johnhanblog

Dozens Killed In Escalating Gaza Attacks

Dozens died in pitched battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian
rocket squads in the Gaza Strip. An exiled Hamas leader denounced
Israeli attacks against civilians, describing it as "the real
holocaust." 
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U.S.

Bush: No Promises On Troop Withdrawals

President George W. Bush declined Saturday to repeat promises made by
others in his administration that more U.S. troops will return home from
Iraq than scheduled before he leaves office. 

# posted by John @ 3/01/2008 05:18:00 PM 0 comments

Dozens Killed In Escalating Gaza Attacks

Dozens died in pitched battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian
rocket squads in the Gaza Strip. An exiled Hamas leader denounced
Israeli attacks against civilians, describing it as "the real
holocaust." 
--------------------
U.S.

Bush: No Promises On Troop Withdrawals

President George W. Bush declined Saturday to repeat promises made by
others in his administration that more U.S. troops will return home from
Iraq than scheduled before he leaves office. 

# posted by John @ 3/01/2008 05:18:00 PM 0 comments

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

# posted by John @ 3/01/2008 10:28:00 AM 0 comments

| Dow : 12266.39 down 315.79

| S & P : 1330.63 down 37.05

| NASDAQ: 2271.48 down 60.09

| Bond (10Y): 3.51%, 99.91

MARKETS:
Brutal selloff on Wall Street
Dow tumbles 315 points, the second worst day of the year for stocks,
after AIG's big loss and UBS's outlook on financials.

# posted by John @ 2/29/2008 06:37:00 PM 0 comments

British media report that Prince Harry is to be withdrawn from
Afghanistan.

# posted by John @ 2/29/2008 09:28:00 AM 0 comments

President Bush said Thursday that the country is not headed into a
recession and, despite expressing concern about slowing economic growth,
rejected for now any additional stimulus efforts. 
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U.S.

Spike In Unemployment Benefits Seekers

More Americans signed up for unemployment benefits last week, new
evidence that economic sluggishness is spilling over into the job
market. Meanwhile, the economy faltered in the final quarter of 2007 due
to dual slumps in housing and credit. 
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Politics

Iraq Spat Could Be McCain-Obama Preview

A general-election contest between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama
would center in part on who has the foreign policy experience to lead a
country at war, reports the Washington Post. 
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Health

Crib Death Risk Upped By Soft Bedding

Parents are putting their babies at risk when they place pillows and
other soft bedding in their cribs, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission warned. 
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SciTech

U.K. Retailer To Charge For Plastic Bags

Marks & Spencer, one of Britain's largest retailers, says it will start
charging for plastic bags at all of its stores as part of a drive to
eliminate waste. 
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Business

Has Google Hit A Wall Street Firewall?

Google's stock closed at $472 a share Wednesday, down from an all-time
high of $747. Investors now are clearly concerned that Google, despite
its ever increasing presence on the Web, may in fact have limits to its
Wall Street power. 

# posted by John @ 2/28/2008 12:09:00 PM 0 comments

Bloomberg: I'm Not Running For President

Michael Bloomberg says he is not running for president. The New York
mayor says in a New York Times op-ed piece that he has listened
carefully to those who encouraged him to make a bid for the White House
but that he will not be a candidate. 
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! U.S.

House Approves New Taxes On Big Oil

The House approved $18 billion in new taxes on the largest oil companies
as Democrats cited record oil prices and rising gasoline costs in a time
of economic troubles. 
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Politics

Speculation Over Veep Picks Intensifies

As the two parties' nominating contests wind down, speculation has begun
about who might be tapped to fill out the ticket.
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Health

Crib Death Risk Upped By Soft Bedding

Parents are putting their babies at risk when they place pillows and
other soft bedding in their cribs, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission warned. 

# posted by John @ 2/28/2008 09:11:00 AM 0 comments

The Federal Reserve will remain on course toward implementing additional
interest-rate cuts, at least in the near term, although the journey has
become more treacherous as prices are rising, the U.S. central bank's
chairman said Wednesday. Downside risks to economic growth remain the
key focus of monetary policymakers, Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke
told Congress. Inflation remains a secondary concern.

U.S. stocks turn higher on Fannie, Freddie news

U.S. stocks on Wednesday turned modestly higher on word from government
regulators that portfolio caps on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be
raised March 1 and after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered
rate cut reassurances.

Futures Movers: Crude dips after weekly data; contract eclipsed $102
overnight

SAN FRANCISCO
Crude-oil futures fell more than $1 to below $100 a barrel Wednesday,
pulling back after hitting a fresh record high above $102 overnight, as
traders weighed a bigger-than-expected buildup in U.S. crude inventories
as well as a historic low set by the dollar against the euro.

