Judge Eugene Hyman, recognized around the world as an expert on ending domestic abuse and juvenile crime, was the final guest of 2009 on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network.
The key, he says, is having court officials better trained and working together to address issues of crime and violence that can tear families apart. Hyman took a look at the high-profile celebrity domestic abuses cases (Brown, Woods and Sheen) and spoke about how domestic violence between adults adversely affects the children in the household as well.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Parco PI Coming To Paltalk
Vinny Parco, of the internationally syndicated reality TV show Parco PI, comes to Paltalk.com Tuesdays at 8 PM New York time starting January 12, 2010.
Call To Free Liu Xiaobo
The PEN American Center, which fights for the rights of writers internationally against censorship, held a demonstration outside New York City's Main Library to protest the 11-year sentence handed in China to Liu Xiaobo for "inciting subversion of state power" in his writings there.
No Influex Of Airport Body Scanners In Immediate Future
Following the Christmas Day terrorist attempt aboard an Amsterdam to Detroit Northwest Airlines flight, the Dutch government announced it would be putting body scanners in for the screening of all air passengers.
Presumably the devices, which many in the United States had previously opposed on the grounds that they were too intrusive and anatomically revealing would have detected chemicals that the alleged terrorist had hidden in his underwear. But don't expect the United States to follow suit.
There is no budget for such an immediate purchase of scanners. Forty are in place in the U.S. Officials say they could increase that number - but only to about 150 - and then not until summer.
The Dutch plan to have all of theirs in place in some three weeks.
Presumably the devices, which many in the United States had previously opposed on the grounds that they were too intrusive and anatomically revealing would have detected chemicals that the alleged terrorist had hidden in his underwear. But don't expect the United States to follow suit.
There is no budget for such an immediate purchase of scanners. Forty are in place in the U.S. Officials say they could increase that number - but only to about 150 - and then not until summer.
The Dutch plan to have all of theirs in place in some three weeks.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Bloggers Who Posted New TSA Security Regulations Subpoenaed
Two bloggers who, within minutes of one another, posted new TSA security regulations that were issued to airlines by the TSA in the wake of the Christmas Day terrorism attempt have received civil subpoenas from the agency.
Officials want to know who leaked them what they claim to be a confidential document. But the bloggers say the regulations were sent to some 10,000 people internationally and shouldn't be considered confidential.
Officials want to know who leaked them what they claim to be a confidential document. But the bloggers say the regulations were sent to some 10,000 people internationally and shouldn't be considered confidential.
Pilots Group Says Feds Were Slow To Notify Of Christmas Day Terrorist Incident
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says that after the thwarted Christmas Day incident where a Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight approaching Detroit Metro Airport the system worked.
Other flights were notified of the incident so that the crews could be more vigilant.
But an airline pilots' group says, not so fast. In actual fact, they say, only inbound international flights were quickly informed of the attempt to light an incendiary device and blow a hole in the side of the plane. Crews of hundreds of other flights in the air - and others preparing for take off - never got the official word of the threat.
Remember, four planes were hijacked on September 11, 2001. And there was no way to know in the early moments of the Christmas Day incident whether other planes might be targeted as well.
The Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, says in a letter to its members that "some pilots were left out of the loop" after the incident occurred.
Yet another factor that needs to be addressed by the government and the airlines alike.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/husseinabdallah/4219901961/
Deadly Day In Afghanistan
Today was a particularly deadly day in Afghanistan. Eight Americans, non-military personnel, believed to be CIA employees, were killed when a suicide bomber walked into their eastern Afghanistan compound and detonated a device strapped to his chest.
And five Canadians - four of them military, the fifth a journalist, were killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan.
"Today was a very difficult day for international personnel in Afghanistan, military and civilian," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"On behalf of NATO, I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Their sacrifice is part of a very necessary effort to help bring greater security to the entire international community."
And five Canadians - four of them military, the fifth a journalist, were killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan.
"Today was a very difficult day for international personnel in Afghanistan, military and civilian," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"On behalf of NATO, I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Their sacrifice is part of a very necessary effort to help bring greater security to the entire international community."
The Unsafe Skies
Pilot fired when he refused to fly unsafe plane
from Tampa International Airport
Most of the focus on aviation safety is, naturally, on the threat of terrorism in the wake of the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight as it approached Detroit Metro Airport. But Bloomberg is reporting that there may be a much larger concern for safety in the air than that.
The news service reports that some regional airlines who fly on behalf of some of the larger carriers are putting planes that are unsafe in the air. And its documented the case of one pilot who refused to fly an unsafe plane, only to be fired for it.
Government Bailouts Of Financial Institutions Not Over
For the third time, the federal government has bailed out GMAC. This time to the tune of $3.79 billion.
The government hopes that the bailout will make it possible for GMAC to lend out more money for cars and homes to help bolster the economy.
The government hopes that the bailout will make it possible for GMAC to lend out more money for cars and homes to help bolster the economy.
Government Knew Of Air Travel Vulnerabilities In September
President Obama has ordered a review of air travel vulnerabilities in the wake of the Christmas Day attempt to take down a Northwest Airlines flight.
But a review was just conducted - and the report - issued in September - showed that there were serious gaps.
The question shouldn't be "are there vulnerabilities?" It should be "what's been done about the vulnerabilities that have been known for months?"
But a review was just conducted - and the report - issued in September - showed that there were serious gaps.
The question shouldn't be "are there vulnerabilities?" It should be "what's been done about the vulnerabilities that have been known for months?"
Explosive Device Found Near Philadelphia ICE Office
An explosive device, described as a diesel filled Molotov cocktail, has been found near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Philadelphia's City Center.
Reportedly anti-Israeli books and a laptop computer were also discovered with the device which was "rendered safe" by the bomb squad.
Reportedly anti-Israeli books and a laptop computer were also discovered with the device which was "rendered safe" by the bomb squad.
8 Americans Killed By Suicide Bomber In Afghanistan
Latest update 7:16 PM New York time with new details about the target.
Eight Americans have been killed in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan.
Reportedly a man wearing a suicide vest blew himself up in the compound, which was initially reported as being associated with the U.S. Embassy but is now being reported as a CIA outpost.
Eight Americans have been killed in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan.
Reportedly a man wearing a suicide vest blew himself up in the compound, which was initially reported as being associated with the U.S. Embassy but is now being reported as a CIA outpost.
Afghanistan: 'Insurgents' Killed By NATO Troops Were Schoolchildren
The Afghan government is disputing a NATO report which said that 10 people killed by NATO troops were insurgents.
An investigation by the Afghan government concludes that the casualties were civilians - many of them schoolchildren - a senior adviser to Afghan president Hamid Karzai told the Associated Press.
An investigation by the Afghan government concludes that the casualties were civilians - many of them schoolchildren - a senior adviser to Afghan president Hamid Karzai told the Associated Press.
News Talk Online December 30, 2009: Another View Of Iran Topic On Paltalk
Iranian human rights activists Rostam Pourzal was the guest on today's News Talk online on the Paltalk News Network.Pourzal is on the board of the United States branch of the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran. Since he retired from business in 2001, Pourzal has worked full-time in Washington, DC as an independent researcher and organizer for human rights.
Pourzal visits Iran regularly and has served on the boards of several Iranian-American organizations. He has been interviewed on dozens of well-known broadcasts, including Pacifica Radio, CNN International, Aljazeera, and MSNBC. In 2004, he convinced the Fellowship of Reconciliation to send two goodwill delegations (three dozen American citizens) to Iran. The ground-breaking initiative was widely reported on BBC, CNN, and other world media.
He advocates direct and sustained dialog without pre-conditions between Iran and the United States.
Christmas Day Terror Plot May Not Have Been The First Attempt
The attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit using chemicals hidden in a syringe may not have been the first such effort.
The Associated Press is reporting that a Somalian national was arrested last month with a syringe and chemicals while attempting to board a flight from Mogadishu to Dubai with two stops in between.
African Union peacekeepers nabbed the man, who has not been identified, in what a spokesman is calling an attempted act of terrorism. It is not known if he has any links to al Qaeda. The alleged attacker on the flight to Detroit, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has ties to al Qaeda, both the U.S. government and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have said.
The Associated Press is reporting that a Somalian national was arrested last month with a syringe and chemicals while attempting to board a flight from Mogadishu to Dubai with two stops in between.
African Union peacekeepers nabbed the man, who has not been identified, in what a spokesman is calling an attempted act of terrorism. It is not known if he has any links to al Qaeda. The alleged attacker on the flight to Detroit, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has ties to al Qaeda, both the U.S. government and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have said.
Sign The Iranian Regime May Topple
There is an ominous indicator that suggests that the leaders of Iran are fearful their regime may soon topple. A result of the increasingly brazen human rights movement that has taken - once again - to the streets.
Radio Netherlands is reporting that Ayatollah Khamenei's jet is on 24 hour standby to shepherd the Iranian leadership from that nation to Russia should they lose their iron-fisted grip.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/3645676914/
Fox Is Cable News King
As CNN and MSNBC's ratings continue to erode, correspondingly, the Fox News Channel's ratings keep climbing - thanks in large part to its taking on President Obama.
CNN and MSNBC are adjusting their lineups in an attempt to recover some of their lost viewership.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelkuhnphotos/4175282593/
Best Job Growth Opportunities In New Decade
Growth sector
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting what job sectors will show the greatest growth in the next decade.
Among the careers you might consider based on the statistics are management of scientific and technical consulting services, physicians assistants, computer systems design and related services and employment services.
Big job increases are also predicted in government, home health care, elder care and nursing.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/30963112@N02/4083393337/
Security Is Being Tightened At U.S. Airports But What About In Other Countries?
Wants to close international gaps in airport screening
It's almost like a scene out of Alice In Wonderland.
A Nigerian national allegedly tries to blow up a plane on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day and new security measures are put into place at U.S. airports. But the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, didn't get on the plane at a U.S. airport.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) correctly points out that, while security has been enhanced on all flights by U.S. carriers, domestic or international, and while new screening procedures have been put into place at all U.S. airports, there's no telling how good the procedures are at foreign airports where passengers board planes heading for the United States.
That potential gap in security, Schumer argues, needs to be closed. He wants all airports where flights originate for the United States to adopt the same procedures in place at U.S. airports.
His call underscores the frustration in trying to thwart terrorist attacks against airliners. One nation can put in excellent screening procedures. But there's no guarantee that the screeners - or the screening process - will be as vigilant or thorough - in other countries.
Yemen Officials Had Warned U.S. Of Possible Attack
More information has surfaced about how the system failed to prevent the attempted attack on a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day.
The New York Times is reporting that officials in Yemen had warned U.S. officials that a Nigerian national was being prepared by al Qaeda in that nation for an attack.
