The News Crawler

Navy accepts Conn. investment for sub base Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell says the U.S. Navy has accepted plans for the state to invest more than $7 million for upgrades at the submarine base in Groton

Sikorsky denies involvement in Ergenekon corruption Global helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky has responded to news stories in the Turkish press claiming that it bribed generals to seal purchase tenders held by the Gendarmerie General Command.

Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas barred from cutting jobs

Census Worker Was Killed By Asphyxiation... Found Naked, Gagged And Bound

Massive FBI database set to quadruple in size 'Unclear' how FBI got thousands of hotel, car rental, shopping records In the months after 9/11, the Pentagon's research arm launched a controversial project known as "Total Information Awareness" -- a massive database collating every available bit of digital information about, well, everything. After a public outcry, Congress defunded the project in 2003.

FBI investigating Somali suicide bombing FBI agents are investigating whether an American teenager detonated one of two stolen U.N. vehicles packed with explosives at a peacekeepers base in Somalia, killing 21 people last week.

U.S. charges Obama fund-raiser in $290 million fraud Hassan Nemazee, a fund-raiser for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, has been indicted for defrauding Bank of America, HSBC and Citigroup Inc out of more than $290 million in loan proceeds

Judge overturns approval of Roundup Ready beets A federal judge overturned government approval of a variety of sugar beet genetically engineered to resist a popular weed killer produced by agricultural giant Monsanto, according to a ruling released Tuesday.

OKC Bombing Video Released...Conspiracy? Attorney Alleges Editing; Nothing Before 9:02 A.M. Long-secret security tapes showing the chaos immediately after the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building are blank in the minutes before the blast and appear to have been edited, an attorney who obtained the recordings said yesterday.

Police/Prison

White supremacist groups call for protests in bus attack White supremacist groups say they want hate crime charges filed in the Belleville West bus attack case and are encouraging a protest. Messages flashed across neo-Nazi and white supremacist websites today

Rights educator finds noose on porch of Spokane home A black woman who directs educational programs for Coeur d’Alene’s Human Rights Education Institute awoke Sunday morning to find a noose on the doorstep of her north Spokane home.

Racially charged killing ignites Ill. community The anger spread almost as quickly as the news: an unarmed black man was fatally shot by two white police officers inside a northern Illinois church-run day care filled with children.

Civil Rights

Property Seized In Landmark Eminent Domain Case Never Used

TSA, GOP Rep. square off in airport over body scanners

Racial discrimination found at Pa. swim club A state panel has found probable cause of racial discrimination at a suburban Philadelphia swim club that asked a day camp group of mostly black and Hispanic children not to return, a ruling the club's lawyer blamed late Tuesday on the "media firestorm" that followed the incident.

Forced Vaccines Refused By Nurses In New York

Environment

Environmentalists Not All Happy About New EPA Guidelines The White House plan to curb greenhouse-gas emissions has some environmentalists seeing red due to abundant loopholes and funny math

Drug War

Backers begin push to get pot measure on ballot Pot advocates started their push Friday to get a marijuana legalization measure on California's 2010 ballot with backing from a prominent state politician.

Education

School Drinking Water Unsafe

Texas Teacher Stabbed to Death By Student Todd Henry, 50, worked as a music therapist in Texas public school.

Democrats Soften Financial Bill Congressional Democrats and the White House are softening some elements of the Obama administration's proposal to overhaul financial-market supervision as they begin a push to win broader support

Download the Full Report (PDF) Using the controversy over ACORN as a case study, this report illustrates the way the media help set the agenda for public debate, and frame the way that debate is shaped. It describes how "opinion entrepreneurs" (primarily business and conservative groups and individuals) set the story in motion as early as 2006, how the "conservative echo chamber" orchestrated its anti-ACORN campaign in 2008, how the McCain-Palin campaign picked it up, and how the mainstream media reported these allegations without investigating their truth or falsity. As a result, the relatively little-known community organization became the subject of a major news story in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, to the point where 82 percent of the respondents in an October 2008 national survey reported they had heard about ACORN.

Tear gas/sonic used on G20 Pittsburgh protesters - begins around one minute

Criticizing The American President On Foreign Soil The Republican/Conservative Double Standard

Banks Aim To Kill Consumer Protection Agency -- With GOP Help

The 8 Craziest Census Conspiracies Being Spread By The Far Right

I.R.S. Severs Acorn Ties; Group Sues Over Video The tax agency said it would no longer include the group in its volunteer tax-assistance program, and Acorn filed a lawsuit against people who posed as a prostitute and a pimp in a video.

ACORN is the New 'N' Word: Black Vendor Harrasses by Teabaggers at 9:12 Rally

ACORN Names Internal Investigator Former Mass. Attorney General Will Conduct Investigation Following Prostitution Sting Scandal

CRS: ACORN ban may be unconstitutional CRS has analyzed the case law surrounding last week's ACORN funding ban in the House.

Correction: ACORN's Troubles In a Sept. 19 story about the community organizing group ACORN, The Associated Press, based on an account in The Washington Post, erroneously quoted a conservative journalist saying he targeted the organization for hidden-camera videos because its voter-registration drives bring minority voters to the polls.

GAO Chief's Perks Under Review Again For more than 50 years, the head of the Government Accountability Office has received a rare perk: full salary for life.

Gay lawmakers push anti-bias workplace bill Two openly gay members of Congress on Wednesday urged their colleagues to pass a sweeping job discrimination bill that would - for the first time - protect gays and transsexuals from workplace bias

'Political Slush Funds': The Last Loophole

Acorn – the new Republican bogeyman | Brad Friedman Finally, something for the Republican party to use to stoke fear among its constituency. Acorn is perfect. The nationwide community group is full of scary black and poor people – who tend to support the Democrats. And, most convenient of all, it registers millions of them, legally, to vote in US elections. Spooky. If rightwing operatives succeed in bringing down the community group, Democrats and minorities will have lost a valuable ally

Social Security System Strained By Early Retirements

Palau agrees to take 12 Uighurs from Guantanamo: U.S.

