February 09, 2010
Feds Admit Wrongly Tracking Abortion Groups
The Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a threat assessment of local pro- and anti-abortion rights activists before an expected rally last year, even though they did not pose a threat to national security. The DHS destroyed or deleted its copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence-gathering guidelines by collecting and sharing information about "protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security," according to a department memo written last year. The report was only shared with police in Middleton and with the director of the Wisconsin Statewide Information Center, an intelligence-gathering hub, according to the memo, which was signed by general counsel Ivan Fong and inspector general Richard Skinner.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a threat assessment of local pro- and anti-abortion rights activists before an expected rally last year, even though they did not pose a threat to national security. The DHS destroyed or deleted its copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence-gathering guidelines by collecting and sharing information about "protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security," according to a department memo written last year. The report was only shared with police in Middleton and with the director of the Wisconsin Statewide Information Center, an intelligence-gathering hub, according to the memo, which was signed by general counsel Ivan Fong and inspector general Richard Skinner.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:54 AM
Police Won't Release Report On Abortion Activists
The Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. -- A police department is refusing to release a copy of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report that improperly collected information about Wisconsin abortion protesters. The report looked at the threat posed by pro- and anti-abortion protesters last year as both sides rallied to support and oppose an abortion clinic proposed by the University of Wisconsin Hospital. The Middleton Police Department last week refused to release the report. An attorney for anti-abortion activists had requested a copy under the open records law. An internal review by Homeland Security concluded that collecting the information on citizens who posed no threat was inappropriate.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. -- A police department is refusing to release a copy of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report that improperly collected information about Wisconsin abortion protesters. The report looked at the threat posed by pro- and anti-abortion protesters last year as both sides rallied to support and oppose an abortion clinic proposed by the University of Wisconsin Hospital. The Middleton Police Department last week refused to release the report. An attorney for anti-abortion activists had requested a copy under the open records law. An internal review by Homeland Security concluded that collecting the information on citizens who posed no threat was inappropriate.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:52 AM
New Federal Agency to Track Climate Change
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Monday proposed a new agency to study and report on the changing climate. Also known as global warming, climate change has drawn widespread concern as temperatures around the world rise, threatening to harm crops, spread disease, raise sea levels, change storm and drought patterns and cause polar melting. The new Climate Service will operate in tandem with NOAA's National Weather Service and National Ocean Service. NOAA recently reported that the decade of 2000-2009 was the warmest on record worldwide; the previous warmest decade was the 1990s. Most atmospheric scientists believe warming is largely due to human actions, adding gases to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.
Click Here For The Full Story......
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Monday proposed a new agency to study and report on the changing climate. Also known as global warming, climate change has drawn widespread concern as temperatures around the world rise, threatening to harm crops, spread disease, raise sea levels, change storm and drought patterns and cause polar melting. The new Climate Service will operate in tandem with NOAA's National Weather Service and National Ocean Service. NOAA recently reported that the decade of 2000-2009 was the warmest on record worldwide; the previous warmest decade was the 1990s. Most atmospheric scientists believe warming is largely due to human actions, adding gases to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:49 AM
Google Leaps Language Barrier With Translator Phone
GOOGLE is developing software for the first phone capable of translating foreign languages almost instantly — like the Babel Fish in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. By building on existing technologies in voice recognition and automatic translation, Google hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of years. If it works, it could eventually transform communication among speakers of the world’s 6,000-plus languages. The company has already created an automatic system for translating text on computers, which is being honed by scanning millions of multi-lingual websites and documents. So far it covers 52 languages, adding Haitian Creole last week.
Click Here For The Full Story......
GOOGLE is developing software for the first phone capable of translating foreign languages almost instantly — like the Babel Fish in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. By building on existing technologies in voice recognition and automatic translation, Google hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of years. If it works, it could eventually transform communication among speakers of the world’s 6,000-plus languages. The company has already created an automatic system for translating text on computers, which is being honed by scanning millions of multi-lingual websites and documents. So far it covers 52 languages, adding Haitian Creole last week.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:40 AM
Unlawful Anti-Terror Powers Planned For Use During 2012 Olympics
Police are planning to use an anti-terror law deemed unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights across the country during the London Olympics, The Times has learnt. Senior officers are considering using Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at every Underground and railway station nationwide. Privacy campaigners criticised the proposal yesterday. The powers would enable police to stop and search members of the public without any suspicion that they were involved in terrorism. The Times understands that this would be the first time that the powers would have been used across such a wide area.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Police are planning to use an anti-terror law deemed unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights across the country during the London Olympics, The Times has learnt. Senior officers are considering using Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at every Underground and railway station nationwide. Privacy campaigners criticised the proposal yesterday. The powers would enable police to stop and search members of the public without any suspicion that they were involved in terrorism. The Times understands that this would be the first time that the powers would have been used across such a wide area.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:10 AM
Stop Selling Unlicensed Natural Health Remedies: Pharmacy Regulators
Makers of natural-health products say they are bracing for widespread layoffs and millions of dollars in losses after Canada's pharmacy regulators issued a surprise directive recently urging druggists to stop selling unlicensed natural remedies. The order affects thousands of herbal treatments, multi-vitamins and other products, most of them waiting for approval from Health Canada under a backlogged, five-year-old program to regulate natural-health goods. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) says pharmacists cannot be assured the products are safe until they are granted a government licence, and should not sell them in those circumstances. "Pharmacists are obliged to hold the health and safety of the public or patient as their first and foremost consideration," said the association's recently issued position statement.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Makers of natural-health products say they are bracing for widespread layoffs and millions of dollars in losses after Canada's pharmacy regulators issued a surprise directive recently urging druggists to stop selling unlicensed natural remedies. The order affects thousands of herbal treatments, multi-vitamins and other products, most of them waiting for approval from Health Canada under a backlogged, five-year-old program to regulate natural-health goods. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) says pharmacists cannot be assured the products are safe until they are granted a government licence, and should not sell them in those circumstances. "Pharmacists are obliged to hold the health and safety of the public or patient as their first and foremost consideration," said the association's recently issued position statement.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:06 AM
Residents Fumed Over Weekend Alcohol, Firearm Ban
KING, N.C. -- Residents in King were fumed over the weekend after a state of emergency declaration restricted the sale of alcohol and the carrying of firearms in vehicles. King Police Chief Paula May said she’s received hundreds of threats related to the restrictions, which banned driving from 12 a.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. The state of emergency for King was declared by members of the City Council after Stokes County authorities also declared a state of emergency.
