Iran's First Family Sides With Protesters The family of Iran's revolutionairy
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini sides with the protesters and one
family member was arrested.
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Afghanistan
Top Taliban Taken Out of Play: Mullah Baradar is Biggest Captured Yet...Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban’s Top Commander ....Updates: Taliban denies leader captured; Pakistan official calls reports 'propaganda'...CIA is said to seek custody of a seized Taliban chief Afghan Taliban military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured in Pakistan last month. U.S. officials say he is not revealing useful information and want him transferred to Bagram air base. Dutch Troops To Pull Out Of Afghanistan..Some troops say strict rules of engagement slow their advance on Taliban stronghold US support for Afghan warlord is key test of new policy The United States is helping an Afghan warlord and former enemy to take control of a district bordering Pakistan, military officers and independent experts say. US cautiously supports Karzai on new election law US officials voiced support here for Afghan President Hamid Karzai's move to take control of an election watchdog in an apparent break with key allies fighting in the war-torn country.Karzai Brother: Drug Lord, CIA Darling? "I personally have been shown Western intelligence reports that would appear to indicate that he is indeed deeply involved in drugs," said Gretchen Peters, the author of a book on the Afghan drug trade. "He is the one that will make sure the customs and border police don't search the trucks that are full of drugs." Iraq Iraq to Reinstate 20,000 Officers from Saddam's Army KBR Tells Court It Was Following Military Orders When Employees Burned Toxic Waste in Open Pits The military's largest contractor is trying to avoid liability for health risks associated with burn pits on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the truth is emerging.
Iraqi PM accused of 'guns for votes' A senior Iraqi spy
has accused Nour al-Maliki of buying votes by handing out
guns to tribal leaders
Silencer Guns Kill 67 in One Day in Baghdad Last Sunday 67 corpses were brought to Baghdad morgue all shot with silencer guns, medical sources said. U.S.: Court-Martial for Soldier Who Wrote Angry Song about Stop-Loss Army Specialist and Iraq war veteran Marc Hall was incarcerated by the U.S. Army in Georgia for recording a song that expresses his anger over the Army's stop-loss policy. Now he waits to be shipped to Iraq to face a court martial. Pakistan C.I.A. and Pakistan Work Together, but Do So WarilyDespite a tormented relationship, the U.S. and Pakistani intelligence agencies are working together on tactical operations, as the C.I.A. extends its secret war deep into Pakistan’s cities. Pakistan militant group attacked by suicide bomber At least 15 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in a suicide bomb attack on a militant gathering in north-western Pakistan, officials say. The Americas
Chiquita finding bittersweet for families Tania Julin remembers the deep gut pain she felt when she found out nearly three years ago that Chiquita Brands International had paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Marxist rebel group in Colombia that had abducted and killed her missionary husband.
Colombia election open as court blocks Uribe run
-The hugely popular Uribe, one of the strongest US
allies in South America
Venezuela violates human rights, OAS commission reports Venezuela routinely violates human rights, often intimidating or punishing citizens based on their political beliefs, an Organization of American States commission said in a report released Wednesday. Adviser to Americans in Haiti Wanted in U.S. Ex-adviser to Americans detained in Haiti being pursued by U.S. authorities.
CATASTROPHE IN CHILE Mexico Deputy Police Chief Shot Dead At Son's Elementary School....Mexicans march against drug war as officials call for legal pot A 'US-free' Americas bloc US, Canada excluded from new regional body; Cuba will be member. Latin American and Caribbean nations have agreed to set up a new regional body without the US and Canada, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has said. |
Middle East PHOTOS: European Hit Squad Behind Killing Of Hamas Commander, Dubai Police Say...Video Of Alleged Assassination Team In Hamas Chief Killing Released...Mystery over Dubai killing deepens Fifteen new suspects and six more UK passports faked, with Britons stunned at stolen identities WATCH: CCTV Footage Of New Dubai Hit Squad Suspects... Dubai killers stole identities of UK citizens.....At least some Dubai photos of Hamas 'assassins' appear fake....'3 Dubai suspects fled through Iran' Israel denies assassin rumor: ‘You watch too much Bond’ Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday made light of accusations that the Jewish state was involved in the murder of a top Hamas official in Dubai, likening the assassination to a James Bond movie plot. Officers planned false flag op 52 Turkish military leaders planned to blow up mosques, airliners US to expand Yemen's air forces to counter Qaeda Ultraconservative jihadists challenge Hamas rule in Gaza Jihadi Salafis preach global jihad, or holy war, adhere to an ultraconservative form of Islam and are becoming a headache even for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza Israel plans more homes for East Jerusalem Israel has plans to build another 600 homes in occupied land it considers part of East Jerusalem, the Haaretz daily newspaper reported on Friday Two-Thirds of Americans Think Iran Already Has the Bomb Remember Saddam Hussein’s dreaded weapons of mass destruction, the ones we could never quite manage to find? Well it looks like they have finally shown up — in Iran. Most Americans were convinced that Saddam had the bomb, despite the lack of any evidence. Iran is bluffing on nuclear enrichment: experts Seized Iran militant 'confesses' to US help offer Captured Iranian Sunni militant Abdolmalek Rigi said in a "confession" aired on state television Friday that the United States offered to provide him with military aid to battle the Islamic regime. Europe Goldman behind Greek crisis Goldman Sachs helped hide mounting debt now threatening EU stability....Greece Hires Former Goldman Banker as Debt Chief Allied bid for Obama to remove US European nuclear stockpile European NATO allies are to urge President Barack Obama to remove all remaining US nuclear weapons from European soil, as domestic pressure grows to rid its soil of outdated Cold War-era aerial bombs. 