tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79203242024-03-09T13:29:23.009-05:00AllNewsBlogDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.comBlogger835125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-25301718442601469712011-03-14T20:48:00.005-04:002011-03-14T21:02:24.224-04:00If Union Workers Currently Are Getting Such a Great Deal...<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3300927/In_the_News%3A_Mar-14" title="Wordle: In the News: Mar-14"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/3300927/In_the_News%3A_Mar-14" alt="Wordle: In the News: Mar-14" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/business/1310ap_us_wisconsin_budget_unions.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Wis. unions rush deals ahead of bargaining law</a></b> - <i>14 Mar 2011 at 7:01pm</i> - MADISON, Wis. -- School boards and local governments across Wisconsin are rushing to reach agreements with unions before a new law takes effect and erases their ability to collectively bargain over nearly all issues other than minimal salary increases.<br /><blockquote>... -- as the tea-partiers & other anti-union types seem to believe -- why would school boards & local governments be rushing to reach agreements with them before the new law takes effect?</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-63395328525137608572009-12-02T15:17:00.000-05:002009-12-02T15:18:29.968-05:00In the News: Dec-02<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1403074/In_the_News%3A_Dec-02" title="Wordle: In the News: Dec-02"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1403074/In_the_News%3A_Dec-02" alt="Wordle: In the News: Dec-02" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/OUtdWJGUoV4/2009-12-02-ny-gay-marriage_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">N.Y. lawmakers set for final vote on gay marriage</a></b> - <i>2 Dec 2009 at 2:47pm</i> - The outcome of the vote, which could send the bill to Gov. David Paterson's desk for his signature, remains in doubt.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/mazwZ68HyRg/idUSTRE5B149A20091202" style="text-decoration:none">U.S. approves first "ethical" human stem cell lines</a></b> - <i>2 Dec 2009 at 1:48pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government approved the first 13 batches of human embryonic stem cells on Wednesday, enabling researchers using them to get millions of dollars in federal funding as promised by President Barack Obama in March.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/LhAzfzCd0cc/idUSTRE5B14KC20091202" style="text-decoration:none">Big developing states reject Copenhagen climate plan</a></b> - <i>2 Dec 2009 at 1:42pm</i> - NEW DELHI/LONDON (Reuters) - China and other big developing nations rejected core targets for a climate deal such as halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 just five days before talks start in Copenhagen, diplomats said on Wednesday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/business/1310ap_us_blackwater_owner.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Blackwater founder Prince feels thrown under bus</a></b> - <i>2 Dec 2009 at 12:42pm</i> - RALEIGH, N.C. -- The man who built Blackwater USA into one of the world's most respected and reviled defense contractors feels that he was thrown under the bus after serving the nation's security interests for years.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>You can lead a man to Congress, but you can't make him think.</i> -Milton Berle (1908 - 2002)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-27590686556783544342009-11-30T15:22:00.000-05:002009-11-30T15:23:32.050-05:00In the News: Nov-30<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1394090/In_the_News%3A_Nov-30" title="Wordle: In the News: Nov-30"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1394090/In_the_News%3A_Nov-30" alt="Wordle: In the News: Nov-30" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/sswxkkKy_d0/idUSTRE5AM3E520091130" style="text-decoration:none">Obama sets new Afghan strategy</a></b> - <i>30 Nov 2009 at 2:58pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday was prepared to announce he will deploy about 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as part of a new strategy that will stress a U.S. intention to ultimately exit the country.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/PQvAo0bewf8/2009-11-30-french-troops-afghanistan_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">Sarkozy: French troops to stay in Afghanistan</a></b> - <i>30 Nov 2009 at 2:25pm</i> - President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday that French troops will stay in Afghanistan "as long as necessary" to stabilize the country.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/11/30/obama-afghanistan.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Obama gives order to begin new Afghan strategy</a></b> - <i>30 Nov 2009 at 1:32pm</i> - U.S. President Barack Obama ordered military officials to begin carrying out his new strategy in Afghanistan, two days before his speech to unveil a plan that includes the deployment of thousands of more troops.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/79739.html" style="text-decoration:none">Supreme Court rules to keep detainee abuse photos secret</a></b> - <i>30 Nov 2009 at 1:28pm</i> - WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court did all it could Monday to lock up forever some incendiary photos that show U.S. soldiers abusing foreign prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/AixMRiI7aS4/2009-11-30-britain-afghanistan_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">U.K. to confirm 500 more troops heading to Afghanistan</a></b> - <i>30 Nov 2009 at 12:42pm</i> - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office says he will confirm that 500 extra U.K. troops are heading to Afghanistan.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/11/30/gdp-economy-statistics-canada.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">0.1% GDP growth signals recession's end</a></b> - <i>30 Nov 2009 at 9:34am</i> - The Canadian economy expanded 0.1 per cent in the third quarter, the first quarterly gain since the third quarter of 2008.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.</i> -Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-68836297553936225612009-11-02T15:24:00.001-05:002009-11-02T15:24:53.212-05:00In the News: Nov-02<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1289499/In_the_News%3A_Nov-02" title="Wordle: In the News: Nov-02"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1289499/In_the_News%3A_Nov-02" alt="Wordle: In the News: Nov-02" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_military_spouses.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Congress extends benefits to military spouses</a></b> - <i>2 Nov 2009 at 3:02pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Congress is sending to the president a bill that allows military spouses to claim residency in the same state as their wives or husbands.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_abortion_speech_zones.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Court rejects Pa. buffer law on abortion clinics</a></b> - <i>2 Nov 2009 at 1:34pm</i> - PITTSBURGH -- A federal appeals court has struck down an ordinance that created two types of buffer zones around medical facilities after a Christian legal group challenged the law on behalf of a nurse who protests abortions.