U.S. News Topics Overviews

Automatically compiled digests of U.S. NEWS stories
(originally aggregated by the Google News)

Friday

Sep-03-2009 -- US Fails to Notify Victims About Prison Furloughs
The Bureau of Prisons proposed a revised furlough policy in 2003, but it has yet to be negotiated with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Council of Prison Locals, Fine's report said.
The investigation found the prison system does not have accessible or accurate data on inmate escapes while on furlough, nor on crimes committed by furloughed inmates. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Gang members grumble over police, anger parents of slaying victims
Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis' recent meeting with West Side gang leaders, at which he demanded the ringleaders tamp down on violence committed by the underlings they allegedly control, has sparked varying reactions over the wisdom of the sit-down.
Chicago police Superintendent Jody Weis is facing mounting criticism for holding a so-called "gang summit" last month, even though several police departments across the country have relied on that approach for decades to help reduce crime. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Jerry Brown steps up his campaign - in the flesh
A union-funded group that spent almost $9 million on negative advertising targeting Meg Whitman, the Republican running for governor in California, has suspended its campaign, designed to help Democrat Jerry Brown.
You should also consider that Jerry has been Mayor of Oakland and Attorney General since being Governor. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Candidates for California Senate Seat Come to Debate Ready for Battle
At the start of the year, few observers thought the Senate was up for grabs in part because it seemed implausible that Washington's Patty Murray, California's Barbara Boxer and Wisconsin's Russ Feingold were in any serious danger.
"The steps we took kept our economy from going off a cliff," Boxer said. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Ship ceremony marks war anniversary
On Sept. 2, 1945, Japanese officials signed the surrender documents on board the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Veterans and their families marked the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on board the ship where Japan formally surrendered in 1945. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Girl's Death in Brooklyn Prompts Police Inquiry
Photo posted to MySpace page of Carlotta Pierce.
Next to the bed was an oxygen tank, which was not connected to the girl's mouth. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Fewer Young Voters See Themselves as Democrats
Gallup said the Republican edge "suggests the potential for a major 'wave' election in which the Republicans gain a large number of seats from the Democrats and in the process take back control of the House."
"I don't think you need oversensitive ears to hear a lot of racial coding in the Republican message of the past two years." More...

Sep-03-2009 -- DMV offers extended hours to slog through backlog of work
Networks for 27 agencies went kaput on Aug. 25, and on Tuesday, problems still affected the Department of Taxation, the state board of elections and the Department of Motor Vehicles, said Marcella Williamson, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, which runs the state computer network.
The DMV'''s 74 customer service centers, including the Courtland location, have been unable to issue licenses or ID cards for days. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Illegal immigrants: Which states have lost the most?
The decline was most apparent along the United States' Southeast coast -- Florida, Virginia, Delaware and Georgia -- as well as in Western mountain states like Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Utah.
"Jobs are scarce, and the jobs we can find are more difficult to get because bosses want to see your immigration documents,'' Teresa Guevara, an undocumented Mexican immigrant to Florida , told The Miami Herald . More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Candidate Busted
David Mejias, a former Nassau County legislator and current state senate candidate, was arrested on charges of stalking Wednesday night.
All charges are A misdemeanors that carry up to a possible year in jail. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- California to use new type of nationwide school tests
Parents are essential to a child'''s success at school.
This could be a positive development especially for showing the educational growth of students with disabilities. More...

Sep-03-2009 -- Phoenix airport worker arrested in luggage thefts
PHOENIX (AP) - Gov. Jan Brewer and other Republican candidates are moving to make controversy surrounding Arizona's illegal immigration law an election issue -- by putting a spotlight on Democratic rivals' backing by unions that support an economic boycott of the state.
The $18 million in cuts, as well as more than $400 million in other health care funding, was restored because the new federal health care law would have stripped hundreds of millions in federal funding to Arizona if the cuts were implemented. More...

Thursday

Sep-02-2009 -- Shock Prediction: GOP to Take House, Maybe Senate in 2010 Election
The anti- incumbent pitch isn't from Republicans or Tea Party activists.
"Labor has chosen to take one or two issues and make an example of some Democrats at a moment when control of one of more house of Congress hangs in the balance," Bennett, vice president of the Third Way, a group that advocates free trade and deficit controls, said in an interview. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Elizabeth Warren bails out of Harvard
Word on the street is that Elizabeth Warren has somewhat abruptly decided not to teach at Harvard this fall.
Dodd acknowledged he wanted FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair to consider heading the consumer bureau, but he confirmed that she is not interested. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- AM Top News: Number of illegal immigrants in US declines
The decline was most apparent along the United States' Southeast coast -- Florida, Virginia, Delaware and Georgia -- as well as in Western mountain states like Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Utah.
The decline corresponded with a period when authorities beefed up border security and jobs dried up amid the economic recession, though researchers could not pinpoint precisely why immigrant numbers fell. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- AFL's fall strategy: Less TV
The head of the nation's largest organized labor federation on Wednesday vowed a two-month media and grass-roots campaign to define the election as a fight between Democrats' efforts for the nation's workers versus Republicans' efforts to regain control of Congress for corporate America.
The nation's largest labor federation plans to spend more than $50 million leading up to the November elections, targeting 70 House races and 18 Senate races with television ads, phone banks and leaflets. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Delaware Senate candidate in on-air confrontation with radio host
Once dismissed as a fringe kook, teabagger Christine O'Donnell has picked up a boatload of momentum and credibility in the wake of the shocking Alaska Republican Senate primary results.
The question isn't can Delaware elect a DeMint clone. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Dan Maes' campaign faces more problems
BAD DAY FOR MAES: Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes had a difficult day yesterday, meeting with Republican Governors Association officials in Washington, D.C., to answer questions about his campaign, and losing a key endorsement from Republican Hank Brown.
Former Congressman Bob Beauprez, another star Colorado Republican, also dug into Maes yesterday, calling on the Evergreen businessman to quit the race. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Groups win grants to develop new student assessment systems
Analysts suggest that the two winning applications have much in common.
According to the USDOE announcement, a majority of the $350 million grant - set aside as a separate component of the Race to the Top package - will actually be awarded to two groups for the purpose of creating common assessments aligned to the recently published Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Ann Coulter: Obama Is Atheist, Not Muslim
Christianity is just a shield against the religious right.
Parading to church in front of the TV cameras carrying a 10-pound Bible -- like a certain serial adulterer, impeached president I could name -- is strongly discouraged by the creator of the universe. ("Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Maryland Sen. Currie indicted on charges of taking bribes from grocery chain
A federal grand jury has indicted powerful Maryland Senate committee chairman Ulysses S. Currie on charges of bribery, extortion, and mail fraud and making false statements.
At the time, a source with knowledge of the probe said agents distributed grand jury subpoenas seeking information about a planned 240-acre development, including efforts by developers to rezone the property and secure highway access from the Capital Beltway. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Lazio's Lead Over Paladino for Governor Shrinks Among New York Republicans
A new Q Poll out today shows more good news for Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo, the state'''s attorney general, leads former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio 57% to 25%, and Carl Paladino, an independent candidate, 60% to 23%, the poll found. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Chicago police chief criticized for 'gang summit'
Jody Weis held and other top law enforcement officials met with the reputed leaders of several West Side street gangs at the Garfield Park Conservatory over the weekend ]] Police Supt.
Someone in the gang commits murder, and if the circumstances are correct then CPD and the feds together go after the gang as a criminal enterprise, targeting and taking ill-gotten gains and holding gang leaders criminally accountable. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Pizza Delivery Man Stabbed to Death After Being Lured to Mass. Home
With massive deficits looming, Romer said much of the cost of any new package should be covered by spending cuts or tax increases, after the economy has fully recovered.
Economic "stimulus" must be "worth it". More...

Thursday

Sep-02-2009 -- Economist Christina Romer serves up dismal news at her farewell luncheon
With massive deficits looming, Romer said much of the cost of any new package should be covered by spending cuts or tax increases, after the economy has fully recovered.
The Congressional Budget Office, meanwhile, has said that the Obama administration's recovery efforts increased employment by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million new jobs. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Lawyer: Leak suspect's mental health doubted
Manning, an Army intelligence analyst, is being held in solitary confinement at a Quantico, Virginia, detention facility.
The allegations include leaking video of a 2007 U.S. Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed a Reuters news photographer and his driver. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Tim Cahill lashes out at Deval Patrick over remarks on Glenn Beck
What struck me most about Beck's own speech on Saturday was how not-evangelical it was.
Humanity has demonstrated the interesting paradox of being the most productive and destructive force just behind nature itself. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Environmentalists stunned by failures of key measures in Legislature
'''Relatively high''' levels of BPA were found in some baby and infant foods, the Sydney-based group said in a statement today.
The failed measure would have placed limits on BPA to trace amounts in food and beverage containers meant for use by children age three and younger, added the AP. Senator Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills cited scientific evidence indicating BPA can cause harm to young children'''s''' development and, via her bill'''SB797'''was hoping to implement the ban by January 1, 2012, extending the ban to infant formula containers by July 1, 2012, explained the AP. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Unions Spurn Democrats Seen as Turncoats on Health, Organizing
The head of the nation's largest organized labor federation on Wednesday vowed a two-month media and grass-roots campaign to define the election as a fight between Democrats' efforts for the nation's workers versus Republicans' efforts to regain control of Congress for corporate America.
"The first off-year election in a Democratic administration is the wrong time to be punishing your friends for insufficient loyalty." More...

Sep-02-2009 -- California `Budget Kabuki' Impasse Increases Schwarzenegger Borrowing Cost
As the Legislature was taking up the issue of how to close a $19 billion budget deficit, the governor was in The City, talking to business leaders about what's at stake: education, welfare programs and social services.
If we can't perform our duties, provide the oversight, the accountability and the leadership, then we are not doing our job." More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Onorato slams Corbett's opposition to drilling tax
Onorato, the elected chief executive of Allegheny County, proposes a new tax that would generate enough money to restore funding for environmental enforcement that has been cut in recent years; maintain municipal water, road and sewer systems affected by the drilling; and preserve open space.
Isn't Corbett the same clown who thinks the newspapers are filled with legitimate job offers? Anybody can make six figures just by filling out a job application? Funny, Corbett doesn't look like a former boxer. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Santa Cruz County leaders push ahead with plastic bag prohibitions as state ...
In what can only be described to us as shocking, the State of California failed to pass bill AB1998 yesterday, which would have banned plastic and paper bags in grocery stores, convenience stores and drug stores (as well as some other locations) by 2013.
Here in San Francisco, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi in August proposed widening the city's plastic bag ban to just about every store in the city, while imposing a five-cent fee on paper bags . More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Judge blocks motion to dismiss lawsuit against deepwater drilling ban
After Feldman scrapped the first moratorium, Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar imposed the second ban, saying regulators needed more time to recommend improvements in offshore drilling safety and to boost the industry'''s ability to respond to oil spills.
A group of offshore oil companies filed a lawsuit claiming the government has no evidence that deepwater drilling poses a threat to the Gulf and asked the court to declare the ban invalid. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Sink unveils plan to retool Florida's public schools
The Florida gubernatorial race could be getting yet another curveball thrown into it, the St. Petersburg Times reports, with independent candidate Bud Chiles expected to drop out soon.
Scott, after all, is more of a political outsider than McCollum or Sink herself. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Dead suspect may be linked to 4 slayings in Calif.
Vallejo police on Tuesday arrested Allen's husband, 72-year-old Charles Rittenhouse, on a charge of possessing explosive materials after investigators found chemicals used to make bombs inside the home where the women were found.
Police found Valdemoro'''s girlfriend in the car. More...

Sep-02-2009 -- Man survives after 400ft jump by landing on car
What struck me most about Beck's own speech on Saturday was how not-evangelical it was.
Yeah, there is a group I want to join - bunch of self righteous Evangelical Taliban wannabes lead by a false prophet Beck. More...

Wednesday

Sep-01-2009 -- Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina debate: watch out for 'head blimp'
SAN FRANCISCO -- On the eve of her only scheduled debate with the Republican challenger who is nipping at her heels, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer said she doesn't worry about her re-election chances.
As a U.S. senator, Fiorina very well could back a national anti-immigrant law patterned after Arizona'''s. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Ground Zero Mosque Controversy Puts Many US Muslims on Defensive
In fact the closest we get to attaching any religious significance to Ground Zero is from the cult of Americans who worship at the altar of endless warfare, in which one of the greatest tragedies in modern American history has been twisted and perverted into the founding myth of a new religion giving America a divine duty to launch crusades across the Muslim world.
You insult that you feel we must be lectured or told what to think. i can make of my own mind with what I hear, what I see and what is exhibited. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Chiles expected to drop out of governor's race
The Florida gubernatorial race could be getting yet another curveball thrown into it, the St. Petersburg Times reports, with independent candidate Bud Chiles expected to drop out soon.
We spoke to Chiles on Aug. 31, 2010, who directed us to campaign spokeswoman Katie Ottenweller. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Poll: Cuomo ahead but 'ducking' fix for NY budget
A new Q Poll out today shows more good news for Andrew Cuomo.
"And I believe the last thing we need to do, from my perspective, is to have two Republicans go at each other." More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Gettysburg casino plan ignites modern battle
GETTYSBURG - The developer of a proposed casino Tuesday called this historic community the "last untapped gaming marketplace" in Pennsylvania and contended that his casino would rejuvenate the area's recession-ravaged economy while respecting its rich history and tradition.
Adams County resident Kristin Rice told the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board that slots, poker tables and roulette wheels would dishonor the tens of thousands of soldiers who died during the three-day battle. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Cops probe dead suspect's link to 2 more bodies
Investigators are trying to determine whether there's a connection between suspect Efren Valdemoro's possible crimes and the disappearance of Valdemoro's roommate and another Vallejo woman last week.
In the report, the two women were believed to be driving Allen's white 2002 Cadillac Escalade. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Florida Senate campaign hits Charlie Crist for Palin support
Narrowing Charlie Crist's financial advantage and putting pressure on national Democrats to put up or shut up on Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is pumping $2.5-million - the maximum allowed under federal law - into campaign advertising to be coordinated with Marco Rubio's Senate campaign.
True enough, but it hasn't stopped others from speculating about what a Democratic Crist could mean to the composition of the United States Senate. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Pawlenty orders state to stay out of federal health plan
"Anything that I can do to slow down, limit or negate Obamacare, I'm going to try to do it within reason," Pawlenty said after a veterans event in St. Paul.
Vowing to '''slow down, limit or negate Obamacare''' in Minnesota, the governor said state agencies should refrain from applying for federal grants in 15 arenas. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- When Does Holding Teachers Accountable Go Too Far?
Teachers have to deal with enough as it is: sometimes violent students, stagnant pay, crumbling buildings, pinched budgets that have forced them to ask kids to bring toilet paper and sanitizing wipes to school, on top of the hangover legacy of former President Bush'''s test-focused No Child Left Behind fiasco.
There are many pitfalls to making causal attributions of teacher effectiveness on the basis of the kinds of data available from typical school districts. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Calif. Senate nixes BPA ban in baby products bill
Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn, after releasing the report yesterday, said scientists were concerned the ''safe level'' was based on studies done in the 1980s and that the limit of safe exposure should be set lower.
BPA is found in a wide variety of consumer products and is known to imitate the hormone estrogen. Acting as an anti-androgen, BPA effects sexual development and processes, especially in developing fetuses, infants, and children. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Voter mood has Fenty quickly shifting gears on strategy
"I think the truth of the matter is while a significant part of the election cycle is behind us, I think in the last 16 days of an election anything can happen," Fenty said at a news conference in the parking lot of United Medical Center in Southeast Washington.
Fenty is a racist thief who has put the word out that the District is about firing Blacks and hiring new White residents. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Doctor found dead, lodged in boyfriend's chimney, police say
From the outset of the Obama speech on August 31 , the president set a theme of refocusing American energies on the home front.
Continuing to occupy Iraq - no matter how "small" the force - gives credence to the accusation that we are waging a war against Islam. More...

Wednesday

Sep-01-2009 -- Pawlenty turns down $868000 sex education grant
"Anything that I can do to slow down, limit or negate Obamacare, I'm going to try to do it within reason," Pawlenty said after a veterans event in St. Paul.
"We really feel strongly that young people need good information to make good decisions," said E. Brooke Stelzer, the health education director for Annex Teen Clinic in Robbinsdale. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Florida voters can't strip down Obama health-care bill, judge rules
TALLAHASSEE The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld lower-court decisions to remove three legislatively drafted constitutional amendments dealing with property tax breaks, redistricting and the federal health-care reform''from the Nov. 2 ballot.
The high court on Tuesday also rejected another lawsuit filed by opponents of Amendments 5 and 6 including U. S. Reps. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Sen. Boxer vows to hold Obama accountable on Afghanistan troop withdrawals
SAN FRANCISCO -- On the eve of her only scheduled debate with the Republican challenger who is nipping at her heels, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer said she doesn't worry about her re-election chances.
"All we need is one more senator to get up to the sixty votes necessary, and I believe we will get that." More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Meg Whitman could serve on jury in molestation trial
Democrat Jerry Brown is running for governor, but voters in California might not know it.
This ad is independent of Republican candidate Meg Whitman, it's being put forward by the Small Business Action Committee, headed by Joel Fox. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- No timetable set for return of Va. DMV licensing service
Sen. John Miller, D-Newport News, said McDonnell's call for an investigation is a smart move especially since state workers have struggled while dealing with Northrop Grumman.
McDonnell recently lured Northrop Grumman's corporate headquarters from California to Northern Virginia, in part, by offering the firm millions of dollars in inducements. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Fenty plans to stick with proven campaign strategy from '06
"I think the truth of the matter is while a significant part of the election cycle is behind us, I think in the last 16 days of an election anything can happen," Fenty said at a news conference in the parking lot of United Medical Center in Southeast Washington.
'Pay to play,' 'rigged contracts' and'shady deals' are just a few of the terms that Mr. Gray has hurled at Mr. Fenty leading up to the Sept. 14 primary. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Cops: Calif doctor gets stuck in chimney, dies
Sad news, a doctor in Bakersfield, California has died three days ago after trying her best to enter the home of her "on again, off again" boyfriend, her decomposing body was found there on Tuesday morning.
Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, officers with the Bakersfield Police Department went to a home in the 4300 block of La Mirada Drive on reports of a dead woman found lodged in a fireplace flue. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- With `spoiler' out of race, it's a one-on-one matchup
The Florida gubernatorial race could be getting yet another curveball thrown into it, the St. Petersburg Times reports, with independent candidate Bud Chiles expected to drop out soon.
Sink campaign spokeswoman Kyra Jennings declined to comment. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Qantas passengers heard thud, saw flames
A Qantas Airways jetliner carrying 212 passengers made an emergency landing at San Francisco International Airport early Tuesday after one of its four engines failed, authorities said.
The captain assured passengers that the plane would fly be ok to fly on the remaining three engines for the emergency landing. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Feds file new Arizona immigration lawsuit, this time to protect workers
The Justice Department filed another suit Monday against Arizona for immigration actions by its officials, claiming a network of community colleges engaged in illegal discriminatory practices toward noncitizens.
Another week, another Department of Justice lawsuit against Arizona. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Court: Dallas men can't get divorced in Texas
The 5th Texas Court of Appeals ruled that a Dallas district court judge didn't have the authority to hear a divorce case involving two Dallas men who married in Massachusetts in 2006.
The court ruled Tuesday that the state's ban on gay marriage does not violate the Texas Constitution, the AP reported. More...

