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Editorial: Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev

4 Jul 2009 | 2:43 am

President Obama must find a balance that allows him to enlist Russia’s support on international issues without endorsing its anti-democratic behavior.
Letters: Medical Research: Which Approach Is Best?

3 Jul 2009 | 10:18 pm

To the Editor:.
Letters: More Voices in the Health Debate

3 Jul 2009 | 10:17 pm

To the Editor:.
Op-Ed Contributor: We the Bachelors

By JOHN G. McCURDY

3 Jul 2009 | 10:05 pm

During the revolution, our unmarried founders fought for independence and for their equality.
Op-Ed Columnist: Behind the Facade

By BOB HERBERT

3 Jul 2009 | 10:04 pm

In many ways society has descended into a Michael Jackson-esque fantasyland, trying to leave the limits and obligations of the real world behind.

L.A. Times - Opinion Blog
Michael Jackson's memorial -- what would LA taxpayers get for their money?

Patt Morrison

4 Jul 2009 | 8:32 am

No. Nonononononononononono. Ab. So. Lute. Ly. No. The city of Los Angeles is a half-billion dollars in the hole. Layoffs. Furloughs. Potholes unfilled, trees untrimmed. Animal services, the ethics commission, whack whack whack. So why, why, in any rational universe, should the city of L.A. pick up the policing tab for Michael Jackson's obsequies at Staples Center? For the Lakers' victory parade -- certainly a more civically significant event than the excesses that follow Jackson in death as they did in life -- the city found private donors because of the pushback of public opinion over…
Poll: Should Sarah Palin have resigned?

Catherine Lyons

3 Jul 2009 | 4:03 pm

Gov. Sarah Palin just announced that she will not be seeking re-election for her position of governor of the great state of Alaska in 2010. Her Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will replace her when she steps down on July 26 after the Governor's Picnic, in her effort to reject the "Lame Duck" status. Is it because she's hoping for a presidential run in 2012? The Washington Post thinks yes: The first term governor is stepping down 'so that she can take the fight for her issues elsewhere,' according to a Palin aide. Recent polls showed that her popularity in Alaska has been faltering, though she was…
Sarah Palin resigns.

Lisa Richardson

3 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

Wow. I didn't see that coming. But I have to say I think it's a great chess move on her part. Honestly, if only Palin's intellectual abilities matched her political instincts she would be truly formidable. Here's how I read it: There's a huge void in the Republican Party and she's moving to fill it. So watch out Rush! Sarah Palin vs. Rush Limbaugh. What can this resignation mean except a frontal assault on talk radio? Because she can't seriously be thinking she can one day win the Republican Party nomination and maybe take on Barack Obama. Before that…
Poll: Dodger fans should 'Think Boo'

Kevin Patra

3 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

Break out the fireworks, strike up the band and throw on a wig -- the Dodgers' hitting machine, Manny Ramirez, is back. Tonight Manny will play in his first Major League game since his 50-game suspension for using banned substances. Unfortunately for Manny fans in LA, unless you're willing to travel to San Diego, New York or Milwaukee (is any player worth going to Milwaukee for?), you'll have to wait until after the All-Star break to see him play in person. I've never asked Dodger fans for a favor before, but I have one request now: When that first home…
Amnesty International places blame on both sides in Gaza conflict

Catherine Lyons

2 Jul 2009 | 6:29 pm

Amnesty International, a London-based human rights group, released a report today accusing Israel of "wanton destruction" and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of "war crimes," each committed during the 22 violent days last December in the Gaza Strip. But both Israel and Hamas deny the claims and are shouting, yet again, about why the other side didn't receive more of a rebuke for the atrocities committed. Said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, "Things presented as facts are untrue and have no connection to reality." He was most likely referring to…

WSJ.com: Opinion
Making History

3 Jul 2009 | 2:58 pm

By Peggy Noonan Declarations: In appreciation of our country's founders and its greatest living historian.
Danger Above and Below

3 Jul 2009 | 1:47 am

A cluster of New Yorkers, their lives intersecting at a strange moment.
Stop the Music: Oscar Misses the Melody

3 Jul 2009 | 1:34 am

Why Hollywood doesn't produce good songs anymore.
Strassel: The EPA Silences a Climate Skeptic

2 Jul 2009 | 8:33 pm

The professional penalty for offering a contrary view to elites like Al Gore is a smear campaign.
Stan Liebowitz: New Evidence on the Foreclosure Crisis

2 Jul 2009 | 8:18 pm

Zero money down, not subprime loans, led to the mortgage meltdown.

USATODAY.com - Opinion
Our opinion: Hard-liners might delay change in Iran

1 Jul 2009 | 9:22 pm

Hard-liners might delay, but not deny, change in Iran Twenty years ago, Americans watched TV scenes from China that mirrored the recent protests across Iran. Exuberant people flashed V-for-victory signs. Young people were at the forefront. Just as important, the...
Our opinion: Independence Day

1 Jul 2009 | 9:21 pm

Independence Day Citizen soldiers. When Victor and Miguel Mendoza take the oath of allegiance to become U.S. citizens on July Fourth, the words "support and defend" will have special meaning to them. The brothers, Mexican immigrants who came to America...
Careful 'pain killers' don't become a killer

1 Jul 2009 | 9:17 pm

Careful 'pain killers' don't become a killer Plain Talk By Al Neuharth, USA TODAY Founder This week's warning against two popular "pain killers" by a federal medical advisory panel following last week's death of Michael Jackson should alert us all...
A holiday message on hope and freedom

1 Jul 2009 | 9:16 pm

A holiday message on hope and freedom Commentary By James Key I recently attended an art exhibit in Washington, D.C., featuring the work of world-renowned, Haitian-born artists. I was expecting to see bleak paintings that depicted that nation's lengthy history...
What people are saying about Supreme Court decision

1 Jul 2009 | 9:15 pm

What people are saying about Supreme Court decision New Haven (Conn.) Register, in an editorial: "In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court not only cleared the way for New Haven Fire Department promotions, but offered a rare insight into...

washingtonpost.com - Editorials
New Generations Absorb the Founders' Vision

Post

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

THE MEN WHO produced the Constitution were preoccupied with the abuse of power. They talked in terms of restraint, division of powers, limits on government. They were ever mindful of the ways in which a majority could impose its will on a minority. They were attentive to the inhibitions a people ought to put on the government's tendencies toward war and conquest. And they debated all these questions and more in elegant
Blair Ewing Pursued Civic Activism Full Tilt

Post

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

"WOE BE THE person who underestimates Blair Ewing," said his Montgomery County Council colleague Michael L. Subin (D-At Large) eight years ago in a Post interview. "Blair doesn't get out there and worry about whether he is going to win. If he thinks something is right, he's going to pursue it whether he has the votes or not." On the council and during an extraordinary 22 years on the county Board of Education, Blair G. Ewing often didn't have those votes. But Mr. Ewing, who died in Rockville on Monday at the age of 75, was an ardent champion of much that would come to pass in the county.
D.C. Same-Sex Couples Headed for Equality

Post

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

THE DISTRICT'S recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions took a big step forward on Tuesday. The D.C. Superior Court ruled that the Board of Elections and Ethics "correctly concluded" that a proposed referendum against the law would violate the city's human rights law. That statute prohibits discrimination and denial of city services or benefits based on sexual orientation.
Obama Should Heed Generals' Troop Requests

Post

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

AS U.S. MARINES launched a major offensive in Afghanistan's Taliban-infested Helmand province yesterday, one problem was already apparent: There are not enough troops to properly carry out the Pentagon's new counterinsurgency strategy. The force is "a little light," Marine Brig. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, its commander, told national security adviser James L. Jones in a meeting reported by The Post's Bob Woodward. "We don't have enough force to go everywhere."
The Red Line Slog

Post

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

METRO RIDERS won't soon forget June 22. That's the day a crash on the Red Line claimed nine lives, injured 80 and shattered many riders' assumptions about the safety of the system. Nearly two weeks later, as transit officials scramble to figure out what went wrong, things are still far from normal on the Red Line. Trains have been operated manually at about 35 mph -- well below normal speeds. Commutes have become excruciatingly long. Rush-hour riders lucky enough to board a train barely have enough room to turn the pages of a book or newspaper. Recognizing the exceptional circumstances and…

dallasnews.com Opinion: Editorials
Editorial: NTTA should ease up on aggressive collection efforts

2 Jul 2009 | 1:14 pm
Editorial: Senate next to tackle climate bill

2 Jul 2009 | 1:12 pm
Editorial: Finding ways to preserve Adamson

2 Jul 2009 | 1:01 pm
Editorial: More pedestrian access for DART users

2 Jul 2009 | 12:06 pm
Editorial: Hits and Misses

2 Jul 2009 | 11:59 am

Star Tribune
Editorial: A state bank fails, but system passes

4 Jul 2009 | 11:24 am

Bankers, regulators and citizens keep system stable.
Editorial: Despite indignities, the eagle still soars

3 Jul 2009 | 9:50 pm
Editorial: Adults hold key to optimism in teens

2 Jul 2009 | 3:35 pm

Society has a stake in producing more hopeful kids.
Editorial: Oberstar, Obama on collision course

2 Jul 2009 | 2:19 pm

Jump-start stalled transportation bill with revenue proposal.
Editorial: A gracious finish to an epic drama

30 Jun 2009 | 4:11 pm

Unanimous Supreme Court decision legitimizes Franken win.

