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N.C. Wyeth, The Carpetbaggers (1912)
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Feature Story:
Happy New Year!
From All Of Us,
Especially To You
by Johnny Gunn
It’s been celebrated some say since about 2,000
B.C., which makes for a very long time, but it’s only recently that
January 1 was considered the start of the new year. In Mesopotamia,
some 4,000 years ago, if you’re counting, New Year’s day began at about
the time of the spring or Vernal Equinox, that is, mid March. The
Greeks and Romans, Egyptians and Phoenicians, Persians and Jews have all
messed around with the celebration of a new year, creating new
calendars, adding months, redefining words to suit their specific needs,
but when it all comes down to the situation at hand, on December 31, at
the stroke of midnight, the new year begins with a toast and merriment
because we all know it has to be better than it’s been.
The months of the current calendar don’t make much
sense if you try to read them in their proper contest. For instance,
September should be the seventh month, Septem being Latin for seven.
October, November, and December then should be eight, nine, and ten.
What on earth is going on? The earliest Roman calendar had just ten
months, there was no January or February, and the new year was
celebrated in March.
Then came old
Numa Pontilius,
the second king of Rome, who in 700 B.C. added those two months to a
calendar and new year celebrations moved to January. It was Julius
Caesar who brought us the first solar calendar (not withstanding the
Mayan calendars of which no one in the “old” world knew about), and
January 1 settled in as the first day of a new year. Of course that had
to change. It was the Council of Tours that decided January 1 new year
celebrations were way too pagan, and it was decreed that the celebration
was abolished.
Read full story
____________________
Top News Story:
Rulings On Coal All Over The Road
Some Question
Bush’s Midnight Rulings
by Johnny Gunn
In a last ditch attempt to get massive coal fired
power plants on line before the end of the current administration,
officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have ruled that
greenhouse gas output cannot be considered during application hearings.
This is in direct opposition to an effort by the Environmental Appeals
Board to make such information a part of the application. Stephen L.
Johnson, administrator for the EPA is going against a board within his
own agency, as well as recent court rulings.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the EPA could
regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under current law.
It is expected that when the Barack Obama administration takes over,
that the EPA along with other agencies involved in air pollution and
climate change will make stronger rules dealing with greenhouse gases.
According to the Johnson memorandum, EPA is now on record as saying
carbon dioxide is not a pollutant that can be regulated when approving
power plants. He called this a “sound policy consideration.”
On December 24, the New York Times, in an
editorial, called Johnson “Dr. No,” and said the Supreme Court “plainly
empowered the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases.” The Times is
under the impression that the fight against air standards is being led
by current Vice President Dick Cheney and that Mr. Johnson is just a
puppet for Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush.
At about the same time as the EPA’s memorandum was
released, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it has
approved land use for the LS Power 1500 megawatt coal fired power plant
in Ely, White Pine County. That plant is one of two that are being
planned for the area, the other to be built by NV Energy, formerly
Sierra Pacific Resources. The issue is not finalized however as LS
Power must await the final environmental impact statement from EPA. The
LS Power facility is expected to cost at least $1 billion and is just
one of three such plants being planned in eastern Nevada. The third is
in Lincoln County to be built by Sithe Power.
Read full story
____________________
Krolicki Indicted By Grand Jury
Arraignment
During Holiday Period
Nevada Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki has been
indicted on several felony charges stemming from his time as elected
State Treasurer. The charges include mishandling of state funds and
falsifying accounts in Nevada’s College Fund. Krolicki’s former chief
of staff in the treasurer’s office, Kathryn Besser were to be arraigned
on December 30.
The indictment pointed out that there no money
missing from accounts, rather that the money and funds were mishandled
and accounts were adjusted to falsify how the money was used. An audit
was conducted following the last general election when a new treasurer
took over and Krolicki became Lt. Governor. The legislature was
informed of alleged mishandling, the state ethics commission was
informed, but it took a grand jury in Las Vegas to bring the matter to a
head.
Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, a
Democrat, brought the matter before the grand jury. Krolicki, a
Republican, claims the entire situation is politically motivated since
he announced he was considering running against U.S. Senator Harry Reid,
a democrat, in 2010. The charges are serious and call for prison terms
if Krolicki is found guilty.
Read
full story
____________________
Gibbons Skirts Law -- Reasons
Unclear
Changes In
Agencies May Be Behind Appointment
Regardless of the political ramifications of any
agency appointment made by a governor in Nevada, there are rules and
laws that are supposed to dictate how the appointment takes place.
Governor Jim Gibbons appointed Kirk Montero as Director of the Nevada
Commission on Tourism toward the end of December, and did not follow
that law. At the time of the appointment, the tourism agency and
Nevada’s economic development agency were in discussion over the
possibility of merging the agencies, which would actually eliminate an
agency head. Are the two connected? And was there a real need to
appoint someone in the middle of long holiday period when many agencies
were working with very short staffs?
