Republicans Out-Foxed Newsletter - April 17, 2010

Republicans Out-Foxed Newsletter - April 17, 2010

A Text Message for Republicans... http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=108356952517874&ref=mf Editor’s note – X rated language

GOP Sen. Tom Coburn scored a perfect 100 on the American Conservative Union's rankings for lawmakers last year. That makes him one of the last people you'd expect to criticize what liberals see as the GOP's most notable media mouthpiece, Fox News, but that's exactly what he did at a recent town-hall meeting in Oklahoma. When an audience member fretted about going to prison for not buying health insurance, Coburn responded, "The intention is not to put anyone in jail. That makes for good TV on Fox, but that isn't the intention." When discussing disagreements with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he described her as a " nice lady" and warned the jeering crowd to be civil and to get their news from more than one source: "Don't catch yourself being biased by Fox News that somebody is no good." Eve Conant

Have Republicans Been Out-Foxed? Some conservatives are beginning to question whether Fox News is good for their movement. By Eve Conant. © 2010 Newsweek. Apr 13, 2010
http://www.newsweek.com/id/236309


In search of a moderate Republican By Clive Crook. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 11 2010 20:25 | Last updated: April 11 2010 20:25. Addressing the Southern Republican Leadership Conference last week, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a possible presidential contender in 2012, called Barack Obama the most radical president in US history and assailed his administration as a “secular, socialist machine”. Something is seriously amiss with an opposition that regards this as a proper line of attack. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-search-of-moderate-republican.html

G.O.P. Weighs Political Price of Court Fight By PETER BAKER and CARL HULSE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2010. The retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens presents a test for Republicans as much as it does for President Obama as they weigh how much they want to wage a high-profile battle over ideological issues in the months before crucial midterm elections. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/us/politics/11supreme.html?th&emc=th

It’s not hate, it’s hateful history by Clarence Page. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. April 11, 2010. Brag Bowling and I have a lot in common. We both care a lot about history. We just happen to come down on opposite sides of the Civil War. Sort of. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0411-page-20100411,0,6771977.column

Discarded Palin contract sparks investigation By ROBIN HINDERY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Wed Apr 14, 4:04 am ET. A document fished out of a California state university trash bin last week has prompted a state investigation into the university's foundation arm and its refusal to disclose details related to Sarah Palin's upcoming speech at the school. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_calif_palin_contract

Florida Governor Splits With G.O.P. on Teacher Pay By TRIP GABRIEL and DAMIEN CAVE. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 15, 2010....On Thursday, Mr. Crist picked a side, vetoing a bill passed last week by the Florida Legislature that would have introduced the most sweeping teacher pay changes in the nation. The veto puts Mr. Crist, a moderate Republican, at odds with his party base in the Republican-controlled Legislature. His decision has also renewed speculation that he might drop out of the Republican primary for a United States Senate seat and run in the general election as an independent. For months, he has been trailing the more conservative Republican candidate, Marco Rubio, a Tea Party favorite, in polls. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/16teachers.html?hp

April 15, 2010: Tea America http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-15-2010/tea-america

A Mighty Pale Tea By CHARLES M. BLOW. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010... It was a farce. This Tea Party wanted to project a mainstream image of a group that is anything but. A New York Times/CBS News poll released on Wednesday found that only 1 percent of Tea Party supporters are black and only 1 percent are Hispanic. It’s almost all white. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/opinion/17blow.html?th&emc=th

That's Tariffic http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-13-2010/that-s-tariffic

A Voice of Reason By BOB HERBERT. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: April 9, 2010. The Republican Party is not simply the “just-say-no” party. It’s also a shameless advocate of the free lunch. Ronald Reagan famously told us he could jack up defense spending, cut taxes and balance the federal budget all at the same time. George W. Bush put two big wars on a credit card. And now we have the perennially clownish Newt Gingrich, in an embarrassing rant against President Obama, assuring the deluded G.O.P. faithful that, yes, the party can indeed bring down the federal deficit while cutting taxes. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/opinion/10herbert.html?emc=eta1

Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated By KATE ZERNIKE and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. Tea party supporters are wealthier and more well-educated than the general public, tend to be Republican, white, male, and married, and their strong opposition to the Obama administration is more rooted in political ideology than anxiety about their personal economic situation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/politics/15poll.html?hp

