The 41st best health care system in the world Newsletter - March 13, 2010

The 41st best health care system in the world Newsletter - March 13, 2010

“The report, "Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA," notes that the lifetime risk of maternal deaths is greater in the United States than in 40 other countries, including virtually all industrialized nations.” Stephanie Smith

Doubling of maternal deaths in U.S. 'scandalous,' rights group says By Stephanie Smith. Copyright by CNN News. March 12, 2010 4:46 p.m. EST. (CNN) -- Deaths from pregnancy and childbirth in the United States have doubled in the past 20 years, a development that a human rights group called "scandalous and disgraceful" Friday. In addition, the rights group said, about 1.7 million women a year, one-third of pregnant women in the United States, suffer from pregnancy-related complications. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/12/maternal.mortality/index.html?hpt=T1

Vaginal birth after cesarean underused: panel By Frederik Joelving. Copyright by Reuters. Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:09pm EST http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62952Y20100310

Health experts: Most repeat C-sections unnecessary By Julie Deardorf. Copyright by The Chicago Tribune 2010. February 20, 2010. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2010/02/health-experts-most-repeat-csections-unnecessary.html

Once a cesarean section, always a C-section? By Julie Deardroff. Copyright 2010 Chicago Tribune. February 10, 2010. Once a woman has delivered three or more babies by cesarean section -- a surgical cut in the mother's abdominal wall and uterus -- doctors rarely encourage a subsequent vaginal birth. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2010/02/once-a-cesarean-section-always-a-csection-.html

Lessons at Indian Hospital About Births By DENISE GRADY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/health/07birth.html?th&emc=th

What's driving the rise in C-sections?. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. February 03, 2010. The rate of births by cesarean section--a major abdominal surgery--in Illinois hospitals reached an all-time high of 30.4 percent in 2007, up from 19.3 percent in 1997, according to a recent report by the Illinois Department of Public Health. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2010/02/whats-driving-the-rise-in-csections.html

New York Times Editorial: Laws, Lies and the Abortion Debate. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 9, 2010. It has been three years since the Supreme Court’s conservative majority abruptly departed from precedent to uphold a federal ban on a particular method of abortion. Emboldened, foes of reproductive freedom are pressing new attacks on women’s rights and health http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10wed2.html?th&emc=th


International


Earthquake kills 51 in eastern Turkey as mud-brick homes collapse; survivors shiver in cold BURHAN OZBILICI, SUZAN FRASER. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 1:44 p.m. CST, March 8, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-turkey-earthquake,0,5871248,full.story

Why Europe’s monetary union faces its biggest crisis By Wolfgang Schäuble. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 11 2010 19:15 | Last updated: March 11 2010 19:15. Greece has reached a crossroads. For the first time, we in the eurozone are engaged in full surveillance over the fiscal and economic policy of one of the member countries of the European monetary union. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-europes-monetary-union-faces-its.html

The E.U. and U.S. Quarrel Over Hedge Funds By JAMES KANTER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 11, 2010. BRUSSELS — The European Union on Thursday rebutted criticism by the United States of its plans to tighten the rules on hedge funds, even as Britain sought to water down the regulation to safeguard its own financial sector. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/business/global/12hedge.html?hpw

Trichet Sides With Advocates of Crackdown on Banks By JACK EWING and JULIA WERDIGIER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 12, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/business/global/13trichet.html?ref=global-home


China

China’s Exports Rise 46% By SHARON LAFRANIERE. Copyright by Reuters. Published: March 10, 2010. BEIJING —China announced Wednesday that its exports climbed 46 percent in February from a year earlier. Economists said the data signaled a rebound in consumer demand from the United States and other Western markets after the financial crisis last year. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/business/global/11yuan.html?ref=global-home

Beijing says it will keep buying US debt By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 9 2010 05:36 | Last updated: March 9 2010 15:20 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd0d0d24-2b39-11df-9d96-00144feabdc0.html

China hits back at currency criticism By Geoff Dyer in Beijing and Patti Waldmeir in Shanghai. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 12 2010 12:51 | Last updated: March 12 2010 12:51. China and the US traded barbs on Friday over the economy and human rights, raising the temperature ahead of what could be a crucial showdown over currency policy next month. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/china-hits-back-at-currency-criticism.html



