Israel: Palestinians to blame for impasse in talks

It's about time the U.S. government put pressure on Israel to do the right thing. But let's see if it amounts to anything. The Lobby is very strong on Capitol Hill.

in reference to:

"Israel's prime minister on Sunday accused the Palestinians of holding up the Mideast peace process, after Washington's Mideast envoy suggested the U.S. might impose sanctions on Israel to press it to make additional concessions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments appeared to reflect concern that Israel is being perceived as the reason for the yearlong deadlock. U.S. envoy George Mitchell is expected in the region later this month in his latest attempt to bring the sides back to the negotiating table. Mitchell alarmed Israeli officials by suggesting last week that the U.S. could use financial pressure to extract new concessions from the Israelis. "Under American law, the United States can withhold support on loan guarantees to Israel," Mitchell told PBS interviewer Charlie Rose, noting that the previous administration of George W. Bush had done so. But he quickly added that he preferred persuasion to sanctions."
- Israel: Palestinians to blame for impasse in talks - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Charlie Sheen tapes first show since felony arrest

Hollywood needs an establishment that imposes discipline of performers that engage in criminal conduct. The type of hierarchy that you find in professional sports and that used to exist in Hollywood during the golden age. These people seem to have no restraint. Ideally Sheen should fired or suspended. The Networks, in his case, could and should impose the punishment.

in reference to:

"Charlie Sheen is back at work at "Two and a Half Men," and his producer said Saturday that the audience at the actor's first show taping since his arrest on felony and other charges was "incredibly supportive." Sheen taped an episode of the top-rated CBS comedy on Friday. He was arrested Christmas Day in Aspen, Colo., on suspicion of domestic violence and other charges. Sheen's wife, Brooke, told police he put a knife to her throat, an accusation the actor denies. Attorneys say the couple wants to reconcile. Sheen showed up at work Monday and rehearsals went well, said Chuck Lorre, the show's creator and executive producer. He said the incident wasn't ignored, but wouldn't say how it came up backstage. Lorre said Sheen seems to be doing as well as he can under the circumstances. "We did a live show in front of a studio audience and it was a big success for us," Lorre said. "We just came back to work." A day before the taping, Pitkin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Arnold Mordkin said that a Colorado judge ruled that Sheen must appear in person Feb. 8 for an Aspen hearing on suspicion of felony menacing, domestic violence and other charges. Hanesbrands Inc., meanwhile, said it is ending its advertising campaign featuring Sheen. Company spokesman Matt Hall said the seriousness of the allegations against the 44-year-old actor made the decision necessary."
- Entertainment | Charlie Sheen tapes first show since felony arrest | Seattle Times Newspaper (view on Google Sidewiki)

30 injured in Hong Kong acid attack

Horrifying.

in reference to:

"Police in Hong Kong said they have arrested one man in connection with an acid attack that injured 30 people at a popular tourist haunt Saturday night. Police said the attacker hurled two bottles of acid on shoppers on Temple Street, a busy outdoor market that is a favorite of tourists and locals. The victims included children, police said. The man who was arrested was found on a rooftop with two bottle caps. Police said the caps belonged to bottles that may have been used in the attack."
- 30 injured in Hong Kong acid attack - CNN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Protection of Food Supply Faces Problems

Didn't I just post an article on this topic? I realize that the Bush administration tried to dismantle the whole food safety governmental apparatus. But, President Obama needs to take this topic seriously. The safety of the food supply in America is a priority. Just as important as health care. In fact, terrorists could paralyze America if they decided to poison our water or food supply. Get goin'.

in reference to:

"When it comes to agriculture, America is indeed the land of plenty. Foods raised here and imported from around the world provide greater abundance and choice than ever before. But while our foods are bountiful, they're also inconsistently regulated. The U.S. has one of the safest food supplies in the world, but the report card is mixed, reports CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker. Every year 33 percent of Canadians get sick from what they eat. In the U.S., it's 25 percent. But in England it's only 2 percent and in France just 1 percent. In both places food is grown more locally and on a smaller scale than in North America. For part of the CBS News series "Where America Stands," a recent poll found that just one in three Americans are very confident that the food they buy is safe although the vast majority are at least somewhat confident that their food is safe."
- Protection of Food Supply Faces Problems - CBS Evening News - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Congress' unfinished business: jobs, immigration, Guantanamo

