Greece: from the cradle of civilization to its threat Newsletter - May 8, 2010

Greece: from the cradle of civilization to its threat Newsletter - May 8, 2010

Greek Unrest Raises Fears About Impact on Bailout. By DAN BILEFSKY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 5, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/europe/07greece.html?th&emc=th

Greece Agrees to a Bailout Deal With EU and I.M.F. By DAN BILEFSKY and LANDON THOMAS Jr. Copyright by The new York Times. Published: May 2, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/business/global/03drachma.html?hp

European banks in bonds plea to ECB By David Oakley and Anousha Sakoui in London and Ralph Atkins in Lisbon. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Europe’s banks on Friday made a desperate appeal for the European Central Bank to buy the bonds of crisis-hit eurozone members, as a fresh day of turmoil in markets battered share prices around the globe. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/european-banks-in-bonds-plea-to-ecb.html

European Bank’s Assurances Fail to Placate Investors By JACK EWING. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 6, 2010. The European Central Bank disappointed investors hoping for decisive action on Thursday to contain the euro zone’s increasingly virulent debt crisis, pushing the euro to another low for the year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/business/global/07ecb.html?th&emc=th

Pressure mounts on eurozone over crisis. By Tony Barber in Brussels and Ben Hall in Paris. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 7 2010 17:24 | Last updated: May 7 2010 17:24. European leaders came under pressure from financial markets on Friday to seize the initiative at an emergency summit and stop the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis from spreading out of control. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/pressure-mounts-on-eurozone-over-crisis.html


Germany: Merkel’s moment By Quentin Peel in Berlin. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 7 2010 22:23 | Last updated: May 7 2010 22:23...During a week in which protests in Greece at austerity measures led to riots and three innocent victims being burned to death – and with the danger of the debt crisis spreading to Portugal and Spain, with a knock-on effect on banking shares and global stock markets – the sight of the once ebullient chancellor looking so frail might almost be taken as a metaphor for the state of Europe. The common currency he so enthusiastically launched with his friend President François Mitterrand of France in 1992, as the culmination of European integration, is under attack as never before. Questions are being asked about its very survival. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/germany-merkels-moment.html

German Parliament Approves Greek Rescue By JUDY DEMPSEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/business/global/08drachma.html?hpw

Spain Risks Falling Into Same Trap as Greece By RAPHAEL MINDER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 3, 2010. For months, politicians and banking executives in Galicia, in northwestern Spain, have been talking about a merger between the region’s two savings banks, which are in trouble because of loan losses from the collapsed construction industry.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/global/04peseta.html?ref=global-home

Spain creeps out of recession after almost two years By Victor Mallet in Madrid. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 7 2010 11:55 | Last updated: May 7 2010 11:55./ Spain’s economy crept out of recession in the first quarter of 2010 after nearly two years of decline, according to a preliminary estimate released on Friday by the Bank of Spain. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/spain-creeps-out-of-recession-after.html


International

"Whoever leads the next government, the top priority must be reducing Britain’s 11.5 percent budget deficit. That will require painful cuts. Public sector jobs, wages and contracts must all be on the table. Schools, job training and the National Health Service must not." New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: They Call It a Hung Parliament. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/opinion/08sat2.html?th&emc=th

Unclear Result in Britain Puts Focus on Electoral Rules. By SARAH LYALL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/world/europe/08reform.html?hpw

The Road Ahead Is Uncertain and Likely Difficult. By SARAH LYALL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010. The Liberal Democrats hoped it would happen. The Conservatives warned that it could lead to disaster. And the Labour Party could potentially use it to cling to power for a little while longer. For the first time since the 1970s, the British vote resulted in a hung Parliament, a situation in which no party has an overall majority and so cannot pass legislation without support from another party. It is unclear how this relatively unusual scenario will play out here, but there are a number of possibilities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/europe/07london.html?th&emc=th

