NEWS & NEWS IN SPANISH
Imam Barred From US Airways Flight Joins Interfaith Clerics and NAACP Leader for Press Conference, Prayer, and Flight on US Airways
Nov. 22 On Monday, November 27th, 8:15 AM, at the US Airways ticket counter located in the Reagan National Airport, Imam Omar Shahin, one of the six Imams removed from US Airways flight 300, will join Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director of the MAS Freedom Foundation, Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center of Philadelphia, Rev Graylan Hagler of the United Church of Christ, Hillary Shelton, director of the NAACP-Washington National Office, and other interfaith members for a press statement, public prayer, and flight departure on US Airways.
The "pray-in" is in response to US Airways' removal of Imam Omar Shahin and five other Imams traveling from a religious leader's conference in Minnesota. Three of the Imams were observed praying prior to departure. Subsequent to boarding the plane, the six were removed from the flight, handcuffed, and detained in the airport for questioning for over five hours. Upon release, US Airways and other airlines refused to allow them to purchase tickets for other scheduled flights to Phoenix.
"The detention of these religious leaders, and the refusal of the airline to allow them travel, is a gross example of blatant Islamophobia and the violation of the civil rights of Muslim passengers", said Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.
"The last time I checked, public prayer was still protected by the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and speech. It's a shame that as an African-American and a Muslim I have the double whammy of having to worry about driving while Black and flying while Muslim. We charge the airline with not only discrimination, but with an action that is insulting and demeaning to these Muslim religious leaders, and to all people of faith."
The MAS Freedom Foundation, and many in the interfaith and civil rights community, feel strongly that in addition to religious discrimination, the issue involving the six Imams is also a religious freedom issue. We have forwarded the case to several prominent civil and constitutional rights attorneys and legal scholars.
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The Freedom Foundation is the public affairs arm of the Muslim American Society (MAS), a national grassroots religious, social, and educational organization. MAS is America's largest grassroots Muslim organization with over 50 chapters nationwide. Learn more at http://www.masnet.org
ship docks for cleaning
A thorough scrubbing of the Carnival Liberty began Sunday as the ship docked after a virus sickened nearly 700 passengers on a trans-Atlantic cruise.
Fourteen guests and five crew remained ill and in isolation when the ship arrived at Port Everglades, according to a statement released by Carnival Cruise Lines, a brand of Carnival Corp. Some passengers were escorted off the ship in wheelchairs by crew wearing blue gloves.
Preliminary tests identified the source of the outbreak as the highly contagious norovirus, which had struck several guests just before they boarded the cruise Nov. 3 in Rome, Carnival officials said. More than 530 guests and 140 crew reported to the ship's infirmary with similar symptoms during the 16-day voyage.
Passengers who fell ill during the cruise said they received over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication and pills or an injection to ward off nausea in the ship's infirmary, and had been quarantined in their cabins.
Crews scrubbed the ship's handrails and utensils, offered disinfecting hand gel and halted the self-serve buffets after the outbreak started. Even plastic menus were wiped clean, said Pedro Carreras, 51, of McDonough, Ga.
A team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control boarded the cruise when it docked in St. Maarten to oversee the cleaning operation and try to determine what caused the outbreak, Carnival said.
Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause stomach flu symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps, according to the CDC. The illness usually lasts one to two days without any long-term health effects. It spreads through contaminated food or liquids, by touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then placing that hand in one's mouth, or through direct contact with someone who is infected and showing symptoms.
Food Industry Works On Ad Guidelines
In an epidemic of childhood obesity and increasing negative press, marketers have significantly strengthened their efforts to self-regulate food and beverage ads targeting kids under age 12.
The Council of Better Business Bureaus and the National Advertising Review Council have established the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, a voluntary program with 10 major companies as charter members.
The initiative is designed to shift the focus of advertising messages to children and encourage healthier dietary choices and healthy lifestyles.
The participating companies are Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Hershey, Kellogg, Kraft, McDonald's, PepsiCo and Unilever.
All told, those companies account for approximately two-thirds of all food and beverage TV ads aimed at kids.
In addition, the self-regulatory guidelines for children's advertising have been revised in order to strengthen the ability of the CBBB's Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) to provide guidance and oversight to all industry sectors.
Susan Linn, co-founder of the nonprofit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, blasted the efforts as "the clearest indication yet that, when it comes to marketing to children, self-regulation has failed. In the midst of an epidemic of childhood obesity, the industry has proposed a series of guidelines for junk-food advertising that are window dressing at best."
She maintained that the guidelines remain too vague and permissive, and will generate only cosmetic changes in the way marketers go about their business.
Today's initiative evolved from a review led by Joan Bernstein, a former director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
"I commend these 10 companies for coming together in a meaningful new program that will have strong oversight," Bernstein said. "These efforts are a great step forward."
FTC chair Deborah Platt Majoras issued a statement praising the changes, saying that they "show real promise, and I hope they will encourage more competition in developing and marketing healthier products that are attractive to kids and their parents. The FTC works closely with a number of self-regulatory programs, and will be watching closely to see whether this program results in meaningful improvements in food and beverage advertising to children."
Under the terms of the new initiative, participating companies will devote at least half of their kid-directed advertising to promote healthier dietary choices and to similarly limit products shown in interactive games. They pledged not to advertise in elementary schools nor engage in product placement in editorial and entertainment content. The companies also said they would curtail the use of third-party licensed characters.
Gary Ruskin, executive director of consumer advocacy group Commercial Alert, dismissed the effort out of hand.
"Junk food marketers are dreaming if they think they can halt tough new laws against marketing to children," said Ruskin, who called on the next Congress to swiftly pass the Parents' Bill of Rights, which, among other provisions, would revoke the federal tax deduction for advertising to children under 12.
Business as usual with Republicans
Republicans in the House of Representatives re-elected two top leaders on Friday -- 10 days after American voters voiced discontent by turning over control of the legislative body to Democrats.
House Republicans stuck with John Boehner of Ohio to head their caucus, with Roy Blunt of Missouri remaining his deputy as party whip
While victorious, Boehner and Blunt said the party needs to focus on core conservative principles of limited government, personal responsibility and reform
Tornado kills 8 in N.C.
A tornado ripped apart a mobile home park in this tiny riverside community early Thursday, killing at least eight people and raising the death toll from a devastating band of thunderstorms sweeping across the South to 11.
Two other storm victims died in car crashes early Thursday as heavy rain pelted North Carolina, a utility worker checking powerlines during the storm was electrocuted in South Carolina, and a man died Wednesday when a tornado struck his home in Louisiana as the storms began their path of destruction across the South.
Officials at hospitals in Columbus County and neighboring New Hanover County said they were treating 22 people with storm-related injuries and that at least five, including four children, were in critical condition. Easley activated the State Emergency Response Team and sent in emergency crews.
Ron Steve, meteorologist with the Weather Service in Wilmington, said the tornado touched down in the Riegelwood area shortly after 6:30 a.m
Prepared Remarks of Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Nov. 16 The following are the prepared remarks of Assistant Attorney General Wan J. Kim before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary:
Thank you. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Leahy and distinguished members of the committee, it is a pleasure to appear before you
I have served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division for almost exactly one year now. I am honored to serve President Bush, Attorney General Gonzales and the professionals of the Civil Rights Division in this capacity.
I am pleased to report that the past year was full of outstanding accomplishments in the civil rights division, one in which we obtained many record levels of enforcement. I am proud of the professional attorneys and staff in the Division whose talents, dedication and hard work made these accomplishments possible. My prepared written statement details the accomplishments of each section of the division and I will only address portions of it here. Mr. Chairman, I would ask that the entirety of my prepared statement be placed into the record.
I will take just a brief opportunity to highlight some of the division's more notable accomplishments during the past year:
-- The Voting Section has filed 17 new lawsuits this year, more than doubling the average number of lawsuits filed during the preceding 30 years;
-- Just last week, we successfully mounted the largest election monitoring effort ever conducted by the Department of Justice for a mid-term election;
-- Earlier this year, the administration strongly supported passage of the Voting Rights Reauthorization legislation;
-- Last year, we obtained a record number of convictions in the prosecution of human trafficking crimes, deplorable offenses of fear, force and violence that disproportionately affect women and minority immigrants;
-- Last year, the Employment Litigation Section filed as many lawsuits challenging a pattern or practice of discrimination as during the last three years of the previous Administration combined;
-- Last year, the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section filed more cases alleging sexual harassment than in any year in its history;
-- Last year, pursuant to the Attorney General's Operation Home Sweet Home initiative, the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section conducted significantly more tests to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act and we are working to achieve an all- time number of such tests this year;
-- Last year, the Disability Rights Section has obtained the highest success rate to date in mediating complaints brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (80 percent).
-- In the past six years, the Disability Rights Section has reached more than 80 percent of the agreements obtained with state and local governments under Project Civic Access, a program that has made cities more accessible and made lives better for more than three million Americans with disabilities;
-- In the past six years, we have ensured the integrity of law enforcement by more than tripling the number of agreements reached with police departments and convicting 50 percent more law enforcement officials for willful misconduct, such as the use of excessive force, as compared to the previous six years;
Before I close, I would like to note that the division will celebrate its 50th Anniversary next year. As this milestone draws nears, I have reflected upon the work of the division not only during my own time of service, but over the past half-century. Since our inception in 1957, the division has accomplished a great deal and we have much to be proud of. While citizens of all colors, from every background, living in all pockets of the country -- north and south, rural and urban -- have seen gains made on the civil rights front, one need not look back very far to recall a very different landscape.
This point was made more vivid for me when I traveled with Attorney General Gonzales to Birmingham, Ala., earlier this year. We attended the dedication of the 16th Street Baptist Church as a National Historic Landmark. In 1963, racists threw a bomb in this historically black church, killing four little girls who were attending Sunday School. Horrific incidents like this sparked the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- the most comprehensive piece of civil rights legislation passed by Congress since Reconstruction. While much has been achieved under that piece of legislation and other civil rights laws, the division's daily work demonstrates that discrimination still exists. Our work continues.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Leahy, for the opportunity to appear before you today. I look forward to your questions.
Cisco IP NGN ayuda a las ciudades suecas de Lund y Alvesta a convertirse en una de las comunidades de banda ancha más avanzadas de EuropaCisco y Labs2/ViaEuropa entregan velocidades de banda ancha simétricas de 1Gbps con la tecnología Ethernet Fiber-to-the-Home de Cisco
November 15, 2006 -- Cisco(R) (NASDAQ: CSCO) aanunció hoy que los residentes de Lunds Kommunala Bostäder (www.lkf.se) y Allbohus (www.allbohus.se) en Alvesta, al sur de Suecia, se beneficiarán de una de las mayores redes de banda ancha de Europa, basada en la arquitectura de Red IP de Próxima Generación (IP NGN) de Cisco. La red de fibra óptica, que conectará a 12.000 hogares de la región, está basada en la tecnología Ethernet Fiber-to-the-Home (E-FTTH) de Cisco, y entregará velocidades de acceso de bajada y de subida de hasta 1 gigabit por segundo, optimizadas para los servicios residenciales de triple pago que incorporan Internet, telefonía IP y servicios IPTV. Con este ancho de banda, los residentes de Lund y Alvesta podrán disfrutar de los mejores servicios IPTV de alta definición y estarán preparados para servicios multimedia como la telefonía por vídeo. Dimension Data Sverige A.B., un Socio Gold Certificado de Cisco, es el responsable de la integración de sistemas en este proyecto. La administración y la operación de la red y entrega del servicio corren a cargo de Labs2/ViaEuropa.
Jonas Birgersson, CEO de Labs2, dijo: "Nuestra plataforma de sistemas 'BRIKKS', combinada con el modelo de Red de Acceso Equitativo de Cisco, significa que nuestros clientes tendrán un fácil acceso a todos los servicios que se ofertan. Esto otorga a nuestros clientes la capacidad de crear sus propios paquetes de servicio cuando los necesiten. A la vez, nuestros socios proveedores de servicio pueden llegar a una amplia base de clientes ya establecida con un acceso de gran calidad".
"Desarrollamos el diseño ServiceFlex de nuestras soluciones Carrier Ethernet para ofrecer a operadores como Labs2 una plataforma muy segura, confiable y flexible que admite servicios residenciales y comerciales", dijo Jonas Phragmén, director de desarrollo de negocio para Banda Ancha en Cisco Suecia. "Lab2 puede también escalar la red en términos de banda ancha y capacidad para satisfacer la demanda y ofrecer una calidad de servicio asegurada, incluso en anchos de banda de 1 Gbps".
Las redes están diseñadas para satisfacer los requisitos de seguridad estipulados por la Asociación Sueca de Redes Urbanas (www.ssnf.org). Los enrutadores Cisco 7600 Series, y los conmutadores Cisco Catalyst(R) 3750 Series y Catalyst 3650 Series con enlaces de acceso de fibra E-FTTH, serán instalados en las redes de Lund y Alvesta con los recién presentados conmutadores ME3400 Series Metro Ethernet en la ubicación de los clientes, en edificios con varios residentes y en locales comerciales.
Acerca de Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) es el líder mundial en redes que transforma la manera en que las personas se conectan, comunican y colaboran. Puede encontrar más información sobre Cisco en http://www.cisco.com. Para noticias recientes, visite http://newsroom.cisco.com. El equipo de Cisco en Europa se suministra por Cisco Systems International BV, subsidiaria de propiedad completa de Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cisco, el logotipo de Cisco, Cisco Systems, el logotipo de Cisco Systems y Catalyst son marcas comerciales registradas o marcas comerciales de Cisco Systems, Inc. y/o sus afiliadas en Estados Unidos y otros países. Todas las demás marcas comerciales mencionadas en este documento son propiedad de sus respectivos propietarios. El uso de la palabra socio no implica una relación de asociación entre Cisco y otra compañía. Este documento es información pública de Cisco.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, a moderate Republican best known for his calm taking care of the city after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has taken the first step in a 2008 presidential bid.
The former mayor filed papers to create the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc., establishing a New York-based panel that would allow him to raise money to explore a White House run and travel the country.
Under federal election law, an exploratory committee allows an individual to travel and gauge the level of support for a candidacy without formally declaring themselves a candidate and adhering to all the federal rules of fundraising. An individual who spends money only to test the waters — but not to campaign for office — does not have to register as a candidate under the election law.
The GOP field is expected to grow with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee,( Whom may reconsider after last weeks republican swan dive), Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and New York Gov. George Pataki expected to join the presidential fray.
Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa has filed to establish a full-blown campaign committee and will make a more formal announcement of his candidacy later this month.
Giuliani was widely praised for leading the city during and after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He has said for months that he would wait until the end of the 2006 elections to decide whether to embark on a White House bid.
The former mayor is a moderate who supports gun control, same-sex civil unions, embryonic stem-cell research and abortion rights — stands that would put him at odds with the majority of the GOP conservative base.
