“President Obama’s news conference on Thursday was partly a political exercise aimed at showing that his administration is on top of the unfolding disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But what really mattered were Mr. Obama’s promises to call a timeout on coastal drilling and to shape up the federal bureaucracy, strengthen oversight of the drilling industry and do whatever else is required to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. These are necessary steps since there are other offshore rigs drilling at depths even greater than the Deepwater Horizon — and just as risky.” New York Times Editorial
New York Times Editorial: The President Confronts the Spill Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/opinion/28fri1.html?th&emc=th
Obama Gives a Bipartisan Commission Six Months to Revise Drilling Rules By PETER BAKER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 22, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/us/23address.html?th&emc=th
Obama Extends Moratorium; Agency Chief Resigns By PETER BAKER. Copyright by The The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/us/28drill.html?hpw
Estimates Suggest Spill Is Biggest in U.S. History By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON. Copyright by The The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/us/28flow.html?hp
Panel Suggests Signs of Trouble Before Rig Explosion By HENRY FOUNTAIN and TOM ZELLER Jr.. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 25, 2010. In the hours before the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded last month in the Gulf of Mexico, there were strong warning signs that something was terribly wrong with the well, according to a Congressional committee that was briefed on the accident by executives from BP. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/us/26rig.html?hp
Inspector General’s Inquiry Faults Regulators. By IAN URBINA. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 24, 2010. Federal regulators responsible for oversight of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico allowed industry officials several years ago to fill in their own inspection reports in pencil — and then turned them over to the regulators, who traced over them in pen before submitting the reports to the agency, according to an inspector general’s report to be released this week. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/us/25mms.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1274799663-i+9+HIWcIvwKeNFqDVuYWw
In the wake of Deepwater, let's put the environment first - Drill, baby, drill' is a pretty good indication of where the national ethos had drifted. By Eugene Robinson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, May 28, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052704153.html
Expert Is Confident About Sealing Oil Well By HENRY FOUNTAIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 24, 2010. Pat Campbell never met a well he couldn’t kill. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/us/25well.html?th&emc=th
‘Top Kill’ Effort Seems to Be Working, U.S. Says Cautiously By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and JOHN M. BRODER. Copyright by The The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/us/28spill.html?hp
Obama orders halt to deep-water drilling in the Gulf By Michael D. Shear and Scott Wilson. Copyright by The Washington Post . Thursday, May 27, 2010; 2:18 PM. President Obama ordered a halt Thursday to drilling operations at all 33 exploratory deep-water rigs in the Gulf of Mexico for as long as six months, one of several new restrictions on offshore drilling he announced at a news conference. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052701172.html?hpid=topnews
Despite Leak, Louisiana Is Still Devoted to Oil By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 22, 2010. In some parts of the country, the sight of oil drifting toward the Louisiana coast, oozing into the fragile marshlands and bringing large parts of the state’s economy to a halt, has prompted calls to stop offshore drilling indefinitely, if not altogether. Here, in the middle of things, those calls are few. Here, in fact, the unfolding disaster is not even prompting a reconsideration of the 75th annual Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/us/23drill.html?th&emc=th
Up to 14 hurricanes, 7 of them major, predicted for Atlantic this season By Michael E. Ruane. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, May 27, 2010; 11:39 AM. Federal weather forecasters Thursday predicted an "active to extremely active" Atlantic hurricane season this year, with as many as 14 hurricanes, seven of them major. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052701390.html?hpid=topnews
International
“Germany’s commitment to the European Union has been central to its postwar rehabilitation and its economic success. For years, Germany played the role in Europe that America so frequently plays globally — the locomotive whose dynamism and demand helps turn around recessions before they deepen into depressions. Now, at the worst possible moment, Germany is turning to nationalist illusions. Europe’s past economic successes are now viewed as German successes. Europe’s current deep problems are everyone else’s except Germany’s. That is neither realistic nor sustainable. But German politicians and commentators are callously and self-destructively feeding these ideas.” New York Times Editorial
New York Times Editorial: Germany vs. Europe. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 26, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/opinion/27thu1.html?ref=opinion
