Emeritus News-Real News for Americans 50+

More from the Voice of America and the Emeritus Newsroom- U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney got a boost in his bid for the Republican Party nomination, with a solid win in the Florida primary.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, won 47 percent of the vote, far ahead of his closest rival, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who garnered 31 percent. The Florida Republican primary election came just over a week after Romney was soundly defeated by Gingrich in the South Carolina primary.

Strong debate performances and heavy advertising that attacked Gingrich helped Romney surge in the polls. Recent opinion polls had showed Romney with a double-digit lead over Gingrich in Florida.

“Speaker Gingrich, he's not feeling very excited these days. I know. It's sad. He's been flailing around a bit.”

But Gingrich, who trailed in the polls for months last year, only to surge to a big win in South Carolina, vowed that his campaign will not end.“We're just getting started”, said a defiant Gingrich.

Florida is one of states with the largest number of delegates at stake, and the winner not only garners more delegate support for the Republican national convention later this year, but gains momentum going into a string of caucuses and primaries in other states, starting this Saturday in Nevada.

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Representative Ron Paul were also on the ballot in Florida, although they were far behind the front-runners, with 12% and 6% respectively.

During the Florida campaign, Gingrich lashed out at Romney, accusing him of being a liberal and running dishonest political ads. The former congressman said he expects a long campaign in the battle for the party nomination.

Romney has said that Gingrich was making excuses for his debate performances, and he criticized Gingrich for being found guilty of ethics violations that forced him to resign as House speaker.

Gingrich did well in northern rural counties, but did especially poorly in Miami Dade, where Latino Republicans voted for Romney. Gingrich also lost every major city in the state. New York Times Florida county by county map. 01/31/2012

ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION SAYS U-S HAS MUCH LESS NATURAL GAS UNDERGROUND THAN EARLIER ESTIMATES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom - U.S. production of natural gas is expected to exceed consumption early in the next decade, according to the latest Annual Energy Outlook from the Energy Information Agency. The United States is projected to become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2016, a net pipeline exporter in 2025, and an overall net exporter of natural gas in 2021. The outlook reflects increased use of LNG in markets outside of North America, strong domestic natural gas production, reduced pipeline imports and increased pipeline exports, and relatively low natural gas prices in the United States compared to other global markets. One of the most sobering aspects of the most recent data from EIA,

"Shale gas resource estimates were updated using the mean value of resource assessments recently released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The shale gas resource estimate for the Marcellus shale rock area (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia) was updated using new geologic data from the USGS and recent production data. EIA's estimate of Marcellus resources is substantially below the estimate used for AEO2011 and falls within the 90-percent confidence range in the August 2011 USGS assessment, although it is higher than the USGS mean value".

In addition, according to the EIA, the natural gas share of electric power generation is forecast to increase from 24 percent in 2010 to 27 percent in 2035, and the renewables share grows from 10 percent to 16 percent over the same period. In recent years, the U.S. electric power sector's historical reliance on coal-fired power plants has begun to decline. Over the next 25 years, the projected coal share of overall electricity generation falls to 39 percent, well below the 49-percent share seen as recently as 2007 (Figure 2), because of slow growth in electricity demand, continued competition from natural gas and renewable plants, and the need to comply with new environmental regulations.

Domestic crude oil production is expected to grow by more than 20 percent over the coming decade, according to the EIA. Domestic crude oil production increased from 5.1 million barrels per day in 2007 to 5.5 million barrels per day in 2010. Over the next 10 years, continued development of tight oil combined with the development of offshore Gulf of Mexico resources are projected to push domestic crude oil production to 6.7 million barrels per day in 2020, a level not seen since 1994.

PENTAGON LIKELY TO CLOSE MORE OVERSEAS BASES / CUT PERSONNEL IN LATEST SPENDING PROPOSAL

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Department of Defense today revealed more specifics about the much anticipated spending cuts.

Spending priorities in the forthcoming fiscal 2013 defense budget request call for reductions in the end strength of the Army and Marine Corps, an increase in special operations forces and maintaining the number of big-deck carriers, according to Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. The Pentagon’s budget topline request is set at $525 billion for fiscal 2013 with an additional $88.4 billion for overseas contingency operations -- mostly in Afghanistan. This is down from $531 billion and $115 billion, respectively, in this fiscal year.The budget seeks to minimize the impact of cuts on personnel accounts. Service members will receive their full pay raises in fiscal 2013 and 2014, Panetta said. “We will achieve some cost savings by providing more limited pay raises beginning in 2015,” he added.

Changes to health care will not affect active duty personnel or their families, Panetta said.“We decided that to help control growth of health care costs, we are recommending increases in health care fees, co-pays and deductibles for retirees,” he said. “But let me be clear that even after these increases, the cost borne by military retirees will remain below the levels in comparable private-sector plans.”

The request puts the Army on a path to drop to 490,000 soldiers and the Marine Corps to 182,000 Marines over five years. Currently, the two services have 562,000 and 202,000 active-duty members, respectively. The secretary noted this is still higher than the numbers on 9/11.The budget treats the reserve components very carefully, Panetta said. After a decade of being an integral part of America’s wars, the reserve components will not go back to being a strategic Cold War-era reserve. The reserves will be the nation’s hedge against the unexpected, the secretary said.“We are making only marginal reductions in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard, and no reductions in the Marine Corps Reserve,” the secretary said. “The Air Force will make balanced reductions in the Air Guard that are consistent with reductions in the active component and Air Force Reserve.”

The request also calls for more base realignments and closures, and a “BRAC-like” authority to recommend changes to military retirement. “But the president and department have made clear that the retirement benefits of those who currently serve will be protected by grand fathering their benefits,” Panetta said. The request looks to maintain the Navy’s current 11 aircraft carriers and 10 carrier air wings, Panetta said. It will also maintain the current Marine and Army posture in the Asia-Pacific region, and will base littoral combat ships in Singapore and Bahrain. The budget will eliminate two forward-based Army heavy brigades in Europe. Instead, brigades will rotate in and out of the area. The United States and European allies also will look to share costs for new capabilities such as the alliance ground surveillance program.The Navy will retire seven older cruisers and two amphibious ships early, and the Air Force will eliminate six tactical air squadrons.

The F-35 joint strike fighter is key to maintaining domain superiority, and the military remains committed to the program, Panetta said. “But in this budget, we have slowed procurement to complete more testing and allow for developmental changes before buying in significant quantities,” he added. The budget will maintain all legs of the nuclear triad -- bombers, ICBMs and submarines -- and will invest in significantly more capability in the cyber world, Panetta said.

OBAMA CALLS FOR ECONOMIC FAIRNESS IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS / FACT CHECKER SAYS OBAMA, REPUBLICAN RESPONSE STRETCHES TRUTH

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Recounting the lives of his grandparents and the role they played in World War II, President Obama carved a line in the sand of the America he wants. As his grandfather returned from his unit under the command of General George Patton and his mother, from a job in a military airplane factory, they went on to a piece of the American Dream. Home ownership, education for their family and a higher standard of living. Obama defiantly declared he will fight for the same dream reached by his grandparents.

"The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What’s at stake aren’t Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. And we have to reclaim the dream".

The president made reference to the nation's military personnel and their efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying they are exemplary of what America can accomplish without political goals. As the President was speaking, the U-S Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama Bin-Laden, was hard at work rescuing two social workers, one of them an American, from Samali pirates who had been holding them hostage since last fall. All of the pirates were killed. The social workers were not seriously injured and there were no casualties among the American forces assigned to the mission.

Stressing the progress his administration had saving jobs, the President pointed out the turnaround in the American auto industry.

"Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs. We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back. What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. (Applause.) Today, for the first time in 15 years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity. So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed".

That brought Obama to tax policies. The President said he wanted to end tax deductions for companies that move jobs overseas, instead, providing breaks for companies that bring jobs back to the U-S. He asked Congress to extend the payroll tax cuts and to level the playing field so that working Americans are not paying a higher tax rate than the wealthy from investment incomes.

The President gave a big hug before his speech to Rep. Gabby Giffords who is expected to step down this week from her seat in the house to concentrate on her recovery. Click here for YouTube video playback of Gabby's announcement.

VIDEO: HOW ICELAND RECOVERED FROM THE 2008 FINANCIAL MELTDOWN / MORE REFORMS, FEWER SEVERE AUSTERITY MEASURES

More in YouTube video below from the International Monetary Fund (6 Minutes)- 01/24/2012

EUROPEAN UNION APPROVES SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN

More from the Voice of America- The European Union has banned new purchases of Iranian oil and frozen the assets of Iran's central bank, as part of a Western campaign to pressure Tehran to suspend controversial parts of its nuclear program. EU foreign ministers agreed to the new sanctions at a meeting in Brussels on Monday. They agreed to allow EU nations with existing contracts for Iranian oil to honor those purchases until July 1. The grace period is meant to help major buyers of Iranian oil such as Greece to find alternative sources of supply before the full ban takes effect.

The 27-nation bloc also agreed to stop all trade in gold and other precious metals with Iranian state institutions. The EU and the United States have been tightening unilateral sanctions on Iran in recent weeks in response to Iranian moves to accelerate uranium enrichment.

Western powers accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.

Iran's economy is heavily reliant on revenue from oil exports. The EU has been the second largest market for Iranian oil after China.

EU and US sanctions have prompted a dramatic weakening in the value of Iran's currency, the rial. In black market trading on Monday, the rial dropped to a new record low of 20,500 to the dollar, a slump of more than 12 percent from last week.

Iranian lawmakers reacted angrily to the new EU sanctions. Deputy head of parliament's national security committee Mohammad Ismail Kowsari repeated Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital pathway for global oil supplies. He said any disruption to Iranian oil exports "definitely" will lead to the closure of the Strait.

Another lawmaker serving on parliament's energy commission predicted the EU oil embargo will have "no impact" on the Iranian economy because Iran will find other customers for its oil exports. Ali Adyani said the only negative impact of the sanctions will be on Western countries that will have to cope with higher oil prices.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the EU embargo. Speaking Monday, he said unilateral sanctions will not help to revive negotiations between Iran and six world powers on the Iranian nuclear program. Those talks have been on hold for a year, but Lavrov said he is hopeful they will resume soon.

Russia and China supported several rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran but oppose further measures, saying all parties should focus on negotiations. Moscow and Beijing both have close economic ties to Tehran.

VIDEO: GINGRICH OVERTAKES ROMNEY IN SOUTH CAROLINA

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Citing her need to spend more time with her recovery, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) has announced she is stepping down from her position by the end of the week. Giffords was shot a year ago by alleged gunman Jared Loughner, as she was conducting a "Meet the Candidate" appearance at a Safeway store in Tucson. Giffords says her recovery from a head wound suffered during the attack will take more time.In a video, available at the end of this story, Giffords delivers her own message, explaining she has made a lot of progress over the past year and now must do what is best for her and the district, by stepping down. Giffords said she would return to public service, without mentioning specifics. She will attend tomorrow night's State of the Union address from President Obama.

Loughner is still awaiting trial for the shootings, which killed six people, including a sitting federal judge and the grand daughter of former major league manager Dallas Green. 14 others were injured. Loughner's trial has been delayed due to a battle over treatment of his deteriorating mental health.

PROTESTS AND BLACKOUTS BY GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA AND OTHERS DOUSE SUPPORT FOR "STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT"

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Support in congress seems to be slipping for SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. Senate leaders are determined to bring the proposal to a vote next week, but it's not clear they have the votes to pass it. SOPA, if passed and signed by the President, would give the U-S government authority to block international web sites which illegally copy and stream U-S copyrighted movies, music other works over the internet. Opponents, such as Google and Wikipedia reduced or blocked much of their service today in a joint online services protest. Those against SOPA claim it is just an attempt by old media outlets to stop innovation of new digital media, would also affect domestic sites not just foreign, and that blocking those sites would interfere with free speech amounting to prior restraint (censorship).

IN ADDITION, THE RULING FROM THE U-S SUPREME COURT TODAY EXTENDING INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHTS TO THE U-S, POSES NEW QUESTIONS AS TO HOW THIS MIGHT IMPACT SOPA, AS IT IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN. SEE STORY ON ADVOCACY LEGAL PAGE.

THE FUTURE OF DENTENTIONS AT GUANTANAMO BAY

OBAMA PROPOSES REALIGNMENT OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama, in an address before business leaders at the White House on Friday, proposed streamlining of government agencies to promote regulatory efficiency and cost savings. The proposal, which must be approved by congress may cut the number of federal staff although there are no firm numbers.

A statement from the White House outlines some of the goals. Currently, there are six major departments and agencies that focus primarily on business and trade in the federal government. The six are: U.S. Department of Commerce’s core business and trade functions, the Small Business Administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. This is redundant and inefficient, according to the White House.

The President is proposing to consolidate those six departments and agencies into one Department with one web site, one phone number and one mission – helping American businesses succeed.

One Department: there will be one Department where entrepreneurs can go from the day they come up with an idea and need a patent, to the day they start building a product and need a warehouse, to the day they are ready to export and need help breaking into new markets overseas.

Under the President's proposal, the new department will lead the development and implementation of an integrated, strategic, government-wide trade effort and have a focused capacity to help businesses grow and thrive.

Full text of Obama proposal, click here. See video below for YouTube playback of speech & second video from conference with business leaders about in sourcing jobs for Americans. 01/14/2012

ROMNEY DECLARED WINNER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE / PAUL SECOND / HUNTSMAN THIRD / SANTORUM AND GINGRICH GET 10%

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Mitt Romney emerged the clear winner tonight in the New Hampshire Republican primary. Romeny had 38% of the vote with Ron Paul second at 23%, Jon Huntsman third garnering 17%, and Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich tied for fourth with 10%. Texas Governor Rick Perry received only one per cent of the vote.

Romney wasted no time claiming victory, not waiting for the other candidates to make their speeches as he appeared before supporters at a University of Southern New Hampshire dining hall in Manchester. Romney scored highest in the southeast portion of the state, mostly in the populated areas surrounding Portsmouth and Manchester. Paul did well in the central and southwest portions of the state.

See Google map and percentages, click here. 01/10/2012

PRESIDENT OUTLINES PROPOSED DEFENSE CUTS

More from the Voice of America-President Barack Obama and U.S. defense officials have unveiled the results of a new strategy review to maintain U.S. military superiority with leaner and more efficient forces capable of responding to global challenges.

The strategic review was ordered by President Obama last year to help guide Pentagon decision-making and setting of priorities in an atmosphere of budget austerity, and sharp partisan debate over deficits and debt.

In recognition of its significance, Obama appeared with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and the military Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey as the results were formally announced at the Pentagon.

Obama pointed to the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, the drawing down of forces from Afghanistan, the killing of Osama bin-Laden, and the successful NATO operation in Libya. He said these have brought the United States to a moment of transition.

"As we look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the end of long-term, nation-building with large military footprints, we will be able to ensure our security with smaller conventional ground forces," said the president. "We will continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems so that we can invest in the capabilities we need for the future, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; counter terrorism; countering weapons of mass destruction; and the ability to operate in environments where adversaries try to deny us access."

Obama said military forces will be "agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats." The U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific region will be strengthened, and Obama said, as he did in Australia in November, that reductions "will not come at the expense of this critical region."

A MUST READ! WHY POOR LANDOWNERS ARE THE "OCCUPY" MOVEMENT OF CHINA / THEY TAKEOVER ENTIRE TOWNS

U-S SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW TEXAS REDISTRICTING PLAN / OBSERVERS SAY NEW DISTRICTS FAVOR HISPANICS, DEMOCRATS

BABBIT RESIGNS AS F-A-A HEAD / FACES DUI CHARGE IN FAIRAX VA.

POSTAL SERVICE WILL PROCEED WITH PROPOSED CUTS TO SERVICE AND WORKFORCE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The United States Postal Service today announced it would implement proposed cuts it announced back on September 15th. This means that 252 of 487 mail processing centers along with more post offices, deemed economically infeasible, will be closed.

“The U.S. Postal Service must reduce its operating costs by $20 billion by 2015 in order to return to profitability,” said David Williams, vice president, Network Operations. “The proposed changes to service standards will allow for significant consolidation of the postal network in terms of facilities, processing equipment, vehicles and employee workforce and will generate projected net annual savings of approximately $2.1 billion.” This is part of the overall savings expected from the network optimization initiative, which is projected to save up to $3 billion by 2015.

The Postal Service will send to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) a request for an advisory opinion regarding service standard changes associated with a significant rationalization of its mail processing network. Shortly thereafter, the Postal Service will publish a notice in the Federal Register soliciting public comment on the specific proposed changes.

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION RELEASES LATEST UPDATE ON PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DATES IN ALL STATES

NEW RIOTS IN EGYPT POSE DILEMMA FOR U-S RELATIONS WITH MILITARY GOVERNMENT

STREAM OF VICTIMS FLOWS FROM PENN STATE FOOTBALL PROGRAM SEX ABUSE SCANDAL

ANALYSIS: ELECTIONS BRING TEA PARTY DEFEATS WITH STRANGE TWISTS / OHIO DEFEATS ANTI-UNION LAW / MISSISSIPPI REJECTS ABORTION BAN

MILITARY SERVICE CHIEFS WARN LAWMAKERS NOT TO CUT MILITARY'S ABILITY TO RESPOND

FCC APPROVES $4.5 BILLION YEARLY BROADBAND BUILDING PROJECT ACROSS U-S / THOUSANDS OF JOBS EXPECTED FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Federal Communications Commission today approved the $4.5 billion broadband expansion project. The major goal is to expand high-speed Internet to rural America over the next six years. The FCC estimates that will increase economic growth by $50 billion over that period.

These reforms, according to the commission, create a new Connect America Fund with an annual budget of no more than $4.5 billion, paid through current wireless and other telephone taxes, which will extend broadband, telephone and data infrastructure to the millions of Americans who currently have no access to broadband and related services. As a result, today’s action has the potential to be one of the biggest job creators in rural America in decades. The FCC estimates that approximately 500,000 jobs will be created over the next six years by expanding high-speed Internet access to over 7 million Americans living in rural areas. And by increasing the overall size of the U.S. marketplace, small Main Street businesses across the country will benefit from the opportunity to sell to new customers, with improved wireless telephone and broadband access in area with weak or non existent reception.

Full PDF text of FCC announcement, click here. 10/27/2011

ALL U-S TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ BY YEAR'S END

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2011 - All U.S. service members will leave Iraq by the end of the year, President Barack Obama announced today. More below video of President's speech.

About 40,000 U.S. service members are in the country, and all will be "home for the holidays," Obama said.

The president made the announcement after speaking with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki this morning.

Since American forces went into Iraq in March 2003, more than 1 million Americans have deployed to the Middle Eastern country ï¿½ many multiple times. More than 32,200 U.S. service members and civilians have been wounded in the country, and 4,482 were killed.

"Today, I can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," the president said. "The last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," the president said. "That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end."

The United States will maintain a close alliance with Iraq, the president said, and the withdrawal means the relationship between the countries will be just like that between the United States with any other country. Obama said it will be "an equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect."

Obama said he and Maliki agreed that a meeting of the Higher Coordinating Committee of the Strategic Framework Agreement will convene in the coming weeks, and that he invited the Iraqi leader to Washington to plan the future relationship.

"This will be a strong and enduring partnership, with our diplomats and civilian advisers in the lead; will help Iraqis strengthen institutions that are just, representative and accountable; will build new ties of trade and of commerce, culture and education, that unleash the potential of the Iraqi people; will partner with an Iraq that contributes to regional security and peace, just as we insist that other nations respect Iraq's sovereignty," Obama said.

The United States will offer to help Iraq train and equip its forces, just as the United States offers assistance to countries around the world.

"There will be some difficult days ahead for Iraq, and the United States will continue to have an interest in an Iraq that is stable, secure and self-reliant," the president said. "Just as Iraqis have persevered through war, I'm confident that they can build a future worthy of their history as the cradle of civilization."

The end of war in Iraq reflects a larger transition in world affairs, Obama said. "The tide of war is receding," he said. "The drawdown in Iraq allowed us to refocus our fight against al-Qaida and achieve major victories against its leadership, including Osama bin Laden."

The United States also is reducing the number of troops deployed to Afghanistan. He noted that when he took office in January 2009, more than 180,000 U.S. service members were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. "By the end of this year, that number will be cut in half. And make no mistake: It will continue to go down," the president said.

The president said the United States is moving forward from a position of strength. The war in Iraq will end in December. The number of Americans in Afghanistan will continue to go down. As these actions continue, there will be fewer deployments and more time for training, Obama said.

The nation still has the responsibility and duty to provide America's newest veterans and their families "the care, the benefits and the opportunities that they have earned," the president said.

"This includes enlisting our veterans in the greatest challenge that we now face as a nation ï¿½ creating opportunity and jobs in this country," he added. "After a decade of war, the nation that we need to build and the nation that we will build is our own, an America that sees its economic strength restored, just as we've restored our leadership around the globe."

Preparations to withdraw continue. The United States closed its U.S. Division North at Camp Speicher yesterday. Only one divisional level U.S. unit now remains in the country. Comment on today's developments from Brookings Institutution's, Kenneth M. Pollack,Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, click here.10/21/2011

ALL TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ BY YEAR'S END

GADDAFI KILLED IN LAST STAND

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2011 - The death of Moammar Gadhafi marks the end of a long and painful era for the Libyan people, President Barack Obama said today.

"For four decades, the Gadhafi regime ruled the Libyan people with an iron fist," Obama said in the White House's Rose Garden. "Today we can definitively say that the Gadhafi regime has come to an end. The last major regime strongholds have fallen. The new government is consolidating the control over the country, and one of the world's longest-serving dictators is no more."

The people of Libya took their lessons from the Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Libya and revolted against Gadhafi, the president said, but he was too powerful, and his forces moved against the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. The world feared a bloodbath and acted quickly, Obama said.

"Faced with the potential of mass atrocities and a call for help from the Libyan people, the United States and our friends and allies stopped Gadhafi's forces in their tracks," he said. "A coalition that included the United States, NATO and Arab nations persevered through the summer to protect Libyan civilians."

Libyan rebels coalesced around the Transitional National Council and broke the back of the regime. "The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted, and with this enormous promise, the Libyan people now have a great responsibility: to build an inclusive and tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke to Gadhafi's dictatorship," Obama said.

Americans have assisted this effort to protect Libyans from their bloodthirsty leader every step of the way, the president said.

"Our skilled diplomats have helped to lead an unprecedented global response, our brave pilots have flown in Libya's skies, our sailors have provided support off Libya's shores, and our leadership at NATO has helped guide our coalition," he said. "Without putting a single U.S. service member on the ground, we achieved our objectives, and our NATO mission will soon come to an end."

"We've taken out al-Qaida leaders, and we've put them on the path to defeat," he said. "We're winding down the war in Iraq, and have begun a transition in Afghanistan. And now, [working with friends and allies in Libya], we've demonstrated what collective action can achieve in the 21st century."

According to news reports, Libyan rebel forces killed Gadhafi outside Sirte during a 40-minute firefight. U.S. officials have no direct confirmation of Gadhafi's death, but the president did hear from the Libyan prime minister of the Transitional National Council, and White House officials said he has "confidence" in the reports of the dictator's death.

Sporadic fighting continues in Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said today. U.S. officials said it is too early to tell when NATO's Operation Unified Protector will conclude, but that it probably will end soon.

Obama ordered U.S. forces to begin Operation Odyssey Dawn on March 19. U.S. and coalition allies launched 110 Tomahawk missiles to begin the operation.

The objectives were to prevent further attacks by Gadhafi regime forces on Libyan citizens and opposition groups, especially around Benghazi, and to degrade the regime's capability to resist the no-fly zone put in place under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

By March 20, the no-fly zone was effectively in place, and by April 1, NATO had assumed command of the operation -- changing the name to Operation Unified Protector. American forces were in support of a large coalition flying strikes into Libya and stopping ships on the high seas that were seeking to break the U.N. embargo on the North African country.

From April 1 to Sept. 30, the Defense Department spent roughly $1.1 billion on the operation. This includes funding daily military operations, munitions, the drawdown of defense supplies and humanitarian assistance, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Since April 1, U.S. aircraft have flown 7,725 sorties in support of Unified Protector. The number of U.S. strike sorties launched was 1,825, and the number of Predator sorties 145. The number of U.S. strike sorties that dropped ordnance was 397.

"We look forward to the announcement of the country's liberation, the quick formation of an interim government and a stable transition to Libya's first free and fair elections," Obama said. 10/20/2011

GAO SAYS RUNWAY AND AIR INCIDENTS RISING

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The rate of so called , "incursions" or situations that put passengers at risk, has risen sharply over the last six years, according to the Governmental Accountability Office.

The GAO claims, in fiscal year 2004, there were 11 incursions per million operations at these airports; by fiscal year 2010, the rate increased to 18 incursions per million operations. The rate and number of airborne operational errors--errors made by air traffic controllers--have increased considerably in recent years, with the rate nearly doubling from the second quarter of fiscal 2008 to the same period of 2011. FAA has not met its related performance goals. Comprehensive data are not available for some safety incidents, including runway overruns or incidents in ramp areas. Recent increases in reported runway incursions and airborne operational errors can be somewhat attributed to several changes in reporting policies and procedures at FAA; however, trends may also indicate an increase in the actual occurrence of incidents. Enhanced oversight and additional information about surface and airborne incidents could help improve safety in the terminal area. FAA oversight in the terminal area is currently limited to certain types of incidents, notably runway incursions and certain airborne incidents, and does not include runway overruns or incidents in ramp areas. In addition, the agency lacks data collection processes, risk-based metrics, and assessment frameworks for analyzing other safety incidents such as runway overruns, incidents in ramp areas, or a wider range of airborne errors. Further, changes to reporting processes and procedures make it difficult to assess safety trends, and existing data may not be readily available to decision makers, including those at the regional and local levels. As a result, FAA may have difficulty assessing recent trends in safety incidents, the risks posed to aircraft or passengers in the terminal area, and the impact of the agency's efforts to improve safety. GAO recommends that FAA (1) extend oversight of terminal area safety to include runway overruns and ramp areas, (2) develop risk-based measures for runway safety incidents, and (3) improve information sharing about incidents. The Department of Transportation agreed to consider the recommendations and provided clarifying information about efforts made to improve runway safety, which GAO incorporated. Full text of summary and links to full report from GAO, click here. 10/14/2011

CONGRESS PASSES THREE INTERNATIONAL TRADE BILLS TO BOOST AMERICAN EXPORTS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- It took four years, but an acrimonious congress came together long enough to pass three international trade bills yesterday and last night designed to boost American exports by more than $13 billion a year . American union leaders were among those trying to change the measure, believing it will put American companies at a huge disadvantage. According to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, "These flawed trade deals – with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama -- are the wrong medicine at the wrong time. The Economic Policy Institute predicts that the trade deal with Korea could cost nearly 160,000 American jobs. A deal with Colombia is not just bad policy, it's immoral. Colombians who try to organize to lift their families out of poverty are often murdered with impunity. Just last year, 51 trade unionists were assassinated. Would we pass a trade agreement with a country where 51 corporate CEOs had been murdered? And in Panama, we're not just destroying American jobs, but entering into a trade deal with a country that routinely tramples workers' rights and shelters money launderers and corporate tax dodgers".

