The New Pope Opera Newsletter - April 10, 2010

The New Pope Opera Newsletter - April 10, 2010

"Pope Opera" Daily Show http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-7-2010/pope-opera

Devil of a Scandal By MAUREEN DOWD. Copyright by the The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2010. The Devil didn’t make me do it. The facts did. Father Gabriele Amorth, the chief exorcist for the Holy See, said in Rome that The Times’s coverage of Pope Benedict, which cast doubt on his rigor in dealing with pedophile priests, was “prompted by the Devil.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/opinion/04dowd.html?th&emc=th

Church's Problem Is the Cover-Up, Not PR - Bob Schieffer Weighs In on the On-Going Problem Catholic Leaders Have With Accountability By Bob Schieffer. Copyright by CBS News. April 4, 2010 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/04/ftn/main6362282.shtml

Pope Put Off Punishing Abusive Priest By LAURIE GOODSTEIN and MICHAEL LUO. Copyright by the Associated Press. Published: April 9, 2010. The priest, convicted of tying up and abusing two young boys in a California church rectory, wanted to leave the ministry. But in 1985, four years after the priest and his bishop first asked that he be defrocked, the future Pope Benedict XVI, then a top Vatican official, signed a letter saying that the case needed more time and that “the good of the Universal Church” had to be considered in the final decision, according to church documents released through lawsuits. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/world/europe/10pope.html?th&emc=th

German Diocese Files Complaint Against Priest. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 9, 2010. A German diocese said Friday it has given prosecutors the case of a priest accused of sexually abusing four boys several years ago, and he was suspended from his current post at a home for retirees. The alleged abuse took place between 1980 and 1996, according to the diocese of Erfurt in eastern Germany. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-EU-Church-Abuse-Germany.html?_r=1&hpw

Catholic Church: Where Was Law Enforcement? By David Mixner. Copyright By David Mixner . Apr 5 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/catholic-church-where-was-law-enforcement.html

A papal resignation and pedophile priests By Katha Pollitt. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. April 5, 2010. My favorite moment of the whole child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church was when Father Klaus Malangre suggested that Peter Hullermann, the redoubtable German pedophile priest, might be sent to work in a girls' school. No boys, no molestation. Or, in churchly language, no occasion of sin. Problem solved! Plus, the good father would spend his life warding off female cooties. Malangre must not have heard about priests — and they do exist — who abused male and female children. Nor had he learned the lesson of Watergate: The cover-up is worse than the crime. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-0405-pollitt-20100405,0,6555871.story

Priest Accused of U.S. Abuse Still Working in India. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/05/world/AP-Church-Abuse.html?_r=1&hpw

Accused Indian Priest Says He Will Return to U.S. By JIM YARDLEY and LAURIE GOODSTEIN. Published: April 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/asia/07church.html?hp

Cardinal tells pope: Faithful not influenced by 'gossip'. Copyright by CNN News. April 4, 2010 4:26 p.m. EDT. In a rare move, a senior cardinal spoke before the pope's Easter Mass address at the Vatican on Sunday, saying the pontiff maintains the support of Catholics around the world "who do not let themselves be influenced by the gossip." http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/04/vatican.easter/index.html?hpt=T2

The Catholic church pedophilia scandal: The forgotten victims. Filed by: Guest Blogger Carlos T Mock, MD. April 5, 2010 3:00 PM http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/the_catholic_church_pedophilia_scandal_the_forgott.php



International



Brown calls general election for May 6 By Jean Eaglesham and Alex Barker. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 6 2010 11:09 | Last updated: April 6 2010 11:09. Gordon Brown on Tuesday called an election for May 6, asking the British electorate for a “clear and straightforward mandate” to extend 13 years of Labour rule and “secure the recovery”. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/brown-calls-general-election-for-may-6.html

ECB leaves interest rate on hold at 1% By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 8 2010 12:46 | Last updated: April 8 2010 12:46. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/ecb-leaves-interest-rate-on-hold-at-1.html

Trichet jumps in to back Athens rescue By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010.. Published: April 8 2010 20:17 | Last updated: April 8 2010 20:17. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/trichet-jumps-in-to-back-athens-rescue.html

