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NEWS MONDAY, MAY
21, 2012 NEWS
Boehner
Rejects Supposed Rev. Wright Ad
House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday downplayed the supposed plan to
resurrect Rev. Jeremiah Wright in an anti-Obama ad campaign, becoming the
latest prominent Republican to knock down the proposal despite Democratic
efforts to play it up. The shelf life of the Wright plan was short. After
The New York Times reported Thursday on an ad campaign being coordinated
by conservative billionaire Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade,
Ricketts himself said through an aide it was not a serious plan and not
one he supported. Mitt Romney also condemned the ad. Asked about the proposal
Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Boehner said: "The issue is not Rev. Wright.
The issue is the economy." Fox
News
VOA VIEW: Treating Obama with kid gloves
could cost Republicans the White House.
Prosecutor
Launches Strauss-Kahn Rape Probe
A French prosecutor has opened a preliminary investigation into allegations
of rape in a Washington hotel by former IMF chief and one-time French presidential
hopeful Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The prosecutor in Lille in northern France
followed a request by investigating judges earlier this month to broaden
a suspected prostitution probe to examine the claims of rape in December
2010. The Lille prosecutor's office said in a statement Monday that they
are looking into the allegation that Strauss-Kahn may have been involved
in a rape during a sex party in the hotel while he was chief of the International
Monetary Fund. NY
Post
Former
Ultranationalist Is New Serbian President
Serbia is likely to get a government with ambitions to join the European
Union despite the election of a pro-Russian nationalist as the country's
new president, officials said Monday. Tomislav Nikolic, a former ultranationalist
ally of late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, beat incumbent Boris
Tadic for Serbia's presidency on Sunday. The result that could slow down
the Balkan country's attempts to join the EU and reconcile with wartime
foes, including the former province of Kosovo that declared independence
in 2008. However, Tadic's Democrats are likely to form a new government
with the Socialists, leaving Nikolic without real power as a figurehead
president. Seattle
Times
US
Warns NKorea Against Another Nuke Test
The top U.S. envoy for North Korea warned Pyongyang on Monday that
any nuclear test would be a serious miscalculation that would unify the
world in seeking swift, tough punishment. Glyn Davies' comments after meetings
with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts come as outside analysts
and governments voice worry that North Korea may follow a failed April
13 long-range rocket test with its third nuclear test - a pattern that
happened in 2006 and 2009. North Korea is being led by Kim Jong Un, the
young son of Kim Jong Il who took power after his father's death in December
and has since vowed to place top priority on his impoverished country's
military. Tampa
Tribune
VOA VIEW: N Korea is not afraid of Obama's
weak threats.
Veterans
Symbolically Discard Service Medals At Anti-NATO Rally
Nearly 50 U.S. military veterans at an anti-NATO rally in Chicago threw
their service medals into the street on Sunday, an action they said symbolized
their rejection of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the
veterans, many wearing military uniform shirts over black anti-war t-shirts,
choked back tears as they explained their actions. Others folded an American
flag while a bugle played "Taps," which is typically performed at U.S.
military funerals. "The medals are supposed to be for acts of heroism.
I don't feel like a hero. I don't feel like I deserve them," said Zach
LaPorte, who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006. Sun
Sentinel
Eclipse
Crosses Asia, US: Millions Look Skyward
From a park near Albuquerque, to the top of Japan's Mount Fuji, to
the California coast the effect was dramatic: The moon nearly blotting
out the sun creating a blazing "ring of fire" eclipse. Millions of people
across a narrow strip of eastern Asia and the Western U.S. turned their
sights skyward for the annular eclipse, in which the moon passes in front
of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges. The rare lunar-solar
alignment was visible in Asia early Monday before it moved across the Pacific
— and the international dateline — where it was seen in parts of the western
United States late Sunday afternoon. Houston
Chronicle
Russian
Leader Putin Names New Cabinet
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a new Cabinet, warning
that it will have to fulfill its duties in a difficult global economic
climate. Putin, who won a third term in March's election, said Monday that
the new Cabinet — led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev— should continue
the course set in previous years. Medvedev stepped down as president to
allow Putin to reclaim the top job. Putin served as the premier for four
years after having to relinquish his presidency after two terms due to
limits. Many members of the old Cabinet have retained their seats, including
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. Atlanta
Journal
VOA VIEW: Russia is a fake Democracy.
