Saturday, June 27, 2009

Stonewall Baby, All Grown Up - June 27, 2009

Stonewall Baby, All Grown Up - June 27, 2009


“Four decades ago, a group of gays and lesbians in New York pushed back against persecution. When my loved ones celebrate my birthday today, we will also be raising a glass to 40 years of progress on gay rights. Being in a quiet long-term relationship and having a disturbingly "respectable" professional life means that I'm basically boring. Gay marriage in New York is painfully just out of reach, but looking back on the 40 years since Stonewall, my staid domestic life is itself a major triumph.” Michael Hamill Remaley

Stonewall Baby, All Grown Up By Michael Hamill Remaley. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, June 27, 2009. I was born on the day of the Stonewall riots, June 27, 1969, so my life is an individual history of the 40-year-old modern gay rights movement. What makes my story particularly representative is just how conventional my life has become. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/26/AR2009062602771.html

The Real Mob at Stonewall By LUCIAN K. TRUSCOTT IV. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 25, 2009. I WAS perhaps the unlikeliest person in the world to cover the Stonewall riots for The Village Voice. It was June 27, 1969. I had graduated from West Point only three weeks earlier and was spending my summer leave in New York before reporting for duty at Fort Benning, in Georgia. After a late dinner in Chinatown, I was about to enter the Lion’s Head, a writers’ hangout on Christopher Street near the Voice’s offices, when I blundered straight into the first moments of the police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar a couple of doors down the street. Even a newly minted second lieutenant of infantry could see that it was a story. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/opinion/26truscott.html?th&emc=th

Colbert Report June 25, 2009: Jim Fouratt http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/232017/june-25-2009/jim-fouratt



International

Japan records sharp fall in prices © Reuters Limited. June 26, 2009. TOKYO, June 26 - Japanese consumer prices fell a record 1.1 per cent in the year to May, with falling demand increasingly blamed as the country’s second bout of deflation in less than two years deepens. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/64e67bf4-6202-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html

Eurozone recovery loses momentum - PMI data weaker-than-expected By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 10:36 | Last updated: June 23 2009 10:36 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aad398c8-5fd6-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

IMF sees drag on Irish growth until 2014 - Ireland faces deeper recession than any advanced economy By John Murray Brown in Dublin. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 13:44 | Last updated: June 25 2009 13:44 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c2d0d44c-616e-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html



China

US and China set to resume military talks By Kathrin Hille in Beijing and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 14:55 | Last updated: June 21 2009 14:55. The US expects its highest-level bilateral military meeting with China in 18 months to be dominated by discussions about containing North Korea. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/32398f08-5e46-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

Financial Times Editorial Comment: China will not save the world economy. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 19:04 | Last updated: June 21 2009 19:04. Both too much and too little are expected of China’s response to the economic crisis: too much, because the Asian giant can play only a modest role in rescuing the world economy; too little, because few believe the economy will be radically changed. The stimulus programme is helpful, for China and the world. But the real challenge is structural transformation. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c02d6e28-5e8d-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

China repeats criticism of dollar dominance - People’s Bank hits at US monetary policy By Peter Garnham. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 26 2009 12:00 | Last updated: June 26 2009 12:00 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f2236be4-6239-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html

US lodges China censorship complaint - Follows Beijing action against Google By Richard Waters and Joseph Menn in San Francisco and Daniel Dombey in Washington and Kathrin Hille in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 22:31 | Last updated: June 21 2009 22:31 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/874ca00e-5e9e-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

China rejects US and EU trade charges - Says quotas meant to protect environment By Tom Braithwaite in Washington, Joshua Chaffin in Brussels, Kathrin Hille in Beijing and Elizabeth Fry in Sydney. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 17:12 | Last updated: June 24 2009 10:05 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d594245e-600a-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

Europe and U.S. Accuse China of Trade Restrictions By JACK HEALY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/global/24trade.html?ref=global-home



Mess-o-potamia

Violence May Hinder Talks With Iran, Obama Says By JEFF ZELENY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 26, 2009. WASHINGTON — President Obama, whose campaign for the White House included a pledge to open talks with Iran, said Friday that the prospects for such a dialogue had been dampened by the brutal crackdown in the wake of the nation’s disputed presidential election. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/world/middleeast/27prexy.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Chicago Tribune Editorial - Obama's shrewd words. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 23, 2009. Read newspaper opinion pages and political Web sites and you can't miss the harsh verdict of many U.S. conservatives: They see Barack Obama as an appeaser, a timid president who needs to more forcefully align his government with the protesters now under bloody siege in Iran. Writing in Monday's Tribune, syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer lacerated Obama for dithering as Iran's theocratic dictatorship crushes expressions of liberty: "The demonstrators are fighting on their own, but they await just a word that America is on their side. ... And where is our president? Afraid of 'meddling.' Afraid to take sides between the head-breaking, women-shackling exporters of terror -- and the people in the street yearning to breathe free." http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/chi-0623edit2jun23,0,5726062.story

G8 foreign ministers signal cautious approach on Iran - Reiterate invitation to nuclear talks By Guy Dinmore in Trieste. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 26 2009 13:36 | Last updated: June 26 2009 13:36. Group of Eight foreign ministers meeting in Italy on Friday cautiously bridged their differences over how to deal with Iran by deploring the deaths of peaceful demonstrators but reiterating their invitation to Tehran to join direct talks over its nuclear programme. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c5cdb0fe-624d-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html

Britain expels two Iranian diplomats - Regime singles out Britain for censure By Roula Khalaf and Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 06:08 | Last updated: June 23 2009 16:13. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c5e80612-5fb3-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

Zakaria: 'Fatal wound' inflicted on Iranian regime's ideology By Fareed Zakaria. Copyright by CNN News. June 21, 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/19/zakaria.iran.elections/index.html

Reading Twitter in Tehran? - Why the real revolution is on the streets -- and offline. By John Palfrey, Bruce Etling and Robert Faris. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, June 21, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061901598.html


The End of the Beginning By ROGER COHEN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 23, 2009. TEHRAN — Iran’s 1979 revolution took a full year to gestate. The uprising of 2009 has now ended its first phase. But the volatility ushered in by the June 12 ballot-box putsch of Iran’s New Right is certain to endure over the coming year. The Islamic Republic has been weakened. During one of the violent clashes here in recent days, I saw a member of the riot police confront a protester holding a cell phone. “Don’t take a photograph of me!” he yelled at the young man. “Why?” the man shouted back. “You’re not naked.” But the Islamic Republic is. Everyone knows where everyone stands; it isn’t pretty. All the fudge that allowed a modern society to coexist with a theocracy inspired by an imam occulted in the 9th century has been swept away, leaving two Irans at war. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/opinion/24iht-edcohen.html?ref=global

Iran’s Second Sex By ROGER COHEN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 26, 2009. From Day 1, Iran’s women stood in the vanguard. Their voices from rooftops were loudest, and their defiance in the streets boldest. “Stand, don’t run,” Nazanine told me as the baton-wielding police charged up handsome Vali Asr avenue on the day after the fraudulent election. She stood. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/opinion/27cohen.html?ref=global

Arab States Aligned With U.S. Savor Turmoil in Iran By MICHAEL SLACKMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 24, 2009. CAIRO — The rancorous dispute over Iran’s presidential election could turn into a win-win for Arab leaders aligned with Washington who in the past have complained bitterly that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was destabilizing the region and meddling in Arab affairs, political analysts and former officials around the region said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/world/middleeast/25arabs.html?th&emc=th

Khamenei Vows Iran Will Not Yield ‘at Any Cost’ By NAZILA FATHI and ALAN COWELL. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: June 24, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/world/middleeast/25iran.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Ahmadinejad Tells Obama Not to Interfere in Iran By Thomas Erdbrink, William Branigin and Debbi Wilgoren. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, June 25, 2009; 11:17 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062500774.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Iran Establishes Special Court to Try Protesters By Thomas Erdbrink and William Branigin. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, June 23, 2009; 1:14 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062300155.html?hpid=topnews

Iran arrests foreign nationals in connection with protests. Copyright by CNN News. June 24, 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/24/iran.election/index.html

June 22, 2009: Crisis in Iran http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=230709&title=crisis-in-iran

U.S. Announces New Afghan Drug Policy. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: June 27, 2009. TRIESTE, Italy (AP) -- The United States has announced a new drug policy for opium-rich Afghanistan, saying it was phasing out funding for eradication programs while significantly increasing its funding for alternate crop and drug interdiction efforts. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/27/world/AP-EU-Italy-US-Afghanistan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Premier Casting U.S. Withdrawal as Victory for Iraq By STEVEN LEE MYERS and MARC SANTORA. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 25, 2009. BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has taken to calling the withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq’s cities by next Tuesday a “great victory,” a repulsion of foreign occupiers he compares to the rebellion against British troops in 1920. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/world/middleeast/26maliki.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Iraq Struck by a Wave of Bombings By ALISSA J. RUBIN and CAMPBELL ROBERTSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 25, 2009. BAGHDAD — At least seven bombs exploded around the country Thursday amid a uptick in violence as American troops prepare to withdraw from Iraqi cities on June 30. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/world/middleeast/26iraq.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Obama Will Send Envoy to Syria, Officials Say By MARK LANDLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 24, 2009. WASHINGTON — President Obama has decided to send an ambassador to Syria after a four-year hiatus, two senior administration officials said on Tuesday evening, in a sign of the deepening engagement between the Obama administration and the Syrian government. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/world/middleeast/24syria.html?ref=global-home