Bond issues stall as euro crisis bites By David Oakley in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 23 2010 22:03 | Last updated: May 23 2010 22:03. Company and financial bond issuance has collapsed in Europe in recent weeks because of worries over the eurozone’s public debt problems and the unco-ordinated political response to the single currency’s gravest crisis in its 11-year existence. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/bond-issues-stall-as-euro-crisis-bites.html
Euro’s fall deals new hit to risk appetite By Jamie Chisholm. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010 Published: May 24 2010 08:34 | Last updated: May 24 2010 13:24. Monday 13:15 BST. A sudden drop in the euro has whipped the rug from under European markets, reversing an early tentative advance for stocks as traders are once again fretting about the fragility of the eurozone economy. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/euros-fall-deals-new-hit-to-risk.html
One false move in Europe could set off global chain reaction By Howard Schneider and Neil Irwin. Copyright by The Washington Post . Monday, May 24, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/23/AR2010052304170.html?hpid=topnews
Merkel has joined Thatcher in Europe’s corner shop By Philip Stephens. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 27 2010 22:25 | Last updated: May 27 2010 22:25. Angela Merkel has begun to sound awfully like Margaret Thatcher. Germany has caught the British disease. If the affliction keeps hold, Europe is doomed. The European Union has learnt to live with Britain’s bean-counting. It will not survive a German decision to play the same zero-sum game. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/merkel-has-joined-thatcher-in-europes.html
In Europe, Britain May Face Largest Debt Hurdle By LANDON THOMAS Jr.. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 24, 2010. As governments from Greece to Portugal to Spain try to sell markets on their budget-cutting zeal, the country that may face the biggest hurdle is Britain. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/business/global/25debt.html?hpw
Earnings blow for Italy and Portugal By Richard Milne in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 23 2010 22:34 | Last updated: May 23 2010 22:34. Italian and Portuguese companies have performed significantly worse than expected in the first-quarter earnings season as problems with public finances and lack of competitiveness take a toll on corporate profitability. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/earnings-blow-for-italy-and-portugal.html
Spain News Sends Stocks Into Decline By CHRISTINE HAUSER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 28, 2010. If the American markets ever needed a reminder of how volatile Europe has made them this month, they got it on Friday. Right after lunch, the Fitch ratings firm announced that it had downgraded Spain’s credit rating by one notch, sending indexes on a swift decline of more than 1 percent. It was a stunning reversal in a day that had been in holiday mode, trading quietly lower at the start of a three-day weekend. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/business/29markets.html?hpw
Japan Relents on U.S. Base on Okinawa By MARTIN FACKLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 23, 2010. Reneging on a prominent campaign promise, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama told outraged residents of Okinawa on Sunday that an American air base would be moved only to the north side of the island rather than off the island. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/world/asia/24japan.html?hpw
Unrest Continues in Jamaica After Police Raid on Gang Leader By MARC LACEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 25, 2010. Fierce fighting between Jamaican security forces and gunmen attempting to protect a powerful gang leader extended into a third day Tuesday in Kingston, the Jamaican capital, and a twisted political system in which Jamaican politicians and crime bosses team up to share power was laid bare. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/world/americas/26jamaica.html?hp
China
“There is only one country with any chance of getting through to North Korea. That is China, the North’s major supplier of aid, food and oil. As tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to spiral — frighteningly — upward, China is refusing to get involved.” New York Times Editorial
New York Times Editorial: While China Stands By Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010 . There is only one country with any chance of getting through to North Korea. That is China, the North’s major supplier of aid, food and oil. As tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to spiral — frighteningly — upward, China is refusing to get involved. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/opinion/28fri3.html?th&emc=th
U.S. Pledges to Help South Korea in Bid for U.N. Action By CHOE SANG-HUN and MARK LANDLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 26, 2010. With political and military tension increasing daily on the Korean Peninsula, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that Washington would stand beside Seoul as it seeks redress at the United Nations Security Council over North Korea’s apparent sinking of a South Korean warship. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/world/asia/27diplo.html?hp
Chinese Premier Vows to Be Impartial on N. Korea By CHOE SANG-HUN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 28, 2010. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China promised on Friday that Beijing “will not protect anyone” once it has concluded who was responsible for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/world/asia/29korea.html?hpw
