By Dana Milbank (Washington Post)
As President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, the nation's rapidly deteriorating discourse hit yet another low. It happened at 8:40 pm, just after the president vowed to lawmakers that his health-care reform proposals would not provide benefits to illegal immigrants. As millions of Americans watched from home, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) shouted at the president from his fifth-row seat: "You lie!"
Murmurs of "ooh" filled the stunned chamber. Nancy Pelosi's chin dropped. Obama moved on to the next sentence in his speech, about how no federal money would be used to fund abortion. "Not true!" came another shout.
The national debate, already raw for years, had coarsened over the summer as town hall meetings across the country dissolved into protests about "death panels" and granny-killing. Guns were brought to Obama appearances. A pastor in Arizona said he was praying for Obama to die.
But even by that standard, there was something appalling about the display on the House floor for what was supposed to be a sacred ritual of American democracy: the nation watching while Cabinet members, lawmakers from both chambers and the diplomatic corps assembled.
Wilson was only the most flagrant. There was booing from House Republicans when the president caricatured a conservative argument by saying they would "leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own." They hissed when he protested their "scare tactics." They grumbled as they do in Britain's House of Commons when Obama spoke of the "blizzard of charges and countercharges."
When he asserted that "nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have," there was scoffing and outright laughter on the GOP side. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Tex.) shook his head in disbelief. Several Republicans shouted "What plan?" and Rep. Louis Gohmert (Tex.) waved at Obama a handwritten poster he made on a letter-size piece of paper: "WHAT PLAN?" Gohmert then took that down and replaced it with another handmade poster that said "WHAT BILL?"
The irony was that Obama had used his speech to offer a significant concession to Republicans and to break with liberals in his own party. There was a cool silence in the chamber as the president told "my progressive friends" that the "public option" they treasure as part of health-care reform could be sacrificed in favor of other ideas.
And, in truth, there were provocations from the Democratic side. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), sitting on the Republican side, insisted on making a victory sign with his hand and waving it at Obama. Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.), also on the GOP side of the aisle, felt the need to pound his fist in the air and make what looked, awkwardly, like a fascist salute.
Scolding Republicans for scoring "short-term political points," Obama wasn't subtle in his effort to make his foes look cruel. The White House stocked the first lady's box at the speech with a virtual medical ward: a woman with sarcoidosis, a colon cancer patient, a recurrent cancer survivor, a double amputee, two women with breast tumors, a woman with eye problems, a man with high cholesterol, two brain tumor survivors, the son of a brain cancer victim and the fathers of children who have seizures and hemophilia.
But while the majority of both parties' lawmakers behaved as adults, the insolence by House Republicans stole the show. There was derisive laughter on that side of the chamber when Obama noted that "there remain some significant details to be ironed out." They applauded as he spoke of "all the misinformation that's been spread over the past few months." They laughed again when he said that "many Americans have grown nervous about reform."
When Obama addressed the charge that he plans "panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens," someone on the GOP side shouted out "shame!" The president went on: "Such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical." "Read the bill!" someone shouted back. Obama mentioned those who accuse him of a government takeover of health care. "It's true," someone shouted back.
The antics continued when Obama urged opponents to "come to me with a serious set of proposals." About 20 Republican members raised copies of the GOP health-reform proposal over their heads. They raised their props again when Obama criticized those who think "it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it."
Even as Obama delivered a tribute to the late senator Ted Kennedy, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga), a leader of House conservatives, perused his BlackBerry. Shortly before the speech ended, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) walked out to beat the rush.
Above all, though, was Wilson's effrontery. From the reaction in the chamber -- one Democrat could be heard calling for him to be thrown out -- Wilson knew he had stepped in it. He shrugged, then consulted his BlackBerry. He puffed out his cheeks to exhale and licked his lips.
Toward the end of Obama's speech, the text of which was handed out before the congressman's outburst, was a fitting rebuke of the sort of behavior Wilson had just exhibited. When "we can no longer even engage in a civil conversation with each other over the things that truly matter," Obama said, "we don't merely lose our capacity to solve big challenges. We lose something essential about ourselves."
As Obama spoke these words, Wilson twiddled his thumbs, then took his BlackBerry from its holster to consult it yet again. The speech ended, and, as his colleagues applauded, Wilson beat a hasty retreat.
An incensed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel went up to GOP Reps. Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Paul Ryan (Wis.) to complain about the outburst. "No president has ever had that happen," Emanuel said. "My advice is he apologize immediately. You know my number."
Wilson did as Emanuel advised. After all that shouting, it's a wonder he wasn't too hoarse to place the call.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Senate leader presses colleagues on ‘clunkers’
Threatens to stop Senate from scattering for summer break
Associated press
WASHINGTON - Pressing colleagues to replenish the “cash-for-clunkers” program, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warned lawmakers they might miss their August vacation takeoff plans Friday if they don’t quickly pass the $2 billion measure.
“If we don’t work something out on the cash for clunkers,” Reid said from the Senate floor Wednesday morning, he would file motions to close debate. Under Senate procedure, that could mean votes on both Friday and Saturday, when lawmakers would otherwise be scattering for their coveted summer break.
“We all acknowledge there’s a significant majority that want to move forward with this legislation,” said Reid, D-Nev.
It was the senatorial version of a parents’ warning to bickering children: Work it out, or the car will be turned around instantly.
There was every indication that lawmakers would extend the popular program, which offers car buyers rebates of up to $4,500 for trading in their gas-guzzlers for new, higher-mileage models.
Reid had said on Tuesday that he had the votes to pass a $2 billion extension already approved by the House, the amount President Barack Obama says is necessary to meet a surging demand that would otherwise deplete the program by Friday. He said Wednesday there are estimates that as many as 300,000 vehicles have been bought under the program.
Many Republicans oppose the plan — and some Democrats have concerns as well. But none was predicting that any senator would block or delay a vote.
“The matter will be completed,” said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
FirstPerson
Show us your clunker
FirstPerson: Send us a picture of your clunker and tell us about it. What vehicle did you get for your jalopy?
The funding would triple the cost of $1 billion rebate program and give as many as a half-million more Americans the chance to grab the new car incentives through September.
Car companies have credited the clunkers program with driving up sales in late July. Most consumers are buying smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles under the program, according to a list of the top-10 selling cars released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The list includes Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas and Dodge Calibers. The Toyota Prius hybrid, which gets 46 miles per gallon, according to EPA estimates, is the fourth-best-selling car. There is one SUV on the list, the Ford Escape, which also comes in a hybrid model that can get up to 32 miles per gallon. With the exception of the Prius, which is built in Japan, most of the top-selling vehicles on the list are built in North America. The Hyundai Elantra, the 8th top-selling vehicle, is built in South Korea, and the Honda Fit, the 9th top-selling vehicle, is made in Japan.
Senate passage would send the legislation to the White House for Obama’s signature and assure consumers there will be no interruption in the program that has led to packed car dealerships nationwide.
Republicans still were seeking a chance to amend the House version. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Republicans were considering a range of amendments that included placing a financial cap on the program or a date by when it must end, along with requests that it not drive up the federal deficit. He said it was still under discussion among Senate leaders.
Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Patrick Leahy of Vermont also voiced concerns but opposition to extending the program had been dissipating all week.
The legislation would transfer $2 billion from an economic stimulus account that had been set aside to subsidize renewable energy. The new money would carry the program through September, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated press
WASHINGTON - Pressing colleagues to replenish the “cash-for-clunkers” program, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warned lawmakers they might miss their August vacation takeoff plans Friday if they don’t quickly pass the $2 billion measure.
“If we don’t work something out on the cash for clunkers,” Reid said from the Senate floor Wednesday morning, he would file motions to close debate. Under Senate procedure, that could mean votes on both Friday and Saturday, when lawmakers would otherwise be scattering for their coveted summer break.
“We all acknowledge there’s a significant majority that want to move forward with this legislation,” said Reid, D-Nev.
It was the senatorial version of a parents’ warning to bickering children: Work it out, or the car will be turned around instantly.
There was every indication that lawmakers would extend the popular program, which offers car buyers rebates of up to $4,500 for trading in their gas-guzzlers for new, higher-mileage models.
Reid had said on Tuesday that he had the votes to pass a $2 billion extension already approved by the House, the amount President Barack Obama says is necessary to meet a surging demand that would otherwise deplete the program by Friday. He said Wednesday there are estimates that as many as 300,000 vehicles have been bought under the program.
Many Republicans oppose the plan — and some Democrats have concerns as well. But none was predicting that any senator would block or delay a vote.
“The matter will be completed,” said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
FirstPerson
Show us your clunker
FirstPerson: Send us a picture of your clunker and tell us about it. What vehicle did you get for your jalopy?