Federal Judge: Evidence Against Detainee Is ‘Surprisingly Bare’ Last week, a federal judge ruled that the government had failed to justify the detention for the last seven years of a 50-year-old Kuwaiti engineer who worked for Kuwait Airlines and had gone to Afghanistan to do charitable work. He was seized by the Northern Alliance, turned over to U.S. authorities, and shipped to Guantanamo Bay.

Treasury/Federal Reserve/Bailouts/SEC/IRS

G.A.O. Report Says A.I.G. Is Stabilized

Fed official: policy audits undermine independence Letting a U.S. agency audit Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions would undermine the U.S. central bank's independence and could hamper its ability to control borrowing costs and support the dollar as the world's reserve currency, a Fed official said on Friday.

U.S. won't list systemically key firms: Geithner Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in testimony prepared for delivery on Wednesday that the United States would not identify in advance financial firms that it views as systemically important.

Technology for Tracking TARP Dollars Exists, Is Tested and Is Ready to Go A bipartisan group of lawmakers supports legislation that would establish a database of economic bailout information to track, monitor and manage the $700 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program funds.

Fed Held Back As Evidence Mounted On Subprime Loan AbusesThree times a year, a coalition of Chicago community groups met with the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators to warn about the growing prevalence of abusive mortgage lending.

Romney Slams Bailouts That He Used to Support

Break up America's banks | Dean Baker It would be great if the anger of these protesters could be turned in a productive direction. Instead of trying to prevent the government from extending healthcare coverage, how about going after the banks that pillaged the country?

AIG's Payback to Taxpayers in Doubt

Baraknaphobia

Republican ‘Birthers’ Outnumber Democratic ‘Truthers’ Public Policy Polling’s ongoing survey of American attitudes about presidential conspiracy theories continues with a fascinating look at the “birther” and “truther” sympathies of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. One takeaway: While some conservatives have brushed aside criticism of the “birthers” in their based by criticizing 9/11 conspiracy theorists on the left, there are far more conservative “birthers” than liberal “truthers.”

the truth about the truthers:what they really believe- USAF general grilled on pre 9/11 intelligence that terrorists would use planes as weapons In a hearing 9/11 Commissioner Ben-Veniste reads off reams of examples from various sources prior to 9/11 predicting that terrorists planned to use planes as weapons and fly them into buildings etc, but the Air Force general just sits there on his ass and says basically, "We had no idea. Didn't have a frickin clue this might be coming our way." Also shows the infamous clips of Rice and the Bush claiming no one could have imagined terrorists wanted to fly planes into buildings. They failed to keep us safe. They never investigated possible stand down orders by the commander and chief, hell they didn't even have any jets tailgating the hijacked planes, when clearly that's what the law requires and what has been done before.

No parents objected to Obama song lyrics: Editor

Stimulus

Calif. automaker receives $528.7 million govt loan isker Automotive, a California manufacturer of luxury electric vehicles, will receive more than $500 million in federal loans to develop a plug-in hybrid sports car with a sticker price of nearly $90,000 and a new plug-in hybrid vehicle to be built in the United States.

Senate

Senate Democrats propose surveillance law changes The Obama administration, for a second straight day, frustrated Democratic lawmakers Wednesday by declining to say whether it backs their demands for more civil liberties safeguards in anti-terrorism surveillance and property seizures.

Female Senator Fires Back After Colleague Cracks He "Doesn't Need Maternity Care"

U.S. mortgage delinquencies set record

Ford to build new assembly plant in China Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will invest $490 million to build an assembly plant in China to produce the next-generation Focus compact car, which it plans to sell globally.

New jobless claims drop unexpectedly to 530K

Homeless Camps in Tenn. Although U.S. home sales are up, as many as 800,000 people are expected to become homeless this year. Seth Doane reports from a Tennessee community that knows the struggle all to well.

Members Escape Prison in Iraq Sixteen prisoners, including leaders of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, escaped from a prison in northern Iraq, prompting a massive manhunt.

Iraq Detains 109 Prison Guards, Officials After Inmates Escape

Yemen president says rebels use "human shields"

Israel: Airstrike Kills 3 Palestinian Militants

Hamas is not al-Qaida | Anas Altikriti The two are radically different – the position of the democratically elected Hamas is about land, not religion, creed or race

Hamas accepts statehood on 1967 borders Deposed Hamas PM Ismail Haneya Tuesday sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying that his government backs the efforts to establish a Palestinian state.

Turkish diplomats cause scuffle around Obama

Saudis launch first mixed-gender university\

US Senate triples aide to Pakistan Embattled nation to will receive over $1.5 billion each year through 2014.

Japan launches probe of secret pacts with US Japan's new government launched an investigation Friday into whether previous administrations entered secret security pacts with Washington, including one said to endorse U.S. nuclear-armed ships despite a policy of barring such weapons

India boasts of new nuke tech India says it can now produce high yield nuclear weapons.

Swiss: Libya detaining 2 Swiss in unknown location

Spain expels Israeli scientists from competition Scientists kicked out of contest because they are based in the West Bank, Spain's government says

More veterans in UK justice system than in combat

They're torturing me, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya claims Honduras' fallen leader told The Miami Herald he is being subjected to mind-altering gas and radiation -- and that `Israeli mercenaries' are planning to assassinate him.

Colombian mass graves discovered

Mexico cartels kidnap, kill migrants headed to U.S. Mexico's violent drug gangs are increasingly kidnapping illegal migrants for ransom and forcing them to carry narcotics into the United States as they muscle into the lucrative trade of smuggling people across the border.