Alarm rises as N Korea threatens attack By Song Jung-a in Seoul. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 27 2010 10:12 | Last updated: May 27 2010 18:13. North Korea threatened to scrap all military assurance agreements with South Korea on Thursday and warned of an immediate attack should Seoul intrude on the disputed maritime border, further raising tensions on the peninsula. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/alarm-rises-as-n-korea-threatens-attack.html
Strike in China Highlights Gap in Workers’ Pay By KEITH BRADSHER and DAVID BARBOZA. Copyright by Reuters. Published: May 28, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/business/global/29honda.html?hp
The U.S. and China -- mutually beneficial economic partners By Xie Xuren. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, May 23, 2010. The U.S.-China strategic and economic dialogue in Beijing this week will have a major bearing on the sustainable and healthy development of our economic relationship. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/21/AR2010052103217.html
Mess-o-potamia
Options studied for a possible Pakistan strike By Greg Miller. Copyright by The Washington Post . Saturday, May 29, 2010. The U.S. military is reviewing options for a unilateral strike in Pakistan in the event that a successful attack on American soil is traced to the country's tribal areas, according to senior military officials. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052804854.html?hpid=topnews
Militants attack mosques in Pakistan; dozens killed By Rizwan Mohammed and Karin Brulliard. Copyright by The Washington Post . Friday, May 28, 2010; 11:55 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052800686.html?hpid=topnews
National
“DEFENSE SECRETARY Robert M. Gates spent his first two years focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in each case backing a "surge" to turn around U.S. fortunes. Now, with his time in office probably dwindling, he's taken on a final mission: reforming Pentagon spending so that the United States will be able to maintain its military forces in an era of fiscal austerity. Though the outcome of a war isn't at stake, it's crucial that Mr. Gates succeed. The secretary's campaign is motivated by some simple math. Maintaining the current number of Army divisions, Navy ships and Air Force wings -- which Mr. Gates rightly believes is essential at a time of growing international insecurity -- requires spending increases of 2 to 3 percent each year in real terms. While the Pentagon is budgeted for modest growth through 2015, it can hardly count on that continuing when Congress will be -- or should be -- trying to reduce or eliminate the dangerous structural gap between federal revenue and spending.” Washington Post Editorial
Washington Post Editorial: Defense Secretary Gates's war of necessity against wasteful spending. Copyright by The Washington Post . Wednesday, May 26, 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/25/AR2010052504695.html
California Puts Vote Overhaul on the Ballot By JESSE McKINLEY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 26, 2010. In another indication of how frustrated voters have grown with politics as usual, California — home of initiative-happy democracy — is considering a radical overhaul. On June 8, voters will decide the fate of a ballot measure that would replace traditional primaries in state and Congressional elections with, effectively, two rounds of voting. All candidates would run in the first round, and the top two vote-getters — regardless of party affiliation, or unaffiliation — would then face each other in the general election. Voters’ ultimate choice could be two Republicans or two Democrats, or two candidates with high name recognition, or deep pockets, or populist appeal. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/us/politics/27prop14.html?hpw
U.S. Crime Rates Fell in ’09 Despite Sour Economy By CHARLIE SAVAGE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 24, 2010. Despite turmoil in the economy and high unemployment, crime rates fell significantly across the United States in 2009, according to a report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/us/25crime.html?hp
Chicagoland
Daley rules out property tax increase next year - Decision stirs questions over how city will balance its books By John Byrne and Hal Dardick. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 6:14 p.m. CDT, May 25, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-daley-property-tax-0526-20100525,0,5629125.story
GOP Bashing
Teabaggers Untie - perhaps you should consider going back to school! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZoq3gPTgnE
Rand Paul's Libertarian La-La Land - Rand Paul can't hide from his loopy beliefs about civil rights, oil spills and mine disasters. By Eugene Robinson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, May 25, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/24/AR2010052402991.html
The Principles of Rand Paul By ROSS DOUTHAT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 23, 2010. No ideology survives the collision with real-world politics perfectly intact. General principles have to bend to accommodate the complexities of history, and justice is sometimes better served by compromise than by zealous intellectual consistency. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/opinion/24douthat.html?th&emc=th
The Strange World of Rand Paul By David Mixner. Copyright By David Mixne. May 20 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/05/the-strange-world-of-rand-paul.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29
The GOP: The Appropriations Party? By Marc A. Thiessen. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, May 24, 2010 . The rise of the Tea Party movement, the defeat of Bob Bennett, the victory of Rand Paul -- all these have all been driven by a popular backlash against runaway spending in Washington. The Republican Party's hopes of retaking Congress rest on its ability to convince conservative and independent voters that the GOP will restore fiscal discipline if trusted with power this fall. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/24/AR2010052402100.html
