A Wisconsin judge has ruled that Americans do not have a fundamental right to drink milk from their own cow, nor do they have a fundamental right to produce and consume the foods of their choice.
Circuit Court Judge Patrick Fiedler took that position in a case involving a group of families who boarded their cows on a single farm. He said that, in effect, the farm had become a dairy farm and was therefore subject to state rules governing dairy farms.
“It is clear from their motion to clarify that the plaintiffs still fail to recognize that they are not merely attempting to enforce their ‘right’ to own a cow and board it at a farm,” Judge Fiedler wrote in his decision. “Instead, plaintiffs operate a dairy farm.”
The families had filed suit against the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection alleging their Constitutional rights had been violated, a story first reported by World Net Daily.
However, the judge ruled that the plaintiffs do not have any Constitutional rights to own a dairy cow, consume milk from their own cow, board a cow at the farm of another farmer, or produce and consume the foods of their choice.
“This court is unwilling to declare that there is a fundamental right to consume the food of one’s choice without first being presented with significantly more developed arguments on both sides of the issue,” the judge wrote.
Steve Ingam, the administrator of Dept. of Agriculture’s division of food safety, said the case is about public safety – because the milk in question is unpasteurized.
“We have a law that prohibits the sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk,” he said. “These farmers have tried to set up a way to get around the law and create a way that they think they own the cow and are consuming the cow’s milk legally.”
But the farmers disagree – and maintain their rights have been violated.
Kosher Kingdom News Reader. "Reporting events in a world of despair, without Jesus"
Friday, October 7, 2011
Assad warns Jordan against holding a war game like Turkey and Israel
Tensions peaked again around Syria's borders with Israel, Turkey and Jordan as the first two embarked on large-scale mobilization maneuvers near those borders Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 5-6 and the Jordanian armed forces prepared to follow suit. debkafile's military and intelligence sources report that the United States and Turkey urged Jordan's King Abdullah to hold a similar maneuver or reinforce his units on the Syrian border. But Bashar Assad decided that being forced to build up his forces on Syria's borders with Turkey
High alert on Yom Kippur for fear of riots
Security and rescue forces are on high alert ahead of Yom Kippur with reinforced deployment in sensitive areas. The Magen David Adom emergency services have raised their alert to the highest level, while police are gearing up for possible riots mainly in the north following the arson of a mosque in Tuba Zangaria. Riots are also feared in the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem around Friday prayers. The IDF will impose full closure on the West Bank which will be lifted on Saturday at midnight.
World facing worst financial crisis in history, Bank of England Governor says
Sir Mervyn King was speaking after the decision by the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to put £75billion of newly created money into the economy in a desperate effort to stave off a new credit crisis and a UK recession. Economists said the Bank’s decision to resume its quantitative easing [QE], or asset purchase programme, showed it was increasingly fearful for the economy, and predicted more such moves ahead. Sir Mervyn said the Bank had been driven by growing signs of a global economic disaster. “This is the most serious financial crisis
IMF Advisor: Could See Eurozone 'Meltdown' in 2 Or 3 Weeks
In an interview on the BBC (via ZeroHedge), IMF advisor Robert Shapiro said some incredibly alarmist things. He tells broadcasters that if eurozone leaders don't address the crisis properly we will see a meltdown as soon as later this month. In his words: "If they can not address [the financial crisis] in a credible way I believe within perhaps 2 to 3 weeks we will have a meltdown in sovereign debt which will produce a meltdown across the European banking system. We are not just talking about a relatively small Belgian bank, we are talking about the largest banks in the world, the largest banks in Germany, the largest banks in France, that will spread to the United Kingdom, it will spread everywhere because the global financial system is so interconnected. All those banks are counterparties to every significant bank
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Earthquake Swarm Keeps Iceland’s Katla Rocking
We’ve been keeping an eye on Iceland’s Katla for quite a while now and over the past year; the volcano has been showing signs that magma is moving under the ice-capped edifice. There have been frequent seismic swarms around and within the caldera that is currently filled with the Mýrdalsjökull (glacier) and on at least two occasions, small glacial outburst floods...
Apple's Steve Jobs Dies at 56
Apple's Steve Jobs Dies at 56
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Suddenly, the next version of the iPhone doesn't seem so important. It's time to mourn Steve Jobs, the Silicon Valley maestro who always seemed to hit the right note as he transformed Apple Inc. into technology's greatest hits factory. It didn't take long for the people who loved their iPhones, iPods, iPads and Macs to begin gathering to pay their respects...
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Suddenly, the next version of the iPhone doesn't seem so important. It's time to mourn Steve Jobs, the Silicon Valley maestro who always seemed to hit the right note as he transformed Apple Inc. into technology's greatest hits factory. It didn't take long for the people who loved their iPhones, iPods, iPads and Macs to begin gathering to pay their respects...
Syrian woman 'mutilated and beheaded by security forces' appears on alive state TV
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, and Syrian activists reported last month that Miss Hosni was found dead in her hometown of Homs. She became a symbol of the six-month-old uprising against authoritarian President Bashar Assad. Last month, Amnesty said the mutilated teenager had reportedly been detained by security agents to pressure her activist brother to turn himself in. But in the state television interview aired to dispell "media fabricrations" on Wednesday, a woman who identified herself as Miss Hosni said she...
Israel denies vulture detained by Saudis is a spy
Israeli scientists are calling for the release of a vulture "detained" in Saudi Arabia on suspicion of being an Israeli spy.
Video: Middle East unrest spreads to Saudi Arabia
Videos have been posted online that are purported to show protesters in Saudi Arabia being shot at by security forces as reports emerge of violence in the east of the country.
Saudi police sealed off the village of al-Awamiya in the east of the country on Monday night after using live fire to disperse Shia protesters, according to exiled Saudi dissidents.
A group calling itself arabianrevolution have posted videos on YouTube which they claim show Saudi security forces in al-Awamiya, home to much of the Sunni kingdom's Sunni minority, firing on protesters on Monday evening.
In the video a makeshift roadblock of burning tyres can be seen as the sound of gunfire echoes in the background.
As the camera pans right, two security service vehicles can be seen with their headlights pointed toward the protesters.
Shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is great) are interspersed with the sound of gunshots.
Saudi police sealed off the village of al-Awamiya in the east of the country on Monday night after using live fire to disperse Shia protesters, according to exiled Saudi dissidents.
A group calling itself arabianrevolution have posted videos on YouTube which they claim show Saudi security forces in al-Awamiya, home to much of the Sunni kingdom's Sunni minority, firing on protesters on Monday evening.
In the video a makeshift roadblock of burning tyres can be seen as the sound of gunfire echoes in the background.
As the camera pans right, two security service vehicles can be seen with their headlights pointed toward the protesters.
Shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is great) are interspersed with the sound of gunshots.
Palin Opts Against 2012 Presidential Run
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Wednesday that she won't enter the 2012 presidential race, making it all but certain that the final slate of GOP candidates has been set. In a letter to her supporters, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and Fox News contributor said her decision was based on a "review of what common...
More than 2,000 Evangelical, Orthodox Chaplains Join Catholics in Opposing Pentagon Directive on Same-Sex Marriage
(CNSNews.com) – A national group representing more than 2,000 military chaplains from evangelical Christian and Orthodox backgrounds said on Wednesday that the Pentagon has launched a “direct assault” on marriage, and the chaplains they endorse will not be allowed to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies under any circumstances. Dr. Ron Crews, executive director of the newly formed Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, said his 2,000-plus membership is concerned about a Sept. 30 Pentagon memorandum that authorizes...
Supreme Court Reviews Government Role in Church Disputes
The Supreme Court is taking its first hard look at how far government may intrude on the relationship between religious organizations and their employees.
The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday in a workplace dispute between a Lutheran school and a fired teacher. The case is being closely watched by religious institutions concerned about their independence, and by civil rights groups looking out for employees.
The issue in the dispute between the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School of Redford, Mich., and former teacher Cheryl Perich is whether she has the right to sue the school for retaliating against her after she complained of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Many federal courts have recognized a so-called ministerial exception that keeps them from interfering with church affairs. But in this case, a federal appeals court said Perich's job as a teacher was secular, not religious, so the exception didn't apply.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/05/supreme-court-reviews-government-role-in-church-disputes/#ixzz1a2i1twSE
The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday in a workplace dispute between a Lutheran school and a fired teacher. The case is being closely watched by religious institutions concerned about their independence, and by civil rights groups looking out for employees.
The issue in the dispute between the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School of Redford, Mich., and former teacher Cheryl Perich is whether she has the right to sue the school for retaliating against her after she complained of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Many federal courts have recognized a so-called ministerial exception that keeps them from interfering with church affairs. But in this case, a federal appeals court said Perich's job as a teacher was secular, not religious, so the exception didn't apply.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/05/supreme-court-reviews-government-role-in-church-disputes/#ixzz1a2i1twSE
Secret U.S. panel can put citizens on ‘kill list’
WASHINGTON — American militants like Anwar al-Awlaki are placed on a kill or capture list by a secretive panel of senior U.S. government officials, which then informs the president of its decisions, according to U.S. officials. There is no public record of the operations or decisions of the panel, which is a subset of the White House’s National Security Council, several current and former officials said. Neither is there any law establishing its existence or setting out the rules by which it is supposed to operate. The panel was behind the decision to add Awlaki,..
European Bank Rescue May Cost Up to $2 Trillion, Fink Says
European Bank Rescue May Cost Up to $2 Trillion, Fink Says
Governments and private-sector partners may have to spend as much as $2 trillion to rescue Europe’s banks, said Laurence D. Fink, the chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc. (BLK) “Stabilizing Europe is very costly,” Fink, who heads the world’s largest asset manager, said today during an event in Toronto. “It could be as much as a couple trillion dollars.” World equity markets have plunged
Governments and private-sector partners may have to spend as much as $2 trillion to rescue Europe’s banks, said Laurence D. Fink, the chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc. (BLK) “Stabilizing Europe is very costly,” Fink, who heads the world’s largest asset manager, said today during an event in Toronto. “It could be as much as a couple trillion dollars.” World equity markets have plunged
EU calls for global tax, Canada says can block it
Flanked by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a news conference in Brussels, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said it was time to push ahead with the initiative. "The chancellor and I agreed that the time is right to create new momentum globally and at the G20 summit in Cannes, we will press for a global financial transaction tax," Barroso said. The transactions tax idea has been around for some time and came back into vogue during the 2008-09 financial crisis due to calls for banks and investors, rather than taxpayers,..
