We're back Newsletter - March 6, 2010

We're back Newsletter - March 6, 2010


“Nothing like being out of the country, see how other nations solve their problems, and reflect what's ailing our country. President Obama has been our commander in chief for slightly more than a year. We have been in Paris for two weeks. As we return to Chicago/Michigan tomorrow we are facing the same problems that we face when we boarded a plane to Europe February 15, 2010.” Carlos T Mock, MD


What's wrong with America By Carlos T Mock, MD. March 4, 2010. From Paris, France. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-wrong-with-america-by-carlos-t.html



International


U.S. Aiding Somalia in Its Plan to Retake Its Capital By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/world/africa/06somalia.html?ref=global-home

Australia Raises Interest Rates as Economy Rebounds By BETTINA WASSENER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/business/global/03ozecon.html?ref=global-home

8.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Central Chile By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/world/americas/28chile.html?ref=global-home

Chile Calls for Outside Aid as Devastation Sinks In By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO and MARC LACEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/world/americas/02chile.html?ref=global-home

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Sterling’s slide is not just about polls. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 2 2010 20:11 | Last updated: March 2 2010 20:11. Britons never miss an opportunity to be gloomy about their country. This week the media have turned their attention to the currency markets. The pound is 1.7 per cent down after a poll released at the weekend suggested that no political party would win a working majority in this year’s general election. Some investors, fearing the UK might be unable to close its yawning fiscal deficit without a strong government, sold sterling. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9752731a-262c-11df-aff3-00144feabdc0.html

Britain Grapples With Debt of Greek Proportions By LANDON THOMAS Jr. Copyright by Bloombeg News. Published: March 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/business/global/03pound.html?ref=global-home

Hedge funds raise bets against euro By Sam Jones and Brooke Masters. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 2 2010 23:32 | Last updated: March 2 2010 23:49. Hedge funds are raising their bets against the euro amid growing fears of a regulatory backlash against their trading positions on the specific sovereign debt of Greece and other weak eurozone economies. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/03/hedge-funds-raise-bets-against-euro.html

Germans consider bank rescue for Greece By James Wilson in Frankfurt and Dimitris Kontogiannis in Athens. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 26 2010 19:57 | Last updated: February 26 2010 19:57. Germany’s biggest banks are looking at a rescue plan for Greece under which they would buy Greek debt backed by financial guarantees from Berlin, the Financial Times has learnt. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/germans-consider-bank-rescue-for-greece.html

In Greece’s Crisis, Fed Studies Wall St.’s Activities By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and SEWELL CHAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 25, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/business/global/26greece.html?th&emc=th

Turkish Leader Defends Inquiry Into Possible Plot By SABRINA TAVERNISE and SEBNEM ARSU. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 26, 2010. ISTANBUL — Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan weighed in on Turkey’s worsening political crisis on Friday, declaring that an investigation into alleged coup preparations was “for the benefit of the people,” while the Turkish police detained 18 more current and retired military officers and arrested two others. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/world/europe/27turkey.html?ref=global-home

Summit backs Argentine claim on Falklands By Jude Webber in Buenos Aires. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 23 2010 23:58 | Last updated: February 23 2010 23:58. Latin American and Caribbean nations have unanimously supported Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands and its opposition to the start of drilling for oil and gas there by British companies. Buenos Aires is also to press its case with the United Nations on Wednesday. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/summit-backs-argentine-claim-on.html


China


Financial Times Editorial Comment: Moral hazard, Chinese style. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 2 2010 20:14 | Last updated: March 2 2010 20:14. The world has watched in awe as China has sailed, seemingly without effort, through the worst global financial crisis in decades. In 2009, the economy barely paused for breath, racking up 8.7 per cent growth. This year, Beijing’s challenge is to prevent overheating without slamming on the brakes too hard. But China’s never-ending-growth story is not magic. It has been achieved through a huge public-sector stimulus, most tellingly a massive expansion of credit by the state-controlled banking system. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/03/financial-times-editorial-comment-moral.html

There's a new Red Scare. But is China really so scary? By Steven Mufson and John Pomfret. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, February 28, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022602601.html#