3 Google execs convicted of privacy violations Vatican Official Refuses To Resign After Defending Abortion Russia's Billionaires Are (Almost) Back A new report says the number of Russian billionaires jumped from 49 to 77 in the last year. Asia Suspected Maoists kill 14 Indian police: officialsIndia restaurant bomb blast kills eight in Pune....India detains four over restaurant bombing: police Africa Coup under way in Niger...Niger junta names squadron chief as its leader US Freezes Spending on Free AIDS Drugs Plan in Africa Former Liberian dictator, on trial for war crimes, implicates U.S. con man Pat Robertson. Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, testifying in his own war crimes trial today, said that the American conservative evangelist Pat Robertson was awarded a Liberian gold-mining concession in 1999 and subsequently offered to lobby the Bush administration to support his government. |
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US Headlines |
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Study Finds Plastic Trash Collection in Atlantic
US to commit $78.5M to try to halt Asian carp Navigational locks and gates in Chicago-area waterways crucial for shipping may be opened less frequently than usual under a $78.5 million campaign to prevent Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes, Danger of Marines’ water removed from report An environmental contractor dramatically underreported the level of a cancer-causing chemical found in tap water at Camp Lejeune, then omitted it altogether as the Marine base prepared for a federal health review, an Associated Press review has found. Cheney endorses effort to repeal DADT: ‘It strikes me that it’s time to reconsider the policy.’ Cop charged in Katrina killings Lieutenant accused of covering up shooting of 6 people on NOLA bridge. Are Checkpoints Police Profit Centers? A boom in roadside car seizures raises legal questions. Wireless Carriers Tell FCC They Disclose Fees The nation’s biggest wireless carriers are telling federal regulators that they give consumers adequate notice about early termination fees that apply when a service contract is broken before it expires. Jon Stewart Rips Banks For Credit Card Fees Correspondent Wyatt Cenac met with a former mafia loan shark who complained that Bank of America is giving lenders like him a bad name. No hidden fees, it is what it is ... Our word was our word in the mob. No fine print, no bullshit. Conservatives suggest cutting Utah’s budget deficit by eliminating mandatory 12th grade. School used laptops to spy on kids at home Students in a Philadelphia-area school district have launched a lawsuit accusing their schools of spying on them at home through webcams installed in laptop computers the district gave them. 4th Amendment is 'gone': Judge Whatever may have been left of the 4th Amendment ... is now gone.' U.S.: Gov't Sued Over Cell Phone Tracking If you are a U.S. resident who owns a cell phone, you should care about the outcome of a court case that "could well decide whether the government can use your cell phone to track you - even if it hasn't shown probable cause to believe it will turn up evidence of a crime." During the Olympics, the Feds Will Be Reading Your Tweets – and the Blotter DHS is monitoring social media and Web sites for Olympic security. Man Crashes Plane Into Austin IRS Office .. Angry Suicide Note Posted Online Secret Service uses 1980s mainframe A classified review of the United States Secret Service's computer technology found that the agency's computers were fully operational only 60 percent of the time because of outdated systems and a reliance on a computer mainframe that dates to the 1980s, according to Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. Video catches Defense spy in the act FBI footage shows Pentagon employee selling secrets to Chinese spy. The Tea Party's Military Wing Private 1st Class Lee Pray and a small group of fellow soldiers at the Fort Drum Army base in upstate New York are angry about the recent direction of the federal government. In the belief that it is already starting to turn on its citizens, they are preparing for the day the feds will find some pretext to declare martial law. Their conspiracy-minded rhetoric mirrors that of a recently established group called Oath Keepers. (See next slide.) While not official, card-carrying members—indeed, the group encourages active duty soldiers to stay anonymous—they identify themselves as Oath Keepers and subscribe to the group's tenets. But Pray and his pals take the rhetoric a step further: They are actively stockpiling weapons, running drills, and outlining a plan of action Toyota withholding documents? Rep. Towns says Toyota shows 'a systematic disregard for the law.'34 deaths alleged in Toyotas Cluster Bomb Ban to Become Law – Without U.S. Just over a year after it was opened for signature, an international treaty banning cluster bombs received the final two ratifications it needed to become international law Tuesday
The War Criminal Next Door Virginia resident Mohamed Ali
Samantar oversaw a reign of terror in Somalia. Will the Supreme
Court grant him immunity?
