The News Crawler

Pressing Lieberman on the public option Union activists yesterday presented Sen. Joseph Lieberman with more than 2,000 letters urging support for the public health insurance option.

State To Get Five Bomb-Sniffing Dogs For Trains, Buses, Airports, Shipping Ports; Will Start Next Year

CT Supreme Court Rejects Mayor Perez's Bid To Dismiss Felony Charges In Corruption Scandal

Rell Opposes Back-Door Attempt To Insert Vetoed Healthcare "Pooling'' Concept in Implementer Bill; Donovan Says It's Nothing To Do With Pooling Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell is threatening to veto a bill being debated in today's special session because it would be a back-door maneuver around her veto of a controversial healthcare pooling bill.

Historic Consolidation Of State's Probate Court System In the biggest change in more than 300 years, the state House of Representatives voted Wednesday night for a historic consolidation of the state's probate court system that would eliminate more than half of the courts.

Blumenthal Asks Legislature To Amend Law Affecting Food For Needy Clergy members who feed the hungry across Greater Hartford and Middletown are hoping state legislators will approve a proposal that would allow them to continue to serve home-cooked meals in soup kitchens and shelters.

Blumenthal: Some State Marshals Broke Law By Double-Billing Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a sweeping action against some of the highest-earning state marshals, has concluded that a handful of marshals broke the law when they double-billed for the delivery of papers in foreclosure actions.

Census data: Recession forcing more families into poverty

The recession is forcing Connecticut families into poverty at a rate higher than any other state over the last year, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Racially Motivated Incidents Stir MCC Over the past week, Manchester Community College has had three racially motivated incidents happen inside its walls.

Biden to join Dodd in Fairfield to promote stimulus road work Vice President Joe Biden will visit Fairfield on Monday afternoon to use a $70 million project on the Merritt Parkway as a backdrop to talk about the federal stimulus program with U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn

National Review Writer Takes Stand Against Female Suffrage Just so we're clear, a leading conservative writer at one of the premier conservative political outlets, argued publicly against a woman's right to vote.

Police/Prison

Homeless Georgia Sex Offenders Directed to Woods

Sheriff fires deputy seen in jail beating video (kicks and hits 15 year old girl)

Police Militarization

US police fired for Tasering 76-year-old parade tractor driver Two US police officers are fired for using a Taser stun gun on a 76-year-old tractor driver during a parade.

Some cops are despicable.

Police buy military-style sonic device to subdue crowds With the help of Homeland Security grants, police departments nationwide looking to subdue unruly crowds and political protesters are purchasing a high-tech device originally used by the military to repel battlefield insurgents and Somali pirates with piercing noise capable of damaging hearing.

New Jersey cop indicted for assault of mentally handicapped man A police officer in Passaic County, New Jersey is facing assault and misconduct charges after he was captured on camera beating a schizophrenic man with his fists and baton, even as the man did not appear to be resisting.

Civil Rights

Kansas bigotry falls flat at Brooklyn synagogues A handful of hateful Midwesterner’s brought their anti-Semitic and anti-gay message to two Brownstone Brooklyn synagogues on Saturday — where they were met with anger, condemnation, and some old-fashioned chutzpah.

Dallas judge paves way for gay couple to get divorce

Justice Dept. to Address Backlog of Civil Rights Complaints

Rare Source of Attack on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ An essay in an official Pentagon journal calls forcefully for repeal of the law that requires homosexuals in the armed services to keep their sexual orientation secret.

ACLU: FBI ‘manipulating’ debate on Patriot Act reform National security letters (NSLs), created under the Patriot Act security bill that was passed in the aftermath of 9/11, allow the FBI to demand sensitive information about users of facilities like libraries and Internet service providers, and then bar those organizations from revealing that the order was ever given.

Environment

Nation’s Largest Utility Leaves U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Denial

Blue-green algae blamed for dog deaths Waterways across the upper Midwest are increasingly plagued with ugly, smelly blue-green algae that's killed dozens of dogs and sickened people

E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Oil spill shutters part of Houston Ship Channel The Coast Guard says crews are working to clean up a 10,500-gallon oil spill that has closed traffic along three miles of the Houston Ship Channel.

US commits to global climate pact Reaffirms pledge to sign treaty as pressure mounts for US to take leading role.

Nike flees US Chamber of Commerce over climate debate

Nanomaterials Under Study by the E.P.A. Researchers plan to look at what effect tiny substances found in products like sunscreen and industrial adhesives have on the environment.

Education

Ed Sec on 'No Child Left Behind': 'We Are Lying to Children and Parents' Arne Duncan demands reform of Bush-era education system.

EPA Tells Schools To Test Aging Caulk Hundreds of school buildings across the U.S. have caulk around windows and doors containing potentially cancer-causing PCBs, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

Democrats jarred by drop in fundraising Democratic political committees have seen a decline in their fundraising fortunes, a result of complacency among their rank-and-file donors and a de facto boycott by many of their wealthiest givers.

Fear of Fascism, ‘Gay Agenda’ Dominates Conservative Kickoff for Midterm Elections

Gingrich Honors the Adult Entertainment Industry (Again) Earlier this month, a studio executive at a California-based pornography company won an Entrepreneur of the Year award from a conservative 527 group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, founded by the former House speaker. It was a mistake, of course, and the invite to join Gingrich for dinner was rescinded.

ACORN

Republicans Take Aim at ACORN's Private Funding House and Senate Republicans opened a new front in their war on a controversial left-leaning community organization this week, shifting the the focus of their attacks from the group's public funding to its private sources of income.

Huckabee: UN is the "international equivalent of ACORN"

ACORN Chief Will Make Internal Report Public ACORN president Bertha Lewis says she would testify before Congress.

U.S. Attorney Fired By Bush Joins Maddow For "Truth About The Lies About ACORN"

Bank suspends dealings with ACORN housing entity Bank of America Corp. is suspending its work with the housing affiliate of embattled community organizing group ACORN. The decision comes as three Republicans in Congress ask Bank of America and 13 other financial institutions to give Congress a complete accounting of their dealings with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or its affiliates....

Former ACORN worker details blackjack voter registration bonuses

ACORN videographer has been pimping racially charged issues for years A Raw Story review of O'Keefe's earlier work suggests he certainly doesn't shy away from race issues: A younger O'Keefe once held an "affirmative action bake sale" where he and other organizers sold baked goods for different prices based on the purchaser's race. In other satirical stunts, he held meetings with Rutgers University officials asking them to ban Lucky Charms because he felt their symbols discriminated against Irish-Americans and made phone calls to Planned Parenthood asking them if he could donate money as long as it only went to abort black babies. After the conservative newspaper he founded at Rutgers University fired its faculty adviser, O'Keefe wrote in The Centurion that the former adviser had accused the publication of promoting "white hysteria."

Defunding ACORN faces surprise hurdles Congress is rushing to defund the controversial group ACORN, but its efforts might have unintended consequences: Some argue that one version of the effort violates the Constitution, while a growing chorus says a second measure is so broad that it could block major contractors such as the Boeing Co. from getting government jobs.

Treasury/Federal Reserve/Bailouts/SEC/IRS

Alan Grayson Which Foreigners Got the Fed's $500,000,000,000 Bernanke I Don't

US TREASURY TRIED TO MAKE SECRET DEAL WITH GOLDMAN SACHS, WARREN BUFFETT

Puerto Rico asks Washington for federal aid Puerto Rico has appealed to the Obama administration for federal assistance as it battles a $3.2bn budget deficit, a three-year recession and the worst credit rating of any state or territory in the US

Bernanke Backs Banning Dangerous Financial Products

Taxpayers on the hook for $200 billion Taxpayers stand to lose between $100 billion and $200 billion on TARP -- Treasury's $700 billion financial market bailout

Fed scales back 2 emergency lending programs

U.S. Considers New Bailouts For Smaller Banks

FDIC wants banks to prepay fees to meet failure bill U.S. banking regulators proposed on Tuesday that banks prepay three years of fees to help cover the rising cost of bank failures, now put at $100 billion through 2013.