The law is such that the commission on tourism
would ask for nominations to fill the post of director, and then whittle
the list down to three, offer the three to the governor who would in
turn pick the new director. The commission gave no list to Gibbons, and
Gibbons’ response to the quick pick leaves many questions unanswered.
The governor said it was important to the fill the tourism post, but
that post has been empty since September’s resignation of Tim Maland.
The current tourism
commission came into office in July when Gibbons appointed the five
members. At the time of the appointment, Gibbons said, “Each of these
people has demonstrated a commitment to Nevada, both by investing in
the state’s tourism infrastructure and through a personal dedication to
making this state a better place.” The Governor continued, “I’m excited
each has agreed to serve the state and promote tourism during such a
crucial time for Nevada.”
Gibbons may not be
quite so excited today since the Commission has said the appointment by
Gibbons of Mr. Montero is not being accepted by them.
Read
full story
____________________
Former Elko Cop To Face Sex Crime
Charges
Aaron Hughes Also
Charged With Grand Larceny
First charged with attempting to steal off road
vehicles and equipment from the Jerritt Canyon mine in Elko County,
former Elko police captain Aaron Hughes has not been charged with having
sexual relations with a 17 year old female, and creating child
pornography. Elko authorities have moved Hughes to a facility outside
the county and are holding him on $500,000 cash bail.
Read full story
____________________
Unemployment Climbs As Economy Worsens
Cities Being Hit
By High Interest On Bonds
Sales Tax Collection Falls Once Again
by Johnny Gunn
As we move into 2009, Nevada’s economy remains
shaky at best with tourism and general business coupled to the decline
in construction activity. In November, the unemployment rate in the
Silver State climbed to eight percent, the highest it has been since the
mid 1980s, while nationally, the unemployment rate stood at 6.7
percent. In southern Nevada, with its rate of 7.9 percent unemployed,
there is one or two bright spots.
Sales tax collection figures for October were
released on December 30, and there was no bright spot involved.
Statewide, taxable sales fell 6.2 percent from one year ago. October is
often looked on as the beginning of the holiday shopping period. In
Clark County, taxable sales were off by 6.8 percent, and in Washoe
County, taxable sales were off an astounding 13.9 percent. Motor
vehicle and auto parts sales along with furniture and home furnishings
sales led the state in sales failures. Auto sales were off 31.3 percent
while home furnishings were off 34 percent.
CityCenter plans to begin hiring on January 5, and
will expect to have at least 12,000 employees on board when the hiring
is finished. For all the details, go to
http://www.citycentercareers.com. Operated by MGM Mirage, the
resort and properties will cost about $9.2 billion when completed.
There are properties associated with CityCenter that are also planning
on hiring workers as spring approaches.
Washoe County’s unemployment rate stood at 7.8
percent and was announced at about the same time as officials of the
Silver Club in Sparks announced it would be closing its doors on January
10. The club has been for sale for some time, and the latest
information available has it that a potential buyer could not get proper
financing because of the current world wide economic recession.
Read full story
____________________
Major Nevada Aerospace Company Expands
Sierra Nevada
Corporation Acquires SpaceDev Inc.
Several Other Companies Expanding In
Northern Nevada: EDAWN
by Johnny Gunn
As pointed out recently by Julie Ardito at the
Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), “Despite the
volatility of Wall Street and economic uncertainty, (northern Nevada)
concludes 2008 with signs of business growth and expansion. According
to its second quarter business report for October to December, EDAWN has
assisted six companies moving to or expanding in the area.” One major
development deals with one of Nevada’s leading high tech companies.
Nevada’s leading aerospace company, Sierra Nevada
Corporation (SNC), announced in mid December its acquisition of another
major space exploration company, SpaceDev, Inc. SNC, headquartered in
Sparks, is a high tech company involved in space exploration, defense
and military communications and surveillance, micro-satellite, and
advanced electronics. The company began in 1963 and was acquired by
Eren and Faith Ozmen in 1994. Eren Ozmen is the President and Chief
Financial Officer while Faith Ozmen is Chief Executive Officer. For a
view of SNC, go to
http://www.sncorp.com.
SpaceDev
is an entrepreneurial space systems company
that develops high performance, innovative components and systems that
are changing how we get to, explore, and use space. The company’s
products range from spacecraft actuators that power the Mars rovers, to
hybrid rocket technologies that powered the first commercial astronaut
to space, and from microsatellites controlled by the Internet to Dream
Chaser™, a winged and piloted orbital commercial spacecraft. The
SpaceDev web site can be viewed at
http://www.spacedev.com.
