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Internet News RecordLibertyNewsprint.com U.S. Edition07/08/09 - 08/08/09
Religious Left pushesfor healthcare reform
By Ed Stoddard (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 3:00:39 PM
America's "Religious Left" is jumping into the healthcare debatewith a plan to launch a "40 Days forHealth Reform" initiative startingMonday.The move comes as conservativeresistance hardensto PresidentBarack Obama's attempts to overhaulAmerica's healthcare system. Thishas taken the form of angry scenes attownhall meetings and has beendriven in part by the"ReligiousRight," which claims on Christianradio stations and on the blogospherethat, among other things,"Obamacare" will result in taxpayer-funded abortion. That's apointdisputed by most Democrats andtheir allies.The pro-faith-based healthcarereform campaign is organized byliberal leaning religious groups suchas Catholics in Alliance for theCommon Good and Faith in PublicLife. Borrowing a pagefrom theReligious Right, the conservativeChristian movement that rose toprominence in the 1980s and 1990sas a key base for the RepublicanParty, the campaign will featureprayer rallies and a national TV ad.It brings together evangelicals,Catholics and mainline Protestantsand includesheavyweights from theReligious Left such as Jim Wallis,president of Sojourners. There aremany people of faith in the UnitedStates who believe that coverageneeds to be extended to the nearly 46million Americans with no healthinsurance because of biblical calls tocare for the poor and the sick.In his campaign for the WhiteHouse Obama had tapped intothereligious community andfrequently invoked his own Christianfaith. It remains to be seen if the faithcommunity can inject some energyinto what some see as a falteringdrive at health care reform.One wonders if this part of Obama's ambitious domestic agendahas a prayer without such help.
Team Obama’s Environmental IronyTour
By Deborah Zabarenko (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 1:39:30 PM
Okay, so it’s August in Washington.It’s hot. Congress has gone home.Even the summer interns are packingup and getting out of town. So it’snot surprising that top members of the Obama administration might beready for a road trip.That’s basically what the WhiteHouse announced in a statementheadlined: “Obama AdministrationOfficials Travel America, Talk CleanEnergy Economy.” President Obamawent to Indiana to announce $2.4billion in funding for advancedbattery and electric drive projects;Energy Secretary Steven Chu headedfor Minnesota to look at renewableenergy projects and North Carolinato announce a big grant to a lithiumbattery firm, finishing up the week inMassachusetts to talk about cleanenergy jobs at Harvard; InteriorSecretary Ken Salazar went to a solarpanel company in Colorado; EPAAdministrator Lisa Jackson was inFlorida and Commerce SecretaryGary Locke traveled to Missouri.Probably only a crank wouldwonder just how much greenhousegas all this official travel spewed intothe atmosphere. There’s no hybridAir Force One, after all. But it doesseem like an exquisite irony that,with the best of environmentalintentions, the Obama team may havestomped all over the United Stateswith a heavy-duty carbon footprint.Is it fair to ask that when they talk the talk, they walk the walk — oroffset emissions by fundingwindmills or other projects thatsupply renewable energy? Let usknow what you think.For more Reuters political news,click here.Photo credits: REUTERS/JasonReed (President Obama speaks inWakarusa, Indiana, August 5, 2009);REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Windmillturbines on Backbone Mountain inWest Virginia, August 28, 2006)
Pa. health club victim 'left loving imprints' (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 8/8/2009 8:32:36 AM
Joco50beer buzzed up: Fla. senatorto resign, clear path for Crist (AP)9 hours ago 2009-08-07T23:36:23-07:00
 
2Internet News Record
Obama taking family toYellowstone, GrandCanyon
By Steve Holland (Front Row Washington)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 1:51:18 PM
So here we are in August, time for alittle summer vacation. PresidentBarack Obama is taking Michelleand the kids out on a Western swingto see some of America’s mostfamous national parks.Next Friday, August 14, they willfly out to Bozeman, Montana and thenext day will visit YellowstoneNational Park, home of the OldFaithful geyser, in nearby Wyoming.Later that day they head to GrandJunction, Colorado.On August 16, it’s on to the GrandCanyon in Arizona. They end up inPhoenix for the president to addressthe convention of Veterans of Foreign Wars. Weather prediction:It’ll be hot in Phoenix. They’re back in Washington on August 17.So it’s a fairly quick trip — not oneof those where you load up thestation wagon and drive for severalthousand miles.White House spokesman RobertGibbs imparted all this information atFriday’s briefing, and he said thevisit was taking place during a “fee-free” weekend at national parks andthat Obama hopes to inspire peopleto go visit the parks.The Obamas’ real vacation is laterin August, when they spend a week on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard.Photo credits: Obama golfingREUTERS/Hugh GentryBear cubs in Yosemite:REUTERS/National Park Service
US loses fewer jobs than expected
(BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 12:44:30 PM
