DECEMBER 2006

Saddam Hussein executed before dawn -- Saddam Hussein, among the world’s most brutal dictators, struggled briefly after American military guards handed him over to Iraqi executioners. But as his final moments approached, he grew calm. Dressed in a black coat and trousers, he clutched a Quran as he was led to the gallows, and in one final moment of defiance, refused to have a hood pulled over his head.

VIDEO: The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism -- Be sure to check it out!

VA BEGINS COLLECTING DNA FOR LARGE-SCALE "GENE BANK" -- The VA is collecting DNA from veterans and linking the information to their medical records. Who gets this information? Drug companies? Insurance companies? Private researchers? VA cannot guarantee the security or privacy of this information.

The Federal Reserve is Privately owned -- Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution states that Congress shall have the power to coin (create) money and regulate the value thereof. Today however, the FED, which is a privately owned company, controls and profits by printing money through the Treasury, and regulating its value. READ MORE...

Bird flu kills second Egyptian in two days -- A deadly strain of bird flu has killed an Egyptian girl, the second such death in two days and one that brought the number of deaths in the country this year to nine.

Ford Disagreed With Bush About Invading Iraq -- Former president Gerald R. Ford said in an embargoed interview in July 2004 that the Iraq war was not justified. "I don't think I would have gone to war," he said a little more than a year after President Bush launched the invasion advocated and carried out by prominent veterans of Ford's own administration.

FBI Says Files In Leak Cases Are ‘Missing' -- The FBI is missing nearly a quarter of its files relating to investigations of recent leaks of classified information, according to a court filing the bureau made last week.

FBI chided for OKC bomb investigation -- A two-year congressional inquiry into the Oklahoma City bombing concludes that the FBI didn't fully investigate whether other suspects may have helped Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols with the deadly 1995 attack, allowing questions to linger a decade later.

Contractor's Handguns Missing From Homeland Security Vault -- The Department of Homeland Security said yesterday that it is investigating how four handguns recently went missing from its headquarters in Northwest Washington.

FBI, FEMA move some jobs outside 'blast zone' -- The FBI and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are moving jobs to the Shenandoah Valley - a picturesque locale that happens to be just outside Washington's "blast zone."

Lawyer falls to death at hotel -- In what police describe as a "probable" suicide leap, a prominent Monterey Bay Area attorney fell at least nine floors to his death at the Embassy Suites Hotel Monterey Bay in Seaside the morning before Christmas.

FDA Set to OK Food From Cloned Animals -- The government has decided that food from cloned animals is safe to eat and does not require special labeling.

Army Reservist Shot, Killed in Standoff -- An Army Reservist despondent about being sent to Iraq was killed by police during a 14-hour standoff that began Christmas night when family members told authorities he was armed and threatening to kill himself.

Bush's Great Leap Forward -- The outlines of Bush's "New Way Forward" or "Great Leap Forward" or "Long Walk Off a Short Pier" in Iraq is now fairly clear. It has three general thrusts: a large increase in troop numbers; a direct assault on the forces of Motqada al-Sadr; and, if possible, an expansion of the war beyond Iraq's borders through a military strike on Iran.

East German children to learn evils of secret police -- CHILDREN in formerly communist eastern Germany are to be given lessons next year about the dreaded Stasi secret police amid fears that their horrors have been forgotten.

Video Exposing Blunders of 9/11 Commission Report Airs on New Zealand Television -- On December 16, 2006, while most Americans slept, Television 3 New Zealand debuted the provocative documentary "911 In Plane Site" on national television. READ MORE...

Olive oil 'may hinder cancer process' -- People who use plenty of olive oil in their diets may be helping to prevent damage to body cells that can eventually lead to cancer, new research suggests.

Military considers recruiting foreigners -- The armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals, are considering expanding the number of noncitizens in the ranks -- including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas and putting more immigrants on a faster track to US citizenship if they volunteer -- according to Pentagon officials.

When Parents Are Deployed -- Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, has responded with a program geared to address the challenges military families face with deployment. Check your local listing for times.

Former President Gerald Ford Dies -- Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal-shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93. The statement did not say where Ford died or list a cause of death. Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments - including an angioplasty - in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Iraqis react after court OK's Saddam's hanging -- Iraq's highest court upheld Saddam Hussein's death sentence Tuesday, opening the way for the former Iraqi president to be hanged within 30 days, Iraqi judicial officials said.

Top Ten Myths about Iraq 2006 -- Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion by Juan Cole who is President of the Global Americana Institute.

Senators Nix Pre-9/11 Hijacker ID Theory -- A lengthy Senate investigation has debunked charges by a Republican congressman that military analysts identified Mohamed Atta and other Sept. 11 hijackers before the attacks, according to a committee aide familiar with the report.

Actual "Big Brother" poster; part of the London metro -- Poster just letting you know "they are watch".

7.1 Mag. Earthquake Strikes Near Taiwan -- A strong earthquake and three powerful aftershocks shook Taiwan today, causing damage and at least one death, but a feared tsunami did not happen.

American Deaths In Iraq Surpass American Deaths On 9-11 and President Bush Wants To Escalate Again -- The decision by President Bush to launch a preemptive invasion of Iraq was the biggest military misjudgment in the history of the American Presidency.

Parents of slain GIs travel to Iraq -- After her son Justin was killed serving in Iraq, a grieving Jan Johnson resolved to see the place where he died and to better understand why it happened.

Mexico Cracks Down On Alternative Cancer Treatments -- Mexican authorities have attempted to close down a special hospital south of the US city of San Diego where the leader of Hungary's first English language evangelical church since the collapse of communism received, apparently successful, treatment for throat cancer.

West Point officers say duty called too late -- Group asked to redeploy just as Army obligation was ending fights back — and wins.

Bristol-Myers Squibb pays $499m fine to settle mis-selling charges -- Bristol-Myers Squibb, the drug company which fired its chief executive in September after a string of ethics scandals, will pay a $499m (£254m) fine to avoid criminal charges that it overcharged the US government for medicines.

Here comes the draft! -- The Selective Service System is planning a comprehensive test of the military draft machinery, which hasn't been run since 1998. The agency is not gearing up for a draft, an agency official said Thursday. The test itself would not likely occur until 2009.

US and Britain add ships to Persian Gulf -- The United States and Britain will begin moving additional warships and strike aircraft into the Persian Gulf region in a display of military resolve toward Iran that will come as the United Nations continues to debate possible sanctions against the country, Pentagon and military officials said Wednesday.

Bacteria may make people obesity-prone -- Microscopic inhabitants of the human gut may make some people prone to being obese, a remarkable finding that may have implications for the treatment of this worldwide epidemic. The Firmicutes include Lactobacillus, Mycoplasma, Bacillus and Clostridium.

Report Says TSA Violated Privacy Law -- The agency found that by gathering passenger data from commercial brokers in 2004 without notifying the passengers, the program violated a 1974 Privacy Act requirement that the public be made aware of any changes in a federal program that affects the privacy of U.S. citizens.

US Marines charged over Iraq massacre -- A US military court has charged four Marines with murder and four others on related charges in the November 2005 deaths of 24 unarmed civilians in Haditha in Iraq.

FDA consolidation plan could close federal food and drug labs -- As many as seven of the federal laboratories that help safeguard the nation's food and drugs could close, an environmental and public health group said Thursday.

Travelers still stranded in Denver -- Denver International Airport - the nation's fifth-busiest - was expected to begin limited operations at noon Friday, almost two days after a blizzard forced it to close runways.

'We Can't Blame White People' essay by Bill Cosby -- A Widely circulated essay that has been both damned and praised.

U.K.’s top cop warns of Christmas terror threat -- Says no specific plan known, but risk of chemical, nuke attack 'unparalleled'.

