NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 11, 2008

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Rich Nations Pushing for Coordination in Rescue
The United States and six other nations agreed to a plan to rescue the financial industry, but fell short of offering concrete steps to backstop bank lending.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/business/11global.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

-Time to Act
The leading nations must develop a clear and coordinated plan this weekend to end this time of global financial peril.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/opinion/11sat1.html?ref=opinion

-The Navy, Whales and the Court
The Supreme Court should assert its authority over any military activities that can cause environmental harm.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/opinion/11sat3.html?ref=opinion

-Alaska Inquiry Concludes Palin Abused Powers
Gov. Sarah Palin abused the powers of her office by pressuring subordinates to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, an investigation has concluded. [...] What now lies ahead is not fully known at this point. Ms. Palin could be censured by the Legislature, but that is unlikely. [...] The report says she knowingly "permitted Todd Palin to use the governor's office and the resources of the governor's office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/us/politics/11trooper.html?hp

-Teachers Sue Over Right to Politic
The New York City teachers' union filed a federal lawsuit on Friday claiming that a policy banning political pins and signs in schools violates teachers' First Amendment rights by blocking them from political expression. The lawsuit comes nearly two weeks after the Department of Education sent a memo to principals directing them to enforce the longstanding regulation, which requires that all school staff members show "complete neutrality" while on duty. The policy also prohibits teachers from using school property to promote a candidate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/nyregion/11button.html

-Mugabe Hands Ministries to His Party in Zimbabwe
JOHANNESBURG - In a step that could jeopardize a painstakingly negotiated power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe, in office for 28 years, has unilaterally declared that his party will retain ministries that control the military and the police, state media reported Saturday. The crucial Finance Ministry was still in dispute.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/world/africa/12zimbabwe.html?hp

-Police: 2 Arab Homes Torched in Israel Town
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Police say two Arab-owned apartments were torched in the Israeli town of Acre amid clashes between Jews and Arabs. Police say Saturday rioters torched two empty apartments owned by Arabs in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. Overall, 12 people are in custody for rioting and eight are under house arrest.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-ML-Israel-Clashes.html

-With Spotlight on Pirates, Somalis on Land Waste Away in the Shadows
AFGOOYE, Somalia - Just step into a feeding center here, and the sense of hopelessness is overwhelming. Dozens of women sit with listless babies in their laps, snapping their fingers, trying to get a flicker of life out of their dying children. Little eyes close. Wizened 1-year-olds struggle to breathe. This is the place where help is supposed to be on its way. But the nurses in the filthy smocks are besieged. From the doorway, you can see the future of Somalia fading away.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/world/africa/11somalia.html


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Will McCain Do Anything to Win?
By Harold Ford Jr.
Although our nation's economic house is on fire, John McCain isn't unveiling proposals to put out the fiscal flames. Instead, he is pursuing the presidency by taking the low road, as he and his surrogates attack Barack Obama in harsh, personal terms. It's hard to believe this is the same man who in 2004 said of the Swift-boat attacks against John Kerry: "I deplore this kind of politics. I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002558.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

-What's in a (Muslim) Name?
Khaled Hosseini
The author of 'The Kite Runner' asks: Does the McCain-Palin campaign view me as a pariah too?
I prefer to discuss politics through my novels, but I am truly dismayed these days. Twice last week alone, speakers at McCain-Palin rallies have referred to Sen. Barack Obama, with unveiled scorn, as Barack Hussein Obama. [...] Never mind that this evokes -- and brazenly tries to resurrect -- the unsavory, cruel days of our past that we thought we had left behind. Never mind that such jeers are deeply offensive to millions of peaceful, law-abiding Muslim Americans who must bear the unveiled charge, made by some supporters of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, that Obama's middle name makes him someone to distrust -- and, judging by some of the crowd reactions at these rallies, someone to persecute or even kill. [...] What I find most unconscionable is the refusal of the McCain-Palin tandem to publicly condemn the cries of "traitor," "liar," "terrorist" and (worst of all) "kill him!" that could be heard at recent rallies. [...] People are losing their homes and their jobs and are watching the future slip away from them. But instead of addressing these problems, the McCain-Palin ticket is doing its best to distract Americans by provoking fear, anxiety and hatred. Country first? Hardly.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002456.html