Shares Rise as Greece Rescue Plan Seems Closer By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/business/10markets.html?hpw

Plunging Greek bonds spook investors By Jamie Chisholm, Global Markets Commentator. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 8 2010 08:48 | Last updated: April 8 2010 16:38. he eurozone’s festering fiscal woes and uncertainty over the speed of US monetary tightening provided investors with an excuse to reduce riskier bets on Thursday. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/plunging-greek-bonds-spook-investors.html

As Greek Bond Rates Soar, Bankruptcy Looms By LANDON THOMAS Jr. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/business/global/09drachma.html?hpw

Fitch Downgrades Greece’s Credit Rating. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 9, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/business/global/10drachma.html?hpw

Learning From Greece By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/opinion/09krugman.html?ref=opinion

Poland steps in to stem zloty’s rise By Peter Garnham. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 9 2010 13:40 | Last updated: April 9 2010 13:40 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6279ff3c-43cd-11df-b474-00144feab49a.html

President of Poland Killed in Plane Crash in Russia. By ELLEN BARRY and NICHOLAS KULISH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2010. A plane carrying the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, his wife and other high-ranking officials crashed in a heavy fog in western Russia on Saturday morning, killing all aboard, Polish officials said. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/world/europe/11poland.html?hp

Opposition Claims Control in Kyrgyzstan By CLIFFORD J. LEVY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/world/asia/08bishkek.html?emc=na

Kyrgyz Opposition Group Says It Will Rule for 6 Months By CLIFFORD J. LEVY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/world/asia/09bishkek.html?th&emc=th

Thai Protests Turn Violent as TV Station Is Stormed By SETH MYDANS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010

Thai Forces Advance on Protesters. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 10, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/10/world/AP-AS-Thailand-Politics.html?_r=1&hp

Aftershocks Rattle Mexico-California Region Hit by Quake By JENNIFER STEINHAUER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 5, 2010. A powerful earthquake southeast of Tijuana shook Southern California on Sunday afternoon, damaging buildings in northern Mexico and border cities in California and Arizona and rattling a seismically sophisticated population as far north as Los Angeles and Las Vegas. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/us/06quake.html?th&emc=th




Nuclear disarmament


The Big Bang Treaty http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-8-2010/the-big-bang-treaty

New York Times Editorial: Mr. Obama’s Nuclear Policy. Copyright by the New York Times . Published: April 6, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/opinion/07wed1.html?th&emc=th

Obama Limits When U.S. Would Use Nuclear Arms By DAVID E. SANGER and PETER BAKER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/06arms.html?hp

Obama’s Nuclear Strategy Intended as a Message By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/07arms.html?th&emc=th

Russia and U.S. Sign Nuclear Arms Reduction Pact By PETER BAKER and DAN BILEFSKY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/world/europe/09prexy.html?th&emc=th

Disposal of Plutonium From U.S.-Russian Disarmament Is Likely to Take Decades By MATTHEW L. WALD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/world/europe/09nuke.html?th&emc=th

Obama’s Nuclear Modesty By PETER D. FEAVER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010. PRESIDENT OBAMA’S new policy on the use of atomic weapons, called the Nuclear Posture Review, has brought to the public eye a longstanding debate over what’s known as “declaratory doctrine”: what the United States government is willing to say publicly and in advance about the conditions under which it will use its nuclear arsenal. A calm reading of the document shows that the changes in terms of doctrine aren’t nearly as epochal as the White House would have us believe or its critics would have us fear. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/opinion/09feaver.html?ref=opinion

Just Like Ike (on Deterrence) By CAMPBELL CRAIG. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/opinion/09craig.html?ref=opinion


China


China records rare $7.2bn trade deficit By Patti Waldmeir in Shanghai and Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. China on Saturday announced a rare deficit in its politically sensitive trade balance for March, the first in six years, bolstering Beijing’s argument that the value of its currency only has a limited impact on international trade flows. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/china-records-rare-72bn-trade-deficit.html

