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Thursday, July 30, 2009
RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service | Current Emergencies, Short-time Events, Long-time or Rolling Events - July 30, 2009 at 10:15pm CDT
National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications
Emergency and Disaster Information Services (EDIS)
Budapest Hungary
**CAVE EDITOR'S NOTE: Scroll down below global map to view listings
Emergency and Disaster Information Services (EDIS)
Budapest Hungary
**CAVE EDITOR'S NOTE: Scroll down below global map to view listings
RussiaToday.com | “He’s not the Obama who was elected”
30 July, 2009, 19:06
Obama’s policies during the recession resemble those of his predecessor – not what the public was waiting for, says the president of the Business and Media Institute Dan Gainor.
Obama’s policies during the recession resemble those of his predecessor – not what the public was waiting for, says the president of the Business and Media Institute Dan Gainor.
Mild season in Tornado Alley frustrates scientists
Nationwide, there were 826 tornadoes this year through June 30, compared with an average of 934 for the same period during the previous three years, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla. Most twisters strike in Tornado Alley, which generally extends from Texas and Oklahoma to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.
READ MORE.....
Shortage of drones threatens Afghanistan mission
AIA dailyLead | 07/30/2009
The U.S. military is shifting its focus in Afghanistan to target the Taliban rather than al-Qaida, but a shortage of unmanned drone aircraft may hinder the effectiveness of the new mission. A preliminary review has concluded that the U.S. command in Afghanistan needs up to four times as many Predators as it currently has. The military has already shifted about eight Predator drones away from scouring remote mountain ranges to focusing on major Taliban strongholds. Los Angeles Times (07/30)
SteveQuayle.com | Hot Headlines - July 30, 2009
The Death of Liberty: The Final Scene Unfolds
Sympathy for America's Devils
NRA: The Untold Story of Gun Confiscation After Katrina – video
Hawk Threat Alert: Foreign Troop Action in Eureka Montana Area & Other Threats in the Matrix
Pentagon Caught Subverting Protest Group
You're (Probably) a Federal Criminal Citizens of the United States Welcome to Animal Farm 2009 MSNBC Implies People Skeptical of Government are Psychologically Insane
Napolitano Reports to CFR on Stasi Snoop Network
Obama 'Hates Whites': TV Host Accuses President After His Attack on Police for Arresting Black Harvard Professor
It is Official: WHO Recommends Mandatory Injections to Almost Two Hundred Countries
Mexico on the Brink
Federal Judges Engage in Conspiracy to Cover up Income Tax Fraud, Part 1
Weak U.S. 5-Year Debt Auction Raises Worries
Bernake on the Record – video
The Hole in our Universe Dead Banks Walking
Temple Institute to Build Sacrificial Altar on Tisha B'av
Transhumanist Salvation or Judgment Day?
Transparent Aluminium is 'New State of Matter'
Sympathy for America's Devils
NRA: The Untold Story of Gun Confiscation After Katrina – video
Hawk Threat Alert: Foreign Troop Action in Eureka Montana Area & Other Threats in the Matrix
Pentagon Caught Subverting Protest Group
You're (Probably) a Federal Criminal Citizens of the United States Welcome to Animal Farm 2009 MSNBC Implies People Skeptical of Government are Psychologically Insane
Napolitano Reports to CFR on Stasi Snoop Network
Obama 'Hates Whites': TV Host Accuses President After His Attack on Police for Arresting Black Harvard Professor
It is Official: WHO Recommends Mandatory Injections to Almost Two Hundred Countries
Mexico on the Brink
Federal Judges Engage in Conspiracy to Cover up Income Tax Fraud, Part 1
Weak U.S. 5-Year Debt Auction Raises Worries
Bernake on the Record – video
The Hole in our Universe Dead Banks Walking
Temple Institute to Build Sacrificial Altar on Tisha B'av
Transhumanist Salvation or Judgment Day?
Transparent Aluminium is 'New State of Matter'
Docuticker | Daily update of new reports from government agencies, ngo’s, think tanks, and other groups. July 30, 2009
Green Building and Development as a Public Good
Source: Canadian Policy Research Networks
Governments in Canada are attempting to respond to the challenge of global warming and to the expectation Canadians hold for a healthy economy and enhanced quality of life. Actions include energy conservation, the introduction of a carbon tax (British Columbia) and the possibility of carbon cap and trade legislation (or agreements among some provinces). An area of increasing attention is how we develop communities and build and use residential and commercial buildings.
