Emeritus News MobileNATIONAL-WORLD PAGETOP NATIONAL-WORLD STORIES BELOW / CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO HOME PAGE AND DIRECTORYTOP NATIONAL-WORLD STORIESANTI-ABORTION BILL IN VIRGINIA HITS ROADBLOCKS AS PROTESTS MOUNT AT STATE CAPITOLMore from the Emeritus Newsroom- Backlash over an anti-abortion bill (S.484) before the Virginia legislature has led to mounting protests in Richmond, as hundred of demonstrators have made their feelings known. Critics says the bill is what happens when mostly male legislators write a bill affecting women's health issues. The bill requires that, as a component of informed consent to an abortion, to determine gestation age, every pregnant female shall undergo ultrasound imaging and be given an opportunity to view the ultrasound image of her fetus prior to the abortion. The medical professional performing the ultrasound must obtain written certification from the woman that the opportunity was offered and whether the woman availed herself of the opportunity to see the ultrasound image or hear the fetal heartbeat. A copy of the ultrasound and the written certification shall be maintained in the woman's medical records at the facility where the abortion is to be performed. Critics say the procedures are invasive to the point of constituting rape, and are not required medical treatment, which may force women to pay for their own ultrasound, since insurance companies will not pay. Governor Bob McDonnell, who previously indicated he would sign the bill, now will only say he is willing to "review" it, if passed. Passage has run into trouble in the Virginia Senate as Democrats hold half the seats with the Lt. Governor needed to break a tie. Since some Republicans are having serious doubts about the legality of the bill, the legislation is seen as "dead". Representatives of the Governor's office and supporters in both chambers are expected to have several meetings this week to work out a compromise. Summary of bill and action calendar, click here. 02/22/2012 U-S TRADE IMBALANCE UP AGAIN / ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE SAYS LAWMAKERS NEED TO ACT TO PREVENT MORE JOBS LOSSMore from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Census Bureau reports experts of good from this country to other countries was up last year, though it was not enough to overcome the growth in imports, especially from China. According to the Census Bureau, For 2011, exports of $2,103.1 billion and imports of
$2,661.1 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of
$558.0 billion, $58.0 billion more than the 2010 deficit of
$500.0 billion. For goods, exports were $1,498.2 billion and
imports were $2,235.3 billion, resulting in a goods deficit of
$737.1 billion, $91.2 billion more than the 2010 deficit of
$645.9 billion. For services, exports were $604.9 billion and
imports were $425.9 billion, resulting in a services surplus of
$179.0 billion, $33.2 billion more than the 2010 surplus of
$145.8 billion. A statement from the Economic Policy Institute says the trade imbalance, particularly with China, will cost more American jobs and that lawmakers must do more to deal with China's predatory economic behavior. According to the EPI, the growth in the U.S. trade deficit with China displaced 2.8 million U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2010 alone. One of the most important causes of an increasing U.S. trade deficit with China is China’s illegal manipulation of its currency. As EPI’s Josh Bivens has noted, the U.S. needs a firm and effective set of policies to confront China’s currency manipulation, but the administration and Congress repeatedly have refused to get tough with China. China is also targeting a range of U.S. industries with subsidies and other illegal trade restrictions, recent reports show. For example, the Chinese auto-parts industry (including domestic and foreign-owned plants in China) has received $27.5 billion in government subsidies since 2001, and China’s central government has committed an additional $10.9 billion in aid through 2020. Up to 1.6 million U.S. jobs in the U.S. auto-parts industry are at risk in the coming decade due the threat of rapidly growing subsidized U.S. imports from China. China’s illegal currency manipulation and unfair trade policies should be at the top of the agenda when Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visits next week. Instead, news reports will likely be dominated by a few carefully orchestrated sales of big-ticket U.S. goods to Chinese buyers. We should beware of visitors bearing “gifts.” As noted by Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul, “China’s economic policies—subsidies, state owned enterprises, intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, currency manipulation—are now the single largest impediment to job growth in America.” The United States cannot afford to wait any longer to address these policies. Full text of Census Bureau report, click here. Full text of Economic Policy Institute statement, click here - 02/13/20112 U-S TRADE IMBALANCE UP AGAIN / ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE SAYS LAWMAKERS NEED TO ACT TO PREVENT MORE JOBS LOSSMore from the Emeritus Newsroom- The Census Bureau reports experts of good from this country to other countries was up last year, though it was not enough to overcome the growth in imports, especially from China. According to the Census Bureau, For 2011, exports of $2,103.1 billion and imports of
$2,661.1 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of
$558.0 billion, $58.0 billion more than the 2010 deficit of
$500.0 billion. For goods, exports were $1,498.2 billion and
imports were $2,235.3 billion, resulting in a goods deficit of
