SZONE.US Forums http://www.szone.us/ We take photos, maintain websites, are active in community events, Kiwanis, and more at SZONE.US en Fri, 18 May 2012 00:03:14 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.szone.us/images/misc/rss.jpg SZONE.US Forums http://www.szone.us/ Is Austerity Crushing Europe? http://www.szone.us/f95/austerity-crushing-europe-75995/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 10:30 AM posted by J.D. Foster, Ph.D. Numerous governments across Europe have embarked on strict austerity programs. Europe is also sliding into a deep recession, with some countries already essentially in deep depression. Are the two phenomena related? Is the austerity exacerbating the economic downturn? Yes and no, and the yes should be no surprise. For context, recall that the Obama Administration was greeted by a global financial contagion and the Great Global Recession. The budget deficit was already rising rapidly as tax receipts fell, thus creating a powerful countercyclical force, according to standard Keynesian theory. Obama concluded that more was better, and so was launched a giant spending surge of one massive binge and a series of lesser excesses. The economic theory guiding this policy was traditional and straightforward: too little private demand. So, the theory goes, government had to create new demand for goods and services. The theory also... On 05.17.12 10:30 AM posted by J.D. Foster, Ph.D.


Numerous governments across Europe have embarked on strict austerity programs. Europe is also sliding into a deep recession, with some countries already essentially in deep depression. Are the two phenomena related? Is the austerity exacerbating the economic downturn? Yes and no, and the yes should be no surprise.

For context, recall that the Obama Administration was greeted by a global financial contagion and the Great Global Recession. The budget deficit was already rising rapidly as tax receipts fell, thus creating a powerful countercyclical force, according to standard Keynesian theory. Obama concluded that more was better, and so was launched a giant spending surge of one massive binge and a series of lesser excesses.

The economic theory guiding this policy was traditional and straightforward: too little private demand. So, the theory goes, government had to create new demand for goods and services. The theory also completely failed, as all attempts at fiscal alchemy must. Government cannot create new demand in an economy; government can only move the existing demand around within the economy, with a little job loss due to the frictions of heightened inefficiency thrown in for good measure.

The money Obama spent was not plucked out of thin air. The federal government borrowed the money through the financial markets, thus reducing dollar-for-dollar the amount of lending that would otherwise have supported private demand.

The federal budget deficit went from 3.2 percent of the economy in 2008 to 10.1 percent in 2009. If the Keynesian theory had any validity whatsoever, under such a massive impulse the U.S. economy should have shot out of the recession like a rocket. It sputtered like a damp firecracker.

Now, under pressure from Germany, credit markets, and fear of an imploding euro, much of Europe is pursuing the Obama stimulus strategy but in reverse, slashing spending and raising taxes. As Europe’s recession unfolds, many are pointing to austerity as a prime cause.

In one respect this is completely incorrect, which is obvious enough when viewing Europe through the lens of the recent experience in the U.S. Obama’s spending surge created debt but not prosperity. Europe’s spending cuts are slowing the rise in debt but are not responsible for economic contraction. The spending cuts are necessary, and painful, but have no more to do with the recession than the upcoming Eurocup 2012 soccer championship.

The part of austerity that is exacerbating the recession is the tax hikes—no surprise—which in this case are more self-defeating than usual. Raising taxes on income, property, and final sales (the value added tax), all distort the economy, some more than others, often reducing or even wiping out the profitability of various business ventures.

In a strong economy with more opportunities to adapt, the immediate damage done by some of these tax hikes may be modest, and so government can expect some pickup in revenues along with the pickup in joblessness. In Europe’s economy today, workers and businesses can adapt only by going idle, and so there is little or no pickup in revenues to justify the increase in unemployment.

The only conceivable reason for Europe to even consider raising taxes is to reduce the amount of government spending that must be cut to hit their deficit targets. Understandable, perhaps, but self-defeating, as the tax hikes feed the recession, which whacks at tax revenues, thus sustaining the deficits.

Europe’s recession has many causes, too many to list here. But reducing the footprint of government spending is not one of them.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...ushing-europe/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/austerity-crushing-europe-75995/ Congress Should Follow General Marshall’s Example http://www.szone.us/f95/congress-should-follow-general-marshall-s-example-75994/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 11:00 AM posted by Brian Slattery Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/georgemarshall120517.jpg (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/georgemarshall120517.jpg) It was a major, who in 1923, gave a talk to a small group here in Washington, D.C., an Army major, who said that America has the habit of doing and undoing its military. Undoing particularly after every major conflict. At that time, in 1923, Major George C. Marshall spoke of the Army being 125,000, and he said they would have gone down to 95,000 had Congress not gone out of session. In 1998, Congressman Ike Skelton (D–MO) related this story of George C. Marshall, who as a major in the U.S. Army early in his career warned against dramatic personnel reductions in the aftermath of World War I. U.S. leadership failed to heed Marshall’s warning in the lead-up to World War II, and the military had to scramble to revitalize its ranks. This trend has continued over the ensuing 89 years.... On 05.17.12 11:00 AM posted by Brian Slattery



It was a major, who in 1923, gave a talk to a small group here in Washington, D.C., an Army major, who said that America has the habit of doing and undoing its military. Undoing particularly after every major conflict. At that time, in 1923, Major George C. Marshall spoke of the Army being 125,000, and he said they would have gone down to 95,000 had Congress not gone out of session.

In 1998, Congressman Ike Skelton (D–MO) related this story of George C. Marshall, who as a major in the U.S. Army early in his career warned against dramatic personnel reductions in the aftermath of World War I.

U.S. leadership failed to heed Marshall’s warning in the lead-up to World War II, and the military had to scramble to revitalize its ranks. This trend has continued over the ensuing 89 years. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates soberly commented on the pattern:
When it comes to predicting…our next military engagements, since Vietnam, our record has been perfect. We have never once gotten it right, from the Mayaguez to Grenada, Panama, Somalia, the Balkans, Haiti, Kuwait, Iraq, and more—we had no idea a year before any of these missions that we would be so engaged.

When America entered World War II, the U.S. Army consisted of just 180,000 troops, barely above the level Marshall argued was unacceptably low. By the end of the war, he had expanded the force end strength to over 12 million.

While the U.S. will presumably not have to increase its manpower so dramatically any time soon, there is a very real possibility that budget reductions will force dangerous cuts to the Army and Marine Corps. In September 2011, the House Armed Services Committee issued a report detailing what effect sequestration would have on the military, including cutting 143,000 Army soldiers and 57,000 Marines. The report notes that these reductions put the forces below pre-9/11 levels, which “were insufficient to respond to current contingencies.”

Defense has already accounted for half of deficit reduction despite representing only a fifth of the overall budget. The purpose of the military is to protect American interests, not act as a slush fund for the Administration’s fiscal initiatives.

In between the World Wars, the U.S. was drawing out of a major military engagement while simultaneously suffering an economic downturn. Then, just as today, many argued that robust defense capabilities had become less important and that federal dollars should shift more to domestic ends. However, the advances of Nazi Germany in Europe and the bombing of Pearl Harbor proceeded anyway.

While President Obama may have begun the withdrawal from Afghanistan and ordered the strike on Osama bin Laden, myriad threats remain throughout the world, both known and unknown. Rather than using defense as a budgetary tool, the Administration and Congress should heed General Marshall’s warnings and sustain the military during peacetime. This will both deter adversaries and enable America to adequately defend its interests when engagement is necessary.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...halls-example/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/congress-should-follow-general-marshall-s-example-75994/ Infographic: JP Morgan Chase and the Loss in Perspective http://www.szone.us/f95/infographic-jp-morgan-chase-loss-perspective-75993/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 11:00 AM posted by James Gattuso JP Morgan Chase’s $2 billion loss (http://www.szone.us/../tag/jp-morgan) on a hedging strategy doesn’t mean that the bank is in crisis, and it certainly does not mean the government needs to step in. JP Morgan Chase is a $2.3 trillion bank with a net worth of $189 billion. While the bank’s loss represents a clear failure of management, they are accountable to the shareholders.The loss will be covered by the bank’s capital, just as it should be.* Neither the bank nor the financial system was endangered, and no government intervention or additional regulation is needed. Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/JPMorgan-Chase-loss.gif (http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/JPMorgan-Chase-loss.gif) http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/infographic-jp-morgan-chase-and-the-loss-in-perspective/ On 05.17.12 11:00 AM posted by James Gattuso


JP Morgan Chase’s $2 billion loss on a hedging strategy doesn’t mean that the bank is in crisis, and it certainly does not mean the government needs to step in. JP Morgan Chase is a $2.3 trillion bank with a net worth of $189 billion. While the bank’s loss represents a clear failure of management, they are accountable to the shareholders.The loss will be covered by the bank’s capital, just as it should be.* Neither the bank nor the financial system was endangered, and no government intervention or additional regulation is needed.





http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...n-perspective/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/infographic-jp-morgan-chase-loss-perspective-75993/ NBC?s ?Revolution? Shows Life after An Electromagnetic Pulse Attack http://www.szone.us/f95/nbc-s-revolution-shows-life-after-electromagnetic-pulse-attack-75992/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 11:30 AM posted by Michaela Bendikova What would the life in the United States look like if the continent were hit by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)? The new TV show Revolution (http://www.nbc.com/revolution/) from producer J.J. Abrams, launching on NBC in the fall, is seeking to answer the question. The show portrays life in the United States 15 years after an EMP disables all electronics. Life as we know it changes forever; militias and warlords rule the society, which has to provide for itself without the help of all the electronic devices we know today. Such a scenario is not as unlikely as it might appear. The congressionally mandated (http://www.empcommission.org/docs/empc_exec_rpt.pdf) EMP Commission Report stated that an EMP “has the capability to produce significant damage to critical infrastructures and thus to the very fabric of US society, as well as to the ability of the United States and Western nations to project influence and military power.”... On 05.17.12 11:30 AM posted by Michaela Bendikova




What would the life in the United States look like if the continent were hit by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)? The new TV show Revolution from producer J.J. Abrams, launching on NBC in the fall, is seeking to answer the question.

The show portrays life in the United States 15 years after an EMP disables all electronics. Life as we know it changes forever; militias and warlords rule the society, which has to provide for itself without the help of all the electronic devices we know today. Such a scenario is not as unlikely as it might appear. The congressionally mandated EMP Commission Report stated that an EMP “has the capability to produce significant damage to critical infrastructures and thus to the very fabric of US society, as well as to the ability of the United States and Western nations to project influence and military power.”

An EMP is a high-intensity burst of electromagnetic energy caused by the rapid acceleration of charged particles. It is created during solar storms or by nuclear and radio-frequency weapons detonations. A nuclear weapon detonated at a high altitude would send the United States back to the 18th century. An EMP’s effects would include the destruction of electrical circuits, rendering cell phones, computers, vehicles, airplanes, power grids, and all other electrical equipment useless. In the case of an EMP—from “space weather” or a high-altitude nuclear detonation—transportation systems would be halted, communications would be rendered useless, and grocery stores would be unable to preserve or restore food supplies.

The United States must take steps to protect its infrastructure. The public and private sectors should harden vital infrastructure to make it more resilient and resistant to solar storms or an EMP’s effects. In addition to hardening its electrical grid, the U.S. should also develop a national plan to respond to EMP emergencies. This would involve educating federal, state, and local officials along with the public about the risks and response options.

