Late Breaking News

(Okracoke/47165) from the AP News Wire>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:24:00 -0600

from the AP News Wire>

Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and
regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous
marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause
and the location of her death were unknown.

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle
1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She
wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted
in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like
"The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had
sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to
Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that
many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the
toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her
once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public
appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her
once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as
she had during her prime.

"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston
told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown
by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in
pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States
alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer
Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter
of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang
backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It
was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was
such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."

"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really
sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album
debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after
hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female
pop vocal. "How Will I Know," "You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of
All" also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most
powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier
mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only
sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability,
communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to
majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like
Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to
go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain
through much of her career. She was even booed during the "Soul Train Awards"
in 1989.

"Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?" she told Katie Couric in 1996.
"You're not black enough for them. I don't know. You're not R&B enough. You're
very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them."

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby
Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she
was seen as pop's pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had
children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over
the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to
failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may
have believed.

"When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have
different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,"
she told Rolling Stone in 1993. "You see somebody, and you deal with their
image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am
not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I
can get raunchy."

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of
Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super
Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her
as America's sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with "The Bodyguard." Despite
mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret
Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition
of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which sat atop the charts for
weeks. It was Grammy's record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the
"Bodyguard" soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with "Waiting to Exhale" and "The
Preacher's Wife." Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album,
"My Love Is Your Love," in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal
for the cut "It's Not Right But It's Okay."

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an
interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time "The Preacher's
Wife" was released, "(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. ... I would do my
work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. ... I
wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a
charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to
Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at
an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that
rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery
appearance on Brown's reality show, "Being Bobby Brown," was an example of her
sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared "crack is whack," was
often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album "I
Look To You." The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually
go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on "Good Morning
America" went awry as Houston's voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an
interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston
had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans
unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that
she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was
in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

(KAM/47164) NRC Approves First New Nuclear Plant In Three Decades

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:40:00 -0600


NRC Approves First New Nuclear Plant In Three Decades
Posted: Feb 9, 2012 2:57 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's first new nuclear power plant in a generation
won approval Thursday as federal regulators voted to grant a license for two
new reactors in Georgia.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 to approve Atlanta-based Southern
Co.'s request to build two nuclear reactors at its Vogtle site south of
Augusta.

The vote clears the way for officials to issue an operating license for the
reactors, which could begin operating as soon as 2016 and 2017.

The NRC last approved construction of a nuclear plant in 1978, a year before a
partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania raised
fears of a radiation release and brought new reactor orders nearly to a halt.

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko voted against the Vogtle license, saying he wanted
a binding commitment from the company that it would make safety changes
prompted by the March 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan.

"We've given them a license. They have not given us any commitment they will
make these changes in the future," Jaczko said.

The meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant led to a series of recommendations
by the NRC to improve safety at the 104 commercial nuclear reactors in the U.S.
The changes are intended to make the plants better prepared for incidents they
were not initially designed to handle, such as prolonged power blackouts or
damage to multiple reactors at the same time.

The changes are still being developed, though Jaczko said it is clear that they
will be required by the NRC before the new reactors open in 2016 or 2017.

Despite his opposition to the license, Jaczko called the vote "historic" and a
culmination of years of work by Southern Co. and the NRC.

Southern Company Chairman and CEO Thomas A. Fanning called the NRC vote "a
monumental accomplishment for Southern Company, Georgia Power, our partners and
the nuclear industry."

Fanning said the company was "committed to bringing these units online to
deliver clean, safe and reliable energy to our customers."

"The project is on track, and our targets related to cost and schedule are
achievable," Fanning said.

Marvin Fertel, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry lobbying
group, said the NRC vote "sounds a clarion call to the world that the United
States recognizes the importance of expanding nuclear energy as a key component
of a low-carbon energy future that is central to job creation, diversity of
electricity supply and energy security."

Allison Fisher, an energy expert for the consumer advocacy group Public
Citizen, called the NRC's action - less than a year after the Japan crisis - a
step in the wrong direction.

"It is inexplicable that we've chosen this moment in history to expand the use
of a failed and dangerous technology," she said.

While other countries such as Germany are reversing their commitment to nuclear
power, "the U.S. is approving new reactors before the full suite of lessons
from Japan has been learned and before new safety regulations that were
recommended by a task force established after the meltdown crisis at Fukushima
have been implemented," Fisher said.

The NRC approved a new reactor design for the Vogtle plant in December. Utility
companies in Florida and the Carolinas also plan new reactors that use the same
design by Westinghouse Electric Co.

The planned reactors are remnants of a once-anticipated building boom that the
power industry dubbed the "nuclear renaissance."

President Barack Obama has offered the Vogtle project $8.3 billion in federal
loan guarantees as part of its pledge to expand nuclear power.

Obama and other proponents say greater use of nuclear power could cut the
nation's reliance on fossil fuels and create energy without producing emissions
blamed for global warming. A new government permit process strongly encourages
utilities to use pre-approved reactor designs rather than building custom
models, a strategy intended to make construction easier and less expensive.

The once hoped-for boom has been plagued by a series of problems, from the
prolonged economic downturn to the sharp drop in the price of natural gas, due
in part to improved drilling techniques that have allowed energy companies to
tap previously unavailable underground shale formations.

The Vogtle project is considered by many observers to be a major test of
whether the industry can build nuclear plants without the delays and cost
overruns that plagued earlier rounds of building decades ago.

Close on the project's heels is South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., which is
seeking permission to build two reactors at an existing plant in Jenkinsville,
S.C.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
http://www.lex18.com/news/nrc-approves-first-new-nuclear-plant-in-three-decades

(Gespalder/47163) http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/03/technology/micron_ceo_died/index...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:55:00 -0600

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/03/technology/micron_ceo_died/index.htm?iid=Popula
r

Micron CEO Steve Appleton dies in plane crash

By Julianne Pepitone @CNNMoneyTech February 3, 2012: 3:58 PM ET


Micron CEO Steve Appleton

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Micron CEO and chairman Steve Appleton died Friday
morning in a small-plane crash in Boise.
Micron, a maker of semiconductors and flash memory, confirmed Appleton's death
at age 51 in a press release that praised his "passion and energy."
Appleton was flying a Lancair fixed-wing single-engine plane that crashed at
8:58 a.m. local time at Boise Airport, a spokeswoman for the airport told CNN's
John Fricke. She could not confirm whether the accident took place at takeoff,
landing or during flight.
Shares of Micron (MU, Fortune 500), which trade on the Nasdaq, were halted on
the news.
Appleton survived a previous crash in July 2004, when the stunt plane he was
flying went down over an Idaho desert.
Appleton joined Micron in 1983 and held several positions at the Boise-based
company. He was named president and chief operating officer in 1991, and he
became chairman, CEO and president in 1994. In 2007, he shed the president
portion of his title.
Appleton was known for his love of planes and for his athleticism. He held a
tennis scholarship at Boise State while working towards his business
administration degree. After that, he played pro-tennis on the satellite
circuit for six months before diving into his career at Micron Technology.
Micron Technology in the Fortune 500
Appleton "learned to play [tennis] left-handed after breaking his right wrist,"
according to the book Winner Take All by Richard J. Elkus.
Appleton sat on the board of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), and
the trade group awarded him its highest honor this past November.
"Steve was a visionary and a true leader in our industry. He will be deeply
missed..." SIA president Brian Toohey said in a prepared statement.
Micron's press release offered condolences to Appleton's wife, Dalynn, as well
as their children.
Micron was founded in Boise in October 1978, and it became a public company in
June 1984. The company ranked No. 287 on the 2011 Fortune 500 list. At the end
of 2011, Micron employed about 20,000 full-time staffers.
Friday's accident marks the second small-plane crash in two months that killed
high-profile executives. In late December, a plane carrying two Greenhill & Co.
(GHL) bankers, the wife of one of the bankers and their two children crashed on
a New Jersey highway, killing all five aboard.B

First Published: February 3, 2012: 3:05 PM ET

(Gespalder/47162) Mitt Romney wins the Nevada caucus.

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:27:00 -0600

Mitt Romney wins the Nevada caucus.

Source: CNN

(Secretary/47161) "It's no joke: Actress-comedian Roseanne Barr is running for the...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:06:00 -0600


"It's no joke: Actress-comedian Roseanne Barr is running for the Green Party's
presidential nomination: http://apne.ws/yrQUd0 -RAS"

        @AP - The Associated Press

        8:01 p.m. ET, February 2 via CoTweet

(KAM/47160) Angelo Dundee dead at 90

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:31:00 -0600


Angelo Dundee dead at 90

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer  36 mins ago

Angelo Dundee, the brilliant motivator who worked the corner for Muhammad Ali
in his greatest fights and willed Sugar Ray Leonard to victory in his biggest
bout, died Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. He was 90.

The genial Dundee was best known for being in Ali's corner for almost his
entire career, but those in boxing also knew him as an ambassador for boxing
and a figure of integrity in a sport that often lacked it.

He died with his family surrounding him, said son, Jimmy Dundee, but not before
being able to attend Ali's 70th birthday bash in Louisville, Ky., last month.

"It was the way he wanted to go," Jimmy Dundee said. "He did everything he
wanted to do."

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120202/ap_on_sp_bo_ne/box_obit_dundee

(Nikes/47159) Facebook wants to raise $5 billion in historic IPO

Nikes@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:10:00 -0600

Facebook wants to raise $5 billion in historic IPO

By Charley Blaine, MSN Money on Wed, Feb 1, 2012 12:28 PM

The offering would be larger than Google's 2004 IPO. The company has 845
million users and generated nearly $4 billion in revenue in 2011. The offering
is expected to be completed in May.
By Charley Blaine on Wed, Feb 1, 2012 12:28 PM
Updated: 6:08 p.m. ET.

Social-networking site Facebook filed for its long-awaited initial public
offering today.

The company said it wants to raise $5 billion in common shares in the offering,
but its size could be increased. The offering statement confirms that CEO Mark
Zuckerberg is one of the nation's richest people already. His stake in the
company was valued at $15.9 billion at the end of 2011.

Facebook, incorporated in 2004, had $3.7 billion in revenue in 2011 and $1
billion in net income. It says it has 485 million in active users, who upload
250 million photographs a day and log 2.7 billion likes and dislikes every day.
The users have 100 billion friendships.

Facebook's IPO is the most eagerly awaited since Google (GOOG +0.12%) went
public in 2004. The interest in the IPO was so great that it crashed the
Securities and Exchange Commissions Web site late today.

Eighty-five percent of Facebook's revenue in 2011 came from advertising. That's
down from 98% in 2009 and 95% in 2010. The rest of the revenue comes from a
payments derived from virtual goods used in social games.

The company sees the payments business as a substantial opportunity.

The offering will be Class A common shares, which come with 1 vote per share.
The company's Class B shares get 10 votes each. Zuckerberg owns about 30% of
the Class B shares and has effective control of the company, the statement
says.

The proposed offering is smaller that the $10 billion that was expected as late
as last week.

The smaller deal size reflects a decision to start with a conservative base and
gauge demand for the shares before deciding whether to increase the size of the
offering, International Financing Review said Wednesday.

The filing timetable appears to establish a framework for Facebook to finalize
the IPO process by May, pending a smooth registration process with the SEC. One
reason to get the offering done by May, according to CNBC's Julia Boorstin: It
lets insiders, normally not allowed to sell shares before six months, sell by
the end of the year, before capital gains rates rise.

The networking site has opted to hire five lead investment banks, known as
bookrunners, to handle the offering, featuring Morgan Stanley in the coveted
lead role.

Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital and JP Morgan
round out the initial list of bookrunners on the deal, though the syndicate
could also grow, IFR said.

Investment banks commit to buy the shares and market them to prospective
investors.

Recent trading in Facebook stock on private exchanges has pointed to an $80
billion-plus valuation, IFR said.

Facebooks biggest outside stakeholder is venture firm Accel Partners, which
first led a $12.7 million investment in 2005. Other investors include Microsoft
Corp. and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel as well as Greylock Partners.

As the sites popularity grew, banks, hedge funds and mutual fund companies
started buying stock. In January 2011, Facebook said it raised $1.5 billion in
a financing round led by Goldman Sachs that valued the company at $50 billion.

Goldman Sachs, funds managed by the firm, and Digital Sky Technologies bought
$500 million of stock, while Goldman Sachs offered $1 billion of shares to
non-U.S. clients.

(Secretary/47158) 'Soul Train' Host Don Cornelius Dead Of Suicide

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:07:00 -0600


'Soul Train' Host Don Cornelius Dead Of Suicide

By Associated Press | Stop The Presses! - 35 minutes ago

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/soul-train-don-cornelius-dead-75-
apparent-suicide-152756913.html

LOS ANGELES (AP) . Don Cornelius, creator of the long-running TV dance show
"Soul Train," shot himself to death Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home,
police said. He was 75.

Officers responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Mulholland
Drive home at around 4 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead of a
self-inflicted gunshot wound at 4:56 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said
Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter.

"Soul Train" began in 1970 in Chicago on WCIU-TV as a local program and aired
nationally from 1971 to 2006.

It introduced television audiences to such legendary artists as Aretha
Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White and brought the best R&B, soul and later
hip-hop acts to TV and had teenagers dance to them. It was one of the first
shows to showcase African-Americans prominently, although the dance group was
racially mixed. Cornelius was the first host and executive producer.

"There was not programming that targeted any particular ethnicity," he said in
2006, then added: "I'm trying to use euphemisms here, trying to avoid saying
there was no television for black folks, which they knew was for them."

Cornelius, who was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in
1995 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in 2006 he remained
grateful to the musicians who made "Soul Train" the destination for the best
and latest in black music.

"I figured as long as the music stayed hot and important and good, that there
would always be a reason for 'Soul Train,'" Cornelius said.

The series spawned a franchise that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest.

Cornelius stepped down as "Soul Train" host in 1993.

In his later years, Cornelius had a troubled marriage. In 2009, he was
sentenced to three years' probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor
spousal battery. In his divorce case that year, he also mentioned having
significant health issues.

(Gespalder/47157) CNN, NPR and pretty much everyone else has called the Florida Pr...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:14:00 -0600

CNN, NPR and pretty much everyone else has called the Florida Primary for Mitt
Romney.

Romney will get Secret Service protection now. He will be the only candidate to
have it unless someone decides Newt needs it too.

(Secretary/47155) Court says it will have more to say about high-tech surveillance...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:15:00 -0600


Court says it will have more to say about high-tech surveillance methods

January 24, 2012 7:17 AM

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/surveillance-1400917-tech-police.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - Police surveillance may be getting more high-tech -- but that
doesn't mean police don't sometimes need a good, old-fashioned warrant.

A unanimous Supreme Court ruling today will prevent police from installing GPS
technology to track suspects without first getting the approval of a judge.

And the justices made it clear that they will have more to say about the use of
technology to keep tabs on Americans.

The outcome is an unusual setback for government and police agencies who've
become used to getting some leeway in their investigations in post-9/11
America.

The case involved a Washington, D.C., nightclub owner. Police installed a GPS
device in his jeep, and tracked him for four weeks. The tracking helped to link
him to a home that was used to stash money and drugs. He was sentenced to life
in prison, but an appeals court overturned the conviction.

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the use of the device constituted a search,
meaning a warrant was required.

Law professor Donald Tibbs of Drexel University says the ruling "sends a
message that technological advances cannot outpace the American Constitution."

(Gespalder/47154) http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/21/tp-religious-employer...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:16:00 -0600

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jan/21/tp-religious-employers-must-cover-pi
ll-feds-say/

Religious employers must cover pill, Feds say
Nonprofits will have one additional year to comply with birth control
requirement

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press
12:01 a.m., Jan. 21, 2012

WASHINGTON -- Many church-affiliated institutions will have to cover free birth
control for employees, the Obama administration announced Friday in an
election-year move that outraged religious groups, fueling a national debate
about the reach of government.
In a concession, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said
nonprofit institutions such as church-affiliated hospitals, colleges and social
service agencies will have one additional year to comply with the requirement,
issued in regulations under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
"I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting
religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services,"
Sebelius said in a statement.
However, the concession wasn't likely to stop a determined effort by opponents
to block or overturn the rule. If they fail, some predicted religious employers
would drop coverage for their workers, opting instead to pay fines to the
federal government under the health care law.
"Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations
to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their
conscience," said New York Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "This shouldn't happen in a land where
free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights."
Officials said the administration's ruling was carefully considered, after
reviewing more than 200,000 comments from interested parties and the public.
The one-year extension, they said, responds to concerns raised by religious
employers about making adjustments. Administration officials stressed
individual decisions about whether or not to use birth control, and what kind,
remain in the hands of women and their doctors.
Underscoring the sensitivity of the decision, Obama personally spoke with Dolan
on Friday to inform him of the announcement, an administration official said.
Many religious conservatives consider the morning-after birth control pill to
be an abortion drug.

(John Public/47153) Legendary former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, fired in...

John Public@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:43:00 -0600

Legendary former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, fired in November
after 46 years as head coach in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal
involving an assistant, died on Sunday, the family said in a statement.
Source:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/22/uk-usa-paterno-idUKTRE80L0GT20120122

(KAM/47152) CNN's projections:

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:02:00 -0600


CNN's projections:
       Gingrich   242,417  40%
       Romney     167,419  28%
       Santorum   101,914  17%
       Paul        77,943  13%

Today, Romney is expected to have 31 delegates, Gingrich 26, Paul 10 and
Santorum 8.

(Nikes/47151) All major media outlets, including Fox News, CNN, ABC, NBC and C...

Nikes@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:44:00 -0600

All major media outlets, including Fox News, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS are
projecting former House Speaker Newt Gingrich the South Carolina Republican
primary winner.

(Secretary/47150) The Race Is Still Romney's

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:46:00 -0600


The Race Is Still Romney's

By Reid Wilson | National Journal - Fri, Jan 20, 2012

http://news.yahoo.com/race-still-romneys-121221965.html

The fundamentals of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign are strong. Even in the
wake of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's surging momentum in South
Carolina, the fact remains that Romney is the overwhelming front-runner for the
Republican nomination -- and Saturday's primary won't do anything to change
that.

That's not to poo-poo Gingrich's comeback. The former speaker's recovery in
South Carolina has come against all odds, including sustained attacks from a
pro-Romney super PAC, a damaging tell-all interview from his second wife, a
sustained push by social conservatives to unite behind Rick Santorum, and the
fact that Gingrich is still running a campaign virtually bereft of the
infrastructure that past serious candidates have needed to win key primary
states.

Gingrich's roller-coaster ride in public-opinion polls began its initial climb
thanks to strong performances in debates in November. His revival, after a
barrage of attack ads in Iowa, came thanks to two more strong performances this
week and his wise decision to abandon a high-road strategy that has never been
rewarded in presidential politics in favor of mixing it up with front-running
Romney.

But Gingrich is living a hand-to-mouth existence, while Romney has sowed seeds
he can reap later on in other states. The Republican presidential campaign is,
at the end, a race for 1,144 delegates, and the former Massachusetts governor's
campaign is in a far better position to harvest those delegates in later
primaries.

So far, Romney has collected an estimated 14 delegates, thanks to his
performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, while Gingrich has just two. South
Carolina will award 28 delegates, likely split between the four remaining
candidates. The first real delegate prize comes on Jan. 31, when the winner of
the Florida primary collects all 50 of the state's delegates.

Gingrich campaigned in Florida briefly last week. Romney has competed in
Florida before, and a super PAC that backs his campaign is helping to give him
a jump. Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show Restore Our
Future, the pro-Romney super PAC, spent about $300,000 on mailings and $1.5
million on television in Florida this week alone; the filings suggest the
television time is dedicated to negative ads focused on Gingrich.

Gingrich gets his chance to share the stage with Romney twice, first on Monday
at a debate cosponsored by National Journal, NBC News, and the Tampa Bay Times
and then again on Thursday at a CNN/Republican Party of Florida debate in
Jacksonville. He will have to hope that once again, strong debate performances
will overcome the rush of negative advertisements that has already begun.

After Florida, Gingrich's outlook becomes even more bleak. The February
calendar presents Romney with the opportunity to do to Gingrich what Barack
Obama did to Hillary Clinton in 2008. Caucuses in Nevada, Colorado, and
Minnesota will benefit a more organized campaign, giving Romney and Rep. Ron
Paul a boost over Gingrich. The two primaries that month, in Arizona and
Michigan, will take place on Romney-friendly turf; Arizona has a sizable Mormon
electorate, while Michigan is Romney's home state. By the end of February,
Romney is likely to have the majority of the 274 delegates awarded to that
point. Paul's focus on caucus states means Gingrich may not even be in second
place by the end of the month.

Then comes Super Tuesday, when 10 states will allocate a total of 407
delegates. With few debates left on the horizon, Gingrich won't have the time,
the exposure, or the money to build the type of national campaign Romney has
already started to build (Gingrich isn't even eligible for the 46 delegates
from Virginia; his campaign didn't submit enough valid signatures to make the
ballot there).

In short, South Carolina presents Gingrich's last real chance to be on equal
footing with Romney before the race goes national. Barring a sustained surge in
campaign contributions for Gingrich and a real stumble by Romney's campaign,
the reality is that the race for the Republican nod is as clear today as it was
before Gingrich's revitalization: There will be no extended fight for delegates
a la Obama-Clinton, there will be no brokered convention, and Romney will be
the Republican nominee. The deck is stacked too much in Romney's favor to give
Gingrich's campaign anything more than a temporary reprieve.

(Secretary/47149) SOPA Is Dead: Smith Pulls Bill

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:05:00 -0600


SOPA Is Dead: Smith Pulls Bill

SOPA Sponsor Withdraws Bill From House

12 minutes ago by Todd Wasserman

http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/sopa-is-dead-smith-pulls-bill/

Lamar Smith, the chief sponsor of SOPA, said on Friday that he is pulling the
bill "until there is wider agreement on a solution."

"I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding
proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy," Smith (R-Texas)
told Reuters. "It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to
address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions
and products."

Smith also released the following statement on Friday: "We need to revisit the
approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and
sell American inventions and products. "The problem of online piracy is too big
to ignore. American intellectual property industries provide 19 million
high-paying jobs and account for more than 60% of U.S. exports. The theft of
America's intellectual property costs the U.S. economy more than $100 billion
annually and results in the loss of thousands of American jobs. Congress cannot
stand by and do nothing while American innovators and job creators are under
attack."

"The online theft of American intellectual property is no different than the
theft of products from a store. It is illegal and the law should be enforced
both in the store and online.

"The Committee will continue work with copyright owners, Internet companies,
financial institutions to develop proposals that combat online piracy and
protect America's intellectual property. We welcome input from all
organizations and individuals who have an honest difference of opinion about
how best to address this widespread problem. The Committee remains committed to
finding a solution to the problem of online piracy that protects American
intellectual property and innovation."

The move comes after widespread protest on the Internet on Wednesday by
Wikipedia, Reddit and others. The sites signaled their displeasure with the
bill by going dark. That day, several Congressmen dropped their support for
SOPA and its Senate counterpart, PIPA. The latter bill has also been taken off
the table for now.

"In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday's vote on the
PROTECT IP Act," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a statement
Friday morning.

Smith's stance comes just two days after he told The Wall Street Journal that
he didn't plan to back down on SOPA, telling the newspaper he expected to "move
forward" with the bill in February.

(KAM/47146) CNN is reporting that Rick Santorum has been certified as the wi...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:09:00 -0600


CNN is reporting that Rick Santorum has been certified as the winner of the
Iowa caucases by 34 votes. 19 voting districts did not return their votes in
time to be certified.

(Secretary/47145) "BREAKING: Texas Gov. Rick Perry to abandon presidential bid, tw...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:57:00 -0600


"BREAKING: Texas Gov. Rick Perry to abandon presidential bid, two days before
South Carolina primary. http://on.wsj.com/xp1GaS"

        11 minutes ago via TweetDeck

        @WSJ - Wall Street Journal

(Secretary/47144) (AP) - Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang resigns from board and all ot...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:58:00 -0600


(AP) - Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang resigns from board and all other positions
at the Internet company.

(Secretary/47143) "Doctor tells judge former presidential candidate John Edwards h...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:52:00 -0600


"Doctor tells judge former presidential candidate John Edwards has
life-threatening condition: http://apne.ws/z1q1lj -BW"

        @AP - The Associated Press

        13 minutes ago via CoTweet

(Secretary/47142) Court: Judges cannot get involved in church dispute

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:25:00 -0600


Court: Judges cannot get involved in church dispute


By JESSE J. HOLLAND | Associated Press - 15 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/court-judges-cannot-involved-church-dispute-152559467.htm
l

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a groundbreaking case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday
held for the first time that religious employees of a church cannot sue for
employment discrimination.

But the court's unanimous decision in a case from Michigan did not specify the
distinction between a secular employee, who can take advantage of the
government's protection from discrimination and retaliation, and a religious
employee, who can't.

It was, nevertheless, the first time the high court has acknowledged the
existence of a "ministerial exception" to anti-discrimination laws -- a
doctrine developed in lower court rulings. This doctrine says the First
Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion shields churches and their
operations from the reach of such protective laws when the issue involves
employees of these institutions.

The case came before the court because the federal Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission sued the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School of
Redford, Mich., on behalf of employee Cheryl Perich, over her firing, which
happened after she complained of discrimination under the Americans with
Disabilities Act.

Writing the court's opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts said allowing
anti-discrimination lawsuits against religious organizations could end up
forcing churches to take religious leaders they no longer want.

"Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving
the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its
beliefs," Roberts said. "By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes
the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group's right to shape its
own faith and mission through its appointments."

The court's decision will make it virtually impossible for ministers to take on
their employers for being fired for complaining about issues like sexual
harassment, said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans
United.

"Clergy who are fired for reasons unrelated to matters of theology -- no matter
how capricious or venal those reasons may be -- have just had the courthouse
door slammed in their faces," Lynn said.

But Douglass Laycock, who argued the case for Hosanna-Tabor, called it a "huge
win for religious liberty."

"The court has unanimously confirmed the right of churches to select their own
ministers and religious leaders," he said.

But since this was the first time the high court has ever considered the
"ministerial exception," it would not set hard and fast rules on who can be
considered a religious employee of a religious organization, Roberts said.

"We are reluctant ... to adopt a rigid formula for deciding when an employee
qualifies as a minister," he said. "It is enough for us to conclude, in this,
our first case involving the ministerial exception, that the exception covers
Perich, given all the circumstances of her employment."

Perich was promoted from a temporary lay teacher to a "called" teacher in 2000
by a vote of the church's congregation and was hired as a commissioned
minister. She taught secular classes as well as a religious class four days a
week. She also occasionally led chapel service.

She got sick in 2004 but tried to return to work from disability leave despite
being diagnosed with narcolepsy. The school said she couldn't return because
they had hired a substitute for that year. They fired her and removed her from
the church ministry after she showed up at the school and threatened to sue to
get her job back.

Perich complained to the EEOC, which sued the church for violations of the
disabilities act.

A federal judge threw out the lawsuit on grounds that Perich fell under the
ADA's ministerial exception, which keeps the government from interfering with
church affairs. But the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated her
lawsuit, saying Perich's "primary function was teaching secular subjects" so
the ministerial exception didn't apply.

The federal appeals court's reasoning was wrong, Roberts said. He said that
Perich had been ordained as a minister and the lower court put too much weight
on the fact that regular teachers also performed the same religious duties as
she did.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also placed too much emphasis on the fact
that Perich's religious duties only took up 45 minutes of her workday, while
secular duties consumed the rest, Roberts said.

"The issue before us ... is not one that can be resolved by a stopwatch," he
said.

The court's decision was a narrow one, with Roberts refusing to extend the
ministerial exception to other types of lawsuits that religious employees might
bring against their employers. "We express no view on whether the exception
bars other types of suits, including actions by employees alleging breach of
contract or tortious conduct by their religious employers," Roberts said.

Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote a separate opinion, argued that the exception
should be tailored for only an employee "who leads a religious organization,
conducts worship services or important religious ceremonies or rituals or
serves as a messenger or teacher of its faith."

But "while a purely secular teacher would not qualify for the 'ministerial
exception,' the constitutional protection of religious teachers is not somehow
diminished when they take on secular functions in addition to their religious
ones," Alito said.

(Secretary/47140) Romney Wins New Hampshire, But Ron Paul.s Strong Showing Could A...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:40:00 -0600


Romney Wins New Hampshire, But Ron Paul.s Strong Showing Could Affect The
General Election


By Henry Blodget | Daily Ticker - 1 hour 27 minutes ago

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/ron-paul-strong-showing-hampshire-c
ould-affect-general-160603525.html

Mitt Romney easily won the New Hampshire GOP primary, as expected. But the
performance of second-place finisher Ron Paul was impressive. According to
political strategists, Paul's strong showing here and in other primaries could
have a significant impact on the general election.

Ron Paul got 23% of the votes in New Hampshire, up from 8% the last time
around.

This performance surprised a lot of people, including Greg Valliere, the Chief
Political Strategist at Potomac Research Group.

Valliere had expected Jon Huntsman to finish second and Paul third.

Ron Paul's performance in the campaign thus far even appears to have surprised
his own advisors. Sources close to the campaign told us that Paul's advisors
weren't expecting him to do this well.

And although mainstream media and voters will likely still dismiss Paul as a
fringe candidate, it's worth thinking about what his surge means and what
impact it will have on the rest of the campaign.

One reason for the surge is presumably that Ron Paul is finally getting his
turn as Not Romney--the fantasy candidate that every Republican voter who finds
Romney either too liberal or too robotic or both. Almost every Republican in
the race has been temporarily embraced as "Not Romney"... and then, just as
quickly, been dumped as voters wake up from their dream and realize the truth
about the candidate they've gotten in bed with.