In Green Building and Development as a Public Good, Mike Buzzelli argues that green building and development faces a classic policy paradox: we collectively agree that improvements are needed in the built environment but we are caught in a whirlwind of information and debate about how to move forward. We are motivated to “be green” but challenged by implementation.
+ Full Paper (PDF; 89 KB)
Child Care Subsidies and Childhood Obesity (PDF; 222 KB)
Source: Institute for the Study of Labor
Child care subsidies play a critical role in facilitating the transition of disadvantaged mothers from welfare to work. However, little is known about the influence of these policies on children’s health and well-being. In this paper, we study the impact of subsidy receipt on low-income children’s weight outcomes in the fall and spring of kindergarten. The goals of our empirical analysis are twofold. We first utilize standard OLS and fixed effects methods to explore body mass index as well as measures of overweight and obesity. We then turn to quantile regression to address the possibility that subsidy receipt has heterogeneous effects on children’s weight at different points in the BMI distribution. Results suggest that subsidy receipt is associated with increases in BMI and a greater likelihood of being overweight and obese. We also find substantial variation in subsidy effects across the BMI distribution. In particular, child care subsidies have no effect on BMI at the lower end of the distribution, inconsistent effects in the middle of the distribution, and large effects at the top of the distribution. Our results point to the use of non-parental child care, particularly center-based services, as the key mechanism through which subsidies influence children’s weight outcomes.
Ofwat Price Review 2009
Source: House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
From the Introduction:
The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is the water industry’s economic regulator for England and Wales. Every five years, Ofwat sets limits on the prices the water companies can charge their customers. The 2009 price review (PR 09), which will set price limits for customers’ bills for each year between 2010 and 2015, is the fourth price review since privatisation of the water industry in 1989.
Most people in this country take a constant and unlimited supply of clean, affordable water for granted. In 2008-09, the average water and sewerage bill was £331—£700 less than the average energy bill. What may not be apparent to the average customer is that only a third of their bill pays for the operating costs of supplying drinking water and removing waste water—the remaining two thirds of their bill covers: return to debt and equity investors (30%); capital charges (charges for depreciation and infrastructure renewal) (28%); and business taxes (6%).
PR 09 has four phases; Phase 1 began in March 2007, when Ofwat began consultation with water companies and other stakeholders. The price review is currently in its third phase, which concludes in November 2009 when Ofwat publishes its final determinations of price limits
+ Direct link to Volume 1 (PDF; 1.6 MB)
+ Direct link to Volume 2 (PDF; 1.2 MB)
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Public Health Advisory (PHA) warning consumers to stop using body building products that are represented as containing steroids or steroid-like substances. Many of these products are marketed as dietary supplements.
The agency also issued a Warning Letter to American Cellular Laboratories Inc. for marketing and distributing body building products containing synthetic steroid substances. Although these products are marketed as dietary supplements, they are not dietary supplements, but instead are unapproved and misbranded drugs.
The PHA notifies consumers and health care professionals that the FDA has received reports of serious adverse events associated with the use of body building products that claim to contain steroids or steroid-like substances. Those adverse events include cases of serious liver injury, stroke, kidney failure and pulmonary embolism (artery blockage in the lung). The PHA also advises consumers to stop taking body building products from any manufacturer that claim to contain steroid-like substances or to enhance or diminish androgen-, estrogen-, or progestin-like effects in the body.
The FDA has received five adverse event reports, including serious liver injury, in men taking products marketed as dietary supplements by American Cellular Laboratories including TREN-Xtreme and MASS Xtreme. Acute liver injury is generally known to be a possible side effect of using products that contain anabolic steroids. Some of the cases resulted in hospitalization, but there were no reports of death or acute liver failure.
+ Public Health Advisory: The FDA recommends that consumers should not use body building products marketed as containing steroids or steroid-like substances
+ Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances
Updated CDC Travel Health Book Released
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The 2010 edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Yellow Book includes new or expanded sections on medical tourism, traveling safely with chronic diseases and conditions, and expert perspectives on popular travel itineraries worldwide. The updated book, which is a definitive guide for healthy international travel, is now available online.