Mess-o-potamia

New York Times Editorial: Iraqis Vote. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 8, 2010. Final results from Iraq’s parliamentary election may not be available for days, but this much we can already say for sure: Iraq’s citizens once again showed tremendous courage and determination, defying bombs and a flawed pre-election process to cast their ballots. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/opinion/09tue1.html?th&emc=th

As Iraq Tallies Vote, U.S. Says Pullout Plans Are ‘on Track’ By STEVEN LEE MYERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/world/middleeast/08iraq.html?th&emc=th

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Obama’s lack of Mideast muscle. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 11 2010 20:29 | Last updated: March 11 2010 20:29. When Joe Biden visited Jerusalem to kick-start the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, all the US vice-president got was a kick in the teeth from his host, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/financial-times-editorial-comment.html

Clinton Rebukes Israel on Housing Announcement By MARK LANDLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 12, 2010. WASHINGTON — In a tense, 43-minute phone call on Friday morning, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel’s plan for new housing units for Jews in East Jerusalem sent a “deeply negative signal” about Israeli-American relations, and not just because it spoiled a visit by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/world/middleeast/13diplo.html?ref=global-home



National


A One-Track Senate By BARRY FRIEDMAN and ANDREW D. MARTIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 9, 2010. THE Senate is badly gummed up. Major policy initiatives — health care reform and financial regulation, to name but two — are stalled in endless negotiations. There’s a big reason for this torpor: the filibuster. But there’s a solution: the filibuster. Don’t be confused. The two aren’t the same. During the 1960s, the Senate was frozen by lengthy filibusters over civil rights legislation. When, in the mid-’70s, that tactic once again threatened to bring the Senate to a standstill, Robert Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat who was the majority whip, invented a dual-track system. This change in practice allowed the majority leader — with the unanimous consent of the Senate or the approval of the minority leader — to set aside whatever was being debated on the Senate floor and move immediately to another item on the agenda. The result of tracking? No more marathon debate sessions that shut down the Senate. While one bill is being “filibustered,” business can continue on others. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10martin.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Saving the Post Office Copyright by New York Times. Published: March 9, 2010. Many Americans rely on six-days-a-week mail delivery and expect to have a post office just around the corner. But if the United States Postal Service is going to survive the transition to the Internet age — without requiring billions of dollars of federal subsidies — Congress must allow it to cut some services, close some offices and make other sensible changes. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10wed1.html?th&emc=th

Washington Post Editorial: Congress is running out of time to save the Postal Service. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, March 10, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/09/AR2010030903337.html

People believe in some pretty incredible myths about taxes By Eileen Ambrose. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 7, 2010. The U.S. tax code is massive and complicated, the perfect fodder for myth-making. Perhaps the most well-worn fallacy, shot down by many courts despite the best efforts of tightfisted taxpayers, is that federal taxes are illegal. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/sc-ym-0307-tax-myths-20100305-2,0,7492867.story

IRS eases rules on tax settlements. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times. 1:17 p.m. CST, March 9, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-irs10-2010mar10,0,226294.story

Panel Proposes Single Standard for All Schools By SAM DILLON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 10, 2010. A panel of educators convened by the nation’s governors and state school superintendents proposed a uniform set of academic standards on Wednesday, laying out their vision for what all the nation’s public school children should learn in math and English, year by year, from kindergarten to high school graduation. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/education/11educ.html?th&emc=th

Kansas City to Close Nearly Half Its Schools By SUSAN SAULNY. COPYRIGHT BY THE NEW YORK TIMES. Published: March 10, 2010. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Board of Education voted Wednesday night to close almost half of the city’s public schools, accepting a sweeping and contentious plan to shrink the system in the face of dwindling enrollment, budget cuts and a $50 million deficit. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/us/11kansascity.html?hpw




