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Verizon Wireless to offer Apple iPhone in January - USATODAY.com : "Verizon Wireless will start selling Apple's iPhone next year, ending AT&T's U.S. exclusive on the phone, say two people familiar with the plans. The device will be available to customers in January, according to the people, who declined to be named because the information isn't public. Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, and Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon Wireless spokesman, declined to comment. AT&T also declined to comment. USA TODAY was unable to independently verify the reports."

US accepts international assistance for Gulf spill - Yahoo! Finance http://ping.fm/HH2KX

LOUISVILLE — Vice President Joe Biden rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and told dozens of GE Appliances and Lighting employees Monday that the federal government's stimulus package has been good for their company and country. The Democratic vice president took a shot at critics of the $862 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which Republican U.S. Senate nominee Rand Paul has used as a favored example of excessive government spending. Backed by Democrats in Congress, the stimulus package includes tax cuts, expansion of unemployment benefits and other social welfare provisions. "I love these guys who say government should stay out when we're in deep crisis, like some of the people you're hearing from in this state and other places," Biden said to cheers from GE employees. GE is making a $600 million investment to expand manufacturing at the nearly 60-year-old Appliance Park in Louisville. It is being supported by $24.8 million in ...

A key U.S. House of Representatives Democrat said on Monday she is cutting billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan from spending legislation because she is outraged over reports of corruption and donor aid being flown out the country. Representative Nita Lowey, who heads the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign aid, vowed not to spend "one more dime" on aid to Afghanistan until she can be sure it is not being abused. The Democrat also announced hearings on corruption in Afghanistan, where the Obama administration is trying to work with the government of President Hamid Karzai to confront the Taliban insurgency. An aide to Lowey said the Obama administration requested $3.9 billion for the accounts affected in the fiscal 2011 foreign aid appropriations bill before Lowey's committee. Lowey said in her statement she would only leave "lifesaving humanitarian aid" in the bill, which her committee will consider on Wednesday. Her statement comes amid in...

Tweet this To succeed in Afghanistan, we’ll need the support of the likes of Abdul Sattar Abu Risha. He was the daring tribal sheik in Anbar province whose pivot against al-Qaida in the summer of 2006 began to turn the Iraq War. He marshaled other tribal leaders in what grew into a nationwide anti-al-Qaida movement. Sattar acted knowing that the Americans had his back. “Instead of telling (the Iraqis) that we would leave soon and they must assume responsibility for their own security,” Col. Sean MacFarland, who worked with Sattar, has explained, “we told them that we would stay as long as necessary to defeat the terrorists.” Sattar trusted President George W. Bush, and admired him “for sticking to his principles despite public opinion.” All of this is recounted in the new book on the Anbar revolt, “A Chance in Hell,” by Jim Michaels. As Mark Moyar writes in a review in The Wall Street Journal, it was only by winning the confidence of elites like Sattar - who was ...

Ten alleged Russian spies have been arrested in the U.S. after a multi-year investigation in three states, the FBI said Monday.

Supreme Court says Constitution's "right to keep and bear arms" applies nationwide, casting doubt on a Chicago area handgun ban.

White House scholar funded Ayers group : "A scholar and charity head appointed to President Obama's White House Fellowships Commission served as a point man in granting $49.2 million in startup capital to an education reform project founded by Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers and chaired by Obama. Documentation shows the White House fellow, Vartan Gregorian, was central in Ayers' recruitment of Obama to serve as the first chairman of the project, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, or CAC – a job in which Obama worked closely on a regular basis with Ayers."

Facebook sleaze could lead to 100 stalking charges - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) : "The creator of a Facebook page which listed Ballarat women in a derogatory way could face 100 stalking-related charges."

Russia Alarmed by CIA View of Iran's Weapons - ABC News http://ping.fm/B7Lyp

Obama calls for bank tax as next step in reform | Reuters http://ping.fm/dUiSr

Government would have broad new powers to seize... http://ping.fm/Ukdw0

Cannibal cellmate ate lung out of curiosity - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) : "Nicolas Cocaign, whose case has sparked comparisons with the fictional cannibalistic serial killer, gave a blow-by-blow account of how and why he killed Thierry Baudry at his murder trial in the northern city of Rouen."

