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HavenWorks.com/california California News |
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 US
States
California capital: Sacramento
CA: California Calif. State
Abbr.
California state is bordered by the states of Oregon (north), Nevada, and Arizona (east). 
California state is also bordered by the country of Mexico (south) and the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora.
 Maps
The Mexican state, Baja California, is sometimes referred to as Baja California Norte. 
California state is also bordered by Pacific Ocean (west) as well as the Colorado River (east).  -West
Coast Port Lockout
#California Weblog CA News |
 California
- Capital:_Sacramento
CALIFORNIA News:
 Barack
Obama -  Michael
Steele -  Pete
Hoekstra -  Don
Young -  Lindsey
Graham -  Ken
Calvert - Emergency
-  Economics
-  Politics
-  Families
-  Jobs
-  Housing
-  Construction
-  Education
-  Government
- US_Debt
-  Missouri
-  MN
-  SC
-  FL
- CA
-  MI
-  NJ
-  AK
"Kit Bond Touts Effects Of Stimulus Bill He Voted Against." ... "[Missouri Republican Senator Kit Bond voted against the stimulus bill asserting:} “Unfortunately, this bill stimulates the debt, it stimulates the growth of government, but it doesn’t stimulate jobs,” Bond insisted." ... "However, today Bond is touring Missouri to tout the very stimulus plan he railed against. In a press release, Bond boasted about an amendment he included in the bill to provide more funding for affordable housing — and that will create jobs:" "Last week, Bond led a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing an amendment to help provide needy families affordable housing. Bond’s amendment provides $2 billion to fund low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) projects that have been stalled by the financial credit crisis. As part of the Democrats’ spending bill now signed into law, the Senate unanimously accepted Bond’s provision. […]""“This is the type of emergency stimulus spending we should be supporting — programs that will create jobs now and help families,” Bond said." ... "Bond’s “I was against it before I was for it” maneuver at least has local media fooled. Just 24 hours after noting his opposition to the stimulus bill, local news this morning reported that Bond would be touring the state “pushing his plan to create 3,000 jobs in the state and build more than 700 affordable housing units.” Watch the local CBS channel try to keep up with Bond’s flip-flops:" "Bond is not alone in trying to reap the political benefits both from voting against the bill and from bringing much needed funding to his district:" "– [Minnesota Republican Governor] Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who complained that the “federal government is spending money they don’t have,” told Rachel Maddow he would nevertheless accept funds for Minnesota: “Our view is, if you buy the pizza, it’s OK if you have a slice.”""No wonder RNC [Republican National Committee] Chairman Michael Steele declared recently, “You have absolutely no reason — none — to trust our word or our actions at this point.”" "Update [Missouri Republican Representative] Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) boasted about the educational benefits of the recovery act, while [California Republican Representative] Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) said his office "will do what we can to direct as much money as we can." Neither voted for the bill." "Update [Michgan Republican Representative] Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) joins in, praising the stimulus' "generous" incentives for home buyers on his Twitter feed:" "petehoekstra If you know of someone thinking of buying first home, now may be the time.Stimulus incentive is very generous!Up to 8k!Check it out.""UpdateBlueJersey notes adds [New Jersey Republican Representative] Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) to the growing list. After insisting last Friday that the recovery bill "would have exploded our national debt without providing meaningful job growth," Lance toured construction sites in his district yesterday, touting funds that would come from the stimulus bill. "This is a classic example of a "shovel-ready' project," Lance said after the tour." -By Ali Frick -ThinkProgress.org 
Corporate
- Government
-  Lawmakers
- Sacramento
- California
-  Multinational
"Business the big winner in California budget plan: Firms would get nearly $1 billion in breaks, while the average person would pay higher taxes five ways. Republicans say the plan would create jobs, but others dispute the claim." ... "Reporting from Sacramento [California's capital] -- The average Californian's taxes would shoot up five different ways in the state budget blueprint that lawmakers hope to vote on this weekend. But the bipartisan plan for wiping out the state's giant deficit isn't so bad for large corporations, many of which would receive a permanent windfall." ... "About $1 billion in corporate tax breaks -- directed mostly at multi-state and multinational companies -- is tucked into the proposal. Opponents say the breaks will do nothing to create jobs, and the Legislature has rejected such moves repeatedly in the past. But now, to secure enough Republican votes to pass a budget that would raise taxes on everyone else, the Legislature is poised to write them into law with no public hearings at a time when the state treasury is almost out of cash." ... "The tax breaks were inserted into the spending plan during private meetings between legislative leaders and [California Republican Governor] Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Less than 24 hours before today's scheduled vote, the proposals had not yet been printed in bills and made available to the public, but legislative leaders acknowledged them. " -By Evan Halper with contributions by Patrick McGreevy -LAtimes 
Phoenix
-  Arizona
- Law
-  Terrorism
- Politics
-  Drugs
- California
-  Texas
-  US
-  Mexico
"Kidnapping Capital of the U.S.A.: Washington Too Concerned With al Qaeda Terrorists to Care, Officials Say." ... "In what officials caution is now a dangerous and even deadly crime wave, [Arizona's capital] Phoenix, Arizona has become the kidnapping capital of America, with more incidents than any other city in the world outside of Mexico City [Mexico's capital] and over 370 cases last year alone. But local authorities say Washington, DC [America's capital is too obsessed with al Qaeda terrorists to care about what is happening in their own backyard right now." ... ""We're in the eye of the storm," Phoenix Police Chief Andy Anderson told ABC News of the violent crimes and ruthless tactics spurred by Mexico's drug cartels that have expanded business across the border. "If it doesn't stop here, if we're not able to fix it here and get it turned around, it will go across the nation," he said." ... "California Attorney General Jerry Brown warned that as the U.S. [United States] government focuses so intently on Islamic extremist groups, other types of terrorists those involved with the same kidnappings, extortion and drug cartels that are sweeping Phoenix are overlooked." ... ""Those [criminals], for the average Californian or the average America, may be a more immediate threat to their well being," Brown said." ... "In fact, kidnappings and other crimes connected to the Mexican drug cartels are quickly spreading across the border, from Texas to California." (1, 2) -By Brian Ross, Richard Esposito and Asa Eslocker -ABCNEWS.com 
Drug
-  Investigation
- Federal
- Law
-  History
- Texas
- Calif
-  New
York
"Sources tell SI Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003." ... "In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated." ... "Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004." ... "Though MLB's drug policy has expressly prohibited the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003. The results of that year's survey testing of 1,198 players were meant to be anonymous under the agreement between the commissioner's office and the players association. Rodriguez's testing information was found, however, after federal agents, armed with search warrants, seized the '03 test results from Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc., of Long Beach, Calif. [California], one of two labs used by MLB in connection with that year's survey testing. The seizure took place in April 2004 as part of the government's investigation into 10 major league players linked to the BALCO scandal -- though Rodriguez himself has never been connected to BALCO." ... "Anticipating that the 33-year-old Rodriguez, who has 553 career home runs, could become the game's alltime home run king, the [New York] Yankees signed him in November 2007 to a 10-year, incentive-laden deal that could be worth as much as $305 million. Rodriguez is reportedly guaranteed $275 million and could receive a $6 million bonus each time he ties one of the four players at the top of the list: Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), and an additional $6 million for passing Bonds." -By Selena Roberts and David Epstein -SI.com
 Media
- Politics
-  Radio
- Market
-Florida
- San
Diego - Sacramento
- California
-  Ohio
- Minnesota
-  Wisconsin
- Portland
-  Oregon
"Another Right-Wing Conspiracy in Washington?" ... "The commercial use of public airwaves is supposed to reflect the diversity of the local community, but that's not how it works in Washington [DC, America's capital]. On the AM dial, WMAL (630) features wall-to-wall conservative talk. So do stations WTNT (570) and WHFS (1580). For the past two years, OBAMA 1260 -- even with a weak signal that cannot be heard in downtown Washington -- was the exception. No longer. Starting tomorrow, our nation's capital, where Democrats control the House, the Senate and the White House, and where Democrats outnumber Republicans 10 to one, will have no progressive voices on the air." ... "Or maybe one." ... "To mollify critics, Red Zebra has said it will add Ed Schultz to its conservative lineup on 570 AM. This means Shultz will be outgunned in this market by at least 15 conservative talkers: Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Chris Plante, Michael Smerconish, Michael Savage, Andy Parks, Fred Grandy, Bill Bennett, Monica Crowley, Bill O'Reilly, Dennis Miller and Lars Larsen. No matter how good Schultz is, that's not a fair contest -- nor a fair use of the public airwaves." ... "Unfortunately, what's happening in Washington reflects what has happened in one city after another across the country. In Miami [Florida], Clear Channel recently dumped progressive talk for sports: Clear Channel stations made the same move in San Diego [California] and Cincinnati [Ohio]. Sacramento [California] abandoned progressive talk for gospel music. In fact, according to a study released by the Center for American Progress and Free Press, there are nine hours of conservative talk for every one hour of progressive talk." ... "Why? Station owners complain they can't get good ratings or make any money with progressive talk, but that's nonsense. In Minnesota, independent owner Janet Robert has operated KTNF (950 AM) profitably for five years. In Madison, Wis. [Wisconsin], WXXM, 92.1 FM, just scored its highest ratings ever. And KPOJ in Portland, Ore. [Oregon], soared with progressive talk from No. 23 in market ratings to No. 1. Nationwide, progressive talkers Randi Rhodes, Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller have proven that, given a level playing field, they can more than hold their own in ratings -- and make money for their stations." ... "In fact, the only reason there's not more competition on American airwaves is that the handful of companies that own most radio stations do everything they can to block it." ... "There is no free market in talk radio today, only an exclusive, tightly held, conservative media conspiracy." -By Bill Press -WashingtonPost
 Transportation
- Infrastructure
-  Water
- Government
- Money
-  Wash
- Calif
"Senate GOP blocks extra $25B in stimulus package." ... "Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked Democrats from adding $25 billion for highways, mass transit, and water projects to [Democratic] President Barack Obama's economic recovery program." ... "Already unhappy over the size of the measure, Republicans insisted additional infrastructure projects be paid for with cuts elsewhere in the bill." ... "But the Democratic amendment garnered 58 votes, just shy of the supermajority needed under Senate budget rules, and many more efforts to increase the measure's size are sure to follow." ... "At issue was a plan by [Washington Democratic Senator] Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash. [Democratic-Washington], and [California Democratic Senator] Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. [California-Democratic], to increase the highway funding in the bill to $40 billion, which reflected complaints from lawmakers in both parties that Obama's plan doesn't do enough to relieve a backlog of unfinished projects. The duo also wanted to increase mass transit programs by $5 billion boost and water projects by $7 billion." ... ""Our highways are jammed. People go to work in gridlock," Feinstein said Tuesday." -By Andrew Taylor -AP via -Yahoo
 John
Boehner
- Government
- Economic
- Legislation
- Politics
- History
- Poor
- Family
-  Women's
-  Medical
- Abortion
-  AL.
