"A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."   Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12  KJV   Word study on this verse

America - A Nation of Empty Souls! lasttrumpetministries.org 6/30/8 ["One more vital point must be made regarding the emptiers that have emptied our land. When something is completely emptied, even of air, it forms a vacuum. When a soul is in this condition, there is a spiritual suction that draws everything into it. This is the very condition of our society today."]
NY: Governor Paterson is cheered at city's gay pride parade nydailynews.com 6/30/8 ["Paterson marched in the parade with other politicians, including Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and vowed to fight anyone who appealed his desicion.  ...Paterson for signing an executive order last week that will recognize gay marriages performed in other states."]
India's gays in first nationwide marches afp.google.com 6/30/8 ["Gays, lesbians and transvestites took to the streets of three major Indian cities Sunday in the first nationally coordinated pride marches aimed at overturning a law forbidding homosexuality."]
San Francisco: Gay revelers celebrate pride, marriage rights ap.google.com 6/30/8 ["Huge crowds lined the route as city tourism officials predicted the largest turnout yet for the parade, which typically draws tens of thousands."]
Falling prices grip major stock markets around the world iht.com 6/30/8 ["As the United States markets edge toward bear territory, losing nearly 20 percent of their value from last fall's peak, investors might wonder where they can turn for relief."]
Cost of a meal driven higher by hoarding nations iht.com 6/30/8 ["At least 29 countries have sharply curbed food exports in recent months, to ensure that their own people have enough to eat, at affordable prices.  When it comes to rice, India, Vietnam, China and 11 other countries have limited or banned exports. Fifteen countries, including Pakistan and Bolivia, have capped or halted wheat exports. More than a dozen have limited corn exports. Kazakhstan has restricted exports of sunflower seeds."]
Chicago Celebrates Gay Pride abclocal.go.com 6/30/8 ["An estimated 400,000 people from all walks of life lined Halsted Street Sunday afternoon in an area commonly known as "Boystown" for the annual event."]
Paris: Gay Pride Parades Highlight Discrimination Against Homosexuals dw-world.de 6/30/8 ["In Paris, more than half a million people took part in a Gay Pride parade under the motto "for a school without any discrimination, "dedicated to the fight against racism, sexism and xenophobia among young people. Among the prominent participants in the parade was Paris mayor..."]
 

OPEC Chief Sees $150-170 Oil in Coming Months cnbc.com 6/28/8 ["Crude oil prices could rise to as high as $170 per barrel in the coming months but are unlikely to hit $200 and should ease towards the end of the year, OPEC President Chakib Khelil said in an interview on Thursday."]
Council of Europe Passes Abortion Resolution to Address Child Abandonment lifesitenews.com 6/28/8 ["...the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved a resolution today that holds up abortion as a preferred solution to the problem of the abandonment of newborn children by vulnerable mothers."]
Israel: Gay pride parade in Jerusalem latimes.com 6/28/8 ["Gays cannot marry in Israel but legal precedents have been set for registering gay couples wed abroad, as well as on a range of issues including adoption, inheritance, pre-nuptial agreements and child support. The organization New Family estimates about 18,000 same-sex households are in Israel."]
HIV Rate Up 12 Percent Among Young Gay Men washingtonpost.com 6/28/8 ["The double-digit increase in young gay men is about 10 times higher than in the homosexual community overall, where the number of new infections is going up about 1.5 percent a year.  The report, released yesterday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears to confirm impressions that a "second-wave" AIDS epidemic is underway in gay America. "]
Romania Capitulates to International Pressure and Approves Abortion for 20-Week-Old Fetus lifesitenews.com 6/28/8 ["...a Romanian government panel has approved the abortion of an unborn child at more than 20 weeks gestation, despite the prohibition against abortions after 14 weeks.  The nation's Council of Physicians denounced the verdict, stating that it was nothing more than a legal opinion, and that any doctor who carried out the abortion would face legal consequences. "]
 

Wave of bad news sends Dow down nearly 360 ap.google.com 6/27/8 ["...its lowest finish since Sept. 11, 2006. Investors rushed for the safety of Treasury bonds, regarded as a haven when the stock market is in turmoil."]
Oil jumps above $140 on OPEC, Libya comments ap.google.com 6/27/8 ["...after OPEC's president said crude prices could rise well above $150 a barrel this year and Libya said it may cut oil production. The advance raised the likelihood that gasoline prices would also extend their advance, and that prices of goods and services throughout the economy would also keep rising."]
Congress passes extension of U.S. jobless benefits iht.com 6/27/8 ["The legislation, upon U.S. President George W. Bush's signature, will give an extra 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to jobless workers who have exhausted their regular 26 weeks of benefits.  ...Extending the benefits follows five straight months of falling payrolls"]
Midwest Rains Cause Higher Crests, May Spark Floods bloomberg.com 6/27/8 ["Floods contributed to $8 billion of damage to the nation's crops in the first half of the year, the American Farm Bureau estimated in its June Market Update. About half of that was in Iowa and $1.3 billion was in Illinois, according to a farm bureau statement."]
Honey bee crisis could lead to higher food prices ap.google.com 6/27/8 ["In 2006, beekeepers began reporting losing 30 percent to 90 percent of their hives...  Food prices have gone up 83 percent in three years, according to the World Bank."]
'The Shack': A best seller, largely by word of mouth iht.com 6/27/8 ["...a slim paperback novel by an unknown author about a grieving father who meets God in the form of a jolly African-American woman..."  Editor:  2Ti 4:3-4 warns, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."]
Forget The Bones - The Meat Will Kill You! informedchristians.com  6/27/8 [By Daniel Valles  "Filters and discernment take work and study to build. Reading and becoming familiar with God’s Word is the best way to build a library filter that teachings are compared to when heard. Unfortunately, and sadly, the average Christian has not invested any time to build a filter for doctrine or practice. Yet, they still think that they are capable or discerning truth."]
 

