Holy Sh*t Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal goes global Newsletter III - April 3, 2010

Holy Sh*t Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal goes global Newsletter III - April 3, 2010


March 16, 2010: Holy Sh*t http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-16-2010/holy-sh-t

“The abuse cases of two priests in Arizona have cast further doubt on the Catholic church's insistence that Pope Benedict XVI played no role in shielding pedophiles before he became pope.” MATT SEDENSKY

Ratzinger intervened in Arizona priest's abuse case, then waited for years to defrock him. By MATT SEDENSKY. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 9:22 a.m. CDT, April 3, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-ap-us-church-abuse-arizona,0,1195072,full.story

“The response of the Roman Catholic Church to the wave of shameful child abuse revelations engulfing it across Europe and the US is “hopelessly inadequate”. That is the view of Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, who has worked courageously to bring the history of abuse in the Irish Church into the open. It is also the view of the Financial Times. Serious sexual crimes against defenceless children by priests entrusted with their care are an outrageous crime. The betrayal is deepened by a pattern of covering up for these child molesters, who were in some instances left free to keep preying on their charges. The responsibility for this goes to the top: not only of local hierarchies but to the Vatican itself.” Financial Times Editorial

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Vatican’s evasions on child abuse. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 2 2010 19:29. Last updated: April 2 2010 19:29. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/financial-times-editorial-comment.html

With Scrutiny, Vatican Faces Test of ‘Moral Credibility’ By RACHEL DONADIO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 27, 2010. As Pope Benedict XVI faces growing pressure to address his role in the handling of sexual abuse cases over the years, the Vatican acknowledged on Saturday that its ability to handle the crisis was a crucial test of its “moral credibility.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/world/europe/28vatican.html?hpw


A Nope for Pope By MAUREEN DOWD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28dowd.html?th&emc=th

Should There Be an Inquisition for the Pope? By MAUREEN DOWD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010... The church gave up its credibility for Lent. Holy Thursday and Good Friday are now becoming Cover-Up Thursday and Blame-Others Friday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/opinion/31dowd.html?th&emc=th

How a Molesting Case Emerged Decades Later By NICHOLAS KULISH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010. The case that has raised questions about the future pope’s handling of a pedophile priest in Germany came to light three decades after it occurred, and then almost by chance. It happened when Wilfried Fesselmann, an early victim, said he stumbled on Internet photographs of the priest who sexually abused him, still working with children. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/world/europe/02church.html?th&emc=th

Vatican Priest Likens Criticism Over Abuse to Anti-Semitism By DANIEL J. WAKIN and RACHEL DONADIO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010... Another American victims’ advocate rejected the Vatican’s statement distancing itself from the remarks. “Father Cantalamessa chose to equate calumny against the Jewish people as the same as criticism of Pope Benedict,” said Kristine Ward, a spokeswoman for the National Survivor Advocates Coalition. “It is incomprehensible that Father Cantalamessa did this and that Pope Benedict, the ultimate authority in this church who presided at the service, did not stand during the service to disavow this connection to anti-Semitism.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/world/europe/03church.html?th&emc=th

At the Vatican, Up Against the World By FRANK BRUNI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 26, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/weekinreview/28bruni.html?hpw

Anglican Says Irish Church Has Lost Credibility. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 3, 2010. The Roman Catholic church in Ireland has lost its credibility because of its mishandling of abuse by priests, the leader of the Anglican church said in remarks released Saturday. A leading Catholic archbishop said he was ''stunned'' by the comments. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/03/world/AP-EU-Church-Abuse.html?_r=1&hp


International


Russia Mourns Attack Victims and Considers Its Response By CLIFFORD J. LEVY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010. Russians held impromptu memorial services on Tuesday at two subway stations in Moscow where suicide bombers conducted brazen attacks a day earlier that killed 39 people and stirred fears of a revival of terrorism here. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/world/europe/31moscow.html?ref=global-home

Bomb Attacks in Southern Russia Aim at Police - The site of two explosions in the southern Russian town of Kizlyar on Wednesday. By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ. Copyright by Reuters. Published: March 31, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/world/europe/01dagestan.html?hp

What Makes Chechen Women So Dangerous? By ROBERT A. PAPE, LINDSEY O'ROURKE and JENNA McDERMIT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/opinion/31pape.html