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Crystal Cathedral creditors committee sues church insiders
The creditors committee in the Crystal Cathedral bankruptcy case has filed suit against church insiders, alleging that family members borrowed money from an endowment fund and continued to receive generous salaries and perks even as the church struggled financially. The lawsuit is the result of a conflict between the committee and church insiders, who include family members of founder pastor Robert...
Lawmaker calls for international pressure to stop China’s cyber-espionage
Lawmaker calls for international pressure to stop China’s cyber-espionage
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee spoke in unusually sharp terms Tuesday about China’s alleged efforts to steal American commercial data online, saying Beijing’s cyber-espionage campaign has “reached an intolerable level” that demands action. “Beijing is waging a massive trade war on us all, and we should band together...
The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee spoke in unusually sharp terms Tuesday about China’s alleged efforts to steal American commercial data online, saying Beijing’s cyber-espionage campaign has “reached an intolerable level” that demands action. “Beijing is waging a massive trade war on us all, and we should band together...
Putin Calls for New ‘Euroasian Union’ of Former Soviet Countries
Tipping his hand on his foreign policy priorities if re-elected president next year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called for the creation of a "Eurasian Union" of former Soviet countries that could serve as "a bridge" between Europe and Asia.
The new union would further integrate the economies of existing customs union members Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and gradually expand to include Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Putin said in an article published Tuesday in Izvestia.
"We won't stop with this and have set an ambitious goal to reach the next, higher level of integration — the Eurasian Union," he wrote.
The Eurasian Union, which is supposed to become "a powerful supranational body" and "an effective bridge between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific region," will welcome accession of other countries, with the CIS nations having a priority, the article said.
But it would be wrong to associate the new body with the Soviet Union, Putin said.
"It's naive to try to restore or copy what has already been left in the past, but tight integration on a new political, economic and value basis is the requirement of the time," he said.
The union will be part of "a greater Europe with common values of freedom, democracy and market laws," which will provide a faster integration into Europe for its members, Putin said.
He moved forward the idea of creating a free-trade zone between Russia and the European Union, which he voiced in his article published in Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung late last year.
In the Izvestia article, Putin reiterated that Russia and Europe could form a free-trade zone stretching "from Lisbon to Vladivostok."
The article indicates that the focus of the Kremlin's foreign policy is likely to move to strengthening ties with former Soviet countries after Russia has a new president next year, said Tatyana Stanovaya, a France-based analyst with the Center for Political Technologies.
If Putin returns to the Kremlin as the country's next president, Russia is likely to pursue a tougher foreign policy focused on developing the post-Soviet region, she said by telephone.
This issue is currently the No. 2 priority because President Dmitry Medvedev is largely focusing on the "reset" with the United States and the treaty on reducing the nuclear weapons, Stanovaya said.
But Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said integration of the post-Soviet region does not cancel the reset with the United States, since these are two priorities of Russia's foreign policy.
"Both these vectors can be developed simultaneously and independently. But the pace of the vectors' development can be different," he said by telephone.
Putin's article is "sort of a presidential manifest" aimed at outlining his initiatives after he returns to the Kremlin, said Alexei Portansky, a professor of the global economy and policy department at the Higher School of Economics.
But the idea of the Eurasian Union is not new because forming this body is the next integration step after creating the customs union and setting up a common economic space between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, he said by telephone.
But it is likely to take a while before implementing this initiative becomes possible, since the customs union has yet to prove its ability to work properly, he said.
"The economic crisis in Belarus in June proved that the customs union isn't working the right way yet," he said.
The customs union has been operating as a free-trade zone since July 1, when internal customs controls were removed at the borders of its member-countries.
But in a measure to protect the local consumer market, Belarus, in a severe economic crisis, restricted individuals from exporting food items and a number of other goods beyond the customs union borders in June. The country's authorities also restricted gasoline sales at the pumps.
Portansky said the move had not been agreed with the customs union commission, the organization's joint oversight body.
"It's impossible to imaging this in a developed customs union. A customs union member can't make such decisions without getting a permission from the supranational body," he said.
Meanwhile Putin pointed out that the Eurasian Union could be crucial for strengthening the global economy, as "the process of creating post-crisis models for global development is progressing with difficulties."
The Doha round of international trade talks "has almost stalled, and there are objective obstacles inside the World Trade Organization, the very principle of freedom of trade and the markets' openness is facing a serious crisis," he said.
The comments appeared as Russia made significant progress in its 18-year talks on its accession to the WTO.
Russia, which aims to join the organization by the end of this year, has reached an agreement on meat import quotas, which have been a sticking point in the negotiations, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Slepnyov said Tuesday.
He declined to elaborate on the conditions of the agreement, saying only that they are "comfortable" for the Russian side and "imply a certain decrease in quota deliveries compared to what we had before," Reuters reported.
First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, who is the country's main negotiator for joining the WTO and currently on a trip to the U.S., said Russia hopes to complete its entry into the organization this year.
"We are trying to complete the deal by the end of December and, I am pleased to say, thanks to the leadership in the United States, we are closer to that goal," he told a Russia-U.S. business group in Chicago, Reuters reported.
Putin said earlier this year that Russia would not fulfill the obligations that come with WTO accession until after joining the organization.
Meanwhile, his spokesman Peskov told The Moscow Times on Tuesday that a number of discrepancies remain before Russia can join the organization.
Shuvalov said that there are "a few minor things" that are hurdles to WTO membership, and mentioned a "third party I don't want to discuss publicly.
The main obstacle for accession is Georgia's position requiring that Russia remove customs points on borders with North Ossetia and Abkhazia, Stanovaya said. Georgia is already a WTO member and has the right to block Russia from joining.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who met Shuvalov in Washington on Monday, expressed his hope that "remaining issues, including satisfactory resolution of bilateral discussions between Russia and Georgia, would be addressed constructively and in a manner enabling Russia to meet its objective of concluding the WTO negotiations by the end of the year," according to a statement issued after their meeting.
The new union would further integrate the economies of existing customs union members Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and gradually expand to include Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Putin said in an article published Tuesday in Izvestia.
"We won't stop with this and have set an ambitious goal to reach the next, higher level of integration — the Eurasian Union," he wrote.
The Eurasian Union, which is supposed to become "a powerful supranational body" and "an effective bridge between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific region," will welcome accession of other countries, with the CIS nations having a priority, the article said.
But it would be wrong to associate the new body with the Soviet Union, Putin said.
"It's naive to try to restore or copy what has already been left in the past, but tight integration on a new political, economic and value basis is the requirement of the time," he said.
The union will be part of "a greater Europe with common values of freedom, democracy and market laws," which will provide a faster integration into Europe for its members, Putin said.
He moved forward the idea of creating a free-trade zone between Russia and the European Union, which he voiced in his article published in Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung late last year.
In the Izvestia article, Putin reiterated that Russia and Europe could form a free-trade zone stretching "from Lisbon to Vladivostok."
The article indicates that the focus of the Kremlin's foreign policy is likely to move to strengthening ties with former Soviet countries after Russia has a new president next year, said Tatyana Stanovaya, a France-based analyst with the Center for Political Technologies.
If Putin returns to the Kremlin as the country's next president, Russia is likely to pursue a tougher foreign policy focused on developing the post-Soviet region, she said by telephone.
This issue is currently the No. 2 priority because President Dmitry Medvedev is largely focusing on the "reset" with the United States and the treaty on reducing the nuclear weapons, Stanovaya said.
But Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said integration of the post-Soviet region does not cancel the reset with the United States, since these are two priorities of Russia's foreign policy.
"Both these vectors can be developed simultaneously and independently. But the pace of the vectors' development can be different," he said by telephone.
Putin's article is "sort of a presidential manifest" aimed at outlining his initiatives after he returns to the Kremlin, said Alexei Portansky, a professor of the global economy and policy department at the Higher School of Economics.
But the idea of the Eurasian Union is not new because forming this body is the next integration step after creating the customs union and setting up a common economic space between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, he said by telephone.
But it is likely to take a while before implementing this initiative becomes possible, since the customs union has yet to prove its ability to work properly, he said.
"The economic crisis in Belarus in June proved that the customs union isn't working the right way yet," he said.
The customs union has been operating as a free-trade zone since July 1, when internal customs controls were removed at the borders of its member-countries.
But in a measure to protect the local consumer market, Belarus, in a severe economic crisis, restricted individuals from exporting food items and a number of other goods beyond the customs union borders in June. The country's authorities also restricted gasoline sales at the pumps.
Portansky said the move had not been agreed with the customs union commission, the organization's joint oversight body.
"It's impossible to imaging this in a developed customs union. A customs union member can't make such decisions without getting a permission from the supranational body," he said.
Meanwhile Putin pointed out that the Eurasian Union could be crucial for strengthening the global economy, as "the process of creating post-crisis models for global development is progressing with difficulties."
The Doha round of international trade talks "has almost stalled, and there are objective obstacles inside the World Trade Organization, the very principle of freedom of trade and the markets' openness is facing a serious crisis," he said.
The comments appeared as Russia made significant progress in its 18-year talks on its accession to the WTO.
Russia, which aims to join the organization by the end of this year, has reached an agreement on meat import quotas, which have been a sticking point in the negotiations, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Slepnyov said Tuesday.
He declined to elaborate on the conditions of the agreement, saying only that they are "comfortable" for the Russian side and "imply a certain decrease in quota deliveries compared to what we had before," Reuters reported.
First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, who is the country's main negotiator for joining the WTO and currently on a trip to the U.S., said Russia hopes to complete its entry into the organization this year.
"We are trying to complete the deal by the end of December and, I am pleased to say, thanks to the leadership in the United States, we are closer to that goal," he told a Russia-U.S. business group in Chicago, Reuters reported.
Putin said earlier this year that Russia would not fulfill the obligations that come with WTO accession until after joining the organization.
Meanwhile, his spokesman Peskov told The Moscow Times on Tuesday that a number of discrepancies remain before Russia can join the organization.
Shuvalov said that there are "a few minor things" that are hurdles to WTO membership, and mentioned a "third party I don't want to discuss publicly.
The main obstacle for accession is Georgia's position requiring that Russia remove customs points on borders with North Ossetia and Abkhazia, Stanovaya said. Georgia is already a WTO member and has the right to block Russia from joining.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who met Shuvalov in Washington on Monday, expressed his hope that "remaining issues, including satisfactory resolution of bilateral discussions between Russia and Georgia, would be addressed constructively and in a manner enabling Russia to meet its objective of concluding the WTO negotiations by the end of the year," according to a statement issued after their meeting.
