Thursday, March 05, 2009

Venezuela seizes US rice producer


Page last updated at 04:29 GMT, Thursday, 5 March 2009

Venezuela seizes US rice producer

Mr Chavez has accused rice producers of sidestepping quotas
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered the expropriation of a rice mill, amid a battle with food companies over price regulation.

Mr Chavez said the mill, owned by a subsidiary of US food giant Cargill, was not distributing rice at government-set prices.

He also threatened to nationalise the country's largest food processor and private company, Polar.

Venezuela has already set quotas and prices for 12 basic foods.

Under the measure, 80% of all rice produced must be basic white rice. The measure also includes 95% of all cooking oil, coffee and sugar.

Producers of items such as powdered milk, cheese and tomato sauce are also affected.

'Intolerable'

Last week President Chavez ordered troops to rice processing plants after accusing producers of sidestepping the law on controlled prices by producing a higher grade of rice.

Cargill, which operates one rice-processing plant in Venezuela, said the mill does not produce the plain rice that is under regulation.

"Prepare the decree, we are going to expropriate Cargill. We are not going to tolerate this," Mr Chavez said.

Mr Chavez is attempting to reduce the cost of the basic shopping basket of ordinary Venezuelans at a time of soaring inflation, says the BBC's Will Grant in Caracas.

But business leaders and food producers are furious at what they see as a further attack on their ability to turn a profit, our correspondent says.

The move against Cargill is unlikely to be viewed favourably in Washington either, which angered Venezuela last month by criticising its human rights record, our correspondent adds.


Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Will the Recession Doom the Last Sunday Blue Laws?


Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009

Will the Recession Doom the Last Sunday Blue Laws?
By Paige Bowers

A handful of state legislatures have declared it's closing time for Sunday alcohol sales restrictions, saying an extra day of sales could give their foundering budgets a much-needed shot of revenue. Those states — Georgia, Connecticut, Texas, Alabama and Minnesota — enjoy overwhelming voter support for an extra day of sales, but face opposition from members of the Christian right, who say that selling on Sunday undermines safety and tears apart families. "During times of economic stress, our families are under enough pressure," says Jim Beck, the president of the Georgia Christian Coalition. "I don't think we need to add even more pressure to those families by passing this law."

But proponents of Sunday sales argue that state budgets are under plenty of pressure too and that by allowing people to buy beer, wine or liquor on Sunday at grocery or package stores, states could reap millions of dollars in tax revenue. Besides, as President Roosevelt learned in the 1930s when he successfully repealed Prohibition, drinks have a way of keeping hopes high when things look bleak. In Johnathan Alter's The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, the President recognized that legally-procured cocktails were the way to keep spirits high when Americans were trying to get used to putting their trust into the nation's crumbling banking system again. And, it could be argued, the sales also helped stimulate the economy in the middle of the Great Depression. (See TIME's "25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis")

"[Sunday sales legislation] always comes bubbling up when the economy goes south," says David Laband, an Auburn University economics professor who authored Blue Laws: The History, Economics, and Politics of Sunday-Closing Laws. Blue laws, which restrict shopping of any kind on Sunday, date back to the colonial era, Laband says. However, those laws gradually died off as economic forces made some states realize that they could stand to gain by having stores open on Sunday. For example, the entry of women into the workforce in World War II made weekend shopping a necessity. (See pictures of Denver, Beer Country.)

"Slowly and systematically we've seen these laws lifted in past century, even more so when there has been an economic downturn," Laband says. "States realize that consumers will migrate to a place where they can buy what they want. And whatever their reasons are for not wanting to sell on Sunday, these states realize they're paying a price for it in foregone tax revenues. So once the economy goes bad, then the cost of their policies are apparent to them."

Beck argues that when you're facing a budget shortfall in the billions, the extra revenue from an added day of alcohol sales is just a drop in the bucket. His opponents, however, insist it is significant. "At least it's a drop," says Georgia Senator Seth Harp, who introduced a bill proposing local referendums on Sunday sales. "Maybe it's even a cup full. But right now, I'd like to have a couple of cups full than nothing at all." (See what businesses are doing well despite the recession.)

Three states — Georgia, Connecticut and Indiana — ban the sale of beer, wine and spirits, while 15 ban only liquor sales. Connecticut is considering repealing its ban because it has been losing revenue to New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, three neighboring states that repealed Sunday sales bans in 2003. Texas is also reconsidering Sunday sales bans of liquor, with three bills in the state's Senate, two of them specific to sales along the Texas-Mexico border. "States are seeing Sunday sales as a positive way to raise revenue without raising taxes or cutting valuable programs," says Ben Jenkins, spokesman for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. "That, along with consumer demand, is driving this change."

And though religious groups have sounded off about how Sunday sales are harmful to families, legislators such as Harp are reaching out to them by adding enforcement provisions designed to crack down on store owners who sell to minors. In a state like Georgia, where more than two-thirds of residents say they'd like to be able to buy a six pack on the sabbath, Harp's efforts may just win his bill votes, even though Governor Sonny Perdue, a teetotaler, said he'd veto any bill that came across his desk.

But Perdue won't be in office forever and anti-Sunday sales advocates across the nation may realize the tide is turning against them too. "People have got a lot of activities that occupy their time, attention and affection on Sunday and shopping is one of them," Laband says. "Churches have had to come to grips with that; they haven't drawn a line in the sand and said 'You have to go to church.' So the trend is clear that states will do away with some of these alcohol prohibitions. It will happen. It's just a matter of when."



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LLT Productions February 2009 Newsletter


February 2009


Dear Friends,


Many of you have wondered what happened with the efforts of the Roman Catholic bishops in Europe to have a Sunday-protection law enacted as part of the European Working Time Directive. Did the bishops have their way and did the European Union include Sunday sanctions? Here is an excerpt from a news release issued by COMECE, the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Community:


“Sunday as the privileged weekly rest day will not be inserted into the future Working Time Directive although the reconciliation of work and family life is the explicit aim of this Directive,” stated COMECE Secretary General Piotr Mazurkiewicz.


“This is incoherent and a missed opportunity when we consider how much European citizens expect today in a Social Europe which protects workers and their families. We thank all those who got involved in favour of the protection of Sunday rest.”


That “missed opportunity” is good news for all who support religious liberty. While it reflects the highly secular nature of European society, it also shows that our heavenly Father still guides in the affairs of men. Remember, God “is not willing that any should perish.” He continues to give us time to reach honest-hearted people everywhere with our special end-time message.


We should not be complacent about our mission when we see evidence that holy angels are holding back the “winds of strife.” There are also omens of the crisis to come.