A Revised Contract for America, Minus ‘With’ and Newt By BERNIE BECKER. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/politics/15contract.html?hpw

Democrat Wins U.S. House Race in Florida. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 13, 2010. A Democratic state senator on Tuesday handily won the first U.S. House race since Congress passed a massive health care overhaul, beating a decidedly underdog Republican who tried to use the backlash against the measure to pull an upset. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/04/13/us/AP-US-Congress-Wexlers-Seat.html?_r=1&th&emc=th






International


“When he took office last year, President Obama told his foreign policy advisers that he had two baskets of issues to deal with. The first would be the legacy issues left from his predecessor, like Iraq, Afghanistan and America’s image in the world. The second would be his own agenda for the future. After 15 months addressing the vexing matters he inherited, Mr. Obama is now aggressively advancing his own vision of foreign policy and defining himself more clearly on the world stage. The 47-nation conference on nuclear security he wrapped up on Tuesday represented a chance to assert proactive leadership rather than simply showing that he is not George W. Bush.” PETER BAKER

Obama Puts His Own Mark on Foreign Policy Issues By PETER BAKER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/world/14prexy.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: The Nuclear Security Summit. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 11, 2010. After 9/11, the world was forced to contemplate an even more terrifying nightmare: the possibility that terrorists could buy or steal a nuclear weapon. Far too little has been done since to head that off. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/opinion/12mon1.html?th&emc=th

Leaders Gather for Nuclear Talks as New Threat Is Seen By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD. Copyright by The New York Times
Published: April 11, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/world/12nuke.html?th&emc=th

Washington Post Editorial: A summit goal: Making plutonium and uranium harder to get. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 14, 2010. PRESIDENT OBAMA was right to focus the 47-nation summit he convened this week in Washington on the challenge of securing nuclear materials. More than the strategic nuclear weapons of Russia, the thousands of tons of uranium and plutonium held by dozens of countries around the world pose a critical threat to the United States -- because, as has been established beyond question, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are seeking to buy or steal the small amount of that material needed for a bomb. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/13/AR2010041304018.html

Obama Calls for Joint Action to Safeguard Nuclear Stocks By DAVID E. SANGER and MARK LANDLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010. Saying that the prospect of nuclear terrorism had emerged as one of the greatest threats to global security, President Obama called on world leaders “not simply to talk, but to act” to secure or destroy vulnerable stockpiles of nuclear materials. Mr. Obama, addressing a plenary session of the 47-nation nuclear security conference he had convened here, told fellow leaders Tuesday morning that it was time “not simply to make pledges, but to make real progress for the security of our people.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/world/14summit.html?hp

Washington Post Editorial: Stopping Thailand's endless battle of the yellow and red shirts. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 15, 2010. THE LATEST political crisis in Thailand is a particularly tragic instance of political blowback. Three times in the past four years, Thais opposed to the populist movement of Thaksin Shinawatra precipitated the downfall of democratically elected governments by creating chaos in the streets of Bangkok. Now the current government, backed by that same alliance of the middle class, business and traditional elites, has itself been cornered by the same tactics. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/14/AR2010041404391.html

Political Standoff in Bangkok Intensifies By SETH MYDANS and THOMAS FULLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 11, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/world/asia/12thai.html?ref=global-home

Panel Calls for Thai Premier’s Party to Be Dissolved By THOMAS FULLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 12, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/world/asia/13thai.html?ref=global-home

Protest Leaders Elude Capture by Thai Commandos By SETH MYDANS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/world/asia/17thai.html?hp

Eurozone industrial output beats forecasts By Stanley Pignal in Brussels. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 14 2010 11:41 | Last updated: April 14 2010 11:41 http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/eurozone-industrial-output-beats.html

French and German Ties Fray Over Greek Crisis By STEVEN ERLANGER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 12, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/world/europe/13europe.html?th&emc=th

Europe Unifies to Assist Greece With Line of Aid By STEPHEN CASTLE and JACK EWING. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 11, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/business/global/12drachma.html?hpw

Greece raises $2B as debt fears ease By Anthony Faiola. Copyright by The Washington Post . Tuesday, April 13, 2010; 11:53 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/13/AR2010041302097.html?hpid=topnews

Sterling sinks after UK leadership debate By Samantha Pearson. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 16 2010 11:59 | Last updated: April 16 2010 11:59. Sterling lost ground on Friday after the first ever televised leaders’ debate in the UK highlighted the possibility that no party would win overall control in the coming general election. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/sterling-sinks-after-uk-leadership.html