Court rejects death penalty for child rape chron.com 6/26/8 ["On Wednesday, a divided U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law, ruling the death penalty in child rape cases violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.  "The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority in the 5-4 decision."]
New Vancouver School Policy: Parents Refused Right to Pull Kids from Pro-Homosexual Lessons lifesitenews.com 6/26/8 ["The province of British Columbia has been subjecting its curriculum to a complete revamp in the last several years, largely under the supervision of a homosexual "married" couple, Murray and Peter Corren."]
Heavy rains again soak parts of flooded U.S. Midwest reuters.com 6/26/8 ["Fears that up to 5 million acres (2 mln hectares) of corn and soybeans have been lost due to the flooding sent corn and livestock prices to record highs last week. Chicago Board of Trade corn for July 2009 delivery was trading at $7.81-1/2 a bushel on Wednesday, more than double the 40-year average."]
Iran strike in the air as US and Israeli military chiefs meet theaustralian.news.com.au 6/26/8 ["The US military chief is to meet his Israeli counterpart in Tel Aviv this week in a move that gives new impetus to speculation about a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear capabilities."]
 

It's Not An Oil Problem newswithviews.com 6/25/8 [By Paul Proctor  "In an article I wrote a couple of years ago titled Gasoline Is Not Going Up, I tried to explain the illusion of “inflation” we are under and the real reason the things we buy, including gasoline, are getting so ridiculous."]
Life on the fringes of U.S. suburbia becomes untenable with rising gas costs iht.com 6/25/8 ["In Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Minneapolis, homes beyond the urban core have been falling in value faster than those within, according to analysis by Moody's Economy.com."]
Heavy industries join stampede to raise prices iht.com 6/25/8 ["Global prices for steel, a basic building commodity, also jumped after Posco of South Korea, one of the world's largest steel producers, said Tuesday that it was raising prices by more than 20 percent. That followed an agreement Monday between the global miner Rio Tinto Group and the biggest steel maker in China, Baosteel, to raise the price it pays for Australian iron ore by as much as 97 percent."]
Diesel shortage hits other cities signonsandiego.com 6/25/8 ["Gasoline in Mexico is heavily subsidized by the federal government. Regular, 87-octane unleaded sells for $2.54 a gallon, 91-octane premium is $3.20 and diesel is $2.20.  Those prices were a magnet for California drivers who have flocked to Tijuana to fill their tanks. Starting June 13, Pemex was unable to meet the demand for diesel at stations nearest the border. That led to a cascade of shortages that have slowed and in some instances paralyzed the movement of people and goods in urban centers. "]
Oil Price Fallout: Jobs Coming Home? abcnews.go.com 6/25/8 ["Some large companies like Crown Battery are cutting expenses by moving jobs from Mexico to Ohio. And hair care company Farouk Systems plans to shift all of its production from China to Houston this summer — bringing with it 1,000 jobs."]
Canadian Federal Government Pledges $100 Million for Stem Cell Cancer Research with California lifesitenews.com 6/25/8 ["The money given by Ottawa to fund the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium will be matched by the California government.  The Globe and Mail reports that federal health minister Tony Clement denied the funds would be used for experiments on embryonic stem cells. Instead, he said, the money will be used to fund research on cancer stem cells that are believed to direct the creation of tumour cells."]
California: Hundreds of fires sparked by rare lightning storm ap.google.com 6/25/8 ["In less than a day, an electrical storm unleashed nearly 8,000 lightning strikes that set more than 800 wildfires across Northern California — a rare example of "dry lightning" that brought little or no rain but plenty of sparks to the state's parched forests and grasslands.  The weekend storm was unusual not only because it generated so many lightning strikes over a large geographical area, but also because it struck so early in the season and moved in from the Pacific Ocean."]
Scuffles Break out Between Wisconsin Flood Victims in Line for Food Vouchers foxnews.com 6/25/8 ["Pushing and shoving broke out among some of the 2,500 people hit hard by recent floods who lined up outside a county office early Monday in hopes of collecting free food vouchers.  ..."Now I have to try and get (to) a food pantry," said Love, who has children 8, 10 and 14. "I've got to feed my kids.""]
The Shack & Its New Age Leaven crossroad.to 6/25/8 [By Warren Smith  "Much like New Age author James Redfield’s book The Celestine Prophecy, The Shack is a fictional vehicle for upending certain religious concepts and presenting contrary spiritual scenarios. Allegorical novels can be a clever way to present truth. They can also be used to present things that seem to be true but really are not. Some books like The Shack do both."]
Tennessee job losses paint grim picture tennessean.com 6/25/8 ["The state's unemployment rate saw the biggest one-month jump ever recorded, to 6.4 percent in May..."]
French president: Nuclear Iran is totally unacceptable jpost.com 6/25/8 ["French President Nicolas Sarkozy's address to the Knesset Monday offered Israel a strong stamp of support against Iran's nuclear program, but carried with it a heavy dose of criticism, calling on Israel to make broad concessions toward the establishment of a Palestinian state."]
Utilities cut off more customers who are behind on their bills usatoday.com 6/25/8 ["Electricity and natural gas shutoffs are up at least 15% in several states compared with last year. Totals for some utilities have more than doubled."]
Dow Chemical raising prices by another 25 percent ap.google.com 6/25/8 ["...announced its second wide-ranging price hikes in less than a month as it attempts to offset sustained record costs for energy and the soaring price of raw materials.  ...Dow said it's also adding a freight surcharge for North American customers of $300 per shipment by truck and $600 per shipment by rail effective Aug. 1. Those surcharges will spread to other regions later this year.  Dow is idling or reducing production at some manufacturing plants and taking unspecified cost-cutting measures at its automotive plants that have been directly impacted by a dreadful year for U.S. automakers."]
 