U.S. Drone Strike Said to Kill 60 in Pakistan By PIR ZUBAIR SHAH and SALMAN MASOOD. Copyright by tTe Associated Press. Published: June 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/world/asia/24pstan.html?_r=1&th&emc=th



National

Justices Let Stand a Central Provision of Voting Rights Act By DAVID STOUT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 22, 2009. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a central provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, declaring that there was no need at the moment to decide whether that provision was still constitutional in light of the fundamental changes that have swept across the South in recent decades. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/us/23scotus.html?hp

Supreme Court Says Child’s Rights Violated by Strip Search By DAVID STOUT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 25, 2009. WASHINGTON — In a ruling of interest to educators, parents and students across the country, the Supreme Court ruled, 8 to 1, on Thursday that the strip search of a 13-year-old Arizona girl by school officials who were looking for prescription-strength drugs violated her constitutional rights. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/us/politics/26scotus.html?_r=1&hp

Occasional Smoker, 47, Signs Tobacco Bill By JEFF ZELENY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 22, 2009. WASHINGTON — President Obama does not discuss the fact that he still occasionally smokes, a habit he very publicly tried to kick during his race for the White House. But there he was on Monday, talking about cigarettes. As he signed legislation bringing tobacco products under federal control for the first time, the president conceded that the new law, aimed at keeping children from starting to smoke, could have helped him three decades ago. Mr. Obama noted that 90 percent of smokers began on or before their 18th birthday http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/us/politics/23obama.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

US House passes landmark climate change bill - Partisan vote ends 219-212 By Edward Luce in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 27 2009 00:51 | Last updated: June 27 2009 03:11. The United States took its first step towards reducing carbon emissions on Friday night when the House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill that would set the country’s first ever limits on its greenhouse gas production. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/53024b4e-62ab-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html

Train Car in Rear-End Accident Was Overdue for Brake Work By Lena H. Sun, Lyndsey Layton and David A. Fahrenthold. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, June 23, 2009; 1:37 PM. The Metro train car that slammed into another on the Red Line yesterday evening was two months past due for scheduled maintenance on its brakes, and the car was an older model that federal officials had recommended be replaced because of concerns about its safety in a crash, officials said today. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062300653.html?hpid=topnews

Tug-of-war over ‘Buy American’ By Sarah O’Connor in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 16:56 | Last updated: June 23 2009 16:56. Business groups, trade unions and the US’s trading partners are fighting a tug-of-war over “Buy American” rules as the Obama administration ponders whether to toughen up or neuter the controversial provisions. The measures, which were in the $787bn US stimulus bill, require any project funded with stimulus money to use only US-made steel, iron and manufactured goods. As the money filters out, Buy American requirements are rippling through the private sector, maiming some US companies that cannot comply with them and enraging foreign ones that are altogether excluded. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/071d47ba-600d-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

A First Lady Who Demands Substance - Michelle Obama Wants to Be Part of Events That Have Purpose And a Message -- and That Parallel the President's Agenda. By Lois Romano. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, June 25, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062403676.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Madoff stripped of everything in $171B forfeiture order; prosecutor seeking 150-year sentence By TOM McELROY. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 10:05 AM CDT, June 27, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-madoff-scandal,0,116635.story



GOP Bashing

The Repugnant Party when it comes to race By Leonard Pitts. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 23, 2009. The modern GOP was created in 1965 with a stroke of President Lyndon B. Johnson's pen. If that is an exaggeration, it is not much of one. When Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, he made a prediction: In committing the unpardonable sin of guaranteeing the ballot to all citizens regardless of race, he said, he would cause his party to lose the South "for a generation." http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0623pittsjun23,0,1364962.story

Governor Used State’s Money to Visit Lover By JIM RUTENBERG and ROBBIE BROWN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 25, 2009. COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina acknowledged Thursday that he visited his mistress in Argentina on a taxpayer-financed trade mission to South America early last summer, an admission adding another layer to a scandal that produced increasing calls for his resignation. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/us/26sanford.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1246024803-f32b4TW0GSAZX0SxLzoRGQ

Mysteries Remain After Governor Admits an Affair By ROBBIE BROWN and SHAILA DEWAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 24, 2009. COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina said Wednesday that he had been having an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina for the last year, ending the mystery surrounding his disappearance over Father’s Day weekend and considerably dampening his prospects for a national political career. But his confession and apology, in a rambling, nationally televised news conference, left other mysteries unsolved, like whether he had lied to his staff members as late as Monday about his whereabouts, whether the affair had definitively ended, whether he would resign from the governorship and whether he would even have acknowledged the affair had he not been met at the airport in Atlanta by a reporter upon his return. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/us/25sanford.html?th&emc=th

Sanford Case a New Dose of Bad News for Republicans By JIM RUTENBERG. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 24, 2009. WASHINGTON — Republicans were just starting to breathe a little easier. The news that Senator John Ensign had had an affair with a former aide who was married to another former aide was fading. Polls showed some voter impatience with President Obama’s policies, if not with the president himself. And the Politico, the insidery Web site that is widely read in the capital’s political precincts, even featured an article exploring the possibility of a Republican Party comeback. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/us/25repubs.html?th&emc=th

Washington Post Editorial: That Other Affair - Sen. Ensign's infidelity merits further investigation. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, June 26, 2009. IT WAS JUST a week ago that Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) was in the spotlight for his admission of marital infidelity. Now comes fellow Republican and would-be presidential hopeful Mark Sanford's clumsy admission of adultery, and Mr. Ensign is, so political pundits judge, yesterday's news. That's too bad, because there is still a lot about Mr. Ensign's affair that the public has a right to know. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062503424.html



Chicagoland

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Deadline, schmedline. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 26, 2009. Next year starts Wednesday. That's the harsh reality for social services agencies throughout Illinois and the people who rely on them for help. With Gov. Pat Quinn and state lawmakers still unable to agree on a budget -- heck, they can't even agree on the size of the expected deficit -- those agencies face the almost certain prospect of beginning a new fiscal year with no idea how much funding they'll have. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/chi-0626edit1jun26,0,7692147.story

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: Mayor owes aldermen a voice in 2016 pledge. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. June 22, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1633048,CST-EDT-edit22.article

Daley flip-flops on Olympic contract explanation - Mayor offers contradictory accounts about pledging to guarantee funding in Chicago's bid for 2016 Olympics By David Heinzmann and Dan P. Blake. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 28, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-daley-olympicsjun28,0,5557047.story

Firing of Daley executive urged - Personnel chief lied, inspector general charges By Todd Lighty. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 27, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-090628exec-story,0,3022717.story

Cop gets probation for beating bartender By Matt Walberg. Copyright by The Associated Press. June 23, 2009 2:07 PM http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/06/cop-to-be-sentenced-for-beating-bartender.html?track=email-alert-breakingnews

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: Stiffer penalty could teach brutes a lesson. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. June 25, 2009. We're loath to second-guess the decision of Judge John J. Fleming to let a thug of a cop, Anthony Abbate, walk away without doing prison time. Fleming works in the Cook County Criminal Courts Building, where every day he must decide the fate of the worst of the worst -- killers and rapists and armed robbers -- so maybe the going punishment in his grim world for beating up a woman is only a couple of years probation. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1638638,CST-EDT-edit25a.article

Is Lisa Madigan Democrats' Senate savior? BY LAURA WASHINGTON. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. June 22, 2009. It gives the Democrats the heebie-jeebies in the middle of the night. It's a sweet dream for Republicans. It's the tantalizing prospect of snagging Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat in 2010. http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/1633004,CST-EDT-laura22.article




Your Lack of Money

OECD sees strongest outlook since 2007 - Expects modest growth in 2010 By Norma Cohen. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 24 2009 09:41 | Last updated: June 24 2009 09:41. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has revised its World Economic Outlook upwards for the first time in two years, as its latest review concludes that the global economic slide is nearing a bottom. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/115a3408-602c-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

U.S. Durable Goods Orders Unexpectedly Jumped in May (Update2) By Shobhana Chandra. Copyright by Bloomberg News. Last Updated: June 24, 2009 09:50 EDT. June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Orders for American-made durable goods unexpectedly jumped in May, adding to signs that the economic slump is easing. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=apkAeuPJBaJw

US incomes surge as stimulus kicks in - Consumers boost spending in May By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 26 2009 14:16 | Last updated: June 26 2009 14:16. Personal income in the US surged in May as government stimulus funds began working their way through the economy and consumers upped their spending for the first time in three months. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3c99d60-6248-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html

US recovery scheme slowed by state fears By Sheila McNulty in Houston. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 20:16 | Last updated: June 21 2009 20:16. Some US states have been reluctant to take all the federal stimulus funds available to them, fearing they will get mired in red tape or create jobs they have no way of funding in the future. This hesitancy, along with bureaucratic disbursement policies, is limiting the impact of the billions in Recovery Act funding designated for states and localities, according to analysts. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/04d7e206-5e93-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

OECD warns on pensions crisis - Risk of decades of hardship By Chris Giles, Economics Editor. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 13:13 | Last updated: June 23 2009 13:13. Strains in pensions systems, in both private and public provision, threaten to turn the financial crisis over the past two years into a social crisis lasting decades, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development warned on Tuesday. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4301d326-5feb-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

US economy contracts by revised 5.5% - Jobless claims dent recovery hopes By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 14:34 | Last updated: June 25 2009 14:34 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/453a5a72-618b-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html

Brands left to ponder price of loyalty - Customers defect in droves By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 22:31 | Last updated: June 21 2009 22:31 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/67cee29c-5e89-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