Toyota



Runaway Prius hits 90 mph before stopping with aid of CHP - A stuck accelerator takes the Toyota hybrid to 90 mph on Interstate 8 in San Diego County before an officer helps out. By Nathan Olivarez-Giles. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times. March 9, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/la-fi-toyota-chp9-2010mar09,0,3620774.story

Toyota hands over union letter to US watchdog By Jonathan Soble in Tokyo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 11 2010 13:27 | Last updated: March 11 2010 13:27. Toyota has handed over to US lawmakers a 2006 letter written by Japanese employees warning that aggressive cost cuts had undermined the quality of its vehicles. The letter, from a small dissident labour union, was sent to Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota’s former chief executive, and accuses the company of “sacrificing safety” by curtailing vehicle testing and hiring thousands of “amateur” short-term contract workers. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/toyota-hands-over-union-letter-to-us.html

Agency Weighs the Need for a ‘Black Box’ in Cars By MICHELINE MAYNARD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 11, 2010. DETROIT — Federal safety regulators, who allowed auto companies to voluntarily install event data recorders on their vehicles a few years ago, are now looking into whether the systems should be required, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/business/12toyota.html?hpw



Chicagoland


Chicago Tribune Editorial: A word for Brady - GOP governor nominee has chance to show he knows how to fix what’s wrong with Illinois. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 6, 2010. So where's Brady? Off in the weeds — introducing legislation to ban civil unions and to allow mass euthanization of dogs; spouting off about teaching creationism in schools; shooting himself in the foot at a news conference meant to show that he's tough on felons. His public statements about how to balance the state budget, meanwhile, make it clear he has no real plan to do that. This is the guy who's supposed to save Illinois? http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-edit-brady-20100306,0,5132441.story

Brady needs to do his homework BY CAROL MARIN. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. March 7, 2010... Sen. Brady, of Bloomington, neither has a mandate nor has he done much to win new converts since the February primary. Worse, he has given his detractors an opening the size of Soldier Field to go after him. For starters, he's had to fend off inflammatory accusations that he's a homophobic puppy killer. http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/2087276,CST-EDT-carol07.article

Raise taxes or cut education, Quinn says - Governor calls for ‘some difficult, painful choices’ By Ray Long, Monique Garcia and Bob Secter. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 9:32 p.m. CST, March 10, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/elections/ct-met-quinn-budget-speech-0311-20100310,0,6633962,full.story

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Gov's scare tactics -- or the grim reality? Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. March 10, 2010 http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2093979,CST-EDT-edit10.article

Daley backs Turner for lieutenant governor - Mayor says Democratic primary’s second-place finisher should fill spot vacated by Cohen By John Byrne. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:58 p.m. CST, March 10, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/elections/ct-met-daley-turner-lt-gov-0311-20100310,0,4994427.story


Health Care


I'm a Medicare doctor. Here's what I make By Parija Kavilanz. Copyright by CNN News. March 4, 2010: 12:10 PM ET. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- When you think of low-paying jobs, doctor doesn't usually come to mind. But with a 21% cut in Medicare payments slated to take effect later this month, physicians who say they are making an OK living may be reduced to income levels that no longer make their profession viable. That's especially true for those still paying medical school costs and other training. http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/04/news/economy/medicare_doctor_costs/

Disease Cause Is Pinpointed With Genome By NICHOLAS WADE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 10, 2010. Two research teams have independently decoded the entire genome of patients to find the exact genetic cause of their diseases. The approach may offer a new start in the so far disappointing effort to identify the genetic roots of major killers like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/health/research/11gene.html?th&emc=th

The Great Prostate Mistake By RICHARD J. ABLIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 9, 2010. EACH year some 30 million American men undergo testing for prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme made by the prostate. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1994, the P.S.A. test is the most commonly used tool for detecting prostate cancer. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10Ablin.html?th&emc=th

AIDS virus avoids drugs by hiding in bone marrow; finding could point way to better treatment By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 1:16 p.m. CST, March 7, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-med-aids-hide-out,0,7980660.story




Health Care Reform


New York Times Editorial: If Reform Fails. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 6, 2010. As the fierce debate on President Obama’s plan for health care reform comes to a head, Americans should be thinking carefully about what happens if Congress fails to enact legislation. Are they really satisfied with the status quo? And is the status quo really sustainable? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/opinion/07sun1.html?th&emc=th

