Fresh Loaf

• One man’s hero is another one’s… Man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing was released by Scotland and was welcomed as a hero in his native Libya.
• At least he’s optimistic: Fed chairman Ben Bernanke sees a positive global economic outlook… and I guess we should all be? Home sales surge in July by more than seven percent.
• Polls are useless: One says the number of those believing President Obama will drive significant change to health care are down 20 points, to 49 percent, while another says 70 percent support a “choice” of the so-called Public Option.
• The new approach on the war on drugs, as in, don’t fight it: Effective today, Mexico decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs.
• Victory? Despite low turn-out and 50 deaths, observers call Afghanistan elections a “success.”
• About bloody time: FCC launches probe into wireless telecom industry, taking aim at carrier/manufacturer exclusivity deals, usage of cellular networks by third party applications, and much more… meanwhile, the real reason AT&T killed the Google Voice iPhone app.
• There goes that: Cash for clunker program ends.

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• Contract killers: CIA paid millions to private security firm Blackwater seeking its help in quest to assassinate Al-Qaeda operatives.
• They can’t seriously oppose this on a moral level, can they? Obama takes health-care reform message to religious leaders.
• Testy: Afghanistan in high alert during today’s elections as police cracks down on journalists.
• As real as it gets: VH1 is scrambling to rid itself of any connection to the reality TV show “Megan wants a millionaire” after police sought one of its contestants in connection to a murder case.
• Not so good after all: Jobless claims jump unexpectedly.
• Quest to regain relevancy: Myspace acquires social music start-up iLike.

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• Should have done this from the get-go: Democrats seem to go at it alone on health-care.
• Meanwhile, reason #445,605,005 the cost of health-care insurance is so high: Merck’s patent is upheld, warding off challenge to mass produce a cheaper alternative to its Singluair asthma drug.
• Quagmire indeed: Series of attacks kill at least 95 in Baghdad… meanwhile, violence continues to escalate in Afghanistan in anticipation of tomorrow’s elections.
  
• Get them to pay taxes part 2: Swiss bank UBS may pass data on 4,450 accounts belonging to U.S. clients.
• In case you had any doubts who runs this: Global stocks fall pushing China into a bear market.
• Really? One of the biggest political mysteries of the year?

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• Lack of backbone: White House argues public-option was never “the entirety” of health-care reform, except, it kinda was… meanwhile, the co-op model starts to gain some traction, but never mind on the details.
• And even still: 60 members of Congress sign letter vowing not to vote for a plan that does not have the so-called “public option.“
• Spam-a-lot: White House has been sending unsolicited emails, blames unnamed political groups for the sign-ups.
• Nothing much changed: Violence escalates in Afghanistan in run-up to Thursday’s election.
• Going global: Russia arrests eight on piracy charges in connection with missing tanker.
• As easy as walking into 7-11: Authorities dismantle what appears to be the largest plot of hacking and identity theft in the country, which had been easily executed by the cyber crooks.
• Getting high on your own supply: 90 percent of U.S. dollar bills have cocaine residue.

See more photos from the health-care reform protest at Centennial Olympic Park.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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• Then what’s the *&$% point? White House considers dropping the “public option” from health care reform legislation… but really, can we still call it reform without it?
• Get on out: The Iraqi Government announced that they will let voters decide whether to accelerate U.S. troop withdrawals or not.
• Reap what they sow? Islamist extremists spread beyond Chechnya and detonate a truck bomb in the southern Russian city of Nazran.
• Hamsterdam: Former Baltimore police officers argue it’s time to legalize drugs.
• Remember that missing tanker? Well they just found it off the coast of Africa after it disappeared from the English channel.
• The key operative word being “replicate”: IBM researchers look to human DNA for new models on microchip development.
• Keeping it real close: Can newspapers cash in on “hyperlocal” news?

