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.)
Why would anyone begin to believe THE ANSWER to the USA's energy and transportation crisis be more Offshore Oil drilling? That makes sense?
I
DON'T
THINK
SO !!
...A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 4 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTEDIN THE WARNING AREA IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS....
August 4, 2008 1225z UNISYS Visual Satellite
The 'sunrise' adds dynamic to the storm. The hot waters of the Gulf fueled the development of the lastest storm this season, but, it is enhanced in dynamics by the solar radiation. The central pressure has stabilized at 1002 millibars, HOWEVER, it is the storm surge of a 'continuous' near shore storm that will plague the Gulf Coast. So long as the storm 'sits and spins' it will be driving tides higher with prolonged pounding of the coastal plains.
Shell evacuating 40 offshore workers due to storm (click here) NEW YORK, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Shell Oil said on Monday it would begin evacuating 40 workers from oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico as a precaution due to the effects of Tropical Storm Edouard. "No further evacuations are planned at this time and based on current information and forecast, we do not expect any impact on Shell operated production in the Gulf of Mexico," the company said in a release. (Reporting by Richard Valdmanis)
Storm Edouard shuts refinery, hits shipping (click here) Reuters Monday August 4 2008 By Erwin Seba HOUSTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Edouard forced shut a huge offshore oil port, a refinery, some oil production and disrupted shipping as the storm raced toward the Texas-Louisiana coast on Monday. Energy companies evacuated staff from offshore platforms due to Edouard, the second named storm of the season to threaten oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico, with Apache shutting a small amount of output. Marathon shut its Texas City, Texas refinery and Valero Energy Corp warned its plants in the region could be affected after the storm halted inbound traffic to the Houston Ship Channel and the Sabine Pass ship channel. "We have started an orderly shut-down in preparation for the storm," said Marathon spokeswoman Angela Graves. Packing 50 miles per hour (85 kph) winds, Edouard swept across the northern Gulf of Mexico about 80 miles (135 km) south-southwest of Grand Isle, Louisiana, threatening to come ashore on the Texas-Louisiana coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Edouard had about a 20 percent chance of becoming a hurricane by the time it reaches land. The Gulf of Mexico supplies about a quarter of U.S. crude oil output and 15 percent of its natural gas, while Gulf Coast refiners make about a quarter of domestic gasoline. The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, the only deep-water U.S. oil port and a major conduit for the country's crude oil imports, temporarily suspended offloading oil tankers in the Gulf of Mexico due to high waves and winds. The port's onshore storage continued to supply refiners with crude on-hand, however, a spokeswoman said....
U.S. Coast Guard closes inbound traffic at Houston channel (click here) By Steve Gelsi Last update: 11:39 a.m. EDT Aug. 4, 2008 NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. Coast Guard has closed ship traffic into the Houston Ship Channel, which provides access to the largest oil and gas operations in the U.S., a spokesperson from the Port of Houston Authority said. Ship traffic within the channel itself is still allowed. The move by the Coast Guard came in response to Tropical Storm Edouard.
Tracking Water Vapor is one of the most important mappings NASA can pursue, unfortunately, this is the first and only such map. It would have been grossly helpful if NASA had been doing this for decades of time.
The oceans have high spots and low spots depending on ocean circulation. Here again, we should have had decades of recordkeeping to better understand our troposphere. However, it is better that we have started than not start at all. The unfortunate aspect of the tardiness of this project is that the Arctic Ocean is expected to be 'ice free' by September. While 'sea level rise' is considered 'static' with the meltdown of the Arctic Ice Cap, the reality is that significant ice masses were at the shorelines of the Arctic Ocean and once melted contributes to sea level rise in several ways, including 'continental rebound.'
This is a good start for such ventures by NASA and should continue. I doubt seriously it will add to the dialogue of circumstances now faced by humanity regarding Human Induced Global Warming resulting in Climate Change.
In mid-June 2008, NASA launched the latest of a series of satellites that scientists use to measure sea level from space. The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason-2 uses a radar altimeter to map the height of the ocean surface. The radar sends a pulse of energy down to the ocean surface and listens for the echo. The time delay and intensity of the echo reveal the altitude of the sea surface. Because water vapor delays the time it takes for the radar pulse to travel to the ocean surface and back, the satellite also carries a sensor to measure atmospheric moisture. The image above shows the first results from this sensor, the Advanced Microwave Radiometer: a global map of the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere beneath the satellite from June 22–28, 2008. The time span was the first week of operations for OSTM’s science instruments. In this image, white and light blue show dry areas; dark blue shows moist regions....
August 2, 2008 Fairbanks, Alaska Photographer states :: Chena River flooding August 2008
Interior Alaska floods' effect on salmon spawning is unknown (Click on title to entry, thank you.) By Tim Mowry Published Monday, August 4, 2008
State fisheries biologists don’t know what kind of effect this week’s flood will have on spawning king salmon in the Chena and Salcha rivers. The flood coincided with the peak of spawning in both rivers. “Most times when we’ve had floods, they happened later on, after the fish were done spawning,” Dan Bergstrom, the Department of Fish and Game’s regional supervisor for the Yukon River, said. “This year is different because it’s right on top of when they should be spawning.”...
...Female salmon dig holes called reads in the gravel river bottom to lay their eggs in before male fish fertilize them. Virgil Umphenour, owner of Alaska Interior Fish Processors Inc. in Fairbanks, is worried the eggs will be carried away in the current. “If you have high water and super fast current, the eggs will just go down the river as she’s laying them,” Umphenour speculated....
Lat/Lon :: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Elevation :: 33 ft / 10 m
Time :: 5:05 AM AKDT
Temperature :: 52 °F / 11 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Humidity :: 88%
Dew Point :: 48 F/ 9 C
Wind :: Calm
Pressure :: 30.25 in / 1024 hPa (Steady)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds :: Mostly Cloudy 2400 ft / 731 m
Overcast 4400 ft / 1341 m (Above Ground Level) Flight Rule: MVFR (PAGS) Wind Speed :: 4 mph / 6 km/h / 1.5 m/s Wind Direction :: 140° (SE) Ceiling :: 2200 ft / 670 m
This was from 2001. Immediately after Inaugeration, Bush/Cheney did a complete reversal of their campaign promises when it came to addressing Human Induced Global Warming.
The McCain approach has never been significant enough to warrant support to a majority of the House or Senate. The McCain/Lieberman Bill has been a complete and abject failure.
They never backed S.309, the bill to amend The Clean Air Act (click here). You will NEVER seen John McCain or Joe Lieberman as a Co-sponsor to this bill and this IS the bill that needs to be passed by the USA to reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions and set the USA on the BEST path to Environmental Safety.
