Headlines

Politics

• Clinton Chief Strategist Resigns After Advising Columbia On Contradictory Policy
• Greenspan Endorses McCain, Predicts 50% Chance Of Recession
• NC Voters Choose Obama, Despite Thinking Clinton Better Prepared Against McCain
• Washington Post: Democrat Superdelegates In No Hurry To End Race
• Clinton’s Health Care Story Is A Fairy Tale
• Clinton Denies Denial
• McCain’s Silence On His Son Deployed To Iraq
• Clintons Tax Returns Show Worth Of Nearly $100 Million, Raise Questions
• ABC News: Condi Angling For VP Spot; Not Likely To Happen

US

• Another Chinese Espionage Bust
• Democrat Leaders: Don’t Spin Iraq Condition
• Police Raid Polygamous Religious Sect For Sexually Abusing Children
• Charlton Heston Dead At 84
• Michigan State Party Turns Violent, Dispersed With Tear Gas
• Missing Woman Feared Dead After Boyfriend Kills Self

International

• China Protests Plague London Olympic Flame Relay
• Bush, Putin Hold Last Meeting, Differences Unresolved
• Nearly 150 Muslim Graves Vandalized In France
• Mugabe Continues To Show Signs Of Holding On To Power, Using Force If Necessary
• Iraq Tensions Turn Deadly Again Despite Ceasefire
• Karzai Hints He Will Run For Reelection In 2009
• Miami Jury Awards Over $250 Million In Cuban Wrongful Death Case
• Tamil Tiger Suicide Attack Kills Sri Lankan Minister

Business & Economics

• Government Pressuring Buffett To Can General Re CEO
• Microsoft Issues Ultimatum And Threat To Yahoo
• Deal To Infuse Nation’s-Largest, Strapped Savings And Loan With $5 Billion

Video of the Day

Charlton Heston, who died on Saturday at age 84, makes his famous quote during the 2000 Presidential campaign that Al Gore could only take away his Second Amendment rights from his “cold dead hands”.

Politics

Clinton Chief Strategist Resigns After Advising Columbia On Contradictory Policy

After meeting with Columbian officials to advise them on a trade treaty opposed by Hillary Clinton, top Clinton adviser Mark Penn resigned Sunday as her chief strategist. Penn has been the source of controversy both as the provider of questionable campaign advice - such as focusing only on the early, major primaries, which led to her disastrous showings against Obama in the primaries beyond Super Tuesday - and from refusing to distance himself from his polling business, which often has put him at odds with the interests of the Clinton campaign. Many Clinton loyalists blame Penn for the strategic miscalculations that allowed Obama to overtake what was once Hillary’s insurmountable position as front-runner.

Greenspan Endorses McCain, Predicts 50% Chance Of Recession

Alan Greenspan, the former US Federal Reserve Chairman, endorsed John McCain for President on Sunday while also predicting the US faced a 50% chance of heading into a recession. The endorsement is a boost to McCain, who has stated economics is not his strongest suit.

NC Voters Choose Obama, Despite Thinking Clinton Better Prepared Against McCain

A new poll in North Carolina shows Obama with a double-digit lead over Clinton - 57 to 33 - despite also showing over 50% of NC voters think Clinton would fare better against McCain in the general election, while less than a third believe Obama will do better. NC holds its primary on May 6.

Washington Post: Democrat Superdelegates In No Hurry To End Race

The Washington Post reports that many of the Democrat superdelegates “are in no hurry” to end the nomination race between Obama and Clinton, with some saying that allowing the process to play itself out until June, through the rest of the primaries, will only benefit the party in the long run. Other officials, including the campaigns, fear letting the fight drag out will cause irreparable fissures within the party and leave the winning candidate with negative baggage going into the general election against McCain.

Clinton’s Health Care Story Is A Fairy Tale

The CEO of a Ohio hospital implored Clinton to “immediately desist from repeating this story”, in reference to a tale she’s been using on the campaign trail of an uninsured young pregnant woman who died along with her baby when she couldn’t afford the $100 fee the hospital was asking for. Relayed to her from a police officer who heard the story secondhand himself, the story is a fabrication based on a nugget of truth. Clinton’s campaign said that while it tries to fully vet every story used by the candidate, “we did try but were not able to fully vet [this one].”

Clinton Denies Denial

After denying she told Bill Richardson that “Obama cannot win” during the call in which Richardson informed her that he’d be endorsing Obama, Clinton retracted her denial, claiming she’d misheard the reporter’s question.

