1000
So far what I am hearing from AC360 is 'information' about brain injuries and IEDs and the way to 'control' the danger and bring the injury under control.
This is outrageous. The American people need to redirect their political efforts to a party that seeks an end to our involvement.
I have no doubt, the ABC journalists 'embedded' in pure bravery to assess the ability of Iraqi forces to handle 'the job' and at the same time assess the necessity for American forces. Well. They succeeded in proving exactly the disrepair the Iraqi forces exist in comparison to the USA forces. Keeping in mind that the USA forces have improved 'their lot in life' after the American Taxpayer has ridiculed this administration over and over regarding putting our troops lives in unnecessary danger. Our American Newspapers have made issue of obvious indifference to the safety of our troops, including new IEDs that penetrate armor, armor that did not protect USA soldiers, dirty water fed to our soldiers, deficiencies to body armor, armor plates missing to enhance soldier performance rather than protection, abuses of Halliburton and the list is extensive. That doesn't begin to address the issue of deficit and cronyism.
Now, we have two very brave and possibily the first journalists who have gone on tour with an Iraqi troop. We realize from their sacrifice and far too late the difference the Iraqi forces face. Literally, Don Rumsfeld has passed on to the Iraqi forces all the equipment the American taxpayers have complained about.
I apologize to ABC News for this tragedy and desire them to realize how deeply felt this bravery by their journalists are felt. There are no words. Their families hardship is indescribable realizing the 'betrayal' of their trust as an embed and also the lack of oversight regarding the equipment the Iraqis have to use.
1020
Ask me if I care about tunnels at this point.
1025
This programming lacks 'outrage' over these circumstances REGARDING PIERS and promotes 'understanding' of the insufficiencies of this war both with insight and preparedness. This program is government propaganda to 'buffer' the incompetency and illegality of this invasion into Iraq while Osama bin Laden remains at large spurring violence when his videos are shown. The al Qaeda network should have been defeated first and a long time ago with a huge effort in Afghanistan rather than a slap on the wrist that enables American presence that promotes only the stability necessary for the protection of the 'oil and gas pipelines' in Afghanistan.
enough.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
"Locked In Syndrome"
The theme of the show seems to be one of 'locked in.'
Locked into marriage with no way out except death of a spouse and child in Massachusetts. Divorce is not a bad word. There was once an active discussion about divorce 'War of the Roses' in the USA highlighting high profile divorces. That seems to be taboo. The only escape for men whom have changed their minds is death of their spouse and children? Is society actaully hoping to oppress that as well. It would seem to not be working.
Randall McCloy may very well be 'locked in' and may yet recover with time to connect mind and body.
1016
commercials
1018
The News Secretary
1020
commercials
1023
"Million Little Lies" - Get over it America. You've been had by the best in the business both in publishing and in politics. You don't have to be 'locked in' to the bad circumstances that now dominates the 'mind speak' of the conversation.
1027
"Locked in to a stupid society"
The 'contact' with a character in the book. Imagine making a case against fraud based on social benefit while upholding social 'mind speak.' Making priority out of criminality seems to be a speciality of this mess of a society we have. Justifying the unjustifable has maintained politicians that should be impeached voting for judicial nominees adverse to our actual well being. Now, there are opining polls that seek to justify spying on citizens against the very consitution that allows them to publish that trash. For what end? A future of victimization of people unable to pay for a lawyer who can defend them? We are victiminzing our nation rather than destorying a terrorist. Osama bin Laden should be dead. Rewarding anyone who advocates further violation against our civil rights is rewarding the escape of a killer. Don't you get it yet? Incompetency rules in Ameirca.
1031
commercials
1034
Children 'locked in' to families of abuse. Sometimes a concerned citizen unafraid to speak up can make a difference.
The 'tone' tonight is a call to patriotic strength through emoting with issues of family and not the issues of a nation.
1037
commercials
1040
"Locked up" for shoplifting and arson. The theives are primarily African American. A black detective. Ah, the bottom line; the caucasian man with the answers: Boost the sentence and ranking of the crime. Sorry, it's not murder and the prisons are packed full of black inmates. Anyone here have a good job? Doubt it. But, of course, financial loss of a mine through fines vs. lives is acceptable as opposed to loss of merchandise being figured into the bottom line. Somehow, I think we pay for the items shoplifted anyway.
Palestine 'locked in' to terrorist rule. Tom Foreman works up a lather for sympathy for Hamas. Another distraction from reality to defeat the focus of the failure of Bush.
Saudis: U.S. paved way for Hamas victory
By Claude Salhani Jan 28, 2006, 1:42 GMT
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- A confidential Saudi report prepared just weeks before the Palestinian elections predicted a Hamas victory in Gaza and the West Bank and puts the blame on the United States: 'By failing to strengthen (President Mahmoud )Abbas`s position, the U.S. has paved the way for a Hamas victory,' states a document prepared by the Saudi National Security Assessment Project.
"Homicide in Hollenbeck" also known as 'Locked into poverty and dispair.'
This is the third time I am seeing this in relation to Anderson Cooper. This was made before Aaron left CNN far behind.
Locked into marriage with no way out except death of a spouse and child in Massachusetts. Divorce is not a bad word. There was once an active discussion about divorce 'War of the Roses' in the USA highlighting high profile divorces. That seems to be taboo. The only escape for men whom have changed their minds is death of their spouse and children? Is society actaully hoping to oppress that as well. It would seem to not be working.
Randall McCloy may very well be 'locked in' and may yet recover with time to connect mind and body.
1016
commercials
1018
The News Secretary
1020
commercials
1023
"Million Little Lies" - Get over it America. You've been had by the best in the business both in publishing and in politics. You don't have to be 'locked in' to the bad circumstances that now dominates the 'mind speak' of the conversation.
1027
"Locked in to a stupid society"
The 'contact' with a character in the book. Imagine making a case against fraud based on social benefit while upholding social 'mind speak.' Making priority out of criminality seems to be a speciality of this mess of a society we have. Justifying the unjustifable has maintained politicians that should be impeached voting for judicial nominees adverse to our actual well being. Now, there are opining polls that seek to justify spying on citizens against the very consitution that allows them to publish that trash. For what end? A future of victimization of people unable to pay for a lawyer who can defend them? We are victiminzing our nation rather than destorying a terrorist. Osama bin Laden should be dead. Rewarding anyone who advocates further violation against our civil rights is rewarding the escape of a killer. Don't you get it yet? Incompetency rules in Ameirca.
1031
commercials
1034
Children 'locked in' to families of abuse. Sometimes a concerned citizen unafraid to speak up can make a difference.
The 'tone' tonight is a call to patriotic strength through emoting with issues of family and not the issues of a nation.
1037
commercials
1040
"Locked up" for shoplifting and arson. The theives are primarily African American. A black detective. Ah, the bottom line; the caucasian man with the answers: Boost the sentence and ranking of the crime. Sorry, it's not murder and the prisons are packed full of black inmates. Anyone here have a good job? Doubt it. But, of course, financial loss of a mine through fines vs. lives is acceptable as opposed to loss of merchandise being figured into the bottom line. Somehow, I think we pay for the items shoplifted anyway.
1049
commercials
1051
Palestine 'locked in' to terrorist rule. Tom Foreman works up a lather for sympathy for Hamas. Another distraction from reality to defeat the focus of the failure of Bush.
Saudis: U.S. paved way for Hamas victory
By Claude Salhani Jan 28, 2006, 1:42 GMT
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- A confidential Saudi report prepared just weeks before the Palestinian elections predicted a Hamas victory in Gaza and the West Bank and puts the blame on the United States: 'By failing to strengthen (President Mahmoud )Abbas`s position, the U.S. has paved the way for a Hamas victory,' states a document prepared by the Saudi National Security Assessment Project.
1055
commercials
1057"Homicide in Hollenbeck" also known as 'Locked into poverty and dispair.'
This is the third time I am seeing this in relation to Anderson Cooper. This was made before Aaron left CNN far behind.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Aaron's back.
Broadcaster says serious news at risk
By JAN SJOSTROM , Daily News Arts Editor
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The anchorman whose boss once characterized him as ice compared with his successor's fire was anything but chilly in the impassioned speech he delivered Tuesday at The Society of the Four Arts.
"Truth no longer matters in the context of politics and, sadly, in the context of cable news," said Aaron Brown, whose four-year period as anchor of CNN's NewsNight ended in November, when network executives gave his job to Anderson Cooper in a bid to push the show's ratings closer to front-runner Fox News.
Brown said he tried to give viewers a balanced diet of light and serious news with NewsNight. "But I always knew when I got to the Brussels sprouts, I was on thin ice," he said.
When NewsNight spent four hours covering the arrest of actor Robert Blake for the murder of his wife, Brown received thousands of e-mails criticizing the amount of time the show spent on the story. Nevertheless, that show, which aired in April 2002, received the highest ratings of any program since NewsNight's coverage of the November 2001 crash of American Airlines flight 587.
"Television is the most perfect democracy," Brown said. "You sit there with your remote control and vote." The remotes click to another channel when serious news airs, but when the media covers the scandals surrounding Laci Peterson, the Runaway Bride or Michael Jackson, "there are no clicks then," the journalist said.
With the departure from the screen of the "titans" — Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather — who "resisted the temptations of their bosses to go for the ratings grab, it will be years before an anchorman or anchorwoman will have the clout to fight these battles," he said.
Brown has spent most of his 30-year career in television news. He's covered everything from the Columbine High School murders to the aftermath of the space shuttle Columbia disaster. But viewers may remember best his on-the-spot coverage of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
He's shocked "by how unkind our world has become," he said. E-mail and talk radio appear to have given people the license to say anything, regardless of how cruel or false it may be, he said.
He cited the example of an e-mail faulting what the sender considered to be NewsNight's inadequate coverage of an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. The note ended with, "I hope the violence visited on the people of Iraq will someday be visited on your children."
Those on the opposite side of the political spectrum are no more tolerant, Brown said. "Any criticism of the administration is regarded as hatred of the president and hatred of the country itself," he said.
Important issues, such as the prosecution of the war in Iraq at home and abroad, are being clouded over by "mud-wrestling" that skirts substance, he said. Consider what he called "the swift-boating of John Murtha," the Democratic congressman whose war record was smeared when he called for an exit strategy in Iraq. "Cable didn't search for the truth, but engaged in mock debates pitting those making the charges against Murtha's defenders," he said.
Many Americans on the left and the right aren't interested in the truth, but simply want news that confirms their viewpoints, he said. "You'd think that it's no more complex than good vs. evil," he said.
Journalists have fallen short in presenting important news in ways that allow viewers to see how it matters in their lives. But viewers must take up the battle as well, he said. "It's not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn't enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it."
By JAN SJOSTROM , Daily News Arts Editor
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The anchorman whose boss once characterized him as ice compared with his successor's fire was anything but chilly in the impassioned speech he delivered Tuesday at The Society of the Four Arts.
"Truth no longer matters in the context of politics and, sadly, in the context of cable news," said Aaron Brown, whose four-year period as anchor of CNN's NewsNight ended in November, when network executives gave his job to Anderson Cooper in a bid to push the show's ratings closer to front-runner Fox News.
Brown said he tried to give viewers a balanced diet of light and serious news with NewsNight. "But I always knew when I got to the Brussels sprouts, I was on thin ice," he said.
When NewsNight spent four hours covering the arrest of actor Robert Blake for the murder of his wife, Brown received thousands of e-mails criticizing the amount of time the show spent on the story. Nevertheless, that show, which aired in April 2002, received the highest ratings of any program since NewsNight's coverage of the November 2001 crash of American Airlines flight 587.
"Television is the most perfect democracy," Brown said. "You sit there with your remote control and vote." The remotes click to another channel when serious news airs, but when the media covers the scandals surrounding Laci Peterson, the Runaway Bride or Michael Jackson, "there are no clicks then," the journalist said.
With the departure from the screen of the "titans" — Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather — who "resisted the temptations of their bosses to go for the ratings grab, it will be years before an anchorman or anchorwoman will have the clout to fight these battles," he said.
Brown has spent most of his 30-year career in television news. He's covered everything from the Columbine High School murders to the aftermath of the space shuttle Columbia disaster. But viewers may remember best his on-the-spot coverage of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
He's shocked "by how unkind our world has become," he said. E-mail and talk radio appear to have given people the license to say anything, regardless of how cruel or false it may be, he said.
He cited the example of an e-mail faulting what the sender considered to be NewsNight's inadequate coverage of an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. The note ended with, "I hope the violence visited on the people of Iraq will someday be visited on your children."
Those on the opposite side of the political spectrum are no more tolerant, Brown said. "Any criticism of the administration is regarded as hatred of the president and hatred of the country itself," he said.
Important issues, such as the prosecution of the war in Iraq at home and abroad, are being clouded over by "mud-wrestling" that skirts substance, he said. Consider what he called "the swift-boating of John Murtha," the Democratic congressman whose war record was smeared when he called for an exit strategy in Iraq. "Cable didn't search for the truth, but engaged in mock debates pitting those making the charges against Murtha's defenders," he said.
Many Americans on the left and the right aren't interested in the truth, but simply want news that confirms their viewpoints, he said. "You'd think that it's no more complex than good vs. evil," he said.
Journalists have fallen short in presenting important news in ways that allow viewers to see how it matters in their lives. But viewers must take up the battle as well, he said. "It's not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn't enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it."
I agree with Aaron on all points. About Murtha? The findings would leave more questions than answers.
