No Agenda 472 - Coneheads in Mexico

No Agenda Episode 472 - Coneheads in Mexico
  Coneheads in Mexico
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  Art By: MartinJJ
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Credits
  Conheads in Mexico
  Executive Producers: Sir Steven Jaffe
  Associate Executive Producers: Thomas Morgani, Sir Bean, Aric the Shill
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  Knighthoods: Steven Jaffe, Greg Wilson, Maxwell Roberts
  Art By: MartinJJ
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  Strategy of Tension
    Remarks at Holiday Reception for the Diplomatic Corps
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:00
      DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Good evening. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Ben Franklin Room. Thank you all very much for coming, and thanks especially to James Taylor for joining us earlier. Secretary Clinton is truly sorry that she's unable to be here this evening.‹I've been in this business long enough to know that you never want to stand for too long between an audience and the President of the United States '' (laughter) '' so I will be very brief.‹
      We approach the end of this year with gratitude, some sorrow, and hope '' gratitude for our collective progress in advancing international cooperation and the dignity and universal rights that people across the world so deeply deserve; sorrow for our losses, including those here at home; and hope for the coming year.
      I know the Secretary would want me to extend to each of you her best wishes for the holidays and her heartfelt thanks for the friendship, collegiality, and skill of a Washington Diplomatic Corps that remains as fine a collection of diplomats as there is anywhere in the world.‹
      And now it is my great honor to introduce the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. (Applause.)
      THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Well, good evening, everyone. It is wonderful to see all of you.
      I want to publicly thank Deputy Secretary Bill Burns. For those of you who don't know, Bill is only the second career diplomat in American history to rise to the level of Deputy Secretary. (Applause.) It is a tribute to Bill's extraordinary skills. I first met him when I was a new senator, and I traveled to Moscow. And he was then the ambassador in Moscow, and he immediately impressed me. One of these guys who doesn't speak loud, but actually has something to say. (Laughter.) Which is hard to find in Washington. (Laughter.) In Washington you have a lot of folks who speak loud and have nothing to say. (Laughter.)
      And so we're thrilled obviously with the work that he has done, but Bill I think is representative of our incredible Foreign Service officers. So thanks not only to Bill, but to all the outstanding State Department personnel who are working every day, often at great risk, to advance our interests and our ideals around the world.
      Had Secretary Clinton been able to join us, I was going to congratulate her on her record-breaking travels, visiting 112 nations, just about every one of the countries that are represented here this evening -- more than 400 travel days; nearly 1 million miles. These are not frequent flyer miles. (Laughter.) She does not get discounts. I suspect she's not going to be flying commercial that much after she leaves the State Department. But she is tireless and extraordinary.
      I spoke with her this past week. We can't wait to have her back. And I know that all of you join me in sending her wishes for a speedy recovery.
      Now, we get together like this every year or so around the holidays -'-- either here or at the White House. It's a chance for me to express my appreciation for the cooperation and partnership between our countries. That includes the hospitality that you and your fellow citizens show every single day to our diplomats and their families -'-- Americans who are serving far from home.
      But tonight, I also want to thank you for something else. This obviously continues to be a very difficult week here in America. We're still grieving and reeling from unspeakable violence that took place in Newtown. I was up there on Sunday. I told the families there that they are not alone; that our entire nation stands with them. But over the past few days what we've also seen is that the entire world stands with them; and so many of your countries, your citizens, your leaders have sent messages to them. And I know they are grateful and certainly I am grateful.
      At our embassies and consulates, people are placing flowers and leaving notes. We've seen candlelight vigils, and makeshift memorials -'-- including a beach in Brazil marked by 26 crosses and a bright American flag. Across the globe, people are going online and posting messages and sending emails and texts of support. I think of the woman, a teacher in Lithuania, who said, ''I send all my love and prayers to the families. It's all I can do from so far away, but my heart is now in Newtown.''
      So this evening, I want you and your fellow citizens back home to know how much this has meant to all of us -'-- to the good people of Newtown, to me, and to the American people. You've stood with us, just as we've stood with you in similar moments -'--whether it's been a Scottish village, an Australian town, most recently the terrible tragedy at a youth camp in Norway.
      Whether it's a tsunami that strikes, or an earthquake that levels communities, or when a young girl is targeted and nearly killed, just for wanting to go to school, we're reminded that terrible things happen in this world, but there are more people of goodwill than people of ill will. And that if we can just remind ourselves of our common humanity, perhaps we can make progress.
      These are moments that pierce through all the noise of our daily lives. And they speak to a larger truth that permeates our work together. You turn on the TV, you open the newspaper, and every day it seems we're bombarded with images of tension and conflict and division and differences. And that sometimes seems to validate those who believe that civilizations are destined to clash.
      permeate |?p?rm???t|
      verb [ trans. ]
      spread throughout (something); pervade : the aroma of soup permeated the air | [ intrans. ] his personality has begun to permeate through the whole organization.
      But when you think about the last few days, you're reminded that there's a fundamental human response that transcends cultures and transcends borders. And that's what is represented in this room. You look around the room and we reflect this vast tapestry of human experience -- people from every continent and every culture; North, South, East, and West; from all the great faiths, every creed and color; men and women. And we're reminded that whatever differences on the surface, deep down we're bound by a certain set of basic aspirations.
      We want our children to be safe and free from fear. We want people to live in dignity and prosperity, free from want. We want people to be free to think for themselves, and speak their minds and pray as they choose. We want them to surpass or do a little bit better than we did. That's what we want for our children. That's why we're here -- to serve them to do everything in our power to leave our children, and the next generation a better, safer world.
      And that's why, over the past four years, we've worked together, wherever we can, with your nations in a new era of engagement, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. Strengthening alliances. Forging new partnerships. Confronting the spread of nuclear weapons. Promoting open government, global health and food security, and fighting human trafficking. Ending one war in Iraq. Winding down another war in Afghanistan. Going after terrorist networks that threaten all of our people. Standing up for self-determination and freedom -- from South Sudan to the Arab Spring to Burma. (Applause.)
      At the same time, we're mindful that we've got so much more work to do together. There still are wars to end. There are still democratic transitions to sustain. Violent extremism remains out there and has to be confronted and deadly weapons still have to be contained. We have to work to ease tensions between nations and uphold human rights. There are still political prisoners that need to be freed and children that deserve a better education. And all of us have to be concerned about a changing climate that could have a profound impact on every single country here.
      This must be our work. And I'm here to say tonight that this spirit of partnership with your nations that defined my first term will remain a core principle of my second term. That's my commitment. That is America's commitment. And that, I think, is one of the ways we can honor all these beautiful children and incredible teachers who were lost this past Friday -- by building a future that is equal to their dreams, and delivers on the dreams of children all around the world just like them.
      So as we gather this holiday season and look ahead to the New Year, I'd leave you with a simple message, a wish: In the face of violence, let's seek peace. In the face of injustice, let's strive for dignity. In the face of oppression, let's stand for liberty. And in the face of suspicion and mistrust, let's build the empathy and understanding. Let's understand that we need to live together -- as nations and as peoples and as brothers and sisters, as children of a loving God. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
      God bless you. God bless America.
      END
    School shooting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      A school shooting is an incident in which gun violence occurs at an educational institution. The term school shooting is most commonly used to describe acts committed by a student or intruders upon the school campus. They are to be distinguished from crowd-containment shootings by law-enforcement personnel, such as the shootings at South Carolina State, Kent State and Jackson State universities in the United States, or the October 6, 1976 Massacre in Thailand. They are also differentiated from other kinds of school violence, such as the mass killings of the Bath School disaster (which involved a homemade bomb rather than a shooting), the Cologne school massacre (which involved a flamethrower); or terror attacks involving multiple kinds of weapons, such as the Ma'alot massacre or the Beslan school hostage crisis.[citation needed]
      In the United States, one-on-one public-school violence, such as beatings and stabbings or gang related violence, is more common in some densely-populated areas. Inner-city schools were much more likely than other schools to report serious violent crimes, with 17 percent of city principals reporting at least one serious crime compared to 11 percent of urban schools, 10 percent of rural schools, and five percent of suburban schools in the 1997 school year.[1] However, school shootings in other countries may take on more national or religious overtones, such as the Mercaz HaRav massacre.
      One of the most prominent school shootings was that at Columbine High School, near Littleton, Colorado. On Tuesday, April 20, 1999, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered thirteen people (twelve students and one teacher) on the school campus before they committed suicide, for a total of fifteen deaths. 24 others were wounded. The shooting was initially planned as a bombing, followed by the shooting of survivors.
    Genetic Clues in the Newtown Massacre | The Scientist Magazine¨
      Officials in Connecticut are searching for any clues that may help them piece together the motivations of Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old man who killed his mother before going on a deadly shooting spree in an elementary school last Friday (December 14), gunning down 20 young children, and 6 other adults in the idyllic New England town of Newtown. According to The Hartford Courant, H. Wayne Carver, Connecticut's chief medical examiner, has invited a University of Connecticut geneticist to join him in the investigation of the killings. "I'm exploring with the department of genetics what might be possible, if anything is possible," Carver told the Courant on Tuesday. "Is there any identifiable disease associated with this behavior?"
      Some sources have averred that Lanza had Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, but that has yet to be definitively determined. Carver told the Courant that he is still awaiting toxicology reports that may further expose biological clues to Lanza's violent act.
    Parents Worry Their Child Could Be 'Next Adam Lanza' CBS Detroit
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:20
      A message is left on a highway overpass in remembrance of those killed down the street from the Sandy Hook School December 16, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. (credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
      ROCHESTER HILLS (WWJ) - Since the tragic mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, it's been a very busy week for a Rochester Hills psychiatrist who specializes in treating children.
      Beaumont Dr. Joel Young said the number of calls coming into his office has about doubled since last Friday, highlighting just how many people are struggling with troubled children.
      What are these parents talking about?
      ''Individuals making threats to themselves and then occasionally threatening other people,'' he said. ''We're getting a lot of calls where people are concerned '-- is my child a potential perpetrator? Is my child violent?''
      Young said taking care of such children is a difficult, and sometimes lifelong, task. ''Families who have children like Adam (Lanza, the Conn. shooter) have to deal with this 24 hours a day for many years without much relief or much sympathy from other people, and yet it's a nightmare,'' he said. ''These children often don't marry, they don't integrate into society very well. It is the responsibility of the parents, often the mother, and it is an ongoing challenge.''
      Young told WWJ Newsradio 950'Ós Sandra McNeil most troubled kids will not resort to violence, and therapy can help.
      Young said young men are the most at risk to become violent between the ages of 18 and 30. Also at risk are those who are isolated and have problems with impulse control.
      There's one thing, Young said, he feels strongly about: ''It's not a function of bad parenting; it's luck of the draw.'' He said these parents need support, not criticism.
      Funerals continue this week for the 26 people, including 20 young children, who were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut on Dec. 14. The shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, killed himself as police arrived on the scene. (Follow CBS Local coverage from Conn. at this link).
      RELATED: School Districts Cancel Class Due To Doomsday Talk, Potential Threats
    Adam Lanza's Mom Pulled Him Out of School: Relative - ABC News
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 13:31
      The aunt of Connecticut shooter Adam Lanza said the shooter's mother pulled him out of Newtown's public school system because she was unhappy with the school district's plans for her son.
      Adam Lanza's mother Nancy, 52, was the first victim of his Friday shooting spree. Lanza shot Nancy in the face and then drove her car to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he killed 20 students and six adults before taking his own life.
      Marsha Lanza, who is Adam's aunt and Nancy's ex-sister-in-law, called her former sister-in-law an "awesome ... giving person." She also told Evelyn Holmes of ABC-owned-and-operated station WLS in Chicago that Nancy had once been a classroom aide at the Sandy Hook school.
      Marsha, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, said that Nancy had home-schooled Adam after pulling him out of the Newtown public school system. "She mentioned she wound up home-schooling him because she battled with the school district," said Marsha.
      She did not know when Adam had left school. According to former classmates, Adam had attended the local high school at least through part of 10th grade.
      Nancy Lanza divorced her husband Peter in 2009, when Adam was 17. "She didn't have to work because my brother-in-law left her very well off," said Marsha. "As part of their divorce settlement she got the house."
      Marsha also said, however, that Nancy had purchased guns because she was living alone in a big house. Nancy was originally from New Hampshire, said Marsha, and comfortable with weapons.
      According to police, a Glock handgun, a Sig Sauer handgun and a Bushmaster rifle were recovered after the shooting at Sandy Hook. Authorities say that Nancy Lanza had five weapons registered to her, including a Sig Sauer, a Glock and a Bushmaster. Police have not confirmed that hers were the weapons used in the slayings.
      Nancy was described by Police Chief Donald Briggs of Kingston, N.H., where she grew up, as a "very, very kind considerate loving young lady. She lived here a good part of her life she was very involved in the community, very well respected."
      Briggs and Rockingham County Sheriff Michael Downing spoke at a news conference where Downing read a statement from Nancy's brother, James Champion, who was a captain with the Kingston police before he retired but still works part-time for both the Kingston police and Rockingham County sheriff.
      "The family of Nancy Lanza share the grief of a community and the nation of we struggle to comprehend the tremendous loss that we all share our hearts and prayers are with those who share in this loss the families teachers staff and students of Sandy Brook Elementary school the first responders and to all others touched by this tragedy on behalf of Nancy's mother and siblings we reach out to the community of Newtown and express our heartfelt sorrow for the incomprehensible and profound innocence that has affected so many the family requests that you respect their privacy during this time of anguish and loss," Downing said, reading the statement on behalf of the Champion family.
      Click Here for the Blotter Homepage.
    Emergency school drill has students scared for their lives | www.kfoxtv.com
    Demand a Plan - Home
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:55
      Dec 19, 2012
      1. SIGN OUR PETITIONJoin more than 300,000 Americans demanding a plan from President Obama and Congress to end gun violence. When you do, you'll also be signing up for our latest email updates. We'll email you with specific, time-sensitive actions that will make a difference.
      2. DONATE NOWWith your support, we can continue to push the President and Congress to offer specific plans for reducing the gun violence that claims 34 Americans every day.
      Make a donation of $25 or more and help hold our leaders accountable for keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Please note that contributions to Mayors Against Illegal Guns Action Fund are not tax-deductible.
      3. SHARE THE PETITIONAfter you sign the petition, share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.
      4. CALL OUR LEADERSCall President Obama and your members of Congress and demand a plan to end gun violence
      Tell them we need background checks on all gun sales to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
      5. RECRUIT YOUR MAYORMayors Against Illegal Guns is a bipartisan coalition of more than 750 mayors - representing more than 57 million Americans '' who support common-sense gun laws.
      Find out if your mayor is in the coalition HERE. If they are, thank them!
      If they aren't, contact them and ask them to join by signing our Statement of Principles HERE.
      6. SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIAAdvocate for change on Twitter and Facebook.
      Follow @DemandAPlan on Twitter for the latest news on the fight to stop gun violence in this country. You should tweet about the issue and consider using the hashtag #DemandAPlan.
      Like our Facebook page, and share actions and news on your own page.
      7. JOIN OUR FAITH LEADERSPeople of all faiths across the country will be hosting a Sabbath to Stop Gun Violence on the weekend of Jan. 5-6, 2013. Click HERE to find out how to join them.