Historical Maps from the David Rumsey Map Collection
Nov. 13, 2006 - In celebration of Geography
Awareness Week, Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) today released new Featured
Content for Google Earth that connects users to information about the
history of the world through one of the largest private map collections
in the US. Map overlays from the David Rumsey collection, which
integrate historic cartographic masterpieces dating as far back as the
17th century, have been brought to life for the first time using
advanced digitization techniques and innovative software tools in
Google Earth. Also available with this release in partnership with
National Geographic is an interactive geography quiz that enables users
to test their knowledge of this year's Geography Awareness Week focus
region of Africa.
"We are excited to partner with National Geographic to celebrate and
encourage the study of geography with Google Earth," said John Hanke,
director of Google Earth and Maps. "Our work with David Rumsey to
bring some of the finest privately held historical maps to users
worldwide further demonstrates how Google Earth can serve as a dynamic
tool for geographic discovery."
"National Geographic has been exploring and inspiring people to care
about the planet for more than a century," said Terry Garcia,
National Geographic's Executive Vice President for Mission Programs.
"Today, anyone hooked into the Web can explore any place on Earth at
the click of a mouse. Caring begins with seeing, and there's no
better way to see a place than to be there. So we know new geographic
tools such as Google Earth and the National Geographic-ESRI MapMachine
mean better stewardship of our world's extraordinary places, animals,
and cultures."
"I am thrilled to be able to share maps from my collection with users
worldwide in Google Earth," said David Rumsey. "As a longtime maps
enthusiast, it is wonderful to see the cutting edge technology of
Google Earth introduce people to the geographic history of our world in
a new and innovative way. The cartographers who made these historical
maps hundreds of years ago would be amazed and pleased to see their
treasures in Google Earth."
More details about this release:
· David Rumsey Historical Maps - Dating from 1680 to 1892, 16
historical maps representative of various regions around the world are
available for navigation in Google Earth, including Cassini's Globe
of 1790, a map of Africa from 1787, and a 1710 Japanese-Chinese map of
Asia. When overlaid with other data layers in Google Earth, these
historical maps show in vivid detail how places have evolved over time
and how people's perception of geography has changed.
· National Geographic Quiz on Africa - An interactive educational
quiz on Africa tests users knowledge of this year's Geography
Awareness focus region as an overlay within Google Earth.
· Tracks 4 Africa - This overlay incorporates community-generated
data about Africa from Tracks4Africa, an eco-travel community of users
who have collected data on roads, trails, track data, lakes, rivers,
and tourist points of interest.
· Spotlight on Africa - Featuring flags and information about the
53 sovereign nations of Africa, this overlay provides additional
context for this year's focus region.
More information about these Featured Content overlays is available at
http://www.google.com/educators/gaw.html. Users can access these new
Featured Content layers in the left sidebar of Google Earth.
Designed to promote the study of geography in the U.S. and across the
globe, Geography Awareness Week was first organized by the National
Geographic Society and was officially recognized as the third week in
November by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google
Search to make the world's geographic information easily accessible and
useful. There have been over 100 million downloads of Google Earth
since the product's launch in June, 2005.
About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by
Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a
top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted
advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable
results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google
is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the
Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Two Out of Three Americans See President Bush as Lame Duck; Approval Hits New Low
Large Majorities Support Democratic Priorities: Controlling Drug Prices (92 Percent); Increasing Minimum Wage (89 Percent); Investigating Government Contracts in Iraq (89 Percent)
Seventy-Eight-Percent Majority Concerned Democrats Will Move Too Hastily to Withdraw Troops From Iraq; 69 Percent Concerned Congress Might Keep Bush From Doing What's Necessary To Fight Terrorism
Thirty-Three Percent of Voters Say 'Good Chance' They'd Vote for Hillary in '08, 24 Percent Say So for Giuliani, 24 Percent for Rice, 20 Percent for McCain
Two-thirds of Americans-66 percent- believe that President Bush will be unable to get much done for the remainder of his second term, according to the November 9-10, 2006 Newsweek Poll. Only 30 percent say he can be effective. Bush's approval rating has dropped to an historic low in the Newsweek Poll of 31 percent-four points below the rating recorded the week before the midterm elections in the November 2-3 poll. Only 29 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States; 63 percent say they are dissatisfied.
Days after Congressional elections gave Democrats control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, large majorities of Americans say they support the Democrats' legislative agenda including: allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors (92 percent of those polled say it should be a priority, 75 percent say it should be a top priority); increasing the minimum wage (89 percent say it should be a priority, 68 percent say it should be a top priority); and investigating government contracts in Iraq (89 percent say it should be a priority, 60 percent say it should be a top priority).
Additionally, 86 percent of Americans say that adopting new rules to limit the influence of lobbyists should be a priority, 89 percent say investigating charges of impropriety or wrong-doing by members of Congress should be a priority and 75 percent say investigating questions about the decision to go to war with Iraq should be a priority. Rolling back some of the Bush tax cuts receives less support; 40 percent say it should be a top priority, 32 percent say a lower priority. When asked whether Congress should impeach President Bush, 25 percent of Americans say it should be a top priority and 23 percent say it should be a lower priority. Fifty percent say it should not be done at all.
Americans also have concerns over actions the new Democratic Congress may take, according to the Newsweek Poll. Fifty-one percent are very concerned that Congress might push too hastily for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq; 27 percent are somewhat concerned. Only 20 percent say they are not too concerned or not at all concerned. And 43 percent are very concerned and 26 percent somewhat concerned that the new Congress may keep the Bush administration from doing what is necessary to combat terrorism. Twenty-nine percent say they are not too concerned or not at all concerned. Sixty-six percent are very or somewhat concerned that Congress might spend too much time investigating the Bush administration and Republican scandals; 32 percent are not too concerned or not at all concerned. Fifty-four percent of Americans say they are very or somewhat concerned that lawmakers might unfairly block qualified Bush appointments to the federal courts; 43 percent are not too concerned or not at all concerned.
Still, 51 percent of Americans-including 18 percent of Republicans-believe the Democrats winning control of Congress is a good thing, the Newsweek Poll shows. And 34 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of presumed House speaker Nancy Pelosi, versus 20 percent who have an unfavorable impression and 17 percent who have never heard of her. Twenty-five percent of Americans have a favorable impression of presumed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, versus 17 percent that have an unfavorable impression and 24 percent who have never heard of him.
When asked about overall priorities for the Congress and the President over the next two years, 51 percent of Americans say the Iraq war and national security should be the bigger priority, while 33 percent say domestic issues like the economy and health care should be. Fifteen percent say they should be equal priorities. When asked if Democrats and Republicans will be able to work together given that control of Congress and the White House is now split, 54 percent of Americans say that partisan bickering will prevent important work from getting done while 40 percent say the two sides will be able to work together.
Only 31 percent of Americans approve of how Vice President Dick Cheney is handling his job, according to the Newsweek Poll. Fifty-six percent disapprove. Twenty-four percent approve of how outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is handling his job; 62 percent disapprove. When asked why Bush may have refused Rumsfeld's resignation earlier in the administration, 83 percent say not wanting to change Pentagon leadership in the middle of a war was a reason (58 percent say it was a major reason), 78 percent say Bush's loyalty to those he works with was a reason (54 percent say it was a major reason), 78 percent say it was because Bush believed Rumsfeld was doing a good job and 74 percent say it was because of Bush's stubbornness and unwillingness to admit mistakes.
Looking ahead to the 2008 presidential election, the Newsweek Poll finds that 48 percent of registered voters would like generally to see a Democrat elected president; 28 percent want a Republican; 20 percent say they don't know. When it comes to specific potential candidates, 53 percent of registered voters say there's a chance they'd vote for Hillary Clinton (33 percent say a good chance). Forty-five percent say there is no chance. Fifty-one percent say there is a chance they would vote for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (24 percent say a good chance); 43 percent say there is no chance. Fifty-four percent say there is a chance they would vote for Rudy Giuliani (24 percent say a good chance); 32 percent say no chance. Fifty-four percent say there is a chance they would vote for John McCain (20 percent say a good chance); 32 percent say there is no chance.
For this Newsweek Poll, Princeton Survey Research Associates International interviewed 1,006 adults aged 18 and older on November 9-10, 2006. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points. This poll is part of the November 20 issue of Newsweek, on newsstands Monday, November 13. To interview Senior Editor Marcus Mabry on the poll, call Andrea Faville at 212-445-4859 or Jan Angilella at 212-445-5638.
Newsweek Poll Post-Election 2006 Princeton Survey Research Associates International Final Topline Results (11/11/06) N = 1,006 national adults, 18 and over Margin of error: plus or minus 4 Interviewing dates: 11/9-10/06 SAMPLE SIZE/MARGIN OF ERROR FOR KEY SUBGROUPS: 289 Republicans (plus or minus 7) 346 Democrats (plus or minus 6) 347 Independents (plus or minus 6) 488 Men (plus or minus 5) 518 Women (plus or minus 5) 829 Whites (plus or minus 4) 162 Minorities (plus or minus 9)(1) 268 Evangelicals (plus or minus 7) 641 Non-Evangelicals (plus or minus 5)(2) SAMPLE SIZE/MARGIN OF ERROR FOR REGISTERED VOTERS SUBGROUPS: 918 Registered voters (plus or minus x) 273 Republicans (plus or minus 7) 315 Democrats (plus or minus 7) 314 Independents (plus or minus 7) 395 Voted Dem for Congress (plus or minus 6) 280 Voted Rep for Congress (plus or minus 7) 127 Didn't vote for Congress (plus or minus 9)
Notes: Data is weighted so that sample demographics match Census Current Population Survey parameters for gender, age, education, race, region, and population density.
Reported sample sizes are unweighted and should not be used to compute percentages.
An asterisk (*) indicates a value less than 1%. Questions 1 and 2 were asked in random order. (1) Minorities are: Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks or African-Americans, non-Hispanic Asians, and non-Hispanic other or mixed races. (2) Includes all who do not identify as Evangelical Christians, including Catholics, Jews, other faiths, and non-believers. 1. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time? Satisfied Dissatisfied DK Current Total 29 63 8 =100 Trends(3) (11/2-3/06) 29 64 7 =100 (10/26-27/06) 31 61 8 =100 (10/19-20/06) 25 67 8 =100 (10/5-6/06) Foley scandal 25 67 8 =100 (8/24-25/06) 28 65 7 =100 (8/10-11/06) 26 67 7 =100 (5/11-12/06) NSA wiretapping 23 71 6 =100 (3/16-17/06) 30 64 6 =100 (11/10-11/05) 26 68 6 =100 (9/29-30/05) 31 61 8 =100 (9/8-9/05) Hurricane Katrina 28 66 6 =100 (8/2-4/05) 36 54 10 =100 (12/2-3/04) 46 46 8 =100 (10/27-29/04) 39 56 5 =100 (10/21-22/04) 40 56 4 =100 (10/14-15/04) 40 55 5 =100 (9/30-10/2/04) 38 57 5 =100 (9/9-10/04) 39 53 8 =100 (9/2-3/04) 43 49 8 =100 (7/29-30/04) 36 58 6 =100 (7/8-9/04) 40 54 6 =100 (5/13-14/04) Prisoner abuse scandal 30 62 8 =100 (4/8-9/04) 36 59 5 =100 (1/22-23/04) 43 52 5 =100 (1/8-9/04) 46 47 7 =100 (12/18-19/03) Saddam's capture 46 47 7 =100 (10/9-10/03) 40 54 6 =100 (4/03) Iraq War 50 41 9 =100 (9/02) 41 55 4 =100 (7/02) 46 46 8 =100 (9/01) Terrorist attacks 57 34 9 =100 (6/01) 43 52 5 =100 (3/01) 47 45 8 =100 (1/01) 55 41 4 =100 (6/00) 47 45 8 =100 (8/99) 56 39 5 =100 (9/98) 54 42 4 =100 (1/97) 38 58 4 =100 (3/96) 28 70 2 =100 (6/95) 25 73 2 =100 (8/94) 24 71 5 =100 (6/92) Recession 14 84 2 =100 (3/91) Gulf War Victory 66 31 3 =100 (9/90) 37 58 5 =100 (9/88) 56 40 4 =100 (11/85) 51 46 3 =100 (12/81) Recession 27 67 6 =100 (7/79) Energy/Economic Crisis 12 84 4 =100 (3) Trends from 4/03, 9.02, 6/00-6/01 and 6/95-8/99 from Pew Research Center; 7/79 - 6/92 from Gallup 2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? Approve Disapprove DK Current Total 31 63 6 =100 Trends(4) (11/2-3/06) 35 56 9 =100 (10/26-27/06) 37 53 10 =100 (10/19-20/06) 35 57 8 =100 (10/5-6/06) 33 59 8 =100 (8/24-25/06) 36 56 8 =100 (8/10-11/06) 38 55 7 =100 (5/11-12/06) 35 59 6 =100 (3/16-17/06) 36 58 6 =100 (11/10-11/05) 36 58 6 =100 (9/29-30/05) 40 53 7 =100 (9/8-9/05) 38 55 7 =100 (8/2-4/05) 42 51 7 =100 (3/17-18/05) 45 48 7 =100 (2/3-4/05) 50 42 8 =100 (12/2-3/04) 49 44 7 =100 (10/27-29/04) 46 47 7 =100 (10/14-15/04) 47 46 7 =100 (9/30-10/2/04) 46 48 6 =100 (9/9-10/04) 48 44 8 =100 (9/2-3/04) 52 41 7 =100 (7/29-30/04) 45 49 6 =100 (7/8-9/04) 48 46 6 =100 (5/13-14/04) 42 52 6 =100 (4/8-9/04) 49 45 6 =100 (3/18-19/04) 48 44 8 =100 (2/19-20/04) 48 44 8 =100 (2/5-6/04) 48 45 7 =100 (1/22-23/04) 50 44 6 =100 (1/8-9/04) 54 41 5 =100 (12/18-19/03) 54 38 8 =100 (11/6-7/03) 52 40 8 =100 (10/9-10/03) 51 42 7 =100 (8/21-22/03) 53 36 11 =100 (7/10-11/03) 55 37 8 =100 (5/29-30/03) 61 28 11 =100 (5/1-2/03) 65 26 9 =100 (4/10-11/03) 71 23 6 =100 (3/27-28/03) 68 26 6 =100 (3/13-14/03) 53 37 10 =100 (2/6-7/03) 61 31 8 =100 (1/16-17/03) 56 33 11 =100 (11/7-8/02) 60 30 10 =100 (9/12-13/02) 70 23 7 =100 (6/27-28/02) 70 19 11 =100 (1/31-2/1/02) 83 12 5 =100 (10/11-12/01) 88 8 4 =100 (9/20-21/01) 86 10 4 =100 (9/13-14/01) 82 11 7 =100 (8/25-9/5/01) 51 34 15 =100 (4) Full trendline from 1/04 to present; earlier trends selected. Approval figures for 8/25-9/5/01 from Pew Research Center. Lowest Approval Ratings for Past Presidents President % Approve Clinton 36 5/26-27/93 Newsweek G.H.W. Bush 29 7/31-8/2/92 Gallup Reagan 35 1/28-31/83 Gallup Carter 28 6/29-7/2/79 Gallup Ford 37 1/10-13/75 & 3/28-31/75 Gallup Nixon 23 1/4-7/74 Gallup Johnson 35 8/7-12/68 Gallup Kennedy 56 9/12-17/63 Gallup Eisenhower 48 3/27-4/1/58 Gallup Truman 22 2/9-14/52 Gallup Roosevelt 48 8/18-24/39 Gallup Source: The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research iPoll database. 