Nicknamed for its yellow cover, the health guide updated every two years is officially titled CDC Health Information for International Travel. The resource provides travel health recommendations and other features that help international travelers prepare for trips and stay healthy while abroad.
New GAO Reports, Correspondence and Testimonies (PDFs:)
Source: Government Accountability Office
29 July 2009
+ Reports
1. Small Business Administration: Additional Steps Should Be Taken to Address Reforms to the Disaster Loan Program and Improve the Application Process for Future Disasters
2. Career and Technical Education: States Have Broad Flexibility in Implementing Perkins IV
Related Product — Career and Technical Education: Surveys to State Directors of Career and Technical Education
3. English Language Learning: Diverse Federal and State Efforts to Support Adult English Language Learning Could Benefit from More Coordination
–
+ Correspondence
1. U.S.-Russia Nuclear Agreement: Interagency Process Used to Develop the Classified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Needs to Be Strengthened
–
+ Testimonies
1. Influenza Pandemic: Gaps in Pandemic Planning and Preparedness Need to Be Addressed, by Bernice Steinhardt, director, strategic issues, before the House Committee on Homeland Security
2. Small Business Administration: Additional Steps Should Be Taken to Address Reforms to the Disaster Loan Program and Improve the Application Process for Future Disasters, by William B. Shear, director, financial markets and community investment, before the House Committee on Small Business
3. Veterans’ Disability Benefits: Preliminary Findings on Claims Processing Trends and Improvement Efforts, by Daniel Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security, before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Mick or Keith: Blended Identity of Online Rock Fans
Source: Identity in the Information Society, Social Identity on the Web
This paper discusses the “blended identity” of online rock fans to show that the standard dichotomy between anonymous and real life personas is an inadequate description of self-presentation in online communities. Using data from an ethnographic, exploratory study of an online community and comparison groups including interviews, an online questionnaire, fan discussion boards, and participant/observation, the research analyzes fan identity online and then offline. Rolling Stones fans often adopt names that illustrate their allegiance to the band, along with avatars. Issues of gender and the technological change of software platform also affect types of online self-presentations and their construction. Fans engage in “role embracement”, merging their individual selves with the role of Stones fans, demonstrated by reactions of friends and family. Connections between offline and online settings occur, with band affiliation of fans expressed through choice of apparel offline, and usernames from online filtering into the offline interactions among fans.
Show Us the Stimulus: An Evaluation of State Government Recovery Act Websites
Source: Good Jobs First
In this report, released in July 2009, Good Jobs First evaluates the websites created by state governments to highlight their role in the implementation of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The appendices below provide details on how we derived our scores for each state.
Withdrawing from Iraq: Alternative Schedules, Associated Risks, and Mitigating Strategies
Source: RAND Corporation
Since 2007, security has improved dramatically in Iraq. The U.S. and Iraqi governments — and most Iraqis — want to see both the U.S. presence there reduced and the Iraqi government and security forces assuming a greater role in providing for public security. The challenge is to effect this drawdown while preserving security and stability in the country and in the region.
In response to tasking from the U.S. Congress, RAND researchers conducted an independent study to examine drawdown schedules, risks, and mitigating strategies. They identified logistical constraints on moving equipment out of the country, assessed trends in insurgent activity and the ability of Iraqi security forces to counter it, and examined the implications for the size of the residual U.S. force and for security in Iraq and the region. This report presents alternative drawdown schedules — one consistent with the Obama administration’s stated intentions and two others, one somewhat slower and another faster — that are responsive to these factors. It also recommends steps that the United States can take to alleviate anticipated constraints, overcome likely resistance, and reduce the potential risks associated with a drawdown.
The Geopolitical Consequences of the World Economic Recession — A Caution
Source: RAND Corporation
Will the global economic downturn of 2009 have long-term geopolitical implications? That is, will the recession lead to lasting structural changes in the international system? Assuming that economic recovery begins in the first half of 2010, lasting geopolitical changes are unlikely. There is little empirical evidence, for example, that the United States will not remain the dominant global power for decades to come, that U.S.-China relations will be much different five years from now than they are today, or that deteriorating economic conditions will cause substantial changes in the way the governments of Russia, Japan, or India see the world. This is because economic performance is only one of many geopolitical elements that shape countries’ strategic intent and core external policies, and most of these other elements change only over the very long term.
