• South Carolina Code of Laws Require ‘Subversives’ to Register
    Source: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS Title 23 – Law Enforcement and Public Safety CHAPTER 29. SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES REGISTRATION ACT SECTION 23-29-10. Short title.This chapter may be cited as the “Subversive Activities Registration Act.” SECTION 23-29-20. Definitions. For the purpo […]
  • School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan
    The discovery of three American soldiers among the dead in a suicide bombing at the opening of a girls’ school in the northwestern Pakistan town of Dir last week reignited the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country. Barack Obama has banned the Bush-era term “war on terror” and dithered about [...] […]
  • Sticker Shock: Experts Say World Food Program’s Afghan Relief Effort Overpriced
    The United Nations’ World Food Program, or WFP, is preparing to launch a mammoth, three-year relief operation in Afghanistan this year for 7.4 million people at a cost of $1.2 billion — but less than half of that amount will actually go to purchasing food for the war-ravaged country. The majority of the money — nearly [...] […]
  • U.S. missiles in Romania would threaten Russia
    U.S. plans to place elements of its global missile shield in Romania pose a real threat to Russia’s national security, a Russian military analyst said on Friday. Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Thursday his country was ready to host U.S. medium-range interceptor missiles to counter a potential ballistic missile attack, but stressed that they would […]
  • CIA moonlights in corporate world
    In the midst of two wars and the fight against Al Qaeda, the CIA is offering operatives a chance to peddle their expertise to private companies on the side — a policy that gives financial firms and hedge funds access to the nation’s top-level intelligence talent, POLITICO has learned. In one case, these active-duty officers moonlighted [...] […]
  • Police want backdoor to Web users’ private data
    CNET has reviewed a survey scheduled to be released at a federal task force meeting on Thursday, which says that law enforcement agencies are virtually unanimous in calling for such an interface to be created. Eighty-nine percent of police surveyed, it says, want to be able to “exchange legal process requests and responses to legal [...] […]
  • House Passes Cybersecurity Bill
    The House today 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 […]
  • Netanyahu slaps down minister to end war of words with Syria
    Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has slapped down his controversial foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, for warning President Bashar al-Assad of Syria that his regime would collapse if he attacked the Jewish state. Seeking to draw a line under a two-day war of words between Damascus and Jerusalem, Netanyahu’s spokesman clarified that Israel’s po […]
  • Google enlists NSA to fight off cyberattacks
    The world’s largest Internet search company and the world’s most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity. Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer […]
  • Pakistani scientist found guilty of attempted murder
    Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui was convicted Wednesday of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan in 2008. The jury found Siddiqui guilty of seven counts, including attempted murder and armed assault on U.S. officers. The Manhattan jury began deliberations Monday afternoon and sent a note shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday saying they had reached a […]
  • Israeli version of Gaza attack doubted
    A new Israeli report defending the military’s conduct in the Gaza war was challenged tonight after evidence emerged apparently contradicting one of its key findings. Israel submitted a 46-page report to the UN on Friday saying its forces abided by international law throughout the three-week war last year. It was meant to avert the threat of [...] […]
  • IDF denies top officers used white phosphorous during Gaza war
    The Israel Defense Forces on Monday denied that two of its senior officers had been summoned for disciplinary action after headquarters staff found that the men exceeded their authority in approving the use of phosphorus shells during last year’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli government wrote in a recent report. In an [...] […]
  • Air Force: Test missile misses its Pacific target
    And why do we know this? The Air Force says a missile-intercept test failed when a long-range missile launched from California missed a target missile launched from a Pacific island because of radar problems. A statement posted on the Vandenberg Air Force Base Web site says the target missile was launched from the Kwajalein Atoll in the [...] […]
  • US military responsibilities to expand
    The US will take on a broader range of military responsibilities, including defending space and cyberspace, in spite of growing pressure on budgets, a long-awaited administration report is set to conclude on Monday. Robert Gates, US defence secretary, is due to unveil the Obama administration’s Quadrennial Defense Rev­iew, which shifts emphasis from the post […]
  • Aerospace sector fears China sanctions
    Aerospace executives and the US government reacted with concern on Sunday to a Chinese threat to impose sanctions on American groups involved in a $6.4bn arms deal with Taiwan. Giovanni Bisignani, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, the global airline industry body, called for fresh talks between Beijing and Washington to avert a […]
  • Saving Seeds: Cantaloupe
    Cantaloupes DO cross pollinate with other “melons” like other cantaloupes, musk melons, snake melons and Armenian cucumbers.  Separate therefore from other “melons” by a quarter mile. Choose early ripening, disease free fruits to save seed from. Wash seeds from ripe melons in a strainer, dry on a paper plate or paper sheet. Seeds are ready to store [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Squash and Zucchini
    Squash within the same species DOES cross pollinate, therefore species should be isolated by a quarter mile.  This will also reduce the danger of squash bugs spreading over all the crops if they pester one patch. Seeds should be taken from fruits that have surpassed maturity by 3 weeks already. Remove seed, wash, let dry on paper [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Cucumbers
    Cucumbers DO cross pollinate, so if you want pure seed, separate cucumber varieties from each other by a quarter mile. Seeds should be taken from fruit that has ripened past edible stage and begun to turn yellow and soften.  To get to the seeds, cut the cucumber lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, wash them and dry [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Carrots
    Carrots are biennial, that means, you can harvest seeds only in the second year. Carrots Do cross pollinate, so separate them 1/4 mile from other carrots in the first year.   In the second year, when they are going to seed, separate them also from Queen Anne’s Lace (about 1/4 mile). Dig carrots up before the hard frost [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Peppers
    Peppers DO cross pollinate, so separate varieties by about 500 feet, unless you can plant them in insect proof cages that are covered with window screen. Pick ripe, fully colored fruits that show no sign of disease to save seeds from.  Remove the seed core and place on a paper plate or thick paper sheet to [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Tomatoes
    Tomatoes usually do not cross-pollinate, at least not the modern varieties.  Potato leaf varieties should be separated by the garden’s length though. Pick one ripe fruit of each plant (at least), squeeze the seeds and juice into a strainer.  Then wash the seeds, spread them on a paper plate or thick paper sheet, and dry them. DO [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Beans
    Bean flowers are self-pollinating, so the danger of cross pollination is comparatively small.  It’s is recommended to separate different kinds of beans by a garden length though to ensure absolute purity. Save seeds from plants that ripen first and are disease free.  Harvest seed pods reserved for seed saving when they are dried completely.  Crush the [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds
    I know this might come a little early for many of you out there, but I will start a new “series” here, giving information about saving seeds of different plants. I guess you all know that it is not much use to save seed from hybrid plants as you never know what you are getting, but [...] […]
  • Tomato Suckers
    I mentioned suckers in an earlier post, saying that you can pinch them if you wish, but don’t have to – well, some people do not know what a sucker actually is. What is a sucker ? Suckers grow our between a tomato leaf branch and its stem.  If you pinch them off and stick them in [...] […]
  • Planting Cucumbers
    It is a good idea to plant cucumbers in hills so they can vine in peace and do not get too crowded. A week or two after your last frost date, make hills that are 4-5 feet apart from each other on all sides, and approximately 12” in diameter.  Plant 6-8 seeds per hill. After 3 weeks, [...] […]
  • Growing Tomatoes
    As tomatoes are most gardener’s favorite plant, especially but not exclusively amongst beginners, here are a few things that might be worth knowing about growing tomatoes.  If those among you who have decades of tomato growing experiences are unhappy with my information or have things to add, please feel free to comment Basically, all [...] […]
  • Marie Claire: How to plant a window garden
    Via: seattlepi.com 1. At a nursery, pick up seeds, potting soil, and a few small pots or a window box (it must be shorter than the length of your windowsill-measure first!). Get a container at least four to five inches deep with a drainage hole at the bottom. 2. Fill container with soil and place [...] […]
  • Good buys for gardeners
    If you are new to the wonderfully healthy and economical past time of gardening, this list might be interesting to you.  For all those who have been gardening for ages already, maybe you enjoy checking what this lady thinks is essential, and add what’s missing, from your own experience Via: baltimoresun.com By Susan [...] […]
  • The globalisation of addiction
    So here is a study that tells you, basically, that living in the countryside, close to nature, as a producer, instead of a synthetic, stressful environment where people live as consumers only, will prevent addictions, will even cure addictions, will be the best you can do for your children and yourself.  The addictions of our [...] […]
  • Gardening is getting more and more popular
    We finally got our seeds, accompanied by a nice letter from FEDCOs, and what they are telling their customers there did not come as a big surprise to us:  Fedco has had record sales this year, an over 40% growth in seed sales, which adds to the 20% growth they saw last year…  At a [...] […]
  • Planning your vegetable and herb gardens – Tips to save your family money by gardening
    Via: Seattle Garden & Kitchen Examiner A prolific garden can save your family a lot of money Food prices are continuing to rise while more and more products get recalled. It only makes sense that all of us considering ways to raise some of the food we eat. The more we food we raise, [...] […]
  • Have you ordered your seeds yet ?
    You might think it’s weird to think about the gardening season now, but it isn’t.  Even though your garden patch might be buried in snow right now, depending on where you are, you still need to get off your hindquarters and start planning now. 2009 might very well be the year when, for the first time [...] […]
  • Cloth diapers, again
    Just a short note today: We recently talked to a pediatrician who told us that she is seeing a lot more cloth diapers these days than she used to.   Most people are probably using cloth diapers now because they cannot afford throwaway diapers anymore, but it is still difficult to get decent diaper covers in any [...] […]
  • Apple Pie
    I suppose most of you have made millions of apple pies in your time, but if you are looking for a nice online description of how to bake one, I recently found a well made page about how to make apple pie from scratch, with lots of pictures and ingredients for both a lattice and [...] […]
  • An Old-Time “Refridgerator”, Easily Built: The Trash Can Root Cellar
    If you need storage that keeps your food cool without using electricity, a root cellar comes in very handy. There are a tremendous amount of different designs for root cellars out there – check out this site, for example: Root Cellars Their link to the garbage can root cellar is broken though, so here are some basic [...] […]