Democrats Crafting Bill To Shield Big Banks From Tougher State Laws

Budget and Taxes

Newspaper rep urges tax break to help with losses

U.S. Increases Cases Against Tax Evaders U.S. officials have been sifting through about 250 names obtained through a settlement in February of a criminal investigation against the Swiss banking giant UBS

Stimulus

Clean Energy Gets $1 Billion From Stimulus Plan

Buy American exemption deal in the works

U.S.: Drone hits Islamic Party building in Mosul A U.S. drone crashed in northern Iraq Saturday morning, damaging the Mosul branch of the powerful Iraqi Islamic Party -- the nation's largest Sunni political party, a U.S. military spokesman confirmed

Damascus approves to form Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi investigation committee Iraqi Foreign Minister Hosheyar Zebari announced Damascus’ approval to form a Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi investigation committee into terrorist training camps in Syria where attacks are prepared against Iraq. For more details, click on play movie.

Israel

Israel To Release 20 Palestinians In Exchange For Kidnapped Soldier Video....Who are the Palestinian prisoners to be freed for Shalit video?

Israel Navy receives 2 German Dolphin-class submarines An Israeli Military Spokesman said that Israeli navy received two Dolphin-class submarines built in Germany. Thus, Israel now owns five German submarines a range of 4,500 kilometers and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

Israel denies diplomat expelled by Russia was a spy

Netanyahu nixes call for Israeli inquiry into Gaza war Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nixed the idea of setting up an inquiry committee into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip as a means of dealing with the Goldstone Commission's report.

Hamas accepts Egypt's plan for unity with Fatah

PA Seeks WTO Membership Palestinian Authority Economy Minister Bassem Al-Khouri has said that the PA would seek observer status at the World Trade Organization within the framework of building the institutions of the state

Israeli riot police, Palestinians clash at holy site

'Hizbullah had better intel than Israel' A decline in Jewish influence in the US could lead to a lack of military support, army journal warns.

EXCLUSIVE: Obama agrees to keep Israel's nukes secret President Obama has reaffirmed a 4-decade-old secret understanding that has allowed Israel to keep a nuclear arsenal without opening it to international inspections, three officials familiar with the understanding said.

'Hizbullah had better intel than Israel' A decline in Jewish influence in the US could lead to a lack of military support, army journal warns.

Yemen

Yemen to fight rebels for 'years' Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says his government is ready to spend five or six years fighting Shia rebels in the north.

Tribesmen killed in Pakistan attack Suicide bomber hits vehicle carrying four pro-government tribesmen in the northwest.

Terrorist attack kills 5 in Pakistan

U.S. missile said to kill top militant

Musharraf summoned over Bhutto killing Ex-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was served another notice to appear before a court for his alleged role in the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto. Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Ijaz of the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court issued the notices on Monday.

India sponsoring terror in Pakistan: Rehman Malik

Caning Of Beer-Drinking Muslim Woman To Go Ahead

US says it is ready to 'engage directly' with junta Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (pictured) says the US hopes to engage directly with Burma’s ruling military junta in an effort to encourage the country to adopt democratic reforms, but insists that current sanctions will continue.

EU Report: Georgia Started War, Russia Provoked And Overreacted

Dagestan official shot in Moscow

U.S. calls purported sex tape 'doctored' A videotape on a Russian Web site allegedly showing a State Department employee having sex with a prostitute is a "smear campaign" meant to discredit the man, a State Department spokesman said Thursday.

Sarkozy labels Iranian prisoner exchange as 'blackmail' President Nicolas Sarkozy has spurned an offer by Iran to grant amnesty to French teaching assistant Clotilde Reiss, detained in Iran, in exchange for Iranian prisoners held on French territory, calling it "blackmail".

Merkel wins German election

Guinea massacre toll put at 157

Iran-Contra FLASHBACK: Former Reagan Aide's Dealings With Sudan Raise Questions The government of Sudan, eager to curry favor with a U.S. government that accused it of genocide, sought help last fall from an unlikely source: a former Reagan administration official known for his role in the Iran-contra scandal.

Sudan fighting kills 76

FBI investigating Seattleite in suicide bombingFBI agents are investigating whether a Seattle teen detonated one of two stolen U.N. vehicles packed with explosives at a peacekeepers base in Somalia, killing 21 people last week.

U.S. Delays Somalia Aid, Fearing It Is Feeding Terrorists

Somali militants execute 'spies' Somali Islamists carry out a public execution of two men they accuse of spying for the US and African Union.

Foreign peacekeeper killed in Darfur ambush Armed men have ambushed a convoy of police and international peacekeepers escorting civilian workers in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, killing one peacekeeper and wounding another two.

HEALTH: "Patent Pool" Could Ease HIV Drug Prices Pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline hold the future welfare of poor people living with HIV/AIDS in their hands, argues the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, which is urging the companies to release their patents on specific HIV drugs into a collective pool that will increase access and affordability to treatment in developing countries.

Piracy decline 'a fact'

Colombian pilots get 31 yrs in prison for bombing

Honduras: Zelaya backers detained Honduran security forces have detained 55 supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya in a dawn raid on a farm workers building. The security forces acted under a highly controversial decree restricting civil rights.

Venezuela asks Interpol to capture ex-president

Venezuela exploring uranium deposits with Russia Venezuela's science and technology minister said his country is working with Russia to detect deposits of uranium but withdrew an earlier denial that the country was also working with Iran.

LATIN AMERICA: Black Population – Still Largely Invisible

DNA on clothes matches missing U.S. envoy Curacao police and prosecutors say DNA on blood-spattered clothes found on a beach match that a U.S. diplomat who vanished on the Dutch Caribbean island last week

Venezuela Says Iran Is Helping It Look for Uranium The disclosure points to the importance President Hugo Chávez has placed on the development of a nuclear energy program. Venezuela Denies Iran Is Helping It

Peru: Ex-President Pleads Guilty Alberto Fujimori, who already faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison, pleaded guilty on Monday to authorizing illegal wiretaps and bribery.