- FL
-  MS
- SC
- CA
-  LA
- MN
-  RI
- MO
- Ohio
- Wisconsin
"Republicans Irate Over Expansion of Republican-Approved Program." ... "[T]he family-planning program that [California Democratic Representative and House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi supports expanding in the stimulus bill was created in 1972 under the leadership of Republican president Richard Nixon." ... "What's being proposed is an expansion in the number of states that can use Medicaid money, with a federal match, to help low-income women prevent unwanted pregnancies. Of the 26 states that already have Medicaid waivers for family planning, eight are led by Republican governors (AL [Alabama], FL [Florida], MS [Mississippi], SC [South Carolina], CA [California], LA [Louisiana], MN [Minnesota] and RI [Rhode Island] -- a ninth, MO [Missouri], had a GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] governor until this past November). If this policy is truly a taxpayer gift to "the abortion industry," as [Ohio Republican Representative] John Boehner and House Republicans claim, where are the GOP governors promising to end the program in their states?" ... "Additionally, the process of obtaining a waiver for Medicaid family-planning coverage is extremely cumbersome. A letter written by Wisconsin health regulators in 2007 noted that some states have had to wait for as long as two years before their request was approved. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that eliminating the waiver requirement would save states $400 million over 10 years." -By Elana Schor -TPMDC .TalkingPointsMemo
Women
- Jobs
- Money
- Civil
Rights - Law
- Politics
- California
"Courts using Ledbetter decision to ‘undermine civil rights principles across the board.’." ... "Tomorrow, the House is set to take up the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would overturn a Supreme Court decision that restricted a woman’s right to bring pay discrimination lawsuits. The House handily passed the bill last year, but Senate conservatives blocked it after [Republican] President Bush threatened to veto it. On a conference call organized by [California Democratic Representative] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today, Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women’s Law Center, explained that the faulty Supreme Court decision has been stretched to cripple all kinds of anti-discrimination laws:" "GREENBERGER: So now we’ve got these judges taking the Ledbetter decision to absurd lengths and saying that the most entrenched and invidious discrimination — now that those who have the courage and the knowledge and the ability, for the first time to combat are out of time. It is an outrageous approach, an undermining of civil rights principles across the board. It’s now causing real misery, as was described not only for women and their families in pay…but for all victims of discrimination.""Check out the Center for American Progress’s Fair Pay Calculator, and learn more about the fight for fair pay, here. Firedoglake has more." -By Ali Frick -ThinkProgress.org
 Chris
Cox - Corporate
- Government
-  Accounting
- Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- California
- New
York
"Cox "Worked to Dismantle The SEC," Says Commission Vet." ... "In recent years, particularly under [Republican President Bush's Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Chris] Cox, a former California GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] congressman, the SEC has pursued a policy of de-emphasizing enforcement, part of the broader anti-regulatory philosophy of the Bush years -- helping to make Madoff, and perhaps others like him, possible." ... ""[Cox] in many ways worked to dismantle the SEC," Ed Nordlinger, a former longtime enforcement director in the commission's New York office, told TPMmuckraker. "He slowed everything down. I don't think he believed in heavy regulation."" ... "That view has been echoed by several others in a position to know. Ross Albert told TPMmuckraker for a post published yesterday: "Under Cox, SEC had de-emphasized the enforcement program. Cox worshipped at the same altar of de-regulation that the rest of the Bush administration worshipped at."" ... "And a former enforcement division supervisor told Portfolio for a lengthy October story about the SEC under Cox: "It was like someone poured molasses on the enforcement division."" ... "The commission also appears to have passed over for promotion staff members who were too aggressive in their approach to enforcement. Veteran S.E.C. lawyer James Coffman told Portfolio that he was told he didn't get a promotion because he was "too tough." He left the SEC soon after." -By Zachary Roth -TPMMuckracker .TalkingPointsMemo 
 Jim
DeMint -  Bob
Corker -  Richard
Shelby -  Mitch
McConnell - Foreign
- Money
- Politics
- Construction
-  Auto
-  Makers
- Government
- Emergency
- Legislation
- Labor
- Michigan
- California
- South
Carolina - Alabama
-  Tennessee
-  Kentucky
-  German-  Japanese
-  South
Korean
"Foreign Auto Makers Won Billions in Government Subsidies: Southern States Gave [Foreign] Auto Companies Tax-breaks and Cash for Training." ... "To hear Southern Republicans tell the story, the financial burdens facing Detroit’s automakers are self-made troubles to be settled by the laws of Adam-Smith capitalism." ... "“We don’t think it is the role of government to intervene,” [South Carolina Republican Senator] Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C. [Republican-South Carolina]) told the Fox Business Network last week. “We need to let the market and the laws work the way they are already in place.”" ... "Yet this argument — that the government has no business interfering in free markets — ignores an increasingly frequent tradition among Southern states, which have fronted billions in local taxpayer dollars in the past two decades to attract foreign auto plants. Those incentives, arriving in the form of tax breaks, training for new employees and even land, have enticed [German automaker Bayerische Motoren Werke] BMW to South Carolina, [German automaker] Mercedes to Alabama and [Japanese automaker] Nissan to Tennessee. The result of the government subsidies has been the steady emergence of the South as an auto-manufacturing powerhouse. Some are dubbing it the “New Detroit” – a region where real estate is cheap and the labor’s not unionized." ... "Not coincidentally, these Southern states are represented by the same coalition of GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] senators who led the fight against the recent Detroit [Michigan] bailout proposal. That legislation would have provided $14 billion in emergency bridge loans to General Motors and Chrysler, both of which say they lack the finances to survive the month. Rallying behind the animated opposition of GOP [Republican Senators] Sens. Bob Corker (Tenn.[Tennessee]), Richard Shelby (Ala.[Alabama]), Mitch McConnell (Ky.[Kentucky) and South Carolina’s DeMint, Senate Republicans killed the legislation." ... "On Friday, the day following the Senate vote, Shelby told CNBC that if the Big Three had only managed their business operations as well as the foreign companies, known as transplants, they wouldn’t be scrambling now for a taxpayer-funded bailout." ... "“You look at the South,” Shelby said. “You take — not just Mercedes in my hometown — but BMW, Honda and all of them. These companies are flourishing with American workers made in America.”" ... "But the flourishing of the transplants didn’t come without significant taxpayer help. Shelby’s Alabama, for example, secured construction of a [German automaker] Mercedes-Benz plant in 1993 by offering $253 million in state and local tax breaks, worker training and land improvement. For [Japanese automaker] Honda, the state’s sweetener surrounding a 1999 deal to build a mini-van plant was $158 million in similar perks, adding $90 million in enticements when the company expanded the plant three years later. A 2001 deal with [Japanese automaker] Toyota left the company with $29 million in taxpayer gifts." ... "Alabama is hardly alone. Corker’s Tennessee recently lured [German automaker] Volkswagen to build a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga [Tennessee], offering the German automaker tax breaks, training and land preparation that could total $577 million. In 2005, the state inspired Nissan to relocate its headquarters from southern California by offering $197 million in incentives, including $20 million in utility savings." ... "In 1992, South Carolina snagged a BMW plant for $150 million in giveaways. In Mississippi in 2003, Nissan was lured with $363 million. In Georgia, a still-under-construction [South Korean automaker] Kia plant received breaks estimated to be $415 million. The list goes on." -By Mike Lillis -WashingtonIndependent.com 
Business
- Politics
- Election
- Auto
- Manufacturing
- Law
- California
- Mich
- Ohio
"Auto bailout's death seen as a Republican blow at unions: For some Senate Republicans, a vote against the [American auto manufacturing] bailout was a vote against the United Auto Workers, and against organized labor in general." ... ""Handing a defeat to labor and its Democratic allies in Congress was also seen as a preemptive strike in what is expected to be a major battle for the new Congress in January: the unions' bid for a so-called card check law that would make it easier for them to organize workers, potentially reversing decades of declining power. The measure is strongly opposed by business groups." ... ""This is the Democrats' first opportunity to pay off organized labor after the election," read an e-mail circulated Wednesday among Senate Republicans. "This is a precursor to card check and other items. Republicans should stand firm and take their first shot against organized labor, instead of taking their first blow from it." ... "One major car dealer said conservatives let political ideology get in the way of protecting the country's interests." ... ""Being a Republican myself, I feel very betrayed by the Republican Party right now," said Beau Boeckmann, vice president of Galpin Motors Inc. in North Hills [California]. Galpin has the nation's largest Ford dealership as well as lots where it sells eight other foreign and domestic brands." ... "[Michigan Democratic Representative] Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.[ Democratic-Michigan]), a labor ally, said Friday that Republican senators who opposed the bailout might have "wanted to crush a longtime political rival, the United Auto Workers," without concern for the economic consequences." ... "[Ohio Democratic Senator] Sen. Sherrod Brown (D[Democratic]-Ohio) characterized the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] opposition as "class-warfare assault by the Republicans."" ... ""They never ask about banker salaries. . . . They never asked they give money back," he said." (1, 2) -By Jim Puzzanghera with contributions by Ken Bensinger -LAtimes 
 Christmas
- Children
- Consumer
- History
- Sacramento
- California
"Christmas bleak for KB Toys as it files Chapter 11." ... "The toy retailer filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday just two weeks before Christmas and announced plans to immediately liquidate its stores, including all four in the Sacramento [California's capital] area." ... ""It's sad that all of these companies are going out of business," said Gina Quivan of Sacramento after a day of Christmas shopping with husband Justin Vasquez and their three children. Vasquez carried a large bag of toys stamped with the KB Toys logo." ... "KB Toys now joins a growing list of household names tacking up going-out-of-business signs, from Linens 'n Things to Mervyns to Circuit City and Shoe Pavilion. That a toy retailer failed just before Christmas shows how bleak things have become." ... "Retail sales are at their worst in 35 years, and three in five people say they'll spend less money over the next 90 days, according to a survey of consumer spending released Thursday by Maryland-based researcher ChangeWave." ... "The 86-year-old company decided the most viable way to cover its debt was to liquidate its stores via immediate going-out-of-business sales." -By Darrell Smith -SacBee.com
Auto
- Makers
- Emergency
- Money
- Politics
- Workers
-  Environmental
- Laws
-  Fuel
-  Technology
-  Emissions
- Government
- Michigan
- California
"Murky future for auto rescue amid GOP opposition." ... "A House-passed bill to speed $14 billion in loans to Detroit's [Michigan] automakers stands on shaky ground in a bailout-weary Congress, undermined by Republican opposition that could derail the emergency aid in the Senate." ... "Republicans are challenging lame-duck [Republican] President George W. Bush on the proposal, arguing that any support for the domestic auto industry should carry significant concessions from autoworkers and creditors and reject tougher environmental rules imposed by House Democrats." ... "The automakers initially asked Congress for $25 billion, then returned two weeks later to plead for as much as $34 billion. But with the {Republican President Bush] White House refusing to dole out new spending for the Big Three [Automakers], congressional Democrats agreed to use an existing program that was to help carmakers retool their factories to make more fuel-efficient cars." ... "That fund yielded only $15 billion in emergency loans, and when negotiators agreed to leave some money in the environmental program, the amount fell to $14 billion." ... "Democrats agreed to scrap language — which the White House had declared a deal-breaker — that would have forced the carmakers to drop lawsuits challenging tough emissions limits in California and other states. But they kept a provision to force the automakers to abide by those states' limits — a kind of consolation prize for environmentalists, who already were livid at the raid of the fuel-efficiency program." -By Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Ken Thomas -AP via -Yahoo
John
Boehner
- Don
Young -  Doc
Hastings -  Jack
Abramoff -  Tom
DeLay -  Jerry
Lewis - Ken
Calvert -  John
Doolittle - Ohio
- AK
- WA
-Texas
- CA
- Florida
- Money
- Politics
- US
Attorney - Law
- Federal
- Investigation
"House GOP [Republicans] Gives Scandal-Ridden Don Young’s Committee Seat To Scandal-Ridden Doc Hastings." ... " ... [Ohio Republican Representative and House Minority Leader John Boehner told Alaska Republican Representative] Rep. Don Young (R-AK [Republican-Alaska]) that he could no longer support him as ranking Republican on the Natural Resources Committee, leading to Young’s resignation from the post." ... "The AP reports that a panel of top House leaders picked [Washington state Republican Representative] Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA [Republican-Washington]) today to lead the committee. “The recommendation by the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] Steering Committee is final under a rule change adopted Wednesday.”" ... "Recall, Jack Abramoff once boasted of having an “excellent relationship” with Hastings, who received $14,000 [*] from Abramoff’s firm, Preston Gates — including $1,000 from Abramoff himself. After taking control of the Ethics Committee, Hastings reportedly fired two staff lawyers involved in unanimous decisions to admonish [Texas Republican] Tom DeLay for improper fundraising. Hastings also contacted fired [United States] U.S. Attorney John McKay and attempted to pressure him in an ongoing investigation." ... "As ThinkProgress has documented, Boehner has a history of playing musical chairs with committee assignments for corrupt members:" "[California Republican Representative] Rep. Jerry Lewis: Boehner ruled that Rep. Jerry Lewis of California could continue as the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee while under federal investigation on ethics charges.""Despite Boehner’s ethics pledge after ethics pledge, the culture of corruption still rules at the end of the day." -By Satyam Khanna -ThinkProgress.org
Terrorism
- Criminal
- Political
- History
- Corporate
- Religion
- Prison
-  Pat
Robertson - Abortion
- Gay
- Rights
- Law
- California
- Texas
- US
-  Iraq
-  Military
"Bush Awards Presidential Citizen Medal To Watergate Crook Chuck Colson." ... "Established in 1969, the Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest honor for a civilian, recognizing Americans “who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation.”" ... "Today, [Republican] President Bush honored 24 recipients of this year’s award, including actor Gary Sinise and Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp. Also included in that mix was Chuck Colson, “the first member of the [Republican President] Nixon administration to serve prison time for Watergate-related offenses.” Colson was President Nixon’s counsel from 1969-1973 and pleaded guilty in 1974 to obstruction of justice. Colson received a one to three year sentence, but served just seven months. David Plotz at Slate described Colson’s role in the Nixon administration:" "As special counsel to the president, he [Chuck Colson] was [Republican President] Richard Nixon’s hard man, the “evil genius” of an evil administration. According to Watergate historian Stanley Kutler, Colson sought to hire Teamsters thugs to beat up anti-war demonstrators, and he plotted to raid or firebomb the Brookings Institution. He eventually pleaded guilty to scheming to defame Daniel Ellsberg and interfering with his trial.""Since that time, Colson has become an evangelical prison reformer, running the nonprofit Prison Fellowship, which advocates for “privately run prisons and the delivery of all social services by faith-based groups.” However, according to author Allan Lichtman in “White Protestant Nation,” Colson has also remained involved in conservative politics:" "Colson brought together politically conservative Catholics and Protestands for a statement of common beliefs, advised conservative politicians including Texas [Republican] governor George W. Bush, and worked with Christian right leaders Pat Robertson and James Dobson on the development of political strategy. He disseminated conservative messages on sex roles, abortion, homosexuality, pornography, gay rights, and separation of church and state in his radio broadcasts and columns, reaching millions of Americans.""On October 3, 2002, Colson was also one of the co-signers of a letter from prominent evangelical leaders supporting an invasion of Iraq. More recently he has spoken out in favor of California’s Prop. 8, accusing the LGBT community of “anti-religious bigotry.”" -By Amanda Terkel -ThinkProgress.org 
 Blackwater
- Investigation
- Corporate
- Military
- California
-  North
Carolina - US
- Iraq
- International
- Politics
"Plea by Blackwater guard helps indict 5 others." ... "In the first public airing of an investigation that remains a source of international outrage, the Justice Department unsealed its case against five private security guards, built largely around the chilling testimony of a sixth guard about the 2007 shootings that left 17 unsuspecting Iraqi civilians dead at a busy Baghdad [Iraq's capital] traffic circle." ... "In pleading guilty to manslaughter, the sixth security guard, Jeremy Ridgeway of California, described how he and the other guards used automatic rifles and grenade launchers to fire on cars, houses, a traffic officer and a girls' school. In addition to those killed, at least 20 people were wounded." ... "The six guards were employed by Blackwater Worldwide, the largest security contractor in Iraq; the company, based in North Carolina, has not been charged in the case." ... "Ridgeway said in the court documents unsealed Monday that the episode in Nisour Square on Sept. 16, 2007, started when the guards opened fire on a white Kia sedan "that posed no threat to the convoy."" ... "The case remained a sore point during the [Republican President] Bush administration's negotiations with Iraq for an agreement setting new rules for the continuing presence of U.S. [United States] troops. Ultimately, a major provision of the agreement ended immunity for private contractors working in Iraq." (1, 2) -By Ginger Thompson -IHT.com
