Friday, February 13, 2009

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Jamal Dajani: The New Danger in the Middle East: Unemployment Top
This week, crude oil prices fell on the news of sinking petroleum consumption, with oil futures at the New York Mercantile Exchange down more than 5 percent to below $38 a barrel. While this news sounds like music to the average driver worldwide, it has been a nightmare for oil producing countries, especially those in the Middle East. Just less than a year ago as oil prices soared, Arab Gulf countries were the envy of wealth-seekers across the globe. Once hailed as the economic superpower of the Middle East, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is now looking like a ghost town. Hundreds of billions of dollars worth of property projects have been scrapped or postponed in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf countries causing major layoffs across most sectors. Foreigners, who make up 80-90 percent of the population in places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have been on the receiving end of the inevitable layoffs. Without jobs, these ex-workers lose their work visas and then must leave the country within a month. According to local newspapers, thousands of cars sit abandoned in the parking lot at the Dubai Airport and others, left by fleeing, debt-ridden foreigners. Many of those foreigners are Arab nationals from countries such as Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. The petro-bonanza has come to an end. Unemployment is at its highest and most dangerous levels in the Middle East with some estimates putting it as high as 15 per cent. According to Amat Alsowa, the head of the UN Development Program's regional office, the average unemployment rate is 15 per cent in the Arab world, "but it reaches 40 per cent among people between the ages of 15 and 24, totaling 66 million out of the total Arab population of 317 million. To travel through the Arab world right now is to experience a mood of disgruntlement and doubt, especially amongst those under 30. One of the countries hit the hardest is Egypt, where according to the World Bank, 20 percent of the population of 78 million lives under the poverty line of two dollars a day. Egypt's economic growth rate could fall by 50 percent in the current fiscal year, as the global financial meltdown pummels Suez Canal and tourism revenues -- two financial mainstays for the Arab world's most populous nation. Last year, rising food and oil costs prompted a wave of discontent across Egypt. People have been killed in fights that broke out over bread shortages in bread queues. More than half a million Egyptians earning their living abroad are expected to return to Egypt by the end of 2009, adding more burden to the already faltering Egyptian economy. Along with the several trouble spots in the Arab world, such as Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and Algeria, it seems that this present dangerous level of unemployment will certainly engender political, social and economic disorder in many other Arab countries as well. Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV More on Dubai
 
Byron Williams: Is America have what it Takes to end Black History Month? Top
Under the right conditions, I would support the elimination of Black History. I am quite certain that some are already asking themselves: "How can he possibly consider the elimination of Black History Month?" This is not the first time I raised this possibility in a column so do me the service by at least reading the piece in its entirety before sending the predictable scathing rants via e-mail. I recognize that it is a worthy tradition, but is it a tradition free from examination? Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, as a way to bring attention to the positive contributions of black people in American history. Woodson's achievements alone are of great historical value. The son of former slaves, Woodson worked in the Kentucky coal mines in order to put himself through high school. He graduated from Berea College in Kentucky in 1903, and then went on to Harvard for his Ph.D. Woodson was concerned that one was hard pressed to find the contributions of blacks, positive or otherwise in American history. In 1926 Woodson began promoting the second week of February as Negro History Week. In 1976, it became Black History Month. Woodson selected February because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. However, does the legitimate reasoning that necessitated the celebration of Black History Month still require that we maintain it today? Perhaps the more appropriate question, does America possess the collective maturity to end Black History Month? I come to these questions with mixed emotions. I suspect there are a number of African Americans who are quite comfortable with Black History Month remaining in its current state, which is becoming trite, stale, and pedestrian rather than informative and thought provoking. My reasoning for supporting the elimination of Black History Month is that it renders the achievements of African Americans to an adjunct status in American history. Among its many achievements, the Civil Rights Movement tested the elasticity of the Constitution. In doing so, it made America examine whether or not the Jeffersonian notion of equality had validity. Why are the names of George Washington Carver, Fannie Lou Hamer and David Walker almost exclusive property of the African American legacy? Furthermore, does not the concept of Black History Month suggest that other marginalized groups have a month of celebration as well? Thus, the solution would be to authentically integrate the achievements of African Americans as well as other marginalized communities into American history. Here is where I fear we do not possess collective maturity. An authentic integration of American history would require that all communities be honest about its high and low moments. A genuine incorporation of history would therefore demand that America become self-reflective in ways that it has managed to avoid. If the descendants of African slaves cannot receive an apology from the United States government for the obvious centuries of dehumanization, how can we realistically examine the mistreatment sustained not only by Native Americans, but also practically every group that has arrived on these shores? Sadly, America is not at this place. Any attempts to authentically integrate black history into that of dominant culture, I fear, would create further marginalization. Moreover, there are warring factions on both sides of this debate that would become strange bedfellows in maintaining black history to its current, predictable, 28-day format. There is a certain comfort that comes with being marginalized just as there is with those who are unwilling to view America beyond the superficial myth that has been conveniently constructed by poplar culture. Those who superficially suggest the emergence of Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack Obama is proof that Black History Month has run its course ironically make the case for its preservation, even in its current hackneyed state. It is a mature nation that can look at itself authentically, not for the purposes of guilt, but rather to become better and stronger. When it is no longer necessary that February commemorate Black History Month, we may be well on our way to becoming that more perfect union.
 
Obama: Illinois Ready To Move Forward After Blagojevich Top
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - President Barack Obama says Illinois is ready to move forward now that Rod Blagojevich has been removed as governor. In an interview with The State Journal-Register, Obama said Thursday he was distressed by the nature of the allegations made against Blagojevich. But he said Illinois is now ready to move forward. Obama expressed confidence in Gov. Pat Quinn, who took office after the state Senate convicted Blagojevich of charges made in a bill of impeachment. The president called Quinn a relentless advocate for working families, adding that he's smart, dedicated and in politics for the right reasons. Obama, who will be spending the weekend at his Chicago home, said it's a great honor being in the White House. But he said Chicago is still home, adding that he and his family were looking forward to seeing their friends. More on President Obama
 
Steve Pristin: Artist Profile: Lykke Li Top
The bloggerati's favorite Swedish songstress on true love, touring and Tupac. --- Alone, dancing in front of a mirror singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" -- this is how I find Sweden's Lykke Li . "Hi, I'm Lykke Li" When you see Lykke Li for the first time you'd think she's 16 (she's almost 23) but once you hear her songs of love, loneliness, frustration, and obsession you know her soul is that of a traveled and experienced veteran. A native of Ystal, Sweden, Lykke Li spent parts of her childhood in Portugal, Morocco, and India, ("a very spiritual country"); and is planning a move back to Stockholm soon ("that's my home"). She's a notorious workhorse currently touring in support of her debut, 2008's Youth Novels , before playing Coachella in April. With each continental pass her fan base has grown and it isn't a coincidence -- this lady knows how to perform! I caught up with her before a recent show in Williamsburg: Steve Pristin: How's the tour been going, any memorable moments? Lykke Li: It's always nice when things go wrong and I jump out into the crowd and freestyle. And I got to play with Q-Tip at the MTV Woodie awards. SP: What's next for you? LL: A break. Sleep. Wash my clothes and then I'm back on the road again. I have festivals this summer but at some point I have to start writing the next album. SP: How did you write the first one? LL: It was almost like a picture. Like a snapshot of a point in my life, like [makes camera noise], this is where I'm at. So it's not like I reflected on my whole life on purpose but I think that's what you do with the first album when you've kind of been a very lost person. It's a really amazing feeling to have gone through the first kind of hole. It's going to be very hard to write the next one but I still believe you have to think of it as a picture of time so you can't like plan to write masterpieces, you just have to make a reflection of what you're going through. SP: Dream collaboration? LL: Frankie Lymon but he's dead. SP: Prince or Michael Jackson? LL: How can you choose? I would say Prince and Michael Jackson. But if I had to choose just one I would say Michael Jackson. SP: Biggie or Tupac? LL: I love Biggie's songs but I think I like Tupac more as a person. SP: Who are you talking about on songs like " Breaking It Up " and " Little Bit "? LL: He can know but you can't. SP: Do you believe in true love? LL: I'm a romantic but I mean, what is true love? SP: Is there someone that everyone is meant to be with? LL: I don't think it's one person I think life is about choices so if you meet an amazing person and both of you make the choice then it can be something. I don't think its destined to be just one person though cause what if that person dies? SP: If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? LL: My sex. I'm just kidding. Um, I would change my mind that never shuts off, you know? I think too much. --- --- All Photos Courtesy of Ben Rowland For more exclusive Lykke Li images click here !
 