GWEN IFILL: We get more on the Bush reversal from Debbie Reed, director of legislative affairs for the National Environmental Trust -- they supported limits on carbon dioxide emissions; and Chris Horner, a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which opposes such limits.So, Debbie Reed, what is the significance of the president's decision to reverse himself on this?
DEBBIE REED: Well, Gwen, I think it's very significant; the president campaigned on a commitment to bring integrity to the White House but what good is his word now? This was the most significant environmental commitment made under the campaign, and the president walked away from it in exactly 53 days. I think it's very unfortunate that he has brought into question not only his integrity on environmental issues but his lead on EPA -- Christie Todd Whitman on this. Christie Todd Whitman has been a forceful proponent of protecting the president on this, and leading up on his promise to support a four-key agenda and unfortunately, while she was out front on this, the president sawed off the limb from underneath her. I think it's very unfortunate.
GWEN IFILL: Were you really surprised?
DEBBIE REED: Yes, actually, we were very surprised; the president had this in his campaign commitment -- and we've been hearing all the right signals from both him and from Christie Todd Whitman on this. And I think it's very unfortunate that they have caved to special interests on this in just a matter of weeks.
Then in 2003, afraid of the movement in the country over the concern of continued deterioration of the Arctic areas of Earth, and lusting after the oil under the floor of the Arctic Ocean, Bush decided to 'play god' further:
WASHINGTON - Carbon dioxide, the chief cause of global warming, cannot be regulated as a pollutant, the Environmental Protection Agency ruled Thursday....
..."Refusing to call greenhouse-gas emissions a pollutant is like refusing to say that smoking causes lung cancer," responded Melissa Carey, a climate policy specialist for Environmental Defense, a New York-based environmental group. "The Earth is round. Elvis is dead. Climate change is happening."...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Sen. Barack Obama, reacting to the seventh straight month of job decline, announced a new version of his $50 billion economic stimulus plan, which would use a windfall profits tax on oil companies to finance $500 tax rebates and aid to state governments for energy cost assistance, school construction and infrastructure building.
The new plan reallocates funds announced in the $50 billion assistance plan Obama had pledged two months ago, as part of that plan -- an extension of unemployment insurance and a housing refinancing fund -- has been approved by Congress.
Obama aides and advisers were trying to show they can react quickly to an economic landscape that continues to slide downward. The Labor Department announced that employers shed 51,000 jobs in July, the seventh straight month of job losses which now total 463,000. The unemployment rate rose last month from 5.5 percent to 5.7 percent.
Those numbers elicited very different responses from the presidential candidates....
This is what the nation's 'gas lines' looked like in 1973 with the OPEC Oil Embargo. Since then the USA's answer under Republican leadership, thirty long years of lack of innovation or change, was to use less energy to achieve the same result. In other words, fuel efficient internal cumbustion engines were perferred in order to 'make the resources last longer.' There was no 'switch' to an electric car rather than continued dependence on oil itself.
What McCain wants to do is no different than what Nixon did in the 1970s. We witnessed the building of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline in response to the the OPEC Oil Embargo. Now, John McCain wants to drill offshore of the USA for marginal amounts of oil that might exist there to attempt to have a 'traditional' Republican answer. It's hideous to continue a strategy already 30 decades old with finite answers.
This is a picture of a stretch of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. The 'sliders' noted is to assist the pipleline to be resiliant to Alaskan earthquakes along the Denali Fault. This is an extreme measure that is not an answer to energy or transportation of the USA. It is a 'bandaid' and that is all offshore oil drilling is as well. Noted, the sliders have a limit.
The anthrax attacks were too sophisticated to believe the Bush/Cheney White House didn't approve. John Ashcroft tried to derail the reality of the suspect by accusing Hatfield. I think this story needs the attention it deserves.
This is EVIDENCE of a government intent on destroying 'the truth' and using an issue of WMD as a lead into an illegal war that compromised American national security. This isn't about politics, it is about the 'degree' of culpability of the Executive Branch in exploiting the murderous activities of its own military.
The American people are at risk. No one in the Executive Branch is innnocent. NO ONE !!! They used the fear from this episode and the trauma of September 11th to wage a war that was unnecessary and contrived in Iraq.
U.S. to pay $2.8 million to settle anthrax lawsuit (click here) Reuters Published: Friday, August 01, 2008 WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday it would pay former Army scientist Steven Hatfill over $2.8 million to settle his lawsuit accusing officials of violating his privacy rights by talking to the media and unfairly implicating him in anthrax attacks in 2001....
John Ashcroft never resumed investigation once it was decided the one to lay blame on was a FORMER biologicial weapons expert. Hatfield's lawsuit was settled leaving open the question, "Who done it?" With Democrats in the majority of the House and Senate the question wasn't going to lay fallow.
Biological Warfare Experts Questioned in Anthrax Probe (click here) More Than Two Dozen Homes Searched by FBI By Guy Gugliotta and Dan Eggen, Washington Post Staff Writers The FBI said yesterday it is focusing on about 30 U.S.-based biological warfare experts in its investigation of last year's anthrax attacks, and has searched the homes of more than two dozen in recent months -- always with the owner's consent. The FBI said that former Army researcher Steven J. Hatfill, whose Frederick apartment was searched Tuesday, was on the floating short list of "persons of interest," but noted both publicly and in private meetings last week that Hatfill is not a suspect in the case. Ben Haddad, spokesman for the San Diego-based defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), confirmed that Hatfill was a full-time SAIC employee in 1999 when he and collaborator Joseph Soukup commissioned a report investigating the consequences of a hypothetical anthrax attack by mail....
To exploit murderous activities of its own military as a lead up to war is criminal. There is no getting around it. The criminality of this Executive Branch is more evident today with
Anthrax suspect dies in apparent suicide (click here) By David Willman Los Angeles Times Article Launched: 08/01/2008 01:31:11 AM PDT A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him for the attacks, the Los Angeles Times has learned....
Mail sent to Microsoft tests positive for anthrax Saturday, 13 October 2001 22:51
A letter sent from Malaysia to a Microsoft office in Nevada has tested positive for traces of anthrax, according to local authorities there. The authorities in Carson City said today that at present there were no reported cases of anthrax infection stemming from the incident.Meanwhile, the US Vice President, Dick Cheney, has said that there could be links between the confirmed four cases of anthrax in America and Osama bin Laden.Mr Cheney said that there was ample evidence that bin Laden's network had been trained in the spread of biological and chemical weapons....