Sep-01-2009 -- Official: La. oil command center to shut over rent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House of Representatives ethics watchdog has asked a congressional committee to look into campaign fundraising by three lawmakers for possible links to their votes on financial reform, aides confirmed on Tuesday.
"The Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics ('OCE') referred the above numbered matter to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct ('Standards Committee') for dismissal," wrote Leo Wise, the OCE's staff director and chief counsel, in a letter to some of the lawmakers Monday. More...

Tuesday

Aug-31-2009 -- Obama rips GOP for blocking business aid bill
Obama spoke at a time when his administration and the country's monetary stewards at the Federal Reserve have seen high unemployment defy their efforts to stimulate enough demand for products and services to prompt employers to hire new workers.
House Republican Leader John Boehner's August 24 remarks to the City Club of Cleveland on jobs and the economy were noteworthy for the call to fire President Obama's economic team. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Wealthy lawmakers' fortunes grow, despite bad economy
That's the news from an analysis out today by The Hill , which found that the 50 wealthiest members of Congress saw their collective fortunes rise to $1.4 billion in 2009 -- an $85.1 million jump from 2008 -- even as the U.S. economy struggled to recover from the Great Recession.
No matter what shape the economy is in, the rich just seem to keep getting richer. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Boehner Suggests Obama Shouldn't Take Credit
In advance of President Obama '''s Tuesday night speech on Iraq, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, was set to remind thousands of veterans attending the national convention of the American Legion that Mr. Obama and other Democrats had opposed the military escalation credited with gains in Iraq.
Anyone in the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio who has a bank account or a credit card, or a share or two of stock in a depressed IRA or Keogh plan, needs to think hard about a speech that Boehner gave to a banking convention in March. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- 747 makes it back to SFO after engine explodes
A Qantas Airways jetliner carrying 212 passengers made an emergency landing at San Francisco International Airport early Tuesday after one of its four engines failed, authorities said.
Airport duty manager Chris Davison said the pilot immediately turned the plane around and headed to SFO with emergency crews scrambled to the runway. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Report: U.S. representative gave charitable scholarships to relatives
A Dallas congresswoman violated Congressional Black Caucus Foundation rules by awarding scholarship money to four relatives and a top aide's two children, an attorney for the organization said.
"There should be outrage because there are probably students who are more deserving and more needy of the funds," Borochoff said. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Emmer, Dayton tied in new poll
The story details how exterminators get rid of bed bugs, and it involves cooking them with heat lamps, and ewww.
The survey of voters who are likely to vote in the November election shows Dayton and Emmer each receiving 34 percent of the vote, with Independence Party candidate Tom Horner receiving 13 percent. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- GOP candidate for governor: Obama worships himself
ALBANY, N.Y. Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino said Monday during a live television interview that he doesn't believe President Barack Obama is a practicing Christian "in his heart."
Paladino circulated petitions among Republicans statewide to win a spot on the Sept. 14th primary ballot. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Absentees may determine US Senate seat in Alaska
Attorney Joe Miller currently leads Murkowski by 1,668 votes in the GOP primary for Senate in Alaska; however, more than 20,000 ballots have yet to be counted.
I personally couldn't care less whether Murkowski or Miller gets the GOP nod. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Convicted Former Rep. Traficant Has Enough Signatures To Run For Old Seat
Jim Traficant, the former Ohio congressman who served seven years in prison on corruption charges, has secured the necessary signatures to run for his old congressional seat as an independent, the Youngstown Vindicator reports.
Former Democratic Rep. Jim Traficant ''' the Ohio congressman who was expelled from the House in 2002 and served seven years in prison for bribery, racketeering and tax evasion ''' will likely be allowed to run for his old seat as an independent after meetings this week. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Meek, Rubio take aim at Crist in Florida's US Senate race
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist remains coy about which political party he would caucus with if he emerged the victor in the state's three-way contest for the U.S. Senate.
Meeks attacks need to be focused on Rubio, not Crist. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Obama poised to loosen rules on export of technology
The report called for ending outdated national security controls on U.S. exports of defense and civilian-military, dual-use technology, and products.
"The control list criteria are based on transparent rules, which will reduce the uncertainty faced by our Allies, U.S. industry and its foreign partners, and will allow the government to erect higher walls around the most sensitive items in order to enhance national security," it said. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Vatican To Consider Defrocking Priest
New York voters contradicted themselves over a planned Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center site, with majorities saying both that Muslims have the right to build one but that they should be forced to move it, a poll issued on Tuesday finds.
Sometimes it seems like everyone in American politics is playing God. More...

Tuesday

Aug-31-2009 -- Psst! Hey, isn't that potential juror Meg Whitman?
Democrat Jerry Brown is running for governor, but voters in California might not know it.
Her campaign said Whitman was called, showed up, filled out the questionaire today -- and is actually still in the jury pool. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Virginia Politics: Judge quashes Cuccinelli subpoena of U-Va. records
RICHMOND (August 30, 2010) - An Albemarle County Circuit Court judge issued his ruling today in the case of the University of Virginia's petition to set aside the civil investigative demands (CID) issued to it by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.
The judge also determined that Cuccinelli can only investigate one of the five grants awarded to Mann, since only one had been awarded by the state of Virginia. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Seattle Schools, Teachers Think They've Agreed
Talks wrapped up at 10:00 p.m. with no deal yet.
Monroe County School District officials sat down Thursday with representatives of the union United Teachers of Monroe to hash out a three-year deal that includes the sea change of introducing pay for performance instead of the tenure-based model now used. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Traficant may yet be on Ohio ballot
Earlier on Friday, just over one dozen dedicated supporters of Jim Traficant rallied for "Justice for Jim" outside the Mahoning County Board of Elections.
"To be sure, Danielle O'Neill must be held to account for not sending to the county commissioners the ballot language for the half-percent sales tax renewal that was prepared by the Ohio secretary of state's office. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Education secretary hits the road
Education Secretary Arne Duncan is on a nationwide bus tour called '''Courage in the Classroom.'''
In a Tuesday news conference, Duncan said the money ran out before all deserving states could receive a share. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Hate Crime Charges in Stabbing of a Cabdriver
NEW YORK — An arts student accused of slashing a Muslim taxi driver's neck has been indicted on hate-crime charges, prosecutors said Monday as the student's lawyer lashed out at media interest in a case that comes amid debate over attitudes about Muslims and a plan to build a mosque near ground zero.
Michael Enright, 21, was facing attempted murder charges in last week's attack. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Obama isn't being smart on Arizona
The ballot initiative Combs plans on pushing would mimic the enforcement obligation contained in the Arizona law, though that is up for debate.
Arizona could slap illegal aliens with a $100 fine. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- GOP leaders reach out to Scott
Republican newcomer Rick Scott , who upset state Attorney General Bill McCollum in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, spent $50 million winning that contest, and could end up spending a total of $100 million by the end of the general election campaign, the St. Petersburg Times says.
We turned to the Scott campaign for clarity. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Troops To Obama: Glad To Be Back From Iraq
EL PASO, Texas -- KFOX will have complete coverage of the entire visit of President Barack Obama to Fort Bliss on Tuesday, including on KFOX-TV, KFOX digital channel 14.2, KFOXTV.com , and our Twitter and Facebook pages.
A year is a long time, and you're worried all the time. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Bomb squad blows up Civil War cannonballs in Ga.
Apparently in some of the Civil War relics stored on the third floor were apparently hazardous.
"We just figured it was a drill," Gray said. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Nearly1,100 DC voters cast first-ever early ballots for mayor
"I think the truth of the matter is while a significant part of the election cycle is behind us, I think in the last 16 days of an election anything can happen," Fenty said at a news conference in the parking lot of United Medical Center in Southeast Washington.
In Wards 7 and 8, mostly African-American parts of SE DC, Gray is crushing Fenty, 69% to 14%. More...

Aug-31-2009 -- Imam Says Politics Has Stoked Controversy Over Center
Apparently in some of the Civil War relics stored on the third floor were apparently hazardous.
"We just figured it was a drill," Gray said. More...

Monday

Aug-30-2009 -- Record number in government anti-poverty programs
Compiling state and federal data, USA Today reports today that one in six Americans (and counting) receives some kind of government anti-poverty assistance, a new national record.
Close to 10 million receive unemployment insurance, nearly four times the number from 2007. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Teachers Unions Blast 'LA Times' for Publishing Controversial Results
Three is that teacher unions are marginalizing and isolating themselves on the left fringe by clinging to a status quo while the performance of American public schools slips in international ratings and while, year after year, our schools fail poor students, perpetuating an underclass and cycle of despair.
A different test would have to be used each year and it would have to be handled by someone other than the classroom teacher. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Meek's Florida Primary Win May Boost Senate Bid by GOP's Rubio
Elections for the House of Representatives are likely to produce a Democratic congress - albeit one with a sharply lower majority.
To begin with, parties holding executive power traditionally lose seats mid-term. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Obama says US economy not growing fast enough
The Congressional Budget Office says the 2010 Federal deficit will be in excess of $1.3 trillion, as in $1,000,000,000,000+. initial unemployment claims jumped a half-million last week, the worst since last November, as national unemployment remains at 9.5% and the economy sheds 131,000 more jobs.
On the high unemployment rate in the country, Obama said "every right" to be frustrated and angry about it. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Crist's Fine Line Keeps Getting Finer
CQ POLITICS NEWS Aug. 29, 2010 ''' 11:46 a.m. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) on Sunday again declined to reveal which political party he would caucus with if he wins the state'''s three-way Senate race this November, while also clarifying his position on the new health care overhaul and his opposition to same-sex marriage.
We just need to get it right and do it right," Crist told the Associated Press. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Judge quashes Cuccinelli subpoena to the University of Virginia
On NPR's " Tell Me More," Richmond Times-Dispatch political reporter and columnist Jeff Schapiro discussed Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's (R) recent advisory legal opinion concluding that the state Board of Health has the authority to regulate abortion clinics.
Amid a hot-tempered debate over a mosque and community center in Manhattan, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli ruled that religious displays aren't automatically prohibited from public land in Virginia, provided that local leaders don't favor one religion or sect. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Wisconsin state agencies taking furloughs Friday
A number of state offices will be closed on the Friday before Labor Day.
More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Governor candidates plot course through MD battlegrounds
Though not required to do so by law, former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) released several years of partial tax returns late Friday afternoon, and Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) followed suit Saturday morning.
Neither Mr. Ehrlich nor Mr. O'Malley should be elected as Governor. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Poll Has DC Mayor Trailing Council Chairman As Early Voting Begins
"I think the truth of the matter is while a significant part of the election cycle is behind us, I think in the last 16 days of an election anything can happen," Fenty said at a news conference in the parking lot of United Medical Center in Southeast Washington.
Or maybe station management, seeing that popular opinion is with Vince Gray, doesn't want to lose audience because they are turned off by Fenty boosterism. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- The Koch Brothers Profiled
A former Koch adviser told The New Yorker that the Kochs back the tea party movement for the most cynical reasons.
Now what is more covert than media coming in to a hit piece on our board chairman. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Southern governors address Gulf recovery, energy
HOOVER, Ala. (AP) - Southern governors meeting in Alabama are scheduled to discuss the Gulf oil spill today.
Riley says the first step to economic recovery is to get money in the hands of people who have lost income due to the oil spill. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Is Glenn Beck the new Jeremiah Wright, an angry prophet?
Jesus lived and died as a poor man.
Interesting that Beck thinks 'real' religion should not ally itself with any political position (liberation theology = Marxism = bad bad bad) while obviously equating religion with Capitalism and its emphasis on letting individuals do whatever they can get away with. More...

Monday

Aug-30-2009 -- Alaska Senate contender calls for 'belt tightening'
"Attorney Joe Miller is an extreme politician who wants to end Social Security, Medicare and unemployment benefits for Alaskans," DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy said in a preview of what is to come over the next couple of months.
This is just the result of a hard fought primary. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Teachers blast LA Times for releasing teacher effectiveness rankings
The newspaper posted cumulative test results for students taking classes from math and English teachers in grades 3-5 in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation's second-largest district.
Some of it is indefinable and perhaps not teachable, said Franklin. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Senate Fields Are Set in West Virginia and Louisiana
Let's start with the obvious: On Aug. 28, West Virginia voters will tell a field of candidates who will survive to run in a special Nov. 2 election to fill the U.S. Senate seat that Robert C. Byrd occupied for more than 50 years.
" When you look at the plight of this country and the amount of money that we're printing, the amount of money that we're taxing, I think a lot of people think we can do a lot better than that." More...

Aug-30-2009 -- NY legislators want chickens vaccinated
NEW YORK — Two state legislators want to require farmers in New York to vaccinate their chickens against salmonella.
More...

Aug-30-2009 -- LIRR Service to Return to Normal
The Long Island Rail Road will have service delays and cancellations going well into next week, due to a switch fire -- but if you're going to the Hamptons this weekend, you're alright.
The LIRR's head''honcho is slogging through train delays like any other commuter on the rail line. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Obama to Revamp US Export Controls by Narrowing Military Restrictions
President Barack Obama on Tuesday will outline steps his administration is taking to revamp U.S. export restrictions on defense and high-tech goods, which is expected to lead to thousands of less sensitive items being decontrolled, senior administration officials said.
At the center of the new approach is a three-tier licensing system that will have stricter controls only for items that have direct warfare applications, the officials said. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Shootings leaves Mormon official, suspect dead
VISALIA, Calif. (AP) -- A bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was shot dead between services on Sunday, and less than an hour later, the man suspected of the crime also died after a shootout with police.
Police and church officials identified the slain bishop as Clay Sannar, 40, of Visalia's 2nd Ward. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Fenty admits 'underdog' status in DC mayor's race; Gray cautions supporters
"I think the truth of the matter is while a significant part of the election cycle is behind us, I think in the last 16 days of an election anything can happen," Fenty said at a news conference in the parking lot of United Medical Center in Southeast Washington.
If the newly appointed interim director of the District's troubled juvenile justice agency wants to become its permanent chief, he must show Mayor Adrian Fenty that he can strike a balance between keeping dangerous offenders behind bars and allowing young criminals back into the community for rehabilitation, Fenty told The Washington Examiner. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- San Jose police kill 42-year-old man wielding knife
A 28-year-old woman was killed Friday night on Morris Court in western San Jose, said Sgt. Ronnie Lopez, a police spokesman.
"I was in my kitchen (when) I heard a woman's voice arguing off and on, and then I heard a gunshot," said a man who requested anonymity. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Multiple Collisions Shut Down I-10 Westbound
The crashes caused two serious injuries, and six people in total were taken to area hospitals for treatment, said Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs.
PHOENIX -- The Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Phoenix Fire Department responded to multiple collisions on Interstate 10 westbound involving 69 vehicles between 16th Street and 7th. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Obama Plans Refinancing Aid, Loans for Jobless Homeowners, HUD Chief Says
The Obama administration plans to set up an emergency loan program for the unemployed and a government refinancing effort in the next few weeks to help homeowners pay their mortgages after home sales dropped in July, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said.
Further restricting labor mobility by tying a bigger anchor to unemployed homeowners makes no sense at all. More...

Aug-30-2009 -- Feinberg: Most spill claims lack documentation
The destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11 was an act of religious symbolism, and the perpetrators cared not at all that fellow Muslims perished there.
Mr Rauf, an imam in the area for 27 years, said the struggle 'is not between Muslims and non-Muslims, but between moderates of all the faith traditions and the radicals of all the faith traditions. More...