      8. WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DEMANDING A PLAN FROM ELECTED OFFICIALSSubmit a letter to your local newspaper and tell your elected officials that Americans support common sense gun laws. In fact, 82% of gun owners'--including 74% of NRA members'--support criminal background checks for all gun sales.
      Read More
    Meet the Pastor
      Born and raised in Rhode Island as one of twelve children-in a devout Roman Catholic family, Pastor Jim became agnostic before his conversion to Christ in 1989. Anne, Jim's wife,-a native of Louisiana, grew up in the Presbyterian Church, USA. They met in Boston at a Congregational Church while working in the financial district. They then moved to California for-graduate school/seminary while transitioning from the business world to vocational ministry.
      God used a very large-non-denominational church in Bethel, Connecticut, to bring-Jim and Anne-back from California-to their beloved New England. Jim served as its first Associate Pastor for several years. After a short assignment away from-that-church-and a change in convictions regarding-philosophy of ministry,-they planted New Hope Community Church, in Newtown, with-only two other couples, yet have enjoyed reaching-many people for Christ since that decisive day in 2005.-As accountability and having a covering are important to Jim, the church-joined a-wonderful, impactful-denomination/team of churches existing locally and globally since the 1800s, known-as-The Alliance, www.cmalliance.org--
    The Alliance: Living the Call Together
    Christian and Missionary Alliance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.
      C&MA Boarding School Abuse
      In the 1980s, alumni of Mamou Alliance Academy in Guinea West Africa began to write letters to C&MA headquarters informing leadership of systemic child abuse that occurred at the school. Phone calls and letter writing of this nature to the C&MA continued for ten years.[22]
      The alumni have reported that the C&MA response was evasive, deceptive, and employed ÒstonewallingÓ tactics. Alumni were reportedly told that they should forgive, and that they would Òhurt the name of JesusÓ by coming forward. One alumnus has stated that Òthe only way that we could get the Alliance to do anything was through the media. It was only through shaming them by putting the truth out thereÓ. Dr. Robert Fetherlin, vice president for International Ministries for the C&MA has stated ÒWe heard as far back as the 1980s that there were some questionable events that took place at Mamou. That there may have been mistreatment of children, however we were slower then we should have been in responding to that.Ó[22]
      In 1995, 30 alumni from Mamou approached the C&MA for an investigation and restitution.[23] They reported systemic abuse including psychological abuse, excessive beating, sadistic dental practices performed without novocaine, sexual molestation, and rape.[22] The following year, an independent commission of inquiry (ICI) was formed and 80 testimonies were heard. In April 1998, the ICI released a report which found the denomination negligent in monitoring Mamou and in training teachers. The report identified nine offenders, four of which were retired, three deceased and two that were no longer with the C&MA.[23]
      The US C&MA Board of Directors has issued an open letter to the victims of abuse asking for Òforgiveness for the pain and trauma that you suffered while under the care of C&MA dorm parents, teachers and missionaries.Ó[24]
      Previously, the C&MA center was in Nyack, New York, which continues to be the home of Nyack College (formerly the Missionary Training Institute) and Alliance Theological Seminary. C&MA headquarters are currently located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr. Gary Benedict is the current elected president of the C&MA in the United States of America, Dr. Franklin Pyles the current elected president for the C&MA in Canada (Autonomous), Rev. Rod Russell-Brown is the president of the C&MA of Australia, and Rev. Sami Dagher is the president of the C&MA in Lebanon.
      As of 2006, there are 2,010 C&MA churches and approximately 417,000 members in the United States.[1][dead link] Approximately 600 of those churches are described as intercultural.[2] In Canada, there are 440 churches, 59 of which are multicultural, and approximately 120,000 members. In the C&MA 2004 annual report estimated that outside of the U.S. and Canada, C&MA membership exceeds 3 million.[3]
      Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian Alliance which focused on the pursuit and promotion of the Higher Christian life and The Evangelical Missionary Alliance, which focused on mobilizing "consecrated" Christians in the work of foreign missionary efforts. These two groups amalgamated in 1897 to form The Christian and Missionary Alliance. It was only much later during the mid-20th century that an official denomination was formed.[citation needed]
  Pre-Crime
    New York Cops Want to Catch Future Mass Shooters Online'--Before They Snap
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:22
      The recent school shooting in Newtown, CT is proving a watershed moment for American gun control efforts'--public opinion is quickly coalescing in favor of stringent regulation proposals while civic leaders scramble to respond to the outcry. But fear not New Yorkers, the NYPD has a plan'--wait for potential killers to mention their murderous intentions on Facebook.
      According to NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, the department's top intelligence officers met Thursday to brainstorm over ways to prevent tragedies such as the Sandy Hook incident. As Kelly explains, this is what they came up with,
      The techniques would include cyber-searches of language that mass-casualty shooters have used in e-mails and Internet postings. The goal would be to identify the shooter in cyberspace, engage him there and intervene, possibly using an undercover to get close, and take him into custody or otherwise disrupt his plans.
      Law enforcement personnel would rely on a search algorithm ("cyber-searches," if you will) to seek out "terms used by active shooters in the past that may be an indicator of future intentions," Paul. J. Browne, the department's chief spokesman, told the NYT. The search technique is reportedly similar to that already used by US anti-terrorism forces to pick up on terrorist chatter. The department has reportedly already sent teams to the Connecticut crime scene to collect baseline information.
      While the department's efforts to respond swiftly and decisively to this tragedy are commendable, they seem to be forgetting an important detail. Adam Lanza was a non-entity on the net with no Facebook, Twitter, or other social media accounts to speak of. Such a dragnet may very well miss threats like him but could require broad, invasive access to the emails and other private data of an estimated 19.3 million New York residents. On the other hand, the NYPD has already shown that it can effectively leverage social media in its investigations as demonstrated by the recent bust of Brooklyn's TBO gang. So, what will it be, personal privacy or proactive protection? Let us know in the discussion below.
      [New York Times - Image: zimmytws / Shutterstock]
    Gaps in F.B.I. Data Undercut Background Checks for Guns - NYTimes.com
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:09
      Mary F. Calvert for The New York Times
      Dennis Pratte, owner of a gun store in Falls Church, Va., said he sold weapons only to buyers who cleared a background check.
      CLARKSBURG, W.Va. '-- Nearly two decades after lawmakers began requiring background checks for gun buyers, significant gaps in the F.B.I.'s database of criminal and mental health records allow thousands of people to buy firearms every year who should be barred from doing so.
      The database is incomplete because many states have not provided federal authorities with comprehensive records of people involuntarily committed or otherwise ruled mentally ill. Records are also spotty for several other categories of prohibited buyers, including those who have tested positive for illegal drugs or have a history of domestic violence.
      While some states, including New York, have submitted more than 100,000 names of mentally ill people to the F.B.I. database, 19 '-- including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maryland and Maine '-- have submitted fewer than 100 records and Rhode Island has submitted none, according to federal data compiled by Mayors Against Illegal Guns. That suggests that millions of names are missing from the federal database, gun control advocates and law enforcement officials say.
      ''Until it has all the records of people out there in the country who have been deemed too dangerous to own a firearm, the background check system still looks like Swiss cheese,'' said Mark Glaze, director of the group. The gaps exist because the system is voluntary; the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the federal government cannot force state officials to participate in the federal background check system. As a result, when a gun dealer asks the F.B.I. to check a buyer's history, the bureau sometimes allows the sale to proceed, even though the purchaser should have been prohibited from acquiring a weapon, because its database is missing the relevant records.
      While the database flaws do not appear to have been a factor in the Newtown, Conn., school massacre, they have been linked to other attacks, including the Virginia Tech mass murder in 2007. In that case, a Virginia state judge had declared the gunman mentally ill, but the record of that proceeding was not submitted to the F.B.I. He was able to pass a background check and buy the weapons he used to kill 32 people and wound 17 others.
      Since then, Virginia has increased its submissions to the F.B.I. But other states have not taken similar steps because of lack of political will, technical obstacles and state privacy laws, according to Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which conducted a survey of states last year about their compliance. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York is a co-chairman of the group.
      A July report by the Government Accountability Office, the nonpartisan Congressional watchdog, found that the total number of mental health records submitted by states to the background check system increased to 1.2 million from about 126,000 between 2004 and 2011, but that the increase largely reflected the efforts of just 12 states. And, it found, 30 states were not making noncriminal records '-- like positive drug test results for people on probation '-- available to the system.
      Charles H. Ramsey, the police commissioner in Philadelphia, said the system needed to be strengthened immediately. ''There is a lot of data sitting in different places, and we need to be able to access it in a timely fashion,'' he said. ''It ought to be a top priority now.''
      The gaps in the database have exacerbated the effect of a loophole that results in violent felons, fugitives and the mentally ill being able to buy firearms when the F.B.I. cannot determine the person's history during a three-day waiting period.
      Roughly 97 percent of the time, specialists said, the F.B.I. can provide an instant answer, but sometimes an ambiguity '-- an arrest record that does not say whether someone was convicted, or a common name '-- requires calling local courthouses to track down the information.
      That can cause delays as local officials search through records, some of which are not yet digitized, law enforcement officials said. If the F.B.I. investigation is not completed within the waiting period, would-be gun buyers are permitted to go ahead.
      Since 2005, 22,162 firearms '-- including nearly 3,000 this year '-- have been bought after the waiting period by people later determined to have been disqualified because of their criminal and mental histories, according to an examination of F.B.I. data.
      Some of the weapons were used in violent crimes, including a fatal drive-by shooting, but it is not clear how many were linked to criminal acts, because authorities are barred by Congress from tracking such information.
  Nothing to see here!
    Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 2467, H.R. 2838, H.R. 3319, H.R. 4014, H.R. 4367, S. 1998, and S. 3542 | The White House
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:58
      The White House
      Office of the Press Secretary
      For Immediate Release
      December 20, 2012
      On Thursday, December 20, 2012, the President signed into law:
      H.R. 2467, the "Bridgeport Indian Colony Land Trust, Health, and Economic Development Act of 2012," which transfers approximately 39 acres of Federal land in Mono County, California, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, into trust status for the benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony;
      H.R. 2838, the "Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012," which authorizes FY 2013 and FY 2014 appropriations and amends laws related to the Coast Guard; authorizes FY 2013 appropriations and amends laws related to the Maritime Administration; and amends various other maritime-related provisions of law;
      H.R. 3319, which amends current law to allow the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to determine the requirements for tribal membership;
      H.R. 4014, which provides that legal privileges related to information are not waived: when information is submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the course of any supervisory or regulatory process; nor when information is transferred by the CFPB to other Federal agencies;
      H.R. 4367, which eliminates the requirement that automated teller machine (ATM) operators post notice of a service fee on or at the ATM equipment, while retaining the requirement that such a notice be posted on the ATM screen or by a paper notice issued from the ATM;
      S. 1998, the "DHS Audit Requirement Target Act of 2012" or the "DART Act," which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: ensure that DHS consolidated financial statements are ready in a timely manner and in preparation for an audit as part of preparing required performance and accountability reports; and submit a report to the DHS Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget on its plans to obtain an unqualified opinion on the full set of financial statements; and
      S. 3542, the "No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012," authorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration to determine whether checked baggage on flights originating at foreign airports that has been screened in accordance with an aviation security preclearance agreement must be re-screened in the United States by an explosives detection system before continuing on any additional flights.
    Goodbye, Postal Service? - CNN.com
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:28
      This Christmas could be the Post Office's last, says John Avlon.
      STORY HIGHLIGHTS
      The U.S. Postal Service is bleeding money and heading toward insolvencyJohn Avlon: Congress can save the postal service in deal on the fiscal cliffHe says the urgency is clear, let's hope for a Christmas miracleAvlon: But be prepared that Washington dysfunction can doom the postal serviceEditor's note: John Avlon is a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. He is co-editor of the book "Deadline Artists: America's Greatest Newspaper Columns." He is a regular contributor to "Erin Burnett OutFront" and is a member of the OutFront Political Strike Team. For more political analysis, tune in to "Erin Burnett OutFront" at 7 ET weeknights.
      (CNN) -- It's the time of year for dashing through the snow to the crowded post office, with arms full of holiday gifts for family and friends.
      Not to break the atmosphere of holiday cheer, but this Christmas could be the last for the U.S. Postal Service. It is losing $25 million dollars a day and staring down insolvency -- unless Congress steps in to pass a reform package that reduces its costs.
      With just a few days left in the congressional calendar, there is still some small hope for a Christmas miracle -- maybe the Postal Service can be saved as part of a deal on the fiscal cliff. But with even Hurricane Sandy relief stalled, skepticism is growing.
      John Avlon
      The real question is, what's taken them so long? After all, back in April the Senate passed an imperfect but bipartisan bill by 62-37. It would have saved some $20 billion, cut some 100 distribution centers, and reduced head count by an additional 100,000 through incentives for early retirement, while reducing red tape to encourage entrepreneurialism and keeping Saturday delivery in place for at least another two years. At the time, Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware said, "The situation is not hopeless; the situation is dire. My hope is that our friends over in the U.S. House, given the bipartisan steps we took this week, will feel a sense of urgency."
      To which the House might as well have replied, "Not so much."
      In August, the Postal Service defaulted for the first time, unable to make a $5.5 billion payment to fund future retirees' health benefits. The headline in Government Executive magazine said it all: "Postal Service defaults, Congress does nothing."
      The usual suspects were at fault -- hyperpartisan politics and the ideological arrogance that always makes the perfect the enemy of the good.
      House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa greeted the news of the Senate bill by calling it a "taxpayer-funded bailout." His primary complaint was that the Senate bill did not go far enough. He was not alone -- Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe also expressed disappointment at the scope of the Senate bill, saying that it fell "far short of the Postal Service's plan."
      But Issa's alternative couldn't even get to a vote in the Republican-controlled House. And so nothing happened. Even after the USPS defaulted on a second $5.5 billion payment, the response was crickets.
      Washington insiders said that action would be taken after the election, when lawmakers would be free to make potentially unpopular decisions. But despite a series of closed-door meetings, nothing has been done.
      It's possible that the nearly $20 billion in savings could be part of a fiscal cliff deal. Sen. Joseph Lieberman has suggested that ending Saturday delivery, except for packages, could be part of a compromise that could save big bucks down the road. Another aspect of a savings plan could be suspending the USPS' onerous obligation to fully fund its pension costs upfront, a requirement that would push many businesses into bankruptcy. And last fiscal year, the post office posted a record $15.9 billion loss.
      "As the nation creeps toward the 'fiscal cliff,' the U.S. Postal Service is clearly marching toward a financial collapse of its own," says Carper. "The Postal Service's financial crisis is growing worse, not better. It is imperative that Congress get to work on this issue and find a solution immediately. ... Recently key House and Senate leaders on postal reform have had productive discussions on a path forward, and while there may be some differences of opinion in some of the policy approaches needed to save the Postal Service, there is broad agreement that reform needs to happen -- the sooner the better."
      The urgency couldn't be clearer -- but even at this yuletide 11th hour, signs of progress are slim to none. If Congress fails to pass a bill, we'll be back to square one in the new year, with the Senate needing to pass a new bill which will then have to be ratified by the House. There is just no rational reason to think that lift will be any easier in the next Congress than in the current lame duck Congress, where our elected officials are supposedly more free to do the right thing, freed from electoral consequences.