FBI indicates anthrax threat originated in US
Saturday, 10 November 2001 20:50
The FBI has given its closest indication yet that it believes the anthrax outbreak originated at home rather than abroad.The FBI says that the suspect is probably an adult male who may have referred to the US attacks in his messages only as a decoy. Agents believe he is a loner and not given to confrontation....
The anthrax attacks was to introduce the 'concept' of WMD. The evidence pointed to the source as the USA because of the sophisticated nature of the anthrax.
EIGHT days later. Count them, eight very short days later. No American Scientist involved with WMD could act out of some kind of personality disorder within eight days in such a sophisticated attacks alone. We all know the coveted use of the military's PSYOPS.
GIVE
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Thank you to the LA Times. But, will the real truth behind this man's death ever be known. Nah.
September 19, 2001
A letter addressed to Jennifer Lopez containing a Star of David and a bluish powder arrived in the Sun's mailroom in the American Media headquarters. Several people handled the letter, and Stevens sniffed some of the powder....
Site of Anthrax Attack Reopens (click here) BOCA RATON, Fla. - The tabloid newspaper building targeted in the fatal anthrax mailings in 2001 reopened with newsrooms still marked by Sun and Globe signs and file drawers bearing labels such as "JFK Jr." The contents were included when American Media Inc. sold the building in 2003. Developer David Rustine bought it for $40,000 and said he spent millions on decontamination and maintenance. The headquarters for the National Enquirer, Sun and Globe newspapers was the first known target in the mailings that killed five people starting a month after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Bob Stevens, a photo editor, died Oct. 5, 2001, from inhaling anthrax mailed to the building.
Let me get this right. McCain's answer to the USA Energy Crisis and failing economy is to increase the production of the most expensive and extensive energy source in the world. Oil pervades every aspect of investment globally, including food sources. To that reality, McCain wants to increase oil production so this 'fininte' source of fuel will continue to cause problems with economies at every level. I DON'T THINK SO !!!! Exxon Mobil 2Q profit sets US record, shares fall By JOHN PORRETTO – 1 hour ago HOUSTON (AP) — Exxon Mobil Corp. reported second-quarter earnings of $11.68 billion Thursday, the biggest quarterly profit ever by any U.S. corporation, but the results were well short of Wall Street expectations and its shares fell. The world's largest publicly traded oil company said net income for the April-June period came to $2.22 a share, up from $10.26 billion, or $1.83 a share, a year ago. Revenue rose 40 percent to $138.1 billion from $98.4 billion in the year-earlier quarter. Excluding an after-tax charge of $290 million related to an Exxon Valdez court settlement, earnings amounted to $11.97 billion, or $2.27 per share. Analysts on average expected Exxon Mobil to earn $2.52 a share on revenue of $144 billion, according to a survey by Thomson Financial. The estimates typically exclude one-time items. The record-setting results were largely expected, given that crude prices in the second quarter were nearly double what they were a year ago. Natural gas prices were significantly higher too....
The oceans are warming and with the loss of the Arctic Ocean ice expected in September, it is obvious our fisheries are a worry.
As food prices rocket, relief from the depths (click here) Lobster costs fall, but demand still weakAs food prices rocket, relief from the depths Boston GlobeConsumers, squeezed by rising prices on everything from milk to eggs to bread, are finding a rare - and surprising - bargain at the fish counter: The price of lobster is going down. Lobster prices have declined, but demand has not increased, which has hurt lobstermen and such firms as James Hook in Boston, where Mario Hernandez checked stock. (David L. Ryan/Globe staff) By Devra First Globe Staff / July 30, 2008 Consumers, squeezed by rising prices on everything from milk to eggs to bread, are finding a rare - and surprising - bargain at the fish counter: The price of lobster is going down. Last year at this time, Boston-area lobstermen were getting $5 to $5.25 per pound, according to the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association. This year they're getting only $4.50 a pound. That's translating to lower retail prices. At Yankee Lobster and James Hook & Co., both located in Boston, the price for soft-shell lobsters - those that have recently molted and have less meat - is currently $6.99 a pound, down from last year's price of $7.99. Soft-shell lobsters represent the bulk of the local catch right now. The harvest has been plentiful, yet demand has declined, say those in the industry. Consumers view lobster as a splurge, and with money tight, it's not a priority on the shopping list....
Rising school costs mean fewer bus routes, higher food prices (click here) Districts will enforce 2-mile walking radius, make changes in cafeterias BY KIMBERLINA ROCHA AND VICTOR GARCIA krocha@visalia.gannett.com and vdgarcia@visalia.gannett.com July 30, 2008 Tulare County students will walk more and spend more this year as a result of cost-saving measures at area school districts. Going down: The number of bus stops. Going up: The price of food. Tulare Joint Union High School District estimates it will save $37,843 by eliminating 15 bus stops and enforcing its 2-mile walk radius. Students who live within 2 miles of a school site must walk to a "cluster" bus stop or directly to school. Other transportation-related measures will have less of an effect on students' routines, officials say....
A soldier stands next to the body of a suicide bomber in Peshawar December 4, 2007. A woman suicide bomber blew herself up near a military checkpost in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, but caused no casualties among the troops, police said.
REUTERS/Ali Imam (PAKISTAN)
Female suicide bomber killed in Pakistan blast: police
Tue Dec 4, 5:01 AM ET
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) - A burka clad female suicide bomber blew herself up at a checkpost in northwest Pakistan Tuesday, in the country's first such attack involving a woman, police said. There were no other casualties in the blast in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, which is near the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan where troops are battling Islamic militants, they said.
It happened in a high-security zone where intelligence services buildings and also a Christian convent school are located, provincial police chief Mohammad Sharif told AFP.
"This is the first suicide attack carried out by a woman in Pakistan. She was the single casualty," Sharif said.
Other officials also confirmed that the bomber was female."
The suicide bomber was a woman," senior police official Kadir Khan told AFP."
She came to the army checkpost, she was stopped but she blew herself up. No soldiers were injured in the blast.
"Military personnel and police cordoned off the area, an AFP reporter at the scene said. Shreds of a blue burka, a foot and pieces of flesh were lying on the road.
A security official at the scene said that the woman was thought to be an Afghan refugee aged about 40.
"She blew herself up. Nobody was injured or died," the official said.
Police earlier said the bombing was outside St Mary's convent school, one of Peshawar's top schools, and that it had killed one person.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in Pakistan on November 3, citing the need to curb a wave of Islamic militant violence in the northwest of the country.
Pakistani officials have previously said that militancy is thriving in giant refugee camps in the northwest and southwest where more than two million displaced Afghans are registered
We have witnessed female suicide bombers before. In Palestine and with the attack in Amman, Jordan (click here), the 'desperation' that leads women to mass killings is more than alarming.