Health bill holds key to control seniors’ costs By Edward Luce and Anna Fifield in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 8 2010 18:46 | Last updated: March 8 2010 18:46... Mr. Obama’s fate aside, many healthcare economists believe there are key elements in the 2,700-page healthcare bill that could make the difference between US bankruptcy and solvency in coming decades. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5414a064-2ae1-11df-886b-00144feabdc0.html

Health Reform Myths By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 11, 2010. Health reform is back from the dead. Many Democrats have realized that their electoral prospects will be better if they can point to a real accomplishment. Polling on reform — which was never as negative as portrayed — shows signs of improving. And I’ve been really impressed by the passion and energy of this guy Barack Obama. Where was he last year? But reform still has to run a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies. So let me address three big myths about the proposed reform, myths that are believed by many people who consider themselves well-informed, but who have actually fallen for deceptive spin. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/opinion/12krugman.html?th&emc=th



GOP Bashing


March 9, 2010: The Hurt Docket http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-9-2010/the-hurt-docket

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial; Liz Cheney missed lessons on justice. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. March 12, 2010. Too bad going to law school in Clarence Darrow's old neighborhood of Hyde Park didn't teach Liz Cheney more about one of Chicago's legal giants. Darrow built his enduring reputation by representing despised defendants in sensational cases. He believed fervently that everyone deserves a spirited legal defense, no matter how heinous the crime. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2098169,CST-EDT-edit12a.article

New York Times Editorial: Are You or Have You Ever Been a Lawyer? Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 7, 2010., In the McCarthy era, demagogues on the right smeared loyal Americans as disloyal and charged that the government was being undermined from within. In this era, demagogues on the right are smearing loyal Americans as disloyal and charging that the government is being undermined from within. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/opinion/08mon1.html?th&emc=th

Who’s afraid of lawyers? By Leonard Goodman. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 12, 2010. There has been a growing outcry over demands from conservative groups like KeepAmericaSafe.com and from Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, for the names of all lawyers working for the Obama administration who "once represented or advocated on behalf of . . . terrorist detainees." Many conservatives have spoken against these attacks as contrary to the American legal principle that even unpopular defendants deserve a lawyer. But what hasn't been pointed out is that if these conservative folks really care about keeping America safe, they are barking up the wrong tree. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-0312-gitmo-20100312,0,6006209.story

Al-Qaeda 7' smear campaign is an assault on American values By Eugene Robinson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, March 9, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030803122.html

Republicans reject controversial images of Obama, Pelosi. Copyright by CNN News. Posted: March 7th, 2010 07:06 PM ET. Washington (CNN) - Top Republicans had harsh words Sunday for a leaked Republican National Committee document containing images skewering President Barack Obama and other top Democrats. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/07/republicans-reject-controversial-images-of-obama-pelosi/?fbid=T3E9yzfmFhA#more-93450

New York Times Editorial: The Escalating Price of Politics. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 7, 2010. A hugely cynical Republican Party memo on the care and feeding of big donors disdains them as “ego-driven” check writers who can be bought by access to power and vanity tchotchkes. The memo, obtained by Politico.com, is exceptional for its candor about the crassness of the multibillion-dollar politicking industry. That industry is on the verge of a great leap forward in this year’s Congressional elections, thanks to the Supreme Court ruling that freed corporate executives and union bosses to spend whatever they want on their own commercials touting candidates who toe their lines or, more likely, attacking those who don’t. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/opinion/08mon4.html?th&emc=th

Lindsey Graham runs afoul of GOP purity police with Guantanamo stance By Dana Milbank. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, March 14, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/12/AR2010031203099.html






The Economy


Findings on Lehman Take Even Experts by Surprise By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED. Copyright by Reuters. Published: March 12, 2010... While Mr. Fuld and other former top Lehman officials are already defendants in a number of civil lawsuits, the new discoveries by Mr. Valukas have taken even veteran observers by surprise. Chief among these was the revelation of a particularly aggressive accounting practice, known internally as Repo 105, that Mr. Valukas said helped the investment bank mask the true depths of its financial woes. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/business/13lehman.html?adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1268492411-PXeJvRAer1lunFjIb8hz4Q