Christians: No One Path to Salvation time.com 6/24/8 ["The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life last year surveyed 35,000 Americans, and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." Even more remarkable was the fact that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation, since most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me.""  Editor:  What makes this so dangerous is that the unsaved will accept it as an excuse.  Act 4:10-12 explicitly states, "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."]
Survey: More Americans dropping dogma for spirituality usatoday.com 6/24/8 ["Pew's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey survey questioned 35,000 Americans, nearly three in 10 of whom profess no religious identity, but sometimes go to church. Most evangelicals, whose denominations teach that Jesus is the sole route to salvation, instead say people who have "led good lives" go to heaven. Only one in three Catholics say their church should preserve its traditional beliefs rather than change with the times or adopt modern practices."]
Mississippi River level rises beyond forecasts apnews.myway.com 6/24/8 ["The Mississippi reached 26.3 feet Saturday morning at Canton after dipping below 23 feet two days earlier, and it was expected to crest later in the day at 26.4 feet.  That's still more than a foot lower than the record set during the Great Flood of '93."]
Top court rejects property takings case upi.com 6/24/8 ["The court turned down an appeal by a group of homeowners and business operators who may lose property to the new home for the New Jersey Nets basketball team and other enterprises in Brooklyn, N.Y., Scotusblog.com reported. The closely watched case was one of the first significant challenges to arise following the 2005 ruling in Kelo vs. New London, allowing private property to be taken for economic redevelopment by private organizations."]
Brokers threatened by run on shadow bank system marketwatch.com 6/24/8 ["While this system became a huge and vital source of money to fuel the U.S. economy, the subprime mortgage crisis and ensuing credit crunch exposed a major flaw. Unlike regulated banks, which can borrow directly from the government and have federally insured customer deposits, the shadow system didn't have reliable access to short-term borrowing during times of stress."]
EU puts severe restrictions on largest Iran bank ft.com 6/24/8 ["Iran's largest bank will today be subjected to an asset freeze and severe restrictions over its operations in the City of London after the European Union decided to impose fresh sanctions on Tehran."]
 

U.K. Researcher: Creation of Human/Animal Hybrid Embryos is Easier than Expected lifesitenews.com 6/23/8 ["...Lyle Armstrong, leader of the human/animal hybrid embryo project explained to the conference that the process of putting human skin cell DNA in the place of the nuclei of a cow's ovum has already produced roughly 270 hybrid embryos.  Dr. Armstrong told the FT that the project was intended to remedy the shortage of human ova, which he said are needed for stem cell research. The news service also said that no other research team has communicated intent to produce hybrid embryos on such a large scale."]
Provision Giving Planned Parenthood More Funding Stripped from U.S. War Supplemental Bill lifesitenews.com 6/23/8 ["The amendment, tacked on to a bill meant to fund the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, would have allowed for certain Planned Parenthood clinics and university healthcare centers to get drugs at further reduced prices, allowing for easier and cheaper distribution of controversial drugs such as birth control pills and the "morning after pill" or Plan B."]
Flooding strands 100-plus barges on Mississippi ap.google.com 6/23/8 [""On a typical day at this time of year, there would be 40 to 60 tows on the upper Mississippi River, and the average tow carries the equivalent of 900 semi-trucks of product," she said."]
Government Is Sued Over Seizure of Liberty Dollars nysun.com 6/23/8 ["A dozen people around the country filed suit in U.S. District Court in Idaho this week demanding the return of all the copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins — more than seven tons of metal in all — that the FBI and Secret Service seized in November during raids of a mint in Idaho and a strip mall storefront in Indiana."]
Senate Housing Bill Requires eBay, Amazon, Google, and All Credit Card Companies to Report Transactions to the Government freedomworks.org 6/23/8 ["Washington, DC - Hidden deep in Senator Christopher Dodd's 630-page Senate housing legislation is a sweeping provision that affects the privacy and operation of nearly all of America’s small businesses. The provision, which was added by the bill's managers without debate this week, would require the nation's payment systems to track, aggregate, and report information on nearly every electronic transaction to the federal government."]
Perot Charts perotcharts.com 6/23/8 ["The American people must wake up and face the reality that promises made in the past will soon bankrupt this nation. These problems are explained in an easy-to-understand chart presentation discussed further at the bottom of this page."]
Record corn prices mean more expensive meat, dairy ap.google.com 6/23/8 ["In the latest bout of food inflation, beef, pork, poultry and even eggs, cheese and milk are expected to get more expensive as livestock owners go out of business or are forced to slaughter more cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens to cope with rocketing costs for corn-based animal feed."]
 

Economy has some states tangled in 'dire' financial snares usatoday.com 6/20/8 ["Arizona, California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania are among states that must slash spending or raise taxes to straighten out their finances."]
States spending plummets as revenue comes up short ap.google.com 6/20/8 ["NASBO executive director Scott Pattison. "It is certainly a weakening fiscal situation and unfortunately we're very concerned about the future," he said.  NGA Executive Director Ray Scheppach says as bad as things are, the real concern is that conditions will get worse for states, whose recovery typically lags behind the national economy.  "We're fearful that this is going to be a three or four year kind of struggle for states," Scheppach said."]
German Homeschooling Parents Sentenced to Three Months in Prison lifesitenews.com 6/20/8 ["Homeschooling is illegal in Germany under a law dating back to the Hitler era. Homeschooling families in the country have faced increasing persecution in recent years, with police in several cases physically transporting children to school and even removing one teenager from her parent's care."]
Mississippi River overflows 19 levees uk.reuters.com 6/20/8 ["The river overtopped at least nine levees overnight as water levels rose in the Midwest's worst flooding in 15 years. The river was cresting in Burlington, Iowa, but has yet to reach its peak in many areas where the levees have already failed.  The compromised levees stretch from Dubuque, Iowa, to St. Louis and protect hundreds of thousands of acres of homes and farmland."]
Will You Out Live Your Money? newswithviews.com 6/20/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "Have people forgotten what happened to our fellow Americans who worked for ENRON? Everything they worked for all their lives, poof! Gone. Americans seem oblivious to the fact that these crooks and just plain ignorant members of Congress are playing with their future."]
US speeders slapped with fuel surcharges on top of fines afp.google.com 6/20/8 ["Some cash-strapped US municipalities are resorting to slapping fuel surcharges onto tickets issued to speeding drivers in order to fill dwindling city coffers hit hard by skyrocketing gas prices."]
House votes to provide $162 billion in war funding ap.google.com 6/20/8 ["...along with historic increases in college aid for returning troops and help for the unemployed and Midwestern flood victims.  ...ucceeded in using the Iraq funding bill as an engine to drive past White House resistance a sweeping revision to GI Bill college benefits and a 13-week extension of unemployment checks for those whose benefits have run out."]
 

