Can the G.O.P. Be a Party of Ideas? - NYT

Can the G.O.P. Be a Party of Ideas?

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:44 AM

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In May, a handful of prominent legislators gathered at a Beltway think tank, along with some writers and policy experts, to discuss, as the event’s organizers somberly put it, “conservative policy options to further the prosperous society President Lyndon Johnson described in his ‘Great Society’ address 50 years ago.” If this seemed strange, the venue and cast were even stranger: the American Enterprise Institute, a bastion of right-leaning ideology, filled with Republicans, speaking in a language most unlike the one we’ve heard in recent years.

There was Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, fresh from his easy primary win in Kentucky, who said in his keynote remarks that the time had come for the G.O.P. to stop being the handmaiden to Wall Street and instead attend to the anxieties of the middle class. “Our average voter is not John Galt,” McConnell said, referring to the visionary hero of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” that sacred text of the libertarian right. “Hymns to entrepreneurialism are, as a practical matter, largely irrelevant.” Senator Mike Lee of Utah, a Tea Party hero elected in the wave of 2010, was there promoting a child-tax-credit proposal. South Carolina’s Tim Scott, one of the Senate’s two sitting African-Americans, scolded his party for not having “spent enough time figuring out how to unleash the American dream in some of our strongest and poorest areas of the country.”

And then there was Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, its second-highest-ranking figure and, most assumed, the next speaker of the House. Cantor’s rise in power and visibility over the last six years was largely a result of his role in devising the Republican strategy of unbending opposition — always, everywhere — to anything Barack Obama proposed. Cantor built strong ties to Wall Street and to wealthy, conservative donors, and yet here he was, too, espousing the new reformist principles: that the G.O.P. was letting down its actual base, by which he meant “the bulk of the people in this country” who “are feeling that this country is not there for them.” Sounding like a graduate of the Joe Biden School of Empathy, Cantor told the audience that he himself has found, when imagining a path toward better policy, that “it’s very helpful sometimes to think about the working family or maybe the single mom who at the end of a hard day has put her kids to bed and then has to face how she is going to make ends meet and pay the bills at the end of the month.”

Strangest of all, the true stars of the proceedings were the intellectuals whose work was showcased that morning and had seeped into the legislators’ rhetoric. Two young men, in particular, were responsible for this change: Yuval Levin, a former policy adviser to George W. Bush and founder of the earnest quarterly journal National Affairs, and Ramesh Ponnuru, a senior editor at National Review and columnist at Bloomberg View. Each is an intellectual prodigy in his 30s, and together they have become the leaders of a small band of reform conservatives, sometimes called reformicons, who believe the health of the G.O.P. hinges on jettisoning its age-old doctrine — orgiastic tax-cutting, the slashing of government programs, the championing of Wall Street — and using an altogether different vocabulary, backed by specific proposals, that will reconnect the party to middle-class and low-income voters.

The event was a success by almost every measure. In the following days, praise flowed predictably from the conservative media — National Review, The Wall Street Journal’s op-ed page — but also Mike Allen’s Playbook column on Politico, which quoted snippets from the “conservative manifesto for the middle class,” and The New Republic. The magazine published a skeptical profile of Levin in 2013, but now it conceded, “Liberals should take reform conservatives seriously,” because they are putting forth “valid conservative ideas like increasing the child tax credit or converting antipoverty programs into a universal credit.”

The reformicons, it seemed, had captured their party’s imagination. But three weeks later, on June 10, the narrative of the newly in-touch G.O.P. met the colder reality of politics, with its pitiless winnowing of winners and losers. Eric Cantor, in what was supposed to be a cakewalk primary, succumbed to David Brat, a far-right challenger so obscure that national anti-establishment organizations like FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth, which poured millions into other insurgencies, kept out of this one.

“I hadn’t even been following the race, as it seems almost no one had, since there wasn’t really any serious talk of his being in jeopardy,” Levin wrote to me in an email the morning after Cantor’s loss, cannily distancing himself from the soon-to-be-former majority leader. “I didn’t know him well but had talked with him now and then about particular issues, especially health care, when asked.”

Ponnuru also sent an email to me, which he later posted on National Review’s website, saying he regretted Cantor’s defeat, because he had helped bring attention to reformist ideas. But he speculated that “the demands of reaching a consensus in his conference precluded him from being as out front on these [reform] ideas as some senators have been.” He added: “Ironically, perhaps, one of the main themes that Dave Brat used against him — that Republicans were too identified with big business — is one of ours, as well. I think Republicans, and Cantor specifically, might be in a different place if they had done more, earlier, on a Main Street agenda.”

Still, a new story line emerged. Cantor became the losing face of reformism, the “poster boy” (as The Wall Street Journal called him) and “one of the patron saints” (Ezra Klein) of an “upscale faction of the party calling themselves ‘reform conservatives’ ” (Politico). The reformist wonks, crunching through numbers and looking for an alternative to the six-year strategy of “just say no,” were now depicted as the elite establishment of the G.O.P. And as Republican lawmakers and strategists look ahead to November and beyond, there was suddenly a new worry. Instead of saving the party from itself, the reformers risked being consumed by the Republicans’ ongoing identity crisis.

“When intellectuals can do nothing else, they start a magazine.” Or so goes the famous line by Irving Howe, the beau ideal of the politically engaged writer and a founder of the left-wing intellectual magazine Dissent. His heirs include Yuval Levin. The son of Israeli immigrants, Levin grew up in New Jersey in the ’80s and at 37 has been immersed in the intricacies of governance for most of his adult life. While a student at American University in Washington, he interned on Capitol Hill during the Clinton administration; later he took a break from graduate work at the University of Chicago and joined the Bush White House, where he became a policy adviser, helping to draft health care proposals in Bush’s second term. The policy went nowhere, and Levin went back to Chicago and the study of political philosophy.

After Obama’s sweeping victory in 2008, Levin was one of many conservative intellectuals who, as he put it to me this past March, “were trying to figure out what the hell this new world looked like.” He had been writing for National Review and The Weekly Standard, but they are political journals, and Levin saw an urgent need on the right for serious policy ideas. Out of this came National Affairs, the quarterly he founded and continues to edit, with a small staff, out of his office at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a think tank “dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy.” As Levin said: “The magazine tries to sit at the intersection of political ideas and public policy. That’s where a lot of the action has to happen. You have to persuade conservatives and voters in general. And you need to have a coherent vision underlying a policy agenda.”

National Affairs bears a filial resemblance to The Public Interest, the legendary conservative journal edited by Irving Kristol that shuttered in 2005 after 40 years. Copies of The Public Interest, with their monotone covers, fill a shelf in Levin’s bookcase, and its back issues are archived on the National Affairs website, a reminder of how Kristol modernized policy debate at time when the purposes and limits of American government were being rethought. “What rules the world is ideas,” Kristol once wrote, “because ideas define the way reality is perceived.”

Over time, this formulation has assumed new meaning. When Kristol and colleagues like Daniel Bell and Nathan Glazer began their project, the Great Society was at its peak, and an abundance of new programs — dealing with poverty, education and housing, among others — were ripe for analysis. But in the decades that followed, government ambition shrank, largely as a result of the critiques Kristol made. In that period the G.O.P. was often acknowledged to be the party of ideas, while Democrats seemed to have lapsed into defending various so-called interest groups. Since then, the situation has reversed. Democrats have pushed the policy debate, while Republicans have become a party of opposition. Today Republican “rule” often means obstruction, and its supposed principles sound like dogma. As for reality, it gave us the presidential prospects of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann and absurdist moments, like the Republican presidential-primary debate in which all eight participants said they would reject a hypothetical deal with Democrats in which one dollar of increased taxation would be exchanged for 10 dollars of reduced spending.

This was the sterile soil in which Levin planted National Affairs, which exudes seriousness of an almost antiquated kind. Each issue is the size of a small book, unleavened by illustration or even reported narrative. The typical Levin-assigned-and-edited article leads the reader through a forced march of acronyms and statistics and of formulations like this: “The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (P.R.W.O.A.) replaced A.F.D.C. with a new program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Under TANF, families can draw federal aid for only five years, to underline that welfare is supposed to be temporary. And where federal funding for A.F.D.C. had been open-ended, for TANF it is fixed, so that states must pay for any expansion of welfare.”

On it goes, article after article — “Taxes and the Family,” “Social Security and Work,” “Recasting Conservative Economics,” “Reality and Public Policy.” And yet with its stodgy prose, its absence of invective and red meat for the angry right, its microscopic circulation (6,000 subscribers, though some articles reach as many as 100,000 digital readers) and its one blogger who provides links to academic writings, National Affairs has become the citadel of reform conservatism. And Levin himself, soft-spoken and self-deprecating, with a quiet fervor for intellectual history and economic argument, has emerged, with no advance work or self-promotion, as “a one-man Republican brain trust,” in the words of David Frum, and “probably the pre-eminent conservative intellectual of the Obama era,” as Jonathan Chait, a political columnist for New York magazine, has written.

The descriptions are both flattering and tinged with irony, for this is not a hospitable moment for serious-minded intellectuals on the right. The place once claimed in the culture by Kristol and William F. Buckley Jr. is now inhabited by Fox News hosts and Rush Limbaugh and the radio host Laura Ingraham, who is widely credited with mobilizing the troops who expelled Eric Cantor from Congress. Levin is circumspect about the competing noise. What disturbs him more is the long years of silence on the front where he operates. Rather than blame the media agitators and congressional extremists for his party’s lack of substance, Levin said on a recent panel devoted to “the future of conservatism” that “the policy vacuum on the right itself has been the fault for a long time of people like us.”

“In the immediate aftermath of defeat, there’s a temptation to take comfort in pleasing illusions,” Ramesh Ponnuru told me this past March, over filet mignon at the Palm, the Dupont Circle steakhouse. He was recalling the shock that conservatives felt after Obama’s first victory. If Levin is the reformers’ big thinker, then Ponnuru, who entered Princeton just after his 17th birthday and graduated summa cum laude (in history), is its cold-eyed political realist. “The Republican ranks were full of people up and down the line,” he said, “from the average voter to sophisticated operatives, that were of the view that if we’d just been a little more pure in the Bush years, none of this would have happened, and the path to power is just to purify ourselves.”

This was understandable. The “big government” conservatism of the Bush administration alienated many on the right. There was a libertarian reaction, and it set the Tea Party aboil and helped the G.O.P. triumph in 2010. But that victory reflected the passions of only a portion of the electorate, much of it restricted to the South and the Plains states, and it also sent up a wave of fringe candidates who cost Republicans control of the Senate.

Nevertheless, the appetite for ideological purity seemed insatiable and overrode all other considerations. Even cooler heads were persuaded that Mitt Romney would coast to victory as long as he could convince the activist wing of the party that he was a true conservative. “The result of the 2012 election was more disorienting than the ’08 election,” Ponnuru said. He described his futile attempt to educate House members at their annual retreat in January 2013, when Ponnuru worked through data showing that the loss couldn’t be pinned on Romney alone. “As much as people say Romney was a weak candidate, he ran ahead of Senate candidates in almost every state” — a crucial point that Ponnuru mentioned to the Republican caucus. “I would have expected these guys, being political professionals, to know that,” he said. “They didn’t know it. They knew that Romney lost, and they knew that they won, and that was about all they knew.”

In fact, some in Washington did know better. One was John Murray, Eric Cantor’s deputy chief of staff. “There’s a lot of inertia on Capitol Hill,” Murray told me last month. Debt reform and tax reform “were taking up a lot of oxygen” — and crowding out many other issues that most voters were worried about: rising health care costs, exorbitant college-tuition expenses, jobs that didn’t pay enough. “I was frustrated, because I wanted us to be more offensively postured around issues like how to help the middle class.”

In October 2011, Murray formed an advocacy group called YG Network — YG as in Young Guns, the tag adopted by Cantor and two other stars in the Republican House, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy. Since it was formed as a nonprofit, YG Network operated independently of the politicians from whom it took its name. Murray envisioned it as a kind of processing plant for policies that could be pitched toward middle-class voters. A self-described “money guy,” he raised more than $12 million for the cause in 2012. The next year, he commissioned polls and focus groups with middle-class voters in four midsize cities. Researchers sorted respondents into two groups of around a dozen people. One group consisted of self-identified Tea Party supporters, the other of moderate swing voters. What was interesting to Murray was that, aside from a few hot-button ideological issues, the two groups sounded alike. Their paramount concerns were nagging “kitchen-table-centric” issues. In Murray’s paraphrase: “Fuel prices are up. Grocery bills are up. The kids are home now, but who’s going to help us get them to college?” The respondents were not Obama fans, but they also felt as if the Republicans weren’t helping them, either.