China postpones military exchanges with US By Kathrin Hille in Beijing and Daniel Dombey in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 25 2010 06:08 | Last updated: February 25 2010 06:08. China has postponed several high-level military exchanges with the US, in the first tangible sign of retaliation over Washington’s decision to sell $6.4bn in arms to Taiwan. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3590c6de-21c9-11df-acf4-00144feab49a.html

Labour shortage hits China export recovery By Tom Mitchell in Shaoguan. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 25 2010 18:50 | Last updated: February 25 2010 18:50. An export recovery in the world’s most populous country is running up against an unexpected constraint – manpower. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/labour-shortage-hits-china-export.html

Consequences of stronger renminbi dawn on US By Geoff Dyer in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 23 2010 17:50 | Last updated: February 23 2010 17:50....President Barack Obama recently intensified his calls for China to revalue its currency, arguing that more exports to Asia would mean “hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of jobs here in the US”. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/consequences-of-stronger-renminbi-dawn.html



Mess-o-potamia


Officials puzzle over billions of dollars (CASH) leaving Afghanistan by plane for Dubai By Andrew Higgins. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, February 25, 2010; A10. KABUL -- A blizzard of bank notes is flying out of Afghanistan -- often in full view of customs officers at the Kabul airport -- as part of a cash exodus that is confounding U.S. officials and raising concerns about the money's origin. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/24/AR2010022404914.html

Many Dead in Suicide Attack on Hotel in Afghan Capital By ALISSA J. RUBIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 26, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/world/asia/27kabul.html?th&emc=th

March elections are another step toward normality in Iraq By Ad Melkert. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, February 28, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022604653.html

U.S. Circulates New Draft Proposal for Iran Sanctions By NEIL MacFARQUHAR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 3, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/world/04sanctions.html?ref=global-home

Israel’s perceived lawlessness hurts its cause By David Gardner. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 25 2010 22:40 | Last updated: February 25 2010 22:40. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/israels-perceived-lawlessness-hurts-its.html



National


New York Times Editorial: The Second Amendment’s Reach. Copyright by the New York Times. March 1, 2010. Two years ago, the Supreme Court struck down parts of the District of Columbia’s gun-control law. On Tuesday, the court will consider whether that decision should apply everywhere in the country, not just in the federal territory of the nation’s capital. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/opinion/02tue1.html?ref=global

Saturday mail delivery on chopping block By Kim Geiger. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 7:00 p.m. CST, March 2, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sc-biz-0303-mail--20100302,0,4188261.story

Under Fire, Paterson Ends His Campaign for Governor By DANNY HAKIM and JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 26, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/nyregion/27paterson.html

March 2, 2010: The New York Crimes - David Paterson & Charles Rangel http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-2-2010/the-new-york-crimes---david-paterson---charles-rangel



Toyota

Millions of Toyotas Recalled, None in Japan By HIROKO TABUCHI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 5, 2010...As shaken as she was by the accident, Mrs. Sakai says she was even more surprised by what happened after. She says that Toyota — from her dealer to headquarters — has not responded to her inquiries, and Japanese authorities have been indifferent to her concerns as a consumer. Mrs. Sakai says the Tokyo Metropolitan Police urged her to sign a statement saying that she pressed the accelerator by mistake — something she strongly denies. She says the police told her she could have her damaged car back to get it repaired if she made that admission. She declined. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/business/global/06toyota.html?th&emc=th

Data Shows Camrys Not Recalled Also Had Problems By BILL VLASIC, HIROKO TABUCHI and JO CRAVEN McGINTY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: March 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/business/02toyota.html?ref=global-home

Toyota Accused of Withholding Data By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: February 26, 2010. DETROIT — The chairman of a House committee that questioned Toyota executives this week about the carmaker’s recall accused the company on Friday of withholding documents while fighting lawsuits filed by crash victims. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/business/27toyota.html?ref=global-home

Toyota ‘lost way’ in rapid expansion By Bernard Simon and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 23 2010 15:09 | Last updated: February 24 2010 00:47. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/toyota-lost-way-in-rapid-expansion.html