RBS Sounds Alarm On Markets forbes.com 6/19/8 ["Bob Janjuah, a respected credit market strategist at the Royal Bank of Scotland, said Wednesday he foresaw a 300 point fall in the S&P 500 index before September, and central banks unable to restore confidence in the market by cutting rates. The cause? A head on collision of falling credit markets and soaring inflation."]
Paulson & Co. Says Writedowns May Reach $1.3 Trillion bloomberg.com 6/19/8 ["John Paulson, founder of the hedge fund company Paulson & Co., said global writedowns and losses from the credit crisis may reach $1.3 trillion, exceeding the International Monetary Fund's $945 billion estimate."]
Mexico freezes prices on 150 food products ap.google.com 6/19/8 ["President Felipe Calderon said prices for goods such as beans, canned tuna, fruit juices, coffee, ketchup and canned tomatoes will remain fixed until Dec. 31."]
When Builders Go Broke businessweek.com 6/19/8 ["Although the major publicly traded builders are all still operating, industry leaders DH Horton (DHI), Pulte Homes (PHM), Lennar (LEN), and Centex (CTX) are losing money, too. Any turnaround seems far off. On June 17, the government reported that home starts in May fell 32% from a year earlier. Builders, buyers, and investors will get their next take on the market on June 25, when the government reports new home sales for May; they're expected to be down 43% year-over-year. "]
Mississippi overflows levees, crops threatened reuters.com 6/19/8 ["The swollen Mississippi River ran over the top of at least 12 more levees on Wednesday, as floodwaters swallowed up more U.S. farmland, adding to billion-dollar losses and feeding global food inflation fears.  ...The United States exports 54 percent of the world's corn, 36 percent of its soybeans and 23 percent of its wheat."]
Britain Could See Highest Abortion Total in 40 Years When New Data Released lifenews.com 6/19/8 ["When the British government releases its next set of national abortion figures, the numbers, which will cover 2007, are expected to be higher than in 2006, which saw an increase. The statistics will likely show another year of more than 200,000 abortions despite heavy spending on promoting contraception."]
Royal Navy warships may form part of EU fleet telegraph.co.uk 6/19/8 ["The plan for an EU naval force is being put forward by Nicholas Sarkozy, the French president.  Gordon Brown and Mr Sarkozy are said to have discussed the plan earlier this year, and French officials have described the talks between London and Paris as “well advanced.”  Mr Sarkozy will take over the rotating presidency of the EU next month and plans to use the role to push for greater European defence co-operation. The French leader sees the EU project as France’s reward for rejoining NATO’s military structures. "]
 

Israel: Rabbis against Pride Parade: God is testing us ynetnews.com 6/18/8 ["Jerusalem's Open House announces city's Pride Parade to be held next week, but says 'this year's parade will be modest event held to help decrease tension, violence of previous years'."]
When Gas Stations Run Out of Gas businessweek.com 6/18/8 ["Don't be surprised to see more filling stations with empty pumps. But don't panic either. There isn't a gasoline shortage like there was in the 1970s.  What's happening is that filling stations have had their margins squeezed. Credit-card companies charge by the dollar, pushing up costs per gallon that filling stations pay to work with banks.  ...most consumers are now paying with credit cards because the price to fill the tank has gotten so high."]
California gay couples rush to wed as vote looms reuters.com 6/18/8 ["Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples rushed to wed on Tuesday on the first full day that same-sex marriages were allowed across California...  Gay marriage supporters see the move by the most populous U.S. state to allow same-sex weddings as an historic move long overdue, while opponents brand it a moral tragedy.  ...Only a few countries offer gay marriage..."]
Mississippi River breaks through Illinois levee ap.google.com 6/18/8 ["Preliminary estimates were that the flooding has caused more than $1.5 billion in damage in Iowa, and that figure will undoubtedly rise as the high water moves downstream."]
Spate of disasters empties Red Cross coffers afp.google.com 6/18/8 ["More than 11 million people in nine midwestern states have been affected by extreme weather and the worst flooding in living memory in recent weeks...  We are currently responding to 30 large-scale disasters across the country..."]
Iran withdraws $75 billion from Europe: report reuters.com 6/18/8 ["...from being blocked under threatened new sanctions over Tehran's disputed nuclear ambitions...  "Part of Iran's assets in European banks have been converted to gold and shares and another part has been transferred to Asian banks," Mohsen Talaie, deputy foreign minister in charge of economic affairs, was quoted as saying."]
 

The List of 52 Members of US Congress Committed to Promoting Homosexuality lifesitenews.com 6/17/8 ["In a Capitol Hill press conference last week, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) announced the formation of the House of Representatives LGBT Equality Caucus. Baldwin introduced the bipartisan caucus and its founding members saying that they all shared "a common mission: to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality.""]
Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Signs $1 Billion Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill lifenews.com 6/17/8 ["The measure is meant to provide the controversial research with more taxpayer money after President Bush refused to force taxpayers to fund the destruction of human life.  Patrick pushed the plan through the state legislature to force the state's taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research to the tune of $1 billion over 10 years."]
Oil eases after new highs near 140 dollars afp.google.com 6/17/8 ["Oil prices also were underpinned by the dollar's decline against the euro, after record eurozone inflation data lifted prospects of an imminent interest rate hike.  Dollar-denominated oil benefits from a declining dollar as investors seek a haven from inflation."]
Corn Jumps to Record as Floods in Midwest Threaten U.S. Crops bloomberg.com 6/17/8 ["...climbed to a record approaching $8 a bushel after storms pounded crops in the U.S., the largest producer and exporter, and caused what may be the worst flooding in the Midwest since 1993.  The flooding probably will reduce U.S. planted acreage by more than 3.3 million acres, or 3.8 percent of the total forecast by the government"]
Iowa: Millions of acres washed away startribune.com 6/17/8 ["...Although time is running out, he has yet to plant all of his soybean crop because the waterlogged soil cannot support his footsteps, much less heavy machinery."  Editor: The comments are interesting read...]
Texas Corridor detour: Officials nix land grab worldnetdaily.com 6/17/8 ["...TxDOT executive Director Amadeo Saenz says plans have changed. In a conference call with reporters he said TxDOT "had narrowed the study area for TTC I-69" and that the department "is going to be considering only existing highway" routes, and "any area that is not along an existing highway will not be considered.""]
Dozens of gay couples get married in California ap.google.com 6/17/8 ["Local officials are now required to issue licenses that have the words "Party A" and "Party B" where "bride" and "groom" used to be."]
In South Florida, Eviction Spares Few nytimes.com 6/17/8 ["In the first three months of this year, Broward County tallied 3,043 eviction requests — more than it has received in the same period since at least 1999, and an increase of 54 percent over last year."]
High Food Prices `Are Here to Stay,' Nestle Forecasts bloomberg.com 6/17/8 ["High food prices ``are here to stay'' as governments divert resources to make biofuels, amass stockpiles and limit exports, according to Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman of Nestle SA, the world's largest food company."]
Feds: 26 levees could overflow if sandbags fail ap.google.com 6/17/8 ["...could potentially overflow along the Mississippi River in the next week if the weather forecast is on the mark and a massive sandbagging effort fails to raise the level of the levees.  Officials are placing millions of sandbags on top of levees along the river in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri to prevent overflowing."]
 

