Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Y! Alert: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Yahoo! Alerts
My Alerts

The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Shaun Casey: Hey Cheney, Would it Kill You to Smile a Little? Top
Looking at any photo of Dick Cheney over the last 30 years, it is clear that he isn't human. If he was, he would still possess the ability to express human emotions through facial expressions other than hawkishness, callous disdain, and a smug grimace that would resemble a contracting anus if not for the facial paralysis. (These expressions may look the same to the untrained eye, but they are in fact distinct.) And he does not. His cat-like ability to dodge heart attacks, scrutiny from the media and democracy fundementally underlies my claim. No human can be as slippery a f*ck as this guy is, or survive that much damage while keeping his finger on the pointer of the American moral compass without a little help. There are two popular theories out there (other than that rich people control the government) as to how he became the Missing Link between Rush Limbaugh and a colonoscopy camera, staring up the wrong end of American values with an insider's view. The more pessimistic theory goes that Cheney arrived on the doorstep of America's elite and powerful in a basket one day, with a note attached saying "Please feed cold fish heads and the blood of an unborn goat until fully grown and deliver to Republican National Headquarters. Keep fingers away from mouth area until incisors have been dulled. Do not make eye contact." He then had his gills or other alien breathing apporatus removed and replaced, was fitted with a suit and tie and headed to Washington with a penchant for gladiatorial style fights, polka music and gladiatorial fights set to polka music. A more optomistic view is that he is an advanced robot prototype sent from the future to warn us about how bad future a-holes could be by forward thinking generations of peace loving humans. When the original D-1 unit (code named Richard Nixon, or "Dick") failed to send home the message, the D-2000 unit was dispatched in the hopes of alliviating suffering of future generations. He can't be de-activated until we as a generation stop him from his primary objective of of spreading assholery, or we learn from its pathological behaviour, simmering malice and inability to course correct. To refute either theory, all Cheney has to do is display a single human characteristic other than his pleasure in man's inhumanity to man. So, to get the ball rolling, I ask simply this: Cheney, can you give us a smile? If you can give me an honest, endearing, positive indication that you are indeed a member of the human race, and have an ounce of positivity in you, maybe I will lay off. Smile at a baby, laugh at a joke that doesn't involve torture, pet a kitty, listen diligently to an old person's story, anything. Until then...
 
Bernard-Henri Lévy: Will UNESCO Allow a Man That, When He Hears the Word Culture... Top
Mr. Farouk Hosni is making his case worse. Backed by the Arab League, the African Union, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Egyptian candidate for Director General of UNESCO has just responded (May 27, 2009 in Le Monde ) to a piece by Claude Lanzmann, Elie Wiesel, and myself that recalled the array of anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic remarks that punctuate his long political career. Of course, he does not deny any of the statements in his op-ed. He does not deny, and for good reason, his pernicious denunciation in Ruz Al-Yusuf of the "infiltration of Jews in the international media" and of their diabolical ability to "spread" their "lies." He does not deny his response last year to a deputy of the Egyptian Parliament who had reproached him for having allowed Israeli books to spread their poison in the revivified Alexandria Library: "Let's burn these books; if there are any there, I will myself burn them in front of you." He does not even try to downplay the determination with which he, a minister of the first Arab country credited with having established, under Anwar Al Sadat, quasi-normal relations with the Jewish State, is attempting to curb this normalization, to prevent it, to sabotage it. He contents himself, he says, with simply "regretting" these horrible remarks. And for him, "regretting" them, in concrete terms, would mean doing three things. First, humbly asking that we should truly "take into consideration" and "put in the right context" these calls for hate and book burning. Second, specifying that these incendiary statements, made quite literally to inflame hearts and minds, were advanced by him "without intention or premeditation." Third, attributing them to the legitimate indignation of a man of "conscience" confronted by the unbearable sight of the "suffering undergone" by a Palestinian people "deprived of its land and its rights"--and who is occasionally given to rather "harsh" words. We have read carefully. The Palestinians suffer--therefore burning books written in Hebrew is proposed. The Palestinians demand, quite rightly, a land and rights--therefore the opening of a museum of Jewish culture in Cairo is blocked. The Palestinians want and have a right to their own State--therefore, not content to advocate the sabotage of the only successful peace initiative that, if used as a template, would result in the creation of this State, the Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy is invited to express his views on Egyptian television and in other media. That Mr. Netanyahu, in the name of whatever obscure realpolitik calculation, is satisfied with this logic, that's his business. To me, this logic seems barely worthy of a vandal in the outskirts of Paris who, when he is questioned after tagging a synagogue or a Jewish community center, responds in the same way: "You have to forgive me... It's not my fault... It's the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that incited me..." In the mouth of a man of culture--doesn't Mr. Farouk Hosni take pride in opening thousands of libraries in disadvantaged villages in his country during his twenty-year tenure as Moubarak's minister?--this is the exact rehearsal of the notorious discourse of excuse that we attribute to real incendiaries: "They burn? They kill? They throw themselves headlong into the insane logic of terrorism? We shouldn't hold it against them... It was unintentional and unpremeditated... It is Palestine, always and forever Palestine, that went to their heads..." And finally, this logic seems to me incompatible with the spirit of prudence and wisdom required of a man aspiring to the helm of a body that, even if it hasn't always been a shining example of its core ideals, remains dedicated to the diversity of cultures, to their dialogue, to the development of a spirit of tolerance and peace. Mr. Farouk Hosni, in apologizing, is tying himself in knots. Mr. Farouk Hosni discredits himself even more in "standing by" (in his own words) the "profound emotion" that imposes on him, since his debut in public office, his annual flight into rage. The mediocre rhetoric of Mr. Farouk Hosni is not worthy of the homeland of Naguib Mahfouz--nor, of course, of a world more than ever summoned to banish the specter of the clash of civilizations and cultures. The Europeans are beginning to understand this: just last week, the German parliament almost unanimously expressed its dissent about the nomination. Arab intellectuals are beginning to worry about the deleterious effects of this affair: Abdelwahab Al-Effendi just published a thunderous piece in Al-Quds Al-Arabi, "Do Not Elect Farouk Hosni as the Head of UNESCO." An open call to Barak Obama (slated to arrive in Cairo Thursday morning), to Nicolas Sarkozy (UNESCO headquarters are in Paris), and to others (the eminent dignity of the post should make this controversy a concern for the entire international community): before October, the date of his already claimed victory, we must block Mr. Farouk Hosni. Translated from the French by Sara Phenix Previously : UNESCO: The Shame of a Disaster Foretold More on Egypt
 
Playboy Scorned For Hateful Attack On Conservative Pundits (And The Rest Of Today's Scritti Politti) Top
Circumstances conspired against me doing what Chip Hanlon advises on these pages today : heap a ton of scorn on Playboy Magazine and writer Guy Cimbalo for penning an utterly repellent and damnable attack on female conservative pundits yesterday. However, I doubt I can improve upon the critique penned by the ever-reliable Megan Carpentier at Jezebel over this matter: Occasionally, we try to prove or disprove the trope that men read Playboy for the incisive articles. Today, having read Guy Cimbalo's epic work on the 10 conservative women he'd like to hate-fuck, we're guessing not too many men even care. Because it's not as if Cimbalo does anything in his piece but slag on these women for having the audacity to be attractive, conservative, opinionated and loud about those opinions. In other words, if he didn't agree with us mouthy liberal broads, he wouldn't want to fuck us either, and apparently prefers his women quiet and agreeable. And that - no matter what your politics are - is just gross. Playboy has since taken it down. As it happens, Politico has apparently pulled down an article as well: an astonishingly tone-deaf piece from Anne Schroeder that, well...SORT OF BURIED THE LEDE by failing to mention anything beyond the fact that some female pundits had made an innocuous list. PREVIOUSLY...on the HUFFINGTON POST Chip Hanlon: This Playboy Article Deserves Scorn from the Left Good News: You'll Also Still Probably Die With The Most Toys : In the wake of the government takeover of General Motors, many have lamented: "Ohhh, mercy! Who will think of the poor bondholders?" Well, not to worry, bondholders! Chris Lehmann thought about you ! At great length, in fact! There's No Easy Way To Learn About "Yiffing" : So, screw it! Learn about it this way ! Citi Holds Out On Bonuses? : The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Citigroup is balking at paying five former executives tens of millions of dollars in bonuses. Citigroup already has doled out more than half of the roughly $100 million it promised to the former executives. But company officials recently decided not to proceed with the remaining payments, concluding that they wanted to avoid even the possibility of a public backlash over the money, people familiar with the situation said. CJR calls it a "common sense sighting," but riddle me this: How will Wall Street be able to attract the best and brightest talent to come and frack up the financial sector and later retire to a want-free life now? Memories Of Tom Tancredo : Via Wonkette , please to enjoy this video of our friend Liz Glover asking Tom Tancredo, "Why do you shun the Latino in you?" Tancredo in NH 08 for debate and primary from elizabeth glover on Vimeo . [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .] More on Citibank
 