South Carolina Code of Laws Require ‘Subversives’ to Register

Source: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS

Title 23 – Law Enforcement and Public Safety

CHAPTER 29.

SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES REGISTRATION ACT

SECTION 23-29-10. Short title.

This chapter may be cited as the “Subversive Activities Registration Act.”

SECTION 23-29-20. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter the following words, phrases and terms are defined as follows:

(1) “Subversive organization” means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means;

(2) “Organization subject to foreign control” means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or other organization, composed of two or more persons, which comes within either of the following:

(a) it solicits or accepts financial contributions, loans or support of any kind directly or indirectly from, or is affiliated directly or indirectly with, a foreign government or a political subdivision thereof, an agent, agency or instrumentality of a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization or

(b) its policies, or any of them, are determined by or at the suggestion of, or in collaboration with, a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, an agent, agency or instrumentality of a foreign government or a political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization;

(3) “Foreign agent” means any person whose actions, or any of them, are determined by or at the suggestion of, or in collaboration with, a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, an instrumentality or agency of a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization; and

(4) “Business” includes, but is not limited to, speaking engagements.

SECTION 23-29-30. Effect on freedom of press or speech.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize, require or establish censorship or to limit in any way or infringe upon freedom of the press or of speech as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and no regulation shall be promulgated hereunder having that effect.

SECTION 23-29-40. Organizations exempt from application of chapter.

The terms of this chapter do not apply to any labor union or religious, fraternal or patriotic organization, society or association, or their members, whose objectives and aims do not contemplate the overthrow of the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means.

SECTION 23-29-50. Registration by subversive and foreign-controlled organizations.

Every subversive organization and organization subject to foreign control shall register with the Secretary of State on forms prescribed by him within thirty days after coming into existence in this State.

SECTION 23-29-60. Registration of members of subversive and foreign-controlled organizations.

Every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means, who resides, transacts any business or attempts to influence political action in this State, shall register with the Secretary of State on the forms and at the times prescribed by him.

SECTION 23-29-70. Forms and schedule for filing information.

Every organization or person coming within the provisions of this chapter shall file with the Secretary of State all information which he may request, on the forms and at the times he may prescribe.

SECTION 23-29-80. Promulgation of rules and regulations.

The Secretary of State may adopt and promulgate any rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the terms of this chapter, which may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may alter or repeal such rules and regulations.

SECTION 23-29-90. Penalties.

Any organization or person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or by both fine and imprisonment.

Source/Full Story: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS

Related Items

  • December 6, 2009 — Yahoo compliance guide for law enforcement (0)
    This document provides a “menu” of the various types of private customer information—email, chat logs, ip addresses, etc.—that Yahoo is able to provid…
  • November 13, 2009 — How to DDOS a federal wiretap (0)
    Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say they’ve discovered a way to circumvent the networking technology used by law enforcement to tap phon…
  • July 16, 2009 — Holdren Forced To Respond To Controversy Over Totalitarian Population Control Proposals (0)
    … Holdren’s claim that he “never has been an advocate for policies of forced sterilization,” alongside the Ehrlich’s claim that “formulations”…
  • June 24, 2009 — UK: Super-secret IT project is underway (0)
    According to a Freedom of Information (FoI) response, the government is working on an IT project that is so secretive that its name cannot be given…
  • April 16, 2009 — Fighting crime military-style (1)
    Hmmm…the whole thing seems out of place in Montana, but I guess the taxpayers must really need this piece of equipment.  Anyway, it looks like they …

South Carolina Code of Laws Require ‘Subversives’ to Register

Source: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS

Title 23 – Law Enforcement and Public Safety

CHAPTER 29.

SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES REGISTRATION ACT

SECTION 23-29-10. Short title.

This chapter may be cited as the “Subversive Activities Registration Act.”

SECTION 23-29-20. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter the following words, phrases and terms are defined as follows:

(1) “Subversive organization” means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means;

(2) “Organization subject to foreign control” means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or other organization, composed of two or more persons, which comes within either of the following:

(a) it solicits or accepts financial contributions, loans or support of any kind directly or indirectly from, or is affiliated directly or indirectly with, a foreign government or a political subdivision thereof, an agent, agency or instrumentality of a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization or

(b) its policies, or any of them, are determined by or at the suggestion of, or in collaboration with, a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, an agent, agency or instrumentality of a foreign government or a political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization;

(3) “Foreign agent” means any person whose actions, or any of them, are determined by or at the suggestion of, or in collaboration with, a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, an instrumentality or agency of a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization; and

(4) “Business” includes, but is not limited to, speaking engagements.

