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Bought by the Insurance Lobby
People who identify themselves as Democrats favor the public option by a margin of 81% to 12%. That's nearly 7 to 1 in favor of, yet the representatives of the Democrat party in the Senate Finance Committee only voted for the public option at a ratio of 8 to 5. Perhaps the most interesting number revealed by this poll is that Republican voters favor the public option 47% to 42%.
PermalinkIndonesia quake 'traps thousands'
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8282670.stm
Thousands of people are trapped under rubble and at least 21 are dead after a strong earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sumatra, officials say. The epicentre of the 7.9 quake was about 50km (30 miles) off the coast, near the city of Padang. There are reports of widespread destruction to buildings and bridges. Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said the death toll was likely to continue to rise sharply, as so many buildings including schools, shops and hotels had collapsed. Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's crisis centre, told Reuters news agency that a hospital was among the collapsed buildings. Medical teams were on their way to Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, from neighbouring provinces, he said. Local media reported the roof of the city's airport had also collapsed. Witnesses said residents ran out of buildings in Padang - which has a population of 900,000 - and surrounding cities. Reuters: At least 21 people had been killed and "thousands of people are trapped in the rubble of buildings".
US war on Pakistan
Link: http://www.uruknet.info/index.php?p=m58424&hd=&size=1&l=e
THE US design to destabilize Pakistan is becoming clearer by the day, even for the most blinkered Pakistani. As the US continues to be stalemated in Afghanistan, it has sought to move the centre of gravity of the "war on terror" to Pakistan.
Israel's Dimona Nuclear Weapons Factory In 3D
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbjgDERSuiI&feature
Like the conventional weapons aren't bad enough, Israel has several hundred nukes as well. Allen L Roland/TPV: ISRAEL'S HIDDEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS FACTORY / VIDEO
"Barack Obama, Like Louis XIV Before Him, Knows Exactly What is Going On"
Link: http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2009/09/johnson-barack-obama-like-louis-xiv.html
Many people assume that Obama doesn't understand that his economic team - Summers, Geithner, Bernanke, Gensler and the boys - are preserving the status quo, and failing to make the fundamental reforms needed to stabilize the economy. They assume that the economy is a mysterious subject for experts, and that Obama innocently thinks his team is doing good for the American people.
Arab Media Correspondent Trashes White House Press Corps: They’re ‘Arrogant’ And ‘Obnoxious’ -VIDEO
Link: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/29/arab-media-white-house/
"I found that I think they really think that if you make it to cover the White House then you must be bigger than God, therefore, you know, you have to be treated as such. So for them the foreign media is invisible. … So I think they’re opportunistic, rude, as I said, really self-centered. … I find them, not even on like a – people again, the people at the State Department, it’s a different story altogether. But what I’m talking to now are the people in the White House that occupy the first two, three rows, with exception to two or three people you know. I’m talking about all the networks and all the organizations. So I find the relationship is a bit strange."
FASCISM WATCH: German Interior Ministry plans to expand the powers of the secret police
Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/germ-s30.shtml
The Interior Ministry, currently headed by Wolfgang Schäuble, plans to expand the authority of the German state to spy on its own citizens. The domestic secret service will be given far-reaching powers and the separation of the police and secret services will be largely abolished. The Süddeutsche Zeitung recently reported the existence of a six-page catalogue of demands, entitled “Preparations for Coalition” and dated September 22, that was approved by the head of the Department for Public Security, who serves under Schäuble. The interior minister has already combined the formerly separate departments of the police and the domestic secret service into the Department for Public Security.
US Census Bureau report: 40 million living in poverty
Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/pove-s30.shtml
The overall poverty rate in the US rose to 13.2 percent in 2008, as workers across all sectors of the economy became jobless and increasing numbers of families were forced into destitution, according to a new government report. Real median household income also declined by 3.6 percent.
Did California police use a Taser on an unarmed, legless man in a wheelchair?