U.S. cancels VaxGen anthrax vaccine contract -- U.S. officials ended an $877.5 million deal with VaxGen Inc. to provide millions of doses of anthrax vaccine because regulators refused to approve new tests of the experimental product, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Wednesday.

Australia could be asked for more troops -- AUSTRALIA is likely to be asked to send more troops to Iraq if U.S. President George W. Bush's response to a highly critical report is to step up the Iraq mission, an expert says.

Pentagon wants $99.7B more for wars -- The military's request, if embraced by President Bush and approved by Congress, would boost this year's budget for those wars to about $170 billion.

L.A. hospital reopens neonatal unit -- A hospital where the deaths of two premature babies may be linked to a bacterial outbreak reopened its neonatal intensive care unit Tuesday night after two weeks of not accepting new patients.

FDA wants sterner pain reliever warnings -- Popular over-the-counter pain pills such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetominophen would have to carry labels with sterner warnings under a government proposal to better emphasize the drugs' risks.

Why you could soon be paying Wall Street investors, Australian bankers, and Spanish builders for the privilege of driving on American roads -- On the same day the Indiana Toll Road deal closed, another Australian toll road operator, Transurban, paid more than half a billion dollars for a 99-year lease on Virginia's Pocahontas Parkway, and the Texas Transportation Commission green-lighted a $1.3 billion bid by Cintra and construction behemoth Zachry Construction to build and operate a 40-mile toll road out of Austin. Many similar deals are now on the horizon, and mig and Cintra are often part of them. So is Goldman Sachs, the huge Wall Street firm that has played a remarkable role advising states on how to structure privatization deals—even while positioning itself to invest in the toll road market.

Bush signs 3 health care-related bills -- President Bush on Tuesday signed bills to raise federal funding for autism, shift AIDS money to rural areas and the South and create a government unit to oversee response to a bird flu pandemic or bioterrorism attack.

Bush plans to put more troops in Iraq -- President Bush, working to recraft his strategy in Iraq, said Tuesday that he plans to increase the size of the U.S. military so it can fight a long-term war against terrorism.

CNN Poll: Only 11% Back Call to Send More Troops to Iraq -- President Bush, according to reports, is strongly considering sending a "surge" of troops to Iraq in the new year -- 20,000 or more. Sen. John McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman have already backed such a plan. But a new poll for CNN released Monday found that this idea draws the support of only 11 percent of Americans.

Former sailor sues Rumsfeld over detainment -- A former private security employee in Iraq said he was imprisoned by U.S. forces in a Baghdad military camp, held for three months without charges and denied access to an attorney, despite being an American citizen.

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words? Try These -- Let us take a moment to examine only three photographs taken from the two crime scenes. The first photograph shows a pair of firefighters standing among the collapsed steel beams of the World Trade Center. As a crime scene investigator, what do you see?

More Justification for the Amero & NAU? -- Chinese tell visiting Bush administration officials they will not sit back and lose their shirts as U.S. Dollar collapses; they are getting out fast and large.

Giant ID computer plan scrapped -- UK News: The government has abandoned plans for a giant new computer system to run the national identity cards scheme.

Iraq Insurgents Starve Capital of Electricity -- Over the past six months, Baghdad has been all but isolated electrically, Iraqi officials say, as insurgents have effectively won their battle to bring down critical high-voltage lines and cut off the capital from the major power plants to the north, south and west.

Welcome to the world of nano foods -- The processed-food giant Kraft and a group of research laboratories are busy working towards 'programmable food'. One product they are working on is a colourless, tasteless drink that you, the consumer, will design after you've bought it. You'll decide what colour and flavour you'd like the drink to be, and what nutrients it will have in it, once you get home. You'll zap the product with a correctly-tuned microwave transmitter - presumably Kraft will sell you that, too.

The US Army Learns From Its Mistakes In Iraq -- Weapons alone aren't enough to win a war -- you also need to dig wells and build schools. Lessons from the war in Iraq have caused nothing short of a cultural revolution in the United States Army. In Fort Leavenworth, leading officers are training troops for the wars of the future.

New strain of superbug targets the young, and its latest victim is an NHS nurse -- A nurse and a patient have died from a deadly new strain of MRSA after a superbug outbreak at a hospital.

A Glimpse At Daily Misery In The Gaza Strip -- The 1.5 million inhabitants of the Gaza strip are trapped in poverty and hopelessness. The violence between the Palestinians stems not only from political disagreements, but from deep, daily despair.

Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missile system put on combat alert duty -- Russian Strategic Rocket Force unveiled the long-awaited 'missile of the 21st century' to President Putin on Thursday.

Marijuana Top U.S. Cash Crop at $35 Billion -- U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country's largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on Monday.

Iraqi Red Crescent accuses U.S. forces of attacks -- The Iraqi Red Crescent accused U.S. forces on Friday of carrying out a spate of attacks on its offices over the last three years during operations to flush out suspected militants.

What Did Our Government Know About 9/11? -- According to investigator Michael Ruppert, millions—if not billions—of dollars were made from insider trading by people who knew what was going to occur on September 11, 2001. More disturbingly, Ruppert accuses factions of our own government of allowing the terrorist attacks to succeed.

Bush Madness Becomes Apparent -- George W. Bush is bloody nuts. There's no other way to describe this dangerous madman. A chorus of experts and the Iraq Study Group have concluded that the present course is not working. Diplomatic initiatives are required to prevent Iraq from exploding into a regional maelstrom and humanitarian catastrophe. The Army chief of staff says his branch of the military "will break" without a fresh infusion of thousands of new active duty troops.

'Near miss' at Pantex could have set off nuke -- An accident that occurred last year as a decades-old nuclear warhead was being dismantled at the government's Pantex facility near Amarillo could have caused the device to detonate, a nonprofit organization charged Thursday.

Tucson military recruiters ran cocaine -- Some kept visiting schools for 3 years after FBI caught them on tape!

US Army might break Goodyear strike -- The US Army is considering measures to force striking workers back to their jobs at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant in Kansas in the face of a looming shortage of tyres for Humvee trucks and other military equipment used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

France to withdraw 200 special forces from Afghanistan -- France will withdraw its 200-strong special forces from Afghanistan, all of its ground troops engaged in the U.S anti-terror operation code-named Enduring Freedom, authorities said.

Saddam's troops are welcome back -- You got to be kidding!! -- The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has called on former members of Saddam Hussein's army to join the new security forces in an effort to restore peace to the country

Air Force looks to outsource casket duty -- The Air Force is looking for a private contractor to fly caskets out of Dover Air Force Base, Del. Earlier this year, Congress mandated that as of Jan. 1, the Air Force will be responsible for transporting caskets and human remains from Dover to funeral locations. Dover is the air hub where most troops who die overseas are brought before being returned to their families.

Experimentation without consent -- The Navy wants to test the product, derived from cow blood, on civilian trauma victims in emergency situations. It proposes doing so without obtaining their consent in advance, as is customary in clinical trials.

Warning on Zyprexa -- Eli Lilly encouraged primary care physicians to use Zyprexa, a powerful drug for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in patients who did not have either condition, according to internal Lilly marketing materials.

Soldiers Call for Iraq Withdrawal -- For the first time since Vietnam, an organized, robust movement of active-duty US military personnel has publicly surfaced to oppose a war in which they are serving. Those involved plan to petition Congress to withdraw American troops from Iraq. (Note: A complete version of this report will appear next week in the print and online editions of The Nation.)

VeriChip Infant Protection Product Now Used in One-In-Three U.S. Hospitals and Birthing Centers -- Applied Digital , through its VeriChip Corp. subsidiary, announced today that it has passed an important milestone in the sale and use of VeriChip's infant protection systems, with one-out-of-three Hospitals and Birthing Centers in the United States now using systems manufactured by VeriChip. This includes systems sold under both the Hugs and HALO brand names.