"A History of Sunday"


On February 1, the CBS network's long-running “Sunday Morning” show featured a segment by popular commentator Charles Osgood. In “A History of Sunday” Osgood explored the course of Sunday blue laws that outlawed playing a flute or kissing a baby on Sunday. Humorous, light-hearted stuff. Then he got to the point:


“Which brings us back to the Puritans of the 1630's; their measures may now seem extreme, but what if they were actually onto something?”
Maybe in this troubling, chaotic world, people are longing for that Sabbath rest intended by God. Will they accept a counterfeit – a day that “protects” their rest and family time by outlawing football, alcohol and shopping?


Or will they discover the true rest of God, the rest of soul and spirit that comes from knowing God and receiving His salvation, symbolized by honoring the day God made Holy – making their own choice to put away daily work, to have fellowship with other believers and to enjoy God's beautiful creation on His Sabbath day?


We are living in exciting times! Let us watch the movements to exalt Sunday. And let's rejoice over the victories in people's lives as they discover the truth about the Sabbath.

Reports from Near and Far


An Adventist pastor in Georgia decided to use The Seventh Day for his midweek evangelistic outreach. He bought a fifty-dollar ad in the local newspaper. Unfortunately, the newspaper printed the wrong date for the beginning of the series. Was the fifty dollars wasted? Read on.


On the Sunday before the series was to begin one local family attended their Sunday School class with a few nagging questions on their minds: Why are we here today? Is this really the Sabbath? What about the seventh-day Sabbath of the Ten Commandments?


They gave voice to their questions, but the answers did not satisfy them. They went home after church even more confused about the Sabbath-Sunday issue. Then they found the Adventist pastor's ad in the paper. Although the notice had the wrong date, it did get the pastor's phone number right. They called him for information, got the correct schedule for the Wednesday evening programs, and showed up at every meeting.
These folks joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church on profession of faith. Our pastor friend assures us that our Seventh Day videos were the key to answering this family's questions. I praise God for reports like this. A former member of the Worldwide Church of God wrote:


I recently bought your five-part series and it is wonderful. It's so hard to live even among Christians when they don't understand the true meaning of the Sabbath. God has allowed me to struggle with the truth of the Sabbath for a long time, but your series is icing on the cake. Today is the Sabbath and I'm enjoying watching the last of the series. I will view them repeatedly and share them with anyone open minded enough to watch them. No Hollywood production can come close to your series.
Here is an appeal from central Asia:


My name is Alexander Rossinskiy. I am a rabbi at the Messianic congregation in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. We have all purchased videos of The Seventh Day. I wanted to ask if you have these videos in Russian language? If you do, how is it possible to get them? If you don't, can we ask for permission to translate the series? We believe those videos are valuable and can serve many people in our country and elsewhere if they are translated into Russian.


Progress


About the Russian version of The Seventh Day: Yes, the translation is complete and we are scheduled for production in just a few weeks. This will be a full voice-over translation, not subtitles. Interested supporters have provided a significant portion of the necessary funding, but more help is needed. The Russian version will bear fruit far beyond the borders of Russia itself.


We are hard at work editing the Arabic and Korean translations. This is a tedious, time-consuming and costly process. We are also making the final script preparations for the Portuguese production, scheduled for filming in early April. I thank God for your generous support that enables us to keep moving forward on these languages.


Our work depends on up-to-date video-editing technology. But our system is old now, and unable to handle current software and camera feeds. So we're faced with the necessity of upgrading the primary component of our editing system at a price of nearly $30,000.


(Incidently, that will be the lowest price we've ever paid for an editing system!) This investment will allow us to maintain our high production standards for the foreign-language versions of The Seventh Day and for our future series on the state of the dead.


The economic distress shaking our world reminds us that life on planet Earth is uncertain. But I believe that your contribution to the work of LLT will pay off in a certain and secure eternal future for people who desperately need to hear the call of those three angels of Revelation 14.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your financial support.
Sincerely,

Pat Arrabito

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Russian scholar says US will collapse — next year


AP – Dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry diplomatic academy seen, during his lecture at the Russian Foreign …


Russian scholar says US will collapse — next year

By MIKE ECKEL, Associated Press Writer Mike Eckel, Associated Press Writer – Wed Mar 4, 4:39 am ET


MOSCOW – If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order.

Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels. And his predictions fit into the anti-American story line of the Kremlin leadership.

"There is a high probability that the collapse of the United States will occur by 2010," Panarin told dozens of students, professors and diplomats Tuesday at the Diplomatic Academy — a lecture the ministry pointedly invited The Associated Press and other foreign media to attend.

The prediction from Panarin, a former spokesman for Russia's Federal Space Agency and reportedly an ex-KGB analyst, meshes with the negative view of the U.S. that has been flowing from the Kremlin in recent years, in particular from Vladimir Putin.

Putin, the former president who is now prime minister, has likened the United States to Nazi Germany's Third Reich and blames Washington for the global financial crisis that has pounded the Russian economy.

Panarin didn't give many specifics on what underlies his analysis, mostly citing newspapers, magazines and other open sources.

He also noted he had been predicting the demise of the world's wealthiest country for more than a decade now.

But he said the recent economic turmoil in the U.S. and other "social and cultural phenomena" led him to nail down a specific timeframe for "The End" — when the United States will break up into six autonomous regions and Alaska will revert to Russian control.

Panarin argued that Americans are in moral decline, saying their great psychological stress is evident from school shootings, the size of the prison population and the number of gay men.

Turning to economic woes, he cited the slide in major stock indexes, the decline in U.S. gross domestic product and Washington's bailout of banking giant Citigroup as evidence that American dominance of global markets has collapsed.

"I was there recently and things are far from good," he said. "What's happened is the collapse of the American dream."

Panarin insisted he didn't wish for a U.S. collapse, but he predicted Russia and China would emerge from the economic turmoil stronger and said the two nations should work together, even to create a new currency to replace the U.S. dollar.

Asked for comment on how the Foreign Ministry views Panarin's theories, a spokesman said all questions had to be submitted in writing and no answers were likely before Wednesday.

It wasn't clear how persuasive the 20-minute lecture was. One instructor asked Panarin whether his predictions more accurately describe Russia, which is undergoing its worst economic crisis in a decade as well as a demographic collapse that has led some scholars to predict the country's demise.

Panarin dismissed that idea: "The collapse of Russia will not occur."

But Alexei Malashenko, a scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center who did not attend the lecture, sided with the skeptical instructor, saying Russia is the country that is on the verge of disintegration.

"I can't imagine at all how the United States could ever fall apart," Malashenko told the AP.


