Hello
Here's the mishmash.
NYT: President Obama Sticks to a Deadline in Iraq
WASHINGTON — When President Obama approved a plan to withdraw combat forces from Iraq this summer, it was based on the assumption that a newly elected government would be in place by the time Americans headed home. Fourteen months later, that assumption is exploding but the plan remains the same.
The delay and messy aftermath of the Iraqi election mean it may be months before the next government is formed, even as tens of thousands of American troops pack to leave. Yet Mr. Obama has not had a meeting on Iraq with his full national security team in months, and the White House insists that it has no plans to revisit the withdrawal timetable.
The situation presents a test for Mr. Obama’s vow to end the war, perhaps the most defining promise he made when he ran for president. While Mr. Obama has proved flexible about other campaign promises and deadlines, his plan to pull out combat forces by August and the remaining 50,000 trainers and advisers by December 2011 has been the most inviolate of policies.
..."We see no indications now that our planning needs to be adjusted," said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to Mr. Obama.
....Two former officials who worked on Iraq policy in the Obama administration said that after it became clear how late the elections would be, Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander in Iraq, wanted to keep 3,000 to 5,000 combat troops in northern Iraq after the Aug. 31 deadline. But the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the matter, said it was clear that the White House did not want any combat units to remain.
*
*
*
**************************************************************************
*
*
*
Washington Post-ABC News Poll: THE SKY'S NOT FALLING!
*
*
*
*
*
**************************************************************************
*
*
*
Unemployment falls in a majority of US cities
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Unemployment rates fell or remained level in three-quarters of the 372 largest metropolitan areas, a sign that the economic recovery is widespread.
The Labor Department said Wednesday the jobless rate dropped in 69 percent of metro areas last month from February. It rose in 24 percent of large cities and remained the same in the rest.
That's an improvement from February, when the unemployment rate decreased in 51 percent of metro areas and increased in one-third...
*
*
*
**************************************************************************
*
*
*
Paid sick leave pushed for low-income workers
WASHINGTON — Fresh off passage of a sweeping health care overhaul, the Obama administration is supporting legislation to provide mandatory paid sick leave for more than 30 million additional workers who are some of nation's lowest-paid employees.
The Healthy Families Act, sponsored by Sen. Christopher Dodd, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, both Democrats from Connecticut, would require companies that have 15 or more employees to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked or up to seven sick days a year for a full-time worker...
...
More than 50 million American workers — nearly 40 percent of the private labor force — don't get paid if they miss work because of illness.
*
*
*
***********************************************************************
*
*
*
Treasury reaps 8.5% return from companies exiting TARP
Banks' repayments of TARP preferred stock and warrants continue to turn a profit for the U.S. Treasury Department, according to analysis by SNL Financial.
As of March 30, the government has made an 8.5% annualized return on the 49 companies that have exited the Capital Purchase Program and the Target Investment Program, which was created to provide additional funding to Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp...
...Overall, 64 institutions have fully redeemed their preferred stock issued under TARP. Of those, 39 have repurchased warrants, while seven have had their warrants auctioned by the Treasury. In sum, institutions that have exited the programs, plus those 18 that have fully redeemed their TARP preferred stock but still have their warrants held by the Treasury, returned 7.6%, as of March 30.
*
*
*
*************************************************************************
*
*
*
107 years old birthday present. Ohhhhhhh :):):)
*
*
*
*
The town hall in Iowa yesterday:
*
**************************************************************************
*
*
*
So the president visited Missouri and Illinois today, got tons of love and gave two speeches - Yet again going "over the heads" of the WH press corps. Poor babies. Oh well.
All these by AP:
*
Iowa yesterday:
*
*
*
Meet 5-months-old Cameron Bonne:
(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
*
*
Monroe City, Missouri, today:
*
Talikng with workers at an insurance office in Monroe City:
*
In the kitchen of the Schachtsiek family during a tour of their farm in Palmyra, Mo.
*
And the Schachtsiek's three legged dog...
*
*
The Oakley Lindsay Civic Cente Quincy, Illinois:
*