Bernanke defends Fed on Merrill deal - Fed chief grilled over BofA threat claims By Tom Braithwaite and Krishna Guha in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 15:51 | Last updated: June 25 2009 23:04. Ben Bernanke was on Thursday forced to make an unusual public defence of his actions as a bank regulator amid accusations he overstepped his authority during the frantic talks over Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c5388664-6194-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html

Fed begins exit from emergency support measures - Trims programmes and scraps unused scheme By Krishna Guha in Washington and Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 17:14 | Last updated: June 25 2009 17:14. The Federal Reserve on Thursday made its first tiny steps towards an exit from emergency support for financial markets, trimming back a couple of its programmes and scrapping one unused scheme, the money market investor funding facility, even as it extended the bulk of its programmes beyond year end. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4a759a40-61a1-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html

Regulators shut down 2 banks in Ga, 2 in Calif and 1 in Minn; 45 bank failures this year By MARCY GORDON, STEPHEN BERNARD. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 1:59 AM CDT, June 27, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-bank-closures,0,6104596.story

Bankers’ pay soars in attempt to halt exodus - Salaries running close to 2007 highs By Patrick Jenkins in London and Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 23:31 | Last updated: June 21 2009 23:31 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1d532086-5e9b-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

Citigroup revamps pay structure - Bank trying to retain best performers By Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 24 2009 05:23 | Last updated: June 24 2009 05:23. Citigroup is revamping its compensation system – raising salaries and reducing bonuses for top bankers – in an effort to persuade its best performers to stay with the troubled bank. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/59accb78-6075-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

Citi ordered to suspend Japan units - Regulator faults internal controls By Michiyo Nakamoto in Tokyo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 26 2009 10:09 | Last updated: June 26 2009 14:31. Japan’s financial regulator has ordered Citigroup to halt some of its businesses for a month and fundamentally improve its internal controls, after finding that the US group failed to implement sufficient measures aimed at preventing suspicious transactions, including money laundering. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/937a212a-622d-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html

AIG spins off units to cut its NY Fed debt - Insurer to give bank AIA and Alico stakes By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 13:29 | Last updated: June 25 2009 14:01. AIG said on Thursday that it would give the Federal Reserve Bank of New York stakes in two of its life assurance units in order to cut the debt it owes to the bank by $25bn. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f945db44-6182-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html

Boeing warns of more Dreamliner delays - Problems discovered with aircraft body By Kevin Done in London and Hal Weitzman in Chicago. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 15:30 | Last updated: June 23 2009 15:44 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9e27b708-5ffe-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html


Commodities

Oil smashes through $71 on economic optimism - Recovery hopes and Nigeria attacks boost price By Miles Johnson. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 26 2009 11:50 | Last updated: June 26 2009 11:50. Crude broke through $71 a barrel on continued optimism for a sharp upswing in world economic activity and a further rebel attacks on the petroleum industry in Nigeria. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/77996522-623e-11de-b1c9-00144feabdc0.html


Housing

US home resales rise 2.4% in May - Foreclosures continue to pressure prices By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 15:58 | Last updated: June 23 2009 15:58 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cf080734-5fee-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html

Chicago home sales show uptick, but still down 27.5% By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 9:00 AM CDT, June 23, 2009. Sales of existing homes in the Chicago area posted the fourth consecutive monthly improvement during May but the region is still trailing year-ago levels. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-chicago-home-sales-june23,0,7720981.story


GLBT

Has the Gay Media become irrelevant? By Carlos T Mock. June 27, 2009. Since the gay rags come only once a week. By the time we read these and other news, they are obsolete—it’s like last week Newsweek. The way that we as a community react to this will either make or break the livelihood of our own Newspapers. For those who choose to ONLY read the gay media—there is no issue. But for most of us, who read three or four newspapers everyday, it is becoming annoying. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/06/has-gay-media-become-irrelevant.html

Paterson Vows Vote on Gay Marriage Before Break By DANNY HAKIM and JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 21, 2009. ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson said in an interview Sunday night that he would make sure that the State Senate votes on same sex-marriage legislation before it breaks for the summer, hours after he and his administration had refused to commit to forcing a vote on the issue. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/nyregion/22albany.html?th&emc=th

Same-Sex Marriage Gains Traction - Council, Not Voters, Gets Say-So on Non-D.C. Unions By Tim Craig. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, June 16, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/15/AR2009061502606.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Jim Madigan to run for state senate seat by Andrew Davis. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-06-24. In an exclusive talk with Windy City Times, Equality Illinois Interim Executive Director Jim Madigan said that he plans to run for the 7th District Illinois Senate seat next February against incumbent Heather Steans. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=21526




Immigration

New York Times Editorial: A Way Forward on Immigration. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 26, 2009. President Obama and Congress members met privately at the White House on Thursday for their first major discussion of immigration reform. Immigration is just one unsolved national crisis among many, and it was hard not to suspect that the parties might use the meeting — which had already been twice postponed — to dampen expectations for a bill this year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/opinion/27sat1.html?th&emc=th

Republicans Focus on Guest Workers in Immigration Debate By JEFF ZELENY and GINGER THOMPSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 26, 2009. WASHINGTON — President Obama told a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday that Congress should begin debating a comprehensive immigration plan by year’s end or early next year, but Republicans said they would support a measure only if it included an expansion of guest worker programs. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/us/politics/26immig.html?th&emc=th

Senate Democrats Address Immigration By Spencer S. Hsu. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, June 25, 2009. Senate Democrats outlined plans yesterday to overhaul the nation's immigration laws, including a requirement that all U.S. workers verify their identity through fingerprints or an eye scan. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062402244.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter




Technical

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Cyber security risk. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 19:48 | Last updated: June 25 2009 19:48. When western leaders talk about national security, they tend to focus on issues such as the threat from jihadism or the need for capable armed forces. But the US and UK governments are increasingly concerned by what they deem to be one of the 21st century’s biggest security risks: the threat of cyber attacks. Both governments recognise that the digital revolution is one of the prime drivers of global economic growth. But they worry that the internet is becoming an increasingly powerful instrument in the hands of those who want to steal, terrorise and wage war using novel methods. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/449751a6-61b3-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html

Apple’s network helps prevent a fall By John Gapper. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 24 2009 18:54 | Last updated: June 24 2009 18:54. Steve Jobs is returning to his post as chief executive of Apple, following a liver transplant, to some good news. On Sunday, Apple’s iPhone 3GS, the latest version of its device, passed 1m sales in three days. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/12c92e6e-60e7-11de-aa12-00144feabdc0.html

Apple’s Obsession With Secrecy Grows Stronger By BRAD STONE and ASHLEE VANCE. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: June 22, 2009. SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is one of the world’s coolest companies. But there is one cool-company trend it has rejected: chatting with the world through blogs and dropping tidbits of information about its inner workings. Few companies, indeed, are more secretive than Apple, or as punitive to those who dare violate the company’s rules on keeping tight control over information. Employees have been fired for leaking news tidbits to outsiders, and the company has been known to spread disinformation about product plans to its own workers. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/technology/23apple.html?th&emc=th

Nokia and Intel strike research deal - Aim for new mobile computing device By Maija Palmer in London and Chris Nuttall in San Francisco. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 23 2009 17:04 | Last updated: June 23 2009 17:04 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fb0e2128-6003-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html




Medical

New York Times Editorial: A Public Health Plan. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 20, 2009. As the debate on health care reform unfolds, no issue has caused such partisan rancor — and spawned such misleading rhetoric — as whether to create a new public insurance plan to compete with private plans. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/opinion/21sun1.html?th&emc=th

In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health By KEVIN SACK and MARJORIE CONNELLY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 20, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html?th&emc=th

Obama health plan gets boost from drugmakers By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 21 2009 19:53 | Last updated: June 21 2009 19:53. President Barack Obama’s plans for health reform received a double boost over the weekend, with drugmakers agreeing to cut prescription charges and an opinion poll showing a significant majority of Americans want the option of public health insurance. Pharmaceuticals companies agreed to cut about $80bn over the next decade in charges for prescription drug users aged 65 and over, the Obama administration announced on Saturday. These users of the Medicare government-backed scheme currently have to pay the full price of medicines that cost between $2,700 and $6,153 a year. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/000052a4-5e93-11de-91ad-00144feabdc0.html

Unraveling debate on health care By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 24, 2009. As debate over President Barack Obama's health-care proposals kicks off, his opponents are lining up in a predictable way. On one side, conservatives call Obama a "socialist." On the other side, left-progressives wish that he was. If he really were a socialist, in my view, Obama would propose something attractively simple like expanding Medicare, the government's health-insurance program for seniors, to cover everybody regardless of age. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0624pagejun24,0,1984715.column



Other

NY Times reaches deal with Boston unions - Deal removes obstacle to sale of the Globe By Kenneth Li in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 24 2009 08:02 | Last updated: June 24 2009 08:02 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2626b78-608a-11de-aa12-00144feabdc0.html

Michael Jackson dies at 50 - Death comes on eve of comeback tour By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York and Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 25 2009 23:19 | Last updated: June 26 2009 01:42 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bad95d2e-61d5-11de-9e03-00144feabdc0.html




Humor

Jon Stewart, Daily Prophet? By David Waters. Copyright by The Washington Post. June 21, 2009. In the July issue of Sojourners magazine, the Rev. Jim Wallis calls the Daily Show's Jon Stewart a prophet. "The Hebrew prophets often use humor, satire, and truth-telling to get their message across, and I feel you do a combination of all three," Wallis told Stewart. "I think you are a little like a Hebrew prophet after all." Stewart, who deflates big egos for a living, would have none of it. "It may be true that the Hebrew prophets used humor in that regard, to create social change, but it was also used by Borscht Belt social directors. We've got a lot more in common with them than the prophets." Stewart is more than a comedian. He's the Will Rogers of our time, laughing with us as he sharply and satirically mocks the absurdities of politics, media and popular culture. But a prophet? Seems like quite a stretch, at least in the theological sense of the word. http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2009/06/daily_prophet.html?hpid=talkbox1