Economic Report: Business investment weakens in January

WASHINGTON
Demand for durable goods fell back in January after a burst of orders in
December, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday, another sign that
the economy is slowing.

European regulator fines Microsoft $1.35 billion

The European Commission on Wednesday announced $1.35 billion in fines
against Microsoft Corp., stemming from a years-long struggle with the
software giant over allowing rivals access to its technology.

# posted by John @ 2/27/2008 01:17:00 PM 0 comments

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama clashed over NAFTA, health care
and the war in Iraq Tuesday night in a crackling debate at close
quarters one week before a pivotal group of primaries. 
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World

Republicans Agree To Debate Anti-War Bill

In a turnabout, Senate Republicans have agreed with Democrats to advance
an anti-war bill that could cut combat funding because they say the
debate will give them an opportunity to praise the U.S. military's
progress in Irag.
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Politics

McCain Repudiates Radio Host's Remarks

Sen. John McCain quickly denounced and apologized for the comments of a
radio talk show host who while warming up a campaign made disparaging
remarks about Barack Obama and others. 

# posted by John @ 2/27/2008 11:41:00 AM 0 comments

An assistant says author and editor William F. Buckley Jr. has died.

# posted by John @ 2/27/2008 11:30:00 AM 0 comments

Fla. Nuke Shutdown Triggers Power Outages

A nuclear reactor owned by Florida's largest electric company
automatically shut down Tuesday, causing sporadic power outages
throughout the state that affected 3 million people.
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U.S.

Foreclosures Jump 57 Percent

The number of homes facing foreclosure jumped 57 percent in January
compared to a year ago, with lenders increasingly forced to take
possession of homes they couldn't unload at auctions, a mortgage
research firm said.
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World

Iraq Demands Turkish Troop Withdrawal

The Iraqi government denounced a recent Turkish incursion and demanded
an immediate withdrawal of the troops from northern Iraq, calling the
operation "military interference." 
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Business

Inflation Spikes At 26-Year High

A January surge left wholesale prices rising by 7.5 percent over the
past 12 months, the fastest pace in more than 26 years. More...

# posted by John @ 2/26/2008 04:21:00 PM 0 comments

McCain: I Could Lose Over War Issue

John McCain said Monday that to win the White House he must convince a
war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq is succeeding. If he can't,
"then I lose. I lose," the Republican said. He quickly backed off that
remark. 
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U.S.

School Of Pot Offers "Higher" Education

Oaksterdam University is a new trade school where higher education takes
on a whole new meaning. The school prepares people for jobs in
California's thriving medical marijuana industry.
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World

Philharmonic Arrives In North Korea

The New York Philharmonic has arrived for a first-ever concert in North
Korea. Their concert on Tuesday will offer a rare opportunity for
residents of the closed communist country to see and hear culture from
the Western world. 
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Politics

Clinton Adopts Edwards' Populist Tone

Hillary Clinton increasingly sounds like one of her old Democratic
rivals, former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, reports the
Washington Post. 

# posted by John @ 2/25/2008 04:19:00 PM 0 comments

Cuba's National Assembly has named Raul Castro, Fidel Castro's younger
brother, as the country's president.

# posted by John @ 2/25/2008 10:03:00 AM 0 comments

"No Country " Top Winner At Oscars

The Coen brothers' dark thriller, "No Country For Old Men," picked up
the most trophies at the 80th Annual Academy Awards Sunday night,
winning in four out of the eight categories in which it was nominated,
including best picture. 
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U.S.

Woman Dies On Flight With Bad Oxygen Tanks

An American Airlines passenger died after a flight attendant told her he
couldn't give her any oxygen and then tried to help her with faulty
equipment, including an empty oxygen tank, a relative said.
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World

Dozens Of Iraqi Pilgrims Killed In Attacks

Violence targeting Shiite pilgrims in Iraq has now left more than 60
people dead and scores injured. In the latest attack, a roadside bomb
struck pilgrims on a road outside Baghdad, killing at least four
people. 
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Politics

Democratic Party Wants FEC To Probe McCain

The national Democratic party wants campaign finance regulators to
investigate whether Sen. John McCain would violate money-in-politics
laws by withdrawing from the primary election's public finance system. 
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Business

Congress To Grill Mortgage Executives

Congress is set to examine another round of possible repairs for
consumers and investors threatened by widening cracks in the housing
market. 

# posted by John @ 2/25/2008 09:59:00 AM 0 comments

Ralph Nader is launching a third-party campaign for president.

# posted by John @ 2/24/2008 12:32:00 PM 0 comments