Marriage Victory Newsletter - April 18, 2009

Marriage Victory Newsletter - April 18, 2009

“Some people involved in gay rights efforts tried to tell Taylor she was wasting her time. Iowa was, they told her, a conservative, religious state in America's rural heartland, and the effort was better concentrated on the more liberal coasts. "There were many people telling us we were crazy," she said, "that we were foolhardy even thinking of filing a case, and that we might create a backlash." But as she immersed herself in Iowa's politics and history, she learned about its progressive past, including how the Hawkeye State was a pioneer in school desegregation, the first to admit a woman to its bar, and among the earliest to allow interracial marriage.” Keith B. Richburg


How Gays Won a Marriage Victory - For 7 Years, Activists Eyed a Seemingly Unlikely Target: Iowa By Keith B. Richburg. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 15, 2009; Page A01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041403455.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter


International

N Korea to restart nuclear arms plant By Christian Oliver in Seoul. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 14 2009 05:57 | Last updated: April 14 2009 12:14. North Korea on Tuesday vowed to expand its nuclear weapons work and restart a reactor capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, retaliating more provocatively than expected against UN condemnation of its recent rocket launch. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6f24e02c-28ac-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html

Russia signals intent to borrow abroad By Catherine Belton in Moscow. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 14 2009 12:36 | Last updated: April 14 2009 13:19. Russia could borrow on international markets for the first time in a decade next year, Alexei Kudrin, the Russian finance minister said, as the government seeks ways to fund looming budget deficits and help heavily indebted companies raise money. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09938aa2-28e7-11de-bc5e-00144feabdc0.html

Thailand descends into chaos By Tim Johnston in Bangkok. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 12 2009 09:42 | Last updated: April 13 2009 19:39 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f4c2454-273c-11de-9b77-00144feabdc0.html

U.S. Captain Held by Pirates Is Freed By R.M. SCHNEIDERMAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 12, 2009. Richard Phillips, the captain of an American cargo ship held hostage by armed Somali pirates for more than four days, was freed on Sunday after three of his captors were killed, government and shipping officials said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/world/africa/13pirates.html?_r=1&hp

An Early Military Victory for Obama By Michael D. Shear. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, April 13, 2009; Page A09. It was one of the earliest tests of the new American president -- a small military operation off the coast of a Third World nation. But as President Bill Clinton found out in October 1993, even minor failures can have long-lasting consequences. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/12/AR2009041203002.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Pirates nervous as Obama vows to crack down By Robert Wright, Transport Correspondent and Demetri Sevastopulo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
Published: April 13 2009 19:14 | Last updated: April 13 2009 22:10 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/897b6006-2850-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html

RPT-Q&A-Who are the Somali pirates? By Andrew Cawthorne. Copyright by Reuters. Sun Apr 12, 2009 10:02pm BST. NAIROBI, April 12 (Reuters) - It took the capture and rescue five days later of an American hostage to draw world attention back to the long-running phenomenon of Somali piracy. http://uk.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUKLC335689

Another U.S. Cargo Ship Escapes Somali Pirate Attack By Stephanie McCrummen. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 15, 2009; 9:32 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041400194.html?hpid=topnews

Washington steps up Mexico drug war help By Andrew Ward and Daniel Dombey in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 16 2009 21:13 | Last updated: April 17 2009 01:42 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/50c5399e-2ac1-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html

Obama to Push to Ratify Treaty on Gun Trafficking By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 16, 2009. MEXICO CITY — President Obama, seeking to send a strong signal that he is committed to stopping the rising tide of cross-border drug violence, will announce on Thursday that he is pressing the Senate to ratify a decade-old arms treaty intended to curb the flow of guns and ammunition to drug cartels, a senior administration official said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/world/americas/17prexy.html?ref=global-home

Obama Lifts Some Restrictions on Cuba By Michael D. Shear. Copyright by The Washington Post. April 13, 2009. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/04/13/obama_to_lift_cuba_travel_rest.html?hpid=topnews

Clinton says US ready to speak to Cuba © Reuters Limited. April 17, 2009 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8f76101c-2ae1-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html




China

Beijing struggles to prop up growth By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 16 2009 03:34 | Last updated: April 16 2009 19:12. China’s economy grew at an annual rate of 6.1 per cent in the first quarter – its slowest pace since quarterly gross domestic product data was first published in 1992 – as Beijing struggled to prop up activity in the face of the global crisis. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eedcd1c0-2a2e-11de-9d01-00144feabdc0.html

China property prices ‘likely to halve’ By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 13 2009 10:39 | Last updated: April 13 2009 18:19. Property prices in China are likely to halve over the next two years, a top government researcher has predicted in a powerful signal that the country’s economic downturn faces further challenges despite recent positive data. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9a36b342-280e-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html


Mess-o-potamia

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Time for Turkey to try quiet diplomacy. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 12 2009 18:57 | Last updated: April 12 2009 18:57. President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey last week – towards the end of his first big international trip – paid a handsome compliment to the country’s growing influence in international affairs. Under the administration of George W. Bush, relations between Washington and Ankara slipped badly, not least because Turkey refused to support the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. But Mr Obama’s state visit may have marked a turning point. The US president underlined Turkey’s importance as a bridge between the Islamic world and the west. He made clear that Turkey had a role as a negotiator between Israel and the Arab world. He voiced, too, the hope that Turkey would one day join the European Union. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc820982-2787-11de-9b77-00144feabdc0.html

Turning Tables, U.S. Troops Ambush Taliban With Swift and Lethal Results By C. J. CHIVERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/world/asia/17afghan.html?th&emc=th

Pakistan approves sharia law in Swat valley By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 14 2009 08:50 | Last updated: April 14 2009 08:50 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/114dfbd2-28c5-11de-bc5e-00144feabdc0.html




National

The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash - Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog, Is All Over the Web Before His Official Debut By Manuel Roig-Franzia. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, April 12, 2009; Page A01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/11/AR2009041102484.html?hpid=artslot

Give-and-Take With Emanuel Advances President's Agenda - Lawmakers Respond to Improved Access to White House By Shailagh Murray. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, April 13, 2009; Page A01. As the House and Senate debated the budget earlier this month, Rahm Emanuel's spacious West Wing office took on the feel of a legislative bazaar. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/12/AR2009041202629.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Mending America’s broken tax code. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 13 2009 19:16 | Last updated: April 13 2009 19:16. The approach of tax-filing day on April 15 invariably lowers spirits in the United States. Many taxpayers expect a refund when they have finished their calculations, but even this does little to improve the mood. The system’s surreal complexity is enough to defeat candidates for senior positions in the Treasury, let alone Joe the Plumber. Struggling with it arouses the suspicion that the income tax code is chiefly an instrument of political repression – a reminder of who is in charge. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c3b3e2ba-2856-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html

Obama hints at hopes for recovery By Krishna Guha and Edward Luce in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 14 2009 13:55 | Last updated: April 15 2009 00:24. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that aggressive efforts to boost the US economy were starting to bear fruit, even though the recession would cause more pain this year. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/10f7fa3e-28f2-11de-bc5e-00144feabdc0.html

A criminally stupid war on drugs in the US By Clive Crook. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 12 2009 17:41 | Last updated: April 12 2009 17:41. How much misery can a policy cause before it is acknowledged as a failure and reversed? The US “war on drugs” suggests there is no upper limit. The country’s implacable blend of prohibition and punitive criminal justice is wrong-headed in every way: immoral in principle, since it prosecutes victimless crimes, and in practice a disaster of remarkable proportions. Yet for a US politician to suggest wholesale reform of this brainless regime is still seen as an act of reckless self-harm. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e0234460-277d-11de-9b77-00144feabdc0.html

Number of Black Americans in State Prisons for Drug Offenses Declines By Darryl Fears. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, April 14, 2009; 2:00 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041401775.html?hpid=topnews



GOP Whacking

Parsing the Polls: Dick Cheney, Joe Biden and America's Safety. Copyright by The Washington Post. April 13, 2009. Expect new poll numbers out of CNN this afternoon to draw a huge amount of attention. Why? Because they provide strong empirical evidence that suggests most Americans do not agree with former vice president Dick Cheney's contention that the policies pursued by the Obama administration in its first 100 days "raise the risk to the American people of another attack." Asked whether Obama's policies had increased the chances of a terrorist attack or not, 26 percent said they had while 72 percent said they had not. Of that 26 percent who believe that the chances of a terrorist attack had increased under President Obama, 16 percent said it had increased "a lot" while ten percent said the chances had increased "a little http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/parsing-the-polls/parsing-the-polls-dick-cheney.html?hpid=topnews

Stewart rips Fox News ‘coverage’ of teabagging http://www.dailykostv.com/w/001188/

Colbert “recovering from a night of hard-core teabagging” http://www.dailykostv.com/w/001187/

