Afghan mission 'could last 40 years' 08 Aug 2009 The new head of the Army is warning that Britain's 'mission' in Afghanistan could last in some form for up to 40 years. General Sir David Richards, who becomes Chief of the General Staff later this month, said in a newspaper interview: "I believe that the UK will be committed to Afghanistan in some manner - development, governance, security sector reform - for the next 30 to 40 years."
US Army finds Iraq electrocution death accidental 08 Aug 2009 The U.S. Army has found that the death of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth, who was electrocuted while showering at a Baghdad base in January 2008, was accidental, the Defense Department said on Friday. A Senate panel had said in May that the electrocution of Maseth, as well as three other soldiers and a contractor, was linked to wiring work carried out by engineering company and military contractor [terrorists] KBR Inc.
Taliban commander denies Mehsud dead: report 08 Aug 2009 A fellow commander in the Pakistani Taliban insisted that Baitullah Mehsud, the movement's leader, was alive, the BBC reported on Saturday, rejecting government claims he had been eliminated in a U.S. drone strike. Hakimullah Mehsud, one of the most powerful commanders in the tribal region, described reports of Mehsud's death as "ridiculous" and said it was "the handiwork of the intelligence agencies," the BBC Urdu service website said. [It usually is. Who do you think created Mehsud in the first place?]
*****
Report: Israel planned to strike Iran during riots 07 Aug 2009 Israel last month asked the United State for permission to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida reported on Friday. The paper quoted a "US diplomatic source located in Jerusalem", but the report's credibility was not confirmed. According to the sources, after the opposition riots 'broke out' in Iran following June's presidential election results, Israel asked the US government for a green light to strike the country's nuclear facilities, along with other vital facilities in Iran. The source added that the Obama administration ignored the Israeli request, that was sent by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with President Shimon Peres's signature as well.
Mercenaries we can believe in: US Still Paying Blackwater Millions By Jeremy Scahill 07 Aug 2009 Just days before two former Blackwater employees alleged in sworn statements filed in federal court that the company's owner, Erik Prince, "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," the Obama administration extended a contract with Blackwater for more than $20 million for "security services" in Iraq, according to federal contract data obtained by The Nation. The State Department contract is scheduled to run through September 3.
Blackwater accused of murder in 'crusade to eliminate Muslims' 06 Aug 2009 A series of allegations including murder, weapons smuggling and the deliberate slaughter of civilians have been levelled against the founder of Blackwater, the mercenary company being investigated for shooting deaths in Iraq. The accusations, including a claim that the company founder Erik Prince either murdered or had killed former employees co-operating with federal investigators, are contained in sworn affidavits lodged at a Virginia court on Monday night.
Iraq attacks kill at least 52 08 Aug 2009 A series of attacks largely targeting Shiite Muslims killed at least 52 people Friday, most of them in a powerful [Xe?] car bombing at a mosque on the northern edge of the volatile city of Mosul. Authorities said most of the 39 fatalities at the mosque were Shiite Turkmens.
Three British special forces troops killed in Afghanistan 07 Aug 2009 Three British soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, on special forces operations in southern Afghanistan, were killed and a fourth critically injured when their patrol came under attack. The Ministry of Defence said the servicemen died after their Jackal armoured vehicle was hit by an explosion north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province early on Thursday afternoon.
Mounting popular opposition to the war in Afghanistan 07 Aug 2009 A series of recent polls have shown growing popular opposition in Europe to the US-NATO war in Afghanistan. One recent poll puts opposition in Germany to the presence of German troops in Afghanistan at 85 percent. The latest poll in France shows 55 percent opposed to the war and in favor of the immediate withdrawal of French soldiers. In Britain, according to the latest ComRes poll, more than half of the people (52 percent) want troops to be withdrawn straight away, while some 64 percent say British forces should be removed "as quickly as possible."
IMF Adds $3.2B to Pakistan Loan; Total Aid At $11.3B 07 Aug 2009 The International Monetary Fund on Friday boosted a loan extended to Pakistan late last year by $3.2 billion, bringing the total value of the aid package pledged to the South Asian nation to approximately $11.3 billion. The total loan extended to Pakistan by the IMF is equal to about 6.3% of the country's gross domestic product. The fund, which typically disburses aid in tranches, said it will allow Pakistan to immediately draw an additional $1.2 billion in loan dollars despite its failure to meet certain criteria set by the IMF.