The funding would triple the cost of $1 billion rebate program and give as many as a half-million more Americans the chance to grab the new car incentives through September.
Car companies have credited the clunkers program with driving up sales in late July. Most consumers are buying smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles under the program, according to a list of the top-10 selling cars released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The list includes Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas and Dodge Calibers. The Toyota Prius hybrid, which gets 46 miles per gallon, according to EPA estimates, is the fourth-best-selling car. There is one SUV on the list, the Ford Escape, which also comes in a hybrid model that can get up to 32 miles per gallon. With the exception of the Prius, which is built in Japan, most of the top-selling vehicles on the list are built in North America. The Hyundai Elantra, the 8th top-selling vehicle, is built in South Korea, and the Honda Fit, the 9th top-selling vehicle, is made in Japan.
Senate passage would send the legislation to the White House for Obama’s signature and assure consumers there will be no interruption in the program that has led to packed car dealerships nationwide.
Republicans still were seeking a chance to amend the House version. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Republicans were considering a range of amendments that included placing a financial cap on the program or a date by when it must end, along with requests that it not drive up the federal deficit. He said it was still under discussion among Senate leaders.
Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Patrick Leahy of Vermont also voiced concerns but opposition to extending the program had been dissipating all week.
The legislation would transfer $2 billion from an economic stimulus account that had been set aside to subsidize renewable energy. The new money would carry the program through September, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Freed journalists arrive in U.S. from North Korea
BURBANK, California (CNN) -- Two American journalists, detained in North Korea since March, were reunited with their families early Wednesday in California, hugging their husbands as they walked off a private plane.
Families reunite Wednesday with Euna Lee and Laura Ling at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.
1 of 3 Euna Lee bowed as she walked down the steps, and Laura Ling raised her fists into the air. The women hugged their husbands first, then Lee's 4-year-old daughter, Hannah -- who has not seen her mother since March and who clung tightly to her.
Former President Clinton helped secure their release in a brief trip Tuesday to Pyongyang. He walked off the plane minutes later.
The aircraft touched down shortly before 6 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) Wednesday amid tight security at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank outside Los Angeles.
The aircraft will be brought into a hangar, where the journalists are scheduled to take part in a scheduled news conference.
North Korea pardoned Ling, 32, and Lee, 36, on Tuesday after Clinton's brief trip to Pyongyang.
The women were arrested in March while reporting from the border between North Korea and China. They were sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign.
Don't Miss
Hillary Clinton expresses relief at mission's success
Analysis: Clinton visit a matter of respect
Bill Clinton shows no signs of slowing down
Analysis: What North Korea wants
Clinton made the trip after the women's families asked him to travel to the communist country and seek their release, a senior administration official said Tuesday. Watch Ling's father express his gratitude »
Former Vice President Al Gore made the same appeal to Clinton. The two journalists are employed by Gore's California-based media company, Current TV.
Gore -- who was Clinton's vice president -- spoke at the arrival ceremony Wednesday.
Doug Ling, Laura Ling's father, reacted to the news of his daughter's release outside his home in Carmichael, California, saying it was "one of the best days in my life."
"I figured, sooner or later, they'd be back," he said.
In Los Angeles, family friend Welly Yang said the Lings had "done everything they could, while respecting the North Korean government, to try and get Laura home."
He predicted that Ling would remain a journalist. "Despite this terrifying experience, I can't imagine that Laura would give up her passion to tell stories that otherwise wouldn't be heard."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her relief that the two women were released. She spoke from Nairobi, Kenya, where she is taking part in a multination visit to Africa.
"I spoke to my husband on the airplane, and everything went well. We are extremely excited that they will be reunited soon when they touch down in California," she said. "It is just a good day to be able to see this happen."
In July, Ling and Lee spoke to their families and told them the North Koreans were willing to grant them amnesty if a high-level envoy, such as former President Clinton, were willing to travel to Pyongyang, the administration official said.
The official spoke to reporters Tuesday night about the events leading up to Clinton's trip on condition of anonymity.
North Korea said that Clinton "expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il" for the journalists' actions, but the administration official said he knew nothing about an apology.
He said Clinton met for three hours and 15 minutes with the North Korean leader but said he did not know what issues were discussed. But he said that Clinton's views on a verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula are well-known.
North Korea's state-run Korea Central News Agency said Clinton conveyed a message from President Obama "expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries."
But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters in Washington before the announced agreement that Clinton was not carrying any message from Obama.
Gibbs added the former president last spoke with Obama during a White House visit in March. He described Clinton's trip as a "solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans."
Clinton's mission came as the United States and its allies in the region are seeking to persuade North Korea to return to the stalled nuclear disarmament talks.
North Korea conducted its second nuclear bomb test in May and has held several missile tests since. The United Nations has responded to those tests by increasing sanctions on the nation.
North Korea and the United States, on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 Korean War, had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea agreed then to halt the development of nuclear weapons but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003.
Clinton had considered visiting North Korea in 2000, near the end of his second term as president. His secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, had gone to Pyongyang in 2000 to meet with Kim. She was the last high-ranking American official to do so before this week.
Monday, July 20, 2009
ACLU wants Veterans Memorial in the desert torn down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeuBB_mOFIA
ACLU wants to tear down a veteran's memorial in the Mojave desert. What is this world coming to. One idiot says he MAY visit the desert and it MAY offend him. Next they will be saying you can't post on Face Book because it MAY offend someone who may or may not be your friend.
Click the header to follow the youtube video.
Please take a minute to watch the video.
It should make every American angry! It is so absurd!
If you feel the same way as I do you can go to www.donttearmedown.com an sign the petition!.
ACLU wants to tear down a veteran's memorial in the Mojave desert. What is this world coming to. One idiot says he MAY visit the desert and it MAY offend him. Next they will be saying you can't post on Face Book because it MAY offend someone who may or may not be your friend.
Click the header to follow the youtube video.
Please take a minute to watch the video.
It should make every American angry! It is so absurd!
If you feel the same way as I do you can go to www.donttearmedown.com an sign the petition!.
The 10-year-old who helped Apollo 11, 40 years later
By Rachel Rodriguez
CNN
(CNN) -- On July 23, 1969, as Apollo 11 hurtled back towards Earth, there was a problem -- a problem only a kid could solve.
At age 10, Greg Force reaches his arm into a tiny hole to fix an antenna crucial to Apollo 11.
1 of 5 It sounds like something out of a movie, but that's what it came down to as Apollo 11 sped back towards Earth after landing on the moon in 1969.
It was around 10:00 at night on July 23, and 10-year-old Greg Force was at home with his mom and three brothers. His father, Charles Force, was at work. Charles Force was the director of the NASA tracking station in Guam, where the family was living.
The Guam tracking station was to play a critical role in the return of Apollo 11 to Earth. A powerful antenna there connected NASA communications with Apollo 11, and the antenna was the only way for NASA to make its last communications with the astronauts before splashdown. But at the last minute on that night, a bearing in the antenna failed, rendering it nearly useless.
To properly replace the bearing would have required dismantling the entire antenna, and there was simply no time. So Charles Force thought of a creative solution: If he could get more grease around the failed bearing, it would probably be fine. The only problem was, nobody at the station had an arm small enough to actually reach in through the two-and-a-half inch opening and pack grease around the bearing.
And that's when Greg was called in to save the day. Charles Force sent someone out to his home to pick up Greg. Once at the tracking station, Greg reached into the tiny hole and packed grease around the failed bearing. It worked, and the station was able to successfully complete its communications role in the mission. Apollo 11 splashed down safely the next day.
At the time, Greg didn't think what he was doing was a big deal, and 40 years later, he's still modest about his role in the mission.
"That's all I did, was put my hand in and put grease on it," he says. If he hadn't been there, NASA would not have been able to make its last communications with the mission before splashdown, but Greg says "it wasn't life or death, [from] my understanding."
"My dad explained to me why it was important," he says, "but it kind of caught me by surprise afterwards, all the attention." iReport.com: Read Greg's firsthand account
That attention came from the media and even the astronauts themselves. Greg's small but important part in Apollo 11 was a story told by news outlets around the world. He even got a nice thank-you note from Neil Armstrong, whom he met when Armstrong went on a tour of NASA stations with the other astronauts to thank the staff after the mission. "To Greg," reads the note, which Armstrong wrote on a newspaper clipping of Greg's story, "with thanks for your help on Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong."
Perhaps not surprisingly, like many other kids who grew up during the Apollo era, Greg dreamed of becoming an astronaut. He says he remembers visiting his dad's office to listen to astronauts communicating with NASA officials on the ground.