Sunday

Aug-29-2009 -- 3 Shocking Ways Glenn Beck Opposes The Tea Party
From my own State of Maine, there were a minimum of two and perhaps more large buses to the event.
To rcasero - You didn't need to wait for the Patriotic Americans' Rally - organized by Beck - for an answer to that question. all you had to do was check on the count for how many people voted for Obama! You were the ones that were duped! Dems need to stop voting along party lines and take a good look at the issues. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- About 70 cars involved in pileup on Phoenix interstate
The accidents caused two serious injuries, and six people in total were taken to area hospitals, Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Jacobs said.
Fire personnel treated 30 to 40 people involved in the accident who had minor injuries. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- First family ends Martha's Vineyard vacation
EDGARTOWN, Massachusetts — President Barack Obama and his family spent the day at the beach on Saturday, as their summer vacation at the posh Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard drew to a close.
Vernon Jordan, the former adviser to President Clinton, and trip director Marvin Nicholson joined Obama and Bloomberg for the round. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Guards open fire during 'major riot' at California prison
Seven inmates were hospitalized but officials said it wasn't clear how many suffered gunshot wounds.
No officers were hurt in the riot, which reportedly ended after about 30 minutes. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Education secretary takes reform show on the road
NJ.com A.M. Top News: Education Secretary Arne Duncan urges public school districts to share data and assess teachers The Star-Ledger - NJ.com The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke in Little Rock Ark. on Wednesday, urging public school districts across the nation to collaborate with teachers and find a system to assess student achievement, according to the Washington Post.
PERSONAL NOTE: I am a former children's counselor who worked in the criminal justice system, then I became a teacher who taught lesson plans for all grades from kg through 6th, next transitioning to closely monitoring 7th through 12th grade video classes by master teachers at Pensacola Christian School who were using A Beka Book curriculum. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Crist Defers on Making a Caucus Commitment
CQ POLITICS NEWS Aug. 29, 2010 ''' 11:46 a.m. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) on Sunday again declined to reveal which political party he would caucus with if he wins the state'''s three-way Senate race this November, while also clarifying his position on the new health care overhaul and his opposition to same-sex marriage.
The congressman'''s chances remain slim. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Democrats highlight Bush, 'extremism' in House battle
The political futures market Intrade gives the Republicans a 76% chance of retaking the House.
Van Hollen cited the Republican primary victory in Arizona of Tea Party-backed Jesse Kelly over Jonathan Paton, who was '''highly touted''' by House Republicans for the nomination to challenge first-term Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Future of NJ school reform remains uncertain without federal funds, permanent ...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican whose deep budget cuts have won wide praise, on Friday fired his education commissioner after a clerical error cost the state $400 million in federal education dollars.
In less than eight months in office, Christie, a 47-year-old former prosecutor and lobbyist, has risen from an unknown to a signal attraction in the fund-raising and messaging wars. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Jean Marbella: Gay in the GOP - a lonely road, but out in the open
Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for George W. Bush in 2004 and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has publicly come out as gay to his friends, family and colleagues.
For eons we have been the victims of hatred of the far-right. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Tennessee enmeshed in embryonic stem cell fight
The prohibition on using federal funds for scientific research in which human embryos are destroyed was already on the books ; President Bill Clinton had signed it nearly three years earlier.
Rather than delay scientific research while grinding through a legal appeal, Congress could rewrite the law to clearly allow federal funding for research on embryonic cell lines. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Muslims, Jews most likely to approve of Obama, poll finds
Americans are not Dumb. They know that he had a Muslim father, spent time in a Muslim country as a kid, and belittled Christians who "cling to their bibles".
Lamenting Obama's entry into the controversy over a proposed mosque near ground zero, the Washington Post's David Ignatius decides "that we truly have a leader who keeps doing the wise thing on policy (assuming you agree with him) but the dumb thing on politics." More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Five Years Later, Ray Arrigo Still Marks Where Water Drowned His Home
"I'm not suggesting that the American people are bullish on either party," said Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Ableser has served two House terms and was appointed to the state Senate seat when Harry Mitchell resigned to run for Congress. More...

Sunday

Aug-29-2009 -- Many factors shape American views of Islam
For many years our left-leaning leaders and most of the media have followed a pseudo religion called political correctness.
Some in Northeast Ohio's religious community are now working to keep the fear from spreading. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- La. residents rid grief in symbolic Katrina burial
May our future be bright and our spirits stay strong," reads the epitaph inscribed on the monument.
Hurricane Katrina funeral and burial services will be held Saturday, August 28th, starting at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in St. Bernard. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Experts expect to see Florida campaigns go negative early, often
Charlie Crist would not have voted for the Democratic health care reform law had he been in the Senate this year.
We're only a few days into the general-election phase of the most interesting Senate race in the country - the Florida three-way between Republican Marco Rubio, Democrat Kendrick Meek, and Republican turned Independent Charlie Crist - and already Crist is demonstrating how hard it will be for him to thread the ideological needle in a way that will secure him a plurality vote this November with the right concoction of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. (In a recent poll , Crist received 38 percent of the Democratic vote, 20 percent of the Republican vote, and 50 percent of the Independent vote.) More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Jean Marbella: Gay in the GOP - a lonely road, but out in the open
Ken Mehlman probably should not expect a fond embrace from the gay community.
Rogers' Roy Cohn Award recognizes high-profile gay men and lesbians who work against the interests of the gay community. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- For Obamas, a (mostly) uninterrupted vacation
EDGARTOWN, Massachusetts — President Barack Obama and his family spent the day at the beach on Saturday, as their summer vacation at the posh Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard drew to a close.
President Obama'''s golf-filled vacation in Martha'''s Vineyard neared its close on Friday with more bad news on the economic front, as the Commerce Department'''s Bureau of Economic Analysts revised downward 2nd quarter economic growth of the real gross domestic product, indicating the output of goods and services produced by labor and property in the U.S. grew by an anemic 1.6%, rather than the original estimate of 2.4%. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- NJ education commissioner Bret Schundler fired after $400M mistake
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican whose deep budget cuts have won wide praise, on Friday fired his education commissioner after a clerical error cost the state $400 million in federal education dollars.
Adena Stevens/For The Star-Ledger Fired state education chief Bret Schundler, speaking from his home Friday, expressed "tremendous disappointment" over leaving the administration, but said, "Frankly, I don't feel I did anything wrong." More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Democrats highlight Bush, 'extremism' in House battle
The political futures market Intrade gives the Republicans a 76% chance of retaking the House.
Vitter's standing among Republicans comes despite Traylor's efforts to highlight the senator's public scandals , including being linked to a Washington, D.C., escort service in 2007 and his decision not to fire a Senate staffer who had multiple DUI arrests and domestic violence charges against a girlfriend. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Director Craig Fugate refocusing a chastened FEMA
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) chaired a disaster recovery field hearing in New Orleans Thursday to explore the progress made and work remaining in the restoration of the Gulf Coast five years after Hurricane Katrina.
When Katrina destroyed 75% of the housing units in New Orleans, the agency scurried to respond to the disaster, spending $2.7 billion on 145,000 trailers and mobile homes to house an estimated 770,000 newly-homeless victims of the hurricane. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Teen in cigar-box shoes doesn't want to come back to Louisiana
SAN DIEGO -- Five years ago this Sunday, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, destroying homes and killing almost 2,000 people, but two local schools said they're committed to restoring the city.
The first challenge, funding to build a new wing for high school students who now attend classes in rusting second hand trailers. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Glenn Beck Rally "Blatantly Political," Says Top Democrat
From my own State of Maine, there were a minimum of two and perhaps more large buses to the event.
I used to be involved with the Tea Party, but I was shocked at the racism when they got together privately. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- Rick Scott's campaign a massively funded marketing machine
With Florida still facing double-digit unemployment and budget shortfalls, creating jobs and managing state finances are front-burner issues in the contest for governor.
No, Alex. All he thinks about is you and your support of Obama. More...

Aug-29-2009 -- The 1.6% Recovery
I know it maybe is a lost cause to mention this to an Obama Cultist, but ''' It's NOT ALL BUSH'''S FAULT. It'''s been almost two years since Obama won the Presidency.
"Without the stream of spending provided by the Recovery Act the economy would have contracted outright. More...

Saturday

Aug-28-2009 -- Christie fires education chief Schundler after US aid mistake
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican whose deep budget cuts have won wide praise, on Friday fired his education commissioner after a clerical error cost the state $400 million in federal education dollars.
"We have been able to do that successfully in the past." More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Folsom prison blues: Inmates riot, are shot
Folsom State Prison spokesman Luis Patino said none of the gunshot wounds was believed to be life threatening.
Seven inmates, with non life-threatening injuries, were taken by ambulance to Sacramento-area hospitals. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Let Reformation Begin at Ground Zero
While supporters of the project, formerly known as the Cordoba House, maintain it will be a venue for reconciliation between Islam and the West delivering a powerful rebuke to the al-Qaida terrorists who attacked the towers family members and friends of the 9/11 victims say building it there would have the opposite effect, deliberately provoking bitter and painful memories.
There is a strange compulsion to paint all Muslims with a moderate brush. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- State Dept. contractor charged in leak to news organization
WASHINGTON Aug 27 (Reuters) - A foreign policy analyst who worked at the U.S. State Department has been charged with leaking a top-secret intelligence report to a news reporter last year, the Justice Department said on Friday.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Friday accused an analyst who worked at the State Department of leaking top secret information about North Korea to a reporter. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Obama Hits Fairway With UBS's Wolf, Lawyer Jordan During Vineyard Vacation
"The president and Mayor Bloomberg took the opportunity to discuss plans for short- and long-term economic growth at a pivotal point in our recovery," said Reid Cherlin, a White House spokesman.
President Obama'''s golf-filled vacation in Martha'''s Vineyard neared its close on Friday with more bad news on the economic front, as the Commerce Department'''s Bureau of Economic Analysts revised downward 2nd quarter economic growth of the real gross domestic product, indicating the output of goods and services produced by labor and property in the U.S. grew by an anemic 1.6%, rather than the original estimate of 2.4%. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- NRA declines to endorse Reid in Nevada Senate race
Report abuse renostarman wrote on August 27, 2010 11:30 PM : "71 percent of Republicans, said they would have preferred if a candidate other than Angle had won the GOP primary."
I suspect Howard Dean and others have been saying this to the Obama administration for quite some time that the arrogance and the dismissiveness of the American public's opinion on a whole variety of things, including this one, is starting to corrode not just support for him but for the Democratic Party generally and is hurting candidates across this country. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Same-sex marriage gains GOP support
Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for George W. Bush in 2004 and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has publicly come out as gay to his friends, family and colleagues.
As a Christian, I realize that redemption is always available, and we must forgive 70 times 7 times, but, repentance is also part of that redemption--and Mehlman has a lot of sin to make up for. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Somali man pleads guilty in Virginia to attack on US vessel
The defendant, Jama Idle Ibrahim, pleaded guilty as part of a deal with U.S. prosecutors at a hearing in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, where the criminal charges over the attack had been pending.
Prosecutors maintain that the counts that Ibrahim pleaded guilty to amount to "acts of piracy." More...

Aug-28-2009 -- The Color of Money: It's unfair to call Social Security a Ponzi scheme
An email by deficit commission co-chair Alan Simpson saying the Social Security retirement program has reached a point "where it's like a milk cow with 310 million tits" is prompting calls for his resignation.
Columnist and economist Paul Krugman has said Simpson must go. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Opponents Rubio, Meek jump on Crist's flip-flop
Charlie Crist would not have voted for the Democratic health care reform law had he been in the Senate this year.
We're only a few days into the general-election phase of the most interesting Senate race in the country - the Florida three-way between Republican Marco Rubio, Democrat Kendrick Meek, and Republican turned Independent Charlie Crist - and already Crist is demonstrating how hard it will be for him to thread the ideological needle in a way that will secure him a plurality vote this November with the right concoction of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. (In a recent poll , Crist received 38 percent of the Democratic vote, 20 percent of the Republican vote, and 50 percent of the Independent vote.) More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Cop-killing suspect's family hopes he's caught alive
From left are brother Blair Harris; Blake Harris, holding his 15-month-old son, Payson; brother Boyd Harris; mother Bonnie Harris; father Bruce Harris; and Bert Harris.
"I honestly don't know where they got that information," Coconino County Sheriff's spokeswoman Theresa Hjalmarson tells New Times. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Miss. School Drops Race-Based Elections
Judge James Zagel said Blagojevich's retrial would start the week of Jan. 4, after prosecutors dropped charges against the former governor's brother and co-defendant, Robert Blagojevich.
Although Rod Blagojevich's political corruption trial resulted in a hung jury on most counts, the guilty verdict on one count of lying to the FBI makes him the second consecutive Illinois governor to be convicted of a crime, and the fourth in less than 40 years. More...

Saturday

Aug-28-2009 -- Federal officials arrest dozens of Chicago-area immigrants
August 27, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Immigration officials made more than 300 arrests in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest as they crack down on illegal immigrants, many of whom are accused of committing crimes.
"Where there is an underlying application or petition and ICE determines. that a non-detained individual appears eligible for relief from removal, should promptly move to dismiss proceedings,'' Morton wrote. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Democrats highlight Bush, 'extremism' in House battle
"I'm not suggesting that the American people are bullish on either party," said Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
"Since the day President Obama was elected president, we've had a constant a tirade against the president, against the Democratic efforts to get the economy turned around." More...

Aug-28-2009 -- NRA declines to endorse Reid in Nevada Senate race
A remarkable poll in the Las Vegas Review Journal today could include some warning signs for Republicans and tea party candidates and shows the slash and burn, lesser of two evils strategy being employed by Harry Reid could pay off in November.
Two weeks into U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's homecoming Senate break to campaign for re-election, the Democratic incumbent has managed to make more than a few people mad. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Woman, 17, Dies in Fall From 25th-Floor Ledge
Nicole John, the 17-year-old daughter of Ambassador Eric John, had taken off her shoes and climbed out on to a ledge at the Herald Square Towers, apparently to take a photograph, when she slipped and fell at about 4.15 a.m., The Associated Press reported .
Police believe that before the incident John and friends were drinking in the apartment and at a Manhattan club. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- After Christie Firing, Schundler Fires Back
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican whose deep budget cuts have won wide praise, on Friday fired his education commissioner after a clerical error cost the state $400 million in federal education dollars.
Hendricks was one of the five Department of Education Officials who gave a "Race to the Top" presentation in Washington, D.C. that has been at the center of the controversy surrounding Schundler's firing. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Somali man pleads guilty in Virginia to attack on US vessel
Ibrahim also was charged Friday in Washington with conspiracy to commit piracy under the law of nations and conspiracy to use a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to a release from the U.S. attorney's office.
Modern-day pirates must be held accountable and will face severe consequences. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Gay Bush Aide? No Bombshell in Age of Fiscal Cares
Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for George W. Bush in 2004 and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has publicly come out as gay to his friends, family and colleagues.
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, told the gay publication The Advocate that Mehlman was '''abdicating core Republican beliefs''' in supporting an effort to challenge California'''s anti-same-sex marriage law. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Cop-killing suspect's family hopes he's caught alive
From left are brother Blair Harris; Blake Harris, holding his 15-month-old son, Payson; brother Boyd Harris; mother Bonnie Harris; father Bruce Harris; and Bert Harris.
The police officers have declared that Brian Harris was chasing the 23-year-old Scott Curley on foot in the afternoon on Thursday. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Apology Not Accepted: Two Dems, Women's Groups Call for Simpson to Be Fired
An email by deficit commission co-chair Alan Simpson saying the Social Security retirement program has reached a point "where it's like a milk cow with 310 million tits" is prompting calls for his resignation.
Simpson is known for blunt talk and confrontational, colorful language. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Recount is requested in Vt. primary
With Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin leading Sen. Doug Racine by just 182 votes at 25 percent of the vote total, and Sec. of State Deb.
There are no run-off elections in VT as a plurality is all that is needed to win but trailing candidates can ask for recounts if the winner's margin of victory is less than 2%. More...

Aug-28-2009 -- Louisiana, West Virginia Votes Today
Hurricane Danielle reached '''major''' storm status in the Atlantic today, continuing on a track that will bring swells to the U.S. East Coast as a small-craft warning was issued east of Bermuda for the weekend.
The average forecast track error at 3 days is 300 miles, which means that anyone with interests along the East Coast needs to monitor Earl as it continues to develop and track westward. More...

Friday

Aug-27-2009 -- Quotes: Rep. Bobby Bright on Nancy Pelosi
Alabama Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright, a first-term lawmaker who is running for reelection in a competitive race , said he was joking when he suggested House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could die before he had to decide whether to vote for her as speaker again.
Bright, a freshman Democrat from a district that gave Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) 63 percent of the vote in 2008, was asked at a recent Montgomery (Ala.) More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Judge declares Fla. growth law unconstitutional
A judge on Thursday struck down a 2009 law loosening state planning requirements and controls on urban sprawl that development and business interests say are stifling Florida's growth.
Passage of Amendment 4 would require changes to local comprehensive plans to be placed on the ballot. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Computer problems continue at Va. DMV
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A computer system problem is causing some headaches for customers of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies.
VITA and the firm, whose headquarters was lured to Northern Virginia from California by McDonnell, have quarreled for months over shoddy, expensive service. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- School apology over Hitler prize
Sydney, Aug 27, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A high school in Pennsylvania has been at the receiving end of widespread criticism after its 2010 student yearbook featured a quote by Nazi ruler Adolf Hitler.
Any moral judgment suggests the means of success are more valuable. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Vt. gubernatorial vote tally could come Friday
With Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin leading Sen. Doug Racine by just 182 votes at 25 percent of the vote total, and Sec. of State Deb.
If the Democratic gubernatorial race remains close there will likely be a recount, and that means there may not be an official winner until sometime in September. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Embattled Governor Facing Possible Perjury Charges
Misleading statements made by Gov. David Paterson about how he secured tickets to a 2009 World Series game at Yankee Stadium might warrant criminal charges, according to a report released Thursday by an independent counsel appointed to investigate the matter.
The Yankees did not receive the check until several days after the game, on November 3rd, following newspaper stories that raised questions about whether Paterson had intended to pay for the tickets, worth $425 each. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Harry Reid faces a really stiff headwind
The Nevada Senate race between Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican Sharron Angle is expected to be one of this year's most talked-about contests.
More good news for Republicans and bad news for Democrats keeps flooding in. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Cop-shooting suspect possibly seen outside Kanab
Blair Harris, brother,Blake Harris holding his 15-month-old son, Payson, Boyd Harris, brother, Bonnie Harris, mother, Bruce Harris, father, Bert Harris.
Once word gets out people just start sending people," Alldredge said of the support offered by neighboring law enforcement agencies. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- USA Today staff shakeup shifts focus to digital media
USA Today will no longer assign separate managing editors to oversee sections like News, Sports, Life and Money, instead breaking up the editorial staff into a series of so-called "content rings"--the move will create five new departments, including Digital Development (led by vice president Steve Kurtz), which will focus on creating and maintaining technology and systems to support the publication's online, mobile, iPhone and iPad efforts.
The restructuring included the appointment of several new managers, including Rudd Davis, who was named vice president of business development. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Rod Blagojevich is lone target now that brother is cleared
CHICAGO — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's older brother dreaded his lawyer's phone call.
Robert has been punished plenty already. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Tires of plane catch fire in Calif. landing
The tyres of a JetBlue airplane caught fire while landing in Sacramento, thus making passengers run through the emergency exit and injuries on 15 of them.
A Jet Blue flight headed from Long Beach to Sacramento made a hard landing Thursday, injuring 15 people aboard the aircraft. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- 'Pain ray' under fire
CHICAGO — Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's older brother dreaded his lawyer's phone call.
Robert has been punished plenty already. More...

