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Front Page: A Chance For Peace in Gaza

LibertySugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:05:29 -0800

A three-hour cease-fire in Gaza left hope that peace between Hamas and Israel can be reached, but there is no guarantee. — CBS on YouTube
The Red Cross reports it found at least 15 bodies and several children, who were emaciated but alive, in a row of shattered houses in the Gaza Strip. Officials accused the Israeli military of preventing ambulances from reaching the bombed-out site for four days. — Washington Post
President-elect Barack Obama plans to urge Congress to move quickly on his economic aid package (expected to cost $800 billion) today, warning that failure to do so would have devastating long-term effects for the nation. — CNN
The Army mistakenly sent letters addressed "Dear John Doe" to 7,000 family members of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, forcing a formal apology from the Army's top general. The letters contained information about private organizations that assist grieving families, but a printing error by a contractor left the letters without specific names and addresses. — Washington Post

Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly said it would restore supplies to Europe through Ukraine, which it cut off after a dispute between Moscow and Kiev, as soon as international monitors are implemented. — Reuters

Front Page: Optimism Rises Ceasefire Plan in Gaza

LibertySugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Hope for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Gaza has increased with the news that Israel has agreed "on the principles" of a ceasefire proposal. Hamas said there were "positive signs but no agreement yet." — BBC
Lawmakers are pushing Barack Obama to embrace deficit-reduction goals while he promotes a spending and tax-cutting plan. Yesterday, Obama said he would "bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington" and called the need for budget reform "an absolute necessity." — AP

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he's being unfairly blamed by members of the Senate for not seating Roland Burris. — Chicago Tribune
Barack Obama will announce his pick for "chief performance officer," a newly created position that will work on the federal budget and to reform government. — CNN
Pakistani leaders say India's suggestions that official agencies may have been involved in training November's Mumbai terrorists are pushing the region to war. — United Press International
HBO has landed the rights to the inaugural ceremony and will kick off coverage of Inauguration week with an exclusive telecast of a star-studded opening ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 18. It will offer the event free to cable and satellite subscribers. — Hollywood Reporter

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Front Page: Israel Pushes Into Southern Gaza on Day 12 of Fire

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:53 -0800

Israeli troops moved to the southern Gaza Strip today, ignoring an effort by European envoys to broker a cease-fire. Palestinian officials said the death toll in Gaza has risen to about 560 since Israel began airstrikes on Dec. 27. At least nine Israelis have been killed. — Washington Post
President-elect Barack Obama told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he favors a grand total of $775 billion for the US economic stimulus plan. — Bloomberg
Consumers are reeling from a recession, job uncertainty, tighter credit, and falling stock portfolios, and it shows. Wal-Mart Stores could be one of the only retailers to post a rise in December sales, as US retail sales continue to fall. — Reuters
Barack Obama's pick for head of CIA, Leon Panetta, is churning a mixed reaction from CIA officials. He has been described as a "fabulous choice" to lead the agency and conversely "inexperienced" with intelligence manners. — ABC News
Despite support against his appointment to the US Senate, Roland Burris told the The Early Show he plans to take his seat as Illinois's junior senator. Burris, who was selected to take Barack Obama's Senate seat, brushed off his critics, saying his appointment by the scandal-plagued governor, Rod Blagojevich, is legal and valid — CBS News

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Front Page: Obamas Settle in DC as the Girls Start School

CitizenSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:01:04 -0800

Michelle Obama walked her daughters alongside full security detail to their first day at Sidwell Friends School in Bethesda, MD, this morning, making the family's move to DC official. — AP
Residents in Gaza are saying they doubt rocket fire can be stopped. Thousands of Israeli troops battled Hamas fighters Sunday while Israeli warplanes, helicopters, and drones bombarded targets from above for the 10th day. — Washington Post
Barack Obama hopes to drum up support from both political parties by proposing up to $310 billion in tax cuts for businesses and the middle class as part of his massive economic stimulus package. — Reuters

A new US embassy in Baghdad has opened its doors with a dedication ceremony attended by the Iraqi president. — BBC
Gunmen hit Athens riot police with automatic weapons fire early this morning, wounding a policeman in an escalation of violence that erupted last month when a teenager was killed in a police shooting. — Wall Street Journal

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Israeli Forces Bisect Gaza, Surround Biggest City

CitizenSugar — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:05:28 -0800

Israeli Forces Bisect Gaza, Surround Biggest City Israeli ground troops and tanks cut through the Gaza Strip early Sunday, diving the territory into two and surrounding its biggest city as the new phase of a devastating offensive against Hamas militants gained momentum.