Annelle Sheline: Egyptians' Excitement for Obama's Speech Conceals Mistrust Top
"You know Barack Obama is coming to Cairo, right?" I ask in Arabic. "You mean Barack Hussein Obama?" the man replies in English, turning fully around in his seat and grinning hugely. So goes a typical exchange between an American (me) and a taxi driver in Cairo in early June. Obama's selection of Cairo for the location of his June 4th speech to address the Muslim world elicits excitement from the average Egyptian. Yet if pressed, Cairenes' admiration for the American president often transforms to cynicism and sometimes open hostility. "Obama is a speaker, a great speaker. But is he a doer?" a street seller of licorice juice asks after learning my nationality. Egyptians have little reason to buy into the Obamamania that has swept much of the United States. Jaded by 28 years of President Hosni Mubarak, countless broken promises of government-sponsored housing, healthcare and education as well as complete repression of political opposition, the best people can hope for is minimal government interference in their lives. The popularity of the rock star president has bemused Egyptians who had watched in horror as the American people elected and re-elected George W. Bush. The sudden shift in leadership -- and potentially foreign policy -- has at times been the butt of Cairenes' famed sense of humor: "Obama is a PR campaign cooked up by the CIA." Obama's June 4th speech therefore, will need to address key points of Egyptians' and Arabs' concerns about US policy actions in the Middle East. While some American pundits anticipate this address to the Muslim world as the symbolic 'book-end' to Bush's 2002 'Axis of Evil' speech, closing a tumultuous chapter of American policy in the region, Egyptians remain skeptical, waiting to find out not only what he will say, but which actions he takes in the future. An Egyptian journalist explained, "Americans seem to think that by electing Obama, they have wiped the slate clean. 'We can go back to being the good guys!' His administration needs to understand that Egyptians at least are ready to give him a chance, but he had better make the most of it." For many Egyptians, this means addressing the issue of Palestine. On January 20th 2009, the day of Obama's inauguration, several Americans in Cairo threw parties to watch the ceremony and wore Obama paraphernalia in the streets. While their t-shirts drew honks and chants of "Obama! Obama!" from passing cars, the Cairenes' superficial support concealed deep cynicism. One group of Americans, exhilarated with the applause for their president, stepped into a local shop for inaugural snacks and asked the shopkeeper if he planned to watch the ceremony. "No," he said, "I will watch the news to learn how many children died today in Palestine." The Americans left, their high spirits thoroughly dampened. Obama's silence during Israel's three week military campaign against Gaza in January drew criticism from many Egyptians, who saw this as the first indicator that Obama did not represent 'change they could believe in.' Unfortunately, Thursday's speech may leave them disappointed. Jon Alterman, the director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies commented that "It would make no sense to lay out a [detailed program] in Cairo. If you have a dispute between several parties, you go to a more neutral place to begin to address that dispute." Although Cairenes may not yet have found reason to trust Obama, and may yet remain unsatisfied with his address on June 4th, most are nevertheless thrilled he is coming to Cairo. An Egyptian colleague summed it up: "Cairo is still the center of the Arab world. Any statement he wants to make to Muslims as a whole needs to come from Cairo." Recent years have seen Cairo take second place to its glamorous neighbors in the Gulf: cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have tried to nudge Cairo out of its historic role as the epicenter of Muslim thought. The oil wealth of the Gulf pays many Egyptian salaries, remittances that are often taken begrudgingly from Arab neighbors once considered backward. Yet fierce pride in Cairo's primacy has been tempered by concerns from activists who see Obama's choice of Cairo as unnecessarily bolstering Egypt's oppressive regime, an issue that Secretary of State Clinton seemed to try and smooth over by calling on Egypt to support human rights while meeting with pro-democracy delegations from Egypt last week. Ultimately, despite cynicism, security concerns, disappointment and the traffic snarls that Obama's visit is sure to create, Cairo is gratified to receive Barack Hussein Obama and true to Egyptian hospitality, will wait to pass further judgment until after the conclusion of his eight hour visit. More on Obama Mideast Trip
 
Stephen Kretzmann: War for Oil in Nigeria Top
Three weeks ago in the oil rich but impoverished Niger Delta, the Nigerian military reportedly attacked several villages, leaving hundreds, possibly thousands dead. It is the latest incident in the ongoing struggle between armed insurgent groups and the Nigerian military for control of the creeks, lowland rainforest, and mangroves from which flow 80 percent of Nigeria's oil. This week, in a United States District court room in Manhattan, Royal Dutch Shell will go on trial for crimes against humanity surrounding its role in the execution by hanging of author and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. These events, separated by an ocean and fourteen years, are intrinsically linked. To understand either, one needs to understand the environmental disaster that the oil industry has caused in the Niger Delta. Oil accounts for eighty percent of export earnings for Nigeria, and ninety-five percent of government revenue. Shell is the largest multinational presence in the country, and has been since the days of British colonial rule. It is the sole operator of a joint venture that is responsible for the majority of Nigeria's oil production. The most visible impact of the oil industry on the Niger Delta is the constant presence of gas flares. Hundreds of flares higher than buildings, and louder than 747s, burn night and day. In some cases these flares have roared continuously for 50 years since oil was discovered in Nigeria. Natural gas is a by-product of oil drilling. In most of the world, this gas -- called "associated gas," because of its association with oil production -- is either used for energy or re-injected into the well. In Nigeria, Shell and other oil companies burn it in a process known as gas flaring. Enough gas is flared every year to meet much of the local energy needs of Nigeria and neighboring countries. And then, there are the spills. Roughly 1.5 million tons of oil has spilled in the Niger Delta ecosystem over the past 50 years -- equal to about one "Exxon Valdez" spill each year. Many of the spills have taken place in sensitive habitats for birds, fish and other wildlife, leading to further loss of biodiversity and, in turn, further impoverishment of local communities. The spills pollute local water sources that people depend on for drinking, cooking, bathing, and fishing. They also release dangerous fumes into the air, sometimes rendering villages uninhabitable and causing serious illness for those who are unable to relocate. Many of the oil spills can be attributable to poorly maintained infrastructure such as aging pipelines. Community efforts to end this situation began in 1970, when local leaders first complained to the Nigerian authorities about the oil companies, and Shell in particular. They were rebuffed, as were other communities around the Delta, for the next twenty years. In 1990, the Ogoni, a small ethnic group within the Delta, drafted what they called their "Bill of Rights", which included the "right to protect the Ogoni environment and ecology from further degradation". Led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni were vocally nonviolent in their struggle. By early 1993 they had organized so effectively that Shell was forced to abandon their flares and wells in Ogoni. What happened over the next few years, and exactly what role Shell played, is what the jury in lower Manhattan must examine. We know Ogoni villages were attacked, and hundreds, perhaps thousands were killed. We know that President Clinton made a last minute appeal for Saro-Wiwa's life. We know that Saro-Wiwa and eight others were tried and hanged by a military tribunal that was widely condemned by human rights organizations and the British government as unjust. We also know, unfortunately, that the message these actions sent - loud and clear - to the people of the Niger Delta was that nonviolence wouldn't work, and could get you killed. What has followed is a descent into a spiral of violence that continues to this day. The issues that communities have been bringing forward for forty years are still ongoing. Spills are still commonplace, flares continue unabated, and poverty is rampant in the midst of the extraction of billions of dollars of oil wealth. Clearly Nigeria's federal government is failing its people, but it is also important to ask why Shell, the largest company in Nigeria, continues to operate in an area where the price of its oil operations is so tragically high. On May 22, Nigeria's Parliament passed a resolution authorizing President Yar'Adua to widen the military offensive against the Nigerian villagers who have taken up arms. Shell's stock rose slightly in early trading. More on Nigeria
 
Tom Hayes: Computers Should be Held to the Same Standard as Cars Top
From smart grids to complicated "cap-and-trade" schemes, the Obama Administration has taken a catholic view to any and all means to dramatically reduce US dependence on foreign energy -- while at the same time lowering pollution levels and mitigating climate effects. Problem is, often the search for grand solutions overlooks the simple and the obvious. For example, to reduce the national electric bill, why not start by requiring our basic electronics to run more efficiently? Forty percent of all energy used in the US -- whether oil, natural gas, wind or solar -- is converted into electricity. Thanks in large measure to the electronics industry, US demand for electricity is forecast to grow by a whopping 40 percent over the next two decades. The computers, laptops, mobile phones, flat screen TVs, and video game consoles that define modern life consume ever amounts of energy -- each new generation of device hungrier than the last. The cost to business is even higher: power consumed by the typical corporate data center is growing by 20 percent per year. More than gasoline, it may turn out that our voracious demand for electricity is what could keep us dangerously dependent on foreign energy. By all means, let's revamp our antiquated and vulnerable power grid. And, the more power-frugal and carbon-conscious our companies become the better. But why not think small too? It would be dumb to tamp back the fruits of innovation coming out of places like Silicon Valley, but why not challenge our best and brightest engineers to cut the power demand these new gadgets require? And let's not be cute about it, let's mandate it. We set efficiency standards for cars, why not set them for electronics too? Can it be done? Yes -- and here's just one example. Sehat Sutardja, chairman and CEO of Marvell Semiconductor, recently wrote about a technology called "power factor correction" that was invented in the 1980s but has since been forgotten -- or ignored. How does a PFC work? Up to half of the electricity used by modern appliances is wasted on an archaic delivery system: copper wires. PFCs work by "harmonizing" the flow of current making the interchange of energy between power source and device more efficient. How efficient? A PFC adapter can cut energy consumption in half. The best part is, adding power factor correction to your typical device today would only add about one dollar to the retail price. For an additional dollar, would you pay to have a TV set that consumed half the power? Of course. And conversely, if we had a one dollar device that doubled a car's mileage, would it be required by law. Again, of course. So, what is holding up the full-blown adoption of PFCs? Despite the impetus to go green, these are uncourageous times for industry. An uneasy economy and the prospect of an uncertain Christmas season is dampening any will to change by leaders of the electronics industry. As a result, this is one of those times when government leadership and action could make a big difference. Bill Gates once famously claimed that "if GM had kept up with technology the way the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon." Bill was probably right about the price but way off on the mileage analogy given the power appetite of today's PCs. Yet, his underlying message -- that the electronics industry embraces change better than the auto industry -- is fundamentally correct. Silicon Valley is not Detroit; technical challenges are welcomed here in an industry that thrives on brutal creative destruction. It won't take much for the government to tweak us into action on power factor correction and other power-saving technologies First, the White House should simply show the way. By a stroke of his pen, President Obama could resolve that all government offices convert to PFC power adapters, thereby saving tax payers a sizable share on their government's monthly utility bill. That alone could be the tipping point to a free market response. And, if state governments and other enlightened institutions followed suit, a giant market might be created for PFCs, which would stimulate job creation and cut US energy consumption at the same time. And if that didn't prime the pump, the Federal government could install CAFE-like energy standards of all electronics products, making energy efficiency of everyday appliances a national priority. After all, what's good for the Hummer is good for the Hoover. More on Cars
 