Toyota Official Says Recall May Not Fully Solve Safety Problem By MICHELINE MAYNARD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 23, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/business/global/24toyota.html?hp&emc=na



Chicagoland

“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. That's the result of legislation he sponsored (and has subsequently un-sponsored) permitting mass euthanasia of shelter animals, opposing same sex marriage and civil unions and advocating the weakening of some gay discrimination restrictions.” CAROL MARIN

Brady needs to do his homework BY CAROL MARIN. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. March 6, 2010. http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/2087276,CST-EDT-carol07.article

Is one of Chicago's great Beaux-Arts buildings, old Cook County Hospital, about to get new life? By Blair Kamin. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 1, 2010 http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2010/03/is-one-of-chicagos-great-beauxarts-buildings-old-cook-county-hospital-about-to-get-new-life.html

Range of services at risk due to city, state budgets - MAXED OUT | A wide range of services are at risk because the city and state -- and to a lesser extent Cook County -- are in deep financial trouble and headed for worse BY MARY WISNIEWSKI, LISA DONOVAN, DAVE McKINNEY AND FRAN SPIELMAN. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. February 28, 2010 http://www.suntimes.com/news/maxedout/2073759,CST-NWS-maxed28.article

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Smoldering reform. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 6:22 p.m. CST, February 25, 2010. This time last year, the state Capitol was on fire with talk of government reform. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-reform-20100225,0,4348580,full.story

Illinois stuck in a ‘historic, epic’ budget crisis - Talk of major tax increases coupled with draconian spending cuts is building in Springfield By Bob Secter, Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 5:56 p.m. CST, February 23, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-state-budget-mess-20100223,0,7545981,full.story


Health Care


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

New Utah Bill Criminalizes Miscarriage by CTRedSoxMomon. Copyright by Cafe Mon.com. Feb. 24, 2010 at 9:44 AM. A bill passed by the Utah House and Senate this week and waiting for the governor's signature, will make it a crime for a woman to have a miscarriage, and make induced abortion a crime in some instances. http://www.cafemom.com/group/416/forums/read/10892311/New_Utah_Bill_Crimina

Study: Removing healthy breast affects cancer odds - A new study shows that only a small group of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast benefit from elective surgery to have the other, healthy breast removed. BY MONIFA THOMAS. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. February 27, 2010 http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/2073396,CST-NWS-breast27.article

Avon: USPSTF guidelines already affecting access By Kate Madden Yee. Copyright © 2010 AuntMinnie.com. February 22, 2010. In some states, women ages 40 to 49 have less access to mammograms since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its recommendations to change breast cancer screening guidelines last November, according to a recent survey conducted by the Avon Foundation for Women. http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?sec=ser⊂=def&pag=dis&ItemID=89552


Health Care Reform


“Republicans’ lock-step opposition to comprehensive health care reform seems to be as much a matter of politics as principle. But either way, they have made clear that there is no dialogue or any possible compromise that will persuade them to change their minds. That means it’s up to Congressional Democrats to move legislation forward — or throw away a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix this country’s broken health care system.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: The Democrats’ Choice. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 3, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/opinion/04thu1.html?ref=global

March 4, 2010: The Med Menace http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-4-2010/the-med-menace

New York Times Editorial: Refereeing the Health Care Debate. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 5, 2010. Even before the health care showdown begins, Republican lawmakers have begun questioning the fairness of the Senate parliamentarian, the obscure but well respected career expert who must referee from the wings when points are challenged in floor debate. The Republicans have done a great deal in the cause of obstructionism, but it’s patently absurd to pick on the lawyerly, apolitical Alan Frumin. He has worked in the office for 33 years and has been accepted by both Republican and Democratic majorities to be the arbiter when appeals were made to Senate rules and tradition. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/opinion/06sat4.html?th&emc=th

In Final Push, Obama Urges ‘Up-or-Down’ Vote on Health - President Obama called for an up-or-down vote on the health care bill on Wednesday. By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 3, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/health/policy/04health.html?ref=global-home

Obama urges Congress to 'finish its work' on reform bill By William Branigin and Michael D. Shear. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, March 3, 2010; 3:28 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030302213.html?hpid=topnews

