The Cheat Sheet

Frontpage: Friday, May 18th

1. Zuckerberg Rings Opening Bell: Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg rang the Wall Street opening bell Friday, the day his company is set to debut on the market. Facebook will start trading stocks on the open market at 11 a.m. Friday, 90 minutes after the New York Stock Exchange opens, and a share will be traded at $38, giving the company a $104 billion valuation.
2. Detective: Trayvon Didn’t Start Fight: The lead detective in the case against George Zimmerman’s alleged shooting of Trayvon Martin said he believes Zimmerman caused the fight by getting out of his car to confront Martin, and believes the Florida neighborhood-watch volunteer should be charged with manslaughter.  
3. Dimon Will Testify Before Congress: It’s been a rough few days for JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. First came news that his company suffered a $2 billion trading loss. Then came reports that the loss might be closer to $3 billion. Now, Dimon is going to have to go before the Senate Banking Committee to explain what happened. 
4. Syria Warns Arab Nations: Gulf powers like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have argued that Syrian insurgents should be supplied with weapons, and Assad’s government has repeatedly accused countries of backing a “terrorist” campaign.
5. Netanyahu: Iran isn’t Serious About Nuke Talks: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday he doesn’t believe Iran is serious about ending its nuclear program. 

Photo via picturedept:

Photo of the Day: May 17, 2012

The Heat is On
A boy leads his goat past a parched pond in India.

PHOTO OF THE DAY ARCHIVE

Frontpage: Thursday, May 10th

1. Twin Damascus Blasts Kill 40: Twin explosions rocked Damascus on Thursday, killing at least 40 people and injuring 170, according to Syrian state television. The blasts occurred near an intelligence building for the security forces, and they ripped the façade off the building although the structure of the building remained intact. 
2. Angry Dems: Move Convention!: Charlotte seemed like a good convention idea in 2010. Democrats, angry over the passage of the controversial anti-gay marriage “Amendment One,” have begun petitioning to move the 2012 convention from Charlotte, although Democratic officials insisted on Wednesday that there won’t be change in location.  
3. Obama Seeks Money After Announcement: Not long after President Obama told ABC News on that he supports gay marriage Wednesday, his campaign team sent out an email explaining his decision and asking boosters to donate to his re-election effort. 
4. Wreckage of Russian Plane Found: An Indonesian air force official has reportedly located the wreckage of a Russian plane that went missing Wednesday morning. The Sukhoi SuperJet-100, with 48 people on board, left Jarkata during a commercial exercise with reporters, potential buyers, and engineers. 
5. Olympic Torch Lit in Athens: Although most of Athens remained riveted by the political upheaval, the city hosted one of its oldest traditions: the lighting of the Olympic torch for the 2012 games. The torch was lit Thursday in Athens, before it will travel 8,000 miles—most of it throughout Britain—before arriving in London on July 27.

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Photo: Michelle Galindo and Janice Jabido strike a pose during their 2006 wedding reception at The Riverside Church in New York City. The couple were legally married in Niagara Falls, Canada, but chose to have the ceremony in their home state. Read all of our coverage on yesterday’s interview or watch Obama’s “evolution” in video clips.

Frontpage: Monday, May 7th

1. Polls Open in Syrian Elections: Syria held elections Monday as violence continued in the country, where more than 9,000 people have died since a popular uprising began more than a year ago. The vote for seats in the country’s 250-seat Parliament was a sham, members of the opposition against President Bashar al-Assad said. 
2. Al Qaeda Video Shows U.S. Hostage: A video showing Warren Weinstein, a 70-year-old American citizen who was kidnapped in Pakistan last year, surfaced on Islamist websites Sunday. “My life is in your hands, Mr. President,” the al Qaeda captive said in the video, addressing President Obama. “If you accept the demands, I live. If you don’t accept the demands, I die.” 
3. EU Stocks Shake Election Hangover: German Chancellor Angela Markel instilled a small measure of confidence in European investors Monday, saying she would welcome newly elected French President Francois Hollande with “open arms.” 
4. Duncan Supports Gay Marriage: One day after Vice President Joe Biden expressed his support for gay marriage, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said he too believes couples of the same sex should be allowed to wed. 
5. 400 Arrested as Putin Returns: Hundreds of opposition protesters were detained in Russia Monday as Vladimir Putin was sworn in as president after serving four years as prime minister. Outside, however, 20,000 people rallied in a demonstration against the former KGB spy that turned violent when protesters and police fought with batons and flagpoles. 

