"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

Israel Rejects US Call for Total Settlement Freeze voanews.com/ 5/30/9 ["Both the United States and the Palestinians see the settlements as an obstacle to peace. "]
All Israel to Turn Out for 'Turning Point 3' israelnationalnews.com 5/30/9 ["Billed as the largest nationwide military exercise ever to be held in Israel, 'Turning Point 3' has been designed to involve every member of Israeli society in preparation for the possibility of a future war."]
Sonia Sotomayor 'La Raza member' worldnetdaily.com 5/30/9 ["As President Obama's Supreme Court nominee comes under heavy fire for allegedly being a "racist," Judge Sonia Sotomayor is listed as a member of the National Council of La Raza, a group that's promoted driver's licenses for illegal aliens, amnesty programs, and no immigration law enforcement by local and state police."]
 

Is God Dead? Or Just Not Riding the Bus? time.com 5/29/9 ["Dangling from the sides of Chicago public buses in recent days: large signs bearing the slogan, "In the beginning, man created God.""]
Borrowers with good credit fuel foreclosures in 1Q google.com 5/29/9 ["The mortgage crisis is spreading and hitting new heights: Borrowers with good credit now make up the largest share of foreclosures as job losses and pay cuts exact their toll.
A record 12 percent of homeowners with a mortgage were behind on their payments in the first quarter.."]
What If You Are Wrong? newswithviews.com 5/29/9 ["You see, all wrong action begins with wrong thinking."  Editor: Good thinking points...]
Japan braces for GM bankruptcy detnews.com 5/29/9 ["More than 100 Japanese companies face possible bad debts if General Motors Corp. files for bankruptcy, a private credit research agency said Wednesday."]
April Truck Tonnage Plunges 13.2% ttnews.com 5/29/9 ["Truck tonnage decreased 13.2% in April compared with a year ago, falling to the lowest level in seven-and-a-half years, American Trucking Associations said."]
 

EU to tighten financial supervision to fight crisis reuters.com 5/28/9 ["The European Union proposed on Wednesday creating regulatory bodies to oversee financial supervision across national borders in a shake-up to protect investors and prevent another global credit crunch."]
Venezuela's economy reels as oil income is cut in half mcclatchydc.com 5/28/9 ["Prices for home appliances have skyrocketed, pharmacies are reporting shortages of drugs and General Motors is planning to stop car production here next month, as measures by the Venezuelan government to conserve dollars ripple through the weakening economy."]
'Red Dawn' redux: Russia begins massive military modernization effort csmonitor.com 5/28/9 ["Supporters of the reform are jubilant. "By the end of this year Russia will have a new army," says Vitaly Shlykov, a former deputy defense minister who now works as a civilian adviser to the defense ministry. "All these skeleton formations from Soviet times will be replaced with real, functioning units. This alone is an achievement we have not seen in Russia for 150 years, a triumph of common sense over bureaucratic inertia."" Editor: Note that just the restructuring will take place quickly. The updating of munitions will take longer. However, organization alone gives much efficiency.]
Iran Sends 6 Warships to International Waters in 'Saber Rattling' Move foxnews.com 5/28/9 ["Sayyari said the ships were moved to preserve Iran's territorial integrity in its southern waters, but foreign policy experts are calling it an aggressive move targeted at a Western audience as much as for regional powers like rival Saudi Arabia."]
Clinton Warns North Korea for ‘Belligerent’ Behavior in Region  bloomberg.com 5/28/9 ["...North Korea’s official news agency said Kim’s government would no longer abide by the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War and may respond militarily to South Korea’s participation in a U.S.-led program that would block ships suspected of carrying nuclear weapons or material for export. "]
Russia fears Korea conflict could go nuclear ynetnews.com 5/28/9 ["...In the past, Moscow has been reluctant to support Western calls for sanctions. But Russian officials in the United Nations have said that this time the authority of the top international body is at stake. ...In the past, Moscow has been reluctant to support Western calls for sanctions. But Russian officials in the United Nations have said that this time the authority of the top international body is at stake. "]
No exception on Israeli settlement: Clinton news.bbc.co.uk 5/28/9 ["US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said there must be no exceptions to President Barack Obama's demand that Israel stop its settlement activity."]
Calls for Israel to Resist US Pressure and Just Say 'No!' israelnationalnews.com 5/28/9 ["Ettinger quoted Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, as saying, "Much as Israel desired friendship with the U.S. and full cooperation with it…Israel could not yield at any point which, in its judgment, would threaten its independence or its security.""]
Nevada Gov. Vetoes Same-Sex Domestic Partnerships Bill: Says Bill Violates Marriage Amendment lifesitenews.com 5/28/9 [""I believe that because the voters have determined that the rights of marriage should apply only to married couples, only the voters should determine whether those rights should equally apply to domestic partners." Gibbons also noted that many of the privileges outlined in the measure are already available via private contracts."]
IMF says Russia to buy fund's first-ever bonds google.com 5/28/9 ["The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday that Russia intends to buy up to 10 billion dollars in the multilateral institution's first-ever bonds."]
California Planned Parenthood Upset Schwarzenegger Cutting Taxpayer Funds lifenews.com 5/28/9 ["Because of the state's financial woes, Schwarzenegger's state budget proposes cutting $36 million in family planning funds Planned Parenthood receives. ...She said that, as a result of the economic downturn, more women are going to Planned Parenthood and that, in the last eight months, California's Planned Parenthood health centers have seen an increase of nearly 70,000 people. "]
Towns Rethink Self-Reliance as Finances Worsen wsj.com 5/28/9 ["As the recession batters city budgets around the U.S., some municipalities are considering the once-unthinkable option of dissolving themselves through "disincorporation." ...Today, some small municipalities are exploring the step to escape some financial burdens that have been exacerbated by the recession."]
Who ya gonna call when disaster strikes? worldnetdaily.com 5/28/9 [Editor: This article highlights many of the reasons why you need to prudently prepare to provide for your own house - not wait for the government. Even the unsaved know about individual responsibility... but then, I guess that just repeats 1Timothy 5:8: "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."]
 