Murray was aware of the various reform proposals being published in National Affairs and elsewhere, but, he said, “there’s a difference between how an academic and policy wonk approaches the discussion and how a political-communication person does it.” To help sell these ideas more widely, he turned to April Ponnuru, Ramesh’s wife, who was working as a senior policy adviser to Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican. In December 2013, Ponnuru left her job on the Hill to become YG Network’s policy director. “It’s the only game in town,” she told me. “Most of the other activities have been negative and destructive.” She, too, talked at length about how the party was out of touch. “The biggest problem is that the politicians don’t represent the people. We’re identified with the rich and big business,” she said, ticking off a list of constituencies that Republicans have alienated: “Single women, Hispanics, young people.” Also as a wife and mother, she had serious doubts about any movement “that can offer nothing to a married woman with three children at the bottom half” of the economic heap.

Ponnuru’s first step was to organize a brainstorming session with her husband, Levin and Peter Wehner (who, like Levin, was an adviser for George W. Bush and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center). In widely read articles that offended many on the right, Wehner had been urging Republicans to repudiate the extreme wing of their party. The fifth person present was Kate O’Beirne, a former National Review editor who was now a policy adviser to YG Network.

The challenge was turning policy into politics — how to get these ideas out to more lawmakers than the handful who had been closely following the reformists’ work. The group batted around possibilities — a big public-policy conference, a statement of principles — before settling on, perhaps unsurprisingly, “a collection of essays that we would refine and discuss at a conference,” April Ponnuru recalled. The participants in the conference would be drawn from the interlocking worlds of think tanks and politics, and the expectation was that the time spent working through and refining policy ideas would bring the groups closer together and result in a more rigorous, politically realistic vetting.

The resulting collection of essays, “Room to Grow,” was intended to repackage those ideas into a simple manifesto. Levin, Ramesh Ponnuru and Wehner would all write theme-setting articles — on, respectively, “a conservative governing vision,” “the wisdom of the Constitution” and “the anxieties and worries of Middle America” — and April Ponnuru would recruit policy specialists on subjects ranging from Wall Street regulation to K-12 education. Among those writers was Michael R. Strain, a 32-year-old resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, whose article “A Jobs Agenda for the Right” led off a recent issue of National Affairs and included a raft of reformist proposals, from financial incentives for employers who hire workers off unemployment rolls to a suggestion for setting up public-transportation relays to help inner-city residents commute to the suburbs, or vice versa, depending on where the jobs are. The article attracted comment across the political spectrum — including tempered praise from liberals — along with an invitation from the Republican senator John Thune’s office to participate in a phone conference in which Strain answered questions from constituents.

“I think there’s more of an appetite by people to listen [to these ideas],” Strain told me. “And that includes elected leaders.” At the moment, he was also on a Twitter binge, urging House Republicans to stop stalling on passing an extension of unemployment-insurance benefits, a lifeline to the long-term unemployed. Some on the right, like Rand Paul, said extended assistance not only coddled the jobless but also stigmatized them, scaring off potential employers. Strain disagreed. “Simple statistics tell the story,” he said. “I don’t see it as a conservative-liberal thing. If you look at research, the best guess is: If you let benefits expire, people will take jobs they otherwise wouldn’t take, but more will drop out of the labor force entirely. Conservatives, because of their conservatism, shouldn’t want that. We’re the party of work, earned success, championing people to lead their own lives.”

For some legislators, this was welcome news. On Jan. 8, the day before the reformers met for their brainstorming session, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida stood in the Lyndon B. Johnson room at the Capitol — it was the 50th anniversary of Johnson’s declaration of a war on poverty — and announced a plan to create a “revenue-neutral flex fund” that would disburse federal funds to the states to spend as they wished on antipoverty programs. The response was mixed. A Brookings Institution scholar said the idea was workable, but liberals warned that bloc grants give too much power to the states. At the same time, a scholar at the Heritage Foundation argued that collecting money at the federal-government level and handing it out to states is the “exact wrong way to produce conservative policies.”

But for reformers, it was a breakthrough. The plan wouldn’t save a dime in the short run — in fact, it would most likely increase costs — but it met the bigger ideological goal of “incentivizing” work, a pet theme on the right since the days of Kristol and his liberal ally Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

The originator of Rubio’s plan was Oren Cass, a top adviser on the Romney campaign, whom Rubio contacted after Cass originally proposed the idea in National Review. When I met Rubio at his office in March, he brought out his iPad and tapped on a file in Dropbox labeled “Upward Mobility.” He then proceeded to deliver a crisp précis of the reform credo: “My argument is what we are facing today is not just a cyclical downturn in our economy. We are facing a restructuring of the very nature of our economy. Many of the jobs that were the cornerstone of the 20th century either don’t exist anymore, because they’ve been automated or outsourced, or their wages simply no longer have kept pace with the cost of living,” he said. “How can we get to the point where we’re creating more middle-income and higher-income jobs, and how do we help people acquire the skills they need?”

Not even the most hardened Republican opposes a better-skilled work force. What sets Rubio’s thinking apart is his enthusiasm for a different approach to educating and training the young. He pointed to programs established by businesses in Miami that groom high-school students in professions like construction and high-skilled auto mechanics. This “apprenticeship” idea has been gaining adherents on the left as well as the right, because it is closely tied to the mounting crisis over student debt. The discussion usually centers on graduates who enter the work force in jobs that don’t pay enough to make a serious dent in the tens of thousands they owe in loans. Little is said, however, about the many young people who don’t have the skills or interests to benefit from college but enroll anyway and often drop out, while still being saddled with debt. This is, of course, exactly where policy meets the cold reality of politics.

Last winter, I met Levin in Manhattan at a coffee shop near Carnegie Hall. It was a frigid morning, and he kept his coat on while he nursed a Diet Coke and pondered the past, present and future of conservatism, a topic he went on about at length the night before at the New-York Historical Society. More than 250 people showed up to hear him and William Kristol discuss Levin’s new book, “The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine and the Birth of Right and Left.” It grew out of Levin’s dissertation, completed in 2010, and was published late last year to generally admiring reviews. “The Great Debate” summarizes Levin’s guiding premise that the divisions between left and right are rooted in essential but opposing facets of the American character, each most clearly expressed in the work of Burke and Paine.

According to Levin, today’s liberals, the heirs of Paine, believe in wholesale technical solutions to the pressing problems of their time; this is “part and parcel of a larger project to overcome the limitations placed on mankind by his natural condition.” Conservatives, on the other hand, follow Burke in his preference for continuity that extends over generations. One way to preserve that continuity is to push back against the ideas of the present generation by “imposing crucial constraints upon its ambition and its reach.”

This restates a formula Levin set forth in his first book, “Tyranny of Reason,” published in 2001, when he was 23. There, too, he drew a bright line dividing right from left. Conservatives, he wrote, “do not believe that enormous bulky social systems can be designed from scratch to achieve precisely some desired outcome. The proponents of the social scientific attitude, on the other hand, are firmly convinced of mankind’s ability to pull off such flawless feats of design and control.”

This is, at best, a caricature of liberal conceptions of social science. But 13 years later, Levin clings to this view. In conversation, he describes liberal government as a “technocratic” monolith, with a master class of experts who construct and administer large-scale programs that subordinate the needs and wishes of the public to the appetites of the policy-makers themselves, who are less interested in making people’s lives better than in seeing their pet theorems worked out. It is an old idea, most commonly associated with the attack on the self-infatuated, power-besotted “new class” that Irving Kristol and other neoconservatives made a generation ago. Levin has updated the argument for the Obama years, the “tyranny of reason” having resulted, for instance, in a complex health care system designed and administered by a cadre of experts, when it would be better left to the homely market. And yet the unfettered market has historically failed to protect citizens from the ravages of economic downturns, including the recent Great Recession. If any species of blind faith has in fact damaged our democracy, it was blind faith in “the market,” which gave us the deregulatory fever that began under Reagan and lasted through Obama’s election in 2008.

For all his temperateness of tone, and for all the meticulously reasoned arguments that he has shepherded into the pages of National Affairs, Levin justly says his ideas are radical. He envisions not just a shrinking or scaling-back of government, but an entire reimagining of it. He accuses both parties of being filled with pork-hungry “appropriators” who still think of Washington, even in these gridlocked years, as the lavish dispenser of services. Debates today — about “runaway spending,” about big versus limited government — reduce, in most instances, to haggling over how much to dispense and who gets what. A true Burkean conservatism, Levin argues, would recast the federal government as the facilitator and supporter of local institutions who are a function of, and a contributor to, a “civil society.” “The agenda is not a moderate agenda,” Levin told me. “It’s a very conservative agenda, more so than a lot of what’s going on in our politics that’s argued at a different pitch and so might seem like it’s more radical.”

But it is also true that Levin and other reformers share the social conservatism that animates many Tea Party members. He is a protégé of the University of Chicago bioethicist Leon Kass, who led Bush’s Council on Bioethics (which advised him on his policy on stem-cell research) and installed Levin, then in his mid-20s, as the council’s executive director. He worked closely at the council with Robert P. George, the Princeton professor known for his uncompromising social conservatism. “Yuval is one of the pro-life movement’s leading intellectuals,” George told me, pointing out that Levin serves on the board of Americans United for Life, an organization whose “legal team has been involved in every abortion-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade,” according to its website. Today Levin doesn’t bring up this aspect of his conservatism. Neither does Ramesh Ponnuru, who studied with George at Princeton and drew on his teaching in his Bush-era manifesto, “Party of Death,” about the Democrats’ “extremism in defense of abortion.”

Levin and Ponnuru and other reformers also oppose same-sex marriage, but again choose not to make an issue of it, recognizing that the battle is lost — or soon will be, as indeed the culture war in general has been. That, in addition to the bleak facts of the weak economic recovery and irrefutable demographic trends, explains the reformers’ decision to channel their energies into economics and to become champions of middle-class America. This places them in a tradition that dates to the 1960s and ’70s, when Moynihan broke with liberal orthodoxy by tying the country’s social ills to the decline of the traditional family.

While the media’s response to Eric Cantor’s loss was to frame the party’s dynamic as a Tea Party versus reformer death match, the reformers were more sanguine. “I think the Tea Party has been a very great good for the kind of change that needs to happen,” Levin said. “It’s a source of great energy. It’s a reaction to the right kinds of problems. It didn’t arise with a policy mentality. A real grass-roots movement doesn’t, generally.”

Levin and company, who do have the policy mentality, will happily fill in the blanks. In the wake of Cantor’s defeat, April Ponnuru said she was still hearing from legislators interested in connecting with the ideas of the YG Network, and she had more events scheduled to spread the word. Rubio volunteered to speak at one such event in late June. He, too, shrugged off Cantor’s defeat. “I don’t think Eric Cantor lost because he gave a few speeches advocating reforms,” said Rubio, who seems to understand that being elected as an insurgent — riding the crest of a movement — doesn’t mean he has to govern as one. American politics is the story, in large part, of outsiders who became skilled insiders, not by selling out but by growing into the demands of the office. It happened to Barry Goldwater and also to Reagan. It might happen again. When I spoke with him, Rubio also stood by his own antipoverty proposal, acknowledging it would not save any money but suggesting it might in the long run since it would lift many out of poverty. This is exactly the case Lyndon Johnson and Democrats made generations ago. “Our debt isn’t driven by discretionary spending on poverty programs,” Rubio said. “We’re not going to balance the budget by saving money on safety-net programs.”

It is hard to imagine the Republican candidate who will say this in a closely contested Red State primary in 2014 or during a presidential race in 2016. But some politicians say otherwise, including Levin’s own favorite senator, Mike Lee, the Tea Party firebrand from Utah, who stood by Ted Cruz’s side during the October shutdown but also has adopted the reformers’ middle-class agenda as well as its idioms. Mere weeks before the shutdown, Lee drew favorable press for introducing a reform idea, the child tax credit, lifted straight from the pages of National Affairs. It was a big moment for Levin, “something we can really point to.” When I talked to Lee in June, he equated reform with conservatism and with the issues he expects his party to address in 2014 and in 2016. The current crisis, he said, “shows up in the form of immobility in the poor, insecurity in the middle class, with cronyist privilege at the top of the ladder.” Lee has spoken with Levin several times about these problems. “Without question, he’s important and influential,” he said, adding that “government’s job should be to facilitate the free market and civil society.” But is the reform agenda viable? “It’s not just viable,” Lee replied. “I think it’s the argument.”

The next presidential election may not seem a long way off. This was also the case when the last true policy revolution happened on the right. In 1979, members of the upstart Heritage Foundation, then only six years old, recruited some 250 scholars, Beltway policy-thinkers and Capitol Hill staff members to draw up a blueprint, department by department, for the next conservative president. They formed small teams and met in the evenings and on weekends. Experts in every facet of government operations, from the size of the Navy to the intricacies of the tax code, were assigned to propose laws and programs in accordance with conservative doctrine. “These were ideas that had been around since Barry Goldwater, and some even predated him, went back to the 1950s,” Lee Edwards, who participated in the project, told me recently.