Sweden got talent - Naked guys dancing! Video http://vodpod.com/watch/1548742-sweden-got-talent-naked-guys-dancing

Music Styles http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/06/music-styles.html



New! Carlos now has an online store. Order your books directly from Carlos and have them signed and dedicated.http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/



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

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Iran, Revealed Newsletter - June 20, 2009

Iran, Revealed Newsletter - June 20, 2009


“IN ITS OWN obtuse and menacing way, yesterday's speech by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, was actually useful. Mr. Khamenei made it plain that he and the vast security establishment he heads have no intention of permitting anyone but his own favorite, incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to become president. He issued a threat to the multitudes who have bravely and peacefully denounced alleged electoral fraud: "If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible." And he rehearsed tired conspiracy theories, blaming the historic unrest on "dirty Zionists," the United States and Britain. In so doing, Mr. Khamenei clarified the true nature of his regime and the true nature of the challenge it poses to the United States and the world.” Washington Post Editorial


Washington Post Editorial: Iran, Revealed - The supreme leader issues a challenge to his internal foes--and the Obama administration. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, June 20, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061903115.html

New York Times Editorial: Iran’s Nonrepublic. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 17, 2009. Looking at the behavior of Iran’s government, one can only conclude that it is terrified of its own people. Looking at the courage of the hundreds of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets, one can only feel admiration and anxiety for their safety. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/opinion/18thu2.html?th&emc=th

Iran’s supreme leader backs poll result - Protest leaders ‘will be held responsible’ By Roula Khalaf and Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 12:29 | Last updated: June 19 2009 12:29 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5c7c61c8-5cac-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Iranian clerics caught in a bind. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 16 2009 20:14 | Last updated: June 16 2009 20:14. In the face of massive protests at the disputed result of the Iranian election, the theocrats who rule the country have been taken by surprise. Seldom have the divisions within their ranks seemed so apparent. They are seeking to suppress the demonstrations by clamping down on communications, banning independent media coverage and arresting leading reformers. Yet they also know that ruthless suppression, in the wake of rigged elections, would severely damage their legitimacy. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2e3fdbf8-5a9c-11de-8c14-00144feabdc0.html

Iranian Police Clash With Protesters. Copyright By THE NEW YORK TIMES. Published: June 20, 2009. TEHRAN — Police officers used tear gas and water cannons to beat back thousands of demonstrators gathering in the capital on Saturday, a day after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said there would be “bloodshed” if street protests continued over the disputed presidential election. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/world/middleeast/21iran.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Iranian theocrats impose their will. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 14 2009 18:31 | Last updated: June 14 2009 18:31 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af1838b2-58fb-11de-80b3-00144feabdc0.html

Protests Flare in Tehran as Opposition Disputes Vote By ROBERT F. WORTH and NAZILA FATHI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 13, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/world/middleeast/14iran.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Tweet fightin' Iran? Maybe not By Clarence Page. Copyright by The Chicago Tribune. June 18, 2009 http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/pagespage/2009/06/tweet-fighting-iran.html



International

Russia ready for deep nuclear arms cuts © Reuters Limited. June 20, 2009. AMSTERDAM, June 20 - Russia is ready to dramatically cut its nuclear stockpiles in a new arms pact with the United States if Washington meets Russia’s concerns over missile defence, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ea4b029c-5d93-11de-a914-00144feabdc0.html

Bank of Japan says economy improving - Cites improvements with exports and production By Justine Lau in Hong Kong and Mure Dickie in Tokyo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 16 2009 07:44 | Last updated: June 16 2009 12:06 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ab11538-5a38-11de-8c14-00144feabdc0.html

German investor confidence continues to rise - ZEW index at highest since May 2006 By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 16 2009 13:23 | Last updated: June 16 2009 13:23 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a6520e0e-5a65-11de-8c14-00144feabdc0.html

EU ‘risks lagging US on regulation’ - Warning from ECB board member By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 11:49 | Last updated: June 19 2009 11:49. Europe risks falling behind the US in policing the financial system and the current crisis could prove “a wasted opportunity” to ensure its future stability, a top European Central Bank policymaker has warned. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e9c12f0-5cb9-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html


China

‘Buy China’ policy set to raise tensions - Move likely to increase protectionism around the world By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 16 2009 16:13 | Last updated: June 16 2009 16:13 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/66454774-5a7c-11de-8c14-00144feabdc0.html

World Bank raises China GDP forecast - Beijing faces sharply rising deficit By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 18 2009 05:29 | Last updated: June 18 2009 12:50 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5f7abf38-5bc0-11de-be3f-00144feabdc0.html

China orders Google to restrict searches - Storm over links to pornographic content By Kathrin Hille in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 14:37 | Last updated: June 19 2009 14:37 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/10f5984e-5cd6-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html


Mess-o-potamia

Suicide truck bomb kills 25 in northern Iraq © Reuters Limited. June 20, 2009 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b4395b0a-5d92-11de-a914-00144feabdc0.html

U.S. Journalist Held Captive by Taliban Escapes By Keith B. Richburg. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, June 20, 2009; 11:43 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/20/AR2009062000914.html?hpid=topnews

Netanyahu bows on Palestinian state - Israeli PM imposes strict conditions By Tobias Buck in Jerusalem. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 14 2009 21:41 | Last updated: June 15 2009 00:19 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/290cd2ca-5921-11de-80b3-00144feabdc0.html



National

President Delivers Exhortation to Fathers By HELENE COOPER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 20, 2009. WASHINGTON — President Obama donned his father-in-chief hat on Friday, devoting much of his afternoon to emphasizing the importance of mentors and father figures for young people and to prodding young men to be better parents. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/us/politics/20obama.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Justices Reject Inmate Right to DNA Tests By ADAM LIPTAK. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 18, 2009. WASHINGTON — Prisoners have no constitutional right to DNA testing that might prove their innocence, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in a 5-to-4 decision. The court divided along familiar ideological lines, with the majority emphasizing that 46 states already have laws that allow at least some prisoners to gain access to DNA evidence. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/us/19scotus.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Unparalleled and Denied. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 18, 2009. In an appalling 5-to-4 ruling on Thursday, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority tossed aside compelling due process claims, the demands of justice and a considered decision by a lower federal appeals court to deny the right of prisoners to obtain post-conviction DNA testing that might prove their innocence. The inmate at the center of the case, William G. Osborne, is in prison in Alaska after a 1994 rape conviction based in part on a DNA test of semen from a condom recovered at the scene. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/opinion/19fri1.html?th&emc=th

Supreme Court makes age-bias suits harder to win - The justices, overturning a jury award won by a 54-year-old who was demoted, say workers bear the full burden of proof. By David G. Savage. Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times. June 19, 2009. Reporting from Washington - With workplace age-discrimination claims rising rapidly, the Supreme Court made it much harder Thursday for older workers to win in court. The 5-4 decision reversed a long-standing rule. Many federal appellate courts had decided that if a worker could show age was one of the factors in a layoff or demotion, then the employer was required to prove it had a legitimate reason for its action apart from age. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-court-age-bias19-2009jun19,0,6254795.story



GOP Bashing

Top 10 Reasons Sarah Palin's "Outrage" is Misplaced and A Little Late....By Shannyn Moore. Copyright by the Huffington Post. June 15, 2009 04:55 AM http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannyn-moore/top-10-reasons-sarah-pali_b_215468.html

Sen. Ensign Acknowledges an Extramarital Affair By Paul Kane and Chris Cillizza. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, June 17, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061602746.html?hpid=artslot

TOPIC A : Who'll Suit Up for the GOP in 2012?. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, June 21, 2009. In the wake of the revelation of Sen. John Ensign's extramarital affair, The Post asked politicians, former officials and others to take stock of the GOP field for 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061902967.html

Judge Allows Civil Lawsuit Over Claims of Torture By JOHN SCHWARTZ. Copyright by The New York City Times. Published: June 13, 2009. The decision issued late Friday by a judge in San Francisco allowing a civil lawsuit to go forward against a former Bush administration official, John C. Yoo, might seem like little more than the removal of a procedural roadblock. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/us/politics/14yoo.html?th&emc=th

Bush Takes on Obama By Chris Cillizza. Copyright by The Washington Post. June 12, 2009. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/white-house/bush-takes-on-obama.html?hpid=topnews


Chicagoland

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Who pays? Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 18, 2009. Chicago Tribune Editorial: Who pays? Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 18, 2009. Whoa! What did Mayor Richard Daley just do? The mayor, in Switzerland for an International Olympic Committee meeting on Wednesday, promised that Chicago will take full financial responsibility if the city gets the 2016 Summer Games. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/chi-0618edit3jun18,0,1133950.story

Olympics funding: City Council in no mood for games - Aldermen rush in to criticize Daley's about-face on funding By Hal Dardick, Philip Hersh and Kathy Bergen Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 19, 2009. Mayor Richard Daley may have smoothed the waters in Switzerland this week by dropping his refusal to sign the International Olympic Committee's standard host-city contract. But his abrupt -- and unilateral -- decision to place the full financial responsibility for the 2016 Summer Games on the city has touched off a storm at home. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-olympics-19-jun19,0,626633.story