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Economy The Richest 1% Have Captured America's Wealth -- What's It Going to Take to Get It Back?...Top US Earners Paid Record-Low Tax Rate As Incomes Soared In 2007 America's Only 'Socialist' Bank Is Thriving During Downturn Apple Admits Using Child Labor Long-Term Joblessness 'Off The Charts' Foreigners dumping US debt Foreign owners of US debt reduced holdings in Dec. by largest amount ever. Foreign demand for US debt drops by record amount Banks Are Pocketing Our Cash And Setting Us Up For Another Crash Wall St. Helped to Mask Debts Shaking Europe Wall Street tactics akin to the ones that fostered subprime mortgages in America have worsened the financial crisis shaking Greece and undermining the euro by enabling European governments to hide their mounting debts. Politics Torture teachers wanted to use 'mock burials' Two psychologists working on the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation techniques pushed for the use of "mock burials" on terror suspects, according to documents released by the Department of Justice. U.S.: CIA Briefed Congress on Renditions...CIA briefed 68 lawmakers on interrogation program
Declassified
report: CIA inspector general Jim Bunning Offers Middle Finger to Reporter....JIM BUNNING: As Pitcher and Senator, a Heartless SOB....GOP senator's hold puts 2,000 out of work....TOUGH S***': One Sen Blocks Jobless Benefits Extension For 1.2 Million Americans Democrats retreat on new privacy protections Democrats have retreated from adding new privacy protections to the nation's primary counterterrorism law, stymied by Senate Republicans who argued the changes would weaken terror investigations....Senate Dems look to one-year extension of key provisions in the Patriot Act How Conservative And Progressive State Governments Are Dealing With Their Budget Crises Republicans Across The Country Using Stimulus Funds They Trashed Last Year America’s Global Weapons Monopoly Blackwater reportedly used shell company to defraud US U.S. Building $1 Billion Embassy In London SPECTER SIGNS PUBLIC OPTION LETTER.. Reid Offers Support For Public Option Through Reconciliation Healthcare Summit Ends in Deadlock; Single-Payer Advocates Excluded After nearly seven hours of televised debate, President Obama’s so-called bipartisan healthcare summit ended Thursday without any substantive agreement between Republicans and Democrats. Republican lawmakers remained staunchly opposed to using the federal government to regulate health insurance. We speak to Columbia Journalism Review contributing editor Trudy Lieberman and pediatrician Dr. Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program. White House Deal w/ Hospitals Killed Public Option Kansas lawmaker compares rape to auto theft. The bill would require a police report to be filed if the woman wants an abortion to be covered by her insurance under the incest or rape exemptions. “You’d have to have a report that someone stole your car,” said Rep. Steve Brunk, a Bel Aire Republican. “This is kind of the same thing. |
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Connecticut |
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Connecticut prisoners donate to Haiti relief Connecticut prison inmates have come up with almost $1,000 to donate to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Connecticut Ranks 5th-Worst In U.S. In Funding State Employee Pensions Connecticut ranks as the fifth-worst state in the nation in funding pensions for its state employees, and the problem is growing worse, according to a national study to be released today. Economists Say Continued Job Loss In State Likely Through Next Year |
Connecticut Dem Candidate Snubs Obama: Won't
Say If He Wants Appearance With President Barack Obama shouldn’t expect an invitation from fellow Democrat Dick
Blumenthal anytime soon: Blumenthal said in
a New Haven stop that the president “may not
want to come here” to stump for his U.S.
Senate campaign, given how independent he
claimed he’ll be if elected.
Blumenthal: Fed Misses Crucial Deadline To Help Roll Back Credit Rates, Fees Even as a slew of new protections for credit card users went into effect Monday, the state attorney general criticized a key federal banking regulator for undermining those efforts. |
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| United States | ||
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Relatively few complain about Toyota Despite a torrent of
high-profile recalls that have tarnished Toyota's once stellar
reputation, a study reveals that the automaker actually gets fewer
customer complaints per car than the majority of its competitors. Owner bulldozes foreclosed home An Ohio man bulldozes his house to prevent the bank from seizing it. WLWT reports. Security Issues Haz mat crews called to IRS building Experts: Move To Electronic Medical Records Needs Oversight VA Reopens Cases Involving Gulf War Syndrome A Quarter of U.S. Nuclear Plants Are Leaking a Radioactive Material Linked to Cancer Cars, Riptides, Lightning -- All More Likely to Kill You Than Terrorists Fearing Obama Agenda, States Push to Loosen Gun Laws Remains of 2 found after Austin plane crash...CNN reported that the man set his house on fire and crashed the plane intentionally, citing a federal official. The pilot Joe Stack also apparently left a bomb in a car at a local airport and officials are trying to defuse it, NBC is reporting. Companies Use 'Bond'-Like Tactics to Spy James Bond, meet Fred Rustmann. A former CIA agent, Rustmann now runs a "corporate intelligence" firm that helps companies spy on each other. Like many veterans of the Central Intelligence Agency, Rustmann's spying tricks are in high demand by the private sector Homeland Security Admits Losing 289 Guns E-Verify misses half of illegal workers checked Courts Judge: Student's Facebook rants about teacher are protected speech A student who set up a Facebook page to complain about her teacher -- and was later suspended -- had every right to do so under the First Amendment, a federal magistrate has ruled. Court Won't Rule on Deaths at Guantanamo A federal district court has thrown out the case of two men who died in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay in 2006 and who are seeking to hold U.S. government officials responsible for the men's torture, arbitrary detention and ultimate deaths. 3 charged with financing Hezbollah Three Florida businessmen are accused of exporting electronic goods to a shopping mall in Paraguay that allegedly served as a front to finance the militant group.Supreme Court weighs free speech against aid to terrorists Oklahoma declares anti-choice law posting details of women’s abortions online unconstitutional. AMERICA'S JUSTICE SYSTEM TAKES DOWN ANOTHER TERRORIST..Would-Be New York City Subway Bomber Pleads Guilty...