George W Bush meets Pope amid claims he might convert to Catholicism telegraph.co.uk 6/16/8 ["The two men spoke for half an hour in the 12th century Tower of St John, a private area in the Vatican gardens which is used by the pope for private reflection.  The usual protocol for heads-of-state is a meeting in the pope's library in the Apostolic Palace, but a spokesman for the Vatican said Benedict wanted to reward Mr Bush for the "warmth" of his reception at the White House earlier this year. "]
Renters, soldiers feeling foreclosure pain reuters.com 6/16/8 ["Almost one in five recent foreclosures have been against mortgage borrowers who did not live in the home, according to a snapshot from the Mortgage Bankers Association."]
Wisconsin: Five Counties Declared Disaster Areas todaystmj4.com 6/16/8 ["Patrick Beghin, the county's emergency management director said preliminary estimates indicated more than $21 million in damages, including over $15 million in agricultural losses."]
Russia pips Saudi Arabia as top oil producer indiatimes.com 6/16/8 ["Russia was the biggest crude oil producer in the world in the first quarter of 2008, extracting 9.5 million barrels per day (mbpd), ahead of Saudi Arabia at 9.2mbpd, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday."]
Treasured New York skyscrapers may be sold to foreign funds breitbart.com 6/16/8 [" The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, bought into US banking giant Citigroup, paying 7.5 billion dollars in November. It also acquired a substantial interest in home builder Toll Brothers, according to the New York Times.  An increased ownership stake in the Flatiron Building, built in 1902 as one of the first steel structures in the city, would be a feather in the cap of one of its shareholders, Italian building investor Valter Mainetti. "]
Japan earthquake death toll climbs to 9 orlandosentinel.com 6/16/8 ["...7.2-magnitude quake struck Saturday morning, triggering several major landslides."]
New Zealand: Four weeks until power cuts nzherald.co.nz 6/16/8 ["Hydro-electric stations usually produce about 70 per cent of the country's electricity, but they are contributing only 50 per cent at the moment.  That has caused a shift in dependency to thermally generated power this winter, all of which comes from the North Island, Meridian spokesman Alan Seay said."]
 

US foreclosure filings surge 48 percent in May ap.google.com 6/14/8 ["Nearly 74,000 properties were repossessed by lenders nationwide in May, while more than 58,000 received default notices, the company said.  In Nevada, one in every 118 households received a foreclosure-related notice last month, more than four times the national rate. In California, one in every 183 households faced foreclosure."]
FLDS Raid And The NAFTA Super Highway newswithviews.com 6/14/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "I looked up Eldorado on my DeLorme Atlas, and sure enough, its location is right on the intersections of Hwys 190 and 277, just 10 miles North of major rte, U.S.10. Nearest populated town that I see on the map is San Angelo, Tx. some 60 miles due north of Eldorado..It appears to be right in the path of the planned NAFTA superhighway, which is supposed to connect to a major seaport to be built on the Mexican coast, just across the inlet from Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Baja, Calif (Mexican territory)."]
UK: Fuel strike: Shell drivers threaten more action telegraph.co.uk 6/14/8 [""]
Security tightened as fuel protests turn violent reuters.com 6/14/8 ["Shell admitted that other forecourts will run out of fuel over the coming days and urged drivers not to make unnecessary journeys over the weekend.  There are now fears that the dispute could escalate if tanker drivers from other companies refuse to cross picket lines, which would have the potential to cause widespread shortages. "]
Gay pride celebrated in Europe theaustralian.news.com.au 6/14/8 ["TENS of thousands took to the streets of Athens, Rome and Warsaw for Gay Pride parades today, drawing attention to the fact that many homosexuals in Europe still do not enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals."]
Learn to stash cash backwoodshome.com 6/14/8 [By Claire Wolfe  "When we get into debt, somebody else—usually some corporate stranger—literally owns a portion of our future life."]
 

