johnhanblog

Wildfires Put Greece In State Of Emergency

Horrific forest fires — the worst to hit Greece in decades — have
raged for a second day through vast swaths of the nation's southern
region. The skies around Athens are red as ash falls in the center of
the capital. 

# posted by John @ 8/25/2007 07:56:00 PM 0 comments

August 24, 2007

NFL Suspends Michael Vick

The NFL has suspended Michael Vick indefinitely.

# posted by John @ 8/24/2007 05:52:00 PM 0 comments

| Dow : 13378.87 up 142.99

| S & P : 1479.37 up 16.87

| NASDAQ: 2576.69 up 34.99

| Bond (10Y): 4.61%, 101.03

MARKETS:
Rally on Wall Street
Major gauges jump as investors cheer upbeat economic reports; new home
sales, durable goods orders gain.

# posted by John @ 8/24/2007 05:39:00 PM 0 comments

John Evander Couey is sentenced to death for the abduction, rape and
murder of a 9-year-old Florida girl in 2005.

# posted by John @ 8/24/2007 03:41:00 PM 0 comments

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/johnDispatch

# posted by John @ 8/24/2007 02:19:00 PM 0 comments

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Michael Vick filed a plea agreement in federal
court Friday admitting to a dogfighting charge and agreed the enterprise
included killing fighting dogs and gambling.

# posted by John @ 8/24/2007 01:18:00 PM 0 comments

DJIA

13,235

-0.25

S&P

1,462

-1.57

NASDAQ

2,541

-11.10

10Yr

4.62%

-0.002

Countrywide shares rally on Bank of America's investment, upgrade

NEW YORK
Shares of Countrywide Financial Corp. finished slightly higher Thursday
after rising as much as 7% in early trading, as investors applauded Bank
of America Corp.'s move to invest $2 billion in the troubled mortgage
giant and as Countrywide shares got an upgrade.

Bond Report: Treasury yields end lower after Countrywide CEO drops 'r'
word

NEW YORK
U.S. Treasury prices on Thursday closed higher, with yields tracking the
stock market's downward trend, as credit worries returned amid renewed
debate over whether the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates ahead
of a meeting next month.

London Markets: FTSE 100 closes flat; Northern Rock's shares rally

LONDON
The FTSE 100 index couldn't sustain earlier gains Thursday, ending
virtually flat as investors took note of stocks trading lower on Wall
Street, but a move higher in shares of Northern Rock made the U.K.
home-loan provider a standout.

Top sales official at AMD steps down

SAN FRANCISCO
The top salesman for Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is headed for the exit
as the world's No. 2 microprocessor maker is set to release a
long-awaited product the company hopes will reduce growing losses and
revive its sales.

# posted by John @ 8/23/2007 07:14:00 PM 0 comments

NYC Taxi Drivers Going on Strike...

The New York Taxi Workers Alliance says yellow cab drivers will go on
strike Sept. 5th and 6th.

# posted by John @ 8/23/2007 03:25:00 PM 0 comments

A new report compiled by intelligence agencies will show some serious
doubts over Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki's capability to guide the country
to peace, a defense official said. Also, Arab media is deriding
President Bush's changing messages on him. 

# posted by John @ 8/23/2007 12:12:00 PM 0 comments

U.S. banks and thrifts suffered the biggest increase in late loan
payments in 17 years as more homeowners fell behind on mortgages, the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said.

Loans more than 90 days past due rose 10.6 percent to $66.9 billion in
the period ending June 30.

# posted by John @ 8/23/2007 09:11:00 AM 0 comments

One Last Try For Missing Utah Miners

Relatives of six miners trapped deep inside a Utah coal mine are holding
out hope the sixth — and last — borehole will provide the miracle
they've craved for more than two weeks. The mine's owner said he close
the mine, calling the mountain "evil." 

# posted by John @ 8/23/2007 09:08:00 AM 0 comments

Hundreds Displaced By Flooding In Ohio

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland declared a state of emergency as rescuers in
boats tried to reach dozens of people trapped in flooded homes in
northern Ohio, the latest state swamped by heavy rain across the Upper
Midwest and Plains. 

# posted by John @ 8/22/2007 05:59:00 PM 0 comments

NEWS

Copter crash in Iraq kills 14 U.S. soldiers
---------------------------------------------
A helicopter went down in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all 14
U.S.
soldiers aboard, the military said, the deadliest crash since January
2005.

Dean slams oil rigs, aims at mainland
---------------------------------------------
Hurricane Dean took aim at the Mexican mainland on Wednesday as the
weakened
storm battered evacuated oil rigs on the roiling waters of the Bay of
Campeche
in the heart of Mexico's energy industry.

U.S. envoy: Iran trying distraction
---------------------------------------------
A senior U.S. envoy dismissed increased Iranian willingness to answer
questions about its nuclear program as a smoke screen on Wednesday and
said it
would not prevent the U.N. Security Council from imposing additional
sanctions
on Tehran.

MONEY

Suit: Oil giants fixed prices for 23,000 gas station owners
---------------------------------------------
Nearly two dozen gas station owners in California sued Shell Oil Co.,
Chevron
Corp. and Saudi Refining Inc., on Tuesday, claiming the companies
conspired to
fix prices for 23,000 franchise owners nationwide.

Poll: Youth don't rely on money for happiness, but it helps
---------------------------------------------
Today's young people have a complicated relationship with money,
dismissing it
as a paramount source of happiness yet conceding its power over them.