Lib Dems consider power-sharing deal By James Boxell, Jim Pickard and Kiran Stacey. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 8 2010 10:58 | Last updated: May 8 2010 15:15. Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, said his party remained committed to “fundamental reform” of the political system on Saturday as he met with party MPs to discuss a power-sharing offer from David Cameron. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/lib-dems-consider-power-sharing-deal.html

Investors Unnerved by Britain’s Electoral Limbo By LANDON THOMAS Jr.. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/world/europe/08pound.html?hpw

Thai Protests Continue as King Marks Anniversary on Throne By THOMAS FULLER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010. Anti-government protesters remained defiant in their fortified encampment here on Wednesday as the country’s king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, made a rare outing to mark six decades since his coronation. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/world/asia/06thai.html?hpw



China

China slowdown fears add to debt worries By Jamie Chisholm, Global Markets Commentator. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 4 2010 08:35 | Last updated: May 4 2010 15:27. Nagging concerns about the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and worries over an economic slowdown in China saw investors flee from risk on Tuesday. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/china-slowdown-fears-add-to-debt.html

Red China, Green China By BRUCE USHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010. The United States, with its expertise, capital and entrepreneurial spirit, is well positioned to dominate what could easily be the biggest market of the 21st century. But as the most recent delay over the Senate energy bill shows, the country is missing a key ingredient in shaping an effective clean-tech policy: the political will to encourage the innovation, manufacturing and investment necessary to bring these new technologies to market. And the longer America drags its feet, the more it cedes this enormous potential source of national wealth to the only other country able to capture it — China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/opinion/07Usher.html?th&emc=th

As Athens burns, China may cling to peg by Geoff Dyer. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010 . May 7, 2010 10:22am. One of the collateral impacts of the carnage in global markets over the last few days could be a delay in any Chinese decision to begin appreciating its currency. That, at least, is the message from the onshore forward market for the Chinese renminbi which is now implying an increase in the value of the Chinese currency of only 0.8 per cent over the next 12 months - well down on the sort of appreciation that was widely expected only a few weeks ago. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/as-athens-burns-china-may-cling-to-peg.html


Mess-o-potamia

At nuclear conference, U.N., Clinton scold Ahmadinejad for defying resolutions By Colum Lynch, Mary Beth Sheridan and William Branigin. Copyright by The Washington Post . Monday, May 3, 2010; 4:35 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/03/AR2010050302089.html?hpid=topnews

Shiite Alliance in Iraq May Push Allawi Aside By STEVEN LEE MYERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 4, 2010. The electoral coalitions of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and the other major Shiite bloc in Iraq announced a postelection alliance on Tuesday night that cleared the way for a Shiite-dominated government for the next four years. The new alliance — not unlike the one that emerged after Iraq’s last parliamentary election in 2005 — strengthens the position of the country’s main Shiite parties but does not yet guarantee Mr. Maliki re-election for a second term. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/world/middleeast/05iraq.html?ref=global-home

On Israel, Jews and Leaders Often Disagree By PAUL VITELLO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010...But the recent tension between the Obama administration and the Israeli government over the stalled Middle East peace process has put the questions underlying those long-avoided family discussions directly in the public spotlight. They have raised serious questions about whether the traditional leadership of the American Jewish world is fully supported by the mass of American Jews. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/politics/06jews.html?th&emc=th

Palestinians agree to new peace talks with Israel. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 8 2010 17:24 | Last updated: May 8 2010 17:24. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) on Saturday approved indirect talks with Israel, clearing the way for the first negotiations in 18 months and giving a boost to US peace diplomacy. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/palestinians-agree-to-new-peace-talks.html



National

"Congress, for example, is cowering before the gun lobby insistence that even terrorist suspects who are placed on the “no-fly list” must not be denied the right to buy and bear arms. Suspects on that list purchased more than 1,100 weapons in the last six years, but Congress has never summoned the gumption to stop this trade in the name of public safety and political sanity." New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: The Gun Lobby’s Long Shadow. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: May 6, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/opinion/07fri1.html?th&emc=th

Congress, Up in Arms By GAIL COLLINS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010. There seems to be a strong sentiment in Congress that the only constitutional right suspected terrorists have is the right to bear arms. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/opinion/06gcollins.html?th&emc=th