Peru grants cleanup extension to US-owned smelter Peru's congress has granted the financially troubled U.S.-owned Doe Run Peru smelter a two-and-a-half year extension to reduce toxic emissions, allowing the company to miss a second deadline to clean up the Andean town of La Oroya.

Report: Panama to host US Navy Panama reportedly set to host two US naval bases on Pacific coast.

Nearly 70 percent of Argentine forests lost in a century

The News Crawler
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World Headlines
Members Escape Prison in Iraq Sixteen prisoners, including leaders of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, escaped from a prison in northern Iraq, prompting a massive manhunt. Mexico cartels kidnap, kill migrants headed to U.S. Mexico's violent drug gangs are increasingly kidnapping illegal migrants for ransom and forcing them to carry narcotics into the United States as they muscle into the lucrative trade of smuggling people across the border. G20 Protests G20 Protests Use Dumpsters & Bricks Police Use Sound Weapons & Tear hit with teargas During a protest G20-another good video military uses Sonic Weapon and Tear Gas on Prot... G20 protest in US: Police silence freedom o Shock Video: Men In Military Fatigues Snatch Up G20 Protester (Most likely the states national guard) states national? what does that even mean? Are they state troops or federal troops, cause the second amendment only says state troops can exist. The protester was preemptively picked up. He was most likely a regular easily potted because each protest today is video taped, not only by the media, but the police, who us facial imaging technology to easily identify protesters. This use of teh national guard or military training of police is against law according to The Posse Comitatus Act a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385) passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction, substantially limiting the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement. The Act prohibits most members of the federal uniformed services (today the Army, Air Force, and State National Guard forces when such are called into federal service) from exercising nominally state law enforcement, police, or peace officer powers that maintain "law and order" on non-federal property (states and their counties and municipal divisions) within the United States. They basically arrest people before they have even committed a crime. G20 to phase out fuel subsidies** Push for agreement to cease subsidies for high polluting fossil fuels. G20 riot police disperse university students Videos: Cops beat girl with batons as students pushed off campus Pittsburgh's largest G20 protest mostly peaceful Gordon Brown's plan for Chinese to put world economy back in balance Gordon Brown is to set out proposals at the G20 this week aimed at boosting Chinese consumer demand and ending the global economy's reliance on the American shopper.	Honduran businessmen at center of coup dispute The capital is now covered with graffiti demanding "Turks out!" — apparently a reference to the Central American country's large number of business people of Middle Eastern descent — and on Saturday pro-Zelaya marchers lashed out at the elite's dominance over wealth in a country where millions are poor. Colombian contract killer detailing an alleged $25 million plot to kill Hugo Chavez Somali militia pledges fealty to bin Laden Proof of CIA kidnapping 'indisputable': Italian prosecutor Japan launches probe of secret pacts with US Japan's new government launched an investigation Friday into whether previous administrations entered secret security pacts with Washington, including one said to endorse U.S. nuclear-armed ships despite a policy of barring such weapons Twin car bomb attacks kill 16 in NW Pakistan McChrystal: Violence In Afghanistan "Worse" Than I Expected New Bin Laden Tape: Europe Must Pull Out Of Afghanistan Or Risk "Retaliation" Gates Contradicts Obama: Afghan "Exit Strategy" A "Strategic Mistake" Russia, Plagued by Heroin Use, to Press U.S. on Destroying Afghan Poppy Crops Taliban's Fundraising Juggernaut Might Make It Impossible To Restrict Cash Flow 1 in 10 suspect Afghan ballot boxes to be recounted Special forces soldier's book causes storm in Denmark One passage in the book that has caused particular controversy is Mr Rathsack’s description of an undercover mission where his unit was dressed in Afghan clothing while carrying concealed weapons – a breach New Iran uranium enrichment site raises concerns Iran's newly revealed uranium enrichment plant is a heavily guarded, still-unfinished underground facility in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom that will be able to produce nuclear fuel - or atomic warheads, Western intelligence officials and diplomats said Friday Why Iran was forced to come clean The Qom uranium enrichment plant first appeared in 2006, in grey satellite photographs of the sort the world has become familiar with through the long years of the Iran crisis.Iranian Leader Offers U.S. Access To the Country's Nuclear Scientists
US Headlines
Fed Held Back As Evidence Mounted On Subprime Loan AbusesThree times a year, a coalition of Chicago community groups met with the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators to warn about the growing prevalence of abusive mortgage lending. Fed official: policy audits undermine independence Letting a U.S. agency audit Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions would undermine the U.S. central bank's independence and could hamper its ability to control borrowing costs and support the dollar as the world's reserve currency, a Fed official said on Friday. House pushes for sweeping audit of the Fed House lawmakers want to pry open the books of the famously secretive Federal Reserve with legislation that would subject the central bank to a sweeping congressional audit. U.S. won't list systemically key firms: Geithner Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in testimony prepared for delivery on Wednesday that the United States would not identify in advance financial firms that it views as systemically important. 