Britain gives Sen. Kennedy honorary knighthood


By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer

Jill Lawless, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 2 mins ago


LONDON – He won't be allowed to call himself Sir Ted, but U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy has been awarded an honorary knighthood by Britain.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the honor Wednesday during an address to a joint session of Congress in Washington. Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer, did not attend Brown's speech.

Brown said Kennedy had helped bring peace to Northern Ireland, expand health care for Americans and improve access to education for children around the world.

"And for all those things we owe a great debt to the life and courage of Sen. Edward Kennedy," Brown said.

Brown referred to the senator as "Sir Edward Kennedy," although unlike British knights he is not entitled to use the honorific "Sir" before his name.

Knighthoods are bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II, but recipients are selected by the government or an advisory committee.

Kennedy, scion of an Irish-American political dynasty, is known in Britain for his involvement in the long process that led to Northern Ireland's 1998 Good Friday peace accord.

The 77-year-old brother of the late President John F. Kennedy has served in the Senate since 1962.

In a statement, Kennedy said he was "deeply grateful to her majesty the queen and to Prime Minister Brown for this extraordinary honor." Kennedy, whose father, Joseph Kennedy, was U.S. ambassador to Britain between 1938 and 1940, called the knighthood "a reflection not only of my public life, but of things that profoundly matter to me as an individual."

Other Americans to receive honorary knighthoods include Microsoft chief Bill Gates, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and filmmaker Steven Spielberg.



Ex-Serb intelligence chief worked for CIA


Ex-Serb intelligence chief worked for CIA: report
2 days ago

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A former Serbian spy chief who served under president Slobodan Milosevic and is now being tried for war crimes worked for the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Jovica Stanisic had been recruited by CIA officer William Lofgren, who was desperate to get intelligence from inside the turmoil in the former Yugoslavia following its breakup, the newspaper said.

During secret meetings in Belgrade, Stanisic shared details on the inner workings of the Milosevic regime, the report said.

He provided information on the locations of NATO hostages, helped CIA operatives in their search for grave sites and helped the agency set up a network of secret bases in Bosnia, the Los Angeles Times reported.

But at the same time, the US spy was setting up death squads for Milosevic that carried out a genocidal campaign in Bosnia and elsewhere, and is now facing trial at The Hague by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, established by the UN Security Council.

Facing a life sentence, Stanisic has now appealed to his former American allies for help, according to the paper.

And the Central Intelligence Agency has submitted to the court a classified document that lists Stanisic's contributions and attests to his helpful role in the Yugoslav conflict.

Lofgren, who is now retired, told the Los Angeles Times that the CIA had drafted the document to show "that this allegedly evil person did a whole lot of good."

Lofgren doesn't aim to disprove the allegations against Stanisic, the report said.

"But setting the indictment aside, there are things this man did that helped bring hostilities to an end and establish peace in Bosnia," he is quoted as saying in the report.

The Los Angeles Times article was widely picked up Monday by media in Belgrade, where the Serbian government said it was yet to verify the report's credibility and form an opinion on the matter.

Environment Minister Oliver Dulic, a senior member of President Boris Tadic's pro-Western Democratic Party, said however that the case "belongs to the past."

"Of course I hope that people today in charge of (Serbia's) security services are not in that category of people, and I'm certain that they aren't," Dulic told B92 radio.

Stanisic, 58, was in Belgrade after being released by The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for medical treatment, according to Serbian media.

But one of his lawyers declined to comment on the Los Angeles Times report, citing the ICTY's ban on communications with the media, B92 radio reported Monday.

Last year, an ICTY-appointed medical team acknowledged Stanisic was showing symptoms of osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones, and an intestinal problem relating to kidney stones.

A psychiatric report also classified Stanisic as having "severe depression," although judges insisted he was "fit to stand trial."


U2 raises the roof, Band Set to Rock Fordham


HIGH NOTE: The Edge (left) and Bono perform a special U2 gig atop the BBC building in London Friday. The band will play a special show at Fordham University this week.


U2 RAISES THE ROOF
BAND SET TO ROCK FORDHAM

By JAMES FANELLI and DAN AQUILANTE

Last updated: 6:56 am
March 1, 2009
Posted: 3:00 am
March 1, 2009

It could be a "Beautiful Day" Friday for Fordham University students and faculty. U2 is expected to perform at the Bronx campus that morning for ABC's "Good Morning America," according to sources and published reports.

U2'S EVENT 'HORIZON'

While the TV network and the university yesterday would not confirm the Bronx gig, the show reportedly will be strictly limited to college students and staff. Bono and the band are also slated to do five nights this week on "The Late Show with David Letterman" as they promote their latest album, "No Line on the Horizon," which goes on sale this week.


Babylon the great is fallen...Come out of her, my people


Revelation 18

1And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.


Revelation 14:1-8.

Keep the Faith Ministry: Upcoming Events


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Tuesday, March 03, 2009

NWO: The cloak of secrecy

In the Great Seal of the United States we see the ancient symbol of the Brotherhood of the Snake (or Dragon), which as you already know is the all seeing eye in the pyramid representing the form of wisdom.

Just below the pyramid you will note "Novus Ordo Seclorum" which translated means, "New World Order" There are:
9 tail feathers on the eagle;
13 leaves in the olive branches;
13 bars and stripes;
13 arrows;
13 letters in "E Pluribus Unum;
13 stars in the green crest above;
13 stones in the pyramid;
13 letters in "Annuit Coeptis"

All of these mystical numbers also have special meaning to the Freemasons. You would have to be a devout skeptic to miss the tremendous significance of all of these supposed coincidences. Who among you can still say that there is no link?

I read while in Naval Intelligence that at least once a year, maybe more, two nuclear submarines meet beneath the polar icecap and mate together at an airlock. Representatives of the Soviet Union meet with the Policy Committee of the Bilderberg Group. The Russians are given the script for their next performance. Items on the agenda include the combined efforts in the secret space program governing Alternative 3. I now have in my possession official NASA photographs of a moonbase in the crater Copernicus.

This method of meeting is the only way that is safe from detection and/or bugging. The public outcry that would result would destroy everything should these meetings be discovered. A BBC-TV documentary program entitled "Science Report" revealed these same facts but subsequently issued a retraction. In their retraction they stated that the show had been fiction. It must be noted here that "Science Report" was a very respected documentary, nonfiction program in Britain.

Never in its history had it ever aired fiction. This subject is explored in depth in another chapter. There is no other method that I know of to verify these meetings short of somehow becoming a crew member on one of the submarines. Is Alternative 3 true, or is it a part of the plan to ring in the New World Order? It really doesn't matter, because either way we're screwed. The quicker you understand that, the wiser you become.