      So as you crowd your local post office this holiday season, look around and realize that the clock is ticking. The Postal Service is fighting for its life. And Congress seems determined to ignore its cries for help.
      "Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gloom of night" can stop the U.S. Postal Service from making its appointed rounds -- but congressional division and dysfunction apparently can.
      Follow us on Twitter@CNNOpinion.
      Join us onFacebook/CNNOpinion.
      The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon.
  Ministry of Truth
    Deport British Citizen Piers Morgan for Attacking 2nd Amendment | We the People: Your Voice in Our Government
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:19
      Signatures: 19 of 14,311
      creator
      Kurt N
      Austin, TXDecember 21, 2012Signature # 1
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      Load Next 20 Signatures50d6d8f5c988d4825f00000c
    Presidential Memorandum -- Authorized Representative of the Federal Government Under Section 7302 of the National Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 23:50
      The White House
      Office of the Press Secretary
      For Immediate Release
      December 21, 2012
      MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
      SUBJECT: Designation of Authorized Representative of the Federal Government under Section 7302 of the National Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004
      Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by section 7302 of the National Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (the "Act"), as amended (42 U.S.C. 5196 note), I hereby designate you as an authorized representative of the Federal Government under the Act. Should a public service event be designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE), you shall coordinate with the United States Secret Service regarding the intent to enter into a National Capital Region mutual aid agreement should this agreement impact the security plan for the designated NSSE.
      BARACK OBAMA
    National Special Security Event - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      A National Special Security Event (NSSE) is an event of national or international significance deemed by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be a potential target for terrorism or other criminal activity. These events have included summits of world leaders, meetings of international organizations, presidential nominating conventions and presidential inaugurations. NSSE designation requires federal agencies to provide full cooperation and support to ensure the safety and security of those participating in or otherwise attending the event, and the community within which the event takes place, and is typically limited to specific event sites for a specified time frame. An NSSE puts the United States Secret Service in charge of event security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in charge of intelligence, counter terrorism, hostage rescue and investigation of incidents of terrorism or other major criminal activities associated with the NSSE, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of recovery management in the aftermath of terrorist or other major criminal incidents, natural disasters or other catastrophic events. NSSE designation is not a funding mechanism, and currently there is no specific federal "pot of money" to be distributed to state and local governments within whose jurisdiction NSSEs take place.
    WY ARE WE ARGUING THIS? Acting C.I.A. Director, Michael J. Morell, Criticizes 'Zero Dark Thirty' - NYTimes.com
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:20
      The acting director of the C.I.A., Michael J. Morell, has criticized a new movie about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, saying it exaggerates the role of coercive interrogations in producing clues to the whereabouts of the leader of Al Qaeda.
      Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse '-- Getty ImagesMichael J. Morell's complaints center on interrogations' role.
      In a message sent Friday to agency employees about the film, ''Zero Dark Thirty,'' Mr. Morell said it ''creates the strong impression that the enhanced interrogation techniques that were part of our former detention and interrogation program were the key to finding Bin Laden. That impression is false.''
      In fact, he said, ''the truth is that multiple streams of intelligence led C.I.A. analysts to conclude that Bin Laden was hiding in Abbottabad,'' the city in Pakistan where a Navy SEAL team killed him in May 2011. ''Some came from detainees subjected to enhanced techniques,'' Mr. Morell wrote, using the C.I.A.'s euphemism for harsh and sometimes brutal treatment that included waterboarding. ''But there were many other sources as well.''
      He said that ''whether enhanced interrogation techniques were the only timely and effective way to obtain information from those detainees, as the film suggests, is a matter of debate that cannot and never will be definitively resolved.''
      The message from Mr. Morell, who is considered a top candidate for the C.I.A. director's job, comes days after a similar statement from three senators, including Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California and chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which will consider the confirmation of whomever President Obama selects as C.I.A. director.
      While Mr. Morell's account is close to that given last year by Leon E. Panetta when he was C.I.A. director, other agency officials who served under President George W. Bush have put greater emphasis on the usefulness of the harsh interrogation methods.
      This year, Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., who oversaw the agency's counterterrorism operations when the methods were in use, wrote in The Washington Post that the hunt for Bin Laden ''stemmed from information obtained from hardened terrorists who agreed to tell us some (but not all) of what they knew after undergoing harsh but legal interrogation methods.''
      And Mr. Bush's last C.I.A. director, Michael V. Hayden, wrote last year in The Wall Street Journal that ''a crucial component'' of the information that led to Bin Laden ''was information provided by three C.I.A. detainees, all of whom had been subjected to some form of enhanced interrogation.''
      While many commentators agree with Mr. Morell's interpretation of the interrogations in ''Zero Dark Thirty,'' some film critics and advocates have argued that the film takes a more ambiguous view of torture. There are suggestions in the film that the infliction of pain and fear sometimes produced unreliable information, and one brutalized detainee gives valuable information not under torture but later, during a relaxed meal, when his interrogators trick him.
      Mr. Morell also faulted ''Zero Dark Thirty'' as putting undue emphasis on the role of a handful of C.I.A. analysts in the search for Bin Laden, saying it involved ''the selfless commitment of hundreds of officers.'' He said the movie ''takes considerable liberties'' in its sometimes unflattering portrait of C.I.A. officers, including some killed in a terrorist bombing in Afghanistan in 2009.
      ''We cannot allow a Hollywood film to cloud our memory of them,'' Mr. Morell said.
    World Television Day - 21 November
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:02
      UNTV programmes being prepared for shipment to television stations in many parts of the world.01 November 1957. UN Photo
      In recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by bringing world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 November as World Television Day (through resolution 51/205 of 17 December 1996).
      World Television Day is not so much a celebration of the tool, but rather the philosophy which it represents. Television represents a symbol for communication and globalization in the contemporary world.
    Libya to release Lockerbie files
      Link to Article
      Source: BBC News - Home
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:46
      21 December 2012Last updated at01:33 ETThe new Libyan government in Tripoli is prepared to open all files relating to the Lockerbie bombing, the country's ambassador to the UK has confirmed.
      However, Mahmud Nacua said it would be at least another year before Libya was in a position to release whatever information it holds.
      The move comes on the 24th anniversary of the of bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland, which killed 270 people.
      Bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died this year after being released in 2009.
      Megrahi, a Libyan agent, was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds, suffering from terminal prostate cancer.
      He remains the only person ever convicted of the bombing, but Scottish police hope to pursue other suspects in Libya following the country's revolution and downfall of Colonel Gaddafi in 2011.
      Scotland's top prosecutor recently wrote to the new Libyan prime minister for help and the UK government has said it was pressing Tripoli "for swift progress and co-operation" on the Lockerbie case.
      Mr Nacua told the BBC no formal agreement had yet been reached, but that Libya would open the files it holds on the case.
      He said that would only come when his government had fully established security and stability - a process he believes will take at least a year.
      In April of this year, Scotland's Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland travelled to Tripoli with the director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, requesting co-operation after the fall of Gaddafi.
      This was followed in May by a meeting with Libya's interim prime minister in London to discuss further inquires into the bombing.
      At the time, a Crown Office spokesman said: "The prime minister asked for clarification on a number of issues relating to the conduct of the proposed investigation in Libya and the lord advocate has undertaken to provide this.
      "The prime minister made it clear that he recognised the seriousness of this crime and following the clarification he would take this forward as a priority."
  Elite$
    President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | The White House
      L. Preston Bryant, Jr. -- Chair, National Capital Planning Commission
      Michael Ashley Stein - Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
      Andrea Lavin Solow - Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
      Robert A. Sherman - Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
      Todd A. Fisher - Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
      Smita Singh - Member, President's Global Development Council
      Steven Schwager - Member, President's Global Development Council
      William K. Reilly - Member, President's Global Development Council
      James M. Manyika - Member, President's Global Development Council
      Sarah Beardsley Degnan Kambou - Member, President's Global Development Council
      Esther Duflo - Member, President's Global Development Council
      Sylvia Mathews Burwell - Member, President's Global Development Council
      Richard C. Blum -- Member, President's Global Development Council
      Mohamed A. El-Erian - Chair, President's Global Development Council
    FACT SHEET: The President's Global Development Council | The White House
      Consistent with that new policy, the President signed today an Executive Order establishing the President's Global Development Council.- The Council, which will be administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will be comprised of no more than 12 individuals from- a variety of sectors outside the Federal Government, including, among others, institutions of higher education, non-profit and philanthropic organizations, civil society, and private industry.- In addition to these 12 individuals, the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Defense, the USAID Administrator, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation will serve on the Council as non-voting members.- The Council will inform and provide advice to the President and other senior U.S. officials on U.S. global development policies and practices, support new and existing public-private partnerships, and increase awareness and action in support of development by soliciting public input on current and emerging issues in the field of global development.-
      To express interest in being a member of the President's Global Development Council, please send your full name, contact information and resume or biography to Interest_GDC@who.eop.gov by 5:00pm (EST) on Friday, February 24, 2012.-
    Executive Order -- Establishing the President's Global Development Council | The White House
      Section 1. Policy. To help protect national security and further American economic, humanitarian, and strategic interests in the world, it is the policy of the Federal Government to promote and elevate development as a core pillar of American power and chart a course for development, diplomacy, and defense to reinforce and complement one another. As stated in the 2010 National Security Strategy and the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, the successful pursuit of development is essential to advancing our national security objectives: security, prosperity, respect for universal values, and a just and sustainable international order. The effectiveness of this development policy will depend in large measure on how we engage with partners, beneficiaries of our development assistance, and stakeholders. We will use evidence-based decision-making in all areas of U.S. development policy and programs, and we commit to foster development expertise and learning worldwide.
    Mohamed A. El-Erian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      Dr. Mohamed A. El-Erian (IPA:-[mÃ¦ËˆÄ§Ã¦mmÃ¦d elÊ•e...¾ËˆjÃ¦Ën]; born August 19, 1958) is the CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO,[1] a global investment management firm and one of the world's largest bond investors with approximately US$1.9 trillion of assets under management as of September 1, 2012.[2]
      He is a regular contributor to public debates, including through his writings, radio and television appearances and newspaper interviews.
      He first joined PIMCO in 1999 and was a senior member of PIMCO's portfolio management and investment strategy group. Before coming to PIMCO, El-Erian was a managing director at Citigroup in London and before that he spent 15 years at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.
      He re-joined PIMCO at the end of 2007[4] after serving for two years as president and CEO of Harvard Management Company, the entity that manages Harvard's endowment and related accounts. El-Erian served as a member of the faculty of Harvard Business School.
      In his capacity as CEO, El-Erian is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the firm and leading its operations globally. As co-CIO, and together with PIMCO co-founder Bill Gross, El-Erian oversees investment policies and strategies for all of the company's portfolio management activities. He is also a lead portfolio manager focusing on global asset allocation strategies, including PIMCO Global Advantage and PIMCO Global Multi-Asset, the latter of which is the firm's flagship asset allocation strategy.
      On Dec 21, 2012, President Obama announced the appointment of El-Erian as the Chair of the president's Global Development Council.[3]
    John Kerry military service controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      During John Kerry's candidacy in the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign, a political issue that gained widespread public attention was Kerry's Vietnam war record. In television advertisements and a book called Unfit for Command, co-authored by John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), a 527 group later known as the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, questioned details of his military service record and circumstances relating to the award of his combat medals.
    Presidential Memorandum -- Federal Employee Pay Schedules and Rates that are Set by Administrative Discretion
      Link to Article
      Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:41
      The White House
      Office of the Press Secretary
      For Immediate Release
      December 21, 2012
      MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
      SUBJECT: Federal Employee Pay Schedules and Rates That Are Set by Administrative Discretion
      On December 22, 2010, I issued a memorandum stating that the heads of executive departments and agencies should suspend any increases to any pay systems or pay schedules covering executive branch employees, and should forgo any general increases in covered employees' rates of pay, that could otherwise take effect as a result of the exercise of administrative discretion during the period beginning on January 1, 2011, and ending on December 31, 2012. In light of section 114 of the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (Public Law 112-175), I am hereby instructing the heads of executive departments and agencies that they should continue to adhere to this policy through March 27, 2013, the date after which statutory pay adjustments may be made pursuant to section 114 of Public Law 112-175.
      This memorandum shall be carried out to the extent permitted by law and consistent with executive departments' and agencies' legal authorities. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
      The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall issue any necessary guidance on implementing this memorandum, and is also hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
      BARACK OBAMA
  Cultural Marxism
    Arizona State University Votes To Rename Columbus Day ''Indigenous People Day'''...
      Link to Article
      Source: Weasel Zippers
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:17
      So dumb.
      Via College Fix:
      The student government at Arizona State University has voted to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day. The Tempe Undergraduate Student Government Senate passed Bill 44 to rename the holiday after contentious debate on campus.
      Christopher Columbus has long been known as an admirable adventurer in American lore whose adventurous spirit led him to ''discover'' America. But, in recent years his legacy has faced mounting criticism for the perceived negative effects his life had on Native Americans.
      In the United States, Columbus Day is an official federal holiday. However, not all states recognize the day. South Dakota, instead, celebrates Native American Day. The name ''Indigenous People Day'' originated in Berkley, California, a city that began celebrating the holiday as an alternative to Columbus Day in 1992.
      In Tempe, students were split on the issue. Those in support of the change believed that the bill was a positive way to commemorate the Native Americans whose lives they say were lost as a result of Columbus's arrival to the New World. The opposition said the bill was an example of unnecessary political correctness. There was also another group that preferred that the campus do away with celebrating the day for either cause.
      Keep reading'...
  Haiti
    Haiti: "earthquake relief" helps build luxury hotel
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:36
      The Clinton Bush Fund, which former presidents Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and George W. Bush (2001-2009) established shortly after Haiti's January 2010 earthquake, is closing down on Dec. 31, the group's vice president for marketing and communications said on Dec. 7. The fund will have disbursed all of the $54.4 million it raised, she indicated. The organization says on its website that its goal was "to assist the Haitian people in building their own country back better." The group says it has "[d]irectly created or sustained 7,350 jobs and counting" and "[d]irectly trained 20,050 people and counting." (New York Times, Dec. 7, from AP)
      One of the fund's projects'--the Oasis Hotel in P(C)tionville, a suburb southeast of Port-au-Prince'--opened on Dec. 12 with a soiree and 800 invitation-only guests. Munching hors-d'oeuvres and sipping "free-flowing wine," the Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles wrote, the participants observed "the bamboo, locally grown orchids and sexy white furniture that lined the expansive courtyard." The 128-room hotel cost $35 million to build; $2 million was provided by the Clinton Bush Fund. President Michel Martelly ("Sweet Micky") called the hotel "a symbol of the new Haiti."