Australia Arrests Chinese Crew of Ship in Reef Accident By MERAIAH FOLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/world/asia/15ship.html?hpw

Kyrgyzstan’s President Says He Is Willing to Step Down By ANDREW E. KRAMER and MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 13, 2010. The ousted president of Kyrgyzstan said Tuesday that he would formally step down if the interim government that had taken power guaranteed safety for him and his family. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/world/asia/14kyrgyz.html?hp






China


China’s G.D.P. Jumps a First Quarter By MICHAEL WINES. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 15, 2010. China’s gross domestic product jumped 11.9 percent in the first quarter of this year over the same period in 2009, the government said on Thursday, pointing to an accelerating recovery from the global economic crisis. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/business/global/16yuan.html?hp

Death Toll in China Quake Rises to 617 By ANDREW JACOBS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/world/asia/15quake.html?hpw





Mess-o-potamia


Iraq’s Forces Prove Able, but Loyalty Is Uncertain By TIM ARANGO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010. Iraq’s security forces, once mocked for deserting firefights and feared as a sanctuary for rogue death squads, crossed a crucial line of competence during the recent parliamentary elections: With little American help, they kept the nation overwhelmingly safe for voting. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/world/middleeast/14security.html?th&emc=th

Obama Speech Signals a U.S. Shift on Middle East By MARK LANDLER and HELENE COOPER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. It was just a phrase at the end of President Obama’s news conference on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder of a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreement. When Mr. Obama declared that resolving the long-running Middle East dispute was a “vital national security interest of the United States,” he was highlighting a change that has resulted from a lengthy debate among his top officials over how best to balance support for Israel against other American interests. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/world/middleeast/15mideast.html?th&emc=th


National


“Time is short for Congress to deal with the damage from the Supreme Court’s decision allowing corporations and unions to spend without limit in attacking or boosting candidates for federal office. To avoid an unbridled flood of cash in this year’s elections, Congress must impose full transparency on precisely where the money comes from — so corporations and unions can no longer hide behind euphemistic labels to finance candidate drives.” New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: Big Money’s Alarming Political Edge. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11sun3.html?th&emc=th

Reviewing Mine Safety, Obama Faults Company and the Government By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 15, 2010. President Obama on Thursday ordered a fresh round of coal mine inspections and a far-reaching review of mine safety, and said the federal government was partly to blame for the explosion that claimed 29 lives at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia this month. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/politics/16obama.html?th&emc=th

West Virginia Mine Disaster: It Is Murder By David Mixner. Copyright By David Mixner. Apr 8 2010...Coalminers The miners who died in the Upper Big Branch mine were killed by the negligent Massey Energy Company executives and for that they should be put on trial for murder. http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/west-virginia-mine-disaster-it-is-murder.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

New York Times Editorial: Now It’s the President’s Plan. Copyright by New York Times. Published: April 15, 2010. When it was unveiled — in budget documents — in February, we thought President Obama’s new approach to human space flight made good sense. But it drew immediate, fierce opposition from states that feared they would lose jobs and from Congressional boosters of the traditional space program. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/opinion/16fri3.html?th&emc=th

Attorney General Eric Holder stands his ground at Senate hearing By Spencer S. Hsu. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 15, 2010. Senators challenged Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday over the Obama administration's long-delayed pledge to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and its plans to try alleged Sept. 11 co-conspirators. But Holder conceded little and emerged from the session mostly unscathed. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/14/AR2010041402992.html?hpid=topnews

Former N.S.A. Official Is Charged in Leaks Case By SCOTT SHANE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 15, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/16indict.html?th&emc=th

1 in 3 Americans Failed to Return Census Forms By SAM ROBERTS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/us/politics/17census.html?th&emc=th




Toyota


Toyota Delayed a U.S. Recall, Documents Show By MICHELINE MAYNARD. Copyright by Reuters. Published: April 11, 2010. The sense of frustration — and urgency — in the e-mail message was palpable. “I hate to break this to you,” a Toyota executive wrote, “but we have a tendency for mechanical failure in accelerator pedals of a certain manufacturer on certain models.” The message continued: “The time to hide on this one is over. We need to come clean.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/business/12gap.html?th&emc=th