Chicago Tribune Editorial: An Olympic accounting. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 19, 2009. Mayor Richard Daley insisted Thursday that Chicago has not committed taxpayers to cover unlimited losses if the city holds the 2016 Summer Olympics. "We go to $500 million, and that's it," the mayor told the Tribune during Olympics meetings in Switzerland. A $500 million commitment would be nothing new. The City Council approved that two years ago. It's part of a complicated deal involving private insurance and city and state promises to cover more than $2 billion in losses if the Olympics go deep in the red. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/chi-0619edit1jun19,0,1133950.story

Perspective: Who is Senate President John Cullerton really kidding on ethics reform? Patrick Collins, chairman of the Illinois Reform Commission, responds to essay By Patrick Collins. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 21, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-perspec0621collinsjun21,0,7119628.story

For Some in Illinois, Talk of Reform Was Just That By MONICA DAVEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 15, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/us/16reform.html?th&emc=th

Prosecutor: Sen. Burris won't face perjury charge By JOHN O'CONNOR. Copyright By The Associated Press. Friday, June 19, 2009; 12:00 PM. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois Sen. Roland Burris will not be charged with perjury for statements he made before an Illinois House impeachment committee because there isn't enough evidence to support the charge, the state prosecutor investigating the case said Friday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061901162.html?hpid=topnews

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: Cole scandal raises doubts about Stroger. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. June 16, 2009. The more we learn about the Tony Cole scandal, the more we're forced to question the credibility of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Cole, as you might recall, was the busboy with a history of terrorizing women who looked like good county employee material to Stroger. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1623955,CST-EDT-edit16a.article

Chicago Tribune Editorial - Sammy and steroids. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 17, 2009. The New York Times reported Tuesday that former Chicago Cubs star Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. You're not going to find many Chicagoans who express surprise. This is what we've come to expect from Major League Baseball. For a certain era, its best were its best because they were juiced. We can write off that era. It was a fraud. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/chi-0617edit2jun17,0,7954292.story



Your Lack of Money

Total US jobless claims fall back - First decline since January, but new claims rise By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 18 2009 14:17 | Last updated: June 18 2009 14:17. The number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits fell for the first time since January, the labour department said on Thursday, raising hopes the worst could be over for the stricken job market. Continuing jobless claims declined by 148,000 to 6.69m in the first week of June, more than economists expected and marking the biggest weekly drop since 2001. The total number of US workers claiming unemployment benefits had hit new record highs for 19 straight weeks. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e50ffce4-5c01-11de-aea3-00144feabdc0.html

Small CPI increase eases US inflation fears - Weekly mortgage applications fall By Sarah O’Connor in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 17 2009 15:39 | Last updated: June 17 2009 15:39 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2d012f28-5b49-11de-be3f-00144feabdc0.html

Washington Post Editorial: Overload at the Fed? President Obama's financial regulation plan gives the central bank a starring role. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, June 18, 2009. THE ORIGINS of the Federal Reserve System lie in the financial panic of 1907, when the United States averted economic collapse only because J.P. Morgan improvised emergency private-sector loans to troubled Wall Street firms. Washington's response was to create the Fed as a politically independent "lender of last resort," with the authority to supervise banks. And although the Fed failed its first big test, the Great Depression, it has generally used its twin powers of money creation and bank regulation more wisely since then. Three decades ago, the Fed under Chairman Paul A. Volcker rescued the United States from murderous inflation, albeit at great short-term cost in economic growth. So it is natural that, in the current crisis, President Obama would assign the Fed some heavy lifting in the financial regulatory reform plan he unveiled yesterday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/17/AR2009061703123.html

Bair criticises regulation plan By Joanna Chung in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 15:56 | Last updated: June 19 2009 15:56. Sheila Bair, the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, on Friday went public with her criticism of the Obama regulatory plan, saying her agency should have a bigger decision-making role over firms that pose systemic risk. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c4953302-5cde-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html

Geithner on defensive over reforms - Attacked over role of Federal Reserve By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 18 2009 15:48 | Last updated: June 18 2009 17:18 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b7f9ffda-5c14-11de-aea3-00144feabdc0.html

Regulators shut down 3 small banks, bringing this year's failed bank tally to 40 By MADLEN READ. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 6:54 PM CDT, June 19, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-bank-closures,0,6104596.story

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Eyes on the road. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 14 2009 18:30 | Last updated: June 14 2009 18:30. To hear it from the US administration, it was pulled kicking and screaming into becoming the majority owner of General Motors. Denying plans for European-style industrial policy, the government promises to unwind its involvement as soon as possible, and to stay out of day-to-day management. It is the right road to take. It is also easier said than done. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/afd313a8-58fb-11de-80b3-00144feabdc0.html

Porsche posts steep fall in sales - Totals drop 27.6 per cent to 53,000 cars By Daniel Schäfer in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 11:09 | Last updated: June 19 2009 11:09 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/050c11fc-5cae-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html

FedEx swings to fourth-quarter loss - Downturn saps demand for package deliveries and freight By Justin Baer in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 17 2009 13:46 | Last updated: June 17 2009 15:58 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2f6efea0-5b37-11de-be3f-00144feabdc0.html

Eddie Bauer Files for Bankruptcy By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM and MICHAEL J. de la MERCED. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 17, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/business/18bauer.html?_r=1&th&emc=th


Commodities

Oil rises towards $72 a barrel - Currency movements help base metals to advance By Miles Johnson. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 11:37 | Last updated: June 19 2009 11:37 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5ee26844-5cbc-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html

Lower inflation figures weigh on dollar - Fed seen committing to zero-rate policy By Peter Garnham. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 17 2009 10:43 | Last updated: June 17 2009 17:59 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2d22b9e8-5b1e-11de-be3f-00144feabdc0.html

Investors cool on US bonds and equities By Sarah O’Connor in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 16 2009 00:52 | Last updated: June 16 2009 00:52. Foreign governments and private investors dramatically reduced their purchases of US assets such as Treasuries in April, choosing instead to make riskier investments elsewhere. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de0d19e6-5a02-11de-b687-00144feabdc0.html


Housing

US housing starts rebound sharply in May - Wholesale prices in sharpest annual drop since 1949 By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 16 2009 14:16 | Last updated: June 16 2009 15:07 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8d85eb0c-5a6a-11de-8c14-00144feabdc0.html

Mortgage rates back off 7-month high. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 11:49 AM CDT, June 18, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ap-mortgage-rates-jun18-,0,7694327.story


GLBT

New York Times Editorial: A Bad Call on Gay Rights. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 15, 2009. The Obama administration, which came to office promising to protect gay rights but so far has not done much, actually struck a blow for the other side last week. It submitted a disturbing brief in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which is the law that protects the right of states to not recognize same-sex marriages and denies same-sex married couples federal benefits. The administration needs a new direction on gay rights. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/opinion/16tue1.html?th&emc=th

ILLINOIS GAYS BLAST OBAMA'S MEMORANDUM http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/06/illinois-gays-blast-obamas-memorandum.html

LGBTs furious over Obama over DOMA case by Lisa Keen ©2009 Keen News Service. 2009-06-17. The honeymoon is over. The gloves are off. The anger is fierce. In a somewhat obscure gay marriage case in California, the U.S. Department of Justice submitted a brief June 11 that many LGBT activists are decrying as a betrayal of President Barack Obama's promise to work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act ( DOMA ) . http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=21443

For Obama, a Hit and a Miss On Gay Rights By Jonathan Capehart. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, June 21, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061902746.html

In defense of same-sex marriage By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 17, 2009. Politics doesn't make strange bedfellows, Groucho Marx once said, "marriage does." If so, it's not so surprising that the opposing attorneys in the 2000 Bush vs. Gore case are now teamed up by marriage politics. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0617pagejun17,0,3295439.column

Study Links Gay Marriage Bans to Rise in HIV Rate | Carlos T Mock, MD http://www.ambiente.us/06509CTMock.html

Rep. Quigley wants same-sex marriage in Census - Same-sex marriages: Census issue by Mark Silva. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. Posted June 16, 2009 11:15 AM http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/06/samesex_marriages_census_issue.html

What’s next for Illinois’ civil unions bill By Amy Wooten. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. June 18, 2009. Following the disappointment that a civil unions bill never got called for a vote before Illinois’ legislative session ended May 31, supporters started discussing next steps. http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3600

Gays in the Military: Let the Evidence Speak By John M. Shalikashvili. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, June 19, 2009. The Supreme Court announced last week that it would not review a lawsuit challenging the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy forbidding homosexuals from serving openly. The Obama administration had asked the court not to take the case as the president considers ending the ban. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/18/AR2009061803497.html

U.S. to Extend Its Job Benefits to Gay Partners By JEFF ZELENY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 16, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/us/politics/17gays.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Illinois extended gay state workers’ benefits in 2004 By TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com). Copyright by THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER. Posted Jun 17, 2009 @ 11:29 PM. In the heart of the heartland real DP benefits -- health care benefits -- have been conveyed for years by governmental bodies. It is the right thing to do; it is cost effective; and it works. Why doesn't the president and his Illinois team understand this? http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/06/illinois-extended-gay-state-workers.html

New York Times Editorial: Benefits for Same-Sex Partners. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 17, 2009. President Obama’s decision to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees is a victory for fairness in the workplace. It is a serious omission, however, that his new policy does not include health and retirement benefits, which heterosexual married employees receive. The administration has more work to do, on employee benefits and other issues, to keep its promise to work for equal rights for gay Americans. It is deeply unfair that gay federal employees have not been able to give their partners the same benefits coverage as heterosexual employees. Since benefits are an important part of employment compensation, gay people are effectively being paid less than their heterosexual peers for doing the same work. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/opinion/18thu3.html?th&emc=th