John Murtha was guilty of following 'a lead' that might bring about disclosure of corruption. Ex-Marines ain't dumb. They are also willing to take chances to right a wrong. Murtha knew $10,000 was a bribe. He knew it was illegal. He also wasn't going to pass up a chance to find out who was bribing Congressmen either. Any investigation, no matter how thorough would never have lead to his indictment either legal, political or social. He was after the same thing as the FBI in the sting operation. Both of them were 'casing' each other's ability to be corrupting.
Aaron Brown: On Cable News, Political Mud-Wrestling, And Viewership
Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown says he tried to provide NewsNight viewers with a balanced diet of light and serious news, but "I always knew when I got to the Brussels sprouts, I was on thin ice." That's one of many nuggets in this Palm Beach Daily News story about an "impassioned speech" he recently delivered.
Here are some of the other nuggets:
> On truth: "Truth no longer matters in the context of politics and, sadly, in the context of cable news."
> On the state of political debate in America: "Any criticism of the administration is regarded as hatred of the president and hatred of the country itself."
> On "the swift-boating of John Murtha:" "Cable didn't search for the truth, but engaged in mock debates pitting those making the charges against Murtha's defenders."
> On the viewers' responsibility: "It's not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn't enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it."
Aaron Brown: On Cable News, Political Mud-Wrestling, And Viewership
Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown says he tried to provide NewsNight viewers with a balanced diet of light and serious news, but "I always knew when I got to the Brussels sprouts, I was on thin ice." That's one of many nuggets in this Palm Beach Daily News story about an "impassioned speech" he recently delivered.
Here are some of the other nuggets:
> On truth: "Truth no longer matters in the context of politics and, sadly, in the context of cable news."
> On the state of political debate in America: "Any criticism of the administration is regarded as hatred of the president and hatred of the country itself."
> On "the swift-boating of John Murtha:" "Cable didn't search for the truth, but engaged in mock debates pitting those making the charges against Murtha's defenders."
> On the viewers' responsibility: "It's not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn't enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it."
"What would Aaron Brown do?"
It's the question CNN should ask itself whenever on very loose footing.
Tonight on AC360 the show is about lies. A lot of lies. Not little lies. Big lies. Big money lies.
I am not interested.
Lies are lies and there are no excuses for them. That's the problem with cable television. They can 'get away' with it. Well, now it would seem, they won't !
ENOUGH !
Tonight on AC360 the show is about lies. A lot of lies. Not little lies. Big lies. Big money lies.
I am not interested.
Lies are lies and there are no excuses for them. That's the problem with cable television. They can 'get away' with it. Well, now it would seem, they won't !
ENOUGH !
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The Dupont Award received by CNN for the coverage of The Tsunami Tragedy had a leader. That leader was Aaron Brown.
New Orleans Resident Says: We Don't Need Anderson Here
I think I hit a nerve when I suggested that Anderson Cooper should anchor 360 from the Gulf Coast full-time. Here's an interesting e-mail I received:
"As a citizen of New Orleans who lost her home, I have to say that the last thing we need is Anderson Cooper permanently stationed on the Gulf Coast. I don't care what others may say, whether it be that 'he cares' or 'he was the best man for the job' when it came to covering the storm, it's all 'bullshit' itself. I used to watch Anderson's show, before the storm, and I thought he was a great Anchor, new, and everything else. Seeing him during the storm made me angry, and it angered me more when people applauded him for 'caring'. It's not an anchors job to care, it's their job to make 'you', the viewer, care. He is not a Hurricane Katrina expert. The people who have survived are the experts, not a media man who happened to pop-up at New Orleans' darkest hour. Where is the background in that?"
The rest of the e-mail is after the jump...
The other night, Anderson Cooper had Sean Callebs stand outside a restaurant Mayor Ray Nagin was at, because he didn't come in for an interview. That was not only tacky, but foolish and demeaning. If CNN, and their Anchors, are going to suggest that Ray Nagin 'fix' the city before he brings its citizens back, then maybe they shouldn't have turned what he said into a big deal.
CNN, and Anderson Cooper, don't understand how to cover New Orleans, especially when they hire a local anchor like Susan Rosegen. It must have boiled down to her personal connections with the people at the network, because there are reporters here who can muster a whole lot more talent than her.
It's been said and done, but it's becoming more and more evident that Quantity over Quality, no matter how much they do their best to deny it, matters more to Jon Klein and CNN. They've given up on being accurate, and instead, have added emotion because they don't know how to make up for it. Adding your own emotion to a story depreciates its message and value, and is bad journalism in my eye.
I've moved back to New Orleans, and it makes me laugh at what CNN chooses to report. I could go on and on, but I'll let it be.
I think I hit a nerve when I suggested that Anderson Cooper should anchor 360 from the Gulf Coast full-time. Here's an interesting e-mail I received:
"As a citizen of New Orleans who lost her home, I have to say that the last thing we need is Anderson Cooper permanently stationed on the Gulf Coast. I don't care what others may say, whether it be that 'he cares' or 'he was the best man for the job' when it came to covering the storm, it's all 'bullshit' itself. I used to watch Anderson's show, before the storm, and I thought he was a great Anchor, new, and everything else. Seeing him during the storm made me angry, and it angered me more when people applauded him for 'caring'. It's not an anchors job to care, it's their job to make 'you', the viewer, care. He is not a Hurricane Katrina expert. The people who have survived are the experts, not a media man who happened to pop-up at New Orleans' darkest hour. Where is the background in that?"
The rest of the e-mail is after the jump...
The other night, Anderson Cooper had Sean Callebs stand outside a restaurant Mayor Ray Nagin was at, because he didn't come in for an interview. That was not only tacky, but foolish and demeaning. If CNN, and their Anchors, are going to suggest that Ray Nagin 'fix' the city before he brings its citizens back, then maybe they shouldn't have turned what he said into a big deal.
CNN, and Anderson Cooper, don't understand how to cover New Orleans, especially when they hire a local anchor like Susan Rosegen. It must have boiled down to her personal connections with the people at the network, because there are reporters here who can muster a whole lot more talent than her.
It's been said and done, but it's becoming more and more evident that Quantity over Quality, no matter how much they do their best to deny it, matters more to Jon Klein and CNN. They've given up on being accurate, and instead, have added emotion because they don't know how to make up for it. Adding your own emotion to a story depreciates its message and value, and is bad journalism in my eye.
I've moved back to New Orleans, and it makes me laugh at what CNN chooses to report. I could go on and on, but I'll let it be.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Welcome back, Aaron. Can't keep a good man down.
Media update: Aaron Brown, former CNN news anchor, will discuss "Media and Politics in a Changing and Chaotic Time" at 3 p.m. at The Society of the Four Arts' Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium, 2 Four Arts Plaza. Tickets: $25. Call 655-7226.
YES !
YES !
There are many Aaron Browns that make the newsprint. But. This is the only one noted that is an author.
Do I dare hope. It's one heck of an opinion piece. Editors of major newpapers need to take note !
Alito’s Confirmation and the Authoritarian Presidency
by Aaron Brown
January 24, 2006
One year ago, I watched Bush appoint a slew of executive-friendly legal counsel and predicted (in a different newspaper) that in his second term, he would no longer bother violating the law but would instead seek to change it. The more I learn about Samuel Alito, the more certain I become that I was terrifyingly right.
Unless you’ve grabbed this paper hot off the presses, Alito will be on his way to the Senate by now, likely with fewer token “no” votes than John Roberts earned. During the Roberts hearing, Biden called the process a “kabuki dance,” and having now watched two of the proceedings in their entirety, I must agree. Alito’s attempts to talk circles around the Senators of the Judiciary Committee were successful with frustrating frequency, and the Senators’ comments were disappointingly (but unsurprisingly) verbose, rambling, and non-specific. Questions with multiple elements were issued whole as bulleted lists, which of course allowed Alito to gloss over the points he didn’t care to address. Questions asked of no one in particular, rhetorical points made for the cameras, and meaningless charts were the hallmarks of yet another round of play-to-the-folks-at-home political soapboxing.
This doesn’t make the process uninformative; it just makes the information extraction process ridiculously oblique. More can be gleaned from what Alito refuses to say than from what he actually says in response to questions. Senator Specter opened the proceedings with an inquiry into Alito’s position on the right to privacy, in which the right to an abortion is rooted, and Alito quickly and unequivocally asserted that it is protected by the Constitution. Specter wasted no time jumping into the political powderkeg of Roe v. Wade, questioning Alito abut his stance on stare decisis, the technical term for the doctrine that past judicial decisions should be followed in deciding future cases. Alito, unsurprisingly, blandly recited the standard platitudes about precedent establishing stability and constancy in the law, but he was disturbingly careful to emphasize former Chief Justice Rehnquist’s oft-quoted opinion that stare decisis is “not an inexorable command” every time the topic was raised.
He also played the advocacy card early on, but he stopped short of disavowing his 1985 statement that the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion. His reasoning was identical to that of John Roberts: lawyers are advocates of their clients’ interests, often expressing views with which they might personally disagree. Alito claimed that because he was an advocate for the administration at the time, it should come as no surprise that his stated views neatly toed the party line. He refused to comment further, however, on the grounds that the issue might come up before the court.
When questioned on the issue of the Supreme Court’s role in checking the President’s power, he resorted to mealy-mouthed statements to the effect that no one is above the law. When pressed, he fell back on quotations from Justice Jackson’s concurring opinion in a 1952 Supreme Court case, which set forth three ways of categorizing Presidential actions. First, there are those actions the President takes which are backed by Congress; this is when the President’s power is at its zenith. Second, there are actions which are outside the scope of Congress’ prior consideration; in such a vacuum, Presidential power is only middlin’ strong. Finally, if the President acts against an explicit Congressional mandate, his power is at lowest ebb. Does this tell you anything about what Alito thinks of Presidential power? Me either.
This is not a small question! The latest authoritarian revelation from the Bush regime is the warrantless and completely unauthorized wiretapping of American citizens, a story broken by the New York Times last month. This is in direct opposition to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, but Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claims the “all necessary and proper force” language of the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed by Congress in the wake of the 9-11 attacks gives the President carte blanche to do as he damn well pleases when it comes to prosecuting the war on terror. (Uh, how do we reconcile that with the administration’s position that the war on terror is unending? Now all the President has to do is point and scream “Terrorist!” before he attaches the car battery to your nipples.) Of course, Alito actually has a perfectly valid reason to sidestep any questions specifically about FISA; it’s almost certain to come before the Supreme Court, and Alito, if confirmed, will have to enter an opinion.
But there is also the issue of the unitary executive theory, which stems from a very fine-grained reading of the Constitutional grant of Presidential power. The first sentence of Article II states, “The executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America.” Simply put, the theory holds that executive power is indivisible, vested solely in the office of the President, because it is referred to as “the” executive power. This authority is apportioned out to several different organizations, like the military and the Environmental Protection Agency, but these organizations serve as arms of the executive. The upshot of this is twofold. Procedurally, it means no part of the executive branch may sue another part because this would be, in effect, the President suing himself. The substantive aspect of this theory, however, is that the President gets to define the scope of his own power, a decision which may not be reviewed by the judiciary. John Yoo, principal defender of this position and influential White House legal strategist, argued publicly less than a month ago that the President has the power to order a suspect’s child tortured in front of them if he so chooses-including crushing the child’s testicles.
Alito has also expressed the belief that the President’s signing statements declaring his understanding of a bill’s intent should be given as much deference as the statements of Congress contained in the bill. In signing the McCain torture ban into effect, for instance, the President issued a signing statement that completely eviscerated the bill by exempting the Presidency, and thus the entire executive branch, from its purview. Bush has been shockingly willing to sign anything that comes across his desk, the first President since James Garfield to go an entire term without vetoing anything (and Garfield was assassinated after only a few months), but his reasoning now seems simple: why veto a bill when you can just change it with a signing statement? In fact, Bush has used this trick more than 500 times since he took office.
Alito has given every impression of candor and forthrightness in his confirmation hearing, but he has carefully stopped short of outright denouncing the radical Right views that make the voting public skittish. It’s the things Alito won’t say that shock the attentive viewer. He refuses to disavow the notion that the President’s “signing statements” carry equivalent weight to the actual words of the legislation he signs. He won’t flatly and directly state that the President cannot override the law or immunize others who break it. He declines to comment on whether the President is the only one who can determine the extent of Presidential power. This is madness!
The real elephant in the room, however, is whether we can even trust what Alito actually does say. Senator Schumer pointed out that both Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas expressed great respect for precedent in their confirmation hearings, yet these two vote to overturn precedent as though it were mere conjecture and suggestion. In his confirmation hearing, Scalia even criticized Thomas’ propensity for voting his personal opinion over established law whenever the two conflict. What is to bind Alito to his statements more closely than his colleagues-to-be? Absolutely nothing.
Of course, now everyone wants to know whether there will be a filibuster. The Democrats, faced with their last chance to make serious use of the tactic in stopping a judicial nominee, have very itchy trigger fingers, but Alito has been so careful to keep his actual opinions under wraps that there may not be any real justification. Nevertheless, Democrats may filibuster the Alito nomination simply to force the Republicans’ hand on the so-called “nuclear option” of removing the filibuster from the Senate rules altogether. That the Republicans even threaten such a thing is evidence of their obsession with pushing their agenda at the expense of everything else and symptomatic of their lack of respect for the political process. Forcing them to actually exercise the nuclear option, however, would set off a firestorm in Washington, and with the upcoming Congressional elections, the Republicans really can’t afford to look bad.