Click Here For The Full Story......
KING, N.C. -- Residents in King were fumed over the weekend after a state of emergency declaration restricted the sale of alcohol and the carrying of firearms in vehicles. King Police Chief Paula May said she’s received hundreds of threats related to the restrictions, which banned driving from 12 a.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. The state of emergency for King was declared by members of the City Council after Stokes County authorities also declared a state of emergency.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:05 AM
Priest Checks Fingerprints for Mass Attendance
A Polish priest has installed an electronic reader in his church for schoolchildren to leave their fingerprints in order to monitor their attendance at mass, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on Friday. The pupils will mark their fingerprints every time they go to church over three years and if they attend 200 masses they will be freed from the obligation of having to pass an exam prior to their confirmation, the paper said. The pupils in the southern town of Gryfow Slaski told the daily they liked the idea and also the priest, Grzegorz Sowa, who invented it.
Click Here For The Full Story......
A Polish priest has installed an electronic reader in his church for schoolchildren to leave their fingerprints in order to monitor their attendance at mass, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on Friday. The pupils will mark their fingerprints every time they go to church over three years and if they attend 200 masses they will be freed from the obligation of having to pass an exam prior to their confirmation, the paper said. The pupils in the southern town of Gryfow Slaski told the daily they liked the idea and also the priest, Grzegorz Sowa, who invented it.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:04 AM
February 08, 2010
Airport's 'Naked Body Scanning' Raises Radiation Exposure
Bloomberg
Air passengers should be made aware of the health risks of airport body screenings and governments must explain any decision to expose the public to higher levels of cancer-causing radiation, an inter-agency report said. Pregnant women and children should not be subject to scanning, even though the radiation dose from body scanners is “extremely small,” said the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety report, which is restricted to the agencies concerned and not meant for public circulation. The group includes the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Bloomberg
Air passengers should be made aware of the health risks of airport body screenings and governments must explain any decision to expose the public to higher levels of cancer-causing radiation, an inter-agency report said. Pregnant women and children should not be subject to scanning, even though the radiation dose from body scanners is “extremely small,” said the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety report, which is restricted to the agencies concerned and not meant for public circulation. The group includes the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Related:
Amendment IV to The Bill of Rights
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Posted by Editor at 03:51 AM
FBI Wants Records Kept of Web Sites Visited
The FBI is pressing Internet service providers to record which Web sites customers visit and retain those logs for two years, a requirement that law enforcement believes could help it in investigations of child pornography and other serious crimes. FBI Director Robert Mueller supports storing Internet users' "origin and destination information," a bureau attorney said at a federal task force meeting on Thursday. As far back as a 2006 speech, Mueller had called for data retention on the part of Internet providers, and emphasized the point two years later when explicitly asking Congress to enact a law making it mandatory. But it had not been clear before that the FBI was asking companies to begin to keep logs of what Web sites are visited, which few if any currently do.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The FBI is pressing Internet service providers to record which Web sites customers visit and retain those logs for two years, a requirement that law enforcement believes could help it in investigations of child pornography and other serious crimes. FBI Director Robert Mueller supports storing Internet users' "origin and destination information," a bureau attorney said at a federal task force meeting on Thursday. As far back as a 2006 speech, Mueller had called for data retention on the part of Internet providers, and emphasized the point two years later when explicitly asking Congress to enact a law making it mandatory. But it had not been clear before that the FBI was asking companies to begin to keep logs of what Web sites are visited, which few if any currently do.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:49 AM
Do We Want Brain Scanners To Read Our Minds?
What nightmare could be worse than being buried alive? Conscious, terrified, but unable to communicate through the impenetrable barrier of a coffin lid and a metre of earth. In the past few days, this ultimate horror has been transformed from the stuff of bad dreams and B movies to two very different front page stories. First, the uplifting images of people being pulled from the rubble of Haiti, up to 15 days after the earthquake. The joy of seeing those individual miracles provided a thin veneer over the unthinkable thoughts about the thousands who must have died, unrescued.
Click Here For The Full Story......
What nightmare could be worse than being buried alive? Conscious, terrified, but unable to communicate through the impenetrable barrier of a coffin lid and a metre of earth. In the past few days, this ultimate horror has been transformed from the stuff of bad dreams and B movies to two very different front page stories. First, the uplifting images of people being pulled from the rubble of Haiti, up to 15 days after the earthquake. The joy of seeing those individual miracles provided a thin veneer over the unthinkable thoughts about the thousands who must have died, unrescued.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:47 AM
The Government Has Your Baby's DNA
Many parents don't realize their baby's DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents' concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it's appropriate for a baby's genetic blueprint to be in the government's possession. According to the state of Minnesota's Web site, samples are kept so that tests can be repeated, if necessary, and in case the DNA is ever need to help parents identify a missing or deceased child. The samples are also used for medical research.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Many parents don't realize their baby's DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents' concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it's appropriate for a baby's genetic blueprint to be in the government's possession. According to the state of Minnesota's Web site, samples are kept so that tests can be repeated, if necessary, and in case the DNA is ever need to help parents identify a missing or deceased child. The samples are also used for medical research.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:45 AM
9-Year Old Nearly Suspended For Having A 2-Inch Long Lego Toy Gun At School
An irate Staten Island mom blasted a grade school principal Wednesday for treating her son like a pint-sized Plaxico Burress after he brought a 2-inch-long toy gun to school. "This principal is a bully and a coward, and needs to be held accountable," said Laura Timoney, 44, after her teary fourth-grader was nearly suspended for playing with the tiny toy at lunch. "The school should be embarrassed. This is a common-sense issue." Patrick Timoney, 9, was terrified when he was yanked into the principal's office to discuss the teeny-weeny plastic "weapon." "The gun was so little," the boy said. "I don't understand why the principal got so upset. I was a little nervous. They made me sign a statement."
