Six In The Morning

1 MAD ABOUT MULRONEY Some Conservatives want to fraternize with the former Prime Minister they've been ordered not to see by Tory den mother Stephen Harper. No drama like a family drama. (CP via Toronto Star)

2 NO NEED TO RAISE TAXES The always- civic-minded Canadian Federation of Independent Business says cash transfers in the provincial budget means cities don't need to raise property taxes this year. Because we all know there's no infrastructure deficit in Saskatchewan compounded by years and years and years of inadequate transfers and insufficient taxation. (CBC)

3 SPARE SOME CHANGE? Alberta gets its first deficit budget in 15 years. Fortunately, the ruling Tories prepared for the inevitability of an economic downturn and didn't go on an insane, reckless, right-wing rampage. Oh wait... (Calgary Herald)

4 WHO KNEW RAPE AND OPPRESSION WERE SO UNPOPULAR? Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai says he's backing away from a religiously-inspired law meant to keep the ladies in line. Oh, and get him votes from Islamists. But yeah, kinda didn't work out so well. (Globe And Mail)

5 EARTHQUAKE HORROR IN ITALY An Italian capital is trashed and more than 90 people are dead in a region that should have been prepared, but wasn't. (The Guardian)

6 NO ONE LIKES SHRINKAGE Economist Jim Stanford says you can't downsize your way out of a recession. Of course Stanford works for the Canadian Auto Workers, so he's got a dastardly pro-job bias. He's also smart and uses facts in his argument--and it doesn't get much worse than that. You've been warned! (Globe And Mail)