Republicans clash over California nomination By Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 23 2010 18:09 | Last updated: May 23 2010 18:09. In a political season marked by voter hostility towards Wall Street and Washington, Meg Whitman may wish she had chosen a different year to run for governor of California. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/republicans-clash-over-california.html
Fox host Van Susteren asks blog readers to gauge her intelligence By Michael Calderone. Copyright by Yahoo! News. Fri May 28, 6:00 pm ET... Perhaps expecting fans to rally around her, Van Susteren polled the audience as to who's dumber: Van Susteren or the guy watching a show he doesn't like. As of this writing, after more than 12,000 votes, the results aren't in the host's favor: 67 percent of respondents say Van Susteren is dumber. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_en2308
Real Time With Bill Maher New Rules 5/21/10 http://realtimewithbillmaher.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-rules-52110.html
The Palin Brand - Timothy Egan on American politics and life, as seen from the West By TIMOTHY EGAN. Copyright by The Associated Press. May 26, 2010, 9:00 PM. In the midst of one of the most precipitous political crashes in the Mountain West, Sarah Palin made a mad dash into Boise on Friday, urging the election of a man who had plagiarized his campaign speech from Barack Obama, had been rebuked by the military for misusing the Marine uniform and had called the American territory of Puerto Rico a separate country. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/the-palin-brand/?ref=opinion
Sarah Palin's fact-free commentary on Paul and BP By Ruth Marcus. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Has Sarah Palin learned anything since she was plucked from obscurity almost two years ago? Not that I can tell. It was not Palin's fault that she was woefully unprepared to be the Republican vice presidential nominee. For that one, blame the petulant, impetuous John McCain. But Palin has had ample time now, outside the crash course of a presidential campaign, to develop and exhibit some understanding of the issues. Her learning curve, from all the available evidence, is a flat line. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/25/AR2010052503970.html
Health Care
Rising maternal mortality rate causes alarm, calls for action - The U.S. rate nearly doubled in a decade and is higher than in 40 other industrialized countries. Experts cite numerous possible reasons and steps that could be taken. By Shari Roan and Lisa Girion. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times. May 22, 2010 | 3:19 p.m. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-maternal-deaths-20100523,0,3029743,full.story
British Medical Council Bars Doctor Who Linked Vaccine With Autism By JOHN F. BURNS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 24, 2010. A doctor whose research and public statements caused widespread alarm that a common childhood vaccine could cause autism was banned on Monday from practicing medicine in his native Britain for ethical lapses, including conducting invasive medical procedures on children that they did not need. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/health/policy/25autism.html?th&emc=th
F.D.A. Weighs Penalties in Drug Recall By NATASHA SINGER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010. The Johnson & Johnson unit that recalled millions of bottles of liquid children’s Tylenol and other pediatric medicines last month may face criminal penalties, product seizures or other sanctions, an official from the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/business/28drug.html?th&emc=th
In Ultrasound, Abortion Fight Has New Front By KEVIN SACK. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010... Laura, who asked that her last name not be used, had come to the New Woman All Women Health Care clinic in Birmingham with her mind set on having an abortion. And she felt that seeing the image of her bean-size fetus would only unleash her already hormonal emotions, without changing her mind. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/health/policy/28ultrasound.html?th&emc=th
Health Care Reform
“Few Americans know what a “medical loss ratio” is, but a fierce struggle over how to calculate it under the new health care reform law will determine how much insurers must spend on patient care and how much they can retain for administration and profits. This is but one of many battles that will emerge as federal and state regulators develop regulations to implement reform. The new law requires health insurers, starting in 2011, to spend at least 80 to 85 percent of the premiums they collect on medical services or activities that improve the quality of care. (That percentage is the medical loss ratio.) The remainder can be allocated to profits or administrative activities that do not directly benefit patients, such as marketing, overhead and salaries.” New York Times Editorial
New York Times Editorial: The Gaming Begins - The battle over how to calculate medical loss ratios is one of many that will emerge as regulators implement reform Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 23, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/opinion/24mon2.html?th&emc=th