Explosive and the City 2 http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-4-2010/explosive-and-the-city-2

New York Times Editorial: Luck and Vigilance. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: May 3, 2010. New York City was lucky this time. The bomb-laden vehicle that pulled into Times Square Saturday night smoldered but didn’t ignite. Two nearby vendors warned a policeman. Officers quickly cleared the area and alerted bomb-squad specialists and investigators.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/opinion/04tue2.html?ref=opinion

Smoking Car to an Arrest in 53 Hours By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM and AL BAKER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 4, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/nyregion/05tictoc.html?ref=global-home

Faisal Shahzad, U.S. citizen from Pakistan, arrested in Times Square bomb attempt By Spencer S. Hsu, Jerry Markon and Karin Brulliard. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, May 4, 2010; 12:39 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050400192.html?hpid=topnews

Suspect, Charged, Said to Admit to Role in Plot By MARK MAZZETTI, SABRINA TAVERNISE and JACK HEALY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 4, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/nyregion/05bomb.html?th&emc=th

Evidence Mounts for Taliban Role in Car Bomb Plot By MARK MAZZETTI and SCOTT SHANE. Copyright by Reuters. Published: May 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/nyregion/06bomb.html?hp

Times Sq. Bomb Suspect Is Linked to Militant Cleric By SCOTT SHANE and MARK MAZZETTI. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/middleeast/07awlaki-.html?hpw

When a Suspect Likes to Talk, and Talk By WILLIAM GLABERSON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/nyregion/07detain.html?hpw

Puerto Rican statehood? No thanks, Gutierrez says By Katherine Skiba. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 2, 2010. Observers say a House-approved measure that could open the door to Puerto Rican statehood has bleak prospects in the Senate. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-gutierrez-puerto-rico-0501-20100501,0,3554953.story

In Washington, a Renewed Taste for Auto Safety. By MICHELINE MAYNARD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010. In the new world of auto regulation, cars could be required to have “black boxes” to record crash data and be able to stop even with the engine at full power. Automakers could be ordered to recall defective vehicles immediately and pay safety fees to cover the costs of federal oversight. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/business/07auto.html?th&emc=th





Chicagoland

"The budget situation in Springfield gets more pathetic with each passing day. The latest outrage was an 11th-hour offer by ComEd to toss aside the way electricity rates are set. ComEd earlier this week floated the idea of giving the cash-strapped state $500 million in exchange for locking in what will almost certainly be artificially high electric rates for most residential customers for years to come. ComEd promised to spend some of the expected profits to bolster infrastructure spending by $1 billion over 10 years. Just before the Legislature's expected adjournment this Friday, ComEd wanted lawmakers to ram through an exceedingly complicated deal all but guaranteed to inflate ComEd profits at the expense of northern Illinois customers. Are we that dumb?" Chicago Sun Times Editorial

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: It's up to legislators to solve budget crisis. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times . May 6, 2010. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2241098,CST-EDT-edit06a.article

Illinois' lawmakers paralysis on budget driven by dysfunction, election. By Rick Pearson and Ray Long. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 9, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-illinois-legislature-0509-20100507,0,554146.story

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Pols' maneuvers hurt Cook County taxpayers. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. May 8, 2010. Nothing is more complicated in Cook County than the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that goes into producing your tax bill. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2250622,CST-EDT-edit09a.article

Madigan is pulling a Tony Soprano BY CAROL MARIN . Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times . May 8, 2010. How far is state Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan willing to go to make sure Cook County Democratic Chairman Joe Berrios wins the November election? And that insurgent, independent Forrest Claypool is both bloodied and beaten in the process? http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/2250464,CST-EDT-carol09.article

Cook County Board limits Stroger's hiring powers - After new scandal, restrictions placed on him with 7 months left in his term By Hal Dardick. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:26 p.m. CDT, May 4, 2010. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-todd-stroger-hiring-crackdown-20100504,0,5588997.story

