The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com
- Alvaro Uribe, Colombian President, Has Swine Flu
- 'Final Destination' Tops 'Basterds' To Win Box Office
- John R. Bohrer: Vicki Kennedy: A Dynasty (For Now)
- Why End-Of-Life Counseling Is Valuable
- Vicky Ward: The Truth About Lockerbie May Now Never Come Out Thanks to Gordon Brown's Thirst for Libyan Oil
- Geoffrey R. Stone: Kennedy/Obama: Does the Dream Live On?
| Alvaro Uribe, Colombian President, Has Swine Flu | Top |
| BOGOTA — President Alvaro Uribe has the swine flu and officials are contacting other South American governments whose leaders attended a summit last week with the Colombian leader, authorities said Sunday. The 57-year-old Uribe began feeling symptoms Friday, the same day as a meeting of South American presidents in Bariloche, Argentina, and he was confirmed to have swine flu after returning home, Social Protection Minister Diego Palacio said. "This isn't something that has us scared," Palacio said at a news conference. Uribe, a key U.S. ally in Latin America, is not considered a high-risk patient and will continue working from his computer, officials said. Public health director Gilberto Alvarez said in a telephone interview that there was no need to put the president in isolation and that his condition would monitored for three days to a week. No family members or close associates of Uribe have shown swine flu symptoms, officials said. During a Union of South American Nations summit of the region's presidents Friday, Uribe spent hours defending his plan to give U.S. troops more access to Colombian bases as part of his government's fight against drug traffickers and leftist rebels. Many of his colleagues have voiced concerns about the idea. Palacio said Colombia's foreign ministry was informing governments whose leaders may have come in contact with Uribe. No governments immediately commented on Colombia's announcement or reported that officials were sick. Dr. Alberto Cortez, an infectious disease specialist at Colombia's Universidad Nacional, said it is possible the disease could have been passed on to other leaders at the summit. But he added it needs to be established when Uribe became sick to determine whether he picked up the virus in Argentina – where there are many cases – or if he arrived there with the disease. Uribe is the second Latin American leader to come down with the swine flu. On Aug. 11, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias announced he had swine flu and was being quarantined at his home. The 69-year-old leader, who won the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending Central America's civil wars, has recovered. Colombia's presidential office released a brief statement Sunday saying the country's National Health Institute confirmed that Uribe had swine flu. It said his case was "developing satisfactorily." National Health Institute director, Juan Gonzalo Lopez, said Uribe's case was confirmed on Sunday and that he had complained of body pains and general discomfort. Local media said the president appeared congested and was sneezing during a meeting with regional officials Saturday. Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, spokesman for Uribe, said Uribe planned to handle his duties while recovering. "The president will continue doing his work by computer," Velasquez said. Colombia has reported 621 confirmed cases of swine flu, including Uribe's. There have been 34 deaths from the illness, the government says. More on Swine Flu | |
| 'Final Destination' Tops 'Basterds' To Win Box Office | Top |
| LOS ANGELES — Movie fans have made fear their top destination at the weekend box office. The horror tale "The Final Destination" debuted as the No. 1 movie with $28.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. sequel is the latest installment in the franchise about people stalked by death after a premonition saves them from their destined demise. "Final Destination" took over the top spot from Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt's World War II saga "Inglourious Basterds," which slipped to second place with $20 million. The Weinstein Co. release raised its total to $73.8 million after 10 days in theaters. Weinstein also had the No. 3 slot with the horror flick "Halloween II," which opened with $17.4 million. The movie is Rob Zombie's sequel to his update of the slasher franchise about crazed killer Michael Myers. It's unusual for two horror movies to open over the same weekend. While "Final Destination" and "Halloween II" competed for the same audience, both managed solid receipts. "They got their $17 million, we got our $28 million. That's a lot of business all around," said Jeff Goldstein, general sales manager for Warner Bros. "Final Destination" continued Hollywood's streak of 3-D successes. The 3-D component accounted for 70 percent of the movie's revenues, even though only 54 percent of the 3,121 theaters where it played offered the movie in 3D. The Weinstein Co. plans to release "Halloween 3" in 3-D next summer, said Bob Weinstein, who co-founded the company with brother Harvey. While Zombie will not be back to direct, the next sequel will pick up from his story and give a new twist on slasher Myers, Weinstein said. "Halloween II" did far less business than Zombie's "Halloween," which opened at No. 1 with $30.6 million two years ago. But Weinstein noted that the sequel took in more than its $15 million production budget over opening weekend. "It's like hitting a single or a double," Weinstein said. "There are going to be bigger ones like 'Inglourious Basterds,' but for the Weinstein Co., we don't mind having two or three of these a year." The weekend's other new wide release, Focus Features' music romp "Taking Woodstock," opened a weak No. 9 with $3.7 million. Directed by Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Brokeback Mountain"), "Taking Woodstock" is a nostalgic look behind the scenes at the mammoth 1969 rock concert. Though Hollywood's summer season historically does not end until Labor Day, the holiday comes late this year, adding an extra week to the movie schedule and skewing comparisons to past summers. Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian is using this Monday to mark the end of the season, since this weekend corresponded to Labor Day weekend last year. Dergarabedian estimated that through Monday, Hollywood will have taken in $4.26 billion, 1.5 percent ahead of the revenue record the industry set in summer 2008. While receipts ran at an all-time high, attendance was off 2.2 percent compared with last summer factoring in this year's higher ticket prices, he said. Revenues had lagged compared to last year's because of a midsummer skid, but Hollywood finished with an unusually strong lineup in August, typically a quiet time at the box office. "August gave us the record," Dergarabedian said. "Virtually every summer crosses the finish line with a whimper. This year, we crossed with a bang." Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "The Final Destination," $28.3 million. 2. "Inglourious Basterds," $20 million. 3. "Halloween II," $17.4 million. 4. "District 9," $10.7 million. 5. "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," $8 million. 6. "Julie & Julia," $7.4 million. 7. "The Time Traveler's Wife," $6.7 million. 8. "Shorts," $4.9 million. 9. "Taking Woodstock," $3.7 million. 10. "G-Force," $2.8 million. ___ On the Net: http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice ___ Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. | |
| John R. Bohrer: Vicki Kennedy: A Dynasty (For Now) | Top |
| If Senator Ted Kennedy gets his last wish -- that Massachusetts alters its succession law to allow an appointee to serve until the special election -- his wife Vicki is the only logical choice. Cries of nepotism be damned; it would be a decision based on practicality more than dynasty. It is often said that presidents only get one year to make their mark on the country. The 145 to 160 days of vacancy that the current law prescribes means Massachusetts will have only one senator in Washington until sometime in January (at the earliest). That's one less vote President Obama can count on. True, Democrats changed the law in 2004 out of pure self-interest, and the present circumstance shows just what a huge mistake that was. It is completely reasonable to scoff and say, ' Serves them right .' But it is a bad law, and it ought to be changed. And so if it is, Vicki Kennedy should receive the appointment. Many will bristle at the idea of another Kennedy being handed a seat in Congress, but she is by far the most practical choice to ensure a smooth transition. Let's face it: time is of the essence. Whoever picks up Senator Kennedy's standard needs to hit the ground not just running, but in a full-on sprint . Vicki Kennedy -- and only Vicki Kennedy -- can do that. Mrs. Kennedy has no need to get acquainted with staffers and other senators. She knows who she can count on and who does what. She knows how Senator Kennedy thought on every issue from the nearly two decades they spent together. And it is widely acknowledged that she has spent the last year serving as his eyes, ears and voice when he was not well enough to fully engage. Continuing in public life without her husband would not be an easy decision for Mrs. Kennedy, who has just suffered a great emotional loss. But many have stepped up in their spouses' place and performed ably -- most notably another New England widow, Margaret Chase Smith. In this case, it would be hoped that Kennedy fulfills her husband's wish by accepting the appointment and not seeking to complete his term via the special election. That's not to say she wouldn't make a great candidate -- she would , for all the aforementioned reasons. In the end, "the dream" that Ted spoke of so eloquently in two convention speeches is not about the Kennedys keeping a Senate seat in their family. It is much, much bigger than that. After all, the life of the dream is predicated on the work going on, the cause enduring. Keeping continuity in Kennedy's Senate seat -- at least for the remainder of 2009 -- is the right choice, whatever the appearance. Massachusetts lawmakers should reconsider the succession statute, and Vicki Kennedy should reconsider her reluctance to accept such an appointment. More on Ted Kennedy | |
| Why End-Of-Life Counseling Is Valuable | Top |
| Many opponents of health-care reform have concentrated their fire on a provision in House legislation that would provide for government reimbursement to doctors who offer end-of-life counseling. How our society deals with those confronting death is understandably controversial. Unfortunately, the debate has degenerated into a cacophony of demagoguery and distortion, including invocations of Hitler and fear-mongering about "death panels." As a result of these attacks, a number of senators who are key to determining what bill will emerge from Congress have abandoned support for end-of-life counseling. More on Health Care | |
| Vicky Ward: The Truth About Lockerbie May Now Never Come Out Thanks to Gordon Brown's Thirst for Libyan Oil | Top |
| A few weeks ago, in July, US families of the Lockerbie victims gathered in front of a TV screen in both the British embassy in Washington, DC and in the consulate in New York. They were connected via video conference with Scottish justice minister Kenny MacAskill, who discussed with them both the options of prisoner transfer for Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the convicted Lockerbie bomber, and a compassionate release, since the 57-year-old was suffering from prostate cancer. According to Frank Duggan, a former Chairman of the National Mediation Board who serves as president of the group of American victims of flight Pan Am 103, the conference was civilized and the Americans were direct with MacAskill. "We told him in no uncertain terms we did not want Megrahi transferred back to Libya. MacAskill did mention compassionate release as another option for him, but never in such a way as to make us believe it would actually happen. We view what subsequently happened as nothing short of betrayal," Duggan tells