Andy Plesser: Dana Perino: HuffPo is Doing a "Good Job" Top
Dana Perino, former White House Press Secretary to President George Bush, thinks that President Obama's use of online video for his weekly addresses is "great." Perino, now a Fox News commentator and public relations executive with Burson Marsteller, was in New York today as speaker in Federated Media's media and marketing conference. She was interviewed onstage by John Battelle. I spoke with her after. HuffPo is Doing a Pretty Good Job She had some nice things to say about the Huffington Post onstage and off in this interview. She told me the site is "rebuilding its reputation and dong a pretty good job." You can this post up on Beet.TV
 
Robert L. Borosage: Making Change: Progressives in the Obama Moment Top
President Obama has deep and strong support from progressives. But in Washington, the media is increasingly focused on areas where Obama's base is disappointed or restive In recent weeks, we seen the uproar over his retreat on preventive detention and military tribunals, dismay over the dallying on "don't ask, don't tell," growing opposition to the bailout of Wall Street, increasing doubts about the escalation in Afghanistan, and fears that compromises with conservative Democrats could cut the heart out of the progressive reform agenda that the president has proposed - as illustrated by the ability of the banking lobby to enlist enough Democrats to block any lid on interest rates out of credit card reform. Now, as progressives gather in Washington at the America's Future Now! Conference (the annual event formerly known as Take Back America) sponsored by the Campaign for America's Future (which I co-direct, program and sessions available here ), the mainstream media wants to know: Are progressives still supporting Obama or are they pushing him? Surely the answer to that choice is "yes." Progressives are both supporting him and challenging the limits of the current debate. We're on the verge of the greatest era of progressive reform since the 1960s. The crises we face - the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the unprecedented and accelerating deterioration of the environment - leave no choice. We can't simply recover and go back to the old economy. We have to build a new economy from the ruins of the old. (for a longer version of this argument, co-authored with Katrina van den Heuvel of the Nation Magazine, go here) Obama gets this. He has eloquently called upon us to rebuild our economy on the rock of a new foundation, not the shifting sands of the old. And the pillars of that foundation are the structural reforms that progressives have championed: new energy for good jobs, comprehensive health care, investing in education from pre-K to affordable college, empowering workers to organize, and immigration reform. We've got Democratic majorities in both Houses of Congress, but not progressive majorities. With Republicans largely committed to pure obstruction, focus immediately fixes on conservative Democrats, particularly in the Senate, and the endangered specie known as moderate Republicans, who have the votes needed to pass the reforms. For all the talk of cooperation, these reforms face entrenched opposition from corporate and special interest lobbies. They understand the threat they face, so the more sophisticated play a double game. They hire largely Democratic lobbyists to help delay, defer, dilute the reforms on the inside, while painting themselves as embracing reform. They then fund swift boat operations on the outside, to run Astroturf and air war campaigns to frighten Americans about reform. And of course, they spread their political contributions around, with more money going to Democrats now that they control the action. So the hospitals and insurance lobbies meet publicly with Obama to issue a vague promise to make significant cuts in the rising costs of health care. At the same time, former hospital CEO Rick Scott, whose company was fined a princely $1.7 million for overbilling state and federal medical plans, is spending over 30 million on ads designed to scare Americans about the takeover of their health care system, ads coordinated by the very firm that did the "swift boat" attacks on John Kerry in 2004 On each of these signature battles, active progressive coalitions have been built to help define the reform, drive the debate, expose the lobbies, and mobilize support in key districts and states. Here progressives and the Obama administration are largely together. While there may be differences in tone and tactic - these are independent coalitions after all - the goal is the same. Difficulties arise, of course, when deals are cut and compromises made. Progressive groups, often part of the negotiations, have to decide if the product is worth supporting. Environmentalists, for example, split over the compromises in the Waxman-Markey climate bill, with some - Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace - questioning whether it would weaken rather than strengthen existing laws. Many activists see Obama as one of us, with his background of community organizing. The young believe, correctly, that they helped elect him president and are ardent enthusiasts. That provides him with an enormous benefit of the doubt, even in areas like the banking bailout, Afghanistan, and more where there is growing consternation at the course the administration is following. In these major areas, progressives need to be building and independent argument and movement to challenge the limits of the current debate. These issues go to the larger questions of remaking America.. The bailout goes to Wall Street's hold on our economy and politics. Obama has forcefully stated that finance needs to get smaller, and be more regulated, but thusfar his policies have been to subsidize the big banks, not to reorganize them. The contrast between the treatment of Citibank and Chrysler, or Bank of America and General Motors, and between the bankers and the autoworkers and dealers and suppliers is stark. A populist movement challenging Wall Street is essential to create the space for reform. Afghanistan reflects the military dominated global strategy that remains in place. Obama has taken on some Cold War weapons systems, but still projects military budgets that are as large as the rest of the world's combined. He has not questioned the commitment to policing the world that Americans have never supported and can no longer afford. Obama has already faced conservative pushback on the modest changes he's made in the war on terror. It will require an independent movement to have any hope of changing our priorities and challenging a terror strategy that serves to elevate rather than isolate our enemies. America can't go back to borrowing $2 billion a day from abroad, largely from the Chinese and Japanese central bankers. Obama's energy policy and the aggressive efforts to salvage GM and Chrysler suggest the beginnings of a new industrial policy, fitting his pledge that we have to consume less and export more. The dialogue begun with China on moving from export led growth to more internal demand is central to a new policy. But at the same time, the administration is promoting the old trade accords, and is unclear at best about its global economic strategy. This is understandable given the firm, but outmoded establishment consensus on trade. Again, an independent movement, grounded in labor but far broader, will be vital to help drive this debate. No one should forget the lessons of the 1930s and the1960s. The Second New Deal - the New Deal we remember with Social Security, the Wagner Act, Fair Labor Standards that gave us the weekend - came in reaction to growing labor unrest, the rise of Huey Long and the Townsend Movement, all of which gave FDR incentive and excuse to move. The Voting Rights Act came after Selma, when the sacrifices of the civil rights movement transformed public opinion and enabled LBJ to deliver the Senate. Progressives want Obama to succeed, to be a transformative president. He has put big reforms on the table which citizens are organizing to support. And at the same time, we need to expand the agenda, challenge the limits of the debate, and move excluded alternatives into discussion.
 
What Tobacco And BPA Have In Common Top
Flash forward to last week. Embattled food and chemical industry reps, trying to head off a nationwide ban of the toxic plastic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in cans, bottles and other food containers, huddle in a back room of Washington's exclusive Cosmos Club.
 
Iraq Land Mines Would 'Need An Army' To Clear Out Top
Homemade bombs go off almost every day in Iraq, usually targeting military and police convoys in cities such as Baghdad and Mosul. More on Iraq
 
Barbara Simons: The Internet and Voting: Worth Doing Right Top
Coauthored by Justin Moore. Recently the Huffington Post published an article about Hawaii's recent Internet and phone-based elections ("America's Newest State Holds America's Newest Election"). The article presents an optimistic and patriotic view of the Everyone Counts (E1C) election system that allows voters to cast their ballots from their home computers or over the phone. It was written by E1C executive Aaron Contorer and is effectively a marketing piece for E1C that exaggerates the scope of the election, overlooks or insults other election methods, and glosses over the formidable technical challenges and dangers posed by the electronic submission of voted ballots. The election in Honolulu was for neighborhood board members, and thus was not covered by Hawaii's public election laws. That matters because Hawaii's election laws, fortunately, require a voter-verified paper ballot and a post-election hand audit of a percentage of these ballots. Since such verification and audits are impossible with a purely Internet-based voting system, there is no legal way to use the E1C system under current Hawaii state law. Nevertheless, because this small election is being used to promote Internet voting generally, and because Internet voting schemes are being proposed across the United States, the issue demands thorough discussion. In response to multiple efforts to allow voting over the Internet in major elections, many of our nation's prominent technology experts have signed a statement cautioning against adopting Internet-based voting systems without first understanding and guarding against the numerous and well-documented dangers. This is not because, as Mr. Contorer suggests, those opposing Internet voting find "[t]he introduction of technology to any process ... scary". The signatories to this statement are not at all intimidated by technology; in fact many are established experts in voting systems who are most certainly aware of the major risks associated with Internet voting. The article asserts that since we are able to conduct banking and commerce over the Internet, we should also be able to vote over the Internet. This is a common misconception (or misrepresentation) that is often made when attempting to support Internet-based voting. Banks spend considerable time and money to ensure the security of our assets, yet there are still risks. Identity theft and fraud affect millions of Americans and cost billions of dollars each year. When we can detect such fraud it is because we are able to track our money through each transaction from start to finish, including the people associated with those transactions. However, elections by their very definition disallow this type of explicit end-to-end auditing. Voters must cast their ballot in secret and not be able to prove to others how they voted. Election officials must not be able to tie votes to citizens except in very narrow circumstances as carved out by law. The lack of these basic protections make Internet-based voting a dangerous idea and place it so far from the realm of Internet banking or commerce as to make the author's point moot. There are significant security issues that any vendor must address before declaring such a system fit for public elections. Yet the author glosses over these security issues raised by Internet voting, referring several times to "military-grade encryption." It is a well-known marketing technique of voting system vendors to tout the strength of their encryption because it sounds impressive. But the fact is that encryption is only a secondary part of any electronic security. It does nothing at all to protect against insider attacks, denial of service attacks, various forms of spoofing, viruses, or many kinds of ordinary software bugs. Even the most secure military computer networks have been compromised, including a recent serious breach of the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project. Even in the absence of malicious adversaries, software, especially a networked system such as the one E1C sells, is fundamentally difficult to get right. Aviation and military software, written to standards requiring development efforts tens or hundreds of times as costly as voting software, is undergoing constant review and upgrades. Americans deserve the best electoral system available. There are many options for making elections more accessible, secure, and efficient, and the Internet will have a role to play. Current possibilities that show promise include the easier maintenance of voter registration records and the distribution of blank absentee ballots. But we should not subject our democracy to the costs or risks of current Internet-based voting schemes. Rather than rushing to implement Internet voting systems because we don't want to be "stuck in the past," we should instead focus on improving our elections using innovations that build upon mature and well-understood technologies. Let's leave the bluster and insults behind, and build a reliable, accurate, and secure electoral system of which we can all be proud. More on Voting
 