SECTION 23-29-30. Effect on freedom of press or speech.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize, require or establish censorship or to limit in any way or infringe upon freedom of the press or of speech as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and no regulation shall be promulgated hereunder having that effect.

SECTION 23-29-40. Organizations exempt from application of chapter.

The terms of this chapter do not apply to any labor union or religious, fraternal or patriotic organization, society or association, or their members, whose objectives and aims do not contemplate the overthrow of the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means.

SECTION 23-29-50. Registration by subversive and foreign-controlled organizations.

Every subversive organization and organization subject to foreign control shall register with the Secretary of State on forms prescribed by him within thirty days after coming into existence in this State.

SECTION 23-29-60. Registration of members of subversive and foreign-controlled organizations.

Every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means, who resides, transacts any business or attempts to influence political action in this State, shall register with the Secretary of State on the forms and at the times prescribed by him.

SECTION 23-29-70. Forms and schedule for filing information.

Every organization or person coming within the provisions of this chapter shall file with the Secretary of State all information which he may request, on the forms and at the times he may prescribe.

SECTION 23-29-80. Promulgation of rules and regulations.

The Secretary of State may adopt and promulgate any rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the terms of this chapter, which may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may alter or repeal such rules and regulations.

SECTION 23-29-90. Penalties.

Any organization or person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or by both fine and imprisonment.

Source/Full Story: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS

Related Items

  • December 6, 2009 — Yahoo compliance guide for law enforcement (0)
    This document provides a “menu” of the various types of private customer information—email, chat logs, ip addresses, etc.—that Yahoo is able to provid…
  • November 13, 2009 — How to DDOS a federal wiretap (0)
    Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say they’ve discovered a way to circumvent the networking technology used by law enforcement to tap phon…
  • July 16, 2009 — Holdren Forced To Respond To Controversy Over Totalitarian Population Control Proposals (0)
    … Holdren’s claim that he “never has been an advocate for policies of forced sterilization,” alongside the Ehrlich’s claim that “formulations”…
  • June 24, 2009 — UK: Super-secret IT project is underway (0)
    According to a Freedom of Information (FoI) response, the government is working on an IT project that is so secretive that its name cannot be given…
  • April 16, 2009 — Fighting crime military-style (1)
    Hmmm…the whole thing seems out of place in Montana, but I guess the taxpayers must really need this piece of equipment.  Anyway, it looks like they …

South Carolina Code of Laws Require ‘Subversives’ to Register

Source: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS

Title 23 – Law Enforcement and Public Safety

CHAPTER 29.

SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES REGISTRATION ACT

SECTION 23-29-10. Short title.

This chapter may be cited as the “Subversive Activities Registration Act.”

SECTION 23-29-20. Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter the following words, phrases and terms are defined as follows:

(1) “Subversive organization” means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or organization, composed of two or more persons, which directly or indirectly advocates, advises, teaches or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means;

(2) “Organization subject to foreign control” means every corporation, society, association, camp, group, bund, political party, assembly, body or other organization, composed of two or more persons, which comes within either of the following:

(a) it solicits or accepts financial contributions, loans or support of any kind directly or indirectly from, or is affiliated directly or indirectly with, a foreign government or a political subdivision thereof, an agent, agency or instrumentality of a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization or

(b) its policies, or any of them, are determined by or at the suggestion of, or in collaboration with, a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, an agent, agency or instrumentality of a foreign government or a political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization;

(3) “Foreign agent” means any person whose actions, or any of them, are determined by or at the suggestion of, or in collaboration with, a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, an instrumentality or agency of a foreign government or political subdivision thereof, a political party in a foreign country or an international political organization; and

(4) “Business” includes, but is not limited to, speaking engagements.

SECTION 23-29-30. Effect on freedom of press or speech.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to authorize, require or establish censorship or to limit in any way or infringe upon freedom of the press or of speech as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and no regulation shall be promulgated hereunder having that effect.

SECTION 23-29-40. Organizations exempt from application of chapter.

The terms of this chapter do not apply to any labor union or religious, fraternal or patriotic organization, society or association, or their members, whose objectives and aims do not contemplate the overthrow of the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means.

SECTION 23-29-50. Registration by subversive and foreign-controlled organizations.

Every subversive organization and organization subject to foreign control shall register with the Secretary of State on forms prescribed by him within thirty days after coming into existence in this State.

SECTION 23-29-60. Registration of members of subversive and foreign-controlled organizations.

Every member of a subversive organization, or an organization subject to foreign control, every foreign agent and every person who advocates, teaches, advises or practices the duty, necessity or propriety of controlling, conducting, seizing or overthrowing the government of the United States, of this State or of any political subdivision thereof by force or violence or other unlawful means, who resides, transacts any business or attempts to influence political action in this State, shall register with the Secretary of State on the forms and at the times prescribed by him.

SECTION 23-29-70. Forms and schedule for filing information.

Every organization or person coming within the provisions of this chapter shall file with the Secretary of State all information which he may request, on the forms and at the times he may prescribe.

SECTION 23-29-80. Promulgation of rules and regulations.

The Secretary of State may adopt and promulgate any rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the terms of this chapter, which may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may alter or repeal such rules and regulations.

SECTION 23-29-90. Penalties.

Any organization or person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or by both fine and imprisonment.

Source/Full Story: S.C. Code of Laws Title 23 Chapter 29 Subversive Activities Registration Act – www.scstatehouse.gov-LPITS

Related Items

  • December 6, 2009 — Yahoo compliance guide for law enforcement (0)
    This document provides a “menu” of the various types of private customer information—email, chat logs, ip addresses, etc.—that Yahoo is able to provid…
  • November 13, 2009 — How to DDOS a federal wiretap (0)
    Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say they’ve discovered a way to circumvent the networking technology used by law enforcement to tap phon…
  • July 16, 2009 — Holdren Forced To Respond To Controversy Over Totalitarian Population Control Proposals (0)
    … Holdren’s claim that he “never has been an advocate for policies of forced sterilization,” alongside the Ehrlich’s claim that “formulations”…
  • June 24, 2009 — UK: Super-secret IT project is underway (0)
    According to a Freedom of Information (FoI) response, the government is working on an IT project that is so secretive that its name cannot be given…
  • April 16, 2009 — Fighting crime military-style (1)
    Hmmm…the whole thing seems out of place in Montana, but I guess the taxpayers must really need this piece of equipment.  Anyway, it looks like they …

School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan

The discovery of three American soldiers among the dead in a suicide bombing at the opening of a girls’ school in the northwestern Pakistan town of Dir last week reignited the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country.

Barack Obama has banned the Bush-era term “war on terror” and dithered about sending extra troops to Afghanistan, but across the border in Pakistan, the US president has dramatically stepped up the covert war against Islamic extremists.

US airstrikes in Pakistan, launched from unmanned drones, are now averaging three a week, triple the number last year. “We’re quietly seeing a geographical shift,” an intelligence officer said.