New fears over speed of China’s growth. By Henny Sender in Hong Kong and Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 4 2010 19:54 | Last updated: April 4 2010 19:54. The chairman of China Construction Bank, the country’s second largest by assets, has warned of the perils of rapid growth, adding his voice to a growing chorus of economists concerned about overheating. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-fears-over-speed-of-chinas-growth.html

Rescue of 114 at Chinese Coal Mine Called ‘Miracle’ By SHARON LaFRANIERE. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 5, 2010. From the start, China’s latest coal mine disaster seemed likely to end like so many others in a country where an average of seven miners die every day: a failed rescue effort, grieving relatives and few, if any, survivors. But for reasons still unclear, the March 28 accident at the Wangjialing mine in Shanxi Province in northern China turned out differently. More than a week after the half-built mine flooded with water, rescuers found most of the 153 men trapped underground still alive. By late Monday, 114 of them had been pulled to safety. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/asia/06mine.html?hp

China Appears Set to Make Currency Policy More Flexible By KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 8, 2010. The Chinese government is preparing to announce in coming days that it will allow its currency to strengthen slightly and vary more from day to day, a move being taken for domestic policy reasons in China but likely to please the Obama administration, people with knowledge of the emerging consensus in Beijing said on Thursday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/business/global/09yuan.html?hp

Geithner to Meet With the Chinese Vice Premier By VIKAS BAJAJ and KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010. In a sign of improving economic relations between the United States and China, the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, will meet the Chinese vice prime minister, Wang Qishan, in Beijing on Thursday on his way back to the United States from India, a Treasury spokesman said here Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/business/global/08yuan.html?ref=global-home

China’s Censors Tackle and Trip Over the Internet By MICHAEL WINES, SHARON LAFRANIERE and JONATHAN ANSFIELD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010. Type the Chinese characters for “carrot” into Google’s search engine here in mainland China, and you will be rewarded not with a list of Internet links, but a blank screen. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/world/asia/08censor.html?th&emc=th

Researchers Trace Data Theft to Intruders in China By JOHN MARKOFF and DAVID BARBOZA. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 5, 2010. Turning the tables on a China-based computer espionage gang, Canadian and United States computer security researchers have monitored a spying operation for the past eight months, observing while the intruders pilfered classified and restricted documents from the highest levels of the Indian Defense Ministry. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/science/06cyber.html?hpw





Mess-o-potamia


Karzai’s Words Leave Few Choices for the West By ALISSA J. RUBIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 4, 2010. As President Hamid Karzai made more antagonistic statements over the weekend toward the NATO countries fighting on behalf of his government, the West was taking stock of just how little maneuvering room it has. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/world/asia/05karzai.html?th&emc=th

Drones Batter Al Qaeda and Its Allies Within Pakistan By JANE PERLEZ and PIR ZUBAIR SHAH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 4, 2010. A stepped-up campaign of American drone strikes over the past three months has battered Al Qaeda and its Pakistani and Afghan brethren in the tribal area of North Waziristan, according to a mid-ranking militant and supporters of the government there. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/world/asia/05drones.html?th&emc=th

U.S. Consulate in Pakistan Is Attacked by Militants By ISMAIL KHAN and SABRINA TAVERNISE. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: April 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/world/asia/06pstan.html?hp

Bombings in Baghdad Aim at Diplomatic Locations By ROD NORDLAND and RIYADH MOHAMMED. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 4, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/world/middleeast/05iraq.html?hp

Palestinians Try a Less Violent Path to Resistance By ETHAN BRONNER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/middleeast/07westbank.html?th&emc=th

Obama weighs new peace plan for the Middle East By David Ignatius. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Despite recent turbulence in U.S. relations with Israel, President Obama is "seriously considering" proposing an American peace plan to resolve the Palestinian conflict, according to two top administration officials. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040602663.html



National



"...Time will one day heal the wound to that confidence that will be inflicted by today's decision. One thing, however, is certain. Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's Presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the Nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law..." Justice Stevens in his thoughtful dissent in Bush v Gore

Justice Stevens to Retire After 34 Years By CHARLIE SAVAGE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/us/politics/10stevens.html?hp