Chechen Rebel Says He Planned Attacks By ELLEN BARRY. Copyright by Associated Press. March 31, 2010. A former Chechen separatist who reinvented himself as a proponent of global jihad stepped out of the shadows on Wednesday to take responsibility for two suicide bombings on Moscow’s subway, and to offer himself as the face of an increasingly lethal pan-Caucasus insurgency. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/world/europe/01dagestan.html?th&emc=th

Russia Says Suicide Bomber Was Militant’s Widow By CLIFFORD J. LEVY and ELLEN BARRY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/world/europe/03moscow.html?hpw

The euro’s big fat failed wedding By Gideon Rachman. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 29 2010 19:28 | Last updated: March 29 2010 19:28. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/euros-big-fat-failed-wedding.html

Unemployment and Inflation Inch Up in Europe By MATTHEW SALTMARSH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/global/01euecon.html?hpw

Bank of Ireland unveils €1.8bn shortfall. By John Murray Brown. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 31 2010 10:15 | Last updated: March 31 2010 10:15. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/bank-of-ireland-unveils-18bn-shortfall.html

Fall in German jobless points to recovery. By Quentin Peel in Berlin and Stanley Pignal in Brussels. Published: March 31 2010 12:12 | Last updated: March 31 2010 17:26. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/fall-in-german-jobless-points-to.html

An unconventional cure for Mexico’s drug violence - Legalization of marijuana is the cartels’ worst nightmare By Steve Chapman. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 28, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0328-chapman-md-20100328,0,6346676,full.column




China

Despite Strains, China Leader to Attend Nuclear Meeting in U.S. By ANDREW JACOBS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/world/asia/02china.html?hp

Chinese official hints at currency accord By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing and Alan Beattie in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 2 2010 22:06. Beijing may adjust its policy of pegging its currency to the dollar provided a visit this month by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Washington goes smoothly, according to a top adviser to China’s central bank. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/chinese-official-hints-at-currency.html

China Agrees to Consider Steps on Iran By NEIL MacFARQUHAR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. After months of resisting the idea of new Security Council sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, the Chinese government appears to have taken a step closer to supporting them, agreeing to enter negotiations over the language of a new resolution to intensify international pressure on Iran. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/world/middleeast/01iran.html?hpw




Mess-o-potamia


“The rambling speech of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan on Thursday was alarming. His delusional criticism of the United Nations and governments whose troops are risking their lives by fighting the Taliban complicates the difficult effort to stabilize Afghanistan. And it undermines the fragile public support for President Obama’s strategy, which focuses on protecting and improving the lives of Afghan civilians as well as on defeating the Taliban.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: President Karzai Lashes Out. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/opinion/03sat1.html?ref=opinion

Obama meets with Karzai in surprise Afghanistan visit By Joshua Partlow and Anne E. Kornblut. Copyright by The Washington Post . Sunday, March 28, 2010; 3:07 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032801184.html

Karzai attempts to repair relations with US By Matthew Green in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 2 2010 19:12 | Last updated: April 3 2010 00:30. Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, called Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, on Friday to try to repair his relationship with Washington after delivering a speech harshly critical of the west. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/karzai-attempts-to-repair-relations.html

Iran Plays Host to Delegations After Iraq Elections By ROD NORDLAND. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010. Iran may seem an unlikely place to turn for guidance when it comes to putting together a democratic government, but that is exactly what most of Iraq’s political class did immediately after last month’s parliamentary elections. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/world/middleeast/02iraq.html?hp

25 Family Members Are Killed in a Sectarian Ambush Near Baghdad By MUHAMMED AL-OBAIDI and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/world/middleeast/04iraq.html?hp

Israel Mounts Air Attacks in Gaza. By ETHAN BRONNER and FARES AKRAM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/world/middleeast/03gaza.html?hp



National


Obama Bypasses Senate Process, Filling 15 Posts. By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 27, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/us/politics/28recess.html?th&emc=th

Asked to Declare His Race, Obama Checks ‘Black’ By SAM ROBERTS and PETER BAKER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. It is official: Barack Obama is the nation’s first black president. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/us/politics/03census.html?hpw

Northeast Storm Sets Records, Stops Traffic and Makes Life Miserable By JAMES BARRON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/nyregion/31rain.html?th&emc=th

9 Teenagers Are Charged After Classmate’s Suicide. By ERIK ECKHOLM and KATIE ZEZIMA. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: March 29, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/us/30bully.html?hpw