'Political Slush Funds': The Last Loophole CRS: ACORN ban may be unconstitutional CRS has analyzed the case law surrounding last week's ACORN funding ban in the House. ACORN is the New 'N' Word: Black Vendor Harrasses by Teabaggers at 9:12 Rally Download the Full Report (PDF) Using the controversy over ACORN as a case study, this report illustrates the way the media help set the agenda for public debate, and frame the way that debate is shaped. It describes how "opinion entrepreneurs" (primarily business and conservative groups and individuals) set the story in motion as early as 2006, how the "conservative echo chamber" orchestrated its anti-ACORN campaign in 2008, how the McCain-Palin campaign picked it up, and how the mainstream media reported these allegations without investigating their truth or falsity. As a result, the relatively little-known community organization became the subject of a major news story in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, to the point where 82 percent of the respondents in an October 2008 national survey reported they had heard about ACORN. Democrats Soften Financial Bill Congressional Democrats and the White House are softening some elements of the Obama administration's proposal to overhaul financial-market supervision as they begin a push to win broader support OKC Bombing Video Released...Conspiracy? Attorney Alleges Editing; Nothing Before 9:02 A.M. Long-secret security tapes showing the chaos immediately after the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building are blank in the minutes before the blast and appear to have been edited, an attorney who obtained the recordings said yesterday. Judge considers bid to block merger of voting machine giants A federal judge in Camden, N.J., agreed late Friday to hear a request for an emergency injuction that could halt Election Systems & Software's announced acquisition of Diebold Inc.'s Premier Election Solutions. A competitor argues that the acquisition would give ES&S control of election systems in 70 percent of the nation's voting districts. Massive FBI database set to quadruple in size 'Unclear' how FBI got thousands of hotel, car rental, shopping records In the months after 9/11, the Pentagon's research arm launched a controversial project known as "Total Information Awareness" -- a massive database collating every available bit of digital information about, well, everything. After a public outcry, Congress defunded the project in 2003. Job Seekers Exceed Openings By 6:1... 14.5 Million Unemployed...Just 2.4 Million Jobs...THE YOUNG AND THE JOBLESS..Unemployment Rate For Young Hits 52.2 Percent the truth about the truthers:what they really believe- USAF general grilled on pre 9/11 intelligence that terrorists would use planes as weapons In a hearing 9/11 Commissioner Ben-Veniste reads off reams of examples from various sources prior to 9/11 predicting that terrorists planned to use planes as weapons and fly them into buildings etc, but the Air Force general just sits there on his ass and says basically, "We had no idea. Didn't have a frickin clue this might be coming our way." Also shows the infamous clips of Rice and the Bush claiming no one could have imagined terrorists wanted to fly planes into buildings. They failed to keep us safe. They never investigated possible stand down orders by the commander and chief, hell they didn't even have any jets tailgating the hijacked planes, when clearly that's what the law requires and what has been done before.	Obama And Bush Are Both Symbols Of Executive Power Run Amok, Says Historian Garry Wills White House backs accountability of 'No Child' law The Obama administration is committed to the testing and school accountability at the heart of the No Child Left Behind law championed by former President George W. Bush, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. Rep. Grayson Calls For 'Corporate Death Penalty On Contractors' Who Rip Off Government Meanwhile, he has been asking citizens to suggest specific companies which would be targeted by the anti-fraud language and provide evidence for the claim. The list has grown several pages long. The names of those organizations will be submitted into the congressional record next week. "The purpose of this bill is to cleanse federal contracting and grant-making, completely and permanently. The purpose is to put an end to the invidious practice of rewarding those who steal taxpayer money by giving them more taxpayer money," writes Grayson. "The bill imposes, and is intended to impose, a corporate death penalty on contractors who fall within the scope of its prohibitions." Inhofe: Global Warming Isn't Real: "God's Still Up There" Federal Judge: Evidence Against Detainee Is ‘Surprisingly Bare’ Last week, a federal judge ruled that the government had failed to justify the detention for the last seven years of a 50-year-old Kuwaiti engineer who worked for Kuwait Airlines and had gone to Afghanistan to do charitable work. He was seized by the Northern Alliance, turned over to U.S. authorities, and shipped to Guantanamo Bay. Sources: Gitmo might not close by January Why should funding stop because of fraud that hasn’t even been proven. Former ACORN workers were charged with voter registration, while ACORN itself was not taken to court because the group had been the one to turn in those workers who committed voter registration fraud. Critics say then why did ACORN still hand in the registration, that’s easy, because the law requires it. So how can you justify defunding? After all defense companies like GE and United Technologies continue to get government funds even after repeatedly being convicted of fraud. It's Official: Water Found on the Moon Forced Vaccines Refused By Nurses In New York Property Seized In Landmark Eminent Domain Case Never Used U.S. charges Obama fund-raiser in $290 million fraud Hassan Nemazee, a fund-raiser for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, has been indicted for defrauding Bank of America, HSBC and Citigroup Inc out of more than $290 million in loan proceeds Jurors: FEMA trailer didn't expose family to fumes A federal jury on Thursday rejected a New Orleans family's claims that the government-issued trailer they lived in after Hurricane Katrina was defective and exposed them to dangerous fumes. US diplomat: post-9/11 embassies too fortress-like The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Poland criticized the "fortress-like" feel of American embassies built since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, saying Thursday that some are excessively expensive and send an unfriendly message to non-Americans Census Worker Was Killed By Asphyxiation... Found Naked, Gagged And Bound Citi sues Morgan Stanley over CDS, claims $245 million Citigroup Inc sued Morgan Stanley on Friday for breach of contract, saying the Wall Street firm owed it $245.4 million for protection it bought on a loan Senate Democrats propose surveillance law changes The Obama administration, for a second straight day, frustrated Democratic lawmakers Wednesday by declining to say whether it backs their demands for more civil liberties safeguards in anti-terrorism surveillance and property seizures Calif. automaker receives $528.7 million govt loan isker Automotive, a California manufacturer of luxury electric vehicles, will receive more than $500 million in federal loans to develop a plug-in hybrid sports car with a sticker price of nearly $90,000 and a new plug-in hybrid vehicle to be built in the United States.
Connecticut
Eminent domain land sits undeveloped The plot of prized waterfront Connecticut land that was the crown jewel in the nation's famed Supreme Court fight over eminent domain sits largely undeveloped today, littered with weeds, glass and bricks. Nappier: Cut top UTC pay, save jobs? to preserve the 1,000 jobs that the company’s Pratt & Whitney subsidiary is eliminating by shutting down factories in Cheshire and East Hartford. 32 percent of state’s homeless are working	Navy accepts Conn. investment for sub base Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell says the U.S. Navy has accepted plans for the state to invest more than $7 million for upgrades at the submarine base in Groton Sikorsky denies involvement in Ergenekon corruption Global helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky has responded to news stories in the Turkish press claiming that it bribed generals to seal purchase tenders held by the Gendarmerie General Command. Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas barred from cutting jobs
