Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Saturday, May 9, 2009 Make us your homepage
Leading the News
Santa Barbara Fires Drive 30,000 From Homes . . . Estimate of burned acreage rises to 8,600. Eighty homes have been damaged or destroyed. Los Angeles Times
U.S. Jobless Rate Hits 8.9 Percent . . . The economy lost 539,000 jobs in April, but it's a sign the relentless pace of job losses is starting to level off. New York Times
Banks Won Concessions on Stress Tests . . . After days of intense bargaining, Fed significantly scaled back the size of the capital hole facing big banks. Wall Street Journal
Politics
Obama Will Revive Military Commissions . . . But he alters proceedings Bush used to try Gitmo prisoners by affording detainees more legal rights. Washington Post
White House Aide Canned Over NYC Flyover . . . Luis Caldera takes blame for photo op that frightened New Yorkers. Series of gaffes led to incident. Washington Times
Obama To Address Muslims From Egypt . . . The president's promised speech to Muslims worldwide will be June 4 during a multinational trip.
Los Angeles Times
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan Steps Up for GOP . . . Only 39, Ryan is a conservative voice seeking to be one of the new messengers for the benighted Republicans. Wall Street Journal
Obama Pushes for Credit Card Bill . . . Demands legislation by Memorial Day that would rein in fees and rate hikes. Associated Press
Obama Won't Use Species Act to Curb Warming . . . Keeps Bush rule preventing use of Endangered Species Act to cut emissions because warming threatens polar bears. New York Times
National Security
New Iraq Violence Linked to U.S. Withdrawal . . . Iraqi troops are failing to adopt counterinsurgency tactics U.S. is trying to teach them.
Wall Street Journal
Petreaus: Al Qaeda's Base is Pakistan . . . New nerve center allows group to re-establish its organizational structure and build stronger ties to its offshoots. Wall Street Journal
U.S.-Afghan Probe Confirms Civilian Deaths . . . But report on killing of innocents in recent battle seems to put blame on Taliban for using them as human shields. Associated Press
Drone Attack Kills 5-20 Militants in Pakistan . . . Strike made in region that's a known al Qaeda and Taliban hotbed. Fifteenth such attack this year. Reuters
Business
Berkshire Blues . . . Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway is out $1.5 billion, its first quarterly loss since 2001's third quarter. Wall Street Journal
Gas Prices on the Rise . . . Average price heads over $2, up 12 cents in last month. But it's unlikely to surge. USA Today
Geithner: GMAC Will Get Substantial Support . . . Troubled lender is a vital provider of financing for buyers of U.S.-made cars. Reuters
International
The Dog Days of Gordon Brown . . . The fish and chips are down, really down, for Britain's PM. Los Angeles Times
Tough Time to be a Pirate . . . Somalia’s pirates are the targets not just of those they attack, but also of sheiks and elders who are fed up with their nonsense. New York Times
Pope Seeks to Repair Ties With Muslims . . . On Mideast trip, makes second visit to a mosque in bid to erase bitterness over speech quoting figure who linked Islam to violence. Reuters
Zuma Sworn in as South Africa's President . . . Vows to follow Mandela's legacy of reconciliation. BBC
Medvedev Cautions Against 'Military Adventures' . . . Warning comes with tensions flaring anew as Georgia hosts NATO military exercise this month. BBC
Also Today. . .
From Prep School to Weselyan Murder Suspect . . . A disconcerting portrait emerges of Stephen Morgan, arraigned on charges of killing a Wesleyan co-ed. New York Times
Americans Urged to Stay Vigilant on Swine Flu . . . It's milder than feared but could still pose significant health threat to some.
Washington Post
Four Dead as Heavy Storms Batter the Midwest . . . Powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes slam parts of the Midwest, knocking out power to thousands. USA Today
Trolleys Collide in Boston, Injuring 49 . . . One operator was sending a text message to his girlfriend when he rear-ended another trolley.
Boston Globe
Some Kids With Autism Can Recover . . . A small but provocative study suggests at least 10 percent of children with autism overcome the disorder by age nine. Associated Press
Today's Video
Vladimir Putin, Singing Sensation . . . CNN