Marine’s Dad Ordered To Pay Phelps’ Court Fees - Man Already Struggling To Come Up With Filing Fees In Case. Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. 3:03 pm CDT March 29,2010 http://www.kctv5.com/news/22990924/detail.html

30-plus governors told to quit in letters from Guardians of the Free Republics By Anita Kumar. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, April 3, 2010. More than 30 governors, including Robert F. McDonnell (R) of Virginia, received letters from an anti-government group this week demanding that they resign within three days or face removal from office. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/02/AR2010040204404.html?hpid=topnews

California ire over Borat bonds By Spencer Jakab. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 2 2010 13:35. Last updated: April 2 2010 13:35. Maybe Bill Lockyer not make benefit glorious state California? Taking a page out of Greece’s playbook, the peeved treasurer of America’s largest state fired off letters this week to the chiefs of Goldman Sachs and other banks questioning their marketing of credit default swaps on California’s debt. The instruments, he complained, “wrongly brand our bonds as a greater risk than those issued by such nations as Kazakhstan.” http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/california-ire-over-borat-bonds.html



Chicagoland


“High costs at McCormick Place are driving conventions and trade shows out of Chicago. We can fix that, or we can watch the jobs and dollars keep marching to other cities. The people who run the shows and attend the shows love this city. They love the convention facilities. But the onerous costs and other hassles — starting and ending with McCormick Place work rules — are chasing them away. Goodbye, Chicago. We'll send a postcard from Orlando.” Chicago Tribune Editorial

Chicago Tribune Editorial: A Chicago job crisis Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 6:19 p.m. CDT, April 1, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-mcpier-20100401,0,2204185.story

Director out at Howard Brown. Copyright by The Windy City Times. From a News Release, March 30, 2010. Howard Brown Health Center announced that Paul Fairchild will serve as its interim Chief Operating Officer. Howard Brown also announced that the organization's Chief Financial Officer, Mark Joslyn, and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Cook have been placed on paid administrative leave based on an internal decision made by the organization's Executive Board of Directors. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=25997



Health Care


Advance directives for end-of-life care result in preferred treatment - In almost every case, the patients' orders were followed, a study finds. And more Americans are making use of tools such as living wills and durable powers of attorney. By Shari Roan. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times. 8:13 p.m. CDT, March 31, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-sci-end-of-life1-2010apr01,0,1763817.story

Risks Seen in Cholesterol Drug Use in Healthy People By DUFF WILSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/business/31statins.html?th&emc=th

New worries about H1N1 influenza - Continuing activity in the Southeast raises fears of a third wave of swine flu cases. By Thomas H. Maugh II. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times. March 30, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-sci-swine-flu30-2010mar30,0,2593789.story

Health System Bears Cost of Implants With No Warranties By BARRY MEIER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. In January, William R. Morris’s artificial hip, just three years old, was failing so badly that it had to be replaced during an extensive procedure that cost about $50,000. The maker of the failed hip has since sent letters to Mr. Morris’s doctor, but none offering to cover replacement expenses for the device, which typically is expected to last 15 years. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03ortho.html?hp

Are You Buying Illegal Drugs? By KATHERINE EBAN and J. AARON GRAHAM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010... If the drugs are real, why should we care? Because pharmaceuticals need to be stored properly — generally in dry air at a steady temperature. Thieves — and the secondary wholesalers who buy from them — don’t mind keeping their products in hot, humid conditions, which can degrade medicines or even alter their chemical composition. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/opinion/01eban.html?ref=opinion





Health Care Reform


“No sooner had President Obama signed comprehensive health care reform than the attorneys general of 14 states scurried to the federal courts to challenge the law. Their claims range from far-fetched to arguable and look mostly like political posturing for the fall elections or a “Hail Mary” pass by disgruntled conservatives who cannot accept what Congress and the president have done. They seem unlikely to succeed because the law was carefully drafted to withstand just this kind of challenge.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: The Legal Assault on Health Reforms. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 28, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/opinion/29mon1.html?th&emc=th

Obama signs law finalizing health care, loan redo By PHILIP ELLIOTT. Copyright by The Associated Press. Tuesday, March 30, 2010; 11:42 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033000110.html?hpid=topnews

Insurance Pool to Offer Reduced-Rate Coverage. By ROBERT PEAR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. In one of its first steps to carry out the new health care law, the Obama administration announced Friday that it was establishing a temporary insurance pool where uninsured people with medical problems could buy coverage at reduced rates. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the program would “help provide affordable insurance for Americans who have been locked out of the insurance market.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/health/policy/03health.html?hpw

