Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 22 Sep 2009

NYC terror probe: Cops visit truck rentals, raid homes 22 Sep 2009 As New York City transportation officials moved to ratchet up security at major rail hubs, law enforcement sources said Tuesday that police were conducting more visits to truck rental companies and chemical suppliers as part of the major terrorism probe that led to the arrest of three men over the weekend. Reports also spread that police had raided homes in Queens in search of more than a dozen associates of Najibullah Zazi, who has emerged as the central figure in the investigation into a possible plot to set off explosives in the city.

USA on bomb terror alert over stadiums and hotels 23 Sep 2009 America went on heightened terror alert last night as it emerged up to 12 suspects are being probed over a New York bomb plot. Anti-terror chiefs have warned police across the US that stadiums, entertainment venues and hotels could be targeted. It follows earlier alerts that transport networks could be attacked. New York transport bosses have increased police patrols and officers in helmets and bulletproof vests were yesterday out in force at major depots such as Manhattan’s Grand Central station.

Local Police Advised on Terror --NY Transportation Authority, JTTF increase police presence in 'key locations' 22 Sep 2009 The FBI and Homeland Security officials in a series of advisories are cautioning local police to be on the lookout for suspicious activity at places like self storage facilities, entertainment complexes, luxury hotels and transportation hubs. At least one agency is responding to the FBI and Homeland Security advisories. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority which is a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force has increased police presence at what an official called "key locations."

Officials Worry NY Terror Plot 'Still Alive' as Case Broadens --Surveillance Teams "Stretched Thin" with More Than 24 Possible Suspects 22 Sep 2009 Law enforcement officials say the alleged terror plot against New York City may be "still alive" despite the arrest of its alleged ringleader, 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi of Denver, Colorado. "I have never been so worried," said one senior law enforcement official with more than a dozen years of experience in counter-terrorism investigations.

The Hunt for a Hidden Bomb Factory --Have authorities really shut down an alleged New York terror plot? 22 Sep 2009 Days after local police and federal agents busted an alleged terror plot targeting public transportation in the New York area, law enforcement and counterterrorism officials still aren't sure if they have captured all of the suspects who might have been in on the plan. Contacted by NEWSWEEK, some officials say they believe U.S. agencies "successfully disrupted" the plot with the arrests last weekend of two men in Denver and one in Queens, New York. But other officials say that more suspects are being sought, and that urgent efforts are continuing to locate what investigators fear could be a bomb factory or an explosives stockpile.

Terrorist probe expands to include friends, associates of Zazi --Between 16 and 20 men are under surveillance 22 Sep 2009 Counter-terror agents raided several city apartments on Tuesday searching for evidence that could link a half-dozen suspected terrorists to a recently uncovered plot to bomb in New York. The men are friends and associates of the three Afghan immigrants arrested over the weekend after police raided several Queens apartments. "We've got new bodies - eight more people we're looking at," a source close to the investigation told The Daily News. Between 16 and 20 men are under surveillance - as are their haunts in the city, sources said.

FBI: Informant imam Afzali worked both sides and tipped off suspects 21 Sep 2009 The Queens imam arrested in the Denver terrorism probe is an FBI informant the feds say became a double agent - tipping suspects that they were in the government's crosshairs. Ahmad Afzali insisted he's been loyally helping the government root out extremists since 9/11. His lawyer, Ron Kuby, calls him a fall guy. "I think the FBI is angry that they blew this case, and they want to blame poor Imam Afzali for blowing the investigation," Kuby said. Afzali told the News just hours before he was arrested Saturday night for lying to the feds that "someone is trying to set me up."

Terror suspects and torture: former CIA inspector general confirms Panorama findings 21 Sep 2009 The former CIA inspector general, John Helgerson, has confirmed that the Bush administration authorised the CIA to use a harsh interrogation method torture on terror suspect Abu Zubaydah before written legal clearance was given. This is politically explosive, because the Bush administration has always claimed that it used harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding only after government lawyers had determined they did not amount to torture.

Former KBR employee: I know I was drugged and raped in Iraq --Jones’ day in court could still be months or years away. 22 Sep 2009 (TX) Conroe native Jamie Leigh Jones made national news when she claimed to have been sexually assaulted by several co-workers at KBR. At the time KBR, was a subsidiary of Halliburton. Jones has talked openly about what she says happened in Iraq while she was working for the Houston-based company... . Jones was 20 years old in 2005 when she claims she was raped by KBR co-workers after someone put a drug in her drink.

US soldier charged with murder in Iraq base death 22 Sep 2009 A U.S. soldier has been charged with murder in the slaying of a civilian contractor on an American base in Iraq, the military said Tuesday. Spc. Beyshee Velez of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was charged Monday in the Sept. 13 shooting death of a contractor who worked for Houston-based KBR at Camp Speicher in the city of Tikrit, a military statement said. The 31-year-old suspect faces dishonorable discharge and a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.

US ships arrive in Israel ahead of joint drill --Officials say US may leave some systems in Israel after planned drill 21 Sep 2009 US Navy missile ships started arriving in Israel on Sunday ahead of next month's joint missile defense exercise between the IDF and the American military's European Command. Called Juniper Cobra, the exercise will include the Arrow missile defense system as well as three American systems - the THAAD, Aegis and PAC3 - that will all be deployed in Israel for the duration of the exercise.

US 'likely behind' Chavez coup 21 Sep 2009 Jimmy Carter, a former US president, has said that Washington knew about an abortive coup against Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, in 2002, and that it may even have taken part. "I think there is no doubt that in 2002, the United States had at the very least full knowledge about the coup, and could even have been directly involved," Carter said in an interview with Colombian El Tiempo newspaper published on Sunday. Carter said it was understandable that Chavez continues to blame the US for the failed attempt to overthrow him.

White House considers more drones over Pakistan 22 Sep 2009 The White House has said covert operations in Pakistan might be increased as it expands counter-terror operations in the area. Administration officials have said there might be more missile attacks on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border by unmanned US spy planes.

Australia: No US request for more troops 22 Sep 2009 Australia says it has not been asked to send more troops to Afghanistan and does not expect Washington to make any quick decisions on a top-level warning that the war there could be lost without more multinational forces. Australia has about 1,550 troops in Afghanistan -- the largest contribution of any country outside NATO -- after boosting its contingent by almost 500 in April at Washington's request.

Obama seems to lay ground to retreat on settlements 22 Sep 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama may be laying the groundwork to abandon his quest for an immediate Israeli settlement freeze and instead try to get Israel and the Palestinians directly into peace negotiations. Obama emerged from talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials on Tuesday without the orchestrated set of steps that he had hoped would allow him to announce a resumption of peace negotiations, which have been on ice since December.

Capitol alert for H1N1 outbreak; senators and staff to get masks 21 Sep 2009 Senate officials are holding internal planning exercises this week to prepare for a swine flu outbreak that could hobble congressional offices. The office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA) has been talking with Senate offices and attending Senate luncheons since the disease first began to spread in the spring. The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and the Office of the Attending Physician are planning to attend this week’s meeting with the SAA in which they will discuss a variety of different scenarios for how an H1N1 outbreak could affect Congress.