Click Here For The Full Story......
An irate Staten Island mom blasted a grade school principal Wednesday for treating her son like a pint-sized Plaxico Burress after he brought a 2-inch-long toy gun to school. "This principal is a bully and a coward, and needs to be held accountable," said Laura Timoney, 44, after her teary fourth-grader was nearly suspended for playing with the tiny toy at lunch. "The school should be embarrassed. This is a common-sense issue." Patrick Timoney, 9, was terrified when he was yanked into the principal's office to discuss the teeny-weeny plastic "weapon." "The gun was so little," the boy said. "I don't understand why the principal got so upset. I was a little nervous. They made me sign a statement."
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:43 AM
Saints Beat Colts 31-17 to Claim First Super Bowl
MIAMI, Fla. -- Who Dat won the Super Bowl? The New Orleans Saints, that's who. Ain't kidding. Put away those paper bags forever. Drew Brees and the Saints are NFL champions, rallying to upset Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in one of pro football's most thrilling title games. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining, and was chosen the game's MVP. "We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us," Brees said. "What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it's better than expected."
Click Here For The Full Story......
MIAMI, Fla. -- Who Dat won the Super Bowl? The New Orleans Saints, that's who. Ain't kidding. Put away those paper bags forever. Drew Brees and the Saints are NFL champions, rallying to upset Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in one of pro football's most thrilling title games. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining, and was chosen the game's MVP. "We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us," Brees said. "What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it's better than expected."
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:40 AM
February 06, 2010
Two Street Preachers Shot to Death in Fl.
The Palm Beach Post:
Boynton Beach -- Jeriah Woody executed two men who preached religion to the 18-year-old, a witness has told police. Woody, who turned himself in to Boynton Beach police Wednesday, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Saturday night deaths of Stephen Ocean, 23, and Tite Sufra, 24, near the Boynton Beach city library. This morning, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Ted S. Booras, ordered Woody held without bond. Woody said nothing during the exchange, which lasted less than a minute.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The Palm Beach Post:
Boynton Beach -- Jeriah Woody executed two men who preached religion to the 18-year-old, a witness has told police. Woody, who turned himself in to Boynton Beach police Wednesday, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Saturday night deaths of Stephen Ocean, 23, and Tite Sufra, 24, near the Boynton Beach city library. This morning, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Ted S. Booras, ordered Woody held without bond. Woody said nothing during the exchange, which lasted less than a minute.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Related:
Teenager Kills Two Ministers Preaching To Him
Dr. Deb Brown / Examiner.com
Ordained as ministers last year, Stephen Ocean (23) and Tite Sufra (24) spent most of their time preaching to troubled youths in the streets before being gunned down Saturday night by an 18-year-old man named Jeriah Woody. According to police reports, the ministers had been preaching to Woody for about 15 minutes. Woody walked away, then inexplicably turned around and came running back to kill both men. Woody surrendered to Boynton Beach police this morning.
Two Men Martyred In Boynton Beach
Christian Web News
A witness has told police that 18 year old Jeriah Woody shot and killed Stephen Ocean and Tite Sufra after they tried to witness to him. On Wednesday, Woody turned himself in to Boynton Beach police, and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Saturday night deaths of Stephen Ocean, 23, and Tite Sufra, 24, near the Boynton Beach city library. Boynton Beach spokeswoman Stephanie Slater said Wednesday he was still being questioned and she would not immediately provide information about a motive.
Man Arrested On Charges of Shooting
Street Preachers in Boynton Beach (see video)
Sun Sentinel
Posted by Editor at 03:23 AM
'Justice Denied' in CIA Shootdown of Missionaries
The CIA today was accused of lying to Congress and covering up its role in the deaths of two innocent Americans, a mother and her infant daughter, at the hands of the CIA and the Peruvian Air Force nine years ago. "If there's ever an example of justice delayed, justice denied, this is it," said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R.-Mich., ranking minority member of the House Intelligence Committee. "The [intelligence] community's performance in terms of accountability has been unacceptable. These were Americans that were killed with the help of their government, the community covered it up, they delayed investigating."
Click Here For The Full Story......
The CIA today was accused of lying to Congress and covering up its role in the deaths of two innocent Americans, a mother and her infant daughter, at the hands of the CIA and the Peruvian Air Force nine years ago. "If there's ever an example of justice delayed, justice denied, this is it," said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R.-Mich., ranking minority member of the House Intelligence Committee. "The [intelligence] community's performance in terms of accountability has been unacceptable. These were Americans that were killed with the help of their government, the community covered it up, they delayed investigating."