Palestinian Youth Killed In Clash In Hebron Top
A 14-year old Palestinian was killed Friday afternoon in Hebron in what was apparently a clash between stone-throwers and IDF soldiers. More on Israel
 
China To Create Journalists Blacklist Top
BEIJING — China plans to create a blacklist of journalists who break its reporting rules, state media reported Friday, adding to an array of controls used to restrict its domestic media. According to a report in the China Press and Publishing Journal, the agency that exercises control over the state-owned Chinese media plans to "establish a database of media professionals with a bad record." It said reporters who violate the rules or laws will have their press cards taken away. "Their names will be entered into the list and they will be restricted from news reporting or editing work," Li Dongdong, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication, was quoted as saying. China's state-run media are tightly controlled and regularly censored in reporting the news. China relaxed some restrictions on foreign media during the Olympic Games last summer, but has since backtracked. Sensitive or negative issues are often ignored while Chinese journalists have been imprisoned for aggressive reporting on corruption in the private sector or the government. The national database is among a series of regulations being proposed to boost government supervision of news coverage, Li said. Among them are tightened reviews for press credentials as well as standardized qualifications for newspaper and magazine editors. The measures don't apply to foreign journalists in China, who are regulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Chinese citizens are prohibited from working as journalists for foreign media organizations. Li said the measures were needed to "resolutely prevent fake reporting." Journalists have at times sought bribes in return for not reporting negative news, such as coal mine accidents, and frequently accept cash or guaranteed advertising in return for glowing coverage. Though bribery and fake news are a concern, the much larger issue is one of censorship, said Vincent Brossel of Reporters without Borders. "What we've been monitoring is that when the government is saying that they are cracking down on fake news, they are also cracking down on independent journalists and critical reports," he said. There is a concern that the government is stepping up control of the media this year because of a number of sensitive anniversaries approaching, including the 50th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising and the 20th anniversary of the crackdown in Tiananmen Square, Brossel said. "We don't know what effect it will have, but it is a concern," he said. A staffer at the All China Journalists Association said he had heard about the proposed rules but declined to comment. During last summer's Olympic Games, Beijing loosened some media and Internet controls, with the aim of showing that the games had brought greater freedom to the Chinese people. As part of its winning bid for the games, Beijing had pledged to widen media freedom. But in the months since last August, China has blocked foreign and domestic Web sites, including those of The New York Times, the British Broadcasting Corp., and Ming Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper. It has also attempted to silence a number of pro-democracy dissidents by jailing them. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China reported on its Web site more than 335 cases of violence, detention and other harassment of reporters and their contacts since the beginning of 2007. More on China
 
Drew Peterson's Young Fiancee Wants Summer Wedding (WATCH) Top
NEW YORK - A woman who previously called her engagement to a former Illinois police sergeant suspected in his wife's disappearance a publicity "stunt" says their engagement is real and she hopes to marry him this summer. Christina Raines told NBC's "Today" in an interview broadcast Friday that her father has made it clear he won't attend her wedding to Drew Peterson. The 24-year-old woman's family is scared for her safety. She didn't directly address her claim earlier this month their engagement was a publicity stunt. Peterson has been named a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife. His third wife died in 2004, and the death was later ruled a homicide. The 55-year-old Peterson has denied any wrongdoing.
 
Manage Pizzeria and Make the Wealth! Play Now! Top
How do you think if pizzeria business is hard or simple? Would you be able to manage pizzeria by yourself? Check it right now! Play our colorful and mind-relaxing game! Help Roy run the pizzeria while Papa Louie is gone! Top, bake, and serve pizzas to earn tips and unlock new customers. Use the mouse to take orders, drag toppings on pizzas, take them out of the oven, and cut them into slices. More information can be found during Training or from the Help menu. More on Games
 
Peter Chernin's Uncertain News Corp Future Worries Company, Wall Street Top
Rupert Murdoch has returned from Australia, where he celebrated his mother's 100th birthday. Now the mogul faces another important date. The contract for Murdoch's chief lieutenant, News Corp. President Peter Chernin, expires June 30, and the two executives have been locked in negotiations for months. They haven't struck a deal, and concern is mounting inside the company, and on Wall Street, that Chernin will not renew.
 
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Charlie Ergen Assures: I May Let Mel Karmazin Stay At Sirius XM Top
Echostar's Charlie Ergen and Liberty's John Malone continue to tug at the carcass of Sirius (SIRI). It sounds as though Charlie has the upper hand, perhaps by throwing in the provision that he'll let Mel Karmazin keep his job (temporarily). In any event, Sirius's $175 million bond repayment is due Tuesday. If Mel can't get a deal done by then...poof.
 
Afghan President Admits Tensions With US Top
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has admitted that there is tension between his government and the new US administration. More on Afghanistan
 
Lauren Kirchner: Valentine's Day on a Budget? No Problem! Top
Hey, lovers! Economic times are tough, but you still want to express your devotion to your sweetie, right? Here are some ideas for a romantically frugal Valentine's Day! 1. Don't buy flowers: instead, make your own out of paper, fabric, or an old shoe you're not using anymore. 2. Don't go to a bed & breakfast: instead, take a walk in the park together! If you don't live near a park, look at a picture of a park in a magazine. If you don't live near a magazine, tell each other stories about parks you have been to. If you've never been to a park, say the word "park" to each other over and over. 3. Instead of expensive jewelry, your special lady might enjoy a "gift certificate" for something that you promise to do for her in the future, like wash her car, give her a massage, or stop covertly draining her bank account to finance your secret family in St. Louis. 4. Instead of going out dancing, stay in and sleep! Just sleep. All day and night. Because guess what, sleepin's free! 5. Instead of a pricey bottle of champagne, put water in a champagne glass and just tell them it's champagne! They won't know! 6. Don't go out to dinner. Ever again. 7. Donate blood together, and don't tell your special guy or gal you stole the idea from Dylan and Brenda on 90210. 8. Buy recycled candy instead of new! 9. Find out what your significant other values more than anything else in the world and then use that to mock and insult him/her until he/she breaks up with you the day before Valentine's Day. Then you're in the clear, Romeo! Apologize on February 15th and no harm done, you've just saved a pretty penny. 10. Go to a zoo and watch animals do it. More on valentine's day
 
2008 World Press Photo Winner: Foreclosure Sheriff Image For TIME Top
A picture of an armed sheriff moving through an American home after an eviction due to a mortgage foreclosure was named World Press Photo of 2008 on Friday. Jury members said the strength of the photo by American Anthony Suau for Time magazine was in its opposites -- it looks like a classic war photograph, but is simply the eviction of people from a house. "Now war in its classic sense is coming into people's houses because they can't pay their mortgages," jury chair MaryAnne Golon said. Fellow juror Akinbode Akinbiyi said: "All over the world people will be thinking: 'This is what is happening to all of us'."
 