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/11/02/arar-maher-united-states-suit-denied-torture.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">U.S. court denies Maher Arar's appeal</a></b> - <i>2 Nov 2009 at 12:39pm</i> - A U.S. court of appeal on Monday denied Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar the right to sue the United States over his deportation to Syria, where he was tortured.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/11/02/ban-ki-moon-afghanistan-election104.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Karzai wins as Afghan run-off cancelled</a></b> - <i>2 Nov 2009 at 7:53am</i> - Afghan President Hamid Karzai was declared the victor of the war-torn country's presidential election as the election commission cancelled a run-off vote after his opponent withdrew.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_us_afghanistan_resignation.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Diplomat: US engaged in 'civil war' in Afghanistan</a></b> - <i>2 Nov 2009 at 7:25am</i> - WASHINGTON -- A Foreign Service officer who resigned in protest over U.S. policy in Afghanistan says America shouldn't be bogged down in "a civil war" in South Asia.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_cheney_cia_leak.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Cheney FBI interview: 72 instances of can't recall</a></b> - <i>2 Nov 2009 at 6:34am</i> - WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald famously declared in the Valerie Plame affair that "there is a cloud over the vice president." Last week's release of an FBI interview summary of Dick Cheney's answers in the criminal investigation underscores why Fitzgerald felt that way.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of putting it into practice.</i> -Otto von Bismarck (1815 - 1898)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-41813209183953181252009-10-30T15:17:00.000-04:002009-10-30T15:18:17.869-04:00In the News: Oct-30<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1282760/In_the_News%3A_Oct-30" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-30"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1282760/In_the_News%3A_Oct-30" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-30" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/gE4lU10hjCA/2009-10-30-hiv-entry-ban_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">Obama lifts U.S. entry ban for those with HIV</a></b> - <i>30 Oct 2009 at 1:44pm</i> - President Obama said Friday the U.S. will overturn a 20-year-old U.S. travel ban against people with HIV early next year.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/10/30/omar-khard-legal-cost.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Ottawa's Omar Khadr legal costs top $1.3M: report</a></b> - <i>30 Oct 2009 at 2:21pm</i> - The Canadian government has spent more than $1.3 million in its legal fight against Omar Khadr, according to a published report Friday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_us_white_house_clinton.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">White House backs Clinton's Pakistan remarks</a></b> - <i>30 Oct 2009 at 1:18pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- The White House is standing behind Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's blunt suggestion that Pakistani officials know where top terrorists are hiding.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_intelligence_spending.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Intelligence spending rises again to $49.8 billion</a></b> - <i>30 Oct 2009 at 11:15am</i> - WASHINGTON -- U.S. spy agencies spent $49.8 billion in fiscal year 2009, $2 billion more than in 2008 and the second such multibillion-dollar increase in as many years.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality the cost becomes prohibitive.</i> -William F. Buckley Jr.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-77040670947887752542009-10-29T15:20:00.000-04:002009-10-29T15:21:21.319-04:00In the News: Oct-29<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1278873/In_the_News%3A_Oct-29" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-29"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1278873/In_the_News%3A_Oct-29" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-29" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/business/1310ap_us_chinese_drywall.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Feds: Chinese drywall reports still inconclusive</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 2:41pm</i> - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Federal studies released Thursday cannot yet definitively link imported Chinese drywall to health problems or corrosion of pipes and wires that thousands of U.S. homeowners have been reporting for nearly a year.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/8CQeAiafDUQ/idUSTRE59M4PB20091029" style="text-decoration:none">House unveils $894 billion healthcare bill</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 2:36pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled a broad healthcare overhaul on Thursday that would transform the insurance market, create a government-run insurance plan and levy new taxes on the rich.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_us_intelligence_board.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Obama restores private intel board's key power</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 11:59am</i> - WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has restored an independent intelligence advisory board's authority to tell the attorney general if it thinks an intelligence agency has broken the law.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/RFgK2h1e0uU/idUSTRE59S1EF20091029" style="text-decoration:none">Recession unofficially ends as economy grows 3.5 percent</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 9:22am</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter for the first time in a year, beating market expectations, as consumer spending and new home-building rebounded, signaling the end of the worst recession in 70 years.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/77950.html" style="text-decoration:none">U.N. condemns Cuba embargo by U.S.</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 7:59am</i> - The United States found itself up against virtually the entire world Wednesday as country after country at the United Nations denounced the nearly 50-year-old trade embargo against Cuba, which the island government says is as strong as ever under President Barack Obama.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/neOU38zHMLY/idUSLT25626120091029" style="text-decoration:none">Iran wants big changes to draft atom deal with powers</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 7:22am</i> - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will seek major revisions to a U.N.-draft nuclear fuel deal, including shipping abroad its low-enriched uranium (LEU) in stages rather than all at once, a pro-government newspaper reported on Thursday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_us_us_afghanistan.