The US economy lost 247,000 jobsin July, far fewer than analysts hadexpected, official figures show.With fewer workers being laid off,the unemployment rate fell to 9.4%,down from 9.5% in the previousmonth, the first drop since April2008.The unexpected drop is likely tofuel hopes that an economic recoveryis gaining ground.US President Barack Obama saidthe jobless numbers showed that "theworst [of the recession] may bebehind us"."[But] we have a lot further to go.As far as I'm concerned, we will nothave a true recovery until we stoplosing jobs," he added, echoingcomments made last week.Since the recession began inDecember 2007, about 6.7 million jobs have been lost, the Departmentof Labour said.Debra Edwards says the facilities atthe library have been helpful in her job search, but she has not yet foundthe office job she wants.Rodneyse Bichotte describesherself as a "go-getter". She was laidoff from banking giant JP MorganChase and has been out of work for ayear:"The toughest part is competingwith everybody else. When I look into different industries, like mediaor a non-profit, they look at myresume and see financial services. Ihave to point out how [my skills] aretransferable."Ms Bichotte is worried about thesummer lull when employers go onholiday but she is confident of finding work.But most economists, and even USTreasury Secretary TimothyGeithner, do not expectunemployment to peak until thesecond half of 2010.The president also stressed thateconomic meltdown had beenavoided."We are losing jobs at less than half the rate we were when I took office.We have pulled the financial systemback from the brink."While we have rescued oureconomy from catastrophe, we havealso begun to build a new foundationfor growth."Analysts had expected non-farmpayrolls to drop by 320,000 in Julyand the unemployment rate to rise to9.6%.RevisionsOfficial figures showed job lossesfor July were spread across allsectors, though just 52,000 jobs werelost in manufacturing, the first timesince September that manufacturinglosses were fewer than 100,000.Jobs continued to be added in theeducation and health services, with17,000 more posts for the sectorduring the month.The construction industry saw76,000 fewer jobs for July, thoughthe drop was less than predicted.Analysts attributed the lower rateof contraction to the government'sstimulus package, which helpedboost infrastructure schemes.Revised data also showed fewer jobs were lost in June and May thanhad been thought. Employers cut303,000 positions in May, less thanthe 322,000 previously estimated.And in June 443,000 jobs were cut,revised from an earlier figure of 467,000."Because layoffs in automanufacturing already had been solarge, fewer workers than usual werelaid off for seasonal shutdowns inJuly," Labour Commissioner KeithHall said.The average working week rose to33.1 hours in July from June's levelof 33 hours. In the manufacturingsector, the average working week climbed to 39.8 hours from 39.5hours in the month before.Average hourly earnings rose to$18.56 in July, up from $18.53 inJune.Have you lost your job due to therecession? Does the drop in thenumbers of workers to lose their jobsin July fuel optimism for economicrecovery? Send us your commentsand experiences using the formbelow.You can also send a recorded videomessage describing yourexperiencesto yourpics@bbc.co.uk ortext them to+44 7725 100 100. If youhave a large file you can upload here.Read the terms and conditionsThe BBC may edit your commentsand not all emails will be published.Your comments may be published onany BBC media worldwide.Print Sponsor
'Dead' Paraguay baby wakes up
(BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 6:12:29 PM
A premature baby declared dead bydoctors at a hospital in Paraguay wasfound to be alive hours later when hewas taken home for a funeral wake.Jose Alvarenga said he haddiscovered his son was alive after heheard crying from the box in whichhe was placed.The baby is now back at the samehospital's intensive care unit andreported to be in a stable condition.The head of paediatric care at thehospital said a doctor had notproperly checked the infant's vitalsigns."This is a very unusual case,"Ernesto Weber told the AFP newsagency, adding that an investigationinto the incident would be carriedout.A doctor who works at thehospital's maternity unit said staff had tried to revive the baby for anhour before declaring him dead."His pulse was so low that it wasundetectable," Aida Notario said.According to medical records, thebaby weighed only 500g (17.6oz).The smallest on record was anAmerican baby who weighed just280g (10oz), born at less than 22weeks.Print Sponsor
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3Internet News Record
Demonstrators disrupt health careforums (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 8/8/2009 1:58:19 AM
WASHINGTON – As they headhome to their congressional districtsfor the August recess, lawmakerswho support health care reform arebracing for protests anddemonstrations that threaten to turnviolent.In North Carolina, a congressmanwho backs overhauling health carehad his life threatened by a callerupset that he was not holding apublic forum on the proposal.Democratic Rep. Brad Millerreceived the call Monday, one of hundreds the congressman's officehas fielded demanding town-hallmeetings on the health care proposal,said his spokeswoman, LuAnnCanipe. She said the callers were"trying to instigate town halls so theycan show up and disrupt.""We had one of those kind of callsthat escalated to what we considereda threat" on the congressman's life,Canipe said Friday. "These are somestrong-arm tactics, and we are tryingto deal with and trying to talk topeople in good faith about health carereform."Earlier this week, White Houseofficials counseled Democraticsenators on coping with disruptionsat public events this summer.In the week since the House beganits break, several town-hall meetingshave already been disrupted by noisydemonstrators.The latest occurrence was at back-to-back town hall meetings held byRep. John Dingell, D-Mich., whichgot so raucous police had to escortpeople out.Dingell vowed Friday to pushahead with Democratic-led efforts toextend coverage to all, saying hewon't be intimidated by protesters."I am eager to talk about the billwith anyone who wants to discuss it.That doesn't open the door toeveryone who wants to demagoguethe discussion," Dingell said in astatement.The boos, jeers and shouts of "Shame on you!" at the events in agym in Romulus, Mich., mirror whatother Democrats are encounteringaround the country. Activists haveshown up at town-hall meetings heldrecently by Arlen Specter, D-Pa.