Moreover, short-range and long-range ballistic missiles are the best means of delivery for a high-altitude nuclear weapon detonation. That is why the United States must continue to build up its missile defenses. The system would ideally be composed of Aegis ballistic missile capable ships; Aegis Ashore, the land-based ballistic missile component; and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle capabilities. These would offer a degree of protection against such an attack.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...-pulse-attack/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/nbc-s-revolution-shows-life-after-electromagnetic-pulse-attack-75992/ Why the U.S. Should Not Fund the Law of the Sea Bureaucracy http://www.szone.us/f95/why-u-s-should-not-fund-law-sea-bureaucracy-75991/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 11:34 AM posted by Steven Groves In the current economic environment, one would think that Congress could identify nonessential international programs to defund. That’s what Representatives Jeff Duncan (R–SC) and Jim Jordan (R–OH) are attempting to do in Amendment No. 200 to the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. Amendment No. 200*is pretty straightforward: None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be made available for any institution or organization established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including the International Seabed Authority, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. On its face, Amendment No. 200*should be uncontroversial—the United States is not a party to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), so why would we spend millions of dollars to fund the bureaucracy created by the convention? The U.S. has... On 05.17.12 11:34 AM posted by Steven Groves


In the current economic environment, one would think that Congress could identify nonessential international programs to defund. That’s what Representatives Jeff Duncan (R–SC) and Jim Jordan (R–OH) are attempting to do in Amendment No. 200 to the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.

Amendment No. 200*is pretty straightforward:
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be made available for any institution or organization established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, including the International Seabed Authority, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

On its face, Amendment No. 200*should be uncontroversial—the United States is not a party to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), so why would we spend millions of dollars to fund the bureaucracy created by the convention? The U.S. has refused to accede to UNCLOS, so it has no obligation to fund it, right? (The U.S. also is not a party to the Rome Statute and therefore does not fund the International Criminal Court.)

But the UNCLOS bureaucracy must hold a special place in some hearts. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced that it is “key voting” Amendment No. 200—be warned, Members of Congress, the Chamber is watching. A vote in favor of Amendment No. 200*will get you on the Chamber’s “naughty” list.

Last time I checked, it was a bad thing to expose U.S. industry and manufacturing to baseless international lawsuits, which is what will surely happen if the U.S. joins UNCLOS. Also, since when did it advance the interests of the U.S. oil industry—major players at the Chamber—to be complicit in siphoning off billions of U.S. dollars in hydrocarbon royalties to an international bureaucracy for redistribution to the so-called developing world?

Are these UNCLOS institutions so crucial to America that they must be funded?

  • The International Seabed Authority, based in Kingston, Jamaica, is essentially a U.N. General Assembly for the oceans with the power to authorize and regulate all activities on the deep seabed. That doesn’t sound essential to U.S. national interests.
Perhaps Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Joint Chiefs Chair Martin Dempsey will have answers to these questions—all three will be testifying strongly in favor of UNCLOS on May 23 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Of course, an Administration that defends the half-billion dollars spent on Solyndra can probably justify anything.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...a-bureaucracy/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/why-u-s-should-not-fund-law-sea-bureaucracy-75991/ An Inconvenient Wisconsin Truth http://www.szone.us/f95/inconvenient-wisconsin-truth-75990/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 11:57 AM posted by James Sherk A funny thing happened on the way to the recall. Government unions organized Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s (R) recall in retaliation for limiting their collective bargaining powers. But the Democratic candidate, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, barely mentions the collective bargaining law on the campaign trail. That is probably because—now that they have seen its benefits—most Wisconsin voters want to keep it (https://law.marquette.edu/poll/2012/05/16/marquette-law-school-poll-shows-walker-kleefisch-lead-in-recall/). By a 53 percent to 38 percent margin, independent voters favor the limits on collective bargaining in government. It turns out that closing a $3.6 billion deficit without raising taxes or laying off teachers is popular after all. So Governor Walker’s opponents have instead attacked his handling of the Wisconsin economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts two surveys of the job market. One surveys households... On 05.17.12 11:57 AM posted by James Sherk


A funny thing happened on the way to the recall. Government unions organized Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s (R) recall in retaliation for limiting their collective bargaining powers. But the Democratic candidate, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, barely mentions the collective bargaining law on the campaign trail. That is probably because—now that they have seen its benefits—most Wisconsin voters want to keep it. By a 53 percent to 38 percent margin, independent voters favor the limits on collective bargaining in government. It turns out that closing a $3.6 billion deficit without raising taxes or laying off teachers is popular after all.

So Governor Walker’s opponents have instead attacked his handling of the Wisconsin economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts two surveys of the job market. One surveys households and measures unemployment; the other surveys employers and reports jobs losses and gains. Over the past year, these surveys have painted very different pictures of the Badger State’s economy.

The household survey has shown a steadily improving Wisconsin economy. Since Walker took office, the state unemployment rate has fallen from 7.7 percent to 6.8 percent— well below the national average of 8.1 percent. The establishment survey has been much more pessimistic. It showed Wisconsin lost almost 34,000 jobs last year, more than any other state. Walker’s critics have used this statistic to argue that his reforms have failed.

It turns out they were wrong. The Walker administration just released more accurate information from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). While the establishment survey samples 3 percent to 4 percent of employers in Wisconsin, the QCEW collects information on unemployment insurance (UI) taxes from almost every employer in the state. The Quarterly Census know exactly how many employees each business has, because they have to pay taxes on them.

The QCEW is much more accurate than the initial establishment survey estimates. The BLS actually uses the QCEW to correct its initial establishment survey estimates. However, it takes about six months to compile the UI records for millions of employees, so everyone relies on the initial estimates until the revisions come out.

Normally, the QCEW figures wouldn’t come out until June 28. The Walker administration released them early (as it is allowed to do). The revisions show that Wisconsin employers actually created 23,000 jobs last year. The Wisconsin economy is growing.

Opponents of the collective bargaining reforms are howling that these numbers are cooked. They will have a tough time finding economists to back them up. As Brian Jacobsen, an economist with Wells Fargo Funds management, put it, “The quarterly (census) data is much more reliable. If that one’s showing job gains, that’s going to be tough to argue with.” And the civil servants producing these numbers are not exactly Walker fans. Dennis Winters, chief of the Office of Economic Advisors at the Wisconsin Department of Economic Development, signed the recall petition.

Wisconsin’s economy has turned a corner. Both the household survey and employer surveys now agree: Wisconsin employment grew last year. The Badger State (and America) still has a long way to go. But opponents of limiting collective bargaining in government can no longer argue that these reforms are unsuccessful.




http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...sconsin-truth/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/inconvenient-wisconsin-truth-75990/ Regulatory Overreach: Obama Administration’s Case Against Gibson Guitar Drags On http://www.szone.us/f95/regulatory-overreach-obama-administration-s-case-against-gibson-guitar-drags-75989/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 12:00 PM posted by Jim Roberts Numerous Heritage research papers (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/05/the-focus-act-and-environmentalism) and postings (http://www.szone.us/../../../../../2012/04/12/the-focus-act-and-federal-law-enforcement/) on The Foundry (http://www.szone.us/../../../../../2012/05/02/time-to-focus-on-overcriminalization-in-america/) in the past year have reported (http://www.szone.us/../../../../../2012/02/23/video-months-after-federal-raid-gibson-guitar-still-faces-no-charges) on the plight of Gibson Guitar (http://www.szone.us/../../../../../2011/10/27/gibson-guitar-targeted-as-the-lacey-act-falls-flat-in-nashville/), which has been accused by the Obama Administration of running afoul of the Lacey Act—one of the oldest U.S. environmental regulations. Gibson’s violations were deemed so severe that armed federal marshals entered its facilities in Nashville and Memphis in August 2011 and seized millions of dollars’ worth of guitars,... On 05.17.12 12:00 PM posted by Jim Roberts


Numerous Heritage research papers and postings on The Foundry in the past year have reported on the plight of Gibson Guitar, which has been accused by the Obama Administration of running afoul of the Lacey Act—one of the oldest U.S. environmental regulations. Gibson’s violations were deemed so severe that armed federal marshals entered its facilities in Nashville and Memphis in August 2011 and seized millions of dollars’ worth of guitars, which the government alleges may have been constructed of wood illegally harvested in Madagascar and India. As the months have dragged on with no charges yet filed in either case, however, it appears more and more that Gibson is the victim of a stunning example of regulatory overreach by the federal government.

In a recent interview with Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center’s “Forest Certification Audit project,” Gibson President Henry Juszkiewicz reviewed his company’s environmental credentials and critiqued the impact of green certification schemes on American business. He complained that the Lacey Act, a regulation meant to prevent the use of illegally harvested wood, is severely flawed in practice, because it includes “no prescription for actually obeying the law.”

The ambiguity of the 100 year-old Lacey Act is beginning to attract attention from some in Congress. What remains largely under the radar, however, are questions Juszkiewicz raised in the interview as to whether recent amendments to the Act are being exploited to the benefit of domestic wood producers. Juszkiewicz believes the ambiguity of the rules isn’t an accident and argues that rather than protecting forests, the primary goal of the amendments is to protect domestic forestry product producers, noting that if “you make things risky enough, you are effectively outlawing importation, by making it ambiguous and risky.” Juszkiewicz points out that “80 percent” of the wood used by Gibson is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). And yet, if this certified wood is found to have been mislabeled or inaccurate, companies like Gibson—not the certifiers—are the ones facing potentially devastating legal consequences.

Juszkiewicz’s critique of the Lacey Act should spur a long overdue public discussion about the role of the green movement in the certification process. Juszkiewicz should be lauded for highlighting the concerns of thousands of U.S. business owners about the potentially negative economic impact of the Obama Administration’s aggressive environmentalism.

The Gibson Guitar case underscores the many risks of politically charged certification schemes such as the FSC. Companies like Gibson embraced the green movement. Juszkiewicz serves on boards and is in partnerships with groups like Greenpeace and the Rainforest Alliance. And what did he get in return? A federal investigation.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...itar-drags-on/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/regulatory-overreach-obama-administration-s-case-against-gibson-guitar-drags-75989/ Arizona Gov. Brewer Expands USA?s Most Innovative School Choice Model http://www.szone.us/f95/arizona-gov-brewer-expands-usa-s-most-innovative-school-choice-model-75988/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 12:30 PM posted by Lindsey Burke Imagine being a child trapped in a failing school in Arizona. Prior to 2011, being trapped in a failing school in Arizona meant being trapped in a failing school in a state that ranks among the worst performing in the country. But during 2011—the “Year of School Choice”—Arizona led the way in expanding educational options for children outside of the public system. And the Grand Canyon State did so in a major way: by enacting groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation education savings accounts. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) enable parents of special needs children to leave their assigned public schools, taking with them 90 percent of the state dollars that the schools would have received for their children. That money, deposited into ESAs, can then be used to access a multitude of education options that better met their children’s needs. Funds can be used to pay for private school tuition, online learning, special education... On 05.17.12 12:30 PM posted by Lindsey Burke


Imagine being a child trapped in a failing school in Arizona. Prior to 2011, being trapped in a failing school in Arizona meant being trapped in a failing school in a state that ranks among the worst performing in the country.

But during 2011—the “Year of School Choice”—Arizona led the way in expanding educational options for children outside of the public system. And the Grand Canyon State did so in a major way: by enacting groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation education savings accounts.

Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) enable parents of special needs children to leave their assigned public schools, taking with them 90 percent of the state dollars that the schools would have received for their children. That money, deposited into ESAs, can then be used to access a multitude of education options that better met their children’s needs. Funds can be used to pay for private school tuition, online learning, special education services, transportation, and a variety of other education-related expenditures.

Notably, unused ESA funds can be “rolled over” from year to year and can even be invested into 529 college savings accounts. The introduction of ESAs in Arizona has been a tremendous step toward educational customization.