Come Together by Hendrik Hertzberg. Copyright by The New Yorker. March 8, 2010....To be fair, C-PAC is a gathering of the tribe—“our Woodstock,” one speaker called it—so a certain amount of nude dancing in the rhetorical mud is mandatory. Outside the conservative confab’s comfy confines, the Party’s pols were more restrained during the days leading up to the marathon conversation that Obama convened last Thursday. But they made it fairly clear that they were in no mood to be “bipartisan” or in any way make themselves complicit in something that could be construed as an accomplishment (let alone a victory) for Obama and the Democrats. “You know,” John Boehner, the House Republican leader, said on Wednesday, “we’ve asked the President all year to scrap this big government-takeover bill and let’s start with a clean sheet of paper.” On Thursday, any lingering doubts were removed. By way of describing their demand, Republican speakers used the words “scrap,” “start over,” and “clean sheet of paper” twenty times. In other words: unconditional surrender. http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2010/03/08/100308taco_talk_hertzberg#ixzz0gwkwBXEQ

At health-care summit, Obama tells Republicans he's eager to move ahead By Shailagh Murray and Anne E. Kornblut. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, February 26, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022502369.html?hpid=topnews

New York Times Editorial: After the Summit. Copyright by New York Times. February 25, 2010. The main lesson to draw from Thursday’s health care forum is that differences between Democrats and Republicans are too profound to be bridged. That means that it is up to the Democrats to fix the country’s dysfunctional and hugely costly health care system. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/opinion/26fri1.html?ref=global

Pawlenty: Let ER's turn away patients to cut costs By Eric Zimmermann © 2010 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., subsidiary of News Communications, Inc. 02/23/10 10:57 AM ET. Emergency rooms should be able to turn patients away to cut costs, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) said last night Appearing on Fox News's "On the Record with Greta Van Sustren" last night, Pawlenty said the federal law that mandates ER treatment should be repealed. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83113-pawlenty-let-ers-turn-away-patients-to-cut-costs?sms_ss=facebook

The Republicans' genius compromise strategy By Ezra Klein. Copyright by The Washington Post. February 24, 2010; 12:35 PM ET. David Leonhardt has a nice piece running through the basic dynamics of not only tomorrow's summit, but health-care reform from here on out. A lot of the piece is a discussion of compromises: What's blocking them, and what's possible yet. But the difficulty with this discussion is that the GOP has accidentally hit upon a brilliant insight: The best way to guarantee substantive concessions is to refuse to compromise. Think about the plan that Barack Obama and the Democrats have been left with: It's not single payer. There's no public option. It doesn't cover all of the uninsured. It doesn't change the insurance of about 90 percent of the country. It doesn't add to the deficit. It pays for itself with difficult, unpopular and necessary reforms in entitlement programs. It includes a commission to make future reforms of Medicare and Medicaid both easier and less politically dangerous for Republicans. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/02/the_republicans_genius_comprom.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics



GOP Bashing


“Is this really the state of ethics in the American legal profession? Government lawyers who abused their offices to give the president license to get away with torture did nothing that merits a review by the bar?” New York Times

New York Times Editorial: The Torture Lawyers. Copyright by New York Times. February 24, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/opinion/25thur1.html?ref=opinion

Inquiry sought into disappearance of e-mails in interrogations case By Carrie Johnson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, February 27, 2010. Senior Democratic lawmakers and watchdog groups demanded Friday that the Justice Department investigate the disappearance of e-mail messages written by Bush administration lawyers who drafted memos blessing harsh interrogation tactics, saying their absence cast doubt on an ethics report that cleared the lawyers of professional misconduct. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022603765.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics

Doctors Without Morals By LEONARD S. RUBENSTEIN and STEPHEN N. XENAKIS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 28, 2010. AFTER five years of investigation, the Justice Department has released its findings regarding the government lawyers who authorized waterboarding and other forms of torture during the interrogation of suspected terrorists at Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere. The report’s conclusion, that the lawyers exercised poor judgment but were not guilty of professional misconduct, is questionable at best. Still, the review reflects a commitment to a transparent investigation of professional behavior. In contrast, the government doctors and psychologists who participated in and authorized the torture of detainees have escaped discipline, accountability or even internal investigation. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/opinion/01xenakis.html?th&emc=th