Friday

Aug-27-2009 -- Gay Bush Aide? No Bombshell in Age of Fiscal Issues
Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for George W. Bush in 2004 and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has publicly come out as gay to his friends, family and colleagues.
The politics of division have already become a focal point in the response to Mehlman's admission. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- New poll shows Whitman leading Brown
LOS ANGELES Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown argued Thursday that his experience makes him the only candidate who can right California, and he slashed at Republican rival Meg Whitman by calling her a neophyte who has run an ugly and inaccurate campaign against him.
WHILE WORKERS and students in the Golden State desperately need more social programs, Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown are offering more of the same--cutting social spending, enticing businesses through tax cuts and deregulation, and scapegoating the poor and oppressed. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Feds: Don't tip off miners on surprise inspections
WASHINGTON — Some mine companies are tipping off their underground workers before federal officials make surprise inspections, an illegal practice that has become more prevalent since a West Virginia explosion killed 29 miners, the nation's top mine official said Thursday.
Massey officials have denied issuing any illegal warnings, but the company faces civil and criminal investigations. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- How to strengthen Social Security
An email by deficit commission co-chair Alan Simpson saying the Social Security retirement program has reached a point "where it's like a milk cow with 310 million tits" is prompting calls for his resignation.
The White House said it didn'''t play a role in Mr. Simpson'''s mea culpa. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Immigration Agency Ends Some Deportations
In June, there were more than 248,000 cases pending in immigration courts across the country, including about 23,000 in Texas, according to data compiled by researchers at Syracuse University.
In a statement, Smith said, "Immigration reform means enforcing our immigration laws, securing our border and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Privatizing Taste on the table to balance budget, Daley says
August 26, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Mayor Daley wants to privatize the management of some Chicago programs, festivals and functions to balance the city's budget.
Of course, KMW is correct in that extending a school day in an already crappy school is useless, but it seems that the mandatory extended time will deliver instruction in a different way. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Conservative Democrat quips that Pelosi might die
Alabama Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright, a first-term lawmaker who is running for reelection in a competitive race , said he was joking when he suggested House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could die before he had to decide whether to vote for her as speaker again.
The New York Times and the Washington Post are not nearly as successful or influential as they used to be. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Among Democrats, economic pressures are changing tax-cut dynamics
Boehner started by pointing to American businesses that 'are afraid to invest in an economy stalled by'stimulus' spending and hamstrung by uncertainty.
The American Prospect and the progressive policy center Demos released a special report this week, to be featured in the magazine's next issue, that could offer some short-term and long-term help by using the power of government agencies and contracts. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- CSU releases $75K Palin contract, per court order
Judge Roger Beauchesne issued the declaratory judgment sought by CalAware , a nonprofit government transparency advocate that sued California State University Stanislaus earlier this year.
On May 18, according to the minutes, Cal State Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Quillian stated: "There continue to be findings from the internal auditors that some campuses have monies held inappropriately by auxiliary organizations. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Trumka shows how Palin sells
"And then things got weird," Trumka said, citing Palin's sharp shift the right and her use of the phrase "union thugs" in a recent speech in Texas.
Mr. Trumka says the AFL-CIO will spend more than the $44 million it did in 2006 but hasn't determined a specific amount. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Dean From Northwestern Picked to Lead New School
Leaving Northwestern law and the prominent perch from which Van Zandt has been pushing for changes in legal education might strike some as a surprise.
"Since 1919, New School leadership has stood at the vanguard of American higher education. More...

Aug-27-2009 -- Arizona Files Argument Against Immigration Ruling
Goddard was running unopposed.
While illegal immigration and border security dominated the debate before Tuesday's primary election, money concerns are expected to get more attention in the weeks preceding the Nov. 2 general election. More...

Thursday

Aug-26-2009 -- Ex-GOP national chairman Ken Mehlman says he's gay
Ken Mehlman, who was President George W. Bush's campaign manager in 2004, has come out as gay - and wants to be an advocate for gay marriage.
Mehlman'''s sexual orientation was the subject of rumors for years and the Blade looked into the story numerous times. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- APNewsBreak: BP's Hayward won't testify next month
Alabama Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright is under fire -- mostly from Republicans -- for joking that Speaker Nancy Pelosi could die before she is re-elected speaker.
Pelosi must deal with former House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Congress member Charles Rangel's 13 count indictment. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Conservative Democrat jokes that Pelosi might die
Alabama Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright is under fire -- mostly from Republicans -- for joking that Speaker Nancy Pelosi could die before she is re-elected speaker.
Pelosi must deal with former House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Congress member Charles Rangel's 13 count indictment. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Controversy and Social Security Cuts
An email by deficit commission co-chair Alan Simpson saying the Social Security retirement program has reached a point "where it's like a milk cow with 310 million tits" is prompting calls for his resignation.
AARP Senior Vice President Drew Nannis just offered the following statement on Alan Simpson's "troubling comments about the importance of Social Security for 310 million Americans," (via e-mail). More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Prostesters head to sea over Obama administration's fishing regulations
The First Family took advantage of a break in the rainy weather on Martha's Vineyard Wednesday to escape their holiday farm and make their first public foray together.
With the crowd on the clubhouse porch watching, Obama took three warm-up swings. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- FACT CHECK: Stimulus assessments overly optimistic
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the administration's economic stimulus package has invested heavily in innovative programs, which helps build a foundation for a new, more robust, and competitive American economy.
'''The Obama administration'''s stimulus bill has failed spectacularly and no amount of bloviating by Vice President Biden changes the facts on the ground. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Police: Alleged serial stabber to be extradited to Mich. today
FLINT, Michigan Suspected serial stabber Elias Abuelazam will be arraigned on an assault with intent to murder charge at 3 p.m. today at 68th District Court in Flint, according to a state police news release.
Abuelazam is expected to be arraigned at 3 p.m. today on a charge of assault with intent to murder stemming from a July 27 Flint stabbing. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Beck rally on anniversary of King's 'Dream' speech
The date is August 28th 2010 and Glenn Beck stands before a crowd of 100,000 fellow Conservatives holding the severed head of a Martin Luther King Jr statue like a victorious Roman gladiator.
The irony in this is that Dr. King and Glenn Beck will cross paths in history by date and location but possess very polar opposite views. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- More women in political spotlight, but gap remains
Despite the fact that an amendment for women's right to vote was first introduced in the U.S. in 1878, that right was not granted until August 26, 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was signed.
In Seneca Falls, N.Y., 152 years ago, pioneering women and men met to talk about the state of women's rights in the United States. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Drunken Man Yells "Terrorists," Urinates on Mosque Rugs: Report
A belligerent intoxicated man with a beer in hand strolled into a mosque in Queens, shouted the word "terrorists" and callously urinated on rugs as worshippers engaged in prayer, cops and witnesses said last night, according to published reports.
The man -- identified by police as Omar Rivera -- also allegedly shouted slurs, calling the worshippers "terrorists." More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Santa Rosa stop comes as Brown steps out more
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown is resurfacing this week on the campaign trail after spending much of the summer courting donors to get ready for an expensive fall contest.
In business, women have made it to the top of some of the country'''s great megacompanies. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- DC Wire: Voter petition rejected in setback for Fenty
NEW ORLEANS — Country music star Faith Hill says giving back just comes naturally for the Mississippi native, and she has a message for those still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
The city's gross domestic product is almost nine billion dollars higher today than it was in 2005, and public education has largely improved, the Huffington Post website reported. More...

Thursday

Aug-26-2009 -- Rider Asks if Cabby Is Muslim, Then Stabs Him
GRAMERCY ''' A 21-year-old man was charged with attempted murder and assault in a hate crime after he allegedly stabbed a taxi driver after asking him if he was Muslim on Tuesday evening.
Enright is a film student at Manhattan's School of Visu al Arts and is currently working on a thesis project documenting "war'''s effects on the soul," according to Intersections Internation al , a soci al justice group Enright volunteered for. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Some Booing, and Mooing, Over Social Security
An email by deficit commission co-chair Alan Simpson saying the Social Security retirement program has reached a point "where it's like a milk cow with 310 million tits" is prompting calls for his resignation.
The bipartisan deficit commission is considering recommending cuts to future benefits and raising the retirement age as a way to shore up the finances of the 75-year-old program. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- WikiLeaks releases CIA paper on US as 'exporter of terrorism'
The CIA website says that the Red Cell was established after 9/11 to produce memos to provoke thought and consider different sides of a situation and an official from the Red Cell has brushed aside the leak saying it was, '''not exactly a blockbuster paper".
Assange puts his penis where the swedish women did not want it, and then blames the CIA for the molsestation charges. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Meg Whitman spends big in California but still trails Brown
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown is resurfacing this week on the campaign trail after spending much of the summer courting donors to get ready for an expensive fall contest.
The overcaffeinated Meg Whitman rapid-response team quickly piled on, suggesting that the 72-year-old was forgetting things. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- DeLay trial set for Travis County
The trial date has tentatively been set for Oct. 26.
The defense is arguing that Earle shopped three grand juries to get the indictment, failed to present all the relevant information and refused to allow one grand jury to sign forms no-billing DeLay on the charges. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- A day of sorrow and nostalgia
WORCESTER ' On the first anniversary of Senator Edward M. Kennedy's death, Ted Kennedy Jr. spoke at a ceremony naming a community health center for his father, recalling the late senator's lifelong work on health care issues.
In an interview, Kerry, who underwent surgery in 2003 to remove a prostate tumor and whose father died from the disease, said that "Kennedy's absence is felt every day and in enormous ways.'' More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Panel approves Tanil Cantil-Sakauye's nomination for chief justice of ...
The Commission on Judicial Appointments, headed by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, who is retiring next year, will hear testimony at a public hearing on whether Cantil-Sakauye is suited for the job.
During Wednesday's hearing, a prosecutor told the commission about trying a murder case before Cantil-Sakauye in Sacramento County Superior Court in 2002. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- EPA rules will bar ships from discharging sewage near California coast.
The rule, which will become effective next year, places an enforceable ban on dumping treated and untreated sewage into coastal waters up to three miles offshore that will apply to cruise ships and major commercial vessels.
Currently, it is illegal to dump any kind of sewage in nine areas of coastal waters, including four major marine reserves. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Glenn Beck rally will be a measure of the tea party's strength
The date is August 28th 2010 and Glenn Beck stands before a crowd of 100,000 fellow Conservatives holding the severed head of a Martin Luther King Jr statue like a victorious Roman gladiator.
Civil rights groups have expressed dismay at the timing of Beck's event. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Surprise Victor in a Packed Race: Dan Quayle's Son
Being a legacy candidate is a blessing and a curse.
In southern Arizona's 8th Congressional District, Jesse Kelly won the GOP primary over former state Sen. Jonathan Paton and two other Republicans. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Ex-Bell manager Robert Rizzo pleads guilty to DUI
Rizzo was sentenced Wednesday to a nine-month alcohol awareness program and ten days community service.
The incident took place at 10 p.m. on March 6 while Rizzo was still Bell's City Manager. More...

Aug-26-2009 -- Blagojevich jury questionnaires destroyed, judge's clerk says
Edward Kennedy died on Aug. 25, 2009, at the Kennedy compound in Barnstable, Mass., after a 15-month battle with brain cancer.
The senator died a year ago at age 77 from brain cancer. More...

Wednesday

Aug-25-2009 -- William Saxbe, Final Attorney General Under Richard Nixon, Is Dead at 94
COLUMBUS, Ohio — William Saxbe (SAX'-bee), the fourth attorney general in Richard Nixon's administration who served during the investigation of the Watergate break-in, has died at his home in Ohio.
When Richardson refused, Nixon forced Richardson to resign, creating an opening at the helm of the Justice Department. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- A Daniels denial on 2012 run
President Obama is the latest "political genius," hailed for pushing Congress to pass a $16 billion Medicaid "fix."
The office is awaiting payments for housing Indiana state prisoners, with the last payment from the state coming in February. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- McDonnell's town hall hits 'Burg
In owning liquor sales, Virginia now has 332 ABC stores, seven of which are in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area.
Dismantling ABC "neither addresses the longer-term revenue needs of the state, nor promotes safer communities," the center said. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Lazio: 'Andrew Cuomo is Albany'
ALBANY -- The next governor of New York must piece together a budget of more than $130 billion, deal with proposed layoffs of state employees and help craft a policy governing natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
Interestingly, the ad goes after Cuomo and ignores Lazio's primary challenger Carl Paladino. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Group's ad slams Democratic Ky. Senate candidate
Are Ron and Rand Paul on opposite sides of the Cordoba House debate? Rand, running for Senate in Kentucky, has taken the standard GOP line on the project -- namely, it's up to New York officials to decide the project's fate, but personally he's against it.
After George W. Bush was reelected president in 2004, my partner and I decided to turn our home into a "No Republican" zone and it has pretty much stayed that way ever since. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Arizona Primary Results: Ben Quayle Wins
The site's founder later told Politico that Quayle had helped to start the website, which is now TheDirty.com, and wrote under the pseudonym Brock Landers, a fictional porn star from the film "Boogie Nights."
Dan Quayle sent an email to his son's campaign supporters on the eve of today's 10-way GOP primary election, a last-ditch email pitch defending Ben against allegations that he wrote for a raunchy sex site. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Amber Alert Intensifies For Missing 8-Year-Old NJ Boy
The New Jersey State Police, Missing Persons Unit activated an Amber Alert Tuesday in reference to the above adult male (left) Terry Dusseault Sr. who abducted his son, (right) Terry Dusseault, Jr. LUMBERTON, N.J. (WPIX) - An Amber Alert has been registered in New Jersey after a registered sex offender allegedly abducted his son.
NJ.com Amber Alert issued for boy abducted from Lumberton by sex-offender father The Times, Trenton - NJ.com Alexander Zdan LUMBERTON -- An Amber Alert has been issued for a 38-year-old registered sex offender who allegedly abducted his 8-year-old son from Lumberton earlier Tuesday. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- With heat wave comes wildfire and high surf
The evacuation center is Frazier Mountain High School, on Falcon Way, off of Peace Valley Road, south of the Pilot Flying J center.
If the fire gets closer, we will make notifications to leave the area if and when that is necessary." More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Parnell Wins; Berkowitz Holds Big Lead
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, who inherited the job from Sarah Palin and was credited with restoring calm after her tumultuous tenure, has won the GOP gubernatorial primary.
"Alaska's ready for change, Alaska needs tough leadership, Alaska needs leadership that's willing and able to deliver on a gas line and lower enegery costs -- and Sean Parnell is just not that guy," Berkowitz said. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- NTSB releases preliminary report on Alaska crash
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report about the August 9 accident that killed five people, including former Sen.Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and injured four others.
Federal investigators on Wednesday issued the strongest signals yet that poor weather conditionsincluding clouds perhaps as low as 600 feetlikely played a central role in the plane crash that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens and four others earlier this month on a remote Alaskan mountainside. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Rhee, Johnson change date, location of wedding
Our favorite bicoastal power couple, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, have postponed their Sept. 4 wedding -- and, true to Rhee form, fired a bunch of guests.
"Our hope is to have a special and personal event that is respectful of the sanctity of marriage," Johnson continued. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- No parole for woman who killed 2 Lewis-McChord soldiers
Our efforts will continue.
Specifically, it hit just north of the Broward-Miami-Dade county line at about 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005 as a relatively sloppy Category 1 system with sustained winds of 80 mph. More...

Wednesday

Aug-25-2009 -- Parnell cruises to victory in Alaska primary
With Alaska at an economic crossroads, voters are being asked whether to stick with the man credited with providing steady -- if low-key -- leadership after Sarah Palin's tumultuous tenure or to shake things up at the Capitol again.
"The race hasn't really heated up much yet," said Jerry McBeath, political science professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Sherrod turns down offer to make fresh start at USDA
Shirley Sherrod rejected a job offer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a month after her firing by the agency for remarks on race, found to be taken out of context, prompted an apology from President Barack Obama.
The former Georgia director for rural development told reporters Tuesday morning that she came very close to taking the new job Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack offered her after demanding her resignation more than a month ago. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- DeLay Asks That Trial Be Moved From Liberal Austin
Former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle may testify this afternoon in the Tom DeLay pre-trial hearing.
DeLay has been pushing forward for a trial since 2005 when charges were first filed. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Poll: Obama's Education Approval Ratings Drop
Maybe everybody is correct.
You have earned the message voters are preparing to send you in November. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Vacationing Obama gets temp press secretary
The social networking site used by more than 500 million people worldwide has blocked ads from the Just Say Now campaign backing California's Prop. 19 , which aims to legalize marijuana and goes to the state's electorate on the November ballot.
Marijuana legalization isn'''t a fringe issue: our campaign has the support of law enforcement like former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, former Reagan Assistant Deputy Attorney General Bruce Fein, and people all across the political spectrum. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Group complains when Facebook blocks image of pot leaf
The social networking site used by more than 500 million people worldwide has blocked ads from the Just Say Now campaign backing California's Prop. 19 , which aims to legalize marijuana and goes to the state's electorate on the November ballot.
Marijuana legalization isn'''t a fringe issue: our campaign has the support of law enforcement like former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, former Reagan Assistant Deputy Attorney General Bruce Fein, and people all across the political spectrum. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Chelsea's Law almost on governor's desk
The measure was crafted by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, with the help of Kelly and Brent King, parents of Chelsea King, the Poway High School senior who was raped and murdered in February by John Gardner III, who had been released from state prison after a previous violent sexual assault on a minor and who confessed to the crime and to the 2009 rape-murder of Escondido 14-year-old Amber Dubois.
Now that the law has been approved by the California Senate in a 33 to 0 vote, it will go before the full California Assembly for a concurrence vote. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- American Union Rejects Contract
Although the totals haven't been released by the international leadership, the locals have reported that members overwhelmingly approved a strike if necessary.
TWU-represented stores employees, who handle the aircraft parts inventories, also turned down their proposed contract. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Glenn Beck and fans to rally on 'I Have a Dream' anniversary
On August 28th, Fox News show host Glenn Beck will hold what he terms a "Restoring Honor" rally on the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial.The date of the event falls on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream Speech" and some have resented the symbolism Beck is allegedly seeking to claim due to his constant attacks and casting as radical the first black president.
Interesting someone like Beck saying that MLK's legacy isn't owned by white people. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Prosecutors: NY bomb suspects had 'thirst for violence'
NEW YORK -- A jury has begun hearing opening statements at the trial of four men charged with trying to blow up New York synagogues and shoot down military planes.
The government also concedes the men — targets of an elaborate, tightly scripted sting involving fake weapons, 100 officers and a spy plane — had no ties to actual terrorists. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Martha Coakley tells Craigslist: Abandon adult sex ads
The distressing account told a horrific story of brutalization and assault suffered not just by them, but also by untold numbers of other children, the attorneys general said.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) Attorney General Michael Delaney says he knows of no cases in New Hampshire where women or children have been victimized due to illegal ads on Craigslist's adult services section. More...