Iraq
Buys U.S. Drones To Protect Oil
The United States has agreed to sell unarmed surveillance drones to
Iraq's navy as part of an effort to help protect that nation's oil exports
amid growing tensions in the Persian Gulf and to strengthen U.S.-Iraqi
ties. "They understand the importance of the mission to protect its oil
platforms," said Army Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, who heads the U.S. Office
of Security Cooperation-Iraq. The office, which operates out of the U.S.
Embassy and manages U.S. military sales programs in Iraq, confirmed the
sale of drones but declined to say the model or number of drones that are
part of the contract. USA
Today
Resolution
Of Chen Crisis Indicates Possible Maturation In U.S.-China Relationship
For two nations whose exchanges are perennially fraught with tension
and distrust, the arrival of blind activist Chen Guangcheng in New York
during the weekend marked a tidy conclusion to a month-long diplomatic
drama and an encouraging sign for U.S.-Chinese ties. That the two sides
were able to resolve a crisis amid intense pressure points to a possible
maturation in the relationship — a sign that Washington and Beijing are,
cautiously, learning to hash out disagreements even under the most trying
circumstances. But the way the Chen saga played out also suggests that
certain fissures make their way into other areas of the relationship no
matter how hard both sides try to contain them. Washington
Post
Romney
Faced Leadership Test In Big Dig Tragedy
Mitt Romney was at his New Hampshire vacation home on a summer night
in 2006 when 26 tons of concrete ceiling panels in one of Boston's Big
Dig highway tunnels collapsed. The debris crushed a car and killed a female
passenger. Romney, then in his final year as Massachusetts governor, dashed
back to Boston and immersed himself in the crisis. His response offers
insights into what kind of leader the expected Republican nominee would
be if elected president. Romney has made his management skills a major
selling point in his campaign. Yet Romney's stiffest leadership test as
governor produced mixed results. He was praised, even by some Democrats,
for his energetic, take-charge management style. But he also drew criticism
for playing to the media and dodging personal blame. Boston
Globe
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Tropical
Storm Alberto Not Seen To Gain Strength
Tropical Storm Alberto churned slowly toward the South Carolina coast
on Sunday where heavy rain and dangerous surf are expected from the beach
resort of Myrtle Beach south to Savannah, Georgia, forecasters at the U.S.
National Hurricane Center said. Bringing an early start to the Atlantic
hurricane season, Alberto rose to tropical storm strength on Saturday and
by Sunday morning was about 95 miles south-southeast of Charleston, according
to the latest update by the hurricane center in Miami. It carried maximum
sustained winds near 50 miles per hour. Reuters
Kicking
Up The Spice May Help Your Heart
Hitting the gym is a great way to keep your heart healthy. But what
about breaking a sweat during dinner? Eating spicy foods may protect your
heart against disease, according to new research presented at a recent
meeting of the American Chemical Society. Scientists from the Chinese University
of Hong Kong studied the effects of capsaicinoids, a compound that gives
chili peppers, jalapenos, and cayenne peppers their kick, on hamsters.
