Cash for Clunkers

The new cash for clunkers program is running out of money.  The $1 billion dollar program has been more than depleted by over 22,782 vehicles that have been purchased.  The program was created to stimulate the declining auto industry and get gas guzzling cars off the road.  No one predicted just how popular the program would be.  Various members of congress have stated that they will be working to redirect more stimulus money to the rebate program.  

Day 312

Darlene Haynes

This story made me so incredibly sad.  I first read about Darlene Haynes when I was riding on the T yesterday and glanced at the front page of the Metro that a fellow passenger was reading.  I'm not going to go into the details of the incident because it is too gruesome but I am happy to hear that the baby is alive and doing well.  

Day 311

ETA Strike Again in Spain

The Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is singled out for the car bomb that was detonated at a police barrack in Burgos, Spain.  The building is home for police officers and their families.  Luckily, there were no casualties in the blast although 60 people were reported injured.  Can we call this "Violent Jihad- Basque separatist style"?

Day 310- North Carolina Terrorists

7 men in North Carolina have been charged with plotting to carry out terrorist attacks abroad or what they call, a "violent jihad".  

Day 309

More Nuclear News

Yesterday India launches its first Nuclear Powered Submarine.  Today, Iran criticizes the United States' disapproval of Tehran's suspected nuclear program development. Hopefully this MADness is just a war of words.

From the Al Jazeera article:

The comments came after Hillary Clinton last week said the US would arm its allies in the Gulf region if Iran built a nuclear weapon.

"There is no need for the US to provide a defence umbrella for the neighbouring countries," Hassan Qashqavi, a foreign ministry spokesman, said on Monday.

"It is enough to tell its ally, the Zionist regime and convince it for the issue of disarmament and dismantle its own 200 nuclear warheads from the occupied territories.

"It automatically will bring security to the region and all countries of the region will feel secure. The solution for defence umbrella is removing nuclear warheads of the Zionist regime and has no other way."

Day 308

Nuclear Powered Submarine

India launched its first nuclear powered submarine today.  

From the Reuters article:

The project is part of a $2.9 billion plan to build five submarines, delayed for years due to technical problems, officials said.

The country already has fighter aircraft and missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Experts say India is modernizing its armed forces and is focusing on improving its naval fleet with new ships and submarines to counter the strategic interest of China in the region.

China is India's biggest trade partner in Asia. But India, already wary of China's growing military might, fears its giant rival wants to strategically encircle India as Beijing continues to supply weapons to India's neighbors, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Last year's Mumbai attacks in which 10 gunmen arrived by the sea to kill 166 people also exposed glaring loopholes in its sea security.

"The sea is increasingly becoming relevant in the context of India's security interests and we must re-adjust our military preparedness to this changing environment," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said after launching the submarine for trials.

"We do not have any aggressive designs nor do we seek to threaten anyone. We seek an external environment ... conducive to our peaceful development and the protection of our value systems," Singh said at the southern port city of Vishakhapatnam.

Day 307

Sarah Palin Revisited

Sarah Palin's resignation from her post (with more than a year left in her term) as Alaska's first female governor is causing quite a stir. Many are questioning her motives and speculating her next move.  Could she be the new voice of the Republican party?

Day 306

Day 305

Aria Airlines Flight 1525

Iran based Aria Airlines Flight 1525 crashed today on the runway of an airport in Mashad, Iran's second largest city.  It was making an emergency landing, skidded off the runway, and hit a wall. 17 people were killed, 20 injured.  This incident was the 2nd crash of an Iranian airplane in 10 days.  

New Jersey Style Corruption

Check out this crazy story.  I'm especially wowed by the human organ trafficking...

NEWARK, N.J. — The mayors of three New Jersey cities, two state legislators and several rabbis were among more than 40 people arrested Thursday in a sweeping corruption investigation that began as a probe into an international money laundering ring that trafficked in goods as diverse as human organs and fake designer handbags.

Among 44 people arrested Thursday were Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, state Assemblyman President L. Harvey Smith and state Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt.

Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez, who is also an attorney, is charged with agreeing to accept an illegal $10,000 cash payment for his legal defense fund.