Pre-registration advised on flu shots 22 Sep 2009 The State Department of Health is urging health-care providers who plan to offer swine flu vaccines to their patients to pre-register online to speed up the process. The DOH [aka DUH] will coordinate the distribution of novel H1N1 flu vaccine with the assistance of county health departments. The vaccine is expected to begin shipping from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in about two weeks. Providers must be set up properly to reach high-priority patients first.

Sanofi Unit: Additional Type A Flu Vaccine Order From US Govt 21 Sep 2009 Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine unit of French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis, said Monday that it has received an additional order from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sanofi has now committed to produce 75.3 million doses of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine for the U.S. government.

US tests fast border patrol boat on Detroit River 21 Sep 2009 The Department of Homeland Security is showing off a $900,000 prototype of a speed boat designed to patrol the nation's border waters. The agency's National Marine Center demonstrated the 43-foot, 10-ton boat Monday on the Detroit River. The Advanced Concept Demonstrator Vessel has four 350-horsepower engines.

ACORN Worker In Video Reported Couple --Juan Carlos Vera Called Detective After Recorded Meeting 21 Sep 2009 Police say a worker with the activist group ACORN who was caught on video giving advice about human smuggling to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute had reported the incident to authorities. National City police said Monday that Juan Carlos Vera contacted his cousin, a police detective, to get advice on what to with information on possible human smuggling. Vera was secretly filmed on Aug. 18 as part of a young [Reichwing] couple's high-profile expose.

Fed Rejects Geithner Request for Study of Governance, Structure 22 Sep 2009 The Federal Reserve Board has rejected a request by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for a public review of the central bank’s structure and governance, three people familiar with the matter said. The Obama administration proposed on June 17 a financial- regulatory overhaul including a "comprehensive review" of the Fed’s "ability to accomplish its existing and proposed functions" and the role of its regional banks. The Fed was to lead the study and enlist the Treasury and "a wide range of external experts."

House Votes to Extend Unemployment Pay for 13 Weeks 22 Sep 2009 The U.S. House voted to extend jobless benefits for 13 weeks in states hardest hit by the recession amid the worst surge in long-term unemployment in more than half a century. The chamber today approved, 331-83, a measure that would continue aid to about 300,000 Americans projected to exhaust their benefits by the end of this month. The aid goes to people in 27 states with unemployment rates of at least 8.5 percent.

Bank of America backpedals on overdraft fees 22 Sep 2009 Bank of America Corp. said Tuesday it's capping the fees it charges customers for overdrawing their accounts, backpedaling on the hikes the company imposed just this year. Starting Oct. 19, Bank of America said it will no longer charge overdraft fees when a customer's account is overdrawn by less than $10 in one day. A $35 fee will still be levied if the account isn't brought into balance within five days.

Video: Will Ferrell stands up for the real health care victims By MoveOn.org Political Action 22 Sep 2009

At U.N., Obama Calls Global Warming Threat 'Urgent' 22 Sep 2009 Several world leaders on Tuesday gave the most decisive indication in months that they would make a concerted push to revive floundering negotiations aimed at securing a new international pact on climate change. Both President Obama and Chinese Premier Hu Jintao said at a United Nations summit in New York that they were taking concrete steps to curb their nations' emissions, and were willing to do more to forge an agreement when U.N. negotiators meet in December in Copenhagen.

9 deaths blamed on Southeast storm; flood lingers 22 Sep 2009 Neighborhoods, schools and even roller coasters at Six Flags over Georgia remained awash in several feet of murky, brown water Tuesday, even as an emerging sun shed light on the widespread flood damage. So far, at least nine deaths in Georgia and Alabama were blamed on the torrential downpours in the Southeast.

Previous lead stories: Sources: US eyes more drone hits on terror havens 21 Sep 2009 The White House is considering expanding counterterror operations in Pakistan to refocus on 'eliminating' al-Qaida instead of mounting a major military escalation in Afghanistan. Two senior administration officials said Monday that the renewed fight against the terrorist organization could lead to more missile attacks on Pakistan terrorist havens by unmanned U.S. spy planes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no decisions have been made. ['US eyes more drone hits on terror havens' thus creating many *more* 'terror havens' when those who *weren't* terrorists *become* terrorists after having seen their loved ones blown to kingdom come by a US killer drone. --LRP]

'The brutality was completely unacceptable. It has stained the reputation of the British army.' British army used 'widespread torture of Iraqi civilians' 21 Sep 2009 The British army used widespread torture methods in Iraq, a British government lawyer said on Monday in an acknowledgment on a public inquiry into the 2003 death of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa. The British soldiers responsible for the death of Baha Mousa were "not just a few bad apples," Singh told the inquiry. "There is something rotten in the whole barrel," he said. Baha Mousa, a 26-year old Iraqi, was beaten and killed in the custody of British troops following a raid on his hotel in the southern Iraq city of Basra in September 2003.

VeriChip shares jump after H1N1 patent license win 21 Sep 2009 Shares of VeriChip Corp tripled after the company said it had been granted an exclusive license to two patents, which will help it to develop implantable virus detection systems in humans. The patents, held by VeriChip partner Receptors LLC, relate to biosensors that can detect the H1N1 and other viruses, and biological threats such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, VeriChip said in a statement. The technology will combine with VeriChip's implantable radio frequency identification devices to develop virus triage detection systems. Shares of VeriChip were up 186 percent at $3.28 Monday late afternoon trade on Nasdaq.

6.0 magnitude earthquake hit 195 km (120 miles) NNE of Macquarie Island, Australia - Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 01:59:31 PM at epicenter

