A "hoax"? What the hell is that supposed to mean? If the leaflet was produced by one or two lone wackos instead of an organization, so much the better. But it was assuredly produced by real racists. From CBC News, May 4:

A pamphlet that called on people in Caledonia to discuss a "final solution" to the "Indian problem" is a hoax, says the Ontario Provincial Police.

The pamphlet was handed out as some people who live in and around the southern Ontario town held a rally and march against an aboriginal occupation, which has halted construction on a housing development nearby.

Just as the PUK shows signs of losing control of its stronghold in northern Iraq, it launches attacks across the border in Iran—with doubtless US (and likely Israeli) assistance and direction. Iran, of course, replies by bombing Kurdish civilians, which will only inflame things. Also note the role of the PKK in Iranian Kurdistan. This indicates that the PUK raids serve a dual purpose: not only to help destabilize Iran, but to steal the separatist thunder from the PKK-backed guerillas. From AP, May 2:

The final capitulation of King Gyanendra to a militant pro-democracy movement that has made common cause with the Maoist guerillas is closely followed by The Rising Nepal website. The king, who had seized dictatorial absolute power last February, reached an agreement with the opposition Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) and on April 27 appointed Nepali Congress Party president Girija Prasad Koirala as prime minister. The following day, Parliament met for the first time since it was suspended in last year's royal coup. SPA leaders called on the citizenry to continue to act as the vanguard of the hard-earned democratic restoration at a mammoth mass meeting at Kathmandu's amphitheatre, and urged participation in an upcoming constituent assembly. The guerillas of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have announced a three-month unilateral cease-fire. CPN(M) Chairman Prachanda said his army will halt all offensive military operations and work towards serving the people in its zones of control.

From the Village Voice, April 28:

No Justice, No Work
Immigrants tap May Day's radical roots

by Sarah Ferguson

It has been called "A Day Without Immigrants."
"The Great American Boycott."

And down in Mexico: "Nothing Gringo."

But whatever you call it, the range of actions planned for May 1 to protest House bill HR 4437 and other punitive immigration measures circulating in Congress shows just how diverse and energized this movement to defend the rights foreign-born laborers has become.

As we (and others) have argued, one of the aims of Operation Iraqi Freedom was likely to jack up the price of oil, giving a salutary boost to industry expansion plans, facilitating Western corporate colonization of the Caspian Basin (beating the Russians to the punch) as well as the opening of the purely ancillary ANWR. But here is a sure sign that things are getting out of control, even from Bush's hubristic perspective. If the price of oil breaks $100/barrel, it could threaten already-waning public enthusiasm for the Republicans and their wars. Bush had to open the Strategic Reserves after Katrina; analysts may now "welcome" his decision to stop pumping into them to free up more oil for the market and ease prices, but it strikes us a reckless gamble--which could backfire with the next escalation in the Middle East (say, US military action against Iran...) From the New York Times, April 25:

From New York's Jewish Week, April 28:

As the world’s largest chasidic sect mourns the death this week of the Satmar Grand Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum, the bitter, litigious — and sometimes violent — feud between two of his sons shows no sign of cooling.

In a flurry of courtroom motions, rabbinic rulings and shoving matches on Tuesday and Wednesday, the dispute rapidly shifted from designated succession toward a new struggle between two men, each claiming he is now the new rebbe.

Writes David Wood of Newhouse News Service, April 26 (emphasis added):

WASHINGTON -- If Iran succeeds in building nuclear weapons, it will be paid for in part by American drivers.

With oil prices and global oil consumption at near-record levels, the radical Islamist government in Iran is raking in more than $68.4 billion a year in oil revenues, helping it finance its nuclear program and underwrite terrorist operations against American soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere across the Middle East.

And with global oil markets sucked dry of excess by growing oil consumption in the United States and China, even a small disruption in the flow of oil would drive prices through the roof and stagger the world's economies.

From our contributor Mahmood Ketabchi:

After more that two years of haggling with the Islamic regime of Iran over its nuclear program, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), under pressure from the European powers and particularly the US government, referred Iran to the UN Security Council. In its last meeting, the Security Council issued a statement requiring Iran to stop all nuclear activities within 30 days.