Link: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/75729.html
The man who was Tasered, Gregory Williams, 40, a double-leg amputee, spent six days in jail on suspicion of domestic violence and resisting arrest, but the Merced County District Attorney's office hasn't filed any charges.
Pandemic Action Alerts --Petition
Link: http://www.legitgov.org/pandemic_action.html
When people arrive for their shots, they will get an ID bracelet with a barcode. Basic information - name, age, gender, address - will be entered into the database. There will be electronic records, too, of who gave the vaccine and whether it was injected into the right arm or the left, and time-stamped for that day.
US Story on Iran Nuke Facility Doesn’t Add Up
Link: http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2009/09/29/us-story-on-iran-nuke-facility-doesnt-add-up/
The story line that dominated media coverage of the second Iranian uranium enrichment facility last week was the official assertion that U.S. intelligence had caught Iran trying to conceal a "secret" nuclear facility. But an analysis of the transcript of that briefing by senior administration officials that was the sole basis for the news stories and other evidence reveals damaging admissions, conflicts with the facts, and unanswered questions that undermine its credibility. AntiWar: US Repeats ‘Demands’ on New Iran Site.
'Iran owns 10% of French nuclear plant'
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107452§ionid=351020104
Iran owns 10 percent of a French nuclear plant that produces a quarter of the world's enriched uranium, France's state-controlled nuclear reactor maker Areva said. The weekly Le Canard Enchaine said in its edition to be published on Wednesday that Iran has had the stake for more than 30 years, Reuters reported. “Iran has never received a single gram of enriched uranium from France,” an Areva spokeswoman said. Reuters: Iran owns 10 pct of French nuclear fuel plant. PressTV: 'Iran will not back down'.
Miami Herald makes up story on Zelaya, Washington Post and New York Times spread it
Link: http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_5176.shtml
The Herald reported on a telephone interview with Zelaya and said the Honduran leader said he was being subjected to “high-frequency radiation” from Israeli mercenaries who are supporting the Honduran junta. The paper also reported that Zelaya said that the Israelis were using “mind-altering” gas and radiation. In actuality, that is not what Zelaya stated in his conversation on September 24 with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was attending the UN General Assembly session in New York. Chavez said he spoke to Zelaya by phone at 1:00 pm EDT and the Honduran leader said a piece of equipment on the rooftop of a neighboring home had been recovered and brought into the embassy by Zelaya loyalists. When Zelaya checked the gear’s serial number on the Internet, it turned out the equipment was a cell phone jamming device manufactured in Israel.
CHILD ABUSE AND THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Link: http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2009/09/child-abuse-and-american-government.html
A declassified Pentagon report, Bioeffects of Selected Non-Lethal Weapons , obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, reveals that the US government is interested in some very nasty weapons. The "Voice of God" device is intended to create voices in people's heads.
Samoa tsunami toll rises to 85 people
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107462§ionid=351020406
The death toll from a major earthquake and its following tsunami in South Pacific island of Samoa has hit 85, officials and witnesses say. According to Samoan officials, at least another 145 people have been injured and a large number of villages destroyed. Al Jazeera: Deadly tsunami hits Samoan islands.
Guinea vows protest killings probe
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/09/200992923457659707.html
Guinea's government has promised an investigation into why members of the military opened fire on an opposition protest killing, by some accounts, more than 150 people. Moussa Dadis Camara, Guinea's military leader, apologised for the violence and announced two days of national mourning to begin on Wednesday, but also banned any further "subversive" gatherings. The Independent: Horror of Guinea stadium massacre that killed 157. WikiPedia: Guinea.
