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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Israel's slide into reactionary politics spells the end of Oslo Tony Karon

Israel's slide into reactionary politics spells the end of Oslo

Ngo Dinh Netanyahu, Benjamin MacArthur by Leon T. Hadar

Ngo Dinh Netanyahu, Benjamin MacArthur

by Leon T. Hadar

Israeli Cabinet Minister Calls For Pre-Emptive Attack On Iran

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/05/31/231466/israeli-minister-attack-iran-nuclear/
 

DE BORCHGRAVE: Shining citadel redux

Description: Description: http://license.icopyright.net:80/publisher/pageView.act?publication_id=7280&content_id=/news/2011/may/30/shining-citadel-redux/&random=0.9327177961684654
May 30, 2011
DE BORCHGRAVE: Shining citadel redux
By Arnaud de Borchgrave

Can Obama Beat the Israel Lobby?

Can Obama Beat the Israel Lobby?
 
Israelis would do well to heed a warning by the sages of the Talmud: Tafasta merubah, lo tafasta! (If you try to grab it all, you risk losing it all!), notes Henry Siegman.

A State of Palestine: The Case for UN Recognition and Membership

A State of Palestine: The Case for UN Recognition and Membership

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief
27 May 2011
Victor Kattan
 

http://al-shabaka.org/policy-brief/politics/state-palestine-case-un-recognition-and-membership?page=show
 

Global economy: A high price to pay

FT.com - Analysis
 

Global economy: A high price to pay
 
Global economy: Credited with preventing prolonged worldwide recession, emerging economies face the dangers of rapid inflation – with potentially far-reaching consequences, write Stefan Wagstyl and Jonathan Wheatley
http://link.ft.com/r/CTBPCC/3O8XTW/EW4YCB/IY58I4/BM23W8/SN/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=31
 

Iran and the Bomb How real is the nuclear threat? by Seymour Hersh

The New Yorker

Annals of National Security

Iran and the Bomb

How real is the nuclear threat?

by Seymour M. Hersh
 
June 6, 2011

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/06/06/110606fa_fact_hersh
 

Monday, May 30, 2011

Hay Festival 2011: ex-CIA man claims Barack Obama 'doesn't have a clue'

Hay Festival 2011: ex-CIA man claims Barack Obama 'doesn't have a clue'

David Cameron and Barack Obama ''don't have a clue'' about dealing with the war on terror, a former senior member of the CIA has claimed.

Remember


Remember

n Violation Of UN Resolution, Western "Boots" Are Now On The Libyan Ground from zero hedge by Tyler Durden

n Violation Of UN Resolution, Western "Boots" Are Now On The Libyan Ground

The Fundamental Problem with Oil Prices

The Fundamental Problem with Oil Prices

This is a guest post by Derik Andreoli, Senior Analyst at Mercator International, LLC

PHANTOM EFFICIENCY: U.S. Energy Consumption Is Well Below Peak, And That's Not A Good Thing

PHANTOM EFFICIENCY: U.S. Energy Consumption Is Well Below Peak, And That's Not A Good Thing

from Clusterstock

Stanford's B-School Dean Weighs In On The Two (Potential) Bubbles

Stanford's B-School Dean Weighs In On The Two (Potential) Bubbles



After speculating about the two potential bubbles -- tech and higher business education -- the Economist went to Stanford's Graduate School of Business Dean Garth Saloner, whose institution would be at the intersection of both inflated industries. He says that there may be an education bubble, but that the U.S.'s Top 10 B-Schools would be immune. (It could look a lot like today's law school crisis.)

Oil and Gasoline Price Update

Oil and Gasoline Price Update

Oil and gasoline prices are probably the biggest downside risk to the economy right now. Oil prices are off slightly today, from the WSJ: Oil Prices Ease

The New Face of War from Antiwar.com Original by Conn Hallinan

The New Face of War

The assassination of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden did more than knock off U.S. Public Enemy Number One. It formalized a new kind of warfare, where sovereignty is irrelevant, armies tangential, and decisions are secret. It is, in the words of counterinsurgency expert John Nagl, “an astounding change in the nature of warfare.”