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was greeted by about 200protesters at an event in Denver,about half supporting Democrats andhalf opposed.In Saratoga Springs, N.Y., about 20protesters showed up at an event heldby Democratic Rep. Scott Murphy tolet him know they oppose the healthcare plans in Washington. Theycarried signs saying: "ObamacareSeniors beware! Rationing is here,"and "If socialized medicine is best ...why didn't Ted Kennedy go toCanada?"The episodes have drawnwidespread media attention, andRepublicans have seized on them aswell as polls showing a decline insupport for President Barack Obamaand his agenda as evidence thatpublic support is lacking for hissignature legislation.Pushing back, Democrats haveaccused Republicans of sanctioningmob tactics, and Senate MajorityLeader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accusedprotesters earlier this week of tryingto sabotage the democratic process.Miller never had plans to hold atown-hall meeting during the Augustrecess, Canipe said. Instead, he wassitting down with smaller groups of people to discuss the plan. Duringone of those smaller gatherings onFriday, hundreds of people from agroup called Triangle Conservativespeacefully protested at Miller'sRaleigh office.The threatening caller, when toldby a staffer that Miller was notplanning a meeting, claimed thecongressman didn't want to meetwith people face to face because heknew it would cost him his life,according to Canipe. The staffer thenasked if the caller was making athreat. The caller, said Canipe,replied that there are a lot of angrypeople out there.The U.S. Capitol Police confirmedFriday they were looking into a threatagainst a congressman, but wouldn'tprovide further details.___Associated Press Writer EricaWerner contributed to this report.
Venezuela returnsColombia envoy
(BBC News | Americas | World Edition)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 11:22:20 PM
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavezsays he is sending his ambassadorback to Colombia following adiplomatic row.Mr Chavez recalled AmbassadorGustavo Marquez last week afterColombia said rocket launchersfound in a rebel camp came fromVenezuela.Relations between the twocountries are also tense overColombia's plans to allow US troopson its military bases.Mr Chavez has said he fears themove amounts to preparation for aninvasion of his country by US forces"Go back to Bogota, Gustavo. Go towork, and you have a lot of it,"President Chavez told Mr Marquezduring a televised meeting at thepresidential palace."We certainly don't have in ourplans a break-up of our relations withColombia," he added.Weapons foundMr Chavez withdrew hisambassador on 29 July after theColombia government said weaponsbought by Venezuela from Swedenin the 1980s had ended up withColombian Farc guerrillas.The Venezuelan leader denied theclaim and accused Colombia of acting "irresponsibly".In March last year, PresidentChavez broke off diplomaticrelations with Colombia and recalledhis ambassador following a cross-border attack by the Colombianmilitary on a group of Farc rebels onEcuadorean territory.The action triggered one of theworst diplomatic disputes in theregion since the end of the Cold War.Colombian leader Alvaro Uribe has just returned from a tour of SouthAmerican nations, in which he hastried to allay fears over his plans forUS troops to use military bases insideColombia.The US wants to use Colombia as aregional hub for operations againstdrug-trafficking and terrorism.Washington has been forced tolook for a new base after Ecuadorrefused to renew the lease on itsManta base, which the US militarywas using.Print Sponsor
Jackson show insurance excluded 'illicit' drug use (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 8/8/2009 1:41:07 AM
Joco50beer buzzed up: Fla. senatorto resign, clear path for Crist (AP)9 hours ago 2009-08-07T23:36:23-07:00
What are you doing this weekend?
By Peter Ha (CrunchGear)
Submitted at 8/8/2009 9:05:22 AM
It’s pretty obvious that you guyshave interests outside of tech andgadgets just like the crew at CG. Yes,we’re deeply in love with ourgadgetry, but we like to nerd out overother things, too. Or maybe it’s justme. I, for one, will be playing a slewof videogames including Battlefield1943 (Xbox 360), King of FightersXII (PS3), Pac-Man (PS3), Prototype(Xbox 360) and G-Force (Xbox 360).I will also be catching up on somereading, like Robert Kirkman’sInvincible and McFarlane’s Spawn. Ipicked up Tyrese Gibson’s Mayhemand it was pretty boring. I’m on thefence about Avatar’s Absolution, too.I should probably finish catching upon DC’s Blackest Night series aswell.What about you guys?
Microwave Inverter Is a Dorm-Room Nuclear Option
By Bryan Gardiner (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 8/7/2009 2:00:00 PM
You might not be a candidate forTop Chef but that doesn't mean youcan't whip up a delicious plate of nachos or ramen with this invertermicrowave.
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