"We could sit and listen to the actual communication with the astronauts as it was happening, and it was hard to understand, but I loved to do that," he says. "On Guam we didn't have good television coverage, so I think I listened to the [moon] landing on the radio. To me it was a huge thing."
Greg pursued his dreams of space exploration all the way through college, where he majored in physics. Unfortunately, he was unable to pass the vision test for the space program because of his colorblindness, but even that couldn't squelch his interest. Greg went on to get his pilot's license, and even though his career now as a gymnastics school owner isn't exactly space-related, he says that "ever since then, I've followed the space program."
And as a lover of space exploration, Greg hopes to see more missions to the moon.
"I think it would be an important step as far as going further, like to Mars," he says. "I would love to see us go back to the moon."
But for now, on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, he can remember the small but crucial role he played in bringing Apollo 11 home safely.
"It kind of caught me by surprise," he says, "but I'm real proud to have been even a little tiny part of it." iReport.com: See more photos of Greg with his father and Armstrong.
CNN
(CNN) -- On July 23, 1969, as Apollo 11 hurtled back towards Earth, there was a problem -- a problem only a kid could solve.
At age 10, Greg Force reaches his arm into a tiny hole to fix an antenna crucial to Apollo 11.
1 of 5 It sounds like something out of a movie, but that's what it came down to as Apollo 11 sped back towards Earth after landing on the moon in 1969.
It was around 10:00 at night on July 23, and 10-year-old Greg Force was at home with his mom and three brothers. His father, Charles Force, was at work. Charles Force was the director of the NASA tracking station in Guam, where the family was living.
The Guam tracking station was to play a critical role in the return of Apollo 11 to Earth. A powerful antenna there connected NASA communications with Apollo 11, and the antenna was the only way for NASA to make its last communications with the astronauts before splashdown. But at the last minute on that night, a bearing in the antenna failed, rendering it nearly useless.
To properly replace the bearing would have required dismantling the entire antenna, and there was simply no time. So Charles Force thought of a creative solution: If he could get more grease around the failed bearing, it would probably be fine. The only problem was, nobody at the station had an arm small enough to actually reach in through the two-and-a-half inch opening and pack grease around the bearing.
And that's when Greg was called in to save the day. Charles Force sent someone out to his home to pick up Greg. Once at the tracking station, Greg reached into the tiny hole and packed grease around the failed bearing. It worked, and the station was able to successfully complete its communications role in the mission. Apollo 11 splashed down safely the next day.
At the time, Greg didn't think what he was doing was a big deal, and 40 years later, he's still modest about his role in the mission.
"That's all I did, was put my hand in and put grease on it," he says. If he hadn't been there, NASA would not have been able to make its last communications with the mission before splashdown, but Greg says "it wasn't life or death, [from] my understanding."
"My dad explained to me why it was important," he says, "but it kind of caught me by surprise afterwards, all the attention." iReport.com: Read Greg's firsthand account
That attention came from the media and even the astronauts themselves. Greg's small but important part in Apollo 11 was a story told by news outlets around the world. He even got a nice thank-you note from Neil Armstrong, whom he met when Armstrong went on a tour of NASA stations with the other astronauts to thank the staff after the mission. "To Greg," reads the note, which Armstrong wrote on a newspaper clipping of Greg's story, "with thanks for your help on Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong."
Perhaps not surprisingly, like many other kids who grew up during the Apollo era, Greg dreamed of becoming an astronaut. He says he remembers visiting his dad's office to listen to astronauts communicating with NASA officials on the ground.
"We could sit and listen to the actual communication with the astronauts as it was happening, and it was hard to understand, but I loved to do that," he says. "On Guam we didn't have good television coverage, so I think I listened to the [moon] landing on the radio. To me it was a huge thing."
Greg pursued his dreams of space exploration all the way through college, where he majored in physics. Unfortunately, he was unable to pass the vision test for the space program because of his colorblindness, but even that couldn't squelch his interest. Greg went on to get his pilot's license, and even though his career now as a gymnastics school owner isn't exactly space-related, he says that "ever since then, I've followed the space program."
And as a lover of space exploration, Greg hopes to see more missions to the moon.
"I think it would be an important step as far as going further, like to Mars," he says. "I would love to see us go back to the moon."
But for now, on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, he can remember the small but crucial role he played in bringing Apollo 11 home safely.
"It kind of caught me by surprise," he says, "but I'm real proud to have been even a little tiny part of it." iReport.com: See more photos of Greg with his father and Armstrong.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Best Places To Live
CNN has listed the best places to live. Is your city included.
And the winners are...
Yes, strong local economies still exist. These small towns have 'em - plus great schools, affordable homes, low crime, and much more. More
1. Louisville, CO
2. Chanhassen, MN
3. Papillion, NE
4. Middleton, WI
5. Milton, MA
• See the top 1006. Warren, NJ
7. Keller, TX
8. Peachtree City, GA
9. Lake St. Louis, MO
10. Mukilteo, WA
6-figure towns
Holmdel, N.J., residents pull in more than $159,000 a year. Which other places have high incomes? CNNMoney's Best Places database of 1,800-plus U.S. cities includes towns with populations 8,500 to 50,000 with satisfactory education and crime scores, where income is below 200% of the state median, and that are no more than 95% white – as well as cities with populations 90,000 and up.
And the winners are...
Yes, strong local economies still exist. These small towns have 'em - plus great schools, affordable homes, low crime, and much more. More
1. Louisville, CO
2. Chanhassen, MN
3. Papillion, NE
4. Middleton, WI
5. Milton, MA
• See the top 1006. Warren, NJ
7. Keller, TX
8. Peachtree City, GA
9. Lake St. Louis, MO
10. Mukilteo, WA
6-figure towns
Holmdel, N.J., residents pull in more than $159,000 a year. Which other places have high incomes? CNNMoney's Best Places database of 1,800-plus U.S. cities includes towns with populations 8,500 to 50,000 with satisfactory education and crime scores, where income is below 200% of the state median, and that are no more than 95% white – as well as cities with populations 90,000 and up.
JPMorgan Chase earns $2.7 billion
By David Ellis, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Banking giant easily surpassed Wall Street's estimates for the second quarter, as investment banking performance offset consumer-related credit losses
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- JPMorgan Chase once again proved that it has been one of the better-run banks during the financial crisis after reporting quarterly results that blew past Wall Street estimates.
Buoyed by a solid performance in its investment banking division, the company said Thursday that profits in the second quarter rose 36% from a year ago to $2.7 billion, or 28 cents a share.
That profit came despite a $1.1 billion one-time reduction to earnings tied to the company's decision to repay $25 billion in government money received under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
JPMorgan Chase chairman and chief executive officer Jamie Dimon said in a statement that he was "pleased" by the results, even as the company's latest numbers were weighed down by higher credit costs, particularly in the company's consumer lending and credit card businesses.
0:00 /4:39Goldman's compensation gamble
The company set aside more money during the quarter to cover bad home equity, mortgage and student loans, helping to prompt a loss of $955 million in its consumer lending business. But Dimon maintained in his statement that the firm, as a result, was well poised to absorb future loan losses.
Profitability declined modestly in other areas as well, including the company's asset management arm.
But those areas of weakness were offset by the performance of JPMorgan Chase's investment banking division, which reported a profit of nearly $1.5 billion, up from $394 million a year ago.
Fees in the JPMorgan's equity underwriting business, for example, soared to a record $1.1 billion, after a number of top financial firms, including itself, issued stock as part of an effort to repay TARP funds.
Few analysts, however, were expecting the quarter to turn out so well for the bank. Consensus estimates were for the company to book a profit of $280 million, or just 4 cents a share.
Some bearish analysts even suspected that the firm might swing to a loss in the quarter, given its significant exposure to the American consumer.
Thursday's results, however, will certainly add to the ongoing debate on Wall Street as to whether the worst is indeed over for the nation's banks and if a recovery is already well underway.
On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) delivered blowout second-quarter results, reporting a profit of $3.44 billion that handily beat analysts' estimates.
JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) shares gained modestly in pre-market trading Thursday.
Banking giant easily surpassed Wall Street's estimates for the second quarter, as investment banking performance offset consumer-related credit losses
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- JPMorgan Chase once again proved that it has been one of the better-run banks during the financial crisis after reporting quarterly results that blew past Wall Street estimates.
Buoyed by a solid performance in its investment banking division, the company said Thursday that profits in the second quarter rose 36% from a year ago to $2.7 billion, or 28 cents a share.