Have Fun with Jumping Monkey! Top
Wanna have some fun? See how high your jumping monkey can get! This simple game is designed to entertain you a bit. Just press Enter to make the monkey jump up from knoll to knoll. But be careful! Some of them are moving all the time. More on Games
 
Dylan Loewe: Moderates... in Moderation Top
Last Tuesday afternoon, President Obama met with forty three of the forty nine Blue Dogs, an increasingly influential group of fiscally conservative Democrats, to discuss changes to the stimulus package. The big topics of discussion: fiscal responsibility, balancing the budget, and reducing government spending, an agenda with uncanny resemblance to the campaign literature distributed by Democrats in recently won -- and once thought unwinnable -- conservative Congressional districts. The Blue Dog Coalition, formed in 1995, is primarily made up of pro-gun, pro-free trade, anti-spending Democrats from conservative districts in every region of the country. And they aren't the only game in town. The New Democrat Coalition, closely affiliated with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, boasts almost sixty members, more than twenty percent of the entire Democratic caucus. Thirty one Democrats became freshman Congressmen after the 2006 elections. Another twenty one did the same two years later. Winning so many seats meant competing in places where Democrats had not been seen as competitive in a generation or more. It required a confluence of events: a president without credibility, an opposing party with a mortally wounded brand, an unpopular war, a series of headline-grabbing corruption scandals, and, lest we forget, an economic collapse so serious that legitimate comparisons of Republicans to Hoover, and of the crisis to the Great Depression, are made daily in national media. What was also required to win in such implausible districts was a centrist brand of Democrat, the kind for whom a Republican voter might give real consideration. All over the country, Democrats who railed against earmarks, who demanded a balanced budget and reduced government spending, those who had, as the central plank of their campaign, a call for fiscal conservatism, won by attracting business Republicans and Independent voters to their candidacies. In doing so, they established themselves as uniquely aligned to their constituency, but constrained by the narrow boundary on which they staked their campaign. With such substantial congressional wins has come a swelling in the caucus on its moderate flank, an entire cast of characters who won their seats by opposing huge chunks of the party platform, by distancing themselves from rather than embracing all things Obama. Now, in light of a stimulus debate in which many Democrats worked with Republicans to cut major progressive spending, from education construction to energy efficiency and health care, they have left little doubt about their intent and potential influence. Despite the resurgence of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and a modest liberalization of the voting public, the consequences of consecutive landslides might, for some, feel unintended, throwing up some of the very obstacles they were meant to break down. It is likely the case that Obama will be able to guide his agenda through Congress anyway; he has large enough margins and an impressive enough mandate to get the job done. But along the way, in committee and conference, during markup and debate, where critical funding is secured, the centrist wing of the Democratic party may well become the president's most frustrating opposition. More on Barack Obama
 
Paul Krassner: Interview with an Investigative Satirist Top
I thought that some of you might enjoy this Q. & A. with me in The Sun magazine, an oasis in the desert of gossip mongering: http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/398/in_the_jesters_court And while I'm here in Blogsville, I'd like to thank Arianna publicly for writing an introduction to my upcoming book, Who's to Say What's Obscene? More on satire
 
Great Moments In David Letterman Interviews (VIDEO) Top
We all know now that Feb. 11 was a blur for Joaquin Phoenix, and Feb. 12 turned out to be a blurry cold/flu vision for me, but who will look at this Friday the 13th and find it blurry? Spoiler alert: Probably you. That said, the Phoenix interview on The Late Show with David Letterman got me thinking about Letterman's many great and infamous moments over the years. There are a few people who look upon their Letterman spots as times to shine, whether it be for good (Bill Murray, Martin Short, Bruce Willis) or those who use him for their own evil self-purposes (Bill O'Reilly, Howard Stern, Paris Hilton). And then there are those who, well, just sort of take over the show, whether they meant to or not. This blog post is devoted to those celebs who took Letterman by surprise before Joaquin Phoenix. The nine greatest moments in David Letterman interviews, after the jump. More on David Letterman
 
Shelly Palmer: Joanna Pacitti Kicked Off American Idol : MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer February 13, 2009 Top
Joanna Pacitti , the controversial American Idol contest, has been kicked off the show . However, Pacitti was not thrown off for her semi-professional status, rather for having personal relationships with two 19 Entertainment insiders. The FCC has ruled that 123 stations set to make the transition to digital television before June 12th will not be allowed to do so . The agency claims that the stations "early termination poses a significant risk of substantial public harm." The stations can appeal the ruling by submitting a five-page statement on how delaying the transition until June will cause them "extreme economic hardship." Microsoft is set to begin opening retail stores . The folks at Redmond hired former Wal-Mart executive David Porter to be its VP of Retail Stores. Taking its cue from Apple, Microsoft will open a small number of stores in strategic areas. Microsoft noted that "The purpose of opening these stores is to create deeper engagement with consumers and continue to learn firsthand about what they want and how they buy." Google announced they are quitting the radio business . The search giant, who recently stopped selling newspaper ads, will do the same on the radio, in order to concentrate on web radio. The decision comes 3 years after Google paid $102 million in cash and nearly $1.2 billion in incentives to dMarc, a radio ad buying program. Midway Games filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday . The video game company, which Sumner Redstone formerly held a majority stake in, claims a change in ownership led to mounting debt that it could not fulfill. Midway CEO and President Matt Booty said ''We have been focused on realigning our operations and improving our execution, and this filing will relieve the immediate pressure from our creditors and provide us time for an orderly exploration of our strategic alternatives." Charter Communications has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . The company, owned by Paul Allen, is strapped with nearly $8 billion dollars of debt. Plans to restructure will begin April 1. Viacom is reporting that profit for the fourth quarter of 2008 was down 69% . However, the company's revenue remained flat. Despite apparent hardships, Sumner Redstone said "My long experience gives me optimism," while Viacom CEO described the times as "an orgy of pessimism." While outlook isn't great, the media conglomerate's cable division (MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1), and its film division were noted bright spots in the financial report. Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards ). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here . Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net More on Bankruptcy
 
Craig Crawford: What Would You Do with $13? Top
Wandering around Georgetown yesterday for the video below (click screen to watch), I found that in this ritzy neighborhood the sandwich business stands to gain from the President's payroll tax cut ($13 a week for the average worker). It's enough money for a fine burger at Billy Martin's Tavern, a Georgetown landmark. Of course, buying the ingredients and making your own sandwiches would stretch your tax cut much further. Craig blogs daily at craigcrawford.com on CQ Politics. More on Stimulus Package
 
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Alec Baldwin Mocks Joaquin Phoenix, Gets Killed Off On Conan (VIDEO) Top
Alec Baldwin imitated a zoned-out Joaquin Phoenix when he walked out on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" Thursday night. "I'm going to do my Joaquin Phoenix," Baldwin told Conan as he pretended to pass out and then picked his nose. The two then talked about Conan's impending move to LA, an unnamed London hotel Baldwin loves that he later found out was a hooker hotel, and the Oscars. At the end of Baldwin's appearance, his last before Conan moves, he announced he would like to be the "first talk show guest to be killed off a talk show." Out came Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) from "The Sopranos," who then strangled Baldwin and walked off. WATCH PART 1, WITH LA AND HOOKER TALK: WATCH PART 2, WITH OSCARS AND THE OFFING: More on Conan O'Brien
 