$737.1 billion, $91.2 billion more than the 2010 deficit of
$645.9 billion. For services, exports were $604.9 billion and
imports were $425.9 billion, resulting in a services surplus of
$179.0 billion, $33.2 billion more than the 2010 surplus of
$145.8 billion. A statement from the Economic Policy Institute says the trade imbalance, particularly with China, will cost more American jobs and that lawmakers must do more to deal with China's predatory economic behavior. According to the EPI, the growth in the U.S. trade deficit with China displaced 2.8 million U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2010 alone. One of the most important causes of an increasing U.S. trade deficit with China is China’s illegal manipulation of its currency. As EPI’s Josh Bivens has noted, the U.S. needs a firm and effective set of policies to confront China’s currency manipulation, but the administration and Congress repeatedly have refused to get tough with China. China is also targeting a range of U.S. industries with subsidies and other illegal trade restrictions, recent reports show. For example, the Chinese auto-parts industry (including domestic and foreign-owned plants in China) has received $27.5 billion in government subsidies since 2001, and China’s central government has committed an additional $10.9 billion in aid through 2020. Up to 1.6 million U.S. jobs in the U.S. auto-parts industry are at risk in the coming decade due the threat of rapidly growing subsidized U.S. imports from China. China’s illegal currency manipulation and unfair trade policies should be at the top of the agenda when Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visits next week. Instead, news reports will likely be dominated by a few carefully orchestrated sales of big-ticket U.S. goods to Chinese buyers. We should beware of visitors bearing “gifts.” As noted by Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul, “China’s economic policies—subsidies, state owned enterprises, intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, currency manipulation—are now the single largest impediment to job growth in America.” The United States cannot afford to wait any longer to address these policies. Full text of Census Bureau report, click here. Full text of Economic Policy Institute statement, click here - 02/13/20112 INDEPENDENT REVIEW FINDS MOST FEDERAL ENERGY VENTURE CAPITAL LOANS PERFORMING WELL DESPITE SOLYNDRA DEBACLEMore from the Emeritus Newsroom- A White House commissioned review by an independent auditor claims the the Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantee program portfolio is doing well despite the widely reported failures, including the loan to Solyndra, in which the program lost over $500 million, when the company filed for bankruptcy last September. According to the White House, the review was conducted by Herb Allison, who has wide-ranging experience in the finance, business, and government sectors during a career in public and private service that spans four decades and both Republican and Democratic Administrations. the White House says the review confirms that the loan portfolio as a whole is expected to perform well and holds less than the amount of risk envisioned by Congress when it created and funded the program. The review also suggested improvements, finding that overall governance of the Programs would benefit from access to senior government officials of other departments and agencies who have knowledge of proven “best practices” across credit programs government-wide. In defending the program against recent failures of new energy companies, the White House says, "When Congress first developed this program under the Bush Administration, the purpose was to help fund some high risk projects to put America at the cutting edge of innovation. There’s no question, as the report indicates, we expect more bumps along the road in emerging industries like clean energy. But as the President said in his State of the Union message, that’s not a reason to throw up our hands and cede the jobs of the future to China or Germany or anywhere else. We have subsidized oil companies for a century. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and invest in a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising". Full text of White House statement, click here. Full text of review, click here. 02/10/2012 MILITARY MOVES TOWARD GENDER NEUTRAL FORCES / MORE THAN 14,000 POSITIONS NOW OPEN TO WOMENBy Karen Parrish WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2012 - Defense Department policy changes announced today reflect both women's increased roles in and out of combat and the fact that war is no longer linear, senior officials said. The department notified Congress today it will abolish the restriction on assigning women to locations where ground combat troops operate, and selectively lift the policy barring women from assignments to ground combat units below the brigade level. Those changes will result in more than 14,000 new jobs or assignment opportunities for military women. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta "is making these changes because he recognizes that over the last decade of war, women have contributed in unprecedented ways to the military's mission," George Little, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters during a briefing here today. Women service members have put their lives on the line and demonstrated courage, patriotism and skill in defending the nation, Little said. "But even as we make this announcement, I would like to stress that Secretary Panetta knows this is the beginning, not the end, of a process," he added. The services will continue to review positions and requirements to determine what additional positions may be opened to women, the press secretary added. "Our goal is to ensure that the mission is met with the best qualified and most capable people, regardless of gender," he said. Little noted while preparing the report took longer than expected, Panetta and the service leaders "wanted this done right, not done quickly." The delay allowed the reviewers to gather additional views on the issues, and resulted in more positions open to women than would have been the case with an earlier report, he added. The report follows a departmentwide review of policies affecting women's job assignments in the military. Two people who led the review -- Virginia "Vee" Penrod, deputy assistant secretary for military personnel policy, and Army Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, principal director for military personnel policy -- discussed the new policies at today's briefing. "Opening these positions implements lessons from over a decade at war, where women were proven exceptionally capable and indispensible to mission accomplishment," Penrod said. She said the review offered an opportunity to examine all gender-restrictive laws, policies and regulations "with all services' senior leaders at the table." The review panel worked to identify "changes ... needed to ensure female members have an equitable opportunity to compete and excel in the U.S. armed forces," she said. The report, Penrod said, "reflects the secretary of defense's vision of removing barriers that prevent service members from rising to the highest level of potential and responsibility that their talents and capabilities warrant." Before 2001, war typically involved front-lines combat and protected "rear" areas where support functions like maintenance and medical care took place, she said. "The battlespace we have experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan is quite different," Penrod added. Highly mobile enemies now travel among the civilian population, while counterinsurgency and stability missions to combat such enemies require U.S. forces to disperse across the country in large and small bases, she said. Penrod said lifting the location-based prohibition opens 13,139 new Army jobs to women, because the Army is the only service that identified positions that had been closed solely because of where they took place. The change will expand career opportunities for women and give combatant commanders more options in deploying forces, she said. The report noted Army officer career fields with the greatest number of restricted positions include logistics, signal, intelligence and special operations. Enlisted occupations with the largest number of restrictions include radio operator, signal support systems specialist, radar repairer, electronic warfare specialist and construction equipment repairer. The second change is not a new policy but may lead to one, Penrod said. DOD has granted the Army, Navy and Marines a policy exception to selectively assign women to battalion-level combat units. The services will gain experience through those assignments that will help department leaders assess the current prohibition's relevance and "inform potential future policy changes," Penrod said. The report also takes aim at the provision excluding women from jobs because of physical requirements, she noted. "This is an area of emphasis for us as we move forward beyond the initial steps reported as part of this review," she added. According to the report, DOD will evaluate gender-restricted, physically demanding jobs once gender-neutral physical standards are developed. Penrod said when she began her 35 years in the Air Force, women were 2 percent of the force, and were restricted from some assignments based on the temperature – Minot, South Dakota, was "too cold." Over the past 10 years, she said, women have had the opportunity to prove themselves in new ways while training and equipment have improved. Service leaders are now actively seeking ways to expand opportunities for women, she added. "This is very exciting to me ... [that] commanders were coming to us and saying 'we need to change these policies,'" she said. Patton said based on his career as an infantry officer and through the lens of 45 months of combat over the past several years, the changes announced today are the right thing to do. "The way I look at it, as a former infantry battalion commander, I wish I'd had the opportunity to bring women into my battalion," he said. "It expands the talent pool." Patton said the opportunities announced today are a first step toward the question of combat arms and special operations jobs ultimately opening to women. As Panetta told the service chiefs, he said, "This is the beginning, not the end." EMERGENCY ORDER REQUESTED TO STOP OVER FISHING NEW ENGLAND ATLANTIC COD / DISPUTE OVER ESTIMATES COD POPULATION NEAR COLLAPSEMore in this article from the Gloucester (MA) Times, click here - 02/03/2012 ROMNEY WINS LANDSLIDE IN FLORIDAMore 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 ESTIMATESMore 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, 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. Full text of press release from EIA, click here. EIA full raw data report, click here. EIA report introduction , click here. 01/28/2012 PENTAGON LIKELY TO CLOSE MORE OVERSEAS BASES / CUT PERSONNEL IN LATEST SPENDING PROPOSALMore 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. Defense Department press release, click here- 01/26/2012 OBAMA CALLS FOR ECONOMIC FAIRNESS IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS / FACT CHECKER SAYS OBAMA, REPUBLICAN RESPONSE STRETCHES TRUTHMore 