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• Why am I not surprised: The swiftboating of health care reform.
• I swear, I just saw a Unicorn: Palin responds to “death panel” criticism, insisting they’re real.
• Not in the mood: Retail sales unexpectedly fall in July… meanwhile, Wal-Mart’s overseas profit growth accelerates.
• And to top it off: Number of people filing first time jobless claims bounces back.
• But! The Fed sees signs of recovery.
• WTO rules against China on importing of foreign media… see if it cares.
• That’s just how it is: Judge orders Microsoft to stop selling Word, but it really doesn’t matter… meanwhile, Big Redmond strikes a deal to develop MS apps for Nokia phones (Question: Shouldn’t they have done this in like, 1998 when *everyone* used both brands?).
• Sometimes these just write themselves: Protector of sanctity of marriage and proponent of Proposition 8 in California to divorce wife of 43 years.

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• Obama’s plea: In yesterday’s town hall meeting in New Hampshire, the President reprises the story of his mother’s cancer to make the case for health care reform… meanwhile, newly Democratic Senator Arlen Specter is among those getting a loud earful at town hall meetings on health care reform.
• Meanwhile, President Obama welcomes confirmed SCOTUS Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic woman to hold the job.
• Staying put: Money being sent by immigrants back to Latin American will drop by 11 percent in 2009.
• Fear this: Thousands found buried alive in the aftermath of mudslides in Taiwan.
• Wait, where?! Russian cargo ship is feared to have been hijacked off the coast of… Sweden.
• Word: Microsoft ordered to stop selling its flagship word processing program after a judge rules Big Redmond violated patents.
• Not irrelevant yet: Facebook begins testing a “light” version of its service aimed at areas with slower internet connections.

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• Check out this clunker: G.M. says its Chevy Bolt hybrid will get 230 miles to the gallon in city driving.
• Does this mean I get a raise? Productivity of U.S. workers grew at the fastest rate in six years.
• Good call: Congress decides against spending $550 million on new planes for themselves.
• Spin it as the “health care race”: If China can provide universal health care to its 1.3 billion citizens, surely greatest nation in the world (duh, that’s us!) can.
• Keep your friends close. … Facebook acquires FriendFeed, a social sharing site that allowed you to update many services through one login.
• Kids these days: Nude pictures of Twilight star Ashley Green surface on the internet and OMG, she’s like, so upset!

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• That again? Fresh violence in Iraq exacerbates fears of a growing sectarian conflict.
• AstroTurf isn’t very patriotic: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls disruptive behavior at town hall meetings on health care legislation un-American… and oh, the irony! A protester involved in a brawl at a town hall meeting in St. Louis is asking for donations to pay his health bills because he has no insurance.
• Remember how Jon Stewart is the most trusted source of news? Well, he’s adored by the neo-cons… go figure.
• You spent the night in that airplane and all you got was a lousy bag of pretzels? Yep.
• Anybody listening? U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on global warming: “It is, simply, the greatest collective challenge we face as a human family.”
• Profit: All sarcasm aside, the Seattle Times is back in the black.

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• Easing the pain: Job cuts slow, and unemployment rate declines.
• Three words: Cyber Political Terrorism – Distributed Denial of Service attacks that brought Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal and other sites to a standstill yesterday originated in the Eastern European nation of Georgia, and was politically motivated… meanwhile, it’s the one-year anniversary of the Georgia-Russia war.
• Wait, there’s Taliban in Pakistan? Apparently, as the Pakistani foreign minister annouced the killing of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
• Meanwhile: Explosions kill dozens in Iraq, marking one of the deadliest days since U.S. troops began withdrawing from major Iraqi cities.
• Not letting up: Even after confirmation of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, new opposition protests are organized in Tehran.
• Power in numbers: Campaign to pressure advertisers into distancing themselves from the Glenn Beck show is working.
• Is it me, or are the bail outs the only ones raking? AIG posts first quarterly profit since 2007.
• You want it you got it: You’re getting more cash for yer clunkers.