Gay seniors embrace a newfound openness - 'Mr. Straight' out of closet at 61 with no regrets By Rex W. Huppke. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. June 21, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-gay-seniors-levin-jun21,0,6495283.story

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: East Lake View school's straight parents line up with gays. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. June 15, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1622677,CST-EDT-edit15a.article

Candidate to run against Deb Mell. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-06-17 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=21454



Immigration

New York Times Editorial: Immigration: It’s Time. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 18, 2009. President Obama keeps saying he is serious about fixing immigration. You can expect him to say it again at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Friday morning. He will likely say it again next week, if his twice-postponed meeting with Congressional leaders to discuss immigration reform finally takes place. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/opinion/19fri2.html?th&emc=th

Technical

Windows 7: Another Reason to Dread the Holidays - Microsoft's new operating system, due for release in late October, will hit many small business owners' wallets in many different ways By Gene Marks. Copyright by Business Week. June 17, 2009, 8:54PM EST http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2009/tc20090617_501440.htm?campaign_id=widget_topStories

Apple CEO Jobs had liver transplant. Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times. 12:21 AM CDT, June 20, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-naw-apple-jobs-liver20-2009jun20,0,5560380.story

Profit Rises 33% for Maker of BlackBerry. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: June 18, 2009. TORONTO (AP) — The BlackBerry maker Research in Motion posted a 33 percent increase in quarterly profit on Thursday, exceeding expectations but disappointing investors with its forecast. The company earned $643 million, or $1.12 a share, in the quarter, up from $482.5 million, or 84 cents a share, a year earlier. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/technology/companies/19rimm.html?th&emc=th


Medical

New York Times Editorial: Malpractice and Health Care Reform. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 16, 2009. Hoping to enlist support for his campaign for health care reform, President Obama told the American Medical Association this week that he would work with doctors to limit their vulnerability to malpractice lawsuits. That was a reasonable offer — provided any malpractice reform is done carefully. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/opinion/17wed2.html?th&emc=th

Medicare for all may be the best cure for the US By Clive Crook. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 14 2009 18:35 | Last updated: June 14 2009 18:35 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9636a6e-58f7-11de-80b3-00144feabdc0.html

New York Times Editorial: Doctors and the Cost of Care. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 13, 2009. As the debate over health care reform unfolds, policy makers and the public need to focus more attention on doctors and the huge role they play in determining the cost of medical care — costs that are rising relentlessly. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14sun1.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Teenagers and Pregnancy. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 17, 2009. Between 1991 and 2003, increased contraceptive use among sexually active teenagers played an important role in driving down teenage pregnancy rates. Since then, according to a new report from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, contraceptive use by teens has declined while their sexual activity has remained unchanged. This is a worrisome shift — and it has bearing on the coming budget battle in Congress. The report’s authors, Dr. John Santelli, Mark Orr, Laura Lindberg and Daniela Diaz, said they found a decrease of about 10 percent in contraception use that is consistent with recent gains in the teenage birth rate. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/opinion/18thu4.html?th&emc=th

Drugs Won the War By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 13, 2009. This year marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s start of the war on drugs, and it now appears that drugs have won. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14kristof.html?th&emc=th

Tobacco Regulation Is Expected to Face a Free-Speech Challenge By DUFF WILSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 15, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/business/16tobacco.html?th&emc=th

Nestlé recalls cookie dough products - Raw dough causes several to fall ill By Jonathan Birchall in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: June 19 2009 17:46 | Last updated: June 19 2009 17:46 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/94ba2f8a-5cec-11de-9d42-00144feabdc0.html

Other


After Pilot Dies, Jet Lands Safely in Newark By AL BAKER and SEWELL CHAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: June 18, 2009. Continental Airlines Flight 61 was halfway through its transoceanic flight from Belgium to Newark when a sign of trouble came: A doctor was needed. A Belgian cardiologist, Dr. Julien Struyven, was one of five doctors to answer a call for aid on Continental Flight 61. He said it appeared the pilot had a heart attack. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/nyregion/19plane.html?th&emc=th


Humor

G-D TEXTS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/06/g-d-texts-ten-commandments.html

An updated "West Side Story" http://www.newsday.com/media/flash/2009-04/46217527.swf

Iranian Election http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/06/iranian-election.html

June 17, 2009: Irandecision 2009 - Iranian Soccer Solidarity http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=230686&title=irandecision-2009-iranian

June 15, 2009: Irandecision 2009 - Election Results http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=230115&title=Irandecision-2009---Election-Results

June 17, 2009: Jason Jones: Behind the Veil - Minarets of Menace http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=230687&title=Jason-Jones:-Behind-the-Veil---Minarets-of-Menace

New! Carlos now has an online store. Order your books directly from Carlos and have them signed and dedicated.http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/



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

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Perception is everything Newsletter - June 13, 2009

Perception is everything Newsletter - June 13, 2009

“Mayor Daley got it right Thursday when he was talking about politics, the Daley clan and clout: ‘Perception is everything.’  The perception was pretty bad when his nephew's investment firm in 2006 landed a deal to handle $68 million for five city employee pension funds. Chances are your nephew never got such a deal.  And the perception of a sweet insider deal didn't fade even after Daley insisted he knew nothing about it.” Chicago Sun Times Editorial


Chicago Sun Times Editorial: If it smells like clout, that's usually what it is.  Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times.  June 13, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1621225,CST-EDT-edit14.article

Daley is ill, but not over nephew's deal  By John Kass.  Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune.  9:54 AM CDT, June 10, 2009.  Update: Shortly after 8:30 a.m.--probably after reading your comments about Wednesday's Kass column on chicagotribune.com--Mayor Richard Daley cancelled his public schedule. He was scheduled to take questions from reporters on all topics, including the federal investigation into how his nephew, Robert Vanecko, received almost $70 million in city pension funds to invest . Vanecko has resigned from the company DV Urban Realty. So the mayor won't be talking to reporters any time soon. It must be the flu.  Let's give Mayor Richard Daley a big, gushy get-well wish, so he recovers quickly from the flu.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kassvanecko10jun10,0,1207600.column


International

U.N. Security Council Adopts Stiffer Curbs on North Korea By NEIL MacFARQUHAR.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 12, 2009.  UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council unanimously passed a resolution on Friday to tighten sanctions targeting North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs, including encouraging United Nations members to inspect cargo vessels and airplanes suspected of carrying weapons and other military materiel.  China and Russia, key North Korean allies, were heavily involved in drafting the resolution during the nearly three weeks since North Korea’s May 25 underground nuclear test, but they resisted making the inspections and some other measures mandatory, so it remains unclear what impact the sanctions will have. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/world/asia/13nations.html?hp

U.S. Weighs Intercepting North Korean Shipments  By DAVID E. SANGER.  Copyright by The Associated Press.  Published: June 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/asia/08korea.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

N Korea jails US reporters  By Christian Oliver and Song Jung-a in Seoul, and Demetri Sevastopulo in Hong Kong.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 8 2009 07:10 | Last updated: June 8 2009 19:11 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36b2496c-53f1-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html

Victory for Europe’s centre-right - Welfare state capitalism resilient  By Tony Barber in Brussels.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 7 2009 14:55 | Last updated: June 8 2009 15:15  Europe’s centre-right parties on Monday celebrated a resounding election victory that underlined the resilience of the European model of welfare state capitalism in the face of the worst recession since the 1930s.  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3beed410-5368-11de-be08-00144feabdc0.html

Russian Military Cuts Leave Soldiers Adrift  By CLIFFORD J. LEVY.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 11, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/world/europe/12russia.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

China

China exports fall more sharply in May  By Justine Lau in Hong Kong.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 11 2009 05:47 | Last updated: June 11 2009 05:47  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/83a0c0b4-563f-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

State stimulus spurs growth in China - New lending by Chinese banks rises By Justine Lau in Hong Kong and Jamil Anderlini in Beijing.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 12 2009 05:44 | Last updated: June 12 2009 19:52 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e7f73bca-5706-11de-9a1c-00144feabdc0.html

Beijing steps up internet censorship - PC makers ordered to include filtering  By Kathrin Hille in Beijing.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 8 2009 17:02 | Last updated: June 8 2009 17:02  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0e3755de-5443-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html

China Faces Criticism Over New Software Censor  By ANDREW JACOBS.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 10, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/world/asia/11censor.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: China’s Computer Folly.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 11, 2009.  China has accomplished remarkable things in the past 20 years, including building one of the world’s largest economies. Computers helped speed that development — and will be even more important in the future. So Beijing’s decision to require that all new personal computers sold in China contain software that bars access to certain Internet content seems particularly self-destructive and foolish.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/opinion/12fri3.html?th&emc=th



Mess-o-potamia

Ahmadi-Nejad wins landslide in Iran - Supreme leader declares historic election over  By Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Anna Fifield in Tehran.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 13 2009 10:47 | Last updated: June 13 2009 15:22.  The government of Iran on Saturday announced that incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad had won a landslide victory in the presidential election, amid claims from opposition leaders that the results in the historic contest had been “staged”.  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fdd49372-57f9-11de-8cbb-00144feabdc0.html

Sunni Lawmaker Assassinated in Iraq  By ROD NORDLAND.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 12, 2009.  BAGHDAD — A lawmaker who headed the largest Sunni bloc in Iraq’s Parliament was assassinated at a mosque on Friday, a day after denouncing human rights abuses by the government. The gunman, who some security officials said appeared to be around 15 years old, fired on other worshippers and threw a grenade before being killed by mosque guards. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/world/middleeast/13iraq.html?ref=global-home