Cave's Editorial | September 22, 2009

BANKSTERS A friend emailed me a news article the other day: F.D.I.C. May Borrow Funds From Banks Friday is now the day that the FDIC has been announcing their bank closings - AFTER the markets have closed for the weekend. This is what I have had posted on the right hand column of my Cave Blog for quite some time: FDIC "insurance" is a Ponzi scheme, except in this case Mr. Ponzi has the power to create money and bail himself out indefinitely Click the picture of the bank blowing up and the link will take you to http://www.fdic.gov/ and this is what is currently showing at the FDIC link (NOTICE they DO NOT list the great number of BRANCH OFFICES of these banks affected through a region or across the country ... last count branch offices were now listing around +3700): Bank Closing Information - September 18, 2009 Irwin Union Bank, F.S.B., Louisville, KY Irwin Union Bank and Trust Company, Columbus, IN The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a United States government corporation created by the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933. IMPORTANT FACT: YOU PUT MONEY IN A BANK - YOU HAVE JUST LOANED THE BANK MONEY AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOU BACK! The public is also led to believe that their "deposits" are THEIRS, when there is, in fact, no bailment made by the account contract, and the legal truth is that you have lent your money and the bank is NOT required to pay you back. Bailment - Lawyers.com Bailment is the process of placing personal property or goods in the temporary custody or control of another. The custodian or holder of the property, ... For years I have said that arithmetic is the art of money counting and mathematics is a SCIENCE. BIG DIFFERENCE!! Heck with teaching school students mathematics ... our nation now demonstrates WHY people should have been educated in the art of money counting ... it is an OLD ART and the BANKSTERS are the professionals!! Most Americans DO NOT HAVE A CLUE that when they deposit their money in a bank they have just made a loan transaction with that bank. Why there is the old saying "I don't trust banks". After the Savings and Loans Crisis of the 80's and 90's the good 'ol taxpayers picked up the tab and the FDIC picked up the tab for the banks that closed. But WHO is the FDIC - a GOVERNMENT CORPORATION. A tiny bit of research discloses the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fdic According to the FDIC.gov website (as of January 2009), "FDIC deposit insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government". This means that the resources of the United States government stand behind FDIC-insured depositors."[28] The statutory basis for this claim is less than clear. Congress, in 1987, passed a non-binding resolution to this effect [29], but there appear to be no laws strictly binding the government to make good on any insurance liabilities unmet by the FDIC. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO LAWS STRICTLY BINDING THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE GOOD ON ANY INSURANCE LIABILITIES UNMET BY THE FDIC..... You should seriously ask yourself WHY you are loaning a bank your money if you have money deposited in a bank. Is it the GOLD badge FDIC on its doors? So now - if you decide you really don't want to loan a bank your US$ because you wake up to the fact that once you hand it over to that teller that bank legally doesn't have to pay you back and the FDIC also legally doesn't have to pay you back ... WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO with those US$ in your hand? Take a look at what is printed on the top: FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE. It DOES NOT say "United States Federal Reserve Note" ... Hum.... I wonder why? Most of the general public have finally awaken to the fact that the Federal Reserve (What is printed on the top of our paper $US) is NOT a part of the federal government - but rather a private bank - with district banks (in regions much similar to FEMA regions): Fema Regions Federal Reserve Districts "Turbo Tax Timmy" (Given the name because he owned back income taxes) Tim Geithner is our current Secretary of Treasury - AND he has been a past president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank . But then, most of the past Treasury Secretaries in the federal government have also worked for the Federal Reserve Banks. The Federal Reserve Banks in the United States BOW to their MASTER BANK located within the City of London. The City of London sits within its own separate district within England, as the Vatican in Italy and Washington in the District of Columbia (DC). CENTRAL BANKING SYSTEM There are the Federal Reserve BANKS and there is the Federal Reserve SYSTEM. Maybe an idea like there are vacumn cleaners and there is the activity of vacumning ... if you are going to vacumn you will need to have a vacumn to push around the house ... what kind of vacumn are you going to get for your house? Federal Reserve is such a nice comfortable name of a bank for a bankster to do business in ... having 1st National Bank of Banksters Note printed on top of your $US would be just TOO obvious and blatant! And the 1st National Bank of Banksters System would make the "system" really sound like WHAT IT IS!! The Federal Reserve System (also known as the Federal Reserve, and informally as the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created in 1913 by the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. A central bank is a banking institution granted the exclusive privilege to a lend a government its currency The CENTRAL BANKING SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES (Federal Reserve system) finds a history dating back to 1913. I remember vividly Mother's Father (Granddaddy) talking to me one time back in the very late 50's or early 60's - he had a hard time knowing what to talk to kids about - so he pulled a couple dollars out of his billfold. On the top of one bill it said "Silver Certificate" and on the top of another it said "Federal Reserve Note". He then went on to explain how you might as well just wad up the bills that say Federal Reserve Note because they were just GARBAGE. Since Granddaddy held very few personal conversations with me - this is a memory I hold very vividly. From the time I was maybe 10 years old I was aware of the Federal Reserve and it was "no good". The Federal Reserve System came into power while the Congress was on Christmas recess in 1913: Newspaper clipping, December 24, 1913 Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This also in the column of my blog (Helicopter Ben): Federal Reserve Warns Congress Again To Stay Away... WHY Bernanke is called "Helicopter Ben": In 2002, when the word "deflation" began appearing in the business news, Bernanke gave a speech about deflation.In that speech, he mentioned that the government in a fiat moneymeans of production for money implies that the government can always avoid deflation by simply issuing more money. (He referred to a statement made by Milton Friedman about using a "helicopter drop" of money into the economy to fight deflation.) Bernanke's critics have since referred to him as "Helicopter Ben" or to his "helicopter printing press." In a footnote to his speech, Bernanke noted that "people know that inflation erodes the real value of the government's debt and, therefore, that it is in the interest of the government to create some inflation." A friend emailed me a news article the other day: F.D.I.C. May Borrow Funds From Banks What this says is that the healthy banks - those that didn't make crappy loans - will NOW be forced to lend to banks that make those crappy loans - eroding the healthy bank's balance sheets, loan portfolio, and ability to survive.

Market-Ticker.Denninger.net | CORRUPTION: Reverse-Insurance?! (FDIC)

Tuesday, September 22. 2009

Let me pose a question to you.

Let's say you own a $200,000 house free and clear.

Let's further say that you would like fire insurance. Just in case you are a klutz in the kitchen, for example.

So you sit down and write yourself a fire insurance policy. You promise to pay yourself $200,000 to rebuild your house if it burns to the ground.

You then put your "insurance policy" in the safe and pat yourself on the back - you're insured!

Now, you want to re-do your kitchen and add a pool, so you go to the bank to get a mortgage to finance those improvements.

The mortgage company would accept your self-written policy as proof of insurance, right?

Oh wait - they'd call that fraud?

Well gee, what's this then?

Senior regulators say they are seriously considering a plan to have the nation’s healthy banks lend billions of dollars to rescue the insurance fund that protects bank depositors. That would enable the fund, which is rapidly running out of money because of a wave of bank failures, to continue to rescue the sickest banks.

The plan, strongly supported by bankers and their lobbyists, would be a major reversal of fortune.

Of course it would. Writing insurance on yourself is a highly-lucrative business, especially when you can charge interest to the supposed insurer who you are supporting!

Insurance is supposed to work the other way around - you are supposed to pay into a pool to cover the risk of loss that some people in the pool might suffer.

Who would have thought that a government agency would actually contemplate paying the insured party for the coverage on their own risk?

In a world where we had a rule of law this would be identified instantly as what it is: rank, outrageous fraud.

But we don't live in such a world.

In the world we live so-called "government officials" of the FDIC feel free to engage in such sham transactions, smug in the knowledge that The American Sheeple, along with their handmaidens in Congress, can be counted on to allow a blatantly-fraudulent exercise such as this to be consummated - where the banks that are beneficiaries of FDIC insurance (and whom have also issued literally billions of dollars in covered bonds on an issuance-insurance program that has no legal basis in the foundational principle of the FDIC in the first place) not only do not have to pay for the insurance coverage they enjoy, but actually get paid to have it instead.

I couldn't make stories like this up if I tried.