+ Full Paper (PDF; 167 KB)
Is Personal Insecurity a Cause of Cross-National Differences in the Intensity of Religious Belief?
Source: Journal of Religion and Society
This analysis shows that, across a broad multinational panel, those countries with shorter life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher violent crime, more corruption, higher abortion rates, and less peace also tend to have higher average levels of personal religiosity, as measured by the frequency of prayer. Furthermore, these indicators of personal insecurity also correlate with income inequality, allowing inequality to serve as a widely available proxy for personal insecurity as it pertains to religiosity. Using this proxy, personal insecurity is shown to be at least as important in the determination of national average religiosity as the factors that are conventionally considered important, such as wealth, urbanization, and governmental regulation of religion (and indeed personal insecurity appears to be the most important determinant).
The Science and Technology Directorate’s Processes for Funding Research and Development Program (PDF, 1.35 MB)
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
This report addresses the processes that the DHS Science and Technology Directorate uses to fund its research and development efforts. It is based on interviews with key directorate officials and staff as well as senior leaders of relevant agencies and institutions and a review of applicable documents.
Consolidated Report on DHS’ Management of 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes Mission Assignment Funding (PDF; 559 KB)
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
This report presents the consolidated results of our reviews of DHS’ management of mission assignment funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and National Communications System. It addresses these agencies’ strengths and weaknesses in the management of mission assignments for the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes disaster relief efforts. The underlying reports of these component agencies, which have resulted in this consolidated report, are based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant agencies and institutions, direct observations, and reviews of applicable documents.
We contracted with the independent public accounting firm of Regis & Associates, PC to perform the reviews. The contract required that Regis & Associates, PC perform its reviews according to guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office. In the underlying reports of the component agencies, Regis & Associates, PC identified areas where each agency’s management of the mission assignments and funds could be improved. In addition, they have identified five areas where action at the department level could improve the management of mission assignments by its component agencies. Specifically, DHS needs to: (1) establish procurement and contract monitoring standards; (2) enforce compliance with funds control policy and procedures; (3) establish documentation standards and a retention policy; (4) establish a uniform policy for managing accountable property; and (5) establish standards for reimbursement billing processes. Regis & Associates, PC, is responsible for the attached independent accountants’ report and the conclusions expressed therein.
The Vote and the Draft
Source: Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
The voting problems military and overseas voters face can be solved by a relatively simple fix to the voter registration system, two new reports released today by the Brennan Center for Justice show.
These reports provide a concrete roadmap for addressing the problematic disparity in the ways that the American military and overseas population vote. Members of Congress are examining the issue: just last week, the Senate passed the bipartisan Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE), sponsored by Senators Schumer and Chambliss, which will make it easier for military and overseas voters to receive ballots, voter registration forms, and other election materials on time.
+ Registering Military and Overseas Citizens to Vote
+ Automatic Registration in the United States: The Selective Service Example
PFF Releases New Edition of Parental Controls & Online Child Protection Report
Source: Progress & Freedom Foundation
Debates continue to rage about how to shield kids from the potential negative effects of various types of media or communications technologies. Is government intervention and regulation really needed to quell concerns, or do parents have access to constructive tools to control what their child sees and hears? To assist policymakers and parents, The Progress & Freedom Foundation is releasing an updated edition of Adam Thierer’s Special Report, “Parental Controls and Online Child Protection: A Survey of Tools & Methods.”
In the latest edition of the PFF special report, Thierer, Senior Fellow and Director of PFF’s Center for Digital Media Freedom, explores the market for parental control tools, rating schemes, education efforts, and initiatives aimed at promoting online child safety. Version 4.0, now over 250 pages, contains almost 70 exhibits (up from 50), 725 references (up from roughly 500), and numerous updates in all five sections of the book. Major updates have been made to the Internet, social networking, and mobile media sections, reflecting the growing importance of those sectors and issues.
