ARTICLE

Barack Obama 2012: President Vows To Block Attempts To Roll Back Gay Rights

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- President Barack Obama basked in the support of his gay and lesbian backers Wednesday night, revving up an enthusiastic crowd with a pledge to block any attempt to roll back rights that gay Americans have gained under his administration.

With his public embrace of same-sex marriage just weeks old, a standing ovation with sustained applause greeted the president at a 600-person campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles for gay and lesbian supporters.

The president, nearing the end of a lengthy day of West Coast fundraising, appeared to feed off the energy of a crowd that included a handful of celebrities, including comedian Ellen DeGeneres and the singer Cher.

Making the case for his re-election, Obama said he would refuse to allow anyone to attempt to reinstate the military's ban on openly gay service members, a measure the president had fought to repeal.

"That's not something I will tolerate," he said. Some Republicans have said they would back the reinstatement of the "don't ask, don't tell" law. Mitt Romney, Obama's Republican rival in the presidential race, is not among them.

Obama ticked through what he called his presidential "to-do" list, saying "we've gotten some stuff done over the last three-and-a-half years." After launching into a passionate defense of his contested health care overhaul, he referred back to the to-do list. "Check," he said.

The president expected to raise more than $5 million for his re-election campaign and the Democratic Party during fundraisers in San Francisco and Los Angeles on Wednesday and Thursday.

Earlier Wednesday during an event in San Francisco, Obama conceded that people around the country are wondering if he can keep his promise to build an economy designed for the long term. But he blasted opponents as offering nothing more than finger-pointing as a platform.

Obama told donors at the $5,000 per person fundraiser that "the other side" doesn't have any new ideas.

"And because they don't have any new ideas, what they will do is spend 500, 700, a billion dollars in negative ads and their simple message will be: This is someone else's fault and that's enough reason for you to vote for us," he said.

"And," he added, "if we don't answer them, that can work."

In "Virginia or Iowa or North Carolina or California, all across the country," Obama said, "there are a lot of folks who are still wondering – are we going to be able to fully deliver on that promise of a country that is thriving and has an economy that is built to last?"

Obama offered no new prescriptions for how he would answer Americans' economic questions. He said he's pushing a number of bills in Congress aimed at boosting jobs and growth but has gotten little help from Republican lawmakers.

The president was introduced by Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays, a former outfielder for the New York Giants and San Francisco Giants.

Following his fundraising drive in California, Obama was heading to Nevada on Thursday for a speech at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The president planned to announce new steps to help college students repay their loans and his efforts to jumpstart the economy.

Comment

            While Obama's support is reassuring, it would appear your judiciary has lost all patience with the same tired, unproven arguments other segments of society lap up so readily. You don't have to prove something is correct for a voter to believe you. You do have to prove something is correct for a judge to believe you.

In the end, these hateful Christian fundamentalists can't prove their lies, and it's why gay people keep losing at the ballot box, and winning in court. Great stories, no substance. So, while I thank the President for his support, I'm still putting my faith in a judiciary that will continue to make progress on gay rights, even if the Democrats lose the election.

Afghanistan: Suicide Bombers Kill 20 Civilians Near NATO Base

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 6 (Reuters) - A pair of suicide bombers struck outside NATO's biggest base in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing 20 civilians and wounding 50, officials said, in one of the bloodiest attacks in recent weeks. And officials and villagers in Logar province, about 30 km south of Kabul, said a NATO air strike killed 18 civilians, including women and children, along with six Taliban insurgents.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said there was an air strike in the area during a raid on a Taliban commander, but there were no civilian deaths. It said two women received non life-threatening injuries and that a number of insurgents were killed.

Four provincial governors from the south were at a meeting at the sprawling NATO base in Kandahar when the twin suicide attacks took place, General Abdul Hameed, Afghan army commander for the southern region, told Reuters.

A bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up in a parking lot near the base packed with truck drivers and other civilians waiting to get into the facility.

A few minutes later, as people gathered at the site of the blast, another bomber on foot walked into the crowd and detonated his explosives, said Ahmad Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

A spokesman for the NATO-led force said the coalition was aware of the incident, but directed all questions to civilian authorities.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan since the Taliban began a spring offensive in April, vowing to target the Afghan government and security forces, as well as the 130,000 foreign troops in the country.

Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, has seen some of the worst attacks. The violence has stoked concern that Afghan forces may struggle against a Taliban insurgency at its deadliest once most Western combat troops leave by the end of 2014.

NATO AIR STRIKE

Ahead of the handover, foreign and Afghan forces have stepped up operations in the southern and eastern strongholds of the Taliban. On Wednesday, the coalition and Afghan forces conducted an operation in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province against a Taliban commander.

Rais Khan Sadiq, the senior police detective for Logar, said 18 civilians were killed in the air strike that followed the raid - five women, seven children and six men, three of them elderly.

"The air strike was on two houses," he said. Six insurgents were also killed, he said.

But NATO spokesman Major Martyn Crighton said the coalition had received no information on civilian deaths.

"We can confirm there was an Afghan and coalition mission in Baraki Barak district last night or early this morning. We can confirm in follow-on assessments the security force discovered two women who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries," he said, adding they were treated at an ISAF facility.