US Envoy In Afghanistan To Map Out Surge Top
Richard Holbrooke arrived in Kabul yesterday with the evidence of the lethal resurgence of the Taliban only too plain to see - the debris from a series of attacks just 24 hours earlier in the heart of the Afghan capital that killed 20 people and wounded 57. Barack Obama's special envoy is on a landmark visit as the US draws up a new strategy for a country which the new administration has declared will become its chief military focus with the drawdown from Iraq. However, the assault by suicide bombers and gunmen on Wednesday also illustrated the span of the Islamist insurgent threat across the region with US and Afghan security officials saying the plot was hatched in Pakistan, similar to the attacks on Mumbai, and is likely to have been assisted by rogue elements in Pakistan's intelligence service. In another echo of Mumbai, the militants in Kabul sent messages to Pakistan "seeking the blessing of their mastermind", said Amrullah Saleh, the head of NDS, the Afghan intelligence service. US officials claimed that the men were likely to be members of the Jalaluddin Haqqani group, which was responsible for an assassination attempt on the Afghan President Hamid Karzai last April, and a suicide bombing attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul last summer. Mr Holbrooke's remit also includes Pakistan, a country which Mr Obama has privately said "really scares" him with its mixture of a nuclear arsenal and rising Muslim fundamentalism. His envoy met the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore to urge that more should be done to stop cross-border raids by the Taliban into Afghanistan and said afterwards: "We call this situation Afpak. There will be more focus on Pakistan." But it is Afghanistan which will see the more immediate results of the Obama strategy with extra troops being sent in response to a request by commanders on the ground. General David McKiernan, the US commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, has asked for 30,000 extra troops to join the 37,000 Americans already there. The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates suggested the initial deployment was likely to be about 3,500, with the numbers rising over the next few months. "The President will have several options in front of him and I think he will make those decisions probably in the course of the next few days," said Mr Gates. "It seems to me a thoughtful and deliberative approach to that decision is entirely appropriate." Most of the additional troops will head south to counter a growing Taliban insurgency in Helmand, the centre of British operations, and Kandahar, which has a Canadian contingent. The runway at Camp Bastion, the main UK base, is being expanded to fly in US forces who will fan out into frontier towns such as Garmsir, recently recaptured from the Taliban, for a drive towards the Pakistani border. General David Petraeus, credited with reducing violence in Iraq through a "surge", will be in charge of the Afghan offensive. The total Western military presence in Afghanistan stands at 70,000 and most other Nato countries are reluctant to commit significant numbers of further troops to the conflict. Britain is likely to send another 3,000 troops in time for the Afghan elections in August and Italy will says it will add another 500. However, countries such as Germany, which has a force of about 4,500 in the north, are unlikely to add more. There is, indeed, a feeling in some Nato countries in Europe that there is already too much emphasis on the military option and too little on civil factors, and that the American decision to merge their counter-terrorist mission, Operation Enduring Freedom, with Nato's Isaf (International Security Assistance Force) is a mistake. One senior Western diplomat said: "Merging the two missions is a big problem. There are German troops complaining for instance that they have lost access to some villages because the Americans have bombed them. Even having 120,000 troops will not solve this. We need a comprehensive policy and what there has been of it is too little, too late." US officials counter that the military escalation is just one part of the Obama strategy, which also aims to tackle opium production; endemic corruption in public life including people close to Mr Karzai, and the lack of governance. These particular issues have also led to growing disenchantment with Mr Karzai among the international community and the Obama administration has warned the Afghan president that he may not be Washington's automatic candidate in the forthcoming elections. In her confirmation hearing as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton labelled Afghanistan as a "narco-state" with government "plagued by limited capacity and widespread corruption". During a visit to Kabul last year, Joe Biden, then the Democrat vice-presidential candidate, is said to have stormed out of a meeting with Mr Karzai after complaining of "not getting straight answers". Mr Karzai's supporters now accuse the Americans of behaving like "colonial masters" and charge them with pursuing policies which have added to the lawlessness. It was thus unsurprising that some Afghan officials seized on a report by the US Government Accountability Office yesterday, revealing that the US military had failed to keep track of thousands of weapons shipped to the country. The report stated that the US military failed to keep adequate records of 87,000 rifles, pistols, mortars and other weapons sent to Afghanistan between 2004 and 2008. There were similar failings with 135,000 light weapons donated to Afghan forces via the Americans by 21 countries and the records of the serial numbers of 41,000 weapons also given to the Afghans have gone missing. Related articles: Secret talks with Taliban gather pace as surge looms Read more from the Independent. More on Afghanistan
 
Liam Stack: "Kidnapped" by Egyptian police, German activist joins thousands detained without charge Top
Last Friday, Philip Rizk, a 26-year-old German-Egyptian graduate student at the American University in Cairo, was abducted by officers from Egypt's feared State Security service. He and a dozen friends had just completed a solidarity march for Gaza through a rural area outside of Cairo. During the march they called for Egypt to open its border crossing with the Gaza Strip, at the town of Rafah. It was a position Rizk had urged time and again on his blog, Tabula Gaza . After the march, police detained them for several hours inside a bus before taking them to a nearby station, say witnesses . There, Philip was separated from the group, thrown into an unmarked van with no license plates and driven off into the night. For six days, Egypt refused to acknowledge that Philip was in detention or to explain his abduction. No one knew where he was or how he was being treated. He had disappeared. "We can only makes guesses about why they took him," said Jeanette Rizk, Philip's sister, the night before he was released. "He lived in Gaza for two years and made a documentary about non-violent activism, and during the war he helped get medical supplies to Gaza through Rafah." "But there has been no official word about why they did it," she added. "They will not even admit to us that they have him, and we are his family." Within days, the case drew an amount of publicity that must have shocked the Egyptian government. As a German citizen, his Embassy immediately began to work for his release and the story grabbed headlines in German media . The morning after his abduction, friends and classmates held a small protest outside the Office of the Public Prosecutor in downtown Cairo. By Monday, protests had spread to Egyptian embassies across Europe and North America. Within the last week, The New York Times has run two stories about him. The phrase on everyone's sign, and the words on everyone's lips, seemed to be "Where is Philip Rizk ?" His release in the early hours of Wednesday provided few concrete answers. Speaking to reporters after his release, Rizk says his police interrogators never told why he was taken or where he was held. Interrogated for four days, Rizk says police "never touched or physically abused" him, no doubt thanks to his German passport and intensive diplomatic efforts to win his release. But he was kept handcuffed and blind folded for four days, he says, and kept in a room filled with sounds of torture, though he is unsure if they were recordings of previous torture sessions or abuses actually happening before his blindfolded eyes. His interrogators variously accused him of spying for Israel, running guns to Hamas and working as a Christian missionary - three charges that would seem mutually exclusive. "When the interrogation began, the main interrogator said 'Everything that is in your head, we want to take it out. Tell us everything about your life,'" He says. While the physical location of his detention is unknown, activists say the answer to the question written on protest banners from Cairo to San Francisco is simple: Philip Rizk vanished into the same system of extralegal detention that has ensnared between 5,000 and 20,000 Egyptians in the last several years. "This is a regular practice of the police in Egypt, sometimes against members of the opposition, or bloggers or demonstrators at protests," says Hafez Abu Sa'ada, the Director of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights. "The government uses it to shut down opposition, stop protest or silence demonstrators." According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, some estimates put the total number of people detained without charge since the emergency law began in 1981 as high as 100,000. Philip was not the only person detained for his beliefs last Friday, but is widely thought to have become the most high profile because of his German passport and a world wide network of friends ready to protest on his behalf. Also detained were 23-year-old blogger Dia Eddin Gad, a high school dropout from the city of Tanta who also criticized Egyptian policy towards Gaza on his site, An Angry Voice . The government has provided no news of his whereabouts or wellbeing. Police arrested as many as 60 members of the country's main opposition group, the banned-but-officially-tolerated Muslim Brotherhood, on the same day. They have not been charged with a crime but are accused of planning to participate in a protest at a later date, according to wire reports. On the night before Philip's release a motley crew of Egyptian activists and well-heeled students, both local and foreign, from the American University in Cairo staged a protest in front of the Egyptian Journalist's Syndicate. It is one of the only places in Egypt where public protests are allowed. Nevertheless, the crowd of 100 was faced with a contingent of riot police and plainclothes intelligence officers rapidly taking notes on the participants. The crowd chanted for the release of half a dozen men, but Philip's name was the only one printed on a sea of banners and posters. "It's very scary," said his sister, Jeannette Rizk, as the sun set over downtown Cairo. "We just want Philip to come home." The next day he did, but thousands more have yet to be so lucky. More on Palestinian Territories
 
Milbank Blasts Plouffe Off-Record Event: "The Audacity Of Audaciousness" Top
It takes a certain amount of nerve to have an event at the National Press Club and then ban the press from covering it. It takes another level of chutzpah entirely to admit members of the general public to your event at the National Press Club, recruit a news organization as the co-sponsor and then tell the press they can't cover it.
 