Consumer Reports Says Lexus GX 460 Is Unsafe By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN. Copyright by The New York Times. April 13, 2010, 9:11 AM http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/consumer-reports-says-lexus-gx-460-is-unsafe/?hp

Lexus Stops Selling S.U.V. That Was Called Unsafe By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN. Copyright by Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/14auto.html?hp

Toyota recalls 600,000 Sienna minivans to address corrosion in spare tire carrier cable by KEN THOMAS. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 4:37 a.m. CDT, April 17, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sns-ap-us-toyota-recall,0,1778029.story



Chicagoland


Will Shiller run again? Opponents line up BY LAURA WASHINGTON. Copyright by the Chicago Sun-Times. April 12, 2010. Helen Shiller is the most controversial, intriguing and enigmatic figure in Chicago politics. The six-term 46th Ward alderman is, again, at the center of fierce speculation about her future. Will she or won't she? That is, run once more. The citywide elections are 11 months away, and both enemies and friends are hanging on tenterhooks waiting for her play. http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/2152741,CST-EDT-laura12.article

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Far South Side needs Wal-Mart. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. April 14, 2010. After years of false starts and dead ends, a path to a second Wal-Mart in Chicago has emerged. Now it's now up to the City Council to make it happen. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2156756,CST-EDT-edit14b.article

Appliance rebate program drained on Day One - Illinois shoppers turn out by thousands to buy refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines By Sandra M. Jones. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 10:44 p.m. CDT, April 16, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0417-appliances--20100416,0,4815091.story


Health Care


Maternal Deaths Decline Sharply Across the Globe By DENISE GRADY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/health/14births.html?th&emc=th

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

Nebraska Law Sets Limits on Abortion By MONICA DAVEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010. Gov. Dave Heineman of Nebraska signed a law on Tuesday banning most abortions 20 weeks after conception or later on the theory that a fetus, by that stage in pregnancy, has the capacity to feel pain. The law, which appears nearly certain to set off legal and scientific debates, is the first in the nation to restrict abortions on the basis of fetal pain. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/us/14abortion.html?th&emc=th


Health Care Reform


Georgia Insurance Commissioner Balks at Request on New Health Law. By ROBBIE BROWN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010. The insurance commissioner of Georgia has chosen not to comply with a federal request to create a state pool for high-risk insurance plans, opening a new front in the resistance by state Republican officials to the new federal health care law. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/health/policy/14georgia.html?th&emc=th

Faces of Health Care Debate Point to New Law’s Complexity By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/health/policy/17health.html?th&emc=th

Malpractice insurer to pay $17M in dividends By Bruce Japsen. Copyright by Chicago Braking Business. Published on April 14, 2010 4:08 PM. ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company said this afternoon it will distribute nearly $17 million in new dividends to eligible policyholders in what it called "continuing improvements" in the state's medical litigation climate as well as "positive underwriting results" from 2005 through 2008 policy years. http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/04/malpractice-insurer-to-pay-doctors-17-million-in-dividends.html




The Economy



Bernanke says US recovery gaining pace By James Politi in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 14 2010 15:28 | Last updated: April 14 2010 15:41. Ben Bernanke on Wednesday predicted that a “moderate economic recovery” would unfold in the US over the next several quarters on the back of stronger spending by businesses and consumers. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/bernanke-says-us-recovery-gaining-pace.html

33 States Reported Job Growth in March. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 16, 2010. Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania recorded sizable gains in employment in March and were among 33 states posting increases. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/business/economy/17jobless.html?th&emc=th

President Signs Bill to Extend Jobless Aid By CARL HULSE. Copyright by the Associated Press. Published: April 15, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/politics/16cong.html?th&emc=th

Retail Sales Climb in March Despite Debt and Job Woes By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. In another sign that American consumers are gaining confidence, retail sales rose more than expected in March, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/business/economy/15econ.html?hp

U.S. Housing Starts Rose in March By DAVID STREITFELD. Copyright by Reuters. Published: April 16, 2010. Builders are tentatively starting to build more homes, a modest sign that the housing market is moving toward more normal conditions. The Census Bureau reported Friday that housing starts in March rose 1.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 626,000. It was the third consecutive month of increases. The rate is now 30 percent above the record low set last April. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/business/economy/17econ.html

The Tables Turn By WILLIAM NEUMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. Restaurants all over the country are beginning to see signs of a potential recovery after a dismal 2009. Sales at some restaurants have risen in the last few months, and the industry has hired thousands of additional workers. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/business/15restaurant.html?th&emc=th