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• Awesomest Idea (Evah) To Monetize Journalism On The Web: Let’s make our content better and differentiate it from other people.. then we’ll be able to charge for it! (YEA! High Five! Bourbon Room shots for all!)
• Slowly, but surely: Number of jobless claims drops more than expected.
• The humanity: On this day 60 years ago, the U.S. became the one and only nation so far to use a nuclear weapon.
• What else is there to do? President Obama set to announce changes in the way illegal immigrants are detained and processed.
• Wait, there’s a functioning government in Somalia? Apparently, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vows support as it fights an Islamic insurgency.
• Ever so close: Senate set to vote on infusion of $2B for Cash for Clunkers.
• Somehow, I don’t think killing women is the way to get their attention: Pittsburgh area shooter was bitter over ladies.
• Glad I waited: Rumors abound for a $99 iPhone 3GS.

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• Is this what they call a win-win? Bill Clinton negotiates release of two American journalists being held in North Korea while nuclear talks might resume.
• Guns don’t kill people, crazy people with guns do: Suspected Pittsburgh area shooter left behind a revealing diary.
• What the? Two Russian attack submarines have been spotted patrolling the Easter Seaboard of the U.S.
• If only health care were this easy: Democrats secure enough support to infuse the Cash for Clunkers program with $2 Billion.
• Mixed signals: Market slips on weak numbers from the service industry.
• People just don’t send letters anymore: U.S. postal service faces a $700 million shortfall.
• Rekindling the competition: Sony launches new line of e-book readers.
• That’s an order Marine! No social networking for the few, the proud, the disconnected.

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• How come he gets to go? Bill Clinton visits North Korea to negotiate release of American journalists.
• Wait, what? Democrats “may still bypass Republicans on health plan.” (Could’ve sworn I saw this before…oh, I did…)… speaking of which, Keith Olberman’s special comment is kind of a big deal.
• President Obama dines and wines Democratic Senators to get their support for renewal of the Cash for Clunkers program.
• Not going away: Taliban fires rockets into Kabul.
• I swear, there’s one every week: Yet Another Plane Crash as aircraft slides off runway in Thailand, slamming into control tower, killing the pilot and injuring several passengers.
• Bad match: Consumer spending rises even as incomes fall.
• We’re, uhm, looking into it: Venezuela says it will investigate how weapons sold for use by its military made their way to FARC rebels in neighboring Colombia.

• (Photo by Joeff Davis)

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• Straight from the horse’s mouth: Health Insurance insider gives Bill Moyers a full hour of reasons why we need health care reform…. meanwhile, trying to scare seniors into thinking they’ll be euthanized is worse than evil.
• Would you look at that: GOP Senators vow stop Cash for Clunkers program saying it’ll “heap debt on future generations“… meanwhile, Ford posts sales gain mostly thanks for the clunkers program.
• And then that happened: Iran supreme leader approves Ahmadinejad’s second term as president.
• Bouncing back: Increased industrial demand buoys price of oil.
• Rotten apple: FCC wants an explanation as to why Apple rejected the Google Voice app for the iPhone (here’s a hint: anti-trust laws)… meanwhile, Google CEO Eric Schmidt leaves Apple board.
• Bad neighbors: Evidence suggests Venezuela still aids FARC rebels in next-door Colombia… meanwhile, Hugo Chavez shuts down 13 radio stations, with more to follow this week.

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• Strapped for cash: The White House hopes to keep its “cash for clunkers” program running despite running out of cash (newsdome note: Why am I the only that missed out on this?)
• “Robust public option”? Blue Dog Democrats have their way with proposed healthcare legislation.
• Tangible good news? Signs of the recession easing up as decrease in GDP is smaller than expected.
• Funny how this works: Apple is resembling another big tech company from 10 years ago that squashed competition.
• Feels like a slow news day… so here’s a picture of a dude dressed as Spider Man stopping a van full of children so a brood of ducklings can cross the road.

