OpEdNews - Diary: FEMA Not Required to Restore Aid to Evacuees, Court Rules

[[IMAG5]] The Federal Emergency Management Agency does not have to reinstate immediately rental assistance to evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a federal appeals court in Washington ruled yesterday, reversing a decision that a lower court judge had said he hoped would "get these people a roof over their heads before Christmas."

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DIANE'S NEWS CLIPS begins here :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> IF LINK DOESN'T WORK, THEN PASTE ARTICLE LINK(S) INTO YOUR BROWSER -- OR GO DIRECTLY TO >> http://www.truthout.org FEMA Not Required to Restore Aid to Evacuees, Court Rules http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306F.shtml The Federal Emergency Management Agency does not have to reinstate immediately rental assistance to evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a federal appeals court in Washington ruled yesterday, reversing a decision that a lower court judge had said he hoped would "get these people a roof over their heads before Christmas." --- FOCUS | The Race for Iraq's Resources http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306Y.shtml The Iraqi government is considering a new oil law that could give private oil companies greater control over its vast reserves. In light of rampant violence and shaky democratic institutions, many fear the law is being pushed through hastily by special interests behind closed doors. --- FOCUS | US Plans "Test" of Military Draft http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306Z.shtml The Selective Service System is making plans to test its draft machinery in case Congress and President Bush need it, even though the White House says it doesn't want to bring back the draft. --- INSERT >> Submitted by: http://madams12@earthlink.net US tests call-up system but denies return to conscription http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1978177,00.html The Bush administration is planning a test run of America's emergency military call-up, stoking speculation about a return to a draft at a time when the White House is considering sending more troops to Iraq. The secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, provided further evidence that the administration was leaning towards sending more troops to Iraq, acknowledging the high financial and human toll of the war so far, and indicating there would be further costs to bear. "A lot has been sacrificed for Iraq, a lot has been invested in Iraq," she told the Associated Press on Thursday. "But the president wouldn't ask for the continued sacrifice, the continued investment if he did not believe, and in fact I believe as well, that we can in fact succeed and in fact that it's imperative we succeed." [snip] ----- Ann Wright | Five Years of Infamy: Close Guantanamo! http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306A.shtml "On January 11, 2002, the first detainees from Afghanistan arrived at the prison in the US Naval Base, Guantanamo, Cuba. In the succeeding five years, Guantanamo has symbolized to the world the Bush administration's abandonment of international and domestic law, and the development of a policy of inhumane treatment and use of torture. These claims have been linked to military and CIA operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and in an unknown number of secret prisons. More than 775 detainees have been held in Guantanamo since January 11, 2002. After five years, no Guantanamo detainee has been convicted of a criminal offense," says Colonel Ann Wright(Retired). --- Generals: More Troops Needed in Iraq http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306B.shtml Top US military commanders in Iraq have decided to recommend a "surge" of fresh American combat forces, eliminating one of the last remaining hurdles to proposals being considered by President Bush for a troop increase, a defense official familiar with the plan said Friday. [snip] --- Report Says TSA Violated Privacy Law http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306C.shtml Secure Flight, the US government's stalled program to screen domestic air passengers against terrorism watch lists, violated federal law during a crucial test phase, according to a report to be issued today by the Homeland Security Department's privacy office. --- Iraqi Hopes Dim Through Worst Year of Occupation http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122306D.shtml Despite promises from Iraqi and US leaders that 2006 would bring improvement, Iraqis have suffered through the worst year in living memory, facing violence, fragmentation and a disintegrated economy. A year back Iraqis were promised that 2006 would be the fresh beginning of a prosperous, democratic and unified Iraq. Through an elected parliament and a unity government, they would find peace, and start rebuilding a country. But everyone agrees that the situation now is worse than ever. --- E-Voting Machine Probe Ends, Company Sold http://snipurl.com/15p6x _________________________________ Christmas Lights Spectacular 3min 33sec Dave Price visits two houses on Balboa Island, Calif., that are shining for the holidays with Santa Claus, reindeers, candy canes and a real snowman. http://snipurl.com/15n82 _________________________________ Excerpted from: http://onlinejournal.com A case of bi-partisan pork-barreling ... By Jerry Mazza | Online Journal Associate Editor It seemed that at last Senate negotiators were doing the right thing by Medicare. They turned down a Medicare proposal pushed by scandal-ridden House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R.