Prepetorial #23: Silence is Golden

by John Galt

September 22, 2009

“So honey, how did your radio show and day go today?” the lovely Mrs. Willis asked as she always does as the family sits down for dinner. To the surprise of her husband though, the deeply concerned look on her face gave away the motives behind the question. “Ah sweetheart, are you really that worried about all of the public reaction to what I have been saying? I mean heck, I’m down to 450 stations or so and we still have the right to free speech” Tom replied with his usual comforting tone, despite his eyes giving away his deep concerns also. “Yes Tom, I am worried. Today my cell phone rang more than four times with an unknown caller in the display and every time I answered it, someone hung up on me. I know this number is private so I am getting very worried” Ann replied, her eyes slightly red from crying earlier. “Don’t worry baby, I will have Frank pick up a new phone for you tomorrow morning with a new number and you will be fine. It’s just that the talk radio format is going through some changes and the nutcases are everywhere now.

Let’s just relax and enjoy another Monday evening together. After dinner, there’s a great Monday Night Football game between Chicago and A…..” and just as Tom Willis, famous talk show host under another name was finishing that sentence, the lights went out in his house and the emergency lights clicked on. Suddenly while Tom was getting up, windows shattered in the dining room and tear gas filled the room. “Ann, grab Toby, I’ll get Cindy, back door, NOW!” he screamed as the choking fumes filled the room. Without hesitation they reached the back door and Tom put his daughter down to grab his pistol in the drawer at the vanity by the door. As he stepped outside he stumbled over his dead bodyguards and dropped his pistol. Before he could finish the word “Why” two rounds hit him square in the forehead killing him. The last thing he ever saw being his dead bodyguards, wife and children in his own back yard.

THE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES THE NEXT MORNING:

NATIONALLY SYNDICATED TALK SHOW HOST AND WIFE ARRESTED FOR RUNNING CHILD PROSTITUTION RING; NO BAIL

As the National Anthem finished playing and both teams started jumping up and down ready to start the game, the fans in Chicago were ready for this key game early in the season when suddenly the Public Address Announcer blared out:

“The National Police have determined that it is unsafe for anyone to assemble at any public events. All sporting events, motion picture showings, plays or assemblies are canceled until the terror threat has subsided. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope to resume the NFL season at a later date and time when it is safer for the public.”

Frank, sitting up in the nose bleed section with the hard core fans was in a state of shock. The players were escorted off of the field by almost two hundred officers and the fans started to get restless, booing and throwing popcorn and beer at stadium officials and workers. What disturbed Frank more was the sudden appearance of hundreds if not thousands of heavily armed State and National Police in the stands. “Bill, let’s head on out of here, I don’t like the looks of this” Frank yelled in his ear and Bill chugging his beer shook his head as they started the long trek to the exits. As they approached the gate to get out, the line for some reason was absurdly long. “Now what?” Frank yelled at Bill and he replied “Maybe they think the ragheads like the Bears!” he screamed back in the din of shouting and upset fans. As he got closer to the line, he saw a guy running suddenly to get past the guards and as whoever the nut was he found out how Tasers work and they hit him at least seven times. “I wonder why that moron ran?” Bill asked and Frank just shrugged his shoulders.

When they got to the front of the line there were six NP’s (National Police) standing around a table with two unarmed State Policemen. They took both of us at the same time and started the survey:

Name, age, eye color, home address, name of spouse, names of children, etc.

Then they asked each of them for the driver’s license to validate what they could. After that the State Police said please put your right thumb and right index finger on the ink pad and press them here. At that point Fred paused and asked “Why do you need my fingerprints? I do have rights here still don’t I?” The apparent lead NP, hand on the pistol on his hip replied “Yes, you do have rights but tonight they are suspended until all of the suspects are rounded up.” Fred complied as did Bill, both angrier by the minute when the final question was asked by the State Policeman “How many firearms do you own?” Fred look puzzled and replied “Uh, three sir. Why?” At that point one of the NP’s moved towards him and said please come with me sir.” Fred was now terrified as he walked away and Bill was being wrestled to the ground and beaten after taking a swing at one of the guards. “What the hell did I answer wrong?” he wondered to himself as the plastic seal handcuffs numbed his fingers.

THE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES THE NEXT MORNING:

3,896 ARRESTED FOR FIGHTING POLICE, DRUNK AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT AT CANCELED BEARS GAME

One state away at a Cabela’s Sporting Goods store in Indiana, the alarm was blaring away as the National Police began the process of securing and hauling all of the ammunition and firearms out of the store into several National Guard vehicles. The manager for the store arrived in a horrified state of shock, watching this, then keying the code in to silence all of the various alarms. “Sir, what is happening here?” he asked a Captain with the Guard who replied “Ask the Regional Major over there sir, we are here to secure only.” The RM’s were the regional officers assigned to several counties in each state with oversight of the activities of the National Police for that region and they tended to behave with a heavy hand. The RM looked over at the store manager and before one word was uttered shoved a piece of paper titled “Declaration of Emergency Conditions and Nationalization Act of November 2010″ then said to him in an authoritative tone “Read it, prepare to sign it and I will swear you in after we inventory the weapons and ammunition.”

The store manager lost it at that point, sat down on the curb with the single sheet of paper and started bawling like a baby.

THE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE THE NEXT MORNING:

TERRORIST WEAPON STOCKPILES SEIZED NATIONWIDE

For those that follow my “Prepetorial” series, you would recognize that obviously the above sections are total fictional. The scary thing is that we may soon be approaching a time where once again, truth is stranger than fiction. If one were to propose such a scenario in 1999, I might have called that insane and crazy by any stretch of the imagination. The horrifying prospect though is that once the reigns of power are seized completely, there is nothing to stop a strong centralized government that wishes to impose a single, swift stroke that usurps the Constitution and engages in some of the outrageous examples exhibited above.

So why the title of “Silence is Golden” for a Prepetorial like this?

Think about your neighbors, your friends, your cohorts and coworkers. Do you ever remember hearing them discuss the news events of regulatory agencies in Washington, DC or your own state capitol? Do you ever notice that the mainstream media deliberately obscures news from around the world and nationally for events that are important but too violent or against their goals and objectives? Do you ever notice that everything you read, see or hear now is being filtered IF you only depend on the mainstream media and newspapers for information?

The video “The Story of Stuff” being circulated around our schools and churches (over 7000 according to Glenn Beck) is a shocking display of the audacity of the new Marxist movement ruling our nation now. The subject matter is of no shock to anyone who stays aware. Who seeks out what is left of the alternative media. Who thinks for themselves. The scary part is that now, more than ever, your children, our neighbors, our friends are being indoctrinated into a subculture of “we must do what is good for everyone or the nation will perish” instead of the ideas of our Founding Fathers, of a strong family, personal initiative and enforcing and protecting our God given freedoms. The path we are on now all ties together and the shift in America’s path is no longer guaranteed to be one of the ideals most of us grew up with.