The members of the Bilderberg Group are the most powerful financiers, industrialists, statesmen and intellectuals, who get together each year for a private conference on world affairs. The meetings provide an informal, off-the-record opportunity for international leaders to mingle, and are notorious for the cloak of secrecy they are held under. The headquarters office is in The Hague in Switzerland, the only European country never invaded or bombed during World Wars I and II. Switzerland is the seat of world power. The goal of the Bilderberg Group is a one-world totalitarian socialist government and economic system. Take heed, as time is running short.

You must understand that secrecy is wrong. The very fact that a meeting is secret tells me that something is going on that I would not approve. Do not ever believe that grown men meet on a regular basis just to put on fancy robes, hold candles, and glad-hand each other. George Bush, when he was initiated into the Skull & Bones, did not lie naked in a coffin with a ribbon tied around his genitalia and yell out the details of all his sexual experiences because it was fun. He had much to gain by accepting initiation into the Order, as you can now see. These men meet for important reasons, and their meetings are secret because what goes on during the meetings would not be approved by the community. The very fact that something is secret means there is something to hide.

John Robison wrote Proofs of a Conspiracy in 1798, and I believe he said it best in the following passage from the book. "Nothing is so dangerous as a mystic Association. The object remaining a secret in the hands of the managers, the rest simply put a ring in their own noses, by which they may be led about at pleasure; and still panting after the secret they are the better pleased the less they see of their way. A mystical object enables the leader to shift his ground as he pleases, and to accommodate himself to every current fashion or prejudice. This again gives him almost unlimited power; for he can make use of these prejudices to lead men by troops. He finds them already associated by their prejudices, and waiting for a leader to concentrate their strength and set them in motion. And when once great bodies of men are set in motion, with a creature of their fancy for a guide, even the engineer himself cannot say, 'Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.'"

Is the common man really as stupid as the elite seem to believe? If he is, then maybe the average citizen is better off ignorant, being manipulated this way and that, whenever the elite deem it necessary. We will discover the answer very quickly when the common man finds that his ticket to Fantasy Land has just expired.

U.S. President Bush and Soviet President Gorbachev arrived yesterday on this Mediterranean island for a summit conference beginning today during which both hope to start the search for a New World Order." -New York Times December 1, 1989


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Created & Posted: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 01:00:00 -0700


Source: http://www.illuminati-news.com/secret-societies-nwo.htm

Note: This is an excerpt of an extremely long article; Please visit site to read entire article...

US STOCKS S&P below 700 as banks' future still in question


US STOCKS-S&P below 700 as banks' future still in question
Tue Mar 3, 2009 9:53pm GMT


[+] * S&P ends below 700 for first time since Oct 1996

* Geithner says will determine cost of stabilizing banks

* Bernanke gives cautious outlook on economy, job market

* Dow, S&P 500 off 0.6 pct, Nasdaq off 0.1 pct

* For up-to-the-minute market news, click [STXNEWS/US] (Adds volume figures and advance/decline levels in two new paragraphs at the end)

By Leah Schnurr

NEW YORK, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell in volatile trading on Tuesday, with the S&P ending below 700 for the first time since October 1996 as persistent uncertainty about the amount of money needed to shore up the financial system overshadowed a hunt for bargains.

Stocks swung to both sides of the break-even mark throughout the session with the S&P's ultimate break below the key psychological level of 700 adding to the gloom.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke left the door open to whether banks will need more money when he said the size of a $700 billion bank-rescue package would depend on bank "stress tests" being conducted by regulators and the economy's direction.

An S&P index of bank stocks .GSPF fell 1.6 percent, with Goldman Sachs (GS.N) off 4.5 percent at $82.37 and PNC Financial Services (PNC.N) down 5 percent at $24.82.

"His comments were a reality check for the market that nothing changed between yesterday and today," said Jim Awad, managing director at Zephyr Management in New York.

"It renewed fears that there is no bottom in terms of toxic assets and no bottom in terms of need for capital."

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 37.27 points, or 0.55 percent, to 6,726.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX lost 4.49 points, or 0.64 percent, to 696.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC shed 1.84 points, or 0.14 percent, to 1,321.01.

The S&P is down nearly 23 percent for the year so far and has given up more than 55 percent since the high hit in October 2007.

"700 is an amazing number when you think 16 months ago, we were at the high," said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst for Standard & Poor's.

"It's psychological and obviously, it reinforces the negative situation, especially where there's not a lot of credibility out there."

OIL SECTOR, AMERICAN EXPRESS GAIN

On the upside, energy shares got a boost from oil's CLc1 gain of $1.50 to settle at $41.65 a barrel on expectations that OPEC will cut production output again. Chevron (CVX.N) cut earlier gains to end up just 0.2 percent at $57.73.

American Express (AXP.N) shares rose 6.9 percent to $11.82 after the U.S. government unveiled details of a program to stabilize the financial system that could ease the credit card company's financial expenses.

In its latest efforts to bolster the economy, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury launched a new securities loan program and said a future expansion may include some of the riskier mortgage and debt securities hampering banks. For details, see [ID:nN03468772].

The $200 billion Term Asset-backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF, is designed to give frozen securitization markets a jolt by offering financing for investors to encourage them to buy "AAA"-rated asset-backed securities.

In testimony before a congressional committee, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the Obama administration will work with Congress to determine the size and shape of future efforts to shore up banks and acknowledged the cost of the financial bailout may rise. [ID:nN03486848].

General Electric Co (GE.N), down 7.8 percent at $7.01, also weighed down the market as investors fretted about the conglomerate's future. Last week, GE announced a deep cut in its dividend.

Trading was active on the New York Stock Exchange, with about 1.90 billion shares changing hands, above last year's estimated daily average of 1.49 billion, while on Nasdaq, about 2.44 billion shares traded, above last year's daily average of 2.28 billion.


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Dominican President meets with Fidel Castro (Update)


Dominican President meets with Fidel Castro (Update)

Mar 3 at 6:43 PM


Santo Domingo.- President Fernandez met with the Cuban leader Fidel Castro in Havana on Monday, and spoke on various topics, including the effects of the global economic crisis on Latin America.

“I had the privilege to speak with Fidel on and diverse topics yesterday, such as on the Dominican (Republic) and the crisis in Latin America," Fernandez said today, after laying a wreath in the monument to Cuban independence leader Jose Martí, according to the official press agency, Prensa Latina.

FILE.- President Leonel Fernandez will meet with Cuban leader Fidel Castro Tuesday afternoon, according to reports in the Dominican capital, although there’s no indication as to when he would see the convalescent Cuban leader.

Upon arriving in Havana yesterday, Fernandez stated his desire to meet with Castro, but clarified he didn’t know if it would take place because it depends on the Cuban protocol.

