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James B. McGinnis Dies. James B. McGinnis III: Teacher of Peace, conscientious objector, dies. When some people in the University Hills neighborhood of University City go out to get their paper each morning, it's often found very close to their front door. Until Friday morning, many people thought it was just good aim by their newspaper carrier. It was not. It was because Jim McGinnis had put it there. "He went about doing random acts of kindness," Joan Falk, a longtime family friend, wrote to Mr. McGinnis' neighbors after he died, apparently of a heart attack, during one of his early morning walks on Thursday. "It was a daily commitment that was as natural for him as breathing. Our neighborhood was blessed by his nearly daily presence on our streets. "He was the closest thing to a living saint that I knew, because he cared passionately about peace and justice," Falk said.
C.I.A.-Blackwater. C.I.A. Sought Blackwater’s Help in Plan to Kill Jihadists The Central Intelligence Agency hired contractors from Blackwater USA as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda, according to officials. CIA Hired Firm as Assassins Blackwater missions against al-Qaeda never began, ex-officials say. CIA hired private contractors for secret assassination project The CIA hired contractors from the controversial private security firm Blackwater to take part in a secret operation to track down and assassinate members of al-Qaida, it was reported today.
Lockerbie Convict. Scotland Lets Lockerbie Convict Return to Libya The decision to release the former Libyan intelligence agent on compassionate grounds was made after his lawyers said he was dying of prostate cancer. Lockerbie Bomber Freed By Scottish Government Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was serving a life sentence for the deaths of 270 people, was released on compassionate grounds due to terminal illness. Scotland frees Libyan convicted in Lockerbie bombing Abdel Baset Ali Megrahi, dying from cancer, had been serving a life sentence for the airliner blast that killed 270. US reacts angrily to Lockerbie bomber's release US politicians and families of US victims of the Lockerbie bombing were uniformly outraged and dismayed by the Scottish government's decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to Libya on compassionate grounds.
Edward Kennedy. Kennedy Asks for Quicker Procedure to Pick His Successor Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts has asked state lawmakers to change the law and let the governor appoint a temporary replacement upon his death. Kennedy Eyes Succession Cancer-stricken senator asks Massachusetts leaders to change law covering his replacement.
Afghanistan Election. Turnout Seen as Uneven in Afghanistan as Polls Close Voters defied threats from the Taliban and rocket attacks on Thursday in an election that has become a critical benchmark of the nation’s progress. At War: Latest Updates on Afghanistan’s Election With donkeys carrying some ballot boxes back to Kabul, results could take weeks to count, Reuters reported. Analysts Fear Violence, Instability if Afghan Vote Lacks Credibility As Afghans venture out Thursday to choose a president for the second time ever, they hope the election will produce a historic leap forward for the country's precarious young democracy, but they fear it could just as easily mark a disastrous plunge backward into the chaotic civil conflicts of the past three decades. Afghan voters warily approach the ballot box Even in the security of the capital, many wait until late in the day to go to the polls, thinking it might be safer.
Americans Oppose Afghanistan War. Poll Shows Most Americans Oppose War in Afghanistan A majority of Americans now see the war in Afghanistan as not worth fighting, and just a quarter say more U.S. troops should be sent to the country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Poll: Americans' mood sours on Afghan war A majority of Americans now see the war in Afghanistan as not worth fighting and just a quarter say more U.S. troops should be sent to the country, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Poll: Most say Afghanistan war not worth fighting A majority of Americans say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, according to a poll released on the eve of that nation's elections.
Switzerland-UBS. Switzerland Selling Its Stake in UBS The government says it expects to turn a profit of over $900 million after helping to rescue the troubled bank. UBS to Name Account Holders in New Era for Swiss Banking Time is running out for wealthy Americans with secret Swiss bank accounts, as they weigh whether they want to turn themselves in to the Internal Revenue Service or gamble that their names are not among the thousands set to be exposed in one of the U.S. government's most aggressive efforts to hunt down international tax cheats.
Guantanamo Detainees. Obama Administration Making Progress on Transferring Guantanamo Bay Detainees The Obama administration has secured commitments from nearly a dozen countries willing to accept detainees from Guantanamo Bay and is increasingly confident about its ability to transfer a large majority of the prisoners who have been cleared for release, according to U.S. and foreign officials. Obama admin to transfer six Guantanamo prisoners The Obama administration plans to transfer six prisoners abroad from the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, part of the effort to close the controversial facility by early 2010.