Electric
- Cars
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Technology
- Transportation
- Infrastructure
- Jobs
- Consumer
- Military
- Historic
- San
Francisco - Sacramento
- California
- Michigan
- Oregon
- Washington
- US
- Global
-  Planet
-  Climate
- Emissions
"Recharge America with Electric Cars." ... "Today, our country is facing a set of seemingly insurmountable problems:" "• an economic meltdown of historic proportions""Yesterday, joined by San Jose [California] Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland [California] Mayor Ron Dellums I [San Francisco, California's mayor Gavin Newsom] announced a nine-step policy plan for transforming the Bay Area into the "Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the U.S. [United States]" In support of this initiative Better Place, a global electric transportation company announced that it would enter the U.S. market with California as its first state, beginning in the Bay Area." ... "Commercial availability of electric cars is targeted to begin in 2012, and Better Place estimates its network investment in the Bay Area will total $1 billion when the system is fully deployed. I welcomed Better Place's announcement and anticipate many other EV companies will focus on the Bay Area as a top-priority market." ... "Electric vehicles represent an overarching, game-changing solution that allows us to transform, and recharge the American transportation sector for the 21st century. By accelerating the conversion of the car industry from its oil dependent past, to a new electric century, we can jump start the car industry, eliminate our dependence on oil, reduce our required presence in the middle east, create millions of jobs, and eliminate a significant portion of our CO2 emissions." ... "This plan ties together a triangle of influence that can get our nation back on track: Detroit [Michigan] car makers who know how to scale production, working in concert with San Francisco's culture of innovation, aided by Sacramento [California's capital] and Washington DC [America's capital] policy-making. The goal is to create a sustainable strategic advantage for the US instead of a series of bailouts." ... "As California prepares to launch this electric recharge infrastructure project, it can also serve as a blueprint for a more widely integrated solution." ... "California can generate upwards of $2.5B in new investment in jobs and the economy for the infrastructure effort, with billions more in cars and battery sales to consumers. The nation as a whole can trigger tens of billions in infrastructure, manufacturing and innovation investment. At the same time, this conversion reduces the cost to the consumer and nation per mile we drive. California, followed by the western US states of Oregon and Washington are ready to drive this effort." -By Gavin Newsom -HuffingtonPost.com
Gay
- Religion
- Politics-  People
- San
Francisco - California
- Salt
Lake City -  Utah
"Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage." ... "Less than two weeks before [2008] Election Day, [Frank Schubert] the chief strategist behind a ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California called an emergency meeting here." ... "The campaign issued an urgent appeal, and in a matter of days, it raised more than $5 million, including a $1 million donation from Alan C. Ashton, the grandson of a former president [David McKay] of the Mormon Church." ... "The California measure, Proposition 8, was to many Mormons a kind of firewall to be held at all costs." ... "First approached by the Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco [California] a few weeks after the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in May, the Mormons were the last major religious group to join the campaign, and the final spice in an unusual stew that included Catholics, evangelical Christians, conservative black and Latino pastors, and myriad smaller ethnic groups with strong religious ties." ... "Shortly after receiving the invitation from the San Francisco Archdiocese, the Mormon leadership in Salt Lake City [Utah's capital] issued a four-paragraph decree to be read to congregations, saying “the formation of families is central to the Creator’s plan,” and urging members to become involved with the cause." ... "“And they sure did,” Mr. Schubert said." ... "Jeff Flint, another strategist with Protect Marriage, estimated that Mormons made up 80 percent to 90 percent of the early volunteers who walked door-to-door in election precincts." ... "In the end, Protect Marriage estimates, as much as half of the nearly $40 million raised on behalf of the measure was contributed by Mormons." (1, 2) -By Jesse McKinley and Kirk Johnson -NYTimes 
Criminal
-  Computer
- Hackers
-  E-Mails
- Corporation
- Technology
- California
- US
- Worldwide
"Spam traffic plunges after report blames server hosting company: The number of such e-mails falls about two-thirds worldwide after Internet providers cut off a server company accused of enabling nefarious activity." ... ""I'm not under the illusion that it's going to last forever, but it's nice to have these small victories," said Paul Ferguson, an advanced threat researcher at software security company Trend Micro Inc. who contributed to the effort." ... "He and other analysts circulated a dense report Wednesday that blamed some companies for allowing spam to proliferate. Two big providers of Internet connections named in it -- Hurricane Electric Internet Services and Global Crossing Ltd. -- acted quickly to cut ties to the core subject of the document, a little-known Silicon Valley [California] company called McColo Corp. [Corporation] that rents out servers to clients." ... "The researchers didn't say whether McColo knowingly aided criminals, but they described some of the nefarious activities conducted on some websites the company hosted. Among other things, McColo reportedly enabled its customers to control vast networks of hijacked computers to send spam and take payments for fake anti-virus software." ... "The criminal groups that allegedly used McColo are largely believed to be based overseas. The groups now have to find other service providers." -By Joseph Menn -LAtimes
Barack
Obama - 2008
Election - Race
- Terrorism
- Politics
- New
Jersey - New
York - Michigan
-  Pennsylvania
- Calif
- North
Carolina -  Maine
"Local Newspapers Cover Rising Number of Racist Anti-Obama Actions in Small Towns." ... "Away from the spotlight, many local newspapers around the country have covered recent incidents of racially-motivated reactions to last week’s [2008] election, from flags hung upside down to the dangling of nooses and cross-burnings. As we noted last week, a couple in northern New Jersey who had an [Democratic President-Elect Barack] Obama sign on their front lawn woke up to find the charred remains of a cross out there. Local residents today announced a "unity march" to protest the still-unsolved incident." ... "Now come these fresh reports." ... "The Associated Press revealed today, "Police on eastern Long Island [New York region] are investigating reports that more than a dozen cars were spray painted with racist graffiti, reportedly including a message targeting President-elect Barack Obama. The graffiti included racist slurs and sexually graphic references. At least one resident in the quiet Mastic [New York] neighborhood told Newsday her son's car was scribbled with a message threatening to kill Obama."" ... "Employees at Hampel's Key and Lockshop in Traverse City, Michigan, flew an American flag upside down last Wednesday protesting of the new president-elect, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported." ... "Also in Michigan, in Midland, a man dressed in full Ku Klux Klan regalia walked around toting a handgun and waving an American flag. Initially denying it, the man eventually admitted to police that the display was a reaction to the Obama victory." ... "In Pennsylvania, an interracial couple in Apolacon Township discovered the remains of a burned cross in their front yard." ... "Authorities in Temecula, Calif. [California], found spray-painted graffiti on a city sidewalk containing a swastika and anti-Obama slogan." ... "Today, the NAACP called on North Carolina State University to expel four students who spray painted racist messages about Obama." ... "Another post-election noose incident happened in Maine. “More than 75 people rallied Sunday against an incident last week in which black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island the day after Barack Obama won the presidential election,” according to the Bangor Daily News." -By Dexter Hill -EditorAndPublisher.com 
 Al
Gore - Barack
Obama - Global
- Climate
- Technology
- Money
- Environmental
- Emissions
- Law
- Politics
-San
Francisco - California
"Gore urges US to try for 100% renewable energy within a decade." ... "[Democratic President-Elect] Barack Obama should set drastic targets to force the US [United States] to switch to renewable energy in an effort to slow down climate change, according to the former [Democratic] vice president Al Gore. Gore said that one of Obama's first acts as US president should be to demand a move to 100% renewable energy within 10 years." ... ""We can do that," he said during the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco [California] last Friday. "The declaration from [Democratic] President [John F] Kennedy that we would land a man on the moon and bring him back safely was thought by many to be impossible."" ... "During his presidential campaign, Obama promised to invest $150bn (£96bn) in renewables over 10 years as part of the plan to increase US energy security amid fear of oil shortages, while also cutting carbon emissions. Many hope to see those policies enacted with a far-reaching climate-change bill that would bring the US back into the global environment fold." -By Bobbie Johnson -Guardian.co.uk
Auto
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Jobs
- Fuel
-  Retirees
- Health
Care - California
-  Nevada
-  Henry
Paulson
"Dem Leaders Want Bush To Aid Auto Industry." ... "Democratic leaders in Congress asked the [Republican President] Bush administration on Saturday to provide more aid to the struggling auto industry, which is bleeding cash and jobs as sales have dropped to their lowest level in a quarter-century." ... "House Speaker [and California Democratic Representative] Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader [and Nevada Democratic Senator] Harry Reid said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the administration should consider expanding the $700 billion bailout to include car companies." ... ""A healthy automobile manufacturing sector is essential to the restoration of financial market stability, the overall health of our economy, and the livelihood of the automobile sector's work force," they wrote. "The economic downturn and the crisis in our financial markets further imperiled our domestic automobile industry and its work force."" ... "Automakers already want an additional $50 billion in loans from Congress to help them survive tough economic conditions and pay for health care obligations for retirees." ... "The money would be on top of the $25 billion in loans that Congress passed in September to help retool auto plants to build more fuel-efficient vehicles." -By Deb Riechmann -AP via -HuffingtonPost.com
Gay
- Religion
- Money
- Salt
Lake City - Utah
-  Tourism
- California
- Family
- Law
- 2008
Election
"Utah Boycott Urged After Calif. Vote." ... "Utah's growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its aggressive promotion of California's ban on gay marriage." ... "Gay rights activist John Aravosis, whose well-trafficked AmericaBlog.com is urging the boycott, is unapologetic about targeting Utah rather than California, where voters defined marriage in the state Constitution as a heterosexual act." ... "Utah, Aravosis said, "is a hate state," and on this issue, "at a fundamental level, the Utah Mormons crossed the line. . . . They just took marriage away from 20,000 couples and made their children bastards. You don't do that and get away with it."" ... "The Mormon Church, based in Salt Lake City [Utah's capital], encouraged members to work for passage of the ballot measure. Thousands of Mormons worked as grass-roots volunteers and gave tens of millions of dollars to the campaign." ... "Proposition 8, the measure passed Tuesday, overrode a state Supreme Court ruling that briefly gave same-sex couples the right to wed." -By Brock Vergakis -WashingtonPost
2008
Election - Law
- Politics
- California
- Florida
-  Massachusetts
- Arizona
"Ontario police arrest man in voter fraud case: Mark Jacoby, who owns a firm hired by the California Republican Party, violated state laws with his own registration, authorities say." ... "The owner of a firm that the California Republican Party hired to register tens of thousands of voters this year was arrested in Ontario over the weekend on suspicion of voter registration fraud." ... "State and local investigators allege that Mark Jacoby fraudulently registered himself to vote at a childhood California address where he no longer lives so he would appear to meet the legal requirement that all signature gatherers be eligible to vote in California. His firm, Young Political Majors, or YPM, collects petition signatures and registers voters in California and other states." ... "YPM has been accused of using bait-and-switch tactics across the country. Election officials and lawmakers have launched investigations into the activities of YPM workers in Florida and Massachusetts. In Arizona, the firm was recently a defendant in a civil rights lawsuit." -By Evan Halper -LAtimes
 John
McCain -  Nathan
Sproul - Money
- Politics
- Investigation
- Law
- California
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Minnesota
- Pennsylvania
-  West
Virginia -  Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
-  Libraries
- 2004
Election - 2008
Election
"McCain Employing GOP [Republican] Operative Accused Of Voter Registration Fraud." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's campaign has directed $175,000 to the firm of a Republican operative accused of massive voter registration fraud in several states." ... "According to campaign finance records, a joint committee of the McCain-Palin campaign, the RNC [Republican National Committee] and the the California Republican Party, made a $175,000 payment to the group Lincoln Strategy in June for purposes of "registering voters." The managing partner of that firm is Nathan Sproul, a renowned GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] operative who has been investigated on multiple occasions for suppressing Democratic voter turnout, throwing away registration forms and even spearheading efforts to get Ralph Nader on ballots to hinder the Democratic ticket." ... "During the 2004 election, Sproul & Associates (the former name of Lincoln Strategy) was accused of attempting to destroy forms collected by Democratic voters in Nevada. That same year in Oregon, Sproul & Associates allegedly instructed canvassers to only accept Republican registration forms in addition to destroying those turned in by Democrats." ... "In Minnesota, meanwhile, Sproul's firm was accused of actually firing workers who brought back Democratic registration forms, while other canvassers were allegedly paid "$13 an hour, with the $3 bonus for every [Republican President] Bush, undecided or Ralph Nader voter registration." Similar problems related to Sproul & Associates popped up in Pennsylvania and West Virginia." ... "All of this was executed, it seems, through an elaborate web of deception. As Salon.com wrote back in 2004:" "Canvassers were told to act as if they were nonpartisan, to hide that they were working for the RNC, especially if approached by the media... In letters the firm sent to the libraries, Sproul misrepresented itself as America Votes -- a left-leaning national voter registration group not affiliated with Sproul -- but said that it was interested in registering "all those who wish to register to vote." Shortly after Sproul canvassers began working the libraries, though, patrons began complaining that the canvassers were being especially inquisitive about their political leanings, and some were pushing people to register as Republicans.""Sens. [Vermont Democratic Senator] Patrick Leahy and [Massachusetts Democratic Senator] Ted Kennedy sent a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2004 asking that the Justice Department "launch an immediate investigation into the activities of Mr. Sproul and his firm." Three years later, members of Congress still weren't satisfied. Rep. [Michigan Democratic Representative John] Conyers complained in an Oct. 2007 letter that the Justice Department was not closely scrutinizing Sproul's efforts. "The alleged misconduct described by many witnesses," he wrote, "clearly suppress[es] votes and violate[s] the law."" -By Sam Stein -HuffingtonPost.com
History
-  Book
- California
- US
- Global
"Taleb's `Black Swan' Investors Post Gains as Markets Take Dive." ... "Investors advised by ``Black Swan'' author Nassim Taleb have gained 50 percent or more this year as his strategies for navigating big swings in share prices paid off amid the worst stock market in seven decades." ... "Universa Investments LP, the Santa Monica, California-based firm where Taleb is an adviser, has about $1 billion in accounts managed to hedge clients against big moves in financial markets. Returns for the year through Oct. 10 ranged as high as 110 percent, according to investor documents. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 39 percent in the same period." ... "The S&P 500 dropped 18 percent last week, its worst week since 1933, on concern that the credit crunch would cripple the financial system and trigger a global recession." ... "As a trader turned philosopher, Taleb has railed against Wall Street risk managers who attempt to predict market movements. Even so, Taleb said he saw the banking crisis coming." ... "``The financial ecology is swelling into gigantic, incestuous, bureaucratic banks -- when one fails, they all fall,'' Taleb wrote in ``The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable,'' which was published in 2007." ... "Taleb said the current crisis is a ``White Swan'', not a Black Swan, because it was something bound to happen." -By Stephanie Baker -Bloomberg
Henry
Paulson
- Government
- Money
- Politics
-Law
- American
International Group - Calif
"Bush Asking For $700 Billion Bailout." ... "Struggling to stave off financial catastrophe, the [Republican President] Bush administration on Friday laid out a radical bailout plan with a jawdropping price tag _ a takeover of a half-trillion dollars or more in worthless mortgages and other bad debt held by tottering institutions." ... "Congressional officials said they expected a request for legal authority to buy up the bad loans, at a cost in excess of $500 billion to the government." ... "The federal government already has pledged more than $600 billion [Reuters reports: $900 billion] in the past year to bail out, or help bail out, some of the biggest names in American finance. That includes the rescue of investment bank Bear Stearns in March, the takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earlier this month and the takeover of the world's largest insurance company, American International Group, just this week." ... "In a session with House Democrats, they described a plan where the government would in essence set up reverse auctions, putting up money for a class of distressed assets _ such as loans that are delinquent but not in default _ and financial institutions would compete for how little they would accept for the investments, said [California Democratic Representative] Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif. [Democratic-California], who participated in the call." ... ""You give them good cash; they give you the worst of the worst," Sherman said of the plan, which he complained that Bush and his economic advisers were trying to panic lawmakers into rubber-stamping." ... "[Republican President Bush's Treasury Secretary Henry] Paulson rejected Democrats' calls to include tighter regulations, corporate reforms or limits on executive compensation as part of the measure, Sherman said. "He's doing his best to paint a picture of the sky falling, and then he says, because the sky's falling, you have to do it my way."" -By Tom Raum and Jeannine Aversa with contributions by Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Martin Crutsinger, Andrew Taylor, Marcy Gordon, David Espo, Jim Abrams, and Joe Bel Bruno -AP via -HuffingtonPost.com 