The chief executive is slated to meet with Cuba’s president Raul Castro at 5 p.m., when he’s expected to sign several bilateral agreements.

Fernandez is in Cuba on an official five day visit to participate in an international gathering of economists, who’ll dictate the conference Problems of Globalization and Development, in the University of Havana.

Source: http://www2.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2009/3/3/31272/Dominican-President-meets-with-Fidel-Castro-Update
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P.S. Bolds added for emphasis.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition


March 1st, 2009, 07:54 PM


The Bible advises to turn the other cheek. So how do these God-fearing Americans square carrying firearms with their religion?

Jamie and Anna Nabakowski, both 22
Bartlett, Tennessee

Jamie: We're both nondenominational Christians and we're both students. We've been married for just over a year and live at my parents' house. We have three guns - a Smith & Wesson pistol, a Browning shotgun and a Savage .22 rifle.
I usually go to the gun range a couple of times a month. It's kind of expensive, but I like to take Anna to the range for Date Night on Fridays, it's a lot of fun. The rifle's for duck hunting. Unfortunately, in a place like we live, you just never know.
When we have children, we'll teach them to respect firearms. We call them firearms and not guns with kids - they have a fear of fire from a very young age.
I don't think banning guns would prevent things like the campus shootings. Those people would have guns even if they were illegal. Here in the United States, we live in a gun culture.
The Bible says that if somebody strikes you, you must turn the other cheek. However, the protection of your loved ones and your home is the responsibility of the individual.

Jamie Tyson, 37
Memphis, Tennessee

I'm a Methodist. It's like a cool Baptist. We use the King James Bible.
I own a Colt ACP .45 calibre single-action. I don't leave the house without it. I don't go to my parents' house next door without it. I refuse to be a victim. I had three incidents; one was a carjacking, the other two were armed robberies. The third time was when I'd had enough. It was at a garage sale in broad daylight. I noticed there was a guy riding by on a bicycle. I was bent down looking at something and he came up behind me and put the gun at my back and said, "Give me the purse, bitch." I grabbed my purse as hard as I could and just took off.
If I'd had my gun on me the second time I was held up, I would for sure have killed the guy that had the gun and probably the two guys beside him. If it's at a crowded place - like at the garage sale - I don't know if I could have taken that shot.
I'm not hoping I'm going to be held up again now that I carry. I can fantasise, think, "Wouldn't it be cool?" but then when it all comes down to it, if you shoot somebody, even if you're not found criminally guilty, that person can still come back and sue you civilly. I'm going to have to pay for my lawyer, I'm going to have to take time off work, and nothing may ever come of it but I've still lost that money.
A lot of girls might carry their gun in their purse and I just don't think that's a good idea. I carry openly on occasion. I don't walk into Walmart with it, but I do if I go to the gas station or the video store.
I could never shoot an animal. Unless it was charging at me.

Pastor Phil Richards, 44
Bartlett, Tennessee

I was saved at 25. Three years later, the Lord started calling me into the ministry. I submitted to him. Now I'm a pastor of a Reformed Baptist Church. I take care of 24 souls that the Lord has blessed me with.
My Marlin 30-30 is the gun that I hunt with. I also have a number of shotguns and handguns, including a Sig .40 calibre. The Taurus is actually my wife's gun. It's smaller and it's a gun that I will usually have if it's not in her car or something.
The first gun that was given to me was a .22 long rifle when I was about nine years old. In fact, the first gun I ever fired was a .38 Special - I do remember that because I near about hit myself in the head with it because it kicked so hard and I was so little. I have a gun with me prettty much all of the time except in church. During the week I might walk in with one but it's not like you're going to come in here on a Sunday morning and find that my gun's sitting up on the pulpit while I'm preaching.
It's interesting to me, when I read the scriptures, that when Jesus is being arrested in the Garden, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of one of the High Priest servants. After three and a half years of being with Jesus Christ and even being one of the disciples, Peter is still carrying a sword. And Luke implies that the others were also armed with a sword. They probably used it as Peter did that night for protection.
Most people misunderstand the Ten Commandments. The commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" has been mistranslated in the King James version. The Hebrew word there is the word for murder. So murder is against God's law - not killing.

Jan Shultis-Bowers, 23
Millington, Tennessee

I'm an Episcopalian, a young woman living alone and an officer in the navy - my husband is stationed in Florida.
I have had negative experiences with men in the past that were forceful. I have never had to use my gun, but I have had to draw it to defend myself. I pray to God that I never have to fire that trigger and I probably never will. The sound of that pump is enough to drive away a burglar or an attacker - everybody in the world knows that sound. It's a deterrent and a highly effective one.
My father made a career in the Marine Corps. He always taught me that it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl - you need to be able to take care of yourself. One of the ways you can do that is by the responsible use of a gun. It's irresponsible use that gets people hurt.
I grew up in Alaska. I was outdoors constantly - hunting, fishing, travelling. Having a gun was a matter of physical safety - for rattlesnakes and bears and things like that. I was shooting when I was six or seven.
I lost my faith for a while but it didn't lose me. I was a young teenager going through some hard stuff. At this point, my faith is unshakeable.
People sin, obviously, and the greater sin would be to not do anything. If you're on a street, with a gun, and someone is getting raped in an alley, then the greater sin is to walk by because the Commandments say you should not kill. I think the lesser of two evils in that situation is to pull your gun out of your purse and say, "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
Christians are charged with waging war against evil. The term there is war. I think it's extremely hard to reconcile your religious beliefs with some of your duties. But I don't believe that the God I believe in would want me to be vulnerable to people who are consumed with evil and evil intentions.

Jeff Quinn, 49
Carlisle, Tennessee

I'm a Southern Baptist, it's all I've ever known. We basically believe that if it's written in the pages of the Bible, it's true, and if it's not we don't include it in our lives.
I've got too many firearms to list them all. I've had guns since I was 11 years old. I like them because it's about the only thing you can buy now that is a quality piece of American-made design.
They're fun to shoot and they're useful. For hunting, for snakes coming into the yard. For home protection. We've got police but they can't be everywhere at once. In Miami, somebody was crawling through the window. My wife pointed the gun at them and they took off. I hope she would have used it if she'd needed to. Don't let anybody get close enough to grab the gun. If they get that close, you need to pull the trigger.
I got the first carry permit in Stewart County. If I've got my pants on, I've got my gun. Everywhere except the airport, because they search you there. School - yeah, I carry. Church, all the time. You might disagree with the preacher or something!
God says he'll take care of us but he expects us to do a little work. Usually, a guy who has a gun on him is going to be more responsible. You don't want to get into an argument with somebody, you might end up killing them. I hope my faith plays a part in that.