New Battle on Vieques, Over Navy's Cleanup of Munitions 07 Aug 2009 The United States Navy ceased military training operations on this small island in 2003, and windows no longer rattle from the shelling from ships and air-to-ground bombings. Vieques was once the largest training area for the United States Atlantic Fleet Forces. Once again, residents have squared off against the American military. The Navy has begun removing hazardous unexploded munitions from its old training ground by detonating them in the open air. It also proposes to burn through nearly 100 acres of dense tropical vegetation to locate and explode highly sensitive cluster bombs.
CLG: H1N1 vaccination 'a voluntary program,' CDC says By Lori Price 08 Aug 2009 Citizens For Legitimate Government contacted the CDC on Friday and asked if the plans to vaccinate US citizens against the H1N1 virus would be mandatory. "It's a voluntary program," said CDC spokesperson Joe Quimby. [Yes, CLG is still promoting the Refuse and Resist Mandatory Flu Vaccines petition (2500 signatures), as the CDC policy could 'change.']
Swine Flu: Vaccination Clinics May be Set Up In Schools 08 Aug 2009 Most schools should be able to stay open even if swine flu outbreaks occur again this fall, government officials said Friday as they issued recommendations for dealing with the illness when the school year starts... Emphasizing that vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of the flu, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the vaccine against the H1N1 virus should be ready by October. People will probably need two shots of the new vaccine, in addition to one shot for seasonal flu. Children and young people ages 6 months [!] to 24 years are to be given priority for the H1N1 vaccine, and vaccination clinics may be set up in some schools.
Homeland Security: Updated Federal Guidelines for 2009 H1N1 Influenza 07 Aug 2009 "...[A]ll Americans also have a part to play. The best way to prevent the spread of flu is vaccination. A seasonal flu vaccine is ready to go, and we should have one for the 2009 H1N1 flu by mid-October," Homeland Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. "The federal government continues to coordinate closely with state and local governments, school districts and the private sector on H1N1 preparation as we head into the fall flu season--and the upcoming school year," said Secretary Napolitano. "Readiness for H1N1 is a shared responsibility, and the guidance released today provides communities with the tools they need..." [See: U.S. Flu Vaccine Updates.]
48 SoCal inmates quarantined after flu outbreak 07 Aug 2009 (CA) Dozens of inmates have been quarantined at a Rancho Cucamonga jail after seven came down with swine flu. San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller says 48 inmates have been quarantined since Saturday at the West Valley Detention Center in a jail area with its own ventilation system.
Swine flu sends 5 Collier jail inmates to isolation, another 69 quarantined 07 Aug 2009 (FL) Five inmates in the Collier County jail are in medical isolation for flu-like symptoms and another 69 inmates are under 72-hour quarantine because they had contact with the ill inmates, according to Collier County Sheriff’s officials. The quarantine also meant some inmates did not attend court hearings Friday, a decision that was made by jail officials.
Glenn Beck Jokes About Putting Poison In Nancy Pelosi's Wine 06 Aug 2009 Glenn Beck joked about adding poison to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's glass of wine on his show on Thursday afternoon. As the Fox News host imagined what it would be like to go to a Pelosi fundraiser, a staffer sat across the table from him wearing a Pelosi mask. As the staffer raised a glass of red wine to her lips, Beck demanded, "Drink it. Drink it. Drink it." [I am sick and more than tired of these racist Reichwing nutjobs, corpora-terrorist trolls and Nazi *thugs* getting a PERMANENT PASS on hate speech, mob violence, assassination threats and calls for armed revolution... while we have to sit silent and cower, offering nothing more a shake of the head and utterances of feigned outrage and condemnation? Well, what's good for the right-wing goose is good for the left-wing gander. --LRP
'The U.S. Capitol Police has advised all of them to cancel their town halls.' Health care debate degenerates into brawls, death threats 07 Aug 2009 From Connecticut to California, angry demonstrators [corporate Waffen-SS] opposed to health care reform have disrupted recent town hall meetings held by congressional Democrats. On Friday, a Democratic lawmaker from Washington state received a faxed death threat a day after he described angry town hall demonstrators as "a lynch mob." Rep. Brian Baird of Washington, who supports President Barack Obama's push to overhaul the health care system, said that he also received threatening phone calls. He cancelled the rest of the town halls he'd scheduled during Congress' August recess. A few Democratic congressional offices also have received threats connected to the health care debate.
