US & World News, Thursday 3/27

US & World Summary --- Unemployment Claims Drop (Washington, DC) -- Theres a hopeful sign on the nations jobs front. The newest Labor Department report shows for the week ending March 22nd, nine thousand fewer people applied for unemployment insurance than in the previous week. A total of 366-thousand people filed for unemployment benefits last week. For the week ending March 15th, the highest increases in initial jobless claims were in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas. --- Equity Loans Putting Pressure On Homeowning Americans With U.S. homeowners owing more than a trillion-dollars on home equity loans, banks want to make sure those loans get paid. The "New York Times" reports banks are taking steps that include preventing homeowners from selling or refinancing until their home equity loan is partially paid off. The problem stems from Americans hastily taking out home equity loans when economic times were good. The Federal Reserve says the value of homes minus the mortgages against them has now fallen below 50-percent for the first time ever. --- Bush Cites Significant Security Gains In Iraq (Dayton, OH) -- President Bush pointed to significant security gains in Iraq today, as renewed sectarian violence continues. In a speech in Ohio, the President also stressed what he called Iraqs "bottom-up political progress." He also said Iraqs neighbors should step up and get more involved in the peaceful reconstruction of Iraq. Bush said future troop levels will focus on, quote, "ensuring that we succeed in Iraq" and that a premature withdrawal from Iraq could destabilize that nation and the entire Middle East. --- Obama Hits Bush Admin, McCain Over Economy (New York, NY) -- In a speech on the economy, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama blamed the Bush administration of pushing the U.S. economy out of balance. Obama argued the economic culture in the U.S. rewards financial manipulation instead of innovation. He also criticized presumptive GOP nominee John McCains proposal for a limited government response to the nations housing crisis. He said its important for "Main Street" and "Wall Street" to come together. --- Phoenix Police Reject Gotbaum Claim (Phoenix, AZ) -- The City of Phoenix has rejected a wrongful death claim filed by the family of a New York woman who died at Sky Harbor International Airport. Forty-five-year-old Carol Gotbaum died in Phoenix Police custody in September, after becoming agitated while on her way to an alcohol abuse rehab facility. Phoenix officials said a videotape of the airport incident shows the police acted in a professional manner in dealing with Gotbaum. They question why Gotbaums husband allowed her to fly alone, and said police could not have known about her medical problems. --- Doctors Say Tejano Singer Has Brain Damage (Houston, TX) -- Doctors say Tejano star Emilio Navairas condition is improving, but they believe his brain was injured in the area that controls speech and the understanding of speech. Dr. Alex Valadka says they will not know for sure how much damage was done until the singer comes out of a medically induced coma in the coming days. The singer sustained serious head injuries on Sunday morning when he was thrown through the windshield of the tour bus he was driving in Houston. --- Greeting Cards Especially For Those Inside Sending greetings to a relative behind bars can be challenging. But a new company called Three Squares Greetings publishes greeting cards for people on the inside. CNN reports a Los Angeles lawyer Terrye Cheathem created the company a few years ago when she could not find the right card to send to her locked-up brother-in-law. The companys website stresses an arrest or conviction doesnt change relatives feelings for their loved ones and the company wants to help them express that. (Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions) RNS-03-27-08 1145CDT