UK protesters call for arrest of Israeli war minister
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107443§ionid=351020202
British lawmakers and pro-Palestinian activists have pilloried the governing Labour Party for entertaining Israeli War Minister Ehud Barak at their annual conference instead of calling for his arrest for war crimes committed against the Palestinians. A demonstration was held to protest against Barak's presence in the British coastal resort of Brighton on September 29. The protestors said he should be held accountable for the 22-day Israeli onslaught against the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the blockaded Gaza Strip, which killed over 1,400, including more than 900 civilians, between December 2008 and January 2009. Nine Labour MPs participated in the protest near the party's conference venue, which was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
Senior official in Bush domestic propaganda program remains Obama’s Pentagon spokesman
Link: http://rawstory.com/2009/09/bryan-whitman-part-1/
In an examination of Pentagon documents the New York Times obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request — which reporter David Barstow leveraged for his April 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé on the program – Raw Story has found that Bryan Whitman surfaces in over 500 emails and transcripts, revealing the deputy assistant secretary of defense for media operations was both one of the program’s senior participants and an active member. Barstow’s Times expose revealed a comprehensive, covert Pentagon campaign — beginning during the lead-up to the Iraq War and continuing through 2008 — that shaped network military analysts into what internal documents referred to as “message force multipliers” and “surrogates” who could be trusted to parrot Bush administration talking points “in the form of their own opinions.” Barstow’s reporting also detailed how most of the military analysts, traditionally viewed as authoritative and independent, had ties to defense contractors with a stake in the same war policies they were interpreting daily to the American public.
Senate panel rejects gov't-run insurance option
The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market. The 15-to-8 vote could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole. + Big Win for the Insurance Industry: Senate Panel Rejects a ‘Public Option’ in Health Plan.
Afghan girl killed by RAF leaflet drop
Link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/30/2700660.htm
A young Afghan girl died after a box of public information leaflets, dropped by a British Royal Air Force plane over Afghanistan, landed on her, a newspaper said. Britain's Ministry of Defence said it was investigating the accident which it described as "highly regrettable," The Times said. The drop occurred over a rural area of Afghanistan's southern Helmand province on June 23 as part of an information campaign, the newspaper said. TimesOnline: Young girl is killed by RAF leaflet drop in Afghanistan.
Northern Lights Blaze Neon Bright Over Iceland (PIC)
Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orvaratli/2244937606/sizes/o/in/set-72157603007440604/
Northern Lights Blaze Neon Bright Over Iceland (PIC)
Guinea junta troops 'killed and raped hundreds at democracy rally'
Link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6853982.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093
The African Union threatened to impose sanctions on Guinea’s ruling military junta today as news emerged of more than 150 pro-democracy demonstrators killed, and hundreds more raped and butchered, in a brutal crackdown by government soldiers on Monday. Soldiers sent in to police the rally opened fire with live ammunition and tear gas, reportedly after a stampede broke out in the stadium. Witnesses reported that troops began bayoneting protestors trying to escape while others stripped and raped women in the crowd.
American jailed in Japan for trying to reclaim his children
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/29/japan.father.abduction/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Man asks US court to prevent his ex-wife from taking their kids to Japan during custody battle, he is denied. Ex-wife takes kids, never comes back. Man goes to Japan to try and take his kids back and is arrested.
Support Lauren Wasson and Fight Police Brutality
Link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/support-lauren-wasson-and-fight-police-brutality
Lauren Wasson, 23, of Garfield, was charged with obstruction of highways and aggravated assault after she allegedly threw her bicycle at Officer Shawn Dady, striking Officer Dady with it." Lauren was simply trying to slow down a moment so that another pedestrian could move out of her path. A slideshow is available that clearly shows the women falling into Lauren's path and the officers continuing to shove her despite the fact she was simply waiting for the women to move aside. Let's get as many signatures as we can and send them to Governor Edward Rendell demanding Lauren's clemency!