The End of an Era, for Court and Nation By ADAM LIPTAK. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/us/politics/10judge.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: We Can’t Tell You. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: April 3, 2010. For more than 20 years, it was settled law, born of bitter experience, that the government may not eavesdrop on people in the United States without a warrant. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/opinion/04sun1.html?th&emc=th

Washington Post Editorial: It appears that the W.Va. mine disaster could have been averted. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, April 10, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040905117.html

No Survivors Found After West Virginia Mine Disaster By IAN URBINA. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 9, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/us/10westvirginia.html?th&emc=th



Toyota


Toyota official: 'We need to come clean'. By LARRY MARGASAK and KEN THOMAS. Copyright by the Associated Press . April 7, 2010. Five days before Toyota announced a massive recall, a U.S. public relations executive at the automaker warned colleagues in an internal e-mail: "We need to come clean" about accelerator problems, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_recall

U.S. to Seek $16.4 Million Fine Against Toyota By MICHELINE MAYNARD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 5, 2010. The Transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, said Monday that the federal government would seek a $16.375 million civil fine, the largest allowed, against Toyota Motor over a recall of sticking accelerator pedals on 2.3 million vehicles. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/business/06toyota.html?hp

Regulators May Pursue More Fines Against Toyota By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in its letter notifying Toyota of the initial fine, said it might pursue a second penalty based on documents indicating the existence of two separate defects in the pedals, which were recalled in January. Two investigations into a November recall, involving floor mats that could trap the accelerator pedal, also could result in fines. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/business/10toyota.html?th&emc=th

Toyota's public humiliation perpetuated by relentless mocking from Letterman By Brett Michael Dykes. Copyright by Yahoo! News. April 8, 2010 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1533. Watch the video, it’s hilarious!



Chicagoland


Chicago News Cooperative - For Some Aspiring Political Broadcasters, Breaking the Law Does Pay By BEN GOLDBERGER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/us/04cncway.html?th&emc=th

Illinois tea party at a crossroads - Protest movement has vocal supporters, but lacks structure, unified strategy By Oscar Avila. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 10:42 p.m. CDT, April 4, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-tea-party-0405--20100404,0,6462668,full.story

Hamos to head state health care department - Quinn appointee succeeds Maram. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 4:55 p.m. CDT, April 9, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-gov-quinn-cabinet-pick-0410-20100409,0,1038095.story

Leaders ousted at Howard Brown by Yasmin Nair. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2010-04-07. In a move that will send ripples throughout Chicago's LGBTQ community, Howard Brown Health Center announced that two of its key staff members have been placed on paid administrative leave: President/Chief Executive Officer Michael Cook and Chief Financial Officer Mark Joslyn. The news came through a brief March 30 press release, issued via Leslie Schreiber, director of media relations at Winger Marketing. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26105


Health Care


In down economy, US births to older moms still rising; birth rate declines for other ages. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 2:03 p.m. CDT, April 6, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-birth-rate,0,6995214.story

City Endorses New Policy for Treatment of H.I.V. By SABIN RUSSELL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. In a major shift of H.I.V. treatment policy, San Francisco public health doctors have begun to advise patients to start taking antiviral medicines as soon as they are found to be infected, rather than waiting — sometimes years — for signs that their immune systems have started to fail. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/us/04sftreatment.html?hpw

Downturn fuels demand for free drugs in US By Andrew Jack in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 5 2010 18:02 | Last updated: April 5 2010 18:02. Demand for free medicines in the US has increased sharply following the 2008 economic crisis, highlighting continued difficulties by Americans in gaining access to medical care. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/downturn-fuels-demand-for-free-drugs-in.html

St. Vincent’s Votes to Shut Hospital in Manhattan. By SHARON OTTERMAN. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/nyregion/07vincents.html?th&emc=th

Nearby Hospitals to Fill Gap When St. Vincent’s Closes. By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/nyregion/08vincents.html?hpw

Health Care Reform


Obamacare has upsides for big employers: Chance to save millions by offloading retiree coverage By John Pletz ©2010 by Crain Communications Inc. April 05, 2010. Big companies may find a lot to like in President Barack Obama's health care law — once they get over the tax changes burning a hole in their earnings. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=33220

