'The investigation doesn't list what kind of bug it was.' Military says 'large insect' distracted Minot AFB missile driver --Shipment also contained two 14-gallon tanks of liquid rocket fuel 09 Oct 2009 A truck driver who lost control of a semi-trailer carrying missile parts from North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base was distracted by a "large insect" that flew in a window and landed on the driver's back, the military said in a report released Friday. The Air Force said the truck from the base's 91st Missile Wing, which overturned Aug. 31 on a gravel road in northwest North Dakota, was carrying rocket engine parts for intercontinental ballistic missiles but no nuclear material. It was the second crash of a base vehicle in just more than a year. The Air Force spent about $5.6 million last year to recover an unarmed booster rocket for an intercontinental ballistic missile after the truck carrying it overturned in July 2008. [And the Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes 'Oddities' keep on coming.]
Broward Republicans go gunning --GOP congressional candidate shoots at target bearing rival's initials 08 Oct 2009 (FL) Armed with handguns and AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles, the members of the Southeast Broward Republican Club abandoned the usual community center for their club meeting this week, and gathered at the Pembroke Gun and Range on Tuesday night... Though most of the targets of gunfire were standard gun-range fare, a few shooters used large color posters instead. They depicted a menacing figure, adorned in a kaffiyeh. One of the shooters at the Tuesday evening event was Robert Lowry, a Republican candidate hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston. Lowry's target had the letters "DWS" next to the silhouette head. Lowry said he didn't know who wrote Wasserman Schultz' initials on his target, but said he knew they were there before he started shooting. [See: Guns OK Outside Obama Town Hall; Kerry Pins Brought Arrest At Bush Rally By Lori Price 12 Aug 2009.]
MDR's Word of the Day 10 Oct 2009 "Obamapologetics." Obamapologetics is a systematic excusing of Barack Obama for actions blatantly contradicting his change rhetoric simply on the grounds that Obama committed said actions. The term can be applied more broadly to any justificatory rhetorics used by or on behalf of supposed "liberals" or those claiming to work for progress on behalf of the people, while acting in fact against their interests. --Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.
(Satire) GOP On Obama's Peace Prize: ACORN Rigged the Voting --"Barack Hussein Obama has not yet proven he was born on this planet," said Minnesota Rep Michele Bachmann, "and without an earth birth certificate, he is not eligible for the prize." By R J Shulman 10 Oct 2009 Upon the news of the surprise announcement that President Barack Obama won this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Republicans began protesting like a mad tea party on steroids. "We need to begin a full scale investigation of how ACORN illegally helped Obama win," said House Minority Leader John Boehner. "We have to call a spade a spade and start calling him Obamacorn from now on," said Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell.
(Not satire) Beck: Tea partyers should get Nobel Peace Prize instead 09 Oct 2009 Conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck[oming unhinged] said on Friday that the "tea party goers" and attendees of the 9/12 protest should receive the Nobel Peace Prize instead for stopping President Barack Obama's agenda. The controversial Beck said that the protesters have already blocked Obama from accomplishing the goals for which the Nobel Committee awarded him the prize.
Nobel peace prize awarded to Barack Obama --US president wins prize for 'extraordinary efforts' to improve world diplomacy and co-operation 09 Oct 2009 The US president, Barack Obama, was today awarded the 2009 Nobel peace prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". The Nobel committee said "only rarely has a person such as Obama captured the world's attention and given his people hope for a better future". The committee said Obama, who only took up the presidency in January, had been acknowledged for his calls to reduce the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons and working for world peace.
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize 09 Oct 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for giving the world "hope for a better future" with his work for peace and calls to reduce the global stockpile of nuclear weapons. The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
The Nobel War Prize By Bill Van Auken 10 Oct 2009 Obama appeared in the Rose Garden in the mid-morning to deliver remarks that began with a declaration that he was "surprised and deeply humbled" to receive the Peace Prize. He then marched back into the White House to meet with his war council and discuss sending tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan and escalating the bombing in that country and across the border in Pakistan. Using his statement to issue veiled threats against Iran, Obama went out of his way to declare himself the "commander-in-chief" and refer to the two wars and occupations over which he presides.
