Oil slips under $104 despite battles in Libya

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110310/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_prices

Oil prices slipped below $104 a barrel on Thursday but still remain very expensive because of the intense battles around Libya's crude and gas facilities. Investors are keeping a close watch on developments in the country, especially as its crude production has fallen more than previously estimated as the fighting near key oil installations has intensified.Sentiment in the oil markets over the past few weeks has been driven by developments in North Africa, where Libya produces, in normal times, a little under 2 percent of the world's global oil needs. Though oil prices have dipped modestly over the past couple of days they remain at historically high levels.

We have been paying ridiculous amounts when we fill up our cars. I think that we need to tap into other sources of oil because the national average is at an all time high for the time of year. Gas prices always rise towards the start of summer so you can only imagine what they will be when that time comes. Americans already cannot afford the stuff that they need so i think the last thing that they need is to not be able to pay to put gas in their cars.

this has to do with government becuase the rising gas prices are affecting the improvement in our economy. People just started buying more and more goods but now it's dropped again becuase they don't want to pay for the gas to get to the stores. we need to consider getting our oil from somewhere else to inventing some other way to make our cars run.

Same-sex couples lead to marriage licenses doubling

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/08/AR2011030802724.html?wprss=rss_metro/dc

At least as many same-sex couples as heterosexual couples - and possibly more - appear to have applied for marriage licenses since gay marriage was legalized in the DC last March.
Although the court does not differentiate between same-sex and heterosexual couples in its record-keeping, in previous years the number of applications varied by only 100 or less. So virtually all the increase is due to same-sex couples.Not everyone who got a marriage license lived in the District. Many couples came from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and other states farther afield.
The court doesn't keep track of how many couples actually wed. The licenses have no expiration date, and the only requirement is that the marriage be performed within District boundaries.

I don't think that it's good to allow people of the same sex to get "married." We've had only heterosexual marriages for so long and that's always worked out for us so i don;t know why it needs to be changed. i don't think it's fair that people from all over can travel their to get married. If they want the rules to apply to them i think that they should have to live there. With the increase or same sex marriage license it just goes to show you how many same sex couples there acutally are.

this has to do with government because DC just recently started allowing same sex marriages. it may persuade other states to do the same and they may have a conflict with the people of other states traveling to the district to get married and they must decide if the other states will reconize it as a legit marriage.

Rebels fight Gadhafi with heavy weapons, diplomacy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110310/ap_on_re_af/af_libya

On thursday Libya's opposition battled for military and diplomatic advantage against Moammar Gadhafi.
France became the first country to formally recognize the rebels' newly created Interim Governing Council.
Germany said it froze billions in assets of the Libyan Central Bank and other state-run agencies. The U.S., UK, Switzerland, Austria and other countries have also frozen Gadhafi's assets. "The brutal suppression of the Libyan freedom movement can now no longer be financed from funds that are in German banks," Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said. Both sides in Libya are lobbying for support from Western countries as their leaders debate whether to protect the rebels from Gadhafi's air force by putting a no-fly zone over some or all of the country. Britain and France have backed the rebels' calls for a no-fly zone, but the Obama adminstration has expressed deep reservations about involvement in another conflict in the greater Middle East.

I think that the conflicts in Libya are justified because they need to fix their government and make it more modern. However the way that they are going about it isn't good. They can't fight their battles on their own and since they are our allies it makes us involved. I think that the last thing that America needs right now is to get involved in another war.

This has to do with goverment because America getting involved in another conflict will really hurt us. our economy has already been drained because of the war in iraq and the middle east and we really can't afford anything else.

Stocks mixed in early going; Obama unveils budget

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-mixed-in-early-going-apf-1914203759.html?x=0

Stocks are mixed in early trading, the same day that President Obama plans to formally unveiled his budget proposal for  next year. Obama is expected to propose a $3.73 trillion budget that includes a five-year freeze on many domestic spending programs. There is little in the way of major economic reports this week. MGM Resorts said before the bell that it lost $139 million last quarter, a little less than analysts had expected.
The Dow Jones industrial average is down 21 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,253 in early trading. The S&P 500 is flat at 1,329. The Nasdaq composite is up 2 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,811.

this has to do with government because the stock market is basically the center of the United states economy and if any thing happens to it when we are all screwed.

I think that it's good that the drop was less than perdicted. It shows that americans are more comfident with the stock market and that they won't just pull their money out because of bad news. i think it shows that are economy is actaully improving somewhat.

Clothing prices to rise 10 pct starting in spring

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Clothing-prices-to-rise-10-apf-3665134256.html?x=0

Clothing prices have dropped for a decade since inflation has stopped and cheap overseas labor helped keep down costs. Retailers and clothing makers cut frills and experimented with fabric blends to cut prices during the recession. But as the economy recovers and demand for goods rises, a surge in labor and raw materials costs is squeezing retailers and manufacturers who have run out of ways to keep costs lowered.
Cotton has more than doubled in price over the past year, hitting all-time highs. The price of other synthetic fabrics has jumped roughly 50 percent as demand for alternatives and blends has risen. Clothing prices are expected to rise about 10 percent in coming months, with the biggest increases coming in the second half of the year.

This has to do with government because all product prices are going to begin to rise with the improving economy.

I think that this sucks because clothes are already pretty expensive. It;s not like we have a choice to buy them it's necissary to wear them. I don;t think the economy will actaully improve if no one can afford to buy the things that they need or want.

Obama unveils $3.73 trillion budget for 2012

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110214/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_budget

President Barack Obama is sending Congress a $3.73 trillion spending blueprint that pledges $1.1 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade through cuts in spending and tax increases. Obama's new budget projects that the deficit for the current year will surge to an all-time high of $1.65 trillion. That reflects a sizable tax-cut agreement. For 2012, the administration sees the imbalance declining to $1.1 trillion, giving the country a record four straight years of $1 trillion-plus deficits.

This relates to government becauses the deficit is something that the united states has been dealing with for many years now.

I think that it's good that President Obama's new spending plan will improve The United States debt but if he increases taxes a lot then Americans will suffer because we already can't pay our bills and taxes so if they are increased i would imagine that wouldn't help the situation.

Egypt investigates 3 ex-ministers for corruption

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt

Egypt's television reports say it has launched a formal corruption investigation against 3 former government ministers and a former ruling party leader. The report said the investigation is targeting former Commerce Minister Rachid Mohammed Rachid, former Tourism Minister Zuhair Garana, and former Housing Minister Ahmed Maghrabi. Ahmed Ezz,  former senior figure in the ruling party, is also under investigation. Ezz, a parliment member is a close confidant of President Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal. The three ministers were part of the Cabinet Mubarak sacked early on in the protests against his rule that began on Jan. 25. Ezz has resigned from the ruling party. Everyone gathered on Thursday as labor unrest across the country gave powerful momentum to Egypt's wave of anti-government protests. With its efforts to manage the crisis failing, the government threatened the army could crack down by imposing martial law. The protests in their 17th day — which have focused on demanding President Hosni Mubarak's to step down from presidency have tapped into the even deeper well of anger over economic woes, including inflation, unemployment, corruption, low wages and wide economic disparities between rich and poor.

This has to do with government because Egypts economy and conflicts have a direct effect on the united states economy.

I think that Eygpt needs to figure out their issues because they are not only hurting there economy they are hurting ours too. Eygpts termoil is effecting out gas prices for the month of feburary they are at an all time high. America needs to become less dependent on other countries because when they have a problem it makes us involved too.