Canada-U.S. perimeter security pact will cost $1-billion
A perimeter security deal between Canada and the United States will come with a $1-billion price tag for new border facilities and programs to make trade and travel easier. The Conservative government will use money cut from existing programs to cover the cost of the international pact – an attempt to protect the continent from terrorist threats while speeding the flow of people and products. Several sources said the deal falls short of the grand vision outlined eight months ago when Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President...
Radioactive ash causes Kashiwa incinerators to shut down
CHIBA — Authorities in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, said Tuesday that levels of radioactive cesium found in ash from garbage disposal facilities can no longer be contained and stored, causing garbage incineration plants to be temporarily shut down. In July, the Kashiwa municipal government detected 365 to 70,800 becquerels of cesium per kilogram in radiation checks conducted at two incineration plants and one final disposal facility. Since then, Kashiwa had been storing ash containing 8,000 becquerels per kilogram or more of radioactive...
Arizona Dust Storm Causes Pileups for Dozens of Vehicles
PICACHO, Ariz. – A blinding dust storm rolled across the Arizona desert Tuesday, causing three pileups involving dozens of vehicles on a major interstate. A 70-year-old man was killed and at least 15 other people were injured, authorities said. The first two crashes occurred just after noon as a dust storm suddenly covered Interstate 10 near Picacho, about midway between Phoenix and Tucson. Those collisions involved 16 vehicles and led to the fatality. Video showed dust roiling over dozens of cars, tractor-trailers and ambulances...
National Cathedral needs 'tens of millions' in quake repairs
WASHINGTON – Washington National Cathedral announced Tuesday that it will need "tens of millions of dollars" over "numerous years" to repair extensive damage to the USA's second-largest church from an Aug. 23 earthquake. It requires $25 million "just to get to June 2012, for the first phase of work and to resume worship and programming. We know it will ultimately be much more," says Richard Weinberg,..
Earthquake Swarm Continues On El Hierro, Canary Islands
The Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGN) has reported surface deformations exceeding 35mm on the Spanish island of El Hierro, where residents have been alert for a possible volcanic eruption. The number of earthquakes recorded since July 17 on the smallest of The Canary Islands exceeded 9250 on Tuesday morning. IGN confirmed on Monday that 1172 earthquakes were recorded last week, the majority of which were located in the sea to the SW of the 280-sqkm island. 52 of the earthquakes were felt by the local population,
Moody’s cuts Italy ratings by 3 notches
NEW YORK – Moody’s Investors Service Tuesday cut Italy’s bond ratings by three notches, saying it sees a “material increase” in funding conditions for eurozone countries with high levels of debt. Moody’s downgraded Italy’s ratings to A2 from Aa2 and kept a negative outlook on the rating, a sign that further downgrades are possible in the couple of years.
Ahmadinejad: 'NATO radar won't stop Zionist regime's fall'
TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized Turkey on Tuesday for hosting a NATO early-warning radar system, saying it was aimed at protecting Israel but warning it would "not stop the fall of the Zionist regime." The Turkish and US governments said last month the radar system would help spot missile threats coming from outside Europe, including potentially from Iran. The system, provided by the United States, is to become operational later this year. "This radar system is more aimed at defending the Zionist regime," Ahmadinejad...
Assad: Syria will shower Tel Aviv with rockets if attacked by foreign powers
Syria will strike Israel and "set fire" to the Middle East if foreign forces choose to launch a military strike on the protest-ridden country, the Iranian news agency Fars quoted Syrian President Bashar Assad as saying on Tuesday, referring to remarks made by the Syrian leader during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu last August. During a meeting with the Turkish FM, the Fars report claimed, Assad indicated that Syria would not hesitate to strike major Israeli cities if it was attacked. "If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than 6 hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv," Assad said. In addition, Fars reported that the Syrian president told the Turkish FM that he would also call on Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch a rocket...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Giant Asteroid Vesta Has Mountain Taller Than Anything on Earth
A NASA spacecraft orbiting the asteroid Vesta is revealing new details about the huge space rock's surface, including a massive mountain that rises taller than Mt. Everest on Earth.
NASA's Dawn probe has been circling Vesta since mid-July, when it arrived in the asteroid belt that orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter. So far, Dawn has beamed back surprising views of Vesta that revealed an enormous mountain in the asteroid's southern hemisphere and show that its crater surface is incredibly diverse place.
"We are learning many amazing things about Vesta, which we call the smallest terrestrial planet," Chris Russell, principal investigator of the Dawn mission, said in a statement. "Like Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury, Vesta has ancient basaltic lava flows on the surface and a large iron core … The south polar mountain is larger than the big island of Hawaii, the largest mountain on Earth, as measured from the ocean floor. It is almost as high as the highest mountain in the solar system, the shield volcano Olympus Mons on Mars."
Vesta's giant southern mountain is nearly as tall as Olympus Mons, the largest mountain (and volcano) in the solar system, which soars about 15 miles (24 kilometers) above the surface. On Earth, the largest terrestrial volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii, which rises up 6 miles (9 km) high, including the portion of the volcano that extends underwater to the sea floor. Mount Everest, the tallest mountain above sea level on Earth, is a paltry 5.5 miles (8.85 km) tall. [Latest Photos of Asteroid Vesta]
Dawn also revealed that Vesta's surface appears to be much rougher than most asteroids in the main asteroid belt, which is a vast region full of space rocks between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Additionally, preliminary estimates of crater age dates on Vesta suggest that regions in the southern hemisphere are far younger than in the north — with some areas in the southern hemisphere only about 1 to 2 billion years old.
The findings were presented today at the 2011 European Planetary Science Congress and the Division for Planetary Sciences Joint Meeting in Nantes, France.
NASA's Dawn probe has been circling Vesta since mid-July, when it arrived in the asteroid belt that orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter. So far, Dawn has beamed back surprising views of Vesta that revealed an enormous mountain in the asteroid's southern hemisphere and show that its crater surface is incredibly diverse place.
"We are learning many amazing things about Vesta, which we call the smallest terrestrial planet," Chris Russell, principal investigator of the Dawn mission, said in a statement. "Like Earth, Mars, Venus and Mercury, Vesta has ancient basaltic lava flows on the surface and a large iron core … The south polar mountain is larger than the big island of Hawaii, the largest mountain on Earth, as measured from the ocean floor. It is almost as high as the highest mountain in the solar system, the shield volcano Olympus Mons on Mars."
Vesta's giant southern mountain is nearly as tall as Olympus Mons, the largest mountain (and volcano) in the solar system, which soars about 15 miles (24 kilometers) above the surface. On Earth, the largest terrestrial volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii, which rises up 6 miles (9 km) high, including the portion of the volcano that extends underwater to the sea floor. Mount Everest, the tallest mountain above sea level on Earth, is a paltry 5.5 miles (8.85 km) tall. [Latest Photos of Asteroid Vesta]
Dawn also revealed that Vesta's surface appears to be much rougher than most asteroids in the main asteroid belt, which is a vast region full of space rocks between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Additionally, preliminary estimates of crater age dates on Vesta suggest that regions in the southern hemisphere are far younger than in the north — with some areas in the southern hemisphere only about 1 to 2 billion years old.
The findings were presented today at the 2011 European Planetary Science Congress and the Division for Planetary Sciences Joint Meeting in Nantes, France.
Russian and American Yeti hunters join forces to track down '30-strong Siberian tribe'
Russian and American Yeti hunters join forces to track down '30-strong Siberian tribe'
Its legend has long haunted the icy wastes of the Himalayas and Siberia. Yet for all the mysterious sightings and strange footprints in the snow, the Yeti has proved remarkably elusive to those seeking solid evidence of its existence. Now, however, the Abominable Snowman has an international team of scientists on its trail...
Its legend has long haunted the icy wastes of the Himalayas and Siberia. Yet for all the mysterious sightings and strange footprints in the snow, the Yeti has proved remarkably elusive to those seeking solid evidence of its existence. Now, however, the Abominable Snowman has an international team of scientists on its trail...
Did Jesus die for Klingons too? Christianity would struggle with proof of alien life, professor tells space conference
A Christian professor has told a U.S. Government-backed conference on space travel that the discovery of aliens would lead to significant problems for his own religion.
In a speech entitled 'Did Jesus die for Klingons too?', German academic Christian Weidemann outlined the possible ramifications that the ultimate space discovery would engender.
Speaking at the 100 Year Starship Symposium in Orlando Florida, Professor Weidemann also attempted to outline how the inevitable theological conflict might be resolved.
Weidemann, a professor at the Ruhr-University Bochum, said that the death of Christ, some 2,000 years ago, was designed to save all creation.
However, the whole of creation, as defined by scientists, includes 125billion galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars in each galaxy.
That means that if intelligent life exists on other planets, then Jesus or God would have to have visited them too, and sacrificed himself equally for Martian-kind as well as mankind.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2044730/Did-Jesus-die-Klingons-Christian-Weidemanns-speech-100-Year-Starship-Symposium.html#ixzz1ZqwwJaJ0
In a speech entitled 'Did Jesus die for Klingons too?', German academic Christian Weidemann outlined the possible ramifications that the ultimate space discovery would engender.
Speaking at the 100 Year Starship Symposium in Orlando Florida, Professor Weidemann also attempted to outline how the inevitable theological conflict might be resolved.
Weidemann, a professor at the Ruhr-University Bochum, said that the death of Christ, some 2,000 years ago, was designed to save all creation.
However, the whole of creation, as defined by scientists, includes 125billion galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars in each galaxy.
That means that if intelligent life exists on other planets, then Jesus or God would have to have visited them too, and sacrificed himself equally for Martian-kind as well as mankind.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2044730/Did-Jesus-die-Klingons-Christian-Weidemanns-speech-100-Year-Starship-Symposium.html#ixzz1ZqwwJaJ0
HIV could spread if birth control injections increase, warn scientists
HIV could spread if birth control injections increase, warn scientists
Campaigns to increase the number of women opting for long-lasting contraceptive injections in Aids-hit parts of the developing world could be helping to spread the epidemic, scientists are warning. New research shows that women who use hormonal contraceptives may double their risk of contracting HIV and of passing...
Campaigns to increase the number of women opting for long-lasting contraceptive injections in Aids-hit parts of the developing world could be helping to spread the epidemic, scientists are warning. New research shows that women who use hormonal contraceptives may double their risk of contracting HIV and of passing...
ESPN Cuts Hank Williams From Monday Night Football Over Obama 'Hitler' Remark
ESPN pulled Hank Williams Jr.'s classic intro song from its broadcast of Monday night's NFL game after the country singer famous for the line "Are you ready for some football?" used an analogy to Adolf Hitler in discussing President Barack Obama. In an interview Monday morning on Fox...