Nato trucks set ablaze in Pakistan [Gee, looks like we'll have to buy more fuel (KBR wins) and re-fund mercenaries to pretend to 'guard' the shipment (Xe wins). See? It's win-win.] 09 Oct 2009 Anti-government fighters in Pakistan have set alight supply trucks destined for Western forces in Afghanistan. The attack on six Nato vehicles on Friday at a terminal in a suburb of the city of Peshawar occurred after a weapon was stolen from a watchman, police said. One oil tanker and a container were completely gutted, although no casualties were reported.
Top Troop Request Exceeds 60,000 09 Oct 2009 The request for troops sent to President Barack Obama by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan includes three different options, with the largest alternative including a request for more than 60,000 troops, according to a U.S. official familiar with the document. The top option is more than the 40,000 soldiers previously understood to be the top troop total sought by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. officer in Kabul.
UK soldier killed in Afghanistan 09 Oct 2009 A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The soldier, who was serving with 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, died in an explosion near Camp Bastion, in central Helmand.
Wounded soldier becomes 5th to die after Afghan ambush 09 Oct 2009 An ambush in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan that raised questions about the whether U.S. troops had enough artillery, air support and intelligence [I think the horse has left the barn on that one] has claimed a fifth U.S. service member. Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrookof Colorado Springs, Colo., died Wednesday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. McClatchy wrote about Westbrook in an article about the Sept. 8 ambush. A reporter helped carry the wounded Westbrook onto a helicopter shortly after a gunshot pierced his right cheek and went through his neck.
American troops in Afghanistan losing heart, say army chaplains 08 Oct 2009 American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned, according to the chaplains of two US battalions that have spent nine months on the front line in the war against the Taleban. Many feel that they are risking their lives -- and that colleagues have died -- for a futile mission and an Afghan population that does nothing to help them, the chaplains told The Times in their makeshift chapel on this fortress-like base in a dusty, brown valley southwest of Kabul.
Karachi student flings shoe at American journalist 09 Oct 2009 Pakistan opened its account in "shoe-gaming" with a Karachi student flinging his shoe at a US journalist. The shoe was flung at Clifford D May, a US journalist visiting Karachi University on Thursday, local media reported. May, who is a Republican and was said to be an active member of the party during George W Bush's administration, was speaking at the Department of International Relations on 'Pakistan's Role in Countering the Challenge of Terrorism' when a student got into action.
You've blood on your hands, Blair told at Iraq memorial 10 Oct 2009 Former prime minister Tony Blair was publicly snubbed by a bereaved father yesterday who accused him of having "blood on his hands" for sending troops to fight in Iraq. Mr Blair, who has repeatedly defended his decision to lead Britain into the conflict, was rebuked by Peter Brierley, whose son, Lance Corporal Shaun Brierley, was killed in 2003.
Bomb kills anti-insurgent cleric in Iraq 09 Oct 2009 A Sunni cleric known for denouncing 'insurgents' in Iraq was killed Friday by a bomb that ripped apart his car, a police official said, in the second targeted attack on a religious figure in as many weeks. Jamal Humadi was driving home after delivering his Friday sermon in Saqlawiyah, 45 miles (75 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, when a bomb attached to his car exploded, the official said.
Five killed in Iraq bombings 08 Oct 2009 Five people were killed, including two policemen, and 13 others wounded in two attacks in Iraq on Thursday, police officials said. In the deadlier attack, three civilians were killed by a bomb placed inside a barber shop in the town of Yusfiyah, around 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Baghdad.
Mega barf alert! Israeli's bid to buy Al-Jazeera from Qatar 08 Oct 2009 An Israeli media tycoon has offered to buy the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite television network from the government of Qatar. Haim Saban, has submitted an offer to the Qatari government in a bid to purchase half of the Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite network. The Egyptian newspaper al-Mesryoon reported Wednesday that the Israeli billionaire is currently engaged in negotiations with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, over the partial purchase of the media outlet.
More women than men dismissed from military for being gay 09 Oct 2009 Women were dismissed from the military for being gay at a greater rate than men last year, according to new statistics obtained by a California research group. All the services kicked out a disproportionate number of women under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, according to Department of Defense data obtained by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Relenza warning after patient dies turning flu powder into liquid 10 Oct 2009 The drugs company GlaxoSmithKline said that at least one person has died after turning its anti-flu powder Relenza into a liquid. In a letter to doctors, GSK said reformulation was not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration in the US. The FDA posted the letter online yesterday without providing details of the person who died.
