China demands Japan release activists over island protest

A fishing boat carrying activists from the Hong Kong-based sails near the disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Japan or Diaoyu in China Comments Off

Via Reuters

China demanded Japan immediately and unconditionally free 14 Chinese activists held over a protest landing on disputed islands on Wednesday, as tensions between Tokyo and its neighbors flared on the anniversary of the end of World War Two.

The landing by the activists on an island chain in the East China Sea and their detention by Japan’s coastguard came on a day of regional diplomatic jousting, underscoring how history dogs Japan’s ties with China and South Korea.

In a meeting with Japan’s ambassador to Beijing and a phone call with a Japanese official, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying lodged “solemn representations” over the latest territorial quarrel between Asia’s two biggest economies.

Fu “demanded that Japan ensure the safety of 14 Chinese nationals and immediately and unconditionally release them”, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website.

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Intrigue Over Mubarak Condition Intensifies as Lawyer Offers New Account

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Via The New York Times

A new sense of political intrigue compounded the confusion over the health of Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday when one of his lawyers contradicted what he called false reports in Egypt’s state-run media that the imprisoned former president had nearly died, insisting that Mr. Mubarak simply fell down in the prison bathroom.

The new account from the lawyer, Youssri Abdel Razeq, raised new questions not only about Mr. Mubarak’s condition but about possible motives within the military-led government that has been in charge since Mr. Mubarak was deposed in the Egyptian revolution last year.

Until Tuesday, Mr. Mubarak, 84, had been kept in the medical wing of a Cairo prison where he had served 17 days of a life sentence for murder as an accomplice in the police killing of hundreds of demonstrators during the protests that eventually toppled him. His lawyers had complained that his deteriorating health meant he should be spared incarceration.

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New York Times Leak Controversy Escalates

Via The Huffington Post

Members of Congress continued to condemn recent national security leaks to the media on Wednesday.

Sen. John McCain set off a frenzy on Tuesday when he accused the White House of selectively leaking high-level, classified information about President Obama’s so-called “kill list,” and about Obama’s role in cyberattacks against Iran, to the New York Times. McCain suggested that the White House had leaked the stories to bolster Obama’s re-election chances.

The White House hit back at McCain on Wednesday, saying that his claims, and his calls for an investigation, were “grossly irresponsible.”

[Full article here]

Bernadette Peters, The Center for Discovery, and The Monderer Foundation Announce the Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination

Source: PR Newswire

HARRIS, N.Y., May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Bernadette Peters, The Center for Discovery, and The Monderer Foundation announced today the naming of the Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination at The Center for Discovery.

“The Center for Discovery has created a remarkable program—unique in the area—that supports the most severely disabled children and adults,” said Ms. Peters, a two-time Tony award-winning actress/singer/comedienne. “Michael was deeply connected to the environment, good health, and the protection of all living creatures. With its focus on promoting wellness and health to expand life’s possibilities for a very vulnerable group of people, The Center for Discovery is the embodiment of Michael’s life passions.”

The Center for Discovery provides individuals with a range of disabilities and medical frailties innovative educational, clinical, residential, and social and creative arts experiences designed to enrich their lives through personal accomplishment. The new Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination inspires adults and children to evolve new options for living.

“The Center for Discovery has one of the most current and innovative educational approaches distinguished by a philosophy that celebrates each individual’s abilities rather than his or her disabilities,” said Carol Turchin Monderer, CEO of The Monderer Foundation. “The Monderer Foundation’s mission is to support multiply challenged children and adults. We are delighted to be involved in supporting The Center for Discovery.”

“We commend Bernadette Peters for her passion, and we thank her for lending her voice to support The Center for Discovery,” said Patrick H. Dollard, President and CEO of The Center for Discovery. “Adults and children come here to learn of our responsibility to respect and care for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our animals, and nature in all its forms. It is for these reasons that we name the heart of The Center for Discovery the ‘Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination.’ The entire center gratefully acknowledges Bernadette Peters and The Monderer Foundation for their support of The Center for Discovery.”