Money
- Politics
- Calif
"Federal bank insurance fund dwindling." ... "Banks are not the only ones struggling in the growing financial crisis. The fund established to insure their deposits is also feeling the pinch, and the taxpayer may be the lender of last resort." ... "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., whose insurance fund has slipped below the minimum target level set by Congress, could be forced to tap tax dollars through a Treasury Department loan if Washington Mutual Inc., the nation's largest thrift, or another struggling rival fails, economists and industry analysts said Tuesday." ... "Eleven federally insured banks and thrifts have failed this year, including Pasadena, Calif. [California]-based IndyMac Bank, by far the largest shut down by regulators." ... "The [FDIC] fund, which is marking its 75th anniversary this year with a "Face Your Finances" campaign, is at $45.2 billion — the lowest level since 2003." ... "The failure of IndyMac Bank in July cost $8.9 billion." ... "There were 117 banks and thrifts considered to be in trouble in the second quarter, the highest level since 2003, according to FDIC data released last month." -By Marcy Gordon with contributions by Christopher S. Rugaber -AP via -Yahoo 
 Sarah
Palin - John
McCain -  Hillary
Clinton -Women
-Politics
- Alaska
- Los
Angeles -California
- Arizona
- New
York -2008
Election
"Palin: Hillary Clinton's "Whining" Turned Me Off." ... "When Alaska [Republican Governor] Gov. Sarah Palin arrived backstage for our NEWSWEEK Women & Leadership Event in Los Angeles [California] last March, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain had just wrapped up the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] nomination. Palin had yet to endorse McCain--she liked [former 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] Mitt Romney--and as we waited in the green room, I urged her to "feel free" to make some news on stage. She grinned broadly--looking back, I guess it was a grin of the Cheshire Cat variety--and thanked me for the offer." ... "Once onstage, together with Arizona [Democratic Governor] Gov. Janet Napolitano, Palin talked about what women expect from women leaders; how she took charge in Alaska during a political scandal that threatened to unseat the state's entire Republican power structure, and her feelings about [former 2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Clinton. (She said she felt kind of bad she couldn't support a woman, but she didn't like Clinton's "whining.")" -By Karen Breslau -Newsweek /article via -HuffingtonPost.com
US
- KBR
-Corporation
-  Jordan
-  Nepal
- Workers
-Human
- Rights
- Iraq
- Military
- California
"KBR, Partner in Iraq Contract Sued in Human Trafficking Case." ... "Agnieszka Fryszman, a partner at Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, said 13 Nepali men, between the ages of 18 and 27, were recruited in Nepal to work as kitchen staff in hotels and restaurants in Amman, Jordan. But once the men arrived in Jordan, their passports were seized and they were told they were being sent to a military facility in Iraq, Fryszman said." ... "As the men were driven in cars to Iraq, they were stopped by insurgents. Twelve were kidnapped and later executed, Fryszman said. The thirteenth man survived and worked in a warehouse in Iraq for 15 months before returning to Nepal." ... "The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California on behalf of the workers' families and the survivor, claims that the trafficking scheme was engineered by KBR and its Jordanian subcontractor, Daoud & Partners, according to Fryszman." -By Dana Hedgpeth -WashingtonPost
John
McCain -Oil- Politics
- Military
- 2008
Election - Arizona
- Calif
- Fla
- US
- Iraq
- International
"Bundler Collects From Unlikely Donors." ... "The bundle of $2,300 and $4,600 checks that poured into [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign on March 12 came from an unlikely group of California donors: a mechanic from D&D Auto Repair in Whittier [California], the manager of Rite Aid Pharmacy No. 5727, the 30-something owners of the Twilight Hookah Lounge in Fullerton [California]." ... "But the man who gathered checks from them is no stranger to McCain -- he shuttled the Republican on his private plane and held a fundraising event for the candidate at his house in Delray Beach, Fla [Florida]." ... "Harry Sargeant III, a former naval officer and the owner of an oil-trading company that recently inked defense contracts potentially worth more than $1 billion, is the archetype of a modern presidential money man." ... "Some of the most prolific givers in Sargeant's network live in modest homes in Southern California's Inland Empire. Most had never given a political contribution before being contacted by Sargeant or his associates. Most said they have never voiced much interest in politics. And in several instances, they had never registered to vote. And yet, records show, some families have ponied up as much as $18,400 for various candidates between December and March." ... "Both Sargeant and the donors were vague when asked to explain how Sargeant persuaded them to give away so much money." ... "His firm, International Oil Trading Co. (IOTC), holds several lucrative contracts with the Defense Department to carry fuel to the U.S. military in Iraq." ... "The work has not been without controversy. Last month, [California Democratic Representative] Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif. [Democratic-California]) initiated a review of IOTC's contract to determine whether it was overcharging the military for jet fuel, and to learn how the company, which did not submit the lowest bid, landed the contract to supply the fuel." (1, 2) -By Matthew Mosk with contributions by Ashley Surdin, Lucy Shackelford, Alice Crites and Julie Tate -WashingtonPost
Homes
- Nevada
-Florida
- Phoenix
- Arizona
- Los
Angeles - San
Diego - San
Francisco - California
- Florida
- Michigan- Minnesota-  Illinois
- Ohio
-  Georgia
- New
York - Seattle
- Washington
- Massachusetts
- Portland
- Oregon
-  Colorado
- Texas
- North
Carolina
"Home prices down 15.8% in past year, S&P says: Seven of 20 cities tally monthly price gains in May, Case-Shiller data show." ... "Prices in 10 cities fell 16.9% in the past year." ... "Prices thus are at the same levels as they were in the summer of 2004, which means four years of appreciation have been effectively wiped out. Prices are down 18.4% from peak levels seen two years ago." ... "Here's a list of the 20 cities in the Case-Shiller index with the annual decline through May: Las Vegas [Nevada], down 28.4%; Miami [Florida], down 28.3%; Phoenix [Arizona], down 26.5%; Los Angeles [California], down 24.5%; San Diego [California], down 23.2%; San Francisco [California], down 22.9%; Tampa [Florida], down 20.2%; Detroit [Michigan], down 17.4%; Washington [DC], down 15.4%; Minneapolis [Minnesota], down 14.8%; Chicago [Illinois], down 9.4%; Cleveland [Ohio], down 8%; Atlanta [Georgia], and New York [City, New York], both down 7.9%; Seattle [Washington], down 6.3%; Boston [Massachusetts], down 6.2%; Portland [Oregon], down 5.2%; Denver [Colorado], down 4.8%; Dallas [Texas], down 3.1%; and Charlotte, N.C. [North Carolina], down 0.2%." -By Rex Nutting -MarketWatch
 Karl
Rove -  Don
Siegelman - US
Attorney - Politics
- Investigation
- Alabama
- California
"Rove, Defying Subpoena, Doesn't Appear at Hearing (Update2)." ... "Former [Republican President Bush] White House political director Karl Rove, defying a subpoena, failed to appear before a [United States] U.S. House panel investigating whether the Justice Department prosecuted people for political reasons." ... "Rove's action today prompted the House Judiciary subcommittee to rule that his reasons for skipping the appearance weren't legally valid, a first step toward a possible contempt of Congress vote." ... "The panel is trying to determine whether Rove influenced the Justice Department's decision to bring a corruption case against former Alabama [Democratic] Governor Don Siegelman, a Democrat. Rove has rejected the claim and said he would speak with the committee only in private, not under oath and without a transcript. He also proposed answering questions in writing." ... "[California Democratic Representative Linda] Sanchez noted that Rove's offer was limited to discussing the Siegelman case. The panel also wants to question him about other topics, including the 2006 firing of nine U.S. attorneys, she said." ... "The Justice Department's ethics office also is probing whether Siegelman was the victim of selective prosecution. " -By Robert Schmidt -Bloomberg
Hillary
Clinton - John
McCain - Barack
Obama - 2008
Election - New
York - Arizona
- Illinois
- Nevada
- California
- "Pelosi,
Reid, Dean Go Public: Democrats Need To Endorse."
... "In the absence of a concession speech from [2008 Election Democratic
Presidential Candidate and New York Senator] Sen. Hillary Clinton on Tuesday
night, top figures in the Democratic Party went public, urging all uncommitted
officials to declare their presidential affiliations." ... "[Nevada Democratic
Senator and] Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, [California Democratic
Representative and] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DNC Chairman Howard Dean,
and an official with the Democratic Governors Association released a public
statement on Wednesday morning requesting that the party close its ranks
and prepare for the race against [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain." ... "The move, which
had been anticipated but seemed unnecessary following [2008 Election Democratic
Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator Barack] Obama's clinching of
the nomination on Tuesday night, is an indication that few figures beyond
Clinton's utmost loyalists are willing to stomach a prolonged vacation
period for the New York Democrat to make up her mind."
-By
Sam
Stein -HuffingtonPost.com
Education
- Consumer
- Poor
- People
- Oregon
- Calif
-Federal
"Student Loans Start to Bypass 2-Year Colleges." ... "Some of the nation’s biggest banks have closed their doors to students at community colleges, for-profit universities and other less competitive institutions, even as they continue to extend federally backed loans to students at the nation’s top universities." ... "Citibank has been among the most aggressive in paring the list of colleges it serves. JPMorgan Chase, PNC and SunTrust say they have not dropped whole categories, but are cutting colleges as well. Some less-selective four-year colleges, like Eastern Oregon University [Oregon] and William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif. [California], say they have been summarily dropped by some lenders." ... "The practice suggests that if the credit crisis and the ensuing turmoil in the student loan business persist, some of the nation’s neediest students will be hurt the most. The difficulty borrowing may deter them from attending school or prompt them to take a semester off. When they get student loans, they will wind up with less attractive terms and may run a greater risk of default if they have to switch lenders in the middle of their college years." ... "Tuition and loan amounts can be quite small at community colleges. But these institutions, which are a stepping stone to other educational programs or to better jobs, often draw students from the lower rungs of the economic ladder. More than 6.2 million of the nation’s 14.8 million undergraduates — over 40 percent — attend community colleges. According to the most recent data from the College Board, about a third of their graduates took out loans, a majority of them federally guaranteed." ... "“If we put too many hurdles in their way to get a loan, they’ll take a third job or use a credit card,” said Jacqueline K. Bradley, assistant dean for financial aid at Mendocino College in California. “That almost guarantees that they won’t be as successful in their college career.”" (1, 2) -By Jonathan D. Glater -NYTimes |
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Oceans
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- Science
- Environmental
- Atmospheric
- Industrial
- Factories
- Cars
- History
- 
Animals
- Seattle
- Washington
- California
- Oregon
- US
- 
Canada
- Mexico
- "Acidified
seawater showing up along coast ahead of schedule."
... "Climate models predicted it wouldn't happen until the end of the century."
... "So a team led by Seattle [Washington] researchers was stunned to discover
that vast swaths of acidified seawater already are showing up along the
Pacific Coast as greenhouse-gas emissions upset the oceans' chemical balance."
... "In surveys from Vancouver Island [British Columbia, Canada] to the
tip of Baja California [Mexico], reported Thursday in the online journal
Science Express, the scientists found the first evidence that large amounts
of corrosive water are reaching the continental shelf — the shallow sea
margin where most marine creatures live." ... "Off Northern California,
the acidified water was only four miles from shore." ... ""What we found
... was truly astonishing," said oceanographer Richard Feely, of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental
Laboratory in Seattle. "This means ocean acidification may be seriously
impacting marine life on the continental shelf right now."" ... "All along
the coast, the scientists found regions where the water was acidic enough
to dissolve the shells and skeletons of clams, corals and many of the tiny
creatures at the base of the marine food chain. Acidified water also can
kill fish eggs and a wide range of marine larvae." ... ""Entire marine
ecosystems are likely to be affected," said co-author Debby Ianson, an
oceanographer at Fisheries and Oceans Canada." ... "Though it hasn't received
as much attention as global warming, ocean acidification is a flip side
of the same phenomenon. The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from
power plants, factories and cars that is raising temperatures worldwide
also is to blame for the increasing acidity of the world's oceans." ...
"Normally, seawater is slightly alkaline. When carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere dissolves into the water, it forms carbonic acid — the weak
acid that helps give soda pop its tang. The process also robs the water
of carbonate, a key ingredient in the formation of calcium carbonate shells."
... "Since the Industrial Revolution, when humans began pumping massive
amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, Feely estimates the oceans
have absorbed 525 billion tons of the man-made greenhouse gas — about one-third
of the total released during that period." ... "By keeping some of the
carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, the oceans have blunted the temperature
rise due to global warming. But they've suffered for that service, with
a more than 30-percent increase in acidity." ... "The acidified water upwelling
along the coast today was last exposed to the atmosphere about 50 years
ago, when carbon-dioxide levels were much lower than they are now. That
means the water that will rise from the depths over the coming decades
will have absorbed more carbon dioxide and will be even more acidic." -By
Sandi Doughton -SeattleTimes
McCain
- Obama
- Clinton
- Veterans
- Education
- Money
- Legislation
- 2008
Election - California
- "McCain
misses vote on a new GI Bill, scorns criticism from Obama."
... "Support for the troops returned as an issue to the presidential campaign
yesterday with harsh words from both sides." ... "The Democratic National
Committee accused [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John
McCain of being AWOL [Absent WithOut Leave] from the Senate vote yesterday
for a new GI Bill to provide better education benefits for returning veterans.
McCain was in California on a campaign and fund-raising trip, while both
Democratic [2008 Election Presidential] contenders, Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama, left the campaign trail to vote for the bill, which passed
by a veto-proof 75-to-22 majority." ... "On the Senate floor, Obama questioned
why McCain opposed the bill. "I can't believe why he believes it is too
generous to our veterans," Obama said. "There are many issues that lend
themselves to partisan posturing, but giving our veterans the chance to
go to college should not be one of them." ... "The bill, which [Republican]
President Bush has threatened to veto, would pay tuition and other expenses
at a four-year public university for anyone who has served at least three
years since the 2001 terrorist attacks." -By Foon
Rhee -BostonGlobe
Kyle
Dustin "Dusty" Foggo - 
Brent
Wilkes - 
Randy
"Duke" Cunningham - Money
- Politics
- Vacations
- 
Intelligence
- Federal
- 
Va
- Calif-
"Former
CIA official indicted anew in bribery case." ...
"A new indictment of a former top CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] official
alleges that he received bribes in the form of "sexual companionship" in
exchange for helping a friend get an edge in landing multimillion-dollar
contracts from the agency." ... "Federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va.
[Virginia], on Tuesday obtained a superseding indictment against Kyle "Dusty"
Foggo, who as executive director held the CIA's No. 3 rank before leaving
in 2006." ... "The indictment accuses Foggo of accepting tens of thousands
of dollars in meals, vacations and other perks in exchange for helping
friend Brent Wilkes obtain various contracts with the CIA." ... "Wilkes
has already pleaded guilty to paying bribes to then-[California Republican
Representative] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif. [Republican-California],
some of which came in the form of prostitutes." -By
Matthew Barakat -AP
via -SFGate.com
California
- Gay
- People
- Parents
- Politics
- 2008
Election - "California
Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban." ... "The
California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage
Thursday in a broadly worded decision that would invalidate virtually any
law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation." ... "The 4-3
ruling declared that the state Constitution protects a fundamental "right
to marry" that extends equally to same-sex couples. It tossed a highly
emotional issue into the [2008] election year while opening the way for
tens of thousands of gay people to wed in California, starting as early
as mid-June." ... "The majority opinion, by Chief Justice Ronald M. George,
declared that any law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation
will from this point on be constitutionally suspect in California in the
same way as laws that discriminate by race or gender, making the state's
high court the first in the nation to adopt such a stringent standard."
... "The decision was a bold surprise from a moderately conservative, Republican-dominated
court that legal scholars have long dubbed "cautious," and experts said
it was likely to influence other courts around the country." ... "But the
scope of the court's decision could be thrown into question by an initiative
already heading toward the November ballot. The initiative would amend
the state Constitution to prohibit same-sex unions." ... "The court's ruling
repeatedly invoked the words "respect and dignity" and framed the marriage
question as one that deeply affected not just couples but also their children.