Read
full story
____________________
Nevada Growth Slowed By Economic
Disaster
Silver State In
Line For New Congressional Seat
by Johnny Gunn
The election losses
suffered by the Republican party in 2008 may come back and bite that big
elephant one more time if numbers released by the federal Census Bureau
are accurate. The Silver State may be in line for its fourth
congressional seat and that would entail massive redistricting, and
those in power do the maps. Both houses of the legislature are filled
with a majority of democrats, two of the three current congressional
seats are held by democrats, and there is massive turmoil within the
ranks of the republican party, not just at party level, but even within
members of the legislature. Questions of conservatism versus centrism,
fiscal constraint versus compromise, rage at the heart of the conflict
and they are sure to have an affect on redistricting.
According to figures
released by the Bureau, Nevada is no longer the fastest growing state in
the country, falling to eighth place, but still showing an increase of
1.8 percent over the last year. Nevada’s neighbor, Utah, is now leading
the nation in growth, but the number of new residents in the Silver
State appear to make the case for a fourth congressional district.
Reapportionment along with a disastrous economy is sure to be among the
hot topics in Carson City beginning in February, as another voice in
Washington is not a bad idea.
Nevada’s unparalleled
growth over the last 25 years has led to many of the ecological problems
faced by the state today. There are water problems in every corner of
the state with those finding themselves in short supply attempting to
take from the those that seem to have plenty. Growth has been slowed by
the economy more than anything else, but when the economy revitalizes
itself, answers to the shortage of water will have to be addressed,
probably at the state level since many of the problems spread across
county and other jurisdictional lines.
Read full
story
____________________
Train Wreck Reminder Of Railroad
Fallibility
Potential For
Nuclear Disaster Unseen By Federal Government
A freight train
derailed along the banks of the Humboldt River in eastern Nevada just
after Christmas, clogging a tunnel and causing a bridge to collapse into
the river. In all, 13 rail cars were involved in the crash that is
still under investigation. The wreck took place west of Carlin and
brings to mind that this line, the main east-west intercontinental line
operated by Union Pacific is scheduled to carry a considerable amount of
high level nuclear waste headed for the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste
underground facility if the repository is licensed.
The bridge that
collapsed is alleged to be more than one century old as is most of the
infrastructure on today’s major transportation routes, whether highway
or railway. Major high way bridges have collapsed recently, railroad
derailing happens regularly, often due to a combination of slack
maintenance and old equipment and structures. Putting millions of
people at risk of high level nuclear waste by using ancient
infrastructure does not seem to be a prudent effort on the part of the
federal government.
Just ten days before
the train wreck, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto held a
news conference attended by other state officials and outlined many of
the state’s objections to the Yucca Mountain project, including
transportation. The Department of Energy (DOE), in the last days of the
Bush administration, is pressing congress and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) to get Yucca approved before the Obama administration
takes over. A license application is currently being considered by the
NRC, and Nevada is challenging many points in the application.
Read
full interview
____________________
Cowboy Poetry Reigns (Reins?)
25 Years And
Going Strong As Elko Rings With Song
It wasn’t the first
cowboy poetry gathering when that first group got together in the bitter
cold of eastern Nevada 25 years ago, but it certainly has become, as the
sponsors are saying, “the quintessential even honoring the western
cowboy.” It was 1985 when the Western Folklife Center produced the
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko for the first time, and it
became a keystone as hundreds of cowboy poetry gatherings have since
taken hold across the west. Western traditions are solid, not just in
the west, but in reality all over the world. The western American
cowboy is seen as filled with all of the good that so many seem to have
lost during the last several generations, and as such, is held to a high
degree of social acceptance.
The cultural value of
the western historic way of life, of ranches and cowboys, of horses and
cattle, of long days and nights in the saddle, talking and singing to
cattle, yourself, your horse, all come together in a week’s glare of the
klieg lights, January 24-31. In 2000, the U.S. Senate recognized the
cultural value of the tradition and the even responsible for its
renaissance when it passed a resolution naming the Elko Gathering the
“National” Cowboy Poetry Gathering. The web site alone will keep you
busy for a while:
http://www.westernfolklife.org/site1/index.php/National-Cowboy-Poetry-Gathering-Information/NP-Highlights.html.
After a quarter of a
century of fun, history, and amazing poetry, expansion has been the
working word and continues this year. In celebration, the Nevada Museum
of Art in Reno has partnered with the Western Folklife Center in Elko to
develop a joint exhibition entitles Between Grass and Sky, a
broad range of artworks, from paintings and sculptures to intricately
crafted gear. The exhibitions will be mounted in both locations, now
through January 31.
