Romney didn't keep his promises in Massachusetts

Deval Patrick: Romney didn't keep his promises in Massachusetts

By Deval L. Patrick, Special to CNN
 Fri June 1, 2012

Editor's note: Gov. Deval L. Patrick, a Democrat, succeeded Mitt Romney as Massachusetts governor.
Boston (CNN) -- Mitt Romney is a smooth salesman. When he was a candidate in 2002, his pitch to the people of Massachusetts was that he could fix all that ailed us. As the Bay State's top salesman, he said, he would "bring great jobs here." He claimed he would at last be the governor to reform state government.
We bought it. Most of us now would warn, "buyer beware."

A 'Secret Millionaire' spends a week in Newark, gives $150K to city charities

June 01, 2012

By James Queally/The Star-Ledger

Newark  From the former crack den he called home to the bustling street corners where men gathered to talk in the sweltering heat, Scott Jacobs spent a week searching for charities in Newark.

Jacobs lived on just $71.03 — the equivalent of welfare wages for a family of two — during the seven days he spent in the state’s largest city — but his charity hunt last July wasn’t about putting money in his own pocket.

It was about giving something back.

The 53-year-old artist became Newark’s "Secret Millionaire" when he donated nearly $150,000 to three charities as part of the ABC reality series that sends some of the country’s wealthiest people undercover to poverty-stricken areas so they can share their riches with deserving

USA's Sloane Stephens ...French Open

USA's Sloane Stephens reaches Round 4 at French Open

6-1-2012 from www.usatoday.com

PARIS (AP) – American teen Sloane Stephens advanced to the fourth round at theFrench Open by beating Mathilde Johansson of France 6-3, 6-2 Friday.

Of the eight teenagers in this year's draw, the 19-year-old Stephens was the only one to even reach the third round.

Stephens, from Coral Springs, Fla., is making her fourthGrand Slam appearance. She reached the third round at the U.S. Open last year in what had been her career best at the major tournaments.

• BLOG: French Open diary, Victoria Azarenka

• PHOTOS: Top shots from Roland Garros

London for the Jubilee

Travel Postcard: London for the Jubilee

LONDON | Fri Jun 1, 2012 

(Reuters) - Got an extra long weekend to explore the British capital where Queen Elizabeth II will be celebrating her 60th year on the throne with a massive Diamond Jubilee party? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors explore London amid the royal hoopla.

Friday

6 p.m. You'd better arrive at least a day or two ahead of the main festivities. Many people will get to London even earlier and will already be staking out places for Sunday's 1,000-boat flotilla along the

The Queen...

The Queen: three steps for Canada to replace the monarchy

By Bob Hepburn 6-1-2012

God save the Queen!

That famous cheer will ring out across England this weekend as the country stages massive Diamond Jubilee celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne.

In Canada, many of us will watch the televised festivities as a gesture of affection — even loyalty in some cases — for the woman who has served with distinction as the Queen of Canada.

For most of her reign, the Queen has been a symbol of stability, dedication and continuity.

But with her reign nearing an end, the time is right for Canadians to start the process of cutting our formal ties to the British monarchy, an outmoded institution that dates back to the days when Canada was a British colony.

It’s obvious why we need to begin the process now, rather than after the Queen is no longer on the throne.

When the Queen dies, her successor, likely Prince Charles, will be proclaimed King of Canada within hours — not days, weeks or months later. That’s what happened when Elizabeth succeeded her father, King George VI, when he died on Feb. 6, 1952.

Once that occurs, Canada will be stuck with yet another foreign monarch as our head of state, possibly for decades.

Sefolosha sparks Thunder to 102-82 win over Spurs

By JEFF LATZKE  6-1-2012

The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — In a Western Conference finals filled with established stars, Thabo Sefolosha used a stretch of defensive excellence to turn the momentum in the Oklahoma City Thunder's favor and stop a dominant seven-week run by the San Antonio Spurs.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, Sefolosha set playoff career-bests with 19 points and six steals, and the Thunder snapped San Antonio's 20-game winning streak by beating the Spurs 102-82 in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.

The Thunder's fears of falling into a historically insurmountable 3-0 series deficit faded quickly as Sefolosha got four steals to power an 8-0 Oklahoma City run in the first 3 minutes and set the tone for San Antonio's worst offensive outing of the season.

Euro-Area Unemployment ...

Euro-Area Unemployment Reaches Record 11%, Led By Spain

By Simone Meier - Jun 1, 2012

Euro-area unemployment reached the highest on record as a deepening economic slump and budget cuts prompted companies from Spain to Italy to reduce their workforces.

The jobless rate in the 17-nation euro zone was at 11 percent in April and March, the European Union’s statistics office in Luxembourg said today. That’s the highest since the data series started in 1995. The March figure was revised higher to 11 percent from 10.9 percent estimated earlier.

Europe’s companies are under pressure to lower costs to protect earnings as the worsening fiscal crisis erodes exports and consumer spending. Euro-area economic confidence dropped more

than economists forecast last month and manufacturing output contracted. Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA) said on May 30 that it may cut as many as 1,000 jobs at LSG Sky Chefs, the world’s largest inflight caterer, in a bid to lower costs through 2014.