FBI agents ask about Gutierrez, developer - Questions raised during Ald. Carothers' bribery probe By Todd Lighty and Robert Becker. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:43 a.m. CDT, May 4, 2010
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-gutierrez-galewood-yards-20100504,0,7219512,full.story

Years after torture scandal, Burge going on trial for perjury By Matthew Walberg. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 6, 2010 9:30 AM. http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/05/jury-selection-begins-in-jon-burge-torture-trial.html?l




GOP Bashing

Tea party groups battling perceptions of racism. By Amy Gardner and Krissah Thompson. Copyright by The Washington Post . Wednesday, May 5, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050405168.html?hpid=topnews

Through oil-fouled water, big government looks better and better By Dana Milbank. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, May 4, 2010. There is something exquisite about the moment when a conservative decides he needs more government in his life. About 10:30 Monday morning, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), an ardent foe of big government, posted a blog item on his campaign Web site about the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "I strongly believe BP is spread too thin," he wrote. The poor dears. He thinks it would be a better arrangement if "federal and state officials" would do the dirty work of "protecting and cleaning up the coast" instead of BP.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/03/AR2010050304265.html?referrer=emailarticle

Bill Targets Citizenship of Terrorists’ Allies By CHARLIE SAVAGE and CARL HULSE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010. Proposed legislation that would allow the government to revoke American citizenship from people suspected of allying themselves with terrorists set off a legal and political debate Thursday that scrambled some of the usual partisan lines on civil-liberties issues. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/world/07rights.html?th&emc=th




Health Care

The pill: Making motherhood better for 50 years By Elaine Tyler May. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, May 9, 2010. Forget the single girl and the sexual revolution. The pill was not anti-mother; it was for mothers. And it changed motherhood more than it changed anything else. Its great accomplishment was not in preventing motherhood, but in making it better by allowing women to have children on their own terms. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/07/AR2010050702255.html?hpid=topnews

Your Office Chair Is Killing You - Meet public enemy No. 1 in today's workplace By Arianne Cohen. Copyright by Business Week. May 3, 2010 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_19/b4177071221162.htm?%20campaign_id=widget_topStories

The Secret Cult of Office Smokers - Ostracized by their peers, smokers are taking advantage of their time together By Joel Stein. Copyright by Business Week. May 10, 2010 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_20/b4178073158612.htm?campaign_id=widget_topStories


Health Care Reform

Obama says new health care law already is helping millions of Americans and businesses By CHARLES BABINGTON . Copyright 2010 Associated Press. 11:50 a.m. CDT, May 8, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-obama-health-care,0,421042.story

Teaching Physicians the Price of Care. By SUSAN OKIE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 3, 2010. When Dr. Ryan Thompson, an internist, was a medical resident at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston a few years ago, he worried that he and his fellow trainees weren’t learning about the cost of medical treatments, the financing of health care and the impact of high medical bills on their patients.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/health/04cost.html?hpw



The Economy

"For all the recent talk about recovery, the economy’s vulnerability was on full — at times stomach-dropping — display this week. Job growth was up sharply in April, but unemployment also rose, as the number of out-of-work job seekers overwhelmed the number of jobs on offer. The stock market, which had surged most of this year, gyrated and sold off steeply, driven down mainly by fears of contagion from the Greek debt crisis. For several minutes on Thursday, the market went into a tailspin, apparently accelerated by computerized trading strategies. By the end of the day on Friday, it had suffered a 771-point drop over four days and was down 5.7 percent for the week, its worst weekly decline in more than a year." New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: A Week in the Life of the Economy. Copyright by the New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/opinion/08sat1.html?th&emc=th

Economy Gains Impetus as U.S. Employers Add 290,000 Jobs By CHRISTINE HAUSER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/business/economy/08jobs.html?hp

US factory growth highest in six years By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 3 2010 14:18 | Last updated: May 3 2010 14:18. The US manufacturing sector grew at the fastest rate in nearly six years in April, while consumers continued to up their spending, adding to the evidence that the economic recovery is gaining momentum, figures showed on Monday. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-factory-growth-highest-in-six-years.html

