Friday, January 9:
Judge rules against White House on visitors logs
A federal judge on Friday rejected the Bush administration's latest attempt to keep secret the identities of White House visitors and declared that the government illegally deleted Secret Service computer records.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth concluded that the deletions took place before October 2004 when the Secret Service transferred large numbers of entry and exit logs to the White House and then deleted copies
Toxic coal ash piling up in ponds in 32 states
illions of tons of toxic coal ash are piling up in power plant ponds in 32 states, a practice the government has long recognized as a risk to human health and the environment but has left unregulated.
An Associated Press analysis of the most recent Energy Department data found that 156 coal-fired power plants store ash in surface ponds similar to one that ruptured last month in Tennessee.
States of emergency declared across Europe over gas
Govts across Europe declared states of emergency and ordered factories to close as Russia cut all gas supplies through Ukraine in their worsening dispute over unpaid bills. Despite temps at minus 27C and the threat of heating cuts to millions of households, Moscow said that it had no choice but to cease supplies because Ukraine through which 80% of Russian gas bound for EU flows, had closed its pipelines. Kiev denies closures.
Guess What? Lots Of Oil, Natural Gas In Gaza!
To find the real reasons behind conflicts and wars in this world, you need to follow some or all of four things: Money, blood, power or natural resources (usually oil or natural gas but it can be cobalt like in the Congo). Oil is behind the conflicts in Darfur, Somalia and other similar places.
TVA waste pond ruptures in Ala.; spill contained
The spill is about 30 miles southwest of Chattanooga. A waste pond at a coal-burning power plant in northeast Alabama ruptured Friday, but the spill was quickly contained, utility officials said. It was the second breach at a Tennessee Valley Authority facility in less than a month
The CIA's Handling of The Washington Post
On Jan. 7, the Washington Post published a front-page lead article and an oped on the nomination of Leon Panetta as CIA director; both articles exaggerated the extent of opposition to the Panetta appointment and demonstrated the weakness of mainstream media coverage of the intelligence community, particularly the CIA. It is particularly ironic that senior writers would rely on the views of clandestine officers who manipulate
Madoff scam whistleblower was U.S. Army Special Ops commander
Harry Markopolos spent a decade trying to warn the SEC about Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme but before that he ran a 64-man U.S. Army clandestine Special Operations squad
Illinois House Impeaches Blagojevich
The Illinois House voted overwhelmingly Friday to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich, an unprecedented action that sets up a Senate trial on whether he should be thrown out for allegedly trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
Obama wants digital TV delayed
In a letter sent to the chairman and ranking members on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the House Energy & Commerce Committee, Podesta said the transition team has found "major difficulties" in the funds authorized to smooth the transition that may cost consumers millions.
Obama snubs Dean
The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday's press conference announcing Tim Kaine's appointment as Democratic National Committee chairman was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.
Rather, they say, it was a reflection of the lack of respect accorded to the outgoing party chairman by the Obama team.
Torture Prosecution Tops 70,000 Questions for Obama on Change.Gov
After votes from about 100,000 people, the top ranked question asks Obama whether he will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of torture and illegal surveillance by the U.S. government.
Sherwood Ross:
Bush, Aides, Rejected Anti-Torture Warnings
President Bush and his top aides received numerous warnings that their torture policies were war crimes, but ignored them. Here's Report that will be basis of Complaint submitted to the Obama Administration in near future.
U.N. and Red Cross Add to Outcry on Gaza War
The International Committee of the Red Cross reported finding what it called shocking scenes on Wednesday, including four emaciated children next to the bodies of their dead mothers. In a rare and sharply critical statement, it said it believed that “the Israeli military failed to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded.”
Panel Steps Up Criticism of Treasury Over TARP
(1 comments) In the most scathing criticism yet of Treasury's implementation of the $700 billion financial-rescue package, a draft report being issued by the five-member congressional oversight panel said there appear to be "significant gaps" in Treasury's ability to track hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money.
Unemployment Rate Jumps To 7.2 Percent :
Employers slashed 524,000 jobs last month. For all of 2008, the economy lost a net total of 2.6 million jobs.
Dave Berman:
Humboldt Election Transparency Project Identifies Another Discrepancy In November's Reported Results
(3 comments) The Humboldt County Election Transparency Project has found a second discrepancy in the results of November's election, which were certified as accurate in early December, just prior to discovering the Diebold central tabulation program, GEMS, had secretly deleted 197 ballots from the total count. Now we learn the official count also included 57 ballots counted twice.
Thursday, January 8:
I Survived the Bush Presidency
An oral history of the shell-shocked survivors of the Bush administration - Lincoln Chafee, Michael Brown, David Kuo, Zig Engelmann - from former FEMA head to author of "My Pet Goat."