Recent Yellowstone National Park earthquake update - July 30, 2009 7:20am CDT
Update time = Thu Jul 30 6:00:04 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
0.8 2009/07/29 12:37:27 44.332N 110.543W 1.0 58 km (36 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
0.5 2009/07/29 02:09:34 44.335N 110.531W 2.0 58 km (36 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
0.7 2009/07/28 22:18:24 44.333N 110.529W 2.1 59 km (36 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
0.7 2009/07/28 22:14:51 44.333N 110.526W 2.1 59 km (37 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.1 2009/07/28 21:45:54 44.333N 110.529W 1.8 59 km (36 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.2 2009/07/28 21:40:21 44.334N 110.529W 3.8 58 km (36 mi) SE of West Yellowstone, MT
1.0 2009/07/25 00:37:09 44.552N 110.369W 1.8 60 km (37 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone, MT
2.5 2009/07/24 08:53:04 44.732N 111.247W 11.7 14 km ( 8 mi) NW of West Yellowstone, MT
1.2 2009/07/24 08:52:52 44.722N 111.248W 10.8 13 km ( 8 mi) WNW of West Yellowstone, MT
Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 29 July 2009
Torture report a 'security risk' 30 July 2009 Britain's national security and the lives of its citizens will be put at risk if the High Court publishes its findings on what happened to former terror detainee
prisoner Binyam Mohamed at the hands of the CIA. That was the effect of letters from the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and CIA officials, two judges were told in London yesterday. The letters warned that the US, even under the new Obama administration, will review its intelligence-sharing agreement with the UK if the court releases seven brief paragraphs about Mr Mohamed's treatment into the public domain. They are central to the former Guantanamo Bay prisoner's claim that he was subjected to torture with the consent of UK authorities.
UK Government to be Sued For Involvement in CIA Rendition Program --Former Gitmo Detainee Alleges Stopover on British Island Makes UK Complicit in Torture 28 Jul 2009 The British government is being sued for the first time over its complicity in the operation of the CIA rendition program. A former detainee at Guantanamo Bay, now living back in Pakistan, claims the CIA plane that took him to be interrogated in Egypt stopped to refuel on the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where the U.S. has an air base.
Guantanamo inmate to be released 30 Jul 2009 The Obama administration says it will release Mohammed Jawad, who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp since 2002. Earlier this month officials admitted that there was no military case for Mr Jawad's continued detention. But government lawyers had said they wished to keep him in detention pending a possible criminal prosecution. The decision could set a precedent leading to the release of other Guantanamo inmates.
Hello, Pot? This is Kettle... Clinton "deplores" any abuse of prisoners in Iran 29 Jul 2009 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday "deplored" the alleged abuse of political prisoners in Iran following the election and urged their immediate release. "We believe that it is imperative for (Iran) ... to release political prisoners and treat them appropriately and humanely," said Clinton, adding that the continued detention and alleged abuse of prisoners suggested the political situation inside of Iran had not been resolved. [LOL! Hey, Hillary! Do you 'deplore' this? 'I saw ___ f*cking a kid...' Source: The "Taguba Report" On Treatment of Abu Ghraib Prisoners In Iraq, statement by Kasim Mehaddi Hilas, Detainee #151108, 1300/18 Jan 2004.]
U.S. Rejects Call for Immigration Detention Rules --Number of people detained has soared to more than 400,000 a year 29 Jul 2009 The Obama administration has refused to make legally enforceable rules for immigration detention, rejecting a federal court petition by former detainees prisoners and their advocates and embracing a Bush-era inspection system that relies in part on private contractors. The decision, contained in a six-page letter received by the plaintiffs this week, disappointed and angered immigration advocacy organizations around the country. [See: KBR awarded $385M Homeland Security contract for U.S. detention centers 24 Jan 2006.]