me. The shock in the wake of Megrahi's release, his hero's welcome in Libya -- and now the leak of two letters from Jack Straw, Britain's foreign minister, insinuating that the British told the Scottish that it was OK to transfer the convicted terrorist, since to keep him blocked a $30 billion oil exploration deal between BP and Libya -- have led to proposals to boycott Scotland, a rally in New Jersey protesting Muammar Qaddafi's plans to camp there (now canceled) during the upcoming UN General Assembly -- and now calls in both Britain and the US for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to stop evading the issue and tell the truth about his government's involvement. I have communicated with Duggan repeatedly over the weekend. "In our view the British have behaved worse than the Scots," was his view on receiving the news about Straw's leaked correspondence. We also discussed the op-ed that appeared in the New York Times under the byline of the Libyan dictator's son, Saif Al-Islam El-Qaddafi; Qaddafi fils insists there was no "hero's welcome" for Megrahi on his return to Tripoli, explaining away the hundreds of cheering, flag-waving supporters as members of Megrahi's "extended family," and makes the O.J. Simpson-like assertion that the "truth about Lockerbie will come out one day." Call me skeptical, but when it comes to credible track records, even the British government, who wrote to their buddy Qaddafi asking that Megrahi enter the country quietly, by now must doubt the veracity of what comes out of the mouths and word processors of Libya's leaders. Many of those who have protested Megrahi's innocence have ties to Libya, including having been paid or promised payments by the Libyan government -- something that may come as news to all those busy protesting Megrahi's innocence. In some cases the Megrahi apologists have some hidden reason to blame others -- ranging from the Iranians or Americans, who some claim tampered with evidence or bribed witnesses to suit their own purposes. First among the Megrahi defenders is Dr. Jim Swire, an English doctor who lost his daughter, Flora, in the bombing. Apparently Swire is a plausible, decent man -- but according to people who have known him a long time, he was never pro-America; in fact, quite the reverse. He was upset that Flora was planning to marry an American just before she died, according to sources. This fact, obviously, is not mentioned when he is quoted by the media. Duggan is reluctant to criticize another victim's family member, but says that Dr. Swire's mind was made up before Megrahi's trial. Then there is Edwin Bollier, the Swiss businessman who worked for Mebo, the company that manufactured the bomb-timer and whose office was next door to Megrahi. He has said repeatedly that Megrahi is innocent and that evidence was suppressed at the trial. He has good reason to say all this. Last year it emerged that Libya offered him $200 million if he could help set Megrahi free. Bollier contributes almost daily to the blog maintained by Professor Robert Black, a Scottish law expert, calling for a new trial. Then there is Dr. Hans Koechler, one of six UN observers -- and the only one to believe that the trial in front of judges, rather than a jury because of all the publicity -- was a travesty. Hans Koechler is a teacher at Innsbruck University; he heads something called "the International Progress Movement." He holds himself out as having some official position with the UN, which appears to give him credibility. His view of the trial, in which Megrahi was found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by eight Scottish judges -- three trial judges and five appellate judges who came to a unanimous verdict -- does not appear to be shared by the other five UN observers. Finally we come to Professor Robert Black, the Scottish lawyer whose opinion perhaps carries the most weight because he was one of the architects who devised the judge trial instead of a jury trial. He has since said he regrets this because he believes that the verdict was based on weak circumstantial evidence that he believes would not have persuaded a jury. He is frustrated that other judges and lawyers -- including those who denied the first appeal -- just do not agree with him. He is like a dog with a bone and he will not give it up. Why has the West been so slow to refute these conspiracy theorists? Duggan reminds me that other than a now-retired FBI agent, Richard Maquise (who is firmly of the opinion that though Megrahi did not act alone, he is guilty) all the other government officials involved in the case are unable to talk about it because they are still working and cannot comment. The strongly-worded letter from FBI Director Robert Mueller to MacAskill, calling MacAskill's decision a miscarriage of justice, was unprecedented -- a fact that seems to have been overlooked. Ultimately however it is not the job of journalists to prove or disprove Megrahi's innocence. That is for the courts. An appeal didn't work once. It's easy for protesters to say it would work a second time, but Megrahi is running out of time. By releasing him, the Scots have ensured we will never know the truth. Kenny MacAskill has indeed betrayed the American families. And as for the British government, when are they going to tell the truth? If Gordon Brown continues to hide and to lie, then he is just the same as Muammar Qaddafi, whose oil he covets, apparently at any price. New Jersey should ban him too. More on United Nations | |
| Geoffrey R. Stone: Kennedy/Obama: Does the Dream Live On? | Top |