Earlier this week, thanks to the leadership of Governor Jan Brewer (R), the pioneering ESAs were expanded to thousands of additional children throughout the state. Children trapped in schools rated “D” or “F,” children of active-duty military parents, and foster children now have access to ESAs. Thanks to this week’s expansion, 11,500 children of active-duty military families and more than 94,000 students in failing public schools will be eligible for ESAs.

Education researcher Matthew Ladner notes:
The law also moves to a system of formula funding, making it one of the largest private choice laws in the nation with funded eligibility, behind only the new Indiana and Louisiana voucher laws on a percentage basis. The Arizona program now resembles an expanded combination of the Florida McKay and Opportunity Scholarship programs with the 21st Century twist of broadening the options of parents and requiring the consideration of opportunity costs (what you spend now cannot be saved for later).

In the not so distant future, we will be able to…identify Governor Brewer’s term and a half as a turning point for the better.

Brewer’s ESA expansion is another milestone in the ongoing effort among states to provide children educational options outside of their assigned public schools. Years from now, Arizona will be heralded as the state that led the way on truly customizable education that is structured in a way that empowers parents and designed to meet the unique learning needs of individual students.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...-choice-model/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/arizona-gov-brewer-expands-usa-s-most-innovative-school-choice-model-75988/ Policymakers Should Disregard “Global Zero” Report http://www.szone.us/f95/policymakers-should-disregard-global-zero-report-75987/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 01:30 PM posted by Rebeccah Heinrichs Yesterday the “Global Zero” report, chaired by retired Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, unpersuasively argued that the U.S. should reduce its nuclear arms to the dangerously low number of 900, of which only half would be deployed. The report also recommends “de-alerting” the U.S. force, making it less capable, and getting rid of the land-based leg of the nuclear triad, making the force less resilient. Disarmers like President Barack Obama will undoubtedly use this report as an authoritative document defending their plans to continue to lower the number of U.S. nuclear weapons. After all, in March of this year, the President made the flippant remark that the United States has “more nuclear weapons than we need.” The authors begin their “study” with the conclusion already determined: The goal is to rid the world of nuclear weapons. This is not a national security objective; it is an... On 05.17.12 01:30 PM posted by Rebeccah Heinrichs


Yesterday the “Global Zero” report, chaired by retired Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, unpersuasively argued that the U.S. should reduce its nuclear arms to the dangerously low number of 900, of which only half would be deployed. The report also recommends “de-alerting” the U.S. force, making it less capable, and getting rid of the land-based leg of the nuclear triad, making the force less resilient.

Disarmers like President Barack Obama will undoubtedly use this report as an authoritative document defending their plans to continue to lower the number of U.S. nuclear weapons. After all, in March of this year, the President made the flippant remark that the United States has “more nuclear weapons than we need.”

The authors begin their “study” with the conclusion already determined: The goal is to rid the world of nuclear weapons. This is not a national security objective; it is an academic one, driven by an emotional opposition to nuclear weapons themselves. The authors’ goal was not to determine what the U.S. requires to prevent nuclear war, or in the event nuclear war ensues, to win it. On these grounds alone, the report should be dismissed as an unhelpful—indeed, perilous—contribution to national security policymaking.

If one begins with the goal of protecting the American people and allies in an increasingly unpredictable and dangerous world with multiple nuclear powers that have disparate value systems and national goals, then one would conclude the U.S. must maintain and possibly increase the number, in some cases the characteristics, and precision of its nuclear weapons to hold a variety of targets at risk with the most capable weapons.

Because the U.S. values innocent life—even the lives dictatorships don’t—the U.S. must maintain a nuclear force that credibly targets the war-making apparatus of foes and potential foes—not population centers.

What would the makeup of nuclear weapons look like if the U.S. provided credible assurances to Japan? Europe? Allies in the Middle East? If our allies doubt U.S. assurances, it would only make sense that they would acquire nuclear weapons to defend themselves.

Deterrence is an art, and it involves assessing what foes and allies may perceive as constituting credible deterrence and assurance, respectively. Policymakers who take seriously the government’s solemn responsibility to provide for the common defense should take the greatest pains to ensure that the U.S. strikes this balance. This requires humility and the realization that we are in uncertain times—and the stakes are too high to test out impetuous academic theories like the one the Cartwright report advocates.

Lowering the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal, allowing the weapons complex and stockpile to deteriorate, and tying the hands of the U.S. by signing on to any other arms control agreement would likely embolden America’s foes, spur nuclear proliferation, and increase the likelihood of nuclear war.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...l-zero-report/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/policymakers-should-disregard-global-zero-report-75987/ Gay Marriage and the Golden Rule http://www.szone.us/f95/gay-marriage-golden-rule-75986/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT On 05.17.12 02:30 PM posted by Ryan Messmore


In his May 9 announcement that he supports same-sex marriage, President Obama linked his stance to the Christian faith. In particular, he cast his view as being consistent with the Bible by quoting Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:12, known as the “Golden Rule.” Obama said:
[The First Lady and I] are both practicing Christians and…when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated…and that’s what motivates me as President.

Since the President’s announcement, the largest Christian churches in America—including the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention—have reiterated that they don’t share the President’s interpretation of Scripture on this issue.

Others have pointed out that the President’s appeal to the Golden Rule is problematic as a guide for complex ethical decisions, including whether or not to support same-sex marriage.

Baylor University professor Francis Beckwith notes that if the Golden Rule simply means giving your neighbor what you happen to want, it would lead to all sorts of immoral conclusions. For instance, a masochist could claim that the Golden Rule means it’s acceptable to inflict pain on others.

To avoid this kind of warped reasoning, Beckwith argues that one would have to situate the Golden Rule within the larger canon of Scripture and the Church’s “moral theology including its understanding of marriage and the common good.”

Moreover, Beckwith wonders to what extent President Obama is willing to apply his interpretation of the Golden Rule more generously:
Will he extend it to the unborn or even the survivors of abortion?

Or church-affiliated and private businesses that cannot in good conscience provide contraception and abortifacient coverage under his [contraception] mandate?

Or private citizens, businesses, and charitable organizations whose moral theology forbids them from blessing or supporting same-sex unions?

Or what about those Americans whose representatives in Congress listened to their voices in passing the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996? Did those citizens not in essence say that one of the ways they want to be treated is to have traditional marriage defended at the national level? Yet Obama has instructed the Justice Department not to defend this law in court, a point he made in the very same interview in which he appealed to the Golden Rule.

In short, church bodies and individuals alike have pointed out that the Golden Rule, stripped of any relationship to an objective moral standard, isn’t helpful on the question of same-sex marriage—or many other ethical matters. To employ the Golden Rule to help guide ethical reflection on this issue, one would have to first answer the basic question “What is marriage?”

Obama bypassed this substantive question, putting forth instead a simplistic and inadequate model of ethical decision-making from a biblical viewpoint.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...e-golden-rule/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/gay-marriage-golden-rule-75986/ Northridge Film Student Invited to Show Senior Project at Cannes Film Festival; Is Fi http://www.szone.us/f93/northridge-film-student-invited-show-senior-project-cannes-film-festival-fi-75985/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT 05.17.12 10:34 AM His parents are disappointed, but understand. California State University, Northridge cinema and television arts student Benny Wolde-Yohannes will be missing his college graduation next week. Instead, he’ll be at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Image: https://blogs.csun.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Benny-on-set-4-web1.jpg (https://blogs.csun.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Benny-on-set-4-web1.jpg)Cinema and television arts student Benny Wolde-Yohannes on the set of “Pareto Principle.” The 23-year-old Pasadena resident was invited by festival organizers to screen his senior film project, “Pareto Principle,” as part of their short film exhibition. The invitation presents a rare opportunity for the aspiring filmmaker to make important entertainment industry connections and screen his film before an international audience. 05.17.12 10:34 AM

His parents are disappointed, but understand. California State University, Northridge cinema and television arts student Benny Wolde-Yohannes will be missing his college graduation next week. Instead, he’ll be at the Cannes Film Festival in France.



Cinema and television arts student Benny Wolde-Yohannes on the set of “Pareto Principle.”


The 23-year-old Pasadena resident was invited by festival organizers to screen his senior film project, “Pareto Principle,” as part of their short film exhibition. The invitation presents a rare opportunity for the aspiring filmmaker to make important entertainment industry connections and screen his film before an international audience.

“It still feels kind of surreal,” Wolde-Yohannes said as he prepared for his trip to France. “While I am the one who is going, the invitation is really a testament to the hard work that everyone put into the film.”

Cal State Northridge cinema and television arts professor Nate Thomas said he not was surprised Wolde-Yohannes received the invitation and is the recipient of Sawhney Creative Excellence Award. He noted that Wolde-Yohannes’ work was already generating Hollywood buzz after “Pareto Principle” was shown earlier this month at CSUN’s Senior Film Showcase. “Pareto Principle,” which Wolde-Yohannes wrote and directed, is the tale of two young men who find a duffel bag full of money.

“As soon as our screening was over, there were industry people waiting to talk to him,” Thomas said. “Benny is a very talented young man who took everything he learned here at CSUN, whether it was in his general education classes or his film classes, and presented it in that film.

“Despite his youth, Benny created an amazing piece of work that demonstrates a level of awareness, focus and connection with society that you often don’t see even in filmmakers much older than him,” Thomas said.

Wolde-Yohannes’s work on “Pareto Principle” has already earned him $10,000 to help him as he begins his professional career. Wolde-Yohannes is the first recipient of the Ravi K. and Amalia Sawhney Creative Excellence Award, given each year to recognize outstanding creative achievement by a graduating senior in CSUN’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication.

Wolde-Yohannes called the grant “seed money” that will help him launch his career as a filmmaker.

“This is life-changing money, a belief that I can make it,” Wolde-Yohannes said. “I am so blessed. I don’t have enough words to say how grateful I am for this.”

Amalia Sawhney said she was “deeply impressed with the quality of Benny’s video submission, and the strength of his career plan gave me confidence this award will be put to great use.”

Ravi Sawhney, a Cal State Northridge alumnus, agreed. Sawhney, founder and CEO of RKS, a strategic design consultancy, and his wife created the award to recognize the important role the arts play in society and encourage young people who are pursuing careers in the creative arts.

“Benny’s talents, collaborative spirit, insight and storytelling ability were all evident in a film that touched us emotionally and spiritually, while reflecting on the aspirations and realities of life for so many in Los Angeles and elsewhere,” he said. “We are very pleased to contribute towards his continuance of making a difference, while also bringing to light the quality of the graduates that emerge from the Mike Curb College at CSUN.”

Robert Bucker, dean of the Mike Curb College, said “We are grateful that Ravi and Amalia shared our vision to create an award to reward artistic excellence and professional promise.”

Thomas said the students and faculty in CSUN’s Department of Cinema and Television Arts were proud of all that Wolde-Yohannes has accomplished so far and are looking forward to seeing his name in “lights” some day.

“He is one of those students who has an innate air about him,” Thomas said. “He is going to go far.”

Wolde-Yohannes said it’s hard to fathom what will happen to him after Cannes, though he is certain of one thing.

“There is no question: filmmaking is what I want to do,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there whose lives, experiences seem to be overlooked. Their stories are never told. I want to tell their stories.”

In the meantime, he’s assured his mother that just because he isn’t walking in next week’s commencement ceremonies does not mean he is not graduating.

“I am the first one of her children to get a college degree, and I end up not taking part in the graduation ceremony. She was kind of upset,” he said. “My dad understood though, and convinced her that an invitation from Cannes was a rare opportunity that I could not pass up.”