California has more than 100,000 households headed by gay couples, about
a quarter with children, according to 2000 census data." ... ""Our state
now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and
long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to
care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual
orientation," George wrote for the majority. "An individual's sexual orientation
-- like a person's race or gender -- does not constitute a legitimate basis
upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."" (1, 2,3)
-By Maura Dolan with contributions by Patrick McGreevy,
Rong-Gong Lin II, Jean-Paul Renaud, Francisco Vara-Orta, Molly Hennessy-Fiske,
John M. Glionna and Lee Romney -LAtimes
Barack
Obama - Hillary
Clinton - New
York
- 
South
Dakota - Illinois
- Nevada
- California
- US
- 
Israel
- 
Iran
- 
Syria
- Military
- Terrorism
- Politics
- History
- 2008
Election - "Bush
Assails ‘Appeasement,’ Touching Off Storm." ... "[Republican]
President Bush used a speech to the Israeli Parliament on Thursday to liken
those who would negotiate with “terrorists and radicals” to appeasers of
the Nazis — a remark widely interpreted as a rebuke to [2008 Election Democratic
Presidential Candidate and Illinois] Senator Barack Obama, who has advocated
greater engagement with countries like Iran and Syria." ... "The comments
created an angry tussle back home, as Democrats accused Mr. Bush of breaching
protocol by playing partisan politics overseas." ... "Mr. Obama delivered
a quick and pointed response, saying in an e-mail statement to reporters
that he had no intention of dealing with terrorists and accusing Mr. Bush
of using his visit, timed for the 60th anniversary of Israel’s independence,
to “launch a false political attack.”" ... "On Thursday, other Democrats
leapt to the Illinois senator’s defense. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada,
the Democratic leader, called Mr. Bush’s remarks “reckless and irresponsible.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said Mr. Bush had behaved in a manner
“beneath the dignity of the office of president.” Representative Rahm Emanuel
of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic caucus, accused Mr. Bush
of violating the unwritten rule against playing politics overseas." ...
"[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and New York] Senator
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mr. Obama’s rival for the Democratic presidential
nomination, joined him in taking issue with Mr. Bush. Weighing in from
South Dakota, Mrs. Clinton said: “President Bush’s comparison of any Democrat
to Nazi appeasers is offensive and outrageous, especially in the light
of his failures in foreign policy. This is the kind of statement that has
no place in any presidential address.”" -By Sheryl
Gay Stolberg and Jim
Rutenberg -NYTimes
WATCH
Pelosi's comment on Bush's criticism of Democrats while in Israel,
"What the President did in that regard is beneath the dignity of the office
of the President and unworthy of our representation at that observance
in Israel. And I would hope that any serious person would disassociate
themselves from the President's remarks who aspires to leadership in our
country."
Secret
- Government
- Intelligence
- Terrorism
- Politics
- Illegal
- 
Surveillance
- Investigation
- 
Internet
- Archive
- Library
- Electronic
- Civil
Liberties - Brewster_Kahle
- Censorship
- San
Francisco - California
- Student
- Health
- Consumer
- 
Telephone
- Electronic
- Data
- National
Security Letter - "FBI
Targets Internet Archive With Secret 'National Security Letter', Loses."
... "The Internet Archive, a project to create a digital library of the
web for posterity, successfully fought a secret government Patriot Act
order for records about one of its patrons and won the right to make the
order public, civil liberties groups announced Wednesday morning." ...
"On November 26, 2007, the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] served
a controversial National
Security Letter (.pdf) on the Internet
Archive's founder Brewster Kahle, asking for records about one of the
library's registered users, asking for the user's name, address and activity
on the site." ... "The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Internet Archive's
lawyers, fought the NSL [National Security Letter], challenging its constitutionality
in a December 14 complaint
(.pdf) to a federal court in San Francisco [California]. The FBI agreed
on April 21 to withdraw the letter and unseal the court case, making some
of the documents available to the public." ... "The Patriot Act greatly
expanded the reach of NSLs, which are subpoenas for documents such as billing
records and telephone records that the FBI can issue in terrorism investigations
without a judge's approval. Nearly all NSLs come with gag orders forbidding
the recipient from ever speaking of the subpoena, except to a lawyer."
... "Brewster Kahle called the gag order "horrendous," saying he couldn't
talk about the case with his board members, wife or staff, but said that
his stand was part of a time-honored tradition of librarians protecting
the rights of their patrons." ... ""This is an unqualified success that
will help other recipients understand that you can push back on these,"
Kahle said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning." ...
"Though FBI guidelines on using NSLs warned of overusing them, two Congressionally
ordered audits revealed that the FBI had issued hundreds of illegal requests
for student health records, telephone records and credit reports. The reports
also found that the FBI had issued hundreds of thousands of NSLs since
2001, but failed to track their use. In a letter to Congress last week,
the FBI admitted it can only estimate how many NSLs it has issued." -By
Ryan Singel -Wired
US
- Iraq
-
- Cameras- Media
- Politics
- San
Diego - California
- ""Mission
Accomplished," 5 Years Later: Since [Republican President]
Bush Announced Major Combat Operations In Iraq Ended, Another 3,924 Troops
Have Been Killed." ... "It was a picture-perfect moment, made for the TV
cameras, in which a military leader stood before heroes and heroines to
declare a victory which seemed to come easier than anyone dared hope, in
a conflict which was opposed by many friends and foes alike." ... "May
1 marks the fifth anniversary of President George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished"
speech aboard the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln." ... "After being landed
on the deck of the carrier in an S-3B Viking 30 miles off the coast San
Diego [California] (Ari Fleischer said the president "could have helicoptered,"
but "he wanted to see a landing the way aviators see a landing"), Mr. Bush
appeared in a flight suit to the cheers of the ship's personnel and the
glare of television lights." ... "Later, he stood at a podium against a
backdrop of an enormous banner reading "Mission Accomplished."" ... "To
the assembled audience and the world, Mr. Bush said, "Admiral Kelly, Captain
Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans:
Major
combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United
States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged
in securing and reconstructing that country." ... ""In this battle, we
have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our
nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment - yet it is you,
the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage
- your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other -
made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because
of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free." ... ""Tonight, I have
a special word for Secretary Rumsfeld, for General Franks, and for all
the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States: America is
grateful for a job well done."" ... "Now in its sixth year, the war in
Iraq has claimed the lives of at least 4,058 members of the U.S. military
- 3,924 of whom have died since Mr. Bush landed on the deck of the USS
Abraham Lincoln." ... "And there are currently more U.S. troops in Iraq
than there were when the U.S. invaded with a contingent of other coalition
forces." -AP
via -CBSNews
Noteworthy
- Government
- EPA
- Opinion
- Science
- Politics
- 
Food
- Drug
- Oceanic
- Atmospheric- Climate
- Health
- California
- Investigation
- "Hundreds
of EPA Scientists Report Political Interference Over Last Five Years:
UCS [Union of Concerned Scientists] calls for strengthened protections
for federal scientists." ... "An investigation of the Environmental Protection
Agency released today found that 889 of nearly 1,600 staff scientists reported
that they experienced political interference in their work over the last
five years. The study, by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), follows
previous UCS investigations of the Food and Drug Administration, Fish and
Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and
climate scientists at seven federal agencies, which also found significant
administration manipulation of federal science." ... ""Our investigation
found an agency in crisis," said Francesca Grifo, director of UCS's Scientific
Integrity Program. "Nearly 900 EPA scientists reported political interference
in their scientific work. That's 900 too many. Distorting science to accommodate
a narrow political agenda threatens our environment, our health, and our
democracy itself."" ... "The UCS report comes amidst a flurry of controversial
activity swirling around the EPA. Congress is currently investigating administration
interference in a new chemical toxicity review process as well as California's
request to regulate tailpipe emissions. And in early May, the House Oversight
and Government Reform Committee is expected to hold a hearing on political
interference in the new EPA ground-level ozone pollution standard." ...
"UCS's investigation revealed political interference is most pronounced
in offices where scientists write regulations and at the National Center
for Environmental Assessment, where scientists conduct risk assessments
that could lead to strengthened regulations." ... ""The investigation shows
researchers are generally continuing to do their work," said Dr. Grifo.
"But their scientific findings are tossed aside when it comes time to write
regulations."" ... "Nearly 100 scientists identified the [Republican President
Bush's] White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the primary
culprit." -UCSUSA.org
Mary
Peters - Covert
- Language
- Law
- Politics
- Greenhouse
Gases - Clean
Air Act - Environmental
- Transportation
- Auto
- Makers
- Fuel
- Economy
- San
Francisco - California
- Massachusetts
- 
US
- Global
- Climate
- "Bush
fuel economy rules swipe at California." ... "When
the [Republican President] Bush administration announced proposed regulations
Tuesday to raise fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to 31.6 miles
per gallon by 2015, even some environmentalists applauded. But then they
read the fine print." ... "Tucked deep into a 417-page "Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking" was language by the Transportation Department stating that
more stringent limits on tailpipe emissions embraced by California and
17 other states are "an obstacle to the accomplishment" of the new federal
standards and are "expressly and impliedly preempted" by federal law."
... "California Attorney General Jerry Brown called it a covert assault
on California's rules. Environmentalists said the language will be used
by automakers in their legal challenges to two recent federal court rulings
that sided with the states." ... "The language showed that beneath the
bipartisan veneer of support for new fuel economy standards - approved
by [the Democratic controlled] Congress and signed by [Republican] President
Bush in December - the conflict is still raging between the White House
and the states over who will set the nation's first limits on greenhouse
gases." ... "Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who announced the proposed
rules Tuesday, acknowledged that the preemption language was included in
the document." ... "The Supreme Court ruled in the Massachusetts vs. EPA
case last year that the Transportation Department's authority to set fuel
economy standards should not impede other efforts under the Clean Air Act
to reduce greenhouse gases." ... "[California Democratic Representative
and] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D[Democratic]-San Francisco [California],
responded: "The administration is continuing to block climate change progress
by asserting that California doesn't have the right to move forward with
its own global warming regulations. That is completely unjustified."" -By
Zachary Coile -SFGate.com
John
McCain - Money
- Politics
- Military
- Real
Estate - Land
- Lawsuit
- California
- Tucson
- Arizona
- Environment
- 2008
Election - "A
Developer, His Deals and His Ties to McCain." ...
"Donald R. Diamond, a wealthy Arizona real estate developer [based in Tucson,
Arizona], was racing to snap up a stretch of virgin California coast freed
by the closing of an Army base a decade ago when he turned to an old friend,
[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona] Senator John
McCain." ... "When Mr. Diamond wanted to buy land at the base, Fort Ord
[in California], Mr. McCain assigned an aide who set up a meeting at the
Pentagon and later stepped in again to help speed up the sale, according
to people involved and a deposition Mr. Diamond gave for a related lawsuit.
When he appealed to a nearby city for the right to develop other property
at the former base, Mr. Diamond submitted Mr. McCain’s endorsement as “a
close personal friend.”" ... "Writing to officials in the city, Seaside,
Calif. [California], the senator said, “You will find him as honorable
and committed as I have.”" ... "Courting local officials and potential
partners, Mr. Diamond’s team promised that he could “help get through some
of the red tape in dealing with the Department of the Army” because Mr.
Diamond “has been very active with Senator McCain,” a partner said in a
deposition." ... "A longtime political patron, Mr. Diamond is one of the
elite fund-raisers Mr. McCain’s current presidential campaign calls Innovators,
having raised more than $250,000 so far." ... "In California, the McCain
aide’s assistance with the Army helped Mr. Diamond complete a purchase
in 1999 that he soon turned over for a $20 million profit. And Mr. McCain’s
letter of recommendation reinforced Mr. Diamond’s selling point about his
McCain connections as he pursued — and won in 2005 — a potentially much
more lucrative deal to develop a resort hotel and luxury housing." ...
"In Arizona, Mr. McCain has helped Mr. Diamond with matters as small as
forwarding a complaint in a regulatory skirmish over the endangered pygmy
owl, and as large as introducing legislation remapping public lands. In
1991 and 1994, Mr. McCain sponsored two laws sought by Mr. Diamond that
resulted in providing him millions of dollars and thousands of acres in
exchange for adding some of his properties to national parks. The Arizona
senator co-sponsored a third similar bill now before the Senate." ... "Mr.
Diamond and his family have given more than $55,000 to Mr. McCain’s campaigns
(and more than $600,000 to other federal candidates). More significantly,
the developer has collected (or “bundled”) hundreds of thousands of dollars
in contributions from others, and is now serving as a national co-chairman
of the finance committee for Mr. McCain’s current presidential run." ...
"Mr. Diamond is close to most of Arizona’s Congressional delegation and
is candid about his expectations as a fund-raiser. “I want my money back,
for Christ’s sake. Do you know how many cocktail parties I have to go to?”"
... "“Don Diamond has done very well through these land exchanges,” said
Sandy Bahr, director of the Arizona chapter of the Sierra Club. “It is
the public that got shortchanged.” " (1, 2,
3,
4)
-By David
D. Kirkpatrick and Jim
Rutenberg with contributions by Kitty Bennett and Barclay Walsh
-NYTimes
Jack
Abramoff - John
Doolittle - Criminal
- Money
- Politics
- Sports
- Government
- Texas
- California
- "Former
Justice official pleads guilty in Abramoff probe."
... "The [Republican President Bush] Justice Department lost one of its
own to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal Tuesday as a former high-ranking
department attorney pleaded guilty to conflict of interest." ... "Robert
E. Coughlin II admitted in federal court in Washington that he accepted
meals, concert tickets and luxury seats at Redskins and Wizards games from
a lobbyist while helping the lobbyist and his clients. He pleaded guilty
to a single conflict-of-interest charge and faces up to 10 months in prison
under a plea deal with the government." ... "The lobbyist is identified
in court documents only as "Lobbyist A," but details make clear that he
is Kevin Ring, a former member of Abramoff's lobbying team who also is
under investigation." ... "Coughlin, now 36 and living in Texas, accepted
the gifts from 2001 to 2003 while working on legislative affairs for the
Justice Department. He later became deputy chief of staff of the department's
criminal division - the same division handling the Abramoff probe - before
he resigned a year ago, citing personal reasons." ... "Ring worked for
[California Republican Representative John] Doolittle, who's retiring from
Congress at the end of this year, before going to work for Abramoff." -By
Erica Werner with contributions by Matt Apuzzo
-AP via -Courier-Journal.com
Corporate
- Health
Care - California
- Woman
- "Judge
Awards Canceled Cancer Patient $9 Million." ... "A
woman who had her medical coverage canceled as she was undergoing treatment
for breast cancer has been awarded more than $9 million in a case against
one of California's largest health insurers." ... "Patsy Bates, 52, a hairdresser
from Gardena [California], had been left with more than $129,000 in unpaid
medical bills when Health Net Inc. canceled her policy in 2004." ... "In
fact, she was in the hospital getting prepped for surgery when she first
learned Health Net was dropping her." ... "Some of the documents Health
Net was forced to hand over revealed that senior analyst, Barbara Fowler,
single-handedly dropped hundreds of policy holders like Bates from the
rolls every year." ... "The shocker: the company awarded her bonuses based
on how many policy holders she dropped." ... "The company called 2003 -
the year Fowler dropped Patsy Bates - "a banner year" for her, for saving
the company $6 million in what they call "unnecessary health care expenses.""