  (Photo by Joeff Davis)

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• Media having a field day: President Obama has invited the Harvard professor and his arresting officer for beers at the White House (yes, beer).
• Meanwhile: New low for Fox News and Glenn Beck (hey, at least they apologized for profiting from that turdball’s idiotic nonsense).
• Porn and politics don’t mix: Was Stormy Daniels’ political advisor hit by a car bomb in New Orleans?
• At it again: Iranian police disrupt memorial for killed protesters.
• Silver lining in hard economic times: Earnings for Exxon and Shell drop as fuel demand wanes due to the recession.
• But, it’s still somewhat bad: Thought they don’t reach June numbers, jobless claims rose by 25,000.
• Nail in the coffin: Microsoft reaches search deal with Yahoo!, effectively implanting it’s new search engine Bing, in the once prosperous search portal.
  
• WTF? Texas woman sends 34 people to the hospital after spraying on some perfume.

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• Truth of the matter: Republicans broke the economy, won’t fix it.
• What regulation? Bernie Madoff says he pulled off fraud cuz Feds weren’t watching.
• Accelerate: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he sees chance for quicker troop withdrawl from Iraq.
• Good sign: Economic indicators suggest manufacturing may expand in second half of the year.
• Remember how texting can increase your chances of crashing? Well, now lawmakers wanna make it illegal to text while driving.
• D’you see it? New version of iPhone only visible to Apple’s most loyal customers.
• Watch what you tweet: Woman sued for angry tweet about her landlord.
• Don’t tan in sunbeds: It can give you cancer.

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• Not great: Senate Finance Committee drops public option from health care bill.
• First you see home sales inch up, and now you see prices follow.
• Where have I seen this before: U.S. citizens of Middle Eastern origin, living by a lake and running a drywall business in North Carolina, are arrested on terrorism charges. Rest assured, say prosecutors, their terrorism ties “run deep.”
• One word, epidemic: The cost of obesity has soared to $147 billion, says the CDC.
• Smooth sailing: Senate Judiciary Committee votes on SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
• Rotten apples: Techies are fuming over the rejection of the Google Voice app from the iTunes app store.
• Well duh: Texting while driving can, wait for it, increase your chances of crashing.
• So this is why William Shatner is awesome:

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Protesters gathered in front of the CNN center in Downtown Atlanta on June 20th to voice their opposition to the Iranian government's violent response to demonstrations in Iran.

• Positive talks in the sense of “yes” to all options: Israel official asserts that “all options” are on the table on Iran. Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi calls for a gathering Thursday to “to commemorate our killed loved ones.”
• Meanwhile, U.S. preparing response to Iran’s nuclear overtures by fall.
• 30 years from now, when I need hip replacement surgery, I will not remember who was Henry Louis Gates: Democrats alone cannot pass health care legislation.
• Meanwhile, a primer on Blue Dog Democrats.
• Some great deals out there: New home sales in June rose by the largest amount in eight years.
• And here’s a new story about Sarah Palin saying she will step aside. Tomorrow, another in-depth look at the steps she will take, including the most crucial step: aside.

  (Photo by Joeff davis)

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• Remind me, is an insult grounds for arrest? Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was “abusive” to cop who showed up at his door, which prompted the sergeant to arrest him.
• Pushing back the deadline: The White House indicated that passage of a health care reform bill is doable by year’s end.
• Bidder beware? President Obama announced a competition for $4 billion in federal grants to improve academic achievement in U.S. schools.
• You’re doing it wrong: Ousted Honduran president Miguel Zelaya has set-up camp across the border in Nicaragua and vowed to take back the presidency this weekend.
• Whaddayaknow: Apparently, 91 percent of terror cases tried in U.S. courts have resulted in convictions.
• Rel=”nofollow”: The AP tells search engines to get off its digital lawn, pay for those headlines.
• Of prime ministers and good performance: Sex tapes allegedly involving Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and that purportedly include discussions of his studness, were released by the Italian media.