Kucinich: Israeli Violation of Congressional Arms Restrictions
(4 comments) Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) argues that Israel cannot claim self-defense when fighting a weak enemy with no air force, navy or army. If Israel is not engaged in self-defense then it is engaged in an offensive. And Kucinich points out that the US gave Israel all those weapons only on condition that they not be used for aggression.
U.S. Air Force releases flow chart of 'counter-blog' reponse plan.
(3 comments) As part of its halting efforts to reach out to bloggers in constructive ways, the U.S. Air Force has assembled a "counter-blog" action plan aimed at responding to bloggers who have "negative opinions about the U.S. government and the Air Force." The plan includes a detailed flow-chart that "lays out a range of possible responses to a blog post": Must see.
Lots and lots of lawyers: Legal teams preparing for Franken-Coleman election contest
JGideon:
'Daily Voting News' For January 8, 2009
a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues
Coal ash spill reveals risks, lapses in waste government regulation
The coal ash spill in Tennessee last month is putting a spotlight on whether the ash from 450 other power plants around the country could be contaminating the nation's drinking water supplies. The EPA in 2000 decided that coal ash wasn't hazardous waste and left regulation up to the states. Now, however, environmental activists say the Tennessee spill shows the need for federal standards for how coal waste is handled...
Pelosi: No February recess without stimulus
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will keep Congress in session through the Presidents Day recess if an economic stimulus package isn’t completed for President-elect Obama by then. “We have a short-term recovery, long-term economic recovery standard in the legislation,” said Pelosi. “Our challenge here was to find the functions of government that could most expeditiously create jobs."
Obama camp 'prepared to talk to Hamas'
The incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon President Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organisation, sources close to the transition team say. The move to open contacts with Hamas - which could be initiated through the US intelligence services - would represent a definitive break with the Bush presidency's ostracising of the group.
Obama's Speech on the Economy
The following is a transcript of President-Elect Barack Obama's speech on the economy, as prepared by Federal News Service Jan 8,2009
Report: U.S. had unrealistic goals in Afghanistan
The United States and its partners have shortchanged Afghanistan by focusing on short-term goals pursued without a cohesive strategy or clear understanding of how the poor, decentralized country works, an independent study concludes.
Report slams Pentagon nuke oversight
According to the defense official, the panel concluded that the Pentagon's failure to give the nuclear mission its proper attention has led to the downgrading of personnel in that field. A key concern, according to the panel, is that the nuclear decline has eroded international confidence in the United States' ability to provide a protective nuclear umbrella.
Red Cross Reports Grisly Find in Gaza
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it had found at least 15 bodies and several children -- emaciated but alive -- in a row of shattered houses in the Gaza Strip and accused the Israeli military of preventing ambulances from reaching the site for four days.
Israel attacks UN convoy amid ceasefire
UN spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna said Thursday that Israeli soldiers attacked a relief truck even though the United Nations had coordinated the delivery with Tel Aviv and the vehicle was marked with a UN flag and insignia. "It has resulted tragically in the death of one and the injury of two others," said the head of the UN relief agency in Gaza, John Ging.
Red Cross Reports Grisly Find in Gaza: Israel Accused of Blocking Aid to Wounded
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it had found at least 15 bodies and several children -- emaciated but alive -- in a row of shattered houses in the Gaza Strip and accused the Israeli military of preventing ambulances from reaching the site for four days. Red Cross officials said rescue crews had received specific reports of casualties in the houses and had been trying since Saturday to send ambul
Hamas executes collaborators and restricts Fatah movement
(2 comments) Since the aerial attack on Gaza began,Hamas has sought to suppress individuals it believes endanger the group's fight against Israel and its hold on power in the Strip,as well as public morale.Prime targets include Fatah members,people convicted or suspected of collaborating with Israel,and "common" criminals."Hamas rules with an iron fist even now," said one resident.
American Civil Liberties Union : National Security Letters
The National Security Letter provision of the Patriot Act radically expanded the FBI's authority to demand personal customer records from Internet Service Providers, financial institutions and credit companies without prior court approval. The ACLU has challenged this Patriot Act statute in court in three cases. The first, called Doe v. Mukasey, involves an NSL served on an Internet Service Provide
Savannah GA Police Prepare To 'Sweep' Homeless Tent Cities
(1 comments) People who deal with the homeless in on a personal basis say there are not enough resources to deal with the homeless issue in Savannah and sweeping them out of their homes may be a bad idea.