Thus why silence is golden to the powerful. They wish to dictate the news, the flow of opinion and the rights to protect yourself from their ideas, their minions, their foot soldiers. The day and time will come where they seize power in a Krystalnacht type of exercise based on a trumped up event or allowing a real “man made disaster” as they call it to occur. I no longer think that it is a time to say if but when. The new structure of our government at every level is no longer there to protect and serve the people, but to protect and serve an idealism, a religion of man not God, and to resurrect a failed system with a new name and goal to preserve centralized control from now on.

At some point in time, which all of the readers here will realize, the time will come to go dark. We are not there yet. But to prepare for that eventuality will be the most difficult decision of your life. You must get right with God, understand the dangers involved and be prepared to suspend friendships and trust within your inner circle if they are willing to work with the new authorities “for your own good” as the saying goes. You will be alone at first. You will be hunted. You will be viewed as the walking dead. You will be given no quarter.

Accept those facts, prepare and you may live. But if you fail or are one of the unfortunate in the coming years, remember this old adage:

It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.

OpEdNews.com | LANDMARK DECISION PROMISES MASSIVE RELIEF FOR HOMEOWNERS AND TROUBLE FOR BANKS

RELATED:
http://tickerforum.org/cgi-ticker/akcs-www?post=111695
Kansas Supreme Court Sets Precedent – Key Decision Confirming Livinglies’ Strategies

The Atlantic | Why I Love Al Jazeera

Rense.com | Change Bernanke's Meds? Secret WH G20 Notes

Clif High (Webbot) suggested viewing | Gary McKinnon, the British hacker facing extradition over allegations he broke into US Military and NASA sites

Update June 2008: McKinnon's legal team have managed to keep him in the UK so far, but the results of a hearing that was held on May 16, 2008 might change that. Although complicated, the House of Lords process may ultimately decide whether McKinnon is sent to the USA, allowed to stay in the UK or given the opportunity to serve a predetermined sentence in the UK based on a conviction under American Law. The problem is that U.S. and UK Laws differ in many ways and trying to match up the processes involved is no easy task no matter what side of this issue you are on. Many believe that Britain's lack of enthusiasm to prosecute McKinnon may be motivated by their own secrecy or even revenge. Some people say that McKinnon was secretly and unknowingly being used as a pawn by one or more British Intelligence Services. They believe that these services wanted to know what the U.S. Military did and does about ETs and their agenda. Others say that failure of the USA to turn over IRA supporters, sympathizers, fund-raisers and members to the UK during the 1960s and 1970s has resulted in the current stalemate with McKinnon.
Background: A Briton accused of hacking into Nasa and US military computer networks has spoken out about his experiences. (Gary McKinnon was arrested by the UK's national high-tech crime unit in 2002.)
McKinnon earns Lords appeal
Pentagon hacker in legal victory
By John Leyden
Published Tuesday 31st July 2007 10:30 GMT
Gary McKinnon, the British hacker facing extradition over allegations he broke into US Military and NASA sites, has earned the right to take his case to the House of Lords.

The law Lords agreed to hear arguments that US authorities acted in an "oppressive" and "arbitrary" manner during plea bargaining negotiations, for example by allegedly threatening McKinnon over the loss of rights to serve part of his sentence in the UK unless he submitted to voluntary extradition.

The House of Lords was not bound to consider McKinnon's final appeal - for example it declined to hear the appeal of the NatWest Three bankers, so the Lords' decision is a significant fillip for McKinnon and his legal team.

AmericanDaily.com | ‘Why Do World Leaders Support The Co2 Greenhouse Gas Myth?‘

Founded 40 years ago by David Rockefeller the commission members also include Zbigniew Brzezinski (he called for a world government in his 1970 book ...

EVE (short for EUV Variability Experiment) to measure what changes most during a solar cycle onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory

http://www.physorg.com/news172856353.html

Charged Aerosol Release Experiment (CARE) from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility spewed 220+ pounds of aluminium oxide into the atmosphere

London, September 22 (ANI): With the help of a rocket, scientists have created an artificial cloud at the edge of space, to learn how high-flying dust reflects radio waves.

“Noctilucent”, or night-shining, clouds float dozens of kilometres higher than other clouds, at an altitude of about 80 kilometres.

Because of their height, they can be seen glowing before sunrise or after sunset as the sun illuminates them from below the horizon.

In recent years, they have spread to latitudes as low as 40degrees, while also growing in number and getting brighter – a change that some attribute to global warming.

The ice-covered particles in these clouds are commonly thought to get their start as tiny dust particles that had been sloughed off comets and meteoroids.

These particles build up a charge as they are bombarded by fast-moving electrons and ions.

Since charged particles reflect radio waves, they are good candidates for radar studies, which could help measure the dust at an early stage in the clouds’ formation.

But the radar data is hard to interpret.

To get a better sense of how high-flying dust reflects radio waves, researchers launched the Charged Aerosol Release Experiment (CARE) recently from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, US.

The experiment, which blasted off on a Black Brant XII suborbital sounding rocket, spewed more than 100 kilograms of aluminium oxide into the atmosphere at an altitude of about 280 km.

A combination of ground- and space-based instruments will watch this cloud for days and perhaps months as its particles become charged, sink, and disperse.

Laser pulses will be used to measure the density of the particles in the cloud. These will be compared with radar measurements of the plume.

“Our primary science goal is to understand (how) radar (scatters) from a dusty plasma,” said CARE’s principal investigator, Paul Bernhardt of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.

“We want to understand what kind of information you get back when you send out radar pulses,” he added.

Radar has been used to examine icy dust that hovers some 90 km above the Earth and can grow to become the ice particles inside noctilucent clouds, according to Scott Bailey of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

But at the moment, interpreting radar measurements of these proto-cloud particles is difficult.

Studying an artificial cloud created in a controlled manner could help resolve these uncertainties.

“If the radar could be used to say exactly what the population of particles is up there that the ice is forming around, that would be a major step forward,” Bailey told New Scientist. (ANI)

Related posts:

1. Martian dust storms can generate lightning Washington, August 9 (ANI): Scientists, using a new detector, have for the first time observed evidence that Martian dust storms can generate lightning. Dust storms on Earth build up an electric field as dust particles collide, and then emit...
2. Scientists discover “Super Planetary Nebulae” in deep space London, August 15 (ANI): A team of scientists in Australia and the United States has discovered a new class of object which they call “Super Planetary Nebulae.” Planetary nebulae are shells of gas and dust expelled by stars near...
3. Largest cometary outburst sent “mini comets” flying at 451 kms an hour Washington, September 17 (ANI): In high-resolution images of comet Holmes, which erupted in 2007, astronomers have detected multiple “mini comets” bursting out at 451 kilometers an hour, which is the largest known cometary outburst in history. According to National...
4. Scientists see storm brewing over Titan’s tropical desert Washington, August 13 (ANI): A new research has discovered significant cloud formation within the tropical zone near the equator of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, which is evidence that the parched, dry desert of the natural satellite can support large-scale...
5. Signs of ideal ’surfing’ conditions spotted in turbulent ocean of solar wind Washington, Sept 2 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Warwick, UK, have found what could be the signal of ideal wave “surfing” conditions for individual particles within the massive turbulent ocean of the solar wind. The discovery could give...
6. Signs of water on moon more widespread than expected: Scientists Washington, Sep 18 (DPA) The element hydrogen – a key ingredient in water – is more widespread than expected at the moon’s south pole, scientists said Thursday. NASA scientists announced the first data sent back to Earth from the...
7. India gets its highest hockey ground with artificial turf Shilaroo (HP), Aug 10 (ANI): After the highest cricket ground, India got its highest hockey ground with synthetic turf at an altitude of 2450 meters from sea level in Himachal Pradesh. The construction of the synthetic astro turf hockey...