Meet the Oil-Rich Mid-East Monarchies Hell-Bent on Pushing Back the Democratic Revolutions of the Mideast

Meet the Oil-Rich Mid-East Monarchies Hell-Bent on Pushing Back the Democratic Revolutions of the Mideast

A new regional political-military alliance emerges out of the 'Arab Spring,' laden with corporate contracts, missile deals, anti-Iran propaganda and oodles of oil money.

The Growing Political War Surrounding Coal Mining Is a 'Fight About Democracy'

The Growing Political War Surrounding Coal Mining Is a 'Fight About Democracy'

"They̢۪ve destroyed the unions, they̢۪ve beaten up on the environment, they̢۪ve violated federal health and safety standards, to [enrich] ... the executives of the company."

Egypt: The Revolution is Incomplete

Egypt: The Revolution is Incomplete

Mark Mobius Echoes Carl Icahn: "There Is Definitely Going To Be Another Financial Crisis" from zero hedge by Tyler Durden

Mark Mobius Echoes Carl Icahn: "There Is Definitely Going To Be Another Financial Crisis"

from zero hedge

20 Questions To Ask Anyone Foolish Enough To Believe The Economic Crisis Is Over from Business Insider by Michael Snyder

20 Questions To Ask Anyone Foolish Enough To Believe The Economic Crisis Is Over

from Business Insider

The Truth About the American Economy from Business Insider by Robert Reich

The Truth About the American Economy


The U.S. economy continues to stagnate. It’s growing at the rate of 1.8 percent, which is barely growing at all. Consumer spending is down.
It’s vital that we understand the truth about the American economy.
How did we go from the Great Depression to 30 years of Great Prosperity? And from there, to 30 years of stagnant incomes and widening inequality, culminating in the Great Recession? And from the Great Recession into such an anemic recovery?

Check Out What GDP Growth Would Look Like If The Government Were Using The Right Inflation Numbers

Check Out What GDP Growth Would Look Like If The Government Were Using The Right Inflation Numbers

from Business Insider

BEHOLD, The Massive Sea Change Happening In The American Energy Industry

BEHOLD, The Massive Sea Change Happening In The American Energy Industry

Memorial Day Tribute

Memorial Day Tribute

Rolling Thunder Roars Into Washington

Rolling Thunder Roars Into Washington

Memorial Day Video Tribute

Memorial Day Video Tribute

Some sober reading for Memorial Day

Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says?

Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says?

President Obama has shown himself to be weak in his dealings with the Middle East, says Robert Fisk, and the Arab world is turning its back with contempt. Its future will be shaped without American influence

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Fukushima Daiichi... Sunday 5/29

Fukushima Daiichi... Sunday 5/29

Some updates from Fukushima Daiichi...

Is a nuclear-free East Asia possible? A debate

Is a nuclear-free East Asia possible? A debate

What happened at Fukushima?

What happened at Fukushima?

More information has begun to emerge as to actually what happened at Fukushima, with it now being clear that full fuel melt-down did occur, perhaps even starting before the tsunami hit, although we are still some way off knowing what the longer term impacts will be, and what should done to avoid a recurrence. Indeed a global agency that covers nuclear safety, based on the 72-nation Convention on Nuclear Safety (which was set up after the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown), has decided to delay reporting on its assessment of the accident until August next year, saying that ‘the lessons-learned process cannot be completed until sufficient additional information is known and fully analyzed.’ This makes the UK safety review, to be completed by this coming September, seem a little hasty, but then the government evidently want to get on with processing the nuclear consents programme - the Generic Design Assessment has been delayed until the NII safety review is complete. 

Fukushima 1 - no breakthough in sight

Fukushima 1 - no breakthough in sight

Tepco can't stabilize reactors by year-end: report

May 29, 2011, 6:46 p.m. EDT

Tepco can't stabilize reactors by year-end: report

Health Care Rationing for Beginners from The Baseline Scenario by James Kwak

Health Care Rationing for Beginners

from The Baseline Scenario

Blinded by the Right

Blinded by the Right

The GOP's blatantly partisan love for Bibi obscures a dangerous reality: that unwavering support for Israel actually hurts wider U.S. interests in the Middle East.