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Photo: A runner makes his way along a trail in view of the “supermoon” at Papago Park in Phoenix, AZ. (Darryl Webb, Reuters / Landov)

Frontpage: Friday, May 4th

1. Syrian Forces Fire on Thousands: Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad trained their guns on thousands of protesters Friday as Syrians demonstrated for regime change. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the gunmen fired on crowds in the city of Hama and another nearby town.
2. Romney Gains Ground in OH, FL: The race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney continued to heat up this week, with a new poll showing that the Republican has caught up with the president in the swing states of Ohio and Florida. Obama pulled ahead in Pennsylvania, however, according to the Quinnipiac University poll. 
3. Chen Offered University Fellowship: In a deal that may bring an end to careful negotiations between the United States and China, blind activist Chen Guangcheng has been offered a university fellowship, American officials said Friday. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement Chen and his wife and children have been made an offer by an American university, and that the Chinese government should hold to its earlier indications that it would allow Chen to travel abroad for study. 
4. Calif. Pension Fund Sues Walmart: In what may be the first sign of serious blowback for Walmart after a bombshell New York Times report last month, the United States’ second-largest pension fund said it is suing the company over allegations of misconduct in Mexico. The California State Teachers’ Retirement System holds more than 5.3 million shares of Walmart Stores Inc. 
5. Report: (Only) 115,000 Jobs Added in April: Only 115,000 jobs were added to the American economy in April, according to the jobs report released by the Department of Labor Friday morning—the smallest gain in six months. That’s significantly fewer than the 154,000 jobs that were added in March, according to today’s revised report. 

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Photo: Happy Friday! (via theanimalblog)

(Source: prtyxbullsht)

Frontpage: Thursday, April 12th

1. Romney Struggles to Close Gender Gap: In the wake of Rick Santorum’s departure from the presidential race, Mitt Romney’s campaign contended with the former Massachusetts governor’s struggle to win female voters. On the first day of the campaign’s strategy to turn criticism of Romney back on Obama, Romney repeatedly touted the misleading claim that 92 percent of job losses under Obama affected women. 
2. U.N. Ceasefire Holds in Syria: A U.N.-brokered peace agreement appeared to hold Thursday after the government of Bashar al-Assad halted attacks on rebel forces ahead of the planned deadline. But the country’s defense ministry reserved the right to retaliate against “armed terrorist groups,” casting doubt on the agreement’s longer-term viability. 
3. Ann Romney Joins Twitter to Respond to Hilary Rosen’s Comments: Solid Storify from the Washington Post. 
4. Zimmerman Due in Court Thursday: A lawyer for George Zimmerman, the Florida man who killed the unarmed Trayvon Martin during a neighborhood watch patrol, said his client will plead not guilty to second degree murder charges announced Wednesday. 
5. Weekly Jobless Claim Up: The number of Americans filing for unemployment rose in the first week in April, bringing the total number of jobless claims up to the highest levels since January. The news came shortly after the economy showed signs of slowing March, with only 120,000 jobs added.

Photo: Orlando based attorney Mark O’Mara (left) has just stepped in a blinding public spotlight as the new lead defense attorney for the man sensationally charged with murdering 17 year old Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman (right). Here’s are our article on O’Mara. (AP Photo)

