The News Crawler

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Connecticut
North Branford Year in Review Union workers to stage second protest Connecticut DEP steps up ‘e-waste’ program Free Drugs Forget $4 for prescriptions. One store's pharmacies are giving away some drugs for free. Insurance not necessary. Drivers' habits spur call for gas tax increase With motorists cutting back on trips and buying less gasoline, lawmakers in Washington and Hartford could face the prospect of raising gasoline taxes to pay for transportation projects. Charter School Needs License For Preschool, State Says	$907055 in grants announced for farms, The Agriculture Viability Grants help finance on-farm improvements and fund programs that promote Connecticut agriculture. Thefts from cars on the rise Is a floundering economy the reason some cities are seeing a spike in crime? That seems to be in the case in the Elm City where they have seen a 50-percent increase in smash-and-grab crimes. Rell Calls For 3rd Round Of Budget Cuts Comptroller puts 2009 deficit at $343 million State Comptroller Nancy Wyman puts Connecticut's 2009 budget deficit at $343 million.
United States
Madoff Accepted $10 Million From New York Investor Six Days Before Arrest Just six days before he was charged with running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, Bernard Madoff allegedly agreed to invest $10 million for a family that had turned an ice delivery business into one of the largest independent heating oil distributors in New York City. Groups press for tribe-friendly renewable energy policies As more tribes explore and get involved in the renewable energy field, a network of tribal groups is asking President-elect Barack Obama to support tribally owned and operated renewable energy projects, along with economic development initiatives that could reduce dependence on fossil fuels. TX court 'polarized' over DeLay ruling Appeals court: Republican judge did not have to excuse himself from case. 2 TRILLION TONS OF ICE MELTED SINCE '03 Elevated arsenic levels found near Tenn. ash spill Federal data shows arsenic levels more than 100 times the acceptable amount in a river near a massive coal ash spill in East Tennessee.... Merrill Lynch Executive Gets New House With TAXPAYER Money	LI family sues Madoff over $2M loss Investors Anthony Sciremammano, his wife Maria, and daughter Toni are suing to prevent Bernard Madoff from distributing any remaining funds to other clients. Some groups lower loss estimates in Madoff scandaSome clients of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff are concluding that their losses weren't as bad as originally thought. ... Madoff Trustee Seeks Wide Power to Subpoena A request seeks unusual authority to subpoena witnesses and documents, citing the alleged Ponzi scheme’s scale. Tennessee has 'toxic nightmare' Coal ash disaster will alter area ecosystems 'for generations,' says expert FAA reaches settlement with whistle-blower Seattle police fatally shoot armed history buffA college student dressed in a vintage German military uniform who was fatally shot by police on New Year's Day was a harmless, eccentric history buff, his family and friends said Friday....

Security Issues
Blagojevich's Homeland Security access revoked Rod Blagojevich no longer has access to classified federal security information after his privileges were revoked by the US Department of Homeland Security. War Vet, 50, Stunned By New Deployment A veteran who has been out of the military for 15 years and recently received his AARP card was stunned when he received notice he will be deployed to Iraq. The last time Paul Bandel, 50, saw combat was in the early 1990s during the Gulf War. "(I was) kind of shocked, not understanding what I was getting into," said Bandel, who lives in the Nashville, Tenn.	AirTran apologizes to 9 Muslims The airways is apologizing to the passengers kicked off a New Year's Day flight after other passengers reported hearing a suspicious remark. Six Nations Building New Carriers by James Dunnigan January 2, 2009 All of a sudden, six nations are building aircraft carriers (the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, India and China.) For over half a century, most of the carrier building took place in the United US man admits 'spying for Israel'
Media
More Newspapers Sharing Content Cutting Competition As readers and advertisers migrate to the Internet and the stumbling economy cuts deeply into revenues, news organizations are redefining what it means to compete. In recent months, papers around the country have tried to mitigate their staff cuts by forging partnerships with former rivals.