Abortion Facility Volunteer Part of Group Honored by President Barack Obama lifenews.com 5/27/9 ["An elderly woman who volunteers at a late-term abortion center in Kansas was part of a group of Gold Star Mothers whom President Barack Obama honored...  She told the Wichita Eagle of her role as a Gold Star Mother, "You really don't want to belong to this club because in order to belong to this club, you have to lose a child.."]
White House merging national and homeland security google.com 5/27/9 ["he is combining White House staffs dealing with international and homeland security, predicting the change will make Americans safer. Obama also is creating a new office intended to communicate more effectively with other countries about U.S. security policy."]
China's Yuan: The Next Reserve Currency? businessweek.com 5/27/9 ["Last month, Beijing completed the last of a series of so-called currency swaps—providing yuan to other central banks for use in trade with China—with Argentina, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and others. These arrangements theoretically removed any need for these trading partners to use the dollar as an intermediary currency in dealing with China. Last week, Beijing denominated a bilateral trade deal with Brazil in the two countries' currencies, rather than in dollars..."]
Plan to audit Fed steamrolls ahead worldnetdaily.com 5/27/9 ["his current plan, H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 to demand an audit of the organization, is quickly gaining steam. As of today, the proposal had collected a bipartisan coalition of 179 members of Congress who have signed on as co-sponsors. "]
Schwarzenegger details $5.5B more cuts to budget google.com 5/27/9 ["...proposed eliminating welfare for 500,000 families and terminating health coverage for nearly 1 million children to help close the state's ballooning budget deficit."]
Colorado Governor OKs Taxpayer-Funded Gay Benefits citizenlink.org 5/27/9 ["despite the fact that voters rejected a similar proposal in 2006."]
Recession suddenly humbles high-tech sector breitbart.com 5/27/9 ["Last fall, everything changed. When previously invested funds petered out, there was no new capital. Bankruptcies, foreclosures and unemployment in high tech regions spiked, and are now at some of the highest levels in the country. "]
 

Why Would God Judge America? informedchristians.com 5/26/9 [By Daniel Valles, Editor  "“…which the LORD would not pardon.” I Kings 24:4"]
Meeting of World's Richest Names Pro-Abortion Population Control as Main Cause lifenews.com 5/26/9 ["That Gates pushed the wealthy group into settling on population control as their "umbrella cause" isn't surprising given that he outlined an ambitious project in February to reduce the world's population by one billion, would eliminate one of out every projected nine people on the planet, or 11 percent."  Editor: Notice that the list of attendees is overwhelmingly American elite...]
Geithner Vows to Cut U.S. Deficit on Rating Concern bloomberg.com 5/26/9 ["The dollar extended declines today after Treasuries and American stocks slumped on concern the U.S. government’s debt rating may at some point be lowered. Bill Gross, the co-chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., said the U.S. “eventually” will lose its AAA grade. "]
Official: Obama admin sees Jerusalem divided worldnetdaily.com 5/26/9 [""Americans said an open Jerusalem - yes. But a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty - no," Hatem Abdel Khader, the PA's minister for Jerusalem affairs, said in comments to both WND and Israel's Ynetnews website. "]
WHO chief says world should prepare for severe flu alertnet.org 5/26/9 ["The highly contagious strain must be closely monitored in parts of Asia, Africa and South America where the winter season is beginning in case it mixes with seasonal flu and mutates in "unpredictable ways," Chan told the closing session of her United Nations agency's annual congress."]
Hate crimes? 500,000 letters sent to Senate worldnetdaily.com 5/26/9 [""This bill was supposed to sail through the Senate, but it suddenly has become much more controversial as a result of all these letters," one source said. "Still, not a single Republican senator has yet stood up in open, public opposition to the bill." "]
FCC’s Warrantless Household Searches Alarm Experts wired.com 5/26/9 ["“The Supreme Court has said that the government can’t make warrantless entries into homes for administrative inspections,” Kerr said via e-mail, refering to a 1967 Supreme Court ruling that housing inspectors needed warrants to force their way into private residences. The FCC’s online FAQ doesn’t explain how the agency gets around that ruling, Kerr adds."]
Propane suppliers quietly reduce size of refills latimes.com 5/26/9 ["When oil prices soared in 2008, propane suppliers quietly reduced by two pounds the amount of gas pumped into each 20-pound tank, saying they wanted to avoid raising prices."]
 

IAF holds drill simulating all-out war jpost.com 5/23/9 ["In early June, the Israeli home front will be practiced in the most far-reaching rehearsal for an emergency rocket attack ever carried out. All Israelis will be instructed to enter secure spaces and sirens will sound out throughout the country. "]
Feds to inject $7.5B more into GMAC detnews.com 5/23/9 ["...in a deal that could allow the U.S. government to hold a majority stake in the Detroit-based auto finance company. GMAC, whose financial good health is key to providing loans for consumers to buy General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC vehicles, has been in talks for several weeks to secure additional capital. It had hoped to close the deal last week. "]
White House will give $50M to assist auto communities detnews.com 5/23/9 ["...said today it would set aside $50 million in federal stimulus money for worker retraining in communities hit by auto industry layoffs."]
Washington Sees First Person Die Under Second-in-Nation Assisted Suicide Law lifenews.com 5/23/9 ["Voters in the Pacific Northwest state approved the assisted suicide measure on the ballot in 2008 and the pro-euthanasia group Compassion & Choices announced Fleming's death Friday morning."]
Kansas Governor Vetoes Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood lifesitenews.com 5/23/9 ["Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson has vetoed the so-called Huelskamp Amendment, a proviso attached to the state budget that would have denied tax money to Planned Parenthood. "]
 