NJ Woman Sentenced to Prison for NYC Gang-Rape Lie Enron's Jeff Skilling takes fight to US Supreme Court Mary Landrieu phone tampering case gets drawn out a bit (O'Keefe will walk) The U.S. attorney's office in New Orleans has another month to decide what, if any, charges to bring against the four men arrested at the end of January in Sen. Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office, including conservative activist James O'Keefe. Education Protesting school closings in Chicago. “They are closing schools without following procedure.” Panel Approves Bible Classes For Public Schools 2 Teens Injured in Colorado Middle School Shooting Is Macmilan's new textbook software progressive – or dangerous? Dynamic Books software from Macmillan will allow professors to reorganize, update, revise, and even delete sections from online textbooks. R.I. grad: ‘It’s not the teachers’ fault’ A plan to fire all the high school teachers in one of Rhode Island's poorest cities angers teachers, while winning little sympathy from former students and parents. |
Media Fox News Finds Democrat Who Wrote Notes On Her Hand (In 1990) Leaked ACTA draft reveals plans for internet clampdown The US, Europe and other countries including New Zealand are secretly drawing up rules designed to crack down on copyright abuse on the internet, in part by making ISPs liable for illegal content Creepy Billboards Accuse African-American Women of Endangering Black Kids ACORN breaks apart in scandal's wake....ACORN workers cleared in NYC prostitute video Funny Or Die Uses Kids To Explain International Affairs (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO) Raw on Project Censored, again Read Daniel Tencer's article on DOJ subpoena of news site's logs. A Justice Department subpoena requested that Indymedia.us hand over any information the website had on visitors who viewed the website on June 25, 2008. Indymedia is an independent left-leaning news website that addresses controversial issues such as gay rights. The website was targeted as part of a crime investigation by the state of India Andrew Breitbart called a racist at CPAC Ad chiefs welcome probe into Google search business Advertising executives have welcomed the first antitrust inquiry into Google’s hugely profitable search advertising business, after the European Commission’s decision to launch a preliminary probe
Police/Prison
Pediatrician charged with 103 child rapes Police: Ala. prof. killed brother in 1986 Cop turns off camera & beats up female F.B.I., Laying Out Evidence, Closes Anthrax Letters Case WATCH: Mentally Disabled Woman Tortured Pennsylvania police arrest six people in the brutal death of Jennifer Daugherty. Police Officers Acquitted Of Sodomizing Suspect Texas Police Arrest Minorities For Drinking In Bars Berkeley Protest Spirals Out Of Control With Fire, Destruction Overnight, an impromptu riot to protest budget cuts and tuition increases at the University of California-Berkeley snowballed to include more than 200 people and resulted in flaming dumpsters, broken windows and dancing in the streets.\ Civil Rights TSA apologizes for forcing 4-year-old to remove leg braces at airport screening Virginia Gov Strips Non-Discrimination Protections For Gay State Workers US MILITARY SPIED ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD Army opposes DADT suspension Gen. Casey against bill to immediately stop "Don't Ask" dismissals. Police escort student out of class after refusal to recite Pledge....Pledge of Allegiance dispute results in Md. teacher having to apologize. Navy to allow women to serve aboard submarines Nurses fired for not coming to work during snow storm Environment New Wind Farms in the U.S. Have Not Led to Jobs Black Water Rafting: When Will the EPA Enforce Coal Ash Laws in Alabama? What is the EPA’s excuse now? Waiting for more torrential rain to host Olympic Black Water rafting competitions? mAs heavy rains and snow worsen landfill conditions, this is the sentiment of besieged residents in Perry County, Alabama, who have been designated as the official keepers of toxic coal ash from the nation’s worst environmental disaster–the TVA coal ash pond break in 2008. Two weeks ago, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) released a startling study that found that the EPA had allowed coal ash industry representatives to blatantly rewrite and water-down the potential dangers of coal ash in official government reports. PEER concluded: Drug War Promise ignored, DEA raids legal pot growers The Obama administration promised in October that the federal government would respect state laws allowing the growing and selling of marijuana for medicinal use, but the Drug Enforcement Agency sent a loud message with the arrest of Bartkowicz. Western Union settles in border wire-transfers case
Western Union will pay $94 million to settle a long-running legal battle with the state of Arizona over whether the company allowed its money transfers to be used to send proceeds from human trafficking and drug smuggling to Mexico, officials announced Thursday.
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| Science | ||
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No miracle as brain-damaged patient proved unable to communicate
It seemed to be a medical miracle: the car crash victim assumed for
23 years to be in a coma who was suddenly found to be conscious and
able to communicate by tapping on a computer. Scientists find great genetic differences among southern Africans Scientists have long known that natives of southern Africa are genetically quite distinct from people in the rest of the world, but a new study in which the genomes of four African Bushmen and one Bantu were sequenced or partially sequenced indicates that there is a much greater diversity among the populations there than had previously been suspected |
Vast iceberg may alter ocean currents An
iceberg the size of Luxembourg breaks off
from a glacier in Antarctica after being
rammed by another iceberg, scientists say,
in an event that could affect ocean
currents.