If Ron Paul's surge is the result of his turn as Not Romney, he'll collapse in
a couple of weeks--the same way Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry,
Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum have all collapsed before him.

Another reason for the Paul surge, however, may be that he is now the only hope
of voters inspired by the original Tea Party message of a few years ago: The
realization that the country is on a completely unsustainable financial path
and that no one in Washington has the balls to really do anything about this.

That's a reasonable concern. And its reasonable for voters to embrace it. And
Ron Paul's willingness to repeatedly blast the Wall Street bailouts and the
country's fiscal denial has earned him lots of support among his fanatical
followers.

Ron Paul's current policies still seem too extreme for him to win the general
election. Instantly chopping $1 trillion of government spending, abolishing the
Fed, ending all foreign military interventions, and so forth, would be highly
aggressive (aggressive, not conservative) changes that could radically alter
both the U.S. economy and the global power-balance. And the more Paul's
candidacy is taken seriously by the mainstream, the more directly he will have
to answer for issues like the offensive and racist newsletters that were once
published under his name.

But if Ron Paul does amass enough delegates, which he appears to be on his way
to doing (especially now that Florida may split delegates), he will get more of
what his advisors appear to believe they wanted from the beginning: Influence.

Why?

Because if Ron Paul decides to run as a third-party candidate, which Greg
Valliere and other analysts consider possible, he could capture enough of the
vote to destroy any chance the GOP has of winning the general election.

A third-party candidate would be a "disaster" for the GOP, Valliere says. Such
a candidate could capture about 7% of the vote and cripple the Republicans'
chances of winning some key states. So what Paul and other possible third-party
candidates do (Valliere includes Sarah Palin as a possibility here) could have
a significant impact on the general election.

*****

This article fails to mention one reason Ron Paul did well in New Hampshire: 
the state is the home of the Free State Project.  Read about it at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_state_project or http://freestateproject.org/

(Secretary/47139) Woman Claims Hotel Gave Drunken Man Her Room Key

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:39:00 -0600


Woman Claims Hotel Gave Drunken Man Her Room Key

http://gma.yahoo.com/woman-claims-hotel-gave-drunken-man-her-room-221452428--ab
c-news.html

By CANDACE SMITH | Good Morning America
18 hours ago

A New York business woman is suing Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide,
claiming staff at one of their hotels gave her room key to a drunken man who
allegedly sexually assaulted her in her bed.

Alison Fournier announced the suit today at a news conference with women's
rights lawyer Gloria Allred.

According to the suit, Fournier was in her locked room in Hotel Kdmp, a hotel
operated by Starwood Hotels in Helsinki, Finland, on the night of Jan. 15, 2011
when she was sexually assaulted.

The man, who was "visibly intoxicated," had undressed, slipped into her bed,
and proceeded to grope her naked body, the suit says.

Fournier, who is represented by Allred and the New York firm Cuti Hecker Wang
LLP, is suing the company for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional
distress for an amount to be determined at trial.

Fournier was traveling to Helinski for work and said that she specifically
chose a Starwood hotel because of the company's reputation.

"Starwood is the go-to brand for business travelers and I expected a certain
level of security from their hotels," Fournier said in a statement.

But instead of security, Fournier said she found susceptibility.

According to a release that Allred sent out, a man approached Fournier the
night of the incident, expressing a sexual interest in her. According to
Allred, Fournier had made it very clear that she was not interested in him and
retreated to her room to get away.

That same man, according to the suit, later went to the front desk, said that
he was Fournier's husband, and obtained a key from hotel staff to her room.

The staff did not ask him for any identification or proof that he was in fact
Fournier's husband, according to the lawsuit. He then proceeded to her room and
tried to molest her. She awoke, grabbed a housecoat, and ran screaming from the
room.

"To this day, I still suffer from the memories of that night and I am still not
able to put it behind me," Fournier said.

She said that, because of the incident, she left her career and moved from New
York to be closer to her family.

The suit alleges that there is no indication that Starwood has taken any action
to investigate the incident at Hotel Kdmp or to disassociate itself from the
Finnish hotel.

In a statement given to ABC News by Starwoods Hotels and Resorts, Worldwide,
the company said it is investigating the incident.

"The safety and security of our guests is our first and foremost priority. It
is company-wide policy to ensure proper identification is shown and verified
before distributing a key to a registered guest's room," the statement said.
"We are taking this allegation seriously and are working with the hotel in
question to understand the facts and any breach of security that may have
contributed to this very unfortunate event. "

Allred said the case is representative of a bigger problem than a personal
assault, because women, particularly businesswoman, have a right to feel safe
when traveling and staying at well known hotels.

"Business women have a right to safety and security and especially need that
safety and security when traveling abroad," Allred told ABC News. "They are
particualrly vulnerable when traveling alone. Starwood's negligence, misconduct
and reckless disregard for the safety of Ms. Fournier has led to devastating
and life changing consequences for her. ... They need to be fully accountable
and make sure that this never happens again."

(Secretary/47138) IRS contacts 1 in 8 millionaires for extra taxes

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:51:00 -0600


IRS contacts 1 in 8 millionaires for extra taxes

        Just 1 in 100 earning under $200K yearly

By Alan Fram, Associated Press | AP -- 20 hours ago

"The 12 percent of millionaire earners audited in 2011 was appreciably higher
than the 8 percent who were audited in 2010. IRS officials said the high ratio
was part of an effort to demonstrate that tax laws are applied fairly."

"In recent weeks, President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have
sought to boost taxes on the wealthy as a way to pay for jobs programs, a theme
they are expected to continue in this presidential and congressional election
year. IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge said the growing portion of millionaire
earners' returns audited is not related to politics."

"Between 2004 and 2009, the percentage of millionaire earners audited ranged
between 5 percent and 7 percent."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/irs-contacts-1-8-millionaires-203931288.html

(Gespalder/47137) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/04/BAFB...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:02:00 -0600

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/04/BAFB1MKUI6.DTL

Navajo Code Talker, museum backer Keith Little dies
Felicia Fonseca, Associated Press
Wednesday, January 4, 2012




Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press
Keith Little participated in New York's Veterans Day Parade last year.
 View Larger Image


Flagstaff, Ariz. -- Keith Little envisioned a place that would house the
stories of the Navajo Code Talkers and where people could learn more about the
famed World War II group who used their native language as a weapon.
His family now hopes to carry out his dream of a museum in Arizona that also
will hold wartime memorabilia and serve as a haven for veterans. Mr. Little,
one of the most recognizable of the remaining Code Talkers, died of melanoma
Tuesday night at a Fort Defiance hospital, said his wife, Nellie. He was 87.
Mr. Little was 17 when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, becoming one of
hundreds of Navajos trained as Code Talkers. They used a code developed by 29
tribal members that was based on the then-unwritten Navajo language. Their code
helped confound the Japanese and win the war.
"My motivation was to fight the enemy with a gun or whatever," Mr. Little told
the Associated Press in a July 2009 interview. "When I went into the Marine
Corps ... I knew nothing about the Navajo code. It was really astonishing to me
to get to Camp Pendleton and there were a bunch of Navajos there, and they were
working with a Navajo code."
Mr. Little, the longtime president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association until
his death, traveled the country seeking funding for the museum that is expected
to cost up to $30 million. He preached about the preservation of Navajo
traditions, culture and the language that the federal government tried to
eradicate before he and others were called on to use it during the war.
It was a story he never tired of telling, association secretary Yvonne Murphy
said.
"That was his life. That was the drive behind him," Murphy said Wednesday. "It
didn't matter where he was. If there were people who came and wanted to sit and
talk with him, he would share with them."
Nellie Little said her husband hoped the museum would be open by 2014 at its
proposed location just outside the Navajo Nation capital of Window Rock. But
she said more money is needed.
She is asking people to send museum donations rather than flowers for his
memorial.
Mr. Little's health had been deteriorating over the past year, as he went in
and out of hospitals between speaking engagements and appearances in parades -
the last time in New York in November for Veterans Day, the association said.
A video on the association's website features him speaking about the importance
of the unbreakable code. Fellow platoon members referred to the Navajos as
"walking secret codes," with each message having to be memorized and destroyed
after it was sent or received, Mr. Little says.
"That is something that in itself was marvelous," he said in the AP interview.
"It was so proficient and safe."
A public memorial is planned for Friday in Window Rock, with funeral services
scheduled Saturday in nearby Fort Defiance. Navajo President Ben Shelly has
ordered flags lowered across the reservation from today through Sunday in Mr.
Little's honor.
This article appeared on page C - 3 of the SanB FranciscoB Chronicle

(Secretary/47136) Michele Bachmann quits presidential race following poor showing ...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:59:00 -0600


Michele Bachmann quits presidential race following poor showing in Iowa

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/michele-bachmann-expected-quit-presidential-
race-following-poor-161724564.html

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa--Michele Bachmann announced her exit from the
presidential race Wednesday morning following a sixth-place finish in the
first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa.

(WORF/47134) US Republicans agree to payroll tax deal

WORF@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:06:00 -0600


US Republicans agree to payroll tax deal

House of Representatives Republican Speaker John Boehner has agreed to accept a
bipartisan deal to extend a payroll tax cut, in an abrupt U-turn.

He had refused to vote on the bill, which was passed by Republicans and
Democrats in the Senate last Saturday.

Correspondents say the move amounts to a cave-in by House Republicans, and
victory for President Barack Obama.

Key elements of the Senate bill remain: an extension of the tax cut and
unemployment benefits for two months.

A Republican-backed clause forcing Mr Obama to make a decision on the
controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline within 60 days also remains.

The new deal will require Senate and House approval.

After briefing rank-and-file members of his party, Mr Boehner said in a news
conference that the House would vote before Christmas.

"We were here fighting for the right thing," Mr Boehner said when asked if he
had caved. "It may have not been politically the smartest thing to do."

President Obama, who with his Democratic allies has kept up relentless pressure
on Republicans over the stalemate, welcomed the announcement.

"This is good news, just in time for the holidays," he said in a written
statement. "This is the right thing to do to strengthen our families, grow our
economy and create new jobs."

Earlier in the day, the president read out messages at a news conference from
voters who said the package would help them pay their heating bills, visit
elderly relatives and treat their families to pizza dinners.

Unlike other budget stand-offs this year, this one has exposed Republican
divisions.

Earlier on Thursday, Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell broke
his silence on the issue to urge his House colleagues to pass the measure.

Two freshman House Republican lawmakers also called for a vote, breaking the
unified front shown by members of that chamber in a news conference on Tuesday.


Earlier in the week, other Republican senators lambasted their House colleagues
for opposing the deal.

And on Wednesday the Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial labelled the
episode a "fiasco" that could end up re-electing Mr Obama.

Many Republicans were initially sceptical about extending the payroll tax
break, which economists say would aid US economic recovery.

As party leaders demurred over how to offset the $120bn (#76bn) cost of the
plan, Democrats accused them of backing tax cuts only for the wealthiest
Americans.

Correspondents say Mr Boehner's about-turn reflects a realisation by
Republicans that they would have faced blame for an effective tax rise on
middle-class Americans in a general election year.


Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16310008

(Grayson/47132) North Korean State Television Confirms (CNN)

Grayson@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:49:00 -0600

North Korean State Television Confirms (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/18/world/asia/north-korea-leader-dead/index.html?hpt
=hp_t1

(KAM/47131) Breaking news, confirmed via CNN: South Korea's Yonhap news agen...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:19:00 -0600


Breaking news, confirmed via CNN: South Korea's Yonhap news agency reports that
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has passed awa.

(Secretary/47130) Burger King Putting Coke Freestyle Machine at All Company Stores

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:58:00 -0600


Burger King Putting Coke Freestyle Machine at All Company Stores


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204770404577083002945187794.html

DECEMBER 6, 2011, 7:56 P.M. ET

By PAUL ZIOBRO

Coca-Cola Co.'s Freestyle soda fountain got its biggest endorsement yet, with
Burger King Corp. planning to install the high-tech machine in all 850 U.S.
company-owned restaurants.

Burger King expects to install the machines, which offer more than 100 drink
flavors and feature a touch-screen menu, by April 2012, boosting the total
number of locations with a Freestyle fountain by nearly 50%. The chain, with
7,250 U.S. locations, is also recommending that U.S. franchisees install the
Freestyle machine on a voluntary basis, making it the largest restaurant chain
to do so.

Coca-Cola's Freestyle is currently in 1,772 locations, including restaurants,
movie theaters, stadiums and super markets, and lets customers choose from
dozens of sodas and other drinks, like Coke Zero with Raspberry or Fanta
Strawberry, as opposed to the dozen or so flavors on a traditional soda
fountain. The company started developing the machine in 2005, and has started
to get traction in recent years. Chains like Firehouse Subs and Five Guys
Burgers & Fries have agreed to put the machine in all their restaurants this
year, and Freestyle is being tested in some Wendy's Co. and McDonald's Corp.
locations.

Coca-Cola hopes its new soda fountain can address stagnant beverage sales in
recent years in the food-service segment, a problem for both Coca-Cola and its
restaurant customers. Over the last five years, restaurants have seen servings
excluding tap water decline 6%, losing out on 2.7 billion servings, according
to NPD Group, a research firm. In that time, consumers have increasingly opted
for tap water or didn't buy a drink to save money.

Coca-Cola spokeswoman Susan Stribling said that restaurants that have installed
Freestyle saw double-digit increases in beverage services, total transaction
and total restaurant sales in 2010. Nearly two-thirds of consumers also say
that the Freestyle machine impacts which restaurant they'll visit, Ms.
Stribling said.

Credit-Suisse in July said that Coca-Cola's goal is to get Freestyle machines
into more than 70% of food-service locations over the next five years.

A key concern for fast-food chains is whether the new machine with more options
would slow up service for customers. Jonathan Fitzpatrick, Burger King's chief
brand and operations officer, said there was no impact on service times,
although it took some customers time to get used to the new machine.

Mr. Fitzpatrick added that the machine helped boost beverage sales, and it also
looks snazzier than existing fountain machines, improving the image of the
restaurants. "People referred to it as the iPod of beverage machines," Mr.
Fitzpatrick said.

The broad selection of the Freestyle machine also jibes well with Burger King's
"Have it your way" tagline that touts the customer's ability to customize
orders.

The Freestyle machine creates the drinks by mixing concentrated ingredients
with water and sweetener. The flavors come in cartridges that are easier to
store and cheaper to ship, as opposed to bulky bags of syrup used in
traditional fountain machines.

Stribling declined to comment on how much Freestyle machines cost. Previous
reports said Coca-Cola charges 30% more for Freestyle than traditional
fountains.

Burger King last year was acquired by the New York-based private-equity firm 3G
Capital Management in a deal valued at $4 billion.

Write to Paul Ziobro at Paul.Ziobro@dowjones.com

(Gespalder/47129) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/us/sheriff-joe-arpaio-criticiz...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:02:00 -0600

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/us/sheriff-joe-arpaio-criticized-over-handlin
g-of-sex-crimes-cases.html?ref=us

Arpaio Is Criticized Over Handling of Sex-Crimes Cases
By MARC LACEY
Published: December 9, 2011

GUADALUPE, Ariz. -- Although Joe Arpaio calls himself "America's Toughest
Sheriff," a growing chorus of local critics want another title for him:
Retired.
Enlarge This Image

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press
Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, spoke about his office's
handling of many sex-crimes cases at a news conference in Phoenix on Monday.

Sheriff Arpaio, the top law enforcement official in sprawling Maricopa County,
is perhaps best known for his hard-nosed treatment of prisoners and his
aggressive raids aimed at illegal immigrants. But it is his department's
approach to more than 400 sex-crimes cases that has Sheriff Arpaio in trouble.
His deputies failed to investigate or conducted only the sketchiest of
inquiries into hundreds of sex crimes between 2005 and 2007, investigations by
Arizona law enforcement agencies have shown. Many of those cases involved
molested children.
The cases were first raised by The East Valley Tribune in 2008 but resurfaced
in the news media earlier this year and in a recent article by The Associated
Press, which prompted Sheriff Arpaio to defend himself at a news conference.
"If there were any victims, I apologize to those victims," he said on Monday,
vowing to hold deputies accountable.
But his grudging mea culpa only incited more outrage.
"A sincere apology and acceptance of responsibility from Joe Arpaio to these
victims would have been the professional and compassionate thing to do," Bill
Louis, a former assistant chief of the El Mirage police, wrote Thursday in The
Arizona Republic. "But instead we once again witnessed Arpaio's smug and
defiant attitude -- this time directed towards the very victims he neglected."
Many of the cases originated in El Mirage, a working-class suburb of Phoenix,
where the Police Department was disbanded in 2005 and the Sheriff's Department
was called in to provide policing. But when the Police Department was reformed
in 2007, officials discovered that dozens of sensitive cases, many filed by
illegal immigrants, had not been adequately investigated or investigated at
all.
A number of Democratic lawmakers, longtime critics of the sheriff, called on
him this week to step down, a suggestion that Sheriff Arpaio dismissed. "I'm
not going to let elected officials with their own agenda that have a 'D' next
to their name try to get some media attention using my name to get me to
resign," Sheriff Arpaio said.
Republicans, who have long backed Sheriff Arpaio, have been more circumspect,
although the state's two Republican senators, Jon Kyl and John McCain, drew
considerable attention when they issued a statement Thursday expressing concern
about the matter.
"Victims of abuse not only deserve the respect of law enforcement, but their
rights must also be protected throughout the criminal justice process," the
senators said.
On Thursday night, anti-Arpaio activists converged on the Town Hall in
Guadalupe, a predominantly Latino neighborhood where sheriff's deputies
conducted a high-profile raid in 2008. Randy Parraz, who is leading an effort
to oust the sheriff, urged the Town Council to adopt a resolution calling for
Mr. Arpaio's resignation. But town officials put off the matter and instead
allowed residents to vent.
One young woman said her cousin has tried with no success to get deputies to
investigate the molestation of her three daughters. "The person who did it is
still out there," she said. "We see him all the time."
Subsequent efforts to investigate the cases have proven fruitless as many of
the victims have moved, or no longer wish to cooperate with the authorities.
The criticism of Sheriff Arpaio, who is 79, has bolstered the fortunes of Lt.
Mike Stauffer of the Scottsdale police, who has started a campaign to unseat
the well-financed Sheriff Arpaio next year. "This man who calls himself a
sheriff doesn't display the least bit of concern about victims," Lieutenant
Stauffer said.

(Gespalder/47127) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/us/arizona-sheriffs-office-unf...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:57:00 -0600

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/us/arizona-sheriffs-office-unfairly-targeted-
latinos-justice-department-says.html?_r=1

Arizona Sheriff's Office Targeted Latinos, Justice Department Says
By MARC LACEY
Published: December 15, 2011

PHOENIX -- In a harshly worded critique of the country's best-known sheriff,
the Justice Department has accused Joe Arpaio of the Maricopa County Sheriff's
Office of engaging in "unconstitutional policing" by unfairly targeting Latinos
for detentions and arrests and retaliating against those who complain.

After an investigation that lasted more than three years, the civil rights
division of the Justice Department said in a 22-page report that the sheriff's
office has "a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias against Latinos" that
"reaches the highest levels of the agency." The department interfered with the
inquiry, the government said, prompting a lawsuit that eventually led Sheriff
Arpaio and his deputies to cooperate.

"We have peeled the onion to its core," said Thomas E. Perez, the assistant
attorney general for civil rights, noting during a conference call with
reporters on Thursday morning that more than 400 inmates, deputies and others
had been interviewed as part of the review, including Sheriff Arpaio and his
command staff. Mr. Perez said the inquiry, which included jail visits and
reviews of thousands of pages of internal documents, raised the question of
whether Latinos were receiving "second-class policing services" in Maricopa
County.

Mr. Perez said he hoped Sheriff Arpaio would cooperate with the federal
government in turning the department around. Should he refuse, Mr. Perez said,
the government will file a lawsuit and the department could lose millions of
dollars in federal money.

A separate federal grand jury investigation of Sheriff Arpaio's office is
continuing, focusing on accusations of abuse of power by the department's
public corruption squad.

Sheriff Arpaio was singled out for criticism in the report, which said that he
had distributed racially charged letters he had received and that he helped
nurture the department's "culture of bias."

Asked at a news conference about Sheriff Arpaio's role in the department's
problems, Mr. Perez said, "We have to do cultural change and culture change
starts with people at the top." Mr. Perez made a point of reaching out to
Sheriff Arpaio's underlings. "These findings are not meant to impugn your
character," he said to the department's deputies.

Sheriff Arpaio, 79, who calls himself "America's toughest sheriff," did not
immediately respond to the charges, but he has brushed off similar accusations
in the past.

Long a lightning rod for controversy, Sheriff Arpaio looms large over Arizona
and beyond. His turf, Maricopa County, with 3.8 million residents, is one of
the country's largest counties in terms of both area and population. Republican
candidates clamor for his backing, aware that he has become a potent symbol of
the antipathy many Americans feel about illegal immigration.

Before he endorsed Gov. Rick Perry of Texas for president last month, Mr.
Arpaio was courted by much of the Republican field, including Representative
Michele Bachmann, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Herman Cain, a
businessman who has since suspended his campaign.

The inquiry's findings, which Sheriff Arpaio is sure to contest, paint a
picture of a department staffed by poorly trained deputies who target Latino
drivers on the roadways and detain innocent Latinos in the community in their
searches for illegal immigrants. The mistreatment, the government said, extends
to the jails the department oversees, where Latino inmates who do not speak
English are mistreated.

"The absence of clear policies and procedures to ensure effective and
constitutional policing," the report said, "along with the deviations from
widely accepted policing and correctional practices, and the failure to
implement meaningful oversight and accountability structures, have contributed
to a chronic culture of disregard for basic legal and constitutional
obligations.".

The report said Latino drivers were four to nine times more likely to be
stopped in the sprawling county, which includes Phoenix and its environs, than
non-Latino drivers. The expert who conducted the study called it the most
egregious racial profiling he has ever seen in this country, said Mr. Perez,
the prosecutor.

The report said that roughly one-fifth of the traffic-related incident reports
generated by the department's human smuggling unit contained information
indicating the stops may have been conducted in violation of the Fourth
Amendment's prohibition on unreasonable seizures.

The report also suggested that Sheriff Arpaio's well-publicized raids aimed at
arresting illegal immigrants were sometimes prompted by complaints that
described no criminal activity but referred to people with "dark skin" or to
Spanish speakers congregating in an area. "The use of these types of
bias-infected indicators as a basis for conducting enforcement activity
contributes to the high number of stops and detentions lacking in legal
justification," the report said.

Sheriff Arpaio has insisted that he is just enforcing the law and has mentioned
in previous interviews that he has adopted grandchildren whom he is fond of who
are Latino and black. He has responded to past criticisms with another
high-profile raid. In the last three years, he has sent deputies into 56
Phoenix-area businesses, resulting in several hundred arrests for identity
theft.

The report is likely to increase calls for the resignation of Sheriff Arpaio,
whose fifth term ends next year. He has vowed to run again. The sheriff, who
has won election by wide margins even while riling critics, has seen opposition
to his leadership increase in recent months with reports that his department
misspent county money and failed to adequately investigate more than 400
sexual-abuse cases, many involving illegal immigrants.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Arpaio's critics took their case to the Maricopa County
Board of Supervisors, which controls the sheriff office's purse strings. The
board heard a heavy dose of criticism of the sheriff, but also present were
some of his backers, who praise his no-tolerance approach toward illegal
immigrants. "Police officers make mistakes," Jerry Sheridan, Mr. Arpaio's chief
deputy, said at the meeting, in defense of the department.

The report quotes from some people characterized as victims of the department's
overzealous ways. It cites the case of a Latino driver who won a $600,000 legal
settlement after a deputy intentionally struck him with his patrol car during a
traffic stop.

In another case, an inmate was not allowed to use another inmate as an
interpreter to tell a detention officer that her sheets were soiled. She was
told she had to make the request herself in English, even though she did not
speak the language well.

After Mr. Arpaio received a letter complaining that employees of a McDonald's
in Sun City, a retirement community, did not speak English, the sheriff
forwarded the letter to a top aide, who mounted an immigration raid in the
area.

(Secretary/47126) Hollywood-Backed Bill on Web Piracy Debated as Amendments Added

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:26:00 -0600


Hollywood-Backed Bill on Web Piracy Debated as Amendments Added


By Eric Engleman - Dec 15, 2011

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-15/hollywood-backed-bill-on-web-piracy-de
bated-as-amendments-added.html

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith urged U.S. lawmakers to approve
Hollywood-backed legislation aimed at stopping Internet piracy of movies and
goods that Google Inc. (GOOG) opposes as promoting censorship.

Smith.s panel is debating 60 proposed amendments to the Stop Online Piracy Act
today before deciding whether to send the measure to the full House for
consideration. Lawmakers on the panel raised concerns that a provision on
blocking websites may damage the security of the Internet.s domain-name system
and requested a delay to hear technical testimony.

Lobbying by the entertainment and Internet industries intensified ahead of
today.s hearing. Movie studios, including Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., want
a crackdown on non-U.S. websites that sell illegally copied films and TV shows.
Web companies say the House measure would harm innovation.

"Laws equip U.S. authorities and rights-holders to take action against
criminals who operate within our borders," Smith, a Republican from Texas, said
in an opening statement at the hearing. "But there is no parallel authority
that permits effective action against criminals who operate from abroad."

The bill would let the Justice Department ask courts to order Internet-service
providers, search engines, payment services and advertising networks to block
or cease business with non-U.S. websites trafficking in stolen content or
counterfeit goods.

Internet Executives

A similar measure, the Protect IP Act, was approved by the Senate Judiciary
Committee in May and is awaiting action by the full Senate.

Sixteen Internet executives, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, PayPal
Inc. co-founder Elon Musk, and EBay Inc. (EBAY) founder Pierre Omidyar,
published an open letter to Congress in major newspapers yesterday saying the
House and Senate bills would give the U.S. government power to censor the Web.

Google, Facebook Inc. and other Internet companies rallied around an
alternative draft bill from Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, and
Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, which would make the U.S.
International Trade Commission the arbiter of complaints about non-U.S.
websites linked to piracy.

The proposal from Wyden and Issa "fails to provide an effective way to target
foreign rogue websites and goes easy on online piracy and counterfeiting,"
Michael O.Leary, senior executive vice president for global policy and external
affairs at the Motion Picture Association of America, said in a statement last
week.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Engleman in Washington at
eengleman1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at
mshepard7@bloomberg.net

2011 BLOOMBERG L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

(Okracoke/47125) from USA Today>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:05:00 -0600

from USA Today>

DURBAN, South Africa (AP) . The president of a U.N. climate conference has
announced agreement on a program mapping out a new course by all nations to
fight climate change over the coming decades.

The 194-party conference agreed to start negotiations on a new accord that
would put all countries under the same legal regime to enforce their
commitments to control greenhouse gases. It would take effect by 2020 at the
latest.

Currently, only industrial countries have legally binding emissions targets
under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Those commitments expire next year, but they
will be extended for another five years under the accord adopted Sunday.

(KAM/47123) Pop Singer Dobie Gray dead in Nashville at age 69

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:22:00 -0600


Pop Singer Dobie Gray dead in Nashville at age 69

(AP)  NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Dobie Gray was more than a smooth balladeer who
recorded the timeless hit "Drift Away" in 1973.

He wrote songs for an array of country and pop performers, was a trailblazing
entertainer in South Africa and, in death, a philanthropist.

Gray died in his sleep at his Nashville home Tuesday after a long battle with
cancer. He was 69.

"Drift Away" also was recorded by rap artist Uncle Kracker in 2003 and became a
hit again.

Gray's silky tenor also was heard on other hits including "The In Crowd" in
1965 and "Loving Arms" in 1973. His songs received radio airplay on several
formats including Top 40, country, AOR and adult contemporary.

"He had such a unique style, so identifiable," said Bud Reneau, Gray's close
friend and songwriting partner. "If you listened to his record, you knew right
away it was him. It was a big factor in his marketability."

Gray toured extensively in Europe, Australia and Africa, and insisted on
performing for integrated audiences in South Africa, according to his web site.
After that declaration, he became especially popular in South Africa.

"I guess what you call my 'signature songs' will never die, thank God," he told
The Tennessean newspaper in 1988. At the time, he was the only major black
vocalist to call Nashville home.

He wrote songs recorded by Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Etta James, Three Dog
Night, Julio Iglesias, John Denver, George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

Gray sang on several motion picture soundtracks including "Uptown Saturday
Night," ''Out of Sight" and "Casey's Shadow." Additionally, he sang advertising
jingles for companies such as Clorox, Budweiser, Hardee's, Honda and Buick.

"I talked to him the day before he died," said Charlie Andrews, Gray's attorney
and friend. "We just talked about life and living and general stuff."

Gray was born into a family of sharecroppers in Simonton, Texas. He moved from
Texas to California in the early 1960s where he met Sonny Bono, then an
executive with Specialty Records. This led to his first record, "Look at Me,"
in 1963. While in Los Angeles, Gray appeared in a production of "Hair."

Funeral arrangements were incomplete. He was not married and had no children.

Reneau said Gray willed much of his property and future earnings to St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

"He was a giver," Reneau said.

(Secretary/47122) Actor Harry Morgan has died.

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:00:00 -0600


Actor Harry Morgan has died.

He was 96.

@NBCNews - "Actor Harry Morgan, best known for playing Colonel Potter on the tv
series .M*A*S*H,. has died in Los Angeles at the age of 96. ." - 49 minutes ago
via web

@Variety - "Harry Morgan dies at 96: TV News: Actor best known for 'M*A*S*H,'
'Dragnet' -- Harry Morgan, best known from pla... http://vsb.li/AGbNw1" - 13
minutes ago via Visibli

(River/47121) Postal cuts to slow delivery of first-class mail

River@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:11:00 -0600


Postal cuts to slow delivery of first-class mail

http://news.yahoo.com/postal-cuts-slow-delivery-first-class-mail-141723847.html
-or-
http://tinyurl.com/6rw3gn5

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Facing bankruptcy, the U.S. Postal Service is pushing ahead
with unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring that will slow delivery
and, for the first time in 40 years, eliminate the chance for stamped letters
to arrive the next day.