Washington Post Editorial: Dealing With a Disgrace - President Obama strikes a wise balance in coming to terms with the torture of terrorism suspects. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, April 17, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603911.html

Administration: No Charges Over CIA's Enhanced Interrogation Techniques By Carrie Johnson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 16, 2009; 5:29 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041602768.html?hpid=topnews




Chicagoland

Cook County: Former Chicago City Hall official will succeed U.S. Rep.-elect Mike Quigley on Cook County Board. Quigley's chief of staff, Kimberly Walz, loses vote by North Side Democratic committeemen By Hal Dardick. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 12, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-quigley-replaced-12-apr12,0,4521065.story

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Sordid Dunnings debacle is another Stroger fiasco. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times . April 18, 2009. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1533019,CST-EDT-edit19a.articl


Your Lack of Money

US retail sales slide in March By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 14 2009 14:23 | Last updated: April 14 2009 16:29. US retail sales fell in March, dashing recent hopes that consumer spending might finally be stabilising in the US as a savaged labour force continues to curb its spending. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/24079c14-2867-11de-8dbf-00144feabdc0.html

US prices drop for first time since 1955 By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 15 2009 14:19 | Last updated: April 15 2009 14:47. Prices in the US declined in the year to March for the first time since 1955, the labour department said on Wednesday, easing fears that aggressive government stimulus measures could kick-start inflation. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/85117d2e-2932-11de-bc5e-00144feabdc0.html

Jobless put new slant on stress tests By Krishna Guha in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 17 2009 22:00 | Last updated: April 17 2009 23:01. Rising unemployment is prompting US authorities to consider taking a tougher stance in judging the results of bank stress tests, a development that ultimately could force leading financial groups to hold more capital. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca1f86da-2b77-11de-b806-00144feabdc0.html

Wall St fears grow over stress test results By Francesco Guerrera and Edward Luce. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 17 2009 22:00 | Last updated: April 17 2009 22:00. With less than three weeks to go before Washington releases the results of its “stress tests” of the nation’s 19 largest banks, most of Wall Street appears to be in need of Prozac. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d780c91a-2b77-11de-b806-00144feabdc0.html

Financial Times Editorial Comment: Golden fetters. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 14 2009 20:05 | Last updated: April 14 2009 20:05. In a touching display that its freedom is (almost) not for sale, Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, pleased markets this week with a plan to exit the US troubled asset relief programme. The government should take note, and be worried. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1e3ebb64-2920-11de-bc5e-00144feabdc0.html

Goldman Sachs Announces First Quarter Profits of $1.8 Billion By Tomoeh Murakami Tse. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, April 13, 2009; 5:40 PM. NEW YORK - Goldman Sachs announced first quarter earnings this afternoon that were far better than analysts expected and said it would raise $5 billion through a stock offering in order to repay taxpayer funds. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/13/AR2009041301989.html?hpid=topnews

JPMorgan earns $2.1bn on record sales By Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 16 2009 12:26 | Last updated: April 16 2009 19:02 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3055ce46-2a6f-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html

Citi records first profit in six quarters By Adrian Cox, Investment Banking Correspondent. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 17 2009 12:37 | Last updated: April 17 2009 14:46. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bfb1f8da-2b41-11de-b806-00144feabdc0.html

Citi trade profitable but now tough to execute By Elinor Comlay and Dan Wilchins. Copyright by Reuters, 2009. Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:54pm EDT http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-CreditCrisis/idUSTRE53G5Y420090417

Regulators shut American Sterling Bank in Missouri and Great Basin Bank of Nevada. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 10:48 PM CDT, April 17, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-bank-closures,0,296817.story

GE earns drop on continued finance unit woes, but results still top Wall St. expectations By STEPHEN MANNING. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 2:56 PM CDT, April 17, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-earns-general-electric,0,4460338.story

GE’s financial arm leads to earnings slide By Simone Baribeau in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 17 2009 12:54 | Last updated: April 17 2009 16:42 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a8a64b44-2b43-11de-b806-00144feabdc0.html

US housing starts fall 10.8% in March By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 16 2009 15:43 | Last updated: April 16 2009 15:43 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/faa22722-2a91-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html

General Growth files for Chapter 11 By Alan Rappeport and Nicole Bullock in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 16 2009 11:45 | Last updated: April 16 2009 19:51. General Growth Properties, the second-biggest US shopping mall owner, filed for bankruptcy on Thursday due to the collapse in commercial property prices. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/efac5866-2a72-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html






Commodities

China Slows Purchases of U.S. and Other Bonds By KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 12, 2009. HONG KONG — Reversing its role as the world’s fastest-growing buyer of U.S. Treasuries and other foreign bonds, the Chinese government actually sold bonds heavily in January and February before resuming purchases in March, according to data released this weekend by China’s central bank. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/business/global/13yuan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home


Housing

Selling a home will cost you a thumb(print) By Mary Umberger. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 12, 2009. If you're going to be selling your house in Cook County this summer, be sure to bring at least one thumb to the closing table. A new Illinois law that takes effect June 1 will require notaries who witness signatures at Cook County real estate closings to fingerprint home sellers as a way of documenting that they are who they say they are. http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/advice/chi-0412-umberger-columnapr12,0,1800746.column



GLBT

New York Times Editorial: New York’s Missing Civil Right. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2009. New York State, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg observed on Thursday, is where Susan B. Anthony began her struggle for women’s suffrage. It is the state where the N.A.A.C.P. was founded. Now New York can finally honor its historic commitment to personal freedoms by becoming the next state to end discrimination against civil marriage for same-sex couples. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/opinion/17fri4.html?th&emc=th

Paterson Introduces a Same-Sex Marriage Bill By JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 16, 2009. Gov. David A. Paterson introduced a bill on Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage, vowing to personally involve himself in the legislative debate at a level that is rare for a chief executive in New York. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/nyregion/17marriage.html?th&emc=th

Illinois gays not betting on marriage - State's political realities steer gays to push for civil unions By Rex W. Huppke and Monique Garcia. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 14, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-gay-marriage-14-apr14,0,5378660.story

The Colbert Coalition's Anti-Gay Marriage Ad http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/17/the-colbert-coalitions-an_n_188124.html

Wrong on Gays in the Military By Jonathan Capehart. Copyright by The Washington Post. April 15, 2009; 5:16 PM ET. Alright, I've had it! Had it with the antiquated arguments against gays serving openly in the military espoused today on The Post’s Op Ed page by James J. Lindsay, Jerome Johnson, E.G. "Buck" Shuler Jr., and Joseph Went. Gay men and lesbians should be allowed to serve. They should be allowed to serve openly. And they should be allowed to serve with the honor and dignity such service entails http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/04/wrong_on_gays_in_the_military.html

Peoria gays react to unwelcome sign By Erika Slife. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 17, 2009. In bright yellow capital letters, the sign on the karaoke bar in downtown Peoria was clear: "WE ARE NOT A GAY BAR!!" http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-peoria-gay-bar-17apr17,0,7371226.story

Gays and lesbians confronting poverty By Amy Wooten. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. April 15, 2009. http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3378



Immigration

New York Times Editorial: Immigration Reform and Hard Times. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2009. The Obama administration said last week that it would begin a major push for immigration reform this year. The country’s two big labor federations just announced that they are joining forces to support that effort, which includes a path to citizenship for undocumented workers. That’s double good news. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/opinion/14tue1.html?ref=opinion

Immigration Accord by Labor Boosts Obama Effort By JULIA PRESTON and STEVEN GREENHOUSE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2009. The nation’s two major labor federations have agreed for the first time to join forces to support an overhaul of the immigration system, leaders of both organizations said on Monday. The accord could give President Obama significant support among unions as he revisits the stormy issue in the midst of the recession. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/us/14immig.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Number of Children Born to Illegal Immigrants Grows Rapidly By N.C. Aizenman. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, April 14, 2009; 1:42 PM. The number of U.S.-citizen children born to illegal immigrants has dramatically increased over the past five years from 2.7 million in 2003 to 4 million in 2008, according to a study released today. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041401433.html?hpid=topnews




Technical

Amazon Says Error Removed Listings By MOTOKO RICH. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 13, 2009. In response to nearly two days of angry online commentary, particularly on Twitter, Amazon.com said on Monday that “an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error” had caused thousands of books on its site to lose their sales rankings and become harder to find in searches. A Twitter screen concerning Amazon. The subject was among the most popular on the site. Most of the company’s online critics complained that the problem appeared to have a disproportionate effect on gay and lesbian themed books, leading to cries of censorship. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/technology/internet/14amazon.html?th&emc=th

Google’s 11-year growth spurt ends By Richard Waters in San Francisco. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 16 2009 23:33 | Last updated: April 17 2009 02:04. Google’s revenues in the first three months of this year fell below the preceding quarter for the first time in the company’s history as the global recession brought an end to its unprecedented 11-year growth spurt. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/45ff773c-2ad4-11de-8415-00144feabdc0.html