      According to Tourism Minister Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin, Martelly's government has approved a $161 million hotel project that will bring a total of 1,200 new hotel rooms to the country next year. A 106-room Best Western and an El Rancho with 72 rooms and 13 apartments are set to open in the coming months; Comfort Suites and Marriott are also planning hotels in Port-au-Prince. (Miami Herald, Dec. 13)
      On Dec. 10, two days before the Oasis opening, the Force for Reflection and Action on Housing (FRAKKA), a grassroots housing coalition, issued a press release charging that Port-au-Prince area mayors, police agents, justices of the peace and property owners'--some with questionable land titles'--were continuing forcible evictions of people left homeless by the 2010 earthquake. Some 150 families were threatened, according to the group, which said the displaced persons camps at risk were Vilambeta at Caradeux in the northeastern suburb of Tabarre; Camp Gaston Margron, in the Mariani Zone of Carrefour, southwest of the capital; Fortuna Guery in Port-au-Prince; and Camp Cr3, at Delmas 60, a neighborhood in the Delmas commune east of downtown Port-au-Prince. (AlterPresse, Haiti, Dec. 10)
      Some 360,000 people are still living in the camps or other temporary shelters almost three years after the earthquake'--4% of Haiti's population, according to Johan Peleman, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti. "There's still not enough construction of new housing going on," Peleman told the Reuters wire service's AlertNet, which notes that "just over half the $6.04 billion in aid to Haiti pledged by donors from 2010 to 2012 has been disbursed." (AlertNet, Dec. 13)
      From Weekly News Update on the Americas, Dec. 16.
    Gold in them thar Haitian hills
      Link to Article
      Source: newsrustler
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:51
      Nice to hear in this news story that mining companies in Haiti are committed to protecting the environment. Especially since these permits to mine are handed out before preliminary environmental reports are submitted. Under the terms of an ''exploitation'' permit, you know they'll use extra care.
      Haiti awards gold, copper mining permits
      Like this:Be the first to like this.
      Tags: copper, gold, Haiti, minerals, mining
      About newsrustlerNews junkie
  EUROLand
    Steve Jobs' yacht impounded over pay dispute - CNN.com
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 09:42
      By Damon Lavrinc, Wired
      December 22, 2012 -- Updated 0853 GMT (1653 HKT) | Filed under: InnovationsLate Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' yacht was unveiled in a Dutch shipyard in October and christened "Venus."
      STORY HIGHLIGHTS
      Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' yacht impounded in pay disputeDesigner Philippe Starck says he's owed nearly $4 millionThe Venus cost more than $137 million, is 260 feet long(CNN) -- The megayacht that Steve Jobs commissioned in the final years of his life has been impounded in Amsterdam after a payment dispute involving the designer, Philippe Starck.
      The Venus, a 100-million-euro ($137.5 million), 260-foot-long yacht, made its unofficial debut in late October. It's currently stuck in the Port of Amsterdam after Starck hired a debt-collection agency to attempt to remit the final payment for his design.
      According to lawyers at Ubik -- Starck's design company -- speaking with Reuters, the designer has only received 6 million of the 9-million-euro commission and is seeking the rest of the payment before the Venus will be released.
      "These guys [Jobs and Starck] trusted each other, so there wasn't a very detailed contract," Roelant Klaassen, a lawyer for Ubik, told Reuters.
      The Venus is a floating ode to both Jobs and Starck's minimalist aesthetic. Made entirely out of aluminum, with 40-foot-long floor-to-ceiling windows lining the passenger compartment and seven 27-inch iMacs making up the command center.
      In Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, the late Apple CEO is quoted as saying that, "I know that it's possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat, but I have to keep going on. If I don't, it's an admission that I'm about to die."
      Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here!
      Copyright 2011 Wired.com.
    BBC News - Italy's Mario Monti to reveal political intentions
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:48
      23 December 2012Last updated at01:53 ETItaly's outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti is due to reveal whether he intends to run for office in elections called for February.
      Mr Monti, brought in last year to form a technocratic government, stepped down on Friday after MPs passed his budget.
      That came after the party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi withdrew its support for Mr Monti.
      President Giorgio Napolitano has dissolved parliament, paving the way for elections on 24-25 February.
      He has called on Mr Monti to remain as head of an interim administration until the elections,
      Mr Monti's announcement of his political plans is expected at a news conference in Rome.
      He cannot stand for election himself as he is already a senator for life but he could theoretically return as a minister, or even prime minister, by lending his name to an alliance of separate groups or heading his own list.
      'Authority'Polls quoted by Italian media suggest a list led by Mr Monti would get only about 15% of the vote.
      Pier Ferdinando Casini, one of a group of centrist leaders who have been seeking to convince him to stand in recent weeks, said he would respect Mr Monti's choice but said his candidacy would "give authority to our political platform".
      Mr Monti was brought in to form a technocratic government last year and is widely credited in international circles with having saved Italy from a financial meltdown.
      He has described his 13 months in office as a "difficult but fascinating" time.
      Mr Berlusconi's conservative People of Freedom party withdrew its support for his cabinet this month, precipitating a crisis.
      Despite being mired in a series of sexual and financial scandals, the three-time prime minister Mr Berlusconi is already fighting his sixth election campaign.
      Since taking office with his non-party team of ministers, Mr Monti has been implementing economic austerity measures. He argues that his spending cuts and tax hikes have staved off disaster, but they have made him increasingly unpopular with the public.
      Opinion polls suggest the centre-left Democratic Party, under Pierluigi Bersani, will win the largest share of the vote in the election.
    'Much Worse than Greece': IMF Demands Partial Default for Cyprus
      Link to Article
      Source: WT news feed
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 15:16
      DPA
      Anti-austerity demonstrators clash with security personnel in Cyprus in December.
      Euro-zone member state Cyprus badly needs a bailout, but the International Monetary Fund is demanding a debt haircut first, according to media reports. The resulting standoff with Europe has delayed the country's badly needed aid package. To ward off insolvency, Nicosia has raided the pension funds of state-owned companies.
      Cyprus did its part on Wednesday night. The country's parliament approved a 2013 budget which included far-reaching austerity measures so as to satisfy the conditions for the impending bailout of the debt-stricken country. While aimed at significantly reducing the country's budget deficit, the spending cuts and tax hikes are likely to result in a 3.5 percent shrinkage of the economy in 2013 along with an uptick in unemployment.
      Yet despite the measures, Nicosia's would-be creditors remain at odds over the emergency aid deal, even as the country teeters on the brink of insolvency. According to a report in the Thursday issue of the influential German daily S¹ddeutsche Zeitung, the International Monetary Fund is demanding a partial Cypriot default involving private creditors before it joins the bailout deal.
      Citing anonymous sources familiar with the negotiations, the S¹ddeutsche writes that the IMF is concerned that, despite the austerity measures the country has now adopted, it still wouldn't be able to shoulder the interest payments due on its debt. Several European countries agree with the IMF. Others, however, believe that such a default could be dangerous. After all, when private creditors were pressured to write down a portion of their Greek debt holdings, the euro zone went to great lengths to present the move as one that would not be repeated. Should such a default now be applied to Cyprus, it could severely undermine investor trust in the euro zone.
      "The situation in Cyprus is much worse than it is in Greece," one high-ranking EU official told the paper.
      Days Away from Insolvency
      It is hard to argue. This week, the country was forced to borrow '­Â250 million ($330 million) from the pension funds of state-owned companies just to be able to pay the holiday salaries of civil servants. The move came on the heels of a high-level Finance Ministry official saying that Nicosia was just days away from insolvency.
      More to the point, however, the country is massively exposed to Greek debt and its banking sector is struggling mightily as a result. Furthermore, the size of the banking sector dwarfs the size of the Cypriot gross domestic product. Whereas the country's banks have assets of some '­Â150 billion, the GDP was just under '­Â18 billion in 2011.
      The troika of international lenders, made up of the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the IMF, are looking at an aid package of '­Â17 billion for the country. As a percentage of GDP, it would be the largest bailout yet of a euro-zone member state. Fully '­Â10 billion of that would go towards propping up the country's wobbly banking sector.
      Not Entirely Aboveboard
      According to the S¹ddeutsche, one possible model in circulation for keeping the IMF on board envisions Russia sending '­Â5 billion to the IMF which would then send the money on to Nicosia. Not only would such a solution guarantee the formal involvement of the IMF, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted, but it would also benefit Russia. After all, a large chunk of the money invested in Cypriot banks comes from wealthy Russians. Indeed, it is a situation that has many in the EU wary of the coming Cypriot bailout. Many have accused Cyprus of not doing enough to combat money laundering and fear that some of the money coming from Russia is not entirely aboveboard.
      What's more, many are also skeptical of the IMF partial default plan for economic reasons as well. Whereas many foreign banks held Greek debt when the debt haircut was engineered in March of this year, most Cypriot bonds are held by Cypriot banks. Should they be forced to write down part of that debt, their situation will only worsen, requiring more bailout help and driving up Cypriot debt. The net result would be largely neutral.
      A final decision on the deal is set to be made in the coming weeks with the goal of sending the initial tranche of emergency aid in February. Until then, the pension funds of state-owned firms will have to do.
      Keep track of the news
      Stay informed with our free news services:
      (C) SPIEGEL ONLINE 2012All Rights ReservedReproduction only allowed with the permission of SPIEGELnet GmbH
  F-Russia
    Magnitsky List Extension Plea Gains Steam | World | RIA Novosti
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:28
      MOSCOW, December 23 (RIA Novosti) '' An online petition to make Russian lawmakers, who voted in favor of the US adoptions ban, accountable under the Magnitsky Act, has gained the required number of signatures to be considered by the US administration, the US White House announced on Sunday.
      The petition was posted on the White House website on December 21 and has gained the required 25,000 signatures within just two days. By Sunday afternoon, 26,750 people have signed it.
      The petition says lawmakers of the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, who approved the ban in the third and final reading on Friday, have ''breached all imaginable boundaries of humanity, responsibility, or common sense and chose to jeopardize lives and well-being of thousands of Russian orphans.''
      A total of 420 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, written as a retaliatory response to the US Magnitsky Act, which imposes sanctions on Russian officials accused of human rights violations. The Russian bill is nearly identical. It imposes sanctions on Americans accused of human rights violations, but it also imposes a ban on Americans adopting Russian children.
      Seven lawmakers voted against, with one abstention.
      To become a law, the adoption bill still needs to be approved by the upper house, the Federation Council, and signed by the president.
      The Magnitsky Act was named in part for whistleblowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Moscow jail three years ago.
      Magnitsky was arrested on tax fraud charges after accusing a group of Russian officials of embezzling $230 million of state money. He died after 11 months in pretrial detention.
      Magnitsky's death was officially blamed on his health problems, but the Kremlin's own human rights council said in 2011 that he was severely beaten hours before dying, and Magnitsky's supporters claim the case against him was fabricated in revenge for his exposes.
  Bank$ters
    Federal Register | Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Extending the Temporary Suspension of Those Aspects of Rules 36.20-Equities and 36.21-Equities That Would Not Permit Floor
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:15
      December 17, 2012.
      Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) [1] of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ''Act'') [2] and Rule 19b-4 thereunder, [3] notice is hereby given that on December 13, 2012, NYSE MKT LLC (the ''Exchange'' or ''NYSE MKT'') filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ''Commission'') the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which Items have been prepared by the self-regulatory organization. The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change from interested persons.
      The Exchange proposes to extend the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20'--Equities and 36.21'--Equities that would not permit Floor brokers to use personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy until the earlier of when phone service is fully restored or Friday, January 18, 2013. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange's Web site at www.nyse.com, at the principal office of the Exchange, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.
      In its filing with the Commission, the self-regulatory organization included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of those statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant parts of such statements.
      A. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change1. PurposeOn Thursday, November 1, 2012, the Exchange filed a rule proposal to temporarily suspend those aspects of Rules 36.20'--Equities, 36.21'--Equities, and 36.30'--Equities that would not permit Floor brokers and Designated Market Makers (''DMMs'') to use personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor [4] following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and during the period that phone service was not fully functional. [5] Pursuant to that filing, all other aspects of those rules remained applicable and the temporary suspensions of Rule 36'--Equities requirements were in effect beginning the first day trading resumed following Hurricane Sandy until Friday, November 2, 2012.
      On November 5, 2012, although power had been restored to the downtown Manhattan vicinity, other services were not yet fully operational. Among other things, the telephone services provided by third-party carriers to the Exchange were still not fully operational on the Trading Floor, which continued to impact the ability of Floor members to communicate from the Trading Floor as permitted by Rule 36'--Equities. Accordingly, the Exchange filed to extend the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20'--Equities, 36.21'--Equities, and 36.30'--Equities that would not permit Floor brokers and DMMs to use personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor to the earlier of phone service being restored or November 9, 2012, [6] which was subject to the same terms and conditions of the temporary suspension filed for October 31, 2012 through November 2, 2012, including the record retention requirements related to any use of personal portable phones. [7] On November 9, 2012, the Exchange filed an additional extension of the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20 and 36.21 that would not permit Floor brokers to use personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor to the earlier of phone service being restored or November 16, 2012, again subject to the same terms and conditions of the original temporary suspension that was filed. [8] On November 19, 2012, the Exchange filed to extend the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20 and 36.21 that would not permit Floor brokers to use personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor to the earlier of when phone service is fully restored or Friday, December 14, 2012, again subject to the same terms and conditions of the original temporary suspension that was filed. [9] The continued extension of the temporary suspension was needed because of the ongoing intermittent phone and internet service. Specifically, the wired telephone lines and internet connections for Floor brokers continue to not be functional, many Exchange authorized and provided portable phones continue to not be functional and therefore Floor brokers still could not consistently use the Exchange authorized and provided portable phones, pursuant to Rules 36.20 and 36.21. The Exchange now seeks another extension of the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20 and 36.21 because of ongoing telephone and internet issues.
      The Exchange has been advised by its third-party carrier that the damage to the telephone connections continues to be more extensive than previously anticipated. In addition, there has been damage to the internet connections available to Floor brokers on the Trading Floor, which has adversely impacted service. In particular, the Exchange notes that the lines that support both the wired and wireless phone connections and internet connections for the Floor brokers are based in an area of lower Manhattan that suffered extensive damage as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The type of damage that was sustained will, in some cases, require the third-party carrier to rebuild the infrastructure that supports these services, rather than engage in repairs of existing lines. While such rebuilding and repairs are in process, the telephone line and internet connections for Floor brokers still are not fully operational and may not be so for at least another month, possibly more given the type of work that needs to be completed to restore the telephone services.
      Because of the ongoing intermittent phone and internet service, many Exchange authorized and provided portable phones continue to not be functional and therefore many Floor brokers still cannot consistently use the Exchange authorized and provided portable phones, pursuant to Rules 36.20'--Equities and 36.21'--Equities. In addition, many of the wired telephone lines and internet connections for Floor brokers continue to not be functional. In certain instances, however, the personal cell phones of Floor brokers are operational on the Trading Floor. The Exchange believes that because communications with customers is a vital part of a Floor broker's role as agent and therefore contributes to maintaining a fair and orderly market, during the period when phone and internet service continues to be intermittent, Floor brokers should be permitted to use personal portable phone devices in lieu of the non-operational Exchange authorized and provided portable phones, wired phone lines, or internet connections. [10]
      Accordingly, the Exchange proposes to extend the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20'--Equities and 36.21'--Equities that would not permit Floor brokers to use personal portable phone devices on the Trading Floor to the earlier of when phone service is fully restored or Friday, January 18, 2013. [11] The Exchange proposes that the extension of the temporary suspension of those aspects of Rules 36.20'--Equities and 36.21'--Equities to permit use of the personal portable phones by Floor brokers on the Trading Floor be pursuant to the same terms and conditions of the temporary suspension filed for October 31, 2012 through November 2, 2012, including the record retention requirements related to any use of personal portable phones. [12]
      In particular, as set forth in the prior filings, Floor brokers that use a portable personal phone must provide the Exchange with the names of all Floor-based personnel who used personal portable phones during this temporary suspension period, together with the phone number and applicable carrier for each number. Floor broker member organizations must maintain in their books and records all cell phone records that show both incoming and outgoing calls that were made during the period that a personal portable phone was used on the Trading Floor. To the extent the records are unavailable from the third-party carrier, the Floor broker member organizations must maintain contemporaneous records of all calls made or received on a personal portable phone while on the Trading Floor. As with all member organization records, such cell phone records must be provided to Exchange regulatory staff, including without limitation staff of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (''FINRA''), on request.