Kevin Costner's Wife Has Another Baby Boy Top
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Costner and his wife are proud parents of a baby boy, his publicist Arnold Robinson said. Costner's wife Christine Baumgartner gave birth to Hayes Logan Costner on Thursday night in Los Angeles. He weighs 8 pounds, 15 ounces. Costner went back to the old West to find a name for his new son. Costner told AP Radio before the baby was born that he would call him Hayes after "a cowboy character" in a Western he plans to film. Costner calls Hayes "a great Western name." He's the second son for Costner and Baumgartner. Their other child, Cayden, is 21 months old. Costner also has three grown children from a previous marriage. More on Celebrity Kids
 
Karen Salmansohn: Romancing On The Cheap Top
Just because the economy is having problems right now, doesn't mean your romance life has to suffer. You can still have lots of romantic times with your treasured sweetie without having to pay a treasure chestful. I spoke with Professional Matchmaker, Samantha Daniels, who is the owner of the high end, bicoastal company, Samantha's Table Matchmaking , to get some tips on romancing on the cheap. Samantha has been responsible for over 100 marriages and thousands of long lasting relationships. Her clients are all high profile, busy professionals and celebrities who have been very successful in their careers. But, hey, in this economy, everyone loves a deal -- so check out Samantha's romancing on the cheap tips below: 1) Gifts You can give your sweetie an "IOU" Romance Book where you create individual coupons and put them in the box that they can redeem at anytime. Examples... "1 back massage," "1 lazy Sunday," "1 breakfast in bed," "1 guys' night out," "1 hall-pass from going out with your relatives," "1 choice of the movie on movie night," "1 cleaning the garage," etc. Or give your honeypie a music compilation that you create yourself of his/her favorite music. It's an especially thoughtful gift if your honey especially loves music. 2) Cards Instead of buying the usual Hallmark cards, in this economy you can send an E-card or go online to a "Create your own card" website like Smilebox.com where you can create your own card and print it out on your own printer for free. Or you can send totally adorable free e-cards from the Hallmark website. 3) Dining Bring your favorite restaurant home! Almost every famous chef has a recipe book (aka: Charlie Palmers, Danny Meyers, Bobby Flay). Buy the book and ingredients and cook up an amazingly romantic meal for a fraction of the price -- without having to worry about showing too much Public Display of Affection. And if you're not afraid of expressing your love in public, you can eat out more cheaply if you choose a BYOB restaurant -- and bring along your favorite wine. Or pick a restaurant that has prix fixe specials. Many restaurants have their "restaurant week" special all year round. You just need to ask. And if it's Valentine's Day dining you are after, then celebrate before or after Valentine's Day! On the 13th or the 15th, you can enjoy a romantic and lovely meal without paying those high falutin' Valentines Day prices. Basically, it's all about being creative, and thinking about what makes your sweet-thing happy -- even if it's not what you personally prefer. Throughout time showing appreciation and effort has always been a terrific aphrodisiac -- and it's especially so in this economy. Karen Salmansohn is a best selling author of self help for people who would not be caught dead reading self help -- with titles like How to Be Happy Dammit and The Clitourist: A Guide to One of the Hottest Spots on Earth . More on valentine's day
 
The Sportsman's Daily: Flight Attendant Bedded the Mick and Spiro; Claims Former Veep Better in the Sack Top
NEW YORK, NY (Sportsman's Daily Wire Service) -- He was a long-ball threat every time he slipped under the covers. "Mickey was a lot of fun and a beautiful man, but Spiro was a beast. People used to say he looked like a burrowing animal in a business suit. He did, actually. But it was the intensity of his burrowing that made his love-making so satisfying." Former Eastern Airlines flight attendant Martha Haines claims to have conducted simultaneous affairs with Richard Nixon's vice president, Spiro Agnew, and Yankee great Mickey Mantle. In his memoir, "In My Rear View Mirror" (which we recently finished after some 750 trips to the john, as the book was published in July 2007), veteran TV sports reporter Sal Marchiano writes that Haines bedded Mantle over an eight-year period in which she also carried on with Agnew during his White House years. "Mick knew about Spiro, and while Spiro didn't know about Mick, Mick was obviously his favorite ballplayer," said Haines. "He knew everything there was to know about the guy, from his home run to strike-out ratio to every last deduction on his income tax returns over a six year span." While the Mick was "fun company," it was the Veep who put up the big numbers. "I know Mick was a great ballplayer, but to tell you the God's honest truth, he wasn't exactly a Hall of Fame performer in the sack -- he had a bad back, his knees were always acting up, on top of which he was fall-down drunk most of the time I knew him. With Mick it was all or nothing -- mostly nothing. Spiro was more consistent. Put it this way: his dingers didn't travel as far, but they were more plentiful." According to Haines, Mantle, who referred to Agnew as "Spee-roo," pressed her to reveal details of their love making. "Mickey wanted stats -- how big, how long, what he liked, where he liked it. One night he barrelled into my hotel room with Whitey (Ford) and Billy (Martin). I'm thinking, oh no, not tonight. But Mickey just wanted me to entertain his Yankee buddies with stories of me administering to the needs of our Vice President. I remember Billy at one point asking if I'd ever get it on with President Nixon given the chance --'Billy, I said, not with your dick.' They all thought it was the funniest thing they ever heard." While it's hard to imagine two more different human beings, apparently Mantle and the VP shared at least one trait: their liberal use of alliteration. "Spiro used to get annoyed when I'd disappear into the bathroom to powder my nose: 'stop your pusillanimous pussyfooting.' Or he'd accuse me of 'hopeless, hysterical hypochondria' when it was that time of the month. Coming from anyone else it sounds just plain dumb, but coming from Spiro it was cute -- even the time he demanded I sit still and stop my nabobs from nattering -- I mean, I wasn't sure what part of my anatomy he was referring to, but how could you get angry at a guy who could come up with stuff like that at the drop of a hat." Mantle's use of alliteration was a bit more home-spun. "To this day I can hear Mickey's voice on the phone, his speech slurred from three too many martinis: "Peaches, I'm hornier than a horndog in heat.' He had a million expressions like that. Contrary to his reputation, he was a caring and affectionate man. It's just a shame he passed before they found a cure for erectile dysfunction." When Agnew was forced to resign in October 1973, pleading "nolo contendre" to charges of illegal campaign contributions and kickbacks, the affair with the Vice President ended. "I never heard from him again. Shortly after Mickey called to tell me it's over. He was sweet about it, but it hurt. But what really hurt was finding out that Spiro's cute expressions were actually written by his speech writers. I suppose the only thing worse is to find out that the penis in my mouth was actually Pat Buchanan's." (Note: Patrick Buchanan was one of Spiro Agnew's chief speech writers.) More on Richard Nixon
 
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Colbert Says Goodbye To Conan (VIDEO) Top
Conan O'Brien is leaving New York this week for the West Coast to take over the "Tonight Show" from Jay Leno. Stephen Colbert is not happy about it. He got all choked up when talking about his long-time friend's move to Hollywood. He will miss his fellow late-night host, so much so that he stole Conan's invisible strings (the ones he uses to do his pocket dance) so that Conan will have to return to New York if he "ever wants to do his little dance again." Colbert and O'Brien will go head to head in the 11:30p time slot, another fact that moves the former to crocodile tears in this segment. WATCH: The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Goodbye, Conan O'Brien Colbert Report Full Episodes Funny Political News Christian Bale Parody Joke of the Day More on Stephen Colbert
 