Protesters in Ybor City drown out health care summit 07 Aug 2009 Bitter divisions over reforming America's health care system exploded Thursday night in Tampa amid cat calls, jeering and shoving at a town hall meeting. "Tyranny! Tyranny! Tyranny!" dozens of people shouted as U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, struggled to talk about health insurance reforms under consideration in Washington, D.C. Thursday's forum/near riot was sponsored by state Rep. Betty Reed, D-Tampa, and the Service Employees International Union... Hundreds of vocal critics turned out, many of them saying they had been spurred on through the Tampa 912 activist group promoted by conservative radio and television personality Glenn Beck. Others had received e-mails from the Hillsborough Republican Party that urged people to speak out against the plan and offered talking points.
Tempers flare in South Florida over healthcare overhaul --A raucous group of about 100 protesters confronted staffers of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, expressing their displeasure with the healthcare overhaul bills being considered in Congress. 06 Aug 2009 Confrontation over a national healthcare overhaul reached South Florida on Wednesday, when routine office hours for the staff of a Broward-area congressman turned into a raucous protest... "Where the hell is Klein?" demanded Republican activist Ana Gomez-Mallada, even though the congressman was not scheduled to be there. Others branded him a "coward'' and a "communist." From Texas to Pennsylvania, protesters have disrupted town halls. In North Florida, an effigy of a congressman, Allen Boyd, was tarred and feathered; in New York, a congressman had to be escorted to his car by police. The rally on Wednesday in Klein's 22nd congressional district office was orchestrated by a Republican campaign rival.
GOP Congressman Jokes: Dems "Almost Got Lynched" By Eric Kleefeld 06 Aug 2009 Here's another way for Republicans to handle the disruptions at Democratic town hall events: Joke about lynching. Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) held a town hall of his own two days ago, and here's what he said: "This particular meeting, in a way is a little bit unique," said Akin. "Different people from Washington, DC, have come back to their districts and have town hall meetings, and they almost got lynched." The audience then broke out into laughter and applause. "I would assume you're not approving lynchings, because we don't want to do that," Akin said, putting his hand to his neck in imitation of choking, which got audience laughing some more.
Audit of Organic Program Is Ordered --Agency's Standards Will Be Scrutinized 08 Aug 2009 The U.S. Agriculture Department has ordered an audit of its National Organic Program, saying that external scrutiny is needed to improve the integrity, transparency and reliability of the seven-year-old food program. The audit will look at whether the program is using strict, internationally recognized standards for accrediting and overseeing its network of nearly 100 private certifiers, which have been granted authority to determine whether foods meet federal organic standards.
'Cash-for-clunkers' program gets $2B refill 07 Aug 2009 Car shoppers caught up in the frenzy of the "cash-for-clunkers" program now have more time and a $2 billion reason to trade in their old gas guzzlers. President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a measure tripling the budget of the $1 billion incentive program that has drawn big crowds to formerly deserted showrooms. The Senate on Thursday passed the legislation extending the two-week-old program into Labor Day and preventing it from running out of money.
The drug lobby demands, and gets, Obama pledge to protect health care profits By Kate Randall 07 Aug 2009 The Obama White House has acknowledged it made a deal with drug makers to block moves in Congress to obtain any cost savings beyond the $80 billion already agreed to by the pharmaceutical lobby. The New York Times reported Thursday that, in return for the $80 billion agreement, the Obama administration pledged that it would work to block any health care legislation that would allow the government to negotiate price-setting on drugs.
Geithner asks Congress for higher U.S. debt limit 07 Aug 2009 U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner formally requested that Congress raise the $12.1 trillion statutory debt limit on Friday, saying that it could be breached as early as mid-October.