Federal Reserve gets the jitters over deflation By Nick Beecroft. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 16 2010 08:14 | Last updated: April 16 2010 08:14. There is a growing risk that deflation will be seen as the gravest threat to the US economy by the end of the year, warns Nick Beecroft, senior FX consultant at Saxo Bank. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/federal-reserve-gets-jitters-over.html

U.S. Trade Deficit Widened in February By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 13, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/economy/14econ.html?hpw

PC Sales Are on Course for Big Increase in 2010 By ASHLEE VANCE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/technology/15computer.html?th&emc=th

JPMorgan Chase profit up 57% in 1Q. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published on April 14, 2010 10:27 AM. http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/04/jpmorgan-chase-profit-up-57-in-1q.html

Bank of America Continues to Improve By ANDREW MARTIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010... For the first three months, Bank of America reported net income of $3.2 billion, or 28 cents a share. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/business/17bank.html?hp

Income Falls, but G.E. Tops Forecasts By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/business/17electric.html?scp=1&sq=ge%20earnings&st=cse

NBC posts $223 million first-quarter loss on Olympics; ratings 14 percent higher than Turin. Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 3:19 p.m. CDT, April 16, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-ap-us-nbc-winter-olympics,0,6247027.story



Your Money



FINANCIAL regulatory reform is necessary, complex -- and easily demagogued. Thus, although Republicans and Democrats in the Senate did, for a time, engage in negotiations, the odds never favored calm, bipartisan lawmaking. Add massive lobbying and a polarized pre-election political climate, and what you get is the populist posturing of the past week. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) denounced a bill backed by the Obama administration, saying it "institutionalizes" taxpayer-funded bailouts. The bill's author, Banking Committee Chairman Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), called the GOP line a Wall Street-inspired "falsehood." Washington Post Editorial

Washington Post Editorial: Partisan schisms aside, financial regulatory reform must get done. Copyright by The Washington Post . Friday, April 16, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505393.html

G.O.P. Takes Aim at Plans to Curb Finance Industry By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and SEWELL CHAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2010...The White House and Congressional Democrats quickly fired back, accusing Republicans of trying to prevent tougher policing of Wall Street. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/business/14regulate.html?th&emc=th

The Fire Next Time By PAUL KRUGMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 15, 2010. On Tuesday, Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, called for the abolition of municipal fire departments. Firefighters, he declared, “won’t solve the problems that led to recent fires. They will make them worse.” The existence of fire departments, he went on, “not only allows for taxpayer-funded bailouts of burning buildings; it institutionalizes them.” He concluded, “The way to solve this problem is to let the people who make the mistakes that lead to fires pay for them. We won’t solve this problem until the biggest buildings are allowed to burn.” O.K., I fibbed a bit. Mr. McConnell said almost everything I attributed to him, but he was talking about financial reform, not fire reform. In particular, he was objecting not to the existence of fire departments, but to legislation that would give the government the power to seize and restructure failing financial institutions. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/opinion/16krugman.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Watch This Case. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010. Months ago, Gretchen Morgenson and Louise Story of The Times exposed Goldman Sachs’s practice of creating and selling mortgage-backed investments and then placing financial bets that those investments would fail. While appalling, it wasn’t clear whether the practice was also fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission has now decided that it was, charging Goldman on Friday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/opinion/17sat2.html?th&emc=th

Financial Times Editorial Comment: SEC takes off the gloves on Goldman. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 16 2010 19:46 | Last updated: April 16 2010 19:46. Not so long ago, Lloyd Blankfein incautiously observed that Goldman Sachs did God’s work. The Securities and Exchange Commission takes a dimmer view of the investment bank’s activities. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/effort-to-revitalise-sec-starts-to-bear.html

U.S. Accuses Goldman Sachs of Fraud in Mortgage Deals By LOUISE STORY and GRETCHEN MORGENSON. Copyright by Reuters. Published: April 16, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/business/17goldman.html?hp

Goldman real estate fund down to $30m By Henny Sender in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 16 2010 00:02 | Last updated: April 16 2010 00:02. Whitehall Street International, Goldman Sachs’ international real estate investment fund, has lost almost all of its $1.8bn of equity following soured property investments in the US, Germany and Japan, according to the fund’s estimates. By the end of 2009, the fund was down to its last $30m, a paper loss of about 98 cents on the dollar, an annual report sent to investors last month said. The report said that Goldman was Whitehall’s largest investor, with a commitment of $436m. Last year, Goldman took a loss of $1.76bn from all its real estate principal investments. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9ca7d968-48d2-11df-8af4-00144feab49a.html