Libya: Water Emerges as a Hidden Weapon

Libya: Water Emerges as a Hidden Weapon
Simba Russeau, Inter Press Service: "Libya's enormous aquatic reserves could potentially become a new weapon of choice if government forces opt to starve coastal cities that heavily rely on free flowing freshwater. With only five percent of the country getting at least 100 millimetres of rainfall per year, Libya is one of the driest countries in the world."
Read the Article
 

Mitt Romney Panders To Iowa Over Corn Ethanol Subsidies from Clusterstock by Mike "Mish" Shedlock

Mitt Romney Panders To Iowa Over Corn Ethanol Subsidies

from Clusterstock

The Market Ticker - A Message For Obama and Democrats from The Market Ticker by genesis

The Market Ticker - A Message For Obama and Democrats

from The Market Ticker

Here's What's Going To Happen When Greece Defaults from Clusterstock by John Mauldin

Here's What's Going To Happen When Greece Defaults

from Clusterstock

Oil, Democracy and 'Drill, Baby, Drill' (Guest Post) EconMatters

Oil, Democracy and 'Drill, Baby, Drill' (Guest Post)

EconMatters

Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Gates Farewell Warning - Wall Street Journal

The Gates Farewell Warning - Wall Street Journal

Saudi Arabia, Iran and America in the Wake of the Arab Spring

From the Hoover Institution:  http://www.advancingafreesociety.org/2011/05/24/saudi-arabia-iran-and-america-in-the-wake-of-the-arab-spring/

Saudi Arabia, Iran and America in the Wake of the Arab Spring

Joshua Teitelbaum | May 24, 2011 | 9:56 am

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Many in the West have looked upon the “Arab Spring” with hopeful optimism. But for the rulers of Riyadh the Arab Spring’s primary result has been a shaking of the strategic foundation and alignments that have shaped Saudi regional policy since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The Saudis had previously believed that they were the leaders, with US backing, of a united Sunni coalition against Shiite Iran. Now its partners have fallen by the wayside – Egypt appears to be dropping out, Bahrain is threatened, and the US is wobbly. And, US President Obama’s speech on May 19 did not calm the Saudis down.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Clinton in Pakistan for Reconciliation from the CFR

Clinton in Pakistan for Reconciliation
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan on an unannounced visit, expressing U.S. commitment to bilateral relations in an effort to alleviate tensions that have festered in recent weeks. Clinton cleared Islamabad of any potential involvement in Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad support system (BBC), claiming that there is no evidence that top Pakistani officials had any knowledge of the al-Qaeda leader's whereabouts. Clinton met with Pakistani Prime Minister Asif Ali Zardari and attended a news conference with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen where she described the relationship with Pakistan as having reached a "turning point." Clinton's visit coincided with an announcement by U.S. officials that Pakistan will allow a CIA forensic team (Politico) to investigate bin Laden's hideout.
American diplomats traveling with Clinton said she would be pressing Pakistan on four areas of bilateral cooperation (WashPost) outlined by the State Department last week, including the CIA investigation, operations against terrorist safe havens, aiding U.S.-Afghan talks with the Taliban, and countering anti-Americanism in the Pakistani public. In the month since bin Laden's killing, U.S. lawmakers threatened to reduce financial aid to Islamabad (Reuters), while Pakistan countered by requesting the U.S. cut its military trainers in the country by half.
Analysis:
In this CFR Policy Innovation Memo, Daniel S. Markey argues that Washington should use the post-bin Laden crisis to create a more effective working partnership with Islamabad that will serve U.S. interests over the short and long run.
On Politico, Toby Dalton and George Perkovich write that the United States and Pakistan can begin rebuilding trust by setting aside the debate over the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and working together to build Pakistan's economy.
In this article from the Brookings Institution, Bruce Riedel writes that America's deeply troubled relations with Pakistan are likely to get worse. A host of issues divide Washington and Islamabad, and all are getting more difficult to manage.
Background:
Osama bin Laden's death raised pointed questions over the legitimacy of Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts and the viability of its relationship with the United States. Four experts discuss whether, and on what terms, the United States should continue aiding Pakistan.
Pakistan's stability is of great consequence to regional and international security. Examine the roots of its challenges, what it means for the region and the world, and explore some plausible futures for the country in CFR's Crisis Guide: Pakistan.

Reader’s Guide: Pakistan’s Terror Ties and the Shifting Relations Between Pakistan and the U.S.