Read full
story
____________________
Editor’s Update, With Just A Smudge Of
Crow
The edition of 12-15-08 went to the web master on
12-13-08 and carried an article on the horrible start to winter 2008-09,
and figures indicating there was no snow on the ground in the Sierra
Nevada, and little expectations of snow soon. Of course, on the evening
of 12-14-08 a major winter storm blew into the Sierra Nevada and was
strong enough to extend itself all the way south.
Read full
story
____________________
Editorial:
A Lesson In Civics
Following Voting Disaster
Separation Of
Powers Integral
To Our Political
System
by Johnny Gunn
Two separate instances have taken place within
weeks of each other that seem to prove once again that younger people in
this country are not getting an education on how things work, and why.
One would be enough to send a civics teacher from the 1950s into a full
blown tizzy, and other is just as bad on its own.
During the recent election, it has been alleged
that more than 30 people in Fernley were not given an opportunity to
vote for the city council seat in their district because of a foul up in
the City Clerk’s office. The City Clerk is saying, in effect, “gee,
that’s too bad.” This is not how our government is designed to work.
The bigger problem is, the winner of that election only had a three vote
plurality. This is a constitutional disgrace, and that election demands
to be redone. Both candidates should be standing on the court house
steps screaming their lungs out, and the disenfranchised voters should
be standing with them.
At this time the Secretary of State’s office is
demanding answers to the situation and Lyon County officials are simply
not talking. Elections in this country hold a special place in our
lives, they are not to be messed with, altered, or problems ignored.
For a county clerk today to not understand the value of the vote is
tantamount to complete failure, total ignorance of American values. One
of the most precious commodities of our free system of government is our
ability to choose our leaders at the polls, and when a group is
accidentally left out of the picture, the problem should be immediately
corrected. No questions should even be asked; apologies should spoken
loudly and a revote to take place immediately.
Read full
column
____________________
Opinion:
A Letter
For Peace
By
Bob Bennett
A little
over 37 years ago, responding to a call about an officer involved
shooting, my older brother found our father unconscious, bleeding from
eleven holes in his body, shot by robbers fleeing a store he had been
shopping at. I can only imagine the rage and psychological trauma he
went through that night, but I’m sure it was shared by fellow officers
in law enforcement, and the community at large. I was 3,000 miles away,
and didn’t find out until the next day.
I was
upset, torn and confused, some seven years later, at our father’s
funeral, he having died of other causes, when it was hinted to me that
officers may have been involved in the death of the suspected robbers,
years apart. I would have much preferred they received a fair trial and
served the appropriate sentence. Perhaps it was one of the things
tearing him apart during the last years of his life. My experiences
with him were always fair and even handed, as was his reputation in the
community. He once spent forty five minutes, slowly talking a teenager,
who was threatening to shoot his parents, into handing over his rifle.
Another time, I was with him when some kid, perhaps a few years older
than myself, came up to him, and asked to be arrested. He had held up a
liquor store the night before, and word on the street was that the cops
were looking for him. He said he was afraid of what other cops might do
when they caught him, but he knew my father would do the right thing.
A few
days before Christmas, I traded lawyer barbs with a small business owner
I know, and he gave me a copy of the latest edition of the California
Bar Journal. The next day I read it and composed the letter, below, to
the new President of the California Bar Association. Things in that
state spill over and affect us here. Much healing needs to take place,
not only in Nevada, but across the nation, and the rest of the world, as
well. In a way, it is an unlikely prayer for peace, restraint, and
appropriate behavior; an attempt by me to take an appropriate step with
something which has been tearing me apart for many years. I know that
others, many in far worse position than me, are also being torn by
similar concerns. Read
full column
____________________
A brush with an old sage:
Digital TV
by Hal Swift
After all the fun and excitement of the New
Year's celebratin' at Shorty's Place, things are startin' to get back to
normal. The usual crowd is gathered there, drinkin' sasparilla or
buttermilk, like usual. Shorty's got most of the broken chairs and
tables fixed or replaced, and the TV set over the bar is on a channel
that's showin' professional wrestlin'.
After this big bald-headed wrestler jumps up
in the air and comes down in a settin' position on his much smaller
opponent’s head, the announcer says they're gonna take a break until
after the paramedics leave.
During the break, a local announcer--a feller
named Brent--says, "At midnight on February 17, 2009, federal law
requires all full-power television broadcast stations to stop
broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format."
Waco's niece, Sioux, has the TV clicker and
hits the mute button. "We don't need to hear that," she says.
"Everybody knows about 'the big switch' the government is pullin' on
us."
Sheriff Freddie Marks says, "Hey, Shorty!
Are you going to get one of those converter boxes so we can keep on
watchin' television in here on that broken down TV set of yours?"
Shorty says, "Aw, I don't know. I may just
go and get a brand new one of them digital sets, y'know? S'tedda messin'
around with them converter boxes."