And it will remain unfinished. That's why we need to term limit these clowns come November 2nd. They are obviously not listening. So we need to send them a message they will hear loud and clear.

in reference to:

"Reporting from Washington - Congress is returning to work to try to complete some unfinished business -- and take on some new initiatives in the time before lawmakers turn their attention to the November elections.All 435 members of the House and one-third of the Senate are up for reelection this year, creating a charged partisan environment. Many lawmakers will want to dodge controversial votes that can be used against them by their election opponents. That is particularly true in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has pledged to protect her endangered Democratic majority after a 2009 that saw moderate Democrats take politically risky votes on the stimulus package, a cap-and-trade energy bill, financial regulatory reform and healthcare."
- Congress' unfinished business: jobs, immigration, Guantanamo - latimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Bacteria Found in Many Fountain Sodas

Now why didn't the government find this out first? And what are they going to do about better regulation? Probably nothing since Republicans, and their lobbyists buddies, will start screaming "socialism."

in reference to:

"Research from Hollins University, in Roanoke, Va., finds you very well could be, if your drink came from a cafeteria or restaurant soda fountain. Researchers tested 30 soda fountains and analyzed them for microbial contamination. They found many of the beverages from them were contaminated with bacteria. Coliform/fecal bacterium was detected in 48 percent of them. The potentially deadly bacteria E. coli was found in 11 percent of the tested drinks. Dr. Alanna Levine, a primary care physician, said on "The Early Show," contaminated fountain drinks could be a potential health threat to people who are weakened by illness. "We all have bacteria living in our bodies normally," she said. "It becomes more of a problem for people with compromised immune systems -- so people on chemotherapy, cancer, HIV, that sort of thing." Levine said there is a range of symptoms from none at all to gastrointestinal distress and other infections in the body. Symptoms to look for: • Vomiting • Severe diarrhea • abdominal cramping."
- Bacteria Found in Many Fountain Sodas - The Early Show - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

RNC Chairman Steele: 'God' Chose me to Lead Republicans

This buffoon really takes his position seriously. What he doesn't realize is that he was chosen because of his skin color. He was picked so that Republicans can claim they are not racist when in fact they are. His real job is to raise money for the GOP and serve as a cheerleader. That's what previous RNC heads have traditionally done. He certainly was picked so that he go around giving his worthless opinions. And you certainly can't blame God for this Republican blunder. The GOP have only themselves to blame. From Think Progress:
STEELE: I'm not defined by this job. When this job is over I will go back to doing something else. But God, I really believe, has placed me here for a reason because who else and why else would you do this unless there's something inside of you that says right now you need to be here to do this?

House Democrats Said to Abandon Hopes for Public Option in Final Health Bill

More promises not kept.

in reference to:

"Senior House Democrats have largely abandoned hopes of including a government-run insurance option in the final compromise health care bill taking shape, according to several officials, and are pushing for other measures to rein in private insurers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democrats told President Obama in recent meetings they want the legislation to strip the insurance industry of a long-standing exemption from federal antitrust laws, officials said. That provision is in the House-passed measure, but was omitted from the bill that the Senate passed on Christmas Eve. They also want the final measure to include a House-passed proposal for a nationwide insurance exchange, to be regulated by the federal government, where consumers could shop for private coverage. The Senate bill calls for a state-based system of exchanges. Additionally, House Democrats want to require insurers to spend a minimum amount of premium income on benefits, thereby limiting what is available for salaries, bonuses, advertising and other items. The House bill sets the floor at 85 percent; the Senate-passed measure lowers it to 80 percent for policies sold to small groups and individuals. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are private."
- FOXNews.com - House Democrats Said to Abandon Hopes for Public Option in Final Health Bill (view on Google Sidewiki)