-Ill) that would have meant big slices of pork for an insurance company in his home state. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1542.shtml --- Drug mafia, CIA blamed for sacking of Afghan governor By Devlin Buckley | Online Journal Contributing Writer In a country flooded with narcotics traffickers and corrupt government officials, one of Afghanistan's few remaining 'clean' governors, Mohammed Daud, has been removed from his position, and many are blaming the drug mafia and the CIA for his abrupt dismissal. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1541.shtml --- The Cox legacy: Who "owns" our votes? By Denis Wright | Online Journal Contributing Writer Two months prior to leaving office Cathy Cox, Georgia's outgoing secretary of state and the subject of much controversy, felt compelled to stop an effort to perform a citizen audit of the state's primary and run-off elections of July and August 2006. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1540.shtml --- U.S. link to Litvinenko affair ... By Wayne Madsen | Online Journal Contributing Writer (WMR) -- Mario Scaramella, the Italian liaison for polonium-210 poisoned ex-Russian KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, is connected to an array of companies, smuggling operations, and right-wing politicians, according to press reports in Italy. http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1539.shtml _________________________________ Taylorsville Residents Shine With Christmas Spirit 1min 56sec Drivers are encouraged to drive slowly with their headlights off and enjoy a trip down Christmas Street. http://snipurl.com/15n8j _________________________________ .ron corvuswire@verizon.net Neocons: The men behind the curtain Undeterred by their encounters with reality, the strategists who pushed for war in Iraq believed then, and still believe, that their moment has come. Reading the calls to war with Iraq, one was reminded of Cato the Elder, who spent his retirement urging the Roman generals to remove the thorn of Carthage permanently from Rome's side so it could never again defy Roman might. Continued >> http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=nd03husain ----- The Israeli origins of Bush II's war ... A closer look By Stephen J. Sniegoski While the neoconservatives were the driving force behind the American invasion of Iraq and the consequent efforts to bring about regime change throughout the Middle East, the idea for such a war did not originate with American neocon thinkers but rather in Israel. An obvious linkage exists between the war position of the neocons and what has long been a strategy of the Israeli Right ... [snip] Continued >> http://fsyduaonfyj.nogw.com/download/2006_il_origins_bush2_war.pdf http://www.corvuswire.com/israel-bush.htm ----- Will the Democrats Save our Civil Liberties? Anthony Gregory Many commentators have called the Democratic victory in the November elections a referendum on the Bush administration's policy in Iraq. They have also noted that the voting public is concerned by the attacks on civil liberties so loyally defended by nearly all the Republican lawmakers in fighting the war on terror. The Democrats, presumably, now have a mandate to reverse current trends in domestic as well as foreign anti-terror policy. There is little reason for optimism that the Democrats will follow through on this supposed mandate, and deliver us from the evil of the growing police state of warrantless searches, indefinite detentions, sweeping surveillance, and other attacks on civil liberties. For one thing, Democrats have supported the worst of Bush's policies. Only one Democrat in the Senate, Russ Feingold, opposed the Patriot Act when it was first proposed. Just this year, Democratic members of the House overwhelmingly, and Democratic Senators unanimously, approved the Defense Authorization Act for 2007, which contains frightening modifications of the Insurrection Act and new exceptions to Posse Comitatus, empowering the president to summon the National Guard, without gubernatorial authority, and to enforce martial law during "emergencies" ranging from natural disasters to health crises. More than 25 percent of Senate Democrats even voted for the Military Commissions Act, marking the first time since the Civil War that the federal government suspended Habeas Corpus. Although the Democrats will sometimes attack an egregious Bush proposal, they have not used the power of the purse or the filibuster to do anything about it. Nor should we assume they...snip...... http://mparent7777.blogspot.com/2006/12/will-democrats-save-our-civil-liberties.html _________________________________ http://jablankfort@earthlink.net America Will Increase Arms, Training for Fatah Security How, exactly, Iran is arming Hamas is not explained. If there has been a problem getting cash into Gaza, how would Iran be able to send in arms? No matter. There is no need to provide evidence for such statements in the US media. What more can one say about Abbas? One now understands why the Israeli did not assassinate him as they did other early Fatah leaders. - JB >> http://www.nysun.com/article/45582 NOTE from Diane: 'Excerpt from the above article >> "Part of the policy pivot for the Bush administration will be to encourage Israel to bolster Mr. Abbas's position as well. Yesterday, Jerusalem announced that it would release back tax revenues to portions of Mr. Abbas's government." 