      In addition, to the extent that personal portable phones are used to replicate internet connections previously approved pursuant to Rule 36 that are not operational on the Trading Floor because of damage sustained by Hurricane Sandy, such use is subject to the same requirements that would otherwise be applicable, including record-retention requirements. This emergency relief is solely meant to maintain the status quo to the extent provided in Rule 36 and not intended to broaden the scope of the activities allowed pursuant to the Rule (e.g., accessing internet only at the booth). As with all member organization records, such cell phone data records must be provided to Exchange regulatory staff, including without limitation staff of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (''FINRA''), on request. To the extent that Exchange-approved telephone or electronic communications are operational, Floor brokers must use those connections rather than use a personal portable phone. Specifically, the Exchange states that Floor brokers must return to pre-Hurricane Sandy communications at any point when service is restored even if temporary.
      As noted above, because the Exchange is dependent on third-party carriers for both wired and wireless phone service and internet connections on the Trading Floor, the Exchange does not know how long the proposed temporary suspension of Rules 36.20'--Equities and 36.21'--Equities will be required. However, based on current estimates, the Exchange understands that phone service may not be fully restored for at least another month, possibly more.
      Accordingly, the Exchange proposes that the extension of the temporary suspensions of those aspects of Rule 36'--Equities that do not permit Floor brokers to use personal portable phones on the Trading Floor continue until the earlier of when phone service is fully restored or Friday, January 18, 2013. [13]
      2. Statutory BasisThe Exchange believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with Section 6(b) of the Act, [14] in general, and furthers the objectives of Section 6(b)(5) of the Act, [15] in particular, in that it is designed to prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, to promote just and equitable principles of trade, to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in facilitating transactions in securities, and to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism of a free and open market and a national market system.
      In particular, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, while the Exchange was able to open for trading, many of the services that the Exchange depends on from third-party carriers, such as wired and wireless telephone connections, are not fully restored. The Exchange believes that the proposed extension of the temporary suspensions from those aspects of Rule 36'--Equities that restrict Floor broker's use of personal portable phones on the Trading Floor removes impediments to and perfects the mechanism of a free and open market and national market system because the proposed relief will enable Floor brokers to conduct their regular business, notwithstanding the ongoing issues with telephone service. The Exchange further believes that without the requested relief, Floor brokers would be compromised in their ability to conduct their regular course of business on the Trading Floor, which could adversely impact the market generally and investor confidence during this time of unprecedented weather disruptions. In particular, for Floor brokers, because they operate as agents for customers, their inability to communicate with customers could compromise their ability to represent public orders on the Trading Floor.
      B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on CompetitionThe Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition that is not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
      C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or OthersNo written comments were solicited or received with respect to the proposed rule change.
      Because the proposed rule change does not: (i) Significantly affect the protection of investors or the public interest; (ii) impose any significant burden on competition; and (iii) become operative prior to 30 days from the date on which it was filed, or such shorter time as the Commission may designate, if consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest, the proposed rule change has become effective pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act [16] and Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii) thereunder. [17]
      A proposed rule change filed under Rule 19b-4(f)(6) [18] normally does not become operative prior to 30 days after the date of the filing. However, pursuant to Rule 19b-4(f)(6)(iii), [19] the Commission may designate a shorter time if such action is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Exchange has asked the Commission to waive the 30-day operative delay so that the proposal may become operative immediately upon filing. The Commission believes that waiving the 30-day operative delay is consistent with the protection of investors and the public interest. The Commission notes that doing so will allow the Exchange to continue uninterrupted, for Floor brokers, the emergency temporary relief necessitated by Hurricane Sandy's disruption of telephone service, as described herein and in the Exchange's prior filings seeking such relief, and to help maintain the status quo, until the earlier of when phone service for Floor brokers is fully restored or January 18, 2013. Therefore, the Commission hereby waives the 30-day operative delay and designates the proposal operative upon filing. [20]
      At any time within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission summarily may temporarily suspend such rule change if it appears to the Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.
      Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
      Electronic CommentsPaper CommentsSend paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090.All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEMKT-2012-82. This file number should be included on the subject line if email is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Copies of the filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the Exchange. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-NYSEMKT-2012-82 and should be submitted on or before January 11, 2013.
    Mounting Fannie And Freddie Losses From LIBOR Fraud
      Link to Article
      Source: Crooks and Liars
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:17
      I'm sure the banks will be dealt with just as severely as they were the last time they engaged in massive fraud. Oh, wait:
      (Reuters) - Mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have suffered more than $3 billion in losses due to manipulation of the benchmark interest rate known as Libor, according to an internal memo by a federal watchdog.
      The estimate was provided in a memo obtained by Reuters that was sent to Freddie and Fannie's regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, by its inspector general. The watchdog urged the regulator to consider whether or not the losses warranted a lawsuit against the banks that set Libor.
      "We conducted a preliminary analysis of potential Libor-related losses at Fannie and Freddie and shared that with FHFA, recommending that they conduct a thorough review of the issue," a spokeswoman for the inspector general's office said when asked about the memo.
      Dozens of U.S. and European banks are under scrutiny for allegedly rigging Libor, which has an impact on borrowing costs throughout the global economy. Libor is intended to measure the rate at which banks lend to one another and is used as a benchmark to set borrowing costs on financial instruments, including derivatives and mortgages.
  MIC
    Federal Register | 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:09
      Ms. B. English, DSCA/DBO/CFM, (703) 601-3740.
      The following is a copy of a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Transmittals 12-68 with attached transmittal, policy justification, and Sensitivity of Technology.
      Dated: December 18, 2012.
      Aaron Siegel,
      Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
      BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
      BILLING CODE 5001-06-C
      Transmittal No. 12-68Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as Amended(i) Prospective Purchaser: Japan
      (ii) Total Estimated Value:
      Major Defense Equipment*$0 millionOther$421 millionTotal$421 million(iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase: For the upgrade of previously provided AEGIS Combat Systems as part of the modernization of two ATAGO Class Ships (DDG-177 ATAGO and DDG-178 ASHIGARA) with Integrated Air Missile Defense capability. The modifications/replacements consist of the following components: J6 AEGIS Weapon System Computer Program, 2 Multi-Mission Signal Processors for existing AN/SPY-1D(V) radar, 2 Common Processor Systems, 2 ship sets Common Display Systems (44 OJ-827(V)1 Tri Screen Display Consoles, 8 Display Processor Cabinets, 2 Video Wall Screen and Projector Systems, 46 Flat Panel Displays, and 2 Distributed Video Systems), 2 ship sets AN/SPQ-15 Digital Video Distribution Systems, 2 ship sets Operational Readiness Test Systems hosted in AEGIS Weapon Systems computing infrastructure, Ballistic Missile Defense (Mission Planner Blade server processors hosted in CPS, and 2 Kill Assessment Systems/ Weapon Data Recording Cabinets), Vertical Launching System MK41 upgrade to Baseline 7 (24 Motor Control Panels MK 448 Mod 1, 48 Programmable Power4 Supplies MK 179 Mod 0, and 24 Launch Sequencers MK 5 Mod 1, 4 Fiber Optic Distribution Boxes, and 24 Single Module Junction Boxes), 4 Launch Control Units MK 235 Mod 7 with Global Positioning System Integrator, 2 ship sets Gun Weapon Systems MK 34, and 2 ship sets MK 20 Electro-Optical Sensor Systems. Also included: Software updates, ordnance alterations and engineering changes, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.
      (iv) Military Department: Navy (LYJ)
      (v) Prior Related Cases, if any:
      FMS case LSU-$521M-22Jul02
      FMS case LTS-$417M-14Aug03
      (vi) Sales Commission, Fee, etc., Paid, Offered, or Agreed to be Paid: None
      * as defined in Section 47(6) of the Arms Export Control Act.
      (vii) Sensitivity of Technology Contained in the Defense Article or Defense Services Proposed to be Sold: See Attached Annex
      (viii) Date Report Delivered to Congress: 10 Dec 2012
      POLICY JUSTIFICATIONJapan'--AEGIS WEAPON SYSTEM UPGRADEThe Government of Japan has requested a possible sale for the upgrade of previously provided AEGIS Combat Systems as part of the modernization of two ATAGO Class Ships (DDG-177 ATAGO and DDG-178 ASHIGARA) with Integrated Air Missile Defense capability. The modifications/replacements consist of the following components: J6 AEGIS Weapon System Computer Program, 2 Multi-Mission Signal Processors for existing AN/SPY-1D(V) radar, 2 Common Processor Systems, 2 ship sets Common Display Systems (44 OJ-827(V)1 Tri Screen Display Consoles, 8 Display Processor Cabinets, 2 Video Wall Screen and Projector Systems, 46 Flat Panel Displays, and 2 Distributed Video Systems), 2 ship sets AN/SPQ-15 Digital Video Distribution Systems, 2 ship sets Operational Readiness Test Systems hosted in AEGIS Weapon Systems computing infrastructure, Ballistic Missile Defense (Mission Planner Blade server processors hosted in CPS, and 2 Kill Assessment Systems/Weapon Data Recording Cabinets), Vertical Launching System MK41 upgrade to Baseline 7 (24 Motor Control Panels MK 448 Mod 1, 48 Programmable Power4 Supplies MK 179 Mod 0, and 24 Launch Sequencers MK 5 Mod 1, 4 Fiber Optic Distribution Boxes, and 24 Single Module Junction Boxes), 4 Launch Control Units MK 235 Mod 7 with Global Positioning System Integrator, 2 ship sets Gun Weapon Systems MK 34, and 2 ship sets MK 20 Electro-Optical Sensor Systems. Also included: Software updates, ordnance alterations and engineering changes, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $421 million.
      Japan is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key ally of the United States in ensuring the peace and stability of this region. The U.S. Government shares bases and facilities in Japan. This proposed sale is consistent with U.S. objectives and with the 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
      The proposed sale of AEGIS components to Japan will contribute to U.S. security objectives by providing a significantly improved Air Warfare capability. This sale will enhance Japan's Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capabilities by modernizing and upgrading the AEGIS technology on its two Atago-class destroyers. The Government of Japan can easily integrate the capabilities of these upgraded AEGIS Weapon Systems into its concept of operations. Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces.
      The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
      The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin MS2 in Mooretown, New Jersey. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.
      Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips to Japan involving six U.S. Government and ten contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, programs management, and training over a period of three years.
      There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
      Transmittal No. 12-68Notice of Proposed Issuance of Letter of Offer Pursuant to Section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, as AmendedAnnexItem No. vii(vii) Sensitivity of Technology:
      1. AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) hardware is Unclassified. The software, documentation, combat system training, and technical services/documentation will be provided up to and including Secret. Access to the manuals and technical documents is limited to those for whom the manuals and documents are necessary for operational use and organizational maintenance. AWS Baseline 9 requires modernization of the installed AEGIS combat system hardware to include Common Display System, Common Processing System, and Multi-Mission Signal Processor and is Unclassified.
      2. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge of the specific hardware and software elements, the information could be used to develop countermeasures which might reduce weapon system effectiveness or be used in the development of a system with similar or advanced capabilities.
      [FR Doc. 2012-30810 Filed 12-20-12; 8:45 am]
      BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
  Monsantooo
    WASHINGTON: FDA says genetically modified salmon unlikely to harm environment | Business | ADN.com
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 09:49
      WASHINGTON '-- Federal health regulators say a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption.
      The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its environmental assessment of the AquaAdvantage salmon, a faster-growing fish which has been subject to a contentious, yearslong debate at the agency. The document concludes that the fish "will not have any significant impacts on the quality of the human environment of the United States." Regulators also said that the fish is unlikely to harm populations of natural salmon, a key concern for environmental activists.
      The FDA will take comments from the public on its report for 60 days before making it final.
      The FDA said more than two years ago that the fish appears to be safe to eat, but the agency had taken no public action since then. Executives for the company behind the fish, Maynard, Mass.-based Aquabounty, speculated that the government was delaying action on their application due to push-back from groups who oppose genetically modified food animals.
      Experts view the release of the environmental report as the final step before approval.
      "We are encouraged that the environmental assessment is being released and hope the government continues the science-based regulatory process," AquaBounty said in a statement.
      If FDA regulators clear the salmon, as expected, it would be the first genetically altered animal approved for food anywhere in the world.
      Critics call the modified salmon a "frankenfish." They worry that it could cause human allergies and the eventual decimation of the natural salmon population if it escapes and breeds in the wild. Others believe breeding engineered animals is an ethical issue.
      AquaBounty has maintained that the fish is safe and that there are several safeguards against environmental problems. The fish would be bred female and sterile, though a very small percentage might still be able to breed. The company said the potential for escape is low. The FDA backed these assertions in documents released in 2010.
      Since its founding in 1991, Aquabounty has burned through more than $67 million developing the fast-growing fish. According to its midyear financial report, the company had less than $1.5 million in cash and stock left. It has no other products in development.
      Genetically engineered - or GE - animals are not clones, which the FDA has already said are safe to eat. Clones are copies of an animal. In GE animals, the DNA has been altered to produce a desirable trait.
      The AquaAdvantage salmon has an added growth hormone from the Pacific Chinook salmon that allows the fish to produce growth hormone all year long. The engineers were able to keep the hormone active by using another gene from an eel-like fish called an ocean pout that acts like an "on" switch for the hormone. Typical Atlantic salmon produce the growth hormone for only part of the year.
      It is still unclear whether the public will have an appetite for the fish if it is approved. Genetic engineering is already widely used for crops, but the government until now has not considered allowing the consumption of modified animals. Although the potential benefits - and profits - are huge, many people have qualms about manipulating the genetic code of other living creatures.
      If the salmon are eventually approved for sale, consumers may not even know they are eating them. According to federal guidelines, the fish would not be labeled as genetically modified if the agency decides it has the same material makeup as conventional salmon. AquaBounty says that genetically modified salmon have the same flavor, texture, color and odor as the conventional fish, and the FDA so far has not shown any signs of disagreeing.
      Wenonah Hauter, director of the advocacy group Food and Water Watch, said forgoing labeling not only ignores consumers' rights to know what they are eating, but "is simply bad for business, as many will avoid purchasing any salmon for fear it is genetically engineered."
      Hauter urged members of Congress to block the impending approval of the fish. Congressional opposition to the engineered fish has so far been led by members of the Alaska delegation, who see the modified salmon as a threat to the state's wild salmon industry.
      Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Friday she is working to convince fellow senators that approval for the fish should be stopped.
      "This is especially troubling as the agency is ignoring the opposition by salmon and fishing groups, as well as more than 300 environmental, consumer and health organizations," she said of the preliminary approval.
  Agenda 21
    AP-GfK Poll: Science doubters say world is warming - Yahoo! News
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:40
      WASHINGTON (AP) '-- A growing majority of Americans think global warming is occurring, that it will become a serious problem and that the U.S. government should do something about it, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
      Even most people who say they don't trust scientists on the environment say temperatures are rising.