McCain’s Silence On His Son Deployed To Iraq

The New York Times reports on McCain’s silence on his Marine son, Jimmy McCain’s deployment to Iraq, refusing to make his son a political target or exploit him for political gain, and giving the Senator a first-hand set of eyes and ears on the ground in Iraq. The paper recounts an incident in which McCain and his son visited in New Hampshire the mother of a recently-killed soldier, just days before Jimmy was deployed to Iraq.

Clintons Tax Returns Show Worth Of Nearly $100 Million, Raise Questions

After months of pressure, the Clintons finally released their tax returns from their post-White House years, showing over the past seven years they’ve earned nearly $100 million from books, speeches, and investment relationships with high-profile Clinton supporters. Some of the income sources have raised questions of propriety, particularly the tens of millions Bill earned as an adviser to an investment fund whose clients include the ruler of Dubai. The former President’s stated role is a very obtuse “general adviser”, creating at least the appearance that a foreign ruler may be buying influence with the aspiring family of Presidents.

ABC News: Condi Angling For VP Spot; Not Likely To Happen

ABC News reports that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is angling for the VP spot on McCain’s ticket, despite her public statements to the contrary. It is unlikely that McCain would choose Rice given her close ties to deeply unpopular President Bush and her central role in the botched planning of the Iraq war.

US

Another Chinese Espionage Bust

Two Chinese men were arrested Saturday as they tried boarding a plane from Los Angeles to Beijing, carrying restricted, highly-sensitive infrared cameras that could be used for military purposes, that were purchased after assurances were given that the cameras were not going to be exported. The US intelligence and defense communities maintain that China currently wages the most widespread, intense espionage efforts against the US, trying to catch up with American defense and commercial capabilities by stealing national secrets.

Democrat Leaders: Don’t Spin Iraq Condition

Referring to Tuesday’s planned Congressional testimony from the top US commander and ambassador to Iraq, Democrat leaders warned the two to not try spinning the situation on the ground to be more positive than it really is, particularly in light of the unexpected fierce fighting between Iraqi troops and Iranian-backed Shia militias in the southern city of Basra.

Police Raid Polygamous Religious Sect For Sexually Abusing Children

Police raided a fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon sect’s compound in Texas over the weekend, removing nearly 200 young women, girls, and boys who are believed to be abused or at risk of being sexually abused. The sect is the same one formerly led by Warren Jeffs, who was once on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and is currently serving 10 years to life in a federal prison for rape, incest, and related charges. The sect marries multiple girls as young as 13 to older men, and the raid was sparked by a 16 year-old girl who called police to report sexual abuse. The girl is married to a 50 year-old man and has an eight month-old baby by him.

Charlton Heston Dead At 84

Legendary actor cum political activist Charlton Heston died Saturday night at the age of 84. Heston’s fame as an actor came from his epic roles such as Ben-Hur, Moses, and Henry VIII. In his later years, he was more known for his activism, especially as the brash president and spokesman of the National Rifle Association, in which role he made his famous statement to then Presidential candidate Al Gore that he could take away his Second Amendment rights from his “cold dead hands”.

Michigan State Party Turns Violent, Dispersed With Tear Gas

“Police early Sunday used tear gas to disperse a [party of 3,000 - 4,000] near the campus of Michigan State University after fights broke out and officers were pelted with bottles and cans.” The crowd was trying to restart an annual party called Cedar Fest, which was officially ended in 2005 after years of the the fest devolving into random mob violence.

Missing Woman Feared Dead After Boyfriend Kills Self

“The family of a 22-year-old woman missing since last week fears she may be dead after her boyfriend killed himself when officers stopped by the couple’s apartment to check on her.”

International

Europe

China Protests Plague London Olympic Flame Relay

Anti-China / pro-Tibet protests plagued the 31-mile Olympic flame relay through London on Sunday, with some of the more brazen protests including a man who tried using a fire extinguisher to put out the flame, people trying to tackle torchbearers, and massive crowds diverting and shutting down routes. Activists around the world are using this summer’s Olympics in Beijing to put pressure on the Chinese government over it’s abhorrent human rights record. The protests took on a heightened sense of urgency and intensity after China cracked down on Tibetan independence protests with lethal force. China invaded and annexed Tibet in 1951 and has brutally ruled it ever since. Given US free speech guarantees, similar protests are expected when the flame makes its US leg on the west coast.