Cal State Northridge’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication is inspired by the shared belief that art is communication, that communication is art and that art and communication are essential pillars for building and maintaining community. Many of its programs, including those in art, music, theater, cinema and television arts and journalism, have an international reputation for graduating skilled professionals who go on and make names for themselves in their respected fields.

The trailer for “Pareto Principle:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzmtVZMZZB0







http://blogs.csun.edu/news/2012/05/film-student-cannes/ ]]> Cal State Northridge School Bot http://www.szone.us/f93/northridge-film-student-invited-show-senior-project-cannes-film-festival-fi-75985/ CSUN Model UN Students Take Top Honors http://www.szone.us/f93/csun-model-un-students-take-top-honors-75984/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT 05.17.12 10:35 AM California State University, Northridge’s Model United Nations team walked away with several top honors, including the Outstanding Delegation Award, at last month’s national competion in New York. Image: https://blogs.csun.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/un.jpg (https://blogs.csun.edu/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/un.jpg)In addition to being recognized as one of the top teams in the nation, individual members of the team were honored. Hillary Sandoval and Sevan Niazi each won an Outstanding Position Paper Award. Adam Salgado, Khaliah Burnley, Elina Tivmasyan and David Vassalli all won a Committee Award for being one of the three best delegations within their committees. “This obviously reflects very positively on the students and the department,” said CSUN political science (http://www.csun.edu/csbs/departments/political_science/index.html) professor Peter Kappas, advisor to the Model United Nations team. “CSUN has won the Outstanding Delegation... 05.17.12 10:35 AM

California State University, Northridge’s Model United Nations team walked away with several top honors, including the Outstanding Delegation Award, at last month’s national competion in New York.

In addition to being recognized as one of the top teams in the nation, individual members of the team were honored. Hillary Sandoval and Sevan Niazi each won an Outstanding Position Paper Award. Adam Salgado, Khaliah Burnley, Elina Tivmasyan and David Vassalli all won a Committee Award for being one of the three best delegations within their committees.

“This obviously reflects very positively on the students and the department,” said CSUN political science professor Peter Kappas, advisor to the Model United Nations team. “CSUN has won the Outstanding Delegation Award nine times at national and international conferences sponsored by the National Model UN organization. And over the past nine years, CSUN delegates have won over 207 individual and team awards at over 46 local, regional, national and international conferences.”

The Model UN conferences involve large scale simulations of the workings of the United Nations, Kappas explained.

“For the NY conference, CSUN was assigned the country of Portugal,” he said. “Each student was assigned to represent Portugal in six different committees of the United Nations. Each committee was given three controversial international issues, such as human trafficking, indigenous rights, or sustainable development, among others.

“The goal of the delegates in each committee is to produce a resolution, in cooperation and competition with other delegates from other universities that best reflects their country’s positions on the issue being debated. This involved 22 hours of negotiation, resolution writing and public speaking.”

The CSUN team included: Niazi (senior/head delegate), Salgado (graduate), Sandoval (junior), Tovmasyan (senior), Burnley (senior), Narek Stepanian (senior/head delegate), Klementina Pavlova (senior), Jeff Brewer (senior), Matt Melamed (junior), Shaun Michel (senior), Patrick Alsoszatai-Petheo (senior), David Vassalli (junior).

Since 2002, the California State Northridge Model United Nations teams have regularly received top honors and awards at the national New York conference.



http://blogs.csun.edu/news/2012/05/model-un-2/ ]]> Cal State Northridge School Bot http://www.szone.us/f93/csun-model-un-students-take-top-honors-75984/ CSUN to Screen ?Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment? http://www.szone.us/f93/csun-screen-inventing-our-life-kibbutz-experiment-75983/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT 05.17.12 10:41 AM California State University, Northridge’s Jewish studies program will explore life in a kibbutz with the screening of “Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment,” on Sunday, June 3. The documentary directed by Toby Perl Freilich will be shown at the Laemmle Fallbrook Theatre, located at 6731Fallbrook Ave. in West Hills. The documentary tells the story of the kibbutz movement, started in 1909 by a small group of Jews who dreamed of having their own farm land in the home of their ancestors. Due to Israel’s tough desert conditions, individual farming would have been impossible. The kibbutz was created as a way to protect and provide through communal living. The story is told through vintage and recent photographs and interviews with kibbutz members and ex-members. Freilich shows the utopian yet rigid and demanding elements of kibbutz life in its changing forms during the past century. 05.17.12 10:41 AM

California State University, Northridge’s Jewish studies program will explore life in a kibbutz with the screening of “Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment,” on Sunday, June 3.

The documentary directed by Toby Perl Freilich will be shown at the Laemmle Fallbrook Theatre, located at 6731Fallbrook Ave. in West Hills.

The documentary tells the story of the kibbutz movement, started in 1909 by a small group of Jews who dreamed of having their own farm land in the home of their ancestors. Due to Israel’s tough desert conditions, individual farming would have been impossible. The kibbutz was created as a way to protect and provide through communal living.

The story is told through vintage and recent photographs and interviews with kibbutz members and ex-members. Freilich shows the utopian yet rigid and demanding elements of kibbutz life in its changing forms during the past century.

“The kibbutz never exceeded five percent of the Jewish population,” said CSUN Jewish studies professor Jody Myers. “But it had an outside influence on the state of Israel and its national myths. This unique communal movement symbolized aspirations for a Jewish homeland that eventually was overwhelmed by the capitalistic society that it had helped to foster.”

For more information and to RSVP, call the Jewish studies program at (818) 677-4724 or email jewish.studies@csun.edu.



http://blogs.csun.edu/news/2012/05/ikibbutz/ ]]> Cal State Northridge School Bot http://www.szone.us/f93/csun-screen-inventing-our-life-kibbutz-experiment-75983/ Rehberg Amendment to Restrict Funds Used for a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty Passe http://www.szone.us/f81/rehberg-amendment-restrict-funds-used-united-nations-arms-trade-treaty-passe-75982/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT Posted: 05.16.12 04:00 PM Fairfax, Va. – Congressman Denny Rehberg’s*(Mont.) amendment to restrict the use of federal funds for advocating or lobbying for a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty has passed the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations by a bi-partisan vote of 30 to 20.* The amendment mandates that no taxpayer funds may be used to negotiate a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty that would restrict the Second Amendment rights of any United States citizen or regulate firearms or ammunition. Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/news-from-nra-ila/2012/05/rehberg-amendment-to-restrict-funds-used-for-a-united-nations-arms-trade-treaty.aspx Posted: 05.16.12 04:00 PM

Fairfax, Va. – Congressman Denny Rehberg’s*(Mont.) amendment to restrict the use of federal funds for advocating or lobbying for a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty has passed the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations by a bi-partisan vote of 30 to 20.* The amendment mandates that no taxpayer funds may be used to negotiate a United Nations Arms Trade Treaty that would restrict the Second Amendment rights of any United States citizen or regulate firearms or ammunition.

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/ne...de-treaty.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/rehberg-amendment-restrict-funds-used-united-nations-arms-trade-treaty-passe-75982/ Missouri: Gun Bills Move in Final Hours http://www.szone.us/f81/missouri-gun-bills-move-final-hours-75981/ Thu, 17 May 2012 23:11:42 GMT Posted: 05.17.12 09:50 AM Time is running out and House Bill 1647 needs your help to pass in the Missouri Legislature tomorrow.* Please*call your state Representative right away and urge him or her to vote in favor of the Senate amendments to this NRA-supported bill. * Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/state-legislation/2012/05/missouri-gun-bills-move-in-final-hours.aspx Posted: 05.17.12 09:50 AM

Time is running out and House Bill 1647 needs your help to pass in the Missouri Legislature tomorrow.* Please*call your state Representative right away and urge him or her to vote in favor of the Senate amendments to this NRA-supported bill. *

Source: http://www.nraila.org/legislation/st...nal-hours.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/missouri-gun-bills-move-final-hours-75981/ Robbery Suspect Captured on Tape http://www.szone.us/f80/robbery-suspect-captured-tape-75980/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 01:17 PM
Los Angeles:  Detectives are asking for the public’s help to identify a robber who stole two Rolex watches from a jewelry shop inside of a mall in Century City.
 
On May 10, 2012, around 4:50 p.m., LAPD West Los Angeles officers received a call of a robbery at a mall in the 10200 block of Santa Monica Boulevard.  When the officers arrived, they immediately checked for the safety of the employees and searched the area for possible suspects. The officers were unable to locate any suspect in the vicinity.  A security guard suffering from minor injuries, was treated at the scene by LAFD Rescue personnel.

After a thorough investigation detectives believe a man walked into the jewelry store and asked one of the employees to look at some watches.  When the employee presented the watches, the suspect grabbed one watch from the tray and forced the second watch from the employee’s hand.  He then ran towards the exit and was tackled by a security guard.  The suspect managed to break free and ran southbound through the mall and out toward Constellation Boulevard.   

The suspect is described as a 23 to 26-year-old male African American.   He stands between 5’4 and 5’6 inches tall and weighs between 130 and 145 pounds.  The two watches are valued at $64,900.00.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact West Los Angeles Area robbery Detective Stanley Evans at 310-444-1520.  During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

 





LAPD News and Information ... ]]> Police Departments LAPD http://www.szone.us/f80/robbery-suspect-captured-tape-75980/ Message from the President to the Senate Regarding a Tax Treaty with Chile http://www.szone.us/f24/message-president-senate-regarding-tax-treaty-chile-75979/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:06 PM

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to their ratification, the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Chile for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital, signed in Washington on February 4, 2010, with a Protocol signed the same day, as corrected by exchanges of notes effected February 25, 2011, and February 10 and 21, 2012, and a related agreement effected by exchange of notes (the "related Agreement") on February 4, 2010. I also transmit for the information of the Senate the report of the Department of State, which includes an Overview of the proposed Convention, the Protocol, and related Agreement.

The proposed Convention, Protocol, and related Agreement (together "proposed Treaty") would be the first bilateral income tax treaty between the United States and Chile. The proposed Treaty contains comprehensive provisions designed to address "treaty shopping," which is the inappropriate use of a tax treaty by residents of a third country, and provides for a robust exchange of information between the tax authorities in the two countries to facilitate the administration of each country's tax laws.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the proposed Treaty and give its advice and consent to the ratification thereof.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 17, 2012.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/message-president-senate-regarding-tax-treaty-chile-75979/ Message to the Senate from the President Regarding a Tax Convention http://www.szone.us/f24/message-senate-president-regarding-tax-convention-75978/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:08 PM

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocol Amending the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, done at Paris on May 27, 2010 (the "proposed Protocol"), which was signed by the United States on May 27, 2010. The existing Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, done at Strasbourg on January 25, 1988, entered into force for the United States on January 4, 1995 (the "existing Convention"). I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State, which includes an Overview of the proposed Protocol.

The proposed Protocol amends the existing Convention in order to bring it into conformity with current international standards on exchange of information, as reflected in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Model Tax Convention on Income and Capital and the current U.S. Model Income Tax Convention. Furthermore, it updates the existing Convention's rules regarding the confidentiality and permitted uses of exchanged tax information, and opens the existing Convention to adherence by countries other than OECD and Council of Europe members. The Protocol entered into force on January 6, 2011, following ratification by five parties to the existing Convention.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the proposed Protocol and give its advice and consent to its ratification.