The verdict? Loathe though I am to admit it, Alito will likely pass, but it’s going to be a hell of a show. Those of you who love soap opera politics, stock up on popcorn and stay tuned. Those of you who realize you have to live in this country, stock up on bottled water and start digging your bomb shelter. It’s a scary time to be an American.
Alito’s Confirmation and the Authoritarian Presidency
by Aaron Brown
January 24, 2006
One year ago, I watched Bush appoint a slew of executive-friendly legal counsel and predicted (in a different newspaper) that in his second term, he would no longer bother violating the law but would instead seek to change it. The more I learn about Samuel Alito, the more certain I become that I was terrifyingly right.
Unless you’ve grabbed this paper hot off the presses, Alito will be on his way to the Senate by now, likely with fewer token “no” votes than John Roberts earned. During the Roberts hearing, Biden called the process a “kabuki dance,” and having now watched two of the proceedings in their entirety, I must agree. Alito’s attempts to talk circles around the Senators of the Judiciary Committee were successful with frustrating frequency, and the Senators’ comments were disappointingly (but unsurprisingly) verbose, rambling, and non-specific. Questions with multiple elements were issued whole as bulleted lists, which of course allowed Alito to gloss over the points he didn’t care to address. Questions asked of no one in particular, rhetorical points made for the cameras, and meaningless charts were the hallmarks of yet another round of play-to-the-folks-at-home political soapboxing.
This doesn’t make the process uninformative; it just makes the information extraction process ridiculously oblique. More can be gleaned from what Alito refuses to say than from what he actually says in response to questions. Senator Specter opened the proceedings with an inquiry into Alito’s position on the right to privacy, in which the right to an abortion is rooted, and Alito quickly and unequivocally asserted that it is protected by the Constitution. Specter wasted no time jumping into the political powderkeg of Roe v. Wade, questioning Alito abut his stance on stare decisis, the technical term for the doctrine that past judicial decisions should be followed in deciding future cases. Alito, unsurprisingly, blandly recited the standard platitudes about precedent establishing stability and constancy in the law, but he was disturbingly careful to emphasize former Chief Justice Rehnquist’s oft-quoted opinion that stare decisis is “not an inexorable command” every time the topic was raised.
He also played the advocacy card early on, but he stopped short of disavowing his 1985 statement that the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion. His reasoning was identical to that of John Roberts: lawyers are advocates of their clients’ interests, often expressing views with which they might personally disagree. Alito claimed that because he was an advocate for the administration at the time, it should come as no surprise that his stated views neatly toed the party line. He refused to comment further, however, on the grounds that the issue might come up before the court.
When questioned on the issue of the Supreme Court’s role in checking the President’s power, he resorted to mealy-mouthed statements to the effect that no one is above the law. When pressed, he fell back on quotations from Justice Jackson’s concurring opinion in a 1952 Supreme Court case, which set forth three ways of categorizing Presidential actions. First, there are those actions the President takes which are backed by Congress; this is when the President’s power is at its zenith. Second, there are actions which are outside the scope of Congress’ prior consideration; in such a vacuum, Presidential power is only middlin’ strong. Finally, if the President acts against an explicit Congressional mandate, his power is at lowest ebb. Does this tell you anything about what Alito thinks of Presidential power? Me either.
This is not a small question! The latest authoritarian revelation from the Bush regime is the warrantless and completely unauthorized wiretapping of American citizens, a story broken by the New York Times last month. This is in direct opposition to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, but Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claims the “all necessary and proper force” language of the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed by Congress in the wake of the 9-11 attacks gives the President carte blanche to do as he damn well pleases when it comes to prosecuting the war on terror. (Uh, how do we reconcile that with the administration’s position that the war on terror is unending? Now all the President has to do is point and scream “Terrorist!” before he attaches the car battery to your nipples.) Of course, Alito actually has a perfectly valid reason to sidestep any questions specifically about FISA; it’s almost certain to come before the Supreme Court, and Alito, if confirmed, will have to enter an opinion.
But there is also the issue of the unitary executive theory, which stems from a very fine-grained reading of the Constitutional grant of Presidential power. The first sentence of Article II states, “The executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America.” Simply put, the theory holds that executive power is indivisible, vested solely in the office of the President, because it is referred to as “the” executive power. This authority is apportioned out to several different organizations, like the military and the Environmental Protection Agency, but these organizations serve as arms of the executive. The upshot of this is twofold. Procedurally, it means no part of the executive branch may sue another part because this would be, in effect, the President suing himself. The substantive aspect of this theory, however, is that the President gets to define the scope of his own power, a decision which may not be reviewed by the judiciary. John Yoo, principal defender of this position and influential White House legal strategist, argued publicly less than a month ago that the President has the power to order a suspect’s child tortured in front of them if he so chooses-including crushing the child’s testicles.
Alito has also expressed the belief that the President’s signing statements declaring his understanding of a bill’s intent should be given as much deference as the statements of Congress contained in the bill. In signing the McCain torture ban into effect, for instance, the President issued a signing statement that completely eviscerated the bill by exempting the Presidency, and thus the entire executive branch, from its purview. Bush has been shockingly willing to sign anything that comes across his desk, the first President since James Garfield to go an entire term without vetoing anything (and Garfield was assassinated after only a few months), but his reasoning now seems simple: why veto a bill when you can just change it with a signing statement? In fact, Bush has used this trick more than 500 times since he took office.
Alito has given every impression of candor and forthrightness in his confirmation hearing, but he has carefully stopped short of outright denouncing the radical Right views that make the voting public skittish. It’s the things Alito won’t say that shock the attentive viewer. He refuses to disavow the notion that the President’s “signing statements” carry equivalent weight to the actual words of the legislation he signs. He won’t flatly and directly state that the President cannot override the law or immunize others who break it. He declines to comment on whether the President is the only one who can determine the extent of Presidential power. This is madness!
The real elephant in the room, however, is whether we can even trust what Alito actually does say. Senator Schumer pointed out that both Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas expressed great respect for precedent in their confirmation hearings, yet these two vote to overturn precedent as though it were mere conjecture and suggestion. In his confirmation hearing, Scalia even criticized Thomas’ propensity for voting his personal opinion over established law whenever the two conflict. What is to bind Alito to his statements more closely than his colleagues-to-be? Absolutely nothing.
Of course, now everyone wants to know whether there will be a filibuster. The Democrats, faced with their last chance to make serious use of the tactic in stopping a judicial nominee, have very itchy trigger fingers, but Alito has been so careful to keep his actual opinions under wraps that there may not be any real justification. Nevertheless, Democrats may filibuster the Alito nomination simply to force the Republicans’ hand on the so-called “nuclear option” of removing the filibuster from the Senate rules altogether. That the Republicans even threaten such a thing is evidence of their obsession with pushing their agenda at the expense of everything else and symptomatic of their lack of respect for the political process. Forcing them to actually exercise the nuclear option, however, would set off a firestorm in Washington, and with the upcoming Congressional elections, the Republicans really can’t afford to look bad.
The verdict? Loathe though I am to admit it, Alito will likely pass, but it’s going to be a hell of a show. Those of you who love soap opera politics, stock up on popcorn and stay tuned. Those of you who realize you have to live in this country, stock up on bottled water and start digging your bomb shelter. It’s a scary time to be an American.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Critics are still trying to make sense of the absence of Aaron Brown.
CNN Clueless in Hunt for Young Demos
Jan 16, 2006
By Marianne Paskowski
Memo to CNN chieftain Jonathan Klein: It has now been more than two months since you gave Aaron Brown, who anchored CNN's "NewsNight With Aaron Brown" for the past four years, the big heave-ho. I know, business is business and Mr. Brown's ratings were tanking.
But if you think you're going to get younger (or so-called more desirable) demographics with Anderson Cooper in that role, forget it. I don't know how old you are, Mr. Klein, but when I was a youngster still living at home, I could not care less about the 10 p.m. news.
That's because I was out partying with my pals and had no mortgage to pay or world issues to fret about. In contrast, my parents, who supported me, were glued to TV news each and every evening. They seemed to get some comfort out of it all. To me, watching news was punishment, and I watched it only when I was grounded.
Face it, news is never going to attract the younger demographic. Madison Avenue knows that. Why else would all those commercials for Maalox and Gas-X-products which I never knew existed in my carefree youth-run in news programs? Heck, even today I spend more time online than I do with my television set, and I am not a member of Gen Y.
For those of us who even watch news at 10 p.m., due to your decision, we have to endure a rather stiff-looking and -sounding Anderson Cooper, in Brown's old role, dutifully reading or showing the work of a dozen other reporters each night. He looks bored.
I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm now voting with my remote control and getting my news from Comedy Central's Jon Stewart or NBC's Jay Leno. They, just like Mr. Brown, have what Mr. Cooper lacks: a worldliness and grasp of current affairs and a wonderful sense of humor.
Instead of propping up Mr. Cooper in that ridiculous business suit in the news studio, it's time to put him back in the field, where he excelled: Reporting, on the scene, in his swashbuckling manner, about natural-disaster stories such as the Asian tsunami or, more recently, Hurricane Katrina.
That is his milieu. The other night Mr. Cooper seemed much more excited about a bomb scare in a San Francisco Starbucks than he was about the Supreme Court hearings. And that's OK. I can relate. Let him go back to do what pumps his adrenaline. What you've done here is akin to the powers that be here at TVWeek making me their chief counsel or bean counter instead of just allowing me to spew off as a columnist. They haven't offered me those other, more lucrative positions yet, but if they do, no thanks, I'll pass.
So, Mr. Klein, you might ask why is this nutcase writing this two months after the cow has been let out of the barn? Well, I'll tell you. The other day I caught "The Washington Journal" on C-SPAN and I heard Mr. Brown's name mentioned and I was excited.
Until then, I thought he had vanished from the planet.
At first I thought, "Yikes! He's coming back." Instead, it was a segment on a media bias study conducted by UCLA political scientist Tim Groseclose, who said his research found that CNN's "NewsNight" was one of the most centrist media outlets.
I was glad to hear that, but realized how much I still missed watching Mr. Brown in my home each evening. And I'm not alone. Internet bloggers remain enraged over his departure. We especially remember his poignant and comforting reporting on Sept. 11, during a time when fear enveloped America after the bombing of the World Trade Center.
Mr. Brown, back then, was only days on his new job, but somehow his passion, pathos and sensibility helped us all get through that tragic time.
It's certainly an interesting time in TV news. CBS's Dan Rather is gone. NBC's Tom Brokaw passed the baton. And, most unfortunate, ABC's longtime anchor Peter Jennings has passed away. Even ABC's "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel threw in the towel as a regular weeknight fixture on TV.
Again, back to the demos. I don't envy you your job, Mr. Klein, because even if you produce news for online, wireless or iPods, the young demo you are seeking is simply out of your grasp. So why not cede the turf back to the veterans who report for adults who really watch news?
Only a suggestion. But while I'm at it, I have another one for you. Let's pare down CNN's "NewsNight" to an hour.
Like I mentioned earlier, I forced myself to watch Mr. Cooper for the full two hours. If I don't have an attention span of that length, do you think younger demos do?
Chasing The 25-54 Demo: Pointless?
TV Week columnist Marianne Paskowski writes a memo to CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein:"...If you think you're going to get younger (or so-called more desirable) demographics with Anderson Cooper" in the NewsNight time slot, "forget it. I don't know how old you are, Mr. Klein, but when I was a youngster still living at home, I could not care less about the 10 p.m. news.That's because I was out partying with my pals and had no mortgage to pay or world issues to fret about. In contrast, my parents, who supported me, were glued to TV news each and every evening. They seemed to get some comfort out of it all. To me, watching news was punishment, and I watched it only when I was grounded. Face it, news is never going to attract the younger demographic. Madison Avenue knows that. Why else would all those commercials for Maalox and Gas-X-products which I never knew existed in my carefree youth-run in news programs? Heck, even today I spend more time online than I do with my television set, and I am not a member of Gen Y..."
Cooper Is "Younging-Down The Hour"
In TV Week today, Marianne Paskowski criticizes Jon Klein's decision to appeal to younger viewers by placing Anderson Cooper in primetime. This afternoon an industry observer, not affiliated with any network, responded in an e-mail:"Paskowski's column is pretty hysterical because Cooper's gains are ALL in the younger demos. I've seen the numbers. In the 10p ET hour, 360's total viewers have risen just 2%. But what's happening is that Aaron Brown's older viewers are fleeing and being replaced by 18-49s. Whether it's worth all the hype is a separate question, but Cooper is absolutely younging-down that hour."That's why the Anderson-bashing is pretty much irrelevant: If older viewers are being replaced by younger viewers, the programming change is a success for CNN...
Jan 16, 2006
By Marianne Paskowski
Memo to CNN chieftain Jonathan Klein: It has now been more than two months since you gave Aaron Brown, who anchored CNN's "NewsNight With Aaron Brown" for the past four years, the big heave-ho. I know, business is business and Mr. Brown's ratings were tanking.
But if you think you're going to get younger (or so-called more desirable) demographics with Anderson Cooper in that role, forget it. I don't know how old you are, Mr. Klein, but when I was a youngster still living at home, I could not care less about the 10 p.m. news.
That's because I was out partying with my pals and had no mortgage to pay or world issues to fret about. In contrast, my parents, who supported me, were glued to TV news each and every evening. They seemed to get some comfort out of it all. To me, watching news was punishment, and I watched it only when I was grounded.
Face it, news is never going to attract the younger demographic. Madison Avenue knows that. Why else would all those commercials for Maalox and Gas-X-products which I never knew existed in my carefree youth-run in news programs? Heck, even today I spend more time online than I do with my television set, and I am not a member of Gen Y.