Military Poised to Help FEMA Battle Swine Flu Outbreak --U.S. commander for Northern Command asked Defense Secretary to sign executive order for military to set up five regional teams to deal with [their] outbreak --Orders to deploy actual forces would be reviewed later 29 Jul 2009 The Pentagon is preparing to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency tackle a potential outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, FOX News has confirmed. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to set vaccination priorities for those groups Wednesday during a meeting in Atlanta. The vote came on the same day that Gen. Victor Renuart, the U.S. commander for Northern Command, has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to sign an executive order for the military to set up five regional teams to deal with the potential outbreak if FEMA requests help. Gates is expected to sign the order soon. It is not known how many troops would be needed and whether they would come from the active duty or the National Guard and Reserve forces. As a first step, Gates is being asked to sign a so-called "execution order" that would authorize the military to begin to conduct the detailed planning to execute the proposed plan. [Barack Obama was 'allowed' to win so that he could put a friendly face on the military dictatorship that is at our doorstep. Obama has done *nothing* for the Left -- those who worked tirelessly for him so that he could implement 'change.' Obama has, in fact, out-Bushed Bush. Bush-Cheney could only *dream* of what Obama is poised to 'accomplish.' The full-blown police state is here -- the raison d'etre for the US Army-created flu pandemic. Just as the CLG has documented and predicted. --Lori Price. The swine flu is really an alibi to justify the containment of social unrest that may result from the exacerbated crisis of capitalism. --MDR]
Military planning for possible H1N1 outbreak 29 Jul 2009 The U.S. military wants to establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense Department officials. The proposal is awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The officials would not be identified because the proposal from U.S. Northern Command's Gen. Victor Renuart has not been approved by the secretary.
Obama Homeland Security Plans to Expand Bush Initiatives --Homeland Security Secretary Unveils New Antiterror Plans 29 Jul 2009 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano outlined Wednesday the Obama administration's domestic approach to preventing terrorist attacks -- a strategy that will rely in large measure on refining and expanding initiatives launched under President [sic] George W. Bush. In an interview this week, Ms. Napolitano signaled that the Obama administration isn't contemplating a wholesale revision of the agencies or programs created under Mr. Bush to further antiterrorism efforts... A key component of the integration efforts is a national network of roughly 70 so-called intelligence-fusion centers. They bring federal, state and local officials under the same roof to "fuse" terrorism-related intelligence.
Judge: Swine flu good cause to suspend some constitutional rights --Judge made ruling over objections of county public defender's office and alternate defender's office after special 90-minute hearing 28 Jul 2009 (CA) A Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that there is legal justification to keep the Central Men’s Jail under medical quarantine – at least for a couple of days – to control a swine flu outbreak. Judge Thomas Goethals said the "significant medical public health event" in the men’s jail is good cause to temporarily suspend constitutional guarantees to speedy trials, preliminary hearings and arraignments for some criminal case defendants.
Pandemic 'contingency planning': Govt may invoke emergency clause to force BBC to air content --Such action would be "tantamount to a government takeover". 29 Jul 2009 The BBC could be asked to clear its schedules to make way for educational programmes if schools have to close due to swine flu, it has emerged. Ministers are understood to have had discussions with BBC officials as part of "contingency planning" for the pandemic. Discussions have centred around government moves to invoke a clause in the BBC's agreement which states that, in the case of an emergency, the government has the power to make the BBC broadcast another announcement or programme than that scheduled. However, the proposal has attracted strong criticism, with one BBC source saying such action would be "tantamount to a government takeover". The insider also claimed the clause did not give the government the right to direct programming.
Senate Pages May Have Contracted Swine Flu, Says Top Official --The H1N1 virus has arrived on Congress's doorstep. 28 Jul 2009 Five Senate pages appear to have contracted the dreaded flu virus, which has been linked to more than 300 deaths, and they have been quarantined from their peers and lawmakers, Sergeant at Arms Terrance W. Gainer announced Tuesday night in an internal memo to senators and staff. Gainer, who oversees the page program, said the teenagers "are exhibiting flu-like symptoms -- slightly elevated temperature, cough, and sore throats -- and the Office of Attending Physician believes that they most likely have influenza, quite possibly the H1N1 virus."
NHS cannot cope with swine flu epidemic, report warns 28 Jul 2009 The NHS may not be able to cope with a swine flu epidemic this winter as intensive care beds will be overwhelmed, a Lords report has warned. While preparations for a flu pandemic in Britain are more advanced than in most countries, there is more that could have been done, peers said in a report. The Government has failed to offer reassurance that NHS services can deal with an expected "second wave" of swine flu in the autumn, The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee said.