Briefing Book! Mom Blogger in Gaza Shares Tales

LibertySugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:20 -0800

Blogging From Gaza: Laila El-Haddad is a Palestinian journalist, mother, and a blogger who is sharing her take of what's happening on the ground in Gaza. — Good
It's Only Billions: A recap of 2008's biggest scandals in the world of finance and business. — Huffington Post
Looking Ahead: It's never too soon to wonder who will challenge Obama in 2012? — Donklephant
Inauguration: Still more reasons to boot Rick Warren from the inauguration. — Slate

Front Page: Israel Ready For "Long Weeks of Action" in Gaza

CitizenSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:06:02 -0800

Israel says it is ready for "long weeks of action" as it continues the fourth day of an air assault on Gaza. Palestinian officials say the death toll is more than 360 since Saturday. Four Israelis have died in rocket fire. — BBC News
Consumer confidence in the US dropped again, hitting a new record low in December, according to a monthly survey. — Washington Post
The Bush administration expanded its bailout of the auto industry today, saying it was buying $5 billion in equity in auto and mortgage finance company GMAC and increasing a loan to General Motors by $1 billion. — Reuters

Public schools across the country, hurt by state and local government cutbacks, are tapping parents for extra funds. — Wall Street Journal
Home prices in 20 major American cities declined at the fastest rate on record, brought down by increased foreclosures and decreased sales. — Bloomberg

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A Closer Look at the Chaos and Terror in Gaza

LibertySugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:45:13 -0800

The three-day death toll in Gaza rose to 315 today, including seven children under the age of 15 who were killed in two separate strikes Sunday and Monday. Israel began air strikes on Saturday in retaliation after rocket fire was aimed at civilians in southern Israeli towns. Here's a look at some of the news the mainstream media has received regarding the dispute and chaos.

Israel has launched more than 300 air strikes since midday Saturday. The bombings have "wreaked unprecedented destruction in Gaza, reducing buildings to rubble" and targeted symbols of Hamas rule. — Wall Street Journal
Thousands in the Arab world have attended rallies to express anger at Israel's air raids. Protesters burned Israeli and American flags in a string of Arab cities and demanded a stronger response from their leaders. — BBC News
Oil rose above $40 a barrel on Monday, in response to a weak dollar and Israeli attacks on Hamas that served as a reminder of tensions that could threaten Middle East crude oil supplies. — Reuters
Food and medical supplies are growing thin on the strip. One reporter noted "there is no food on the market" while humanitarian aid groups are reacting to the deteriorating medical situation and urging the opening of Gaza's borders to allow supplies to flow to hospitals. — Washington Post
What now for Obama's Mideast plan? Some experts say the Israel-Hamas violence could be a blow on peace-talk hopes. — Chicago Tribune

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Front Page: Air Raids and Violence Continue in Gaza

LibertySugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:14:23 -0800

The Israeli army has declared the area around Gaza a “closed military zone,” as Israeli aircraft attacked key Hamas symbols of power. The death toll is now up to more than 300. — New York Times
How did the most sophisticated financial markets in the world come to the brink of collapse? The Washington Post examines the unequal relationship between Wall Street innovation and Washington regulation. — Washingtion Post

Pakistani military chiefs told a visiting Chinese official that Pakistan and India should reduce tension caused by last month's militant attacks in Mumbai and resume a peace dialogue, today. — Reuters
Somalia's President Abdullahi Yusuf has resigned. It's a move that only adds to the chaos in the country as Ethiopian troops withdraw. — BBC
A rise of more than 39 percent was reported in murders of African-American teens since 2000 and 2001, according to a new study. — Wall Street Journal

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Kids in Gaza Mark the End of Ramadan With a Bang

CitizenSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:00:04 -0700

These pictures of kids in Gaza celebrating the end of Ramadan stopped me in my tracks this morning. The celebration, Eid al-Fitr, marks the end of Ramadan, the 30-day period of daylight abstinence from food and drink observed by Muslims. It's a three-day "festival of the fast-breaking," a joyous time to visit friends and relatives and to give to those in need ensuring that everyone will have a holiday meal — especially important this year as more and more feel financial woes.

The kids in these pictures are clearly having a great time, celebrating the end of the fast, but the guns. Oh, the guns give more than a little pause. While yes, kids have played cops and robbers since the beginning of time (give or take) the adult way these children handle the weapons suggests the real cost of their turbulent environment. A study showed that a crushing 98 percent of children in Gaza have experienced or witnessed war trauma. Most children, who number almost half of the residents of Gaza, have been tear-gassed, had their homes searched, or seen shootings and explosions. No wonder they seem so at home with their arsenal.

