Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 02 Jun 2009
U.S. Releases Secret List of Nuclear Sites Accidentally -- The report lists many particulars about nuclear programs and facilities at the nation's three nuclear weapons laboratories -- Los Alamos, Livermore and Sandia -- as well as dozens of other federal and private nuclear sites. 03 Jun 2009 The federal government mistakenly made public a 266-page report, its pages marked "highly confidential," that gives detailed information about hundreds of the nation’s civilian nuclear sites and programs, including maps showing the precise locations of stockpiles of fuel for nuclear weapons. The publication of the document was revealed Monday in an on-line newsletter devoted to issues of federal secrecy.
Obama: Iran Has the Right to Nuclear Power 02 June 2009 President Barack Obama suggested that Iran may have some right to nuclear energy _ provided it proves by the end of the year that its aspirations are peaceful. In a BBC interview broadcast Tuesday, he also restated plans to pursue direct diplomacy with Tehran to encourage it set aside any ambitions for nuclear weapons it might harbor. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity.
'We don't approve of the mandate the committee was given to investigate war crimes.' Israel won't be aiding UN Gaza investigation 02 Jun 2009 Tel Aviv has voiced disdain over the United Nations' authority to look into Israel's three weeks of military onslaught through the Gaza Strip. "We don't approve of the mandate the committee was given to investigate war crimes," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak told UN's Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, Jerusalem Post reported.
35 Israeli spies identified in Lebanon 01 Jun 2009 Beirut has charged three more people with spying for Tel Aviv amid a crackdown on Israeli espionage networks in Lebanon. The latest decision by the Lebanese military prosecutor brings to 35 the number of the people who are charged in connection with the Israeli espionage case.
Iraq agrees to let Britain help protect oil platforms --British troops and up to five naval vessels could help Iraq protect its floating oil terminals against attack. 02 Jun 2009 Iraq and Britain have struck a deal that will allow British troops to remain in the country, helping Iraqi naval forces protect oil platforms beyond a previously agreed withdrawal date, officials said on Tuesday. Britain's presence in Iraq began with its support of the 2003 U.S. invasion, but was set to conclude at the end of June under a pact signed at the end of last year. The two sides agreed to extend the British deployment so that a small number of British troops and up to five naval vessels could help Iraq protect its floating oil terminals against attack, said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.
KBR sees U.S. military contract margins up 02 Jun 2009 KBR Inc expects profit margins on the next round of U.S. military logistics contracts to rise as they are split between different companies, the engineering and services company's chief executive said on Tuesday. KBR is competing with Fluor Corp and DynCorp International for the next Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, or LOGCAP IV, and expects to find out whether it has won one of two contracts for Afghanistan in July.
Iraq rattled by snakes on a plain 02 Jun 2009 A plague of snakes has caused panic in Iraq's southern province of Nasiriyah, biting cattle and worrying residents as poisonous reptiles flee their dens in the country's water-deprived marshes. Iraq's water reserves dipped to 11 billion cubic metres (385 billion cubic feet) in May, compared with 40 billion cubic metres three years earlier, although rainfall this past winter was normal. Experts say Iraq faces agricultural disaster this summer if neighbouring Turkey continues to retain waters from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which have nourished Iraqi agriculture for millennia.
Police: Bomb kills 4 at Baghdad vegetable market 01 A bomb in a Baghdad market killed four people. Also Monday, a suicide bomber exploded his car at a police checkpoint in Jalula, 80 miles (125 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, killing a 7-year-old child and wounding eight other people, an Iraqi police official said.
Baghdad roadside bomb kills US soldier 02 Jun 2009 An American soldier was killed by a roadside bomb that struck his patrol in eastern Baghdad, the US army said on Tuesday. He was the first American military casualty in June after 25 US troops died May, the highest US military death toll in Iraq for eight months.
Yemeni inmate found dead at Guantanamo prison: US 02 Jun 2009 A man from Yemen held at the US-run prison in Guantanamo for more than seven years without charge was found dead in an apparent suicide, the US military said. The 31-year-old inmate was identified as Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih, also known as Al-Hanashi. He had been held at Guantanamo since February 2002, US Southern Command said in a statement. It was the fifth reported 'suicide' at the controversial "war on terror" prison since the center opened at the remote US naval base in southeast Cuba in 2002, officials said.
US judge: Guantanamo evidence must be made public 01 Jun 2009 A federal judge rejected on Monday a U.S. government request to keep secret the unclassified evidence that it says justifies the continued imprisonment of more than 100 Guantanamo Bay prisoners. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ruled the government cannot keep the documents known as factual returns from public disclosure and must seek court approval to keep specific information secret.
Judge holds Bagram detainee cases pending Obama appeal 01 Jun 2009 A federal judge on Monday put a hold on his groundbreaking order allowing detainees at a U.S. air base in Afghanistan access to U.S. courts until an appeals court can rule on the case involving prisoners held in an active war zone. The Obama administration, in arguments similar to those made by the Bush White House, had challenged a ruling by U.S. District Judge John Bates two months ago that some foreign detainees at Bagram Airfield could use civilian courts in the United States to challenge their detention.