Boston Globe -- Editorial/Op-ed pages
Underfed readers

3 Jul 2009 | 5:22 pm

"Thank you for exposing the annoying orgy of Michael Jackson coverage. It would have been nice if more media outlets turned their attention to last month's UN report that more than 1 billion people are starving to death." -- Patricia McCarron
Though a key stopgap, motels are no place for homeless kids

3 Jul 2009 | 5:22 pm

KUDOS TO the Globe for making sure that the more than 1,000 homeless children whose families remain temporarily housed in motels - often in isolated, unhealthy, and unsafe conditions - are not forgotten (“ A room to call home ,’’ Page A1, June 24). Homelessness can result in irreparable harm to children. The inadequacy of the resources available to support ...
Population of disabled patients takes many forms

3 Jul 2009 | 5:22 pm

I APPLAUD Partners HealthCare’s addressing the issue of health disparities and accessibility challenges that exist for physically disabled patients (“ 2 flagship hospitals to upgrade accessibility ,’’ Page A1, June 26). At the same time, we must go further to eliminate healthcare disparities faced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As our healthcare system has become more complex and ...
Overtreated for their disability, otherwise undertreated

3 Jul 2009 | 5:21 pm

"If a woman dies unnecessarily of breast cancer, it does not matter that she used a wheelchair all of her life." -- Lisa Blumberg
Media delivering what people want

3 Jul 2009 | 5:21 pm

SCOT LEHIGH argues that the TV networks are covering the death of Michael Jackson despite the fact that few people care about it (“ Enough already on Michael Jackson! ’’ Op-ed, July 1). “I don’t hear Jackson talked about as much as I hear the obsessive coverage of his death decried,’’ he writes.

Newsday.com - Rick Brand
Nassau Conservatives turn against Suozzi

27 Jun 2009 | 6:53 pm

Bishop William Murphy is not the only one sore with Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi's decision to embrace legalizing gay marriage. So are some of Nassau's leading Conservatives, much to the chagrin of minor party leader Roger Bogsted.
Suffolk police commissioner caught in Levy, unions war

20 Jun 2009 | 6:53 pm

When Police Commissioner Richard Dormer was under fire before a legislative committee last week, Legis. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville), a frequent critic, almost began expressing sympathy for Suffolk's top cop, then stopped short.
Rick Brand: Party pick or boss for Brookhaven supervisor?

13 Jun 2009 | 6:53 pm

Republican Brookhaven town board member Kathleen Walsh last week stood directly behind Martin Haley as he accepted the GOP nomination for town supervisor. Minutes later, she posed for pictures with Haley along with the rest of the town GOP ticket.
Ex-deputy may replace Suffolk social services chief

6 Jun 2009 | 7:23 pm

Just months after the legislature's former Presiding Officer Gregory Blass was named chief deputy of Suffolk Social Services in 2007, his new boss, Janet DeMarzo, moved him out to a building a mile away from the agency headquarters.
3 Long Islanders may be eyeing run for governor

30 May 2009 | 6:33 pm

After nearly a decade's absence, former Rep. Rick Lazio has been making rounds at fundraisers in Babylon and Islip in recent weeks. About the same time, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was dining at Oheka Castle and chewing over prospects for a statewide political future.

SFGate: Chronicle Op-Ed
Make the Fourth of July safer for our kids

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Make the Fourth safe Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should not have modified his position against the sale of fireworks ("Ban Piccolo Pete," Editorial, July 3). More than 30 years ago, when I was a member of the board of the West End Boys Club in Ontario, San...
State budget mess only gets worse

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

This is an IOU for our elected leaders in Sacramento: an editorial complimenting your statesmanship and courage. It is redeemable once you end your political posturing, waive your ideological dogma - remove those lines in the sand - and work together to...
Palin's strange path

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The Sarah Palin saga took its strangest twist yet on Friday, when the controversial governor of Alaska announced her resignation. Palin, just 30 months into her first term as governor, said she will step down at the end of the month. Her decision is baffling....
Ban Piccolo Pete - fireworks are a hazard

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Roadside fireworks stands are in full swing in small towns around the San Francisco Bay Area. Buyers from places that forbid backyard pyrotechnics are loading up on the likes of Piccolo Pete, the Screaming Ghoul and a Killer Bee or two. Touching off...
Canseco-bashing not merited

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

I confess I was not eagerly watching the mail this summer for an engraved invitation to a 20-year reunion of the 1989 Oakland A's, even though I covered them daily for the Sacramento Bee. But neither was I expecting the waves of Canseco-bashing recently...

The Seattle Times: Opinion
Saving America's democracy-sustaining journalism

3 Jul 2009 | 1:39 am

The current newspaper crisis isn't just about the future of the printed product, write authors Victor Pickard and Joseph Torres, it's about the survival of democracy-sustaining journalism. We now have an opportunity to overhaul our media system and advocate for policies that would serve the informational needs of diverse communities.
Federal policy on new West Coast groundfish fishery rules needs congressional review

3 Jul 2009 | 1:29 am

Congress should intervene in the Pacific Fishery Management Council's efforts to privatize and limit access to the groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon and California's coast, write Mark Schlosberg and Ben Bowman.
Obama, Democrats must resist forcing Republicans to their will

3 Jul 2009 | 1:22 am

Now that Al Franken of Minnesota will join the Senate, Democrats, on paper, have the filibuster-proof power to pass whatever bills they want. That approach would be a big mistake.
It's time to retire the I-made-a-mistake excuse

3 Jul 2009 | 1:20 am

The I-made-a-mistake excuse is pretty lame, writes columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. Gov. Mark Stanford didn't "make a mistake" by having an affair with an Argentine woman. He made a stupid decision.
Times editorial board here to help with voter education before Aug. 18 primary

3 Jul 2009 | 1:19 am

Washington's summers have become more political with the early primary, which falls on Aug. 18 this year, writes Times Editorial Page Editor Ryan Blethen. He explains the Times' process of endorsements as a means to better inform citizens when they vote.

STLtoday.com Top Editorial Headlines
Civic pride comes in all shapes and sizes - including giant catsup bottles.

4 Jul 2009 | 7:26 am

Short Take • Civic pride comes in all shapes and sizes.
More health care isn't better, just more expensive

4 Jul 2009 | 1:33 am

Our view • With health care "more" isn't always better, just more expensive.
Citygarden realizes Gateway Mall's best possibilities

4 Jul 2009 | 1:32 am

Our view • Citygarden realizes Gateway Mall's best possibilities.
Wal-Mart joins the call for health reform.

4 Jul 2009 | 1:32 am

Our view • Wal-Mart — yes, Wal-Mart — joins the chorus for health reform.
Americans willing to pay no more than $18.75 a month to fight global warming

4 Jul 2009 | 1:32 am

Our view • Americans to earth: More than $18.75 a month, drop dead.

Opinion
Reform? What "reform"?

Times-Union

3 Jul 2009 | 9:16 pm

Reform? What "reform"? Look closely at the Democrat plan to federalize health care and all you'll see is a major new entitlement program masquerading as "reform." It spends vast amounts of money, but doesn't do anything to drive down costs. The entire scheme is based on a number that misrepresents the problem: 47 million Americans without health insurance, implying that many Americans lack health care. The fact is these 47 million "Americans" consume over $140 billion in medical care each year, 42 percent of it paid for by insurance.read more
Readers help define its meaning

Times-Union

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

THE DREAM It's changing For the boomers, and for me, the American dream was to have a life as comfortable or more comfortable than our parents. To have a dependable job that you could support your family and help your kids go to college, to have a nice home, and maybe a vacation every year or two - nothing fancy, but a time to get away. And last, we dreamed of being able to have enough income put away to retire, maybe by age 60.read more
American dream: To dare, to strive

Times-Union

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Note to readers: For Independence Day, we asked members of our Editorial Page staff to offer their views of the American dream. Readers participate in the letters section. To reach for the stars The American dream to me has always been about the freedom to dream and dare. To figure out what you want to be. To do what you want to do. To help where you want to help. To go where you want to go. To work as hard as you want to work to get there.read more
Best Places to Stand: Wealth of beauty

Times-Union

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia have many beautiful places if the reactions of our readers are any indication. We recently asked readers to suggest the best places to stand in our area. It was a takeoff on a national project by stoodthere.com. Readers really responded. We published an initial list on June 20 and will be running more during the summer. For other suggestions, just send an e-mail to us: mike.clark@jackson-ville.com. Special Georgia spots Mark J. McAnaw of Woodbine, Ga., suggests:read more
Hometown Democracy: A strategy to stop growth

Times-Union

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Do Hometown Democracy, controlling growth and giving voice to voters sound irresistible? No, they're a cynical illusion! A proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution would require that changes to the local county comprehensive plan must be put on the ballot for a citizens' vote. Before you sign up for no growth, you might want to reflect on what that environment looks and feels like. Now is a good time.read more

baltimoresun.com - Editorial
Seeds of liberty

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Read what Marylanders were saying on July 4, 1776.
Treatment saves lives

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Our view: A drop in drug overdose deaths in the city is cause for cautious optimism Our view: A drop in drug overdose deaths in the city is cause for cautious optimism
How fair is 'fair share?'