Bill Clinton Will Have To Cross Picket Line For San Diego Speech Top
Former President Bill Clinton will likely cross a picket line when he delivers a keynote speech at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego on Sunday. For several weeks, union officials and gay-rights activists behind a boycott of the hotel urged Clinton to cancel his appearance before the International Franchise Association - or at least move the address. More on Bill Clinton
 
Jason Mannino: More Love Than The Law Allows Top
This Valentine's day many are freely basking in the joy of being legally married while the fate of 18,000 gay and lesbian marriages in California lies in the hands of the State Supreme Court. This is precisely why it's critical, whether you are gay, straight, black, white, and all shades in between to remember the distinction between being married and being in love. Following the passage of Proposition 8 in November I was experiencing deep anger and at the time unsure of how to resolve it. I went to one of my teachers, Ron Hulnick, and through tears I said, "Help me, I don't know what to do with my anger." In this moment of authentic expression my experience transformed. Through Ron's support I came to know myself above all else as a loving being even deeper than I had known before. My resolution revealed to me that love knows no sexual orientation. In all things, love only recognizes itself. Yes, marriage is a legal arrangement that grants couples certain rights. Regardless, laws, even the ones that try, cannot take away one's freedom to choose to be in love or to choose who they want to love. LGBT people have been fighting for legal validation of love and relationship for a very long time. I am in alignment with the need for equal rights. However, like joy, bliss, and divinity, love is an internal essence that cannot be created or destroyed, and therefore, needs no government validation Experiencing love is a result of an inner choice to dwell in this essence, whether you are a man or woman who chooses to love a man or woman. It exists beyond the mind, body, and sex organs. I was recently working with a gay client and we uncovered unconscious, negative patterns that seemed to be keeping him from having intimate relationships. What we discovered is that he was holding onto an old, false belief that, "relationships are only for men and women." However, even deeper than this belief was an ingrained sense of unworthiness of love and relationships. When I began to explore the truth with my client, he realized that he can internally access an experience of self-loving and in so doing begin to resolve this unworthiness. Also, he realized that, "relationships are for the expression of love, regardless of the sex of the individuals." This very lesson is one of the gifts that LGBT people offer to society. Many in the LGBT community experience this unworthiness as a result of being told for so long that varied expressions of love are not valid. It is this history of societal invalidation that has compelled me to look inward and heal patterns of my own judgment and fear of those who choose to hate, particularly, under the guise of religion. I am grateful that I have a depth of compassion that empowers me to understand that these people are immersed in their own human experience, although I find homophobia profoundly irrational In this human experience it is the identification with ego (fear and hatred) that motivates their behavior to limit the expression of love, simply because it is different. This Valentine's day whether you are gay, straight, married, or single I encourage you to take an inward journey to experience your true loving essence. By doing this you can begin to trust that love is ever present regardless of your circumstances. Trusting in this internal, eternal loving essence also supports you in knowing that your personal experience and expression of love needs no justification. Some simple ways to get connected with your loving essence are outlined in one of my previous articles, Get Your SELF-Centered for the Holidays . Also, simply stating the intention to "be in love regardless of circumstances," (and regardless of whether or not you are single, dating, married, divorced, gay, straight) is powerful enough to shift you into dwelling in this essence. When you allow yourself to dwell in this essence you begin to see others as this essence. It then becomes very clear that loving has less to do with the form our relationships take or the sex of the people we love and so much more to with the quality of our loving. *** Learn more about Jason and A.C.T.ion Centered Transformation at www.jmannino.com. Request Jason's complimentary e-book by e-mailing info@jmannino.com . More on Gay Marriage
 
Continental Plane Crash Press Conference: Live Video Top
Click the top player to see the plane crash press conference. Or go to this link here: http://www.cnn.com/live/ More on Slideshows
 
Microsoft Retail Stores To Open Top
SEATTLE — Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced plans to open its own stores despite the economic downturn that has left many retailers struggling. The company hired David Porter, a 25-year veteran of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., as its corporate vice president of retail stores. Porter was head of worldwide product distribution at DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. since 2007. Porter, who is set to start work on Tuesday, is charged with improving the PC-buying experience. The company said his first task will be to set the timing, locations and design of Microsoft-branded retail stores, which will sell computers installed with Microsoft software as well as other company products. Microsoft has been working to revive the image of its ubiquitous Windows operating system, starting with a $300 million advertising campaign that began last fall. Vista, the most recent version of the software, was widely criticized for being slow, requiring new and pricer hardware, and not working with devices like printers and scanners. Vista has also been the subject of a series of snarky television ads from Apple Inc. At the same time it launched upbeat new TV ads last fall, some of which struck right back at Apple, Microsoft posted 144 of its own employees in electronics chain stores around the world to talk with shoppers about Windows. The "Gurus" seemed to be Microsoft's answer to Apple's in-store "Genius Bar." With its newly announced retail store intentions, the Redmond-based software maker is taking yet another page from Apple's play book. Apple credits its stores, concentrated mostly in the U.S., for helping boost its profile and draw new customers. But Microsoft's timing may be off. The U.S. recession has socked the retail sector, and purveyors of electronics have been hit hard. Circuit City Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November and said in January it would liquidate its 567 U.S. stores, cutting more than 34,000 jobs. Best Buy Inc. laid off thousands of corporate employees in December and reported same-store sales _ a key measure of retail health _ sank 6.5 percent. Even Apple, whose iPods, iMacs and iPhones draw brand-conscious customers willing to spend more for design, was hit in the holiday quarter by the recession as average sales per store dropped to $7 million from $8.5 million in 2007. Microsoft had no comment on the plight of Apple and the big-box stores, but said its own retail stores can help shoppers make smarter decisions about spending money on technology. The company had set up a concept store at its headquarters with displays of Windows computers, Xbox 360 consoles and games and other items. But the company said it's meant to help stores like Best Buy see new merchandising ideas in action, and is not a prototype for stand-alone retail stores. More on Microsoft
 
Paula Oliviera, Attacked Brazilian Woman, Wasn't Pregnant: Zurich Police Top
ZURICH — Investigators say the Brazilian woman who claimed to have lost her unborn twins in a Swiss skinhead attack was not pregnant and probably cut wounds into herself. Zurich University forensic medicine chief Walter Baer said Friday that "any experienced forensic doctor would not hesitate to assume that this was a case of self-infliction." The 26-year-old lawyer Paula Oliviera claims she was attacked Monday by three skinheads, one with a Nazi symbol tattooed on the back of his head, outside a Zurich train station. Pictures have shown her stomach and legs scarred with the initials of Switzerland's main right-wing party. The alleged details have shocked the Swiss public and prompted condemnation from Brazil's president. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. ZURICH (AP) _ Police say the Brazilian woman who claimed to have lost her unborn twins in a Swiss skinhead attack was not pregnant. Zurich police said in a statement Friday it was still unclear if 26-year-old Paula Oliviera's wounds were inflicted by assailants or herself. The lawyer claims she was attacked Monday by three skinheads, one with a Nazi symbol tattooed on his forehead, outside a train station in Zurich on her way home. Pictures have shown her stomach and legs scarred with the initials of Switzerland's main right-wing party. Brazil's Foreign Ministry and media have said she was speaking in Portuguese when accosted, raising the idea of an anti-foreigner attack. The alleged details have shocked the Swiss public and prompted condemnation from Brazil's president. More on Europe
 
Afghan Immigrant Convicted In "Honor Killing" Of Sister In Germany Top
HAMBURG — A 24-year-old Afghan immigrant has been convicted of murdering his 16-year-old sister in a so-called "honor killing" in Germany. A Hamburg state court convicted Ahmad Obeidi on Friday and sentenced him to life in prison for stabbing his sister, Morsal Obeidi, to death in a parking lot in the city last year. Obeidi admitted to the killing. He said he believed his sister had brought dishonor to his family. He told the court he had seen her with many male friends at the train station and thought she might be working as a prostitute. More on Europe
 