Telegraph report over Abu Ghraib 'abuse' photos confirmed --A former senior US army officer who spoke to the Daily Telegraph about photographs of rape and sexual abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has confirmed the story, despite denials from the White House. 30 May 2009 This newspaper reported that photographs showed a soldier apparently raping a female prisoner, a translator apparently raping a male prisoner and instances of sexual abuse involving objects. After initially failing to respond to a request for comment, a White House spokesman eventually spoke to denigrate the standards of the British press, and said that the Telegraph report "mischaracterises" the photos. But Major General Antonio Taguba, who retired from the army in January 2007 after writing a critical report on Abu Ghraib, has confirmed that the quotes the Daily Telegraph ran were accurate.
Why'd Obama switch on detainee photos? Maliki went ballistic 01 Jun 2009 President Barack Obama reversed his decision to release prisoner abuse photos from Iraq and Afghanistan after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki warned that Iraq would erupt into violence and that Iraqis would demand that U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq a year earlier than planned, two U.S. military officers, a senior defense official and a State Department official have told McClatchy.
Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan warns of greater casualties 03 Jun 2009 President Obama's pick to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan warned Tuesday that casualties are likely to increase as the U.S. military steps up its campaign against 'insurgents.' Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal also voiced skepticism that Taliban guerrillas could be persuaded to sever their ties with Al Qaeda; a similar strategy was critical to McChrystal's success as commander of special operations forces [death squads] in Iraq.
Pakistan plan to attack Taliban haven promises wider war 31 May 2009 Waziristan, the remote area that's the epicenter of Taliban and 'al Qaida' militants in Pakistan, is set to become the next war zone in the nation's fight against Islamic extremists, where clashes between insurgents and the army erupted over the weekend. So far, there are just skirmishes in Waziristan but the key U.S. ally plans a full-scale military offensive there this summer, according to Pakistani and Western officials, a fight that is certain to be deadlier than the current operation in Swat valley and with profound international repercussions.
CIA wages 'microchip' war against al-Qaida --The CIA is equipping Pakistani tribesmen with secret transmitters to call in airstrikes 01 June 2009 In the tribal regions of Pakistan, believed to be harbouring Osama Bin Laden [LOL! Weren't the 'tribal regions of Afghanistan' harbouring Osama?] and other high-ranking terrorists, America is stepping up its covert operations. The CIA is equipping Pakistani tribesmen with secret transmitters to call in airstrikes targeting 'al-Qaida' and Taliban militants.
400 students kidnapped in N. Waziristan 01 Jun 2009 Insurgents have kidnapped hundreds of students at an army-run educational institution in Pakistan's troubled North Waziristan region. They were held up at gunpoint on Monday when a convoy of minibuses carrying the students from a cadet college in the tribal North Waziristan region was going to the northwestern town of Bannu.
U.S. officials raise alarm about new Venezuelan missiles 31 May 2009 Venezuela's recent purchase of the most lethal shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles in the Russian arsenal is sharpening U.S. concerns that parts of President Hugo Chávez's massive weapons buildup could wind up in the hands of terrorists or guerrillas [resistance fighters] in neighboring Colombia. [US officials are constantly 'alarmed' over everyone else's weapons but *their own* - and Israel's. --LRP]
Obama picks GOP congressman to head Army 02 Jun 2009 Bringing another Republican into his inner circle, President Obama announced today that he is nominating a GOP congressman from upstate New York to be the next Army secretary. John McHugh, who has been in Congress since 1993, is the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. At the Pentagon, he'll join Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration. "Keeping America safe means keeping the armed forces strong," Bush Obama said at a White House news conference.
Gibbs: Army Secretary Nominee Favors DADT Change 02 Jun 2009 White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of the Army, Republican representative John McHugh, agrees with the president that "don't ask, don't tell" should be changed.
Jacqui Smith goes - hit by porn claims, but fatally damaged by 42 days 03 Jun 2009 She was one of the first and most high-profile targets of the expenses leaks, but when the disclosures hit her back in March, Jacqui Smith was, in truth, already on the political ropes. The revelations capped a torrid year for the home secretary, and she spent at least one weekend agonising over whether she could continue in her post, eventually concluding that she could not... Smith will go down in the public's mind and in political history as the home secretary who failed to get 42 days pre-charge detention for terror suspects through the House of Commons.
Marines Train "Civilians" to Accept Coming Martial Law (Infowars) 01 Jun 2009 On May 23, the Staten Island Real-Time News reported on "mock raids at the public park to give civilians a feel for how soldiers operate in battle." Or maybe that should be "mock raids" to give civilians a taste of things to come and, of course, get them acclimated to the presence of uniformed and armed soldiers in their midst. It is interesting the Marines characterized Flushing Meadows Park as "enemy territory." In fact, according to our rulers and their military functionaries, the entire United States is "enemy territory" in need of martial law.
WHO getting closer to declaring A/H1N1 pandemic, says official 03 Jun 2009 As the A/H1N1 flu virus spreads further around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) is getting closer to declaring a full pandemic, a senior official of the UN agency said on Tuesday. "Globally we believe that we are at phase 5, but we are getting closer to phase 6," said WHO Assistant Director-general Dr. Keiji Fukuda, referring to the WHO's six-phase pandemic alert system.