Former head of pension agency takes the Fifth google.com 5/22/9 ["Charles E.F. Millard has previously denied that he was party to inappropriate phone calls and e-mails with firms that recently won multimillion-dollar contracts to advise the agency on a new strategy to invest its assets more heavily in stocks, real estate and private equity rather than more conservative securities."]
Automotive Pension Disaster; $42 Billion in Pension Promises Completely Unfunded globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com 5/22/9 ["even though GM has yet to declare bankruptcy, note the Pension Benefit Guaranty’s Deficit Triples to $33.5 Billion."]
United Arab Emirates exit leaves Gulf currency plan on brink of failure timesonline.co.uk 5/22/9 ["The loss of the Emirates to the currency project could accelerate decisions within some Gulf states to diverge from Saudi Arabia’s desire to maintain a currency peg with the dollar. This could lead eventually to the UAE, the Gulf’s most sophisticated economy, floating its dirham, analysts in the region said. "]
PM: I told Obama Jerusalem will never be divided  haaretz.com 5/22/9 [""United Jerusalem is Israel's capital. Jerusalem was always ours and will always be ours. It will never again be partitioned and divided," Netanyahu said at a state ceremony to mark Jerusalem Day."]
Local Banks Face Big Losses  wsj.com 5/22/9 ["Commercial real-estate loans could generate losses of $100 billion by the end of next year at more than 900 small and midsize U.S. banks if the economy's woes deepen, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal."]
House bypasses governor’s veto to claim Oklahoma’s sovereignty newsok.com 5/22/9 ["Key said many federal laws violate the 10th Amendment, which says powers not delegated to the U.S. government "are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” The Constitution lists about 20 duties required of the U.S. government, he said. Congress should not be providing bailouts to financial institutions and automakers, he said. "]
Panel votes for probe of 'extremist' report washingtontimes.com 5/22/9 ["In a footnote, the report defined "right-wing extremism" as including hate groups, anti-American groups or groups dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration. It also listed those who oppose gun control as potentially facilitating violence. "]
  U.S. Rescue Aid Entrenches Itself  wsj.com 5/22/9 ["On Wednesday, President Obama signed a law extending higher deposit-insurance limits through 2013. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Treasury are developing public-private partnerships to help banks purge bad assets and the Fed on Tuesday agreed to expand a liquidity facility to accept high-quality commercial-mortgage backed securities."]
 

Brazil and China eye plan to axe dollar ft.com 5/21/9 ["Brazil and China will work towards using their own currencies in trade transactions rather than the US dollar, according to Brazil’s central bank and aides to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president."]
Wary of U.S. debt, China shifts gears on investment reuters.com 5/21/9 ["Beijing has been far and away the single biggest foreign buyer of Treasuries over the past year, but this apparent vote of confidence belies how it has turned its back on long-term U.S. debt in favor of shorter maturities."]
U.S. May Strip SEC of Powers in Regulatory Overhaul bloomberg.com 5/21/9 ["The proposal, still being drafted, is likely to give the Federal Reserve more authority to supervise financial firms deemed too big to fail. The Fed may inherit some SEC functions, with others going to other agencies, the people said. On the table: giving oversight of mutual funds to a bank regulator or a new agency to police consumer-finance products..."]
Obama's latest calculated move against the Jewish State jewishworldreview.com 5/21/9 ["It takes the form of enthusiasm for the United Nations and international interlopers of all kinds. Instead of ensuring strong American control over the course of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations or the Arab-Israeli peace process, the Obama administration is busy inserting an international mob between the U.S. and Israel. The thinking goes: If Israel doesn't fall into an American line, Obama will step out of the way, claim his hands are tied, and let the U.N. and other international gangsters have at their prey. "]
Iran test-fires missile capable of striking Israel  haaretz.com 5/21/9 [" Iran test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile yesterday which Western analysts believe is capable of hitting targets in Israel, as well as southern Europe and U.S. bases in the Middle East. ...The advantage of the missile is not only its size, but its two-stage, solid-fuel propulsion system."]
EU Demands Second Referendum Date for Ireland on Lisbon Treaty lifesitenews.com 5/21/9 ["The Irish Times reports that Fule wants the Irish to announce the date of a second Lisbon referendum at the June council, provided the necessary "legal guarantees" are in place. The Irish government is reported to be asking EU parliamentarians for guarantees on taxation, neutrality, ethical issues such as abortion and the retention of Ireland's EU commissioner."]
Schools close in Boston due to swine flu scare google.com 5/21/9 ["Authorities shuttered three schools as a precaution Wednesday in Boston where a growing number of students were infected with the swine flu or A(H1N1) virus."]
New Hampshire lawmakers reject gay-marriage bill reuters.com 5/21/9 ["...The legislature had been asked to approve language that would give legal protections, including the right to decline to marry same-sex couples, to clergy and others affiliated with religious organizations."]
Deadline Soon to Oppose Obama Overturning Embryonic Stem Cell Funding Limits lifenews.com 5/21/9 ["For the millions of Americans who oppose President Barack Obama's decision to overturn the limits on forcing taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research, the deadline to respond is coming soon. The public comment period on the decision expires next Tuesday, May 26."]
World's Richest Moguls Met in New York for Secret Charity Meeting foxnews.com 5/21/9 ["What is known is that each billionaire got to speak for approximately 15 minutes on the global economic crisis and how best to support philanthropic causes..."]
U.S. bonkers for Obama birth certificate billboards worldnetdaily.com 5/21/9 ["The idea behind the billboard campaign is to make sure Obama cannot avoid this question any longer. He must be asked to produce it at every turn, Farah says. Billboard space is currently being negotiated in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Sacramento, San Francisco, New York-New Jersey, Des Moines, Seattle and other metro areas. "]
What Can We Do? newswithviews.com 5/21/9 [By Lynn Stuter  "On May 13, 2009, Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), known for her opposition to the Second Amendment, introduced H.R. 2401. This bill sets about to deny the right to keep and bear arms to anyone who ends up on the "no fly" list. The bill is called the "No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009.""]
US, Canadian, Indian firms to use Google 'smart meters' google.com 5/21/9 ["There are approximately 40 million smart meters in use worldwide. Smart meters have computer chips and can use the Internet to relay information about electricity use to utility companies or consumers as desired."]
Japan: Major banking groups report massive losses japantimes.co.jp 5/21/9 ["On Tuesday, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. reported a group net loss of ¥256.9 billion in the 2008 business year, in stark contrast with the net profit of ¥636.62 billion it posted a year earlier. "]
Military demands details on soldiers' private guns worldnetdaily.com 5/21/9 [""It just seems a little coincidental to me that within 90 days the most anti-firearm president in history is inaugurated, some of the nastiest anti-firearm laws are put on the table in Washington, and then the Army comes around wanting what amounts to a registration on all firearms, even if they are off post, and doesn't provide any reason or purpose as to why,"..."]
 