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Our view: State worker unions are right that nonmembers should help fund contract negotiations, but the size of fees under a new law should be considered carefully I n principle, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has an excellent argument for the so-called "fair share" law that went into effect in Maryland this week. It negotiates contracts for tens of thousands of state employees, whether they are members of the union or not. Conducting those negotiations costs money, and it isn't right that nonmembers get the benefits without paying their share of the costs.
Maryland spends to repair roads, not build new ones

1 Jul 2009 | 9:15 pm

The state's right to focus on maintenance, but it needs to do more than that Here's a preview of an editorial we're working on. Let us know what you think by sending an e-mail to talkback@baltimoresun.com We'll print the best comments alongside the editorial.
Overdose stats show treatment beats jail

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Here's a preview of an editorial we're working on. Let us know what you think by sending an e-mail to talkback@baltimoresun.com We'll print the best comments alongside the editorial.

MiamiHerald.com: Opinion
Freedom's promise then, now

4 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

It was 233 years ago today when 13 British colonies set out to form a new nation where ''all men are created equal'' and ``endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.''
When dependence matters

4 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

This is probably not the best week to air any reservations about the American passion for independence. After all, we don't have fireworks for Dependence Day. We don't hold parades to celebrate Interdependence Day. We don't get a holiday for Connections.
Dawn of a new energy politics

4 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

Hours before the House passed its cap-and-trade bill last week, freshman Democrats Tom Perriello and Frank Kratovil were pondering the political fallout of the votes they were about to cast in favor of a plan Republicans were denouncing as ''cap-and-tax.'' ''Maybe we should be called the conscience caucus,'' said the 34-year-old Perriello, who won his Southside Virginia district last year by 727 votes even as Barack Obama was losing it by 7,512.
Panhandle racket in Miami?

4 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

So, according to the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, panhandlers are making $500, $600 or $700 a day. If they are making that much money, why do they need to live in a shelter? Where is the money going?
Putin's still boss in Moscow

4 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

MOSCOW -- As Barack Obama packs his suitcase for his trip to Russia next week, he should bring along a copy of The Brothers Karamazov. For the modern Russia of Vladimir Putin is still struggling with the same political riddles that Fyodor Dostoyevsky described 130 years ago.

The Oregonian Editors
New Jim Lynch book out

Therese Bottomly, The Oregonian

4 Jul 2009 | 11:37 am

A former staff writer for The Oregonian, Jim Lynch, has a second book hitting the shelves and the New York Times featured it in a recent review. The Oregonian's book critic, Jeff Baker, featured Lynch recently in his Northwest...
Holiday means changes in stock table timing

Therese Bottomly, The Oregonian

3 Jul 2009 | 6:36 am

The Oregonian's Business section typically publishes the week-ending stock tables on Saturdays, after markets close Friday. Because of the July 4 holiday, markets are closed Friday. The week-end tables will be published in Friday's editions. Because many businesses, banks...
New dropout rates took some digging

Therese Bottomly, The Oregonian

2 Jul 2009 | 11:00 am

Education reporter Betsy Hammond uncovered some startling new statistics about the high school dropout rate: in some districts, almost half the kids don't earn diplomas. The state didn't really keep it a secret that they would be coming out with...
New report on Michael Jackson coverage

Therese Bottomly, The Oregonian

2 Jul 2009 | 9:14 am

A new Pew Report says while more than half of the public followed the story of Michael Jackson's death fairly closely or very closely, two-thirds of them say the coverage was excessive. The Oregonian carried three articles the first day:...
The Oregonian staff helps out at journalism camp

The Oregonian

30 Jun 2009 | 12:25 pm

This past week, The Oregonian staffers went back to summer camp. The Newspaper Institute for Minority High School Students, sponsored by The Oregonian and Oregon State University, and funded by a generous grant from The Ethics and Excellence In Journalism...

post-gazette.com - Opinion
The Glorious Fourth: Happy Independence Day to our readers

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

The following is excerpted from correspondence sent by future President John Adams, then in Philadelphia, to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776.
School board choice: Mayor should stress values and credentials

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

It seems nothing is safe from the tidal waves set off by the shifting of the tectonic plates that supported the national economy.
Letters to the editor

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

I propose that we "cap and trade" the members of Congress who voted for the "cap-and-trade" energy bill ("House OKs Ambitious Climate Bill," June 27). What were they thinking?
All sour, no sweet: Latest economic figures paint a picture of gloom

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

June's job creation and unemployment figures released yesterday represent another disastrous month for the American economy.
Fire alarm: A shocking case points up the need for change

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Pittsburgh firefighter Vincent Manzella hasn't been convicted of a crime yet, but he has already admitted to investigators that he phoned in several false alarms to make it easier to burglarize

The Orange County Register - Opinion
Holiday cartoons: Obama says lose the torch

4 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

Also: Cell phone can't compete with fireworks, free ride over in California.
Letters: Inflating illegal immigration costs

4 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

Letters to the editor for July 4, 2009
John Stossel: Market needs more freedom to fail

4 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

Genuine free markets are free to fail; government obstructs creative failure.
The Orange Grove: Colonies attracted can-do types

3 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

We lived in benign neglect by Britain, until the French and Indian War.
Dysfunction taxes budget

3 Jul 2009 | 3:00 am

Governor's pension trump card follows predictable pattern.

OrlandoSentinel.com - Opinion
We asked you: Easing up on toll-booth runners the right decision?

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

We asked you: Was easing up on Orange County toll-booth runners the right decision?
Michael Grady is truly a hero in our midst

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

A hero in our midst After Michael Grady saw his 12-year-old son Austin get trapped Sunday in the swirling white-water of North Carolina's Cullasaja River, the Maitland accountant quickly must have added up the tremendous risks of his jumping in after the child to save him.
We asked you: Schools allowed to strip-search students?

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

We asked you: Should schools be allowed to strip-search students suspected of having drugs?
Ellen Goodman: A reality road test on independence

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

This is probably not the best week to air any reservations about the American passion for independence. After all, we don't have fireworks for Dependence Day. We don't hold parades to celebrate Interdependence Day. We don't get a holiday for Connections.
A Fourth of July joke

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

D id you know it's illegal to sell or use fireworks in Florida? Of course you didn't, because practically everyone's launching bottle rockets and lighting off Roman candles from their backyard come Independence Day and New Year's Day.

SacBee -- Editorials
FDR's words in perilous times

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Below are excerpts from Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Rendezvous With Destiny" speech, delivered June 27, 1936, in Philadelphia. Here, and in every community throughout the land, we are met at a time of great moment to the future of the nation. It is an occasion to be dedicated to the simple and sincere expression of an attitude toward problems, the determination of which will profoundly affect America. … America will not forget these recent years, will not forget that the rescue was not a mere party task. It was the concern of all of us. In our strength we rose together, rallied our energies…
Editorial Notebook: A great president's humble belongings

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

In "With Malice Toward None," the Lincoln exhibit currently at the California Museum, a glass case on display contains the contents of the 16th president's pockets the night he was assassinated – a $5 Confederate bill, a pocket knife, a watch fob, a button, a glass case and two pairs of spectacles. One pair has a broken hinge that the president had crudely repaired himself using a piece of twine. I loved that last detail. It speaks volumes about the humbleness of this greatest of all American presidents, the one who saved the union and abolished slavery. A few blocks from the museum,…
Editorial: Maybe we can live with fewer deputies

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness says he will have to lay off 209 deputies if the county cuts $57 million from his budget as proposed. He paints a scary picture of a force sized for 1970 trying to serve 2009 population and crime levels. But how bad would that really be? Let's do the math. In 1970, the sheriff had 513 sworn deputies. Today, there are 1,498 deputies, almost three times the 1970s level. In that same time, the county's population doubled, going from 700,100 to 1,433,187. If the county lost 209 deputies, that would reduce the force to 1,289 – smaller, certainly, but…
Editorial: Living with the law as written

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Sometimes bad laws have a way of coming back to bite the people most responsible for enacting them. That's the case with state Sen. George Runner, the principal sponsor of Proposition 83, the 2006 initiative popularly known as Jessica's Law, which voters approved overwhelmingly. Among other things, the law severely restricts where sexual offenders can live after they are released from prison. Under its provisions, those convicted of rape or child molestation or even misdemeanor indecent exposure cannot live within 2,000 feet of a school or a park. As critics of Proposition 83 pointed out,…
Editorial: Plenty of blame in budget games

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

If you have been trying to ignore the daily grind of bad news out of California's Capitol, we don't blame you. Watching the state's so-called leaders trying to negotiate a budget is like focusing on the dull pain of a low-grade toothache that you hope might just go away. But now would be a good time to tune in if you can stand it. This thing has turned into a full-blown abscess, and the infection is spreading. The brinksmanship that was on display as another deadline slipped by at midnight Tuesday demonstrated a new low in California governance, if that's possible. Three bills that nearly…

Star-Telegram.com: Editorials
Texas lawmakers don’t like tolls but also don’t like solutions

3 Jul 2009 | 10:34 pm

For a brief time last Wednesday, it looked as if the Dallas-Fort Worth area might escape having toll lanes on a major new highway project. Then, quickly as it had come up, the bubble burst. It turned out to be just another example of the state’s inability to provide sufficient money for sorely needed roads and our legislators’ inability to face that problem. To be fair, in this case the lawmakers were misinformed.Members of the Senate Finance Committee hammered Amadeo Saenz, chief executive of the Texas Department of Transportation, about plans to add two toll lanes to the DFW…
Threads that bind a nation together

