Police took David Duke  into custody Friday on suspicion of denying the Holocaust, which is a crime in the Czech Republic. Prague's Charles University also banned him from giving a lecture there Friday. Authorities have released former Ku Klux Klan leader Duke from detention and ordered him to leave the country.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CZECH_EX_KLAN_LEADER?SITE=JRC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

For more than a decade the Global Climate Coalition, a group representing industries with profits tied to fossil fuels, led an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign against the idea that emissions of heat-trapping gases could lead to global warming.

“The role of greenhouse gases in climate change is not well understood,” the coalition said in a scientific “backgrounder” provided to lawmakers and journalists through the early 1990s, adding that “scientists differ” on the issue. But a document filed in a federal lawsuit demonstrates that even as the coalition worked to sway opinion, its own scientific and technical experts were advising that the science backing the role of greenhouse gases in global warming could not be refuted.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/science/earth/24deny.html?ref=todayspaper

"There was no actionable intelligence gained from using enhanced interrogation techniques on Abu Zubaydah that wasn’t, or couldn’t have been, gained from regular tactics. In addition, I saw that using these alternative methods on other terrorists backfired on more than a few occasions — all of which are still classified. The short sightedness behind the use of these techniques ignored the unreliability of the methods, the nature of the threat, the mentality and modus operandi of the terrorists, and due process."

"One of the most striking parts of the memos is the false premises on which they are based.It was the right decision to release these memos, as we need the truth to come out. This should not be a partisan matter, because it is in our national security interest to regain our position as the world’s foremost defenders of human rights. Just as important, releasing these memos enables us to begin the tricky process of finally bringing these terrorists to justice."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/opinion/23soufan.html?_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss

The combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for March 2009 was the 10th warmest since records began in 1880.

Satellite-based snow cover extent for the Northern Hemisphere was 15.38 million square miles (39.83 million sq. km) in March, which is 0.40 million square miles (1.05 million sq. km) below the 1967-2009 average of 15.78 million square miles (40.88 million sq. km)
Arctic sea ice coverage was at its sixth lowest March extent since satellite records began in 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Average ice extent during March was 5.85 million square miles (15.16 million sq. km), 3.7 percent below the 1979-2000 average. Arctic sea ice usually reaches its maximum extent in March, and retreats to its annual minimum extent during September. March Arctic sea ice extent has decreased at an average rate of 2.7 percent per decade since 1979.

Antarctic sea ice extent in March was at its fourth-greatest level of the 31-year observational record. Antarctic sea ice extent reached 15.8 percent above its 1979-2000 average. Since 1979, Antarctic sea ice extent for March has increased at an average rate of 4.7 percent per decade.


http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2009/20090416_globalmarchstats.html

IMF: First time in six decades; could leave at least 10 million people jobless

The global economy is expected to lurch into reverse this year for the first time since World War II with appalling consequences for nations large and small — trillions of dollars in lost business, millions of people thrust into hunger and homelessness and crime on the rise.

And the pain won’t stop this year, the International Monetary Fund declared Wednesday, for what it said was “by far the deepest global recession since the Great Depression.” To cushion the blow and head off further damage next year, the IMF is calling for more stimulus projects from the word’s governments, including major spending for public works projects.

Even with many countries taking bold steps to turn things around, the global economy will shrink 1.3 percent this year, the IMF predicted in its dour forecast.

The IMF’s outlook for the U.S. is even bleaker than for the world as a whole: It predicts the American economy will shrink 2.8 percent this year, the biggest decline since 1946.


FROM:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30347611/

Rasmussen: 18% would vote to secede and it's BIG BUSINESS and government WORKING AGAINST consumers and investors (62%).

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/states_general/texas/in_texas_31_say_state_has_right_to_secede_from_u_s_but_75_opt_to_stay

---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
House of Representatives, Amendments to the Constitution  (18, 21 Aug. 1789  *Annals 1:761, 767--68)

On the record.....

[18 Aug. 1789]
The 9th proposition, in the words following, was considered, "The powers not delegated by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively."

Mr. Tucker proposed to amend the proposition, by prefixing to it "all powers being derived from the people." He thought this a better place to make this assertion than the introductory clause of the Constitution, where a similar sentiment was proposed by the committee. He extended his motion also, to add the word "EXPRESSLY," so as to read "the powers not expressly delegated by this Constitution."