Intel Says PC Sales Have Reached a Bottom and Forecasts Moderate Growth By MATT RICHTEL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 14, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/technology/companies/15chip.html?_r=1&th&emc=th





Medical

Limited Federal Funds for Stem Cell Work Using Donated Embryos By Ceci Connolly. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, April 17, 2009; 12:51 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041701880.html?hpid=topnews

E.P.A. to Clear the Way for Regulation of Warming Gases By JOHN M. BRODER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 17, 2009. WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday formally declared carbon dioxide and five other heat-trapping gases to be pollutants that threaten public health and welfare, setting in motion a process that for the first time in the United States will regulate the gases blamed for global warming. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/science/earth/18endanger.html?_r=1&hp

Washington Post Editorial: AIDS at Home - The Obama administration starts to combat complacency in the United States. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, April 14, 2009; Page A16 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/13/AR2009041302442.html

Obama initiates HIV policy by Bob Roehr. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-04-15. The Obama administration held a high-profile unveiling of a new HIV/AIDS public awareness campaign in part of the White House compound of buildings, on April 7. AIDS advocates were grateful for the symbolism of the event, which far outweighed the content of the program. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20909

A Policy Cocktail for Fighting HIV By Anthony S. Fauci. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 16, 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041503040.html



Other

The Dream She Dreamed - Cheers for a Voice to Silence the Cynics By Jeanne McManus. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, April 17, 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041602419.html

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Much Ado About Nothing By Jon O'Brien, President, Catholics for a Free Choice. Copyright by Catholics for a Free Choice. April 17, 2009. As we approach the 100-day mark of Barack Obama’s presidency, we have seen several positive moves for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Conservatives, including the Catholic hierarchy and its right-wing allies, have been less impressed. They have, among other things, raised concerns about a number of issues, including: a yet-to-be-introduced bill that would help access to abortion; the easing of restrictions on stem-cell research and the advocacy activities of foreign NGOs; the proposed rescission of an unnecessarily restrictive refusal clause; several appointments to the new administration as well as President Obama’s invitation to speak at Notre Dame. http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/about/message/default.asp



Humor

'Big Bang's' success: It's not rocket science By Maria Elena Fernandez. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 12, 2009. LOS ANGELES—It makes absolute sense that the folks at the Apple store Genius Bar would freak out at the sight of the cast of "The Big Bang Theory." Or that thousands of fans would fill a room to spend time with them at the international comic book convention Comic-Con last summer in San Diego. But when the paparazzi of Mexico City went so berserk over the five actors during a promotional visit in December that they required an armed bodyguard, the young cast knew their little sitcom was turning into a sensation. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/arts/chi-tc-arts-big-bang-0408-0412apr12,0,2408707.story

Conservative Campaign Organizers Have sex on their Brains http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/14/2m4m-4ever_n_186575.html


New! Carlos now has an online store. Order your books directly from Carlos and have them signed and dedicated.http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/



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

Glimmer of Hope Newsletter - April 11, 2009

Glimmer of Hope Newsletter - April 11, 2009

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Oscar Wilde

Obama sees economic ‘glimmers of hope’ By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 10 2009 22:54 | Last updated: April 10 2009 22:54. President Barack Obama sees “glimmers of hope” in the US economy, citing a pick-up in lending to small businesses and lower mortgage rates as signs that the country is weathering the financial crisis. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1510d9c8-2619-11de-be57-00144feabdc0.html

Summers sees end to ‘sense of free-fall’ By Tom Braithwaite in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 20:27 | Last updated: April 9 2009 20:27. Lawrence Summers, chief economic adviser to the White House, said the “sense of freefall” in the US economy would end in the next few months but cautioned that the risks of deflation and more job losses had not gone away. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f4f1ac1c-2537-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html

US trade gap shrinks sharply as exports rise By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 16:15 | Last updated: April 9 2009 16:15. The US trade gap plunged by 28.3 per cent in February to $26bn, the lowest level in nearly 10 years as Americans’ once voracious demand for the world’s goods continued to collapse. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/85a785e2-24fc-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Wells Fargo to report record profits By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 16:08 | Last updated: April 9 2009 16:57. Wells Fargo on Thursday lifted hopes for the stricken banking sector by announcing that it would report record first-quarter profits of $3bn later this month. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8cccae00-2516-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html

US retailers see glimmers of demand By Jonathan Birchall in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 16:23 | Last updated: April 9 2009 16:23. March sales figures from leading US retailers provided some shimmers of light amid the prevailing gloom, with a number of store chains reporting signs of an increased readiness to spend by still-cautious consumers. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/18ef167a-2517-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html

US housing starts show surprise surge By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 17 2009 14:38 | Last updated: March 17 2009 15:57. US residential building showed renewed signs of life last month, as falling construction costs lured builders to break ground, offering a glimmer of hope that the real estate slump could be near a bottom. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b50c2ea2-12ee-11de-94bc-0000779fd2ac.html

Miami Car Dealer Is Upbeat, but Admits Something Has Changed By DAMIEN CAVE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08chevy.html?th&emc=th



International

Thousands Mourn Quake Victims at Funeral Mass By RACHEL DONADIO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/europe/11italy.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

At least 207 dead in Italy quake. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 04:09 | Last updated: April 7 2009 08:32. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/be074366-2257-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html

Strong earthquake hits central Italy Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 04:09 | Last updated: April 6 2009 14:55 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/be074366-2257-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html

North Korea fires rocket over Japan By Christian Oliver in Seoul, Jonathan Soble in Tokyo, Harvey Morris at the United Nations and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 5 2009 03:50 | Last updated: April 5 2009 14:42. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68a5baae-218c-11de-8c4b-00144feabdc0.html

Obama Calls on Security Council to Punish North By HELENE COOPER and DAN BILEFSKY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 5, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/us/politics/06prexy.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Obama Calls for World Without Nuclear Weapons By Michael D. Shear and Craig Whitlock. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, April 5, 2009; 12:29 PM. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040500021.html?hpid=topnews

Financial Times Editorial: Obama gets less than he deserves. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 5 2009 17:51 | Last updated: April 5 2009 17:51. Barack Obama’s European tour has confirmed that the new US president is admired as much abroad as at home. His diplomacy builds on this appeal. He came to listen not to lecture, he told Europe’s leaders last week, giving every sign he meant it. He is the kind of US president that Europe has longed for. Yet after the Group of 20 and Nato summits, what does this European model of a US president have to show for his efforts? Rave reviews and words of friendship – but of substance all too little. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/13f088da-2200-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html

Japan unveils $154bn stimulus plan By Michiyo Nakamoto in Tokyo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 03:46 | Last updated: April 9 2009 11:27. The Japanese government is to provide Y50,000bn in loan guarantees to government affiliated financial institutions to buy stocks in the market as part of a record stimulus plan that will cost the government Y15,400bn. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/776a14fa-24b0-11de-8bb2-00144feabdc0.html

Japan and Australia Take Steps to Revive Economy By HIROKO TABUCHI and BETTINA WASSENER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/business/global/07iht-rates.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Protesters Force Thailand to Cancel Asian Conference By THOMAS FULLER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 11, 2009. PATTAYA, Thailand — A summit meeting of Asian nations was abruptly canceled here on Saturday after hundreds of protesters forced their way past security forces into a convention center where leaders were preparing to discuss the global economic crisis. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/world/asia/12thai.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Hostage dies as French attack Somali pirates. Copyright by CNN News. April 10, 2009. (CNN) -- A French hostage and two pirates died Friday in a rescue operation off Somalia, the French president's office in Paris said Friday. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/10/somalia.france/index.html

The Embargo After the Castros By Marc A. Thiessen. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, April 6, 2009; Page A15. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040501726.html

Obama to Loosen Restrictions on Policy With Cuba By ERIC SCHMITT and DAMIEN CAVE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 4, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/world/americas/05cuba.html?ref=global-home



China

China car sales reach record high © Reuters Limited. April 9, 2009. Beijing/Shanghai, April 9 – Vehicle sales in China, the world’s largest car market, climbed to a record in March, extending gains from the previous month, helped by government policy measures to bolster demand in both urban and rural areas. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51b58dcc-2508-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html



Mess-o-potamia

Financial Times Editorial: Obama rebuilds bridges with Islam. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 19:34 | Last updated: April 6 2009 19:34. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8f8a1d0c-22d8-11de-9c99-00144feabdc0.html

Obama makes Mideast peace pledge By Edward Luce and Delphine Strauss in Ankara. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 16:13 | Last updated: April 6 2009 17:50. Barack Obama on Monday offered his clearest pledge since taking office to pursue a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and urged the two sides not to “give in to pessimism and mistrust.” http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0b0ecff2-22b8-11de-9c99-00144feabdc0.html