3 Jul 2009 | 6:14 pm

Sobering. Sentimental. Symbol of sacrifice. The U.S. flag evokes different responses in many Americans, but on this day, the sight of Old Glory pulls us together in a common appreciation for our freedoms.Freedom to speak in open disagreement with the government.Freedom to worship as one chooses — or as one chooses not to.Freedom to assemble with people of like minds to celebrate or protest.Freedom to pursue a dream through hard work and initiative.The Stars and Stripes — long may they wave.
Questions about Rainbow Lounge incident not answered through speculation and accusation

2 Jul 2009 | 7:19 pm

The Fort Worth Police Department and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission are learning in a high-profile way that slow and steady no longer is an approach that works when it comes to controlling the message.Outrage and negative assumptions about law enforcement actions taken early Sunday morning at the Rainbow Lounge literally circled the globe, carried in digital word and video on the World Wide Web before Police Chief Jeff Halstead made his first public statements.There are still more questions than answers about what happened and about who might be at fault. Online portrayals of Fort…
Supreme Court rules in New Haven case that public employers can’t discriminate. But that doesn’t end struggle to guarantee equal opportunities

1 Jul 2009 | 5:29 pm

The New Haven firefighters won at the Supreme Court, but that neither ends the struggle over workplace discrimination nor answers the thorniest questions about what is fair in ensuring racial equality.A 5-4 court majority said the city of New Haven, Conn., wrongly threw out test scores for choosing new fire captains and lieutenants. The tests would have resulted in 17 whites and two Hispanics being promoted, but no blacks, even though 27 blacks took the test and nine passed. City officials had argued they would have been sued for racial discrimination against blacks if they had gone forward…
Texas Legislature’s special session shouldn’t be rushed

30 Jun 2009 | 6:59 pm

To hear Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus talk, you’d think it’s a sure thing that state legislators will complete Friday the special session that begins today. Perry’s agenda is limited, and the state’s top leaders apparently believe dealing with its topics should be a snap. That should make Texans uneasy.The three agenda items are important issues that lawmakers failed to resolve in this year’s 140-day regular session. So now they’re supposed to polish them off in three days?Granted, the first agenda item is a…

Cincinnati.Com - All Opinion
Reds shine bright light on city

4 Jul 2009 | 3:22 am

Halfway through the season, the Reds' record is around .500. But by another, ultimately more important measure, the Reds clearly are leading the league - as a community voice for unity, fairness and inclusion.
Jobless agnst will reflect on Obama

4 Jul 2009 | 3:22 am

While the national unemployment rate stood at 9.5 percent in June, it's a whopping 30 percent among adults in my immediate family. But as bad as things are for my family, they seem to be worse for many other Americans.
WWI lesson: Treat returning GIs with respect

4 Jul 2009 | 3:22 am

The June 28 story concerning the GI Bill of Rights ("GI Bill ticket to American dream") brought out a lot of information and how effective the bill was during the post-World War II era.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette stories: Opinion and Letters*
The end, and the beginning

4 Jul 2009 | 12:42 am

First, we did the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, “America the Beautiful,” and then “God Bless America.” A person is struck with such impulses standing on the edge of the Yorktown battlefield. --
COLUMNISTS Iran in limbo

4 Jul 2009 | 12:42 am

As Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, Iran enters limbo, an uncertain yet perilous period of time separating anger-driven demonstrations from either bloody tyrannical repression or sustained popular struggle producing a liberalizing revolution. --
EDITORIALS The what of July?

4 Jul 2009 | 12:42 am

JOHN ADAMS told his better seveneighths, Abigail, that this day would be “the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. --
LETTERS

4 Jul 2009 | 12:40 am

Keep our nation strong God bless America. This is the Fourth of July weekend and my sincere desire is that all Christians would pray a special prayer for our lovely nation. The U.S. was founded by men who believed the basic principles of religion. Their faith was built to keep this nation strong. --
A revolution that worked

4 Jul 2009 | 12:39 am

The American Revolution was the most important human event of the past several centuries, one without which the broader global democratic revolution of recent decades likely never would have happened. --

NewsObserver.com - Editorials
Glory, and grit

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

And the spirit survives.
The operator

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

An alleged Ponzi scheme with a sort of headquarters in a Caribbean nation is curiously connected to Raleigh because William Wise, the man whom one official says was running it, enjoyed at least some of the trappings of his wealth while living in the Olde Raleigh neighborhood.
Purty picture

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Would it be right for the Louvre to throw a towel over the Mona Lisa? For Rodin's works to be dressed in double-knits in the name of modesty?
Logic that punishes

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Old ways die hard, and the North Carolina Senate recently showed that the adage still applies. A slim majority of senators struck down a sensible attempt to fine-tune the law that allows public school teachers and administrators to punish students by hitting them.
Seeking paths

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The once-hot immigration potato is on the table again. Consulting recently with Democratic and Republican lawmakers at the White House, President Obama made it clear he wants Congress to wrestle with, and formulate a policy for, dealing with the current and surely future illegal immigrants in the United States.

The Buffalo News: Buffalo News Editorials
Celebrating independence

4 Jul 2009 | 5:21 am

Need a lesson in democracy this Fourth of July? Just look at the brutal crackdown during demonstrations over a disputed presidential election in Iran, and the peaceful transfers of power that mark governance in this nation should jump into much clearer focus.
It seems to us . . .

4 Jul 2009 | 3:49 am

SILVER LINING: Having spent a week or so watching the State Senate put the fun in dysfunctional--a protester in a clown suit, each party holding its own gavel-in/gavel-out pseudo-sessions, a wandering Republican in search of a Coke counted quickly by Democrats so they could claim a quorum--it was heartening to have Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver visit this editorial board to assure us all was well in Albany except for those rascals in the other house.
Hurray, Yahoo!

3 Jul 2009 | 5:02 am

Direct your browser to www.yahoo.com and type in the phrase “New York business climate.” We did the other day, and the first three non-sponsored hits were variations on the theme, “NY business climate rated 2nd worst.”
Time and time again

3 Jul 2009 | 3:55 am

The rebirth of Buffalo's Central Terminal, if it ever comes, will be measured in years, not hours.
Action on climate change

2 Jul 2009 | 4:18 am

This time, we're all going to the moon.

Courant.com - Editorials
Iconic American Painting In Hartford

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Grill, wave sparklers, make merry today — but if you want an Independence Day experience you'll never forget, go tomorrow to Hartford's superb Wadsworth Atheneum and look at a national treasure that should make your eyes water.
Gov. Sanford: Southern Narcissus

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Seldom does the world get to see a public figure self-destruct on television. It isn't a pretty sight.
Three Wilcoxes Sentenced, Only One Goes To Prison

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Appropriate justice was handed out June 24 when David Wilcox was sentenced to six years in prison for his part in a horrible 2005 runaway truck incident in Avon that took four lives — a fifth victim died later — and injured 23 others, five seriously.
U.S. Troops Head For Exits In Iraq

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Tuesday was a pivotal day in the relationship between the United States and Iraq.
Good Spring, For Ducks

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Rain, thunder, lightning, hail, a tornado. Can the locusts be far behind?

Editorials
Editorial: Energy bill, while imperfect, is an important first step

 Mercury News Editorial

2 Jul 2009 | 5:07 pm

So much for the theory that Republicans and Democrats in Washington never see eye to eye: Conservatives and liberals, ranging from Rep.
Editorial: Governor didn't need to push state over the edge

 Mercury News Editorial

1 Jul 2009 | 7:44 pm

Today Controller John Chiang will start handing out IOUs, instead of checks, to many of those who do business with — or get help from — the state.
Editorial: Schwarzenegger should offer incentives for Toyota to keep NUMMI plant open

 Mercury News Editorial

30 Jun 2009 | 8:19 pm

California needs the 5,000 manufacturing jobs Toyota's NUMMI plant brings to the state. Toyota desires a physical presence in California, where it sells more of its vehicles than in any other state in the nation.
Editorial: Strengthen SEC to deter the next Bernie Madoff

 Mercury News Editorial

29 Jun 2009 | 9:36 pm

With a 150-year prison sentence on Monday, Bernard Madoff got what he had coming to him — and certainly more than enough to guarantee that the 71-year-old master swindler will die in prison, not in the Hamptons.
Editorial: Russia's approach to cyber-threat may translate into censorship

 Mercury News Editorial

29 Jun 2009 | 9:36 pm

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the United States and Russia are having a hard time agreeing on how to counter the threat of cyberwar.

Memphis Commercial Appeal Stories: Opinion
Editorial: What we have and they want

3 Jul 2009 | 10:04 pm

We take so much for granted. That's why this Fourth of July it's worth meditating, if only briefly, on the Iranians who have taken to the streets in the tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands.
A day to celebrate

3 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

At last count, more than a dozen community and municipal celebrations are planned today in honor of the nation's 233rd Independence Day.
Herenton's legacy of corruption

3 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Your July 1 edition documented the continued decline of Memphis in population, but it does nothing to document the continued decline of this city's character under a mayor who cares for neither.
Editorial: Little progress on fat front

2 Jul 2009 | 10:04 pm

The South needs a makeover. We're not talking cosmetics. The real problem is our health, and more specifically our rates of obesity and related illnesses.
A click against crime

2 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Crimestoppers of Memphis and Shelby County has started accepting tips through the Web and text messaging, in addition to the traditional telephone tip. Ysing the Web and text messages could speed up police response to crime and also allow officers to engage in two-way communications with tipsters.