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Obama considering scaled-down Afghan war plan</a></b> - <i>29 Oct 2009 at 6:47am</i> - WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is considering a scaled-down version of the war plan advanced by his top Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. officials say.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>An economist is an expert who will know tommorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today.</i> -Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-86551402012783560782009-10-28T15:19:00.001-04:002009-10-28T15:19:45.516-04:00In the News: Oct-28<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1275045/In_the_News%3A_Oct-28" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-28"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1275045/In_the_News%3A_Oct-28" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-28" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_health_care_overhaul.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">House Democrats prepare to unveil health bill</a></b> - <i>28 Oct 2009 at 1:56pm</i> - House Democrats have all but finalized a sweeping health care bill that would reshape the medical system, requiring nearly everyone to purchase coverage and creating a new government insurance plan for the middle class.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/00y7mIcCUvY/idUSN2829507320091028" style="text-decoration:none">New home sales drop, durable goods orders up</a></b> - <i>28 Oct 2009 at 2:03pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. homes unexpectedly tumbled in September, their first drop in six months, underscoring the hazards to an economic recovery even as businesses appeared to be stepping up investment.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/10/28/suicide-soldier-rate-afghanistan.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Military suicides rise in 2008</a></b> - <i>28 Oct 2009 at 8:49am</i> - More Canadian soldiers killed themselves in 2008 than the year before, but the overall suicide rate has remained steady throughout the war in Afghanistan, says a military study.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Now and then an innocent man is sent to the legislature.</i> -Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-74842350607409356732009-10-27T15:22:00.000-04:002009-10-27T15:23:15.254-04:00In the News: Oct-27<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1270936/In_the_News%3A_Oct-27" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-27"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1270936/In_the_News%3A_Oct-27" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-27" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/JX5xOWRAHqw/idUSTRE59Q3D320091027" style="text-decoration:none">Cuomo sets healthcare reimbursement reform</a></b> - <i>27 Oct 2009 at 12:38pm</i> - NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday the creation of a nationwide database to help set health care reimbursement rates, benefiting patients who use doctors outside their insurers' networks and capping an industrywide probe.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/M9xrMjk444g/idUSTRE59Q2ON20091027" style="text-decoration:none">Eight U.S. troops killed in Afghan bomb attacks</a></b> - <i>27 Oct 2009 at 10:28am</i> - KABUL (Reuters) - Eight U.S. service members working for the NATO-led force and one Afghan civilian were killed in multiple bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said in a statement.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but, unlike charity, it should end there.</i> -Clare Booth Luce (1903 - 1987)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-87472923356666997442009-10-26T15:20:00.001-04:002009-10-26T15:20:57.654-04:00In the News: Oct-26<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1267314/In_the_News%3A_Oct-26" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-26"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1267314/In_the_News%3A_Oct-26" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-26" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_military_mental_health.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Gates: injured troops face too much bureaucracy</a></b> - <i>26 Oct 2009 at 2:18pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that troops injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to face too many bureaucratic hurdles.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_fbi_problem_cases.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Report: FBI not reviewing all of its evidence</a></b> - <i>26 Oct 2009 at 1:42pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- An inspector general has found the FBI is still not reviewing reams of evidence collected in counterterrorism cases, and still needs more translators.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_us_afghanistan.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Kerry: US can't narrow Afghanistan mission</a></b> - <i>26 Oct 2009 at 1:14pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Kerry warns that a major U.S. troop pullout could trigger civil war in Afghanistan, adding that a small-scale counterterror campaign is not an alternative to the broader military campaign under way.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_afghanistan_dea_deaths.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">3 DEA agents killed in Afghan crash</a></b> - <i>26 Oct 2009 at 10:44am</i> - WASHINGTON -- A U.S. official says three Drug Enforcement Administration agents were killed Monday when a U.S. military helicopter went down in the west of Afghanistan.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.</i> -George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-15744582050077201092009-10-15T15:17:00.000-04:002009-10-15T15:18:27.586-04:00In the News: Oct-15<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1230669/In_the_News%3A_Oct-15" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-15"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1230669/In_the_News%3A_Oct-15" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-15" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_congress_guantanamo_prisoners.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Republicans fail to block transfer of detainees</a></b> - <i>15 Oct 2009 at 1:36pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Republicans in the House have lost a bid to block the transfer of any detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay prison to the United States.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/HtMB75ed01A/idUSTRE59E18W20091015" style="text-decoration:none">Arctic to be ice-free in summer in 20 years: scientist</a></b> - <i>15 Oct 2009 at 8:52am</i> - LONDON (Reuters) - Global warming will leave the Arctic Ocean ice-free during the summer within 20 years, raising sea levels and harming wildlife such as seals and polar bears, a leading British polar scientist said on Thursday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/10/15/khadr-un-coomaraswamy-release.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Khadr's family ties to al-Qaeda worry U.S.: UN official</a></b> - <i>15 Oct 2009 at 7:30am</i> - A top UN official says the United States is leery of freeing Canadian Omar Khadr from Guantanamo Bay for fear he will return to al-Qaeda once he is released.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>If you can't bite, don't show your teeth.