Michelle Obama's Hairstyles: A Retrospective (SLIDESHOW) Top
Like most women, Michelle Obama's hair has gone through many incarnations in her lifetime. From first grader to First Lady, from Jackie O flips to slicked-backed buns to a short stint with headbands (hello, Hillary Clinton), see the sometimes bold and sometimes subtle ways her hair has changed over the years. More on Michelle Obama
 
Aides: Obama Hasn't Been Rewarded For Reaching Across The Aisle Top
Judd Gregg's withdrawal as Commerce Secretary nominee has left aides to President Obama feeling burned in their bipartisan outreach, the Washington Post reports . Senior Obama officials portrayed the latest personnel debacle as reflecting badly on Gregg alone, insisting they are still on course to change the tone in Washington and implement the president's policies. But aides acknowledged that it is now clear that Obama has not been rewarded for reaching across the aisle, and they said he feels no imperative to replace Gregg with another Republican. Obama himself has made public his surprise at Gregg's move. In an interview with the State Journal-Register , the president said "It comes as something of a surprise, because the truth, you know, Mr. Gregg approached us with interest and seemed enthusiastic." However, Obama also joked about the news Thursday night at a dinner celebrating Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told the Post he expects Gregg to receive a "standing ovation" when he walks into the next gathering of the Senate Republican Conference.
 
Obama Administration Weighing Plan To Lower Mortgage Rates For Foreclosure Risks Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's administration is considering spending taxpayer dollars to cut monthly payments for homeowners on the verge of foreclosure, according to two people briefed on the proposals. The deliberations came as lawmakers prepared to enact a new tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers that is intended to boost the ailing housing market. Details of the plans to aid troubled borrowers were not final but were expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks, according to the people who declined to be identified because the details were not yet complete. The effort would be part of a plan to spend $50 billion on foreclosure prevention and establish national standards for modifying home loans. The administration has several ways it could spend money to stem foreclosures. It could follow a proposal by Sheila Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., who wants to give banks an incentive to reduce borrowers' payments by having the government absorb some of the losses should loans fail again. Or, the government could direct federal dollars to loan modifications. If a lender, for example, agreed to reduce a borrower's rate, the government could subsidize a further interest rate drop. Still, deciding who would qualify would be a challenge, especially as foreclosures continue to soar. More than 274,000 U.S. households received at least one foreclosure-related notice last month, according to RealtyTrac Inc. The Obama administration also is expected to back a push in Congress _ opposed by the mortgage industry _ to let bankruptcy judges alter the terms of primary home loans. Earlier this week, Obama said it "makes no sense" that judges are not allowed to do so. The mortgage industry argues that this prohibition allows lenders to charge lower rates. Meanwhile, the new tax credit for first-time homebuyers that's included in the economic stimulus package was far less than the homebuilding industry wanted. Analysts expect the credit to provide only a modest boost to the battered U.S. housing market. First-time buyers are defined as those who haven't owned a house for at least three years. The tax credit is part of the economic stimulus package expected to be signed soon by President Barack Obama. It was scaled back from a Senate proposal of $15,000 and is limited to first-time buyers who act between the start of this year and the end of November. The credit of 10 percent of the value of a home, up to $8,000, would cost the government an estimated $6.6 billion. It would start phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers would have to repay the credit if they sold their homes within three years. Struggling homebuilders, already looking ahead to the traditional spring selling season, had been counting on Congress to help spur pent-up sales after completing the worst year for new home sales since 1982. Executives for one major builder, Beazer Homes USA Inc., noted earlier this week that they had seen an uptick in traffic over the weekend as many prospective buyers learned of the Senate's original incentive provision. But with that proposal gone, Wall Street analysts said the homebuyer provision will have a negligible effect on homebuilders' fortunes. "Congress, unambiguously, left the builders out in the cold," said Deutsche Bank analyst Nishu Sood. "It's a pretty big disappointment that they scaled it back." Real estate agents were more optimistic. The National Association of Realtors projected the change will stimulate an additional 200,000 home sales. "It'll make a big impact, I think on our market," said Paula Swayne, a real estate broker in Sacramento, Calif., an area flooded with foreclosures and sales of distressed properties. "Buyers will finally have to get off the fence in order to use it ... . There are so many affordable houses." The big unknown, however, was the state of the economy. With employers laying off thousands of workers, many potential homebuyers are nervous about making such a big financial commitment. Mortgage rates remain low, falling this week to a national average of 5.16 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, according to mortgage finance company Freddie Mac. But credit remains tight. And borrowers need a down payment of at least 3.5 percent to qualify for a loan backed by Federal Housing Administration, a popular option for many first-time buyers. Many potential buyers haven't saved up enough money for a down payment. "If you don't have a way to get that, the tax credit doesn't do them much good," said James McCanless, an analyst who covers builders for FTN Midwest Securities . But if the government can prod lenders to loosen credit standards and buy enough mortgage-backed securities to keep mortgage rates low, the tax credit could make a difference, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "I don't think it's enough to jolt the housing market back to life, but it's a plus," he said. Last year, Congress enacted a $7,500 tax credit for first-time buyers, but that had to be paid back over 15 years and the impact on home sales was negligible. When the new credit is signed into law, Chris Sipe, a loan officer with Mason Dixon Funding in Rockville, Md., plans to e-mail the more than 1,000 contacts in his database to let them know about the opportunity. "The bulk of the market right now is first-time buyers," he said. First-time homebuyers bought 2.2 million new and existing homes last year, according to the National Association of Realtors, making up about 41 percent of total U.S. home sales, up from 39 percent in 2007 and 36 percent in 2006. Concerns about the bill's overall costs, plus criticism that a much larger credit would not benefit borrowers on the verge or foreclosure, and mainly help people with healthy enough incomes to buy a house, helped sink plans for a much larger credit. The homebuilding industry mounted an unsuccessful push for a credit for up to $20,000 for all buyers, flying builders in from around the country last month for a massive lobbying push that wound up falling short. "What the builders wanted was massive relief _ not targeted toward where the real problem was _ paid for by everybody," said Thomas Lawler, a Northern Virginia housing economist. "That seemed to be pretty egregious." Sales fell in the fourth quarter of last year around the country, except for six states where buyers have been able to snap up foreclosed homes at a bargain: Nevada, California, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota and Virginia, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Nationwide, the median sales price was $180,100, down 12 percent from a year ago. ___ AP Business Writer Christopher S. Rugaber contributed to this report from Washington. Alex Veiga contributed from Los Angeles. More on Housing Crisis
 