For the past month drones have pounded the tribal region of North Waziristan in apparent retaliation for the murder of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan by a Jordanian suicide bomber working with the Pakistani Taliban.

Last week America launched its first multiple drone attack, according to Pakistani security officials. Eighteen missiles were fired from eight unmanned aircraft in Dattakhel village, killing 16 people.

The discovery of the dead US soldiers revealed that America’s shadowy war in Pakistan not only involves drones but also small cadres of special operations soldiers.

Source/Full Story: Times Online

Related Items

School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan

The discovery of three American soldiers among the dead in a suicide bombing at the opening of a girls’ school in the northwestern Pakistan town of Dir last week reignited the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country.

Barack Obama has banned the Bush-era term “war on terror” and dithered about sending extra troops to Afghanistan, but across the border in Pakistan, the US president has dramatically stepped up the covert war against Islamic extremists.

US airstrikes in Pakistan, launched from unmanned drones, are now averaging three a week, triple the number last year. “We’re quietly seeing a geographical shift,” an intelligence officer said.

For the past month drones have pounded the tribal region of North Waziristan in apparent retaliation for the murder of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan by a Jordanian suicide bomber working with the Pakistani Taliban.

Last week America launched its first multiple drone attack, according to Pakistani security officials. Eighteen missiles were fired from eight unmanned aircraft in Dattakhel village, killing 16 people.

The discovery of the dead US soldiers revealed that America’s shadowy war in Pakistan not only involves drones but also small cadres of special operations soldiers.

Source/Full Story: Times Online

Related Items

School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan

The discovery of three American soldiers among the dead in a suicide bombing at the opening of a girls’ school in the northwestern Pakistan town of Dir last week reignited the fears of many Pakistanis that Washington was set on invading their country.

Barack Obama has banned the Bush-era term “war on terror” and dithered about sending extra troops to Afghanistan, but across the border in Pakistan, the US president has dramatically stepped up the covert war against Islamic extremists.

US airstrikes in Pakistan, launched from unmanned drones, are now averaging three a week, triple the number last year. “We’re quietly seeing a geographical shift,” an intelligence officer said.

For the past month drones have pounded the tribal region of North Waziristan in apparent retaliation for the murder of seven CIA officers in Afghanistan by a Jordanian suicide bomber working with the Pakistani Taliban.

Last week America launched its first multiple drone attack, according to Pakistani security officials. Eighteen missiles were fired from eight unmanned aircraft in Dattakhel village, killing 16 people.

The discovery of the dead US soldiers revealed that America’s shadowy war in Pakistan not only involves drones but also small cadres of special operations soldiers.

Source/Full Story: Times Online

Related Items

Sticker Shock: Experts Say World Food Program’s Afghan Relief Effort Overpriced

The United Nations’ World Food Program, or WFP, is preparing to launch a mammoth, three-year relief operation in Afghanistan this year for 7.4 million people at a cost of $1.2 billion — but less than half of that amount will actually go to purchasing food for the war-ravaged country.

The majority of the money — nearly $730 million — is being spent on shipping, land transportation, handling, office construction and U.N. staffing and administration costs, according to program documents obtained by Fox News. Outside experts consulted by Fox News say that some of the costs are more than 100 percent higher than they need to be.

WFP’s response is that some of its costs are actually less than in the past, and that higher expenses are required because of the nature of the new relief operation. In other words, they say they’re inefficient because they need to be.

The WFP program is expected to come up for approval at a meeting of WFP’s 37–member Executive Board beginning on Feb. 8 in Rome. By far, the biggest share of the $1.2 billion relief tab is likely to come from the U.S., which picked up 47 percent of the cost of WFP’s previous Afghan relief program.

Just as arresting as the size of the new WFP program is the way the money is being spent. Less than 40 percent of the total is expected to purchase nearly 816,882 metric tons of food for the program, at a projected cost of $474.7 million.

Source/Full Story: FOXNews.com

Related Items

Hundreds of Mostly Tiny Quakes Are Rattling Yellowstone Park

In the last two weeks, more than 100 mostly tiny earthquakes a day, on average, have rattled a remote area of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, putting scientists who monitor the park’s strange and volatile geology on alert.
Researchers say that for now, the earthquake cluster, or swarm — the second-largest ever recorded in the park [...]

U.S. missiles in Romania would threaten Russia

U.S. plans to place elements of its global missile shield in Romania pose a real threat to Russia’s national security, a Russian military analyst said on Friday.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Thursday his country was ready to host U.S. medium-range interceptor missiles to counter a potential ballistic missile attack, but stressed that they would not be directed at Russia.

“We are talking about the placement of the land-based Aegis system in Romania by 2015 which uses the new Standard Missile interceptor, SM-3. This weaponry, without a doubt, could significantly reduce Russia’s deterrent capability,” said Col. (Ret.) Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine.

He said SM-3 missiles would be able to intercept Russian ballistic missiles shortly after launch and on their initial flight trajectory.

“Russia must warn Romania that if the elements of the U.S. missile shield are placed in the country they will become a target of Russia’s preventive missile strikes,” Korotchenko said.

Last year U.S. President Barack Obama scrapped plans for Poland and the Czech Republic to host missile shield elements to counter possible strikes from Iran. The missile shield plans infuriated Russia.

However, Washington has announced a new scheme for a more flexible system, with a combination of land- and sea-based interceptors, to be deployed in Central Europe by 2015.

U.S. Vice-President Joseph Biden visited Romania, Poland, and the Czech Republic last October to promote the new missile shield plan.

Warsaw and Prague have already expressed their support of the revamped U.S. strategy.

Korotchenko said that with ship-based SM-3s in the North, Black and Mediterranean seas, and mobile land-based SM-3s in Central Europe the western borders of Russia would be surrounded by U.S. missile interceptors by 2015.

Source/Full Story: ‘RIA Novosti’ newswire

Related Items

CIA moonlights in corporate world

In the midst of two wars and the fight against Al Qaeda, the CIA is offering operatives a chance to peddle their expertise to private companies on the side — a policy that gives financial firms and hedge funds access to the nation’s top-level intelligence talent, POLITICO has learned.

In one case, these active-duty officers moonlighted at a hedge-fund consulting firm that wanted to tap their expertise in “deception detection,” the highly specialized art of telling when executives may be lying based on clues in a conversation.

The never-before-revealed policy comes to light as the CIA and other intelligence agencies are once again under fire for failing to “connect the dots,” this time in the Christmas Day bombing plot on Northwest Flight 253.

Source/Full Story: POLITICO.com

Related Items

Police want backdoor to Web users’ private data

CNET has reviewed a survey scheduled to be released at a federal task force meeting on Thursday, which says that law enforcement agencies are virtually unanimous in calling for such an interface to be created. Eighty-nine percent of police surveyed, it says, want to be able to “exchange legal process requests and responses to legal process” through an encrypted, police-only “nationwide computer network.” (See one excerpt and another.)

The survey, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, is part of a broader push from law enforcement agencies to alter the ground rules of online investigations. Other components include renewed calls for laws requiring Internet companies to store data about their users for up to five years and increased pressure on companies to respond to police inquiries in hours instead of days.

But the most controversial element is probably the private Web
interface, which raises novel security and privacy concerns, especially
in the wake of a recent inspector general’s report (PDF) from the Justice Department. The 289-page report detailed
how the FBI obtained Americans’ telephone records by citing nonexistent
emergencies and simply asking for the data or writing phone numbers on
a sticky note rather than following procedures required by law.