Terry Krepel: WorldNetDaily, Abortion, and George Tiller Top
WorldNetDaily has long been sympathetic to the extremist end of the anti-abortion movement. Two examples particularly stand out: -- In 2002, WND published a fawning profile of Neal Horsley, most notoriously known for operating a website with the names and personal information of abortion providers and their employees, and whose website served as a conduit for radical anti-abortion activist Clayton Waagner to issue death threats against 42 abortion clinic employees. WND portrayed Horsley asjust a guy who runs "a pair of popular pro-life websites" who's being discriminated against because of a few unpleasant pictures are causing Internet service providers to continally dump him. (Horsley is also, by the way, currently a candidate for Georgia governor .) -- WND also published in 2002 a seven-part series by Jack Cashill claiming that James Kopp was framed for the 1998 death of abortion doctor Barnett Slepian. Cashill accused the Clinton administration of being "determined ... to protect the abortion industry" and of having "open hostility to the pro-life movement" (and Hillary Clinton in particular of having "made the department into a formidable feminist stronghold"), painted Kopp as having "an almost Gandhian devotion to non-violence and passive resistance," accused officials of singling out Kopp as part of "a fishing expedition," claimed that because Slepian was a "mediocre student" and performing abortions takes "no great talent" he "fit the classic stereotype of the abortion doctor," asserted that evidence against Kopp was planted, and even suggested that "the pro-choice side had a much greater motive to kill Slepian than did the pro-life side" because Slepian was allegedly considering leaving his abortion practice. Six months later, Kopp pleaded guilty to killing Slepian; Cashill has yet to correct his articles or apologize for them. WND has also regularly attacked Tiller; the phrase "Tiller the killer" occurs no less than 94 times on WND's website, including several headlines . I've previously reported that WND's attacks on Tiller tend to be one-sided with little to no effort to fairly tell both sides of the story. WND -- and particularly Cashill -- has promoted the anti-Tiller crusade of Phill Kline, former Kansas attorney general and current county attorney. Indeed, WND's initial article on Tiller's death was typically unbalanced: It rehashed a case in which he was "accused on 19 counts of illegally aborting viable babies" -- of which he was acquitted. WND writers have unloaded harsh rhetoric against Tiller as well. For instance, Cashill has lamented that "In Kansas, we don't even have a Gestapo to explain our passivity" toward allowing Tiller to stay in business, adding that "I have to ask myself whether we judged too harshly those 'Good Germans,' who turned a blind eye to Nazi inhumanities." And in a March 2007 column , Jill Stanek asserted that Tiller's "secret is to spread abortion blood money so thickly among politicians that there is allegedly nary a one with prosecutorial influence he has not bought off!" With Tiller's death at the hands of an anti-abortion extremist, WND is engaging in diversionary tactics -- for instance, a June 1 WND article hypes a claim that Tiller's accused killer, Scott Roeder, "allegedly suffered from mental illness." A June 1 column by WND managing editor David Kupelian, meanwhile, insists that "anti-abortion violence is extremely rare and is utterly repudiated by every pro-life organization and leader." No mention, of course, of Randall Terry's deviation from that alleged norm -- indeed, WND has yet to tell its readers about Terry's inflammatory remarks about Tiller's death. Kupelian goes on to liken abortion rights activsts' highlighting of anti-abortion violence to -- wait for it -- Hitler's exploitation of the Reichstag fire. But there's nary a word from Kupelian about WND's own anti-Tiller rhetoric, let alone any move on his part to take responsibility for it. If violent rhetoric by anti-abortion activists that is amplified by sympathetic media can be said to have been a contributing factor in Tiller's death -- as some have accused Fox News' Bill O'Reilly of promoting -- then WorldNetDaily has undoubtedly contributed. Unsurprisingly, WND would rather divert your attention elsewhere.
 
Bank Of America Can Take Your Social Security Check To Cover Overdraft Fees Top
The California Supreme Court unanimously overturned a billion-dollar class-action award against Bank of America Corp. on Monday, ruling that banks can collect overdraft fees from accounts in which government benefits intended for subsistence are directly deposited. The ruling threw out a 2004 verdict by a San Francisco jury that found the bank violated state law by taking fees for insufficient funds from accounts set up to receive Social Security benefits. More on Bank Of America
 
FANCY NANCY: A Fashionable First Lady Flashback (PHOTOS) Top
Former first lady Nancy Reagan has found herself center stage with her recent Vanity Fair interview and a reception today at the White House, where she was warmly welcomed by President Obama. She wore a vibrant red pantsuit for the occasion. Since the 1980s Nancy has been in and out of the style spotlight. Take a look through her outfits over the years, from dressing as the Gipper's supporting gal to today's strong solo statement. More on Photo Galleries
 
Recession May Be Increasing Suicide Rates, But We Won't Know For Years Top
Emergency physicians and mental health workers in North Carolina have begun to worry that they may be in the midst of a disturbing new trend, according to a story in the Charlotte Observer, which explored a link between the recession and suicide rates. After ten patients attempted suicide in a single night in March, a doctor at the Carolinas Medical Center, said, "I can't believe it's not related to the economy." The story raises questions for the rest of the country: Is this happening everywhere? And do more people kill themselves when the economy contracts? Hard to know. The latest national data on suicides, released in April by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ends in 2006, when 33,300 people committed suicide nationwide. That's 11.2 suicides per 100,000 people, a rate increase of .2 percent over the previous year. "Our data aren't really current enough to be able to say anything about this particular downturn," said Bob Anderson, chief of mortality statistics with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, in an interview with the Huffington Post. Anderson said that the CDC is hampered in its reporting because it has to wait for each state to process death certificates, which can take up to a year. "We can only be as fast as our slowest state," Anderson said. With a modernized electronic reporting system, statistics on suicide could be compiled in as little as six months, Anderson said. But updating the system would cost about $60 million. "We could have it all done in five years if we had the funding," Anderson said. Timely reporting is important, because the data could have an impact on suicide prevention. "We should be collecting this data in a more timely fashion," said Dr. Paula Clayton, medical director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Clayton told the Huffington Post that improved data reporting could identify trends and even help suicide prevention efforts. Clayton stressed that 90 percent of the people who commit suicide suffer from a psychiatric disorder. However, she added, job loss can exacerbate persistent feelings of anxiety and hopelessness, which are warning signs of suicide. There is a precedent for connecting economic trends to suicide trends, Clayton said. "If you go back to the Great Depression and you look at suicides from 1927 to 1932 there does seem to be a rise." Even without statistics, there are clues to what might be happening. Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the only national 24/7 suicide prevention hotline, have increased steadily every month since April 2007, when 38,114 people called the hotline. In April 2009 the hotline received 51,465 calls. "It's clear that [the economic downturn] is raising the temperature level of America in terms of emotional distress. To some degree we're experiencing that on the line," said Dr. John Draper, director of the lifeline. Draper said that an informal survey of 10 call centers revealed that one in four callers reports financial distress as one of his or her problems. "I wouldn't say it's overwhelming," Draper said, "It's a concern that has cropped up and has become salient on our line." Draper said that the downturn's effects on suicide rates could lag for reasons that go beyond the CDC's delay in reporting. "A person could lose their job now but how it affects a relationship with a family, a spouse, it could take a while for that to fall apart and make a bad situation worse," he said. The Charlotte Observer's story provides some startling statsistics about suicide attempts in North Carolina. Charlotte police reported a 55 percent increase in suicide attempts over the previous year, a county suicide hotline fielded 3,000 more calls in March 2009 than March 2008, and a local hospital saw a nine percent increase in patients who'd attempted or considered suicide. Clayton said that for every suicide, there are probably 100 attempts. The phone number for the hotline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). More on The Recession
 
Feds Crack Down On Sperm Whale Teeth Traffickers Top
Sperm whales are an endangered species, and therefore protected by the Endangered Species Act. That doesn't mean you can't import them -- you just need to get the right permits (Thanks, regulators!). More on Animals
 
David Murdock: Online Lenders Fight Regulation (VIDEO) Top
Payday loan offices were sprouting up in strip malls and on street corners across America for years before Wall Street collapsed last fall - quiet evidence that hard times began hitting working families long ago. Now, more people than ever are using payday loans to keep bill collectors at bay. Quick money (at interest rates of around 500% or more), for people with bad credit has been praised by some as a lifeline for the poor and condemned by others as a cynical trap exploiting families in crisis. Some states have passed laws limiting interest rates, but there is one marketplace that knows no borders -- the Internet. ANP videographer Lagan Sebert has been tracing the many ways Americans have been ringing up record debt. For this story, Sebert first staked out a conference on Capitol Hill where online payday lenders and lobbyists honed their arguments to Congress against reform; then he traveled to a small town near the Virginia-North Carolina border to learn about the experiences of a man who one day googled "bad credit loans" and soon found himself in more trouble than he bargained for. Watch: Illinois senator Dick Durbin's bill, the Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act, has been referred to the Senate Banking Committee where it will be up to the man who seems to be everywhere these days, chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), to schedule a time for the committee to review the bill. Durbin's proposal would put a national cap on interest rates at 36%. So far Dodd has not indicated when, if ever, he will call a hearing to consider it. More on Video
 