United States
Security Issues Man charged with conspiracy in US terrorism investigation A young Afghan immigrant, Najibullah Zazi, has been charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in what investigators suspect was a plot to bomb New York's transport system. Denver Man Admits to a Possible Al Qaeda Connection, Officials Say...NY Terror Attack Was Planned For September 11 Man Charged in Ill. Courthouse Bomb Plot A 29-year-old Illinois man who idolized American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh has been arrested after attempting to detonate what he thought was a bomb inside a van outside a federal courthouse, officia FBI: Man Arrested Trying To Bomb Dallas Building The FBI says it has arrested a Jordanian citizen for trying to bomb a Dallas skyscraper Men accused of unrelated bomb plots in Illinois, Texas Feds: N.C. terrorism suspects targeted military Two North Carolina terrorism suspects plotted to kill U.S. military personnel and one of them obtained maps of a Marine Corps base in Virginia to plan an attack, prosecutors said Thursday Census Worker Was Killed By Asphyxiation... Found Naked, Gagged And Bound Massive FBI database set to quadruple in size 'Unclear' how FBI got thousands of hotel, car rental, shopping records In the months after 9/11, the Pentagon's research arm launched a controversial project known as "Total Information Awareness" -- a massive database collating every available bit of digital information about, well, everything. After a public outcry, Congress defunded the project in 2003. FBI investigating Somali suicide bombing FBI agents are investigating whether an American teenager detonated one of two stolen U.N. vehicles packed with explosives at a peacekeepers base in Somalia, killing 21 people last week. A third of Mexicans would migrate to U.S.: survey One in three Mexicans would migrate to the United States if they had the chance, and many would go illegally at a time of rising drug violence in Mexico, a survey released on Wednesday showed. Army to discharge Hawaii soldier who took stand against Iraq war US diplomat: post-9/11 embassies too fortress-like The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Poland criticized the "fortress-like" feel of American embassies built since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, saying Thursday that some are excessively expensive and send an unfriendly message to non-Americans Ammo Companies Can't Keep Up With Demand Courts Jurors: FEMA trailer didn't expose family to fumes A federal jury on Thursday rejected a New Orleans family's claims that the government-issued trailer they lived in after Hurricane Katrina was defective and exposed them to dangerous fumes. Ring Trial Is Fraught With Complex Issues Crying witnesses, colorful e-mails and descriptions of lobbyists as "sugar daddies" and congressmen as their "champions" -- it's all become routine in the trial of Kevin Ring, former associate of imprisoned ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Judge considers bid to block merger of voting machine giants A federal judge in Camden, N.J., agreed late Friday to hear a request for an emergency injuction that could halt Election Systems & Software's announced acquisition of Diebold Inc.'s Premier Election Solutions. A competitor argues that the acquisition would give ES&S control of election systems in 70 percent of the nation's voting districts. U.S. charges Obama fund-raiser in $290 million fraud Hassan Nemazee, a fund-raiser for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, has been indicted for defrauding Bank of America, HSBC and Citigroup Inc out of more than $290 million in loan proceeds Judge overturns approval of Roundup Ready beets A federal judge overturned government approval of a variety of sugar beet genetically engineered to resist a popular weed killer produced by agricultural giant Monsanto, according to a ruling released Tuesday. OKC Bombing Video Released...Conspiracy? Attorney Alleges Editing; Nothing Before 9:02 A.M. Long-secret security tapes showing the chaos immediately after the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building are blank in the minutes before the blast and appear to have been edited, an attorney who obtained the recordings said yesterday.	Greed Like Madoff, Stanford Targeted Jews Media ACORN nemesis once targeted Planned Parenthood he activist filmmaker behind the documentary that toppled ACORN is talking. James O'Keefe posed as a pimp and covertly filmed ACORN officials TYT: Beck Wont Answer "White Culture" Question Rachel Maddow Unveils The Truth About The Lies About ACORN Tavis Smiley Issues New Statement on Wells Fargo As TWI has reported, Wells Fargo & Co. teamed up with talk show host and commentator Tavis Smiley for “Wealth Building” seminars in black neighborhoods beginning in 2005. A suit by the Illinois attorney general contends Wells used the seminars to market high-cost and risky subprime loans to minority borrowers Glenn Beck Accepts Key To Hometown; 800 Demonstrate Police/Prison White supremacist groups call for protests in bus attack White supremacist groups say they want hate crime charges filed in the Belleville West bus attack case and are encouraging a protest. Messages flashed across neo-Nazi and white supremacist websites today Rights educator finds noose on porch of Spokane home A black woman who directs educational programs for Coeur d’Alene’s Human Rights Education Institute awoke Sunday morning to find a noose on the doorstep of her north Spokane home. Racially charged killing ignites Ill. community The anger spread almost as quickly as the news: an unarmed black man was fatally shot by two white police officers inside a northern Illinois church-run day care filled with children. Civil Rights Property Seized In Landmark Eminent Domain Case Never Used TSA, GOP Rep. square off in airport over body scanners Racial discrimination found at Pa. swim club A state panel has found probable cause of racial discrimination at a suburban Philadelphia swim club that asked a day camp group of mostly black and Hispanic children not to return, a ruling the club's lawyer blamed late Tuesday on the "media firestorm" that followed the incident. Forced Vaccines Refused By Nurses In New York Environment Environmentalists Not All Happy About New EPA Guidelines The White House plan to curb greenhouse-gas emissions has some environmentalists seeing red due to abundant loopholes and funny math Drug War Backers begin push to get pot measure on ballot Pot advocates started their push Friday to get a marijuana legalization measure on California's 2010 ballot with backing from a prominent state politician. Education School Drinking Water Unsafe Texas Teacher Stabbed to Death By Student Todd Henry, 50, worked as a music therapist in Texas public school.