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:21 AM
Congregations On Edge After Church Fires
The Associated Press:
Eight Texas churches barely 150 miles apart have caught fire since New Year's Day, putting pastors and congregations on edge and on guard wondering whether theirs is next. Authorities determined seven of those fires were intentionally set and they are investigating one that broke out Thursday as a possible arson. There have been no reported injuries or arrests, and federal officials aren't saying whether there's a connection. Most people in these parts can't help but think they are.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The Associated Press:
Eight Texas churches barely 150 miles apart have caught fire since New Year's Day, putting pastors and congregations on edge and on guard wondering whether theirs is next. Authorities determined seven of those fires were intentionally set and they are investigating one that broke out Thursday as a possible arson. There have been no reported injuries or arrests, and federal officials aren't saying whether there's a connection. Most people in these parts can't help but think they are.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:20 AM
East Texas on Edge Over Church Fires
Church members watched in horror as Grace Community Church in Athens went up in flames a few weeks ago. Their horror turned to dismay when some firefighters hurriedly left the late-night blaze before it was extinguished. "Our people were like, 'What's going on here?' " said Brian Brandt, a pastor at the church. "It was because they got another call – another church was burning three to five miles away." The other church was Lake Athens Baptist Church. The two were set ablaze within hours of each other. The fires are among at least six that may be connected.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Church members watched in horror as Grace Community Church in Athens went up in flames a few weeks ago. Their horror turned to dismay when some firefighters hurriedly left the late-night blaze before it was extinguished. "Our people were like, 'What's going on here?' " said Brian Brandt, a pastor at the church. "It was because they got another call – another church was burning three to five miles away." The other church was Lake Athens Baptist Church. The two were set ablaze within hours of each other. The fires are among at least six that may be connected.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:19 AM
Cross Placed at Air Force Pagan Circle Prompts Probe
A large wooden cross was placed at an Air Force Academy worship area for pagans and other Earth-centered religions, prompting an investigation by academy officials, though some caution that it's hardly "destructive behavior." Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said an Air Force Academy staffer spotted the cross — erected with railroad ties — lying against a rock at a worship area for pagan groups at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Jan. 17. Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, a self-described pagan who sponsors the group that worships there, said the incident was similar to someone leaving a pentagram or a pagan symbol at the academy's chapel altar and claimed he and others are victim of a hate crime. In an e-mail to Weinstein's group, Longcrier said his group had been "thrown under the bus by the system we trusted" and that the "hate crime" has been ignored.
Click Here For The Full Story......
A large wooden cross was placed at an Air Force Academy worship area for pagans and other Earth-centered religions, prompting an investigation by academy officials, though some caution that it's hardly "destructive behavior." Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said an Air Force Academy staffer spotted the cross — erected with railroad ties — lying against a rock at a worship area for pagan groups at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Jan. 17. Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, a self-described pagan who sponsors the group that worships there, said the incident was similar to someone leaving a pentagram or a pagan symbol at the academy's chapel altar and claimed he and others are victim of a hate crime. In an e-mail to Weinstein's group, Longcrier said his group had been "thrown under the bus by the system we trusted" and that the "hate crime" has been ignored.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:17 AM
Los Angeles Megachurch Hopes To Win Super Bowl Ad Contest
LOS ANGELES -- Pastors have long competed with the NFL on Sundays, but this season a hipster megachurch is turning the tables with a 30-second ad that could muscle its way into that all holiest of sporting events: the Super Bowl. Mosaic, a 3,000-member megachurch, is one of six finalists in the Doritos' "Crash the Super Bowl" challenge with a lighthearted spoof that plays off the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the church's ad, titled "Casket," is among the top three vote-getters in an online playoff, it will air on Feb. 7 during the Super Bowl. If the commercial ranks in the top three most-popular ads among viewers, it could win its creators either $400,000, $600,000 or $1 million.
Click Here For The Full Story......
LOS ANGELES -- Pastors have long competed with the NFL on Sundays, but this season a hipster megachurch is turning the tables with a 30-second ad that could muscle its way into that all holiest of sporting events: the Super Bowl. Mosaic, a 3,000-member megachurch, is one of six finalists in the Doritos' "Crash the Super Bowl" challenge with a lighthearted spoof that plays off the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the church's ad, titled "Casket," is among the top three vote-getters in an online playoff, it will air on Feb. 7 during the Super Bowl. If the commercial ranks in the top three most-popular ads among viewers, it could win its creators either $400,000, $600,000 or $1 million.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:15 AM
Prominent Grapevine Pastor Linked to Luxury
DALLAS -- Not long ago, the Fellowship Church in Grapevine was one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the nation. Its pastor, Ed Young, was making national headlines by encouraging married couples to have more sex. But since that time, sources say membership has waned and some say Pastor Young may have lost his way — putting himself and secrecy over God. He's splashy and hip; his message contemporary and cool. His marketing is tops in the world of mega-evangelism, making huge waves with his sermon in 2008 titled "Seven Days of Sex." But in the past few months, it's not theology but physics that may be impacting Young. Namely: What goes up must come down.
Click Here For The Full Story......
DALLAS -- Not long ago, the Fellowship Church in Grapevine was one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the nation. Its pastor, Ed Young, was making national headlines by encouraging married couples to have more sex. But since that time, sources say membership has waned and some say Pastor Young may have lost his way — putting himself and secrecy over God. He's splashy and hip; his message contemporary and cool. His marketing is tops in the world of mega-evangelism, making huge waves with his sermon in 2008 titled "Seven Days of Sex." But in the past few months, it's not theology but physics that may be impacting Young. Namely: What goes up must come down.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:14 AM
February 05, 2010
Feds Say They May Kill Americans Abroad
By John Byrne / Raw Story:
In a striking admission from the Obama Administration's top intelligence officer, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair announced Wednesday that the United States may target its own citizens abroad for death if it believes they are associated with terrorist groups. "We take direct action against terrorists in the intelligence community," Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the House Intelligence Committee. He said US counter-terrorism officials may try to kill American citizens embroiled in extremist groups overseas with "specific permission" from higher up.