A/H1N1 virus invades all U.S. states 02 Jun 2009 All the 50 states in the United States reported cases of A/H1N1 flu on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 10,053, according to the latest figures released by the federal government. Until last week, Alaska, West Virginia and Wyoming were the last three states which had been free of the newly found virus, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that the state of Wyoming had conformed its first case, and reported Monday that the states of Alaska and West Virginia had finally been invaded by the A/H1N1 virus.
Mandatory Flu Vaccines for Health Care Personnel on Agenda for SHRPC Committee 20 May 2009 A proposed regulation that would require annual influenza vaccines for all health care personnel in hospitals will be discussed at tomorrow’s Codes Committee of the State Hospital Review and Planning Council (SHRPC). The rule would also apply to employees of diagnostic and treatment centers, certified home health agencies, long-term home health care programs, acquired immune deficiency syndrome home care programs, licensed home care services agencies, and hospices. A separate proposal that would require mandatory flu vaccines for personnel working in nursing homes is currently under consideration in the State Legislature.
3,000 under swine flu quarantine Down Under 01 Jun 2009 The number of H1N1 cases in Australia is climbing quickly. Three thousand people are in quarantine, after a big increase in cases in the last 24 hours. In the state of New South Wales, twelve hundred people are in quarantine.
Gunman Kills Soldier Outside Recruiting Station 02 Jun 2009 A 23-year-old man upset about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan opened fire from his truck at two soldiers standing outside a military recruiting station here on Monday morning, killing one private and wounding another, the police said. The gunman, identified by the police as Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad of Little Rock, fled the scene and was arrested minutes later a short distance from the recruiting station. The police confiscated a Russian-made SKS semiautomatic rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a handgun from his black pickup truck.
Nebraska physician vows to keep Tiller's abortion clinic open 01 Jun 2009 Women's Health Care Services, the clinic that has been bombed, blockaded and vandalized for more than 20 years because late-term abortions are performed there, will be closed this week to mourn the slaying Sunday of founder George Tiller. But the clinic will resume normal operations next Monday, said LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska physician who has been coming to Tiller's clinic on a rotating basis for more than 10 years.
Suspect in Kansas abortion doctor's slaying reportedly belonged to anti-government militia 02 Jun 2009 The 51-year-old man held on suspicion of killing prominent abortion provider Dr. George Tiller belonged to anti-government militia groups, had been convicted of carrying explosives in his car and was outraged by the doctor's speedy acquittal on abortion-related charges, authorities and antiabortion activists said Monday. Scott Roeder had attended a demonstration outside a Kansas City, Kan., abortion clinic two weeks ago and spoke of traveling to Wichita for Tiller's trial, said longtime antiabortion activist Eugene Frye.
'The answer, Mr. Obama, Mr. Law Professor, is that it's illegal.' Grand Theft Auto: How Stevie the Rat bankrupted GM by Greg Palast 01 Jun 2009 I smell a rat. Stevie the Rat, to be precise. Steven Rattner, Barack Obama's 'Car Czar' - the man who essentially ordered GM into bankruptcy this morning... Stevie the Rat has a different plan for GM: grab the pension funds to pay off Morgan and Citi. Here's the scheme: Rattner is demanding the bankruptcy court simply wipe away the money GM owes workers for their retirement health insurance. Cash in the insurance fund would be replace by GM stock... Yet Citibank and Morgan, says Rattner, should get their whole enchilada - $6 billion right now and in cash - from a company that can't pay for auto parts or worker eye exams. Preventive Detention for Pensions So what's wrong with seizing workers' pension fund money in a bankruptcy? The answer, Mr. Obama, Mr. Law Professor, is that it's illegal.
Day of reckoning is here, governor says 02 Jun 2009 Challenging the Legislature to "spend only what we have," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday outlined a path of devastating cuts that he said was unavoidable but could lead to lasting reforms and a revived economy. He urged the Legislature to resolve a $24 billion deficit within the next two weeks before the state starts to run out of cash, and he stuck to his revised cuts-only budget that includes eliminating the state's welfare-to-work program and its health insurance program for poor children, along with deep cuts to schools, parks and higher education.
Hawaii's governor orders furloughs 3 days a month 02 Jun 2009 Describing a "fiscal emergency," Gov. Linda Lingle has ordered three days of unpaid furloughs each month for 14,500 state employees to help erase a $729 million budget shortfall. The furloughs beginning in July amount to an almost 14 percent pay cut and will be unilateral, applying to the Republican governor herself and her staff.
Pawlenty will not seek re-election 02 Jun 2009 Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will announce Tuesday that he will not seek a third term as governor, sources tell CNN. The decision to avoid a potentially difficult re-election bid next year will almost certainly be seen as the first step in a possible presidential run in 2012.
160 Syrian villages deserted 'due to climate change' 02 Jun 2009 Some 160 villages in northern Syria were deserted by their residents in 2007 and 2008 because of climate change, according to a study released on Tuesday. The report drawn up by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) warns of potential armed conflict for control of water resources in the Middle East.
Brazil finds Air France wreckage, all feared dead 02 Jun 2009 Brazilian military planes found wreckage on Tuesday from an Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people aboard, the airline's worst disaster in its 75-year history. Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said there was "no doubt" that a 5-km (3-mile) strip of debris in the high seas was from the Airbus A330 that went missing in stormy weather early on Monday. Experts were certain that all aboard died.