In response, congress included a provision that Colombia to protect labor and corporate leaders. When the voting was done, trade agreements with Panama, South Korea and Colombia cleared both chambers.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis defended the three pacts, saying, "....both parties worked together to renew our Trade Adjustment Assistance program for the future, while paving the way for approval of trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. TAA ensures that workers who lose their jobs as a result of trade and through no fault of their own will have access to resources, benefits and job training — all of which are essential to a balanced trade agenda.As the White House and Congress advance a trade agenda to hasten our nation's economic recovery and get more Americans back to work, we have a responsibility to ensure that American workers impacted by foreign competition have the assistance they need to adapt their skills, provide for their families and succeed in the 21st century".

INDEPENDENT NON-PROFITS TRYING TO SAVE PBS TV AFFILIATES AT RISK OF GOING OFF THE AIR

TWO ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS STAFFERS ARRESTED IN $20 MILLION CONTRACT FRAUD SCHEME

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Federal District Attorneys from Washington have arrested four Virginia men, including two longtime employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for their alleged involvement in $20 million in alleged bribes and kickback payments and the planned steering of a $780 million government contract to a favored contractor.

According to prosecutors, the defendants include Kerry F. Khan, 53, of Alexandria, Va.; his son, Lee A. Khan, 30, of Fairfax, Va.; Michael A. Alexander, 55, of Woodbridge, Va., and Harold F. Babb, 60, of Sterling, Va. Kerry Khan and Alexander are employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Babb is director of contracts for a company that did business with the government.

According to the indictment, Kerry Khan and Alexander helped funnel more than $45 million in payments to a favored company through a federal government contract they oversaw, with plans to steer hundreds of millions more to the business. Approximately $20 million in fraudulent expenses were built into the invoices, and proceeds went to all four defendants.

All four defendants were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud and aiding and abetting and causing an illegal act to be done, as well as one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kerry Khan and Alexander also were indicted on one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official, and Babb was indicted on one count of unlawful kickbacks.

AMANDA KNOX FREED BY ITALIAN APPEALS COURT

More from the Voice of America- A jury in Perugia, Italy has overturned the murder conviction of U.S. college student Amanda Knox and ordered her freed from prison.

Knox collapsed in tears and the courtroom erupted Monday evening when the decision was read. Knox's former Italian boyfriend and co-defendant, Raffaele Sollecito, also was exonerated and freed from prison.

Knox was appealing her 26-year prison sentence on charges of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in 2007 during what prosecutors called a drug-fueled sex game that turned violent. Before the verdict was read, the defendant struggled to hold back tears as she told the jury that she did not kill, rape or steal. She insisted she was watching a movie at Sollecito's house when Kercher was killed.

Prosecutors called Knox a witch and a she-devil whose innocent looks hid a life of sex, drugs and drinking.

But court-appointed independent forensic experts said the DNA used to convict Knox was unreliable and possibly contaminated by police. Knox's lawyers also said the prosecution could not show any clear motive or evidence linking her to the murder.

Knox likely will return home with her family to Seattle, Washington.

A third suspect, former drug dealer Rudy Guede, was given a 30-year prison sentence. He also has pleaded innocent but was not part of Monday's jury decision. 10/03/2011

WASHINGTON MONUMENT REMAINS CLOSED AS CRACKS ARE FIXED / NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO OF QUAKE

FEMA NEARS END OF MONEY FOR DISASTER AID AS CONGRESS HITS ANOTHER STALEMATE / TOTAL FEDERAL SHUTDOWN LOOMS NEXT WEEKEND

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- As expected, the Senate rejected a House bill that exchanged funds for "Green" energy projects to pay for disaster aid. Not only does the stalemate over the FEMA funds threaten to leave the agency's disaster aid program broke by Monday, the bill's rejection also raises the stakes for a total government shutdown next weekend.

Republicans, who have opposed "Green" energy projects, have used the vote and a hearing today on the colossal failure of a "Green" energy company, Solyndra, to showcase their reasons why they oppose such projects and are willing to use that money instead, for FEMA disaster aid. The Solyndra failure and bankruptcy, leaves the government on the line for more than $535 million in federally backed loans for the California factory. The company failed as Chinese solar panel producers increasingly undercut the company's prices on the global market. Federal investigators are also combing through confiscated company records to see if any federal laws were violated.

Democrats contend that emergency appropriations for disaster aid have always been handled as emergency bills, separate from the normal legislative path for budget proposals.

Conservative Republicans have managed to keep the "Green" projects funding tied to disaster aid, despite an attempt by Speaker John Boehner to keep the issues separate.

Meanwhile, FEMA is still heavily involved in disaster aid projects for floods throughout the U-S, wildfires in the western states, and an active hurricane season that is at least a month from ending. 09/22/2011

ISRAEL CALLS FOR PEACE TALKS / PALESTINIANS ASK U-N TO ADMIT THEM AS A STATE

OBAMA SAYS PALESTINIAN STATE WILL ONLY COME WITH PEACE DEAL - VOICE OF AMERICA REPORT (2 MINUTES)

WORLD ECONOMY UNSTABLE - VOICE OF AMERICA REPORT (3 MINUTES)

ARMED SERVICES TO MAKE MORE TOP OFFICER CUTS

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2011 - The nation's military services will reduce their general and flag officer ranks by 103 by the end of 2014, senior Defense Department officials told Congress members yesterday.

Clifford L. Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, led the witness slate for a two-part hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee's personnel subcommittee on general and flag officer requirements. He was joined by
Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff, and Benjamin J. Freeman, a national security fellow for the Project on Government Oversight Location.

Stanley and Gortney led a study group tasked by then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to identify at least 50 active-duty general or flag officer positions to be eliminated as part of Gates' efficiency initiatives launched in 2010, Stanley said.

"In addition, the secretary directed that we seek every opportunity to eliminate bureaucracy, reduce overhead, and develop policies to better manage future general and flag-officer growth," he added.

The study group reviewed the 952 authorized one- to four-star active-duty flag and general officer positions across the services authorized in 2010, Stanley said, and it recommended that 110 positions be eliminated.

Gates approved 103 for elimination, 23 for reduction to a lesser grade, and 10 to be reallocated to joint organizations such as U.S. Cyber Command, he said.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who succeeded Gates, has accepted the policies put in place by his predecessor, Stanley said.

The eliminated flag-officer positions will remain authorized, which gives DOD flexibility to meet emerging requirements, the undersecretary said.

Similarly, Stanley said, the military departments have identified positions they can eliminate or transfer to the senior executive service, the civilian equivalent of flag officers, to gain that same flexibility.

"We refer to this as a service buffer," Stanley said. "This buffer serves as a shock absorber against new requirements, allowing an offset position to be eliminated without negative impact on the mission or personnel caused by ill-timed action."

Gortney said weeks before the study group set to work, the services evaluated their general or flag officer positions as "must have, need to have, good to have, and nice to have."

The study group included members of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and representatives from each service's general and flag-officer management offices, the vice admiral noted.

"The study group went after growth, and the majority of the growth was in overseas contingency operations," he said.

Gortney noted that of the 103 positions approved for elimination, 47 are from overseas contingency operations including those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Freeman testified on the Project on Government Oversight's investigation of general and flag officer numbers in the U.S. military.

"In the decade since the war in Afghanistan began, higher ranks grew at a much faster rate than lower ranks," he said. "The top officer ranks ... have grown faster than enlisted and lower officer ranks, and the three- and four-star ranks have increased faster than all other components of the DOD's force structure."

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., assistant Marine Corps commandant, and the service vice chiefs of staff, Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Navy Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III, and Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, made up the panel for part two of the hearing.

As operations in Iraq and Afghanistan draw down, Chiarelli told the subcommittee, Pentagon leaders "recognize the military services will be required to make reductions to end strength to include within our flag and general officer ranks."

By 2014, the Army will reduce the number of its internal general officers by 11 and its joint pool from 102 to a minimum of 82, Chiarelli said. The Army's general officer end strength, he added, will then be 301, one less than the number in place from 1995 to 2008.

"We believe this projected end strength will be sufficient to meet our need [for] senior leadership, both internal to the Army and across the Department of Defense," Chiarelli said. "That said, any further reductions or acceleration of planned reductions would jeopardize our ability to effectively meet those requirements."

Ferguson said the Navy will change some 25 positions, for an end strength of 149 flag officers assigned to the service and 60 in the joint pool.

"In addition, we downgraded 50 officers," he said. "Flag positions were converted to senior executive service. We fully support these reductions and believe that we're appropriately sized for our current tasking."

Dunford said the Marine Corps will reduce its joint general officer pool from 26 to 21 by 2015, and has already eliminated one senior executive service position.

"The current mix of Marine Corps general officers represents the proper balance to support Marine Corps operating forces in supporting element demands across the globe, and we're satisfied with our joint representation," he said.

Breedlove said the Air Force has targeted 39 general officer positions and nine SES positions for elimination.

When the reductions are complete in 2014, the Air Force will have 261 general officers and 188 senior executive service positions, he said.

"Ultimately, we believe that we [will] have the correct mix of military officers and civilian executives to provide the Air Force with the best leadership team," Breedlove said. 09/15/2011

CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR LIBYA AFTER REVOLT

LIBYAN REBELS NEAR TOTAL CONTROL / TAKE OVER CAPITOL OF TRIPOLI

More from the Voice of America- The rebels said fighting intensified when tanks emerged from Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound and opened fire. Libyan rebels trying to oust Moammar Gadhafi say they control most of the capital, Tripoli, but shooting continued Monday as pockets of fighters loyal to the Libyan leader were holding out in parts of the city.

The head of the Libyan opposition's Transitional National Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, said the rebels do not know Gadhafi's whereabouts. He said Gadhafi will receive a fair trial once captured, but he does not know how the dictator will defend himself against the crimes committed against the Libyan people and the world.

The latest fighting comes after the rebels broke through Tripoli's outer defenses and reached the city's central Green Square, where thousands celebrated the opposition's arrival.

After the rebels arrived, jubilant Libyans in the central square, which the rebels have renamed Martyrs Square, tore down posters of Gadhafi and stomped on them. Until recently, the government had used the area for mass demonstrations in support of Gadhafi.

The rebel troops moved into central Tripoli with little resistance after capturing a key military base near the edge of the city as they advanced from the west.

The rebels say they have detained two of Gadhafi's sons, including his one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Monday he will contact the rebels and urge them to surrender Seif al-Islam to the Hague-based court as soon as possible. Seif al-Islam is indicted along with his father and Libya's intelligence chief on charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly planning and ordering attacks on civilians in the early days of the crackdown on anti-government protests.

38 KILLED IN NATO CHOPPER CRASH / 31 ARE U-S

More from the Voice of America- A NATO helicopter has gone down in Eastern Afghanistan. The international coalition confirms the crash but did not give a cause. Afghan President Hamid Karzai says 31 U.S. Special Forces troops and 7 Afghan troops died in the crash. An investigation has begun.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was grieved by the deaths of the American and Afghan soldiers when the helicopter went down late Friday in Wardak province in Eastern Afghanistan. Karzai expressed his condolences to U.S. President Barack Obama and to the families of the victims.

Officials say this is the highest death toll from a single incident for international forces in the nearly 10-year-old Afghan war.

The Chinook helicopter was operating in Wardak province, a hotbed of insurgent activity.

Reading from a prepared statement, a spokesman for the International Security Forces, or ISAF, Lt. Nick Papadakis, said there were reports that enemy fighters were active in the region at the time.

"An international security force assistance helicopter crashed in Eastern Afghanistan today and recovery operations are underway," he said. "ISAF is still in the process of assessing the circumstances to determine the facts of the incident. Reporting indicates there was enemy activity was in the area."

Eyewitnesses in the area say that there were several helicopters involved in the action and that the Chinook came down after trying to lift off from a house where insurgents had gathered.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incident. In a release the group says it used a rocket to bring the helicopter down.

But the Regional Governor of Wardak, Mohammad Halem Faidai, says an investigation will determine the cause.

"I think we should wait for the result of our investigation team," he said. "The investigation team is in the scene… are studying the type of the incident, the causes of the incident and the number of the casualties. Once that is complete we will share the information."

This summer’s fighting season is turning out to be one of the bloodiest of the war, as all sides in the conflict try to gain an upper hand before the withdrawal of NATO troops begins.

A recent United Nations study indicated that security incidents are up by 50 percent when compared to the same period last year.

According to the Independent Monitoring Organization, iCasualties.org, with this incident the number of U.S. fatalities in the War in Afghanistan now stands at 1,644. Voice of America home page, click here. 08/06/2011

DEAL REACHED TO RESTORE TEMPORARY FUNDING FOR FAA

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), announced this afternoon he had reached agreement with Senate Republican leadership to approve a temporary FAA funding measure, already approved in the House. Sen. Reid now has the authority to hold a sparsely attended Senate "Pro Forma" session during the recess. Both the House and Senate broke for recess Tuesday, with the FAA funding issue unresolved. The measure, once approved in a process known as, "Unanimous Consent", will be sent to President Obama for his signature.

Return of more than 4,000 FAA workers who were laid off after July 23d, because the previous temporary funding measure expired.

Resumption of FAA related construction projects, such as runway improvements and terminal expansions. This will return more than 70,000 construction workers to their jobs.

Likely continuation of subsidies for air service at 13 small cities in largely rural areas. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood promised the Obama administration will waive any restrictions for funding until a permanent funding bill is approved.

Still to be resolved issues include permanent funding for agency, continuation of subsidized air service to small cities in rural areas,. The most contentious issue, which has angered Republicans, changes in union voting rules, which had been ordered by the National Mediation Board, stating those who don't vote in elections to certify a union, cannot be automatically counted as, "No" votes. The order reverses a long standing ruling, which had favored corporate interests, in battling union organization of the workforce. The board ordered the change, claiming the current vote counting policy was without constitutional precedent, lacking due process and equal protection.

POSTAL SERVICE RELEASES LIST OF POST OFFICES TO BE CLOSED

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Postal Service announced today that it plans to close about 3,700 offices, though it left the door open for some of them to remain. Click here for state by state list. The Postal Service hopes it will save more than $200 million. During a news conference today, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe emphasized that about 2,500 offices will be replaced by so called, "Village Post Offices" , at gas stations and convenience stores. In January, the Postal Service had originally proposed closing 2,000 offices, however, just under 300 have been closed. The new list, released today, includes offices that were previously mentioned in the January announcement, as well as additional offices, as USPS's financial condition has worsened during the recession. Press release from USPS, click here. 07/26/2011

HAZY FUTURE FOR NASA MANNED SPACE PROGRAM

CONGRESS LEAVES FAA WITHOUT FUNDING / POTENTIAL CHAOS COULD FORCE LAY OFF OF 4,000

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- As today's deadline passed to approve continued interim funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency is now forced with the prospect of laying off 4,000 employees, with questions remaining as to how the nation's air control system will be able to function. It also leaves air transportation construction programs in limbo. In a statement released by the Transportation Department today, officials explained the current FAA reauthorization expires at midnight tonight, Friday, July 22, 2011.

Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt pointed out, in the statement, that,

" Congress has extended the FAA’s authorization 20 separate times without controversy. Without an extension, the FAA will be forced to furlough nearly 4,000 employees and will be unable to move forward on important airport construction projects and other critical airport activities.While this lapse in FAA’s authorization affects thousands of public and private sector jobs, it is important to note that the safety of the flying public will not be compromised.The FAA employees who will be furloughed perform critical work for our nation’s aviation system and our economy”. Babbitt added, “These are real people with families who do not deserve to be put out of work during these tough economic times.”

FAA officials say The Airport Improvement Program has already stopped processing new airport grants in anticipation of a furlough. The program, which provides construction project grants to airports, will be shut down and unable to provide roughly $2.5 billion for airport projects in all 50 states that could put thousands of people to work in good paying jobs. For example:

Additionally, the FAA claims it will forced to withhold money for states and individual airports as a result of the lapse in authorization. For example, Florida airports will not have access to over $40 million in funding and the state of California cannot use nearly $38 million. The FAA also cannot give the state of Ohio over $10 million in airport grant money or the state of Virginia over $16 million for which they are eligible.

Up to 4,000 FAA employees in 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will be furloughed and forced to go without pay. Large numbers of employees in New Jersey, New York, California, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Illinois and the District of Columbia will be affected. This includes many of FAA’s engineers, scientists, research analysts, administrative assistants, computer specialists, program managers and analysts, environmental protection specialists, and community planners. Full text of Department of Transportation statement, click here. 07/22/2011

VIDEO: ATLANTIS RETURNS TO KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

MURDOCH TAKES RESPONSIBILITY BUT NOT THE BLAME FOR PHONE HACKING SCANDAL

FEMA SAYS RENTERS NOT AWARE THEY ARE ENTITLED TO ASSISTANCE IN DISASTER AREAS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- This year's disasters have left disaster victims confused about what assistance they may qualify for. Officials in Tennessee claim that thousands of renters in declared disaster areas were unaware they qualified for disaster assistance. FEMA issued a statemtn today saying, renters, too, may qualify for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other sources if they experienced losses in the recent severe storms, tornadoes and flooding.

"Disaster aid is not limited to homeowners," said Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Bassham. "Thanks to rental support programs, many renters who sustained damage in this disaster can receive the boost they need to get back on their feet."

"The storms and flooding that hit Tennessee didn't discriminate between homeowners and renters," agreed the Federal Coordinating Officer, W. Montague Winfield. "FEMA is here to ensure that all survivors get the assistance they are eligible to receive."

Renters and homeowners alike may also be eligible for Other Needs Assistance, designed to help survivors with uninsured necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. This money can be used for:

To qualify for any of this aid, renters must register with FEMA by Aug. 9, 2011.

To register by phone, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. The TTY number is 800-462-7585.

UPDATE ON HAITI - INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS VIDEO - JULY 14 2011 (6 MINUTES)

UPDATE ON HAITI RAINY SEASON PREPARATIONS - AMERICAN RED CROSS (2 MINUTES)

WIRETAP SCANDAL CLOSES ENGLAND'S LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPER / OWNED BY RUPERT MURDOCH

ATLANTIS LIFTOFF / VOICE OF AMERICA (4 MINUTES)

REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC ELDERS TRY TO MEDIATE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN MINNESOTA

MONTANA OIL SPILL IN YELLOWSTONE RIVER WIDENS / EXXON MOBIL YET TO FIND BREAK IN PIPELINE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Exxon Mobil says it would have to wait for flood waters to subside to start oil cleanup operations along parts of the Yellowstone River in Montana. A leak on the Silvertip pipeline dumped around 1,000 barrels of oil into the Yellowstone River near Billings, Mont., late Friday. Exxon Mobil said there were more than 280 people involved in the cleanup and 150 were deployed along the river banks as of Monday."Given the current flooding and very swift river currents, we will need to wait until it is safe to get into some area", the company said in a statement. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning until Thursday afternoon for parts of south central Montana. A slight chance of rain is expected through the weekend. ExxonMobile still has not been able to determine the cause of the leak from the 12-inch pipeline.. Authorities said the spill could reach the Missouri River, fed by the Yellowstone River. The energy company said it had a unified command in place to monitor the plume. Full text of ExxonMobil statement, click here. Special coverage webpage from the Billings Gazette, click here. 07/05/2011

FORECASTS SAY WILDFIRES WILL NOT MOVE INTO LOS ALAMOS NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BATTLES BACK AGAINST BLAME FOR MISSOURI RIVER FLOODING

JUNE 2011, ONE OF THE BIGGEST MONTHS FOR F-B-I FRAUD & ORGANIZED CRIME CASES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- It seemed like, "law enforcement on steroids". this month, for the FBI and other law enforcement agencies co-operating with fraud and organized crime cases.

Just this week, the FBI made short work out of a tip on the location of reputed Boston mobster, 81 year old , James J. "Whitey" Bulger, leader of the onetime Irish mafia group, "The Winter Hill Gang". Bulger is suspect in at least 19 murders, including some cases outside Massachusetts, dating back to the 1970's. FBI, California state and Santa Monica, California authorities took Bulger into custody late Wednesday night along with his longtime girlfriend, 60 year old Katherine Greig. For now, Greig is expected to face only a charge of harboring a fugitive. Both waved extradition to Boston in a California federal court on Thursday and were returned to Boston for another court hearing today. What will emerge as an issue in any legal case against Bulger, is his state of mind. Despite reports that he appeared in a capable and cognitive state of mind in the federal hearing on Thursday, neighbors who periodically saw the couple over the years, describe him as having a mostly lost and belligerent state of mind, consistent with dementia. Most of those same neighbors, who demanded anonymity, in various media reports, question how he would be in any state of mind to be tried in court.

The FBI, also today, issued a statement, claiming that it had no knowledge of Bulger's location previous to an ad campaign earlier this week, that produced the tip leading to his arrest. The Special Agent-In-Charge of the Boston Division, Richard DesLauriers, claims, in the statement, "There has been some speculation that the FBI knew about the location of Mr. Bulger prior to the initiation of the FBI’s most recent publicity campaign regarding Catherine Greig and James J. “Whitey” Bulger To ensure that there is no misunderstanding about the FBI’s search for Mr. Bulger, I want to reiterate statements I made earlier on this matter.Any claim that the FBI knew Mr. Bulger’s whereabouts prior to the FBI’s publicity efforts this week are completely unfounded. When we learned his location, he was arrested promptly.The FBI crafted a media plan to reach as many people as possible. As is now evident, this effort was successful and led directly to the arrest of Mr. Bulger, and highlights the importance of the public’s assistance in these matters". Full text of FBI press release, click here.

Earlier this month, June 10th, the FBI and federal officials report Adley H. Abdulwahab, 35, of Houston, was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a $100 million fraud scheme with more than 800 victims across the United States and Canada.The conviction was announced today by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.“Today’s quick verdict found Mr. Abdulwahab guilty of a $100 million fraud and stealing the life savings of elderly retirees and hundreds of others who have seen everything they worked years for disappear,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “This case, involving victims in dozens of states, clearly demonstrates that a national fraud case can have real implications to everyday people. That is why we created the Virginia Financial and Securities Fraud Task Force last year to go after national cases that impact ordinary citizens on Main Street as well as Wall Street". Full text of FBI press re;lease, click here.

OBAMA EXTENDS WITHDRAWAL OF U-S FORCES FROM AFGHANISTAN

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama tonight, in a speech to the nation, announced more specifics of his plan for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan. Still his plan, through 2012, leaves the number of troops higher than than when he took 0over as President in 2009. Obama hopes to have nearly all U-S troops home in 2014, but admitted there will be a U-S presence in the country for some time, since the formation of a national security force there, is still incomplete.

Obama's 13 minute address outlined some of the immediate plans.

".....starting next month, we will be able to remove 10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and we will bring home a total of 33,000 troops by next summer, fully recovering the surge I announced at West Point. After this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan security forces move into the lead. Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014, this process of transition will be complete, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security.

We’re starting this draw down from a position of strength. Al Qaeda is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11. Together with the Pakistanis, we have taken out more than half of al Qaeda’s leadership. And thanks to our intelligence professionals and Special Forces, we killed Osama bin Laden, the only leader that al Qaeda had ever known. This was a victory for all who have served since 9/11. One soldier summed it up well. “The message,” he said, “is we don’t forget. You will be held accountable, no matter how long it takes.”

The information that we recovered from bin Laden’s compound shows al Qaeda under enormous strain. Bin Laden expressed concern that al Qaeda had been unable to effectively replace senior terrorists that had been killed, and that al Qaeda has failed in its effort to portray America as a nation at war with Islam -– thereby draining more widespread support. Al Qaeda remains dangerous, and we must be vigilant against attacks. But we have put al Qaeda on a path to defeat, and we will not relent until the job is done.

In Afghanistan, we’ve inflicted serious losses on the Taliban and taken a number of its strongholds. Along with our surge, our allies also increased their commitments, which helped stabilize more of the country. Afghan security forces have grown by over 100,000 troops, and in some provinces and municipalities we’ve already begun to transition responsibility for security to the Afghan people. In the face of violence and intimidation, Afghans are fighting and dying for their country, establishing local police forces, opening markets and schools, creating new opportunities for women and girls, and trying to turn the page on decades of war.

Of course, huge challenges remain. This is the beginning -- but not the end –- of our effort to wind down this war. We’ll have to do the hard work of keeping the gains that we’ve made, while we draw down our forces and transition responsibility for security to the Afghan government. And next May, in Chicago, we will host a summit with our NATO allies and partners to shape the next phase of this transition". Text of Obama speech on Afghanistan, click here. Video of speech below.

OBAMA TO ANNOUNCE DECISION ON AFGHANISTAN TROOP WITHDRAWALS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama is scheduled to speak to the nation, Wednesday night, about U-S plans for withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is believed the President will order a staged withdrawal over a 9 to 18 month period. Obama is trying to balance various factions within the White House. Outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates stressed extreme caution in any withdrawal from Afghanistan, however others within the White House are becoming increasingly impatient with what is seen as the Afghanistan government's level of corruption, lack of planning, and respect, in view of the American forces draw down. Emeritus News will carry the President's speech live on our home page, Wednesday night, at 8 pm ET. Click on video of story from Voice of America below. 06/21/2011

REP. ANTHONY WEINER QUITTING

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- During a raucous news conference this afternoon in New York, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-9th District) announced he was quitting. Weiner thanked his supporters, his family and his wife, for standing by him during the unfolding sexting scandal involving other women. Rep. Weiner came under increasing pressure to step down over embarrassing photos and texts to women, including a porn star. During the news conference, Weiner was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers, shouting insults and accusations.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo could call a special election to fill Weiner's vacated house seat. The seat has been targeted for elimination, due to New York state losing two seats to other states, where population has shifted, such as Texas, which picked up 4 seats. So, the winner of the special election likely faces redistricting elimination by 2012. 06/16/2011

LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE LAWMAKERS CHALLENGE U-S ROLE IN LIBYA / WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Earlier this week, there was the challenge from House Speaker John Boehner that the White House needed approval to continue military action against Libya. Today, Ohio's stalwart liberal Democrat, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, was joined by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), announcing they were suing the White House, claiming the Obama Administration overstepped constitutional authority when it launched military operations against Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi in March without congressional approval. Critics say some kind of deal must be reached by this weekend to avoid a constitutional showdown.

Tonight, the White House responded. In a written statement released by President Obama, the president claims the Libyan conflict is not a war. Expalining his position, the President writes,

"As I reported on March 21, and at my direction, consistent with a request from the Arab League, and as authorized by the United Nations Security Council under the provisions of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, U.S. military forces commenced operations on March 19, 2011, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and address the threat posed to international peace and security by the crisis in Libya and to protect the people of Libya from the Qadhafi regime. The initial phase of U.S. military involvement in Libya was conducted under the command of the U.S. Africa Command. By April 4, however, the United States had transferred responsibility for the military operations in Libya to NATO and the U.S. involvement has assumed a supporting role in the coalition's efforts. Since April 4, U.S. participation has consisted of: (1) non kinetic support to the NATO led operation, including intelligence, logistical support, and search and rescue assistance; (2) aircraft that have assisted in the suppression and destruction of air defenses in support of the no fly zone; and (3) since April 23, precision strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles against a limited set of clearly defined targets in support of the NATO led coalition's efforts. Although we are no longer in the lead, U.S. support for the NATO based coalition remains crucial to assuring the success of international efforts to protect civilians and civilian populated areas from the actions of the Qadhafi regime, and to address the threat to international peace and security posed by the crisis in Libya. With the exception of operations to rescue the crew of a U.S. aircraft on March 21, 2011, the United States has deployed no ground forces to Libya".