Nader continues fight over alleged '04 conspiracy

This is not surprising. Democrats and Republicans have been colluding for decades to prevent third parties from challenging the corrupt two-party system.

in reference to:

"Ralph Nader didn't have any luck in Washington, D.C., with a lawsuit alleging a conspiracy to keep him off the 2004 presidential ballot. So he's taking his case to Washington County, a sparsely populated locale at the nation's easternmost tip. The lawsuit five years after President George W. Bush beat Democrat John Kerry contends the Kerry campaign and Democratic leaders conspired to keep Nader off the ballot in Maine and more than a dozen other states. Nader's lawyer, Oliver Hall, said there was a concerted effort by Nader's enemies to use courts as a weapon to sabotage Nader and his running mate, the late Peter Camejo. The lawsuit targets Kerry's presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and the Maine Democratic Party. "The Democrats were very clear in the 2004 election that really their purpose was just to bankrupt the Nader-Camejo campaign, drain their resources, tie them up in court and to prevent Ralph Nader and Peter Miguel Camejo from running for office," Hall said from his Washington office. In the end, Nader and Camejo, running as independents, appeared on the ballot in 34 states and collected only three-tenths of a percent of the nation's popular vote. Nader sued in 2007 in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, but that lawsuit was tossed because the three-year statute of limitations expired. Maine's statute of limitations, which is six years, is more generous. Hall brought the lawsuit in Washington County because that's where two of Nader's Maine electors reside. There's no love lost between Nader and Democrats. Nader is loathed by many Democrats who believe his Green Party candidacy in 2000 cost Democrats the election by taking votes away from candidate Al Gore. Nader blamed Democrats for their razor-thin loss. Four years later, Maine Democratic Party Chairwoman Dorothy Melanson sued over the validity of some of the signatures obtained by Nader to make it onto the state's ballot. Nader ultimately prevailed."
- Nader continues fight over alleged '04 conspiracy - USATODAY.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Man arrested in Newark airport security breach

This buffoon should be punished much more than he is. This is supposed to be an educated person. He caused all kinds of problems for travelers at that airport. He should be held responsible.

in reference to:

"A man believed to have breached security to bid his girlfriend goodbye, triggering the shutdown of a busy Newark Airport terminal that led to snarled flights worldwide, was arrested in New Jersey and faces a trespassing charge and a fine of up to $500, punishment a senator says should be much harsher. Haisong Jiang, 28, of Piscataway was taken into custody at 7:30 p.m. Friday at his home, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said. He was questioned at the airport by Port Authority police, who arrested him, and released shortly after midnight. The Port Authority said in a statement that Jiang will being charged with defiant trespass, and that the charge was determined in coordination with the Essex County prosecutor and federal officials, though it's not a federal charge. A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration referred all questions to the Port Authority. Jiang is due to appear in Newark municipal court next week, according to Paul Loriquet of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. It was not immediately clear whether Jiang has retained a lawyer. Jiang, who is Chinese, is a doctoral student in a joint molecular biosciences program at Rutgers University, one of his roommates said early Saturday. He said Jiang was born in Jiangxi, China, and has been in the U.S. since 2004. Jiang's roommate, who would only identify himself as Hui, said Jiang took his girlfriend to the airport Sunday. He said Jiang's girlfriend was a recent Rutgers graduate who lives in Los Angeles and was visiting for the holidays. He said Jiang hadn't mentioned anything to his roommates about what happened at the airport and they were surprised by the arrest. He said he felt Jiang didn't think what he had done was a serious matter. Hui said the roommates were aware of the video of the security breach but didn't pay much attention."
- My Way News - Man arrested in Newark airport security breach (view on Google Sidewiki)

GOP senators write Obama letter objecting to alleged bomber's trial

These shameless politicians are still playing politics with national security. Didn't the show bomber get a civilian trial? This is pure grandstanding. The Republicans have as a strategy trying to undermine this president. It is unprecedented. They are literally hoping for a terror attack as a way to get into power. You didn't have Democrats using 9-11 to attack Republicans. And the GOP kept control of Congress after that terrible event 8 years ago.

in reference to:

