Thursday, February 05, 2009
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - February 05, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Senate Adds Homebuyer Tax Credit to Stimulus Bill
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
The Senate on Wednesday voted to expand the economic stimulus package with a tax credit for homebuyers of up to $15,000, a provision championed by Republicans as addressing a root cause of the recession.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/05stimulus.html?_r=1&hp
-Editorial: Unraveling Injustice
The Bush administration's attacks on the rule of law in the name of fighting terrorism have saddled President Obama and his legal team, starting with Attorney General Eric Holder, with some urgent cleanup work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/opinion/05thu1.html?ref=opinion
-The Unthinkable Option
By ROGER COHEN
TEHRAN: When it comes to Iran, the choice of metaphor is limited. "I would never take a military option off the table," Barack Obama declared during the campaign, a position unchanged since he became president.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/opinion/05cohen.html?ref=opinion
-Still Nice Work if You Can Get It
President Obama's decision to cap senior executives' pay at bailed-out banks and other companies addresses one of the most outrageous weaknesses of the Bush administration's financial-rescue package. If anyone is feeling bad for the bankers, don't. The banks can pay more than the figure Mr. Obama chose - $500,000 a year - but only in restricted stock that cannot be cashed in until the government has been repaid. That sounds more than fair to us.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/opinion/05thu2.html?ref=opinion
-Somali Pirates Said to Be Leaving Ship
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN and MOHAMED IBRAHIM
NAIROBI, Kenya - After four months and seemingly endless negotiations, the wily band of Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukrainian ship packed with tanks and other weapons seemed on Thursday finally ready to let go.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/africa/06pirates.html?hp
-U.S. Searches for Alternative to Kyrgyz Base
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and ELLEN BARRY
The Obama administration scrambled Wednesday to come up with an alternative to a crucial United States air base in Central Asia, used to supply the growing military operation in Afghanistan, after the president of Kyrgyzstan ordered the American base in his country closed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/asia/06kstan.html
-Vatican Move on Bishop Exposes Fissures of Church
By RACHEL DONADIO
ROME - Responding to an extraordinary burst of global outrage, especially in Pope Benedict XVI's native Germany, the Vatican for the first time on Wednesday called on a recently rehabilitated bishop to take back his statements denying the Holocaust.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05pope.html
-Obama Signs Children's Health Insurance Bill
By ROBERT PEAR
The House gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill extending health insurance to millions of low-income children, and President Obama signed it this afternoon, in the first of what he hopes will be many steps to guarantee coverage for all Americans.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/05health.html
-Back Story: Don't We Already Have a Health Plan for the Poor?
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Most people think of Medicaid as the federal government's health plan for low-income Americans: Medicare covers seniors, goes the conventional wisdom, while Medicaid covers the poor. But that isn't really how it works.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/health/05backstory.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Action Americans Need
By Barack Obama
Thursday, February 5, 2009; Page A17
By now, it's clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of jobs that Americans relied on just a year ago are gone; millions more of the nest eggs families worked so hard to build have vanished. People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring. [...] In recent days, there have been misguided criticisms of this plan that echo the failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis -- the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can meet our enormous tests with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges such as energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive. I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. They know that we have tried it those ways for too long.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403174.html
-Time to Play Hardball
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
The irony of President Obama's Blue Tuesday is that the wall-to-wall television interviews he granted were designed not to apologize for Tom Daschle's fall from grace but to fight back against the Republicans' success in tarnishing his stimulus package.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402835.html
-The New Landonists
By Harold Meyerson
The leader of the Republican Party was fulminating against the Democratic president's programs. All that government spending, and yet, he said, "the nation has not made the durable progress, either in reform or recovery, that we had the right to expect." The problem was that the president didn't trust the market to right the economy: "The energies of the American economic system will remedy the ravages of depression," he argued.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403117.html
-A Cabinet Loss and Gain
By David S. Broder
In a striking repetition of the up-and-down pattern of the Democratic primaries a year ago, President Obama filled one Cabinet vacancy on Tuesday but saw another one embarrassingly come open.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402837.html
-Zimbabwe's False Hope
South Africa demands that the West aid a 'unity' government under Robert Mugabe. How to answer?
SOUTH AFRICA has won a round in its relentless campaign to preserve Robert Mugabe's hold over a dying Zimbabwe. With the help of its allies in the Southern Africa Development Community, South Africa succeeded last week in coercing opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai -- the winner of last year's presidential election -- into accepting a subordinate role in a "unity" government led by the 84-year-old strongman. The deal, which Mr. Tsvangirai bravely resisted for months, will leave Mr. Mugabe in charge of the country's last functioning institutions -- army and police forces that have been waging a campaign of murder, rape and torture against the opposition and human rights activists.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403173.html
-An Obama A-Team for Iran
By David Ignatius
Whom should President Obama appoint as his emissary to Iran, to take on what may be the most important diplomatic mission in decades? The right person (or persons) would have the stature and experience to engage Iran at the highest level -- and to explore what Obama in his inaugural address called "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402883.html
-The Senate Balks: Why President Obama should heed calls for a more focused stimulus package
Today in The Post, President Obama challenges critics of the $900 billion stimulus plan that was taking shape on Capitol Hill yesterday, accusing them of peddling "the same failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis" and warning that, without immediate action, "Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse." A thinly veiled reference to Senate Republicans, this is a departure from his previous emphasis on bipartisanship. Still, as a matter of policy, Mr. Obama is justified in signaling that the plan should not be tilted in favor of tax cuts -- and that the GOP should not waste valuable time trying to achieve this.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403172.html
-ANALYSIS: Amid Anger Over Economy, Obama Looks For Right Tone
By Alec MacGillis
President Obama, who swept to the White House on a message of hope and inspiration, is struggling to contend with a different emotion among Americans -- anger.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402759.html?hpid=topnews
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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-Faith-Based Program Gets Wider Focus
By LAURA MECKLER
When President Barack Obama launches his version of the faith-based initiative Thursday, he will expand the mission to include abortion reduction and outreach to the Muslim world. He will also try to avoid the thorniest constitutional issues that beset the program for years under his predecessor.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123379504018650159.html
-Mixed Reactions From Republicans Demonstrate the Dilemma Faced by the Party
President Barack Obama's plan to cap salaries for certain bank executives poses this dilemma for Republicans: the party that touts free-market principles also finds itself appalled by high salaries and seemingly extravagant perks for executives at financial institutions that received federal bailout money.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123379738691350325.html?mod=article-outset-box
-Congress's Phony War on Torture Why not ban waterboarding once and for all?
When Leon Panetta comes before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday about his nomination to head the Central Intelligence Agency, he ought to be asked tough questions about the things he's said about torture. And he will.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123362332302441815.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Closing Guantánamo a bolder proposal
By Max J. Castro
To fulfill his campaign promise to rebuild the global reputation of this nation, President Barack Obama placed closing down the infamous Guantánamo detention camp as one of the first items on his agenda.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum05guantanamopnfeb05,0,1101875.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Prepare for the 51st star on the flag
BY GEORGE F. WILL
One answer is: Six rows of stars -- the top, third and fifth rows with nine, the second, fourth and sixth rows with eight. The question is: How might the nation reconfigure its flag to acknowledge a 51st state. Or ``state.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/888689.html
-CRIME WITNESSES: I was blind, and now I see
By LEONARD PITTS JR.
In Los Angeles, there is a park named in honor of Griffith J. Griffith, whose claim to fame is that he made a fortune speculating in gold mining and gave the city a large tract of land. In Chicago, there is a park named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant, whose claim to fame is that he commanded Union forces in the Civil War and was 18th president of the United States.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/story/886717.html
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Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/
-Evidence of the Tuition Bubble
Doug Lederman
Commentators have increasingly been wondering if the end might finally be in sight for the many years' worth of steady and often not-so-slow increases in college tuitions. How much longer, the thinking goes, will American students and parents be able to afford - and/or put up with - rapidly rising prices and expenditures on higher education?
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/04/tuition
-Unintentional Whitening of U. of California?
Scott Jaschik
For several years now, the University of California has been debating plans to drop the SAT Subject Tests (formerly called the SAT II or achievement tests) and to find ways to consider more minority applicants. The debate has focused on the relative merits (or lack thereof) of the SAT and how to promote diversity while not violating the state's ban on affirmative action.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/05/uc
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-With Daschle out, could Donna Shalala be coming back?
By Luisa Yanez
With former Sen. Tom Daschle withdrawing himself as secretary of Health and Human Services, University of Miami President Donna Shalala emerged Wednesday as a possible nominee.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/888451.html
-Madoff Whistle Blower Is Finally Heard
CBS Evening News: Investigator Who First Discovered Massive Ponzi Scheme Tells Lawmakers SEC Just Wouldn't Listen
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/04/cbsnews_investigates/main4776338.shtml?tag=topHome;topStory
-The new Great Communicator ... isn't
By Joan Walsh
Obama is stumbling in the stimulus debate -- and public support is dropping -- because for 30 years Republicans have lied about the role of government. Now he's got to tell the truth.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/02/04/obama/
-The One To See If You Want In
By DeNeen L. Brown
For every one stride Desirée Rogers takes, you take two, trying to keep up as she hurries through the White House. She is the new social secretary, the doyenne of state dinners, the honcho of hospitality, with society and civilization resting on her shoulders as she briskly descends from her East Wing office, blows past Marine guards in the White House hush that seems all the more noticeable when punctuated by the percussion of her designer black heels, with red soles flashing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403964.html
-Insiders are the problem, not solution
By Joan Vennochi
WHETHER or not he paid his taxes, Tom Daschle was never the best person to lead the charge on healthcare reform. Reform means shaking up the establishment. Daschle is the establishment, just like other Cabinet picks made by President Obama
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/02/05/insiders_are_the_problem_not_solution/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Editorial%2FOp-ed+pages
-Attendees of Voters Coalition dinner speculate on McCollum, Sink
by GEORGE BENNETT
Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum and Democratic Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink batted down speculation about next year's governor's race as both attended the annual Voters Coalition dinner here tonight.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/eaper/2009/02/04/0204flagov.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Senate Adds Homebuyer Tax Credit to Stimulus Bill
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
The Senate on Wednesday voted to expand the economic stimulus package with a tax credit for homebuyers of up to $15,000, a provision championed by Republicans as addressing a root cause of the recession.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/05stimulus.html?_r=1&hp
-Editorial: Unraveling Injustice
The Bush administration's attacks on the rule of law in the name of fighting terrorism have saddled President Obama and his legal team, starting with Attorney General Eric Holder, with some urgent cleanup work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/opinion/05thu1.html?ref=opinion
-The Unthinkable Option
By ROGER COHEN
TEHRAN: When it comes to Iran, the choice of metaphor is limited. "I would never take a military option off the table," Barack Obama declared during the campaign, a position unchanged since he became president.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/opinion/05cohen.html?ref=opinion
-Still Nice Work if You Can Get It
President Obama's decision to cap senior executives' pay at bailed-out banks and other companies addresses one of the most outrageous weaknesses of the Bush administration's financial-rescue package. If anyone is feeling bad for the bankers, don't. The banks can pay more than the figure Mr. Obama chose - $500,000 a year - but only in restricted stock that cannot be cashed in until the government has been repaid. That sounds more than fair to us.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/opinion/05thu2.html?ref=opinion
-Somali Pirates Said to Be Leaving Ship
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN and MOHAMED IBRAHIM
NAIROBI, Kenya - After four months and seemingly endless negotiations, the wily band of Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukrainian ship packed with tanks and other weapons seemed on Thursday finally ready to let go.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/africa/06pirates.html?hp
-U.S. Searches for Alternative to Kyrgyz Base
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and ELLEN BARRY
The Obama administration scrambled Wednesday to come up with an alternative to a crucial United States air base in Central Asia, used to supply the growing military operation in Afghanistan, after the president of Kyrgyzstan ordered the American base in his country closed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/asia/06kstan.html
-Vatican Move on Bishop Exposes Fissures of Church
By RACHEL DONADIO
ROME - Responding to an extraordinary burst of global outrage, especially in Pope Benedict XVI's native Germany, the Vatican for the first time on Wednesday called on a recently rehabilitated bishop to take back his statements denying the Holocaust.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05pope.html
-Obama Signs Children's Health Insurance Bill
By ROBERT PEAR
The House gave final approval on Wednesday to a bill extending health insurance to millions of low-income children, and President Obama signed it this afternoon, in the first of what he hopes will be many steps to guarantee coverage for all Americans.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/05health.html
-Back Story: Don't We Already Have a Health Plan for the Poor?