US trade gap narrows on falling oil imports By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 11 2010 14:35 | Last updated: March 11 2010 15:24. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/us-trade-gap-narrows-on-falling-oil.html

Feb. retail-sales report offers positive surprise By MARTIN CRUTSINGER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Friday, March 12, 2010; 12:03 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/12/AR2010031201499.html?hpid=topnews

Obama unveils plans to double US exports By Anna Fifield in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 11 2010 16:25 | Last updated: March 11 2010 16:25. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/obama-unveils-plans-to-double-us.html

Regulators tell US banks to hold funds By Justin Baer and Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 9 2010 22:30 | Last updated: March 9 2010 22:30. US regulators have told banks not to increase dividends or buy back shares until political and economic uncertainty surrounding the industry dissipates, in a move that will delay by months the return of capital to shareholders. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/regulators-tell-us-banks-to-hold-funds.html



Your Money


Public Pension Funds Are Adding Risk to Raise Returns By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 8, 2010. States and companies have started investing very differently when it comes to the billions of dollars they are safeguarding for workers’ retirement. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/business/09pension.html?th&emc=th

U.S. households slowly regaining wealth - Americans' net worth rose 1.3% in the fourth quarter to $54.2 trillion, the Federal Reserve says. It marked the third straight quarter of gains. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. March 12, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-wealth12-2010mar12,0,5673951.story

Bank of America to End Overdraft Fees on Debit Purchases By ANDREW MARTIN. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: March 9, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/10overdraft.html?th&emc=th



Housing

Illinois foreclosure filings up 21% in February By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. Published on March 10, 2010 11:00 PM http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/03/illinois-foreclosure-filings-up-21-in-february.html

New round of foreclosures threatens housing market By Renae Merle. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, March 12, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031104866.html?hpid=topnews

Program Will Pay Homeowners to Sell at a Loss By DAVID STREITFELD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 7, 2010. In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration has been trying to keep defaulting owners in their homes. Now it will take a new approach: paying some of them to leave. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/business/08short.html?th&emc=th


Commodities


Oil and Gasoline Prices Begin to Creep Up By CLIFFORD KRAUSS. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: March 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/business/09oil.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1268154088-wN7KCDA5rolAfCbsQyPADQ

The Lithium Chase By CLIFFORD KRAUSS. Copyright by Bloomberg News. Published: March 9, 2010. For many years, few metals drew bigger yawns from mining executives than lithium, a lightweight element long associated mostly with mood-stabilizing drugs. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/business/energy-environment/10lithium.html?th&emc=th


Travel


E.U. Signals Approval for Larger Airline Alliance By JAMES KANTER. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: March 10, 2010. BRUSSELS — European antitrust regulators took a step Wednesday toward approving an expanded alliance between British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia after the airlines offered to give up landing and takeoff slots at airports in London and New York. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/business/global/11airline.html?ref=global-home

Strike Is Set After Talks Fail at British Airways By NICOLA CLARK. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 12, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/business/global/13airline.html?ref=global-home

FAA air traffic forecast predicts more crowding, smaller fare hikes - Expect more flights crowding the nation's busiest airports, FAA says By John Hilkevitch. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 7:21 a.m. CST, March 9, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-faa-forecast-air-travel-forecast-mar09,0,7769297.story


Immigration


Obama Links Immigration Overhaul in 2010 to G.O.P. Backing - Hundreds of young people rallied Wednesday in downtown Chicago for immigration overhaul, and a handful of them publicly declared their illegal status. By JULIA PRESTON. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: March 11, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/us/politics/12immig.html?th&emc=th

Undocumented and unafraid - Despite the risks, a young illegal immigrant will publicly declare her status at downtown rally By Mary Schmich. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:45 a.m. CST, March 10, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-schmich-0310-20100309,0,604645.column


GLBT


Chicago Tribune Editorial: Dump ‘don’t ask’ - The military can handle the challenge of admitting gays. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 8, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-gays-20100308,0,7729885.story