Conyers: Obama Should Not Nominate Sanjay Gupta
Rep. John Conyers has written a letter to Democratic colleagues urging them to join him in publicly opposing the nomination of Dr. Sanjay Gupta for Surgeon General. Conyers says Gupta "lacks the requisite experience needed to oversee the federal agency that provides crucial health care assistance," and requests that fellow Dems join him.
Obama and Biden Confirmed Without Objection
The House and Senate confirmed President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's 365-173 Electoral College win with no objections, confirming what some Republican staffers-their offices occasionally buffeted by complaints from Obama conspiracy theorists-said yesterday. It was the first protest-free ceremony of its kind since 1997...
Illinois Panel Calls for Impeachment of Governor
An investigative committee of the Illinois House of Representatives recommended the impeachment of the state’s embattled governor, Rod R. Blagojevich.
McConnell Urges Coleman To Fight On, Despite Urging Gore To 'Be A Statesman' And Concede In 2000
Hypocrisy Central: It's interesting that McConnell is willing to let an election - which has already had a recount - hang in the air for two months. After all, less than a month after the 2000 election, McConnell was already demanding that Al Gore concede to George W. Bush. McConnell's comments to the Lexington Herald-Leader on Nov. 27, 2000.
Lesbian couple invited on Obama's inaugural whistle stop tour.
Lisa Hazirjian and her partner Michelle have been invited to join" President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden on their Whistle Stop train ride to the nation's capital leading up to the inauguration. "Hazirjian, who is from Ohio, serves as an at-large board member of Equality Ohio, as a member of the Cleveland Stonewall Democrats and as a volunteer for Cleveland Families Count...
Perle Washes His Hands Of Iraq: I Was Not An 'Architect Of That War,' Neocons Had No Influence
The rattlesnakes have started to eat each other and their young. Perle: "...the many mistakes made in Iraq, one thing is certain: they had nothing to do with ideology. They did not draw inspiration from or reflect neoconservative ideas and they were not the product of philosophical or ideological influences outside the government."
Harry Markopolos - Man who blew whistle on Madoff is wary of limelight
Harry Markopolos is the man who spent nearly a decade trying to blow the whistle on what appears to be the largest Ponzi scheme in history has achieved a kind of hero status within the investment world. A reluctant hero of finance and Hollywood, he is poised to reap both fame and fortune from a disaster that has cost the investors of of Bernard L. Madoff as much as $50 billion.
Obama's choice of CIA Director signals renewed effort to disclose CIA X-Files
President Elect Obama's choice of Leon Panetta as the next Director of the CIA indicates Obama's support for a renewed effort by former Clinton administration officials to get the CIA to come clean on what it knows about UFOs.
Pelosi Parts With Obama Over Bush Tax Cuts
As opposed to allowing Bush tax cuts to expire as Obama recommended during the campaign, Pelosi noted that the Congressional Budget Office has determined that the tax cuts are the biggest contributor to the ballooning deficit. "Put me down as clearly as you possibly can as one who wants to have those tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans repealed."
Absurd: Joe 'the Plumber' to Become War Correspondent
Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for a conservative website called pjtv.com.
The Ohio man, who became famous during the U.S. presidential campaign after asking Barack Obama about his tax plan, is heading to Israel as a war correspondent
Russia arms to Iran: A mistimed gambit?
(2 comments) It is planned, according to the Russian MoD, to deliver the S-300 [surface-to-air missile defense] systems to Iran from Russian Defense Ministry warehouses. The systems for Iran had been removed from active duty and placed in storage. "It is expected that S-300 systems will be supplied to Iran from Defense Ministry storage bases.
Red Cross: Israel breaking int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza
Relief workers said they found four starving children sitting next to their dead mothers and other corpses in a house in a part of Gaza City bombed by Israeli forces, the Red Cross said on Thursday. How long can the world pretend that Israel is a civilized nation?
Brussels to Host Emergency Talks as Tens of Thousands Lose Heating in Their Homes
The EU, Russia and Ukraine will today hold top-levels talks in a last-ditch effort to resolve the increasingly angry political dispute that has cut off all Russian gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine.
Russia accused Ukraine of "blackmail" and Kiev blamed Moscow for halting supplies without warning as a routine price dispute spiralled into all-out political conflict - and tens of thousands, mainly in eastern Europe, shiver
UN halts Gaza aid after convoy hit
The move came after Israeli tanks shelled a UN convoy earlier in the day, killing a Palestinian UN worker and injuring two others, as lorries were travelling to the Erez crossing to pick up humanitarian supplies meant for allocation during a three-hour suspension of fire.
At least three UN-run schools have also been hit by Israeli fire, killing scores of civilians, during the 13 days of Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.