$36.9 BILLION SET FOR NEW DEFENSE DEPT. DRONE AIRCRAFT

More from the Emeritus Newsroom - A Congressional Budget Office reveals some of the plans for new drone aircraft from the Defense Department over the next 9 years. It makes no recommendations other than to point out cost differences for adding or cutting from the original projected cost of $36.9 billion.

The CBO points out that over the next 10 years, the Department of Defense (DoD) plans to purchase about 730 new medium-sized and large unmanned aircraft systems based on designs currently in operation, while also improving the unmanned aircraft already in service. By the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) estimates, completing the investments in systems for which there are detailed plans will require about $36.9 billion through 2020. DoD currently has more than 6,000 unmanned aircraft. The majority of those aircraft are short-range reconnaissance systems that have a wingspan of a few feet and have handheld controls used by small military units in combat to look “around corners” or “over hills.” Spending for those systems represents a relatively small proportion of the total investment planned for unmanned aircraft systems. The bulk of DoD’s planned spending is for the more costly medium-sized and large unmanned aircraft systems that are designed to conduct reconnaissance missions or attack ground targets. Full text of CBO study summary including diagrams of drone aircraft, click here. Full CBO report, NOT INCLUDING SUMMARY, click here. 06/14/2011

MUST SEE: PENTAGON THIS WEEK - PENTAGON CHANNEL (24 Minutes)

Stories include,Secretary Gates push for more allied support of NATO in Afghanistan and elsewhere , Defense Sec. Designate Leon Panetta at confirmation hearing, recovery efforts for weather disasters, recognition for WWII Hero.

ARIZONA WILDFIRES EXPAND, CUTTING OFF TOWNS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Officials in northeast Arizona say a wildfire has consumed about 400,000 acres and is still advancing as it threatens a number of small towns. Officials say smoke from the blaze has forced them to issue air quality alerts into New Mexico. Experts planning the firefighting efforts are hopeful the weather conditions will change by this weekend, giving them the chance to gain control. See video below. Map of affected area, click here. LATEST REPORTS FROM THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC, CLICK HERE. LIVE WEBCAMS OF FIRE FROM ABC 15 PHOENIX, CLICK HERE. 06/08/2011

THE OVERWHELMING EXPENSE OF AFGHANISTAN WITH UNDERWHELMING RESULTS / SENATE REPORT SAYS U-S AID FULL OF FRAUD

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A scathing review of the U-S efforts for nation building in Afghanistan leaves little doubt much of the U-S financial aid to the country has been fraudulently or wastefully spent. The review, released by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, follows the history and the problems still ahead in propping up a weak government in Afghanistan with deep concerns about the future. The report states,

"Today, the United States spends more on foreign aid in Afghanistan than in any other country, including Iraq. After 10 years and roughly $18.8 billion in foreign aid, we have achieved some real successes.1 There has been a sevenfold increase in the number of children attending school and significant improvements in health care. But we should have no illusions. Serious challenges remain that will prevent us from achieving our goals unless they are addressed.The State Department and USAID are spending approximately $320 million a month on foreign aid in Afghanistan.3 In part, the administration has been using aid to ‘‘win hearts and minds.’’ For instance, roughly 80 percent of USAID’s resources are being spent in Afghanistan’s restive south and east. Only 20 percent is going to the rest of the country.4 Most of the funds in Afghanistan’s south and east are being used for short-term stabilization programs
instead of longer term development projects, though that balance may now be changing. The evidence that stabilization programs promote stability in Afghanistan is limited. Some research suggests the opposite, and development best practices question the efficacy of using aid as a stabilization tool over the long run. As discussed below, the unintended
consequences of pumping large amounts of money into a war zone cannot be underestimated".

Fraudulent dealings were numerous, with one of the worst involving Kabul Bank. According to the report, in 2010, massive fraud was uncovered at Kabul Bank, including loans totaling $900 million to shareholders at the Bank,
which is nearly 5 percent of Afghanistan’s current Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Fraud of this scale resulted from failures at every level, including internal bank control; Kabul Bank’s auditors—A. F. Ferguson & Co., a Pakistani affiliate of PricewaterhouseCoopers; Afghanistan’s Central Bank; the Central Bank’s advisors, Deloitte,
under a USAID contract; the political establishment; and USAID. At the time, USAID had only one contracting officer’s technical representative overseeing the $92 million contract with Deloitte to provide technical assistance to the Central Bank. An investigation undertaken by the USAID Office of Inspector General determined that Deloitte knew or should have known that there were serious problems at Kabul Bank and failed to alert USAID officials in
Kabul.55 The failures do not end with Deloitte or USAID’s lack of adequate oversight. Independent of its relationship with Deloitte, USAID should have known or suspected that there were serious problems at Kabul Bank. Within Afghanistan, the fraud at Kabul Bank has been described as an open secret, known and discussed by market participants. And yet, it appears that no one at USAID had the technical knowledge or private sector relationships to see what many others in the sector saw.

"We must challenge the assumption that our stabilization programs in their current form necessarily contribute to stability. The administration should continue to assess the impact of our stabilization programs in Afghanistan and reallocate funds, as necessary.We should follow a simple rule: Donors should not implement projects if Afghans cannot sustain them. Development in Afghanistan will only succeed if Afghans are legitimate partners and there is a path toward sustainability. The Afghan Government must have sufficient technical capability and funding to cover operation and maintenance costs after a project is completed. A sustainability strategy would consolidate our programs,
increase on-budget aid, streamline our rules and controls, and pursue a limited number of high-impact programs that do not require complex procurement or infrastructure. We should also focus on raising domestic revenue, reducing aid dependency, and developing partnerships with the private sector to create jobs. Success should not be measured by outputs or the amount of money spent, but by the ability of Afghan institutions to deliver services, the Afghan private sector to generate jobs and grow the economy, and Afghan civil society and public institutions to provide avenues
for citizens to hold their government accountable and participate in political and civic life. More thought should be given to the type of projects we fund. Our aid should be visible among Afghans, and we should have a robust communications strategy in place so Afghans know what U.S. civilian aid in Afghanistan is accomplishing".

TEXAS AND FEDERAL SAY REPORT OF 30 BODIES BURIED IN REMOTE AREA NEAR HOUSTON IS FALSE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Liberty County authorities, Texas and Federal investigators say they have found no human remains or bodies at a home near Cleveland, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of Houston. Officials got a tip about the possibility of 30 bodies, including those of children, buried on the property, which had come from a self professed psychic. Investigators say earlier signs of foul play turned up nothing. The Houston area, along with other areas of southern Texas, has been the scene of numerous crimes related to human trafficking and drug cases linked to crime operations in Mexico. Any reports of multiple bodies are checked by law enforcement agencies. More from the Houston Chronicle. 06/06/2011

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE YIELDS MORE STUDY OF LARGER ILLEGAL POPULATION AND CHALLENGES / MORE ARE UNDER-EDUCATED

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A Congressional Budget Office report gives more definition to the overall picture of illegal immigrants in the U-S. The CBO says their study of 2010 Census Bureau data reveals the foreign-born population tends to have completed less education than the native born population, although some groups match
or exceed native-born citizens’ attainment. In 2009, 29 percent of the foreign-born population between the ages of 25 and 64 had not completed high school or received a GED, compared with about 8 percent of the native born population. However, the percentages of people who had completed a bachelor’s degree or more were similar: Twenty-nine percent of the foreign-born population and 32 percent of the native-born population had at least a bachelor’s degree. The educational attainment of foreign-born people in the United States varies considerably by region of birth. In 2009, people from Mexico and Central America, as a group, had completed less education than had native-born people or people from other regions. A majority, about 56 percent, of people from Mexico and Central America had less than a high school diploma or GED, and only 7 percent had a bachelor’s degree or more. By contrast, about 10 percent of people from Asia had less than a high school diploma or GED, and 55 percent had completed a bachelor’s degree
or more; 6 percent of people from Europe and Canada had less than a high school diploma or GED, and 47 percent had completed a bachelor’s degree or more.

The CBO, in it's historical account of immigration, both legal and illegal, says during much of the nation’s early history, most people who emigrated to the United States came from Europe and Canada. Beginning in the 1920s, however, and continuing until the 1960s, various quotas and preferences were put in place, so that by the end of the 20th century, the nation’s grants of legal permanent resident status went to people from a broader cross section of the world’s countries. As the proportion of people arriving from Europe and Canada declined between the 1930s and the
1980s, grants of LPR status to people from Asia, Mexico, and Central America steadily increased. Since the 1970s, the largest proportion of new legal permanent residents have come from Asia. In fact, between the 1960s and the 1980s, the share of people granted LPR status from Asia nearly tripled. In the 1990s, the proportion of people from
Mexico and Central America who were granted LPR status jumped because of provisions enacted in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. That legislation granted LPR status to some agricultural workers and unauthorized residents who could prove they had been in the country continuously since at least 1982. The most notable change in the first decade of the 21st century was a decrease of about one third (from 35 percent to 22 percent) in the share of people from Mexico and Central America granted LPR status. Over the most recent decade, one-third of all people granted LPR status were from Asia.

According to DHS, in 2009 about 62 percent of the unauthorized foreign-born population in the United States was from Mexico. That population from Mexico had grown by an average of 4 percent per year between 2000 and 2009. The unauthorized foreign-born population is predominantly of working age: In 2009, DHS estimated that 71 percent were
between the ages of 25 and 54; by comparison, 54 percent of naturalized citizens and 39 percent of native-born citizens were in that same age group.

STATES TAX TAKE INCREASING / STILL LAGS BEHIND EXPENSES

FEDS ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF HIGH SPEED RAIL PROJECTS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Obama administration today announced the projects that will share more than $2 billion in federal money for high speed rail projects. According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the project awards provide unprecedented investment to speed up trains in the Northeast Corridor, expand service in the Midwest and provide new, state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars as part of the Administration’s plan to transform travel in America.

The Department’s Federal Railroad Administration selected 15 states and Amtrak to receive $2.02 billion for 22 high-speed intercity passenger rail projects as part of a nationwide network that will connect 80 percent of Americans to high-speed rail in 25 years. The dedicated rail dollars will:

• Make an unprecedented investment in the Northeast Corridor (NEC), with $795 million to upgrade some of the most heavily-used sections of the corridor. The investments will increase speeds from 135 to 160 miles per hour on critical segments, improve on-time performance and add more seats for passengers.
• Provide $404.1 million to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest. Newly constructed segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago will save passengers 30 minutes in travel time and create nearly 1,000 new jobs in the construction phase. Upgrades to the Chicago to St. Louis corridor will shave time off the trip, enhance safety and improve rider ship.
• Boost U.S. manufacturing through a $336.2 million investment in state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest. “Next Generation” rail equipment will deliver safe, reliable and high-tech American-built vehicles for passenger travel.
• Continue laying the groundwork for the nation’s first 220-mph high-speed rail system in California through a $300 million investment, extending the current 110 mile segment an additional 20 miles to advance completion of the Central Valley project, the backbone of the Los Angeles to San Francisco corridor.

Nearly 100 percent of the $2.02 billion announced today will go directly to construction of rail projects, bringing expanded and improved high-speed intercity passenger rail service to cities in all parts of the country. Thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia are currently laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors to link Americans with faster and more energy-efficient travel options.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and annual appropriations have, to date, provided $10.1 billion to put America on track towards providing rail access to new communities and improving the reliability, speed and frequency of existing lines. Of that, approximately $5.8 billion dollars has already been obligated for rail projects.

A strict “Buy America” requirement for high-speed rail projects ensures that U.S. manufacturers and workers will receive the maximum economic benefits from this federal investment. In 2009, Secretary LaHood secured a commitment from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers to employ American workers and locate or expand their base of operations in the U.S. if they are selected for high-speed-rail contracts.

INTELLIGENCE WORK TO GET OSAMA WAS LONG AND TOUGH

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2011 - The plan to attack the compound of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was the result of relentless intelligence work and operational professionalism, White House officials, speaking on background, said this morning.

The operation was the culmination of years of careful and highly advanced intelligence work, officials said, as officers from the CIA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency worked as a team to analyze and pinpoint the Pakistani compound where bin Laden was killed.

Once the intelligence pointed precisely to the compound in Abbottabad - a town 35 miles north of Pakistan's capital of Islamabad - the work on the mission began between the intelligence and military communities.

"In the end, it was the matchless skill and courage of these Americans that secured this triumph for our country and the world," one official said.

A small team conducted the helicopter raid on the compound. An official called it a complex operation, noting that the compound was a virtual fortress - built in 2006 with high walls, razor wire and other defense features. Its suburban location and proximity to Islamabad complicated the operation, the official said.

"The men who executed this mission accepted this risk, practiced to minimize those risks, and understood the importance of the target to the national security of the United States," he said. "This operation was a surgical raid by a small team designed to minimize collateral damage and to pose as little risk as possible to noncombatants on the compound or to Pakistani civilians in the neighborhood."

U.S. helicopters delivered the team to the compound, and the team was on the ground for less than 40 minutes, an official said. They did not encounter any local authorities. In addition to bin Laden, three adult males were killed in the raid.

"There were several women and children at the compound," the official said. "One woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant. Two other women were injured."

One of the U.S. helicopters was lost at the compound due to mechanical failure. The crew destroyed it on the ground, and the assault force and crew members boarded the remaining aircraft to leave, an official said.

"There's also no doubt that the death of Osama bin Laden marks the single greatest victory in the U.S.-led campaign to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida," the official said. "It is a major and essential step in bringing about al-Qaida's eventual destruction."

Though the organization's terrorists still are dangerous and al-Qaida may not fragment immediately, an official said, "the loss of bin Laden puts the group on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse."

The United States did not share any intelligence on the raid with any other country, the official said.

"We believed it was essential to the security of the operation and our personnel," he said. "In fact, only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance." Shortly after the raid, he added, U.S. officials contacted senior Pakistani leaders and told them about the raid and its results.

"Since 9/11, the United States has made it clear to Pakistan that we would pursue bin Laden wherever he might be," the official said. "Pakistan has long understood that we are at war with al-Qaida. The United States had a legal and moral obligation to act on the information it had". 05/02/2011

OSAMA BIN LADEN SHOT TO DEATH IN PAKISTAN /U-S HAS BODY

More from the Emeritus Newsroom-OSAMA BIN LADEN IS REPORTED DEAD. PRESIDENT OBAMA, IN A SPEECH TO THE NATION TONIGHT...SAID THE CREDIT GOES HARD WORKING PERSONNEL WHO FOUND BIN LADEN IN IN A HEAVILY FORTIFIED COMPOUND JUST OUTSIDE ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN....THE COMPOUND WAS DESCRIBED AS A THREE STORY BUILDING WITH THICK CONRETE WALLS, WHICH HAD BEEN UNDER SURVEILLANCE. THE COMPOUND WAS ENGLUFED BY FLAMES AFTER THE FIREFIGHT. ALSO KILLED IN THE ATTACK, WERE THREE OTHER MEN INCLUDING ONE OF BIN LADEN'S SONS. ONE ASSUALT HELICOPTER WAS LOST IN THE ATTACK, THOUGH THE CREW WAS NOT INJURED. MILITARY OFFICIALS SAY THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY U-S MILITARY PERSONNEL AFTER IT LANDED, SO AS TO PREVENT IT GETTING INTO ENEMY HANDS. SOURCES REPORT BIN LADEN WAS KILLED BY A C-I-A OPERATIVE AND NAVY SEALS. BIN LADEN WAS SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN LIVING AT THE COMPOUND OFF AND ON SINCE LAST AUGUST. MILITARY OFFICIALS ALSO CREDIT PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE WITH CRITICAL INFORMATION TO MAKE THE RAID POSSIBLE. .THE U-S REPORTEDLY HAS POSSESSION OF OSAMA'S BODY... . BELOW IS THE YOU TUBE VIDEO AND THE TEXT OF THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH.

Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. 05/01/2011

GHADDAFI'S YOUNGEST SON AND THREE GRANDSONS DIE IN NATO AIR RAID ON TRIPOLI

OBAMA NAMES PANETTA TO REPLACE GATES AT DEFENSE AND PATRAEUS TO HEAD C-I-A

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service - President Barack Obama today thanked Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his service as he officially announced his intention to nominate CIA Director Leon E. Panetta to lead the Pentagon after Gates retires June 30.

Obama said Gates will go down in history as one of the finest defense secretaries in U.S. history.

The president also nominated Army Gen. David H. Petraeus to succeed Panetta at the CIA and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John R. Allen to succeed Petraeus as commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Obama also is nominating Ryan C. Crocker to return from retirement and serve as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. The nominations are subject to Senate confirmation.

"Given the pivotal period that we're entering, I felt that it was absolutely critical that we had this team in place so that we can stay focused on our missions, maintain our momentum and keep our nation secure," Obama said in the White House East Room.

Gates will step down after serving more than four and a half years in office. President George W. Bush nominated Gates for the job at a time when prospects in Iraq looked bleak. The surge of U.S. forces into Iraq was hitting its stride, and hundreds of attacks occurred each day on coalition forces in the country.

"Today, every American must know that because he helped to responsibly wind down the war in Iraq, we're in a better position to support our troops and manage the transition in Afghanistan," Obama said. "Because he challenged conventional thinking, our troops have the lifesaving equipment they need, and our military is better prepared for today's wars.

"And because he courageously cut unnecessary spending," the president continued, "we'll save hundreds of billions of dollars that can be invested in the 21st-century military that our troops deserve."

The United States military has fought in two wars every day of Gates' tenure. Service members have also stood watch elsewhere around the globe. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve and to lead our men and women in uniform and our defense civilians," he said. "They are the best America has to offer.

"My highest priority from my first day in office," he added, "has been to do everything I could for our uniformed men and women in harm's way to help them accomplish their mission, to come home safely, and if wounded, to get them the best possible care from battlefield to homefront. I've done my best to care for them as though they were my own sons and daughters, and I will miss them deeply."

The president said Panetta has the right skills to trake over for Gates. "The patriotism and extraordinary management skills that have defined Leon's four decades of service is exactly what we need in our next secretary of defense," Obama said. "As a former congressman and White House chief of staff, Leon knows how to lead, which is why he is held in such high esteem not only in this city, but around the world."

Panetta has served as CIA director for more than two years. The president said he has played a decisive role in the fight against violent extremism.

"He understands that even as we begin the transition in Afghanistan, we must remain unwavering in our fight against al-Qaida," Obama said. "And as a former [Office of Management and Budget] director, he will ensure that even as we make tough budget decisions, we will maintain our military superiority and keep our military the very best in the world."

Panetta thanked the men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency for their superb, but unheralded work.

"I spent 40 years in public service, and it began when I served in the Army as an intelligence officer in the 1960s," he said. "I was proud to wear the uniform of our country, and my respect and admiration for our nation's armed forces has only grown in the decades since."

Obama stressed continuity, noting that Petraeus will carry on Panetta's work at the CIA. After 35 years in uniform, the general will retire from the Army to become the next CIA director, effective early September, pending Senate confirmation.

"As a lifelong consumer of intelligence, he knows that intelligence must be timely, accurate and acted upon quickly," Obama said. "He understands that staying a step ahead of nimble adversaries requires sharing and coordinating information, including with my director of national intelligence, Jim Clapper."

Obama said he values Petraeus' flexibility and adaptability. "Just as General Petraeus changed the way that our military fights and wins wars in the 21st century, I have no doubt that Director Petraeus will guide our intelligence professionals as they continue to adapt and innovate in an ever-changing world," the president said.

"As a battle-tested combat leader, in Iraq he helped turn the tide in Anbar province," he said. "As deputy commander of Central Command, he's respected in the region and has been deeply involved in planning and executing our strategy in Afghanistan." -

MOST HISPANICS, ASIANS SAT OUT ELECTIONS OF 2010 / STUDY SAYS THEIR TURNOUT WILL CHANGE ELECTORATE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Even with the numbers of Hispanic and Asian voters rising, those groups still have a large segment of their populations sitting out elections. The conclusion from a suvey done by the Pew Hispanic Center states more than 6.6 million Latinos voted in last year's election—a record for a midterm. According to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, Latinos also were a larger share of the electorate in 2010 than in any previous midterm election, representing 6.9% of all voters, up from 5.8% in 2006. Rapid population growth has helped fuel Latinos' increasing electoral participation. According to the Census Bureau, 50.5 million Hispanics were counted by the 2010 Census, up from 35.3 million in 2000. Over the same decade, the number of Latino eligible voters—adults who are U.S. citizens—also increased, from 13.2 million in 2000 to 21.3 million in 2010.

However, even though more Latinos than ever are participating in the nation's elections, their representation among the electorate remains below their representation in the general population. In 2010, 16.3% of the nation's population was Latino, but only 10.1% of eligible voters and fewer than 7% of voters were Latino.

This gap is driven by two demographic factors—youth and non-citizenship. More than one third of Latinos (34.9%) are younger than the voting age of 18. And an additional 22.4% are of voting age, but are not U.S. citizens. As a result, the share of the Latino population eligible to vote is smaller than it is among any other group. Just 42.7% of the nation's Latino population is eligible to vote, while more than three-in-four (77.7%) of whites, two-thirds of blacks (67.2%) and more than half of Asians (52.8%) are eligible to vote.

REMEMBERING THE ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES SAY WIKILEAKS DOCUMENTS PROVE INJUSTICE AT GUANTANAMO

From the Voice of America- Human Rights activists say the WikiLeaks Guantanamo documents show the United States has held hundreds of men at the facility for years with little or no hard evidence against them.But, other experts say the previously secret risk assessment documents show the potential danger the men pose and the difficulty of figuring out who to hold and who to release. When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, there was a rush to figure out who these terrorists were, how many there were, where they were and how to stop them. The effort included the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and the detention of hundreds of Afghan and foreign fighters there and elsewhere.

In a fateful decision, U.S. officials decided to send some of the men to the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where facilities could be built to house them and they could be treated as ‘’enemy combatants’’, not exactly prisoners of war and also not under the jurisdiction of U.S. civilian courts, at least not initially. That gave U.S. military and intelligence interrogators a secure and relatively free environment in which to extract desperately needed information from the detainees.But that led to sub-standard living conditions for the early detainees, and years of harsh interrogations, legal complexities and international condemnations. These newly published documents shed some light on those years during the administration of former President George W. Bush, when the military created a process to determine which detainees to release and which to continue to hold.

"I think in a lot of ways that is the story of Guantanamo," said Shane Kadidal.

Shane Kadidal is a senior managing attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York.

"You throw a whole bunch of people in, with not really very much evidence at all to justify bringing them in in the first place, subject them to abusive interrogations for years, and then rely on things their fellow-detainees said about them to hold everybody," he said.

Kadidal and other legal experts and Human Rights advocates say the leaked documents show that many Guantanamo detainees were held based on thin evidence, and often based partly on things said by other detainees. He says detainee statements are notoriously unreliable, especially if they are made during abusive interrogation sessions. He says that is not a sufficient basis for extending a person’s detention.

"How can anybody say what someone is likely or not likely to do in the future, especially when they have such limited and unreliable information about what they’ve done in the past? It’s really a fool’s errand to try to make a reliable assessment about dangerousness," said Kadidal.

But at the conservative Heritage Foundation research organization in Washington, senior foreign policy analyst James Carafano says that is exactly what U.S. military panels must do to protect the United States from potential terrorists held at Guantanamo. And he says it is not accurate to assume that the secret ’’risk assessment’’ documents published this week are the only things on which detention decisions were made.

"They don’t necessarily represent all of the information that the U.S. government has on the detainees," said Carafano. "So, reading them, for example, would be like listening to one witness in a courtroom hearing and not listening to anything else and then determining a judgment. You wouldn’t do that."

But Carafano also acknowledges that trying to determine what someone might do in the future, based on what they did, or might have done, in the past is bound to be difficult.

"We knew it was very, very hard," he said. "The government has an obligation not to release anybody who could potentially attack the United States. A lot of that’s based on intent, so I don’t think it’s surprising necessarily that the government got part of the things wrong.’"

Of the total of 779 men held at Guantanamo since the detention facility was opened in 2002, 607 have been released or transferred to custody in their home countries. Estimates of how many of those have subsequently engaged in terrorism vary from a low of six per cent put forward by a liberal research organization, the New America Foundation, to a high of 25 per cent estimated by the chief of U.S. intelligence in December.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan can not discuss details of the leaked documents because they are still technically classified. But he says they provide evidence of the type of challenges faced by the military officers who make detention decisions.

"It shows the difficulty of both this administration and the previous administration relying on all these bits and pieces of information from various sources on the battlefield and off in an effort to determine whether we can safely hold people or whether they can be repatriated, or returned, to their own countries," said Colonel Lapan.

And that leads some experts to conclude the United States must continue to hold some of the Guantanamo detainees because they are too dangerous to release, while others conclude the uncertainty means more men should be released, or at least given formal trials as soon as possible so the evidence can be evaluated in court. Video of Voice of America Report, You Tube playback (when available), click here. 04/26/2011

COAST GUARD REPORT PUTS MOST BLAME ON TRANSOCEAN, HALLIBURTON, FOR DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL WELL DISASTER

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Transocean and Halliburton take most of the blame in a preliminary report released today by the U-S Coast Guard, regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil well disaster. Only yesterday, B-P sued Transocean for more than $40 billion to pay for the disaster and cleanup, for which, B-P is still paying claims. The Coast Guard says, Transocean, contracted by B-P to drill the well, made a series of mistakes that led to the disaster, April 20th, last year. Some names in the report have been blacked out, however, company names, responsibilities and failures are plainly noted. Included in the problems, which led to the disaster, according to the Coast Guard report,

International Safety Management Code Violations: Both Transocean and DEEPWATER HORIZON were required to have a safety management system that complied with the ISM Code, the purpose of which is to ensure safety at sea, prevent injury or loss of life, and avoid damage to the environment. The investigation, however, determined that Transocean had a history of ISM Code violations on DEEPWATER HORIZON and other vessels.

Poor Maintenance Record: Two recent audits of DEEPWATER HORIZON found numerous maintenance deficiencies that could impact safety, including problems with firefighting, electrical, and watertight integrity systems. In particular, the audits found that, contrary to the manufacturerâ€™s guidelines which called for inspection and
certification of the blowout preventer (BOP) every three to five years, Transocean did not arrange to have the DEEPWATER HORIZON BOP recertified for over ten years. In addition, key BOP parts had â€œsignificantly surpassed the recommended recertification periodâ€ and needed to be replaced.

History of Safety Incidents: In 2008, DEEPWATER HORIZON had two significant incidents which could have seriously affected the safety of the vessel or the environment, loss of power that jeopardized the module's ability to maintain its position above the well and the flooding of a compartment resulting from a failure to
close valves. Neither of these incidents was properly investigated and addressed.