Physicists looking to shed more light on dark matter Using a massive detector buried deep in the Japanese Alps, the T2K project will study the oscillation pattern of neutrinos -- ghost-like particles that make up a large part of the bulk of the universe |
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| Politics | Political Resources | |
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Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s perk costs taxpayers $1
million CPAC Conference Dissolves Into Right-Wing Civil War Over Gay Rights Late last year, the pro-gay rights Republican organization GOProud announced that it would co-sponsor the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), prompting a right-wing backlash which forced conference organizers to deny the organization a speaking spot during the conference. CPAC audience boos former GOP Rep. Bob Barr for saying waterboarding is torture. ...Profit-Seeking Palin Reportedly Rips CPAC As A Profiteering Convention CPAC fueled by oil industry cash. he extremist Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is being fueled by Big Oil. CPAC’s “Radio Row” — featuring “top conservative talk show hosts” Palin's grandson uses socialized medicine Treasury/Federal Reserve/Bailouts/SEC/IRS Bloomberg News Files 'Extraordinary Lawsuit' To Crack Fed Secrecy Around Bank Bailout Mark Pittman, an investigative reporter for Bloomberg News, had filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Reserve Board, seeking the details of its unprecedented efforts to funnel money to the collapsing banks of Wall Street. Fed raises discount rate The Federal Reserve announced it would raise the discount rate at which commercial banks borrow from the central bank as part of moves to withdraw emergency support to the financial system. Fed Reviewing Goldman’s Moves on Greek Debt The Federal Reserve is examining the stratagems devised by Goldman Sachs and other big banks to help Greece mask its burgeoning debt over the last decade. FTC warns firms, organizations of widespread data breach The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Monday it has notified nearly 100 companies and organizations of data breaches involving personal information about customers or employees. Buffett: Execs should pay price for risky bets Fannie Mae seeks $15.3 billion more in aid Fannie Mae needs another $15 billion in federal assistance, bringing its total to more than $75 billion. And worse, the mortgage finance company warned its losses will continue this year. |
Huh? NH
Rep. claims kids 'subjected' to anal sex lessons
Elliott,
a Republican and member of the state's judiciary committee,
thinks that because New Hampshire allows gay marriage, children in
schools are now being "subjected" to lessons on how best to
penetrate members of the same sex. Health Insurance No winning in GOP health care 'carnival game' Anthem Blue Cross: State Regulator Finds More Than 700 violations California's insurance regulator said Monday his office has found more than 700 violations by the state's largest for-profit health insurer, including late payment of claims, giving misleading information to consumers and failing to cooperate with regulators. Anthem Blue Cross faces a maximum $10,000 penalty for each violation, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner said. Anthem to delay insurance rate hike amid criticism Three More Senators Endorse Move To Pass Health Care Reform With Simple Majority Defense Spending Biden wants US warheads with worldwide reach
U.S. may consider wages in awarding contracts The White House is looking at
a new policy that would give an advantage in bidding on government contracts to
companies that offer a "living wage" and generous benefits.
Pentagon reopens tanker bid, promises 'fair' deal The Pentagon unveiled final terms for a high-stakes competition to build new US aerial refueling tankers, promising a fair contest for aviation rivals Boeing and Airbus parent EADS. Stimulus The Trouble With Home Weatherization Report: Stimulus Weatherization Program Bogged Down by Red Tape 1 Year Anniversary Of Stimulus... First Project Near Completion... Where The Money Is Going Budget and Taxes |
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Congress |
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Congress to Investigate Safety of Natural Gas Drilling Practice
Known as Hydraulic Fracturing The top Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
have asked eight oil-field companies to disclose the chemicals
they’ve used and the wells they’ve drilled in over the past four
years. Last week, Waxman also revealed two of the largest gas
drilling companies have pumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of
diesel-based fluids into the ground in violation of a voluntary
agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency. [includes rush
transcript] Senate In Passage of Jobs Measure, a Glimpse of Bipartisanship— Five Republican senators broke ranks with their party on Monday to advance a $15 billion job-creation measure put forward by Democrats, a rare bipartisan breakthrough after months in which Republicans had held together to a remarkable degree in an effort to thwart President Obama’s agenda. Senator denies he okayed destruction of CIA torture videos Bunning Objects to Extending Unemployment Insurance AGAIN (VIDEO) If Congress fails to pass an extension, the National Employment Law Project estimates that 1.2 million people will lose their benefits in March. Bunning's action could cause thousands of people to miss their unemployment checks starting this week, though it's likely that Congress will pass an extension within the next two weeks that will retroactively cover their losses. |
1.5 Million Will Be Unable To Watch Local TV Because Of Senate
Inaction The package of extensions the Senate failed to pass included
not just a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits, but also
extensions of subsidized COBRA health insurance, flood insurance,
small business loans, highway funding, and, apparently, a "satellite
television extension" that allows people in rural areas to watch
their local TV stations via satellite.