Coverage Now for Sick Children? Check Fine Print By ROBERT PEAR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 28, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/health/policy/29health.html?hpw

Insurers to Comply With Rules on Children By ROBERT PEAR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010. Under pressure from the White House, health insurance companies said Tuesday that they would comply with rules to be issued soon by the Obama administration requiring them to cover children with pre-existing medical problems. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/health/policy/31health.html?th&emc=th

Urologist Posts His Politics on His Florida Office Door By DAMIEN CAVE. Published: April 2, 2010. Doctors take the Hippocratic oath promising to do no harm, but once that requirement is fulfilled, do they have a right to choose patients based on politics? One Republican urologist outside Orlando has stirred up a tempest by suggesting that they do. A sign hanging this week in the office of Dr. Jack Cassell clearly states a preference for patients who agree with his opposition to the president, and to the recently passed health care overhaul. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/us/03doctor.html?th&emc=th

Pfizer Gives Details on Payments to Doctors By DUFF WILSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker, said Wednesday that it paid about $20 million to 4,500 doctors and other medical professionals for consulting and speaking on its behalf in the last six months of 2009, its first public accounting of payments to the people who decide which drugs to recommend. Pfizer also paid $15.3 million to 250 academic medical centers and other research groups for clinical trials in the same period. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01payments.html?hpw



GOP Bashing


March 30, 2010: 2 Girls 1 GOP http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-30-2010/2-girls-1-gop

G.O.P. Opens Inquiry on Club Expenditure By JEFF ZELENY and BERNIE BECKER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 29, 2010. The Republican National Committee on Monday opened an investigation into why party money, which donors contributed to help win seats in the midterm elections, was used to pay a $2,000 tab at a risqué Hollywood club in late January. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/us/30gop.html?th&emc=th

Republicans Spent Money At Racy Nightclub. Copyright © 2010, Tribune Interactive. 7:00 p.m. CDT, March 29, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sc-dc-rnc-club-20100329,0,2498459.story

The party's over for RNC head Michael Steele By Kathleen Parker. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, March 31, 2010. What a difference $2,000 in a lesbian bondage strip club makes. Then again, the latest Republican National Committee scandalita (Press three for Spanglish: "Small scandal") is, alas, just that -- the latest in a string of problems plaguing the RNC when it should be stocking champagne for November. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033002772.html

Conservative leader tells donors to stop giving to RNC By Mark Preston. Copyright by CNN news. April 1, 2010. The head of an influential social conservative organization urged supporters Wednesday to stop donating to the Republican National Committee and instead contribute to its own coffers or to candidates with like-minded goals. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, made the plea in his "Washington Update" column posted on the organization's Web site following the revelation that the RNC paid for a night out at a risqué Hollywood nightclub. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/01/conservative-leader-tells-donors-to-stop-giving-to-rnc-2/?fbid=0pTUhm8cc-B#more-97796

Palin tells RNC to remove her name from fundraising invite By Peter Hamby. Copyright by CNN News. April 1, 2010 http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/01/palin-tells-rnc-to-remove-her-name-from-fundraising-invite/?fbid=0pTUhm8cc-B#more-97812

March 30, 2010: Lady and the Gramps http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-march-30-2010/lady-and-the-gramps

Palin, Fox News, LL Cool J tangle over phantom interview By Brett Michael Dykes. Copyright by Yahoo! News. March 31, 2010... Popular conservative blogger Allahpundit tweaked liberals who accuse Tea Party supporters of racist sympathies, saying they'll be "shocked to find the alleged Grand Dragon of the tea-party movement making chitchat with a hip-hop legend." The problem is that no such chitchat was produced for the Palin show. LL Cool J, star of "NCIS: Los Angeles," tweeted Tuesday night: "Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100331/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1387

This, from the man who defeated Cynthia McKinney …http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg&feature=player_embedded

Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretaps Were Illegal By CHARLIE SAVAGE and JAMES RISEN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration’s effort to keep shrouded in secrecy one of the most disputed counterterrorism policies of former President George W. Bush. In a 45-page opinion, Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that the government had violated a 1978 federal statute requiring court approval for domestic surveillance when it intercepted phone calls of Al Haramain, a now-defunct Islamic charity in Oregon, and of two lawyers representing it in 2004. Declaring that the plaintiffs had been “subjected to unlawful surveillance,” the judge said the government was liable to pay them damages. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/us/01nsa.html?th&emc=th