BARACK OBAMA



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/message-senate-president-regarding-tax-convention-75978/ Presidential Nomination Sent to the Senate http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-nomination-sent-senate-75977/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:11 PM _NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE_: Derek J. Mitchell, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Union of Burma. White House.gov Press Office Feed (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/17/presidential-nomination-sent-senate) 05.17.12 12:11 PM

NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE:

Derek J. Mitchell, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Union of Burma.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-nomination-sent-senate-75977/ Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-75976/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:11 PM _NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:_ Gary Blankinship, of Texas, to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Texas for the term of four years, vice Ruben Monzon, resigned. Matthew W. Brann, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, vice Thomas I. Vanaskie, elevated. Malachy Edward Mannion, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, vice A. Richard Caputo, retired. 05.17.12 12:11 PM

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Gary Blankinship, of Texas, to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Texas for the term of four years, vice Ruben Monzon, resigned.

Matthew W. Brann, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, vice Thomas I. Vanaskie, elevated.

Malachy Edward Mannion, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, vice A. Richard Caputo, retired.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-75976/ Message to the Senate from the President Regarding the Convention on the Law Applicab http://www.szone.us/f24/message-senate-president-regarding-convention-law-applicab-75975/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:26 PM Attached is a message from the President to the Senate regarding the Convention on the Law Applicable to Certain Rights in Respect of Securities Held with an Intermediary. White House.gov Press Office Feed (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/17/message-senate-president-regarding-convention-law-applicable-certain-rig) 05.17.12 12:26 PM

Attached is a message from the President to the Senate regarding the Convention on the Law Applicable to Certain Rights in Respect of Securities Held with an Intermediary.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/message-senate-president-regarding-convention-law-applicab-75975/ Message to the Senate from the President Regarding the Convention on the Rights of Pe http://www.szone.us/f24/message-senate-president-regarding-convention-rights-pe-75974/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:26 PM Attached is a message from the President to the Senate regarding the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. White House.gov Press Office Feed (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/17/message-senate-president-regarding-convention-rights-persons-disabilitie) 05.17.12 12:26 PM

Attached is a message from the President to the Senate regarding the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/message-senate-president-regarding-convention-rights-pe-75974/ President Obama Nominates Gary Blankinship to Serve as US Marshal http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-nominates-gary-blankinship-serve-us-marshal-75973/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:47 PM

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Gary Blankinship to serve as United States Marshal for the Southern District of Texas.

"Throughout his distinguished career, Gary Blankinship has served his country with great courage and commitment," said President Obama. "It is my honor to nominate him to continue protecting the American people as a United States Marshal."

Gary Blankinship: Nominee for United States Marshal for the Southern District of Texas
Gary Blankinship was employed by the Houston Police Department from 1982-2012 where he worked his way through the ranks to the position of Senior Police Officer. Prior to his service with the Houston Police Department, Mr. Blankinship was employed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. He has also served as Vice President for the National Association of Police Organizations. Mr. Blankinship currently resides in Pasadena, Texas with his wife, Lisa.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-nominates-gary-blankinship-serve-us-marshal-75973/ President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-us-district-court-75972/ Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:01 GMT 05.17.12 12:47 PM

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Matthew W. Brann and Judge Malachy Edward Mannion to serve on the United States District Court.

“I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama. “I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”


Matthew W. Brann: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Matthew W. Brann has been a partner at the law firm of Brann, Williams, Caldwell & Sheetz since 1995, where he concentrates his practice in the area of tort, contract, commercial, and real property litigation. Prior to joining the firm as an associate in 1991, Brann served as a law clerk with the Court of Common Pleas in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Brann received his J.D. in 1990 from the Dickinson School of Law and his B.A. in 1987 from the University of Notre Dame.

Judge Malachy Edward Mannion: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Judge Malachy Edward Mannion has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania since 2001. Apart from a four-year stint as a partner at the law firm of Hourigan, Kluger, Spohrer & Quinn PC in the mid-90s, Judge Mannion spent the fifteen years prior to his appointment to the bench serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. While a federal prosecutor, he served as Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force from 1989 to 1993. From 1980 to 1986, Judge Mannion was an Assistant District Attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. He began his legal career as an associate at the law firm of Bartels, Pykett & Aronwald. Judge Mannion received his J.D. in 1979 from Pace University School of Law and his B.S. in 1976 from the University of Scranton.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-us-district-court-75972/ 12-Pound Baby Born Naturally In Britain http://www.szone.us/f86/12-pound-baby-born-naturally-britain-75971/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 07:31 AM

MANCHESTER, England, (UPI) — British doctors who delivered a baby via water birth said the 12-pound, 6-ounce girl set a record for the hospital.

Doctors at North Manchester General Hospital said Bethany Jane Turner is the country’s third-largest baby girl to be delivered via natural birth and the largest ever born at the hospital. She was delivered at midnight May 11 after about 3 1/2 hours of labor, The Mirror reported Wednesday.

Parents Naomi Turner, 33, and husband Gavin, 32, said they had two previous children born weighing 8 pounds, 10 ounces and 8 pounds, 9 ounces.

Doctors said the average weight for a newborn girl is 7 pounds, 4 ounces.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...ly-in-britain/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/12-pound-baby-born-naturally-britain-75971/ Chris Wallace Dominates ‘Jeopardy!’ http://www.szone.us/f86/chris-wallace-dominates-jeopardy-75970/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 10:52 AM On Wednesday’s episode of “Jeopardy!” Chris Wallace from FOX News annihilated the competition. Wallace finished with $22,800 and won $50,000 for his charity, Hope for the Warriors, an organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for members of the military who are injured or killed while serving the country. He competed against Dr. Oz and BBC’s Katty Kay. Wallace’s victory followed the embarrassing failure of MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on Monday’s episode. Image: http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/personallibertycom.wordpress.com/105352/ (http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/personallibertycom.wordpress.com/105352/) Image: http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/delicious/personallibertycom.wordpress.com/105352/ (http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/godelicious/personallibertycom.wordpress.com/105352/) Image: http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/facebook/personallibertycom.wordpress.com/105352/ ... 05.17.12 10:52 AM

On Wednesday’s episode of “Jeopardy!” Chris Wallace from FOX News annihilated the competition.

Wallace finished with $22,800 and won $50,000 for his charity, Hope for the Warriors, an organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for members of the military who are injured or killed while serving the country. He competed against Dr. Oz and BBC’s Katty Kay.

Wallace’s victory followed the embarrassing failure of MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on Monday’s episode.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...ates-jeopardy/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/chris-wallace-dominates-jeopardy-75970/ Long-Term Mortgage Rates Hit New Lows http://www.szone.us/f86/long-term-mortgage-rates-hit-new-lows-75969/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:39 PM

WASHINGTON (UPI) — Average mortgage rates for long-term, fixed-rate loans fell to record lows for the third consecutive week, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said.

In the week ending Thursday, average rates for 30-year contracts dropped from 3.83 percent to 3.79 percent with 0.7 points. Thirty-year mortgage rates averaged 4.61 percent the same week of 2011.

Average rates on 15-year contracts fell from 3.05 percent to 3.04 percent with 0.7 points, also setting a record low.

A year earlier, rates on 15-year contracts stood at 3.8 percent.

Five-year adjustable rate mortgages averaged 2.83 percent in the week with an average 0.6 points, up from 2.81 percent in the previous week.

A year earlier, five-year adjustable rate contracts averaged 3.48 percent.

Average rates on one-year treasury-indexed adjustable mortgages rose from 2.73 percent to 2.78 percent with 0.5 points. A year ago, rates for these loans averaged 3.15 percent.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...-hit-new-lows/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/long-term-mortgage-rates-hit-new-lows-75969/ Leading Economic Indicators Dipped In April http://www.szone.us/f86/leading-economic-indicators-dipped-april-75968/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:40 PM

NEW YORK (UPI) — The U.S. index of leading economic indicators fell 0.1 percent in April after six consecutive month of gains, the Conference Board said Thursday.

The Leading Economic Index fell to 95.5, following an increase of 0.3 percent in March and a 0.7 percent increase in February.

Economists had predicted a 0.1 percent gain.

The Leading Economic Index, which takes into account 10 economic components, is essentially a comparison with 2004, the year the Conference Board assigned a level of 100.

The declines in April “reflect an economy that’s still struggling to gain momentum. Growth is slow, but choppy, and consumers, executives and investors are looking for more progress,” said Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein.

The Conference Board said their Coincident Index, which measures current conditions, rose 0.2 percent in April to 104.3, following increases of 0.3 percent and 0.2 percent in March and February, respectively.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...pped-in-april/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/leading-economic-indicators-dipped-april-75968/ Jobless Claims Unchanged In Week http://www.szone.us/f86/jobless-claims-unchanged-week-75967/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:41 PM

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The number of first-time jobless claims was unchanged in the week ended Saturday, the U.S. Labor Department said

The four-week rolling average of first-time claims fell to 375,000, down 4,750 from the previous week, but the number of claims filed in the week, 370,000, was unchanged from the previous week’s revised figure.

The largest increases in initial benefits claims for the week ending May 5 were in Missouri (up by 2,569), New York (which gained 2,276), Pennsylvania (up 1,674) and California (up by 1,613). The largest decreases were in Florida (down by 2,599), Indiana (down 1,735), Connecticut (down 1,038) and New Hampshire (down 836).

The U.S. unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, falling 0.1 percentage points from March to April.






http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...anged-in-week/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/jobless-claims-unchanged-week-75967/ Foreclosures Hit Pre-Recession Level http://www.szone.us/f86/foreclosures-hit-pre-recession-level-75966/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:42 PM

IRVINE, Calif. (UPI) — U.S. properties in foreclosure fell to their lowest total in April since before the recession, a private online marketplace for distressed properties said.

RealtyTrac said one in every 698 U.S. housing units was involved in foreclosures in April, a 5 percent decrease from March and a 14 percent decrease from April 2011.

In the month, 188,789 U.S. properties were involved in foreclosure proceedings, which include homes issued default notices, scheduled for auction or seized by the lender.

That was the lowest total since July 2007, the firm said.

“Rising foreclosure activity in many state and local markets … was masked at the national level by sizable decreases in hard-hit foreclosure states like California, Arizona and Nevada,” said Brandon Moore, RealtyTrac’s chief executive officer.

Echoing data assembled by the Mortgage Bankers Association, RealtyTrac noted a sharp delineation between states that mandate foreclosures undergo a court review and states that keep foreclosures out of the courtroom.

Although foreclosures declined overall, 26 states saw foreclosure starts rise from March to April and 27 states saw foreclosure activity rise from April 2011.

In New Jersey, foreclosure starts rose 180 percent. In Utah, they rose 179 percent. This was followed by Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida with increases of 49 percent, 44 percent and 43 percent, respectively.

Bank repossessions across the country fell 7 percent from March, declining for the third consecutive month.

For the 18th consecutive month lenders completed fewer foreclosures than in the previous month. In April, 51,415 foreclosures were completed, a drop of 26 percent from April 2012.






http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...cession-level/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/foreclosures-hit-pre-recession-level-75966/ Delinquent Mortgage Loans Drop http://www.szone.us/f86/delinquent-mortgage-loans-drop-75965/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:42 PM

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The delinquency rate for U.S. mortgage contracts dropped to 7.4 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2012, a national trade group said.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said the rate of homes with payments 30 days past due improved from 8.3 percent, the delinquency rate at the end of the January through March period of 2011.

Homes involved in foreclosure at the end of the quarter was 4.39 percent, up one basis point from the fourth quarter of 2011 and down 13 basis points from the first quarter a year earlier.

Contracts with payments 30 days late or in foreclosure came to 11.8 percent, down from 12.8 percent in the first three months of 2011 and down from 14.7 percent in the same period of 2010.

Homes in serious delinquency with mortgage payments 90 days or more past due was 7.44 percent in the quarter, the MBA said.

“Mortgage delinquencies normally fall during the first quarter of the year, but the declines we saw were even greater than the normal seasonal adjustments would predict, so delinquencies are clearly continuing to improve,” said Michael Fratantoni, MBA’s Vice President of Research and Economics.

