US Ready for Iran Attacks: Ships, Patriot Anti-Missiles in Persian Gulf
January 31, 2010
(ChattahBox)—-Gen. David H. Petraeus together with administration officials, recently indicated that the United States has been quietly shoring up its defensive presence in the Persian Gulf, in the event Iran decides to wage missile attacks in the region. The defensive deployments consist of Aegis cruisers stationed off the Iranian coastline and Patriot anti-missile systems positioned in several Arab countries. According to a report by The New York Times about the new beefed up deployments; the defensive systems are meant to reassure Israel and other Persian Gulf countries, as well as increase pressure on Iran as the U.S. pushes for international sanctions. Read more
Showdown Between Macmillan and Amazon Kindle Ends With Removal of Titles
January 31, 2010
(ChattahBox)—Macmillan wants to sell its e-book titles for $12.99 to $14.99 and Amazon wants to keep prices at $9.99, to compete in an increasingly competitive digital book industry. The dispute with publishing giant Macmillan and Amazon came to a head on Thursday when Macmillan CEO John Sargent balked at Amazon’s new pricing model. In response, on Friday, Amazon removed every single title published by Macmillan from its website, as well as from its Kindle e-reader. For Kindle owners who want to read former John Edwards’ aide, Andrew Young’s “The Politician” or Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall they are out of luck. Read more
Ten Americans Arrested In Haiti for Illegal Adoption: Hotel Room ‘Orphanage’
January 31, 2010
(ChattahBox)—-Laura Silsby, the leader of the Idaho-based charity New Life Children’s Refuge, told reporters on Saturday, while being held in custody in Haiti on child trafficking charges, “we came here to help the children and we know God will reveal truth.” Silsby, along with nine other Americans working for the charity group, were arrested at the Haiti border crossing with the Dominican Republic on Friday night, and they are now being held in custody in Port-au-Prince, while they await a court hearing on Monday. The members of the New Life Children’s Refuge were attempting to leave the country with 33 Haitian children, with no adoption documents and without authorization from the Haitian government. Haiti has suspended the majority of adoptions of Haitian children, after the devastating earthquake, amid fears that child traffickers would take advantage of the chaos and steal children for illegal adoptions. Read more
Gov. Crist and Fla Hospitals Put the Brakes on Haitian Airlifts Until They See Some Cash
January 30, 2010
(ChattahBox)—Compassionate conservatism is alive and well in the State of Florida under the governorship of Republican Charlie Crist. Governor Crist is reportedly balking at accepting further victims from the devastating earthquake in Haiti, which flattened the capital city of Port-au-Prince and left an estimated 150,000 dead. Thousands more are suffering from catastrophic injuries that can’t be properly treated in Haiti. And the United States has been conducting emergency, military medical evacuations to hospitals in nearby Florida and other parts of the country. But on Wednesday, the military suspended the evacuations of severely injured Haitians, because Crist complained that it was costing Florida money, during a time of recession. And according to the military, hospitals were refusing to take any more Haitian patients. Many victims will die, unless they receive hospital care, bu our broken for-profit health care system, is not willing to accommodate the thousands of victims.
A piece in Saturday’s New York Times reporting on the suspension of military airlifts to the U.S., made note of the fact that Charlie Crist was currently embroiled in a contentious and very tight U.S. Senate Republican primary race with right-winger and teapartier Marco Rubio. Now, what would a political race have to do with showing compassion for helpless and poverty-stricken earthquake victims from neighboring Haiti? Everything. Conservatives have not exactly embraced the relief effort to help the Haitian people. Television preacher Pat Robertson even came out with a statement blaming Haitians for the earthquake, suggesting it was the wrath of God, for their Voodoo practices and for forging an evil pact with the devil more than two-hundred-years ago. Apparently Crist’s hardhearted stance against helping Haitian refugees is an attempt to establish his right-wing teaparty bona fides in a tight political race. Read more
Two Soldiers Killed By Afghan Interpreter
January 30, 2010
Afghanistan (ChattahBox) – Two soldiers have been gunned down by an ally interpreter in Afghanistan.
Obama: ‘What I Won’t Accept is Opposition for Opposition’s Sake’
January 30, 2010
(ChattahBox)—-President Obama used his weekly radio address on Saturday, to draw attention to new proposals to rein in our nation’s mushrooming deficit. Obama also pledged that 2010 would be devoted to job growth and he ticked off a series of new tax incentives to make it easier for small business to hire new workers. He also celebrated Friday’s positive economic report, showing nearly a 6 percent spike in GDP, during the last quarter of 2009, which is the largest increase than at any time in the past six years. “[I]t’s an affirmation of the difficult decisions we made last year to pull our financial system back from the brink and get our economy moving again, said Obama in his weekly address.”
Obaama also praised the Senate passage of the so-called Paygo measure, which mandates a pay-as-you-go approach when adding to certain parts of the federal budget. The president noted that every single Republican inconceivably voted against the Paygo bill. And continuing his theme from his appearance at the Republicans’ Baltimore retreat on Friday, he slammed the Republican lawmakers for obstructionism at the expense of the American people. Read more
Gloria Allred Says Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl Ad ‘Misleading Advertising’
January 30, 2010
(ChattahBox)—-Tim Tebow is a well-known Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who led the Florida Gators to two titles, and by all accounts has a brilliant career ahead of him in the NFL. He is also a devout evangelical Christian who has spent his college years endlessly bible-thumping and proselytizing about God. And he is famous for his Jesus eye patches, which he inscribes with biblical verse numbers, before every game. Now, Tebow and his missionary mother Pam, are at the center of a Super Bowl advertising controversy, which has raised the sensitive issues of mixing religion and sports and the appropriateness of airing divisive advocacy ads, during the Super Bowl. Although CBS and other networks have long adhered to a policy of refusing to air advocacy ads during the Super Bowl, suddenly this year, the network decided to air an anti-abortion propaganda spot paid for by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family. The ad features Tebow and his mother Pam, in which Pam Tebow relives a harrowing tale of being pregnant with Tim, while on a missionary trip to the Philippines. Pam Tebow says she fell ill, and was told she should get an abortion, but she choose life instead, and the result is her strapping and talented football hero son.
The controversial ad with the tag line, “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” has received criticism from many quarters, including womens’ groups. But famed womens’ rights attorney Gloria Allred has a different take on the Tebow ad. Allred is questioning the veracity of Pam Tebow’s claims, declaring that besides being controversial propaganda, the ad may also violate federal law banning misleading advertising. Read more
At Leat 16 Dead At Pakistan Check Point
January 30, 2010
Pakistan (ChattahBox) – At least sixteen people have been killed and more than twenty others injured after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in a busy market in Khar.
Moving 9/11 Trial Away From NYC is Problematic
January 30, 2010
(ChattahBox)– The Obama administration has reportedly decided the trial for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will not be held in Manhattan, following objections from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Although Bloomberg was once an advocate for hosting trials in Manhattan, he changed his position Wednesday when estimates to provide the necessary security in downtown Manhattan would cost an estimated $1 billion over the course of the trial and expose the city to terrorist attacks.
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Herbal Remedy May Lead In Increased Epilepsy Risk
January 29, 2010
Germany (ChattahBox) – A German research group has found a number of reports that link ginkgo biloba, a popular herbal remedy, with increased seizures in epilepsy sufferers.