Sarah Janssen: The Chemical Industry Desperately Wants to Keep Their Products in Your Shopping Cart Top
I am a typical mom who makes most of the purchasing decisions in my family. I cut coupons, read labels, shop in bulk, and do my best to purchase healthy products. Because I am concerned about exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in food and beverage packaging, I've made a few changes to my shopping list. I bought non-polycarbonate bottles and sippy cups for my daughter, we rarely eat canned food, and I've given up my diet soda habit -- or at least I've cut back. And in the eyes of the chemical industry, I am a prime target in their campaign to improve their image and win back my trust. The Washington Post reported that just last week a high level meeting took place to devise a strategy for keeping BPA in our food supply. Companies attending the meeting included the Coca-Cola Co. and Del Monte, along with trade groups and other organizations which lobby for the chemical manufacturers such as the North American Metal Packaging Alliance Inc., the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and the American Chemistry Council. These companies are on the defensive because moms like me have demanded alternatives. In response, six of the major baby bottle manufacturers have announced they will stop using BPA, major retailers have stopped selling them, and BPA has now been banned from baby bottles and sippy cups in Suffolk County, NY, Chicago and the entire state of Minnesota. The BPA industry wants to prevent any further bans and held this intensive meeting to discuss a strategy for protecting their market share. Why am I concerned about BPA?  BPA is a hormone disrupting chemical that acts like estrogen and can interfere with normal development and function of the body. In animal studies, BPA exposure has been linked to prostate cancer , breast cancer , pre-diabetes ( insulin resistance ), fat metabolism , and changes in the way the brain develops resulting in behavioral abnormalities . Emerging human research has found similar evidence of harm . And all of us are exposed; over 90% of Americans tested by the CDC were found to have residues of BPA in their bodies. The notes from this meeting were verified in the Post article by one of the industry lobbyists as being accurate. At the top of the industry list of ways to win back the public's trust was their "holy grail" spokesperson identified as a "pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA." Other strategies discussed at the meeting included focusing on how BPA bans would disproportionately put minorities at risk, particularly Hispanics and African-Americans whom they cited as being more inclined to be poor and dependent on canned foods. In addition, because Connecticut and California are close to passing bans on BPA in infant formula containers, the BPA industry has identified these states as targets where industry "members are focusing on more legislative battles and befriending people that are able to manipulate the legislative process." Manipulate the legislative process?!   Manipulating the public, manipulating the legislature and just last month, evidence that the industry has been cozy with the FDA and has manipulated the scientific justification for keeping this chemical approved in our food supply. While the industry has characterized the campaign to eliminate BPA as "lies," they have resorted to the failed tactics of the tobacco industry by putting profits before protecting the public's health. NRDC will continue to be actively involved in promoting legislation that bans BPA and in advocating for the FDA to revoke their approval of BPA  as a food additive. If you live in California, review our action alert and ask your legislator to support a BPA ban in children's products. This post originally appeared on NRDC's Switchboard blog . More on Food
 
Bobbie Wasserman: The Death of GM: A Much Needed Wake-Up Call Top
I came of driving age when gas was under a dollar and we owned two American cars -- both models made by GM. My father, who holds a doctorate, was raised in a union household and taught my brother and I to buy American products as that meant American jobs that kept our economy strong. Three decades later, my parents, their children and their grandchildren all own Toyota's, including a few Priuses. What happened? If you look at the auto manufacturing and economic timeline over the past generation, American innovation lost out to ivory-tower group-think, short term profits that benefit a changed executive compensation structure based on stock incentives and the unwillingness by industry to lead and innovate. We all know this, we saw it happening -- why didn't Detroit? This is not a worker problem, it's a management problem. Autoworkers produce quality products. It was management that decided what those products would be. This is not a union problem, this is a bond-holder problem. Unions gave concessions, bond-holders found it more profitable not to. And buying American no longer guarantees American jobs -- not because of the global economy, because our government doesn't fairly protect the flow of products coming into this country by having tariffs similar to those countries importing U.S. goods. Americans are great innovators, but our success has made us lazy to address the layers of issues that keep innovation relatively flat and controlled. Let the Death of GM as we know it, give rise to a stronger U.S. manufacturing base that is not harnessed by lobbyists, unfair trade laws and weak industrial leadership.
 
Gloria Barsamian: Caregiving Top
Eventually, all of us will end up in a caregiving or care-receiving situation. Apprehension is understandable. But how do we balance our own families, careers, and retirement dreams with the demands of caregiving? How will the emotional toll affect our families and ourselves? Typically families do not address these complex issues until the crisis is upon them -- and before you know it strong feelings such as anger, anxiety, and helplessness can overwhelm you. When you find yourself caregiving for a loved one, not only you, as the caregiver, become stressed. Family members also need more support. In the early stages of caregiving there are so many decisions to be made. Often people try to avoid stress and become isolated from their friends. During caregiving all of us need a network of people to support us. Caregiving will create many changes in your life and it is very important to take time out for yourself. Go to the gym, walk, join a group like Caregivers.com. The most important thing is to take care of yourself and know when to ask for help. Caregiving puts us under great strain -- and when we are under strain, we are more apt to lose our temper and become irritable. The caregivers I worked with reported having periods of forgetfulness, withdrawal from friends and partners, and childish patterns of thinking. We cannot avoid stress or eliminate it altogether, and for that matter some stress is good. But we can recognize that often our own thoughts are the very things that lead to stress during caretaking. After all, if your father is home with help and support and you get a call from him, he may just want to talk to you. Until you determine what his need is at that particular moment, don't panic. Though caregiving is a multifaceted challenge, it can also offer profound emotional and psychological rewards. With the right perspective, caregiving for a loved one need not be associated with unalloyed dread and anxiety. The key lies in going beyond these anxieties related to caregiving. This means that you must start talking to your loved ones before a crisis arises. Ask them what they want. Share with them your concerns and then they may share theirs. These kinds of early discussions are very helpful in the long run. Every age group develops mutual responsibilities with each other. Human nature seeks this type of fulfillment, and we as people change all the time in order to feel satisfaction and fulfillment. When we do not feel this sense of transcendence or satisfaction we feel empty. All of us search for transcendence. At some point in time all of us will face the difficulties of providing care for a family member or spouse. Caregiving is a social issue. In caregiving for another who has lived and loved and suffered, there is something that happens so that one extends beyond oneself, which often creates a sense of unity. This happens regardless if one is caring for a child, a parent, or a friend. Intergenerational caregiving will be common in the twenty-first century. Caregivers may feel burdened by their responsibly for unpaid care work. However, they will simultaneously feel enriched by their efforts to promote family relationships. Our children will simply continue to choose those patterns of caretaking that they experience in the family, either when the deep relationship in caretaking brings satisfaction, or, when this cannot be attained, a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction. Despite what society declares, the job of caring for a loved one who is ailing is daunting. Often overwhelmed, overworked, and untrained for the job of caregiving, we feel scared. It is not a storm for some caregivers -- it is a hurricane. Relative to all other intergeneration pairings in caregiving, the mother and daughter tie, especially for those over 50 years of age, can be the closest. These mothers and daughters have been balancing lives for a long time. Both mothers and daughters have ambitions and needs of their own. People studying mother-and-daughter relationships have shown that in later life both mother and daughter foster their own autonomy. However many do experience conflict and tension. So the truth is that this relationship is one of support and struggle. Caregiving highlights these tensions.
 
Boeing Economic Espionage Trial Begins Top
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A Chinese-born engineer stole secret information critical to the nation's space program and shared it with China, prosecutors said Tuesday during opening arguments in the first economic espionage case to reach trial in the United States. Prosecutors laid out their case against Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 73, in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana. Chung, a Chinese-born engineer, is accused of working as a spy for China for more than 30 years while employed at Rockwell International and then Boeing Co. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, economic espionage, lying to federal agents, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent. The government says he stole secrets on the U.S. space shuttle and the Delta IV rocket. U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney dismissed charges last week relating to the C-17 military transport at the government's request. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Staples told Carney in his opening statement that the lifeblood of Rockwell International and Boeing Co. was the secret information they developed to build the space shuttle and keep ahead of international competition. The information Chung stole took millions of dollars to develop, he said. "Information, security and betrayal: These are the three pillars of the government's case," he said. "Boeing builds things, but the crucial point in this case is, nothing gets built without information, the kind of information we're talking about." Defense attorney Tom Bienert countered that the government would not be able to prove his client had done anything wrong, particularly after 2003, which is when the defense believes the statute of limitations expired. "There simply will be no evidence that my client transferred any information to the People's Republic of China, there will be no evidence that he transferred anything, much less anything that would be a trade secret," Bienert said. Bienert also showed the judge pictures of his client's house with papers and books on every available surface, stacked on the floor and overflowing the bathtub. He said that explained why FBI agents found a quarter-million pages of Boeing documents there. "What you're going to find is that my client is a pack rat, a man who never found something he didn't hold on to. With all respect to my client, his house gives new meaning to clutter," he said. "His house was filled with more books, documents, stuff than just about anyone would ever see." Six similar cases have settled before trial since the Economic Espionage Act passed in 1996. Chung worked for Rockwell International until it was bought by Boeing in 1996 and remained with the aerospace giant until he was laid off in 2002. He was brought back as a consultant on stress analysis after the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003 and was fired when the FBI began its probe in 2006. The government believes Chung began spying for the Chinese in the late 1970s, just a few years after he became a U.S. citizen and was hired by Rockwell. In a letter cited in court documents, Chung allegedly explains to a Chinese contact that he sent three sets of volumes dealing with flight stress analysis to China via sea freight and discusses what prosecutors say is his motive. "Having been a Chinese compatriot for over thirty years and being proud of the achievements by the people's efforts for the motherland, I am regretful for not contributing anything," according to the letter to the contact at the Harbin Institute of Technology in northern China. "I would like to make an effort to contribute to the Four Modernizations of China." Prosecutors say they discovered Chung's activities while investigating the case of another suspected Chinese spy, Chi Mak. Searches of Mak's house turned up an address book and a letter containing Chung's name. Mak was convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to export U.S. defense technology to China and sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. Mak, however, was not charged under the Economic Espionage Act. More on China
 
Bronx Home Bargains Abound Top
It isn't very often that the real estate market sees a convergence of three great conditions that make for a true buyers' market: low interest rates, government incentives and plenty of housing stock. That's what's happened in the Bronx.
 