Powell Says U.S. Army `About Broken' Because of Iraq -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said the U.S. Army is ``about broken'' from the Iraq conflict and cast doubt on whether the military could or should boost the number of troops in the country.

Jack Blood was Pepper sprayed and arrested by Austin PD. -- "If this is the kind of treatment that Americans are to receive when standing up to help a fellow citizen in need, then we do indeed find ourselves in troubled times." Read More...

State Levies "Truancy" Charge on Dr. Len Horowitz -- Hilo, HI - The State of Hawaii has charged a straight "A" student and varsity athlete with "truancy" after forcing her indefinite quarantine for demanding a religious exemption to the TB skin test. Alena Horowitz, a 14 year-old freshman, was expelled from school on Sept. 1, 2006 and prohibited from returning by Dircks and health officials who claim state laws requiring them to provide religious exemptions for vaccinations do not apply to TB tine tests.

Veterans with No Where to Call Home -- Right now as you read this article there are at least 200,000 veterans who do not have a home to go to. Which according to national statistics makes it one in every three homeless adult males is a veteran.

Suicides among Active Duty Personnel at an All Time High By: John Waltz -- One of the major problems with the VA is that they are under spending their budget. In 2005 they spent only $100 million out of $200 million of their budget and in 2006; they estimate that out of $200 million budgeted only $158 million was spent. Yet, the VA is understaffed which largely contributes to this figure.

Spices May Reduce Escherichia Coli O157:H7 In Meat -- Consumers may have an arsenal of food safety weapons in their spice racks, according to Kansas State University (KSU) researchers, who presented preliminary study results on the antimicrobial properties of spices at the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT's) 1998 Annual Meeting & FOOD EXPO in Atlanta.

General Says Army Will Need To Grow -- Warning that the active-duty Army "will break" under the strain of today's war-zone rotations, the nation's top Army general yesterday called for expanding the force by 7,000 or more soldiers a year and lifting Pentagon restrictions on involuntary call-ups of Army National Guard and Army Reserve troops.

Democrats Expected to Increase U.S. Military Spending -- Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress are likely to drive U.S. military budgets even higher in 2007, experts say.

"Gunman dressed as military" -- About 25 people kidnapped from a commercial area in central Baghdad have been released, police officials say. "We heard cars and shootings in the area and then we saw gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms and driving SUVs who were snatching people from the shops and street.

Insurgents attack Iraqi president's convoy -- Unknown gunmen opened fire at the convoy of Iraqi President Adel Abdul Mehdi in western Baghdad on Thursday, said an interior ministry official.

Diplomat's suppressed document lays bare the lies behind Iraq war -- The Government's case for going to war in Iraq has been torn apart by the publication of previously suppressed evidence that Tony Blair lied over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

On Death Row, Fate of Mentally Ill Is Thorny Problem -- There are more than 3,300 people awaiting execution in the U.S., according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit group critical of how the death penalty is administered. Various organizations conservatively estimate that at least 10% of them suffer from serious mental illness. In all, about 17% of the nation's prisoners have a diagnosis of serious mental illness.

BUSH'S REIGN 'GRAVE, DETERIORATING' -- "Someone has to get the message to this man that there have to be significant changes." -- Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Canadian farmer on hunger strike to protest government raid; freedom of choice violation -- For the second time in 12 years, a Toronto, Ontario farm supplying raw milk was raided on Nov. 21 by officers with the Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources, the West Grey Police Department, public health inspectors and officials from the Canadian Ministry of Finance, spurring the farmer to begin a hunger strike in response.

Anthrax attack on US Congress made by scientists and covered up by FBI, expert says -- The terrorists who perpetrated the 2001 anthrax attack on Congress likely were US government scientists at the army's Ft. Detrick, MD., bioterrorism lab having access to "moonsuits" that enabled them to safely process and manufacture super-weapons-grade anthrax, an eminent authority on the subject says.

Suspected Russian spy still not deported -- For reasons that are not being made public, the man known as Paul William Hampel is still being detained in Canada despite being ordered to leave the country last week.

Plan for Tracking Animals Meets Farmers’ Resistance -- A federal effort to quickly pinpoint and contain outbreaks of disease among livestock is coming under attack on farms, in Internet chat rooms and at livestock markets, ranches and feed shops across the nation.

Panel Wants Broader Antidepressant Labeling -- Strong warning labels about the suicide risk associated with antidepressants, which now include children and adolescents, should be extended to adults under 25, a federal advisory panel concluded Wednesday.

S.D. Sen. Johnson in critical condition -- Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson was in critical condition early Thursday, a hospital official said, after late-night brain surgery that followed hospitalization for stroke-like symptoms.

With Strokes, Knowledge Is a Lifesaver -- Signs and Symptoms, Undiagnosed Warnings and much more.

Who Makes Foreign Policy? by Ron Paul -- The role of the president as Commander in Chief is to direct our armed forces in carrying out policies established by the American people through their representatives in Congress. He is not authorized to make those policies. He is an administrator, not a policy maker. Foreign policy, like all federal policy, must be made by Congress. To allow otherwise is to act in contravention of the Constitution.

Anthrax vaccine opponents file new lawsuit -- The legal battle over the military’s mandatory anthrax immunization program has been revived, with six unnamed plaintiffs filing a class-action lawsuit against the government Wednesday. According to court documents, the basic premise of the lawsuit is the plaintiffs’ claim that the vaccine is “unapproved for its applied/intended use.”

Dangers of Mercury Fillings -- This video is startling to anyone who has a mouth full of mercury amalgam fillings!! This one made "Site of the day"!!

Soy Milk is Unhealthy -- I urge you to read this interesting piece from Dr. Kaayla Daniel, which describes how soybeans are "milked" to make soy milk, and transmogrified into health-harming products nobody needs.

FDA says lettuce is most likely E. coli source -- Now they say it was the lettuce. Lettuce was the most likely source of an outbreak of E. coli linked to Taco Bell, federal health officials said Wednesday.

Seeking Iran Intelligence, U.S. Tries Google -- Internet Search Yields Names Cited in U.N. Draft Resolution.

Never pass a trooper: Cop sues over Parkway arrest -- Never pass a state trooper, especially on the right. "It's a known fact among officers that you never pass a state trooper vehicle; you let them pass you. They don't like that."

Saudis warn against Iraq exit -- Saudi Arabia has warned Washington it might provide financial aid to Iraqi Sunnis in any fighting against Shiites if the U.S. pulls its troops out of Iraq.

America’s Injustice System Is Criminal -- In the US the wrongful conviction rate is extremely high. One reason is that hardly any of the convicted have had a jury trial. No peers have heard the evidence against them and found them guilty. In the US criminal justice (sic) system, more than 95% of all felony cases are settled with a plea bargain.

Vegetables nearly as dangerous as under-cooked meat, study says -- Fresh raw vegetables like lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and green onions were responsible for the illness or deaths of nearly 19,000 people nationwide over a five-year period. Beef, chicken, pork and their byproducts were responsible for nearly 22,600 deaths or illnesses, according to the study of 6,374 outbreaks reported from Jan. 1, 2000 through Dec. 31, 2004.

Poll: Iraq Going Badly And Getting Worse -- Americans believe the war in Iraq is going badly and getting worse, and think it's time for the U.S. either to change its strategy or start getting out, according to a CBS News poll.

Walter Reed stops accepting 'any wounded soldier' gifts -- All packages and cards delivered to “any wounded soldier” at the medical campus will be returned to their senders with a note explaining the program change and suggesting other charities. The change was enacted in the past week citing administrative costs and security concerns.

Dubai sells U.S. ports -- The Dubai company operating six U.S. ports sold the assets yesterday to a New York insurance giant, months after bowing to pressure stemming from terror fears.