Researchers fed the hamsters high-cholesterol diets, giving one group spicy
foods, and the other capsaicinoid-free meals. The hamsters that munched
on spicy foods had lower levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol compared to
their capsaicinoid-free counterparts. The spicy compound also blocked the
action of the gene responsible for causing arteries to contract. That means
the muscles were more relaxed and blood could flow more easily to the heart
in the hamsters that were fed capsaicinoids. MSNBC
Obama:
NATO Shifting To Help Peace In Afghanistan
The NATO alliance that has fought for a decade in Afghanistan is helping
that nation shift toward stability and peace, but there will be “hard days
ahead,” President Obama said Sunday as alliance leaders insisted the fighting
coalition will remain effective despite France’s plans to yank combat troops
out early. With a global economic crisis and waning public support for
the war in the backdrop, world leaders opened a NATO summit confronted
by questions about Afghanistan’s post-conflict future: money for security
forces, coming elections and more. They were also papering over the crack
in the fighting alliance with the planned French withdrawal. Washington
Times
Obama
Needs To Act Like An Adult
The top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, criticized
President Obama for failing to lead on the debt, calling it the nation's
"biggest problem," and indicating that nothing will get done about it until
he takes initiative. On "Face the Nation," McConnell said "this president
needs to become the adult" when it comes to the long-term debt, adding
that he and House Speaker John Boehner "have been the adults in the room
arguing that we ought to do something about the nation's most serious long-term
problem." McConnell told host Bob Schieffer that the president has had
three-and-a-half years to tackle the deficit, but "we could not get this
president to do anything serious about entitlement reform, for example,
the single biggest threat to future generations." CBS
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Obama
Adviser Axelrod: Religion Not A Campaign Issue
President Obama’s senior adviser on Sunday pledged that the Democratic
campaign won’t target Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s Mormon
faith. “We’ve said that’s not fair game,” said David Axelrod, speaking
on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The declaration came three days after Mr.
Romney repudiated plans by Republican donors and super PACs to launch a
$10 million ad campaign tying Mr. Obama to his controversial former pastor,
the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, known for fiery condemnations of the United States
and its policies delivered from behind the pulpit. Washington
Times
Ron
Paul Wins Majority Of Delegates In Minnesota
Rep. Ron Paul won a majority of delegates in Minnesota's state convention
on Saturday where his supporters captured 12 of the 13 delegate slots.
The strong state convention turnout means that the Republican presidential
candidate will receive 32 of the 40 Minnesota delegates for the Republican
National Convention in Tampa in August, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer
Press. Paul placed second in Minnesota's February 7 primary, with 27 percent
support behind Rick Santorum, who won 45 percent. The Texas congressman
announced last week that he would stop actively campaigning in states yet
to vote, and rather work to organize to win delegates for the convention
- a strategy that proved successful in Minnesota this weekend as well as
in Nevada and Maine, where he also won a majority of delegates earlier
this month. CBS
Afghan
President Karzai Thanks US For ‘Your Taxpayers’ Money’
Afghan President Hamid Karzai thanked the United States today for shouldering
much of the cost for the decade-old war in Afghanistan, as the NATO alliance
readies to hand over primary responsibility to Afghan security forces.
“I’m bringing to you and to the people of the United States the gratitude
of the Afghan people for the support that your taxpayers’ money has provided
us over the past decade, and for the difference that it has made to the
well-being of the Afghan people,” Karzai said after his meeting with President
Obama ahead of the start of the NATO Summit. ABC
Red
Onions Recalled Over Contamination Risk
Gills Onions recalled 2,360 pounds of diced red onions because of possible
listeria contamination, the California-based company said Saturday. The
recalled onions were distributed to retailers in Canada and retailers and
distributors in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Texas,
Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, Georgia and
Florida. The product is beyond its use-by dates -- May 14, 15 and 17 --
and no illnesses and have been reported, the company said. It advised consumers
to toss whatever recalled onions they might still have in the trash. CNN
2,000
Convicts Exonerated In 23 Years, Registry Shows
More than 2,000 people who were falsely convicted of serious crimes
have been exonerated in the United States in the past 23 years, according
to a new archive compiled at two universities. There is no official record-keeping
system for exonerations of convicted criminals in the country, so academics
set one up. The new national registry, or database, painstakingly assembled
by the University of Michigan Law School and the Center on Wrongful Convictions
at Northwestern University School of Law, is the most complete list of
exonerations ever compiled. The database compiled and analyzed by the researchers
contains information on 873 exonerations for which they have the most detailed
evidence. The researchers are aware of nearly 1,200 other exonerations,
for which they have less data. Detroit
News
Church
Removes Two More Priests
The archdiocese said it substantiated sex-abuse claims against one
and that the other confessed. A claim was made against Mazzotta in 2010,
and Campbell confessed last year, church officials said. The Archdiocese
of Philadelphia on Sunday announced that it had found two more priests
unsuitable for ministry over claims that each had sexually abused a minor.