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Most people think of Medicaid as the federal government's health plan for low-income Americans: Medicare covers seniors, goes the conventional wisdom, while Medicaid covers the poor. But that isn't really how it works.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/health/05backstory.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Action Americans Need
By Barack Obama
Thursday, February 5, 2009; Page A17
By now, it's clear to everyone that we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of jobs that Americans relied on just a year ago are gone; millions more of the nest eggs families worked so hard to build have vanished. People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring. [...] In recent days, there have been misguided criticisms of this plan that echo the failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis -- the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can meet our enormous tests with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges such as energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive. I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. They know that we have tried it those ways for too long.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403174.html
-Time to Play Hardball
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
The irony of President Obama's Blue Tuesday is that the wall-to-wall television interviews he granted were designed not to apologize for Tom Daschle's fall from grace but to fight back against the Republicans' success in tarnishing his stimulus package.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402835.html
-The New Landonists
By Harold Meyerson
The leader of the Republican Party was fulminating against the Democratic president's programs. All that government spending, and yet, he said, "the nation has not made the durable progress, either in reform or recovery, that we had the right to expect." The problem was that the president didn't trust the market to right the economy: "The energies of the American economic system will remedy the ravages of depression," he argued.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403117.html
-A Cabinet Loss and Gain
By David S. Broder
In a striking repetition of the up-and-down pattern of the Democratic primaries a year ago, President Obama filled one Cabinet vacancy on Tuesday but saw another one embarrassingly come open.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402837.html
-Zimbabwe's False Hope
South Africa demands that the West aid a 'unity' government under Robert Mugabe. How to answer?
SOUTH AFRICA has won a round in its relentless campaign to preserve Robert Mugabe's hold over a dying Zimbabwe. With the help of its allies in the Southern Africa Development Community, South Africa succeeded last week in coercing opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai -- the winner of last year's presidential election -- into accepting a subordinate role in a "unity" government led by the 84-year-old strongman. The deal, which Mr. Tsvangirai bravely resisted for months, will leave Mr. Mugabe in charge of the country's last functioning institutions -- army and police forces that have been waging a campaign of murder, rape and torture against the opposition and human rights activists.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403173.html
-An Obama A-Team for Iran
By David Ignatius
Whom should President Obama appoint as his emissary to Iran, to take on what may be the most important diplomatic mission in decades? The right person (or persons) would have the stature and experience to engage Iran at the highest level -- and to explore what Obama in his inaugural address called "a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402883.html
-The Senate Balks: Why President Obama should heed calls for a more focused stimulus package
Today in The Post, President Obama challenges critics of the $900 billion stimulus plan that was taking shape on Capitol Hill yesterday, accusing them of peddling "the same failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis" and warning that, without immediate action, "Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse." A thinly veiled reference to Senate Republicans, this is a departure from his previous emphasis on bipartisanship. Still, as a matter of policy, Mr. Obama is justified in signaling that the plan should not be tilted in favor of tax cuts -- and that the GOP should not waste valuable time trying to achieve this.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403172.html
-ANALYSIS: Amid Anger Over Economy, Obama Looks For Right Tone
By Alec MacGillis
President Obama, who swept to the White House on a message of hope and inspiration, is struggling to contend with a different emotion among Americans -- anger.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402759.html?hpid=topnews
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-Faith-Based Program Gets Wider Focus
By LAURA MECKLER
When President Barack Obama launches his version of the faith-based initiative Thursday, he will expand the mission to include abortion reduction and outreach to the Muslim world. He will also try to avoid the thorniest constitutional issues that beset the program for years under his predecessor.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123379504018650159.html
-Mixed Reactions From Republicans Demonstrate the Dilemma Faced by the Party
President Barack Obama's plan to cap salaries for certain bank executives poses this dilemma for Republicans: the party that touts free-market principles also finds itself appalled by high salaries and seemingly extravagant perks for executives at financial institutions that received federal bailout money.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123379738691350325.html?mod=article-outset-box
-Congress's Phony War on Torture Why not ban waterboarding once and for all?
When Leon Panetta comes before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday about his nomination to head the Central Intelligence Agency, he ought to be asked tough questions about the things he's said about torture. And he will.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123362332302441815.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Closing Guantánamo a bolder proposal
By Max J. Castro
To fulfill his campaign promise to rebuild the global reputation of this nation, President Barack Obama placed closing down the infamous Guantánamo detention camp as one of the first items on his agenda.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum05guantanamopnfeb05,0,1101875.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Prepare for the 51st star on the flag
BY GEORGE F. WILL
One answer is: Six rows of stars -- the top, third and fifth rows with nine, the second, fourth and sixth rows with eight. The question is: How might the nation reconfigure its flag to acknowledge a 51st state. Or ``state.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/888689.html
-CRIME WITNESSES: I was blind, and now I see
By LEONARD PITTS JR.
In Los Angeles, there is a park named in honor of Griffith J. Griffith, whose claim to fame is that he made a fortune speculating in gold mining and gave the city a large tract of land. In Chicago, there is a park named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant, whose claim to fame is that he commanded Union forces in the Civil War and was 18th president of the United States.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/story/886717.html
=
Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/
-Evidence of the Tuition Bubble
Doug Lederman
Commentators have increasingly been wondering if the end might finally be in sight for the many years' worth of steady and often not-so-slow increases in college tuitions. How much longer, the thinking goes, will American students and parents be able to afford - and/or put up with - rapidly rising prices and expenditures on higher education?
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/04/tuition
-Unintentional Whitening of U. of California?
Scott Jaschik
For several years now, the University of California has been debating plans to drop the SAT Subject Tests (formerly called the SAT II or achievement tests) and to find ways to consider more minority applicants. The debate has focused on the relative merits (or lack thereof) of the SAT and how to promote diversity while not violating the state's ban on affirmative action.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/05/uc
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-With Daschle out, could Donna Shalala be coming back?
By Luisa Yanez
With former Sen. Tom Daschle withdrawing himself as secretary of Health and Human Services, University of Miami President Donna Shalala emerged Wednesday as a possible nominee.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/888451.html
-Madoff Whistle Blower Is Finally Heard
CBS Evening News: Investigator Who First Discovered Massive Ponzi Scheme Tells Lawmakers SEC Just Wouldn't Listen
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/04/cbsnews_investigates/main4776338.shtml?tag=topHome;topStory
-The new Great Communicator ... isn't
By Joan Walsh
Obama is stumbling in the stimulus debate -- and public support is dropping -- because for 30 years Republicans have lied about the role of government. Now he's got to tell the truth.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/02/04/obama/
-The One To See If You Want In
By DeNeen L. Brown
For every one stride Desirée Rogers takes, you take two, trying to keep up as she hurries through the White House. She is the new social secretary, the doyenne of state dinners, the honcho of hospitality, with society and civilization resting on her shoulders as she briskly descends from her East Wing office, blows past Marine guards in the White House hush that seems all the more noticeable when punctuated by the percussion of her designer black heels, with red soles flashing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403964.html
-Insiders are the problem, not solution
By Joan Vennochi
WHETHER or not he paid his taxes, Tom Daschle was never the best person to lead the charge on healthcare reform. Reform means shaking up the establishment. Daschle is the establishment, just like other Cabinet picks made by President Obama
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/02/05/insiders_are_the_problem_not_solution/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Editorial%2FOp-ed+pages
-Attendees of Voters Coalition dinner speculate on McCollum, Sink
by GEORGE BENNETT
Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum and Democratic Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink batted down speculation about next year's governor's race as both attended the annual Voters Coalition dinner here tonight.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/eaper/2009/02/04/0204flagov.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - February 05, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale City Commission District II candidates
...HOWARD ELFMAN
PERSONAL: 44, domestic partner, Don Tsang
EDUCATION: Attended classes at Penn State, 1982-1986
PROFESSIONAL: Licensed real estate broker; accredited buyers' representative; certified broker-manager; certified residential specialist; graduate, Real Estate Institute; president of Distinctive Homes Realty
POLITICAL: First run for office
CIVIC: Founding member, IT Forum of South Forum; member of Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here. Chamber of Commerce; former board member, Gay & Lesbian Community Center; member, five years, city of Fort Lauderdale Code Enforcement Board; former board member, Riverwalk Trust
ONLINE: www.electhowardelfman.com
...STEVE GLASSMAN
PERSONAL: 55, domestic partner, Randolph Morris
PROFESSIONAL: Administrator, Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports cultural division, end of September 2008; former high school teacher
EDUCATION: Master's in education, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1975
POLITICAL: First run for office; former elected Democratic committeeman in Buffalo, N.Y.