The information is particularly disturbing in light of the fact that the alleged terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had raised other red flags. Which, in combination, should have prevented him from every getting on the Northwest Airlines Flight.
He had been denied entry into the United Kingdom - a fact that should have been shared with United States officials and should have led to a similar decision by them.
He had been in Yemen.
He is Nigerian.
He purchased a $3,000 one-way ticket to the United States in cash.
He had no checked luggage.
His father, who had been a prominent Nigerian banker, was so concerned about his son's Islamic radicalization that he visited the U.S. Embassy in Lagos and reported his worries to the CIA.
In light of this, and other aspects of the incident that have surfaced, President Obama told the nation there was a "systemic failure" in security that allowed for the failed attempt to occur.
Obama Admits Failures In Preventing Christmas Day Terror Attempt
It was an "unacceptable systemic failure" that allowed a Nigerian man to allegedly attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam as it was on final approach to Detroit Metro Airport on Christmas Day.
That's the assessment of President Obama in his second message in as many days to the nation about the incident.
The White House also says they've confirmed a link between the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, an al Qaeda.
That's the assessment of President Obama in his second message in as many days to the nation about the incident.
The White House also says they've confirmed a link between the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, an al Qaeda.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
News Talk Online December 29, 2009: Cops Attack Demonstrators In Iran, The Latest On The Northwest Airlines Terror Probe And End Of The Year Movies
Incidents of the police attacking demonstrators in Iran, including the running over of a protester by a police truck, were discussed on today's News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network.
We also looked at the latest in the investigation into the Christmas Day terrorist attempt. And we finished off the show with a chat with movie critic Dr. Rus Jeffrey about his favorite holiday films.
We also looked at the latest in the investigation into the Christmas Day terrorist attempt. And we finished off the show with a chat with movie critic Dr. Rus Jeffrey about his favorite holiday films.
Investigation Into Alleged Northwest Airlines Terrorist Leads To Dubai
Dubai is the scene of part of the probe into the background of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian national who allegedly attempted to blow a hole in the side of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam as it approached Detroit Metro Airport on Christmas Day.
Abdulmutallab had attended a prestigious Australian university in Dubai but left for no apparent reason in July.
Authorities there are looking into his known associations in an attempt to get a better handle on what led up to his attempting to set off an incendiary device on the plane.
Abdulmutallab had attended a prestigious Australian university in Dubai but left for no apparent reason in July.
Authorities there are looking into his known associations in an attempt to get a better handle on what led up to his attempting to set off an incendiary device on the plane.
New Video From Iran Shows Police Truck Running Over A Citizen
Caution. This video contains disturbing images.
If this happened anywhere else in the world it would spark international outrage.
Police vehicles running over a citizen in the street.
If this happened anywhere else in the world it would spark international outrage.
Police vehicles running over a citizen in the street.
New Video From Iran Shows Police Attacking Peaceful Demonstrators
They were peacefully walking in the street, chanting phrases, when police fired tear gas and attacked, causing the demonstrators to turn and run in panic.
Forget Afghanistan. The Real Threat May Be Centered In Yemen
By GARY BAUMGARTEN
Paltalk News Network
The military and intelligence communities, of course, were well aware of this for a long time. But it escaped the radar of the general public. Until now.
That all changed on Christmas Day when a Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, allegedly on orders from al Qaeda in Yemen tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight as it approached Detroit Metro Airport.
Since then, the focus has been on what went wrong with security and what's being done now and what should be done in the future.
But there's been some - vital - discourse about Yemen.
One story, in a British tabloid, screams that the suspect, Abdulmutallab, told the FBI that there are 25 Yemen-trained British-born Muslims also prepared to attack Western aircraft.
There are new reports about Guantanamo Bay detainees being sent to Saudi Arabia who then made their way to Yemen for training and orders to carry out Jihad against the West.
And now, the foreign minister of Yemen says that there are hundreds - hundreds! - of militants - trained in his country - planning attacks on the West. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi is appealing for more international help in mitigating that threat. There have been attacks on Yemen militant bases - and casualties inflicted upon their leadership. But the intelligence about the success of those attacks is still coming in. Hopefully the bomb maker who allegedly retrofitted Abdulmutallab is among the dead. Hopefully.
The good news here is that the Yemen government really wants to root this evil out from its nation. So there's hope. But for those of us who have become complacent about the threat of terrorism as the years since the September 11, 2001 attack pass - the Christmas Day attempt, and al-Qiribi's warning - should be a wake up call.
No longer can we pretend that the threat of terrorism doesn't exist. No longer can it be off the public's radar.
Paltalk News Network
The military and intelligence communities, of course, were well aware of this for a long time. But it escaped the radar of the general public. Until now.
That all changed on Christmas Day when a Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, allegedly on orders from al Qaeda in Yemen tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight as it approached Detroit Metro Airport.
Since then, the focus has been on what went wrong with security and what's being done now and what should be done in the future.
But there's been some - vital - discourse about Yemen.
One story, in a British tabloid, screams that the suspect, Abdulmutallab, told the FBI that there are 25 Yemen-trained British-born Muslims also prepared to attack Western aircraft.
There are new reports about Guantanamo Bay detainees being sent to Saudi Arabia who then made their way to Yemen for training and orders to carry out Jihad against the West.
And now, the foreign minister of Yemen says that there are hundreds - hundreds! - of militants - trained in his country - planning attacks on the West. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi is appealing for more international help in mitigating that threat. There have been attacks on Yemen militant bases - and casualties inflicted upon their leadership. But the intelligence about the success of those attacks is still coming in. Hopefully the bomb maker who allegedly retrofitted Abdulmutallab is among the dead. Hopefully.
The good news here is that the Yemen government really wants to root this evil out from its nation. So there's hope. But for those of us who have become complacent about the threat of terrorism as the years since the September 11, 2001 attack pass - the Christmas Day attempt, and al-Qiribi's warning - should be a wake up call.
No longer can we pretend that the threat of terrorism doesn't exist. No longer can it be off the public's radar.
Mentally Ill Man Executed In China
Akmal Shaikh, the British citizen who was convicted of smuggling narcotics into China, was executed today, over the objections of family, friends and the British government.
Shaikh was suffering from mental illness and should not - the British government argued - have been put to death.
Fordham law professor Deborah Denno is unsurprised that China went ahead with the execution despite the public plea from the British government.
"The execution of Akmal Shaikh is yet another instance of China's extreme stance on the death penalty as well as the country's isolation and secrecy on how the punishment is carried out," Denno, an expert on death penalty and lethal injection, said.
"China does not appear to be sufficiently concerned about how this execution will be viewed internationally although how other countries (such as England) respond could possibly affect how China handles such matters in the future."
The Perils Of Reporting In Mexico
The Los Angeles Times reports today that a dozen journalists have been killed in Mexico trying to report on the drug wars and corruption in the United States' neighbor to the south.
The story shows how many reporters - in fear for their very lives - are pulling punches in their coverage. They can't - the article suggests - report what everyone already knows. That public corruption and drug trafficking go hand-in-hand in Mexico.
The story shows how many reporters - in fear for their very lives - are pulling punches in their coverage. They can't - the article suggests - report what everyone already knows. That public corruption and drug trafficking go hand-in-hand in Mexico.
SPJ Blasts NBC For 'Checkbook Journalism'
The Society of Professional Journalists' Ethics Committee is criticizing NBC News for providing the plane that carried David Goldman and his son, Sean, back to the United States following a high-profile custody battle.
The SPJ says that it is "appalled" that NBC News "breached widely accepted ethical journalism guidelines."
NBC conducted an exclusive interview with David Goldman during the flight it financed and another exclusive interview once the Goldmans returned to the United States.
In a statement, the SPJ calls what NBC did a case of "checkbook journalism."
The SPJ Code of Ethics urges journalists to act independently by avoiding bidding for news and by avoiding conflicts of interest.
"By making itself part of a breaking news story on which it was reporting — apparently to cash in on the exclusivity assured by its expensive gesture — NBC jeopardized its journalistic independence and credibility in its initial and subsequent reports," the SPJ says in a statement. "In effect, the network branded the story as its own, creating a corporate and promotional interest in the way the story unfolds. NBC's ability to report the story fairly has been compromised by its financial involvement."
"The public could rightly assume that NBC News bought exclusive interviews and images, as well as the family's loyalty, with an extravagant gift," Ethics Committee Chairman Andy Schotz said.
But in a statement issued to Multichannel News, NBC denies it paid for the interview.
"The Goldmans were invited on a jet NBC News chartered to fly home to the U.S. on Thursday, Dec. 24," the network said.
"NBC News has not and will not pay for an interview."
The SPJ says that it is "appalled" that NBC News "breached widely accepted ethical journalism guidelines."
NBC conducted an exclusive interview with David Goldman during the flight it financed and another exclusive interview once the Goldmans returned to the United States.
In a statement, the SPJ calls what NBC did a case of "checkbook journalism."
The SPJ Code of Ethics urges journalists to act independently by avoiding bidding for news and by avoiding conflicts of interest.
"By making itself part of a breaking news story on which it was reporting — apparently to cash in on the exclusivity assured by its expensive gesture — NBC jeopardized its journalistic independence and credibility in its initial and subsequent reports," the SPJ says in a statement. "In effect, the network branded the story as its own, creating a corporate and promotional interest in the way the story unfolds. NBC's ability to report the story fairly has been compromised by its financial involvement."
"The public could rightly assume that NBC News bought exclusive interviews and images, as well as the family's loyalty, with an extravagant gift," Ethics Committee Chairman Andy Schotz said.
But in a statement issued to Multichannel News, NBC denies it paid for the interview.
"The Goldmans were invited on a jet NBC News chartered to fly home to the U.S. on Thursday, Dec. 24," the network said.
"NBC News has not and will not pay for an interview."
Ice Could Disappear From The Arctic
There is increased evidence that the Arctic could face seasonally ice-free conditions and much warmer temperatures in the future.
Scientists documented evidence that the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas were too warm to support summer sea ice during the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.3 to 3 million years ago). This period is characterized by warm temperatures similar to those projected for the end of this century, and is used as an analog to understand future conditions.
The U.S. Geological Survey found that summer sea-surface temperatures in the Arctic were between 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F) during the mid-Pliocene, while current temperatures are around or below 0°C (32°F).
Examining past climate conditions allows for a true understanding of how Earth’s climate system really functions. USGS research on the mid-Pliocene is the most comprehensive global reconstruction for any warm period. This will help refine climate models, which currently underestimate the rate of sea ice loss in the Arctic.
Loss of sea ice could have varied and extensive consequences, such as contributions to continued Arctic warming, accelerated coastal erosion due to increased wave activity, impacts to large predators (polar bears and seals) that depend on sea ice cover, intensified mid-latitude storm tracks and increased winter precipitation in western and southern Europe and less rainfall in the American west.