3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Dick Cheney is handling his job as Vice President? Approve Disapprove DK Current Total 31 56 13 =100 Republicans 64 23 13 =100 Democrats 12 79 9 =100 Independents 28 59 13 =100 Trends(5) (2/28/06-3/1/06) 40 52 8 =100 (1/20-22/06) 41 47 12 =100 (11/11-13/05) 36 54 10 =100 (1/7-9/05) 50 40 10 =100 (1/9-11/04) 56 36 8 =100 (1/25-27/02) 68 18 14 =100 (5/18-20/01) 60 26 14 =100 (4/20-22/01) 63 21 16 =100 (5) Trend results from Gallup/CNN/USA Today polls. 4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Rumsfeld is handling his job as Secretary of Defense? Approve Disapprove DK Current Total 24 62 14 =100 Republicans 49 35 16 =100 Democrats 12 77 11 =100 Independents 20 68 12 =100 Trends (Total) (10/5-6/06) 30 55 15 =100 (4/28-30/06)(6) 33 49 18 =100 (6) Trend results from CBS News poll. 5. Now thinking ahead to the next PRESIDENTIAL election in November 2008 ... In general, would you rather see ... (RESPONSE CATEGORIES ROTATED) a Republican or a Democrat elected as our next president in 2008? BASED ON REGISTERED VOTERS Other Republican Democrat party(7) DK Current Total 28 48 4 20 =100 Republicans 74 10 2 14 =100 Democrats 3 88 2 7 =100 Independents 20 37 7 36 =100 Trend (5/11-12/06)(8) 32 49 2 17 =100 (7) Other party was a volunteered response category. (8) Question was asked of Total adults. Trend results recalculated to be based on registered voters [N=897] 6. As I read you the names of some possible candidates for president in 2008, please tell me if there is a good chance, some chance, or no chance you would vote for each one. If I mention someone you've never heard of, just say so. (First,) what about...? (INSERT NAME. ROTATE START) (Is there a good chance, some chance, or no chance you would vote for (him/her) as a candidate for president?) BASED ON REGISTERED VOTERS Good Some No Never DK chance chance chance heard(9) a. Joe Biden Current Total 7 17 34 36 6 =100 b. Sam Brownback Current Total 3 7 23 61 6 =100 c. Hillary Clinton Current Total 33 20 45 * 2 =100 d. John Edwards Current Total 15 28 36 16 5 =100 e. Al Gore Current Total 21 24 53 * 2 =100 f. Newt Gingrich Current Total 10 17 58 12 3 =100 g. Rudy Giuliani Current Total 24 30 32 10 4 =100 h. Duncan Hunter Current Total 1 6 19 69 5 =100 i. John Kerry Current Total 16 24 55 2 3 =100 j. John McCain Current Total 20 34 32 10 4 =100 k. Barack Obama Current Total 20 19 24 34 3 =100 l. Condoleezza Rice Current Total 24 27 43 4 2 =100 m. Mitt Romney Current Total 6 13 27 48 6 =100 (9) Never heard of is a volunteered response category. 7. Turning to this week's elections, do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing that the Democrats won control of both houses of Congress - or that it won't make much difference either way? Good Bad Not much thing thing difference DK Current Total 51 17 27 5 =100 Republicans 18 48 28 6 =100 Democrats 83 3 12 2 =100 Independents 45 10 39 6 =100 Congress Vote-Rep 16 48 31 5 =100 Congress Vote-Dem 83 3 17 2 =100 Didn't vote 44 12 37 7 =100 Men 50 17 28 5 =100 Women 53 17 26 4 =100 Whites 49 21 26 4 =100 Minorities 61 7 26 6 =100 Evangelicals 45 23 26 6 =100 Non Evangelicals 53 16 27 4 =100 Trend (gop control) (11/7-8/02)(10) 30 34 29 7 =100 (10) Trend wording read: "Turning to this week's elections, do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing that the Republicans won control of both house of Congress or do you think it won't make much difference either way?" 8. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Nancy Pelosi, who will be House speaker in the new Congress? Never Favorable Unfavorable heard(11) DK Current Total 34 20 17 29 =100 Republicans 17 42 15 26 =100 Democrats 48 7 16 29 =100 Independents 34 18 16 32 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06)(12) 25 26 26 23 =100 (11) Never heard of her was a volunteered response category. (12) Trend wording read: "Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Nancy Pelosi, who is in line to become speaker if the Democrats win enough seats in November to control the U.S. House of Representatives?" 9. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Harry Reid, who will be the Senate Majority Leader in the new Congress? Never Favorable Unfavorable heard(13) DK Current Total 25 17 24 34 =100 Republicans 14 34 23 29 =100 Democrats 34 8 23 35 =100 Independents 25 15 27 33 =100 (13) Never heard of was a volunteered response category. 10. We're interested in why you think the Democrats were able to regain control of Congress in this week's elections. As I read some possible reasons, please tell me if you think each is a major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason for the Democrats' success. (First,) what about this possible reason ... (INSERT-READ AND RANDOMIZE)? (Is this a major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason for the Democrats' success?) Not a Major Minor reason DK a. Disapproval of President Bush's overall job performance Current Total 71 20 8 1 =100 b. Disapproval of how the Bush administration has handled the war in Iraq Current Total 85 8 5 2 =100 c. Corruption charges and scandals involving Republicans Current Total 52 33 13 2 =100 d. Dissatisfaction with how Republicans have handled government spending and the deficit Current Total 67 23 8 2 =100 e. Democrats' ideas and proposals for changing course in Iraq Current Total 61 23 12 4 =100 f. Democrats' ideas and proposals for improving the economy and job situation Current Total 47 33 18 2 =100 g. Democrats' ideas and proposals for improving health care Current Total 47 32 17 4 =100 h. Democrats' ideas and proposals for protecting the environment and developing alternative energy sources Current Total 35 40 21 4 =100 i. Democrats had better candidates Current Total 27 38 30 5 =100 j. Disapproval of the overall job performance of Republicans in Congress Current Total 63 26 8 3 =100 k. Disapproval of the apparent arrogance of Republicans in Washington Current Total 50 28 18 4 =100 l. Dissatisfaction with the partisan approach of Republicans in Congress Current Total 48 33 13 6 =100 11. In general, which ONE of the following do you think should be a bigger priority for Congress and the President over the next two years...(READ AND ROTATE 1-2)? Iraq war and Domestic issues national econ. & like Both security health care equally(14) DK Current Total 51 33 15 1 =100 Republicans 65 24 11 * =100 Democrats 46 36 17 1 =100 Independents 49 35 15 1 =100 (14) Both equally is a volunteered response category. 12. As you may know, the Constitution prevents George W. Bush from running for a third term in 2008. Do you think Bush can be an effective president during his last two years in office, OR that he won't be able to get much done for the rest of his second term? Won't be able Can be to get much effective done DK Current Total 30 66 4 =100 Republicans 55 42 3 =100 Democrats 14 82 4 =100 Independents 28 69 3 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 33 56 11 =100 13. As I read you some things the new Democratic Congress might do over the next two years, please tell me if you think each should be one of their TOP priorities, a lower priority, or should not be done at all. (First,) what about... (INSERT-READ AND ROTATE)? Should this be one of their TOP priorities, a lower priority, or should this not be done?(15) Top Lower Not DK priority priority done a. New rules to limit the influence of lobbyists Current Total 52 34 10 4 =100 Republicans 51 35 10 4 =100 Democrats 57 31 8 4 =100 Independents 49 36 11 4 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 52 29 9 10 =100 b. Enacting all the recommendations of the 9/11 commission Current Total 50 36 6 8 =100 Republicans 44 39 9 8 =100 Democrats 56 30 5 9 =100 Independents 49 41 5 5 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 52 30 7 11 =100 c. Increasing the minimum wage Current Total 68 21 10 1 =100 Republicans 48 33 18 1 =100 Democrats 86 10 4 * =100 Independents 64 23 11 2 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 68 21 9 2 =100 d. Allowing the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices for seniors Current Total 75 17 7 1 =100 Republicans 67 21 10 2 =100 Democrats 86 11 2 1 =100 Independents 68 21 10 1 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 74 18 6 2 =100 e. Broadening the kinds of stem cell research that can receive federal funding Current Total 48 31 17 4 =100 Republicans 34 29 32 5 =100 Democrats 58 29 9 4 =100 Independents 50 32 15 3 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 44 31 19 6 =100 f. Rolling back some of the Bush tax cuts Current Total 40 32 24 4 =100 Republicans 20 28 48 4 =100 Democrats 58 29 10 3 =100 Independents 35 38 22 5 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 38 28 28 6 =100 g. Investigating government contracts in Iraq Current Total 60 29 10 1 =100 Republicans 40 39 19 2 =100 Democrats 73 21 4 2 =100 Independents 62 28 10 0 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 58 29 8 5 =100 h. Investigating questions about the decision to go to war with Iraq Current Total 49 26 23 2 =100 Republicans 23 28 48 1 =100 Democrats 66 25 8 1 =100 Independents 50 28 20 2 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 52 25 19 4 =100 i. Investigating charges of impropriety or wrong-doing by members of Congress Current Total 55 34 9 2 =100 Republicans 41 43 15 1 =100 Democrats 63 30 6 1 =100 Independents 59 31 8 2 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 62 27 7 4 =100 j. Cutting the interest rate on federal student loans Current Total 53 38 8 1 =100 Republicans 42 43 14 1 =100 Democrats 60 34 5 1 =100 Independents 51 40 8 1 =100 k. Impeaching George W. Bush Current Total 25 23 50 2 =100 Republicans 8 11 81 * =100 Democrats 38 28 33 1 =100 Independents 23 26 48 3 =100 Trend (10/19-20/06) 28 23 44 5 =100 (15) Trend wording read: "As I read you some things the Democrats might do over the next two year if they take control of Congress, please tell me if you think each should be one their TOP priorities, a lower priority, or should not be done at all." 14. Now that control of Congress and the White House is divided between the parties, do you think the two sides will work together and get some important work done for the country, or that partisan bickering will prevent them from getting much done over the next two years? Current Rep Dem Ind 40 Will be able to work together 38 47 33 54 Partisan bickering will prevent 58 49 60 6 Don't know 4 4 7 100 100 100 100 Questions 15 and 16 were asked in random order. 15. Do you think the Democrats will use their new power in Congress to try to move the country in a more liberal direction, in a more conservative direction or do you think they will take a more moderate approach? Current Rep Dem Ind 34 Will try to move the country in a more liberal direction 52 27 30 9 Will try to move the country in a more conservative direction 6 12 10 50 Will take a more moderate approach 37 55 54 7 Don't know 5 6 6 100 100 100 100 16. Do you think the Democrats SHOULD use their new power in Congress to try to move the country in a more liberal direction, in a more conservative direction or do you think they SHOULD take a more moderate approach? Current Rep Dem Ind 20 Should try to move the country in a more liberal direction 8 29 19 19 Should try to move the country in a more conservative direction 32 14 16 57 Should take a more moderate approach 57 54 62 4 Don't know 3 3 3 100 100 100 100 17. Please tell me how concerned you are, if at all, that the new Democratic Congress will do each of the following. (First,) what about... (INSERT-READ AND ROTATE)? Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, or not at all concerned (that the new Democratic Congress will do this)? Not Not at Very Somewhat too all DK a. Spending too much time investigating the Bush administration and Republican scandals Current Total 34 32 16 16 2 =100 Trend (10/17-22/06)(16) 25 28 25 18 4 =100 b. Going too far in rolling back the Bush tax cuts Current Total 30 31 19 17 3 =100 c. Pushing for a too hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq Current Total 51 27 9 11 2 =100 d. Keeping the Bush administration from doing what is necessary to combat terrorism Current Total 43 26 14 15 2 =100 e. Unfairly blocking qualified Bush appointments to the federal courts Current Total 28 26 19 24 3 =100 (16) Trend results from Pew Research Center. Trend wording read: "How concerned are you, if at all, that if the Democrats take control of the Congress this fall they will spend too much time investigating the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress?" Figure for "somewhat concerned" reflect the result for trend's "fairly concerned" category. 18. Now turning to the topic of Iraq... All in all, do you think the United States is making progress or losing ground in its efforts to establish security and democracy in Iraq? Making progress Losing ground DK Current Total 30 63 7 =100 Republicans 59 35 6 =100 Democrats 17 78 5 =100 Independents 24 67 9 =100 Trends (10/26-27/06) 29 60 11 =100 (10/5-6/06) 29 64 7 =100 (8/10-11/06) 31 58 11 =100 (9/8-9/05) 40 49 11 =100 (8/2-4/05) 40 50 10 =100 19. From what you know now, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or not? Yes No DK Current Total 41 54 5 =100 Republicans 79 20 1 =100 Democrats 20 75 5 =100 Independents 36 58 6 =100 Trends(17) (10/26-27/06) 43 49 8 =100 (10/19-20/06) 39 54 7 =100 (10/5-6/06) 41 53 6 =100 (8/10-11/06) 49 47 4 =100 (9/8-9/05) 46 49 5 =100 (10/27-29/04) RVs(18) 51 45 4 =100 (9/2-3/04) RVs 55 38 7 =100 (5/13-14/04) 51 43 6 =100 (4/8-9/04) 57 39 4 =100 (3/25-26/04) 55 41 4 =100 (3/18-19/04) 57 37 6 =100 (1/29-30/04) 55 39 6 =100 (12/18-19/03) 62 32 6 =100 (11/6-7/03) 55 38 7 =100 (10/23-24/03) 59 34 7 =100 (10/9-10/03) 56 37 7 =100 (9/11-12/03) 64 31 5 =100 (8/21-22/03) 61 33 6 =100 (7/24-25/03) 68 28 4 =100 (17) Trend wording for 2005 read "From what you know now, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq two years ago, or not?". Trend wording for 2004 read "... against Iraq last year, or not?" (18) September and October 2004 trend results based on registered voters.