In Palestine, women were the 'last straw' before the issue of peace became a serious one pursued by Palestine and Israel.
The Amman bomber was unsuccessful, but, she fully bought into the idea that her religious obligation, along with her husband would be fulfilled in such a violent act.
It is my guess that women in Iraq that are becoming suicide bombers are doing so because of the profound loss they are experiencing in this hideous war. We need to leave Iraq and allow the people in that country a 'respite' from occupation so they can find their own sense of 'civil peace.'
Violence In Iraq Takes On New Face Number Of Suicide Bomb Attacks Carried Out By Women Has More Than Tripled Since Last Year (CBS) In Iraq's volatile mix of race, religion and tribal rivalry, police say there's a common denominator in the continuing violence - gender. According to the U.S. military in Iraq, women have carried the bombs in at least 27 attacks so far this year - more than triple the number of female suicide bombers in all of 2007, reports CBS News correspondent Richard Roth. A joint assessment by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security obtained by CBS News says the statistics reflect a growing combat role for females, aided by the fact that bombs are easy to hide under traditional women's clothing. "It's much more difficult to inspect a female Muslim woman than it is a male Muslim because of religious sensitivities," said Steven Emerson, of the Investigative Project on Terrorism....
The Faces of Female Suicide Bombers (click here) 10/07/2007 By Fatima el Issawi London, Asharq Al-Awsat- It no longer comes as a shock when one hears that a woman has carried out a suicide bomb attack. Lately, the media has made frequent reports of suicide operations, both successful and failed, that were carried out by women. Today, females are rivaling men in a field that was once regarded by Jihadi literature and fiqh to be strictly a man's job. But who were the first women to actually sacrifice themselves for the sake of a cause? What do we know about the psychological motives and the political and social backgrounds surrounding these women and which are responsible for transforming them into ferocious female ‘jihadists’? A look at the information available through the press reveals little about these women, however it is useful in defining an outline that may answer some questions. These limited sources reveal that female suicide bombers can be split into two groups, generally speaking, in terms of social profiles and motives behind their involvement. In the first group women, venture into ‘martyrdom’ driven by a dedication to the cause, or as a means of expressing their resentment of the gross injustice for which there remains no other resort except sacrificing their own lives. Moreover, these women are encouraged by the fact that their brothers or relatives have been killed in circumstances related to this unjust reality and as such, that loss becomes the decisive factor in undertaking a suicide operation....
From Starbucks to foreclosures, the American economy is taking a nose dive unmatched by its recent past.
The university students of Massachusetts are now facing more hurdles to success. This is just more of the same in sequelae of Bush's Fiscal Disaster !
Student lender won't have loan money this season (kindly click on title to entry) July 28, 2008 11:16 AM The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority today said it will not be able to provide any student loans this fall, which could leave tens of thousands of families in the lurch just weeks before college classes begin. The nonprofit lending authority said it was unable to secure funding to provide private student loans. It is contacting more than 40,000 students and families to whom it has made loans in the past, to urge them to seek other options. "As a result of our problems and the continued dislocation of the capital markets, we have been unable to raise funds for the coming academic year,'' said Thomas M. Graf, executive director of the group....
Mike's relentless focus today and over the years, of our USA Constitution, has culminated in hearings at the US House of Representatives lead by the honorable and distinguished Dennis Kucinich.
There have been an incredible number of Americans in leadership positions that have come before the House Judiciary Committee to be heard. The overwhelming concensus that cannot be ignored is the overt illegal activities of the Bush/Cheney Administration.
Bush un-impeachment bill gets hearing by Katie Fretland and updated Critics of President George W. Bush got the chance to air grievances against him Friday at a House Judiciary Committee "non-impeachment hearing" before a packed audience of political activists. Even Cindy Sheehan, the famous anti-war mother, was there until she got kicked out for being loud. Committee members and witnesses, including Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr, spoke for almost six hours on allegations the Bush administration, among other things, misled the public into the Iraq War, manipulated intelligence and selectively prosecuted Democrats. Northwestern University professor Stephen Presser offered expert analysis. The session was not an impeachment hearing, because the House of Representatives had not given authorization for such proceedings. Ranking Republican committee member Lamar Smith of Texas called the hearing an "anger management class" that only serves to impeach Congress' credibility....
Anger over WHAT exactly !
Breaking the law.
Circumventing the USA Constitution for crony wars and profits?
Anger?
Over the compromise of the National Security of the USA !
July 25th, 2008 4:51 pm Bush critics get an unimpeachable forum By Jim Abrams / Associated Press WASHINGTON - Call it the un-impeachment hearing. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Friday it insisted was not about removing President Bush from office. But critics of Bush's policies couldn't pass up the chance to charge the president with a long list of impeachable "high crimes and misdemeanors." Leading the way was Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, the former Democratic presidential candidate who has brought repeated impeachment resolutions on the House floor against Bush and Vice President Cheney. Kucinich got a rock star welcome of whistles, hoots and clapping as he walked into the hearing room, holding hands with his wife, from hundreds of anti-war, anti-Bush people crammed into the room and lining the hallways outside. T-shirts reading "Arrest Bush" and "Veterans for Impeachment" illustrated the sentiments of many. "The decision before us is whether to demand accountability for one of the gravest injustices imaginable," Kucinich testified, avoiding use of the "I" word....
Al-Qaida returns to Afghanistan to protect Bin Laden. It was far easier to protect him and defeat 'The West' while Halliburton was making profits in Iraq. Maybe this time next year, Bin Laden will actually be captured or killed. It won't take forever to achieve that goal. It should not have taken forever to do it this time. We should have been in and out of Afghanistan within two years living behind ONLY the reparations of war to begin Afghanistan 'anew.'
Ambassador: al-Qaida leaving Iraq for Afghanistan (click here) By PAMELA HESS – 3 days ago WASHINGTON (AP) — Al-Qaida's foreign fighters who have for years bedeviled Iraq are increasingly going to Afghanistan to fight instead, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States said Wednesday. "We have heard reports recently that many of the foreign fighters that were in Iraq have left, either back to their homeland or going to fight in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is now seeming to be more suitable for al-Qaida fighters," said Ambassador Samir Sumaida'ie. Al-Qaida had training camps and a headquarters in Afghanistan, under the protection of the then-ruling Taliban, until the U.S. invaded after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. With al-Qaida forced out of Afghanistan, the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 quickly drew outside fighters there....