The estimated $3 billion in reductions, to be announced in broader detail on
Monday, are part of a wide-ranging effort by the cash-strapped Postal Service
to quickly trim costs, seeing no immediate help from Congress.

The changes would provide short-term relief, but ultimately could prove
counterproductive, pushing more of America's business onto the Internet. They
could slow everything from check payments to Netflix's DVDs-by-mail, add costs
to mail-order prescription drugs, and threaten the existence of newspapers and
time-sensitive magazines delivered by postal carrier to far-flung suburban and
rural communities.

That birthday card mailed first-class to Mom also could arrive a day or two
late, if people don't plan ahead.

"It's a potentially major change, but I don't think consumers are focused on it
and it won't register until the service goes away," said Jim Corridore, analyst
with S&P Capital IQ, who tracks the shipping industry. "Over time, to the
extent the customer service experience gets worse, it will only increase the
shift away from mail to alternatives. There's almost nothing you can't do
online that you can do by mail."

The cuts, now being finalized, would close roughly 250 of the nearly 500 mail
processing centers across the country as early as next March. Because the
consolidations typically would lengthen the distance mail travels from post
office to processing center, the agency also would lower delivery standards for
first-class mail that have been in place since 1971.

Currently, first-class mail is supposed to be delivered to homes and businesses
within the continental U.S. in one day to three days. That will lengthen to two
days to three days, meaning mailers no longer could expect next-day delivery in
surrounding communities. Periodicals could take between two days and nine days.

About 42 percent of first-class mail is now delivered the following day. An
additional 27 percent arrives in two days, about 31 percent in three days and
less than 1 percent in four days to five days. Following the change next
spring, about 51 percent of all first-class mail is expected to arrive in two
days, with most of the remainder delivered in three days.

The consolidation of mail processing centers is in addition to the planned
closing of about 3,700 local post offices. In all, roughly 100,000 postal
employees could be cut as a result of the various closures, resulting in
savings of up to $6.5 billion a year.

Expressing urgency to reduce costs, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in
an interview that the agency has to act while waiting for Congress to grant it
authority to reduce delivery to five days a week, raise stamp prices and reduce
health care and other labor costs.

The Postal Service, an independent agency of government, does not receive tax
money, but is subject to congressional control on large aspects of its
operations. The changes in first-class mail delivery can go into place without
permission from Congress.

After five years in the red, the post office faces imminent default this month
on a $5.5 billion annual payment to the Treasury for retiree health benefits.
It is projected to have a record loss of $14.1 billion next year amid steady
declines in first-class mail volume. Donahoe has said the agency must make cuts
of $20 billion by 2015 to be profitable.

It already has announced a 1-cent increase in first-class mail to 45 cents
beginning Jan. 22.

"We have a business model that is failing. You can't continue to run red ink
and not make changes," Donahoe said. "We know our business, and we listen to
our customers. Customers are looking for affordable and consistent mail
service, and they do not want us to take tax money."

Separate bills that have passed House and Senate committees would give the
Postal Service more authority and liquidity to stave off immediate bankruptcy.
But prospects are somewhat dim for final congressional action on those bills
anytime soon, especially if the measures are seen in an election year as
promoting layoffs and cuts to neighborhood post offices.

Technically, the Postal Service must await an advisory opinion from the
independent Postal Regulatory Commission before it can begin closing local post
offices and processing centers. But such opinions are nonbinding, and Donahoe
is making clear the agency will proceed with reductions once the opinion is
released next March.

"The things I have control over here at the Postal Service, we have to do," he
said, describing the cuts as a necessary business decision. "If we do nothing,
we will have a death spiral."

The Postal Service initially announced in September it was studying the
possibility of closing the processing centers and published a notice in the
Federal Register seeking comments. Within 30 days, the plan elicited nearly
4,400 public comments, mostly in opposition.

Among them:

Small-town mayors and legislators in states including Illinois, Missouri, Ohio
and Pennsylvania cited the economic harm if postal offices were to close,
eliminating jobs and reducing service. Small-business owners in many other
states also were worried.

"It's kind of a lifeline," said William C. Snodgrass, who owns a USave Pharmacy
in North Platte, Neb., referring to next-day first-class delivery. His store
mails hundreds of prescriptions a week to residents in mostly rural areas of
the state that lack local pharmacies. If first-class delivery were lengthened
to three days and Saturday mail service also were suspended, a resident might
not get a shipment mailed on Wednesday until the following week.

"A lot of people in these communities are 65 or 70 years old, and
transportation is an issue for them," said Snodgrass, who hasn't decided
whether he will have to switch to a private carrier such as UPS for one-day
delivery. That would mean passing along higher shipping costs to customers.
"It's impossible for many of my customers to drive 100 miles, especially in the
winter, to get the medications they need."

ESPN, the Magazine and Crain Communications, which prints some 27 trade and
consumer publications, said delays to first-class delivery could ruin the value
of their news. Their magazines are typically printed at week's end with mail
arrival timed for weekend sports events or the Monday start of the work week.
Newspapers, already struggling in the Internet age, also could suffer.

"No one wants to receive Tuesday's issue, containing news of Monday's events,
on Wednesday," said Paul Boyle, a senior vice president of the Newspaper
Association of America, which represents nearly 2,000 newspapers in the U.S.
and Canada. "Especially in rural areas where there might not be broadband
access for Internet news, it will hurt the ability of newspapers to reach
customers who pretty much rely on the printed newspaper to stay connected to
their communities."

AT&T, which mails approximately 55 million customer billing statements each
month, wants assurances that the Postal Service will widely publicize and
educate the public about changes to avoid confusion over delivery that might
lead to delinquent payments. The company is also concerned that after extensive
cuts the Postal Service might realize it cannot meet a relaxed standard of
two-to-three day delivery.

Other companies standing to lose include Netflix, which offers monthly pricing
plans for unlimited DVDs by mail, sent one disc or two at a time. Longer
delivery times would mean fewer opportunities to receive discs each month,
effectively a price increase. Netflix in recent months has been vigorously
promoting its video streaming service as an alternative.

"DVD by mail may not last forever, but we want it to last as long as possible,"
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said this year.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate committee that
oversees the post office, believes the agency is taking the wrong approach. She
says service cuts will only push more consumers to online bill payment or
private carriers such as UPS or FedEx, leading to lower revenue in the future.

"Time and time again in the face of more red ink, the Postal Service puts
forward ideas that could well accelerate its death spiral," she said, urging
passage of a bill that would refund nearly $7 billion the Postal Service
overpaid into a federal retirement fund, encourage a restructuring of health
benefits and reduce the agency's annual payments into a retiree health account.

That measure would postpone a move to five-day-a-week mail delivery for at
least two years and require additional layers of review before the agency
closed postal branches and mail processing centers.

"The solution to the Postal Service's financial crisis is not easy but must
involve tackling more significant expenses that do not drive customers,"
Collins said.

In the event of a shutdown due to bankruptcy, private companies such as FedEx
and UPS could handle a small portion of the material the post office moves, but
they do not go everywhere. No business has shown interest in delivering letters
everywhere in the country for a set rate of 44 cents or 45 cents for a
first-class letter.

Ruth Goldway, chair of the Postal Regulatory Commission, said the planned cuts
could test the limits of the Postal Service's legal obligation to serve all
Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality. "It will have
substantial cost savings, but it really does have the potential to change what
the postal service is and its role in providing fast and efficient delivery of
mail," she said.

(Secretary/47120) Herman Cain drops out of presidential race

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:03:00 -0600


Herman Cain drops out of presidential race

By Chris Moody | The Ticket . 2 hrs 14 mins ago

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/herman-cain-suspends-presidential-campaign-1
84541824.html

(Secretary/47119) Muhammad Ali home and doing well after being hospitalized, frien...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:47:00 -0600


Muhammad Ali home and doing well after being hospitalized, friend says

10:35 AM, Dec. 2, 2011

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20111202/NEWS01/312020066/Muhammad-Ali-h
ome-doing-well-after-being-hospitalized-friend-says

Louisville-born icon Muhammad Ali is home and doing as well as can be expected
after he was hospitalized in Arizona, his longtime close friend, Louisville
radio personality John Ramsey, says.

(Okracoke/47118) from the Times of London>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:01:00 -0600

from the Times of London>

LONDON .  Britain's foreign secretary William Hague said Wednesday that the UK
was ordering the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London, and
Britain was shutting down its embassy in Tehran.

"We require the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London and that all
Iranian diplomatic staff must leave the United Kingdom within the next 48
hours," Hague told British lawmakers in a statement to parliament. "If any
country makes it impossible for us to operate on their soil they cannot expect
to have a functioning embassy here."

The closure follows the storming of the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday by
around 200 hard-line student protesters.

Hague said Tuesday's attack was carried out by protesters from a student Basij
militia organization with links to the Iranian regime.

He added that "the idea that the Iranian authorities could not have protected
our embassy or that this assault could have taken place without some degree of
regime consent is fanciful."

Hague confirmed that the British Embassy in Tehran was now closed and that
staff had left Iranian soil.

Hague said Britain's decision to close the Iranian embassy did not amount to
the complete severing of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

He said despite Tuesday's attack, continued diplomatic communications between
UK and Iran remained "desirable," but warned that the attack on Britain's
embassy would not be tolerated.

"These events are a grave violation of the Vienna Convention, which states that
a host state is required to protect the premises of a diplomatic mission
against any intrusion, damage or disturbance," he said. "This is a breach of
international responsibilities of which any nation should be ashamed."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/11/30/britain-orders-immediate-clo
sure-iranian-embassy-in-london/?test=latestnews#ixzz1fCX1BXSD

(Egregious/47117) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/secret-fed-loans-undisc...

Egregious@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:41:00 -0600

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/secret-fed-loans-undisclosed-to-congre
ss-gave-banks-13-billion-in-income.html

The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep
details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the
world can see what it was missing.

The Fed didn't tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a
combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers
didn't mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at
the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy. And no one
calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by
taking advantage of the Fed's below-market rates, Bloomberg Markets magazine
reports in its January issue.

....

(Gespalder/47116) The parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle has f...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:28:00 -0600

The parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle has filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

ABC News

(KAM/47115) NY judge rejects $285M SEC-Citigroup agreement

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:00:00 -0600


NY judge rejects $285M SEC-Citigroup agreement
By LARRY NEUMEISTER | AP - 3 hrs ago

NEW YORK (AP)  A judge on Monday used unusually harsh language to strike down a
$285 million settlement between Citigroup and the Securities and Exchange
Commission over toxic mortgage securities, saying he couldn't tell whether the
deal was fair and criticizing regulators for shielding the public from details
of the firm's wrongdoing.

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said the public has a right to know what happens
in cases that touch on "the transparency of financial markets whose gyrations
have so depressed our economy and debilitated our lives." In such cases, the
SEC has a responsibility to ensure that the truth emerges, he wrote.

Rakoff said he had spent hours trying to assess the settlement but concluded
that he had not been given "any proven or admitted facts upon which to exercise
even a modest degree of independent judgment."

He called the settlement "neither fair, nor reasonable, nor adequate, nor in
the public interest."

The SEC shot back in a statement issued by Enforcement Director Robert Khuzami,
saying the deal was all four of those things and "reasonably reflects the scope
of relief that would be obtained after a successful trial."

SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro, meanwhile, sent a letter to a key senator Monday
asking for Congress to expand the agency's authority to fine companies and
individuals. She is seeking to raise the limits on fines under current law and
make other changes.

Such changes would "further enhance the effectiveness of the (SEC's)
enforcement program," Schapiro told Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., who heads the
Senate Banking subcommittee on securities.

The SEC had accused Citigroup of betting against a complex mortgage investment
in 2007  making $160 million in the process  while investors lost millions. The
settlement would have imposed penalties on Citigroup but allowed it to deny
allegations that it misled investors.

Citigroup said in a statement that it disagreed with Rakoff because the
proposed settlement was "a fair and reasonable resolution to the SEC's
allegation of negligence" and was consistent with long-established legal
standards.

"In the event the case is tried, we would present substantial factual and legal
defenses to the charges," it added.

This wasn't the first time that the judge struck down an SEC settlement with a
bank, and Rakoff has made no secret of his disdain for settlements between the
government agency and banks for paltry sums and no admission of guilt.

"The SEC's longstanding policy  hallowed by history, but not by reason  of
allowing defendants to enter into consent judgments without admitting or
denying the underlying allegations, deprives the court of even the most minimal
assurance that the substantial injunctive relief it is being asked to impose
has any basis in fact," he wrote in Monday's decision.

Adam Pritchard, a professor of securities law at the University of Michigan Law
School, said courts could become clogged with cases that would normally be
settled if other judges adopt Rakoff's reasoning and deprive companies of their
incentive to avoid trial.

He called it a powerful SEC tool to encourage settlements "and Judge Rakoff is
taking that away from them."

The SEC's consent judgment settling the case was filed the same day as its
lawsuit against Citigroup, the judge noted.

"It is harder to discern from the limited information before the court what the
SEC is getting from this settlement other than a quick headline," the judge
wrote.

"In much of the world, propaganda reigns, and truth is confined to secretive,
fearful whispers," Rakoff said. "Even in our nation, apologists for suppressing
or obscuring the truth may always be found. But the SEC, of all agencies, has a
duty, inherent in its statutory mission, to see that the truth emerges; and if
it fails to do so, this court must not, in the name of deference or
convenience, grant judicial enforcement to the agency's contrivances."

He set a July 16 trial date for the case.

Khuzami said in the SEC statement that Rakoff made too much out of the fact
that Citigroup did not have to admit wrongdoing. He said forcing Citigroup to
give up profits, pay fines and face mandatory business reforms outweigh the
absence of an admission "when that relief is obtained promptly and without the
risks, delay and resources required at trial."

Khuzami added: "Refusing an otherwise advantageous settlement solely because of
the absence of an admission also would divert resources away from the
investigation of other frauds and the recovery of losses suffered by other
investors not before the court."

Rakoff said the power of the judiciary was "not a free-roving remedy to be
invoked at the whim of a regulatory agency, even with the consent of the
regulated."

He added: "If its deployment does not rest on facts  cold, hard, solid facts,
established either by admissions or by trials  it serves no lawful or moral
purpose and is simply an engine of oppression."

In the civil lawsuit filed last month, the SEC said Citigroup Inc. traders
discussed the possibility of buying financial instruments to essentially bet on
the failure of the mortgage assets. Rating agencies downgraded most of the
investments just as many troubled homeowners stopped paying their mortgages in
late 2007. That pushed the investment into default and cost its buyers'  hedge
funds and investment managers  several hundred million dollars in losses.

Earlier this month, Rakoff staged a hearing in which he asked lawyers on both
sides to defend the settlement.

At the hearing, Rakoff questioned whether freeing Citigroup of any admission of
liability could undermine private claims by investors who stand to recover only
$95 million in penalties on total losses of $700 million.

In his decision, he called the penalties "pocket change" to a company the size
of Citigroup and said that, if the SEC allegations are true, then Citigroup got
a "very good deal." If they are untrue, the settlement would be "a mild and
modest cost of doing business," he said.

In 2009, Rakoff rejected a $33 million settlement between the SEC and Bank of
America Corp. calling it a breach of "justice and morality." The deal was over
civil charges accusing the bank of misleading shareholders when it acquired
Merrill Lynch during the height of the financial crisis in 2008 by failing to
disclose it was paying up to $5.8 billion in bonuses to employees even as it
recorded a $27.6 billion yearly loss.

In February 2010, he approved an amended settlement for over four times the
original amount, but was caustic in his comments about the $150 million pact,
calling it "half-baked justice at best." He said the court approved it "while
shaking its head."

Citigroup's $285 million would represent the largest amount to be paid by a
Wall Street firm accused of misleading investors since Goldman Sachs & Co.
agreed to pay $550 million to settle similar charges last year. JPMorgan Chase
& Co. resolved similar charges in June and paid $153.6 million.

All the cases have involved complex investments called collateralized debt
obligations. Those are securities that are backed by pools of other assets,
such as mortgages.

Rakoff's ruling Monday was the latest in a series of setbacks for the SEC under
Schapiro's leadership. Rakoff has said he doesn't believe the agency has been
sufficiently tough in its enforcement deals with Wall Street banks over their
conduct prior to the financial crisis.

The SEC told Rakoff recently that $285 million was a fair penalty, which will
go to investors harmed by Citigroup's conduct, and that it was close to what
the agency would have won in a trial.

___

AP business writers Pallavi Gogoi in New York and Marcy Gordon in Washington
contributed to this report.

(KAM/47114) Ocean Spray Craisins recalled because of metal fragments

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:27:00 -0600


Ocean Spray Craisins recalled because of metal fragments
By JoNel Aleccia
Ocean Spray is recalling certain lots of packaged and bulk original flavor
Craisins -- sweetened dried cranberries -- because they may be contaminated
with small, hairlike metal particles.
Ocean Spray announced the voluntary recall late Friday, the day after
Thanksgiving. A spokeswoman for the company could not immediately comment on
the timing of the recall following one of the most cranberry-centric holidays
of the year.
Company officials say certain lots of Craisins in 5-ounce, 10-ounce and
48-ounce packages are affected by the recall, as well as bulk sweetened dried
cranberries in 10-pound packages.

Officials at the firm based in Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass., did not immediately
specify the exact size, either by weight or by the number of packages, of the
recall. In a press release, officials said they've received no reports of
consumers harmed by the metal fragments. They added that the particles are
unlikely to cause injury.
The recalled product lots (only dates followed by the letter M are affected)
are:
5-oz. Craisins UPC: 00293-000 Best By Dates/Letter: Oct 27 2012 M
10-oz. Craisins UPC: 29456-000 and 29464-000 Best By Dates/Letter: Oct 27 2012
M, Oct 28 2012 M, Oct 29 2012 M
48-oz. Craisins UPC: 00678-318 Best By Dates/Letter: Oct 27 2012 M, Oct 28 2012
M, Nov 3 2012 M, Nov 4 2012 M, Nov 5 2012 M, Nov 6 2012 M, Nov 7 2012 M, Nov 10
2012 M, Nov 11 2012 M.
10-lb. bulk ingredient & food service UPC: 03477-000 Best By Dates/Letter: 30
Oct 2013 M, 31 Oct 2013 M, 1 Nov 2013 M, 5 Nov 2013 M.
Ocean Spray urged consumers to destroy the product, save the UPC label and Best
By dates and contact the Ocean Spray consumer hotline at 1-800-662-3263.

(Secretary/47111) Barney Frank>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:16:00 -0600


Barney Frank>

Mass. Rep. Barney Frank to retire http://bit.ly/rw60nv - @CBSNews

#BREAKING: AP: Rep. Barney Frank to retire wapo.st/STPfP - @washingtonpost

Relevant factual tweet: Barney Frank is 71 (!). His district has been redrawn
for the next cycle. - @AnnieLowrey

(KAM/47110) Pizza is a vegetable? Congress says yes

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:52:00 -0600


Pizza is a vegetable? Congress says yes
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press
updated 11/15/2011 12:27:08 PM ET

WASHINGTON  Congress wants to keep pizza and french fries on school lunch
lines, fighting back against an Obama administration proposal to make school
lunches healthier.

The final version of a spending bill released late Monday would unravel school
lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year, which
included limiting the use of potatoes on the lunch line and delaying limits on
sodium and delaying a requirement to boost whole grains.

The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable,
as it is now. USDA had wanted to prevent that.

Food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, the salt industry and
potato growers requested the changes, and some conservatives in Congress say
the federal government shouldn't be telling children what to eat.

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the changes would
"prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and to provide greater
flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of
meals."

School districts had said some of the USDA requirements went too far and cost
too much when budgets are extremely tight. Schools have long taken broad
instructions from the government on what they can serve in federally subsidized
meals that are served free or at reduced price to low-income children. But some
schools have balked at government attempts to tell them exactly what foods they
can't serve.

Reacting to that criticism, House Republicans had urged USDA to completely
rewrite the standards in their version of the bill passed in June. The Senate
last month voted to block the potato limits in their version. Neither version
included the language on tomato paste, sodium or whole grains, which was added
by House-Senate negotiators on the bill.

The school lunch proposal was based on 2009 recommendations by the Institute of
Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences. Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack said they were needed to reduce childhood obesity and
future health care costs.

Nutrition advocate Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public
Interest said Congress's proposed changes will keep schools from serving a
wider array of vegetables. Children already get enough pizza and potatoes, she
says. It would also slow efforts to make pizzas  a longtime standby on school
lunch lines  healthier, with whole grain crusts and lower levels of sodium.

"They are making sure that two of the biggest problems in the school lunch
program, pizza and french fries, are untouched," she said.

A group of retired generals advocating for healthier school lunches also
criticized the spending bill. The group, called Mission: Readiness has called
poor nutrition in school lunches a national security issue because obesity is
the leading medical disqualifier for military service.

"We are outraged that Congress is seriously considering language that would
effectively categorize pizza as a vegetable in the school lunch program," Amy
Dawson Taggart, the director of the group, said in a letter to members of
Congress before the final plan was released. "It doesn't take an advanced
degree in nutrition to call this a national disgrace."

Specifically, the provisions would:

   o Block the Agriculture Department from limiting starchy vegetables,
     including corn and peas, to two servings a week. The rule was intended to
         cut down on french fries, which some schools serve daily.

   o Allow USDA to count two tablespoons of tomato paste as a vegetable, as it
     does now. The department had attempted to require that only a half-cup of
     tomato paste could be considered a vegetable  too much to put on a pizza.
     Federally subsidized lunches must have a certain number of vegetables to
         be served.

   o Require further study on long-term sodium reduction requirements set
     forth by the USDA guidelines.

   o Require USDA to define "whole grains" before they regulate them. The
     rules would require schools to use more whole grains.

Food companies who have fought the USDA standards say they were too strict and
neglected the nutrients that potatoes, other starchy vegetables and tomato
paste do offer.

"This agreement ensures that nutrient-rich vegetables such as potatoes, corn
and peas will remain part of a balanced, healthy diet in federally funded
school meals and recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fiber and
vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste, ensuring that students may continue
to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta," said Kraig Naasz, president of
the American Frozen Food Institute.

The school lunch provisions are part of a final House-Senate compromise on a
$182 billion measure would fund the day-to-day operations of the departments of
Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation and Housing and Urban
Development. Both the House and the Senate are expected to vote on the bill
this week and send it to President Barack Obama.

(Okracoke/47109) (Reuters) - Clashes erupted between protesters and police in Cai...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:16:00 -0600

(Reuters) - Clashes erupted between protesters and police in Cairo and two
other Egyptian cities, killing two people and wounding hundreds in the biggest
security challenge yet for the country's ruling generals days before scheduled
elections.

In scenes reminiscent of the 18-day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak from
three decades of power in February, hundreds of youths chanted "The people want
to topple the regime" as they rushed toward riot police, who fired rubber
bullets and tear gas.

Protesters broke chunks of cement from pavements and hurled them at police in
clashes in which police lost control of Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square twice in
the day.

A blaze broke out around midnight at the huge Mogamma state administration
building overlooking Tahrir.

As police fired round after round of tear gas at protesters near the interior
ministry, closer to Tahrir protesters laid sheets of metal to block roads into
the square.

"They unleashed 20 trucks to forcefully disperse a few dozen peaceful
protesters this morning," Salah Saeed said as he handed out vinegar-doused
napkins to protect protesters against the tear gas.

"Now thousands of Egyptians are protesting in Tahrir. We don't need the corrupt
interior ministry or the military council," he said.

Staggered voting is due to begin on November 28 but could be disrupted if
violence spreads.

The vote is being overshadowed by a row between political parties and the
government over ground rules for a draft constitution that could leave the army
free of civilian control.

The army won popular backing during Mubarak's overthrow for maintaining order
and pledging to hand power to an elected government, but support has ebbed over
its use of military trials for civilians and suspicion that it wants to
continue to wield the levers of power after a new government is sworn in.
A security official said on Saturday police had used lawful methods to deal
with "troublemakers." Protesters said they were incensed by brutal police
tactics to break up a peaceful sit-in.

State news agency MENA quoted the health ministry's spokesman as saying 676
people had been hurt in Cairo and that Ahmed Mahmoud, a 23-year-old
demonstrator, died in hospital. MENA reported another death in Egypt's second
city Alexandria.

The army stayed away from the fighting.

"I tell you do not leave the square. This square will lead the way from now
on," presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a hardline Islamist, told a
group of protesters early on Sunday. "Tomorrow the whole of Egypt will follow
your lead."

UNREST IN ALEXANDRIA, SUEZ

About 5,000 protesters had converged on Tahrir on Saturday afternoon when
police tried to evict the remnants of a 50,000-strong demonstration a day
earlier, mostly by Islamists demanding the departure of the military.

Buildings and two cars in the square were set on fire, witnesses said. A third
vehicle close to the Arab

Al-Silmi said the committee chosen to write the constitution would not be
confined to the larger groups in parliament so as to ensure "a constitution
that reflects national consensus and receives the consent of all segments of
society."

Political analyst Ezzedine Fishere said he did not expect the amendments to
appease Islamist groups.

"What is happening now is a showdown between the two factions ... an
on-the-ground confrontation with each party trying to enforce its will, the
military council from one end and the Islamist currents from the other," said
Fishere.

(Secretary/47108) The Los Angeles Sheriff has reopened the Natalie Wood case. She...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:49:00 -0600


The Los Angeles Sheriff has reopened the Natalie Wood case.  She died from
drowning in 1981.  Boat captain now alleges husband Robert Wagner is
responsible for her death.

TMZ reports 2 detectives working the case full time.

CBS will air a sweeps special Saturday night that includes this case and the
captain's allegation.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57327507/captain-wagner-responsible-for-woo
d-death/

(Okracoke/47106) from the AP wire>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:21:00 -0600

from the AP wire>
It really is over for Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.

The 49-year-old actress is divorcing her husband of six years, she told the
Associated Press on Thursday. The couple's relationship became the subject of
tabloid speculation in recent months as rumors swirled about Kutcher's alleged
infidelity.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my
six-year marriage to Ashton. As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain
values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen
to move forward with my life. This is a trying time for me and my family, and
so I would ask for the same compassion and privacy that you would give to
anyone going through a similar situation," according to her statement to the
AP.

(KAM/47105) For those who are not in the Iowa City area...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 10:26:00 -0600


For those who are not in the Iowa City area...

IOWA CITY (KGAN) - Iowa City Police confirm, a power outage has several areas
of downtown Iowa City in the dark right now.  That includes the Ped Mall.
Use caution getting around town.

Saturday, November 12 2011, 03:12 PM CST

(Cyanide/47104) MSU unveils public electric car-charging station

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:20:00 -0600

MSU unveils public electric car-charging station
http://news.msu.edu/story/10013/

EAST LANSING, Mich. --A charging station that Michigan State University staff,
faculty and students, as well as the general public, can use to re-charge their
electric vehicles is now open for business on MSU's campus.

The electric vehicle charging station, which is a collaborative effort with the
Lansing Board of Water & Light, the MSU Physical Plant, MSU Office of Campus
Sustainability, and MSU Residential and Hospitality Services, is located in the
parking ramp of the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, 55 S. Harrison Ave.

Installation of the station also was made possible by a grant from the U.S.
Department of Energy.

"The DOE awarded our utility the appropriation so we could help reduce the
barriers to plug-in electric vehicle ownership and charging both at home and at
work," said Lynda Boomer, MSU energy and environmental engineer. "MSU and the
BWL are on the leading edge of creating infrastructure for alternative fuel
vehicles in the Lansing area."

In addition to installing an easily accessible charging station, the project
also will give university and utility officials a better idea of the charging
habits of electric vehicle drivers.

MSU has several on-campus charging stations for university electric vehicles,
but this is the first one designated for public use. Boomer said additional
public-use stations will be installed in the future.

The cost of using the charging station is $2.50 per hour. It normally takes
about four hours for an electric vehicle to charge. The $2.50 rate will cover
parking fees, as well as initial installation and future maintenance costs.

For payment, the charging station is equipped to handle credit or debit cards.

(Okracoke/47103) Nov 10 (Reuters) - Russia raced on Thursday to salvage a spacecr...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:31:00 -0600

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Russia raced on Thursday to salvage a spacecraft bound for a
moon of Mars that is stranded in the Earth's orbit, with just days left before
the window closes on its first interplanetary mission in 15 years.

So far Russian controllers have failed to establish contact with the
$163-million, unmanned probe, leaving little hope of recovering the ambitious
mission that was to reassert Russia's place at the front lines of space
exploration.

Following the launch from Russia's Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan early on
Wednesday, the Phobos-Grunt probe is stuck in a dangerously low orbit, creating
a drag that could eventually send it crashing back to Earth.

Russia's space agency said it had at least three days to try to fix the problem
and steer the craft on to its correct path, and will make another attempt when
it passes over Baikonur later today, a spokesman said.

Failure so soon after lift off in the three-year mission to bring back soil --
"grunt" in Russian -- from the Martian moon Phobos would be a major blow to the
pride of the Russian space industry, adding to a humiliating series of
setbacks.

"So far all efforts to communicate with the craft have been unsuccessful," lead
mission scientist Alexander Zakharov of Moscow's Space Research Institute told
Reuters.

"They are trying everything including visual methods to try to assess what is
wrong with it, but of course the situation doesn't inspire much hope."

Experts say the post-launch problems are linked to the craft's on board flight
computer, which failed to fire two engine burns to send it on its trajectory
toward Mars.

There is a small chance the software could be reprogrammed, if controllers can
link with the craft. But if the troubles are hardware related, the mission is
likely lost, Zakharov and other industry sources said.