Regulators Shut 2 Florida Banks, Pushing 2009 U.S. Toll to 71 07 Aug 2009 First State Bank and Community National Bank, both based in Sarasota, Florida, were closed today, pushing the number of failed U.S. lenders to 71 this year. A Minnesota bank assumed deposits of both lenders. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was named receiver for both banks, according to an e-mailed statement today.
Dow Industrials, Transports Top Highs in Bullish Sign 07 Aug 2009 The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Dow Jones Transportation Average rose to their highest levels of the year, a bullish sign for the U.S. stock market among traders who use charts to make forecasts. The 30-stock industrial average rallied 113.81 points, or 1.2 percent, to 9,370.07, exceeding its previous 2009 high of 9,320.19 on Aug. 4.
US unemployment slows sharply 07 Aug 2009 The US unemployment rate dropped last month for the first time since April 2008, a surprise fall greeted by the White House as evidence that the world's largest economy has been pulled back from the brink of depression. Although employers cut 247,000 jobs in July, by a statistical quirk the size of the labour force fell faster than employment, so the monthly rate of unemployment fell to 9.4% from June's figure of 9.5%.
Secret deal to keep Karzai in power 07 Aug 2009 With less than two weeks to go until national 'elections,' the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, is trying to cut a secret deal with one of his rivals to knock out his leading contender and ensure a decisive victory to avoid the chaos that a tight result might unleash. Afghanistan's second 'democratic polls' threaten to split the country along sectarian lines... Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Karl Eikenberry, the US ambassador, are understood to have discussed the proposal with [third candidate] Ashraf Ghani late last month. "It makes sense," a policy analyst with close links to the US administration said... [Later, in the same article:] US embassy officials have denied any involvement in back-room deals.
Obama faces huge bill on Afghan security 06 Aug 2009 The US will have to provide billions more dollars in coming years to finance a huge increase in the size of Afghanistan's security forces, officials and analysts warn. General Stanley McChrystal, the new commander of US and Nato forces in the country, is in the final stages of a review of policy in which he is expected to conclude that the Afghan army and police force should be increased to a combined total of 400,000. "Afghan national security forces probably need to grow to somewhere in the neighbourhood of 400,000, which is currently being looked at by the McChrystal review," retired General Jack Keane, one of the architects of the surge in Iraq, told the FT, in comments backed up by serving military officials.
US sets up Pak-Afghan cell for war efforts in region --US has started work on a $1 billion project to build a 'diplomatic hub' [!] for the region in Islamabad. 07 Aug 2009 The Pentagon has established a Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell, in its basement to streamline its war efforts in that region. Headed by Brig-Gen Scott Miller, the cell includes military and civilians personnel with expertise on regional politics, economy and insurgency. The intention is to raise experts who will eventually rotate back and forth between the US and the region. By the end of the year, the United States will have 68,000 troops in Afghanistan, including extra 20,000 that President Barack Obama has promised to send.
US will maintain 'unrelenting' pressure on terrorist havens on Af-Pak border 06 Aug 2009 The US Government must fundamentally redefine the struggle against terrorism, replacing the war on terror with a campaign combining all facets of national power to defeat the enemy, President Obama's senior counter-terrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, has said. Previewing what aides said will be the Obama Administration's most comprehensive statement to date on its long-term strategy to defeat 'al-Qaeda' and other violent extremists worldwide, Brennan said the US will maintain "unrelenting" pressure on terrorist havens, including those near the Afghan-Pakistani border, in Yemen and in Somalia.
Obama's counter-terrorism advisor denounces Bush-era policies [while implementing them] 06 Aug 2009 President Obama's counter-terrorism chief rebuked the Bush administration repeatedly today in a speech designed to make the case for an expanded approach to fighting Islamic extremism, just weeks before the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. In his first public appearance as White House counter-terrorism advisor, John Brennan said the Bush administration's policies had been an affront to American values, undermined the nation's security and fostered a "global war" mind-set that served only to "validate Al Qaeda's twisted worldview."