Click Here For The Full Story......
By John Byrne / Raw Story:
In a striking admission from the Obama Administration's top intelligence officer, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair announced Wednesday that the United States may target its own citizens abroad for death if it believes they are associated with terrorist groups. "We take direct action against terrorists in the intelligence community," Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the House Intelligence Committee. He said US counter-terrorism officials may try to kill American citizens embroiled in extremist groups overseas with "specific permission" from higher up.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 04:13 AM
Google, NSA to Team Up In Cyberattack Probe
WASHINGTON -- Internet search firm Google is finalizing a deal that would let the National Security Agency help it investigate a corporate espionage attack that may have originated in China, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The aim of the investigation is to better defend Google, the world's largest Internet search company, and its users from future attacks, the Post said, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the arrangement. The sources said Google's alliance with the NSA -- the intelligence agency is the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization -- would be aimed at letting them share critical information without violating Google's policies or laws that protect the privacy of online communications.
Click Here For The Full Story......
WASHINGTON -- Internet search firm Google is finalizing a deal that would let the National Security Agency help it investigate a corporate espionage attack that may have originated in China, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The aim of the investigation is to better defend Google, the world's largest Internet search company, and its users from future attacks, the Post said, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the arrangement. The sources said Google's alliance with the NSA -- the intelligence agency is the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization -- would be aimed at letting them share critical information without violating Google's policies or laws that protect the privacy of online communications.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 04:12 AM
U.S. Doing Scientific Research To Boost Interrogations
WASHINGTON -- An elite US interrogation unit will conduct "scientific research" to find better ways of questioning top suspected terrorists, US intelligence director Dennis Blair said Wednesday. "It is going to do scientific research on that long-neglected area," Blair told the House Intelligence Committee, without elaborating on the nature of the techniques being tested. A spokesman for Blair, Ross Feinstein, also declined to detail "specific research projects" but stressed that any such projects would follow US law, which forbids torture, and abide by internal review safeguards.
Click Here For The Full Story......
WASHINGTON -- An elite US interrogation unit will conduct "scientific research" to find better ways of questioning top suspected terrorists, US intelligence director Dennis Blair said Wednesday. "It is going to do scientific research on that long-neglected area," Blair told the House Intelligence Committee, without elaborating on the nature of the techniques being tested. A spokesman for Blair, Ross Feinstein, also declined to detail "specific research projects" but stressed that any such projects would follow US law, which forbids torture, and abide by internal review safeguards.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 04:11 AM
Pentagon Seeks Billions Of New Dollars To Battle Terrorism, Cyber Threats In US And Abroad
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is seeking billions in budget increases to target terror threats from abroad, especially Pakistan and Yemen, with boosts for surveillance and attack drones, special operations forces and a new military cyber command. The focus is on regions that have served as insurgent sanctuaries, where U.S. counterterror officials say the next attack against America is likely being planned. Pentagon aid to Pakistan would balloon to $1.2 billion in 2011, aimed at bolstering its war on internal militants. And military funding to target al-Qaida could double in Yemen, where the U.S. spent more than $6 million last year just on aerial surveillance provided by drones, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is seeking billions in budget increases to target terror threats from abroad, especially Pakistan and Yemen, with boosts for surveillance and attack drones, special operations forces and a new military cyber command. The focus is on regions that have served as insurgent sanctuaries, where U.S. counterterror officials say the next attack against America is likely being planned. Pentagon aid to Pakistan would balloon to $1.2 billion in 2011, aimed at bolstering its war on internal militants. And military funding to target al-Qaida could double in Yemen, where the U.S. spent more than $6 million last year just on aerial surveillance provided by drones, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 04:10 AM
House Passes Cybersecurity Bill
The House overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at building up the United States’ cybersecurity army and expertise, amid growing alarm over the country’s vulnerability online. The bill, which passed 422-5, requires the Obama administration to conduct an agency-by-agency assessment of cybersecurity workforce skills and establishes a scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students who agree to work as cybersecurity specialists for the government after graduation. As officials puzzle over how to defend the nation from enemies that are often impossible to pinpoint, the lawmakers behind the bill said education and recruitment are crucial.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The House overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at building up the United States’ cybersecurity army and expertise, amid growing alarm over the country’s vulnerability online. The bill, which passed 422-5, requires the Obama administration to conduct an agency-by-agency assessment of cybersecurity workforce skills and establishes a scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students who agree to work as cybersecurity specialists for the government after graduation. As officials puzzle over how to defend the nation from enemies that are often impossible to pinpoint, the lawmakers behind the bill said education and recruitment are crucial.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 04:03 AM
February 04, 2010
950 'Naked Body Scanners' Budgeted For 2010-2011
WASHINGTON -- Body scanners that look under airline passengers' clothing for hidden weapons could be in nearly half the nation's airport checkpoints by late 2011, according to an Obama administration plan announced Monday. The $215 million proposal to acquire 500 scanners next year, combined with the 450 to be bought this year, marks the largest addition of airport-security equipment since immediately after the 9/11 attacks. There are only 40 body scanners in a total of 19 airports now. Privacy advocate Marc Rotenberg called the scanners "a deeply invasive intrusion" that would inconvenience millions of innocent travelers with screening that takes longer than metal detectors. "We'll have another Homeland Security Department program for the war on terror used almost exclusively on Americans," said Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Click Here For The Full Story......
