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Lansing State Journal, by Dawn Parker Posted By: Longbow59- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:19:39 GMT An East Lansing church is holding a “counter'event” to this weekend's planned burning of copies of the Quran in Florida. All Saints Episcopal Church, 800 Abbot Road, and its Canterbury MSU ministry will host a public open reading from an English translation of the Muslim holy book from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the sanctuary. Members of the Islamic Center of Greater Lansing, located at 920 S. Harrison Road, have also been invited to attend. “Let us come together in peace to further greater understanding and appreciation of one another,” the Rev. Sarah Midzalkowski

MSNBC, by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:16:40 GMT Washington ' More regions of the country reported slower growth as the U.S. economy lost momentum in the late summer, the Federal Reserve said. The Fed’s “Beige Book” survey, released Wednesday afternoon, finds the weakness spreading. Of the 12 regions tracked by the Fed, economic activity was mixed or slowed in five — New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta and Chicago. Activity elsewhere was described as modest or pointed to positive developments.

Investor's Business Daily, by Ed Carson Posted By: slyscribe- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:08:06 GMT Republican primary turnout for statewide offices is outpacing the Democratic vote for the first time that since 1930, according to election expert Curtis Gans of the American University. * The share of Americans voting in GOP primaries hit 10.5%, up from 8.2% in the 2006 primaries and the highest since 1970. * The share of Americans voting in Democratic primaries was a record low of 8.3%. * Republican turnout in their statewide primaries exceeded Democratic turnout by over 4 million votes.

USA Today, by Kathy Kiely Posted By: loosbolt- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:00:14 GMT More evidence that the Tea Party movement is not monolithic: FreedomWorks, a DC'based think tank that has been providing organizational support for local Tea Party groups, has decided not to jump into Delaware's suddenly interesting GOP Senate primary. Rob Jordan, who tracks federal and state campaigns for FreedomWorks, just told us that the group won't be putting resources into the campaign of GOP insurgent Christine O'Donnell.

MSNBC, by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:58:56 GMT President Barack Obama strongly defended his opposition to extending Bush'era tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans on Wednesday and delivered a searing attack on Republicans and their House leader for advocating "the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place." Obama said the struggling U.S. economy can't afford to spend $700 billion to keep lower tax rates in place for the nation's highest earners despite a call by House Minority Leader John Boehner and other GOP leaders to do just that.

Associated Press, by Paul Haven Posted By: arkie- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:57:50 GMT HAVANA – Fidel Castro told a visiting American journalist that Cuba's communist economic model doesn't work, a rare comment on domestic affairs from a man who has conspicuously steered clear of local issues since stepping down four years ago. The fact that things are not working efficiently on this cash'strapped Caribbean island is hardly news. Fidel's brother Raul, the country's president, has said the same thing repeatedly. (Snip) Cuba's economic system was still worth exporting to other countries, and Castro replied: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore" Goldberg wrote Wednesday in a post on his Atlantic blog.

Bloomberg Businessweek, by ERIK SCHELZIG Posted By: loosbolt- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:56:37 GMT U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has been a vocal critic of several of Democratic President Barack Obama's policies, but he said Wednesday that encouraging the development of electric cars is not one of them. Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, said there is bipartisan agreement on the need to spur the production of affordable electric vehicles. "I'm glad to support and applaud the president when he does things that I agree with and that I think are good for the country," he said before a speech at a Tennessee Valley Authority forum.

Telegraph [UK], by Alex Spillius Posted By: arkie- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:54:40 GMT Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, is expected to leave his job in six to eight months after growing tired of the "idealism" of Barack Obama's inner circle. Washington insiders say they believe he could depart not long after crucial elections in November. Mr Emanuel, 50, enjoys a good working relationship with Mr Obama but they are understood to have reached an understanding that differences over style mean he will serve only half the full four'year term. Friends say he is also worried about burnout and losing touch with his young family due to the pressure of one

The Local [Sweden], by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:52:45 GMT Swedish fashion label Acne has released a new "transvestite and cross'dressing collection", promising to make gender bending easier. Acne has joined forces with transvestite publication Candy Magazine for a series of three shirts, available in denim and silk, according to the magazine's website. The collection is named after characters in the 1980s soap opera Dynasty ' Alexis, Krystle and Sammy Jo ' in tribute to Joan Collins, Linda Evans and Heather Locklear respectively. The shirts are a take on the classic masculine western blue shirt which are designed to "create a bit of gender confusion", according to Candy Magazine editor'in'chief

Bloomberg, by Brian Faler Posted By: loosbolt- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:50:25 GMT Quirks in state election laws may reduce Senate Democrats’ majority right after the November election, making the always'difficult task of legislating during a possible lame'duck session even tougher. The terms of Democrats Roland Burris of Illinois, Ted Kaufman of Delaware and West Virginia’s Carte Goodwin, all appointed to their seats, will expire with the Nov. 2 elections. None are on the ballot, and their successors may take office that month rather than in January when winning candidates are normally seated, state election officials said. Republicans are mounting strong challenges in the three states and victories by the party’s candidates...