Preparation For The Day Of The Lord


Malachi 3


1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

6For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

13Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Gene Robinson's Prayer for President-elect Barack Obama


+Gene Robinson's Prayer for President-elect Barack Obama
A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama
(Also available on You Tube).

By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire

Opening Inaugural Event
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
January 18, 2009

Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN.

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Posted by Jim Naughton on January 18, 2009 2:22 PM



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P.S. Note the prayer was closed without addressing it "in Jesus's name".
You call that a prayer?
It was more like a gay manifesto!
Arsenio.

No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus




I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true.
I would tell you how He changed my life completely;
He did something no other friend could do.


No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
There's no other friend so kind as He.
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me;
O how much He cared for me.


All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me;
All my heart was full of misery and woe,
Jesus placed His strong arms about me
And He led me in the way I ought to go.


No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
There's no other friend so kind as He.
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me;
O how much He cared for me.


Ev'ry day He comes to me with new assurance;
More and more I understand His word of love.
But I'll never know just why He came to save me,
Till someday I see His blessed face above.


No one ever cared for me like Jesus;
There's no other friend so kind as He.
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me;
O how much He cared for me.
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midi file
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Lyrics and Composer: Charles Frederick Weigle, 1932
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Source: http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_No_One_Ever_Cared.html
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The {10 Jesuit} Provinces


The Provinces


In the United States, the Society of Jesus is organized into ten provinces or geographic regions, each headed by a provincial superior appointed by the Superior General in Rome. Province Offices are organized as follows:

California...................Maryland....................New Orleans
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Wisconsin...................................................Chicago

Missouri..............................................New Yorkk

Oregon...............Detroit.............New England

English Canada

The 10 Federal Regions [FEMA]


The 10 Federal Regions

REGION I: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont. Regional Capitol: Boston

REGION II: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Island. Regional Capitol: New York City

REGION III: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia. Regional Capitol: Philadelphia

REGION IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee. Regional Capitol: Atlanta

REGION V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin. Regional Capitol: Chicago

REGION VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas. Regional Capitol: Dallas-Fort Worth

REGION VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska. Regional Capitol: Kansas City

REGION VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming. Regional Capitol: Denver

REGION IX: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada. Regional Capitol: San Fransisco

REGION X: Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho. Regional Capitol: Seattle

Supplementing these Then Regions, each of the States is, or is to be, divided into subregions, so that Federal Executive control is provided over every community.

Then, controlling the bedgeting and the programming at every level is that politico-economic system known as PPBS.

The President need not wait for some emergency such as an impeachment ouster. He can declare a National Emergency at any time, and freeze everything, just as he has already frozen wages and prices. And the Congress, and the States, are powerless to prevent such an Executive Dictatorship, unless Congress moves to revoke these extraordinary powers before the Chief Executive moves to invoke them.

THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS GROSSLY AND FLAGRANTLY VIOLATE THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF ARTICLE 4 SECTION 3. THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THIS SECTION OR THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES FOR FORMING A REGIONAL STATE OUT OF A GROUP OF STATES! FURTHER, THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS GROSSLY AND FLAGRANTLY VIOLATE THE 9TH AND 10TH AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION!

By Proclaiming and Putting Into Effect Executive Order No. 11490, the President would put the United States under TOTAL MARTIAL LAW AND MILITARY DICTATORSHIP! The Guns Of The American People Would Be Forcibly Taken!
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Source: http://users.rcn.com/zap.dnai/regions.html
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But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost


2 Corinthians 4


1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

12So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

13We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Text of H.R. 645: National Emergency Centers Establishment Act


GovTrack's bill text viewer has been recently updated. While we work out the kinks in the new viewer, archival legislative text may not be available. Your comments and suggestions for the new viewer are welcome.

This version: Introduced in House. This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the House for consideration. This is the latest version of the bill available on this website.
HR 645 IH

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 645

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 22, 2009


Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘National Emergency Centers Establishment Act’.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.

(a) In General- In accordance with the requirements of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency centers on military installations.

(b) Purpose of National Emergency Centers- The purpose of a national emergency center shall be to use existing infrastructure--

(1) to provide temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster;

(2) to provide centralized locations for the purposes of training and ensuring the coordination of Federal, State, and local first responders;

(3) to provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations; and

(4) to meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.

(a) In General- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall designate not fewer than 6 military installations as sites for the establishment of national emergency centers.

(b) Minimum Requirements- A site designated as a national emergency center shall be--

(1) capable of meeting for an extended period of time the housing, health, transportation, education, public works, humanitarian and other transition needs of a large number of individuals affected by an emergency or major disaster;

(2) environmentally safe and shall not pose a health risk to individuals who may use the center;

(3) capable of being scaled up or down to accommodate major disaster preparedness and response drills, operations, and procedures;

(4) capable of housing existing permanent structures necessary to meet training and first responders coordination requirements during nondisaster periods;

(5) capable of hosting the infrastructure necessary to rapidly adjust to temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance needs;

(6) required to consist of a complete operations command center, including 2 state-of-the art command and control centers that will comprise a 24/7 operations watch center as follows:

(A) one of the command and control centers shall be in full ready mode; and

(B) the other shall be used daily for training; and

(7) easily accessible at all times and be able to facilitate handicapped and medical facilities, including during an emergency or major disaster.

(c) Location of National Emergency Centers- There shall be established not fewer than one national emergency center in each of the following areas:

(1) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions I, II, and III.

(2) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV.

(3) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions V and VII.

(4) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VI.

(5) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions VIII and X.

(6) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX.

(d) Preference for Designation of Closed Military Installations- Wherever possible, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall designate a closed military installation as a site for a national emergency center. If the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense jointly determine that there is not a sufficient number of closed military installations that meet the requirements of subsections (b) and (c), the Secretaries shall jointly designate portions of existing military installations other than closed military installations as national emergency centers.

(e) Transfer of Control of Closed Military Installations- If a closed military installation is designated as a national emergency center, not later than 180 days after the date of designation, the Secretary of Defense shall transfer to the Secretary of Homeland Security administrative jurisdiction over such closed military installation.

(f) Cooperative Agreement for Joint Use of Existing Military Installations- If an existing military installation other than a closed military installation is designated as a national emergency center, not later than 180 days after the date of designation, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the establishment of the national emergency center.

(g) Reports-

(1) PRELIMINARY REPORT- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated site--

(A) an outline of the reasons why the site was selected;

(B) an outline of the need to construct, repair, or update any existing infrastructure at the site;

(C) an outline of the need to conduct any necessary environmental clean-up at the site;

(D) an outline of preliminary plans for the transfer of control of the site from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of Homeland Security, if necessary under subsection (e); and

(E) an outline of preliminary plans for entering into a cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f).