For those of us who even watch news at 10 p.m., due to your decision, we have to endure a rather stiff-looking and -sounding Anderson Cooper, in Brown's old role, dutifully reading or showing the work of a dozen other reporters each night. He looks bored.
I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm now voting with my remote control and getting my news from Comedy Central's Jon Stewart or NBC's Jay Leno. They, just like Mr. Brown, have what Mr. Cooper lacks: a worldliness and grasp of current affairs and a wonderful sense of humor.
Instead of propping up Mr. Cooper in that ridiculous business suit in the news studio, it's time to put him back in the field, where he excelled: Reporting, on the scene, in his swashbuckling manner, about natural-disaster stories such as the Asian tsunami or, more recently, Hurricane Katrina.
That is his milieu. The other night Mr. Cooper seemed much more excited about a bomb scare in a San Francisco Starbucks than he was about the Supreme Court hearings. And that's OK. I can relate. Let him go back to do what pumps his adrenaline. What you've done here is akin to the powers that be here at TVWeek making me their chief counsel or bean counter instead of just allowing me to spew off as a columnist. They haven't offered me those other, more lucrative positions yet, but if they do, no thanks, I'll pass.
So, Mr. Klein, you might ask why is this nutcase writing this two months after the cow has been let out of the barn? Well, I'll tell you. The other day I caught "The Washington Journal" on C-SPAN and I heard Mr. Brown's name mentioned and I was excited.
Until then, I thought he had vanished from the planet.
At first I thought, "Yikes! He's coming back." Instead, it was a segment on a media bias study conducted by UCLA political scientist Tim Groseclose, who said his research found that CNN's "NewsNight" was one of the most centrist media outlets.
I was glad to hear that, but realized how much I still missed watching Mr. Brown in my home each evening. And I'm not alone. Internet bloggers remain enraged over his departure. We especially remember his poignant and comforting reporting on Sept. 11, during a time when fear enveloped America after the bombing of the World Trade Center.
Mr. Brown, back then, was only days on his new job, but somehow his passion, pathos and sensibility helped us all get through that tragic time.
It's certainly an interesting time in TV news. CBS's Dan Rather is gone. NBC's Tom Brokaw passed the baton. And, most unfortunate, ABC's longtime anchor Peter Jennings has passed away. Even ABC's "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel threw in the towel as a regular weeknight fixture on TV.
Again, back to the demos. I don't envy you your job, Mr. Klein, because even if you produce news for online, wireless or iPods, the young demo you are seeking is simply out of your grasp. So why not cede the turf back to the veterans who report for adults who really watch news?
Only a suggestion. But while I'm at it, I have another one for you. Let's pare down CNN's "NewsNight" to an hour.
Like I mentioned earlier, I forced myself to watch Mr. Cooper for the full two hours. If I don't have an attention span of that length, do you think younger demos do?
Chasing The 25-54 Demo: Pointless?
TV Week columnist Marianne Paskowski writes a memo to CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein:"...If you think you're going to get younger (or so-called more desirable) demographics with Anderson Cooper" in the NewsNight time slot, "forget it. I don't know how old you are, Mr. Klein, but when I was a youngster still living at home, I could not care less about the 10 p.m. news.That's because I was out partying with my pals and had no mortgage to pay or world issues to fret about. In contrast, my parents, who supported me, were glued to TV news each and every evening. They seemed to get some comfort out of it all. To me, watching news was punishment, and I watched it only when I was grounded. Face it, news is never going to attract the younger demographic. Madison Avenue knows that. Why else would all those commercials for Maalox and Gas-X-products which I never knew existed in my carefree youth-run in news programs? Heck, even today I spend more time online than I do with my television set, and I am not a member of Gen Y..."
Cooper Is "Younging-Down The Hour"
In TV Week today, Marianne Paskowski criticizes Jon Klein's decision to appeal to younger viewers by placing Anderson Cooper in primetime. This afternoon an industry observer, not affiliated with any network, responded in an e-mail:"Paskowski's column is pretty hysterical because Cooper's gains are ALL in the younger demos. I've seen the numbers. In the 10p ET hour, 360's total viewers have risen just 2%. But what's happening is that Aaron Brown's older viewers are fleeing and being replaced by 18-49s. Whether it's worth all the hype is a separate question, but Cooper is absolutely younging-down that hour."That's why the Anderson-bashing is pretty much irrelevant: If older viewers are being replaced by younger viewers, the programming change is a success for CNN...
Complete Government Incompetence. The 'science' surrounding Katrina was completely sound.
AC 360 on Katrina 'foot dragging' also known as "Who cares!"
Perhaps we all need to be reminded how ridiculous the circumstances surrounding complete devastation of the Gulf Coast actually is:
Katrina vs. Sea Surface Height
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Katrina_vs_sea_surface_height.JPG
Katrina's Path
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Katrina_2005_track.png
Katrina's Landfall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hurricane_Katrina_August_28_2005_NASA.jpg
Katrina's Eyewall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HurricaneEye.jpg
Katrina Pictures
http://www.katrinahelp.com/hurricane-katrina-pictures.html
How to get a FEMA trailer. The date of the article is November 11, 2005.
http://www.wdsu.com/news/5305091/detail.html
Evidently, on December 1, 2005, it was a real event when 'neighbor's got a trailer.'
http://mediajunkie.com/insidethebowl/2005/12/our_neighbors_get_a_fema_trail.html
Update 1: New Docs Show Gov't Forewarned on Katrina
http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2006/01/23/ap2470511.html
http://www.ford.com/en/support/Search_Results?referrer=home&search=crown+victoria&searchend=end&image1.x=35&image1.y=10
Ford is not interested in helping consumers. They want it all to go away.
I rest my case.
1050
The Alma Mine was a prime example of 'Safety Incompetency' encouraged by Bush's Administration, House and Senate. Bush deliberately reduced the 'cost' of mining by compromising miner safety, passing legislation eliminating independant 'air shafts' into mines. In other words, where there should be 'vents' to the surface allowing 'fresh air' in to the mine it was no longer necessary to comply with what was necessary for miner air quality. Miners are disposable you understand. See, Bush doesn't realize human beings also sit on the Board of Directors of mine companies. It's time the Board members, the CEOs as well as the stockholders that gamble with people's lives for profits are sued.
Air quality violations of the human lungs by the Bush Administration doesn't stop with lungs and lives of miners in West Virginia.
Clean-air shift called unsound
State officials, scientists dispute EPA bid to strip regulations on airborne dust in rural regions.
By Chris Bowman -- Bee Staff Writer
A Bush administration proposal to strip certain clean-air protections from such rural areas as the rice bowl north of Sacramento is scientifically unsupportable, California air regulators and scientists said Wednesday.
The rural rollback, supported by the mining industry, is one of several proposed revisions in the regulation of tiny airborne particles from vehicle exhaust, power plants, farming and mining operations and other sources.
In developing the proposals, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists analyzed a mounting body of science that links the fine particles to heart disease, strokes, asthma attacks and shortened lifespans.
Under the proposals published Tuesday, the EPA would take the unprecedented step of setting a different level of clean-air protection for some Americans than for others. The daily limit on the amount of particle pollution in urban areas would be tightened while the restrictions in rural regions would be removed altogether.
The state Air Resources Board nonetheless disputes the federal EPA position that airborne dust in rural areas is relatively safe and does not warrant federal regulation.
"Rural areas still have airborne particles from diesel-powered farm vehicles and equipment, from animal wastes and from pesticides and fertilizers," said Jerry Martin, air board spokesman. "We don't think those particles are any safer just because they aren't emitted in urbanized areas."
The bulk of the health studies have been conducted in urban areas. The few performed in rural regions, like a recent investigation in Southern California's Coachella Valley, provide "sufficient evidence" that the coarser specks from farms are harmful, according to Catherine Witherspoon, the board's executive officer.
"There have been too few studies ... to allow an informed judgement as to the relative toxicity of rural vs. urban coarse particles," Witherspoon said in a recent letter to the EPA.
Further, state officials say there is no practical way to enforce a two-tiered air-pollution standard in many rural areas because windblown city pollution often ends up there. The rural Calexico region on the Mexican border, for example, records the most frequent violations of particle pollution levels in the state because of its proximity to the city of Mexicali.
EPA officials point out that its scientists and those on an independent review committee generally agreed the windblown specks in cities, coming mainly from vehicles and factories, are inherently more toxic than the typical rural dust kicked up on farms and dirt roads.
"The evidence to date does not support a national air-quality standard that would cover situations where most coarse particles in the air come from sources like windblown dust and soils, agricultural sources and mining sources," EPA spokesman John Millet said in a statement to The Bee.
Rural regions in chronic violation of the federal particle pollution standards are Colusa County, Imperial Valley, the Mojave Desert and the Owens Valley, which, as a result of Los Angeles' draining of the Owens Lake, has the worst dust storms in the nation.
Harry Krug, who doubles as agricultural commissioner and air pollution control officer in Colusa County - population 21,000 - said the state's phasing out of rice-straw burning in the Sacramento Valley ironically has worsened particle pollution there.
While the burning restrictions have lowered the levels of harmful airborne soot and bits of rice-straw fibers, the alternative of plowing the stubble into the fields has put more dust in the air, he said.
Even if the district had dust controls, Krug said, "there wouldn't be any uproar in Colusa County" over their removal.
A Bush administration proposal to strip certain clean-air protections from such rural areas as the rice bowl north of Sacramento is scientifically unsupportable, California air regulators and scientists said Wednesday.
The rural rollback, supported by the mining industry, is one of several proposed revisions in the regulation of tiny airborne particles from vehicle exhaust, power plants, farming and mining operations and other sources.
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration regularly inspects the nation's mines and responds to accidents when they happen. When the government visited the Alma Coal No. 1 Mine in Logan County, W.Va., they recorded following information:
VIOLATIONS: During 2005, inspectors documented 95 violations at the mine. The most recent inspection -- conducted between Oct. 11 and Dec. 23 -- produced 29 violations, or about 30.5 percent of the year's total.
SUBSTANTIAL: Of the 2005 violations, inspectors documented about 48 of them as being of a "significant and substantial" nature.
ACCIDENTS: Inspectors documented 31 accidents at the mine in 2005, four of which occurred in December.
Now, given the fact rural America is primarily comprised of 'working farms' then there is OBVIOUSLY a delineation between people whom are protected by environmental law and those that aren't. Given that FACT now realized minimally in California is there any doubt how a mine operator views workers when precious metals are at stake. Are companies about profit only? When companies 'allow' lenient government policy to increase their employee morbidity and morality they are guilty of human rights violations. People are not commodities. The Chinese Gold Mine is no different when a Canadian company finds an opportunity for profits.
Canada Company Finds Gold in China
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 23, 2006
Filed at 10:21 a.m. ET
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Canadian mining company Magnus International Resources Inc. said it found ''encouraging'' gold results from drilling samples at a project in western China -- one of many foreign ventures moving ahead as international gold prices soar.
Final word on AC tonight regarding cuteness.
It's a survival mechanism, called neoteny. Projection of self into the offspring provides emotional bonding of a helpless infant. Neotenic development happens in humans when the rate of our childhood development is slowed significantly. This means that more learning can happen in humans during our development. There is more time for a richer and fuller development of our minds. Noted that human curiosity may have had a role to play in the development of human consciousness.
Not to make 'love' aseptic. Neoteny works to incude parents in a fulfilling experience as well.
Enough
Perhaps we all need to be reminded how ridiculous the circumstances surrounding complete devastation of the Gulf Coast actually is:
Katrina vs. Sea Surface Height
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Katrina_vs_sea_surface_height.JPG
Katrina's Path
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Katrina_2005_track.png
Katrina's Landfall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hurricane_Katrina_August_28_2005_NASA.jpg
Katrina's Eyewall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HurricaneEye.jpg
Katrina Pictures
http://www.katrinahelp.com/hurricane-katrina-pictures.html
How to get a FEMA trailer. The date of the article is November 11, 2005.
http://www.wdsu.com/news/5305091/detail.html
Evidently, on December 1, 2005, it was a real event when 'neighbor's got a trailer.'
http://mediajunkie.com/insidethebowl/2005/12/our_neighbors_get_a_fema_trail.html
Update 1: New Docs Show Gov't Forewarned on Katrina
http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2006/01/23/ap2470511.html
1030
I hate to be a 'party pooper' but the issue with the Crown Victoria was introduced by Aaron Brown.
There was a time in this country when 'the culture' cared about people. They don't anymore. Companies have removed themselves from customer service as they have had their liability threshold reduced in any class action suit. In 'Bush's Brave New World' customers literally have put their lives on the line when they purchase any technology, medicine or what was normally protected including automobiles.
The 'class action' suit is no longer effective so much as 'embarrassing' a company. Consumers have to form 'unions' to protect themselves from corporate disinterest and greed.
I didn't get results at this website.
Ford
Something about this company that screams, 'Get Help Here !'
http://www.ford.com/en/default.htm
Perhaps a 'warning' notice here?http://www.ford.com/en/support/Search_Results?referrer=home&search=crown+victoria&searchend=end&image1.x=35&image1.y=10
Ford is not interested in helping consumers. They want it all to go away.
I rest my case.