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World Headlines
Declassified Documents Highlight U.S. Concerns Over Role of Colombian Security Forces in February 2000 Paramilitary Killings Report: Colombian paramilitaries killed 25,000 people Argentine police, workers fight at Kraft plant Argentine police have used force to remove laid-off workers occupying a Kraft Foods plant since last month. Venezuela Says Iran Is Helping It Look for Uranium The disclosure points to the importance President Hugo Chávez has placed on the development of a nuclear energy program. Venezuela Denies Iran Is Helping It Honduras: Zelaya backers detained Honduran security forces have detained 55 supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya in a dawn raid on a farm workers building. The security forces acted under a highly controversial decree restricting civil rights. HEALTH: "Patent Pool" Could Ease HIV Drug Prices Pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline hold the future welfare of poor people living with HIV/AIDS in their hands, argues the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, which is urging the companies to release their patents on specific HIV drugs into a collective pool that will increase access and affordability to treatment in developing countries. FBI investigating Seattleite in suicide bombingFBI agents are investigating whether a Seattle teen detonated one of two stolen U.N. vehicles packed with explosives at a peacekeepers base in Somalia, killing 21 people last week. Iran-Contra FLASHBACK: Former Reagan Aide's Dealings With Sudan Raise Questions The government of Sudan, eager to curry favor with a U.S. government that accused it of genocide, sought help last fall from an unlikely source: a former Reagan administration official known for his role in the Iran-contra scandal. EXCLUSIVE: Obama agrees to keep Israel's nukes secret President Obama has reaffirmed a 4-decade-old secret understanding that has allowed Israel to keep a nuclear arsenal without opening it to international inspections, three officials familiar with the understanding said. Israel Navy receives 2 German Dolphin-class submarines An Israeli Military Spokesman said that Israeli navy received two Dolphin-class submarines built in Germany. Thus, Israel now owns five German submarines a range of 4,500 kilometers and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads. U.S. officials say Iran's nuclear plant is no secret to them Fmr. UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter Warns Against "Politically Motivated Hype" on Iran Nuke Program Hizbullah had better intel than Israel' A decline in Jewish influence in the US could lead to a lack of military support, army journal warns.	U.S. calls purported sex tape 'doctored' A videotape on a Russian Web site allegedly showing a State Department employee having sex with a prostitute is a "smear campaign" meant to discredit the man, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Switzerland removed from tax haven list As world leaders increased the pressure on tax havens at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said Switzerland has been dropped from its list of uncooperative tax havens. Crew 'welcomed' Russian 'pirates' A lawyer for one of eight alleged Russian hijackers of the Arctic Sea says they were in fact welcomed on board the ship India's Nuclear Test 'Failure' Poses Threat To Obama's Nonproliferation Plans Pakistanis Continue to Reject U.S. Partnership A new survey underscored the difficulties the Obama administration faces in its efforts to tamp down Islamic militancy in the strategically vital nation Video shows Pak Army abusing Taliban A video apparently showing Pakistani soldiers beating men detained in anti-militant operations has surfaced on the Internet, drawing criticism from a leading rights group and possibly undercutting support for the army's fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban. The 10-minute video shows an army officer casually questioning four men in a building. The officer then steps aside and soldiers move in, kicking and whipping the suspect. US accepts Hamid Karzai as Afghan leader despite poll fraud claims Pashtuns becoming radicalized Taliban suspected of stockpiling 'missing' opium Enough Afghan opium to supply world demand for two years has effectively gone missing, with the Taliban suspected of stockpiling supplies in a bid to corner the market, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed. Afghan report stirs Pakistan debate US general's report raises questions about Pakistani intelligence's role in Afghanistan. U.S. To Help Iraq Obtain Military Equipment U.S. forces in Iraq commander General Ray Odierno said yesterday that the U.S will help cash-strapped Iraq to obtain U.S. military equipment, either used or by financing new contracts. He said that the U.S. armed forces will leave behind its Iranian Protester Flees After Telling of Torture Ibrahim Sharifi received threats after telling opposition figures that he was raped and tortured in a Tehran prison.
US Headlines
Fear of Fascism, ‘Gay Agenda’ Dominates Conservative Kickoff for Midterm Elections Ed Sec on 'No Child Left Behind': 'We Are Lying to Children and Parents' Arne Duncan demands reform of Bush-era education system. Nanomaterials Under Study by the E.P.A. Researchers plan to look at what effect tiny substances found in products like sunscreen and industrial adhesives have on the environment. Oil spill shutters part of Houston Ship Channel The Coast Guard says crews are working to clean up a 10,500-gallon oil spill that has closed traffic along three miles of the Houston Ship Channel. Alleged by Whistleblower: Congresswoman Lured into Gay Affair with Turkish Agent as Part of Campaign to Obtain U.S. Nuclear Secrets Sibel Edmonds names Jan Schakowsky as the potential target for Turkish govt. blackmail, and alleges massive corruption among Congressmembers over nuke secrets. FBI denies editing bombing tapes The FBI turned over more than two dozen tapes taken from security cameras on buildings and other locations around the federal building to Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue, who obtained them through the federal Freedom of Information Act. Trentadue said the tapes are blank at various times in the minutes before the blast. Mysterious, unregistered security firm polices Montana town According to the news agency, APF was never given permission to assume policing duties. Instead, the firm -- which the Associated Press reported to be unregistered in government databases -- gained its contract with the town on the promise of bringing inmates to an unpopulated prison complex. (American Police Force) head Hilton has criminal past Michael Hilton of American Police Force arrived in Hardin with promises of Mercedes police cars and expertise in operating prisons. He delivered the cars last week, but may have learned about prisons following a 1993 conviction for grand theft.Montana attorney general to investigate (American Police Force) What Recession? As the Economy Crashed Around Them, 400 Richest Americans Lined Their Pockets with $30 Billion How Banks Are Cashing In On The Giant, Unregulated Derivatives Market US private sector cuts 254,000 jobs in September The U.S. economic slump earlier this year was so severe it short-circuited the government’s model for calculating payrolls, raising the risk that today’s jobs report may be too optimistic. Alan Grayson Which Foreigners Got the Fed's $500,000,000,000 Bernanke I Don't Vanity Fair Details Secret Meetings Between Government And Goldman Sachs House: Keep Gitmo Detainees Out of U.S. Nonbinding Recommendation Which Calls for Detainees Not to Be Transferred into the U.S. Passes in 258-163 Vote Government Thwarts Terror Plots Without Water-Boarding a Single Person Kirk calls on U.S. Census to sever ties to SEIU Illinois' largest union has close relationship with ACORN, which is being investigated, Kirk said On the heals of a congressional vote to de-fund ACORN Remember the papers Republicans held up during Obama's speech, you know, the one when Obama got heckled...well those papers were titled Republican health plan...truth is it was only a title page stapled to a stack of blank paper New Ad Calls out Baucus on Public Option; Cites $4 Million Received from Health and Insurance Industries First Public Option Amendment Fails With Five Dem No Votes... Al-Qaida No. 2 calls Obama a 'fraud' ACORN videographer has been pimping racially charged issues for years A Raw Story review of O'Keefe's earlier work suggests he certainly doesn't shy away from race issues: A younger O'Keefe once held an "affirmative action bake sale" where he and other organizers sold baked goods for different prices based on the purchaser's race. In other satirical stunts, he held meetings with Rutgers University officials asking them to ban Lucky Charms because he felt their symbols discriminated against Irish-Americans and made phone calls to Planned Parenthood asking them if he could donate money as long as it only went to abort black babies. After the conservative newspaper he founded at Rutgers University fired its faculty adviser, O'Keefe wrote in The Centurion that the former adviser had accused the publication of promoting "white hysteria."	