(2) UPDATE REPORT- Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated site--

(A) an update on the information contained in the report as required by paragraph (1);

(B) an outline of the progress made toward the transfer of control of the site, if necessary under subsection (e);

(C) an outline of the progress made toward entering a cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f); and

(D) recommendations regarding any authorizations and appropriations that may be necessary to provide for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site.

(3) FINAL REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated site--

(A) finalized information detailing the transfer of control of the site, if necessary under subsection (e);

(B) the finalized cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f); and

(C) any additional information pertinent to the establishment of a national emergency center at the site.

(4) ADDITIONAL REPORTS- The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, may submit to Congress additional reports as necessary to provide updates on steps being taken to meet the requirements of this Act.

SEC. 4. LIMITATIONS ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

This Act does not affect--

(1) the authority of the Federal Government to provide emergency or major disaster assistance or to implement any disaster mitigation and response program, including any program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); or

(2) the authority of a State or local government to respond to an emergency.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated $180,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to carry out this Act. Such funds shall remain available until expended.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act, the following definitions apply:

(1) CLOSED MILITARY INSTALLATION- The term ‘closed military installation’ means a military installation, or portion thereof, approved for closure or realignment under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) that meet all, or 2 out of the 3 following requirements:

(A) Is located in close proximity to a transportation corridor.

(B) Is located in a State with a high level or threat of disaster related activities.

(C) Is located near a major metropolitan center.

(2) EMERGENCY- The term ‘emergency’ has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).

(3) MAJOR DISASTER- The term ‘major disaster’ has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).

(4) MILITARY INSTALLATION- The term ‘military installation’ has the meaning given such term in section 2910 of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note).
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Should Christianity be taught in schools?


Should Christianity be taught in schools?


Survey examining Israeli Jews' approach to Christianity and Christians reveals astounding gaps between secular, religious respondents on almost all issues

Kobi Nahshoni Published: 02.24.09, 07:47 / Israel Jewish Scene

The Pope's recent rehabilitation of Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson outraged Jews worldwide, while a recent TV skit mocking Jesus on Israel's Channel 10 sparked anger in the Christian world.

Strained Relations

Holy Land Christians urge pope to call off visit / Associated Press

Palestinian Christians say pontiff's scheduled visit to Israel will inadvertently minimize Palestinian suffering under occupation

Full Story


The strained relations between the two faiths prompted the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies to conduct a survey examining the public's stances towards Christianity, the Christian world and Christian presence in Israel.

The survey revealed an ambivalent approach towards these issues among Israeli Jews: Most respondents believe that schools should teach students about Christianity, but not about the New Testament and that the State should allow freedom of religious exercise, but prevent Christian bodies from purchasing land in Jerusalem.

The survey was conducted by the Smith Institute among 500 respondents that constitute a representative sample of the adult Jewish population in the country.

According to 54% of seculars, Christianity was closer to Judaism than Islam, while only 17% of religious respondents agreed to this statement and 48% said that Islam was in fact closer. Meanwhile, 43% of seculars defined the Catholic Church's attitude towards Judaism and Jews as positive, while 65% of religious said that it was negative.

Sixty percent of religious and ultra-orthodox respondents said the sight of a person wearing a cross disturbed them, whilst 91% of seculars said they did not mind it.

On almost all issues seculars exhibited an open-minded approach towards Christianity, whereas religious respondents were less than tolerant. Sixty-eight percent of seculars said that Christianity should be taught in schools, and 52% believed that the New Testament should be studied as well. Meanwhile, religious and haredim ruled out any reference to Christianity in school curriculums, 73% and 90% respectively.

Should Jews visit church?


Should Christians be allowed freedom of religious exercise in Israel? Seventy-one percent of seculars replied positively, while 68% of religious respondents opposed. Forty-eight percent of religious said churches' activity in Israel should be limited, while 48% of seculars said that they should enjoy the same funding Jewish religious institutions receive.

Fifty-one percent of seculars defined the approach of Christian Arab citizens to the State as positive, while 62% of the religious sector said it was negative and 51% claimed that Israel should encourage Christian Arabs to immigrate abroad.

Both sectors believe that the state should prevent Christian bodies from buying land in Jerusalem (64% of seculars and 95% of religious).

Asked whether Jews should be allowed to visit church, 80% of seculars replied positively and 83% of religious respondents answered negatively, with 43% claiming that all or most Christians were missionaries towards Jews; 82% of seculars disagreed with this notion.

On the subject of donations, 70% of seculars said it was okay for Jewish organizations to receive contributions from Christian groups, while 79% of religious respondents disapproved.



Farmers Call For NAFTA Reforms


Farmers Call For NAFTA Reforms

By Dana Gabriel http://www.opednews.com/articles/Farmers-Call-For-NAFTA-Ref-by-Dana-Gabriel-090226-622.html


NAFTA has produced winners, mostly multinational corporations and a long list of losers, which includes farmers. The trade agreement has been the source of much discontent and has become an easy target. NAFTA is so badly flawed, but it is only one part of our failed trade and economic strategy. It has hurt many farmers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Just as there are calls to reform energy, investment, labour and environmental provisions of NAFTA, many are also demanding changes to agricultural clauses found in the agreement.

At a recent trilateral conference held in Billings, Montana, there was a general consensus among livestock producers that NAFTA is not working for North American farmers, ranchers and consumers alike. The two day conference was hosted by the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC). The meetings addressed many challenges facing family farmers and ranchers, including the negative impact of NAFTA. Many of the promises made by proponents of the trade agreement, have not been kept and so called benefits have failed to materialize. Representatives at the conference are calling for new trade policies and market reforms, and are urging the leaders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico to renegotiate NAFTA.

Along with calling for changes to NAFTA, the conference made up of consumer groups and livestock producers from around North America, laid out other specific recommendations. In a press release, they called for the “Establishment of domestic food and agricultural policies that provide farmers with the cost of production without dumping commodities into other countries at below the cost of production.” They also called for “Setting up publicly-owned grain reserves to stabilize prices and to provide fair prices to both farmers and consumers.” Further economic integration and expanded trade under NAFTA has failed to benefit many farmers. Some have been forced to give up their livelihoods, as a result of low market prices. Conferences such as this one, illustrate the importance of working together. Now more then ever, it is essential that farmers in North America present a common front and pursue shared objectives, in order to better protect their future interests.