-CBS4.com
Corporate- Hackers
- Manufacture
- Electronics
- Technology
- California
- Texas
- US
- Global
- TV
- Telecom
- Media
- 
Copyright
- Enforcement
- German
- Canada
- 
UK
- Israeli
- Intelligence
- Spying
- "Rupert
Murdoch Firm Goes on Trial for Alleged Tech Sabotage."
... "Did a Rupert Murdoch company go too far and hire hackers to sabotage
rivals and gain the top spot in the global pay-TV war?" ... "This is the
question a jury will be facing in a spectacular five-year-old civil lawsuit
that is finally being tried this month in California but which has, oddly,
received little notice from U.S. [United States] media." ... "The case
involves a colorful cast of characters that includes former intelligence
agents, Canadian TV pirates, Bulgarian and German hackers, stolen e-mails
and the mysterious suicide of a Berlin [Germany's capital] hacker who had
been courted by the Murdoch company not long before his death." ... "On
the hot spot is NDS Group, a UK-Israeli firm that makes smartcards for
pay-TV systems like DirecTV. The company is a majority-owned subsidiary
of Murdoch's News Corporation. The charges stem from 1997 when NDS is accused
of cracking the encryption of rival NagraStar, which makes access cards
and systems for EchoStar's Dish Network and other pay-TV services. Further,
it’s alleged NDS then hired hackers to manufacture and distribute counterfeit
NagraStar cards to pirates to steal Dish Network's programming for free."
... "NagraStar and one of its parent companies, EchoStar, are seeking about
$101 million for damages for piracy, copyright infringement, misconduct
and unfair competition. The list of witnesses in the case includes EchoStar's
founder and CEO Charlie Ergen; several hackers and pirates; and Reuven
Hazak, an Israeli who heads security for NDS and is a former deputy head
of Shabak, or Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency (the equivalent
of Britain's MI5)." ... "According to court documents, the scheme began
to unravel in 2000 when law-enforcement agents in Texas seized suspicious
packages containing CD and DVD players stuffed with more than $40,000 in
cash. Parcels similar to this were being sent almost daily from Canada,
via Texas, to a hacker in California named Christopher Tarnovsky, who was
working for NDS as an engineer. The money was allegedly part of the conspiracy
between Tarnovsky and NDS Group to sabotage NagraStar's cards." -By
Kim Zetter -Wired
Consumer
- Economy
- Nevada
- California
- Florida
- "Foreclosures
jump 57 percent in last 12 months." ... "Home foreclosure
filings surged 57 percent in the 12 month-period ended in March and bank
repossessions soared 129 percent from a year ago, as homeowners struggled
to make mortgage payments, real estate data firm RealtyTrac said on Tuesday."
... "For the month of March, foreclosure filings, default notices, auction
sale notices and bank repossessions rose 5 percent, led by Nevada, California
and Florida, RealtyTrac said." ... "The rise in March to filings on a total
of 234,685 properties followed a 4 percent decline in February, RealtyTrac
reported." ... "RealtyTrac said the peak has yet to be reached." (1, 2,
3)
-By Lynn Adler with contributions by Leslie Adler
-Reuters
Corporate
- Politics
- Illinois
- Los
Angeles - California
- US
- Global
- "Murdoch,
Zell Appointed to AP Board." ... "Rupert Murdoch
[owner of News Corporation/Fox] and Sam Zell, two media figures who led
major newspaper acquisitions in recent months, are among four new members
joining the board of directors of The Associated Press, it was announced
Monday at the news cooperative's annual meeting." ... "Murdoch completed
his acquisition of Dow Jones & Co. last December, adding The Wall Street
Journal to his global media conglomerate." ... "The same month, Zell took
control of Tribune Co. after leading a buyout that resulted in the publicly
traded company becoming private. The company owns the Chicago Tribune [Chicago,
Illinois], the Los Angeles [Los Angeles, California] Times, nine other
daily newspapers and 23 television stations."
-AP via -HuffingtonPost.com
Secret
- Jack
Abramoff - 
Bob
Schaffer - Money
- Politician
- Travel
- 
Garment
- Factories- Lawmaker
- History
- Colo
- California
- American
- 
Northern
Mariana Islands
- Labor
- Investigations
- "Schaffer,
lobbyist strategies meshed: The Coloradan's acts
align with an Abramoff plot; he denies any link." ... "In early 1998, now-jailed
[Republican] lobbyist Jack Abramoff sent a secret memo to a textile tycoon
on the Northern Mariana Islands, an American protectorate whose garment
factories had been heavily criticized for squalid working conditions and
abusive labor practices." ... "The lobbying plan focused on using congressional
oversight hearings to change the subject from factory conditions to political
shenanigans by the [Democratic President] Clinton administration. Abramoff's
lobbying team would prepare questions and "factual backup" for friendly
lawmakers. Trips to the island for congressmen and staff would be a key
tool to "build permanent friends," the memo said." ... "The linchpin would
be an attack on the Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA),
which was the lead agency pushing for reform." ... "Twenty months later,
Republicans on the House Resources Committee, including [Colorado Republican
Representative] Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., turned what was supposed to
be an oversight hearing into an attack on OIA officials, suggesting that
federal employees were paying workers to protest and providing them signs,
cars and other resources." ... "Schaffer was one of the key players in
the hearing, grilling a young worker who had been called before the committee
to talk about the desperate conditions faced by some laborers, suggesting
instead that he was agitating in exchange for money and came to Washington
to seek political asylum." ... "The hearing provides a key context for
a trip to the islands that Schaffer had taken a month before, partly arranged
by Abramoff's lobbying firm and now an issue in Schaffer's campaign for
the U.S. [United States] Senate." ... "By the time Schaffer had flown to
the islands with his wife the month before, the protectorate's textile
industry had been the subject of dozens of government and journalistic
investigations, which documented abuses including debt servitude, coerced
abortions and squalid living conditions." ... "Preston-Gates, Abramoff's
firm, made the travel arrangements for Schaffer's August 1999 trip, according
to a memo to Schaffer from his staff. The $13,000 trip was paid for by
the Orange County[California]-based Traditional Values Coalition, which
later investigations showed was often used by Abramoff in his lobbying
operations." -By Michael Riley
-DenverPost.com
John
C Yoo - Torture- War
Crimes - Criminal
- Military
- Intelligence
- Law
- Language
- Politics
- Terrorism
- Government
- Prisoners
- Human
Rights - California
- 
Indiana
- "Permissible
Assaults Cited in Graphic Detail." ... "Thirty pages
into a memorandum discussing the legal boundaries of military interrogations
in 2003, senior [Republican President Bush's deputy Office of Legal Counsel]
Justice Department lawyer John C. Yoo tackled a question not often asked
by American policymakers: Could the president, if he desired, have a prisoner's
eyes poked out?" ... "Or, for that matter, could he have "scalding water,
corrosive acid or caustic substance" thrown on a prisoner? How about slitting
an ear, nose or lip, or disabling a tongue or limb? What about biting?"
... "These assaults are all mentioned in a U.S. [United States] law prohibiting
maiming, which Yoo parsed as he clarified the legal outer limits of what
could be done to terrorism suspects as detained by U.S. authorities. The
specific prohibitions, he said, depended on the circumstances or which
"body part the statute specifies."" ... "But none of that matters in a
time of war, Yoo also said, because federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming
and other crimes by military interrogators are trumped by the president's
ultimate authority as commander in chief." ... "It [Yoo's memorandum] repeats
an assertion in another controversial Yoo memo that an interrogation tactic
cannot be considered torture unless it would result in "death, organ failure
or serious impairment of bodily functions."" ... "Yoo, who is now a law
professor at the University of California at Berkeley [California], also
uses footnotes to effectively dismiss the Fourth and Fifth amendments to
the Constitution, arguing that protections against unreasonable search
and seizure and guarantees of due process either do not apply or are irrelevant
in a time of war." ... "Written opinions by the Office of Legal Counsel
have the force of law within the government because its staff is assigned
to interpret the meaning of statutory or constitutional language. Yoo's
2003 memo has evoked strong criticism from legal academics, human rights
advocates and military-law experts, who say that he was wrong on basic
matters of constitutional law and went too far in authorizing harsh and
coercive interrogation tactics by the Defense Department." ... ""Having
81 pages of legal analysis with its footnotes and respectable-sounding
language makes the reader lose sight of what this is all about," said Dawn
Johnsen, an OLC chief during the [Democratic President Bill] Clinton administration
who is now a law professor at Indiana University [Indiana]. "He is saying
that poking people's eyes out and pouring acid on them is beyond Congress's
ability to limit a president. It is an unconscionable document."" -By
Dan Eggen -WashingtonPost
John
McCain - 
Jet
- Vacation
- Homes
- Phoenix
- Arizona
- California
- Va
- Political
- 2008
Election - "Beer
heiress could be next first lady: [2008 Election
Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's
marriage has mixed business and politics from beginning." ... "As heiress
to her father's stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix [Arizona], Cindy
McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million. Her beer earnings
have afforded the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican 2008 Election] presidential
nominee [John McCain] a wealthy lifestyle with a private jet and vacation
homes at his disposal, and her connections helped him launch his political
career — even if the millions remain in her name alone." ... "Within a
few years of marrying Cindy Hensley, the daughter of a multimillionaire
Anheuser-Busch distributor, John McCain won his first election. He was
new to Arizona politics and fundraising in the 1982 House race, and his
campaign quickly fell into debt. Personal money -- tens of thousands of
dollars in loans to his campaign from McCain bank accounts -- helped him
survive." ... "Cindy McCain's father, James Hensley, and other Hensley
& Co. executives gave so much the Federal Election Commission ordered
McCain to give some of it back." ... "Beverage industry analysts estimate
Hensley's value at more than $250 million and its annual sales at $300
million or more." ... "Assets held by Cindy McCain alone or with her children
also include Anheuser-Busch stock; two condominiums along the California
coast worth a total of at least $3 million and Arizona investments in rental
medical offices and a parking lot, according to property records and John
McCain's latest financial disclosure reports." ... "Cindy McCain, through
a family trust, sold the family mansion in Phoenix for $3.2 million and
bought a $4.6 million Phoenix condo in 2006. The couple may also jointly
own a condo in Arlington, Va. [Virginia], assessed at $847,800." ... "John
McCain held a barbecue recently for reporters at a two-story cabin near
Sedona, Ariz. [Arizona], that sits on 15 acres owned by his wife's family
trust and a real estate partnership in her name. The property includes
four single-family homes and is worth nearly $1.8 million." (1, 2)
-AP via -MSNBC
Global
- Climate
- Atmosphere
- Science
- Antarctic
- Ice
- History
- 
UN
- San
Diego - California
- 
Iowa
- US
- "Dust
plays huge role in climate change: Tiny particles
heat up the atmosphere faster than scientist once believed. The good news
is this dust can be cleaned up fairly quickly." ... "Scientists know that
dust affects climate. Tiny particles create veils that reflect sunlight
and cool the atmosphere. Dark particles absorb sunshine and warm things
up. But as scientists look deeper into the dust-climate connection, they
find that they have underestimated its importance." ... "Research published
April 3 in Nature reveals the tight linkage between atmospheric dust flows
and Antarctic temperatures during ice ages over the past 800,000 years.
A research review published March 23 in Nature Geoscience online shows
that black carbon particles in the atmosphere have a more powerful global-warming
effect than any of the greenhouse gases except carbon dioxide. And these
particles are 60 percent as effective as CO2 itself. That's far more powerful
than the estimate in last year's report of the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)." ... "The good news is that black carbon
particles such as diesel soot or wood-stove smoke only stay airborne for
weeks. (It takes a century to get rid of today's CO2 emissions.) This fact
offers an opportunity for instant payback, say study authors V. Ramanathan
at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego [California] and Gregory
Carmichael at the University of Iowa in Iowa City [Iowa]. In an announcement
from Scripps, the authors note that commercially available technologies
exist to cut back soot emissions substantially. Using them would rapidly
reduce black-carbon warming. " -By Robert C. Cowen
-CSMonitor
John
Yoo - 
Gonzales
- 
Cheney
- 
Addington
- War
Crimes - Criminal
- Torture
- Military
- Intelligence
- Terrorism
- Political
- Law
- Secret
- Government- History
- Civil
Liberties - California
- US
- Guantanamo
- 
Cuba
- Iraq
- Prisons
- "John
Yoo's war crimes." ... "As the result of a FOIA [Freedom
of Information Act] lawsuit the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] filed
and then prosecuted for several years, numerous documents relating
to the [Republican President] Bush administration's torture regime that
have long been baselessly kept secret were released yesterday, including
an 81-pagememorandum
(.pdf) issued in 2003 by then-Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo
(currently a Berkeley [California] Law Professor) which asserted that the
President's war powers entitle him to ignore multiple laws which criminalized
the use of torture:"[""It depends on why the President thinks he needs to do that." Yoo wasn't just a law professor theorizing about the legalization of torture. He was a government official who, in concert with other government officials, set out to enable a brutal and systematic torture regime, and did so." ... "Since the Nuremberg Trials, "war criminals" include not only those who directly apply the criminal violence and other forms of brutality, but also government officials who authorized it and military officials who oversaw it. Ironically, the Bush administration itself argued in the 2006 case of Hamdan -- when they sought to prosecute as a "war criminal" a Guantanamo detainee whom they allege was a driver for Osama bin Laden -- that one is guilty of war crimes not merely by directly violating the laws of war, but also by participating in a conspiracy to do so." ... "That legal question was unresolved in that case, but Justices Thomas and Scalia both sided with the administration and Thomas wrote (emphasis added):"
""[T]he experience of our wars," Winthrop 839, is rife with evidence that establishes beyond any doubt that conspiracy to violate the laws of war is itself an offense cognizable before a law-of-war military commission. . . . . In [World War II], the orders establishing the jurisdiction of military commissions in various theaters of operation provided that conspiracy to violate the laws of war was a cognizable offense. See Letter, General Headquarters, United States Army Forces, Pacific (Sept. 24, 1945), Record in Yamashita v. Styer, O. T. 1945, No. 672, pp. 14, 16 (Exh. F) (Order respecting the "Regulations Governing the Trial of War Criminals" provided that "participation in a common plan or conspiracy to accomplish" various offenses against the law of war was cognizable before military commissions).""It isn't pleasant to think about high government officials in one's own country as war criminals -- that's something that only bad, evil dictatorships have -- but, pleasant or not, it rather indisputably happens to be what we have." ... "Yoo wasn't acting as a lawyer in order legally to analyze questions surrounding interrogation powers. He was acting with the intent to enable illegal torture and used the law as his instrument to authorize criminality." -By Glenn Greenwald -Salon
Secret
- Fashion
- Book
- Government
- Military
- Tech
- Money
- Politics
- Calif
- Dick
Cheney - "Inside
the Black Budget." ... "Skulls. Black cats. A naked
woman riding a killer whale. Grim reapers. Snakes. Swords. Occult symbols.