Russia is relying on a single ground site to try to reach the craft once every
few hours along its orbit.

"In my opinion Phobos-Grunt is lost," Vladimir Uvarov, a former chief Russian
military expert on space, told the state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

China also could be disappointed after entrusting its first interplanetary Mars
satellite, Yinghuo-1, to piggyback on the mission.

Phobos-Grunt is also carrying bacteria, plant seeds and tiny animals known as
water bears, part of a U.S. study to see if they could survive beyond the
Earth's protective bubble.

The plan was for Phobos-Grunt to reach Mars' orbit next year, touch down on the
larger of its two tiny moons in 2013, collect a sample from the surface and fly
back to Earth in 2014.

Dust from Phobos, scientist say, would shed light on the genesis of the solar
system and Mars' enduring mysteries.

If it is lost, it will join a long string of over a dozen Soviet and Russian
missions to fail en route to Mars, while U.S. rovers have logged hundreds of
hours on the Red Planet.

When the first post-Soviet Mars-96 probe broke up over the Pacific, it was seen
as a proof of the industry's deterioration after a generation of brain drain
and crimped budgets.

NASA will launch a $2.5 billion rover designed to assess the planet's
suitability for life later this month, toward the end of a launch window for
Mars flights that comes every 780 days.

If Phobos-Grunt cannot be bounced out of orbit, the massive craft will
eventually crash back to Earth with a full payload of toxic hydrazine and
nitrogen tetroxide fuel and small cargo of radioactive cobalt-57.

It is unclear how much of it will survive the fiery plunge through the
atmosphere. (Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel, Editing by Rosalind Russell)

(Secretary/47102) FEMA's First National Emergency Activation Test Full Of Glitches

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:25:00 -0600


FEMA's First National Emergency Activation Test Full Of Glitches

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/11/09/fema-conducting-national-emergency-activ
ation-test-today/

November 9, 2011 5:08 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The first-ever nationwide test of the country.s
Emergency Alert System was conducted Wednesday.

But did you hear or see it?

The 30-second test of the emergency alert system was scheduled to begin at 2
p.m. Eastern Time, but it appears there were problems with the audio message.
Some viewers reported seeing the alert, however, several radio listeners
reported hearing nothing but dead air for 30 seconds. Others reported hearing a
garbled message.

The test is similar to local emergency alert system tests. Today.s test was the
first time the system had been activated nationally.

If there is ever a catastrophic event such as terrorist attack or major
national disaster, the president could use the system to make an official
announcement.

Roughly two hours after the test occurred, Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman released this statement to
BusinessInsider.com:

"The weaknesses exposed by today.s test of the emergency alert system are
unacceptable. Government and media carriers must work together to make sure the
system does what it is intended to do, which is to transmit a nationwide
message from the President in a crisis. I commend FEMA for carrying out this
long-overdue, first-ever, nationwide test of the system. Without it, we would
never have known the extent of the system.s vulnerabilities."

(Secretary/47101) "Family Circus" cartoonist Bil Keane dies

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:38:00 -0600


"Family Circus" cartoonist Bil Keane dies

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57321607/family-circus-cartoonist-bil-keane
-dies/

He was 89.

Keane began drawing the one panel cartoon featuring Billy, Jeffy, Dolly, P.J.
and their parents in February 1960.

"We are, in the comics, the last frontier of good, wholesome family humor and
entertainment," Keane said. "On radio and television, magazines and the movies,
you can't tell what you're going to get. When you look at the comic page, you
can usually depend on something acceptable by the entire family."

Born in 1922, Keane taught himself to draw in high school in his native
Philadelphia. Around this time, young Bill dropped the second "L" off his name
"just to be different."

(Secretary/47100) Penn State board of trustees removes Joe Paterno as coach

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:46:00 -0600


Penn State board of trustees removes Joe Paterno as coach

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/11/penn-state-b
oard-of-trustees-joe-paterno-graham-spanier/1

The Penn State board of trustees announced Wednesday the immediate removal Hall
of Fame football coach Joe Paterno and school President Graham Spanier.

(Lochner/47099) http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57321343/paterno-to-retire-a...

Lochner@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:22:00 -0600


http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57321343/paterno-to-retire-at-end-of-footba
ll-season/

Paterno to retire at end of football season

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 11 a.m. ET
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has decided to
retire at the end of the season, his long career brought down by his failure to
do more about an allegation of child sex abuse against a former assistant.

Paterno said in a statement Wednesday he is "absolutely devastated" by the
developments in the case of Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator
accused of molesting eight boys over 15 years.

Cops: Sandusky admitted to '98 shower with boy
Fans rally for Joe Paterno amid questions
Paterno on abuse scandal: "We were all fooled"

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said in the statement. "It is one of the great
sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

The university's board of trustees -- considering its options regarding the
coach -- "should not spend a single minute discussing my status," Paterno said.

"They have far more important matters to address," Paterno said. "I want to
make this as easy for them as I possibly can."

Paterno has been besieged by criticism since Sandusky was charged over the
weekend. Athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz have been
charged with failing to notify authorities after an eyewitness reported a 2002
assault.

Paterno decided to retire at age 84, in the middle of his 46th season with the
Nittany Lions. He won 409 games, a record for major college football, but now,
the grandfatherly coach known as "Joe Pa," who had painstakingly burnished a
reputation for winning "the right way," leaves the only school he's ever
coached in disgrace.

(KAM/47098) CNN and TMZ are reporting that hip-hop star, producer and actor ...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:08:00 -0600


CNN and TMZ are reporting that hip-hop star, producer and actor Dwight "Heavy
D" Myers was rused to an LA hospital around noon PT today, where he later died.
Heavy D had several hits in the late 80s and early 90s, including "Now That We
Found Love" and the theme song for the FOX TV sketch comedy "In Living Color".
Heavy D had performed with LaToya Jackson on October 8 at a Michael Jackson
tribute concert in Wales, singing Michael Jackson's hit song "Jam", which Heavy
D originally contributed to.

(Secretary/47097) Penn State Said to Be Planning Paterno's Exit Amid Scandal

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:07:00 -0600


Penn State Said to Be Planning Paterno's Exit Amid Scandal

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/penn-state-said-to-be-pla
nning-paternos-exit.html

Joe Paterno's tenure as coach of the Penn State football team will soon be
over, perhaps within days or weeks, in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal that has
implicated university officials, according to two people briefed on
conversations among the university's top officials.

(Secretary/47095) @JawazSafar - "Joe fraizer died. yet Muhammad Ali trended. he's ...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:23:00 -0600


@JawazSafar - "Joe fraizer died. yet Muhammad Ali trended. he's beating him at
death too" - 3 hours ago via web

(KAM/47094) ESPN and the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia, PA are confirming th...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:17:00 -0600


ESPN and the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia, PA are confirming that Joe Frazier
passed away this evening.

(Gespalder/47093) Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, convicted of manslaught...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:53:00 -0600

Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, convicted of manslaughter in the pop
star's death.

Source: SignOn San Diego (THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE)

and

SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 11/7/2011

Jackson doctor convicted in star's 2009 drug death

Michael Jackson's doctor was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter after
a trial that painted him as a reckless caregiver who administered a lethal dose
of a powerful anesthetic that killed the pop star.

(Okracoke/47091) (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was elected a...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:07:00 -0600

(Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was elected as a Socialist
who would lavish jobs and benefits on the poor and working class, but was
brought down two years later by an economic crisis that forced him to do the
opposite.

He is expected to step down soon, after the presidency announced on Sunday that
his PASOK party and its conservative opponents had agreed to form a national
unity government to stave off bankruptcy. One of the conservatives' main
conditions for participation has been his resignation.

The soft-spoken, genteel Papandreou, 59, has struggled to follow in the
footsteps of his elder statesman grandfather and larger-than-life father, who
each served multiple terms as prime minister and towered over Greek politics
for much of the past century.

He was born in St Paul, Minnesota and educated in Canada, the United States,
Sweden and Britain. Greeks occasionally mock his mistakes speaking his
country's own language, as well as his mild manner and even his penchant for
riding a bicycle, a far cry from the macho image many Greek politicians strive
for.

As his political career came to a head last week with a failed gamble on a
proposal to hold a referendum on the harsh measures required to avert
bankruptcy, he insisted that he was not holding onto power out of personal
ambition.

"The last thing I care about is my post. I don't care even if I am not
reelected. The time has come to make a new effort ... I never thought of
politics as a profession," Papandreou said on Friday before surviving a
confidence vote.

(KAM/47090) Saturday, November 5, 2011

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:16:00 -0500


Saturday, November 5, 2011
Joe Frazier seriously ill with cancer
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has liver cancer and is
under hospice care.

The 67-year-old boxer was diagnosed four or five weeks ago, Frazier's personal
and business manager said Saturday. Leslie Wolff told The Associated Press that
doctors have not yet told Frazier how long he has to live.

"We have medical experts looking into the all the options that are out there,"
Wolff said. "There are very few. But that doesn't mean we're going to stop
looking."

Wolff, who has been Frazier's manager for seven years, said the boxer had been
in out and out of the hospital since early October and receiving hospice
treatment the last week.

"We appreciate every prayer we can get," Wolff said. "I've got everybody
praying for him. We"ll just keep our fingers crossed and hope for a miracle."

Frazier's illness was first reported by the New York Post, citing an
unidentified source.

Frazier was the first man to beat Muhammad Ali, knocking him down and taking a
decision in the so-called Fight of the Century in 1971. He would go on to lose
two more fights to Ali, including the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout.

Frazier was bitter for many years about the way Ali treated him then. More
recently, he said he had forgiven Ali for repeatedly taunting him.

Smokin' Joe was a small yet ferocious fighter who smothered his opponents with
punches, including a devastating left hook he used to end many of his fights
early. It was the left hook that dropped Ali in the 15th round of their "Fight
of the Century" at Madison Square Garden in 1971 to seal a win in a bout where
each fighter earned an unheard of $2.5 million.

While that fight is celebrated in boxing lore, Ali and Frazier put on an even
better show in their third fight, held in a sweltering arena in Manila as part
of Ali's world tour of fights in 1975. Nearly blinded by Ali's punches, Frazier
still wanted to go out for the 15th round of the fight but was held back by
trainer Eddie Futch in a bout Ali would later say was the closest thing to
death he could imagine.

Frazier won the heavyweight title in 1970 by stopping Jimmy Ellis in the fifth
round of their fight at Madison Square Garden. Frazier defended it successfully
four times before George Foreman knocked him down six times in the first two
rounds to take the title from him in 1973.

Frazier would never be heavyweight champion again.

In recent years, Frazier had been doing regular autograph appearances,
including one in Las Vegas the weekend of a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in
September.

"I was very sad to hear the news. It's a tragedy," leading British promoter
Frank Warren said. "He's one of the greatest fighters of his generation and one
of the best heavyweights in history. It's a sad thing and I know everyone in
boxing will be wishing him well."

(Gespalder/47089) KMBC News

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:02:00 -0500

KMBC News
BREAKING 5.2 OK earthquake minutes ago. Felt in KC.

(Secretary/47088) "60 Minutes" Commentator Andy Rooney has died.

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:27:00 -0500


"60 Minutes" Commentator Andy Rooney has died.

He was 92 years old and just recently discontinued his commentaries.  He died
in New York from complications from recent surgery.

Sources:
CNN Breaking News - 7:26 a.m.
CBS News - 10:09 a.m.
The Washington Post - 10:07 a.m.
Rolling Stone - 9:46 a.m.
TMZ - 9:37 a.m.
People Magazine - 9:40 a.m.
60 Minutes - 9:35 a.m.
CBS Sunday Morning - 9:30 a.m.
New York Post - 9:27 a.m.
ABC News - 9:21 a.m.
Huffington Post - 9:11 a.m.
The Associated Press - 8:59 a.m.
NBC News - 8:20 a.m.
USA TODAY - 8:25 a.m.
The New York Times - 8:08 a.m.

(Secretary/47087) Hillary Clinton's mother, Dorothy Rodham, has died at age 92.

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:58:00 -0500


Hillary Clinton's mother, Dorothy Rodham, has died at age 92.

Sources:  The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Associated Press

(Secretary/47086) Bank of America drops planned $5 debit card usage fee after wide...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:58:00 -0500


Bank of America drops planned $5 debit card usage fee after widespread customer
complaints.

Source:  CNNMoney

(KAM/47084) Palestine becomes member of United Nation's Educational, Scienti...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:34:00 -0500


Palestine becomes member of United Nation's Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), US protests by cancelling funding for budget

By BRADLEY KLAPPER and SARAH DiLORENZO - Associated Press



PARIS (AP)  Palestine won its greatest international endorsement yet on Monday,
full membership in UNESCO, but the move will cost the agency one-fifth of its
funding and some fear will send Mideast peace efforts off a cliff.

In an unusually dramatic session at the Paris-based United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, there were cheers for "yes" votes and
grumbles for the "no's" and abstentions. When the results were in, many
delegates jumped to their feet and applauded and someone let out a cry of "Long
live Palestine!" in French.

"Joy fills my heart. This is really a historic moment," said Palestinian
Foreign Minister Riad Malki. "It's the return of he who was banished."

But the jubilation was quickly pierced by reality: The United States said it
wouldn't make a $60 million payment to fill out its contributions for this year
and would suspend all future funding.

UNESCO depends heavily on that money  Washington provides 22 percent of its
budget  but has survived without it in the past: The United States pulled out
of UNESCO under President Ronald Reagan, rejoining two decades later under
President George W. Bush.

Monday's vote was a grand symbolic victory for the Palestinians, but it alone
won't make Palestine a state. The issues of borders for an eventual Palestinian
state, security, a solution for Palestinian refugees, the fate of Jerusalem and
other disputes that have thwarted Middle East peace for decades remain
unresolved. Some argued it would even make it harder for the Palestinians to
reach their goal.

White House spokesman Jay Carney called UNESCO's decision "premature" and said
it undermines the international community's efforts toward a comprehensive
Middle East peace plan. He called it a distraction from the goal of restarting
direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli Ambassador Nimrod Barkan said the decision did "a great disservice to
international law and to chances for peace."

"UNESCO deals in science, not science fiction," he said in a speech to
delegates after the vote. "However, a large number of member states, though
most emphatically less than two-thirds of the member states of this
organization, have adopted a science fiction version of reality."

His government said it was reconsidering its cooperation with UNESCO.

The request to grant Palestine full membership passed 107-14, with 52
abstentions. Eighty-one votes were needed for approval  or two-thirds of the
173 eligible member delegations present. There are now 195 members in all.

In a surprise, France voted "yes"  and the room erupted in cheers. It was
joined by Ireland, Austria and the Arab states. The "no" votes included the
United States, Israel, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany, while many American
allies abstained, including Japan, Britain and New Zealand.

Monday's vote is definitive, and the membership formally takes effect when
Palestine signs UNESCO's founding charter.

It is part of a broader Palestinian quest for greater international recognition
in hopes of moving closer to statehood through channels other than simply
negotiations with Israel.

There, however, are concerns that strategy could backfire. Before the vote,
Israel's outspoken foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said that if the
measure passed, Israel should cut off ties with the Palestinian Authority. It
was not clear whether he was voicing government policy.

By contrast, Malki said he hoped the vote would only provide momentum for the
Palestinians' quest for statehood. But he added that it was no substitute for
the Palestinians' more high-profile request for admission to the United
Nations.

The Obama administration has vowed to use its veto power in the Security
Council to quash Palestinian membership in the broader U.N., but had been
hoping it wouldn't come to that since wielding its veto could undermine the
United States' typically pivotal role as negotiator between Israel and the
Palestinians.

However, Malki, indicated Monday that he thought he had enough support to win a
Security Council vote, which has not yet been scheduled.

UNESCO, like many U.N. agencies, is a part of the world body but has separate
membership procedures and can make its own decisions about which countries
belong. The disconnect between memberships is rare but not unprecedented. Two
tiny Pacific island nations  the Cook Islands and Niue  are members of UNESCO
but not the U.N., while Liechtenstein belongs to the larger world body but not
the cultural agency.

Even if the vote's impact isn't felt right away in the Mideast, it will be
quickly felt at UNESCO, which protects historic heritage sites and works to
improve world literacy, access to schooling for girls and cultural
understanding. One of the first concrete results of Palestine's membership
could be that the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is listed as a world
heritage site; the Palestinians have already prepared an application for the
traditional birthplace of Jesus.

In addition to the reduction in funding, the vote will also set back UNESCO's
efforts in recent years to shed its image as an anti-Israeli agency. When the
U.S. pulled out of UNESCO in the 1980s, it was to protest the passage of a
resolution equating Zionism with racism.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has been at the forefront of remaking the
agency's image, and she expressed concern about the vote's effect.

"It is my responsibility to say that I am concerned by the potential challenges
that may arise to the universality and financial stability of the
organization," Bokova said. "I am worried we may confront a situation that
could erode UNESCO as a universal platform for dialogue. I am worried for the
stability of its budget."

While the U.S. has cut off funding  which typically amounts to $80 million
annually  Washington has said it will remain a member, though if it fails to
pay its dues for two years, it will lose its vote.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it was up to member states "to ensure
the United Nations system as a whole consistent political and financial
support."

"As such, we will need to work on tactical solutions to preserve UNESCO's
financial resources," he said, while urging a negotiated solution to Mideast
peace.

____

Klapper reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in
Paris, Dalia Nammari in Ramallah, Edith Lederer at the United Nations and Joe
Federman in Jerusalem contributed.

(Eldritch/47083) Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta in custody

Eldritch@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:48:00 -0500

Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta in custody
Breaking news

A former director at investment bank Goldman Sachs has been taken into custody
on charges relating to a hedge fund insider trading case.

Rajat Gupta, 62, is accused of providing illegal information to hedge fund
manager Raj Rajaratnam.

Mr Rajaratnam was sentenced to 11 years in jail for insider trading earlier
this month.

Civil fraud charges were brought against Mr Gupta by the US Securities and
Exchange Commissioner in March.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15466038

(KAM/47082) http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:38:00 -0500



http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=8404801

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Police at Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza have issued an order
to disperse to hundreds of protesters for the third time tonight.

After police deployed tear gas on protesters earlier tonight, temporarily
scattering the crowd of "Occupy Oakland" protesters, the group has reconvened
at the plaza and officers have started to use rubber bullets on unruly
demonstrators.

Protesters were ordered to leave the City Hall area for the first time at
around 6 p.m. this evening and the crowd complied. The group briefly gathered
at Snow Park, the smaller of two encampment sites that were broken up by police
early this morning, to regroup after officers blocked off Broadway earlier this
evening and ordered the protesters to disperse.

Police presence was less prevalent at the smaller park and after a brief
discussion, the group decided to continue the march and return to 14th Street
and Broadway.

Officers at Frank Ogawa Plaza again ordered the crowd to disperse before
deploying tear gas and smoke grenades.

After fleeing briefly, the group gathered near 19th Street and Broadway, before
heading back to City Hall.

Between 400 and 500 "Occupy Oakland" protesters began the march today at the
main branch of the Oakland Public Library heading to Frank Ogawa Plaza with the
aim of retaking the space they were evicted from early this morning.

The protesters gathered outside the main branch of the library late this
afternoon and vowed that Occupy Oakland protests will continue despite the
arrest of a large group of people at an encampment outside City Hall this
morning.

Veteran activist Krystof Lopaur of No Justice No BART told the gathering on the
steps of the library, which is located on 14th Street between Oak and Madison
streets, that the plan was to start marching to Frank Ogawa Plaza, the site of
the encampment.

At around 5:20 p.m., the crowd began to make its way downtown.

"We're going to reclaim what was already ours," Lopaur said, drawing loud
cheers from the crowd.

A large group of demonstrators stopped to rally near a police station at
Seventh and Washington streets at around 6 p.m. Confrontations broke out
between officers and protesters and the police deployed smoke grenades, which
caused loud noises and filled the area with smoke.

Shortly before that confrontation, small skirmishes broke out near Eighth and
Washington streets. Some protesters threw paint on the officers and minor
altercations occurred. At least two protesters were detained during that
confrontation.

Oakland police, as well as the Santa Clara County and Alameda County sheriff's
departments and the California Highway Patrol, are at the scene.

The Occupy Oakland encampment began on Oct. 10. City Administrator Deanna
Santana said the city arrested people starting at 4:30 a.m. today because
conditions had deteriorated and the city could no longer maintain public health
and safety and crowd control.

City officials said there were reports of sexual offenses, fighting, public
drinking and intoxication and other problems at the encampment.

Oakland police said 79 arrests were made in the Frank Ogawa Plaza area near
14th Street and Broadway and six additional arrests were made at Snow Park a
few blocks away near the corner of 19th and Harrison streets.

Carlos Villarreal, a spokesman for the National Lawyers Guild, which is
representing many of the protesters, said he has been told that more than 100
people were arrested, mostly on misdemeanor charges.

A speaker at the rally said several people were arrested on more serious felony
charges, such as resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.

Villarreal said two protesters suffered broken hands when they were arrested
and one protestor was taken to a hospital with head injuries.

Law enforcement officials have closed 14th Street between Oak Street and Frank
Ogawa Plaza, while protesters march.

(KAM/47081) Live videeo from ABC 7 News in Oakland, CA as police have respon...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:11:00 -0500


Live videeo from ABC 7 News in Oakland, CA as police have responded to the
"Occupy Oakland" protests. Reports on Twitter and Facebook over the last few
minutes stated that police donned gas masks and started firing tear gas into
the crowds.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/livenow?id=8405688

(Gespalder/47080) Mutassim Gaddafi is also dead. He is one of the sons.

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:07:00 -0500

Mutassim Gaddafi is also dead. He is one of the sons.
Saif al-Islam, another son, is reported to be dead by al-Arabiya

Source: CNN

(Secretary/47079) At 2:00 p.m. eastern time on http://live.cnn.com/

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:26:00 -0500


At 2:00 p.m. eastern time on http://live.cnn.com/

"Obama statement on Gadhafi's death"

President Obama delivers a statement about the death of former Libyan leader
Moammar Gadhafi.

At 2:20 p.m. eastern time on http://live.cnn.com/

"White House briefing"

Press Secretary Jay Carney holds a briefing with reporters.  Topics expected to
be discussed include the death of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

*****

"#Gadhafi is dead - someone reach into his wallet and look at his drivers
license so we finally know how to spell his last name!"

(Two Minute Hate/47077) There is no "correct" version of how to spell Gaddafi's name.

Two Minute Hate@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:18:00 -0500


 There is no "correct" version of how to spell Gaddafi's name.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15385955

 The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Sirte: "I have spoken to the man who says that
 he captured him... he was brandishing a golden pistol"

 Commanders for Libya's transitional authorities say they have captured ousted
 leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

 Unconfirmed reports say Col Gaddafi has been killed, and AFP obtained a
 mobile-phone image apparently showing his face covered in blood.

 The reports came after transitional forces claimed control of Sirte, Col
 Gaddafi's birthplace.

(Secretary/47076) Reports of correct #Gadhafi spelling still not confirmed. There ...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:06:00 -0500


Reports of correct #Gadhafi spelling still not confirmed. There are 50
versions, this is the #CNN one.

Also, his death is still not confirmed.

(Okracoke/47074) (Reuters) - Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds ...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:07:00 -0500

(Reuters) - Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds suffered in his
capture near his hometown of Sirte on Thursday, a senior NTC military official
said.

National Transitional Council official Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters earlier
that Gaddafi was captured and wounded in both legs at dawn on Thursday as he
tried to flee in a convoy which NATO warplanes attacked.

"He was also hit in his head," the official said. "There was a lot of firing
against his group and he died."

There was no independent confirmation of his remarks.

(Okracoke/47073) from the Guardian>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:43:00 -0500

from the Guardian>

The long-awaited presidential baby was reportedly on its way after a heavily
pregnant Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was admitted to a Paris clinic on Wednesday.

France's first lady was rumoured to have been admitted to the chic La Muette
clinic during the afternoon, but after a fortnight of almost daily alerts and
feverish speculation regarding the birth, the information remained a rumour for
several hours.

Then the right-wing Le Figaro newspaper, one of President Nicolas Sarkozy's
biggest supporters, confirmed it.

"Carla Bruni is in the process of giving birth," read its headline a few hours
later, quoting a "medical source" at the clinic.

What was more, Le Figaro was prepared to stick its neck out even further and
report the sex of the child: "The baby will be a girl," it stated.

This was one occasion, however, when Nicolas Sarkozy, nicknamed SuperSarko the
Omnipresident, was unable to appear to be in two places at the same time. With
a single currency to save, the best he could manage was a lightning visit to
his 43-year-old wife's bedside in between flying in from an official visit to
Nice and flying out to Frankfurt to discuss the euro-zone crisis with the
German chancellor, Angela Merkel.

The child will be the first to be born to a serving French president. It is
57-year-old Sarkozy's fourth and Bruni's second child. He has three boys from
two previous marriages and she has a son from an earlier relationship.

The birth will come as a relief to long-suffering residents around La Muette in
the upmarket 16th arrondissement of Paris.

Police sealed off the roads around the clinic at the beginning of the month and
security has been tight ever since. As the days passed speculation turned
feverish, not to mention fantastic, with false alerts including Twitter reports
that the baby had already been born, and was a boy named Vadim.

"It's been a fortnight that the area has been packed with police officers and
paparazzi," one local complained.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will also be pleased to finally produce. She recently
confessed she was bored by pregnancy and was anxious to "get it over with" so
she could have a drink and a cigarette.

Seven months from a presidential election in which he is expected to seek
re-election, Sarkozy needs something to boost his popularity. An opinion poll
published a few hours before his wife apparently went into labour revealed he
was on course for a trouncing next May at the hands of the Socialist party's
newly elected candidate, Frangois Hollande.

However, Bruni-Sarkozy has insisted the baby will be kept out of the spotlight
and Stiphane Rozhs, a former opinion poll director who now runs the French
consultancy agency CAP, says Sarkozy would be advised not to use the child to
drum up votes.

"The baby will not play at all in Sarkozy's favour," he warned. "The French
have a very distinct view about the personal and the political and they don't
like the two to be confused. Sarkozy did this at the beginning of his mandate
and it didn't go down well."

Rozhs says the French believe their leaders must rise above personal matters
and personify the role of president.

"In the French imagination the president must rise above the temporal and
incarnate the spiritual. He must carry out this role above and beyond personal
matters. Making a big show of personal and private matters is seen as degrading
that position. The French don't like that at all."

Carine Marci of pollsters TNS-Sofres agreed. "In our research the French have
told us that it [the baby] won't change anything. Of course there may be a
small effect but If Carla respects what she has said about no photos, it won't
amount to much."

(Okracoke/47072) from MSNBC>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:42:00 -0500

from MSNBC>

ZANESVILLE, Ohio . The owner of an exotic animal farm was found dead Tuesday
and police said an unknown number of wild creatures escaped from the property,
including bears, wolves, tigers, cougars and cheetahs.

NBC station WCMH of Columbus reported that Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz
issued a shoot to kill order to deputies and that up to 25 animals were shot.
Officials said there could be up to 48 animals still on the loose.

There were multiple sightings of exotic animals along Interstate 70. In
addition to the carnivores, the animal farm also held giraffes and camels.
Lutz's office warned residents near Kopchak Road and Interstate 70 to use
caution and stay inside.

Authorities were called to the home on Kopchak Road after a report of escaped
wild animals at about 7:20 p.m. Deputies shot some of the animals as they
arrived to check on the owner.

WBNS-TV in Columbus reported that the body of Terry Thompson, owner of the
farm, was found outside of his home. Police said that fences had been left
unsecured. WBNS said bears and wolves were among the animals shot by
authorities.

WCMH reported that Lutz said his office had had issues with the owner in the
past but did not elaborate on how Thompson died.

"This is a bad situation, its been a bad situation for a long time," he said.

Staff from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Wilds were on scene, hoping to
tranquilize the animals and return them to safety.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is also assisting in the search with an aircraft
unit.

Police set up a makeshift command post at the intersection of state route 40
and Kopchak Road.

(Okracoke/47071) Reuters) - Demonstrators worldwide shouted their rage on Saturda...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:36:00 -0500

Reuters) - Demonstrators worldwide shouted their rage on Saturday against
bankers and politicians they accuse of ruining economies and condemning
millions to hardship through greed and bad government.

Galvanized by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the protests began in New
Zealand, rippled round the world to Europe and were expected to return to their
starting point in New York.

Most rallies were however small and barely held up traffic. The biggest
anticipated was in Rome, where organizers said they believed 100,000 would take
part.

"At the global level, we can't carry on any more with public debt that wasn't
created by us but by thieving governments, corrupt banks and speculators who
don't give a damn about us," said Nicla Crippa, 49, who wore a T-shirt saying
"enough" as she arrived at the Rome protest.

"They caused this international crisis and are still profiting from it, they
should pay for it."

The Rome protesters, including the unemployed, students and pensioners, planned
to march through the center, past the Colosseum and finish in Piazza San
Giovanni.

Some 2,000 police were on hand to keep the Rome demonstrators, who call
themselves "the indignant ones," peaceful and to avoid a repeat of the violence
last year when students protesting over education policy clashed with police.

"YES WE CAMP"

As some 750 buses bearing protesters converged on the capital, students at Rome
university warmed up with their own mini-demo on Saturday morning.

The carried signs reading "Your Money is Our Money," and "Yes We Camp," an echo
of the slogan "Yes We Can" used by U.S. President Barack Obama.

In imitation of the occupation of Zuccotti Park near Wall Street in Manhattan,
some protesters have been camped out across the street from the headquarters of
the Bank of Italy for several days.

The worldwide protests were a response in part to calls by the New York
demonstrators for more people to join them. Their example has prompted calls
for similar occupations in dozens of U.S. cities from Saturday.

