Radio America Online News Bureau

We have Thursday’s top news…What is the latest in the effort to rescue the captain of the Maersk Alabama who is being held histage by Somali pirates?  What is the Obama administration doing about the larger problem of piracy?  What is the wife of the captain saying – or not saying – about this ordeal?  What is the latest news on Iran’s nuclear program?  And what is the Obama administration saying about its offer to talk directly with Iran?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Thursday, April 9, 2009.

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We have more of Thursday’s top news… What is President Obama pushng for in changing the veterans health care system?  Why does he want Americans to refinance their mortgages right now?  What will Obama call for in an immigration reform package?  Why did stocks soar on Thursday?  Why is a major league pitcher dead just hours after a sterling performance?  And what is the latest trouble following cycling legend Lance Armstrong?  We have the answers as we bring you more of the biggest stories for Thursday, April 9, 2009.

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Why has piracy off the coast of Somalia and elsewhere skyrocketed in recent years?  What decisions after the Cold War are contributing to the problem?  Why is the unrest in Somalia play a major role in all of this?  What choice do countries and shipping companies have besides paying a huge ransom?  Why is private security not necessarily a viable option?  We ask James Robbins, senior editorial page writer for The Washington Times.

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A new poll from Rasmussen Reports shows just 53 percent of Americans prefer capitalism to socialism.  Twenty percent endorse socialism, and 27 percent don’t know.  What does this tell us about where this nation is headed?  Why do so few people understand what capitalism and socialism are?  What do people think they are?  And what’s the remedy to this appalling lack of knowledge about the American system?  We ask Rich Brake, co-chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

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How will President Obama respond to the scourge of piracy infesting some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes?  Should he be getting good, lousy or mixed reviews for his performance overseas this past week?  Who has the upper hand in the special congressional election in New York?  Should Norm Coleman concede the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota – or keep fighting for all the votes to be counted?  And should Ted Stevens feel vindicated this week, or robbed of his senate seat by unethical prosecutors?  We ask John Gizzi, political editor at Human Events.

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We have Wednesday’s top news…What is the latest on the story of Somali pirates seizing an American ship off the coast of Africa?  What help is on the way?  What’s the best way to survive and escape such an attack?  What message did the U.S. send to Iran today?  What is the reaction to espionage charges being filed against an American reporter in Iran?  What reaction does a major Islamic cleric have for Obama’s outreach to muslims in Turkey?  We have the answers as we bring you the biggest stories for Wednesday, April 8, 2009.

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We have more of Wednesday’s headlines…What did Vice President Joe Biden say to troops returning from Iraq to Ft. Bragg?  How serious was a recent hacking into the nation’s electricity grid?  How likely is bankruptcy protection for General Motors?  How close is Chrysler to a deal with Fiat?  What happened on Wall Street today?  We have the answers in our second newscast for Wednesday, April 8. 2009.

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Why is the coast of Somalia such a haven for pirate hijackings of commercial vessels?  What should we know about these attackers?  Is paying the ransom the best way to keep people safe or does it just breed more piracy – much like terrorism?  What can we expect when the Navy arrives on the scene?  And how can the U.S. and other nations make sure these hijackings don’t happen again?  We ask retired U.S. Navy Captain Chuck Nash.

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One of President Obama’s top climate advisers says it’s time to investigate using geo-engineering to combat climate change.  What is geo-engineering?  Why would shooting pollution particles into the atmosphere even be considered?  What would actually happened if that were tried?  We ask Dr. Tim Ball, former professor of climatology at the University of Winnepeg.

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On Thursday, the comment period will close on the Obama administration’s executive order that overturns a Bush administration policy on the rights of medical professionals. The Bush order mandated that doctors could not be forced to perform procedures which they find morally objectionable – especially abortion. So what will life be like for pro-life physicians if Obama gets his way? Is Obama right in saying other laws still protect dioctors? Why might this decision be paving the way for abortion to be a major piece of the Obama health care plan? And what else will doctors be forced to do besides abortions? We ask Dr. Donna Harrison, President of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

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