Headlines

Politics

• All Three Candidates To Grill Gen. Petraus In Senate Hearings Today
• Clinton: Bush Should Boycott Olympic Opening Ceremony Over Human Rights
• McCain Raises $15 Million In February, Still Far Behind Democrats
• Obama Continues Catching-Up To Clinton In Pennsylvania

US

• China Human Rights-Protesters Scale Golden Gate Bridge (Video)
• Update: Total Number Of Children Removed From Polygamous Sect Now 400 (Video)
• CBS News In Talks To Outsource News Gathering To CNN
• Washington Post Cleans House At Pulitzers
• Kansas Wins NCAA Basketball Tournament

International

• China Holding Urgent Talks With International Olympic Committee
• Inquest Jury: Princess Diana’s Death Was Unlawful Killing
• Paris Olympic Flame Relay Quit After It Descends Into Chaos
• London Allowed “Importation Of Chinese Police State Tactics”
• France: Iraq As European Terror Incubator Fears Overblown
• Iraq’s Botched Crackdown May Be Kicking Off New Cycle Of Violence
• Zimbabwe Court Delays Decision As Mugabe Continues To Hang On To Power

Business & Economics

• Yahoo Rejects Microsoft’s Bid Again After Ballmer Threat
• US Automakers See Opportunity In Falling Dollar - Reinvigorated Exports & US Manufacturing
• More Fuel From Asia For Soaring US Inflation
• Greenspan: Housing Market To Bounce In 2008

Video of the Day

The Olympic torch relay in Paris devolves into chaos as protesters erupt, causing Chinese officials to repeatedly extinguish the flame and retreat to buses. Eventually the officials quit the relay only two-thirds of the way into it.

Politics

All Three Candidates To Grill Gen. Petraus In Senate Hearings Today

When General Petraus - the top US commander in Iraq - testifies before Senate committees today on the status of the war in Iraq, he will find himself smack in the middle of the Presidential campaign as all three candidates - McCain, Obama, and Clinton - will be among his questioners.

Clinton: Bush Should Boycott Olympic Opening Ceremony Over Human Rights

Hillary Clinton joined Nancy Pelosi in calling on President Bush to boycott attending the Olympics’ opening ceremonies in Beijing this summer in protest of China’s abysmal human rights record and recent violent crackdown on Tibetan independence protesters. A growing contingent of European leaders have announced they will be boycotting the ceremonies, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the forefront. Both Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently reaffirmed they will be in attendance.

McCain Raises $15 Million In February, Still Far Behind Democrats

John McCain reported raising a record $15 million in February, which is still far beyond his Democrat rivals - in the same month, Clinton raised $20 million and Obama raised $40 million.

Obama Continues Catching-Up To Clinton In Pennsylvania

The latest CNN poll of polls shows Obama continuing to narrow the gap with Clinton in Pennsylvania, with her lead currently at 49 to 42, whereas the last poll that included data up until Wednesday showed her lead at 51 to 40. Pennsylvania’s Democrat primary is April 22 and represents a must-win race for Clinton - if she loses there, it is generally believed that her campaign will not be able to continue.

US

China Human Rights-Protesters Scale Golden Gate Bridge (Video)

Ahead of Wednesday’s Olympic torch relay in San Francisco, protesters scaled the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday, unfurling giant banners that read “One World, One Dream” (the official slogan of the games) and “Free Tibet 08″ (referring to the country China has brutally occupied since invading and annexing it in 1951), along with a Tibetan flag. Officials are expecting violence, after chaos reigned during the London and Paris relays.

Update: Total Number Of Children Removed From Polygamous Sect Now 400 (Video)

The total number of children removed from the Texas compound of a fundamentalist Mormon sect has risen to 400, mostly girls. 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.

CBS News In Talks To Outsource News Gathering To CNN

CBS News, the godfather of modern network news and home to journalism pioneers such as Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow, is in discussions with CNN to outsource some of its news-gathering functions to the cable network while maintaining its consumer-facing brands and personalities such as Katie Couric. Consistently coming in last place in the ratings, CBS News apparently can no longer support the news-gathering side of the business with the advertising revenue it is generating.

Washington Post Cleans House At Pulitzers

“The Washington Post won six Pulitzer Prizes on Monday, including the public service medal for exposing shoddy treatment of America’s war wounded at Walter Reed hospital, and the breaking-news award for coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre.” The New York Times won two prizes.

Kansas Wins NCAA Basketball Tournament

The University of Kansas beat Memphis in overtime 75-68 to win the NCAA basketball championship.