20. For how long would you personally support keeping large numbers of U.S. military personnel in Iraq ... (READ)
Current 8/10-11/06 9/8-9/05 8/2-4/05 38 Total less than a year/Bring home now(19) 38 45 50 25 One to two years 18 19 13 9 Three to five years 7 6 5 1 Six to 10 years 1 1 1 * More than 10 years 1 * * 24 As long as it takes to achieve U.S. goals in Iraq 30 25 26 3 Don't know 5 4 5 100 100 100 100 (19) No longer/Bring them home now was a volunteered response category. 21. As you may know, Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down as Secretary of Defense. President Bush has said he refused to accept Rumsfeld's resignation earlier in the administration. As I read some possible reasons, please tell me if you think each is a major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason Bush refused to accept Rumsfeld's resignation before this week. (First,) what about this possible reason ... (INSERT-READ AND RANDOMIZE)? (Is this a major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason why Bush refused to accept Rumsfeld's resignation before this week?) Not a Major Minor reason DK a. Bush is loyal to those who work with him Current Total 54 24 16 6 =100 b. Bush did not want to change leadership at the Pentagon in the middle of a war Current Total 58 25 13 4 =100 c. Bush is stubborn and does not like to admit mistakes Current Total 56 18 22 4 =100 d. Bush believed Rumsfeld was doing a good job Current Total 53 25 16 6 =100 22. Thinking about U.S. foreign policy, would you prefer President Bush to cooperate more closely with other countries, as his father, the former President Bush did, or should President Bush work more independently of other countries? 67 Work more closely with other countries 25 More independent foreign policy 8 Don't know 100 D2. Now I have just a few more questions so we can describe the people who took part in our survey ... Regardless of how you might have voted in recent elections, in politics TODAY, do you consider yourself a Republican, Democrat, or Independent? Total RVs 25 Republican 27 37 Democrat 36 35 Independent 35 2 No party/Not interested (VOL.) 1 0 Other party (VOL.) 0 1 Don't know 1 100 100
Speaking three days after announcing the ouster of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Bush hailed members of the armed services — past, present and future — for their dedication and bravery.
"They confront grave danger to defend the safety of the American people. They brought down tyrants. They've liberated two nations. They have helped bring freedom to more than 50 million people. Through their sacrifice, they're making this nation safer and more secure, and they are earning the proud title of veteran," Bush said in a speech Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery.
Bush did not reference Iraq and Afghanistan by name, though he did say, "From Valley Forge to Vietnam, from Kuwait to Kandahar, from Berlin to Baghdad, our veterans have borne the costs of America's wars, and they have stood watch over America's peace."
Minutes before his remarks, the president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and held his hand over his heart as a bugler played taps. Cannons fired a 21-gun salute and soldiers holding rifles stood at attention as Bush's motorcade made its way through the cemetery on a sunny fall morning
LMNO Productions anuncia alianza con celebridad culinaria Chef LaLa para crear programación Televisiva bilingüe
LMNO Productions, productora ejecutiva del nuevo programa de entrevistas (talk show) en horario diurno “The Dr. Keith Ablow Show” ha establecido una alianza exclusiva con Chef LaLa, celebridad de renombre internacional, para la creación de programas televisivos bilingües entre los que figurará un talk show diurno. El anuncio fue dado a conocer en el día de hoy por Eric Schotz, presidente y director ejecutivo de LMNO Productions; y Jeremy Brown, presidente de Sliced Up Entertainment.
“Chef LaLa tiene todo lo necesario para ser una exitosa presentadora en horario diurno”, aseguró Schotz. “Es divertida, convincente e inteligente en lo que respecta a su especialidad, y tiene esa rara combinación que llega tanto a las audiencias de habla hispana como a las angloparlantes. Estamos extremadamente entusiasmados de trabajar con ella”.
La multitalentosa chef y nutricionista con adiestramiento Cordon Bleu es conocida por enfocar su exploración culinaria en preparaciones saludables de la cocina hispana, así como por sus numerosas presentaciones en programas de radio y televisión. Además, es autora del libro de cocina con récords de venta titulado “Latin Lover Lite”.
“La formación de un gran equipo es similar a la del plato perfecto. Los ingredientes idóneos, y enormes cantidades de talento”, explicó Chef LaLa. “Además, una pizca de pasión y un cronometraje perfecto. La alianza con LMNO Productions y Sliced up Entertainment es una receta para el éxito”.
El talk show, que ya tiene el título tentativo de “U’ LaLa”, tiene como propósito atraer a una audiencia culturalmente múltiple, y será mucho más que un programa culinario, pues tendrá un ritmo animado y será informativo y entretenido, con énfasis en el arte de vivir, no en el estilo de vida. El programa se caracterizará por su conexión diaria con la audiencia, presentando informaciones útiles con aplicaciones prácticas. Los invitados tendrán una amplia gama de procedencias, y no todos serán necesariamente celebridades.
Chef LaLa cuenta con una cantidad enorme y extremadamente diversa de admiradores, lo cual hace que sea la presentadora idónea para una programación bilingüe, comentó Brown. “La producción de estos programas en inglés y en español será una ardua tarea, y no pudimos pensar en nadie mejor para emprenderla que LMNO Productions”, enfatizó el presidente de Sliced Up Entertainment.
LMNO Productions, fundada en 1989, ha producido más de 700 programas y 60 series para la televisión por red, cable y de alcance nacional. Entre los créditos de LMNO, proveedora de programación de realidad, documental, informativa y de entretenimiento en todo el mundo, figuran “Kids Say the Darndest Things” presentado por Bill Cosby; “Wickedly Perfect” y “Fire Me…Please” para CBS; “Guinness World Records: Primetime” para FOX; “Behind Closed Doors with Joan Lunden” para A&E, y “The Dr. Keith Ablow Show” para Telepictures. Para obtener información acerca de la compañía y su programación, visite el sitio Web http://www.lmnotv.com.
Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), considered the front-runner for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, intends to launch an exploratory committee next week, GOP officials said Friday.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting a public statement from the four-term Arizona senator.
McCain, the GOP maverick who unsuccessfully sought his party's nomination in 2000, already has opened a bank account for the committee, one official said.
"The senator has made no decision about running for president," said Eileen McMenamin, a McCain spokeswoman.
Aides to McCain say the senator will discuss a presidential bid with his family over the Christmas holiday.
McCain is a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He was elected to the Senate in 1986, and served in the House for four years before that.
If McCain were to run, he would turn 72 on Aug. 29, 2008, at the height of the campaign. Only President Reagan was older — 73 at the start of his second term. McCain's health could be another issue. The senator has had several cancerous lesions removed from his skin.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you very much. I appreciate that. (Applause.)
General Dick Myers, thank you so much for those words.
And ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for that very warm welcome.
Later today, we'll be attending the dedication of a building here at Kansas State in General Myers' honor, which is a well-deserved tribute to one of this university's most distinguished alumni. Dick and Mary Jo were college sweethearts. They were married on this campus.
And my wife Joyce and I go back even farther. We met in high school and have been married some 52 years. (Applause.) Someone asked Joyce one day, how in the world did you stay married to that guy for 52 years? She very quickly said he travels a lot. (Laughter.) I thought she was kidding. (Laughter.)
Well, Dick Myers has traveled a good bit himself, and I'm sure Mary Jo would never say something like that. (Laughter.) Over the years, Dick and Mary Jo have been through countless moves. They've traveled places across the globe to serve our country. But I can tell you that their hearts have always belonged to Kansas. And I think -- I think everyone here would agree that they have done Kansas proud. Indeed, they have done our nation proud. (Applause.)
President Wefald, Mr. Reagan, Mr. Seton (ph), I certainly appreciate this invitation.
I hope all of you appreciate how I have managed so skillfully public affairs for this event. (Laughter.) I wanted to put the Landon Lecture on the map, so I did my best! (Applause.) I'm glad I could help out. (Laughter.)
It was Nancy Kassebaum, Alf Landon's daughter, who first talked to me about coming to do this lecture. And it was in Japan when her husband, Howard Baker, was the ambassador. And I said I'd really like to do it, and I'm glad I could be here.
Mr. Adams and members of the faculty -- Lucas, president of the student body -- is that what it's called? How did you do it? (Laughter.) It was easy, huh? Well, congratulations to you.
Congressman Moran, it's good to see you. I want to thank you for being here and for your service to the country.
We're also very honored to have a very special veteran with us here, born in Manhattan, a hero of the battle of Normandy, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Walter Ehlers. Where is Walter? (Applause.)
General Petreaus, General Ham, thank you both for your superb service to the country. And certainly a very special greeting to the men and women here from Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth, the Kansas State Army and Air Force ROTC cadets, volunteers all. We are deeply grateful to each of you for your service to the country and for your commitment to the defense of our nation.
I would start on a personal note. My time as secretary of Defense, I've come away truly inspired by the professionalism, the dedication, the dignity of the men and women in uniform and the folks at the Department of Defense who work every day to help keep the American people safe. When I was in Afghanistan not long ago, a young soldier told me -- he said, I really can't believe we're allowed to do something this important. You know, I feel the same way. I'm so honored to have had the opportunity to be part of something so important, so vital to the future of our country and to the cause of human freedom. It has been the highest honor of my life to serve our country and to work so closely with our outstanding troops.
It's a pleasure to take part in this lecture series, named for a governor, a presidential candidate and a statesman of great civility. But I guess that perhaps what he was most proud of was that he was a Kansan, and he said so frequently.
It's said that the geographic center of the 48 states is here in Kansas, and that's fitting. If you think about it, this part of the world has given our nation some of the truly great leaders of the last century: Governor Landon; along with him was General Dwight Eisenhower from Abilene; Bob Dole from Russell; Harry Truman, who lived next door in Missouri. One of Ronald Reagan's biographers said that he really never understood President Reagan until he went to Illinois and experienced firsthand where President Reagan had grown up.
These individuals embodied the values instilled in the sons and daughters of this part of the Great Plains and Midwest. Here, folks tend to have a good perspective about things, about the difference between right and wrong. They've grown up with an appreciation for the splendor and the decency of America and of the American people.
Well, we meet today at a time of peril for our nation and for the principles that it represents. In a sense, this is not new. In different ways at different times and from different sources, our nation and our values have been threatened since our very beginnings as a country. But today, in the first war of the 21st century, we face an enemy that in many ways is unlike any our country has ever faced in our long history. We're engaged in a new and unfamiliar war that is even today not yet well understood. It's a struggle that will require all of us -- our country, our government, our military, and the American people -- to think and act differently than we have in other conflicts. And I want to spend a few minutes talking about this challenge before responding to some questions.
I'm told that Kansas State has a Cold War studies program that examines the history of the long twilight struggle. Well, like the Cold War, this era finds America and our allies in a struggle against an ideology of global reach. And like the Cold War, this era requires us to adapt and adjust our strategies, our way of thinking and our institutions.
Forty years ago, Governor Landon spoke about the challenge of that era and the need to face what he called the new realities of international life. When he spoke in 1966, there was most certainly no assurance that America would prevail against the Soviet Union. That year, the number of troops in Vietnam nearly doubled, to more than 300,000, in an increasingly divisive conflict. No less than seven violent coups occurred around the world that year. There was doubt and division, even among our allies, even within our own country. France pulled out of the NATO defense structure and invited NATO out of France.
When I was U.S. ambassador to NATO, I had to race back to Washington to testify before a U.S. Senate committee against an amendment -- a Senate amendment -- that proposed to withdraw all of our forces from Western Europe. Euro-communism, the so-called "good communism," was very much en vogue. It was popular. Many of the so- called elites in our country argued that America was the problem, not the Soviet Union; that the arms race was a big misunderstanding. Millions of people demonstrated and marched not against the Soviet Union, but against the United States and our European allies. We tend to forget that. Almost until the day of its demise, many argued that communism was the wave of the future.
President Reagan used to tell a story of a young Soviet who finally saved up enough money to buy a car, and the Soviet clerk stamped the man's paper and told him he would get his car in 10 years. The young man asked, will it come in the morning or the afternoon? (Laughter.) The clerk, astonished, responded, well, what difference does it make? And the young man replied, because the plumber's coming in the morning. (Laughter.) The great lesson of the Cold War is that totalitarianism, ruled by fear and terror in whatever guise it takes, ultimately does not work. And when people finally realize that truth, those systems tend to collapse.
Today marks the 17th anniversary of the breach of the Berlin Wall, the most visible symbol of the end of an era and of a bankrupt ideology. When thousands of Berliners climbed over that wall to reunite with friends and family that they had been separated from for decades, they went in one direction: they went west, to the free world, and they vividly understood exactly what it was that they had been fighting for all those years.
There are some similarities between the Cold War and the struggle we face today, but this long war represents and presents unprecedented challenges for us wholly unlike any that the United States has ever faced. There can be no doubt but that the murderous communist regimes imprisoned, starved and sometimes massacred their own citizens. We know that. But they were nation-states. They had capitals. They had laws. They had five-year plans. They had diplomats to sign agreements, even if they broke them.
Unlike the Cold War, our enemy has no state and no territories to defend. They murder innocent Muslim civilians by the thousands -- men, women and children alike. The enemy cannot be deterred through rational self-interest. Today's threats come less from nation-states, but rather from enemies that operate in the shadows, that strike through asymmetric and irregular means.
On September 11th, we saw the deadly effects of this new type of warfare. Armed with $5 box cutters, 19 hijackers killed 3,000 Americans and inflicted hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the insurgents fashion deadly IEDs and road bombs using propane tanks and garage-door openers. Nations like Iran and Syria seek to undermine U.S. and allied interests by moving weapons and money and terrorists and insurgents. In the future, there could be attacks on computer networks, water supplies, communications systems.
Our military was organized, trained and equipped largely for conventional warfare, not asymmetric or irregular warfare. In fact, for much of the past century, the U.S. armed forces operated essentially as separate and sometimes even competing branches of service. In 1986, Congress passed legislation to restructure the military into a more joint force. Since then, our military has been learning to fight and learning well how to fight in a single, coordinated force. That reform of the military has been one of their most impressive achievements.
But to win this global struggle against violent extremists, all elements of national power, all agencies of government, as well as a broad coalition of nations, will have to be brought to bear more effectively. To the extent possible we can no longer afford to have Defense and State Departments, CIA and Homeland Security, Treasury and Justice, Agriculture and Commerce each waging their own campaign with their own rules, their own restrictions, each overseen by separate congressional committees and subcommittees. Defense, diplomacy and development cannot fit neatly into separate compartments today. Success requires that security, governance and development programs progress together.
Our military cannot lose a battle in Afghanistan or Iraq, but our military cannot win all alone. They need the help of the other departments and agencies. They need the help of a broad coalition, and that is a vastly more complex task.
In Afghanistan, for example, provisional reconstruction teams need to draw on the forces and expertise from a range of specialties. These teams have achieved a good deal, because their success has been limited because their activities are too often thought to remain almost exclusively the responsibility of the Department of Defense. Our military cannot lose, as I say; to win will require much more than military force alone. Governance and development, as I say, must proceed apace.