Day 304

Dealer Assistance from GM

General Motors will be offering "Dealer Assistance" for all of the dealerships that are slated to shut down according to the new government restructuring program.  There will be approx. $600 million in funds that will be distributed.  GM will be compensating $1,000 per unsold car and 8 months of rent.  The per dealership average is $462,000 .

Day 303

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Charges were dropped for Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates who was arrested last week for disorderly conduct.  Gates had just returned from a trip to China and was thought to be a burglar when trying to pry open his front door.  Professor Gates accused Cambridge police of racial profiling.  

Day 302

Day 301

Grand Canyon Mining Ban

The Obama administration puts a halt on another Bush era decision.  First it was logging in Western Oregon.  Today it is mining in the majestic Grand Canyon.  The highly controversial uranium mining will be on a two year hold.  Nuclear power will need to get their toxic heavy metal elsewhere.  

Bowe Bergdahl

A US soldier captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan has been identified as Bowe Bergdahl. The 23 year old private from Ketchem, Idaho was captured on July 3rd.  The Taliban released a video with Bergdahl, prompted by his captors, calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.  

Here is an excerpt from the video (Reuters):

"I am scared. I'm scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner," he says. "I have my girlfriend who is hoping to marry. I have my grandma and grandpas. I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America."

A voice off camera prompts: "Miss them."

The soldier continues: "And I miss them every day that I'm gone. I miss them and I'm afraid that I might never see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them that I love them again. I'll never be able to hug them."

"BRING US HOME"

Later, the voice prompts: "Any message to your people?"

"Yes. To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it's like to miss them: you have the power to make our government bring them home," the soldier says.

"Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country."

Day 299

2 Suicide bombers. Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite.  A news legend. 

Day 298

Western Oregon Plan Revision

Day 297

Day 296

Western Oregon Plan Revision

Forest area in Oregon is spared.  The land was under threat from logging from an attempt from the former Bush Administration's Western Oregon Plan Revision.  The plan was pushed through by easing regulations connected with the protection of endangered animals that inhabit the area.    

Goldman Sachs- Record Profit

Goldman Sachs is set to post its largest profit (approx. 2.2 billion), since 2007.  Does this indicate an upswing in the economy or is it just business as usual?  

Bastile Day

Today is Bastile Day, the anniversary of the day that started the French Revolution.  In conjunction with Celebrating with an international parade, President Sarkozy announces his intent for France's military expansion and his vow not to cut spending on military technology.  What are we defending ourselves from anyway?

Day 295

Regina Benjamin

Dr. Regina Benjamin will be the nominee for the next Surgeon General.  Dr. Benjamin hails from Alabama and is known for her determination to rebuild her non-profit clinic after Katrina.  She is also a recipient of a 2008 MacArthur Genius Grant.  

Day 294

Five people were killed in a Delhi Metro bridge collapse.

Day 293

No New Stimulus Package

President Obama predicts that benefits from the stimulus package need more time take effect.  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner also states at this time there is no need for another package.  

Day 292

General Motors

Day 291

Mahamoud Ahmadinejad

GM Rebounds

GM has been revived from bankruptcy.  It only took 40 days! There will be a heavy down-sizing of the company:

The new GM will have fewer brands, fewer plants and fewer workers. The number of U.S. executives will be cut by 35 percent and U.S. salaried employment will drop by 20 percent by the end of this year. As important, Henderson said, is that the corporate culture at the automaker must evolve, enabling the company to be more nimble and more focused on beating its competitors.

"Death to the Dictator"

Unrest erupts in Iran again.  This time protesters take to the streets, wearing surgical masks to conceal their identity, shouting "Death to the Dictator" and "God is Great" in opposition to contested President Mahamoud Ahmadinejad.  Today's protest also marks the 10th anniversary of a clash between students and security forces.  

Day 290

North Korea Suspected of Cyber Hacking

Apparently there was a cyber attack on various government agency sites in the US and South Korea.  US sites affected include: The Treasury Department, Secret Service, and The Federal Trade Commission.  

South Korea's National Intelligence Service, the nation's main spy agency, told a group of South Korean lawmakers Wednesday it believes that North Korea or North Korean sympathizers in the South were behind the attacks, according to an aide to one of the lawmakers briefed on the information.