Bush, Putin Hold Last Meeting, Differences Unresolved

“President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to overcome sharp differences over a U.S. missile defense system, closing their seven-year relationship Sunday still far apart on an issue that has separated them from the beginning.” Both men are leaving office in the next year, and this week’s meeting will be their last major planned one. Russia remains vehemently opposed to the proposed US missile defense system, parts of which will be deployed to eastern Europe to protect the US and allies against rogue nations such as Iran and North Korea. Russia sees the missile shield as a strategic threat since it will partially nullify Russia’s nuclear arsenal. At last weeks NATO summit, the US secured the backing of the alliance for building installations in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Nearly 150 Muslim Graves Vandalized In France

Almost 150 Muslim graves were found to be vandalized on Sunday in a French cemetery, with graffiti and a pigs head found to be desecrating the graves. France has long-standing tensions with it’s Muslim community, with naturalized former North African colonial subjects being relegated to what they claim is a second class society and frustrations boiling over into protests and mob violence on numerous occasions in recent years. France’s President Sarkozy denounced the attacks as “sordid”.

Africa

Mugabe Continues To Show Signs Of Holding On To Power, Using Force If Necessary

Despite results that still have yet to be released, dictator Robert Mugabe’s government called for a runoff vote in the wake of last Saturday’s elections. The opposition denounced the government’s request as “illegal and impractical”, while asking a court to compel the release of the results as they stand today. Independently-reported results show the opposition winning a victory, though short of the 50% required to avoid a runoff, while the opposition claims it won over 60% of the vote. In recent days, Mugabe’s government has been showing signs that it may be preparing to hold on to power using any means necessary, including force, regardless of what the election results show - government troops have been cracking down on the opposition party and harassing and jailing journalists. Also over the weekend, bands of veterans loyal to Mugabe attacked white-owned farms and tried evicting the owners.

Middle East

Iraq Tensions Turn Deadly Again Despite Ceasefire

Fighting flared up again in Baghdad, with Iranian-backed Shia militias raining rockets and mortars down on the Green Zone and a nearby US military base, killing at least three US troops and wounding over 30. The attacks came as the US and Iraqi militaries tried putting an end to the violence that intensified with the Shia-led government taking on for the first time the Shia militias that have held sway over the country since the US invasion in 2003. The government rushed into the conflict with little planning and communication with US and allied forces, and the ensuing standoff and ceasefire embarrassed the government and led to a resolution that allowed the militias to retain their weapons and fighting capabilities.

Karzai Hints He Will Run For Reelection In 2009

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s first President since the US invasion in 2001, suggested that he will seek a second five-year term after his current term expires in 2009, despite current popular dissatisfaction stemming from the uptick in violence perpetrated by the Taliban and the government’s limited geographic control. The US intelligence community estimates the Afghan government controls only 30% of the country, while the Taliban control 10%, with the rest governed by Afghan tribes.

Americas

Miami Jury Awards Over $250 Million In Cuban Wrongful Death Case

A Miami jury awarded over $250 million in a wrongful death suit to the children of a man who died in a Cuban prison 30 years ago after helping a Cuban man escape to the US. It’s the largest such judgment against Cuba, but the plaintiffs are not likely to receive very much of the verdict since the value of Cuban assets frozen by the US government have dwindled.

Asia

Tamil Tiger Suicide Attack Kills Sri Lankan Minister

“A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber killed Sri Lanka’s highway minister and at least 13 other people attending a marathon race near the capital, Colombo, on Sunday. Television images showed a ball of fire roaring toward the minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, as he signaled the start of the race.” The Tamil Tigers are a violent separatist organization that has waged a campaign of terror against the Sri Lankan government for over 30 years.

Business & Economics

Government Pressuring Buffett To Can General Re CEO

“Federal prosecutors are pressuring Berkshire Hathaway Inc. to replace the chief executive of its reinsurance subsidiary, General Re Corp., following criminal-fraud convictions of four former General Re executives earlier this year.”

Microsoft Issues Ultimatum And Threat To Yahoo

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent a letter to Yahoo’s Board of Directors threatening a hostile takeover bid if the company doesn’t agree to Microsoft’s buyout offer within three weeks. Yahoo initially rejected the bid, saying Microsoft’s offer undervalued the company, but Microsoft has refused to raise it’s bid. Reports indicate many on Yahoo’s Board are opposed to the takeover and have been seeking alternatives to a merger, such as securing a deal with another company like Google that can block any Microsoft takeover bid.

Deal To Infuse Nation’s-Largest, Strapped Savings And Loan With $5 Billion

Private investors at close to finalizing a deal that will infuse Washington Mutual with over $5 billion to help ease the nation’s largest savings and loan’s liquidity strains in the face of the credit market crisis. The investment won’t come cheap though - the deal will dilute WaMu’s shareholders, who have already lost nearly 75% over the past year.