American Express to cut 4,000 jobs reuters.com 5/19/9 ["They are in addition to 7,000 job cuts and an expected $1.8 billion of savings from a restructuring it announced in October."]
Cargo Ships Treading Water Off Singapore, Waiting for Work  nytimes.com 5/19/9 ["One of the largest fleets of ships ever gathered idles here just outside one of the world’s busiest ports, marooned by the receding tide of globaltrade. There may be tentative signs of economic recovery in spots around the globe, but few here. Hundreds of cargo ships..."]
Google joins Bilderberg cabal worldnetdaily.com 5/19/9 ["New invitees reportedly include the nouveau riche Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt. Henry Kissinger, a lynchpin of continuity with other secretive internationalist groups including the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission, is a regular attendee, as is Wall Street Journal Editor Paul Gigot. "]
China holds sway over US$ nationalpost.com 5/19/9 ["n a G2 world (the United States and China), he who is the piper calls the tune, and China holds a US$2-trillion mortgage on the United States and is not happy. This country, along with others that lend money to the United States, such as Saudi Arabia, will determine the value of the U. S. dollar and gold. And they have spoken."]
Enforced “Diversity” will make Britain “First Modern Soft Totalitarian State” lifesitenews.com 5/19/9 ["has warned in an editorial in the Australian that while there may as yet be no concentration camps or gulags in Britain, “there are thought police with unprecedented powers to dictate ways of thinking and sniff out heresy, and there can be harsh punishments for dissent.” He points to the dozens of cases over the last ten years in which Christians and others who hold traditional moral views, have been targeted by police and other governmental agencies for their beliefs."]
Military Implications of Pandemic Flu globalsecurity.org 5/19/9 ["A pandemic will not strike all America all at once. A nation-wide pandemic of three months' duration would actually consist of a series of local pandemics lasting a month or so, some starting and ending before others. And these local pandemics in turn may be thought of as a series of micro-pandemics of a few weeks' duration, each at a different school or workplace."]
 

Lesbian mommies, why not wives? worldnetdaily.com 5/18/9 ["The appellate court in Florida cited the U.S. Constitution's "Full Faith and Credit Clause" – which requires states to honor public acts, records and court decisions from other states – to rule that despite Florida's ban on same-sex couple adoptions, a Christian resident must share custody of her biological daughter with her former lesbian partner, because the child was legally adopted in a state that permits same-sex couple adoption. "]
Finance crisis raises questions on roles of central banks: BIS google.com 5/18/9 ["In order to deal with the crisis, central banks had engaged in "new and unusual transactions" with a wider range of parties than before, said the statement from the world's biggest central banking body. "As a result, the composition and size of their balance sheets have changed dramatically, and they have assumed significant financial and reputational risks," it added."]
Japan 'would avoid dollar bonds'  news.bbc.co.uk 5/18/9 ["Japan has been a major buyer of US government bonds, helping the US finance its Federal budget deficits. But, he added, it would continue to buy bonds only if they were denominated in yen - the so-called samurai bonds. "]
AL: Jefferson County eyes 1,200 layoffs, massive cuts, possibly bankruptcy al.com 5/18/9 ["The occupational tax problem is just the latest financial crisis to hit Jefferson County. The county already is struggling to avoid bankruptcy, unable to make payments on nearly $4 billion in debt for sewer and general-obligation bonds. Most of those payments are being delayed through deals with creditors under a series of forbearance agreements. "]
Emergency drill staged at WTC site in New York reuters.com 5/18/9 ["The exercise, involving more than 800 emergency services personnel, simulated the aftermath of a pair of bombs exploding on a commuter train with hundreds of injured passengers, all complicated by a malfunctioning communications system."]
Fed Up forbes.com 5/18/9 [By Ron Paul  "One of the fallacies of modern economics is the idea that a central bank is required in order to keep inflation low and promote economic growth. In reality, it is the central bank's monetary policy that causes inflation and depresses economic growth. Inflation is an increase in the supply of money, which in our day and age is directly caused or initiated by central banks."]
Industry crisis sees US car dealerships cut loose and left with nothing to sell guardian.co.uk 5/18/9 ["Taken together, the two Detroit manufacturers' shrinkage of their franchised dealer network put more than 100,000 jobs in doubt at car yards traditionally viewed as a staple part of the landscape in towns and cities across America."]
 