"More than 20 Republican senators wrote a letter to President Barack Obama on Friday objecting to the administration’s decision to try terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in civilian courts. The GOP senators want the 23-year-old Nigerian accused of trying to bomb a Northwest Airlines jet tried in military courts and declared an enemy combatant. By bringing Abdulmutallab before a judge and allowing him to face charges, critics say, the administration is missing an opportunity to interrogate him more thoroughly."
- GOP senators write Obama letter objecting to alleged bomber's trial - TheHill.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

US, Arabs press Mideast Peace

I wouldn't hold my breath. But this is the way to go. Israel and the Palestinians have to negotiate to create a Palestinian state.

in reference to:

"The Obama administration is laying out a new tack in Mideast peace efforts, pressing Israel and the Palestinians to take on the tough issues of borders for a Palestinian state and the status of Jerusalem before addressing other obstacles. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said after meeting Friday that resolving those matters first would eliminate Palestinian concerns about continued construction of Jewish settlements in disputed areas. Clinton and Judeh said negotiations should begin as soon as possible and be bound by deadlines. Their comments came as the Obama administration's special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell prepares to visit Europe next week and Israel and the Palestinian territories later this month to try to relaunch stalled negotiations."
- US, Arabs press Mideast peace (view on Google Sidewiki)

Mind-Readers the Future of Air Security?

But until then Americans are unsafe in the skies.

in reference to:

"A would-be terrorist tries to board a plane, bent on mass murder. As he walks through a security checkpoint, fidgeting and glancing around, a network of high-tech machines analyzes his body language and reads his mind. Screeners pull him aside. Tragedy is averted. As far-fetched as that sounds, systems that aim to get inside an evildoer's head are among the proposals floated by security experts thinking beyond the X-ray machines and metal detectors used on millions of passengers and bags each year. On Thursday, in the wake of the Christmas Day bombing attempt over Detroit, President Barack Obama called on Homeland Security and the Energy Department to develop better screening technology, warning: "In the never-ending race to protect our country, we have to stay one step ahead of a nimble adversary.""
- Mind-Readers the Future of Air Security? - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Video: Obama Promised Healthcare Debate on C-Span

It is becoming plainly clear that Barack Obama is just another politician, who make promises they never keep.

CBS:

President Obama wants the final negotiations on health care reform - a reconciliation of the House and Senate versions of the bill - put on a fast track, even if that means breaking an explicit campaign promise.

"The House and Senate plan to put together the final health care reform bill behind closed doors according to an agreement by top Democrats," House Speaker Nanci Pelosi said today at the White House.

The White House is on board with that, too, reports CBS News political correspondent Chip Reid. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stressed today that "the president wants to get a bill to his desk as quickly as possible."

Special Report: Health Care Reform

During the campaign, though, candidate Obama regularly promised something different - to broadcast all such negotiations on C-SPAN, putting the entire process of pounding out health care reform out in the open. (That promise applied to the now-completed processing of forging House and Senate bills, too.)

Back when Republicans controlled Congress and George W. Bush was in the White House, it was Democrats who angrily complained about secret backroom deals.

Video: Study: Living with Men makes Women Fat

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Neighbors: Suspect in Mo. Shooting unhappy at Work

This the kind of stupid headline that leads mass shootings. The media presents killers as somehow having a grievance. Anyone with issues reading and watching headlines of mass killings see that the killers are portrayed almost sympathetically, rather than showing them as the cowards they really are.The press has a responsibility to stop glamorizing the killing large numbers of people. Until then we will go through just about every week with another mass shooting. It's become a new spectator sport in America.

in reference to:

"The man widely identified as the gunman in a fatal shooting spree at a St. Louis industrial plant was described as an amicable family man and good neighbor, who would rake an elder's leaves and bring him holiday treats. But 51-year-old Timothy Hendron of Webster Groves, a St. Louis suburb, was unhappy at work, according to those who knew him even casually, and embroiled in a pension dispute with his company that was being litigated this week in U.S. District Court in Kansas City."
- Neighbors: Suspect in Mo. shooting unhappy at work (view on Google Sidewiki)