Rep. Stupak Expected to Retire By JEFF ZELENY AND DAVID HERSZENHORN. Copyright by the New York Times. April 9, 2010, 9:20 AM. Representative Bart Stupak of Michigan, who played a central role with fellow anti-abortion Democrats in negotiating a compromise in the final hours of the health care debate, intends to announce today that he will not seek re-election, a senior party official confirmed. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/rep-stupak-expected-to-retire/?hp



GOP Bashing



How snow-plowing policy is made in the nation’s capital http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-snow-plowing-policy-is-made-in.html

Saying No to No! Washington Post Editorial: Financial reform is in the GOP's interest, too. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 7, 2010.... Politically, the White House may well be correct. President Obama and congressional Democrats can afford to play hardball: If they get a bill that reflects mainly their ideas, they win; if the Republicans kill it with a filibuster, Democrats win anyway. This only makes the Republican leadership's apparent strategy that much more puzzling. By all means, the GOP should leverage its 41 Senate votes to obtain reasonable concessions on genuine issues. But it should not play the politics of no. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040603738.html

Colbert Report - The Word - Affirmative Inaction http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/270036/april-08-2010/the-word---affirmative-inaction

April 7, 2010: Michael Steele Plays the Race Card http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-7-2010/michael-steele-plays-the-race-card

GOP chairman Michael Steele is out front, attracting detractors By Philip Rucker and Amy Gardner. Copyright by The Washington Post . Sunday, April 4, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/03/AR2010040303143.html?hpid=topnews

G.O.P. Squirms as Spotlight Focuses on Its Leader By ADAM NAGOURNEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/us/politics/07memo.html?th&emc=th

Michael Steele's problem isn't race -- it's pride By Kathleen Parker. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 7, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040602661.html


It's Her Party Now By Mark Halperin . Copyright by Times Magazine. Monday, Apr. 12, 2010. Sarah Palin doesn't really do compromise. Defiance is more her style. So when other Republicans began to go soft on their promises to "repeal and replace" Barack Obama's landmark health care reform, the former Alaska governor went reliably rogue. Wearing a trim black leather jacket and pencil skirt, Palin appeared at a rally for John McCain in Arizona and urged the GOP faithful not to quail now. "I see Fidel Castro likes Obamacare, and we don't," she taunted. "Doesn't that tell you something?" http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1977121,00.html

April 8, 2010: Virginia's Confederate History Month & Griffin Mascot http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-8-2010/virginia-s-confederate-history-month---griffin-mascot

Bob McDonnell, the Confederacy and the Veepstakes By Chris Cillizza. Copyright by The Washington Post. April 8, 2010; 11:03 AM ET. Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's decision to backpedal on a proclamation declaring April Confederate History month in the Commonwealth left Republican observers divided about how much -- if any -- damage he had done to his prospects on the national stage in 2012 and beyond. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/eye-on-2008/bob-mcdonnell-the-confederacy.html?hpid=topnews

A Confederacy of Dunces By GAIL COLLINS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010. April is the cruelest month. Or, if you live in Virginia, Confederate History Month. The state is buzzing over Gov. Bob McDonnell’s proclamation urging citizens to spend the month recalling Virginia’s days as a member of the Confederate States of America. Although since McDonnell had previously turned April over to child abuse prevention, organ donation and financial literacy, perhaps it was O.K. to just pick your favorite. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/opinion/08collins.html?th&emc=th

Two Nevada Republicans Call for Ensign to Bow Out By ERIC LICHTBLAU. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010. Senator John Ensign’s political troubles worsened Thursday as more Republican colleagues from his home state of Nevada said that the ethics investigations surrounding him have threatened to damage the party statewide. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/us/politics/09ensign.html?th&emc=th





The Economy



Upbeat Signs Revive Consumers’ Mood for Spending By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2010. American consumers are finally coming out of hiding. After months of penny-pinching amid the recession, new figures — showing an improving job market, rising factory output and increased retail sales — suggest that consumers are no longer restricting their budgets to necessities like food and medicine. They are starting to buy clothes, jewelry and even cars again. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/business/07shop.html?th&emc=th