UN proposal for Gaza truce floated
The US, the UK and France are working on a binding UN Security Council resolution that is expected to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The UK-drafted resolution comes on the 13th day of Israel's offensive in the territory and ahead of an emergency session of the General Assembly...
Defense spending as 'stimulus'?
The Defense Department has enjoyed a long budgetary heyday, but the golden times may be nearing an end as the Iraq war, which has been eating up $10 billion a month, starts winding down and recession pressures force federal budgeteers to rein in spending.
That's the conventional wisdom, at least.
Israel/Gaza: Military Tactics by Both Sides are Endangering Civilians in Gaza, Says Amnesty International
Amnesty International said today that both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters were endangering the lives of Palestinian civilians – including by using them as human shields and by battling in densely populated residential areas.
China warns of risks from "abnormal" cross-border capital flow
China faces a threat of "abnormal" cross-border capital flow because of global financial tumult, the country's foreign exchange regulator said Tuesday. Such capital movement, resulting from the world economic slowdown and financial crisis, will bring with it potential risks, said Hu Xiaolian, head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).
Linn Cohen-Cole:
*FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS - the intended QUICKSAND now taking under all sustainable agriculture
(6 comments) Hidden inside regulations that are not voted on by any legislators representing the public are massive bars to all involvement in farming by small farmers. The monopolistic, unconstitutional, destructive reality of those regulations appear obvious when time is taken to look carefully.
The Man Who Saved Your Child
The most devastating, counterproductive, anti-child boondogle I witnessed in 20 years of education was the No Child Left Behind Act (my principal called it the No Billionaire Left Behind Act). It attempts to measure all that doesn't matter in a child's education, turn kids off to learning, then penalize schools which fail to meet bogus numbers. Here is what Our American Savior has to say about it:
Roger Shuler:
The Abramoff Trail Might Be Growing Warm
(2 comments) Things have been quiet on the Jack Abramoff front. But former Abramoff associate Kevin Ring could hold the key to breaking the case wide open--and causing major headaches for prominent Republicans
Coleman's Lawsuit: This Whole Election Stinks -- And I Won
The complaint ignores the existence of counter-evidence, employs one maneuver when it is self-benefiting and opposes the same maneuver when it goes against them, attacks not just the recount but votes that were counted for Franken all along, and overall throws everything against the wall to see what sticks.
SEC knew for years about Madoff's $50 billion swindle and took no action
Boston accountant Harry Markopolos warned the SEC for over a decade the "World's Largest Hedge Fund is a Fraud"
Alexia Cameron:
The Root of America's Depletion
(6 comments) An economic downturn has been brewing for decades and Americans are finally starting to realize our plight. The only way to bring America back to its place as a preeminent superpower is to revitalize manufacturing and start generating wealth.
Hackers take down ring of key progressive blogs
"Never mind the nature of the views being expressed on these sites -this attack was a naked broadside aimed at the very infrastructure of public speech and discourse in America,just as surely as if vandals had destroyed the presses used by the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine back in the 1700s.As long as the United States professes to be in the free speech business,actions like these cannot be allowed to stand."
House renews probe of US attorney firings
“A very fine U.S. attorney from the state of a Nevada was unceremoniously removed for no reason–I would like to know why,I would like it top be made public and I would like those responsible punished,” Berkley said. “By passing this rule we have assured this will be done.”The move by the Dem-controlled House is an assertion of congressional authority after several years of executive branch overreach by the Bush administration.
Israeli Voices for Peace - Amy Goodman
(1 comments) Avnery: "A criminal war"
Levy: "this is unheard of. This cannot go on like this."
Jonathan Ben-Artzi: "tell out government, stop doing this."
Neve Gordon: "..the Palestinian Resistance is rational." -- Gordon attended a large peace march last weekend in Tel Aviv with more than 10,000 other Israelis.
Conyers Seeks Probe of Bush Crimes - Jason Leopold
In one of the first acts of the 111th Congress, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers proposed legislation to create a blue-ribbon panel of outside experts to probe the "broad range" of policies pursued by the Bush administration "under claims of unreviewable war powers," including torture of detainees and warrantless wiretaps.
Unemployment Claims Crash System
Electronic unemployment filing systems have crashed in at least three states in recent days amid an unprecedented crush of thousands of newly jobless Americans seeking benefits, and other states were adjusting their systems to avoid being next. Systems in New York, North Carolina and Ohio were shut down completely by technical glitches and heavy volume.
MIDEAST: Israel May Face Charges for War Crimes
(1 comments) Israel has committed war crimes and should be prosecuted in an international court, says Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) in Gaza.