WH Dodges Response to NY Archbishop's Warning of Enormous ‘Conflict Between Church and State’
(CNSNews.com) – White House Press Secretary Jay Carney did not directly answer a question today about a letter that Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sent to President Barack Obama late last month warning the president that the Justice Department’s argument that federal courts should hold that opposing same-sex marriage is the legal equivalent of racial discrimination will precipitate an enormous nationwide conflict between church and state
The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage, for federal purposes, as the legal union between one man and one woman, and says that no state is required to recognize a same-sex “marriage” from another state.
At the White House on Monday, CNSNews.com asked Press Secretary Jay Carney: “Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, recently wrote a letter, Sept. 20, to the president in which he said that for the administration and the Justice Department to equate support for DOMA with unconstitutional discrimination would -- quoting from the letter – ‘precipitate a national conflict between church and state.’ Does the president support fully the DOJ and HHS policies that some Catholic leaders take issues with?”
Without addressing the letter from Dolan directly, Carney repeated the president’s support for not defending DOMA, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Carney said that Obama “supports the policies of his administration. He supports the position we’ve taken on not defending DOMA. So I’m not sure what positions--.”
CNSNews.com then followed up by referencing the case of Golinski v. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in which the Justice Department has filed a brief arguing that DOMA should be struck down as a form of sexual orientation discrimination.
Carney said, “I’m not familiar with that. I would refer you to Justice.”
dolan
New York's Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan. (AP Photo)
According to the USCCB’s analysis of the Justice Department’s argument in the Golinski case--which Archbishop Dolan attached to his letter to the president--the administration's argument compares DOMA “in effect to racially discriminatory laws.”
Further, “[i]n particular, the Administration’s efforts to change the law—in all three branches of the federal government—so that support for authentic marriage is treated as an instance of ‘sexual orientation discrimination,’ will threaten to spawn a wide range of legal sanctions against individuals and institutions within the Catholic community, and in many others as well,” says the USCCB analysis.
Archbishop Dolan wrote: “The administration’s failure to change course on this matter will, as the attached analysis indicates, precipitate a national conflict between Church and State, harming both institutions, as well as our Nation as a whole.”
On Saturday, Oct. 1, Obama spoke to the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual lobby organization, and expressed his opposition to DOMA.
“I vowed to keep up the fight against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act,” Obama said. “There’s a bill to repeal this discriminatory law in Congress, and I want to see that passed. But until we reach that day, my administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts. I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it’s time for it to end once and for all. It should join ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in the history books.”
Later in the speech, Obama said progress is happening around the country, and added, “It happens when a father realizes he doesn’t just love his daughter, but also her wife.” However, the president has yet to officially support same-sex marriage, only saying that he supports civil unions.
In explaining the consequences of the Administration’s policies, Dolan wrote in his Sept. 20 letter to Obama, “That is why it is particularly upsetting, Mr. President, when your Administration, through the various court documents, pronouncements and policies identified in the attached analysis, attributes to those who support DOMA a motivation rooted in prejudice and bias. It is especially wrong and unfair to equate opposition to redefining marriage with either intentional or willfully ignorant racial discrimination, as your Administration insists on doing.
The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage, for federal purposes, as the legal union between one man and one woman, and says that no state is required to recognize a same-sex “marriage” from another state.
At the White House on Monday, CNSNews.com asked Press Secretary Jay Carney: “Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, recently wrote a letter, Sept. 20, to the president in which he said that for the administration and the Justice Department to equate support for DOMA with unconstitutional discrimination would -- quoting from the letter – ‘precipitate a national conflict between church and state.’ Does the president support fully the DOJ and HHS policies that some Catholic leaders take issues with?”
Without addressing the letter from Dolan directly, Carney repeated the president’s support for not defending DOMA, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Carney said that Obama “supports the policies of his administration. He supports the position we’ve taken on not defending DOMA. So I’m not sure what positions--.”
CNSNews.com then followed up by referencing the case of Golinski v. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in which the Justice Department has filed a brief arguing that DOMA should be struck down as a form of sexual orientation discrimination.
Carney said, “I’m not familiar with that. I would refer you to Justice.”
dolan
New York's Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan. (AP Photo)
According to the USCCB’s analysis of the Justice Department’s argument in the Golinski case--which Archbishop Dolan attached to his letter to the president--the administration's argument compares DOMA “in effect to racially discriminatory laws.”
Further, “[i]n particular, the Administration’s efforts to change the law—in all three branches of the federal government—so that support for authentic marriage is treated as an instance of ‘sexual orientation discrimination,’ will threaten to spawn a wide range of legal sanctions against individuals and institutions within the Catholic community, and in many others as well,” says the USCCB analysis.
Archbishop Dolan wrote: “The administration’s failure to change course on this matter will, as the attached analysis indicates, precipitate a national conflict between Church and State, harming both institutions, as well as our Nation as a whole.”
On Saturday, Oct. 1, Obama spoke to the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual lobby organization, and expressed his opposition to DOMA.
“I vowed to keep up the fight against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act,” Obama said. “There’s a bill to repeal this discriminatory law in Congress, and I want to see that passed. But until we reach that day, my administration is no longer defending DOMA in the courts. I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it’s time for it to end once and for all. It should join ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in the history books.”
Later in the speech, Obama said progress is happening around the country, and added, “It happens when a father realizes he doesn’t just love his daughter, but also her wife.” However, the president has yet to officially support same-sex marriage, only saying that he supports civil unions.
In explaining the consequences of the Administration’s policies, Dolan wrote in his Sept. 20 letter to Obama, “That is why it is particularly upsetting, Mr. President, when your Administration, through the various court documents, pronouncements and policies identified in the attached analysis, attributes to those who support DOMA a motivation rooted in prejudice and bias. It is especially wrong and unfair to equate opposition to redefining marriage with either intentional or willfully ignorant racial discrimination, as your Administration insists on doing.
Greek crisis may threaten euro zone’s survival
The Greek economy is shrinking fast as austerity takes its toll, putting at risk the next instalment of a massive bailout and raising new worries about the euro zone's survival. European finance ministers met in Luxembourg Monday without coming to a final decision on releasing an €8-billion ($11.1-billion Canadian) instalment of a massive bailout Greece needs to stay afloat. Eurogroup chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said the currency partners had asked the Greek government to make further savings in 2012 and 2013 to secure EU ...
Indians taking over hotels from distressed owners in US at rock-bottom prices
NEW DELHI: Don't be surprised if the owner of the hotel you check into the next time you are in the United States turns out to be an Indian entrepreneur who has little experience in the hospitality industry.
Non-resident Indians, especially those with the Gujarati surname Patel, have dominated the economy segment of the American hotel industry for decades. But now, Indians who have made their money in other businesses back home - in Kolkata to Coimbatore and New Delhi to Hyderabad - are increasingly taking over the keys from distressed owners in the US who are selling at rock-bottom prices to repay their growing debt.
This is especially the case in the warmer states, such as Florida and Nevada, where vacation homes are the first to be put up for sale in the market which remains stubbornly depressed three years after the economic crisis hit home.
Prices have dropped to as low as Rs 10 lakh per room in some locations close to the mega tourist attraction Disneyland in Florida's Orlando, for example, says V Santhana Raman, chief executive of Ace Hotel Brokers India. In contrast, he says, properties in tourist destinations such as Kumarakom in Kerala back home command up to Rs 1 crore per room.
Kolkata-based businessman Sushanto Dey, known for his mass-market leather shoes and accessories that sell under the Sreeleathers brand, has returned from the US just in time for the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations. He has shortlisted some properties in Florida and he is set to go back soon to seal the deal. "It's a one-off investment for us," says Dey, "If a businessman keeps his money in the bank he will get about 8%-9% returns. If he buys a hotel, he will make 10%-12%."
Plus, of course, he will have the option of cashing in once the market bounces back. "Valuations in some regions in the US are as depressed as they were in the 1930s, which makes this one of the best times to buy hotel assets here," says Alkesh Patel, vicechairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
Coimbatore-based S Raghavan, who owns Raghavan Auto Ancillary, has already bought a 187-room hotel on International Drive, Orlando, for $4 million. He says he had surplus cash and wanted to invest in a hotel in India. But, finding hotel valuations in Chennai and other cities in south India way beyond his means, he hired property investment advisors Ace Hotel Brokers, who turned his attention to the US.
To his astonishment, Raghavan found out that hotel assets even in the most sought-after Manhattan near Times Square were quoting lower than those in Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Some five-star hotels in Chennai are quoted at Rs 3 crore per room, whereas prices in Manhattan start at Rs 2 crore.
"My teenaged son is interested in hotel management, and he can get an opportunity to pursue his dream," says Raghavan, whose acquisition is up and running under the Quality Inn brand. He is confident that he has invested his surplus cash in an asset which will fetch him good returns.
Non-resident Indians, especially those with the Gujarati surname Patel, have dominated the economy segment of the American hotel industry for decades. But now, Indians who have made their money in other businesses back home - in Kolkata to Coimbatore and New Delhi to Hyderabad - are increasingly taking over the keys from distressed owners in the US who are selling at rock-bottom prices to repay their growing debt.
This is especially the case in the warmer states, such as Florida and Nevada, where vacation homes are the first to be put up for sale in the market which remains stubbornly depressed three years after the economic crisis hit home.
Prices have dropped to as low as Rs 10 lakh per room in some locations close to the mega tourist attraction Disneyland in Florida's Orlando, for example, says V Santhana Raman, chief executive of Ace Hotel Brokers India. In contrast, he says, properties in tourist destinations such as Kumarakom in Kerala back home command up to Rs 1 crore per room.
Kolkata-based businessman Sushanto Dey, known for his mass-market leather shoes and accessories that sell under the Sreeleathers brand, has returned from the US just in time for the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations. He has shortlisted some properties in Florida and he is set to go back soon to seal the deal. "It's a one-off investment for us," says Dey, "If a businessman keeps his money in the bank he will get about 8%-9% returns. If he buys a hotel, he will make 10%-12%."
Plus, of course, he will have the option of cashing in once the market bounces back. "Valuations in some regions in the US are as depressed as they were in the 1930s, which makes this one of the best times to buy hotel assets here," says Alkesh Patel, vicechairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
Coimbatore-based S Raghavan, who owns Raghavan Auto Ancillary, has already bought a 187-room hotel on International Drive, Orlando, for $4 million. He says he had surplus cash and wanted to invest in a hotel in India. But, finding hotel valuations in Chennai and other cities in south India way beyond his means, he hired property investment advisors Ace Hotel Brokers, who turned his attention to the US.