US retailers enjoy spring sales rebound By Jonathan Birchall in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 8 2010 15:55 | Last updated: April 8 2010 15:55. Monthly sales at leading US retail chains continued to bounce back from last year’s slump, as Easter spending and warm spring weather supported shoppers’ renewed readiness to make discretionary purchases in March. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/us-retailers-enjoy-spring-sales-rebound.html

More CEOs of big US companies expect to add jobs than cut jobs for first time since early 2008. By TALI ARBEL. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 10:16 a.m. CDT, April 7, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-business-outlook-ceos,0,207476.story

Why So Glum? Numbers Point to a Recovery By FLOYD NORRIS. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 8, 2010. The American economy appears to be in a cyclical recovery that is gaining strength. Firms have begun to hire and consumer spending seems to be accelerating. That is what usually happens after particularly sharp recessions, so it is surprising that many commentators, whether economists or politicians, seem to doubt that such a thing could possibly be happening. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/business/09norris.html?th&emc=th

Bernanke Says Nation Must Take Action Soon to Shape Fiscal Future By SEWELL CHAN and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 7, 2010. Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, warned Wednesday that an aging American population posed fiscal challenges for the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/business/economy/08fed.html?th&emc=th

Rubin and Greenspan to face crisis inquiry By Francesco Guerrera in New York and Alan Rappeport in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 4 2010 22:07 | Last updated: April 4 2010 22:07. Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretary who played a key role in financial deregulation during Bill Clinton’s presidency and who has kept a low profile since stepping down as a special adviser to Citigroup in January 2009, is to be questioned by the US financial crisis inquiry commission this week. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/rubin-and-greenspan-to-face-crisis.html

Fed Reviews Find Errors in Oversight of Citigroup By SEWELL CHAN and ERIC DASH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010. Citigroup ran into trouble under the noses of federal regulators. But even after taxpayers rescued the financial giant, regulators failed to monitor the company adequately, according to reviews by the Federal Reserve. Excerpts of two Fed reviews were released on Wednesday as the committee examining the causes of the financial crisis began three days of hearings on the problems at Citigroup, Fannie Mae and the subprime mortgage market. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/business/08panel.html?th&emc=th

$4.3 Billion Loss at G.M. Masks Progress Since Bailout By NICK BUNKLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/business/08motors.html?emc=na

Bargain Rates for a C.E.O.? By DEVIN LEONARD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/business/04comp.html?th&emc=th


Your Money


Bringing You a Signal You’re Already Paying For By MATT RICHTEL. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 6, 2010. Faced with withering criticism for its spotty iPhone service, AT&T blames in part a shortage of cellphone towers near homes and businesses. But it has a solution: put a miniature cell tower in your living room. There’s a catch, though. You have to pay for it. And that is making some customers angry. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/technology/07cell.html?th&emc=th


Housing


New York Times Editorial: Foreclosure Prevention 2.0 Copyright by The New York Times . Published: April 4, 2010. If all goes according to plan, the Obama administration’s new antiforeclosure effort will prevent many more foreclosures than its current one and do more to moderate the decline in home prices. That is a big if. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/opinion/05mon1.html?th&emc=th

Sharp Rise in Home Sales in February By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 5, 2010. The wobbly housing market showed a rare sign of strength on Monday: pending home sales were up significantly in February, a report said, suggesting that Americans took advantage of a tax credit for home buyers. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/business/economy/06econ.html?hp

US apartment rents rise in first quarter By Alan Rappeport in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 6 2010 06:07 | Last updated: April 6 2010 06:07. Rents for US apartments rose in the first three months of the year after five quarters of record declines, offering hope that a key sector of the commercial property market is turning round. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/us-apartment-rents-rise-in-first.html

$13B in Cook Co. rental units at risk of default. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. Published on April 7, 2010 7:15 AM. Falling property values in Cook County have put about $13 billion of multi-family mortgage debt in danger of default and owners of two-to-six unit rental buildings are particularly at risk, new data shows. http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/04/96000-cook-county-rental-properties-underwater.html