South Korea. South Korea Agrees to Visit by North The South Korean government has agreed to allow North Korean diplomats to travel to Seoul to bring a funeral wreath for the former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung. North Korea's U.N. Diplomats Meet With New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson In the latest in a string of conciliatory moves, the North Korean government sent a delegation to meet Wednesday with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who said the isolated country is ‘now prepared to have a dialogue with us’ after months of aggressive nuclear testing that alarmed the international community.
Lead Pollution in China. Lead Sickens 1,300 Children in China The lead pollution from an unlicensed manganese smelter is the second incident of mass lead poisoning in the past month. China’s Secretive Military Opens Up in Cyberspace The newest move of China’s military is online, with a slick new Web site meant to give outsiders a carefully controlled view of the country’s army.
Pakistan. U.S. Officials Get a Taste of Pakistanis’ Anger at America President Obama’s representatives must defend American foreign policy initiatives in Pakistan in the face of rising anti-American sentiments. World Digest The deputy head of the Pakistani Taliban announced Wednesday that he was temporarily assuming leadership of the militant group because its chief, who Washington and Islamabad have said was almost certainly killed by a recent missile strike, was unwell.
Ahmadinejad Cabinet. Ahmadinejad Submits a Cabinet of Acolytes Facing persistent opposition, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran will shore up his circle of loyalists. Iran's Ahmadinejad Misses Deadline to Submit List of Cabinet Picks Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday ignored a constitutional deadline for submission of the names of his 21 new cabinet picks, although several news agencies close to the government released the names of the purported nominees, with the exception of the proposed justice minister.
Government Jobs Grow. Government Jobs Have Grown Since Recession State and local governments have added a net of 110,000 jobs, but cuts are likely this year.
Oklahoma Abortion Law. Abortion Law Backers Vow Oklahoma Appeal A day after an Oklahoma judge struck down an abortion law, abortion rights advocates celebrated but acknowledged the law’s supporters would fight on. Oklahoma abortion law overturned Provisions are struck down that would have required every patient seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound and a doctor's description of the fetus. Law Requiring Ultrasounds for Abortions Is Struck Down An Oklahoma judge decided Tuesday that doctors do not need to perform ultrasounds and offer women detailed information about the tests before performing abortions, striking down the strictest such law in the country.
Obama Calls Health Plan a ‘Moral Obligation’ The president asked religious leaders to help promote his efforts to overhaul the nation’s health care system. On Faith Call, Obama Seeks to Refute 'Ludicrous' Claims About Health Reform Saying some people have been "bearing false witness" in the debate over health care, President Obama told a conference call of religious leaders on Wednesday evening that overhauling the current system is a moral imperative. Obama Attempts to Debunk Rumors in Call to Faith Leaders President Obama pitched government-funded health care as a “a core ethical and moral obligation” in a conference call open to the public tonight, saying that some people are "bearing false witness."
Cash for Clunkers. Dealers Reassured on Clunker Rebates Some auto dealers have stopped taking part because their reimbursement requests have not yet been approved, leading to cash problems at their businesses. Dealers Quit 'Cash for Clunkers,' Calling Uncle Sam Too Slow to Pay Dozens of auto dealers in the New York area and at least one in Maryland are pulling out of the U.S. government's popular "Cash for Clunkers" program because of problems in getting reimbursed. GM to Advance Cash to Dealers for Clunker Rebates General Motors Co. said Thursday that it will provide cash advances to its U.S dealers to cover their "cash for clunkers" rebate until they are paid by the federal government.
Iraq. Carnage in Baghdad Suggests Sectarian War Is Far From Over The massive car bombs that killed about 100 people and wounded more than 500 in Baghdad on Wednesday morning offered powerful new evidence of the enduring strength of Sunni extremists nearly two months after U.S. troops all but disappeared from Iraqi cities. Iraq Government Reviews Security After Baghdad Blasts Iraqi officials suspended efforts to remove fortifications from the capital on Thursday in response to a devastating pair of bombings that killed 95 people the day before.
Liberation of Women. The Women’s Crusade The liberation of women could help solve many of the world’s problems, from poverty to child mortality to terrorism. A New Gender Agenda Hillary Clinton talks about the Obama administration’s plans to push women’s rights issues on the international stage. A School Bus for Shamsia A writer returned to Afghanistan to buy a bus for Afghan girls who were attacked on their walk to school. But it turns out giving isn’t always easy. The Way We Live Now: The Power of the Purse Philanthropy among women isn’t new. What they’re financing is.
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