DOCTOR AND PATIENT - Who Pays for Medical Complications? By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D. Published: May 27, 2010... What Dr. Fry and his co-investigators propose is that C.M.S. and other insurers adopt a warranty policy of payment. The warranty would be an all-inclusive upfront payment that would take into account the probability of having a complication, as well as the patient’s prior condition; and it would be standardized according to what the best quality hospitals pay for the same diagnosis, procedure and complications. “We have the mathematical ability to look at large populations and predict the rate of these complications,” Dr. Fry noted. “Our payment systems need to recognize that.” When doctors and hospitals rack up more costs than are covered by the payment, they lose money. “Physicians and hospitals will then have a real incentive for quality.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/health/views/27chen.html?hpw
High-Tech Alternatives to High-Cost Care By STEVE LOHR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 21, 2010. MENTION health care reform and the image that instantly comes to mind is a big government program. But there is another broad transformation in health care under way, a powerful force for decentralized innovation. It is fueled in good part by technology — low-cost computing devices, digital sensors and the Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/business/23unboxed.html?th&emc=th
The Economy
Calming Words From China Push Shares Higher By DAVID JOLLY and CHRISTINE HAUSER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010. Stocks in the United States rose Thursday as investors looked past new economic numbers and instead focused on buying opportunities and a reassuring report on European debt. Thursday’s rise was broad-based, with energy, technology, financial and materials shares all substantially higher. Citibank shares were up 4 percent a day after the Treasury announced that it had sold 1.5 billion shares of Citigroup, or about a fifth of its holdings, at a profit of $1.3 billion. Most Citibank rivals were up at least 3 percent. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/business/28markets.html?hp
First-Quarter U.S. Growth Revised Slightly Lower By CHRISTINE HAUSER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010. The United States economy expanded at a slower rate in the first quarter than originally estimated, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, partly because of a slight decrease in the pace of consumer spending. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/business/economy/28econ.html?adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1274986945-yCEOCp5FBvu66hN+Dn5k6w
Monumental job losses in America By Clive Crook. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 23 2010 20:51 | Last updated: May 23 2010. Unemployment in the US is high not just by its own past standards but by international standards, too, which is doubly strange. Figures also show a startling rise in long-term unemployment, to levels previously associated with Europe’s broken labour markets. 20:51. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/monumental-job-losses-in-america.html
Your Money
US consumer savings jump to highest level since January By Simone Baribeau in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 28 2010 15:00 | Last updated: May 28 2010 15:31. Consumer spending stagnated in April as workers kept a tighter grip on their wallets and sought to rebuild their savings. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-consumer-savings-jump-to-highest.html
House approves $93 billion jobless benefits package By Lori Montgomery. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, May 28, 2010; 2:31 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/28/AR2010052800361.html?wpisrc=nl_polalert
Commodities
Dollar’s rise to hit global US groups By Greg Farrell in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 23 2010 21:45 | Last updated: May 23 2010 21:45. The dollar’s continued rise against the euro and other main currencies could take its toll on the earnings of US-based multinationals such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, in spite of efforts to blunt the effects through hedging. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/dollars-rise-to-hit-global-us-groups.html
Commodities surge after warning on hurricane season By Gregory Meyer in New York Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 27 2010 19:28 | Last updated: May 27 2010 19:28. Oil and natural gas prices surged on Thursday as the US government said this year’s hurricane season could rank among the most active to date, comparable to years that brought such devastating storms as 2005’s Katrina and Rita. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ccceb032-69b9-11df-8432-00144feab49a.html
Housing
US house prices decline continues - Detroit and Chicago hardest-hit cities By Simone Baribeau in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 25 2010 15:17 | Last updated: May 25 2010 15:17. The US housing market continued its decline in March as the impending end of the homebuyer tax credit further pressured prices. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-house-prices-decline-continues.html
Housing prices still going nowhere - Neither are potential homebuyers, who are staying put, keeping market flat. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 24, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/feed/ct-biz-0524-burns--20100524,0,2720340,full.story
Entertainment
‘Lost’ Watch: Embracing the White Light By MIKE HALE. Copyright by The New York Times. May 24, 2010, 12:42 AM http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/lost-watch-embracing-the-white-light/?hp
As Lee DeWyze wins a sleepy season, where does 'Idol' go without Simon? By Maureen Ryan. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 26, 2010 http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2010/05/american-idol-lee-dewyze-crystal-bowersox.html