1050
The Alma Mine was a prime example of 'Safety Incompetency' encouraged by Bush's Administration, House and Senate. Bush deliberately reduced the 'cost' of mining by compromising miner safety, passing legislation eliminating independant 'air shafts' into mines. In other words, where there should be 'vents' to the surface allowing 'fresh air' in to the mine it was no longer necessary to comply with what was necessary for miner air quality. Miners are disposable you understand. See, Bush doesn't realize human beings also sit on the Board of Directors of mine companies. It's time the Board members, the CEOs as well as the stockholders that gamble with people's lives for profits are sued.
Air quality violations of the human lungs by the Bush Administration doesn't stop with lungs and lives of miners in West Virginia.
Clean-air shift called unsound
State officials, scientists dispute EPA bid to strip regulations on airborne dust in rural regions.
By Chris Bowman -- Bee Staff Writer
A Bush administration proposal to strip certain clean-air protections from such rural areas as the rice bowl north of Sacramento is scientifically unsupportable, California air regulators and scientists said Wednesday.
The rural rollback, supported by the mining industry, is one of several proposed revisions in the regulation of tiny airborne particles from vehicle exhaust, power plants, farming and mining operations and other sources.
In developing the proposals, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists analyzed a mounting body of science that links the fine particles to heart disease, strokes, asthma attacks and shortened lifespans.
Under the proposals published Tuesday, the EPA would take the unprecedented step of setting a different level of clean-air protection for some Americans than for others. The daily limit on the amount of particle pollution in urban areas would be tightened while the restrictions in rural regions would be removed altogether.
The state Air Resources Board nonetheless disputes the federal EPA position that airborne dust in rural areas is relatively safe and does not warrant federal regulation.
"Rural areas still have airborne particles from diesel-powered farm vehicles and equipment, from animal wastes and from pesticides and fertilizers," said Jerry Martin, air board spokesman. "We don't think those particles are any safer just because they aren't emitted in urbanized areas."
The bulk of the health studies have been conducted in urban areas. The few performed in rural regions, like a recent investigation in Southern California's Coachella Valley, provide "sufficient evidence" that the coarser specks from farms are harmful, according to Catherine Witherspoon, the board's executive officer.
"There have been too few studies ... to allow an informed judgement as to the relative toxicity of rural vs. urban coarse particles," Witherspoon said in a recent letter to the EPA.
Further, state officials say there is no practical way to enforce a two-tiered air-pollution standard in many rural areas because windblown city pollution often ends up there. The rural Calexico region on the Mexican border, for example, records the most frequent violations of particle pollution levels in the state because of its proximity to the city of Mexicali.
EPA officials point out that its scientists and those on an independent review committee generally agreed the windblown specks in cities, coming mainly from vehicles and factories, are inherently more toxic than the typical rural dust kicked up on farms and dirt roads.
"The evidence to date does not support a national air-quality standard that would cover situations where most coarse particles in the air come from sources like windblown dust and soils, agricultural sources and mining sources," EPA spokesman John Millet said in a statement to The Bee.
Rural regions in chronic violation of the federal particle pollution standards are Colusa County, Imperial Valley, the Mojave Desert and the Owens Valley, which, as a result of Los Angeles' draining of the Owens Lake, has the worst dust storms in the nation.
Harry Krug, who doubles as agricultural commissioner and air pollution control officer in Colusa County - population 21,000 - said the state's phasing out of rice-straw burning in the Sacramento Valley ironically has worsened particle pollution there.
While the burning restrictions have lowered the levels of harmful airborne soot and bits of rice-straw fibers, the alternative of plowing the stubble into the fields has put more dust in the air, he said.
Even if the district had dust controls, Krug said, "there wouldn't be any uproar in Colusa County" over their removal.
A Bush administration proposal to strip certain clean-air protections from such rural areas as the rice bowl north of Sacramento is scientifically unsupportable, California air regulators and scientists said Wednesday.
The rural rollback, supported by the mining industry, is one of several proposed revisions in the regulation of tiny airborne particles from vehicle exhaust, power plants, farming and mining operations and other sources.
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration regularly inspects the nation's mines and responds to accidents when they happen. When the government visited the Alma Coal No. 1 Mine in Logan County, W.Va., they recorded following information:
VIOLATIONS: During 2005, inspectors documented 95 violations at the mine. The most recent inspection -- conducted between Oct. 11 and Dec. 23 -- produced 29 violations, or about 30.5 percent of the year's total.
SUBSTANTIAL: Of the 2005 violations, inspectors documented about 48 of them as being of a "significant and substantial" nature.
ACCIDENTS: Inspectors documented 31 accidents at the mine in 2005, four of which occurred in December.
Now, given the fact rural America is primarily comprised of 'working farms' then there is OBVIOUSLY a delineation between people whom are protected by environmental law and those that aren't. Given that FACT now realized minimally in California is there any doubt how a mine operator views workers when precious metals are at stake. Are companies about profit only? When companies 'allow' lenient government policy to increase their employee morbidity and morality they are guilty of human rights violations. People are not commodities. The Chinese Gold Mine is no different when a Canadian company finds an opportunity for profits.
Canada Company Finds Gold in China
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 23, 2006
Filed at 10:21 a.m. ET
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Canadian mining company Magnus International Resources Inc. said it found ''encouraging'' gold results from drilling samples at a project in western China -- one of many foreign ventures moving ahead as international gold prices soar.
Final word on AC tonight regarding cuteness.
It's a survival mechanism, called neoteny. Projection of self into the offspring provides emotional bonding of a helpless infant. Neotenic development happens in humans when the rate of our childhood development is slowed significantly. This means that more learning can happen in humans during our development. There is more time for a richer and fuller development of our minds. Noted that human curiosity may have had a role to play in the development of human consciousness.
Not to make 'love' aseptic. Neoteny works to incude parents in a fulfilling experience as well.
Enough
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Lose Frankenstein. IT IS an insult to human beings.
New Orleans is alive. I'll be darn.
The fire in another West Virginia Coal Mine. I'll be darn.Twenty-one West Virginia mining and mine related operations were recognized in Charleston Thursday for outstanding safety r
Why?
Why didn't Mayfield call the Mayor?
The city is devastated and needs the people who loved it when the storm hit to continue to love it. Below is a hideous approach to resurrecting New Orleans, especially given the fact New Orleans does not have it's own task force. The Gulf Coast is important. But, New Orleans needs a Task Force to facilitate it's needs.
President Meets with Foundations to Help Aid Gulf Coast Recovery
Room 350
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
2:07 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Laura and I are so thankful that Dr. Francis and Leland Speed -- Dr. Francis is from Louisiana, Mr. Leland Speed is from Mississippi -- are here to brief not only Don Powell and myself, and Laura, but also members of the compassion community here in America. We've got charities from all across the country, foundations from all across the country who have come to listen to the needs of the good people in Mississippi and Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060119-4.html
FOUNDATIONS are fine as an ancillary approach and certainly they should not be turned away, but, a concerted effort by the people of this country is reflected in the depth of commitment of it's government. Bush is NOT committing the Federal Government to reconstructing New Orleans as promised. He is pandering to others who see a benefit to themselves as well as any help they can offer The Gulf Coast. Bush is 'passing the buck' rather than addressing the needs of the USA.
It is time to let The White House know exactly how remiss they are in helping with a comprehensive plan to reconstruct the Gulf Coast ASAP. It is no wonder the Senators and Governor of Louisiana is traveling to the Netherlands to find the answer. The Federal government has no answers and is seeking none either.
Contacting the White House [En Español]
Mailing Address
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
E-Mail
Please send your comments to comments@whitehouse.gov. Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message. For further up-to-date information on Presidential initiatives, current events, and topics of interest to you, please continue to use the White House website.
Vice President Richard Cheney: vice_president@whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
1036
Drew Griffin - New Orleans and Suicide. Two lawyers and three doctors have killed themselves after Katrina. Their lifestyles are gone. The city they loved and dedicated their practice to is gone. Where are the experts from FEMA that prevents this?
We need an effective government without corruption. We need it now !
1042
Keep the lid on the mine rescue until it's known for sure. Don't do this again ! Leave the emoting to the familes.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/milliped.html
1047
commercials
The fire in another West Virginia Coal Mine. I'll be darn.Twenty-one West Virginia mining and mine related operations were recognized in Charleston Thursday for outstanding safety r
Why?
Why didn't Mayfield call the Mayor?
The city is devastated and needs the people who loved it when the storm hit to continue to love it. Below is a hideous approach to resurrecting New Orleans, especially given the fact New Orleans does not have it's own task force. The Gulf Coast is important. But, New Orleans needs a Task Force to facilitate it's needs.
President Meets with Foundations to Help Aid Gulf Coast Recovery
Room 350
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
2:07 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Laura and I are so thankful that Dr. Francis and Leland Speed -- Dr. Francis is from Louisiana, Mr. Leland Speed is from Mississippi -- are here to brief not only Don Powell and myself, and Laura, but also members of the compassion community here in America. We've got charities from all across the country, foundations from all across the country who have come to listen to the needs of the good people in Mississippi and Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060119-4.html
FOUNDATIONS are fine as an ancillary approach and certainly they should not be turned away, but, a concerted effort by the people of this country is reflected in the depth of commitment of it's government. Bush is NOT committing the Federal Government to reconstructing New Orleans as promised. He is pandering to others who see a benefit to themselves as well as any help they can offer The Gulf Coast. Bush is 'passing the buck' rather than addressing the needs of the USA.
It is time to let The White House know exactly how remiss they are in helping with a comprehensive plan to reconstruct the Gulf Coast ASAP. It is no wonder the Senators and Governor of Louisiana is traveling to the Netherlands to find the answer. The Federal government has no answers and is seeking none either.
Contacting the White House [En Español]
Mailing Address
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121
Please send your comments to comments@whitehouse.gov. Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message. For further up-to-date information on Presidential initiatives, current events, and topics of interest to you, please continue to use the White House website.
Vice President Richard Cheney: vice_president@whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
1036
Drew Griffin - New Orleans and Suicide. Two lawyers and three doctors have killed themselves after Katrina. Their lifestyles are gone. The city they loved and dedicated their practice to is gone. Where are the experts from FEMA that prevents this?
We need an effective government without corruption. We need it now !
1042
commercials
1044Keep the lid on the mine rescue until it's known for sure. Don't do this again ! Leave the emoting to the familes.
1044
The News Secretary.
It's a milliped.http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/milliped.html
1047
commercials
1050
Marciano and the Marshes of the Gulf Coast. There is no foundation that has the resources to replace the wetlands/marshes. You all getting this picture? Our entire southern coast of this country is being left to CHANCE. We need competent leadership !
Yeah, the fisheries of the Gulf Coast is important.
There is also Sport Fishing to be a part of in activism for the resort areas of the Gulf Coast.
Support FishAmerica’s Gulf Fund
http://www.fishamerica.org/faf/support/gulf_fund.html
Fishery Market News
The NOAA Fisheries' "Fishery Market News" began operations in New York City on February 14, 1938. The primary function of this joint Federal/industry program is to provide accurate and unbiased reports depicting current conditions affecting the trade in fish and fishery products.
Market News takes the pulse of the market. Other services may try to diagnose the market, but Market News merely observes, records, and reports on current conditions. With offices located in Boston, Long Beach, New Orleans, New York, and Seattle the Market News service gathers and reports on a wealth of information. Barring unforeseen problems, the reports are updated by 3:00 pm (Eastern Time) on the day indicated. View the update schedule for the release dates of the following reports: Foreign Trade, Gulf Coast Shrimp, and Meal and Oil.
http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/market_news/
NO REPORT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE - NOV. 15, 2005
SHRIMP STATISTICS, JULY-2005
Maggie WilliamsNational Marine Fisheries ServiceStatistical Division2300 General Meyer Ave.NSA Bldg H-100, Suite 282New Orleans, LA 70142maggie.bourgeois@noaa.gov
http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/market_news/doc45.txt
1100
BY praising the fighters in Afghanistan the Dynamic Al Qaida Duo is guaranteed some of those fighters will be loyal to protecting them. I definitely believe Osama is scared. Definitely. We are close. We are very close to 'getting him.'
Alleged al-Zawahri tape praises fighters in Afghanistan
21.01.06 1.00pm
DUBAI - Al Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, praised Islamic fighters in Afghanistan, according to an internet audio tape posted on Friday, a day after Osama bin Laden warned of attacks in America.
The speaker on the latest tape sounded like the Egyptian-born Zawahri. The little-known website which carried the tape said it was new but this could not be verified.
"I am honoured to recite this jihadist poem," he said, praising mujahideen fighters.
"We shall remain true to our oath (with the Afghan mujahideen)."
The message emerged one day after bin Laden, al Qaeda's leader, said the group was preparing attacks in the United States but was open to a conditional truce with the Americans, according to an audio tape attributed to him.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10364754
1100
The Press Briefing regarding the current mine emergency in West Virginia.
1104
I won't discuss Jill Carroll any further. The media industry is welcome to do that. I said my piece yesterday.
I find Danny Pearl's father a great resource. I am confident he would be more than pleased to have the 'industry' at his doorstep to address the issue of journalist safety. I find some of the young journalists fool hearty in their approach and need to heed the warnings of Danny's father. He has a great deal of experience with the authority of the Middle East that sees the world as he does. Don't they realize they are the future and their lives are an asset to us all? The next 'big story' in places like Iraq is a fantasy. Finding facts is the most valuable service to their profession and their readership in places this dangerous. Losing them does not enhance the circumstances for us.
The world has been shocked by the senseless loss of Daniel Pearl, a journalist who dedicated his life to bringing joy and understanding to the world.
http://www.danielpearl.org/about_us/index.html
The Los Angeles Times
January 1, 2006
Munich - Justice Must Be Done
By: JUDEA PEARL
When Steven Spielberg talks about his film "Munich," he uses words
such as violence, empathy, revenge and doubt." But one word is missing
from his comments, and from the film itself: "Justice."
