President Obama on Monday unveiled a plan that will allow U.S. residents to send cell phones, computers, satellite receivers, and more to friends and family in Cuba, and also allow U.S. telecom companies to do business in the country.
 guardian.co.uk |
Forget economic crisis, the Obamas have a new dog
Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Forget the economic crisis, the North Korean nuclear standoff and Somali pirates. The hottest news at the White House on Tuesday was the long-awaited arrival of Bo, the first family's new dog. Video: First Family Introduces "Bo" the First Dog C-SPAN Here's Bo! Obamas show pooch with 'star quality' The Associated Press CTV.ca – Telegraph.co.uk – Bloomberg – USA Today all 3,056 news articles Langue : Français |
risingfish writes “Looks like Obama did what many organizations have asked him not to do. In a disappointing move, he has tapped a fifth RIAA lawyer to a top spot in the Justice Department.”
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 Times Online |
New Somali Government Hails Obama’s Promised Piracy Fight
Voice of America By Peter Clottey The new Somali government has expressed delight in President Barack Obama's promise to help fight the escalating piracy problem off the Somali coast. Video: Hillary Clinton: World must come togther on Somali piracy EUX.TV Obama vows efforts to halt piracy Aljazeera.net New York Times – CNN – The Associated Press – AFP all 14,297 news articles Langue : Français |
 Sydney Morning Herald |
US navy stalks Somali pirates
Reuters By Abdi Guled MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somali elders sought to mediate on Saturday between the US navy and pirates holding an American hostage in a high-seas standoff that presents President Barack Obama with a nasty new dilemma. Growing sophistication of pirates BBC News Pirates Seize Tug With Crew of 16 as US Captain Is Still Hostage New York Times AFP – Bloomberg – CNN – Radio Netherlands all 4,749 news articles Langue : Français |
SonicSpike writes “The Electronic Frontier Foundation has just said that ‘In the Warrantless Wiretapping Case, Obama DOJ’s New Arguments Are Worse Than Bush’s'”
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EricTheGreen writes “The Associated Press has an article featuring Obama administration science advisor John Holdren discussing potential climate engineering responses to global warming. Among the possible approaches? His own version of Operation Dark Storm — shooting micro-particulate pollution high into the atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays. I’m sure the rest of the world would have no issue with that at all, of course. Yikes …”
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a whoabot writes “The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Obama administration has stepped in to defend AT&T in the case over their participation in the warrantless wiretapping program started by Bush. The Obama administration argues that that continuation of the case will lead to the disclosure of important ‘state secrets.’ The Electronic Frontier Foundation has described the action as an ’embrace’ of the Bush policy.” Update: 04/07 15:18 GMT by T : Glenn Greenwald of Salon has up an analysis of this move, including excerpts from the actual brief filed. Excerpt: “This brief and this case are exclusively the Obama DOJ’s, and the ample time that elapsed — almost three full months — makes clear that it was fully considered by Obama officials.”
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jamie points out news that President Obama has put out a call for a world free of nuclear weapons at a speech in Prague today. He acknowledged that it was a long-term goal, perhaps not something that can be accomplished in his lifetime, but promised to encourage the US Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty. According to the BBC, he also stated his desire to “negotiate a new treaty to end the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons,” and to hold a global summit within the next year to work out agreements for preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Obama said, “As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it.” His speech came less than a day after North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket.
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Hugh Pickens writes “David H. Newman, M.D. has an interesting article in the NY Times where he discusses common medical treatments that aren’t supported by the best available evidence. For example, doctors have administered ‘beta-blockers’ for decades to heart attack victims, although studies show that the early administration of beta-blockers does not save lives; patients with ear infections are more likely to be harmed by antibiotics than helped — the infections typically recede within days regardless of treatment and the same is true for bronchitis, sinusitis, and sore throats; no cough remedies have ever been proven better than a placebo. Back surgeries to relieve pain are, in the majority of cases, no better than nonsurgical treatment, and knee surgery is no better than sham knee surgery where surgeons ‘pretend’ to do surgery while the patient is under light anesthesia. Newman says that treatment based on ideology is alluring, ‘but the uncomfortable truth is that many expensive, invasive interventions are of little or no benefit and cause potentially uncomfortable, costly, and dangerous side effects and complications.’ The Obama administration’s plan for reform includes identifying health care measures that work and those that don’t, and there are signs of hope for evidence-based medicine: earlier this year hospital administrators were informed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that beta-blocker treatment will be retired as a government indicator of quality care, beginning April 1, 2009. ‘After years of advocacy that cemented immediate beta-blockers in the treatment protocols of virtually every hospital in the country,’ writes Newman, ‘the agency has demonstrated that minds can be changed.'”
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