That profit came despite a $1.1 billion one-time reduction to earnings tied to the company's decision to repay $25 billion in government money received under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
JPMorgan Chase chairman and chief executive officer Jamie Dimon said in a statement that he was "pleased" by the results, even as the company's latest numbers were weighed down by higher credit costs, particularly in the company's consumer lending and credit card businesses.
0:00 /4:39Goldman's compensation gamble
The company set aside more money during the quarter to cover bad home equity, mortgage and student loans, helping to prompt a loss of $955 million in its consumer lending business. But Dimon maintained in his statement that the firm, as a result, was well poised to absorb future loan losses.
Profitability declined modestly in other areas as well, including the company's asset management arm.
But those areas of weakness were offset by the performance of JPMorgan Chase's investment banking division, which reported a profit of nearly $1.5 billion, up from $394 million a year ago.
Fees in the JPMorgan's equity underwriting business, for example, soared to a record $1.1 billion, after a number of top financial firms, including itself, issued stock as part of an effort to repay TARP funds.
Few analysts, however, were expecting the quarter to turn out so well for the bank. Consensus estimates were for the company to book a profit of $280 million, or just 4 cents a share.
Some bearish analysts even suspected that the firm might swing to a loss in the quarter, given its significant exposure to the American consumer.
Thursday's results, however, will certainly add to the ongoing debate on Wall Street as to whether the worst is indeed over for the nation's banks and if a recovery is already well underway.
On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) delivered blowout second-quarter results, reporting a profit of $3.44 billion that handily beat analysts' estimates.
JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) shares gained modestly in pre-market trading Thursday.
Jobless claims at 6-month low
By Julianne Pepitone, CNNMoney.com contributing writer
Last Updated: July 16, 2009: 9:02 AM
There were 522,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended July 11, down 47,000 to from a revised-up 569,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said. The number of claims was the lowest since the 488,000 claims reported in the week ended Jan. 3, a week that included the New Year holiday.
The number was much less than the consensus estimate of 553,000 from economists surveyed by Briefing.com.
The 4-week moving average of initial claims was 584,500, down 22,500 from the previous week's revised average of 607,000.
Continuing claims: The government said 6,273,000 people filed continuing claims in the week ended July 4, the most recent data available. The week included the Independence Day holiday.
That's down 642,000 from the preceding week's revised 6,915,000 claims.
The 4-week moving average for ongoing claims fell to 6,666,750, down 110,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,777,000.
State-by-state data: A total of seven states reported initial claims fell by more than 1,000 in the week ended July 4, the most recent data available.
New Jersey's claims fell the most, by 5,030 -- which a state-supplied comment attributed to the shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, trade, and service industries.
Conversely, nine states reported claims increased by more than 1,000. Michigan reported the most new claims, at 12,144.
First Published: July 16, 2009: 8:38 AM ET
Last Updated: July 16, 2009: 9:02 AM
There were 522,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended July 11, down 47,000 to from a revised-up 569,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said. The number of claims was the lowest since the 488,000 claims reported in the week ended Jan. 3, a week that included the New Year holiday.
The number was much less than the consensus estimate of 553,000 from economists surveyed by Briefing.com.
The 4-week moving average of initial claims was 584,500, down 22,500 from the previous week's revised average of 607,000.
Continuing claims: The government said 6,273,000 people filed continuing claims in the week ended July 4, the most recent data available. The week included the Independence Day holiday.
That's down 642,000 from the preceding week's revised 6,915,000 claims.
The 4-week moving average for ongoing claims fell to 6,666,750, down 110,250 from the preceding week's revised average of 6,777,000.
State-by-state data: A total of seven states reported initial claims fell by more than 1,000 in the week ended July 4, the most recent data available.
New Jersey's claims fell the most, by 5,030 -- which a state-supplied comment attributed to the shorter workweek, as well as fewer layoffs in the transportation, warehousing, trade, and service industries.
Conversely, nine states reported claims increased by more than 1,000. Michigan reported the most new claims, at 12,144.
First Published: July 16, 2009: 8:38 AM ET
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Michael Jackson: A look back at his life
A star since the age of 12 when The Jackson Five registered four No. 1 hits in 1970, Michael Jackson parlayed his remarkable singing and dancing talents into mega-stardom, the likes of which few entertainers have ever known.
Please click on the header "Michael Jackson: A look back at his life" or go to http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-06-25-michael-jackson-timeline_N.htm and comment on this timeline.
Please click on the header "Michael Jackson: A look back at his life" or go to http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-06-25-michael-jackson-timeline_N.htm and comment on this timeline.
Michael Jackson: HIStory of superstar's unreleased songs
By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY
Since Michael Jackson's unexpected death, fans and industry insiders have been wondering what unreleased music the pop icon may have left behind.
Reports that he was collaborating on a comeback album with leading hip-hop and R&B artists emerged as early as 2006. He had worked on songs with will.i.am, and Ne-Yo had offered material for consideration.
MEMORIAL PLANS: Grammys' Ehrlich tells how it all came together
Akon— whose sweetly lyrical Hold My Hand, featuring Jackson on vocals, was leaked last year — says he and Jackson were working on additional songs. Jackson was intent on crafting an album with "positive messages that would bring people together, upbeat songs as well as ballads," Akon says.
"And his voice was incredible — it had not changed."
Since Michael Jackson's unexpected death, fans and industry insiders have been wondering what unreleased music the pop icon may have left behind.
Reports that he was collaborating on a comeback album with leading hip-hop and R&B artists emerged as early as 2006. He had worked on songs with will.i.am, and Ne-Yo had offered material for consideration.
MEMORIAL PLANS: Grammys' Ehrlich tells how it all came together
Akon— whose sweetly lyrical Hold My Hand, featuring Jackson on vocals, was leaked last year — says he and Jackson were working on additional songs. Jackson was intent on crafting an album with "positive messages that would bring people together, upbeat songs as well as ballads," Akon says.
"And his voice was incredible — it had not changed."
Billboard reported last week that Jackson had been at work on both a new pop album, his first since 2001's Invincible, and an instrumental album of classical music.
Veteran engineer and producer Bruce Swedien, a longtime Jackson and Quincy Jones colleague who worked on Off the Wall and Thriller, says he and Jackson had "experimented" with classical music but had "a bunch of things in the works" in more of a pop vein. "There were pieces of music that I think would have been wonderful."
Swedien, whose book In the Studio With Michael Jackson arrives July 27, describes one unreleased song, Don't Be Messin' Around, as "a medium-tempo piece, with Jackson playing piano. And he does it well."
Others point to older recordings. Tommy Mottola, formerly head of Sony Music, Jackson's record company, says the singer accumulated a lot of material that never left the studio. And Queen guitarist Brian May revealed on his website after the superstar's death that he and Freddie Mercury had recorded tracks at Jackson's home.
Sony says Jackson had been in talks for eight months about a 30th anniversary edition of Off theWall that would pair him with other stars, as with the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller. The label says it has no plans to unveil new or repackaged songs.
That hasn't discouraged speculation.
"Of course they're going to put stuff out," says veteran music critic J.D. Considine, who writes for The Globe and Mail in Toronto. "I would be extraordinarily surprised if we didn't have some kind of elaborate box set in time for Christmas."
Former Spin and Vibe editor Alan Light would advise anyone seeking to represent Jackson's work, particularly the unreleased music, "to be careful what context it's presented in." When rapper Notorious B.I.G. died, "songs were rebuilt and reconstructed around scraps. You can do that, but Michael Jackson was a perfectionist.
"I'd argue it wouldn't serve his memory or his creative legacy to just dump stuff out there."
But Mottola says that while Sony "packaged and repackaged his albums for years, there are still true gems in the unreleased material."
The tough part, most agree, will be finding the right people to curate that material. "Sony would be wise to work with people who really know the music, like some of the producers who worked on it originally," Mottola says. "And it would be good to work with (Jackson's) family as well, to keep everything running smoothly."
For his part, Akon plans to "let the family decide" what to do with his and Jackson's most recent efforts: "They knew him better than anybody."
Veteran engineer and producer Bruce Swedien, a longtime Jackson and Quincy Jones colleague who worked on Off the Wall and Thriller, says he and Jackson had "experimented" with classical music but had "a bunch of things in the works" in more of a pop vein. "There were pieces of music that I think would have been wonderful."
Swedien, whose book In the Studio With Michael Jackson arrives July 27, describes one unreleased song, Don't Be Messin' Around, as "a medium-tempo piece, with Jackson playing piano. And he does it well."
Others point to older recordings. Tommy Mottola, formerly head of Sony Music, Jackson's record company, says the singer accumulated a lot of material that never left the studio. And Queen guitarist Brian May revealed on his website after the superstar's death that he and Freddie Mercury had recorded tracks at Jackson's home.