Confidence Waning in Obama, U.S. Outlook - WSJ.com http://ping.fm/fpJW1

CNN Breaking news - New home sales plunged almost 33 percent in May, the federal government says. Thank you B.O.

LONDON — A trans-Atlantic rift is growing over the right medicine for Europe's financial crisis, with Britain announcing its steepest cuts in decades Tuesday and Germany defending its own austerity measures after a warning by U.S. President Barack Obama that budget-slashing could threaten the global recovery. Britain's emergency budget is the latest in a string of deep cuts in public spending and reflects new resolve in Europe, after Greece was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy and even threatened the bloc's economic union, to tackle debt before worrying about growth. As leaders of the Group of 20 economic powers prepare to assemble later this week in Canada, that single-minded focus is worrying the United States. Obama wrote a letter to world leaders Friday warning against excessive spending cuts. German Chancellor Angela Merkel fought back this week, defending her government's $80 billion savings plan as British treasury chief George Osborne forged ahead with hi...

If Gen. Stanley McChrystal expressed views in the Rolling Stone article are what he believes then he should resign. By resigning on principal, he can be a voice for the opposition to this government’s direction. If however he meets with the president and lets the president direct his future, his views and beliefs have no weight or merit.

Salazar seeks to reimpose drilling moratorium http://ping.fm/PuneK

The Runaway General | Rolling Stone Politics : "'How'd I get screwed into going to this dinner?' demands Gen. Stanley McChrystal. It's a Thursday night in mid-April, and the commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is sitting in a four-star suite at the H�tel Westminster in Paris. He's in France to sell his new war strategy to our NATO allies – to keep up the fiction, in essence, that we actually have allies."

Federal judge in New Orleans blocks 6-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects. White House to appeal ruling http://m.cbsnews.com

A senior administration official tells CBS News the government will challenge Arizona's immigration law. http://m.cbsnews.com

A senior administration official tells CBS News the government will challenge Arizona's immigration law. http://m.cbsnews.com

A senior administration official tells CBS News the government will challenge Arizona's immigration law. http://m.cbsnews.com

A senior administration official tells CBS News the government will challenge Arizona's immigration law. http://m.cbsnews.com

CBS News: An Army reservist is dead, another is in custody after a shooting at the Army Reserve Center in Ga.

MySpace Says Co-President Jason Hirschhorn to Leave - WSJ.com : "In the latest executive shift at social-networking site MySpace, Co-President Jason Hirschhorn is leaving the company. Mr. Hirschhorn became co-president of MySpace– along with Mike Jones – in February, when Owen Van Natta abruptly left as chief executive. Mr. Jones will remain president. 'We fully respect Jason's decision to leave and his personal desire to return to New York,' said Jon Miller, chief digital officer of News Corp., which owns MySpace. Mr. Miller praised Mr. Hirschhorn and said there are no plans to bring in additional management."

Jeremy London Kidnapped, 'Forced' To Smoke Drugs - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News : "Jeremy London — the actor best known for his roles in 'Party of Five' and Kevin Smith's 'Mallrats' — was robbed and abducted by a man in Palm Springs, California, on Thursday night, beginning a five-hour ordeal in which he was held at gunpoint and forced to smoke drugs. Palm Springs police told RadarOnline that London, 37, was attempting to change a flat tire on his vehicle when several men stopped to help him. After London offered to drive the men home, one of them — a man identified as Palm Springs resident Brandon Adams — pulled a gun on the actor, then forced him to drive his own vehicle, smoke drugs and buy alcohol."