Science	History Resources
Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection A new AIDS vaccine tested in Thailand has protected a significant minority against infection Study: children spanked have lower IQs A world-wide study released Thursday shows children who are spanked end up with lower IQs.	It's Official: Water Found on the Moon Public smoking bans cut heart attack rates: studies
Politics	Political Resources
Democrats Soften Financial Bill Congressional Democrats and the White House are softening some elements of the Obama administration's proposal to overhaul financial-market supervision as they begin a push to win broader support Download the Full Report (PDF) Using the controversy over ACORN as a case study, this report illustrates the way the media help set the agenda for public debate, and frame the way that debate is shaped. It describes how "opinion entrepreneurs" (primarily business and conservative groups and individuals) set the story in motion as early as 2006, how the "conservative echo chamber" orchestrated its anti-ACORN campaign in 2008, how the McCain-Palin campaign picked it up, and how the mainstream media reported these allegations without investigating their truth or falsity. As a result, the relatively little-known community organization became the subject of a major news story in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, to the point where 82 percent of the respondents in an October 2008 national survey reported they had heard about ACORN. Tear gas/sonic used on G20 Pittsburgh protesters - begins around one minute Criticizing The American President On Foreign Soil The Republican/Conservative Double Standard Banks Aim To Kill Consumer Protection Agency -- With GOP Help The 8 Craziest Census Conspiracies Being Spread By The Far Right I.R.S. Severs Acorn Ties; Group Sues Over Video The tax agency said it would no longer include the group in its volunteer tax-assistance program, and Acorn filed a lawsuit against people who posed as a prostitute and a pimp in a video. ACORN is the New 'N' Word: Black Vendor Harrasses by Teabaggers at 9:12 Rally ACORN Names Internal Investigator Former Mass. Attorney General Will Conduct Investigation Following Prostitution Sting Scandal CRS: ACORN ban may be unconstitutional CRS has analyzed the case law surrounding last week's ACORN funding ban in the House. Correction: ACORN's Troubles In a Sept. 19 story about the community organizing group ACORN, The Associated Press, based on an account in The Washington Post, erroneously quoted a conservative journalist saying he targeted the organization for hidden-camera videos because its voter-registration drives bring minority voters to the polls. GAO Chief's Perks Under Review Again For more than 50 years, the head of the Government Accountability Office has received a rare perk: full salary for life. Gay lawmakers push anti-bias workplace bill Two openly gay members of Congress on Wednesday urged their colleagues to pass a sweeping job discrimination bill that would - for the first time - protect gays and transsexuals from workplace bias 'Political Slush Funds': The Last Loophole Acorn – the new Republican bogeyman \| Brad Friedman Finally, something for the Republican party to use to stoke fear among its constituency. Acorn is perfect. The nationwide community group is full of scary black and poor people – who tend to support the Democrats. And, most convenient of all, it registers millions of them, legally, to vote in US elections. Spooky. If rightwing operatives succeed in bringing down the community group, Democrats and minorities will have lost a valuable ally Social Security System Strained By Early Retirements House Pelosi shoots down public option 'trigger' Inhofe: Global Warming Isn't Real: "God's Still Up There" House to vote to eliminate Medicare premium hikes House pushes for sweeping audit of the Fed House lawmakers want to pry open the books of the famously secretive Federal Reserve with legislation that would subject the central bank to a sweeping congressional audit. Rep. Grayson Calls For 'Corporate Death Penalty On Contractors' Who Rip Off Government Meanwhile, he has been asking citizens to suggest specific companies which would be targeted by the anti-fraud language and provide evidence for the claim. The list has grown several pages long. The names of those organizations will be submitted into the congressional record next week. "The purpose of this bill is to cleanse federal contracting and grant-making, completely and permanently. The purpose is to put an end to the invidious practice of rewarding those who steal taxpayer money by giving them more taxpayer money," writes Grayson. "The bill imposes, and is intended to impose, a corporate death penalty on contractors who fall within the scope of its prohibitions." Obama At U.N., Obama to Push for New Nuclear Weapons Treaty White House backs accountability of 'No Child' law The Obama administration is committed to the testing and school accountability at the heart of the No Child Left Behind law championed by former President George W. Bush, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. Lawmakers slam newspaper bailout idea 'Diversity czar' takes heat over remarks Obama's diversity czar at the Federal Communications Commission has spoken publicly of getting white media executives to "step down" in favor of minorities, prescribed policies to make liberal talk radio more successful, and described Hugo Chavez's rise to power in Venezuela "an incredible revolution." Mark Lloyd's provocative comments - most made during a tenure at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank - are giving fodder to critics who say Mr. Obama has appointed too many "czars" to government positions that don't require congressional approval. Barack Obama plays down the need to finalize a deal on climate change Barack Obama has talked down the importance of sealing a global deal on climate change before the end of the year, world leaders said yesterday. More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation Obama And Bush Are Both Symbols Of Executive Power Run Amok, Says Historian Garry Wills	Health Insurance FACT CHECK: Coverage requirement enforced with tax Memo to President Barack Obama: It's a tax. Obama insisted this weekend on national television that requiring people to carry health insurance - and fining them if they don't - isn't the same thing as a tax increase. But the language of Democratic bills to revamp the nation's health care system doesn't quibble. Both the House bill and the Senate Finance Committee proposal clearly state that the fines would be a tax. Report: Too many vets wait a year for claim Too many veterans' disability claims take more than a year to process, the Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general said Wednesday. GITMO/Bahgram/CIA-Blacksites Sources: Gitmo might not close by January Why should funding stop because of fraud that hasn’t even been proven. Former ACORN workers were charged with voter registration, while ACORN itself was not taken to court because the group had been the one to turn in those workers who committed voter registration fraud. Critics say then why did ACORN still hand in the registration, that’s easy, because the law requires it. So how can you justify defunding? After all defense companies like GE and United Technologies continue to get government funds even after repeatedly being convicted of fraud. Administration Won't Seek New Detention System The Obama administration has decided not to seek legislation to establish a new system of preventive detention to hold terrorism suspects and will instead rely on a 2001 congressional resolution Obama will bypass Congress to detain suspects indefinitely; Palau agrees to take 12 Uighurs from Guantanamo: U.S. Federal Judge: Evidence Against Detainee Is ‘Surprisingly Bare’ Last week, a federal judge ruled that the government had failed to justify the detention for the last seven years of a 50-year-old Kuwaiti engineer who worked for Kuwait Airlines and had gone to Afghanistan to do charitable work. He was seized by the Northern Alliance, turned over to U.S. authorities, and shipped to Guantanamo Bay. 3 Guantanamo Bay Prisoners Transferred To Ireland, Yemen GATES: DEADLINE TO CLOSE GITMO WON'T BE MET Feinstein supports sending Gitmo prisoners to California Treasury/Federal Reserve/Bailouts/SEC/IRS G.A.O. Report Says A.I.G. Is Stabilized Fed official: policy audits undermine independence Letting a U.S. agency audit Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions would undermine the U.S. central bank's independence and could hamper its ability to control borrowing costs and support the dollar as the world's reserve currency, a Fed official said on Friday. U.S. won't list systemically key firms: Geithner Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in testimony prepared for delivery on Wednesday that the United States would not identify in advance financial firms that it views as systemically important. Technology for Tracking TARP Dollars Exists, Is Tested and Is Ready to Go A bipartisan group of lawmakers supports legislation that would establish a database of economic bailout information to track, monitor and manage the $700 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program funds. Fed Held Back As Evidence Mounted On Subprime Loan AbusesThree times a year, a coalition of Chicago community groups met with the Federal Reserve and other banking regulators to warn about the growing prevalence of abusive mortgage lending. Romney Slams Bailouts That He Used to Support Break up America's banks \| Dean Baker It would be great if the anger of these protesters could be turned in a productive direction. Instead of trying to prevent the government from extending healthcare coverage, how about going after the banks that pillaged the country? AIG's Payback to Taxpayers in Doubt Baraknaphobia Republican ‘Birthers’ Outnumber Democratic ‘Truthers’ Public Policy Polling’s ongoing survey of American attitudes about presidential conspiracy theories continues with a fascinating look at the “birther” and “truther” sympathies of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. One takeaway: While some conservatives have brushed aside criticism of the “birthers” in their based by criticizing 9/11 conspiracy theorists on the left, there are far more conservative “birthers” than liberal “truthers.” the truth about the truthers:what they really believe- USAF general grilled on pre 9/11 intelligence that terrorists would use planes as weapons In a hearing 9/11 Commissioner Ben-Veniste reads off reams of examples from various sources prior to 9/11 predicting that terrorists planned to use planes as weapons and fly them into buildings etc, but the Air Force general just sits there on his ass and says basically, "We had no idea. Didn't have a frickin clue this might be coming our way." Also shows the infamous clips of Rice and the Bush claiming no one could have imagined terrorists wanted to fly planes into buildings. They failed to keep us safe. They never investigated possible stand down orders by the commander and chief, hell they didn't even have any jets tailgating the hijacked planes, when clearly that's what the law requires and what has been done before. No parents objected to Obama song lyrics: Editor Stimulus Calif. automaker receives $528.7 million govt loan isker Automotive, a California manufacturer of luxury electric vehicles, will receive more than $500 million in federal loans to develop a plug-in hybrid sports car with a sticker price of nearly $90,000 and a new plug-in hybrid vehicle to be built in the United States. Senate Senate Democrats propose surveillance law changes The Obama administration, for a second straight day, frustrated Democratic lawmakers Wednesday by declining to say whether it backs their demands for more civil liberties safeguards in anti-terrorism surveillance and property seizures. Female Senator Fires Back After Colleague Cracks He "Doesn't Need Maternity Care"
Economy	Click for Economic Statistics
Financial System May Now Be In A "Far More Dangerous Place" Citi sues Morgan Stanley over CDS, claims $245 million Citigroup Inc sued Morgan Stanley on Friday for breach of contract, saying the Wall Street firm owed it $245.4 million for protection it bought on a loan Job Seekers Exceed Openings By 6:1... 14.5 Million Unemployed...Just 2.4 Million Jobs THE YOUNG AND THE JOBLESS..Unemployment Rate For Young Hits 52.2 Percent Latin America fights Western influence, launches own intl. bank	U.S. mortgage delinquencies set record Ford to build new assembly plant in China Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will invest $490 million to build an assembly plant in China to produce the next-generation Focus compact car, which it plans to sell globally. New jobless claims drop unexpectedly to 530K Homeless Camps in Tenn. Although U.S. home sales are up, as many as 800,000 people are expected to become homeless this year. Seth Doane reports from a Tennessee community that knows the struggle all to well.