NaturalNews.com | Feature Stories - June 2, 2009
Health Ranger Reveals the Five Most Powerful Anti-Viral Remedies for Influenza and Swine Flu in New Report
(NaturalNews) The Health Ranger, a proponent of nutritional education for the public, has overcome the censorship efforts of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and published a new, non-commercial guide that reveals five powerful anti-viral remedies...
(NaturalNews) The Health Ranger, a proponent of nutritional education for the public, has overcome the censorship efforts of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and published a new, non-commercial guide that reveals five powerful anti-viral remedies...
| Drug Samples Handed Out by Doctors Pose Risk to Patient Health (NaturalNews) Countless U.S. doctors regularly give away free drug samples provided by the industry to their patients. It's a practice that may simply seem, at first glance, like an altruistic way to help sick people save money. However... |
| Studies Show Selenium Prevents Cancer and Thyroid Disease Selenium is an essential trace mineral that forms an important part of our immune defense function, as well as a component in heart muscle. Found naturally in animal protein and vegetables, it is also found in fish, vegetables, and especially... |
| Prevent Cancer By Changing Your Diet (NaturalNews) Nearly a quarter of cancers could be prevented by simple changes in diet and exercise, including up to 70 percent of cases of certain varieties, according to a report issued by the World Cancer Research Fund. "The evidence linking diet... |
| Vitamin C Shown to be Vital for Optimum Health Vitamin C or ascorbic acid offers many health benefits including being a powerful antioxidant. Recent studies have shown the numerous benefits of including Vitamin C as part of a daily regimen. Vitamin C can decrease health risks. The... |
| Facts about Grapes and Their Amazing Health Benefits are Proven In this article you will discover some interesting facts about grapes and how incredibly healthy they are for you. Spanish explorers brought the grape to America about 300 years ago. It is about 80 percent water making it a delicious low... |
| Papaya is Tasty Way to Fight Cancer and Poor Digestion Sweet and succulent with a satiny consistency, papaya was referred to as the "fruit of the angels" by Christopher Columbus. Slice open a papaya and see hundreds of shiny black seeds that all need to get their start in life from the nutrition... |
| Use Hypnotherapy to Reduce Pain and Nausea in Cancer Patients Cancer is an illness that affects millions of Americans, whether they are currently being treated or in remission. Two of the most common symptoms of cancer and cancer treatments are pain and nausea. Hypnotherapy has been proven to help cancer... |
| Pandemic Preparedness Audio Course Launched: How to Prepare for any Pandemic (with Dr. Sheldon Marks) (NaturalNews) Swine flu has now infected all 50 states in the USA, the CDC now reports. Worldwide, infections now exceed 100,000 people, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is openly concerned that this widely-circulating H1N1 viral strain may combine... |
dailymail.co.uk | The cloud with no name: Meteorologists campaign to classify unique 'Asperatus' clouds seen across the world
By
Last updated at 9:25 AM on 02nd June 2009
Last updated at 9:25 AM on 02nd June 2009
Whipped into fantastical shapes, these clouds hang over the darkening landscape like the harbingers of a mighty storm.
But despite their stunning and frequent appearances, the formations have yet to be officially recognised with a name.
They have been seen all over Britain in different forms - from Snowdonia to the Scottish Highlands - and in other parts of the world such as New Zealand, but usually break up without producing a storm.
Stunning but undefined: The clouds loom over the skies of New Zealand - but unfortunately words can't describe this dramatic vision from the heavens
And some experts believe the stormy weather phenomenon deserves its very own classification.
Experts at the Royal Meteorological Society are now attempting to make it official by naming it 'Asperatus' after the Latin word for 'rough'.
If they are successful, it would be the first variety of cloud formation to be given a new label in over half a century
'It is a bit like looking at the surface of a choppy sea from below,' said Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, who identified the cloud from photographs sent in by members.
Dramatic: The ribbons across the sky look like a 'choppy sea viewed from below'
'We try to identify and classify all of the images of clouds we get in, but there were some that just didn't seem to fit in any of the other categories, so I began to think it might be a unique type of cloud.'
He added: 'The underside of the clouds are quite rough and choppy. It looks very stormy, but some of the reports we have been getting suggest that they tend to break up without actually turning into a storm.'
The Royal Meteorological Society is now gathering detailed information for the days and locations where the asperatus clouds have been seen in an attempt to understand exactly what is causing them.
Officials will then apply to the UN's World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva to have the new cloud type considered for addition into the International Cloud Atlas, the system used by meteorologists across the globe.
Professor Paul Hardaker, Chief Executive of the RMS, said: 'There would probably need to be quite a lot of heat around to produce the energy needed to generate such dramatic cloud formations.
'They are quite dark structures so there must be a lot of water vapour condensing in the cloud.'
Skies over Scotland: This scene from Perthshire could help confirm the new 'Asperatus' classification
Magnitude 2.8 earthquake - NORTHERN TEXAS - 27 mi S from Fort Worth - Tuesday, June 02, 2009 at 03:06:45 PM at epicenter
Magnitude 2.8 - NORTHERN TEXAS
2009 June 02 20:06:45 UTC
Earthquake Details
| Magnitude | 2.8 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 32.352°N, 97.403°W |
| Depth | 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program |
| Region | NORTHERN TEXAS |
| Distances |
|
| Location Uncertainty | Error estimate not available |
| Parameters | NST= 4, Nph= 4, Dmin=294.2 km, Rmss=0 sec, Gp=169°, M-type="Nuttli" surface wave magnitude (mbLg), Version=6 |
| Source |
|
| Event ID | us2009hjb4 |
- This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
- Did you feel it? Report shaking and damage at your location. You can also view a map displaying accumulated data from your report and others.