In 1980, further inspired by Ronald Reagan’s decision to seek the nomination, the teams started piecing together their proposals into a giant rethinking of government. “It took about 10 months to have it ready,” Edwards recalled. Completed just before Election Day, the 3,000-page manifesto was titled “Mandate for Leadership: Policy Management in a Conservative Administration.” Shortly after Reagan’s landslide victory, Heritage officials carried copies of the mandate to the Hay-Adams Hotel, where they had arranged a secret meeting with Edwin Meese III, the head of Reagan’s transition team. Soon after, the mandate was published as a book, with some 2,000 specific policy recommendations. It became a Beltway best seller as well as a scorecard for the Reagan years. “Later, we calculated something like two-thirds were adopted in whole or in part,” Edwards said. Some — like Reagan’s 1981 tax cut and his decision to greatly enlarge the Navy fleet, as well as his decision to fire striking air traffic controllers — entered presidential annals.

“Conservatives acting like radicals” is how Edwards described the creators of the mandate. “We were going for basic changes.”

Many in Washington policy circles are familiar with the legend of the “Mandate for Leadership.” Yuval Levin, typically, has actually studied it. “It’s very impressive,” he told me last month. “But at this point, I wouldn’t say we’ve got a specific project of that scale in mind — maybe we’ll just dump five years of National Affairs on the table.”

What’s most impressive about the mandate is not the size of the report but the size of the army that produced it, the legion of policy intellectuals primed for such a mission. And that, in turn, implies a huge difference between that earlier era and this one. When Heritage was founded in 1973, 40 years had passed since the New Deal was introduced, and it was reasonable to say, as the movement conservatives of the ’70s did, that those four decades had been a time in which liberalism reigned uninterrupted. Even the two Republican presidents of the period — Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon — accepted the reality of the welfare state and in some ways even extended it.

The situation in 2014 looks very different. It is hard to make the case that a new age of liberalism even exists to be rolled back. The shadow of Reagan still looms large. Bill Clinton, the Democrat who broke the Republicans’ streak of victories in 1992, did so as a centrist New Democrat who repudiated the liberal doctrine of his day on issues like race and welfare and diligently courted the blue-collar, white ethnic vote. His famous “triangulation” consisted of compromises with Republicans, and he made so many that conservatives complained he was stealing their ideas.

Today many on the right, including the reformicons, insistently depict Obama as a radical, but they are well aware he kept all but the top sliver of George W. Bush’s giant tax cut. And for all the efforts to discredit Obamacare, it was ratified by the most conservative Supreme Court in modern history. Every reformer I talked to acknowledged that the principle of universal coverage is here to stay, in whatever form, including the operations advanced by Republicans who want to “repeal and replace” Obama’s plan, the basis of which was hatched from a conservative policy suggestion that originated in 1989 from the Heritage Foundation.

The condition that infects our politics today, volatile and unpredictable though it often seems, is a kind of equilibrium or ideological stasis. We have had a succession of three two-term presidents for the first time in nearly 200 years, each elected twice by small — in some cases tiny — margins. The one sweeping victory, Obama’s in 2008, was not especially large; he received fewer electoral votes than Clinton got in 1992, when Clinton won with only 43 percent of the popular vote. And not one of the three has managed to hold on to a congressional majority and thereby maintain one-party rule. “It’s the era of bad feelings,” Ramesh Ponnuru said.

That doesn’t mean change won’t come. No one was sure it would in 1979 either. “Reagan was able to do what he did because of the crisis that had been created by the Jimmy Carter presidency,” Lee Edwards observed. “If he had been elected in 1976, we would not have had the kinds of reforms. The goals could not be achieved.”

It is this possibility, not of crisis, but of a sudden drastic change in the political weather, that keeps Levin and his fellow wonks going, though in their case they are waging a battle within the conservative movement they want to speak for. “It’s a lot of work, ” Levin said. “But that work has to be done.”

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· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Benghazi Suspect Said to Corroborate Important Details of Attacks

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:40 AM

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WASHINGTON — The militia leader who has been charged in connection with the 2012 killing of the United States ambassador in Benghazi, Libya, has provided American interrogators with “voluntary statements” that corroborate “key facts” about the attacks, the Justice Department said in a court document filed Tuesday night.

The government did not say what the militia leader, Ahmed Abu Khattala, had told interrogators since he was apprehended by American commandos two weeks ago in a raid on the outskirts of Benghazi. American officials briefed on the case said Mr. Abu Khattala has not incriminated himself in the killing of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others. But he has provided interrogators with information about what occurred in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, the day of the attacks on the American compounds there.

In the document, federal prosecutors said Mr. Abu Khattala had plotted attacks against the United States and other Western interests in recent months. They argued that because he posed a continued threat to the United States he should remain in custody until trial. Mr. Abu Khattala is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge here on Wednesday for a hearing on whether should continue to be detained.

If he were to be released, the document said, Mr. Abu Khattala could “continue to communicate his plans for additional deadly attacks to other extremists and encourage them to carry out those plans.” The filing calls him “a commander in an extremist militia group who is fully committed to causing death and destruction to American personnel and property.”

The Justice Department said that Mr. Abu Khattala is motivated by extremist ideology, has “extensive contacts with senior-level members of extremist groups throughout Libya” and “could communicate and further conspire with many of those extremist individuals.”

Without any ties to the United States, Mr. Abu Khattala “has strong incentives to flee,” the government said.

Mr. Abu Khattala was moved to Washington on Saturday from a Navy ship where he had been held since he was captured by the commandos in a raid at a seaside villa. He was questioned aboard the ship and ultimately given a Miranda warning that he had the right to remain silent and be represented by a lawyer, officials said. Several hours after arriving in Washington, Mr. Abu Khattala was arraigned before a judge at a federal courthouse. He pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists that resulted in a death.

The filing reveals for the first time some of the evidence in the case that the government is building against Mr. Abu Khattala, saying it is supported by witnesses and physical evidence.

It said that in the days before the attack, he voiced “concern and opposition to the presence of an American facility in Benghazi,” the government said.

On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of at least 20 men armed with machine guns, handguns and rocket-propelled grenades gathered outside the United States Mission in Benghazi and “aggressively breached” its gate, according to the document.

The men went on to set fire to the United States Mission. It was that fire that killed Mr. Stevens and a State Department employee. A little later, Mr. Abu Khattala “entered the compound and supervised the exploitation of material from the scene by numerous men, many of whom were armed.”

He then went to one of his militia’s camps, where many of its members had gathered and prepared a second attack, on another American outpost. Fearing that the United States was going to retaliate after the attacks, he tried to obtain weapons in the following days.

After American commandos in October 2013 captured a suspected terrorist in Tripoli, Libya, Mr. Abu Khattala “expressed anger” about the raid and “took steps to retaliate against the U.S. by targeting U.S. interests,” the document says. The government did not specify the steps.

The filing also provided new details about Mr. Khattala. It said that he is about 43 years old and that he was armed with a loaded handgun when he captured.

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· · ·

Germany to mediate Ukraine conflict as US warns Russia - Deutsche Welle

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:29 AM

Russia - Google News

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Press TV

Germany to mediate Ukraine conflict as US warns Russia Deutsche Welle A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius had been invited to the afternoon meeting. Lavrov reportedly welcomed the ... Ukraine, Russia to Discuss Border ControlsWall Street Journal Russian, Italian FMs discuss measures to promote lasting ceasefire in UkraineITAR-TASS Russia, Ukraine ministers to discuss crisisRTE.ie The Voice of Russia -Press TV -EUobserver all 150 news articles »

Putin Visiting Minsk To Mark World War II Anniversary

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:28 AM

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Minsk to participate in events marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi occupation. 

Power Vacuum Allows Criminals to Thrive in Ukraine's Eastby Reuters

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:27 AM

The Moscow Times Top Stories

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Firearms stores in the separatist-held city of Donetsk in east Ukraine stand empty, the guns that once lined the shelves now sold out or stolen at gunpoint.

Prominent Russian Rights Campaigner Attacked

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:26 AM

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

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A member of the Russian presidential Human Rights Council has been attacked in the southwestern city of Voronezh. 

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Corruption probe threatens Sarkozy comeback

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:26 AM

Europe News

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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal judicial investigation, dealing a severe blow for his hopes of a political comeback

'US hegemony in world has ended' – Russia's deputy security chief - RT (blog)

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:24 AM

Russia - Google News

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RT (blog)

'US hegemony in world has ended' – Russia's deputy security chief RT (blog) The deputy head of Russia's supreme security body says US international dominance is being replaced by multiple centers of power. He urged a global agreement on the results of the Cold War, warning that the world could otherwise become engulfed in ... Five NATO Weapons of War Russia Should FearThe National Interest Online NATO defensive measures excessive — Russia's ambassadorITAR-TASS Russia's strategic deception and America's survivalRenewAmerica The Voice of Russia -RIA Novosti all 36 news articles »

Moldovan Parliament Ratifies Key EU Accordby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:23 AM

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

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Moldova's parliament has ratified the country's Association Agreement with the European Union.

Ukrainian Forces Detain Horlivka Rebel Leader

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:23 AM

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

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Ukrainian forces said they detained a top pro-Russian separatist leader on July 1. Video distributed by Ukraine's SBU state security service shows soldiers arresting a man identified as the self-proclaimed mayor of the town of Horlivka, Volodymyr Kolosnyuk, in Berdyansk near Zaporizhzhya.NOTE: There is no audio on this video. (Reuters)

The EU Plays Into Putin's Hands -- Again - Bloomberg View

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:21 AM

Putin - Google News

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The EU Plays Into Putin's Hands -- Again Bloomberg View There are few things in the world less threatening than a meeting of European diplomats. This was demonstrated yet again today when European Union officials met to discuss how to respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression toward Ukraine.

Ukraine's forces attack rebel positions; Putin growls - Reuters

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:20 AM

Putin - Google News

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Ukraine's forces attack rebel positions; Putin growls Reuters Repeating a threat he made in March when Russia annexed Crimea, Putin said Moscow would continue to defend the interests of ethnic Russians abroad - up to 3 million of whom live in the east of Ukraine, which has been in separatist ferment since April.

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Putin Threatens Again to Intervene as Fighting Spreads in East Ukraine - New York Times

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:20 AM

Putin - Google News

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New York Times

Putin Threatens Again to Intervene as Fighting Spreads in East Ukraine New York Times MOSCOW — The simmering standoff in eastern Ukraine exploded into warfare early Tuesday, pushing the conflict to a dangerous new phase and prompting President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to warn again that he reserves the right to use force to defend ... Ukraine forces attack rebel positions, Putin growlsReuters As Ukraine cease-fire expires, violence escalatesWashington Post Putin Says U.S Blackmailed France Over Warship With BNP FineBloomberg RT -Bloomberg View all 3,181 news articles »

Putin Plays Chess. Obama Does Not... And That's Why He's Winning. - Forbes

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:20 AM

Putin - Google News

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Putin Plays Chess. Obama Does Not... And That's Why He's Winning. Forbes That's fine, it is over but (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn't believe it's over. He doesn't believe that this is a zero sum game. Look at Moldova. Look at the occupation of Georgia. Look at the pressure on the Baltic nations. Look at what they ...

Putin's Eurasian dreams - Aljazeera.com

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:19 AM

Putin - Google News

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Aljazeera.com

Putin's Eurasian dreams Aljazeera.com Even if Russian President Vladimir Putin had annexed Crimea, the absence of Ukraine, an important pillar of the original regional integration scheme, has considerably reduced the economic power of his inspired Eurasian Economic Union. Putin has argued ... and more »

After Retreat, Iraqi Soldiers Fault Officers by By C. J. CHIVERS

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:19 AM

NYT > World

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When Iraq’s security forces crumbled in the face of militants, they were labeled cowards. But in the case of one brigade, at least, what emerges instead is a portrait of mismanagement and treachery.

Some NSA data collection is 'legal and effective', says independent board by Spencer Ackerman in Washington

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:18 AM

Network Front | The Guardian

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Operations under the so-called '702 program' played a 'key role in disrupting terror plots', according to draft report

An independent board has declared a set of National Security Agency data collection programs both "legal and effective in protecting national security", despite expressing concern about "intrusions" into individuals' privacy.

As the NSA's troves of ostensibly foreign emails and Americans' international communications come under heavy scrutiny, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board dealt the NSA a victory on Tuesday night by calling the information reaped "valuable". It pointedly rejected similar claims for the bulk collection of US call data in a January report.