Crew Training and Knowledge: Transocean failed to ensure that its onboard management team and crew had sufficient training and knowledge to take full responsibility for the safety of the vessel. The master acknowledged that the training he received on the Safety Management System consisted of viewing a PowerPoint presentation, the content and whereabouts of which he was unable to recall. The master was not aware that he had the authority to activate the Emergency Disconnect System, a critical step to cut off the flow of flammable gases to the MODU, and the
official who received gas alarms was unaware of procedures relating to the activation of the emergency shutdown system in response to such alarms, even though shutting down the engines could have averted an explosion.

Emergency Preparedness: Transocean failed to require that systems and personnel emphasize maximum emergency preparedness. As discussed above, Transocean allowed the DEEPWATER HORIZON crew to inhibit or bypass gas alarms and automatic shutdown systems, and it did not require robust emergency drills. Collectively, this record raises serious questions whether Transoceanâ€™s safety culture was a factor that contributed to the disaster.

JET WITH MICHELLE OBAMA AND JILL BIDEN ABOARD FORCED TO ABORT LANDING AT ANDREWS A-F-B

More from the Voice of America- U.S. aviation officials say a plane carrying first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden had to abort a landing Monday evening after getting too close to a military cargo jet.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday that a Boeing 737 carrying Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden, was within five kilometers of a massive C-17 cargo plane as it was preparing to land at Andrews Air Force base near Washington.

Mrs. Obama's pilot was told first to conduct a series of broad turns to create distance between the two aircraft. When that failed, air traffic controllers told him to “go around” to give the military jet enough time to clear the runway.

An FAA press release says Mrs. Obama's plane was “never in any danger.” The plane landed safely.

The aviation agency is investigating the incident as a possible error by traffic controllers at a regional radar facility near Washington. The federal agency has been under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks as information surfaced that some controllers have fallen asleep on the job.

FAA standards require a minimum of eight kilometers between planes to avoid dangerous turbulence generated by a plane's wake.

Aviation experts says this type of incident occurs often.

The First Lady and Mrs. Biden were returning from New York, where they appeared on the daytime talk showThe View and at other events. 04/19/2011

MIDWEST, SOUTH AND EASTERN U-S HIT BY STORMS

LIBYAN REBELS REJECT PEACE OFFER- VOICE OF AMERICA REPORT

EVACUATION AREA EXPANDED NEAR DESTROYED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT / RESIDENT TOLD CRISIS "COULD GET WORSE"

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Experts with the International Atomic Energy Agency have cut the estimated impact of an aftershock this morning, which struck near Tokyo. The IAEA confirms that an earthquake occurred in Japan at 08:16 UTC, 11 April. The IAEA International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC) has rated it as a 6.6 magnitude, revised from an initial 7.1 magnitude. The epicenter of the earthquake is 68 km from Daichi, 60 km from Daini, 61 km from Tokai, 173 km from Kashiwazaki-Kariwa and 179 km from Onagawa power plants. The epicenter was in land (37.01 N/ 140.48 E) at a depth of 13.1 km. The IAEA has been in contact with NISA and can confirm the following. Based on a report by TEPCO, NISA confirms at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. No changes have been observed on the readings at the on-site radiation monitoring posts. Workers have been evacuated to the seismic evacuation shelter. Off-site power was lost and water injection pumps for Units 1, 2 and 3 stopped. NISA confirmed later that off-site power was restored and water injection resumed 50 minutes after the earthquake.

Japanese authorities are expanding the area for recommended evacuations due to concerns over long term impact to radiation in those areas. This latest development has been prompted by monitoring, showing increasing levels of radiation, which have left the immediate site near the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

JAPAN STABILIZES AFTER LATEST QUAKE / MASSIVE EFFORT TO BUILD TEMPORARY HOMES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In reviewing the crisis, observers from the IAEA say complications from the latest 7.4 quake have been contained, though the situation at the most affected areas are still "very serious". In a statement, the IAEA claims, overall, the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious although there are early signs of recovery in some functions such as electrical power and instrumentation.

As of 6 April, TEPCO started injecting nitrogen gas to Unit 1 containment vessel to reduce the possibility of hydrogen combustion within the containment vessel.

The leakage of highly contaminated water from the 20 cm crack in the cable storage pit of Unit 2 directly to the sea reported on 2 April was stopped by injection of coagulation agents (liquid glass) on 5 April. Additional activities to secure the leak were reported finished on 6 April.

To prevent discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Plant to the open sea, construction work was carried out at the breakwater in the southern part of the Plant on 5 April.

In Unit 1 fresh water has been continuously injected into the reactor pressure vessel through feed-water line at an indicated flow rate of 6 m3/h using a temporary electric pump with off-site power. In Units 2 and 3 fresh water is being injected into the reactor pressure vessels continuously through the fire extinguisher lines at indicated rates of 8 m3/h and 7 m3/h using temporary electric pumps with off-site power.

The reactor pressure vessels' temperatures remain above cold shutdown conditions (normally less than 95 °C). In Unit 1 indicated temperature at the feed water nozzle of the RPV is 224 °C and at the bottom of RPV is 117 °C. The pressure in the RPV is increasing as indicated on both channels of instrumentation. NISA has indicated that some instruments in the reactor vessel may not be working properly. Drywell pressure is increasing slightly due to the addition of nitrogen. In Unit 2 the indicated temperature at the feed water nozzle of the RPV is 144 °C. The temperature at the bottom of RPV was not reported. Indicated Drywell pressure remains at atmospheric pressure. In Unit 3 the indicated temperature at the feed water nozzle of the RPV is 88 °C and at the bottom of RPV is 112 °C. Fresh water was sprayed onto the spent fuel pool by concrete pump vehicle (50t/h) from 21:53 UTC, 6 April.

The International Red Cross reports the Japanese Red Cross Society is working to build 70,000 temporary homes with a package of electrical appliances. The assistance – worth an estimated 160 million US dollars and benefiting over 280,000 people – is part of Red Cross efforts to meet the early recovery needs of those affected by the 11 March disaster, when a tsunami swept across 433,000 square kilometres of land. More than 188,000 people are still displaced by the disaster. Most of them are staying in over 2,200 evacuation centres spread across 17 prefectures, with the vast majority in the three worst-affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. Although people are returning to homes that survived the disaster as electricity and water supplies are restored, the centres continue to house so many people that a number of them are likely to stay open for months to come. Hundreds of medical teams have been operating in Red Cross hospitals, in evacuation centre clinics and from mobile units that bring medical care to both smaller and more remote centres, as well as to the general public who have been unable to access such services due to the disruption of state services or impaired access. Lonely and housebound elderly people in particular are being targeted in often life-saving missions.

CRISIS LEVEL IN JAPAN REACHES THAT OF CHERNOBYL

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Experts monitoring the nuclear disaster in Japan says the radioactive leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are about one tenth of that from the 1986 nuclear plant explosion at Chernobyl, in what is now Ukraine, once part of the Soviet Union. Due to the continued threat of leakage from the plant, nuclear experts handling the disaster fear it could exceed that of Chernobyl. Which is why, the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has issued a new provisional rating for the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the IAEA International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES).The nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi is now rated as a level 7 "Major Accident" on INES. Level 7 is the most serious level on INES and is used to describe an event comprised of "A major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects requiring implementation of planned and extended countermeasures". Japanese authorities notified the IAEA in advance of the public announcement and the formal submission of the new provisional rating.The new provisional rating considers the accidents that occurred at Units 1, 2 and 3 as a single event on INES. Previously, separate INES Level 5 ratings had been applied for Units 1, 2 and 3. The provisional INES Level 3 rating assigned for Unit 4 still applies. The re-evaluation of the Fukushima Daiichi provisional INES rating resulted from an estimate of the total amount of radioactivity released to the environment from the nuclear plant. NISA estimates that the amount of radioactive material released to the atmosphere is approximately 10% of the 1986 Chernobyl accident, which is the only other nuclear accident to have been rated a Level 7 event.

U-S AIRCRAFT REMAIN ON STANDBY IN LIBYA / GATES SAYS MISSION SUCCESSFUL

By Lisa Daniel, American Forces Press Service - U.S. aircraft will remain on standby as NATO takes over multilateral operations in Libya and the coalition considers its future role there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate committee yesterday. U.S. military aircraft are still available to NATO in the next few days until the organization formally takes control of military operations over Libya, Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee. After that, the U.S. fighter jets will remain on standby in case they are needed again, he said. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, earlier appeared before the House Armed Services Committee in what was a full day of testimony about the U.S. role in Libya.

Coalition forces had to halt air operations over Libya due to bad weather for the past two days, causing rebel forces to retreat from areas they'd gained since operations began March 19, Mullen said.

Gates described the U.S. military mission in Libya as an emergency prompted by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's intent to use his military against civilians protesting for his ouster. Without intervention, he said, the situation would have led to thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands of refugees and destabilization across North Africa. "That part of our mission is complete and successful," Gates said.

More than 20 nations, including several Arab countries, are participating in the NATO coalition -- some publicly, some not -- in different ways to enforce U.N. Resolution 1973 that allows for the no-fly zone, Mullen said. The coalition, he said, was able to move fast to prevent a disaster because of U.S. relations with those European and Middle Eastern nations.

"No one military, no one nation, can or should take on a mission like this alone," Mullen said. "This is not only a coalition of the willing -- it is a coalition of the able." The coalition has greatly diminished Gadhafi's military air capabilities and many of his ground assets, the chairman said. "My understanding is that focus will not diminish under NATO leadership," he said. The coalition continues to seize Libyan assets around the world, while signing on more partners, Mullen said. Swedish officials were the latest, having this week agreed to send eight aircraft to the effort, he said. The coalition is considering whether and how to give more support to rebel forces, Gates said. "A decision about support to the opposition is clearly the next step," he said. "I think all members of the coalition are thinking about that at this point."

A major consideration for the coalition is that not much is known about the rebels.

"We know a handful of the leaders," Gates said. "But other than that, we really don't know much about what I think is disparate, disaggregated opposition to Gadhafi."

The issue is more complicated than simply arming the rebels. What the opposition really needs, Gates said, is organization, training, and command and control -- something he said likely requires coalition forces on the ground in Libya, which Gates and President Barack Obama said they are not willing to do.

"There really is no critical mass to work with" among the rebels, Gates added.

Gates and Mullen rejected the idea that the military mission should be broadened to include regime change, although they acknowledged that is a political goal. Full text of Daniel article, click here. 04/01/2011

PENTAGON SENDS 2,000 MARINES INTO LIBYA / MORE TROOPS ACTIVATED IN U-S

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- As Libyan rebel troops have lost territory taken in recent victories, the U-S Defense Department today announced that 2,000 Marines are being sent in to assist with training and logistics. Details of the deployment remain incomplete due to concerns over their security until they reach their positions. But the Pentagon Channel released a video (See below) with more on the announcement.

In addition, Defense Department officials also released plans for expanding bases in Colorado and Alaska. A DOD press release states,

The Department of Defense announced today the stationing of two Army combat aviation brigades. The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade will be split-based and established at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and Fort Wainwright, Alaska, using existing aviation units not currently assigned to a combat aviation brigade. A new brigade will be activated at Fort Carson, Colo.

The 16th CAB stationing action realigns existing assets resulting in an increase of approximately 1,400 new soldiers and 44 helicopters at JBLM. This action for the split-based CAB at JBLM will begin in fiscal 2012 and is expected to be completed by fiscal 2014.

The Army recognizes Alaska as a strategic location and will continue to maintain a significant aviation presence there. This stationing increases the invaluable medical evacuation strength in Alaska by three additional aircraft in fiscal 2013. It also validates the Army's commitment and support to the aviation infrastructure through military construction programmed for replacement and upgrade of the aviation facilities.

The new combat aviation brigade activation at Fort Carson, Colo., will result in a total growth in Army forces and equipment by approximately 2,700 soldiers and 113 helicopters. Fort Carson establishes the new brigade beginning fiscal 2013 and is expected to be completed by fiscal 2014.

The activation of these brigades will increase the capabilities of the active component of the U.S. Army and increase dwell time for aviation units between deployments in support of overseas contingency operations. These combined force structure actions represent integrated changes that support the Army's transformation requirements. Full text of statement, click here. 03/30/2011

U-S CIA HELPING LIBYAN REBELS

U-S SPENDS $550 MILLION FIRST WEEK IN LIBYA WAR

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- More details of the Defense Department expenses the first week of the war in Libya reveal nearly half of of the money being spent on guided bombs from air strikes and missiles from Navy Ships in the Mediterranean. During testimony today before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral James Stavridis, U-S European Command, told the committee that each of the missiles for surgical strikes at military and Libyan government targets, cost $1 million. He said 200 of those missiles were fired the first week, which means more than $200 million was spent on missiles alone. Pentagon officials expect the cost of the Libyan conflict to American taxpayers to sharply drop after NATO takes control of the allied intervention to protect opposition Libyans from Libya's Col. Muammar Ghaddafi. Pentagon spokesperson, Navy Cmdr. Kathleen Kesler in media reports earlier today , said cost projections are "uncertain" but believes costs will drop to around " $40 million a month, "if U.S. forces stay at the levels currently planned and the operation continues". Link to C-SPAN Senate Armed Services Hearing Video, click here.

President Obama defended his decision to get involved the Libyan conflict, during a speech last night at the National Defense University in Washington DC. The President said,

"In such cases, we should not be afraid to act -– but the burden of action should not be America’s alone. As we have in Libya, our task is instead to mobilize the international community for collective action. Because contrary to the claims of some, American leadership is not simply a matter of going it alone and bearing all of the burden ourselves. Real leadership creates the conditions and coalitions for others to step up as well; to work with allies and partners so that they bear their share of the burden and pay their share of the costs; and to see that the principles of justice and human dignity are upheld by all.

That’s the kind of leadership we’ve shown in Libya. Of course, even when we act as part of a coalition, the risks of any military action will be high. Those risks were realized when one of our planes malfunctioned over Libya. Yet when one of our airmen parachuted to the ground, in a country whose leader has so often demonized the United States –- in a region that has such a difficult history with our country –- this American did not find enemies. Instead, he was met by people who embraced him. One young Libyan who came to his aid said, “We are your friends. We are so grateful to those men who are protecting the skies.”

Despite clear explanations for his reasons getting involved, the President still faces a cautious congress concerned about the administration's lack of details about an exit strategy. Transcript of Obama's speech, click here. See video below. 03/29/2011

PRESIDENT OBAMA DEFENDS MILITARY ACTION IN LIBYA

PLUTONIUM DISCOVERED NEAR DESTROYED JAPANESE NUCLEAR PLANT / REACTOR WORKERS EXPOSED TO 100,000 TIMES NORMAL LEVELS

More from the Voice of America- Officials say highly radioactive plutonium has been detected in the soil in five locations around Japan's earthquake-disabled nuclear reactor, adding to the problems faced by workers struggling to get the power plant under control.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, that runs the Fukushima plant said late Monday it believed some of the plutonium came from nuclear fuel in the damaged reactors. But the company insisted the levels were not high enough to be considered a risk to human health.

The US embassy in Tokyo said the chief of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, was on his way to Japan Monday to assess the current situation. Jaczko said the NRC was ready to provide any assistance it can to ease the nuclear crisis.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday the situation at the nuclear station is still very serious.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said earlier Monday he suspected a partial meltdown of one of the Fukushima earthquake-disabled nuclear reactors was leading to pools of highly radioactive water that plant operators say have been found in trenches outside the plant's buildings.

Plant workers are caught between trying to pump uncontaminated water into the reactors to cool them so that they can fix the damage inside, and getting rid of the radioactive water.

Edano said the government's top priority was to prevent the contaminated water from seeping into the ground water system. He urged residents to stay away from the 20-kilometer evacuation zone as the area continued to be very risky.

Greenpeace called on the government to extend the evacuation zone, as their experts have found unsafe radiation levels 40 kilometers northwest of the plant.

Radioactive contamination has been spreading into the seawater and soil for the past two weeks, since the reactors' cooling systems were seriously damaged in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The contaminated water appears to be leaking from the one of the damaged plant's reactors after having been in contact with melted-down fuel rods inside the reactor's core. The discovery is the latest setback for crews that have been battling fires, explosions and spikes in radioactivity in their efforts to repair the cooling systems.

More than 10,800 people have been confirmed dead since the quake and 16,200 are missing, according to national NHK television. It said 193,000 people are living in evacuation centers, down from about 300,000 last week.

TEPCO officials said Monday radiation levels in the leaked water were "extremely high". Company officials said they were continuing to monitor seawater for radioactivity, and that it would have to develop a plan to monitor radiation levels underground.

Edano said the water seems to be coming from inside the plant's pressure chamber where it has been exposed to melted-down fuel rods in the reactor's core. That would confirm suspicions that the reactor suffered at least a partial meltdown, and that water is escaping from the pressure chamber.

The power company said Monday that water found in a utility trench outside the number two reactor building was emitting radiation at a rate of more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour. Officials said that is about the same level as the water inside the building, which was reported Sunday to be 100,000 times higher than normal.

Two workers were taken to a hospital last week after suffering burns to their feet while wading in the radioactive water. Officials said Monday the workers were recuperating.

Radiation from the plant, which lost its cooling systems during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, has also been detected in milk and vegetables in a wide area around the plant and in tap water as far away as Tokyo, 220 kilometers to the south. 03/28/2011

GATES SAYS ALLIES HAVE SUCCESS WITH LIBYA NO-FLY ZONE

By Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service- U.S. and coalition forces have accomplished the no-fly zone aspect of the United Nations mission in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a television interview aired today. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and discussed what coalition nations have achieved as actions in Libya enter a second week.
U.S. and coalition partners have suppressed Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses in Libya and have not seen his planes in the air since the no-fly zone was put in place March 19, Gates said.

"We've also been successful on the humanitarian side," the defense secretary said. "We have prevented his forces from going to Bengahzi, and we have taken out a good bit of his armor." He added that, "I think we have, to a very large extent, completed the military mission, in terms of getting it set up."

Gates said no decision has been made about supplying arms to Libyan forces opposing Gadhafi, though the U.N. Security Council resolution establishing the no-fly zone permits such action.

"I think the president's policy is it's time for Gadhafi to go," he said. "That's not part of our military mission, which has been very limited and very strictly defined."

While a number of diplomatic efforts are underway to help resolve the situation in Libya, Gates said, "One should not underestimate the possibility of the regime itself cracking."

Clinton said she's confident the operation in Libya prevented Gadhafi from killing potentially tens of thousands of Libyan civilians and creating a refugee crisis that would have destabilized the region.

"He was intending, by his own words, to 'show no mercy,'" she said. "I think we prevented a great humanitarian disaster."

Now, because of the "good work of the coalition," Gadhafi's forces are turning back and the opposition is regaining ground it had lost, she said.

The military mission has been very well coordinated, and NATO is now taking command over it, she said, adding that "at the same time, we are pursuing really strict economic sanctions ... [and] we have a political effort underway."

Clinton said the African Union has called for a transition to democracy in Libya, and the Arab League will join "others of us who are supporting this effort" for talks in London Tuesday to focus on how to manage such a transition.
The United Nations will also send a special envoy to Benghazi and Tripoli in the next several days to send a "very clear message" to Gadhafi, she said. The Secretary of State also said the international community's message to the Libyan leader is that "now is your time to get out of this and to help change the direction."

As protests in Syria extend the wave of popular uprisings that have swept across Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other nations in recent months, Clinton said, the U.S. approach remains consistent: "We want to see no violence, we want to see peaceful protests ... and we want to see economic and political reform."

Clinton cited Egypt as an example of political transformation now under way. She and Gates have both visited Egypt in recent weeks, and offered assistance in reform efforts, she said.

"It is hard moving from being in the forefront of a movement to being part of a political process," she said. "It's hard in any country but we're going to stand with them and make sure ... they get the support they need". 03/27/2011

CONFLICTING SIGNALS FROM JAPANESE OFFICIALS ON RADIATION COUNTS / DEBATE CONTINUES OVER EFFECTS IN U-S PACIFIC TERRITORIES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Japanese officials today retracted their earlier statement made Friday on the amount of radiation near the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency today released their latest assessment on the nuclear crisis, reflecting much lower estimates than what Japanese officials had announed Friday. According to a report from the Voice of America, the operator of the plant in northern Japan says nuclear readings showing radiation levels spiking to 10 million times their normal levels are inaccurate.Sunday's retraction by the Tokyo Electrical Power Company came a short while after emergency workers fled from the number 2 reactor at the Fukushima-Daiichi plant, after the critically high readings were first reported in water that had accumulated in a turbine housing unit.Authorities later said new radiation tests had been ordered. It was not clear when the new results would be available or when they would be released. Readings last week from pooled water in the plant's number 3 reactor showed radiation levels 10,000 times higher than normal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious.The restoration of off-site power continues and lighting is now available in the central control rooms of Units 1, 2 and 3. Also, fresh water is now being injected into the Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPVs) of all three Units.

Radiation measurements in the containment vessels and suppression chambers of Units 1, 2 and 3 continued to decrease. White “smoke” continued to be emitted from Units 1 to 4.

Pressure in the RPV showed a slight increase at Unit 1 and was stable at Units 2 and 3, possibly indicating that there has been no major breach in the pressure vessels.

At Unit 1, the temperature measured at the bottom of the RPV fell slightly to 142 °C. At Unit 2, the temperature at the bottom of the RPV fell to 97 °C from 100 °C reported in the Update provided yesterday. Pumping of water from the turbine hall basement to the condenser is in progress with a view to allowing power restoration activities to continue.

At Unit 3, plans are being made to pump water from the turbine building to the main condenser but the method has not yet been decided. This should reduce the radiation levels in the turbine building and reduce the risk of contamination of workers in the turbine building restoring equipment.

Water is still being added to the spent fuel pools of Units 1 to 4 and efforts continue to restore normal cooling functions.

The three workers who suffered contamination are still under observation in hospital.Dose rates at the Fukushima site continue to trend downwards.

In 28 of the 45 prefectures for which data are available, no deposition of radionuclides was detected in the period 18 to 25 March. In seven of the other 17 prefectures, the estimated daily deposition was less than 500 becquerel per square metre for iodine-131 and less that 100 becquerel per square metre for caesium-137.

On 26 March, the highest values were observed in the prefecture of Yamagata: 7500 becquerel per square metre for iodine-131 and 1200 becquerel per square metre for caesium-137. In the other prefectures where deposition of iodine-131 was reported, the daily range was from 28 to 860 becquerel per square metre. For caesium-137, the range was from 2.5 to 86 becquerel per square metre.

In the Shinjyuku district of Tokyo, the daily deposition of iodine-131 on 27 March was 220 becquerel per square metre, while for caesium-137 it was 12 becquerel per square metre.

No significant changes were reported in the 45 prefectures in gamma dose rates compared to yesterday. In general, gamma–dose rates tend to decrease due to the decay of short-lived radionuclides such as iodine-131.

Two IAEA teams are currently monitoring in Japan. One team made gamma dose-rate measurements in the Tokyo region at 8 locations. Gamma-dose rates measured ranged from 0.08 to 0.15 microsievert per hour, which is within or slightly above the normal background. The second team made additional measurements at distances of 30 to 41 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. At these locations, the dose rates ranged from 0.9 to 17 microsievert per hour. At the same locations, results of beta-gamma contamination measurements ranged from 0.03 to 3.1 Megabecquerel per square metre.

The first results of aerial surveys of gamma dose rates by the Japanese authorities have been received by the Incident and Emergency Centre. These are being analysed and will be presented when more detailed data have been received.

New data from monitoring of the marine environment, carried out from 24 March 22:55 UTC to 25 March 03:32 UTC about 30 km offshore, show a decrease in both caesium-137 and iodine 131. The contamination at these locations is influenced by aerial deposition of fallout as well as by the migration of contaminated seawater from the discharge points at the reactor. The measured radiation doses rates above the sea remain consistently low (between 0.04 and 0.1 microsievert per hour). The first results of model predictions received from the SIROCCO Group at the University of Toulouse are being assessed.

Recommendations relating to the restriction of drinking water consumption, based on measured concentrations of iodine-131, remain in place in seven locations (in one location for both adults and infants, and in six locations for infants).

As far as food contamination is concerned, samples taken from 23 to 25 March in five prefectures showed iodine-131 in unprocessed raw milk, but the levels were far below the regulation values set by the Japanese authorities. Caesium-137 was also detected in samples of unprocessed raw milk taken on 23 March in Chiba prefecture, but at levels far below the Japanese regulation values. Caesium-137 was not detected in any of the samples taken from 24-25 March in the other four prefectures.

Based on samples taken on 22 and 24-25 March, three prefectures (Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi) reported iodine-131 in celery, parsley, spinach, and other leafy vegetables above the regulation values set by the Japanese authorities. Caesium-137 was also detected above the regulation values in one sample of spinach taken on 24 March in Tochigi prefecture, but in the remaining two prefectures, the results were below regulation values.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Food Safety Assessment Team arrived in Tokyo on Saturday. It will meet regulatory officials in various prefectures where food contamination has been detected. The team left for Fukushima early today. The Mission will assist and provide advice on sampling protocols, analytical procedures, data collected to date, and actions taken by the Japanese authorities for the control of contaminated foods. Click on video below of Voice of America story on radiation effects in U-S Pacific territories.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINS ROLE AS NATO TAKES CONTROL OF LIBYAN "NO-FLY" ZONE

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service- The coalition struck a number of targets in Libya with air operations flown to protect the Libyan people from Moammar Gadhafi's forces, the director of the Joint Staff said today.

Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney briefed Pentagon reporters on the latest developments in the United Nations-ordered operation.

Many strikes went after Gadhafi regime armored forces outside Ajdabiyah, a city south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Gortney said. The coalition also hit more command and control facilities in and around Tripoli and launched 16 more Tomahawk strikes against targets that included Scud missile garrisons in Tripoli and air defense systems around Sabha, he added.

In the last 24 hours, coalition aircraft flew 153 sorties, with 96 of those being strikes. "Slightly more than half of those strike missions were flown by U.S. pilots," the admiral said. Partner nations flew all of the no-fly zone enforcement missions.

NATO has agreed to take on the no-fly zone enforcement mission, and officials at the alliance's headquarters in Belgium named Canadian air force Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard to lead Operation Unified Protector. The operation covers enforcing the U.N.-mandated arms embargo and no-fly zone. Bouchard is stationed in Naples, Italy, at the Allied Joint Force Command.

Gortney said it is possible that NATO may take over the last part of the U.N. mission, which is protecting Libyan civilians from Gadhafi's forces.

Partner nations are taking on more missions, and the division of labor between U.S. and partner nations has evened out, the admiral said. As operations continue, the United States will fly most refueling, surveillance, information operations and jamming missions, he added.

"The coalition is working very hard to make it very hard for Colonel Gadhafi and his troops to kill their own citizens and destroy property," Gortney said. "But that is ... a delicate mission."

The U.N. charged the coalition with protecting the people of Libya, the admiral noted, adding that nothing the coalition can do could put the people at greater risk than the risk they face at the hands of Gadhafi's regime.