Sony says Jackson had been in talks for eight months about a 30th anniversary edition of Off theWall that would pair him with other stars, as with the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller. The label says it has no plans to unveil new or repackaged songs.
That hasn't discouraged speculation.
"Of course they're going to put stuff out," says veteran music critic J.D. Considine, who writes for The Globe and Mail in Toronto. "I would be extraordinarily surprised if we didn't have some kind of elaborate box set in time for Christmas."
Former Spin and Vibe editor Alan Light would advise anyone seeking to represent Jackson's work, particularly the unreleased music, "to be careful what context it's presented in." When rapper Notorious B.I.G. died, "songs were rebuilt and reconstructed around scraps. You can do that, but Michael Jackson was a perfectionist.
"I'd argue it wouldn't serve his memory or his creative legacy to just dump stuff out there."
But Mottola says that while Sony "packaged and repackaged his albums for years, there are still true gems in the unreleased material."
The tough part, most agree, will be finding the right people to curate that material. "Sony would be wise to work with people who really know the music, like some of the producers who worked on it originally," Mottola says. "And it would be good to work with (Jackson's) family as well, to keep everything running smoothly."
For his part, Akon plans to "let the family decide" what to do with his and Jackson's most recent efforts: "They knew him better than anybody."
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Stronger, faster iPhone 3GS will hit stores June 19
(CNN) -- A new, faster version of the popular iPhone will hit stores June 19, Apple said Monday.
The new iPhone 3GS will have a camera that shoots video and zooms, among other new features.
The iPhone 3GS is billed as a more powerful, feature-laden follow-up to the 3G, which the company says revolutionized the way people use mobile phones.
The 3GS features a similar look to the current iPhone, complete with a sleek rectangular shape and a large touch screen. But the phone comes packed with new features inside, according to CNET reporter Erica Ogg, who blogged live from the event.
Ogg says the 3GS has a new camera that shoots video and zooms. A touch-screen feature also lets iPhone photographers tap the area of the photo they would like to put into focus, she says.
The new phone reportedly will have a longer battery life.
iPhone 3GS will be available in the United States on June 19 and will hit 80 countries by August, Ogg says.
The new iPhone carries a price tag similar to the old iPhone. A version with 16 gigabytes of storage will sell for $199 with a new contract; one with a 32-gigabyte storage capacity will cost $299. Apple also said it has dropped the price of the current iPhone 3G to $99 ahead of the release of the 3GS. The $99 model features 8 gigabytes of storage.
The announcements came at Apple's much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. The annual event was attended by 5,000 Apple tech developers, Fortune reports.
WWDC, as the conference is called, is known for its innovative announcements. Apple appeared to meet expectations of many tech bloggers, who had been awaiting a new iPhone model.
Perhaps the only disappointment was that Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not make an appearance on stage. There had been speculation online that the popular tech figure would make a cameo at the event. Jobs has been on medical leave since January.
Apple also discussed a new iPhone operating system, version 3.0, which adds a cut-copy-paste feature to current iPhones. Apple said the new software adds 100 new features.
One of those getting the most buzz was the Find My iPhone feature, which will be available only for customers of Mobile Me, an Apple service that lets users sync e-mail and other data between computers and iPhones.
If you lose your phone, Mobile Me will display a Google Map that shows where your iPhone is, as long as it's turned on. You can then send a message to the phone, and it will sound an alarm, alerting nearby people to save it for you. If you think you've lost the phone permanently, you can remotely wipe all your data; if you find your missing phone later, you can plug it into iTunes and restore all your data.
New iPhone applications were also discussed. Apple has gotten widespread praise for the fact that independent developers can create programs for the iPhone.
Read blogs from CNET and Fortune for details on the latest iPhone apps and other news from Monday's event.
Apple's laptops and computer operating systems were also discussed Monday.
Apple Senior Vice President Bertrand Serlet took the stage to demonstrate the company's newest operating system, called Snow Leopard. It will hit stores in September, although a "near-final" version was made available for developers Monday.
Serlet also said that Apple's Safari 4 browser, which was released in beta in February, will ship Monday.
Apple marketing head Philip Schiller also unveiled a new version of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, which he said will feature up to seven hours of battery life. The unibody aluminum laptop boasts a new battery that can handle 1,000 recharges and should last five years before its life begins to diminish, he said.
Phones remained the focus of the event, however.
Apple's phones are the second-best-selling consumer smartphones in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, an online market-research firm.
Smartphones are a category of mobile phones that act kind of like personal computers, allowing people to surf the Internet, share photos and keep up with e-mail while on the move. About a quarter of all consumer phones sold from January to April of this year were smartphones, NPD says.
The iPhone faces new competition from the Palm Pre, a smartphone that debuted Friday and claims to combine Apple's popular touch screen with a more functional keyboard, like the one found on a popular business-class smartphone, the BlackBerry.
CNN's Brandon Griggs contributed to this report.
The new iPhone 3GS will have a camera that shoots video and zooms, among other new features.
The iPhone 3GS is billed as a more powerful, feature-laden follow-up to the 3G, which the company says revolutionized the way people use mobile phones.
The 3GS features a similar look to the current iPhone, complete with a sleek rectangular shape and a large touch screen. But the phone comes packed with new features inside, according to CNET reporter Erica Ogg, who blogged live from the event.
Ogg says the 3GS has a new camera that shoots video and zooms. A touch-screen feature also lets iPhone photographers tap the area of the photo they would like to put into focus, she says.
The new phone reportedly will have a longer battery life.
iPhone 3GS will be available in the United States on June 19 and will hit 80 countries by August, Ogg says.
The new iPhone carries a price tag similar to the old iPhone. A version with 16 gigabytes of storage will sell for $199 with a new contract; one with a 32-gigabyte storage capacity will cost $299. Apple also said it has dropped the price of the current iPhone 3G to $99 ahead of the release of the 3GS. The $99 model features 8 gigabytes of storage.
The announcements came at Apple's much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. The annual event was attended by 5,000 Apple tech developers, Fortune reports.
WWDC, as the conference is called, is known for its innovative announcements. Apple appeared to meet expectations of many tech bloggers, who had been awaiting a new iPhone model.
Perhaps the only disappointment was that Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not make an appearance on stage. There had been speculation online that the popular tech figure would make a cameo at the event. Jobs has been on medical leave since January.
Apple also discussed a new iPhone operating system, version 3.0, which adds a cut-copy-paste feature to current iPhones. Apple said the new software adds 100 new features.
One of those getting the most buzz was the Find My iPhone feature, which will be available only for customers of Mobile Me, an Apple service that lets users sync e-mail and other data between computers and iPhones.
If you lose your phone, Mobile Me will display a Google Map that shows where your iPhone is, as long as it's turned on. You can then send a message to the phone, and it will sound an alarm, alerting nearby people to save it for you. If you think you've lost the phone permanently, you can remotely wipe all your data; if you find your missing phone later, you can plug it into iTunes and restore all your data.
New iPhone applications were also discussed. Apple has gotten widespread praise for the fact that independent developers can create programs for the iPhone.
Read blogs from CNET and Fortune for details on the latest iPhone apps and other news from Monday's event.
Apple's laptops and computer operating systems were also discussed Monday.
Apple Senior Vice President Bertrand Serlet took the stage to demonstrate the company's newest operating system, called Snow Leopard. It will hit stores in September, although a "near-final" version was made available for developers Monday.
Serlet also said that Apple's Safari 4 browser, which was released in beta in February, will ship Monday.
Apple marketing head Philip Schiller also unveiled a new version of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, which he said will feature up to seven hours of battery life. The unibody aluminum laptop boasts a new battery that can handle 1,000 recharges and should last five years before its life begins to diminish, he said.
Phones remained the focus of the event, however.
Apple's phones are the second-best-selling consumer smartphones in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, an online market-research firm.
Smartphones are a category of mobile phones that act kind of like personal computers, allowing people to surf the Internet, share photos and keep up with e-mail while on the move. About a quarter of all consumer phones sold from January to April of this year were smartphones, NPD says.
The iPhone faces new competition from the Palm Pre, a smartphone that debuted Friday and claims to combine Apple's popular touch screen with a more functional keyboard, like the one found on a popular business-class smartphone, the BlackBerry.
CNN's Brandon Griggs contributed to this report.
Families plead with N. Korea for release
(CNN) -- The families of two U.S. journalists sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in North Korea pleaded for clemency, urging the communist government to "show compassion" and release them.
Demonstrators in South Korea last week call for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested in March and sentenced after a closed-door trial for what the state-run North Korean news agency KCNA called the "grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing." They are reporters for California-based Current TV, a media venture of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
In a joint statement Monday, their families said they were "shocked and devastated" by the trial and sentence, and urged Pyongyang "to show compassion and grant Laura and Euna clemency and allow them to return home to their families."