It makes me want to replace those guns with some Basboosa (a traditional post-Ramadan dessert made with semolina and yogurt, soaked in a rose water syrup.) That would certainly be sweeter.

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Sick? US Hospitals Deport Patients, Israelis Interrogate Them

LibertySugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:00:54 -0700

Security and financial concerns are preventing some patients' ability to receive medical care both in the US and Palestine.

American hospitals are independently deporting seriously ill or injured undocumented immigrants because of the financial burden, according to an extensive report in the New York Times. Without any intervention of federal or state officials, hospitals privately employ ambulances, air ambulances, or commercial plans to send home immigrants that can't find US nursing homes that will accept them without insurance. Often a death sentence, the only other option to deportation is keeping the immigrants indefinitely in high-cost acute-care treatment.

Across the world in Gaza, Israeli officials are allegedly denying urgent medical care to Palestinians because Gaza residents refuse to spy on their community. To see what those seeking care have to say,

Under Gaza: Tunneling Through Sand for Food, Weapons, Oil

LibertySugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:00:46 -0700

Gaza residents are tunneling through sand, in their latest attempt to withstand the Israeli blockade of the region. Israel has shut off access to the Gaza strip, in response to attacks and in an attempt to put pressure on Hamas.

The tunnels bring electricity, phone lines, cigarettes, food, petrol, and weapons. The more secretly located Hamas-controlled tunnels carry weapons of unknown caliber. The tunnelers, or "snake heads," give the local authorities a cut of their contraband profits, to help them look the other way.

The intricate tunnel networks are no secret to Israeli officials, who have implored Egypt to do more to end their existence. But according to reports, Egypt does pump water or worse, poisonous gas, through discovered tunnels, with deadly results. Just last week one tunnel did collapse, perhaps due to Egyptians pumping in water to weaken it. A man died during the collapse and had to be dragged out of the tunnels by his feet, 24 hours later.

One of the "snake heads" says, "constructing them is the worst job in the world," but the money keeps many going until they perish. Do tunnelers dig and transport at their own risk, or does Israel's policy bear some responsibility for the deaths that result from trying to secure essentials like food and electricity?

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Front Page: Gaza Blast Kills 5, US/Iraq Talks Stall, Midwest Pounded

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:55:45 -0700

Gaza Blast Kills 5: A large explosion in Gaza yesterday killed at least five Palestinians, including several Hamas militants and a baby girl. Despite the death and destruction of a residential building, responsibility is unclear. Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, first blamed the blast on an Israeli air strike, causing them to fire rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli towns and villages around Gaza. The Israeli military has vehemently denied any involvement in the explosion.

US/Iraq Talks Stall: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki declared that talks with the US aimed at reaching a long-term agreement allowing US forces to remain in Iraq have "reached an impasse". According to Maliki, the US demands compromised Iraqi sovereignty. President Bush has said he wants an agreement by the end of July, as the UN mandate for US forces to be in Iraq expires at the end of 2008. Maliki said of the proposal, "We cannot allow US forces to have the right to jail Iraqis or assume, alone, the responsibility of fighting against terrorism."
Midwest Pounded: Iowa's Cedar River broke its banks yesterday, forcing the evacuation of thousands of homes and causing a railroad bridge to collapse. Officials estimated that 100 blocks are underwater in Cedar Rapids, where preparations weren't enough to hold back the water. The sheriff said of the weather crisis, "We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start." Estimates show that 3,200 homes were evacuated and 8,000 residents have been displaced. This news comes after a deadly tornado hit an Iowa Boy Scout camp, and a similarly deadly twister tore through Kansas, leaving residents to dig out of the destruction.

To see an exclusive, first-hand photo account of the Kansas aftermath,

US Revokes Fulbrights Because of Israel's Blockade of Gaza

LibertySugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:15:51 -0700

Israel's isolation of the Gaza strip has prompted the US State Department to withdraw all Fulbright grants to Palestinian students. Because only those with the most urgent medical needs can leave the Hamas-run region, American officials are worried that their educational funding will be wasted on those that will not be able to leave to attend American institutions.

Fulbrights, educational grants awarded by the US government, fund international educational exchange, in order to foster mutual understanding between Americans and citizens of other countries.