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Bill & Hillary Clintons raised $1 bn for politics in two decades: Report - Economic Times

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:17 AM

Top Stories - Google News

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Economic Times

Bill & Hillary Clintons raised $1 bn for politics in two decades: Report Economic Times WASHINGTON: Bill and Hillary Clinton helped raise more than one billion dollars for politics in the past two decades, a major potential advantage for the former secretary of state as she weighs a 2016 White House bid, The Wall Street Journal reported late ... and more »

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The BBC: how the voice of an empire became part of an evolving world by Charlotte Higgins

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:17 AM

Network Front | The Guardian

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In the sixth of our in-depth eight-part series on the past, present and future of the corporation,Charlotte Higgins looks at how it became a news outlet that was trusted internationally but now faces fundamental questions about its purpose

Part one: what the BBCs origins can tell us about its future
Part two: why is the BBC constantly criticised?
Part three: how does the BBC deal with a crisis?
Part four: the big beasts who shaped the BBC
Part five: BBC there to inform, educate or entertain?

Time was once a rough and ready thing to be marked by the movements of the sun and the vagaries of the church clock. But as the 19th century matured, the electrical telegraph and the alarm clockbecame the new, efficient keepers of time, regulating the railways and awakening commuters. From 1922 these technologies were joined by a yet more powerful force: the BBC. The Greenwich time signal the pips was devised by the corporations first director general, John Reith, and the then astronomer royal, Frank Watson Dyson, and first broadcast on 5 February 1924. With the soaring of wireless sales through the 1920s and 1930s, the populace became synchronised to itself as never before. Time, no longer a casual, ambling thing, fell into regimented step. As the BBCs transmitters those pencil-sharp towers of modernist promise gradually cast their skein of radio signals across the UK, so the nation itself was transformed into a kind of timepiece.

The United Kingdom as we know it now was born in December 1922, when Northern Ireland seceded from the Irish Free State; it was that same month that the British Broadcasting Company began its operations. A decade later, in 1932, the BBC started to broadcast on shortwave to the empire. (The service was introduced by Reith in a manner utterly out of joint with our own eras taste for hyperbole: Dont expect too much in the early days. The programmes will neither be very interesting nor very good.)

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Afghan candidate Abdullah claims 2m votes cast in poll were fraudulent by Emma Graham-Harrison in Kabul

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:15 AM

Network Front | The Guardian

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Presidential hopeful calls for delay to inauguration as plans to release preliminary election results look likely to be postponed

Afghan presidential hopeful Abdullah Abdullah said he believes 2m votes cast for his rival in a June runoff poll were fraudulent and that the planned inauguration of a new leader in August should be delayed if more time is needed to audit ballot boxes rigorously.

The position places him at odds with the other contender, former World Bank technocrat Ashraf Ghani, and much of the international community, who claim the uncertainty stirred up by the months-long election process is costing the country's fragile economy dearly.

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Taliban Attack Kills 8 in Kabulby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:15 AM

Voice Of America

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At least eight Afghan military officers have died and several more have been wounded in a suicide attack on an air force bus in Kabul. Government officials said the attack took place near Kabul University early Wednesday. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the bus was the intended target. The Taliban said their agent was on foot when he detonated near the bus. On Tuesday, Afghan officials delayed preliminary results for the nation's run-off...

Five civilians die in Kramatorsk by AFP news agency

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:14 AM

Uploads By AFP News Agency

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	Five civilians die in Kramatorsk  Five civilians die in Kramatorsk, ten kilometers from Slavyansk, according to residents. Four of them are said to have died during an attack of a minibus, while another body is found ten meters...	From: AFP news agency Views: 0      0 ratings
	Time: 00:58	More in News & Politics

Iraqi parliament session collapses amid political standoff - The Guardian

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:14 AM

World - Google News

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The Guardian

Iraqi parliament session collapses amid political standoff The Guardian Immigration call. Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has called for Muslims across the world to immigrate to the section of Syria and Iraq that his group now claims as an Islamic caliphate. The call is the first sign that the jihadist group aims to make ...

Can Nicolas Sarkozy bounce back yet again? by Agnès Poirier

Wednesday July 2nd, 2014 at 9:14 AM

Network Front | The Guardian

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The charges of influence peddling facing France's former president shed more light on 'le système Sarkozy' he deployed while in power

France had spent the night before celebrating its qualification to the World Cup's quarter finals, when it woke up to the news that its former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, had been taken into police custody in a police station in northern Paris and now faces criminal charges. In the course of a few hours, France went from thrill to chill. It is the first time since 1958 the beginning of the Fifth republic that a French former president has been taken into police custody. He is, however, not the first to face a judge. His mentor in politics, Jacques Chirac, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence for embezzlement.

On learning the news, my first reaction was: which of the six Sarkozy-related scandals is it this time? We need a little recap here. You may remember L'Affaire Bettencourt. Sarkozy was under investigation for allegedly taking advantage of the elderly and mentally fragile L'Oréal heiress in the financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. Charges were dropped eight months ago and Sarkozy didn't have to face a trial, leaving him free to run for presidency in 2017. At the same time, French magistrates were also investigating allegations that Colonel Gaddafi had paid 50m into Sarkozy's 2007 campaign. During this investigation, French magistrates wire-tapped conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer and made "unsettling" discoveries.

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Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks Review

 

From The Major News Sources

» Afghan candidate Abdullah claims 2m votes cast in poll were fraudulent
02/07/14 10:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Presidential hopeful calls for delay to inauguration as plans to release preliminary election results look likely to be postponed Afghan presidential hopeful Abdullah Abdullah...

» Taliban Attack Kills 8 in Kabul
02/07/14 10:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. At least eight Afghan military officers have died and several more have been wounded in a suicide attack on an air force bus in Kabul. Government officials said the attack took place near...

» Five civilians die in Kramatorsk
02/07/14 10:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Uploads by AFP news agency. Five civilians die in Kramatorsk Five civilians die in Kramatorsk, ten kilometers from Slavyansk, according to residents. Four of them are said to have died during an attack of ...

» Iraqi parliament session collapses amid political standoff - The Guardian
02/07/14 10:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from world - Google News. The Guardian Iraqi parliament session collapses amid political standoff The Guardian Immigration call. Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has called for Muslims across the world to immig...

» Can Nicolas Sarkozy bounce back yet again?
02/07/14 10:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. The charges of influence peddling facing France's former president shed more light on 'le système Sarkozy' he deployed while in power France had spent the night before celebra...

» Ukraine, Russia to Discuss Border Controls
02/07/14 10:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France are to meet in Berlin later Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, Germany's foreign ministry said.

» Sarkozy Placed Under Formal Investigation in Corruption Case
02/07/14 10:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, was detained for 15 hours as the authorities examined whether he sought to illegally obtain information from a judge.

» Possible Revenge Killing Adds to Tension in Israel
02/07/14 10:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Reports that an Arab teenager was forced into a car and the discovery of a body raised fears of retaliation for the deaths of three Israeli youths.

» France's Sarkozy Faces Formal Investigation Over Corruption Charge - Newsweek
02/07/14 10:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Newsweek France's Sarkozy Faces Formal Investigation Over Corruption Charge Newsweek Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrives with police by car at the financial investiga...

» Sarkozy Faces Charges in French Corruption Probe
02/07/14 10:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. (PARIS) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, his lawyer and a magistrate are facing preliminary charges in a corruption investigation linked to allegations that he took ...

» More fighting in Ukraine as ministers prepare Berlin meeting
02/07/14 10:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian government forces pressed on with a military drive against pro-Russian separatists on Wednesday as Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France prepared a meeting of ...

» The case against Nicholas Sarkozy - gulfnews.com
02/07/14 10:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. The case against Nicholas Sarkozy gulfnews.com Dubai: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was put under official investigation for corruption and misuse of influence late on ...

» Op-Ed Contributor: The Caliphate Fantasy
02/07/14 09:51 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. ISIS claims to have restored an Islamic state, but the reality of the caliphs was far different from what the jihadists imagine.

» Sunnis, Kurds shun Iraq parliament
02/07/14 09:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Sunnis and Kurds walked out of the first session of Iraq's new parliament on Tuesday after Shi'ites failed to name a prime minister to replace Nuri al-Maliki, dimmi...

» Ukraine Says Offensive Yields Results
02/07/14 09:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Ukraine pressed ahead with a military offensive against pro-Russia militants in the east, saying it has inflicted heavy losses since the operation resumed but that rebels are still att...

» Spying Report Mars Senator McCain's Trip to India
02/07/14 09:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A visit to India by U.S. Senator John McCain on Wednesday was overshadowed by a row over reports that the National Security Agency was authorized to spy on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ...

» Iraq vet general warns against airstrikes on ISIS
02/07/14 02:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . 645X363 - No Companion - Full Sharing - Additional videos are suggested - Policy/Regulation/Blogs A retired Army general who served three tours in Iraq is warning against immediate U.S. airstrikes to beat bac...

» Stuxnet-Like Malware From Russia Is Attacking U.S. Power Plants
02/07/14 02:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Gizmodo. Expand Security researchers confirmed on Monday that a vicious new cyberattack has compromised the computer systems of over 1,000 organizations in 84 countries. Dubbed "Energetic Bear," the Stuxne...

» Report Details Russian Hackers Targeting Western Energy Firms
02/07/14 02:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . A new report by a U.S. computer security company details systematic attacks against Western oil and gas companies by a group of hackers identified as being from Russia. In its June 30 report , Symantec, based...

» Russian Hackers Targeting Oil and Gas Companies
02/07/14 02:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . SAN FRANCISCO — Russian hackers have been systematically targeting hundreds of Western oil and gas companies, as well as energy investment firms, according to private cybersecurity researchers. The moti...

» ISIS Urges Muslims To Immigrate To 'New State'
02/07/14 01:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. The leader of ISIS has told Muslims it is their "duty" to immigrate to his newly-declared "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria.

» Envoy Says Iraq Can’t Wait for US Military Aid
02/07/14 01:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. WASHINGTON — Iraq is increasingly turning to other governments like Iran, Russia and Syria to help beat back a rampant insurgency because it cannot wait for additional America...

» Avakov says sealing of Ukrainian-Russian border is key goal of renewed military ... - Kyiv Post
02/07/14 01:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Kyiv Post Avakov says sealing of Ukrainian-Russian border is key goal of renewed military ... Kyiv Post Residents of "Lugansk People's Republic" and the "Donetsk P...

» ISIS leader calls on every Muslim to go to the territory his group has seized to build an Islamic state
02/07/14 01:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, said in a 19-minute audiotape: 'Muslims, rush to your state. Yes, it is your state.'

» Putin Accuses US of 'Blackmailing' France Out of Warship Sale
02/07/14 01:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Tuesday of using fines against French banks to “blackmail” Paris into calling off its sale of Mistral warships to Russia as punishmen...

» Iraqis upset with parliamentary inaction
02/07/14 01:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Uploads by CNNInternational. Iraqis upset with parliamentary inaction Iraqi citizens are upset and disappointed over the lack of action from their parliament. CNN's Arwa Damon reports. From: CNNInternation...

» Clinton talks American dream, Iraq - Politico
02/07/14 01:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Politico Clinton talks American dream, Iraq Politico Hillary Clinton on Monday in Colorado struck a populist tone after days of getting battered for remarks on the economy and ad...

» UN Reports on Child Rights Violations
02/07/14 01:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. A U.N. report released Tuesday documents cases of children recruited and used as soldiers by eight national armies and 51 armed groups in the past year. Some of the most serious situation...

» Iraq Reinforcements: Return of the ‘5 O’Clock Follies’?
02/07/14 01:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. More Iraqi Ambassador Confirms ISIS Attack on Shi’ite Shrine Iraqi Kurds to Vote on Independence New Iraqi Parliament Ends Session Without Progress Was it fair to tweet the Pe...

» Kerry Seeks Central America ’s Help on Immigration Crisis
02/07/14 01:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is calling on Central American nations to help address a growing immigration crisis that has seen thousands of unaccompanied children arrive illegally a...

» Ukraine's forces attack rebel positions; Putin growls
02/07/14 01:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces struck at pro-Russian separatist bases in eastern regions with air and artillery strikes on Tuesday after President Petro Poroshenko announced he woul...

» 'Revenge porn' to be tackled by the Government, says Justice Secretary
02/07/14 01:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Chris Grayling, pictured, warned the uploading of sexually explicit photos and videos without the consent of the subject is becoming a bigger problem in Britain.

» Will Ahmed Chalabi be Iraq's next leader?
02/07/14 01:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Uploads by CNNInternational. Will Ahmed Chalabi be Iraq's next leader? Ahmed Chalabi, a divisive Iraqi politician who is in the United States, could become the country's next prime minister. From: CNNInter...