PalmBeachPost.com - Today's editorials, columns, letters, commentary
EDITORIAL: Revolution to evolution

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Ask most Americans what day means the most in the country's history, and the choice would be July 4. On the nation's 233rd birthday, however, we present some competitors.
COLUMN: Who Would Jesus Shoot?

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

A week ago, pastor Ken Pagano invited members of his Assemblies of God church in Louisville, Ky., to bring their guns to church.
EDITORIAL: Give the animals a holiday

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Youngstown, Ohio-based Phantom Fireworks - "America's premier 4th of July Fireworks Stores" - is offering a uniquely American product for the company's favorite holiday.
New improved America must take care of needy

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

On the 233rd anniversary of our nation's birth, we might pause and reflect on the past months.
EDITORIAL: In the spirit of 1776

3 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Five Iraq war veterans - a triple amputee, a double amputee, two single amputees and a soldier with a hip wound - left Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington last week for a week of sun and fun (and some rain) in Jupiter.

Daily News
July 3 and 4: What's open, what's closed?

Daily News

3 Jul 2009 | 7:58 pm

Government: Most government offices will be closed Friday, July 3. The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail on Saturday, July 4, and many post offices will close at noon on Friday, July 3.
Jobless data sends stocks reeling; Dow loses 223

Associated Press

2 Jul 2009 | 2:46 pm

Major stock indexes fell more than 2.6 percent after the government said the U.S. unemployment rate hit a 26-year high. The Dow Jones industrials closed at their lowest level in six weeks.
Grim unemployment data sends stocks reeling

By Stephen Bernard and Ieva M. Augustums The Associated Press

2 Jul 2009 | 2:07 pm

THE CLOSING BELL -- DOWN 223:A dour report on job losses in June sent stocks sharply lower Thursday. Major stock indexes fell more than 2.6 percent after the government said the U.S. unemployment rate hit a 26-year high. The Dow Jones industrials closed at their lowest level in six weeks. NYSE, NASDAQ » BLOG: South Bay business news
Wall Street makes cautious gains

By Madlen Read and Ieva M. Augstums The Associated Press

1 Jul 2009 | 1:38 pm

THE CLOSING BELL -- UP 57: The stock market's third quarter began on a positive note Wednesday after some reassuring data on manufacturing and the housing market. The gains were tempered, though, ahead of Thursday's June jobs report. NYSE, NASDAQ FOLLOW THE MONEY: » Web site promises to keep track of how stimulus is being spent » Feds won't fund GM after July 10, official says » US auto sales decline shows signs of leveling off » Fed foreclosure help to reach more homeowners » Pending home sales up for 4th month in a row » Battered Freddie Mac gets another $6.1B »…
Lack of confidence weighs on stocks

By Sara Lepro The Associated Press

30 Jun 2009 | 1:39 pm

THE CLOSING BELL -- DOWN 82: Stocks fell sharply Tuesday after a private research group said consumer confidence unexpectedly fell in June. NYSE, NASDAQ TODAY'S BUSINESS NEWS: FOLLOW THE MONEY: » Web site promises to keep track of how stimulus is being spent » Obama: New consumer agency to enforce financials » Iraq's first oil auction a bust » Oil prices tumble in volatile trading » Price of gas drops for 9th straight day » May's jobless rate up in all US metro areas » Consumer confidence drops in June » AIG annual meeting a short, calm affair » Global…

FresnoBee.com: Opinion
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

hen in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Read comments
Educators cut classes with new flexibility

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The state did something novel in February to help local school districts. They untied the strings to pots of money that had been rigidly restricted, giving districts new freedom to spend money on local priorities. Read comments
State wreckage careens forward

3 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

If you have been trying to ignore the daily grind of bad news out of California's Capitol, we don't blame you. Watching the state's so-called leaders trying to negotiate a budget is like focusing on the dull pain of a low-grade toothache that you hope might just go away. Read comments
End of Kodachrome marks end of iconic era in photos

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Babe Ruth hit his 714th and last home run in 1935, retiring later that year from baseball. Amelia Earhart took off from California for Hawaii on the first such solo flight by a woman, Nazi Germany adopted a flag with a swastika and the first animated full-length movie -- Snow White -- made its debut. Read comments
Profitable California export?

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

In the depths of the worst recession since World War II, California may be giving birth to a new export industry. It's an export in which the Golden State appears to have important competitive advantages. And it may be recession-proof. Read comments

Arizona Daily Star
Letters to the editor

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Jackson coverage not overdone
Declaration of Independence

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
Independence Day: a celebration of America, past, present, future

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Two hundred and thirty-three years ago this summer, a group of patriots gathered in a humble brick hall in Philadelphia, determined to "dissolve the political bands" that connected them to Great Britain. They ended up changing the course of human history.
Daily Fitz Fix 07/04/2009

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Akron Beacon Journal
Stimulating strategy

Arevision in May of the five-year budget forecast for the Akron Public Schools showed dramatic reductions in the deficits projected for the 2010-11 and the 2011-12 school years. The deficit for the first year dropped to $10 million from $37 million, and for the second, to $49 million from $89 million. The district lowered the shortfalls through measures that include closing buildings, staff reductions and negotiating less expensive benefits with unions.
Unbalanced Republicans

Ted Strickland has experienced one of those stretches when even the dog growls at your presence. The governor has been pummeled for reversing course on electronic slot machines. (He once found little value in them. Now he argues they are necessary to balance the state budget.) He appears willing (along with Armond Budish, the House speaker) to sacrifice traditional Democratic concerns for the needy and vulnerable on the altar of re-election. He pledged to repair school funding, and arrived at an innovative, evidence-based plan. Yet now he has asked Ohioans to wait 10 years.
Invitation to a sale

When word arrived from Germany that car sales there increased almost 40 percent from a year ago, the reaction on Capitol Hill and elsewhere in this country went: How did they do that? Germany conducted a cash-for-clunkers program, offering subsidies to entice car owners to get rid of their old vehicles and trade up for new ones. U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton moved quickly to take the lead in devising an American version, the Copley Township Democrat keenly aware of the deep troubles afflicting the auto industry.
Race at the fire station

In April, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case brought by white firefighters in New Haven contending they were subjected to race discrimination when the city cast aside a promotional exam on which they scored well and black firefighters performed poorly. Justice David Souter captured well the dilemma facing the city when the results arrived five years ago. It was a ''damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.''
Leadership in transition

The Rev. Curtis T. Walker has come to know Akron well the past 17 years as pastor of Wesley Temple AME Zion Church and as a member of the Akron Board of Education since 2000.

Opinion Blog
Saturday's Quiz

Post-Standard Editorial Board

4 Jul 2009 | 2:02 am

Nicholas Lisi/The Post-Standard 8. TRUE OR FALSE: A freak tornado swept through the graduation ceremony at Skaneateles High School Sunday, but students quickly gathered themselves and walked across the stage, slightly rumpled but none the worse for wear. The Quiz...
Independence Day Reflections

the readers' page

4 Jul 2009 | 2:00 am

The Associated Press, 2007FIREWORKS light up the night sky over Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, S.D., during the annual Heartland of America Independence Day Celebration at the Shrine of Democracy. A heartfelt thank you to this nation's veterans To the Editor:...
Ethics Won't Wait

Post-Standard Editorial Board

3 Jul 2009 | 2:02 am

The New York Times News Service DEMOCRATIC State Sens. Hiram Monserrate (left) and Pedro Espada Jr. helped Senate Republicans stage a coup June 8. Monserrate has been accused of assaulting his girlfriend, while Espada is under investigation after being fined...
Albany rogues' gallery

Post-Standard Editorial Board

3 Jul 2009 | 2:01 am

Here is a list of state elected officials who have landed in legal or ethical trouble in recent years: * Comptroller Alan Hevesi, forced out of office in a scandal over misuse of office staff and resources. * Gov. Eliot...
Save those cleats

Post-Standard Editorial Board

3 Jul 2009 | 2:01 am

Do you have leftover sports equipment from the days when your kids played in youth basketball, baseball, soccer or football? Are there serviceable tennis rackets in your basement or attic? How about shoes with cleats? If you've got them, don't...

toledoblade.com Opinions
What we celebrate today

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776. THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHEN, in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's GOD entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the Causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed,…
Energy bill expected to reduce area electric costs

THE Clean Energy and Security legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives aims to restore America's energy independence while creating green jobs to spur economic growth. Our Great Lakes region, along with some Northeastern states, are the only parts of our country without equal access to federal benefits for electric power, thus denying competitive rates for our residential, commercial, and industrial consumers. The high cost of power in our area - 14 to 18 cents per kilowatt hour - is the primary factor contributing to job loss. Even other areas of Ohio pay one-third that…
Rationing health care a bad idea

It is certainly not surprising to see The Blade pushing for President Obama's program to bring every aspect of American life under the government's control. You even have Dr. Amjad Hussain encouraging us to turn our health-care system over to the "nanny state." I do, however, have a few questions for him. Since he feels that our system is poor compared to the rest of the world, why did he come here to train and stay to practice medicine? Even if he wanted to train in an inferior system like ours, why not go back home to a better system to establish his practice? If our system is too…
Kirk - Congress
FCC, can you hear public now?