Live ‘Glee’ Favors Exuberance Over Plot By JON PARELES. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 29, 2010. Perky to the max, the television phenomenon “Glee” shed its plotlines and flaunted its young troupers’ gusto and its karaoke repertory for “Glee Live! In Concert” on Friday night, starting a sold-out three-night stand at Radio City Music Hall that completes a four-city tour. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/arts/music/29glee.html?hp
Travel
Demand erupts for trip insurance - Iceland volcano points up its value — if you know what you need and what you're getting By Eileen Ambrose. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 23, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sc-cons-save-0523-20100506,0,1028708.story
Summer travelers may discover a world of pain - Demand for air travel appears likely to far outstrip the available supply of airline seats By Julie Johnsson. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 9:45 p.m. CDT, May 27, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-biz-0527-summer-travel--20100527,0,2006327,full.story
Airlines to charge more for summer travel - Major carriers adding $10 to $30 per seat on most days By Hugo Martin. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 6:00 p.m. CDT, May 25, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/feed/sc-biz-0526-fees--20100525,0,1026708,full.story
Thousands hit by fresh BA strike By Gill Plimmer. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 24 2010 12:29 | Last updated: May 24 2010 12:29. Thousands of British Airways passengers faced disruption to their travel plans on Monday after 1,200 cabin crew began a five-day strike. Talks to resolve the dispute over the weekend ended in acrimony with both the company and leaders of the Unite union blaming each other for the failure to come to a deal. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/violence-spreads-in-thailand-after_24.html
36 Hours in Genoa, Italy By JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 30, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/travel/30hours.html?hpw
Michigan's coast is best by bicycle -Though roads are seldom more than a means to get someplace, the cavernous, 21-mile-long Tunnel of Trees along Lake Michigan is a journey to be savored, especially by bicycle. By Tim Jones. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 23, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-trav-0523-biking-michigan-coast-20100523,0,4077108,full.story
Religion
Sister Margaret’s Choice By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 26, 2010. We finally have a case where the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy is responding forcefully and speedily to allegations of wrongdoing. But the target isn’t a pedophile priest. Rather, it’s a nun who helped save a woman’s life. Doctors describe her as saintly. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/opinion/27kristof.html?ref=opinion
Legal
Supreme Court rules for black Chicago firefighters. Copyright © 2010, Tribune Interactive. 10:50 a.m. CDT, May 24, 2010. The Supreme Court dealt a potentially costly defeat to the city of Chicago Monday, reinstating a discrimination ruling in favor of 6,000 black applicants for firefighting jobs in the 1990s. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sc-dc-chicago-firefighters-20100524,0,3414845.story
Justices Rule Against N.F.L. in Antitrust Case By KEN BELSON. Copyright by The New york Times. Published: May 24, 2010. The Supreme Court said on Monday that the N.F.L. is an “unincorporated association of 32 separately owned professional football teams,” not a single business, for the purposes of selling branded jerseys and caps. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/sports/football/25needle.html?hp
Goldman seeks settlement with SEC By John Gapper and Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 28 2010 00:11 | Last updated: May 28 2010 00:11. Goldman Sachs is hoping to avoid the Securities and Exchange Commission’s charge of fraud by reaching a settlement on a lesser offence and agreeing to a fine of hundreds of millions of dollars, according to people familiar with the bank’s negotiating position. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/goldman-seeks-settlement-with-sec.html
Toyota took cost-cutting approach on lurching Lexus models, records show - The automaker struggled to diagnose performance problems with the 2002-06 ES models and limited the scope of repairs, company records show. By Ken Bensinger and Ralph Vartabedian. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Time. May 23, 2010. Five months before the new 2002 Lexus ES hit showroom floors, the company's U.S. engineers sent a test report to Toyota City in Japan: The luxury sedan shifted gears so roughly that it was "not acceptable for production." http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-lexus-20100523,0,4316134,full.story
Immigration
Bill Maher's final new rule on 5-07-10- illegal immigration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_fwNN_Pyyw
“EVEN DRACONIAN measures like the one adopted in Arizona are not going to make 11 million immigrants already illegally here in this country magically disappear, let alone address this country's dysfunctional immigration system. Neither is President Obama's decision, announced this week, to deploy 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, a move that appears motivated at least as much by election-year political anxiety as by genuine security concerns. After all, illegal cross-border entries are down significantly in the past two years, and so is violent crime in border states, as the administration itself has noted.” Washington Post Editorial
Washington Post Editorial: Inaction trumps problem-solving when immigration is involved. Copyright by The Washington Post . Thursday, May 27, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/26/AR2010052604901.html
