This Blog is created to stress the importance of Peace as an environmental directive. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.” – Harry Truman
(I receive no compensation from any entry on this blog.)
...During Bush's six years as governor 150 men and two women were executed in Texas—a record unmatched by any other governor in modern American history....
Texas man freed by DNA after 15 years in prison (click here) Attorney Gary Udashen, left, and The Innocence Project board of director member John Stickels, right, look on as DNA exonoree Patrick Waller, reacts to the announcement in court that his conviction of a crime that sent him to jail for more than 15 years was being overturned in Criminal Court District 2 at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, Thursday, July 3, 2008, in Dallas. Waller is the 19th man in Dallas County since 2001 shown by DNA evidence to be innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. The Innocence Project in New York says that's a national high. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Crist,McCain veep possibility, to wed by John Kennedy Florida's best-known bachelor, Gov. Charlie Crist, is getting married. Crist on Thursday popped the question to his girlfriend of nine months, New York socialite Carole Rome, presenting her with a blue sapphire and diamond ring in his gulf-side condo in St. Petersburg. "I'm very happy," Crist said Thursday evening. "I had a nice ring. It was very romantic. And she said `yes.' No date has been set for the wedding. But Crist said the fall was the likely time -- in St. Petersburg, where he is a member of a Methodist church. A reception will probably also be held in Tallahassee, he said.
Op-Ed Columnist Rove’s Third Term By PAULKRUGMAN Published: July 4, 2008 Al Gore never claimed that he invented the Internet. Howard Dean didn’t scream. Hillary Clinton didn’t say she was staying in the race because Barack Obama might be assassinated. And Wesley Clark didn’t impugn John McCain’s military service. Scott McClellan, the former White House press secretary, titled his tell-all memoir “What Happened.” But a true account of modern American politics should be titled “What Didn’t Happen.” Again and again we’ve had media firestorms over supposedly revealing incidents that never actually took place. The latest fake scandal fit the usual pattern as an awkwardly phrased remark, lifted out of context and willfully misinterpreted, exploded across the airwaves.
Sen. Jesse Helms Dead at 86 Polarizing North Carolina Lawmaker Was Known as "Senator No" By ANDREA CANNING July 4, 2008 Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, an ideological firebrand with a reputation as one of the Senate's most conservative lawmakers, died early this morning of natural causes in Raleigh. He was 86.
Thomson Financial News Euroshares falter midday on thin newsflow; U.S. closed for Independence Day 07.04.08, 9:24 AM ET LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Europe's leading exchanges remained lower midday with little in the way of news to drive investor interest and with the US markets closed for the Independence day holiday. At 12:49 p.m., the DJ STOXX 50 was down 25.52 points, or 0.91 percent, at 2848.19 and the DJ STOXX 600 was 2.17 points, or 0.7 percent, lower at 280.95. The auto sector was one of only a few sectors in positive territory as crude prices took a breather after reaching new, all-time highs overnight. Renault added 1.07 percent and Daimler added 0.39 percent as New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, shed one dollar to $144.29.
European banks need to raise up to $141 billion: Goldman (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs said the European banks sector needs to raise about 60 billion to 90 billion euros ($94 to $141 billion), or withhold one year of dividends, to reach an aggregate Tier I ratio of 9 percent -- a level achieved by European banks that have recapitalized recently. The bearish comment by the Goldman analysts weighed on European stocks, with the benchmark FTSEurofirst 300 index down 0.43 percent at 1,172.99 points by 5:40 a.m. EDT. The analysts said they do not expect the mounting writedowns per se to trigger additional capital calls at this point. "Instead, we believe that regulatory pressures and a sharp turn in the European credit cycle are the two main causes for concern for bank investors."