Obama to ask for $75bn for war spending By Andrew Ward and Daniel Dombey in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 23:40 | Last updated: April 9 2009 23:40. President Barack Obama was poised on Thursday to request $83.4bn in fresh funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and aid to help Pakistan combat extremists. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4cd0564-2556-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html

Afghan Law on Women Brings Societal Conflict Onto World Stage By Pamela Constable. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, April 5, 2009; Page A13 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/04/AR2009040402595.html?hpid=topnews

Merkel in surprise visit to Afghanistan By Chris Bryant in Berlin. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 11:06 | Last updated: April 6 2009 11:06 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/165a3044-228c-11de-9c99-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html

Obama Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq By STEVEN LEE MYERS and HELENE COOPER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/middleeast/08obama.html?_r=1&hp

In Baghdad, Obama Presses Iraqi Leader to Unite Factions By STEVEN LEE MYERS and HELENE COOPER. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 7, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/middleeast/08obama.html?th&emc=th

Bomb in Mosul Kills Five U.S. Troops, 2 Iraqis By Ernesto Londoño. Copyright by The Washington Post . Friday, April 10, 2009; 10:44 AM. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/10/AR2009041000600.html?hpid=topnews

Six Car Bombs Kill at Least 33 in Iraq By STEVEN LEE MYERS. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 6, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/world/middleeast/07iraq.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

US may cede to Iran’s nuclear ambition By Daniel Dombey in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 3 2009 17:29 | Last updated: April 3 2009 17:29. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/87571cc6-206b-11de-b930-00144feabdc0.html

US moves on Iran nuclear trade By Joanna Chung in New York and Daniel Dombey in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 7 2009 19:17 | Last updated: April 7 2009 19:17. New York prosecutors joined with the Obama administration on Tuesday to shut down a China-based network that allegedly supplied Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes with the unwitting aid of some of Wall Street’s biggest banks. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd57f0ca-239f-11de-996a-00144feabdc0.html

U.S. to Join Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program. Direct Participation in Future Negotiations Would Be a Departure From Bush Administration Policy By Karen DeYoung. Copyright by The Washington Post . Thursday, April 9, 2009; Page A08 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040802254.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Kidnapped UN official released in Pakistan By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 5 2009 07:31 | Last updated: April 5 2009 07:31 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3bce3abe-21ab-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html




National

Threat number 5, Robert Gates…http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/224126/april-09-2009/threatdown---robert-gates--dog-seders---obama

New York Times Editorial: Mr. Gates’s Budget. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2009Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made a credible effort to bring new discipline and focus to military spending after the unrestrained, inchoate years of the Bush administration. He has made tougher choices than his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, and shifted billions of dollars from complex systems of little use in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to weapons needed right now by troops fighting today’s wars. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/opinion/08wed1.html?th&emc=th

Gates unveils sweeping defence cuts By Sylvia Pfeifer in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 21:44 | Last updated: April 6 2009 23:19 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/651b8cec-22e5-11de-9c99-00144feabdc0.html

Blacks at Odds Over Scrutiny of President By Krissah Thompson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Monday, April 6, 2009; Page A01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040501894.html?hpid=topnews

Storms and Fires Kill 8 in South and Southwest By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 10, 2009. SAN ANTONIO — High winds and thunderstorms that arrived late Thursday whipped up devastating wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas and spun off fatal tornadoes that ripped through towns in Arkansas and Tennessee. At least three people died in fires in Texas, and five in the tornadoes, and hundreds of homes in all were destroyed or damaged, the authorities said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/us/11storms.html?th&emc=th

Activists protest JPMorgan stance on Chrysler debt By Bernard Simon in Toronto and Julie MacIntosh and Francesco Guerrera in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 9 2009 17:59 | Last updated: April 9 2009 17:59. US social activists have called for a boycott of JPMorgan Chase to protest the bank’s opposition to government demands it forgive a large portion of its Chrysler debt to keep the embattled Detroit carmaker afloat. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/37176738-251c-11de-8a66-00144feabdc0.html

Oil Giants Loath to Follow Obama’s Green Lead By JAD MOUAWAD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2009. The Obama administration wants to reduce oil consumption, increase renewable energy supplies and cut carbon dioxide emissions in the most ambitious transformation of energy policy in a generation. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/business/energy-environment/08greenoil.html?th&emc=th

Supreme Court won't allow prolonged, secret questioning of crime suspects By David G. Savage. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 7, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-supreme-court-confessionsapr07,0,1820622.story



GOP Whacking



Faith The Nation... http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml videoId=223897&title=faith-the-nation

Crimes That Deserve Punishment By Eugene Robinson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, April 10, 2009; Page A17. It's no longer possible to mince words, or pretend we didn't know. The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded in a secret report that the Bush administration's so-called "enhanced" interrogation methods, used on "high-value" terrorism suspects, plainly constituted torture. The time for euphemisms is over, and the time for accountability has arrived. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040903523.html

New York Times Editorial: Medically Assisted Torture. Copyright by The New York Times . Published: April 8, 2009. There was a great deal to be troubled by in a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross documenting the kinds of torture and abuse inflicted on terrorism suspects by the Central Intelligence Agency. One disturbing footnote is that medical personnel were deeply involved in facilitating the abuses, which were intended to coerce suspects into providing intelligence. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/opinion/09thu3.html?th&emc=th

CIA to shut detention ‘black sites’ © Reuters Limited. April 9, 2009. WASHINGTON, April 9 - The CIA will decommission the infamous ”black sites” where terrorism suspects were interrogated with harsh techniques that included waterboarding, agency director Leon Panetta said on Thursday. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/33d024d2-25b4-11de-be57-00144feabdc0.html

Political Pullback for the Christian Right? By Kathleen Parker. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, April 5, 2009; Page A19. Is the Christian right finished as a political entity? Or, more to the point, are principled Christians finished with politics? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/03/AR2009040303026.html

Thoughts on Bill O'Reilly and Squeaky the Chicago Mouse By Roger Ebert. Copyright by Roger Ebert. April 10, 2009. To: Bill O'Reilly. From: Roger Ebert. Dear Bill: Thanks for including the Chicago Sun-Times on your exclusive list of newspapers on your "Hall of Shame." To be in an O'Reilly Hall of Fame would be a cruel blow to any newspaper. It would place us in the favor of a man who turns red and starts screaming when anyone disagrees with him. My grade-school teacher, wise Sister Nathan, would have called in your parents and recommended counseling with Father Hogben. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/thoughts-on-bill-oreilly-and-squeaky.html




Chicagoland

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Scared of the sunshine. Copyright by The Chicago Tribune . April 5, 2009. Today the Tribune offers the first of a series of recommendations to clean up the corruption and secrecy that has become pervasive in Illinois government and politics. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0405edit1apr05,0,1764833.story

Chicago Olympics: IOC commission tours potential sites - Few protesters show up on a cold, rainy Day 2 of evaluators' visit By Philip Hersh and David Heinzmann. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 6, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-olympic-visit-06-apr06,0,4446283.story

Torched by the Olympics? By Steve Chapman. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 5:28 PM CDT, April 4, 2009. Representatives of the International Olympic Committee arrived last week to get a firsthand look at Chicago, one of four cities still in the running for the 2016 Summer Games. If locals are lucky, the IOC team will admire our architecture, stroll our lakefront, enjoy our restaurants, praise our plans—and then give the Games to someone else. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0405chapmanapr05,0,4620033.column

Chicago Olympics: Barack Obama seen as the closer to get 2016 Games - President's ties to Chicago used to bid's advantage, with the hope of clinching visit to Copenhagen By Philip Hersh . Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 7, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-olympic-visit-07-apr07,0,4970573.story

Quigley claims victory in race to replace Rahm Emanuel by John McCormick. April 8, 2009. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/04/mike-quigley-election-results-rahm-emanuel-rosanna-pulido-matt-reichel-5th-congressional-district.html



Your Lack of Money

Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04032009/watch.html

US prepared to oust bank chiefs By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 5 2009 19:38 | Last updated: April 5 2009 19:38. Tim Geithner warned on Sunday that the US government would consider ousting board members at American banks as a condition for giving the institutions “exceptional” assistance in the future. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/172538d8-2210-11de-8380-00144feabdc0.html

Double blow for US pensions as values crash By Deborah Brewster in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 7 2009 19:56 | Last updated: April 7 2009 19:56. The collapse in value of US state and local government pension plans is a disastrous double blow for them: they are being forced to sell off assets at huge discounts to pay out pensions, and are at the same time seeing their funding levels plummet to dangerous new lows. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/350f5630-23a5-11de-996a-00144feabdc0.html

New York Times Editorial: The Credit Card Trap. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 5, 2009. It’s only fair. The federal government is doing everything it can to restore the nation’s banks to health. In return, Congress should require those banks to give their credit card customers a better break. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/opinion/06mon3.html?ref=global