"Beyond that, we don't have anything at this stage," he said.

President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly warned against civilian casualties in military operations. He said last month that a strategic partnership agreement signed with the United States was at risk of becoming "meaningless" if Afghans did not feel safe

Comment

This is ironic. The Afghanistan people complain about NATO airstrikes; however, they accept Taliban civillian suicide-bombing. Part of me wants to wash my hands of Afghanistan and its people; but as long as there is one individual in Afghanistan whom yearns for human dignity I believe it is our responsibility to fight for that individual's rights. NATO should never have went into Afghanistan, but it is irresponsible to, after 10-yrs, to just leave these people to their tormentors. The Taliban is a mysogenistic, extremist organization that deals drugs and murders people. Deserting Afghanistan is like allowing organized crime to gain control of a state of the union. Yes, there are big disparities between our cultures; however, are these people not allowed to live in dignity?

Israel Settlements: Netanyahu Orders Construction Of 300 New West Bank Homes

JERUSALEM — Israel's prime minister on Wednesday ordered construction of 300 new homes in a West Bank settlement, a move aimed at placating settler anger over the planned demolition of an illegally built outpost nearby.

The decision infuriated the Palestinians, who have refused to conduct peace talks while Israel expands its settlements on occupied land. It also risked drawing an international backlash.

Netanyahu has been grappling with a domestic crisis over the unauthorized settlement outpost of Ulpana. The Supreme Court has ordered the five apartment buildings in the outpost to be removed by July 1 after determining they were built on private Palestinian land.

Netanyahu has said he would honor the ruling, while Jewish settlers and their hard-line allies in Netanyahu's government have vowed to resist the order.

Netanyahu announced his decision shortly after parliament rejected an attempt by hard-line lawmakers to prevent the Ulpana demolition. The proposal sought to leave the buildings, home to 30 families, intact and instead compensate the Palestinian landowners. But under pressure from Netanyahu, the parliament resoundingly defeated the measure by a 69-22 vote.

Netanyahu opposed the bill, saying it would likely be overturned by the Supreme Court and generate harsh international criticism.

In order to blunt settler anger, Netanyahu has come up with a novel solution: Instead of demolishing the buildings, he plans on removing them from their foundations and transferring them to the nearby settlement of Beit El. In addition, he said he would build 300 more homes in Beit El.

"Israel is a democracy that observes the law, and as prime minister I am obligated to preserve the law and preserve the settlements, and I say here that there is no contradiction between the two," Netanyahu said.

"This formula strengthens settlements," he added. "`'The court ruled what it did, and we respect its decision. In parallel, Beit El will be expanded. The 30 families will stay in Beit El and they will be joined by 300 new families."

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the new construction. "This is a very grave development, this undermines all efforts to revive the peace making between the two sides," he said.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the planned construction "undermines peace efforts." He said, "We do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity. And, we want to see both parties refrain from these kinds of actions and to get back into negotiations."

Netanyahu's plan has come under fire from various quarters. Critics say the move is unnecessarily expensive and complicated. Settlers reject any move of the buildings.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the new construction. "This is a very grave development, this undermines all efforts to revive the peace making between the two sides," he said.

There was no immediate reaction from Washington. The U.S., along with most of the international community, considers the settlements illegitimate.

Settler leaders have promised to resist the order, though they say their opposition will be peaceful. Police said two arrests were made when young demonstrators scuffled with authorities.

"The Knesset chose destruction instead of construction. We will not be deterred. We will continue to build," said settler leader Dani Dayan.

Jewish settlements are at the heart of the current impasse in Mideast peace efforts.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down three years ago, and the Palestinians refuse to restart negotiations until Israel freezes settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The Palestinians claim both areas, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, for a future state. With 500,000 Israelis now living on land claimed by the Palestinians, they say their dream of gaining independence is growing ever more distant.

Netanyahu says talks should resume without any preconditions and has rejected calls for a full settlement freeze.

A Palestinian official said late Wednesday in Cairo that rival parties have agreed on a new government. That would be a major step toward reconciliation and overdue elections.

The split between Fatah and Hamas has hindered Mideast peace efforts. The two rivals differ markedly on how to deal with Israel. Fatah favors peace talks, while Hamas does not recognize the Jewish state.

The two reached an accord last year but failed to implement it. The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority rules in the West Bank, while Hamas is in control of Gaza.

Representatives of the two sides met Wednesday in Cairo. Fatah delegation member Sakher Beseiso said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Khaled Mashaal of Hamas would meet June 20 in Cairo to approve the new Cabinet, and then it would be announced in Ramallah in the West Bank.

Comment

This conflict will be resolved by either:

A. A territorial division accommodating the claims/rights of both sides;

B. One party gets all, the other nothing

The Jews always opted for "A"; the Arabs always rejected "A" (significantly in 1937, 1947, 1948-1967, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2010). Unfortunately, the Arabs still reject "A" & pursue the "all-or-nothing" approach -- either through violent "jihad" (the Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood/Hizb'ullah/Iran route), or through "demographic conquest" (the Palestinian Authority/"Arab Peace Initiative" route).