"What we must focus on is limiting the regime's ability to inflict the harm by squeezing it and denying it the tools to do so, and we believe we are achieving success in that regard," Gortney said. 03/25/2011

CENSUS SHOWS WHY MINORITIES WILL BECOME THE MAJORITY

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In what some demographers consider the most amazing aspect of the 2010 Census, the U-S Hispanic population increased by 43 percent from 2000-2010.

The Census Bureau says the number of those considering themselves of Hispanic heritage increased from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010. The rise in the Hispanic population accounted for more than half of the 27.3 million increase in the total U.S. population. By 2010, Hispanics comprised 16 percent of the total U.S. population of 308.7 million.The non-Hispanic population grew relatively slower over the decade at about 5 percent. Within the non-Hispanic population, the number of people who reported their race as white alone grew even slower (1 percent). While the non-Hispanic white alone population increased numerically from 194.6 million to 196.8 million over the 10-year period, its proportion of the total population declined from 69 percent to 64 percent.

The Nation's population by race shows approximately 14.7 million people (about 5 percent of all respondents) identified their race as Asian alone. There were 2.9 million respondents who indicated American Indian and Alaska Native alone (0.9 percent). The smallest major race group was Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (0.5 million), which represented 0.2 percent of the total population. The remainder of respondents who reported only one race, 19.1 million people (6 percent of all respondents), were classified as "some other race" alone. Nine million people reported more than one race in the 2010 Census and made up about 3 percent of the total population. Ninety-two percent of people who reported multiple races provided exactly two races in 2010; white and black was the largest multiple-race combination. An additional 8 percent of the two or more races population reported three races and less than 1 percent reported four or more races. Three quarters of multiple race combinations were comprised of four groups in 2010: white and black (1.8 million), white and "some other race" (1.7 million), white and Asian (1.6 million), and white and American Indian or Alaska Native (1.4 million). The population reporting their race as white, either alone or with at least one other race, was the largest of all the alone-or-in-combination categories (231.0 million) and represented about three-fourths of the total population. About 14 percent of the total population reported their race as black, either alone or with at least one other race, which was the second-largest of the alone-or-in-combination categories (42.0 million). There were 21.7 million people classified as some other race alone or in combination and 17.3 million people classified as Asian alone or in combination in the 2010 Census, making up 7 percent and 6 percent of the total population, respectively. The two smallest alone-or-in-combination categories were American Indian and Alaska Native (5.2 million) and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (1.2 million), making up 2 percent and 0.4 percent of the total population, respectively.

Geographically, particularly in the South and West, a number of areas had large proportions of the total population that was minority. Nearly half of the West's population was minority (47 percent), numbering 33.9 million. Among the states, California led the nation with the largest minority population at 22.3 million.

Between 2000 and 2010, Texas joined California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii and New Mexico in having a "majority-minority" population, where more than 50 percent of the population was part of a minority group. Among all states, Nevada's minority population increased at the highest rate, by 78 percent.

THREE WORKERS TREATED FOR EXPOSURE AT CRIPPLED JAPANESE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Japan Times is reporting concerns of radiation contaminated water supply have expanded despite reports that the Tokyo water supply has now been cle3ared for use by infants. The Japan Times claims The scope of radiation-contaminated tap water expands, with radioactive iodine detected in tap water in Chiba, Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures, while the Tokyo Metropolitan Government scrambles to distribute 240,000 bottles of water to households with babies.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says it is trying to get more information about an accident today , in which, three workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were exposed to elevated levels of radiation. The three were working in the turbine building of reactor Unit 3 and have received a radiation dose in the range of 170-180 millisieverts.Two of the workers have been hospitalized for treatment of severely contaminated feet, which may have suffered radiation burns. The workers had been working for about three hours in contact with contaminated water. The agency also reports that additional water samples indicating elevated radiation levels and that a vessel from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) collected water samples at several points 30 kilometres from the coastline and found measurable concentrations of iodine-131 and cesium-137. The iodine concentrations were at or above Japanese regulatory limits, and the cesium levels were well below those limits, according to the IAEA.

POWER RESTORED TO JAPANSE NUCLEAR PLANT CONTROL ROOM / RADIATION THREAT REMAINS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Power has been restored to most of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Today's development is providing more hope engineers can reconnect the cooling systems for the reactors and avoid more damage than what has been caused already. However, damage to at least two of the reactors there has turned out to be more extensive than first believed. According to a statement today from the International Atomic Nuclear Energy Agency, A massive earthquake on March 11th, disabled off-site power to the plant and triggered the automatic shutdown of the three operating reactors - Units 1, 2 and 3. The control rods in those Units were successfully inserted into the reactor cores, ending the fission chain reaction. The remaining reactors - Units 4, 5 and 6 - had previously been shut down for routine maintenance purposes. Backup diesel generators, designed to start up after losing off-site power, began providing electricity to pumps circulating coolant to the six reactors.

Soon after the earthquake, a large tsunami washed over the reactor site, knocking out the backup generators. While some batteries remained operable, the entire site lost the ability to maintain normal reactor cooling and water circulation functions.

The agenciy's statement explains, "We are seeing some steady improvements, but the overall situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious. High levels of contamination have been measured in the locality of the plant.

The restoration of electrical power to Unit 2, which we reported yesterday, is good news. AC power is available and an electrical load check to pumps, etc. is currently on-going. Work on the restoration of off-site power to Units 3 and 4 is also underway.

Seawater is still being injected into the reactor pressure vessels of Units 1, 2 and 3.

Pressure in the reactor pressure vessel and the containment vessel drywell at Unit 3, which had been rising yesterday, has again fallen.

Water is being sprayed periodically into the spent fuel pools at Units 2, 3 and 4. The Agency still lacks data on water levels and temperatures in the spent fuel pools at Units 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Following the restoration of cooling at Units 5 and 6, temperatures in the spent fuel pools continue to decline.

U-S F-15 CRASHES AFTER MECHANICAL FAILURE IN LIBYA / CREW IS RESCUED ALIVE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Defense Department officials say the two man crew of an F-15E fighter jet crashed while on a bombing mission to stabilize rebel troops fighting troops loyal to Col. Muammar Ghaddafi in northeast Libya. The crew was located and rescued by helicopter, escaping serious injury, after ejecting before the crash. The jet was destroyed. Video from Pentagon Channel story below. 03/22/2011

RESULTS FROM SUNDAY'S ELECTIONS IN HAITI EXPECTED NEXT MONTH / INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS ASK POPULACE FOR PATIENCE

More from the United Nations News Service- U-N observers are urging the Haitian people to show patience and restraint as they await the results of Sunday's presidential runoff election, in which former first lady Mirlande Manigat faced off against popular singer Michel Martelly. The U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti issued a statement Monday saying the future of the Caribbean nation is at stake. Officials said despite some logistical and administrative problems and isolated acts of violence, the second round concluded in considerably better condition than the initial round last November. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also has reaffirmed the U.N.'s commitment to helping Haiti build a prosperous future. Additionally, the European Union praised the way in which the election was conducted. Opinion polls indicated Martelly was favored to win. The official results are expected at the end of the month. Martelly was initially excluded from the runoff until international observers reviewed the first round results and recommended he advance to the second round instead of the ruling party candidate, Jude Celestin. The observers cited fraud and irregularities in the first round of balloting. Sunday's election took place two days after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide returned to Haiti from South Africa, where he had been living in exile. Mr. Aristide, who was driven from office by armed rebels in 2004, returned to the Caribbean nation despite U.S. concerns that his presence could destabilize the vote.Mr. Aristide expressed a desire to go back to Haiti after former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier made a surprise return in January. The person who wins the election will succeed outgoing President Rene Preval.Haiti is the Western Hemisphere's poorest country and has been struggling to rebuild following a devastating earthquake in January of last year. The country also has been dealing with a cholera epidemic that broke out in October, leaving thousands dead. Mr. Ban recently said there are signs the epidemic is finally coming under control. Full text of story from United Nations and Voice of America, click here. 03/22/2011

TURKISH DIPLOMATS INTERVENE FOR RELEASE OF NEW YORK TIMES JOURNALISTS

GHADDAFI'S TROOPS WITHDRAW FROM REBEL HELD BENGHAZI

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2011 - Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi are retreating from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi following coalition attacks to protect Libyan civilians over the weekend, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham said today.

Ham commands U.S. Africa Command and leads the coalition designed to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for the protection of Libyan civilians from Gadhafi's forces and authorizes a no-fly zone over Libya.

The first days of Operation Odyssey Dawn have been successful, Ham said during a news conference with Pentagon reporters from his headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

"I assess that our actions to date are generally achieving the intended objectives," Ham said. "We have not observed Libyan military aircraft operating since the beginning of coalition operations."

Coalition air attacks have succeeded in stopping regime forces from advancing on Benghazi, "and we are now seeing regime forces moving southward from Benghazi," Ham said. "Through a variety of reports, we know that regime ground forces that were in the vicinity of Benghazi now possess little will or capability to resume offensive operations," he added.

Coalition forces launched 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan command and control nodes, a Scud missile site and an air defense site. "Coalition forces from France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom flew missions to sustain the no-fly zone over Benghazi to protect civilians from attack by regime ground forces and the conduct further reconnaissance," the general said.

Coalition ships continue their mission to enforce the U.N. ban on weapons shipments to Libya, and the coalition flotilla off-shore was joined by the French aircraft carrier Charles DeGaulle and the Italian carrier Garibaldi.

Air operations are aimed at extending the no-fly zone southward from Benghazi and then westward to Tripoli.

Meanwhile, Ham said, he is preparing the process to transfer command of Operation Odyssey Dawn to a coalition commander.

"This is a very complex task under the best of conditions," he said. "My goal is to not cause disruptions to the on-going operation while we effect the headquarters transition."

He said the transition will not take long to accomplish, but it must be done carefully. "It's not so simple as just having a handshake someplace and [saying], 'OK, you're now in charge,'" Ham said. "These are very complex, technical things that have to occur, particularly in the management and command and control of the air campaign," he said.

The coalition needs to ensure that any change would not place aircrews at risk, the general told reporters. "I do not see this being a prolonged situation," he said, "but we need that identification of the headquarters, and then we'll begin that process and move on."

Ham reiterated that his mission is to protect civilians and to enforce a no-fly zone, conceding that this military mission could mean Gadhafi could remain as leader in Libya.

"It's perhaps easier for me to address that than it is for others, because I have a very discrete military mission," he said. "I could see accomplishing the military mission [that] has been assigned to me and the current leader would remain the current leader. Is that ideal? I don't think anyone would say that is ideal, but I could envision that as a possible situation, at least for the current mission that I have."

Ham said he has no mission to go after Gadhafi. "We are not seeking his whereabouts or anything like that," he added. "We think we have been very effective in degrading his ability to control his regime forces. And we think we are seeing that play out at various parts of the country."

The no-fly zone is making progress, but coalition aircrews still confront a dangerous environment. More than half of the missions flown in the past 24 hours were by coalition nations other than the United States. Gadhafi still has mobile surface-to-air missile systems with his deployed forces, and there are thousands of shoulder-fired missiles and thousands of anti-aircraft artillery emplacements in Libya.

The general stressed there will be no U.S. boots on the ground in Libya and that the coalition is not providing air support to the opposition.

"We do not provide close-air support for the opposition forces. We protect civilians," he said. "Some within the opposition may be civilians. And if they are attacked by regime forces, then we would be obliged, if we possess the capability, to try to protect them from attack. But we have no mission and no intent to provide close-air support to the opposition."

No American service members are working with opposition groups to supply information and intelligence to aircrews, the general said.

"No one who is a part of this coalition is on the ground," Ham said. "I don't know how to be more clear than that: No military boots on the ground. 03/21/2011

INITIAL STRIKES AGAINST LIBYA EFFECTIVE

By Cheryl Pellerin, American Forces Press Service - As the United States and its coalition partners establish the no-fly zone they hope will keep Moammar Gadhafi from "slaughtering his own people," military forces are just one way to bring stability to Libya, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.

"The tool box we bring with us to this [military action] has things in it in addition to hammers," Gates told reporters traveling with him en route to Russia. "There's a whole range of political and economic sanctions and a variety of other actions that have been taken."

The first objective is to accomplish the mandate set forth in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, he said. "I think we've made good progress in doing that," he added.

Gates said what's important to President Barack Obama in the ongoing military effort is "a meaningful coalition, meaning other countries making serious military contributions so the United States isn't carrying the pre-eminent responsibility for an indefinite period of time."

Obama limited the U.S. contribution to "no boots on the ground," the secretary said, but "we agreed to use our unique capabilities ... at the front end of this process [and] expected in a matter of days to be able to turn over the primary responsibility to others."

"We will continue to support the coalition, be a member of the coalition, we will have a military role in the coalition but we will not have a preeminent role," the secretary said.

U.S. Africa Command has taken the military lead in the initial fighting, Gates cited possibilities for a transition to leadership by the international coalition.

"One is British and French leadership, another is the use of the NATO machinery, he said. "We just have to work out the command and control that is most accommodating to all coalition members."

Gates said the Arab League reaffirmed its support today of the military effort in Libya and that this action was "very important, because the initiative first came from those in the region."

The coalition is not operating as a NATO mission, Gates said, because of sensitivity on the part of the Arab League to being seen to be operating under a NATO umbrella. He added it may be possible to "work out NATO's command and control machinery without it being a NATO mission and without a NATO flag."

The United States received strong indications from several Arab states that they would participate in the coalition, the secretary said, though so far only Qatar has planes in the fight.

"This is a new endeavor for them," he said, "and the notion that it takes them a while to get it organized shouldn't be a surprise."

The longer-term process of creating a stable Libya will have to be resolved by the Libyans themselves, Gates said.

"This is something that we've talked about with respect to other countries in the region," he said, including Tunisia and Egypt. Whether Gadhafi's opponents in Libya will get additional outside help remains to be seen, he added.

UNITED NATIONS APPROVES NO FLY ZONE OVER LIBYA / RUSSIA AND CHINA ABSTAIN FROM VOTE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The U-N Security Council tonight approved a no fly zone over Libya, by a vote of 10-0, with five countries abstaining, including Russia and China. The move was ordered amid growing evidence that embattled Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi was ordering more air strikes against civilians and opponents as he tried to retake areas now held by rebels. Details on a plan to attack Ghaddafi forces were not resolved as of this posting, however, French officials implied they may be willing to take the lead as long as financial and military assistance from Arab league countries. Diplomats from the U-S and European countries remain concerned that the Arab League countries be involved so as the no fly zone air strikes and enforcement not be seen as an attack against an Arab country by western forces. Rebel forces have been pushed back the past week from established areas outside the eastern portion of Libya, which they have held almost since the beginning of protests in the country, more than a month ago. 03/17/2011

U-N GROUP FORECASTS LOWER LEVELS OF RADIATION FROM JAPAN WILL REACH CALIFORNIA FRIDAY

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The leader of the United Nantions agency that monitors nuclear safety, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano, says the situation in Japan is "very serious". Amano cited confirmed damage to three cores, which remain partially uncovered by cooling waters, according to the United Nations.

According to a UN press release, “We do not know the exact situation inside the reactor vessels, but the pressure inside remains above atmospheric pressure; this suggests that they remain largely intact,” he said, noting that increased temperatures have also been observed at spent fuel ponds and the radiation dose rates in Tokyo and other cities have increased “very slightly” to levels that he stressed are not dangerous to humans’ health.

Mr. Amano said he would like to have high-level contacts during his brief trip but did not know yet whom he would meet. “If I wait until everything is fixed it will be too late, so there are some uncertainties, but I decided to go and do my best to reach the people who are handling this issue… it is like running and thinking, this is unavoidable in such a situation,” he noted.

While stressing that he did not mean that he was frustrated, Mr. Amano said he would like to see “better communication of information both in quantity and quality. There is constant information but there certainly is room for improvements,” he added.

Meanwhile, another international nuclear safety group tied to the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency projected lower levels of a radiation plume from Japan will make it to California on Friday. Quoted in an article in the New York Times, scientists with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CNTBTO) have estimated the plume will be churning "across the Pacific, and touching the Aleutian Islands on Thursday before hitting Southern California late Friday".

US NUCLEAR EXPERTS WARN JAPAN NUCLEAR CRISIS MORE SERIOUS / RECOMMENDS WIDER EVACUATIONS

More from the Voice of America- U.S Nuclear Regulatory Chairman Gregory Jaczko told a congressional panel that his commission is recommending a larger evacuation radius from Japan's Fukishima nuclear plant than Japan has ordered.

Jaczko arrived late to Wednesday's hearing because he had been called for a meeting to the White House on Japan's nuclear crisis. Jaczko described the dire situation at Japan's Fukishima nuclear plant, saying radiation levels at the fourh reactor at that plant are "extremely high." He said the State Department is issuing a new recommendation for U.S. citizens in Japan.

"For a comparable situation in the United States, we would recommend an evacuation to a much larger radius than has currently been provided in Japan," he said.

Jaczko said the U.S. Ambassador in Japan has been told that it would be appropriate to evacuate U.S. citizens to a 80 kilometer radius from the Fukishima nuclear plant. Japan had ordered citizens to take precautions within a 30 kilometer-radius, with a 20 kilometer evacuation radius from the nuclear plant, and advising those within a 30 kilometer radius to stay indoors.

The combined natural disasters of an earthquake and a tsunami have put Japan's Fukishima nuclear power plant in danger of a meltdown. Jaczko and Energy Secretary Steven Chu were both on Captiol Hill to testify on their agencies' budget proposals for 2012, but the crisis in Japan dominated the hearing.

Democratic Congresswoman Doris Matsui of California expressed the concern felt by many across the world when she posed this question to Energy Secretary Chu: "Mr. Secretary, what happens if there is a meltdown in one or more of the Japanese reactors, and the containment system fails?"

Chu said he is getting conflicting reports from Japan about the current situation. "We are trying to monitor very closely, we hear conflicting reports about exactly what is happening at the several reactors that are now at risk, and I would not want to speculate on exactly what will happen," he said.

Chu admitted that the situation in Japan is already worse than the nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania in 1979, America's worst nuclear accident. Nuclear Regulatory Chairman Jaczko sought to reassure Americans that nuclear power plants are built in the United States to withstand earthquakes, tsunamis and all kinds of natural disasters. Energy Secretary Chu reaffirmed President Obama' support for nuclear power as one of a diverse set of energy sources, and said the adminstration is committed to learning from Japan.

JAPAN FACES GRAVE NUCLEAR CRISIS / EXPLOSIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY EMIT MORE RADIATION

More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Japan's Kyodo News Agency is reporting this morning that radiation is feared to have leaked after part of a container vessel was apparently damaged by an explosion at the troubled No. 2 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant Tuesday morning, its operator said, triggering fears that the problem could develop into a critical "meltdown" situation. The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that radiation levels at the plant shot up after the apparent blast at 6:10 a.m., and the operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. ordered some workers at the site to temporarily evacuate the area. Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people living between 20 and 30 kilometers of the plant to stay indoors. Residents within a 20 km radius have already been ordered to vacate the area following Saturday's hydrogen blast at the plant's No. 1 reactor, and Kan stressed all people within the area must evacuate."The radiation level has risen substantially. The risk that radiation will leak from now on has risen," Kan said.The blast at the No. 2 reactor appears to be a hydrogen explosion, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said fire also occurred around 9:40 a.m. at the plant's No. 4 reactor, Tepco said The agency said the explosion at the No. 2 reactor may have damaged the "suppression chamber," a facility connected to the reactor's container which is designed to cool down radiation steam and lower the pressure in the reactor. It said a sharp decline in the pressure level of the chamber suggests damage. Following the incident, the radiation level near the main gate of the Fukushima No. 1 plant exceeded the legal limit to reach 965.5 micro sievert per hour at 7:00 a.m. and jumped to 8,217 micro sievert at 8:31 a.m., the agency said. The latter amount is more than eight times the 1,000 micro sievert level to which people can safely be exposed in one year. Given that the building housing the reactor has already been damaged by Monday's hydrogen blast at the neighboring No. 3 reactor, a spread of radiation outside the plant has become a serious threat, experts say.The possibility of a meltdown, in which fuel rods melt and are destroyed, "cannot be ruled out" as the fuel rods have been damaged, the utility said.

In Ibaraki Prefecture, just south of Fukushima, an amount of radiation up to about 100 times the usual level was measured Tuesday morning. The wind was blowing from north to south when the incident occurred at the Fukushima plant.

The cores of the three reactors are believed to have partially melted following Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake that hit northeastern and eastern Japan, causing the No. 1, 2 and 3 reactors — all that were operating at the plant at the time — to automatically shut down. The plant has six reactors.

Kan said earlier in the morning that the government and Tepco will set up an integrated headquarters, headed by himself, to address issues at the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

"A worrisome situation remains but I hope to take the lead in overcoming this crisis," Kan said of the nuclear power plant. "I will take all measures so that damage will not expand."

At the headquarters set up at the Tepco head office, with the company's president and the economy, trade and industry minister serving as its deputy chiefs, Kan confronted Tepco officials about their delay in reporting the initial blast.

The development follows hydrogen blasts at both of the plant's No. 1 and No. 3 reactors, whose cores are believed to have partially melted.

The cooling system for the No. 2 reactor broke down on Monday, causing water levels to rapidly fall and fully exposing its fuel rods for several hours.

Although workers have been pouring seawater into the reactor to prevent overheating and further damage to the container, its core is also believed to have been partially melting.

As of 6:28 a.m., the water level had recovered to cover about 1.2 meters of the fuel rods, about one-third of their height, Tepco said.

Japan has asked the United States to provide more cooling equipment to help stabilize the plant, Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in Washington. The NRC has already sent two technological experts and is fully supporting Japanese efforts, he said. More from the Japan times, click here. 03/15/2011

JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER SAYS COUNTRY FACES WORST DISASTER SINCE WORLD WAR TWO / NUCLEAR CRISIS WORSENS AT DISABLED POWER PLANTS / DEATH TOLL MAY PASS 15,000

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan, today said the earthquake, tsunami, search and rescue and the nuclear crisis from disabled powers plants, amounts to the worst disaster the country has faced since World War Two. Japanese officials say they have received assistance and other offers from scores of countries including neighboring China.

Japanese officials also confirmed today, the revised calculation of the earthquake's richter scale intensity to 9.0, from the previous estimate of 8.9. Though seemingly a minute tenth of a point, experts say that change, in geological terms means the country suffered through a quake twice the power of the inital 8.9 estimate. That's the worst quake in the nation's recorded history. Preliminary findings also suggest the entire nation of Japan was physically moved about eight feet from its former position. Another measure suggested the quake was at least 1,000 more powerful that the quake last year in Haiti.

At least 200,000 people have been evacuated from the area near the epicenter of the quake due to the damage to nuclear power plants, one of which already plagued with an explosion due to failure of the cooling systems around the nuclear reactors. There are at least two other plants in Japan facing similar problems, due to power outages caused by the quake and the failure of backup power systems. Fear has intensified over the weekend as experts believe the chances for additional explosions at the plants have increased due to continuing cooling system problems.

Due to the shortage of generating capacity, the nation will begin rolling blackouts effective Monday in Japan, as engineers try to stabilize the electrical grid with demand. Businesses and residents are being told to cut energy use during the emergency.

NUCLEAR EMERGENCY DECLARED AROUND QUAKE CRIPPLED JAPANESE NUCLEAR PLANT / REPORTS OF PEOPLE WASHED OUT TO SEA IN OREGON

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Beyond the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged northern Japan is fear of potential nuclear disaster from at least one nuclear plant. Disabled by electrical failure to control cooling equipment, the nuclear power plant is trying to cool a reactor, which has already forced engineers to release steam contaminated with lower levels of radiation. Although the practice was common during the early days of nuclear power, it is considered an emergency event by today's nuclear generation standards. The Japanese government has evacuated residents near the plant should the worst, an explosion, occur. So far Japanese officials say at least 1,000 people died in the quake and resulting tsunami. The quake struck at a depth of six miles, about 80 miles off the eastern coast of Japan. The area is 240 miles northeast of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, along the west coast of the U-S much of the tsunami force water damage took place in Oregon and very northern California. Officials in Oregon now say there are several reports of perhaps, as many as ten people, swept out to sea at different locations, including Depot Bay, and the resort city of Brookings, Curry County, near the California state line. 03/11/2011

SEVEN FOOT TSUNAMI WAVES HIT OREGON COAST AT LINCOLN CITY / AFTERMATH OF 8.9 QUAKE IN NORTHERN JAPAN

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Officials in Oregon say the first wave of the tsunami, touched off last night by an earthquake in Japan, has sent waves topping seven feet into the small port town of Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast. Lincoln City is about 100 miles southwest of Portland, which sits on the Oregon - Washington state line. Local officials have cautioned residents at Lincoln City to evacuate the area as a precaution since more tsunami waves are expected this morning. The waves are about two feet higher than what was expected. Damage reports from Hawaii and Pacific rim territories are incomplete, but so far, only moderate damage and a few deaths are reported.

The quake struck at a depth of six miles, about 80 miles off the eastern coast of Japan. The area is 240 miles northeast of Tokyo.In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the street for safety. TV reports show a large building on fire and bellowing smoke in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. AREAS OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS SHOULD AND THE WEST COAST OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES SHOULD TUNE TO LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS FOR WEATHER AND EVACUATION DETAILS. Hawaii Tsunami Warning Center, click here. West Coast Tsunami Warning Center, click here. 03/11/2011

NASA LAUNCH OF EXPERIMENTAL SPACE SHUTTLE SUCCESSFUL / WEATHER SATELLITE LOST IN PACIFIC AFTER LAUNCH FAILURE AT VANDENBERG AFB

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- (UPDATE- LAUNCH OF X-37B WAS SUCCESSFUL SATURDAY EVENING AFTER REPEATED DELAYS THIS WEEK DUE TO BAD WEATHER AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. As weather was delaying the launch of a super secret mini space shuttle ( X-37B) flight in Florida yesterday, NASA also dealt with a launch failure in California. A Taurus rocket carrying the so called," Glory Project", experienced a nose cone failure that prevented an atmospheric research satellite from reaching orbit, the second such failure in two years, costing the program more than $700 million in losses. the satellite is believed somewhere in the south Pacific. Rain at the Kennedy Space Center delayed the launch of the (X-37B) mini space shuttle. The Air Force considers the flight classified and is saying little about what is on board the craft or the mission. Much of the speculation centers around the X-37B being an emergency shuttle for the international space station, since the three remaining space shuttles are scheduled to be decommissioned this year. 03/05/2011

DEMOCRATS TO FORM GROUP THAT COMPETES WITH REPUBLICAN FUNDRAISING

OBAMA CONDEMNS KILLINGS ORDERED BY GHADDAFI

More from the Voice of America- U.S. President Barack Obama says the violent crackdown in Libya violates international norms and that he has ordered his national security team to prepare “a full range of options” for dealing with the crisis.Mr. Obama, speaking at the White House Wednesday, said it is “imperative the nations of the world speak with one voice” about the brutal response carried out by militiamen and supporters of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi against civilians in the North African country.The president, in his first public comments on the turmoil in Libya, called the suffering and bloodshed “outrageous and unacceptable.” Mr. Obama said universal human rights are non-negotiable and “must be adhered to.” He said he is dispatching Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Geneva for international talks aimed at stopping the crackdown.Earlier Wednesday, Clinton said the U.S. is working closely with international partners to send a clear message to the Libyan government that violence is unacceptable and that Mr. Gadhafi's regime will be held accountable for its actions. Clinton said Washington's foremost concern must be the safety and security of its citizens, indicating all measures were being taken to assist in their evacuation from Libya.State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said earlier the U.S. has a number of options for taking action against Libya including bilateral or multilateral sanctions. He said it is important that any steps the U.S. takes be coordinated with the international community.The European Union has already decided to prepare sanctions against Libya. Such measures could include visa bans and asset freezes.Also Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon repeated his condemnation of the violence in Libya, saying attacks on civilians are a serious violation of international law. Mr. Ban called the scale of the attacks “egregious” and said those responsible must be held to account. He called on the Libyan government to “protect its people.”French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged the EU to impose “concrete sanctions” against Libya. He said those involved in the ongoing violence must know that they will “assume the consequences of their actions.”European Council President Herman van Rompuy on Wednesday condemned what he called “violence, aggression and intimidation” against Libyan demonstrators. He called for an “immediate end to the use of force.”British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would like to see a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Libya's use of force against protesters. After a Tuesday meeting, the council expressed “grave concern” about Mr. Gadhafi's crackdown.On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi telephoned Mr. Gadhafi to personally urge him to stop the violence. Mr. Berlusconi has had a friendly relationship with the Libyan leader, based in part on Italy's interests in securing energy supplies from its former colony and its desire for Libyan cooperation in stopping migrants from sailing to Italy.The Libyan leader also faced diplomatic pressure from his Arab neighbors. The Arab League held an emergency session in Cairo Tuesday, agreeing to suspend Libya from participating in its meetings. Arab League chief Amr Moussa said violence against protesters must end. YouTube playback of Obama speech, click here. 02/23/2011

WISCONSIN BUDGET BATTLE: CONSERVATIVE GROUP DUMPS $342,000 INTO TV ADS / GOV. DUPED BY BLOG EDITOR / ADMITS HE THOUGHT ABOUT ADDING "TROUBLEMAKERS" TO PROTESTERS

FORMER PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND BUSH #41 JOIN TO ESTABLISH INSTITUTE TO CUT CIVIL DISCOURSE

SHOWDOWN IN WISCONSIN: THE BATTLE OVER PAY TO UNION STATE WORKERS & MUST SEE VIDEO!