The Republican crackup By Matt Miller. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Has anyone else noticed that seemingly well-adjusted Republicans have been driven insane by the passage of Obamacare? You can catch them muttering under their breath, whimpering on editorial pages and howling to the moon that this Democratic victory is the death knell for much that we cherish in American life. When I first saw a Republican friend jump out the window in this fashion, I assumed it was an isolated incident, or even politically motivated play-acting. Now that I've seen countless others follow suit, however, it's a phenomenon that merits deeper psychological inquiry. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033101663.html

Preexisting condition vexes Mitt Romney By JONATHAN MARTIN & BEN SMITH. Copyright by Politico.com. 3/29/10 5:10 AM EDT. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's signature achievement from his Beacon Hill tenure has become something he’s now defending rather than touting. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35129.html

An open letter to conservatives By Russell King. Copyright by Filtered News. March 22, 2010... Your party — the GOP — and the conservative end of the American political spectrum has become irresponsible and irrational. Worse, it’s tolerating, promoting and celebrating prejudice and hatred. Let me provide some examples – by no means an exhaustive list — of where the Right as gotten itself stuck in a swamp of hypocrisy, hyperbole, historical inaccuracy and hatred. http://filterednews.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/an-open-letter-to-conservatives/#com-head

Right’s anger could backfire - Violence make give moderate swing voters pause By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 28, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-100328-clarence-page-column,0,1726114.column




The Economy


“Yet today it is clear that TARP not only has been successful but, in a real sense, also a great deal for taxpayers. The latest indication is news that the Treasury Department plans to sell its 27 percent stake in Citigroup by the end of the year, at a likely profit of $8 billion. To be sure, these estimates are subject to the volatility of the stock market; by announcing that it wants to exit Citi in the short run, the Treasury risks getting clipped by an unexpected price drop before its self-imposed target date. Still, the sell-off would wean the troubled financial giant off most public support much earlier and at a much lower cost to taxpayers than was once expected. Once the sale is complete, the government will have recouped about three-quarters of the $245 billion worth of capital it pumped into financial institutions.” Washington Post Editorial

Washington Post Editorial: No one likes TARP, but it's working. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 1, 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033103710.html

US Treasury to sell its 27% stake in Citi this year By Alan Rappeport in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 29 2010 14:41. Last updated: March 29 2010 14:41. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/us-treasury-to-sell-its-27-stake-in.html

Global manufacturing fuels recovery By Alan Rappeport in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 1 2010 15:54. Last updated: April 1 2010 15:54. The world’s factories are fuelling the global economic recovery, with new figures showing that manufacturing output in the US, China and Europe is growing at a record rate. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/global-manufacturing-fuels-recovery.html

Signaling Jobs Recovery, Payrolls Surged in March By CATHERINE RAMPELL and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. After losing eight million jobs since the recession began in December 2007, payrolls finally surged in March, the Labor Department reported on Friday. Employers added 162,000 nonfarm jobs last month. Nationwide, the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent. “We are beginning to turn the corner,” said President Obama, speaking in Charlotte, N.C., calling it “the best news we’ve seen on the job front in more than two years.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/economy/03jobs.html?th&emc=th

G.M. Sales Rose 21% in March, Helped by Incentives By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010...Several analysts projected that total sales for the industry surged at least 30 percent from March 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/business/02auto.html?hp

Ford sells Volvo to China's Geely auto group for $1.8 billion. Geely gains a foothold in Europe with its purchase of the Swedish car brand. Ford bought Volvo in 1999 for $6.45 billion, then struggled to make the brand profitable as the U.S. auto industry slumped. By David Pierson. Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times. March 29, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/la-fi-ford-volvo29-2010mar29,0,1859327.story

SEC launches ‘Repo 105’ probe By James Politi in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 30 2010 00:12 | Last updated: March 30 2010 00:12. US regulators on Monday asked more than 20 financial groups whether they engaged in transactions along the lines of “Repo 105” – an accounting device that helped Lehman Brothers conceal its high leverage ratio during the financial crisis. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/sec-launches-repo-105-probe.html

Financial Reform 101 By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010. Let’s face it: Financial reform is a hard issue to follow. It’s not like health reform, which was fairly straightforward once you cut through the nonsense. Reasonable people can and do disagree about exactly what we should do to avert another banking crisis. So here’s a brief guide to the debate — and an explanation of my own position. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/opinion/02krugman.html?th&emc=th