Frontpage: Wednesday, April 11th

1. North Korea Begins Fueling Rocket: North Korea could launch its rocket tomorrow, despite international objections and warnings. The hermit state said it is injecting fuel into its long-range rocket “as we speak,” meaning there is one more stage before it is ready to launch. 
2. Foster Friess Goes to Romney: With Rick Santorum out, Foster Friess, the retired investor who spent almost $1.7 million on Santorum’s campaign, is getting behind Mitt Romney. “I’ve got some plans as to how I might be able to be of help,” said Friess.
3. Massive Quake Strikes off Indonesia: An 8.6-magnitude quake has struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province, in the northwest, prompting tsunami warnings throughout the Indian Ocean, including Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and others. Within a few hours, the tsunami warning for most of the Indian Ocean had been lifted.
4. Lenders Get Back Into Subprime Credit: First the banks won’t lend, now they’re back to lending to risky borrowers. As banks look to make up for fee income barred by new regulations, they’ve gone back to offering loans and credit cards to borrowers with bad credit. Credit-card companies gave out 1.1 million new cards to borrowers with bad credit in December, up 12.3 percent from the month before.
5. U.N.: Syria Will Respect Ceasefire: It’s hard to imagine what assurances Bashar al-Assad could give at this point, but United Nations envoy Kofi Annan says he’s received “further clarifications” from the Syrian leader and that he plans to abide by the peace plan. So far, Assad has responded to the peace plan by increasing attacks on the opposition, reportedly killing at least 100 people yesterday

Photo: North Koreans attend the inauguration of a mosaic portrait of Kim Jong-il. (Bobby Yip, Reuters / Landov) 

Frontpage: Tuesday, April 10th

1. Syria: We Are Removing Troops: The Syrian government said on Tuesday that it has begun to remove troops as the United Nations’ deadline for a ceasefire draws closer—but activists said 12 people had been killed by government forces early Tuesday. 
2. Tulsa Suspects Confess: Police say the two men arrested in connection with the shooting spree in Tulsa, Okla., have confessed. Alvin Watts, 32, confessed to shooting two people, and Jake England, 19, confessed to shooting three. Three of the victims died and two were seriously injured. All were black, and authorities are still investigating whether the crime was racially motivated.
3. Radical Cleric Can Be Extradited to U.S.: The radical cleric Abu Hamza may soon be on his way to the United States, along with four other men, now that the European court of human rights has ruled their rights won’t be violated by extradition. In 2006 Hamza was sentenced to seven years in prison for inciting hatred at his north London mosque, and he’s also accused of attempting to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon in 1999. 
4. At Least 15 Killed in Afghan Blasts: At least 15 people were killed by early-morning suicide bombings in Afghanistan, officials say. Eight civilians and three policemen were killed by a blast at a local government office in Herat, while another four policemen were killed by three suicide bombers at a police compound in southern Helmand province. 
5. MD Teacher Trio Claims Winning Ticket: Three teachers from Maryland came forward to claim their share of the record-shattering Mega Millions jackpot, the state announced Tuesday. The teachers pooled $20 each to buy 60 tickets at various Maryland locations, and will each have $35 million wired to their bank accounts within the next 10 days.

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Photo: In 1941, the great American photographer Edward Weston accepted a commission to illustrate Leaves of Grass, by the great American poet Walt Whitman. A show opening April 21 at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts presents images from the project, all shot on a cross-country trip. See more.

(Edward Weston, Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Frontpage: Monday, April 9th

1. Syrian Fire Crosses Turkish Border: Syrian forces crossed more than one line when they exchanged fire with rebel forces in a clash that spilled over into Turkey. One person was killed and more injured at the Killis refugee camp on the Turkish side of the shared border. 
2. North Korea Prepares Nuke Test: South Korean intelligence officials warned that the North is preparing a nuclear weapons test to follow its controversial long-range missile test, according to reports Monday. 
3. Microsoft Grabs AOL Patents for $1B: The technology world is in an arms race, and intellectual property is the weapon of choice. Microsoft bought its way toward the front of the pack Monday when it announced a deal with AOL that will give it 800 of AOL’s patents and license to 300 more, all for just slightly north of $1 billion. 
4. Prosecutor Decides No Grand Jury: The special prosecutor tasked with deciding whether to press charges against the man who shot Trayvon Martin has decided not to hand the case to a grand jury. Special prosecutor Angela Corey will now decide whether or not to press charges against shooter George Zimmerman.
5. Hillary Clinton to Skip DNC: Hillary Clinton has long been a stable figure at Democratic conventions—a consistent presence dating back to the infamous 1968 convention in Chicago, her spokesman pointed out. But the secretary of state is sitting out this year’s convention in North Carolina, as part of her commitment to avoiding political activity (she’s actually banned from taking part by federal law). 

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Photo: The Bosnia War 20 Years Later: Photos by Peter Turnley.