Nearly four years ago, when the world reacted with shock and
indignation to the murder of our son, Wall Street Journal reporter
Daniel Pearl, my family and I had hoped the civilized nations would
mobilize to protect themselves, not merely against the practice of
targeting the innocent to transmit political messages but more
pointedly against the ideologies that license such moral deformity.
http://www.danielpearl.org/news_and_press/articles/munich_justice.html
Ricketts named 2006 Daniel Pearl Memorial Journalism Intern
Camille J. Ricketts, editor in chief of the Stanford Daily, has been chosen as the 2006 Daniel Pearl Memorial Journalism Intern.
A senior majoring in history with a minor in creative writing, Ricketts will work in the London bureau of the Wall Street Journal this summer.
The internship was established to commemorate the work and ideals of Daniel Pearl, a Stanford alumnus and Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002.
In an essay written as part of her application, Ricketts described her affinity for Pearl's work. "Daniel Pearl made it his mission to give many who were lost or unnoticed a recognizable face and a louder voice," she wrote. "Like Pearl, I strive to capture people's idiosyncrasies, while never losing sight of their commonalities."
Ricketts has held previous journalism internships at the Washington bureau of Knight Ridder, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Stanford magazine and The Almanac (Menlo Park). She is from Fremont, Calif.
A committee of Communication Department faculty members evaluated applicants for the internship. The final decision was made by the Wall Street Journal.
http://www.danielpearl.org/news_and_press/articles/ricketts.html
Dear Friend,
We are proud to share this update on the activities of the Daniel Pearl Foundation and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the Foundation. We wish you Happy Holidays and the fulfillment of all of your dreams in 2006
With deep gratitude,
The Pearl Family
We welcome your comments, suggestions and ideas. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to others who might be interested.
http://www.danielpearl.org/news_and_press/newsletter_dec05_vol2_ed3.html
In line with our mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding, we will post from time to time stories, ideas and activities that highlight progress toward this goal.
http://www.danielpearl.org/news_and_press/rays_of_hope.html
1108
The Mine Company is STILL searching for an answer.
The West Virginia Governor. He is steadfast in his devotion to the people of West Virginia.
I've had enough for the week.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Terror Alert, 'al Qaeda' is coming. Terror Alert, Terror Alert, "It's the devastation of Katrina." Terror Alert, "When will they raise the Alert...
... Level and get back in the game."
1000
The devastation of Hurricane Katrina all around us and then a new threat by Osama bin Laden. That's amazing. WHO IS KEEPING WHO HONEST?
Frankenstein : Heeeeerrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeee's Andy !
1001
"Osama is back in the game?" I didn't know deaths to Americans was a game.
1002
Jeeze, Nic, you sound excited that bin Laden showed up? Have you missed him?
1005
"The Osama bin Laden I know" This is the second time Cooper is promoting this book.
"Remains in the Game." What a bunch of sickos.
1008
I was waiting to hear it "Should the threat level be raised?"
1008
"Wanted Dead or Alive" George 'Lame Duck' Bush. He can't seem to 'get to Osama' either dead or alive.
These guys are desperate to drive the country back off of Bush's impeachment. Trying a little too hard Anderson.
1009
Commercials
Nigeria in talks with kidnap gang: minister
WARRI, Nigeria -Nigerian officials have made contact with an armed group holding four foreign oil workers in order to negotiate their release, Information Minister Frank Nweke said on Thursday.Separatist militants seized the four men - an American, a Bulgarian, a Briton and a Honduran working for subcontractors to the energy giant Shell - on January 11 and have vowed not to release them until their demands are met.In an interview with the US news network CNN, Nweke said that Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo had ruled out a military response to the crisis and had ordered negotiators to seek a ”political solution”.
“We have no doubt in our minds that this is going to come to an end very very quickly. In a few days the team should revert to the president with a status report and we’ll hopefully see these people’s release,” he said.The minister could not, however, clarify the growing confusion over who exactly has taken the men.There is a consensus that the gang, which has also recently blown up oil pipelines and attacked government soldiers protecting a Shell oil plant, is made up of militant members of the Ijaw ethnic group.But several e-mail claims of responsibility have been sent to the media, and it is not clear who exactly the attackers represent.Nweke said that some prominent figures initially thought to have been behind the kidnap had come forward to deny involvement and that the government was not sure whom it was dealing with.Most of the e-mail statements, however, have demanded the release of jailed Ijaw guerrilla leader Mujahi Dokubo Asari and the former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who has been accused of large-scale embezzlement.
1014
Anderson is talking faster than any salesman I have witnessed. I am waiting for the 'elixir' to be put up as the answer for eternal youth. He is trying to sell Bush and Bin in between New Orleans. What a darn shame. The Propaganda rolls out on this station unlike any other.
Reports on college literacy levels sobering
WASHINGTON - Nearing a diploma, most college students cannot handle many complex but common tasks, from understanding credit card offers to comparing the cost per ounce of food.
Those are the sobering findings of a study of literacy on college campuses, the first to target the skills of students as they approach the start of their careers.
More than 50 percent of students at four-year schools and more than 75 percent at two-year colleges lacked the skills to perform complex literacy tasks.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10928755/
1017
"How seriously should we take Osama bin Laden? At least as serious as we take you, Anderson.
ALSO IN THE NEWS. On the same day Osama makes his appearance.
WASHINGTON - Nearing a diploma, most college students cannot handle many complex but common tasks, from understanding credit card offers to comparing the cost per ounce of food.
Those are the sobering findings of a study of literacy on college campuses, the first to target the skills of students as they approach the start of their careers.
More than 50 percent of students at four-year schools and more than 75 percent at two-year colleges lacked the skills to perform complex literacy tasks.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10928755/
Palestinian suicide bomber wounds 30 in Tel Aviv
By Rami Amichai
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber wounded 30 people in Tel Aviv on Thursday, raising tensions six days before a Palestinian election and confronting interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with a major test.
The bombing at a popular sandwich stand was the first in Israel since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was incapacitated by a massive stroke on January 4 and could put pressure on Olmert for harsh reprisals in the Palestinian territories.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the attack was aimed at sabotaging the January 25 parliamentary election. Violence could complicate the poll, in which the militant group Hamas is expected to make a strong showing against his Fatah movement.
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-19T171237Z_01_L1911966_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-EXPLOSION.xml
NOW THAT THEY SOLD 'OSAMA' THEY ARE BRINGING ON SYMPATHY FOR 'FEMA TRAILER' TRAVESTY.
1022
I Guess Bin Laden is all the LOSERS big chance. That says a lot.
Nascar as well. Why not. Something has to overcome the lousy priorities CNN has.
1024
Back to New Orleans.
Anderson. You have forgotten 'The Newsy Secretary.' Hurry, maybe she has been kidnapped by 'bin.'
1027
Also in the news on the day 'bin' appeared to 'scare off' his impending ghosts.
Syria Supports Iran in Nuclear Standoff
Friday January 20, 2006 1:32 AM
AP Photo DAM111
By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press Writer
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria asserted Thursday that Iran had a right to atomic technology and said Western objections to Tehran's nuclear ambitions were not persuasive.
President Bashar Assad of Syria, a longtime Iranian ally facing its own international criticism, said he backed Tehran's moves toward nuclear power and wanted to strengthen ties.
``We support Iran regarding its right to peaceful nuclear technology,'' Assad said at a news conference with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the start of two days of meetings. ``It is the right of Iran and any other state to own nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Countries that object to that have not provided a convincing or logical reason.''
Russia's Foreign Minister Thursday called for a cautious approach to the mounting crisis over Iran's renewal of nuclear research, while a senior U.S. envoy accused Tehran of deceiving the world about its intentions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5557944,00.html
1031
Indeed !
Confusion over identities of al-Qaeda leaders killed
By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad
Published: January 19 2006 21:19 Last updated: January 19 2006 21:19
Confusion on Thursday surrounded the identity of three of the four al-Qaeda members named by Pakistan’s intelligence officials as the victims of a CIA-led air strike in a remote region on the Afghan border.
An al-Qaeda bomb expert, for whom the US had offered a $5m (€4bn, £3bn) bounty for information leading to his capture, and the son-in-law of Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, were said to be among the four killed.
However, analysts queried the information because it did not appear to be derived from physical identification or DNA testing of the bodies.
The CIA-led attack last Friday also killed at least 18 civilians, including women and children, provoking an angry reaction from the country’s Islamic and opposition parties.
Pakistan’s intelligence officials on Thursday said one of those killed was Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri. An official identified him as “al-Qaeda’s chief bomb maker, the guy who was the architect of its explosive-making machinery”.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/84757338-8927-11da-94a6-0000779e2340.html
YOU MISSED THE STORY AGAIN ANDERSON !!!!!!!!!! FEMA is closing out in Florida ! All this while the 'cruise' is over in New Orleans.
Hurricane Wilma Disaster Aid Deadline Is Today
Midnight Is The Deadline
Register at WWW.FEMA.GOV
Register at 800-621-FEMA
(CBS4 News) MIAMI Time is quickly running out for Florida residents to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Wilma.
Midnight tonight is the deadline for residents who were affected by the storm to get their applications into FEMA.
Congressman Kendrick B. Meek is urging South Florida residents to apply. "It is imperative that residents of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties that suffered damages from Wilma apply for this crucial form of disaster assistance," Meek said. "Individual assistance grants can help pay for temporary housing, home repairs, and other disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other aid programs."
Following Hurricane Wilma, Meek called on FEMA to provide individual assistance to residents in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, citing the "one-two punch" suffered from Hurricanes' Katrina and Wilma. FEMA grants Meek's request and to date, nearly $292.4 million individual assistance grants have been granted to some 205,766 residents.
There are two ways to register: log on to WWW.FEMA.GOV or call FEMA's toll-free number, 800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairment.
http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_019102507.html
1038
commercials
1042
Hi, Governor. Good to see you.
Don't yell at the Governor, Anderson. You might want to try to read the newspapers. Aaron did. He read the papers every evening otherwise he couldn't pick the ones he put on "Morning Papers." You might try that, Anderson. Aaron always read the newspapers. Even on vacation. He used to bring headlines back with him. It's a good habit, Anderson. Have you read the Times-Picayune today? I'll get it for you. Oh, it's no trouble.
FEMA to continue paying for public assistance in Katrina areas
Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that it will continue to offer public assistance grants to local governments for damage from Hurricane Katrina through Jan. 29.
The program, FEMA said Wednesday, covers all sorts of public assistance to government agencies and private nonprofit organizations involved in the cleanup from Katrina.
All Mississippi counties designated under the federal disaster declaration are eligible for the assistance.
"Public assistance is an important program designed to help ensure critical services are available in communities," said Nick Russo, federal coordinating officer for Mississippi disaster recovery.
Russo said the program will make money available for repairs to publicly owned facilities and emergency protective measures.
Russo said the deadline for public assistance does not affect the previous extension for 100 percent reimbursement of costs for debris removal through March 15.
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/state/13654481.htm
1049
The Newsy Secretary - Nope. Not kidnapped.
1051
Commercials.
Here ya go. The Times Picayune.
http://www.nola.com/
Let's see what it has to say.
Speaking of Insurance.
23% average increase statewide, higher in N.O.
Likely just the first of many to come
Insurance panel OKs rate increase
It's likely to be first of many after storm
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Rebecca Mowbray
Business writer
BATON ROUGE -- The Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission reluctantly approved its first post-Katrina increase in homeowners insurance rates Wednesday, beginning what is likely to be a painful stream of rate increase requests over the next few months.
"We do have a little indigestion," commission member Christine Berry said. "My concern is we are setting a precedent here."
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137654047115780.xml
Housing secretary targets discrimination against evacuees
1/19/2006, 5:38 p.m. CT
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
The Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — After all the hardships hurricane evacuees have encountered, U.S. Housing secretary Alphonso Jackson said Thursday he wants to protect them from being victimized further as they look for a place to live.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/113771425723960.xml&storylist=louisiana
City must tell owners before razing
Demolition issue is settled for now
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Gwen Filosa and Gordon Russell
Staff writers
Before sending in any bulldozers, the city of New Orleans must provide fair notice -- by mail, newspaper ads and Web site announcements -- to any property owner whose storm-battered home is on its demolition list, a federal judge has said.
Instead of proceeding with a full-blown hearing over the demolition process scheduled for today in federal court, the city and a group of homeowners settled a lawsuit before U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman on Tuesday, agreeing to a five-page set of rules that prohibit any demolition without warning.
The lawsuit, named for Lower 9th Ward homeowner Mandy Kirk, was filed last month after a city official announced that inspectors had tallied a list of 5,500 buildings as potential targets for teardowns, a number that included more than 1,900 houses deemed in dire need of removal to ensure public safety.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1137656315115780.xml
You guys actually going to do this marsh thing right? You better. I won't let you get away with anything ! Birds and their flyways are counting on you !
1057
Commercials
1059
Anderson and a 911 Call. He's addicted. A mine fire
1103
Back to bin Laden.
HERE IS SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT OTHER THAN STUPID AL QAEDA.
Utah fire deaths highest since '92
Smoke detectors would have saved 8 of 20 killed last year
By Pat Reavy
Deseret Morning News
Utah had its highest number of fire-related deaths in 13 years during 2005, according to new statistics from the Department of Public Safety.