Flu Vaccine Panel Creates Priority [Guinea Pig] List --Priority list names targeted groups and suggests order in which they should be vaccinated 30 Jul 2009 A complicated list of who should get pandemic flu vaccine in the fall is now set. When the vaccine starts arriving in September, first in line will be pregnant women; the caretakers of infants; children and young adults; older people with chronic illness; and health-care workers. That's the advice of a 15-member committee of experts, which met all day Wednesday at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to advise the federal government on vaccine policy. [See: Refuse and Resist Mandatory Flu Vaccines (Petition) and CLG Pandemic Action Alerts.]
House Set to Spend $6.9B on Unwanted Military Equipment 29 Jul 2009 The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is poised to give the Pentagon dozens of new ships, planes, helicopters and armored vehicles that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says the military does not need to fund next year, acting in many cases in support of political contributors from the defense industry under an approach the Obama administration has decried as "business as usual" and vowed to end.
Top-secret Obama safe-house leaked on LimeWire 30 Jul 2009 The US is pondering a crackdown on peer-to-peer file sharing programs after details of a Secret Service safe-house location for President Barack Obama and his family were found being traded on LimeWire. A senior US lawmaker has said that it may be time for the Government to regulate companies that provide online file-sharing services after several people managed to access FBI files, medical records and Social Security numbers. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) said during a hearing on the safety of peer-to-peer software that he was astonished at privacy breaches involving LimeWire, operated by the Lime Group.
CIA Persuaded Pakistan In '91 to Free NC Terror Suspect --Conflicting portrait of NC terror suspect emerges 29 Jul 2009 Daniel Boyd may have spent the past three years traveling to the Middle East, secretly buying guns and training for jihad with a group of aspiring terrorists as federal authorities claim, but people on his cul-de-sac said Tuesday he also made plenty of time to be a good neighbor... In 1991, Boyd and his brother were convicted of bank robbery in Pakistan. They were also accused of carrying identification showing they belonged to the radical Afghan guerrilla group, Hezb-e-Islami, or Party of Islam. Each was sentenced to have a foot and a hand cut off for the robbery, but the decision was later overturned. A former CIA official who was stationed in Pakistan at the time said the agency intervened and quickly persuaded the Pakistani intelligence service to help free the Boyd brothers. The former official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the incident.
Wife and mother of terror suspects says FBI tricked her 29 Jul 2009 A woman whose husband and two sons are accused of plotting "violent jihad" overseas said federal authorities tricked her into leaving her home so they could search it. Sabrina Boyd said Tuesday that she rushed out to a hospital earlier this week after being told her loved ones had been in a serious car accident. The FBI declined to comment on the allegation.
Policy Would Allow Cops to Shoot At Fleeing Cars --Policy would take effect on Monday 29 Jul 2009 The Chicago Police Department is considering a major change in policy regarding the use of deadly force. The department is looking at allowing police officers to fire their guns under circumstances where they previously could not. The new policy, from police Supt. Jody Weis and confirmed by WBBM Newsradio 780 Wednesday morning, would allow police officers to shoot at fleeing vehicles if the driver or passengers are suspected of committing a felony.
Israel targets U.K. funding of group that exposed IDF crimes in Gaza 29 Jul 2009 Israel continues to ratchet up diplomatic pressure against European Union funding of a group that exposed what it described as war crimes perpetrated by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza. The deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry, Rafi Barak, expressed "concern" last week over Britain's financial contributions to "Breaking the Silence," an organization founded by IDF veterans which collects testimonies from soldiers serving in the Palestinian territories.
Israeli tanks, bulldozers roll into Gaza 29 Jul 2009 The Israeli army has launched another cross border attack on the Gaza Strip, opening fire on villagers' homes south of the impoverished sliver. Israeli tanks and bulldozers rolled hundreds of meters deep into the strip on Wednesday and flattened cultivated fields in Al Qararra town in southern Gaza.
KBR Wins a Victory In One of Its Iraq-Electrocution Suits 29 Jul 2009 Sometimes it's not enough to simply bring in steal billions from no-bid contracts from in Iraq; sometimes a company needs a hug. And that's what KBR got from federal judges in Houston and Florida, the company announced late yesterday. Judges dismissed two lawsuits stemming from the electrocution death of a U.S. soldier in Iraq, the company said.