Some companies already have police-only Web interfaces. Sprint Nextel operates what it calls the L-Site, also known as the “legal compliance secure Web portal.” The company even has offered a course that “will teach you how to create and track legal demands through L-site. Learn to navigate and securely download requested records.” Cox Communications makes its price list for complying with police requests public; a 30-day wiretap is $3,500.

Source/Full Story: CNET News

Related Items

  • December 30, 2009 — Federal court restricts Taser use by police (0)
    A federal appeals court this week ruled that a California police officer can be held liable for injuries suffered by an unarmed man he Tasered during …
  • December 29, 2009 — TSA Looks to Expand Use of Full-Body Scanners at U.S. Airports (0)
    The Transportation Security Administration is looking to increase the number of full-body scanners at U.S. airports over the next few years as it revi…
  • November 13, 2009 — How to DDOS a federal wiretap (0)
    Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say they’ve discovered a way to circumvent the networking technology used by law enforcement to tap phon…
  • October 23, 2009 — Taser makers say don’t aim at chest (0)
    The maker of Taser stun guns has advised law enforcement agencies to avoid hitting suspects in the chest, partly “to minimize controversy.”"Taser has …
  • October 15, 2009 — Tempe woman fights home’s ‘hazard’ listing (0)
    A Tempe woman’s 911 call has uncovered widespread use of a police database that flags addresses across the Valley as hazards without ever consulting t…

House Passes Cybersecurity Bill

The House today 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.

“Investing in cybersecurity is the Manhattan Project of our generation,” Representative Michael Arcuri, Democrat of New York, a sponsor of the bill said on the House floor Wednesday. “But this time around we are facing far greater threat. Nearly every high school hacker has the potential to hamper our unfettered access to the Internet. Just imagine what a rogue state could do.”

Source/Full Story: NYTimes.com

Related Items

Netanyahu slaps down minister to end war of words with Syria

Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has slapped down his controversial foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, for warning President Bashar al-Assad of Syria that his regime would collapse if he attacked the Jewish state.

Seeking to draw a line under a two-day war of words between Damascus and Jerusalem, Netanyahu’s spokesman clarified that Israel’s policy was to engage in “unconditional” talks with Syria.

Lieberman had earlier warned Assad of the consequences of going to war and suggested Israel would never return the Golan Heights, occupied since 1967.

“Assad should know that if he attacks, he will lose the war and that neither he nor his family will remain in power,” Lieberman said at a business conference. “Whoever thinks territorial concessions will disconnect Syria from the axis of evil is mistaken. Syria must be made to understand that it has to relinquish its demand for the Golan Heights.”

Syria insists it will only make peace with Israel if the entire Golan is returned.

Source/Full Story: guardian.co.uk

Avigdor Lieberman rubbing elbows with Condoleezza Rice
Avigdor Lieberman rubbing elbows with Condoleezza Rice

Related Items

Employers Cut 20K Jobs in January, but Jobless Rate Drops to 9.7 Percent

The unemployment rate dropped unexpectedly in January to 9.7
percent, while employers shed 20,000 jobs, according to a report that
offered hope the economy will add jobs soon.

The unemployment rate dropped from 10 percent because a survey of
households found the number of employed Americans rose by 541,000, the
Labor Department said Friday. The job losses are calculated from a
separate survey of employers.

The department also revised its past employment estimates to show
that job losses from the Great Recession have been much worse than
previously stated. The economy has shed 8.4 million jobs since the
downturn began in December 2007, up from a previous figure of 7.2
million.

That’s the most jobs lost in any recession, as a percent of total employment, since World War II.

The figure for November was revised higher, however, to show a gain
of 64,000 jobs. That was initially reported as a gain of 4,000.

Source/Full Story: FOXNews.com

Related Items

Food Insecure: New York’s Hungry Children

One in eight Americans needed emergency food help in 2009—–one of five children in New York City are relying on emergency food.

These sad statistics come from Feeding America and the Food Bank for New York City.

“Food insecure” is the bureaucratic term for hungry people — and New York is, unfortunately, a textbook case in food insecurity. Our food pantries and soup kitchens are overloaded. Yet, without a healthy infusion of federal stimulus money, it could be a lot worse. So says Joel Berg, executive director of the NYC Coalition Against Hunger.

Berg says 37% of South Bronx residents had trouble affording food in the last year. “The federal stimulus money is helping us avert disaster,” Berg continued. “We are fortunate to have that money at this time.”

Source/Full Story: NBC New York

Related Items

Recession’s job losses likely to rise by nearly 1 million

As bad as the government’s jobs readings numbers have been during the Great Recession, we’ll soon find out the real situation likely was worse.

Much worse.

Job losses during the recession may have been underestimated by close to a million jobs. So instead of employers cutting just over 7 million jobs from their payrolls since the economic downturn began in December 2007, it’s expected that the Labor Department’s new estimate will be a loss of 8 million jobs.

“It’s an enormous understatement of the severity of the crisis,” said Heidi Shierholz, labor economist with the Economic Policy Institute, a union-supported think tank. “It confirms that things were actually worse on the ground than what the reports suggested.”

Source/Full Story: money.cnn.com

Related Items

Google enlists NSA to fight off cyberattacks

The world’s largest Internet search company and the world’s most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity.

Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer networks, according to cybersecurity experts familiar with the matter. The objective is to better defend Google — and its users — from future attack.

Google and the NSA declined to comment on the partnership. But sources with knowledge of the arrangement, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the alliance is being designed to allow the two organizations to share critical information without violating Google’s policies or laws that protect the privacy of Americans’ online communications. The sources said the deal does not mean the NSA will be viewing users’ searches or e-mail accounts or that Google will be sharing proprietary data.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

The partnership strikes at the core of one of the most sensitive issues for the government and private industry in the evolving world of cybersecurity: how to balance privacy and national security interests. On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair called the Google attacks, which the company acknowledged in January, a “wake-up call.” Cyberspace cannot be protected, he said, without a “collaborative effort that incorporates both the U.S. private sector and our international partners.”

Source/Full Story: msnbc.com

Related Items

Google enlists NSA to fight off cyberattacks

The world’s largest Internet search company and the world’s most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity.

Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer networks, according to cybersecurity experts familiar with the matter. The objective is to better defend Google — and its users — from future attack.

Google and the NSA declined to comment on the partnership. But sources with knowledge of the arrangement, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the alliance is being designed to allow the two organizations to share critical information without violating Google’s policies or laws that protect the privacy of Americans’ online communications. The sources said the deal does not mean the NSA will be viewing users’ searches or e-mail accounts or that Google will be sharing proprietary data.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

The partnership strikes at the core of one of the most sensitive issues for the government and private industry in the evolving world of cybersecurity: how to balance privacy and national security interests. On Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair called the Google attacks, which the company acknowledged in January, a “wake-up call.” Cyberspace cannot be protected, he said, without a “collaborative effort that incorporates both the U.S. private sector and our international partners.”

Source/Full Story: msnbc.com

Related Items

Pakistani scientist found guilty of attempted murder

Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui was convicted Wednesday of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan in 2008.