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A battle between Wisconsin state workers, and Gov. Scott Walker escalated today to include a battle with sympathetic Senate Democrats, who went into hiding yesterday in Rockford , Illinois. the Democratic lawmakers sought to prevent a quorum to prevent a vote on a bill that would take away collective bargaining rights for state employees. Police estimated 35,000-40,000 filled the state capitol area today in Madison protesting, what they say, is Walker's attempt to allow union busting for the sake of cutting the budget. State workers claim Walker's true intentions don't include good faith negotiations with them. Walker denies it, saying the state is going broke and that it does not have the money to continue current payment structures for the workers health care and pensions. Due to the protests and the Senate Democrats opposition, Walker today announced he would be delaying introduction of the budget until March 1st.

Protest being planned for the weekend have prompted police to schedule more officers. A total of 15 state and local agencies are supplying officers. Meanwhile, school officials in Madison made a stern call today, for teachers to return. the school administration filed for a court injuctions to force their return. Hundreds have called in sick this week to protest at the Capitol building. Direct link to latest from Madison.com, click here. 02/18/2011

OBAMA HOLDS NEWS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS PROPOSED BUDGET

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED OBAMA BUDGET / SOME SOCIAL PROGRAMS FACE CUTBACKS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama's 2011-2012 budget takes a swipe at some programs considered sacred. Including cuts to community health and home heating assistance for the poor. But, it tries to make the best of cuts in other programs, such as student loans by renewing loan pools through student loan repayments. Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew, in a statement released along with the budget, explains:

This is the seventh Budget that I have worked on at OMB, and it may be the most difficult. It includes more than $1 trillion in deficit reduction – two-thirds from spending cuts -- and puts the nation on a path toward fiscal sustainability so that by the middle of the decade, the government will no longer be adding to our national debt as a share of the economy and will be paying for what it spends – and will be able to sustain that for many years afterwards.

The President has called this budget a down payment because we will still have work to do to pay down the debt and address our long-term challenges. But it is a necessary and critical step for we cannot start to move toward balance and to cutting into the size of our debt until we first stop adding to it – and that is what this Budget does.

It lays out a strategy for significant deficit reduction – the most deficit reduction in a comparable period since the end of World War II – that will bring our deficit down to about 3 percent of the economy by the middle of the decade and maintain it there for the rest of the budget window. Changing the trajectory of our fiscal path is a significant accomplishment, but to do this, it will take some tough choices. Let me highlight a few of them:

The Budget includes a five-year non-security discretionary spending freeze that will reduce the deficit by over $400 billion over the next decade and bring this spending to the lowest level since President Eisenhower sat in the Oval Office. To achieve savings of this magnitude it is not enough to cut programs that are outdated, ineffective, or duplicative – though that is where we need to start. It is also necessary to make cuts in places that, absent the fiscal situation, we would not reduce – such as energy assistance and community development grants for cities and counties.

In national security, which we are not freezing, we also are making real cuts. Defense spending has been growing faster than inflation for more than a decade, and we can no longer afford to stay on that path.

The Budget cuts $78 billion from the Pentagon’s spending plan over the next five years, bringing defense spending down to zero real growth. It cuts weapons programs that Secretary Gates and the military leadership say we do not need and which we cannot afford. We are also capturing the savings that come from bringing our troops home from Iraq, which when added in brings defense spending down by more than 5 percent from the President’s FY 2011 request.

Of course, cutting discretionary spending alone will not solve our fiscal problems. This Budget also deals with mandatory spending and revenue and takes significant steps to address our long-term fiscal challenges.

For example, this budget shows how we can pay for solutions to two problems that we have been too willing to kick down the road by putting on the national credit card: preventing a nearly 30 percent cut in reimbursements to doctors in Medicare to keep doctors in the system treating patients; and preventing an increase in taxes on middle-class families through the Alternative Minimum Tax or AMT.

In December, there was a bipartisan agreement to pay for a one-year extension of the so-called “doc fix” – which was not required by budget rules but was the right thing to do. Building on that, our budget identifies $62 billion of specific health savings to pay for the next two years of this fix – establishing a clear pattern that, consistent with our budget, this needs to be paid for in the future.

With regard to the AMT, we pay for three years of a patch by limiting the amount those in the highest tax bracket can receive for their itemized tax deductions. By bringing the rate back to where it was in the Reagan Administration, this is the biggest reduction in revenue-side spending in 25 years. This proposal is consistent with the Fiscal Commission’s recommendation that we start to cut back on spending in the tax code, and if we continue on this path of paying for the AMT patch, after 2014, it will reduce the deficit by 1 percent of GDP by the end of the decade.

These both are down payments on long-term reform to reduce the deficit further, and the Administration looks forward to working with Congress to permanently covering these costs once and for all.

Similarly, as the President said in the State of the Union address, we are eager to work with the Congress on deficit-neutral, corporate tax reform that will simplify the system, eliminate special interest loopholes, level the playing field, and lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years.

And while it does not contribute to our deficits in the short- or medium-term, the President has laid out his principles to strengthen Social Security and has called on Congress to work on a bipartisan fashion to keep this compact with future generations.

As we take these steps to live within our means, we also invest in the areas critical to future economic growth and jobs creation: education, innovation, clean energy, and infrastructure. And even in these areas, the budget cuts programs in order to fund high-priority investments.

For instance, in education we maintain the increased maximum Pell Grant level that we instituted, helping 9 million students afford college. We pay for it with $100 billion in savings, primarily from eliminating summer school Pell awards and the graduate student in-school loan subsidy.

In the area of innovation, we support simplifying, expanding, and making permanent the R&D tax credit, $148 billion in R&D investments -- including a robust $32 billion for NIH -- and meeting visionary goals to bring about a new clean energy economy. To help pay for these investments, lower priority programs are cut, and we eliminate 12 tax breaks to oil, gas, and coal companies that will raise $46 billion over 10 years.

And to build the infrastructure we need to compete, the Budget increases our annual investment by $35 billion a year, which is a 60 percent increase over the last surface transportation reauthorization bill. Not only does this plan consolidate 60 duplicative, often earmarked programs into five and demands more competition for funds, but we insist that this bill be paid for -- and we look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to do that.

LATEST VIDEOS ON EGYPT AFTER MUBARAK

MUBARAK STEPS DOWN / MILITARY SAYS IT HAS TAKEN OVER IN TRANSITION

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Egypt's Vice President, in a short and terse statement at 11 am EST, announced that President Hosni Mubarak had left Cairo for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and that the military would take over as a transitional government is formed. It had been earlier reported by some government officials that Mubarak and his family had left the country. A popular tourist destination in the Sinai peninsula which Egypt got back from Israel after a peace treaty in 1979, Sharm el-Sheikh is a world away from the pollution, congestion and poverty of Cairo. Only last night he remained defiant that he would be in charge until a new government was chosen in September. It was expected that Mubarak was going to announce his resignation last night. That did not materialize, although Mubarak said he would be handing over power to the Vice President, even though he (Mubarak) would remain President. However, experts familiar with the Egyptian government, say Mubarak saw the writing on the wall as the country remained paralyzed by continued protests, people refusing to go to work, and interruptions of electrical power and communications. Earlier in the day military equipment was being turned away from protestors and remaining in a sort of "stand down" position. That, as U-S officials confirmed earlier reports from sources in Egypt, stating it was the military who had turned on Mubarak after his speech last night and demanded that he go. Some Egyptian officials admit factions of the military were ready to join protesters. President Obama's statement on Mubarak resignation below. 02/11/2011

SPENDING RISES AMONG BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS / CAUSES HIGHER TRADE IMBALENCE WITH CHINA

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The good news was that businesses and consumers were spending more in December, 2010. Exports from the U-S were also up. The bad news is, most of the total trade was for goods and services from China. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, total December exports of $163.0 billion and imports of $203.5 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $40.6 billion, up from$38.3 billion in November, revised. December exports were $2.8 billion more than November exports of $160.1 billion. December imports were $5.1 billion more than November imports of $198.5 billion. In December, the goods deficit increased $2.3 billion from November to $53.6 billion, and the services surplus was virtually unchanged at $13.0 billion. Exports of goods increased$2.8 billion to $116.6 billion, and imports of goods increased $5.1 billion to $170.1 billion. Exports of services were virtually unchanged at $46.4 billion, and imports of services were virtually unchanged at $33.4 billion.The goods and services deficit increased $3.5 billion from December 2009 to December 2010.Exports were up $19.6 billion, or 13.7 percent, and imports were up $23.1 billion, or 12.8 percent.

The BEA also reported, year end, 2010 estimates, which show the U-S trade imbalance with China rose to $273.1 billion. According to the agency, For 2010, exports of services were $542.8 billion, up $40.5 billion from 2009. Increases occurred in other private services ($13.3 billion), which includes items such as business, professional, and technical services, insurance services, and financial services; travel ($9.3 billion); royalties and license fees ($7.5 billion); passenger fares ($4.8 billion); other transportation ($4.3 billion), which includes freight and port services; transfers under U.S. military sales contracts ($1.1 billion); and U.S. government miscellaneous services($0.1 billion). Within other private services, the largest increase was in business, professional, and technical services.For 2010, imports of services were $394.1 billion, up $23.8 billion from 2009. Increases occurred in other private services ($8.0 billion); other transportation ($7.6 billion);royalties and license fees ($4.1 billion); passenger fares ($2.2 billion); travel ($1.9 billion);and U.S. government miscellaneous services ($0.2 billion). Within other private services, the largest increase was in business, professional, and technical services. A decrease occurred in direct defense expenditures ($0.1 billion).

FBI SAYS NAVY ADMINISTRATOR GOT $10 MILLION IN BRIBES FROM FEDERAL CONTRACTOR

More from the Emeritus News - The FBI has charged 52 year old Ralph Mariano, of Arlington, Virginia, a civilian program manager and senior systems engineer with NAVSEA; and 58 year old Anjan Dutta-Gupta, of Roswell, Georgia, founder and president of Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow (ASFT), with offices in Middletown, Rhode Island and Roswell, Georgia, for participating in a kickback and bribery scheme in which Dutta-Gupta funneled approximately $10 million to Mariano, Mariano’s relatives, and Mariano’s associates in return for Mariano’s role in the funding of Naval contracts to ASFT.

The FBI reports, according to the court filing, approximately $13.5 million in funding from the Navy was sent by ASFT to a subcontractor, mostly for work that was not performed. The subcontractor, over a period of years, allegedly kicked back a total of approximately $10 million to Mariano, Mariano’s relatives and associates, and back to entities controlled by Dutta-Gupta.

Dutta-Gupta was arrested on Sunday in Atlanta by U.S. Customs agents and turned over to the FBI as he entered the country on a return trip from Chile. Dutta-Gupta made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Atlanta on Monday and was released on $25,000 unsecured bond and he was ordered to surrender his passport. The defendant was ordered to appear before a Magistrate Judge in U.S. District in Providence on February 15, 2011.

Mariano surrendered to the U.S. Marshals Service in Rhode Island on Monday and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence Monday afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. Mariano was released on $50,000 unsecured bond and he was ordered to surrender his passport. FBI press release, click here. 02/09/2011

TEXAS BUDGET CRISIS DEEPENS / SOME LEGISLATORS RESORT TO OSTRICH M-O

OBAMA CALLS FOR CONGRESS TO RETURN AMERICA TO LEADERSHIP IN JOBS, EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY

FEDS GET SETTLEMENT FROM BULLETPROOF VEST MAKER

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports a settlement has been reached with the company which manufactured defective bulletproof vests. the FBI says Teijin Shoji Co. Ltd., aka N.I. Teisho of Japan, and an American subsidiary, N.I. Teijin Shoji (USA) Inc., have agreed to pay the United States $1.5 million to resolve potential claims under the False Claims Act in connection with the companies' importation and sale of defective Zylon fiber which was used as the key ballistic material in bulletproof vests, the Justice Department announced today.

The Teijin companies imported the fiber on behalf of the Zylon manufacturer, Toyobo Co. Ltd. of Japan. The United States alleged that the Teijin companies were aware that the fiber degraded quickly over time and that this degradation rendered bulletproof vests containing woven Zylon unfit for use. The government further alleged that, despite this knowledge, the Teijin companies did not inform the United States of any degradation concerns or stop selling Zylon fiber for use in ballistic applications. Rather, Teijin personnel actively participated in the marketing of the Zylon fiber and downplayed the extent of the degradation problem. Furthermore, for a period of time in 2002, Teijin purchased Zylon fabric back from the Canadian weaver to whom it had sold the fiber for weaving, and sold it directly to American body armor manufacturers, after the weaver itself refused to sell the Zylon fabric due to its fears of potential liability.

"Those who knowingly provide defective material for bulletproof vests not only cheat the taxpayers, they put the lives of law enforcement officers at risk," said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Division. "We will pursue any company that is aware of problems with Zylon fiber, yet continues to market and sell it anyway."

This settlement is part of a larger investigation of the body armor industry's use of Zylon in body armor. The United States previously has settled with eight other participants in the Zylon body armor industry for more than $59 million. Additionally, the federal government has lawsuits pending against Toyobo Co. and several of the vest manufacturers. As part of today's agreement, Teijin has pledged its cooperation in the government's on-going investigation.

ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT ORDERS EMANUEL BACK ON CHICAGO MAYORAL BALLOT / AGREES TO HEAR CASE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Illinois Supreme Court today ordered the Chicago elections commission to place candidate and former White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, back on the mayoral ballot. The commission yesterday, began printing the ballots, but the Supreme Court effectively reverses the appeals court ruling, pending the Supreme Court hearing on Emanuel's appeal. Early voting begins January 31st, so elections officials are battling the clock to make the deadline. If the Illinois Supreme Court rules in Emanuel's favor, he is expected to win the February 22d contest, where he is polling about 20 points higher than his nearest rival, former U-S Senator Carol Moseley Braun. Full text of actual Supreme Court CORRECTED filing of decision pdf download, click here. 1/25/2011

APPEALS COURT ORDERS RAHM EMANUEL OFF CHICAGO MAYORAL BALLOT / ISSUE GOES TO STATE SUPREME COURT

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has lost a bid, in the Illinois Court of Appeals, to stay on the February 22d mayoral ballot. In a 2-1 decision handed down today, the court ruled Emanuel had not legally resided in Chicago, for the year specified by law, in order to qualify as a candidate. The decision reverse a lower court decision which allow him to remain on the ballot. during a news conference following the decision, Emanuel said he would appeal to the state supreme court. Elections officials say they are printing the ballots today and tomorrow and that Emanuel's name will not be on them. Early voting on the mayoral race begins on January 31st. Tomorrow, Tuesday (Jan. 25) is the deadline for Chicago voters to update their addresses, in order to vote. Emanuel faces the possibility he will have to run as a write in since elections officials say they were already behind printing the ballots to be able to use them for early voting. Full text of First District Illinois Appeals Court ruling on case #1-11-0033 NRel , click here. Rahm Emanuel press releases, click here. Press releases for the city of Chicago Election Commission, click here. 01/24/2011

POSTAL SERVICE WILL BE CUTTING 2,000 MORE UNPROFITABLE SITES / SMALL TOWNS, RURAL AREAS HARDEST HIT

More in this article from the Wall Street Journal, click here- The Postal Service has also announced that the new postal rates will go into effect April 17th. For example, on April 17th, single-piece, 1-ounce First-Class letters will remain 44 cents with additional ounces increased to 20 cents. The price for mailing a postcard will increase one cent. The overall increase is capped at 1.741 percent – at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. More detailed pricing information will be available online at www.usps.com/prices. This month's announcement does not affect Express Mail and Priority Mail prices. Prices for other mailing services, including Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Extra Services, also will change. Business mailers will see price increases in a variety of categories.

THE LONG ROAD TO HEALING / REP. GIFFORDS TAKEN TO HOUSTON REHAB CENTER/ VIDEO OF NEWS CONFERENCE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords arrived today in Houston to begin her rehabilitation at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Giffords was taken from University Medical Center in Tucson, where she has been since being shot, January 8th, during a "Meet Your Representative" stop at a Safeway store. She was taken by a special outfitted jet to Houston, where U-S Capitol Police have set up special security. Giffords continues to make progress, standing and walking with assistance and is gaining extended range with her arms and hands. She has not been able to speak though she is moving her mouth. Expectations are that she will be able to return to Tucson in a month or two until she no longer requires 24 hour medical care. Washington Post article on the challenges facing Rep. Giffords, click here. KTRK-TV Houston, video of news conference, below.

REP. GIFFORDS TO BE MOVED TO HOUSTON REHAB CENTER

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, for the first time since being shot on January 8th, was able to stand yesterday at the window of her hospital room at University Medical Center in Tucson. Doctors continue to note her "remarkable" progress, after suffering a gunshot wound during a "Meet Your Representative" town hall style meeting, at a Safeway store on Tucson's northwest side. Preparations are underway to move her to Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Center in Houston. Houston is where her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, is based. Not definitive schedule has been publicized, which has depended, in part on Giffords' condition for the move. Memorial Hermann was most recently noted in the rehabilitation of Buffalo Bills receiver Kevin Everett, from a spinal injury in 2007. Kelly is still scheduled to be on the next space shuttle mission, though a stand in for Kelly, has been appointed to take Kelly's place, as shuttle commander, should that be necessary. Her accused attacker, 22 year old Jared Loughner, was indicted by a federal grand jury, but the trial is expected to be moved from Arizona due to pre trail publicity. Full text of press release from the Justice Department, click here. 01/20/2011

PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKES PLEA FOR CIVIL, RESPECTFUL DIALOGUE / SPEAKS AT MEMORIAL FOR TUCSON SHOOTING VICTIMS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- President Obama told a memorial service crowd in Tucson that Rep. "Gabby" Giffords had opened her eyes. The President words provided a ray of hope amid the darkness of tragedy at a service honoring those killed an injured in the Saturday's attempt on Rep. Giffords' life . Friends confirmed Giffords had opened her eyes reacting to bedside conversations. Doctors confirm she is continuing to react and respond to more commands and voluntary movements.

During the memorial service at the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, President Obama called for healing and a plea for civil and respectful disagreement and discussion.

Obama framed the country's current political discourse as destructive and void of solutions critical for the survival of a democracy.

"Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health system. And much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.

But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized -– at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do -– it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds".

Six people were killed, 20 wounded in the attack by 22 year old Jared Loughner. Loughner faces numerous federal charges with additional charges likely. Memorial service video below. He remains jailed, not cooperating with authorities. Text of Obama speech, click here. Youtube video of speech below. 01/13/2011

TUCSON SHOOTING SUSPECT HEARS CHARGES IN FEDERAL COURT

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Federal authorities on Monday revealed charge against 22 year old Jared Loughner, the suspect apprehended shortly after the shooting rampage in Tucson on Saturday. Loughner appeared in federal court in Phoenix where he was read charges against him by Federal Magistrate Lawrence Anderson. The feds have charged Loughner (pronounced Lof'-ner) for:

Count 1: Attempted Assassination of a Member of Congress, 18 USC 351(c) – life imprisonment

Counts 2, 3: Murder of Judge John Roll and Gabriel Zimmerman, 18 USC 1114 and 1111 – death or life imprisonment

Counts 4, 5: Attempted Murder of Pamela Simon and Ron Barber, 18 USC 1114 and 1113 – 20 years’ imprisonment

Loughner has been charged by criminal complaint of shooting U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, Chief Judge John Roll, and Giffords' staff members Gabriel Zimmerman, Pamela Simon, and Ron Barber on Saturday, January 8, 2011, in Tucson. A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The United States Constitution and the Rules of Criminal Procedure require that a grand jury review the evidence and issue an indictment within 30 days of the defendant's initial appearance, according to a statement released by the FBI.

Loughner retained Public Defender Judy Clark. Clark has defended a number of high profile federal cases, including that of convicted "Unibomber" Ted Kascinski. Because of the volume of evidence against Loughner, including surveillance video of the event. which has not been revealed to the media, Loughner is widely viewed by legal pundits as a prime candidate for the insanity defense. There is mounting evidence that Loughner would fit the definition of such a defense. Teachers and other students at a community college in Tucson, attended by Loughner, complained of his erratic, abusive and disruptive behavior.

Six people, including Tucson federal court Judge John Roll were killed and officials increased the estimate of those injured to 20. The incident took place during one of Rep. Giffords' many constituent meetings. It was being held at the entrance to a Safeway store in Northwest Tucson. Giffords is still reported in critical but stable condition at University Medical Center in Tucson. Doctors removed nearly half her skull in order to prevent complications from any brain swelling.

FEDERAL JUDGE DIES, U-S REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT / 6 DIE, 18 WOUNDED IN ATTACK IN TUCSON /SUSPECT ARRESTED

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A shooting this morning at a constituent meeting in Tucson has killed a federal judge and seriously wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D- AZ). Officials say six people died in the hail of gunfire during the attack, including a nine year old child and Tucson federal court Judge John Roll. Rep. Giffords suffered a head wound and underwent surgery at University Medical Center in Tucson. Doctors say the surgery was successful and that she was responding to commands while coming off anesthesia. One doctor said the team which performed the surgery they were, "very optimistic" , about her recovery. So far , officials say at least 18 people were shot. Some of the victims drove themselves to hospitals, so the total number may not be known until Monday. The suspect, 22 year old Jared Loughner, of Tucson, was arrested.

Judge Roll and Giffords had irked supporters of Arizona's new immigration law. Both had received death threats over the past year. Officials said they had been called to Giffords office over the weekend due to a suspicious package. The Pima County Sheriff also says he believes the suspect had help carrying out the attack and that another suspect, possibly in his 50's, was involved.

Despite a stiff challenge from Republicans in November, Giffords won a third term and was sworn in last week in Washington at the start of the new congress. More from the Arizona Republic, click here. 01/08/2011

FED CHAIR BERNANKE REPEATS URGENT CHALLENGE / WANTS MORE SPENT TO END UNEMPLOYMENT / DEMANDS DEEP BUDGET CUTS WHEN ECONOMY ON TRACK

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Not trying to be an alarmist, yet coming very close to the line, Fed Chair Ben Bernanke repeated his call for more near term spending to end high unemployment, then deep cuts to federal spending after the economy has recovered. In testimony today before the Senate Budget Committee, Bernanke used more stark terms to describe how the economy is being held back by high unemployment, which in turn, prevents economic recovery, thereby losing precious time to tackle the federal deficit.

According to Bernanke, "Overall, the pace of economic recovery seems likely to be moderately stronger in 2011 than it was in 2010. Although recent indicators of spending and production have generally been encouraging, conditions in the labor market have improved only modestly at best. After the loss of nearly 8-1/2 million jobs in 2008 and 2009, private payrolls expanded at an average of only about 100,000 per month in 2010--a pace barely enough to accommodate the normal increase in the labor force and, therefore, insufficient to materially reduce the unemployment rate. On a more positive note, a number of indicators of job openings and hiring plans have looked stronger in recent months, and initial claims for unemployment insurance declined through November and December. Notwithstanding these hopeful signs, with output growth likely to be moderate in the next few quarters and employers reportedly still reluctant to add to payrolls, considerable time likely will be required before the unemployment rate has returned to a more normal level. Persistently high unemployment, by damping household income and confidence, could threaten the strength and sustainability of the recovery. Moreover, roughly 40 percent of the unemployed have been out of work for six months or more. Long-term unemployment not only imposes exceptional hardships on the jobless and their families, but it also erodes the skills of those workers and may inflict lasting damage on their employment and earnings prospects".

Laying the foundation for the urgency to get the economy on track ASAP, Bernanke turned to the federal deficit saying, "...the deficit is projected to fall from its current level of about 9 percent of GDP to 5 percent of GDP by 2015, but then to rise to about 6-1/2 percent of GDP by the end of the decade. In subsequent years, the budget outlook is projected to deteriorate even more rapidly, as the aging of the population and continued growth in health spending boost federal outlays on entitlement programs. Under this scenario, federal debt held by the public is projected to reach 185 percent of the GDP by 2035, up from about 60 percent at the end of fiscal year 2010. The CBO projections, by design, ignore the adverse effects that such high debt and deficits would likely have on our economy. But if government debt and deficits were actually to grow at the pace envisioned in this scenario, the economic and financial effects would be severe. Diminishing confidence on the part of investors that deficits will be brought under control would likely lead to sharply rising interest rates on government debt and, potentially, to broader financial turmoil. Moreover, high rates of government borrowing would both drain funds away from private capital formation and increase our foreign indebtedness, with adverse long-run effects on U.S. output, incomes, and standards of living".

Bernanke says the Fed has done as much as it can, for now, to spur economic growth, with projections submitted by Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) ...in November, notwithstanding forecasts of increased growth in 2011 and 2012, most participants expected the unemployment rate to be close to 8 percent two years from now. At this rate of improvement, it could take four to five more years for the job market to normalize fully".