US car sales rise as economy recovers By Bernard Simon in Toronto. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 3 2010 17:35 | Last updated: May 3 2010 17:35. Carmakers posted higher US sales in April, boosted by the economic recovery and a discounting war led by Toyota as the Japanese carmaker seeks to recover from a series of damaging vehicle recalls. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-car-sales-rise-as-economy-recovers.html

US productivity growth slows in first quarter. By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 6 2010 14:41 | Last updated: May 6 2010 14:41...The slowing growth of productivity on a quarterly basis suggests that businesses may need to increase hiring in the coming months to maintain output and meet growing consumer demand. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-productivity-growth-slows-in-first.html

In United-Continental Deal, Birth of a Behemoth By JAD MOUAWAD and MICHAEL J. de la MERCED. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 3, 2010. United Airlines and Continental Airlines on Monday announced a $3 billion merger that would create the world’s biggest airline. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/04air.html?hpw

Newsweek is for sale: Washington Post Co. puts magazine on the block By Frank Ahrens. Copyright by The Washington Post. May 5, 2010 http://voices.washingtonpost.com/economy-watch/2010/05/newsweek_is_for_sale_washingto.html?hpid=topnews

Harrods store sold to Qatar Holdings for reported £1.5bn. By Kiran Stacey, Johanna Kassel & agencies. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 8 2010 12:03 | Last updated: May 8 2010 16:08. Mohammed al-Fayed has sold the Harrods store to the Qatari royal family for a reported £1.5bn. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/harrods-store-sold-to-qatar-holdings.html

New York Times Editorial: Amazon and Sales Tax. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: May 6, 2010. Amazon.com is in court again, fighting what ought to be a losing battle to defend its longstanding practice of not collecting sales taxes in most states where it does business. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/opinion/07fri3.html?th&emc=th

Slate of Nominees Is Clue to Obama’s Plans for Fed By SEWELL CHAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 1, 2010. In naming two economists and a lawyer to serve as governors of the Federal Reserve, President Obama and his top economic advisers are preparing the central bank for a new emphasis on the supervision of financial institutions. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/business/02fed.html?th&emc=th



Your Money

"THESE ARE polarized and partisan days in Washington, hardly optimal conditions for elected leaders to tackle a subject as complex and politicized as financial regulatory reform. Political entropy may yet undo the Senate's efforts to craft a bill. But for now, at least, the signs are pretty positive. The Republican minority finally gave up its effort to block debate on the bill, and key Democrats have engaged with them on important provisions. The result this week was a bipartisan amendment, passed by a vote of 93 to 5, that deals reasonably well with the central issue raised by financial crisis: what to do when a systemically important institution begins to collapse." Washington Post Editorial

Washington Post Editorial: New version of financial regulatory reform bill has a fighting chance. Copyright by The Washington Post. Saturday, May 8, 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/07/AR2010050704970.html

2 Votes Break Logjam on Financial Overhaul Bill By EDWARD WYATT and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010. The Senate on Wednesday approved two amendments to the financial regulatory bill that both Democrats and Republicans claimed would end the prospect of taxpayer-financed bailouts for companies deemed “too big to fail.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/business/06regulate.html?th&emc=th

Senators say volatility makes case for regulation. By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010.. Published: May 7 2010 00:59 | Last updated: May 7 2010 00:59. US senators advocating stricter limits on banks and tougher regulation of markets used Thursday’s volatility to demand more sweeping reforms as the financial regulatory bill edged towards a vote. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/senators-say-volatility-makes-case-for.html

Paulson grilled over Goldman shorts By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 6 2010 16:12 | Last updated: May 6 2010 16:12. Hank Paulson, former Treasury secretary and the previous chief executive of Goldman Sachs, was asked immediately, if indirectly, about the activities of his old bank at a congressionally appointed inquiry into the financial crisis on Thursday. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/paulson-grilled-over-goldman-shorts.html