</i> -Yiddish ProverbDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-22483385453758480492009-10-14T15:20:00.001-04:002009-10-14T15:21:54.236-04:00In the News: Oct-14<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1226556/In_the_News%3A_Oct-14" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-14"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1226556/In_the_News%3A_Oct-14" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-14" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_veterans_combat_stress.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">VA to ease way for vets to get stress disability</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 2:34pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Female soldiers and others serving in dangerous roles behind the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained it was hard to prove their combat experience when applying for disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_math_scores.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Math tests: Fourth-grader progress stalls</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 12:11pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- After two decades of slow and steady progress in math, U.S. fourth-graders made no improvement over 2007, according to nationwide test scores released Wednesday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/10/14/us-afghanistan-troops-mcchrystal711.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Afghan mission chief wants more U.S. troops</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 11:45am</i> - The top military commander in Afghanistan is expected to tell U.S. President Barack Obama that up to 80,000 more troops should be deployed to the war-torn country.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_abu_ghraib_harman.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Abu Ghraib appeal centers on military confusion</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 11:32am</i> - WASHINGTON -- A female soldier who was photographed at Abu Ghraib prison giving a smiling "thumbs-up" beside a pyramid of naked detainees says she hopes her appeal to the military's highest court will exonerate all whose reputations were tarnished by the scandal.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/10/14/iraq-death-toll-war-invasion.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Iraq puts 2004-08 death toll at over 85,000</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 10:03am</i> - Iraq says 85,694 people lost their lives in the country's violence from 2004-08, the first official report by the government on the death toll since the war began with the United States invasion.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/10/14/nb-taser-policy-834.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">N.B. police change stun-gun policy</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 8:02am</i> - New Brunswick police forces are adopting new guidelines on using stun guns that call for officers not to aim for the chest.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/14/2714482.htm" style="text-decoration:none">Brown confirms Afghan troops boost</a></b> - <i>14 Oct 2009 at 9:20am</i> - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that he will be sending 500 more troops to Afghanistan.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought(s) for the day:<br /><i>You can only be young once. But you can always be immature.</i> -Dave Barry (1947 - )<br /><i>My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.</i> -Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-32929325429222148422009-10-13T15:22:00.001-04:002009-10-13T23:08:21.099-04:00In the News: Oct-13<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1222469/In_the_News%3A_Oct-13" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-13"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1222469/In_the_News%3A_Oct-13" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-13" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_military_recruiting.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Pentagon: recruiting last year was best since 1973</a></b> - <i>13 Oct 2009 at 2:26pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon says it has just finished the best recruiting year since the all-volunteer military was established in 1973.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/10/13/abbas-fatah-palestine-israel-obama-hopes.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Palestinians souring on Obama: document</a></b> - <i>13 Oct 2009 at 2:17pm</i> - An internal document circulating among members of the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says the hopes they had placed in U.S. President Barack Obama "have evaporated."<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/PeRkSOofsJY/idUSTRE59C43U20091013" style="text-decoration:none">Lawyers seek order to release Kuwaiti at Guantanamo</a></b> - <i>13 Oct 2009 at 12:15pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawyers for a Kuwaiti held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Tuesday asked the judge who ordered him freed to force the Obama administration to release him.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_gay_marriage_benefits.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">NY top court to consider gay marriage benefits</a></b> - <i>13 Oct 2009 at 6:41am</i> - ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York's top court is set to hear arguments against providing government benefits to same sex couples married in Canada or other jurisdictions where such marriages are legal.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_big_bomb.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">US wants bunker-buster fast, denies Iran is reason</a></b> - <i>13 Oct 2009 at 6:35am</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is speeding up delivery of a colossal bomb designed to destroy hidden weapons bunkers buried underground and shielded by 10,000 pounds of reinforced concrete.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.</i> -Lord Acton, <i>Letter to Mary Gladstone</i>, 1881Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-92152884186936001952009-10-02T15:19:00.000-04:002009-10-02T15:20:45.183-04:00In the News: Oct-02<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1188960/In_the_News%3A_Oct-02" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-02"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1188960/In_the_News%3A_Oct-02" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-02" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/TZyJzCL_qVI/idUSN0231431820091002" style="text-decoration:none">U.S. Sept non-farm payrolls fall, jobless rate up</a></b> - <i>2 Oct 2009 at 9:16am</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 263,000 jobs in September, lifting the unemployment rate to 9.8 percent, according to a government report on Friday that fueled fears the weak labor market could undermine economic recovery.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/jZI1B6ukZ3M/idUSDAH02494820091002" style="text-decoration:none">Iran nuclear talks with U.S. and allies eases tension</a></b> - <i>2 Oct 2009 at 6:13am</i> - GENEVA (Reuters) - Talks between Iran and six major powers over Tehran's nuclear program on Thursday opened the door to improved relations as Iran agreed to allow U.N. inspectors into a newly disclosed uranium enrichment plant.