A wizard with a staff that shoots lightning bolts. Moons. Stars. A dragon
holding the Earth in its claws."
Oil
- Politics
- Government
- US
- Calif
- Global
- Climate
- Environmental
- Emissions
- Memorial
Day - Driving
- "Gas
prices put oil executives on the hot seat." ... "Oil
executives return to the hot seat Tuesday as a House panel examines rising
gasoline prices and the industry’s opposition to efforts to repeal $18
billion in tax breaks. The new money would be used to pay for the development
of renewable energy." ... "For the industry’s critics, the House Select
Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing Tuesday is
another indication of the industry’s waning clout on Capitol Hill, as was
the House vote earlier this year that repealed tax breaks the industry
now receives." ... "But the army of lobbyists who represent the oil and
gas industry has so far successfully fought back in the Senate, which has
yet to pass a similar tax bill, forcing renewable energy advocates to lower
their own expectations." ... "Executives from ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron
and ConocoPhillips were expected to testify before the House panel, which
was created by [California Democratic Representative] Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-Calif.[Democratic-California]) to highlight her caucus’s efforts to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the nation’s dependence on foreign
oil." ... "Some oil lobbyists worried the hearing could turn raucous since
prices at the pump have reached a new record — weeks before the traditional
start of driving season on Memorial Day." ... "By coincidence or not, the
hearing is being held the same day as “Fossil Fools’ Day,” a campaign by
some environmental groups. They question the wisdom of continuing to use
fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide when burned, as the mainstay for
energy production when global temperatures are rising because of increasing
greenhouse gas emissions." -By Jim Snyder
-TheHill.com
Home-Prices
- History
- Seattle- Washington
- Portland
- Ore
- Nevada
- Florida
- Phoenix
- Arizona
- San
Diego - California
- Michigan
- NC
- "U.S.
home prices fall 10.7% in January, Seattle's drop 1.3%."
... "U.S. [United States] home prices fell 10.7 percent in January from
the same month last year, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller
home-price index of 20 cities, which saw the steepest decline in the two-decade
history of the index." ... "Seattle[Washington]-area home prices were among
the decliners, although the annual drop was a slight 1.3 percent. Only
Portland, Ore. [Oregon], posted a smaller annual decline, 0.5 percent."
... "Worst hit were Las Vegas [Nevada] and Miami [Florida], both reporting
19.3 percent drops, as the regions are still paying the price for rampant
speculation and overbuilding during the boom years. Those cities and 14
others — including Phoenix [Arizona], San Diego [California] and Detroit
[Michigan] — posted record lows." ... "Only Charlotte, N.C. [North Carolina],
squeaked by as a gainer in the Case-Shiller index, with a 1.8 percent increase
in January compared with a year earlier." -By Vinnee
Tong with contributions by Dan Caterinicchia
-AP via -SeattleTimes
US
- 
China
- Military
- Government
- Sports
- Human
Rights - Religious
- History
- California
- 
India
- "Bush
Silent, but Others Speak Out on Tibet Crackdown."
... "China’s violent crackdown on protesters in Tibet is having powerful
political reverberations in Washington, where the [Republican President
Bush] White House is weighing how far to go in condemning the Chinese government,
even as it defends President Bush’s decision to attend the Summer Olympics
in Beijing [China's capital]." ... "Mr. Bush has long said the United States
and China have “a complex relationship,” and that complexity was on full
display this week. While his administration has called for an end to the
violence, and his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, phoned her Chinese
counterpart to urge restraint, Mr. Bush himself has remained silent." ...
"In the meantime, the presidential candidates are speaking out, as is the
[California Democratic Representative and] speaker of the House, Nancy
Pelosi. On Friday, Ms. Pelosi visited the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader,
the Dalai Lama, at his headquarters in Dharamsala, India — and poked a
finger in the eye of Beijing." ... "Describing the clashes in the past
week between Chinese security forces and Tibetan demonstrators as “a challenge
to conscience of the world,” Ms. Pelosi, Democrat of California, said,
“If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against
China’s oppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority
to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world.”" ... "If it
seemed like a direct challenge to Mr. Bush, he did not take the bait."
... "The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since 1959, when China
crushed an uprising in Tibet, his homeland. He has been pressing, without
success, to return to China to advocate for greater cultural and religious
freedom for his followers." -By Sheryl
Gay Stolberg and Somini
Sengupta -NYTimes
Federal
- Food
- Safety
- History
- Agriculture
- Animal- Corporation
- Politics
- California
- "House
grills meat packing chief: 'Downer' cow beef may
have been consumed." ... "The president of the company that was the subject
of the largest meat recall in U.S. history admitted Wednesday that "downer"
cattle -- cows that cannot stand because of sickness or injury -- were
slaughtered by his company and could have made it into the food supply."
... "Steve Mendell of California-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Co.
made the concession to the House Oversight and Investigations subcommittee
after he was shown a video provided by the Humane Society of the United
States that featured a downer cow being slaughtered in a kill box." ...
"Under pressure from federal agriculture officials, the company recalled
143 million pounds of ground beef last month and laid off 220 workers."
... "Ailing cows are at greater risk of carrying E. coli, salmonella bacteria
and the fatal neurological disorder known as mad cow disease." -By
Whitney Blair Wyckoff -LAtimes
-ChicagoTribune
John
McCain
- Corporate
- Politics
- 
European
- Built
- Planes
- US
- Military- Government
- 
Space
- Arizona
- Los
Angeles - California
- Texas
- 2008
Election - "McCain
Advisers Lobbied for Europeans to Win Air Force Tanker Deal."
... "A co-chairman of [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate
and Arizona] Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign and other top
campaign advisers and supporters were lobbyists for the European Aeronautic
Defense and Space Company, part of a group that beat out Boeing for a $35
billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force."
... "Boeing, which has filed an appeal with the Government Accountability
Office, is expected to focus at least in part on Mr. McCain’s role in the
deal, including letters that he sent urging the Defense Department, in
evaluating the tanker bids, not to consider the potential effects of a
separate United States-Airbus trade dispute." ... "That contract was won
by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, known as EADS, the
corporate parent of Airbus, and Northrop Grumman, the military contractor
based in Los Angeles [California]." ... "Mr. McCain’s campaign co-chairman,
former Representative Thomas Loeffler, a Texas Republican, also runs a
lobbying firm, the Loeffler Group, which earned $220,000 working for EADS
in 2007. Mr. Loeffler was the McCain campaign national finance chairman
when his firm was hired to lobby for EADS." ... "Two other Loeffler executives
who were registered to lobby for EADS are now top campaign advisers for
Mr. McCain: Susan Nelson, the finance director, and William L. Ball III,
the former Navy secretary. Ms. Nelson and Mr. Ball left the lobbying firm
to join the campaign." ... "Another major money raiser for Mr. McCain,
Wayne Berman, who was named vice chairman of the campaign last year, also
worked for EADS through another lobbying firm, Ogilvy Government Relations,
where he is a partner. Ogilvy earned $240,000 from EADS in 2007." ... "Also
supporting Mr. McCain and lobbying on behalf of EADS was Kirk Blalock,
a national chairman of Young Professionals for McCain and a former aide
to [Republican] President Bush. Mr. Blalock’s lobbying firm, Fierce, Isakowitz
& Blalock, earned $320,000 from EADS in 2007, according to disclosure
forms required by Congress. " -By David
M. Herszenhorn with contributions by Michael Cooper and Steven R. Weisman
-NYTimes
John
McCain
- European
- Aircraft
- US
- Military
- Politics
- California
- 2008
Election - "McCain
under fire over aides' role in air tanker deal."
... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain faced
fresh scrutiny of his role in the award of a $35bn (£17bn) Pentagon
contract to EADS [European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company] yesterday
after it emerged that some of his top advisers lobbied for the European
aerospace group to win the deal." ... "Mr McCain, the presumptive Republican
presidential nominee, has portrayed himself as a neutral watchdog in the
long battle between EADS and Boeing to supply a new generation of refuelling
tanker aircraft to the US air force. But the revelation that three of his
aides lobbied for EADS threatened to deepen the perception that Mr McCain
helped steer one of the biggest military procurement contracts in recent
years into foreign hands." ... "EADS recruited the Loeffler Group, run
by Tom Loeffler, the national finance co-chair of the McCain campaign,
last year to help it lobby for the contract. Susan Nelson, a former Loeffler
lobbyist who represented EADS, also later joined the McCain campaign as
finance director. John Green, a lobbyist for Ogilvy Government Relations,
worked for EADS before joining the McCain campaign on a volunteer basis
recently." ... "Critics, including [California Democratic Representative
and House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, have accused
Mr McCain of complicity in "outsourcing" the contract to Europe." -By
Andrew Ward -FT.com
Lawmakers
- Politics
- California
- "House
votes to create independent ethics office." ... "The
House [of Representatives, currently controlled by the Democratic Party,]
voted Tuesday to create an outside ethics office with the authority to
investigate perceived ethical misconduct by its members." ... "The committee
will police only the House, not the Senate." ... "The office will have
the ability to initiate its own reviews of conduct by members of Congress.
It will then forward the results to the House ethics committee, which will
review the recommendations and, in most cases, issue a public statement
on its ruling." ... "[California Democratic Representative and House Speaker
Nancy] Pelosi said the new office will improve the transparency and timeliness
of the ethics enforcement process." ... "Most Republicans voted against
the plan." -CNN
Joshua
B Bolten
- 
Harriet
E Miers
- 
Michael
B Mukasey
- US
Attorneys - Politics
- Investigation
- Lawsuit
- Federal
- Texas
- Mich
- Calif
- "House
Panel Sues to Force Bush Aides to Table: Bolten and
Miers Ignored Subpoenas In Prosecutor Probe." ... "The House Judiciary
Committee filed a lawsuit yesterday to enforce subpoenas against [Republican]
President Bush's chief of staff and his former counsel in a probe of suspected
White House involvement in the 2006 firings of nine federal prosecutors."
... "The panel filed the federal court suit against Joshua B. Bolten, White
House chief of staff since April 2006, and Harriet E. Miers, a close associate
of Bush's from Texas who resigned as White House counsel in January 2007
after a little more than two years on the job." ... "The lawsuit charges
that Bolten and Miers, who were cited by the House for contempt of Congress
last month, defied committee subpoenas by refusing to testify or provide
documents demanded by the panel." ... "But Attorney General Michael B.
Mukasey said White House aides involved in the case cannot be prosecuted
because they were following legal advice from the Justice Department. He
refused to refer the contempt citation to a grand jury." ... "The refusal
of Bolten and Miers to comply with the subpoenas "did not constitute a
crime," Mukasey said in a Feb. 29 letter to [California Democratic Representative
and] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)." ... "[Michigan Democratic
Representative] Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), the Judiciary Committee
chairman, described Mukasey's refusal as "contrary to federal law" and
said the panel filed the civil lawsuit to enforce the subpoenas." ... "According
to the lawsuit, the committee launched its investigation in part to "examine
allegations of malfeasance, abuse of authority and violations of existing
laws by Executive Branch personnel."" ... "It says the year-long investigation
"has uncovered substantial evidence" that the Bush administration and Justice
Department "injected partisan considerations into the forced resignations
or retention of U.S. attorneys."" ... "It cites "credible evidence" that
U.S. attorneys who "failed to return desired indictments or failed to bring
voter fraud prosecutions that were considered politically useful to the
administration were forced to resign," as were those who "prosecuted officeholders
allied with the administration."" -By William Branigin
-WashingtonPost
Water
- Drugs
- Human
- Health
- Environmental
- Science
- Investigation
- Industry
- Consumer
- Safety
- Federal
- Law
- Earth
- Wildlife
- California
- New
Jersey - Michigan
- Ky
- "Sex
Hormones, Mood Stabilizers Found In Drinking Water Of 41 M Americans."
... "A vast array of pharmaceuticals _ including antibiotics, anti-convulsants,
mood stabilizers and sex hormones _ have been found in the drinking water
supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated
Press investigation shows." ... "To be sure, the concentrations of
these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion
or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist
their water is safe." ... "But the presence of so many prescription drugs
_ and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen _ in
so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of
long-term consequences to human health." ... "In the course of a five-month
inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking
water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas _ from Southern California
to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit [Michigan] to Louisville, Ky. [Kentucky.]"
... "How do the drugs get into the water?" ... "People take pills. Their
bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through
and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is
discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is
cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers.
But most treatments do not remove all drug residue." ... "And while researchers
do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure
to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies
_ which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public _ have found
alarming effects on human cells and wildlife." ... "The federal government
doesn't require any testing and hasn't set safety limits for drugs in water."
... "The AP's investigation also indicates that watersheds, the natural
sources of most of the nation's water supply, also are contaminated." ...
"Even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily
avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do
not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's
main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems."
... "Pharmaceuticals also permeate aquifers deep underground, source of
40 percent of the nation's water supply." -By Jeff
Donn, Martha Mendoza, and Justin Pritchard
-AssociatedPress via -HuffingtonPost.com
Science
- Military
- Pills
- History
- San
Diego - California
- US
- Iraq
- 
Kuwait
- "Gulf
War Illness Strongly Linked to Chemical Exposure."
... "A new scientific review finds a strong association between exposure
to certain chemicals and the Gulf War illness suffered by many veterans."
... "The class of chemicals, known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs),
are found in pesticides, nerve agents and in pills given to soldiers to
protect against nerve agents. The review, which was conducted by researchers
at the University of California, San Diego, looked at 115 papers on the
topic." ... "Veterans of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War have a higher rate
of "chronic multi-symptom health problems" than either non-deployed military
personnel or those deployed in other regions. In fact, 26 percent to 32
percent of personnel deployed to the Persian Gulf during this period have
chronic health problems, a range that may actually understate the magnitude
of the problem, according to the study, published in this week's issue
of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." ... "Although
the exact causes remain unknown, evidence is mounting to suggest that exposure
to organophosphate and carbamate acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs),
including pyridostigmine bromide (PB), pesticides and nerve agents, may
be responsible." ... "SOURCES: Joy Ray Miller, Pharm.D., assistant professor,
pharmacy practice, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M
Health Science Center, Kingsville; March 10-14, 2008, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences" -By Amanda Gardner
-HealthDay.com via -WashingtonPost
US
- Iraq
- 
Afghanistan
- Military
- Technology
- San
Diego - CA
- "Combat
Troops Are Losing Hearing." ... "Soldiers and Marines
caught in roadside bombings and firefights in Iraq and Afghanistan are
coming home in epidemic numbers with permanent hearing loss and ringing
in their ears, prompting the military to redouble its efforts to protect
the troops from noise." ... "Hearing damage is the No. 1 disability in
the war on terror, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and
some experts say the true toll could take decades to become clear. Nearly
70,000 of the more than 1.3 million troops who have served in the two war
zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating
ringing in the ears, and more than 58,000 are on disability for hearing
loss, the VA said." ... "One major explanation given is the insurgency's
use of a fearsome weapon the Pentagon did not fully anticipate: powerful
roadside bombs. Their blasts cause violent changes in air pressure that
can rupture the eardrum and break bones inside the ear." ... "While damage
can occur at 80 to 85 decibels - the noise level of a moving tank - the
best protection cuts that by only 20 to 25 decibels. That is not enough
to protect the ears against an explosion or a firefight, which can range
upwards of 183 decibels, said Dr. Ben Balough, a Navy captain and chairman
of otolaryngology at the Balboa Navy Medical Center in San Diego [California]."