Housing


Interest Rates Have Nowhere to Go but Up By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2010...The impact of higher rates is likely to be felt first in the housing market, which has only recently begun to rebound from a deep slump. The rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage has risen half a point since December, hitting 5.31 last week, the highest level since last summer. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/business/economy/11rates.html?th&emc=th

Defaults Rise in Loan Modification Program By DAVID STREITFELD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. The number of homeowners who defaulted on their mortgages even after securing cheaper terms through the government’s modification program nearly doubled in March, continuing a trend that could undermine the entire program. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/business/15mortgages.html?th&emc=th

Illinois bank-owned foreclosures double in first quarter - Treasury reports progress with HAMP By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:33 p.m. CDT, April 14, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-biz-0415-hamp--20100414,0,3318063.story


Immigration



Arizona Lawmakers Back Strict Immigration Bill By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. While pressure increases on the Obama administration for a long-anticipated and much-promised overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, Arizona is moving ahead with anti-illegal-immigrant legislation widely considered among the most stringent in the states. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/15immig.html?hp

Work Force Fueled by Highly Skilled Immigrants By JULIA PRESTON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 15, 2010...Among American cities, St. Louis is not an exception, the data show. In 14 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas, including Boston, New York and San Francisco, more immigrants are employed in white-collar occupations than in lower-wage work like construction, manufacturing or cleaning. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/16skilled.html?th&emc=th




Commodities


Gold hits high for year on weak dollar By Jack Farchy. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 12 2010 12:29 | Last updated: April 12 2010 12:29. Gold hit a high for the year on Monday, buoyed by a weaker dollar on the back of a bail-out for Greece agreed by European leaders over the weekend. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/gold-hits-high-for-year-on-weak-dollar.html





Travel


Air Travel Chaos Spreads and Deepens Into Weekend By ALAN COWELL, LIZ ROBBINS and NICOLA CLARK. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 17, 2010. As a cloud of ash from a volcano in Iceland moved eastward across Northern Europe, massive transportation gridlock continued Saturday and left weary travelers in an anxious limbo. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/world/europe/18ash.html?hp

Volcanic Ash to Curtail Air Traffic Into Midday Friday By NICOLA CLARK and LIZ ROBBINS. Copyright by Bloomberg News. Published: April 15, 2010. A dark and spectacular volcanic cloud shrouded much of northern Europe on Thursday, forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights as it drifted at high altitude south and east from an erupting volcano in Iceland. The shutdown of airspace was one of the most sweeping ever ordered in peacetime, amid fears that travel could continue to be delayed days after the cloud dissipates. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/world/europe/16ash.html?th&emc=th

36 Hours in Munich By EVAN RAIL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 18, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/travel/18hours.html?th&emc=th



Environment


Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash, but U.S. Lags By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 12, 2010. The lawyers and engineers who dwell in an elegant enclave here are at peace with the hulking neighbor just over the back fence: a vast energy plant that burns thousands of tons of household garbage and industrial waste, round the clock. Far cleaner than conventional incinerators, this new type of plant converts local trash into heat and electricity. Dozens of filters catch pollutants, from mercury to dioxin, that would have emerged from its smokestack only a decade ago. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/science/earth/13trash.html?th&emc=th

U.S. Leads New Bid to Phase Out Whale Hunting By JOHN M. BRODER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 14, 2010. The United States is leading an effort by a handful of antiwhaling nations to broker an agreement that would limit and ultimately end whale hunting by Japan, Norway and Iceland, according to people involved with the negotiations. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/science/earth/15whale.html?th&emc=th




Religion


“For a time I was puzzled by Pope Benedict’s response to the crisis in the Catholic church. We might disagree about the course of Catholicism. In uncharitable moments, I might mutter that the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was politician as much as priest; his piety merged with ambition some time ago. Yet the Pope indisputably was highly intelligent. Surely he could see what was happening. Now, I think I understand. The pontiff is a globaliser. He can feel the world’s geopolitical plates shifting. He grasps as well as any politician or business leader that the west has had its day. The opportunities to spread the gospel lie elsewhere – in societies more respectful of authority and less questioning of past crimes.” Philip Stephens