CIVIC: President of Central Beach Alliance; former member, Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Board; former member of city's Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board;
ONLINE: www.voteglassman.com
...CHARLOTTE RODSTROM
PERSONAL: 55; married to County Commissioner John Rodstrom; three sons, ages 16, 23 and 25
PROFESSIONAL: Retired since 1990; 20 years, senior flight attendant with Eastern Airlines; former president, Fast Track Marketing LLC
CIVIC: Past president of Nurmi Isles Homeowners Association; past president/board member of PTAs at Second Presbyterian Pre-School and St. Mark's Episcopal School in Fort Lauderdale
EDUCATION: Courses at Centenary College for Women in New Jersey
POLITICAL: Ran unsuccessfully for commission in 2003; won current seat on commission in 2006
ONLINE: www.charlotterodstrom.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-0204-lauddistrict2,0,5447920.story
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay retired Navy sailor: Military never discriminated against me
Here's an e-mail I received today from Robaire Watson, who served six years
in the Navy, from 1989 to 1995. Watson is black and gay and says he "never
encountered the slightest discrimination aboard his warship".
http://pd.miami.com/sp?aff=1100&keywords=gay&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
-Arianna Huffington to speak aboard lesbian cruise from Fort Lauderdale
http://pd.miami.com/sp?aff=1100&keywords=gay&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay erotic art expo
Art show featuring live models, photographs and video displays sponsored by 411 Magazine
By Dan Renzi
ArtsUnited annual art festival, ArtExplosion, opens on February 7, with a Visual Arts Exhibit. This year's Opening Night Reception will feature an expanded erotic art show sponsored by 411 Magazine. The 411 Erotic Exhibit will have loads of sexy erotic art on display, an erotic art installation by photographer Dennis Dean, live models, video displays, erotic poetry readings, and the Kai Martini Bar featuring the ArtExplosion Martini. The event will kick off the exciting, two-week-long Art Explosion, which runs through Feb. 21. The conservative evangelical Focus on the Family, which fights LGBT issues across the country, gave $657,000 in money and services. The amounts vastly surpass the $189,000 in direct cash and compensated staff time from the Mormon church.
www.artexplosiononline.org
-Gay-bash suspect caught: Arrest ends weeks of turmoil for victim
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Fort Lauderdale activist and video artist Stephen Velky can rest a little easier these days. Tuesday morning police arrested the 21-year-old man who allegedly bashed Velky Jan. 6.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-29/news/localnews/5490.cfm
=
Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-Florida AIDS Walk - Sunday March 15, Huizenga Plaza, Fort Lauderdale
It is just one day, we ask you to set aside, so that a parent does not have to hear their child say they have AIDS. It is just a few hours of your time, so that a partner does not have to experience a lifetime of grieving.It is just buying one less shirt we don't need anyway, that can make the difference in one life, for a lifetime. It is just a few miles to walk, so that someone else may feel well enough to walk. It is gathering of support, so that someone does not have to feel they are all alone. It is a celebration of looking forward, so we can put the past behind. It is adding a walker to the walk, so that we don't have to add another panel to the quilt. It is just a small commitment, to make a world of difference.
http://ahf.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/FAW_Homepage
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sun-Sentinel Endorsements for Fort Lauderdale Mayor and City Commission
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgsftlauderdaleelectionssbfeb04,0,7311867.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Miami Herald recommends for Fort Lauderdale Commission, District 1
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/888702.html
-The Miami Herald recommends for Fort Lauderdale Commission, District 2
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/888701.html
-Florida's ACLU affiliate in Miami to cut staff nearly 20 percent
Because of declining contributions, the ACLU's Florida affiliate has been forced to cut close to 20 percent of staff. Leaders say the group will remain as ambitious as ever.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/888660.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Miami Mayor Manny Diaz pushes stimulus package in Washington
BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ
Fulfilling his role as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz was in Washington Wednesday morning to lead a delegation of mayors in a series of meetings with White House advisors and members of Congress.
http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/887690.html
-Rod Smith considering U.S. Senate race?
By Dara Kam
Former state senator Rod Smith is considering joining the Democratic field of contenders for retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez' seat, sources close to Smith said.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/02/04/rod_smith_considering_us_senat.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Make politicians accountable
Palm Beach Post Editorial
In Florida, as in most other states, politicians pick their voters. That's the reverse of what it should be, and last week the Florida Supreme Court gave voters a chance to fix it
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/02/05/a10a_leadedit_districts_0205.html
-Crist backing new central Fla. commuter rail bill
The Associated Press
Gov. Charlie Crist is backing an effort to revive a proposed commuter rail line for central Florida. Crist held a news conference Wednesday with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and area lawmakers to tout the $1.1 billion SunRail project.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/887916.html
-Abramson can't take bench, state supreme court rules
By JANE MUSGRAVE
The most twisted judicial race in Palm Beach County - and possibly Florida -
history ended Wednesday when the state Supreme Court ruled that suspended attorney William Abramson is not fit to serve on the bench. Even though Abramson defeated incumbent Circuit Judge Richard Wennet in a problem-fraught August primary, the high court ruled that his 91-day suspension from practicing law trumps voters' wishes.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/02/04/0204abramson.html
-Federal funds sought for Everglades restoration, job creation
Environmentalists and contractors say they are hoping to get funds through the federal government's economic recovery plan to jump-start Everglades restoration and create jobs. Everglades Foundation CEO Kirk Fordham said Tuesday the money would benefit both the environment and Florida's lagging economy.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090204/ARTICLES/902040203/1034?Title=Federal_funds_sought_for_Everglades_restoration__job_creation
-State Farm execs explain leaving 'nightmare' of Florida
By BRENT KALLESTAD
State Farm Florida has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the state in the last decade and risks insolvency if it continues writing property insurance here, company executives told a legislative committee Tuesday. Jim Thompson, president of State Farm Florida, told the House Insurance, Business & Financial Affairs Policy Committee on Tuesday that the company must stop its financial bleeding to ensure it can pay off future claims.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/business/epaper/2009/02/04/0204statefarm.html
-Care better for immigrant kids, advocates say
By Anabelle Garay
Conditions have improved for immigrant children held after arriving in the United States without parents or guardians, but some still face inadequate services and overly harsh discipline, according to a study released Wednesday by an advocacy organization.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flaimmig0205sbfeb05,0,546464.story
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale City Commission District II candidates
...HOWARD ELFMAN
PERSONAL: 44, domestic partner, Don Tsang
EDUCATION: Attended classes at Penn State, 1982-1986
PROFESSIONAL: Licensed real estate broker; accredited buyers' representative; certified broker-manager; certified residential specialist; graduate, Real Estate Institute; president of Distinctive Homes Realty
POLITICAL: First run for office
CIVIC: Founding member, IT Forum of South Forum; member of Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here. Chamber of Commerce; former board member, Gay & Lesbian Community Center; member, five years, city of Fort Lauderdale Code Enforcement Board; former board member, Riverwalk Trust
ONLINE: www.electhowardelfman.com
...STEVE GLASSMAN
PERSONAL: 55, domestic partner, Randolph Morris
PROFESSIONAL: Administrator, Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports cultural division, end of September 2008; former high school teacher
EDUCATION: Master's in education, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1975
POLITICAL: First run for office; former elected Democratic committeeman in Buffalo, N.Y.
CIVIC: President of Central Beach Alliance; former member, Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Board; former member of city's Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board;
ONLINE: www.voteglassman.com
...CHARLOTTE RODSTROM
PERSONAL: 55; married to County Commissioner John Rodstrom; three sons, ages 16, 23 and 25
PROFESSIONAL: Retired since 1990; 20 years, senior flight attendant with Eastern Airlines; former president, Fast Track Marketing LLC
CIVIC: Past president of Nurmi Isles Homeowners Association; past president/board member of PTAs at Second Presbyterian Pre-School and St. Mark's Episcopal School in Fort Lauderdale
EDUCATION: Courses at Centenary College for Women in New Jersey
POLITICAL: Ran unsuccessfully for commission in 2003; won current seat on commission in 2006
ONLINE: www.charlotterodstrom.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-0204-lauddistrict2,0,5447920.story
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay retired Navy sailor: Military never discriminated against me
Here's an e-mail I received today from Robaire Watson, who served six years
in the Navy, from 1989 to 1995. Watson is black and gay and says he "never
encountered the slightest discrimination aboard his warship".
http://pd.miami.com/sp?aff=1100&keywords=gay&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
-Arianna Huffington to speak aboard lesbian cruise from Fort Lauderdale
http://pd.miami.com/sp?aff=1100&keywords=gay&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay erotic art expo
Art show featuring live models, photographs and video displays sponsored by 411 Magazine
By Dan Renzi
ArtsUnited annual art festival, ArtExplosion, opens on February 7, with a Visual Arts Exhibit. This year's Opening Night Reception will feature an expanded erotic art show sponsored by 411 Magazine. The 411 Erotic Exhibit will have loads of sexy erotic art on display, an erotic art installation by photographer Dennis Dean, live models, video displays, erotic poetry readings, and the Kai Martini Bar featuring the ArtExplosion Martini. The event will kick off the exciting, two-week-long Art Explosion, which runs through Feb. 21. The conservative evangelical Focus on the Family, which fights LGBT issues across the country, gave $657,000 in money and services. The amounts vastly surpass the $189,000 in direct cash and compensated staff time from the Mormon church.
www.artexplosiononline.org
-Gay-bash suspect caught: Arrest ends weeks of turmoil for victim
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Fort Lauderdale activist and video artist Stephen Velky can rest a little easier these days. Tuesday morning police arrested the 21-year-old man who allegedly bashed Velky Jan. 6.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-29/news/localnews/5490.cfm
=
Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-Florida AIDS Walk - Sunday March 15, Huizenga Plaza, Fort Lauderdale
It is just one day, we ask you to set aside, so that a parent does not have to hear their child say they have AIDS. It is just a few hours of your time, so that a partner does not have to experience a lifetime of grieving.It is just buying one less shirt we don't need anyway, that can make the difference in one life, for a lifetime. It is just a few miles to walk, so that someone else may feel well enough to walk. It is gathering of support, so that someone does not have to feel they are all alone. It is a celebration of looking forward, so we can put the past behind. It is adding a walker to the walk, so that we don't have to add another panel to the quilt. It is just a small commitment, to make a world of difference.
http://ahf.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/FAW_Homepage
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sun-Sentinel Endorsements for Fort Lauderdale Mayor and City Commission
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgsftlauderdaleelectionssbfeb04,0,7311867.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Miami Herald recommends for Fort Lauderdale Commission, District 1
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/888702.html
-The Miami Herald recommends for Fort Lauderdale Commission, District 2
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/888701.html
-Florida's ACLU affiliate in Miami to cut staff nearly 20 percent
Because of declining contributions, the ACLU's Florida affiliate has been forced to cut close to 20 percent of staff. Leaders say the group will remain as ambitious as ever.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/888660.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Miami Mayor Manny Diaz pushes stimulus package in Washington
BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ
Fulfilling his role as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz was in Washington Wednesday morning to lead a delegation of mayors in a series of meetings with White House advisors and members of Congress.
http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/887690.html
-Rod Smith considering U.S. Senate race?