Two women walk past the main building housing the National Iraqi Olympic Committee in Baghdad
The IOC in a letter dated July 23 confirmed the prohibition of seven Iraqi Olympic athletes after first imposing the ban on the war-ravaged country's sporting officials for political interference last month. "In spite of all the joint efforts of IOC and OCA (Olympic Council of Asia), over the last months to find a positive solution with the Iraqi government authorities, we regretfully inform you that the decision of the IOC executive board dated 4 June 2008 to suspend the National Olympic Committee of Iraq is confirmed," said the letter. In a separate statement issued Thursday the IOC said it was "disappointed they have been so ill-served by their own government's actions," and that the deadline to register athletes had expired.
You know, you gotta love it when the USA newspapers declare there is a stabilization in Baghdad for the sake of an election strategy. Today, 'the happy talk' about Iraq is that the Mahdi Army is waning and there is greater security in Baghdad.
Right.
There are finite people in Iraq available for security of any kind. I would think that journalists would be able to discern the fact that although the numbers of Mahdi Army members are waning the number of Iraqi soldiers are increasing. Hm?
In September 2004, there were only 96,000 trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces. By November 2005, there were more than 212,000. As of May 30th, there were nearly 350,000 trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces.
That doesn't necessarily lend itself to the 'idea' that Iraq is secured by people that are approved of by Bush. The fact is that more militia members are accepting 'salaried' employment in the Iraqi military. It's called a 'transition' of authority. The added comfort zone for Iraqis is there providing one is affiliated strongly with the 'correct' Shi'ite group.
Iraq bomber kills 8 U.S.-allied Sunni fighters (click here) From the Associated Press July 25, 2008 BAGHDAD -- A woman blew herself up Thursday near U.S.-allied Sunni Arab fighters walking in a crowded area of Baqubah, killing at least eight members of the Awakening movement and wounding 24 people, police said.The attack comes as the U.S.-backed Iraqi military is promising to launch a major offensive in Diyala province aimed at taming the last major insurgent belt north of Baghdad. Baqubah is the provincial capital....
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq will spend $100 million to rebuild the east Baghdad slum of Sadr City and create jobs for many of its two million residents after years of violence and neglect, a government official said on Sunday. The Shi'ite slum is a stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army, whose fighters clashed with U.S. and government troops there in March and April until a ceasefire halted hostilities. Sadr City was largely outside the government's control until the truce allowed Iraqi soldiers to deploy. "The government has ordered an allocation of $100 million to reconstruct and develop Sadr City," Tahseen al-Sheikhli, civilian spokesman for security operations in Baghdad, told a news conference. He did not give a timeframe for spending the money....
All that death of Iraqi civilians does actually 'add up' to less of one group and more of the other. Then the actions of the USA military and it's 'fumbling around' doesn't help a darn thing. It only 'adds' to the anxiety of who dies next in Baghdad.
Military says US troops killed Iraqi editor's son (click here) By KIM GAMEL – 1 day ago BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military said Friday that bullets fired by American soldiers killed the 14-year-old son of the chief editor of a U.S.-sponsored newspaper during a gunbattle a day earlier in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The military said Arkan Ali Taha was hit Thursday when soldiers came under heavy gunfire from a passing taxi and shot back. The boy was riding in the cab and the driver was later taken into custody, the statement said. The father said his son was not involved with extremist groups and didn't know how to use weapons. He said the boy had hired the cab to bring a set of keys to the newspaper. American and Iraqi security forces have been cracking down on insurgents in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul and in the restive Diyala province north of Baghdad, where violence has been slower to decline than elsewhere in Iraq....
Some of the violence has actually waned into political furvor. That is a good thing, so long as there is no oppression of freedom of expression or the freedom to deny expression in the name of peace.
Baghdad muralists resist push for sectarian themes (click here) Young Iraqi artists continue attempts to boost spirits, kindle optimism at Baghdad ‘blast walls’. By Brian Murphy – BAGHDAD It's art ornamenting life: murals of soothing landscapes and historical heroes covering the blast walls that are now as much a part of Baghdad's cityscape as date palms and desert dust. The idea took off last year when Iraqi aid groups sought to provide work for young artists — and offer a bit of hope and a splash of color to a city whose signature hue is oatmeal brown. But fully rising above Iraq's sectarian suspicions has proved a challenge. Many members in the founding group of artists are putting down their brushes to protest requests from neighborhood councils to depict politically charged sectarian themes such as Sunni shrines in Sunni districts or Shiite saints in Shiite areas....
03 July, 2008 By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 29 minutes ago BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government on Thursday ordered that campaign materials in upcoming provincial elections can only feature pictures of candidates, in an apparent attempt to keep followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr from using his image to court voters. Shiite politicians flooded the country with posters of the country‘s main Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and others during elections in 2005, capitalizing on their prestige to win power. Pictures of al-Sadr, who comes from one of Iraq‘s most esteemed Shiite families, line the streets of places like Baghdad‘s Sadr City. The powerful cleric has built a large following among disgruntled Shiites in Baghdad and southern Iraq who haven‘t benefited from the rise of a Shiite-led government in the country. Al-Sadr‘s followers hope to use the elections to loosen the grip on power that their Shiite rivals have enjoyed since the 2005 elections, which the Sadrists boycotted....
The 'peace' that is desired for Iraq is far from achieved. The fact of the matter is that Iraq will 'settle down' but it will with a Shi'ite majority and bias against all others. That is why the provinces and their minority 'rule' are important. I think Baghdad truly belongs to Shi'ites and leave it at that.
Iraq is not ready for anything else.
The Middle East is not a 'melting pot' as Bush would like to see it. There are differences that are profound and they stem from interpretations of Islamic doctrine. That is allowed in life. The Christians have innumberable denomiations and benefit from it. There is no 'stronghold' of religious authority in the USA. It's called a democracy and benefits from peaceful coexistence of all belief systems.
Baghdad's walls keep peace but feel like prison (click here) By HAMZA HENDAWI – Jun 27, 2008 BAGHDAD (AP) — Baghdad hasn't been this quiet in years. But the respite from bloodshed comes at a high price. Up to 20 feet high in some sections. Rows after rows of barrier walls divide the city into smaller and smaller areas that protect people from bombings, sniper fire and kidnappings. They also lead to gridlock, rising prices for food and homes, and complaints about living in what feels like a prison. Baghdad's walls are everywhere. They have turned a riverside capital of leafy neighborhoods and palm-lined boulevards into a city of shadows that separate Sunnis from Shiites. The walls block access to schools, mosques, churches, hotels, homes, markets and even entire neighborhoods — almost anything that could be attacked. For many Iraqis, they have become the iconic symbol of the war. "Maybe one day they will remove it," said Kareem Mustapha, a 26-year-old Sadr City resident who lives a five-minute walk from a wall built this spring in the large Shiite district. "I don't know when, but it is not soon." Indeed, new walls are still going up, the latest one around the northwestern Shiite neighborhood of Hurriyah, where thousands of Sunnis were slaughtered or expelled in 2006. They could well be around for years to come, enforcing the capital's fragile peace and enshrining its sectarian divisions....