Second, we need to recognize that this struggle against extremism cannot and will not be won by any single country, even the United States of America.
It will be won, over time, by the hundreds of millions of Muslims -- Iraqis, Afghans, Egyptians, Indonesians, as well as European and American Muslims -- who will ultimately be responsible for winning the struggle against violent extremists.
The Defense Department has asked for increases in funding and authority to help to build the capacity and the capabilities of partner nations. This will be a difficult shift in approach for our country. Change is hard, and it's not easy for Americans to teach and assist while others act and do. Ours is a nation and a military with a hands-on, can-do spirit. But today's war against a global enemy requires first and foremost that we enable our friends and allies, especially those in the Muslim world, to confront and defeat the extremists within their own borders and on their own airwaves.
The shift towards building our partners' capabilities requires, for example, some of the best military personnel to become trainers and advisers and embedded with foreign security forces so that they can improve their capacities and their capabilities. And as was indicated, we have a number of those folks here today who are currently training at Fort Riley as part of military transition teams. These teams will be undertaking a critical task when they deploy, to train and stand up and mentor Afghan, Iraqi security forces, and those of other nations. There's perhaps, as we move into this new period, no more important mission. So folks, I thank you for all you've done and for all you are doing and all you will do. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
In the past, U.S. efforts to train foreign security forces have been burdened by outdated restrictions. In Afghanistan, for example, building up the Afghan army was harmfully delayed because there was no such category in the U.S. federal budget at the time, and we lacked the authorities and the resources to do so for a period. Other painful delays in training the Afghan and Iraqi police forces were the result of the fact that it was the responsibility of others and not the Department of Defense, and we were prohibited from participating in training police in the early period.
Further, the realities on the ground in the rest of the world do not correspond to the U.S. yearly budget process. When you think about it, we live in a fast-moving world, and it takes, in the Department of Defense, a year to develop a budget, it takes a year of the Congress to pass it, and then it takes a year to implement that budget. That's a three-year cycle that results in a situation where, during execution, you're basically dealing with stale facts, stale assumptions -- assumptions that were fashioned two-and-a-half, three years before. And we don't have yet the speed and agility that we need. The department is currently drawing upon proposals – drawing up proposals to reform existing regulations and authorities. Some of these in response -- regulations and rules and laws date back to the 1960s and, unfortunately, hamper effective U.S. action.
Third, another area that government needs to be strengthened is in communications. Today's global, 24-hour media presents new challenges for a government that operates on a -- on a very different schedule. Al Qaeda's second-in-command, al-Zawahiri, has said that, quote, "More than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media." This is the number two al Qaeda leader explaining to his people that it's not so much only on the battlefield today, it's in the media.
The enemy we face has skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age, but for the most part, our country and our government have not yet completed the adjustments that will be necessary. The enemy is fast, with headline-grabbing attacks. By doctoring photographs, lying to the media, being trained to allege torture in their training manuals, the enemy successfully manipulates the free world's press, a press that they would never allow to be free -- and they do so purposefully to intimidate and break the will of free people. We need to understand the ruthlessness, the skillfulness of this enemy.
In 1961, Dwight Eisenhower spoke to the nation for the last time as president. He warned of a long struggle ahead. He said, and I quote, "We face a hostile ideology, global in scope, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method. To meet it successfully, we must carry forward steadily, surely and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle, with liberty the stake."
As we look back on those crucial years during the Cold War, so too our grandchildren will one day look back on this time as a defining moment in American history. History will judge whether this generation did all we could to defeat a vicious, extremist enemy that threatens our security, our freedom and our very way of life, or if we left it to the next generation to try to fight an enemy then strengthened by our weakness and emboldened by a lack of resolve.
Over my lifetime, I've had the opportunity to live in times of great consequence -- times of war, times of peace -- and I've met countless Americans from every corner of our magnificent country. I've developed an abiding faith in the wisdom and good judgment of the American people. Over time, on big issues, the American people find their way to right decisions. I've seen us triumph over dictators and tyrannies in many forms. And I believe that if we persevere today -- and I'm convinced we will -- and make the right choices and develop a clear understanding of this new war we face, the first war of the 21st century, we can overcome the increasingly lethal threats that challenge our country.
Despite all the enemy tries to do to make the world think otherwise, America is not what's wrong with the world. America is a force for good. We are on the right side of history. The great sweep of human history is for freedom, and let there be no doubt we are on freedom's side.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you very much. I'm -- I'm told there are some microphones around, and I'd be happy to respond to some questions. I'll answer those I know the answer to, and the difficult ones I'll heave to Dick Myers. (Laughter.) Where are the microphones located? Oh, there. They've got numbers. Here's one, there's one up there, there's one up there, there's one up there. If someone would like to pose a question, why don't you go and line up near them and we can then start.
JON WEFALD (president, Kansas State University): Okay. We have a question up here.
Q: First of all, I want to thank you for your many years of service to our country.
My concern with our global war on terror is that there are so few people fighting it. Besides the military and their families, they seem to be the only ones making a --
SEC. RUMSFELD: I'm wondering if you could talk a little slower.
Q: Okay.
SEC. RUMSFELD: I'm having trouble following in the echo.
Q: Okay. My concern about the global war on terror is that there are so few people fighting it. Besides the military and their families, nobody else seems invested in the war. In World War II, the whole country was making sacrifices, trying to conserve and rationing and all of those things where everybody was involved in winning. Nowadays, it seems like the average American gets up, goes to work, comes home, watches "American Idol" and goes to bed, never contributing to the war effort. And that not only are they not contributing, but the average person isn't even inconvenienced by the war. My question is, what can be done to get more of the American people invested in winning this war?
SEC. RUMSFELD: That is a critical question, and it's something that troubles me and that I worry about, just as you obviously worry about it.
I grew up in World War II and had a victory garden and used to buy the war bonds -- $18.75, and if you held them long enough, it was $25. We, as you say, collected scrap and old rubber to be made into retread tires. The -- that was a period where the entire nation was mobilized, as it had to be, to deal with that, and it was for a relatively short period of time, and we prevailed.
The Cold War, unlike World War II, the country did not mobilize. But we demonstrated over 50 years a perseverance to deal, as President Eisenhower said, with a global struggle. We did it through successive administrations of both political parties, not just in our country, but in the democratic capitals of Western Europe. And it was a very different experience. What we're dealing with today is much more like the Cold War in that sense: that it's long, it's not a brief, high- intensity, conventional conflict where the great armies, navies and air forces compete and it's over and you sign a treaty on the USS Missouri and end it.
And what we have to do is recognize that. And I guess -- I think it was my uncle used to say that "persuasion is a two-edged sword: reason and emotion. Plunge it deep." We have to use our reason, as we did during the Cold War, to, as a nation, be persuasive to our fellow citizens, to help them understand what's at stake. Every year that goes by there is a greater and greater likelihood that weapons of mass destruction are going to end up in more and more hands. You see what Iran's doing, you see what North Korea's doing, and you see what Iran did by way of providing weapons to the Hezbollah, to a non-state entity. And you look down the road and other countries are going to say, "Well, if Iran and North Korea are developing nuclear weapons, maybe we need to do that." And then you see these weapons in the hands of non-state entities that don't have real estate to defend, don't have an industrial base to defend, and don't have a leadership class to defend, no address where you can go after them. It's a network.
It is a -- that's the world we're moving into, and we simply have to be smart enough, wise enough to marry reason and emotion to see that we do the right things in this country. We did it during the Cold War. I don't have any doubt at all but that we're going to be capable of doing it during this long struggle that we face against violent extremists.
MR. WEFALD: Mr. Secretary, let's go up here.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Good.
MR. WEFALD: Three?
SEC. RUMSFELD: I'll give shorter answers maybe. Got a lot of people lined up there.
Q: Secretary Rumsfeld, the Military Commissions Act gives you the permission to be able to designate any American citizen --
SEC. RUMSFELD: I'm sorry again. There's a big echo, and I'm having a little trouble following the words. Just go a little slower and I'll be able to hear you.
Q: Sure. The Military Commissions Act gives you the ability to --
SEC. RUMSFELD: The military what?
Q: Military Commissions Act.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Commissions. Oh, yes. Good, I hear you.
Q: -- gives you the ability to designate any American an enemy combatant. Do you think that it's an inherent danger for individual Americans to be able -- to be subject to the whim of men just if they don't agree with their, you know, political position or whatnot?
SEC. RUMSFELD: Of course not, and the legislation that was passed by the Congress and signed by the president doesn't provide that. And there are all kinds of safeguards and checks and appeal processes in the Military Commissions Act.
MR. WEFALD: We've got one right here.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Yes.
Q: Secretary Rumsfeld, thank you so much for coming today. I am the daughter of a veteran, I am the wife of a veteran, I am the mother of a veteran, and I'm the proud mother of an active-duty Marine right now, and we have two things we'd like to know from you.
SEC. RUMSFELD: (Applauds.) Thank you. (Applause.)
Q: My children would like to know what bird you flew when you
were a Navy pilot.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Which what?
Q: What bird you flew. And what --
SEC. RUMSFELD: Uh-huh. The last one I flew was an S-2F. It was a -- there are none of them around. They're all in museums. (Laughter.) It's a little embarrassing.
Q: (Laughs.) Thank you.
We would also like to know your advice for somebody like my daughter, who's going to graduate in two years, advice that you would give a young person. Thank you very much.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Advice for a young person. Study history.
MR. WEFALD: Hey, there you go. There you go. (Laughter, applause.)
SEC. RUMSFELD: We need context. We've staked everything in this country -- if you think about the gamble, we stake everything on the people, that they can -- given sufficient information, will make the right decisions. They need context. We need context. History provides that context. And if there's one piece of advice I could give, it would be to focus on that and think about it and understand it. It will improve the ability of all of us to function as citizens in this great republic.
MR. WEFALD: Okay, let's go to -- up there, at four?
Q: Yes, sir. Cadet Rhett Bytenadies (ph), Air Force Detachment 270, Kansas State.
With all the tough jobs that you have faced, and criticism and stress and et cetera, et cetera, how do you find the motivation to continue to push on?
SEC. RUMSFELD: (Pause.) My goodness. (Laughter.) Those personal questions are hard. (Laughter.) I guess the answer is that I feel so fortunate to have been able to participate and serve at important times in our country's history, and to do it with people like that. (Applause.)
MR. WEFALD: Up here at three again?
Q: How about you? Have you seen "Brokeback Mountain"? A little inside joke. (Laughter.)
MR. WEFALD: (Off mike.)
Q: My real question is this: If you were going to give yourself a letter grade for your performance as secretary of Defense, what grade would that be?
SEC. RUMSFELD: Oh, I'd let history worry about that. (Laughter, applause.)
MR. WEFALD: Okay, good.
Q: Hello, Mr. Rumsfeld.
Since this is the Landon Lecture on public issues, I wanted to ask a question about a very pertinent public issue. And that is, Mr. Secretary, journalists across the nation, both conservative, liberal, moderate; politicians, former high-echelon military commanders --
SEC. RUMSFELD: I'm sorry; you're going to have to speak a little slower for me to follow it.
Q: Sorry. Journalists across the nation, both conservative and liberal and moderate; politicians; former high-echelon military commanders; and many other Americans say and believe that our policy in Iraq is, quite simply, broke. It's not working; it's not doing its job. What do you think that the next secretary of Defense, who's been named as Mr. Gates, can do to fix that, to make our efforts in Iraq truly successful -- truly, truly a nation-building operation that creates a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq?
SEC. RUMSFELD: Well, certainly that's the hope and the prayer of everyone involved, the troops and the leadership of our country.
I certainly can't speak for the new incoming secretary of Defense. I will say this: It is very clear that the major combat operations were an enormous success. It is clear that in phase two of this it has not been going well enough or fast enough.
On the other hand, there have been very impressive things that have been accomplished. The country has drafted a constitution. It's ratified a constitution. They have held an election and elected freely a government. Twelve million Iraqis went out to vote. That is impressive. They have a stake in the success of that situation. The schools are open. The hospitals are open. They have a stock market. They have a free press.
Now you put all that on a scale against the fact that there is violence, and sectarian violence -- and there is -- and that people are being killed and Muslims are being killed by violent, extremist Muslims. And it's important to know that that's what's happening over there.
The commanders -- General Casey and General Abizaid – have shifted their activities and their efforts over the past period as the circumstance on the ground has shifted and changed -- and it has. The enemy has a brain and they do things. They watch what happens and they make adjustments. And it is a much more complex situation. And quite honestly, our country does not have experience attempting to impose control and our will over vicious, violent extremists that don't have armies, don't have navies, don't have air forces and operate in the shadows. It is a totally different circumstance.
And I think that just as the Cold War required some patience and some perseverance and some resolve and some context, so too this effort will. And I don't have any doubt that the president, working with the commanders and the new secretary, will continue to make adjustments. And that if we have the perseverance and the resolve, we will end up seeing the Iraqi people ultimately take control of their country, govern their country, provide security for their country. And certainly that is our hope and our prayer.
Q: Good morning, Secretary Rumsfeld. Thank you for coming here to speak to us. And thank you, President Wefald and Dr. Regan (sp), for bringing him here.
My name is Way Woo (ph). I'm a Chinese language instructor here on campus. We just started a Chinese language program last year and so some of my students are here with me today to listen to your speech. I have two question and I believe my students are also very interested in hearing your answer.
First one is we would like to hear your opinion about China and U.S.-China relations. As the fall of the Soviet Union, China seems to become more obvious in this so-called communist world camp, or maybe a former communist country, because China does go through a lot of changes. As you travel to China you may see it. So we'd like to hear your opinion about China and U.S.-China relationship.
And second question is we'd like to hear about your opinion about the importance of learning Chinese language from a strategic point of view, in light of the 21st century.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Well, I was going to say I think your students chose very well to learn to study Chinese. I think it's a good thing and a wise thing and our country needs to improve our language capabilities. The Department of Defense has been working very hard to see that the languages -- that more language is taught to the people there in the department, and also that a broader range of languages are taught.
With respect to China, the Chinese people have made a very good decision to move towards a more open economic system and to engage the world, and they're doing it quite successfully. They have a very good rate of economic growth. They are increasingly, I think, recognizing that they are stakeholders in the success of the global economic system. They have a lot that depends on that.
They also have some problems. They have some very serious environmental problems. They have some demographic problems. They have some problems with respect to riots and demonstrations -- tens of thousands of them a year. Now, they have a big country, but – so they are managing their affairs in a way that is, I think, designed to create an environment that's hospitable to enterprise and to interaction with the rest of the world. They don't want to lose the Olympics, for example. They want to see that they do things in their country that makes people feel comfortable investing and trading and working with their country.
I think those are good things. I think, on the other hand, that they face a bit of a dilemma. And the dilemma is they still have an un-free political system and an increasingly free economic system. Now you can go down that road only so far, and at some point, if you want to have a highly successful economic -- free economic system, it's going to affect your political system in some way, in this sense: You're going to have an awful lot of people from other countries who are milling around in your country with computers and with cell phones doing a lot of things that make it more difficult for you to manage your political system to the extent you want to have a controlled political system.