Handgun Ban Upheld By Federal Appeals Court Top
CHICAGO (AP) -- A federal appeals court has upheld a ban on the possession of most handguns, enacted by Chicago and the suburb of Oak Park. The decision Tuesday by the 7th District Court of Appeals says the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing the right to bear arms does not prevent cities from banning handguns. The three-judge panel's nine-page opinion was a defeat for the National Rifle Association, which had sued to overturn the local gun bans. -ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Tom Vander Ark: American Tests Fail the Test Top
One of the top two reasons we don't have the schools we need is the way we test kids (the other is work rules for adults, but that's subject for another day). There are two big problems with our tests--we test the wrong thing in the wrong way. State tests reflect state standards--we have 50 of them and they are all different. But they do have this in common--they are all too broad, vague, and in some respects they expect to little. Fortunately, there's strong momentum for national standards--fewer, clearer, higher standards. It will be easier to share curriculum and compare results across state lines and it will encourage investment in innovative content like learning games and smart online tests that quickly zero in on learning levels. While we're adopting national standards and locking in higher graduation requirements, it would be a great time to rethink college entrance requirements especially in math where the historical path to Calculus reigns supreme. All young people should learning algebraic problem solving but I'd gladly swap statistics and probability for factoring polynomials. I use statistics daily but haven't factored a polynomial (other than helping my daughters slog through high school) in 30 years. In addition to testing the wrong stuff, we test the wrong way. We use one cheap end of year test to diagnosis individual problems, to certify student progress, and to hold schools accountable. It's asking way too much of an outdated testing system. We need measurement to drive improvement, but we could be much smarter about how we measure learning. Computer games are a great example of background assessment with instant feedback. EdSector reports that, "Other fields, such as military training and medical education, are already using technology-enabled assessment to enhance teaching and learning." Adaptive games and online diagnostics provide fast, reliable, and inexpensive measurement that should replace the bubble sheet paper and pencil exams. Broadband and computer access are no longer an excuse not to make the switch. I'd like to see kids write more--at least one rubric-scored research paper, an op-ed, and new media presentation each semester of high school. Writing prompts that encourage science and social studies teachers to participate would encourage more cross-disciplinary work (and spread the assessment work load). Computer essay scoring continues to improve and will also help avoid the "how do I grade 150 exams this weekend?" problem. Students should have the opportunity to go deep and become an expert. They should have the opportunity to present what they've learned. How about a Science Fair every other year from 4th to 12thgrade? We know how to reliably score project-based work but we're too lazy and too cheap to do it. If you want to see good student portfolios, visit www.HighTechHigh.org--a place where kids show what they know. The options for fitting all of this together get kind of wonky. The point is that schools, districts, and charter networks need the opportunity to show how new assessments can improve learning, reliably allow students to show what they know, and verify that they're doing their job. The battle to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (what Bush called No Child Left Behind) is an opportunity to encourage innovation in measurement. Like Virginia, states should move most of their testing online with opportunities for innovative local pilot programs. We need standards and measures but they don't need to be as intrusive as they are today. We need to teach students to read, write, compute, and solve problems, but we can embed it or complement it with opportunities to discover, to go deep, and to apply learning. With ubiquitous broadband, cheap netbooks, and $5 billion in federal incentives, it's time to make progress on testing.
 
Shepard Smith Calls Cheney's Gay Marriage Stance A "Cop Out" Top
As I've said, it is a simple fact that former Vice President Dick Cheney has long been willing to provide nominal support for gay marriage. Yet, as many readers have reminded me -- quite reasonably and fairly -- for the most part, Cheney has provided lip service in lieu of actually doing much of anything to secure marriage equality for all Americans. With that in mind, credit Fox News' Shepard Smith for giving this critique some voice. In this clip, Smith characterizes Cheney's support as "trying to have it both ways" and as "a cop out." [WATCH] As you can see, Smith's contention is greeted by Rick Klein, of ABC News' "The Note" with this countering statement: "Oh, well, that's really the traditional position taken by people if they support gay marriage," the implication being that Cheney is doing precisely what the Beltway elites who support gay marriage in the "traditional" (a better term would be "risk averse") way do. As you might expect, what Klein finds "interesting" is the fact that Cheney is to the "left flank" of Obama on this issue, which is SHINY SHINY. Hey, Rick! You know, I understand that since its inception, ABC News' The Note has never stood for anything beyond a long, lingering stare down into the depths of its unfathomable navel -- and really, I hope that never, ever changes -- but for the sake of demystifying some stuff for you, I think you should know that it's absolutely possible for there to be a way of "traditionally" supporting something that is, simultaneously, a "cop out." [Would you like to follow me on Twitter ? Because why not? Also, please send tips to tv@huffingtonpost.com -- learn more about our media monitoring project here .] More on Barack Obama
 
E3 2009: Liveblogging: Sony Announces Final Fantasy XIV Online Top
The E3 Liveblogging stream revealed that Sony will be releasing a very special PS3 exclusive in 2010: Final Fantasy 14 Online. More on Technology
 
Peter King: "Democratic Hacks" Are "Out To Get Me" (VIDEO) Top
Republican Congressman Peter King responded to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee radio ad in a taped video statement released yesterday. In the video, the New York representative accuses "Democratic hacks" of "ganging up" on him and says "people are out to get me." He also touts an upcoming fundraiser, a modest affair, he suggests. "Nothing fancy." "We're going to beat back the Democratic hacks that are coming after to me and the real Democrats, the real people and you will stand with me," King says in the grainy video. King is one of six House Republicans the DCCC began targeting recently with radio ads and robocalls criticizing their opposition to the Democratic-backed stimulus package. The news today that Rep. John McHugh will become Army secretary could make King potentially one of only two Republicans left in the New York congressional delegation. WATCH: Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!
 
Air France Wreckage Confirmed By Brazilian Official Top
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil — Brazilian military planes found a 3-mile (5-kilometer) path of wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, confirming that an Air France jet carrying 228 people crashed in the sea, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said Tuesday. Jobim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro that the discovery "confirms that the plane went down in that area," hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the Brazilian archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. He said the strip of wreckage included metallic and nonmetallic pieces, but did not describe them in detail. No bodies were spotted in the crash of the Airbus in which all aboard are believed to have died. The discovery came just hours after authorities announced they had found an airplane an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel in a part of the Atlantic Ocean with depths of up to three miles (4,800 meters). Jobim said recovery of the of the plane's cockpit voice and data recorders could be difficult because of the depth of the ocean where the debris was found. "It's going to be very hard to search for it because it could be at a depth of 2,000 meters or 3,000 meters (6,500 to 9,800 fee) in that area of the ocean," Jobim said. ____ Alan Clendenning reported from Sao Paulo. Associated Press Writer Tales Azzoni contributed from Sao Paulo. More on France
 
Mark Shriver: The Disaster Decade Top
The Wikipedia entry for the "2000s" points out that there's no widely accepted name for the decade that ends in just seven months. There's the "zeros," the "aughts" and even the "nils" and "nillies." However, there's one defining quality that we'll remember the most about the last ten years: the relentless onslaught of disasters and the omnipresent threat that a new one could strike at any moment. And for America's children, who are the most vulnerable victims during a crisis, the Disaster Decade has been particularly frightening. From 9/11 through Katrina, Rita, Ike, the Wildfires and the Great Recession, we watched as children's unique needs during disasters were largely ignored. This inadequacy has been exposed most profoundly during disaster relief efforts: • Following a serious event, there is no effective system for family reunification. In fact, after Katrina, it took up to six months to reunify some children with their families. • Shelters routinely don't keep families (and thus kids) separated from the rest of the population, making kids vulnerable to abuse and even rape. • Convicted sex offenders are only asked to self report when entering a shelter. Following Ike, it was reported that 35 sex offenders self-reported in a San Antonio shelter. However, it's very possible that many more declined to report. • Kids are invisible during disasters in this country as shelters don't routinely count the number children in the facility. And for many kids fortunate enough to be spared the experience of an actual disaster, their sense of security is radically different from kids raised in the 20th century. Watching skyscrapers collapse, cities destroyed and neighbors forced into homeless shelters because of the recession, they are now all too aware of their own vulnerabilities. In two weeks, Save the Children's U.S. Programs will release a report - "The Disaster Decade: Lessons Unlearned" - revealing the preparedness of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for protecting children during disasters. We will also examine the effects of the economic disaster on our children. We will unveil the report in Washington, D.C. (available at savethechildren.org) and we will also lay out some solid steps Congress and the Administration could take that would begin to make positive change. The Disaster Decade will be remembered for horrific events that changed American life forever. As the threat of global warming, terrorism and economic hardship continues unabated, it is our job to make sure that the effects on children doesn't remain a disaster in its own right. More on Natural Disasters
 
Alex Leo: Chyron Of The Day: Hold The Phone Top
You know those local news reports that let you know you're in imminent danger because of some household item? Or the ones that tell you your neighbor is probably a serial killer? But they can't tell you who why or what until 11:28p? Yeah, those are awesome, and they're no longer just the purview of local affiliates. No, with the advent of 24-hour news there is a LOT of time to kill and a lot more people to scare and these poor "reporters" don't have neighbors to terrify you with because they're broadcasting around the world! But these brave folks refused to let us down, they found new ridiculous things to keep us worried about like our shaky legs and now our cell phone elbows! As CNN tells us , "People who have this condition, called cubital tunnel syndrome, can feel weakness in their hands and have difficulty opening jars or playing musical instruments." DAMMIT! I talk on my cell phone eight hours a day and I have a flute recital tonight! Had I not watched "The Situation Room" I may have thought my tingly pinky finger was not a big deal... For more chyrons, click here. More on CNN
 
STUDY: Race Effects Prices, White People Pay More Top
Kathryn Graddy and George Hall, both at Brandeis' International Business School, studied fish-purchasing patterns over 22 weeks and found that white customers usually pay five cents, and sometimes up to 10 cents, more than their Asian counterparts when buying a pound of whiting at the Fulton Fish Market in New York City.
 