Workers say 400 detained in Worthington raid -- An early morning raid Tuesday shut down the nation's No. 2 meatpacker, as federal agents launched a six-state hunt for illegal workers who allegedly used stolen identities to get hired.

Draft for Federal workers!! -- The Iraq Study Group’s recommendation that the Bush administration consider ordering government civilians to Iraq has drawn outrage from federal employees’ unions.

'Rendition' of terrorism suspects such as Arar may be legal, Canada says -- Extraordinary rendition, the U.S. practice of shipping terrorism suspects to foreign prisons, may be legal in some cases, says the Foreign Affairs Department.

U.S. aims to create jobs in Iraq -- As Iraq descends further into violence and disarray, the Pentagon is turning to a weapon some believe should have been used years ago: jobs.

111,000 Immigration Files Lost -- An investigation by a government oversight agency recently revealed that in 2005 U.S. immigration authorities either “lost” or could not account for an estimated 111,000 files on immigrants to the United States, resulting in tens of thousands gaining citizenship without any indication as to whether authorities had checked to see if any of them had a criminal history.

Texas child suspended after hugging aide -- School administrators gave a 4-year-old student an in-school suspension for inappropriately touching a teacher's aide after the pre-kindergartner hugged the woman.

Officials say VA problems in report fixed -- An internal review of the El Paso VA Health Care System published in late November indicates problems with breast cancer screening and management, monitoring of some patients at risk of developing diabetes and completeness of background checks for doctors practicing in the system.

Sheehan Among Four Convicted of Trespassing -- Peace activist Cindy Sheehan and three other women were convicted of trespassing Monday for trying to delivery an anti-Iraq war petition to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and refusing to leave. A Manhattan Criminal Court judge sentenced them immediately to conditional discharge, which means they could face some form of penalty if they are arrested in the next six months, and ordered them to pay $95 in court surcharges.

Inquiry Sought Over Evangelical Video -- Defense Department Asked to Examine Officers' Acts Supporting Christian Group. A military watchdog group is asking the Defense Department to investigate whether seven Army and Air Force officers violated regulations by appearing in uniform in a promotional video for an evangelical Christian organization.

Top Air Force Lawyer Had Been Disbarred -- A top Air Force lawyer who served at the White House and in a senior position in Iraq turns out to have been practicing law for 23 years without a license.

83 percent of grocery store chicken meat found infected with bacteria -- A report released Monday by Consumer Reports found that 83 percent of the 525 chickens it tested were infected with campylobacter, salmonella bacteria, or both, and recommended that consumers cook all chicken to 165 degrees and wash their hands with soap and water after handling it.

'Holiday Trees' Removed at Seattle Airport -- SEA-TAC Airport - All 15 Christmas trees inside the terminal at Sea-Tac have been removed in response to a complaint by a rabbi.

Court to FBI: No spying on in-car computers -- Oh, I feel better....

YouTube Video: Bush ten years ago -- Has he been chipped?

US bugged Diana's phone on night of death crash -- The American secret service was bugging Princess Diana's telephone conversations without the approval of the British security services on the night she died, according to the most comprehensive report on her death, to be published this week.

A Raw-Milk Raid Leads to a Special Thanksgiving -- After a Kentucky raw-milk farmer gets busted in Ohio, his shareholders decide to help run the farm and its distribution business. Be sure to read the comment section.

The Death Of Right-Wing Talk Radio Relevance -- Twelve years of unmerited influence and half-truths swathed in red, white and blue patriotism met its demise this past Tuesday with a dagger to the heart served up by revelations from the Iraq Study Group substantiating that everything right wing talk radio had said was right about the Iraqi, was wrong.

USDA Attempts to Pack Organic Standards Board With Corporate Agribusiness Reps -- Organic Consumers Fight Hijacked Seats on NOSB. Take Action NOW by following the link on the above hyperlink.

Google Video: What's in a Flu Shot -- Before you get your next (bird) flu shot, watch this short vid and make sure it's something you really think you need.

FEMA Still Handing Out Katrina Cash Inappropriately -- A Congressional investigation found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid out an estimated $1 billion inappropriately after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but to date has recovered less than one percent of that amount.

From Australia: Diabetes vaccine ready for testing -- AUSTRALIAN scientists will test a new type 1 diabetes vaccine on hundreds of children.

Radiation Linked to Contact of Ex-Spy -- Traces of the rare radioactive substance polonium-210 were found at a German apartment visited by a contact of fatally poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko - before the two men met in London, authorities said Sunday.

Clashes Break Out After Pinochet's Death -- Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who terrorized his opponents for 17 years after taking power in a bloody coup, died Sunday, putting an end to a decade of intensifying efforts to bring him to trial for human rights abuses blamed on his regime. He was 91.

Rumsfeld on farewell visit in Iraq -- Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid a surprise farewell visit to American troops in Iraq and told them U.S. forces must stay until the enemy is defeated.
Rumsfeld's unannounced visit came one day after he gave a farewell address at the Pentagon and nine days before he is replaced by Robert Gates

Another E.coli outbreak rattles California farmers -- California's farming industry is girding for another potential black eye after a second outbreak this year of a potentially deadly E. coli strain linked to its crops.

From the UK: Wounded to get millions in compensation -- Hundreds of troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be awarded millions of pounds in compensation following a ruling by the Government that they are victims of crime not war.

Trial Centers on Dispute Over War Protesters' Arrests -- It started as a tiny act of protest. Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who had held a vigil near President Bush's ranch, and a group of women wanted to submit a petition to the United States Mission to the United Nations in Manhattan, demanding an end to the war. But Ms. Sheehan and three other women were handcuffed, arrested and jailed overnight. Now their misdemeanor trial in Manhattan Criminal Court has turned into a look at the use - and they say abuse - of police power, in the face of an antiwar protest.

S.3456 - IMMEDIATE CONSUMER ACTION IS REQUIRED TODAY TO SAVE YOUR ACCESS TO THERAPEUTIC NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS -- Call your Senator today about not allowing this S.3456 to pass.

Original Pearl Harbor Photos -- Thanks to Don!

Senate approves Burr's bioterrorism bill -- After almost two years of negotiations, the Senate passed a bill last night sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., that would create a new federal agency to combat bioterrorism. READ MORE...

A Soldier's Story by MAJOR BILL EDMONDS -- For just a minute or two, step into my life. I am an American soldier in the Army Special Forces. I have just returned from a one-year tour of duty in Iraq, where I lived, shared meals, slept and fought beside my Iraqi counterpart as we battled insurgents in the center of a thousand-year-old city. I am a conflicted man, and I want you to read the story of that experience as I lived it. In the interest of security, I have omitted some identifying details, but every word is true.

Violent Christian video game set to be Christmas bestseller -- A video game that depicts a crusade of violence by Christians could be heading for the bestseller charts this Christmas, even though it has been condemned by Muslims and secularists.

Wizard Of ID Cartoon -- check it out.

The Dirty Little Secret of Terrorist States -- What Americans don’t realize is how dependent their employee pension plans are on the profits made by companies that support terrorist countries. Currently, there is one trillion dollars in American pension plans vested in companies doing business with terrorist entities. These vested dollars go into propping up the economic well being of rogue nations, and allows them to continue genocidal actions against their own people. Read More...

Senate Armed Services Plays Taps for the Constitution -- "It felt yesterday like paying last respects to the Constitution of the United States at the wake orchestrated by the Senate Armed Services Committee, the very reverend John Warner, gentleman for Virginia, presiding. On the surface, the ceremony was about confirming Robert Gates to be secretary of defense. But at a deeper level, it was quite a sorry spectacle, as pretentious heads and patrician manners once trumped courage, and vitiated the prerogative carefully honed by the framers of our Constitution for the Senate to advise and consent."