Airports to Screen Passengers For H1N1 Symptoms --New Guidelines Allow Airports to Take Temperatures, Quarantine Passengers Exhibiting Flu-Like Illness --People Traveling Internationally May Be Screened When Leaving, Entering U.S. 08 Oct 2009 New government air travel guidelines are on their way. This flu season, airport staff across the nation won't just be screening for security threats. They'll also be looking out for health threats – people who look like they may have the H1N1 virus. The government says that people traveling internationally may be screened for the H1N1 virus as they leave or enter the U.S. The government warns that some passengers may be asked to pass through a screening device, have their temperatures taken, answer questions about their health, and even be quarantined if someone on the flight shows symptoms of H1N1.
N.J. residents question necessity of swine flu vaccination 08 Oct 2009 According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released today, two-thirds of New Jerseyans said they plan to skip the vaccine and three-quarters said they weren’t worried about the swine flu. Nationally, an Associated Press poll Wednesday found 72 percent of those surveyed said they were worried about the vaccine’s side effects, including 38 percent who said they would not permit their child to get it.
Official: UK has 18,000 new cases of swine flu in last week 08 Oct 2009 The U.K.'s chief medical officer says there have been 18,000 new cases of swine flu in England over the last week as the country experiences the second wave of swine flu. am Donaldson said Thursday the rate of infection is much lower than had been feared.
NORAD exercise flights planned over Nevada skies 07 Oct 2009 The Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), a geographical component of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, will conduct exercise flights Thursday over western Nevada. The flights will take place in the late morning and early afternoon and people can expect to hear and see NORAD fighter aircraft as they practice their intercept and identification procedures.
US lawmakers extend PATRIOT Act provisions 08 Oct 2009 Key US lawmakers passed legislation Thursday extending three key provisions of the PATRIOT Act, the sweeping intelligence bill enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Backing a White House request, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the measure 11 votes to 8 to extend until 2013 three clauses that would have expired by 31 December. The bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote.
Police stop more than 1 million people on street 09 Oct 2009 Hundreds of thousands of Americans in big cities have been stopped on the street by police using a law-enforcement practice called stop-and-frisk that alarms civil libertarians but is credited by authorities with 'helping reduce crime.' Police in major U.S. cities stop and question more than a million people each year -- a sharply higher number than just a few years ago. Most are black and Hispanic men. Many are frisked, and nearly all are innocent of any crime, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.
Los Angeles' anti-terrorism program sparks controversy 09 Oct 2009 Civil activists on Thursday voiced concern over an anti-terrorism program launched by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), saying the program could lead to racial and religious profiling. The LAPD launched the so-called iWATCH program earlier Thursday to encourages people to report suspicious activities and behaviors. The program has been endorsed by the Major Cities Chiefs Association and may be expanded nationwide soon.
White House strips immigration policing powers from Arizona sheriff --Sheriff Joe Arpaio has previously been attacked by critics for racial profiling among illegal immigrants 09 Oct 2009 A controversial Arizona sheriff known for taking a hard line against illegal immigrants has been stripped of some of his powers in what he described as a political move by the Obama administration. Joe Arpaio, a gruff lawman who styles himself as America's toughest sheriff, has won acclaim from US anti-immigrant forces for his relentless pursuit of mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants in Maricopa county, Arizona, a fast-growing county of 4 million people that is home to Phoenix, the nation's fifth largest city.
Hadron lab scientist held on terrorism charges --Physicist working on Big Bang suspected of advising al-Qa'ida on possible targets 10 Oct 2009 A nuclear physicist working on the "large collider" experiment to simulate the Big Bang has been arrested in France on suspicion of advising al-Qa'ida [al-CIAduh] on possible terrorist targets. The French scientist, of Algerian origin, is being held with his younger brother after being trailed, and bugged, by French anti-terrorist police for more than a year. A judicial source told the newspaper Le Figaro: "This is very high level." The French Interior Minister, Brice Hortefeux, said that the investigation "may perhaps show that we have prevented the worst".
Father of New York bomb plot suspect is indicted 08 Oct 2009 The father of an Afghan immigrant accused of plotting one of the most serious security threats to the United States since the September 11 attacks was indicted on Thursday on charges of lying to the FBI, federal prosecutors said. Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53, had previously been charged by prosecutors with lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation when it was investigating his son, Najibullah Zazi, 24.