GOP’s gift to Dems - Max Baucus Jim Bunning turns his back on the jobless By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 3, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0303-page-20100303,0,6460448,full.column

Paulson challenged on execution of bailouts By Greg Burns. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. February 25, 2010... Miscommunication has nothing to do with public rage over the bailouts, said Raghuram Rajan, finance professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Main Street, Rajan said, sees all too clearly how Paulson and the rest went easy on their fellow bankers while preserving a status quo that had made them rich. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-biz-0225-burns--20100225,0,7524021,full.column

The GOP's misguided hunt for heretics By Kathleen Parker. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, February 24, 2010. The RINO hunt is back on, and the coveted trophy is Scott Brown. Inevitably and predictably, the new senator from Massachusetts -- Mr. 41, Mr. I-Drive-A-Truck, tea party poster dude -- has disappointed his base by, alas, representing his constituents. It's the purity test all over again; only this time, the stakes are high and the weird are turning seriously pro. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022303783.html

This Isn't A Tea Party, It's A Political Movement. By David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. Mar 1 2010. Something is occurring at the grassroots level in America and it is far from a tea party. A deep populist anger and mistrust of government. A mounting frustration over the gridlock and lack of leadership in Washington, DC. The belief that our institutions no longer work. Fear about jobs, schools, safety and being able to provide the basics to your family. America is not working right now and the people know it isn't working. We better pay attention or we will pay a deep price down the road. http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/03/this-isnt-a-tea-party-its-a-political-movement.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

The First Tea-Party Terrorist? By ROBERT WRIGHT. Copyright by The New York Times. February 23, 2010, 9:30 pm. Joseph Stack had barely finished flying his airplane into a Texas office building when the battle over his legacy began. Bloggers on the left asked why people — especially people on the right — weren’t calling him a terrorist. “If this had been done by a brownish-looking Muslim guy whose suicide note paralleled Islamist political themes,” wrote Matthew Yglesias, then right wingers would be “demanding that anyone who refused to label the attack ‘terrorism’ be put up on treason charges.” http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/the-first-tea-party-terrorist/?ref=opinion

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Mr. Hastert’s perks. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. February 21, 2019 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-hastert2-20100219,0,5984579.story



The Economy


Why a VAT Tax Is Where It's At - Adoption of a value-added tax in the U.S. would be a fair, efficient way to help restore the country's financial health, argues Bloomberg BusinessWeek columnist Chris Farrell By Chris Farrell. Copyright by Business Week. March 5, 2010, 10:30PM EST http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/mar2010/pi2010035_752130.htm?campaign_id=widget_topStories

Bernanke signals US rates to be kept low By James Politi in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 24 2010 15:53 | Last updated: February 24 2010 23:47. US interest rates will remain at exceptionally low levels for an “extended period” in spite of the “nascent” economic recovery, Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, told Congress on Wednesday. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/bernanke-signals-us-rates-to-be-kept.html

US consumers lag behind economy By Alan Rappeport in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 26 2010 14:20 | Last updated: February 26 2010 17:21. US economic output grew at a faster rate than previously thought at the end of last year, as a resurgence in business investment fuelled the economy’s strongest quarter since 2003, but consumers and the housing market remain points of concern. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/us-consumers-lag-behind-economy.html

Jobless Rate Holds Steady, Raising Hopes of Recovery By PETER S. GOODMAN and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/business/economy/06jobs.html?th&emc=th

Financial crisis panel to call back bank chiefs By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 25 2010 23:00 | Last updated: February 25 2010 23:00. Phil Angelides, chairman of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, a latter-day version of the Pecora commission that examined the Great Depression, said he planned to question overseas regulators to understand similarities and differences with US oversight in the run-up to the crisis. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/financial-crisis-panel-to-call-back.html