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• Funny how that works: President Obama gives a press conference on health care and the media is buzzing with the “stupidly” comment… meanwhile, Obama suggests he’ll soften the August deadline on passing a health reform bill.
• Peek into their world: U.S. citizen captured in Pakistan trained with Al-Qaeda and is now cooperating with authorities.
• You could have seen this coming: FDA says electronic cigarettes pose a health hazard, contain cancer-causing chemicals.
• Going mother on them: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the North Korea issue: What we’ve seen is this constant demand for attention, and maybe it’s the mother in me or the experience that I’ve had with small children and unruly teenagers and people who are demanding attention. Don’t give it to them. They don’t deserve it.”
• On that part of the world: Another Russian human rights activist is dead, murder is suspected.
• And in the swamp: Two New Jersey mayors arrested in anti-corruption probe.
• Give them FireFox or… State Department employees are forced to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

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America's most trusted newscaster?(!)

• Can you feel it? Democrats growing frustrated with purported “lack of direction” from President Obama on health bill… as some observers consider the health care debate the defining moment of his Presidency – my question is, who really thought this whole thing would be a walk in the park?
• Unfortunate milestone: U.S. deaths hit a record high in Afghanistan.
• Meanwhile: U.S. military condemns Taliban’s use of captured American soldier saying it violates international law.
• Fake news? Jon Stewart is the most trusted newscaster?(!)… and this kinda says a lot about The Onion selling out to the Chinese.
• A shrinking world… economy: WTO Estimates world economic output will shrink by 10 percent.
• Bizarro: Woman found dead in McDonald’s food processing plant.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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• Obama: “Health care reform shouldn’t be political“… tell that to those people running the Canadian-woman-with-a-”brain-tumor” ads… of these loons (breeding ground for terrorism? Fox News has out-Fox-News-ed itself).
• Easier said than done: Task force set up to make recommendations on closing Guantanamo is giving itself six more months to issue report.
• I’m telling you, keep your eyes on that ball: Myanmar is suspected of trying to build a nuclear weapon with the help of North Korea.
• 10 reasons why the Apollo 11 Moon landing was awesome… meanwhile, amateur Australian astronomer discovers an impact mark on Jupiter the size of Earth.
• Of geeks and civil liberties: Users are up in arms after Amazon remotely removed digital copies of George Orwell (of all people) classics from their Kindle e-book reader with no prior warning.
• Get off our lawn! In the year 2040, there will be 1.3 billion senior citizens.
• ER-IN AN-DREWS! Taking it too far, a peeping tom posted a video showing the fan-favorite ESPN reporter, Erin Andrews, nude. Don’t go looking for it tho, it’s been taken down and instead, hackers are using the meme to push out viruses.
• I wuz here: Experts confirm authenticity of medieval map showing parts of North America.
• If true, let’s all blame Michael Bay: Kid drinks gasoline to be like Optimus Prime.

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• Suck it up: Both the Obama Administration and Capitol Hill Democrats face considerable hurdles with health care reform and budget deficit concerns.
• Meanwhile, slow news day or collective short term memory? Obama’s approval ratings fall below 50 on health care.
• Yawn: Landing on the moon is sooo 1969.
• Beware the dogs: Michael Vick is free.
• Shock revelation! Lone surviving Mumbai attacker admits guilt.
• And yes, it’s a slow news day, here’s a picture of a rabbit stealing a cookie.

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• Artificial profits: Beleaguered financial institutions Bank of America and Citigroup have turned “handsome” profits for the second quarter, mainly due to one-time deals and not to that little thing called tax payer-funded bailout.
• Suicide bombers strike two American luxury hotels in Indonesia.
• More of the same? Police tear-gas protesters in Tehran.
• No new or damaging ammunition: SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings gracefully come to an end.
• “No excuses”: President Obama delivers a fiery, inspiring sermon to the N.A.A.C.P. in New York… (video below).
  

• Not to flame any conspiracies or anything: NASA admits that the original recordings of the moon landing were “erased,” and “copies” of the original look even “better.“
• U.N. to poor countries: Stop being poor. Just, stop it.
• Too many to count: WHO has stopped cataloging individual cases of the swine flu.

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