E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions Nation’s Largest Utility Leaves U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Denial Kansas bigotry falls flat at Brooklyn synagogues A handful of hateful Midwesterner’s brought their anti-Semitic and anti-gay message to two Brownstone Brooklyn synagogues on Saturday — where they were met with anger, condemnation, and some old-fashioned chutzpah. Facebook Funder Linked to ACORN Sting Billionaire ideologue Peter Thiel, who minted his fortune as a cofounder of PayPal and investor in Facebook, gave money to a supposedly independent filmmaker. Leaked video shows Glenn Beck 'using Vicks to cry on cue' NY judge: CIA can keep 9/11 videotape info secret judge cited national security concerns in ruling Wednesday that the CIA does not have to release hundreds of documents related to the destruction of videotapes of Sept. 11 detainee interrogations Legalization of drugs spreads in Latin America. Will the US follow? The 'war on drugs' has failed, some Latin American leaders say. But legalization of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and other narcotics may not curb violence US antiterrorism unit calls to intensify security in transportation stations Antiterrorism officials in the USA called to intensify security patrols especially in transportation stations all over the country fearing that the Afghani emigrant arrested in Colorado Nagiballah Zazi is plotting with his group to blast bombs in trains in New York City Complaint suggests NYPD misstep in terror probe Police acting without the FBI's knowledge may have inadvertently helped blow the surveillance of a terrorism suspect. US govt. to 'loosen grip' on Internet Expected to relax control over how Web is run when it signs accord with Icann. Income Gap Widens As Recession Hits The Poor, Middle Class The Hardest U.S. Increases Cases Against Tax Evaders U.S. officials have been sifting through about 250 names obtained through a settlement in February of a criminal investigation against the Swiss banking giant UBS FDIC wants banks to prepay fees to meet failure bill U.S. banking regulators proposed on Tuesday that banks prepay three years of fees to help cover the rising cost of bank failures, now put at $100 billion through 2013. Judge Confirms Innocent Gitmo Detainee Tortured to Get False Confessions xclusive: Military lawyer says Defense Department ignored multiple calls for war crimes investigation The military lawyer that represents an Afghan youth who spent roughly seven years in U.S. custody says the Defense Department has repeatedly ignored his requests for a war crimes investigation into the detainee’s treatment. Defense Bill Ladened With Earmarks President Obama has promised to clean up the so-called earmarking process that allows lawmakers to insert pet projects into government spending bills. Despite the president's call for change, the defense bill that's making its way through the Senate still sets aside billions of dollars for projects the military says it doesn't need. Politico's Mike Allen Falsely Claims Obama Official Did Not Report Crime GOP lawmaker clarifies remarks critical of Obama ("enemy of humanity")...Rep. Trent Franks Declares President Obama an "Enemy of Humanity" Conservative Columnist Promotes Possibility of Military Coup GOP Senator Graham: Glenn Beck Is A Cynic, Birthers Are "Crazy" Senior official in Bush domestic propaganda program remains Obama's Pentagon spokesman U.S. Attorney Fired By Bush Joins Maddow For "Truth About The Lies About ACORN" Ensign on Why Gun Deaths Shouldn't Be Factored Into Survival Rates: We Like Our Guns Here in the U.S. Dodd introduces bill to repeal immunity for telecom companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping
Connecticut
Dodd bill would repeal telecommunications companies’ immunity in wiretappings City’s gunshot locator system is up and running Blumenthal deep-sixes raid on Sound license plate money An attempt to raid the fund created by the premium price motorists pay for "Preserve the Sound" license plates was ruled illegal on Thursday by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.Blumenthal, in a letter to legislative leaders and Gov. M. Conn. rehires 500 retired state workers Records show that hundreds of Connecticut state workers who took retirement incentive packages in June and July are back on the state payroll and getting their pension checks too. FuelCell Energy awarded $1.9M grant Danbury-based FuelCell Energy Inc. has won a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to increase the efficiency of power-generating fuel cells by recovering and reusing more of the Obama to visit Conn. for Dodd Moody's Missing E-Mail Leaves Questions For Rell's Office There were no answers by Monday night from the office of Gov. M. Jodi Rell about whether the governor has any concerns about the failure of her staff to produce a public record two weeks ago that requested by The Courant. CT Drug War Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy's Son Pleads Guilty To Two Felonies In Darien, Stamford; Candidates Wish Him Well Police Officer Accused Drug Pusher Man charged with shooting 4 in New Britain Budget and Taxes DOT Pays $28-Million Debt That Had Grown By $5,200 A Day The state Department of Transportation Wednesday paid a $28.5-million debt on which interest had been mounting at $5,200 per day since July 29. That was the day a judge ruled that the DOT had underpaid the owners of a Brookfield quarry when it took their land by eminent domain in 2004 to make way for a Route 7 highway bypass. Senate Approves $50 Million Increase in Fees For DMV, Others	Pressing Lieberman on the public option Union activists yesterday presented Sen. Joseph Lieberman with more than 2,000 letters urging support for the public health insurance option. State To Get Five Bomb-Sniffing Dogs For Trains, Buses, Airports, Shipping Ports; Will Start Next Year CT Supreme Court Rejects Mayor Perez's Bid To Dismiss Felony Charges In Corruption Scandal Rell Opposes Back-Door Attempt To Insert Vetoed Healthcare "Pooling'' Concept in Implementer Bill; Donovan Says It's Nothing To Do With Pooling Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell is threatening to veto a bill being debated in today's special session because it would be a back-door maneuver around her veto of a controversial healthcare pooling bill. Historic Consolidation Of State's Probate Court System In the biggest change in more than 300 years, the state House of Representatives voted Wednesday night for a historic consolidation of the state's probate court system that would eliminate more than half of the courts. Blumenthal Asks Legislature To Amend Law Affecting Food For Needy Clergy members who feed the hungry across Greater Hartford and Middletown are hoping state legislators will approve a proposal that would allow them to continue to serve home-cooked meals in soup kitchens and shelters. Blumenthal: Some State Marshals Broke Law By Double-Billing Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a sweeping action against some of the highest-earning state marshals, has concluded that a handful of marshals broke the law when they double-billed for the delivery of papers in foreclosure actions. Census data: Recession forcing more families into poverty The recession is forcing Connecticut families into poverty at a rate higher than any other state over the last year, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Racially Motivated Incidents Stir MCC Over the past week, Manchester Community College has had three racially motivated incidents happen inside its walls. Biden to join Dodd in Fairfield to promote stimulus road work Vice President Joe Biden will visit Fairfield on Monday afternoon to use a $70 million project on the Merritt Parkway as a backdrop to talk about the federal stimulus program with U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn
United States
Greed Former Enron Exec Sentenced To 16 Months In Prison The former chief executive of Enron Corp.'s failed Internet business was sentenced Monday to 16 months in prison for lying about the capabilities of the once mighty energy giant's broadband network in order to help pump up the company's stock price. Security Issues Complaint suggests NYPD misstep in terror probe Police acting without the FBI's knowledge may have inadvertently helped blow the surveillance of a terrorism suspect. Up to 12 may be involved in al-Qaeda linked terror plot 'Blast and Destroy': Al Qaeda Manual Urges Attacks on Stadiums, Hotels Military Anthrax Vaccine Mandate is Upheld Tsunami Hits American Samoa Defense: Proof of 9/11 plot missing Claims that an Afghan immigrant was on the verge of unleashing a terrorist attack on New York City on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks are missing a key element: explosives or the chemicals allegedly used to make them, the man's attorney said. FBI agents have yet to find those elements and connect them to Najibullah Zazi, charged with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction in a plot authorities say was aimed at commuter trains Generals Accuse Cheneys Of Spreading Scaremongering "Nonsense" US antiterrorism unit calls to intensify security in transportation stations Antiterrorism officials in the USA called to intensify security patrols especially in transportation stations all over the country fearing that the Afghani emigrant arrested in Colorado Nagiballah Zazi is plotting with his group to blast bombs in trains in New York City Mysterious, unregistered security firm polices Montana town According to the news agency, APF was never given permission to assume policing duties. Instead, the firm -- which the Associated Press reported to be unregistered in government databases -- gained its contract with the town on the promise of bringing inmates to an unpopulated prison complex. (American Police Force) head Hilton has criminal past Michael Hilton of American Police Force arrived in Hardin with promises of Mercedes police cars and expertise in operating prisons. He delivered the cars last week, but may have learned about prisons following a 1993 conviction for grand theft.Montana attorney general to investigate (American Police Force) In 16 states, drug deaths overtake traffic fatals FBI denies editing bombing tapes The FBI turned over more than two dozen tapes taken from security cameras on buildings and other locations around the federal building to Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue, who obtained them through the federal Freedom of Information Act. Trentadue said the tapes are blank at various times in the minutes before the blast. 