http://www.ToTheCenter.com/ ToTheCenter.com's philosophy is simple. The average person may not recognize a political left or right; but rather, somewhere in between. Our mission is to keep our opinion and news "down the middle" for all. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5963 Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has told his opposition party that in order for talks to begin, dealing with Zimbabwe’s political crisis, the opposition party must accept him as the country’s leader. Returning from a summit of African leaders calling for a national unity government of Zimbabwe, Mugabe addressed the media saying that he is not open to talks unless the Movement for Democratic Change, his opposition party, acknowledges him as president. Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s ruler of 20 years, was greeted by thousands of his supporters at Harare Airport, according to VOA news. Mugabe has recently won Zimbabwe’s presidential election, running uncontested after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out due to systematic violence against his supporters. Tsvangirai told VOA that he would not hold talks with Mugabe or his ruling party, ZANU-PF, unless the violence stops. The MDC says that ZANU-PF militants have killed close to 90 of its supporters since the March presidential election in which Tsvangirai won the majority of the votes over Mugabe, but did not receive the necessary amount to clinch the nomination. On Friday, the European Union called for a new election in Zimbabwe, saying that it cannot accept the June 27 runoff elections. Botswana has called for Southern African countries to not recognize Mugabe’s re-election, however, most other African countries have declined to directly confront the 84-year-old president. Mugabe is still widely respected for his role in Zimbabwe’s independence from Britain and has been and continues to be an influential role in its government since 1980. Under his reign, critics blame Mugabe for an inflation rate that stands officially at 160,000 percent, but is believed to be higher, according to VOA news. Mugabe has blamed western sanctions for the high inflation. Source: VOA News http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5962 Former North Carolina Republican senator and conservative icon Jesse Helms has died today at the age of 86. That’s according to the good folks over at the New York Times. According to Jimmy Broughton, former chief of staff to Mr. Helms, the former senator died of natural causes, so liberals will just have to rule out any hope of divine intervention. Helms was born in Monroe, N.C., and served his state in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2003 – a full three decades. He served as Chairman of the Agricultural and Foreign Relations Committees for twelve years. I’m going to be frank. I don’t know a lot about this man and what little I do know about him I don’t much like. Helms was a lifelong opponent of civil rights for blacks and gays and, as a young man, cut his teeth working for ardent segregationists. The stories of Helms’s intolerance are numerous. A few examples will suffice here. He blamed gays and lesbians for the spread of AIDS. He opposed Martin Luther King Day back in 1983 because the civil rights leader had ties to communists and committed adultery. He once sang the song “Dixie” in the presence of Democratic colleague Carol Mosley-Braun in an effort to “make her cry.” He referred to the University of North Carolina (UNC) as the “University of Negroes & Communists.” He tried to block the confirmation of Roberta Achtenberg – a Clinton appointee – to be Assistant Secretary of HUD because he would not, under any circumstances, vote for “that damned lesbian.” In a 1986 visit to Mexico, the senator stated that “all Latinos are volatile people.” He was a strong supporter of Chilean dictator and mass murderer Augusto Pinochet. He frequently used race-baiting tactics in his many campaigns for senator. He claimed that the New York Times and the Washington Post were “infested” with homosexuals. He claimed that Bill Clinton was not fit to be commander-in-chief and warned that the president “better not show up at Ft. Bragg without a bodyguard.” Phew! Despite these outrageous instances of inhumanity, I see no need to trample on a man’s grave. Others will probably take up this task for me, anyway. It should be noted, however, that Helms did possess a few good qualities. He served his country honorably during World War II and was a staunch defender of American sovereignty. That’s all I can come up with for now. In the end, the best that can probably be said about Helms was that he was a product of his time and environment – nothing more, nothing less. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5961 Fox News is reporting that 61-year-old Joseph Schickle, an experienced skydiver who has participated in approximately 800 jumps before in his life, has died after his parachute apparently failed to open. On Thursday, Schickle was participating in an an event at the Batavia airport for skydivers from all over Western New York. His body was found in a wheat field north of the airport. An investigation is currently being carried out by the Sheriff's Department and the Federal Aviation Administration. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5960 CBS News is reporting that Jesse Helms, a Republican who served five-terms as a U.S. Senator for the state of North Carolina, has tragically passed away early this morning due to natural causes at the age of 86. Various health issues including prostate cancer, heart problems and a bone disorder forced Helms to retire five years ago, in 2003. Helms has been widely considered to be one of the most controversial figures in modern politics due to claims from many in the media that he was a bigot and a racist. The Washington Post created an article seven years ago that went into detail about Helms’s numerous offensive remarks in regards to various topics such as affirmative action, African-Americans, former President Bill Clinton, Latins, gays and lesbians. One of the most prominent examples of his bigotry was a quote he provided about the AIDS epidemic that reads, "I've never heard once in this chamber anybody say to the homosexuals, 'Stop what you're doing.' If they would stop what they're doing there would not be one additional case of AIDS in the United States." http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5959 The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that as of Thursday, the Northern California blazes responsible for destroying approximately 64,305 acres of historic Big Sur on the state's northern coast show no signs of relenting. Residents of Big Sur have become frustrated with the lack of containment of the 12-day blaze, which has prompted authorities to evacuate residents 12 more miles north on Highway 1, where the blaze is expected to affect 10 to 15 more structures and/or homes. If the fires continue to burn through the area, more than 1,800 structures are threatened. Dan Priano, general manager of the Post Ranch Inn, commented that the the firefighters' process seemed painfully slow, as he and other residents watched as three more homes were destroyed by the blazes overnight. "We'd like to see some equipment here. I mean, look around. We're just not getting anything," he claimed. He added, "The firefighters who are here have done great, but