- Preliminary Earthquake Report
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver
Hindu.com | U.S.China plan strategic talks to take place during the last week of July
BEIJING: Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday praised the Barack Obama administration for co-operating with China in dealing with the financial crisis and the two governments announced they would hold the first round of high-level strategic talks in the last week of July.The highly-anticipated “Strategic and Economic Dialogue” will, for the first time, establish a formal platform for the two countries to meet every year to discuss foreign policy and strategic issues. The first round of talks will see U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo meet in Washington D.C. to discuss foreign policy concerns, while U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan will lead the talks on the economic front. The two governments made the announcement just as Mr. Geithner was wrapping up a three-day visit of China, his first as Treasury Secretary. Mr. Geithner has, in some sense, used this trip to lay the groundwork for the July talks, stressing the need for the two countries to work together in dealing with the financial crisis and strengthening the world economy.
“I think we’ve already demonstrated the capacity of our two countries to work together on the global stage to lay a foundation for economic recovery,” said Mr. Geithner in a meeting with the Chinese President on Tuesday. “Partly because of the strengths of the actions put in place by your government and by President Obama we are starting to see some early signs of stabilisation and recovery in the global economy.”
Mr. Hu praised Mr .Geithner’s efforts in co-operating with the Chinese administration, and said the July talks would serve as “an important platform for both nations to deepen understanding, mutual trust and co-operation.”
Mr. Geithner has also used this visit to reassure Chinese officials that the U.S. was working to tighten financial regulation and address its $1.8-trillion budget deficit. There have been increasing concerns from both Chinese officials and economists about the safety of China’s assets in the U.S. As of March, China held $768 billion in U.S. treasury securities, and is the U.S.’ biggest creditor.
Recent Yellowstone National Park Earthquake Update & Live Old Faithful Webcam | June 2, 2009
Click to view live Old Faithful Webcam
Link: Recent Yellowstone National Park Earthquakes
(Cave Editor's Note: Scroll down below map to see list)
Link: Recent Yellowstone National Park Earthquakes(Cave Editor's Note: Scroll down below map to see list)
Update time = Tue Jun 2 14:00:03 MDT 2009
Here are the earthquakes appearing on this map, most recent at top ...
MAG DATE LOCAL-TIME LAT LON DEPTH LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
1.4 2009/06/01 07:36:26 44.180N 110.622W 7.5 56 km (35 mi) NNE of Alta, WY
1.4 2009/05/31 15:22:06 44.679N 110.404W 4.8 47 km (29 mi) SSE of Gardiner, MT
1.4 2009/05/29 23:54:55 44.673N 110.039W 11.0 39 km (24 mi) SSW of Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
1.3 2009/05/29 21:04:03 44.392N 110.811W 5.0 38 km (24 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.0 2009/05/28 12:12:28 44.692N 110.023W 10.8 37 km (23 mi) S of Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
1.5 2009/05/28 04:51:56 44.550N 110.521W 5.2 48 km (30 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
0.8 2009/05/27 19:14:14 44.770N 111.071W 8.4 12 km ( 8 mi) NNE of West Yellowstone, MT
News Updates from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 02 Jun 2009
All items are here: http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
Breaking: Obama picks GOP congressman to head Army 02 Jun 2009 Bringing another Republican into his inner circle, President Obama announced today that he is nominating a GOP congressman from upstate New York to be the next Army secretary. John McHugh, who has been in Congress since 1993, is the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. At the Pentagon, he'll join Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration. "Keeping America safe means keeping the armed forces strong," Obusha said at a White House news conference.
Judge holds Bagram detainee cases pending Obama appeal 01 Jun 2009 A federal judge on Monday put a hold on his groundbreaking order allowing detainees at a U.S. air base in Afghanistan access to U.S. courts until an appeals court can rule on the case involving prisoners held in an active war zone. The Obama administration, in arguments similar to those made by the Bush White House, had challenged a ruling by U.S. District Judge John Bates two months ago that some foreign detainees at Bagram Airfield could use civilian courts in the United States to challenge their detention.
US judge: Guantanamo evidence must be made public 01 Jun 2009 A federal judge rejected on Monday a U.S. government request to keep secret the unclassified evidence that it says justifies the continued imprisonment of more than 100 Guantanamo Bay prisoners. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ruled the government cannot keep the documents known as factual returns from public disclosure and must seek court approval to keep specific information secret.
Breaking: Pawlenty will not seek re-election 02 Jun 2009 Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will announce Tuesday that he will not seek a third term as governor, sources tell CNN. The decision to avoid a potentially difficult re-election bid next year will almost certainly be seen as the first step in a possible presidential run in 2012.
NationalTerrorAlert.com | Pilots Leaving Houston Report Near Miss With Mystery Object
Click to view video on website:
May 31, 2009
A strange object was spotted Friday night by pilots of a plane that just had just taken off from Bush Intercontinental Airport. And now, federal investigators are trying to pinpoint what the flying object was.