» Strikes resume as Ukraine ceasefire ends
02/07/14 01:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Uploads by CNNInternational. Strikes resume as Ukraine ceasefire ends Airstrikes against pro-Russian militants have resumed in Ukraine. CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva reports. From: CNNInternational Views: 0 0 ra...

» Nicolas Sarkozy faces criminal charge after being placed under investigation
02/07/14 01:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Former French president could be charged for 'influence peddling' in a major setback to hopes of return to office in 2017Former French president and other crimes linked to cam...

» Patients 'should be helped to die by their GP if that is their wish': Leading doctor says sick should be allowed to end their life if alternative would cause 'major' suffering
02/07/14 01:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. View point: Professor John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, says people should be enabled to end their life where the alternative would cause 'major' suffering

» Deeply Divided Israel Unites in Grief and Sees a Larger Purpose
02/07/14 01:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. A nation put aside its many differences, some people even walking miles to attend a funeral for the three murder victims, who were missing for 18 days.

» Russia bans swear words in art, films - The Nation
02/07/14 01:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. The Nation Russia bans swear words in art, films The Nation A hugely controversial Russian law banning curse words in films, theatre, the media and arts came into force on Tuesda...

» Pentagon: ‘Presence' of ISIL Threatens Baghdad
02/07/14 00:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Sunni militants bent on establishing an Islamic caliphate are putting pressure on Baghdad. It has nervous Iraqi officials looking for help anywhere they can find it, even if it means turn...

» Sarkozy Formally Investigated Over Corruption
02/07/14 00:55 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. The former French president denies allegations he attempted to illegally interfere with an investigation into campaign funding.

» Venezuela restores diplomatic ties with Panama
02/07/14 00:55 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela has restored full diplomatic ties with Panama, President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday, months after he angrily broke off formal relations with the Centr...

» World Briefing: France: European Rights Court Upholds French Ban on Veils
02/07/14 00:55 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The European Court of Human Rights has upheld a French ban on wearing face-covering veils in public, rejecting arguments that the measure violates religious freedoms.

» Does NSA Make Us Safer?
02/07/14 00:54 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Latest From the Wilson Center. Does the NSA make us safer? Were Snowden's leaks good for the U.S.? Jane Harman discusses these questions with former Former NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander and the ACLU’s ...

» FATCA, IRS Global Tax Law, Is Everywhere -- Even Russia & China - Forbes
02/07/14 00:53 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Forbes FATCA, IRS Global Tax Law, Is Everywhere -- Even Russia & China Forbes And amazingly, Russia too has just come aboard, with President Vladimir Putin Signing Law in 11th Hou...

» Russian ban on swearing comes into effect amid criticism
02/07/14 00:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - Europe RSS Feed. Russia's controversial ban on swear words in television broadcasts, plays and books came into effect on Tuesday in what critics have branded an attack on free speech.

» Russia set to turn back the clocks with daylight-saving time shift
02/07/14 00:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. State Duma in Moscow votes to reverse permanent daylight-saving time, meanwhile anti-obscenity laws come into force Russia's legislature, often accused of metaphorically turning back...

» No Good Iraq Options for Obama as Russia, Iran Jump In - Businessweek
02/07/14 00:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. No Good Iraq Options for Obama as Russia , Iran Jump In Businessweek As Russia and Iran step in to bolster the government in Baghdad, U.S. President Barack Obama has no good options t...

» Brussels Takes Breather on Russia Sanctions, But Maybe Not for Long - Wall Street Journal (blog)
02/07/14 00:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. International Business Times UK Brussels Takes Breather on Russia Sanctions, But Maybe Not for Long Wall Street Journal (blog) Just because the European Union decided not to impose ad...

» Russia's economic crisis deepens as EU readies fresh sanctions over Ukraine
02/07/14 00:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russian news, all the latest and breaking Russia news. New sanctions against Russian companies could be imposed after the collapse of the Ukraine ceasefire

» Mistral Warship Deal Between France and Russia is About Economy, Not Ethics
02/07/14 00:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. As 400 Russian sailors docked on the French coast today to train on a Mistral-class helicopter carrier, analysts have agreed that France’s sale of warships to Russia against the back...

» The Third Gas War
02/07/14 00:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Home. The Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict that started in April has recently entered a critical phase. On June 16, Russian gas monopoly Gazprom halted transportation of gas to Ukraine, demanding that Ukrain...

» Reports: Berlin July 2 Meeting On Ukraine Crisis
02/07/14 00:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Reports citing French diplomatic sources, reports say the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany are to meet in Berlin on July 2 to discuss the Ukraini...

» BNP Paribas Guilty Plea Is Latest Big Settlement to Bolster New York State’s Fiscal Position
02/07/14 00:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. The French banking giant’s agreement to plead guilty to federal and state criminal charges and to pay an $8.9 billion penalty is a sweet windfall for the taxpayers of New York.

» Anatoly Kornukov, Who Led Russian Air Force, Dies at 72
02/07/14 00:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. Gen. Anatoly Kornukov ordered Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a commercial jet with 269 people aboard, shot down in 1983 after it strayed into Soviet airspace.

» Benghazi attack suspect has been talking to U.S. interrogators: officials
02/07/14 00:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Top News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Libyan militant accused of involvement in the 2012 attacks on U.S. government installations in Benghazi, Libya, has been talking to U.S. interrogators, U.S. offi...

» New York state senator faces charge of lying about getting son a job
02/07/14 00:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: U.S.. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A powerful Republican New York state senator has been indicted on a charge of lying to the FBI during an investigation into a business deal involving his son, according ...

» France's former President Sarkozy detained by police in corruption probe
02/07/14 00:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Top News. NANTERRE France (Reuters) - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was held for questioning for 15 hours on Tuesday over suspicions he used his influence to secure leaked details of an ...

» Arizona psychiatry professor says fired over marijuana research
02/07/14 00:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: U.S.. PHOENIX (Reuters) - A University of Arizona researcher hoping to explore whether marijuana can help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder was fired in a move that she said on Tuesday ...

» Op-Ed Columnist: Why the Fate of Ukraine Matters
01/07/14 23:58 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Opinion. The future of Ukraine is now in the hands of its own people.

» The Ukrainian Crisis Reaches a New Level
01/07/14 23:57 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Editorials. In ending the cease-fire with separatists and resuming attacks, the nation’s president took the conflict to a dangerous but inevitable level.

» Парубий заявил о боях под Славянском - Газета.Ru
01/07/14 23:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from В мире – Новости Google. ЛІГА.net Парубий заявил о боях под Славянском Газета.Ru Секретарь СНБО Украины Андрей Парубий сообщил, что в настоящее время под Славянском идет вооруженное противостояние, передае...

» Pentagon denies 'mission creep' in Iraq as new US troop presence reaches 650 - MiamiHerald.com
01/07/14 23:55 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. MiamiHerald.com Pentagon denies 'mission creep' in Iraq as new US troop presence reaches 650 MiamiHerald.com WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon insisted Tuesday that there is “no mission...

» Cannibal-plot case tossed; ex-cop gets out of jail
01/07/14 23:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 10:19 p.m. EDT. NEW YORK (AP) -- A former New York Police Department officer left jail on Tuesday after a judge stunned prosecutors and overturned his conviction in a sensational case a...

» Sarkozy detained in French corruption probe
01/07/14 23:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 10:19 p.m. EDT. PARIS (AP) -- Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was in police custody Tuesday, apparently under questioning in an investigation linked to allegations that he took ...

» Screens, buttons and a funky white table: Inside Vladimir Putin's personal ... - NEWS.com.au
01/07/14 20:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Screens, buttons and a funky white table: Inside Vladimir Putin's personal ... NEWS.com.au Putin's take is a little more refined, according to pictures released by his press service. I...

» Немецкий историк: Путин "вызвал духов, от которых теперь не может избавиться" - Inopressa
01/07/14 20:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from путин – Новости Google. Немецкий историк: Путин "вызвал духов, от которых теперь не может избавиться" Inopressa Немецкий историк Генрих Август Винклер, автор двухтомника "Германия: Долгий путь на Запад" и ...

» Putin's Pilots Set to Fly Over Iraq - Daily Beast
01/07/14 20:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Daily Beast Putin's Pilots Set to Fly Over Iraq Daily Beast While the Obama administration struggles to speed up delivery of U.S. military assistance to the government of Iraq, Vladimi...

» Путин: События на Украине - выражение политики сдерживания РФ - Российская Газета
01/07/14 20:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from путин – Новости Google. Интернет-газета Гарри Каспарова Путин : События на Украине - выражение политики сдерживания РФ Российская Газета За складными речами о свободном выборе и европейском будущем скрываю...

» Путин объяснил снова, зачем России понадобилось присоединять Крым - NEWSru.com
01/07/14 20:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from путин – Новости Google. День Путин объяснил снова, зачем России понадобилось присоединять Крым NEWSru.com Россия не могла допустить, чтобы в Севастополь пришли войска НАТО и был кардинально изменен баланс ...

» Column: Israel Should Not Turn Tragedy into Fiasco
01/07/14 20:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank has sent shock waves through Israeli and Palestinian society and raised fears that the relatively quiescent Arab-Israeli front will ...

» Who knows what Jesus thought about gay people? Yet he has come to embody compassion
01/07/14 20:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Elton John's remarks expose the paradox at the heart of the difficulties that Christians have with homosexuality When Elton John claims that Jesus would have supported gay mar...

» Ukraine begins military offensive as cease-fire ends - CNN
01/07/14 20:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. CNN Ukraine begins military offensive as cease-fire ends CNN (CNN) -- Ukrainian forces began military operations in the east of the country Tuesday, marking a definite end to a u...

» Isis militants parade military muscle in Raqqa, Syria video
01/07/14 20:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Militants loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) parade tanks and military hardware through the eastern Syrian province of Raqqa. Tanks and army vehicle...

» U.S. Looking to Expand Domestic Air Force to Defend Borders
01/07/14 20:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. More Obama Moves to Curtail Deportations, Shift Resources to Border White House to Seek $2 Billion to Stem Rise in Kids Crossing Border Illegally As tens of thousands of Latin...

» Ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy questioned in police investigation
01/07/14 20:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from CNN.com - World. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was called in for questioning Tuesday as part of a corruption investigation in connection with an inquiry into alleged abuse of power.

» Afghanistan Presidential Election Results Delayed
01/07/14 20:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Officials in Afghanistan are delaying preliminary results for the nation's run-off presidential election. VOA Deewa service reporters say sources on the Independent Election Commission ha...

» Double standards with Russia won't work, says Putin - The Voice of Russia
01/07/14 20:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Double standards with Russia won't work, says Putin The Voice of Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin today expressed regret over Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko's decisio...

» Patients Killed in Beds, Health Care Destroyed in South Sudan - MSF
01/07/14 20:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Scores of people have been killed in hospitals in South Sudan since the country plunged into conflict in December, and attacks on medical facilities have helped to crush the already fragi...

» Hospital: Referee punched during soccer game dies - SFGate
01/07/14 19:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. SFGate Hospital: Referee punched during soccer game dies SFGate LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — A man who was critically injured while refereeing an adult-league soccer match at a Detroit-...

» The World According To Russia's Vladimir Putin
01/07/14 19:57 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. His world is one in which Russia is repeatedly slighted and not treated with the respect it deserves, writes Sky's Kate Stallard.

» Crisis Hits Tourism, Business in Odessa
01/07/14 19:57 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. While the separatist crisis continues in two small regions of eastern Ukraine, the rest of the country is trying to return to business as usual, including the port and resort city of Odes...

» IMF: Sanctions Bring Russian Economic Growth to Standstill
01/07/14 19:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine have brought growth to a standstill, had a “chilling effect” on investment and could force Moscow into economic isolation, the International Monet...

» Nicolas Sarkozy questioned by police
01/07/14 19:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Uploads by CNNInternational. Nicolas Sarkozy questioned by police Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was questioned by police about alleged influence peddling. Jim Bittermann reports. From: CNNInterna...

» Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine after Poroshenko ends cease-fire - Los Angeles Times
01/07/14 19:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine after Poroshenko ends cease-fire Los Angeles Times A woman evacuates from a hospital in downtown Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, as fighting rages at ...

» Oil Prices Soar as Iraq Tumbles Into Chaos
01/07/14 19:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. As the conflict in Iraq escalates, oil prices are skyrocketing — the benchmark price of Brent Crude oil stood at more than $115 a barrel Wednesday, approaching a nine-mo...

» Ukraine retakes border crossing from rebels as Poroshenko goes on attack
01/07/14 19:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Ukrainian troops hit pro-Russian rebel positions with artillery and air strikes after president declared end to the ceasefire Kiev forces claimed their first victories in Petr...