To his astonishment, Raghavan found out that hotel assets even in the most sought-after Manhattan near Times Square were quoting lower than those in Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Some five-star hotels in Chennai are quoted at Rs 3 crore per room, whereas prices in Manhattan start at Rs 2 crore.
"My teenaged son is interested in hotel management, and he can get an opportunity to pursue his dream," says Raghavan, whose acquisition is up and running under the Quality Inn brand. He is confident that he has invested his surplus cash in an asset which will fetch him good returns.
Warren Buffett hit as Bank of America shares slide
Shares in Bank of America closed below $6 a share for the first time since the depths of the last US recession in early 2009. Although Bank of America was punished most, fears that Europe’s debt crisis could still contaminate the global financial system sent shares in most banks sliding and the cost of insuring their debt soaring. “We’re waiting for some type of reprieve on Europe,” said Joseph Tanious, a strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. “Even when we have some decent economic data here, Greece is still weighing on everyone’s minds...
AMR falls on bankruptcy, recession fears
American Airlines parent AMR Corp. tumbled the most since April 2009 on growing concern the U.S. is nearing a return to recession and that the carrier may be forced to seek bankruptcy protection. Today’s slide pointed toward a fifth straight drop for Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR, the longest streak in more than two months, and marked its biggest intraday plunge since April 27, 2009. The shares fell 53 cents, or 18 percent, to $2.42 at 11:47 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. AMR has led declines this year among the largest U.S...
Think the Economy's Bad? 'You Haven't Seen Anything'
Market pessimism is reaching a fever pitch, fueled by increasing belief that global policymakers either are powerless or inept when it comes to controlling the various headwinds confronting the economy.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange
With a bloody third quarter coming to an end and hopes that the final three months of the year will live up to their reputation as the market's best, now might be the time when confidence would be on an upswing.
But some of the market's top thinkers are releasing a chorus of dour predictions that, while allowing for the chance of a mild rally as 2011 closes, otherwise believe there is little reason for hope.
Bob Janjuah, the notably bearish fixed income analyst for Nomura Securities, believes that a market low is coming in October that could be followed by a late-year rise. But 2012 holds little but a bear-market roar that could take the Standard & Poor's 500 [.SPX 1123.95 24.72 (+2.25%) ] all the way down to the 700 range—a numbing 38 percent drop from current levels.
"The basic problems remain weak trend growth in the (developed market) world, which we think will continue for another three to five years, the policy errors (in our view) of the current set of policymakers, and the existing set of inadequate 'old world' policy institutions," Janjuah wrote in an analysis for clients.
As for investors in such a climate, Janjuah says they "should remain cautious, and focus on strong balance sheets and strong/robust business models."
Those types of comments are being echoed across the financial markets spectrum but perhaps most notably in recent days by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.
The ECRI is widely considered an impartial—and highly accurate—referee when it comes to discerning trends. At a similar point last year, when many also were anticipating another recession, the ECRI rebuffed those predictions.
For the months ahead, though, the ECRI's leading index is unwavering in its call for another recession [cnbc explains] , just two years after the last one officially ended. ECRI's head economist, Lakshman Achuthan, detailed the reasons for the coming recession in a CNBC appearance last week.
"It's important to understand that the recession doesn't mean a bad economy—we've had that for years now. It means an economy that keeps worsening because it's locked into a vicious cycle," ECRI said in research posted a few days ago. "Here's what ECRI's recession call really says: If you think this is a bad economy, you haven't seen anything yet."
Predictions for a bad economy, though, aren't really new.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange
With a bloody third quarter coming to an end and hopes that the final three months of the year will live up to their reputation as the market's best, now might be the time when confidence would be on an upswing.
But some of the market's top thinkers are releasing a chorus of dour predictions that, while allowing for the chance of a mild rally as 2011 closes, otherwise believe there is little reason for hope.
Bob Janjuah, the notably bearish fixed income analyst for Nomura Securities, believes that a market low is coming in October that could be followed by a late-year rise. But 2012 holds little but a bear-market roar that could take the Standard & Poor's 500 [.SPX 1123.95 24.72 (+2.25%) ] all the way down to the 700 range—a numbing 38 percent drop from current levels.
"The basic problems remain weak trend growth in the (developed market) world, which we think will continue for another three to five years, the policy errors (in our view) of the current set of policymakers, and the existing set of inadequate 'old world' policy institutions," Janjuah wrote in an analysis for clients.
As for investors in such a climate, Janjuah says they "should remain cautious, and focus on strong balance sheets and strong/robust business models."
Those types of comments are being echoed across the financial markets spectrum but perhaps most notably in recent days by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.
The ECRI is widely considered an impartial—and highly accurate—referee when it comes to discerning trends. At a similar point last year, when many also were anticipating another recession, the ECRI rebuffed those predictions.
For the months ahead, though, the ECRI's leading index is unwavering in its call for another recession [cnbc explains] , just two years after the last one officially ended. ECRI's head economist, Lakshman Achuthan, detailed the reasons for the coming recession in a CNBC appearance last week.
"It's important to understand that the recession doesn't mean a bad economy—we've had that for years now. It means an economy that keeps worsening because it's locked into a vicious cycle," ECRI said in research posted a few days ago. "Here's what ECRI's recession call really says: If you think this is a bad economy, you haven't seen anything yet."
Predictions for a bad economy, though, aren't really new.
China warns of trade war if U.S. bill passes
Reuters) - A U.S. bill to pressure China into letting its currency rise in value, which has drawn warnings from Beijing of a possible trade war, ran into opposition from the top Republican in Congress on Tuesday.
The strong misgivings of House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner were the first clear sign the currency legislation might fizzle out, as similar bills have done since lawmakers began targeting China's yuan policy in 2005.
"I think it's pretty dangerous to be moving legislation through the United States Congress forcing someone to deal with the value of their currency," Boehner told reporters.
"While I've got concerns about how the Chinese have dealt with their currency, I'm not sure this is the way to fix it."
On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to open debate on a bill that calls for U.S. tariffs on imports from countries with deliberately undervalued currencies, prompting an angry rebuke from China.
House speakers normally get their way on legislation. But this time Boehner has to contend with signs of growing support from rank-and-file members of his own party for the currency bill and tough talk about China from top Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
Democrats piled the pressure onto Boehner, urging him to keep a promise he made when he took office in January and let the House to "work its will.
"For some inexplicable reason, the Republican leadership in the House is siding with the Chinese government. This is not the time to go soft on Beijing," said Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, a co-author of the currency bill.
"The Chinese only understand one thing: being tough," he said on the Senate floor, rejecting calls from other senators for multilateral talks.
China has accused lawmakers of pandering to U.S. voters ahead of next year's presidential and congressional elections.
China's central bank and the ministries of commerce and foreign affairs accused Washington of "politicizing" currency issues and putting the global economy at risk of a trade war.
U.S. critics of the bill have also warned it could stoke trade tensions just as the world economy is facing a sharp slowdown in growth.
In a hint of unease about the bill at the White House, a top U.S. official said the Obama administration has begun discussions with lawmakers about whether it is "the right approach" to the long-running currency issue.
Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank told CNBC television the best solution to what American officials view as an undervalued Chinese currency remains "an open question," despite signs of bipartisan support for legislation that has raised angry warnings of a potential trade war from Beijing.
"The administration is talking with people in the Senate about whether this bill is the right approach or whether there are other approaches to take," she said.
ANGRY CHINESE RESPONSE
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration was still reviewing the currency bill.
"We share the concerns of members (of Congress) about the valuation of the currency and the need to appreciate it," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. The administration wanted to be sure any measure met U.S. "international obligations."
Senators voted 79-19 on Monday to open a week of debate on the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011, which would allow the U.S. government to slap countervailing duties on products from countries found to be subsidizing their exports by undervaluing their currencies.
Many of the world's top economic policymakers have long urged China to allow its currency to strengthen as a way to help fix the imbalances in the global economy that have been blamed for contributing to the financial crisis of 2007-09.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday the yuan policy, as well as contributing to high inflation in China, hindered "a more balanced growth path."
Many economists say China holds down the value of its yuan currency to give its exporters an edge in global markets. China says it is committed to gradual currency reform and notes that the yuan has risen 30 percent against the dollar since 2005.
In an argument that has gained traction with U.S. unemployment stuck above 9 percent and as 2012 elections draw near, supporters of the bill say that if the yuan was allowed to rise, U.S. exports to the fast-growing Chinese market would increase, cutting an annual trade gap of more than $250 billion and creating jobs in the United States.
Republicans are split on the yuan issue. Many lawmakers in the party traditionally oppose actions that might violate free trade principles. But Republican presidential hopeful Romney has said he would name China a currency manipulator on his first day in office if elected.
Despite Boehner's expressed doubts about the bill, backers of the legislation in the House said the measure now has 225 co-sponsors, including 61 Republicans. The bill is expected to face a vote in the Democrat-led Senate later this week.
The strong misgivings of House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner were the first clear sign the currency legislation might fizzle out, as similar bills have done since lawmakers began targeting China's yuan policy in 2005.
"I think it's pretty dangerous to be moving legislation through the United States Congress forcing someone to deal with the value of their currency," Boehner told reporters.
"While I've got concerns about how the Chinese have dealt with their currency, I'm not sure this is the way to fix it."
On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to open debate on a bill that calls for U.S. tariffs on imports from countries with deliberately undervalued currencies, prompting an angry rebuke from China.
House speakers normally get their way on legislation. But this time Boehner has to contend with signs of growing support from rank-and-file members of his own party for the currency bill and tough talk about China from top Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
Democrats piled the pressure onto Boehner, urging him to keep a promise he made when he took office in January and let the House to "work its will.
"For some inexplicable reason, the Republican leadership in the House is siding with the Chinese government. This is not the time to go soft on Beijing," said Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, a co-author of the currency bill.
"The Chinese only understand one thing: being tough," he said on the Senate floor, rejecting calls from other senators for multilateral talks.
China has accused lawmakers of pandering to U.S. voters ahead of next year's presidential and congressional elections.
China's central bank and the ministries of commerce and foreign affairs accused Washington of "politicizing" currency issues and putting the global economy at risk of a trade war.
U.S. critics of the bill have also warned it could stoke trade tensions just as the world economy is facing a sharp slowdown in growth.
In a hint of unease about the bill at the White House, a top U.S. official said the Obama administration has begun discussions with lawmakers about whether it is "the right approach" to the long-running currency issue.
Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank told CNBC television the best solution to what American officials view as an undervalued Chinese currency remains "an open question," despite signs of bipartisan support for legislation that has raised angry warnings of a potential trade war from Beijing.
"The administration is talking with people in the Senate about whether this bill is the right approach or whether there are other approaches to take," she said.
ANGRY CHINESE RESPONSE
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration was still reviewing the currency bill.
"We share the concerns of members (of Congress) about the valuation of the currency and the need to appreciate it," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. The administration wanted to be sure any measure met U.S. "international obligations."
Senators voted 79-19 on Monday to open a week of debate on the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011, which would allow the U.S. government to slap countervailing duties on products from countries found to be subsidizing their exports by undervaluing their currencies.
Many of the world's top economic policymakers have long urged China to allow its currency to strengthen as a way to help fix the imbalances in the global economy that have been blamed for contributing to the financial crisis of 2007-09.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday the yuan policy, as well as contributing to high inflation in China, hindered "a more balanced growth path."
Many economists say China holds down the value of its yuan currency to give its exporters an edge in global markets. China says it is committed to gradual currency reform and notes that the yuan has risen 30 percent against the dollar since 2005.
In an argument that has gained traction with U.S. unemployment stuck above 9 percent and as 2012 elections draw near, supporters of the bill say that if the yuan was allowed to rise, U.S. exports to the fast-growing Chinese market would increase, cutting an annual trade gap of more than $250 billion and creating jobs in the United States.
Republicans are split on the yuan issue. Many lawmakers in the party traditionally oppose actions that might violate free trade principles. But Republican presidential hopeful Romney has said he would name China a currency manipulator on his first day in office if elected.
Despite Boehner's expressed doubts about the bill, backers of the legislation in the House said the measure now has 225 co-sponsors, including 61 Republicans. The bill is expected to face a vote in the Democrat-led Senate later this week.
Energy official praised Solyndra before FBI bust
A top Department of Energy official in charge of the office that awarded Solyndra LLC $535 million in loan guarantees insisted the company was “headed in the right direction” months before the firm went bankrupt and saw its offices raided by the FBI. “This is a company that doubled their revenues and essentially doubled them again, year over year,” Jonathan Silver, Energy Department loans chief, said in an April 2011 interview with SNL Renewable Energy Weekly, a trade publication. “They are going in the right direction.”
Shock Photos: Candidate Obama Appeared And Marched With New Black Panther Party in 2007
New photographs obtained exclusively by BigGovernment.com reveal that Barack Obama appeared and marched with members of the New Black Panther Party as he campaigned for president in Selma, Alabama in March 2007. The photographs, captured from a Flickr photo-sharing account before it was scrubbed, are the latest evidence of the mainstream media’s failure to examine Obama’s extremist ties and radical roots. In addition, the new images raise questions about the possible motives of the Obama administration in its infamous decision to drop the prosecution of the Panthers for voter intimidation. The images, presented below, also renew doubts about the transparency of the White House’s guest logs–in particular, whether Panther National Chief Malik Zulu Shabazz is the same “Malik Shabazz” listed...
Monday, October 3, 2011
Are Aliens Part of God's Plan, Too? Finding E.T. Could Change Religion Forever
ORLANDO, Fla. — The discovery of intelligent aliens would be mind-blowing in many respects, but it could present a special dilemma for the world's religions, theologians pondering interstellar travel concepts said Saturday (Oct. 1).
Christians, in particular, might take the news hardest, because the Christian belief system does not easily allow for other intelligent beings in the universe, Christian thinkers said at the 100 Year Starship Symposium, a meeting sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to discuss issues surrounding traveling to other stars.
In other words, "Did Jesus die for Klingons too?" as philosophy professor Christian Weidemannof Germany's Ruhr-University Bochum titled his talk at a panel on the philosophical and religious considerations of visiting other worlds.
"According to Christianity, an historic event some 2,000 years ago was supposed to save the whole of creation," Weidemann said. "You can grasp the conflict." [10 Alien Encounters Debunked]
Here's how the debate goes: If the whole of creation includes 125 billion galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars in each, as astronomers think, then what if some of these stars have planets with advanced civilizations, too? Why would Jesus Christ have come to Earth, of all the inhabited planets in the universe, to save Earthlings and abandon the rest of God's creatures?
Aliens and religion can still coexist
Weidemann, a self-described protestant Christian, suggested some possible solutions. Perhaps extraterrestrials aren't sinners, like humans, and therefore aren't in need of saving. However, the principle of mediocrity — the idea that your own example is most likely typical unless you have evidence to the contrary — casts doubt on this, he pointed out. [10 Wildest Ways to Contact Aliens]
"If there are extraterrestrial intelligent beings at all, it is safe to assume that most of them are sinners too," Weidemann said. "If so, did Jesus save them too? My position is no. If so, our position among intelligent beings in the universe would be very exceptional."
Another possibility is that God incarnated multiple times, sending a version of himself down to save each inhabited planet separately.
However, based on the best guesses of how many civilizations we might expect to exist in the universe, and how long planets and civilizations are expected to survive, God's incarnations would have had to be in about 250 places simultaneously at any given time, assuming each incarnation took about 30 years, Weidemann calculated.
If Aliens Exist,They May Come to Get Us, Stephen Hawking Says
Religious food for thought
If God truly became corporeal and took human form when Jesus Christ was born, this wouldn't have been possible, Weidemann said. [How Astronomy and Religion Intersect]
Rev. Thomas Hoffmann, a protestant pastor in Tulsa, Okla., said that the issues Weidemann raised were "really on target."
"If life is discovered elsewhere, unfortunately we need to have more discussion about it," Hoffmann said. "I think this is a very robust conversation we need to have."
While the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence would likely spur profound soul-searching for people of all faiths, many of the world's religions might have an easier time accommodating the knowledge than Christianity, said theologist Michael Waltemathe, also of the Ruhr-University Bochum.
"It seems to be only a problem of Christianity," Waltemathe said.
In Islam, for example, Muhammad was a prophet, or messenger of God, not God incarnate, so additional prophets could have simultaneously visited other planets to save extraterrestrial species, he said. And Hindus already believe in multiple deities, so accommodating more to guard over alien civilizations may not be difficult.
Ultimately, though, the discovery of intelligent aliens isn't likely to pose a serious crisis for Christianity, either, Hoffmann said. After all, the religion has survived challenging scientific revelations before.
"Religion is essentially conservative," Hoffmann told SPACE.com. "You can put almost anything in its face and it's going to shake out a little bit, and then it's going to drop right back down. We've seen this happen historically."
Christians, in particular, might take the news hardest, because the Christian belief system does not easily allow for other intelligent beings in the universe, Christian thinkers said at the 100 Year Starship Symposium, a meeting sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to discuss issues surrounding traveling to other stars.
In other words, "Did Jesus die for Klingons too?" as philosophy professor Christian Weidemannof Germany's Ruhr-University Bochum titled his talk at a panel on the philosophical and religious considerations of visiting other worlds.
"According to Christianity, an historic event some 2,000 years ago was supposed to save the whole of creation," Weidemann said. "You can grasp the conflict." [10 Alien Encounters Debunked]
Here's how the debate goes: If the whole of creation includes 125 billion galaxies with hundreds of billions of stars in each, as astronomers think, then what if some of these stars have planets with advanced civilizations, too? Why would Jesus Christ have come to Earth, of all the inhabited planets in the universe, to save Earthlings and abandon the rest of God's creatures?
Aliens and religion can still coexist
Weidemann, a self-described protestant Christian, suggested some possible solutions. Perhaps extraterrestrials aren't sinners, like humans, and therefore aren't in need of saving. However, the principle of mediocrity — the idea that your own example is most likely typical unless you have evidence to the contrary — casts doubt on this, he pointed out. [10 Wildest Ways to Contact Aliens]
"If there are extraterrestrial intelligent beings at all, it is safe to assume that most of them are sinners too," Weidemann said. "If so, did Jesus save them too? My position is no. If so, our position among intelligent beings in the universe would be very exceptional."
Another possibility is that God incarnated multiple times, sending a version of himself down to save each inhabited planet separately.
However, based on the best guesses of how many civilizations we might expect to exist in the universe, and how long planets and civilizations are expected to survive, God's incarnations would have had to be in about 250 places simultaneously at any given time, assuming each incarnation took about 30 years, Weidemann calculated.
If Aliens Exist,They May Come to Get Us, Stephen Hawking Says
Religious food for thought
If God truly became corporeal and took human form when Jesus Christ was born, this wouldn't have been possible, Weidemann said. [How Astronomy and Religion Intersect]
Rev. Thomas Hoffmann, a protestant pastor in Tulsa, Okla., said that the issues Weidemann raised were "really on target."
"If life is discovered elsewhere, unfortunately we need to have more discussion about it," Hoffmann said. "I think this is a very robust conversation we need to have."
While the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence would likely spur profound soul-searching for people of all faiths, many of the world's religions might have an easier time accommodating the knowledge than Christianity, said theologist Michael Waltemathe, also of the Ruhr-University Bochum.
"It seems to be only a problem of Christianity," Waltemathe said.
In Islam, for example, Muhammad was a prophet, or messenger of God, not God incarnate, so additional prophets could have simultaneously visited other planets to save extraterrestrial species, he said. And Hindus already believe in multiple deities, so accommodating more to guard over alien civilizations may not be difficult.
Ultimately, though, the discovery of intelligent aliens isn't likely to pose a serious crisis for Christianity, either, Hoffmann said. After all, the religion has survived challenging scientific revelations before.
"Religion is essentially conservative," Hoffmann told SPACE.com. "You can put almost anything in its face and it's going to shake out a little bit, and then it's going to drop right back down. We've seen this happen historically."
Virtual Dead Sea scrolls get more than a million hits in just one week
Virtual Dead Sea scrolls get more than a million hits in just one week
400,000 Americans visit new website launched by Israel Museum and Google.
By Nir Hasson Tags: Dead Sea scrolls Jerusalem
More than a million people have visited a new website featuring high-resolution photographs of several Dead Sea Scrolls since the site was launched less than a week ago by the Israel Museum and Google Israel.
The website provides a detailed view of five of the most complete scrolls, which were found at Qumran and date from around the Second Temple period, nearly 2,000 years ago.
Among the scrolls featured on the website is the Book of Isaiah.
The actual scrolls are part of the Israel Museum's "Shrine of the Book" collection in Jerusalem.
An analysis of the visitors to the site, which can be accessed directly at dss.collections.imj.org.il or through the museum's general website, reveals broad interest from almost every country on earth, including Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Syria.