Buffett’s Bargain Shopping Spree By GRAHAM BOWLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 27, 2010. America’s most famous investor, Warren E. Buffett, struck a confident note in his annual letter to the shareholders of his holding company on Saturday, as he described in characteristically colorful terms how his businesses had largely ridden out the calamity of the financial crisis. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/business/economy/28buffett.html?th&emc=th

G.M. Plans to Reinstate 661 Dealerships By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/06/business/06dealers.html?th&emc=th

G.M. to Close Hummer After Sale Fails By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: February 24, 2010. DETROIT — General Motors said on Wednesday that it would shut down Hummer, the brand of big sport utility vehicles that became synonymous with the term gas guzzler, after a deal to sell it to a Chinese manufacturer fell apart. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/25hummer.html?hpw



Your Money

Has your paycheck taken a hit? You're not alone - COOK COUNTY | If you're not a teacher or in health care or 'professional services,' chances are your pay has shrunk in the last year -- but things are looking up BY SANDRA GUY Staff Reporter. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. March 6, 2010 http://www.suntimes.com/business/2087395,CST-NWS-wages07.article


Housing


“THE OPTIMUM policy for the home foreclosure crisis is to modify the loans of as many distressed homeowners as possible. Making mortgage terms more affordable by mutual agreement enables families to stay in their houses, props up neighborhood home values and saves banks the huge costs of seizing and selling property at a loss. Turns out there is just one problem. It's not feasible to modify nearly enough loans to keep pace with foreclosures.” Washington Post Editorial

Washington Post Editorial: Fighting foreclosure. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, February 28, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/27/AR2010022702803.html

Chicago-area home sales post year-over-year gain - But sales are lower than December, and prices have dropped By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 12:04 a.m. CST, February 27, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0227-home-prices--20100226,0,3115805,full.story


Commodities


Silver and gold critics win CFTC hearing By Gregory Meyer in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: February 24 2010 19:26 | Last updated: February 24 2010 19:26. When the US commodities regulator sought public input last year on a plan to damp oil speculation, most of the hundreds of missives it received were not about energy, but silver and gold. http://ctmock.blogspot.com/2010/02/silver-and-gold-critics-win-cftc.html


Travel

New and improved in France for 2010 - France is spiffing up its sights and museums from the Rhine to the Pyrenees. Of course, the biggest news is in Paris, where 2010 brings important changes. By Rick Steves. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. February 28, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sc-trav-0223-steves-20100224,0,6323447.stor

36 Hours in Telluride, Colo. By LIONEL BEEHNER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 28, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/travel/28hours.html?hpw

36 Hours in Vieques By HUGH RYAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 21, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/travel/21hours.html?hpw

American to outsource at O'Hare - Pilots at Eagle unit rankled by decision to use contract carrier. By Julie Johnsson. Copyright by The Chicago Tribune. February 21, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0221-american-,0,4538026.story


Immigration


Porous border not so scary - Illegal immigration doesn’t increase violent crime. by Steve Chapman. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. February 21, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-0221-chapman-20100221,0,7631997.column


GLBT


Gay Marriage Is Legal in U.S. Capital By IAN URBINA. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 3, 2010. WASHINGTON — It was cold and drizzling outside the City Courthouse just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday, but no one seemed to mind among the same-sex couples waiting excitedly for the chance to apply for a marriage license. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/us/04marriage.html?ref=global-home

Same-sex marriage leads Catholic Charities to adjust benefits By William Wan. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, March 2, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103345.html?hpid=topnews

Hate crime charges upheld for 3 accused of beating gay man BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN rhussain@suntimes.com. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times. February 26, 2010. If someone makes gay slurs in the middle of a fight -- is it a hate crime? Even if the victim wasn't targeted because of his sexual orientation? Those were the questions posed to Cook County Judge Ramon Ocasio III on Wednesday during a hearing involving three Evanston men charged with a hate crime for beating up a gay man on the CTA in January. http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2069373,CST-NWS-hate25.article

Obama's health plan excludes LGBTs by Lisa Keen ©2010 Keen News Service. 2010-02-24 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=25630