WASHINGTON -- Body scanners that look under airline passengers' clothing for hidden weapons could be in nearly half the nation's airport checkpoints by late 2011, according to an Obama administration plan announced Monday. The $215 million proposal to acquire 500 scanners next year, combined with the 450 to be bought this year, marks the largest addition of airport-security equipment since immediately after the 9/11 attacks. There are only 40 body scanners in a total of 19 airports now. Privacy advocate Marc Rotenberg called the scanners "a deeply invasive intrusion" that would inconvenience millions of innocent travelers with screening that takes longer than metal detectors. "We'll have another Homeland Security Department program for the war on terror used almost exclusively on Americans," said Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Related:
Amendment IV to The Bill of Rights
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Posted by Editor at 03:22 AM
IRS Buying 12 Gauge Pump Shotguns
WASHINGTON DC -- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns, with "fourteen inch" barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.
Click Here For The Full Story......
WASHINGTON DC -- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns, with "fourteen inch" barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:21 AM
DC Metro Transit Police Launches Terror Drill at Union Station
WASHINGTON DC -- Metro Transit Police staged their largest anti-terrorism sweep ever during Tuesday morning's rush hour, as about 50 officers -- some toting M-4 rifles and others guiding bomb-sniffing dogs -- took up position in Union Station in a new initiative aimed at discouraging attacks. In coming months, they plan to hold similar drills for the effort, dubbed Blue TIDE (Terrorism Identification and Deterrence Effort). Robert Rotz, 50, did a double take when he ran into two officers wearing body armor and shouldering rifles. "This will make people think twice if they are trying to do something," said Rotz, a computer specialist who commutes from Shady Grove.
Click Here For The Full Story......
WASHINGTON DC -- Metro Transit Police staged their largest anti-terrorism sweep ever during Tuesday morning's rush hour, as about 50 officers -- some toting M-4 rifles and others guiding bomb-sniffing dogs -- took up position in Union Station in a new initiative aimed at discouraging attacks. In coming months, they plan to hold similar drills for the effort, dubbed Blue TIDE (Terrorism Identification and Deterrence Effort). Robert Rotz, 50, did a double take when he ran into two officers wearing body armor and shouldering rifles. "This will make people think twice if they are trying to do something," said Rotz, a computer specialist who commutes from Shady Grove.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 03:20 AM
Rupert Murdoch Says Destiny of News Corp Newspapers Is In Paid-for Online Content
London Telegraph
Rupert Murdoch said the destiny of News Corporation's newspapers is in paid-for content, claiming that his media empire is "on the cusp of a digital dynasty" from which it will profit greatly. Unveiling a $284m (£178m) post-tax profit for the three months to December, Mr Murdoch proclaimed "content is not just king, it is the emperor of all things electronic." Promising to announce major developments "in the next two months," the owner of the Sun and Wall Street Journal said consumers want content on an array of devices, and are willing to pay. Mr Murdoch disclosed that News Corp is in "advanced discussions" with other media companies about how to monetise newspaper content, as well as holding "very substantive conversations" with device makers to allow readers to access "high quality journalism wherever and whenever they want it." “We’re looking at various alternatives, and I don’t think we’re ready to announce anything yet,” he continued.
Click Here For The Full Story......
London Telegraph
Rupert Murdoch said the destiny of News Corporation's newspapers is in paid-for content, claiming that his media empire is "on the cusp of a digital dynasty" from which it will profit greatly. Unveiling a $284m (£178m) post-tax profit for the three months to December, Mr Murdoch proclaimed "content is not just king, it is the emperor of all things electronic." Promising to announce major developments "in the next two months," the owner of the Sun and Wall Street Journal said consumers want content on an array of devices, and are willing to pay. Mr Murdoch disclosed that News Corp is in "advanced discussions" with other media companies about how to monetise newspaper content, as well as holding "very substantive conversations" with device makers to allow readers to access "high quality journalism wherever and whenever they want it." “We’re looking at various alternatives, and I don’t think we’re ready to announce anything yet,” he continued.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:52 AM
Border Fence Plagued By Glitches, Long Delays
The Associated Press
PHOENIX -- An ambitious, $6.7 billion government project to secure nearly the entire Mexican border with a "virtual fence" of cameras, ground sensors and radar is in jeopardy after a string of technical glitches and delays. Having spent $672 million so far with little to show for it, Washington has ordered a reassessment of the whole idea. The outlook became gloomier this week when President Barack Obama proposed cutting $189 million from the venture. Ultimately, the project could be scaled back dramatically, with the government installing virtual fences along a few segments of the nation's 2,000-mile southern boundary but dropping plans for any further expansion, officials said.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The Associated Press
PHOENIX -- An ambitious, $6.7 billion government project to secure nearly the entire Mexican border with a "virtual fence" of cameras, ground sensors and radar is in jeopardy after a string of technical glitches and delays. Having spent $672 million so far with little to show for it, Washington has ordered a reassessment of the whole idea. The outlook became gloomier this week when President Barack Obama proposed cutting $189 million from the venture. Ultimately, the project could be scaled back dramatically, with the government installing virtual fences along a few segments of the nation's 2,000-mile southern boundary but dropping plans for any further expansion, officials said.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:42 AM
Thousands Still In The Dark In Okla. After Winter Storm
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Nearly 71,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity following a winter storm that brought ice, sleet and snow to Oklahoma last week. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported Tuesday that the majority of the power outages were in the southern part of the state. Utility officials have said it could be next week before service is restored. Emergency management officials say the majority of outages, 34,428, continue to be in the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives service areas. Other extensive outage areas are more than 20,000 Public Service Company of Oklahoma customers, more than 8,400 of which are in Lawton.
Click Here For The Full Story......