Iraq will find stronger ties to each other as tourism grows and Baghdad finds itself with an identity of an 'International' city. There isn't that foucs because there is too much insecurity for the Shi'ites of the region. They have existed under very oppressive government in Iraq for a long time by sheer numbers. When 50,000 were killed in Southern Iraq in 2002 in a conflict with Saddam that didn't even begin to decry the end to the Shi'ites there.
A lot has to be settled in the way of security for these people and right now separating the provinces into ethnic and religious preferences is an adequate answer. As a side note, Turkey needs to prudent regarding its incursions into Northern Iraq. The Kurds have a right to their culture.
Baghdad boosts security for religious festival (click here) 1 day ago BAGHDAD (AFP) — Baghdad has ramped up security ahead of one of Shiite Islam's most important religious festivals amid heightened concerns of attacks on a holy pilgrimage site, the Iraqi military said on Friday. An extra 5,000 soldiers fanned out in the Kadhimiyah district of Baghdad ahead of the arrival of thousands of pilgrims expected to attend a ceremony on Tuesday to mourn a revered imam who died 12 centuries ago. "There is more than a full brigade deployed in the vicinity, entrances and exits of the city, and in the surrounding areas of Kadhimiyah city, for fear of attacks," defence ministry officials told AFP.....
Nouri Maliki asks pope to urge Christians to return to Iraq (click here) Osservatore Romano / EPA Pope Benedict XVI receives a gift from Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. The prime ministers, on a European trip, also invites Benedict XVI to visit Iraq. By Ned Parker and Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers July 26, 2008 BAGHDAD -- Prime Minister Nouri Maliki asked Pope Benedict XVI in a meeting Friday in Italy to encourage Iraqi Christians who have fled their country to return, citing the improved security situation. He also invited the pontiff to visit Iraq."I . . . appealed to his holiness to encourage Christians who left the country to go back and be part of the social structure of Iraq again," Maliki told reporters after his session with the pope at the pontiff's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.
As wildfires get wilder, the costs of fighting them are untamed (click here) By Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart : times staff writers, First of five parts July 27, 2008 LIVE OAK COMMAND POST -- It was day 42 of the zaca fire. A tower of white smoke reached miles into the blue sky above the undulating ridges of Santa Barbara's backcountry. Helicopters ferried firefighters across the saw-toothed terrain and bombed fiery ridges with water. Long plumes of red retardant trailed from the belly of a DC-10 air tanker. Bulldozers cut defensive lines through pygmy forests of chaparral....
This image provided by NASA taken Tuesday July 22, 2008 shows smoke engulfing the northern Sacramento Valley in California. Northern California, steep terrain and a lack of roads hindered efforts to get the last of California's wildfires under control. Thick smoke from the fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Junction City grounded firefighting aircraft. The fire covered 98 square miles and was 61 percent contained. (AP Photo.NASA)
Fire threatens Yosemite area
A growing fire about 30 miles west of Yosemite Valley triggered the evacuations of 170 homes Saturday, and more are threatened, fire officials said.
Because of the fire, authorities cut the power grid to Yosemite National Park, and it had not been restored by Saturday evening.
Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the Telegraph fire grew from about 1,000 acres to around 16,000 acres, or 25 square miles, during the day Saturday.
Fires this time of year "are extremely active," Berlant said. "The erratic behavior is because there is so much fuel out there to burn."
About 900 firefighters are battling the blaze on both sides of a steep canyon along the Merced River.
Karen Guillemin, a department spokeswoman, said most of the evacuated homes are in Midpines but that residents of other small towns are being asked to prepare to leave. In all, about 2,000 homes are threatened, officials said.
Midpines is on California 140, the thoroughfare that leads to the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. Campers on nearby Bureau of Land Management land were evacuated as a precaution.
Perparing for the nomination and the debates is more than appropriate. When he comes home, he'll be ready to face all the questions regarding his candidacy for the Presidency of the USA.
There is something wrong with being prepared? There is something wrong with being energized by allies and friends? There is something wrong with showing the electorate of the USA that he is not afraid of being welcomed by allies, while providing hope of a return of the USA all can trust?
He isn't campaigning for the Presidency in a way that states he is a candidate in the USA. I do believe Barak will be able to give speeches that sincerely reflect 'current' policies and tones of the relationships the USA shares with its allies.
The man knows what he is doing. After the nomination, he can have a campaign trail that leads to success, not guesses.
Go, Barak, Go !
Chicago Tribune
Slumping economy brings boom in garage sales Hard times offer opportunities for shoppers seeking bargains, sellers needing extra cash By Vikki Ortiz Chicago Tribune reporter 11:39 PM CDT, July 25, 2008 Ryan Rudowicz, 6, pockets proceeds from the sale of a toy at his family's garage sale on Fieldstone Lane in Woodland Hills subdivision in Bartlett. (Tribune photo by Terry Harris / July 18, 2008) For Sue Rolsky of Schaumburg, evidence of the tough economic times comes in a jumble of ugly vases, a 1986 Jim Thompson campaign button and other oddities put out this weekend for sale in her garage and driveway. Rolsky and her sister-in-law are pooling their collectibles Saturday in hopes of clearing out their homes, not to mention making some extra cash. Part of the challenge, Rolsky admits, is haggling with people who will drive hard bargains because they have less money to spend for the likes of that weird stuffed green beaver or that even weirder troll doll. "You've got to expect that," said Rolsky, 56. "That's what they're out for, to get a bargain. . . . We're all trying to economize the best we can."
Daley won't rule out layoffs in tough budget times ahead By Russell Working Chicago Tribune reporter 3:43 PM CDT, July 26, 2008 MayorRichard Daley Saturday predicted tough times ahead financially for the City of Chicago and pointedly declined to rule out layoffs of police and other municipal employees. Asked about a published report that the city is likely facing layoffs because of a $400 million-plus shortage in the upcoming 2009 city budget, Daley noted that the city -- unlike the federal government -- doesn't have the option of running up the deficit to fund its programs. Daley sidestepped a direct answer but left the possibility of layoffs on the table. "I think everybody's concerned about this year's budget," Daley said at the rededication of two historic Monroe Street bridge houses. "It's going to take some tough decisions. But we're all working with people. Like everything else, we have to work together." Daley noted that the economy nationwide is in a serious downturn that will trigger further belt-tightening at home.