"Laura and Euna are journalists who went to the China-North Korea border to do a job," they said. "We don't know what really happened on March 17, but if they wandered across the border without permission, we apologize on their behalf and we are certain that they have also apologized."
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters the United States is seeking the immediate release of the two journalists on humanitarian grounds.
"Obviously, we are deeply concerned about the length of the sentences and the fact that this trial was conducted totally in secret with no observers," she said. "And we are engaged in all possible ways, through every possible channel, to secure their release."
The families said Ling suffers from an unspecified "serious medical condition," and Lee has a 4-year-old daughter "who is displaying signs of anguish over the absence of her mother."
Don't Miss
"We believe that the three months they have already spent under arrest with little communication with their families is long enough," they said.
The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, and Sweden represents U.S. interests there. The Swedish ambassador told the U.S. State Department that no observers were allowed in the courtroom for the trial, and the ambassador was allowed to see them only three times.
Senior Obama administration officials told CNN that several weeks ago, Clinton wrote a letter to the North Korean leadership appealing for the journalists' release on humanitarian grounds. In the letter, officials said, Clinton told the North Koreans that the families were deeply concerned about the women and went into details on their personal situations -- that Ling has serious health problems and Lee is the mother of a young child.
There has been no response from the North Koreans, the officials said, and Clinton told reporters she would not discuss "private diplomatic efforts." But she said Washington views the case as something separate from the ongoing diplomatic standoff over North Korea's nuclear arms program.
Several senior administration officials said the idea of sending either Gore or New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to Pyongyang on a mission to get the journalists released has been floated to the North Koreans.
No answer has come so far, but the expectation has been that once the trial ended, the North would accept a visit by either Gore or Richardson to secure the journalists' release, the officials said.
Richardson was cautiously optimistic about the case on Monday. "The sentence was harsh, but the good news in the sentence is it was not for espionage -- it was for entering illegally, hostile acts," he told CNN. "The rhetoric of the North Koreans has not been terribly harsh against the two women," he added.
Officials said if precedent is any indicator, and given the way the women have been treated -- staying in a hotel for the past few months -- it is possible the women will never see the inside of a prison.
Richardson traveled to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, several times to secure the release of an American detainee in 1996 and facilitate the return of the bodies of POWs from the Korean War. In the 1996 case, the United States paid the isolated communist state what were called "hotel bills" for his stay.
Officials said the issue of a possible payment to North Korea has not yet been discussed, but they said the United States would not be averse to playing along.
CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report.
Demonstrators in South Korea last week call for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested in March and sentenced after a closed-door trial for what the state-run North Korean news agency KCNA called the "grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing." They are reporters for California-based Current TV, a media venture of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
In a joint statement Monday, their families said they were "shocked and devastated" by the trial and sentence, and urged Pyongyang "to show compassion and grant Laura and Euna clemency and allow them to return home to their families."
"Laura and Euna are journalists who went to the China-North Korea border to do a job," they said. "We don't know what really happened on March 17, but if they wandered across the border without permission, we apologize on their behalf and we are certain that they have also apologized."
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters the United States is seeking the immediate release of the two journalists on humanitarian grounds.
"Obviously, we are deeply concerned about the length of the sentences and the fact that this trial was conducted totally in secret with no observers," she said. "And we are engaged in all possible ways, through every possible channel, to secure their release."
The families said Ling suffers from an unspecified "serious medical condition," and Lee has a 4-year-old daughter "who is displaying signs of anguish over the absence of her mother."
Don't Miss
"We believe that the three months they have already spent under arrest with little communication with their families is long enough," they said.
The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, and Sweden represents U.S. interests there. The Swedish ambassador told the U.S. State Department that no observers were allowed in the courtroom for the trial, and the ambassador was allowed to see them only three times.
Senior Obama administration officials told CNN that several weeks ago, Clinton wrote a letter to the North Korean leadership appealing for the journalists' release on humanitarian grounds. In the letter, officials said, Clinton told the North Koreans that the families were deeply concerned about the women and went into details on their personal situations -- that Ling has serious health problems and Lee is the mother of a young child.
There has been no response from the North Koreans, the officials said, and Clinton told reporters she would not discuss "private diplomatic efforts." But she said Washington views the case as something separate from the ongoing diplomatic standoff over North Korea's nuclear arms program.
Several senior administration officials said the idea of sending either Gore or New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to Pyongyang on a mission to get the journalists released has been floated to the North Koreans.
No answer has come so far, but the expectation has been that once the trial ended, the North would accept a visit by either Gore or Richardson to secure the journalists' release, the officials said.
Richardson was cautiously optimistic about the case on Monday. "The sentence was harsh, but the good news in the sentence is it was not for espionage -- it was for entering illegally, hostile acts," he told CNN. "The rhetoric of the North Koreans has not been terribly harsh against the two women," he added.
Officials said if precedent is any indicator, and given the way the women have been treated -- staying in a hotel for the past few months -- it is possible the women will never see the inside of a prison.
Richardson traveled to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, several times to secure the release of an American detainee in 1996 and facilitate the return of the bodies of POWs from the Korean War. In the 1996 case, the United States paid the isolated communist state what were called "hotel bills" for his stay.
Officials said the issue of a possible payment to North Korea has not yet been discussed, but they said the United States would not be averse to playing along.
CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report.
First Gitmo detainee arrives in U.S. for trial
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Guantanamo Bay detainee indicted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa arrived in New York on Tuesday to face criminal charges.
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is the first Guantanamo detainee to be transferred to the U.S. for prosecution.
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is the first detainee held at Guantanamo to be transferred to the United States to face criminal prosecution. The Tanzanian national has been held at the camp in Cuba since September 2006.
The 1998 embassy attacks are among several crimes for which Ghailani has been indicted in New York.
He was captured in Pakistan in 2004 and transported to Guantanamo two years later.
In the 1998 bombings, 224 people were killed, including 12 Americans.
Ghailani's arrival in New York comes amid mounting tension between Congress and President Obama over the planned closing of Guantanamo. Ghailani was transferred from the custody of the Defense Department to the Southern District of New York by the U.S. Marshals Service.
He was in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, which has housed numerous terrorism suspects over the years, and was expected to make his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court later Tuesday, according to the Justice Department.
Don't Miss
Ghailani faces 286 counts in the indictment against him.
Among other alleged crimes, Ghailani is accused of conspiring with Osama bin Laden and other members of al Qaeda to kill Americans anywhere in the world. He also faces separate charges of murder for the deaths of each of the 224 people killed in the U.S. Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya and various other offenses related to the bombings.
"With his appearance in federal court today, Ahmed Ghailani is being held accountable for his alleged role in the bombing of U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and the murder of 224 people," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
"The Justice Department has a long history of securely detaining and successfully prosecuting terror suspects through the criminal justice system, and we will bring that experience to bear in seeking justice in this case."
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is the first Guantanamo detainee to be transferred to the U.S. for prosecution.
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani is the first detainee held at Guantanamo to be transferred to the United States to face criminal prosecution. The Tanzanian national has been held at the camp in Cuba since September 2006.
The 1998 embassy attacks are among several crimes for which Ghailani has been indicted in New York.
He was captured in Pakistan in 2004 and transported to Guantanamo two years later.
In the 1998 bombings, 224 people were killed, including 12 Americans.
Ghailani's arrival in New York comes amid mounting tension between Congress and President Obama over the planned closing of Guantanamo. Ghailani was transferred from the custody of the Defense Department to the Southern District of New York by the U.S. Marshals Service.
He was in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, which has housed numerous terrorism suspects over the years, and was expected to make his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court later Tuesday, according to the Justice Department.
Don't Miss
Ghailani faces 286 counts in the indictment against him.
Among other alleged crimes, Ghailani is accused of conspiring with Osama bin Laden and other members of al Qaeda to kill Americans anywhere in the world. He also faces separate charges of murder for the deaths of each of the 224 people killed in the U.S. Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya and various other offenses related to the bombings.
"With his appearance in federal court today, Ahmed Ghailani is being held accountable for his alleged role in the bombing of U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and the murder of 224 people," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
"The Justice Department has a long history of securely detaining and successfully prosecuting terror suspects through the criminal justice system, and we will bring that experience to bear in seeking justice in this case."
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Plane's recorders may never be found, searchers say
PARIS, France (CNN) -- French officials -- who said there is now no hope that anyone survived the crash of an Air France jet that plunged into the Atlantic -- said Wednesday they may never find the doomed jets flight data recorders.