The aide spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the information. The National Intelligence Service — South Korea's main spy agency — said it couldn't immediately confirm the report, but it said it was cooperating with American authorities

Day 289

Day 288

Urumqui, China

Here is an interesting report by Tania Branigan from the guardian.co.uk on the protests in China:

Woman's lone protest calms tempers as Uighurs confront Chinese police

Paramilitaries in temporary retreat from elderly demonstrator amid continuing tension in Urumqi-

No one noticed her at first. She was just a lined and weary face in the angry crowd. Then slowly she emerged from the mass and moved steadily down the street.

She was a lone woman, propped on a crutch. But she forced armoured personnel carriers and massed paramilitary ranks into a slow – if temporary – retreat during a remarkable confrontation between Chinese armed police and Uighurs in Urumqi today.

Uighur residents erupted into protests during an official media tour of the riot zone, in the face of hundreds of officers. Thousands of riot and armed paramilitary police have flooded the southern part of the capital since Sunday's violence claimed more than 150 lives and injured hundreds.

Women in the market place burst into wailing and chanting as foreign reporters arrived, complaining that police had taken away Uighur men. Authorities have arrested 1,434 people in connection with Sunday's unrest.

"The policemen took away my husband last night. I don't know why and I don't know where he is," said one woman called Abdurajit. "Mine was taken too. They still have him," broke in another woman.

As they streamed out on to the main street, the crowd swelled to around 200, with Uighur men and more women joining them, shouting and waving their fists.

And then the old woman emerged from the crowd and moved slowly down the street. An Uighur police officer came forward to escort her away. She could not be persuaded.

As older residents stepped forward and attempted to calm the crowd, she advanced steadily towards the line of armoured vehicles. She halted inches in front of one. The driver started its engine. For a long moment they faced each other. Then the carrier slowly began to roll backwards and the line of officers inched away, back down the road.

She walked forward. They stepped back. She continued – while the officer pleaded with her to turn away.

Suddenly he turned to me and grabbed my notebook, ripped out a page and scribbled a note for her; apparently his name and identity number – proof of his willingness to help her. He thrust it at her. Reluctantly, she agreed to leave....

Robert McNamara

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara died on Monday aged 93. He will be remembered most as the leading architect of America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Day 287

Day 286- The 4th

Organization of American States

The OAS met into the early hours of Sunday in Washington and took the rare step to suspend one of its members after the interim authorities ignored an ultimatum by the 34-member body to reinstate Zelaya. It was the strongest move yet by foreign governments to isolate the caretaker government.

In Central America's first coup since the Cold War era Zelaya, a leftist who took power in 2006 and had been due to leave office in 2010, was ousted by troops and sent into exile a week ago after a dispute over presidential term limits.

Honduras, a coffee and textile exporter with a population of around 7 million, is the third poorest country in the hemisphere after Haiti and Nicaragua. The OAS slap could hamper its ability to obtain loans.

Day 285

British Embassy, Tehran

Day 284

4,000 troops deployed to the Helmand River Valley, Afgahnistan

Day 283

Cody Ninth Grade Academy- Detroit

Day 283- July 2, 2009

I'm a little behind on posting.  Went to NYC early Wednesday morning to see a few museum shows and watch my first Yankee game.  Will catch up on posting photos tonight.

British Embassy Employees

According to a senior Iranian cleric,  the employees of the British Embassy in Tehran who were arrested after the election protests will be tried for acting against Iran's national security.  

Eight or nine employees of the embassy's political section were arrested last weekend. All but three have been released, according to Iranian state media.

European Union nations summoned Iranian ambassadors today to complain about the arrests in a coordinated response, news agencies reported.

EU nations are weighing the possibility of pulling all 27 member nations' ambassadors from Tehran and imposing a travel ban on Iranian officials to protest the arrests, but want to wait for Iran's next move regarding the embassy employees, European news media reported. 

Detroit Shootings

7 teenagers were shot outside a the Cody Ninth Grade Academy  on Detroit's west side.  The victims were standing next to a bus stop when the attackers drove up in a green minivan with t-shirts over their heads to conceal their faces.  This has been the second shooting this month near a high school offering free summer classes.