Bush Text on Baker-Hamilton Report -- President Bush's remarks Wednesday after receiving the report of the Iraq Study Group, as transcribed by the White House.

Gates Confirmed As Secretary of Defense -- The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to confirm Robert Gates as defense secretary, with Democrats and Republicans portraying him as the man who will help overhaul President Bush's Iraq policies.

R.I.P. NYC - A Post 911 Requiem -- "I never found my friends. I saved hundreds of people, but the reason I do what I can to get the word out is that I lost 200 friends who have no way of claiming justice." -William Rodriguez, last man out alive of the WTC.

Say Hello to the Goodbye Weapon -- According to documents obtained for Wired News under federal sunshine laws, the Air Force's Active Denial System, or ADS, has been certified safe after lengthy tests by military scientists in the lab and in war games. Read More...

The SECRET Plan To Stay In Iraq -- CONGRESS CAN ONLY STOP THE IRAQ OCCUPATION BY CUTTING OFF THE FUNDS.

Pa. to weigh privatizing Turnpike -- The state moved a step closer to privatizing the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Wednesday, as Gov. Ed Rendell announced plans to solicit the interest of private firms to lease or buy one of the nation's oldest highways.

Family Sues U.S. Mint Over Rare Coins -- A family is suing the U.S. Mint, saying it illegally seized 10 gold coins that are among the rarest and most valuable in the world that the family found among a dead relative's possessions. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, accuses the Mint of violating the Constitution and breaking federal forfeiture laws by refusing to return the 1933 "double eagle" coins to the family after it handed the coins over to have their authenticity confirmed.

Spence: $2M settlement underscores loss of freedom -- Jackson attorney battles FBI, big government, Patriot Act. Fresh from winning a $2 million settlement in a suit against the FBI for wrongly tying an Oregon lawyer to the Madrid bombing case, Jackson Hole attorney Gerry Spence warned Tuesday of growing fascism in America.

Actor James Brolin Latest Celebrity To Publicly Doubt 9/11 -- Actor James Brolin, the husband of Barbara Streisand, has today become the latest celebrity figure to publicly question the official story behind 9/11, after he encouraged viewers of a top rated ABC talk show to check out a 9/11 truth website.

Judge rewards flagpole lawyer -- Barry Silver took on a long shot when he agreed to represent a Jupiter man against a homeowners association in a tangled legal fight over a flagpole. In a rare decision, a judge ordered the homeowners association to pay Silver twice his regular legal fees - a total of $126,225 - after he successfully argued the case against The Indian Creek Homeowners Association Phase 3B.

Iraq panel demands urgent change -- A major report on US policy in Iraq has called for a new approach and urgent action to stop "a slide towards chaos".

Nuclear Lab Breach Could Be 'Devastating' -- CBS News Exclusive: Data Found In Drug Raid Contains Weapons-Design Secrets. The recent security breach at Los Alamos National Laboratory was very serious, with sensitive materials being taken out of the facility — possibly including information on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons, officials tell CBS News.

NEWSFLASH: SENATE TO VOTE ON BAD AER BILL TODAY - (WED) IMMEDIATE, SPECIFIC CALLS NEEDED TO SAVE SUPPLEMENTS -- Please take time out to read this and take action.

GAO report: Hurricane Fraud soaked taxpayers -- Federal investigators say the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave nearly $20 million in duplicate payments to over 7,000 people who claimed damages to the same property from both Katrina and Rita -- hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast only 26 days apart.

Excellent article about Codex Alimentarius -- Three Steps to Diffuse the Ticking Time Bomb Threatening Your Access to Vitamins and Minerals. (Thanks Debbie!)

Bird Flu Watch Is Said to Focus On Wrong Area -- The federal government has been looking in the wrong direction for signs that bird flu has arrived on the U.S. mainland, research suggests. Read More....

Bush Sr breaks down over son -- FORMER US president George H.W. Bush broke down in tears during a speech about his son, not the current president but the outgoing governor of Florida, Jeb Bush.

Uranium deal with China approved -- AUSTRALIA will sell uranium to China from next year after a parliamentary committee approved an export deal today with a call for tighter international safeguards.

Top 10: The best, worst... and craziest uses of RFID -- They've put a chip where?

Government report says the VA failed to spend all money budgeted for mental health services -- VA Faulted on Mental Health Spending!

Iran passes law forcing U.S. visitors to be fingerprinted -- Iran has enacted a law requiring American citizens visiting the country to be fingerprinted upon arrival, an official said Saturday. Conservatives drafted the law in retaliation for the U.S. requirement that Iranian visitors be fingerprinted.

Census Counts 100,000 Contractors in Iraq -- There are about 100,000 government contractors operating in Iraq, not counting subcontractors, a total that is approaching the size of the U.S. military force there, according to the military's first census of the growing population of civilians operating in the battlefield.

OOPS - $10M CDC deal raises questions -- It began when a prominent Atlanta business leader introduced Dr. Julie Gerberding to a man who wanted to be her free management adviser, to help her transform operations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now the agency is scrambling to explain the gyrations it used to give $10 million in business without competition to a consulting firm associated with and recommended by CDC director Gerberding's free adviser.

Flu pandemic--What pandemic? -- IT Caught Off Guard by Flu Pandemic Warning. Call to make quarantine preparations a priority is ‘eye-opener’ for execs.

Journalists Acquitted in Iraq WMD Case -- Three Danish journalists who published classified intelligence reports on Iraq's former weapons program were acquitted Monday on charges of endangering national security.

Pentagon Puts Guantanamo Court Project On Fast Track -- Are we braiding the rope to hang us?

U.S. Army Battling To Save Equipment -- The Army and Marine Corps have sunk more than 40 percent of their ground combat equipment into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to government data. An estimated $17 billion-plus worth of military equipment is destroyed or worn out each year, blasted by bombs, ground down by desert sand and used up to nine times the rate in times of peace. The gear is piling up at depots such as Anniston, waiting to be repaired.

Chavez takes victory swipe at Bush -- Mr Chavez again lashed out at George W.Bush, using some of his favourite terms for the US President.

FBI using cell phone microphones to eavesdrop -- Cell phones are capable of providing more information about us and our whereabouts than we usually realize. We have long since known that cell phones can be used to track users' locations, but now the FBI has begun using them for eavesdropping—even when they are turned off. NOTE: Click here for Some suggested security measures for cell phones

The War on Terror claims doughnuts -- "Imagine our confusion when the guy serving us advised that we could only buy ring doughnuts, not filled, circular doughnuts.

VIDEO: John Conner Crashes ANOTHER College (UCSD) With 9/11 Truth -- John Conner's college campus tour continues at the University of California San Diego.

EPA uses nanotech regulation ploy to target colloidal silver while ignoring all other nanotech particles -- Under the regulations, any silver product that claims it has antibacterial properties must prove the product is safe to be released into the environment. Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and proponent of colloidal silver, suggested the regulations might work better were they aimed at antibiotics and pharmaceuticals.

Gulf Syndrome Has Believers in Congress - Funding Continues for Illness Scientists Dismiss! -- Fifteen years after the end of the 1991 war with Iraq, a Texas researcher is in line to get as much as $75 million in federal funding to press his studies of "Gulf War syndrome," even though most other scientists long ago discounted his theories.

NAIS - voluntary but mandated -- Bush administration rules out livestock ID requirements. Livestock producers won't be required to take part in a national animal identification system, officials with the Bush administration said.

E. coli outbreak sickens 15 in New Jersey -- Taco Bell restaurant focus of investigation; victims mostly children.

Pfizer stops clinical trials of Torcetrapib -- Citing the 'interests of patient safety', US drug manufacturer Pfizer said it was stopping all clinical trials of the cholesterol-controlling drug Torcetrapib.