A French AWACS reconnaissance aircraft prepares to leave its Dakar, Senegal base to search the crash zone.
The Airbus 330, with 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board, disappeared from radar screens, some three hours after it took off from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil en route to Paris.
A memorial for the victims of Flight AF 447, which included 61 people from France, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans and people from 29 other countries, will take place at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris at 10 a.m. ET (4 p.m. GMT). Brazil has declared three days of mourning.
Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said aircraft encountered heavy turbulence about 02:15 a.m. local time Monday (10:15 p.m. ET Sunday). At that point, the plane's automatic system initiated a four-minute exchange of messages to the company's maintenance computers, indicating "several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down."
The jet, which was flying at 35,000 feet and at 521 mph, also sent a warning that it had lost pressure, the Brazilian air force said. Its last known contact occurred at 02:33 a.m., the Brazilian air force spokesman added. Map of Flight AF 447's flightpath »
"We need time to reach the recorders," said Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of France's Accident Investigation Bureau.
The recorders give off a locator signal that lasts for up to 30 days, and the French government has sent a research vessel with a deep-diving submersible on board to the area where the plane's debris was found.
French officials said weather conditions at the site -- believed to be a major factor in the crash -- remain "extremely difficult" and the depth of the Atlantic near the sites where wreckage was found is around 7,000 meters (21,000 feet).
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"Even in history ... recorders from time to time were found after the 30 days. But I'm not so optimistic," said Arslanian at a press conference Wednesday. "It's not only deep it's also very mountainous at that place of the ocean."
Arslanian said answers on what caused the crash could take a long time.
"It could be long, we can not do with 80 percent understanding," said Arslanian. "This catastrophe is the worst that our country has known in our country's air history."
He said there appeared to be no problems with Flight AF 447 before take-off, but that everything had to be "checked and verified."
On Tuesday authorities found debris from the jet in two separate debris fields 60 km apart located about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil.
Among the wreckage was an airplane seat, metal debris, an orange float, a drum and an oil spill, French officials said.
French investigators were first mobilized on Monday, with four teams set up to conduct the probe. One has been tasked with recovering the wreck and flight recorders, the second group are looking at the aircraft's maintenance history, the third checking the operations of the plane, and the last group studying the plane's systems and equipment.
The investigation's team leader, Alain Bouillard, said their first preliminary report would be submitted by the end of June.
A French AWACS reconnaissance aircraft prepares to leave its Dakar, Senegal base to search the crash zone.
The Airbus 330, with 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board, disappeared from radar screens, some three hours after it took off from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil en route to Paris.
A memorial for the victims of Flight AF 447, which included 61 people from France, 58 Brazilians, 26 Germans and people from 29 other countries, will take place at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris at 10 a.m. ET (4 p.m. GMT). Brazil has declared three days of mourning.
Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said aircraft encountered heavy turbulence about 02:15 a.m. local time Monday (10:15 p.m. ET Sunday). At that point, the plane's automatic system initiated a four-minute exchange of messages to the company's maintenance computers, indicating "several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down."
The jet, which was flying at 35,000 feet and at 521 mph, also sent a warning that it had lost pressure, the Brazilian air force said. Its last known contact occurred at 02:33 a.m., the Brazilian air force spokesman added. Map of Flight AF 447's flightpath »
"We need time to reach the recorders," said Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of France's Accident Investigation Bureau.
The recorders give off a locator signal that lasts for up to 30 days, and the French government has sent a research vessel with a deep-diving submersible on board to the area where the plane's debris was found.
French officials said weather conditions at the site -- believed to be a major factor in the crash -- remain "extremely difficult" and the depth of the Atlantic near the sites where wreckage was found is around 7,000 meters (21,000 feet).
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"Even in history ... recorders from time to time were found after the 30 days. But I'm not so optimistic," said Arslanian at a press conference Wednesday. "It's not only deep it's also very mountainous at that place of the ocean."
Arslanian said answers on what caused the crash could take a long time.
"It could be long, we can not do with 80 percent understanding," said Arslanian. "This catastrophe is the worst that our country has known in our country's air history."
He said there appeared to be no problems with Flight AF 447 before take-off, but that everything had to be "checked and verified."
On Tuesday authorities found debris from the jet in two separate debris fields 60 km apart located about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil.
Among the wreckage was an airplane seat, metal debris, an orange float, a drum and an oil spill, French officials said.
French investigators were first mobilized on Monday, with four teams set up to conduct the probe. One has been tasked with recovering the wreck and flight recorders, the second group are looking at the aircraft's maintenance history, the third checking the operations of the plane, and the last group studying the plane's systems and equipment.
The investigation's team leader, Alain Bouillard, said their first preliminary report would be submitted by the end of June.
Clergy Rally in Support Of Same-Sex Marriage
By Hamil R. HarrisWashington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A diverse coalition of more than 100 clergy gathered in a Southeast Washington church yesterday to show their support for same-sex marriages in the District.
We declare that our faith calls us to affirm marriage equality for loving, same-sex couples," said the Rev. Dennis Wiley, pastor of the Covenant Baptist Church, as he stood in the pulpit of his church before religious leaders from all eight wards of the city.
The clergy, who have formed a group called D.C. Clergy United for Marriage and Equality, plan to challenge the efforts of a more conservative group of pastors who are pushing for a referendum on same-sex marriage. Last month, the D.C. Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and some council members plan to introduce a bill to allow the marriages to be performed in the District. Some members of Congress have said they will attempt to block same-sex marriage from becoming legal in the District.
The group supporting same-sex marriage -- composed of clergy from a wide range of Christian faiths and several rabbis -- was formed in response to a group of pastors led by Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville. Together with the Ministers Conference of Washington, D.C., and Vicinity, the more conservative pastors have formed the Stand Up for Marriage Coalition to lobby against the D.C. Council legislation on same-sex marriage.
The Rev. Robert Hardies, senior minister at All Souls Unitarian Church in the District, yesterday criticized the language some opponents of same-sex marriage have used in the debate. He cited a prediction by council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) that same-sex marriage would result in "civil war" in the city and Jackson's labeling the council bill a "declaration of war."
"I believe it is wrong to use the language of war to speak about a matter of love," Hardies said, adding, "We can and we must have an open and robust conversation without tearing our community apart."
The Rev. Alton B. Pollard III, the dean of the divinity school at Howard University, evoked the message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his "Letter From Birmingham Jail," in which King challenged white ministers to be more tolerant of people of other races.
if "Our movement toward a more perfect union also and necessarily includes the diverse expressions of human love," Pollard said. "Same-gender loving couples deserve our full and unfettered support to legally marry precisely because of love."
There also was an acknowledgement that people of faith differ on the issue.
"Recognizing that there is heartfelt disagreement on this issue, we call on all people of the District of Columbia to engage in respectful and loving dialogue on marriage equality," said a joint statement issued by the group.
A diverse coalition of more than 100 clergy gathered in a Southeast Washington church yesterday to show their support for same-sex marriages in the District.
We declare that our faith calls us to affirm marriage equality for loving, same-sex couples," said the Rev. Dennis Wiley, pastor of the Covenant Baptist Church, as he stood in the pulpit of his church before religious leaders from all eight wards of the city.
The clergy, who have formed a group called D.C. Clergy United for Marriage and Equality, plan to challenge the efforts of a more conservative group of pastors who are pushing for a referendum on same-sex marriage. Last month, the D.C. Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, and some council members plan to introduce a bill to allow the marriages to be performed in the District. Some members of Congress have said they will attempt to block same-sex marriage from becoming legal in the District.
The group supporting same-sex marriage -- composed of clergy from a wide range of Christian faiths and several rabbis -- was formed in response to a group of pastors led by Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville. Together with the Ministers Conference of Washington, D.C., and Vicinity, the more conservative pastors have formed the Stand Up for Marriage Coalition to lobby against the D.C. Council legislation on same-sex marriage.
The Rev. Robert Hardies, senior minister at All Souls Unitarian Church in the District, yesterday criticized the language some opponents of same-sex marriage have used in the debate. He cited a prediction by council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) that same-sex marriage would result in "civil war" in the city and Jackson's labeling the council bill a "declaration of war."
"I believe it is wrong to use the language of war to speak about a matter of love," Hardies said, adding, "We can and we must have an open and robust conversation without tearing our community apart."
The Rev. Alton B. Pollard III, the dean of the divinity school at Howard University, evoked the message of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his "Letter From Birmingham Jail," in which King challenged white ministers to be more tolerant of people of other races.
if "Our movement toward a more perfect union also and necessarily includes the diverse expressions of human love," Pollard said. "Same-gender loving couples deserve our full and unfettered support to legally marry precisely because of love."