Aug-25-2009 -- Greene's 306K job in doubt
The social networking site used by more than 500 million people worldwide has blocked ads from the Just Say Now campaign backing California's Prop. 19 , which aims to legalize marijuana and goes to the state's electorate on the November ballot.
We need to fight back against Facebook's political censorship. More...

Tuesday

Aug-24-2009 -- Obama and Florida: Interesting political bedfellows
The Republican gubernatorial and Democratic Senate primaries Tuesday offer test cases on the limits of TV commercials and, more broadly, what exactly money can buy in a campaign.
The Republican race for Governor in Florida remains close headed into the final day, with Rick Scott holding a 47-40 lead that'''s within the survey'''s margin of error. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- 2 HISD Schools Without Power
Piney Point and Crawford-Sherman Elementary schools were still without power as of early Tuesday, and crews estimated it would take several hours to get it restored.
One employee at Piney Point is being checked out by medical personnel for heat-related stress. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Do Cities Attract Hurricanes?
NEW ORLEANS — A startling number of Gulf coast area children displaced by Hurricane Katrina still have serious emotional or behavioral problems five years later, a new study found.
According to the Columbia study, Katrina kids' mental health problems are tied to stressors like "unstable housing, lost income post-Katrina, the financial stressor of insufficient money for household food, and poor family functioning." More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Train troubles again strand Northeast commuters
Aug 24 (THAINDIAN NEWS) In a report from '''The Associated Press''' it was told that the rail service for the Northeast Corridor had been temporarily shut down due to power problem with Amtrack, or "low voltage problems that are also affecting regional commuter rail lines.'''
Although trains are now headed into Pennsylvania Station, commuters were warned to expect delays of more than an hour. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Republicans Poised to Hammer Democrats on Jobs Promises Ahead of November
Republicans are trying to regain control of the House of Representatives and Senate in U.S. congressional elections in November.
San Francisco (Obama.net)- A staple of the week for the President of the United States of America for nearly a century, the weekly radio address was delivered as scheduled by President Barack Obama on Saturday. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Police had arrested, released man before horrific I-675 crash
The crash was caught on a highway patrol officer's cruiser camera.
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio - A Mason teenager is fighting for his life in a Dayton hospital after he drove his car off the left side of Interstate 675 on Monday morning, struck a culvert and went airborne, sending his car smashing into a bridge overpass. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Former Marine Cesar Laurean Found Guilty of Pregnant Colleague Murder
Jurors deliberated for about three hours before finding Cesar Laurean guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach.
Dennis Ward, former Marine, testified to shopping with Laurean for cinderblocks, paint and a wheelbarrow at Lowe's Home Improvement. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- DEA seeks Ebonics experts to help with cases
The Drug Enforcement Agency is recruiting nine linguists fluent in Ebonics to translate wiretaps and other recordings of narcotics suspects in the Atlanta area, federal records show.
The federal Drug Enforcment Administration translators would work out of the Atlanta field office according to a Justice Department request, posted online today by The Smoking Gun . More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Approval Ratings Down, Obama Still Tops Biden, Clinton, McCain
Pity Vice President Joe Biden, Obama's well-traveled and loyal deputy.
LAST January, Barack Obama made a tellingly comment to the ABC: Id rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- NY Rep. Rangel knocks Obama for 'dignity' remark
There was a candidates forum for the 30th District Congressional seat, which is now held by embattled Rep. Charles Rangel.
Joyce Johnson, one of Rep. Charles Rangel's many primary challengers, this afternoon accused Rangel of canceling plans to appear at a debate scheduled for Monday night in Harlem. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Heat warnings issued for Central, Southern Calif.
Temperatures are once again expected to soar past the century mark today and the National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings for the valleys and mountain areas of Los Angeles County.
Heat warnings are being issued from noon Tuesday through Wednesday night for Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles county mountains and valleys for a combination of heat and high humidity. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- 10 things Republicans must do in 10 weeks
The goal is to rebuild 50 homes in five days in New Orleans' Gentilly neighborhood five years after Hurricane Katrina hit.
The Army Corps of Engineers traditionally oversold the strength and quality of the New Orleans levees before Katrina. More...

Tuesday

Aug-24-2009 -- LIRR Crippled by Small Fire
A cable fire at around 11:00 am today in a switching tower east of Jamaica has caused havoc on the Long Island Rail Road meaning at one time today service was suspended both ways on every line bar the Port Washington line.
The problem means that trains headed to and from New York City cannot pass that point. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- McCain Looks to Complete a Comeback
In the Arizona Senate, John McCain will be contesting J.D. Hayworth.
Despite polls showing a likely win, McCain isn't letting up. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Polls: Career politicians may hang on
The choices in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary and Republican gubernatorial primary could not be more distinct.
The Republican race for Governor in Florida remains close headed into the final day, with Rick Scott holding a 47-40 lead that'''s within the survey'''s margin of error. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Virginia can impose tougher abortion clinic oversight, AG Cuccinelli says
Noting that Roe v. Wade allows still allows virtually unlimited legal abortions, the attorney general said the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision allowing limits in other states makes it so Virginia limits would likely be seen as constitutional.
In a new release, Smith said the opinion clarified legal questions and set the stage for regulating abortion clinics like other medical facilities. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Democrats Outraise Republicans in July, Have More Cash on Hand
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the RNC raised only $5.3 million in July heading into the final fundraising stretch before midterm elections'''less than half the DNC's $11.6 million raised in the same time frame.
On all questions, Republicans overwhelming prefer the Tea Party. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Former Marine Cesar Laurean Found Guilty of Pregnant Colleague Murder
Jurors deliberated for about three hours before finding Cesar Laurean guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach.
An SBI pathologist testified and said Lauterbach's blood was in the Laurean's garage and on a crowbar the prosecution said killed her. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Boxer renews commitment to Villaraigosa's 30/10 transit plan
Boxer promised to work on changing federal rules so that Los Angeles County could get more loans to complete a dozen major transportation projects, including a subway that runs to the Pacific Ocean.
In the wake of the California primary, NARAL's political director said: "Pro-choice Americans may have no stronger ally in the U.S. Senate than Senator Barbara Boxer. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- DC mayor's race: Fenty and Gray want you. Now.
"The fact that the Fenty camp was so eager to get the image out just underscores the''fascinating racial dynamic at work in the primary'''one in which white voters appear to be breaking heavily for Fenty, and black voters seem to be going for Gray."''
Gray won about 80 percent of the vote in a ward where Fenty took 56 percent of the primary vote four years ago. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Alabama: Ammonia Leak Sickens 120
THEODORE, Ala. (AP) - An ammonia leak at a coastal Alabama chicken distribution plant sent more than 120 people to the hospital on Monday, including four patients in intensive care, and forced residents to hide in their homes while warning sirens blared.
Hospital workers say most patients have reported dizziness and shortness of breath from the ammonia. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Senate hopeful Rand Paul visits facility in Dixon to discuss drug issues
Are Ron and Rand Paul on opposite sides of the Cordoba House debate? Rand, running for Senate in Kentucky, has taken the standard GOP line on the project namely, it's up to New York officials to decide the project's fate, but personally he's against it.
Clownish perennial New York Republican candidate Rick Lazio is now just straight-up using footage of the smoking wreckage in a campaign ad. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Colorado: Denver Safety Manager Resigns
A former Secret Service agent who oversees Denver's police, fire and sheriff's departments submitted his resignation Monday amid community anger over police officers caught on video hitting a man during a violent arrest.
Perea issued brief handwritten resignation: "I appreciate the opportunity to serve as Manager of Safety for the City and County of Denver. More...

Aug-24-2009 -- Weather service issues heat warning as temperatures soar
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the RNC raised only $5.3 million in July heading into the final fundraising stretch before midterm elections'''less than half the DNC's $11.6 million raised in the same time frame.
On all questions, Republicans overwhelming prefer the Tea Party. More...

Monday

Aug-23-2009 -- McCain turns vulnerable label into front-runner
Sen. John McCain has raised and spent better than $21 million in advance of tomorrow's primary fight against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a massive amount of money that has helped to ensure that the Arizona Republican will win easily.
Despite polls showing a likely win, McCain isn't letting up. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- 3 dead, 4 wounded in shootout in central Virginia
LOUISA, Va. — A man who shot and killed his son and nephew and wounded four other relatives had been involved in an ongoing family dispute over a piece of property in a rural central Virginia neighborhood, authorities said Monday.
Because the sheriff's office was involved in the shooting, Virginia State Police are assisting in the investigation. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Whitman softens stance on US health care law
Democrats have countered that the Republican Party is just promoting what it always has — a pro-business agenda that punishes the middle class and working class.
Republicans' absence from Latino communities has only reinforced the perception that the party is unfriendly, Barajas said. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- New York Synagogue Bomb Plot Trial Set to Start Following a 2-Month Delay
The government says Cromitie — with Hussain playing "terrorist facilitator" — eventually hatched a plot involving the other men to blow up two synagogues in the Bronx with remote-control bombs.
NEW YORK The long-delayed trial of the Newburgh Four has moved back into the courtroom as attorneys on both sides prepare to make their opening statements. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Group wants to end setting dogs on chained bears
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A declawed, defanged bear is chained to a stake as hunting dogs bark and snap, trying to force the bear to stand on its hind legs.
"There's no dogs that get in any conflict with the bear, and the dog does not get hurt." More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Scant Progress Seen in Effort to Solve Old Racial Killings
NEW YORK -- It survived the Great Depression, a bomber crash and King Kong's climb, but can the Empire State Building withstand a bedbug infestation? Officials say pest management professionals had to clean out an employee changing room in the tower's basement after bed bugs were found there last week.
David Greenbaum, president of the New York office of Vornado Realty Trust, the company planning to erect the building, told the committee 15 Penn Plaza would provide critically needed office space in midtown Manhattan. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- City Council Holds Hearing On Proposal For 15 Penn Plaza
NEW YORK -- It survived the Great Depression, a bomber crash and King Kong's climb, but can the Empire State Building withstand a bedbug infestation? Officials say pest management professionals had to clean out an employee changing room in the tower's basement after bed bugs were found there last week.
David Greenbaum, president of the New York office of Vornado Realty Trust, the company planning to erect the building, told the committee 15 Penn Plaza would provide critically needed office space in midtown Manhattan. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Quinn's chief of staff resigns over ethics probe
Gov. Pat Quinn's chief of staff Jerry Stermer has resigned, but the resignation raises more questions than it answers.
It almost sounds like Stermer was looking for an exit strategy, and he decided to grab on to this. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- How Do You Pronounce 'Nevada?' You're Probably Wrong
Presidents and future first ladies have been booed for it, news anchors and sportscasters cursed for it.
Nevadans have long bristled over the issue. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- McConnell on Obama's Christianity: '''I Take Him at His Word'''
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday renewed his calls to exempt tax cuts from efforts to reduce the federal deficit while mostly sidestepping questions about offsetting the lost revenue.
Mitch McConnell thinks he can sell you that its a hit on small business. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Suspect in 'Grim Sleeper' killings to enter plea
LOS ANGELES--The man suspected in the "Grim Sleeper" slayings of 10 women was expected to plead not guilty Monday at his scheduled arraignment in front of a Los Angeles judge.
The 14-year pause led to the killer's nickname of the "Grim Sleeper." More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Obama ignores reality on Social Security
Sen. John McCain has raised and spent better than $21 million in advance of tomorrow's primary fight against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a massive amount of money that has helped to ensure that the Arizona Republican will win easily.
'''I said that during the presidential campaign.''' More...

Monday

Aug-23-2009 -- Search continues for 4 missing in float plane over western Alaska
The Coast Guard is searching for a missing plane in Southwest Alaska.
Park superintendent Ralph Moore says the plane left Swikshak Bay at 2:45 Saturday afternoon for a flight that takes less than an hour. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Palin an interested spectator in Alaska primary
FAIRBANKS ''' Sen. Lisa Murkowski has name recognition and an eight-year record in the Senate that has generally won her favor with Alaskans.
I would encourage conservative voters to turn out on Tuesday and vote for Miller and ballot #2. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Hunt continues for armed robber of congressional candidate Marleine Bastien
Congressional candidate and advocate Marleine Bastien was robbed at gunpoint while waiting to make a campaign appearance after mass at a church in North Miami on Saturday.
Shaken but undeterred, Marleine Bastien was back on the campaign trail through the blue-collar 17th Congressional District on Sunday, a day after a man put a gun to her head and robbed her of cash, cell phones and her sense of security. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Politics 2010: Immigration issue plays big in Arizona races
As John McCain and his Republican primary challenger have dominated Arizona's political headlines, four Democrats are quietly wrangling for the opportunity to take on the winner.
When it comes to money spent during the primary, Hayworth was no match for McCain. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Paladino Unveils Plan for Welfare Reform
Carl Paladino, provider of wonderful headlines , has done it again.
These goopers have no limit to their hatred of the poor and blaming them for all our ills when in fact it is the rich who create the ills by their refusal to pay taxes or to pay a fair wage. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- New law requires making pet history public
Gov. Pat Quinn on Sunday signed a bill into law that will require pet stores, animal shelters and control facilities to disclose important information, including health history and name of breeder, before selling dogs or cats.
Quinn and Matyas touted the new law against the backdrop of bustling Damen Avenue in Chicago 's Bucktown neighborhood. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- 27 arrested in Arizona rival biker shootout
FIVE people were shot during a gun battle between two rival motorcycle gangs in Chino Valley, Arizona, the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office said today, while announcing officers had made 27 arrests.
Dozens of Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a large, two-story gray stucco home on Yuma Drive where numerous gang members apparently had congregated overnight Friday and into Saturday. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Helicopter carrying 1 crashes in San Diego Bay
According to San Diego and Harbor Police, the helicopter attempted to make an emergency landing on the Coronado Bridge, but ended up landing in the water instead.
A brush fire that broke out Sunday near the Santa Ysabel Casino spread to 25 acres, according to Cal fire. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Victims identified in triple slaying in Lewis County; suspect still sought
SALKUM, Wash. -- The Lewis County Coroner's Office has released the names of three men killed Saturday in a triple homicide in rural Salkum.
Aust says detectives believe the shooter and the victims knew each other, and it appears the gunman may have come to collect on a drug debt. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Washington bride-to-be arrested on wedding day
AP's earlier story is below.
The Washington State Patrol reports that a 57-year old Burien man was arrested Sunday (Aug. 22) for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after he was stopped by a Trooper for failing to wear his seatbelt. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Record number vote early
Harrington said nearly 3,000 people took advantage of the early voting option in Cape Coral alone.
The 14th Circuit Judicial race between Pete Mallory and Mike Reiter will be decided during the primary election. More...

Aug-23-2009 -- Firefighters make progress against 6690-acre fire in Arbon Valley
According to San Diego and Harbor Police, the helicopter attempted to make an emergency landing on the Coronado Bridge, but ended up landing in the water instead.
A brush fire that broke out Sunday near the Santa Ysabel Casino spread to 25 acres, according to Cal fire. More...

Sunday

Aug-22-2009 -- In upcoming primaries, establishment candidates may prosper
Hayworth, the primary election opponent McCain has spent a small fortune pummeling as inept, corrupt and even stupid, has seized on the apparent contradictions.
The website owner says Quayle used the alias '''Brock Landers,''' the name of a fictional porn star from the 1997 movie '''Boogie Nights.''' More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Tropical Depresssion could be upgraded later today
As we continue to draw closer to the start of the most active part of hurricane season, which typically spans from Aug. 20 to Sept. 11, there are several features of concern for tropical development across the Atlantic Basin.
Most of the computer intensity models project the storm reaching Category 2 hurricane strength ]] hurricane strength and some have it continuing to grow stronger through the end of the work week. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Murkowski makes the case for Senate seniority
FAIRBANKS ''' Sen. Lisa Murkowski has name recognition and an eight-year record in the Senate that has generally won her favor with Alaskans.
Two years ago, Palin and McCain were running mates on the Republican presidential ticket. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Independents grow in Florida voter rolls
The entire Arizona Legislature and the top elective offices in the state are up for grabs in the November general election, as are one Arizona U.S Senate seat and all Arizona House of Representatives seats.
'''Before we turned on our computers in the West Wing, we inherited an economy that was shrinking 7 percent.''' More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Shirley Sherrod to meet with USDA secretary about job offer
Shirley Sherrod, the former USDA rural development director for Georgia, said today she plans to meet Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss a new job offer.
The department official who confirmed the meeting asked not to be identified. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Blackwater Reaches Deal on US Export Violations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) ''' The former private military company known as Blackwater Worldwide reached an agreement with the U.S. State Department, and will pay the U.S. $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of the United States export control regulations, the New York Times reported.
McClatchy newspapers reported details of Xe's Sudan business aspirations, which were said to include a proposal to train a security detail for south Sudanese leadership and a more ambitious deal worth $100 million to train and equip the south's army. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- E-mail this article
A small fire in Boston's InterContinental Hotel this morning prompted evacuation so firefighters could turn off the building's power without endangering anyone, Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
Planning and quick thinking may have saved firefighters' lives last night when one of the biggest fires in recent Boston history burned in Roxbury, the mayor and fire commanders said. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- More on the 'value-added' method
"We are in favor of legitimate uses of student data to help improve teaching," Duffy told the local school union representatives.
My wife substitute teaches. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Retirement estimates are available online
Most entrepreneurs will need additional income, since the average monthly payout of Social Security is $1,067 as of April 2010.
The plans allow business owners to stash large amounts of cash tax-free, ideal for making up for lost savings time. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- For Gulf tourism, problem is perception _ not oil
State and local tourism leaders downplayed the survey, saying it was taken at a time when the outlook for recovery was at rock-bottom.
Mobile and Baldwin counties are the engine that drives Alabama's $9 billion tourism industry, accounting for about a quarter of the state's total take. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Gunman in North Miami robs congressional candidate
Haitian activist and U.S Congressional candidate Marleine Bastien was one of three women robbed at gunpoint in North Miami Saturday afternoon.
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. (WSVN) -- A local political candidate is safe after being robbed at gunpoint. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- NY candidate: Prison dorms for welfare recipients
Most entrepreneurs will need additional income, since the average monthly payout of Social Security is $1,067 as of April 2010.
Our Social Security system is broken and anyone who says different is not being honest. More...

