights of women will not be sacrificed in the fight over a universal health-care bill. Time is running out. http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/1903920,CST-EDT-carol25.article



Other


Toyota Will Fix or Replace 4 Million Accelerator Pedals By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: November 25, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/business/26toyota.html?ref=global-home

Romancing the Road http://growingbolder.com/media/technology/vehicles/romancing-the-road-259598.html#content_tabs

2.1 Million Cribs Are Recalled in U.S. and Canada By SARAH WHEATON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: November 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/24crib.html?scp=1&sq=crib%20recall&st=cse


Toys deemed dangerous: Research group lists Trouble in Toyland report - Lunchbox, picture book among perilous playthings, group says By Cynthia Dizikes. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. November 25, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-dangerous-toys-25nov25,0,7557481.story



Humor


Mom is Santa! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmQDt7jVdXQ

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU&feature=related

Weakly Humerus News 11-28-09 http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/11/weakly-humerus-news-11-28-09.html






It has come to my attention that you can only read 2 articles per month at the Financial Times if you haven't registered. If you would like to read more of the articles for free, simply sign up for the free account and you can read 10 articles per month. That should be enough. I'll try to keep the FT links to a minimum. - I used a link that will open the Financial Times articles this week. CTM

Ps. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, just go to my website: www.carlostmock.com and go the the subscription link. It will appear in your email every week.



In Pride (orgullo),


Carlos T. Mock, MD
www.carlostmock.com
Author: Borrowing Time: A Latino Sexual Odyssey - Floricanto Press 2003.
Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT
Round Table.
Author: The Mosaic Virus – Floricanto Press 2007.  Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT Round Table, and a Lammie from The Lambda Literary Foundation
Author: Author: Papi Chulo – Floricanto Press 2007.  Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT Round Table, and a Lammie from The Lambda Literary Foundation
Author: Cuba Libre, “Mentirita” The book is out. you can buy it at: http://www.amazon.com/Cuba-Libre-Carlos-T-Mock/dp/1888205164/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259453902&sr=1-4