I have to agree with the thousands of people across the country who have been calling the Federal Communications Commission to complain about the "volume surge" when cable and network TV stations take commercial breaks during regular programming. And since the middle of last year when the economy started to tank hard, it seems to have gotten progressively worse. It appears that advertisers want to make sure the viewers hear their message, even if it wakes up the baby. I may have to call the FCC myself and log a complaint, as I'm running out of four-letter words to express my feelings on the…

Tribune-Review Opinion
America at 233: Fighting for liberty

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Happy 233rd Birthday, America!
The Declaration of Independence

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The Australian | Opinion
Demolition derby that was Melbourne

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

While mini subs waged mini war on Sydney and Japan gave Darwin a dreadful drubbing, Melburnians slept easily.
When mortality beckons

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

I'VE been obsessed with the question of death since the Air France plane crashed a few weeks ago.
Curse of the undead fixed term

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

FIXED political terms have become a protection order for mediocrity and incompetence.
Where real wrestling can be found

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Girl Thugs Alarm!" shrilled the Herald Sun in a recent front-page article decrying "skyrocketing" levels of violence by "drunken, abusive young women". Yeah, well, what's it to ya, pussy?"
Turnbull may be beyond repair

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

THERE is an uncomfortable sense of finality to this week's Newspoll, with Malcolm Turnbull suffering the largest collapse in a leader's job approval rating.

Comment from Times Online
Indulge your selfishness. Go and help someone

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

My friend L, for years a magazine editor of sharp tailoring and formidable repute, has been helping out her local hoodies. When introduced to these huge, surly, baseball-capped lunks, her first instinct was to flee. They were Neets — that growing pariah group of kids not in education, employment or training — with barely a GCSE between them. Nonetheless L had volunteered to help them to draw up CVs, so she rolled up her sleeves, as she put it, “to try to make s*** shine”.
Strange rumbles in the Suffolk jungle

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Two or three months ago, as regular readers of this space will remember, I was out in the jungles of India saving the elephants with the World Land Trust. And at the end, I was having a beer with Vivek Menon, CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India, and a great elephant man.
In the fog, remember: victory is impossible in Afghanistan

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

It’s important not to understand. It’s important not to learn. In the total buggeration into which the world’s help for Afghanistan has now descended, it’s important not to know too much. Accept that somebody some day may understand, but it isn’t going to be you. Somebody some day may grab the Gordian knot and cut it, but it isn’t going to be us. Know only that. To know more is to know less.
Enough sentimental bull about bullfighting

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

If Greta Scacchi wants to pose naked with a cod to promote sustainable fishing, then that’s absolutely fine with me. I am a committed and vociferous campaigner for responsible ocean management, and I love looking at pictures of naked ladies. For me, it’s a win-win situation.
If the Government won’t learn, nor will children

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

It would be nice if education ministers had take the five-year MoT they propose for teachers — if any stayed long enough in the job. There’s definitely something wrong with the steering in the Education Department. This week’s Schools White Paper left me bewildered. I am a diligent student of bureaucratese, but I couldn’t decide if it was dangerous or anodyne, a U-turn or a bunny hop — until I realised that an important component seemed to have fallen off.

Haaretz.com - Opinion
Send the IDF chief rabbi home

3 Jul 2009 | 7:23 am

The Chief Military Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces, Brig.-Gen. Avichai Rontzki, has managed once again to stretch his scope of authority to breaking point. "In my personal opinion," he said according to statements obtained by Haaretz military correspondent Anshel Pfeffer, "the service of women in the army is not self-evident." This means, in simple Hebrew, ...
Madame, start fighting

3 Jul 2009 | 7:22 am

I will not deny that I after meeting Tzipi Livni for the first time, I came away thoroughly impressed. She sports an upright posture, is imbued with a mixture of self-confidence and timidity, and, most important, can express herself eloquently. In later meetings, after she had already been named foreign minister, the shyness melted away in favor of her self-confidence, yet her appearance as well as her speaking abilities remained ...
The Mossad chief as fighter pilot

3 Jul 2009 | 7:20 am

The resignation of the deputy Mossad head, coming in the wake of an ...
Are we still afraid the Jewish state won't last?

3 Jul 2009 | 1:32 am

We can offer several arguments for and against the demand to recognize ...
The High Court as a straw man

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

When a thief is needed he is taken down from the hangman's noose; the ...

Editorial and Opinion | The Times of India
COUNTERVIEW | Score one for sexism

3 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

Wimbledon apologists can defend what the organisers have done until they're hoarse.
TOP ARTICLE | Monumental Mistake

3 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

Building Dalit memorials, Mayawati bungles a rare opportunity.
SACRED SPACE | Self-liberation

3 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

The country is greater than the individual. A P J Abdul Kalam
VIEW | It's part of marketing

3 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

Wimbledon official admits looks play a role in scheduling matches.
MOVERS & PACKERS | Curry-leaf American

3 Jul 2009 | 11:30 am

Americans by and large buy everything including food, pizzas, burgers, steaks and things, all swiped through credit cards with no concern about mounting debt.

The Hindu - Opinion
Condemnable

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The incident involving Manda Jagannath, Congress MP from Nagarkurnool, who allegedly slapped the manager of the Grameen Vikas Bank, Ravinder Reddy, deserves to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Political interference in the ...
Focus on passenger amenities

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Given the short lead time available for presenting the budget for 2009-10, it is understandable that Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to keep the focus on passenger amenities and early implementation of on-going projects. In keeping with ...
Beyond short-term fixes

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The hike in the retail prices of petrol and diesel by as much as Rs.4 and Rs.2 a litre was expected although its timing — on the eve of the Union budget — was not. A month ago, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora had expressed the ...
Homosexuality

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

In a landmark decision, the Delhi High Court has decriminalised gay sex between consenting adults. It is a recognition of the rights of the sexual minorities. Society should accept that there are people with different sexual preferences. They ...
Anatomy of homeland and identity politics

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The violence in the North Cachar Hills of Assam underlines the self-destructing traps that ‘causes’ like self-determination and demands for exclusive ‘homelands’ await those pursuing such objectives.

The Australian | Opinion
Demolition derby that was Melbourne

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

While mini subs waged mini war on Sydney and Japan gave Darwin a dreadful drubbing, Melburnians slept easily.
When mortality beckons

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

I'VE been obsessed with the question of death since the Air France plane crashed a few weeks ago.
Curse of the undead fixed term

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

FIXED political terms have become a protection order for mediocrity and incompetence.
Where real wrestling can be found

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

Girl Thugs Alarm!" shrilled the Herald Sun in a recent front-page article decrying "skyrocketing" levels of violence by "drunken, abusive young women". Yeah, well, what's it to ya, pussy?"
Turnbull may be beyond repair

3 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

THERE is an uncomfortable sense of finality to this week's Newspoll, with Malcolm Turnbull suffering the largest collapse in a leader's job approval rating.

Comment from Times Online
Indulge your selfishness. Go and help someone

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

My friend L, for years a magazine editor of sharp tailoring and formidable repute, has been helping out her local hoodies. When introduced to these huge, surly, baseball-capped lunks, her first instinct was to flee. They were Neets — that growing pariah group of kids not in education, employment or training — with barely a GCSE between them. Nonetheless L had volunteered to help them to draw up CVs, so she rolled up her sleeves, as she put it, “to try to make s*** shine”.
Strange rumbles in the Suffolk jungle

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Two or three months ago, as regular readers of this space will remember, I was out in the jungles of India saving the elephants with the World Land Trust. And at the end, I was having a beer with Vivek Menon, CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India, and a great elephant man.
In the fog, remember: victory is impossible in Afghanistan

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

It’s important not to understand. It’s important not to learn. In the total buggeration into which the world’s help for Afghanistan has now descended, it’s important not to know too much. Accept that somebody some day may understand, but it isn’t going to be you. Somebody some day may grab the Gordian knot and cut it, but it isn’t going to be us. Know only that. To know more is to know less.
Enough sentimental bull about bullfighting

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

If Greta Scacchi wants to pose naked with a cod to promote sustainable fishing, then that’s absolutely fine with me. I am a committed and vociferous campaigner for responsible ocean management, and I love looking at pictures of naked ladies. For me, it’s a win-win situation.
If the Government won’t learn, nor will children

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

It would be nice if education ministers had take the five-year MoT they propose for teachers — if any stayed long enough in the job. There’s definitely something wrong with the steering in the Education Department. This week’s Schools White Paper left me bewildered. I am a diligent student of bureaucratese, but I couldn’t decide if it was dangerous or anodyne, a U-turn or a bunny hop — until I realised that an important component seemed to have fallen off.

Personal View: opinion comment and views from Telegraph writers
Gordon Brown out of step as Labour's chance slips away

4 Jul 2009 | 11:22 am

While his colleagues seek a way out of crisis Gordon Brown is in an economic Neverland writes Matthew d'Ancona.
Ronnie Biggs: No getting out of prison for a celebrity con

4 Jul 2009 | 10:53 am

The Great Train Robber wants to be let out of prison to die in peace. Why asks William Langley has his final bid for freedom been foiled?
Gordon Brown's 'fairness' is not the kind of fairness most people want

4 Jul 2009 | 10:40 am

Labour has completely misunderstood the public's opinion on inequality says Janet Daley.
LtColonel Rupert Thorneloe and Trooper Joshua Hammond should not have died

4 Jul 2009 | 10:21 am

It is shocking that the MoD did not ensure that British soldiers were properly protected from roadside bombs says Christopher Booker.
Is the state guilty of child kidnap?

4 Jul 2009 | 10:07 am

Social workers are still too keen to split up families says Christopher Booker.