Adviser: US sees decade of involvement in Afghanistan 06 Aug 2009 An incoming adviser to the top U.S. general in Afghanistan predicted Thursday that the United States will see about two more years of heavy fighting and then either hand off to a much improved Afghan fighting force or "lose and go home." David Kilcullen, a counterinsurgency expert who will assume a role as a senior adviser to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has been highly critical of the war's management to date. He outlined a "best-case scenario" for a decade of further U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan during an appearance at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
5 U.S. troops killed as Afghan violence swells --26 Afghans, most of them members of a wedding party, are reported killed in roadside bombings. 07 Aug 2009 The pace of American combat deaths in Afghanistan has quickened anew as roadside bombs killed five U.S. troops in 24 hours in the same western province, the American military said Thursday. The deaths bring to 11 the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan so far in August, on the heels of what was the worst month for Western and U.S. troop fatalities since the conflict began in 2001.
Bomb strikes Afghan wedding party 06 Aug 2009 A roadside bomb in Afghanistan has killed a group of people travelling to a wedding in the south of the country, officials say. First reports said 21 people had been killed in the Garmsir district of Helmand province, but an official later confirmed the death toll as five. Nato troops are conducting offensives in Helmand ahead of presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August.
Five killed, 30 wounded in Kirkuk bombing 06 Aug 2009 An explosive-laden vehicle has been detonated at a crowded market in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing five people and leaving 30 others wounded. The bomb went off at around 8:20 p.m. (1720 GMT) on Thursday, said a local security chief Nozad al-Barzanji. The incident took place in a Kurdish neighborhood of the city, 255 kilometers (160 miles) north of Baghdad.
First-hand account details Israeli cruelty to children 06 Aug 2009 Amid shocking revelations that Israeli soldiers employed Palestinian children as human shields during the war on Gaza, a former Israeli military commander explains how Palestinian minors are treated on an ongoing basis. Palestinian youth are arrested on a regular basis, usually for hurling stones at Israeli soldiers -- something many of them consider the only means of venting their frustration over the military occupation of their homeland.
Fluor names ex-KBR exec to run government division 05 Aug 2009 Engineering company Fluor Corp has named Bruce Stanski as head of its government group, giving him a similar position to what he once held at KBR Inc as Fluor competes for more military contracts. Stanski replaces John Hopkins, who will become group executive for corporate development, Fluor said in a statement on Wednesday.
Malmstrom nuclear weapons squadron activated 05 Aug 2009 A new squadron designed to streamline and improve the handling of nuclear weapons systems was activated Tuesday at Malmstrom Air Force Base, bringing 62 new personnel with it, according to Air Force officials. The newly activated 16th Munitions Squadron will be responsible for weapons storage area logistics operations. The tenant unit at Malmstrom is part of the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
Jewish security network meets with DHS chief 05 Aug 2009 Leaders of the Secure Community Network met Wednesday in Washington with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. SCN, which coordinates security for North American Jewish institutions, has been working with DHS for a while on security training and assessments, but this was the first meeting with Napolitano since she took office earlier this year.
Metro Transit Police to Add Anti-Terrorism Teams 05 Aug 1009 The federal government will pay almost $10 million for the Metro Transit Police to put 20 officers on five anti-terrorism teams, Metro officials announced Wednesday. The department has a Special Response Team, said spokeswoman Cathy Asato, but the force has not had specific teams focused on counterterrorism. A Department of Homeland Security transit grant program will provide the money to create them.
Intel to SEC: No Ties to 'Sponsors of Terrorism' 06 Aug 2009 Intel Corp. has told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it does not do business with countries accused of being "sponsors of terrorism," in response to an unusual request from the agency. The SEC earlier this year had sent a letter to Intel asking the chip giant to describe the nature of its business contacts with such countries as Cuba, Iran and Syria, which have been identified as "state sponsors of terrorism," according to a company filing with the federal agency. In response, the company wrote the SEC saying, "Intel prohibits all transactions with countries identified under certain trade-related sanctions."
Heads up! Baxter to test swine flu vaccine 06 Aug 2009 Pharmaceutical firm Baxter International says it has produced its first commercial batches of a [deadly] human swine flu vaccine called Celvapan A/H1N1. The development comes as the World Health Organisation warned that the current outbreak is the fastest pandemic and could eventually affect two billion people. [See: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor 26 Apr 2009.]