Commodities


Is gold still a bright investment? - Some believe the precious metal's decade-long run-up in price, which saw a gain of more than 300%, will continue. Others warn that the bubble has burst. By Richard Burnett Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times April 5, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-gold5-2010apr05,0,1453125.story

US Treasury’s bail-out profits top $10bn. By Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 5 2010 18:27 | Last updated: April 5 2010 18:27. The US government has made more than $10bn so far on banks’ repayments of bail-out funds, according to a new analysis that suggests taxpayers might turn a profit on the unprecedented help extended to the financial sector during the crisis. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/us-treasurys-bail-out-profits-top-10bn.html



Travel


Elderly drivers’ risk not clear-cut - The debate about when to take the keys away from the elderly flared up again when 86-year-old driver struck three teenage Chicago cyclists on March 24 By Erika Slife and Bonnie Miller Rubin. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. April 3, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-elderly-drivers-law-20100403,0,3708078,full.story

U.S. weighs opening travel to Cuba- Even as Cuba starts work on new hotels and its tourist infrastructure, the House and Senate appear to have strong support for ending the U.S. ban on tourism to Cuba. By Jonathan J. Levin. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. April 3, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-trav-0404-cuba-travel-20100402,0,4296537.story

United Is in Merger Talks With US Airways By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and JAD MOUAWAD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/business/08air.html?th&emc=th

BA and Iberia sign merger agreement By Mark Mulligan in Madrid and Pilita Clark in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. xxxPublished: April 8 2010 07:28 | Last updated: April 8 2010 08:09. British Airways and Iberia on Thursday announced a definitive merger agreement, ending nearly two years of often strained negotiations on the creation of a Europe’s third-largest airline group. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/ba-and-iberia-sign-merger-agreement.html

Air Marshals Intervene in Incident on Plane By ANAHAD O’CONNOR. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010. Federal officials were investigating an incident aboard a Washington-to-Denver flight on Wednesday involving a passenger who caused a disturbance. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/us/08flight.html?th&emc=th

Less Baggage, Big Savings to Airlines By CHRISTINE NEGRONI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/business/07bags.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1270652436-W6haIvBGXlaZWka8WgtliQ

36 Hours in Sydney By CELIA McGEE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 11, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/travel/11hours.html?hpw



Environment


Fuel Leak Threatening Great Barrier Reef By KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 4, 2010. Salvage experts and a tugboat crew struggled on Monday to save a large Chinese freighter that slammed into the Great Barrier Reef off Australia over the weekend, trying to prevent the vessel from breaking apart as some of the 1,075 tons of engine fuel in its tanks began oozing from the hull, threatening the world’s largest collection of coral. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/science/earth/05reef.html?hpw


Science and Education


The crazy imaginings of the Texas Board of Education. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. April 4, 2010. During the era of McCarthyism, red-baiters fed upon the image of "godless" communists infiltrating our educational system to brainwash the youth of America. As it turned out, that image was largely imaginary. Ironically, though, we now really do have a coterie of Christian evangelicals who are attempting to infiltrate our educational system to brainwash our youth. They are in Texas. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-perspec-0404-textbook-20100404,0,4181734,full.story

Researchers test if airway swab could predict which smokers are at highest risk of lung cancer By LAURAN NEERGAARD. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 11:57 p.m. CDT, April 7, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-med-lung-cancer-test,0,4670640.story

New Hominid Species Discovered in South Africa By CELIA W. DUGGER and JOHN NOBLE WILFORD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/science/09fossil.html?th&emc=th


GLBT


“Silence_equals_death1 If you listen to gay rights discussions these days, you’d think that marriage equality and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are the only issues that matter. And they do matter — for our dignity and our fundamental civil rights. But there is a fire in our house that we are no longer talking about, that we pretend no longer exists: the unchecked spread of HIV.” David Mixner

HIV/AIDS: What Happened To Silence = Death? By David Mixner. Copyright By David Mixne . Apr 2 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/hivaids-what-happened-to-silence-death.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

Will an AIDS Pill a Day Keep the Virus Away? Drugmaker Gilead is betting the one-pill PrEP treatment will slow the virus' spread—as are some of the world's top health agencies and philanthropists By Simeon Bennett and Tom Randall. Copyright by Business Week. April 12, 2010 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_15/b4173056260350.htm?campaign_id=widget_topStories