Congress launches investigation into gas drilling practices Pharma Giant Gets Cozy With Congress, Spends $100 Million in Advertising to Cash in on Health ReformHouse On House GOP Website, Republican Leadership Takes Credit For Successful Stimulus Project Dennis Kucinich New Idea For Jobs Creation Ron Paul Accuses Fed Of Conspiracies, Bernanke Snaps Back House Votes to Revoke Health Insurers’ U.S. Antitrust Exemption House Ethics Committee Finds Rangel Broke Rules QUID PRO DOUGH: House Ethics Panel Rules It's Okay To Steer Contracts To Campaign Donors |
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| White House | ||
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Obama Obama to announce financing for two nuclear reactors Rubio Slams Obama's Teleprompter While In Front Of Telemprompters U.S.: Hispanic Farmers Seek Redress for Years of Bias USDA reaches new settlement with black farmers The Obama administration on Thursday announced a $1.25 billion deal with black farmers that could end a years-long stalemate over alleged racial discrimination by the Agriculture Department.... DOJ Justice Department Won't Pursue Sean Bell Case Abu Zubaydah Attorney On Thiessen Hire: It 'Really Angers Me' Abu Zubaydah, categorically, was not affiliated with al Qaeda," Mickum said. "He was never a top leader of al Qaeda because he was never a member and he openly disagreed with the militaristic policies of al Qaeda. The camp he is alleged to have been involved with was closed in 2000 -- two years before his capture -- because the emir who oversaw it refused to allow it to fall under the control of al Qaeda. Thus, he is not, and never was, the man that the Bush administration made him out to be -- someone who orchestrated terrorist attacks." DOJ Report: Torture Memo Author John Yoo Said Bush Could Order "Massacre" of Whole Villages Despite this latest disturbing revelation, Yoo’s culpability in Bush administration abuses has been deemed "poor judgment," not a violation of "professional standards |
GITMO/Bahgram/CIA-Blacksites
Police inquiry into claims MI5 knew of torture of UK's last
Guantánamo inmate Shaker Aamer
US torture memo authors cleared Dick Cheney Admits to Torture Conspiracy Gitmo detainee working for US Afghan spent 4 years in Gitmo, now works for National Guard. Where are missing torture emails? Sen. Leahy wants DoJ to investigate missing emails from attorney John Yoo.' Petraeus backs closing Guantanamo, limits on harsh interrogation Army Gen. David Petraeus, the Pentagon's top commander of forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Sunday he still supports closing the prison camps at Guantanamo and is not troubled by President Barack Obama's inability to do so by a Jan. 22 deadline. |
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| Economy | Click for Economic Statistics | Financial Crisis for Beginners |
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Matt Taibbi: 'Wall Street's Bailout Hustle' Jobless Claims, Inflation Jump as Economy Wobbles Wall St. bonuses jumped 17% after bailouts
International Monetary Fund backs Labour's 'wait-and-see'
approach to cutting deficit
Silver and gold critics win CFTC hearing Activist investors have got the ear of US commodities watchdog over price manipulation fears China in record US debt sell-off China offloads $34bn in US debt amid increasing concern over ballooning US deficit. GM to invest 500 mln dollars in fuel efficient engines IMF seeks more power, new global currency Unable to get jobs, freed inmates returning to jail U.S., EU approve Microsoft-Yahoo deal New credit card warnings harder to find online It's meant to jolt borrowers from the complacency of debt: A new credit card statement that spells out the price of making only minimum payments. |
'Rich getting richer rewards'
Credit card law results
refutes bankers' predictions of cardholder
penalties.
How to create 18 million jobs Pt. 2 Robert Pollin: Based on a "normal" pace of recovery, it could be 2018 before unemployment hits 4% Lehman liquidators challenge bank claims Lehman Brothers’ US liquidators are to press banks seeking more than $50bn from the failed Wall Street lender to cut their claims sharply or face being “named and shamed” in court. The move comes amid an escalating dispute over the value of derivatives trades.Japan GDP grows faster than expected Japan’s economy expands at the fastest pace in two quarters as an export recovery spurs capital spending, but analysts say growth will slow on cuts in public works spending and as consumption tapers off IMF to sell 191.3 tonnes of gold on market 'shortly' The fund "will shortly initiate the on-market phase of its gold sales program" of a total 403.3 tonnes approved for sale in September 2009, the Washington-based institution said in a statement. FDIC shuts down two more banks Carson River Community in Nevada and Rainier Pacific in Washington affected. Number of US ‘problem’ banks soars The number of problem US banks continued to soar in the fourth quarter, hitting the highest level since 1993, according to a new regulatory report |
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| Iraq | Map of Iraq | |
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US General Cites Direct Intel Linking Iraq's al-Lami, Chalabi To
Iran The top American commander in Iraq says the U.S. has "direct
intelligence" that two senior Iraqi officials in charge of keeping
Saddam Hussein loyalists out of the Baghdad government have ties to
Iran.
Iraq 'to Probe Mosul Christian Killings'...Christians Targeted Ahead of Elections Fatal car bomb targets Iraqi election convoy Bombs target political party sites in Baghdad Explosions at the offices of five political parties in Baghdad on Saturday wounded at least 10 people |
U.S. Soldiers Shoot
Bomber, Grenade
Explodes In His
Hands (Graphic
Video)
Iraq party pulls out of vote Party led by politician barred from running in next month's polls decides to withdraw. Sunni party to boycott Iraqi elections |
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| Middle East | Map of the Middle East | |
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Iran
<Click
for video and history> Iran calls for global nuclear disarmament....Iran wants to supply region with nuclear energy....Ayatollah: Islam forbids Iran from seeking nuclear bombs Another Puzzle in Iran After Nuclear Fuel Is Moved Officials in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East have been trying to determine why Iran moved much of its low-enriched nuclear fuel out in the open, where it could easily be attacked. Clinton: Iran World’s “Largest Supporter of Terrorism” Russia to supply Iran with S-300 defense systems
Russia warns West on Iran sanctions
A senior Russian diplomat warned the
West on Wednesday against trying to paralyze Iran by targeting the
Islamic Republic's energy and banking sectors with crippling
sanctions
Russia won't back 'crippling sanctions' Comment comes day before
high-level US-Israel meeting on Iran.