FDA never inspected China maker of Baxter's heparin 13 Feb 2008 U.S. regulators have never inspected the Chinese plant that makes Baxter International's [deadly] heparin, regulators disclosed a day after Baxter halted sales of some versions after four patients died and hundreds became ill. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration reported that it received about 350 reports of health problems associated with Baxter's injectable heparin, a blood thinner, since the end of 2007.
Swine flu vaccine on track for September, WHO says --Larger deliveries are expected in October, an official says. Human trials of the new vaccine against H1N1 have also begun. 07 Aug 2009 Manufacturers are on track to deliver the first doses of a vaccine for pandemic H1N1 influenza in September, World Health Organization officials said Thursday. The first batches will be limited, but larger deliveries are expected in October, Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the organization's Initiative for Vaccine Research said at a news conference in Geneva.
Rapid tests often wrong about swine flu --CDC's first study finds cases missed at least half the time 06 Aug 2009 Current quick tests for flu miss many cases of the new pandemic H1N1 strain, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday. The accuracy of the tests ranged from just 40 percent to 69 percent in detecting swine flu, the CDC team reported. The findings confirm the CDC's warnings that instant tests performed on the spot in doctor's offices and clinics are not highly worthwhile for diagnosing H1N1 infections.
Barack Opharma strikes again: White House Affirms Deal on Drug Cost 06 Aug 2009 Pressed by industry lobbyists, White House officials on Wednesday assured drug makers that the administration stood by a behind-the-scenes deal to block any Congressional effort to extract cost savings from them beyond an agreed-upon $80 billion. Drug industry lobbyists reacted with alarm this week to a House health care overhaul measure that would allow the government to negotiate drug prices and demand additional rebates from drug manufacturers. In response, the industry successfully demanded that the White House explicitly acknowledge for the first time that it had committed to protect drug makers from bearing further costs in the overhaul.
'It would be unusual for a recent corporate lobbyist to be a U.S. attorney.' Ex-Lobbyist Called Top Candidate for Alexandria U.S. Attorney 06 Aug 2009 A Justice Department official who briefly worked as a corporate lobbyist has emerged as the leading candidate for U.S. attorney in Alexandria, one of the nation's most prominent law enforcement posts, sources familiar with the selection process said Wednesday. Neil MacBride, who has been an associate deputy attorney general since January, is undergoing FBI background checks for the Alexandria job, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because no appointment has been announced.
US Senate confirms Sonia Sotomayor for the supreme court --Sonia Sotomayor becomes the first Hispanic justice to sit on the US Supreme Court 06 Aug 2009 The US Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor today as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. The vote was 68-31 for Sotomayor, Barack Obama's first high court nominee. She becomes the 111th justice and just the third woman to serve.
Senate Confirms Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court --All 31 votes against Sotomayor came from Republicans. 06 Aug 2009 Sonia Sotomayor won confirmation Thursday afternoon as the nation's 111th Supreme Court justice and the first ever of Hispanic descent, a historic moment for the nation's fastest-growing minority group. On a 68 to 31 vote, the Senate confirmed Sotomayor after roughly 18 hours of official debate spread across three days this week, a show of support that included nine Republican 'aye' votes and 59 from the Democratic side of the aisle.
Sotomayor watches Senate vote at NYC courthouse 06 Aug 2009 Sonia Sotomayor bathed in applause from friends and colleagues at a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan Thursday as the Senate voted to confirm her appointment to the Supreme Court. The New Yorker watched the vote unfold on large-screen televisions in a conference room on the 8th floor overflowing with other judges and courthouse personnel.