The jury found Siddiqui guilty of seven counts, including attempted murder and armed assault on U.S. officers.

The Manhattan jury began deliberations Monday afternoon and sent a note shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday saying they had reached a verdict.

Siddiqui listened to the verdict without emotion but let out an outburst once the jury was escorted out of the courtroom.

“This is a verdict from Israel, not America,” she said. “Anger should be directed to where it belongs. I can testify to this. I have proof.”

Authorities removed her from the courtroom. She will be sentenced May 6.

Prosecutors said Siddiqui shot at two FBI special agents, a U.S. Army warrant officer, an Army captain and military interpreters while she was being held unsecured at an Afghan facility on July 18, 2008.

Authorities said Siddiqui used an officer’s rifle to fire two shots at the personnel, who were hidden from her view by a curtain. She hit no one. The warrant officer returned fire with a pistol, hitting Siddiqui at least once.

Source/Full Story: CNN.com

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui

Related Items

Pakistani scientist found guilty of attempted murder

Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui was convicted Wednesday of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan in 2008.

The jury found Siddiqui guilty of seven counts, including attempted murder and armed assault on U.S. officers.

The Manhattan jury began deliberations Monday afternoon and sent a note shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday saying they had reached a verdict.

Siddiqui listened to the verdict without emotion but let out an outburst once the jury was escorted out of the courtroom.

“This is a verdict from Israel, not America,” she said. “Anger should be directed to where it belongs. I can testify to this. I have proof.”

Authorities removed her from the courtroom. She will be sentenced May 6.

Prosecutors said Siddiqui shot at two FBI special agents, a U.S. Army warrant officer, an Army captain and military interpreters while she was being held unsecured at an Afghan facility on July 18, 2008.

Authorities said Siddiqui used an officer’s rifle to fire two shots at the personnel, who were hidden from her view by a curtain. She hit no one. The warrant officer returned fire with a pistol, hitting Siddiqui at least once.

Source/Full Story: CNN.com

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui

Related Items

Moody’s warns US of credit rating fears

Moody’s Investors Service fired off a warning on Wednesday that the triple A sovereign credit rating of the US would come under pressure unless economic growth was more robust than expected or tougher actions were taken to tackle the country’s budget deficit.

In a move that follows intensifying concern among investors over the US deficit, Moody’s said the country faced a trajectory of debt growth that was “clearly continuously upward”.

Steven Hess, senior credit officer at Moody’s, said the deficits projected in the budget outlook presented by the Obama administration outlook this week did not stabilise debt levels in relation to gross domestic product.

“Unless further measures are taken to reduce the budget deficit further or the economy rebounds more vigorously than expected, the federal financial picture as presented in the projections for the next decade will at some point put pressure on the triple A government bond rating,” the rating agency added in an issuer note.

Source/Full Story: FT.com

Related Items

Moody’s warns US of credit rating fears

Moody’s Investors Service fired off a warning on Wednesday that the triple A sovereign credit rating of the US would come under pressure unless economic growth was more robust than expected or tougher actions were taken to tackle the country’s budget deficit.

In a move that follows intensifying concern among investors over the US deficit, Moody’s said the country faced a trajectory of debt growth that was “clearly continuously upward”.

Steven Hess, senior credit officer at Moody’s, said the deficits projected in the budget outlook presented by the Obama administration outlook this week did not stabilise debt levels in relation to gross domestic product.

“Unless further measures are taken to reduce the budget deficit further or the economy rebounds more vigorously than expected, the federal financial picture as presented in the projections for the next decade will at some point put pressure on the triple A government bond rating,” the rating agency added in an issuer note.

Source/Full Story: FT.com

Related Items

Brutal attack of Vallejo city worker caught on camera

Video available at abc7news.com

Dozens of teenagers saw it happen in broad daylight, but no one has come forward to identify the mob of young people who beat up a Vallejo city worker. Police have released surveillance video to generate tips.

The attack happened in front of two cameras on Feb. 1 at approximately 3:19 p.m.

Surveillance video from Britton’s Mini Mart near Vallejo High School shows the 46-year-old city of Vallejo worker in a back hoe being hit with rocks by some kids. He then drives back to the location at Nebraska and Broadway streets to confront the kids who begin attacking the man. The city worker gets knocked down and eventually a crowd of up to 40 people begin beating the man while he is on the ground.

The victim, a 20-year city employee, was transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Vallejo where he is being treated for his injuries. Police say the mob fractured his skull, broke his jaw and collarbone, and knocked several teeth out of his mouth.

On top of it all, they went through his pockets and stole his wallet, all while people cheered in front of another camera from a bystander who shot video. Police have already identified several suspects in the video, but they are also offering $1,000 for the arrest and conviction of any other suspects who took part in this mob beating.

‘I saw some punches thrown, but that’s about it,” said a witness who believes there were close to 40 people in the area.

Source/Full Story: abc7news.com

Related Items

Brutal attack of Vallejo city worker caught on camera

Video available at abc7news.com

Dozens of teenagers saw it happen in broad daylight, but no one has come forward to identify the mob of young people who beat up a Vallejo city worker. Police have released surveillance video to generate tips.

The attack happened in front of two cameras on Feb. 1 at approximately 3:19 p.m.

Surveillance video from Britton’s Mini Mart near Vallejo High School shows the 46-year-old city of Vallejo worker in a back hoe being hit with rocks by some kids. He then drives back to the location at Nebraska and Broadway streets to confront the kids who begin attacking the man. The city worker gets knocked down and eventually a crowd of up to 40 people begin beating the man while he is on the ground.

The victim, a 20-year city employee, was transported to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Vallejo where he is being treated for his injuries. Police say the mob fractured his skull, broke his jaw and collarbone, and knocked several teeth out of his mouth.

On top of it all, they went through his pockets and stole his wallet, all while people cheered in front of another camera from a bystander who shot video. Police have already identified several suspects in the video, but they are also offering $1,000 for the arrest and conviction of any other suspects who took part in this mob beating.

‘I saw some punches thrown, but that’s about it,” said a witness who believes there were close to 40 people in the area.

Source/Full Story: abc7news.com

Related Items

Bogota’s bulletproof tailor

Colombian tailor Miguel Caballero specializes in making garments that enable the wearer to get shot at point-blank range with nary an injury besides, maybe, a bruised ego. At-high-risk-of-catching-a-bullet demographics, such as rappers and politicians all over the world, rely on Miguel’s handiwork. And, lucky me, when I was recently in Bogota for VBS.TV covering a few stories, I had the chance to visit Miguel’s shop, learn about his protective clothing, and get shot in the gut by him. Seriously.

