Printer-friendly version
April 22, 2011 (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 global and national news stories include:
U.S. News
- As gas prices soar, task force to explore energy fraud (Washington Post)
- U.S. deploys armed drones over Libya (BBC)
- DOW ends week at 3-year high (CNN)
- iPhone tracking shocked pair who made discovery (CBS)
- States to businesses: Give our cash back (Wall Street Journal)
- America’s 10 most overpaid CEOs (Mother Jones)
- Gov. Scott Walker reportedly planning martial law in Wisconsin (Forbes)
- Debunking the birther claim (CNN)
- Report finds criminals able to offer in-home care for elderly
World News
- Iraq troop talks falter (Wall Street Journal)
- Earth Day organizers call for “a billion acts of green” (Reuters)
- Ozone hole has dried Australia, scientists find (CNN)
- Turkey in talks on Taliban office in Istanbul (Reuters)
- Arctic ozone levels in never-before seen plunge (BBC)
U.S. NEWS
AS GAS PRICES SOAR, TASK FORCE TO EXPLORE ENERGY FRAUD
April 21, 2011 (Washington Post)--With U.S. gasoline prices soaring, the Obama administration Thursday unveiled a working group of federal agencies to probe potential fraud in the energy markets.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-gas-prices-soar-task-force-to-explore-energy-fraud/2011/04/21/AFsRJGLE_story.html
U.S. DEPLOYS ARMED DRONES OVER LIBYA
April 21, 2011 (BBC) -- Armed US Predator drones are carrying out missions over Libya, Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13166441
DOW ENDS WEEK AT 3-YEAR HIGH
April 21, 2011 (CNN) -- U.S. stocks advanced for a third straight session Thursday, with the Dow closing at almost a 3-year high following a slew of strong earnings.
But disappointing readings on regional manufacturing and the labor market kept a lid on the gains, reminding investors that the economy is still fragile.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/21/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm?hpt=T2
iPHONE TRACKING SHOCKED PAIR WHO MADE DISCOVERY
Researchers Alisdair Allan and Pete Warden break down how someone's iPhone could see everywhere the owner has been
April 21, 2011 (CBS News)--Apple vigorously promotes the many things its iPhones and iPads will do. But the company has been silent about one feature on its newer devices: They are secretly keeping a record of every move their users make.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/21/eveningnews/main20056267.shtml?tag=stack
STATES TO BUSINESS: GIVE OUR CASH BACK
April 22, 2011 (Wall Street Journal) --. Some states and cities are moving to recoup money from businesses that received tax breaks and other incentives but didn't create lasting jobs, and are taking a harder line on future deals
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704081604576144312226133614.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories
REPORT FINDS CRIMINALS ABLE TO OFFER IN-HOME CARE FOR ELDERLY
April 21, 2011 (Sacramento Bee) --Lax oversight of in-home care agencies is opening the door for caregivers with criminal backgrounds to offer services to the elderly and disabled, according to a Senate oversight report issued today.
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/04/california-senate-report-finds-criminals-offer-inhome-care-elderly.html#ixzz1KDasklEE
AMERICA’S 10 MOST OVERPAID CEOS
April 21, 2011 (Mother Jones)--The CEO who got a 449% raise for keeping his company in the red, and more tales of executive excess.
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/10-most-ridiculously-overpaid-ceos
GOV. SCOTT WALKER REPORTEDLY PLANNING FINANCIAL MARTIAL LAW IN WISCONSIN
April 16, 2011 (Forbes) -- Reports are surfacing that Scott Walkeri s now preparing his next assault on the democratic political process in the State of Wisconsin.
Following the lead of Michigan GOP Governor Rick Snyder, Walker is said to be preparing a plan that would allow him to force local governments to submit to a financial stress test with an eye towards permitting the governor to take over municipalities that fail to meet Walker's approval.
http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/04/16/gov-scott-... /
DEBUNKING THE BIRTHER CLAIM
April 17, 2011 (CNN) -- Developer and reality show host Donald Trump has been pushing the claim that President Obama was not born in the U.S. - a myth that has dogged the president since he took office.
CNN has investigated these claims and here are the key points:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/15/debunking-the-birther-claim/?hpt=Sbin
WORLD NEWS
IRAQ TROOP TALKS FALTER
April 22, 2011 (Wall Street Journal) – Allies want U.S. to stay past withdrawal date but Baghdad fears unrest.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704889404576277240145258616.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories
EARTH DAY ORGANIZERS CALL FOR “A BILLION ACTS OF GREEN”
April 22, 2011 (Reuters) -- (Reuters Life!) - If the environmental movement has a high holiday, Earth Day is it. The annual effort to raise public awareness about the environment and inspire actions to clean it up marks its 41st anniversary on Friday, coinciding with the Christian Good Friday and Judaism's celebration of Passover.
In an effort dubbed "A Billion Acts of Green," organizers are encouraging people to observe Earth Day 2011 by pledging online at act.earthday.org/ to do something small but sustainable in their own lives to improve the planet's health -- from switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs to reducing the use of pesticides and other toxic chemicals.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/22/us-earthday-idUSTRE73K4IK20110422
OZONE HOLE HAS DRIED AUSTRALIA, SCIENTISTS FIND
April 21, 2011 (CNN)--The Antarctic ozone hole is about one-third to blame for Australia's recent series of droughts, scientists say.
Writing in the journal Science, they conclude that the hole has shifted wind and rainfall patterns right across the Southern Hemisphere, even the tropics.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13161265
TURKEY IN TALKS ON TALIBAN OFFICE IN ISTANBUL
April 15, 2011 (Reuters) - Turkey is working to open a political office for the Taliban in Istanbul, a close aide to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Friday, the first explicit comments on the plan.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/us-turkey-afghanistan-taliban-idUSTRE73E1MC20110415?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FworldNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+International%29
ARCTIC OZONE LEVELS IN NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PLUNGE
April 5, 2011 (BBC)--Long a consideration in the Antarctic, ozone levels in the Arctic are now a cause for concern. The ozone layer has seen unprecedented damage in the Arctic this winter due to cold weather in the upper atmosphere.
By the end of March, 40% of the ozone in the stratosphere had been destroyed, against a previous record of 30%.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12969167
Recent comments