US
says does not seek crippling sanctions on Iran
IAEA: Iran may be working on warhead Google faces crackdown in Iran Google said it had seen a ‘sharp drop’ in traffic to its Gmail service from Iran, apparently as a result of censorship, amid signs of a stringent crackdown on the US internet group to coincide with the anniversary of the Iranian revolution Iran frees four journalists, professor: report Saudi Arabia China taps more Saudi crude than US Bourne in Dubai PHOTOS: European Hit Squad Behind Killing Of Hamas Commander, Dubai Police Say... Video Of Alleged Assassination Team In Hamas Chief Killing Released...Mystery over Dubai killing deepens Fifteen new suspects and six more UK passports faked, with Britons stunned at stolen identities WATCH: CCTV Footage Of New Dubai Hit Squad Suspects... Dubai killers stole identities of UK citizens.....At least some Dubai photos of Hamas 'assassins' appear fake....'3 Dubai suspects fled through Iran'Dubai police: We have 100% DNA proof of one assassin Palestinian role Dubai assassination? Hamas blames Mossad Hamas officials said they have evidence, which they refuse to release, that Israel and its Mossad intelligence agency dispatched the assassination team that killed Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. They said reports of Palestinian involvement in his murder aren't true. Hamas says slain operative made himself an easy target A Hamas leader assassinated during a visit to Dubai last month exposed himself to attack when he breached security protocol by talking about his trip over the phone and making hotel reservations on the Internet, the militant Islamic group said Saturday. |
Israel
British journalist ordered held for 15 days: Hamas
US slams Israel over designating heritage sites The Obama administration criticized Israel Wednesday for designating two shrines on Palestinian territory as national heritage sites.... Israel announces new drone fleet 'Heron TP drones' the size of a Boeing 737 can fly a full day, deliver anything.Hamas founder's son worked for Israel The son of a Hamas official worked for Israeli intelligence and was the Jewish state's "most valuable source in the militant organization's leadership," a news report said Wednesday. Mossad regularly faked Australian passports: ex-agent
Clinton presses Barak on blockade of Gaza Strip
The United States pressed Israel on Friday to ease its blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, an issue Arab officials have urged Washington to address at it tries to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
IDF opens fire on Gaza border cell Palestinians say 3 wounded as army foils possible al-Qaida linked attack.
Lebanon Lebanon troops fire at 4 Israeli warplanes flying overhead Lebanon arrests six suspected of spying for Israel Ban Ki-Moon: Hizbullah's Weapons – A Violation of U.N. Resolutions 1559, 1701 In his report on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stated that Hizbullah's military forces constitute a violation of Resolutions 1701 and 1559, which call to disarm the Lebanese militias. EgyptEGYPT: Five Muslims given life sentences for murder of Coptic Christians Yemen sappers enter Shi'ite rebel stronghold Yemen declares state of emergency in southern city South Yemen call for independence Yemeni helicopter crash kills 10 soldiers: witnesses Ten Yemeni soldiers were killed on Sunday when their military helicopter crashed in a mountainous area in the region of Saada, a Shiite rebel stronghold, witnesses said. |
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| Afghanistan | Map of Afghanistan | |
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General: 'Taliban appear confused'
The major coalition assault against the Taliban in southern
Afghanistan claimed the lives of two coalition troops, but
military officials regard the push in Helmand province as
promising.
FULL STORY
Mousa inquiry told Colonel condoned hooding Mousa inquiry told Colonel condoned hooding Commander of soldiers who were detaining Baha Mousa admitted he had condoned practices banned as inhumane 38 years ago Army penalizes field commanders who tried to warn McChrystal According to sources quoted today by McClatchy newspapers, two field commanders warned Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal repeatedly about a worthless Afghanistan outpost that was too costly to defend. The field commanders are now facing penalties after two high-level military investigations '19 Afghan Civilians Killed By Nato Jets' New Afghan governor takes office as battle rages Less than two weeks into the Marjah offensive in Afghanistan, an Afghan governor flew into town on Monday and began holding meetings. Deadly suicide bombing rocks central Kabul A suicide bomber blew himself up near an upscale shopping center and hotel in the heart of the Afghan capital of Kabul early Friday, killing at least nine people, according to Afghan security officials. ] |
Snipers Harass US, Afghan Troops Moving In Marjah US denies 'direct Taliban contact' Major Taliban Operative Captured Blackwater Took Police Assault Rifles, Hearing Told (Levin: Misbehavior Turned Civilians to Taliban) Employees of American defence contractor Blackwater took more than 500 assault rifles that were intended for the Afghan police force and routinely carried weapons without permission, it emerged in a hearing of the Senate armed services committee today. Taliban reportedly held civilian hostages when U.S. rockets hit 12 Afghan Civilians Killed On Second Day Of Major U.S. Offensive....Weapon that killed 12 Afghan civilians is back in use NATO no longer calls the incident a targeting error and says the rocket launcher functioned correctly. The deaths were the first major case of civilian casualties in the Marja offensive. Afghanistan bomb 'kills 11 civilians' Attacks Kill 6 NATO Troops Around Afghanistan
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| Pakistan | Map of Pakistan |
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Deaths reported in
Pakistan blast
Lashkar e-Islam
commander said to be
among victims of attack
in country's northwest.
'US drone' kills Taliban supporters Brother of leader of so-called Haqqani network among dead in attack in Pakistan Pakistan air strike 'kills 30' Judicial nominations fling Pakistan into fresh turmoil Pakistan faced fresh turmoil Sunday after President Asif Ali Zardari and the top judge clashed over court appointments, threatening a showdown between the fragile government and judiciary. |
'Shut Up'? Pakistan Prez's Outburst Vanishes YouTube clips of
derided outburst stop appearing on Web in Pakistan. 14 Year Old Part of Suicide Squad Targeting Americans A teenager is among six arrested by Pakistani police and charged with having suicide vests and grenades to attack a five-star hotel and kill Americans. Airstrikes kill 30 militants in Pakistan |
| North&South Asia | Map of Asia |
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South Korea opens prison for foreigners One American prisoner told visiting journalists that compared with standard South Korean prisons, the food and education on offer were much better. The government has said the facility aims to respect the inmates' human rights and treat them in a humanitarian manner regardless of their language, culture or religion.