Toyota Cutting US Executives' Pay, Offering Buyouts Top
NEW YORK — Toyota Motor Corp. is reacting to the slump in U.S. auto sales by further cutting North American production, slashing executives' compensation up to 30 percent and offering buyouts to about 18,000 workers. "We've taken responsible, step-by-step actions to address this issue in recent months, and we hope the new measures will help us adjust while protecting jobs," said Jim Wiseman, vice president of external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America in a statement. The company said Thursday it will cut production days at some U.S. factories in April _ from two to eight days according to the amount of inventory at the particular plant. Toyota is also instituting a shorter work week at some plants. Affected hourly employees would work eight hours less per two-week period, taking a pay cut with the new 72-hour workweek. Unionized plants in the U.S. and Mexico will not be affected. The world's No. 1 automaker said the move will begin in April at its auto assembly plants in Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, as well as auto-parts factories in Alabama, Missouri and West Virginia. "We have decided to introduce the scheme as the auto market in North America continues to deteriorate, and we also have to protect jobs for our workers," said Toyota spokesman Yuta Kaga. The 30 percent pay drop for executives includes a 5 percent salary cut and the eliminated bonus. Bonuses will be eliminated for all salaried and executive employees _ a group comprising 10 percent of Toyota's 30,000 manufacturing jobs in North America _ while production team bonuses will be reduced. The company will also offer buyouts to 18,000 workers, but company spokesman Mike Goss said Toyota does not expect many workers to take them. The buyouts also will not be offered to workers at a Canadian plant, nor unionized plants in the U.S. or Mexico. The buyout offer consists of 10 weeks of pay, plus two weeks of pay for every year of service, plus $20,000. It will be the company's first North America-wide buyout offer. The company will also eliminate salary increases for the "foreseeable future." Toyota, which expects its first annual net loss this year since 1950, had previously frozen North American hiring, eliminated overtime, suspended capital spending and scheduled periodic cuts in production. The company, which prides itself on avoiding layoffs, is in the process of eliminating 5,300 contract jobs in Japan. Contract workers lack most of the benefits given to regular salaried workers, as well as the tacit guarantee of lifetime employment. The Detroit automakers, meanwhile, have laid off thousands of salaried and hourly workers as they struggle to survive a massive auto sales slowdown. Other Japanese automakers are also slashing payrolls. On Monday, Nissan Motor Co., said it would cut 20,000 jobs worldwide, or 8.5 percent of its 235,000-strong global work force, by March 2010. Toyota is grappling with plunging demand worldwide, especially in the U.S., and a strong yen, which cuts overseas profits of Japanese exporters like Toyota. ___ Associated Press Writer Shino Yuasa in Tokyo contributed to this report.
 
Sonny Kalsi, Morgan Stanley Top Official, Suspended Top
Morgan Stanley has suspended its global head of real estate investing after revealing that actions by an employee believed to be the former China property head "appear to have violated" the foreign corrupt practices act, a US law that prohibits corporate bribery. People close to Morgan Stanley said the bank had put Sonny Kalsi, a high-profile banker who leads its big real estate division, on administrative leave effective immediately. The move came after Morgan Stanley disclosed in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had discovered actions initiated by an unnamed China-based employee that "appear to have violated" the act.
 
MBA Students Forced To Find Backup Plan Amid Recession Top
CAMBRIDGE - For decades, investment banking was a well-worn path to affluence for business-school graduates. But as Wall Street teeters, many are scrambling to find alternate routes into a brutal job market. Facing one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, some Masters of Business Administration students are lowering expectations. Aspiring investment bankers are looking elsewhere, while international students wonder if they will have better luck at home than in the United States.
 
What's In The Stimulus Bill For You: Tax Breaks And Benefits Top
All the talk the last couple of days about the stimulus bill was about compromise and slimming down. What is left, though, is a huge spending bill, with well over $100 billion in tax breaks and handouts for individuals. And most of us will be able to use at least one of them, though it will be difficult to get much money immediately, unlike the stimulus checks that went out last year. What follows is a list of some of the biggest provisions in the bill that will hit you directly in the wallet. Keep in mind that the language in the measure isn't quite final and the Senate and House still have to vote to approve it.
 
Laid Off GM Workers Try To Restart Their Lives Top
JANESVILLE, Wis.-- ... In this city, the loss of the 90-year-old G.M. plant and its 2,500 jobs has created a swirling mixture of anger, confusion, worry and hurt, underscoring how the recession is raising anxiety among workers nationwide. Combined with the shuttering of several nearby suppliers, the G.M. closing meant a loss of 4,000 jobs in this city of 64,000. Their union contract has given these workers more relief than many. With few local employers hiring, more than 1,000 of those laid off have returned to school, seeking to reboot their lives by studying welding, nursing, cooking and other fields, thanks, in part, to the contract's tuition assistance.
 
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New Joaquin Phoenix Rap Song Leaked To The Internets (VIDEO) Top
Zach Selwyn and HuffPost's own Eli Braden made this hilarious video of "Joaquin Phoenix" rapping about his past movie blunders and personal life when news broke of the actor giving up his on-screen career for a shot at music fame. Little did they know how big a story this would turn into after Phoenix's insane Letterman appearance . In this snippet from the upcoming documentary about the actor-turned-rapper, Phoenix is doing his thing on a track produced by Sean Combs. WATCH: (For actual footage of Phoenix rapping click here .) More on Funny Videos
 
Like Deer Hunting? Play Here! Top
Do you like a deer hunting? Or you like sooting range? Then play here and enjoy new shooting game! Challenge your hunting skills in this classic hunting game. Earn points to upgrade your gear for better hunting. Realistic shooting with range, weapon accuracy and so on. The controls are simple: fire: left mouse movement: mouse Space: Reload More on Games
 
Andy Borowitz: Obama Seeks New Commerce Secretary on Craigslist Top
Frustrated in his attempts to find someone willing to be Commerce Secretary, President Barack Obama today turned to Craigslist, the popular online classifieds site. "The position of Commerce Secretary is too important to remain unfilled another day," Mr. Obama said. "That's why it is absolutely essential that this Craigslist thing work." The President's online gambit seemed to pay off early in the day, when Josh Hurtstein, an indie rock musician from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, tentatively accepted the post. But hours later, Mr. Hurtstein did an about-face, withdrawing his name from consideration with the following terse statement: "At first I was like, that would be awesome, but I didn't realize I would have to move." For his part, Mr. Obama said he would continue his search on Craigslist, adding, "While I have not yet found a Commerce Secretary there I did just find a great pair of skis." Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times , and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com . He is performing at the 92nd St. Y on April 30 at 8 PM with special guests Judy Gold, Hendrik Hertzberg, and Jonathan Alter. For tickets, go to 92y.org . More on Barack Obama
 
Iraqi Female Suicide Bomber Kills 35 Shiite Pilgrims Top
BAGHDAD — A female suicide bomber attacked a tent filled with women and children resting from a pilgrimage to a Shiite holy city south of Baghdad on Friday, killing 40 people and injuring 60 others, said officials. It was the deadliest attack in Iraq this year and the third straight day of bombings against Shiite pilgrims. The tent where the bomber detonated her explosives was located on a route to Karbala, where hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims will converge for an important religious ceremony on Monday, said a police official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Separate tents for men and women are set up along the road to Karbala to offer pilgrims food, drinks and a place to rest. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf confirmed the attack and said security officials were rushing to the scene, located between the cities of Mussayib and Iskandariyah about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of Baghdad. Mohammed Abbas, a medical official in Mussayib, said most of the dead and wounded from the attack were women and children. The attacks against the pilgrims appear to be part a Sunni extremist campaign to rekindle the sectarian conflict that nearly plunged the country into full-scale civil war two years ago. On Thursday, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt packed with nails among Shiite worshippers in Karbala near the revered Imam Hussein shrine, killing eight pilgrims and wounding more than 50. A day earlier, at least 12 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in bombings in Baghdad that targeted Shiite pilgrims traveling to Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the south. Iraqi officials have mounted an extensive security operation to protect the pilgrims, who will be celebrating Monday's end of 40 days of mourning that follow Ashoura, the anniversary of the seventh-century death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein. He was killed in a battle near Karbala for the leadership of the nascent Muslim nation following Muhammad's death in 632. His death led to the split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. About 40,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed along major routes to Karbala, and officials say security cameras have been installed near the Imam Hussein shrine to keep a lookout for possible threats. Despite strict security, al-Qaida and other extremist groups have frequently targeted Shiite pilgrims during religious commemorations, which were severely curtailed under Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime. Last March, a female suicide bomber attacked Shiite worshippers in Karbala, killing at least 49. At least 85 people died in a suicide bombing in Karbala in March 2004. The chief U.N. official in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, has said the attacks against pilgrims were "clearly designed to sectarian tensions" that many Iraqis hope are behind them. Also Friday, an old mortar round killed two young boys _ ages 10 and 15 _ who were playing in the backyard of a farm house in Musayyib, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of Baghdad, said a police official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. More on Iraq
 

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