they don't have the resources to fight a fire this size." There are 27 major fires burning in California, with currently 510,000 acres destroyed. http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5958 The cover of today's newspapers, at least in Canada, forecast a gloomy economic outlook for the "true north, strong and free." Yet, I'm tempted to wonder if the economic downturn in auto manufacturing and consistently high oil prices are simply a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'll explain what I mean. Analysts and strategists, we have learned, can shape market outcomes by simply declaring profit or loss. So, my theory is that since analysts have consistently predicted exorbitant oil prices, markets are naturally following suit. Obviously, there has to be some merit to analyst claims, or else none of their "predictions" would ever be published. However, I think what we're seeing is a manufactured oil "bubble," much like the "housing bubble" that existed in the southern U.S. for quite some time. There is a possibility that these high prices are not an actual reflection of real oil costs, but rather self-fulfilling prophecies of analysts predicting significantly higher oil prices. What do you think? http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5957 July Fourth, the celebration of American Independence often mixed with barbeques, fireworks, and high gas prices. According to CNN, retail gas prices in the U.S. rose overnight to a record high for the fifth straight day. The national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose from $4.098 to $4.101, an all-time high. Gas prices have surged 39 percent in the last year alone and just 3 percent in the past month. Alaska has the highest gas prices in the nation where drivers in the state pay an average of $4.623 a gallon for regular gas. Their neighbors way down south in Oklahoma hold the lowest gas prices. A gallon of gas in Oklahoma costs $3.901. The national average price for diesel fuel has ticked from $4.767 to $4.769. Because of the record-high gas prices, many Americans are planning to cutback from traveling this holiday weekend as well. Thirty-one percent of Americans have cancelled or shortened their holiday weekend vacation because of the gas prices, according to a CNN poll. Source: CNN http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5956 Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost for the sixth consecutive month in what appears to be a steady chipping away of the work force that may lead to a weak economy come Election Day in November. Responding quickly to a newly released government employment report, both presidential candidates have called for stronger action beyond President Bush’s stimulus package. Usually, the Federal Reserve comes to the rescue by cutting interest rates; only problem is that the scissors have already been taken out of the drawer. With rates already cut drastically and the number of jobs continuing to decrease, it appears the economy is heading into a downfall. “The numbers are telling us that there is an ongoing deterioration in the labor market at a relatively rapid clip,” said Jan Hatzius, chief domestic economist at Goldman Sachs. “It is a sign that the fiscal stimulus, the tax rebates, are failing to lift the broader economy.” In June alone, 62,000 jobs were eliminated. Since January, 438,000 jobs have been nixed. “Workers just don’t have the bargaining power to fend off this erosion,” said Jared Bernstein, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute. Included in the report were teenagers and new college graduates of which the significant majority were unable to find jobs. In addition, unemployment for adult workers age 25 and up increased, leaving forecasters to predict a 6 percent unemployment by November. Companies such as Starbucks and American Airlines have just undergone the announcement of their job layoffs. The greatest job loss was in the category of professional and business, which lost 51,000 jobs. In addition, the construction company is in shambles due to the collapse of the housing market. “My guess,” said Mr. Hatzius of Goldman Sachs, “is that the job declines across the economy are greater than the monthly numbers we are now seeing, and that will be evident when revisions are published later this year.” Source: The New York Times http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5955 Two thousand Marines fighting the insurgency efforts in Afghanistan will extend their stay for an additional thirty days, reflecting the shortage of available combat troops. The decision was made by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates after Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that more troops are needed in Afghanistan, but didn’t have more troops to send. In past months, Gates has reassured that he had “no plans” to extend the Marines’ tour. But U.S. officials, including Mullen, noted that the situation in Afghanistan is worsening and that the Taliban-led insurgency is gaining ground. "There's no easy solution, and there will be no quick fix," Mullen said. "More troops are necessary," he said, adding, "I don't have the troops I can reach for." Presently, there are 32,000 U.S. troops, 14,000 of which are under International Security Assistance Force. The force is a 40-nation coalition led by Army General David McKiernan. The other 18,000 soldiers are fighting directly under U.S. command, mostly in eastern Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan. Both the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, an air-ground task force, and the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment have been fighting Taliban around the southern Helmand province, a major poppy-growing area, where the companies will prolong their stay. In this year alone, 66 U.S. troops and 57 allied troops have been killed in Afghanistan. Source: The Baltimore Sun http://www.ToTheCenter.com/news.php?readmore=5954 The launching of direct flights between China and Taiwan have signaled an easing of long standing tensions between the two countries. Today’s flights were the first between Taiwan and mainland China since Mao Zedong’s Red Army pushed Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist forces into Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. "Today is a new start in the history of exchanges between the two sides," said Wang Yi, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which oversees Beijing's relations with what it considers a renegade province. "Cross-Strait relations are facing a rare opportunity for development," he said. The flights are largely in part due to efforts made by Taiwan’s new president, Ma Ying-jeou. Ying-jeou has worked on fostering stronger economic and cultural ties with its neighbor to the west and its 60 years of mutual hostility. Taiwan has opened up its borders to China by providing hotels and a government crackdown on anti-communist groups. The first plane to leave Taipei for mainland China—China Airways Flight 7957 to Shanghai—generated just as much excitement as the landing of one of Taiwan’s planes into China. "It's a wish of mine to see every province of our country. I'm very glad that we can travel with the first direct flight. I think it's historical in the relations across the straits. It's a big step forward," said one 70-year-old Chinese tourist travelling with his wife. Source: Times Online UK