-McCain's Chilling Dance With the Dark Side
So the McCain camp is trying to raise doubts about Barack Obama -- even though the Illinois senator has been on the national stage for four years and has been under the presidential campaign microscope for the last 20 months. They seem to have no qualms appealing to the cultural fears of their agitated, and now energized, base by practically branding Obama as un-American or anti-American. And this is eliciting an ugliness at McCain-Palin events that is justifiably raising alarms that some nut job is going to act on the Republican ticket's cynical campaigning. For two days now, there have been stories about boisterous McCain-Palin supporters screaming inflammatory words at the very mention of Obama's name. Words like "terrorist" and "Kill him!" and "treason."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/10/mccains_chilling_dance_with_th.html

-SPOT ON: Those Negative Ads Are a Positive Thing
It's that time again. With the mud flying in the presidential race, pundits, journalists and political observers of all stripes are denouncing the campaign's new, strikingly negative tone. Listening to them, you'd think that the very fabric of our democracy were being ripped apart every time a candidate aired a tough attack ad, threw an elbow or issued a sharply worded statement. It's no surprise that the public has joined the chorus to denounce negativity in politics. But as someone who has spent years studying negative advertising, I say hold the handwringing over attack ads. They're actually pretty good for the country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002449.html

-More Journalists Pull Out of Iraq
Withdrawal reflects country's growing stability as well as the financial strains facing western media.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002934.html?hpid=topnews

-Austrian far right leader Haider dies in car crash
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's veteran far-right leader Joerg Haider was killed in a car accident on Saturday near his home town of Klagenfurt, police said. Haider, who led the far-right into a coalition government from 2000-2006, made headlines across the world and drew international condemnation with his blunt anti-immigrant statements and for seeming to flirt with Nazi sympathies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101003311.html?hpid=moreheadlines


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The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-McCain-Palin 2008 Statement on 'Troopergate' Report
McCain-Palin 2008 spokeswoman Meg Stapleton issued the following statement on today's release of Stephen Branchflower's report: "Today's report shows that the Governor acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan. The report also illustrates what we've known all along: this was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters and the Palins were completely justified in their concern regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior. Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact. The Governor is looking forward to cooperating with the Personnel Board and continuing her conversation with the American people regarding the important issues facing the country."
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/10/10/mccain-palin-2008-statement-on-troopergate-report/

-Wild Day Caps Worst Week Ever for Stocks
The Dow declined 128 points to 8451.19, capping the worst week in its 112-year history with its most volatile day ever. Down nearly 700 points early on, stocks gave up late gains as hopes for an international bank-rescue plan were overcome by a wave of selling.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122368071064524779.html


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Obama fundraiser, convicted of fraud, spills beans
Jailed political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the Chicago real estate developer who helped launch Barack Obama on his political career, is whispering secrets to federal prosecutors about corruption in Illinois and the political fallout could be explosive. Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration faces multiple federal investigations over how it handed out jobs and money with advice from Rezko, is considered the most vulnerable.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/721995.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-ACORN group targeted by GOP
Organization behind registration drive is known for low-income membership
A new class warfare front has opened in the campaign for president as Republicans mount an assault on the integrity of the nation's largest community organizing group and try to link it to Democrat Barack Obama, himself a former organizer for a different group.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-acornoct11,0,1168347.story?track=rss

-Connecticut justices give gays right to marry
The high court says allowing same-sex couples only civil unions is not full equality. The Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday gave gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, ruling that civil unions relegate them to a "separate" and "inferior status" that falls short of full equality. "We therefore agree with the plaintiffs that 'maintaining a second-class citizen status for same-sex couples by excluding them from the institution of civil marriage' " violates the state's constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the laws, the state high court said.
http://www.latimes.com/wireless/avantgo/la-na-gaymarriage11-2008oct11,0,1405125.story

-POLITICS: The Real Risk Of McCain's Health Plan
It's not the taxes -- it's the erosion of risk-sharing between the healthy and the sick. This week's most important debate wasn't the meandering town hall duel between Barack Obama and John McCain. That encounter was understandably scored by polls and most pundits as a win for Obama, who seemed steadier than an over-caffeinated McCain. But lackluster questions and a constrictive format meant it did little to clarify the decision facing voters.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/politicalconnections.php


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PCWorld.com
http://www.pcworld.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Firefox Add-on Blocks 'Clickjacking' Attacks
NoScript now stymies new class of exploits by revealing secret content. A popular Firefox add-on designed to block scripts and plug-ins has been updated to stymie the new "clickjacking" class of attacks, the extension's developer said Thursday.
http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,152088/printable.html;


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