Dave P. Fisher, famous cowboy poet and
story-teller says, "Say, Freddie, I hear you and deputy Anson McBean
arrested somebody who's been selling phony converter boxes around here."
The sheriff says, "Yeah, it was that
scofflaw, Squinty Scarpini. He was selling kids' stolen lunch boxes,
with some knobs he put on 'em, and telling folks they were what they
needed to convert their TVs from analog to digital."
Sioux says, "Didn't you arrest Squinty for
something else, not too long ago?"
The sheriff says, "Yep. Deputy McBean caught
'im red-handed, so to speak, tippin' cows."
Read
full column
____________________
Nevada History:
Battle Born and Legal
by Guy Rocha, Nevada State Archivist
Nevada’s nickname, “Battle Born,” dates back
to the Civil War. Thanks to the research of State Archives Manager Jeff
Kintop, we know that constitutional delegate, and future Nevada
Congressman, Thomas Fitch noted on July 6, 1864 that "Our state will be
battle-born..."

People refer to Battle Born as the state’s
motto, a common misnomer. In fact, the second state constitutional
convention adopted the motto “All For Our Country” which can be found on
the Nevada State Seal.
Another once common belief is that Nevada was
not legally admitted as a state in the nation. The story goes that
there were not enough people living in the Nevada Territory to justify
statehood and a member in the House of Representatives.
However, the issue was not an obstacle to
Nevada becoming a state. The constitutional question dates to the
1890s. The Battle Born state was in the midst of a major
mining depression, people were leaving the area in droves, and sparsely
populated Nevada had a new nickname, “the great rotten borough,” because
the mining and railroad corporations so dominated political and economic
life.
Read full column
______________________________
Some kind of blog:
The Irascible One
Losing a friend
--- Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha has announced that he is retiring
from state service. This will be a major loss to the Silver State in
that Rocha is one of those historians that simply does not leave stones
unturned in his search for the truth, and although he can be a bit
strong in his approach, he is rarely wrong in his findings.
The heritage and history
of Nevada has been altered more than once during Rocha’s 28 year term as
he has found numerous errors in what we think we know about our history
and background. The “first” this or that isn’t always “first”, he has
found, and has included in a list of Myths about the state that are
published in various publications around the state including The Nevada
Observer.
With a combination of
contemplated fiscal reductions in the archivist’s office and serious eye
problems, Rocha will be leaving office February 2. We’ll miss you
around here, Guy Rocha. Stay warm and well.
•••
Federal prison on its
way --- One more hurdle has been
cleared as Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) plans to open a
federal penitentiary in Pahrump, in southern Nye County. County
Commissioners gave a unanimous approval, and there are only a couple
more steps that must be taken before construction begins. The federal
Office of Federal Detention picked Pahrump for the center.
Apparently the Pahrump
facility is a Detention Center, not a Federal Prison. During the
commission meeting the two were discussed like this. A prison holds
inmates convicted in court. A detention center holds inmates who are
detained but not yet convicted or sentenced.
Read full
column
_____________________________
The Nevada
Observer's Fabulous Cartoon Features !!!
The
Nevada Observer: Existential Art

(Click
on image to enlarge; click here to
see more)
______
The Nevada Observer: Political Art

(Click
on image to enlarge; click here
to see more)
=================================================================
Nevada News Digest And Links Of
Interest
For previous entries in the Nevada News Digest, see
the
TNO Nevada News
Digest and Breaking News Archives:
December
2004-June 2005;
July-September
2005;
October-December 2005;
January-March
2006;
April-May 2006;
June 2006;
July 2006;
August 2006;
September 2006;
October 2006;
November 2006;
December 2006;
January 2007;
February 2007;
March 2007;
April 2007;
May 2007;
June 2007;
July 2007;
August 2007;
September 2007;
October 2007;
November 2007;
December 2007;
January 2008;
February 2008;
March 2008;
April 2008;
October 2008;
November 2008
=========================================
December 15, 2008
Bill of Rights Day
The new
issue of The Nevada Observer is now up and ready for
your reading pleasure (check the middle column for our
current articles, features and columns).