Iraq	Map of Iraq
Iraqi city locked down after prison break U.S. drone crashes into Iraq political party office To the Dems Who Voted to 'Defund ACORN': Where is the Defund Blackwater Act?	Members Escape Prison in Iraq Sixteen prisoners, including leaders of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, escaped from a prison in northern Iraq, prompting a massive manhunt. Iraq Detains 109 Prison Guards, Officials After Inmates Escape
Middle East	Map of the Middle East
Iranian leader says he'll seek leniency for hikers three American hikers who strayed across the Iranian border Russia Open To Iran Sanctions...China Opposes Sanctions...Iraq backing Iran in nuke dispute New Iran uranium enrichment site raises concerns Iran's newly revealed uranium enrichment plant is a heavily guarded, still-unfinished underground facility in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom that will be able to produce nuclear fuel - or atomic warheads, Western intelligence officials and diplomats said Friday Why Iran was forced to come clean The Qom uranium enrichment plant first appeared in 2006, in grey satellite photographs of the sort the world has become familiar with through the long years of the Iran crisis.Iranian Leader Offers U.S. Access To the Country's Nuclear Scientists Beijing supplies petrol to Iran undermining US-led efforts to shut off the supply of fuel Shops in Iran told not to display female underwear	Yemen president says rebels use "human shields" Israel: Airstrike Kills 3 Palestinian Militants Hamas is not al-Qaida \| Anas Altikriti The two are radically different – the position of the democratically elected Hamas is about land, not religion, creed or race Hamas accepts statehood on 1967 borders Deposed Hamas PM Ismail Haneya Tuesday sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying that his government backs the efforts to establish a Palestinian state. Turkish diplomats cause scuffle around Obama Sikorsky denies involvement in Ergenekon corruption Global helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky has responded to news stories in the Turkish press claiming that it bribed generals to seal purchase tenders held by the Gendarmerie General Command. Saudis launch first mixed-gender university\
Afghanistan	Map of Afghanistan
Taliban Widen Afghan Attacks From Base in Pakistan Special forces soldier's book causes storm in Denmark One passage in the book that has caused particular controversy is Mr Rathsack’s description of an undercover mission where his unit was dressed in Afghan clothing while carrying concealed weapons – a breach Afghan Envoy Calls for More Troops as U.S. Prepares Options 5 U.S. Troops Killed In Afghan Attacks 1 in 10 suspect Afghan ballot boxes to be recounted Taliban's Fundraising Juggernaut Might Make It Impossible To Restrict Cash Flow Gates Contradicts Obama: Afghan "Exit Strategy" A "Strategic Mistake"	Russia, Plagued by Heroin Use, to Press U.S. on Destroying Afghan Poppy Crops Six civilians dead in Kandahar air strike by foreign forces McChrystal: Violence In Afghanistan "Worse" Than I Expected New Bin Laden Tape: Europe Must Pull Out Of Afghanistan Or Risk "Retaliation" Northern Afghan violence undercuts US supply route Afghanistan troop increase may not cause strain, say military officers Al-Qaida release video message likening Barack Obama to George Bush Al-Qaida marked the eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington with a video message tonight in which it predicted that Barack Obama would be brought down by the Muslims. Afghan warlords will fight if U.S. gives weapons