One shocked Palestinian scholar views the decision as counterproductive to American and Israeli goals, as well as ultimate peace. To see what he told the New York Times and to find out if there is any possibility that visas will be granted,

Front Page: Jeremiah Wright Speaks, Train Collision in China, Children Dead in Gaza

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:58:18 -0700

Jeremiah Wright Speaks: Rev. Jeremiah Wright is speaking at the National Press Club this morning. Over the weekend, Wright spoke in Detroit making it clear that he was "running for Jesus," not public office. His message this weekend and this morning is that Americans should know by now that "different does not mean deficient" when it comes to the African-American church and that the controversy over his "God damn America" remarks stems from misunderstanding. He said yesterday, "I come from a religious tradition that does not divorce the world we are living in with the world we are headed to. The black religious tradition is different. We do it a different way."

Train Collision in China: A collision early this morning between two passenger trains traveling through rural Eastern China killed 66 people and injured 247, and 51 of the injured are in critical condition. The incident is one of the deadliest rail accidents in China in a decade. Officials said that at the moment of impact the trains were traveling at full speed and most of the passengers were asleep.
Children Dead in Gaza: In Northern Gaza, a mother and her four young children are among at least seven Palestinians killed during an Israeli raid. The children were between one and six years old. The family members were killed in their home from a missile strike aimed at an area often used by Palestinian militants to launch rockets at Israel. Last Friday, the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, advocated for a six-month "period of quiet" in Gaza, offering to extend it to the West Bank. Israel dismissed the proposal as a ruse to allow Hamas to "re-arm and re-group".

Front Page: Peace Talks to Resume, China Upholds One Child

CitizenSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:06:37 -0800

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, said today that he intends to resume negotiations on a plan for peace with Israel. The agreement came after a visit from US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and heavy pressure from the United States. He did not set a date to resume talks and faces great political pressure at home to stay away from the table if the Palestinian death toll continues to rise from Israeli attacks on Gaza. Recent reports show that conditions in Gaza are the worst they've been in 40 years.
China is now denying suggestions that it is about to change its controversial one-child policy. The Family Planning Chief said that the rule limiting families to one child, or two in rural areas, will remain in place, though the rules have been blamed for a gender imbalance as families are eager for sons rather than daughters. The Director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission said, "Changes to the family planning policy now could lead to population rises, posing higher pressure on China's future development."

Headline: Egypt Hosts Palestinian Rivals

LibertySugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:25:44 -0800

Egypt is hosting Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and a delegation from Hamas for separate talks regarding the latest border crisis. During talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas demanded that rival group Hamas give up control of Gaza.

These groundbreaking talks mark the first time ever that Egypt will receive a Hamas delegation, as neither Egypt nor Israel recognizes Hamas as Gaza's legitimate authority. Hamas representatives, who will only be meeting with lower-lever Egyptian officials, will certainly push for a role in a border agreement.

Currently, the Palestinian Authority and the militant group Hamas are sparring over control of the Rafah border crossing. To see the connection between the conflict and the map

Headline: Lights Out in Gaza

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:00:13 -0800

Following Israel's sealing of Gaza's borders after a missile attack last week, Gaza has been plunged into darkness. Israel has cut off the delivery of fuel, food, and supplies following the attack, and now Gaza's only power plant no longer has the fuel it needs to operate.

A complicated conflict, the current blockade has led Hamas, the armed Islamic movement that controls the Gaza Strip, to announce that hospitals are operating on generators and that the situation is dire. Israel has said the blockade would end if militants halted rocket launchings, and has suggested that the situation in Gaza has been exaggerated to gain sympathy, adding that they would do anything they needed to do to avoid a humanitarian crisis. The lights remain off, though Israel is now allowing a limited fuel shipment to enter on Tuesday.

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Headline: Israel Seals Off Gaza Following Missile Strike

LibertySugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:04:04 -0800

An Israeli missile struck the Hamas interior ministry headquarters in Gaza City on Friday, killing a Palestinian woman and injuring 40 people. Israel has shut its crossing with the Gaza strip, preventing even UN relief workers from entering. The latest violence came after rockets, coming from the Hamas-run territory, hit nearby Israeli towns.

Israel has stepped up its military operations in Gaza this week, killing at least 32 Palestinians, most of whom were militants. According to Voice of America's Jerusalem correspondent,

Rocket attacks have terrorized the Israeli town of Sderot and farming communities on the Gaza border. Israeli spokesman Arieh Mekel says that under these circumstances, it cannot be business as usual with Gaza.

UN officials have warned that Israeli security measures come at a terrible human cost. Restricted entry into Gaza threatens Gaza's economic stability and could bring about a humanitarian crisis. Gaza is already experiencing food, fuel, and electricity shortages.

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