Rob Cohen: I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Episode 1 Recap: The Trauma Tank Top
One episode down, fourteen to go. I almost can't believe I've made it this far. But, even while expecting the worst, I was surprised by some of the crazy, ridiculous, and incredibly engaging drama that unfolded. I'll do recaps by commenting on each act, although calling them "acts" may be giving the show too much credit. Today's recap has twice as many acts as usual because of the extended 2-hour premiere. Check back after each episode, as I'll be blogging every day (though I'm starting to realize that alcohol may need to be involved). On weekends, we'll delve deeper into the issues at hand for some serious analysis. There's a lot to talk about. Act One: The opening titles threw me off right away: "Live" 4 nights a week? I thought it might just be one of those things you can say on TV if it's not true (it may be taped footage, but they do feed it to your TV live!), but then the hosts were actually talking to us live. OK, cool. But then, very quickly, we cut to taped, edited footage. So... why are they doing any of it live? Does it really enhance the hosts' banter? I'm a bit confused. Also, you gotta love the introduction of Patti Blagojevich. She's already crying in her first confessional. But she does speak the truth: after the last few months of her life, the jungle doesn't sound that scary. Until she got pulled down the river and almost drowned (sort of). True blunder, or just an excuse to show off how good she looks wet? Act Two: So both teams have to cross a river to get to their camp? I love it. Way to manipulate the path to the campsite, producers. Just excellent work. Heidi is becoming interesting very quickly: "Everything that I have and love just got taken away from me, and not in a fun way." What did you expect, Heidi? It's the jungle! And how can people take things from you in a fun way? I wouldn't go as far as saying it's akin to "torture" you would only use on Al Quada... but she would. Brilliant. And then, just like that, Heidi and Spencer were gone. Wow. Not really sure if they'll be back for act three, but either way Spencer's farewell address while on the phone with Ben Silverman was priceless. It shows just how deluded he and Heidi really are; in fact, it felt like a scene right out of The Hills. I'm just upset Heidi might not be around any more to talk so intelligently about Al Qaeda. Act Three: Well, Spencer and Heidi were back, but then left again! This time it seemed like it was for good... until the preview of act four! Oh NBC, a tease should be a tease, not an answer to the question! Act Four: Wow, this is really starting to become the Heidi and Spencer show, and I'm thinking it was all part of their master plan. Heidi continues to win the prize for best confessionals: "It's just being so mean! And they completely took off all my labels!" What's she gonna do? How will she know which shampoo is hers? And Spencer made those labels for her himself! How sweet. Very interesting act-out: a praying mantis devouring some sort of roach. I didn't know I'm a Celebrity was into montage metaphors. Is Spencer the mantis? Maybe Heidi? Or are they the roaches? Or am I thinking about this much more than the editors and producers of the show? Probably. Act Five: So the teams mean nothing? Already? On the first challenge? Then what was the point of the teams at all? Just to mix 'em up in camps and create some drama, I guess. Also, did Spencer liken himself to Heath Ledger in this act? Wow. Whatever mind games he's playing, they're starting to work on me. I can't figure him out, and I kinda like it. This entire first hour without a bug-eating or strength-testing challenge has really been elevated by Spencer and Heidi's antics. If The Hills taught them anything, it was how to induce drama. Act Six: Not much to say here, though it is nice to see celebrities subjected to this kind of humiliation. But if John Salley is a vegan and made such a point of it earlier in the show, why was he so quick to eat a rat's tail without objection? At least use it as an excuse! Act Seven: Alright, Spencer, if you can't eat a stick insect, you're all talk. Next up: a cooked tarantula. By far the grossest thing I've ever seen. And after hearing that the intestine shake tasted better than his mom's, I think Sanjaya really got off easy. That, or his mom's shakes must be made with cooked tarantulas. Act Eight: Getting into politics with Patti is exciting. Apparently Blago's troubles all arose from fighting against special interests! Wow! Who knew? Those damn special interests, why are they so dead-set on taking down politicians who are really fighting for the people, and for children ? I've heard rumors that Patti is the woman behind the curtain, running the entire operation, and if so, I'm back on board the Blagojevich train. She's in denial even more than Rod was, and that's the only way to get ahead in politics. Act Nine: Jungle slime? What does that even mean? I am baffled. Act Ten: Alright, Patti's microphone is messed up, so I'm pretty sure this is actually live. But how is it possible? There are less than five minutes left for the next segment... what if someone lasts longer than that in the Trauma Tank? Act Eleven: The action really fizzled and died at the end there. Turns out five of them lasted longer than the show had time for, so we find out the results... on the next episode? They built an entire two-hour premiere around a main event that didn't end. Good work, Ben Silverman. And what's with that tank anyway? None of the bugs were actually touching the celebrities. They were just crawling around nearby. If you closed your eyes, as most of them did, what's the challenge? They'd better correct this mistake, and fast. UPDATE: Apparently Heidi and Spencer have quit the show as of last night after the live segment. Wonder how they'll deal with that on the next episode... More on Rod Blagojevich
 
Juli Charkes: Clean Marinas Top
We are a boat-loving nation and for good reason: There's a lot to like about leisurely making your way across a body of water, whether by thrum of a motor or the snap of a sail -- why do you think they refer to them as pleasure craft? With some 73 million boats registered in America, the boating industry has also been good for business, particularly in coastal states: In South Carolina alone the industry brings in more than $826 million in sales a year and is responsible for some 9,000 jobs. But the pleasure of boating comes with unacceptable amounts of environmental waste, from the discarded shrink-wrap that is used to protect boats in winter months, to inefficient fuel docks that can leak into waterways. Don't look to the federal government to clamp down on this waste, at least thus far. When President Bush signed the Clean Boating Act of 2008 into law last year, the legislation exempted "certain discharges incidental to the normal operation of a recreational vessel." The National Marine Manufacturers Association, the leading association representing the boating industry whose member companies are responsible for 80 percent of the boats in America, also applauded passage of the bill because of the exemptions it provides for "non-polluting incidental discharges" that result from the operation of your average recreational boat. That's hard to swallow once you understand how much waste one single boat can generate. Take that shrink-wrap. An average boat uses as much as 14 pounds of the stuff and we're not talking Saran Wrap. Known as low-density polyethylene, or LDPE, the material is a petroleum-based, non-biodegradable material almost an inch thick that can clog-up landfills for years. As one municipal waste management engineer told me "This plastic is just horrible to have out there; it takes a long time to breakdown." Local governments seem to understand the importance of eco-friendly practices when it comes to the boating industry, perhaps because it is ultimately their job to get rid of the stuff. Many are beginning to put environmental practices in place at municipal marinas. In New Jersey, for example, more than 125 tons of plastic was collected last year from nine participating counties that received grants from The New Jersey Department of Transportation's Office of Maritime Resources. The grants, totaling $100,000, were sourced from boater registration fees. In New York's Westchester County, county officials have also begun a recycling program to collect and recycle plastic shrink-wrap at many of the area's public marinas. The recycling program, a partnership between the county and local municipalities, was begun last year as pilot program and resulted in the collection of 21 tons of discarded plastic boat wrap. That's plastic that would have taken up large dwindling space in the area's landfills or -- in some careless cases -- simply tossed into the waterways. This year, that program is expected to capture 30 tons of plastic, all of it trucked to a recycling facility where the material is sold for profit and provides a revenue source for local government. It's not just local government entities concerned with doing the right thing. On Long Island, boat wrap recycling programs were initiated this year by private waste disposal companies including one operation in Oceanside that is projecting collection of at least 100 tons of plastic for this year alone. The greening of America's boating industry is particularly important for marinas in places like New York because the state is trying to obtain a so-called "clean marina" status. That's the status given to marinas when they are recognized by state agencies as good stewards of the environment. Earlier this year, the federal Environmental Protection Agency allotted a $175,000 grant matched by state EPA funds to pursue a clean marina program in New York. That's the type of incentive that can help spur environmental action at America's marinas, some of whom have already taken important steps. In addition to recycling plastic wrap, the New Rochelle Municipal Marina has installed a fuel docks that prevents waste from entering waterways. There's also a storm water treatment plant that capture particles from boats as they are being cleaned so debris doesn't end up in the water. The harbormaster there described those and other steps as essential for the boat industry. But the implications of environmentally sound practices go beyond boat owners to anyone concerned with the unacceptable fouling of our waterways, something the boating industry and marinas across the country may want to consider. More on Green Living
 