==================================
December 17, 2008
-----
Our
Nation's Economy
The National Mood
Public mood darkens on job fears: Reuters poll (Reuters)
US consumer prices plunge record 1.7% in November (AFP)
U.S. Factories Slash Output Amid Slump (Wall Street
Journal)
The Solutions De Jour
Subsidize
Inefficiency
Democrats prepare hurdle to bank bailout (Reuters)
Print Up
More Money
Fed ready to slash rates amid deepening recession (Associated
Press)
Rate cut expected as Fed mulls emergency tools (Reuters)
Fed cuts rate to virtually zero, will expand stimulus moves
(AFP)
Dollar falls after Fed slashes rates (Reuters)
Dollar dives to 13-year low against yen after Fed cut (AFP)
IMF urges stepped-up actions to avert global recession (AFP)
Plunging eurozone inflation raises spectre of deflation:
economists (AFP)
Germany to take on at least 30 bln euros in debt: report
(AFP)
Nervy investors spur rush at Swiss gold refiners (Reuters)
Price-Fixing
Oil producers pull lever for huge output cut to stop price
slide (AFP)
Hire A
Relative
Nepotism Nation: Dems embrace dynasty politics (Politico)
The
Incoming Administration
Obama to meet with economic team amid gloomy news (Reuters)
Obama names education chief, focuses on economy (Reuters)
Obama names Chicago school chief to Education Dept. (Associated
Press)
Obama names Vilsack agriculture secretary (Reuters)
FDA chief to leave post when Obama takes office (Reuters)
Freedom And
The Federal Government
The Issue Of Torture
Cheney on the Value of Interrogations and Human Intelligence
(Weekly Standard)
Indefinite Detentions
U.S. sends three Guantanamo men home to Bosnia (Reuters)
Our
Nation's Armed Forces
U.S. costs of Iraq, Afghan wars top $900 billion: report
(Reuters)
Global
War on Terrorism: Reported Obligations for the Department of
Defense (Government Accountability Office)
Afghanistan
U.N.'s Afghan mission to expand (Reuters)
Why the US Will Scale Down Its Goals in Afghanistan (Time)
Iraq
British PM confirms Iraq troop withdrawal plan (Reuters)
Foreign
Affairs
Tough graft battle in Asia despite campaigns (Reuters)
China
China says two 'terrorists' will be executed for pre-Olympic
attack (AFP)
Unemployed masses worry stability-obsessed China (Reuters)
France
Dynamite found in Paris department store (AFP)
Great Britain
Iraqi doctor jailed for life for failed British bombings
(AFP)
Italy
Italian police arrest 100 in anti-Mafia raids (AFP)
Arrested mob boss hangs himself in Italian jail (Reuters)
Mexico
Mexico drug gangs 'top US threat' (BBC)
National Drug Threat Assessment 2009 (US Justice
Department) (18.7 MB pdf)
Attacks kill 4 police in Mexican border city (Associated
Press)
In Mexico, kidnapping spirals out of control (McClatchy)
Kidnapping expert kidnapped in Mexico (USA Today)
AG's from Nevada, 2 Mexican states ink crime pact (Associated
Press)
Mexico: Iceberg Dead Ahead! (Latin American Business
Chronicle)
Pakistan
Pakistan rejects British request to grill Mumbai suspects
(AFP)
Indian police to question possible Mumbai "scouts" (Reuters)
Invest In Pakistan's Military At Own Risk (Weekly
Standard)
LeT
Crackdown
Pakistan sees need for crackdown after Mumbai (Reuters)
Pakistan takes minimal steps against banned terror front
(The Long War Journal)
One Dawa activist arrested, 39 still untraced (Pakistan
Times)
Money Eludes Pakistan's Crackdown on Accused Terror Group
(Wall Street Journal)
Tales of
the Taliban
US Predator strikes in North Waziristan (The Long War
Journal)
Two killed in suspected US missile strike in Miranshah (Pakistan
Times)
Russia
Russian treason bill could hit Kremlin critics (Associated
Press)
Somalia
Chinese ship rescued from pirates in Gulf of Aden (Reuters)
U.N. council allows Somali anti-piracy fight on land (Reuters)
Somalia: Warlords, Pirates and the Politics of Morass (Time)
Somalia's fractured government slides into chaos (Reuters)
Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Heavy fighting in Sri Lanka kills 145 (Reuters)
==================================
December 19, 2008
_____
Our
Nation's Economy
Consumer Confidence Sets Record Low For Second Straight Day
(Rasmussen Reports)
Financial Market Turmoil and U.S. Macroeconomic Performance
(Congressional Research Service)
Record low mortgage rates toss housing a lifeline (Reuters)
Trillion Dollar Bailout
Paulson to urge Congress to unlock second 350 bln dollars
(AFP)
The Rush To The Trough
Treasury Details Auto Bailout Terms, Executive Comp
Restrictions (CNN)
US offers $13.4 bln lifeline to GM, Chrysler (AFP)
Bush throws lifeline to auto industry (Reuters)
Deportations
US deports 46 percent more Mexicans and Central Americans
(AFP)
The World Economy
World economic gloom deepens (AFP)
IMF warns on global recession as OPEC slashes oil output