RELATED:
aluminium oxide: Avoid breathing vapors, or dusts
http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0351.htm

8th Annual Mothman Festival was a pleasant escape from the typical paranormal conventions, conferences and "P-Cons"

Forbes | Mississippi casino revenue falls 9 percent in August

ACKSON, Miss. -- Revenue for Mississippi's 30 state-licensed casinos fell 9.1 percent in August as compared to July. The casinos along the Mississippi River won $109.6 million last month compared with $120.6 million in July. The Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos took in about $96.4 million in August compared with about $104.1 million in July.....

RELATED:

Tribal Casino Gambling Revenue Rising In Oklahoma

PoliticsDaily.com | Michelle Obama to Lobby at U.N., G20, Copenhagen for 2016 Chicago Olympics

9-21-09

First Lady Michelle Obama, who has stayed very much in her comfort zone during her eight months in the White House, is stepping into the international limelight this week and next as she entertains global leaders and their spouses in New York and Pittsburgh, then travels to Copenhagen to try to land the 2016 Olympics for Chicago -- her biggest act yet.

On Wednesday evening the First Couple will host a splashy international dinner in New York for about 190 world leaders in town for the opening of the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Then it is on to Pittsburgh, where the Obamas welcome the G20 global leaders' summit Sept. 24-25. Mrs. Obama is overseeing the spouse program. Mrs Obama arrives in Copenhagen on Sept. 30 and starts lobbying International Olympic Committee officials in advance of the Oct. 2 vote to name a host city for the 2016 Summer Games.

Mrs. Obama is leading the U.S. Olympic delegation and will be a key presenter for Chicago when Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro make their final sales pitch to the 106-member IOC in Copenhagen. President Obama may also show up -- he's keeping the option open -- but does not want to commit to going yet because of his ongoing battle for Congress to pass health care overhaul legislation.

With the Olympics, Mrs. Obama -- for the first time -- has taken on an assignment requiring her to actually deliver.

Last Friday afternoon, she huddled with senior aides for 90 minutes in her East Wing office to map strategy on some early lobbying in New York, Pittsburgh and Copenhagen and to ready her own presentation.

I talked to White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett last Friday for a Chicago Sun-Times column I wrote about Mrs. Obama taking on the Olympics. In her West Wing office, I asked Jarrett, a close friend of Mrs. Obama, about the pressure the First Lady is under to win IOC votes for her hometown.

"I think what she appreciates is the unique role that she can play in bringing the Games to Chicago. She is very comfortable with the role. She is comfortable advocating on behalf of a city where she grew up, the city that she loves," Jarrett told the Sun-Times. "So I think she is feeling quite confident. Our job is to prepare her and make sure she is ready to go."

The Obamas will be looking for opportunities to use the U.N. meeting and the G20 to lobby the international community to support Chicago's bid in a run-up to the Copenhagen vote.

READ MORE>>>>

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada | Crop Circle

Tuesday, 22 September 2009 - The investigation into the crop circles found north of Moose Jaw this weekend continues but unfortunately, that investigation has been hampered.

The farmer that found the circles has combined right through them and the physical evidence is now gone.

Kenn Thomson of Moose Jaw happened to be up in his plane on the weekend and snapped a few aerial photos of the circles.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS>>>>

Docuticker.com | Daily update of new reports from government agencies, ngo’s, think tanks, and other groups. - September 22, 2009

September 22nd, 2009

Former IMF Chief Economist Mussa Predicts 4 Percent Economic Growth for US and World Next Year with US Unemployment Dropping Below 9 Percent
Source: Peterson Institute for International Economics

While most economic forecasters expect a tepid recovery this year and next, a leading economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) is predicting that GDP growth in the United States and the world will be considerably higher than generally anticipated. Michael Mussa, senior fellow at PIIE and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), predicts that real GDP growth in the world will be 4.2 percent in 2010 over 2009, and real GDP growth in the United States will be 4.0 percent from the middle of 2009 through the end of next year. This is only about two-thirds the pace of typical US recoveries from sharp recessions but it is nearly double the consensus predictions of other top forecasters.

The Mussa projections also imply a cumulative rise of US real GDP from the second quarter of 2009 to the final quarter of 2010 of almost 7 percent, or about $875 billion in 2005 real dollars. This is considerably higher than the August 2009 Blue Chip Survey, which projected a cumulative rise of barely more than 3 percent. Blue Chip forecasts suggest unemployment in the United States rising above 10 percent. Dr. Mussa projects it to peak at or a little below 10 percent this year and below 9 percent by the end of next year.

+ Full Document (PDF; 175 KB)

Posted in Business and economics |

Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force: Interim Report (PDF; 347 KB)
Source: White House Council on Environmental Policy

The public meetings, roundtables, and website showcased a strong desire and enthusiasm among participants for a National Policy that provides clarity and direction regarding how the Nation will better care for the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. A valuable and wide diversity of interests were represented, and several key themes emerged. While not exhaustive, these include:

• Support for adopting ecosystem-based management as a guiding principle, acknowledging regional differences, and practicing adaptive management;
• Support for embracing science-based decision-making and investing in ecosystem-based science, research, and ocean observations, including comprehensive research on the linkages among ecosystem health, human health, economic opportunity, national and homeland security, social justice, and environmental change, including climate change;
• Desire for improved coordination and collaboration across Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, and regional governance structures, and for improved transparency and public participation, while avoiding new layers of bureaucracy and unnecessary costs;
• Support for improving both formal and informal education about the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes;
• Support for ensuring that policies are adequately funded; and
• Support for joining the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the Law of the Sea Convention).

Posted in Environment, Government and politics |

24 New MacArthur Fellows Announced
Source: MacArthur Foundation

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today named 24 new MacArthur Fellows for 2009. The new Fellows work across a broad spectrum of endeavors. They include an infectious disease physician, an ornithologist, a painter, a photojournalist, a bridge engineer, a climate scientist, an economist, a papermaker, a mental health lawyer, and a poet. All were selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future.

This past week, the recipients learned by a phone call out of the blue from the Foundation that they will each receive $500,000 in “no strings attached” support over the next five years. MacArthur Fellowships come without stipulations and reporting requirements and offer Fellows unprecedented freedom and opportunity to reflect, create, and explore. The unusual level of independence afforded to Fellows underscores the spirit of freedom intrinsic to creative endeavors. The work of MacArthur Fellows knows neither boundaries nor the constraints of age, place, and endeavor.