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. Click here for YouTube video of speech- Click here for YouTube video Republican Response- Text of Obama State of the Union speech, click here. PDF download of policy statement"America Built To Last", click here. Fact Checker on Obama speech, click here. Fact Checker on Republican Response, click here. Fact Checker Home Page, click here- 01/24/2012 VIDEO: HOW ICELAND RECOVERED FROM THE 2008 FINANCIAL MELTDOWN / MORE REFORMS, FEWER SEVERE AUSTERITY MEASURESClick here for YouTube video from the International Monetary Fund (6 Minutes)- 01/24/2012 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND HEAD SAYS WORLD ECONOMY COULD HAVE A "1930'S MOMENT", IF EUROPE DOES NOT SOLVE FINANCIAL PROBLEMSMore from the Emeritus Newsroom- The most serious warning about potential economic disaster ahead, came today from Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. Speaking to a foreign affairs meeting in Berlin today, Lagarde said the IMF will lower growth forecasts for most parts of the world, but cautioned, "Even these lower forecasts assume a constructive policy path that is by no means assured". Lagarde sees Europe as the sticking point to worldwide recovery this year, claiming that Germany will have to invest more in the region. Lagarde warned, "...what we must all understand is that this is a defining moment. It is not about saving any one country or region. It is about saving the world from a downward economic spiral. It is about avoiding a 1930s moment, in which inaction, insularity, and rigid ideology combine to cause a collapse in global demand. The longer we wait, the worse it will get. The only solution is to move forward together. Our collective economic future depends on it". Full text of Lagarde address, click here. 01/23/2012 EUROPEAN UNION APPROVES SANCTIONS AGAINST IRANMore 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. Full report with video from Voice of America, click here. 01/23/2012 VIDEO: GIFFORDS TO RESIGN FROM CONGRESSMore 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.Click here for YouTube video playback- 01/23/2012VIDEO: GINGRICH OVERTAKES ROMNEY IN SOUTH CAROLINAClick here YouTube video of Voice of America story- 01/22/2012 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. There are other proposals before congress to protect copyrighted material and therefore promote payment to owners. Must read article from the Washington Post, click here. Thomas listing of SOPA legislation and chronology, click here. 01/18/2012 THE FUTURE OF DENTENTIONS AT GUANTANAMO BAYMore in this YouTube video from the Brookings Institution (8 Minutes), click here. THOMAS LISTING of SOPA language and chronology, click here. 01/17/2012 OBAMA PROPOSES REALIGNMENT OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIESMore 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. Click here for YouTube playback of speech. Second video from conference with business leaders about in sourcing jobs for Americans, click here. 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. with 70% of the precincts reporting, 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. 01/10/2012PRESIDENT OUTLINES PROPOSED DEFENSE CUTSMore 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. Washington Post story, click here. Click here for YouTube playback of Voice of America story. 01/05/2012 HOW WILL THE WORLD SUPPORT SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE - BROOKINGS INSTITUTIONClick here for YouTube playback ( 8 Minutes)-A MUST READ! WHY POOR LANDOWNERS ARE THE "OCCUPY" MOVEMENT OF CHINA / THEY TAKEOVER ENTIRE TOWNSMore in this commentary from Joshua Muldavin, Professor, Sarah Lawrence College, click here- 12/31/2011 U-S SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW TEXAS REDISTRICTING PLAN / OBSERVERS SAY NEW DISTRICTS FAVOR HISPANICS, DEMOCRATSMore from the Austin American Statesman, click here - 12/10/2011 BABBIT RESIGNS AS F-A-A HEAD / FACES DUI CHARGE IN FAIRAX VA.More in this article from the Washington Post, click here- 12/07/2011 POSTAL SERVICE WILL PROCEED WITH PROPOSED CUTS TO SERVICE AND WORKFORCEMore 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. Click here for state by state list- USPS press release of today's decision, click here- Also, see article from New York Times on slowing delivery for first class mail, click here- 12/05/2011 FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION RELEASES LATEST UPDATE ON PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DATES IN ALL STATESMore in this update schedule from the Federal Elections Commission, click here- 12/02/2011 NEW RIOTS IN EGYPT POSE DILEMMA FOR U-S RELATIONS WITH MILITARY GOVERNMENTMore in this YouTube video from Voice of America, click here- More in this article from Associated Press- 11/21/2011 STREAM OF VICTIMS FLOWS FROM PENN STATE FOOTBALL PROGRAM SEX ABUSE SCANDALAssociated Press YouTube video on story, click here- Paterno hires criminal defense attorney, click here for AP YouTube video story- Obama comments on Paterno firing, click here for AP YouTube video story- 11/12/2011 ANALYSIS: ELECTIONS BRING TEA PARTY DEFEATS WITH STRANGE TWISTS / OHIO DEFEATS ANTI-UNION LAW / MISSISSIPPI REJECTS ABORTION BANMore in this article from the Washington Post, click here- 11/09/2011 MILITARY SERVICE CHIEFS WARN LAWMAKERS NOT TO CUT MILITARY'S ABILITY TO RESPONDMore in this article from Associated Press, click here- 11/04/2011 FCC APPROVES $4.5 BILLION YEARLY BROADBAND BUILDING PROJECT ACROSS U-S / THOUSANDS OF JOBS EXPECTED FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTSMore 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 |
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