“In looking back 3 million years, we see a very different pattern of heat distribution than today with much warmer waters in the high latitudes,” said USGS scientist Marci Robinson. “The lack of summer sea ice during the mid-Pliocene suggests that the record-setting melting of Arctic sea ice over the past few years could be an early warning of more significant changes to come.”
Global average surface temperatures during the mid-Pliocene were about 3°C (5.5°F) greater than today and within the range projected for the 21st century by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Scientists studied conditions during the mid-Pliocene by analyzing fossils dated back to this time period. The USGS led this research through the Pliocene Research, Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping group. The primary collaborators in PRISM are Columbia University, Brown University, University of Leeds, University of Bristol, the British Geological Survey and the British Antarctic Survey.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/wili/233611013/
Should Full Body Scans Become The Norm At Airports Now?
There are only 40 full body scanners in place at airports across the United States.
Perhaps the reason: civil liberties concerns. Many people oppose the full body scans because they are too obtrusive. Simply put, the person doing the screening can see - anatomically - everything under a passenger's clothes.
But in the case of the attempted Christmas bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit - it's possible the powdered chemicals allegedly carried by suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab could have been detected by a full body scan.
The chemicals, which failed to detonate, were allegedly sewn to his underwear. Let's face it. Not many passengers - who already feel inconvenienced over having to take their shoes off while going through the screening process - are going to be comfortable with a full body pat or a strip search.
Perhaps, in light of the Christmas Day scare, the electronic body scanners will be viewed now with greater appreciation.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/publik16/2904857669/
Is Regime Change In Iran's Future?
By GARY BAUMGARTEN
Paltalk News Network
The recent images coming from Iran show a more defiant Green Movement. No longer are the dissidents passively protesting, but they are fighting back - setting fires, turning official vehicles, freeing fellow demonstrators who have been arrested and even beating police officers and militiamen.
In a change in strategy, the Iranian government is more openly reporting on the clashes - perhaps to show that they are becoming more violent in an attempt to discredit the movement.
Both sides have reported fatalities among the demonstrators - though the government has denied that their police officers have been responsible for them.
Now the United States is gearing up to push for more sanctions in the New Year over Tehran's refusal to live up to its promise to send its enriched uranium to Russia. And the White House, which has previously taken a frustratingly cautious approach to its public pronouncements, is showing greater support for the opposition in its pronouncements - urging the Iranian government to use restraint.
Former U.S. UN Ambassador John Bolten has been giving interview in which he says this is not the time for timidity by the Obama administration - this is the time to push for regime change.
Other ex-patriot Iranian observers agree that the climate is right for regime change. Of course, that doesn't account for the fact that - unlike the government - the movement isn't armed. A full resurrection would likely result in far more casualties to the unarmed civilians who have taken to the streets.
Still, there is a perceptible change in the atmosphere in Iran. The people have had it with human rights violations. They've had it with militia on motor scooters beating people in the streets or - worse - shooting them. They've had it with hospitals being ordered to turn away those who come in with broken bones following street confrontations. They've had it with public hangings. And they've had it with moral police arresting people who don't act in accordance with their prescribed religious codes of conduct.
The so-called revolutionary regime is in trouble. Some of the same tactics that it used to overthrow the Shah are being used by their own opponents.
The times, in Iran, are a changing. But what will come next is still unclear.
Monday, December 28, 2009
News Talk Online December 28, 2009: Obama Assures Nation In Wake Of Terrorist Attempt On Northwest Flight
Latest update: 4:13 PM New York time.
President Obama assured the American people today that all is being done to protect the flying public against terrorist attacks.
His address to the nation follows the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
Obama says he has directed that "immediate steps" be taken to assure the safety of the flying public - enhancing security of domestic and international flights.
The president also ordered a review of the watch list system - because questions have been raised about why the suspect in the attempt on the Northwest flight was on a watch list but not on a no-fly list.
It's still not known whether he was working aloine, but al Qaeda in the Arabian Penninsula is claiming responsibility for the attempted terrorist attack.
A Newport, Michigan passenger on the flight tells a Michigan news site that he saw suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab being escorted to the plane in Amsterdam by a "well dressed" man - circumventing passport control.
Whether the passenger's impressions are true or not - questions about Abdulmatallab's ties to organized terrorism are surfacing. One report, in the British newspaper The Sun, suggests that there is reason for concern.
The tabloid is reporting that Abdulmatallab has told FBI agents that 25 more people - British-born Muslims - are part of a Yemen-based terrorist network that's bent on bombing Western planes.
A court hearing to determine whether DNA can be taken from the suspect - originally scheduled for today - has been postponed.
The hearing will now be held on January 8. No reason for the delay was given.
Yesterday, there was another scare in the air. A passenger spending too much time in the bathroom on another Northwest Airlines flight from the Netherlands to Detroit resulted in an alert and the plane being greeted by law enforcement personnel after it landed at Detroit Metro Airport. This incident occurred just two days after a man attempted to destroy an Amsterdam to Detroit Northwest flight as it descended toward the same airport.
But the investigation revealed that the man was in the bathroom for a long period of time because he had become ill on the plane.
The incident raised alarms because it was the same flight that was targeted on Christmas Day.
"A passenger on today's Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit spent an unusually long time in the aircraft lavatory. Due to this unusual behavior, the airline notified TSA and the agency directed the flight to taxi to a remote area upon landing to be met by law enforcement and DHS," said Homeland Security spokeswoman Sara Kuban.
The passenger, a Nigerian national, was removed from the flight and interviewed by the FBI.
"Indications at this time are that the individual's behavior is due to legitimate illness, and no other suspicious behavior or materials have been found<" Kubin said.
In spite of the determination, Kubin said that "in an abundance of caution" the aircraft was fully screened,and all baggage was re-screened before the aircraft was permitted to , finally, taxi to the gate.
President Obama has ordered a review of airport screening in the wake of the Christmas Day attempted destruction of that plane by an incendiary device.
Congressional hearings will be held next month into safety and security surrounding air travel in the United States in the wake of a Christmas Day attempt to set off an incendiary device on a Northwest Airline flight.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is promising the hearings.
"The White House has reached out to me and I have been in touch with other appropriate authorities about the incident that occurred on Northwest-Delta Airlines flight #253 to Detroit," Rockefeller said.
"Any terrorist attempt on our citizens is extremely serious. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold hearings in January to look in to this incident and related security matters."
Meanwhile, the Sunday Times of London is reporting that the suspect who allegedly tried to set off the incendiary device had been denied a visa to re-enter Britain.
Abdulmutallab, 23, a Nigerian national and the son of a prominent banker in that nation who had graduated from University College of London had applied to return to the UK to resume studies at a non-existent college leading to the denial.
Abultmutallab's father reportedly called the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria to report his concerns about his son. But, apparently, that warning fell on deaf ears.
Abdulmutallab was charged in his hospital bed in Ann Arbor Michigan Saturday with attempting to destroy the flight.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Abdulmutallab boarded Northwest Flight 253 in Amsterdam, Netherlands on December 24 with a device attached to his body. As the flight was approaching Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Abdulmutallab set off the device, which resulted in a fire and what appears to have been an explosion. Abdulmutallab was then subdued and restrained by the passengers and flight crew. The airplane then safely landed shortly thereafter, and he was taken into custody by Customs and Border Patrol officers.
A preliminary FBI analysis found that the device contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol, a high explosive. Further analysis is ongoing. In addition, FBI agents recovered what appear to be the remnants of the syringe from the vicinity of Abdulmutallab’s seat, believed to have been part of the device.
“This alleged attack on a U.S. airplane on Christmas Day shows that we must remain vigilant in the fight against terrorism at all times,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “Had this alleged plot to destroy an airplane been successful, scores of innocent people would have been killed or injured. We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously, and we will use all measures available to our government to ensure that anyone responsible for this attempted attack is brought to justice
Abdulmutallab required medical treatment and was transported to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.
Interviews of all of the passengers and crew of Flight 253 revealed that prior to the incident, Abdulmutallab went to the bathroom for approximately 20 minutes, according to the affidavit. After he returned to his seat, Abdulmutallab stated that his stomach was upset, and he pulled a blanket over himself. Passengers then heard popping noises similar to firecrackers, smelled an odor, and some observed Abdulmutallab’s pants leg and the wall of the airplane on fire. Passengers and crew then subdued Abdulmutallab and used blankets and fire extinguishers to put out the flames. Passengers reported that Abdulmutallab was calm and lucid throughout. One flight attendant asked him what he had had in his pocket, and he replied “explosive device.”
A controversial Muslim civil rights group is calling for "swift justice" in the case.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations told the Detroit Free Press that he was grateful the alleged bomber did not succeed in his attack.
“Swift justice for the alleged perpetrator is the best way to deter future attacks,” said Walid. “We also need to know why the warnings of the alleged bomber’s father were not acted on to possibly prevent this incident from occurring.”
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano thanked the passengers who stepped in and possibly averted tragedy in the skies over Michigan.
"I am grateful to the passengers and crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 who reacted quickly and heroically to an incident that could have had tragic results," Napolitano said.
"The Department of Homeland Security immediately put additional screening measures into place for all domestic and international flights to ensure the continued safety of the traveling public. We are also working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement on additional security measures, as well as our international partners on enhanced security at airports and on flights."
But the incident - and the Homeland Security Department's reaction - raise even more questions about the ability to detect new forms of terrorism directed toward airplanes. Questions are also being raised about how the increased security measures really better protect - while further inconveniencing - the flying public.
Abdulmutallab was burned in the incident and was taken to a hospital following his arrest on the plane after it landed. Police in England are assisting in the investigation.
Abdulmutallab reportedly hid the chemicals that he was allegedly going to use to set off the device in a syringe. He allegedly procured them in Yemen - perhaps under orders from al Qaeda.
Earlier it was reported that Abdulmutallab was known to counter-terrorism officials. But it was later reported that - while his name had surfaced in connection with some investigation or investigations - he was not on any "watch list" that would have prompted additional airport screening. Nor was he on a "no-fly" list.
While there are some new answers today about yesterday's incident, there are still more questions.
Do airport security personnel have the capability to detect incendiary devices and - if they do - is it feasable or even possible to check every person and every piece of carried on baggage for them?
Are there disparities between security checks in the United States and those at other airports? How does the increased security we're seeing today in the United States deter this kind of a terrorist attempt on other international flights destined here?
Is it time to follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers? Paltalk News Network security analyst Gary Moskowitz has long argued that random checks of passengers only serves as window dressing. That the United States should follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers - so that those who are identified as more likely to be terrorists go through special additional screening.