... "The Navy and Marines have begun buying and distributing state-of-the-art
earplugs, known as QuietPro, that contain digital processors that block
out damaging sound waves from gunshots and explosions and still allow users
to hear everyday noises. They cost about $600 a pair. "
-AP via -Military.com
John
McCain
- 
France
- European
Union - US
- Military
- Aircraft
- Manufacturers
- Money
- Jobs
- 2008
Election - Arizona
- Los
Angeles - California
- Seattle
- Washington
- Illinois
- "Boeing
backers blame McCain for losing deal." ... "Supporters
of The Boeing Co. blame [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate
and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential
nominee, for the company's failure to win the lucrative $35 billion contract
to build new Air Force aerial refueling tankers." ... "The Air Force last
week awarded the contract to a team of Airbus parent EADS and Northrop
Grumman Corp., triggering a firestorm from Boeing advocates who said the
victory by the European-led consortium ignored American national security
interests and would cost U.S. jobs." ... "Boeing advocates say McCain was
a major force behind the Air Force decision to ignore the issue of government
subsidies to Airbus when the tanker contract was put up for competitive
bidding last year." ... "The issue of European government subsidies for
Airbus has been raised for years by Boeing supporters who claim that those
financial breaks have allowed the Toulouse, France-based company to undercut
Boeing's prices and thus gain market share in the global competition between
the two aircraft manufacturers. (Both the U.S. and the European Union,
which claims Boeing also receives subsidies, have filed cases with the
World Trade Organization.)" ... "Boeing advocates assert that those same
subsidies helped European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. and Los-Angeles[California]-based
Northrop Grumman win the Air Force tanker project, with a value that could
eventually top $100 billion." ... ""The only reason that (Airbus) could
even bid a low price is because they receive a subsidy," said [Washington
Democratic Representative] Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., whose Seattle-area
district includes thousands of Boeing workers. "Senator McCain jumped into
this and said that they (the Air Force) could not look at the subsidy issue,
which I think is a big mistake," he told PBS." ... "McCain himself has
received support from the EADS North America executive suite. He has received
more than $12,000 in campaign donations from some of the company's top
U.S. officials, support that continued even as his presidential campaign
was foundering in mid- to late 2007." ... "McCain's donors include EADS
North America Chief Executive Officer Ralph Crosby and Senior Vice President
of Government Relations Samuel Adcock." ... ""The person that stopped (the
tanker) from going to a U.S. company was Senator McCain," said [Illinois
Democratic Represenative Rahm] Emanuel, "and now we are going to send major
high-paying jobs overseas."" -By Eric Rosenberg with
contributions by Daniel Lathrop -SeattlePI
Stephen
Johnson - Environmental
- Politics
- California
- Transportation
- Auto
- Makers
- Emissions
- Law
- Health
- Science
- Clean
Air Act - Enforcement
- "Documents:
EPA chief warned not to deny California on emission standard."
... "A Environmental Protection Agency official warned her boss, [Republican
President Bush's] EPA chief Stephen Johnson, that if he denied California's
bid to enforce its own tailpipe emissions rules, the agency's credibility
"will be irreparably damaged" and Johnson would have to think about resigning."
... "Margot Oge, the head of EPA's office of transportation and air quality,
also told Administrator Johnson in an Oct. 17 memo that "there is no legal
or technical justification for denying this," despite "alternative interpretations
that have been suggested by the automakers."" ... "These internal warnings
were included in EPA documents released Tuesday by [California Democratic
Senator] Sen. Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat who chairs the Environment
Committee and had requested the records." ... "Johnson turned down California's
request for a waiver from the Clean Air Act on [2007 December] Dec. 19,
after months of review. He overruled the recommendations of senior staff
members, according to several media reports, and the documents released
Tuesday provide some examples." ... ""The documents show the dedicated,
professional staff working hard to protect our health and our environment,"
Boxer said. "We see more and more evidence of Administrator Johnson ignoring
the science and the facts, and discarding the advice of his staff."" -By
Frank Davies -MercuryNews.com
Brent
Wilkes - Randy
"Duke" Cunningham
- Money
- Politics
- Military
- California
- "Wilkes
sentenced to 12 years in prison." ... "Brent Wilkes,
the Poway [California] defense contractor who federal prosecutors contend
was the mastermind behind the largest congressional bribery scheme in history,
was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday." ... "Wilkes, 53, who had
been free on bond, was convicted on Nov. 5 of conspiracy, bribery, fraud
and money laundering in connection with the bribery scheme that brought
down former [California Republican Representative] Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham,
once a highly respected war hero." ... "Cunningham pleaded guilty to conspiracy
and tax evasion. He was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal
prison in March 2006." ... "Prosecutors said Wilkes' decade-long bribery
of the former congressman netted him $46 million." ... "During Wilkes'
trial, prosecutors presented evidence that he showered Cunningham, a Republican
congressman from Rancho Santa Fe [California], with expensive meals, gifts,
fancy trips, cash bribes and prostitutes." ... "Prosecutors wanted to have
Wilkes sentenced to 25 years in prison and said that at a minimum, he should
be given 16 years and eight months in prison, twice the length of Cunningham's
sentence." ... "Probation officials had recommended a 60-year term for
Wilkes." -By Angelica Martinez
-SignOnSanDiego.com
Corporate
- Government
- US
Attorney - Politics
- New
Jersey - Calif- Indiana
- Manufacturer
- Investigation
- "Christie
faces a grilling over Ashcroft role." ... "A congressional
committee has called for New Jersey's U.S. attorney, Christopher Christie,
to testify at a hearing next week about his appointment of former Attorney
General John Ashcroft to a lucrative assignment as a corporate monitor."
... "[California Democratic Representative] Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.[Democratic-California]),
who will chair the Feb. 26 hearing, said she and other Judiciary Committee
members want to discuss Ashcroft's hiring, role and compensation at Zimmer
Holdings, an Indiana-based manufacturer that accepted a monitor to settle
a fraud investigation with Christie's office." ... "The contract calls
for Ashcroft's Washington-based consulting firm to collect between $27
million and $52 million over 18 months." ... "The hearing, before members
of a subcommittee on commercial and administrative law, represents part
of the growing scrutiny on out-of-court settlements between corporations
and federal prosecutors, a practice that has flourished in recent years
without court or congressional oversight. In many of the settlements, called
deferred prosecutions, prosecutors privately negotiate the terms with target
companies, then appoint private lawyers to monitor the companies' compliance."
-By John P. Martin andd Jeff Whelan
-NJ.com
John
McCain - US
- Iraq
- Military
- Media
- 2008
Election
- Arizona
- Fla
- Calif
- "McCain
Overstates His Criticisms Of Rumsfeld." ... "As he
gets closer to the Republican nomination, [2008 Election Republican Presidential
Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain has been trying to balance
his unqualified support for the Iraq war by reminding audiences that he
was also a tough critic of how it was managed until [Republican] President
Bush finally changed strategies a year ago. In recent weeks, McCain has
gone so far as to tell audiences that he was "the only one" who called
for Donald H. Rumsfeld's resignation as defense secretary." ... "The trick
is that he never did, at least not publicly." ... "While campaigning in
Fort Myers, Fla. [Florida], on Jan. [January] 26, he told a crowd: "In
the conflict that we're in, I'm the only one that said we have to abandon
the Rumsfeld strategy -- and Rumsfeld -- and adopt a new strategy." Four
days later during a debate at the [Republican] Ronald Reagan Presidential
Library in Simi Valley, Calif., [California] aired on CNN, McCain said,
"I'm the only one that said that Rumsfeld had to go."" ... "A McCain spokesman
acknowledged this week that that was not correct. "He did not call for
his resignation," said the campaign's Brian Rogers." ... "McCain's false
account has been unwittingly incorporated into the narrative he is selling
by some news organizations, including The Washington Post." -By
Peter Baker -WashingtonPost
Josh
Bolten
- Harriet
Miers
- US
Attorneys - Politics
- Investigation
- California
- Michigan
- "House
finds Bolten, Miers in contempt of Congress." ...
"The House voted Thursday to hold [Republican President Bush's] White House
Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers
in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before a panel investigating
the firing of several United States attorneys." ... "The matter will now
be referred to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia." ... "If
the fight comes to a head without a compromise having been reached, it
could pit Congress’s power to hold White officials in contempt against
the president’s right to assert executive privilege." ... "[California
Democratic Representative and Speaker of the House Nancy] Pelosi, who stated
that she “had hoped that this day would never have come,” added that, if
White House officials instruct Department of Justice attorneys not to prosecute
the contempt citations, “we will have power to go to federal court and
seek civil enforcement of our subpoenas.”" ... "[Michigan Democratic Representative
and Judiciary Committee Chairman John] Conyers said he had already discovered
“plenty of evidence of wrongdoing at the Department of Justice. He said
officials made the decision to fire attorneys on the basis of whether they
had pursued public corruption charges against Democratic government officials.
He also said that Justice officials made misleading statements to investigators
minimizing the apparent involvement of White House personnel in the firings."
-By Alexander Bolton and Klaus Marre
-TheHill.com
Mary
E Peters
- Corporate
- Government
- Politics
- Trucking
- Safety
- Trucks
- Emissions
- Law
- Environmental
- Clean
Air Act - Union
- San
Francisco - California
- Texas
- US
- Mexico
- "Greens,
Teamsters collide with Mexican trucks." ... "International
Brotherhood of Teamsters lobbyist Fred McLuckie thought his fight to keep
Mexican trucks out of America ended when Congress cut a pilot program’s
funding last December." ... "Instead, the veteran lobbyist is still in
the fight, after U.S. [United States Republican President Bush's] Transportation
Secretary Mary Peters continued to fund the program — a move many interest
groups and lawmakers say is unconstitutional." ... "“You never know what
to expect in this town,” McLuckie said. “It is certainly disappointing
that we’re going back at this program. Our immediate concern is that Mary
Peters isn’t following the law.”" ... "The program drew harsh criticism
from the Teamsters, citizen rights group Public Citizen and Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association [OOIDA], which have aligned to press safety
and pollution concerns with lawmakers. The groups say there is no guarantee
that the trucks are in compliance with U.S. safety or emissions standards."
... "“How is it that the administration can simply ignore a law?” said
OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer. “It’s frustrating and shocking
that we have such a clear and blatant violation of law by a rogue administration.”"
... "The Teamsters have also gotten support from an unlikely bedfellow:
the environmentalist Sierra Club. Greens are concerned that emissions from
Mexican trucks could cause El Paso, Texas, and other U.S. cities along
the border to violate Environmental Protection Agency regulations." ...
"“We think the increase of potential air pollution could put communities
along the border out of Clean Air Act compliance,” said Sierra Club spokesman
Oliver Bernstein." ... "The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco [California]
heard oral arguments Tuesday over the plaintiff’s charges that Peters broke
federal laws and endangered American motorists by allowing the trucks on
the road." -By Erika Lovley
-Politico.com
John
McCain
- Torture
- Terrorism
- Military
- Prisoner
- Intelligence
- Law
- Politics
- CA
- AZ
- 2008
Election - "Maverick
Fails The Test: McCain Votes Against Waterboarding Ban."
... "Today, the Senate brought the Intelligence Authorization Bill to the
floor, which contained a provision from [California Democratic Senator]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) establishing one
interrogation standard across the government. The bill requires the
intelligence community to abide by the same standards as articulated in
the Army Field Manual and bans waterboarding." ... "Just hours ago, the
Senate voted
in favor of the bill, 51-45."
... "Earlier today, ThinkProgress noted that [2008 Election Republican
Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a
former prisoner of war, has spoken strongly in favor of implementing
the Army Field Manual standard. When confronted today with the decision
of whether to stick with his conscience or cave to the right wing, McCain
chose to ditch his principles and instead vote
to preserve waterboarding:"
Antonin
Scalia - Torture
- Terrorism
- Intelligence
- Politics
- Los
Angeles - California
- US
- Britain
- "US
Judge Scalia on 'So-Called Torture'." ... "[Republican
President Ronald Reagan appointed] Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
said that aggressive interrogation could be appropriate to learn where
a bomb was hidden shortly before it was set to explode or to discover the
plans or whereabouts of a terrorist group." ... ""It seems to me you have
to say, as unlikely as that is, it would be absurd to say you couldn't,
I don't know, stick something under the fingernail, smack him in the face.
It would be absurd to say you couldn't do that," Scalia told British Broadcasting
Radio Corp." ... ""I suppose it's the same thing about so-called torture,"
he said in the interview. "Is it really so easy to determine that smacking
someone in the face to find out where he has hidden the bomb that is about
to blow up Los Angeles [California] is prohibited by the Constitution?""
... ""Is it obvious, that what can't be done for punishment can't be done
to exact information that is crucial to the society? I think it's not at
all an easy question, to tell you the truth."" ... "Scalia, a judicial
icon among American conservatives, an acerbic wit and often abrasive personality,
said Europeans had no business "smugly" decrying those techniques as torture."
-By Raphael G. Satter
-AP via -ChicagoTribune
Kids
- Health
- Safety
- Corporate
- Government
- Animals
- Agriculture
- Law
- Enforcement
- Politics
- California
- Human- Undercover
- Video
- "USDA's
oversight of meat safety criticized." ... "The USDA
[United States Department of Agriculture] announced this week that it was
shutting down operations at a Chino[California]-based meat producer, after
hidden camera video showed workers there using various inhumane methods
to force "downer" -- or non-ambulatory -- cattle to their feet and into
the slaughter box." ... "Now, in the wake of the video's release and the
agency's response, food industry insiders are questioning just how reliable
the USDA's inspection process is. The incidents recorded at Hallmark Meat
Packing occurred under the noses of eight on-site USDA inspectors." ...
""We rely on a system, and the system dropped the ball," said Dean Cliver,
a food safety expert who has served in advisory roles with the Food and
Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture. "Somebody ought
to be asking some questions."" ... "Cattle that are unable to walk are
banned from use as human food because they show a higher occurrence of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease." ...
"Westland Meat Co.[Company], Hallmark's distributor and a ground beef supplier
for the National School Lunch Program, has voluntarily halted operations,
and school district officials around the country pulled suspect beef from
lunch menus." -By Victoria Kim
-LAtimes
Secrecy
- US
- Overseas
- Torture
- Flights
- Prisoners
- Transport
- Trip
- Corporate
- Government
- Law
- Intelligence
- Politics
- 