There also was an acknowledgement that people of faith differ on the issue.
"Recognizing that there is heartfelt disagreement on this issue, we call on all people of the District of Columbia to engage in respectful and loving dialogue on marriage equality," said a joint statement issued by the group.
King Abdullah Greets Obama in Saudi Arabia
By Scott WilsonWashington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, June 3, 2009; 8:09 AM
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 3--American flags are hanging next to the green banner of the Saudi kingdom on the street-light poles of this desert capital, a celebratory nod to the arrival of President Obama, who on Wednesday landed here to begin a five-day tour through the Middle East and Europe.
Obama will hold a day of meetings with King Abdullah on Iran's nuclear program and the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process, among other issues. It is his first presidential visit to the Arab Middle East.
At a tarmac welcoming ceremony, Obama was greeted by the 84-year-old Saudi leader. The two strode down a red carpet lined by ranks of Saudi soldiers, U.S. and Saudi flags flying taut in a brisk, dry wind. A military band then played the Star-Spangled Banner.
The leaders were then scheduled to travel to King Abdullah's farm at Jenadriyah, not far from Riyadh. The king hosted a dinner there last year for then-President Bush featuring an Arabian horse show and a falconry exhibition.
This stop was a late addition to Obama's itinerary, the centerpiece of which is his Thursday address in Cairo to the Islamic world.
It comes as Obama is pushing for early progress on Middle East peace efforts and reaching out to Iran's leaders over their nuclear program - two major and intertwined foreign policy gambits that so far have yielded few results.
With its vast oil wealth and supreme religious importance in the Islamic world as the site of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia has long been a leading Sunni Arab player in the region, an influence Abdullah has sought to deepen in recent yearsAbdullah has asserted Saudi diplomacy aggressively in Lebanon and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He was the first to propose broad Arab recognition of Israel in return for its withdrawal from all territory occupied in the 1967 Middle East War, and he has sought in the past to broker unity government agreements between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
Obama has suggested that Abdullah's peace proposal, adopted by the Arab League in 2002 and now known as the Arab Peace Initiative, may serve as a way to revive talks between Israelis, Palestinians and Arab countries, only two of which now recognize the Jewish state.
After a meeting with Obama last month, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu indicated that he would welcome more regional participation in future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He said he "would like to broaden the circle of peace to include others in the Arab world, if we could."
Those talks are being held up now by Palestinian concerns over Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and Netanyahu's refusal to endorse the creation of an independent Palestinian state as the best way to achieve peace.
The Obama administration may be taking more of an outside in view of the conflict, hoping a gesture from Arab nations such as this one might push Israel toward peace with the Palestinians. Obama has already hosted King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, in addition to Netanyahu. The U.S. president is meet two other key players in regional peace efforts on this trip -- Saudi Arabia's Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
After his meeting with Obama last week, Abbas said: "I believe that if the Israelis would withdraw from all occupied Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese land, the Arab world will be ready to have normal relationships with the state of Israel."
But one element of the Arab Peace Initiative that some Israeli officials say must be removed is its endorsement of the so-called right of return. That would allow Palestinian refugees, who along with their descendents number in the millions, to return to homes inside Israel. If many of them did so, Israel's character as a Jewish-majority state would be threatened.
Obama may be here seeking Abdullah's agreement to soften that reference, along with encouraging some other steps toward normalization.
Saudi officials have privately expressed frustration over being asked to make concessions when the Israeli government continues to build settlements in territory envisioned as part of the future Palestinian state. By endorsing the so-called roadmap in 2003, Israel's government agreed to "freeze all settlement activity."
Obama, too, is at odds with Netanyahu over the settlement issue, although it is unclear what pressure if any he intends to exert on the Israeli government to bring such construction to a halt. The broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one he has said he intends to address in his speech at Cairo University, while warning that he will not propose a specific plan for peace.
Netanyahu is interested in regional talks -- something past Israeli governments have strenuously resisted -- because he believes Israel's interests and those of Sunni Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia are aligned on one major issue: Iran's nuclear program.
While Israel considers what it believes is Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon to be an existential threat, Saudi Arabia sees it as a destabilizing force threatening its own regional influence.
Becoming the region's second nuclear power -- Israel has its own undeclared nuclear weapons program - would be the latest and largest Iranian encroachment on traditional Saudi turf.
Private Saudi money, for example, funded the armed Islamist group Hamas for years. But the group now receives money and military training from Shiite Iran, as well. In Lebanon, too, Saudi and Iranian-backed parties are at odds for decisive control of the government.
By Scott WilsonWashington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, June 3, 2009; 8:09 AM
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 3--American flags are hanging next to the green banner of the Saudi kingdom on the street-light poles of this desert capital, a celebratory nod to the arrival of President Obama, who on Wednesday landed here to begin a five-day tour through the Middle East and Europe.
Obama will hold a day of meetings with King Abdullah on Iran's nuclear program and the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process, among other issues. It is his first presidential visit to the Arab Middle East.
At a tarmac welcoming ceremony, Obama was greeted by the 84-year-old Saudi leader. The two strode down a red carpet lined by ranks of Saudi soldiers, U.S. and Saudi flags flying taut in a brisk, dry wind. A military band then played the Star-Spangled Banner.
The leaders were then scheduled to travel to King Abdullah's farm at Jenadriyah, not far from Riyadh. The king hosted a dinner there last year for then-President Bush featuring an Arabian horse show and a falconry exhibition.
This stop was a late addition to Obama's itinerary, the centerpiece of which is his Thursday address in Cairo to the Islamic world.
It comes as Obama is pushing for early progress on Middle East peace efforts and reaching out to Iran's leaders over their nuclear program - two major and intertwined foreign policy gambits that so far have yielded few results.
With its vast oil wealth and supreme religious importance in the Islamic world as the site of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia has long been a leading Sunni Arab player in the region, an influence Abdullah has sought to deepen in recent yearsAbdullah has asserted Saudi diplomacy aggressively in Lebanon and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He was the first to propose broad Arab recognition of Israel in return for its withdrawal from all territory occupied in the 1967 Middle East War, and he has sought in the past to broker unity government agreements between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.
Obama has suggested that Abdullah's peace proposal, adopted by the Arab League in 2002 and now known as the Arab Peace Initiative, may serve as a way to revive talks between Israelis, Palestinians and Arab countries, only two of which now recognize the Jewish state.
After a meeting with Obama last month, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu indicated that he would welcome more regional participation in future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He said he "would like to broaden the circle of peace to include others in the Arab world, if we could."
Those talks are being held up now by Palestinian concerns over Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and Netanyahu's refusal to endorse the creation of an independent Palestinian state as the best way to achieve peace.
The Obama administration may be taking more of an outside in view of the conflict, hoping a gesture from Arab nations such as this one might push Israel toward peace with the Palestinians. Obama has already hosted King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, in addition to Netanyahu. The U.S. president is meet two other key players in regional peace efforts on this trip -- Saudi Arabia's Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
After his meeting with Obama last week, Abbas said: "I believe that if the Israelis would withdraw from all occupied Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese land, the Arab world will be ready to have normal relationships with the state of Israel."
But one element of the Arab Peace Initiative that some Israeli officials say must be removed is its endorsement of the so-called right of return. That would allow Palestinian refugees, who along with their descendents number in the millions, to return to homes inside Israel. If many of them did so, Israel's character as a Jewish-majority state would be threatened.
Obama may be here seeking Abdullah's agreement to soften that reference, along with encouraging some other steps toward normalization.
Saudi officials have privately expressed frustration over being asked to make concessions when the Israeli government continues to build settlements in territory envisioned as part of the future Palestinian state. By endorsing the so-called roadmap in 2003, Israel's government agreed to "freeze all settlement activity."
Obama, too, is at odds with Netanyahu over the settlement issue, although it is unclear what pressure if any he intends to exert on the Israeli government to bring such construction to a halt. The broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one he has said he intends to address in his speech at Cairo University, while warning that he will not propose a specific plan for peace.
Netanyahu is interested in regional talks -- something past Israeli governments have strenuously resisted -- because he believes Israel's interests and those of Sunni Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia are aligned on one major issue: Iran's nuclear program.
While Israel considers what it believes is Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon to be an existential threat, Saudi Arabia sees it as a destabilizing force threatening its own regional influence.
Becoming the region's second nuclear power -- Israel has its own undeclared nuclear weapons program - would be the latest and largest Iranian encroachment on traditional Saudi turf.
Private Saudi money, for example, funded the armed Islamist group Hamas for years. But the group now receives money and military training from Shiite Iran, as well. In Lebanon, too, Saudi and Iranian-backed parties are at odds for decisive control of the government.
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