North Korea-funded schools in Japan have an image problem They've tried to tamp down the accusations of propaganda by removing pictures of Kim Jong Il and broadening the curriculum. But life as an ethnic Korean in Japan can be tough. The portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il have been taken down from the classrooms in the run-down Tokyo Chosen No. 2 Elementary School. |
Tests show bomb
scanner ineffective,
Thailand says A bomb scanner sold to dozens of
countries around the world has been shown to
be useless at detecting explosives, the Thai
government said, raising the possibility
that thousands of lives have been lost to
bomb attacks because of ineffective
screenings
In Aceh Indonesia, Islamic police take to the streetsIslamic police in Aceh, Indonesia, patrol daily for women wearing tight clothes and unmarried couples sitting too close. |
| Europe | Map of Europe |
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BNP meets to vote on membership rule (whites-only) changes The
British National Party will hold an extraordinary meeting later for
members to vote on amending its constitution to let black and Asian
people join. Man Claiming to be Saudi Royal Held for London Murder Details posted on alleged CIA-flights to Poland A government-run agency has for the first time provided official records confirming the landing in Poland of planes associated with the CIA's secret detainee program, two human rights groups said Monday. Dutch lawmakers consider standing up to squatters A bill would end the roughly 40-year-old policy that has allowed thousands in the Netherlands to live rent-free in buildings that belong to someone else. |
Bomb Explodes At JP Morgan Offices In Athens
Swiss Prostitutes Trained To Use Defibrillators To Prevent Clients Dying Medvedev orders crackdown on Russian police corruption President Dmitry Medvedev launched a sweeping crackdown Thursday on Russia's powerful interior ministry, sacking over a dozen top officials as he vowed tough action to eradicate the "evil" of corruption. Berlusconi selects female candidates
Italian PM unveils a list that
includes a Miss Italy contestant, a
ex-TV weathergirl and an ex-showgirl
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| Map of Africa | |
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White students face trial for South Africa race
video White students face trial for South
Africa race video Four white South African students
are due to appear in court accused of humiliating
black staff at their university and video-taping
their ordeal in a case that has exposed the
Libyan police surround Swiss
embassy in Tripoli
Libyan police surrounded the
Swiss embassy in Tripoli
after having issued an
ultimatum for Switzerland to
hand over two of its
nationals who have been
sheltering there.
Sudan,
Darfur
rebel
group
sign
key
truce
Umaru
Yar'Adua's
stealthy
return
to
Nigeria
raises
concerns
The
president,
who
has
been
out
of
the
country
for
medical
treatment,
appears
to
reject
the
acting
president's
legitimacy
and
stays
out
of
view,
adding
to
worries
over
a
power
struggle
and
his
health.
|
Ivory Coast government dissolved
Refugees flood Congo-Brazzaville UN says more refugees will pour in from neighbouring DR Congo as violence escalates Diamond-rich Botswana's economy loses sparkle Botswana for years was hailed as an economic success story, but the collapse in demand for the country's diamonds has hit revenues hard and raised questions about an ambitious spending scheme. Botswana produces 22 percent of the world's diamonds, making it the top producer and accounting for half of government revenue. The country prides itself as a model of a successful African democracy |
| The Americas | Map of North America and South America |
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8 U.S. Missionaries
To Be Freed, Haiti
Judge Says...2 Others Still Face
Charges Of Child
Kidnapping....U.S.
says Haiti will
release last two
missionaries
Peru 'may overtake Colombia' in cocaine Eight Cuban medics sue Caracas and Havana for 'forced labour' Seven Cuban doctors and a nurse have accused their government of engaging in a “modern form of slavery” with Venezuela after bartering their services for cheap Venezuelan oil. FARC rebels' missile purchase raises concerns Colombia's FARC guerrillas have allegedly purchased at least seven anti-aircraft missiles that experts say could threaten U.S.-provided helicopters essential to the South American country's fight against the rebels. Voodooists attacked at ceremony for Haiti victims Angry crowds in a seaside slum attacked a group of Voodoo practitioners Tuesday, pelting them with rocks and halting a ceremony meant to honor victims of last month's deadly earthquake. Spain asks Venezuela to explain alleged rebel link Spain has demanded an explanation from Venezuela over claims that it assisted two rebel groups which plotted to kill Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe. |
1 Million Remain Homeless in Haiti, Yet the U.S. Ambassador Brags
It's 'Going Really Well'
U.S. rice doesn't help Haitian farmers Haiti's rice farmers are dismayed. It's nearly harvest time and they're competing once again with cheap U.S. imported rice.
Miami firm to donate 1,000 prefab houses for
Haiti earthquake victims A Miami-based effort to build stripped-down, easy-to-assemble
prefabricated houses for Haiti's homeless earthquake victims is
gaining steam, say its sponsors, who will announce details of their
plans Wednesday afternoon.
Haiti bans construction using quarry sand Haiti's government is banning a commonly used sand from structural construction in an attempt to improve building safety. |