+ 2009 MacArthur Fellows

Posted in Arts and humanities, Health and healthcare, Lists & Rankings, Science, Technology

Obama Addresses More Popular U.N.
Source: Pew Global Attitudes Project

In recent years, the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly has frequently produced controversy. In a 2006 speech to the Assembly, for example, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez famously referred to then President George W. Bush as “the devil.” For his part, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has used his turns at the podium to speak strongly against Israel and the United States. But controversies aside, the United Nations remains a quite popular institution throughout much of the world. Indeed, its image has improved in many nations over the last couple of years. This is especially true in the United States, where attitudes toward the U.N. are more positive than they have been since early in this decade.

Posted in Government and politics, International Relations

Working Mother 100 Best Companies 2009
Source: Working Mother

Our 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies are standing tough in their support of working families. Despite the layoffs, cutbacks and general economic maladies the country is facing, they continue to spend on health care, child care and work/life benefits.In fact, spending has actually increased at many of our winning companies, with about a third reporting that added funds have gone to new and improved programs. Now that’s change we can believe in!

Snapshots of Our Winners
How, when and where you work aren’t as important as the quality of the work you produce. That’s the clear message of this year’s Working Mother 100 Best Companies. A full 100 percent of them offer telecommuting and flextime schedules, 98 percent offer job-sharing, and 94 percent offer compressed workweeks. These companies are also committed to helping working parents with their child-care needs: 86 percent provide backup care, and 62 percent provide sick-child care. But perhaps even more important is the family-friendly culture they all continually strive to create. We salute these winners and their ongoing efforts to help employees manage their busy lives.

+ Full List

Posted in Business and economics, Children and families, Labor, Lists & Rankings

New Families and Work Institute Study Reveals Declines in the Health of the American Workforce
Source: Families and Work Institute

In the midst of the most vigorous national health care debate in 15 years, and at a time of heightened economic insecurity, new data on employers show that the health of employed American workers is trending downward in a number of important areas. The State of Health in the American Workforce, a report released today by the Families and Work Institute (FWI), finds that only 28% of employees today report that their overall health is “excellent,” down from 34% just six years ago. Perhaps surprisingly, men’s overall health has declined more rapidly than women’s. The report also sheds light on the relationship between an effective workplace and employee health, underlining the significant role that employers play beyond providing health insurance and wellness programs.

Among its many findings, the report reveals:

• 41% of employees report experiencing three or more indicators of stress sometimes, often or very often;
• One in three employees experiences one or more symptoms of clinical depression; and
• One in five employees has trouble falling asleep very often or fairly often and 31% awaken too early and have trouble falling back to sleep, also very often or fairly often.
• 21% are receiving treatment for high blood pressure and 14% are being treated for high cholesterol.

+ Full Report (PDF; 2.7 MB)

Posted in Business and economics, Health and healthcare, Labor

Fact Sheet on U.S. Missile Defense Policy: A “Phased, Adaptive Approach” for Missile Defense in Europe
Source: White House Press Office

President Obama has approved the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a phased, adaptive approach for missile defense in Europe. This approach is based on an assessment of the Iranian missile threat, and a commitment to deploy technology that is proven, cost-effective, and adaptable to an evolving security environment.

Starting around 2011, this missile defense architecture will feature deployments of increasingly-capable sea- and land-based missile interceptors, primarily upgraded versions of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), and a range of sensors in Europe to defend against the growing ballistic missile threat from Iran. This phased approach develops the capability to augment our current protection of the U.S. homeland against long-range ballistic missile threats, and to offer more effective defenses against more near-term ballistic missile threats. The plan provides for the defense of U.S. deployed forces, their families, and our Allies in Europe sooner and more comprehensively than the previous program, and involves more flexible and survivable systems.

Posted in Europe, Government and politics, International Relations, Military and defense

Influenza Preparedness: Two Reports From the HHS OIG (PDFs)
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General

+ State and Local Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Medical Surge

This report determines the extent to which selected States and localities have prepared for a medical surge in response to an influenza pandemic and have conducted and documented exercises that test their medical surge preparedness. We found that although the selected States and localities that we reviewed are making progress in preparing for a medical surge, more needs to be done to improve States’ and localities’ ability to respond to an influenza pandemic.

A pandemic will affect much of the country at the same time, so medical resources-such as hospital beds, medical equipment, and personnel-will likely be scarce. The ability to rapidly respond to an increased demand for medical resources is often referred to as a medical surge. The recent public health emergency caused by an outbreak of human cases of H1N1 influenza has highlighted the need for States and localities to be prepared for a medical surge.

We found that all of the 10 selected localities that we reviewed had established partnerships to prepare for a medical surge; however, the degree to which coordination occurred varied. We also found that fewer than half of the selected localities had started to recruit medical volunteers, and none of the five States that we reviewed had implemented an electronic system to manage these volunteers. Similarly, all 10 localities had acquired limited medical equipment for a pandemic, but only three of the five States had electronic systems to track available beds and equipment. In addition, most of the selected localities were in the early stages of planning for alternate care sites, and most had not identified guidelines for altering triage, admission, and patient care during a pandemic. Finally, although all of the selected localities conducted medical surge exercises, none consistently documented the lessons learned.

Based on the findings of this report, we recommend that ASPR, in collaboration with CDC: (1) work with States and localities to improve their efforts within each of the five components of medical surge that we reviewed, (2) ensure that States and localities consistently document the lessons learned from preparedness exercises that address medical surge, (3) address the issue of legal protections for medical professionals and volunteers who respond to public health emergencies, (4) facilitate the sharing of information and emerging practices among States and localities, and (5) provide training and technical assistance to States and localities on key issues. ASPR concurred with all five of our recommendations.

+ Local Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Vaccine and Antiviral Drug Distribution and Dispensing

We found that while the majority of selected localities had begun planning to distribute and dispense vaccines and antiviral drugs, more needs to be done to improve localities’ ability to respond to an influenza pandemic. In June 2009, the World Health Organization raised the pandemic influenza alert level to Phase 6 and declared the start of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. To assist States and localities in planning for an influenza pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides guidance regarding vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing. HHS also recommends that States and localities exercise their pandemic influenza vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing plans and collaborate with community partners to develop and exercise these plans. While the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) annually reviews State-level pandemic influenza planning, it does not directly assess local pandemic influenza planning. Therefore, based on HHS guidance documents and input from CDC and ASPR, we reviewed 89 preparedness items within eight planning areas (i.e., components) to determine the extent to which 10 selected localities had prepared to distribute and dispense pandemic influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs.

We found that selected localities had not addressed in their planning documents most of the distribution and dispensing components and preparedness items identified in HHS pandemic influenza guidance that we reviewed. Across the eight components, localities’ planning documents generally were not actionable. That is, plans did not generally identify the organization or individuals responsible for carrying out specific actions; the sources of personnel that would be necessary to staff distribution and dispensing positions; and/or include valid, detailed formal agreements with partnering agencies. In addition, while all selected localities conducted at least one exercise related to vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing, most did not consistently create After Action Reports and Improvements Plans for these exercises. Finally, all selected localities collaborated with different types of community partners to develop and exercise their plans to distribute and dispense vaccines and antiviral drugs during an influenza pandemic.

