California, USA – An unlikely duo seem to breaking through the information blackout of Iraq’s desperate situation.  Contrary to news coverage that Iraq is healing, few if any major media outlets are covering Iraq’s minority persecution. 

Chaldean Catholic Cardinal Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad, Iraq, expressed sadness over what he viewed as a chronic lack of concern and concrete action to stop the violence and protect all of Iraq's citizens.  Greater attention and pressure are needed so that the Iraqi government can "be just and fulfill its duty toward its citizens," he said.

Echoing the Cardinal’s call urging everyone to help call attention to the injustice, Chaldean star rapper Timz, winner of the Hollywood Film Festival's "Video of the Year" and nominee for the MTV Video Music Awards' "Video of the Year," releases another hip-hop masterpiece titled “Do Something.”  A powerful call to action that begins with a hypnotic beat mixed with middle eastern flair beginning with a message from Timz himself to “Change the world, not the channel.”

Michigan, USA – Chaldean businesses will soon feel another round of pinches as Michigan continues its economic free fall.  Chrysler LLC, whose owner has been in talks to sell the automaker to General Motors Corp., said Friday it will cut 25 percent of its salaried work force starting next month and warned that it will make more restructuring announcements soon.

Chrysler, which has about 18,500 white-collar workers, said Friday it also will cut a quarter of its contract employees — those who work for other companies under contract with the automaker.  About 5,000 people are likely to lose their jobs, although the company would not say how many contract workers it has.

“This will impact many Chaldean families,” says Joey Markos, owner of a dry cleaner with standing accounts for many Chrysler professionals.  “Many Michigan small businesses will feel the loss.  For every professional job that is lost, three times the impact is felt on small business.  I lose the revenue. I can’t spend, expand, or hire anyone.  I have to layoff two great workers; single mothers who have been with me for over five years.” 

Have you any doubt that it is a human being?

If you do not have any such doubt, have you any doubt that it is an innocent human being?

If you have no doubt about this either, have you any doubt that the authorities in a civilized society are duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if anyone were to wish to kill it?

If your answer to this last query is negative, that is, if you have no doubt that the authorities in a civilized society would be duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if someone were to wish to kill it, I would suggest—even insist—that there is not a lot more to be said about the issue of abortion in our society. It is wrong, and it cannot—must not—be tolerated.

But you might protest that all of this is too easy. Why, you might inquire, have I not delved into the opinion of philosophers and theologians about the matter? And even worse: Why have I not raised the usual questions about what a "human being" is, what a "person" is, what it means to be "living," and such?

People who write books and articles about abortion always concern themselves with these kinds of things. Even the justices of the Supreme Court who gave us "Roe v. Wade" address them. Why do I neglect philosophers and theologians? Why do I not get into defining "human being," defining "person," defining "living," and the rest?

Illinois, USA – “The hypocrisy of this candidate is clear.  He can not be trusted,” says Dani Jopa. “He promises to accept public financing, then doesn’t.  He votes one way, and says he didn’t.  He tells everyone he doesn’t accept lobbyist money, he does.  He says he will oppose going after illegal immigrants, then says let’s get them.  He wanted to put an end to the Cuban embargo, and then tells Cuban exiles in Florida we will keep the embargo.  He is untrustworthy.  He is a panderer.  He is what I have come to hate about politicians in America.”

Jopa’s strong feelings resonate with half the country.  Many agree that Obama should be well over 30 points ahead of McCain given the circumstances.  Instead the two candidates are neck-and-neck.  “By his own admission he and his running mate tell the American people he is not ready to be president,” Jopa adds, referring to the latest dust-up over Obama’s naiveté and lack of experience. 

Biden created a uproar with his implication to a crowd of deep-pocket donors that presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's lack of experience would create an appearance of weakness that would encourage opponents to challenge the U.S. According to news reports, Biden told the crowd of donors, "Mark my words: It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy.

Angie Kassab agrees with Biden, “he was only repeating what Obama himself said.  He is not prepared to serve.” 

California, USA - The controversial presidential campaign has raised a number of issues about democracy.  Concerns of voter registration and voter fraud list highest among the concerns.  However, what seems to have captured the attention of most Americans is media bias.  Calls by the Clintons and McCain campaigns of media bias in favor of Obama have proven accurate and some want the media meddling investigated for impacting national security.  The latest being an NBC blackout of Biden’s guarded warning of dire attacks against the United States if Obama is elected. 

