Today's coverage agenda: Israel's Arabs, gay marriages, recession's end
The stories we are covering and plan to post today:
In US news ...
• Ron Scherer in New York reports on the views of 50 prominent economic forecasters who see the US economy finally stabilizing and say the recession should end by fall. But 2009 will be the second straight year of overall shrinkage, making this the worst downturn since the Eisenhower administration. The drag on the economy is now lagging business investment.
• Has North Korea gone too far this time? Howard LaFranchi in Washington looks at whether the Hermit Kingdom has tipped the international community over the edge to a tougher stance: more sanctions and other efforts to manage a long-term “bad apple,” less cajoling and six-party talks.
• Mark Trumbull looks at why bankruptcy has not been the disaster for Chrysler that many expected it would be. Can the same be true for GM, if it files for bankruptcy too?
• Mike Farrell reports on the road ahead for California’s gay community, especially the issues that a “special class” of married gay couples will present for the community and for the state.
• Pete Spotts writes on the space station crew, which is about to double. Good thing the wastewater recycling system works now.
• Laurent Belsie will update the housing scene with the latest sales numbers from the National Association of Realtors.
In world news ...
• Sara Miller Llana reports on Mexico's arrest Tuesday of 10 mayors and 18 other high-level officials in President Calderon’s home state of Michoacan. The mayors are alleged to have been protecting one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels, La Familia. The unprecedented step is part of the president’s ongoing crackdown against the cartels.
• Norway’s massive sovereign wealth fund voted against a proposal to divest itself of Canadian oil sands projects because of environmental concerns. But Tom Sullivan writes that ahead of Copenhagen climate talks, many Norwegians are pushing for their government to do more to become carbon neutral.
• Fred Weir in Moscow explores whether Russia can sway North Korea. Russia once had a lot of influence in North Korea, but Putin has had trouble persuading the Dear Leader to listen. Will this time be different?
• Issam Ahmed in Lahore reports on how Pakistanis are responding to the latest suicide car bombing.
• In Israel, Avigdor Lieberman’s party has proposed two pieces of legislation that are likely to bring unprecedented international attention to the status of Israeli Arabs. Both require stepped-up Arab commitment to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state: one through an oath of loyalty, the other through a ban on commemorating the mass exodus of Palestinians in 1948. Josh Mitnick in Tel Aviv looks at what’s motivating the bills, and how those issues might be addressed.
• Heba Aly reports from Nairobi on the undermanned and underfunded African peacekeepers in Somalia who are increasingly bearing the brunt of an ugly conflict pitting extremist Islamist insurgents against a new, moderate transitional government. Analysts say the mission, known as AMISOM, has held up well. But AMISOM officials say they are losing on one important front: the information war. Now, they’re out to change that.
On the innovations front ...
• Greg Lamb explores whether your cellphone and your laptop will eventually morph into the same product.