6,000 people died crossing US-Mexico border: rights group Alleged by Whistleblower: Congresswoman Lured into Gay Affair with Turkish Agent as Part of Campaign to Obtain U.S. Nuclear Secrets Sibel Edmonds names Jan Schakowsky as the potential target for Turkish govt. blackmail, and alleges massive corruption among Congressmembers over nuke secrets. Male breast cancer patients blame Marine base water Male breast cancer patients blame Marine base water Nukes Agency Pushes New Bomb Production Despite statements by U.S. President Barack Obama that he wants to see the world reduce, and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons, the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration continues to push forward on a programme called Complex Modernisation, which would expand two existing nuclear plants to allow them to produce new plutonium pits and new bomb parts out of enriched uranium for use in a possible new generation of nuclear bombs Military to get mandatory swine flu shots soon Courts Ga's top court upholds voting machine approval The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision affirming the state's right to use touch-screen voting machines. A group of eight people had filed a suit claiming the machines violated their constitutional right Voter group challenges Diebold voting machine sale Supreme Court To Hear Chicago Guns Case on Second Amendment The Supreme Court's decision Wednesday to hear a 2nd Amendment challenge to Chicago's ban on hand guns could open the door to legal attacks on gun-control measures in cities and states across the nation. Bush Officials Face Liability For Terror Policies Cop Indicted For Beating Disabled Man Aussie inventor's $445m judgment against Microsoft wiped out An Australian inventor, who was set to reap the lion's share of a mammoth $US388 million ($445 million) damages award from Microsoft, is now set to get nothing after the US judge hearing the case decided to ignore the jury's decision and hand victory to Microsoft. NY judge: CIA can keep 9/11 videotape info secret judge cited national security concerns in ruling Wednesday that the CIA does not have to release hundreds of documents related to the destruction of videotapes of Sept. 11 detainee interrogations Judge: FBI can't keep Cheney interview buried Agreement Reached On the Klamath River -- Why the Largest Dam Removal Project in History May Be Underway Soon The government, three Indian Tribes and 25 other parties released a tentative agreement providing for the removal of four Klamath River dams owned by billionaire Warren Buffett. Drug War Legalization of drugs spreads in Latin America. Will the US follow? The 'war on drugs' has failed, some Latin American leaders say. But legalization of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and other narcotics may not curb violence. For Mexicans seeking to cross the US border, it's not just about jobs anymore New surveys find the recession has reduced Mexican immigration, but that millions still want to come to the US – and some more for safety than for jobs.	Media US govt. to 'loosen grip' on Internet Expected to relax control over how Web is run when it signs accord with Icann. Dan Rather Lawsuit Against CBS TOSSED In Entirety Comcast In Talks To Buy NBC-Universal From General Electric National Review Writer Takes Stand Against Female Suffrage Just so we're clear, a leading conservative writer at one of the premier conservative political outlets, argued publicly against a woman's right to vote. 'Father of Neoconservatism' Irving Kristol's Forgotten Alliance With Anti-Semites In the hagiographic obits that have followed his death, the story of one of Kristol's most momentous -- and cynical -- maneuvers has been conveniently forgotten. Discovery Channel's 'Gang Wars: Oakland' Series Spreads All the Wrong Messages About Poverty and Minorities The Discovery Channel's series spreads dangerous myths, focusing on the worst racial stereotypes and uses sensational police footage to depict crimes of poverty. AT&T calls for FCC action on Google AT&T, the largest US telecommunications group, called on federal regulators to force Google, the internet search and advertising giant, to ‘play by the same rules as its competitors’ and ensure that its Google Voice application does not block calls to some rural areas Facebook Funder Linked to ACORN Sting Billionaire ideologue Peter Thiel, who minted his fortune as a cofounder of PayPal and investor in Facebook, gave money to a supposedly independent filmmaker. More Americans consuming news Leaked video: Glenn Beck ‘uses Vicks to cry on cue’ A video posted to YouTube a few weeks ago making the rounds across the internet apparently shows Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck having Vicks applied under his eyes in order to cry on cue for a photo shoot Police/Prison Homeless Georgia Sex Offenders Directed to Woods Sheriff fires deputy seen in jail beating video (kicks and hits 15 year old girl) Police Militarization US police fired for Tasering 76-year-old parade tractor driver Two US police officers are fired for using a Taser stun gun on a 76-year-old tractor driver during a parade. Some cops are despicable. Police buy military-style sonic device to subdue crowds With the help of Homeland Security grants, police departments nationwide looking to subdue unruly crowds and political protesters are purchasing a high-tech device originally used by the military to repel battlefield insurgents and Somali pirates with piercing noise capable of damaging hearing. New Jersey cop indicted for assault of mentally handicapped man A police officer in Passaic County, New Jersey is facing assault and misconduct charges after he was captured on camera beating a schizophrenic man with his fists and baton, even as the man did not appear to be resisting. Civil Rights Kansas bigotry falls flat at Brooklyn synagogues A handful of hateful Midwesterner’s brought their anti-Semitic and anti-gay message to two Brownstone Brooklyn synagogues on Saturday — where they were met with anger, condemnation, and some old-fashioned chutzpah. Dallas judge paves way for gay couple to get divorce Justice Dept. to Address Backlog of Civil Rights Complaints Rare Source of Attack on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ An essay in an official Pentagon journal calls forcefully for repeal of the law that requires homosexuals in the armed services to keep their sexual orientation secret. ACLU: FBI ‘manipulating’ debate on Patriot Act reform National security letters (NSLs), created under the Patriot Act security bill that was passed in the aftermath of 9/11, allow the FBI to demand sensitive information about users of facilities like libraries and Internet service providers, and then bar those organizations from revealing that the order was ever given. Environment Nation’s Largest Utility Leaves U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Denial Blue-green algae blamed for dog deaths Waterways across the upper Midwest are increasingly plagued with ugly, smelly blue-green algae that's killed dozens of dogs and sickened people E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions Oil spill shutters part of Houston Ship Channel The Coast Guard says crews are working to clean up a 10,500-gallon oil spill that has closed traffic along three miles of the Houston Ship Channel. US commits to global climate pact Reaffirms pledge to sign treaty as pressure mounts for US to take leading role. Nike flees US Chamber of Commerce over climate debate Nanomaterials Under Study by the E.P.A. Researchers plan to look at what effect tiny substances found in products like sunscreen and industrial adhesives have on the environment. Education Ed Sec on 'No Child Left Behind': 'We Are Lying to Children and Parents' Arne Duncan demands reform of Bush-era education system. EPA Tells Schools To Test Aging Caulk Hundreds of school buildings across the U.S. have caulk around windows and doors containing potentially cancer-causing PCBs, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