At Sunni Leader’s Funeral, a Display of Iraqi Unity  By MARC SANTORA.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 13, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/world/middleeast/14iraq.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Pakistanis Seen Rising Up Against Taliban  By SABRINA TAVERNISE and IRFAN ASHRAF.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/world/asia/10pstan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Moderate Cleric Killed in Pakistan  By WAQAR GILLANI and SABRINA TAVERNISE.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 12, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/world/asia/13pstan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Strong Bomb Hits Hotel in Northwest Pakistan  By SALMAN MASOOD.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 9, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/world/asia/10peshawar.html?hp

U.S.-Backed Alliance Wins in Lebanon   By MICHAEL SLACKMAN.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 8, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/world/middleeast/09lebanon.html?_r=1&ref=global-home


National

Security Guard Is Killed in Shooting at Holocaust Museum in D.C. By DAVID STOUT.  Copyright by The The New York Times.  Published: June 10, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/us/11shoot.html?_r=1&hpw

Court: Coleman must pay Franken $95,000 in court costs.  Copyright by The Associated Press.  June 11, 2009 - 1:31 PM.  A three-judge panel today required Republican Norm Coleman to pay Democrat Al Franken $94,783 to cover court costs in the seven-week U.S. Senate trial.  The ruling, by the panel that heard the trial, approves an administrative decision last month by the Ramsey County clerk's office. Franken's team had sought $161,510, but a deputy county clerk rejected a request that Coleman pay Franken for his cost of obtaining public records that made up many of the exhibits in the trial and some other expenses. http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/47594802.html?elr=KArksUUUU

New York Times Editorial: Honest Justice.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 8, 2009.  The right to a fair hearing before an impartial judge, untainted by money or special interests, is at the heart of the nation’s justice system and the rule of law. That right is more secure following a 5-to-4 ruling on Monday by the United States Supreme Court.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/opinion/09tue1.html?ref=global

Justices Tell Judges Not to Rule on Major Backers By ADAM LIPTAK.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 8, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/us/politics/09scotus.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Courting trouble.  Copyright © Chicago Tribune, 2009.  June 9, 2009.  Judges are elected in most states, including Illinois. The main value of Monday's U.S. Supreme Court decision in a West Virginia case is to provide another good reason why judicial elections are a bad idea.  In 2002, a coal company won $50 million in damages from a competitor, A.T. Massey Coal Co., in court. With both an election and an appeal to the state Supreme Court looming, Massey CEO Donald Blankenship spent more than $3 million in a successful effort to unseat incumbent Justice Warren McGraw. The winning candidate, Brent Benjamin, joined the court, rebuffed requests that he recuse himself and cast the deciding vote to overturn the verdict.  That's pretty astonishing, even from our vantage point in ethics-challenged Illinois.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/chi-0609edit2jun09,0,609661.story

CIA Urges Judge To Keep Bush-Era Documents Sealed - Al-Qaeda Could Use Contents, Agency Says  By R. Jeffrey Smith.  Copyright by The Washington Post.  Tuesday, June 9, 2009  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060804117.html?hpid=topnews

First Guantanamo inmate transferred to U.S. for trial - Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is to appear in a New York court today in connection with the 1998 bombings that killed 224 people at U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.  By Mark Silva.  Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times.  6:44 AM CDT, June 9, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-guantanamo-trial10-2009jun10,0,2411221.story

Geithner’s plans for Wall Street regulation - Revised reforms reveal power of entrenched interests  By Edward Luce in Washington.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 11 2009 20:50 | Last updated: June 11 2009 20:50 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/148b4b6a-56bf-11de-9a1c-00144feabdc0.html

US ‘pay tsar’ to vet executive packages - Plans for new ‘say on pay’ legislation  By Tom Braithwaite in Washington.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 10 2009 16:06 | Last updated: June 10 2009 20:43  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8ffffee-55cc-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

New York Times Editorial: Paying for Universal Health Coverage.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 6, 2009.  For Congress and the administration to keep the promise of comprehensive health care reform, they will have to find the political will to pay for universal coverage and other investments that are needed right away but will not produce quick savings. The cost could reach $1.5 trillion over the next decade.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/opinion/07sun1.html?_r=1&hpw

Obama Administration Finds Health-Care Model in Green Bay  By Ceci Connolly.  Copyright by The Washington Post.  Thursday, June 11, 2009  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/10/AR2009061003669.html?hpid=topnews

Doctors’ Group Opposes Public Insurance Plan By ROBERT PEAR.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 10, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/us/politics/11health.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Robert Reich's Blog - How Pharma and Insurance Intend to Kill the Public Option, And What Obama and the Rest of Us Must Do.  Copyright by Robert Reich.  Friday, June 05, 2009 http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/06/public-option-smokescreens-and-what-you.html




GOP Bashing

The Importance of Being Obama  By Eugene Robinson.  Copyright by the Washington Post.  Tuesday, June 9, 2009.  I used to fear that President Obama was overestimating the power of his personal history as an instrument of foreign policy. Now I wonder if he might have been underestimating.  In several interviews during the long presidential campaign, Obama mentioned the potential impact in other countries of seeing an American president with an appearance and a life story like none of his predecessors. He spoke of how the Muslim world especially, addressed by a president who had a Muslim father and who spent years of his childhood in a Muslim country, might be more inclined to believe that the United States is not an enemy of Islam.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060803501.html

Crazy right-wing myths about Obama 2.0 - The post-inauguration edition of odd things conservatives believe about Obama. Teleprompters! Hitler Youth! Satan!   Copyright by By Salon.com.  Jun. 08, 2009  http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/06/08/obama_myths/print.html

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: False outrage = true stupidity.  Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times.  June 9, 2009.  Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, has joined the Fake Outrage Over Obama Club.  At least we hope his outrage is fake. If not -- if Grassley's anger is for real -- then he's plain stupid.When will this end? When will President Obama's loudest critics understand that he is popular in part because he talks to the American people as if they are smart -- and they should give it a try?  On Sunday, Grassley complained that Obama has the "nerve" to tell Congress it's "time to deliver" on health-care legislation while he goes "sightseeing in Paris."  As if the average American would begrudge a president a few hours downtime.  We're not that stupid.  http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1613081,CST-EDT-edit09b.article

Keeping up with the Obamas  By Clarence Page.   Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune.  June 10, 2009.  When it comes to annoying somebody or other, American presidents can't catch a break even when they decide to take a break.  As predictably as potholes follow Chicago winters, critics pounce on presidential vacations as being too extravagant, too self-indulgent.That's why some of the people who have been complaining that President Barack Obama is trying to do too much in his first year in office also complained when he took his wife out for a dinner and a play in New York. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped06010bamajun10,0,3700008.story

Half-Baked Alaska - Sarah Palin's Dysfunctional Organization May Be Her Undoing  By Kathleen Parker.  Copyright by The Washington Post.  Wednesday, June 10, 2009. Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska and GOP "It" girl, can warm up the Republican base like a hot toddy in a duck blind. But further inside the party organization, the air is a little nippy.  What happened? In a word, bungling.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/09/AR2009060902596.html

David Letterman defends Sarah Palin joke BY VERNE GAY.  Copyright © 2009, Newsday Inc.  10:33 PM CDT, June 10, 2009  http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ny-etdave114739904jun10,0,7596473.story

Jesse Ventura 'schools' The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck on waterboarding / torture http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgarV13g6QM


Chicagoland

Ill. sues village accused of using tainted water  By MICHAEL TARM.  Copyright 2009 Associated Press.  6:41 PM CDT, June 9, 2009.  CHICAGO - The state of Illinois filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a Chicago suburb for allegedly drawing drinking water from a contaminated well for decades, then lying about it to residents and environmental authorities.  The 58-page complaint, filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, accuses the village of Crestwood of knowingly providing false information about the water supply to more than 11,000 residents and to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-contaminatedwater,0,6342339.story

Washington Post Editorial: Sen. Roland Burris (D-Blago) - The hole gets deeper for the tainted senator from Illinois.  Copyright by The Washington Post.  Monday, June 8, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/07/AR2009060702018.html

Salon, art gallery opens in Three Oaks.  Copyright by The Herald-Palladium.  June 13, 2009.  THREE OAKS — A new business in Three Oaks is billing itself as part hair salon and part consignment store with an emphasis on art, antiques and jewelry.  The store is named Infinitas, the Latin word for infinity.  “We envision a store that has a little bit of everything for everyone,” Bill Rattan, owner and stylist, said in a news release.    Infinitas is a full-service hair salon for men and women with massage services available by appointment. It carries two product lines: American Crew, which is formulated for men, and Aquage, which is for everyone. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2009/06/salon-art-gallery-opens-in-three-oaks.html

Bob Sirott leaves WMAQ-Ch. 5  By Phil Rosenthal.  Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune.  June 11, 2009 http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/06/bob-sirott-out-at-wmaqch-5.html



Your Lack of Money

New US jobless claims ease - US retail sales rebound in May By Alan Rappeport in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 11 2009 14:26 | Last updated: June 11 2009 14:26 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ff21b00-567e-11de-9a1c-00144feabdc0.html

US consumer confidence hits nine-month high - Inflation fears dim economic outlook By Alan Rappeport in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 12 2009 15:57 | Last updated: June 12 2009 15:57.  US consumer confidence rose in June to its highest level in nine months as a recent stock market rally and signs of economic stability have begun to peel away some of gloom cast by the recession.   http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0edd2bfc-575f-11de-8c47-00144feabdc0.html