Important info on Goldman’s clients By Francesco Guerrera. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 7 2010 16:13 | Last updated: May 7 2010 16:13....For the past three weeks, the debate on Wall Street has been all about information and rumours and how to handle them. First, US regulators accused Goldman Sachs, the bluest of blue-chip banks, of defrauding investors in a mortgage-related security by withholding crucial intelligence from them. Goldman denies the civil charges but the case by the Securities and Exchange Commission caused a plunge in its shares and sparked speculation over the bank’s future. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/important-info-on-goldmans-clients.html



Housing

US pending home sales record March surge By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 4 2010 15:45 | Last updated: May 4 2010 15:45. US pending home sales jumped to their highest level in five months in March, powered by the looming expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, figures showed on Tuesday. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-pending-home-sales-record-march.html

Foreclosures hit 6,560 Chicago rental buildings in 2009 - Tenants living in almost 21,000 apartments were affected, report says By Mary Ellen Podmolik. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 7:34 p.m. CDT, May 5, 2010
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-biz-0506-rental-foreclosures--20100505,0,2424691.story



Commodities

Origin of Wall Street’s Plunge Continues to Elude. Officials By GRAHAM BOWLEY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: May 7, 2010. A day after a harrowing plunge in the stock market, federal regulators were still unable on Friday to answer the one question on every investor’s mind: What caused that near panic on Wall Street?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/business/08trading.html?th&emc=th

The Trades of a Lifetime in 20 Minutes. By JULIE CRESWELL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010. Someone on Wall Street just made a killing. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/business/08cancel.html?th&emc=th

Surge of Computer Selling After Apparent Glitch Sends Stocks Plunging By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and LOUISE STORY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/business/economy/07trade.html?th&emc=th

That was the subject of so much chatter among professional investors once the smoke cleared from the sudden panic and recovery on Thursday that briefly knocked some stocks down to a penny or two a share. Who had kept his cool during those terrifying minutes and scooped up some dreamlike bargains? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/business/08cancel.html?th&emc=th



Travel

36 Hours in Houston By DENNY LEE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 9, 2010 http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/travel/09hours.html?hpw



Environment

"There is only one meaningful response to the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and that is for America to stop messing around when it comes to designing its energy and environmental future. The only meaningful response to this man-made disaster is a man-made energy bill that would finally put in place an American clean-energy infrastructure that would set our country on a real, long-term path to ending our addiction to oil. That is so obviously the right thing for our environment, the right thing for our national security, the right thing for our economic security and the right thing to promote innovation. But it means that we have to stop messing around with idiotic “drill, baby, drill” nostrums, feel-good Earth Day concerts and the paralyzing notion that the American people are not prepared to do anything serious to change our energy mix." THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

No Fooling Mother Nature By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 4, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/opinion/05friedman.html?th&emc=th

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial: Wind turbines in lake an idea worth study. Copyright by the Chicago Sun-Times . May 3, 2010. When it comes to producing energy, there is always a downside. Deadly mining disasters. Devastating oil spills. Spent radioactive fuel. Windmills among sailboats. All in all, we'll take the windmills among sailboats. Three weeks ago, the Evanston City Council voted unanimously to seek proposals from developers for a wind farm in Lake Michigan, miles off the suburb's shore.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2226456,CST-EDT-edit03a.article

BP Says One Oil Leak of Three Is Shut Off By SAM DOLNICK and LIZ ROBBINS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/06spill.html?hpw

New Technique Holds Hope for Oil Spill Cleanup. By LESLIE KAUFMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/us/02oil.html?hp

Workers on Oil Rig Recall a Terrible Night of Blasts By IAN URBINA and JUSTIN GILLIS. Copyright by the The New York Times. Published: May 7, 2010. Nearly 50 miles offshore at the big oil rig floating on a glassy-calm sea, a helicopter landed early on the morning of April 20, carrying four executives from BP, the oil company. The men were visiting the Deepwater Horizon to help honor the crew for its standout safety record. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/us/08rig.html?th&emc=th

Religion
Real Time with Bill Maher - New Rules 4-30-2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAAtx0vylzc