Reader’s Guide: Pakistan’s Terror Ties and the Shifting Relations Between Pakistan and the U.S.

Charles Krauthammer's Big Lie

Charles Krauthammer's Big Lie

Saudi Bid to Curb Iran Worries U.S.

Saudi Bid to Curb Iran Worries U.S.

Saudi Arabia Scrambles to Limit Region’s Upheaval By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Saudi Arabia Scrambles to Limit Region’s Upheaval

China Real Time Report MAY 27, 2011 Should the U.S. Sell More F-16s to Taiwan?

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/05/27/should-the-u-s-sell-more-f-16s-to-taiwan/?mod=WSJBlog

Wall St Journal Masthead.gif
China Real Time Report

MAY 27, 2011

Should the U.S. Sell More F-16s to Taiwan?

Krauthammer’s Complaint

May 27, 2011
By Matt Duss
http://middleeastprogress.org/2011/05/krauthammers-complaint/
In a remarkable shift, neoconservative columnist Charles Krauthammer has recognized that the Palestinians are willing to accept a Palestinian state consisting solely of lands occupied by Israel during the Six Day War in 1967 — the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians’ position today, writes Krauthammer, is this: “The 1967 lines. Period. Indeed, in September the Palestinians are going to the United Nations to get the world to ratify precisely that — a Palestinian state on the ’67 lines.”

Friends Without Benefits




Friends Without Benefits
The U.S. is Israel's BFF, but the feeling isn't mutual.

Ron Paul on the state of the Republic

The Last Nail - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-olNr4UuVqY
Ron Paul addresses the usual empty chamber of the House of Representatives on the state of the republic.

Manufacturing at risk from global shift to Asia

Manufacturing at risk from global shift to Asia

The Mideast Peace Process: Washington Makes Things Worse


May 26, 2011

The Mideast Peace Process: Washington Makes Things Worse

AIA Issues Report on Defense Investment

 AIA Issues Report on Defense Investment

Bill Gates Calls on United States, Global Leaders to Invest in Agriculture in the Developing World

Bill Gates Calls on United States, Global Leaders to Invest in Agriculture in the Developing World

New Report on the Economic Value of 171 College Majors Links College Majors to Earnings

New Report on the Economic Value of 171 College Majors Links College Majors to Earnings

The Heritage Foundation's "Saving the American Dream" Plan Cuts Most Debt, Taxes & Federal Spending

The Heritage Foundation's "Saving the American Dream" Plan Cuts Most Debt, Taxes & Federal Spending

EU Outlines New Policy in Response to Arab Spring

EU Outlines New Policy in Response to Arab Spring

Amnesty International Issues Global Call to Action on 50th Anniversary, as Demands for Human Rights Transform Middle East and North Africa

Amnesty International Issues Global Call to Action on 50th Anniversary, as Demands for Human Rights Transform Middle East and North Africa

Mexico's Economy on Track Due to Strong Foreign Direct Investment

Mexico's Economy on Track Due to Strong Foreign Direct Investment

Major Report Shows Problematic Developments in the Struggle Against al Qaeda and Associated Movements

Major Report Shows Problematic Developments in the Struggle Against al Qaeda and Associated Movements

 

Lessons Learned From $1 Billion in Transportation Stimulus Spending

Lessons Learned From $1 Billion in Transportation Stimulus Spending

True Torah Jews React to Netanyahu Speeches

True Torah Jews React to Netanyahu Speeches

Supreme Court Finds No Federal Conflict with Arizona Laws Protecting Legal Workers

Supreme Court Finds No Federal Conflict with Arizona Laws Protecting Legal Workers

 

 

Feeding America Warns Proposed Budget Cuts Will Lead to Significantly Increased Hunger in America

Feeding America Warns Proposed Budget Cuts Will Lead to Significantly Increased Hunger in America

New York LGBT Center Takes Side of Anti-Semites


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New York LGBT Center Takes Side of Anti-Semites

ACLJ: Supreme Court Decision "Victory for Arizona and Other States" as AZ Immigration Law Is Upheld

ACLJ: Supreme Court Decision "Victory for Arizona and Other States" as AZ Immigration Law Is Upheld

GM to Invest $331 Million, Add 110 Jobs in Arlington, Tex.