U.S. May Enlist Small Investors in Bank Bailout By GRAHAM BOWLEY and MICHAEL J. de la MERCED. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/business/09fund.html?th&emc=th

Showdown Seen Between Banks and Regulators By STEPHEN LABATON and EDMUND L. ANDREWS. Copyright by The New Yortk Times. Published: April 10, 2009. WASHINGTON — As the Obama administration completes its examinations of the nation’s largest banks, industry executives are bracing for fights with the government over repayment of bailout money and forced sales of bad mortgages. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/business/economy/11bank.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Pulte acquires Centex for $1.3bn By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 8 2009 13:41 | Last updated: April 8 2009 15:03. Pulte Homes agreed to acquire Centex Corporation on Wednesday in a $1.3bn all-stock deal that would create the largest US homebuilding company. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0e633ed8-2437-11de-9a01-00144feabdc0.html




Commodities

Questions over the Fed’s Treasuries buy By Krishna Guha in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 7 2009 22:47 | Last updated: April 7 2009 22:47. When the Federal Reserve announced plans to buy US government securities on March 18 it made a big splash in the markets – much bigger than many Fed officials expected. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1810caba-239f-11de-996a-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Fed lines up foreign currencies for US banks By Krishna Guha in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 6 2009 15:34 | Last updated: April 6 2009 15:34. The Federal Reserve on Monday lined up hundreds of billions of dollars worth of euros, yen, pounds and swiss francs to lend to US banks as needed to meet their foreign currency needs. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb1f9268-22b6-11de-9c99-00144feabdc0.html




Housing

JPMorgan Chase opens Chicago center to deal with troubled mortgages By James P. Miller. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 8:10 AM CDT, April 8, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-jpmorgan-chase-mortgage-center-april8,0,5982655.story

With Advocates’ Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home By JOHN LELAND. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 9, 2009. MIAMI — When the woman who calls herself Queen Omega moved into a three-bedroom house here last December, she introduced herself to the neighbors, signed contracts for electricity and water and ordered an Internet connection. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/us/10squatter.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

SELLING YOUR HOME WITHOUT A REAL ESTATE AGENT by Roger V. McCaffrey-Boss. Copyright by gay Chicago Magazine and Roger V. McCaffrey-Boss. April 9-15, 2009. http://www.gaychicagomagazine.com/advice/legallyspeaking.shtml

Mortgage scams targeting distressed homeowners on the rise - Cases of fraud against people struggling to stay in their homes have skyrocketed as the financial crisis has unfolded, By Michael Oneal. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 11:41 AM CDT, April 6, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-mortgage-scams-on-rise-april6,0,3676175.story



GLBT

“Harris' Illinois civil union bill has robust support and a decent chance of passage. We urge legislators on the fence to support the bill, which would put Illinois law in line with other states, such as New Jersey, New Hampshire and Oregon, that allow for civil unions or domestic partnerships. But it's just a start. Anything less than marriage tells our gay neighbors and friends they're second-class. Iowa opened the door in the Midwest. Illinois should walk through.” Chicago Sun-Times Editorial

Queer Eye for the Hawkeye http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=222798&title=Queer-Eye-for-the-Hawkeye&byDate=true

New York Times Editorial: Iowa Decency. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 4, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/opinion/05sun3.html?ref=global

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Follow Iowa's lead on gay marriage. Copyright by the Chicago Sun-Times. April 7, 2009. The power of the court ruling approving gay marriage in Iowa lies in its simplicity. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1514289,CST-EDT-edit07a.article

Iowa and Marriage By Carlos T Mock, MD. April 7, 2009. Copyright by Carlos T Mock, MD. The Constitution set three different branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The Judicial has the duty to protect the rights of minorities from the majority. Iowa's Supreme Court unanimous ruling Friday, finding that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples is a perfect example of the purpose of the Judicial system set by our forefathers. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/iowa-and-marriage.html

The Iowa decision: Reflections by Sam Worley. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-04-08. Though local activists are heartened by the Iowa Supreme Court's recent unanimous decision to extend marriage benefits to same-sex couples—a decision that will remain in effect until at least 2012, the earliest it could be overturned by constitutional measure—leaders behind the marriage equality movement in Illinois say that it will not change their overall strategy, which does not rely on the court system. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20862

Gay Rights Groups Celebrate Victories in Marriage Push By ABBY GOODNOUGH. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 7, 2009. MONTPELIER, Vt. — Gay-rights groups say that momentum from back-to-back victories on same-sex marriage in Vermont and Iowa could spill into other states, particularly since at least nine other legislatures are considering measures this year to allow marriage between gay couples. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08vermont.html?th&emc=th

Iowa’s Family Values By STEVEN W. THRASHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2009. IF it weren’t for Iowa, my family may never have existed, and this gay, biracial New Yorker might never have been born. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/opinion/09thrasher.html?th&emc=th

New York Times Editorial: Vermont Equality Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2009. http://www.google.com/finance

Vermont Legalizes Gay Marriage. Copyright By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Published: April 7, 2009. MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Vermont has become the fourth state to legalize gay marriage -- and the first to do so with a legislature's vote. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/07/us/AP-GayMarriage-Vermont.html?hp

Washington Post Editorial: Triumph for Equality - Common decency wins out in votes on gay marriage. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 8, 2009; Page A16. THROUGH VERY different means and under very different circumstances, lawmakers in Vermont and the District yesterday came to the same conclusion: Common decency and the protections guaranteed to all citizens by the rule of law demand that the relationships of gay men and lesbians be respected and recognized. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703434.html

D.C. Council Votes To Recognize Gay Nuptials Elsewhere -Decision Comes as Vermont Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage By Nikita Stewart and Tim Craig. Copyright by The Washington Post. Wednesday, April 8, 2009; Page A01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040702200.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

What's Next for Same-Sex Marriage? Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, April 7, 2009; 2:23 PM. The Post asked observers and activists for their take on Tuesday's legalization of gay marriage in Vermont and last week's legalization of gay marriage by the Iowa Supreme Court, as well as the D.C. Council's vote to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Below, Joe Mathews, Gary Busek, Samuel Rodriguez, Lea Brilmayer, Scott Keeter and Bruce Fein weigh in. Please let us know what you think in the comments section. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040702454.html

Civil unions law would be good first step - It's a shame, but legislators not yet ready for gay marriage BY MARK BROWN. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. April 8, 2009 http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/1516239,CST-NWS-brown08.article

Civil unions advocates rally support By Amy Wooten. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. April 8, 2009. Equality Illinois attempted to fire up GLBTs and their allies about Illinois’ civil unions legislation during a Saturday “action day” at Center on Halsted. http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3356

Barney Frank is all wrong on Scalia's dissent By Ann Althouse. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 7, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0407gayapr07,0,3951559.story

Frank need not explain calling Scalia homophobic by Rev. Irene Monroe. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-04-08 http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20874

Faith Groups Increasingly Lose Gay Rights Fights By Jacqueline L. Salmon. Copyright by The Washington Post . Friday, April 10, 2009; Page A04 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040904063.html?hpid=topnews

Views: Special (lack of) recognition Special to the Online Edition of Windy City Times by Derek Hartley. Copyright by The Windy City Times. 2009-04-08. Romaine and I accepted a GLAAD Award March 28, but you would never know it from the media coverage of the event, especially the coverage from gay media. For years, we have all railed against GLAAD for tripping over themselves to lavish attention and praise on whatever straight celebrity was willing to show up at their event to get an award ( Jennifer Aniston ... a nice lady and all, but really?! ) while ignoring worthy efforts done by LGBT people everywhere. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20877

Iraq’s Newly Open Gays Face Scorn and Murder By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS and TAREQ MAHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 7, 2009. BAGHDAD — The relative freedom of a newly democratic Iraq and the recent improvement in security have allowed a gay subculture to flourish here. The response has been swift and deadly. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/middleeast/08gay.html?th&emc=th




Immigration

Obama to Push Immigration Bill as One Priority By JULIA PRESTON. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2009. While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

My Friends, the Illegal Immigrants By GUILLERMO ARRIAGA. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 10, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/opinion/11iht-edarriaga.html?ref=global



Technical

How the Internet Got Its Rules By STEPHEN D. CROCKER. Copyright by The New York Time. Published: April 6, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/opinion/07crocker.html?ref=global

Apple Sued Over Touch-Screen Rights By JONATHAN ADAMS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 8, 2009. TAIPEI — The Taiwanese company Elan Microelectronics has sued Apple, alleging infringement of two of its touch screen patents, an Elan spokesman said Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/technology/companies/09apple.html?th&emc=th


Medical

New York Times Editorial: A Public Plan for Health Insurance? Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 6, 2009. President Obama has rightly called for sweeping health care reform and charged Congress with coming up with a program. Expect a tough political fight. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/opinion/07tue1.html?ref=global