Politics
Denver Schools Chief to Be New Senator Colorado media were reporting Friday that Michael Bennet, the superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, will be tapped to replace Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) in the Senate assuming Salazar is confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama’s Interior secretary. Obama to Have Inaugural Ball for Military Only	U.S. governors seek $1 trillion federal assistance Governors of five U.S. states urged the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country's 50 states to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession. Panel urges Congress: Raise gas tax by 10 cents
GITMO
UK Presses Allies to Help US Close Guantanamo Bay Jail The UK government is urging its allies to help the US close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba, suggesting other nations take people ... US general warns Australia against taking Guantanamo inmates A top US general has urged Australia against accepting inmates from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, warning that a significant number had gone on to commit terrorist acts or resume training.	Australia and Britain signal reluctance to take Guantánamo prisoners "We have made it clear that we think Guantánamo Bay should be closed," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said, speaking in return for anonymity under civil ... Final national security certificate suspect released A Federal Court judge ruled Friday that the last terrorism suspect being held on a national security certificate be released
Bushed
FBI E-Mail Says Bush Authorized Abuse of Iraqi Detainees Cheney identified the three waterboarded detainees as al-Qaeda figures.	Late hour 'white collar crime' settlements raise questions
Economy
Failed IndyMac sold to investor group for $13.9B Federal regulators say a group of investors has teamed up to buy the remnants of failed lender IndyMac Bank for $13.9 billion. GMAC Gives Up Financing Rights For up to $6B in federal aid, auto financing giant relinquishes exclusive deal with General Motors.
Failed IndyMac to be sold for $13.9 billion Federal regulators say a group of investors has teamed up to buy the remnants of failed lender IndyMac Bank for $13.9 billion. Manufacturing index drops to 28-year low AP Manufacturing activity fell more than expected in December, hitting the lowest reading in 28 years as new orders and employment continue to decline. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Friday its manufacturing index fell to 32.4 in December from 36.2 in November. Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected the reading to fall to 35.5. Component readings of the index hit historic lows. Stocks in U.S. Advance, Bringing S&P 500 to Two-Month High; GM Shares Gain U.S. stocks climbed to a two-month high, following the market’s worst annual drop since the Great Depression, as General Motors Corp. got its first cash infusion from the government and rising oil prices lifted energy shares.	Wells Fargo, Wachovia Complete Merger With Wachovia, Wells Fargo for the first time has a community banking presence in Gov't Resumes Oil Purchases For Emergency Stockpile Taking advantage of low oil prices, the government is resuming purchases of crude oil for its emergency stockpile. The Energy Department said Friday it will seek contracts and make other arrangements for the delivery of nearly 20 million barrels of oil to the government's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the coming months. The reserve, a system of caverns on the Louisiana-Texas coast currently holds 702 million barrels of crude. The depar Chrysler gets $4bn emergency loan US carmaker Chrysler receives a $4bn emergency government loan to help stave off collapse.

Iraq
Suicide bomber kills 30 at Sunni tribal parley110 Wounded in the worst attack in Iraq in weeks. A man wearing a suicide vest attacked an informal reconciliation meeting hosted by a Sunni tribal leader south of Baghdad Friday, killing up to 30 people and injuring as many as 110, police said. Iraq's transport network slowly recovering Inadequate funding forces Iraq to look for outside investors to pour money in transport infrastructure. Iraq Press Roundup When will Iraq enjoy peace and progress? As promised by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, there has been a decline in terrorist and militia attacks as the security environment improves, al-Sabaah al-Jadeed said Friday. Key figures since the war began Current Baghdad megawatt figures are no longer reported by the US State Department's Iraq Weekly Status Report.	FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Jan 2 Iraq Opens Up Some Prized Oilfields to Foreign Majors Iraq yesterday opened up some of its most prized oil and gas fields to international firms that have been excluded for decades, part of new deals that could more than double its output within a few years. Iraq Government rejects KRG oil contracts Iraq ousts Iranians protected by U.S. The small base that is the home the Mujahedeen-e Khalq, a Marxist Islamist group US expects $1.1B in armored vehicle orders from Iraq Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq
Middle East
Egyptian authorities clamp down on Gaza protests Demonstrators gathered across the Muslim world Friday in fresh protests against the Israeli offensive in Gaza, while Egyptian authorities again used force to silence protesters in Cairo. Israeli ground attack speculation mounts Israeli warplanes have continued to pound Hamas targets in Gaza as the world waited to see whether Israel would launch a ground attack. Meanwhile, CNN's Nic Robertson reports from Ashkelon, Israel, where more than 30 Hamas-launched rockets have landed. Civilian casualties part of war -- but who is to blame?	CNN: US weapons sold to Israel 'kill civilians' Hamas Rockets Made in China Rockets fired by the Hamas are reportedly contraband from mainland China. IAF strikes 35 targets in Gaza Strip Home of another top Hamas terrorist destroyed; Hamas TV says 1 dead, 5 hurt in strike on airport. Israel Imposes General Closure on West Bank Israel Running Out of Things to Bomb
Afghanistan
Changing tactics, Taliban relying on precision marksmen Taliban fighters increasingly are deploying precision marksmen to fire on U.S. troops at greater distances in Afghanistan, according to the top two commanders for the southern region. When snipers began appearing in Iraq's Anbar province in 2005, U.S. troops had a difficult time protecting themselves. Teen describes recruitment as bomber A 14-year-old from the tribal areas of Pakistan who came to Afghanistan to be a suicide bomber now says that those who recruited him were cheats. Two-month lag in Afghanistan murder charge raises questions Tough questions are being asked about how a military force that learned the dark lessons of Somalia could have taken more than two months to reveal details of a suspected murder in Afghanistan. FACTBOX - Security developments in Afghanistan The Afghan Islamic Press agency, quoting a provincial governor, reported Taliban militants kidnapped five Afghans working for the United Nations ...	Canadian soldier accused of killing presumed Taliban: military They are deployed mainly in Kandahar, where the Taliban insurgency is fierce. One hundred-six Canadians have been killed in the country since 2006. Taliban benefits from corruption in Afghanistan, paper says The New York Times doesn't pull any punches in its front-page story about corruption in Afghanistan, saying that "the state built on the ruins of the ... Death from above: how Predator is taking its toll on al-Qaeda The top hierarchy of al-Qaeda has taken such a hit from US missile strikes that Osama bin Laden and his deputy have had to replace people in the terrorist organisation with men they have never met, according to Western intelligence sources. In Afghan Game, Men on Horses Clash Over a Headless Goat The object of buzkashi a popular game in Afghanistan is to grab the goat, gallop round the pole with the carcass in hand, race back toward the circle and drop the goat inside.