Frontpage: Thursday, April 5th

1. Romney Surges in Pennsylvania: Things aren’t looking good for Rick Santorum. Mitt Romney’s campaign moved to Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and a poll already shows him leading Santorum in his home state by five percentage points. 
2. Greek Suicide Prompts Protest: Reports of a 77-year-old Greek pensioner killing himself in Athens’s Syntagma Square have galvanized austerity protesters. Greek media identified the man as Dimitris Christoulas, a retired pharmacist, who allegedly shot himself after leaving a note protesting austerity measures. “I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance,” the note read. People marched in the square and left flowers and notes at the site of Christoulas’s death, but by evening the demonstrations had devolved into violent clashes with riot police.
3. Sky News Admits Hacking Email: A senior executive from Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News admitted on Thursday that he had authorized a journalist to hack into email on two separate occasions, and justified the hacking by saying it was “in the public interest.” 
4. Paul Ryan in Campaign Spotlight: Representative Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney have been saying such flattering things about each other over the last few days and it’s prompted speculation of a vice presidential nomination. 
5. Syria Attacks Damascus Suburb: Syrian forces launched what activists called one of its most violent assaults yet on a Damascus suburb Thursday, shelling residential areas with tanks. According to Mohammed Saeed, an activist based in the suburb, they used troops as human shields as they marched into the area’s main square.

Frontpage: Wednesday, April 4th

1. Santorum: ‘It’s Halftime’: Rick Santorum may have suffered a triple defeat and be trailing in endorsements, money, and delegates—272 to Mitt Romney’s 646, according to the Associated Press—but he’s not bowing out yet. “It’s halftime,” he said at a rally in Mars, Pa., last night. 
2. Mogadishu Theater Bombed: The heads of Somalia’s Olympic committee and football association were among the seven people killed in a bombing at a theater in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, early Tuesday. The Somali prime minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, was also present at the theater but he said he was unhurt.
3. U.N. Team Races to Damascus: So much for the truce pledge. The United Nations said on Tuesday that it is rushing a team to Damascus after the Syrian regime sent reinforcements into rebel areas. The Syrian regime reportedly continued to bombard Homs and other cities, despite promising to withdraw troops in obedience to a U.N. peace plan. 
4. Suspected Shooter Had Troubled Past: More details are emerging about One L. Goh, the man suspected of killing seven people at a nursing school on Monday. Goh came back to Oakland, where his ailing father lived, after running into financial difficulties in Hayes, Va. 
5. Romney Takes WI, MD, DC: Everything is coming up Romney. Riding a wave of high-profile endorsements, Mitt Romney won clear victories in Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., last night, solidifying his place as the Republican frontrunner and presumptive nominee. “Republicans are unifying,” said Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, a recent Romney backer. 

Photo: Today’s the 44th anniversary of MLK’s assassination. A new book pushes the theory that the KKK were involved with the leader’s death. (AP Photo)

Frontpage: Monday, April 2nd

1. Pakistan Jails Bin Laden Family: Osama bin Laden’s three widows and two eldest daughters have been sentenced to 45 days in jail and a fine of $114 each for living in Pakistan illegally. After their jail terms—in about two weeks, because they’ve already served a month of their sentence—they’re expected to be deported.
2. Not Zimmerman’s Screams on 911 Tape: The cries for help heard in the background of a 911 call from the night of Trayvon Martin’s shooting are not George Zimmerman’s, experts said Sunday. The experts said that the tests would be admissible in court, and that similar tests had recently been allowed into evidence in a murder trial. Screams and a single handgun report are heard in the recording. 
3. Syria Agrees to Deadline: Is this finally the end of violence in Syria? Kofi Annan has reportedly said that the nation—mainly President Assad—has agreed to a six-point peace plan. The plan specifies a UN-supervised ceasefire in which all soldiers and weapons will be removed from cities within 48 hours of an April 10 deadline. 
4. 12 Survivors in Russian Plane Crash: A dozen people survived the crash of a turboprop aircraft in Siberia and 31 were killed in an accident that Russian officials are now blaming on icing. 
5. Santorum Ad Compares Mitt with Obama: Rick Santorum’s latest Wisconsin ad asks voters if they would support a candidate who advocated for a health-care overall, a Wall Street bailout, and “job killing” cap-and-trade legislation. Behind the narrator is the image of President Obama, but then it’s revealed that the candidate she is talking about is actually Mitt Romney. See what you did there. 