Campaign Goes After Opponents of Gay Marriage By JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 24, 2010. ALBANY — Angered by the defeat last year of a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry, a group of well-financed gay rights advocates has started a political action committee to take aim at state senators who have opposed same-sex marriage. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/nyregion/25gay.html?hpw

Nathaniel Frank On HRC, Democrats, and DADT By Nathaniel Frank, Copyright by The Huffington Post. Feb 18 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/02/huffington-post-nathaniel-frank-on-hrcdemocrats-and-dadt.html

San Francisco Chronicle: Obama's Changing Positions on Marriage Equality By David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. Feb 18 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/02/san-francisco-chronicle-obamas-changing-positions-on-marriage-equality.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

Close The Gay ATM Machine To DNC! By David Mixner. Copyright by By David Mixner. Feb 4 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/02/-close-the-gay-atm-machine-to-dnc.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28D
avidMixner.com%29

New Gay Theater Has More Love Than Politics By PATRICK HEALY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: February 22, 2010. A new breed of plays and musicals this season is presenting gay characters in love stories, replacing the direct political messages of 1980s and ‘90s shows like “The Normal Heart” and “Angels in America” with more personal appeals for social progress. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/theater/23gaytheater.html?hp



Religion


Caring for Pets Left Behind by the Rapture - For a fee, this service will place your dog or cat in the home of a caring atheist on Judgment Day By Mike Di Paola. Copyright by Business Week Magazine. February 22, 2010 https://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&shva=1#inbox/12710c0711b9c779


Technology


Apple iPad to Arrive in Stores on April 3 By NICK BILTON. Copyright by The New York Times. March 5, 2010, 9:45 am http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/apple-ipad-arrives-in-stores-on-april-3/?th&emc=th

TiVo to Offer Boxes That Go Beyond the Recorder By BRAD STONE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 2, 2010. SAN FRANCISCO — TiVo, the Silicon Valley pioneer of digital video recorders, is once again trying to get consumers to pay for another set-top box that combines traditional television programming with a vast array of content from the Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/technology/03tivo.html?hpw

Apple Sues Nexus One Maker HTC By BRAD STONE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/technology/03patent.html?hpw

For Google, provoking ISPs is the only way to build the Internet By Paul Smalera, contributor. Copyright by CNN Money. March 1, 2010 9:51 AM http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/01/for-google-provoking-isps-is-the-only-way-to-build-the-internet/?source=yahoo_quote

Larger Threat Is Seen in Google Case By RACHEL DONADIO. Copyright by Reuters. Published: February 24, 2010. ROME — Three Google executives were convicted of violating Italian privacy laws on Wednesday, the first case to hold the company’s executives criminally responsible for the content posted on its system. Bill Echikson, a spokesman for Google, called a judge's ruling against executives “astonishing.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/technology/companies/25google.html?hpw

If You Buy Dell, You Get A Dude And A Dud - It's been two years since Dell was supposed to shape up. Innovation happens elsewhere. By Joan Lappin. Copyright by Forbes.com. 02.23.10, 11:25 AM EST http://mobile.forbes.com/device/article.php?CALL_URL=http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/23/dell-computer-apple-markets-steve-jobs.html?partner=yahootix



Entertainment


Oscar galas March 7. 2010-03-03. Copyright by The Windy City Times. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=25720

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w




Other


Americans top medal performance in any Winter Games? Vancouver By Philip Hersh. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:11 p.m. CST, February 27, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/olympics/ct-oly-0228-olympics-united-states-succes20100227,0,7543466.story

IOC failing in its responsibility to the Olympics By Sally Jenkins. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, February 28, 2010. As the Vancouver Games come to a close, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge will call them a success. But it's the IOC -- so incubated in blue blazers, five-star accommodations, and shellfish buffets -- that requires real assessment. Exactly what should the purpose of the IOC be? Rogge seems hard-pressed to define his job -- what exactly are the duties of royalty? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/27/AR2010022703315.html?hpid=topnews





Humor


Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion http://m.funnyordie.com/videos/f5a57185bd/funny-or-die-s-presidential-reunion

Watch and Wet Yourself Laughing!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W40P1EkHv4Q&sns=em

How Paris mice stay in shape http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqlQS5CCmwI





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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