So I don't know how those tensions will be resolved. Needless to say, like every person in the free world, we hope that they'll be resolved in favor of free systems. And I think that that is at least a reasonable prospect for China. They're not there yet. There's lots of things people can say to criticize them, but they're on a path that suggests they want to sustain that growth. And to do that, I think they're going to have to behave in a way that is entering the global economic system in a constructive way.
Do you teach something like that, or are you --
Q: I teach Chinese culture --
SEC. RUMSFELD: Culture.
Q: -- and development of China; also, U.S.-China relations.
Would you like to talk --
SEC. RUMSFELD: Oh, I think, you know, it started out pretty bumpy. They crashed into our EP-3 aircraft and then held our people hostage for days, many days. And it was a most unfortunate thing. This was in 2001. They behaved very badly. I think they behaved badly because they were in a leadership struggle and there was tension between the People's Liberation Army, the PLA, and the political leadership. And Jiang Zemin, as I recall, was in South America at the time. And it was a bad scene. They handled it very badly.
Since that time it's been on a clear uptick. We've improved military-to-military relations. We have greater economic interaction with them, and the political interaction has been generally more positive. So I think it's been on an improving path.
Thank you.
MR. WEFALD: I think we have time for two more questions. One here and then we'll go up to three.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Good.
Q: Hello, Mr. Rumsfeld.
I'm Christian Schultz (sp) and I'm studying geography right now in hopes of translating maps for Japan and Korea, and possibly teaching there, and to mission there too.
Now, Mr. Rumsfeld, do you suppose that right before the invasion of Iraq, Saddam may have moved his WMDs out of the country and into the hands of countries and/or organizations friendly and sympathetic to his former regime?
SEC. RUMSFELD: There are two things that are out there that I cannot speak to with a high degree of certainty.
There are reports from people, Iraqis, that that happened – that things were moved out of Iraq just prior to the military action. I can't prove that it happened. I can't prove that it did not happen. I guess that some day we'll know.
We also know that the Iraqis buried a lot of things. They buried complete jet aircraft. I can't quite imagine that -- when you think of what they cost and how easily they're damaged -- to bury them in the ground takes a certain mentality. (Laughter.) What else they may have buried I don't know.
The Duelfer Report, he was the man who had the responsibility over there, came back and he wrote a report and said that the weapons of mass destruction efforts of Iraq were basically on hold. That is to say, they had a capability to rapidly upgrade their chemical and biological weapons. I think that's close to what he said. And they did not have a nuclear program under way, but they had kept together their nuclear cadre -- the people who had previously been involved with it. And I've not seen anything since the Duelfer report that contradicts that. So we will know more at some point.
There are literally millions of pages of Iraqi documents that are now being released into the Internet and it's going to -- (audio break) — one of the problems recently was some information was put on the Internet that explains how to make some weapons, which was criticized. My personal view is that it's a good idea to get that information out to the extent we can, and to do it sooner rather than later.
MR. WEFALD: Just one more up here.
SEC. RUMSFELD: This is the last question. Make it a pip!
Q: Mr. Secretary, thank you for coming.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Thank you.
Q: In your speech you mention 9/11. And it has been widely reported that 15 of the 19 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. And it is reported or it's believed that some of the insurgents fighting in Iraq today comes from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was not attacked. Why?
SEC. RUMSFELD: Excuse me. You said Saudi Arabia was not attacked?
Q: Was not attacked by you and your government.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Oh, I see what you're saying.
Q: Do you think that this war on terror could be successful without Saudi Arabia toeing the line?
Thank you.
SEC. RUMSFELD: The violent extremists do not all come from one country. They come from a lot of countries -- many, many countries. If one looks at the mixture in the detainees that have been arrested in Iraq and Afghanistan and London and Madrid and various parts around the world -- Saudi Arabia -- there are 10, 15, 20 countries that are represented with people, their citizens, involved in these terrorist networks.
It would be, of course, mindless to run around declaring war against all the countries who happen to have citizens who are violent extremists. Saudi Arabia, ever since they were attacked several years ago by violent extremists, has been out doing a great many things to go after the extremists in their country, to put them in jail, to arrest them and to attempt to deal with the seedbed of that problem. They've been attempting to deal with those that teach people violence and extremism.
So it is a complicated thing. We have allies, good friends and allies, that have violent extremists that come out of their country. And they don't like it and we don't like it. But the task, as I mentioned in my remarks, is for us to help them develop their capacity so that their law enforcement officers and their military develops a better capability to go after the extremists that exist in their country.
And the truth is we can't -- it's a very difficult thing. We're trying to fight a war, and how do you do that when you're not at war with the countries where the problems are? You can't just pretend you're at war with them. You're not. They're friends and allies and they're trying to do it. The only thing you can do is to help them develop their capability so that they can do a better job going after those extremists before they can attack them or other free people.
The people that are also at risk are governments like the Saudi government and like the moderate governments in that region. Those are the principal targets of al Qaeda. That is their first goal is to destabilize all of those countries.
I'm getting the hook. I've enjoyed being here, and I thank you very much. (Applause.)
Thank you very much, folks. I really appreciate that very warm welcome you've given me.
MR. WEFALD: Mr. Secretary, thank you very much for an excellent presentation. Thank you so much for answering as many questions as you did. I want to thank you and Joyce. We'll be eternally grateful that you came to K-State to deliver a great Landon Lecture.
Let's give him another big hand. (Applause.)
The decision to change leadership at the
Pentagon came yesterday, after President Bush had had a chance to meet
with his prospective nominee for secretary of defense and to have the last
in a series of conversations with outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld, the president told reporters at the White House today.
Bush announced he intends to nominate Texas A&M University President
Robert M. Gates, who ran the CIA from November 1991 to January 1993, to
succeed Rumsfeld.
"I have been talking with Don Rumsfeld over a period of time about
fresh perspective; he likes to call it fresh eyes," Bush said. "He himself
understands that Iraq is not working well enough fast enough, and he
and I are constantly assessing. ... As you know, we're constantly
changing tactics, and that requires constant assessment. And so he and I both
agreed in our meeting yesterday that it was appropriate that I accept
his resignation."
The president said that while Gates would bring a new perspective to
the job, he found that he and his prospective nominee are like-minded
when it comes to what needs to happen in Iraq. "He understands we're in a
global war against these terrorists," Bush said. "He understands that
defeat is not an option in Iraq. And I believe it's important that there
be a fresh perspective, and so does Secretary Rumsfeld."
Bush acknowledged that the fight in Iraq has been tough and that
progress hasn't always been as quick or evident as he would have liked, but
he reasserted his belief that abandoning the effort would make victory
impossible. "I wish this had gone faster," he said. "So does Secretary
Rumsfeld. But the reality is that it's a tough fight, and we're going to
win the fight. And I truly believe the only way we won't win is if we
leave before the job is done."
Bush did not provide a timeline on when Rumsfeld would leave office.
Warn Industries Inc. Recalls Eight-Post ATV Winch Kits for Overheating
Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/.)
Name of Product: Warn ATV and Utility Vehicle Winch Kits
Units: About 218,000
Manufacturer: Warn Industries Inc., of Clackamas, Ore. (manufacturer of the winch kits)
Hazard: A component of the winch kit, the eight-post contactor, can continue to pull current when in the "off" position, which can cause it to overheat and pose a fire hazard.
Incidents/Injuries: Warn Industries has received one report of a contactor failure resulting in excessive heat and melting damage to the contactor. No injuries were reported.
Description: This recall involves eight-post contactors used on certain 2,500 to 3,500 lb Warn ATV and Utility Vehicle Winch Kits. The black contactors were sold as a part of winch kits and have a "WARN" logo on the top and bottom of the contactor. Warn part number 62135 is printed on the bottom. Contactors are found on the vehicle attached to the power wires, between the battery and the winch. The contactor has four holes for securing it to the vehicle. A complete listing of winch kit part numbers involved in this recall can be found at http://www.warn.com/.
Sold by: ATV dealers, ATV accessory retailers, mail order catalogs, and Web retailers nationwide from May 2001 through September 2005 for $700.
Manufactured in: United States (contactors were manufactured in Japan)
Remedy: Consumers with winch kits containing these eight-post contactors should immediately disconnect the contactor wires from the battery and contact Warn Industries or their local dealer for a free replacement contactor.
Customer Contact: For additional information, consumers can contact Warn toll-free at (866) 408-3767 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or e-mail Warn at contact@warn.com. Consumers also can visit the firm's Web site at http://www.warn.com/.
Firm's Recall Hotline: (866) 408-3767
Update from Pyongyang: Key Former U.S. Officials Visit DPRK After Nuke Test, Will Report Findings at National Press Club on Nov. 15
WHAT: Charles L. (Jack) Pritchard, Siegfried S. (Sig) Hecker, and Robert (Bob) Carlin visited North Korea from Oct. 31 through Nov. 4. They will present their findings from discussions with senior officials from the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Yongbyon Nuclear Facilities, and key North Korean economic institutes.
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: National Press Club Ballroom, 529 14th Street, NW, 13th Floor Washington, DC 20045
WHY: The group's four-day visit to North Korea came immediately after Pyongyang announced its intention to return to the Six Party Talks. The trip to North Korea was organized and led by Dr. John W. Lewis of Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation, who has visited North Korea 14 times.
Speakers Short Bios:
Jack Pritchard is currently president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, DC. Previously he served as the U.S. special envoy for negotiations to the DPRK from April 2001 until September 2003 and before that as senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council during President Clinton's administration. He has visited the DPRK eight times.
Sig Hecker is a visiting professor at the Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation and director emeritus at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which he served as director from 1986 to 1997. He has visited North Korea three times.
Bob Carlin is currently a visiting fellow at the Center for International Cooperation and Security at Stanford University. From 2002-2006, he was the senior political advisor at the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization. Carlin was chief of the Northeast Asia division of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research from 1989 to 2002. He has visited the DPRK 26 times.
Tomorrow's vote is shaping up to be a dramatic and historic midterm election. Will the Democrats take back the House after 12 years of Republican control? Can the GOP hold on to the Senate? Who will be your next representatives in Congress?
An Iraqi court sentenced Saddam Hussein to
death today for ordering the execution of 148 men in Dujail, Iraq, in
1982.
Thousands of people in Baghdad took to the streets to celebrate the
verdict. The Iraqi High Tribunal sentenced two other defendants to death
and four to prison and acquitted one.
In anticipation of the verdict, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
had imposed a curfew in Baghdad and two Diyala and Salaheddin provinces.
The two provinces are primarily Sunni and were the base of Saddam's
support during his dictatorship. Shiite and Kurdish provinces were not
under curfew.
"The Saddam Hussein era is in the past now, as was the era of Hitler
and Mussolini," al-Maliki said following the verdict. "We want an Iraq
where all Iraqis are equal before the law," he said. "The policy of
discrimination and persecution is over."
U.S. forces captured Saddam hiding in a hole in the ground in December
2003. In a written statement, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad
called the verdict "an important milestone for Iraq as the country
takes another major step forward in the building of a free society based on
the rule of law."
Khalilzad said the verdicts demonstrate the commitment of the Iraqi
people to hold the members of the former regime accountable for their
actions.
All involved in the case showed courage in proceeding with it, the
ambassador said. Baathist "dead-enders" tried to intimidate members of the
court, and insurgents killed three defense lawyers in the course of the
trial, he noted.
"Their determination to pursue justice is a signal that the rule of law
will prevail in Iraq despite the difficult situation that the country
now faces," Khalilzad said. "A former dictator feared by millions, who
killed his own citizens without mercy or justice, who waged wars against
neighboring countries, has been brought to trial in his own country -
held accountable in a court of law with ordinary citizens bearing
witness."
The ambassador said that although Iraq may face difficult days in the
coming weeks, "closing the book on Saddam and his regime is an
opportunity to unite and build a better future. As the Iraqi people move
forward, the United States will support them in their efforts to build a just
and democratic society."
Saddam's case will be appealed automatically to the Appellate Chamber
of the Iraqi High Tribunal. The defense has 30 days to file any motions.
NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS: Highlights and Exclusives, November 13, 2006
COVER: America's God Complex. Senior Editor Lisa Miller explores the emerging tensions within the evangelical movement in the U.S. between those who emphasize sexual morality and those who are looking more to poverty and global health. A new generation of evangelical believers is pressing beyond the religious right of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, trying to broaden the movement's focus from the familiar wars about sex to include issues of social and economic justice. The result is a new hour of decision for evangelicals: How much do they have to show for the decades of activism? In the days before the midterm elections, 62 percent of evangelicals say that religion plays too small a role in American political and cultural life today, compared to 37 percent of the American public, according to the new Newsweek Poll. Twenty- nine percent of the American public is equally divided over whether the role religion plays is too big or about right; whereas 21 percent of evangelicals say that the role religion plays is about right; and 14 percent say it plays too big a role.
A Pastor's Fall From Grace. Senior Writer Jonathan Darman and National Correspondent Andrew Murr report on the scandal surrounding the Rev. Ted Haggard. Last week Mike Jones-a former male prostitute in Denver-came forward to claim he'd had a three-year sexual relationship with Haggard, a vocal critic of gay rights.
Asia's New Gods. Most Asians are unaware that Christian evangelical movements have gained enormous political power in America. And if they were to learn this, they would be mystified. Their images of America remain the old ones: Hollywood and sexual permissiveness, secularism, money worship and devotion to modern science and technology. None of these squares with an America under the sway of fundamentalist or evangelical Christianity, writes Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. The big lesson that Asians thought they'd learned from the West was that reason and faith should be kept in separate boxes. Perhaps its time for America to study Asia's best practices.
Faith's Comeback. The decline of church attendance in Europe is seen as evidence that secular modernity has entered the lives of ordinary people. But amid the apparent dusk of faith in Europe, one can already spot the religious owl of Minerva taking flight, writes Eric Kaufmann, a professor at the University of London and the author of "The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America." Demographic currents are carrying Europe toward a more American model of modernity. The revival of religiosity may reconfigure the Enlightenment belief in rational individualism. It will most likely leave its fundamental tenets- democracy, liberalism and mixed capitalism-intact. But it will deeply challenge our definition of what it is to be modern.
Ministers of Death. Baghdad Bureau Chief Scott Johnson reports that Abu Deraa, sometimes called "the Shiite Zarqawi," and the death squad he runs have been waging a campaign of Shia terror. Suspected of torturing and killing scores of Sunnis in a bloody wave of ethnic cleansing in neighborhoods across Baghdad, Abu Deraa "is a brutal, loathsome character," says a senior U.S official who asked not to be ID'ed by name because of the sensitive nature of the topic.