Budget anger spawns protests at L.A. schools latimes.com 5/16/9 ["The protesters' ire was stoked by plans for layoffs of as many as 2,500 Los Angeles Unified School District teachers, the consequence of billions of dollars in statewide cuts to education. Schools throughout Los Angeles were disrupted as hundreds of teachers called in sick and hundreds of high school students walked out of classrooms to protest the cutbacks at the nation's second-largest school district."]
Brazilian Government Seeks to Remove "Homophobic" Christian Programming from Daytime TV lifesitenews.com 5/16/9 ["The Brazilian government is considering adding warning labels to Christian programming it regards as "homophobic," according to Folha de Sao Paulo, one of Brazil's largest-circulation newspapers."]
US lawmakers formally unveil climate change bill google.com 5/16/9 ["Democrats say the legislation, which creates a cap-and-trade system limiting overall pollution from large industrial sources and then allocating and selling pollution permits, is needed before December global climate talks in Denmark."]
 

Canada March for Life Features 10,000 People, Little National Media Coverage lifenews.com 5/15/9 ["In May 1969, the Canadian government approved the passage of a bill that took off the books many of the protective laws the nation had in place.
Then, in January 1988, the nation's abortion law was struck down from the Criminal Code by the Supreme Court of Canada resulting in full legal abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy. As a result, there have been more than 3.5 million abortions in Canada, resulting the death of babies before birth and injuring countless women."]
NH governor backs gay marriage google.com 5/15/9 ["Gov. John Lynch said Thursday he will sign a bill to make his state the sixth to legalize gay marriage as soon as the Legislature makes some changes, which legislative leaders immediately said they would back."]
Column One: Obama's green light to attack Iran jpost.com 5/15/9 ["Using the annual AIPAC conference as a backdrop, this week the Obama administration launched its harshest onslaught against Israel to date. It began with media reports that National Security Adviser James Jones told a European foreign minister that the US is planning to build an anti-Israel coalition with the Arabs and Europe to compel Israel to surrender Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem to the Palestinians. "]
GM plans to export cars from China to the US telegraph.co.uk 5/15/9 ["A plan to shift a greater proportion of the struggling car-maker's production overseas is still being negotiated with US politicians, who have already lent GM $15.4bn (£10.18bn) in order to keep it afloat and safeguard its 90,000 US workers. "]
Insurers get preliminary OK for Treasury funds google.com 5/15/9 ["Allstate Corp., Lincoln National Corp., Ameriprise Financial Inc., Principal Financial Group Inc. and Prudential Financial Inc. also are among insurers receiving preliminary investment approval, Treasury spokesman Andrew Williams confirmed. He declined to disclose the amount of investment each company will receive."]
Treasury asks for control of derivatives market excite.com 5/15/9 ["Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he wants to create a central electronic-based system that would track the buying and selling of derivatives. He also wants to ensure that financial firms selling the instruments have enough capital on hand in case they default and subject them to stringent standards of conduct and new reporting requirements."]
Calif. ordering layoffs to cover $15.4B deficit google.com 5/15/9 ["California still faces a deficit of $15.4 billion in the fiscal year that starts July 1. That will grow to $21.3 billion if voters reject budget-related measures during a special election next week."]
NYC closing schools for another swine flu outbreak google.com 5/15/9 ["Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that four students and the assistant principal have documented cases of swine flu at a Queens middle school. More than 50 students have gone home sick with flulike symptoms at the school, he said. At another middle school in Queens, 241 students were absent Thursday. Dozens more were sick at an elementary school."]
2nd congressman: Prove eligibility worldnetdaily.com 5/15/9 ["A Virginia congressman, very quietly, has signed onto a measure in Congress that would require presidential candidates to verify their eligibility to hold the highest elected office in the United States. "]
MasterCard Is Pushing Mobile Money businessweek.com 5/15/9 ["MasterCard (MA) is promoting a tempting new offer: Instead of using checks or wire transfers to send money, U.S. customers can soon text the funds directly to another person through their cell phones."]
Paulson Memo Warned Banks to Take Aid or Be ‘Exposed’ bloomberg.com 5/15/9 ["Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, describing nine U.S. banks as “central to any solution” of the credit crisis, told their leaders to take government aid or be forced to by regulators, according to a memo his staff prepared for a private meeting in October. "]
China's yuan 'set to usurp US dollar' as world's reserve currency telegraph.co.uk 5/15/9 ["Known as "Dr Doom" for his negative stance, Prof Roubini argues that China is better placed than the US to provide a reserve currency for the 21st century because it has a large current account surplus, focused government and few of the economic worries the US faces. "]
 

Canada Parliament Sees Introduction of Bill Today to Legalize Assisted Suicide lifenews.com 5/14/9 ["A member of the Canadian Parliament officially introduced her legislation today that would legalize assisted suicide in Canada. Francine Lalonde, of the Bloc Québécois political party, introduced a private members bill to legalize the practice that is allowed in three states in the U.S."]
Bilderbergers plan secret meeting in Greece worldnetdaily.com 5/14/9 [""It's officially described as a private gathering," BBC reported, "but with a guest list including the heads of European and American corporations, political leaders and a few intellectuals, it's one of the most influential organizations on the planet." "]
Swine Flu May Be Human Error; WHO Investigates Claim bloomberg.com 5/14/9 ["In addition, Gibbs said his research found the rate of genetic mutation in the new virus was about three times faster than that of the most closely related viruses found in pigs, suggesting it evolved outside of swine. "]
Reeling states hit by April tax shortfalls cnn.com 5/14/9 ["The latest gaps are proving more of a challenge. Most states close their fiscal years at the end of June, so they have limited ways to balance their budgets at this point. Unlike the federal government, states can't run a deficit. "]
Breathing easier after bank stress tests? You shouldn't mcclatchydc.com 5/14/9 ["Largely unnoticed in last week's government report on the condition of the nation's biggest banks was the disclosure that five of them, topped by Bank of America, could lose $99 billion from the kinds of exotic bets that sank the global economy.  ...Seventeen of the 19 largest banks reported that, in the event of an economic catastrophe, they face combined derivatives losses exceeding $568 billion."]
RealtyTrac: April foreclosures rise 32 percent google.com 5/14/9 ["The April number, however, was less than one percent above that posted in March, when more than 340,000 properties were affected. The March data was up 17 percent from February and 46 percent from a year earlier. "We've never seen two consecutive months like this," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac's senior vice president for marketing. "It's the volume that's surprising.""]
 