(AFP)
Global economy to contract 0.4 pct in 2009: IIF (AFP)
ECB says it will keep lending dollars to eurozone banks in
2009 (AFP)
Central banks to offer dollar liquidity but see demand
waning (Reuters)
Russia unveils package for crisis-hit auto industry (AFP)
The
Incoming Administration
Assorted Crises
Obama: Help to automakers was "necessary step" (Reuters)
Obama vows to fight 'greed and scheming' on Wall Street
(AFP)
Obama promises to bolster financial regulation (Reuters)
Obama urged to act swiftly on Afghan crisis (Reuters)
Gates briefed Obama on Iraq drawdown options: Pentagon (AFP)
Cabinet And Administrative
Appointments
Obama rounds out cabinet with labor secretary pick (Reuters)
Obama chooses Adm. Blair as intel chief: source (Reuters)
Obama Chooses Retired Admiral as Intelligence Chief (Congressional
Quarterly)
Obama starts to put stamp on Fed with Tarullo (Reuters)
Obama to pick Ron Kirk as U.S. trade chief: source (Reuters)
Homeland
Security
Only 46% Share Bush's Confidence in America's Safety (Rasmussen
Reports)
Disaster
Recovery: FEMA's Public Assistance Grant Program Experienced
Challenges with Gulf Coast Rebuilding (Government
Accountability Office)
Flood
Insurance: Options for Addressing the Financial Impact of
Subsidized Premium Rates on the National Flood Insurance
Program (Government Accountability Office)
National
Health Matters
Key Issues in Analyzing Major Health Insurance Proposals
(Congressional Budget Office)
Budget Options, Volume 1: Health Care (Congressional
Budget Office)
Social
Security Disability: Collection of Medical Evidence Could Be
Improved with Evaluations to Identify Promising Collection
Practices (Government Accountability Office)
Ryan White
Care Act: First-Year Experiences under the Part D
Administrative Expense Cap (Government Accountability
Office)
Our
Nation's Armed Forces
Pentagon awards 4-bln-dlr contract to small group (AFP)
SmartShip Hits The High Seas (Strategy Page)
Defense
Logistics: Department of Defense's Annual Report on the
Status of Prepositioned Materiel and Equipment Can Be
Enhanced to Better Inform Congress (Government
Accountability Office)
Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable
Ranges, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Range
Assessments and Comprehensive Plan (Government
Accountability Office)
Defense
Inventory: Management Actions Needed to Improve the Cost
Efficiency of the Navy's Spare Parts Inventory (Government
Accountability Office)
Afghanistan
Afghanistan Attacked By The Math Machine (Strategy
Page)
Two More Years Of Magic Will Do It (Strategy Page)
Iraq
US forces detain Iranian 'agent' near Baghdad (The
Long War Journal)
Iraqi officer arrests related to 'terror': general (AFP)
Iraq officials arrested for reviving Baath party (Reuters)
35 Iraq Officials Held in Raids on Key Ministry (New
York Times)
Questions remain on the development of the Iraqi Security
Forces (The Long War Journal)
U.S.-Iraq Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for
Congressional Oversight (Congressional Research
Service)
Foreign
Affairs
Don't link Islam to terror, Islamic chief urges (Reuters)
United
Nations Peacekeeping: Challenges Obtaining Needed Resources
Could Limit Further Large Deployments and Should Be
Addressed in U.S. Reports to Congress (Government
Accountability Office)
Israel
Tension surges in Gaza as truce ends (AFP)
Hamas on alert in Gaza after truce with Israel ends (Reuters)
Hamas declares end to ceasefire with Israel in Gaza (Reuters)
Mexico
Police Major Murdered in Juarez, Mexico: Brings total of
policemen killed this week to 8 (Latin-American
Herald-Tribune)
Mexican Gunmen Bust Drug Cartel Out of Prison: 2 freed but 5
arrested in attempt (Latin-American Herald-Tribune)
Brutal Drug War Fueled By U.S. Appetite (CBS)
Mexico's Cartel War: Year Three (Strategy Page)
Pakistan
55 Dawa leaders detained, 22 on ECL: ministry (Pakistan
Times)
Omar Saeed Sheikh plots assassination from Pakistani jail
(The Long War Journal)
Taliban desecrate body of slain opposing tribal leader (The
Long War Journal)
Russia
Serious Soviet Secret Surfaces (Strategy Page)
Somalia
Arms embargo on Somalia 'constantly broken' (AFP)
A Federal
Reader
Crime
Victims' Rights Act: Increasing Awareness, Modifying the
Complaint Process, and Enhancing Compliance Monitoring Will
Improve Implementation of the Act (Government
Accountability Office)
==================================
December 24, 2008
_____
Our
Nation's Economy
Bleak economic picture emerges from new data (Associated
Press)
Americans curb spending as income declines (AFP)
Consumers cut spending, job outlook bleak (Reuters)
Company profit slump seen running well into '09 (Reuters)