» NATO will attack Russia in 2 years to fight for Crimea
01/07/14 19:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The European Union Times - World News, Breaking News. The NATO administration warned Russia of new sanctions, should the Russian administration does not contribute to the cessation of the conflict in Ukrai...

» Iraqi parliament in limbo as ISIL declares Islamic caliphate
01/07/14 19:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters Video: Top News. Iraq's parliament is paralyzed in political limbo as ISIL fighters celebrate their declaration of an Islamic caliphate. Mana Rabiee reports.

» Next Angara Launch Attempt Weeks Away
01/07/14 19:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. Russia's new Angara rocket will not fly any time soon, as engineers continue to work on making sure the vehicle is in full working order following Friday's aborted launch. lau...

» Swearing Ban Leaves Many Russians Speechless
01/07/14 19:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A new Russian law that bans expletives in films, movie and the media has sparked indignation among many language lovers, who say it's precisely the profanities that make ...

» Journalists Become Walking Targets in Ukraine's Information War
01/07/14 19:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. As a video of the death of Channel One cameraman Anatoly Klyan went viral ahead of his memorial service on Wednesday, the world got its starkest glimpse yet of the reality fac...

» Ukraine forces press assault hours after ceasefire’s suspension
01/07/14 19:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. Ukrainian security forces have pressed an assault against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, hours after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko suspended a 10-day cease-fire...

» Russia and Austria: a friendship built on history, skis and gas
01/07/14 19:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. Here is published an analysis on the “special”, even “awkward” relationship between Russia and Austria, which rests on the trinity of history, skis, and gas. The article recalls that Presi...

» Soros to EU: Help ‘new Ukraine’ against ‘new Russia’
01/07/14 19:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. Here is quoted US investor and philanthropist George Soros as saying the EU is a model of international governance which needs to support “new Ukraine” in its struggle against ...

» Energy companies hit by cyber attack from Russia-linked group
01/07/14 17:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. Here is quoted Stuart Poole-Robb, a former MI6 and military intelligence officer and founder of KCS Group, a security consultancy, as saying: “To target a whole sector like this at the lev...

» EU Takes Russia to WTO Over Ban on Pork Imports
01/07/14 17:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. The EU is taking Russia to the World Trade Organisation to try to overturn a ban on pork exports from the bloc, escalating a dispute that has been aggravated by the crisis in Ukraine. It c...

» US strategy for Russia: new ambassador, old war?
01/07/14 17:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from EU-RussiaCentre. While the US awaits Moscow’s approval of its new ambassador to Russia, experts unanimously predict that the candidacy of John Tefft signifies no compromises between the two, the aban...

» As caliphate is declared, Iraqi troops battle for Tikrit
01/07/14 17:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Top News. BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi troops battled to dislodge an al Qaeda splinter group from the city of Tikrit on Monday after its leader was declared caliph of a new Islamic state in lands sei...

» Boy, 12, found shot to death at Boy Scout camp in San Diego
01/07/14 17:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: U.S.. SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - A 12-year-old boy from Las Vegas was found dead of a gunshot wound at a Boy Scouts of America summer camp in San Diego, police said on Monday.

» Poroshenko ends Ukraine ceasefire
01/07/14 17:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters Video: Top News. Ukrainian President Poroshenko said on Tuesday government forces would renew offensive operations against pro-Russian rebels and "free our lands." Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

» Kerry chides Iran ahead of Vienna nuclear talks, deadline looms
01/07/14 17:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Top News. NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Iran ahead of this week's nuclear talks in Vienna that it has yet to prove that its nuclear ambitions are entire...

» Israel launches Gaza air strike after bodies of three missing teens found
01/07/14 17:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Top News. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed dozens of sites in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, striking at Hamas after finding the bodies of three missing teenagers whose abduction and killing it bla...

» Supreme Court won't intervene in California ban on gay-conversion therapy
01/07/14 17:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Politics. SACRAMENTO Calif. (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider arguments against California's ban on a controversial therapy aimed at reversing homosexuality in child...

» Judge overturns conviction of New York City 'cannibal cop'
01/07/14 17:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: U.S.. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New York City police officer found guilty in March 2013 of plotting to kidnap, cook and eat women has had his conviction overturned by a federal judge, accordin...

» Killed Israeli teenagers laid to rest as Israel mourns
01/07/14 17:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters Video: Top News. Family and loved ones mourn the death of 16-year-old Israeli Gil-Ad Sha'er, after his body along with the remains of two other missing Israeli teens are found under a pile of rocks...

» Kerry warns U.S. will deport undocumented Central American children
01/07/14 17:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: U.S.. PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that Washington would work with Central American nations to address the root causes of an immigration crisis, but h...

» Fear and hardship in Slaviansk
01/07/14 17:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters Video: Top News. Residents of the eastern Ukrainian town of Slaviansk, a stronghold of pro-Russian separatists, fear more shelling as President Petro Poroshenko ends 10-day ceasefire. Deborah Lutte...

» Monica Lewinsky revisits 'humiliation' of Clinton affair in interview
01/07/14 17:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: U.S.. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Monica Lewinsky, the one-time White House intern whose affair with Bill Clinton in the 1990s nearly brought down his presidency, said she ended up feeling like "the most...

» U.S. Navy names its first female four-star admiral
01/07/14 17:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: Politics. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michelle Howard on Tuesday became the first woman to reach the rank of four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy, part of a trailblazing path in the armed forces.

» A single sandal; a pair of shattered spectacles; a pair of tefillin, the leather...
01/07/14 17:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The New York Times's Facebook Wall. A single sandal; a pair of shattered spectacles; a pair of tefillin, the leather phylacteries Jews use for morning prayer. These were among the clues that led to the...

» Taking Note: The N.S.A. Can Spy on These 193 Foreign Governments
01/07/14 17:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Opinion. That’s every country except Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

» Has Putin reached his limit on his willingness to intervene in Ukraine?
01/07/14 17:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Christian Science Monitor | World. Putin said that he would hold Poroshenko responsible for new bloodshed in the east, but he appears disinclined to become more involved in Ukraine's conflict.

» Former Officer Freed After Conviction Overturned in Cannibal Case
01/07/14 17:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > New York. A judge had granted Gilberto Valle, a former New York City police officer, a verdict of acquittal on a count of kidnapping conspiracy in a plot to kidnap, torture, kill and eat women.

» State Senator Libous Indicted on Charges of Lying to F.B.I.
01/07/14 17:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > New York. Thomas W. Libous, the Senate’s second-highest-ranking Republican and an ally of the governor, Republican, was indicted along with his son, who was accused of obstructing a tax inquiry in...

» How Florida Is Fixing Its Prescription Painkiller Problem - Businessweek
01/07/14 17:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Health - Google News. Mansfield News Journal How Florida Is Fixing Its Prescription Painkiller Problem Businessweek Florida was notorious in the past decade for pill mills that dispensed prescription paink...

» Scientist Due in Court in Faked AIDS Research Case - Boston.com
01/07/14 17:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Health - Google News. Globalnews.ca WEAR Scientist Due in Court in Faked AIDS Research Case Boston.com DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa State University researcher is expected to appear in court Tuesd...

» AIDS researcher pleads not guilty to fakery counts - Beloit Daily News
01/07/14 17:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Nation - Google News. AIDS researcher pleads not guilty to fakery counts Beloit Daily News DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa State University scientist has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging that f...

» New Snowden leak reveals that the NSA can spy on all but four countries - The Daily Dot
01/07/14 17:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. The Daily Dot New Snowden leak reveals that the NSA can spy on all but four countries The Daily Dot The National Security Agency has the legal authority to spy on practically every for...

» NIH creates network to tackle mysterious diseases - KFOX El Paso
01/07/14 17:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Health - Google News. National Institutes of Health NIH creates network to tackle mysterious diseases KFOX El Paso WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is expanding its "mystery disease" program, fu...

» Conviction of NYC cop cannibalism case overturned
01/07/14 17:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 4:29 p.m. EDT. NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal judge has overturned the conviction of a former New York City police officer accused of plotting to kidnap, kill and eat young women....

» Obama seeks power to return immigrant children
01/07/14 17:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 4:29 p.m. EDT. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Setting up a confrontation with immigration activists, President Barack Obama is asking Congress for increased powers to send unaccompanied children fr...

» Guideline: Most healthy women can skip pelvic exam
01/07/14 17:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Health News At 4 p.m. EDT. WASHINGTON (AP) -- No more dreaded pelvic exam? New guidelines say most healthy women can skip the yearly ritual....

» Putin vows to defend Russian interests as Ukraine violence again escalates - Washington Post
01/07/14 13:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. Wall Street Journal Putin vows to defend Russian interests as Ukraine violence again escalates Washington Post MOSCOW — Russia is involved in a historic effort to defend its civilizati...

» It's unlikely Vladimir Putin is helping Middle East Christians for pious reasons - Catholic Herald Online (blog)
01/07/14 13:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Putin - Google News. It's unlikely Vladimir Putin is helping Middle East Christians for pious reasons Catholic Herald Online (blog) Tartus is Russia's only base outside Russia, and it is inconceivable that...

» Putin Signs Last-Minute Law to Satisfy FATCA
01/07/14 13:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. With just one day left before the Russian financial system was to fall foul of the U.S. Treasury, President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to allowing Russian banks to send i...

» Ukraine president declares ceasefire over and vows to attack rebels
01/07/14 13:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Pro-Russian separatists did not take chance to disarm and continually violated ceasefire, says Petro Poroshenko Ceasefire had intended to give pro-Russian separatists the chance to d...

» Ukrainian Forces Relaunch Offensive Against Rebels In East
01/07/14 13:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. President Petro Poroshenko has said he will not renew a cease-fire and that Ukrainian forces will go on the offensive against rebels in eastern Ukraine.

» Poroshenko Ends Cease-Fire, Says 'We Will Attack'
01/07/14 13:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. President Petro Poroshenko has said he will not renew a cease-fire and Ukrainian forces will go on the offensive against rebels in eastern Ukraine.

» Ukraine president ends cease-fire as Russia makes concessions - Washington Post
01/07/14 13:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Fox News New York Times Ukraine president ends cease-fire as Russia makes concessions Washington Post Declaring in a nationally televised speech that pro- Russian separatists who have...

» Energy Sector Faces Attacks From Hackers in Russia
01/07/14 13:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. The intrusions give the hackers the opportunity to seize control of industrial control systems from afar, much as the United States and Israel did of Iran’s centrifuges in 2009.

» Energy Sector Faces Attacks From Hackers in Russia - New York Times
01/07/14 13:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. CNBC.com Western Journalism Energy Sector Faces Attacks From Hackers in Russia New York Times SAN FRANCISCO — Russian hackers have been systematically targeting hundreds of Western oi...

» Ukrainian President Ends Cease-Fire With Rebels
01/07/14 13:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. President Petro O. Poroshenko ended a 10-day cease-fire, saying that rebels had not put down their weapons and had persisted in attacking government troops.

» South Stream Pipeline Project in Bulgaria Is Delayed
01/07/14 13:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > Europe. Work on a major pipeline beneath the Black Sea has stopped, as the European Union and the United States apply pressure on Bulgaria, where the gas conduit was to make landfall.

» A Conduit for Russian Gas, Tangled in Europe's Conflicts - New York Times
01/07/14 13:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Yahoo News A Conduit for Russian Gas, Tangled in Europe's Conflicts New York Times The port of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast was supposed to be the gateway for a major new pi...

» Putin’s Russia Displays ‘Psychology of a Primitive Group,’ Analyst Says
01/07/14 13:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The InterpreterThe Interpreter. Staunton, June 30 – The psychology of primitive groups, elaborated by Viktor Droganov and others, explains the behavior of Russians today, Andrey Movchan says, and wit...

» Putin’s Successor May Be ‘Already in His Entourage,’ Kryshtanovskaya Says
01/07/14 13:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The InterpreterThe Interpreter. Staunton, June 30 – Olga Kryshtanovskaya, head of the Center for the Study of Elites at the Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology and Russia’s most distinguished ...

» Snowden Applies to Extend Asylum in Russia, Report Says
01/07/14 13:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has filed an official petition to extend his asylum in Russia for another year, a news report said Tuesday.

» Ukrainian forces launch full-scale attack on pro-Russian separatists as ceasefire ends
01/07/14 13:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - Europe RSS Feed. Ukrainian forces have launched a full-scale military attack against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, just hours after a fragile truce officially ended.

» German Lawmaker Says EU to Discuss Further Russian Sanctions
01/07/14 13:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. A senior German lawmaker said the EU would decide Tuesday whether to ratchet up sanctions against Russia for what he described as its failure to meet demands to stabilize the ...

» Poroshenko Ends Cease-Fire
01/07/14 13:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said government forces will renew their offensive against pro-Russian separatists. In a late-night statement on Ukrainian television ...