What actual ties does Abdulmutallab have to al Qaeda? He reportedly has claimed that he is associated with the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Was this a dry-run for another series of coordinated attacks like those? Or was this a singular attempt that - like that of the shoe bomber - failed and may never be attempted again?
CAIR - the Muslim group that is calling for "swift justice" - is also opposing passenger profiling.
“While everyone supports robust airline security measures, racial and religious profiling are in fact counterproductive and can lead to a climate of insecurity and fear,” said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.
Napolitano urged Americans to not cancel nor change their holiday travel plans, but said that, "as always," they should be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials.
"Passengers flying from international locations to U.S. destinations may notice additional security measures in place," she said. "These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere. Due to the busy holiday travel season, both domestic and international travelers should allot extra time for check-in."
There were longer lines than usual at Detroit Metro Airport - the destination of NW 253 (the plane has Delta markings because Northwest Airlines has been purchased by Delta). Secondary screenings were also reported by domestic airline passengers in other U.S. airports today.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
New Violent Clashes In Iran
Some protesters are starting to fight back against security forces in Iran.
This video apparently shows protesters beating a police officer or member of the hated militia - while other protesters try to come to his assistance.
It also shows trash being burned in the street. One view captures an image of a motor scooter in flames. The militia use scooters to ride after protesters and sometimes beat them.
The Times of London is reporting that four protesters may have been killed by police or security militia.
I was also provided extremely graphic video of people - presumably protesters - hanged in the street - a not uncommon occurrence in Iran, but we don't know when and where that video was taken. However, other protesters rushed their bodies in anger and anguish and it appeared that they were preparing to cut them down.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
IDF Says It Killed 3 Terrorists
Weapons seized by the IDF
Israeli Defense Forces say they killed three terrorists during a search in Nabulus for those responsible for the murder of a West Bank settler.
Meir Avshalom Hai, a resident of Shavei Shomeron, was killed by Palestinian gunfire while driving his vehicle.
The IDF says its special forces killed three terrorists responsible for Hai's killing. They identified the trio as Raed Surkajy, Assan Abu Sharach and Annan Tzubach. They say Tzubach was armed with a handgun and was hiding two M16 assault rifles, an additional handgun and ammunition.
The government identified Surkajy, 40, as a Nablus Fatah Tanzim terror operative who had previously been in custody. Prior to his arrest in 2002, Surkajy was a senior member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and was involved in multiple terror attacks, the IDF said. The IDF said Surkajy was also involved with the manufacturing of explosives and the establishment of an explosives-manufacturing laboratory in Nablus. He had been released from custody nearly 12 months ago.
The IDF says that Sharach, also 40, had also previously been imprisoned in Israel. He was the brother of Naif Abu Sharach, the former head of the Fatah Tanzim terrorist group in Nablus, who was responsible for planning multiple terror attacks until he was killed by during an IDF operation in 2004.
Tzubach, 36, a Shahad Al-Aqsa activist, was involved in widespread militant activities within the framework of the Nablus Fatah Tanzim, according to the IDF.
Napolitano Expresses Gratitute To Passengers Who Subdued Terror Suspect
By GARY BAUMGARTEN
Paltalk News Network
Quick action by passengers resulted in the successful thwarting of the lighting of an incendiary device on a Northwest Airlines Flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.
Today, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is thanking the passengers who stepped in and possibly averted tragedy in the skies over Michigan.
"I am grateful to the passengers and crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 who reacted quickly and heroically to an incident that could have had tragic results," Napolitano said.
"The Department of Homeland Security immediately put additional screening measures into place for all domestic and international flights to ensure the continued safety of the traveling public. We are also working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement on additional security measures, as well as our international partners on enhanced security at airports and on flights."
But the incident - and the Homeland Security Department's reaction - raise even more questions about the ability to detect new forms of terrorism directed toward airplanes. Questions are also being raised about how the increased security measures really better protect - while further inconveniencing - the flying public.
The suspect is identified as University of College of London engineering student and Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The 23-year-old was burned in the incident and was taken to a hospital following his arrest on the plane after it landed. Police in England are assisting in the investigation and have been searching the last place he was believed to have lived there.
Abdulmutallab reportedly hid the chemicals that he was allegedly going to use to set off the device in a syringe. He allegedly procured them in Yemen - perhaps under orders from al Qaeda.
Earlier it was reported that Abdulmutallab was known to counter-terrorism officials. But it was later reported that - while his name had surfaced in connection with some investigation or investigations - he was not on any "watch list" that would have prompted additional airport screening. Nor was he on a "no-fly" list.
While there are some new answers today about yesterday's incident, there are still more questions.
Do airport security personnel have the capability to detect incendiary devices and - if they do - is it feasable or even possible to check every person and every piece of carried on baggage for them?
Are there disparities between security checks in the United States and those at other airports? How does the increased security we're seeing today in the United States deter this kind of a terrorist attempt on other international flights destined here?
Is it time to follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers? Paltalk News Network security analyst Gary Moskowitz has long argued that random checks of passengers only serves as window dressing. That the United States should follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers - so that those who are identified as more likely to be terrorists go through special additional screening.
What actual ties does Abdulmutallab have to al Qaeda? He reportedly has claimed that he is associated with the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Was this a dry-run for another series of coordinated attacks like those? Or was this a singular attempt that - like that of the shoe bomber - failed and may never be attempted again?
Napolitano urged Americans to not cancel nor change their holiday travel plans, but said that, "as always," they should be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials.
"Passengers flying from international locations to U.S. destinations may notice additional security measures in place," she said. "These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere. Due to the busy holiday travel season, both domestic and international travelers should allot extra time for check-in."
There were longer lines than usual at Detroit Metro Airport - the destination of NW 253 (the plane has Delta markings because Northwest Airlines has been purchased by Delta). Secondary screenings were also reported by domestic airline passengers in other U.S. airports today.
Paltalk News Network
Quick action by passengers resulted in the successful thwarting of the lighting of an incendiary device on a Northwest Airlines Flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.
Today, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is thanking the passengers who stepped in and possibly averted tragedy in the skies over Michigan.
"I am grateful to the passengers and crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 who reacted quickly and heroically to an incident that could have had tragic results," Napolitano said.
"The Department of Homeland Security immediately put additional screening measures into place for all domestic and international flights to ensure the continued safety of the traveling public. We are also working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement on additional security measures, as well as our international partners on enhanced security at airports and on flights."
But the incident - and the Homeland Security Department's reaction - raise even more questions about the ability to detect new forms of terrorism directed toward airplanes. Questions are also being raised about how the increased security measures really better protect - while further inconveniencing - the flying public.
The suspect is identified as University of College of London engineering student and Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The 23-year-old was burned in the incident and was taken to a hospital following his arrest on the plane after it landed. Police in England are assisting in the investigation and have been searching the last place he was believed to have lived there.
Abdulmutallab reportedly hid the chemicals that he was allegedly going to use to set off the device in a syringe. He allegedly procured them in Yemen - perhaps under orders from al Qaeda.
Earlier it was reported that Abdulmutallab was known to counter-terrorism officials. But it was later reported that - while his name had surfaced in connection with some investigation or investigations - he was not on any "watch list" that would have prompted additional airport screening. Nor was he on a "no-fly" list.
While there are some new answers today about yesterday's incident, there are still more questions.
Do airport security personnel have the capability to detect incendiary devices and - if they do - is it feasable or even possible to check every person and every piece of carried on baggage for them?
Are there disparities between security checks in the United States and those at other airports? How does the increased security we're seeing today in the United States deter this kind of a terrorist attempt on other international flights destined here?
Is it time to follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers? Paltalk News Network security analyst Gary Moskowitz has long argued that random checks of passengers only serves as window dressing. That the United States should follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers - so that those who are identified as more likely to be terrorists go through special additional screening.
What actual ties does Abdulmutallab have to al Qaeda? He reportedly has claimed that he is associated with the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Was this a dry-run for another series of coordinated attacks like those? Or was this a singular attempt that - like that of the shoe bomber - failed and may never be attempted again?
Napolitano urged Americans to not cancel nor change their holiday travel plans, but said that, "as always," they should be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials.
"Passengers flying from international locations to U.S. destinations may notice additional security measures in place," she said. "These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere. Due to the busy holiday travel season, both domestic and international travelers should allot extra time for check-in."
There were longer lines than usual at Detroit Metro Airport - the destination of NW 253 (the plane has Delta markings because Northwest Airlines has been purchased by Delta). Secondary screenings were also reported by domestic airline passengers in other U.S. airports today.
More Details Emerging About Attempted Terrorist Attack On Jet
By GARY BAUMGARTEN
Paltalk News Network
We are now learning that a passenger subdued the alleged terrorist who was attempting to set off an incendiary device on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam that was descending to its scheduled Detroit Christmas Day destination. (The airplane has Delta markings, but Delta now owns Northwest and the flight in question was a Northwest flight.)
A passenger reportedly subdued the suspect, identified as University of College of London engineering student and Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The 23-year-old was burned in the incident and was taken to a hospital following his arrest on the plane after it landed.
President Obama ordered increased security at airports yesterday, and today at Detroit Metro Airport, there are longer-than-usual lines. Secondary security checks are reported at other airports across the nation.
The Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday that there would be additional security checks.
Abdulmutallab reportedly hid the chemicals that he was allegedly going to use to set off the device in a syringe. He allegedly procured them in Yemen - perhaps under orders from al Qaeda.
Earlier it was reported that Abdulmutallab was known to counter-terrorism officials. But it was later reported that - while his name had surfaced in connection with some investigation or investigations - he was not on any "watch list" that would have prompted additional airport screening. Nor was he on a "no-fly" list.
While there are some new answers today about yesterday's incident, there are still more questions.
Do airport security personnel have the capability to detect incendiary devices and - if they do - is it feasable or even possible to check every person and every piece of carried on baggage for them?
Are there disparities between security checks in the United States and those at other airports? How does the increased security we're seeing today in the United States deter this kind of a terrorist attempt on other international flights destined here?
Is it time to follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers? Paltalk News Network security analyst Gary Moskowitz has long argued that random checks of passengers only serves as window dressing. That the United States should follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers - so that those who are identified as more likely to be terrorists go through special additional screening.
What actual ties does Abdulmutallab have to al Qaeda? He reportedly has claimed that he is associated with the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Was this a dry-run for another series of coordinated attacks like those? Or was this a singular attempt that - like that of the shoe bomber - failed and may never be attempted again?
Paltalk News Network
We are now learning that a passenger subdued the alleged terrorist who was attempting to set off an incendiary device on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam that was descending to its scheduled Detroit Christmas Day destination. (The airplane has Delta markings, but Delta now owns Northwest and the flight in question was a Northwest flight.)