Living Water newswithviews.com 6/13/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "Let me be clear, homosexuality is sin, an abomination, but there is a difference between those who are trapped in that lifestyle and those who are “workers of iniquity.”"]
Phase 2 for Ron Paul nytimes.com 6/13/8 ["Representative Ron Paul announced on Thursday that he was legally suspending his Web-driven campaign for the Republican presidential nomination."]
Intelligent people 'less likely to believe in God' telegraph.co.uk 6/13/8 ["Professor Lynn, who has provoked controversy in the past with research linking intelligence to race and sex, said university academics were less likely to believe in God than almost anyone else.  A survey of Royal Society fellows found that only 3.3 per cent believed in God - at a time when 68.5 per cent of the general UK population described themselves as believers.  A separate poll in the 90s found only seven per cent of members of the American National Academy of Sciences believed in God.  Professor Lynn said most primary school children believed in God, but as they entered adolescence - and their intelligence increased - many started to have doubts. "]
Norway OK's Homosexual "Marriages" and Adoptions lifesitenews.com 6/13/8 ["Norway has become the sixth country in the world to give homosexuals the legal right to "marry," with all the benefits previously given only to heterosexual couples. The new "marriage" law also allows homosexuals to adopt children and permits lesbians to be artificially inseminated."]
Colorado: Biblical message now criminalized worldnetdaily.com 6/13/8 ["A new Colorado law is helping homosexual activists achieve their goal of forcing Christians to teach biblical condemnation of homosexuality only behind the closed doors of their sanctuaries.  The as-yet untested state law promotes sexual identity "perception" to the level of skin color under state discrimination laws."]
Commodity Prices Show No Letup nytimes.com 6/13/8 ["Commodity prices went wild on Wednesday, with the price of corn shooting through the $7 barrier for the first time, soybeans and wheat moving up sharply and oil jumping more than $5 a barrel."]
Russia plans Arctic military build-up telegraph.co.uk 6/13/8 ["...Russia would expand its naval presence in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as part of a strategy to flex the country's growing military might on the world stage.  "The summer training programme envisions the increased presence of the Russian navy not only in the Atlantic but also in the Arctic and the Pacific," Gen Shamanov said. "We are also planning to increase the operational radius of the Northern Fleet's submarines." "]
  Bush takes break from Iran push to see pope iht.com 6/13/8 ["The pope and Bush prayed together during the visit and there has been speculation they may do so again. They are due to walk from the tower to a statue of the Madonna in the Vatican Gardens after their private talks."]
Extension of jobless benefits easily passes in U.S. House iht.com 6/13/8 ["The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a plan to provide an extra 13 weeks of benefits to Americans who are out of work, but the prospects of the measure in the Senate are uncertain, and it is virtually certain to be vetoed by President George W. Bush in any event."]
Mortgages worry nearly half of Americans: survey reuters.com 6/13/8 ["The American Bar Association, a lawyers group, said its poll also found that 73 percent of those surveyed said they had changed their purchasing habits because of the economy."]
 

U.S. corn supply shrinks as floods ravage new crop uk.reuters.com 6/12/8 ["The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday shocked the corn market, revising its forecast for national corn output down 3 percent from last month's prediction. But experts said the picture probably will get even bleaker because the bad weather will force the USDA to lower its estimate of corn acreage in addition to the lower yields per acre that were announced on Tuesday.  With demand for corn for food and fuel forging ahead while huge corn areas remain under water even as more rainstorms loom ahead, analysts see the threat of a perfect storm."]
Bush orders feds to collect biometric data on terrorists worldnetdaily.com 6/12/8 ["Two new directives signed by President Bush establish sweeping authority for federal executive departments and agencies to establish a coordinated "framework" to collect and retain biometric data on U.S. citizens identified as "known and suspected terrorists," without requiring public or congressional disclosure of the procedures."]
Terror bill passes narrowly in Britain iht.com 6/12/8 ["...a measure that among other things would allow the authorities to hold terrorism suspects for up to 42 days without charges.  Whether the measure becomes law, and when, now depends on the government's success in navigating the new counterterrorism bill past the House of Lords, where it may not be introduced until the fall and where it is expected to meet stronger opposition."]
Crisis shifts to regional lenders ft.com 6/12/8 ["Home equity loans are rapidly emerging as the next front of the credit crunch, as falling house prices and lax underwriting lead to growing losses for US regional banks that have huge portfolios of such loans on their balance sheets."]
Pain at the Pump: It’s Time to Start Thinking About $7 a Gallon Gasoline moneymorning.com 6/12/8 [By Jason Simpkins  "Gas prices are up 89 cents a gallon from a year ago.  The main culprit for the price increase has been the meteoric rise in oil prices, which have soared 110% in the past year. According to the U.S. Energy Department, the cost of crude accounts for 73% of the price of gasoline. For this reason, many experts anticipate that the price of gasoline will continue to rise in near lockstep with the price of oil.  “We can expect some further increases at the pump,” Trilby Lundberg, editor of the Lundberg Survey, told Reuters. “If crude oil prices stay at nearly $139 a barrel, a 30-cent rise [for a gallon of gas] over the next few weeks is possible.”"]
Italy gay pride march protests against government and Church reuters.com 6/12/8 ["Some 10,000 dancing and singing homosexuals and gay-rights supporters marched through Rome on Saturday, many of them chanting slogans against the Vatican and Italy's conservative new government."]
Shoppers beware: Products shrink but prices stay the same usatoday.com 6/12/8 ["There's a reason why the tub of ice cream you bought last week looks a tad smaller than ones you bought last summer.  It is.  ...as packaged goods makers' costs rise, they eventually have just two choices: raise prices or put less stuff in the package. "]
 

Indiana: Flooding breaks records set in 1913 flood chicagotribune.com 6/11/8 ["Even at those sites where flooding hasn't eclipsed records set in 1913, Morlock said the current flooding ranks along with other flood years in 1937, 1982, 1991 and 2005."]
New Zealand High Court Acknowledges Thousands of Illegal Abortions for "Mental Illness" lifesitenews.com 6/11/8 ["Approximately 18,000 abortions are performed every year in New Zealand, 98.9% of which are carried out on the grounds of mental health concerns."]
Corn Jumps to Record on U.S. Midwest Rain, Crude Oil, Dollar bloomberg.com 6/11/8 ["Corn jumped to a record on speculation rain in the U.S. Midwest will cut supply and as rising oil costs and the dollar's decline boosted demand for a hedge against inflation. Soybeans, wheat and rice also gained.  ...Corn and soybeans planted in wet, cool soils develop shallow roots, increasing the threat of damage from dry weather in July and August."]
Scanners that see through clothing installed in US airports afp.google.com 6/11/8 ["which can see through passengers' clothing and reveal details of their body underneath are being installed in 10 US airports, the US Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday."]
 