Daley promises to fight to keep handgun ban Weis urges residents to swap their guns for gift cards Saturday By Deanese Williams-Harris and Melissa Patterson Chicago Tribune reporters 10:56 PM CDT, July 25, 2008 MayorRichard Daley was adamant Friday about Chicago's intention to defend its handgun ban in court, despite news that a second area suburb was likely to repeal its ordinance next week. MortonGrove, which along with Chicago and other communities was sued by the National Rifle Association, is poised to repeal its first-in-the-nation handgun ban next week. Wilmette already has suspended its handgun ordinance in the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a similar law in Washington. "Morton Grove can do anything that it wants," Daley said at an unrelated news conference. "I don't look at this lightly—that, 'Oh, because the Supreme Court's done it we're just gonna dismiss it and all of a sudden people can arm themselves,' " he said.
Firearm trade-in locations 10:55 PM CDT, July 25, 2008 The city's gun buyback program will accept guns Saturday at the following locations: Bethlehem Star Missionary Baptist Church, 9231 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Trinity All Nation Church, 9600 S. Vincennes Ave. St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 8500 S. Maryland Ave.
Will clotheslines turn dryers into relics? By Sheila Simon July 27, 2008 Hang out with me. In my most rich environmentalist fantasies I am off the grid, self-sufficiently solar. In real life I'm still on the grid because I'm not rich. But even in real life with a budget, my family and I have scored big with one simple lifestyle change—we hang dry all of our laundry. It has reduced our power bill, and turned us, like converts to a new faith, into proselytizers. We had long ago taken steps to reduce our electricity use. We replaced all of our light bulbs with fluorescents, use less air conditioning in the summer and turn the heat down in the winter when we're all out of the house. But nothing made such a dent in our power bill as abandoning the dryer. That simple change dropped our average monthly bill by more than $100.
Man accused in conspiracy to kill judge dies at 63 Jul. 26, 2008 02:00 PM Associated Press EL PASO, Texas - Jamiel Alexander "Jimmy" Chagra, accused of leading a 1979 conspiracy to assassinate the federal judge in San Antonio set to preside over his drug trial, died Friday. He was 63. Chagra, who was living in Mesa, had been battling cancer since November, said his sister, Patsy Chagra of El Paso. "That's where he was living with his wife," she told the El Paso Times for its Friday editions. "He died peacefully ... ." U.S. District Judge John Wood Jr. was fatally shot in the back on May 29, 1979, outside his San Antonio home. Hit man Charles Harrelson, the father of actor Woody Harrelson, was convicted of murder in the slaying and died in federal prison in Denver in March 2007 while serving two life sentences.
Huge housing rescue bill passes, but experts skeptical Jul. 26, 2008 03:00 PM Washington Post WASHINGTON - Even as a huge bipartisan majority in the Senate voted Saturday to send a sprawling housing bill to the White House, economists, consumer advocates and other analysts said the package of programs for cash-strapped homeowners and shaken mortgage lenders is unlikely to relieve the foreclosure crisis that is driving the nation toward recession. “This is not the end of the housing crunch,” said Jared Bernstein, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute. “Housing prices have already fallen 15 percent and they need to fall 10 percent more. This bill isn't going to change that equation.” The Senate voted 72 to 13 to approve the bill, which seeks to halt the steepest slide in house prices in a generation, rescue hundreds of thousands of families from foreclosure and restore confidence in the nation's largest mortgage-finance firms. White House officials said President Bush is likely to sign it by midweek, despite his opposition to nearly $4 billion in aid to local communities.
Boy electrocuted as storm hits Tucson ballfield Jul. 26, 2008 10:51 AM Associated Press TUCSON - Fire officials say an 8-year-old boy was electrocuted as fellow spectators and ballplayers rushed to get out of a storm at a Tucson ballfield. The Tucson Fire Department initially received a report that the boy had been hit by lightning. However, department spokeswoman Capt. Tricia Tracy says the boy was standing in a puddle about 10 feet from a light pole and could have been shocked after lightning struck the pole Friday evening.
Hospital hangs purple ribbons for drowning awareness by Beth Duckett - Jul. 26, 2008 12:34 PM The Arizona Republic A day after a 2-year-old Mesa girl drowned in a backyard swimming pool, volunteers convened at Phoenix Children's Hospital Saturday morning to raise awareness about the Valley wide drowning crisis. Nine children have drowned in Maricopa County this year. In June, four children drowned in less than two weeks. On Saturday morning, helpers tied purple ribbons on hospital trees to spread the word about drowning prevention during August. The ribbons are purple to commemorate the favorite color of Derek Gonzalez, 3, of Mesa, who drowned in a neighbor's unfenced pool in 2004. "We want to honor Derek and all the other children who have died from drownings," said Tiffaney Isaacson, water safety coordinator for the Water Watchers program at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
Wheelchair vets find they still have game by Lisa Halverstadt - Jul. 26, 2008 08:00 AM The Arizona Republic When they learned they would never walk again, four local veterans couldn't imagine becoming athletes. Now, despite their injuries, they're competing in the National Wheelchair Games. They are part of a 31-member team from the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System competing in such sports as power soccer, softball and weightlifting. More than 500 veterans from the U.S., Puerto Rico and Great Britain have gathered in Omaha, Neb., for the five-day event that began Friday.
Snickers ad called homophobic pulled off TV Jul. 25, 2008 10:38 AM The Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. - U.S.-based candy maker Mars says it is pulling a Snickers television advertisement in the United Kingdom that prompted a complaint from a gay rights group. A statement from McLean, Virginia-based Mars Inc. issued late Thursday said the ad featuring the actor Mr. T is the second in a series that was meant to be funny and has been received well there. But Mars says the ad is not meant to be offensive and it is pulling it. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation criticized the ad as using stereotypes of gay men. It's the second time in a year-and-a-half that the privately held company has pulled an ad after receiving complaints that it was homophobic. In the ad, Mr. T berates a speedwalking man as a "disgrace to the man race."
Foreclosures: Worst still to come, experts say by Michael Clancy - Jul. 24, 2008 10:54 AM The Arizona Republic Phoenix had a staggering 534 percent increase in foreclosures in the first half of 2008, and it appears the worst may be yet to come. The percentage gain represents an increase of about 5,000 homes foreclosed from year to year, according to data provided by Information Market. "This is not surprising," said Phoenix City Councilman Claude Mattox, who represents the hardest-hit areas of the city. "We're well aware of the problem, and we are doing all we can to mitigate it." The real tidal wave may be yet to come.