This leaves Israel with one option: of making sure that "B" turns out in its favor. Israel-haters will of course rage; but countless opinion polls (& all parliamentary elections) show that a large majority of Israelis would prefer solution "A". But it takes two to tango: if "B" is the only thing Arabs will have -- then "B" it is. "The settlements" are a move in that direction, albeit a slow & reluctant one, leaving the other side a chance to come to its senses.

If Palestinian Arabs wish to stop "settlements", all they have to do is admit -- in return for a reciprocal admission from Israel -- that the Jewish people is entitled to a state of its own in part of its ancestral homeland; then sign an internationally guaranteed peace treaty, dividing territory, water, etc. & extinguishing all other claims. Simple. But then, if Arab leaders were capable of reasonable accommodation, there wouldn't be terrible strife & bloodshed in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Egypt.

Facebook Is 'Going To Disappear' Within 8 Years..?

Don't expect to find your Facebook inbox full of friend requests eight years from now -- it's likely Facebook is going to disappear. At least, that's the future according to Eric Jackson, founder of investment firm Ironfire Capital.

Jackson appeared on CNBC’s "Squawk on the Street" on Monday to discussFacebook's inevitable demise and how web companies strive to evolve.

"In five to eight years [Facebook is] going to disappear in the way that Yahoo has disappeared," Jackson said during a phone interview on the show. "Yahoo is still making money, it's still profitable, still has 13,000 employees working for it, but it's 10 percent of the value that it was at the height of 2000. For all intents and purposes, it's disappeared."

Jackson described three generations of web companies. The first generation was dominated by websites like Yahoo, which aggregated everything you need to know in one place. Those big web portals, which Jackson dubs Web 1.0, were followed by the dawn of social networking sites, including Facebook. The current generation is composed entirely of web companies focused on monetizing the mobile platform.

Jackson said Facebook's struggle lies in a web company's inability to easily move from one generation to the next. Take Google for example. The web giant reigned supreme in Jackson's designated first generation, but struggled to move into the social networking realm, with several failed models. Google+ may be the most successful of Google's social networking efforts to date, but its more than 100 million active usersstill does not rival Facebook's astounding 900 million.

"When you look over these three generations, no matter how successful you are in one generation, you don't seem to be able to translate that into success in the second generation, no matter how much money you have in the bank, no matter how many smart Ph.Ds you have working for you," Jackson said.

In Jackson's view, Facebook cannot effectively create and monetize a mobile platform by simply buying up as many mobile apps as it can muster. Sure, Facebook can purchase Instagram for $1 billion, but that will not transform Facebook's core business model. At its heart, Facebook is a social networking site, not a mobile company.

"[Facebook] can buy a bunch of mobile companies, but they are still a big, fat website," Jackson said.

The bottom line behind Jackson's comments is that Facebook may be stuck in the social networking realm forever. And as we've seen with Facebook predecessors like MySpace and Friendster, there will always be a new competitor on the horizon.

"Facebook is not going bankrupt. I think what's going to happen is something new is going to come along that we haven't seen yet," Jackson said, and "people are going to be fascinated by it and attracted to it."

comment

I totally agree, as i said before not too long ago facebook will flounder and eventually sink away and myspace will eventually take its place once again . It's just a matter of time. The stocks that are being sold are sinking as well. Even if a miricle does happen that it rebounds it will be a temporary result. In the end it all was a waste of good hard earned money that dissapeared into the sunset never to be seen again. Investing in government backed bonds to me is the best and safest way to secure a dividend without a financial loss..... Remember to always think before you leap on to a dinosaur.

Dog Nurses Siberian Tiger Cubs In Sochi, Russia

MOSCOW (AP) -- Two Siberian tiger cubs abandoned in Russia by their mother have found an unusual wet nurse -- a wrinkled, sand-colored Shar Pei dog named Cleopatra, a zoo worker said Wednesday.

The cubs were born late May in a zoo at the Oktyabrsky health resort in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Zoo assistant director Viktoria Kudlayeva said the dog immediately gave the cubs all her attention.

"She accepted them right away," Kudlayeva said in a telephone interview. "She's cleaning them and breast feeding them as if they were her own. And they also sleep together."

The cubs -- named Clyopa, after their adopted mother, and Plyusha -- are also being fed goat's milk.

Kudlayeva said that the cubs pose no danger to the dog even though they are already showing their claws and hissing.

"They aren't aggressive and they depend on her for feeding," she said.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Fewer than 400 Siberian tigers -- also known as Ussuri, Amur or Manchurian tigers -- have survived in the wild, most of them in Russia's Far East.

Comment

Adorable to say the least, i am an animal lover and and I think this could be a good example for us. I can appreciate this and it is an Honor to be able to witness the Love that Animals have, the shame of it all is why human beings cant have that same Honor as the Animals do? I commend any1 who chooses to help an animal whenever, they can and however they can. Praises to all who take the time to do due dilligence in this unstable world. May we set forth a trend that will bring us back to the love and respect that we had growing up with the Morals and stability of parents doing their jobs properly