The archdiocese said it had substantiated a claim against Msgr. George
J. Mazzotta, who most recently served at Stella Maris Parish in Philadelphia
and St. Madeline Parish in Ridley Park. Msgr. Hugh P. Campbell, who is
retired but most recently served at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in West
Chester, told the archdiocese himself in December that he had sexually
abused a minor, according to a brief news release from the archdiocese.
Philadelphia
Inquirer
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U.S.
Marks 150th Anniversary Of Homestead Act Offering Free Land
The United States on Sunday marks the 150th anniversary of President
Abraham Lincoln signing the Homestead Act, the law that gave away 270 million
acres of land and transformed the vast American interior. Representatives
from 30 states will take part in a ceremony at the National Monument of
America in the Nebraska town of Beatrice, representing the states where
nearly 2 million people each received 160 acres of free land under the
program. The monument is the site of what is considered the nation's first
claim under the act by Daniel Freeman, a Union Army scout, on January 1,
1863. Reuters
Price
Of Gasoline Drops 6 Cents In The Past 2 Weeks
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States
fell 6.2 cents to $3.78 in the last two weeks due to a drop in crude oil
prices, partly on concerns about Europe's economy, according to the nationwide
Lundberg Survey. According to the survey of some 2,500 gas stations in
the continental United States, the national average for regular gasoline
as of May 18, was down more than 12 cents a gallon compared with a year
earlier. It was the third straight survey to show a price decline. Prices
fell 18.4 cents during the six week period, which survey editor Trilby
Lundberg said was "enough" for consumers to feel. MSNBC
Newt
Gingrich Owed $4.78M When He Suspended Campaign
By the time he announced his plans to suspend his campaign in late
April, Newt Gingrich owed $4.78 million, according to his FEC filing for
April, released today. The Gingrich campaign had just $806,960 cash on
hand by the close of the reporting period, which was April 30. Gingrich
took in only $638,830 in that month. Gingrich’s largest debt — $1.03 million
— is to Moby Dick Airways, a private jet company. Gingrich also owes a
great deal to himself: $580,134. Among Gingrich’s other debts are the $16,525
he owes Herman Cain Solutions for strategic consulting and travel, and
the $12,763 he owes Twitter for a media buy, according to the FEC report.
ABC
Manufacturing,
Housing Probably Improved
Manufacturers probably received more orders in April and home sales
rose, a sign the U.S. expansion is still on track, economists said before
reports this week. Factory bookings for long-lasting goods rose 0.3 percent
last month after falling 3.9 percent in March, according to the median
forecasts of 61 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before a May 24 Commerce
Department report. Other figures may show purchases of existing and new
houses also climbed. Manufacturers may keep forging ahead as automakers
crank out more cars and trucks, while housing will probably benefit from
record-low mortgage rates that are making properties more affordable. Nonetheless,
those industries alone will fail to spur a pickup in growth without bigger
increases in employment throughout the economy that will propel consumer
spending. Bloomberg
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Storm
Clouds Continue To Gather Over Greece
Facebook is finally public, but that won't solve Greece's problems.
Investors are likely to continue to bail out of stocks and continue the
move into U.S. Treasuries and gold in search of safety as doubts over Greece's
future in the eurozone continue to build. Elections in Greece earlier this
month failed to form a coalition government, and now the debt-laden country
is under a caretaker government until the next election in June, which
experts say will serve as a referendum on whether Greece stays in the eurozone.
Syriza, a coalition of leftist parties, is currently leading the polls.
Syriza has vowed to fight austerity measures that are a condition for Greece
to get the €130 billion bailout agreed to in March. CNN
In
Romney, Mormons See Path To Christian Mainstream
During the 2008 presidential primary race, evangelical stalwart Mike
Huckabee darkly hinted that Mitt Romney might believe that Jesus and the
devil are brothers. This time around, Romney is the featured graduation
speaker at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University. What changed? In the short-term
world of party politics, the answer is that everybody loves a winner --
even the people who tried to beat him in the first place. Evangelicals
will have to vote for the presumptive Republican nominee unless they want
to stay home and effectively cast their votes for President Barack Obama.