  European fuel protests widen along Spanish-French border iht.com 6/10/8 ["Spanish truckers Monday began a blockade of their country's border with France, lining up their rigs and slowing them to a crawl to protest the cost of diesel fuel. The strike blocked the highway in both directions in southwestern France.  ...French drivers slowed traffic near Bordeaux to demand lower fuel prices, offering a foretaste of a planned national strike by truckers next Monday. Portuguese drivers blocked roads, and in Belgium thousands of labor union members demonstrated in Liege to protest the rising cost of living as a result of fuel costs.  ...The strike has alarmed many people, already lining up at gas stations and supermarkets for fear that supplies will be cut. Wholesale food markets such as Mercamadrid stocked up on fish and meat over the weekend so that their stalls would not be left bare."]
Gasoline prices take bigger bite in rural U.S. iht.com 6/10/8 ["The disparity between rural America and the rest of the country is a matter of simple home economics. Nationwide, Americans now spend about 4 percent of their take-home income on gasoline. By contrast, in some counties in the Mississippi Delta, that figure has surpassed 13 percent."]
Natural Disasters Up More Than 400 Percent in Two Decades naturalnews.com 6/10/8 ["Oxfam analyzed data from the Red Cross, United Nations and researchers at Louvain University in Belgium. It found that the earth is currently experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per year in the early 1980s. The number of weather-related disasters in 2006 was 240, compared with 60 in 1980."]
Israel: 'Any homosexuals in the crowd?' 'Yes!' ynetnews.com 6/10/8 ["More than a thousand people arrived at the Gan Meir Park in Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon to participate in the 10th Gay Pride Parade. The marchers began at the park, where a municipal center for the gay community was opened last week..."]
Chile Supermarkets Run Out of Food as Truckers Strike bloomberg.com 6/10/8 ["The strikers yesterday resolved to extend their protest, originally scheduled to last 48 hours, leaving grocery stores short of basics..."]
Gay pride parade draws thousands in West Hollywood latimes.com 6/10/8 ["As many as 175,000 revelers, from the spectacularly garbed to the sedate, converged on West Hollywood on Sunday for the city's annual gay pride parade, a celebration given added meaning since the state Supreme Court struck down a ban on same-sex marriage last month."]
The Freedom of Choice Act: Endangering Women and Silencing the Voices of Everyday Americans aul.org 6/10/8 ["“The first thing I will do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.” -- Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama  July 17, 2007, Address to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund"]
Congress of El Salvador Unanimously Condemns Abortion as an "Abominable Crime" lifesitenews.com 6/10/8 ["The condemnation is included in a statement made by the "Yes to Life", a petition that is moving from country to country in Central America with the purpose of affirming the region's rejection of abortion, euthanasia, and other offences against human life."]
Canada: Alberta Pastor Fined $7000 and Ordered to Publicly Apologize and Remain Silent on Homosexuality lifesitenews.com 6/10/8 ["Boissoin was first hauled before the Human Rights Commission to answer to a complaint filed by Lund, an assistant professor at the University of Calgary. Lund made his complaint after Boissoin published a letter to the editor in the Red Deer Advocate, in which he denounced homosexuality as immoral and dangerous, and called into question new gay-rights curricula permeating the province's educational system."]
NY Fed chief urges global bank framework ninemsn.com.au 6/10/8 ["Banks and investment banks whose health is crucial to the global financial system should operate under a unified regulatory framework with "appropriate requirements for capital and liquidity", according to Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York."]
 

Blair charity aims to use religion as a force for good ap.google.com 6/9/8 ["The group's advisory council includes evangelical megapastor Rick Warren, who with his wife, Kay, advocates for HIV/AIDS victims worldwide; Ismail Khudr Al-Shatti, an adviser to the prime minister of Kuwait; and world Baptist and Jewish leaders. Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor of Westminster, England, has pledged to join the council when the pope allows him to retire.  Yale University is a partner in the project. The former prime minister plans to teach at the school next year, leading a seminar on faith and globalization.  ...Blair said he defined extremists as "people who want to exclude the other if someone is of a different faith.""]
Civil union laws spread across state lines worldnetdaily.com 6/9/8 ["The Virginia State Supreme Court whiffed today on an opportunity to preserve state sovereignty and solidify traditional marriage laws. Instead, the court upheld a ruling that may allow states like Massachusetts and Vermont to export homosexual marriage laws across the country."]
Earthquake swarm picks up again in northern Nevada ap.google.com 6/9/8 ["Magnitude-3.9 and 3.6 quakes struck within a couple minutes of each other shortly before 11 a.m. and were preceded by 3.2 and 3.0 quakes early Sunday, said researchers at the seismological laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno."]
Gas taxes set to rise in some states ap.google.com 6/9/8 ["And while the federal rate hasn't increased since 1997, the amount drivers pay in state taxes can jump every year — or even every day — inching up as the price does."]
More home-grown veg as British, U.S. belts tighten guardian.co.uk 6/9/8 ["Almost 70 years after Britons were urged to Dig For Victory to produce hearty home-grown food to help the war effort, domestic horticulture is coming back.  Across the Atlantic, where mortgage defaults, plummeting property prices and spiralling oil costs have driven the U.S. economy to the brink of recession, home-grown food is also gaining in popularity."]
Average U.S. gas price hits $4 a gallon for first time marketwatch.com 6/9/8 ["The figure represented a national average, with many gas stations having long raised their prices above the $4 level."]
AAM Concerned with CCC Inventories tristateobserver.com 6/9/8 ["...President of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM), has raised concerns over the issue of U.S. grain reserves  ...“According to the May 1, 2008 CCC inventory report there are o­nly 24.1 million bushels of wheat in inventory, so after this sale there will be o­nly 2.7 million bushels of wheat left the entire CCC inventory,” warned Matlack."]
Aiding and abetting washingtontimes.com 6/9/8 ["The United States can also be accused of callousness toward human-rights concerns on this account, since, with near certainty, Chinese security services are likely to turn their newfound expertise on internal dissidents, or use it for aggrandizing purposes generally once the Olympic Games are complete.  How ironic: A regime that regularly helps itself to U.S. technology via an extensive American espionage network is now being ushered along to enhanced surveillance and security techniques by the Bush administration."]
Time overdue for a world currency atimes.com 6/9/8 ["Oil prices, by climbing from US$20 a barrel in 2001 to $135 barrel in May this year, illustrate the extent of the dollar's depreciation and interest rates distortions. Whereas a $100 bill would have bought five barrels of oil in 2001, now it buys only 0.74 barrel, losing approximately 85% of its real value. "]
Did they or didn't they? worldnetdaily.com 6/9/8 ["Speculation about Obama, Clinton attending Bilderberger meeting  ...Reporters were led to believe they would be getting on a plane back to Obama's campaign headquarters in Chicago with the senator. But while they were in the airport, the presidential candidate remained in the area for a secret meeting.  Dulles is just three miles from the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly, where Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller, among other globalists, are gathered for the annual Bilderberg Group conference."]
 