Cornyn accuses White House of compiling 'enemies list' 06 Aug 2009 Texas Sen. John Cornyn [R-Hypcorite], accusing the White House of compiling an "enemies list," has asked President Barack Obama to stop an effort to collect "fishy" information Americans see about a health care overhaul. Cornyn, who leads the Republicans' Senate campaign effort, said Wednesday in a letter to Obama that he's concerned that citizen engagement on the issue could be "chilled." He also expressed alarm that the White House could end up collecting electronic information on its critics. [Oh, and Bush would never do that, right? Where was Creep Cornyn's outrage *then?*]
Procter & Gamble, Progressive Insurance Pledge Not to Advertise on Glenn Beck on Fox News 06 Aug 2009 Three companies who run ads during Glenn Beck -- NexisLexis-owned Lawyers.com, Procter & Gamble and Progressive Insurance -- today distanced themselves from Beck. LexisNexis has pulled its advertising from Beck and says it has no plans to advertise on the program in the future. Both Procter & Gamble and Progressive Insurance called the Beck advertising placements an error that they would correct. The decision by the three companies comes as over 45,000 ColorOfChange.org members call on advertisers to pull their ads from Glenn Beck after the controversial news host called President Obama a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred for white people" on "Fox & Friends" last week.
AIG breakup nets Wall Street $1 billion bonanza: report 06 Aug 2009 Wall Street banks and lawyers could collect nearly $1 billion in fees from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and American International Group Inc to help manage and break apart the insurer, The Wall Street Journal said on Wednesday, citing its own analysis. Morgan Stanley could collect as much as $250 million, the newspaper said, citing banking experts and documents released by the New York Fed.
AIG's Greenberg to pay $15 million to settle SEC charges 06 Aug 2009 American International Group's former Chief Executive Hank Greenberg agreed to pay $15 million to settle regulators' allegations of improper accounting transactions, a Securities and Exchange Commission official said on Thursday.
Oil price hits $76, highest since October 06 Aug 2009 Oil prices fell on Thursday after briefly reaching 76 dollars a barrel in London and the highest level this year, as some analysts predicted a sustained move downwards owing to weak demand for crude. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in September reached exactly 76 dollars in early London trade. It later stood at 75.16 dollars a barrel, down 35 cents on Thursday's close.
About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011 05 Aug 2009 The percentage of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their house is worth will nearly double to 48 percent in 2011 from 26 percent at the end of March, portending another blow to the housing market, Deutsche Bank said on Wednesday.
Congress OKs $2B Refill of 'Cash For Clunkers' --Program Would Run Through Labor Day 06 Aug 2009 Congress has passed a $2 billion extension of the popular "cash for clunkers" program, clearing the legislation for President Barack Obama's signature. The Senate passed the extension Thursday evening. The House approved the measure last week. Lawmakers made sure to keep the popular program alive before heading home for a monthlong vacation.
Clinton-Era Rule Protecting Forests Upheld 05 Aug 2009 In a victory for environmentalists, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, reaffirmed a lower court decision to strike down the Bush administration’s policy toward roads in national forests. The "roadless rule," approved in 2001 during the waning days of the Clinton administration, substantially limited road development in national forest lands.
Study finds 3 Northwest glaciers shrinking faster 06 Aug 2009 Climate change is shrinking three of the nation's most studied glaciers at an accelerated rate, and government scientists say that finding bolsters global concerns about rising sea levels and the availability of fresh drinking water. Known as "benchmark glaciers," the South Cascade Glacier in Washington state, the Wolverine Glacier on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula and the Gulkana Glacier in interior Alaska all have shown a "rapid and sustained" retreat, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey that was released Thursday.
'It moves around like a big animal without a leash.' The world's rubbish dump: a garbage tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan 05 Aug 2009 A "plastic soup" of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean is growing at an alarming rate and now covers an area twice the size of the continental United States, scientists have said. The vast expanse of debris – in effect the world's largest rubbish dump – is held in place by swirling underwater currents. This drifting "soup" stretches from about 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast, across the northern Pacific, past Hawaii and almost as far as Japan.
City Says Exxon Is Liable for Tainted Well Water in Queens 07 Aug 2009 Lawyers for New York City are trying to convince a jury in a federal trial that Exxon Mobil knew that an additive that it began using in gasoline in the 1980s would contaminate groundwater. The trial, which began on Tuesday before Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of United States District Court in Manhattan, is one of hundreds of cases that have been presented around the country against oil companies over the additive, MTBE, a chemical compound that replaced lead in gasoline as an octane enhancer.