Obama’s spending drive focuses on jobs - Plan to create 600,000 jobs in 100 days  By Edward Luce in Washington.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 8 2009 19:07 | Last updated: June 8 2009 19:07  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b9600a2-5454-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html

US wholesale inventories slide in April  By Alan Rappeport in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 9 2009 16:12 | Last updated: June 9 2009 16:12 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2db8a09c-5507-11de-b5d4-00144feabdc0.html

Ten US banks to repay Tarp funds - Treasury to recoup $68bn  By Alan Rappeport in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 9 2009 14:51 | Last updated: June 9 2009 15:24 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a837644a-54ec-11de-b953-00144feabdc0.html

Revenue at Craigslist Is Said to Top $100 Million By BRAD STONE.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 9, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/technology/internet/10craig.html?th&emc=th

McDonald’s continues to defy downturn - Low-price menus attract consumers  By Jonathan Birchall in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 8 2009 18:37 | Last updated: June 8 2009 18:37  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dbfd5548-544f-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html

Brazil economy shrinks less than expected - GDP falls 1.8 per cent in first quarter  By Jonathan Wheatley in São Paulo.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 9 2009 16:18 | Last updated: June 9 2009 16:18  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/28289c92-5500-11de-b5d4-00144feabdc0.html

Setback for eurozone recovery hopes - Sharp fall in industrial production By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 12 2009 11:04 | Last updated: June 12 2009 11:04  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/95f93438-5736-11de-8c47-00144feabdc0.html

Industry Slumps, but Prius Inspires Waiting List By HIROKO TABUCHI.  Copyright by The Associated Press.  Published: June 12, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/business/global/13prius.html?th&emc=th

Supreme Court Clears Way for the Sale of Chrysler to Fiat  By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 9, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/business/global/10chrysler.html?hp

Fiat seals deal with Chrysler - Marchionne to become chief executive By John Reed in London and Bernard Simon in Toronto.  Published: June 10 2009 16:05 | Last updated: June 10 2009 16:05  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0ca5f026-55cf-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

Koenigsegg set to buy Saab - Likely buyer for GM’s premium brand By John Reed.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 11 2009 23:49 | Last updated: June 11 2009 23:49 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/86e65646-56d8-11de-9a1c-00144feabdc0.html



Commodities

Concerns for recovery as oil surges - Crude rises to almost $72 a barrel  By Javier Blas in London.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 10 2009 19:08 | Last updated: June 10 2009 19:08 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1d73e2e0-55e9-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

Toxic debt fears undermine euro - Pound highlights eurozone fears By Peter Garnham.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 12 2009 19:18 | Last updated: June 12 2009 19:18.  Talk of the pound dropping to parity against the euro has evaporated as concerns over the eurozone’s banking system intensify. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e06f566c-576f-11de-8c47-00144feabdc0.html

US long-term interest rates hit high - Investors fear debt levels threaten recovery  By Michael Mackenzie and Alan Rappeport in New York and David Oakley in London.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 10 2009 20:23 | Last updated: June 10 2009 21:45.  US long-term interest rates rose to the highest level of the year on Wednesday, threatening the “green shoots” of recovery, after the latest sale of 10-year government debt met with a tepid response from inflation-wary investors.  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68ca2d04-55f2-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

Yield rise threatens recovery - Yields have been rising in the US and UK  By Michael Mackenzie and David Oakley.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 8 2009 19:20 | Last updated: June 8 2009 19:20 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7b65deca-5455-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html



Housing

Mortgage rates hit 7-month high - Refis hit the brakes.  Copyright © 2009, Associated Press.  10:59 AM CDT, June 11, 2009  http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ap-mortgage-rates-jun11,0,4433635.story

Recycled homes, one box at a time  http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/12/recycled.homes/index.html#cnnSTCVideo


GLBT

New York Times Editorial: The Ban on Gays in the Military.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 9, 2009.  The Supreme Court’s refusal this week to hear a challenge to the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military is not much of a legal setback. The court did not address the merits of the case, and another lawsuit still moving through the courts may be a better vehicle for challenging the benighted policy.  Even so, relying on a conservative court to make things right would be a gamble. Unfortunately, neither President Obama nor Congress shows much appetite for moving to end a ban that is not only unfair to gay men and lesbians but damaging to the military as well. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/opinion/10wed2.html?th&emc=th

Gay New Yorkers Head to Greenwich for Weddings By LISA W. FODERARO.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 10, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/nyregion/11greenwich.html?th&emc=th

Why I Now Support Gay Marriage By TOM SUOZZI.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 12, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/opinion/13suozzi.html?th&emc=th

Study Links Gay Marriage Bans to Rise in HIV Rate  By Elaine Justice: 404.787.0643.  Jun. 4, 2009.  Copyright by Emory University  http://www.emory.edu/home/news/releases/2009/06/study-links-gay-marriage-bans-to-rise-in-hiv-rate.html?utm_campaign=marriagebanATLANTA

Activists call for gay rights march  By Jennifer Dobner.  Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune.  June 8, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-gay-rights-08jun08,0,7702510.story

Chastity Bono Announces Sex Change.  Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.  Published: June 11, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/11/arts/AP-US-People-Chastity-Bono.html?scp=1&sq=chastity%20bono&st=cse



Technical

After Long Wait, Stations Switch Off Analog By BRIAN STELTER.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 12, 2009.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/business/media/13digital.html?th&emc=th

Snow Leopard gets richer, thinner, cheaper than Windows 7  By Prince McLean.  Copyright by Apple Insider.com.  Published: 05:10 PM EST, Tuesday, June 9, 2009.  After trying to beat back the Mac's increasing encroachment into the PC world with ads focused on price, Microsoft's club has been picked up by Apple to give Windows 7 an embarrassing pummeling in terms of price.  Explaining that the company wanted as many Mac OS X Leopard users as possible to upgrade to the new Snow Leopard, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller announced a $29 upgrade price for Snow Leopard and a $49 family pack upgrade. Users who buy a new Mac between the June 8 announcement and the release of Snow Leopard can get a copy of the new software for even cheaper, just $9.95 to cover shipping and handling.  http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/06/09/snow_leopard_gets_richer_thinner_cheaper_than_windows_7.html

Apple unveils new version of iPhone - Company cuts price of 3G model to $99  By David Gelles and Chris Nuttall in San Francisco.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 8 2009 20:05 | Last updated: June 8 2009 20:15  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ba0452d0-545d-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Microsoft Browser Offer Fails to Impress Europe By KEVIN J. O’BRIEN.  Copyright by The New Yprk Times.  Published: June 12, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/technology/companies/13euro.html?th&emc=th
   

Medical

W.H.O. Raises Alert Level as Flu Spreads to 74 Countries By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 11, 2009.  After weeks of very public wrestling with its own conscience, the World Health Organization declared the global swine flu outbreak a pandemic on Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/world/asia/12flu.html?hp

My Choice - I grew up believing that abortions are wrong. Now, I expect to perform them someday.  By Rozalyn Farmer Love.  Sunday, June 7, 2009  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060502006.html

New York Times Editorial: Protection for Doctors.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 7, 2009.  After last month’s fatal shooting of Dr. George Tiller, Attorney General Eric Holder took the prudent step of ordering the United States Marshals Service to provide security for certain abortion clinics and physicians thought to be at heightened risk. The response by the federal government must not end there.  Mr. Holder and Congress should review the killing of Dr. Tiller to determine whether there are systemic problems that led to apparent gaps in the F.B.I.’s performance in the case.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/opinion/08mon2.html?th&emc=th

H.I.V. Found in 22 Actors in Sex Films Since 2004 By GARDINER HARRIS.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 12, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/health/13hiv.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Tobacco Regulation, at Last.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 11, 2009  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/opinion/12fri1.html?th&emc=th

Congress Sends Obama Bill to Regulate Tobacco By Lyndsey Layton.  Copyright by The Washington Post.  Friday, June 12, 2009; 1:24 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061200311.html?hpid=topnews

Addicts have made a choice  By Christopher Caldwell.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 12 2009 19:36 | Last updated: June 12 2009 19:36.  The US Congress voted this week to let the Food and Drug Administration regulate tobacco almost out of existence, but could not work up the nerve to ban it. The latest of America’s periodic bouts of prohibitionism is thus coming to an end in a typically ambivalent fashion. Authorities are split over whether people are moral agents, competent to make their own decisions about drugs, or helpless victims; and whether drug abuse is a choice or a disease. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cccd9e82-577b-11de-8c47-00144feabdc0.html


Other

Boston Globe union rejects pay cuts - US daily may be shut down  By Kenneth Li in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 9 2009 05:20 | Last updated: June 9 2009 05:20  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bb8b8d46-54a6-11de-a58d-00144feabdc0.html

New York Times sounds out bids for Boston Globe - Goldman Sachs approaches potential buyers  By Kenneth Li in New York.  Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.  Published: June 10 2009 20:02 | Last updated: June 10 2009 20:09  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3f42d83c-55ed-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

A Big Night for Broadway, and Especially for Billy  By PATRICK HEALY.  Copyright by The New York Times.  Published: June 7, 2009.  Broadway productions with roots in the London theater dominated the 63rd annual Tony Awards on Sunday, with “Billy Elliot” winning best musical and nine other awards and “God of Carnage” picking up honors for best play, best director and best actress.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/theater/theaterspecial/08tony.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1244492910-HyCW9K6kwJfEnG8HYLuEAA


Humor

Miss California USA Prejean dethroned By Alan Duke.  Copyright by CNN News.  June 11, 2009.  http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/06/10/prejean.dethroned/index.html

New! Carlos now has an online store. Order your books directly from Carlos and have them signed and dedicated.http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/



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