Marine says KBR zapped him in Iraq 29 Jul 2009 A U.S. Marine in Fallujah says he suffered permanent nerve damage when Kellogg, Brown & Root electricians ignored instructions and powered up the camp's generator as he worked on a wiring box. Peter Taylor, a hospital corpsman, says KBR's generator was frequently broken, so the Marines had to assemble a back-up generator. Taylor says he suffered permanent nerve damage and scarring in the July 2007 accident. He seeks $2.5 million in damages for negligence.
Senate "don't ask, don't tell" hearings set for this fall 27 Jul 2009 Officials at the Senate Armed Services Committee just confirmed they'll hold hearings this fall on the controversial "don’t ask, don’t tell" law banning homosexuals from serving openly in the military. The hearings will be the first in the chamber since 1993, and represent another big step forward for opponents seeking to overturn the ban.
In break with Bush, speculators blamed for oil price spikes 28 Jul 2009 The chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission signaled Tuesday that his agency is likely to limit financial speculators' ability to drive up prices for oil and other fuels. Excessive speculation, suggested CFTC chief Gary Gensler, drove the price of oil to a record $147 a barrel a year ago... Gensler's comments mark a stark shift from the Bush administration's view. When a Republican headed the CFTC last year, the agency concluded that market forces of supply and demand, not financial speculators, drove record increases in energy prices.
Citigroup's $100 million banker By Tom Eley and Barry Grey 29 July 2009 The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that a top Citigroup trader is demanding that the bank follow through on a 2009 pay package estimated at $100 million. Andrew J. Hall, who runs Citigroup’s energy trading division, has threatened to quit should the bank fail to honor his pay deal in full. According to the Journal, Hall, an energy speculator and top money-maker for the bank, received more than $100 million last year.
Liberals Threaten Revolt After Blue Dog Deal on Health Care 29 Jul 2009 Hours after the Blue Dog Democrats announced a deal on a scaled-back health care reform bill Wednesday, anger among liberal members threatened to derail the bill from the left. "There's angst, there's questions, there's anger," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D) of New York, coming out of a hastily scheduled meeting of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Engel said that without the guarantee of a fully funded public option, he no longer knew if he would support the House version of health care reform.
House Democrats Break Health-Care Gridlock 29 Jul 2009 With the White House prodding both sides behind the scenes, House Democrats broke two weeks of gridlock Wednesday and reached a health-care deal that granted critical concessions to the party's conservative wing, allowing a key committee to resume consideration of the legislation. The compromise plan forced Democratic leaders to try to tamp down a new rebellion from party liberals, who complained that what they regarded as a central plank of the legislation -- a government-financed "public option" for insurance -- had been watered down.
Hawaii Asserts Obama's U.S. Citizenship 28 Jul 2009 State officials in Hawaii on Monday said they have once again checked and confirmed that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen, and therefore meets a key constitutional requirement for being president. Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said she hoped to end lingering rumors about Obama's birthplace.
Previous lead stories: Request for more troops in Afghanistan likely, source says 28 Jul 2009 The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is expected to ask the Obama administration for additional troops and equipment, according to a senior U.S. military official familiar with Gen. Stanley McChrystal's thinking. The request will be for troops and equipment for conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as more assets to deal with roadside bombs and explosives, said the official, who declined to be identified because McChrystal's request has not been formally transmitted to the Pentagon.
F.B.I. Watched Terror Suspects for Three Years 29 Jul 2009 The F.B.I. watched [?!?] Daniel Patrick Boyd for three years as he stockpiled rifles and revolvers, trained accomplices including his two sons, and planned to commit terrorist attacks overseas, before agents arrested the group in coordinated raids on Monday afternoon, according to a federal indictment filed in the case. Mr. Boyd, his sons and four other men were charged with providing material support to terrorists and planning terror attacks. More than 100 law enforcement officials, including four S.W.A.T. teams and a hostage rescue team from Quantico, Va., stormed several homes in arresting the seven suspects on Monday afternoon, according to an F.B.I. spokeswoman, Amy Thoreson.
Swine Flu Vaccine Testing In Oklahoma 28 Jul 2009 Clinical trials in Oklahoma City of a possible swine flu vaccine will begin with tests on children ages 3 through 8. IPS Research will begin enrolling about 200 children for the program starting August 17. The study will last 42 days and follow-up calls will continue after that. IPS Research medical director Dr. Louise Thurman says 12,000 children nationwide will be given the vaccine for the trial.
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