"The repeated bombing of clearly marked civilian buildings, where civilians were sheltering, crosses several red lines in regard to international law."
Israel Project:
Rocket Attack on Israel's Northern Border: Facts and Sources for Journalists
(5 comments) Terrorists in southern Lebanon fired three Katyusha rockets into northern Israel on Thursday morning (Jan. 8). One of the rockets hit a retirement home narrowly missing the dining hall where the residents were eating breakfast. One resident sustained a broken leg and others suffered from light injuries and shock. The Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack.
Wednesday, January 7:
Alcoa slashes 15,000 jobs, cuts output yet again
IN A further sign the global economy is in trouble, aluminium giant Alcoa is set to slash 15,000 jobs.
They will also cut production for the third time in as many months.Most of Alcoa's job cuts, comprising 13,500 of its own workforce and 1700 contractors, will come from its downstream markets in North America and Europe
Helen Thomas Tears into White House Press Secretary over Gaza
On Monday, the veteran correspondent Helen Thomas questioned White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and tore her a new you-know-what.
Indymedia-US: BART Police Shoot and Kill Man at Fruitvale BART Station, caught on video
In the early hours of January 1st, BART police shot and killed a 22 year old man, Oscar Grant, on the platform of the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. Witnesses report that Grant was "lying on his stomach with his hands out in a non-threatening position when he was shot". Police have confirmed Grant was unarmed and have suggested the shooting was an accident. Grant lived in Hayward and leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter.
Joe the Plumber to become war correspondent
Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporter's notebook. He is heading to Israel as a war correspondent, and says he'll spend 10 days covering the fighting.
Obama taps spending watchdog, eyes Social Security
Pointing with concern to "red ink as far as the eye can see," President-elect Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to tackle out-of-control Social Security and Medicare spending and named a special watchdog to clamp down on other federal programs — even as he campaigned anew to spend the largest pile of taxpayer money in history to revive the sinking economy.
Fears mount of Gaza conflict spill over in Europe
Government officials and Jewish leaders are concerned the conflict in Gaza may spill over into violence in Europe, with attacks reported against Jews and synagogues in France, Sweden and Britain.
Judge's Order Could Keep Public From Hearing Details of 9/11 Trials
The military judge overseeing proceedings against five of the men accused of planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks signed an order designed to protect classified information that is so broad it could prevent public scrutiny of the most important trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to lawyers and human rights groups.
Porn Industry Goes Limp, Seeks $5 Billion Federal Injection
Turns out that even this vice industry - which has weathered many other economic downturns - is not recession proof after all and has gone limp under Bush. Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis and Hustler magazing publisher Larry Flynt have asked Congress for a $5 billion bailout, arguing that their industry is also one of the "nation's most important businesses."
Army mistakenly sent letters to family members of fallen soldiers addressing them as "˜John Doe.'
The Army was forced to apologize today after sending approximately 7,000 letters to family members of soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan which mistakenly addressed them as "John Doe." The letters were sent late last month to inform survivors about private organizations "that offer gifts, programs and other assistance to families that have lost" soldiers.
Helen Thomas Tears into White House Press Secretary over Gaza
On Monday, the veteran correspondent Helen Thomas questioned White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and tore her a new you-know-what.
Helen Thomas Tears into White House Press Secretary over Gaza
On Monday, the veteran correspondent Helen Thomas questioned White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and tore her a new you-know-what.
ThinkCheney: It's Just An 'Urban Legend' That I 'Exceeded My Authority' As Vice President
The list is long. Is Cheney bucking for an 'insanity' defense? He was the first VP to declare he was not a member of the executive or legislative branch...he is the government fairy!
Army War College toned down its Iraq war criticism under pressure from Rumsfeld.
Today, former Washington Post reporter Thomas Ricks writes that Steven Metz, chairman of a department at the Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute, said that the school eventually had to censor itself because of pressure from the Pentagon. Metz] explicitly blamed the strained relationship between the Army and its civilian overseers under then-Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
JGideon:
'Daily Voting News' For January 7, 2009
a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues
White House Asked Howard To Stay In Blair House To Give 'Some Plausible Reason' For Refusing Obama
(5 comments) Bloomberg reported on December 11 and 12 that there were no foreign dignitaries booked into Blair House during the time period Obama requested. "I have the feeling they asked him [Howard] to come and stay so that there might be some plausible reason for not letting the Obamas stay there." It was also pointed out that Blair House has "119 rooms with 35 bathrooms. Howard wouldn't even have to share a sink with the Obamas."
Report: Burris will be seated as new Senator from Illinois
Senate Democrats now plan to seat Roland Burris.
(More...)