State Senate committee kills anti-gay bill by Steven Chaitman. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2010-03-10. An Illinois Senate bill that would allow religious organizations and affiliated nonprofits to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in their hiring practices was killed last week. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=25784

Gay rights and pro-life: Two divergent movements By Michael Gerson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, March 12, 2010. Just 20 years ago, opposition to abortion and opposition to homosexual rights seemed to overlap entirely. They appeared to be expressions of the same traditionalist moral framework, destined to succeed or fail together as twin pillars of the culture war. But in the years since, the fortunes of these two social stands have dramatically diverged. A May 2009 Gallup poll found that more Americans, for the first time, describe themselves as "pro-life" than "pro-choice." A February CNN-Time poll found that half of Americans, for the first time, believe that homosexuality is "not a moral issue." This divergence says something about successful social movements in America. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031103348.html

Lesbian teen back at school after prom flap - School district cancels event rather than allow same-sex couple to attend. Copyright by The Associated Press. March 11, 2010 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35814348/ns/us_news-education/?GT1=43001#storyContinued

Washington Post Editorial: In Virginia, legalized discrimination is alive and well. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, March 10, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/09/AR2010030903338.html

Gaywatch - Virginia Edition http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-9-2010/gaywatch---virginia-edition


Religion


Church Abuse Scandal in Germany Edges Closer to Pope By NICHOLAS KULISH and RACHEL DONADIO. Copyright by Reuters. Published: March 12, 2010. BERLIN — A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/world/europe/13pope.html?ref=global-home

Defectors Say Church of Scientology Hides Abuse By LAURIE GOODSTEIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/us/07scientology.html?th&emc=th



Technology


How to Choose the Right Apple iPad for You By NICK BILTON. Copyright by Bloomberg News. March 11, 2010, 6:56 PM http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/how-to-choose-the-right-apple-ipad-for-you/?hpw

Tricks to Keep Your Device’s Battery Going and Going By ERIC A. TAUB. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 10, 2010. If you’re a recent convert to smartphones, you’re probably still discovering all the amazing things that your new BlackBerry, Android phone or iPhone can do. But one thing you most likely found out right away: the more you do, the shorter your phone’s battery lasts. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/technology/11basics.html?hpw

F.C.C. Plan to Widen Internet Access in U.S. Sets Up Battle By BRIAN STELTER and JENNA WORTHAM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 12, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/business/media/13fcc.html



Entertainment


‘The Hurt Locker’ Wins Big at Oscars By MICHAEL CIEPLY and BROOKS BARNES. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/movies/awardsseason/08oscars.html?th&emc=th


Environment


China and India Join Climate Accord By JOHN M. BRODER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: March 9, 2010. WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed to join the international climate change agreement reached last December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/world/10climate.html?ref=global-home





Other


When is a tea party not a tea party? - Political movement is complicating marketing of actual beverage By Rex W. Huppke. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:58 p.m. CST, March 7, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-tea-parties-20100307,0,5997117.story

March 10, 2010: Sour Gropes http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-march-10-2010/sour-gropes



Humor

Tiffany & Company http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/tiffany-company.html

BOOKS http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/books.html




My cast is off. I’m wearing a bracer and continue with ultrasonic stimulation for bone regeneration and physical therapy. Feeling much better, although only have about 30^ of my left hand use. getting better every day. Thanks to all who prayed and helped take care of me.

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



In Pride (orgullo),


Carlos T. Mock, MD
www.carlostmock.com
Author: Borrowing Time: A Latino Sexual Odyssey - Floricanto Press 2003.
Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT
Round Table.
Author: The Mosaic Virus – Floricanto Press 2007.  Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT Round Table, and a Lammie from The Lambda Literary Foundation
Author: Author: Papi Chulo – Floricanto Press 2007.  Nominated for a Stonewall Award by the American Library Association GLBT Round Table, and a Lammie from The Lambda Literary Foundation
Author: Cuba Libre, “Mentirita” The book is out. you can buy it at: http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=32&osCsid=a0b517e687814469f8153c5070d69f99

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