Report Faults Training of Afghan Police -- Five years after the fall of the Taliban, a joint report by the Pentagon and the State Department has found that the American-trained police force in Afghanistan is largely incapable of carrying out routine law enforcement work, and that managers of the $1.1 billion training program cannot say how many officers are actually on duty or where thousands of trucks and other equipment issued to police units have gone.

Proud to be an American? -- Video Is a Window Into a Terror Suspect’s Isolation.

Woman doing charitable deed (for troops in iraq) stolen from -- While an East Greenbush woman has been living on a roof in the name of charity, someone burglarized her home. She is raising money to send holiday gifts to troops in Iraq.

FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool -- The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations.

Chavez Reelected President of Venezuela: 61.4% of Vote -- With 78 percent of voting stations reporting, Chavez had 61 percent of the vote, to 38 percent for Rosales. Read More...

The best, worst... and craziest uses of RFID -- They've put a chip where? Read More...

A first for America...The Koran replaces the Bible at swearing-in oath -- Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.

Ask Wal-Mart to Stop Selling Fluoride "Nursery Water" to Infants -- Please ask Wal-Mart to stop this unsafe practice by signing our online petition. Click the above hyperlink for information.

US Commits $100m For Pakistan Education -- Pakistan and the US on Thursday announced an elaborate programme to promote education at all levels in Pakistan with the US committing another $100 million in 2007 in addition to $200 million already provided.

Halliburton Unit to Pay $8 Million for Overbilling -- KBR settlement ends Kosovo case. A Halliburton subsidiary agreed to pay the government $8 million to resolve accusations of overbilling related to the firm's work for the Army in the Balkans, the Justice Department said yesterday.

US Rates Travelers For Terror Risk -- Without their knowledge, millions of Americans and foreigners crossing U.S. borders in the past four years have been assigned scores generated by U.S. government computers rating the risk that the travelers are terrorists or criminals. The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years.

New Rules Make Firms Track E-Mails, IMs -- U.S. companies will need to keep track of all the e-mails, instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees thanks to new federal rules that go into effect Friday, legal experts say.

U.S. warns of possible Qaeda financial cyber attack -- The U.S. government warned American private financial services on Thursday of an al Qaeda call for a cyber attack against online stock trading and banking Web sites beginning on Friday, a source said.

Bird flu vaccine leaves 10 Canadians dead -- Ten Canadians have died and at least 74 had adverse reactions after taking Tamiflu, but Health Canada didn't issue a public update about the flu drug until Wednesday.

US unveils new citizenship test -- THE US government overnight unveiled a new citizenship test that focuses more on American values and principles than on historical trivia.

Impeachment Day: If Congress Fails To Act The People Will -- Americans are asking Congress to take action, and the action they want are bills of impeachment sent to George W. Bush and Richard Cheney.

Soldier's coffin at center of furor -- A woman says she saw a soldier's flag-draped coffin put into a cart with passengers' baggage last month at the Greater Rochester International Airport, shocking her and other onlookers. Officials dispute the story, saying it is implausible.

White House Fears ACLU Campaign -- Khaled El-Masri was innoncently detained in a secret CIA prison. Now US civil liberties advocates are helping him take the intelligence service to court. His chances of winning the trial are slim -- but his case is stirring up negative publicity for the Bush administration.

NOVEMBER 2006   (Re-Fresh Browser for newly added articles)

VIDEO: Halliburton provided contaminated water to Soldiers -- Ben Carter, a former Halliburton/KBR water purification specialist, discusses discovering Halliburton was providing dangerously contaminated water to troops, and the serious long-term implications.

Senators urge probe of Hemophilia drug Factor VII that is being used on our troops -- Two U.S. senators called on the Pentagon yesterday to investigate the military's use of a largely experimental blood-coagulating drug that doctors inject into wounded troops to control bleeding but that has been linked to unexpected and potentially deadly blood clots.

MIDWEST CONCERNED CITIZENS MEETING -- Are you tired of the UN interfering in US affairs? Here's your chance to say so!! Join us at 11am at the Truman Library -- Bring a sign with a message for Mr. Annan and his cronies in crime. Read More for time and location...

30,000 BA passengers alerted after radiation found on two airliners -- Traces of a nuclear material believed to be polonium-210 were found on BA aircraft used on the London-to-Moscow route. A third aircraft was grounded in Moscow last night while tests were carried out to see if it is also contaminated.

San Diego to Ban Wal-Mart Supercenters -- The City Council here voted late Tuesday to ban certain giant retail stores, dealing a blow to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s potential to expand in the nation's eighth-largest city.

Nuclear fallout: Alexander Litvinenko died in agony. Who killed him, and why? -- It was a slow, agonising death. Whatever had poiosoned Alexander Litvinenko destroyed his bone marrow and liver, and eventually triggered a massive heart attack.

Bush Agrees to Speedy Turnover in Iraq -- President Bush said Thursday the United States will speed a turnover of security responsibility to Iraqi forces but assured Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that Washington is not looking for a "graceful exit" from a war well into its fourth violent year.

Bush delays meeting with Maliki as leaked memo casts doubt over Iraqi PM -- George Bush and Nouri al-Maliki put back their summit in Amman until today amid political turmoil in Baghdad and a leaked US memo that casts embarrassing doubt on the ability of Iraq's Prime Minister to get a grip on the crisis.

FDA Panel OKs Celebrex Use for Children -- Federal advisers recommended Wednesday that Pfizer Inc. be allowed to market the painkiller Celebrex as a treatment for children with a devastating form of arthritis, even though they split on whether it was safe.

Iraq Memorial Stirs Bad Blood in Calif. -- Some oppose the hundreds of white wooden crosses planted on a quiet suburban hillside to honor the memory of troops killed in Iraq. Read More...

Over 1,000 War Protest songs! -- Amazing website with over 1,000 War Protest Songs to listen to or download.

Video: Olbermann corrects Bush's 'Vietnam lesson' -- Keith Olbermann says in his latest "Special Comment" on MSNBC's Countdown, "If that's the lesson about Iraq that Mr. Bush sees in Vietnam, then he needs a tutor, or we need somebody else making the decisions about Iraq."

What Will You Do When the Government Demands Your Laptop? -- Courtesy of a decision from the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Customs officials can seize and copy the contents of any laptop carried across a U.S. border. There's no arrest, warrant or probable cause required—just "gimme."

First Teen Vaccination Delivery Program In The Country Funded By Boston Celtics -- Reflecting a long-standing commitment to the youth in New England, The Miriam Hospital and Boston Celtics have teamed up to develop the Boston Celtics "Team Vaccinates Teens" program - the first program in the country that will test and explore vaccine delivery strategies to adolescents.

Stockpile in case of Venezuela vote chaos, US says -- The United States warned people to stockpile food, water and medicine in Venezuela in case a vote on Sunday sparks public disorder as anti-U.S. President Hugo Chavez seeks reelection. In a warning to Americans living in Venezuela, which provides about 12 percent of U.S. oil imports, the U.S. Embassy said on Tuesday it had no information Venezuela would slip into lawlessness.

AWOL Soldier Spent Week Helping Out in New Orleans -- A U.S. Army soldier who fled to Canada rather than return to Iraq spent Thanksgiving week gutting houses flooded more than a year ago by Hurricane Katrina.

Judge Strikes Down Bush On Terror Groups -- A federal judge struck down President Bush's authority to designate groups as terrorists, saying his post-Sept. 11 executive order was unconstitutionally vague, according to a ruling released Tuesday.

Bush says U.S. won't withdraw from Iraq -- Under intense pressure to change course, President Bush on Tuesday rejected suggestions Iraq has fallen into civil war and vowed not to pull U.S. troops out "until the mission is complete."