Mr. Madison objected to this amendment, because it was impossible to confine a Government to the exercise of express powers; there must necessarily be admitted powers by implication, unless the Constitution descended to recount every minutia. He remembered the word "EXPRESSLY" had been moved in the convention of Virginia, by the opponents to the ratification, and, after full and fair discussion, was given up by them, and the system allowed to retain its present form.

Mr. Sherman coincided with Mr. Madison in opinion, observing that corporate bodies are supposed to possess all powers incident to a corporate capacity, without being absolutely expressed.

Mr. Tucker did not view the word "EXPRESSLY" in the same light with the gentleman who opposed him; he thought every power to be expressly given that could be clearly comprehended within any accurate definition of the general power.

Mr. Tucker's motion being negatived,

Mr. Carroll proposed to add to the end of the proposition, "or to the people;" this was agreed to.

[21 Aug. 1789]
The ninth proposition Mr. Gerry proposed to amend by inserting the word "EXPRESSLY," so as to read "the powers not expressly delegated by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." As he thought this an amendment of great importance, he requested the yeas and nays might be taken. He was supported in this by one-fifth of the members present; whereupon they were taken, and were as follows:

Yeas.--17 [Messrs. Burke, Coles, Floyd, Gerry, Grout, Hathorn, Jackson, Livermore, Page, Parker, Partridge, Van Rensselaer, Smith, (of South Carolina,) Stone, Sumter, Thatcher, and Tucker]

Nays.--32 [Messrs. Ames, Benson, Boudinot, Brown, Cadwalader, Carroll, Clymer, Fitzsimons, Foster, Gale, Gilman, Goodhue, Hartley, Heister, Lawrence, Lee, Madison, Moore, Muhlenburg, Schureman, Scott, Sedgwick, Seney, Sherman, Sylvester, Sinnickson, Smith, (of Maryland,) Sturges, Trumbull, Vining, Wadsworth, and Wynkoop]

Mr. Sherman moved to alter the last clause, so as to make it read, "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

This motion was adopted WITHOUT DEBATE.

(* Annals of Congress. The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States. "History of Congress." 42 vols. Washington, D.C.: Gales & Seaton, 1834--56.)

FROM:
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/ documents/amendXs6.html
---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------

On 25 September 1789, by the required two-thirds majority in both of its chambers, Congress sent twelve amendments to the states for ratification, but the first two failed to be ratified. On 15 December 1791 the last state ratified the ten amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights; and they became part of the Constitution.

A Bush rule enabled businesses to automatically enroll  workers into 401(k)  plans. If the workers failed to specify how they wanted their money invested, the company was required by law to place their retirement money in investment funds that, for the most part, relied heavily on stocks. About two-thirds of workers opted into such plans before 2006, and participation was expected to rise to more than 90 percent with an auto-enrollment provision.
The administration specifically rejected safer investment options when Congress left it up to the Bush administration to determine what categories of funds should be allowed. The administration rejected the pleas of stable value fund managers to have their product be available as a stand-alone option for automatically enrolled workers, reasoning that the funds would be vastly outperformed by stock-heavy investments over the long term. The administration asserted that the stable value funds would not provide "meaningful retirement savings over the long term."

From:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/04/05/workers_steered_to_high_risk_investing/

The Wilkins Ice Shelf is at risk of partly breaking away from the Antarctic Peninsula as the ice bridge that connects it to Charcot and Latady Islands looks set to collapse. The beginning of what appears to be the demise of the ice bridge began this week when new rifts forming along its center axis resulted in a large block of ice breaking away.


ESA: Collapse of the ice bridge supporting Wilkins Ice Shelf appears imminent

Summers in the Arctic may be ice-free in as few as 30 years, not at the end of the century as previously expected. The updated forecast is the result of a new analysis of computer models coupled with the most recent summer ice measurements.

NOAA: Ice-Free Arctic Summers Likely Sooner Than Expected

 Middle-class tax cut is locked in place for the next two years as a part of the stimulus package Obama signed into law last month.

The administration had tied the revenue raised from cap-and-trade to the Making-Work-Pay tax credit for families – both of which have been brought up as POSSIBILITIES TO BE SCRAPPED  from the Senate and House budget resolution.

“We have two years to figure this out,” Orszag told reporters, pitching the anticipated formation of the President’s Recovery Advisory Board led by Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker which will examine ways to provide funding for making-work-pay.