The Independent - Opinion RSS Feed
Michael Brown: It's just too easy for politicians to join the great gay lovefest

3 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

I don't want to rain on today's Gay Pride celebrations but I really cannot get very excited, now that most of the battles for gay equality have been so comprehensively won – and for which Tony Blair and Peter Tatchell each deserve a prominent place in history.
Letters: Kipling's "Arithmetic on the Frontier"

3 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

From the obviously heartfelt anguish of colleagues, Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, killed on Thursday by a ramshackle roadside bomb, must have been a soldier of very high quality. But the echo of Kipling's "Arithmetic on the Frontier" is overwhelming:
Andrew Grice: Tories fear 'scorched earth' policy by Government

3 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

On the face of it, another grim week for Gordon Brown. A U-turn on the part-privatisation of Royal Mail and a messy Commons defeat on his bill to "clean up" politics followed his climbdown on the Iraq inquiry. And he was outgunned on public spending by David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions.
Richard Ingrams’s Week: Political apologies and group spirit – what a sorry affair

3 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

David Cameron is following his role model Tony Blair in making meaningless apologies. Blair apologised to the Irish nation for the potato famine of the 1840s while Cameron has now apologised for the Thatcher government's controversial Section 28, which banned local authorities and schools from promoting homosexuality. "I hope you can forgive us," he said with apparent sincerity.
Dr Lavinia Byrne: Catholic church risks new debate on the role of women

3 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

Since the church's Second Vatican Council in the 1960s and 70s, American nuns have radicalised, reaching out to the poor, the uneducated and eventually to minorities. Wherever there was need, the sisters were there. As well as being radicalised, they became politicised too, prepared to speak out against injustice and to champion human rights. Including, ultimately, their own. So were they expecting the Inquisition? I doubt it.

Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Sarah Palin's bizarre bombshell

James Antle

3 Jul 2009 | 6:00 pm

The latest episode in the Sarah Palin soap opera arrives: her mysterious decision to abruptly quit as governor of AlaskaIs Sarah Palin finished? That's the question her friends and foes alike are asking now that she has kicked off the Fourth of July weekend with an announcement that she won't even finish her term as governor of Alaska, let alone run for re-election.Given how quickly she would have needed to make the transition from governor to presidential candidate if she were to seek the Republican nomination in 2012, it is not surprising that she is taking a pass on a second term in 2010.
Gay rights: National pride

3 Jul 2009 | 4:01 pm

Trawling hard for support in unrewarding times, Labour has made a determined pitch to gay and lesbian voters in the run-up to today's Gay Pride march in London. Gordon Brown's poetic comment on Thursday that "you can't legislate love" was part of an insistent government message that Labour has stood up for gay people through the years, while the Conservatives cannot be trusted with equality.Other ministers went further. The Tory heart remains homophobic, charged Harriet Harman, pointing to the opposition's alliance with anti-gay parties in Europe and its fence-sitting on gay adoption, and…
Reith lectures: Of markets and morality

3 Jul 2009 | 4:01 pm

"The public gets what the public wants," sang the Jam, and then lines later, "the public wants what the public gets." In the age when political platforms are based on a handful of individuals passing round animal shapes in a Travelodge, the distinction is a slight one. Focus-group consumerism reduces public life to the managerial task of servicing wants. Over the last month, Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University has used the Reith lectures - the last of which is being repeated at 10.15pm on Radio 4 tonight - to make the case for richer political debate.It is fitting that the lectures…
In praise of ... Fred Perry

3 Jul 2009 | 4:01 pm

So, the 75-year reign of Fred Perry over British tennis extends for another 12 months. This in spite of the fact that Perry was something of an outsider to the English imagination when he claimed his three Wimbledon singles crowns. Together with the gloriously named Bunny Austin, Perry secured four Davis Cup wins for his country, and yet the state-school-educated son of a Labour MP did not fit in at the All-England Club. The colonels who controlled tennis then were the type to believe that it was un-English to run on the battlefield; on the tennis court they took exception to Perry's urgent…
PR and prejudice: why rape story erred

Ben Goldacre

3 Jul 2009 | 4:01 pm

There is nothing like science for giving that objective, white-coat flavoured legitimacy to your prejudices, so it must have been a great day for Telegraph readers when they came across the headline: "Women who dress provocatively more likely to be raped, claim scientists." Ah, scientists. "Women who drink alcohol, wear short skirts and are outgoing are more likely to be raped, claim scientists at the University of Leicester." Well there you go.Oddly, though, the title of the press release for the same research was: "Promiscuous men more likely to rape." Normally we berate journalists for…

The Economist: Daily columns
Art.view: Happy days for some

4 Jul 2009 | 3:38 am

The art market may have simmered down, but a few artists are still in high demandA little over a year ago, a contemporary evening auction unfolded like a Hollywood thriller, with billionaires in cameo roles and astronomical prices in lieu of stunts. Nowadays, a sale is more like a low-budget soap opera. In London this week, Sotheby’s and Christie’s put on solid performances in their new gritty genre. Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening brought in a total of GBP25.5m ($41.9m) compared to GBP94.7m for the equivalent sale in June 2008, while Christie’s Post-War and…
Tech.view: Flights of fancy

2 Jul 2009 | 11:54 pm

Why airborne automobiles will never take offWHAT is it about “flying cars” that makes otherwise sensible engineers lose touch with reality? Ever since Glenn Curtiss, a seaplane pioneer, racing legend and the Wright brothers’ rival, tried to make a flying car early in the last century, tinkerers have dreamed of having an automobile sprout wings, soar above the traffic, then land and tuck its wings away ready for a short trip into town. Flying cars of one sort or another have dominated the pages of schoolboy comics ever since. Enthusiasm for flying cars reached a peak in the…
Europe.view: Food for thought

2 Jul 2009 | 12:31 am

Adding deliberate culinary insult to unintended injuryLast week’s column has aroused offence where none was meant. The aim—perhaps a bit fanciful, but it is summer after all—was to imagine menu items with names that reflect eastern Europe’s history and politics. Munchner Kloße [Munich dumplings], for example, would be a noxious dish cooked by Germans and force-fed to Czechoslovaks by Brits.But readers saw it as a patronising outsider’s attack on east European cuisine in general. How dare a newspaper published in a country that invented the chip butty and the…
Business.view: Billy Mays, the infomercial king

30 Jun 2009 | 3:03 am

Want to know the secret of America's innovation edge? Call now!MICHAEL JACKSON was not the only famous 50-year-old to meet an untimely death in the past few days. On June 28th it was reported that Billy Mays, America’s “infomercial king”, had gone to meet the Great Pitch Man in the Sky. “Hi, Billy Mays here” was his booming catchphrase, which certainly got straight to the point in a way typical of his no-nonsense approach to selling. His death was mourned by many Americans, including plenty who would never admit to having spent a minute of their time watching an…
Green.view: The not-so-great outdoors

29 Jun 2009 | 12:27 am

How to green your grillSUMMER has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and with it one of the traditional rituals of languid, warm evenings: the barbecue. How pleasant to cook and dine al fresco, as the sun casts long shadows across the lawn. The steaks sizzle over a smoky heat, sending a delicious aroma into the air. But, of course, that is not all that escapes from the grill. Barbecues also release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. So how does a tree-hugger salve her conscience during the barbecue season? Three things spring to mind. Thought must be given to the style of barbecue used,…

FT.com - Comment and analysis
Outside Edge: Look who's sorry now

3 Jul 2009 | 11:50 am

CHR – corporate historical responsibility – is the new trend. Rather than just worry about the past, what about the future? We need to start thinking about future CHR compliance, writes Peter Marsh
A test of legal logic for US civil rights

3 Jul 2009 | 11:23 am

Enforcement is now more pragmatic, less principled, and more corrosive to social ideas of fairness, writes Christopher Caldwell
Politicians must listen, learn and level with citizens

3 Jul 2009 | 11:14 am

That democracy is in trouble – in some versions terminal trouble – is now the commonest of ideas among political scientists, coupled with a regret that their warnings have not been attended to, writes John Lloyd
Israel struggles to adapt to a changing picture of Iran

2 Jul 2009 | 11:12 am

Iran is no longer the country the west had thought, or wanted to think, it was. The post-election scenes on the streets of Iranian cities surely strengthen those who argue that the way to encourage Tehran's return to the international community is through engagement, writes Philip Stephens
European banking needs a state-led triage body

2 Jul 2009 | 10:47 am

The hope that green shoots and a steeper yield curve will cure European banks' ills is dangerous magical thinking. Setting up a Bank Treuhand is the way to unlock policy action, argue Adam Posen and Nicolas Véron

Scotsman.com - Opinion
Interactive: Serve up the courts to make tennis champs

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Do you agree that the council should invest more in tennis facilities around the Capital?
When neighbourliness can save lives

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

HOW can the body of a frail, elderly woman lie forsaken in her tenement flat, in heart of the capital of Scotland, for perhaps as long as five years without anyone noticing? O
Scots are in no hurry to let go ofthe royal line

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

ON A strange and sweltering July day in Edinburgh, an 83-year-old monarch with a heavy cold drives a few yards up the street from her palace at Holyrood to deliver a tenth bir
Derailing 'fat cats'

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

HEADLINE: National Express taken back into public ownership (your report, 2 July). My response: at last! The giveaway of British Rail to the private sector by the Tor
Robert McNeil: Dolphins and cheap beer – what more could one want?