Your Money

US consumer spending continues to rise By Alan Rappeport in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 29 2010 14:11 | Last updated: March 29 2010 15:32. US consumer spending picked up for the fifth month running in February, lifting hopes that consumers could add momentum to the economic recovery. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/us-consumer-spending-continues-to-rise.html

Pay of Hedge Fund Managers Roared Back Last Year By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and LOUISE STORY. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. The Lazarus-like recovery of the nation’s big banks did not benefit just the bankers — it also created huge paydays for hedge fund managers, including a record $4 billion gain in 2009 for one bold investor who bet big on the financial sector. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01hedge.html?hp



Housing

Housing crisis drives families into overcrowded living conditions - Longstanding problem in Chicago exacerbated by foreclosures, posing safety and other concerns By Antonio Olivo. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 28, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-met-overcrowded-housing-0328-20100327,0,5362202,full.story



Commodities


Fed Ends Its Purchasing of Mortgage Securities By SEWELL CHAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. The Federal Reserve’s single largest intervention to prop up the American economy, its $1.25 trillion program to buy mortgage-backed securities, came to a long-anticipated end on Wednesday. The program has been credited with holding mortgage interest rates at near-record lows and slowing the nationwide decline in home prices that threatened to send the economy into an extended slump. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01fed.html?th&emc=th

Steelmakers agree new iron ore contracts By Peter Smith in Sydney and Javier Blas in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 30 2010 05:57 | Last updated: March 30 2010 11:15. Global miners and key Asian steelmakers have agreed to a record increase in iron ore prices after they signed deals to replace the 40-year-old pricing system based on annual contracts with new short-term deals linked to the spot market. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/steelmakers-agree-new-iron-ore.html

Gains for US steel after ore price rise By Telis Demos in New York and Jonathan Soble in Tokyo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 2 2010 19:27 | Last updated: April 2 2010 19:27. US steel products are poised to become more attractive on the global market in the wake of the sharp rise in traded iron ore – a development that has enraged makers of the metal elsewhere in the world, analysts say. Steel inputs in the US are in large part isolated from the global market because the US is the only steel-producing country that is a net exporter of the chief ingredients of steel, iron ore, coking coal and scrap. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/gains-for-us-steel-after-ore-price-rise.html

Carmakers urge EU action on iron ore By John Reed, Motor Industry Correspondent. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 31 2010 15:48 | Last updated: March 31 2010 15:48. European carmakers urged the European Union to act after iron ore producers took steps to raise their prices by more than 80 per cent, saying they were “very concerned” by the move. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/03/carmakers-urge-eu-action-on-iron-ore.html



Immigration


Washington Post Editorial: Should minor drug offenses lead to deportation? Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, March 31, 2010. JOSE ANGEL Carachuri-Rosendo was deported because of one tablet of Xanax. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033002999.html

New York Times Editorial: Wishing Doesn’t Make It Law. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010. When noncitizens are convicted of aggravated felonies, federal law makes it relatively easy to remove them from the country — and it should. But the law is not a weapon for overzealous immigration officials who want to deny immigrants fair deportation hearings. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/opinion/31wed3.html?th&emc=th



Travel


Security Checks on Flights to U.S. To Be Revamped By JEFF ZELENY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010. President Obama has signed off on new security protocols for people flying to the United States, establishing a system that uses intelligence information and assessment of threats to identify passengers who could have links to terrorism, a senior administration official said Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/us/02terror.html?h



Energy


“The new automobile fuel economy standards formally adopted by the Obama administration on Thursday will yield a trifecta of benefits: reduced dependence on foreign oil, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and consumer savings at the pump. This was truly a moment to celebrate. But it was tempered by the fact that some in Congress are trying to undo the laws that made the new standards possible.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: Everybody Wins. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/opinion/02fri2.html?th&emc=th

White House mandates new fuel efficiency standards By Juliet Eilperin. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 1, 2010; 11:55 AM. The Obama administration finalized the first national rules curbing greenhouse gas emissions Thursday, mandating that the U.S. car and light-truck fleet reach an average fuel efficiency of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/01/AR2010040101412.html?hpid=topnews

Nissan prices its first electric car at roughly $25K By Peter Whoriskey. Copyright by The Washington Post . Tuesday, March 30, 2010; 11:02 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/30/AR2010033001693.html?hpid=topnews