The Real Reasons Behind Fed Secrecy
If the Fed gave its actual arguments against a full audit, they would not have mentioned anything about political independence or economic stability. Instead they would admit they don’t want to be audited because they enjoy their current situation too much. Under the guise of currency control, they are able to help out powerful allies on Wall Street, in exchange for lucrative jobs or who-knows-what favors later on. An audit would expose the Fed as a massive fraud perpetrated on this country, enriching a privileged few bankers at the top of our economic food chain, and leaving the rest of us with massively devalued dollars which we are forced to use by law. An audit would make people realize that, while Bernie Madoff defrauded a lot of investors for a lot of money, the Fed has defrauded every one of us by destroying the value of our money.
US, NATO reach “consensus” to sanction rigged election in Afghanistan
Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/afgh-s29.shtml
The US and NATO countries involved in the occupation of Afghanistan have signaled their willingness to recognize the re-election of Afghan President Hamid Karzai despite evidence of massive ballot-stuffing and fraud in the August 20 elections. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NATO foreign ministers met with their Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta at a so-called “Friends of Afghanistan” meeting in New York last Friday. According to the Washington Post, the US and NATO foreign ministers “told President Hamid Karzai’s government that they expect him to remain in office for another five-year term.” Nothing could more clearly expose the neo-colonial character of the war and the cynicism behind the pretense that the bloodletting is motivated by concern for “democracy” and the “sovereignty” of Afghanistan.
Mom Goes Blind So Her Daughters Can See (VIDEO)
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/mom-goes-blind-so-her-dau_n_301947.html
Monique Zimmerman-Stein has been nearly blind for the last two years from Stickler syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. She recently decided to forego her own treatment to save funds to treat her two daughters, who also suffer from the condition, reports Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times. The family is covered under husband Gary's Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan, but that coverage only pays for 80 percent of medical expenses.
Net neutrality in Europe to be decided at dinner tonight
European telecommunications ministers could decide tonight whether to endorse a net neutrality clause in the long-awaited Telecoms Package. The meeting, scheduled for 9:30pm, will discuss whether to endorse Amendment 138, which guarantees network users than no-one can interfere with their access to and enjoyment of the internet without a court order, otherwise known as the net neutrality principle.
US soldiers killed in Philippines
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8279852.stm
Two US soldiers and a Filipino marine have been killed in a landmine blast on the southern Philippine island of Jolo, a Philippine army spokesman has said.
Iran chief of staff sees Israel as 'paper tiger'
Link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j5KHPqWT40t9VcoZWOiMyXtQz85A
Armed forces chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi on Monday dismissed Israeli threats against Iran, saying the Jewish state was a "paper tiger", Mehr news agency reported. Firouzabadi's remarks came as Iran announced it had successfully completed on Monday two days of test-firing missiles which the Islamic republic says could reach targets inside Israel.
Honduran regime imposes state of siege
Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/hond-s29.shtml
Three months after the coup that brought it to power, the right-wing regime headed by Liberal Party leader Roberto Micheletti has imposed a 45-day state of siege, suspending all basic democratic rights. Monday saw the implementation of the decree, which allows for arrests and searches without charges or warrants, and abrogates the right to assembly, freedom of movement and freedom of speech and press.
Officer faces G20 assault charge
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8279001.stm
A police officer is to be charged with assaulting a protester at the G20 demonstrations in London, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. Demonstrators posted Youtube footage of a police officer appearing to strike Brighton woman Nicola Fisher. Ms Fisher, 35, was one of two women to complain about the conduct in April of Sgt Delroy (Tony) Smellie. Prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to charge the officer in relation to the second allegation.
Pakistan issues threat to the US that it may attack Austin, Texas
Pakistan has told the US that it may start launching drone attacks against "the Aztlán leadership" in the city of Austin in a major escalation of its operations in the country. Islamabad has long been frustrated at Washington's reluctance to target the Mexican "Ruling Council", the Aztlán Council, which is accused of directing large parts of the insurgency across the border in Mexico. State department and intelligence officials delivered the ultimatum to Barak H. Obama, USA's president, last week as he attended a meeting at the United Nations' security council and the G20 economic summit.