“Newer delinquencies, loans one payment past due as of March 31, are down to the lowest level since the middle of 2007, indicating fewer new problems we will need to deal with in the future,” he said in a statement.

While delinquency rates are falling, foreclosure rates remain high, however, mostly due to a bottleneck of processing in states that require a court review of a foreclosure.

“The problem continues to be the slow-moving judicial foreclosure system in some of the largest states,” Fratantoni said.

Forty-one states had decreases in foreclosure starts and 22 states had declines in the percentage of loans in foreclosure. However, 4.4 percent of homes were involved in foreclosures at the end of the first quarter.

In addition, the MBA said loans originating at the peak of the housing boom “continue to comprise the majority of the problem loans.”

The peak of the housing boom correlates with the “low point in credit standards,” the MBA said.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...ge-loans-drop/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/delinquent-mortgage-loans-drop-75965/ Study: Coffee May Lower Death Risk http://www.szone.us/f86/study-coffee-may-lower-death-risk-75964/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:46 PM

BETHESDA, Md., May 17 (UPI) — A study of 400,000 U.S. men and women ages 50-71 found those who drank coffee — caffeinated or decaffeinated — had a lower risk of death, researchers say.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found those who drank coffee were less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries, accidents, diabetes and infections, although the association was not seen for cancer.

Neal Freedman of the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues at the NCI and AARP tracked the study participants from 1995-1996 until the date they died or Dec. 31, 2008, whichever came first.

The researchers also found the association between coffee and reduction in risk of death increased with the amount of coffee consumed — those who consumed three or more cups of coffee per day had approximately a 10 percent lower risk of death.

Coffee drinking was not associated with cancer mortality among women, but there was a slight and only marginally statistically significant association of heavier coffee intake with increased risk of cancer death among men, the researchers said.

“Although we cannot infer a causal relationship between coffee drinking and lower risk of death, we believe these results do provide some reassurance that coffee drinking does not adversely affect health,” Freedman said in a statement.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...er-death-risk/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/study-coffee-may-lower-death-risk-75964/ Reducing Arthritis Exercise Barriers http://www.szone.us/f86/reducing-arthritis-exercise-barriers-75963/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:47 PM

WASHINGTON (UPI) — Officials of the Arthritis Foundation said they have developed a resource for making physical activity convenient and accessible for adults with arthritis.

Dr. John H. Koppel, president of the Arthritis Foundation, said the Environmental and Policy Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis is a resource for making physical activity convenient and accessible.

The report outlines strategies in six key sectors, including: parks, recreation, fitness and sports; business and industry; community and public health; healthcare, and transportation, land use and community design in providing physical activity opportunities that meet the needs of people with arthritis.

Arthritis affects 50 million U.S. adults — more than 20 percent of the adult population — but high rates of arthritis among people with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, make physical activity an important component of chronic disease management.

People living with arthritis have disease-specific barriers to being physically active including pain, fear of making their arthritis worse, lack of knowledge about the best type and amount of exercise and fear of injury. However, physical activity has been proved to help decrease pain, delay the onset of disability, improve physical functioning and independence, and enhance mood and quality of life for adults with arthritis, Koppel said.

For more information on arthritis, including tools for promoting the initiative, visit http://www.arthritis.org/physical-activity.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...cise-barriers/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/reducing-arthritis-exercise-barriers-75963/ Athletic, Combat Brain Injuries Similar http://www.szone.us/f86/athletic-combat-brain-injuries-similar-75962/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.17.12 12:47 PM

BOSTON (UPI) — U.S. scientists found similarities between a degenerative brain disease in athletes and combat veterans exposed to roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dr. Lee E. Goldstein of Boston University’s School of Medicine said mice developed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy two weeks after exposure to a single simulated blast.

“Our paper points out in a profound and definitive way that there is an organic, structural problem in the brain associated with blast exposure,” Goldstein told The New York Times. “Not long ago, people said NFL players with behavior problems were just having problems adjusting to retirement. Now it’s more or less settled that there is a disease associated with their problems. But we do not have that consensus in the military world yet.”

The military has confirmed traumatic brain injury — which many consider the precursor to chronic traumatic encephalopathy — in more than 220,000 of the 2.3 million troops that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

There is no way to estimate how many combat veterans might develop the disease, Goldstein said.

Goldstein and his co-lead author, Dr. Ann McKee, co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University, said their findings — published in the journal Science Translational Medicine — indicate many combat veterans might have organic brain injuries and should be treated as well as awarded disability compensation.




http://personalliberty.com/2012/05/1...uries-similar/ ]]> Personal Liberty @PersonalLiberty http://www.szone.us/f86/athletic-combat-brain-injuries-similar-75962/ NASA Announces 2012 Space Technology Research Fellowship Grants http://www.szone.us/f27/nasa-announces-2012-space-technology-research-fellowship-grants-75961/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.16.12 08:00 PM NASA has selected the 2012 class of Space Technology Research Fellows. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/may/HQ_12-158_STRF_2012_Awards.html 05.16.12 08:00 PM

NASA has selected the 2012 class of Space Technology Research Fellows.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012...12_Awards.html ]]> N.A.S.A. @NASA http://www.szone.us/f27/nasa-announces-2012-space-technology-research-fellowship-grants-75961/ NASA Administrator to Deliver Commencement Address at University of Maryland Eastern http://www.szone.us/f27/nasa-administrator-deliver-commencement-address-university-maryland-eastern-75960/ Thu, 17 May 2012 21:00:56 GMT 05.16.12 08:00 PM NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will provide the commencement address to the 2012 graduating class of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md., on Friday, May 18, at 10 a.m. EDT. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/may/HQ_M12-086_Bolden_at_UMES.html 05.16.12 08:00 PM

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will provide the commencement address to the 2012 graduating class of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md., on Friday, May 18, at 10 a.m. EDT.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012...n_at_UMES.html ]]> N.A.S.A. @NASA http://www.szone.us/f27/nasa-administrator-deliver-commencement-address-university-maryland-eastern-75960/ Presidential Memorandum -- Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-memorandum-implementing-prison-rape-elimination-act-75959/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:36:25 GMT 05.17.12 08:01 AM

May 17, 2012

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act

Sexual violence, against any victim, is an assault on human dignity and an affront to American values. The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) was enacted with bipartisan support and established a "zero tolerance standard" for rape in prisons in the United States. 42 U.S.C. 15602(1).

My Administration, with leadership from the Department of Justice, has worked diligently to implement the principles set out in PREA. Today, the Attorney General finalized a rule adopting national standards to prevent, detect, and respond to prison rape. This rule expresses my Administration's conclusion that PREA applies to all Federal confinement facilities, including those operated by executive departments and agencies (agencies) other than the Department of Justice, whether administered by the Federal Government or by a private organization on behalf of the Federal Government.

Each agency is responsible for, and must be accountable for, the operations of its own confinement facilities, and each agency has extensive expertise regarding its own facilities, particularly those housing unique populations. Thus, each agency is best positioned to determine how to implement the Federal laws and rules that govern its own operations, the conduct of its own employees, and the safety of persons in its custody. To advance the goals of PREA, we must ensure that all agencies that operate confinement facilities adopt high standards to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse. In addition to adopting such standards, the success of PREA in combating sexual abuse in confinement facilities will depend on effective agency and facility leadership and the development of an agency culture that prioritizes efforts to combat sexual abuse.

In order to implement PREA comprehensively across the Federal Government, I hereby direct all agencies with Federal confinement facilities that are not already subject to the Department of Justice's final rule to work with the Attorney General to propose, within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, any rules or procedures necessary to satisfy the requirements of PREA and to finalize any such rules or procedures within 240 days of their proposal.

This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with the requirements of Executive Order 13175 of November 6, 2000 (Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments).

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/presidential-memorandum-implementing-prison-rape-elimination-act-75959/ President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Democratic Republic of Timor http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-announces-presidential-delegation-democratic-republic-timor-75958/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:36:25 GMT 05.17.12 09:02 AM President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Dili to attend ceremonies on May 19 - 20, 2012 commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of Independence and the Inauguration of His Excellency Taur Matan Ruak as President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The Honorable Judith R. Fergin, U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, will lead the delegation. _Member of the Presidential Delegation_: The Honorable Nisha Desai Biswal, USAID Assistant Administrator for Asia 05.17.12 09:02 AM

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Dili to attend ceremonies on May 19 - 20, 2012 commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of Independence and the Inauguration of His Excellency Taur Matan Ruak as President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

The Honorable Judith R. Fergin, U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of
Timor-Leste, will lead the delegation.

Member of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Nisha Desai Biswal, USAID Assistant Administrator for Asia



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-announces-presidential-delegation-democratic-republic-timor-75958/ President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts-75957/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:36:25 GMT 05.17.12 09:31 AM

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Derek J. Mitchell – Ambassador to the Union of Burma, Department of State

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Anhlan P. Nguyen – Member, Board of Directors of the Vietnam Education Foundation
• Quyen N. Vuong – Member, Board of Directors of the Vietnam Education Foundation

President Obama said, “These individuals have demonstrated knowledge and dedication throughout their careers. I am grateful they have chosen to take on these important roles, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell, Nominee for Ambassador to the Union of Burma, Department of State
Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell is Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma, with the rank of Ambassador, having been appointed by President Obama in August 2011. Previously, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. Before joining the Administration in 2009, Ambassador Mitchell served as Senior Fellow and Director for Asia in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He concurrently served as founding Director of the CSIS Southeast Asia Initiative, which was inaugurated in 2008. From 1997 to 2001, Ambassador Mitchell was Special Assistant for Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During this time, his roles included Senior Country Director for China, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Hong Kong (2000-2001), Director for Regional Security Affairs (1998-2000), Senior Country Director for the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore (1998-1999), and Country Director for Japan (1997-1998). Before joining the Department of Defense, he worked at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs as Senior Program Officer for Asia and the Former Soviet Union (1996-1997), and as Program Officer for Asia (1993-1996). He began his career as Assistant to the Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Ambassador Mitchell received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Anhlan P. Nguyen, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the Vietnam Education Foundation
Anhlan P. Nguyen is currently an IT project portfolio manager at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association. In 1998, Ms. Nguyen established the National Youth Leadership Development Camp in 1998, and in 1990 she helped found the Vietnamese Youth Center of Toronto. Ms. Nguyen won the Women’s Leadership Empowerment Award by the Texas Women Empowerment Foundation in 2011 and was named one of the “Top 25 Women of Houston” by Comerica Bank and the Steed Society in 2010 for her leadership and community involvement. In addition, she won the Outstanding Community Leader Award from the Youth Leadership Council of Houston in 2004 and was selected as one of five outstanding young Houstonians by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 2000. Ms. Nguyen has a B.S. and an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Toronto, Canada.

Quyen N. Vuong, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the Vietnam Education Foundation
Quyen N. Vuong is the Executive Director of the International Children Assistance Network in San Jose, CA, an organization she co-founded in 2000. She is also a board member of the Pacific Links Foundation, an organization she co-founded in 2001, and a founding member of the Vietnamese American Non-Governmental Network, created in 2004. Ms. Vuong serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, the Community Advisory Committee for San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum, and the Advisory Board for the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution for Mission College. She received a Fulbright in 1989 and worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Hong Kong. Ms. Vuong holds a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts-75957/ Statement by the Press Secretary http://www.szone.us/f24/statement-press-secretary-75956/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:36:25 GMT 05.17.12 09:50 AM

We are pleased that Members of Congress from both parties have come together to confirm Jay Powell and Jeremy Stein as members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Today's broad bipartisan vote in the Senate reflects their deep knowledge of economic and monetary policy, as well as their distinguished backgrounds and unique experience. At this important time for our economy we are grateful that Mr. Powell and Dr. Stein will serve the American people in these critical positions.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/statement-press-secretary-75956/ Statement by the President on Burma http://www.szone.us/f24/statement-president-burma-75955/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:36:25 GMT 05.17.12 10:21 AM

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between the United States and Burma. Since I announced a new U.S. opening to Burma in November, President Thein Sein, Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma have made significant progress along the path to democracy. The United States has pledged to respond to positive developments in Burma and to clearly demonstrate America's commitment to the future of an extraordinary country, a courageous people, and universal values. That is what we are doing.

