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June 7, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflecting all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
WORLD
- Al Qaeda commander killed (BBC)
- Europe mulls major step toward “fiscal union” (Reuters)
- Plane crash in Nigeria kills all 147 on board (Reuters)
- Romney aversion to wind power is alienating some Republicans (Bloomberg)
- Diamond Jubilee Thames pageant for Queen Elizabeth cheered by crowd (BBC)
U.S.
- Fever during pregnancy doubles autism risk, study finds (California Watch)
- Unions suffer blow in Wisconsin recall defeat (The Hill)
- In Wisconsin, reports of voter suppression (CBS)
- An Open Letter to President Obama from tribal leaders (Indigenous Reflections)
Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.
WORLD
Al Qaeda commander killed (BBC)
June 5, 2012 -- Senior al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan on Monday, US officials say.
US officials said Libi was the target of an attack which hit a volatile tribal area of Pakistan's north-west, killing 15 suspected militants.
There has been no confirmation of his death from sources in Pakistan.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18334377
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18334377
Europe mulls major step toward “fiscal union” (Reuters)
June 3, 2012 -- When Jean-Claude Trichet called last June for the creation of a European finance ministry with power over national budgets, the idea seemed fanciful, a distant dream that would take years or even decades to realize, if it ever came to be.
One year later, with the euro zone's debt crisis threatening to tear the bloc apart, Germany is pushing its partners for precisely the kind of giant leap forward in fiscal integration that the now-departed European Central Bank president had in mind.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/03/us-eurozone-union-idUSBRE85207J20120603
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/03/us-eurozone-union-idUSBRE85207J20120603
Plane crash in Nigeria kills all 147 on board (Reuters)
June 3, 2012 -- A passenger plane crashed into a densely populated part of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, on Sunday, killing all 147 people on board, the airline said.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared three days of national mourning and ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash which jolted residents of Lagos' Agege suburb where most live in tin-roofed buildings along unpaved streets.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/03/us-nigeria-crash-idUSBRE85208R20120603
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/03/us-nigeria-crash-idUSBRE85208R20120603
Romney aversion to wind power is alienating some Republicans (Bloomberg)
June 4, 2012 -- Mitt Romney’s opposition to tax breaks for wind farms puts him at odds with conservative support for renewable energy in states such as Iowa and Texas that have built the largest wind industries with taxpayer help.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee favors more oil drilling and fewer clean-air regulations and has voiced opposition to government backing for wind and solar projects.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-04/romney-aversion-to-wind-power-aid-alienating-republicans
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-04/romney-aversion-to-wind-power-aid-alienating-republicans
Diamond Jubilee Thames pageant for Queen Elizabeth cheered by crowd (BBC)
June 3, 2012 -- More than one million rain-soaked people have watched the Queen's 1,000-boat Diamond Jubilee pageant weave its way along the Thames, organisers say.
The Queen's barge travelled among the flotilla of tugs, steamers, pleasure cruisers, dragon boats and kayaks.
The London event was the highlight of the Jubilee weekend, but a fly-past was cancelled because of the weather.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18312403
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18312403
U.S.
Fever during pregnancy doubles autism risk, study finds (California Watch)
June 1, 2012 -- A new study from UC Davis researchers found that women who ran a fever during pregnancy had twice the risk of having a baby with autism. The study offered an easy fix, too: Women who controlled the fever with Tylenol or a similar fever-reducing medication eliminated the risk.
The findings mesh with other research linking diabetes and obesity during pregnancy to a higher risk of having a child with a developmental delay or autism. The two conditions – fever and diabetes – are associated with an inflammatory response in the body that researchers say may injure the developing brain.
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/fever-during-pregnancy-doubles-autism-risk-study-finds-16411
http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/fever-during-pregnancy-doubles-autism-risk-study-finds-16411
Unions suffer blow in Wisconsin recall defeat (The Hill)
June 6, 2012 -- Organized labor suffered a crushing blow with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) victory in Tuesday’s recall election, a possible sign of their fading power and a worrying result for union supporters ahead of November’s presidential election.
“They picked a fight they weren't able to win,” said Gary Chaison, a labor expert at Clark University. “This shows them at their weakest. They'll try to put a happy face on this but this is nothing less than a calamity for them.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/231133-unions-suffer-blow-in-walkers-recall-victory
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/231133-unions-suffer-blow-in-walkers-recall-victory
In Wisconsin, reports of voter suppression (CBS)
June 5, 2012 -- As voters head to the polls Tuesday todecide the fate of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, reports out of the state suggest that robocalls are being placed informing voters, falsely, they don't have to vote if they signed the recall petition.
There have also been reports of mailings going out to voters telling them they can't vote unless they did so in 2010, and of people going door-to-door telling voters they don't have to go to the polls if they signed the recall petition, both of which are also untrue.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57447512-503544/in-wisconsin-reports-of-voter-suppression-efforts/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57447512-503544/in-wisconsin-reports-of-voter-suppression-efforts/
An Open Letter to President Obama from tribal leaders (Indigenous Reflections)
June 2012
Dear President Obama,
Dear President Obama,
I hope this message finds you and your family well. Unfortunately, I write to you with heavy heart about an important issue that I seek your assistance on. As I type this letter, an important part of the spiritual ancestry of some of the Tribal Governments in Southern California is being desecrated with heavy machinery, all in the name of renewable energy. These same Tribal Governments have sought counsel with your administration. Unfortunately, these efforts did not produce any meetings or dialogues between your staff in Washington and the elected representatives of these Indian Nations. I write to see if you would come to the table and meet with these Native officials.
http://indigenousreflections.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/open-letter-to-obama-when-will-you-meet-with-the-tribal-governments-along-the-colorado-river/
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