NAFTA has essentially pitted farmers from all three countries against each other. Some have sought to establish more control over the marketing of farm produce only to be harassed. In Canada, there are calls for governmental protections of farm marketing boards from NAFTA challenges. Under the agreement, many domestic policies to protect farmers are prohibited. NAFTA has enabled large agribusinesses to set up monopolies and in many cases, has prevented farmers from uniting and defending their own best interests. As a result of NAFTA and the WTO, a small number of multinational corporations control much of our food production in North America. NAFTA has been devastating for many farmers and nowhere is this more evident than in Mexico where over a million agricultural jobs have been lost as a result of the trade agreement.

In late January of this year, there were huge protests in Mexico City and other parts of the country, demanding that the government take steps to deal with the mounting economic crisis. Just like in the past, many farmers took to the streets protesting against NAFTA. They were demanding renegotiation of agricultural clauses found in the trade deal. Protesters were also calling on the government to rescue small farmers who have been decimated by the dumping of large amounts of U.S. and Canadian grains and other crops inside the Mexican market. If current agricultural and food policies are not changed, many more farmers will lose their livelihoods. Globalization and urbanization have further fueled social unrest and coupled with the rise in drug violence, it appears as if Mexico could be on the verge of total collapse.

NAFTA, along with the WTO, have been used to drive down labour costs and environmental standards, in an effort to further increase corporate profits. Many farmers in North America and around the world have been greatly affected. While income for farmers is on the decline, food prices continue to rise. NAFTA undermines our sovereignty and has weakened local governments ability to make decisions concerning food and agriculture. There desperately needs to be more measures put in place to better protect farmers. Our globalized food system is a complete failure and has served to benefit multinational corporations, at the expense of small independent farmers. There are little things we can all do in our everyday lives to challenge this corporate system. This includes supporting and buying from local producers as well as becoming more self-sufficient.


U.S. commits further $30 billion to AIG: sources


Sun Mar 1, 2009 9:25pm EST


By Paritosh Bansal and Lilla Zuill

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government threw a new $30 billion lifeline to American International Group Inc on Sunday as the embattled insurer prepared to report the biggest quarterly loss in corporate history.

AIG's board approved a new rescue package that also includes more lenient terms on a government investment in its preferred shares and a lower interest rate on a government credit line, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Details will be announced on Monday when AIG is expected to report a fourth-quarter loss of about $60 billion -- some $460,000 per minute.

This would be the third time the government has had to step up to save AIG, once the biggest insurer by market value whose global reach may have made it too big to fail.

Allowing the collapse of AIG, which has struggled to sell assets, would have far-reaching consequences for the global financial system as the company guarantees about $300 billion of asset-backed securities and other debt, analysts have said.

The government has been blamed by many for exacerbating the financial crisis by allowing Lehman Brothers to fail.

"The government really does not have the option of letting AIG totally blow up," said Robert Haines, senior insurance analyst at CreditSights.

"The counterparties on most of the book are (European) banks that would be hammered if the U.S. walked away," he said. "Hopefully, the third bailout will be the charm."

The rejigged bailout, which changes the terms of an earlier $150 billion rescue, is the latest example of how federal authorities are having to revamp aid for top financial institutions as the global financial crisis deepens.

Last week, the government agreed to boost its equity stake in Citigroup Inc to as much as 36 percent in a bid to bolster the bank, already the recipient of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

The dollar rose against most other currencies in Asia as news of the deal emerged.

DEBT TO EQUITY

Under the deal, the interest rate on AIG's credit line from the government would be cut to match the three-month London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), now about 1.26 percent, the sources said. This would save AIG about $1 billion a year.

AIG now pays 3 percentage points above three-month Libor on the $60 billion credit line.

The additional equity commitment, which will be funded from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, would give AIG the ability to issue preferred stock to the government later, the sources said.

AIG will also give the Federal Reserve a preferred-stock interest in its American Life Insurance Co (Alico), which generates more than half of its revenue from Japan, and Hong Kong-based life insurance group American International Assurance Co (AIA) in return for reducing its debt, they said.

The two businesses will be transferred into separate trusts but AIG will still own the common equity, one of the two sources said. The government likely will get a 5 percent cumulative dividend on its preferred-share stake in these trusts, the source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

AIG had been trying to sell Alico and part of AIA. Sales of these assets are still a possibility, with some bids already received, the source said.

A second option under consideration is to take these units public when markets improve, the source added.

AIG may also securitize some U.S. life insurance policies and give them to the government to further reduce its debt, the sources said.

The company may securitize up to $10 billion under that plan, one source said.

The debt-to-equity swap and securitizations could help AIG repay much of the roughly $38 billion it has drawn from its government credit line, that source said.

SPINOFF FOR PROPERTY-CASUALTY

Last year, AIG said it planned to sell all assets except its U.S. property and casualty business, foreign general insurance and an ownership interest in some foreign life operations, to pay back the government.

While the company has announced some sales, it has found it difficult to find buyers and get a good price for assets amid the financial crisis.

AIG now plans to spin off up to 20 percent of the property-casualty business in an initial public offering and eventually could spin off the business entirely, one source said.

The business would be renamed to differentiate it from AIG, and have its own management and board of directors.

To aid the auction of at least one major asset, the government could help potential buyers of aircraft lessor International Lease Finance Corp with financing, the sources said.

ILFC has some debt coming due in 2009 and, if needed, AIG could use its new equity commitment to help potential buyers with that, one of the sources said.

An AIG spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

MASSIVE LOSS

The deal was reached as AIG prepared to report a quarterly loss of about $60 billion.

The loss would include up to $25 billion in investment losses, about $20 billion in writedowns and up to $15 billion in restructuring charges, one source said.

The revised bailout would allow AIG to avoid a credit ratings downgrade that could have had serious ramifications for the insurer's liquidity and hurt its business.

Customers could, for instance, cancel their insurance policies if a minimum rating was no longer maintained.

Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's both have AIG on review for downgrade from the seventh highest investment grade, and have said that the government's support was keeping the ratings from being cut to "junk" status.

AIG, which had 74 million customers at the end of 2007, has said it has been losing business and finding it harder to win new clients since it was first rescued in September after bad mortgage bets left it on the verge of collapse.

The government stepped in at the time with an $85 billion bailout, and subsequently offered additional financing, bringing the support up to about $123 billion.

Then in November, the government had to revise its bailout package, raising its total aid to about $150 billion.

AIG shares closed at 42 cents on Friday. The shares have lost 99 percent of their value over the past 12 months.

(Additional reporting by Walden Siew and Kristina Cooke)

(Editing by Ted Kerr)

(For more M&A news and our DealZone blog, go to www.reuters.com/deals)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0134457520090302?sp=true
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P.S. The government wants to spend another $30 Billion on a company that lost $60 Billion, last quarter? This makes no sense, except if what you want to do is empty "the piggy bank".
...................Arsenio.