Facebook suffers outage that cuts off users

1 June 2012 from  bbc.co.uk

Facebook has suffered a series of service disruptions which left many people unable to use the social network.

The problems meant that the site was unreachable for some people for almost two hours.

Sporadic disruptions were reported by many people and even those who could get through said pages were taking a long time to load.

Facebook apologised but said it had fixed the problem.

Stock slide

Tiger Woods...

Stallings sets Memorial pace, Tiger four back

May 31, 2012Reuters


Tiger Woods, without playing at his best, moved into contention at the Memorial tournament on Thursday while fellow American Scott Stallings made a welcome return to form by charging into a one-shot lead.
Four-times champion Woods birdied three of the four par-fives in surprisingly firm and fast-running conditions at a sun-drenched Muirfield Village Golf Club to card a two-under-par 70, finishing four strokes behind Stallings.
Americans Spencer Levin, who totaled only 21 putts, and Erik Compton opened with 67s while Australian Aaron Baddeley, South African Rory Sabbatini and Argentina's Andres Romero were among a group of seven players knotted on 69.
Woods, who won the most recent of his four titles here in 2009, was reasonably satisfied after mixing four birdies with a double-bogey at the treacherous par-four 18th, his ninth hole of the day.
"It was just a solid round today," the 36-year-old told reporters. "It certainly could have been a lot lower, but I'm pleased with the way I hit the golf ball today. I didn't do anything great and I didn't do anything poorly today.

Nancy Reagan endorses Romney's bid for president

Nancy Reagan endorses Romney's bid for president

5-31-2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former first lady Nancy Reagan served lemonade and cookies to Mitt Romney and his wife and offered the presumptive Republican presidential nominee something extra — her endorsement.
The widow of President Ronald Reagan says she is firmly behind Romney. And she says that her "Ronnie" would have liked Romney's business background and what she calls his "strong principles."
Romney and his wife, Ann, visited Mrs. Reagan at her Los Angeles home on Thursday. The Republican presidential candidate has been campaigning and raising money on the West Coast this week.
In a statement issued after the Romneys' visit, Mrs. Reagan said she believes that Romney has the experience and leadership skills that, in her words, "our country so desperately needs."

Walt Disney Studios' next chairman, Alan Horn,

Alan Horn could revive Walt Disney Studios' magic

Walt Disney Studios' next chairman, Alan Horn, has a reputation for nurturing successful family-friendly films such as 'Harry Potter.'

By Dawn C. Chmielewski, Los Angeles Times
June 1, 2012

In naming film veteran Alan Horn to oversee its troubled movie studio, Walt Disney Co. has tapped an executive who nurtured the blockbuster "Harry Potter" franchise and could bring magic back to the studio that once controlled the family film market.

The former Warner Bros. Entertainment president takes over as Walt Disney Studios chairman June 11, assuming control of the Burbank company whose 1937 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" heralded a golden age of animated movies and made Mickey Mouse, Ariel and the Lion King an indelible part of the American childhood.

Euro structure is 'unsustainable,'

Euro structure is 'unsustainable,' ECB chief warns

May 31, 2012Associated Press
From foxnews.com
FRANKFURT, Germany –  The head of the European Central Bank warned Thursday that the euro currency union is "unsustainable" without stronger political and financial ties, and called for a new course to save it from a crippling debt crisis.
Mario Draghi heaped criticism on European political leaders for being slow to respond to the 2½-year crisis, saying delays and half-measures had only made the situation worse.
Speaking to the European Parliament in Brussels, Draghi said the central bank has done what it could to fight the problems by reducing interest rates and giving $1.2 trillion (€1 trillion) in emergency loans to banks. Now, he said, it is up to the 17 member countries to devise a broad vision for the future.
The ECB cannot "fill the vacuum of the lack of action by national governments," he said, urging sweeping reforms to spur growth, reduce deficits and create a Europe-wide banking regulator.
Beyond that, the euro needs a fundamental reworking of its rules and management, he said, calling the current structure "unsustainable unless further steps are taken."

Police: 'Hero' saved others in Seattle shootings

Police: 'Hero' saved others in Seattle shootings

By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press
5-31-2012

SEATTLE (AP) — Someone inside an artsy Seattle cafe where a gunman opened fire threw stools at the assailant during a shooting rampage police described as "callous, horrific and cold," a move that allowed others to run to safety.
Ian Lee Stawicki was armed with two .45-caliber handguns and began shooting Wednesday morning at Cafe Racer, killing four people. Police said he fled and later killed a female motorist, taking off with her SUV.
Stawicki later killed himself as police closed in.
Police said more people could have been injured or even killed at the cafe were it not for the actions of the man, whom they did not identify. They did not say whether he was a patron or an employee.
"The hero picked up a stool and threw it at the suspect. Hit him. Picked up another stool, as the suspect is shooting and now pointing (a gun) at him and hits him with another stool," Assistant Chief Jim Pugel

Sell in May and go away

Sell in May and go away: Stocks close dismal month

By CHRISTINA REXRODE, AP Business Writer
5-31-2012

NEW YORK (AP) — They sold in May and went away, all right.
With a disappointing finish on Thursday, the stock market closed what was by some measures its worst month in two years. Over five dismal weeks, Facebook fizzled, a debt crisis in Europe loomed, and nobody was in the mood to buy.
When May was mercifully over, the Dow Jones industrial average and other major indexes had erased most of the strong gains they built up through March and held on to in April.
"Any time the market dips like this, it erodes some confidence," said Craig Callahan, co-founder and president of ICON Advisers in Denver. "It scares people out of the market. All of the above, May has done that."