Cardinal Has a Mixed Record on Sexual Abuse Cases By MICHAEL LUO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010...Cardinal Levada was ahead of other church officials on the issue at times, setting up an independent committee to vet abuse cases and calling for greater accountability from church leaders. But an examination of his record, pieced together from interviews and a review of thousands of pages of court documents, show that he generally followed the prevailing practice of the church hierarchy, often giving accused priests the benefit of the doubt and being reluctant to remove them from ministry. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/world/europe/06levada.html?th&emc=th

Former president of Loyola Academy removed from active ministry - Rev. Larry Reuter admitted an improper relationship with a student, officials say By Tara Malone. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. 8:08 p.m. CDT, May 3, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-loyola-academy-president-20100503,0,7266505.story




Legal


New York Times Editorial: The Supreme Court’s Doors
Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 3, 2010. In a sad bow to security concerns, visitors to the Supreme Court will no longer enter the Cass Gilbert building by climbing its marble steps and passing through its bronze doors and underneath the words that define the court’s mission: Equal Justice Under Law. The court announced on Monday that the public will now have to enter through a new reinforced area at the plaza level. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/opinion/04tue4.html?ref=opinion


Immigration

"Let's call the movement 'Leaving Arizona.' In fits and starts, Americans are looking to hurt Arizona -- which last month passed a draconian immigration law -- where it hurts the most: the pocketbook." Chicago Sun Times Editorial

Chicago Sun Times Editorial: Boycott Arizona to protest unjust assault on immigrants. Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times . May 7, 2010
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/2245310,CST-EDT-edit07b.article

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Immigration mess . Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Published: May 4 2010 20:43 | Last updated: May 4 2010 20:43. Arizona’s fierce new immigration law has brought a simmering national quarrel once more to a furious boil. The state pleads no choice: Washington will not mend a badly broken system, so Arizona must do the job itself. US immigration policy is a mess, but Arizona’s go-it-alone approach is constitutionally dubious, unworkable in any case, and above all an invitation to abuse. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/financial-times-editorial-comment.html

Poll Shows Most in U.S. Want Overhaul of Immigration Laws By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD and MEGAN THEE-BRENAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 3, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/us/04poll.html?hpw

New York Times Editorial: A Reminder About American Values. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 4, 2010....But it inevitably calls to mind the bad example of Arizona. “In New York, we believe in rehabilitation,” Mr. Paterson said, adding that his five-member board would consider pardons judiciously, distinguishing minor offenders from dangerous criminals. His action repudiates the growing belief that only tougher and more rigid enforcement should be applied to all immigrants who run afoul of the law, with expulsion as the first and last goal. This is not how the United States, in its best moments, deals with newcomers. We’re grateful for the reminder from the governor of New York. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/opinion/05wed2.html?th&emc=th

5 Myths about immigration By Doris Meissner. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, May 2, 2010 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/30/AR2010043001106.html

Immigration Advocates Rally for Change By JULIA PRESTON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 1, 2010. In protests fueled by anger over a tough anti-illegal immigrant law in Arizona, tens of thousands of demonstrators joined marches and rallies Saturday in cities across the country, calling on Congress to pass an immigration overhaul. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/us/02immig.html?th&emc=th








GLBT

President Obama, Alice in Wonderland and The LGBT Community by David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. Apr 28 2010. For the last several months, watching the Obama team come to terms with our epic struggle for freedom is like watching the 3-D version of "Alice in Wonderland." Their actions are so bizarre and out of touch and you encounter one strange character in the saga after another. No action seems to fit the reality of the times. Often you feel the only way to understand their policies on LGBT Americans is to be stoned, sit back and try to enjoy.
http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/president-obama-alice-in-wonderland-and-the-lgbt-community.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

Michael D. Silverman: Community's Integrity At Stake With Transgender Rights by David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. Apr 30 2010
http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/04/michael-d-silverman-communitys-integrity-at-stake-with-transgender-rights.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

GET EQUAL: Several Hundred At White House Protest; Six Arrested by David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. May 2 2010
http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/05/get-equal-several-hundred-at-white-house-protest-six-arrested.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