Science	History Resources
Alcohol may protect the brain during an accident Alcohol, a drug that is a major cause of accidents, may actually protect the brain from a life-threatening injury when an accident does occur, according to a study published this week in Archives of Surgery. Researchers unravel brain's wiring to understand memory Using a powerful microscope, Karel Svoboda, a brain scientist at the Janelia Farm Research Campus in Ashburn, Va., peers through a plastic window in the top of a mouse's head to watch its brain's neurons sprout new connections — a vivid display of a living brain in action.	Drunk Boris Yeltsin was found outside White House in underpants trying to hail cab reveals Clinton Former Russian president Boris Yeltsin got so drunk during a visit to Washington that he was found standing outside the White House in his underpants trying to hail a cab to go and buy a pizza. Haifa scientists successfully 'reprogram' human skin cells into heart cells Oldest "Human" Skeleton Found--Disproves "Missing Link" Bird-eating frog among 163 new species found
Politics	Political Resources
Democrats jarred by drop in fundraising Democratic political committees have seen a decline in their fundraising fortunes, a result of complacency among their rank-and-file donors and a de facto boycott by many of their wealthiest givers. Fear of Fascism, ‘Gay Agenda’ Dominates Conservative Kickoff for Midterm Elections Gingrich Honors the Adult Entertainment Industry (Again) Earlier this month, a studio executive at a California-based pornography company won an Entrepreneur of the Year award from a conservative 527 group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, founded by the former House speaker. It was a mistake, of course, and the invite to join Gingrich for dinner was rescinded. ACORN Republicans Take Aim at ACORN's Private Funding House and Senate Republicans opened a new front in their war on a controversial left-leaning community organization this week, shifting the the focus of their attacks from the group's public funding to its private sources of income. Huckabee: UN is the "international equivalent of ACORN" ACORN Chief Will Make Internal Report Public ACORN president Bertha Lewis says she would testify before Congress. U.S. Attorney Fired By Bush Joins Maddow For "Truth About The Lies About ACORN" Bank suspends dealings with ACORN housing entity Bank of America Corp. is suspending its work with the housing affiliate of embattled community organizing group ACORN. The decision comes as three Republicans in Congress ask Bank of America and 13 other financial institutions to give Congress a complete accounting of their dealings with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or its affiliates.... Former ACORN worker details blackjack voter registration bonuses ACORN videographer has been pimping racially charged issues for years A Raw Story review of O'Keefe's earlier work suggests he certainly doesn't shy away from race issues: A younger O'Keefe once held an "affirmative action bake sale" where he and other organizers sold baked goods for different prices based on the purchaser's race. In other satirical stunts, he held meetings with Rutgers University officials asking them to ban Lucky Charms because he felt their symbols discriminated against Irish-Americans and made phone calls to Planned Parenthood asking them if he could donate money as long as it only went to abort black babies. After the conservative newspaper he founded at Rutgers University fired its faculty adviser, O'Keefe wrote in The Centurion that the former adviser had accused the publication of promoting "white hysteria." Defunding ACORN faces surprise hurdles Congress is rushing to defund the controversial group ACORN, but its efforts might have unintended consequences: Some argue that one version of the effort violates the Constitution, while a growing chorus says a second measure is so broad that it could block major contractors such as the Boeing Co. from getting government jobs. Senate TYT: Sen. Pat Roberts Accidentally Admits Who He Takes Orders From Senate Schedules Hearing on History and Legality of Presidential "Czars" Senators back bill to let public sue telecoms over wiretaps Ensign on Why Gun Deaths Shouldn't Be Factored Into Survival Rates: We Like Our Guns Here in the U.S. Dodd introduces bill to repeal immunity for telecom companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping House Alan Grayson apologizes to ADL Regrets calling health care 'holocaust' but no apology forthcoming to GOP. Obama Pretty Suite! Obama's $7K a Night NYC Digs President Obama stays at the Waldorf Astoria for United Nations meeting. Senior official in Bush domestic propaganda program remains Obama's Pentagon spokesman Were ArmorGroup Allegations Quashed? (Inspector Gen.'s Office "Lost" Complaint in 2007) State Department Inspector Gen.'s Office "Lost" Complaint against Troubled Security Co. (CBS) CBS News first reported this month on the hazing and humiliating of local employees and other serious breaches of ethics Obama Pledges "Historic" $5B for Medical Research Baraknaphobia GOP lawmaker clarifies remarks critical of Obama ("enemy of humanity")...Rep. Trent Franks Declares President Obama an "Enemy of Humanity" Conservative Columnist Promotes Possibility of Military Coup GOP Senator Graham: Glenn Beck Is A Cynic, Birthers Are "Crazy" Roy Blunt Taking Heat for Calling Obama and Dems 'Jungle Monkeys' GOP Congressman Claims Same-Sex Marriage Is Socialist Kevin Jennings: Obama Aide Under Attack From Fox News, Conservatives Right-wingers, outraged by Jennings' work as a gay-rights advocate, claim that he has expressed a desire to spread homosexuality among schoolkids, contempt for religion and enthusiasm for drug use. (The Family Research Council has a scare-quote filled petition circulating.) Those hits have been rebuffed by people who have actually worked with Jennings. Politico's Mike Allen Falsely Claims Obama Official Did Not Report Crime Al-Qaida No. 2 calls Obama a 'fraud' Lobbying Congress' PAC Money Used in 'Pay to Play' OpenSecrets.org Now Offers Lobbyist Search By Former Government Post Say you're looking into the network of influence behind the climate change bill. And want to know which registered lobbyists reported working for an energy-related congressional committee during the last 20 years. No problem! Now you can search the Center for Responsive Politics' lobbying database by "covered position," which means you can type in the name of a lawmaker, committee or agency to bring up a list of registered lobbyists who reported working for that lawmaker, committee or agency in the last 20 years. Christian Science Monitor Traces The History Of Lobbying	Health Insurance New Ad Calls out Baucus on Public Option; Cites $4 Million Received from Health and Insurance Industries First Public Option Amendment Fails With Five Dem No Votes... Note: 'Shut Up! The Government Says' -- Sen. McConnell on Senate Floor. Government agency tells Humana to cease and desist lobbying its customers on health reform legislation. Alan Grayson on the GOP Health Care Plan: "Don't Get Sick! And if You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly!"' The Note: Buy Insurance or Go to Jail? Remember the papers Republicans held up during Obama's speech, you know, the one when Obama got heckled...well those papers were titled Republican health plan...truth is it was only a title page stapled to a stack of blank paper Senate Committee Passes Quasi-Public Option Amendment Bachmann: "Sex Clinics" In Schools Will Result From Health Care Reform How the Baucus bill contradicts Obama's goals G.E. Expects India to Help U.S. Cut Health Care Costs Dems against public option got $19M healthcare cash Rate of Enrollment in Medicaid Rose Rapidly, Report Says Agency directors fear that lawmakers will need to find more money or cut benefits or payments to doctors and hospitals. Defense Spending Defense Bill Ladened With Earmarks President Obama has promised to clean up the so-called earmarking process that allows lawmakers to insert pet projects into government spending bills. Despite the president's call for change, the defense bill that's making its way through the Senate still sets aside billions of dollars for projects the military says it doesn't need. Dems postpone Homeland Security bill The $42.8 billion budget is abruptly put on hold over the transfer of Gitmo detainees to the U.S. Navy building $53.7M barracks for Guam sailors GITMO/Bahgram/CIA-Blacksites Obama team clears 75 at Guantanamo for release An Obama administration task force has so far cleared 75 of the remaining 223 Guantanamo prisoners for release as part of its effort to close the detention camp Kirk calls on U.S. Census to sever ties to SEIU Illinois' largest union has close relationship with ACORN, which is being investigated, Kirk said On the heals of a congressional vote to de-fund ACORN Marine officer who set up Guantanamo prison dismayed by what it has become When Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnert established the facility, humane treatment of prisoners was a top priority. He discusses how that principle fell out of favor in the seven-plus years since he left. House Votes To Block Guantanamo Transfers To U.S. Exclusive: Military lawyer says Defense Department ignored multiple calls for war crimes investigation The military lawyer that represents an Afghan youth who spent roughly seven years in U.S. custody says the Defense Department has repeatedly ignored his requests for a war crimes investigation into the detainee’s treatment. Government Thwarts Terror Plots Without Water-Boarding a Single Person Judge Confirms Innocent Gitmo Detainee Tortured to Get False Confessions Study: Fewer terrorism suspects going to trial The government is prosecuting only about one out of four of those charged in connection with terrorism, according to a study that suggests federal agencies don't agree on who is a terrorist. House: Keep Gitmo Detainees Out of U.S. Nonbinding Recommendation Which Calls for Detainees Not to Be Transferred into the U.S. Passes in 258-163 Vote Treasury/Federal Reserve/Bailouts/SEC/IRS Alan Grayson Which Foreigners Got the Fed's $500,000,000,000 Bernanke I Don't US TREASURY TRIED TO MAKE SECRET DEAL WITH GOLDMAN SACHS, WARREN BUFFETT Puerto Rico asks Washington for federal aid Puerto Rico has appealed to the Obama administration for federal assistance as it battles a $3.2bn budget deficit, a three-year recession and the worst credit rating of any state or territory in the US Bernanke Backs Banning Dangerous Financial Products Taxpayers on the hook for $200 billion Taxpayers stand to lose between $100 billion and $200 billion on TARP -- Treasury's $700 billion financial market bailout Fed scales back 2 emergency lending programs U.S. Considers New Bailouts For Smaller Banks FDIC wants banks to prepay fees to meet failure bill U.S. banking regulators proposed on Tuesday that banks prepay three years of fees to help cover the rising cost of bank failures, now put at $100 billion through 2013. Democrats Crafting Bill To Shield Big Banks From Tougher State Laws Budget and Taxes Newspaper rep urges tax break to help with losses U.S. Increases Cases Against Tax Evaders U.S. officials have been sifting through about 250 names obtained through a settlement in February of a criminal investigation against the Swiss banking giant UBS Stimulus Clean Energy Gets $1 Billion From Stimulus Plan Buy American exemption deal in the works
Economy	Click for Economic Statistics
Income Gap Widens As Recession Hits The Poor, Middle Class The Hardest Casa Grande call center used illegal child labor, U.S. alleges Children as young as 13 were manning phone banks for a company that does market research and political surveys from call centers in seven states, including Arizona, federal investigators said Tuesday. U.S. Consumer Spending Jumps the Most Since '01 in Sign Economy Rebounding Bankrupt Cayman Islands to get £38m bail-out US private sector cuts 254,000 jobs in September The U.S. economic slump earlier this year was so severe it short-circuited the government’s model for calculating payrolls, raising the risk that today’s jobs report may be too optimistic. Regulator: Derivatives proposal not enoughA key regulator on Tuesday urged Congress to go beyond an Obama administration proposal and impose comprehensive oversight on the market for financial derivatives. Solar Panel Tariff May Further Strain U.S.-China Trade New tariffs on solar panels imported to the United States come as panel manufacturers are losing money, in part because of fierce competition from China.	How Banks Are Cashing In On The Giant, Unregulated Derivatives Market Half Of Americans Who Get Loan Modifications End Up Falling Behind GM To Close Down Saturn What Recession? As the Economy Crashed Around Them, 400 Richest Americans Lined Their Pockets with $30 Billion Minorities More Likely To Be Denied Refinancing Rally in ‘toxic’ securities set to boost banks The recent rally in the markets for “toxic” securities could deliver a significant boost to US banks’ third-quarter earnings Global trade sees fastest rise for five years Just 30% of nonprofit CEOs take a salary cut Nonprofit CEOs didn't feel the economic pinch in 2008 despite charitable giving having declined for the first time since 1987 Unemployment rate rises to 9.8% as employers cut more jobs than expected Zombie stocks: Speculators gamble on firms whose shares may be worthless