By Dara Kam
Former state senator Rod Smith is considering joining the Democratic field of contenders for retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez' seat, sources close to Smith said.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/02/04/rod_smith_considering_us_senat.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Make politicians accountable
Palm Beach Post Editorial
In Florida, as in most other states, politicians pick their voters. That's the reverse of what it should be, and last week the Florida Supreme Court gave voters a chance to fix it
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/02/05/a10a_leadedit_districts_0205.html
-Crist backing new central Fla. commuter rail bill
The Associated Press
Gov. Charlie Crist is backing an effort to revive a proposed commuter rail line for central Florida. Crist held a news conference Wednesday with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and area lawmakers to tout the $1.1 billion SunRail project.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/887916.html
-Abramson can't take bench, state supreme court rules
By JANE MUSGRAVE
The most twisted judicial race in Palm Beach County - and possibly Florida -
history ended Wednesday when the state Supreme Court ruled that suspended attorney William Abramson is not fit to serve on the bench. Even though Abramson defeated incumbent Circuit Judge Richard Wennet in a problem-fraught August primary, the high court ruled that his 91-day suspension from practicing law trumps voters' wishes.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/02/04/0204abramson.html
-Federal funds sought for Everglades restoration, job creation
Environmentalists and contractors say they are hoping to get funds through the federal government's economic recovery plan to jump-start Everglades restoration and create jobs. Everglades Foundation CEO Kirk Fordham said Tuesday the money would benefit both the environment and Florida's lagging economy.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090204/ARTICLES/902040203/1034?Title=Federal_funds_sought_for_Everglades_restoration__job_creation
-State Farm execs explain leaving 'nightmare' of Florida
By BRENT KALLESTAD
State Farm Florida has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the state in the last decade and risks insolvency if it continues writing property insurance here, company executives told a legislative committee Tuesday. Jim Thompson, president of State Farm Florida, told the House Insurance, Business & Financial Affairs Policy Committee on Tuesday that the company must stop its financial bleeding to ensure it can pay off future claims.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/business/epaper/2009/02/04/0204statefarm.html
-Care better for immigrant kids, advocates say
By Anabelle Garay
Conditions have improved for immigrant children held after arriving in the United States without parents or guardians, but some still face inadequate services and overly harsh discipline, according to a study released Wednesday by an advocacy organization.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flaimmig0205sbfeb05,0,546464.story
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
GLBT DIGEST - February 04, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Police Charged with False Arrests of Gay Men at Adult Video Stores
by Andy Humm
Anger is building against the police department in the wake of an increase in arrests of gay men for prostitution at Manhattan adult video stores. Last week, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined in the outcry. She said she is working with the mayor's office and commanders of the police department to set up a meeting that will include gay community groups "to get to the bottom of this."
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/civilrights/20090202/3/2813
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-When a Favorite Small Business Closes
Posted by Raymund Flandez
The latest casualty of the recession has come to my favorite bookstore in New York City: the Oscar Wilde Bookshop in Greenwich Village. The venerable institution, believed to be the oldest gay and lesbian bookstore in the country, is closing at the end of March due to economic constraints, according to today's New York Times. The original owner Craig Rodwell helped usher in the gay rights movement in the late '60s.
http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2009/02/04/when-a-favorite-small-business-closes/
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Choose Julie Carson for Wilton Manors City Commission
In Wilton Manors, two of the city's former mayors, John Fiore and Scott Newton, are vying to snatch the commission seat out of the hands of political newcomer Julie Carson. Voters shouldn't let them.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/wilton_manors/sfl-editnbwiltonmanorselecttionssbfeb04,0,2137628.story
-California: Court to hear same-sex ban case
The California Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would hear arguments on March 5 about the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in California. The court's decision in the case will come within 90 days of the three-hour hearing, which will be held in San Francisco. In addition to hearing challenges to Proposition 8, the court will consider the fate of 18,000 same-sex marriages that occurred before the November election.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flanatdig02040sbfeb04,0,5663923.story
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Hearing Friday in lesbian's case against Jackson Memorial Hospital
A news release from Lambda Legal: Federal Court Hearing to be Held in Lambda Legal's Case Against Florida Hospital for Mistreatment of Deceased Lesbian's Family
'We are here today to ensure that families get the respect they deserve at Jackson Memorial Hospital and to prevent Janice's tragedy from happening to anyone else.'
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Defendant guilty in slaying of Scooby-Doo loving bartender
By DAVID OVALLE
Jurors convicted a man of murdering a bartender, dumping his body and stealing his Toyota 4Runner.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/886765.html
=
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Michael Phelps Has No Business Apologizing for Taking Bong Hits
Tony Newman, AlterNet
Plastered all over the Internet right now is a photo of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong. Phelps put out a statement saying that he acted in a youthful and inappropriate way and promises it won't happen again. Different people are weighing in on the possible impact of this photo on the gold medalist's $100 million endorsement deals. Here are a few of my observations on Phelps' bong hits: Phelps Is in Good Company Phelps struck another blow to the myth that marijuana smokers are lazy couch potatoes. Here is the guy who has won more gold medals than anyone in history, and obviously his health and accomplishments are not hindered by smoking some pot. In addition to his swimming skills, he is a successful businessman who has turned his swimming skills into an enormous public relations platform and money generator. Successful and honorable people who have smoked some pot are all around us, from President Barack Obama to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Read more
-Signs of the Coming Recovery
Brian S. Wesbury and Robert Stein | Forbes
Economic growth at the end of 2008 was slightly deceptive. Real gross domestic product fell at a 3.8% annual rate, a smaller decline then the consensus expected. However, without an unwanted accumulation of inventories at businesses, real GDP would have fallen at a much steeper 5.1% annual rate. This surge in inventories, and the reaction of business to it, means another sharp drop in real GDP is likely on tap for Q1, as excess stockpiles are reduced. At the same time, the widespread severity of winter weather this year has likely pulled business activity down artificially-making the recession look worse. In other words, lagging economic data about home sales or GDP from late last year or early this year is being held down by abnormally bad weather. Read more
-Ad Declines Lead Gay Media to Cut Back
Matthew S. Bajko | m.bajko@ebar.com | Bay Area Reporter
The staff layoffs and downsizing plaguing mainstream news outlets is also hitting gay media newsrooms as advertisers pull back due to the faltering economy. The financial woes have led many LGBT media outlets to reduce page counts, lay off writers, and scramble to find new sources of revenue. One paper, the New England Blade owned by HX Media, shut down last October. "I know some papers are more stretched than others. Some are victims due to the economy," said Bob Witeck, the owner of an LGBT-focused marketing firm based in Washington, D.C. "It is worrisome." This month, San Francisco-based PlanetOut laid off 33 percent of its workforce as it prepares to merge with Los Angeles-based Here Networks, which acquired an 80 percent stake in the faltering online LGBT company for reportedly $5 million. Read more
-Gay Fashion Comes Out of the 'Closets' at History Museum
Chicago Sun-Times
A special program profiling the history of gay fashion influence will be held Thursday at the Chicago History Museum on the North Side. Closets are for Clothes will look at the lives of gay and lesbian fashion designers, from Marc Jacobs to Christian Dior. The event also will showcase how fashion has "marked sexual identity in American culture." The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and exhibit viewing, followed by the program at 6:30. An afterparty will be held at the Kit Kat Lounge, 3700 N. Halsted, beginning at 8. The Chicago History Museum is at 1601 N. Clark. Tickets for "Closets are for Clothes" are $12, which includes general museum admission, a 20-percent discount on food at Kit Kat and $5 cocktails. Call (312) 642-4600 or visit www.chicagohistory.org. Link
-Obama Moves to Fill Last Cabinet Posts as Gays Appointed to Lower Ranks
Tony Grew | Pink News
The appointments of more openly gay people to posts in the Obama administration have been announced. LGBT rights activists were disappointed that no out people were appointed to the new President's Cabinet. When the nominee for Commerce Secretary, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, withdrew earlier this month, an LGBT grassroots political organisation urged Barack Obama to nominate a gay man, Fred Hochberg. "In more than 200 years, the United States Cabinet has never included an openly gay member," Equal Rep said in a statement. Read more
-Prime Minister to Attend New Zealand Gay Family Picnic
Pink News
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is among the country's political leaders who have confirmed they will attend the Big Gay Out family picnic day in Auckland this weekend. John Key was elected in November, the first National Party government since 1999. He had attended the picnic twice as party leader, but this will be his first visit as Prime Minister. The Labour party leader Phil Goff will also attend Big Gay Out, New Zealand's largest outdoor GLBT family event attended by more than 10,000 people. Read more
-DoD Waves DES Standards for Wounded
Department of Veterans Affairs | Military.com
The Department of Defense announced Jan. 22, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a process designed to expedite a servicemember seriously injured in combat from military to veteran status, by waiving the standard Disability Evaluation System (DES), resulting in receipt of benefits in three to four months, compared to a recovery and standard DES process that would normally take much longer. "This new policy should allow service members and their families to focus on the essentials of recovery, reintegration, employment and independent living, with the combined assistance from DoD and VA," said Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Michael L. Dominguez. "The policy supports our belief that there must be a distinction for those who incur devastating disabilities in combat." The expedited process applies to service members whose conditions are designated as "catastrophic" and whose injuries were incurred in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict. A catastrophic injury or illness is a permanent, severely disabling injury, disorder, or disease that compromises the ability to carry out the activities of daily living to such a degree that a service member or veteran requires personal or mechanical assistance to leave home or bed, or requires constant supervision to avoid physical harm to self or others. Read more
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Just News
http://www.justnews.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sex, Relationships Can Get Better With Age
After Kids Leave, Older Couples Need To Reconnect
You don't just get older, you get better, the old adage says. And many believe the same can be said for sex and relationships.
http://www.justnews.com/new-years-resolutions/18564965/detail.html
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article
-Starting this week, viewing porn a crime in UK
I blogged in May about the UK's newly adopted law criminalizing the possession of so-called "extreme pornography." On Monday the law went into effect. You can now be sentenced to up to three years imprisonment in the United Kingdom for viewing, on your home computer, an ill-defined category of images that includes depictions of consensual adult sadomasochism. Small consolation: law enforcement say they aren't going to go out of their way to enforce the law. As I noted before, the law relies heavily on a decade-old British court ruling that permitted consensual sadomasochism to be charged as assault. That ruling was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights, but it was based on sensational and distorted facts and has been unevenly applied in subsequent cases. The new law raises once again the scope and validity of that ruling, as well as serious concerns about free expression. No word yet about a legal challenge to the law, but it can be expected to eventually reach the British courts, and ultimately the European Court.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
--Gay-rights attorney fears issue will go to state Supreme Court
For J.B., it's a bitter irony.
While the vast majority of judges and politicians in Texas oppose same-sex marriage, the state also may be unwilling to grant J.B. and his husband a divorce from their Massachusetts nuptials. "I can't imagine a conservative state like Texas not being joyfully willing to stamp their approval on that," J.B. said. "I think we've been through enough just going through what we're going through, and should be allowed the same dignity and respect as any two people who have irreconcilable differences. It is my hope that Texas will be satisfied enough to pass the appropriate judgment and not make a grandstand out of this for publicity to further people's careers, because again, these are human lives that are being dealt with." J.B., whose initials are being used in this article to protect his anonymity because his sexual orientation isn't known to his employer, filed a petition for divorce Wednesday, Jan. 21 in Dallas County's 302nd District Court.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_10498.php
-Al-Qaeda accused of using male rape to 'create' suicide bombers
Islamic terrorists are raping young men in order to drive them into suicide bombings. The Sun quotes Algerian militant Abu Baçir El Assimi: "The sexual act on young recruits aged between 16 to 19 was a means to urge them to commit suicide operations." The paper claims that "intense social stigma and fear of more gay sex attacks leaves Muslims prepared to die." Rape and homosexual acts are punishable by death under Sharia law. A suspected terrorist bomber killed in an attempted attack on a security installation in the Tizi Ouzou province of Algeria last month may have been raped, an autopsy revealed.
-UK: Gay Iraqi could face death penalty if deportation goes ahead
Asylum seeker would become seventh gay Iraqi to be returned from the UK to country where homosexuality is punishable by death. This is yet another depressing example of the UK Government's ingrained homophobia.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/03/gay-iraqi-asylum-seeker
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Police Charged with False Arrests of Gay Men at Adult Video Stores
by Andy Humm
Anger is building against the police department in the wake of an increase in arrests of gay men for prostitution at Manhattan adult video stores. Last week, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined in the outcry. She said she is working with the mayor's office and commanders of the police department to set up a meeting that will include gay community groups "to get to the bottom of this."