We recommend that CDC work with States to improve local pandemic influenza vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing preparedness by: (1) determining why localities appear to be in the early stages of planning, (2) prioritizing the planning areas where States should focus any carryover or future funding, and (3) placing special emphasis on ensuring that localities develop actionable plans. Further, CDC should coordinate with States to ensure that localities consistently document exercises with After Action Reports and Improvement Plans to enhance their pandemic influenza vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing preparedness. Finally, CDC should facilitate the sharing of pandemic influenza planning and response information and emerging promising practices.

CDC agreed with two of the three recommendations. Specifically, CDC agreed to work with States to encourage localities to develop After Action Reports and Improvement Plans for their preparedness exercises. Additionally, CDC agreed that States and localities should use the Lessons Learned Information Sharing Web site to share planning resources. CDC did not indicate whether it agreed with the first recommendation, but noted that it plans to use some of OIG’s suggested actions to address this recommendation. For example, CDC acknowledged the need for States to prioritize some of the planning areas OIG identified and agreed that localities need to develop actionable vaccine and antiviral drug distribution and dispensing plans.

Posted in Diseases and conditions, Government and politics, Health and healthcare

The FDIC’s Role in the Monitoring of IndyMac Bank (PDF; 1 MB)
Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General

In its role as insurer, the FDIC identified and monitored risks that IMB presented to the Deposit Insurance Fund by participating with the OTS in on-site examinations of IMB in 2001, 2002, 2003, and again shortly before IMB failed in 2008 and through the completion of required reports and analysis of IMB based upon information from FDIC monitoring systems. FDIC risk committees also raised broad concerns about the impact that an economic slowdown could have on institutions like IMB that were heavily involved in securitizations and subprime lending. Nevertheless, FDIC officials consistently concluded that despite its high- risk profile, IMB posed an ordinary or slightly more than ordinary level of risk to the insurance fund. It was not until August 2007 that the FDIC began to understand the implications that the historic collapse of the credit market and housing slowdown could have on IMB and took additional actions to evaluate IMB’s viability.

Posted in Business and economics, Government and politics

World Development Report 2010
Source: World Bank
From press release:

Developing countries can shift to lower-carbon paths while promoting development and reducing poverty, but this depends on financial and technical assistance from high-income countries, says a new World Bank report released today. High-income countries also need to act quickly to reduce their carbon footprints and boost development of alternative energy sources to help tackle the problem of climate change.

Posted in Business and economics, Energy, Environment, International

Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: FY 2007
Source: National Science Foundation

Due to significant errors in data reported by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this report has been revised. Correcting for these errors reduced the total R&D obligations for George Washington University by $83.4 million, revising its ranking from 51st to 92nd and moved $46.2 million in R&D obligations from the University of Central Florida to the University of South Florida. University of South Florida’s ranking has been revised from 112th to 70th, and University of Central Florida’s ranking has been revised from 86th to 130th. See table 1 for revised rankings of institutions affected by these corrections. Data for 2007 and prior years may be subject to further review and revisions.

Posted in Business and economics, Education, Government and politics, Postsecondary, Science, Technology

NRDC Releases New Economic Data on Clean Energy Legislation
Source: Natural Resources Defense Council

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act is a win-win for our economy and our environment. Under ACES, there will be more jobs, less global warming pollution and greater security, all for less than the cost of a postage stamp a day. These are the conclusions of ‘A Clean Energy Bargain,’ an analysis released today by NRDC.”

“Under ACES we will invest less money in polluting fossil fuels and more in clean energy and energy efficiency. The report found that ACES will drive investments in clean energy and energy efficiency of more than $300 billion by 2030. This is good news because the Political Economy Research Institute recently concluded that clean energy investments create 3.2 times as many jobs as fossil fuel investments.

“A Clean Energy Bargain’ concludes that implementing ACES will cost American households an average of 25 cents per day. This is consistent with previous estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration and the Congressional Budget Office.

“This report found that climate legislation will change where the United States gets its oil. Limits on global warming pollution will reduce oil demand and increase the use of carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery. This will lead to a reduction in U.S. oil imports by as much as five million barrels a day.”

+ Full Document (PDF; 363 KB)

Posted in Business and economics, Energy, Environment, Government and politics

Global Warming Tax Costs Revealed in FOIA Treasury Dept Documents, CEI Analysis Confirms Massive Tax on Energy
Source: Competitive Enterprise Institute

Internal Treasury Department documents released this week confirm the Obama administration’s expectations for a nationwide global warming “cap and trade” plan. The documents were obtained by CEI Senior Fellow Christopher Horner through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Internally, Treasury indicates it expects that the sort of plan that the president is calling for – a plan that either immediately auctions off carbon dioxide emission permits or sells nearly all after a few years of giving industry most of its permits for free – would bring from $100-200 billion per year in revenue for the government.

That is money taken either directly from household and business energy consumers, according to the Congressional Budget Office when it was headed by Obama’s budget director, Peter Orszag. (See Orszag statement.) Those billions translate into between one and two thousand dollars per year for the average household.

+ FOIA documents from the U.S. Treasury (PDF: 873 KB))

Posted in Business and economics, Energy, Environment, Government and politics

AFP Exposes Special Interests Behind Waxman-Markey
Source: Americans for Prosperity

AFP just released a study detailing the special interest influence used to grease H.R. 2454’s passage through the U.S. House. The policy paper examines how campaign contributions, pork-barrel projects and free carbon emission allowances were all used to buy the votes of hesitant representatives. The paper also looks at how Wall Street trading houses, electricity producers and the Left’s political allies all stand to benefit from the Waxman-Markey energy tax bill.

With the Senate beginning its consideration of a cap-and-trade scheme, it’s important that people know about the corrupt process that shoved this bill through the House. While, there are plenty of studies that explain the devastating economic impact this bill will have on the country; we wanted to expose the special interests that wrote the bill and lobbied for its passage.

+ Full Report (PDF; 950 KB)

Posted in Business and economics, Energy, Government and politics

Academic Medical Centers at a Tipping Point
Source: Deloitte Development LLC

Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) are at a tipping point: While driven to serve their tripartite mission of teaching, research and patient care, they are susceptible to myriad pressures that endanger their long-term viability.

A new report by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, “Academic Medical Centers: The Tipping Point,” shares recent research about the pressures facing each element of Academic Medical Centers’ tripartite mission – pressures that are being compounded by the unprecedented effects of health cost containment, health reform and the recession.

The Deloitte report also offers a perspective on the opportunities, strategies and innovations that some AMCs have pursued and the questions that will drive their future sustainability.

We believe that academic medicine plays a key role in a reformed U.S. health care system, but transformational change is essential to safeguard its future. Failure to respond endangers the important health care sector that AMCs represent – one with a $451 billion economic impact and jobs for one of every 48 wage earners.

+ Full Report (PDF; 863 KB)

Posted in Education, Health and healthcare, Postsecondary