BP Oil Spill: Against Gov. Bobby Jindal's Wishes, Crude-Sucking Barges Stopped by Coast Guard - ABC News http://ping.fm/IhFvU

Gold Settles Above $1,248 for Record High

FREEPNEWS Spirit Airlines, pilots reach deal to end walkout. More: freep.com

BREAKING NEWS BP Agrees to Place About $20 Billion in Escrow for Spill Claims: New York Times (story developing)

Star Magazine | News | Exclusive: Al Gore Cheats with Larry David's Ex : "Al Gore's split from wife Tipper after 40 years of marriage was a shock to everyone who thought theirs was the ideal marriage. Now Star can exclusively reveal that the former Vice President was having an affair with Larry David's ex-wife — for the past two years! In the June 28 issue of Star, on sale Wednesday, we report that Al and Tipper's breakup didn't come as much of a surprise to one Hollywood player — Laurie David. Star has learned that Al has been having an affair with Laurie, who divorced Seinfeld creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David in 2007 amidst reports she was cheating with the caretaker of their Martha's Vineyard summer home. “Al and Laurie went from friends to lovers,' an insider tells Star. 'It couldn’t be avoided.' Pick up the new issue of Star tomorrow for our complete story of how the pair, who have been fighting for the environment for year...

Sarah Palin was never better than she was tonight! Why don't we bomb the well shut? B.O. said “Make no mistake: we will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long it takes,” Spill? It is a disaster! “We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused". What if BP folds?

6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning - Yahoo! News : "MONROE, Ohio – A six-story statue of Jesus Christ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up by curious onlookers Tuesday. The 'King of Kings' statue, one of southwest Ohio's most familiar landmarks, had stood since 2004 at the evangelical Solid Rock Church along Interstate 75 in Monroe, just north of Cincinnati."

New estimate puts oil leakage between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons a day

WASH POST NEWS ALERT: Obama selected new head of U.S. agency that oversees offshore drilling, officials say. http://ping.fm/wH3p1

WASH POST NEWS ALERT: Ship fire temporarily halts oil capture in the Gulf of Mexico, BP says. MORE @ http://ping.fm/REKZm

BREAKING NEWS Gen. David Petraeus Collapses at Capitol Hill Hearing, Is Conscious (story developing)

Is The White House for Sale? | It has been for years! http://ping.fm/Z152t

Buffalo Developer Wants to Turn Albany Upside Down - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com : "We have a governor who has told, has snubbed his nose at the federal laws on immigration and is in fact suggesting that we help illegal immigrants avoid deportation. That’s baloney. … We don’t want illegal immigrants here in New York State. They should be picking them up and putting them on"

58% Say No to Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants - Rasmussen Reports™ : "Fifty-eight percent (58%) of U.S. voters say a child born to an illegal immigrant in this country should not automatically become a citizen of the United States, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Thirty-three percent (33%) disagree and say if a women enters the United States as an illegal alien and gives birth to a child here, that child should automatically be a U.S. citizen. That’s what the current law allows an"

Obama Administration to Support Anti-Israel Resolution at UN Next Week | The Weekly Standard http://ping.fm/ay3mI

CNN Breaking news - At least 6 dead at Arkansas campground after flash flooding, Polk County sheriff's officer tells CNN.

Chaos, Anarchy To Reign If Gov. David Paterson Shuts Down New York - wcbstv.com http://ping.fm/vfeYV

WASH POST ALERT: Bodies misidentified and misplaced at Arlington Cemetery, Army says. MORE @ http://ping.fm/slEUF

Experts see bankruptcy in BP's future, rivals 'licking their chops' - Yahoo! News http://ping.fm/I9xsg

Stocks endure late-day slide on talk of BP bankruptcy filing http://ping.fm/VdzEr

Once BP realizes the extent of this my guess is that they'll panic and go into Chapter 11. http://ping.fm/h1xz9

Matt Simmons, Dr. Doom of the Gulf Coast spill - Jun. 9, 2010 : "But there isn't enough money in the world to clean up the Gulf of Mexico. Once BP realizes the extent of this my guess is that they'll panic and go into Chapter 11."

BP eyes showdown with US govt on liability-BP source | Reuters http://ping.fm/XvpuR

CNN Breaking news - FBI paid Joran van der Sloot $25,000 to probe plan to extort Natalee Holloway's mom, law enforcement official says.

CNN Breaking news - Authorities say suspect Joran van der Sloot has confessed to the murder of a Peruvian woman, CNN reports.