Source/Full Story: CNN.com

Related Items

  • August 31, 2009 — Colombian president has H1N1 virus
    Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is infected with the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, his spokesman told CNN en Espanol on Sunday. Uribe is…
  • January 29, 2010 — Las Vegas: Most foreclosures of any city in 2009
    Cities in the so-called Sand States dominated the foreclosure rankings in 2009, with the 20 worst-hit metro areas residing in Nevada, Florida, Califor…
  • January 27, 2010 — Beware the 4 new asset bubbles
    Less than two years after the housing market collapsed, the U.S. economy is threatened by a new bubble in asset prices. This time, four billowing ball…
  • January 27, 2010 — Firms that broke law still get stimulus tax dollars
    The federal stimulus program is funding roadway construction in many Massachusetts towns. But more than half of the companies that have received taxpa…
  • January 11, 2010 — Gas prices edge close to $3 a gallon
    Prices at the pump have jumped 14 cents over the past few weeks, working their way closer to the $3 mark, according to a survey published Sunday.The a…

Bogota’s bulletproof tailor

Colombian tailor Miguel Caballero specializes in making garments that enable the wearer to get shot at point-blank range with nary an injury besides, maybe, a bruised ego. At-high-risk-of-catching-a-bullet demographics, such as rappers and politicians all over the world, rely on Miguel’s handiwork. And, lucky me, when I was recently in Bogota for VBS.TV covering a few stories, I had the chance to visit Miguel’s shop, learn about his protective clothing, and get shot in the gut by him. Seriously.

Source/Full Story: CNN.com

Related Items

  • August 31, 2009 — Colombian president has H1N1 virus
    Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is infected with the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, his spokesman told CNN en Espanol on Sunday. Uribe is…
  • January 29, 2010 — Las Vegas: Most foreclosures of any city in 2009
    Cities in the so-called Sand States dominated the foreclosure rankings in 2009, with the 20 worst-hit metro areas residing in Nevada, Florida, Califor…
  • January 27, 2010 — Beware the 4 new asset bubbles
    Less than two years after the housing market collapsed, the U.S. economy is threatened by a new bubble in asset prices. This time, four billowing ball…
  • January 27, 2010 — Firms that broke law still get stimulus tax dollars
    The federal stimulus program is funding roadway construction in many Massachusetts towns. But more than half of the companies that have received taxpa…
  • January 11, 2010 — Gas prices edge close to $3 a gallon
    Prices at the pump have jumped 14 cents over the past few weeks, working their way closer to the $3 mark, according to a survey published Sunday.The a…

Wet summer, more demand could create seed shortage

Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now.
A poor growing season last year and increased orders from Europe could make it difficult for home gardeners to get seeds for the most popular cucumber variety and some vegetables this spring. Farmers, who usually grow different varieties than home gardeners, [...]

Israeli version of Gaza attack doubted

A new Israeli report defending the military’s conduct in the Gaza war was challenged tonight after evidence emerged apparently contradicting one of its key findings.

Israel submitted a 46-page report to the UN on Friday saying its forces abided by international law throughout the three-week war last year. It was meant to avert the threat of international prosecutions and to challenge a highly critical UN inquiry by South African judge Richard Goldstone, which accused both Israel and Hamas of “grave breaches” of the fourth Geneva convention, war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.

The Israeli report looked in detail at a handful of incidents, including the attack on the al-Badr flour mill in northern Gaza, which was severely damaged.

The UN mine action team, which handles ordnance disposal in Gaza, has told the Guardian that the remains of a 500-pound Mk82 aircraft-dropped bomb were found in the ruins of the mill last January. Photographs of the front half of the bomb have been obtained by the Guardian.

This evidence directly contradicts the finding of the Israeli report, which challenged allegations that the building was deliberately targeted and specifically stated there was no evidence of an air strike. Goldstone, however, used the account of the air strike as a sign that Israel’s attack on the mill was not mere collateral damage, but precisely targeted and a possible war crime.

Source/Full Story: guardian.co.uk

Related Items

IDF denies top officers used white phosphorous during Gaza war

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday denied that two of its senior officers had been summoned for disciplinary action after headquarters staff found that the men exceeded their authority in approving the use of phosphorus shells during last year’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli government wrote in a recent report.

In an official response provided to the United Nations over the weekend in response to last September’s Goldstone Commission report, the government said that a brigadier general and another officer with the rank of colonel endangered human life during by firing white phosphorous munitions in the direction of a compound run by UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

The government finding aknowledges, at least in part, allegations by international organizations.

But the IDF on Monday flatly denied the report. No phosphorous had been used during the war, said the IDF, nor hadGaza Division Commander Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg and Givati Brigade Commander Col. Ilan Malka been subject to disciplinary action by GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Gallant.

Many human rights organizations said that the IDF had illegally used the phosphorus munitions, which are shot from 155 mm. cannon, and that the material caused many burn injuries among the Palestinian population. The IDF responded that the munitions were permitted under international conventions and that similar shells are in use by other Western armies. The army also contended that the munitions were used in locations remote from heavily -populated areas.

Source/Full Story: Haaretz

Related Items

Air Force: Test missile misses its Pacific target

And why do we know this?

The Air Force says a missile-intercept test failed when a long-range missile launched from California missed a target missile launched from a Pacific island because of radar problems.

A statement posted on the Vandenberg Air Force Base Web site says the target missile was launched from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on Sunday at about 3:40 p.m. and the long-range interceptor missile was launched from California’s central coast shortly after.

The statement says both missiles launched and flew without trouble but the system’s sea-based X-band radar did not perform as expected and the interceptor missed its target.

The statement says officials from the Missile Defense Agency that conducted the test will conduct an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the failure.

Source/Full Story:  Yahoo! News

Related Items

US military responsibilities to expand

The US will take on a broader range of military responsibilities, including defending space and cyberspace, in spite of growing pressure on budgets, a long-awaited administration report is set to conclude on Monday.

Robert Gates, US defence secretary, is due to unveil the Obama administration’s Quadrennial Defense Rev­iew, which shifts emphasis from the post-cold war doctrine that the US is able to fight two “major regional conflicts” at one time.

According to a December draft, the US military will restructure its forces to “prevail in today’s wars” and buy more of the helicopters and unmanned drones that have proved their worth in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the draft also highlights “a multiplicity of threats”, including cyber­attacks and anti-satellite weapons, as well as terrorist groups and the prospect of more nuclear weapon states.

“It is no longer appropriate to speak of ‘major regional conflicts’ as the sole or even the primary template for sizing, shaping and evaluating US forces,” the draft says. “Rather, US forces must be prepared to conduct a wide variety of missions under a range of different circumstances.”

Source/Full Story: FT.com

Related Items

Aerospace sector fears China sanctions

Aerospace executives and the US government reacted with concern on Sunday to a Chinese threat to impose sanctions on American groups involved in a $6.4bn arms deal with Taiwan.

Giovanni Bisignani, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, the global airline industry body, called for fresh talks between Beijing and Washington to avert a crisis over the arms package.

“At a moment in which the world is in crisis [and] China is playing a very important role in overcoming and pushing for recovery it would be a very, very difficult and unhappy situation” for sanctions to be imposed, he said, as industry leaders gathered in Singapore for Asia’s biggest air show.

The deal, to which the Obama administration gave the green light last week, includes 60 Black Hawk helicopters, 114 Patriot missiles and systems supplied by Boeing, United Technologies, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

A senior aerospace executive with knowledge of the situation said China was clearly “flexing its muscles” and that the sanctions threat would be felt most by Boeing, as the main overseas supplier of civil aircraft to China over the last decade. Beijing manages aircraft purchasing centrally and political factors have played a role in the past.