Sunday

Aug-22-2009 -- South Florida congressional candidate robbed at gunpoint
Haitian activist and U.S Congressional candidate Marleine Bastien was one of three women robbed at gunpoint in North Miami Saturday afternoon.
The gunman stole Marleine Bastien's purse in the parking lot of the House of the Living God, a church located at 13700 NE 10th Ave. at around 12:20 p.m., Saturday. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Blackwater Reaches Deal on US Export Violations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) ''' The former private military company known as Blackwater Worldwide reached an agreement with the U.S. State Department, and will pay the U.S. $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of the United States export control regulations, the New York Times reported.
McClatchy newspapers reported details of Xe's Sudan business aspirations, which were said to include a proposal to train a security detail for south Sudanese leadership and a more ambitious deal worth $100 million to train and equip the south's army. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Shirley Sherrod to meet Tuesday with Vilsack over job
Shirley Sherrod, the former USDA rural development director for Georgia, said today she plans to meet Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss a new job offer.
The department official who confirmed the meeting asked not to be identified. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- GOP state convention stays upbeat, avoids resolution that slapped at Whitman
GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman - trying to tamp down opposition from conservatives who say she is undermining them - criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown on Friday for not defending California's same sex-marriage ban, now before a federal appeals court.
"Meg Whitman flips so hard it makes the party flop," said Sterling Clifford, a spokesman for Brown. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Reaching for a piece of Blagojevich history
No word on any pink flamingo lawn ornaments.
Attendees then sifted through boxes of belongings, like personal photos, videotapes, campaign buttons. According to the AP , the most lucrative items were a neon '''Governor Blagojevich''' sign, a plaque honoring the former governor for political leadership (sold for $120), and a life-sized Elvis Presley statue, which sold for $20,000. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Fiorina asks California voters to retire Boxer
As part of her campaign for reelection, Senator Barbara Boxer stopped by Santa Barbara Adventure Company '''s headquarters on Wednesday and spoke to media members about her plans for the Golden State should voters decide to usher her back into office.
Further down the ticket is GOP state treasurer candidate Mimi Walters, who represents part of North San Diego County. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- McCollum, Scott tour Panhandle
TALLAHASSEE The last campaign finance''reports''due ahead of the primary have been released and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rick Scott has loaned his campaign an astounding $49.9 million to get past Attorney General Bill McCollum in Tuesday's election.
McCollum has a record that voters can evaluate, while Scott is an unopened book. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Looks Like Obama Is Considering Cuts in Social Security Benefits?
Most entrepreneurs will need additional income, since the average monthly payout of Social Security is $1,067 as of April 2010.
The commission's Social Security proposals would face an uncertain reception in Congress, which would have to approve changes to the program. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- House minority leader contemplates a leap up
Over the last two years, Boehner has helped define the Obama era in ways that seemed unimaginable when the popular president was swept into office.
More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Police swarm Arizona town after biker gangs' shootout
Yavapai County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn said that around 12:15 p.m. several calls were made to report shots fired near Yuma Drive and Road 3 North in Chino Valley, about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix.
Sheriff's deputies, state police and Chino Valley Police officers rushed to the area and began detaining "numerous" suspected motorcycle gang members. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Treasury: We're Not Backing Down on Bush Tax Cuts
Even if the tax hikes are only on the top two income brackets, small business owners will pay more than half of the taxes raised.
The cuts that Mr Obama wants to make permanent amount to about $255bn a year; the cuts the Republicans are gearing up to defend cost another $55bn. More...

Aug-22-2009 -- Palin an interested spectator in Alaska primary
Shirley Sherrod, the former USDA rural development director for Georgia, said today she plans to meet Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss a new job offer.
Vilsack told more than 200 people at a rural development forum at Keizer Civic Center that Americans spend less of their paychecks on food because of the labor of immigrants who have a hand in producing, processing and packing up to half of the nation's food supplies. More...

Saturday

Aug-21-2009 -- Leave mosque debate out of politics, Muslims urge Quinn
Reid's comments came just days after Obama told a White House gathering that Muslims had a right to build the mosque, and Republicans vowed to make the president's stand an issue in the November elections.
You political leaders had better take this threat seriously or you will not get their vote the next election. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Horse-trading is no crime, Blagojevich says
As the Land of Lincoln's economic woes continue to worry voters, Republicans, who have been quick to blame the Democratic-controlled state government, may not feel the need to use the long-running Blagojevich corruption scandal as a campaign trump card.
The fact that much of the public believes that most, if not all, politicians are crooks makes the job difficult. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Meg Whitman says she would defend Proposition 8
GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman - trying to tamp down opposition from conservatives who say she is undermining them - criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown on Friday for not defending California's same sex-marriage ban, now before a federal appeals court.
At a San Diego press conference on Friday, the Bee asked Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, if she'''unlike current California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and her opponent for governor, attorney general Jerry Brown'''would defend the law. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- DoD releases final report on Fort Hood shootings
Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, allegedly opened fire at a Fort Hood facility where soldiers were processing for overseas deployments.
The report is the military's final response to an independent review of the shooting that was commissioned by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Ohio: Bear Kills Caretaker
ELYRIA -- Brent Kandra was not afraid of the wild animals he helped take care of at Sam Mazzola's North Marks Road home in Columbia Township, because he was an animal lover.
Trustees had no legal authority to address them, said Dale Rundle, a trustee for 23 years. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Rossi proposes 6 debates with Murray
Tea-Party-backed Republican Clint Didier has a list of demands for his former opponent Dino Rossi, and he said Friday if they aren't met, he won't back Rossi against Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in November.''
What takes much of the punch out of Rossi's criticism is that when it comes to the 12 annual spending, or appropriations, bills that fund the federal government, Murray is hardly alone in voting yea. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Looming Expiration of Bush Tax Cuts Worries Valley Small Business Owners
Even if the tax hikes are only on the top two income brackets, small business owners will pay more than half of the taxes raised.
What good is running from the president going to do? The democratic congress is responsible for passing the bills the majority of Americans didn'''t want, and spent the trillions of dollars Americans didn'''t want to spend. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- NY candidate: Prison dorms for welfare recipients
Paladino has agreed to a GOP debate in Syracuse August 30th, a day Lazio has yet to commit to.
To do that, Lazio will first have to beat Paladino. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- More tough economic times forecast by CBO
The gloomy outlook could also spell trouble for Democrats facing November congressional elections.
Each is three times bigger than the government's annual deficit had ever been before. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Social Security Cuts Weighed by Panel
"I have been adamant that Social Security should not be privatized, and it will not be privatized as long as I am president," Obama added.
Why not eliminate the wage cap on taxes and then sell it by reducing the tax rate a bit? Set the tax at wherever it needs to be to have modest surplusses forever. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Who's ObamaCare's Daddy?
The number of people who oppose the law has actually grown, not diminished as Democrats predicted.
"I know this is a tough vote," President Obama told House Democrats at a March pep rally merely hours before they passed national health care. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Scott invests $50 million into campaign, McCollum turns to corporate backers
Rauf's wife, Daisy Khan, nixed talk of plans to move the project from the planned site two blocks from Ground Zero, despite a push for a "compromise" location by many New York officials, including Gov. Paterson.
Sadly, the current president's performance has been little more impressive. More...

Saturday

Aug-21-2009 -- Biden Urges DNC to Reject Grim Election Forecast
In a speech to the Democratic National Committee Friday, Vice President Joe Biden predicted voters will reject the "Republican tea party" and that Democrats will keep control of the House and Senate.
In an act of shockingly retro, sexist stupidity, a local unit of the Republican Party of Minnesota has broadcast a new reason you should vote Republican: GOP women are hot, and Democratic women are not. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Florida primaries: establishment candidates picking up steam
With the Aug. 24 primary less than a week away, the poll puts Meek in the lead at 35 28 percent, with a large number of undecided voters still up for grabs.
"If you want to send Washington a wake-up call, send me to the Senate. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Meg Whitman launches searing attack before Republican convention speech
GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman - trying to tamp down opposition from conservatives who say she is undermining them - criticized Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown on Friday for not defending California's same sex-marriage ban, now before a federal appeals court.
Neither gubernatorial candidate is able to attend Friday night's game, Brutlag said. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- The quiet resurgence of George W. Bush?
Even if the tax hikes are only on the top two income brackets, small business owners will pay more than half of the taxes raised.
The Dems can look pretty stupid sometimes. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Blackwater Reaches Deal on US Export Violations
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) ''' The former private military company known as Blackwater Worldwide reached an agreement with the U.S. State Department, and will pay the U.S. $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of the United States export control regulations, the New York Times reported.
The CIA inked the deal after the U.S. State Department in mid-June awarded Xe a security services contract worth some 120 million dollars for work in Afghanistan. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Didier withholds Rossi endorsement
Tea-Party-backed Republican Clint Didier has a list of demands for his former opponent Dino Rossi, and he said Friday if they aren't met, he won't back Rossi against Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in November.''
Like the tea party. 99% of the people that want this bill revoked, cannot name a single reason as to WHY they feel that way. well unless you include outright ignorance and hysteria. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Fort Hood shooting revealed multiple military security lapses
Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, allegedly opened fire at a Fort Hood facility where soldiers were processing for overseas deployments.
The report addresses some government failures and other problems uncovered in the Pentagon investigation launched after the Nov. 5 shootings that left 13 dead and dozens injured on the Texas Army post. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Economic crisis pushes more to file early for Social Security
"I have been adamant that Social Security should not be privatized, and it will not be privatized as long as I am president," Obama added.
President Reagan and Speaker Tip O'''Neill came up with a commission. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- FCC should not upend decade of sound Net policy
In Google-Verizon's proposed "policy framework that would protect net neutrality. they wrote the framework so that it wouldn't apply to wireless.
If bigger companies can pay for faster priority Internet access, that blogger no longer has a shot." More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Ind. Democrat Donnelly blasts Pelosi in new ad
"Joe Donnelly has consistently been rated one of the most independent members of Congress," said Mike Schmuhl, Donnelly's campaign manager, in a statement Friday.
Funny, rock star was used as a negative when Obama was attracting crowds in excess of 100K. But I guess being a rock star is ok when their playing you flavor of rock. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- Another Rick Scott deposition surfaces
TAMPA, Fla. — Bill McCollum's long career in public service is proving to be a burden in the Florida governor's race.
The gubernatorial primary race between Scott and McCollum has cost $51 million. More...

Aug-21-2009 -- More tough economic times forecast by CBO
TAMPA, Fla. — Bill McCollum's long career in public service is proving to be a burden in the Florida governor's race.
In the straw poll, McCollum received 209 votes to Scott'''s 90. More...

Friday

Aug-20-2009 -- Hundreds at funeral for dead SC toddlers
A steady stream of mourners passed through a funeral home Thursday paying final respects to two toddlers and trying to make sense of the deaths of the brothers whose bodies were pulled from a car in a South Carolina river.
Duley, 29, is charged with two counts of murder. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Imam Behind New York Project Starts Mideast Tour
As Americans continue to fight over his proposed Islamic community center in lower Manhattan, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is in Bahrain, providing insight into the role of Islam in U.S. society on behalf of the State Department, after lying low in Malaysia while the controversy raged, POLITICO's Charles Hoskinson reports.
I will not allow anybody to put me in a position where I am seen by any party in the world as an adversary or as an enemy." More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Democrats' Midterm Message: "Move Forward" With us -- or go Back to Bush
Even if the tax hikes are only on the top two income brackets, small business owners will pay more than half of the taxes raised.
G.W. Bush cut taxes for the rich and over the course of nearly a decade, jobs didn't even increase enough to keep up with population growth. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Rep. Maxine Waters Denies Ethics Charges: It's a 'Complicated Case'
Rep. Maxine Waters, who is facing a Congressional ethics trial, made it clear that she is going to fight these charges to the very end.
FACT: Rangel D-NY shrugged off his ethics problems as racially motivated even though democrats convicted him also soon-to-be also convicted of her crimes, Maxine "The right-wing press and Bush did it" Waters D-CA. FACT: Would-be reformer and soon to be SpeakerShipless, MadameComrade Pelosky who, along with other PROGRESSIVE Democrats, has railed about corporate CEOs and their perks - asked that her private plane be upgraded to a huge government jet so she would not have to refuel on her way home to California from her 19k a month tax-payer funded green office in D.C. Her SpeakerShip insists she is saving tax-payers money. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- LA Cops Search for 2 Missing 11-Year-Old Girls
Police today were looking for two 11-year-old girls who went to a park near their homes in Pacoima, California against their parents' wishes last night and never returned home.
Anna Lopez stands about 5'1", weighs around 100 pounds, has brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans and blue/black shoes. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Bloomberg and Fenty: More in common than you might think
Understandably Karim's lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, has said Trout is becoming 'the Kenneth Starr' of the District."
The Clarus Research Group -- which is not aligned with any candidate -- said Gray leads Fenty 39 percent to 36 percent among all voters, with 20 percent undecided. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- New Orleans mayor tells media group BP is 'poised to cut and run'
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu today talks to the National Press Club in Washington, DC about the city's accomplishments, and the challenges still ahead for the Crescent City.
Drivers will still have to feed parking meters in the Central Business District on Saturdays, but parking in much of the city will be free on weekends. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Gov. Patrick not expecting Obama at fundraiser
A Coast Guard cutter will patrol the waters off the property.
One change from last year will be with Angel Flights, the organization that flies critically ill Islanders to off-Island medical appointments out of the Martha's Vineyard Airport. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- New JMU policies aimed at changing 'negative alcohol culture'
James Madison University students received a text message Wednesday, telling them to check their e-mail inbox.
Roller family depends day at least 120 high and more than 1,001 regarded, order levitra . More...

Aug-20-2009 -- After court ruling, California's Furlough Fridays are back
Nearly 150,000 California state workers are taking an unpaid day off today (Aug. 20).
In June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger allowed the furloughs to expire only to turn around in July and order a new round. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- The Fix: Crist leads in Fla. Senate race, polls show
Facing Greene, Crist wins 51 percent of the Democratic vote - while Greene gets just 31 percent - and 48 percent of independent voters.
McCollum, a Republican running for governor, had ratings above 50 percent for most of the early part of 2010. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Facebook Faux Pas Leads to Teacher Losing Job
LOS ANGELES--Police are looking for two 11-year-old girls who left to go to a San Fernando Valley park and never returned.
Anna Lopez stands about 5'1", weighs around 100 pounds, has brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans and blue/black shoes. More...

Friday

Aug-20-2009 -- Tax Cut Issue Will Impact Fall Elections
Even if the tax hikes are only on the top two income brackets, small business owners will pay more than half of the taxes raised.
BP's Mistake, No Exceptions, and Fair Taxation. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Concerns over Whitman rein in GOP fervor
California Republicans are feeling buoyant about the November election contests, but at this weekend's convention in San Diego the party's right flank plans to pressure gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman on her positions on immigration and climate change.
Brown's gubernatorial campaign also has received $17,500 from the group, according to secretary of state records. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Poll shows Alex Sink benefitting from GOP slugfest
Sunshine State political reporters have complained for weeks that Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott has been ignoring their editorial boards and skipping forums with rival republican and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Of course, polls are mere snapshots and every election has races that defy even the most consistent ones, but a few things remain clear. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Nathan Adrian wins 100m freestyle, Cielo 3rd
You have to put in the work to swim it at a sub-4:10 level."
Japan's Mina Matsushima finished eighth in 1:07.74. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Carnahan bucks party to support extension of Bush's tax cuts.
Republican congressman Roy Blunt, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri, has pulled a campaign video off the Internet that showed the smoking rubble of the World Trade Center along with audio of his Democratic opponent saying it should be up to New Yorkers to decide the location of the controversial Park 51 Islamic center.
We need a caring, intelligent person with Missouri values--not someone like Congressman Blunt who continues to represent lobbyists and big corporations." More...

Aug-20-2009 -- With budget surplus, Virginia lawmakers seek to restore retirement, sales tax ...
More than 40 percent of Virginia's recently announced $403.2 million budget surplus came from savings by state agencies, Gov. Bob McDonnell said today.
Or, why Virginia can report a surplus at the same time it accepted $2.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, in part, to close past and present budget gaps. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Murray campaigns in Kennewick
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Tea party favorite and former NFL tight end Clint Didier has scheduled a Friday morning news conference.
Unsuccessful Republican Senate candidate Clint Didier will hold a press conference Friday morning in Seattle. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Love Field shut down temporarily after police chase onto runways
A pickup driver who led Dallas police on an hourlong chase Thursday afternoon before crashing through a fence at Dallas Love Field stole the truck at knifepoint Wednesday from a downtown Fort Worth hotel parking lot, police in both cities reported Thursday.
The man drove the silver Chevrolet through an airport gate and down one runway, drove across the taxiway to another and back in the opposite direction. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Fla. City, Church in Standoff Over 9/11 Koran Burning
In an e-mail sent out later that day, the church said, "City of Gainesville denies burn permit -- BUT WE WILL STILL BURN KORANS."
The Dove church could probably increase their book burning efficiency by maxing the memory of a Kindle and loading it up with a billion copies of the Koran. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- GOP webmaster draws fire over video comparing Republican, Democratic women
Relatively few among two key demographic groups that supported Democratic candidates in 2006 and 2008, African Americans and young people, rate high on campaign engagement (24 percent for African Americans, 23 percent for voters ages 18 to 29).
The state finally settled on a similar primary system, the only difference being that the top two finishers of either party now advance to the general. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- DC mayoral race: With grit and diplomacy, Gray pushes through agenda
Understandably Karim's lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, has said Trout is becoming 'the Kenneth Starr' of the District."
I wish Gray would come up with a list of cabinet appointees now, because it would make the decision of who to vote for for Mayor much easier. More...

Aug-20-2009 -- Calif. lawmakers announce bills on municipal pay
In an e-mail sent out later that day, the church said, "City of Gainesville denies burn permit -- BUT WE WILL STILL BURN KORANS."
The Dove church could probably increase their book burning efficiency by maxing the memory of a Kindle and loading it up with a billion copies of the Koran. More...