Pope Benedict has turned his back on a church in crisis By Philip Stephens. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: April 15 2010 20:11 | Last updated: April 15 2010 20:11. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/04/pope-benedict-has-turned-his-back-on.html

Worlds Without Women By MAUREEN DOWD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2010....To circumscribe women, Saudi Arabia took Islam’s moral codes and orthodoxy to extremes not outlined by Muhammad; the Catholic Church took its moral codes and orthodoxy to extremes not outlined by Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus is surrounded by strong women and never advocates that any woman — whether she’s his mother or a prostitute — be treated as a second-class citizen. Negating women is at the heart of the church’s hideous — and criminal — indifference to the welfare of boys and girls in its priests’ care. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/opinion/11dowd.html?th&emc=th

Connecticut bishops fight sex abuse bill By Jamie Guzzardo. Copyright by CNN News. April 11, 2010 10:30 p.m. EDT. A bill in Connecticut's legislature that would remove the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases has sparked a fervent response from the state's Roman Catholic bishops, who released a letter to parishioners Saturday imploring them to oppose the measure. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/11/connecticut.abuse.bill/index.html?hpt=T1

Judge Rules National Day Of Prayer Unconstitutional By Jillian Coyle. Copyright by WUSA9.com. April 16, 2010 http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=100134



Media



BJ Penn Takes Down Brian Kilmeade http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-13-2010/bj-penn-takes-down-brian-kilmeade

The Post wins four Pulitzers; Bristol, Va., paper wins for public service By Howard Kurtz. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, April 13, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/12/AR2010041202071.html?hpid=topnews


GLBT


APA changes gender diagnosis. Copyright by The windy City times (From a News Release). April 13, 2010. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force today affirmed the American Psychiatric Association's ( APA ) refutation of "gender identity disorder" in favor of "gender incongruence," but calls for the removal of "transvestic disorder" and expresses concerns about other proposed revisions to the upcoming 5th edition of the APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ( DSM ) . http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26165

New York Times Editorial: Justice and Comfort. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2010. The cause of equal rights for gays and lesbians, which is advancing in hard-won increments, moved forward on two important fronts this week. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/opinion/17sat3.html?th&emc=th

Obama orders hospitals to grant same-sex couples visitation rights By Michael D. Shear. Copyright by The Washington Post . Thursday, April 15, 2010; 8:08 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041505502.html?hpid=topnews

DADT: It Doesn't Get Anymore Offensive By David Mixner. Copyright By David Mixner. Apr 12 2010 http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/dadt-it-doesnt-get-anymore-offensive.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+David

Scandal rocks Howard Brown – again! By Kerrie Kennedy. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. Published: April 13, 2010. Rumors swirl and community leaders demand an explanation after the abrupt departure of Howard Brown’s CEO and CFO last week, but the GLBT health care organization continues to stonewall in providing an explanation. http://chicagofreepress.com/20100413/scandal-rocks-howard-brown-again/6314.html

Prague’s Vital Gay Scene By CHARLY WILDER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 18, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/travel/18heads.html?hpw



Technology


Despite Ruling, F.C.C. Says It Will Move Forward on Expanding Broadband By EDWARD WYATT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2010. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission told a Congressional panel on Wednesday that a recent court ruling that the agency lacked authority to regulate the Internet should not prevent it from carrying out its plan to broadly expand the country’s high-speed Internet service. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/technology/15broadband.html?hpw

A Pulitzer Winner Gets Apple’s Reconsideration By BRIAN STELTER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 16, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/books/17cartoonist.html?hpw


Entertainment


'Glee' hits some dodgy notes but it's still hard to resist By Maureen Ryan. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. April 12, 2010. "Glee" is a critic-proof show. Anything old fogies like me say about it is unlikely to sway either its detractors or its fans. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2010/04/glee-returns-to-fox.html

TBS lands Conan O’Brien By Phil Rosenthal. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. April 13, 2010. Forget Fox. Cable's TBS is the new Coco channel. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/sc-biz-0413-obrien-phil--20100413,0,6315540.column



Other

‘Ultimate Mini’ Heading to U.S. By JERRY GARRETT. Copyright by The New York Times. April 14, 2010, 1:37 PM http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/ultimate-mini-heading-to-u-s/?hpw





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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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