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Nearly 71,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity following a winter storm that brought ice, sleet and snow to Oklahoma last week. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported Tuesday that the majority of the power outages were in the southern part of the state. Utility officials have said it could be next week before service is restored. Emergency management officials say the majority of outages, 34,428, continue to be in the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives service areas. Other extensive outage areas are more than 20,000 Public Service Company of Oklahoma customers, more than 8,400 of which are in Lawton.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 12:32 AM
February 03, 2010
Year of the Rat -- I Mean, Census
Becky Akers / Campaign for Liberty:
Serfs who suffer the Census Bureau's invasive curiosity might consider this one of the Constitution's errors, right up there with granting Congress power over the eighteenth-century version of telecoms ("To establish Post Offices and Post Roads") and our wallets ("To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof" and "provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting." [Art. 1, Sec. 8]). The Census is indeed a mistake, not only in its concept but in the phrasing: given the latitude of "in such Manner as they shall by Law direct," it's hard to argue that any question bureaucrats ask, whether via mail, phone, or personal visits, violates the Constitution once legislation authorizes it. Indeed, that document's elasticity enables the Census Bureau to justify even its annual "surveys" by claiming they help with its gargantuan, decennial task.
Becky Akers / Campaign for Liberty:
Serfs who suffer the Census Bureau's invasive curiosity might consider this one of the Constitution's errors, right up there with granting Congress power over the eighteenth-century version of telecoms ("To establish Post Offices and Post Roads") and our wallets ("To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof" and "provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting." [Art. 1, Sec. 8]). The Census is indeed a mistake, not only in its concept but in the phrasing: given the latitude of "in such Manner as they shall by Law direct," it's hard to argue that any question bureaucrats ask, whether via mail, phone, or personal visits, violates the Constitution once legislation authorizes it. Indeed, that document's elasticity enables the Census Bureau to justify even its annual "surveys" by claiming they help with its gargantuan, decennial task.
Posted by Editor at 02:53 AM
Some Md. Law Enforcement Oppose Strip Search Bill
ANNAPOLIS -- Several law enforcement officials said Tuesday that it’s unneccessary for a Maryland lawmaker to propose a ban on strip searches for most misdemeanor or traffic offenses because local departments already have policies that limit their use. Baltimore County Sen. James Brochin wants to set guidelines for the use of strip searches, including a requirement that officers conducting the exam must be of the same sex as the person being searched. His proposal would prevent police from doing strip-searches for most misdemeanors or traffic offenses, but it provides exceptions if officers have a reasonable, fact-based suspicion that the suspect may be concealing drugs or weapons.
Click Here For The Full Story......
ANNAPOLIS -- Several law enforcement officials said Tuesday that it’s unneccessary for a Maryland lawmaker to propose a ban on strip searches for most misdemeanor or traffic offenses because local departments already have policies that limit their use. Baltimore County Sen. James Brochin wants to set guidelines for the use of strip searches, including a requirement that officers conducting the exam must be of the same sex as the person being searched. His proposal would prevent police from doing strip-searches for most misdemeanors or traffic offenses, but it provides exceptions if officers have a reasonable, fact-based suspicion that the suspect may be concealing drugs or weapons.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:51 AM
Youth Prison System Under Pressure
NEW YORK -- Three years after a 15-year-old boy died in restraints, the youth prison where he was pinned to the floor is set to be closed. The shuttering of Tryon Boys Residential Center is due to budget gaps that plague states across the USA — but also is a sign of the intense pressure on New York to improve its deeply troubled juvenile detention system. In August, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that the state uses excessive force on youths in custody; the federal agency says it will sue the state if changes are not made. In December, a state-appointed task force said use of force and lack of mental health care are acute problems for the 1,600 children held in New York's juvenile facilities each year. Two weeks later, the Legal Aid Society sued the state agency, the Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS), on behalf of youths in custody.
Click Here For The Full Story......
NEW YORK -- Three years after a 15-year-old boy died in restraints, the youth prison where he was pinned to the floor is set to be closed. The shuttering of Tryon Boys Residential Center is due to budget gaps that plague states across the USA — but also is a sign of the intense pressure on New York to improve its deeply troubled juvenile detention system. In August, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that the state uses excessive force on youths in custody; the federal agency says it will sue the state if changes are not made. In December, a state-appointed task force said use of force and lack of mental health care are acute problems for the 1,600 children held in New York's juvenile facilities each year. Two weeks later, the Legal Aid Society sued the state agency, the Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS), on behalf of youths in custody.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:49 AM
Student's Expulsion Feeds Debate On Online Rights
NASHVILLE -- The expulsion of a high school basketball player who posted angry messages on Facebook highlights a growing debate over students' privacy and free-speech rights online. Taylor Cummings, 17, a senior at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School, had been butting heads with his coaches. He logged onto Facebook at home on Jan. 3 and wrote, among other things, "I'ma kill em all." He was suspended the next day and expelled Jan. 14, Cummings and his family say. School officials decline to discuss the case but say they have suspended and expelled students in the past for infractions that involved social networks, text messaging, e-mail and other technologies.
Click Here For The Full Story......
NASHVILLE -- The expulsion of a high school basketball player who posted angry messages on Facebook highlights a growing debate over students' privacy and free-speech rights online. Taylor Cummings, 17, a senior at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School, had been butting heads with his coaches. He logged onto Facebook at home on Jan. 3 and wrote, among other things, "I'ma kill em all." He was suspended the next day and expelled Jan. 14, Cummings and his family say. School officials decline to discuss the case but say they have suspended and expelled students in the past for infractions that involved social networks, text messaging, e-mail and other technologies.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:48 AM
Groundhog Predicts 6 More Weeks of Winter
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pennsylvania -- The groundhog has spoken. And it's bad news. Punxsutawney Phil has emerged to see his shadow before chilly revelers in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks. German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early. The Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club annually announces Phil's forecast at dawn on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
Click Here For The Full Story......