Eyewitnesses say the object, possibly a rocket, came close to hitting the plane. The Continental Express plane, operated by Express Jet, was flying from Houston to South Carolina last night when it happened.
The plane had just left Bush Airport around 8:20pm Friday when the captain reported seeing the object about 150 feet away. According to the FAA, the incident occurred about 11,000 feet into the air above Liberty County.
On Saturday, sheriff’s officials interviewed two Hardin High School students who reported seeing the object come close to the plane.
What’s strange is that the FAA says they have no reports of any scheduled hobby rocket launches in the area.
“All we’ve been told it was bigger than a bottle rocket. It was enough of a light or big enough of an object the pilot had to call it in,” said Corporal Hugh Bishop with the Liberty County sheriff’s office. “But again, we haven’t found anything to substantiate it yet.”
The sheriff’s department is scouring a large area from the Harris County line east to Liberty between Mont Belviu and Moss Hill for any sign of what might have come close to the plane. It’s about a 24 by 12 mile area.
Officers were also on the radio today asking for witnesses. If you have any information about this, you’re being asked to call the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office at 
936-336-4500
Docuticker | Daily update of new reports from government agencies, ngo’s, think tanks, and other groups.
Offers for fee-based credit cards on the rise while overall offers shrink significantly
Source: Synovate
US households are receiving far fewer offers for credit cards these days and, increasingly, the offers they do receive are for cards carrying an annual fee according to Mail Monitor, the direct mail tracking service from Synovate.
During Q1 2009, US households received 372.4 million offers, representing a dramatic 67% drop from the 1131.6 million offers received during Q1 2008. Twenty-seven percent of offers carried an annual fee during Q1 2009, up from 18% one year ago.
“As issuers continue to cut back offers and the mailbox becomes more superprime we are seeing a proportionately higher number of card offers with an annual fee,” said Andrew Davidson, Vice President of Competitive Tracking Services for Synovate’s Financial Services Group.
Fee based cards now reflect an increasing proportion of both reward/rebate and non-reward/rebate card solicitations. In Q1 2009, 24% of reward/rebate offers carried an annual fee versus 18% in Q1 2008. At the same time, 42% of non-reward/rebate offers carried an annual fee versus 19% in the prior year.
+ Fee-Based Card Analysis (PDF; 86 KB)
The Balance of Power: Central and Local Government (PDF; 1.6 MB)
Source: House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee
The balance of power between central and local government matters. It matters because improving the lives of local people and local communities matters, and because where the balance of power between central and local government lies, there lies the responsibility and accountability for the delivery of those improvements.
Even more fundamentally, it matters because the strength of Britain’s famously unwritten constitution depends upon a strong democracy, and a strong democracy requires two important elements; popular participation at the local level; and popular participation at the national level. The two are interconnected. If popular participation at the grass roots continues to decline in this country, then the national body politic will not be immune from the consequences. Flourishing grass roots are only likely where local people understand what local government is responsible for in terms of both policy and resources, where they can hold to account local government for its performance, and where, crucially, they believe that local government can make a real difference.
Whilst we acknowledge the need for central government to set and monitor national strategic goals, local government must have its own autonomy. Local authorities should have the freedom to shape the development of their communities and the scope to unlock the full potential of local innovation. Our report considers how far away we are at present from such an equitable balance of power arrangement in England, and the scope for further adjustment.
Immigration and the Labour Market - Theory, Evidence, Policy (PDF; 393.1 KB)
Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission
From the press release:
Immigration has been largely beneficial to the UK’s economy and has had little, or no, negative impact on the labour market, according to a major report released today by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. However, the report warns that less skilled workers are likely to face greater competition from immigrants in the current recession.
The report, released at a conference today attended by some of the world’s leading migration experts, reveals that net immigration of non-British nationals to the UK between 1997 and 2006 has been just over 2.2 million. The report also predicts that immigration from Eastern Europe has reached a high water mark, with natural turnover set to reduce the overall number of Eastern Europeans in the UK.
Speaking at the conference, Commission Chair Trevor Phillips argued that immigration has brought many benefits to the UK, and has not displaced large numbers of British workers or led to lower wages. However, he acknowledged that we need to take positive steps to defuse tensions that are being exacerbated by the recession.
The Commission is proposing a package of measures to ensure that British workers get the skills they need to compete for jobs and that immigration policy complements efforts to rebuild and re-skill. They include:
Further investment in immigrant integration, such as drawing up a clear strategy at local and central government level, and greater investment in successful integration projects which bring different communities together. The Commission-funded Croeso project in Wales offers one such example.
During a recession, exploitation of some workers is likely to rise. The Commission has already launched a Formal Investigation into the meat packing industry and believes that greater enforcement of labour market standards and a review of regulation could benefit those most at risk.
The Commission believes that recent changes aimed at ensuring employers demonstrate that they have exhausted all possibilities for finding British workers to fill a role before they are allowed to bring in a migrant worker from outside the EU are important. However, net immigration will continue and Government could examine ways to ensure the country is ready for the upturn. One way would be to change the entry criteria in favour of those most able to contribute to recovery, such as low-carbon experts or those in the knowledge economy.