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.</i> -Mark Twain (1835 - 1910))Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-44526803117478580912009-10-01T15:19:00.002-04:002009-10-01T15:24:51.143-04:00In the News: Oct-01<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1184749/In_the_News%3A_Oct-01" title="Wordle: In the News: Oct-01"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1184749/In_the_News%3A_Oct-01" alt="Wordle: In the News: Oct-01" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/KFJAVPHeFLo/idUSTRE5904MA20091001" style="text-decoration:none">Iraq says Sept. civilian deaths lowest since war began</a></b> - <i>1 Oct 2009 at 12:19pm</i> - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The number of civilians killed in Iraq in September fell to 125, the lowest level since the 2003 U.S. invasion, according to figures from Iraq's Health Ministry released on Thursday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_cheney_cia_leak.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Judge orders release of Cheney interview with FBI</a></b> - <i>1 Oct 2009 at 11:37am</i> - WASHINGTON -- A federal judge ruled Thursday that the FBI must publicly reveal much of its interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney during the investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_us_us_afghanistan.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Council split complicates Obama's Afghan decision</a></b> - <i>1 Oct 2009 at 9:46am</i> - WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is confronting a split among his closest advisers on Afghanistan, reflecting divisions in his own party over whether to send in thousands more U.S. troops and complicating his efforts to adopt a war policy he can sell to a public grown weary of the 8-year-old conflict.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/MnYvto0rbDc/2009-09-30-greenhouse-bill_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">EPA aims to cut emissions at factories, power plants</a></b> - <i>1 Oct 2009 at 7:42am</i> - For the first time, the federal government plans to restrict greenhouse-gas emissions from factories, power plants and other industrial facilities under a proposal revealed Wednesday. The proposed rule requires new facilities and those undergoing major maintenance to limit their greenhouse-gas emissions using the "best available" technology. That might include energy-efficiency steps or equipment under development to capture greenhouse gases and funnel them into storage.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/xy3YGRkmwK8/idUSTRE5902LT20091001" style="text-decoration:none">Provide details on Taliban, Pakistan tells U.S</a></b> - <i>1 Oct 2009 at 7:24am</i> - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The United States should provide information about top militants in Pakistan, a government minister said on Thursday, as Washington stepped up pressure on Islamabad to go after Taliban leaders.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/ceqM3BJSJUI/2009-10-01-afghanistan-airstrike_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">At least 6 Afghan civilians die in airstrike</a></b> - <i>1 Oct 2009 at 7:04am</i> - An airstrike on a compound in southwestern Afghanistan killed at least six civilians, a local tribal leader said Thursday, after the U.S. military reported that ground forces were coming under fire from inside the residence and called in aircraft. Civilian deaths have been a source of friction between President Hamid Karzai and U.S. military commanders and have infuriated many ordinary Afghans, who claim international soldiers use heavy-handed tactics.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Funny headline of the day: "U.S. demands concrete steps from Iran"<br /><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.</i> -Anatole France (1844 - 1924)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-14636153791750340632009-09-30T15:19:00.001-04:002009-09-30T15:19:39.272-04:00In the News: Sep-30<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1180939/In_the_News%3A_Sep-30" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-30"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1180939/In_the_News%3A_Sep-30" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-30" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/RhIGnzg9EWs/idUSTRE58T44S20090930" style="text-decoration:none">Supreme court to decide how far gun rights extend</a></b> - <i>30 Sep 2009 at 2:43pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court revived the legal battle over gun rights in America, saying it would decide whether the constitutional right of individuals to own firearms trumped state and local laws.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/gd6ih1fYAvQ/idUSN3019855320090930" style="text-decoration:none">U.S. economy shrinks less in second quarter</a></b> - <i>30 Sep 2009 at 10:53am</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy contracted in the second quarter at a slower pace than previously thought, while a surprise slide in manufacturing activity in the country's Midwest region in September pointed to a patchy recovery from recession.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1154ap_us_supreme_court_anti_terror_law.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">High court to review parts of anti-terrorism law</a></b> - <i>30 Sep 2009 at 10:13am</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court will consider whether portions of a law that makes it a crime to provide "material support or resources" to designated terrorist groups are unconstitutional.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/o7a_Kk9mCOc/idUSTRE58T0IE20090930" style="text-decoration:none">About 4,000 U.S. troops to leave Iraq in October</a></b> - <i>30 Sep 2009 at 4:36am</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will withdraw about 4,000 troops from Iraq by the end of October, the U.S. military commander in Iraq said in testimony prepared for a congressional hearing on Wednesday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon.</i> -George AikenDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-71582900891506878222009-09-29T15:17:00.000-04:002009-09-29T15:18:17.310-04:00In the News: Sep-29<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1177280/In_the_News%3A_Sep-29" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-29"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1177280/In_the_News%3A_Sep-29" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-29" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/09/29/afghanistan-nato-obama029.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Obama considers new Afghanistan strategy</a></b> - <i>29 Sep 2009 at 2:25pm</i> - U.S. President Barack Obama met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday to talk about a possible new strategy in Afghanistan amid calls for more allied troops in the warn-torn country.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_terrorist_surveillance.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Hoyer cool to repealing wiretap immunity</a></b> - <i>29 Sep 2009 at 1:31pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made clear Tuesday that he would be cool to a Senate proposal to take away the retroactive immunity now given to telecommunications companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping during the George W. Bush administration.