Photo: A surfer approaches Lake Ontario in near freezing temperatures as part of “the Freshest Wave” competition. (Mark Blinch / Reuters-Landov)

Frontpage: Tuesday, Mar 27th

1. Syria Accepts U.N. Peace Plan: International envoy Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Syria has accepted a U.N. ceasefire proposal, but that much remains to be done to implement the plan. “I indicated that I had received a response from the Syrian government and will be making it public today, which is positive, and we hope to work with them to translate it into action,” Annan told reporters in Beijing.
2. Kennedy: Gov’t Has ‘Heavy Burden’: In the second day of oral arguments in the Supreme Court’s Obamacare case, Justice Anthony Kennedy told lawyers defending the law that the government as a “heavy burden of justification” to prove that the government can require citizens to purchase a service. 
3. Al Jazeera Has Video of Shootings: Al Jazeera said on Monday that it had received video footage that appears to be of last week’s deadly attacks on a military base and a Jewish school in Toulouse. 
4. North Korea Still Plans Missile Test: North Korea plans to roll the dice with its missile launch next month, despite stern warnings from President Obama and the international community to abandon the idea.
5. Photo: Protesters demonstrating against the Affordable Care Act outside the Supreme Court on Monday, as the court begins hearing arguments against the law’s constitutionality. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP Photo) 

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Frontpage: Tuesday, Mar 20th

1. Grand Jury to Hear Trayvon Martin Case: A grand jury will hear the Trayvon Martin case on April 10, the Florida Attorney General announced on Tuesday. Norm Wolfinger said that the state will use the grand jury “investigative resources” to figure out if criminal charges should be filed in the death of the 17-year-old. 
2. Syrian Opposition Accused of Abuse: Human Rights Watch on Tuesday said the Syrian opposition has taken part in abuses that include kidnapping, detention, and torture of Syrian security-force members. Sarah Leah Wilson, the New York–based group’s Middle Eastern director, said the Syrian government’s “brutal tactics” do not justify the alleged abuses by the opposition groups.
3. Romney Faces ‘Must-Win’ in Illinois: It might not be Super Tuesday, but this Tuesday could be crucial to Mitt Romney. The Republican candidates face off in Illinois on Tuesday, with 54 delegates at stake—a victory Romney desperately needs after being pounded last week in Alabama and Mississippi.
4. House GOP to Release Debt Plan: House Republicans will release their $261 billion deficit-reduction plan on Tuesday, with a focus on tax cuts. The plan, written by Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, would simplify the tax code by collapsing the current system of six tax brackets down to two marginal rates, Republican aides said Monday. 
5. At least 39 Killed in Iraq Blasts: At least 39 people were killed and 188 injured in a series of car bombings throughout Iraq on Tuesday, hospital sources told MSNBC. The deadliest attack occurred in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Kerbala, where a health-department spokesman said 13 were killed and 48 people were injured in two explosions.

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Photo: Brazilian Olympics team member Cesar Castro trains for the upcoming games in London. (SERGIO MORAES)

In the summer of 1944, the Jews of Budapest wondered, who would risk his life for them while uniformed murderers prowled the streets hunting for Jews? An inexperienced 32-year-old Swede volunteered, and saved thousands. Wallenberg’s successful rescue makes clear that mass murder can and must be stopped. But the rescuers must be as zealous about their task as the murders are about theirs—and more creative….

Toward the end of 1944, even as Russian guns reverberated in the city’s outskirts, Eichmann was still determined to finish the job. Now, the Nazis and their Hungarian allies force-marched thousands of Jews to the German border. Pursuing the ragged columns, Wallenberg was a driven man. He shouted out, “Raise your hand if you hold a Swedish passport!” This way he pulled scores from the death marches, and speeded them back to Budapest. At a minimum, he thrust food, cognac and blankets at the marchers—a final human gesture for those en route to an inhuman end. 

What Raoul Wallenberg, a Swede who died in 1947, can teach us about Syria and other mass injustices.