Bundeswehr Blues. Berlin Correspondent Stefan Theil reports that although Germany's Bundeswehr contingent has gotten more press over the past few weeks for distasteful incidents in Afghanistan, they hardly reflect upon Germany's 2,700 soldiers in Afghanistan the way prisoner abuses and allegations of torture discredited America's reputation in Iraq. If anything, the tizzy illustrates a growing nervousness on the home front. With the German Navy deploying on the coast of Lebanon last week and fresh worries that German peacekeepers in Congo may not be home as planned by Christmas, the country seems only now to be waking up to its new global military role.
Running Out of Options. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has run out of options in the fight against rampant radicalism along his country's rugged western border, reports Special Correspondent Zahid Hussain. He has switched tactics in trying to deal with the Islamists, alternating from military action to peace deals and now, apparently, back to armed force. Neither approach has worked. At the heart of Musharraf's predicament is the failure of his plan to pacify pro-Taliban tribesmen in Waziristan with a peace accord. Far from taming the cross-border violence, the Waziristan truce appears to have contributed to deteriorating conditions in the eastern Afghan border provinces.
Too Funny ... Or Too Far. Film Critic David Ansen reviews Sacha Baron Cohen's largely unscripted film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." Baron Cohen's guerrilla comedy shoots down anything in its path. Yet strangely enough, it doesn't feel angry or polemical or (and this is open to debate) mean-spirited, writes Ansen. "Mixing high and low humor, scatology and sociology, his comedy crosses the border between 'Punk'd' and performance art, the subversive wit of Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor and the deadpan put-ons of Andy Kaufman, all updated to the world of reality TV. A comedy like 'Borat' couldn't have been made in another era."
WORLD VIEW: Time to Solve Immigration. If Iraq was the dominating topic of the election season, immigration is the issue that wasn't, writes Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria. Despite the efforts of populist and nativist politicians and pundits to whip up hysteria about a looming catastrophe, Americans didn't bite. The evidence is overwhelming that the United States benefits hugely from immigration-and that it needs all the immigrants its now receiving, legal and illegal. Comprehensive reform is the only way forward. Enforcement only or first will not work. Laws that pay no heed to the forces of supply and demand end up as costly failures. The good news is that this is a rare case where good policy and good politics could come together.
THE LAST WORD: Klaus Kleinfeld, CEO of Siemens. Kleinfeld, CEO of Germany's largest company by market capitalization, talks about corporate reform, American competitiveness and how aging populations will affect business in the future. "In today's world, roughly 80 percent of total health- care costs are spent in the last five years of life," he says. "The medical industry today is in the same position that many of our industries were in the 1980s, and, like then, we're realizing that we need to make the process leaner and cheaper, while maintaining high quality. At the core of this is early detection of disease, and a focus on prevention."
The Left Playing Medi-scare, Again
Center for Health Transformation Responds to Flawed Families USA Study
The Center for Heath Transformation responded today to what it calls a flawed Medicare prescription drug benefit study designed to scare seniors before an election. The study was issued last week by the liberal activist group Families USA. In an opinion piece, Newt Gingrich, founder of the Center for Health Transformation and David Merritt, project director for Consumer-Driven Healthcare at the Center, refute the claims in the study.
The Families USA study states that the drug benefit as currently designed endangers millions of seniors by imposing financial penalties. Gingrich and Merritt assert in their piece that the study simply ignores millions of beneficiaries who have given the Medicare prescription drug benefit program their overwhelming approval. "The radical left has shown once again that its sole strategy is to score political points before the election by scaring seniors," said Speaker Gingrich.
Gingrich and Merritt show that 90 percent of Medicare beneficiaries now have broad and affordable prescription drug coverage, when compared to four years ago, only a quarter did.
According to Gingrich and Merritt, the Families USA study focuses narrowly on the so called "doughnut hole" in order to intentionally to produce its misleading results. To make the case, they list several flawed assumptions.
The study:
-- Defines "meaningful coverage" as only 25 medications, which amounts to 0.6 percent of the approximately 4,000 drugs that the typical Medicare drug plan covers;
-- Fails to note that there are other generic drugs available to treat the same conditions as those in the 25 drugs they list;
-- List four of the drugs are listed twice because they are prescribed in different doses;
-- Fails to mention that the "doughnut hole" in general will not be an issue for 71 percent of Medicare beneficiaries;
-- Does not report that only 8 percent of beneficiaries, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, will actually hit the "doughnut hole" with no coverage and that for even them they will still be far better off than they were prior to the new benefit;
-- Misses completely the fact that competition has saved the average beneficiary, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nearly $1,500 a year off of their drug costs.
The response also points out that in twenty-seven states, Wal- Mart now offers nearly 300 generic drugs for as low as $4 for a one-month supply, regardless of insurance status. Target stores have thus far matched the price. Meijer pharmacies are offering leading generic antibiotics absolutely free.
Gingrich and Merritt say that by trotting out flawed studies on the "doughnut hole" days before the election and focusing campaign rhetoric on drug reimportation and federal negotiation with drug manufacturers, the left shows once again that it would rather scare seniors and vilify pharmaceutical companies than discuss real structural improvements in Medicare.
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About the Center for Health Transformation
The Center for Health Transformation, founded by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is a unique collaboration of leaders dedicated to accelerating the adoption of transformational solutions, policies and technologies in order to create a 21st Century Intelligent Health System characterized by better outcomes and more choices at lower cost. For more information, visit http://www.healthtransformation.net.
Email On-the-Go Now Even Easier -- Google Launches New Mobile Application for Speedier Access to Gmail
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) today
announced the release of an innovative new mobile client, Gmail for
mobile devices. This freely downloadable Java application delivers
Gmail users the look and feel of Gmail through a fast, feature-rich
interface that's optimized for handheld devices. With the release of
this client, Google is taking one more step toward its goal of
providing users with quick and easy access to the information they
need, when they need it.
Gmail users can already access their accounts through the browser on
their mobile devices, but this application brings users the same great
Gmail experience -- complete with search, conversation view, and
automatic synchronization with the desktop version -- with the
following new benefits:
- Up to five times faster access and use, thanks to automatic
pre-fetching of messages
- Drastically reduced clicks and scrolling to access email
- Fewer keystrokes for reading, composing, or searching mail
- Attachments, including files and photos, viewable and automatically
resized to fit the user's phone
"Google's mobile products are designed to enable people to quickly and
easily get the information they want on the go," said Deep Nishar,
director of product management at Google. "We realize the role mobile
phones play as a key driver for balancing online and offline worlds,
and we're committed to developing products that help people stay
connected when they're away from their computers. Gmail for mobile
devices delivers on that commitment."
Getting started is easy: users can go to gmail.com/app from their
mobile browser to download the app. If users don't already have a Gmail
account, they can sign up for an account via SMS by going to
gmail.google.com and clicking on "sign up for Gmail."
The application is available completely free of charge from Google
(carrier mobile data charges may still apply). It is currently
compatible with all J2ME-enabled phones in the U.S. and works with a
variety of carrier service plans.
In a separate release today, Google and Sprint (NYSE:S) announced that
Gmail for mobile devices can also be easily downloaded directly from
the Sprint PCS VisionSM or Sprint Power VisionSM home page. Google and
Sprint worked closely to ensure that Gmail is only a few clicks away
for Sprint customers.
To learn more about Google's mobile offerings, check out
mobile.google.com.
About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by
Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a
top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted
advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable
results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google
is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the
Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Google is a registered trademark of Google Inc. All other company and
product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which
they are associated.
Red Raider Outfitter Calls Judge's Ruling an Attack on College Town Businesses, Promises Appeal
November 03, 2006 -- A ruling by U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings in a case between a small business and Texas Tech University is sending shockwaves through college towns throughout Texas. The judge ordered Red Raider Outfitter, a small retailer that sells licensed Texas Tech clothing and goods, to pay the University nearly $2.9 million -- the company's total revenue during the period in question.
The judge ruled that Red Raider Outfitter's use of scarlet and black and a cowboy cartoon character -- something dozens if not hundreds of Lubbock-area businesses proudly do -- infringed on the University's trademark. In response to Judge Cumming's ruling, Stephen Spiegelberg, president of Red Raider Outfitter, issued the following statement:
"All of us at Red Raider Outfitter are disappointed by today's ruling and we are concerned for every business in Lubbock that displays the red and black colors or the cartoon character of 'Raider Red.' We are all under attack and today's ruling suggests that the University and its Atlanta licensing company believe they deserve every penny Lubbock area businesses take in.
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"The suggestion that Red Raider Outfitter, a company owned and operated by Texas Tech alumni, owes royalties to the University is hurtful and couldn't be further from the truth. Since 1975, Red Raider Outfitter has proudly sold apparel and other goods that are licensed by the University. A small portion of the goods that we sell was in dispute -- estimated at about $5,000. Even so, Judge Cummings ignored these facts and awarded the University every penny of our small business' revenue. If other business owners think it can't happen to them, they are wrong.
"Today's ruling is clearly intended to put Red Raider Outfitter out of business and we intend to show that Judge Cummings ruled with his heart, which bleeds red and black. As has been pointed out repeatedly in the past, Judge Cummings insists on ruling on cases involving Texas Tech, even though his close relationship with the University makes it impossible for him to rule fairly in such cases.
-- Judge Cummings is a Texas Tech graduate; -- Even during the period when this case was being heard, Judge Cummings continued to root for Texas Tech by attending home games; -- Judge Cummings is so close to the University that he has a special parking spot on campus for a game. -- Judge Cummings works out on campus; and -- Judge Cummings has previously been asked to recuse himself in matters related to Texas Tech in the past.
"Red Raider Outfitter will appeal today's ruling. We intend to appeal because 1) we did not infringe Texas Tech's trademark; 2) the true ownership of the cartoon character of Raider Red is questionable, since it derives from Warner Bros. and the local Lubbock newspaper and 3) Judge Cummings should recuse himself from this case or any case related to Texas Tech because he is biased in favor of the University."
About Red Raider Outfitter
Since 1975, Red Raider Outfitter has made and sold quality collegiate sportswear and apparel with the most innovative designs and highest standards of craftsmanship. Red Raider Outfitter is alumni owned and operated. The company has been a proud part of the Texas Tech spirit and tradition for more than 20 years. More information is available at www.redraideroutfitter.com
Krisp-Pak
Consumer Alert: Undeclared Milk in Maizteca Mexican BreadContact:
Jessica Chittenden
518-457-3136
Nov 2, 2006 -- State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick H. Brennan alerted consumers today that 215 Washington St. Foods, Inc., d/b/a Maizteca Bakery, 215 Washington St., Newburgh, New York 12550 is recalling 1.5 pound packages of "Maizteca Mexican Bread" due to an undeclared milk ingredient. People who have allergies to milk may run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.
The recalled "Maizteca Mexican Bread" comes in an uncoded plastic package. It was sold in New York.
The problem was discovered as a result of routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis by the Department's Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of a milk ingredient in product packages which did not declare a milk ingredient on the label.
No illnesses have been reported to date to this Department in connection with the problem.
Consumers who have purchased "Maizteca Mexican Bread" should return it to the place of purchase.
Company, Inc. Recalls Fresh Cut Fruit Because of Possible Health Risk
Contact:
Krisp-Pak Company, Inc.
(757) 622-8440
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Norfolk, VA -- November 1, 2006 --- Krisp-Pak Company, Inc. of Norfolk, VA is recalling all lots of Krisp-Pak Brand packaged fresh cut fruit with expiration dates on or before 11/09/06, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The product comes in plastic containers in 4 ounce cups, 8 ounce cups, 1 pound cups, 3 pound tubs, 10" trays (2.5 pounds) and 13" trays (4.5 pounds) for retail suppliers. The product is packaged in 5 pound trays for foodservice suppliers. The products being recalled include individually packaged cantaloupe or honeydew or red grapes, and a mixture of the three. The recall is limited to these products only.
The recalled fresh cut fruit was distributed in the Hampton Roads and Richmond, VA areas and the Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, NC areas through retail stores and foodservice distribution centers.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The recall was the result of a sampling program by the US Army Veterinary Services/Commissary Food Inspection Section which revealed that one container of the finished product contained Listeria monocytogenes. Krisp-Pak has ceased the production and distribution of the product as Krisp-Pak continues their investigation as to what caused the problem.
Consumers who have purchased Krisp-Pak Brand fresh cut fruit are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Krisp-Pak at 1-800-755-0746.
Boston Salads & Provisions Co., Inc. Recalls Cole Slaw Because of Possible Health Risk
Contact:
Claudia Stohrer
617-541-9046 ext. 14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Boston, MA -- November 1, 2006 -- Boston Salads is conducting a voluntary recall of Cole Slaw Salad sold in the retail deli section in 5 lb, 10 lb, 30 lb bulk and 1 lb retail containers with sell by date of November 9 and or November 11, 2006, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Boston Salads Cole Slaw Salad is available for purchase in the deli section of select supermarkets and delicatessen and convenience stores under the Boston Salads & Provisions Co., Inc., Dietz and Watson Inc., Hummel Brothers, Inc. label in the following states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
No illnesses have been reported related to this voluntary recall. If any of this Cole Slaw salad remains at home, consumers should return the product to these stores for full refund.
Boston Salads and all affiliated retailers apologize for any inconvenience, and remain committed to constantly monitor the quality of all food products to assure the safety and satisfaction of all customers. For additional information, please call Boston Salads at 617-541-9046 ext. 14.
"As part of our continuous quality control checking system at all levels of manufacturing and distribution, possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes was identified," states John A. Zofchak, president of Boston Salads & Provisions Co., Inc. "As a rapid response to this finding, we have immediately and voluntarily recalled all Cole Slaw salad from the marketplace.
Boston Salads manufactures a wide variety of premium salads and foods under their own name and private label. No other Boston Salads are affected nor have they been involved in this recall.
Precautionary Recall Alert: Sara Lee Premium White Hamburger Buns in North Carolina and South Carolina
Contact:
Sara Matheu
773-580-3775
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Downers Grove, IL -- October 30, 2006 --Sara Lee Food & Beverage is conducting a voluntary recall of its 12 oz. Sara Lee Premium White Hamburger Buns produced at its Valdese, North Carolina bakery. This limited recall is being conducted as a precaution because the 4,826 packages included may contain undeclared milk, posing a potential risk to milk-allergic individuals because the ingredient statement does not include milk.
The product was sold and distributed to retailers and grocery stores in North Carolina and South Carolina and includes Sara Lee Premium White Hamburger Buns with the UPC Code 7294575177 and the production code SEPT 10 3452401226. These products are highly unlikely to be on store shelves as they are past the expiration date, but some may remain in consumer possession. The recall does not apply to any other Sara Lee brand bakery products in any other locations; it only applies to this specific product with the production code SEPT 10 3452401226. Consumers may return affected product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.
To date, the company has received one report of an adverse reaction to the above product from a person with a known milk allergy.