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_anthrax_vaccine.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Appeals court upholds dismissal of vaccine suit</a></b> - <i>29 Sep 2009 at 11:30am</i> - WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court has ruled that members of the military can be required to be vaccinated against anthrax.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_apnewsalert.html?source=rss" title="US gov't told it can have access to 3 Americans who have been detained in Iran since July." style="text-decoration:none">US gov't told it can have access to 3 Americans who have been detained in Ira...</a></b> - <i>29 Sep 2009 at 11:00am</i> - WASHINGTON -- U.S. gov't told it can have access to three Americans who have been detained in Iran since July.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest of violence.</i> -Francis Jeffrey (1773 - 1850)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-61928304479074005962009-09-28T15:20:00.000-04:002009-09-28T15:21:36.835-04:00In the News: Sep-28<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1173697/In_the_News%3A_Sep-28" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-28"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1173697/In_the_News%3A_Sep-28" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-28" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/O0xlR1gvi_k/idUSTRE58R4JV20090928" style="text-decoration:none">Obama team clears 75 at Guantanamo for release</a></b> - <i>28 Sep 2009 at 2:33pm</i> - MIAMI (Reuters) - An Obama administration task force has so far cleared 75 of the remaining 223 Guantanamo prisoners for release as part of its effort to close the detention camp, a military spokesman said on Monday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/W8Qm1XNpbQY/2009-09-27-brain-injury-limit_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">Joint Chiefs chairman seeks brain-injury limit</a></b> - <i>28 Sep 2009 at 9:34am</i> - U.S. servicemembers who suffer up to three mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions during a deployment — typically from roadside bombs — could be pulled out of combat for the duration of their tour, according to a policy being pushed by Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mullen has spoken out more in the last year about the risks of mild TBI caused by roadside bombs, often invoking a story of a young soldier who endured 30 blasts and is now suffering significant brain damage.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/u-HtMNMUjXc/idUSTRE58R0LR20090928" style="text-decoration:none">U.S. commander offers troop options for Afghanistan</a></b> - <i>28 Sep 2009 at 3:47am</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan planned to offer options for policymakers to try to stem Taliban gains, including sending up to 30,000 to 40,000 additional combat troops and trainers, according to defense and congressional officials.<br /><blockquote>Again -- McChrystal has said that without more troops, NATO forces will likely fail in Afghanistan. First, and most important, what is his operating definition of "success"? Also, if he cannot get more troops, what is his estimate of the probability of success: 40%? 20%? If he does get the 40,000 troops he's requesting, what will be his estimate: 90%? 45%? 20%? There will have to be more to this decision than "If you're against a troop buildup, you're for failure."</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-33546994132397181972009-09-25T15:25:00.000-04:002009-09-25T15:26:09.656-04:00In the News: Sep-25<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1166943/In_the_News%3A_Sep-25" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-25"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1166943/In_the_News%3A_Sep-25" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-25" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_new_gi_bill.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Shinseki: VA working to resolve GI Bill issues</a></b> - <i>25 Sep 2009 at 2:49pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said Friday he's hopeful that many of the tens of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans awaiting payment under the new GI Bill will get paid next month.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/09/25/uk-veterans-prison025.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">20,000 U.K. war vets in prison system</a></b> - <i>25 Sep 2009 at 10:28am</i> - An increasing number of British war veterans are caught up in the criminal justice system, according to a study released Friday in London.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_eminent_domain.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Conn. land vacant 4 years after court OK'd seizure</a></b> - <i>25 Sep 2009 at 8:24am</i> - NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Weeds, glass, bricks, pieces of pipe and shingle splinters have replaced the knot of aging homes at the site of the nation's most notorious eminent domain project.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/29dgWdqvyQo/idUSTRE58O1VW20090925" style="text-decoration:none">Five U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan</a></b> - <i>25 Sep 2009 at 5:28am</i> - KABUL (Reuters) - Five U.S. troops were killed in three separate incidents in southern Afghanistan, the military said on Friday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>I'm not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose... it'll be much harder to detect.</i> -George Carlin (1937 - 2008)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-74363247070776406772009-09-24T15:26:00.000-04:002009-09-24T15:27:46.403-04:00In the News: Sep-24<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1163066/In_the_News%3A_Sep-24" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-24"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1163066/In_the_News%3A_Sep-24" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-24" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/3jELC98xVio/idUSTRE58N5AU20090924" style="text-decoration:none">Suspected U.S. drone kills 3 in Pakistan</a></b> - <i>24 Sep 2009 at 2:56pm</i> - BANNU, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. drone fired a missile at a house in a northwest Pakistan militant stronghold on Thursday killing three people, Pakistani security officials said.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-NewsTopStories/~3/KeI5w_KuKG4/2009-09-24-aid-pakistan_N.htm" style="text-decoration:none">Senate votes to triple foreign aid to Pakistan</a></b> - <i>24 Sep 2009 at 2:27pm</i> - The Senate voted Thursday to triple foreign aid to Pakistan, with lawmakers saying the legislation could change the crisis-driven nature of U.S.-Pakistan relations and create ties based more on long-term interests. The Senate voted by voice to approve the measure that approves $1.5 billion a year over the next five years for democratic, economic and social development assistance. The measure, a result of House-Senate negotiations, could be passed in the House as early as Friday, sending it to President Obama for his signature.