GM to Invest $331 Million, Add 110 Jobs in Arlington, Tex.

Latest CCMR Study Shows Continued Erosion of U.S. Share of Global IPO Market

Latest CCMR Study Shows Continued Erosion of U.S. Share of Global IPO Market

OPEC braces to meet rising oil demand

OPEC braces to meet rising oil demand
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UPI) May 26, 2011 - OPEC's crucial ministerial meeting June 8 in Vienna is threatened by political turbulence as relations between its two top producers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, deteriorate and Libya is torn by civil war. On top of that, a power struggle in Tehran between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is likely to intrude as the cartel deliberates how to handle a pr ... more

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/GCC_expansion_aims_for_club_of_kings_999.html

GCC expansion aims for 'club of kings'

GCC expansion aims for 'club of kings'
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (UPI) May 26, 2011 - The Gulf Cooperation Council's drive to induct Jordan and Morocco into the 30-year-old alliance, a proposed union some are already calling "a club of kings," is a product of the unprecedented political upheaval sweeping the Arab world. It's also because the Saudis and their partners see U.S. power waning in the Middle East while Iran's is rising and because they believe the United State ... more

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/GCC_expansion_aims_for_club_of_kings_999.html

Now is not the time to raise interest rates

Now is not the time to raise interest rates Inflation targeting is like shooting clay pigeons, not throwing darts. To hit target we must aim where the clay is going to fly, not at a fixed board, says Adam Posen
http://link.ft.com/r/FG6LAA/72C4BO/JIYS70/A70RWS/5C8WX6/6C/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=27

How we dined with Mladic and failed our duty

How we dined with Mladic and failed our duty The west’s readiness to appease Gen Mladic came down from the top at Number 10 and the Elysée palace writes Adam LeBor
http://link.ft.com/r/FG6LAA/72C4BO/JIYS70/A70RWS/26HM53/6C/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=27

truggling to lead our hectic world

Struggling to lead our hectic world At a moment when trends beyond their control demand urgent attention, governments are losing their capacity to act, writes Philip Stephens
http://link.ft.com/r/FG6LAA/72C4BO/JIYS70/A70RWS/HD4FNZ/6C/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=27

Middle East: The direct approach

FT.com - Analysis
 

Middle East: The direct approach
Newly united and buoyed by the Arab spring, the Palestinians are appealing to the international community in their pursuit of statehood – a strategic shift that could yet sow further instability, writes Tobias Buck
http://link.ft.com/r/EB8122/KEYR22/BM7X6L/OJYO3T/OJETP8/YT/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=27

Same Netanyahu, Different Israel by Daniel Levy

Same Netanyahu, Different Israel
The Demographic Challenges to Peace  by Daniel Levy

Weak US data fuel fears of slowing recovery

Weak US data fuel fears of slowing recovery The US economy has stumbled deeper into the mud of another soft patch, with revised data showing a weaker pattern of growth in the first quarter
http://link.ft.com/r/NA70KK/KEYJW1/72VMH3/V1R7CS/OJETJS/KI/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

Investors protect against US default

Investors protect against US default Purchases of insurance against a sovereign debt default increase amid fierce battle in Congress over raising the debt ceiling
http://link.ft.com/r/NA70KK/KEYJW1/72VMH3/V1R7CS/TPR63R/KI/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

Arab democracies win G8 aid pledge

Arab democracies win G8 aid pledge
The world’s richest countries have agreed a multibillion-dollar aid package for Tunisia and Egypt, the two countries at the forefront of Mideast uprisings
http://link.ft.com/r/NA70KK/KEYJW1/72VMH3/V1R7CS/C5AQMZ/KI/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26
 

How to Solve Afghanistan

How to Solve Afghanistan

Why China Needed Bin Laden

Escaping North Korea

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Medvedev offers 2020 date for missile solution

Medvedev offers 2020 date for missile solution
Deauville, France (AFP) May 26, 2011 - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday after talks with US President Barack Obama that an ultimate solution to the long-running row over missile defence may not happen until after 2020. Medvedev and Obama met on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Deauville, France, and also discussed the economy, counter-terrorism and Russia's pending entry into the World Trade Organization. Befo ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Medvedev_offers_2020_date_for_missile_solution_999.html