A passenger reportedly subdued the suspect, identified as University of College of London engineering student and Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The 23-year-old was burned in the incident and was taken to a hospital following his arrest on the plane after it landed.
President Obama ordered increased security at airports yesterday, and today at Detroit Metro Airport, there are longer-than-usual lines. Secondary security checks are reported at other airports across the nation.
The Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday that there would be additional security checks.
Abdulmutallab reportedly hid the chemicals that he was allegedly going to use to set off the device in a syringe. He allegedly procured them in Yemen - perhaps under orders from al Qaeda.
Earlier it was reported that Abdulmutallab was known to counter-terrorism officials. But it was later reported that - while his name had surfaced in connection with some investigation or investigations - he was not on any "watch list" that would have prompted additional airport screening. Nor was he on a "no-fly" list.
While there are some new answers today about yesterday's incident, there are still more questions.
Do airport security personnel have the capability to detect incendiary devices and - if they do - is it feasable or even possible to check every person and every piece of carried on baggage for them?
Are there disparities between security checks in the United States and those at other airports? How does the increased security we're seeing today in the United States deter this kind of a terrorist attempt on other international flights destined here?
Is it time to follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers? Paltalk News Network security analyst Gary Moskowitz has long argued that random checks of passengers only serves as window dressing. That the United States should follow the Israeli lead of profiling passengers - so that those who are identified as more likely to be terrorists go through special additional screening.
What actual ties does Abdulmutallab have to al Qaeda? He reportedly has claimed that he is associated with the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Was this a dry-run for another series of coordinated attacks like those? Or was this a singular attempt that - like that of the shoe bomber - failed and may never be attempted again?
Neda Times Of London's Person Of The Year
There were those who questioned Time Magazine naming Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke its Person of the Year and the decision to award President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. But there should be little controversy over the British newspaper, the Times, selecting Iranian student protester Neda Soltan as its Person of the Year for 2009.
Soltan, who was gunned down by security forces, became in death the symbol of the Green Movement in Iran calling for political and human rights reform in the wake of the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/greggchadwick/3654965004/
Friday, December 25, 2009
Attempted Terrorism Incident Evoking New Airport Security Measures
The Department of Homeland Security is instituting new security procedures after a passenger on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam attempted to set off a incendiary device as the plane descended for landing at Detroit Metro Airport.
The passenger, a Nigerian national, claimed to have ties with al Qaeda, officials said.
“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed on the incident aboard Northwest Airlines flight #253 and is closely monitoring the situation," said Homeland Security Press Secretary Sara Kuban.
"Passengers may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights. As always we encourage the traveling public to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials."
The incident raises questions about how someone with an incendiary device could be able to board a plane destined for the United States.
The White House is calling the incident a case of attempted terrorism.
The suspect was subdued on the plane. He suffered burns attempting to light the device and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The passenger, a Nigerian national, claimed to have ties with al Qaeda, officials said.
“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed on the incident aboard Northwest Airlines flight #253 and is closely monitoring the situation," said Homeland Security Press Secretary Sara Kuban.
"Passengers may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights. As always we encourage the traveling public to be observant and aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior or activity to law enforcement officials."
The incident raises questions about how someone with an incendiary device could be able to board a plane destined for the United States.
The White House is calling the incident a case of attempted terrorism.
The suspect was subdued on the plane. He suffered burns attempting to light the device and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Tort Reform: The Cure Or The Poison Pill For Health Care?
By MICHAEL L. PRYCE MD
Unless something happens very soon, we will witness the terminal unraveling of health care in America. The nation is witnessing the final step in the decades-long decline of the once best health care system in the world. One can only stand in wonderment as we watch the political lemmings run headlong towards the long drop from the cliff that has become the health care reform movement in the government.
The political football at the apex of the fracas is tort reform. Democrats are not anxious to include this in any bill because of the monumental donations they get from the Trial Lawyers Association. Republicans are demanding it to be included because it allows health insurance companies and liability insurance companies to continue to make prodigious profits and continue the donations to that side of the aisle.
The collateral damage in this political fire fight occurs to the American people. They fight; we suffer. The problem lies not with the Democrats; the problem lies not with the Republicans. The problem lies collectively with the Democrats and the Republicans. Neither one nor the other is correct in this argument.
So is tort reform the cure or the poison pill? In reality, it is only a palliative step to overcome the tragedy American health care has become. The simple reason is that while the number of malpractice suits has dropped somewhat in states that have instituted some type of tort reform, it has not resulted in the cost savings everyone is seeking.
In my own state of Ohio, during my nearly 40 years in some form of employment in health care, tort reform has been overturned at least three times. Likewise many other states have overturned various forms of tort reform. So, an activist judge can turn the whole system topsy-turvy at any time.
The problem is that every representative and senator as well as our Harvard Law School trained president knows this. Tort reform is just more of the same smoke and mirrors political chicanery that has characterized the laughable legislative effort.
We cannot have some states with tort reform and others without. We cannot have some states with “better” tort reform than others. Tort reform at the federal level has no advantage for at any time, a judge can overturn tort reform and send health care sprawling. Once that happens, whatever savings our political leaders claim to have counted on will go back to square one. Tort reform really is only as good as who sits on the bench. One might ask why we are even looking at this tactic as an answer to the health care crisis. The answer is that we should not.
Perhaps I am the only doctor in America that does not want to see tort reform happen. This time, the lawyers are correct. We should not be tampering with the public’s constitutional rights. It simply fails to solve the problem. It will not encourage or require doctors to practice better medicine.
Doctors practice “defensive medicine” which results in towering costs to the public by ordering additional and frequently medically unnecessary tests to try to keep from missing something that could result in a law suit. My state of Ohio has enacted tort reform. As in other states, Ohio’s version has resulted in only mild reductions in the punitive malpractice premiums doctors are paying. It has resulted in a mild reduction of the number of malpractice suits that are filed, but those are suits that never should have been filed anyway. However, and more importantly, like everywhere else in the country, tort reform has failed to eliminate defensive medicine practices and the overwhelming costs.
A colleague shared with me a story of a friend who visited an emergency room two weeks ago because he could not get a timely appointment with his family doctor, another bomb crater in the war on medicine in America. He had a headache. The days of “take some aspirin and call me in the morning” are long gone. Before he was discharged from the ER, he had, among others, a full raft of blood work, x-rays of his skull, a CT scan of his brain, an MRI of his chest, and a spinal tap. His bill came to $18,000 – for a headache.
My colleague phoned the treating doctor and was told, “I have been sued four times over headaches and that is never, ever going to happen to me again!” The doctor is no longer allowed to trust a physical examination to initiate a treatment plan or observation. The end result is the final answer. Without documentation that shows the doctor took some action the threat of a lawsuit prevails. So we pay and we pay and we pay.
That, my fellow Americans, is defensive medicine. It has not been controlled either by tort reform or by ethics committees in the hospitals. Doctors will not intervene in the process lest they suffer the same fate.
Senator Orrin Hatch recently said on a television interview that savings of up to $41 billion could be realized over the next 10 years with limits on medical malpractice suits. Senator Hatch stated he thinks it is “probably closer to $300-400 billion.” Even that represents a hopelessly uninformed opinion. $300-400 billion per year are more realistic figures as doctors continue to promote the defensive medicine philosophy “if you think of it, then do it.” In the same breath, Senator Hatch talked about tort reform as the answer. Tort reform might just save $41 billion, but a sensible reorganization of how liability is handled can result in vastly greater savings and greater protection for the public from an adverse outcome of their health care without limiting or eliminating anyone’s constitutionally guaranteed right to sue.
Every conservative pundit barks about tort reform and liberals whitewash it. Unfortunately, America’s doctor corps offers no real help. While channel surfing I ran across a videotaped program with Glenn Beck in a studio full of doctors. Remarkably, my feelings about my own colleagues were reinforced as it became readily apparent that members of my own profession are as out of touch as our political leaders. They mentioned “meaningful” tort reform. To me, that means they continue to seek the magic potion that frees them from malpractice suits as they still are generally unwilling to accept the responsibility for their mistakes.
On the other hand, they are rightfully dismayed because they frequently are blamed and sued for adverse outcomes that are not their fault. While only 5 percent of malpractice actions result in a win for plaintiffs, doctors are unfairly saddled with the cost of the entire liability in the system. Those costs are simply driving more and more of our doctors out of medical practice while defensive medicine is breaking the system financially. Our most significant piece of the nation’s infrastructure is simply withering in front of our eyes. Tort reform is not going to save our doctors or the rest of us for that matter.
Health care reform in America has become more about the fight between the Democrats and Republicans than it is about bringing cost effective health care to the American people. Republicans are demanding tort reform and Democrats are likely to agree to give it to them just to get something – anything - in the way of health care reform legislation passed. Both sides fully know well that tort reform can be overturned at any time, making the effort meaningless. Republicans save face because they can boast they did their part to bring down health care costs and then blame Democrats for the loss of protection they were all seeking. Democrats know their donations from the Trial Lawyers Association are well preserved when two more of the elderly Supreme Court Judges either retire or just fall over. For the record, let us repeat: Tort reform is only as good as who sits on the bench and it can be overturned at any time and with repeated attempts.
Congress needs to step out of character for once and do something meaningful and not political. The first step is to realize that health care reform will mean nothing if a doctor cannot look at a person and see a patient rather than a potential litigant. Congress sees health reform as a political answer when the point of failure is at the doctor-patient and service-reimbursement level. Too many people have their hands in the money pot and it is not flowing to patient care.
Congress needs to recognize that physicians have never conducted their profession within written standards. They rely on the failed system of “care provided in the light of generally accepted standards at the time, place and in the context of care delivered.” That description is the pivotal argument in every malpractice trial. That statement describes health care whose standards can change depending upon several circumstances. What results is the same condition can be “treated” in several different ways rather than choosing the one and only right way to do something. In addition, it means that more than one outcome could occur in the court. The standard of care “snapshot” that each and every legal result represents is not a mandate for the correct way to do something. Multiple outcomes for the same problem send mixed messages to doctors as to how to really treat something; if they even hear of the verdict.
The medical profession should be encouraged to write standards of practice like every other profession. When physicians act according to their own rules they precisely define what is and is not malpractice. If we follow this model with a yearly review of the results from uniform treatment on a national scale it will force changes in protocols that ultimately lead to reductions in adverse outcomes. It will lower costs, reduce liability and result in better quality of care. Then we all will have taken a giant step forward in health care reform.
Let us not deceive ourselves. Tort reform is a poison pill, but it is not the only one in this ridiculous and dangerous folly that is taking place in Washington. As a veteran physician who has a lot to lose as a health care provider as well as a health care consumer, I say, America should beware.