Providing more support for those who have lost out from the recession and competition from immigrants is also important. For example, the Government could expand training programmes and examine non-compulsory ways of supplementing the income of those taking up training or new jobs.
Greater leadership and engagement with the issues at a central and local government level, as well as unions, businesses and others in civil society.
New Study Reveals Scope of Drug and Crime Connection; As Many as 87 Percent of People Arrested for Any Crime Test Positive for Drug Use
Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy
Today, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released data from the 2008 Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM II), the only Federal drug survey which tests for drugs in addition to relying on interview data. The report, which surveys drug use among booked male arrestees in 10 major metropolitan areas across the country, shows the majority of arrestees in each city test positive for illicit drug use, with as many as 87 percent of arrestees testing positive for an illegal drug.
According to the ADAM II report, drug use among the arrestee population is much higher than in the general U.S. population. The percentage of booked arrestees testing positive for at least one illicit drug ranged from 49 percent in Washington, D.C. to 87 percent in Chicago. The most common substances present during tests, in descending order, are marijuana, cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamine. Additionally, many arrestees tested positive for more than one illegal drug at the time of arrest; from 15 percent in Atlanta to 40 percent in Chicago. Data on drug use, drug markets, treatment utilization, and criminal offenses were collected among booked arrestees in jails within 48 hours of their booking and in the following counties and cities: Fulton County and City of Atlanta; Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, NC); Cook County (Chicago, IL); Denver County (Denver, CO); Marion County (Indianapolis, IN); Hennepin County (Minneapolis, MN); Manhattan (New York, NY), Multnomah County (Portland, OR); Sacramento County (Sacramento, CA) and Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia).
CREW releases “You Don’t Know Jack” — a map to Rep. Murtha’s web of special interests
Source: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released You Don’t Know Jack, an interactive graphic illustrating the vast reach of Rep. Jack Murtha’s (D-PA) tentacles. Rep. Murtha has been anointed the “King of Pork,” a title he shrugs off, stating, “If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district.” Indeed, Rep. Murtha takes excellent care of his district; in 2008 he earmarked $192 million for entities in his district and has requested $134 million in earmarks for the benefit of his district in the first half of 2009. Rep. Murtha has a long practice of trading lucrative earmarks for generous campaign donations. CREW’s new interactive graphic will allow visitors to explore the crooked connections between the lawmaker and the numerous special interests.
Tax collectors worldwide to co-operate in revenue-raising to offset fiscal deficits
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Tax Policy and Administration
With governments facing soaring budget deficits as they seek to combat the global economic slump, tax authorities from around the world have agreed on a new cooperation plan to encourage tax compliance and counter tax evasion and abusive tax avoidance, with special focus on banks, wealthy individuals and offshore activities.
…
Two reports issued at the fifth meeting of the OECD’s Forum on Tax Administration, which brings together tax commissioners from 34 OECD and non-OECD countries, set out a roadmap for future cooperation:
- ‘Building Transparent Tax Compliance by Banks’ (PDF; 52 KB) examines the role of banks in designing complex structured finance transactions that can be used to reduce tax payments through aggressive tax planning schemes for themselves or their clients.
- ‘Engaging with High Net Worth Individuals on Tax Compliance’ (PDF; 49 KB) identifies risks and complexities associated with this group of taxpayers.
AAAS Report Warns that New Lab Security Measures Could Undercut Biological Research
Source: American Association for the Advancement of Science
The proliferation of non-government laboratories handling dangerous microorganisms, combined with a troubling incident or two, has prompted the government to consider costly new security measures that scientists fear may be unnecessary and could do more harm than good, according to a new report.
A review of existing biosafety training programs, conducted by two units of AAAS, found that the programs “may already address concerns” that have arisen in Congress and the executive branch about the reliability of personnel at the laboratories, known as high-containment facilities. The report recommends that, before instituting new requirements, the government should “consider existing employment and biosafety training practices… as they may already contribute to vetting of personnel” and the prevention of “malicious actors or unstable personnel” from gaining access to hazardous pathogens.
More than two dozen experts in biosafety, biosecurity and life sciences, as well as architects and engineers, participated in the study, which is based in large part on a workshop they attended at AAAS earlier this year.
Participants warn that security requirements should not become so intrusive or rigid that they hamper vital research and discourage talented researchers from working in the field.
Dealers That Purchase And Resell Animals Not Necessary for NIH-Funded Research
Source: National Research Council
It is not necessary for researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health to acquire “random source” dogs and cats — which come from the general animal population — from Class B dealers that purchase and resell animals, says a new report from the National Research Council. Alternative sources are available to meet NIH-funded research needs, including direct acquisition from pounds and shelters, donation programs, cooperative pre-clinical trials, Class A dealers that breed animals on their premises, NIH-supported resource and research development, and existing NIH-supported and privately owned colonies.
More than 1,000 Class B dealers exist, which include pet distributors, but only 11 can acquire and sell live dogs and cats classified as random source for research. Yet, not all 11 dealers provide live animals for NIH research, and random source animals can be obtained from other resources besides Class B dealers. However, the demand for and use of random source animals in research has declined over the past 30 years. The declining trend suggests that the Class B dealer system may eventually become unavailable.