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/civilrights/20090202/3/2813
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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-When a Favorite Small Business Closes
Posted by Raymund Flandez
The latest casualty of the recession has come to my favorite bookstore in New York City: the Oscar Wilde Bookshop in Greenwich Village. The venerable institution, believed to be the oldest gay and lesbian bookstore in the country, is closing at the end of March due to economic constraints, according to today's New York Times. The original owner Craig Rodwell helped usher in the gay rights movement in the late '60s.
http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2009/02/04/when-a-favorite-small-business-closes/
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Choose Julie Carson for Wilton Manors City Commission
In Wilton Manors, two of the city's former mayors, John Fiore and Scott Newton, are vying to snatch the commission seat out of the hands of political newcomer Julie Carson. Voters shouldn't let them.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/wilton_manors/sfl-editnbwiltonmanorselecttionssbfeb04,0,2137628.story
-California: Court to hear same-sex ban case
The California Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it would hear arguments on March 5 about the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in California. The court's decision in the case will come within 90 days of the three-hour hearing, which will be held in San Francisco. In addition to hearing challenges to Proposition 8, the court will consider the fate of 18,000 same-sex marriages that occurred before the November election.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flanatdig02040sbfeb04,0,5663923.story
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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Hearing Friday in lesbian's case against Jackson Memorial Hospital
A news release from Lambda Legal: Federal Court Hearing to be Held in Lambda Legal's Case Against Florida Hospital for Mistreatment of Deceased Lesbian's Family
'We are here today to ensure that families get the respect they deserve at Jackson Memorial Hospital and to prevent Janice's tragedy from happening to anyone else.'
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Defendant guilty in slaying of Scooby-Doo loving bartender
By DAVID OVALLE
Jurors convicted a man of murdering a bartender, dumping his body and stealing his Toyota 4Runner.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/886765.html
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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Michael Phelps Has No Business Apologizing for Taking Bong Hits
Tony Newman, AlterNet
Plastered all over the Internet right now is a photo of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong. Phelps put out a statement saying that he acted in a youthful and inappropriate way and promises it won't happen again. Different people are weighing in on the possible impact of this photo on the gold medalist's $100 million endorsement deals. Here are a few of my observations on Phelps' bong hits: Phelps Is in Good Company Phelps struck another blow to the myth that marijuana smokers are lazy couch potatoes. Here is the guy who has won more gold medals than anyone in history, and obviously his health and accomplishments are not hindered by smoking some pot. In addition to his swimming skills, he is a successful businessman who has turned his swimming skills into an enormous public relations platform and money generator. Successful and honorable people who have smoked some pot are all around us, from President Barack Obama to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Read more
-Signs of the Coming Recovery
Brian S. Wesbury and Robert Stein | Forbes
Economic growth at the end of 2008 was slightly deceptive. Real gross domestic product fell at a 3.8% annual rate, a smaller decline then the consensus expected. However, without an unwanted accumulation of inventories at businesses, real GDP would have fallen at a much steeper 5.1% annual rate. This surge in inventories, and the reaction of business to it, means another sharp drop in real GDP is likely on tap for Q1, as excess stockpiles are reduced. At the same time, the widespread severity of winter weather this year has likely pulled business activity down artificially-making the recession look worse. In other words, lagging economic data about home sales or GDP from late last year or early this year is being held down by abnormally bad weather. Read more
-Ad Declines Lead Gay Media to Cut Back
Matthew S. Bajko | m.bajko@ebar.com | Bay Area Reporter
The staff layoffs and downsizing plaguing mainstream news outlets is also hitting gay media newsrooms as advertisers pull back due to the faltering economy. The financial woes have led many LGBT media outlets to reduce page counts, lay off writers, and scramble to find new sources of revenue. One paper, the New England Blade owned by HX Media, shut down last October. "I know some papers are more stretched than others. Some are victims due to the economy," said Bob Witeck, the owner of an LGBT-focused marketing firm based in Washington, D.C. "It is worrisome." This month, San Francisco-based PlanetOut laid off 33 percent of its workforce as it prepares to merge with Los Angeles-based Here Networks, which acquired an 80 percent stake in the faltering online LGBT company for reportedly $5 million. Read more
-Gay Fashion Comes Out of the 'Closets' at History Museum
Chicago Sun-Times
A special program profiling the history of gay fashion influence will be held Thursday at the Chicago History Museum on the North Side. Closets are for Clothes will look at the lives of gay and lesbian fashion designers, from Marc Jacobs to Christian Dior. The event also will showcase how fashion has "marked sexual identity in American culture." The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and exhibit viewing, followed by the program at 6:30. An afterparty will be held at the Kit Kat Lounge, 3700 N. Halsted, beginning at 8. The Chicago History Museum is at 1601 N. Clark. Tickets for "Closets are for Clothes" are $12, which includes general museum admission, a 20-percent discount on food at Kit Kat and $5 cocktails. Call (312) 642-4600 or visit www.chicagohistory.org. Link
-Obama Moves to Fill Last Cabinet Posts as Gays Appointed to Lower Ranks
Tony Grew | Pink News
The appointments of more openly gay people to posts in the Obama administration have been announced. LGBT rights activists were disappointed that no out people were appointed to the new President's Cabinet. When the nominee for Commerce Secretary, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, withdrew earlier this month, an LGBT grassroots political organisation urged Barack Obama to nominate a gay man, Fred Hochberg. "In more than 200 years, the United States Cabinet has never included an openly gay member," Equal Rep said in a statement. Read more
-Prime Minister to Attend New Zealand Gay Family Picnic
Pink News
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is among the country's political leaders who have confirmed they will attend the Big Gay Out family picnic day in Auckland this weekend. John Key was elected in November, the first National Party government since 1999. He had attended the picnic twice as party leader, but this will be his first visit as Prime Minister. The Labour party leader Phil Goff will also attend Big Gay Out, New Zealand's largest outdoor GLBT family event attended by more than 10,000 people. Read more
-DoD Waves DES Standards for Wounded
Department of Veterans Affairs | Military.com
The Department of Defense announced Jan. 22, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a process designed to expedite a servicemember seriously injured in combat from military to veteran status, by waiving the standard Disability Evaluation System (DES), resulting in receipt of benefits in three to four months, compared to a recovery and standard DES process that would normally take much longer. "This new policy should allow service members and their families to focus on the essentials of recovery, reintegration, employment and independent living, with the combined assistance from DoD and VA," said Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Michael L. Dominguez. "The policy supports our belief that there must be a distinction for those who incur devastating disabilities in combat." The expedited process applies to service members whose conditions are designated as "catastrophic" and whose injuries were incurred in the line of duty as a direct result of armed conflict. A catastrophic injury or illness is a permanent, severely disabling injury, disorder, or disease that compromises the ability to carry out the activities of daily living to such a degree that a service member or veteran requires personal or mechanical assistance to leave home or bed, or requires constant supervision to avoid physical harm to self or others. Read more
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Just News
http://www.justnews.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sex, Relationships Can Get Better With Age
After Kids Leave, Older Couples Need To Reconnect
You don't just get older, you get better, the old adage says. And many believe the same can be said for sex and relationships.
http://www.justnews.com/new-years-resolutions/18564965/detail.html
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article
-Starting this week, viewing porn a crime in UK
I blogged in May about the UK's newly adopted law criminalizing the possession of so-called "extreme pornography." On Monday the law went into effect. You can now be sentenced to up to three years imprisonment in the United Kingdom for viewing, on your home computer, an ill-defined category of images that includes depictions of consensual adult sadomasochism. Small consolation: law enforcement say they aren't going to go out of their way to enforce the law. As I noted before, the law relies heavily on a decade-old British court ruling that permitted consensual sadomasochism to be charged as assault. That ruling was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights, but it was based on sensational and distorted facts and has been unevenly applied in subsequent cases. The new law raises once again the scope and validity of that ruling, as well as serious concerns about free expression. No word yet about a legal challenge to the law, but it can be expected to eventually reach the British courts, and ultimately the European Court.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
--Gay-rights attorney fears issue will go to state Supreme Court
For J.B., it's a bitter irony.
While the vast majority of judges and politicians in Texas oppose same-sex marriage, the state also may be unwilling to grant J.B. and his husband a divorce from their Massachusetts nuptials. "I can't imagine a conservative state like Texas not being joyfully willing to stamp their approval on that," J.B. said. "I think we've been through enough just going through what we're going through, and should be allowed the same dignity and respect as any two people who have irreconcilable differences. It is my hope that Texas will be satisfied enough to pass the appropriate judgment and not make a grandstand out of this for publicity to further people's careers, because again, these are human lives that are being dealt with." J.B., whose initials are being used in this article to protect his anonymity because his sexual orientation isn't known to his employer, filed a petition for divorce Wednesday, Jan. 21 in Dallas County's 302nd District Court.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_10498.php
-Al-Qaeda accused of using male rape to 'create' suicide bombers
Islamic terrorists are raping young men in order to drive them into suicide bombings. The Sun quotes Algerian militant Abu Baçir El Assimi: "The sexual act on young recruits aged between 16 to 19 was a means to urge them to commit suicide operations." The paper claims that "intense social stigma and fear of more gay sex attacks leaves Muslims prepared to die." Rape and homosexual acts are punishable by death under Sharia law. A suspected terrorist bomber killed in an attempted attack on a security installation in the Tizi Ouzou province of Algeria last month may have been raped, an autopsy revealed.
-UK: Gay Iraqi could face death penalty if deportation goes ahead
Asylum seeker would become seventh gay Iraqi to be returned from the UK to country where homosexuality is punishable by death. This is yet another depressing example of the UK Government's ingrained homophobia.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/03/gay-iraqi-asylum-seeker
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - February 03, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Political Lessons Taken on the Fly by Gillibrand
By MICHAEL POWELL
That smile never disappears. A Long Island congresswoman is so angry about the new senator's views on gun rights that she threatens a primary challenge next year? Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand murmurs that she really looks forward to working with her.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/nyregion/03gillibrand.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=GAY&st=cse
-On Politics: New Face of G.O.P. Brings a Brash Style
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
The election last week of Michael Steele to be chairman of the Republican National Committee drew considerable notice, not surprisingly: he is the first African-American to hold that position in the party's 155-year history.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/politics/03web-nagourney.html?hp
-Kyrgyzstan Said to Deny Base to U.S.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW (AP) -- Kyrgyzstan is ending U.S. use of a key airbase that supports military operations in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan's president was quoted as saying Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/03/world/AP-EU-Russia-Kyrgyzstan.html?hp
-Op-Ed Columnist: Ward Three Morality
By DAVID BROOKS
I've become increasingly concerned about the rising number of rich people who are being caught unawares by shifts in the sumptuary code. First, there were those auto executives who didn't realize that it is no longer socially acceptable to use private jets for lobbying trips to Washington. Then there was John Thain, who was humiliated because it is no longer acceptable to spend $35,000 on a commode for a Merrill Lynch washroom.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/opinion/03brooks.html?ref=opinion
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Taxes? Too Busy, Busy, Busy!