Luxembourg: Rubber bullets fly as ArcelorMittal workers storm AGM google.com 5/13/9 ["Police fired rubber bullets Tuesday when ArcelorMittal employees stormed the venue of the global steel giant's annual general meeting in Luxembourg in protest over plans to cut jobs."]
Sweden Rules Gender-Selective Abortions Legal lifesitenews.com 5/13/9 ["Swedish health authorities have ruled that it is not illegal to kill a healthy unborn child based simply on its gender"]
Freddie Mac asks for more US cash after loss google.com 5/13/9 ["With the latest loss, Freddie Mac's conservator submitted a request to the US Treasury for an additional 6.1 billion dollars under a preferred stock purchase agreement included in the bailout announced last year."]
Report: Iran deploys missiles in Persian Gulf jpost.com 5/13/9 ["Iran's Revolutionary Guards have begun deploying mobile launchers for surface-to-air and surface-to-sea missiles in the Strait of Hurmuz and other areas in the Gulf, it has been revealed. "]
Senators weigh tax hikes to pay for health care thestate.com 5/13/9 ["Senators are considering limiting - but not eliminating - the tax-free status of employer-provided health benefits to help pay for President Barack Obama's plan to provide coverage to 50 million uninsured Americans."]
Russia blocks lesbian marriage breitbart.com 5/13/9 [" Irina Fedotova and Irina Chapitko tried to marry at a register office in central Moscow but were told that Russian law only permitted heterosexual marriage. ... Gay activists have been particularly critical of Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who has denounced the gay pride parades as "Satan's work" and called homosexuality immoral. "]
Gay marriage passes first vote in New York state reuters.com 5/13/9 ["If the bill became law, New York would follow Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Iowa in legalizing gay marriage. New Hampshire has passed a bill legalizing gay marriage, but it still needs to be signed by the governor."]
France to deploy internet police to fight piracy telegraph.co.uk 5/13/9 ["France is poised to enact the world's strictest anti-piracy laws after the country's lower house of parliament approved a bill that would let authorities track illegal downloading over the internet and cut off repeat offenders. "]
 

Banks Won Concessions on Tests wsj.com 5/12/9 ["The Federal Reserve significantly scaled back the size of the capital hole facing some of the nation's biggest banks shortly before concluding its stress tests, following two weeks of intense bargaining. In addition, according to bank and government officials, the Fed used a different measurement of bank-capital levels than analysts and investors had been expecting, resulting in much smaller capital deficits."]
Obama Proposes Massive Global Health Initiative america.gov 5/12/9 ["Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew told reporters at a White House briefing May 5 that the global health initiative goes beyond current programs designed to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and will begin addressing the health needs of women, children and families in developing nations. It is also designed to curb the impact of neglected tropical diseases."]
Obama wants Fed to be finance supercop google.com 5/12/9 ["Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who briefly attended the meeting but did not identify the Fed specifically as his top choice, told the group that one organization needs to be held responsible for monitoring systemwide risk. He said such a regulator should be given better visibility into all institutions that pose a risk to the financial system, regardless of what business they are in."]
New flu not quite a pandemic yet, WHO says reuters.com 5/12/9 ["The new H1N1 virus shows no signs of sustained person-to-person spread outside of North America and so has not yet tipped over into a pandemic, a top World Health Organization official said on Monday."]
CDC Shifts Swine Flu Focus to Likely Impact in the Fall  ajc.com 5/12/9 ["Besser said most new cases of swine flu in the United States were now caused by person-to-person transmission and not some link to Mexico, as was the case when the outbreak began more than two weeks ago."]
Wisconsin court upholds GPS tracking by police chicagotribune.com 5/12/9 ["As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights -- even if the drivers aren't suspects. Officers do not need to get warrants beforehand because GPS tracking does not involve a search or a seizure, Judge Paul Lundsten wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel based in Madison."]
Britain: Half of Teen Pregnancies End in Abortion, Abortion Advocates Applaud lifenews.com 5/12/9 ["The government figures show that, out of 40,000 teen pregnancies in England last year, more than 20,000 ended in abortions. The figure is higher than the 2007 report, which showed the abortion numbers barely reaching 50 percent. The abortion rate has also climbed steadily since 1999 when the government released its Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, which attempted to reduce teen abortions by promoting birth control and contraception."]
Russia plays up its international role – especially in Mideast peace csmonitor.com 5/12/9 ["Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chaired a special meeting Monday of the United Nations Security Council that endorsed the idea of holding a Middle East peace conference in Moscow this year."]
Doctors face orders to 'kill on demand' worldnetdaily.com 5/12/9 ["Physicians in Montana could be facing "kill-on-demand" orders from patients who want to commit suicide if a district court judge's opinion pending before the state Supreme Court is affirmed. "]
US to borrow 46 cents for every dollar spent yahoo.com 5/12/9 ["Budget office figures released Monday would add $89 billion to the 2009 red ink — increasing it to more than four times last year's all-time high as the government hands out billions more than expected for people who have lost jobs and takes in less tax revenue from people and companies making less money."]
 