Bands thrill fans from 5 stages By LYNSI BURTON P-I REPORTER One of Seattle's biggest summer music events is this weekend, and if you weren't at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday, Saturday is your last chance to check it out. The nightclub strip on East Pike Street was buzzing with alternative music fans Friday, crowding around the Block Party's five stages under the beaming sun. In addition to music, there were abundant snack and drink stands, clothing vendors and voter registration drives, among other eclectic fare. The party started at 4 p.m. with Black Eyes & Neckties, a rowdy Bellingham garage-rock band with a morbid dark side. The band's set at the Neumo's Stage was theatrical with an energetic urgency, complete with bloody makeup -- though when the band thanked the crowd at the end, you'd feel as though you could introduce the musicians to your mother.
Another e-mail scandal rocks port 8 workers fired over offensive messages By VANESSA HO P-I REPORTER A year after a scandal engulfed the Port of Seattle's Police Department over smutty, derogatory e-mails, 15 more employees in a different section of the port have been caught exchanging similar e-mails, some for nearly a year, authorities said Friday. "This is especially disappointing as we have been clear with staff about our expectations that employees read, understand and abide by the port's policies," Port Chief Executive Tay Yoshitani said in a written statement.
Divers come up with new hook on lake's spikes By KATHY MULADY P-I REPORTER Spikes pulled from the bottom of Green Lake, now a total of 86, may turn out to be less ominous and more practical than originally thought and have probably been in the water much longer than the month or two park officials originally estimated. Several of the 2-foot or longer pieces of metal recovered by divers and snorkelers Friday had hooked tops like candy canes. Some speculated that the spikes, about as thick as pencils, had been used long ago to tether something to the bottom of the lake. "Not in the last 20 years," said park officials. When looked at closely, it appeared that the hook tops on some had corroded and fallen off the metal rods. What's left looks like a spike.
Obama defends tour, says McCain shifting on war By DAVID ESPO AP SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT LONDON -- Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama brushed aside Republican criticism of his overseas trip on Saturday and stood outside the famed 10 Downing Street to say that both President Bush and Sen. John McCain were moving his way on the key issues of Iraq and Afghanistan. Hours before flying home, Obama also suggested his poll numbers might dip in the coming days, adding: "We have been out of the country for a week. People are worried about gas prices and home foreclosures." At the same time, he said the journey to two war zones, the Mideast and Europe was important because "many of the issues that we face at home are not going to be solved as effectively unless we have strong partners abroad."
No 'blank check' for Iraq war, Democrats say By ANDREW MIGA ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jack Reed says America can't afford the Republican strategy of continuing to write blank checks for the Iraq war. "At a time when the war in Iraq costs $10 billion each month, Americans are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, and our economy is struggling, we cannot continue down the path that President Bush and Senator McCain propose: writing blank check after blank check," Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, said Saturday in his party's weekly radio address.
Falling tree kills firefighter in California THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REDDING, Calif. -- Federal forestry officials say a firefighter has died after being struck by a falling tree while working on a wildfire in Northern California. Andrew Jackson Palmer was injured Friday while working on a forest fire near Junction City, about 50 miles west of Redding. A U.S. Forest Service spokesman says the 18-year-old Palmer died while being flown to a hospital in Redding. Palmer was a based at Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, Wash. The fire near Junction City Eagle is one of more than 2,000 blazes ignited during a huge lightning storm June 21.
Calif. fire threatens homes near Yosemite Valley THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MIDPINES, CALIF. -- Authorities say a wildfire is threatening several hundred homes near the main entrance road to Yosemite National Park. Cheryl Goetz, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, says the 1,000-acre fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain along both sides of the Merced River. The Mariposa Sheriff's Department is warning residents of the town of Midpines to prepare to evacuate. Midpines is located along Highway 140, the thoroughfare to the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. Campers on nearby Bureau of Land Management land were evacuated as a precaution.
Bodies of missing R.I. couple found in septic tank THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WARREN, R.I. -- Police have found the bodies of a missing Rhode Island couple in a septic tank in their yard. Sixty-year-old James A. Soares Sr. and 53-year-old Marian F. Soares had last been seen at the beginning of the month. They were reported missing by family members July 15 after they missed a family reunion. Police went to the couple's house in Warren on Saturday and excavated the yard with a backhoe. Police removed two body bags with their remains, along with several bags of dirt. The Providence Journal reported that a family member has been arrested, but no one has been charged. Authorities did not elaborate.
Gunman at Pa. radio station bipolar, ex-wife says THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The ex-wife of a gunman fatally shot by police outside a central Pennsylvania radio station says the man struggled with bipolar disorder. Coroner Scott Sayers says the gunman is 50-year-old Brian Neiman of Pottersdale. Police say Neiman was killed Friday after he fired at officers and tried to run them over with his vehicle outside a radio station in State College. Jean Neiman of Mifflin County says her ex-husband became angry when he didn't take his medication. She says they used to listen to the Christian station together before divorcing in 2006. Police got a tip that an armed man was heading to the station and stopped him outside. No one at the station was injured.
Al Gore: Carbon-free juice SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD Al Gore has challenged the nation to produce 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and carbon-free sources within 10 years. A few months ago, when folks suggested Gore run again for president, he declined, preferring to promote solutions to the national energy and environmental challenges. We think Gore is on track with a practical approach to global warming -- it's the do-it-now alternative to gloom and doom. But he's not alone in this quest. Oilman T. Boone Pickens has offered his own plan. It's different (less about carbon, more about energy) but with a similar overall goal in mind -- energy independence. Pickens says we import 70 percent of our energy, essentially giving $700 billion each year to other nations. "Scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the surface of the Earth every 40 minutes to meet 100 percent of the entire world's energy needs for a full year. Tapping just a small portion of this solar energy could provide all of the electricity America uses," Gore said. "Enough wind power blows through the Midwest corridor every day to also meet 100 percent of U.S. electricity demand." The time has come for our generation's Manhattan Project. One that balances the challenges of global warming mitigation with our need for energy (and economic) independence. Can it be done? Yes. A carbon-free future can become reality -- if the nation is willing to invest money, creativity and national spirit. This type of impossible goal is exactly the sort of dream that's made America, well, America.
WA firefighter dies in California wildfire THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REDDING, Calif. -- A Washington state firefighter died when he was hit by a falling tree while assisting in a wildfire in California. Andrew Palmer, 18, based at the Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, Wash., was part of a four-member park engine crew that was dispatched Tuesday to a fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, about 50 miles east of Redding, Calif. Officials said they are investigating the death. Steve Ritchie, a spokesman for the Redding-area fire command center, said the 18-year-old suffered multiple injuries and died while being airlifted to a hospital on Friday. Ritchie said the Eagle Fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest has burned more than 21,000 acres and was 68 percent contained as of Saturday morning.