California Man Blows Off Hands with Explosives --Authorities Say Neo-Nazi Material Found in Man's Home 08 Oct 2009 A young man blew his hands off while making homemade high explosives inside his family's California home, law enforcement sources say. Neo-Nazi and 'anarchist type' [?] literature were found in the home, authorities said. A substantial quantity of the high explosive TATP -- used in London bombings and suspected in the current Najiboullah Zazi/alleged New York terror plot case -- has been located at the scene, counter-terrorism sources say.
Chicago cop off streets after being accused of faking DUI arrests 09 Oct 2009 A Chicago Police officer honored in the past for making hundreds of drunken driving arrests has been removed from the street and placed on administrative duty as the department investigates claims he falsified arrest reports. Officer Richard Fiorito faces a lawsuit in federal court in which 19 people claim he violated their rights in DUI stops. In at least one stop, he is accused of writing an arrest report whose facts contradict video taken from a camera on his squad car.
New Orleans Police Force Faces Swarm of Inquiries 09 Oct 2009 Four years after the New Orleans Police Department was accused of acting lawlessly in suppressing violence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, dozens of officers, some from an elite unit, have been interviewed by the F.B.I. or faced subpoenas to testify before federal grand juries. F.B.I. agents seized files from the department’s homicide division. And on a recent Saturday, a major city bridge, where police officers killed two men in the floodwaters of 2005, was shut by federal investigators for several hours.
Restaurant Sign Attacking Obama Sparks Race Debate --Restaurant Owner's Sign: 'Obama's plan for health-care: N*gger rig it.' 08 Oct 2009 When you walk into the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar in Paulding County, you feel like you've walked into a different era. Behind the pool tables stands a mannequin in a Klu Klux Klan costume, but it's what's outside of the Patrick Lanzo's restaurant that has some people angry. Lanzo put up a sign that reads "Obama's plan for health-care: N*gger rig it." [WHY is this 'restaurant' still standing?]
U.S. Mortgage Backer May Need Bailout, Experts Say 09 Oct 2009 A year after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac teetered, industry executives and Washington policy makers are worrying that another government mortgage giant could be the next housing domino. Problems at the Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees mortgages with low down payments, are becoming so acute that some experts warn the agency might 'need' a federal bailout.
Shell plans massive floating LNG facility 08 Oct 2009 Shell plans to build a $5.5 billion floating liquefied natural gas processing plant off the West Australian coast. Using floating LNG technology, Shell plans to process gas from its Prelude and Concerto fields in the Browse Basin off Australia's undeveloped Kimberley coast, where more than a third of the nation's known offshore gas is located.
Previous lead stories: Pakistani FM: US may know Bin Laden's hideout 07 Oct 2009 The United States may know the location of Osama Bin Laden's hideout, says the Pakistan's foreign minister. "US may be aware of the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden," Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Washington on Tuesday, according to the India-based Sifynews. The United States had recently claimed that the notorious al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] leader has sought refuge in Pakistan. The US President Barack Obama's Administration has repeatedly claimed that the al-Qaeda and its affiliates live in the rugged western regions of Pakistan on the Afghan border. The United States has used such claims as an excuse to attack the tribal areas in the region using its pilotless, predator drones. The strikes have resulted in massive civilian casualties, something that the Pakistani government and people have strongly opposed.
Obombings you can BELIEVE in: Is the U.S. Preparing to Bomb Iran? 06 Oct 2009 Is the U.S. stepping up preparations for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities? Based on a little-noticed Pentagon funding request recently sent to Congress, the answer to that question appears to be yes. The comptroller said the Pentagon planned to spend $19.1 million to procure four of the bombs, $28.3 million to accelerate the bomb's "development and testing", and $21 million to accelerate the integration of the bomb [Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound bomb designed to hit targets buried 200 feet below ground] onto B-2 stealth bombers. On Friday, the request was quietly approved.
Sebelius: Americans must get swine flu vaccination 07 Oct 2009 Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed anew Wednesday for widespread inoculation against a surging swine flu threat, calling the vaccine "safe and secure." Appearing on morning news shows to step up the Obama administration's campaign for vaccinations, Sebelius said that "the adverse effects are minimal. ... We know it's safe and secure. ...This is definitely is a safe vaccine for people to get." [Petition against mandatory vaccines (6050 signatures).]