Pakistan
Taliban new dictum: Marry daughters to militants Islamabad: On the heels of their crusade against girls going to schools, the Taliban have now issued new dictum in the areas under their sway asking parents .. strike kills 4 in Pakistan The latest attack struck a compound located about 50 km (31 miles) from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the officials said. A nearby girl's school was also ... No giving up terrorists: Pakistan The Pakistani government continued to use the lack of an extradition treaty to reject India’s demands for handing over Mumbai terror attack suspects and claimed that such a move would be ``harmful’’ for institutions in Pakistan. Why China Helped Countries Like Pakistan, North Korea Build Nuclear Plants The way you describe the Chinese intentionally spreading nuclear technology to countries like Pakistan and North Korea seems both shockingly lax and ...	Taliban execute ‘kidnapper’ The Taliban publicly executed an alleged ring leader of a gang of kidnappers in the Kurram tribal region on Thursday ... US should halt strikes in Pakistan: Kayani Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani on Friday demanded the international and United States forces in Afghanistan immediately halt strikes ... Pak should ban renamed JuD too: Pranab As India maintained its reactive posture, Pakistan is clearly running with diplomatic rhetoric on the airwaves, flooding it with sweet ... Pakistan, Iran to hold more talks on gas project Pakistan and Iran will hold another round of dialogue on the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project and the provision of oil on ... Pakistan Briefly Reopens Supply Line
Asia
Austria Says It's Taking Control Of Bank Medici After Madoff Hit Medici after learning that the Vienna -based institution had sunk more than $2 billion of its clients' money into Bernard Madoff's alleged Ponzi scheme. ... Background on 25-year conflict in Sri Lanka Key facts about Sri Lanka, where the government and Tamil Tiger separatists have been fighting for 25 years: Beijing moves to stifle reform calls Signatories of Charter 08 face crackdown	China's Liu 'under house arrest' Top Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, not heard from since being detained early last month, is reportedly under house arrest. Investors Swoop In After Mumbai AttacksGruesome though it may sound, foreigners are treating the bloody Mumbai attack as a buying opportunity, not a tragedy that dents global business confidence. ...
Europe
Gazprom: Ukraine siphoning off gas Russia's state gas company, has accused Kiev of illegally siphoning off Russian gas after the company cut off its gas supplies to Ukraine.	Why Europe needs Russian gas Theories for gas row abound
Africa
Ethiopia begins Somalia pullout Ethiopia says its troops have begun pulling out of Somalia, after two years helping the government fight insurgents. Zimbabwean lawyer: Law has broken down	Kenyan 'media gag' law approved Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki signs into law a media bill that journalists say will curtail press freedom. African high court gets out gay judge
The Americas
New Puerto Rico gov faces soaring crime, deficit Puerto Rico's new governor was sworn in Friday, inheriting an island government that is battling a recession, a soaring murder rate and a deficit of more than $1 billion. Indigenous anti-mining protests hit Ecuador Canada to free terror suspect after 7 years	(Canada) Troops lured by drug trade, report warns The Star There's a "high probability" some Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan – one of the world's biggest sources of illegal drugs – will get involved in the drug trade, a military police report warns. "Access to illicit drugs in Afghanistan is routine.
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Failed IndyMac to be sold for $13.9 billion Federal regulators say a group of investors has teamed up to buy the remnants of failed lender IndyMac Bank for $13.9 billion.