'Back tax revenues released' and not what was trumpeted throughout the day's propaganda, that Israel would be sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, period. That's right, Israel will give you the shirt off your back anytime -- it's their own, (Palestinians',) money they've agreed to return. Not to worry, just more cable news commission by omission. Happy Holidays. ----- U.S. Readies Security Aid Package To Help Lebanon Counter Hezbollah This "aid" package is obviously being done with the connivance of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who seems to be competing with Mahmoud Abbas as to who can become the most servile to the United States. When one considers that it is the US that has funded and politically supported Israel's wars on Lebanon and oppression of the Palestinians, both Siniora and Abbas should properly considered as traitors to their own people, and for the most part, they already are. - JB http://www.theday.com/re_txt.aspx?re=b5485c4e-6640-43da-8af1-fdce8c01379f _________________________________ http://mediamatters.org From the White House's mouth to CNN's ... mouth? CNN's adoption of the phrase "listening mode" to describe President Bush's reaction to the Iraq Study Group report is just the latest example of CNN journalists' repeating White House phrases without challenge and reporting Bush administration talking points as fact. Read more >> http://mediamatters.org/items/200612220015?src=other --- Wash. Post suggested that Dems need to "restore" image among minorities, working class, women Read more >> http://mediamatters.org/items/200612220007?src=other --- Matthews: Gore is "the Hindenburg" On the December 21 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley if former Vice President Al Gore was "in fighting weight" and then said of Gore: "He's the Hindenburg." Read more >> http://mediamatters.org/items/200612220002?src=other [VIDEO] --- Blitzer: Ellison [not Goode or Prager] "touched off a raging controversy" Wolf Blitzer attributed the "raging controversy" over Rep.-elect Keith Ellison's reported intention to use a copy of the Quran in his swearing-in ceremony to Ellison rather than those who have denounced Ellison. Read more >> http://snipurl.com/15nrr [VIDEO] _________________________________ Anheuser-Busch Inc. rolled out Redbridge, the first nationally available sorghum beer made for people with wheat and gluten allergies. Redbridge is sold in stores carrying organic products, as well as in restaurants. Full Story >> http://www.anheuser-busch.com/press_room/redbridge_122006.html _________________________________ http://ecard.ashland.edu/2004admission/index.html | http://www.smirkingchimp.com _________________________________ ....................Expecting guests? Flying in winter is always hectic. Weather can play havoc with flight schedules. And traveling at this time of year can be particularly difficult. The airports are filled with holiday travelers. If you have guests arriving for Christmas, all this stress can also affect you. Airport parking lots will be full, and there will be crowds outside the terminals. You don't want to spend time at the airport waiting for your guests. So visit FlightAware. You can find arrival times and plan accordingly. If you're unsure of the flight number, that's OK. You can see all activity at a particular airport. Or, you can look up all flights between two locations. Instead of worrying about flights, you can spend time looking forward to the holiday! TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE: http://flightaware.com Be sure to listen to me Monday through Friday. Use my map to find me near you http://www.komando.com/listen/index.aspx _________________________________ eHEALTHY NEWS Tiny Photos Going On Forever - This photomosaic is unlike any other you've seen before. http://snipurl.com/15ofl --- How to Find Farmers' Markets: Your Best Source for Fresh Produce - Take advantage of the fresh seasonal produce in your area, and support family farms, by visiting your local farmer's market. http://snipurl.com/15ofr --- Tapping in Your Positive Feelings - Find out how to anchor in your positive feelings of joy, hope, happiness, excitement and peace. http://snipurl.com/15ofs _________________________________ 2:18 How to survive Christmas >> http://snipurl.com/15n7a Dr Linda Papadopolous gives us her tips on getting through the Holiday Season. _________________________________ NationalGeographic.com http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/pod/ _________________________________ NASA Astronomy picture of the day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html _________________________________ I love the Christmas-tide, and yet, I notice this, each year I live; I always like the gifts I get, But how I love the gifts I give! ~Carolyn Wells