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/cczU8Ogy9yQ/idUSTRE58N4NN20090924" style="text-decoration:none">Palau agrees to take 12 Uighurs from Guantanamo: U.S</a></b> - <i>24 Sep 2009 at 1:41pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has agreed with Palau to transfer up to 12 of the 13 Uighur Chinese detainees still held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the Pacific island nation, according to a letter obtained by Reuters on Thursday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_terror_detainees.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Obama won't seek new law for terror detentions</a></b> - <i>24 Sep 2009 at 1:28pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration will not seek a new law spelling out how it can hold terror suspects indefinitely without bringing charges.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/24/2695951.htm" style="text-decoration:none">HIV vaccine breakthrough 'gives hope'</a></b> - <i>24 Sep 2009 at 9:45am</i> - A medical trial has revealed what could be the most significant development yet in the search for an effective HIV vaccine.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/FNEezyH8W7Y/idUSTRE58M0VN20090924" style="text-decoration:none">U.N. Security Council calls for nuclear disarmament</a></b> - <i>24 Sep 2009 at 9:44am</i> - UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council, at a historic summit meeting chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama, unanimously approved a U.S.-drafted resolution on Thursday calling on nuclear weapons states to scrap their deadly arsenals.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos.</i> -Stephen Jay Gould (1941 - 2002)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-60958132308680854142009-09-23T15:20:00.000-04:002009-09-23T15:21:35.590-04:00In the News: Sep-23<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1159011/In_the_News%3A_Sep-23" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-23"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1159011/In_the_News%3A_Sep-23" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-23" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/09/23/carbon-capture-study.html?ref=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Carbon capture called 'sheer folly'</a></b> - <i>23 Sep 2009 at 1:44pm</i> - A report released Wednesday dismisses a technology that is a cornerstone of Canada's climate change policy as "sheer folly."<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_patriot_act.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Senate Democrats propose surveillance law changes</a></b> - <i>23 Sep 2009 at 12:40pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration, for a second straight day, frustrated Democratic lawmakers Wednesday by declining to say whether it backs their demands for more civil liberties safeguards in anti-terrorism surveillance and property seizures.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_nyc_terror.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Complaint suggests NYPD misstepped in terror probe</a></b> - <i>23 Sep 2009 at 10:34am</i> - NEW YORK -- Police acting without the FBI's knowledge might have inadvertently helped blow the surveillance of a terrorism suspect and compromised a bomb plot investigation at a sensitive stage by questioning an imam about him, a criminal complaint suggests.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_us_energy_subsidies.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Obama wants worldwide end of fossil fuel subsidies</a></b> - <i>23 Sep 2009 at 7:56am</i> - WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is calling on the world to end massive government subsidies that encourage the use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_justice_state_secrecy.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Reports: Justice reconsidering state secrecy</a></b> - <i>23 Sep 2009 at 5:02am</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department is reconsidering government agencies' ability to use claims of state secrecy to block the release of information about controversial counterterrorism strategies like rendition and warrantless wiretapping, two newspapers reported Wednesday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world</i> -J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-51835173344059936852009-09-22T15:18:00.000-04:002009-09-22T15:19:11.161-04:00In the News: Sep-22<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1154882/In_the_News%3A_Sep-22" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-22"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1154882/In_the_News%3A_Sep-22" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-22" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_nyc_terror.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Stadiums, hotels warned to watch for terrorists</a></b> - <i>22 Sep 2009 at 2:54pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Counterterrorism officials have issued security bulletins to police around the nation about terrorists' desire to attack stadiums, entertainment complexes and hotels - the latest in a flurry of such internal warnings as investigators chase a possible bomb plot in Denver and New York.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/2YcQ8NTXSYs/idUSTRE58J18320090922" style="text-decoration:none">Senate panel takes up healthcare affordability</a></b> - <i>22 Sep 2009 at 12:33pm</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats pushed to make insurance reforms more affordable for workers and Republicans decried what they called a rush to judgment as debate opened on Tuesday on a sweeping healthcare overhaul.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1155ap_us_veterans_suicide.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">VA IG says suicide prevention programs implemented</a></b> - <i>22 Sep 2009 at 11:58am</i> - WASHINGTON -- The Veterans Affairs Department appears to have stepped up its suicide prevention efforts.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.</i> -Jane Goodall (1934 - )Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-16773013757238694822009-09-21T15:21:00.001-04:002009-09-21T15:22:35.350-04:00In the News: Sep-21<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1151177/In_the_News%3A_Sep-21" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-21"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1151177/In_the_News%3A_Sep-21" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-21" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/75766.html" style="text-decoration:none">Rivalry to try 9/11 cases developing among 4 civilian prosecutors' offices</a></b> - <i>21 Sep 2009 at 1:00pm</i> - GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba — Four different civilian prosecutors' offices — two in New York, two near the Pentagon — are studying whether to charge and put on trial five alleged 9/11 conspirators.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_cia_interrogation_study.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Report: CIA interrogation harmed inmates' recall</a></b> - <i>21 Sep 2009 at 12:01pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- A new scientific paper asserts that the CIA's harsh interrogation program likely damaged the brain and memory functions of terrorist suspects, diminishing their ability to provide the detailed information the spy agency sought.