What Egypt's swine slaughter hath wrought

Swine “fever” destroys the hogs of Cairo.

It was alleged by the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, on the basis of no evidence whatever, that the swine themselves were the carriers of the so-called "swine flu."

As a consequence of the pig massacre, the streets of Cairo have become almost unlivable, and the Christian garbage collectors, locally called the zabaleen, have been robbed of their livelihood.

"They killed the pigs, let them clean the city," as one former garbage collector and pig man, Moussa Rateb, was quoted as saying of the Egyptian authorities.

Click on the following for more details:  What Egypt's swine slaughter hath wrought :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Other Views

Praise for Nickels as 1,000th city signs his climate pact

American cities overrule President Bush’s decision.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels on Friday announced the 1,000th city had signed his climate-protection agreement, a pledge to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in line with Kyoto Protocol standards.

"We need to lead, city by city." The 1,000th city was Mesa, Ariz

Click on the following:  Politics | Praise for Nickels as 1,000th city signs his climate pact | Seattle Times Newspaper

Gate splits border community, unites it in disdain

For decades, the towns of Derby Line, Vt., and Stanstead, Quebec, have functioned as one community.

they share a sewer system, emergency services, snowplowing duties and the border-straddling Haskel

Work began Thursday, though, to erect of a pair of 5-foot-tall steel gates across two previously unguarded residential streets -- a project that is dividing the towns physically but uniting them in displeasure.

Read the rest of the story:  Daily Herald | Gate splits border community, unites it in disdain