Twenty people were killed in fires last year in the Beehive State, the most since 1992 when there were 32 deaths, according to the Utah State Fire Marshal's Office.
"I knew we were busy, but I didn't realize it was that high," said South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote. "That's very upsetting."
In 16 of those fatal fires, the victims were found in a house, condominium or camper. Three of the fatal fires were in vehicles and one was in a garage.
The year got off to a bad start almost immediately and seemed to continue throughout the year.
• A 26-year-old pregnant mother, Christina Lee Ward, and two of her children, 4-year-old Dalton Ray James Ward and 2-year-old Mackenzie Brooke Ward, were killed in a fire in Logan Jan. 16.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635175630,00.html
Inspiring violence around the Globe.
Ivorian Leader Urges Youths to End Anti-U.N. Protests
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: January 20, 2006
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Jan. 19 - Youth leaders urged their supporters on Thursday to abandon their deadly protests after thousands of young people defied a request from the president of Ivory Coast to end days of rioting and violence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/international/africa/20ivory.html?hp&ex=1137733200&en=0258921aa30acd7b&ei=5094&partner=homepage
The Cities Around the World are always ready.
1106
More about terrorists.
Whatever.
Man, oh, man. Alaska is rocking.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsUS/Quakes/quakes_all.html
A few in ANWR.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/
Hm.
http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/GSHAP/global/
I have to wonder how much of the seizmic activity along with the excessive rain on the West Coast makes those circumstances worse than one estimates. See the USGS divides up those responsibilities and doesn't put the entire picture together necessarily.
http://landslides.usgs.gov/nlic/
1116
Rush has friends
Posted on Thu, Jan. 19, 2006
Five Miami residents arrested in BSO investigation of oxycodone ring
BY MATT PRICHARD
mprichard@MiamiHerald.com
Five Miami residents have been arrested in connection with a Broward Sheriff's Office undercover investigation of a ''street-level'' oxycodone ring, detectives announced on Thursday.
The arrests were made at Generic Depot Pharmacy, 1461 N. Palm Ave., Pembroke Pines, at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, police said.
Detectives said one of the suspects, Willie Moore, 33, 301 NW 23rd St., would provide the others with forged prescription slips and the group would then go to pharmacies in Broward County to get the prescriptions filled. Once the prescriptions were filled, the pills were sold on the streets, police said.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13665635.htm
Fire erupts in W.Va. mine; two missing
Associated Press
MELLVILLE, W.Va. - A fire erupted in an underground coal mine in southern West Virginia late Thursday and two workers were unaccounted for, authorities said.
The fire was reported at the Aracoma Coal Co. in Mellville, about 60 miles southwest of Charleston.
Lara Ramsburg, a spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin, said the blaze apparently began on a conveyer belt that moves coal from the mine to the surface. She did not have any other information.
State police said they were responding to an incident at the mine but would not give any other details.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13666443.htm
1123
Commercials
You shouldn't be such an alarmist, Anderson. It's unbecoming.
Bin Laden tape won't raise security level
LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The United States has no plans to raise the security threat level because of a new tape of Osama bin Laden saying al-Qaida is planning attacks, counterterrorism officials said Thursday.
The White House firmly rejected bin Laden's suggestion of a negotiated truce. "We don't negotiate with terrorists," Vice President Dick Cheney said in a television interview. "I think you have to destroy them."
Counterterror officials said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence to indicate an upcoming al-Qaida attack on the United States. Nor have they noticed an uptick in terrorist communications "chatter" - although that can dramatically increase or decrease immediately before an attack.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13665246.htm
HUMAN RIGHTS
Chávez wants to weaken judiciary, rights group says
A human rights group accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez of trying to undermine the country's judiciary and limit press freedom, partly due to a lack of economic growth.
BY RICHARD JACOBSEN
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who says he is leading a socialist revolution for the poor in his country, has teamed with allies in Congress to undermine the country's judiciary and limit press freedoms, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
In its annual report on the global rights situation, the organization said Latin America nations -- from Haiti to Argentina -- were still plagued by abuses ranging from overcrowded prisons to torture and widespread impunity.
There is growing discontent over the lack of economic growth and opportunities in the region, which has led some to turn away from democracy, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said.
''That's one way to understand the Chávez phenomenon,'' Roth said.
WASHINGTON'S ROLE
But Roth was also critical of Washington's role in Latin America, saying it was polarizing the region. He noted officials in President George W. Bush's administration were treating Bolivia's president-elect Evo Morales as if he were another Chávez, without waiting to see how Morales governs.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13658576.htm
SOUTH FLORIDA
Living costs jump 4.7%, biggest leap since 1998
Housing, energy and medical costs fueled the largest increase in South Florida's cost of living index since at least 1998.
BY NIALA BOODHOO
nboodhoo@MiamiHerald.com
The high cost of housing, energy and medical costs helped push consumer prices up 4.7 percent in South Florida last year, 38 percent higher than the national average increase of 3.4 percent.
Even without taking into account food and energy prices, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale consumer price index had its biggest calendar-year increase since such record-keeping began in 1998, the government said Wednesday.
The cost of housing is the main culprit in South Florida's rising cost of living, said Mark Vitner, senior economist with Wachovia Corp.
''Housing's a big chunk of it,'' he said, adding that those costs are partly measured in the consumer price index via rental prices, which have skyrocketed as more units convert to condominiums. Utilities and home furnishing costs have also gone up.
December's price levels actually reflected a decrease from the peak month of October, -- a result of gas prices easing since the hurricanes, when they topped $3 a gallon. At that time, the region's 6.4 percent inflation rate for the previous 12 months was 50 percent higher than the national rate.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13658562.htm
Anderson, all your expletives sounds too desperate to give credence to. It's too over the top. That used to work, years ago. But not today. The corruption of DC is too pervasive to believe they are good for us and their campaigns of fear don't work anymore !
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/editorial/cartoons/13407026.htm
1130
Tourism team seeks to calm Nagin tempest
Remarks have set off 'ripples of anxiety'
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer
The impact of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's controversial comments on Martin Luther King Day landed squarely on the shoulders of local tourism officials Wednesday, one day after the mayor and his staff launched a major damage control effort to temper the firestorm.
As pundits and talk-show hosts parodied Nagin coast to coast, tourism officials tried to soothe angry, disillusioned clients while political observers weighed the potential impact in Washington.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137657568115780.xml
Blanco panel to tackle merger of levee boards
Governor seeks examination of management, procurement
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco launched her new commission to oversee coastal restoration and flood control Wednesday by asking the panel to investigate management practices at New Orleans area levee boards and to back legislation to consolidate some boards in the region.
An intense debate is already under way over the scope of the proposed consolidation, both in size and function.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137654846115780.xml
1143
John King and expected elections.
What is wrong with this picture?
http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_hem_loop-12.html
All the heat is in the Arctic Circle. The Arctic is hotter than the tropics.
1149
Mike wants to know where all the flowers went?
1000
The devastation of Hurricane Katrina all around us and then a new threat by Osama bin Laden. That's amazing. WHO IS KEEPING WHO HONEST?
Frankenstein : Heeeeerrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeee's Andy !
1001
"Osama is back in the game?" I didn't know deaths to Americans was a game.
1002
Jeeze, Nic, you sound excited that bin Laden showed up? Have you missed him?
1005
"The Osama bin Laden I know" This is the second time Cooper is promoting this book.
"Remains in the Game." What a bunch of sickos.
1008
I was waiting to hear it "Should the threat level be raised?"
1008
"Wanted Dead or Alive" George 'Lame Duck' Bush. He can't seem to 'get to Osama' either dead or alive.
These guys are desperate to drive the country back off of Bush's impeachment. Trying a little too hard Anderson.
1009
Commercials
Nigeria in talks with kidnap gang: minister
WARRI, Nigeria -Nigerian officials have made contact with an armed group holding four foreign oil workers in order to negotiate their release, Information Minister Frank Nweke said on Thursday.Separatist militants seized the four men - an American, a Bulgarian, a Briton and a Honduran working for subcontractors to the energy giant Shell - on January 11 and have vowed not to release them until their demands are met.In an interview with the US news network CNN, Nweke said that Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo had ruled out a military response to the crisis and had ordered negotiators to seek a ”political solution”.
“We have no doubt in our minds that this is going to come to an end very very quickly. In a few days the team should revert to the president with a status report and we’ll hopefully see these people’s release,” he said.The minister could not, however, clarify the growing confusion over who exactly has taken the men.There is a consensus that the gang, which has also recently blown up oil pipelines and attacked government soldiers protecting a Shell oil plant, is made up of militant members of the Ijaw ethnic group.But several e-mail claims of responsibility have been sent to the media, and it is not clear who exactly the attackers represent.Nweke said that some prominent figures initially thought to have been behind the kidnap had come forward to deny involvement and that the government was not sure whom it was dealing with.Most of the e-mail statements, however, have demanded the release of jailed Ijaw guerrilla leader Mujahi Dokubo Asari and the former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who has been accused of large-scale embezzlement.
1014
Anderson is talking faster than any salesman I have witnessed. I am waiting for the 'elixir' to be put up as the answer for eternal youth. He is trying to sell Bush and Bin in between New Orleans. What a darn shame. The Propaganda rolls out on this station unlike any other.
Reports on college literacy levels sobering
WASHINGTON - Nearing a diploma, most college students cannot handle many complex but common tasks, from understanding credit card offers to comparing the cost per ounce of food.
Those are the sobering findings of a study of literacy on college campuses, the first to target the skills of students as they approach the start of their careers.
More than 50 percent of students at four-year schools and more than 75 percent at two-year colleges lacked the skills to perform complex literacy tasks.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10928755/
1017
"How seriously should we take Osama bin Laden? At least as serious as we take you, Anderson.
ALSO IN THE NEWS. On the same day Osama makes his appearance.
WASHINGTON - Nearing a diploma, most college students cannot handle many complex but common tasks, from understanding credit card offers to comparing the cost per ounce of food.
Those are the sobering findings of a study of literacy on college campuses, the first to target the skills of students as they approach the start of their careers.
More than 50 percent of students at four-year schools and more than 75 percent at two-year colleges lacked the skills to perform complex literacy tasks.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10928755/
Palestinian suicide bomber wounds 30 in Tel Aviv
By Rami Amichai
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber wounded 30 people in Tel Aviv on Thursday, raising tensions six days before a Palestinian election and confronting interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with a major test.
The bombing at a popular sandwich stand was the first in Israel since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was incapacitated by a massive stroke on January 4 and could put pressure on Olmert for harsh reprisals in the Palestinian territories.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the attack was aimed at sabotaging the January 25 parliamentary election. Violence could complicate the poll, in which the militant group Hamas is expected to make a strong showing against his Fatah movement.
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-19T171237Z_01_L1911966_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-EXPLOSION.xml
NOW THAT THEY SOLD 'OSAMA' THEY ARE BRINGING ON SYMPATHY FOR 'FEMA TRAILER' TRAVESTY.
1022
I Guess Bin Laden is all the LOSERS big chance. That says a lot.
Nascar as well. Why not. Something has to overcome the lousy priorities CNN has.
1024
Back to New Orleans.
Anderson. You have forgotten 'The Newsy Secretary.' Hurry, maybe she has been kidnapped by 'bin.'
1027
Also in the news on the day 'bin' appeared to 'scare off' his impending ghosts.
Syria Supports Iran in Nuclear Standoff
Friday January 20, 2006 1:32 AM
AP Photo DAM111
By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press Writer
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria asserted Thursday that Iran had a right to atomic technology and said Western objections to Tehran's nuclear ambitions were not persuasive.
President Bashar Assad of Syria, a longtime Iranian ally facing its own international criticism, said he backed Tehran's moves toward nuclear power and wanted to strengthen ties.
``We support Iran regarding its right to peaceful nuclear technology,'' Assad said at a news conference with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the start of two days of meetings. ``It is the right of Iran and any other state to own nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Countries that object to that have not provided a convincing or logical reason.''
Russia's Foreign Minister Thursday called for a cautious approach to the mounting crisis over Iran's renewal of nuclear research, while a senior U.S. envoy accused Tehran of deceiving the world about its intentions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5557944,00.html
1031
Indeed !
Confusion over identities of al-Qaeda leaders killed
By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad
Published: January 19 2006 21:19 Last updated: January 19 2006 21:19
Confusion on Thursday surrounded the identity of three of the four al-Qaeda members named by Pakistan’s intelligence officials as the victims of a CIA-led air strike in a remote region on the Afghan border.
An al-Qaeda bomb expert, for whom the US had offered a $5m (€4bn, £3bn) bounty for information leading to his capture, and the son-in-law of Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, were said to be among the four killed.
However, analysts queried the information because it did not appear to be derived from physical identification or DNA testing of the bodies.
The CIA-led attack last Friday also killed at least 18 civilians, including women and children, provoking an angry reaction from the country’s Islamic and opposition parties.
Pakistan’s intelligence officials on Thursday said one of those killed was Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri. An official identified him as “al-Qaeda’s chief bomb maker, the guy who was the architect of its explosive-making machinery”.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/84757338-8927-11da-94a6-0000779e2340.html
YOU MISSED THE STORY AGAIN ANDERSON !!!!!!!!!! FEMA is closing out in Florida ! All this while the 'cruise' is over in New Orleans.
Hurricane Wilma Disaster Aid Deadline Is Today
Midnight Is The Deadline
Register at WWW.FEMA.GOV
Register at 800-621-FEMA
(CBS4 News) MIAMI Time is quickly running out for Florida residents to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Wilma.