While the museum had anticipated wide interest in the website, interest has exceeded expectations. Between last Monday, when the website was launched, and Sunday morning, Google logged 1,042,104 visitors to the site, which not only provides an opportunity to see detailed images of the five scrolls, but also features an English translation.
The scrolls were photographed in the museum vault where they are kept using a special camera with a flash that does not cause damage during the photography process.
In the coming months, other scrolls in the possession of the Israel Antiquities Authority will be uploaded to the site. They, too, are being photographed using advanced digital technology.
The country showing the highest interest in the website is the United States, with 400,000 visitors.
There has also been major interest from Japan (58,000 visitors ) and Canada (48,000 ), followed by the Netherlands, Croatia, Britain and Brazil, with about 35,000 visitors each.
Visitors from almost all of the world's Arab and Muslim states have also viewed the site, including several hundred each from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.
The site has also received hits - albeit fewer hits - from people in Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Visitors to the site can search the scrolls and send excerpts by e-mail or post them on social media sites such as Facebook. In the future, the website will provide a Chinese translation.
400,000 Americans visit new website launched by Israel Museum and Google.
By Nir Hasson Tags: Dead Sea scrolls Jerusalem
More than a million people have visited a new website featuring high-resolution photographs of several Dead Sea Scrolls since the site was launched less than a week ago by the Israel Museum and Google Israel.
The website provides a detailed view of five of the most complete scrolls, which were found at Qumran and date from around the Second Temple period, nearly 2,000 years ago.
Among the scrolls featured on the website is the Book of Isaiah.
The actual scrolls are part of the Israel Museum's "Shrine of the Book" collection in Jerusalem.
An analysis of the visitors to the site, which can be accessed directly at dss.collections.imj.org.il or through the museum's general website, reveals broad interest from almost every country on earth, including Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Syria.
While the museum had anticipated wide interest in the website, interest has exceeded expectations. Between last Monday, when the website was launched, and Sunday morning, Google logged 1,042,104 visitors to the site, which not only provides an opportunity to see detailed images of the five scrolls, but also features an English translation.
The scrolls were photographed in the museum vault where they are kept using a special camera with a flash that does not cause damage during the photography process.
In the coming months, other scrolls in the possession of the Israel Antiquities Authority will be uploaded to the site. They, too, are being photographed using advanced digital technology.
The country showing the highest interest in the website is the United States, with 400,000 visitors.
There has also been major interest from Japan (58,000 visitors ) and Canada (48,000 ), followed by the Netherlands, Croatia, Britain and Brazil, with about 35,000 visitors each.
Visitors from almost all of the world's Arab and Muslim states have also viewed the site, including several hundred each from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey.
The site has also received hits - albeit fewer hits - from people in Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Visitors to the site can search the scrolls and send excerpts by e-mail or post them on social media sites such as Facebook. In the future, the website will provide a Chinese translation.
The mysterious suicide that has rocked the Vatican
On a Monday morning in July, a gunshot rang out in the administration section of Milan's San Raffaele hospital. Seconds later, a frightened secretary entered the office of the institution's vice-president, Mario Cal, and found him lying in a pool of blood. Mr Cal clung briefly to life, but the Smith and Wesson revolver had done its job. Before long he died on one of his hospital's own operating tables.
El Hierro (The Canary Islands) Earthquake Count Reaches 8850
The number of earthquakes recorded since July 17 on El Hierro, the smallest of The Canary Islands (Spain), exceeded 8,850 on Saturday.
The surge in the number and intensity of earthquakes in the past week has prompted officials from the Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGN) and The Canary Islands Government to raise the alert level for the Hierro volcano to ‘Yellow’, the highest alert status since the unprecedented earthquake swarm commenced in mid-July.
Hierro, a shield volcano, has had a single historic eruption from the Volcan de Lomo Negro vent in 1793. The eruption lasted approximately one month and produced lava flows.
Seimsic Surveys
The Canary Islands Government commenced an in-depth geological survey of El Hierro earlier this month in an effort to determine the source of an earthquake swarm. The Government raised the volcanic risk level to ‘Yellow’ last weekend after a surge in seismic activity
The IGN announced on Saturday that the number of earthquakes felt by the local population (approx 10,000) has reached 55. The strongest of the tremors, which have been recorded at depths between 10km and 15km, measured 3.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale.
Spain’s national seismological agency warned the local population to be prepared for any possible future increase in volcanic activity. The agency noted, however, that the majority of earthquakes recorded during recent days have been centred to the south of the island in Las Calmas Sea. Previous to this, the vast majority of the tremors were recorded in the northwest of the 278.5-square-kilometre island at El Golfo.
Over 150 earthquakes were recorded on the smallest of the Canary Islands during Tuesday prompting officials to evacuate some local residents, shut El Hierro’s main tunnel, and close local schools.
A surge in seismic activity on Tuesday prompted the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) to advise almost 50 residents of the municipality of La Frontera to leave their homes because of landslide fears. Two units of the Spanish military’s emergency intervention unit (EMU) were also placed on standby to depart the nearby island of Tenerife to assist in the possible evacuation of hundreds of other El Hierro residents.
Meanwhile, the island’s main tunnel (Tunel del Golfo), which links Frontera to Valverde, was shut forcing motorists to travel across the 280-sq-km island via a mountain road. The Cabildo de El Hierro also ordered the closure of schools on Wednesday.
Eruption would have “low explosion value”
Speaking to the El Pais newspaper, volcanologist Juan Carlos Carracedo suggested that an eruption on El Hierro would “not be a major surprise”. He explained: “It is the youngest of the Canary Islands. There is a ball of magma which is rising to the surface and it is stationed at the limit of the earth’s crust. At the moment we do not know if that ball of magna will break the crust and cause an eruption.”
IGN Director, María José Blanco said that any eruption on El Hierro would most likely have a “low explosion value”. He added that an imminent eruption is unlikely.
The surge in the number and intensity of earthquakes in the past week has prompted officials from the Instituto Geografico Nacional (IGN) and The Canary Islands Government to raise the alert level for the Hierro volcano to ‘Yellow’, the highest alert status since the unprecedented earthquake swarm commenced in mid-July.
Hierro, a shield volcano, has had a single historic eruption from the Volcan de Lomo Negro vent in 1793. The eruption lasted approximately one month and produced lava flows.
Seimsic Surveys
The Canary Islands Government commenced an in-depth geological survey of El Hierro earlier this month in an effort to determine the source of an earthquake swarm. The Government raised the volcanic risk level to ‘Yellow’ last weekend after a surge in seismic activity
The IGN announced on Saturday that the number of earthquakes felt by the local population (approx 10,000) has reached 55. The strongest of the tremors, which have been recorded at depths between 10km and 15km, measured 3.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale.
Spain’s national seismological agency warned the local population to be prepared for any possible future increase in volcanic activity. The agency noted, however, that the majority of earthquakes recorded during recent days have been centred to the south of the island in Las Calmas Sea. Previous to this, the vast majority of the tremors were recorded in the northwest of the 278.5-square-kilometre island at El Golfo.
Over 150 earthquakes were recorded on the smallest of the Canary Islands during Tuesday prompting officials to evacuate some local residents, shut El Hierro’s main tunnel, and close local schools.
A surge in seismic activity on Tuesday prompted the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) to advise almost 50 residents of the municipality of La Frontera to leave their homes because of landslide fears. Two units of the Spanish military’s emergency intervention unit (EMU) were also placed on standby to depart the nearby island of Tenerife to assist in the possible evacuation of hundreds of other El Hierro residents.
Meanwhile, the island’s main tunnel (Tunel del Golfo), which links Frontera to Valverde, was shut forcing motorists to travel across the 280-sq-km island via a mountain road. The Cabildo de El Hierro also ordered the closure of schools on Wednesday.
Eruption would have “low explosion value”
Speaking to the El Pais newspaper, volcanologist Juan Carlos Carracedo suggested that an eruption on El Hierro would “not be a major surprise”. He explained: “It is the youngest of the Canary Islands. There is a ball of magma which is rising to the surface and it is stationed at the limit of the earth’s crust. At the moment we do not know if that ball of magna will break the crust and cause an eruption.”
IGN Director, María José Blanco said that any eruption on El Hierro would most likely have a “low explosion value”. He added that an imminent eruption is unlikely.
Arctic ozone loss at record level
Ozone loss over the Arctic this year was so severe that for the first time it could be called an "ozone hole" like the Antarctic one, scientists report. About 20km (13 miles) above the ground, 80% of the ozone was lost, they say. The cause was an unusually long spell of cold weather at altitude. In cold conditions, the chlorine chemicals that destroy ozone are at their most active. It is currently impossible to predict if such losses will occur again, the team writes in the journal Nature.
GE warns nuclear reactors could struggle in earthquake
A manufacturer of dozens of boiling water nuclear reactors in the country, including many on the East Coast, warned the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year and reiterated last week that earthquakes could hinder its reactors from shutting down. GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which manufactured the boiling water reactors at Oyster Creek, Hope Creek and two plants in Pennsylvania...
Could cyber attackers cut off the power grid? The U.S. says new 'connected' equipment is at risk - and 'there have been intrusions'
Utilities such as water supplies and the power grid face a rising number of cyber break-ins by attackers using sophisticated attacks. Acting DHS Deputy Undersecretary Greg Schaffer said that industries are increasingly vulnerable to hackers and foreign agents due to 'connected' equipment
Obama to Keynote Event of Gay Group That Promotes LGBT Curriculum in Elementary Schools
(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama will speak on Saturday at the Human Right Campaign’s (HRC) annual dinner in Washington, D.C. – the HRC is a pro-homosexual lobbying group that, among things, is promoting a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-inclusive curricula for children in elementary school.
The HRC Web site states that the organization works for “equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.” These efforts include the “Welcoming Schools” program, which outlines how U.S. public schools should adopt policies to be LGBT inclusive, starting in elementary school.
The HRC’s description of “What Welcoming Schools Offer” states, in part, the following:
“Curriculum must be LGBT inclusive starting in elementary school for the following reasons:
“Students learn more effectively when they see themselves reflected in the curriculum
“Pressure to conform to gender roles can limit social and academic development
“Name-calling and bullying have a negative impact on academic outcomes.
“From children's first years in school, when classes often take ‘the family’ as their curricular focus, right through high school, there are many moments when LGBT issues are appropriate and relevant to the curriculum. For example, lesbian and gay authors and historical figures can be included in English and history classes; and the LGBT movement, itself, can be germane to civics and social studies courses. Students stand to gain significant advantages in those schools that have LGBT inclusive curriculum.”