Oil zooms nearly 9 percent higher to record reuters.com $139 6/7/8 ["Oil prices could top $150 by July 4, one of the busiest U.S. travel holidays, as strong demand in Asia triggers a slowdown in shipments of crude to the United States, investment bank Morgan Stanley said."  Editor:  FYI - That would work out to just over $5 a gallon for gas.]
Pro-Life Group Wants Planned Parenthood Abortion Money Out of Iraq Bill lifenews.com 6/7/8 ["The measure currently gives Planned Parenthood a discount on contraceptives, the morning-after pill, and possibly the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug..."]
China gets U.S. Olympics help washingtontimes.com 6/7/8 ["The support includes security and military equipment that is restricted for export under the Export Administration Act, prompting some critics of the policy to question its legality.  The FBI and other U.S. security agencies also are helping China to develop sensitive counterterrorism coordination techniques, such as creating joint security operations and intelligence centers  ...China is setting up a citywide video surveillance system for the games, the report said, adding that every major building in Beijing has been required to install building security and alarm systems."]
US looks to increase Israeli deterrence jpost.com 6/7/8 ["US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman said he was open to removing the restriction on F-22 sales to boost Israeli deterrence..."]
Israel to attack Iran unless enrichment stops: minister reuters.com 6/7/8 ["An Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential, one of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's deputies said on Friday."]
 

Thumb Suckers newswithviews.com 6/6/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "...the hireling is a different story. He is more dangerous than the Devil because he gives the sheep a sense of security that does not exist. Sadly, hirelings fill many of our pulpits."]
Planned Parenthood's Obscene Profits townhall.com 6/6/8 ["In April, the annual report for Planned Parenthood Federation of America revealed that the abortion giant had a total income of $1.02 billion -- with reported profits of nearly $115 million. Taxpayers kick in more than $336 million worth of government grants and contracts at both the state and federal levels. That's a third of Planned Parenthood's budget."]
Foreclosures hit a record high _ and more coming ap.google.com 6/6/8 ["Slumping home values are being blamed in large part for the rising tide of foreclosures. Troubled borrowers are left owing more to the bank than their homes are worth. They can't sell without taking a huge financial hit, so they just walk away.  In fact, Americans' equity in their homes — usually their single biggest asset — now has dropped to the lowest level on record in figures going back to the end of World War II."]
United Airlines lays up a fifth of its fleet as jet fuel costs soar guardian.co.uk 6/6/8 ["...which is the second-biggest US airline, announced yesterday that it was retiring 100 of its 455 planes - 94 short-haul Boeing 737s and six jumbo jets."]
Beyond gasoline: Prices surge for oil-based goods csmonitor.com 6/6/8 ["Besides gasoline, the Department of Energy calculates, there are 57 major uses of petroleum – everything from cosmetics to ballpoint pens, nylons, and even the waxes in chewing gum."]
D.C. Police to Check Drivers In Violence-Plagued Trinidad washingtonpost.com 6/6/8 ["Starting on Saturday, officers will check drivers' identification and ask whether they have a "legitimate purpose" to be in the Trinidad area, such as going to a doctor or church or visiting friends or relatives. If not, the drivers will be turned away."]
FDIC chief says big bank failures not likely reuters.com 6/6/8 [""We went 2.5 years without bank failures and we had three last year, four this year. The number will go up. I think we've been working very hard to prepare to staff that," she said."]
NY considers creating 'organ-removal' ambulance ap.google.com 6/6/8 ["The city is considering creating a special ambulance whose crew would rush to collect the newly deceased and preserve the body so that the organs might be taken for transplant.  The "rapid-organ-recovery ambulance," still in the early planning stages, could raise a host of ethical questions and strike some families as ghoulish."]
Diesel thieves wreak havoc on California farmers cnn.com 6/6/8 ["The wave of diesel thefts isn't isolated to the the San Joaquin Valley. Other counties are dealing with their share of the ripoffs, and reports of fuel theft are pouring in from all over the country."]
 

Prominent Homosexual Activist Says Bestiality OK "As Long as the Animal Doesn't Mind" lifesitenews.com 6/5/8 ["claim to fame is successfully manipulating the American Psychiatric Association into declassifying homosexuality as a mental disorder   ...as had a long career advocating the removal of any restrictions on human acts long considered by sane societies as obscene, dangerous, and disordered.  However the octogenarian has a new mission to complement his current campaign to pressure the APA to ban reparative therapy for homosexuals. Kameny describes his mission as "Americanism in action" by advocating bestiality and encouraging the saturation of American culture with what he calls "more and better and harder-core pornography."  ...His 1965 protest signs that contributed to the removal of homosexuality from the APA's list of mental disorders will be displayed at the National Museum of American History, and his papers will be archived at the Library of Congress."]
California: State high court refuses to put same-sex ruling on hold sfgate.com 6/5/8 ["refused today to put its ruling allowing same-sex marriages on hold until the issue goes before state voters in November, clearing the way for gay and lesbian weddings to begin June 17."]
California: Governor declares state in drought mercurynews.com 6/5/8 ["But despite the sparse rainfall totals for a second straight year, the governor stopped short of declaring a statewide emergency or imposing mandatory rationing throughout California, saying he wanted to allow time for voluntary measures to work.  ...came in the wake of the driest March and April on record for the Sierra Nevada, a crucial source of water for California. The final snowpack measurement last month was at 67 percent of normal, and runoff into rivers was 55 percent of normal."]
United Airlines to slash fleet, jobs as fuel prices soar afp.google.com 6/5/8 ["United Airlines, the second-largest US carrier, said Wednesday it was cutting its fleet, operations and up to 1,100 additional jobs to compete amid soaring fuel prices and a weakening domestic economy."]
Study secretly tracks cell phone users outside US ap.google.com 6/5/8 ["Researchers secretly tracked the locations of 100,000 people outside the United States through their cell phone use and concluded that most people rarely stray more than a few miles from home."]
Egypt: bread shortages, hunger and unrest guardian.c