DADT: Simply Disgusting by David Mixner. Copyright by David Mixner. May 3 2010
http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/05/dadt-simply-disgusting.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

Court Expands Rights of Gay Parents. By JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by The New York Times. May 4, 2010, 10:00 am. New York State’s highest court ruled in two cases Tuesday that nonbiological parents involved in same-sex relationships have rights similar to those of biological parents.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/court-expands-rights-of-gay-parents/?hp

Family Research Council founder Reverend George Rekers travels to Europe with a male prostitute ... because he can't lift his own luggage. "...technically, he was looking for someone to hoist his sack ...." http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/308752/may-05-2010/alpha-dog-of-the-week---george-rekers

Christian right leader George Rekers takes vacation with "rent boy" By Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp . Copyright by Miami New Times. Thursday, May 6 2010. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-05-06/news/christian-right-leader-george-rekers-takes-vacation-with-rent-boy/

Things Rekers Said To Lucien When He Didn't Think We Were Listening By Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp. Copyright by By Miami New Times . Thursday, May. 6 2010 @ 10:00PM
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/05/things_rekers_said_to_lucien_w.php

George Rekers Has Company: The Top Ten Outed Right-Wing Homophobes By Gus Garcia-Roberts. Copyright by the Miami New Times. Thursday, May. 6 2010 @ 8:00AM
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/05/unless_youve_spent_the_last.php

Milk’s Bullhorn, a Gay Unifier, Now Divides By JESSE McKINLEY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 4, 2010....Of late, however, the bullhorn has been at the center of another type of dispute, one that pits its caretaker, Cleve Jones, a veteran organizer, against an elementary school that bears Mr. Milk’s name, and has some gay activists howling that Mr. Jones has absconded with a piece of their history. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/us/05bullhorn.html?th&emc=th

Nowotny kicks off aldermanic campaign by Andrew Davis. Copyright by The Windy City Times. Wed., May 5, 2010 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26492

Howard Brown: New leaders talk by Yasmin Nair. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2010-05-05 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26494

Mell's marriage stand; fiancee talks with WCT by Andrew Davis. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2010-05-05. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26471

Chicago Free Press closes. Copyright by The Windy City Times. May 5, 2010 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=26475



Science and Technology

"Governments across the globe are quietly asking tech companies to take down material they do not like, and to provide data about their users. Google took a welcome step toward transparency last week when it unveiled a new tool that reports on both of these kinds of requests. It is not perfect, but it should promote a more informed discussion about government monitoring of the Internet. We hope other companies follow suit." New York Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial: Google and Government Monitoring. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: May 1, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/opinion/02sun3.html?th&emc=th

Signs of Neanderthals Mating With Humans By NICHOLAS WADE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 6, 2010. Neanderthals mated with some modern humans after all and left their imprint in the human genome, a team of biologists has reported in the first detailed analysis of the Neanderthal genetic sequence. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/science/07neanderthal.html?hpw

Facebook Glitch Brings New Privacy Worries By JENNA WORTHAM. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: May 5, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/technology/internet/06facebook.html?hpw

Apple shifts 1m iPads in first month By David Gelles in San Francisco. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. Apple has sold 1m units of the iPad in the four weeks since it went on sale in the US, suggesting that demand for the touchscreen tablet computer is higher than anticipated. http://iretiredfromnewsletters.blogspot.com/2010/05/apple-shifts-1m-ipads-in-first-month.html


Entertainment

What will you remember from this hectic News Week? http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-may-6-2010/family-research-council-s-european-gaycation

MSNBC boss stands ready in ideological battle with Fox News By Phil Rosenthal. Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune. May 2, 2010 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-biz-0502-phil--20100502,0,7622870,full.column




Other

The Homeless at College - For-profit schools are tapping shelters and halfway houses for new students, loading them with debt and leaving taxpayers on the hook By Daniel Golden. Copyright by Business Week. May 3, 2010
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_19/b4177064219731.htm?campaign_id=widget_topStories

Nando's Chips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly0r59GyUjo







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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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