      The poll found 4 out of every 5 Americans said climate change will be a serious problem for the United States if nothing is done about it. That's up from 73 percent when the same question was asked in 2009.
      And 57 percent of Americans say the U.S. government should do a great deal or quite a bit about the problem. That's up from 52 percent in 2009. Only 22 percent of those surveyed think little or nothing should be done, a figure that dropped from 25 percent.
      Overall, 78 percent of those surveyed said they believe temperatures are rising, up from 75 percent three years earlier. In general, U.S. belief in global warming, according to AP-GfK and other polls, has fluctuated over the years but has stayed between about 70 and 85 percent.
      The biggest change in the polling is among people who trust scientists only a little or not at all. About 1 in 3 of the people surveyed fell into that category.
      Within that highly skeptical group, 61 percent now say temperatures have been rising over the past 100 years. That's a substantial increase from 2009, when the AP-GfK poll found that only 47 percent of those with little or no trust in scientists believed the world was getting warmer.
      This is an important development because, often in the past, opinion about climate change doesn't move much in core groups '-- like those who deny it exists and those who firmly believe it's an alarming problem, said Jon Krosnick, a Stanford University social psychologist and pollster. Krosnick, who consulted with The Associated Press on the poll questions, said the changes the poll shows aren't in the hard-core "anti-warming" deniers, but in the next group, who had serious doubts.
      "They don't believe what the scientists say, they believe what the thermometers say," Krosnick said. "Events are helping these people see what scientists thought they had been seeing all along."
      Phil Adams, a retired freelance photographer from Washington, N.C., said he was "fairly cynical" about scientists and their theories. But he believes very much in climate change because of what he's seen with his own eyes.
      "Having lived for 67 years, we consistently see more and more changes based upon the fact that the weather is warmer," he said. "The seasons are more severe. The climate is definitely getting warmer."
      "Storms seem to be more severe," he added. Nearly half, 49 percent, of those surveyed called global warming not just serious but "very serious," up from 42 percent in 2009. More than half, 57 percent, of those surveyed thought the U.S. government should do a great deal or quite a bit about global warming, up from 52 percent three years earlier.
      But only 45 percent of those surveyed think President Barack Obama will take major action to fight climate change in his second term, slightly more than the 41 percent who don't think he will act.
      Overall, the 78 percent who think temperatures are rising is not the highest percentage of Americans who have believed in climate change, according to AP polling. In 2006, less than a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, 85 percent thought temperatures were rising. The lowest point in the past 15 years for belief in warming was in December 2009, after some snowy winters and in the middle of an uproar about climate scientists' emails that later independent investigations found showed no manipulation of data.
      Broken down by political party, 83 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans say the world is getting warmer. And 77 percent of independents say temperatures are rising. Among scientists who write about the issue in peer-reviewed literature, the belief in global warming is about 97 percent, according to a 2010 scientific study.
      About 1 in 4 people surveyed think that efforts to curb global warming would hurt the American economy, a figure down slightly from 27 percent in 2009 when the economy was in worse shape. Just under half, 46 percent, think such action would help the U.S. economy, about the same as said so three years ago.
      The AP-GfK poll was conducted Nov. 29-Dec. 3 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,002 adults nationwide. Results for the full sample have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points; the margin of error is larger for subgroups.
      The latest AP-GfK poll jibes with other surveys and more in-depth research on global warming, said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale University's Project on Climate Change Communication. He took no part in the poll.
      When climate change belief was at its lowest, concerns about the economy were heightened and the country had gone through some incredible snowstorms and that may have chipped away at some belief in global warming, Leiserowitz said. Now the economy is better and the weather is warmer and worse in ways that seem easier to connect to climate change, he said.
      "One extreme event after another after another," Leiserowitz said. "People have noticed. ... They're connecting the dots between climate change and this long bout of extreme weather themselves."
      Thomas Coffey, 77, of Houston, said you can't help but notice it.
      "We use to have mild temperatures in the fall going into winter months. Now, we have summer temperatures going into winter," Coffey said. "The whole Earth is getting warmer and when it gets warmer, the ice cap is going to melt and the ocean is going to rise."
      He also said that's what he thinks is causing recent extreme weather.
      "That's why you see New York and New Jersey," he said, referring to Superstorm Sandy and its devastation in late October. "When you have a flood like that, flooding tunnels like that. And look at how long the tunnel has been there."
      ___
      Associated Press Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta, News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and writer Stacy A. Anderson contributed to this report.
      ___
      Online:
      The poll: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com
      ___
      Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears
    Moscow Braces for Coldest Night
      Link to Article
      Source: RIA Novosti
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 11:00
      MOSCOW, December 23 (RIA Novosti) '' Moscow is preparing for the coldest night this year as temperatures may plunge to minus 26 degrees Celsius (-14 Fahrenheit), the Fobos weather center said on Sunday.
      This year the coldest night in Moscow was registered on February 3, when the night temperature fell to minus 24.6 degrees Celsius (-12.3 Fahrenheit).
      ''The ongoing processes indicate this threshold will be breached on the night of December 23-24 and the air in Moscow will cool to minus 24 '' minus 26 degrees Celsius. In some areas of Russia's Central District, the temperature may plunge to minus 36 degrees Celsius (-32.8 Fahrenheit),'' Fobos said.
      On the previous night, the temperature in Moscow stayed at about minus 20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit).
      Biting colds compel Russians to make excessive use of heating devices such as electrical space heaters and furnaces, which increase the chances of house fires.
  2TTH
    Jacintha Sadanha: Nurse who answered hoax call about Duchess of Cambridge had attempted to kill herself before | Mail Online
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:52
      Jacintha Saldanha made two attempts to kill herself last winterThe nurse took an overdose during visit to IndiaShe survived but tried to jump from a building nine days laterFamily now demanding answers of Australian media group and hospitalBy Abul Taher
      PUBLISHED: 18:00 EST, 22 December 2012 | UPDATED: 05:39 EST, 23 December 2012
      Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, pictured with her husband Ben Barboza, is believed to have tried to commit suicide twice previously
      The nurse who committed suicide after answering a hoax phone call about the Duchess of Cambridge made two attempts to kill herself last winter and had been prescribed antidepressants.
      Jacintha Saldanha, who took her own life days after the call from Australian DJs pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles, attempted to commit suicide last December with an overdose of pills during a family visit to India.
      She survived after being rushed to hospital but tried to commit suicide again just nine days later by apparently jumping from a building.
      Ms Saldanha, 46, spent several days in intensive care before receiving psychiatric treatment and being prescribed a course of powerful antidepressants for nine months.
      Along with the previous suicide attempts, reported in an Indian newspaper, members of Ms Saldanha's family have revealed that the nurse was so ashamed after taking the hoax call earlier this month that she did not tell her husband or children about it before her death, despite speaking to them by phone several times.
      Ms Saldanha was found hanged with a scarf at her living quarters at the King Edward VII's Hospital in Central London on December 7.
      Three days earlier, Ms Saldanha was the duty nurse who answered the prank call from Mel Greig and Michael Christian, and transferred it to a colleague.
      That nurse revealed confidential medical information about the pregnant Duchess, who was being treated at the hospital for acute morning sickness. The call was broadcast in Australia and made headlines around the world.
      Yet the closest Ms Saldanha came to telling her husband she was at the centre of the story was when she told him to watch the news, claimed family members in her home town of Mangalore, southern India.
      'The first her husband knew that she was the victim of the hoax call was when police told him she was dead. Nobody in the family knew,' said her younger brother Naveen Saldanha, 42. 'They spoke several times that week but she did not tell him or the kids anything about it.'
      The latest insight into the nurse's state of mind came as British police confirmed yesterday they had passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether any offences had been committed.
      Daughter Lisha Saldanha, left, and son Junal Saldanha, right, are consoled by their father Benedict Barbosa during their mother's funeral
      Ms Greig and Mr Christian could be charged with attempting to obtain medical details by deception. Further charges could be brought against Australian radio station 2Day FM if it is found to have broadcast the prank without the permission of the participants.
      Although Ms Saldanha's family have previously said she did not have a history of depression, new reports suggest she has been battling the condition since at least December last year.
      That month, Ms Saldanha, her accountant husband Benedict Barboza, 49, their son Junal, 17, and adopted daughter Lisha, 14, attended a family wedding in Shirva, 30 miles north of Mangalore. But on December 30, just days after the devout Catholic family celebrated Christmas, Ms Saldanha is believed to have taken an overdose of pills. She was rushed to a private hospital in Mangalore, where she was treated for 'self-harm'.
      Australian radio DJ's Michael Christian and Mel Greig who were responsible for the prank call to King Edward VII hospital
      On January 8 this year, she is believed to have attempted suicide again and was treated at Father Muller Medical College Hospital for head injuries suffered in a 'fall'.
      She was kept in intensive care for several days and then admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital, where she was treated for depression.
      She was discharged three days later and given a nine-month course of anti-depressants. Her family was warned there was a risk that she may attempt suicide again.
      Ms Saldanha, 46, is understood to have spent several days in intensive care before receiving psychiatric treatment and being prescribed a course of powerful antidepressants for nine months following her suicide attempts
      Ms Saldanha's medication would have finished in September. It is not known if she was prescribed any more or if staff at King Edward VII's knew of her fragile condition.
      Last night, her brother, an engineer in Mangalore, said: 'We didn't know about the first incident, but we knew about the second incident at Father Muller.' He refused to give further details.
      Mr Saldanha said Jacintha spoke to her husband by telephone on the evening of the prank call, which was made at 5.30am on Tuesday, December 4, but did not tell him about her involvement. He added that she spoke to her husband and children twice the following day, but still did not reveal anything, though she told Mr Barboza to watch the news.
      Ms Saldanha's medication would have finished in September but it is not known if she was prescribed any more or if staff at the hospital knew of her condition
      Mr Saldanha said he believes his sister did not tell her family in the UK or India about the hoax as she felt ashamed.
      Mr Barboza became slightly concerned when his wife did not call on Thursday, December 6, but believed she was busy with nursing classes.
      On Friday morning, he called a colleague of Ms Saldanha to check on his wife. Hours later, he was told of her death by officers from Avon and Somerset Police.
      Last week, the body of Ms Saldanha was flown back to India and buried according to her wishes in the village of Shirva.
      Fighting back tears, Mr Saldanha said: 'I want justice for my sister. I want the British authorities to get the truth. My best memory of my sister was her kindness.'
      His wife, Zeena, 34, added: 'She and the family were supposed to return to India for a holiday early next year. The last time we spoke to her was in November and she sounded so happy.'
      Last week, The Mail on Sunday revealed how Ms Saldanha blamed the two DJs for her death in one of three apparent suicide notes. In another note, she criticised 'aspects of the hospital staff'.
      A hospital spokesman declined to comment on reports that Ms Saldanha had previously tried to commit suicide.
      Jacintha family demand answers to SIXTY questions of radio station's parent company and the hospital where she workedTHE grieving family of nurse Jacintha Saldanha have sent 60 questions to the Australian media group behind the hoax phone call and the hospital where she committed suicide.
      In their search for answers surrounding the death, the family posed 40 questions in a letter to King Edward VII's Hospital, where Ms Saldanha worked as a nurse and where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness.
      They asked a further 20 questions in a letter to Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2Day FM, whose DJs pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles in the December 4 call, which Ms Saldanha answered.
      The family of Ms Saldanha have asked 20 questions in a letter to Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2day FM, whose DJs, including Mel Greig, made the call
      Both letters '' which have been seen by The Mail on Sunday '' were sent by Labour MP Keith Vaz, who is acting as a spokesman for the family at their request.
      In a letter to John Lofthouse, the hospital's chief executive, Mr Vaz wrote: 'On December 11 the family handed you a list of questions that specifically relate to the hospital. They have not had a written confirmation of the answers. They now have additional questions [and] would like answers .'Å.'Å'Å. as soon as possible.'
      Husband Benedict Barboza consoles his daughter Lisha during the burial of nurse Jacintha Saldanha at her hometown Shirva, near Mangalore in southwest India
      The questions suggest the hospital may not have taken extra security measures during the Duchess's stay. The family also ask: 'Was there any indication that Jacintha was under increased pressure or stress in the weeks preceding her death?'
      One question suggests Ms Saldanha may have been involved in a dispute with a colleague a few weeks before the Duchess was admitted. Another implies that the 46-year-old, whose body was discovered on December 7, may have been 'spoken to' by the hospital's matron by telephone a day after the prank call.
      The letter to Southern Cross Austereo asks if there is 'any evidence' that 2Day FM staff called the hospital five times to alert them that they were about to broadcast the prank. The letter also questions why no staff at the station or parent company have attempted to contact the family since the hoax call.
      Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza, son Junal and adopted daughter Lisha were greeted by Mr Vaz at Heathrow Airport yesterday on their return to Britain after the funeral of the nurse in India.Southern Cross Austereo could not be reached for a comment.
      VIDEO The dignified family grieve at Jacintha's funeral Play VideoLoading video...
    Jill Dando's doctor to deliver his first Royal baby | The Sun |News
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:14
      THE ex-fiance of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando will take charge of his first Royal delivery when Kate gives birth '-- and odds are tumbling that he could have his hands full with TWINS.Consultant Alan Farthing, 47, became gynaecologist to The Queen in 2008, nine years after Crimewatch host Jill, 37, was murdered on her doorstep by a mystery gunman.
      He works at hospitals in Paddington and Hammersmith, West London, as well as having a private practice in Harley Street.
      His predecessor Marcus Setchell, 69, is currently treating Kate at London's King Edward VII Hospital for hyperemesis gravidarum '-- which has been linked to multiple births.
      Yesterday bookies Coral slashed the odds on twins from 50-1 to 10-1 as up to 10,000 punters placed bets.
      Their hand was strengthened by the fact Kate's French grandmother Valerie Glassborow, who died in 2006, had a twin called Mary. And the grandfather and great-grandfather of William's mum Diana were twins too.
      Sweethearts ... Dr Alan Farthing with Jill Dando
      Sun doctor Carol Cooper said: ''People used to believe that men's family history wasn't important when it came to twins but new research shows that twins may be able to run in the man's side of the family.''
      Wills and Kate are set to spend the first months with the baby '-- or babies '-- in a two-bedroom cottage because £1million refurbishments at their 19-room pad in Kensington Palace are unlikely to be ready in time.
      Royal aides are discussing plans to set up a nursery at their temporary home '-- nearby Nottingham Cottage.
      The couple split their time between ''Nott Cott'' and another cottage in Anglesey, where Wills is a search and rescue helicopter pilot. A source said: ''They are not due to move in to their palace apartment until at least summer. It hadn't been lived in since Princess Margaret died in 2002.''
      Meanwhile the law that will mean the couple's first child will succeed to the throne '-- even if it is a girl '-- came a step closer yesterday.
      The move ending discrimination against female heirs was agreed at a Commonwealth summit in October 2011. Yesterday Deputy PM Nick Clegg announced that formal letters of consent from the individual nations have now been collected.
      He said: ''It's a wonderful coincidence the final confirmation from the other realms arrived.''
      a.west@the-sun.co.uk
      Focal point ... snappers wait outside hospital
      3 mothers tell of sickness ordealsMORNING sickness is common among pregnant women '-- but it can be extremely dangerous for a rare few.