Iraq	Map of Iraq
Police targeted in Iraq attacks At least 18 people killed wave of suicide bombings across Iraq. Iraq Government does not seek US Forces help Despite recent insecurities, Iraqi Government has not asked the US Forces which withdrew from Iraqi cities end of June to assist Iraqi Forces mainly after Baghdad recent bombings unlike what media reports said. Al Maliki accuses countries of supporting Baathists US speeds Iraq withdrawal; 4,000 more headed home US marine avoids murder charges Murder charges are dropped against a US marine, the last of three men to face trial over the killing of Iraqis in Falluja in 2004. Monday: 27 Iraqis Killed, 52 Wounded At least 27 Iraqis were killed and 52 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Baathist Asserts to Newspaper Meetings with Armed Groups in Damascus to Coordinate Attacks in Iraq A Baathist leader who lives in Syria confessed to China’s Asia Times newspaper that his party held meetings with armed groups to coordinate attacks in Iraq, noting that one of al-Qaeda’s wings is responsible to the bloody Wednesday’s attacks. U.S. closes door on a onetime Iraq ally A former commander with the Sunni militia that aided the U.S. military 'surge' in Baghdad has been turned down for immigration to America as a refugee. His case poses a policy challenge for the U.S.	Talabani: Iran, US agree to protect Iraqi regime In an interview with Al Hayat Newspaper, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani affirmed that there is an implicit agreement between Americans and Iranians over protecting the Iraqi regime and thwarting all conspiracies against it. The unannounced consensus among US and Iranian Iraqi police arrests Islamic Army Emir U.S.: Drone hits Islamic Party building in Mosul A U.S. drone crashed in northern Iraq Saturday morning, damaging the Mosul branch of the powerful Iraqi Islamic Party -- the nation's largest Sunni political party, a U.S. military spokesman confirmed Damascus approves to form Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi investigation committee Iraqi Foreign Minister Hosheyar Zebari announced Damascus’ approval to form a Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi investigation committee into terrorist training camps in Syria where attacks are prepared against Iraq. For more details, click on play movie. Can Former Iraqi Baathists in Syria Ever Go Home? U.S. To Help Iraq Obtain Military Equipment U.S. forces in Iraq commander General Ray Odierno said yesterday that the U.S will help cash-strapped Iraq to obtain U.S. military equipment, either used or by financing new contracts. He said that the U.S. armed forces will leave behind its Pentagon to investigate troops exposure to hexavalent chromium in Iraq Iraqi PM ditches old Shia allies
Middle East	Map of the Middle East
Iran Iran denies violating IAEA rules Ahmadinejad says second nuclear-enrichment facility was neither secret nor illegal.U.S. officials say Iran's nuclear plant is no secret to them Iran says advanced missiles can target any threat IAEA: Iran broke law by not revealing nuclear facility Iran Talks Conclude with Cautious Optimism Iran Will Grant Quick Access to International Weapons Inspectors; Further Meetings Seen as a Good Sign Two Iranian dissidents say they were raped Tehran will not discuss nuclear 'rights' at Geneva talks Rafsanjani calls Iranians to unite Russia: No nuclear arms for Iran Medvedev says world should give Tehran incentives but sanctions may be "inevitable". US, Iran Hold Rare Bilateral Meeting Iranian Protester Flees After Telling of Torture Ibrahim Sharifi received threats after telling opposition figures that he was raped and tortured in a Tehran prison. Fmr. UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter Warns Against "Politically Motivated Hype" on Iran Nuke Program Other FBI payout for Egyptian over 9/11 An Egyptian man gets $250,000 from the FBI because of his treatment following the 11 September 2001 attacks. 375 Palestinian Children Jailed By Israeli Military Every Month Saudi Shia figure freed after 18 mth detention A Saudi Shia leader of the Ismaili sect detained last year was released this week, a Saudi Shia website and newspaper reported, in an apparent attempt to soothe tensions in a southern province. Egypt: 16 Islamic opposition members detained	Israel Israel To Release 20 Palestinians In Exchange For Kidnapped Soldier Video....Who are the Palestinian prisoners to be freed for Shalit video? Israel Navy receives 2 German Dolphin-class submarines An Israeli Military Spokesman said that Israeli navy received two Dolphin-class submarines built in Germany. Thus, Israel now owns five German submarines a range of 4,500 kilometers and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads. Israel denies diplomat expelled by Russia was a spy Netanyahu nixes call for Israeli inquiry into Gaza war Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nixed the idea of setting up an inquiry committee into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip as a means of dealing with the Goldstone Commission's report. Hamas accepts Egypt's plan for unity with Fatah PA Seeks WTO Membership Palestinian Authority Economy Minister Bassem Al-Khouri has said that the PA would seek observer status at the World Trade Organization within the framework of building the institutions of the state Israeli riot police, Palestinians clash at holy site 'Hizbullah had better intel than Israel' A decline in Jewish influence in the US could lead to a lack of military support, army journal warns. EXCLUSIVE: Obama agrees to keep Israel's nukes secret President Obama has reaffirmed a 4-decade-old secret understanding that has allowed Israel to keep a nuclear arsenal without opening it to international inspections, three officials familiar with the understanding said. 'Hizbullah had better intel than Israel' A decline in Jewish influence in the US could lead to a lack of military support, army journal warns. Yemen Yemen to fight rebels for 'years' Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh says his government is ready to spend five or six years fighting Shia rebels in the north.
Afghanistan	Map of Afghanistan
Afghan report stirs Pakistan debate US general's report raises questions about Pakistani intelligence's role in Afghanistan. 40 Taliban killed' in western Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal: we must give the Taleban jobs Taliban suspected of stockpiling 'missing' opium Enough Afghan opium to supply world demand for two years has effectively gone missing, with the Taliban suspected of stockpiling supplies in a bid to corner the market, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed.	Afghan minister escapes bomb attack US accepts Hamid Karzai as Afghan leader despite poll fraud claims Pashtuns becoming radicalized 30 Afghan Civilians Killed As Bus Hits Roadside Bomb Taliban impairs supply route Arrest Warrant Out For USAID Contractor In Afghanistan