Thursday

Aug-19-2009 -- DeMorning DeBonis: Aug. 19, 2010
Understandably Karim's lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, has said Trout is becoming 'the Kenneth Starr' of the District."
My family and I moved backed to DC, and felt comfortable doing so precisely BECAUSE Fenty was mayor, and were okay with putting our daughter in DCPS BECAUSE Rhee was chancellor of the schools. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Obama cited'stimulus' in Ohio, but stimulus had nothing to do with it
COLUMBUS, Ohio — President Barack Obama held a kitchen table summit Wednesday to try to restore Middle America's sinking faith in his administration's ability to revive the lackluster U.S. economy.
Former George W. Bush administration budget director Rob Portman leads Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in recent polls for the Voinovich seat, and Republicans are trying to tie Mr. Fisher to Mr. Obama and his policies on the economy and health care. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Dems Demand Fox News Issue Disclaimer After $1 Million GOP Donation
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the media juggernaut that owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association in June.
Democrats are escalating their attack on Fox News over the $1 million donation by the network's. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Judges rule in against Utah highway crosses for fallen troopers
When is a white cross more than just a white cross? That'''s the question a three-judge panel from Denver'''s 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was wrestling with before it issued a ruling this week against a series of highway memorials in Utah commemorating the deaths of dead state Highway Patrol troopers.
The crosses were the brainchild of UHP Lt. Lee Perry, a member of the association who is the GOP nominee for a Utah House seat, and his friend, Robert Kirby, a columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune who once was a police officer. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Va. will spend surplus on state employee bonus, roads, bay cleanup
McDonnell and the General Assembly balanced Virginia's budget without raising taxes, choosing, instead, to cut spending, borrow millions from the public-worker pension system and plow stimulus funds into education and welfare programs.
Should enough follow suit, the entire political calculation changes. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- What Makes Barbour So Powerful
Unfortunately, Linda St. Martin chose that tactic Tuesday, at the first meeting of the Mississippi Gulf of Mexico Commission, the group newly appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to lead the state forward.
Mitch Daniels, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich among others could also be contenders for the Republican nomination. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Appeals court rules Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional
The Tuesday ruling involves the case of Xavier Alvarez, who falsely claimed in 2007 to have won a Congressional Medal of Honor.
The split ruling noted Alvarez apparently "makes a hobby of lying about himself." More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Ex-Texas DA indicted over forfeiture checks
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's office announced yesterday that a South Texas grand jury has indicted former Jim Wells Co. District Attorney Joe Frank Garza for misapplication of fiduciary duty, for using asset forfeiture funds for his own personal gain.
District attorneys also are required to obtain Commissioners Court approval before supplementing the salaries of county-paid employees with forfeiture funds. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- US Catholic Church tarred with new child sex abuse scandal
In the two lawsuits filed Wednesday, seven people--six women and one man--claim that the Oakland Diocese is a part of a sex abuse coverup.
In 2004, Kiesle ended up serving time for sexually abusing a young girl. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Opponents petition NH power plant license renewal
HAMPTON FALLS A coalition of a anti-nuclear organizations is petitioning the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend its review of the Seabrook nuclear power plant's request to extend its operating license to 2050.
Petitioners want the extension process to begin no more than 10 years before the expiration date of a nuclear power plant's operating license. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Blagojevich Elvis statue, files put up for auction
August 18, 2010 (ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.) (WLS) -- A northwest suburban storage company will auction off items Thursday that they say belong to Rod Blagojevich and his campaign.
The company, Boyer-Rosene, is taking the action because "Friends of Rod Blagojevich" hasn't paid rent for over five years. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Personal Details Unveiled in Hunt for Escaped Arizona Inmate, Accomplice
McDonnell and the General Assembly balanced Virginia's budget without raising taxes, choosing, instead, to cut spending, borrow millions from the public-worker pension system and plow stimulus funds into education and welfare programs.
McDonnell, who says sharp increases in deficit-driven federal spending are unsustainable for taxpayers, is pressing for new ways to finance government services, including the possible sell-off of the state's 76-year-old liquor monopoly. More...

Thursday

Aug-19-2009 -- US spending $16000 for imam's Mideast tour
Imagine if, on Sept. 12, 2001, I told you that a Muslim Imam named Feisal Abdul Rauf, who would go on to say that the United States was an "accessory" to the 9/11 attack and that "Osama Bin Laden is made in the USA," would lead a widely supported initiative to build a mosque and "Islamic Cultural Center" just steps from Ground Zero.
This last because it clearly represents Obamas duplicity his support for a new muslim state that denies human rights to Jews while extolling religious freedom fro muslims. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- The Freshman Foul: Poor ACT Scores
Nationally, 24 percent of graduates tested college-ready on ACT exams in English, math, reading and science.
The scores for 2009 were 22.8, while 2010's senior class as a whole earned an average composite score of 23.9, also without additional ACT preparatory programs. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Pelosi raises questions on mosque funding
The debate over a proposed mosque near Ground Zero has taken a surprising twist with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for an investigation into critics of the project, which she describes as a "zoning issue."
Muslims are acting like a third political party in the U.S. by engaging in foreign govt funded mosques which are political cells covered by the burqua of religion! Burquas are a great symbol of the deception you find in Islam. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- White House releases Obama's passport photo: Will this quiet the 'birther ...
When President Barack Obama addressed America from the Oval Office for the first time, Americans knew in an instant the Gulf oil spill had become a full-blown crisis.
Check out related stories, research geneologies, or peruse all that our archives have to offer. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Exercising new ability to spend on campaigns, Target finds itself a bull's-eye
By now, it'''s well-known that discount retailer gave $150,000 to a business group backing Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer , who opposes gay marriage.
Charlie Weaver, a leader of a political organization supporting a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota, said the pressure from gays and liberal organizations on Target amounts to "thuggery." More...

Aug-19-2009 -- 19th amendment anniversary: Politicians celebrate
The Guardian reports that Carrie Chapman Catt, a leader in the U.S. suffragette movement, once said that it took "480 campaigns to get legislatures to submit suffrage amendments to voters, 47 campaigns to get constitutional conventions to write woman suffrage into state constitutions; 277 campaigns to get state party conventions to include woman suffrage planks, 30 campaigns to get presidential party campaigns to include woman suffrage planks in party platforms and 19 campaigns with 19 successive congresses."
I love that google put this up. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Rekindling debate about constitutional amendments
Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush , expressed similar apprehensions Monday.
"They submitted hundreds of pages challenging the signatures," said Kelly Chesney, spokesman for the Secretary of State's office. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Utah's roadside memorial crosses have to go, court rules
Federal appeals court decision: 14 crosses erected along Utah roads to commemorate fallen state Highway Patrol troopers betray a state endorsement of Christianity, a position which violates the U.S. Constitution.
Fourteen crosses sit alongside state highways or on the lawn outside a Utah Highway Patrol office to memorialize troopers who died in the line of duty. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Obama raises $700K for Dems, visits Jerry's Famous Deli
The president had the same message for Florida and Ohio Democrats alike: "You were with me when we were up.
Obama took what case to Ohio and Florida? Is that the case that we are headed in the wrong direction or we are bankrupt? Maybe it's the case that Obama and Democrats the pass their 40 year old agenda and the American People have been kicked to the side of that road he always talks about. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Sarah Palin: Critics are "Lying About a Sister"
Don't mess with us,' the women state in the video.
The organization is particularly interested in women's issues. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Feds to meet with Sheriff Arpaio's attorneys on civil rights probe
Just weeks after a judge ruled in favor of the Justice Department's challenge to Arizona's immigration law, another showdown between the federal government and the Southwestern state is brewing.
In the past three years, the sheriff has come under fire in some circles but won praise in others for extensive raids on Latino towns and neighborhoods in a crackdown on illegal immigration. More...

Aug-19-2009 -- Sacramento budget-cut protest leads to arrests
About 20 protesters - many of whom were in wheelchairs - were arrested Wednesday afternoon after blocking L Street in front of the Capitol to protest cuts to in-home care services in the state budget.
The group went up to the Capitol today to protest against proposed budget cuts to programs that send assistants into the homes of the disabled. More...

Wednesday

Aug-18-2009 -- Activists file challenge to Michigan Tea Party candidates
Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush , expressed similar apprehensions Monday.
Mr Kull thinks that "big government" isn't the issue? What a lame brain. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Poll: NY voters opposed to mosque near ground zero
Opposition to building a mosque near Ground Zero remains strong, says a Siena Research Institute poll of registered New York voters released Wednesday.
A CNN/Opinion Research poll released last week found that nearly 70 percent of Americans opposed the mosque plan, while 29 percent approved. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Charlie Crist campaigns in Broward's vote-rich Democratic enclaves
Meek has been endorsed by former President Bill Clinton.
Independent Crist, who left the Republican Party to avoid a primary fight with Rubio, leads Rubio by 32 percent to 30 percent if Democrat Jeff Greene is in the race, the Ipsos Public Affairs pool showed. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- American's new fee lets passengers pick a seat in front rows of coach
American Airlines is introducing Express Seats, a new product offering under its 'Your Choice' line of products and services for which the airline charges extra fees under its '' la carte pricing structure.
American said the price of the seats includes getting on the plane in the first "general boarding" group of passengers. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Murdoch gives $1m to Republicans
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is under fire for a $1 million donation to the Republican Governors Association, with Democrats crying foul and political analysts saying it's unusual that the entertainment conglomerate didn't also give to the other big party.
How much does Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., owner of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, love the Republican Party? The answer turns out to be a lot. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- 'I enjoy watching people beg for their life,' McKinney shooter Patrick Sharp ...
McKINNEY, Texas — A 29-year-old man towed a trailer full of explosives into a suburban Dallas police station's parking lot Tuesday, then set fire to his pickup truck and began shooting at the building in an apparent attempt to lure people outside to kill them, authorities said.
A suburban Dallas police station came under attack yesterday by 29-year-old Patrick Gray Sharp , who loaded up his pickup truck and a trailer with explosives and set off a gun battle that ended with his death. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Matt Mead wins Wyoming Republican primary
Mead had defended the cash infusion as necessary to beat back better-known current and former state officials, all of whom had statewide name recognition.
On the Democratic side, results were closer than expected as well, with former state party chair Leslie Petersen besting state Department of Transportation pilot Pete Gosar 48 percent to 39 percent. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- US Vice President to Speak at Senator Ted Stevens' Funeral
Ted Stevens, who helped Alaska become the nation's 49th state more than half a century ago and then fought passionately for its interests for four decades in the U.S. Senate, died of injuries he sustained in a plane crash late Monday in Dillingham, Alaska.
MANY tributes have been paid to United States Senator Ted Stevens who was killed in an air crash last week for his work in promoting sustainable fisheries. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Court says lying about Medal of Honor no crime
The Tuesday ruling involves the case of Xavier Alvarez, who falsely claimed in 2007 to have won a Congressional Medal of Honor.
PASADENA, Calif. — A federal appeals court panel in California says people have a right to lie about receiving military medals. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Sonic booms of fighter jets rattle Seattle area
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, odds are yesterday you heard a pair of massive explosion-sounding sonic booms that ripped through the area.''
The fighter only passed by the float plane once and didn't take any other action, Joseph said. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- AP Poll: Obama at new low for handling economy
Obama's disapproval rating reached 50 percent for the first time in the August 13-15 average."
Gallup said Obama's ratings in the low 40 per cent range are not unusual in historical context. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- 'Glenn Beck': Now Obama Cares About Religious Freedom?
The Tuesday ruling involves the case of Xavier Alvarez, who falsely claimed in 2007 to have won a Congressional Medal of Honor.
Alvarez, elected in 2006 to the Three Valley Water District board in Pomona (Los Angeles County), introduced himself at a public meeting in July 2007 as a retired Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor two decades before. More...

Wednesday

Aug-18-2009 -- News Corp. defends $1 million donation to Republican Governors Association
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the media juggernaut that owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association in June.
Now we have Fox's parent company donating $1 million to elect Republican gubernatorial candidates. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Former Aide Says Paterson Rejected Advice on Tickets
New York Governor David Paterson wants to meet with the leaders and developers of the proposed "Ground Zero Mosque" a thirteen-story Islamic community center that is scheduled to be built just two blocks away from a location where thousands of Americans were killed in terrorist attacks that were organized and carried out by radical Muslims.
Paterson is a milktoast pantwetter who is trying to save his political career by pandering rather than having the guts to stand up for what is right. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- How US News Calculates the College Rankings
Schools are designated National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges (formerly Liberal Arts Colleges), Regional Universities (formerly Universities-Master's), and Regional Colleges (formerly Baccalaureate Colleges).
Loyola University prides itself on being one of the nation's leading comprehensive Catholic universities in the nation, where faith and learning come together on the campus of 3,700 undergrads in Baltimore.'' More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Mourners pay respects to Ted Stevens in Anchorage
Nancy Struempler, a 41-year resident of Anchorage, came out of the church weeping softly.
Hopson and his wife, who have been close with the Stevens family for years, travelled to Anchorage for the memorial and funeral service. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- City of Bell lent employees, elected officials nearly $900000
Reacting to the Bell city salary scandal, Los Angeles County supervisors said Tuesday that they were seeking state legislation to return $2.9 million in property tax overcharges to Bell property owners.
In his Aug. 11 Times Op-Ed article, " City of Bell salaries: Robert Rizzo is only a symptom," Ben Boychuk confronts the wrong end of the beast. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Cause a crash in Huntington Beach'''pay up
Incidents that would be billable under the new ordinance include car accidents, car fires and pipeline and power line damage, the city reported.
A car fire comes with a $750 bill and each fire truck that responds to the scene would cost $405 an hour. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Police: Texas gunman had explosives in trailer
McKINNEY, Texas — A 29-year-old man towed a trailer full of explosives into a suburban Dallas police station's parking lot Tuesday, then set fire to his pickup truck and began shooting at the building in an apparent attempt to lure people outside to kill them, authorities said.
Students were notified immediately through the college'''s emergency alert system." More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Obama to attend EU, NATO summits in Lisbon in November
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has called for a Government Accountability Office investigation into the legality of the Obama administration's use of taxpayer funds to conduct "a propaganda effort" to promote the president's partisan political agenda.
Gibbs criticism of the left wing and Obama's recent comments on the mosque may have the potential for harming Democrats as the midterm election approaches. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- MoveOn targets Target over contributions
By now, it'''s well-known that discount retailer gave $150,000 to a business group backing Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer , who opposes gay marriage.
Charlie Weaver, a leader of a political organization supporting a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota, said the pressure from gays and liberal organizations on Target amounts to "thuggery." More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Privatizing Virginia liquor stores makes sense
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is hoping to get a key component of federal health care reform overturned, but Gov. Bob McDonnell is getting down to the considerably less sexy job of actually implementing the historic legislation.
Plus, the group will look at ways the commonwealth can make doing business less complicated by making it easier to obtain licenses and certifications. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Governor, mayors try to save JFCOM
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (D) Monday called for the Senate Committee on Armed Services to hold hearings on Defense Secretary Robert Gates' decision to shutter the Joint Forces Command, a military installation employing more than 6,000 in Hampton Roads.
Gov. Bob McDonnell and the mayors of Suffolk, Norfolk and Virginia Beach have written to President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging a halt to Gates' plans to close Joint Forces Command. More...

Aug-18-2009 -- Rostenkowski's legacy will cast a long shadow
"We believe that it is impossible to avoid turning any further actions into a political issue and will use the benefit of time to make thoughtful, careful decisions on how best to move forward," according to the company's statement.
Tom Emmer may not be; '''a good representative of the intelligence and political savvy of the best of Conservative thought.''' More...

Tuesday

Aug-17-2009 -- Washington, Wyoming Head to Polls for Primaries
There is no guarantee that the top two finishers will be from different parties, so you could theoretically have a November election for Governor, Senate or U.S. House that matches two Democrats or two Republicans.
Incumbent Rita Meyer is running in the Republican primary for governor. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Obama lends a hand to Democrat in tight race
LOS ANGELES — Fighting off anti-incumbent fervor, President Barack Obama is rallying Tuesday for Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, whose re-election bid could be a sign of the possible fortunes of Senate Democrats in the fall election.
Another potentially vulnerable Senate Democrat cozied up to President Obama on Thursday as the party leader prepares to visit her state. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Join our web chat Wednesday on open carry
As it stands, Michigan law allows any person over the age of 18 who does not have a criminal record to carry a holstered firearm in public, except at a bank, church, court, theater, sports arena, day care center, hospital, bar or federal facility.
Michigan Open Carry proponents are not really interested in enlightened democracy nor welcomed in Royal Oak at Arts, Beats and Eats. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- LA school scores up in statewide testing
The Los Angeles Unified School District has done an admirable job of collecting useful data about its teachers which ones have the classroom magic that makes students learn and which ones annually let their students down.
The specifics of performance-based evaluation procedures need to take into account the other known factors impacting student performance. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Obama's approval ratings hit new lows
President Barack Obama's approval rating has dipped to a new low in the latest Gallup poll.
Now, a record 43% also say it was a mistake to go to war there after the terrorist attacks in 2001.''' More...

Aug-17-2009 -- U-Md. names U. of Iowa provost as president
The University of Maryland has selected University of Iowa provost Wallace D. Loh as its new president, according to the Washington Post .
Mr. Loh, who has over 30 years of experience in higher education, is currently the Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Iowa.'' More...

Aug-17-2009 -- 14th Amendment is key to the American experiment
The 1868 debate in Congress made clear that children of undocumented immigrants were to be included.
According to a recent Rasmussen poll , 28 percent believed children of illegal aliens should be granted birthright citizenship, while 67 percent disagreed. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Mourners pack church for Rostenkowski funeral
CHICAGO — Hundreds of mourners, including some former congressional colleagues and the city's mayor, packed a Chicago church Tuesday to pay final tribute to former U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, a one-time Democratic mainstay whose political career ended in ignominy.
Old-guard Chicago politicians, members of the Washington establishment and longtime consituents nearly filled a Northwest Side church this morning to bid farewell to Dan Rostenkowski, one of the most powerful politicians of his time. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Illinois Gov. Quinn OKs tax amnesty program
"Voters have to understand the desperate need for leadership right now in Springfield," said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady.
Now, the Republicans are using the same video against Quinn. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- A Tale of Two Mayors: How Bloomberg, Fenty Gain From Alliance
Mayor Bloomberg is going national, at least for a day.
Bloomberg is a billionaire political independent who is a former Democrat and Republican. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Blagojevich Jurors Send Another Note to Judge
The judge agreed to hand over the transcripts of former deputy governor Bradley Tusk's testimony.
August 16, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- On Monday, jurors in the corruption trial of former governor Rod Blagojevich asked for a transcript of witness testimony that relates to Count 14 -- attempted extortion. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Patrick, rivals clash over Cape wind farm
A Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor is vowing to refuse federal funding for a high-speed rail line if he's elected, claiming the proposed link between Milwaukee and Madison is not the jobs engine it's made out to be.
President Barack Obama and the majority Democrats in Congress have put Utah, and other states, in the delicate position of deciding whether to accept another round of "stimulus" money to aid cash-strapped public education budgets. More...