Pregnant (Again) and Poor By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 4, 2009. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - For all the American and international efforts to fight global poverty, one thing is clear: Those efforts won’t get far as long as women like Nahomie Nercure continue to have 10 children. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/opinion/05kristof.html?ref=global

Tuberculosis: Doctor-in-training may have exposed hundreds of children, infants to TB in 3 Chicago hospitals. Hundreds possibly exposed; hospitals call risk 'minimal' By Bruce Japsen and Joshua Boak. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 2:02 PM CDT, April 11, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-doctor-with-tuberculosis-infants-april10,0,3870468.story

Are hospitals passing off their low-profit patients? - Stroger pays for transfers from non-profit hospitals getting tax breaks By Jason Grotto and Bruce Japsen. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 10, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-steering_friapr10,0,4247686.story?page=2




Other

North Carolina rolls past Michigan State 89-72 to win the NCAA tournament championship - Tar Heels finish season how they started—on top By Shannon Ryan. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 7, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-07-ncaa-title-game-chicagoapr07,0,6898850.story

Connecticut Women Win National Title By JONATHAN ABRAMS. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 7, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08women.html?th&emc=th

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Cardinal's criticism of Notre Dame unfortunate. Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times. April 6, 2009. http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1512563,CST-EDT-edit06a.article



Humor

I was all excited when my doctor gave me a prescription for the medical marijuana, that sells under the name brand, "Reeferal." Then I found out he was a poor speller and was just sending me to another doctor...

Philly cable glitch switches Vatican service broadcast to 'Girls Gone Wild' ad. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 11:09 AM CDT, April 11, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-odd-religious-broadcast-gone-wild,0,2049291.story

The Great Flydini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alD_tukE77Q

 Baracknophobia – Obey: Jon Stewart's Message to Wingnuts: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=223862&title=baracknophobia-obey

THE PRIEST AND THE FROG http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/priest-and-frog.html


New! Carlos now has an online store. Order your books directly from Carlos and have them signed and dedicated.http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/



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

Indicted governor Newsletter - April 4, 2009

Indicted governor Newsletter - April 4, 2009

I cannot accept, your canon that we are to judge pope and king unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton


International

Financial Times Editorial Comment: The first bricks in a new world order. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 19:31 | Last updated: April 2 2009 22:44. Some useful progress, but still a way to go. That must be the conclusion of the Group of 20 summit in London. Gordon Brown, UK prime minister and chairman of the meeting, set out a six-point plan to save the world. This reflected some real achievements: a generous increase in funding for the International Monetary Fund, a new issuance of special drawing rights and a boost for trade finance. He sounded disappointingly thin on other key areas – notably cleaning up banks and future fiscal stimulus. More detail would have been reassuring. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/20ac6c32-1fb3-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

OECD urges ECB to start quantitative easing By Daniel Pimlott in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 31 2009 11:57 | Last updated: March 31 2009 11:57. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Tuesday urged the European Central Bank to cut interest rates closer to zero and begin quantitative easing, as it forecast a deeper recession in Europe and Japan than in the US and UK. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/18cdef6e-1dd7-11de-830b-00144feabdc0.html

Eurozone inflation plunges to record low By Ralph Atkins in Frankfurt. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 31 2009 11:31 | Last updated: March 31 2009 11:31 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3d8c80ce-1dda-11de-830b-00144feabdc0.html

Summit success reflects a different global landscape By Philip Stephens. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 19:12 | Last updated: April 2 2009 19:12 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b0b0c13c-1fb0-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

G20 leaders claim summit success By George Parker, Chris Giles, Edward Luce and David Oakley. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 19:11 | Last updated: April 2 2009 21:12. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/082652de-1fb0-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

Handshake brokered by Obama saves day By Edward Luce in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 20:53 | Last updated: April 2 2009 20:53. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b75c6726-1fbe-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

New York and Japan vie to host next G20 By George Parker in London. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 18:56 | Last updated: April 2 2009 18:56. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4002f566-1fad-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

Japan outlines new stimulus move By Michiyo Nakamoto in Tokyo. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 31 2009 10:36 | Last updated: March 31 2009 10:36. Taro Aso on Tuesday instructed his ministers to compile a new economic stimulus package “as soon as possible before mid-April” in addition to a longer-term programme for growth. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/64362f08-1dd6-11de-830b-00144feabdc0.html

Financial Times Editorial: Making a good start on missiles. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 19:27 | Last updated: April 2 2009 19:27. Agreement by Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, the US and Russian presidents, on a fast-track negotiation to substantially reduce their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons is good news. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/28b86642-1fb3-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

Financial Times Editorial: Mexico’s drugs war. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 3 2009 19:49 | Last updated: April 3 2009 19:49 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/671d04e4-207e-11de-b930-00144feabdc0.html

What politicians in the US won't tell you about the war on drugs By Carlos T Mock, MD. April 4, 2009 http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/financial-times-editorial-mexicos-drugs.html

Get to Cuba before Disney does By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 2, 2009. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/pagespage/2009/04/get-to-cuba-before-disney-does.html



China

Financial Times Editorial: China slowly grows into its crucial role. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 3 2009 19:54 | Last updated: April 3 2009 19:54 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5f673850-207e-11de-b930-00144feabdc0.html

China Vies to Be World’s Leader in Electric Cars By KEITH BRADSHER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/global/02electric.html?_r=1&th&emc=th


Mess-o-potamia

Israel on Trial By GEORGE BISHARAT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2009. CHILLING testimony by Israeli soldiers substantiates charges that Israel’s Gaza Strip assault entailed grave violations of international law. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/opinion/04bisharat.html?th&emc=th

Israeli Minister Dismisses Peace Effort By ISABEL KERSHNER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/world/middleeast/02mideast.html?th&emc=th

U.S. ally's arrest unleashes fierce firefights in Baghdad - At least 15 wounded in gunfights after Iraq holds key U.S. ally and aide By Sudarsan Raghavan. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post. 1:25 AM CDT, March 29, 2009. BAGHDAD — American and Iraqi forces arrested an influential U.S. ally Saturday, triggering fierce clashes in central Baghdad that threatened to disrupt a key pillar of American efforts to stabilize the capital as combat forces draw down. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-iraq_5smar29,0,6313535.story

Iraqi Militants Show New Boldness By ALISSA J. RUBIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 31, 2009. BAGHDAD — As the American military prepares to withdraw from Iraqi cities, Iraqi and American security officials say that jihadi and Baath militants are rejoining the fight in areas that are largely quiet now, regrouping as a smaller but still lethal insurgency. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/world/middleeast/01insurgency.html?ref=global-home

Gunmen Storm Police Training School in Pakistan By WAQAR GILLANI, SABRINA TAVERNISE and SALMAN MASOOD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/world/asia/31pstan.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

US to take fight to Pakistan border area By Demetri Sevastopulo, Daniel Dombey and Andrew Ward in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 27 2009 15:18 | Last updated: March 27 2009 23:23 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/684a386a-1ae2-11de-8aa3-0000779fd2ac.html

Missile Strike Said to Kill at Least 10 in Pakistan By PIR ZUBAIR SHAH and ALAN COWELL. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2009. PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Missiles fired from a suspected American drone struck a militant training camp in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people in an attack apparently aimed at one of the area’s most important Taliban leaders, Hakimullah Mehsud, according to news reports, militants and an intelligence official. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/world/asia/02pstan.html?ref=global-home

Washington Post Editorial: The Price of Realism - President Obama's plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan is ambitious and expensive. It is also hard-headed. Copyright by The Washington Post . Saturday, March 28, 2009; Page A12 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032702716.html

Afghanistan's Karzai Endorses Obama Plan By Pamela Constable. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, March 29, 2009; Page A10. KABUL, March 28 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday that he was in "full agreement" with President Obama's newly announced strategy for Afghanistan, saying it was "exactly what the Afghan people were hoping for" and promising to "work very closely" with the United States to implement the plan. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/28/AR2009032801727.html?hpid=topnews




National

A fine balance for Obama to strike By Edward Luce, Lionel Barber and Chrystia Freeland. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 30 2009 00:30 | Last updated: March 30 2009 00:30. American presidents sometimes give interviews in the Oval Office. On this occasion Barack Obama chooses the nearby Roosevelt room, named after Teddy Roosevelt and his distant relative Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the last American president to be faced with a global economic crisis of this magnitude. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/74ab7ed2-1c8d-11de-977c-00144feabdc0.html

‘Robust and stable’ system is goal of US By Krishna Guha in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 30 2009 23:27 | Last updated: March 30 2009 23:27. The US and Europe are united in their desire for far-reaching regulatory reform to strengthen the global financial system, Tim Geithner, the US Treasury secretary, has told the Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/86ab7a64-1d65-11de-9eb3-00144feabdc0.html