Media bias has also drawn the attention of UCLA political science major, Julie Kalasho.  “I have a relative in Michigan who openly is using his radio station to support Obama,” says Kalasho.  “He got into some big trouble in the past with his political fund raising for Republicans and the Democrats scared him into supporting Obama.  So I know first hand how the media is being used to influence politics.  He openly admits he wants Obama to win and is trying to scare naïve Chaldeans to vote for Obama or they may be doomed.”

Kalasho sites fellow colleague Tim Groseclose, a UCLA political scientist who co-authored a UCLA-led study, which is believed to be the first successful attempt at objectively quantifying bias in a range of media outlets and ranking them accordingly. 

The objective findings may shock some, while others see it as vindication of what many have long been complaining about.  The reports finding objectively concludes that almost all major media outlets are biased towards the left. 

Mosul, IRAQ— Shocking the conscience of anyone who would dare pay a few minutes of attention, Christians are being mowed down in Mosul.  Community activists in Australia, England, US, Denmark, and Germany are begging world governments to do more than talk.  Activists are protesting in front of city halls, holding meetings, getting petitions signed, attempting any and all efforts to raise the awareness and conscience of world leaders, turning a blind eye to the genocide of Iraqi Christians. 

Nearly 10,000 Christians — roughly half the city's Christian population — have fled this month because of organized and targeted threats and attacks, according to Iraqi officials.  Christians in Iraq are fast losing faith and trust with the Iraq government.  Few Iraqi Christians are returning to the restive city of Mosul despite government pledges of financial support and protection, officials said Wednesday.

Attempts to bribe families back into the city have fallen on deaf ears. The prime minister offered every Christian family that returns to Mosul 1 million Iraqi dinars — about $865, said Jawdat Ismaeel, a local migration official.  But less than a handful of Christians have returned, he said.

Michigan, USA – Chaldean entrepreneurs have always fought to compete against the cold giant retailers.  “We do this on a personal level.  We reach out to our customers and make sure they are happy.  We support the community and give back,” says Eddie Katoola, manager of Grail of Gorcers in Highland Park.  Grail of Grocers fresh produce and meats remind customers of the days long gone, when butchers knew your name and shared community recipes.  

The success of Chaldean business owners is there ability to offer customers wonderful products and services and great prices.  It’s the reason why so many Chaldean businesses have been able to outperform major competitors.  The long standing tradition of offering valued goods is remarkable. 

Across town, Johnny Karmo, owner and manager of Market Fresh is offering his customers a most unique product.  Karmo wants his customers to have the most unique pumpkins on their block. 

Michigan, USA - Presidential hopeful John McCain is fast gaining momentum as more voters discover Obama's recipe for America.  Obama was caught off-guard by a middle class plumber who helped reveal the disaster of Obama's tax plan, something the McCain campaign team says the media blackout is keeping them from doing.  "It took 'Joe the Plumber' to show that Obama can't be trusted," says Iman Nalou, of Farmington Hills, Michigan. "I have many neighbors who were going to vote for Obama, and after hearing what he is really about, they all changed their minds."

Obama is worried as more of the truth emerges.  He never wants to tell you the whole story, and the lies have Obama's campaign on the ropes as political pundits dig deeper into Obama's policies and find quite a bit of flip-flopping and hypocrisy.  From promising to take public financing to the election to his stance on Iraq, Obama is losing ground on the trust factor. 

For Issam Hanou of Novi, MI, Obama lost his vote a long time ago.  "He lies and can't be trusted.  How could you believe anything he says he is going to do when he lies?  You can't trust him.  He will promise you anything and give you some excuse why he breaks his promise."  Hanou is really upset over Obama's Iraqi flip-flops.  Hanou says a youtube video that his son showed him was really frustrating.  Hanou's son Gino, a college student at Ohio State has long distrusted Obama.  "I liked what he had to say early in his campaign about ending the Iraqi war, but he kept saying different things.  I finally took the time to do some searching and what I found out was how much of a liar he really is."

Michigan, USA – The Chaldean Education and Career Center urges Chaldean parents with sons to take advantage of an upcoming family workshop featuring national best selling author and internationally recognized authority on boys and men, Dr. William S. Pollack, PhD.

The event will be held on November 3, 2008 from 7 pm - 9 pm at the Oakland Schools Building, located on 2111 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford, Michigan, 48328. 