'Hate crimes' fate now up to people worldnetdaily.com 5/11/9 ["A Texas member of Congress is warning Americans that unless they act – and act now – the nation soon will have a "hate crimes" law that actually was written so that it protects pedophiles and others with alternative sexual orientations such as voyeurism and exhibitionism. "]
"Preliminary" talks held on U.S. military gay policy reuters.com 5/11/9 ["President Barack Obama pledged during the presidential campaign to change the policy. But the issue has been on the back-burner as the White House tackles other issues such as the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."]
401(k)s Hit by Withdrawal Freezes  wsj.com 5/11/9 ["Even with recent gains in stocks such as Monday's, the months of market turmoil have delivered a blow to some 401(k) participants: freezing their investments in certain plans. In some cases, individual investors can't withdraw money from certain retirement-plan options. In other cases, employers are having trouble getting rid of risky investments in 401(k) plans."]
Next step? No guns allowed for right-wing 'extremists' worldnetdaily.com 5/11/9 ["Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., has sponsored H.R. 2159, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009, which permits the attorney general to deny transfer of a firearm to any "known or suspected dangerous terrorist." The bill requires only that the potential firearm transferee is "appropriately suspected" of preparing for a terrorist act and that the attorney general "has a reasonable belief" that the gun might be used in connection with terrorism. "]
China fears bond crisis as it slams quantitative easing telegraph.co.uk 5/11/9 ["Hans Redeker, head of currencies at BNP Paribas, said China is switching into hard assets. "They want to buy production rights to raw materials and gain access to resources such as oil, water, and metals. They know they can't keep buying bonds," he said "]
Why you should be worried about the bond market  moneyweek.com 5/11/9 ["Even now, after months of attention due to the Bank of England's quantitative easing plans, I suspect that few people – or politicians for that matter - are really that interested in government bonds."]
Swine flu: the worst is yet to come in autumn, warns Alan Johnson telegraph.co.uk 5/11/9 [""Our evidence from all previous pandemics is you get two phases. So you get a first wave which is often very mild and then you get a much more serious wave that comes along in the autumn and the winter. "So we have to not just deal with this outbreak now but prepare perhaps for a second phase further down the line." "]
Tamiflu linked to abnormal behaviour smh.com.au 5/11/9 [" Influenza patients between 10 and 17 who took Tamiflu were 54 per cent more likely to exhibit serious abnormal behaviour than those who did not take the antiflu drug, a final report from a Japanese Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry research team, said. "]
 

President Obama's New Budget Calls for Tax-Funded Abortions in Nation's Capital lifenews.com 5/9/9 ["The budget Obama submitted to Congress urges the House and Senate to repeal a law sometimes called the Dornan amendment that has prevented tax-funded abortion in the District of Columbia for many years."]
No National Day of Prayer service at White House latimes.com 5/9/9 [""]
Admin wants Fed to oversee "systemic risk": sources uk.reuters.com 5/9/9 ["...expected to propose legislation by June calling for the U.S. Federal Reserve to play a central role in regulating systemic risk in the economy, trade association sources said on Friday."]
California: Teachers cite 'clergy' privilege to hide lesbian teaching worldnetdaily.com 5/9/9 ["Parents of students at Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, Calif., have filed a lawsuit against the educational institution after teachers there summoned a lesbian minister to speak to math and science classes, then tried to keep that information hidden from parents, according to officials with the Pacific Justice Institute. "]
'Gay' day coming to California public schools? worldnetdaily.com 5/9/9 ["A California committee passed a bill proclaiming that the state's public school children will take a break from learning every year to celebrate Harvey Milk – a homosexual icon considered by some to be "a martyr for gay rights." ...The bill encourages all California public schools to "conduct suitable commemorative exercises … remembering the life of Harvey Milk and recognizing his accomplishments as well as the contributions he made to this state." "]
Fierce California wildfire burns into fourth night reuters.com 5/9/9 ["Another 3,500 homes and about 100 businesses remained in immediate jeopardy from the so-called Jesusita fire, which had blackened more than 3,500 acres (1,400 hectares) in the foothills above the picturesque community by the time darkness began to fall on Friday evening. It destroyed 75 homes and forced thousands of people to flee."]
If China loses faith the dollar will collapse telegraph.co.uk 5/9/9 ["...the US situation is unique: it borrows in its own currency, and the dollar is the world's dominant reserve currency. The US can disregard its creditors' concerns for now without worrying about a dollar collapse."]
Swine Flu May Merge With Other Flu Viruses, CDC Says  bloomberg.com 5/9/9 ["Pigs are an ideal breeding ground for new forms of the flu, including the new H1N1 virus, Nancy Cox, chief of the flu division at the CDC’s Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, said at the briefing. The running hypothesis among scientists has been that the new flu -- a combination of four strains from swine, birds and humans -- started inside a pig, she said. "]
WHO says flu pandemic remains at level 5 of 6 uk.reuters.com 5/9/9 ["H1N1 flu is not yet spreading in a sustained way outside North America, so the global pandemic level remains at 5 out of 6, a senior World Health Organisation official said on Thursday."]
Second strain of flu may complicate picture-study alertnet.org 5/9/9 ["They have found a strain of the H3N2 virus that appears to have made a shift and could have complicated the flu picture in Mexico, epicenter of an outbreak of a new strain of the H1N1 swine flu virus."]
UK: Swine flu: supermarkets prepare for panic buying telegraph.co.uk 5/9/9 ["Supermarkets are preparing for panic buying by shoppers fearful of swine flu, by stocking up on millions of extra litres of bottled water. "]
Ill. law allowing hearsay to shape Peterson case google.com 5/9/9 ["The Illinois law allows a judge to admit hearsay evidence in first-degree murder cases if prosecutors can prove the defendant killed a witness to prevent them from testifying."]
 