New York to ban sale of big sodas by restaurants and food carts

From Ronni Berke, CNN

 Thu May 31, 2012

New York (CNN) -- New York City is poised to ban the sale of large-sized sodas and other sugary beverages in an effort to combat rising obesity rates, a city official said Thursday.

The ban would outlaw the sale of such drinks larger than 16 ounces from restaurants, food carts and any other establishment that receives a letter grade for food service. It would not apply to grocery stores.

Romney gets backing of Rice

Romney gets backing of Rice, Shultz at Calif. fundraiser

By Seema Mehta

May 30, 2012

HILLSBOROUGH, Calif.—

Mitt Romney was endorsed by former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and George Shultz at a fundraiser here Wednesday night, with both arguing that Romney is best suited to right the nation’s economy and standing in the world.

Shultz noted that he had served Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan, and knew both Bushes well, so he recognized leadership and he saw it in Romney.

“Look at these people, and you see they have good minds, not just intellects, but some sort of creative ability to grasp the depth of what’s going on and that’s really important and this man has that kind of mind,” Shultz told 300 people at a hilltop castle in this Bay Area suburb. “Then you find that all these people have the ability to identify long-term issues that you have to pay attention to.”

Motorcyclist clocked going 193 mph on NY highway

Associated Press 5.23.2012

ROSENDALE, N.Y. — Authorities say a 28-year-old man in upstate New York has been charged with driving his motorcycle at nearly 200 mph on a highway in the rain.

State police say a trooper clocked Anthony Anderson of Poughkeepsie driving at 193 mph around 8 p.m. Wednesday in the southbound lanes of Interstate 87 just south of Albany — the same stretch of road where another motorcyclist was spotted doing 166 mph earlier this month.

The trooper was able to get a description of the high-performance bike and alerted nearby patrols.

Troopers eventually stopped Anderson in the town of Rosendale.

euro zone ...Bank Reform

ECB's Draghi Calls for Bank Reform

 May 31, 2012 

By MARGIT FEHER

BRUSSELS—European Central Bank President Mario Draghi called on European politicians to come up with a vision for the euro zone for the years ahead to better tackle the region's debt crisis and to restore confidence, suggesting that a centralization of financial-sector regulation should be the first step.

"The sooner the vision is clarified the better for the European Union," Mr. Draghi said Thursday at a hearing in front of the European Parliament's Committee of Monetary and Financial Affairs.

Coming forward with a vision for the euro would restore confidence in the euro zone and be the best means to boost sagging economic growth, Mr. Draghi said.

German president ...Israel visit

German president criticizes settlements on Israel visit

May 31, 2012

BERLIN (JTA) - German President Joachim Gauck raised the issue of Israeli settlements during his official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 30, Gauck asked the Israeli leader to show readiness to make a compromise on settlement construction.

Gauck also was to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who have maintained that settlement expansion must stop if peace talks are to resume. The Israeli position is that peace talks should resume first, and that the settlement policy would then be on the table.

In a statement issued May 30, the American Jewish Committee's Berlin office applauded Gauck's "strong reaffirmation of German-Jewish relations" but also urged him to affirm his commitment to protecting Israel's security, in light of "an increasingly negative climate toward Israel" in Germany.

Recent polls have shown a decline in popular support for Israel among German citizens, noted Berlin AJC director Deidre Berger.

Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen

Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen rise to occasion

By Steve Buckley
Thursday, May 31, 2012

MIAMI — However it all shakes out, Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals is going to be remembered as the night Rajon Rondo [stats] played all those minutes and scored all those points.

As in all 53 minutes in the Celtics [team stats]’ crushing 115-111 overtime loss to the Miami Heat last night at American Airlines [AMR] Arena.

As in a whopping 44 points, making for the most explosive offensive effort of Rondo’s career.
But, yes, the Celtics did lose, and decorum demands that Rondo’s effort be the footnote to that loss, not the other way around. But here’s the thing: This was the rare game in which the losing team produced not one but two significant story lines. You had your Rondo storyline, and you had — insert gasps of surprise here — your Ray Allen storyline.
Can we all agree that Rajon Rondo had a 44-point playoff game in him? Of course! He’s young, he’s healthy, he’s talented and, of course, the red-hot glare of the national spotlight agrees with him.
But can we also agree that Ray Allen didn’t have any clutch, let’s-send-this-baby-into-overtime shots remaining in his decidedly dented tank? He had looked every bit the old and injured player that he is in Game 1, Celts coach Doc Rivers being so candid as to put it out there that “. . . his leg is out on