Tuesday

Aug-17-2009 -- Commuters, residents fume over traffic jam caused by Obama's visit
Just do that damn fundraiser on a weekend.
I was stuck in this traffic and missed a doctor's appointment. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- LA judge frees thief who got 25 yrs on 3rd strike
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Gregory Taylor was convicted twice for strong armed- robbery in the mid-1980s.
Taylor was arrested 13 years ago while trying to pry open a screen above the kitchen door at St. Joseph's Church in downtown Los Angeles. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Feds want seat belts on commercial buses
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to require lap-shoulder safety belts on commercial buses.
The proposal solicits comments on how that might best be done and whether lap-shoulder or lap-only belts should be required. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Police networking helps ID serial attacks
Elias Abuelazam, 33, remained in an Atlanta jail as officials in Michigan, Virginia and Ohio prepared their cases.
Most of the victims were black, but investigators don't know whether race was a motive. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Annual test scores rise in LA Unified schools
According to a county Office of Education analysis of the latest results, 61 percent of local students in the second to 11th grades scored proficient or above in English -- a rise of 2.3 percentage points from last year -- while about 56 percent of second- to seventh-graders reached at least the state benchmark in math, an improvement of 3 percentage points.
The county tested a higher percentage of English learners and migrant students than the state as a whole. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Bloomberg Stretches Afar
In New York State, Bloomberg has endorsed four Democrats and three Republicans for a range of local and congressional offices.
It's being reported that Bloomberg is going to endorse Sestak Tuesday morning. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Why demagogues love debating the 14th Amendment
The Ohio congressman, who could become speaker of the House if Republicans win back control of the chamber in November, is the latest GOP leader to float the idea of changing the 14th Amendment.
At the center of the debate is the phrase '''subject to the jurisdiction thereof.''''' More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Illinois: Jurors in Blagojevich Trial Get Transcript
Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- The jury considering corruption charges against former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, in its 13th day of deliberations, asked the court for a transcript of testimony by former gubernatorial staff member Bradley Tusk.
Bradley Tusk had criticized Blagojevich's attempt to raise campaign money through the brother of then-U.S. congressman and now White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Clinton lends his Democratic star power to Kendrick Meek in South Florida
With eight days to go before the Democratic primary in Florida, Senate candidate Kendrick Meek is getting some heavyweight help on the campaign trail.
She'''s the executive director of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach, and was looking forward to seeing the former president. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Pentagon chief Gates would like to retire in 2011
A California attorney who has filed numerous lawsuits in an effort to force the production of a birth certificate from President Barack Obama lost her emergency appeal at the Supreme Court to stave off a $20,000 fine for misconduct related to her legal work.
The high court on Monday refused to block a federal judge's October 2009 ruling that required California lawyer and dentist Orly Taitz to pay the $20,000 fine for filing a "frivolous" litigation. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Officer Gets More Time to Fight Discharge Under 'Don't Ask' Policy
The agreement prevents the Air Force from discharging Lt. Col. Fehrenbach under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), the discriminatory law barring gay and lesbian service members from serving openly and honestly, until the Court can schedule a hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction.
The attorneys, arguing that the policy violates Fehrenbach's Constitutional rights, want the court to issue a preliminary injunction to stop the discharge. More...

Aug-17-2009 -- Craigslist sting: Men with Skittles, condoms accused of child-sex attempts
Damon was placed under arrest and booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of: 2 counts Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sex (F-2); 1 count Using Computer to Seduce a Child (F-3); 1 count Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Exhibition (F-3); 1 count Resisting Arrest Without Violence (M-1).
The other three used chat rooms. More...

Monday

Aug-16-2009 -- Search under way for 4-year-old Arizona toddler
When the children returned home, Travis was not with them, Payson police said in a statement.
Travis stands about 3 feet tall and weighs 60 pounds, police said. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Five years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans continues to bounce back as a ...
Metro New Orleans is rebounding and even undergoing a transformation five years after Hurricane Katrina, according to the Brookings Institution, despite new adversity and continued challenges.
Most of the clinics, new or expanded since Katrina, have sprung up with help from the three-year, $100 million federal Primary Care and Access Stabilization Grant, which is set to expire Sept. 30. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Jeff Greene, Kendrick Meek spar in debate
Republican Marco Rubio has nudged ahead of independent Charlie Cristin Florida's nationally watched U.S. Senate race in a hypothetical three-way matchup with Democrat Kendrick Meek, according to a Mason-Dixon poll released Saturday.
The debate lacked some of the vituperation that characterized the candidates' exchanges in a similar forum last week in Orlando. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Heated Rhetoric Gets No Vacation in Congress
NASHVILLE ''' National partisan groups are poised to spend more than $1 million this year to influence Tennessee state House and Senate campaigns involving people like Republican Dennis Powers and Democrat Keith Clotfelter.
Haslam got in a few swats, too. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Mike Huckabee leads 2012 GOP field in Iowa, poll shows
Given the findings and the fact that the 2012 campaign has yet to begin in earnest the poll is right understood as, basically, a name identification test.
The results are similar to another poll conducted in May by North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling, which found Huckabee winning with 27 percent compared to Palin'''s 17 percent,'' Gingrich'''s 16 percent, Romney'''s 15 percent, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul '''s 7 percent. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- The teachers and Cuomo: Divorce is a good thing
Cuomo's gubernatorial campaign is likely to win the official backing of the state AFL-CIO today, with the teachers union and possibly other public-employee unions voting to stay neutral.
For NY State Democrats, it's a good news/bad news situation with gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo's enormous $23 million. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Justices Won't Stay $20000-Fine on "Birther" Attorney
Land ultimately imposed the $20,000 sanction for Taitz'''s violation of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
The high court on Monday refused to block a federal judge's October 2009 ruling that required California lawyer and dentist Orly Taitz to pay the $20,000 fine for filing a "frivolous" litigation. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Record high in Seattle; hot weather through Monday
New York has become the last state in the nation to allow couples to divorce without first establishing that someone is to blame, Gov. David Paterson's office announced Sunday.
Matrimonial lawyers advocated no-fault even though it may mean lower fees for them, said Gouz, a past chairwoman of the family-law section of the New York state bar association. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Breaking Up Not So Hard to Do as New York Law Ends Need to Lie for Divorce
New York has become the last state in the nation to allow couples to divorce without first establishing that someone is to blame, Gov. David Paterson's office announced Sunday.
Matrimonial lawyers advocated no-fault even though it may mean lower fees for them, said Gouz, a past chairwoman of the family-law section of the New York state bar association. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Special-interest spending surges in state Supreme Court campaigns
In a new study published by the Brennan Center for Justice, Justice at Stake, and the National Institute on Money in State Politics, researchers found that campaign fundraising for judicial elections has skyrocketed over the past decade.
Resnick's re-election in 2000 was the last time a Democrat won an election to the state's highest court. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Illinois Senate Race Tightening, Mud Still Flying
Washington (FOX) -- The race to fill President Obama's old senate seat in Illinois is neck and neck in the polls and boiling over with allegations and innuendo.
If you're keeping score at home, that's three separate insults in a single phrase. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- 2 zebras safe after wandering streets of Carmichael
President Clinton will campaign today in South Florida on behalf of Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fl.).
The debate lacked some of the vituperation that characterized the candidates' exchanges in a similar forum last week in Orlando. More...

Monday

Aug-16-2009 -- Ethics inquiries in Congress increase this year
WASHINGTON -- A defiant Maxine Waters disputed charges that she violated House ethics rules and released documents Friday that could undercut the complaint that the 10-term California Democrat sought federal money to bail out a bank where her husband owns stock.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from San Jose, knew she had one of the toughest assignments in Washington when Speaker Nancy Pelosi called just before President Obama's 2009 inauguration. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Ignore the fear-mongering on Social Security
By creating revenue for the government, in the form of a new Social Security tax, but contingent on retirements well into the future, the government could raise significant tax revenue in the worst years of the Great Depression.
Last year, a record 2.74 million people filed for retirement benefits. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Heated Rhetoric Gets No Vacation in Congress
County chairman A. Carville "Peck" Foster outlined the job at hand for the gathered volunteers last week.
The Republicans, particularly Congressional Republicans, have been spouting lies over and over, an incessant, unbridled howl of falsehood and misrepresentation. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Paterson Signs No-Fault Divorce Bill
New York is on the verge of joining the rest of the nation in allowing married couples to divorce, by mutual consent, without one spouse having to accept the blame.
While the measure was backed by the Legal Aid Society and the state Bar Association, it was opposed by the state Catholic Conference, the National Organization for Women of New York State and New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, an evangelical Christian group. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Longtime Nassau District Attorney Dillon Dies at 76
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. — Former Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon, who in more than three decades on the job prosecuted Long Island Lolita Amy Fisher and the gunman in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road massacre, has died.
More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Democrats uncertain about approach to midterms
Present and former Democratic and Republican Party chairmen sparred Sunday over the politics of President Barack Obama's comments on whether an Islamic mosque should be allowed to be build near the site of ground zero in New York.
In an appearance on "Fox News Sunday", Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) disputed Obama's contention that the mosque controversy was about religious freedom, and predicted it would be an election-year issue. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Zebras make a break
Residents of a Sacramento suburb were treated to an unexpected animal show Saturday evening when two zebras broke loose and ran down a busy street.
More...

Aug-16-2009 -- 'Strangest race' has McCollum fighting for political life
In a year when angry voters are embracing new faces, McCollum's primary opponent, wealthy businessman Rick Scott, is wielding the label career politician like a club, beating McCollum with it in endless TV commercials and two televised debates.
"People think that's a little weird. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Brady calls on Quinn to fire prisons chief
"The Meritorious Good Time Push program was ill-conceived.
State Senator Bill Brady, Quinn's opponent in the race for governor, says Quinn avoided responsibility by not presenting the report himself. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Ames officials say water is safe to drink again
The tap water in Ames is safe to drink again as city officials lifted the boil order at a news conference Sunday.
A few minutes later, Dunn drank tap water from a clear plastic cup after speaking emotionally about the cooperation of staff from every city department that allowed the utility to restore drinking water two days ahead of schedule. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Whitehall woman killed in Iowa interstate crash
QUAD CITIES,Iowa - Interstate 80 reopened after a two vehicle crash closed portions of the highway in Jasper County just East of Des Moines.
A Pittsburgh woman was among six people killed in a crash along Interstate 80 in Iowa, police said today. More...

Aug-16-2009 -- Calif schools to get $1.2B from federal jobs bill
The tap water in Ames is safe to drink again as city officials lifted the boil order at a news conference Sunday.
Water and Pollution Control Director John Dunn announced that tap water is safe for consumption at a press conference today at Ames City Hall. More...

Sunday

Aug-15-2009 -- Social Security turns 75, but will it see 75 more?
By creating revenue for the government, in the form of a new Social Security tax, but contingent on retirements well into the future, the government could raise significant tax revenue in the worst years of the Great Depression.
Congressman Joe Donnelly, a Democrat who represents Indiana's 2nd district, told an assembled group that included about 25 residents of the retirement home that the event was "a birthday party for a friend of ours" who has been a "wonderful part of our lives." More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Crashes give Alaska aviators pause
National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Deborah Hersman appears at a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 13, 2010, to discuss the plane crash Monday near Dillingham, Alaska which took the lives of five people, including former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.
Stevens had good times in Alaska and, over the past few years, some terrible times. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' comments irritate Nancy Pelosi but won't get him ...
Washington - Robert Gibbs ' tart tongue has managed to irritate Nancy Pelosi and enrage the Democratic left wing, but don't look for the White House to slap a muzzle on its mouthpiece.
Sorry, Mr. Gibbs, but your description of a "professional left " whose critiques of your boss, President Barack Obama, should be disregarded as the "crazy" musings of "people who ought to be drug tested" reflects that you are both authoritarian and out-of-touch. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Revisiting The Constitution's 'Birthright Citizenship'
LAST WEEK, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio joined the chorus of Republicans amenable to rewriting the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees American citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.''
Most of U.S. news media and politicians the last two weeks have ridiculed the comments by some other politicians that it is time for the U.S. to put an end to birthright citizenship for tourists and illegal aliens. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Game of chicken' coming in Congress over Bush tax cuts
County chairman A. Carville "Peck" Foster outlined the job at hand for the gathered volunteers last week.
Haslam got in a few swats, too. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Record high in Seattle; hot weather through Monday
The Olympia area set a record for warm weather, with a temperature of 95 degrees at 5 p.m., surpassing the 93-degree record set the same date in 1967, meteorologist Johnny Burg said.
Friday night, about 1,100 customers lost power in St. Matthews when a storm blew through about 7 p.m., said LG & E spokeswoman Chris Whelan. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- House ethics chair a job that's gotten tougher
The charges of ethics violations against Congressman Charles Rangel of New York and Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California represent a crucial test.
The House Ethics committee didn't buy that rationale considering that only representatives of OneUnited Bank showed up for the meeting. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Top brass on edge as defense secretary prepares to make cuts
"Most recently, Long was deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from May 2006 to July 2010."
Closing the 'gusher' Pentagon budgets have been flush in the last decade, after declining during the Clinton administration following the end of the Cold War. 9-11 "opened a gusher of defense spending" even beyond the cost of fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Gates said in a speech in May. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Zebras make a break
Residents of a Sacramento suburb were treated to an unexpected animal show Saturday evening when two zebras broke loose and ran down a busy street.
More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Wealthy newcomer gains the edge in Fla. GOP race
In a year when angry voters are embracing new faces, McCollum's primary opponent, wealthy businessman Rick Scott, is wielding the label career politician like a club, beating McCollum with it in endless TV commercials and two televised debates.
We should bring that bill to Florida. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Greene indicted on obscenity charges
MANNING, S.C. --The wackiest South Carolina political race in a long time just got a little wackier, as a grand jury in Richland County indicted Democratic senatorial candidate Alvin Greene on August 13 on one felony count of "disseminating, procuring or promoting obscenity" as well as a misdemeanor count of "communicating obscene materials to a person without consent."
Greene was charged by police in November with showing pornographic material to an adult female University of South Carolina student on a computer in the school's library. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Meek and Greene face off in TV debate Sunday
By creating revenue for the government, in the form of a new Social Security tax, but contingent on retirements well into the future, the government could raise significant tax revenue in the worst years of the Great Depression.
Congressman Joe Donnelly, a Democrat who represents Indiana's 2nd district, told an assembled group that included about 25 residents of the retirement home that the event was "a birthday party for a friend of ours" who has been a "wonderful part of our lives." More...

Sunday

Aug-15-2009 -- Democrats to use Social Security against GOP this fall
On the Republican side, Pat Toomey, a former congressman running as the Republican candidate for Senate from Pennsylvania, offered the GOP rebuttal, and, though not addressing Social Security, said that a series of Obama administration policies had been so "extreme" that "America is at a crossroads."
FDR didn't pass a healthcare plan, but Johnson did, and Obama's plan is closer to the alternative Nixon wanted than what Johnson gave us. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Hotels evacuated during electrical fire
D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services spokesman Pete Piringer says the fire began about 7:45 p.m. Saturday.
Several streets were closed to traffic and power was cut off to prevent the flames from spreading, police said. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Obama's day: Immigration and Ramadan dinner
Joshua Jamison Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Solicitor of'spin', Robert Gibbs, recently answered some questions a bit too honestly for the President's likes.
So I confess that I'm not all that psyched when I see the press secretary of a failed president lecturing the people who put him into office, following two years of betraying them while cutting deals with the scariest predatory monsters in the country. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Revisiting The Constitution's 'Birthright Citizenship'
LAST WEEK, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio joined the chorus of Republicans amenable to rewriting the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees American citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.''
Graham has supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Whitman writes another big check to her campaign
"Jerry Brown is bought and paid for by the unions," said Whitman spokeswoman Andrea Jones Rivera.
The Brown campaign on the other hand has spent less than a million dollars to date and accuses Whitman of trying to buy the election. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Top brass on edge as defense secretary prepares to make cuts
"Most recently, Long was deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from May 2006 to July 2010."
The State Department'''s worldwide total of roughly 6,000 foreign service officers wouldn'''t provide enough manpower to crew an aircraft carrier, Gates noted. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- The Buzz | Ben Quayle fesses up
In a new campaign ad, an Arizona congressional candidate accuses President Barack Obama of being "the worst president in history."
People are tired of negative smear and destroy attacks, typical of the far-Left. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Sen. Durbin released from hospital after surgery
Washington (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has been released from the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he had been recovering from surgery, his spokesman said Saturday.
Durbin expects to resume a light scedule in a few days and a full schedule next week. More...

Aug-15-2009 -- In Florida Senate race, voters unimpressed, undecided
Coker said Crist polls about 20 percent of the black vote statewide and could expand that number against Greene ' but not against Meek.
I just wonder which planet Maggie Haberman is reporting from when she lazily scribbles "And it will be an appearance related to the oil spill, which has highlighted Crist in a capacity in which he'''s come off looking leaderly, according to Florida political watchers, helping to boost his poll numbers in a three-way contest." More...

Aug-15-2009 -- Linda McMahon
Following a steady dip in public opinion polls, Blumenthal has been derided as " Martha Coakley in pants," a reference to the Democratic attorney general of Massachusetts who squandered a big lead and wound up losing that state's U.S. Senate race to Scott Brown.
"The fact that we fell short in the Primary Election is no cause for shame when we consider the vast number of resources arrayed against us." More...

Aug-15-2009 -- 'Tea Party' Members Offer a Ground-level View
LAST WEEK, House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio joined the chorus of Republicans amenable to rewriting the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees American citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.''
There are serious questions as to how birthright citizenship can be addressed. More...

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