Romney may be a Mormon, but Obama is worse, even for those who acknowledge
that he is not (gasp) a Muslim. What is more, evangelicals had a disastrously
bad primary season. At least since 1980, they have been an important, indeed
crucial, bloc in Republican electoral politics -- motivated, activist and
effective. Now the moving force on the right wing of the Republican Party
is the Tea Party. Bloomberg
For
Gay Marriage Opponents, Moments Shape Minds
When President Obama announced his support for gay marriage, supporters
and pundits declared it symbolic of a historic shift in American attitudes.
But as the attention fades, the fact remains that voters in 31 states have
rejected gay marriage and more are lining up to do so. That leaves opponents
of gay marriage to wonder if they're lagging behind history-in-the-making
or leading it. Some say that, despite their convictions, they believe marriage
between two men or two women will inevitably become law across the U.S.
Others say that Obama's announcement strengthens their resolve, and will
not slow the drive to protect an institution they consider vital to the
nation's survival. Las
Vegas Sun
Doctors
Seek New Approach For Jailed Addicts
A group of prominent addiction doctors has mounted a quiet legal campaign
on behalf of Cameron Douglas, the troubled son of the actor Michael Douglas,
in hopes of finding a sympathetic ear for their view that drug addiction
is best handled with more treatment, not more prison time. In December,
Mr. Douglas, who is 33 and already serving a five-year federal sentence
for drug distribution and heroin possession, was sentenced to an additional
four and a half years after being caught behind bars with heroin and Suboxone,
a prescription medication used to blunt the pull of opioid addiction. NY
Times
Jury
Weighs Six Counts Against Edwards
The eight men and four women tasked with determining the guilt or innocence
of former presidential candidate John Edwards are to return to their deliberations
Monday morning. On Friday, the first day of its deliberations, the
jury spent about 4?1/2 hours behind closed doors, emerging once to hear
Judge Catherine Eagles respond to a request for evidence and another time
for an hour lunch break. The trial that played out over almost four weeks
of testimony in a windowless, wood-paneled courtroom often seemed to be
more about the details of a philandering husband and celebrity, but the
issues before the jury are about drier stuff: the fine points of campaign-finance
laws that regulate national political campaigns. Charlotte
Observer
Lockerbie
Victim's Wife Feels 'No Sense Of Justice' With Al-Megrahi's Death
Victoria Cummock’s war against Moammar Gadhafi’s Libyan regime outlived
the notorious strongman, and now will outlive the one man convicted of
bombing the airplane that killed Cummock’s husband 24 years ago. On Sunday,
Abdel Baset al-Megrahi died of prostate cancer at his home in Tripoli,
Libya. He had lived there for almost three years after Scotland freed him
from prison on a “humanitarian” waiver in 2009 after he had served eight
years of his life sentence. At the time, he was given just months to live.
The decision appalled Cummock, and she expressed little satisfaction in
Megrahi’s death. “I feel a sense of relief that he is gone,” Cummock, 59,
said Sunday from her Miami home. “There really is no sense of justice.”
Mc
Clatchy
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Obama
Surrogate Booker Slams President's Campaign Over Anti-Romney Bain Ad
A top Obama campaign surrogate chastised the president's reelection
team Sunday over its ad campaign attacking Mitt Romney's record at private
equity firm Bain Capital. The unusual comments from Newark Mayor Cory Booker
came during a roundtable discussion Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." Within
hours of the appearance, Booker took to Twitter to reiterate his support
for the president -- but he appeared to stand by his criticism of the anti-Romney
ad, which he had described as "nauseating." "I have to just say from a
very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity,"
Booker said, referring to the ad which spotlighted the story of a Kansas
City steel company that went bankrupt after Bain Capital's involvement.
Fox
News
Party
Leaders Refuse To Budge On Debt Positions
Republicans and Democrats are refusing to budge when it comes to their
already hardened positions on spending cuts versus tax increases to deal
with the nation's debt. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both said Sunday that when Congress
is asked to raise the nation's borrowing cap after the election, they'll
insist on spending cuts to offset the increase. Democratic leaders countered
that the GOP stance was irresponsible, given that the partisan showdown
over the debt ceiling last year caused a downgrading of the U.S. government's
credit rating. Las
Vegas Sun
Ryan
To Obama: Stay Away From Bailouts
The Obama administration should leave it to the private market to rescue
struggling companies, budget hawk Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis, said Sunday. Ryan,
chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee, dismissed the success of Obama's
bailout of the auto industry and accused the president of "gambling with
taxpayer money" and abetting crony capitalism. "What is right is a private
sector that [has] risked that capital," Ryan said on "Fox News Sunday."