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1151ap_us_us_afghanistan.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Report: More troops needed for Afghan war success</a></b> - <i>21 Sep 2009 at 10:05am</i> - WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's top commander in Afghanistan has told him that without more troops the United States could lose the war Obama has described as the nation's foremost military priority.<br /><blockquote>But, again, has "success" been defined? How many troops will be required to achieve "success"? Is success even achievable with any number of troops? About the Iraq "surge" we were told by countless conservative talkingheads that it wasn't actually the "surge" of 30,000 troops that made any difference, but rather the change in strategy. Now, in Afghanistan, if a change in strategy is needed, why not try that, and then assess how many additional troops may be required?</blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.</i> -Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-38461057498872872992009-09-18T15:22:00.000-04:002009-09-18T15:23:02.929-04:00In the News: Sep-18<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1143830/In_the_News%3A_Sep-18" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-18"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1143830/In_the_News%3A_Sep-18" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-18" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_cia_interrogations.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Former CIA chiefs seek halt to interrogation probe</a></b> - <i>18 Sep 2009 at 1:53pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- Seven former CIA directors are asking President Barack Obama to quash Attorney General Eric Holder's investigation into harsh CIA interrogations of terror suspects during the Bush administration.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/8Bmd8qSXzJc/idUSTRE58H41T20090918" style="text-decoration:none">Guantanamo detainees in videolink to families: Red Cross</a></b> - <i>18 Sep 2009 at 11:57am</i> - GENEVA (Reuters) - Several detainees at the U.S. camp at Guantanamo Bay have made the first video-teleconference calls to their families, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Friday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/xW6apG2noOk/idUSTRE58G6W520090918" style="text-decoration:none">Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance</a></b> - <i>18 Sep 2009 at 8:22am</i> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year -- one every 12 minutes -- in large part because they lack health insurance and can not get good care, Harvard Medical School researchers found in an analysis released on Thursday.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important.</i> -Eugene McCarthy (1916 - 2005)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-49290592776832894412009-09-17T21:51:00.002-04:002009-09-17T21:55:31.126-04:00McCain: Missile shield cancellation a 'victory for Putin'<b><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/twitter-room/other-news/59181-mccain-missile-shield-cancellation-a-victory-for-putin" style="text-decoration:none">McCain: Missile shield cancellation a 'victory for Putin'</a></b> - <i>09/17/09 10:08 AM ET</i> - Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on Thursday that the Obama administration's decision to nix a proposed missile shield in Eastern Europe "a victory for [Russian Prime Minister Vladimir] Putin."<br />...<br />"This decision calls into question the security and diplomatic commitments the United States has made to Poland and the Czech Republic, and has the potential to undermine perceived American leadership in Eastern Europe," McCain said in a statement.<br /><blockquote>First of all, shouldn't Eastern Europe, not the U.S., be "leading" in Eastern Europe? Secondly, why must leadership consist mainly of pissing off one's allies?</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7920324.post-87776030609300473752009-09-17T15:24:00.000-04:002009-09-17T15:25:12.690-04:00In the News: Sep-17<div align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1139680/In_the_News%3A_Sep-17" title="Wordle: In the News: Sep-17"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/1139680/In_the_News%3A_Sep-17" alt="Wordle: In the News: Sep-17" style="padding:4px;border:10px solid #ddd" width=320></a><br /></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_media_shield.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Setback for media shield bill in Senate committee</a></b> - <i>17 Sep 2009 at 2:53pm</i> - WASHINGTON -- A bill to give journalists a limited right to protect confidential sources from disclosure was sidetracked Thursday, after senators from both parties said the current version could damage national security.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_missile_defense_gates.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Gates: US intelligence caused change in plans</a></b> - <i>17 Sep 2009 at 10:46am</i> - WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the decision to abandon the Bush administration's plans for a land-based missile defense system in Eastern Europe came about because of a change in the U.S. perception of the threat posed by Iran.<br /><blockquote>Does he mean because they discontinued the use of cooked/fixed intelligence?</blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1152ap_us_border_fence.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Gov't: Border fence to cost $6.5B over 20 years</a></b> - <i>17 Sep 2009 at 9:46am</i> - WASHINGTON -- It will cost taxpayers $6.5 billion over the next 20 years to maintain the fence along the U.S-Mexico border, according to a government audit.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/topNews/~3/f4JM-TgQLzM/idUSTRE58G1HZ20090917" style="text-decoration:none">U.S. military shuts largest detainee camp in Iraq</a></b> - <i>17 Sep 2009 at 9:43am</i> - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military Thursday closed down its largest detention center in Iraq as it continued to release or hand to Iraqi authorities the thousands of people it has held since the 2003 U.S. invasion.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/17/2689372.htm" style="text-decoration:none">US backs away from missile shield plan</a></b> - <i>17 Sep 2009 at 7:20am</i> - Washington is backing away from plans for an anti-missile shield in eastern Europe, the Czech Prime Minister said, in a move that may ease Russian-US ties but fuel fears in former Soviet bloc countries of resurgent Kremlin influence.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1153ap_us_financial_meltdown_commission.html?source=rss" style="text-decoration:none">Panel begins inquiry into financial meltdown</a></b> - <i>17 Sep 2009 at 4:16am</i> - WASHINGTON -- Four months after its creation, a congressionally appointed panel modeled after the 9/11 Commission and the Iraq Study Group is opening a 15-month investigation into the causes of last year's economy-crippling financial collapse.<br /><blockquote>Will this panel, like the Iraq Study Group, choose to avoid consideration of any internal missteps which may have contributed to the fiasco?</blockquote><br />Thought for the day:<br /><i>The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it.</i> -Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300419951168598859noreply@blogger.com0