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pennsylvania -- The groundhog has spoken. And it's bad news. Punxsutawney Phil has emerged to see his shadow before chilly revelers in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks. German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early. The Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club annually announces Phil's forecast at dawn on Gobbler's Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 01:08 AM
February 02, 2010
Feds agrees to timetable for UN Gun Ban
The United Nations and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are moving forward with their plan to confiscate your guns. The United States [sic] joined 152 other countries in support of the Arms Trade Treaty Resolution, which establishes the dates for the 2012 UN conference intended to attack American sovereignty by stripping Americans of the right to keep and bear arms. Working groups of anti-gun countries will begin scripting language for the conference this year, creating a blueprint for other countries when they meet at the full conference. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The United Nations and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are moving forward with their plan to confiscate your guns. The United States [sic] joined 152 other countries in support of the Arms Trade Treaty Resolution, which establishes the dates for the 2012 UN conference intended to attack American sovereignty by stripping Americans of the right to keep and bear arms. Working groups of anti-gun countries will begin scripting language for the conference this year, creating a blueprint for other countries when they meet at the full conference. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:35 AM
Court Tosses NSA Spy Suits, Sides with White House Over Illegal Surveillance
In late January, the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General released a report that provided startling new details on illegal operations by the FBI's Communications Analysis Unit (CAU) and America's grifting telecoms. For years, AT&T, Verizon, MCI and others fed the Bureau phone records of journalists and citizens under the guise of America's endless, and highly profitable, "War on Terror." Between 2002 and 2007, the FBI illegally collected more than 4,000 U.S. telephone records, citing bogus terrorism threats or simply by persuading telephone companies to hand over the records. Why? Because the FBI could and the telecoms were more than willing to help out a "friend"--and reap profits accrued by shredding the Constitution in the process.
Click Here For The Full Story......
In late January, the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General released a report that provided startling new details on illegal operations by the FBI's Communications Analysis Unit (CAU) and America's grifting telecoms. For years, AT&T, Verizon, MCI and others fed the Bureau phone records of journalists and citizens under the guise of America's endless, and highly profitable, "War on Terror." Between 2002 and 2007, the FBI illegally collected more than 4,000 U.S. telephone records, citing bogus terrorism threats or simply by persuading telephone companies to hand over the records. Why? Because the FBI could and the telecoms were more than willing to help out a "friend"--and reap profits accrued by shredding the Constitution in the process.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:34 AM
Feds Claim Authority to Regulate In-State Commerce
The federal government is claiming in court documents demanding the dismissal of a gun-law challenge in Montana the authority to regulate in-state commerce under the Constitution's Commerce clause. But the plaintiff in the case says the court needs to review that provision in its amended form – since the 10th Amendment, adopted after the Commerce Clause, can be viewed as modifying the Constitution's provisions regarding the regulation of commerce, specifically granting additional authority to states. The argument is arising in a lawsuit filed in Montana against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and others. The complaint seeks a court order that the federal government stay out of the way of Montana's management of its own firearms within state boundaries.
Click Here For The Full Story......
The federal government is claiming in court documents demanding the dismissal of a gun-law challenge in Montana the authority to regulate in-state commerce under the Constitution's Commerce clause. But the plaintiff in the case says the court needs to review that provision in its amended form – since the 10th Amendment, adopted after the Commerce Clause, can be viewed as modifying the Constitution's provisions regarding the regulation of commerce, specifically granting additional authority to states. The argument is arising in a lawsuit filed in Montana against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and others. The complaint seeks a court order that the federal government stay out of the way of Montana's management of its own firearms within state boundaries.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:33 AM
Genetically Modified Forest Planned for U.S. Southeast
International Paper and MeadWestvaco are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern U.S. by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus. While the practice of splicing foreign DNA into food crops has become common in corn and soy, few companies or researchers have dared to apply genetic engineering to plants that provide an essential strut of the U.S. economy, trees. But that will soon change. Two industry giants, International Paper Co. and MeadWestvaco Corp., are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern United States by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus, a rapidly growing Australian tree that in its conventional strains now dominates the tropical timber industry.
Click Here For The Full Story......
International Paper and MeadWestvaco are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern U.S. by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus. While the practice of splicing foreign DNA into food crops has become common in corn and soy, few companies or researchers have dared to apply genetic engineering to plants that provide an essential strut of the U.S. economy, trees. But that will soon change. Two industry giants, International Paper Co. and MeadWestvaco Corp., are planning to transform plantation forests of the southeastern United States by replacing native pine with genetically engineered eucalyptus, a rapidly growing Australian tree that in its conventional strains now dominates the tropical timber industry.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:31 AM
Cocaine, Spices, and Hormones Now Being Found in Drinking Water
A University of Washington research team recently released the results of a study it conducted on contaminant residue in the waters of Puget Sound in Washington State. Various spices, flavorings and other substances are being identified as making their way out of water treatment plants and back into the world's water supply. Winter holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas bring extra amounts of cinnamon while chocolate and vanilla are especially popular on the weekends. Likewise, caramel corn residue and waffle-cone pieces are particularly excessive around the Independence Day. The most popular contaminant found in the sound is artificial vanilla flavor which is found at an average of 14 milligrams per liter of water.
Click Here For The Full Story......
A University of Washington research team recently released the results of a study it conducted on contaminant residue in the waters of Puget Sound in Washington State. Various spices, flavorings and other substances are being identified as making their way out of water treatment plants and back into the world's water supply. Winter holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas bring extra amounts of cinnamon while chocolate and vanilla are especially popular on the weekends. Likewise, caramel corn residue and waffle-cone pieces are particularly excessive around the Independence Day. The most popular contaminant found in the sound is artificial vanilla flavor which is found at an average of 14 milligrams per liter of water.
Click Here For The Full Story......
Posted by Editor at 02:30 AM
