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In the news - the U.S.A
Deadly Snowstorm Wreaks Havoc In Eastern US
- Sam Watts -
What a difference a few months makes - From opposite spheres of the weather spectrum, or some may say, 'From the Sublime to the Ridiculous'
- Sam Watts -
What is the contributing factor where we are witnessing extremes in weather patterns, like polar opposites, from one season to the next?
Global warming is being blamed and most countries are bearing the brunt. While America gets parched, the United Kingdom has its wettest Spring and Summer since records began. The ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. Is Mad Max being realized?
The official, Edward O. DuBose, president of the Georgia chapter, said the group had “very reliable information from the board members directly that the board was split 3 to 2 on whether to grant clemency.”
My comments here are not about the guilt or the innocence of Mr Davis. Many journalists have already written pages about the lack of serious evidence, 'beyond reasonble doubt' in this case. My gripe is that in the 21st Century, the State - any American State - for that matter, is still prepared to commit a premeditated act of killing against another human being.
Whether this planned act is by an individual or by the state, such an act can only be called murder. There's no other name for it. Because these are elected officials doesn't excuse this out-dated, barbarous act.
We all know the act of premeditated killing by an individual against another is
that led up to Jackson's death, all does not look good for the Dr. While the defence council for the accused is trying to ascertain that Michael Jackson himself was a habitual drug taker, thus, causing his own death, the prosecutors argue that while the singer had trouble sleeping and required aid in order to do so with the use of the powerful anesthetic drug propofol, Dr Murray was not properly monitoring the artist while this was taking place.
With the damning statement from the emergency services who were called
at the time saying that Michael Jackson could have been saved had Conrad Murray called them immediately like he said he did - giving rise to suspicion, as the body of Michael Jackson was cold when they arrived on the scene. Prosecutors argue Murray delayed calling for medical help while trying to remove vital evidence showing his involvement in the death.
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A deadly weekend storm brought high winds and snow to the U.S. Northeast causing more than 3 million customers to lose electricity. At least five deaths were attributed to the rare pre-Halloween snowstorm which saw an unusually early and powerful nor'easter dumping of wet, heavy snow from the mid-Atlantic to New England, toppling leafy trees and power lines.
Connecticut and Massachusetts were among the hardest-hit. Governors in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut declared states of emergency, and New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declared an emergency in 13 counties.
The United States is being hit with its worst drought in decades and is getting worse with no signs of letting up any time soon. Cattle ranchers are even being forced to consider selling their herds as the severe water shortage deepens.
Two-thirds of continental U.S.A is said to be relatively shallow, the product of months without rain, rather than years. However, a recent report shows its intensity is rapidly increasing, with 20 percent of the nation now in the two worst stages of drought — up 7 percent from last week.
The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies drought in various stages, from moderate to severe, extreme and, ultimately, exceptional.
Five states — Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska — are blanketed by a drought that is severe or worse. States like Arkansas and Oklahoma are nearly as bad, with most areas covered in a severe drought and large portions in extreme or exceptional drought.
An 'Eye for an Eye' carried out in Georgia and no one blinks
- Anne Hunt -
The USA's long running love affair with Capital Punishment continued when last minute appeals failed to save the life of Troy Davis who had been on death row in Georgia for, what could be seen as a life sentence, and had survived four appeals.
Davis, was convicted on very shaky circumstantial evidence for the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. Davis who was 42, had always insisted his innocence with his lawyers arguing they could prove it, thus having managed to spare him from three execution dates in the last four years.
The appeal to the Supreme Court was one of several last-ditch efforts by Mr. Davis on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, an official with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said that the vote by the Georgia parole board to deny clemency to Mr. Davis was so close that he hoped there might be a chance to save him from execution.
It failed
outright murder - and a trial by a suspected miscreant's peers is not an exact science, but it's the best democratic method we have.
The USA, more than any other country always wants to bring God and the Bible into these decisions and never stop quoting 'the eye for an eye' passage - and although there have been countless cases over the years where the person who is executed is later found - through DNA tests - to be innocent.
This fixation with getting 'square and even' particularly if the victim is a Law Enforcemant Officer has become a national obsession. The concept of two wrongs do not make a right, has never occurred to them.
I wonder if they will ever accept the concept that the carefully planned death of another human being is still premeditated murder.
NATO to erect missile shield for Europe
- Sam Watts -
Prince Andrew tight lipped as he heads for New York: WikiLeaks proves that no-one is beyond reproach
- Anne Hunt -
Prince Andrew flew to New York as news hit the stands regarding his many controversial comments revealed by WikiLeaks, the 'data' gathering website.
His trip follows on the heels of his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who also saught solace in the States from an embarrassing lack of judgment where she was filmed negotiating a money transaction with an undercover reporter in exchange for granting business access to her former husband Prince Andrew, a British trade ambassador.
Ms Ferguson's, excruciatingly embarrassing visit saw her apologising on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show’ in an effort to clear up her reputation.