World Vision: Pakistan Refugee Hosts Stretched To The Limit (IMAGES) Top
* Scroll down for photos By Chris Webster ISLAMABAD -- Poor communities in Pakistan's northwest are hosting up to two million people uprooted by recent violence in the region. Aid agency World Vision warns these communities - already among the poorest in the world - may join those displaced in the coming days as their assets are sold to help those in need. "Host families have provided refuge for up to 90 percent of those escaping the fighting," said Graham Strong, World Vision's Country Director in Pakistan. "They are sharing their homes, food, clothes and water. They are poor already and are making themselves poorer in the process." Many assets are being sold to meet the growing need. "As the disaster continues," explained Strong, "hosts are having to sell their land, cattle and other assets at far less than the market value in order to keep providing for their guests." As the only international aid agency providing assistance in Buner District, World Vision talked to host villagers whose limited resources are almost depleted. They expressed a major concern that their cultural code of hospitality and compassion is being stretched to its limit and could be masking the scale of the need caused by the crisis. "Without urgent assistance there is a real fear that impoverished host communities could contribute to another wave of internal displacement," said Strong. "The cultural ethic of generosity and hospitality means hosts are now facing the agonizing choice between asking guests to leave or becoming destitute and displaced themselves." World Vision found hosts often have little or no connection with those taking refuge in their homes. One host that World Vision spoke to is a 59-year-old man in Buner, and he has taken 37 people into his home. "Many host families have exhausted their wealth and will have to leave themselves or ask their guests to leave. It will be easier to die than to ask families to leave," he said. World Vision's rapid assessment in Buner found that basic services such as health, education, water and sanitation are being stretched to a breaking point. The assessment also found that pregnant and lactating women and children under five are extremely vulnerable as access to healthcare and medical supplies in one of Pakistan's poorest communities is already severely depleted. To alleviate the situation, aid agencies are urging donors to fully fund appeals to allow them to address the needs of both the host communities as well as those fleeing violence. World Vision is concerned global fundraising efforts will be impacted by the financial crisis. "We urge the international community to follow the example of Pakistan's communities who have demonstrated extreme generosity in the hardest of circumstances," said Strong. World Vision is distributing health kits, mattresses and essential household items in Buner and hopes to raise $13 million to address the urgent needs of more than 200,000 people in Buner, Swabi and Mardan in northwest Pakistan. A displaced family in the Buner District of Pakistan fled 21 miles through the mountains to take refuge with friends and family. (May 18, 2009) Children carry food and household supplies in Malakand, Pakistan. "Without urgent assistance there is a real fear that impoverished host communities could contribute to another wave of internal displacement," said World Vision's country director in Pakistan, Graham Strong. (May 20, 2009) The majority of the 2 million internally displaced people in Pakistan's Swat region are staying with host families. World Vision has started a targeted distribution of food and supplies in villages and homes where displaced families are staying. (May 20, 2009) Children wait for food distribution in Totalai village. Many host families are selling their land, cattle and assets to provide for the displaced. (May 14, 2009) A young girl in the Buner District being registered to receive emergency supplies and hygiene kits. World Vision's assessment in Buner found that basic services such as health, education, water and sanitation are being stretched to a breaking point. (May 17, 2009) A displaced child in the Buner District holds his identification paperwork as relief staff gather aid to send home with him and his sister. (May 17, 2009) Children line up for a food distribution in Totalai village, which is hosting over 200 displaced families. Pakistan's culture of hospitality has prompted village families to open their homes to their displaced neighbors, straining their own resources in order to do so. (May 14, 2009) In Malakand, Pakistan, children carry much-needed supplies home, including mattresses, cushions, and towels to help host families meet the needs of their displaced guests. (May 20, 2009) More on Pakistan
 
"Hopper" The Wallaby Lost, Possibly Confused Top
Police said the marsupial is likely to be in a confused state, but will not be a danger to the public. He is believed to be in the Kielder Forest area. More on Animals
 
May Ratings Mayhem! Fox News Tops; MSNBC Beats CNN; Cooper, Olbermann Down; HLN Way Up Top
Nielsen's May 2009 ratings are in, with Fox News again leading the cable news race by wide margins. Fox News Wins Ratings Race (Again) Fox News retained its #1 spot, averaging more total viewers in Monday-Sunday primetime (1.959 million, up 24% over May 2008) than CNN (767,000, down 22%) and MSNBC (756,000, up 10%) combined. HLN came in 4th with 535,000 total viewers, up a staggering 41% over May 2008. In weekday primetime, Fox News averaged 2.292 million total viewers, again more than MSNBC (891,000) and CNN (842,000) combined. HLN came in 4th with 618,000 total viewers. In the Monday-Sunday prime demo (A25-54), Fox News took first with an average of 463,000 viewers (up 30% over May 2008), again more than MSNBC (250,000, down 9%) and CNN (194,000, down 37%) combined. HLN came in 4th with 192,000, again up a staggering 40% over May 2008. In the weekday prime demo, however, HLN (219,000 viewers) bested big sister network CNN (216,000 viewers) for the third place crown, while Fox News averaged 561,000 viewers and MSNBC averaged 270,000 viewers. MSNBC Beats CNN (Again) May was the third month in a row that MSNBC beat CNN in the weekday prime demo and the second in three months beating CNN in total viewers in weekday primetime, solidifying its standing as the #2 network in weekday primetime. Additionally, "The Rachel Maddow Show" was up 60% in total viewers (895,000 in May 2008 vs. 560,000 in May 2009), and up 14% in A25-54, where it beat "Larry King Live" at 9PM for the 7th time in 8 months. Programs Fox News claimed 9 of the top 10 programs in weekday primetime, with the "O'Reilly Factor" (2.989 million total viewers, 702,000 A25-54) leading the pack for the 102nd consecutive month. "Hannity" (2.165 million total viewers, 551,000 A25-54), "Glenn Beck" (1.962 million total viewers, 472,000 A25-54), "On the Record with Greta van Susteren" (1.814 million total viewers, 452,000 A25-54), and "Special Report with Bret Baier" (1.784 million total viewers, 392,000 A25-54) rounded out the top 5. MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was the only non-Fox News show to crack the top 10, coming in at #10 with 1.094 million total viewers and 323,000 A25-54. Olbermann, Cooper Shed Viewers Year-to-Year May 2009 was the first month since September 2006 that Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" declined against the previous year in the A25-54 demo. In May 2009, Olbermann averaged 323,000 A25-54 viewers, down 21% from his primaries-fueled May 2008 average of 408,000 (though up considerably from May 2007's average of 200,000). Olbermann has been a ratings juggernaut for several years on MSNBC, with his last year-over-year monthly decline coming in September 2006 (compared against September 2005's numbers, which were inflated due to Hurricane Katrina coverage). Meanwhile, Anderson Cooper — whose ratings woes CNN staffers told Politico were the "most troubling" of all — averaged 798,000 total viewers, down 24% from May 2008 (1.051 million). In the A25-54 demo, "Anderson Cooper 360" fell 34%, from 339,000 in May 2008 to 223,000 in May 2009. HLN Through The Roof HLN ratings are booming, with the network up 41% in Monday-Sunday primetime total viewers, 40% in Monday-Sunday primetime demo, 11% in total day total viewers, and 19% in total day demo. In weekday primetime, HLN is up 43% in total viewers (619,000 in May 2009 vs 434,000 in May 2008) and 40% in the A25-54 demo (220,000 in May 2009 vs 157,000 in May 2008). Nancy Grace posted the best May performance in the network's 27-year history at 8PM in both total viewers (873,000) and the A25-54 demo (304,000). More on CNN
 
Inspector General Rips Parking Meter Deal In Report: City Could Have Gotten Nearly $1 Billion More Top
The City of Chicago leased its parking meters for nearly $1 billion less than they were worth and the office in charge of valuing the meters didn't even run the numbers, according to a scathing report released Tuesday by the city's inspector general. The deal, reached hastily in December, to lease the city's 36,000 parking meters to a private company for 75 years for $1.157 billion earned the city about $997 million less than they were worth, a difference of nearly 45 percent, according to the report. And the city's chief financial officer, whose office oversaw the deal, failed to calculate how much the parking meter system would be worth to the city over 75 years if it retained the system rather than leasing it, the report found. The report also criticizes the City Council for its lightning fast approval of the deal. Under pressure from Mayor Daley, the Council voted 40-5 in favor the plan only two days after Daley unveiled it. "There was no meaningful public review of the decision," Inpsector General David Hoffman wrote in the report. Read the full report: Chicago Inspector General's Report On Parking Meter Deal -
 
Marilyn Monroe's Never-Before-Published Pictures (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Top
LIFE.com uncovered some never-before-published photographs of a 24-year-old Marilyn Monroe, taken by LIFE photographer Ed Clark in August 1950. See a few of the photos below, and check out more here at LIFE.com . Scroll down to watch a "Today" Show segment on the lost photos. Marilyn flashes a brilliant smile. It's hard to believe that just four years earlier, she was Norma Jeane Dougherty, the wife of a Merchant Marine and a worker in a munitions factory. Marilyn pats her curls. Naturally a brunette, Monroe reportedly dyed her hair blonde during her modeling days, after hearing that's the look agencies wanted. Lounging in the shade, Monroe studies lines of an unknown script. It was still early in her career, and she'd just begun to grab attention: Three months before this shoot, she appeared as a crooked lawyer's girlfriend in "The Asphalt Jungle," and two months after, she had a small role as an aspiring starlet in "All About Eve." WATCH: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy More on Photo Galleries
 

CREATE MORE ALERTS:

Auctions - Find out when new auctions are posted

Horoscopes - Receive your daily horoscope

Music - Get the newest Album Releases, Playlists and more

News - Only the news you want, delivered!

Stocks - Stay connected to the market with price quotes and more

Weather - Get today's weather conditions




You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)