New York Times Editorial: Trenton Gets It Right. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 21, 2010. A coalition of community groups in Trenton is issuing photo identification cards to illegal immigrants. The cards are not government IDs, though they are accepted by many check-cashing companies, libraries, stores, and medical clinics, and at public parks and pools. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/opinion/23sun3.html?th&emc=th
A Potential Obama Ally Becomes an Outspoken Foe on Immigration By JULIA PRESTON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 28, 2010.. But instead of a favorite ally, Mr. Gutierrez has become a noisy, needling outsider — and not just in the halls of Congress. Saying he was fed up with the president not leading an overhaul of immigration laws, Mr. Gutierrez was arrested along with more than 30 other protesters on May 1 after a sit-in in front of the White House. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/us/politics/29gutierrez.html?hpw
Obama to Send Up to 1,200 Troops to Border By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 25, 2010. resident Obama will send up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the Southwest border and seek increased spending on law enforcement there to combat drug smuggling after demands from Republican and Democratic lawmakers that border security be tightened. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/us/26border.html?hpw
Gutierrez: Gays are in immigration bill by John Fenoglio. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2010-05-26 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26660
GLBT
“IF ALL GOES according to plan, we could be writing the obituary of "don't ask, don't tell" by the end of the week. The House and Senate are poised to cast votes that would end the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, while leaving the timetable for implementing new rules up to the Pentagon. This is not the optimal way to end this reprehensible policy. But there has never been a better opportunity to nullify a law that has forced more than 14,000 service members out of the military since 1994.” Washington Post Editorial
Washington Post Editorial: Congress has a good chance to end 'don't ask, don't tell' Copyright by The Washington Post . Wednesday, May 26, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/25/AR2010052504693.html
New York Times Editorial: A Stronger Military. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: May 25, 2010. After months of unnecessary hand-wringing and delay, the White House and Congressional leaders appear to have reached an agreement on ending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that forced thousands of gay and lesbian service members to stay in the closet in order to serve their country. Although the agreement would postpone full repeal for a few months to await a Pentagon study on implementing the change, finally it creates a path to the full integration of the military. That is not just a matter of justice. It would make the military stronger. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/opinion/26wed1.html?ref=opinion
Chicago Sun Times Editorial: Repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. May 26, 2010 http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2315654,CST-EDT-edit26c.article
House Votes to Allow Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Law By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and CARL HULSE. Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/us/politics/28tell.html?th&emc=th
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pull Your Punches By TOBIN HARSHAW. Copyright by The New York Times. May 28, 2010, 6:00 PM. The Thread is an in-depth look at how major news and controversies are being debated across the online spectrum. It’s been a good week, perhaps too good of a week, for disclosure and transparency. The blogosphere has brought us more than we ever wanted to know about the telephony habits of a South Carolina legislator; we discovered that, in one case, the White House’s efforts to provide employment amid a recession has gotten both the current and a former president into trouble; and we learned that we’re all going get a peek over the fence and into the lives of Wasilla, Alaska’s, most famous resident. There are times when more feels like less … http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/dont-ask-dont-tell-dont-pull-your-punches/?hp
Obama heckled again over 'don't ask, don't tell' By Holly Bailey . Copyright by Yahoo! News. May 26, 2010. A gay rights activist heckled President Obama at a San Francisco fundraiser Tuesday night, urging Obama to "move faster" on a proposed repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl2254
LGBT National Legislation: The Good, Bad and Ugly By David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. May 19 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/05/lgbt-national-legislation-the-good-bad-and-ugly.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29
Portugal legalizes same-sex marriage by Rex Wockner. Copyright by Rex Wockner. 2010-05-26 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26669
Gutierrez: Gays are in immigration bill by John Fenoglio. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2010-05-26 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26660
Technology
“So far, most people have been inclined to trust internet companies with their personal information but these incidents demonstrate that it may not be wise. There is no such thing as a free lunch and nor is there a free online social network.” Financial Times Editorial Comment
Financial Times Editorial Comment: Facebook privacy must be watched. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 27 2010 19:35 | Last updated: May 27 2010 19:35. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/financial-times-editorial-comment_28.html