Pakistan	Map of Pakistan
Tribesmen killed in Pakistan attack Suicide bomber hits vehicle carrying four pro-government tribesmen in the northwest. Terrorist attack kills 5 in Pakistan U.S. missile said to kill top militant Musharraf summoned over Bhutto killing Ex-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was served another notice to appear before a court for his alleged role in the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto. Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Ijaz of the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court issued the notices on Monday. India sponsoring terror in Pakistan: Rehman Malik	Pakistani Militants Robust After Mumbai Siege; Determined To Strike Again Empty Stomachs’ Could Spark More Riots, Experts Warn Video shows Pak Army abusing Taliban A video apparently showing Pakistani soldiers beating men detained in anti-militant operations has surfaced on the Internet, drawing criticism from a leading rights group and possibly undercutting support for the army's fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban. The 10-minute video shows an army officer casually questioning four men in a building. The officer then steps aside and soldiers move in, kicking and whipping the suspect. Pakistanis Continue to Reject U.S. Partnership A new survey underscored the difficulties the Obama administration faces in its efforts to tamp down Islamic militancy in the strategically vital nation
North&South Asia	Map of Asia
China makes it illegal to discuss independence for Xinjiang India's Nuclear Test 'Failure' Poses Threat To Obama's Nonproliferation Plans No incursions, trust us: Chinese diplomat China shows off its military reach	Caning Of Beer-Drinking Muslim Woman To Go Ahead US says it is ready to 'engage directly' with junta Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (pictured) says the US hopes to engage directly with Burma’s ruling military junta in an effort to encourage the country to adopt democratic reforms, but insists that current sanctions will continue.
Europe	Map of Europe
Man held over German al-Qaeda tape Crew 'welcomed' Russian 'pirates' A lawyer for one of eight alleged Russian hijackers of the Arctic Sea says they were in fact welcomed on board the ship. Switzerland removed from tax haven list As world leaders increased the pressure on tax havens at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said Switzerland has been dropped from its list of uncooperative tax havens. Irish Vote Again On European Union Treaty The future direction of the European Union hangs in the balance as voters in Ireland decide whether to ratify the EU Lisbon Treaty on Friday. The treaty is essentially a constitution for the European Union, which lays out how the EU should develop in coming years. Ireland is the only EU member requiring the treaty to win majority approval from voters. The Irish rejected it last year.	EU Report: Georgia Started War, Russia Provoked And Overreacted Dagestan official shot in Moscow U.S. calls purported sex tape 'doctored' A videotape on a Russian Web site allegedly showing a State Department employee having sex with a prostitute is a "smear campaign" meant to discredit the man, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Sarkozy labels Iranian prisoner exchange as 'blackmail' President Nicolas Sarkozy has spurned an offer by Iran to grant amnesty to French teaching assistant Clotilde Reiss, detained in Iran, in exchange for Iranian prisoners held on French territory, calling it "blackmail". Merkel wins German election
Africa	Map of Africa
Guinea massacre toll put at 157 Iran-Contra FLASHBACK: Former Reagan Aide's Dealings With Sudan Raise Questions The government of Sudan, eager to curry favor with a U.S. government that accused it of genocide, sought help last fall from an unlikely source: a former Reagan administration official known for his role in the Iran-contra scandal. Sudan fighting kills 76 FBI investigating Seattleite in suicide bombingFBI agents are investigating whether a Seattle teen detonated one of two stolen U.N. vehicles packed with explosives at a peacekeepers base in Somalia, killing 21 people last week. U.S. Delays Somalia Aid, Fearing It Is Feeding Terrorists	Somali militants execute 'spies' Somali Islamists carry out a public execution of two men they accuse of spying for the US and African Union. Foreign peacekeeper killed in Darfur ambush Armed men have ambushed a convoy of police and international peacekeepers escorting civilian workers in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, killing one peacekeeper and wounding another two. HEALTH: "Patent Pool" Could Ease HIV Drug Prices Pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline hold the future welfare of poor people living with HIV/AIDS in their hands, argues the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, which is urging the companies to release their patents on specific HIV drugs into a collective pool that will increase access and affordability to treatment in developing countries. Piracy decline 'a fact'
The Americas	Map of North America and South America
Colombian pilots get 31 yrs in prison for bombing Honduras: Zelaya backers detained Honduran security forces have detained 55 supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya in a dawn raid on a farm workers building. The security forces acted under a highly controversial decree restricting civil rights. Venezuela asks Interpol to capture ex-president Venezuela exploring uranium deposits with Russia Venezuela's science and technology minister said his country is working with Russia to detect deposits of uranium but withdrew an earlier denial that the country was also working with Iran. LATIN AMERICA: Black Population – Still Largely Invisible DNA on clothes matches missing U.S. envoy Curacao police and prosecutors say DNA on blood-spattered clothes found on a beach match that a U.S. diplomat who vanished on the Dutch Caribbean island last week Venezuela Says Iran Is Helping It Look for Uranium The disclosure points to the importance President Hugo Chávez has placed on the development of a nuclear energy program. Venezuela Denies Iran Is Helping It Peru: Ex-President Pleads Guilty Alberto Fujimori, who already faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison, pleaded guilty on Monday to authorizing illegal wiretaps and bribery.	Honduran Troops Shut Down Pro-Zelaya Media Argentina's Menem charged with obstructing bomb probe (Jewish building) Declassified Documents Highlight U.S. Concerns Over Role of Colombian Security Forces in February 2000 Paramilitary Killings Dominican soldiers to settle along Haiti border Authorities plan to relocate soldiers and their families to border communities that are home to thousands of illegal Haitian immigrants and increasingly fewer Dominicans. Senior U.S. official holds talks in Cuba Honduran De Facto President Says He’d Go If Told To US resists disclosures in Cuban spy case The U.S. is resisting a judge's order that could force disclosure of classified documents and other material sought by three men who are seeking reduced prison sentences for their 2001 convictions in a politically charged spying case. Argentine police, workers fight at Kraft plant Argentine police have used force to remove laid-off workers occupying a Kraft Foods plant since last month. Report: Colombian paramilitaries killed 25,000 people