      Around one per cent suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum, the severe sickness that has landed Kate in hospital.
      Tim Draycott, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: ''It happens because of all the hormone changes in their bodies. They get very sick and can't hold anything down and can become extremely dehydrated.
      ''For most women, this settles down at 13 to 14 weeks.''
      Here three mums tell LYNSEY HOPE how ill they felt.
      'I've been through torture to get the children I have, but couldn't do it again' ... Julie Shine
      The case of Julie Shine
      JULIE Shine is refusing to have more kids because her sickness was so severe.
      She said: ''I feel sorry for Kate. At a time when you should be feeling excited and enjoying your pregnancy it's more like torture. It's like having a stomach bug all the time, every day.''
      Julie, 35, of Denham Green, Bucks, lives with husband Tony and children Mitchell, 12, Riley, nine and eight-month-old Betty.
      She recalled: ''From four weeks pregnant I was being sick constantly, up to 20 times a day. I couldn't bear the smell of anything. I couldn't open the fridge, I couldn't cook '-- it completely took over my life.
      ''I was in hospital twice with each of the pregnancies, for five or six days at a time and put on a drip to rehydrate me.
      ''The first time I was little more than four weeks pregnant with Riley, but with Betty I was fine until six weeks. I'd been at a wedding feeling perfectly healthy and the next day I woke up and the sickness suddenly hit me.
      ''After vomiting so many times that I'd lost a stone and a half and become dangerously dehydrated, I was hospitalised at 10 weeks and then again at 14 weeks.
      ''You have to try to eat, so I'd force down the only things I could face '-- Ribena, popcorn, sandwiches and mashed potato. Everything would come straight back up. I couldn't even keep water down.
      ''It lasted until I was 22 weeks pregnant and then got better overnight each time.''
      ''I'd love to have another child but the doctors say I'd probably get hyperemesis gravidarum with any future pregnancy.
      ''I've been through torture to get the children I have, but couldn't do it again.''
      'I threw up 40 times a day' ... Emilie Carson with son, Fergus
      The case of Emilie Carson
      EMILIE Carson was being sick up to 40 times a day after being hit with hyperemesis gravidarum.
      Now 29 weeks pregnant, Emilie, 27, from Glasgow, is married to Richard, 26, with a son Fergus, two, above.
      She said: ''I started to experience severe nausea four weeks into my pregnancy. By five weeks, I was vomiting up to 40 times a day. I was signed off work and haven't been able to return.
      ''I was admitted to hospital at eight weeks and released after three days of having fluids and some anti-sickness tablets. I continued to be severely sick and was admitted again. I'm now on different tablets. They haven't stopped the sickness but have made my life manageable '-- just.
      ''I rely on my husband to do everything. When he's not available then my best friend comes round and puts my son '-- and me '-- to bed. My neighbour sometimes comes and does my housework for me but other than that it's really hard to get people to understand what it's like. I've lost friends through it. One told me I should be in touch with social services because I can't look after my son. It's heart-breaking.
      ''The charity, Pregnancy Sickness Support, have been amazing. Without their help, I wouldn't have known how to carry on. When I heard Kate has the sickness, I felt sorry for her. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
      ''But hopefully, more people will know about it and there will be better understanding. Like Kate, I had to announce my pregnancy early because I was so ill.
      ''It should be one of the happiest times of your life but, thanks to the sickness, it's been horrendous.''
      'Doctors said I should have an abortion' ... Zoe Hodge
      The case of Zoe Hodge
      ZOE Hodge suffered such severe sickness that it caused her HEART to fail '-- and doctors to advise an abortion.
      But physiotherapist Zoe, 33, who lives with her partner Ivi Dragutinovic, 37, also a physio, in Bideford, Devon, refused.
      She struggled on and eventually had son Luka, now nine months. Zoe said: ''I was only a few weeks pregnant when I started throwing up every five minutes. I was taken to Horton General Hospital, Oxford, suffering from dehydration and put on an intravenous drip to pump saline, sugar and potassium back into my body.
      ''I stayed in hospital taking drugs and steroids. But my body rejected everything that was put into it and I continued to throw up. After three weeks, I was discharged. Just as I tried to settle back at home I fell ill again and had to be taken back in.
      ''Most women put on weight when they're pregnant, but a couple of months into mine and I'd lost more than a stone.
      Intensive care ... Zoe in hospital
      ''I was throwing up 30 times a day and my throat was so sore I could barely talk.
      ''At my 12-week scan, a consultant suggested I had a termination '-- as that was the only way I'd get better. I was distraught. I'd seen my baby's heartbeat moments before. I decided to continue with the pregnancy '-- but two months later I ended up in intensive care.
      ''My potassium deficiency had caused my heart to fail and my family didn't know if I was going to make it.
      ''In January 2012, after five stints in intensive care, I started vomiting blood '-- and doctors deemed it too dangerous for me to continue to full-term pregnancy.
      ''They induced me at 38¸ weeks and Luka arrived weighing 5lb 4oz 14 hours later.
      ''Incredibly, even after the birth my vomiting continued and I was in hospital for another two weeks.
      ''Now both Luka and I are fine. I'd never regret continuing with the pregnancy as he's the most precious thing in my life.''
    Prosecutors Considering Filing Criminal Charges Against Australian DJs In Royal Phone Prank | Radar Online
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:12
      By Neil Woulfe - Radar Senior News Director
      Prosecutors in London are considering whether to file criminal charges against two Australian DJs following the shocking death of a well respected nurse who hanged herself days after transferring a prank phone call to another nurse, who then gave confidential medical information about Kate Middleton.
      Scotland Yard has submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service relating to the prank call, according to the UK's Daily Mail.
      As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found hanging by a scarf from a wardrobe in staff accommodations on Friday, December 7-- three days after the prank phone call. There were also markings on her wrists.
      PHOTOS: Kate Middleton Leaves Hospital With William By Her Side
      Saldanha was the senior nurse on duty at King Edward VII hospital in central London when she took a call at 5:30am on Tuesday, December 4 from Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who were pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles.
      She unwittingly transferred the call to a fellow nurse on Kate Middleton's, who then unwittingly divulged confidential medical information about the condition of the Duchess of Cambridge, who was being treated for severe morning sickness.
      PHOTOS: Pippa And James Middleton Visit Pregnant Kate In Hospital
      Saldanha, who was born in India, lived in London during the week and returned home to Bristol to be with her family on the weekends.
      Her family became alarmed when she did not return home on the day she was later found dead.
      PHOTOS: Prince William Leaves Hospital After Visiting Kate
      In addition to her husband, she leaves behind a son, Junal, 17, and adopted daughter, Lisha, 14.
      The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will now consider whether any potential crimes may have been committed, Scotland Yard said.
      PHOTOS: Celebrities Who Died In Bizarre Circumstances
      A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Following the death of Jacintha Saldanha, officers have liaised with the CPS as to whether any criminal offences had been committed in relation to the hoax call made to King Edward VII Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday December 4.
      "On Wednesday December 19, officers submitted a file to the CPS for them to consider whether any potential offenses may have been committed by making the hoax call."
      Saldanha left behind three suicide notes -- one criticizing hospital higher-ups for how she was treated after the prank, a second note criticizing the DJs and a third note with practical details for her funeral.
      The DJs have since tearfully apologized for the prank and they remain in hiding and on indefinite suspension from their radio station.
      RELATED STORIES:
      16-Year-Old Girl Commits Suicide After Online Bullies Ask 'Can You Kill Yourself Already?'
      He Said WHAT?!! British Singer Morrissey Shockingly Blames Kate Middleton For Nurse's Tragic Suicide
      Australian Radio Station Donating 'At Least $500k' To Kate Middleton Prank Call Nurse's Family Following Tragic Suicide
      Details Emerge About Tragic Last Moments Of Kate Middleton Prank Call Nurse, Suicide By Hanging
  Drone Nation
    Authorities: 3 Set Deadly Ind. Blast for Insurance - ABC News
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 13:38
      Three people charged in a gas explosion that devastated an Indianapolis neighborhood deliberately set up the deadly blast to collect a big insurance payout, authorities said Friday.
      The home's owner, Monserrate Shirley; her boyfriend, Mark Leonard; and his brother, Bob Leonard, were arrested Friday and charged with murder, arson and other counts in the Nov. 10 blast that killed two people.
      Shirley, 47, was facing mounting financial woes, including $63,000 in credit card debt and worsening bankruptcy proceedings, court documents say. And a friend of Mark Leonard's told investigators Leonard said he had "lost a ton of money" '-- about $10,000 '-- at a casino some three weeks before the explosion.
      Investigators believe the trio had actually tried but failed to blow up Shirley's home the weekend before the successful timed explosion, according to Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry. The fiery blast destroyed five homes, including Shirley's, and caused widespread damage to dozens of others in the Richmond Hill subdivision in the far south side of the city.
      Curry called the explosion a "thoroughly senseless act" that killed Shirley's next-door neighbors. He said the victims, John Dion Longworth, a 34-year-old electronics expert, and his 36-year-old wife, second-grade teacher Jennifer Longworth, were "in the prime of their lives."
      AP
      FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2012 file photo, debris is scattered about the neighborhood the day after two homes were leveled and numerous neighboring homes were damaged from a massive explosion that sparked a huge fire and killed two people in Indianapolis. Nearly three dozen homes were damaged or destroyed, and seven people were taken to a hospital with injuries. Prosecutors have charged a homeowner, her boyfriend and his brother with murder after causing the massive house explosion. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger, File) NO SALES CloseRandall Cable, the attorney for Shirley and Mark Leonard, said he was stunned by their arrest.
      "I'm just as surprised as everyone else that they've made an arrest. My clients have consistently indicated their innocence," he said.
      Shirley and the Leonard brothers face two counts of murder as well as 33 counts of arson '-- one count for each of the homes damaged so badly that officials have ordered their demolition.
      Curry said his office would review whether to pursue the death penalty or life in prison without parole against the three, who are scheduled to appear in court Monday.
      Shirley and Mark Leonard, 43, also face two counts of conspiracy to commit arson, while Bob Leonard, 54, faces a single count. Curry said the conspiracy charges stem from the failed explosion.
      He said investigators determined that Shirley's home filled up with gas after a gas fireplace valve and a gas line regulator were removed. A microwave, apparently set to start on a timer, sparked the explosion, he said.
      On Friday, workers using heavy equipment were removing debris from razed homes in the neighborhood.
      Doug Aldridge, the head of the Richmond Hill's crime watch group, said after a neighborhood meeting that the allegations are "more than we anticipated."
      "Sometimes money makes people do stupid stuff," Aldridge said.
      Investigators found that in December 2011, Shirley's home insurance policy for personal property was increased to $304,000 '-- an amount that was in addition to the coverage for the home itself, according to court documents.
      A probable cause affidavit says Shirley filed for bankruptcy this year but stopped making her court-arranged payments and failed to appear at a July bankruptcy hearing. The home's original loan was for $116,000 and a second mortgage was taken out on the home for $65,000, the affidavit also says.
      A friend of Mark Leonard's also told investigators that Leonard would surf online dating sites "and located older, heavier women, wine and dine them," then borrowed money and never paid them back, according to the affidavit.
    MythBusters Episode 161: Blue Ice
      By intentionally causing a gas leak in a room and inserting a magazine in a toaster, it is possible to cause a large explosion (as shown in the movie Bourne Supremacy).
      For full-scale testing, they built a replica of Jason Bourne's apartment, including the toaster, magazine, and methane supply. Their first attempt at an explosion, using the circumstances shown in the movie, did not give any significant reaction, and the myth was declared busted. A second attempt with a higher gas concentration and a fireplace starter log as the ignition source led to an energetic fire, but no explosion. Adam and Jamie made one last attempt, using enough methane to achieve a 9% concentration (the center of the flammability range) and a set of fans and diffuser hoses to mix the gas and air thoroughly. This time, they were able to get one wall to blow out and set the apartment on fire.
      Adam and Jamie began by placing magazines of various thicknesses in toasters and timing how long they took to catch fire. The thinnest and fastest to burn, similar to common newsprint or comic books, took roughly 2 minutes to catch a flame rather than the 20-30 seconds observed in the film. Small-scale tests with mixtures of methane and air indicated that a methane level as low as 6% (the bottom end of its flammability range) could trigger a noticeable explosion.
      BUSTED
    Aviation Industry to FAA: Forget About Privacy - Truthdig
      Nov. 8 letter from industry representatives to acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. "It is our belief that for FAA to succeed, the agency must remain focused on safety rather than privacy issues, where the FAA has no statutory standing or technical expertise." The letter was signed by the leaders of 20 industry interest groups, including the Aerospace Industries Association, the Air Traffic Control Association and Airlines for America.
    CIA Drone Airstrike Kills Four Jihadis Including Foreign Fighters In North Waziristan'...
      Link to Article
      Source: Weasel Zippers
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:52
      Feel good story of the day.
      Via LWJ:
      The US launched its first airstrike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agencies in 11 days, killing four ''militants,'' possibly including some foreigners.
      The remotely-piloted Predators or the more deadly Reapers fired two missiles at a compound in the village of Hisokhel near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, according to Dawn. The house was destroyed and four ''militants,'' a term used by Pakistani intelligence officials to describe jihadists of all stripes, were reported to have been killed.
      The identity of those killed has not been disclosed, however ''some foreigners'' are believed to have been in the compound when the drones struck.
    Readout of Assistant to the President John Brennan's Call with President Hadi of Yemen | The White House
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:22
      The White House
      Office of the Press Secretary
      For Immediate Release
      December 20, 2012
      Assistant to the President John Brennan called President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi of Yemen this morning to convey the United States' support for President Hadi's steadfast resolve to continue on the path of political transition. Mr. Brennan extended President Obama's congratulations to President Hadi for the decrees issued yesterday to further restructure the Yemeni armed forces, advancing the goal of a unified, professional military that serves the Yemeni people. He also commended Yemen's ongoing preparations for an inclusive National Dialogue, the critical next step in the political transition. They discussed the importance of international support for Yemen's economic development and the need to sustain close cooperation against al-Qa'ida. Mr. Brennan reiterated President Obama's appreciation for the strong partnership between our two nations and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to supporting Yemen during its historic transition.
  The fix is In!!
    Champions League draw produces exact same pairings as dress rehearsal - at odds of a staggering 2,000,000-1 | Mail Online
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:08
      Bookmakers say they would have only offered odds of 5,000-1 of the incident occurringThe order in which the ties were drawn was different, but the pairings were identicalOdds would be affected by the order due to rules over which teams can face each other at this stage of the tournamentBy David Kent
      PUBLISHED: 07:34 EST, 21 December 2012 | UPDATED: 10:26 EST, 21 December 2012
      As one of sport's most prestigious competitions all eyes were on yesterday's draw for the knock-out phase of the Champions League.
      And they would have witnessed something quite remarkable.
      To ensure that everything went smoothly UEFA chiefs had first staged a dress rehearsal. And they were left astonished as the real draw ending up producing exactly the same fixtures as those pulled out during the rehearsal
      Ties included mouth-watering match-ups such as AC Milan v Barcelona and Real Madrid v Manchester United.
      Leading football statisticians Opta say the likelihood of such an event happening is 2,160,900-1, leaving some football conspiracy theorists wondering whether there had been some kind of fix.