EU inquiry deadline for Goldman Sachs buy of German property portfolio Aug BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - The European Commission said the deadline for Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s real estate fund Whitehall's proposed 787.1 million euro acquisition of North Rhine-Westphalia's residential property company Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft NRW (LEG) is set for August 6. LEG owns 93,000 flats and is one of Germany's largest property companies. The portfolio has a volume of 3.4 billion euros, the North Rhine-Westphalian finance ministry said in June. Of the purchase price, some 473.6 million euros go to state-owned investment vehicle BVG, while the remaining funds go to NRW Bank, which is 64.74 percent owned by the state, and Deutsche Rentenversicherung Westfalen. The transaction will be reviewed under the EU's simplified merger review procedure, for cases the commission believes do not pose competition concerns. nina.chestney@thomsonreuters.com nc/rfw
U.S. and Global Capital Markets Today I will focus on our capital markets – where the United States and the United Kingdom face similar challenges and are pursuing similar approaches. I see our work in three tranches; first and foremost, our number one priority continues to be promoting market stability and limiting the impact on the broader economy as we work through today's institutional and markets stresses. Second, implementing the appropriate policy responses to recent events to address the deficiencies in our markets which the current problems have exposed. Third, improving our overall financial regulatory structure to better prevent and address future turmoil.
74th Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr. was sworn into office as the Secretary of the Treasury on July 10, 2006. As Treasury Secretary, Paulson is the President's leading policy advisor on a broad range of domestic and international economic issues.
There is just so much corruption at every turn within any infrastructure both domestically and abroad, the next President will have a lot of RECLAMATION of USA priorities. When the Republicans are out of office, the world will no doubt witness exposure of corruption like not witnessed before.
...The incentives package from China, the EU, France, Russia, the UK and US was offered to Iran by Mr Solana in June. He also asked Iran to accept a six-week freeze on further developments on its controversial programme, in return for a similar freeze on new UN sanctions. The UN Security Council approved a third round of sanctions against Iran over the issue in March 2008. Separately, the EU also imposed new sanctions on Iran in June. Tehran denies Western claims that it is seeking to build a nuclear weapon, saying its programme is peaceful. It has repeatedly rejected demands to halt enriching uranium, which can be used as fuel for power plants or material for weapons if refined to a greater degree....
What Peace with Iran Could Look Like (click here) By Cassandra Newman, Contributor July 2, 2008 – Washington, DC These conversations are about getting to know one another. You can discuss anything you like—we just ask that you be respectful. Our volunteers are… people like you who want to find out more about someone in another country. With those words printed on the back of a miniature cardboard, a declaration of peace was made. On June 10, on the west terrace of the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, three white tables manned by interpreters stood ready to connect curious Americans and eager Iranians in sometimes awkward, occasionally halting, decidedly scintillating conversations....
This time next year, the USA may very well be 'evicted' from Iraq and even then, whom are we there for, the oil companies, as Malaki's private militias against Iraq's people or for the Security of the USA. Certainly NOT the interests of National Security of the USA !!!!
Iraq talks advance on deal for US troops (click here) By Sudarsan Raghavan in Baghdad Published: July 3 2008 03:00 Last updated: July 3 2008 03:00 The US and Iraq are making progress towards forging a complex political and security agreement to allow US troops to operate legally in Iraq next year, Iraq's foreign minister said yesterday. "We have reached a comfortable stage of negotiations and the differences have been narrowed," said Hoshyar Zebari. The comments came two weeks after Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, said that the negotiations had "reached a dead end". The talks have been bogged down by concerns over Iraq's sovereignty as well as a growing fear of a possible long-term US presence. A United Nations mandate sanctioning the US role in Iraq is due to expire on December 31 and US officials have said they would like a deal completed by the end of this month....
....An American Blackhawk helicopter has been shot down in Afghanistan in a province bordering the capital, Kabul. The aircraft was brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade, a military spokesman said. The pilot managed to land the craft and get the crew and passengers to safety before it caught fire, he said. Meanwhile, the governor of Nimroz province in the south-west of the country has survived a suicide attack, which killed four other people. Governor Ghulam Dastageer Azad said the attack took place on a convoy of vehicles he was travelling in....