"You put capital in businesses whether they're struggling or not to try
and grow those businesses; some succeed, some don't." UPI
Snoring
May Be Linked To Cancer Death
Snoring, one of the main symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, may
be linked to cancer death, U.S. researchers say. Study leader Dr. Javier
Nieto of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
and colleagues found the study participants with severe sleep disordered
breathing were almost five times more likely to die of cancer than those
not affected by the problem, the Daily Telegraph reported. The researchers
said the link may be due to breathing problems causing an inadequate supply
of oxygen -- intermittent hypoxia, or oxygen starvation -- promoted tumor
growth in mice with skin cancer. UPI
Marion
Featured In Obama Campaign Video Labout Romney's Bain Capital
An assault by President Barack Obama's campaign on the business credentials
of Republican challenger Mitt Romney will turn this week to Indiana. A
nearly six-minute online ad, set to be released today and provided Sunday
to The Indianapolis Star, treads on familiar political terrain: In 1994,
a company backed by a venture capital firm -- that's Bain Capital, with
Romney as CEO -- bought Marion-based SCM Office Supplies. In short order,
the new owner, American Pad & Paper (called Ampad), battled with the
union. Within a year, it closed the factory. More than 250 workers lost
their jobs. Indy
Star
Yemen
Officials: Militants Injured US Soldier
Yemeni security officials say militants have opened fire on three U.S.
Coast Guard trainers in western Yemen, wounding one. The officials say
the shooting took place on Sunday in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida in
western Yemen. The three Americans were traveling in a car near their hotel
when the militants pulled up in another vehicle and sprayed them with machinegun
fire. The officials had no word on the condition of the wounded American.
The officials spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because they were
not authorized to speak to the media. San
Diego Union
Europe
Stocks Inch Up After G8 Vague On Europe Fix
European stocks inched up Monday morning in spite of investors' lingering
concerns that the G-8 leaders had failed to provide a concrete plan to
solve the European debt crisis. Traders both in Europe and Asia were kept
on edge by worries about the economic future of Greece and whether it would
exit the 17-country euro currency union. "The defensive mood among market
participants is unlikely to change soon," UniCredit said in a morning note,
adding that the impending election in Greece will likely be the market
driver over the next four weeks. Miami
Herald
Miss.
Prison Riot Leaves Guard Dead, 8 Hurt
A guard was killed and, at one point, hostages were taken during a
riot at a Mississippi prison that holds illegal immigrants, authorities
said. The Sunday riot at the privately run Adams County Correctional Center
in southwest Mississippi began around 2:40 p.m. CDT and involved dozens
of inmates before it was brought under control that night. Adams County
Sheriff Chuck Mayfield told the Natchez Democrat that 15 employees were
freed at one time during the uprising by opening a fence and protecting
the route with guns. The sheriff said in a statement early Monday that
there were at least two dozen hostages being held at one time. SF
Gate
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'Hamas,
Fatah Agree On Deadline For Unity Gov't'
Rival Palestinian parties Hamas and Fatah have signed an agreement
accelerating their reconciliation process, Palestinian Ma'an news agency
quoted a Fatah official as saying. Under the terms of the deal, heads of
the two parties will begin consultations on a government, and will choose
a new cabinet with ten days of the start of negotiations, Ma'an reported.