Demonstrators in Italy were united in their criticism of Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi and angry at his victory in a vote of confidence in parliament on
Friday.

The government has passed a 60 billion-euro austerity package that has raised
taxes and will make public health care more expensive.

On Friday students stormed Goldman Sachs's offices in Milan and daubed red
graffiti. Others hurled eggs at the headquarters of UniCredit, Italy's biggest
bank.

New Zealand and Australia got the ball rolling on Saturday. Several hundred
people marched up the main street in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city,
joining a rally at which 3,000 chanted and banged drums, denouncing corporate
greed.

About 200 gathered in the capital Wellington and 50 in a park in the
earthquake-hit southern city of Christchurch.

In Sydney, about 2,000 people, including representatives of Aboriginal groups,
communists and trade unionists, protested outside the central Reserve Bank of
Australia.

"REAL DEMOCRACY"

"I think people want real democracy," said Nick Carson, a spokesman for
OccupyMelbourne.Org, as about 1,000 gathered in the Australian city.

"They don't want corporate influence over their politicians. They want their
politicians to be accountable."

Hundreds marched in Tokyo, including anti-nuclear protesters. In Manila,
capital of the Philippines, a few dozen marched on the U.S. embassy waving
banners reading: "Down with U.S. imperialism" and "Philippines not for sale."

More than 100 people gathered at the Taipei stock exchange, chanting "we are
Taiwan's 99 percent," and saying economic growth had only benefited companies
while middle-class salaries barely covered soaring housing, education and
healthcare costs.

They found support from a top businessman, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Corp (TSMC) Chairman Morris Chang.

"I've been against the gap between rich and poor," Chang said in the northern
city of Hsinchu. "The wealth of the top one percent has increased very fast in
the past 20 or 30 years. 'Occupy Wall Street' is a reaction to that."

Demonstrators aimed to converge on the City of London under the banner "Occupy
the Stock Exchange."

"We have people from all walks of life joining us every day," said Spyro, one
of those behind a Facebook page in London which has drawn some 12,000
followers.

The 28-year-old, who said he had a well-paid job and did not want to give his
full name, said the target of the protests as "the financial system."

Angry at taxpayer bailouts of banks since 2008 and at big bonuses still paid to
some who work in them while unemployment blights the lives of many young
Britons, he said: "People all over the world, we are saying: 'Enough is
enough'."

Greek protesters called an anti-austerity rally for Saturday in Athens'
Syntagma Square.

"What is happening in Greece now is the nightmare awaiting other countries in
the future. Solidarity is the people's weapon," the Real Democracy group said
in a statement calling on people to join the protest.

In Paris protests were expected to coincide with the G20 finance chiefs'
meeting there. In Madrid, seven marches were planned to unite in Cibeles square
at 1600 GMT (12 p.m. EDT) and then march to the central Puerta de Sol.

In Germany, where sympathy for southern Europe's debt troubles is patchy, the
financial center of Frankfurt and the European Central Bank in particular are
expected to be a focus of marches called by the Real Democracy Now movement.

(Eldritch/47070) News Corp investors to vote against Murdochs

Eldritch@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:56:00 -0500

News Corp investors to vote against Murdochs

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/14/us-newscorp-hermes-
idUSTRE79D1FA20111014

(Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's multi-million dollar campaign to win back the
hearts and minds of News Corporation's independent investors suffered a new
blow on Friday after another key shareholder group called for his eviction from
its board.

Hermes Equity Ownership Services (HEOS), the shareholder advisory service
affiliated to Britain's largest pension fund, issued a rallying cry to
investors to vote against all Murdoch family re-elections to the board of the
embattled media group at next week's annual general meeting on October 21.

"The time is right for the company to appoint an independent chairman to
rebuild trust, help correct the governance discount, and ensure that the
interests of all investors are properly represented," Jennifer Walmsley,
Director of Hermes Equity Ownership Services, said.

"We have a battle on our hands to demonstrate the strength of shareholder
opposition because so many shares are held by the family or by people
affiliated with the family," she told Reuters.

The organization, which votes on behalf of the BT Pension Fund and more than 20
other institutional clients running $140 billion of assets, has also called for
an independent investigation into the phone hacking scandal that led to the
closure of top-selling British tabloid The News of the World.

Besides seeking the removal of Murdoch and sons James and Lachlan, HEOS --
whose members hold 0.5 percent of News Corp's shares -- Hermes is also
withholding support for the re-election of directors Arthur Siskind and Andrew
Knight, citing concerns for their independence.

The statement from HEOS is the latest in a flurry of anti-Murdoch lobbying from
corporate governance watchdogs and proxy voting companies all over the world.

Earlier this week, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) said Murdoch
and 10 other News Corp directors should be ousted from board in the wake of the
phone hacking scandal, which it said "laid bare a striking lack of stewardship
and independence."

The ISS statement prompted News Corp, which has bought back more than $1
billion of its stock since August, to step up its appeal for shareholder
support with a letter that reiterated its strong financial performance in the
face of the flagging global economy.

But Walmsley said investors were growing impatient for fundamental change that
would see the infamous 'Murdoch discount' gone for good.

News Corp shares typically trade below rival media groups because the market
applies a discount to reflect Murdoch's tight control of the company and a
tendency to make decisions that shareholders may not support.

"There's an enormous groundswell of opposition and I think there are a lot of
investors out there who feel ... the governance structures in place are clearly
not sufficient to safeguard the interests of minority investors," Walmsley
said.

"There is a huge problem with shareholder democracy at News Corp -- it breaches
what we see as a fundamental shareholder right of 'one share, one vote'," she
said.

The war of words between News Corp and its shareholders over the need for a
sweeping purge of its board is likely to revive a debate over whether James
Murdoch should be forced to give up his role as chairman of British Sky
Broadcasting.

Investors in BSkyB -- News Corp's erstwhile bid target -- will vote on the
make-up of their board next month.

(Danix/47069) Dennis Ritchie dead at 70.

Danix@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:58:00 -0500

Dennis Ritchie dead at 70.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/13/dennis_ritchie/

(Steve Austin/47068) Raiders owner Al Davis dies at 82

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 06:49:00 -0500

Raiders owner Al Davis dies at 82
By Gordon Forbes, USA TODAY
Updated 4m ago

    Comments 8

Reprints & Permissions

Longtime Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis has died at the age of 82, according to
the team.

    Al Davis died at the age of 82, according to the team.

    By Paul Sakuma, AP

    Al Davis died at the age of 82, according to the team.

Enlarge

By Paul Sakuma, AP

Al Davis died at the age of 82, according to the team.
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The team's website states they will issue a statement later on Saturday.

Davis was once the most powerful owner in pro football. He got his clout by
using his own abrasive style and sending out his lawyers to the courtroom.
Aside from winning three Super Bowls, his biggest victory came in 1982 when a
six-person jury sided with the Oakland Raiders in their anti-trust suit against
the National Football League. The verdict, upheld when the Supreme Court
refused to hear the case, allowed the Raiders to move to Los Angeles without
approval by the NFL owners.

"It is ludicrous to think that the NFL is a single entity when in reality we
are 28 different entities who compete viciously in every conceivable way," said
Davis. "We won because the NFL knowingly violated anti-trust laws, losing
unanimously on bad faith and unfair dealings."

Over the years the Raiders went to court against the league more than a
half-dozen times. Before the Raiders' move to the glitter of Los Angeles became
official, the Raiders and the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the league, claiming
its constitution was illegal. Specifically, the Raiders challenged the rule
that a team needed the approval of the 28 owners before it could move.

The case went to two trials. The first was declared a mistrial. The testimony
covered 88 days. The final verdict, which took only 5 + hours to come down,
thrilled Davis and attorney Joe Alioto but angered Oakland fans. Although Davis
sued the league, his victory was seen as a personal triumph over Commissioner
Pete Rozelle, with whom he often feuded..

"I never really respected him, really," Davis once said of Rozelle. "I've seen
him flirt with the truth too often. But that's not important. I beat him, or we
beat him, when it came to good faith and fair dealing.

The Raiders also filed a suit to compel testimony into whether Los Angeles Rams
owner Georgia Frontiere bugged her own telephone. They claimed that the Rams
and the NFL engaged in a conspiracy to keep the Raiders out of Los Angeles. One
of the reasons: given: to protect what the Raiders called an alleged black
market in Super Bowl tickets.

Away from the courts, Davis coached, talked, dreamed and lived the game of
football. At various points in his life, he was a free-lance scout; a college
coach at 21; head coach of the Raiders at 33; commissioner of the American
Football League at 36; and Raiders' majority owner at 47.

When the merger talk between the warring two leagues began in the spring of
1966, Davis found himself on the outside. The negotiators for the historic deal
were Tex Schramm of Dallas and Lamar Hunt of Kansas City, who met in a series
of secret meetings at Love Field, a Dallas airport.

Yet, Davis played a significant role during his 3 +-month term as the AFL's
renegade commissioner. Davis replaced Joe Foss and began hustling NFL
quarterbacks, putting pressure on the established NFL. At a press conference in
New York to announce his new job, Davis added the words "dynamic" and "young
genius" to the press release. Later, Davis would suggest that three NFL teams
move to the AFL side. Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Baltimore took Davis' advice
(and $3 million each), breaking an impasse.

The only aspect of his life that Davis placed above football was his marriage.
When Carol, his wife, suffered a heart attack and fell into a coma in 1979,
Davis virtually abandoned the Raiders to remain near his wife in an Oakland
hospital. Davis slept in a storage room, never leaving the hospital until Carol
made an amazing recovery.

"Just Win, Baby." That was Davis's personal motto. Its origin is unknown but
it's unlikely that Davis coined the phrase, since he rarely used the word,
"baby," in his speech. Yet, Davis never discouraged the slogan. Indeed, he and
the Oakland Raiders lived by it, on the field and in the courts.

Davis and the Raiders were unlike any other team in pro football. Davis was not
only the owner, but the general manager and, unofficially, the head of the
team's personnel department. No Raider practice was quite complete unless
Davis, prowling the sideline, made a few coaching points about execution or
timing.

On one occasion, he watched Mervyn Fernandez, a first-year wide receiver signed
out of Canada, run a post pattern. Pulling Fernandez aside, Davis told him to
make a faster break inside by taking a "cheat step" with his inside foot.

The Raiders were always trying to gain an edge like that, any kind of edge.
During the Raiders' big years, from the mid-60s to the mid-80s, Davis kept
signing players who were considered troublemakers, or marginal talent, by other
clubs. Thus Davis and the Raiders developed a mystique that remained until the
mid-90s. That was when the NFL owners agreed to a free agency/salary cap system
that took away Davis's method of finding and signing outlaw players.

One of Davis's pick-ups, quarterback Jim Plunkett, led the Raiders to two Super
Bowl wins in four years. Among the other castoffs who gave the Raiders the
distinct look of a free-agent team before free agency arrived in 1993: John
Matuszak, Lyle Alzado, Ted Hendricks, Todd Christensen, Darryl Lamonica and Ben
Davidson..

Davis always liked the excitement and the market size of Los Angeles. His
victory in the courts was seen as a personal triumph over Commissioner Pete
Rozelle, The owners had voted, 22-5, against allowing the move. "Then I reserve
my right to move.," Davis told them before loading the moving vans for the trip
down the freeways.

The Raiders opened their first season in the aging Coliseum in 1982. But 13
years later, after disappointing ticket sales and a heated disagreement with
the Coliseum over luxury boxes, Davis moved the Raiders back to Oakland. The
Rams moved, too, signing a sweetheart deal with St. Louis that left the
sprawling Los Angeles market without pro football. Davis' moves opened the
gates for what was termed "franchise free agency." The owners were helpless to
block the Baltimore Colts from moving to Indianapolis; the Houston Oilers from
moving to Nashville, Tenn., and the Cleveland Browns from moving to Baltimore.

After their victory in Super Bowl XVIII (a 38-9 drubbing of the Washington
Redskins) the Raiders went 18 years before finally making it to Super Bowl
XXXVII. They were routed by Tampa Bay, 48-21. The defeat was especially painful
for Davis, who lost to Jon Gruden, the coach he fired the year before. Over
those 18 years, the Raiders failed to make the playoffs 10 times; lost two AFC
titles games (to Buffalo, 51-3 and Baltimore, 16-3), and were knocked out of
the postseason in the first round three times.

The next decade would see the franchise shuffle through a number of head
coaches, none of whom could muster a winning season. In 2006, Davis made former
Raider great Art Shell the first black head coach in the NFL's modern era.

''The important thing for this guy is to have great success on the football
field as a head coach,'' said Davis, who fired second-year coach Mike Shanahan
after a 1-3 start and elevated Shell from offensive line coach to the top job.
'' If this is an historic occasion, it's only meaningful if he has great
success.''

Shell resigned after a 2-14 finish. He was the first black head coach in the
National Football League since the late Fritz Pollard coached the Hammond,
Ind., Pros in the 1920s, the league's fledgling years.

''If anyone would make a bold move, it's Davis.  I think it's a great move,''
said Shell's former Raiders teammate, Gene Upshaw, now head of the NFL Players
Association. ''Now, it's up to Art to do well.  He will lead by example and
with the respect that the players have for him. He wouldn't have got into the
Hall of Fame without those characteristics.''

As the Raiders declined, so did Davis' health. He suffered what he vaguely
termed as "a leg injury" That forced him to use a walker and to miss some of
the significant testing sessions for prospects in the NFL draft. "He can't hold
a glass without two hands," once said former Raider Gene Upshaw, executive
director of the NFL Players Association. "But his mind is clear and still
sharp."

(Okracoke/47067) From the LA Times>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:28:00 -0500

From the LA Times>

Steven P. Jobs, the charismatic technology pioneer who co-founded Apple Inc.
and transformed one industry after another, from computers and smartphones to
music and movies, has died. He was 56.

Apple announced the death of Jobs . whose legacy included the Apple II,
Macintosh, iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," Apple
said. "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless
innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably
better because of Steve."

Photos: Steve Jobs 1955-2011

He had resigned as chief executive of Apple in August, after struggling with
illness for nearly a decade, including a bout with pancreatic cancer in 2003
and a liver transplant six years later.

Few public companies were as entwined with their leaders as Apple was with
Jobs, who co-founded the computer maker in his parents' Silicon Valley garage
in 1976, and decades later . in a comeback as stunning as it seemed improbable
.. plucked it from near-bankruptcy and turned it into the world's most valuable
technology company.

Jobs spoke of his desire to make "a dent in the universe," bringing a messianic
intensity to his message that technology was a tool to improve human life and
unleash creativity.

"His ability to always come around and figure out where that next bet should be
has been phenomenal," Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, the high-tech
mogul with whom Jobs was most closely compared, said in 2007.

In the annals of modern American entrepreneur-heroes, few careers traced a more
mythic sweep. An adopted child in a working-class California home, Jobs dropped
out of college and won the title "father of the computer revolution" by the age
of 29. But by 30 he had been forced out of the company he had created, a bitter
wound he nursed for years as his fortune shrank and he fought to regain his
early eminence.

Once out of the wilderness of exile, however, he brought forth a series of
innovations . unveiling them with matchless showmanship . that quickly became
ubiquitous. He turned the release of a new gadget into a cultural event, with
Apple acolytes lining up like pilgrims at Lourdes.

Jobs was born in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 1955, to Joanne Carole Schieble and
Syrian immigrant Abdulfattah Jandali, unmarried University of Wisconsin
graduate students who put him up for adoption. He was adopted by Paul Jobs, a
high school dropout who sold used cars and worked as a machinist, and his wife,
Clara.

Jobs' willfulness and chutzpah were evident early on. At 11, he decided he
didn't like his rowdy and chaotic middle school in Mountain View, Calif., and
refused to go back. His family moved to a nearby town so he could attend
another school.

When he was 12 or 13, Jobs would recall, he called the home of William Hewlett,
one of the founders of Hewlett-Packard Co., to ask about parts he needed for a
device he was building. For Jobs, it led to a humble summer job on a
Hewlett-Packard assembly line, which he compared to being "in heaven."

While attending Homestead High School in Cupertino, Calif., Jobs met Steve
Wozniak, who was nearly five years older. A technical wizard who was in and out
of college, Wozniak liked to make machines to show off to other tinkerers.

The two collaborated on a series of pranks and built and sold "blue boxes" .
devices that enabled users to hijack phone lines and make free . and illegal .
calls.

In 1972, Jobs dropped out of Reed College in Oregon after six months but
lingered on campus, sleeping on friends' dorm-room floors. He sat in on classes
that interested him, such as calligraphy, which later inspired him to offer
Macintosh users multiple fonts, a feature that would become a fixture of
personal computing.

He worked sporadically as an electronics technician at video game maker Atari
Inc., traveled to India on a quest for enlightenment and found guidance from a
Zen Buddhist master.

Meanwhile, Wozniak had created a computer circuit board he was showing off to a
group of Silicon Valley computer hobbyists. Jobs saw the device's potential for
broad appeal and persuaded Wozniak to leave his engineering job so they could
design computers themselves.

In April 1976, the two launched Apple Computer out of Jobs' parents' garage,
reproducing Wozniak's circuit board as their first product.

They called it the Apple I and set the price at $666.66 because Wozniak liked
repeating digits. In the following year came the Apple II, which carried a
then-novel keyboard and color monitor and became the first popular home
computer. When the company went public in 1980, the 25-year-old Jobs made an
estimated $217 million.

Whether pitching a product or wooing a job candidate, Jobs liked to paint what
he was selling as part of a revolution, an idea that reverberates in Silicon
Valley start-ups today.

"He was by far the most articulate person our industry has ever had," said
Esther Dyson, a longtime technology observer and entrepreneur.

When he approached PepsiCo executive John Sculley to become chief executive of
Apple in 1983, Jobs asked him, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life
selling sugared water or do you want to change the world?"

At Apple, Jobs spearheaded the creation of a computer he called Lisa (also the
name of his daughter born to a former girlfriend). The cocky, headstrong Jobs
tangled with Lisa engineers over the direction of the computer, and Apple
executives curtailed his role in the project. "It hurt a lot," Jobs told a
Playboy interviewer.

Jobs turned his attention to a small research effort called Macintosh,
producing what he described as "the most insanely great computer in the world,"
with a graphics-rich interface and a mouse that allowed users to navigate much
more easily than they could with keyboard commands.

In 1984, Apple promoted the Macintosh with a television spot that aired during
the Super Bowl. The minute-long commercial portrayed a sledgehammer-hurling
runner heroically smashing the image of a sinister Big Brother figure, who was
preaching to an assembly of gray drones.

"On Jan. 24, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh," the narrator announced.
"And you'll see why 1984 won't be like '1984.'"

The Orwellian tyrant, as Jobs portrayed it, was rival IBM Corp., then the
dominant computer maker. In a 1985 Playboy interview, he cast IBM as the great
enemy of innovation and described the battle as nothing less than light versus
dark in the race for the future.

"If, for some reason, we make some giant mistakes and IBM wins, my personal
feeling is that we are going to enter sort of a computer Dark Ages for about 20
years," he said. "Once IBM gains control of a market sector, they almost always
stop innovation. They prevent innovation from happening."

Macintosh inaugurated an era of visual, clickable computing that remains the
norm today, and its look, adopted by Microsoft for its Windows software, became
a global standard. Still, although Jobs was a celebrity and wealthy beyond
imagining, the Macintosh struggled early to capture sales and trailed the
increasingly popular IBM PC.

As panic set in about the Macintosh's problems, tensions flared between Jobs
and Sculley, who, with the Apple board's blessing, further reduced Jobs' role.
Jobs resigned in 1985, a 30-year-old tech king deposed from the palace he had
built. As he saw it, he was fired.

"What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was
devastating," Jobs later recalled in a Stanford University address. "I didn't
really know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous
generation of entrepreneurs down.

"I was a very public failure."

He started NeXT Computing, which made computers for higher education and
corporations. Technologists took to the computers . including British computer
scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who used them to create the World Wide Web in the
early 1990s. But at $6,000, they were too expensive for consumers and failed to
catch on.

In what many saw as a hobby, Jobs began dabbling in moviemaking technology in
1986, buying a small computer graphics division from filmmaker George Lucas'
Lucasfilm Ltd. and renaming the company Pixar.

Around that time he met Laurene Powell, a Stanford business student, and they
were married in 1991 by a Buddhist monk.

Jobs also found his biological mother, Joanne Simpson, and biological sister,
Mona Simpson. He and his sister became close, and she dedicated her 1992 novel
"Anywhere But Here" to him and their mother.

By then, he had established a relationship with his daughter Lisa. Jobs
initially denied paternity and refused to pay child support. He eventually
accepted her as his child, and she is now a New York writer.

NeXT and Pixar struggled financially, and he sank much of his personal fortune
.. upward of $70 million . into the two companies, according to Alan
Deutschman's "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs" (2000). Setbacks mounted as he
slashed staff and scaled back both operations.

A 1993 Wall Street Journal article described "the decline of Mr. Jobs," saying
that his vision for NeXT resembled "a pipe dream" and portraying him as a
once-great but increasingly irrelevant figure who might survive "as a niche
player."

The turnaround began in late 1995 when Pixar released "Toy Story," the first
feature-length computer-animated film, and it became a smash hit. Pixar went
public one week later, making Jobs a billionaire, and has continued to produce
box-office hits such as "Up," "Finding Nemo" and two "Toy Story" sequels. Walt
Disney Co. bought Pixar for $7.5 billion in 2006, making Jobs the entertainment
giant's largest shareholder.

In Jobs' absence, Apple had been foundering as its share of the computer market
shriveled. Seeking new software for the Macintosh, Apple decided on NeXT's
system, and bought the company for $377 million.

Jobs came back to Apple as a "special advisor" in 1996, but within a year he
orchestrated the ouster of most of Apple's board and had himself installed as
chief executive. He reshaped a moribund company into a $380-billion technology
titan, which this year temporarily surpassed Exxon Mobil Corp. as the world's
most valuable company.

The comeback was powered by a string of blockbuster products for which Jobs is
largely credited . each of which had far-reaching effects in both culture and
industry.

"To have your whole music library with you at all times is a quantum leap in
listening to music," he said in a 2001 presentation. "How do we possibly do
this?" A moment later, he pulled the first iPod from his jeans pocket to show
off the answer.

With the iPod's release, Jobs lighted the way for the entertainment industry in
the digital age. The iPod became Apple's most popular product and soon captured
about 70% of the market for digital music players.

Two years later, through deals that Jobs brokered with the recording industry,
Apple opened its iTunes online store, which is now the country's No. 1 music
retailer.

With iTunes . which expanded to selling movies, TV shows, books and games .
Jobs transformed Apple from a computer maker into one of the primary
gatekeepers for the explosion of online media.

The iPhone, introduced in 2007, gave the cellphone a touch screen and a Web
browser and enabled the growth of a booming industry of small mobile games and
applications. It was then that Jobs dropped the word "Computer" from Apple's
name to make it simply Apple Inc.

Last year, Apple released its iPad tablet computer, a wireless reading, gaming
and Web-surfing slate that has sold nearly 30 million units since its release.

In a testament to Jobs' knack for picking transforming technologies, many
industry analysts believe the iPad will hasten the demise of the laptop and
desktop computers that Jobs himself once helped bring to prominence.

In his second term at Apple, Jobs' instincts became the company's internal
compass. Unlike many chief executives, Jobs shunned focus groups and consumer
surveys, personally driving Apple's search for the next great idea.

"A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them,"
Jobs once told BusinessWeek magazine.

He had a cult-like following, and he mesmerized audiences when unveiling
Apple's newest products, but no one was shown anything until Jobs said it was
time. He kept a tight lid on information flowing out of the Cupertino company.

He was known as an imperious boss with little patience for weakness, one who
launched blistering tirades that left subordinates fuming, or in tears.

"Steve tests you, challenges you, frightens you," Todd Rulon-Miller, a friend
and NeXT executive, said in "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs." "He uses this as
a tactic to get to the truth."

Mercurial and brilliant, Jobs presented himself as an outsider even at the apex
of American business, a convention-bucking visionary who was willing to wade
into new industries to do battle with movie studios, record labels and
cellphone giants. As a Buddhist and vegetarian following the principles of
minimalism, he nearly always appeared in public in a black turtleneck, worn
jeans and sneakers.

Apple's "Think Different" ad campaign, with its parade of iconic pioneers and
world-shaping figures from Einstein to Gandhi, relentlessly promoted the
concept of triumphant individual genius. The implicit hero was Jobs himself,
who embodied that ideal as much as any modern American.

Jobs was not afraid to blast rivals . chief among them software giant
Microsoft, whose products he once described as "really third-rate" and
aesthetically tasteless. The skewering later became more playful, with TV
commercials portraying Microsoft users as frumpy and bookish and hipper Mac
fans as stylish and quick-witted.

An intensely private person, Jobs rarely discussed his personal life and had
little taste for the trappings of celebrity. As a philanthropist, his public
profile paled beside that of Gates and Warren Buffett, and critics wondered why
Jobs . who had an estimated net worth of $8.3 billion . didn't give more money
away, or if he did, why he kept it secret.

For years, Jobs' health was an issue that wouldn't go away. Although he was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, he did not reveal his illness for
nine months, according to a Fortune magazine report. He finally agreed to
surgery in 2004.

After the surgery, Jobs announced that he had recovered. But in 2008, he
underwent a liver transplant that was only later brought to light by the Wall
Street Journal. As time went on, Jobs looked noticeably thinner in public
appearances.

In a Stanford commencement speech in 2005, Jobs spoke at length about mortality
and its value as a force against complacency.

"Death is very likely the best invention of life," he said in the speech. "All
pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things just fall away in the
face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

(Bdot/47066) Steve Jobs has passed away.

Bdot@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:42:00 -0500

Steve Jobs has passed away.

- all major news outlets

(Grayson/47065) CBS News is reporting that Amanda Knox has had her appeal upheld...

Grayson@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:28:00 -0500

CBS News is reporting that Amanda Knox has had her appeal upheld - and has been
acquitted of murder.  It was ordered that she be immediately released.

(Okracoke/47064) (Reuters) - Animal rights activists claimed responsibility on Mo...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:54:00 -0500

(Reuters) - Animal rights activists claimed responsibility on Monday for a fire
that caused $100,000 in damage to a Boise-area store that sells fur coats and
fireworks, authorities said.

No one was injured in the early morning blaze at Rocky Mountain Fur &
Fireworks, a retailer in Caldwell, Idaho, about 30 miles northwest of the state
capital.

The North American Animal Liberation Press Office, which says it conveys
messages for unnamed animal advocates, distributed a statement from a group
calling itself the "arson unit" that said it set fire to a store stocked with
"chemically treated skins of thousands of tortured animals".

"By oppressing innocent life, you've lost your rights. We've come to take you
down a notch. Stay in business and we'll be back," the unit said.

Investigators were taking the arson claim seriously, and it was one of several
leads in the case, said Mark Leiser, assistant special agent in charge of the
Seattle Field Division of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives.

Leiser said evidence collected at the fur shop by the bureau, the FBI and the
Canyon County Sheriff's Office in Idaho would be thoroughly analyzed "before we
can make a determination of the veracity of the statement."

A woman who answered the phone at Rocky Mountain Fur & Fireworks, which bills
itself as a full-service fur company selling "luxurious fur coats" from
chinchilla, mink, rabbit or fox, declined to comment except to say: "We're all
OK."

Jerry Vlasak, spokesman for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office,
said the arson unit may refer to a branch of the Animal Liberation Front, an
underground group of animal activists who promote economic sabotage.

"It has proven effective: Fur stores have closed, fur breeders have closed,"
Vlasak said, adding that the press office was supportive but not affiliated
with the organization behind the claimed arson, the first action of its kind in
Idaho.

The press office said on its website it was founded "to communicate the
actions, strategies, and philosophy of the animal liberation movement to the
media and the public," adding that many of those actions were illegal.

A first offense on a federal arson charge stemming from the destruction of
property and involving interstate commerce carries a prison sentence of at
least 10 years.

(Okracoke/47063) from the WSJ>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 11:40:00 -0500

from the WSJ>

NASA said all debris from a decommissioned research satellite appears to have
dropped in a remote section of the Pacific Ocean well "away from the western
coast of the U.S," but the precise spot may never be pinpointed.

Nick Johnson, chief scientist for orbital debris at the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, told reporters the fiery trajectory of the
13,000-pound satellite ended as it crossed eastward over portions of the Indian
Ocean and Africa for the final time. It then most likely disintegrated and
scattered debris over a roughly 500-mile stretch across the northern portion of
the Pacific.

About 11 hours after the splashdown, Mr. Johnson said there weren't any
credible reports about debris falling on land or anyone recovering satellite
parts.contrary to widespread Internet speculation about purported remnants of
the satellite falling to the ground in Canada or elsewhere. But "we may never
know" precisely where the debris ended up, he told reporters, as ground-based
sensors and other tracking devices provide only approximate locations of where
the satellite started breaking up, and debris began falling vertically. NASA
also said it hadn't received any reports of debris sightings from aircraft or
vessels.
The descent of the 20-year-old satellite, which stopped collecting climate data
about six years ago, was the largest object NASA has tracked in an uncontrolled
re-entry for more than three decades. But about once a year, similar-size space
objects plummet back to Earth amid commands from the ground.

No reports of space junk or debris causing injuries on the ground have been
substantiated since the Space Age began more than five decades ago.

The satellite's descent path crossed over portions of Africa and inhabited
sections of northern Canada. But in its latest update Saturday, NASA said that
the best simulations of Pentagon trackers, as well as those developed
separately by a government-wide team of experts, strongly indicate "all that
debris dropped in the Pacific Ocean."

In the past, NASA and the Pentagon have failed to precisely map the re-entry of
some defunct satellites, or verify where debris fell.

As "practically the entire re-entry path" during the final phase was over
water, Mr, Johnson said, all the evidence so far points to pieces ending up in
the Pacific. But he added "we don't exactly know where the debris field is."