''I can tell you that Elton John actually had nothing but nice things to say about Rush Limbaugh and the happy couple. And said that he's all about tearing down walls and building bridges. And he even invited the happy couple to come visit him and his partner in London, England. Megyn Kelly of Fox News taking on the women of ABC's "The View" for not understanding why self-appointed gay spokesman Elton John would perform at Rush Limbaugh's latest wedding. Limbaugh, a socially conservative talk show host, has repeated mocked gay sex and supports Proposition 8, California anti-gay marriage referendum. However, Sir Elton has stated emphatically that he is purposefully in a 'civil partnership,' and as some have pointed out, he once said that gays should enter into a civil partnership because, "Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage.'' Many gay bloggers and gay rights supporters are also expressing their dismay a...

Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh's website announces he will be out of pocket until Tuesday, June 15, when he returns to the "golden microphone". "Note: El Rushbo will be out until Tuesday, June 15th. A great roster of guest hosts fills in until he returns." As most know, Limbaugh got married this weekend in Palm Beach to Kathryn Rogers, who Politico points out is "a quarter-century his junior." The couple will honeymoon in Mexico and Africa. By Betsy Rothstein

Barack Obama made George Bush the target of his 2008 campaign. He blasted President Bush repeatedly for the “ failed policies of the last 8 years. ” He said it was a defining moment in this nation’s history and his policies would bring the country more prosperity and employment. He lied. Now we know the truth. Not only were more jobs lost after the 9-11 attacks in 2001 than in the 2008 market crash, but more jobs were created by President Bush’s pro-business policies and tax cuts than by the Obama-Pelosi “spend your way to hell” Keynesian failure . The Foundry reported, via HotAir : For objective observers the failure of President Obama’s $862 billion stimulus has become increasingly difficult to deny. But not for the White House. Last week, Vice President Joe Biden told Charlie Rose on PBS that the stimulus was  “an absolute success.” Betraying a common perception about unemployment, Biden  told Rose: “[W]e lost 8 million brand new jobs … s...

Can PostSecret and Facebook Save a Life? - TIME NewsFeed

CNN Breaking news - Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas retires after controversial remarks about Jews, her agency says.

Live feeds from Skandi ROV2 B.P. oil http://ping.fm/yjoYC

A young Coke Christopher 'Dudus' Coke Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporter AS A young student at Ardenne High School in the mid-1980s, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was his math teacher's delight. He was a quiet one who sat at the back of the class while turning out impressive homework and test grades. Coke, who attended Ardenne between 1981 and 1986, never willingly raised his hand to answer questions, and when he was called upon, he politely declined the teacher's behest. But test after test, he gradually became one of the math teacher's favourites, and he was ushered into a select group of students who were seen as math geniuses, and were specially prepared to sit the subject at the CXC level by fourth form. Coke and many of the others in the group were rewarded with grade one passes. Math was one of the few subjects that intrigued Coke. Religious education (RE) was the only other. The young man ...

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer SENIOR MEMBERS of the security team in Tivoli Gardens and its environs are contending that their efforts to restore order to the besieged area are being severely thwarted by strong countervailing forces that have been called in by the State to assist in the investigative process. The Sunday Gleaner was told that compact discs containing graphic images of victims, among other things, which were in the possession of senior security officials and turned over to a select group of persons, are being seen on hundreds of cellular phone screens, locally and internationally. A senior official, who asked that his identity be withheld, said he believed that a calculated plot had been hatched to disrupt the process by inciting already grief-stricken relatives, as well as ordinary Jamaicans, against the security operations . "The struggle to restore normality in the aftermath of the upheaval is as tough as the all-out combat with gu...

A close-up view of 'Dudus' - - JamaicaObserver.com

Jamaica's booming tourism industry has taken a hit as a result of four days of gun battles in a Kingston neighborhood where Christopher ``Dudus'' Coke, wanted for extradition by the United States on drug and weapons trafficking charges, based his operations. Since the Jamaican government declared a state of emergency in the area, some tourist hotels and resorts report a high number of cancellations, airlines have cancelled or rescheduled flights and the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory urging Americans to defer non-essential travel to Kingston. Based on traffic during the first three months of this year, Jamaica was poised to have its best tourism year on record. More than 500,000 foreigners traveled to Jamaica in the three-month period, a 9.2 percent increase over the same period a year ago. But the Ministry of Tourism says the country's resorts have had no new bookings since the siege began May 24, killing dozens of people in the Tiv...