The Fed Chair underlined the fact it can't go much lower with the Federal Funds Rate. "In a situation in which unemployment is high and expected to remain so and inflation is unusually low, the FOMC would normally respond by reducing its target for the federal funds rate. However, the Federal Reserve's target for the federal funds rate has been close to zero since December 2008, leaving essentially no scope for further reductions. Consequently, for the past two years the FOMC has been using alternative tools to provide additional monetary accommodation. Notably, between December 2008 and March 2010, the FOMC purchased about $1.7 trillion in longer-term Treasury and agency-backed securities in the open market. The proceeds of these purchases ultimately find their way into the banking system, with the result that depository institutions now hold a high level of reserve balances with the Federal Reserve", Bernanke said. Full text of Bernanke speech to Senate, click here. 01/07/2011

GATES SAYS DEFENSE DEPARTMENT WILL CUT $150 BILLION / INCLUDES FORCE REDUCTION / ORDERS 1,400 MORE TO AFGHANISTAN

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Plans to cut the defense budget by $100 billion had already been revealed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates in May. However, today Gates announced his department would be making an additional $50 billion in cuts, that will bring the number of U-S forces down for the first time since the September 11th, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. The new total of $150 billion in defense department reductions would be done over the next five years.

The Department of the Navy proposed efficiencies savings of more than $35 billion over five years to include:

The Air Force proposed efficiencies measures that will total some $34 billion over five years and include:

Gates admitted that some of the savings would be used to offset increased costs.Of the $100 billion identified by the service departments, approximately $28 billion will also be used over the next five years by the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to deal with higher than expected operating expenses such as fuel, maintenance, health care and training costs.

The Defense Department also announced the addition of 1,400 more servicemembers to duty in Afghanistan. Pentagon officials say the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines is currently aboard the ships of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group operating in the Indian Ocean. The unit's home base is Camp Lejeune, N.C., and is the Theater Reserve Force.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, requested the extra Marines. He did so after consultations with Afghan government officials. The Marines and sailors of the unit will "exploit gains already achieved against insurgents and more rapidly complete construction of critical infrastructure."

The unit will move in shortly and take advantage of the gains made by fellow Marines in Helmand province. The added Marine contingent also will enable coalition and Afghan forces to expedite the clear and hold phase of operations this winter, officials said.

"The enemy has presented us with a great opportunity to further our success against him," said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard Mills, the commander of Regional CommandSouthwest. "The MEU gives us the capability to take advantage of that opportunity without pulling forces away from other on-going operations. As [the enemy] desperately tries to disperse for the winter, our intent is to simply overwhelm him with an increased operational tempo that he'll be unable to match."

A U.S. Central Command release called the move a "short term" deployment. Pentagon officials said the unit will be in Afghanistan for about three months and then re-deploy back to their vessels.

PRESIDENTIAL PANEL SAYS ANOTHER MAJOR OIL DISASTER IN GULF LIKELY WITHOUT CHANGES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The full report of a Presidential panel on the gulf oil disaster says another is likely without major regulatory and oil industry changes. The panel has released a portion of the full report, which is to be released next week. In it, the report blames B-P, Transocean, and Halliburton for a succession of hasty and ill advised decisions, whereas the companies knew the risks of cutting corners on safety, but did so anyway. In that respect, the conclusions are not substantially different from those of federal agencies. However, the Presidential panel report differs as to potential solutions and also warns that failure to re mediate regulatory and systemic industry problems will lead to another such disaster.

Statements from those on the panel underscore the failings and potential for repeat of the gulf oil disaster of April 20th, 2010. The disaster killed 11 workers, seriously injured many others, and spewed uncontrolled over four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months, creating the largest oil spill ever in American waters.

“The well blew out because a number of separate risk factors, oversights, and outright mistakes combined to overwhelm the safeguards meant to prevent just such an event from happening. But most of the mistakes and oversights at Macondo can be traced back to a single overarching failure—a failure of management. Better management by BP, Halliburton, and Transocean would almost certainly have prevented the blowout by improving the ability of individuals involved to identify the risks they faced, and to properly evaluate, communicate, and address them.” Commission Co-Chair William K. Reilly said of the Commission’s findings, “My observation of the oil industry indicates that there are several companies with exemplary safety and environment records. So a key question posed from the outset by this tragedy is, do we have a single company, BP, that blundered with fatal consequences, or a more pervasive problem of a complacent industry? Given the documented failings of both Transocean and Halliburton, both of which serve the off shore industry in virtually every ocean, I reluctantly conclude we have a system-wide problem.”

Co-Chair Bob Graham said, “The Commission’s findings only compound our sense of tragedy because we know now that the blowout of the Macondo well was avoidable. This disaster likely would not have happened had the companies involved been guided by an unrelenting commitment to safety first. And it likely would not have happened if the responsible governmental regulators had the capacity and will to demand world class safety standards. There is nothing that we can do to bring back the lives of the men we lost that day. But we can honor their memory by pledging to take steps necessary to avoid repeating the fatal practices of the past.”

An excerpt from the report says, “What we. . .know is considerable and significant: (1) each of the mistakes made on the rig and onshore by industry and government increased the risk of a well blowout; (2) the cumulative risk that resulted from these decisions and actions was both unreasonably large and avoidable; and (3) the risk of a catastrophic blowout was ultimately realized on April 20 and several of the mistakes were contributing causes of the blowout.”

OIL INDUSTRY PUSHES FOR MORE OIL DRILLING IN THE GULF

More in this report from the Voice of America, click on YouTube frame below. 01/06/2011

NEW CONGRESS BEGINS / BOEHNER TAKES OVER AS SPEAKER / REPUBLICANS VOW TO REPEAL HEALTH REFORM AND OTHER LAWS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The power of the U-S House of Representatives turned Republican today as former speaker Nancy Pelosi turned over the gavel to Ohio Republican John Boehner. Republicans, who now have 242 seats to 193 Democrats vow to overturn sections of the health reform act, financial reform and are promising to withhold funding for much of the new food safety act. Most political observers view the agenda as more show than substance, since Democrats still control the Senate and the White House. Even if they are able to get enough Democrats support to overturn some of the new laws, they are unlikely to have enough votes to overcome a Presidential veto. What may prove contentious is Republican efforts to withhold funding from the health reform act and other programs passed by the previous congress. Even that may prove difficult. More details as available.

CDC SAYS DEATH STATS SHOW TOUGH SEAT BELT ENFORCEMENT WORKS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- States with tougher enforcement of seat belt laws have lower traffic death rates. The Center for Disease Control released data today that shows states with primary seat belt enforcement laws, where police officers can pull cars over and issue tickets solely because drivers and passengers are unbelted, have higher rates of seat belt use than states with secondary enforcement laws, which only allow officers to issue tickets to drivers who have been pulled over for violating another law. The CDC report also shows states with primary enforcement laws had an overall seat belt use rate of 88 percent, whereas states with secondary enforcement laws had an overall seat belt use rate of 79 percent. The national average for seat belt use is 85 percent.If the secondary law states had achieved 88 percent belt use in 2008, it would have resulted in an additional 7.3 million adults buckling up. Though 1 in 3 U.S. adults lived in states with secondary enforcement laws in 2008, residents of these states accounted for 49 percent of the unbelted drivers and passengers on U.S. roads. Nineteen states do not have primary enforcement seat belt laws.

Seat belt compliance varies widely by state. the CDC points out almost 6 out of 7 U.S. drivers report that they always wear a seat belt when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Seat belt use has become the national norm in most states, though rates of self-reported seat belt use vary widely from state to state, with a high of 94 percent (Oregon) and a low of 59 percent (North Dakota).

HOLIDAYS DELAY POST OFFICE PERMANENT CLOSURES / CLOSURES ACCELERATE IN 2011

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- due to customer demand during the holidays, some planned post office closures were delayed. As 2011 progresses, those closings will reflect the financial abyss facing USPS. The postal service was projected to lose more than $8.5 billion during the last fiscal year and has more than 12 billion in debt. At least 677 of its more than 3,600 branches and other postal facilities were chosen for possible closure or consolidation. But, congressional sources say the number of branches likely to be affected could be reduced to 130-190.

Today a House committee received a report on the progress of the USPS shutdowns and finances.

SENATE PASSES START NUCLEAR ARMS TREATY / SENT TO OBAMA FOR APPROVAL

SENATE REPEALS "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" POLICY INVOLVING GAY MILITARY PERSONNEL / "DREAM ACT" IMMIGRATION REFORM DIES

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES B-P AND EIGHT OTHER COMPANIES OVER GULF OIL SPILL

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- U-S Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the federal government has filed a lawsuit against nine companies, including B-P, for the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling disaster, which caused environmental damage along the Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida coastlines and halted commercial fishing. The disaster began as a fire and explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform last April, touching off a blow out of the oil well, spilling millions of gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico.

Holder, during a news conference, announced the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans against nine defendants. The defendants named in the lawsuit include:

In the complaint, the United States alleges violations of federal safety and operational regulations, including:

"We intend to prove that these violations caused or contributed to this massive oil spill, and that the defendants are therefore responsible – under the Oil Pollution Act – for government removal costs, economic losses, and environmental damages", Holder said.

He added, "We are also seeking civil penalties under the Clean Water Act, which prohibits the unauthorized discharge of oil into the nation’s waters. We allege that the defendants named in this lawsuit were in violation of the Act throughout the months that oil was gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. And we intend to hold them fully accountable for their violations of the law.Over the past year, I have visited the gulf region multiple times. I have seen the devastation that this oil spill caused throughout the region – to individuals and families; to communities and businesses; to coastlines, wetlands, and wildlife.Even though the spill has been contained – even though it is no longer the focus of round-the-clock news coverage and the subject of front-page headlines – the Department’s focus on investigating this disaster, and preventing future devastation, has not wavered".

U-S INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION UP / INDUSTRIAL UTILIZATION NOW 75.2% OF CAPACITY

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Although production dropped in November for consumer goods including motor vehicle and parts, most other industrial indicators were up. So says the Federal Reserve in today's report on industrial output.

The Fed's report shows, production of consumer goods fell 0.5 percent in November. The output of consumer durable goods moved down 2.3 percent in large part because of a drop of 6.0 percent in the production of automotive products. Production advanced for all of the other major durable goods categories: home electronics; appliances, furniture, and carpeting; and miscellaneous consumer durables. The output of nondurable consumer goods was unchanged in November following declines in the two previous months. Among non-energy nondurable goods, the indexes for foods and tobacco, for clothing, and for chemical products all posted declines, but the output of paper products moved up 0.3 percent. The production of consumer energy products rose 1.9 percent as a result of both higher sales to residences by utilities and an increase in gasoline refining.
The output of business equipment rose 0.9 percent in November and was 12.5 percent above its level a year earlier. The indexes for industrial and other equipment and for information processing equipment both rose about 1-1/4 percent. The production of transit equipment fell 0.6 percent, which more than reversed its October increase.
In November, the index for defense and space equipment moved up 1.5 percent--its second consecutive monthly increase.
The production indexes for construction supplies and business supplies both rose 0.9 percent in November. Over the 12 months ending in November, the output of construction supplies has moved up 6.0 percent, while the output of business supplies has increased 1.4 percent.

MUST SEE VIDEO: THE NEXT U-S ECONOMY / WHY THE LARGEST U-S METROPOLITAN AREAS ARE CRITICAL

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- One of the best videos we have seen on the economy is this opening speech from Brookings Institution Vice President Bruce Katz, enetitled, "Global Metro Summit 2010: Delivering the Next Economy". During a speech December 8th, in Chicago, Katz outlines why the top 100 metropolitan areas stand to gain the most when the U-S economy rebounds, and why it is critical that major metro areas restructure for the future instead of propping up the governmental structure of the 1800's. Katz gives examples of how some metropolitan areas have united, rather than compete against one another for jobs and trade. The video is 30 well invested minutes. 12/10/2010

PRESIDENT OBAMA DETAILS AGREEMENT WITH REPUBLICANS ON TAX CUTS AND UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION- DECEMBER 6 2010 NEWS CONFERENCE (32 Minutes)

SPECIAL DEBT COMMISSION LAYS OUT MORE PROPOSED CUTS TO FEDERAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Underscoring sobering details of the nation's debt crisis, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility released their much anticipated report, showing the country headed toward financial disaster, but offering hope with proposed solutions. Among them, raising the age for full social security benefits to age 69 by the year 2075, adding another 15 cents to the federal gas tax, and wage freezes for federal workers.

Summarizing the crisis, the commission says in 2010, federal spending was nearly 24 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the value of all goods and services produced in the economy. Only during World War II was federal spending a larger part of the economy. Tax revenues stood at 15 percent of GDP this year, the lowest level since 1950. The gap between spending and revenue – the budget deficit – was just under nine percent of GDP. Since the last time our budget was balanced in 2001, the federal debt has increased dramatically, rising from 33 percent of GDP to 62 percent of GDP in 2010. The escalation was driven in large part by two wars and a slew of fiscally irresponsible policies, along with a deep economic downturn. We have arrived at the moment of truth, and neither political party is without blame. Economic recovery will improve the deficit situation in the short run because revenues will rise as people go back to work, and money spent on the social safety net will decline as fewer people are forced to rely on it. But even after the economy recovers, federal spending is projected to increase faster than revenues, so the government will have to continue borrowing money to spend. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects if we continue on our current course, deficits will remain high throughout the rest of this decade and beyond, and debt will spiral ever higher, reaching 90 percent of GDP in 2020. Over the long run, as the baby boomers retire and health care costs continue to grow, the situation will become far worse. By 2025 revenue will be able to finance only interest payments, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Every other federal government activity – from national defense and homeland security to transportation and energy – will have to be paid for with borrowed money. Debt held by the public will outstrip the entire American economy, growing to as much as 185 percent of GDP by 2035. Interest on the debt could rise to nearly $1 trillion by 2020. These mandatory payments – which buy absolutely no goods or services – will squeeze out funding for all other priorities.

CAP DISCRETIONARY SPENDING THROUGH 2020. Hold spending in 2012 equal to or lower than spending in 2011, and return spending to pre-crisis 2008 levels in real terms in 2013. Limit future spending growth to half the projected inflation rate through 2020.

CUT BOTH SECURITY AND NON-SECURITY SPENDING. Establish firewall between the two categories through 2015, and require equal percentage cuts from both sides.

ENFORCE CAPS THROUGH TWO MECHANISMS -- POINT OF ORDER AND ABATEMENT. Require a separate non-amendable vote in House and 60-vote point of order in Senate to spend above the caps. If caps are exceeded, impose across-the-board abatement by the amount appropriations exceed the caps.

REQUIRE THE PRESIDENT TO PROPOSE ANNUAL LIMITS FOR WAR SPENDING. Create a separate category for Overseas Contingency Operations.

STOP THE ABUSE OF EMERGENCY SPENDING.
In limited situations, some emergency costs may be necessary. However, such spending must be subject to far greater accountability and transparency that it is today. Too often, Congress uses the emergency designation as a loophole to get around fiscal restraints. The Commission proposes several steps to make sure the emergency designation is used only for true emergencies. Congress should codify a strict, clear legal definition of emergency, such as the one used by the Office of Management and Budget. Both houses should only use the emergency designation to address urgent needs for costs that cannot be reasonably offset. Further, Congress should designate each emergency provision individually and discontinue the practice of using global designations. In the Senate, an emergency designation would be in order only if (1) the proposed cost is certified as an emergency by the Senate Budget Committee, pursuant to this definition; and (2) a point of order against the designation, if raised on the Senate floor, is waived by at least a three-fifths majority. The House would require designation either from the Budget Committee or through a separate, non-amendable vote. Costs not designated as emergency would be subject to discretionary spending caps, statutory PAYGO, and any other enforceable budgetary limits agreed by Congress, such as the Commission's proposed debt stabilization process.

FULLY FUND THE TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND INSTEAD OF RELYING ON DEFICIT SPENDING. Dedicate a 15-cent per gallon increase in the gas tax to transportation funding, and limit spending if necessary to match the revenues the trust fund collects each year.
Under current law, the Transportation Trust Fund has hybrid budget treatment in which contract authority is mandatory, while outlays are discretionary. This hybrid treatment results in less accountability and discipline for transportation spending and allows for budget gimmicks to circumvent budget limits to increase spending. The Commission plan reclassifies spending from the Transportation Trust Fund to make both contract authority and outlays mandatory, and then limits spending to actual revenues collected by the trust fund in the prior year once the gas tax is fully phased in. Shortfalls up until that point would be financed by the general fund.

ESTABLISH CUT-AND-INVEST COMMITTEE TO CUT LOW-PRIORITY SPENDING, INCREASE HIGH-PRIORITY INVESTMENT, AND CONSOLIDATE DUPLICATIVE FEDERAL PROGRAMS.
The Commission recommends creating a new, bipartisan Cut-and-Invest Committee to be charged each year with identifying 2 percent of the discretionary budget that should be cut and identifying how to redirect half of that savings, or 1 percent, into high-value investment. Over the next decade, the Cut-and-Invest Committee will be expected to recommend more than $200 billion in discretionary cuts, freeing up $100 billion for high-priority investments America will need to remain competitive, such as increasing college graduation rates, leveraging private capital through an infrastructure bank, and expanding high-value research and development in energy and other critical areas.

Impose a three-year freeze on Member pay. Unlike most Americans, members of Congress benefit from an automatic salary increase every single year – deserved or not. Before Congress can ask the American people to sacrifice, it should lead by example. The Commission recommends an immediate three-year salary freeze for all members of Congress.

Impose a three-year pay freeze on federal workers and Defense Department civilians

The current income tax is fundamentally unfair, far too complex, and long overdue for sweeping reform.
The corporate income tax, meanwhile, hurts America’s ability to compete. On the one hand, statutory rates in the U.S. are significantly higher than the average for industrialized countries (even as revenue collection is low), and our method of taxing foreign income is outside the norm. The U.S. is one of the only industrialized countries with a hybrid system of taxing active foreign-source income. The current system puts U.S. corporations at a competitive disadvantage against their foreign competitors. A territorial tax system should be adopted to help put the U.S. system in line with other countries, leveling the playing field.

As for entitlement programs, the commission urges, "freezing physician payments from 2012 through 2020, as we assume in our baseline, would cost $267 billion relative to current law".

Reforming the Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act, used to pay for long term care as part of the Affordable Care Act, will likely face a deficit, according to the commission. The commission suggests it be reformed or repealed it revenues can't match premiums.

Medicare premiums and plans, according to the commission, must be simplified and streamlined. In place of the current structure, the Commission recommends establishing a single combined annual deductible of $550 for Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical care), along with 20 percent uniform coinsurance on health spending above the deductible. We would also provide catastrophic protection for seniors by reducing the coinsurance rate to 5 percent after costs exceed $5,500 and capping total cost sharing at $7,500. the commission also suggests prohibiting Medigap plans from covering the first $500 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities and limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $5,000 in Medicare cost-sharing. Similar treatment of TRICARE for Life, the Medigap policy for military retirees, the commission report says, would save money both for that program and for Medicare, as well as similar treatment for federal retirees and for private employer-covered retirees.

The commission also wants to extend the Medicaid drug rebate program to beneficiaries considered "dual eligible" for Medicaid and Medicare and cut payments to providers for beneficiaries who don't pay their deductibles and co-pays.

Increase the age of Social Security eligibility to age 69 by the year 2075, age 64 for reduced early eligibility benefits.

Medical malpractice reform that would impose statutory caps on punitive and non-economic damages, and we recommend that Congress consider this approach and evaluate its impact.

But, the commission also urged caution in the budget cutting, believing the deficit should be reduced gradually, "In order to avoid shocking the fragile economy, the Commission recommends waiting until 2012 to begin enacting programmatic spending cuts, and waiting until fiscal year 2013 before making large nominal cuts. In addition, revenue changes would not begin until calendar year 2013, after spending cuts are already well underway".

The commission says their proposals will:
• Achieve nearly $4 trillion in deficit reduction through 2020, more than any effort in the nation’s history.
• Reduce the deficit to 2.3% of GDP by 2015 (2.4% excluding Social Security reform), exceeding President’s goal of primary balance (about 3% of GDP).2
• Sharply reduce tax rates, abolish the AMT, and cut backdoor spending in the tax code.
• Cap revenue at 21% of GDP and get spending below 22% and eventually to 21%.
• Ensure lasting Social Security solvency, prevent the projected 22% cuts to come in 2037, reduce elderly poverty, and distribute the burden fairly.
• Stabilize debt by 2014 and reduce debt to 60% of GDP by 2023 and 40% by 2035.. Full text of the commission report, click here. 12/01/2010

DEFENSE SECRETARY GATES WANTS REPEAL OF "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" THIS YEAR / SAYS REPORT SHOWS EFFECT WOULD BE MINIMAL

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen today revealed the results of a report which found phasing out the "Don't Ask. Don't Tell" policy involving gay servicemembers would not harm the country's readiness and that the long term effects would be minimal. More details coming. See Pentagon Channel Report below, (1 Minute). Entire briefing below report (37 Minutes).

BIPARTISAN COALITION DEFEATS PROPOSED BAN ON EARMARKS IN SENATE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- They are referred to as, "Member Items" or "Earmarks", providing federal money for Representative or Senator chosen special projects such as roads, parks or arts funding. Despite Senate Republican leaders attempts to ban them, some other Republicans saw it otherwise and joined Democrats to defeat the ban (SA4697) that was an amendment to Senate Bill 510, the FDA Food Safety Bill. The vote was, 36-62. Although there have been numerous examples cited as "waste", earmarks have also been used for worthy projects, such as , expedited rebuilding of schools and other necessary projects after disasters or those due to local economic conditions. Direct link to roll call results from Senate Clerk, click here. Direct link to SA4697 amendment to Senate Bill 510, click here. 11/30/2010

WIKILEAKS ARTICLES DETAIL ARAB WORLD FEARS OF IRAN / NON FLATTERING OPINIONS FROM US DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY PERSONNEL / SPYING REQUESTS FROM RICE AND CLINTON

CORPORATE PROFITS AT HIGHEST ANNUAL RATE EVER RECORDED

TSA SAYS 'PAT DOWNS' CRITICAL FOR SECURE AIR TRAVEL / INSPECTOR GENERAL DISSES TSA TRAINING CENTERS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole offered little hope for any soft landing in the transition to what some consider, "Over the Top", pat-down searches beyond stepped up and more revealing body scanning. Despite protests over increasingly physical searches, the TSA shows no willingness to relent, pushing for public understanding that technology can't do it all". During testimony today before the Senate Commerce Committee, Pistole said,

"New technology provides only part of the picture for the future of checkpoint screening. It is important that we continue to discuss what the future holds, but the outlines are clear: new technologies must be developed that can be assimilated into an airport environment and rapidly identify and respond to emerging threats. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate, TSA, the Department of Energy, and the National Laboratories are working closely together to accelerate our ability to move to that future checkpoint.
New technology platforms should be capable of being upgraded with additional functionality as they are developed, including functionality developed by those who did not manufacture the original equipment. We seek screening equipment solutions that provide both better performance and a better screening experience for the public. The bottom line is that future screening solutions must focus on providing the best possible security for travelers in a targeted, intelligence-driven way that provides greater scrutiny to those who need greater scrutiny, and not using the same approach for everybody".

Meanwhile, The Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security, has released a report on the shortcomings of agency training, much of it targeting lack of organization and money.

"TSA and OTT have not ensured that airports place training computers in practical locations for optimal learning. Training computers are sometimes placed far from the checkpoint or checked baggage areas, requiring TSOs to spend part of their allotted training time traveling to and from the computer locations. TSA management at the airports we visited identified the need for more training space as a challenge for TSOs to receive training. For example, two of the airports we visited have offsite training facilities. Three other airports had training facilities that were not conveniently located to some of the checkpoints".

"Some of the training environments, such as break rooms or areas close to checkpoints, are not conducive to learning. At several of the airports visited, TSOs were taking training courses surrounded by the conversations of coworkers or the traveling public. We conducted TSO interviews in some of these locations and validated that the computers were situated in distracting environments. TSOs must complete both new hire and recurrent training on screening technologies; however, airport training equipment is sometimes different from the devices used at screening checkpoints. According to an OTT official, when TSA deployed a new generation of x-ray machines to 81 airports, the updated recurrent training for TSOs with these machines had not been implemented because of software problems. TSOs were still training with x-ray images from older generation equipment, which limits their ability to identify prohibited items using the current checkpoint equipment. TSA must ensure that Federal Security Directors and Training Managers at each airport provide the screening workforce with the equipment and support they need to enhance their skills and knowledge".

INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION PLACES MOST RESPONSIBILITY FOR GULF OIL DISASTER ON B-P

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Preliminary findings by the independent commission, investigation the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster from the B-P oil well, show B-P shouldered most of the responsibility for factors that led to the incident. Many of the findings centered around poor cementing of the well, which did not hold. The commission also cited high well pressure readings and failure to address the issue before the explosion and sinking of the drilling rig, killing 11 workers. In a summary released today, the commission said,

Cement (potentially contaminated or displaced by other materials) in shoe track and in some portion of annular space failed to isolate hydrocarbons.

Pre-job laboratory data should have prompted redesign of cement slurry. Cement evaluation tools might have identified cementing failure, but most operators would not have run tools at that time. They would have relied on the negative pressure test. Negative pressure test repeatedly showed that primary cement job had not isolated hydrocarbons.

Despite those results, according to the commission, BP and TO personnel treated negative pressure test as a complete success. BP’s temporary abandonment procedures introduced additional risk.

AIR PASSENGER AND CARGO RULES TIGHTENED / NO LONGER CAN CARRY ON LARGER INK CARTRIDGES OR CARGO CONSIDERED POTENTIALLY HARZARDOUS / YEMEN, SOMALIA SHIPMENTS BLOCKED

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- New Rules announced today by the Department of Homeland Security in response to two bombs found on cargo jets in Britain and Dubai. The bomb, which were shipped from Yemen, were discovered after tips from Saudi Arabian intelligence. The bombs were hidden in large printer toner cartridges and were designed to explode in flight. A suspect, also believed to be the same man who constructed the device for convicted shoe bomber, Richard Reed, is still at large.

DHS says the ban on air cargo from Yemen will continue and has been extended to all air cargo from Somalia as well. In addition, no high risk cargo will be allowed on passenger aircraft. Toner and ink cartridges over 16 ounces will be prohibited on passenger aircraft in both carry-on bags and checked bags on domestic and international flights in-bound to the United States. This ban will also apply to certain inbound international air cargo shipments as well. Further, all cargo identified as high risk will go through additional and enhanced screening. These measures also impact inbound international mail packages, which must be screened individually and certified to have come from an established postal shipper.

FEDS ASK COURT TO CLOSE MINE OWNED BY COMPANY THAT OWNS DEADLY W-VA MINE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A Kentucky mine owned by the same company that owns the West Virginia mine involved in an April 5, 2010, explosion that killed 29 miners, has once again been found in violation of federal mining rules.

So, last week, the Department of Labor, in what it calls, "an unprecedented legal move", along with the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a motion for preliminary injunction against Freedom Energy Mining Co.'s Mine No. 1. Located in Pike County, Ky., Freedom's Mine No. 1 is owned by Massey Energy Co.