» Barzani Says Iraqi Kurds To Vote On Independence Within 'Months'
01/07/14 13:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The leader of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, Masud Barzani, says he plans to hold an independence referendum within months.

» Enemy Ahoy: China and Russia Strive for Naval Supremacy - Newsweek
01/07/14 13:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Newsweek Enemy Ahoy: China and Russia Strive for Naval Supremacy Newsweek Sitting in Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin knew the truth, and it had to chafe: Here was yet another...

» Former Chief Of Georgia's Military Police Arrested In Netherlands
01/07/14 13:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The former chief of Georgia's military police, Grigori Dgebuadze, has been arrested in the Netherlands at Tbilisi's request.

» Ukraine launches offensive against pro-Russia separatists, reports say - Fox News
01/07/14 13:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Fox News Ukraine launches offensive against pro- Russia separatists, reports say Fox News Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a full-scale military operation against pro- Russia sepa...

» Putin Signs Vaguely Worded Law Criminalizing Online 'Extremism'
01/07/14 13:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill making it illegal to post extremist calls online.

» Russian General Who Had Korean Jet Shot Down Dead at 74
01/07/14 13:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The Moscow Times Top Stories. A former Air Force General whose order to down a New York-bound passenger plane in 1983 killed hundreds and cast a pallor over U.S.-Russia relations has died, a news report said.

» Anyone re-tweeting or sharing posts judged 'extremist' in Russia faces jail
01/07/14 13:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - Europe RSS Feed. Anyone retweeting or sharing posts judged “extremist” by the Russian Government now face years in prison.

» Russian journalists injured in Ukraine
01/07/14 13:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Reporter Denis Kulaga and cameraman Vadim Yudin wounded by mortar fire in Lugansk area, day after colleague shot dead Two journalists from the Russian television channel Ren TV have ...

» Putin vows to defend Russian interests as Ukraine violence again escalates
01/07/14 13:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Europe News: News and Headlines from Europe - The Washington Post. MOSCOW — Russia is involved in a historic effort to defend its civilization, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday, vowing to protect the ...

» Putin Says West Is Using Ukraine Crisis To Destabilize Region
01/07/14 13:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of seeking to use the crisis in Ukraine to destabilize the whole region.

» Ukraine launches new offensive to rid east of rebel 'parasites'
01/07/14 13:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russian news, all the latest and breaking Russia news. Russia's President Vladimir Putin promises to protect ethnic Russians with 'the entire arsenal of available means' amid clashes in key towns in Ukrain...

» Western Sanctions Likely to Push Russia Toward Increased Self-Reliance - Wall Street Journal
01/07/14 13:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. International Business Times UK Western Sanctions Likely to Push Russia Toward Increased Self-Reliance Wall Street Journal MOSCOW—Western sanctions on Russia are likely to push Moscow...

» Russian Gas: How Much Is That?
01/07/14 12:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A study of data on Russian gas sales shows wide variance in prices between countries.

» On Russia's growing involvement in Iraq
01/07/14 12:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . As al-Qaeda-funded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to advance steadily in Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's weakened government turned to Russia for military assistance. The government's...

» On Russia's growing involvement in Iraq - The Hill (blog)
01/07/14 12:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. On Russia's growing involvement in Iraq The Hill (blog) As al-Qaeda-funded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to advance steadily in Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki...

» It’s Time to Rethink the West’s Approach to Belarus
01/07/14 12:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from The InterpreterThe Interpreter. Staunton, July 1 – Alyaksandr Lukashenka is the brutal ruler of Belarus, “the last dictator in Europe” to use the phrase often employed by Western diplomats and human ...

» Russian Social Media Fortify Rebellion in Eastern Ukraine
01/07/14 12:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. If you’re a Russian citizen these days, it is easier than ever to support the insurgency in eastern Ukraine, now nearly three months old. With the click of a mouse, you can transfer...

» French Bank BNP Paribas Pleads Guilty to Violating US Sanctions
01/07/14 12:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. NEW YORK/WASHINGTON/PARIS — French bank BNP Paribas has pleaded guilty to two criminal charges and agreed to pay almost $9 billion to resolve accusations that it had violated U.S. s...

» Президент России
01/07/14 11:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Сайт Президента России: Видео. Выступление на совещании по ...

» Putin Accuses Ukraine Leader of Shunning Road to Peace
01/07/14 11:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he and European Union states had tried unsuccessfully to persuade Kyiv to extend a cease-fire in east Ukraine, and the Ukrainian president...

» Israel calls for Abbas to break pact with Hamas
01/07/14 11:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Uploads by AFP news agency. Israel calls for Abbas to break pact with Hamas Israel vowed Tuesday to hunt down the Hamas militants it holds responsible for kidnapping and killing three teenagers, but was li...

» Vienna man convicted of training with Syrian militants
01/07/14 11:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. VIENNA (Reuters) - A man accused of traveling to Syria to receive weapons training from Islamist militants was sentenced in Austria on Tuesday to 21 months in jail, in the latest case ...

» Chile Court: US Had Role in ‘Missing’ Killings
01/07/14 11:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. (SANTIAGO, Chile) SANTIAGO, Chile — A Chilean court said U.S. military intelligence services played a key role that led to the 1973 killings of two Americans in Chile in a cas...

» Iraqi Kurds To Vote On Independence
01/07/14 11:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. The partition of Iraq lurched closer to reality on Tuesday when the head of the country’s already quasi-autonomous Kurdish region publicly declared he would schedule a referen...

» Japan’s Cabinet Eases Post-WWII Limits on Military
01/07/14 11:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. TOKYO — Since Japan’s defeat in World War II, its military has been shackled by restrictions imposed by a victorious U.S. and that, over time, a majority of Japanese ado...

» Ukrainian president ends unilateral ceasefire - Indian Express
01/07/14 10:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Indian Express Ukrainian president ends unilateral ceasefire Indian Express A statement from Poroshenko on his website says the cease-fire is being halted and that "we will attac...

» French ex-president Sarkozy held for questioning: source
01/07/14 10:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. PARIS (Reuters) - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was being held on Tuesday for questioning over suspected influence-peddling, a legal source said.

» Iraqi Lawmakers Begin Task of Forming Government
01/07/14 10:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Iraqi lawmakers are beginning the process of forming the country's next government as they meet Tuesday for the first time since being elected in late April. Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik...

» Sarkozy detained for questioning - The Australian
01/07/14 10:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. BBC News Sarkozy detained for questioning The Australian NICOLAS Sarkozy has been detained for questioning in a corruption probe in an unprecedented move against a former French ...

» Source: French Ex-president Sarkozy Held for Questioning
01/07/14 10:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was being held on Tuesday for questioning over suspected influence-peddling, a legal source said. Sarkozy arrived early Tuesday to be quizzed by in...

» Ukraine Mounts New Attacks on Rebels
01/07/14 10:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchnyov says Ukrainian forces have launched new military operations against pro-Russian separatists, hours after the expiration of a unilateral cease-...

» WTF? Russia bans swearing in the arts
01/07/14 09:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Kremlin ban on swearing in books, films, music, theatre and blogs, which comes into effect today, is part of a pernicious effort to restrict information and language, says Mar...

» Sarkozy Detained in Corruption Probe
01/07/14 09:57 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained and is reportedly being questioned by financial investigators in a corruption probe.

» Indian politician in rape threat to rivals
01/07/14 09:56 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal filmed bragging of his ability to order attacks against his leftwing opponents and their relatives An Indian politician is facing calls to quit...

» Fighting Intensifies in Ukraine After Cease-Fire Is Ended
01/07/14 09:54 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. President Petro O. Poroshenko said he would resume full-scale efforts to quash the pro-Russian uprising in eastern Ukraine.

» Op-Ed Contributor: Iraq Must Not Come Apart
01/07/14 09:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The only viable political future for the country is federation. But America’s first priority is to see ISIS crushed.

» Kidnapped Israeli Teenagers Found Dead
01/07/14 09:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. None

» Erdogan to Run for Turkish Presidency
01/07/14 09:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has revealed Turkey's worst-kept political secret: he will run in the country's first direct presidential elections next month.

» Japan Moves to Permit Greater Use of Its Military
01/07/14 09:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The Japanese prime minister announced that his government would reinterpret the antiwar Constitution to allow the armed forces to come to the aid of friendly nations.

» Iraqi parliament session collapses amid political standoff
01/07/14 09:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Shia, Sunni and Kurd politicians fail to begin process of electing new leaders, as UN reveals death toll since Isis insurgency Iraq's apparently irreconcilable politicians hav...

» Tensions rise ahead of murdered Israeli teenagers' funerals - live coverage
01/07/14 09:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel to be buried Bodies were found in West Bank Large crowds pay respects at homes of families Murders attract international condemnat...

» Israel Hammers Gaza Strip Over Kidnapped Teens’ Deaths
01/07/14 09:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. Israel launched 34 airstrikes over the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “Hamas will pay” for the abduction and deaths of...

» Charges for Sudanese Christian woman
01/07/14 09:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from CNN.com - World. What a week it's been for Mariam Yehya Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian woman who initially faced a death sentence after refusing to renounce her faith.

» What is the Caliphate?
01/07/14 09:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. More The Iraqi Government Seems Helpless to Stop ISIS’s New Caliphate ISIS Militants Declare Islamist ‘Caliphate’ Syria Bombed ISIS Fighters in Iraq, Maliki Confirms Most West...

» NATO General Blames Russia for Rising Tensions
01/07/14 09:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Simmering tensions in Eastern Ukraine are rising yet again, as President Petro Poroshenko said Monday he is ending a unilateral cease-fire in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists. VO...

» No Decision Yet on Iraq Prime Minister
01/07/14 09:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Iraq's new parliament failed to decide whether Nouri al-Maliki would receive another term as Iraq's prime minister, dashing hopes for the quick appointment of a new government that wou...

» Details Emerge in Deaths of Israeli Teenagers
01/07/14 09:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The first clues that led to the grisly discovery of the bodies came only hours after their abduction in the West Bank was reported.

» Andy Coulson has become lightning conductor for phone-hacking scandal
01/07/14 09:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Lawyer for David Camerons former spin chief says he will pay higher price in sentencing due to political and media pressures Andy Coulson has become a lightning conductor for ...

» British Airways warns customers it will take days to be reunited with luggage
01/07/14 09:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Computer problems in Heathrow's Terminal 5 baggage system began last Thursday and have affected thousands of travellers British Airways has warned that thousands of customers ...

» 'Hamas will pay': Israel hits back after teens found dead
01/07/14 09:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from CNN.com - World. Vowing that "Hamas will pay," Israel stepped up airstrikes on Gaza following the deaths of three teenagers that Israeli authorities blame on the militant group.

» Iraqi parliament delays first session as ISIS continues deadly march
01/07/14 09:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from CNN.com - World. After much anticipation over how it would address the country's turmoil, Iraq's new parliament postponed its first session until next week, citing a lack of a quorum.

» New Iraqi Parliament Ends Session Without Progress
01/07/14 09:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. (BAGHDAD) — Iraq’s new parliament ended its inaugural session Tuesday after failing to make any progress in choosing a new prime minister even as the country faces a mil...

» Ukraine begins military offensive as cease-fire ends
01/07/14 09:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from CNN.com - World. Ukrainian forces began military operations in the east of the country Tuesday, marking a definite end to a unilateral ceasefire which had been in place for 10 days.

» Ukraine fighting intensifies as Poroshenko ends ceasefire
01/07/14 09:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. President in Kiev vows to retake land from pro-Russian separatists with clashes in Donetsk and Lugansk regions Fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine after President Petr...

» Turkey's Erdogan positions himself for more powerful presidential role
01/07/14 08:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. ANKARA (Reuters) - Tayyip Erdogan declared his candidacy on Tuesday for a more powerful presidency which rivals fear may entrench authoritarian rule and supporters, especially conserva...

» Bodies of Israeli teenagers found in West Bank video
01/07/14 08:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. An army spokesman describes how the bodies of three Israeli teenagers, who vanished almost three weeks ago, were found under rocks in an open field near the West Bank cit...

» French Ex-President Sarkozy Said to be Held for Questioning
01/07/14 08:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Nicolas Sarkozy, the former leader, has been under scrutiny for possible financial irregularities in his 2007 campaign and for other alleged offenses.

» Hamas Member Killed After Israeli Teens Found Dead
01/07/14 08:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. More Bodies of Missing Israeli Teens Found in West Bank Field Israeli Official: Kidnapped Teen Murders Show Hamas Is Like ISIS (JERUSALEM) — A Palestinian from the militant gr...

» Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Held for Questioning
01/07/14 08:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME » Time Sections » World. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been detained in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, for alleged corruption. The 59-year-old turned himself in for questioning on Tuesday ...