# posted by John @ 8/22/2007 08:45:00 AM 0 comments

Breaking News: Iraq chopper crash kills 14 U.S. soldiers

A helicopter went down in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all 14
U.S. soldiers aboard, the military said, the deadliest crash since
January 2005.

# posted by John @ 8/22/2007 08:39:00 AM 0 comments

Report Cites Major CIA Lapses Before 9/11

The CIA's own watchdog says the agency did not effectively tackle al
Qaeda before Sept. 11, 2001. The agency was slammed for never developing
a plan to stop the terrorist group and missing crucial opportunities to
thwart the 9/11 hijackers.

Flood Cleanup Under Way In Soggy Midwest

At least 20 people were dead, hundreds evacuated, thousands without
power, and millions of dollars in damages, including ruined crops, were
reported, thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Erin. 

Israel Accused Of Killing 2 Kids In Attack

Palestinians say Israeli forces killed two children, ages 10 and 12,
along the border with Gaza. The army says it's possible, because
rocket-firing militants often use children to retrieve rocket launchers
after firing at Israel. 

Bush Talks Iraq, Hurricane Dean At Summit

President Bush acknowledged frustration with the government of Iraqi
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and offered U.S. assistance for the
citizens of Mexico and elsewhere whose lives were affected by Hurricane
Dean. 

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 04:18:00 PM 0 comments

Stocks close mixed as investors weigh comments from Dodd after meeting
with Bernanke and Paulson; lower oil prices.

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 04:07:00 PM 0 comments

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Space shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth on
Tuesday, ending a nearly two-week orbital drama that centered on a deep
gouge in the shuttle's belly and an early homecoming prompted by a
hurricane.

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 01:27:00 PM 0 comments

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/johnDispatch

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 12:29:00 PM 0 comments

The hurricane made landfall near the Belize border on Mexico's Caribbean
coast, packing 165 mph winds. The storm, which then weakened to Category
2 strength, is about the size of South Dakota, and has already killed 12
people.

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 12:22:00 PM 0 comments

The hurricane made landfall near the Belize border on Mexico's Caribbean
coast, packing 165 mph winds. The storm, which then weakened to Category
3 strength, is about the size of South Dakota, and has already killed 12
people. 

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 11:04:00 AM 0 comments

NEWSEye of Category-5 Dean strikes Mexico's Yucatan
---------------------------------------------
Hurricane Dean plowed into the Caribbean coast of Mexico on Tuesday as
a
roaring Category 5 hurricane, heading for the ancient ruins and modern
oil
installations of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Guard personal info recovered
---------------------------------------------
Police have recovered a small computer drive containing Social Security
numbers and other personal information about every Army National Guard
soldier
in Idaho.

Head of Utah mine lowers expectations
---------------------------------------------
Federal and mine officials are less hopeful. Knowing there has been no
sign of
life since the men went missing more than two weeks ago, they say the
miners
may be forever entombed in the mountain.

MONEY
Wal-Mart quietly pulled Chinese-made dog treats
---------------------------------------------
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. quietly stopped selling two brands of dog treats in
July,
after customers voiced concerns that the Chinese products may have
caused
their pets to fall ill, but no recall has been announced, a company
spokeswoman confirmed.

# posted by John @ 8/21/2007 11:02:00 AM 0 comments

NFL star Michael Vick will plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges
involving illegal dogfighting.

# posted by John @ 8/20/2007 06:25:00 PM 1 comments

Capital One bank closes wholesale mortgage unit, cuts 1900 jobs, takes
$100 million charge.

# posted by John @ 8/20/2007 06:22:00 PM 0 comments

The Midwest has been inundated with massive flooding which has burst
riverbanks, buckled highways and torn houses from foundations, forcing
rescuers to pluck residents from rooftops. Minnesota, Wisconsin and
Oklahoma have been especially hard-hit.

# posted by John @ 8/20/2007 12:03:00 PM 0 comments

Virginia Tech dedicates victims' memorial
---------------------------------------------
A set of 32 small stones that became a focal point for the grieving
Virginia
Tech campus following April's shooting spree were replaced with much
larger
rocks in a solemn ceremony on Sunday.

Mine official: 'Likely miners may not be found'
---------------------------------------------
Officials extinguished nearly all hope of finding any of the six miners
alive
on Sunday, nearly two weeks after the men were trapped in a violent
collapse
deep with a mine.

Clinton takes on rivals, Rove in debate
---------------------------------------------
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton faced questions about her ability to
reverse
dissatisfaction with the federal government.

MONEY

Global markets leap higher after Fed's move
---------------------------------------------
Asian stocks looked set to post their best daily gain in nine years on
Monday
after the Federal Reserve slashed a key U.S. bank lending rate.

# posted by John @ 8/20/2007 10:27:00 AM 0 comments

Stocks open with small gains as investors take wait-and-see attitude
after Friday's big Fed-inspired rally.

# posted by John @ 8/20/2007 10:18:00 AM 0 comments

Breaking News: Leona Helmsley has died at 87

Leona Helmsley, the hotelier who went to prison as a tax cheat and was
reviled as the "queen of mean," has died.

# posted by John @ 8/20/2007 10:17:00 AM 0 comments

Two firefighters are killed battling a blaze at an abandoned building
just south of Ground Zero, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says.

# posted by John @ 8/19/2007 01:05:00 PM 0 comments