In an interview later with ABC News, Orszag said that the changes made to the president’s budget blueprint were inevitable, “Yes, on cap and trade and with regard to making work pay the tax credit that will be there for two years there's going to be some adjustment.  But those were inevitable. There was always going to be some changes made.”

Orszag said of course the administration was aware that not “every single comma, decimal point and period was going to be embodied in the budget resolution,” but the modifications that have been made on the hill – they believe – are slight.

From ABC News:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/obama-budget-ch.html

" [Just like child pornographers], now they have a central gathering place, the internet," O’Reilly said. "It’s not hard to be a crazy nut." This after Billy-boy falsely states that the English G-20 protesters " just want to vent" and have “no platform, program, cohesive message."
I guess he was just too busy to read the signs, like , "We Won't Pay For Their Crisis", "Put People First,"  and "Capitalism doesn't work." (Just to name a few)

and,.................Do the words "TEA PARTY" come to mind?

Bill-O's blatherings of April 1st:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuFeZkfeXDo&feature=player_embedded


ACTUALLY,
The "G20 Meltdown Group"  included more than 80 protest groups (ALL known in advance, with their platforms, by authorities) and police launched Britain's largest ever security operation to deal with the protest on the streets and protect the world leaders and 40 delegations.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/g20-summit/5084250/G20-summit-Britains-biggest-ever-policing-operation-launched.html

Professional medical associations (PMAs) play an essential role in defining and advancing health care standards. Their conferences, continuing medical education courses, practice guidelines, definitions of ethical norms, and public advocacy positions carry great weight with physicians and the public. Because many PMAs receive extensive funding from pharmaceutical and device companies, it is crucial that their guidelines manage both real and perceived conflict of interests. Any threat to the integrity of PMAs must be thoroughly and effectively resolved. Current PMA policies, however, are not uniform and often lack stringency. To address this situation, the authors first identified and analyzed conflicts of interest that may affect the activities, leadership, and members of PMAs. The authors then went on to formulate guidelines, both short-term and long-term, to prevent the appearance or reality of undue industry influence. The recommendations are rigorous and would require many PMAs to transform their mode of operation and perhaps, to forgo valuable activities. To maintain integrity, sacrifice may be required. Nevertheless, these changes are in the best interest of the PMAs, the profession, their members, and the larger society.

====
Author Affiliations: David J. Rothman, PhD, president, Institute on Medicine as a Profession, and Bernard Schoenberg Professor of Social Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York; Walter J. McDonald, MD, past CEO, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, Chicago, Illinois; Carol D. Berkowitz, MD, past president, American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois; Susan C. Chimonas, PhD, research scholar, Center on Medicine as a Profession, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York; Catherine D. DeAngelis, MD, MPH, editor in chief, JAMA, Chicago, Illinois; Ralph W. Hale, MD, executive vice president, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC; Steven E. Nissen, MD, past president, American College of Cardiology, Washington, DC; June E. Osborn, MD, past president, Josiah Macy, Jr Foundation, New York, New York; James H. Scully Jr, MD, medical director and CEO, American Psychiatric Association, Arlington, Virginia; Gerald E. Thomson, MD, past president, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and chairman of the board of directors, Institute on Medicine as a Profession, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York; and David Wofsy, MD, professor of medicine, University of California, San Francisco.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/301/13/1367

The richest 1% of taxpayers would pay $100,000 less, on average, while over 25% would pay more in taxes under the House GOP "plan" than they would under the President's plan.*  Rep. Paul Ryan unveiled (the drum-roll please ) the GOP's alternative budget in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
First, last week's  "Road to recovery" joke  called a "marketing document, and now this sad reality, the GOP offers NOTHING that hasn't already aided in creating our collective mess.

Making the budget-busting Bush tax cuts of 2001-03 permanent, they also propose an alternative "highly simplified system that fits on a post card, with few deductions and two rates." Taxpayers making over $100,000 would see their rate drop to 25% from its current high of 35%. (Below that level, the rate drops to 10%.) Corporate taxes would also drop to 25%. While the capital gains tax rate would be frozen at its post-2003 level of 15%, the estate tax would be eliminated altogether.

* Based on initial examination.

  As numbers predicted Tedisco’s losing, he pulls a "Coleman", filing a motion  in Dutchess County designed to contest/stall certification of the result, seeking  help in COURT before the polls even closed. Tedisco’s sad motion goes further than the usual  "vote protection." Damn democracy - if you lose, just sue!