As it stands right now, the process taking place in Washington is not in our best interest. If there ever was a time in the history of our country that Americans should exercise their rights and bring heavy pressure on Congress and the White House to stop this madness, it is now. Failure to do so will ultimately bring bad dividends in the future for the nation’s health care.
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Dr. Michael Pryce is an Ohio surgeon and author of Anathema! America’s War on Medicine - A Veteran Doctor Offers a Cure for What Ails America’s Health Care System. He is a medical expert and a veteran health care provider of nearly 40 years. He served on the Senatorial Inner Circle and Presidential Roundtables during the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations. His book has garnered the attention of radio talk shows across the nation
Unless something happens very soon, we will witness the terminal unraveling of health care in America. The nation is witnessing the final step in the decades-long decline of the once best health care system in the world. One can only stand in wonderment as we watch the political lemmings run headlong towards the long drop from the cliff that has become the health care reform movement in the government.
The political football at the apex of the fracas is tort reform. Democrats are not anxious to include this in any bill because of the monumental donations they get from the Trial Lawyers Association. Republicans are demanding it to be included because it allows health insurance companies and liability insurance companies to continue to make prodigious profits and continue the donations to that side of the aisle.
The collateral damage in this political fire fight occurs to the American people. They fight; we suffer. The problem lies not with the Democrats; the problem lies not with the Republicans. The problem lies collectively with the Democrats and the Republicans. Neither one nor the other is correct in this argument.
So is tort reform the cure or the poison pill? In reality, it is only a palliative step to overcome the tragedy American health care has become. The simple reason is that while the number of malpractice suits has dropped somewhat in states that have instituted some type of tort reform, it has not resulted in the cost savings everyone is seeking.
In my own state of Ohio, during my nearly 40 years in some form of employment in health care, tort reform has been overturned at least three times. Likewise many other states have overturned various forms of tort reform. So, an activist judge can turn the whole system topsy-turvy at any time.
The problem is that every representative and senator as well as our Harvard Law School trained president knows this. Tort reform is just more of the same smoke and mirrors political chicanery that has characterized the laughable legislative effort.
We cannot have some states with tort reform and others without. We cannot have some states with “better” tort reform than others. Tort reform at the federal level has no advantage for at any time, a judge can overturn tort reform and send health care sprawling. Once that happens, whatever savings our political leaders claim to have counted on will go back to square one. Tort reform really is only as good as who sits on the bench. One might ask why we are even looking at this tactic as an answer to the health care crisis. The answer is that we should not.
Perhaps I am the only doctor in America that does not want to see tort reform happen. This time, the lawyers are correct. We should not be tampering with the public’s constitutional rights. It simply fails to solve the problem. It will not encourage or require doctors to practice better medicine.
Doctors practice “defensive medicine” which results in towering costs to the public by ordering additional and frequently medically unnecessary tests to try to keep from missing something that could result in a law suit. My state of Ohio has enacted tort reform. As in other states, Ohio’s version has resulted in only mild reductions in the punitive malpractice premiums doctors are paying. It has resulted in a mild reduction of the number of malpractice suits that are filed, but those are suits that never should have been filed anyway. However, and more importantly, like everywhere else in the country, tort reform has failed to eliminate defensive medicine practices and the overwhelming costs.
A colleague shared with me a story of a friend who visited an emergency room two weeks ago because he could not get a timely appointment with his family doctor, another bomb crater in the war on medicine in America. He had a headache. The days of “take some aspirin and call me in the morning” are long gone. Before he was discharged from the ER, he had, among others, a full raft of blood work, x-rays of his skull, a CT scan of his brain, an MRI of his chest, and a spinal tap. His bill came to $18,000 – for a headache.
My colleague phoned the treating doctor and was told, “I have been sued four times over headaches and that is never, ever going to happen to me again!” The doctor is no longer allowed to trust a physical examination to initiate a treatment plan or observation. The end result is the final answer. Without documentation that shows the doctor took some action the threat of a lawsuit prevails. So we pay and we pay and we pay.
That, my fellow Americans, is defensive medicine. It has not been controlled either by tort reform or by ethics committees in the hospitals. Doctors will not intervene in the process lest they suffer the same fate.
Senator Orrin Hatch recently said on a television interview that savings of up to $41 billion could be realized over the next 10 years with limits on medical malpractice suits. Senator Hatch stated he thinks it is “probably closer to $300-400 billion.” Even that represents a hopelessly uninformed opinion. $300-400 billion per year are more realistic figures as doctors continue to promote the defensive medicine philosophy “if you think of it, then do it.” In the same breath, Senator Hatch talked about tort reform as the answer. Tort reform might just save $41 billion, but a sensible reorganization of how liability is handled can result in vastly greater savings and greater protection for the public from an adverse outcome of their health care without limiting or eliminating anyone’s constitutionally guaranteed right to sue.
Every conservative pundit barks about tort reform and liberals whitewash it. Unfortunately, America’s doctor corps offers no real help. While channel surfing I ran across a videotaped program with Glenn Beck in a studio full of doctors. Remarkably, my feelings about my own colleagues were reinforced as it became readily apparent that members of my own profession are as out of touch as our political leaders. They mentioned “meaningful” tort reform. To me, that means they continue to seek the magic potion that frees them from malpractice suits as they still are generally unwilling to accept the responsibility for their mistakes.
On the other hand, they are rightfully dismayed because they frequently are blamed and sued for adverse outcomes that are not their fault. While only 5 percent of malpractice actions result in a win for plaintiffs, doctors are unfairly saddled with the cost of the entire liability in the system. Those costs are simply driving more and more of our doctors out of medical practice while defensive medicine is breaking the system financially. Our most significant piece of the nation’s infrastructure is simply withering in front of our eyes. Tort reform is not going to save our doctors or the rest of us for that matter.
Health care reform in America has become more about the fight between the Democrats and Republicans than it is about bringing cost effective health care to the American people. Republicans are demanding tort reform and Democrats are likely to agree to give it to them just to get something – anything - in the way of health care reform legislation passed. Both sides fully know well that tort reform can be overturned at any time, making the effort meaningless. Republicans save face because they can boast they did their part to bring down health care costs and then blame Democrats for the loss of protection they were all seeking. Democrats know their donations from the Trial Lawyers Association are well preserved when two more of the elderly Supreme Court Judges either retire or just fall over. For the record, let us repeat: Tort reform is only as good as who sits on the bench and it can be overturned at any time and with repeated attempts.
Congress needs to step out of character for once and do something meaningful and not political. The first step is to realize that health care reform will mean nothing if a doctor cannot look at a person and see a patient rather than a potential litigant. Congress sees health reform as a political answer when the point of failure is at the doctor-patient and service-reimbursement level. Too many people have their hands in the money pot and it is not flowing to patient care.
Congress needs to recognize that physicians have never conducted their profession within written standards. They rely on the failed system of “care provided in the light of generally accepted standards at the time, place and in the context of care delivered.” That description is the pivotal argument in every malpractice trial. That statement describes health care whose standards can change depending upon several circumstances. What results is the same condition can be “treated” in several different ways rather than choosing the one and only right way to do something. In addition, it means that more than one outcome could occur in the court. The standard of care “snapshot” that each and every legal result represents is not a mandate for the correct way to do something. Multiple outcomes for the same problem send mixed messages to doctors as to how to really treat something; if they even hear of the verdict.
The medical profession should be encouraged to write standards of practice like every other profession. When physicians act according to their own rules they precisely define what is and is not malpractice. If we follow this model with a yearly review of the results from uniform treatment on a national scale it will force changes in protocols that ultimately lead to reductions in adverse outcomes. It will lower costs, reduce liability and result in better quality of care. Then we all will have taken a giant step forward in health care reform.
Let us not deceive ourselves. Tort reform is a poison pill, but it is not the only one in this ridiculous and dangerous folly that is taking place in Washington. As a veteran physician who has a lot to lose as a health care provider as well as a health care consumer, I say, America should beware.
As it stands right now, the process taking place in Washington is not in our best interest. If there ever was a time in the history of our country that Americans should exercise their rights and bring heavy pressure on Congress and the White House to stop this madness, it is now. Failure to do so will ultimately bring bad dividends in the future for the nation’s health care.
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Dr. Michael Pryce is an Ohio surgeon and author of Anathema! America’s War on Medicine - A Veteran Doctor Offers a Cure for What Ails America’s Health Care System. He is a medical expert and a veteran health care provider of nearly 40 years. He served on the Senatorial Inner Circle and Presidential Roundtables during the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations. His book has garnered the attention of radio talk shows across the nation
State Department Decries The Conviction Of Chinese Dissident
The U.S. State Department is expressing its concern over the Christmas Day conviction in Beijing of prominent Chinese author and democratic reformer Liu Xiaobo on charges of "inciting suberversion of state power.
Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
"The United States was deeply concerned" to learn of Liu's conviction, said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.
"We also were concerned that requests by Mr. Liu’s wife, the U.S. Embassy and other diplomatic missions to attend the trial were denied. Punishing people for peacefully expressing their political views violates the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has signed."
Liu has already spent a year in detention as the Chinese authorities investigate the case.
"As we have expressed repeatedly, we call on the government of China to release him immediately and to respect the rights of all Chinese citizens to peacefully express their political views," Toner said.
Liu has served as president of Independent Chinese PEN Center since 2003. He was arrested last December after joining more than 300 Chinese intellectuals and human rights activists in signing a manifesto promoting political reform and democratization in China.
Snowstorm Blankets Midwest For A White Christmas
It's a white Christmas but not a good one for traveling over much of the midwest.
This video shows driving conditions in Oklahoma.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Teens Resist Conscription In Israel
About 200 pre-draft teens in Israel have penned an open letter to that nation's defense minister proclaiming that their duty to Torah comes before that to the military.
The religious teenagers believe in the duty to protect the state of Israel. But say in their letter that they object to using the army to engage in what they term "warfare against Jews" - a reference to the planned use of the IDF to enforce a moratorium against West Bank construction.
The letter to Defense Minister Ehud Barak was published in the Jerusalem Post.
The religious teenagers believe in the duty to protect the state of Israel. But say in their letter that they object to using the army to engage in what they term "warfare against Jews" - a reference to the planned use of the IDF to enforce a moratorium against West Bank construction.
The letter to Defense Minister Ehud Barak was published in the Jerusalem Post.
10 Worse Ethics Scandals Of 2009
As a Promise Keeper, Ensign pledges himself a man of integrity
As the year - and the decade - draws to a close - it's time for all those "best of" and "worst of" lists to appear.
Here's a dubious one. The 10 worst ethics scandals of 2009.
It comes to us by way of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and it features ethical lapses in both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.