New York Times Editorial: Questions for Reform. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 28, 2009. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sounded the right notes last week when he presented a first draft of the administration’s plan to reform the financial system. He said the system had failed “in fundamental ways” and would require comprehensive overhaul. “Not modest repairs at the margin,” he told Congress, “but new rules of the game.” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/opinion/29sun1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Budgets Approved, With No G.O.P. Votes By CARL HULSE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2009. WASHINGTON — The House and Senate approved budgets of about $3.5 trillion for the government on Thursday with no Republican support, a sign of deep partisan tensions likely to color Congressional efforts to enact major policy initiatives sought by President Obama. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/us/politics/03budget.html?th&emc=th

What We're Not Talking About By Eugene Robinson. Copyright by The Washington Post. Friday, April 3, 2009; Page A19. Not even three months have passed since President Obama's historic inauguration, and already it tends to slip the nation's collective mind that the first black president of the United States is, in fact, black. There may be hope for us after all. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/02/AR2009040203286.html

At least 12 people, gunman dead in New York shootings. Copyright by CNN News. April 3, 2009. (CNN) -- A lone gunman killed at least 12 people and himself Friday in an immigration services center in Binghamton, New York, a government official said. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/03/binghamton.shooting/index.html



GOP Whacking

Spanish Court Weighs Inquiry on Torture for 6 Bush-Era Officials By MARLISE SIMONS. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 28, 2009. LONDON — A Spanish court has taken the first steps toward opening a criminal investigation into allegations that six former high-level Bush administration officials violated international law by providing the legal framework to justify the torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, an official close to the case said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/world/europe/29spain.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

David Letterman's Ad For The New GOP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmzZMVQFtlM

Why a GOP Benefactor Switched Parties By Kathleen Parker. Copyright by The Washington Post. Sunday, March 29, 2009; Page A11. Just as news breaks that political fundraising is down for both parties, Republicans have lost one of their more generous contributors. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032702568.html

Fox News’s Mad, Apocalyptic, Tearful Rising Star By BRIAN STELTER and BILL CARTER. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 29, 2009. “You are not alone,” Glenn Beck likes to say. For the disaffected and aggrieved Americans of the Obama era, he could not have picked a better rallying cry. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/business/media/30beck.html?th&emc=th

Colbert weeps for Beck’s sanity http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2009/04/02/colbert-weeps-for-becks-sanity/



Chicagoland

Blagojevich Charged With 16 Corruption Felonies By MONICA DAVEY and SUSAN SAULNY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/us/03illinois.html?th&emc=th

Blagojevich, his brother, top aides indicted By Jeff Coen. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 2, 2009 6:46 PM. http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/blagojevich-indicted-corruption-illinois-governor-impeach.html

Blagojevich indicted on corruption charges By Hal Weitzman in Chicago. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 3 2009 00:17 | Last updated: April 3 2009 00:17 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8db8ff78-1fd8-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html

Illinois Enacts Post-Blagojevich Reform of Public Worker Pension Boards By SUSAN SAULNY and KAREN ANN CULLOTTA. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 3, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/us/04illinois.html?th&emc=th

Chicago parking meters: Richard Daley's administration says it's working to correct problems - Widespread glitches reported after dramatic increase in rates By Dan Mihalopoulos. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 1, 2009. Mayor Richard Daley trotted out his top aide Tuesday to try to assure the public that officials are doing all they can to correct the "simply unacceptable" work of Chicago's new private parking meter company. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-parking-meters-01apr01,0,3725412.story



Your Lack of Money

Jobless Rate Hits 8.5% as March Payrolls Fall by 663,000 By JACK HEALY. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2009. The American economy shed another 663,000 jobs in March, the government reported Friday, bringing the toll of job losses during the recession to 5.1 million. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/business/economy/04jobs.html?hp

US consumer spending rises in February By Alan Rappeport in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 27 2009 13:21 | Last updated: March 27 2009 14:41 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bab4794c-1ad0-11de-8aa3-0000779fd2ac.html

Financial Times Editorial Comment: US should not be taken for a ride. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 30 2009 20:58 | Last updated: March 30 2009 20:58. The Obama administration’s firm stance on aid for the country’s struggling carmakers surprised most observers, most of Wall Street, and not least Rick Wagoner, the ousted chief of General Motors. Despite pressure to quit from outsiders in recent months, Mr Wagoner, a 30-year veteran of the company, retained the backing of the board and appeared to think he could hang on. The government rejected his restructuring proposals and insisted on his departure. It was right on both counts. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b1784cce-1d54-11de-9eb3-00144feabdc0.html

Washington Post Editorial: Tough but Fair - President Obama's response to the auto companies offers a narrow path forward. Copyright by The Washington Post
Tuesday, March 31, 2009; Page A16 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002761.html

New York Times Editorial: The Last Best Chance for Detroit. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2009. President Obama struck an acceptable compromise on Monday between two unappealing options: letting General Motors and Chrysler go bankrupt right away or giving them tens of billions of dollars more while hoping for the best. Instead, he decided to finance their operations for just a matter of weeks while forcing them to come up with a better plan to overhaul their businesses. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/opinion/31tue1.html?_r=1&ref=global

Downturn Pushes More Toward Bankruptcy By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/your-money/04bankruptcy.html?th&emc=th

Chicago Sun-Times files for bankruptcy By James P. Miller. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. 8:36 AM CDT, March 31, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-sun-times-media-bankruptcy-march31,0,3147313.story

U.S. Urges GM to Consider Bankruptcy - Government Plan to Split Ailing Brands From Stronger Ones Is an Option, Firm Says By Peter Whoriskey. Copyright by The Washington Post. Thursday, April 2, 2009; Page A14 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/01/AR2009040103718.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

Bailed-out banks eye toxic asset buys By Francesco Guerrera in New York and Krishna Guha in Washington. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 2 2009 23:20 | Last updated: April 2 2009 23:57. US banks that have received government aid, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, are considering buying toxic assets to be sold by rivals under the Treasury’s $1,000bn (£680bn) plan to revive the financial system. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/358e479a-1fbf-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html



Housing

Alarm over mortgage ‘delinquencies’ By Joanna Chung in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: April 3 2009 19:50 | Last updated: April 3 2009 19:50. The least risky mortgages in the US are showing the sharpest jump in “serious delinquencies”, according to a report released on Friday that raised fresh concerns about the health of the US economy. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/525c45a6-207e-11de-b930-00144feabdc0.html

Foreclosure fallout crosses county lines By Azam Ahmed and Darnell Little. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 5, 2009. From Lake County to Will County, the same story has played out across suburban Chicagoland in the past year: Upset neighbors call to complain about an uncut lawn and broken windows. The village comes out to address the problem and inadvertently stumbles upon a foreclosure. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-suburban-foreclosure-05-bdapr05,0,5425992.story

Banks Starting to Walk Away on Foreclosures By SUSAN SAULNY. Copyright by The The New York Times. Published: March 29, 2009. SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Mercy James thought she had lost her rental property here to foreclosure. A date for a sheriff’s sale had been set, and notices about the foreclosure process were piling up in her mailbox. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/us/30walkaway.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1238421719-IsqDrBouYfJr047SXKJ/Wg

As the Foreclosed Move Out, First-Time Buyers Move In By DAMIEN CAVE. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/us/03florida.html?th&emc=th

US housing price freefall extends into January By Simone Baribeau in New York. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 31 2009 14:54 | Last updated: March 31 2009 14:54. Single family home prices in the 20 largest metropolitan areas dropped 2.8 per cent in January, according to Case-Shiller’s index of the 20 largest US cities, another sign that the housing market bottom may still be distant. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3de81a3c-1df9-11de-830b-00144feabdc0.html



GLBT

President Obama’s Administration has not delivered for the The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community By Carlos T Mock, MD http://www.ambiente.us/04009CTMockObama.html

Chicago Free Press Editorial: Gates confirms we’re on the back burner. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. April 1, 2009. http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3335

Vermont closer to same-sex marriage by Lisa Keen ©Keen News Service 2009. 2009-04-01. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20804

State Court of Appeals to Hear Two Same-Sex Marriage Cases By JEREMY W. PETERS. Copyright by Thee New York Times. Published: March 31, 2009.
ALBANY — The state’s highest court agreed on Tuesday to hear arguments in two cases that challenge New York’s recognition of same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/nyregion/01marriage.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=JEREMY%20W.%20PETERS&st=cse

Sweden OKs gay marriage. Copyright By 365gay. 04.01.2009 4:56pm EDT. Stockholm) Sweden on Wednesday became the seventh country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/sweden-oks-gay-marriage.html

Iowa Court Voids Gay Marriage Ban By MONICA DAVEY. Copyright by The Associated Press. Published: April 3, 2009. DES MOINES — Same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in Iowa by month’s end, after a ruling on Friday by the Iowa Supreme Court that found unconstitutional a state law limiting marriage to a man and a woman. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/us/04iowa.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Iowa Court Says Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional By AMY LORENTZEN. Copyright by The Associated Press. Friday, April 3, 2009; 10:54 AM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/03/AR2009040300376.html?hpid=topnews

