Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Make us your homepage
Leading the News
First U.S. Death From Swine Flu . . . Disease claims a 23 month old child. Data shows U.S. cases more severe that first thought. Wall Street Journal
Specter Leaves the Republican Party . . . Did not have the votes to win Pa. GOP primary. Dems now close to filibuster-proof 60 in Senate. Washington Post
U.S. Economy Shrinks 6.1 Percent . . . First quarter decline is worse than4.9 percent drop that was expected. Exports and inventories plummet.
Reuters
Politics
Obama Completes 100 Days . . . A mind-numbing succession of giant initiatives, some tackled and some simply teed up for debate down the line. Wall Street Journal
GOP Confronts its Viability . . . The loss of one of its few moderates amid questions about whether it is becoming a regional party.
Wall Street Journal
Sibelius Confirmed as HHS Director . . . But only by a 65-31 vote. She gets right to work on swine flu. Wall Street Journal
Dems Keep Grassroots Movement Alive . . . Organizing for America, successor to Obama's group, has held 11 community meetings across Missouri in the past two weeks. USA Today
Supreme Court Bans Expletive Outbursts . . . Government can ban even one-time use of bad words on live media. USA Today
Obama Welcomes Specter to the Party . . . At the White House this morning, he praises Specter warmly and says he can count on his support for re-election. New York Times
National Security
Suit By Former CIA Captives to Go Ahead . . . Ex-Gitmo detainee Binyam Mohamed and four others say they were tortured.
Los Angeles Times
Poppies Key to Fighting Afghanistan Taliban . . . Commanders plan to cut off the Taliban’s main source of money, Afghanistan’s multimillion-dollar opium crop. New York Times
North Korea Threatens More Nukes . . . Will start a uranium effort, conduct a second nuclear test and launch a missile unless the U.N. apologizes for its censure. New York Times
U.S. Cybersecurity is Ridiculed . . . Described as "broken" by one industry expert and as "childlike" by another. BBC
Business
You Can't Get it From Bacon! . . . Pork industry fights concerns over the swine flu. New York Times
Twitter's Limited Potential . . . Some 60 percent of new users drop out after a month. Reuters
Some Banks Want to Be Left Alone . . . Emboldened by new profits and eager to shake off federal control, a growing number of banks resist the Obama financial fix. New York Times
International
Swine Flu Ground Zero . . . Edgar Hernandez, 5, of La Gloria, Mexico, became ill last month and recovered after a week. He lives near a pig farm. Los Angeles Times
Pakistan Steps Up Drive Against Taliban . . . Jets brought into the fray. General says goal is to "eliminate and expel." Wall Street Journal
Nations Meet to Negotiate Global Climate Pact . . . Wrap up two days of talks in Washington today with modest progress toward goal of global deal by December. Washington Post
Also Today. . .
Officials Consider Swine Flu Vaccine . . . But undertaking work on a vaccine would be challenging. Los Angeles Times
Admissions s Checking Your Facebook Page . . . Some schools' decisions are being influenced by what they find about an applicant on the Internet. Los Angeles Times
Calif. Bus Crash Kills Four, Injures Dozens . . . Vehicle apparently veers into an overpass railing. Passengers, from France and Canada, taken to numerous hospitals. Los Angeles Times
Over-40s May Benefit From Aspirin . . . Taking aspirin in your 40s could cut the risk of cancer later in life, a review of research suggests.
BBC
Genes Have Key Role in Autism . . . Scientists produce most compelling evidence to date that genetics play a key role in autism and related conditions. BBC
Ballerina Ekaterina Maximova Dead at 71 . . . Her lyrical lines, crisp precision and luminous stage presence made her a star of the Bolshoi a darling of dance officianados. New York Times
Today's Video
Obama's First 100 Days: Photos and Polls . . . NBC
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