According to a statement from the Department of Labor, Section 108(a)(2) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 provides for injunctive relief against noncompliant mine operators who habitually violate health and safety standards. In this particular case, Section 108(a)(2) calls for an injunction because Freedom Energy is engaged in a pattern of violation of the mandatory health and safety standards of the Mine Act, which constitutes a continuous hazard to the health and safety of the miners at Mine No. 1.

"Freedom Energy has demonstrated time and again that it cannot be trusted to follow basic safety rules when an MSHA inspector is not at the mine," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for
mine safety and health. "If the court does not step in, someone may be seriously injured or die."

"Although this is the first time the department has utilized this legal remedy, it will not be the last," said Solicitor of Labor M. Patricia Smith. "The solicitor's office will work closely with MSHA to ensure that we use every tool possible to keep miners safe."

According to the brief MSHA filed, Freedom Energy is engaged in a pattern of failing to examine and maintain critical areas of its mining operations as evidenced by the quantity and gravity of violations in four critical spheres of safety: failure to clear the mine of excessive accumulations of coal dust; failure to protect the roof, face and ribs from falls and maintain an effective roof control plan; failure to test and maintain electrical equipment in a safe working condition so as to protect against fire or explosion; and failure to effectively ventilate the mine of noxious and explosive gases.

Freedom Energy Mine No. 1 lies in a particularly dangerous coal seam that liberates massive amounts of methane — approximately 1.8 million cubic feet every 24 hours — and is prone to roof falls. In the past two years, seven miners have been injured at this operation as a result of falling roof. Moreover, since Aug. 11, 2010, six major roof falls have occurred in the mine.

During the eight regular inspections conducted between July 2008 and June 2010, MSHA issued 1,952 citations and 81 orders (including 53 (d)(2) orders this year) to Freedom Energy for violating critical safety standards including improper ventilation, failure to support the roof, failure to clean up combustible materials, failure to maintain electrical equipment and failure to conduct the necessary examination of work areas.

On numerous occasions, MSHA district office officials have attempted to resolve serious safety issues at Freedom Energy, including meetings with upper mine management over recurring roof problems, ventilation and dust control issues, accumulations, electrical equipment maintenance and inadequate examinations. The inspections, citations and meetings with mine management have not resulted in changes in behavior. As such, MSHA is compelled to use its statutory authority to ask the federal court to temporarily shut down the mine until the safety issues are addressed.

If the U.S. district court in Kentucky grants MSHA's motion as proposed for a preliminary injunction, Freedom Energy will be required to close its mine temporarily and take specific actions before it can re-open.

OBAMA CALLS FOR BIPARTISAN EFFORT IN CONGRESS / REPUBLICAN LEADERS SHOW LITTLE INTEREST

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Following the loss of the U-S House to Republicans in the mid term elections on Tuesday, President Obama said he was willing to bend on extending the tax cuts established under former President George W. Bush. Republicans, on the other hand, sounded anything but conciliatory, demanding that President Obama extend all the Bush tax cuts. The bold talk from Republicans was bolstered on Thursday by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R) KY, who said in a speech at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday, that the only way to change course in Washington was to restore Republican control to the Senate and replace President Obama. McConnell sounded themes similar to other Republicans this week, who called for an immediate repeal of the health reform legislation passed by Democrats and signed by the President. For more, click on Voice of America YouTube video story playback below.

MID-TERM ELECTIONS GIVE REPUBLICANS CONTROL OF THE HOUSE / ALSO MAKE GAINS IN SENATE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Republicans have regained control of the U-S House, but will fall short of picking up enough seats to control the Senate. As of this posting, Republicans had picked up 6 seats in the Senate. Most of the House seats given up by Democrats were those of so called, "Blue Dog" conservative Democrats in border or southern states.

Republicans won all four Virginia congressional seats from Democrats. Three of the four were conservative Democrats.

Democrat Chris Coons defeated Republican Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. Democrats also picked up the only House seat in Delaware, which had been held by Republicans.

Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln was defeated by Republican John Boozman. However, Arkansas Democratic Governor Mike Beebe was re-elected.

In California, incumbent Democrat Sen. Barbara Boxer defeated Republican Carly Fiorina with 51 % of the vote compared with Fiorina's 44%.

Also, California Attorney General and former governor, Jerry Brown has won another term as governor, defeating challenger Meg Whitman.

In Colorado, Sen. Mike Bennett (D) appears to have won election, by a thin margin, after being appointed two years ago when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar vacated the seat to join the Obama administration.

In Connecticut, Democrat Attorney General Richard Blumenthal defeated Republican and wrestling magnate Linda McMahaon, for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Christopher Dodd.

Republican Dan Coats, former senator from Indiana reclaiming a seat held by Senator Evan Bayh who did not run for re-election.

Republicans grabbed President Obama's former Senate seat. Rep. Mark Kirk defeated Democratic candidate and state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

In Massachusetts, incumbent Democratic Governor DeVal Patrick won another term over Republican challenger Charlie Baker.

New Hampshire Democratic Governor John Lynch won re-election while two congressional seats held by Democrats will turn Republican. Republican Kelly Ayotte won the Senate seat vacated by the retiring Republican Sen. Judd Gregg.

In Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid beat Republican Tea Party Challenger Sharon Angle, winning the vote in Angle's own hometown, Reno. Reid led Angle by five percentage points.

In Ohio, Democratic Governor Ted Strickland lost his re-election bid to former congressman and Fox talk show host, Republican John Kasich.

In Oregon. incumbent Democrat Ron Wyden has won another term in the U-S Senate. Former Democratic governor, Dr. John Kitzhaber defeated Republican and former basketball star Chris Dudley, despite Dudley's much better financed campaign machine.

In Pennsylvania, Rep Joe Sestak (D) lost to Republican Rep. Pat Toomey in the race for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Arlen Specter.

In West Virginia, Gov. Joe Manchin has won election to the U-S Senate. He takes over the seat vacated by the death of the late Sen. Robert Byrd.

With Republicans winning the House, Rep. John Boehner (R) OH will take over as Speaker when the new congress is convened next year. 11/02/2010

INTERCEPTED BOMBS INTENDED FOR U-S / BOMBS DISCOVERED AT CARGO OPERATIONS IN U-K AND DUBAI

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Two bombs, one found at a FedEx terminal in Dubai, the other at a cargo terminal in the U-K, has forced U-S officials to place the country on highest terrorist alert. The bombs were appearently sent from al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen, through Dubai on separate cargo services, intended for a Jewish synogogue in Chicago. President Obama revealed details of the alleged plot this afternoon during a briefing at the Whte House. The a tip from Saudi Arabian intelligence convinced intelligence officials to start looking for explosive devices. During his briefing, President Obama said,

"I was alerted to this threat last night by my top counterterrorism advisor, John Brennan. I directed the Department of Homeland Security and all our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to take whatever steps are necessary to protect our citizens from this type of attack. Those measures led to additional screening of some planes in Newark and Philadelphia.

The Department of Homeland Security is also taking steps to enhance the safety of air travel, including additional cargo screening. We will continue to pursue additional protective measures for as long as it takes to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.

I've also directed that we spare no effort in investigating the origins of these suspicious packages and their connection to any additional terrorist plotting. Although we are still pursuing all the facts, we do know that the packages originated in Yemen. We also know that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a terrorist group based in Yemen, continues to plan attacks against our homeland, our citizens, and our friends and allies". See video of full Whte House briefing below (30 Minutes).Full text of President's statement click here. New York Times article on American citizen involvement in plot, click here.

TARP INSPECTOR GENERAL FINDS MIXED RESULTS / HAS DONE LITTLE AGAINST THE TIDE OF FORECLOSURES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A report released this week by TARP Inspector General Neil Barofsky presents mixed success and failure of the program, passed two years ago to help stabilize the U-S economy. The IG's report summarizes by stating, for the banking sector, including Wall Street, credit is cheap and plentiful, as are executive bonuses, but such is not the case on "Main Street", which has largely, "suffered alone".

The IG report also details that the unemployment rate would have been higher without it, the rate (9.6%) is still three points higher that it was at the start of the program two years ago. The nation's poverty rate has also increased from 13.2% in 2008 to 14.3% in 2009.

Programs to mitigate foreclosure have also been largely ineffective. Only 207,000 modifications have been completed compared to 1.7 million homes lost to foreclosure since 2009 and another 5.5 million homes in some stage of foreclosure.

AID WORKERS DESPERATE TO STOP CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN HAITI

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- With the death toll expected to pass 300 by the end of the week, medical personnel in Haiti are scrambling to contain an outbreak of cholera related to makeshift camps for eathquake survivors. An estimated 1.5 million people are living in the makeshift camps since January, without adequate safe water and sanitation. Ad hoc sanitation crews have spread out, mainly in the rural areas outside of the capitol of Port Au Prince, in order to rid common areas and facilities of bacteria and sewage water which have overflowed into the makeshift camps. Utility infrastructure remains inoperable or non existent throughout most of the country and attempts to build makeshift sewage treatment facilities is impaired due to electric line and power problems since the earthquake. An official of the World Health Organization voiced concern they have not seen the worst.

"I don't think that it is contained," said Claire-Lise Chaignat, co-ordinator of the WHO's Global Task Force on Cholera Control. "We cannot say it is contained. I think it hasn't reached its peak."

Hospitals remain overrun with victims, especially the elderly and children. Medical teams slowly appear to be getting the upper hand. The death rate among those with cholera has fallen from 10 % to 7.7% according to the WHO. See YouTube video from Voice of America below.

STUDY SHOWS SEAT BELTS ON SCHOOL BUSES NOT COST OR SAFETY EFFECTIVE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Installing seat belts on school buses may save a life over an eight year period. A study conducted by the University of Alabama found that installing them could force alteration of seats and buses, which would be more costly and cut seating capacity. The study was ordered by Governor Bob Riley after four students died in a school bus accident in Huntsville, November 2006.

o The cost of an “equivalent life saved” from seat belt implementation in Alabama is $32 million
to $38 million.
o The “net benefits” for seat belt implementation over one fleet life cycle are -$104 million to -
$125 million. The net benefits are negative because the costs exceed the benefits. This suggests
using more cost-effective safety measures rather than implementing seat belts across the large school
bus fleet.

Most school bus pupil fatalities occur outside buses in or near loading zones. If funding is to be spent on school bus safety, it appears more lives could be saved by investing in enhanced safety measures in loading/unloading zones. These treatments are likely more cost effective than seat belts, and this report includes several examples.

FEDERAL RESERVE SAYS ECONOMY GROWING AT MODEST PACE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Economic activity across the nation continues to show signs of life, be it far from vibrant. Accord to the Fed, on balance, national economic activity continued to rise, albeit at a modest pace, during the reporting period from September to early October. One interesting note is that cost pressures continue in some sectors, through consumer prices are not yet reflecting the full effect.

The Beige Book report, released today by the Fed, provides a snapshot of economic activity in the 12 Federal Reserve districts, is showing more encouraging signs. Their summary of the various segments of the economy cites,

Manufacturing activity continued to expand, with production and new orders rising across most Districts. Demand for nonfinancial services was reported to be stable to modestly increasing overall. Consumer spending was steady to up slightly, but consumers remained price-sensitive, and purchases were mostly limited to necessities and nondiscretionary items. New vehicle sales held steady or rose during the reporting period; sales of used automobiles were strong as well. Activity in the travel and tourism sector picked up.

Housing markets remained weak with most Districts reporting sales below year-ago levels. Reports on prices suggested stability, however. Conditions in the commercial real estate sector were subdued, and construction was expected to remain weak. Lending activity was stable in most Districts. Agricultural conditions were generally favorable, and above-average yields were expected in most reporting Districts. Activity in the energy sector continued to expand.

Input costs, most notably for agricultural commodities and industrial metals, rose further. Shipping rates increased, and retailers in some Districts noted rising wholesale prices. However, prices of final goods and services were mostly stable as higher input costs were not passed on to consumers. Wage pressures were minimal.

Hiring remained limited, with many firms reluctant to add to permanent payrolls given economic softness. Reports from staffing firms were mixed. Staffing firms in the New York and Dallas Districts noted a slowdown in demand for their services, and contacts in the Cleveland District said new job openings declined. Richmond's report noted demand for temporary workers picked up slightly since the last report, and staffing contacts in the Philadelphia District said clients were adding positions as workloads increased. The Atlanta report noted a preference for increasing staff hours and using temporary help rather than hiring additional full-time staff.

BERNANKE HINTS FEDERAL RESERVE POISED TO DO MORE TO MOVE ECONOMY / CITES HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT AS CONTINUING FOR "SOME TIME"

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- A struggling economy could prompt more action from the Federal Reserve. That possibility seemed stronger today after a speech in Boston by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The Fed Chair told a conference held by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston:

"... with an actual unemployment rate of nearly 10 percent, unemployment is clearly too high relative to estimates of its sustainable rate. Moreover, with output growth over the next year expected to be only modestly above its longer-term trend, high unemployment is currently forecast to persist for some time".

Bernanke explained that the Federal Reserve could boost the economy by buying more long term securities. "Empirical evidence suggests that our previous program of securities purchases was successful in bringing down longer-term interest rates and thereby supporting the economic recovery. A similar program conducted by the Bank of England also appears to have had benefits", said Bernanke. He admitted their was a downside to doing so, but concluded promising, "... the FOMC will take account of the potential costs and risks of nonconventional policies, and, as always, the Committee's actions are contingent on incoming information about the economic outlook and financial conditions".

Reaction to the Bernanke speech was mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down as of this posting before the close on Friday.

CONOCO PHILLIPS, SASOL, AGREE TO $14.5 MILLION CLEANUP ON LOUISIANA HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- In order to settle a federal court lawsuit, Conoco-Phillips and Sasol North America have agreed to reimburse the EPA Superfund more than $4.5 million and will complete a removal action valued at about $10 million to clean up Bayou Verdine within the Calcasieu Estuary. The agreement was reached through terms of a consent decree lodged in the federal district court for the Western District of Louisiana together with a filed complaint filed by the U-S EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). Over the past 10 years, EPA has performed numerous investigations at abandoned hazardous waste sites, made decisions on cleanup actions, addressed industrial non-compliance and monitored ozone and other air toxics associated with the Mossville area. EPA will continue to work with Calcasieu Parish and Mossville to address environmental concerns. Full text of EPA press release, click here. 10/14/2010

OBAMA TO LIFT OIL DRILLING MORATORIUM IN GULF

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that the Obama administration has reached agreement with the oil industry on safety and environmental rules, which lifts the drilling moratorium on deep and shallow water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The moratorium was put in place in after the April 21st, Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire which led to the uncapped leak of millions of gallons of oil. As the moratorium is lifted, drilling companies still have to obtain permits in order to drill. At least 10,000 workers are estimated to have been idled by the moratorium, which President Obama ordered due to evidence that safeguards were not in place at the time the Deepwater Horizon well was being drilled. the moratorium was to extend to November 30th, however the administration indicated over the summer that it was willing to lift it when the industry was able to reassure the government that safeguards against more disasters were in place.

OBAMA AND CABINET HUDDLE FOR PROPOSED $50 BILLION PLAN TO REBUILD INFRASTRUCTURE & EMPLOYMENT

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- With the nation's roads and utility systems deteriorating under the pressure of increased use, a bi-partisan panel calling for more investment in the system and more than 14 million people unemployed, the Obama administration is restating its goal for a $50 billion jobs and infrastructure program.

At a Columbus Day cabinet meeting hosted by the President, a joint report was released by the President's Council of Economic Advisors and the Treasury Department, showing that the program would cut the unemployment rate among construction related trade workers, now at 15%. the report claims,

"The President’s proposal to increase our nation’s investment in transportation infrastructure, coupled with broad-based reform of our transportation funding system, would have a significant and positive economic impact in both the short and long term, raising our nation’s economic output, creating quality middle-class jobs and enhancing America’s global economic competitiveness". Full text of report. click here.

Obama also held a news conference at the White House to repeat his demand for a the infrastructure program. Obama outlined the stark realities and choices.

"Today, the average American household is forced to spend more on transportation each year than food. Our roads, clogged with traffic, cost us $80 billion a year in lost productivity and wasted fuel. Our airports, choked with passengers, cost nearly $10 billion a year in productivity losses from flight delays. And in some cases, our crumbling infrastructure costs American lives. It should not take another collapsing bridge or failing levee to shock us into action. So we’re already paying for our failure to act".

BI-PARTISAN PANEL SAYS U-S ECONOMY AT STAKE AS FEDERAL GAS TAX NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

POSTAL RATE INCREASE REJECTED BY REGULATORY COMMISSION / FINANCIAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE PENSIONS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Postal Service has proposed a two cents increase in first class postage, from the current 44 cents to 46 cents. Yesterday, the Postal Regulatory Commission denied that request, complaining the postal service has not done enough to cut costs. USPS has closed scores of postal centers across the country with other scheduled for closing along with personnel layoffs. But, the commission members feel the postal service must do more.

In a statement released yesterday after their decision, commission chair Ruth Goldway explained:

"The Postal Service has asked the Commission to find that volume declines resulting from the recent recession are an extraordinary or exceptional circumstance. The Postal Service also supported its request with a statement from its Chief Financial Officer that it is facing a cash flow crisis, and that without some assistance it will be unable to make Congressionally-required payments in September and October of 2011.
The documentation provided by the Postal Service demonstrated that the primary cause of the liquidity crisis was structural and related to an overly ambitious requirement for the Postal Service to prefund its future retiree health benefit premiums".

"If you look near the bottom of the chart at the highlighted End of Year Cash Balance: you see that there is no liquidity problem. The cash balance increases each year to a total of $8.2 billion. This assumes that the Postal Service’s outstanding debt remains at the FY2007 level of $4.2 billion, meaning that it will still have $10.8 billion borrowing authority available. The record also showed that the Postal Service has made significant strides over the past few years to contain its costs in response to falling mail volumes caused by the recession and the ongoing electronic diversion of the mail. The Postal Service achieved over $6 billion in cost reductions in 2009. These results indicate that the Price Cap is working and providing the right signals for the Postal Service to reduce costs and improve efficiency".

"However, the Commission finds that the requested exigent rate adjustments are not due to the recent recession, or its impact on mail volume. Rather, they represent an attempt to address long-term structural problems not caused by the recent recession. The Commission finds, therefore, that the Postal Service has failed to meet its burden under the law and the Commission is unanimous in denying its request for an exigent rate increase".

CARTER RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Former President Jimmy Carter walked out of a Cleveland hospital this afternoon, two days after being admitted for an apparent stomach virus. Carter was to be a book signing in Cleveland, which was canceled along with a few other appearances through the end of the week. Carter had an upset stomach on board a Delta flight arriving at Cleveland International Airport on Tuesday. He was held for observation for two days, then released. Carter is scheduled to be in Washington this weekend, resume his book tour next week and is expected to reschedule missed appearances. Full text of article from Cleveland Plain Dealer, click here. 09/30/2010

FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER TAKEN TO CLEVELAND HOSPITAL AFTER UPSET STOMACH ON PLANE

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Former President Jimmy Carter, touring the country to promote his latest book, fell ill on a flight this morning and was taken to a hospital in Cleveland. Airport officials at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport confirm that EMS personnel were called to meet a commercial flight with the former president on board. Carter was taken to MetroHealth Hospital just south of downtown Cleveland. A statement from the Carter Center says the President is resting comfortably after suffering an upset stomach and will resume his book tour later this week. It was not immediately known whether he would continue on to a book signing in Cleveland scheduled for today. Carter turns 86 years old on Friday. 09/28/2010

PRESIDENT AND MRS. OBAMA SPEAK AT CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE

PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS AT UNITED NATIONS

REPUBLICAN LEADERS UNVEIL "PLEDGE TO AMERICA" AGENDA TO BATTLE DEMOCRATS

More from the Emeritus Newsroom-Republican leaders, battling Democrat labels they are the "Party of No", today revealed their agenda, which the party hopes will convince Americans to put them in control of the Senate and the House. Called, "Pledge to America" the Republican agenda calls for the repeal of the "Affordable Care Act", which prevents discrimination against those with pre-existing health conditions as well as the "Patients Bill of Rights", restoration of all the tax cuts established under former President George W. Bush, including tax cuts for the wealthy, that members of Congress have three days to read a bill before it is voted on, strict budget caps on federal spending, stop job killing tax hikes and preserve traditional marriage.

Democrats counter that more jobs were produced with tax increases under President Clinton than from tax cuts under President's Reagan and George W. Bush combined.

The "Pledge" is similar in concept with the 1994 Republican manifesto, "Contract with America", which Republicans used to capture control of congress in 1994.

REPUBLICAN "PLEDGE" YOUTUBE VIDEO

LAWMAKERS EXPECTED TO PASS SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUT / SENATE EXPECTED TO TAKE UP "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" & IMMIGRATION ISSUES

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Senate Tuesday defeated another delay from Republican leadership with two Republicans (Voinovich-OH, LeMieux-FL) voting to allow the Small Business Tax Cut bill for a vote this week. The legislation has been the center of a bitter fight between President Obama and Republicans, who have blocked the vote for weeks.

In addition, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, has vowed to add immigration legislation to the Dream Act, which provides a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who arrived in the U-S before age 16. Reid has also vowed to attach a repeal of the "Don't; Ask, Don't Tell" policy covering gay service members, to the yearly Pentagon funding authorization bill. 09/15/2010

$100 MILLION FUND SET UP FOR SAN BRUNO, CA. EXPLOSION VICTIMS / COMPANY OFFICIALS SAY NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT LEAK BEFORE BLAST

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- Residents unable to live in their homes due to last Thursday night's explosion and fire in San Bruno California will get a stipend of $50,000 for living and other expenses as officials try to clean up the area which is largely closed off. It's part of a $100 million fund that will be used to compensate residents and the city for expenses related to the blast. So far officials say about 50 homes have been condemned as not fit for habitation. PG&E also gave the city of San Bruno $3 million to help defray the cost of police and fire expenses, water and sewer repairs, and other city personnel and administrative expenses. PG&E executives say the 30 inch gas pipeline, which exploded last Thursday night, was installed in 1956 and had passed inspections in November 2009 and March 2010. But residents of the neighborhood around the blast claim repeated calls to the company about gas smells two weeks prior to the explosion, went largely ignored. The crater created by the blast is about 170 feet long and 30 feet wide.

So far, the death toll remains at four, with four others still missing and more than 60 injured.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board say they and PG&E staffers have no evidence of any complaints communicated to the company or the city about a leak in the area before the blast, but continued their investigation to find those who may have noticed a problem.

PASTOR SAYS HIS CHURCH WILL NOT BURN QURAN

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- After consultations with parishioners, a Muslim Imam, local, state and national leaders, Pastor Terry Jones says he will not burn copies of the Quran. Jones says discussion over his original plans has brought more awareness of radical Islamic elements, which is what he had hoped to accomplish. Police had planned to be at Jones church in Gainesville, Florida anyway since protesters were holding rallies to protest Jones threat to burn the Muslim holy book. Jones also ruled out any future plans to burn the Quran. More from the Gainesville Sun newspaper, click here. 09/11/2010

4 DEAD IN SAN FRANCISCO SUBURB GAS EXPLOSION

More from the Emeritus Newsroom-During a morning news conference today, Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado , acting as Governor due to Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger's trip to Africa, says a state of emergency has been declared in the city of San Bruno, after last night's explosion and fire that has killed at least four people. Maldonado says a preliminary investigation has found a natural gas line ruptured at 6:24 pm," but we don't know what caused it". Fire has burned 15 acres, destroyed 38 structures and damaged 7 others. Maldonado also cited,

Hundreds of firefighters from surrounding communities were called to battle the fireball explosion which engulfed a hillside around the Glenview Park neighborhood in San Bruno, just outside San Francisco. Earlier reports had indicated six people died. Executives with Pacific Gas and Electric say the company is still trying to determine what happened and say its too early to determine whether the explosion was caused by any failure of company equipment. Nearby residents have told local media that there have been numerous complaints of gas leaks in the area for at least two weeks. A PG&E spokesperson says he has no information as to those complaints. The community of San Bruno is located about ten miles south of San Francisco near the San Francisco International Airport, just off Interstate 280. There were numerous delays at the airport due to smoke which has interfered with departing and incoming flights. 09/10/2010

FLORIDA CHURCH REFUSES TO HALT QURAN BURNING

More from the Voice of America- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called plans by a small Florida evangelical church to burn copies of the Quran on September 11 a "disrespectful, disgraceful act."

Her comments Tuesday came during a dinner at the State Department to observe Iftar, the breaking of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Vatican says plans to burn copies of the Quran on September 11 would be an "outrageous and grave gesture."

A Vatican council on inter religious dialogue said Wednesday all religions have the right to respect and protection regarding their sacred books, places of worship and symbols. The council said "deplorable acts of violence" such as the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. cannot be counteracted by other acts of hatred.

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, General David Petreas and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen have warned that the planned torching of the Muslim holy book by the 50-member Dove World Outreach Center could endanger Western troops.

The church's pastor, Terry Jones, says he takes seriously the warnings about possible violence against Americans abroad. Jones, however, says he and his followers have made up their minds to go ahead with the protest, which would coincide with the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday he defends the church's right to burn the books. He said that while he finds it distasteful, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects even unpopular speech.

The dispute comes at a time of already heated debate in the United States over a proposal to build a mosque and cultural center near the site in New York of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Bloomberg has been an outspoken advocate of the center.

General Petraeus said Tuesday the Koran burning could be exploited by the Taliban for propaganda purposes.

The NATO Secretary-General said during a visit to Washington the burning of Korans is in strong contradiction "with all the values we stand for and fight for."

Administration officials say the Florida pastor and his followers are within their constitutional rights to burn a Quran, just as U.S. anti-war protesters have burned American flags at demonstrations in the past.

The Florida church has been denied a local government permit to set a fire for the burning of the Qurans, but vows to go ahead with it anyway.

The planned burning has also sparked protests in the Afghan capital, Kabul, where protesters Monday chanted "Death to America" as they rallied outside a mosque. Iran has warned the planned Koran burning could lead to uncontrolled emotions in Muslim countries.

ANOTHER OIL RIG IN GULF EXPLODES

NEW STATS SHOW U-S BIRTH RATE DOWN FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

More from the Emeritus Newsroom- America's population continues to tilt older. More information released today by the National Center for Health Statistics shows the U-S with a dropping birth rate two years in a row. the rate of live births in 2009 was 13.5% compared with the rate in 2008, which was 13.9%. Research has consistently shown that the recession has more to do with this outcome than anything else. Various news reports and research from the Pew Center, reveal a number of changing trends, including, more over 40 women having births, an overall drop in teenage pregnancies, and a clear correlation between lower birth rates and states hardest hit by the recession. Of greater concern, for those on or nearing Social Security, is the number of younger people in the work force who can pay into the system. There are now increasing concerns that the birth rate in the U-S is below the replacement level. National Center for Health Statistics 2008 report on replacement level, click here. Article from LifeSiteNews, click here. Full PDF text of 2009 birth rate statistics, click here. 08/27/2010

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EMERGENCY ORDER REQUESTED TO STOP OVER FISHING NEW ENGLAND ATLANTIC COD / DISPUTE OVER ESTIMATES COD POPULATION NEAR COLLAPSE

ROMNEY WINS LANDSLIDE IN FLORIDA