U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rise to 26-Year High (Bloomberg)
U.S. Economy: Housing Prices Collapse at Near-Depression
Pace (Bloomberg)
Medicaid applicants grow as recession widens (Associated
Press)
Dollar dips on US data underlining US economic weakness
(AFP)
Oil falls 9 percent on economic gloom (Reuters)
US sees no holiday cheer; Russia, China warn of grim 2009
(AFP)
The Trillion Dollar Bailout
Where'd the bailout money go? Shhhh, it's a secret (Associated
Press)
Fed grants GMAC ability to seek bailout funds (Associated
Press)
US audit suggests Indy Mac backdated cash infusion (Reuters)
AP
study finds $1.6B went to bailed-out bank execs (Associated
Press)
AP IMPACT: Wall Street still flying corporate jets (Associated
Press)
If it's the Season of Giving, Why aren't the CEO's being
generous with anyone but themselves? (Desert Beacon)
49% Oppose Loans to Failing Automakers (Rasmussen
Reports)
Motor City's woes extend beyond auto industry (Associated
Press)
How The Meltdown Happened
White House Philosophy Stoked Mortgage Bonfire (New York
Times)
NYTimes.com Special Series: The Reckoning -- A series
exploring the causes of the financial crisis (New York
Times)
Fraud,
Corruption, Waste, And Mismanagement
Madoff Scheme Kept Rippling Outward, Across Borders (New
York Times)
Doubts grow on whether Madoff acted alone in fraud (AFP)
Investor's death probed in widening Madoff scandal (AFP)
US regulator defends oversight, as scandal claims life of
investor (AFP)
FBI Uses Triage to Shift From Terror to Madoff, Subprime
Probes (Bloomberg)
The
Incoming Administration
Obama Expands Economic Goals as Outlook Dims (Washington
Post)
Biden to oversee efforts aimed at middle class (Associated
Press)
Biden Says Obama Team, Congress Near Stimulus Accord (Bloomberg)
Climate experts get key US posts (BBC)
The
Outgoing Administration
Arabs lavish jewels on Secretary of State Rice (Associated
Press)
Cheney `clearly would love' to get bin Laden now (Associated
Press)
Cheney defends powers in fighting terrorism (Associated
Press)
"It is mind boggling to say eight years
later that there is not going to be some sort of criminal
accountability for what happened."
Prosecution of Bush officials for war crimes would be
difficult (McClatchy News)
The Noose
Tightens: Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and other top Bush officials
could soon face legal jeopardy (Newsweek)
Breaking The
Will: How waterboarding got the green light from Bush (Newsweek)
Now We Know What
the Battle Was About: Justice Department lawyers defied
President Bush over secret surveillance—but not for the
reasons you might think (Newsweek)
The Fed Who Blew
the Whistle Is he a hero or a criminal? (Newsweek)
Our
Nation's Armed Forces
Mullen Stresses Need for Regional Strategy in Central Asia
(American Forces Press Service)
Defense
Logistics: Improved Analysis and Cost Data Needed to
Evaluate the Cost-effectiveness of Performance Based
Logistics (Government Accountability Office)
DOD
Personnel Clearances: Preliminary Observations about
Timeliness and Quality (Government Accountability
Office)
Afghanistan
Military: Up to 30,000 new troops to be sent to Afghanistan
(CNN)
Mullen: Security Will Enable Afghanistan to Move Forward
(American Forces Press Service)
Pakistan’s Anti-terror Offensive Assists Afghan War Aims,
Gates Says (American Forces Press Service)
NATO to engage Afghan tribes in Taliban fight (Reuters)
Taliban dismiss US troop increase (AFP)
Badghis Province: Examining the Taliban’s Northwestern
Campaign (US Navy Postgraduate School)
U.S., U.N., Afghans duck task of monitoring mass graves
(McClatchy News)
Iraq
89 wanted men
arrested in Diwaniya (Aswat al-Iraq)
US to replace
British forces in southern Iraq (Associated Press)
Thousands of candidates may complicate Iraq's provincial
elections (McClatchy News)
Mullen Discusses Northern Iraq as January Elections Approach
(American Forces Press Service)
Iraq PM denies arrested officers were plotting a coup (AFP)
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Resigns (New York Times)
Foreign
Affairs
Guatemala
"We estimate about 400 metric tons of
cocaine are moving through the Central American corridor,
meaning most of it would go through Guatemala."
Mexico Exports Its Drug Wars to Guatemala (Time)
“Wall of Violence” on Mexico’s Southern Border (Narco
News)
Eight bodies found in garbage bags in Mexico (CNN)
Guatemala fears Mexico drug spillover (BBC)
Guatemala: new centre of the drugs trade (Radio
Netherlands)
Fed Up, Ordinary Guatemalans Turn To Vigilantism (NPR)
Private Assassins Target Gangs In Guatemala (NPR)
Assassins Discuss Their Lives In Guatemala (NPR)
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