Struggling U.S. dollar triggers currency concerns -- The sudden weakness of the U.S. dollar began late last week, soon after Chinese officials suggested that holding a lot of dollars might be a losing investment strategy. Investors read that as a signal that the massive trade and financial imbalances between Asia and the U.S. may be about to unwind.

US setbacks see dollar plunge to near 15-year low -- The dollar tumbled to a near a 15-year low against sterling yesterday on fresh signs of economic trouble in the United States.

London stock trader urges move to 'amero'-- In an interview with CNBC, a vice president for a prominent London investment firm yesterday urged a move away from the dollar to the "amero," a coming North American currency, he said, that "will have a big impact on everybody's life, in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico."

Bush's twin daughters' antics spark tabloid frenzy in Buenos Aires -- New York, Nov 28: US Embassy officials have reportedly "strongly suggested" the Bush twins to cut short their trip to Buenos Aires and leave Argentina because of alleged security issues.
Related Article: Assassination Attempts on Bush & and Family? By: Sorcha Faal

Please read before vaccinating!!!!! -- "Vaccine Conspiracy": The First Casualty of War is Truth

Onions and Garlic Protect You From Cancer -- A new study has analyzed the odds of a person developing cancer based on the frequency of their ingestion of garlic and onions. Read More...

The ''Dirty Dozen'' Fruits and Vegetables Containing the Most Pesticides -- The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has produced a new wallet-size Shoppers' Guide listing the 12 fruits and vegetables that are the most contaminated with pesticides (the "Dirty Dozen"), as well as those that generally contain the lowest amount of pesticides (the "Cleanest 12").

Over half the states have changed the navy blue to U.N. blue -- Be sure to check out the color of your state flag!

Marine from area can't walk after reaction to vaccine -- Josef Lopez had only been serving in Iraq for one week when he suddenly lost all ability to move. Now he's in physical therapy at St. John's Hospital, where he's been since mid-November. The doctors didn't immediately know the cause of Lopez's paralysis --they only knew it was moving quickly. It had moved from his toes to his brain stem before they realized that he had a reaction to the smallpox vaccine.

U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Iraq -- A mortar attack ignited a huge fire Monday night at an oil facility in northern Iraq, shutting the flow of crude oil to a major refinery, and a U.S. Air Force jet with one pilot aboard crashed in Anbar province, a hotbed of the Sunni-Arab insurgency, officials said. Al-Jazeera reported that the pilot was killed.

Channel Ten in Australia aired 911 In Plane Site late on Saturday night -- two days before the fifth anniversary of the New York and Washington attacks....Labor MP Michael Danby wants Network Ten's programming director sacked after the TV station screened the documentary!

FLIGHT 93 LAWSUIT UPDATE by Devvy Kidd -- Did United Flight 93 land at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on September 11, 2001? That was the focus of the Freedom of Information Act request which was ignored for ten months until a lawsuit was filed.

Police: Shooting Of Elderly Woman "Tragic, Unfortunate" -- Officials say the warrant was a “No Knock” warrant – meaning that the officers did not knock before forcing open the door, but they did announce themselves. Family says 92-year-old shooting victim was 'fearful' and lived alone.

Friends, family demand answers in N.Y. groom shooting -- Several hundred people gathered Sunday for a vigil and rally to demand answers about why officers let fly a flurry of bullets at 23-year-old Sean Bell early Saturday, hours before he was supposed to marry the mother of his two young children.

War protester's fiery suicide provokes questions -- Man's flaming body was meant to be a symbol of rage, but no-one listened.

Wal-Mart Sees Weak Sales as Holiday Season Starts -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. predicted a rare decline in monthly sales over the weekend.

A Pill To Forget? -- Can A Medication Suppress Traumatic Memories? The results could fundamentally change the way accident victims, rape victims, even soldiers are treated after they experience trauma.

Why Are There Four Carriers In The Persian Gulf? -- Scroll down the article to see the carriers.

Radioactive death ignites British health scare -- AUTHORITIES in Britain are trying to calm public concern after radioactive material was found in central London during investigations into the death of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

Rate your Doctor -- HERE IS A SITE WHERE ANYWHERE IN AMERICA YOU CAN CHECK OUT YOUR DR. AND RATE HIM WITHOUT EVEN PUTTING IN YOUR NAME. SO TO ALL THE QUACKS OUT THERE ( LOOK OUT )!!

16,000 Single Mothers Serving in Iraq -- When war started in Iraq, a generation of U.S. women became involved as never before - in a wider-than-ever array of jobs, for long deployments, in a conflict with daily bloodshed. More than 155,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

OAXACA, Mexico unrest still continues -- Police, Protesters Clash in Mexican City -- Police fired tear gas at dozens of protesters hurling gasoline bombs, rocks and powerful fireworks near the main square of this southern Mexican city troubled by months of unrest.

Marine deployed despite request for conscientious objector discharge -- A Marine from New Jersey was deployed to Iraq this month despite being recommended for a military discharge by a hearing officer who agreed that the man should receive conscientious objector status.

U.S. involved in Iraq longer than WWII -- As of Sunday, the conflict in Iraq has raged for three years and just over eight months. Only the Vietnam War (eight years, five months), the Revolutionary War (six years, nine months), and the Civil War (four years), have engaged America longer.

BBC News-Payments for prison 'cold turkey' -- Nearly 200 prisoners and former inmates forced to stop taking drugs by going "cold turkey" are to receive payments.

Before you eat -- Know this , S. 3546 will make nutritional supplements more expensive, and may pave the way for making them harder to get. The time to stop this from happening is now. So even though you're distracted by the upcoming Holiday please take a moment now to ask Congress to oppose S. 3546.

AFGHANISTAN: Polio vaccination campaign targets children in vulnerable south -- Afghanistan has begun its latest drive to vaccinate millions of children under five against the crippling polio virus, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) officials have said.

Tapes Provide First Glimpse of Secret Gitmo Panels -- Audio recordings obtained by NPR provide the outside world with its first window into the secret world of military tribunals at the U.S. prison camp for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Top-Secret Torture -- The Bush administration claims detainees can't disclose how they were treated.

European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs -- Are streets without traffic signs conceivable? Seven cities and regions in Europe are giving it a try -- with good results. No Traffic signs equals nicer People (long overdue)!

Syria, Iraq restore ties to combat militants -- Iraq and Syria restored full diplomatic relations on Tuesday after a 24-year rift in a move Iraq hopes can help stem what it says is Syrian support for militants and encourage other Arab states to rally to its aid.

Kucinich Calls for Cutting Off Iraq War Funds -- Congressman Kucinich called Wednesday for cutting off funding of the Iraq war, as the surest way out of Iraq. His statements were made in an interview by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman.

Australia researching missile defence -- AUSTRALIA is moving closer to acquiring a ballistic missile defence capability with Defence Minister Brendan Nelson commissioning research on how such a system could be installed on new warships.

ID swipe at NJ bars stores age, personal information -- Bouncers at some New Jersey bars and night clubs are using a high-tech identification device to obtain more information than just the ages of their patrons.

Special video made just for The Power Hour regarding 911 Conspiracy Interview with Glenn Beck with Dave VonKleist -- Take time to check it out. A BIG "thank you" goes out to Wayne!
**Alternative link is also on google!

Is Depleted Uranium the suspect behind Military Suicides? -- The use of depleted uranium (D.U.)—more properly nuclear waste—and other substances in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot be ruled out as a cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reported by U.S., Coalition, and NATO veterans.

ANOTHER FLU VACCINE PUSH COMING SOON by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO -- CDC officials are planning a massive media blitz during the week of November 27 to December 3, 2006 to promote "National Influenza Vaccination Week."