State Department failed to confirm terror suspect's visa

The more we learn the worse the ineptitude in this case. Does anybody really believe this will be rectified?

in reference to:

"It is one of several unconnected dots -- the State Department failed to determine that Christmas bombing suspect Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab had a U.S. visa until after he nearly set off explosives on a U.S.-bound airplane. State Department officials told CNN on Thursday that a series of errors caused AbdulMutallab to avoid classification as a terrorist, which would have have placed him on a no-fly list and caused his multiple entry visa to be revoked. One of those errors was the inability of the State Department -- which issues visas -- to initially determine whether AbdulMutallab had one. It is unclear whether earlier awareness of the visa in itself would have helped keep AbdulMutallab off the Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit, Michigan. Now the 23-year-old Nigerian faces charges including attempted murder of the other 289 people aboard the flight after allegedly failing detonate the explosives in his underwear."
- State Department failed to confirm terror suspect's visa - CNN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Policeman hurt in car bomb blast in Northern Ireland

Back to the bad old days?

in reference to:

"A officer from the Police Service of Northern Ireland has been taken to hospital after a bomb exploded under his car in County Antrim.The man, who is a Catholic, was seriously injured in the explosion which happened on the Milltown Road in Randalstown at 0630 GMT. It is believed the officer had driven about a mile from his home when the bomb went off. Army technical officers are now at the scene of the ongoing security alert. 'Murder attempt'No one has claimed responsibility for planting the bomb, but the DUP's William McCrea, who is the MP in the area, said he had no doubt that dissident republicans were behind the attack. The chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Barry Gilligan, described the bombing as "an attempt to murder". He added that those who carried it out "cannot be allowed to succeed in bringing any further terror" to Northern Ireland and urged anyone with information about the incident to pass it to the police. South Antrim SDLP Assembly Member Thomas Burns said the scene of the attack was not far from Massereene Barracks, were two soldiers were shot dead by the Real IRA last March."
- BBC News - Policeman hurt in car bomb blast in Randalstown (view on Google Sidewiki)

Gay Marriage Bill Defeated in New Jersey

This is a matter for the people to decide, not a court matter.

in reference to:

"New Jersey's Senate has rejected a proposal to allow same-sex couples to marry in the state. Lawmakers voted 20-14 late Thursday against the bill that would have made New Jersey the sixth state to allow gay marriages, the New York Times reported. The measure's supporters had hoped it would pass before Jan. 19, when Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, who promised to sign it, steps down. Corzine will be replaced by Republican Chris Christie, who has said he opposes the bill. With the legislative process exhausted, gay marriage advocates and opponents will prepare for a new fight before the New Jersey Supreme Court, the Times reported."
- Gay Marriage Bill Defeated in New Jersey -- Politics Daily (view on Google Sidewiki)

FBI seizes passport of man Questioned in Terror Probe

Strange case.

in reference to:

"The FBI executed a search warrant and confiscated the passport of a man previously questioned in an investigation into an alleged attempt at mass destruction on U.S. soil. Authorities seized the passport of Bosnian immigrant Adis Medunjanin, 25, on Thursday. Medunjanin was previously questioned in connection with 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi, who is charged with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction on U.S. soil. "We were looking for his passport, and we got it," said FBI spokesman Rich Kolko. Medunjanin voluntarily turned over the document when the FBI turned up, said his attorney, Robert Gottlieb. "We have no idea why they wanted his passport," Gottlieb said. The FBI did not explain. Medunjanin arrived in the United States in 1994 and was naturalized in 2002. His home in the Whitestone neighborhood of the New York borough of Queens was searched in September when the Zazi investigation broke. Medunjanin, his sister and parents were interviewed at the time as part of the investigation, Gottlieb said. Medunjanin talked with police for about 14 hours, he said. Medunjanin has not been charged in connection with the investigation of Zazi and has denied any knowledge of the case. Authorities say Zazi, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges, planned to be in New York and use an explosive device on September 11, 2009."
- FBI seizes passport of man questioned in terror probe - CNN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)