Today, I am nominating our first U.S. Ambassador to Burma in 22 years, Derek Mitchell, whose work has been instrumental in bringing about this new phase in our bilateral relationship. We also are announcing that the United States will ease its bans on the exportation of financial services and new investment in Burma. Opening up greater economic engagement between our two countries is critical to supporting reformers in government and civil society, facilitating broad-based economic development, and bringing Burma out of isolation and into the international community.

Of course, there is far more to be done. The United States remains concerned about Burma’s closed political system, its treatment of minorities and detention of political prisoners, and its relationship with North Korea. We will work to establish a framework for responsible investment from the United States that encourages transparency and oversight, and helps ensure that those who abuse human rights, engage in corruption, interfere with the peace process, or obstruct the reform process do not benefit from increased engagement with the United States. We will also continue to press for those who commit serious violations of human rights to be held accountable. We are also maintaining our current authorities to help ensure further reform and to retain the ability to reinstate selected sanctions if there is backsliding.

Americans for decades have stood with the Burmese people in their struggle to realize the full promise of their extraordinary country. In recent months, we have been inspired by the economic and political reforms that have taken place, Secretary Clinton’s historic trip to Naypyidaw and Rangoon, the parliamentary elections, and the sight of Aung San Suu Kyi being sworn into office after years of struggle. As an iron fist has unclenched in Burma, we have extended our hand, and are entering a new phase in our engagement on behalf of a more democratic and prosperous future for the Burmese people.



White House.gov Press Office Feed ]]> White House News WhiteHouseNews, http://www.szone.us/f24/statement-president-burma-75955/ Hit-and-Run Driver Left the Scene While Passenger was Critically Injured http://www.szone.us/f80/hit-run-driver-left-scene-while-passenger-critically-injured-75954/ Thu, 17 May 2012 18:07:08 GMT 05.17.12 09:25 AM
Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department West Traffic Division detectives are asking for the public’s help in finding the driver responsible for a hit-and-run that injured a 33-year-old woman.  

On May 16, 2012, around 3:30 a.m., the car was traveling North bound on La Cienega when it ran off the road and collided into a building.  The driver exited the car, pulled the passenger out and left her on the sidewalk.   

The driver of the Black Lincoln Town car left the scene in an unknown direction, failing to stop and render aid or identify himself.

The Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to the scene and transported the injured passenger to a local hospital.  The passenger sustained a broken pelvis, broken jaw, broken right leg, and complained of pain on entire body.  She is in stable condition.

The driver of the car is described as a male White, approximately 35 years of age.  The investigation is still ongoing.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact West Traffic Division, Detective Arain at (213) 473-0234.   During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to http://www.lapdonline.org, and click on "Anonymous Web Tips.”



LAPD News and Information ... ]]> Police Departments LAPD http://www.szone.us/f80/hit-run-driver-left-scene-while-passenger-critically-injured-75954/ <![CDATA[Where to Watch This Weekend's Solar Eclipse]]> http://www.szone.us/f84/where-watch-weekends-solar-eclipse-75953/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:48:17 GMT 05.17.12 05:39 AM NPS (http://www.nps.gov/) » Explore Nature (http://www.nature.nps.gov/) » Annular Eclipse Image: http://www.nature.nps.gov/features/eclipse/assets/images/banner01.jpg Image: http://www.nature.nps.gov/features/eclipse/assets/images/banner02.jpg Image: http://www.nature.nps.gov/features/eclipse/assets/images/banner03.jpg Image: http://www.nature.nps.gov/features/eclipse/assets/images/banner04.jpg *Annular Eclipse* U.S. national parks are the place to be on May 20, 2012, to see the first solar eclipse in the United States in 18 years. The eclipse begins over the Pacific Ocean and, from south of the Aleutian Islands, travels to the California coast at Redwoods National Park. From there, traveling at 1,000 mph, the shadow of the eclipse races south and east over 30 national parks in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, and even into west Texas before sunset. The grand show is a view of the moon centered on and... 05.17.12 05:39 AM

NPS » Explore Nature » Annular Eclipse


Annular Eclipse

U.S. national parks are the place to be on May 20, 2012, to see the first solar eclipse in the United States in 18 years.
The eclipse begins over the Pacific Ocean and, from south of the Aleutian Islands, travels to the California coast at Redwoods National Park. From there, traveling at 1,000 mph, the shadow of the eclipse races south and east over 30 national parks in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, and even into west Texas before sunset.
The grand show is a view of the moon centered on and covering more than 95 percent of the sun, and you'll see it—weather permitting—from the beach at Redwoods National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque.
Grand Canyon National Park, Navajo National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and other parks of the Southwest will have other wonderful eclipse views. More than 125 national parks from western Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, and the Dakotas, and even parks in Alaska, will have views of a partial eclipse.
This is a wonderful opportunity for park visitors. Several parks already have plans for eclipse programs in the days preceding the eclipse and on the day of the eclipse. At these parks, rangers will help visitors safely view the solar eclipse. In some parks, you'll be standing in the footsteps of ancient peoples who have marked these events for over 1,000 years.

How to View

Looking directly at the Sun is dangerous and will cause damage to your eyesight. So, how do you safely watch a solar eclipse? Read on to learn how. Learn more...

Where to View

Many national parks are going to make fantastic viewing locations for the May 20 annular solar eclipse. Find out where these parks are. Learn more...

Park Events

Several parks will be holding events on the day of the eclipse. Discover where you can join a park event. Learn more...

Resources

Use these links for information about solar eclipses and see how the eclipse will appear from your home. Learn more...





Last Updated: February 12, 2012




Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog ... ]]> Gov Gab Gov Gab http://www.szone.us/f84/where-watch-weekends-solar-eclipse-75953/ Morning Bell: A Glimmer of Hope for the American Dream http://www.szone.us/f95/morning-bell-glimmer-hope-american-dream-75952/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT On 05.17.12 04:57 AM posted by Mike Brownfield


Yesterday in the Senate, America bore witness to the glaringly obvious division in Washington, as stark as the contrast between high noon in the desert and midnight in the mountains. On the one hand is Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) failure to pass a budget over the past three years. And on the other hand is leadership from conservative senators and representatives who have put forward serious proposals to rescue America from its debt and spending crises.

That division was laid bare inside the Capitol yesterday afternoon as the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 against President Barack Obama’s budget — a plan that spends more, taxes more, and slashes our military, all without making any attempt to reform America’s entitlement mess.

Compare the President’s proposal — and Reid’s total lack of a proposal — with the four plans offered by conservatives in Congress, chief among them being Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) budget, which mirrors the bold and thorough reforms The Heritage Foundation first proposed in its*Saving the American Dream*plan. That includes limiting the size of the federal government, reforming entitlement programs, and simplifying the federal tax code in an effort to restore our nation’s economic prosperity and ensure that future generations are not saddled with today’s debt.

Also important are plans proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), all of which acknowledge that America*is facing a fiscal crisis that cannot be wished away, taxed away, or passed on to future generations. Though the Senate did not pass any of those plans yesterday, each of them garnered significantly more support than the President’s “alternative,” which did not even win one vote from his own party.

The liberal leadership in the Senate is utterly bereft of ideas, and they’re also determined to prevent ideas from being offered. In a speech yesterday, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) explained, “Republicans are proving that we are willing to be held accountable to the American people by putting a plan on the table and showing the American people what we would do to try and get our fiscal house in order.”

There are certain things the American people should expect when they send representatives to Washington. Standing on the sidelines while the nation swirls into a fiscal disaster is not one of them. Speaking from the Senate floor yesterday, Senator Lee expressed it best:
Doing nothing is no longer an option! Although this President and this Congress have attempted, by not having a budget, to convince the American people that doing nothing is the only option.

Ignoring our broken entitlement programs, maintaining our complex tax code, and pretending we don’t have a spending problem ensures that our economy will never truly recover and the American dream will not be restored.

Thanks to Senator Lee, Representative*Ryan, Senator Toomey and others like them, there are proposals, ideas, and plans to cut spending, fix entitlements, reform the tax code, and make sure that America is properly defended. Lee is right, doing nothing is not an option. But with the efforts of conservatives in Congress, there are plenty of good options on the table. If only their colleagues would join them in taking action.





Quick Hits:

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...merican-dream/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/morning-bell-glimmer-hope-american-dream-75952/ Boko Haram: FTO Designation in Sight? http://www.szone.us/f95/boko-haram-fto-designation-sight-75951/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT On 05.17.12 05:33 AM posted by Morgan Lorraine Roach Yesterday, the House Rules Committee posted an amendment (http://www.rules.house.gov/amendments/MEEHPA_031_xml514121640264026.pdf) to the National Defense Authorization Act that would require the State Department to determine whether the Nigerian sect Boko Haram meets the criteria to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Sponsored by Representative Patrick Meehan (R–PA), the amendment states that if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chooses not to designate Boko Haram as an FTO, she would then be required to submit a report describing why. This amendment follows last November’s bipartisan report (http://homeland.house.gov/sites/homeland.house.gov/files/Boko%20Haram-%20Emerging%20Threat%20to%20the%20US%20Homeland.pdf) co-authored by Meehan and ranking member Jackie Speier (D–CA) of the House Subcommittee on Intelligence of the Homeland Security Committee. It requests that Clinton conduct an investigation... On 05.17.12 05:33 AM posted by Morgan Lorraine Roach


Yesterday, the House Rules Committee posted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would require the State Department to determine whether the Nigerian sect Boko Haram meets the criteria to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

Sponsored by Representative Patrick Meehan (R–PA), the amendment states that if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chooses not to designate Boko Haram as an FTO, she would then be required to submit a report describing why.

This amendment follows last November’s bipartisan report co-authored by Meehan and ranking member Jackie Speier (D–CA) of the House Subcommittee on Intelligence of the Homeland Security Committee. It requests that Clinton conduct an investigation into whether Boko Haram should be designated an FTO. In March, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Peter King (R–NY) and Meehan also sent Clinton a letter urging her to designate Boko Haram an FTO.

The Obama Administration has made some efforts to address concerns related to Boko Haram. The U.S. is currently providing assistance to the Nigerian government to build intelligence and security capacity. The State Department has also encouraged Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to address the shortcomings of the national security forces and marginalization in the northern part of the country. This was echoed in a congressional letter by Representative Michele Bachman (R–MN) and others last month.

Despite providing counterterrorism assistance to Nigeria, the Obama Administration is reluctant to designate Boko Haram an FTO and has failed to provide sufficient reason. In his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in March, Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson downplayed the threat, emphasizing that Boko Haram is a “loosely organized group…focused on discrediting the Nigerian government” rather than religious extremism.