Source/Full Story: FT.com

Related Items

The End of Rogue States


In the absence of a newly forged international community, a U.S.-led crackdown on the old rogues is bound to backfire. Already Western efforts have driven rogue states into each other’s arms—Burma is trading military hardware and perhaps nuclear secrets with North Korea; Iran is forging closer ties to Syria; Venezuela is supporting Cuba more lavishly. Worse than these warming relations among relatively weak troublemakers is their growing support from legitimate rising powers. Brazil, Turkey, Russia, China—all are making no secret of their resistance to America’s anti-rogue diplomacy.

Obama came into office thinking that a more responsive diplomacy could rally global support for the old Western agenda, but that’s not enough. What’s needed, more than a change in tone or a U.S. policy review, is a new set of baseline global interests—neither purely Western nor Eastern—defined in concert with rising powers who have real influence in capitals like Rangoon, Pyongyang, and Tehran. This requires a painful reconsideration of America’s place in the world. But it promises real help from rising powers in shouldering the financial and military burden of addressing global threats.

Today countries large and small, well behaved and not, are looking for partners, not patrons. Where Washington looks to punish rogues, seeking immediate changes in behavior, rival powers are stepping in with investment and defense contracts, and offering a relationship based on dignity and respect. This is the story of China in Burma, Russia in Iran, Brazil in Cuba, and so on down the line. And given that the core institutions of global governance—the U.N. Security Council, the World Bank, and the IMF—are unwilling to grant the new powers a seat at the decision-making table, it’s not surprising that they feel no obligation to back sanctions they’ve had no say in formulating.

Source/Full Story:  Newsweek.com

Related Items

China: U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan Harm National Interest

China’s foreign minister warned that U.S. plans to sell $6.4 billion of arms to Taiwan will harm Chinese efforts to unify peacefully with the island, the ministry said Sunday, after China suspended U.S. military exchanges and threatened unprecedented sanctions against American defense companies.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the planned weapons sales to self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, were a “crude interference in China’s internal affairs” and would hurt its national security.

Beijing’s strong response to Friday’s U.S. announcement of the weapons sales, while not entirely unexpected, was swift and indicated that it plans to put up a greater challenge than usual as it deals with the most sensitive topic in U.S.-China relations.

“This is the strongest reaction we’ve seen so far in recent years,” said Stephanie T. Kleine-Ahlbrandt, northeast Asia project director for the International Crisis Group. “China is really looking to see what kind of reaction it’s going to receive” from President Barack Obama, she said.

China’s Defense Ministry said the arms sales would cause “severe harm” to overall U.S.-China cooperation. Vice ministerial-level talks on arms control and strategic security were postponed.

Defense Ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the Chinese military would fight any move to hurt the country’s sovereignty.

“We will never give in or compromise in this issue,” Huang said in a statement.

Source/Full Story: FOXNews.com

Related Items

U.S. Missile Shield in Gulf Ups Ante With Iran

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran rose Monday after the Obama Administration quietly increased the capability of land and sea-based missile defenses in several Gulf nations to protect American allies against a potential Iranian strike.

Administration officials said over the weekend that the U.S. was speeding up arms sales to a number of Gulf Arab states and that it had also deployed warships capable of knocking down hostile missiles in flight to the region.

The moves, which include the sales of anti-missile systems to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, are designed to deter Iran from launching attacks against its Sunni Muslim neighbors and to send a message to Israel that a preemptive strike against Iran is unnecessary.

The deployments come as President Obama enters a new phase in efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear program after the failure of a diplomatic offensive. Washington is anxious to get a tough new round of U.N. sanctions against Tehran, something that China and Russia have shown little interest in backing.

Source/Full Story: FOXNews.com

Related Items

Roubini Sees ‘Dismal’ Growth as Summers Rues ‘Human Recession’

Nouriel Roubini, the New York University professor who anticipated the financial crisis, said the U.S. growth outlook remains “very dismal” and White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said the economy is still mired in a “human recession.”

Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, after the U.S. reported the fastest growth in six years, their comments underscored concern that that emergency measures to rescue banks and fight the recession may be withdrawn too soon.

“The headline number will look large and big, but actually when you dissect it, it’s very dismal and poor,” Roubini said in a Jan. 30 Bloomberg Television interview following a U.S. Commerce Department report that showed economic expansion of 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter. “I think we are in trouble.”

Source/Full Story: Bloomberg.com

Related Items

Wet summer, more demand could create seed shortage

Dreaming of biting into a garden-fresh cucumber sandwich this summer? Better order your seeds now.

A poor growing season last year and increased orders from Europe could make it difficult for home gardeners to get seeds for the most popular cucumber variety and some vegetables this spring. Farmers, who usually grow different varieties than home gardeners, aren’t likely to be affected.

Seeds for what’s known as open-pollinated cucumbers seem to be most scarce, but carrots, snap peas and onions also could be in short supply.

“I suspect there will be some seeds you just won’t be able to buy if you wait too long on it,” said Bill Hart, the wholesale manager in charge of seed purchasing at Chas. C. Hart Seed Company in Wethersfield, Conn. “The sugar snap peas we’re not able to get at all, and other companies that have it will sell out pretty quickly.”

The problem is primarily due to soggy weather last year that resulted in a disappointing seed crop. European seed growers also had a bad year, leading to a big increase in orders for American seeds.

Demand for seeds in the U.S. soared last year, as the poor economy and worries about chemical use and bacteria contamination prompted many people to establish gardens. Homegrown food seemed safer and more affordable. But some wonder if the wet weather that ruined gardens in many areas last summer will discourage first-time gardeners from planting again.

Source/Full Story: Yahoo! News

Related Items

Pope urges ‘responsibility’ during tough times

Oh, ok…

Pope Benedict XVI has urged sense of responsibility from governments, employers and workers as they deal with job losses from the economic crisis.

The pontiff mentioned Fiat’s decision to stop auto production at a plant in Sicily, and Alcoa’s move to idle a smelter in Sardinia. Workers have protested these decisions.

Benedict said during his Angelus prayer Sunday that everything should be done to safeguard and increase employment levels, ensuring that workers have jobs that are both dignified and adequate to support their families.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

The pope said the economic crisis and subsequent layoffs require “a great sense of responsibility from all: businessmen, workers, governing officials.”

Source/Full Story: msnbc.com

Related Items

Obama Offers Budget With Deficits as Far as Number-Crunchers Can See With a Record $1.6 Trillion Deficit

As President Obama prepares to unveil his $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1, the White House is projecting the current fiscal year will end with a $1.6 trillion deficit, congressional sources confirmed to Fox News.

Next year’s budget will have a nearly $1.3 trillion debt, according to those sources, dropping to just over half that — $700 billion in fiscal year 2013 — before jumping back up to $1 trillion in 2020, the furthest out that budgeters will predict.

A $1.6 trillion deficit would represent more than 10 percent of the gross domestic product, but the White House says over the next 10 years, the average deficit will represent only 4.5 percent of GDP annually. Last year’s deficit was $1.42 trillion.

Source/Full Story: FOXNews.com

Related Items

Foreclosure plague: It’s spreading

The new foreclosure plague is tied more to the economy than bad mortgages. Here are 10 cities where defaults grew the fastest in 2009.

Boise, Provo, Portland OR, Green Bay WI, Brimingham Ala., Myrtle Beach, Honolulu, Roanoke, Sioux Falls, S.D., Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.

Source/Full Story: CNNMoney.com

Related Items