QUEST FOR SMILE EVENT OCTOBER 3RD, AL-MAGHZI CAMP GAZA – PLEASE DONATE
Link: http://www.artistsagainstapartheid.org/?p=761&cpage=1
An After-School Program of Music and Performance for the Children of Al-Maghzi Refugee Camp, Gaza.@ 4pm
featuring Dance Puppets, Songs for Children, Dabkah, Folklore and Heritage show, Art Dancers, Entertainment, Games, Group Discussion and More...
PLEASE DONATE! Our fundraising goal is $700 to help present this event. Please make a donation of $1 or more today to help us reach our goal. Donate at www.artistsagainstapartheid.org or send through PayPal to: donate@artistsagainstapartheid.org.
The Quest For Smile presentedby: Unlimited Friends Association www.ufa2003.org. Co-Sponsored by: Artists Against Apartheid www.artistsagainstapartheid.org The Quest For Smile -An Afterschool program of Music and Performance for the children of Al-Maghzi refugee camp.
United States halts food aid for Somali women and children
Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/soma-s28.shtml
The World Food Programme has closed 12 feeding centres for women and children in Somalia because it has insufficient money to continue. Aid workers have told the BBC that the cuts are the result of US restrictions on aid to areas that are under the control of groups designated as terrorists.
Obama after Cairo
Link: http://peaceforgaza.blogspot.com/2009/09/obama-after-cairo.html
“It is the time to change” a statement that was spontaneously delivered when I followed Obama’s speech in Cairo University the last June. It was a speech full of encouraging words especially to the Palestinian people towards regaining part of their deprived rights. I strongly argued with my friends that the upcoming future will be partly bright to solve the Palestine-Israel conflict as Obama had raised the slogan Change We Need in his campaign. When it comes closer for the Palestinians, they were cautiously watching TVs during his speech in Cairo. We had amazingly been moved with the gentle and strong speech of Obama in Cairo. The supporters of Obama in his election campaign were massively raising Change We need flash cards sending massages to the whole world that justice and freedom will finally prevail. As for me, I directly uploaded Obama’s word and the audio and started listening to his speech once, twice..PCAS: When leaders fail.
Death by heat for Arizona inmate
Link: http://frozenjustice.blogspot.com/2009/09/begging-for-water-marcia-powell-was.html
After passing out and having trouble breathing, Marcia Powell was supposed to be transferred to a psychiatric unit, since her symptoms may have been related to the meds she was put on. But first she was put in a shadeless dog-run type cage in the Arizona heat and they left her there. She was denied water and restroom access and finally fell into a coma that afternoon. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a bureaucratic official pulled her plug without even checking to see if she had a guardian or any family to notify.
UN: Record number of Afghan civilian deaths in 2009
Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/sep2009/afgh-s28.shtml
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan recorded about 1,500 civilian deaths in the first six months of 2009, a 24 percent increase over the previous year and a record in the eight-year-old war. August witnessed the most civilian killings, largely due to violence associated with that month’s elections, the report said. It provided no figure for the August death toll.
Brazil says won't comply with Honduras ultimatum
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE58Q1MP20090927
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday his nation would not comply with a demand from Honduras' de facto government to decide the status of ousted President Manuel Zelaya in 10 days. Lula, speaking to reporters during a summit in Venezuela, said international law protects Brazil's embassy, where Zelaya has been staying since returning to Honduras earlier this month. He demanded an apology from Honduras' de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti.
Iran warns of 'Western stratagem' ahead of N-talks
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=107304§ionid=351020104
Iran says the sudden commotion over a nascent enrichment facility outside Tehran is a Western ploy to create high international tensions ahead of crucial nuclear talks. Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani said Sunday that Western powers seek to make an issue out of Iran's nuclear activities in order to “impose their will on the country during the upcoming negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group. WSWS: Obama follows Bush’s modus operandi on Iran. The People's Voice: Do you want to know why Iran has a nuclear program? It's called Peakoil, and it has global consequences.
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