The amendment by Congress is a welcome development. For too long, the State Department has overlooked Boko Haram as a potential threat to U.S. interests. While Boko Haram does not currently pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland, other organizations, such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, were not immediately considered threats, either.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...tion-in-sight/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/boko-haram-fto-designation-sight-75951/ Live Chat about the Different Budgets ? Friday at Noon ET http://www.szone.us/f95/live-chat-about-different-budgets-friday-noon-et-75950/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT On 05.17.12 06:00 AM posted by Todd Thurman


Join us on Friday from 12-1 ET for our “Lunch with Heritage” live online chat. We will be joined by the Director of Heritage’s Center for Data Analysis and will be taking your questions about the different budget proposals put forth by Congress on Wednesday. If you cannot be here for the chat, leave a question in the comments and we will try and answer it for you. IF you want to RSVP for the chat leave your name in the form below.

Lunch with Heritage feat. Bill Beach



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...ay-at-noon-et/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/live-chat-about-different-budgets-friday-noon-et-75950/ Brightsource DOE Funding Exposes Obama Cronyism http://www.szone.us/f95/brightsource-doe-funding-exposes-obama-cronyism-75949/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT On 05.17.12 06:30 AM posted by Romina Boccia A congressional hearing on May 16 exposed further details on just the kind of political maneuvering that was going on between the Obama Administration and beneficiaries of Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees. Emails revealed during the hearing are the tip of the iceberg in a corrupt federal funding process that first came under congressional scrutiny with the failure of Solyndra (http://blog.heritage.org/2011/09/16/morning-bell-solyndra-scandal-ends-green-jobs-myth/). Solar company BrightSource Energy received an even bigger loan guarantee from DOE than Solyndra did. In April 2011, the company received $1.6 billion (http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/the-obama-administrations-green-energy-gamble-what-have-all-the-taxpayer-subsidies-achieved/)for its Ivanpah project in California—more than triple the size of Solyndra’s loan guarantee of $535 million! BrightSource’s CEO, John Woolard, claims... On 05.17.12 06:30 AM posted by Romina Boccia


A congressional hearing on May 16 exposed further details on just the kind of political maneuvering that was going on between the Obama Administration and beneficiaries of Department of Energy (DOE) loan guarantees. Emails revealed during the hearing are the tip of the iceberg in a corrupt federal funding process that first came under congressional scrutiny with the failure of Solyndra.

Solar company BrightSource Energy received an even bigger loan guarantee from DOE than Solyndra did. In April 2011, the company received $1.6 billion for its Ivanpah project in California—more than triple the size of Solyndra’s loan guarantee of $535 million! BrightSource’s CEO, John Woolard, claims that at its peak, the project would create 1,400 jobs. That would amount to $1.43 million for every job created.

John McArdle reports that in an email sent 15 months before the BrightSource loan was finalized, Woolard wrote an email to Matt Rogers, then DOE’s top adviser on the administration of stimulus funds. Woolard wrote, according to Greenwire:
…that Peter Darbee, head of Pacific Gas & Electric Co., “talked directly to Obama about the program’s challenges and the bad situation it puts him in. DOE credibility is thin and I am currently trying to put off [communication] with the Hill until we talk.” Rogers replied that he appreciated the heads-up and was “working it on this end.”

Merely a month before the BrightSource loan came through, another email exchange occurred between then-BrightSource Chairman John Bryson (who was nominated by President Obama to serve as Commerce Secretary in May 2011 and was confirmed to the post last October) and Jonathan Silver, who was in charge of the DOE loan program. The email was addressed to then-White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley but was never sent to him, over concerns that it might not be appropriate.
“The White House needs to focus on finalizing the loan guarantee for what would be the largest solar thermal project in the world,” Bryson wrote in the draft.

“We need a commitment from the [White House] to quarterback loan closure between [the Office of Management and Budget] and DOE by March 18 to avoid having our project jeopardized by larger budget politics.”

Even before these emails appeared, BrightSource became known as heavily politically connected. In his new book,*Throw Them All Out, Peter Schweizer reported that Sanjay Wagle, a major player in BrightSource’s largest shareholder, Vantage Point, and an Obama fundraiser, “was installed at the Department of Energy (DOE), advising on energy grants.”

These revelations demonstrate that federal processes to supply loan guarantees and other subsidies are steeped in political favoritism. The only solution to get this cronyism out of government is to get government out of the business of picking market winners among its political friends. This can be done by ending all energy subsidies and freeing up energy markets for companies to compete to create the most value for consumers.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...bama-cronyism/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/brightsource-doe-funding-exposes-obama-cronyism-75949/ Should the Agriculture Committee Decide what we do in Afghanistan? http://www.szone.us/f95/should-agriculture-committee-decide-what-we-do-afghanistan-75948/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT On 05.17.12 07:30 AM posted by Joe Luppino-Esposito As part of an ongoing series, the Heritage Center for Legal and Judicial Studies periodically identifies a “Bill of the Week” that relates to the problem of overcriminalization in America. Our Bill of the Week segment usually highlights a piece of legislation that, due to its underlying policies, exacerbate the problem of overcriminalization. But this week we’re faced with a matter that shows why form must follow function. No reasonable person would recommend that the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee send a bill to the Senate floor restructuring our present and future relationship with the government inAfghanistanwithout first receiving the opinion of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees.*We have committed the lives of American soldiers and a sizeable portion of our treasury to the Afghanistan War, and what happens in that country is more important than what happens in a national forest... On 05.17.12 07:30 AM posted by Joe Luppino-Esposito


As part of an ongoing series, the Heritage Center for Legal and Judicial Studies periodically identifies a “Bill of the Week” that relates to the problem of overcriminalization in America.

Our Bill of the Week segment usually highlights a piece of legislation that, due to its underlying policies, exacerbate the problem of overcriminalization. But this week we’re faced with a matter that shows why form must follow function.

No reasonable person would recommend that the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee send a bill to the Senate floor restructuring our present and future relationship with the government inAfghanistanwithout first receiving the opinion of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees.*We have committed the lives of American soldiers and a sizeable portion of our treasury to the Afghanistan War, and what happens in that country is more important than what happens in a national forest in one of the Western States.* The Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees should be the Senate’s experts on foreign policy and military affairs, so it would not make sense to adopt policy without first giving those committees an important role in the making of it.** So why has it become regular practice for Congress to allow such outrageous results when it passes laws that add or modify criminal offenses or penalties?

This week, two similar bills, S. 2516: Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act and H.R. 5651: Food and Drug Administration Reform Act of 2012, are both quickly moving through their respective houses of Congress. Both bills would create new criminal offenses and increase criminal penalties for criminal laws already on the books. The maximum terms of imprisonment range from 20 years to life imprisonment, and criminal fines can reach to up to $4,000,000.

The problem is that because both bills concern the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, they have been sent to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, respectively. In the Senate, the bill passed through the committee without any written report explaining why an American should potentially serve out the rest of his life in prison for a new crime.* The legislation has been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar and will be brought up for a vote.

How can it be that criminal laws, which can deprive someone of liberty, sometimes for quite a period of time, are not considered by the presumed Congressional experts that make up the Judiciary Committees of the Senate and House?

In the 2010 Without Intent report, The Heritage Foundation and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers proposed that Congress would benefit from five reforms that would help curb overcriminalization at the federal level. Among those was a suggestion to impose automatic sequential referral for all legislation that would affect criminal offenses and penalties.* Sequential referral is a procedure that sends proposed legislation to several congressional committees in order for members to consider it before the legislation is voted on by Congress.

This reform is not a magic bullet that would suddenly eliminate overcriminalization. Members of the Judiciary Committees would still need carefully to consider each bill. (They could look to the Criminal Law Checklist for Federal Legislators for guidance on how to do so.) Statistics from the report, however, suggest that mandatory consideration by each body’s Judiciary Committee could reduce the presence of new or modified criminal provisions in unrelated bills, slow the pace of regulatory criminalization, assure that traditional protections are included in new criminal provisions, and encourage a more principled and deliberate approach to federal criminal law, hopefully halting or slowing the ever-growing increase in the hodgepodge of criminal laws that currently exists.

Congress has inserted itself into virtually every aspect of the lives of average Americans. The committee system encourages members of Congress to focus on and become experts in particular areas of the law in order best to serve the public. Why not ensure that the right people – the people who are assigned to become experts in criminal law – actually view all proposed new criminal laws? *We turn to cardiologists for heart problem, ophthalmologists for eye diseases, and orthopedic surgeons for torn ACLs.* Shouldn’t we demand that our elected representatives on Capitol Hill use the same type of good judgment and rely on the opinions of their own experts?



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...n-afghanistan/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/should-agriculture-committee-decide-what-we-do-afghanistan-75948/ Iran and IAEA: Slip and Slide http://www.szone.us/f95/iran-iaea-slip-slide-75947/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT On 05.17.12 08:30 AM posted by James Phillips Iran is resorting to its usual negotiating tactics on the nuclear issue: Slip away from its commitments under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and slide by international efforts to halt its nuclear weapons program. Yesterday, Iranian negotiators ended two days of talks with officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is charged with verifying compliance with the nonproliferation treaty. Although the meetings failed to resolve the standoff over Tehran’s longstanding failure to fully cooperate with the IAEA, Iran’s negotiators played up (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57434307/iran-talks-over-suspect-site-on-the-right-track/)the results as “very constructive.” The chief outcome apparently is that the talks produced an agreement to hold more talks—a familiar pattern for Iran, which is a champion (http://blog.heritage.org/2010/04/22/iran%e2%80%99s-diplomatic-rope-a-dope-strategy/) of “rope-a-dope”... On 05.17.12 08:30 AM posted by James Phillips


Iran is resorting to its usual negotiating tactics on the nuclear issue: Slip away from its commitments under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and slide by international efforts to halt its nuclear weapons program. Yesterday, Iranian negotiators ended two days of talks with officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is charged with verifying compliance with the nonproliferation treaty. Although the meetings failed to resolve the standoff over Tehran’s longstanding failure to fully cooperate with the IAEA, Iran’s negotiators played upthe results as “very constructive.”

The chief outcome apparently is that the talks produced an agreement to hold more talks—a familiar pattern for Iran, which is a champion of “rope-a-dope” diplomacy. The IAEA talks will resume next Monday, two days before Tehran resumes talks with the P5+1 (five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany) over its continued defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions requiring it to halt uranium enrichment and other activities useful for building nuclear weapons. You can bet thatIran will make promises on Monday that it will trumpet to gain leverage for the P5+1 negotiations later in the week.

The IAEA is pressing Iran on evidence detailed in an IAEA report last November assessing that Iran may have conducted experiments necessary to build a nuclear weapon. In particular, IAEA inspectors want to gain access to a military facility at Parchin, where they suspect that Iran conducted tests on high explosives related to the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Iran has been stalling for years and recently was revealed by satellite photos to be cleaning the Parchin facility to rid it of possible evidence.

Perhaps this is what Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh meant when he told reporters that “everything is on the right track.” Iran is steering negotiations with the IAEA and with the P5+1 toward another trip down its slip and slide.



http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/17/...lip-and-slide/ ]]> The Heritage Foundation @Heritage http://www.szone.us/f95/iran-iaea-slip-slide-75947/ Oklahoma Officials: Open carry no problem http://www.szone.us/f81/oklahoma-officials-open-carry-no-problem-75946/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:02:01 GMT Posted: 05.15.12 04:00 PM

Local law enforcement officials say the signing of a bill allowing Oklahomans to openly carry firearms won’t create problems in Muskogee.

The bill was signed by Gov. Mary Fallin on Tuesday. Oklahoma will become the 25th state in the nation with “permissive open carry” laws or “licensed open carry” laws.
Read the article: The Muskogee Phoenix (Okla.)

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/in...o-problem.aspx ]]> National Rifle Association @NRA-ILA http://www.szone.us/f81/oklahoma-officials-open-carry-no-problem-75946/