From Facebook, answering privacy concerns with new settings By Mark Zuckerberg. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, May 24, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/23/AR2010052303828.html
Facebook founder Zuckerberg's not-quite-apology By Rob Pegoraro. Copyright by The Washington Post. May 24, 2010; 12:04 PM ET http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/05/facebook_founder_zuckerbergs_n.html?hpid=topnews
Rivals Seize on Troubles of Facebook By JENNA WORTHAM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 23, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/technology/24social.html?th&emc=th
Sure, It’s Big. But Is That Bad? By BRAD STONE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 21, 2010. IN the 1990s, Gary Reback, a Silicon Valley lawyer, almost single-handedly brought the antitrust weight of the federal government down on that era’s high-tech heavyweight, Microsoft. Now Mr. Reback contends there is a dangerous new monopolist in the catbird seat: the search giant Google. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/technology/23goog.html?th&emc=th
Google attacked in Australia over privacy By Peter Smith in Sydney. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 25 2010 13:21 | Last updated: May 25 2010 14:17. Google has hit back at an Australian politician who attacked the US technology group for being responsible for “probably the single biggest breach in the history of privacy”. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-attacked-in-australia-over.html
Google Balks at Turning Over Private Internet Data to Regulators By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 27, 2010. Google has balked at requests from regulators to surrender Internet data and fragments of e-mail messages that it collected from unsecured home wireless networks, saying it needed time to resolve legal issues. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/technology/28google.html?th&emc=th
New King of Technology: Apple Overtakes Microsoft By MIGUEL HELFT and ASHLEE VANCE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 26, 2010. Apple, the maker of iPods, iPhones and iPads, overtook Microsoft, the computer software giant, on Wednesday to become the world’s most valuable technology company. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/technology/27apple.html?emc=na
Analyst says Apple is ramping up production to be able to make 2.5M iPads per month by summer Copyright By The Associated Press. 2:16 p.m. CDT, May 25, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-apple-supply-chain-analyst-note,0,5638927.story
Apple price target hiked to $325 at BofA Merrill. Copyright by Market Watch. May 28, 2010, 8:56 a.m. EDT http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-price-target-hiked-to-325-at-bofa-merrill-2010-05-28
Apple’s iPad makes its international debut By Tim Bradshaw in London, Mark Mulligan in Madrid, Giulia Segreti in Rome, Robin Harding in Tokyo and Peter Smith in Sydney. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Apple’s iPad made its international debut on Friday, with buyers storming shops – including Japanese fans dressed up as iPads in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district – to be among the first outside the US to snap up the long-awaited tablet PC. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/apples-ipad-makes-its-international.html
Education
“The social conservatives who dominate the Texas State Board of Education backed down last week from a few of their most outrageous efforts to tilt the state’s social studies curriculum. They dropped a proposal that President Obama be referred to as “Barack Hussein Obama” and lost in their efforts to rename the “slave trade” the “Atlantic triangular trade,” a clear attempt to downplay slavery’s horror and spread the blame. The changes they did force into the standards for such subjects as history, government and economics were bad enough and bear no relationship to neutral pedagogy. The original curriculum standards were drawn up by teams of teachers and scholars who spent nearly a year on the huge undertaking. The board eagerly exercised its power to amend those requirements.” New York Times Editorial
New York Times Editorial: Politicized Curriculum in Texas. Copyright by New York Times. Published: May 25, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/opinion/26wed4.html?ref=opinion
Beyond Protests: Students Making the Pieces of a Different Society By Saskia Sassen. Copyright by The Huffington Post. Posted: May 22, 2010 05:37 PM. Students in Iran, in Greece, in Puerto Rico -- all have shown a noticeable endurance to fight on for weeks against governments which are threatening their basic rights. Even more important, in this struggle they are not only protesting but developing the elements for alternative politics and social settings. The Puerto Rican students who have occupied the campus of the Unviersidad de Puerto Rico for weeks, surrounded by armed forces, are doing urban agriculture, collective cooking, environmentally sustainable practices, art, music... in brief, they are striving to build the elements of a different society. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/saskia-sassen/beyond-protests-students_b_586138.html
Other
Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson 'devastated' after tabloid newspaper records her in bribe sting By JILL LAWLESS. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 7:27 p.m. CDT, May 23, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-eu-britain-royal-sting,0,338495.story
KLM Economy Comfort Product with Ramana at Manchester Airport T2 http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=6NPF0A_vGC4
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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
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