Ex-PM Blair Ducked Fight with U.K. Media

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Via Time.com

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair testified Monday he never challenged the influential British press because doing so would have plunged his administration in a drawn-out and politically damaging fight.

Blair led Britain from 1997 to 2007, and his Labour Party government has been criticized by many — including some of Blair’s former colleagues — as having been too close to the country’s powerful press.

Blair, speaking under oath at an inquiry into media ethics, said the issue wasn’t that he and Britain’s media elite were too cozy, but that he had to manage them carefully.

[Full article here]

Jury deliberations resume in ex-US Senator Edwards’ trial

Via Reuters

The North Carolina jury deciding whether former U.S. Senator John Edwards violated federal election laws during his 2008 presidential bid entered its fourth day of deliberations on Wednesday after it requested a closer look at some evidence.

Jurors late on Tuesday asked to see trial exhibits that might explain the intent behind donor money used to support and conceal Edwards’ pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter as he sought the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Prosecutors accused Edwards, 58, of trying to salvage his campaign by orchestrating a plot that funneled more than $900,000 from two wealthy supporters to Hunter, and a political aide who falsely admitted paternity of the child Edwards fathered with Hunter.

[Full article here]

Monsignor charged in Philadelphia archdiocese clergy sex-abuse trial testifies in own defense

Via The Washington Post

A high-ranking church official accused of transferring sexual-predator priests to unwitting parishes is testifying in his own defense in a groundbreaking Philadelphia clergy sex-abuse trial.

Monsignor William Lynn gave jurors a slight smile as he took the stand Wednesday. He has detailed for them his first parish assignments before taking a seminary leadership position in 1984.

Lynn is the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged for allegedly helping the church bury abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he failed to weed out two priests charged with sexually assaulting teen boys. One of the priests has pleaded guilty, and the other is on trial with Lynn.

[Full article here]

Housing, industrial data point to steady growth

Via Reuters

Groundbreaking for U.S. homes rebounded in April and factory activity gained steam, suggesting a moderate pick up in economic growth early in the second quarter.

The reports on Wednesday were the latest in a series to dampen fears that the recovery in the world’s largest economy was stagnating after tepid job growth last month.

The Commerce Department said housing starts increased 2.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 717,000 units.

In a separate report, the Federal Reserve said production at the nation’s mines, factories and utilities rose 1.1 percent – the largest gain since December 2010.

“The economy is grinding its way forward, but it’s not firing on all cylinders. There is plenty of reasons to be nervous; Europe is top on that list,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

[Full article here]

Bush returns to town for speech; backs Romney

From The Washington Post

Former president George W. Bush on Tuesday praised the Arab Spring movement and said the United States shouldn’t fear the spread of freedom, even if it doesn’t know what policies newly liberated countries will pursue.

In Washington for a speech for his presidential center’s institute, Bush also found himself delivering an unscripted endorsement in this year’s national elections.

“I’m for Mitt Romney,” Bush said, speaking of the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

Bush was leaving after his speech marking the launch of the institute’s “Freedom Collection” when ABC News caught up with him, as the doors of his elevator were closing. His four-word endorsement came as no surprise. Other Bush family members also have endorsed Romney.

[Full story here]

What Does David Gregory Watch?

From TV Newser

NBC “Meet the Press” moderator David Gregory is interviewed by AdWeek, and he reveals his media diet. Gregory is clearly a team player, saying he watches MSNBC (at least during the day) as well as “NBC Nightly News.”

What’s the first information you consume in the morning?
I have Meet the Press and [NBC News] Political Unit colleagues who are sending out notes. I always look at Politico’s Morning Score and Playbook. I’m also trying to make sure I spend time with some of the bigger takes, whether it’s The Weekly Standard or The New Republic.

Are you a TV junkie, or on an airtime-restricted diet?

I watch our [NBC’s] stuff, and I’ve got MSNBC on during the day. I’ll monitor Fox News as well. And I’m always watching Brian [Williams]. People say the evening news isn’t as formidable as it once was, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think it’s still an important driver and truly captures the day.

[Full story here]