Delegations representing Fatah and Hamas met in Cairo last week, after
the PA's formation of a new cabinet last week drew the ire of several leading
Hamas figures due to the Gaza-ruling Islamist party's absence from the
new government. Jeusalem
Post
Mixed
Feelings Over Possible Iran Deal
Israel was struck by mixed feelings on Sunday amid optimism in the
West that talks world powers will hold with Iran this week in Baghdad could
end in an agreement over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. On the
one hand, Israeli officials acknowledged that without Israel’s efforts
and primarily Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud
Barak’s saber rattling, the world would not have imposed the sanctions
it has and would not be taking the issue as seriously as it is. On the
other hand, the Israelis are at the same time concerned that under a deal
that does not lead to a complete cessation of the enrichment of uranium,
Iran will be able to continue to develop a nuclear weapon, albeit a bit
slower than it is today. Jerusalem
Post
Ed
Balls Warns Of Cuts 'Catastrophe'
Speaking on Sky News, the shadow chancellor said David Cameron must
urge leader Angela Merkel to change course. Labour's former chancellor,
Alistair Darling, has also warned that austerity could damage living standards.
But the prime minister has said he backs Germany's calls for "strong plans"
for dealing with deficits. The G8 summit of leaders of major economies
has been discussing the ongoing crisis in the eurozone. Mr Cameron said
the countries in the single currency had to take "decisive action" to end
the problems caused by high levels of debt in Greece and elsewhere. BBC
Syria:
Hama Shelling 'Kills 34'
Shelling by Syrian forces has killed 34 people according to the British-based
group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The organisation says there
are children among the dead in the town of Souran in the central province
of Hama. It cited residents saying: "The army shelled the town and then
stormed it," according to Reuters. In a separate incident there was an
explosion near a convoy carrying the head of the UN mission in Syria. There
are no reports of casualties in that case and it is not clear if it was
a bomb or a rocket-propelled grenade. BBC
Draining
Of World's Aquifers Feeds Rising Sea Levels
Humanity's unquenchable thirst for fresh water is driving up sea levels
even faster than melting glaciers, according to new research. The massive
impact of the global population's growing need for water on rising sea
levels is revealed in a comprehensive assessment of all the ways in which
people use water. Trillions of tonnes of water have been pumped up from
deep underground reservoirs in every part of the world and then channelled
into fields and pipes to keep communities fed and watered. The water then
flows into the oceans, but far more quickly than the ancient aquifers are
replenished by rains. The global tide would be rising even more quickly
but for the fact that manmade reservoirs have, until now, held back the
flow by storing huge amounts of water on land. Guardian
Israel
PM: Illegal African Immigrants Threaten Identity Of Jewish State
The Israeli prime minister has stoked a volatile debate about refugees
and migrant workers from Africa, warning that "illegal infiltrators flooding
the country" were threatening the security and identity of the Jewish state.
"If we don't stop their entry, the problem that currently stands at 60,000
could grow to 600,000, and that threatens our existence as a Jewish and
democratic state," Binyamin Netanyahu said at Sunday's cabinet meeting.
"This phenomenon is very grave and threatens the social fabric of society,
our national security and our national identity." Israel's population is
7.8 million. Guardian
Red
Meat And Butter 'Could Raise Alzheimer's Risk'
US researchers linked to Harvard University found older women who ate
lots of food high in saturated fats had worse memories than others. By
contrast, those who ate more monounsaturated fats - found in olive oil,
sunflower oil, seeds, nuts and avocados - had better memories. Dr Oliva
Okereke, from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., which
is affiliated to Harvard Medical School, said: "When looking at changes
in cognitive function, what we found is that the total amount of fat intake
did not really matter, but the type of fat did." She and fellow researchers
made their conclusions after looking at results from 6,000 women over 65,
who carried out a series of mental tests over four years and answered questionnaires
about their diet and lifestyle. Telegraph
JPMorgan
Losses Highlight Need For Credit Default Swap Regulation
Rattled shareholders have wiped more than $20bn (£12.6bn) from
JPMorgan's market value since the bank disclosed ten days ago that it racked
up $2bn of losses in six weeks betting on the creditworthiness of a slew
of US companies. The losses stem from bets some of the bank's London-based
traders made on indices made up of credit-default swaps (CDS's) on individual
companies. Credit default swaps act like an insurance contract in which
the buyer is paid if a company or country defaults on its debt, while the
seller receives a regular stream of interest payments. "I'd push them (CDS's)
off the planet," said Ms Bair, who was head of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation for five years before stepping down last summer. "The CDS market
is very volatile and very opaque. From a safety and soundness point of
view, I'm uncomfortable with that." Telegraph
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