      What are the odds? The fixtures in rehearsal, pictured, were the same as the proper draw , below
      The draw in full: The fixtures were decided in Nyon, Switzerland
      NOW SHOW YOUR WORKING!According to football statisticians Opta the odds of the draw happening again are 2,160,900-1.
      The mathematics is made difficult by the fact that teams are not allowed to be drawn against one of their opponents from the group stage, or a club that plays in the same country.
      This means that the odds actually change every time a pairing is drawn.
      But, disregarding the order, the odds of the same eight pairings being drawn were made are based on the fact there were four group winners who had seven potential opponents in the next round, two group winners who had six potential opponents, while twoothers had just 5 teams they could be drawn against in the first knock-out phase.
      Hence the formula used by Opta was:
      7 to the power 4 x 6 to the power 2 x 5 to the power 2 = 2,160,900-1
      Although the order in which the ties were drawn was different, the pairings were identical. Football statisticians have been arguing over the odds of such an occurrence happening.
      The mathematics are complicated because of rules preventing teams from the same nations competing against each other at this stage of the tournament, or clubs facing rivals from their own group stage.
      Bookmakers say they would only offer punters odds of 5,000-1 on such an eventuality, but some have suggested the odds are as extreme as nearly 2,000,000-1.
      The draw for the last 16 pitted Manchester United with Spanish giants Real Madrid. United's classic tie with Real, the first leg is scheduled for the Bernabeu on February 13, will see the return of Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since he quit Old Trafford for £80million in 2009.
      Incredible: Fans were stunned to discover the draw matched the rehearsal
      With Arsenal facing last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich and Neil Lennon's Celtic heroes coming up against Juventus it is possible there will be no British clubs in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1996.
      The Champions League, previously called the European Champion Clubs' Cup, is an annual continental club football competition which has been taking place since 1955 for Europe's biggest sides.
      It is hugely anticipated each year and the final of last year's tournament was the most watched final yet, with 178.7 million viewers on TV.
      The tournament involves a number of stages, which includes qualifying rounds, a group stage and then a final knockout phase.
      Real Madrid are the most successful team in the competition's history after winning the tournament nine times.
      Reunion: The draw means that Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, pictured with girlfriend Irina Shayk, is set to play against his former team Manchester United
      Bouncing back? Manchester United, pictured, and Arsenal lost their final group stage games
      Play VideoLoading video...
  VIDEO
    CBS's Major Garrett: Obama 'May Need the Wisdom of Lincoln' For Gun Control 'Battle'
      Link to Article
      Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:59
      On the 20 December 2012 edition of CBS This Morning, Major Garrett tried to shoehorn Steven Spielberg's screening of his recent film "Lincoln" for the Senate into his report on President Obama's Wednesday press conference on the fiscal cliff and gun control. Garrett hyped how the movie "celebrates presidential power and crafty legislative strategy," and that Obama "may need the wisdom of Lincoln for his latest legislative battle - gun control."
      The correspondent even played a clip from the film about the sixteenth President to hint at a parallel between the passage the 13th Amendment, which happened after the carnage of the Civil War, and possible new firearms regulations in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut massacre.
    VIDEO-Vanilla Kids
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:10
    VIDEO-CNN: After Mass Shootings, Should We Profile White Men? - YouTube
      Link to Article
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:02
    VIDEO-Demand A Plan to End Gun Violence - YouTube
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:54
    VIDEO-BBC News - 'Syria has a very dangerous stockpile of chemical weapons' - US Congressman
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:52
      Congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, speaks to the BBC's Frank Gardner about US concerns over Syria's weapons.
      He said they had a "very dangerous stockpile of chemical weapons", and some of them had been put in the condition that they could be used "at a moment's notice".
    VIDEO-President Obama Makes a Statement on the Fiscal Cliff - YouTube
      Link to Article
      Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:25
    VIDEO-President Obama Responds to We the People Petitions Related to Gun Violence - YouTube
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:52
    Remarks at Holiday Reception for the Diplomatic Corps
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:00
      DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Good evening. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Ben Franklin Room. Thank you all very much for coming, and thanks especially to James Taylor for joining us earlier. Secretary Clinton is truly sorry that she's unable to be here this evening.‹I've been in this business long enough to know that you never want to stand for too long between an audience and the President of the United States '' (laughter) '' so I will be very brief.‹
      We approach the end of this year with gratitude, some sorrow, and hope '' gratitude for our collective progress in advancing international cooperation and the dignity and universal rights that people across the world so deeply deserve; sorrow for our losses, including those here at home; and hope for the coming year.
      I know the Secretary would want me to extend to each of you her best wishes for the holidays and her heartfelt thanks for the friendship, collegiality, and skill of a Washington Diplomatic Corps that remains as fine a collection of diplomats as there is anywhere in the world.‹
      And now it is my great honor to introduce the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. (Applause.)
      THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Well, good evening, everyone. It is wonderful to see all of you.
      I want to publicly thank Deputy Secretary Bill Burns. For those of you who don't know, Bill is only the second career diplomat in American history to rise to the level of Deputy Secretary. (Applause.) It is a tribute to Bill's extraordinary skills. I first met him when I was a new senator, and I traveled to Moscow. And he was then the ambassador in Moscow, and he immediately impressed me. One of these guys who doesn't speak loud, but actually has something to say. (Laughter.) Which is hard to find in Washington. (Laughter.) In Washington you have a lot of folks who speak loud and have nothing to say. (Laughter.)
      And so we're thrilled obviously with the work that he has done, but Bill I think is representative of our incredible Foreign Service officers. So thanks not only to Bill, but to all the outstanding State Department personnel who are working every day, often at great risk, to advance our interests and our ideals around the world.
      Had Secretary Clinton been able to join us, I was going to congratulate her on her record-breaking travels, visiting 112 nations, just about every one of the countries that are represented here this evening -- more than 400 travel days; nearly 1 million miles. These are not frequent flyer miles. (Laughter.) She does not get discounts. I suspect she's not going to be flying commercial that much after she leaves the State Department. But she is tireless and extraordinary.
      I spoke with her this past week. We can't wait to have her back. And I know that all of you join me in sending her wishes for a speedy recovery.
      Now, we get together like this every year or so around the holidays -'-- either here or at the White House. It's a chance for me to express my appreciation for the cooperation and partnership between our countries. That includes the hospitality that you and your fellow citizens show every single day to our diplomats and their families -'-- Americans who are serving far from home.
      But tonight, I also want to thank you for something else. This obviously continues to be a very difficult week here in America. We're still grieving and reeling from unspeakable violence that took place in Newtown. I was up there on Sunday. I told the families there that they are not alone; that our entire nation stands with them. But over the past few days what we've also seen is that the entire world stands with them; and so many of your countries, your citizens, your leaders have sent messages to them. And I know they are grateful and certainly I am grateful.
      At our embassies and consulates, people are placing flowers and leaving notes. We've seen candlelight vigils, and makeshift memorials -'-- including a beach in Brazil marked by 26 crosses and a bright American flag. Across the globe, people are going online and posting messages and sending emails and texts of support. I think of the woman, a teacher in Lithuania, who said, ''I send all my love and prayers to the families. It's all I can do from so far away, but my heart is now in Newtown.''
      So this evening, I want you and your fellow citizens back home to know how much this has meant to all of us -'-- to the good people of Newtown, to me, and to the American people. You've stood with us, just as we've stood with you in similar moments -'--whether it's been a Scottish village, an Australian town, most recently the terrible tragedy at a youth camp in Norway.
      Whether it's a tsunami that strikes, or an earthquake that levels communities, or when a young girl is targeted and nearly killed, just for wanting to go to school, we're reminded that terrible things happen in this world, but there are more people of goodwill than people of ill will. And that if we can just remind ourselves of our common humanity, perhaps we can make progress.
      These are moments that pierce through all the noise of our daily lives. And they speak to a larger truth that permeates our work together. You turn on the TV, you open the newspaper, and every day it seems we're bombarded with images of tension and conflict and division and differences. And that sometimes seems to validate those who believe that civilizations are destined to clash.
      permeate |?p?rm???t|
      verb [ trans. ]
      spread throughout (something); pervade : the aroma of soup permeated the air | [ intrans. ] his personality has begun to permeate through the whole organization.
      But when you think about the last few days, you're reminded that there's a fundamental human response that transcends cultures and transcends borders. And that's what is represented in this room. You look around the room and we reflect this vast tapestry of human experience -- people from every continent and every culture; North, South, East, and West; from all the great faiths, every creed and color; men and women. And we're reminded that whatever differences on the surface, deep down we're bound by a certain set of basic aspirations.
      We want our children to be safe and free from fear. We want people to live in dignity and prosperity, free from want. We want people to be free to think for themselves, and speak their minds and pray as they choose. We want them to surpass or do a little bit better than we did. That's what we want for our children. That's why we're here -- to serve them to do everything in our power to leave our children, and the next generation a better, safer world.
      And that's why, over the past four years, we've worked together, wherever we can, with your nations in a new era of engagement, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. Strengthening alliances. Forging new partnerships. Confronting the spread of nuclear weapons. Promoting open government, global health and food security, and fighting human trafficking. Ending one war in Iraq. Winding down another war in Afghanistan. Going after terrorist networks that threaten all of our people. Standing up for self-determination and freedom -- from South Sudan to the Arab Spring to Burma. (Applause.)
      At the same time, we're mindful that we've got so much more work to do together. There still are wars to end. There are still democratic transitions to sustain. Violent extremism remains out there and has to be confronted and deadly weapons still have to be contained. We have to work to ease tensions between nations and uphold human rights. There are still political prisoners that need to be freed and children that deserve a better education. And all of us have to be concerned about a changing climate that could have a profound impact on every single country here.
      This must be our work. And I'm here to say tonight that this spirit of partnership with your nations that defined my first term will remain a core principle of my second term. That's my commitment. That is America's commitment. And that, I think, is one of the ways we can honor all these beautiful children and incredible teachers who were lost this past Friday -- by building a future that is equal to their dreams, and delivers on the dreams of children all around the world just like them.
      So as we gather this holiday season and look ahead to the New Year, I'd leave you with a simple message, a wish: In the face of violence, let's seek peace. In the face of injustice, let's strive for dignity. In the face of oppression, let's stand for liberty. And in the face of suspicion and mistrust, let's build the empathy and understanding. Let's understand that we need to live together -- as nations and as peoples and as brothers and sisters, as children of a loving God. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
      God bless you. God bless America.
      END
    VIDEO-Rep. Kucinich: No Cat Food Christmas. No Chained CPI - YouTube
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:09
    VIDEO-Connecticut Shooting: Pastor Explains How Girl Played Dead to Survive | Video - ABC News
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 07:33
      Home > Video > GMA > GMA: 12/16/12
      Pastor Explains How Girl Played Dead to Survive
      Pastor Explains How Girl Played Dead to SurviveLara Spencer gets firsthand account of a little girl's tale of survival.
      Newtown Board of Education Spokesperson Speaks About the Tragedy
      Newtown Board of Education Spokesperson Speaks About the TragedyBill Hart has the latest information from Sandy Hook Elementary school.
      Adam Lanza Got Guns From Gun Owning Mother
      Adam Lanza Got Guns From Gun Owning MotherBrian Ross investigates Sandy Hook gunman's access to deadly weapons.
      Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Remembering the Victims
      Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Remembering the VictimsAmy Robach describes the impact of the tragedy on the local community.
      Connecticut Shooting: Churches Services Honor Victims
      Connecticut Shooting: Churches Services Honor VictimsJuju Chang details the emotional candlelight vigil in Newtown, Conn.
      Hillary Clinton Suffers Concussion After Fainting
      Hillary Clinton Suffers Concussion After FaintingDavid Kerley reports the latest on the Secretary of State's health scare.
      Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Americans and Guns
      Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Americans and GunsPierre Thomas looks into the spotlight the Connecticut shooting has placed on America's thriving gun community.
      Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Explaining the Tragedy
      Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Explaining the TragedyWillow Bay explains how to answer children's questions about the shooting.
    VIDEO-Sandy Hook Hoax "Medical Examiner" Wayne Carver - YouTube
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:47
    CBS Gushes Over 'Very Serious' Ben Affleck's Political Potential: 'He Sure Does Sound Like a Politician' | MRCTV
      Link to Article
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:15
      Norah O'Donnell helped Bob Schieffer hype his upcoming segment with actor/director Ben Affleck on the 20 December 2012 edition of CBS This Morning. O'Donnell played a clip of the soon-to-be aired interview and remarked, "He sure does sound like a politician. He won't give you a straight answer!"
      Schieffer ballyhooed Affleck's supposed credentials to be a possible replacement for Senator John Kerry, who could be named the next Secretary of State:
      SCHIEFFER: He has this organization called Eastern Congo Initiative....He appeared yesterday before the House Armed Services Committee to talk about some way to make things better over there...there has been more killing there than any other single place - more than even that happened during World War II. He's a very committed '' a very serious person. You know, he went to Harvard and majored in Middle Eastern studies....
    "Our Theme For This Year's Holiday Season Was 'Joy To All'" Michelle Obama
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:00
    NDAA Amendment Designed To Protect Americans From Indefinite Detentions Stripped From Bill
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:48
    UBS Bank Fined $1.5 Billion For Libor Scandal
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      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:47
    Senate Orders Investigation Into The Effects Of Violent Video Games On Children
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      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:47
    A Closer Examination Of The Eagle Snatches Baby Video
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      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:33
    Dem Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Uses Newtown ''Babies'' To Attack Food Stamp Cuts'...
      Link to Article
      Source: Weasel Zippers
      Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:51
      Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
      The Congressional Black Caucus is full of shameless members, with Sheila Jackson Lee taking top prize.
      Via Fox Nation:
      Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) brought up the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and Newtown massacre in order to make a point about ''Americans in need'' who need the country to help them and will be hurt by Speaker Boehner's ''Plan B'' because it will cause cuts to things like ''nutrition plans'' and ''food stamps.''
Clips and Stuff
  Agenda 21
    33333 gw.mp3
  Bank$ters
    UBS libor fine.mp3
  Elite$
    Ben Afflect Kerry.mp3
    Michelle oy.mp3
    Obama announces Kerry.mp3
    Obama petition.mp3
    Sheila Jackson Lee.mp3
  Fiscal Cliff
    Kuscinich-cat food.mp3
    Obama tax cuts flub.mp3
  JCD Clips
    assange.mp3
    barbara walters.mp3
    conheads in mexico.mp3
    contradictory sandy.mp3
    idiotic report myans.mp3
    jesse jackson jr.mp3
    pastor describes.mp3
    RAW audio of actor.mp3
    same guy modified.mp3
    sand springs survivor.mp3
    steven dinan cliff.mp3
    the sandy hook wrap up.mp3
    three glowing lights.mp3
  NA-Art-472-BIG.jpg
  Nothing to See Here
    Kill the patsy in .mp3
    NDAA amendment.mp3
    Reid jacks NDAA.mp3
  Strategy of Tension
    Demand a plan.mp3
    manual-cma.pdf
    ME1-thanks family.mp3
    ME2-HEAR THE QUESTION.mp3
    ME4-I have great photo.mp3
    Obama Gun Safety.mp3
    Obama strategy.mp3
    Obama vacation.mp3
    Video Game inquery.mp3
  WTC7
    Fake eagle-wings.mp3