G8 summit urges Russia to mediate with Libya

G8 summit urges Russia to mediate with Libya
Deauville, France (AFP) May 26, 2011 - The world's great industrial powers met Thursday at a G8 summit dominated by revolt in the Arab world, backing the popular struggle for democracy and seeking a way out of the Libyan war. Russia said it had been contacted by Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi's prime minister seeking to negotiate a deal, and had been asked by Western G8 partners to pursue contacts with the regime to seek to reso ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/G8_summit_urges_Russia_to_mediate_with_Libya_999.html

Third Depression Watch

Third Depression Watch

Last year I warned that we seemed to be heading into the “Third Depression” — by which I meant a prolonged period of economic weakness:

China Breeds Chaos

China Breeds Chaos
 

By: DAN BLUMENTHAL | The Wall Street Journal
Assisting Islamabad at this point shows just how responsible an international player Beijing is.

Thousands of Sadr Supporters Rally Against U.S. in Baghdad By: Tim Craig | The Washington Post

Thousands of Sadr Supporters Rally Against U.S. in Baghdad
 

By: Tim Craig | The Washington Post
In a defiant warning to U.S. and Iraqi officials, thousands of young men marched through Baghdad's Sadr City Thursday to prove they could restart the insurgency if American troops do not leave the country by the end of the year.

Obama: The West Still Leads the World in the 21st Century By: Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers

Obama: The West Still Leads the World in the 21st Century
 

By: Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers
Setting the stage for a G-8 summit starting Thursday in France, President Barack Obama spoke Wednesday from one heart of "Old Europe" to assert that the U.S.-European alliance will lead the 21st century even as new powers such as China, India and Brazil emerge.

Military Spending Cuts are Necessary


Military Spending Cuts are Necessary

By Julie Borowski on May 26, 2011

Can the United States Afford to Lead the World? Can It Afford Not To?

Can the United States Afford to Lead the World? Can It Afford Not To?

Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Law Punishing Undocumented Immigrant Hiring

Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Law Punishing Undocumented Immigrant Hiring
Michael Doyle, McClatchy Newspapers: "The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an Arizona law that harshly penalizes businesses for knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The highly anticipated decision keeps intact the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act. Employers could have their business licenses suspended or revoked for hiring illegal immigrants, under the law. The law also requires Arizona employers to use a federal program called E-Verify to check the immigration status of potential workers. Justices likewise upheld this provision, with Robert calling it 'entirely consistent' with federal law. In a ruling that could exert pressure on Congress and other states, the court - in what amounts to a 5-3 decision - declared that Arizona's law fits within the state's powers and does not infringe on federal turf."
Read the Article

http://www.truthout.org/supreme-court-upholds-arizona-law-punishing-undocumented-immigrant-hiring/1306434976
 

G8 to Focus on Mideast

G8 to Focus on Mideast
Leaders from the Group of Eight (BBC)
 
are set to convene in the French resort town of Deauville today. Discussions are expected to center on the conflict in Libya and the international response to the democratic uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. With web media icons Mark Zuckerberg and Eric Schmidt in attendance, the question of Internet regulation will also be on the agenda.
In a letter sent to G8 officials ahead of the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged fellow nations to support the democratic transitions in the Arab and Muslim world, including economic aid and a debt-swap initiative for Egypt (AFP)
 
. The United States called on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to help the region as it did for similar transitions in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Japanese government is hoping to win support for a trade agreement that could help revive its economy, battered by the March disasters and ensuing nuclear crisis. Prime Minister Naoto Kan is expected to push Europe to loosen trade restriction and open its borders to Japanese imports (FT)
 
.
Discussions over a replacement candidate for the managing director of the IMF (WSJ)
 
are also expected to be on the agenda. European G8 officials are throwing their support behind French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who announced her bid this week and plans to visit China, Brazil, and India in a push for the position.
Analysis:
This CFR backgrounder provides analysis of the expectations for the G8 summit
 
, where the Mideast turmoil will share top billing with nuclear safety, the Internet, leadership of the IMF, and aid to Africa.
This op-ed for the Guardian discusses Lagarde's potential to fill the lead role at the International Monetary Fund
 
--suggesting her management would mark a "radical change of style" from that of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
In this op-ed for the Financial Times, Joseph Stiglitz calls on the international community to help nurture the democratic movements in the Mideast
 
and provide financial support to their ailing economies.