The U.S. largely relies on ground-based sensors and sophisticated computer
systems to keep track of more than 20,000 pieces of orbiting debris, and the
same system is used to follow satellites or other objects that fall back to
Earth.

More recent satellites are designed so that operators can bring them out of
orbit and control their trajectory as they take the final plunge through the
atmosphere.

With an estimated 750 or more satellites now in orbit.and many more nations now
seeking to launch satellites than ever before.overall collision hazards are
expected to increase. Experts worry the threats are particularly significant
around some widely used orbital locations. Astronauts aboard the international
space station periodically are forced to take emergency steps to deal with
threats.

Two years ago, a drifting and powerless Russian satellite smashed into and
destroyed a commercial satellite operated by Iridium Communications Inc., a
provider of phone and data services based in McLean, Va. The collision happened
because Pentagon radar sites on the ground and U.S. government assets in space
weren't closely tracking the merging courses of the two satellites. At the
time, top Air Force officials said the U.S. could closely track and issue
collision warnings for only a couple of hundred pieces of orbiting debris.

Since then, both military and commercial satellite operators have put more
resources into tracking space debris. Military and corporate experts have
shared information; some manufacturers have recommended installing additional
sensors on satellites to warn of potential threats; and there has been enhanced
international cooperation.

The National Research Council, which released a report on orbital debris
earlier this month, said some computer models indicate the amount of junk
floating in space "has reached a tipping point...raising the risk of spacecraft
failures.''

As a result, diplomats and military officials from many countries have been
discussing ways to remove or alleviate the dangers of space junk. Various
countries also have been formulating new rules or guidelines to assure that
before satellites completely lose power and no longer can be controlled,
operators will park them in out-of-the-way orbits or safely bring them back to
Earth.

(Okracoke/47060) ABC News>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:21:00 -0500

ABC News>

Troy Davis was executed this evening after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a
last-minute stay of execution.

Davis died at 11:08 p.m., according to a Georgia Department of Corrections
official.

The execution was delayed more than four hours as the U.S. Supreme Court
weighed last-minute arguments from Davis' legal team and the state of Georgia
over whether his execution should be blocked.

The court's decision to deny the stay came without comment after 10 p.m. ET.

At 7:05 p.m. ET, five minutes after his scheduled death, Davis' supporters
erupted in cheers, hugs and tears outside the jail in Jackson, Ga., as
supporters believed Davis had been saved from the death penalty. But Davis was
granted only a temporary reprieve as the Supreme Court considered the decision.

Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of off-duty Savannah, Ga., policeman
Mark MacPhail, and had his execution stayed four times over the course of his
22 years on death row, but multiple legal appeals during that time failed to
prove his innocence.

(Okracoke/47055) from the Washington Post>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:37:00 -0500

from the Washington Post>

The Obama White House tried to rush federal reviewers for a decision on a
nearly half-billion-dollar loan to the solar panel manufacturer Solyndra so
Vice President Biden could announce the approval at a September 2009
groundbreaking for the company.s new factory, newly obtained e-mails show.

The Silicon Valley company, a centerpiece in President Obama.s initiative to
develop clean technologies, had been tentatively approved for the loan by the
Energy Department but was awaiting a final financial review by the Office of
Management and Budget.

The August 2009 e-mails, released toThe Washington Post, show White House
officials repeatedly asking OMB reviewers when they would be able to decide on
the federal loan and noting a looming press event at which they planned to
announce the deal. In response, OMB officials expressed concern that they were
being rushed to approve the company.s project without adequate time to assess
the risk to taxpayers, according to the e-mails, which were provided by
Republican congressional investigators.

Solyndra collapsed two weeks ago, leaving taxpayers liable for the $535 million
loan.

One e-mail from an OMB official referred to .the time pressure we are under to
sign-off on Solyndra.. Another complained, .There isn.t time to negotiate..

..We have ended up with a situation of having to do rushed approvals on a couple
of occasions (and we are worried about Solyndra at the end of the week),. one
official wrote. That August 31, 2009, message, written by a senior OMB staffer
and sent to Terrell P. McSweeny, Biden.s domestic policy adviser, concluded,
..We would prefer to have sufficient time to do our due diligence reviews..

White House officials said Tuesday that no one in the administration tried to
influence OMB.s decision on the loan. They stressed that the e-mails show only
that the administration had a .quite active interest. in the timing of OMB.s
decision.

..There was interest in when a decision would be made because of its impact on
whether an event involving the vice president could be scheduled for a
particular date or not, but the loan guarantee decision was merit-based and
made by career staffers at DOE,. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.

Solyndra spokesman David Miller said he was unaware of any direct involvement
of the White House in securing or accelerating the loan.

The e-mail exchanges could intensify questions about whether the administration
was playing favorites and made costly errors while choosing the first recipient
of a loan guarantee under its stimulus program. Solyndra.s biggest investors
were funds operated on behalf of the family foundation of Tulsa billionaire and
Obama fundraiser George Kaiser. Although he has been a frequent White House
visitor, Kaiser has said he did not use political influence to win approval of
the loan.

The White House has previously said it had no involvement in the Solyndra loan
application and that all decisions were made by career officials based on the
merits of the company.

It is not clear from the e-mails whether the White House e-mails influenced a
final decision to approve the loan guarantee.

The Sept. 4, 2009, groundreaking event went ahead as scheduled, with Energy
Secretary Steven Chu in attendance and Biden speaking to the gathering by
satellite feed.

Republican investigators for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is
holding a hearing on Solyndra Wednesday, concluded that the White House set a
closing date for the OMB approval even before the OMB review had begun.

The White House pressure may have had a .tangible impact. on OMB.s risk
assessment of the loan, the congressional investigators concluded.

In one e-mail, an OMB staff member questioned whether the review team was using
the best model for determining the financial risk to taxpayers in evaluating
the Solyndra deal.

..[G]iven the time pressure we are under to sign-off on Solyndra, we don.t have
time to change the model,. the staffer wrote.

Solyndra was a favorite of the administration until two weeks ago, when it
abruptly shuttered its factory and filed for bankruptcy court protection,
leaving 1,100 people out of work and taxpayers on the hook for the loans. Last
week, FBI agents searched the company.s Silicon Valley headquarters in a raid
that Miller said appeared linked to the loan guarantee.

In one e-mail, an assistant to Rahm Emanuel, then White House chief of staff,
wrote on Aug. 31, 2009, to OMB about the upcoming Biden announcement on
Solyndra and asked whether .there is anything we can help speed along on OMB
side..

An OMB staff member responded: .I would prefer that this announcement be
postponed. ..... This is the first loan guarantee and we should have full
review with all hands on deck to make sure we get it right..

In another message, a White House staff member wrote that officials were
..walking a fine line with Solyndra needing to begin notifying investors to fly
in. for the groundbreaking. It stressed that .this OMB piece. of the review was
not final and pointed out that if word of the groundbreaking leaked to the
public prematurely, that would .leave us in an awkward place..

The e-mails also raise questions about whether the administration should have
foreseen financial trouble. In August 2009, e-mail exchanges between Energy
Department staff members pointed out that a credit rating agency projected that
the project would run out of cash in September 2011. Solyndra shut its doors on
the final day of August.

The committee has been investigating Solyndra.s dealings with the Energy
Department for six months. In July , subcommittee members subpoenaed White
House documents related to the guarantee.

Questions about the selection process were first raised in a July 2010 audit by
the Government Accountability Office. It concluded that the Energy Department
..lacked appropriate tools for assessing the progress. of the loan program and
that the department treated applicants inconsistently, .favoring some
applicants and disadvantaging others..

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Rep.
Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), chairman of that panel.s oversight and investigations
subcommittee, said last week that the FBI raid confirmed their belief that the
..darling. of Obama.s green-jobs program was a .bad bet. from the beginning.

..Solyndra was the hallmark of the President.s green jobs program and widely
promoted by the administration as a stimulus success story, right up until its
bankruptcy and FBI raid,. Upton and Stearns said in a statement on Tuesday.
..Let.s learn the lessons of Solyndra before another dollar goes out the door..

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.) and Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.) . Democrats on the
committee who had once defended the choice of Solyndra . last week also
questioned whether they had been misled. In a letter, they wrote that Solyndra
Chief Executive Brian Harrison .did not convey to us the perilous condition of
the company, and the Committee should know why. .

(Miser/47054) Longshoremen storm Wash. state port, damage RR

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:30:00 -0500

Longshoremen storm Wash. state port, damage RR

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP)  Hundreds of Longshoremen stormed the Port of Longview
early Thursday, overpowered and held security guards, damaged railroad cars,
and dumped grain that is the center of a labor dispute, said Longview Police
Chief Jim Duscha.

Six guards were held hostage for a couple of hours after 500 or more
Longshoremen broke down gates about 4:30 a.m. and smashed windows in the guard
shack, he said.

No one was hurt, and nobody has been arrested. Most of the protesters returned
to their union hall after cutting brake lines and spilling grain from car at
the EGT terminal, Duscha said.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union believes it has the right to
work at the facility, but the company has hired a contractor that's staffing a
workforce of other union laborers.

Thursday's violence was first reported by Kelso radio station KLOG.

Police from several agencies in southwest Washington, the Washington State
Patrol and Burlington Northern Santa Fe responded to the violence to secure the
scene that followed a demonstration Wednesday.

"We're not surprised," Duscha said. "A lot of the protesters were telling us
this in only the start."

One sergeant was threatened with baseball bats and retreated, Duscha said. "One
officer with hundreds of Longshoremen? He used the better part of discretion."

The train was the first grain shipment to arrive at Longview. It arrived
Wednesday night after police arrested 19 demonstrators who tried to block the
tracks. They were led by ILWU International President Robert McEllrath, who
said they would return.

The blockade appeared to defy a federal restraining order issued last week
against the union after it was accused of assaults and death threats.

EGT chief executive Larry Clarke said it was unfortunate that law enforcement
needed to make arrests.

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/longshoremen-storm-wash-state-port-damage-rr-144921214.ht
ml

(Okracoke/47053) (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they had charged ...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:52:00 -0500

(Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they had charged 91 people,
including doctors and nurses, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud
involving approximately $295 million in false billing.

Attorney General Eric Holder, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius and FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry announced the charges
in Washington, saying they resulted from coordinated operations in eight U.S.
cities carried out by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.

"From Brooklyn to Miami to Los Angeles, the defendants allegedly treated the
Medicare program like a personal piggy bank," the head of the Justice
Department's criminal division, Lanny Breuer, told reporters in Washington.

The anti-fraud sweep over the last two weeks involved some 400 law enforcement
agents from the FBI, HHS-Office of the Inspector General, multiple Medicaid
Fraud Control Units, and other state and local law enforcement agencies.

Officials said the operations took place in Miami, Houston, Baton Rouge, Los
Angeles, Detroit, Dallas, New York and Chicago.

Around half of the defendants were charged in Miami, the southeastern city
widely viewed by law enforcement experts as the healthcare fraud capital of the
United States.

The Miami defendants alone were accused of participation in fraud schemes
involving a total of nearly $160 million in false billings for home and mental
health services, occupational and physical therapy, HIV infusion, and other
services.

"South Florida remains ground zero for healthcare fraud," John V. Gillies, FBI
Special Agent in Charge, told reporters in Miami.

According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes
to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and
often never provided.

(Reporting by Tom Brown in Miami and Jeremy Pelofsky in Washington; Editing by
Pascal Fletcher and Jackie Frank)

(Gespalder/47052) According to the BBC

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:26:00 -0500

According to the BBC

Environmental groups are already considering taking legal action to force the
administration to implement the new rules.
Also, the EPA said that under the Clean Air Act it is compelled to revisit the
issue.

(Okracoke/47051) from the Washington Post>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:52:00 -0500

from the Washington Post>

President Obama abruptly pulled back proposed new national smog standards
Friday morning, overruling the Environmental Protection Agency.s efforts to
compel states and communities nationwide to reduce local air pollution in the
coming years or face federal penalties.

The move represented a win for the business community, which had lobbied to
postpone new restrictions on ground-level ozone.known as smog.until 2013 in
light of the current economic downturn.

In a statement, Obama praised EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson.s effort to
improve the nation.s air quality, but said he had asked her to withdraw the
draft standards since they were scheduled to be reconsidered two years from now
anyway.

"Work is already underway to update a 2006 review of the science that will
result in the reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013," Obama said.
"Ultimately, I did not support asking state and local governments to begin
implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered."

Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions from power plants, other industrial
facilities, vehicles and landfills react in the sunlight. Smog can cause or
aggravate health problems such as asthma and heart disease, and it has been
linked to premature death.

The federal government normally reviews the standards for ground-level
ozone.which includes a "primary" one for public health and a "secondary" one
aimed at the environment-- every five years. But Jackson chose to revisit the
standard, which was set under the Bush administration at 75 parts per billion
in March 2008, because that level was significantly higher than the 60 to 70
ppb recommended by the EPA.s scientific advisory committee at the time.

In January 2010, Jackson announced that she would set the standard somewhere
between 60 and 70 parts per billion.

The proposed rule is so contentious because it requires counties to keep local
pollution in check or risk losing federal funds, thereby halting or delaying
the permitting of new industrial facilities. While the most polluted areas will
have up to 20 years to meet the new standards, business leaders suggest it
could stop certain operations from expanding once the economy rebounds.

The decision drew immediate fire from environmentalists.

"It.s unfortunate that the administration is siding with big oil over the
health of children, seniors, and the infirm," said Daniel J. Weiss of the
Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

(Okracoke/47050) CAIRO (AP) . Algeria's state news agency reports members of oust...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:33:00 -0500

CAIRO (AP) . Algeria's state news agency reports members of ousted Libyan
leader Moammar Gadhafi's family have entered Algeria.

The report cited the Foreign Affairs Ministry as saying the family entered the
neighboring country on Monday. It did not immediately provide additional
details or say whether Gadhafi himself was with the family.

(Okracoke/47049) from the Australian Times>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:29:00 -0500

from the Australian Times>

BARACK Obama's long-lost "Uncle Omar" has been arrested for alleged
drink-driving outside Boston and detained as an illegal immigrant, The Times
can reveal.

The arrest ends a mystery over the fate of a relative that the US President
wrote in his memoir had moved to America from Kenya in the 1960s, although the
circumstances of his discovery may now prove to be an embarrassment for the
White House.

Official records say Onyango Obama, 67, was picked up outside the Chicken Bone
Saloon in Framingham, Massachusetts, at 7.10pm on August 24. Police say he
nearly crashed his Mitsubishi 4x4 into a patrol car, and then insisted that the
officer should have given way to him. A report filed with the Framingham
District Court said that a breathalyser at the police station registered his
blood alcohol at 0.14mg/100ml of blood, above the state limit of 0.08mg.

According to a local newspaper, Mr Obama was charged with driving under the
influence and driving to endanger, as well as failing to use a turn signal. He
was detained as an illegal immigrant because the US Bureau of Immigration and
Customs Enforcement has an outstanding warrant for him because he was
previously ordered to be deported to Kenya.

The Times has established from his birthdate that Mr Obama is the Uncle Omar
mentioned in President Obama's best-selling memoir Dreams from My Father. In
the 1995 book, President Obama writes of "the uncle who had left for America 25
years ago and had never come back".

In 2008, The Times mounted a search for Uncle Omar. Instead of finding him, we
discovered his sister, President Obama's Auntie Zeituni, who was living as an
illegal immigrant on a Boston housing estate. Uncle Omar and Auntie Zeituni are
the children of President Obama's grandfather Hussein Onyango Obama, by his
third wife Sarah, the woman President Obama calls "Granny", because she raised
his father, Barack Sr, who was Hussein Obama's son by Hussein's second wife,
Akumu.

The 2008 investigation unearthed public records naming an O. Onyango Obama,
born on June 3, 1944, living at a house in the Boston suburbs, where he was
known as Obama Onyango. Framingham police records list the man arrested last
week as Onyango Obama, with the same birth date, June 3, 1944.

According to local reports, Officer Val Krishtal and another driver had to slam
on their brakes to avoid hitting Mr Obama's car, which rolled through a stop
sign and took a quick left turn. Mr Obama allegedly told the officer he had
right of way and said he doubted the officer was forced to brake hard as he did
not hear his brakes squeal.

Mr Obama pleaded not guilty at his remand hearing, but was held in custody
because of the immigration warrant. He now faces a legal battle. His sister
Zeituni eventually won the right to live in America despite an earlier
deportation order. Margaret Wong, the Cleveland lawyer who successfully
represented Zeituni, confirmed through a representative last night that she has
also been retained to defend Mr Obama.

"Before he went to America, we all knew him as Omar. But he dropped that bit,
changing it to Obama Onyango, because he said he preferred his African name,"
said Nelson Ochieng, a cousin in the Kenyan city of Kisumu.

Mr Obama's landlady in Boston went to court to evict him in 2000 for
non-payment of his dollars 500-a-month rent. He was also a partner in a
convenience store that was set up in 1992, and was attacked in a robbery at the
shop in 1994 by two men armed with a sawn-off rifle.

(Okracoke/47048) UK Telegraph>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:07:00 -0500

UK Telegraph>

Reporters discovered Megrahi lying comatose and surviving on an intravenous
drip in a room in his family's palatial villa.

Relatives said that he was close to death and insisted that they were being
given no help from Gaddafi regime amid the fall of the capital.

His son, Khaled Elmegarhi, told CNN: "We just give him oxygen. Nobody gives us
any advice. There is no doctor. There is nobody to ask. We don't have any phone
line to call anybody."

Megrahi was freed from a prison in Scotland in 2009 on compassionate grounds.

He had served eight years of a life sentence for blowing up the Pan Am 103 over
Lockerbie in December 1988.

(Okracoke/47047) (Reuters) - A convoy of six Mercedes cars have crossed from Liby...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:04:00 -0500

(Reuters) - A convoy of six Mercedes cars have crossed from Libya into Algeria,
Egypt's state MENA news agency reported Saturday, quoting a rebel source.

It was impossible to verify the report and it was not immediately clear who
might have been in any convoy, but MENA quoted the source as speculating that
senior Libyan officials or Muammar Gaddafi himself and his sons may have fled
the country.

"It is believed that these vehicles were carrying senior Libyan officials, and
possibly Gaddafi and his sons," MENA quoted the source as saying.

Algerian officials were not immediately reachable for comment.

The agency quoted the source from the rebel Military Council in the city of
Ghadamis, on the Algerian border, as saying that the convoy of Armored cars
crossed the frontier Friday morning protected by the commander of a desert
nomadic military unit that had apparently operated under Gaddafi.

The source was quoted as saying the rebels were unable to chase and stop the
convoy.

Libyan rebels said Friday they were close to capturing Gaddafi, who has
disappeared after his Bab al-Aziziya bastion fell to the rebels Tuesday.

Algeria's Foreign Ministry denied Friday that it was linking any recognition of
Libya's rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) to a commitment from the
council to crack down on Islamist militants.

A government source in Algeria had told Reuters Thursday that it would not yet
grant recognition to the NTC, and that it wanted to be certain that Libya's
rulers were engaged in fighting al Qaeda's north African wing.

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Alison Williams)

(Mama K/47046) VA and MD also have mandatory evacuations in place for costal ar...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:28:00 -0500

VA and MD also have mandatory evacuations in place for costal areas.  DC and
the surrounding metro area have sandbags available for residents to help guard
against flooding.

Source: wmzq.com
(The local country radio station's website)

(KAM/47045) North Carolina residents near the coast are now being evacuated,...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:56:00 -0500


North Carolina residents near the coast are now being evacuated, and should be
out by 8PM ET.

New York City is also evacuating all of the low-laying areas in the Five
Boroughs. Mass transit will be closed at noon Saturday.

-- CNN

(KAM/47044) A 4.5 magnitude earthquake has again come out of Virginia, at ap...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:31:00 -0500


A 4.5 magnitude earthquake has again come out of Virginia, at aproximately
1:07:50 AM ET, 31 miles east of Charlottesville, VA.

-- USGS

(KAM/47043) STEVE JOBS RESIGNS FROM APPLE, TIM COOK BECOME CEO

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:10:00 -0500


STEVE JOBS RESIGNS FROM APPLE, TIM COOK BECOME CEO

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Silicon Valley legend Steve Jobs on Wednesday
resigned as chief executive of Apple Inc in a stunning move that ended his
14-year reign at the technology giant he co-founded in a garage.

Apple shares dived as much as 7 percent in after-hours trade after the
pancreatic cancer survivor and industry icon, who has been on medical leave for
an undisclosed condition since January 17, announced he will be replaced by COO
and longtime heir apparent Tim Cook.

Analysts do not expect Jobs' resignation -- which had long been foreseen -- to
derail the company's fabled product-launch roadmap, including possibly a new
iPhone in September and a third iteration of the iPad tablet in 2012.

[Click here to see reactions on Twitter]

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my
duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know.
Unfortunately, that day has come," he said in a brief letter announcing his
resignation.

The 55-year-old CEO had briefly emerged from his medical leave in March to
unveil the latest version of the iPad and later to attend a dinner hosted by
President Barack Obama for technology leaders in Silicon Valley.

Jobs' often-gaunt appearance has sparked questions about his health and his
ability to continue at Apple.

"I will say to investors: don't panic and remain calm, it's the right thing to
do. Steve will be chairman and Cook is CEO," said BGC Financial analyst Colin
Gillis.

Apple shares slid to $357.40 in extended trading after a brief halt. They had
gained 0.7 percent to close at $376.18 on the Nasdaq.

Analysts again expressed confidence in the Apple bench, headed by longtime
company No. 2 and supply-chain maven Cook.

"Investors are very comfortable with Tim Cook even though Jobs has been a
driver of innovation and clearly an Apple success. Tim has shown Apple can
still outperform extremely well when he's been acting as CEO," said Cross
Research analyst Shannon Cross.

"I don't know if it's a health issue. I don't know if it is a shock. Most
likely it was going to happen at some point. Why today versus another day? I
don't know."

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta and Edwin Chan; Editing by Gary Hill)

(Okracoke/47042) from Wired>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:26:00 -0500

from Wired>

Google agreed Wednesday to pay a $500 million fine to the U.S. government for
knowingly allowing Canadian pharmacies to advertise prescription drugs to U.S.
residents.

Importing drugs into the U.S. is not legal, though the feds almost always turn
a blind eye to drugs from Canada and don.t prosecute individuals.

The forfeiture, which the feds describe as one of the largest ever, forces
Google to return all the revenue it generated from those ads, and pay the feds
the estimated gross revenue of the Canadian pharmacy sites that placed the ads.

The announcement was widely expected as Google mentioned in an SEC filing in
May it was setting aside half a billion to pay a fine. The fine represents more
than 20% of Google.s profits from the first quarter of this year.

"This investigation is about the patently unsafe, unlawful, importation of
prescription drugs by Canadian on-line pharmacies, with Google.s knowledge and
assistance, into the United States, directly to U.S. consumers," said Peter
Neronha, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island in a written
statement. "It is about holding Google responsible for its conduct by imposing
a $500 million forfeiture, the kind of forfeiture that will not only get
Google.s attention, but the attention of all those who contribute to America.s
pill problem."

The investigation also involved crack undercover work that included the feds
setting up fake online pharmacies to see if Google profited illegally from ads
placed by non-U.S. pharmacies. Their interest was picqued after the feds busted
a fugitive who fled to Mexico and began selling drugs online using Google.s
self-serve AdWords system. After the Secret Service nabbed him in Mexico and
told them about his use of AdWords, the feds set up a series of sting
operations.

The investigation also included the FDA and Rhode Island.s attorney general.

Google and other search sites blocked many overseas pharmacy ads in early 2010,
because it.s illegal for U.S. citizens to have such drugs imported.

Google did, however, make an exception for Canadian pharmacies . though it
limited them to ones approved by a licensing body.

Google changed its policy on pharmacy ads in February 2010, so that it would
only take ads from U.S. pharmacies accredited by the National Association of
Boards of Pharmacy, and from online pharmacies in Canada that are accredited by
the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.

That compromise was not, however, enough to placate the authorities.

U.S. citizens order from Canadian and overseas pharmacies to get cheaper prices
on medicine, though it.s illegal to do so even with a prescription or for drugs
not available in the U.S.. Online ordering also carries a higher risk of
encountering counterfeit pills. Last summer, a 22 year-old Canadian was
sentenced to 33 months in a U.S. federal prison for selling fake
cancer-fighting drugs over the internet.

Still, it.s not clear that extracting $500 million from Google.s rather full
coffers is going to do much to stop the business of online pharmacies. Those
sites are already masters of spam e-mails and spam websites, in no small part
because the expensive U.S. health care system creates a lot of demand for
cheaper drugs.

And now instead of paying a U.S.-based company for online ads, those pharmacies
will likely simply invest that money into getting to the top of that site.s
search results by spending more money on spammy websites and black-hat SEO.

(Okracoke/47041) (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Wednesday that...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:43:00 -0500

(Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Wednesday that his withdrawal
from his Bab al-Aziziya headquarters was a "tactical move" after the compound
was leveled by 64 NATO air strikes.

Speaking in an address on a local Tripoli radio station, which was reported by
Al-Orouba TV, broadcasting in conjunction with Al-Rai TV, Gaddafi also vowed
"martyrdom" or victory in his fight against NATO.

(Okracoke/47040) from Aviation Week>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:29:00 -0500

from Aviation Week>

Managers at NASA replanning the troubled James Webb Space Telescope have
concluded it will cost $8.7 billion to finish the observatory in time for a
launch in 2018 and operate it at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point for five
years.

The agency says that by the end of fiscal 2011 it will have spent $3.5 billion
so far on the telescope, which means another $5.2 billion must be found by the
end of the five-year mission following launch in 2018.

An agency spokesman said Monday the revised figure.an increase of $3.6 billion
over NASA.s most recent life-cycle-cost estimate for the big infrared space
observatory.includes all development, launch operations and science costs.
Details of how the agency will pay the cost will be covered in the fiscal 2013
NASA budget request now in preparation, the spokesman says.

Work on the telescope has continued since a panel headed by John Casani, a
special assistant to the director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with long
experience developing scientific spacecraft, found the $5.1 billion estimate to
completion was at least $1.4 billion short. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
ordered the Casani study. Mikulski represents Goddard Space Flight Center,
where the Webb is managed, and also chairs the Senate appropriations panel that
funds NASA. NASA has made key personnel changes at Goddard after Casani.s group
concluded the problem was managerial rather than technical.

The telescope will have a 6.5-meter mirror.comprising 18 individually pointed
segments.positioned at L2 to peer back deeper into the universe than ever
before, using the infrared wavelengths to detect the red-shifted earliest
objects that emerged from the so-called "cosmic dark ages" after the Big Bang.

(KAM/47039) LaGuardia and JFK airports in NYC are not allowing flights to ta...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:58:00 -0500


LaGuardia and JFK airports in NYC are not allowing flights to take off or land
at this time -- CNN

(KAM/47038) Two nuclear reactors in Louisa County, VA have been taken offlin...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:54:00 -0500


Two nuclear reactors in Louisa County, VA have been taken offline as
precautionary measures are enacted, operating off of four emergency diesel
generators. There are no reports of any damage so far.

AT&T, Verizon & Sprint report that there are no damages to any cell phone
towers or network, but that customers may experience difficulties due to
congestion on the networks as people call to check on loved ones.

Emergency management officials in DC are advising the public to stay out of
federal buildings and the DC metro subway until they can confirm if there is
any damage.

CNN, FOX

(Justin Case/47037) Felt it in Charlotte, NC.

Justin Case@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:28:00 -0500

Felt it in Charlotte, NC.

(Smoke Eater/47036) 5.9 Magnitude earthquake hits VA/DC/NY, centered between Richmon...

Smoke Eater@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:18:00 -0500

5.9 Magnitude earthquake hits VA/DC/NY, centered between Richmond VA and
Charlottesville VA

Source: Me (with supplemental information from usgs.gov, cnn.com, foxnews.com,
and washingtonpost.com)

(Darkhaven/47035) Earthquake:

Darkhaven@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:08:00 -0500

Earthquake:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/32.42.-80.-70.php

(Okracoke/47034) from the WSJ>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:42:00 -0500

from the WSJ>

Libyans poured into streets surrounding Moammar Gadhafi's fortress-like
compound in Tripoli on Tuesday, after rebels captured it following fierce
street battles against forces loyal to the longtime leader.

Streets around the Bab al-Aziziya compound rang with mortars, heavy
machine-guns and anti-aircraft guns throughout much of the day Tuesday as
rebels took up positions around Col. Gadhafi's symbolic stronghold.

By late afternoon gunfire ceased and rebels and Tripoli residents poured onto
the streets. An overpass about a half-mile from the complex, on which rebels
had taken up position just an hour before, thronged with people.

The compound's green gates were blasted open and hundreds of rebels were
pouring into the complex, the Associated Press reported, some driving golf
carts as the area resounded with celebratory gunfire.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Col. Gadhafi or members of his immediate
family were in the compound when it was breached by the rebels, but battle's
ferocity led many to speculate that the longtime leader may have been inside.

The report that rebels were celebrating within the walls of Col. Gadhafi's
symbolic stronghold came after two days of whipsawing reports out of the Libyan
capital over what appears to be the final phase of Libyan rebels' six-month
battle to oust the world's longest-tenured current ruler.

On Sunday, rebels swept into Col. Gadhafi's last stronghold city and the center
of his nearly 42-year rule, and celebrated on the city's central Green Square.
But battles continued Monday. Forces loyal to Col. Gadhafi conducted lightning
strikes on rebels, several neighborhoods appeared to remain in the control of
loyalist soldiers and residents spoke of snipers situated in several
neighborhoods.

Throughout Tuesday, forces loyal to Col. Gadhafi continued to battle through
Tripoli's densely populated neighborhoods, attacking and defending patches of
territory across the seemingly divided capital.