The HRC Web site states that the organization works for “equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.” These efforts include the “Welcoming Schools” program, which outlines how U.S. public schools should adopt policies to be LGBT inclusive, starting in elementary school.
The HRC’s description of “What Welcoming Schools Offer” states, in part, the following:
“Curriculum must be LGBT inclusive starting in elementary school for the following reasons:
“Students learn more effectively when they see themselves reflected in the curriculum
“Pressure to conform to gender roles can limit social and academic development
“Name-calling and bullying have a negative impact on academic outcomes.
“From children's first years in school, when classes often take ‘the family’ as their curricular focus, right through high school, there are many moments when LGBT issues are appropriate and relevant to the curriculum. For example, lesbian and gay authors and historical figures can be included in English and history classes; and the LGBT movement, itself, can be germane to civics and social studies courses. Students stand to gain significant advantages in those schools that have LGBT inclusive curriculum.”
Ahmadinejad offers 'simple' solution for Palestine
Iranian president says Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be resolved if 'everyone goes home'; Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Any plan which would divide Palestine is unacceptable'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday proposed a "simple solution" to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict under which "everyone should go home."
"If the backers of the Zionist regime want to solve the issue... the solution is simple ... everyone should go home," he told an international conference, as the United Nations mulls a Palestinian statehood bid.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday proposed a "simple solution" to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict under which "everyone should go home."
"If the backers of the Zionist regime want to solve the issue... the solution is simple ... everyone should go home," he told an international conference, as the United Nations mulls a Palestinian statehood bid.
Israel officially accepts Quartet proposal
PM's office announces Israel accepts call to resume peace talks with no preconditions, notes reservations will be raised during negotiations
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accepted the Quartet's proposal for the resumption of peace negotiations and a final status agreement within one year. Netanyahu made the decision after meeting with the eight-minister forum.
A statement by the Prime Minister's Office said: "Israel welcomes the Quartet's call to hold direct talks with no preconditions with the Palestinian Authority as previously proposed by US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Though Israel has a number of reservations which it will raise during negotiations, it calls on the PA to do the same and enter into direct talks without delay."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accepted the Quartet's proposal for the resumption of peace negotiations and a final status agreement within one year. Netanyahu made the decision after meeting with the eight-minister forum.
A statement by the Prime Minister's Office said: "Israel welcomes the Quartet's call to hold direct talks with no preconditions with the Palestinian Authority as previously proposed by US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Though Israel has a number of reservations which it will raise during negotiations, it calls on the PA to do the same and enter into direct talks without delay."
Panetta arrives in Israel for meetings with PM, Barak
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Israel Monday morning, where he was set to hold meetings with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to discuss bilateral defense relations as well as major security issues. Aboard a military aircraft Sunday, the defense secretary warned that Israel was becoming increasingly isolated in the Middle East but said US security commitments should enable it to take "risks for peace." Panetta's trip was his first to Israel since becoming Pentagon chief...
165,000 Russians Sought U.S. Green Card
More than 165,000 Russians participated in the United States' 2013 green-card lottery and 2,353 won, RIA-Novosti reported, citing U.S. State Department official David Donahue.
But winners are not guaranteed an immigration visa — which allows a foreigner to live and work in the United States, Donahue said Wednesday. That comes after another selection round that 43 percent of Russian winners did not make it through two years ago, the last year for which data is available.
Also, those fortunate enough to get immigration visas could have a harder time getting travel visas in the future, he said. "It all depends on each concrete case."
This year's number is slightly below 2012's tally of 2,464 Russian winners, but well above 2011's 1,912, Itar-Tass reported.
Last year, 14.8 million people worldwide applied for just 50,000 immigration visas.
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/165000-russians-sought-us-green-card/444575.html#ixzz1Zl3vcpmm
The Moscow Times
But winners are not guaranteed an immigration visa — which allows a foreigner to live and work in the United States, Donahue said Wednesday. That comes after another selection round that 43 percent of Russian winners did not make it through two years ago, the last year for which data is available.
Also, those fortunate enough to get immigration visas could have a harder time getting travel visas in the future, he said. "It all depends on each concrete case."
This year's number is slightly below 2012's tally of 2,464 Russian winners, but well above 2011's 1,912, Itar-Tass reported.
Last year, 14.8 million people worldwide applied for just 50,000 immigration visas.
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/165000-russians-sought-us-green-card/444575.html#ixzz1Zl3vcpmm
The Moscow Times
Protectionism beckons as leaders push world into Depression
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the savings mountain to rise yet further next year as the governments of Europe, Britain, and the US tighten belts, in unison, by up to 2pc of GDP. This is double the intensity of the last big synchronized squeeze in 1980. They will do so before the private sector is ready to grasp the baton, and without stimulus from the trade surplus states (Germany, China, Japan) to offset the contraction in demand. Put another way, there is a chronic lack of consumption in the world.
Federal Retirement Plans Cost Almost as Much as Social Security
Retirement programs for former federal workers — civilian and military — are growing so fast they now face a multitrillion-dollar shortfall nearly as big as Social Security's, a USA TODAY analysis shows. The federal government hasn't set aside money or created a revenue source similar to Social Security's payroll tax to help pay for the benefits, so the retirement costs must be paid every year through taxes and borrowing. The government paid a record $268 billion in pension and health benefits last year to 10 million former civil servants, military...
No Rise in Home Prices Until 2020: Bankers
Home prices are unlikely to recover before 2020 and mortgage defaults will persist for years, says a survey of bank risk managers out Friday. The survey conducted by the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association for FICO, found that 49 percent of respondents do not expect housing prices to rise back to 2007 levels for another nine years. Only 21 percent of respondents said they would. The findings, which authors called “a decidedly pessimistic outlook”, are a sharp reversal from cautious optimism the survey respondents...
Banking crisis set to trigger new credit crunch
Credit default swaps on lenders as far afield as China and Australia, countries that until recently seemed immune to the chaos, have doubled in the last two months to levels not seen since the financial crisis. In Europe, French and Belgian government officials are due to meet on Monday to discuss the crisis enveloping Dexia as speculation mounts about a possible break-up of the Franco-Belgian lender. Last week, the cost of insuring Dexia bonds hit an all-time high of 900 basis points, nearly double the level just two months ago
$44-billion to be spent on ‘Operation Twist’ in October
The Federal Reserve will purchase US$44-billion of longer-maturity Treasuries and sell the same amount of shorter-term debt in October under its monetary stimulus plan that’s become known as Operation Twist.
Purchases will begin Oct. 3 with the acquisition of $2.25-billion to $2.75-billion of Treasuries maturing between February 2036 and August 2041, according to a statement today from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the branch of the Federal Reserve System that implements monetary policy.
The Federal Open Market Committee said last week that it would replace $400-billion of short-term debt in its portfolio with longer-term Treasuries in an effort to further reduce borrowing costs and counter rising risks of a recession. Treasury 30-year bonds extended gains after today’s announcement.
“The most notable part of the Fed announcement is that they are emphasizing the purchases first as evidenced by the long bond purchases followed by 10-year debt purchases,” said Ian Lyngen, a government bond strategist at CRT Capital Group LLC in Stamford, Connecticut.
Yields on 30-year bonds fell 14 basis points, or 0.14 percentage point, to 2.91% at 2:31 p.m. in New York, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader prices. The 3.75% securities due in August 2041 increased 3 2/32, or $30.63 per $1,000 face amount, to 116 20/32.
Long-Bond Rally
After the Fed announced Operation Twist on Sept. 21, the yields dropped 41 basis points last week in the biggest five-day decrease in almost three years. Thirty-year yields have tumbled 140 basis points over the past three months, the biggest quarterly reduction since the period ended December 2008.
The Fed will buy Treasury securities 13 times a month and sell its holdings of U.S. government debt six times, the New York Fed said on Sept. 26. The Fed will sell $8-billion to $9-billion of nominal Treasuries five times a month per operation and $1-billion to $1.5-billion of TIPS, in one operation. The Fed will buy Treasuries 12 times a month and TIPS once a month.
The Fed also announced last week that it would switch the reinvestment of its holdings of maturing housing debt to mortgage-backed securities from Treasuries. The New York Fed said this week it plans to buy $10-billion of agency mortgage- backed securities between Oct. 3 and Oct. 13.
Purchases will begin Oct. 3 with the acquisition of $2.25-billion to $2.75-billion of Treasuries maturing between February 2036 and August 2041, according to a statement today from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the branch of the Federal Reserve System that implements monetary policy.
The Federal Open Market Committee said last week that it would replace $400-billion of short-term debt in its portfolio with longer-term Treasuries in an effort to further reduce borrowing costs and counter rising risks of a recession. Treasury 30-year bonds extended gains after today’s announcement.
“The most notable part of the Fed announcement is that they are emphasizing the purchases first as evidenced by the long bond purchases followed by 10-year debt purchases,” said Ian Lyngen, a government bond strategist at CRT Capital Group LLC in Stamford, Connecticut.
Yields on 30-year bonds fell 14 basis points, or 0.14 percentage point, to 2.91% at 2:31 p.m. in New York, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader prices. The 3.75% securities due in August 2041 increased 3 2/32, or $30.63 per $1,000 face amount, to 116 20/32.
Long-Bond Rally
After the Fed announced Operation Twist on Sept. 21, the yields dropped 41 basis points last week in the biggest five-day decrease in almost three years. Thirty-year yields have tumbled 140 basis points over the past three months, the biggest quarterly reduction since the period ended December 2008.
The Fed will buy Treasury securities 13 times a month and sell its holdings of U.S. government debt six times, the New York Fed said on Sept. 26. The Fed will sell $8-billion to $9-billion of nominal Treasuries five times a month per operation and $1-billion to $1.5-billion of TIPS, in one operation. The Fed will buy Treasuries 12 times a month and TIPS once a month.
The Fed also announced last week that it would switch the reinvestment of its holdings of maturing housing debt to mortgage-backed securities from Treasuries. The New York Fed said this week it plans to buy $10-billion of agency mortgage- backed securities between Oct. 3 and Oct. 13.
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To Kosher Strangers Scattered Brethren
This news break & Ministry insights are brought to you by the Love of the Brethren Sojourners, Temple Knight & it's elder J.Blair in Jesus Christ Love.
To all pilgrims in dispersion, to the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father, in sanctification of the spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
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Delegates to the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Thursday (May 23) approved new me...
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Authorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of t...
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During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing today, Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., grilled outgoing IRS commissioner Steven Miller about the ...