New York Times Editorial: Drill, but Not Everywhere. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/opinion/01thu1.html?th&emc=th

Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time By JOHN M. BRODER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/science/earth/31energy.html?th&emc=th


Washington Post Editorial: An offshore necessity. Copyright by the Washington Post. Thursday, April 1, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033103708.html

A Race to Reap Energy From the Ocean Breezes By SINDYA N. BHANOO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. As New Englanders await a decision in Massachusetts on a bitterly contested proposal to build the nation’s first offshore wind farm, the State of Rhode Island is forging ahead with its own project in the hope of outpacing — and upstaging — its neighbor. Crucial to its strategy is dispelling worries that economics will trump the environment, or the broader public good. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/science/earth/03wind.html?hpw


Religion

Militia Charged With Plotting to Murder Officers By NICK BUNKLEY and CHARLIE SAVAGE. Copyright by The Associated Press...In an indictment against the nine unsealed on Monday, the Justice Department said they were part of a group of apocalyptic Christian militants who were plotting to kill law enforcement officers in hopes of inciting an antigovernment uprising, the latest in a recent surge in right-wing militia activity. Published: March 29, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/us/30militia.html?th&emc=th

Only Christians need apply - Refugee resettlement group’s religious requirement stirs charges of discrimination By Manya A. Brachear. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. March 29, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/jobs/ct-met-world-relief-20100531,0,5402848,full.story


GLBT


“A Mississippi school board was grossly discriminatory and mean-spirited when it told Constance McMillen that she could not attend her high school prom with her girlfriend. A ruling by a federal judge that Ms. McMillen’s constitutional rights had been violated is a welcome sign that gay people are continuing to make progress toward equality. It should also be a warning to school districts nationwide about the cost of discrimination.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: Right of Passage. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 29, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/opinion/30tue2.html?th&emc=th

Mississippi A.C.L.U. Rejects $20,000 for Alternate Prom By STEPHANIE STROM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2010. To avoid further controversy, the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi has rejected a $20,000 gift intended to underwrite an alternate prom replacing one canceled by a local school district after a lesbian student demanded that she be allowed to attend with her girlfriend. The gift, to sponsor one of several privately sponsored alternate events, came from the American Humanist Association, an advocacy group whose mission is to promote “good without God.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/us/01prom.html?hpw

Latin singer Ricky Martin says he is gay. Copyright by Reuters. Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:13pm EDT. Latin pop star Ricky Martin on Monday announced he was gay in a blog posting, ending years of speculation. "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin wrote in a blog posting at www.rickymartinmusic.com. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62S5IR20100329



Technology

Investors await iPad’s cliffhanger launch By Joseph Menn in San Francisco. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 2 2010 19:10 | Last updated: April 2 2010 19:10. At least 200,000 US residents will get their hands on Apple’s new iPad on Saturday, convinced that, without ever having held one, the mouseless computer is right for them. Meanwhile, a much bigger group, made up of Apple’s investors, is already sure it will like the new device even more. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/investors-await-ipads-cliffhanger.html

Apple expands its touchy-feely vision. By Richard Waters. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: March 31 2010 20:52 | Last updated: March 31 2010 20:52. This weekend’s launch of Apple’s iPad in the US – with an international debut expected later in the month – will be a polarising moment. The television news will linger on the queues outside Apple stores, and fans will be seen drooling over these latest shiny objects of techno-lust. Doubters, meanwhile, will point out that general purpose tablet-style computers such as this have always bombed before – and if the touch-screen interface is so revolutionary, why is Apple going to sell an old-fashioned keyboard to plug into it? http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/apple-expands-its-touchy-feely-vision.html

When computer savvy people get bored http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vs__Animation_by_alanbecker.swf

Other

WEAKLY HUMERUS NEWS 04-03-1 AIMED AT YOUR FUNNY BONE By by Stan Kegel. Copyright by by Stan Kegel http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/04/weakly-humerus-news-04-03-1-aimed-at.html

Irish Lent http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2010/03/irish-lent.html

Glenn Beck and Jim Wallis Discuss Social Justice (April Fools!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy8v1Q1VWuI

April 1, 2010: CNN Hires Erick Erickson http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-1-2010/cnn-hires-erick-erickson






I rarely use thye brace. Been off narcotics for a week. Have almost 80% of my left hand function back. Thanks to all who prayed and helped take care of me.

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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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