Fuel Economy Question Remains: What’s the Number for 2025?

Fuel Economy Question Remains: What’s the Number for 2025?

White House climate aide says Obama’s ‘clean energy standard’ is alive

White House climate aide says Obama’s ‘clean energy standard’ is alive

White House sees compromise with Republicans on some energy issues

White House sees compromise with Republicans on some energy issues

Lagarde offers bigger voice to emerging nations

Lagarde offers bigger voice to emerging nations
 
Christine Lagarde, the frontrunner to become the next managing director of the IMF, has sought to head off opposition from developing economies to her candidacy, promising in an interview with the FT that they would be fairly represented at senior positions at the fund
http://link.ft.com/r/LVA6WW/QFJ1NY/M9QF42/JI4T53/BM2IVD/82/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26
 

Glenn Hubbard: Forget the debt ceiling and focus on debt

Glenn Hubbard: Forget the debt ceiling and focus on debt
 
On May 15, the US hit its “debt ceiling” of $14,300bn, covering publicly owned debt held by the Federal Reserve and government trust funds, and Washington is in a furore. While budget debates are often more talk than action, this one needs more talk – but of a different kind. That the US has an unsustainable fiscal trajectory is clear, but the problem is not the debt ceiling per se. My wife and I don’t vote on whether we will pay our bills. Rather, we discuss whether our spending or income needs adjustment. So too must it be for our national “family”.
http://link.ft.com/r/BLH300/72CM0Y/ZBHOFE/GK7UBA/18TZNB/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26
 

Congress Makes the Case for Palestinians

May 26, 2011
By Matt Duss
http://middleeastprogress.org/2011/05/congress-makes-the-case-for-palestinians-un-approach/
 

A Palestinian Revolt in the Making? Jesse Rosenfeld and Joseph Dana

A Palestinian Revolt in the Making?

The Palestinian Right to Dream

The Palestinian Right to Dream

by Peter Beinart
 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-25/benjamin-netanyahus-speech-and-the-palestinian-right-to-dream/#
 
As Congress applauded Netanyahu’s tough speech, a young Ramallah man talked about creating a Palestinian Tahrir Square, using nonviolence—and the hope that American Jews would back such a civil rights approach. Political reality suggests otherwise, writes Peter Beinart, but Palestinians should be allowed to dream.

Tomgram: Ira Chernus, Ass-Backwards in the Middle East

Tomgram: Ira Chernus, Ass-Backwards in the Middle East

Obama pushes Europe not to support Palestinians' U.N. statehood bid

Obama pushes Europe not to support Palestinians' U.N. statehood bid

British Premier David Cameron is noncommittal on the Palestinians' statehood bid at a joint news conference in London. The U.S. is deeply worried support for the unilateral step would isolate Israel.

Business Travel Day

Dear Readers
I am on business travel today so posting will be brief this morning; but willresume
after I reach my destination.
Snuffysmith

Brics must put up a fight for IMF top job

Brics must put up a fight for IMF top job Time for emerging markets to get down to the bare-knuckled politics that Europe is now engaged in, writes Eswar Prasad
http://link.ft.com/r/DHGUVV/ZBT6UU/OJS3XZ/6VGIQH/M9YF0Z/FW/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

IMF succession: A contested quarry

FT.com - Analysis
 

IMF succession: A contested quarry
Europe's quest to retain the top job at a body intellectually dominated by the US appears increasingly futile in a rapidly shifting global economic order
http://link.ft.com/r/CTBPCC/5COAD0/BM7X6L/QFEOCW/M9YFVS/QR/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

Iran says Opec will try to fill crude gap

Iran says Opec will try to fill crude gap
http://link.ft.com/r/ZE9K33/EW5KP2/QFRUDM/WLFZMX/XTP8WG/KI/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26
 