3 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

ON QUIET roads, we came to the Caterthuns. My good friends, David and Nessie, were giving me a tour of Angus, a county largely unknown to me. Some of you are saying: "This

Home/Opinion
Failing to help the failed states

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

This week, an unpopular president of a small impoverished central American state was ousted in a coup before he could emulate his new-found hero, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and brush aside limits on his stay in office. Half a world away in Tehran, the rulers more cleverly wrapped up the re-election of their president and confidently declared it was illegal to contest the result, however much the rest of the world might protest against the cheating and thuggery that accomplished it.
Gay Iraq vet challenges 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

On paper, Lieutenant Dan Choi is everything the US military could have hoped for. He is a graduate of the prestigious West Point academy in New York state, has served a tour in Iraq, and is fluent in Arabic and Korean.
Asia must learn to lead

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

As Asia emerges from the global economic crisis faster than the rest of the world, it is increasingly clear that the world's centre of gravity is shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is equally clear that Asian states are not yet ready to assume the more meaningful leadership in global affairs that will be necessary to ensure that this tectonic shift can make the world more stable and secure than it has been. Asian states have a tremendous opportunity to rise to this challenge.
Declining Japan: a sign of things to come

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

In recent years, Japan's concerned public has gradually turned its attention from the decline in economic growth rates to more long-term social trends. As one of the "little dragons of Asia", Hong Kong used to follow Japan as head of the "flying geese" formation. So Japan's social trends are worthy of our attention, too.
Too good to be true? Not in Indonesia

4 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

There is a rule of thumb to regional politics that if something appears too good to be true, then it usually is.

Le Monde diplomatique - English edition
Multicultural Ireland

Colin Murphy

2 Jul 2009 | 6:52 am

The political integration and civic participation of Ireland's very mixed immigrant community is refreshing and very welcome. Colin Murphy talks to candidates in the June local elections from different parts of Ireland about their lives and work, expanding on his article “New faces of Irish politics”, published in June 2009. download (MP3, 14.7 Mb) - 2009/06 / Podcasts, 2009/06 - Ireland
Sri Lanka: view from the ground

Padraig Colman

2 Jul 2009 | 3:31 am

Even those Sri Lankans, including Tamils, who were dubious about their government's decision to pursue the military option against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), are relieved that the venture appears successful. They also are surprised at the reaction to the victory by nations such as the US, the UK, India and Israel, and the sharp criticism about civilian casualties and displaced people. From Sri Lanka, it feels as if the Tamil diaspora in the UK, Canada, US and Australia has (...) - Blog posts / Exclusive
Iran: networked dissent

Christian Christensen

1 Jul 2009 | 3:08 am

On 13 June the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared winner of Iran's presidential election, with a reported 64% of the national vote. His nearest rival, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, won (according to official figures) just under 34%. Mousavi and his followers immediately disputed the results; and widespread protests mushroomed throughout Iran, of a size and nature not seen since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. As the protests grew in strength, the Iranian authorities cracked down on foreign media (...) - Blog posts / Exclusive
Ahmadinejad's victory: predicted and feared

Alain Gresh

15 Jun 2009 | 3:09 am

As we know the Islamic Republic often applies the death penalty, detains political opponents, uses torture when it suits. Human rights are violated, as Gary Sick notes in his latest blog, “Gary's choice”, 13 June, Iran's elections - the human rights dimension. Women's rights have often been flouted. And the political system is boxed in by a constitution which debars “non-conformist” candidates from standing for election. Even so, Iranian women have gained since 1979 (mainly through the (...) - Blog posts / Exclusive
Ukraine: already democratic enough

Andreas Umland

12 Jun 2009 | 7:18 am

There are rumours that prime minister Yulia Timoshenko and opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych plan to change the Ukraine's constitution and cancel the 2010 presidential elections. It would help the country if they were true. The Ukrainian economy contracted between 20% and 23% in the first quarter of this year, and its industrial production may have fallen as much as 30%. Given the limited capacities of the Ukrainian government to deal with the social aftermath of these developments, nobody (...) - Blog posts / Exclusive

New Zealand Herald - Opinion
Bill Ralston: No winners from Worth saga

4 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

Sex is the greatest accelerant in political stories. Tossing bonking allegations into a story from Parliament is like throwing petrol on a fire: stand well clear because there is likely to be collateral damage. So it is with former...
Editorial: Worth affair remains unresolved

4 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

The decision of the Korean businesswoman who had laid a complaint against disgraced MP Richard Worth to withdraw her allegation must have caused some consternation to police working on the case. Thus deprived of their star witness...
Richard Loe : Coaches need to step up over 'inept' ABs

4 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

You'd have to say that this All Black squad for the Tri Nations contains more people lucky to be there than there are people unlucky to miss out. That's not the best equation for heading into a campaign that will be as challenging...
Kerre Woodham: You're way out of line, Martin

4 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

In the wake of the news that iconic New Zealand clothing company Line 7 was going into receivership, I received a call on my talkback show from Martin. Martin was delighted that
Peter Williams : Don't forget, grassroots are vital to sport

4 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

Minister of Sport Murray McCully didn't waste any time hiring some familiar faces for the board of Sparc when the terms of some longstanding members like the founding chairman Sir John Wells ended this week. McCully's gone back...

The Irish Times - Opinion
A different approach

3 Jul 2009 | 4:47 pm

Thinking Anew:ONE of many wonderful things to see in Rome is the Arch of Constantine which commemorates the victory of the emperor Constantine at the battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. There he defeated Maxentius, a rival for power, an event which proved to be a turning point in the history of the western world.
Corrections and Clarifications.

3 Jul 2009 | 4:47 pm

In an article in last Thursday’s edition, concerning the blasphemy clause in the Defamation Act, Charlie Flanagan TD was quoted describing it as the classic Irish solution to an Irish solution. This should have read Irish solution to an Irish problem.
This Week They Said

3 Jul 2009 | 4:47 pm

The week's top stories in quotes.
Securing of Lisbon guarantees shows the value of taking risks

3 Jul 2009 | 4:47 pm

Brian Cowen was right to stick his neck out at EU level, where great flexibility was shown, writesGARRET FITZGERALD.
An Irishman's Diary

3 Jul 2009 | 4:47 pm

This being the Fourth of July, its worth reminding ourselves that the White House – America’s great beacon of freedom, lighting the way for democracies everywhere – is an architectural twin of one of our own, slightly lower-wattage contributions to the cause.

TheStar.com - From the Editorial page
For public debate on auto insurance

4 Jul 2009 | 1:30 am

Auto insurers in Ontario are going through a rough patch. They paid out $390 million more last year in claims and expenses than they took in on premiums. So drivers who paid on average $1,344 per vehicle last year could face stiff premium hikes this year and next unless costs are brought down.
Post-strike windfall?

4 Jul 2009 | 1:30 am

Evidently following the example set by strike-bound Windsor, Mayor David Miller has declared that Toronto, too, might compensate residents for services lost due to a walkout. "We can't look at that in detail until the strike is over and we assess everything," Miller told reporters yesterday. "But the basic answer is, yes, that will be considered."
A call for reform of credit card fees

3 Jul 2009 | 1:30 am

A Senate committee has made some sensible recommendations about credit cards.
Council's weak excuses

3 Jul 2009 | 1:30 am

Armed with excuses ranging from the puzzling to the absurd, most Toronto city councillors are still stubbornly clinging to their much-criticized 2.42 per cent pay hike. The hypocrisy of taking that increase – even as the city froze the salaries of its non-union staff and demanded restraint from unionized workers – has fuelled tensions in a bitter strike that is now dragging into its 12th day. For the sake of progress in the labour dispute, these excuses need to end.
Japan's visiting royals

2 Jul 2009 | 1:30 am

Despite some "severely cold weather," Crown Prince Akihito of Japan seemed to enjoy his first trip to Canada as a young man of 19 more than a half-century ago.

Content Search Results
Don't pity the calves

Lorne Gunter

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

I have never roped a calf, but I have "thrown" hundreds of them for branding, and I can reassure any of you tempted to support the Humane Society of Canada's bid to ban "violent" rodeo broadcasts or the Vancouver Humane Society's efforts to outlaw calf roping at the Calgary Stampede that whatever pain or di
A new orthodoxy

Father Raymond J. de Souza

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Sometimes what is not news is most interesting. Last week was Pride Week in Toronto. As per usual, the main events were the Dyke March on Saturday and the Pride Parade on Sunday. As advertised by Pride Toronto, the Dyke March is a "celebration of all things female, lesbian, trans and queer," while the Sunda
We were thrilled

Colby Cosh

29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

Like other writers you've already heard from, I have a distinct memory of the moment Michael Jackson first entered my consciousness. I did not grow up in what you'd call a media-rich environment. Thriller came out when I was 11. At that time, my hometown did not yet have cable television. In fact, this wasn
Hockey's failure in America

Father Raymond J. de Souza

24 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

The NHL and its commissioner, Gary Bettman, just keep on trying to sell hockey in the sunbelt. If at first you don't succeed, try again. If you still don't succeed year after year, just keep at it. And if you pile up failure after failure, then just double down and play again. Eventually, the odds have to t
Where's Obama's 'evil empire' speech?

Lorne Gunter

23 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

In an interview five years ago with the Weekly Standard magazine, former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky described the "brilliant moment" when he and his fellow prisoners in Siberia learned of Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech.

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