» Ukraine discontinues ceasefire with pro-Russian militants - Business Standard
01/07/14 08:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Ukraine discontinues ceasefire with pro-Russian militants Business Standard Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has finally announced that the ceasefire with pro-Russian militan...

» Ukraine Fighting Intensifies With End of Cease-Fire
01/07/14 08:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Ukrainian forces used aircraft and artillery against pro-Russian separatists in the east, as fighting intensified after President Poroshenko declared an end to a 10-day unilateral ceas...

» Facebook T&Cs introduced 'research' policy months after emotion study
01/07/14 08:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. A policy introduced in September 2011 as part of a transparency drive didn't mention 'research' until four months after the notorious study Facebook changed its terms and cond...

» Ukraine forces press assault hours after cease-fire’s suspension
01/07/14 08:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post. MOSCOW — Ukrainian security forces on Tuesday pressed an assault against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, ...

» Iraq’s new parliament convenes inaugural session amid urgent pleas for unity
01/07/14 08:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post. BAGHDAD — Iraq’s new parliament convened its inaugural session Tuesday amid ever-growing pressure on lawmakers to form an inc...

» Sarkozy arrives at police station for questioning video
01/07/14 08:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy leaves his home in Paris on Tuesday morning and is driven to a police station on the outskirts of the city for questioning by ...

» Writing yourself a pen name
01/07/14 08:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Authors reveal the different reasons they have adopted alternative literary identities The realisation that if I ever managed to write a novel it would have to be under anothe...

» Puerto Rico worries deepen on lawsuits, bond selloff
30/06/14 21:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . By Tim McLaughlin and Lisa Lambert (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's troubles continued to worsen on Monday after mutual funds holding about $1.7 billion in its debt sued the commonwealth while other investors sold t...

» Echoes of Lehman Brothers coming from Puerto Rico?
30/06/14 20:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Erin E. Arvedlund, Inquirer Staff Writer Posted: Monday, June 30, 2014, 1:08 AM Is Puerto Rico the next Lehman Brothers? So asks one Chadds Ford money manager who sees parallels between Puerto Rico and the il...

» U.S. Investment Firms Challenge Puerto Rico Restructuring Law
30/06/14 20:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . A pair of Wall Street investment firms is challenging Puerto Rico's new law allowing some public agencies to restructure their debt, saying it violates the U.S. Constitution. Funds managed by Franklin Templet...

» Update on Economic and Fiscal Conditions in Puerto Rico
30/06/14 19:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Remarks to the Association of Certified Public Accountants of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico As prepared for delivery Good afternoon.  I thank you for the opportunity to address your association. ...

» Clear path of default - The New Day
30/06/14 17:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . The new law will allow public corporations renegotiate their obligations is "a clear path" to the default, analysts said today Moody's Investors Service, Emily Raimes, Rick Donner and Ted Hampton. According t...

» No surprise lawsuits bankruptcy law Creole
30/06/14 17:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . The secretary of the Department of Justice Cesar Miranda said these actions were foreseeable The Justice Department expected demand that was already filed challenging the controversial law Creole bankruptcy, ...

» Act "Creole bankruptcy" proves "double standard" of the government
30/06/14 17:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Metro - Últimas noticias. The president of the Union of the Electricity Industry and Irrigation (UTIER) of the Electric Power Authority (PREPA), Angel Figueroa Jaramillo, said today that the law of "Creole...

» Police are on the streets to guide you on your lost rights
30/06/14 17:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Gathered near the Supreme Court to denounce the abuses of government against the Uniformed A group of police officers from different parts of the island today participated in a demonstration against governmen...

» Governor offers explanations Puerto Ricans on bankruptcy law
30/06/14 16:54 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Periódico El Expresso de Puerto Rico. San Juan (Reuters) - The governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro García Padilla, offered explanations to the public about the law just approved for public companies to...

» PR unemployment dips, but jobs drop
30/06/14 16:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. PR unemployment dips, but jobs drop Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate fell while payroll jobs dropped sharply last mon ... Badillo Saatchi & Saatchi scores at Cannes Badillo Saatchi &...

» NY Fed chief Dudley in PR this week
30/06/14 16:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. NY Fed chief Dudley in PR this week Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley is scheduled for a two ... Report: Mayagüez Resort casino closing Issued: June 23, 2014 The...

» UN decolonization panel: PR’s 2012 plebiscite rejected commonwealth
30/06/14 16:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. UN decolonization panel: PR’s 2012 plebiscite rejected commonwealth The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization is again calling the Unit ... Elizabeth Arden closing PR affil...

» NY Fed chief Dudley: PR fiscal fixes doable, but you have to do
30/06/14 16:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. NY Fed chief Dudley: PR fiscal fixes doable, but you have to do it — now Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley voiced optimism Tuesda ... Lawmakers confirmed Maite O...

» Unions stage walkout over austerity law
30/06/14 16:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Unions stage walkout over austerity law Issued: June 25, 2014 Unionized workers from the island government’s utilities and other public c ... Beauty products company Elizabeth Arden is ...

» Fortaleza bill would allow PR public corporations to declare bankruptcy
30/06/14 16:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Fortaleza bill would allow PR public corporations to declare bankruptcy Gov. Alejandro García Padilla announced Wednesday the filing of legislation that ... BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Th...

» The administration of Gov. Alejandro García Padilla filed legislation
30/06/14 16:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. The administration of Gov. Alejandro García Padilla filed legislation Wednesday ... Fortaleza bill would allow PR public corporations to restructure debt The U.S. House of Representativ...

» Spying drop-off in Iraq preceded fresh insurgency
30/06/14 16:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Spying drop-off in Iraq preceded fresh insurgency Issued: June 25, 2014 WASHINGTON — CIA officers in Iraq have been largely hunkered down in their heavily fortified Baghdad compound sin...

» Moody’s cuts Prepa deeper into junk
30/06/14 16:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Moody’s cuts Prepa deeper into junk Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authorit ... Broken leg ends Carlos Correa’s year HOUSTON -- Carlos Correa, H...

» Moody’s, Fitch cut Prepa deeper into junk; point to restructuring
30/06/14 16:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Moody’s, Fitch cut Prepa deeper into junk; point to restructuring legislation Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings both downgraded the Puerto Rico Elec ... $200M FY15 budget gap ...

» Moody’s downgrades Prasa, Highways because of debt restructuring
30/06/14 16:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Moody’s downgrades Prasa, Highways because of debt restructuring measure Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded two of Puerto Rico’s largest public cor ... Issued: June 27, 2014 Puert...

» Index: PR economy still shrinking
30/06/14 16:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Index: PR economy still shrinking Puerto Rico’s economy is still shrinking amid an ongoing recession dating back t ... Veteran analyst: ‘Real damage’ from Recovery Act will trail PR for...

» Governor signs debt restructuring law
30/06/14 16:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Governor signs debt restructuring law Gov. Alejandro García Padilla signed legislation Saturday that will let ailing p ... Issued: June 27, 2014 Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors...

» Governor signs debt restructuring law; S&P puts PR on downgrade
30/06/14 16:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Governor signs debt restructuring law; S&P puts PR on downgrade watch Progreso Económico: Time for a deep look at government salary scales An evaluation of Puerto Rico’s finances th...

» Firms sue PR govt over Recovery Act
30/06/14 16:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business. Firms sue PR govt over Recovery Act A pair of investment funds have filed suit in federal court against a new Puerto ... Issued: June 29, 2014 An evaluation of Puerto Rico’s finances th...

» Caribbean Business - More Local News - Page2RSS
30/06/14 16:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Caribbean Business - More Local News. 30 Jun ' 05:56 Moody’s, Fitch cut Prepa deeper into junk; point to restructuring legislation Issued: June 26, 2014 Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Rating...

» To protect the ESA of the total insolvency
30/06/14 16:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . June 30, 2014 Recently rocked by new credit and liquidity problems even for the purchase of fuel degradation, the Electric Power Authority (PREPA) should become the first government instrumentality to assume ...

» Puerto Rico's debt restructuring law raises default risk - Moody's: Thomson Reuters Business News
30/06/14 16:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . June 30 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's new debt restructuring law will increase the default risk for public corporations, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday. The law "signals the Commonwealth's diminished wi...

» Puerto Rico’s Default Plan May Spread Pain Beyond Utility
30/06/14 16:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Businessweek.com -- Top News. The U.S. municipal-bond market begins the week wondering whether the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the commonwealth’s sole provider of electricity, will pay bond...

» 7 Best Places to Visit in Old San Juan Puerto Rico
30/06/14 16:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Squidoo: 7 Best Places to Visit in Old San Juan Puerto Rico. My first stop was at El Morro (long name, Castillo de San Felipe del Morro) , a more than 400 year old fortress that was built by the Spanish, l...

» U.S. bond funds sue Puerto Rico, worried about bankruptcy threat
30/06/14 16:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . (Reuters) - U.S. mutual funds holding about $1.7 billion in Puerto Rico debt have sued the cash-strapped commonwealth, accusing it of passing a law modeled after the U.S. bankruptcy code that could undermine ...

» S&P puts Puerto Rico aqueduct and sewer under review for potential downgrade
30/06/14 16:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . WASHINGTON, June 30 Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:36am EDT WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Service said on Monday it was putting Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority under review for...

» Puerto Rican drug trafficking as the U.S misdirects its focus on the War on Drugs
30/06/14 16:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Council on Hemispheric Affairs. By: Clare Hogan, Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs Though never having been fully embraced as a state, Puerto Rico’s auspicious location in the ...

» Russia Hopes to Reduce Ukraine’s Role in Gas Transit - Emerging Europe Real Time
30/06/14 16:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Emerging Europe Real Time. By Alexander Kolyandr Russia’s natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom OGZPY   -1.14% expects the South Stream pipeline it’s preparing to build across the Black Sea to ...

» Supreme Court Declines Case Contesting Ban on Gay ‘Conversion Therapy’
30/06/14 15:58 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Advertisement The Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a challenge to a California law that bans “conversion therapy” aimed at changing the sexual orientation of gay and lesbian minors. The co...

» Three Bodies Found Believed to Be Missing Israelis
30/06/14 15:57 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . JERUSALEM — Israeli searchers found three bodies believed to be those of the missing Israeli teenagers who were abducted more than two weeks ago in the occupied West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces said...

» Putin Calls for Ukraine Cease-Fire Extension
30/06/14 15:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Updated June 30, 2014 12:35 p.m. ET Ukrainian volunteer recruits of the 'Aydar' battalion during a patrol at a checkpoint near Luhansk, Ukraine on Sunday. The inscription on the blocks reads 'Free Ukraine.' B...

» Missing Israeli Teens Found Dead Near Hebron, Israeli Official Says
30/06/14 15:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Updated June 30, 2014 2:40 p.m. ET Israeli soldiers on Sunday received instructions at the start of a search for the three missing Israeli teens. AP TEL AVIV—Israeli soldiers found the bodies of three t...

» Thumbing Its Nose at U.S., Russia Sends Military Experts to Iraq - The Wire
30/06/14 14:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. The Wire Thumbing Its Nose at U.S., Russia Sends Military Experts to Iraq The Wire For Russia its back to the good old days: Supporting a strongman in Baghdad, delivered jets the U.S....

» Russia's 'Gay Propaganda' Law One Year On - The Moscow Times
30/06/14 14:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. The Moscow Times Russia's 'Gay Propaganda' Law One Year On The Moscow Times In the year that has passed since Russia adopted a law banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual re...

» Russia Sends Sukhoi Jets to Iraq, Slams West Over Syria - The Moscow Times
30/06/14 14:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. The Moscow Times Russia Sends Sukhoi Jets to Iraq, Slams West Over Syria The Moscow Times As Iraq received its first shipment of Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia on Saturday to combat ...

» ISIL Declares Islamic Caliphate
30/06/14 14:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. An Al-Qaeda splinter group that has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an "Islamic caliphate."

» In praise of swearing | Editorial
30/06/14 14:32 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia | The Guardian. Putin's puritanical ordinances against Russian profanities threaten a philosophy of life Dostoevsky wrote millions of words in his lifetime but once said that everything a Russian mi...

» Russia supplies Iraqi air force with SU-25 jet fighters - The Globe and Mail
30/06/14 14:31 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. RT (blog) Russia supplies Iraqi air force with SU-25 jet fighters The Globe and Mail Iraqi government officials said Sunday that Russian experts had arrived in Iraq to help the army g...

» Anti-Americanism rampant, fringe conspiracy theories take hold in Russia - Washington Times
30/06/14 14:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Russia - Google News. Anti-Americanism rampant, fringe conspiracy theories take hold in Russia Washington Times MOSCOW — It was a mere five years ago that smiling Kremlin officials welcomed President Obama...