By Emily Yoffe
Like many Americans whose steady, reliable job has suddenly disappeared, Thomas Daschle cobbled together a bunch of gigs when he was laid off in 2004 by the people of South Dakota after more than two decades of representing them in Congress.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020201979.html
-Cracks in the Cult of Competence?
By Chris Cillizza
The twin decisions today by former Sen. Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer to remove their names from consideration for senior level posts in the Obama Administration represent the first significant test for a president who has enjoyed near-historic approval ratings to date.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/daschle_assessing_the_impact.html?hpid=topnews
-Cabinet: Stepping Down, Daschle Sends Shockwaves Through Health Policy Arena
By Ceci Connolly
Proponents of overhauling America's health care system expressed shock today that former senator Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) will not be in position to shepherd President Obama's reform agenda through Congress, saying the pressure now rests on the White House to reinvigorate the effort.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/02/03/stepping_down_daschle_sends_sh.html?hpid=topnews
-Idiots of the Universe
On Planet Wall Street, $18 Billion in Bonuses
By Eugene Robinson
Earth to Wall Street: It's over, people. You had a terrific run, better than you deserved, but now you'd be wise to pay attention to those citizens outside, the ones with the pitchforks and the torches.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020202053.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
-Iraqis Anxious Over Outcome of Provincial Elections
By Ernesto Londoño
BAGHDAD, Feb. 3 -- Iraqi law enforcement officials in Anbar province braced Tuesday for a possible outbreak of violence as politicians cried foul over what they called rampant fraud during Saturday's provincial election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020301466.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Ex-Detroit Mayor Released After 99-Day Jail Stay
By COREY WILLIAMS
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick emerged from jail after serving a 99-day sentence, greeted in the cold by about two dozen reporters and a handful of onlookers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020300037.html?hpid=moreheadlines
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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ford Chooses Lithium-Ion Battery Supplier
Ford Motor Co. selected a supplier to manufacture its lithium-ion battery for future plug-in hybrid vehicles, as the auto maker attempts to show Congress and the White House that it is serious about an electric-vehicle strategy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123367657169043771.html
-Iraq Is Obama's Mideast Pillar
bstephens@wsj.com
As an Arab democracy, it's a model for what we would like the rest of the Arab world to become.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123362313953841821.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sheriff: Michael Phelps may face pot charges
McClatchy-Tribune
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says he will charge Michael Phelps with a crime if he determines the Olympics hero smoked marijuana in Richland County.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-phelps012909,0,5999289.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-ECONOMY: Gas tax good for America
BY RICHARD G. LUGAR
Reality is stark: Almost every major foreign-policy challenge we face is aggravated by our continued addiction to oil. Recent developments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa only underscore this fact. But a new president and changed economic conditions offer the chance to take a bold step toward freeing our nation from the grip of foreign petroleum.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/885033.html
-The leaderless GOP
Joan Walsh
Sorry, Michael Steele, but it's going to be a while before you're anything more than the figurehead frontman of a shipwrecked Republican National Committee. Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh remain the leaders of your party, and most Republicans are happy that way. A Rasmussen poll out today found that fully 55 percent of Republicans polled think their party should be "more like" Palin.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/02/02/limbaugh_palin/
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama To Nominate Judd Gregg For Commerce
GOP Senator Made A Deal With N.H. Gov. To Keep His Seat Out of Democratic Hands
President Barack Obama moved closer to nominating his secretary of commerce on Monday as his top choice, GOP Sen. Judd Gregg, revealed an apparent deal that would keep his seat out of Democratic hands.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/02/politics/main4771104.shtml?tag=topStory;topStoryHeadline
-Khadafy to lead African Union
Seeks to realize vision for 'United States of Africa'
By Anita Powell
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Moammar Khadafy of Libya was elected yesterday as leader of the African Union, a position long sought by the dictator who wants to push his oil-rich nation into the international mainstream after years of isolation.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2009/02/03/khadafy_to_lead_african_union/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
-Some call for Bush administration trials
Want ex-leader accountable on Iraq war
By Joseph Williams
Like others bundled against the cold on Inauguration Day, a few dozen people along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route were determined to catch a glimpse of President Obama. But they wanted him to see their simple, unmistakable message spelled out on black-and-white signs, adding a call-and-response chant for emphasis.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/02/03/some_call_for_bush_administration_trials/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
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Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Google Earth Plumbs the Ocean Depths
The software now lets users dive miles beneath the ocean waves.
By Kate Greene
When Google Earth was introduced in 2005, it showed how fun digital mapping could be, allowing users to zoom over the planet's continents and explore their most spectacular features. However, 70 percent of the planet's surface--the proportion that is covered by ocean--has always remained off limits to Google Earth users. In an announcement today at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, Google has rectified the situation. The latest version of the company's mapping software, Google Earth 5.0, lets users dive deep below the surface of the sea to view ocean-floor topography. Furthermore, they can click on icons that describe aquatic ecosystems and watch, for example, videos of killer whales eating seals. "We have extended the map of the world to include the ocean parts of the world, as well as the land parts," said John Henke, Google lead for the project, in today's announcement.
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=22047&channel=computing§ion
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Political Lessons Taken on the Fly by Gillibrand
By MICHAEL POWELL
That smile never disappears. A Long Island congresswoman is so angry about the new senator's views on gun rights that she threatens a primary challenge next year? Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand murmurs that she really looks forward to working with her.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/nyregion/03gillibrand.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=GAY&st=cse
-On Politics: New Face of G.O.P. Brings a Brash Style
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
The election last week of Michael Steele to be chairman of the Republican National Committee drew considerable notice, not surprisingly: he is the first African-American to hold that position in the party's 155-year history.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/politics/03web-nagourney.html?hp
-Kyrgyzstan Said to Deny Base to U.S.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW (AP) -- Kyrgyzstan is ending U.S. use of a key airbase that supports military operations in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan's president was quoted as saying Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/03/world/AP-EU-Russia-Kyrgyzstan.html?hp
-Op-Ed Columnist: Ward Three Morality
By DAVID BROOKS
I've become increasingly concerned about the rising number of rich people who are being caught unawares by shifts in the sumptuary code. First, there were those auto executives who didn't realize that it is no longer socially acceptable to use private jets for lobbying trips to Washington. Then there was John Thain, who was humiliated because it is no longer acceptable to spend $35,000 on a commode for a Merrill Lynch washroom.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/opinion/03brooks.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Taxes? Too Busy, Busy, Busy!
By Emily Yoffe
Like many Americans whose steady, reliable job has suddenly disappeared, Thomas Daschle cobbled together a bunch of gigs when he was laid off in 2004 by the people of South Dakota after more than two decades of representing them in Congress.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020201979.html
-Cracks in the Cult of Competence?
By Chris Cillizza
The twin decisions today by former Sen. Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer to remove their names from consideration for senior level posts in the Obama Administration represent the first significant test for a president who has enjoyed near-historic approval ratings to date.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/daschle_assessing_the_impact.html?hpid=topnews
-Cabinet: Stepping Down, Daschle Sends Shockwaves Through Health Policy Arena
By Ceci Connolly
Proponents of overhauling America's health care system expressed shock today that former senator Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) will not be in position to shepherd President Obama's reform agenda through Congress, saying the pressure now rests on the White House to reinvigorate the effort.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/02/03/stepping_down_daschle_sends_sh.html?hpid=topnews
-Idiots of the Universe
On Planet Wall Street, $18 Billion in Bonuses
By Eugene Robinson
Earth to Wall Street: It's over, people. You had a terrific run, better than you deserved, but now you'd be wise to pay attention to those citizens outside, the ones with the pitchforks and the torches.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020202053.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
-Iraqis Anxious Over Outcome of Provincial Elections
By Ernesto Londoño
BAGHDAD, Feb. 3 -- Iraqi law enforcement officials in Anbar province braced Tuesday for a possible outbreak of violence as politicians cried foul over what they called rampant fraud during Saturday's provincial election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020301466.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Ex-Detroit Mayor Released After 99-Day Jail Stay
By COREY WILLIAMS
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick emerged from jail after serving a 99-day sentence, greeted in the cold by about two dozen reporters and a handful of onlookers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020300037.html?hpid=moreheadlines
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ford Chooses Lithium-Ion Battery Supplier
Ford Motor Co. selected a supplier to manufacture its lithium-ion battery for future plug-in hybrid vehicles, as the auto maker attempts to show Congress and the White House that it is serious about an electric-vehicle strategy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123367657169043771.html
-Iraq Is Obama's Mideast Pillar
bstephens@wsj.com
As an Arab democracy, it's a model for what we would like the rest of the Arab world to become.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123362313953841821.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sheriff: Michael Phelps may face pot charges
McClatchy-Tribune
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says he will charge Michael Phelps with a crime if he determines the Olympics hero smoked marijuana in Richland County.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-phelps012909,0,5999289.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-ECONOMY: Gas tax good for America
BY RICHARD G. LUGAR
Reality is stark: Almost every major foreign-policy challenge we face is aggravated by our continued addiction to oil. Recent developments in Europe, the Middle East and Africa only underscore this fact. But a new president and changed economic conditions offer the chance to take a bold step toward freeing our nation from the grip of foreign petroleum.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/885033.html
-The leaderless GOP
Joan Walsh
Sorry, Michael Steele, but it's going to be a while before you're anything more than the figurehead frontman of a shipwrecked Republican National Committee. Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh remain the leaders of your party, and most Republicans are happy that way. A Rasmussen poll out today found that fully 55 percent of Republicans polled think their party should be "more like" Palin.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/02/02/limbaugh_palin/
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama To Nominate Judd Gregg For Commerce
GOP Senator Made A Deal With N.H. Gov. To Keep His Seat Out of Democratic Hands
President Barack Obama moved closer to nominating his secretary of commerce on Monday as his top choice, GOP Sen. Judd Gregg, revealed an apparent deal that would keep his seat out of Democratic hands.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/02/politics/main4771104.shtml?tag=topStory;topStoryHeadline
-Khadafy to lead African Union
Seeks to realize vision for 'United States of Africa'
By Anita Powell
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Moammar Khadafy of Libya was elected yesterday as leader of the African Union, a position long sought by the dictator who wants to push his oil-rich nation into the international mainstream after years of isolation.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2009/02/03/khadafy_to_lead_african_union/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
-Some call for Bush administration trials
Want ex-leader accountable on Iraq war
By Joseph Williams
Like others bundled against the cold on Inauguration Day, a few dozen people along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route were determined to catch a glimpse of President Obama. But they wanted him to see their simple, unmistakable message spelled out on black-and-white signs, adding a call-and-response chant for emphasis.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/02/03/some_call_for_bush_administration_trials/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
=
Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Google Earth Plumbs the Ocean Depths
The software now lets users dive miles beneath the ocean waves.
By Kate Greene
When Google Earth was introduced in 2005, it showed how fun digital mapping could be, allowing users to zoom over the planet's continents and explore their most spectacular features. However, 70 percent of the planet's surface--the proportion that is covered by ocean--has always remained off limits to Google Earth users. In an announcement today at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, Google has rectified the situation. The latest version of the company's mapping software, Google Earth 5.0, lets users dive deep below the surface of the sea to view ocean-floor topography. Furthermore, they can click on icons that describe aquatic ecosystems and watch, for example, videos of killer whales eating seals. "We have extended the map of the world to include the ocean parts of the world, as well as the land parts," said John Henke, Google lead for the project, in today's announcement.