Pakistan	Map of Pakistan
US Senate triples aide to Pakistan Embattled nation to will receive over $1.5 billion each year through 2014.	Twin car bomb attacks kill 16 in NW Pakistan
North&South Asia	Map of Asia
China Bars Foreigners From Making Visits to Tibet Official denies Tibet ban for foreign visitors How U.S. Removed Half a Ton of Uranium From Kazakhstan	Japan launches probe of secret pacts with US Japan's new government launched an investigation Friday into whether previous administrations entered secret security pacts with Washington, including one said to endorse U.S. nuclear-armed ships despite a policy of barring such weapons India boasts of new nuke tech India says it can now produce high yield nuclear weapons.
Europe	Map of Europe
Proof of CIA kidnapping 'indisputable': Italian prosecutor EU publishes evidence to back up €1bn Intel fine European regulators have published evidence of anti-competitive behaviour by Intel, as arguments continue over the record €1.06bn (£960m) fine levied against the computer chip maker.	Swiss: Libya detaining 2 Swiss in unknown location Spain expels Israeli scientists from competition Scientists kicked out of contest because they are based in the West Bank, Spain's government says More veterans in UK justice system than in combat
Africa	Map of Africa
Guinea: 20,000 protest coup leader Kenya's slums attract poverty tourism	Somali militia pledges fealty to bin Laden
The Americas	Map of North America and South America
They're torturing me, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya claims Honduras' fallen leader told The Miami Herald he is being subjected to mind-altering gas and radiation -- and that `Israeli mercenaries' are planning to assassinate him. Colombian mass graves discovered Mexico cartels kidnap, kill migrants headed to U.S. Mexico's violent drug gangs are increasingly kidnapping illegal migrants for ransom and forcing them to carry narcotics into the United States as they muscle into the lucrative trade of smuggling people across the border. Peru grants cleanup extension to US-owned smelter Peru's congress has granted the financially troubled U.S.-owned Doe Run Peru smelter a two-and-a-half year extension to reduce toxic emissions, allowing the company to miss a second deadline to clean up the Andean town of La Oroya. Report: Panama to host US Navy Panama reportedly set to host two US naval bases on Pacific coast. Nearly 70 percent of Argentine forests lost in a century	Ousted Honduran president says he has met with interim government official and begun dialogue Brazilian VP: Country Should Build Nuclear Arms Colombian contract killer detailing an alleged $25 million plot to kill Hugo Chavez Chevron takes Ecuador fight to arbitrators Chevron, the world's third biggest oil company, said it had filed an international arbitration claim against the government of Ecuador, citing violations of the country's obligations under the US-Ecuador... Hondurans under curfew after violent night Honduran businessmen at center of coup dispute The capital is now covered with graffiti demanding "Turks out!" — apparently a reference to the Central American country's large number of business people of Middle Eastern descent — and on Saturday pro-Zelaya marchers lashed out at the elite's dominance over wealth in a country where millions are poor. Brazil says won't comply with Honduras ultimatum