International

Asia

China Holding Urgent Talks With International Olympic Committee

“Beijing officials are to hold urgent talks with senior members of the Olympic movement about the torch relay, as concern grows among International Olympic Committee members over the effect of pro-Tibet protests on the games.”

Europe

Inquest Jury: Princess Diana’s Death Was Unlawful Killing

The three-month coroner’s inquest into Princess Diana’s death found that the Princess was unlawfully killed, but by her reckless driver and pursuing paparazzi, not the secret agents proposed by the conspiracy theorists who believe Britain’s Royal Family was behind an organized assassination. Her sons - Princes William and Harry - welcomed the verdict and said they hope it will finally put to rest the questions and controversy around her death.

Paris Olympic Flame Relay Quit After It Descends Into Chaos

After a tumultuous relay in London on Sunday, the Olympic flame relay descended into total chaos in Paris yesterday, out of the control of the more than 3,000 police officers providing security, and leading to the Chinese officials to repeatedly extinguish the flame and retreat to their buses. Finally the officials gave up and canceled the last third of the relay. San Francisco is bracing for the worst when the flame makes its sole US appearance there on Wednesday. Olympic officials announced the torch relay tradition will be scrapped for the 2012 games.

London Allowed “Importation Of Chinese Police State Tactics”

Reports from the Olympic flame’s Sunday relay in London reveal that the British government allowed the “importation” of Chinese police state tactics, with Chinese minders attacking and shoving around torch-bearers, demonstrators, and even police.

France: Iraq As European Terror Incubator Fears Overblown

French antiterrorism officials say fears of Iraq serving as a recruiting and training haven for would-be European Islamic terrorists are overblown, as logistics make Iraq difficult and expensive to travel to, and the convoluted internal politics, tribal affiliations, and sectarian strife make the fight an alien one to European Muslims.

Middle East

Iraq’s Botched Crackdown May Be Kicking Off New Cycle Of Violence

The Shia-led Iraqi government’s crackdown on Shia militias may be setting the stage for reignited political and security instability in the country. The government is fighting a sometime ally - a powerful national force that has historically been able to single-handedly initiate and quell violence across large swathes of the country. The government has made recent strides in bringing factions together and consolidating power, but last week’s botched crackdown kicked off a new round of violence that has seen fighting spring up throughout the south of the country, with a new level of precision and deadliness in attacks on Baghdad’s Green Zone.

Africa

Zimbabwe Court Delays Decision As Mugabe Continues To Hang On To Power

Zimbabwe’s high court delayed a decision on whether to force the release of last week’s elections, after ruling dictator Robert Mugabe’s government spent the last week making moves that seem to indicate he is trying to hold on to power via any means necessary in the face of an apparent victory by his opposition. Mugabe’s tactics included changing the rules so that votes would be counted centrally rather than in each precinct, delaying the release of results in what critics claim is an effort to fix the results, and most ominously, deploying police and military troops to interfere with the opposition and journalists, while stoking racial fears against former white colonialists via state-controlled media.

Business & Economics

Yahoo Rejects Microsoft’s Bid Again After Ballmer Threat

Responding to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s threat to lower their bid and pursue a hostile takeover if his buyout offer wasn’t accepted, Yahoo’s Board of Directors rejected the offer again on Monday, repeating their stance that the offer is too low.

US Automakers See Opportunity In Falling Dollar - Reinvigorated Exports & US Manufacturing

Newly renegotiated labor contracts and a sinking Dollar have combined to create a surprising opportunity for America’s top automobile manufacturers - the potential of a reinvigorated export market. Automakers are reportedly planning to focus on exports while bringing jobs back to the US where labor is now relatively cheaper than in places such as Europe.

More Fuel From Asia For Soaring US Inflation

Rising, lasting inflation in Asia is the latest structural element to pile on the plethora of forces lining up against the American economy. As Asia’s developing nations modernize, wages are rising, at the same time the value of the Dollar is falling and world commodity prices are soaring. Unlike past bouts of inflation in developing nations, this one is likely to be permanent since most US imports come from Asia, costs are rising fast, and the causes are structural, rather than short-term economic situations. On top of that, the Fed’s decision to cut interest rates to stimulate economic growth is further fueling US inflation.

Greenspan: Housing Market To Bounce In 2008

“Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the drop in U.S. home prices will probably end ‘well before’ early next year as the number of houses on the market diminishes, aiding an economic rebound.“