President Obama and LGBT Rights: How Bad Is it? By David Mixner. Copyright By David Mixner . Apr 1 2010... How bad is the situation? Really bad. We are not anywhere near there yet. By any stretch of the imagination. http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/president-obama-and-lgbt-rights-how-bad-is-it.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

What happened to the U.S. Air Force lesbian who `told'? Don't ask. By Eric Zorn. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. Tuesday, April 06, 2010 http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2010/04/dadt.html

Telling About Gay Warriors and Asking for Votes By FRANCIS X. CLINES. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2010. As the chief House whip fighting to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays serving in the military, Representative Patrick Murphy will never be dismissed as a naïve idealist. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/opinion/09fri4.html?th&emc=th

Can Animals Be Gay? By JON MOOALLEM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 29, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/magazine/04animals-t.html?th&emc=th


Technology


H.P. Sees a Revolution in Memory Chip By JOHN MARKOFF. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2010. Hewlett-Packard scientists on Thursday are to report advances in the design of a new class of diminutive switches capable of replacing transistors as computer chips shrink closer to the atomic scale. The devices, known as memristors, or memory resistors, were conceived in 1971 by Leon O. Chua, an electrical engineer at the University of California, Berkeley, but they were not put into effect until 2008 at the H.P. lab here. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/science/08chips.html?th&emc=th

U.S. Court Curbs F.C.C. Authority on Web Traffic By EDWARD WYATT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/technology/07net.html?th&emc=th

Apple iphone OS 4 Event with Steve Jobs http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1004fk8d5gt/event/

Apple Edges Into Selling of App Ads By BRAD STONE. Copyright by Reuters. Published: April 8, 2010. Apple, the maker of popular gadgets, is getting into the business of selling advertising, ratcheting up its rivalry with Google. On Thursday the company gave a preview of a new version of the basic software for its mobile devices, including the iPhone. The software has a built-in advertising system, meant to be used by the developers who have created the more than 185,000 applications in Apple’s App Store. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/technology/09apple.html?th&emc=th

Much-hyped iPad proves a strong draw By Joseph Menn in San Francisco. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 4 2010 19:01 | Last updated: April 4 2010 23:49. Thousands of technology aficionados who flocked to Apple’s US retail stores at the weekend to pick up the computer maker’s most important new product since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, found ample supplies of the iPad instead of the sell-out debut analysts had predicted. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/much-hyped-ipad-proves-strong-draw.html

Chicago Tribune Editorial: iPad envy…and hope. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 5:46 p.m. CDT, April 2, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-ipad-20100402,0,3956472,full.story

The iPad’s scary counter-revolution By John Gapper. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 7 2010 23:35 | Last updated: April 7 2010 23:35. Last Saturday, a man in brown from UPS came to my door with an Apple iPad. On Sunday, Twitter brought adoring sighs from people who had also bought one. On Monday, the internet delivered a backlash. http://news-summary.blogspot.com/2010/04/ipads-scary-counter-revolution.html


Entertainment

Can CNN Be Saved? By ROSS DOUTHAT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 4, 2010. Listening to Jon Stewart helped destroy CNN. Now imitating him might be the network’s only hope of salvation. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/opinion/05douthat.html?th&emc=th

Asereje - Ketchup song original and the operatic version http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=RFzyYYZsxGc&feature=related/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08AR32iPfw4/

Mozart - Don Giovanni -Là ci darem la mano http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=0ZRvOc4Qxkg&feature=related


Other

Russia Calls for Halt on U.S. Adoptions By CLIFFORD J. LEVY. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010. The boy was only 7, but he walked off the plane that arrived in Moscow from Washington all alone, carrying a knapsack with magic markers and candy, along with a single typewritten note. It was from a woman in Tennessee who had adopted him in Russia last year, became overwhelmed by what she described as his emotional problems and now wanted nothing more to do with him. Take him back, the note said. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/world/europe/10russia.html?th&emc=th





I rarely use the brace. Been off narcotics for three week. Have almost 80% of my left hand function back. 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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