CREW’s third annual Top Ten Ethics Scandals list does not attempt to rank these scandals in a particular order:
* The federal pay czar’s less-than-successful effort to stop those financial firms that received TARP funds from paying out excessive bonuses to top executives.
* The SEC failed to stop Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme for 16 years, despite clear warnings.
* Prosecutors will likely lose an important tool in targeting public corruption as the Supreme Court appears on the brink of gutting the honest services fraud statute, which has been used to convict Jack Abramoff, former Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) and many others.
* Violations of federal campaign finance law are going unpunished as a result of a gridlocked and toothless Federal Election Commission.
* The myriad criminal and ethics violations committed by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to cover up his affair with a campaign staffer married to a member of his office staff.
* Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) left his state without leadership and lied to staff to disappear to Argentina to conduct an extramarital affair. Even worse, this budget hawk seems to have misused state funds to facilitate the affair.
* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), the chair of the tax writing committee, found it too difficult to make sure his own tax forms and financial disclosure forms were accurate. He also violated a host of other ethics rules, making clear he believes rules are for other people.
* Senators continue to use secret holds to stall legislation and nominations, despite voting to ban the practice in 2007 in the ironically named Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.
* Earmarks continue to be exchanged for campaign contributions, as the investigation into the PMA Group’s contributions to a number of House members, including Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-PA), demonstrates.
* Despite vows to “drain the swamp” and the creation of the Office of Congressional Ethics, not a single representative was publicly reprimanded or sanctioned by the House ethics committee this year, though offenders remain plentiful.
Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said, “2009 was no exception; there was no shortage of ethics scandals to choose from. It would be nice if 2010 proved to be the year politicians put Americans’ interests above their own, but I won’t hold my breath.”
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Photo/Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
News Talk Online December 24, 2009: Senate Passage Of Health Reform Bill, International Debut Of Christmas Song For Soldiers
Bill Silberg, Paltalk News Network's health and medical correspondent, will be today's guest on News Talk Online at 5 PM to explain the landmark health reform legisltion passed today by the U.S. Senate.
The Senate version would extend health care to 30 million Americans. It would also preclude insurers from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
The bill was passed strictly along party lines. No Republicans voted for it. Two independents joined Democrats in voting "yes."
It took just 15 minutes to reach the necessary 51 votes during the rare Christmas Eve session. In the end, 60 Senators voted for the measure.
The House must now consider its version of health reform. A vote on that bill is expected in January. Then the two bills will have to be reconciled before a final version is voted on by both the House and Senate, also probably in January or February.
The show will conclude with a special musical Christmas musical tribute to the troops with the international debut of Danny Rongo's "A Soldier's Christmas Song."
The Senate version would extend health care to 30 million Americans. It would also preclude insurers from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
The bill was passed strictly along party lines. No Republicans voted for it. Two independents joined Democrats in voting "yes."
It took just 15 minutes to reach the necessary 51 votes during the rare Christmas Eve session. In the end, 60 Senators voted for the measure.
The House must now consider its version of health reform. A vote on that bill is expected in January. Then the two bills will have to be reconciled before a final version is voted on by both the House and Senate, also probably in January or February.
The show will conclude with a special musical Christmas musical tribute to the troops with the international debut of Danny Rongo's "A Soldier's Christmas Song."
Treasury Receives $45 Billion In Repayment From Citigroup, Wells Fargo
The U.S. Treasury Department received $45 billion in repayments on its TARP investments in Wells Fargo and Citigroup bringing the total amount of repaid TARP funds to $164 billion.
Wells Fargo repaid $25 billion under the Capital Purchase Program and Citigroup repaid $20 billion under the Targeted Investment Program, both of which will wind down at the end of this year. Treasury now estimates that total bank repayments should exceed $175 billion by the end of 2010, cutting total taxpayer exposure to the banks by three-quarters.
In addition, Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Citigroup terminated the agreement under which the U.S. government agreed to share losses on a pool of originally $300 billion of Citigroup assets. This arrangement was entered into in January and was originally expected to last for 10 years. The U.S. government parties did not pay any losses under the agreement and will keep $5.2 billion of $7 billion in trust preferred securities as well as warrants for common shares that were issued by Citigroup as consideration for such guarantee. With this termination, the AGP is being terminated at a profit to the taxpayer.
Treasury currently estimates that TARP programs aimed at stabilizing the banking system will earn a profit thanks to dividends, interest, early repayments, and the sale of warrants. Total bank investments of $245 billion in fiscal year 2009 that were initially projected to cost $76 billion are now expected to return a profit. Taxpayers have already received over $16 billion in profits from all TARP programs and that profit could be considerably higher as Treasury sells additional warrants in the weeks ahead, the department says.
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Photo/http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/3967839626/
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Don't Worry Mr. Ahmadinejad. You Don't Have To Worry About New Sanctions This Year
By GARY BAUMGARTEN
Paltalk News Network
While President Obama is pushing Congress to approve a health reform bill in obvious haste - so much so that the Senate is scheduled to vote on its version during a rare Christmas eve session - there seems to be less of a sense of urgency with regard to Iran's nuclear weapons program.
The major nations that are considering additional sanctions against Iran have held a phone consultation on the matter. And are putting off until after the New Year meeting to agree (hopefully) on a strategy with which to deal with Tehran.
Not that health care reform isn't an important agenda item. But it's waited this long. It can wait a little longer.
The same can't be said for Iran's failure to live up to its agreement to ship its enriched uranium to Russia to ensure that it isn't going to be used to build a nuclear weapon.
This lack of commitment by the world community sends a horrible message to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his religious handlers. The message is - there's no real urgency to this issue. We'll continue to fiddle while Iran moves closer to burning the world.
If President Obama and his counterparts in Russia, Britain, China, France and Germany put as much effort into getting Iran to comply as he does pushing health reform perhaps the message to Iran - and the eventual outcome - might be different.
In the end, these nations seem willing to make Israel the sacrificial lamb - the nation that can't afford to wait until it's too late. The nation that so many love to hate will be hated even more by its enemies (if that's even possible) when it - ultimately - takes the kind of decisive, military action that might be necessitated by the stalling of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council and Germany.
Paltalk News Network
While President Obama is pushing Congress to approve a health reform bill in obvious haste - so much so that the Senate is scheduled to vote on its version during a rare Christmas eve session - there seems to be less of a sense of urgency with regard to Iran's nuclear weapons program.
The major nations that are considering additional sanctions against Iran have held a phone consultation on the matter. And are putting off until after the New Year meeting to agree (hopefully) on a strategy with which to deal with Tehran.
Not that health care reform isn't an important agenda item. But it's waited this long. It can wait a little longer.
The same can't be said for Iran's failure to live up to its agreement to ship its enriched uranium to Russia to ensure that it isn't going to be used to build a nuclear weapon.
This lack of commitment by the world community sends a horrible message to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his religious handlers. The message is - there's no real urgency to this issue. We'll continue to fiddle while Iran moves closer to burning the world.
If President Obama and his counterparts in Russia, Britain, China, France and Germany put as much effort into getting Iran to comply as he does pushing health reform perhaps the message to Iran - and the eventual outcome - might be different.
In the end, these nations seem willing to make Israel the sacrificial lamb - the nation that can't afford to wait until it's too late. The nation that so many love to hate will be hated even more by its enemies (if that's even possible) when it - ultimately - takes the kind of decisive, military action that might be necessitated by the stalling of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council and Germany.
OBL's Elusive Family Found
Remember how members of the bin Laden family were permitted to fly out of the United States after the 9/11 attacks even though there was a ground-stop on all non-military air traffic?
There were FBI agents who were chomping at the bit to interview them. But away they went. And other members of his family went into hiding - not to be seen publicly for more than eight years now.
But now a British newspaper is reporting that Osama bin Laden's closest relatives have been found. The paper reports that they have been living in a secret compound in Iran.
Which, if accurate, raises important questions about the relationship between the Iranian government and those who perpetuated the September 11 attacks.
There were FBI agents who were chomping at the bit to interview them. But away they went. And other members of his family went into hiding - not to be seen publicly for more than eight years now.
But now a British newspaper is reporting that Osama bin Laden's closest relatives have been found. The paper reports that they have been living in a secret compound in Iran.
Which, if accurate, raises important questions about the relationship between the Iranian government and those who perpetuated the September 11 attacks.
News Talk Online December 23, 2009: Doctor With His Own Health Reform Plan & A PI Who Can Track Down Anyone
We’ve heard a lot about health care reform from the politicians and the pundits. Now, a respected practicing physician from the heartland of America pulls off the surgical mask and the latex gloves to reveal “what ails America’s health care system.”
Dr. Michael Pryce, author of the book ANATHEMA! - America's War On Medicine: A Veteran Doctor Offers a Cure for What Ails America's Health Care System, paid a timely visit to News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network today.
Pryce is trying to get a commitment from all members of Congress that they go on the same health care plan that they are asking the public to accept.
He argues in his book that insurance companies have ravaged our system of health care and made off with unheard-of profits. Tens of millions of Americans go uninsured or under-insured, he argues, while health-insurance executives reap multi-billion dollar bonuses.
Pryce says that with so much money spent on health care each year, the overabundance of easy money attracts those who would exploit medicine just for the money. He calls health care in America a national tragedy.
Today's second guest on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network was Vinny Parco, star of Parco, PI, a reality television program which aired on the Court TV network.
The series was about the cases of the New York City-based private investigator, his family, his daughter Dani Parco, his twin sons Chris Parco and Vincent Parco Jr., and a number of the female investigators who work for the firm.
The show gained considerable attention before its second season premiere for its viral marketing using billboards that posed as a letter from a wife named "Emily" to her unfaithful husband "Steven." In the letter, "Emily" reveals that she knows about Steven's infidelity and implies that she will file for divorce from him.
Parco took calls about what it's like to be a PI, and how you can tell if your significant other is cheating on you, how to track down someone who owes you money or how to find that hit-and-run driver who smashed your car in the supermarket parking lot.
Dr. Michael Pryce, author of the book ANATHEMA! - America's War On Medicine: A Veteran Doctor Offers a Cure for What Ails America's Health Care System, paid a timely visit to News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network today.
Pryce is trying to get a commitment from all members of Congress that they go on the same health care plan that they are asking the public to accept.
He argues in his book that insurance companies have ravaged our system of health care and made off with unheard-of profits. Tens of millions of Americans go uninsured or under-insured, he argues, while health-insurance executives reap multi-billion dollar bonuses.
Pryce says that with so much money spent on health care each year, the overabundance of easy money attracts those who would exploit medicine just for the money. He calls health care in America a national tragedy.
Today's second guest on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network was Vinny Parco, star of Parco, PI, a reality television program which aired on the Court TV network.