The report says under some circumstances, random source dogs and cats may be desirable or necessary for NIH-funded research, because they provide a genetically diverse study group; are models for research on naturally occurring diseases such as cancer, infectious diseases, and age-related diseases; and can exhibit characteristics that may not be available in animals bred specifically for research.
Read full report for free online. (National Academies Press)
Crime in the United States: Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
From press release:
According to the FBI’s Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report released today, the nation experienced a 2.5 percent decrease in the number of violent crimes and a 1.6 percent decline in the number of property crimes for 2008 compared with data from 2007. The report is based on information that the FBI gathered from 12,750 law enforcement agencies that submitted six to 12 comparable months of data to the FBI for both 2007 and 2008.
From a NextGov Article About the New Intelligence Publication:
The public affairs folks over at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence were kind enough to send me a copy of a handbook that is distributed to intelligence professionals, which, among other things, highlights some top-secret networks that until now have been, well, top secret.
Steven Aftergood, an analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, who directs the organization’s Project on Government Secrecy, said about half the classified networks revealed in the 2009 “National Intelligence: A Consumer’s Guide” handbook (really, that’s the name) are new to him.
Direct to: National Intelligence: A Consumer’s Guide, 2009 (114 pages; PDF)
Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals
Source: Institute for Laboratory Animal Research
Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals (2009) provides guidelines for those involved in the care and use of animals in the research environment. It aims to increase awareness of the sources and recognition of pain in laboratory animals and to increase ethical sensitivity in those who use and care for them.
Minimizing and alleviating pain in laboratory animals without compromising the methodological integrity of a research project is important both ethically and legally. Fortunately, recent scientific progress has expanded the understanding of pain and increased the ability to prevent and alleviate it in laboratory animals.
New GAO Reports and Correspondences
Source: Government Accountability Office
1 June 2009
+ Reports
1. Hospital Emergency Departments: Crowding Continues to Occur, and Some Patients Wait Longer than Recommended Time Frames
Related Product: Hospital Emergency Departments: Bibliography
2. Privacy and Security: Food and Drug Administration Faces Challenges in Establishing Protections for Its Postmarket Risk Analysis System
3. New Markets Tax Credit: Minority Entities Are Less Successful in Obtaining Awards than Non-Minority Entities
4. Crop Insurance: Opportunities Exist to Reduce the Costs of Administering the Program
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+ Correspondences
1. Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Enrollee Cost Sharing for Selected Specialty Prescription Drugs
2. Nuclear Forensics: Comprehensive Interagency Plan Needed to Address Human Capital Issues
3. Defense Management: Observations on DOD’s Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request for Corrosion Prevention and Control
Republican Base Heavily White, Conservative, Religious
Source: Gallup
More than 6 in 10 Republicans today are white conservatives, while most of the rest are whites with other ideological leanings; only 11% of Republicans are Hispanics, or are blacks or members of other races. By contrast, only 12% of Democrats are white conservatives, while about half are white moderates or liberals and a third are nonwhite.
Audit of VA’s Management of Information Technology Capital Investments (PDF; 271 KB)
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit to evaluate whether VA was managing its information technology (IT) capital investments effectively and efficiently. The audit objectives were to determine why VA was late in submitting Exhibit 300s (an agency’s funding justifications for IT capital investments) to the Office of Management and Budget for budget year 2010 and if VA had implemented the corrective actions needed to prevent delinquent Exhibit 300 submissions in the future.
We concluded that OI&T did not have effective policies, procedures, and management controls in place to ensure that VA managed its IT capital investments effectively, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable criteria. OI&T failed to submit Exhibit 300s for BY 2010 to OMB by the September 8, 2008, deadline. In addition, OI&T has not successfully implemented appropriate management controls to ensure that it does not miss future Exhibit 300 submission deadlines. More importantly, OI&T’s delayed submission of VA’s Exhibit 300s signifies a much broader and more serious issue—VA’s inability to adequately manage and ensure effective oversight of its IT capital investments. For example, OI&T has not fully defined and documented new centralized management policies and procedures needed for effective IT capital investment management. OI&T has also not clearly defined the roles of IT governance boards responsible for facilitating budget oversight and management of IT capital investments or established the criteria the boards will use to select, review, and assess IT capital investments.
The Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology concurred with the recommendations and provided acceptable improvement plans. We consider all review issues to be resolved and will follow up on the implementation of planned improvement actions.
Perceptions of Long-term Care and the Economic Recession
Source: AARP Policy & Research
Key findings include the following:
- In 2008, most respondents (42%) said that if they required LTC, they expected to live at home and have an aide for a few hours each day. This proportion increased slightly (49%) in 2009 as a result of the economic downturn.
- In 2008, 29% said they never thought about or did not know where they would receive LTC services; in 2009, this figure dropped to 22%.
- About half of respondents (51%) said they feel very or fairly prepared to financially deal with a situation in which they would suddenly require LTC for an indefinite period of time, while more than four in ten said they are not very (18%) or not at all prepared (25%).
- Older respondents (age 65+) and those with higher incomes (over $25,000 annually) were more likely to say they feel financially prepared for LTC than their counterparts.
- Men were more likely than women to say they never thought about or did not know where they would receive LTC services (in 2008, 36% versus 23%; in 2009, 27% versus 18%).
+ Full Report (PDF; 292 KB)
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