Specific districts of Tripoli have become notorious for their antiregime
protests during the six months of Libya's civil war, while other neighborhoods
have remained forcibly allied with the leader.loyal men and families who owe
their careers, tribal ties and social positions to Col. Gadhafi. These
divisions have erupted in increasingly bloody street fighting that threaten a
vacuum of power and a Balkanized break-up of this city of two million people.

Ibrahim Dabbashi, who represents rebel leadership as the deputy Libyan
ambassador to the United Nations, confirmed rebels had taken the compound.

"Citizens are free to walk in there now," he said at a news conference at
Libya's mission to the UN in New York. "We just have to take care of any
explosives that may have been left in there."

He said he expected Col. Moammar Gadhafi, his family members and other high
officials to be in hiding in the city's underground tunnels.built by the Libyan
leader for security purposes in recent years, he said.or in private homes. He
expressed confidence they would be captured "within 72 hours."

Taking Col. Gadhafi's complex, which has already been heavily damaged by North
Atlantic Treaty Organization airstrikes, would mark one of the greatest
symbolic victories for the rebels.

Arabic news channel Al Arabiya showed live footage of Libyans celebrating in
front of the section of the compound that Col. Moammar Gadhafi used as a shrine
to the 1986 U.S. bombing raid that failed to kill him.

On Tuesday afternoon, groups of young men dressed in T-shirts and jeans,
climbed up the sculpture of a clenched fist holding a U.S. warplane that stands
in a courtyard in front of the building. Other young men, some carrying AK-47
rifles, rampaged through the building, grabbing war souvenirs from inside.

The "situation is fluid" said a Pentagon spokesman.

(Okracoke/47033) By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 05:58:00 -0500

By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times

August 23, 2011, 7:09 a.m.
Reporting from Tripoli.
Explosions and gunfire rattled parts of Libya's capital Tuesday as rebels
prepared to launch an offensive against the huge central compound of Moammar
Kadafi, the aging colonel whose rule appeared to be crumbling in the face of
NATO airstrikes and opposition advances.

Residents living near Kadafi's Bab Azizya compound, a vast fortress in the
middle of Tripoli, reported indiscriminate gun and tank fire by loyalist forces
attempting to fend off a rebel encirclement of the compound. NATO warplanes
could be heard scouring the skies above.

As many as 500 highly trained fighters from the rebel-controlled city of
Misurata were said to be moving to participate in the battle against the
compound.

Residents of the capital described corpses on roadways and deprivation as the
battle appeared to reach a climax.

"There is fire and rockets," said Faiza bin Taleb, 43, sitting in a car outside
Tripoli with her three children in the backseat. "We have no electricity and no
water. It's difficult to leave our homes but my children were afraid and
constantly crying."

"For the Kadafi regime, this is the final chapter," NATO spokeswoman Oana
Lungescu said Tuesday. "The end is near, and events are moving fast. What's
clear to everybody is that Kadafi is history, and the sooner he realizes it,
the better."

Rebels based in the western Nafusa Mountain range continued to pour into the
Kadafi-controlled lowlands, challenging Kadafi's forces in and around the
capital's international airport. One rebel commander said Kadafi was finished
but had up to two weeks of fight left in him.

A sense of paranoia pervaded rebel ranks, with rumors of a "fifth column" of
Kadafi loyalists firing at rebels while flying the red, black and green flag of
the opposition.

"There are snipers here," said Hisham Hassan, a 34-year-old rebel fighter in
the western Tripoli district of Zanzour. "Sometimes they are atop mosques and
sometimes on schools."

The heavy fighting has taken a toll on the city's civilians. Dr. Fathi Arabi,
an orthopedist at Tripoli's Central Hospital, said between 50 and 100 people
had been killed and hundreds wounded at his facility alone.

But the sense of joy at overcoming Kadafi was palpable. Several residents said
the opposition controlled vast swaths of the city. At checkpoints inside
Tripoli, rebels placed the once-ubiquitous canvas portraits of Kadafi on the
ground for drivers to run over. A two-man team armed with spray paint scoured
public buildings and roadways to deface his portrait and cross out his name.
Rebels ignored news that Kadfafi's son and heir apparent, Saif Islam Kadafi,
was alive and well and giving interviews, and not imprisoned as the rebel
leadership had claimed.

"We know Kadafi is gone," said Hossam Khalifa, a 34-year-old rebel fighter in
eastern Tripoli.

(KAM/47032) Libyan rebels take most of Tripoli

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:26:00 -0500


Libyan rebels take most of Tripoli
APBy BEN HUBBARD - Associated Press,KARIN LAUB - Associated Press | AP  1 hr 48
mins ago

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP)  Euphoric Libyan rebels took control of most of Tripoli in
a lightning advance Sunday, celebrating the victory in Green Square, the
symbolic heart of Moammar Gadhafi's regime. Gadhafi's defenders quickly melted
away as his 42-year rule crumbled, but the leader's whereabouts were unknown
and pockets of resistance remained.

State TV broadcast Gadhafi's bitter pleas for Libyans to defend his regime.
Opposition fighters captured his son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam,
who along with his father faces charges of crimes against humanity at the
International Criminal Court in the Netherlands. Another son was under house
arrest.

"It's over, frizz-head," chanted hundreds of jubilant men and women massed in
Green Square, using a mocking nickname of the curly-haired Gadhafi. The
revelers fired shots in the air, clapped and waved the rebels' tricolor flag.
Some set fire to the green flag of Gadhafi's regime and shot holes in a poster
with the leader's image.

The startling rebel breakthrough, after a long deadlock in Libya's 6-month-old
civil war, was the culmination of a closely coordinated plan by rebels, NATO
and anti-Gadhafi residents inside Tripoli, rebel leaders said. Rebel fighters
from the west swept over 20 miles (30 kilometers) in a matter of hours Sunday,
taking town after town and overwhelming a major military base as residents
poured out to cheer them. At the same time, Tripoli residents secretly armed by
rebels rose up.

When rebels reached the gates of Tripoli, the special battalion entrusted by
Gadhafi with guarding the capital promptly surrendered. The reason: Its
commander, whose brother had been executed by Gadhafi years ago, was secretly
loyal to the rebellion, a senior rebel official Fathi al-Baja told The
Associated Press.

Al-Baja, the head of the rebels' political committee, said the opposition's
National Transitional Council had been working on the offensive for the past
three months, coordinating with NATO and rebels within Tripoli. Sleeper cells
were set up in the capital, armed by rebel smugglers. On Thursday and Friday,
NATO intensified strikes inside the capital, and on Saturday, the sleeper cells
began to rise up.

President Barack Obama said Libya is "slipping from the grasp of a tyrant" and
urged Gadhafi to relinquish power to prevent more bloodshed.

"The future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people," Obama said in a
statement from Martha's Vineyard, where he's vacationing. He promised to work
closely with rebels.

By the early hours of Monday, opposition fighters controlled most of the
capital. The seizure of Green Square held profound symbolic value  the plaza
was the scene of pro-Gadhafi rallies organized by the regime almost every
night, and Gadhafi delivered speeches to his loyalists from the historic Red
Fort that overlooks the square. Rebels and Tripoli residents set up checkpoints
around the city, though pockets of pro-Gadhafi fighters remained. In one area,
AP reporters with the rebels were stopped and told to take a different route
because of regime snipers nearby.

Abdel-Hakim Shugafa, a 26-year-old rebel fighter, said he was stunned by how
easy it was. He saw only about 20 minutes of gunbattles as he and his fellow
fighters pushed into the capital at nightfall.

"I expect Libya to be better," said Shugafa, part of a team guarding the
National Bank near Green Square. "He (Gadhafi) oppressed everything in the
country  health and education. Now we can build a better Libya."

In a series of angry and defiant audio messages broadcast on state television,
Gadhafi called on his supporters to march in the streets of the capital and
"purify it" of "the rats." He was not shown in the messages.

His defiance raised the possibility of a last-ditch fight over the capital,
home to 2 million people. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim claimed the
regime has "thousands and thousands of fighters" and vowed: "We will fight. We
have whole cities on our sides. They are coming en masse to protect Tripoli to
join the fight."

But it seemed that significant parts of Gadhafi's regime and military were
abandoning him. His prime minister, Al-Baghdadi Al-Mahmoudi, fled to a hotel in
the Tunisian city of Djerba, said Guma el-Gamaty, a London-based rebel
spokesman.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Gadhafi's regime was "clearly
crumbling" and that the time to create a new democratic Libya has arrived.

It was a stunning reversal for Gadhafi, who earlier this month had seemed to
have a firm grip on his stronghold in the western part of Libya, despite months
of NATO airstrikes on his military. Rebels had been unable to make any advances
for weeks, bogged down on the main fronts with regime troops in the east and
center of the country.

Gadhafi is the Arab world's longest-ruling, most erratic, most grimly
fascinating leader  presiding for 42 years over this North African desert
nation with vast oil reserves and just 6 million people. For years, he was an
international pariah blamed for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jumbo jet over
Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people. After years of denial, Gadhafi's
Libya acknowledged responsibility, agreed to pay up to $10 million to relatives
of each victim, and the Libyan rule declared he would dismantle his weapons of
mass destruction program.

That eased him back into the international community.

But on February 22, days after the uprising against him began, Gadhafi gave a
televised speech vowing to hunt down protesters "inch by inch, room by room,
home by home, alleyway by alleyway." The speech caused a furor that helped fuel
the armed rebellion against him and it has been since mocked in songs and
spoofs across the Arab world.

As the rebel force advanced on Tripoli on Sunday, taking town after town,
thousands of jubilant civilians rushed out of their homes to cheer the long
convoys of pickup trucks packed with fighters shooting in the air. One man
grabbed a rebel flag that had been draped over the hood of a slow-moving car
and kissed it, overcome with emotion.

Akram Ammar, 26, fled his hometown of Tripoli in March and on Sunday was among
the rebel fighters pouring back in.

"It is a happiness you can't describe but also some fear. It will take us time
to clear the entire city. I expect a long time for Libyans to get used to the
new system and the new democracy," he said, dressed in camouflage pants and
black shirt and sporting the long beard of a conservative Muslim. "But in the
end it will be better."

The rebels' leadership council, based in the eastern city of Benghazi, sent out
mobile text messages to Tripoli residents, proclaiming, "Long live Free Libya"
and urging them to protect public property. Internet service returned to the
capital for the first time in six months.

The day's first breakthrough came when hundreds of rebels fought their way into
a major symbol of the Gadhafi regime  the base of the elite 32nd Brigade
commanded by Gadhafi's son, Khamis. Fighters said they met little resistance.
They were 16 miles from the big prize, Tripoli.

Hundreds of rebels cheered wildly and danced as they took over the compound
filled with eucalyptus trees, raising their tricolor from the front gate and
tearing down a large billboard of Gadhafi. From a huge warehouse, they loaded
their trucks with hundreds of crates of rockets, artillery shells and
large-caliber ammunition.

One group started up a tank, drove it out of the gate, crushing the median of
the main highway and driving off toward Tripoli.

The rebels also freed more than 300 prisoners from a regime lockup, most of
them arrested during the heavy crackdown on the uprising in towns west of
Tripoli. The fighters and the prisoners  many looking weak and dazed and
showing scars and bruises from beatings  embraced and wept with joy.

"We were sitting in our cells when all of a sudden we heard lots of gunfire and
people yelling 'God is great.' We didn't know what was happening, and then we
saw rebels running in and saying 'We're on your side.' And they let us out,"
said 23-year-old Majid al-Hodeiri. He said he was captured four months ago by
Gadhafi's forces crushing the uprising in his home city of Zawiya. He said he
was beaten and tortured while under detention.

From the military base, the convoy sped toward the capital.

Mahmoud al-Ghwei, 20 and unarmed, said he had just came along with a friend for
the ride .

"It's a great feeling. For all these years, we wanted freedom and Gadhafi kept
it from us. Now we're going to get rid of Gadhafi and get our freedom," he
said.

The uprising against Gadhafi broke out in mid-February, and anti-regime
protests quickly spread. A brutal regime crackdown quickly transformed the
protests into an armed rebellion. Rebels seized Libya's east, setting up an
internationally recognized transitional government there, and two pockets in
the west, the port city of Misrata and the Nafusa mountain range.

Gadhafi clung to the remaining territory, and for months neither side had been
able to break the other.

In early August, however, rebels launched an offensive from the Nafusa
Mountains, intending to open a new, western front to break the deadlock. They
fought their way down to the Mediterranean coastal plain, backed by NATO
airstrikes, and captured the strategic city of Zawiya.

Rebel fighters who spoke to relatives in Tripoli by phone said hundreds rushed
into the streets in anti-regime protests in several neighborhoods on Sunday.

"We received weapons by sea from Benghazi. They sent us weapons in boats," said
Ibrahim Turki, a rebel in the Tripoli neighborhood of Tajoura, which saw heavy
fighting the past two days. "Without their weapons, we would not have been able
to stand in the face of the mighty power of Gadhafi forces."

Thousands celebrated in the streets of Benghazi, the rebels' de facto capital
hundreds of miles to the east. Firing guns into the air and shooting fireworks,
they cheered and waved the rebel tricolor flags, dancing and singing in the
city's main square.

When rebels moved in, the regime unit guarding the capital, known as the
Mohammed Megrayef battalion, surrendered and its commander ordered its troops
to put down their arms. Al-Baja, the rebel official, said that the commander,
Barani Eshkal, had secretly defected earlier to the rebels, embittered by the
1986 execution of his brother, who had joined a coup attempt against Gadhafi.

Eshkal also pointed out to the rebels the hiding place of Gadhafi's son Seif
al-Islam in a hotel, al-Baja said. Rebel chief Mustafa Abdel-Jalil in Benghazi
confirmed to the AP that the rebels captured Seif but refused to give details.

In the Netherlands, the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Luis
Moreno-Ocampo, said his office would talk to the rebels on Monday about Seif
al-Islam's transfer for trial. "It is time for justice, not revenge,"
Moreno-Ocampo told the AP.

Seif al-Islam, his father and Libya's intelligence chief were indicted earlier
this year for allegedly ordering, planning and participating in illegal attacks
on civilians in the early days of the violent crackdown on anti-regime
protesters.

Another son, Mohammed, was under house arrest. Mohammed, who is in charge of
Libyan telecommunications, appeared on the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera,
saying his house was surrounded by armed rebels.

"They have guaranteed my safety. I have always wanted good for all Libyans and
was always on the side of God," he said. Close to the end of the interview,
there was the sound of heavy gunfire and Mohammed said rebels had entered his
house before the phone line cut off.

___

Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Cairo contributed to this report.
\

(Lochner/47031) Capa, wrong room, that's NAP>.

Lochner@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:15:00 -0500

Capa, wrong room, that's NAP>.

(Faunus/47030) (For the record, "CNSNews.com", despite the name, isn't an actua...

Faunus@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:50:00 -0500

(For the record, "CNSNews.com", despite the name, isn't an actual news site
either.)

(Capa/47029) New fuel efficiency pact to save consumers $1.7 trillion

Capa@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:48:00 -0500


New fuel efficiency pact to save consumers $1.7 trillion

Detroit News Washington Bureau
http://tinyurl.com/3d42kh2

Washington -- President Barack Obama said Friday the deal cut between his
administration and major automakers, increasing fuel efficiency standards to
54.5 mpg by 2025, will save consumers $1.7 trillion over the lifetime of those
vehicles.

In announcing the pact, Obama was joined by 13 automakers, including
representatives of Detroit's Big Three, Toyota Motor Corp., BMW AG, Honda Motor
Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co.

Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG aren't on board with the deal, and didn't
participate in Friday's event in Washington.

"This agreement on fuel standards represents the single most important step
we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," the
president said.

"We've set an aggressive target, and the companies are stepping up to the
plate."

On a conference call with reporters, administration officials said cars would
have to average 62 mpg by 2025 and light trucks 44 mpg, in order to make the
government's fleetwide demand of 54.5 mpg.

(John Public/47028) .... in 2025.

John Public@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:31:00 -0500

.... in 2025.

(JuggernautXL/47027) Obama's New Fuel Economy Standards Will Increase Cost of a Car M...

JuggernautXL@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:23:00 -0500

Obama's New Fuel Economy Standards Will Increase Cost of a Car More Than
$11,000
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-fuel-economy-regs-can-cause-vehicl
TINYURL: http://tinyurl.com/3d5fzgn

http://www.cargroup.org/pdfs/ami.pdf
Study itself

Anyways, I'd read the article, the headline, although technically accurate,
considering what it is based on, may be misconstrued as to what it means and
when.

(John Public/47026) This just in: Laura Ingraham is not a journalist.

John Public@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:49:00 -0500

This just in: Laura Ingraham is not a journalist.

(Paladin Grendel/47025) http://www.lauraingraham.com/b/Obamas-New-Fuel-Economy-Standards...

Paladin Grendel@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 03:51:00 -0500

http://www.lauraingraham.com/b/Obamas-New-Fuel-Economy-Standards-Will-
Increase-Cost-of-a-Car-More-Than-$11,000/328215043884577608.html

The Obama Administrations new fuel economy standards will cause the retail
price of average motor vehicles to increase over $11,000, according to a study
conducted by the Center for Automotive Research.

(Capa/47024) Moody's, S&P Mortgage Ratings Face Probe

Capa@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:33:00 -0500


Moody's, S&P Mortgage Ratings Face Probe

http://tinyurl.com/4yl56l3

The U.S. Justice Department is probing Moody's Investors Service and Standard &
Poor's over ratings of mortgage-backed securities, according to three former
employees who said they were interviewed by investigators.

Washington-based lawyers from the Justice Department spoke to former employees
as recently as last month about whether the companies raised their grades for
the complex investments in order to win business, said the former employees,
who asked for anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. The inquiry is a
civil matter, two of them said.

The probe is the latest of dozens of government investigations and investor
lawsuits targeting Moody's and S&P, a unit of McGraw-Hill Cos., all based in
New York, over the top grades they assigned to bonds backed by subprime
mortgages. Even as the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission called them "key
enablers of the financial meltdown," the raters avoided legal liability,
according to Benchmark Co.'s Edward Atorino.

(Sheik Yerbouti/47022 Forum Moderator) Both commentary and requests for clarification are off-topic. Pl...

Sheik Yerbouti@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:59:00 -0500


Both commentary and requests for clarification are off-topic. Please take it to
Mail> or Xes. Thanks.

(Big Dan/47021) Wikipedia says differently.

Big Dan@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:13:00 -0500

Wikipedia says differently.
Born    Willard Mitt Romney
March 12, 1947 (age 64)
Detroit, Michigan

"Romney was named after hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott, his father's best
friend,[6] and his father's cousin Milton "Mitt" Romney,[7] 1925-1929
quarterback for the Chicago Bears."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

(Faunus/47019) His given name is Mittens. Source: wikipedia

Faunus@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:25:00 -0500

His given name is Mittens.  Source: wikipedia

(Rian/47017) Request for clarification on '015:

Rian@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:47:00 -0500

Request for clarification on '015:

Isn't the man's name Willard Mitt Romney?  Is he really "Mittens"?

(Okracoke/47016) from the SF Chronicle>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:34:00 -0500

from the SF Chronicle>

An international group of hackers threatened Saturday to wage a cyberwar
against BART in retaliation for the agency's decision to cut cell phone service
to prevent a separate protest last week.

The activist group, known as Anonymous, also called for a nonviolent protest
Monday evening at BART's Civic Center Station.

Members of the Anonymous group have claimed responsibility for disrupting
Tunisian and Libyan government websites to coincide with street protests.

BART's shutdown of service was condemned by some free-speech advocates who said
the transit officials, fearing that organizers used phones to coordinate their
movements, had denied the protesters' rights to peacefully gather.

"In the Bay Area, we've seen people gagged, and once more, Anonymous will
attempt to show those engaging in the censorship what it feels like to be
silenced," a news release from the group said.

The group also encouraged Monday's protesters to carry video cameras, "to
record further abuses of power by the police and to legitimize the protest. The
media will certainly spin this in an attempt to make our actions appear to be
violent or somehow harmful to the citizenry at large."
BART aware of plans

Jim Allison, a BART spokesman, said officials are aware of the planned protest
and have held meetings to prepare for the event.

He would not say whether officials would turn off cell service again.

"The safety of our customers is our No. 1 priority, and we're going to do what
we can to keep people safe," Allison said. "We're just going to leave it at
that."

On Thursday, BART switched off the transit system's underground cell phone
network in downtown San Francisco after it learned that individuals were
planning to use mobile devices to coordinate a protest. The people were
protesting a July 3 fatal shooting by BART police.

Some of BART's critics compared the shutdown to the Egyptian government's
blocking of Internet and cell phone service during protests this spring.

State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, was one of those who slammed BART's
action.

"I am shocked that BART thinks they can use authoritarian control tactics," Yee
said in a statement Saturday. "BART's decision was not only a gross violation
of free speech rights; it was irresponsible and compromised public safety."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/13/BAH71KN6
CK.DTL#ixzz1Uy0YH0F4

(Okracoke/47015) http://www.desmoinesregister.com/

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:50:00 -0500

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/

Michele Bachmann wins the Iowa straw poll with 28.55%
Ron Paul second with 27.65%
Pawlenty third with 13.57%
Mittens Romney 3.36%

(Okracoke/47013) from MS NBC>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:52:00 -0500

from MS NBC>

WASHINGTON . A U.S. appeals court ruled Friday that President Barack Obama's
healthcare law requiring Americans to buy healthcare insurance or face a
penalty was unconstitutional, a blow to the White House.

The U.S. Appeals Court for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, found that
Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to buy coverage, but
also ruled that the rest of the wide-ranging law could remain in effect.

The legality of the so-called individual mandate, a cornerstone of the
healthcare law, is widely expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The
Obama administration has defended the provision as constitutional.

(Okracoke/47012) JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) . Tiger Woods has shot his worst round eve...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:56:00 -0500

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) . Tiger Woods has shot his worst round ever at the PGA
Championship.

After playing the first five holes Thursday at 3 under, Woods fell apart on his
way to a 7-over 77. He knocked two balls in the water, spent much of his day in
the sand and wound up with three double bogeys and five bogeys.

Woods had never shot worst than 75 at the PGA until his miserable round at
Atlanta Athletic Club. The only other time he posted a higher score in a major
was that 81 in the third round of the British Open, played in awful conditions
at Muirfield.

Steve Stricker is the early leader, pushing his score to 7 under through 15
holes. Woods has his work cut out for him just to make the cut.

Read more: http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2088067,00.html#
ixzz1UkCZLOX3

(KAM/47011) Violence Quelled As Cops Warn Off Vigilantes

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:56:00 -0500


Violence Quelled As Cops Warn Off Vigilantes
5:40am UK, Thursday August 11, 2011

Mark White, home affairs correspondent
Across London, in borough after borough, the massive police presence appears to
have succeeded in bringing an end to the worst of the disorder.

However, it would be premature to suggest that things in the capital have
returned to normal.

The sight of thousands of police on the streets is certainly not normal, nor is
the image of whole streets shuttered-up, shops closed early for fear of
violence.

Groups of worried residents gathering on street corners is another indication
that things are still far from normal.

Senior police commanders though have a growing sense of hope that we may have
turned a corner, but they are not complacent.

This coming weekend, a week on from the start of the riots, could prove
challenging.

For the moment at least, the huge policing effort will remain in place. But no
one is trying to pretend that such an intensive operation can be sustained over
the long term.

The short-term strategy is to continue with a robust and well resourced police
presence.

The long-term hope seems to be that this short-term strategy will provide
enough time to take the sting out of the current situation, to allow tempers to
cool and convince those taking part in disorder that the consequences for their
actions will be severe.

Residents take to the streets to protect their properties

Residents took to the streets in Enfield, on Tuesday night

The only disorder on Wednesday night was confined to Eltham in southeast
London. Ironically, it was an apparent attempt at community protection which
ended in a confrontation with the police.

Around 100 local men in Eltham took to the streets, warning that they were
willing to confront anyone planning to riot in the borough.

When challenged by the police and asked to go home, officers were pelted with
bottles and cans. After a tense two-hour stand-off, the group eventually
dispersed.

Police in Lewisham, in southeast London, escorted a group of about 50 black
youths who claimed they were on a "peaceful protest against the English Defence
League".

There was no violence among that group, which was outnumbered by police.

Senior officers told Sky News they had sufficient resources to prevent further
trouble, and around 30 police forces have sent officers to reinforce their
Metropolitan Police colleagues.

The police are warning local residents not to take matters into their own
hands, to leave the policing of the streets to them, and most people are
willing to heed that advice - for now at least.

But when police numbers inevitably begin to reduce, if trouble flares again,
the vigilantes will be back.

http://news.sky.com/home/article/16047897

(Okracoke/47009) ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) . Sarah Palin is a grandmother again.

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:42:00 -0500

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) . Sarah Palin is a grandmother again.

Kyla Grace Palin was born Saturday to Palin's eldest son, 22-year-old Track
Palin, and his new wife, 21-year-old Britta Hanson.

Hanson's mother, Elizabeth Hanson, confirmed the birth and told The Associated
Press that the baby girl is "exquisite." At birth, the littlest Palin weighed
in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, according to the maternal grandmother.

"She's adorable," she said Wednesday, adding that the family is doing well.
"We're all extremely excited about her arrival."

Sarah Palin, a former Alaska governor and the 2008 Republican vice presidential
nominee, is mulling a possible run for the presidency in 2012. She has not made
a public comment about the new addition to the family.

Track Palin and Britta Hanson were high-school sweethearts. They married three
months ago at Hatcher Pass, a scenic mountain pass not far from Sarah Palin's
Wasilla home.

"Yes, they did & we couldn't be any more blessed!" Sarah Palin tweeted on May
19.

Britta Hanson's father is the Rev. Duane Hanson, pastor of Good Shepherd
Lutheran Church in Wasilla.

Track Palin is an Army reservist. He spent a year deployed in Iraq with the
Army. When his mother was on the GOP ticket in 2008, she spoke at her son's
deployment ceremony in Fairbanks.

Track Palin joined the Army on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks. Hanson is a University of Alaska nursing students.

Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, have four other children. Their other
grandchild is Tripp, who was born to then 18-year-old Bristol Palin, an unwed
mother who launched an abstinence campaign soon after giving birth in December
2008.

Bristol Palin, now 20, and the boy's father, Levi Johnston, are no longer
together.

Her pregnancy at age 17 was announced days after Sen. John McCain picked her
mother to be his running mate.

(Distant Horizon/47008) Gold was as high as 1782.50 today.

Distant Horizon@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:48:00 -0500

Gold was as high as 1782.50 today.
http://www.kitco.com/reports/KitcoNews20110809JW_pm.html

(Capa/47007) Stocks Soar Most in Two Years, S&P 500 Up 4.8%

Capa@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:39:00 -0500


Stocks Soar Most in Two Years, S&P 500 Up 4.8%

Bloomberg news: full story at http://tinyurl.com/3c32fy9

U.S. stocks jumped the most in more than two years, rebounding from the worst
drop since 2008, and 10-year Treasury yields touched a record low as the
Federal Reserve vowed to keep interest rates near zero through mid-2013. The
dollar weakened and the Swiss franc rose the most since at least 1971.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 4.8 percent to 1,172.6 at 4 p.m. in New
York, its biggest gain since March 2009, after tumbling 6.7 percent yesterday.
The 10-year Treasury yield fell as much as 28 basis points to 2.03 percent
before trimming its decrease and trading down six basis points at 2.26 percent.
The Dollar Index slid 1 percent, while the Swiss franc strengthened as much as
6.5 percent to a record $1.4099.

(Okracoke/47006) from the LA Times:

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:49:00 -0500

from the LA Times:

The Dow Jones industrial average finished the day down 634.76 points Monday
after a full-day sell-off accelerated in the final hour of trading as investors
struggled to absorb Standard & Poor's decision to downgrade the United States'
credit rating.

[Updated, 1:34 p.m. Aug. 8: This post has been updated to reflect the final
closing numbers of the Dow Jones industrial average.]

Investors piled out of stocks and into a few "safe havens," such as gold and
Treasury bonds. The appetite for Treasury bonds suggests that the Standard &
Poor's downgrade has not shaken investors' faith in U.S. bonds.

Market experts said the Monday sell-off was sparked by the S&P announcement but
was motivated more by growing concerns about the weakness of the global
economy.

"It.s really all about economics," said Mike Norman, the chief financial
strategist at John Thomas Financial.

The Dow ended the day down 634.76 points, or 5.5%, at 10809.85. The broader
Standard & Poor's 500 index fell even more sharply, finishing the day down
79.83 points, or 6.6%, at 1119.55.

"It's been harried," said Sal Arnuk, head of Themis Trading, which has its
trading floor in Chatham, N.J.

The concern about the U.S. credit rating was amplified when Standard & Poor's
announced Monday morning that it was also downgrading the debt of mortgage
giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which rely on U.S. government guarantees.
But traders said much of the pessimism Monday resulted from broader concerns
about the economy.

"I don.t think the S&P announcement is the lead director of the day -- I just
think it is the icing on the cake," said Jonathan Corpina, a trader on the New
York Stock Exchange for Meridian Equity Partners.

Markets have fallen nearly every day for the last two weeks and are now down to
levels last reached in September of last year.

With the United States' credit risk being judged lower by Standard & Poor's,
Treasury bonds might have been expected to lose some of their luster. But 
investors still appear to be using Treasuries as a haven amid global economic
turmoil. The 10-year Treasury bond was trading at a 2.34% yield, down from
2.56% on Friday, indicating that there was heavy demand for the bonds.

Gold, another haven, saw its value rise nearly 3.9% on Monday.

(Okracoke/47005) from the AP>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 06:09:00 -0500

from the AP>

WASHINGTON.Standard & Poor.s downgraded mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac from triple-A to AA+ Monday, citing their direct reliance on the US
government, which it downgraded last Friday.

