Iraq’s government says it won’t give Blackwater a license to operate in the country. So does that mean the firm’s cadre of tattooed gunslingers will be gone from Iraq, forever? Not exactly.
Sure, Blackwater as a corporate entity probably won’t be roaming the streets of Baghdad or Mosul for much longer. But the individual mercenaries who’ve [...]
by Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum Davos, Switzerland January 28, 2009
Good afternoon, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to thank the forum’s organisers for this opportunity to share my thoughts on global economic developments and to share our plans and proposals.
The world is [...]
Written on January 31, 2009 | Posted in
Economy |
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Lack of Data of Medical Outcomes: Threat to Public Health
Information about the quality and cost of medical care “is preeminently unavailable” not only to patients but even to doctors, specialists and insurers, so that all concerned parties literally are “flying blind,” a noted legal authority warns.
“Doctors, clinics, hospitals, etc. are not required to assess the [...]
Written on January 31, 2009 | Posted in
Body,Health & Mind |
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A brief history of the criminalization of cannabis
7000-8000 B.C.
First woven fabric believed to be from hemp.
1619
Jamestown Colony, Virginia passes law requiring farmers to grow hemp.
1700s
Hemp was the primary crop grown by George Washington at Mount Vernon, and a secondary crop grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.
1884
Maine is the first state to outlaw alcohol.
1906
Pure Food and [...]
Written on January 31, 2009 | Posted in
War On Drugs |
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A senior U.S. official says the State Department will not renew Blackwater Worldwide’s contract to protect American diplomats in Iraq when it expires in May.The official tells The Associated Press that the contract will expire because of the Iraqi government’s decision to deny Blackwater a license to operate.
The Iraqis informed the State Department last week [...]
Eric Holder is very likely to be confirmed on Monday as Attorney General by the full U.S. Senate after yesterday gaining approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 17-2 vote. He will be the first African American to head the Department of Justice in U.S. history. Holder will be the top legal official responsible [...]
Written on January 31, 2009 | Posted in
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The land where Marta Ortega de Wing raised hundreds of pigs until 10 years ago is being overtaken by galloping jungle — palms, lizards and ants.
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The New York Times
Jungle is developing again on old holdings around Chilibre.
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Instead of farming, she now [...]
Written on January 30, 2009 | Posted in
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Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is extremely frustrated with orders that the White House is contemplating. According to sources at the Pentagon, including all branches of the armed forces, the Obama Administration may break with a centuries-old tradition. A spokesman for General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, states [...]
A Chattanooga detective accused of assaulting an elderly Wal-Mart greeter who asked to see his sales receipt has been suspended from duty.
Police Chief Freeman Cooper told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that following a disciplinary hearing officer Kenneth Freeman was suspended 28 days without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer, improper procedure and excessive use [...]
Written on January 30, 2009 | Posted in
Immigration,
Media Coverage |
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The Supreme Court has unanimously overruled the Ninth Circuit in the case of Van de Kamp v. Goldstein, and broadened absolute prosecutorial immunity to include district attorneys whose poor supervision of subordinates may result in wrongful convictions. I wrote about the case last April:
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of [...]
Written on January 29, 2009 | Posted in
Civil Rights,
Issues,
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Suicides among U.S. soldiers rose last year to the highest level in decades, the Army announced Thursday. At least 128 soldiers killed themselves in 2008. But the final count is likely to be considerably higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated and could also turn out to be self-inflicted, the Army said.
A [...]
The Chicago Police Department is struggling to explain this morning how a 14-year-old boy walked into Grand Crossing District station impersonating a police officer and was given an assignment in a squad car for five hours before anyone realized that he was too young to drive, let one patrol the streets of the city.
It was [...]
Written on January 29, 2009 | Posted in
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Tracking Soldiers, Mapping Relief
DARPA wants to electronically RFID tag US combat soldiers so they can then be swiftly found and rescued if they get into trouble.
The “Individual Force Protection System“, is being pursued by contractor Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
Related Posts:9/11 Shock Opera… Act 4 – Building 7 and Flight 93: The Grand [...]
First UK supermarket chain – and Britain’s biggest farmer – to prohibit chemicals implicated in the death of over one-third of British bees
A bee collects nectar from a flower in a garden in Pontevedra. Photograph: Miguel Vidal/Reuters
The Co-op today became the first UK supermarket to ban the use of a group of pesticides implicated in [...]
America is sitting on top of a super massive 200 billion barrel Oil Field that could potentially make America Energy Independent and until now has largely gone unnoticed. Thanks to new technology the Bakken Formation in North Dakota could boost America’s Oil reserves by an incredible 10 times, giving western economies the trump card against [...]
Written on January 29, 2009 | Posted in
Economy,
Energy Crisis,
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Enough water has flowed under the bridge in the present financial crisis that a few historical questions might be asked. It is now clear how we got here. Politicians were persuaded to throw away the governors that managed credit since the thirties. They mistook constructive deregulation of the real economy for ill thought out deregulation [...]
Written on January 29, 2009 | Posted in
Bailouts,
Banks,
Economy |
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Michael Webster
American Chronicle
Mexico´s Drugs, Violence and corruption and all of its related ramifications will bring the country down through revolution by its people.
According to a spokesperson for a new radical group calling itself the Juárez Citizens Command is threatening to strike back against lawlessness that has gripped Mexico for a long time, they say [...]
Written on January 28, 2009 | Posted in
News,
World News |
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JaciCee
Daily Kos
January 22, 2009
Ever hear of a Fusion Center?
They are run by the Department of Homeland Security and are locally based across the country.
A fusion center is an effective and efficient mechanism to exchange information and intelligence, maximize resources, streamline operations, and improve the ability to fight crime and terrorism by merging data from [...]
Written on January 28, 2009 | Posted in
FISA,
Issues,
News,
Privacy Rights |
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Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
The Washington Post
January 27, 2009
Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. [...]
Written on January 28, 2009 | Posted in
Body,Health & Mind,
News |
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