U.S. Bank Stress Test Results Delayed as Conclusions Debated bloomberg.com 5/2/9 ["The Federal Reserve is postponing the release of stress tests on the biggest U.S. banks while executives debate preliminary findings with examiners, according to government and industry officials. The results, originally scheduled for publication on May 4, now may not be revealed until toward the end of next week"]
Swine flu may be less potent than first feared google.com 5/2/9 ["A flu expert said he sees no reason to believe the virus is particularly lethal. And a federal scientist said the germ's genetic makeup lacks some traits seen in the deadly 1918 flu pandemic strain and the more recent killer bird flu. Still, it was too soon to be certain what the swine flu virus will do. Experts say the only wise course is to prepare for the worst." Editor: For now... it may come back in the Fall in a more virulent form.]
Fed moved to extend aid to commercial real estate google.com 5/2/9 ["The Fed said it would offer the aid through the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), a government instrument launched in March to promote lending to consumer, auto, student loans and lending to small businesses."]
May Day turns violent in Turkey and Germany reuters.com 5/2/9 ["Rising unemployment across Europe and beyond has added intensity to May Day marches as last year's market crash and banking meltdown roll into the real economy."]
Swiss goverment to back UBS in US tax case forbes.com 5/2/9 [""The Swiss government also points out that an attempt to force UBS to hand over client data would violate Swiss sovereignty since the information in question is located in Switzerland.""]
Dinosaur blood extracted from bone worldnetdaily.com 5/2/9 ["As one creationist noted: "There’s no way this blood could be 80 million years old. The evolutionists are just saying so because they cannot bear the thought of recent dinosaurs causing their millions of years scenario to come crashing down. Without the millions of years, Darwinism is dead, dead, dead." "]
New York Mayor Seeks Job Cuts, Rise in Sales Tax  wsj.com 5/2/9 ["With tax collections plunging and unions resisting benefit cuts, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented a budget Friday that would cut 13,000 city jobs and would raise the city's sales tax."]
Russian steel workers resort to growing potatoes yahoo.com 5/2/9 ["Ten percent of the Russian workforce, or 7.5 million people, were unemployed in March as the country headed into its first recession in a decade. Another 1.2 million were on unpaid leave or forced holiday, Economy Ministry data shows. Steel makers and associated industries, such as the automotive and machine-building sectors, are most at risk from a further round of job cuts that the ministry expects will affect more than a third of all Russian companies."]
U.S. sovereignty on swap block worldnetdaily.com 5/2/9 [""All U.N. treaties require strict scrutiny," he cautioned. "The pledge, as written, expresses no such need but, rather, unilaterally commits the U.S. to meet its U.N. treaty obligations. Apparently, for this administration, membership in a U.N. Council with no authority trumps the right of Americans – not the U.N. or any other nation – to make public policy affecting Americans." "]
Trucking bankruptcies continue purchasing.com 5/2/9 ["...it’s not just smaller trucking firms that are under extreme financial pressure. Freight buyers and shippers, however, remain concerned about the financial status of even the largest trucking providers, as more dismal first-quarter financial reports roll in."]
Israel-Vatican Meeting: No Mt. Zion Deal israelnationalnews.com 5/2/9 ["Nothing was signed, and another meeting was scheduled for Dec. 10 at the Vatican."]
 

Maine Senate passes same-sex marriage bill reuters.com 5/1/9 ["The legislation, which will go to a vote in the state House of Representatives next week, seeks to redefine marriage as the legal union of two people rather than between a man and a women. It passed the Senate by a 20-15 margin."]
Iowa: State threatens locals: Marry 'gays' – or else worldnetdaily.com 5/1/9 ["Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is warning the county recorders' offices in his state that workers must process "marriage" licenses for same-sex duos or face possible charges in a court of law. "]
US to buy 13 million antiviral flu treatments google.com 5/1/9 ["The United States will purchase an additional 13 million antiviral treatments to help ward off swine flu and plans to send 400,000 of the treatments to Mexico, officials said."]
Only 7 swine flu deaths, not 152, says WHO smh.com.au 5/1/9 ["Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease."]
Scientists see this flu strain as relatively mild latimes.com 5/1/9 ["...scientists studying the virus are coming to the consensus that this hybrid strain of influenza -- at least in its current form -- isn't shaping up to be as fatal as the strains that caused some previous pandemics."]
Is There Really an Influenza Epidemic? lifesitenews.com 5/1/9 ["Although the government cites almost 170 "suspicious" deaths possibly attributable to the new "swine flu" strain, it has never verified more than 20."]
Mexico begins shutting down as flu fears spread reuters.com 5/1/9 ["Mexico began shutting down all non-essential work and services on Thursday to slow the spread of a new flu strain as officials urged increased worldwide precautions against an imminent pandemic."]
A Bigger, Bolder Role Is Imagined For the IMF washingtonpost.com 5/1/9 ["That image of a radically transformed IMF -- whose role in the global economy had turned largely advisory in recent years -- is now coming together through internal IMF documents, interviews and think-tank reports. Finance ministers from major nations will begin grappling with the formidable details of the IMF's makeover this weekend when they converge in Washington for the fund's biannual assembly. "]
Towering Vacancies: Office Market Hits the Skids businessweek.com 5/1/9 ["Central business districts that only a year ago were crowded with construction projects are emptying out as office tenants cut staff and operations. Building values are sinking, while delinquencies on securitized loans have tripled in the past six months. "]
Argentina to Plant Smallest Wheat Crop on Record  bloomberg.com 5/1/9 ["Farmers harvested 8.3 million metric tons of wheat earlier this year, less than half the prior year, after the worst drought in half a century, according to the Agriculture Secretariat. This year’s planted area will be 18.6 percent less than a year ago, the exchange said today. "]
Did president approve buzzing New York? worldnetdaily.com 5/1/9 ["Patterson said the low-flying escapade over Manhattan clearly was not an oversight. "The White House Military Office director is the Obama appointee – Caldera in this particular situation. So, he got the notification, he got the direction from somebody – I'm guessing Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff would probably be the person behind this." "]