Energy headlines: US regulator charges oil traders

Energy headlines: US regulator charges oil traders

- CFTC charges traders over oil price – FT
- Oil price jumps as Goldman raises forecasts – The Telegraph
- GE to invest in buoyant gas market – FT
- Shift in power generation lifts gas turbine makers – FT
- Big dogs of oil tangle over gas subsidies – WSJ
- Tymoshenko charged over gas contract – FT
- Shell huts Caspian office – The Telegraph
- Tullow buys North Sea assets – FT
- IAEA launches investigation into Japan nuclear accident – WSJ
- Spent reactor fuel ‘greater risk in US than Japan’ – NY Times
- Mol buy-back to cost €1.9bn – FT
- China’s utilities defy planners to cut production – NY Times Green blog
- US and EU step up Iran nuclear sanctions drive – FT
- US agencies to use only alternative fuel vehicles – Argus
- US smart grid to cost billions and save trillions – Reuters

Hungary’s Mol: never again

Hungary’s Mol: never again Mol Duna refineryHungary is taking no chances with control of Mol (MOL:BUD), the national oil company. After announcing a €2.88bn deal to buy back a controversial 21.2 per cent stake from Surgutneftgaz, the secretive Russian energy group, Budapest is proposing to up its stake further, to up to 24 per cent.
http://link.ft.com/r/0QSDPP/M9EF1H/EW4YCB/M9KGUX/BM2IL1/LE/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

FT podcast: Energy Weekly

FT podcast: Energy Weekly In this week’s podcast: Crude oil predicted to hit $130; UK green investment bank to open early next year; US energy policy; plus, comments from Energy Source.
http://link.ft.com/r/0QSDPP/M9EF1H/EW4YCB/M9KGUX/ZB12EE/LE/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

Energy headlines: Shell in Russian talks

Energy headlines: Shell in Russian talks

- Shell chief Voser in Russian talks – FT
- Shell talks leave BP in shadows – The Times
- BP should return to gulf within a year, says Oppenheimer – Argus
- Arcadia denies oil manipulation- FT
- Chevron chiefs face shareholders after $18bn Ecuador fine – The Guardian
- Resource stock lead global rebound – FT
- Cairn India profit soars – WSJ
- Iran says Opec will try to fill crude gap – FT
- China luring crude from US – Bloomberg
- Investors urged to note opportunities in Iraq – FT
- Exxon says fracking is safe – WSJ
- Investors demand clarity on shale gas – FT
- Chevron shareholders defeat proposal on fracking disclosure – WSJ
- Second largest gas field found in Turkmenistan – The Telegraph
- North Sea tax rise will cost £12bn, industry warns – FT
- Bill allows US military to use high-carbon ‘liquid coal’ – NY Times Green blog
- Wind forecast upgrade should mean drop in fossil fuel use – The Guardian
- Total extends offer for SunPower – Reuters
- UK nuclear plants to undergo EU stress tests – The Telegraph
- Swiss propose an end to nuclear power – FT
- Europe divided over nuclear power – The Guardian
- Japan PM vows to boost renewable energy – Reuters

Oil industry losing the shale PR battle

Oil industry losing the shale PR battle As questions about hydraulic fracturing – fracking as it is known in the industry – continue to build, the oil and gas industry is finding investors asking for more transparency as to how companies are going to face the growing risks to production.
http://link.ft.com/r/0QSDPP/M9EF1H/EW4YCB/M9KGUX/EW79B8/LE/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

Serbia confirms arrest of Ratko Mladic

Serbia confirms arrest of Ratko Mladic Serbia has confirmed the arrest of Ratko Mladic, the long-sought former Serbian general charged by international authorities with committing war crimes during the Balkan civil wars in the 1990s.

Boris Tadic, president, said: "On behalf of the Republic of Serbia I can announce the arrest of Ratko Mladic. Extradition process is underway."
http://link.ft.com/r/QM42II/3O82NI/V1UB9K/ZBP4VQ/YHUV9L/1G/h?a1=2011&a2=5&a3=26

Middle East is pulled towards Asia by economics and affinity Afshin Molavi | The National (UAE)

Amidst efforts by the Gulf Arabs to decouple their foreign policies from the United States, the Saudi U.S. Relations Information Service featured this item.  http://www.susris.com/2011/05/25/the-meeting-of-west-east-asia-molavi/

Middle East is pulled towards Asia by economics and affinity
Afshin Molavi | The National (UAE)