S&P also downgraded 10 out of 12 Federal Home Loan Banks and the senior debt
issued by the Federal Farm Credit Banks.

(Okracoke/47004) From the WSJ>

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:39:00 -0500

From the WSJ>

Standard & Poor.s took the unprecedented step of downgrading the U.S.
government.s .AAA. sovereign credit rating Friday in a move that could send
shock waves through global. The following is a press release from Standard &
Poor.s:

.. We have lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of
America to .AA+. from .AAA. and affirmed the .A-1+. short-term rating.

.. We have also removed both the short- and long-term ratings from CreditWatch
negative.

.. The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that
Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our
view, would be necessary to stabilize the government.s medium-term debt
dynamics.

.. More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness,
stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political
institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges
to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the
rating on April 18, 2011.

.. Since then, we have changed our view of the difficulties in bridging the gulf
between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic
about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage
their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that
stabilizes the government.s debt dynamics any time soon.

.. The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. We could lower the long-term
rating to .AA. within the next two years if we see that less reduction in
spending than agreed to, higher interest rates, or new fiscal pressures during
the period result in a higher general government debt trajectory than we
currently assume in our base case.

(KAM/47003) GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS: A major geomagnetic storm is in p...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:31:00 -0500


GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS: A major geomagnetic storm is in progress
following the impact of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on August 5th around
1800 UT. Sky watchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras after
nightfall. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say that the CME impact
may have strongly compressed Earth's magnetic field, directly exposing
satellites in geosynchronous orbit to solar wind plasma. The arriving CME left
the sun on August 4th, propelled by an M9.3-category eruption in the magnetic
canopy of sunspot 1261.

The M9-class solar flare of August 4th produced a burst of shortwave static so
powerful that receivers on Earth picked it up after sunset. "A RadioJove
observer in Florida recorded the burst when the sun was 38 degrees below the
horizon," reports amateur radio astronomer Thomas Ashcraft. Ashcraft's own
radio telescope in New Mexico recorded the event 1 hour and 54 minutes after
sunset.

"To my knowledge, receptions like this are very rare," says Ashcraft.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

(Okracoke/47002) NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--U.S. stocks dropped sharply Tuesday amid f...

Okracoke@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:27:00 -0500

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--U.S. stocks dropped sharply Tuesday amid fresh worries
over the state of the economy, pushing the market to its longest losing streak
in nearly three years and sending the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index to a
2011 closing low.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 265.87 points, or 2.19%, to 11866.62.
All 30 Dow components finished in the red. The blue-chip index suffered its
eighth consecutive decline, its longest since October 2008. It has lost more
than 800 points during the skid, dating back to July 22.

Tuesday's selloff steepened just before the closing bell. The Dow dropped more
than 100 points in the final hour of trading.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index shed 32.89 points, or 2.56%, to 1254.05,
led lower by consumer discretionary and industrial stocks. All 10 sectors in
the S&P 500 closed in negative territory.

The technology-oriented Nasdaq Composite gave up 75.37 points, or 2.75%, to
2669.24.

Investors fretted even as President Barack Obama signed into law a bill raising
the nation's debt ceiling. The focus has turned to weak growth plaguing the
economy. Data Tuesday showed Americans cut spending by the most in nearly two
years and saved at a faster rate during June, a pair of signs that underscored
the economy's lack of vigor.

The consumer-spending figures highlight another troubling aspect of the
struggling recovery. Last week brought news that the U.S. economy barely grew
in the first half of the year, and a report on Monday showed that manufacturing
is shaky. Friday's employment report is expected to continue to show a stagnant
labor market.

"The market is in corrective mode," said Tom Donino, co-head of trading at
First New York Securities. "There's also a lot of fear going into the
unemployment report."

(Secretary/47001) "Pres Obama to make statement on debt limit negotiations in 10 m...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:32:00 -0500


"Pres Obama to make statement on debt limit negotiations in 10 minutes at
840pm/EDT."

@markknoller - 1 minute ago via web

(Secretary/47000) Reid says he has signed onto a debt ceiling deal

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:21:00 -0500


Reid says he has signed onto a debt ceiling deal

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/07/31/debt.talks/index.html

By Alan Silverleib and Tom Cohen, CNN

July 31, 2011 6:58 p.m. EDT

Washington (CNN) -- The Senate's top Democrat said Sunday that he has signed
onto a debt ceiling deal with President Barack Obama and Republican leaders,
pending approval of his caucus.

The statement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, was the first
confirmation of a pending deal after legislative leaders dropped hints all day
that an agreement was close.

"Senator Reid has signed off on the debt-ceiling agreement pending caucus
approval," said the statement his office issued.

A senior Senate Democratic aide told CNN on condition of not being identified
that while some grumbling was occurring among Democratic senators, they are
likely to support the compromise and it "will get the votes."

However, a House Democrat as well as GOP sources said final details still were
being worked out.

"Obviously when you put together a compromise there are some things you don't
like and some things you may like, but how that mix balances out is something
we're looking at right now," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, adding:
"As far as I know, our Republican colleagues haven't signed off either."

Republican congressional leadership aides in the House and Senate also told CNN
on condition of not being identified that GOP leaders were still working on an
agreement. Meanwhile, other Democratic and Republican sources familiar with the
status of discussions told CNN on condition of not being identified that House
Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, continues to negotiate with the White House on
how much of the initial spending cuts in the deal will come from the military.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, told reporters that she needs
to see "the final product" in writing before she can decide if she supports it.

Pelosi said she would meet with the House Democratic caucus on Monday to
discuss the matter.

"I don't know all the particulars of what the final product is in writing and
what the ramifications will be," Pelosi said, noting the measure will have an
impact for a decade or more. Asked about the outcome, she warned: "We all may
not be able to support it or none of us may be able to support it."

With the deadline to reach a debt ceiling agreement just two days away,
congressional leaders and the White House were trying to complete the possible
deal that would extend the debt limit through 2012 -- a presidential election
year.

Earlier, Reid's Republican counterpart in the Senate said the two parties were
"very close" to reaching a $3 trillion deal that would avoid a possible
government default in coming days.

"We had a very good day yesterday," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,
R-Kentucky, told CNN, adding that the two sides "made dramatic progress" in
negotiations on a deal that would cut government spending and raise the federal
debt ceiling.

Another Republican senator, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, later told reporters he
expected a Monday vote on a compromise.

"It feels like they're going to finish the deal today and then we'll have the
vote tomorrow," Isakson said, adding he supports the plan under discussion.

Boehner, meanwhile, advised his Republican caucus that serious issues remain
under discussion, but to be ready for a possible conference call on Sunday to
discuss a proposed deal.

Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration agreed that progress has
been made, but noted negotiations continue on difficult issues.

"If there's a word right here that would sum up the mood, it would be relief --
relief that we won't default," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on CNN.
"That's not a certainty, but default is far less of a possibility now than it
was even a day ago."

If Congress fails to raise the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by Tuesday,
Americans could face rising interest rates and a declining dollar, among other
problems.

Some financial experts have warned of a downgrade of America's triple-A credit
rating and a potential stock market plunge. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
dropped for a sixth straight day on Friday.

Without an increase in the debt limit, the federal government will not be able
to pay all its bills next month. President Barack Obama recently indicated he
can't guarantee Social Security checks will be mailed out on time.

In Afghanistan on Sunday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen was
unable to assure U.S. troops they would get their paychecks following the
August 2 deadline without a deal. Mullen said August 15 would be the first
payday jeopardized if the United States defaults.

Last week, a Department of Defense official told CNN on condition of not being
identified that "it's not a question of whether, but when" military pay gets
withheld if no agreement is reached.

Vice President Joe Biden arrived at the White House on Sunday morning, though
no additional formal talks involving the administration and congressional
leaders have been announced. A Democratic source told CNN on condition of not
being identified that Biden was engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations with
both congressional legislators and the administration.

Initial news of a possible deal came shortly after the Senate delayed
consideration of a debt ceiling proposal by Reid late Saturday night, pushing
back a key procedural vote by 12 hours. When that vote occurred on Sunday
afternoon, Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to end debate on the Reid
proposal and move to a vote, extending consideration of the plan while
negotiations continue.

The vote was 50-49, short of the super-majority of 60 required to pass.

Reid plans to insert a negotiated final agreement into the proposal once a deal
has been reached. When it became clear that Democrats would lose Sunday's vote,
Reid voted against his own plan in a procedural move to preserve the ability to
bring it up again.

According to McConnell and other congressional and administration officials
interviewed Sunday, as well as various sources who spoke to CNN on condition of
not being identified, the deal under discussion would be a two-step process
intended to bring as much as $3 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years.

Some sources provided differing targets for the total, ranging from $2.4
trillion up to $3 trillion.

A first step would include about $1 trillion in spending cuts while raising the
debt ceiling about the same amount. The proposal also would set up a special
committee of Democratic and Republican legislators from both chambers of
Congress to recommend additional deficit reduction steps -- including tax
reform as well as reforms to popular entitlement programs such as Medicare and
Social Security.

The committee's recommendations would be put to a vote by Congress, without any
amendments, by the end of the year. If Congress fails to pass the package, a
so-called "trigger" mechanism would enact automatic spending cuts. Either way
-- with the package passed by Congress or the trigger of automatic cuts -- a
second increase in the debt ceiling would occur, but with an accompanying
congressional vote of disapproval.

In addition, the agreement would require both chambers of Congress to vote on a
balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such an amendment would
require two-thirds majorities in both chambers to pass, followed by
ratification by 38 states -- a process likely to take years.

Schumer told CNN that a main sticking point still under discussion was the
trigger mechanism of automatic spending cuts in case Congress fails to enact
the special committee's recommendations.

According to sources, cuts in the trigger mechanism would be across-the-board,
including Medicare and defense spending, to present an unpalatable alternative
for both parties in the event Congress fails to pass the special committee's
proposal.

"You want to make it hard for them just to walk away and wash their hands,"
Gene Sperling, the director of Obama's National Economic Council, told CNN.
"You want them to say, if nothing happens, there will be a very tough degree of
pain that will take place."

Preliminary reaction showed sensitivity to that pain. Sen. Carl Levin,
D-Michigan, said the automatic spending cuts under a trigger mechanism should
not affect Medicare benefits for senior citizens.

"The way we understand it's going to be worded is it does not affect
beneficiaries. It would affect providers and insurance companies," Levin said.
"That should be the case, because if it hits beneficiaries, you're going to
lose lots of Democratic votes."

Meanwhile, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, an aide to
former Republican President George W. Bush, warned that automatic spending cuts
for the military under the trigger would put national security at risk.

"By exposing critical defense programs to disproportionate cuts as part of the
'trigger mechanism,' there is a clear risk that key defense programs will be
hollowed out," Bolton said in a statement.

Overall, the agreement under discussion would increase the debt limit in two
stages, both of which would occur automatically -- a key Democratic demand that
would prevent a repeat of the current crisis before the next election.

McConnell, who appears to have become the lead Republican negotiator, said he
is "very, very close to being able ... to recommend to my members that this is
something that they ought to support."

The deal will not include tax increases, McConnell added, expressing a key
demand of Republicans. Obama has pushed for a comprehensive approach that would
include additional tax revenue as well as spending cuts and entitlement reforms
to reduce budget deficits.

Reid, D-Nevada, said Saturday night that the delay in considering his proposal
was additional time for negotiations at the White House.

His announcement capped a day of sharp partisan voting in the House and
extended talks behind closed doors between congressional and administration
officials. Concern continued to grow that Congress will fail to raise the
nation's debt ceiling in time to avoid a potentially devastating national
default this week.

Earlier Saturday, the Republican-controlled House rejected Reid's plan --
partisan payback for the Democratic-controlled Senate's rejection of Boehner's
plan Friday night.

House members rejected Reid's plan in a 246-173 vote. Most Democrats supported
the measure; every Republican voted against it.

For their part, Republicans continued to trumpet Boehner's proposal. The
measure won House approval Friday, but only by a narrow margin after a one-day
delay during which the speaker was forced to round up support from wary tea
party conservatives.

Boehner's deal with conservatives -- which added a provision requiring
congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment in order to raise the
debt limit next year -- was sharply criticized by Democrats, who called it a
political nonstarter.

Democratic leaders vehemently object not only to the balanced budget amendment,
but also the GOP's insistence that a second debt ceiling vote be held before
the next election. They argue that reaching bipartisan agreement on another
debt ceiling hike during an election year could be nearly impossible, and that
short-term extensions of the limit could further destabilize the economy.

Leaders of both parties now agree that any deal to raise the debt ceiling
should include long-term spending reductions to help control spiraling
deficits. But they have differed on both the timetable and requirements tied to
certain cuts.

Boehner's plan proposed generating a total of $917 billion in savings while
initially raising the debt ceiling by $900 billion. The speaker has pledged to
match any debt ceiling hike with dollar-for-dollar spending cuts.

His plan would require a second vote by Congress to raise the debt ceiling by a
combined $2.5 trillion -- enough to last through the end of 2012. It would
create a special congressional committee to recommend additional savings of
$1.6 trillion or more.

Any failure on the part of Congress to enact mandated spending reductions or
abide by new spending caps would trigger automatic across-the-board budget
cuts.

The plan also calls for congressional passage of a balanced budget amendment
before the second vote to raise the debt ceiling.

Reid's plan, meanwhile, would reduce deficits over the next decade by $2.4
trillion and raise the debt ceiling by a similar amount. It includes $1
trillion in savings based on the planned U.S. withdrawals from military
engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reid's plan also would establish a congressional committee made up of 12 House
and Senate members to consider additional options for debt reduction. The
committee's proposals would be guaranteed by a Senate vote with no amendments
by the end of the year.

In addition, it incorporates a process based on a proposal by McConnell that
would give Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling in two steps while
providing Congress the opportunity to vote its disapproval.

Among other things, Reid has stressed that his plan meets the key GOP demand
for no additional taxes. Boehner, however, argued last week that Reid's plan
fails to tackle popular entitlement programs such as Medicare, which are among
the biggest drivers of the debt.

A recent CNN/ORC International Poll reveals a growing public exasperation and
demand for compromise. Sixty-four percent of respondents to a July 18-20 survey
preferred a deal with a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Only 34%
preferred a debt reduction plan based solely on spending reductions.

According to the poll, the public is sharply divided along partisan lines;
Democrats and independents are open to a number of different approaches because
they think a failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause a major crisis for
the country. Republicans, however, draw the line at tax increases, and a narrow
majority of them oppose raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances.

(KAM/46999) July 28, 2011 1:41 PM PDT

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 05:18:00 -0500


July 28, 2011 1:41 PM PDT
House panel approves broadened ISP snooping bill
by Declan McCullagh

Internet providers would be forced to keep logs of their customers' activities
for one year--in case police want to review them in the future--under
legislation that a U.S. House of Representatives committee approved today.

The 19 to 10 vote represents a victory for conservative Republicans, who made
data retention their first major technology initiative after last fall's
elections, and the Justice Department officials who have quietly lobbied for
the sweeping new requirements, a development first reported by CNET.

A last-minute rewrite of the bill expands the information that commercial
Internet providers are required to store to include customers' names,
addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and
temporarily-assigned IP addresses, some committee members suggested. By a 7-16
vote, the panel rejected an amendment that would have clarified that only IP
addresses must be stored.

It represents "a data bank of every digital act by every American" that would
"let us find out where every single American visited Web sites," said Rep. Zoe
Lofgren of California, who led Democratic opposition to the bill.

Lofgren said the data retention requirements are easily avoided because they
only apply to "commercial" providers. Criminals would simply go to libraries or
Starbucks coffeehouses and use the Web anonymously, she said, while law-abiding
Americans would have their activities recorded.

To make it politically difficult to oppose, proponents of the data retention
requirements dubbed the bill the Protecting Children From Internet
Pornographers Act of 2011, even though the mandatory logs would be accessible
to police investigating any crime and perhaps attorneys litigating civil
disputes in divorce, insurance fraud, and other cases as well.

"The bill is mislabeled," said Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the senior
Democrat on the panel. "This is not protecting children from Internet
pornography. It's creating a database for everybody in this country for a lot
of other purposes."

Supporters of the measure characterized it as something that would aid law
enforcement in investigating Internet crimes. Not enacting it "would keep our
law enforcement officials in the dark ages," said its primary sponsor, House
Judiciary chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas).

"Both Democratic and Republican administrations have called for data retention
for over a decade," said Smith, who noted that groups including the National
Sheriffs' Association, the Major County Sheriffs' Association, and the
Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed the concept.

For a while, it seemed like opposition from a handful of conservative members
of Congress, coupled with Democrats concerned about civil liberties, would
derail the bill.

Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican and previous chairman of
the House Judiciary committee, had criticized it at a hearing earlier this
month, and again in the voting session that began yesterday and continued
through this morning.

"I oppose this bill," said Sensenbrenner. "It can be amended, but I don't think
it can be fixed... It poses numerous risks that well outweigh any benefits, and
I'm not convinced it will contribute in a significant way to protecting
children."

So did Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who has made privacy a signature issue and
introduced a geolocation bill last month after trying to curb the use of
airport body-scanners two years ago.

The original version of the bill, introduced in May, required Internet
providers to "retain for a period of at least 18 months the temporarily
assigned network addresses the service assigns to each account, unless that
address is transmitted by radio communication." The wireless exemption appeared
to be the result of lobbying from major carriers, but drew the ire of the
Justice Department, which says it didn't go far enough, and was removed in a
revised draft.

The mobile exemption represents a new twist in the debate over data retention
requirements, which has been simmering since the Justice Department pushed the
topic in 2005, a development that was first reported by CNET. Proposals
publicly surfaced in the U.S. Congress the following year, and President Bush's
attorney general, Alberto Gonzales said it's an issue that "must be addressed."
So, eventually, did FBI director Robert Mueller.

In January 2011, CNET was the first to report that the Obama Justice Department
was following suit. Jason Weinstein, the deputy assistant attorney general for
the criminal division, warned that wireless providers must be included because
"when this information is not stored, it may be impossible for law enforcement
to collect essential evidence."

Smith introduced a broadly similar bill in 2007, without the wireless
exemption, calling it a necessary anti-cybercrime measure. "The legislation
introduced today will give law enforcement the tools it needs to find and
prosecute criminals," he said in a statement at the time.

"Retention" vs. "preservation"
At the moment, Internet service providers typically discard any log file that's
no longer required for business reasons such as network monitoring, fraud
prevention, or billing disputes. Companies do, however, alter that general rule
when contacted by police performing an investigation--a practice called data
preservation.

A 1996 federal law called the Electronic Communication Transactional Records
Act regulates data preservation. It requires Internet providers to retain any
"record" in their possession for 90 days "upon the request of a governmental
entity."

Because Internet addresses remain a relatively scarce commodity, ISPs tend to
allocate them to customers from a pool based on whether a computer is in use at
the time. (Two standard techniques used are the Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol and Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet.)

In addition, an existing law called the Protect Our Children Act of 2008
requires any Internet provider who "obtains actual knowledge" of possible child
pornography transmissions to "make a report of such facts or circumstances."
Companies that knowingly fail to comply can be fined up to $150,000 for the
first offense and up to $300,000 for each subsequent offense.

ISP snooping time line

In events that were first reported by CNET, Justice Department officials have
been lobbying to require Internet providers to track of what Americans are
doing online. Here's the time line:

June 2005: Justice Department officials quietly propose data retention rules.

December 2005: European Parliament votes for data retention of up to two years.

April 2006: Data retention proposals surface in Colorado and the U.S. Congress.

April 2006: Attorney General Gonzales says data retention "must be addressed."

April 2006: Rep. DeGette proposes data retention amendment.

May 2006: Rep. Sensenbrenner drafts data retention legislation--but backs away
from it two days later.

May 2006: Gonzales and FBI Director Mueller meet with Internet and
telecommunications companies.

February 2009: Two data retention bills target ISPs, hotels, coffee shops

February 2009: Copyright holders would benefit from data retention

January 2011: Justice Department calls for mandatory data retention

February 2011: White House undecided on data retention

May 2011: Wireless providers exempted from Rep. Smith's bill

July 2011: National Sheriffs' Association endorses data retention


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20084939-281/house-panel-approves-
broadened-isp-snooping-bill/#ixzz1TVIEmjo6

http://is.gd/9fqWs8

(KAM/46998) Cryonics pioneer Robert Ettinger dies, body frozen

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:10:00 -0500


Cryonics pioneer Robert Ettinger dies, body frozen

By JOHN FLESHER, Associated Press  7 hours ago

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP)  Robert Ettinger, pioneer of the cryonics movement
that advocates freezing the dead in the hope that medical technology will
enable them to live again someday, has died. He was 92.

Ettinger died Saturday at home in the Detroit suburb of Clinton Township after
weeks of declining health, son David Ettinger said. His body became the 106th
to be stored in at the Cryonics Institute, which he founded in 1976.

"My father devoted himself to doing what he could to enable his family, his
friends and others to come back and live again," David Ettinger told The
Associated Press. "Whether he will achieve that nobody knows at this point, but
we think he has a good shot."

Robert Ettinger, who taught physics at Wayne State University, was seriously
wounded during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II and spent years in
hospitals. The bone graft surgery that spared his legs inspired his optimism
about the future prospects of preserving life through technology, a Cryonics
Institute statement said.

His son said Ettinger also was inspired by science fiction writings about
deep-freezing the dead and expected researchers to make serious progress toward
developing the idea. But when nothing seemed to be happening, he wrote a 1964
book, "The Prospect of Immortality," introducing the concept of cryonics.

"If civilization endures, medical science should eventually be able to repair
almost any damage to the human body," he wrote, "including freezing damage and
senile debility or other cause of death."

He added: "No matter what kills us, whether old age or disease, and even if
freezing techniques are still crude when we die, sooner or later our friends of
the future should be equal to the task of reviving and curing us."

Ettinger promoted his theory in other writings and appearances on television
talk shows. The Cryonics Institute has 900 members. Similar facilities for
preserving dead bodies operate in Arizona, California and Russia. Ettinger also
established the Immortalist Society, a research and education group devoted to
cryonics and extending the human life span.

The Cryonics Institute charges $28,000 to prepare a body and store it long-term
in a tank of liquid nitrogen at minus-321 degrees Fahrenheit. The first person
frozen there was Ettinger's mother, Rhea Ettinger, who died in 1977. His two
wives, Elaine and Mae, also are patients at the Institute.

Ettinger was never bothered by ridicule and was a "reluctant prophet," his son
said.

"He did what he thought was necessary and appropriate and didn't worry much
about what people thought," David Ettinger said. "The people who are scoffers
are like the people who said heavier-than-air flight won't work."

Copyright  2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

(Garion/46997) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14262237

Garion@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:05:00 -0500

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14262237

Singer Amy Winehouse, 27, has been found dead at her north London home.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that a 27-year-old woman had died in
Camden and that the cause of death was as yet unexplained.

The Brit and Mercury prize-winner had struggled with drink and drug addiction
and had recently spent time in rehab.

Her record label Universal called her "a gifted musician, artist and
performer", adding: "Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans."

She pulled out of a comeback tour last month after a disasterous appearance at
her first gig.

Jeered at gig
Winehouse cancelled the European tour after being jeered at the show in Serbia,
when she appeared too drunk to perform.

For 90 minutes, she mumbled through parts of songs and at times left the stage
- leaving her band to fill in.

She had recently finished a course of alcohol rehabilitation in London and at
the time was under strict instructions not to drink.

A section of the road where the singer lived was cordoned off on Saturday
evening, as journalists, local residents and fans gathered at the police tapes.

Forensic officers were seen going in and out of the building.

Winehouse had won widespread acclaim with her 2003 debut album, Frank.

But it was 2006's Back to Black which brought her worldwide stardom, winning
five Grammy Awards.

Rumours of Winehouse's death began circulating on Twitter on Saturday evening.
Among those to comment was singer and actress Kelly Osbourne.

She tweeted: "i cant even breath right now im crying so hard i just lost 1 of
my best friends. i love you forever Amy & will never forget the real you!"

Singer and presenter Myleene Klass tweeted: "OMG. Amy Winehouse. Exceptional
talent and really nice lady. RIP."

BBC Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton wrote: "Can not believe the news. Amy was a
special girl. The saddest news."

Daily Telegraph rock critic Neil McCormick said he was "utterly shocked" at her
death.

Last appearance
He said she had appeared focused when giving an "incredible performance" for a
recent studio recording of a duet with Tony Bennett.

"It's deeply sad. It's the most completely tragic waste of talent that I can
remember," he added.

Winehouse made her last public appearance on Wednesday night when she joined
her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield on stage at The Roundhouse in Camden.

The singer danced with Bromfield and encouraged the audience to buy her album
in the impromptu appearance before leaving the stage.

At the time she pulled out of the tour, her spokesman had said everyone wanted
to do everything to "help her return to her best".

(Sweetness/46996) sky new - singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her apart...

Sweetness@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 07:37:00 -0500

sky new  - singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her apartment.

(Vanity/46995) http://news.yahoo.com/91-dead-island-massacre-bombing-norway-101...

Vanity@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:11:00 -0500

http://news.yahoo.com/91-dead-island-massacre-bombing-norway-101247778.html

     The number of dead from the Norway attacks is reported this morning as 7
from the Oslo bombing, 84 from the shootings on Utoya island.

(Get Organized/46993) http://www.newsinenglish.no/2011/07/23/massacre-suspect-is-norwe...

Get Organized@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0500

http://www.newsinenglish.no/2011/07/23/massacre-suspect-is-norwegian/

Justice Minister Knut Storberget confirmed that police were holding a suspect,
charged with gunning down many members of the Labour Party's youth organization
AUF (Arbeidernes ungdomsfylking) who were attending their annual youth summer
camp on an island in the Tyri Fjord.

Neither Storberget nor police, however, would reveal more details about the
suspect. They would not identify him nor say whether he had a criminal record,
although the website for newspaper VG identified him as Anders Behring Breivik,
age 32, a self-described nationalist with no criminal record who was opposed to
Islam and to a multi-cultural society. VG and Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK)
reported that police were raiding the suspect's home in west Oslo Friday night.

(Vanity/46992) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43857267/ns/world_news-europe/

Vanity@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:04:00 -0500

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43857267/ns/world_news-europe/

A suspect apprehended in the Norway attacks is Anders Behring Breivik, a
32-year-old Norwegian farmer and a member of Norwegian right-wing extremist
groups. No connection between Breivik and any terrorist organization has been
asserted.

(Vanity/46991) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/world/europe/23oslo.html?_r=2&...

Vanity@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:47:00 -0500

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/world/europe/23oslo.html?_r=2&hp

The New York Times reports that a group called Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (Helpers
of the World Jihad) has taken responsibility for the bombing attack. This has
not been confirmed by the Norwegian police.

(Vanity/46990) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14256712

Vanity@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:42:00 -0500

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14256712

   Norway has suffered, almost simultaneously, two terror attacks, the first
being an enormous bomb blast in central Oslo, close to government buildings.
   The second was a shooting attack at a youth camp for members of the
Norwegian Labor Party (Arbeiderpartiet) on an island in a river outside Oslo.
   Many fatalities have been reported, but exact numbers are not available. 
There are no official theories as to who is responsible.  Information is still
coming in.

(KAM/46989) Space Shuttle Atlantis has safely landed at Kennedy Space Center...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:58:00 -0500


Space Shuttle Atlantis has safely landed at Kennedy Space Center. The Space
Shuttle program has now come to its final stop after over 30 years of service.

-- NASA TV, nasa.gov

(Distant Horizon/46988) http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2011-07-18-gold-prices-deb...

Distant Horizon@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:28:00 -0500

http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2011-07-18-gold-prices-debt-crisis_n.htm

Gold vaults above $1,600 per ounce on dollar, debt worries

Gold vaulted past $1,600 an ounce Monday, driven by worries about the federal
debt limit and ongoing problems in Europe.

The price of gold for August delivery closed at a record high of $1,602.40 an
ounce Monday, up $12.30 from Friday's close. Silver closed at $40.33 an ounce,
up $1.27.

Gold fares well when people lose confidence in paper money, and faith in the
euro and the U.S. dollar has taken a pounding lately.

Doubts continue about a resolution of the European debt crisis, despite
assurances by Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos that a European debt
deal is attainable at the European Union summit Thursday.

"Europe demands more decisive leadership, the market is pushing and pushing for
that leadership, and it's going to be hard to supply that," says Caesar Bryan,
manager of Gamco Gold fund.

Europe's troubles aren't limited to Greece. Bond traders also worry about bank
and government finances of Italy, Spain and Portugal  and the willingness of
healthy countries, such as Germany, to bail them out. "The backbone is starting
to break under the strain," says Robert Cohen, manager of Dynamic Gold and
Precious Metals.

The deadlock over raising the U.S. debt ceiling is pushing up gold prices as
well. Congress has until Aug. 2 to raise the debt ceiling or face the risk of
default. Even if Congress does agree to raise the debt ceiling, gold could
profit if the markets view the deal as inflationary.

"As we walk closer to the drop-dead date, fear will probably intensify," says
Dan Denbow, portfolio manager of USAA Precious Metals and Minerals fund.

Europe's woes outweighed the U.S. debt deadlock to traders. Yields on six-month
Treasury bills dropped to record lows at Monday's auction, and the dollar
gained against the euro in currency trading.

"When gold and the dollar move together, that's a quality trade," Denbow says.

At Blanchard & Co., a New Orleans precious metals dealer, business was brisk.
"Looking at the numbers coming in, I'd suspect that this will be the best July
ever" for gold sales, says David Beahm, vice president of economic research.

One-ounce gold U.S. Eagles are the hottest seller, Beahm says, but smaller
coins in 1/10th of an ounce are popular, too, partly because they're more
affordable. "People want any kind of gold they can get their hands on," Beahm
says.