| In his dramatic "The Dream Lives On" speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Senator Edward Kennedy promised his party and his nation that "Barack Obama will close the book on race, gender, group against group, and straight against gay," a line that brought forth both cheers and tears of hope from the delegates. It was no surprise that Senator Kennedy highlighted the issue of "straight against gay," because he was, in the words of Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group, the "strongest voice in the United States Senate for the LGBT community." In celebrating the "transformative impact" of Ted Kennedy's commitment to guaranteeing equality without regard to an individual's sexual orientation, Jarrett Barrios, the incoming president of GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, observed that Kennedy's unflagging support over the years had "helped change hearts and minds about LGBT equality," both in the Senate and throughout the nation. Kennedy was an early advocate for AIDS research and treatment, securing federal funding so patients could have easier access to experimental drugs and both in-home and outpatient medical care. In 1996, he was one of only 14 senators who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions that have been authorized by the states. Kennedy condemned the legislation as a "mean-spirited" effort "to divide Americans." It "deserves to be rejected," he declared, "by all those who deplore ... intolerance." Ted Kennedy was also a leading supporter of same-sex marriage in his home state of Massachusetts, which was the first state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004. In recognition of the Massachusetts Supreme Court's decision holding the denial of same-sex marriage unconstitutional, Senator Kennedy proudly proclaimed that "the nation's eyes were on Massachusetts today, and they saw a triumph for civil rights and fundamental fairness." Senator Kennedy also championed the effort in Congress to add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes and employment discrimination laws. In 2002, he was one of the leading sponsors of the Matthew Shepard Act on hate crimes, and in 1996 he authored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would have barred discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation. In co-sponsoring ENDA again this year, Kennedy said: "Ensuring equality for all Americans is the least we can do in living up to the standards of inclusion that this nation is built upon. There is no place for discrimination against any of our citizens for whatever reason." It is our duty, he declared, "to champion equal rights for every American." David Wilson, a gay African-American who was one of the plaintiffs in the Massachusetts same-sex marriage litigation, described Kennedy as a "beacon of hope" in his unswerving support of gay rights and as the "bridge from the civil rights movement of the 1960s" to the gay rights movement" of today. Kennedy saw clearly the moral, social, legal and historical connections between the struggles to accord "equal protection of the laws" to African-Americans, women and gays. In his view, these struggles are all part of a single whole, arising out of the fundamental responsibility of Americans to put aside prejudice and ignorance and to act upon what Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature." In his lyrical eulogy to Senator Kennedy, President Obama celebrated Kennedy's "life's work" -- "to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding." In passing, the president made reference to Kennedy's strong commitment to the cause of gay rights, noting that Kennedy was "alive to the plight and suffering of others -- the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier sent to battle without armor; the citizen denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves." There is much talk now about carrying out the legacy of Ted Kennedy. President Obama is well positioned to fulfill Kennedy's dream of equal rights regardless of sexual orientation. Certainly, the president shares Kennedy's vision. Only a few years ago, as a candidate for United States senator from Illinois, Mr. Obama announced that, as "an African-American man" and "a child of an interracial marriage," I have "taken on the issue of civil rights for the LGBT community as if they were my own struggle because I believe strongly that the infringement of rights for any one group eventually endangers the rights enjoyed under law by the entire population." Mr. Obama proclaimed that he had worked for more than a decade "to expand civil liberties for the LGBT community including hate-crimes legislation, adoption rights and the extension of basic civil rights to protect LGBT persons from discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment and credit," and promised that he would continue to "be an unapologetic voice for civil rights." Now is the time for President Obama to fulfill that promise. In memory of Senator Kennedy, and in the name of simple justice, he should call upon Congress to enact the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Matthew Shepard National Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and to repeal the military's discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy (under which gay members of the military continue to be discharged) and the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which he himself once rightly described as "abhorrent." Mr. Obama has many reasons not to take this on. He is trying to right the economy, to enact health care reform, to keep the nation safe against terrorists, and to strengthen our position internationally. But when profound moral issues are at stake, our greatest presidents do not waver. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in the midst of our nation's bloodiest conflict and despite widespread and often bitter opposition. In 1948, Harry Truman ordered the desegregation of the military only three months before a hotly-contested presidential election that was then too close to call. Sometimes "change we can believe in" requires the courage to take risks. A passage in the president's eulogy for Senator Kennedy seems especially poignant in this regard: "We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. . . We can use each day to . . . treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. . . . And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings." Ted Kennedy could not have said it better. More on Ted Kennedy | |
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. |
No comments:
Post a Comment