Reno Files Challenge to Terror Law -- Former Attorney General Janet Reno and seven other former Justice Department officials filed court papers Monday arguing that the Bush administration is setting a dangerous precedent by trying a suspected terrorist outside the court system.

Edible food wrap kills deadly E. coli bacteria -- Researchers have improved upon an edible coating for fresh fruits and vegetables by enabling it to kill deadly E. coli bacteria while also providing a flavor-boost to food. Composed of apple puree and oregano oil, which acts as a natural antibacterial agent, the coating shows promise in laboratory studies of becoming a long-lasting, potent alternative to conventional produce washes.

Someone Tell Bush We Lost Vietnam -- "What did we achieve in the end? The United States fled the South Vietnamese capital, Saigon, to escape the invading North Vietnamese Army. North Vietnam "freed" the South from yankee imperialists and set about "reeducating" the South Vietnamese. News flash George. WE LOST!"

Looking for Cheney -- In the 10 days since President Bush fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one figure is eerily missing from public view and public accounts of what occurred: Vice President Dick Cheney. As usual, America's de facto prime minister is either literally or metaphorically in an undisclosed location.

Milk, rBST, & Monsanto's Rats -- We're Drinking What?

New Bond Film Highlights 9/11 Insider Trading -- In a twenty first century update, the new James Bond Movie, Casino Royale, directly references 9/11 and highlights the fact that massive manipulation of airline stocks prior to the attacks account for a leading motive behind the event.

Bush shrugs off Indonesia protests -- US President George W. Bush wrapped up a gruelling Asian tour, shrugging off angry anti-American protests in Indonesia and receiving some advice on exiting Iraq from the country's president.

Students Dropping Out of High School Reaches Epidemic Levels -- A recent study by the Department of Education found that 31 percent of American students were dropping out or failing to graduate in the nation's largest 100 public school districts.

US is unfriendly to visitors: so says a survey -- The United States is the world's most unfriendly country for international travelers, a survey suggests.

US military space programs face cuts -- US military space programs are facing budget cuts in 2008 as the Pentagon tightens its belt to fund wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hemophilia drug used on GIs labeled risk -- A blood-coagulating drug designed to treat rare forms of hemophilia is being used on critically wounded U.S. troops in Iraq despite evidence it can cause clots that lead to strokes, heart attacks and death in other patients, The (Baltimore) Sun reported for Sunday's editions.

VIDEO: "And I didn't speak up" -- "You have rights and a voice...so speak up."

UPDATE: "V" Makes A Mark In DC -- Plans are now underway for a GiveMeLiberty 2007 Conference. Most likely it will take place in DC on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On one of those days we hope to assemble 1,000 “V” demonstrators on the street in support of our Right to Petition the Government for Redress of constitutional torts, including our Right to a Response and our Right of Enforcement if Government does not respond to our proper, constitutionally based Petitions for Redress.

Bush arrives to anger in Indonesia -- President Bush's unpopularity in the world's most populous Muslim nation made security jitters and angry protests the hallmarks of Monday's six-hour trip to court Indonesian favor.

Poisoned Russian ex-spy 'serious' -- A former Russian KGB colonel living in Britain and poisoned by the toxic chemical thallium remains in a serious condition in hospital.

US paves way for Russia WTO entry -- Russia and the US have signed a bilateral agreement that allows Russia to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) after 12 years of negotiations.

Bush keeps bird flu a top priority, visits lab in Vietnam -- U.S. President George W. Bush toured a bird flu lab Monday and praised Vietnam for its successful battle against the disease, pledging U.S. support and urging Southeast Asia to prepare for a potential pandemic.

Police say suicide bomber may try to infiltrate anti-Bush protests -- Indonesian security forces were investigating unconfirmed reports that a suicide bomber was planning to infiltrate demonstrations during U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to the Muslim nation on Monday, police said.

Global Hawk drone to land Monday at Beale Air Force Base -- They've become a fixture in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan, a new breed of unmanned aircraft operated with remote controls by "pilots" sitting in virtual cockpits many miles away. But the Air Force's Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft has never flown a mission over the United States. That is set to change Monday, when the first Global Hawk lands at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville.

YOU TUBE VIDEO:  Student shocked, tortured for defending constitutional rights -- A horror video that wouldn't look out of place in Maoist China or Nazi Germany shows a student being repeatedly shot with a stun gun by UCLA police for the crime of not showing his ID. NOTE: (Language may be offensive to some)

Shingles vaccine planned for 2007 -- A SHINGLES vaccine could be included on the national immunisation program after its manufacturer today said it intended to apply. CSL said it hoped to have Zosovax registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration in April next year.

Royal Society Tells Exxon: Stop Funding Climate Change Denial -- In an unprecedented step, the Royal Society, Britain's premier scientific academy, has written to the oil giant to demand that the company withdraws support for dozens of groups that have "misrepresented the science of climate change by outright denial of the evidence."

Democrat Rangel: Bring back the draft -- New York congressman says he'll introduce legislation to beef up number of U.S. troops.

Joint Pain in Gulf War Syndrome Appears Not To Be Inflammatory But Rather Neurological: Presented at ACR-ARHP -- Joint pain in veterans with Gulf War syndrome appears to be a stress response similar to fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, rather than an inflammatory one, researchers reported here at the American College of Rheumatology - Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals Annual Scientific Meeting (ACR-ARHP).

Georgia Based Army Unit to Serve Third Tour -- The Army's 3rd Infantry Division, which helped lead the charge to Baghdad at the outset of the war, will return next year and become the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq.

Job Cuts Begin at NBC News -- NBC News has begun carrying out layoffs that it said last month were coming as part of a corporate restructuring, affecting mostly off-camera workers on "Dateline NBC,""Today" and "NBC Nightly News."

Taser incident at UCLA under review -- The move came in response to student demands voiced earlier Friday at a news conference and subsequent rally, where speakers said the shocking of Mostafa Tabatabainejad, 23, sent a chill across the campus. "As students we feel our safety is endangered, and we do not feel safe on campus," said Sabiha Ameen, president of the Muslim Students Association.

VaxGen Wins Extension on Anthrax Vaccine -- VaxGen Inc., a California biotechnology firm, said that the government had given it more time to conduct human testing of its anthrax vaccine, postponing a decision on whether the program should be canceled.

Indonesians protest ahead of Bush visit -- Warmly greeted by world leaders in Vietnam, President Bush drew a different reaction Sunday at his upcoming stop in Indonesia, where thousands angrily protested America's policy in the Middle East and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Indonesia on terror alert over Bush visit -- Indonesian police have warned the threat of an attack by al-Qaeda-linked militants has increased sharply ahead of US President George Bush's visit to the world's most populous Muslim country.

Embittered Insiders Turn Against Bush -- The sense of Bush abandonment accelerated during the final weeks of the campaign with the publication of a former aide's book accusing the White House of moral hypocrisy and with Vanity Fair quoting Adelman, Richard N. Perle and other neoconservatives assailing White House leadership of the war.

Illegal immigrants seek residency in 9/11 bill -- Group pursues residency for many who lost family in Sept. 11 attacks.

Powerful 9/11 Info Hits Prime-Time TV for First Time -- Low-Brow FOX Hit-Piece Fails to Counter Evidence of an Inside Job.

Huge concrete foundation poured for WTC building -- Construction crews marked a major milestone in the redevelopment of Ground Zero, pouring the colossal concrete foundations for the central core of the 1,776-foot skyscraper. Workers at Ground Zero pour concrete - more than 500 cubic yards of it - to lay foundation for Freedom Tower.

Rice warns Iraqis: 'Unite or you don't have a future' -- Iraqis 'don't have a future' if they give in to the sectarian tensions that are tearing apart their society, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during a visit to Vietnam yesterday in one of the starkest warnings on