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=22047&channel=computing§ion
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - February 03, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fla. group seeks to lower divorce rate
The Associated Press
The group that helped get a gay marriage ban in the state constitution now wants to help those who can wed stay married. The Florida Family Policy Council says it will work with churches and organizations that helped get the gay marriage ban on last year's ballot to boost programs that help married couples stay together. During a press conference Tuesday council president John Stemberger criticized Florida's no-fault divorce law, which allows either party to end a marriage for any reason. Stemberger did not make a formal proposal to change the policy but said churches will help engaged couples understand marriage and provide programs to strengthen existing marriages. The goal is to reduce the Florida divorce rate by 10 percent.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/885972.html
-EDGEWATER: Gay-porn filming at 'Cocodorm' can stay at Miami home
BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ
The boys of Cocodorm -- Snow Bunni, J Fizzo, et al -- are staying put, after a federal judge ruled that the gay porn website has a right to film out of its Edgewater home.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/884570.html
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Florida Bar Will Support Gay Adoption
The Florida Bar is coming out in a big way - for gay adoption. The Bar's board of governors voted unanimously to file an amicus brief before the 3rd District Court of Appeal supporting a Miami-Dade circuit judge's ruling that declared unconstitutional the state's ban on gay adoptions. "We thought it was appropriate to defend the judge's decision," said Nancy Gregoire, a family section member and a partner with Kirschbaum Birnbaum Lippman & Gregoire in Fort Lauderdale. "In my mind, speaking only for myself, it was the right thing to do and well past its time."
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4375/173/
-Norm Kent Debuts 'Broward Law Blog'
Renowned Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney Norm Kent released today the debut of 'The Broward Law Blog,' easily accessible on the Internet at www.browardlawblog.com A South Florida attorney for 30 years, Mr. Kent is well known for his long time experience as the highly rated morning drive talk show host for WFTL-850 AM. He later hosted a weekly radio show entitled 'Weekend Legal' on WWNN-1470 AM.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4373/173/
=
From Dolphin Democrats
-Re-Elect Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue for Oakland Park City Commission, Seat 5
Commissioner Boisvenue applauds the City of Oakland Park for their decision to uphold city employees' first amendment right to free speech. Political signs sparked a debate in the city yesterday after a firefighter was asked to remove his vehicle from city property because his vehicle contained political signs. The firefighter complied with his supervisor's request. Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue is known as a fighter for city residents and employees. After much heated debate, Oakland Park department directors issued a statement that employees have the right park vehicles on city property. Commissioner Boisvenue has continually fought to protect the rights of all Oakland Park citizens and employees. She voted to add domestic partner benefits for all city employees, advocated for increased residential notification in zoning changes and worked with city departments to stop the killing of cats by advocating for the trap neuter and release program. Commissioner Boisvenue works tirelessly to stop discrimination and believes in treating all people equally and fairly, and she has publicly spoken out against such acts. "There shall be no discrimination anytime anywhere", stated Boisvenue. VOTE MARCH 10 2009!
-DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE NEEDS YOUR HELP !!
GET OUT THE VOTE TABLE
WHERE: GLCC 1717 N. ANDREWS AVENUE
WHEN: SATURDAY FEBRUARY. 7 , 2009 - 8AM TO 2 PM
NEED: TWO HOUR SHIFTS 7AM- 9AM; 9AM-11AM; 11AM-1PM- 12 NOON TO 2PM
ONLY YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN; WE NEED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE VARIOUS MUNICIPAL RACE'S IN BROWARD COUNTY: FORT LAUDERDALE;OAKLAND PARK; WILTON MANORS; DANIA BEACH COME MEET THE CANDIDATE'S - SOME PLAN TO RALLY - PLEASE LET MICHAEL ALBETTA KNOW WHAT TIME YOU AND ASSIST ON THIS MATTER- IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND TO HELP
PLEASE CALL AT 954-390-6537 OR E-MAIL TO> PRESIDENT@FLORIDAGLBTDEMOCRATS.ORG
=
Sunshine Cathedral - Ft. Lauderdale
-Valuing our Families conference
On Saturday, April 25th, SunServe will be holding its sixth annual Valuing Our Families (VOF) Conference on the Sunshine Cathedral campus. The daylong event is designed for all who value the LGBT contribution to the American family in all its diversity. Parents and children, including LGBT teens will spend time in workshops, support groups, fun social activities, and even a carnival! A huge part of the VOF Conference's success comes from the many volunteers who help make it the highlight of the year for many lesbian, gay, and trans couples / families in Florida. You can make a positive impact by volunteering at this year's conference. Opportunities are available in many areas, including but not limited to helping set up / clean up the carnival and picnic, assisting workshop facilitators, and registering participants. You can volunteer for the entire day from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, or you can help out in the morning or afternoon for a few hours.
If you would like to make a positive impact and help make this year's conference a success, please contact Rev. Michael Diaz at 954-462-2004 x208 or mdiaz@sunshinecathedral.org.
=
From Stonewall Library and Archives - Ft. Lauderdale
-On February 11, at 7:00 pm, as part of its Distinguished Authors Lecture Series, Stonewall will host a reading and book signing by the enormously popular award-winning novelist K.G. MacGregor.
A former teacher, K.G. MacGregor holds a PhD in journalism and mass communication. She began writing lesbian fiction in 2002 and in 2005, she signed with Bella Books, which published the Goldie Award finalist Just This Once. Her sixth Bella novel, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Women's Romance, and the 2008 Goldie Award in Lesbian Romance. In 2008, she published Without Warning and Secrets So Deep. Ms. MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Copies of several of Ms. MacGregor's books will be available for purchase the night of the event. This event is free and open to the public. For further information, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
Jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
=
Lavender Writes
LWrites@mindspring.com
-Readings: Love Gone Bad: an Open Mic Reading
Saturday, February 14, 8pm
Border Books and Music
2240 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale
954-566-6335Valentine's Day not your favorite holiday? Want to howl with pain or laughter, commiserate and gloat at fictional tales of love and sex so disastrous they have to be read in public? Then join us at Borders as local scribes share stories of bad break-ups, psycho ex's from hell and the worst first dates in history. Writers should sign-up at LWrites@mindspring.com. Audience members can just show up. Writers and audience members gather in the Borders Cafe after the reading for coffee, snacks and conversation.
-Laugh it Off: an Open Mic Reading
Saturday, March 14, 2009, 1 p.m.
Broward Main Library
These events are part of The Next Generation, a year-long series of free fiction writing workshops and public readings for gay and lesbian writers. This program is a collaborative project of Lavender Writes, the Broward County Libraries Division, Borders Books and Music and author Karen Dale Wolman. The Next Generation was developed as a forum for gay and lesbian writers to write the stories they want to write in a safe environment that offers high quality teaching. Nongay students who are comfortable being in a gay environment and reading gay and lesbian fiction are also welcome to attend. Funding for this program is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council. Lavender Writes, Inc., provides service and support to lesbian and gay writers by sponsoring writing workshops, developing public forums for writers to present their work and offering assistance with publication. Non-gay writers and readers are also welcome to participate. For more information or to register for any of the programs, contact LWrites@mindspring.com.
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fla. Supreme Court to reprimand Judge Aleman
By Tonya Alanez
The Florida Supreme Court announced today it will publicly reprimand Broward Circuit Judge Cheryl Alemán for misconduct on April 7.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0203judgealeman,0,7783069.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward to use FEMA grant to retrofit buildings for hurricanes
BY DAN CHRISTENSEN
Broward commissioners took a big step Tuesday toward carrying out a $25 million plan to fortify key county buildings to withstand the punishing winds of a Category 3 hurricane.
http://www.miamiherald.com/466/story/885869.html
=
From Scott Newton for Wilton Manors City Commission Campaign
-Elect Scott Newton Campaign
Rally the Vote - 7 days to election day
VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS - HOW ARE YOU RALLY'N THE VOTE?
CITY CANDIDATES FORUM - WE NEED YOU TO BE THERE!! PLEASE WEAR YOUR T-SHIRTS
IF YOU HAVE THEM. WE'LL BE HANDING OUT STICKERS TO WEAR.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2009 - 7:00 PM
Wilton Manors Elementary Cafeteria
Moderated by League of Women Voters
With only 7 days left until election day, Scott still needs your help...VOLUNTEER NOW!
Callers: Call a manageable number of people to encourage them to VOTE on Feb. 10, and ask them to vote for Scott Newton - The Candidate for All Wilton Manors Polling Places: Stand outside a polling precinct with a Scott Newton For Commission sign. We are requesting that you work three hours, but anytime you can give us will be appreciated. Please email Cindy @ csssp@aol.com to sign up for your precinct. For information on scheduled events, visit: www.votenewton.com
=
FairDistrictsFlorida.org
-Last week, the Florida Supreme Court gave Fair Districts Florida the green light to move forward to establish constitutionally mandated fairness standards for the drawing of legislative districts in Florida. We were thrilled by the news, and excited to move into the next stage of our campaign. It seems we weren't alone. This weekend, the Tallahassee Democrat opined:
Everyone acknowledges that the leaders and elected officials of whichever party is in power is fond of the current apportionment system, which makes districts so utterly in line with voting patterns that an interloper from the out-of-power party can almost never get elected. Anecdotally it's been said that map-drawing is so technologically refined these days that you can almost draw a district line down the middle of someone's living room in a house where the wife is known to vote Democratic and the husband goes for the GOP. They can also pack a large number of voters they don't want to have any real power into just a few districts. These minorities win seats in the Legislature, and keep getting re-elected, but there aren't enough of them to have any real power once they have that seat at the table. Right now the Legislature does the redistricting work itself every ten years, but these constitutional amendments would change the way it's done, setting out standards for redistricting that would help stop favoritism for any party or incumbent and would prevent denying equal opportunity for racial or language minorities. [...] You will likely have an opportunity to sign one of the petitions and get involved in the money-raising needed just to get the petition drive big enough to do its job.,, Checks can be mailed to: PO BOX 350188 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33335
Click here to "get involved in the money-raising" and help us bring Florida fair districts!
https://www.fairdistrictsflorida.org/
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida governor considers Senate run
From CNN's Mark Preston and Rebecca Sinderbrand
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is not ruling out a run for the Senate in 2010, but for now is focusing all of his attention on the legislative session, a top ally tells CNN. "The governor is not closing the door, but he is not necessarily opening it," Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer said in an interview this afternoon. "He is focused on being governor and focused on solving the challenges that Floridians are facing right now."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/02/florida-governor-considers-senate-run/
-Cretul takes House reins
By Alex Leary
Ray Sansom's short-lived and tumultuous tenure as House speaker effectively ended Monday night when his Republican colleagues, in an unprecedented and solemn procedure, anointed a new leader.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article972828.ece
-Crist not NOT running for U.S. Senate
By Dara Kam
Amid reports that Gov. Charlie Crist is being wooed to run for retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez' seat _ and that Martinez may drop out early _ Florida's top GOP politico has remained coy about his intentions. But today he put to rest questions about whether he is definitely NOT going to enter the field.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/02/02/crist_not_not_running_for_us_s.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fla. group seeks to lower divorce rate
The Associated Press
The group that helped get a gay marriage ban in the state constitution now wants to help those who can wed stay married. The Florida Family Policy Council says it will work with churches and organizations that helped get the gay marriage ban on last year's ballot to boost programs that help married couples stay together. During a press conference Tuesday council president John Stemberger criticized Florida's no-fault divorce law, which allows either party to end a marriage for any reason. Stemberger did not make a formal proposal to change the policy but said churches will help engaged couples understand marriage and provide programs to strengthen existing marriages. The goal is to reduce the Florida divorce rate by 10 percent.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/885972.html
-EDGEWATER: Gay-porn filming at 'Cocodorm' can stay at Miami home
BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ
The boys of Cocodorm -- Snow Bunni, J Fizzo, et al -- are staying put, after a federal judge ruled that the gay porn website has a right to film out of its Edgewater home.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/884570.html
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Florida Bar Will Support Gay Adoption
The Florida Bar is coming out in a big way - for gay adoption. The Bar's board of governors voted unanimously to file an amicus brief before the 3rd District Court of Appeal supporting a Miami-Dade circuit judge's ruling that declared unconstitutional the state's ban on gay adoptions. "We thought it was appropriate to defend the judge's decision," said Nancy Gregoire, a family section member and a partner with Kirschbaum Birnbaum Lippman & Gregoire in Fort Lauderdale. "In my mind, speaking only for myself, it was the right thing to do and well past its time."