Dr. Pollack's presentation will address the crisis of boyhood in America, specialized techniques for reconnecting with boys, new approaches to "Mothering" and "Fathering", and new models of understanding "What makes boys tick"

The event is free to those who RSVP by e-mailing info@chaldean.org. 

Michigan, USA – Chaldean business owners are disappointed over continued efforts to stain independent grocers.  “This is bad.  These people don’t speak for us.  Our produce and foods are fresh.  This is just another way to take money from stores owners and give them nothing in return,” says Kamal Dally, owner of Riverside Liquor in Detroit. 

Dally is upset over an initiative announced at a private business meeting among Chaldeans, under the approving eye of Detroit’s new Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. that Chaldean store owners be asked to join a “Guaranteed Fresh” campaign for their stores.

Dally, and many other business owners feel the business group sold-out the Chaldean business community to gain political points with the new mayor and raise money for their own pet projects.  “They don’t care about Chaldean businesses.  All they care about is using the community name to take money from those who work so they can play golf,” says Dally’s son Thomas.  “Why didn’t they propose the city start a ‘Guarantee Response’ from the police every time a Chaldean store calls for help during an armed robbery or theft? 

London, UK – Chaldean scholar, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Dr. Suha Rassam was named as one of the four Catholic Women of the Year at a reception in London this past week.  The founder of the charity Iraqi Christians in Need (ICIN) was honored among an assembly of some of the world’s most notable leaders and in the presence of the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Faustino Munoz.

Dr Rassam is originally from Mosul in northern Iraq. She is a medical doctor and professor of Medicine in the University of Baghdad. Arriving to England in 1990 she worked in London hospitals until her retirement when she took an MA in Eastern Christianity at the school of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London.

Dr. Rassam, author of the book 'Christianity in Iraq' set up ICIN  last year with a group of fellow Iraqis, to provide financial and spiritual support to Iraqi Christians both in Iraq and in countries such as Syria and Jordan, where many are now refugees.

Earlier this year, she visited Iraqi refugee families in Syria to assess how best ICIN could help them. In Aleppo, she met with Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo of the Chaldean Catholic Church and Bishop Yuhanna Ibrahim of the Syrian Orthodox Church.  Since then her impact in helping Iraqi refugee families has been remarkable. 

Chaldeans are known for their congeniality and good-nature.  What would seem on the surface to be a wonderful trait, can become a huge risk in a corporate setting.  Chaldean professionals making their way through the corporate maze are forewarned that it’s easy to let imprudent information slip out. 

There are at least nine things Chaldeans or any professional minded go-getter should always keep to themselves at work. While some of these points are obvious, anyone who’s spent any time at all in an office can vouch for the fact that this advice bears repeating, and that heeding it could avoid a whole lot of unproductive drama.

California, USA – Jean Pierre Rices on Monday admitted special circumstances allegations of murder two Chaldeans during a robbery, which makes him eligible for the death penalty.

The Chaldean community mourned the heinous killings of Heather Mattia, 22, and Firas Eiso, 23, of El Cajon, California.  The owner and young clerk, Firas Eiso who recently arrived in America after fleeing for his safety from Christian persecutors, were each shot once in the back of the head March 1, 2006 in cold-blooded murder. 

Both Chaldean victims were well known by customers of Granada, the East County El Cajon convenience store as faithful and compassionate workers who went out of their way to help neighbors.  

Mosul, IRAQ - "Now the last safe haven for Christians is gone," said Canon Andrew White, the vicar of St. George's church in Baghdad. During the past week, twelve Christians have been killed and more than 3,000 have left the city of Mosul, once considered a safe zone for persecuted Iraqi Christians.
 
Mosul, on the plain of Nineveh in northern Iraq, has long been home to one of the largest remaining Christian communities in the nation. Furthermore, in recent years the city has been a destination for persecuted Christians.

Mosul, IRAQ - Despite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki pledge yesterday to protect Christians in Iraq after mass killings in the northern city of Mosul, thousands of Chaldeans flee as Islamic radicals turn-up the violence. 

Proving the weakness of Maliki’s government and the vulnerability of Iraqi Christians, a music store owner was shot to death in the northern city of Mosul.  Police sources said on Monday gunmen entered the store late on Sunday and shot dead the Iraqi Christian store owner and his nephew, who was wounded.