Washington Post, by Morton A. Klein and Dr. Daniel Mandel Posted By: loosbolt- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:43:06 GMT In the debate surrounding the Cordoba mosque planned for a site near Ground Zero, one canard should be immediately knocked down: the idea that opposing this it is the result of 'Islamophobia.' 'Islamophobia' is a misleading term. Consider, terrorism carried out by Muslims, acting in the name of Islam, has struck innumerable societies, non'Muslim (Britain, India, Israel, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, U.S.) and Muslim (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey). Those who have knowledge of it ' or, in the case of New Yorkers, direct experience ' do not suffer from an irrational fear of an imaginary threat,...

Deutsche Presse'Agentur, by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:42:53 GMT Potsdam, Germany ' Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard told a German newspaper that Islam was not a 'likeable' religion Wednesday, ahead of being given a prize for media freedom. 'In my opinion you can't compare Islam with Christianity. It isn't a likeable religion. Rather, in many ways, a reactionary religion,' he told the Koelner Stadt Anzeiger, a German newspaper.

Ventura County Star, by Adam Foxman Posted By: Just Tex- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:20:44 GMT The tow truck driver who struck a mother and her two toddlers on an Oxnard street and drove away with the children dragging under the vehicle was charged Thursday with driving under the influence and causing injury, hit'and'run and mayhem, according to court records and police. [snip] After striking the three, the tow truck continued on, dragging the children until passers'by chased and flagged down Khamseh about a quarter'mile away, police said. [snip] “My understanding was that there was a deportation hearing where a judge allowed him (at one point) to stay in the country..."

Newsbusters, by Nathan Burchfiel Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:17:42 GMT Vanity Fair writer Michael Joseph Gross has already admitted to one error in his profile of Sarah Palin, but the contradictions and controversies surrounding his hit piece continue to stack up. (Snip) Gross had cited "people who know" suggesting Palin's relationship with close friends Kristan Cole and Kris Perry had "deteriorated." But Cole reportedly told Trinko the charge was "absolutely not true. I don't know where they get this stuff from, honestly." A former Palin aide, Ivy Frye, also contradicted Gross's characterization that she parted ways with Palin "on bad terms." "I didn't leave on ‘bad terms,'" she said in

Newsbusters, by John Nolte Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:15:18 GMT Do the math. Instead of someone with the last name Rodriguez telling the tale of noble, sympathetic Hispanics victimized by white American southern rednecks ' all of whom are portrayed as murderous racists, what if we had a white filmmaker telling the tale of noble and sympathetic Texas border ranchers victimized by marauding, racist, gold'toothed unwashed Mexicans out to steal their land? Oh, and we would close our story with a stand'up'and'cheer race war where Texas ranchers unite to violently mow down evil Mexicans. (Snip) If Commissioner Hudgins is going to force Texas taxpayers to foot the bill for "Machete"

Washington Examiner, by Byron York Posted By: krispy kritter- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:13:30 GMT In his economic speech in Cleveland, President Obama mentioned House Minority Leader John Boehner by name seven times '' a striking change from the president's speech in Milwaukee Monday in which he referred to Boehner only as "the man who thinks he's going to be Speaker." With the Democrats' hold on the House of Representatives in deep jeopardy, the president has apparently decided to make the campaign in part a personal showdown between himself and Boehner. It's a risky strategy, one that elevates a House minority leader to an eye'to'eye level with the President of the United States.

Daily Caller, by Alex Pappas Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:10:08 GMT A confusing press release from a Democrat caused a handful of reporters to inaccurately report what would have been a big story Wednesday on Twitter that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was throwing his support behind Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, an independent candidate running for the U.S. Senate. It appears that the confusion came after the campaign of Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek sent an email to reporters with the subject, “Graham Endorses Governor Charlie Crist for Senate,” in an effort to show Crist’s conservative past. But it did not mention that it was an old press release.

New York Daily News, by Celeste Katz Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:03:08 GMT The breakfast preceding the West Indian Day Parade, as usual, drew politicians of every stripe (though not Andrew Cuomo, who has been notably absent from many such events this summer). There were the usual remarks '' (Snip) Adams continued: “When you look at the press, when you look at The Times and look at The Daily News, they’re talking about ‘throw the bums out’ and the dysfunction in Albany because we’re not functioning the way they used to do business. This is about removing men of color from power.

FOX News, by Staff Posted By: Just Tex- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:02:11 GMT A new study from the Pew Hispanic Center found that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States dropped significantly for the first time in two decades '' but the population out of Mexico has held steady since reaching its peak in 2007. [snip] But the population from Mexico, where drug cartel'fueled violence has prompted concern along the U.S. border, grew rapidly since 2000 and has not receded much.

BBC News, by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:55:05 GMT US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has declared that a "new American moment" has arrived in global politics. Speaking at a Washington think tank, Mrs Clinton said the model of American leadership "offers our best hope in a dangerous world". The speech comes amid renewed US efforts to broker Middle East peace. But the Obama administration has been criticised over a perceived lack of progress on its international goals.