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4375/173/
-Norm Kent Debuts 'Broward Law Blog'
Renowned Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney Norm Kent released today the debut of 'The Broward Law Blog,' easily accessible on the Internet at www.browardlawblog.com A South Florida attorney for 30 years, Mr. Kent is well known for his long time experience as the highly rated morning drive talk show host for WFTL-850 AM. He later hosted a weekly radio show entitled 'Weekend Legal' on WWNN-1470 AM.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4373/173/
=
From Dolphin Democrats
-Re-Elect Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue for Oakland Park City Commission, Seat 5
Commissioner Boisvenue applauds the City of Oakland Park for their decision to uphold city employees' first amendment right to free speech. Political signs sparked a debate in the city yesterday after a firefighter was asked to remove his vehicle from city property because his vehicle contained political signs. The firefighter complied with his supervisor's request. Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue is known as a fighter for city residents and employees. After much heated debate, Oakland Park department directors issued a statement that employees have the right park vehicles on city property. Commissioner Boisvenue has continually fought to protect the rights of all Oakland Park citizens and employees. She voted to add domestic partner benefits for all city employees, advocated for increased residential notification in zoning changes and worked with city departments to stop the killing of cats by advocating for the trap neuter and release program. Commissioner Boisvenue works tirelessly to stop discrimination and believes in treating all people equally and fairly, and she has publicly spoken out against such acts. "There shall be no discrimination anytime anywhere", stated Boisvenue. VOTE MARCH 10 2009!
-DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE NEEDS YOUR HELP !!
GET OUT THE VOTE TABLE
WHERE: GLCC 1717 N. ANDREWS AVENUE
WHEN: SATURDAY FEBRUARY. 7 , 2009 - 8AM TO 2 PM
NEED: TWO HOUR SHIFTS 7AM- 9AM; 9AM-11AM; 11AM-1PM- 12 NOON TO 2PM
ONLY YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN; WE NEED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE VARIOUS MUNICIPAL RACE'S IN BROWARD COUNTY: FORT LAUDERDALE;OAKLAND PARK; WILTON MANORS; DANIA BEACH COME MEET THE CANDIDATE'S - SOME PLAN TO RALLY - PLEASE LET MICHAEL ALBETTA KNOW WHAT TIME YOU AND ASSIST ON THIS MATTER- IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND TO HELP
PLEASE CALL AT 954-390-6537 OR E-MAIL TO> PRESIDENT@FLORIDAGLBTDEMOCRATS.ORG
=
Sunshine Cathedral - Ft. Lauderdale
-Valuing our Families conference
On Saturday, April 25th, SunServe will be holding its sixth annual Valuing Our Families (VOF) Conference on the Sunshine Cathedral campus. The daylong event is designed for all who value the LGBT contribution to the American family in all its diversity. Parents and children, including LGBT teens will spend time in workshops, support groups, fun social activities, and even a carnival! A huge part of the VOF Conference's success comes from the many volunteers who help make it the highlight of the year for many lesbian, gay, and trans couples / families in Florida. You can make a positive impact by volunteering at this year's conference. Opportunities are available in many areas, including but not limited to helping set up / clean up the carnival and picnic, assisting workshop facilitators, and registering participants. You can volunteer for the entire day from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, or you can help out in the morning or afternoon for a few hours.
If you would like to make a positive impact and help make this year's conference a success, please contact Rev. Michael Diaz at 954-462-2004 x208 or mdiaz@sunshinecathedral.org.
=
From Stonewall Library and Archives - Ft. Lauderdale
-On February 11, at 7:00 pm, as part of its Distinguished Authors Lecture Series, Stonewall will host a reading and book signing by the enormously popular award-winning novelist K.G. MacGregor.
A former teacher, K.G. MacGregor holds a PhD in journalism and mass communication. She began writing lesbian fiction in 2002 and in 2005, she signed with Bella Books, which published the Goldie Award finalist Just This Once. Her sixth Bella novel, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Women's Romance, and the 2008 Goldie Award in Lesbian Romance. In 2008, she published Without Warning and Secrets So Deep. Ms. MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Copies of several of Ms. MacGregor's books will be available for purchase the night of the event. This event is free and open to the public. For further information, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
Jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
=
Lavender Writes
LWrites@mindspring.com
-Readings: Love Gone Bad: an Open Mic Reading
Saturday, February 14, 8pm
Border Books and Music
2240 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale
954-566-6335Valentine's Day not your favorite holiday? Want to howl with pain or laughter, commiserate and gloat at fictional tales of love and sex so disastrous they have to be read in public? Then join us at Borders as local scribes share stories of bad break-ups, psycho ex's from hell and the worst first dates in history. Writers should sign-up at LWrites@mindspring.com. Audience members can just show up. Writers and audience members gather in the Borders Cafe after the reading for coffee, snacks and conversation.
-Laugh it Off: an Open Mic Reading
Saturday, March 14, 2009, 1 p.m.
Broward Main Library
These events are part of The Next Generation, a year-long series of free fiction writing workshops and public readings for gay and lesbian writers. This program is a collaborative project of Lavender Writes, the Broward County Libraries Division, Borders Books and Music and author Karen Dale Wolman. The Next Generation was developed as a forum for gay and lesbian writers to write the stories they want to write in a safe environment that offers high quality teaching. Nongay students who are comfortable being in a gay environment and reading gay and lesbian fiction are also welcome to attend. Funding for this program is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council. Lavender Writes, Inc., provides service and support to lesbian and gay writers by sponsoring writing workshops, developing public forums for writers to present their work and offering assistance with publication. Non-gay writers and readers are also welcome to participate. For more information or to register for any of the programs, contact LWrites@mindspring.com.
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fla. Supreme Court to reprimand Judge Aleman
By Tonya Alanez
The Florida Supreme Court announced today it will publicly reprimand Broward Circuit Judge Cheryl Alemán for misconduct on April 7.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0203judgealeman,0,7783069.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward to use FEMA grant to retrofit buildings for hurricanes
BY DAN CHRISTENSEN
Broward commissioners took a big step Tuesday toward carrying out a $25 million plan to fortify key county buildings to withstand the punishing winds of a Category 3 hurricane.
http://www.miamiherald.com/466/story/885869.html
=
From Scott Newton for Wilton Manors City Commission Campaign
-Elect Scott Newton Campaign
Rally the Vote - 7 days to election day
VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS - HOW ARE YOU RALLY'N THE VOTE?
CITY CANDIDATES FORUM - WE NEED YOU TO BE THERE!! PLEASE WEAR YOUR T-SHIRTS
IF YOU HAVE THEM. WE'LL BE HANDING OUT STICKERS TO WEAR.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2009 - 7:00 PM
Wilton Manors Elementary Cafeteria
Moderated by League of Women Voters
With only 7 days left until election day, Scott still needs your help...VOLUNTEER NOW!
Callers: Call a manageable number of people to encourage them to VOTE on Feb. 10, and ask them to vote for Scott Newton - The Candidate for All Wilton Manors Polling Places: Stand outside a polling precinct with a Scott Newton For Commission sign. We are requesting that you work three hours, but anytime you can give us will be appreciated. Please email Cindy @ csssp@aol.com to sign up for your precinct. For information on scheduled events, visit: www.votenewton.com
=
FairDistrictsFlorida.org
-Last week, the Florida Supreme Court gave Fair Districts Florida the green light to move forward to establish constitutionally mandated fairness standards for the drawing of legislative districts in Florida. We were thrilled by the news, and excited to move into the next stage of our campaign. It seems we weren't alone. This weekend, the Tallahassee Democrat opined:
Everyone acknowledges that the leaders and elected officials of whichever party is in power is fond of the current apportionment system, which makes districts so utterly in line with voting patterns that an interloper from the out-of-power party can almost never get elected. Anecdotally it's been said that map-drawing is so technologically refined these days that you can almost draw a district line down the middle of someone's living room in a house where the wife is known to vote Democratic and the husband goes for the GOP. They can also pack a large number of voters they don't want to have any real power into just a few districts. These minorities win seats in the Legislature, and keep getting re-elected, but there aren't enough of them to have any real power once they have that seat at the table. Right now the Legislature does the redistricting work itself every ten years, but these constitutional amendments would change the way it's done, setting out standards for redistricting that would help stop favoritism for any party or incumbent and would prevent denying equal opportunity for racial or language minorities. [...] You will likely have an opportunity to sign one of the petitions and get involved in the money-raising needed just to get the petition drive big enough to do its job.,, Checks can be mailed to: PO BOX 350188 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33335
Click here to "get involved in the money-raising" and help us bring Florida fair districts!
https://www.fairdistrictsflorida.org/
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida governor considers Senate run
From CNN's Mark Preston and Rebecca Sinderbrand
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is not ruling out a run for the Senate in 2010, but for now is focusing all of his attention on the legislative session, a top ally tells CNN. "The governor is not closing the door, but he is not necessarily opening it," Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer said in an interview this afternoon. "He is focused on being governor and focused on solving the challenges that Floridians are facing right now."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/02/florida-governor-considers-senate-run/
-Cretul takes House reins
By Alex Leary
Ray Sansom's short-lived and tumultuous tenure as House speaker effectively ended Monday night when his Republican colleagues, in an unprecedented and solemn procedure, anointed a new leader.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article972828.ece
-Crist not NOT running for U.S. Senate
By Dara Kam
Amid reports that Gov. Charlie Crist is being wooed to run for retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez' seat _ and that Martinez may drop out early _ Florida's top GOP politico has remained coy about his intentions. But today he put to rest questions about whether he is definitely NOT going to enter the field.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/02/02/crist_not_not_running_for_us_s.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
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