The series was about the cases of the New York City-based private investigator, his family, his daughter Dani Parco, his twin sons Chris Parco and Vincent Parco Jr., and a number of the female investigators who work for the firm.
The show gained considerable attention before its second season premiere for its viral marketing using billboards that posed as a letter from a wife named "Emily" to her unfaithful husband "Steven." In the letter, "Emily" reveals that she knows about Steven's infidelity and implies that she will file for divorce from him.
Parco took calls about what it's like to be a PI, and how you can tell if your significant other is cheating on you, how to track down someone who owes you money or how to find that hit-and-run driver who smashed your car in the supermarket parking lot.
ACORN Didn't Break The Law
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) has released a report prepared by the Congressional Research Service on several issues concerning the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now which concludes that there were no instances of individuals who were allegedly registered to vote improperly by ACORN or its employees and who were reported "attempting to vote at the polls." Allegations that ACORN representatives who were registering people to vote were trying to influence them to cast ballots for Barack Obama surfaced during and following the election.
The report's conclusions are not necessarily final. Of the 46 reported federal, state and local investigations concerning ACORN, 11 are still pending. But the report found that, thus far, none of the probes have identified instance in which ACORN "violated the terms of federal funding in the last five years."
The report also questions new federal legislation that prohibits funding to ACORN. It concludes that the law raises constitutional concerns.
The much-publicized "sting" operations concerning ACORN also were questioned in the report. Although state laws vary, two relevant states, Maryland and California, "appear to ban private recording of face to face conversations absent the consent of all the participants," the report says.
The report's conclusions are not necessarily final. Of the 46 reported federal, state and local investigations concerning ACORN, 11 are still pending. But the report found that, thus far, none of the probes have identified instance in which ACORN "violated the terms of federal funding in the last five years."
The report also questions new federal legislation that prohibits funding to ACORN. It concludes that the law raises constitutional concerns.
The much-publicized "sting" operations concerning ACORN also were questioned in the report. Although state laws vary, two relevant states, Maryland and California, "appear to ban private recording of face to face conversations absent the consent of all the participants," the report says.
40 Hurt As Airplane Overshoots Jamaica Runway
More than 40 people have been hurt, several seriously, as an American Airlines flight from Washington, DC overshoots a rain-slicked runway in Kingston, Jamaica stopping a mere 10 feet from the drink.
About 150 people were on board. The mishap has forced the closure of the airport.
Mourners Take To Streets For Dissident Ayatollah's Funeral
Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazer's funeral brought out throngs of mourners to the streets of his hometown, Isfahan, prompting clashes with police and the arrests of about 50 people according to reformists' websites.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
What Do You Tell 2 Nude Bicyclists? Put On Helmets!
It was past sundown - after 10 PM, when a New Zealand police officer spotted two men riding their bicycles in the buff.
The Associate Press reports she pulled them over and gave them a stiff warning. Head home and put on helmets if you want to continue riding.
The cop said it was dark and the men meant no offense, so she didn't ticket them for public nudity.
The Associate Press reports she pulled them over and gave them a stiff warning. Head home and put on helmets if you want to continue riding.
The cop said it was dark and the men meant no offense, so she didn't ticket them for public nudity.
News Talk Online December 22, 2009: Health Reform & Rude Behavior
The attempt by the U.S. Senate to push through a health reform bill full of compromises that irk both progressives and conservatives was the first topic on today's News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network.
The need to get this done before Christmas - a vote's been called for on Christmas Eve, was attributed by some - myself included - as an attempt to show progress on a key policy issue important to the Obama administration. In the meantime, the initial vision that proponents of national health care had, seems to be a victim.
Presuming a Senate version passes on Thursday, the House will have to pass one as well in January. Then the two bills will have to be reconciled. So whatever ultimately is passed into law could differ measurably from what's approved by the Senate this week.
The second segment featured syndicated newspaper advice columnist and author Amy Alkon - who has launched on a one-woman crusade to combat rude behavior whenever she confronts it. Examples: people who disturb those around them in public places while gabbing on their cellphones, parents who don't control their loud and obnoxious offspring in public spaces and telemarketers who feel it's OK to invade your personal space calling you at home.
Her new book, I See Rude People: One Woman's Battle to Beat Some Manners into Impolite Society, addresses these three examples and much, much more - and gives you tips on how you can fight back.
The need to get this done before Christmas - a vote's been called for on Christmas Eve, was attributed by some - myself included - as an attempt to show progress on a key policy issue important to the Obama administration. In the meantime, the initial vision that proponents of national health care had, seems to be a victim.
Presuming a Senate version passes on Thursday, the House will have to pass one as well in January. Then the two bills will have to be reconciled. So whatever ultimately is passed into law could differ measurably from what's approved by the Senate this week.
The second segment featured syndicated newspaper advice columnist and author Amy Alkon - who has launched on a one-woman crusade to combat rude behavior whenever she confronts it. Examples: people who disturb those around them in public places while gabbing on their cellphones, parents who don't control their loud and obnoxious offspring in public spaces and telemarketers who feel it's OK to invade your personal space calling you at home.
Her new book, I See Rude People: One Woman's Battle to Beat Some Manners into Impolite Society, addresses these three examples and much, much more - and gives you tips on how you can fight back.
Senator Calls Health Reform Abortion Language 'Deceptive'
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), a practicing physician is calling the compromise abortion language in the health reform bill a "reprehensible and deceptive agreement" and an "historic and radical shift in policy that will require taxpayers to pay for abortion."
Coburn is accusing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with trying to rush what he calls a "phony agreement" before the public realizes its implications.
Coburn, who says he has delivered more than 4,000 babies, predicts the voters will "hold accountable anyone who defends sacrificing the unborn on the altar of political expediency."
According to Coburn, the amendment solidifies requirements that federal funds pay for abortions by ensuring that — for the first time — federal funds be used to pay for elective abortions. He says traditional anti-abortion groups, like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life and the Family Research Council also propose the amendment. He says the organizations will oppose the bill's passage if it remains.
Coburn is accusing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with trying to rush what he calls a "phony agreement" before the public realizes its implications.
Coburn, who says he has delivered more than 4,000 babies, predicts the voters will "hold accountable anyone who defends sacrificing the unborn on the altar of political expediency."
According to Coburn, the amendment solidifies requirements that federal funds pay for abortions by ensuring that — for the first time — federal funds be used to pay for elective abortions. He says traditional anti-abortion groups, like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life and the Family Research Council also propose the amendment. He says the organizations will oppose the bill's passage if it remains.
FBI Releases Michael Jackson Investigative Files
In response to Freedom of Information Act requests, the FBI has released its investigative files on Michael Jackson who died earlier this year.
The records total 333 pages, divided into seven files. They detail the FBI’s investigation of a man who threatened to kill Jackson as well as various forms of assistance to California authorities in two cases involving allegations that Jackson had abused children. None of these allegations were ever proven in court.
The files are available on the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy website, but here is a quick rundown of what they contain.
The first file — 9A-LA-142276 —w as opened by the Los Angeles FBI office when it was asked to lead a federal case against a California man already under arrest for sending numerous threatening letters. The man — who falsely claimed to be the son of mobster John Gotti — had staked out Jackson's house and threatened to kill him, the U.S. president and others. He was ruled incompetent to stand trial and sent to prison for two years.
The second and third files — 62D-LA-162715 and 62D-LO-11779 — involve the FBI's support of local law enforcement.
In 1993, the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Police Departments formed a task force to investigate an allegation that Jackson had molested a young boy.
FBI field divisions in Los Angeles and New York — as well as overseas offices in Manila and London — provided assistance in that case. Investigators gathered public records on Jackson, interviewed a potential witness and followed various other leads. The FBI assisted Los Angeles Police detectives who traveled to the Philippines to interview possible witnesses and shared news reports from London about a potential victim. The U.S. Attorney declined to pursue a federal investigation, including a possible violation of the Mann Act (transporting a minor across state lines for immoral purposes) and no charges were filed by the state.
The fourth file — 95A-HQ-1148159 — concerns a 1995 request by a U.S. Customs agent in Florida that the FBI examine a VHS videotape connected with Jackson to see if it contained child pornography. Forensic specialists discovered that the tape was a “poor quality third or fourth generation recording” and informed Customs of their findings.
In 2003, Jackson was charged by the state of California with molestation and other counts. The final three files — 62D-LA-236081, 252B-IR-6808 and 305B-LA-239205 — detail the FBI’s support to local law enforcement during the ensuing investigation. The first of these files describes an FBI response to a Los Angeles Police Department request to analyze computers and digital media obtained from Jackson's home under court warrant. The second involves a request by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney for help and guidance from behavioral analysts in the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group. In the last of the three files, an FBI agent from Los Angeles traveled to New York to interview a potential witness. The agent found this individual unwilling to cooperate and closed the matter. The case went to court in 2005 and Jackson was acquitted of all charges.
EPA To Regulate Ship Emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a rule setting tough engine and fuel standards for large U.S.-flagged ships, a major milestone in the agency’s coordinated strategy to slash harmful marine diesel emissions. The regulation harmonizes with international standards and will lead to significant air quality improvements throughout the country.
“There are enormous health and environmental consequences that come from marine diesel emissions, affecting both port cities and communities hundreds of miles inland. Stronger standards will help make large ships cleaner and more efficient, and protect millions of Americans from harmful diesel emissions,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
“Port communities have identified diesel emissions as one of the greatest health threats facing their people – especially their children. These new rules mark a step forward in cutting dangerous pollution in the air we breathe and reducing the harm to our health, our environment, and our economy.”
Air pollution from large ships, such as oil tankers and cargo ships, is expected to grow rapidly as port traffic increases. By 2030, the domestic and international strategy is expected to reduce annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from large marine diesel engines by about 1.2 million tons and particulate matter (PM) emissions by about 143,000 tons. When fully implemented, this coordinated effort will reduce NOX emissions from ships by 80 percent, and PM emissions by 85 percent, compared to current emissions.
The emission reductions from the strategy will yield significant health and welfare benefits that span beyond U.S. ports and along the U.S. coasts, reaching inland areas, the EPA says. EPA estimates that in 2030, this effort will prevent between 12,000 and 31,000 premature deaths and 1.4 million work days lost. The estimated annual health benefits in 2030 as a result of reduced air pollution are valued between $110 and $270 billion, which is up to nearly 90 times the projected cost of $3.1 billion to achieve those results.
The rule, under the Clean Air Act, complements a key piece of EPA’s strategy to designate an emissions control area (ECA) for thousands of miles of U.S. and Canadian coasts. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, is set to vote in March 2010 on the adoption of the joint U.S.-Canada ECA, which would result in stringent standards for large foreign-flagged and domestic ships operating within the designated area.
The rule adds two new tiers of NOx standards and strengthens EPA’s diesel fuel program for affected ships.
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