The News Tracker

Amid complaints of U.S. interference in relief efforts to Haiti and a large tremor in Guatemala, the European Union has pledged approximately $200 million in disaster assistance to help Haiti quake victims. Meeting Jan. 18, European ministers in Brussels said they were making $197 million immediately available for disaster assistance to the the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The ministers also said they were contemplating $300 in longer-term assistance. Meanwhile, the United States, acting largely in the absence of any official Haitian government, is being accused of taking a dominant role in relief efforts at the exclusion of other nations. A French plane containing a field hospital, was reportedly turned away from the Haitian airport by U.S. military, according to the Washington Post. The plane was allowed to land the following day. The Post quoted French Cooperation Minister Bernard Koucher that, “This is about helping Haiti, not occupying Haiti.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had said the U.S. is not interested in taking power from Haiti. In Guatemala, no damage or injuries were immediately reported after a 6.0 quake hit 60 miles southeast of Guatemala City. Continue reading “Is U.S. interfering in Haitian relief efforts? EU adds to aid guarantee” »

Long considered America’s premier living actress, Meryl Streep today was nominated for best actress in a motion picture, comedy, twice by the Golden Globe awards. Meryl Streep, who has been nominated for an Oscar as best actress 15 times, with two wins, may pick up a third statue in either of the two movies she has been nominated for this year: “It’s Complicated” and “Julie/Julia, ” a tour-de-farce laugh riot that once again showcases Meryl Streep’s enormous talent. While “Julie/Julia” falls in the comedy category, Meryl Streep elevates the movie to a first-rate character study of the larger-than-life cooking genius Julia Child. The movie is indeed full of laughs as one of America’s greatest theatrical talents (Meryl Streep) gives depth and breath to a person regarded as one of America’s preeminent masters in the kitchen — a double-sided bonus for audiences starved for such performances. The Golden Globes will be broadcast Jan. 17.
Continue reading “Meryl Streep adds to her theatrical legacy” »