Cut to the News . . . Your Daily News Briefing
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 Make us your homepage
This Morning's Cut
Leading the News
Netanyahu Gives Obama Seven Months on Iran . . . If nuke problem is not fixed by end of the year, Israel may take military action. Haaretz
Obama Orders Stricter Fuel Standards . . . Will raise fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2016 instead of 2020.
Wall Street Journal
New Rules Concern CIA Officials . . . The agency fears that public scrutiny and new restrictions will hinder future interrogations.
Washington Post
Politics
Union Groups Stymied on Card Check . . . Business outmaneuvers labor, jeopardizing key components of congressional proposal that has been unions' top priority. Los Angeles Times
Obama Won't Challenge Ruling on Gays in Military . . . Accepts an appeals court ruling that could undermine the military's ban on gay service members. Wall Street Journal
Bill Clinton Named UN Special Envoy to Haiti . . . Will assist effort to raise global attention to the country's effort to rebuild following a year of natural disasters. Miami Herald
Republican? Not Me . . . The number of self-identifying Republicans is at 21 percent, lowest since the fall of 1983. Decline across wide demographic spectrum. Washington Post
Obama's Vast Agenda Spurs Concerns . . . With massive spending increases planned, analysts, including some Democrats question whether it's all affordable. Washington Times
RNC Chief Steele's Buddy System . . . He's hiring friends and paying them well. Washington Times
Ted Kennedy Met Twice With Kopechne's Parents . . . Felt guilty but could never confess to guilt. New York Daily News
National Security
Court Rejects Claims Against Ashcroft . . . Supreme Court throws out Pakistani man's civil rights claim against the former attorney general and FBI's Robert Mueller. USA Today
Russia and U.S. Begin Nuclear Talks . . . Holding the first of three days of talks in Moscow on a new treaty aimed at reducing their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. BBC
No More Bible Quotes on President's Intel Brief . . . Pentagon no longer includes a Bible quote on cover page of daily intelligence briefings, as it did for Bush. Associated Press
Money
Recovery Hopes Help Lift Stocks . . . The Dow surged 235 points, or 2.9 percent, as bank stocks soared. The S&P 500 is again positive for the year to date. Wall Street Journal
Credit Card Firms to Target Good Customers . . . With Congress cracking down on punitive practices, banks may revive annual fees, curtail rewards programs. New York Times
GM Headed Toward Bankruptcy . . . Scrambling to slash some $27 billion of bond debt, win sweeping concessions from the union, and eliminate almost 1,600 U.S. dealers. Reuters
Big Banks Want to Repay TARP . . . Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and others apply to repay billions in order to shed taint and restrictions. Reuters
U.S. Home Starts Seen Rising in April . . . But it will be tempered by a glut of unsold homes that will probably keep many U.S. home builders off the job. Reuters
International
Killed Tamil Leader Was Evil Innovator . . . Velupillai Prabhakaran's tactics such as suicide bombings were copied by others.
Los Angeles Times
House of Commons Removing Its Speaker . . . Parliament rebels over Michael Martin's failure of leadership on issue of leaders' expensing practices. Guardian
Pakistani Army Controls Buner . . . But residents fear Taliban's return. McClatchy Newspapers
Also Today. . .
Millions Don't Know They Are Diabetic . . . Twenty-three million Americans have diabetes, and one-quarter of them don't realize it.
Wall Street Journal
Today's Cigarettes May Be Riskier . . . Smokers inhale filtered, low-tar more deeply, resulting in additional cancers. Wall Street Journal
Fliers Say Airlines Doing Better . . . Despite extra fees for everything from luggage to lunch, passenger satisfaction with airlines goes up for first time in six years. USA Today
It's Not a Pandemic Yet . . . Pressure from China, Britain, Japan and others persuaded the World Health Organization to hold off on raising its pandemic alert. USA Today
Fast Food Giants Fight Calorie Count Displays . . . Move in Congress to force them to tell you how fattening it all is. Chicago Tribune
Today's Video
Body of Killed Tamil Rebel Leader Displayed . . . YouTube