Iowa and Marriage By Carlos T Mock, MD. April 4, 2009. Copyright by Carlos T Mock, MD. The Constitution set three different branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The Judicial has the duty to protect the rights of minorities from the majority. Iowa's Supreme Court unanimous ruling Friday, finding that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples is a perfect example of the purpose of the Judicial system set by our forefathers. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/iowa-court-says-gay-marriage-ban.html

The debate over equality for same-sex and unmarried elderly couples By JASON PIERCESON. Copyright by THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER (Springfield, IL). The debate over equality for same-sex and unmarried elderly couples continues in Illinois with the passage of the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act by the Illinois House’s Youth and Family Committee. Posted Mar 28, 2009 @ 12:03 AM. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/03/debate-over-equality-for-same-sex-and.html

Portia Apologizes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ9sBkgDRzY

Pedro Zamora: from 'Real World' to real legend By Choire Sicha. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 1, 2009. When "The Real World" premiered in 1992 on MTV, it created a standard in reality television: It cooped up Mormons and gay people and crude bike messengers and splayed their tiny culture wars on TV. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-tc-tvcolumn-pedro-0331-0401apr01,0,5806328.story

EHarmony launches gay matchmaking service - The heterosexual dating website agreed to start Compatible Partners for same-sex couples as part of the settlement of a discrimination suit. By David Colker. Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times. 10:01 PM CDT, March 30, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/la-fi-eharmony31-2009mar31,0,4312726.story

When the spark goes out: Bringing sex back into a relationship By Amy Wooten. Copyright by The Chicago Free Press. April 1, 2009. Relationships typically start out with a bang. But for some long-time couples, those days and nights of steamy, passionate sex are a distant memory. http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3328



Immigration

New York Times Editorial: Border Control. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 28, 2009. The Obama administration has taken sensible steps to keep Mexico’s vicious drug war from spilling over the border. The homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, announced that she was sending hundreds more agents and officers to patrol the border region and to work with the authorities in Mexico. She also is bolstering screening technology at border crossings to root out drugs, drug money, guns and violent fugitives. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/opinion/28sat2.html?ref=opinion

Don’t Deport Benita Veliz By LAWRENCE DOWNES. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 28, 2009. A question from the realm of the unanswerable: How will this country be a better place once we force Benita Veliz to leave it? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/opinion/28sat4.html?ref=opinion

Immigrant Detainee Dies, and a Life Is Buried, Too By NINA BERNSTEIN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 2, 2009. The hand-scrawled letter from a New Jersey jail was urgent. An immigration detainee had died that day, Sept. 9, 2005, a fellow inmate wrote in broken English, describing chest pains and pleas for medical attention that went unheeded until too late. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/nyregion/03detain.html?_r=1&th&emc=th



Technical

Complaints of internet crime hit record in US By Joseph Menn in San Francisco. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 31 2009 00:32 | Last updated: March 31 2009 00:32. Victims of internet crime filed 33 per cent more complaints in the US last year than the year before, signally that electronic fraud is being exasperated by the economic crisis. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e160f504-1d76-11de-9eb3-00144feabdc0.html

I Hate My iPhone By VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/magazine/05wwln-medium-t.html?th&emc=th

Google’s Plan for Out-of-Print Books Is Challenged By MIGUEL HELFT. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 3, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/technology/internet/04books.html?th&emc=th

American Airlines to test in-flight Internet access for passengers this week By DAVID KOENIG. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. 11:05 PM CDT, March 30, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-ap-na-us-airborne-internet-american,0,3202551.story


Medical

FDA Says to Avoid Pistachios Amid Salmonella Scare By GARANCE BURKE. Copyright by The Associated Press. Monday, March 30, 2009; 11:53 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002637.html?hpid=artslot

KEEPING MEDICAL INSURANCE WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR JOB by Roger V. McCaffrey-Boss. Copyright by Gay Chicago Magazine and Roger V. McCaffrey-Boss. April 2-8, 2009 http://www.gaychicagomagazine.com/advice/legallyspeaking.shtml

Drug prices: Wal-Mart/Caterpillar plan may drive down employer health-care costs - Program with Caterpillar aims to reduce employer health-care costs while increasing traffic to stores By Sandra M. Jones. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. March 28, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-wal-mart-pharmacy-mar28,0,1451349.story

Obama gets hazy on reefer economics By Clarence Page. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 1, 2009. For all of the keen intellect that President Barack Obama showed in his online town hall meeting, he didn't seem to know much about reefer economics. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0401pageapr01,0,1071790.column

Washington Post Editorial: JAMA's Hush-Up - A medical journal's problematic rule on public disclosure of complaints. Copyright by The Washington Post. Tuesday, March 31, 2009; Page A16. THE EDITORS of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) surely appreciated that Jonathan Leo, a professor at Lincoln Memorial University, made them aware of an undisclosed conflict involving a pharmaceutical company and the author of a study published in the journal. The JAMA editors did not, however, appreciate that Mr. Leo sent a copy of an e-mail to them to a reporter at the New York Times. Nor did they like his airing of his allegation in an article on the Web site of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) -- almost five months after Mr. Leo sent his initial inquiry to JAMA. As a result, the esteemed medical journal has instituted a new set of complaint compliance rules that leave us wondering whether it cares more about its reputation than the integrity of its articles. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002765.html

Amid Abuse of Girls in Brazil, Abortion Debate Flares By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 27, 2009. SÃO PAULO, Brazil — The waiting room at Pérola Byington Hospital resembles a small day care center many days. Young girls play on the cold tile floors or rock hyperactively in plastic chairs, while their mothers stare pensively at the red digital readout on a wall, signaling their place in line. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/world/americas/28brazil.html?_r=1&hp



Other

FAITH OR FAMILY? - Devout Catholic couple defies church, turns to science to have a baby By Manya A. Brachear. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 5, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-catholics-ivf-05-apr05,0,6702066.story

An uneasy mix of religion and politics By William M. Daley. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 3, 2009. I did not attend the University of Notre Dame. But as a Catholic and co-chairman of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, I have a personal stake in the dispute over the propriety of the university's invitation to the president to be its commencement speaker. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-oped0403cardinalapr03,0,4013786.story

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Cardinal, respect. Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune. April 3, 2009. The Archdiocese of Chicago is a grand piece of the fabric of this community, one of its leading institutions. It educates our children, it cares for our poor. It provides a rich source of faith. This page doesn't presume to tell a church how to practice its faith. We don't presume to tell Cardinal Francis George how to lead his archdiocese. We do think he is deeply out of line with comments that are a rude repudiation of President Barack Obama. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0403edit2apr03,0,585182.story Editorial Comment: I think the Cardinal needs an act of contrition: first the cathedral roof fell on him, then it caught fire. I believe God is sending him a message.

New York Times Editorial: Evolutionary Semantics, Texas-Style. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: March 30, 2009. The Texas Board of Education gave grudging support last week to teaching the mainstream theory of evolution without the most troubling encumbrances sought by religious and social conservatives. But the margins on crucial amendments were disturbingly close, typically a single vote on a 15-member board, and compromise language left ample room for the struggle to continue. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/opinion/31tue3.html?ref=global

Financial Times Editorial: Catholic tastes. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009. Published: March 27 2009 22:34 | Last updated: March 27 2009 22:34. Who would have thought it? The British royal family, it transpires, is not all that keen on absurd anachronisms. Since 1689, royals who wish to accede to the throne have been banned not only from practising Roman Catholicism but also from wedding people who do. But among reforms being discussed by the Queen and the prime minister is a plan to allow British royals to marry Catholics. About time too http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/65c3d728-1b04-11de-8aa3-0000779fd2ac.html



Humor

New York Times Editorial: The Forgotten Rich. Copyright by The New York Times. Published: April 1, 2009. The Senate budget debate began this week against a backdrop of war and recession, rising unemployment and surging foreclosures, runaway health care costs and diminishing insurance coverage — to name just a few of the nation’s big problems. But for Senator Blanche Lincoln, Democrat of Arkansas, and Senator Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, the most pressing issue is clear: America’s wealthiest families need help. Now. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/opinion/02thu1.html?th&emc=th

Here is the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/03/here-is-washington-posts-mensa.html

AIRLINE RAP http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=16920289001

Introducing the Government-Backed DMV Automotive Repair Center! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi9XCpSYJbY&feature=player_embedded

Dentist http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/dentist.html

The Dinner Date http://newsletter91507.blogspot.com/2009/04/dinner-date.html


New! Carlos now has an online store. Order your books directly from Carlos and have them signed and dedicated.http://www.carlostmock.com/catalog/



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