Midnight tonight is the deadline for residents who were affected by the storm to get their applications into FEMA.
Congressman Kendrick B. Meek is urging South Florida residents to apply. "It is imperative that residents of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties that suffered damages from Wilma apply for this crucial form of disaster assistance," Meek said. "Individual assistance grants can help pay for temporary housing, home repairs, and other disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other aid programs."
Following Hurricane Wilma, Meek called on FEMA to provide individual assistance to residents in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, citing the "one-two punch" suffered from Hurricanes' Katrina and Wilma. FEMA grants Meek's request and to date, nearly $292.4 million individual assistance grants have been granted to some 205,766 residents.
There are two ways to register: log on to WWW.FEMA.GOV or call FEMA's toll-free number, 800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairment.
http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_019102507.html
1038
commercials
1042
Hi, Governor. Good to see you.
Don't yell at the Governor, Anderson. You might want to try to read the newspapers. Aaron did. He read the papers every evening otherwise he couldn't pick the ones he put on "Morning Papers." You might try that, Anderson. Aaron always read the newspapers. Even on vacation. He used to bring headlines back with him. It's a good habit, Anderson. Have you read the Times-Picayune today? I'll get it for you. Oh, it's no trouble.
FEMA to continue paying for public assistance in Katrina areas
Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that it will continue to offer public assistance grants to local governments for damage from Hurricane Katrina through Jan. 29.
The program, FEMA said Wednesday, covers all sorts of public assistance to government agencies and private nonprofit organizations involved in the cleanup from Katrina.
All Mississippi counties designated under the federal disaster declaration are eligible for the assistance.
"Public assistance is an important program designed to help ensure critical services are available in communities," said Nick Russo, federal coordinating officer for Mississippi disaster recovery.
Russo said the program will make money available for repairs to publicly owned facilities and emergency protective measures.
Russo said the deadline for public assistance does not affect the previous extension for 100 percent reimbursement of costs for debris removal through March 15.
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/state/13654481.htm
1049
The Newsy Secretary - Nope. Not kidnapped.
1051
Commercials.
Here ya go. The Times Picayune.
http://www.nola.com/
Let's see what it has to say.
Speaking of Insurance.
23% average increase statewide, higher in N.O.
Likely just the first of many to come
Insurance panel OKs rate increase
It's likely to be first of many after storm
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Rebecca Mowbray
Business writer
BATON ROUGE -- The Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission reluctantly approved its first post-Katrina increase in homeowners insurance rates Wednesday, beginning what is likely to be a painful stream of rate increase requests over the next few months.
"We do have a little indigestion," commission member Christine Berry said. "My concern is we are setting a precedent here."
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137654047115780.xml
Housing secretary targets discrimination against evacuees
1/19/2006, 5:38 p.m. CT
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
The Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) — After all the hardships hurricane evacuees have encountered, U.S. Housing secretary Alphonso Jackson said Thursday he wants to protect them from being victimized further as they look for a place to live.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-22/113771425723960.xml&storylist=louisiana
City must tell owners before razing
Demolition issue is settled for now
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Gwen Filosa and Gordon Russell
Staff writers
Before sending in any bulldozers, the city of New Orleans must provide fair notice -- by mail, newspaper ads and Web site announcements -- to any property owner whose storm-battered home is on its demolition list, a federal judge has said.
Instead of proceeding with a full-blown hearing over the demolition process scheduled for today in federal court, the city and a group of homeowners settled a lawsuit before U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman on Tuesday, agreeing to a five-page set of rules that prohibit any demolition without warning.
The lawsuit, named for Lower 9th Ward homeowner Mandy Kirk, was filed last month after a city official announced that inspectors had tallied a list of 5,500 buildings as potential targets for teardowns, a number that included more than 1,900 houses deemed in dire need of removal to ensure public safety.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1137656315115780.xml
You guys actually going to do this marsh thing right? You better. I won't let you get away with anything ! Birds and their flyways are counting on you !
1057
Commercials
1059
Anderson and a 911 Call. He's addicted. A mine fire
1103
Back to bin Laden.
HERE IS SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT OTHER THAN STUPID AL QAEDA.
Utah fire deaths highest since '92
Smoke detectors would have saved 8 of 20 killed last year
By Pat Reavy
Deseret Morning News
Utah had its highest number of fire-related deaths in 13 years during 2005, according to new statistics from the Department of Public Safety.
Twenty people were killed in fires last year in the Beehive State, the most since 1992 when there were 32 deaths, according to the Utah State Fire Marshal's Office.
"I knew we were busy, but I didn't realize it was that high," said South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote. "That's very upsetting."
In 16 of those fatal fires, the victims were found in a house, condominium or camper. Three of the fatal fires were in vehicles and one was in a garage.
The year got off to a bad start almost immediately and seemed to continue throughout the year.
• A 26-year-old pregnant mother, Christina Lee Ward, and two of her children, 4-year-old Dalton Ray James Ward and 2-year-old Mackenzie Brooke Ward, were killed in a fire in Logan Jan. 16.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635175630,00.html
Inspiring violence around the Globe.
Ivorian Leader Urges Youths to End Anti-U.N. Protests
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: January 20, 2006
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Jan. 19 - Youth leaders urged their supporters on Thursday to abandon their deadly protests after thousands of young people defied a request from the president of Ivory Coast to end days of rioting and violence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/international/africa/20ivory.html?hp&ex=1137733200&en=0258921aa30acd7b&ei=5094&partner=homepage
The Cities Around the World are always ready.
1106
More about terrorists.
Whatever.
Man, oh, man. Alaska is rocking.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsUS/Quakes/quakes_all.html
A few in ANWR.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/
Hm.
http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/GSHAP/global/
I have to wonder how much of the seizmic activity along with the excessive rain on the West Coast makes those circumstances worse than one estimates. See the USGS divides up those responsibilities and doesn't put the entire picture together necessarily.
http://landslides.usgs.gov/nlic/
1116
Rush has friends
Posted on Thu, Jan. 19, 2006
Five Miami residents arrested in BSO investigation of oxycodone ring
BY MATT PRICHARD
mprichard@MiamiHerald.com
Five Miami residents have been arrested in connection with a Broward Sheriff's Office undercover investigation of a ''street-level'' oxycodone ring, detectives announced on Thursday.
The arrests were made at Generic Depot Pharmacy, 1461 N. Palm Ave., Pembroke Pines, at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, police said.
Detectives said one of the suspects, Willie Moore, 33, 301 NW 23rd St., would provide the others with forged prescription slips and the group would then go to pharmacies in Broward County to get the prescriptions filled. Once the prescriptions were filled, the pills were sold on the streets, police said.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13665635.htm
Fire erupts in W.Va. mine; two missing
Associated Press
MELLVILLE, W.Va. - A fire erupted in an underground coal mine in southern West Virginia late Thursday and two workers were unaccounted for, authorities said.
The fire was reported at the Aracoma Coal Co. in Mellville, about 60 miles southwest of Charleston.
Lara Ramsburg, a spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin, said the blaze apparently began on a conveyer belt that moves coal from the mine to the surface. She did not have any other information.
State police said they were responding to an incident at the mine but would not give any other details.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13666443.htm
1123
Commercials
You shouldn't be such an alarmist, Anderson. It's unbecoming.
Bin Laden tape won't raise security level
LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The United States has no plans to raise the security threat level because of a new tape of Osama bin Laden saying al-Qaida is planning attacks, counterterrorism officials said Thursday.
The White House firmly rejected bin Laden's suggestion of a negotiated truce. "We don't negotiate with terrorists," Vice President Dick Cheney said in a television interview. "I think you have to destroy them."
Counterterror officials said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence to indicate an upcoming al-Qaida attack on the United States. Nor have they noticed an uptick in terrorist communications "chatter" - although that can dramatically increase or decrease immediately before an attack.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13665246.htm
HUMAN RIGHTS
Chávez wants to weaken judiciary, rights group says
A human rights group accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez of trying to undermine the country's judiciary and limit press freedom, partly due to a lack of economic growth.
BY RICHARD JACOBSEN
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who says he is leading a socialist revolution for the poor in his country, has teamed with allies in Congress to undermine the country's judiciary and limit press freedoms, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
In its annual report on the global rights situation, the organization said Latin America nations -- from Haiti to Argentina -- were still plagued by abuses ranging from overcrowded prisons to torture and widespread impunity.
There is growing discontent over the lack of economic growth and opportunities in the region, which has led some to turn away from democracy, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said.
''That's one way to understand the Chávez phenomenon,'' Roth said.
WASHINGTON'S ROLE
But Roth was also critical of Washington's role in Latin America, saying it was polarizing the region. He noted officials in President George W. Bush's administration were treating Bolivia's president-elect Evo Morales as if he were another Chávez, without waiting to see how Morales governs.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13658576.htm
SOUTH FLORIDA
Living costs jump 4.7%, biggest leap since 1998
Housing, energy and medical costs fueled the largest increase in South Florida's cost of living index since at least 1998.
BY NIALA BOODHOO
nboodhoo@MiamiHerald.com
The high cost of housing, energy and medical costs helped push consumer prices up 4.7 percent in South Florida last year, 38 percent higher than the national average increase of 3.4 percent.
Even without taking into account food and energy prices, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale consumer price index had its biggest calendar-year increase since such record-keeping began in 1998, the government said Wednesday.
The cost of housing is the main culprit in South Florida's rising cost of living, said Mark Vitner, senior economist with Wachovia Corp.
''Housing's a big chunk of it,'' he said, adding that those costs are partly measured in the consumer price index via rental prices, which have skyrocketed as more units convert to condominiums. Utilities and home furnishing costs have also gone up.
December's price levels actually reflected a decrease from the peak month of October, -- a result of gas prices easing since the hurricanes, when they topped $3 a gallon. At that time, the region's 6.4 percent inflation rate for the previous 12 months was 50 percent higher than the national rate.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13658562.htm
Anderson, all your expletives sounds too desperate to give credence to. It's too over the top. That used to work, years ago. But not today. The corruption of DC is too pervasive to believe they are good for us and their campaigns of fear don't work anymore !
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/editorial/cartoons/13407026.htm
1130
Tourism team seeks to calm Nagin tempest
Remarks have set off 'ripples of anxiety'
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer
The impact of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's controversial comments on Martin Luther King Day landed squarely on the shoulders of local tourism officials Wednesday, one day after the mayor and his staff launched a major damage control effort to temper the firestorm.
As pundits and talk-show hosts parodied Nagin coast to coast, tourism officials tried to soothe angry, disillusioned clients while political observers weighed the potential impact in Washington.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137657568115780.xml
Blanco panel to tackle merger of levee boards
Governor seeks examination of management, procurement
Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco launched her new commission to oversee coastal restoration and flood control Wednesday by asking the panel to investigate management practices at New Orleans area levee boards and to back legislation to consolidate some boards in the region.
An intense debate is already under way over the scope of the proposed consolidation, both in size and function.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137654846115780.xml
1143
John King and expected elections.
What is wrong with this picture?
http://weather.unisys.com/satellite/sat_ir_enh_hem_loop-12.html
All the heat is in the Arctic Circle. The Arctic is hotter than the tropics.
1149
Mike wants to know where all the flowers went?
Posted on Tue, Jan. 17, 2006
2 Northern right whales swim into Corpus Christi Bay
By BILL HANNA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
It’s a whale of a tale that happens to be true.
Two Northern right whales, one of the rarest of all marine mammals, were seen Monday swimming across Corpus Christi Bay.
The mother and her calf were spotted twice: near the Corpus Christi ship channel a couple of miles from downtown and later near the Ingleside Naval Air Station in another part of the bay.
“It’s absolutely unprecedented for them to be in Corpus Christi Bay or even to be in Texas waters,” said Anthony Amos, a research fellow with the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas.
It’s only the third time Northern right whales have been seen alive in the Gulf of Mexico since 1963, said Keith Mullen, a research biologist with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service in Pascagoula, Miss. The others were spotted off the Florida Panhandle in 2004 and in Tampa Bay in 1963, Mullin said.
A Northern right whale was found dead in 1972 on Surfside Beach near Freeport.
There are believed to be only about 300 Northern right whales left in the world. Normally, they’re found off the coast of the northeast United States, but the females migrate south and give birth off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the winter.
They were named “right whales” by whalers because they were easy to hunt and then haul to shore.
“They were hunted close to shore, and when they were killed they floated, so from a whaler’s perspective that was very advantageous and economically viable,” said Barbara Zoodsma, NOAA fisheries right whale recovery coordinator in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Since whaling was outlawed, right whales have not recovered. Population models suggest that they could be headed for extinction, Zoodsma said. Their main enemies are strikes by ships and fishing nets, but that doesn’t completely explain their minuscule numbers.
Officials say the two whales spotted in Texas waters came from Florida.
The mother gave birth on Dec. 11 off the coast of Daytona Beach, Fla., said Blair Mase, NOAA’s southeast coordinator for strandings. Officials with the New England Aquarium keep a photographic database of all Northern right whales. Each right whale has unique growths called callosities that allow them to be tracked.
There are at least 20 species of whales and dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, including at least 1,000 sperm whales, the type found in the classic novel Moby Dick, said Mullin, the NOAA research biologist. Most are found in deep water.
In Port Aransas, Amos spent the day fielding phone calls and waiting in vain for more whale sightings.
“It’s pretty rough out there, so there aren’t going to be a whole lot of people out there looking for them except the professionals,” Amos said. “I’m still a little worried about them, but I’m hoping the lack of sightings is good news.”
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