Walking on what could be called, similar 'ill advised' footprints, the latest revelations show the Duke having an expletive-laden rant to British businessmen while on a trip to Kyrgyzstan, proving that Prince Andrew may find himself in the same position as his former wife. Who knows, Oprah may be waiting, cheque in hand.
As the UK's special trade representative, one would expect a certain amount of diplomacy and decorum best suited to the job.
The WikiLeaks revelations regarding his code of conduct however, have been condemned by Business Secretary Vince Cable. The Liberal Democrat said that it 'was not helpful' for the Duke of York to comment on policy. 'I would just make it absolutely clear that we regard bribery overseas as illegal and unacceptable,' he said in response to some of Prince Andew's comments. 'That is not a matter for Prince Andrew; that's a matter for the Government.
The Duke had condemned the Serious Fraud Office for its ‘idiocy’ in probing claims of corruption in the Al-Yamama arms deal between the British defence firm BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia. The six-year inquiry into BAE was triggered by allegations of billion-pound bribes and prostitutes supplied to members of the Saudi royal family.
Confidential reports also went on to describe Prince Andrew as 'cocky' and 'rude' during a round-table brunch with British and Canadian businessmen at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.
President Barack Obama won NATO summit agreement Friday to build a missile shield over Europe, an ambitious commitment to protect against Iranian attack while demonstrating the alliance's continuing relevance -- but at the risk of further aggravating Russia.
On another major issue, Obama and the allies are expected to announce plans on Saturday to begin handing off security responsibility in Afghanistan to local forces next year and to complete the transition by the end of 2014.
That end date is three years beyond the time that Obama has said he will start withdrawing U.S. troops, and the challenge is to avoid a rush to the exits as public opinion turns more sharply against the war and Afghan President Hamid Karzai pushes for greater Afghan control.
While celebrating the missile shield decision, Obama also made a renewed pitch for Senate ratification back in the U.S. of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, asserting that Europeans believe rejection of the deal would hurt their security and damage relations with the Russians.
Two key unanswered questions about the missile shield -- will it work and can the Europeans afford it? -- were put aside for the present in the interest of celebrating the agreement as a boost for NATO solidarity.
Under the arrangement, a limited system of U.S. anti-missile interceptors and radars already planned for Europe -- to include interceptors in Romania and Poland and possibly a radar in Turkey -- would be linked to expanded European-owned missile defenses.
That would create a broad system that protects every NATO country against medium-range missile attack.
Julian Assange released - names Hillary Clinton and USA for smear campaign
- Alan White -
California - A Bridge over Troubled Water
- Anne Hunt -
In the first response to the leaked cables by a senior member of the Obama administration, the U.S. Secretary of State said her government ‘deeply regrets’ the release. And in a move to reassure allies, a grim-faced Mrs Clinton insisted America was taking ‘aggressive steps to hold responsible those who stole this information’. However, there was much angrier reaction from U.S. politicians, with one even claiming that WikiLeaks should be classified as a terrorist organisation. Hillary Clinton, has called foreign leaders to apologise for comments contained in the leaked cables.
Hillary Clinton has said that the WikiLeaks revelations were ‘an attack on the international community’, the alliances and partnerships, and not just the U.S. with the intercepting of conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity.”
However, when Mrs Clinton said that THEY were 'taking aggressive measures' to hold the person responsible, did that statement mean trumping up allegations against Julian Assange in order to take attention away from the material appearing on Wikileaks?
The future of Julian Assange, WikiLeaks and his protective 'Band of Brothers' will probably tell all.
California: At the height of the Intel revolution, Silicon Valley and Microsoft - with Hollywood just down the road, California saw money rolling in from every source imaginable. House prices, like silicon share prices, escallated a hundred fold. Everyone was heading West.
What happened? The buoyant bubble burst! How could a State so rich,
become so poor? A massive 25 billion dollars in the red.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Governor of California for 7 years stepped down from office in January to return to his first love, movies and in his place, Jerry Brown was voted in after an absense of 28 years. Where it all could have gone wrong.
When Governor Brown was previously in office, he signed the Dills Act/1978 that gave civil servants the right to collective bargaining. This enactment was the beginning of the end of the state. Now, with the power of government, labour unions run unchecked and hold the State to ransom.
Their sweetheart pension plans are a marvel to their political strength and are unmatched anywhere in the private sector. This is why although state workers’ pensions are the single largest problem in this budget crisis it is taxes that Governor Brown wants to put up. The few, supporting the many.
Conrad Murray trial captured the moment
- Anne Hunt -
As with the OJ Simpson trial of 1995 which had people glued to their television sets worldwide as well as divided over the eventual outcome,
the Conrad Murray trial is looking to
be no different.
With the sudden and unexpected
death of the super star singer, Michael Jackson who was under Murray's
care at the time and the sometimes suspicious and often ambiguous inconsistencies in the time line of events
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