The company initiated the recall after it discovered that this product contained milk that was distributed in packaging that did not include milk in its ingredient list.
Sara Lee is conducting this recall with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Consumers who may have questions or concerns should call Sara Lee's toll-free consumer line at 1.800.889.3556. The consumer line is available from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund Launches Campaign in Support of Jim Robey for Maryland State Senate
The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund today launched an independent, direct mail and voter contact campaign in support of Maryland State Senate candidate Jim Robey (District 13) because of his commitment to reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. The campaign will contrast the positions of Robey and his opponent, incumbent Sen. Sandy Schrader, highlighting Robey's leadership in passing legislation to protect all Howard County workers and families from secondhand smoke and his strong support for a statewide smoke-free law that would protect the health of all Marylanders.
"We're running this campaign in Maryland because of the clear contrast between the records of these candidates when it comes to fighting tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke," said William V. Corr, executive director of the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund. "Jim Robey is standing up to Big Tobacco and fighting to protect everyone's right to breathe clean, smoke-free air. His opponent, on the other hand, has refused to support efforts to make Maryland smoke-free. For Maryland voters who care about protecting the health of workers and families, there is a clear choice: Jim Robey for Maryland State Senate."
As Howard County Executive, Jim Robey stood up for the right of all Howard County workers and residents to breathe clean air by passing a county-wide smoke-free workplace law, making Howard County the fourth smoke-free county in Maryland and the first in the Baltimore region. Robey also supports a strong, statewide smoke-free law in Maryland. His opponent, Sandy Schrader, has refused to support a statewide smoke-free bill. Legislation in Maryland that would make all workplaces smoke-free died in a Maryland House committee last year.
The need for protection from secondhand smoke has never been clearer. In issuing his groundbreaking report on secondhand smoke on June 27, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona stated, "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults." The Surgeon General found that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. The Surgeon General also found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States each year and that there is no risk-free level of exposure.
The Surgeon General's report also confirmed that smoke-free laws protect health without harming business. To date, 14 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have passed smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars. The states are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii (effective Nov. 16), Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington (the Montana and Utah laws extend to bars in 2009, while the D.C. law does so on Jan. 1, 2007).
Samples of the direct mail can be found at:
http://tobaccofreeaction.org/adwatch/Maryland3.pdf
http://tobaccofreeaction.org/adwatch/Maryland4.pdf
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This communication is solely from the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund (1400 I St., NW 1200, Washington, DC 20005), and has not been authorized by or coordinated with any candidate or campaign. The Tobacco-Free Kids Action is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that works in Maryland and nationwide to reduce the devastating toll of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund does not receive any government or tobacco industry funding of any kind. For more information, please visit http://www.tobaccofreeaction.org
Condista Anuncia Campañas de Mercadotecnia Afiliadas con Comcast y Charter para Promover HTV, TeleFormula y Video Rola en Cuatro Mercados
Condista, el concentrador premier de programación para televisión por cable en español en Estados Unidos, anunció campañas de mercadotecnia afiliadas que involucran tres redes de cable en español y dos operadores de cable distintos en cuatro mercados diferentes. TeleFormula y Comcast lanzaron una campaña en Albuquerque; HTV y Comcast lanzaron una promoción de adquisición en el Sur de Florida; y Video Rola y Charter anunciaron campañas para Ft. Worth y el Centro de California.
TeleFormula, una red de noticias enfocada a México, inició en el paquete de Cable Latino de Comcast en Albuquerque el 25 de septiembre. TeleFormula es un canal por cable de noticias y debates con base en México que es propiedad de y está operado por RadioFormula, el grupo radiofónico más grande de México. TeleFormula emplea a algunos de los talentos más conocidos en el género de las noticias en México y ofrece contenido de la más alta calidad abarcando una gran variedad de temas: noticias, deportes, política, temas femeninos y entretenimiento. En Albuquerque, TeleFormula compró un horario de ocho semanas para propaganda en exteriores y transmisiones en radio para promover su lanzamiento en Cable Latino de Comcast. La campaña más grande en dos años para Cable Latino incluye obsequios de boletos para conciertos de Pepe Aguilar y Juan Gabriel. A la fecha la campaña ha generado dos veces más suscriptores que durante el mismo periodo del año pasado.
HTV, el canal de música latina con transmisión las 24 horas propiedad de Claxson, anunció una campaña de adquisición "regalo con compra" en sociedad con Comcast del Sur de Florida. Los primeros 2,000 clientes en suscribirse al paquete Cable Latino de Comcast antes del 18 de noviembre recibirán un CD gratuito de Juanes. La campaña se comunicará a los residentes a través de correo directo diseñado por HTV y comerciales producidos por HTV en canales bilingües. HTV es diferente a muchos otros canales de televisión de música latina en Estados Unidos de hoy: es el único canal que integra con éxito toda la cultura musical latina en un escenario, 24 horas al día. El planteamiento de HTV está basado en una programación 100% latina que combina los mejores videos musicales y entrevistas con los artistas latinos más populares, abarcando el espectro más amplio de géneros de música latina, entre los que se incluye el pop, rock latino, reggaeton, salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia y regional mexicana. También presenta los éxitos "crossover" más populares de hoy.
Video Rola, una red basada en México que presenta videos de música regional mexicana, entrevistas de artistas, conciertos y más, anunció hoy dos campañas distintas de adquisición/mejora con Charter Communications. Una campaña es en Ft. Worth, Tejas y la otra en la región del norte y centro de California de Charter que incluye Turlock, West Sacramento y San Luis Obispo. Ambas campañas ofrecen a los residentes de esos mercados la oportunidad de ganar un par de boletos de la aerolínea Mexicana buenos para viajar a donde sea que vuele Mexicana en Estados Unidos y México. La oferta de Video Rola en el norte y centro de California se comunicará a través de diecisiete transmisiones remotas de radio y otros eventos comunitarios. En Ft. Worth, la oferta se comunicará mediante una serie de tácticas: comerciales diseñados por Video Rola en canales bilingües, anuncios impresos, tarjeta postal por correo directo, avisos colgantes en puertas y volantes. Está programado que la campaña se realice desde el 23 de octubre hasta el 31 de diciembre en ambos mercados.
Acerca de Condista:
Condista es el concentrador premier de programación en español para televisión por cable en Estados Unidos, ofrece 18 redes de cable de la más alta calidad de todo el mundo al público hispano en Estados Unidos. Los canales representados por Condista incluyen Canal 24 Horas, Cine Latino, Canal 52MX, Docu TVE, EcuaTV, El Garage TV, HITN-TV, htv musica, Infinito, SUR, SUR Perú, SUR México, TV Venezuela, Telefe Internacional, TeleFormula, TVE Internacional, Utilisima y Video Rola. Para obtener más información, por favor visite http://www.condista.com/.
Source: Condista
A Democrat Majority Would Penalize Americans for Saving, Investing
Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) today issued the following statement regarding Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi's voting record on double- taxing:
"Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) is so addicted to tax increases that she has even voted to tax some forms of Americans' income two-times. By double-taxing Americans in these instances, Mrs. Pelosi punishes responsible Americans who work hard and save their money. At the same time, she rewards and encourages the practice of spending money quickly.
"In 2003, Pelosi fought tooth and nail against the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act which was designed to spur economic growth and increase savings. Central to this plan was the reduction in the double taxation on capital gains and dividend taxes. Since the Republicans passed this legislation, more than $14 trillion of new household wealth has been created and the net worth of America's investors increased by $5.7 trillion.
"Cutting these forms of double-taxation has proven to accelerate job and economic growth, as well as consumer spending. Therefore, voting for these tax increases adversely affects economic prosperity for all Americans. The American people ought to ask Leader Pelosi if she is going to increase the double taxation on savings and investment, should she become Speaker someday."
North Korea Also a Severe Threat to Its Own People, Report Says
Citing the new UN doctrine that each state has "a responsibility to protect" its own citizens from the most severe human rights abuses, a report issued today points to egregious violations of rights by North Korea and calls for immediate action by the UN Security Council under a parallel track to the UN's actions over North Korea's nuclear test. UN sanctions levied earlier this month may inadvertently worsen the abysmal human rights situation.
Failure to Protect: A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in North Korea affirms that "the Security Council has independent justification for intervening in North Korea either because of the government's failure in its responsibility to protect or because North Korea is a nontraditional threat to the peace."
The highly detailed report, based on a careful review of available information, was prepared by the law firm DLA Piper US LLP in cooperation with the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Commissioning the report were Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic; Kjell Magne Bondevik, former prime minister of Norway and Professor Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The report can be downloaded from http://www.dlapiper.com/NKReport or http://www.hrnk.org.
Failure to Protect focuses primarily on the active involvement of the government in crimes against humanity through food policy and famine and treatment of political prisoners. The report also describes the way North Korea misallocates its resources through the production of weapons.
"For more than a decade, human rights concerns have been relegated to a second-class status for fear of driving North Korea from the nuclear talks," said Jared Genser, a Washington- based attorney with DLA Piper. "Now that its government has gone ahead with a nuclear test anyway, it is time to have a parallel- track strategy for alleviating the suffering of the North Korea people through Security Council action."
"The nuclear threat posed by the North Korean government has raised concerns all over the world," added Debra Liang-Fenton, executive director of the U.S. Committee. "But no less alarming is the active involvement of the North Korean government in committing crimes against humanity. Now, with sanctions, the people may inadvertently suffer more."
"The situation in North Korea is one of the most egregious human rights and humanitarian disasters in the world today," said Havel, Bondevik and Wiesel in a joint statement. "Yet, sadly, because North Korea is also one of the most closed societies on Earth, information about the situation there has only trickled out over time."
The report recommends the UN Security Council adopt a non- punitive resolution urging the North Korean government to allow open access for international humanitarian organizations to feed its people, calling for the release of political prisoners, as well as insisting that the government allow the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea to visit the country.
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AP/AOL News Poll: 35 Percent of Americans Using the Internet to Gather Information on the Upcoming Election
Over Half of Liberals Compared to 39 Percent of Conservatives Getting
Election Information Online
Oct 29 Less than two weeks before the 2006 mid-term elections, a new Associated Press/AOL News poll (http://news.aol.com) just released cites that 35 percent of Americans, and 43 percent of likely voters, are using the Internet to get information about the upcoming election.
According to the AP/AOL News poll, those who describe themselves as liberals are more likely (51 percent) to get election information from the Internet compared with 42 percent of moderates and 39 percent of conservatives.
In addition, the poll found that almost a quarter, 24 percent, of respondents who get election information from the Internet indicated that they have accessed a blog this election season to gather information, while 10 percent of Internet users have accessed a message board, chat room or blog to participate in election discussions. The number of blogs has grown considerably since the previous election season. In its State of the Blogosphere, August 2006 report, Technorati claims that the worldwide blogosphere has doubled every six months for the last three years – or 175,000 new blogs per day.*
Other findings include:
- 49 percent of men get news or information about the election from the Internet, compared with 38 percent of women;
- 59 percent of those under 35 years old get election information from the Internet, 39 percent of those over 35 and 18 percent of seniors over 65 use the Internet to get election information;
- Likely voters who get election information from the Internet are more likely to trust the Republican party on who would best handle taxes, 46 percent, compared with 38 percent who do not use the Internet to get election information;
- Those who get election information from the Internet are less likely to say that corruption and scandal in Congress will influence their vote in November, 34 percent, than those who do not use the Internet to get election information, 48 percent.
Survey Methodology
The AP-AOL News poll was conducted by Ipsos, an international public opinion company. 2,000 adults and 970 likely voters were interviewed by telephone from October 23-25. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points for adults and 3.1 percentage points for likely voters.
About the Associated Press
The Associated Press is the world's oldest and largest newsgathering organization, providing content to more than 15,000 news outlets with a daily reach of 1 billion people around the world. Its multimedia services are distributed by satellite and the Internet to more than 120 nations. For more information, visit www.ap.org.
About AOL
AOL is a global Web services company that operates some of the most popular Web destinations, offers a comprehensive suite of free software and services, runs the country's largest Internet access business, and provides a full set of advertising solutions. A majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., AOL LLC is based in Dulles, Virginia. AOL and its subsidiaries also have operations in Europe, Canada and Asia. Learn more at AOL.com.
* Technorati, State of the Blogosphere, August 2006
BritRail presenta nuevo sitio Web en español www.BritRail.com es ahora multilingüe
Oct 28-- BritRail acaba de estrenar la versión en español de su conocido sitio Web www.BritRail.com. Ya no es necesario saber inglés para planificar un viaje con un BritRail Pass. Todo lo que el viajero independiente necesita saber está a su disposición también en español.
El sitio Web de BritRail es fácil de usar en cualquier idioma. Además de toda la gama de los mundialmente famosos BritRail Passes, ofrece también mapas, un motor de planificación del viaje atendiendo a horarios, tours e itinerarios sugeridos, reservas de asiento y literas, así como valiosas ofertas y añadidos, incluidas la tarjeta London Visitor Travel Card, los tours en autobús Citysightseeing y el pase English Heritage Overseas Visitor Pass. Vaya a www.BritRail.com, seleccione Europa y haga clic en España/Espanya (Español). Planificar una visita al Reino Unido con BritRail en su propio idioma es así de simple.
Y lo que es aún mejor, los BritRail Passes y los productos de valor añadido comprados en línea se entregan en la casa del cliente antes de su viaje al Reino Unido.
Un BritRail Pass permite ilimitados viajes en la red de ferrocarril del Reino Unido durante su periodo de vigencia y a unos precios increíbles. No necesita hacer reservas por anticipado, sólo súbase al tren que elija, escoja un asiento libre, relájese y deje que el paisaje británico se deslice por su ventanilla. Las opciones de destino son innumerables: ciudades históricas, casas solariegas, la abrupta costa, colinas y valles… Un BritRail Pass abre la puerta a 19.000 trenes diarios que se detienen en 2.500 estaciones, rápida, eficiente y constantemente.
¡Adquiéralo ahora y ahorre dinero!
Compre cualquier pase BritRail FlexiPass, Consecutive Pass, London Plus Pass o Scottish Freedom Pass antes del 31 de diciembre de 2006 y viaje entre el 1 de noviembre de 2006 y el 28 de febrero de 2007 con un ahorro del 25% sobre el precio en folletos.
www.BritRail.com – sencilla lectura para fáciles viajes
Federal Jury Convicts Nashville Man on Child Pornography Offenses Involving Multiple Commercial Websites
10/27/2006 3:38:00 PM
Contact: The U.S. Department of Justice, 202-514-2008, 202-514-1888 or Web: http://www.usdoj.gov
Oct. 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A Nashville, Tenn., man has been convicted by a federal jury of 11 child pornography- related offenses for the operation of several Web sites that depicted adolescent boys engaging in sexually explicit activity, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Craig S. Morford of the Middle District of Tennessee announced today.
The federal jury in Nashville returned the guilty verdicts late Thursday against Timothy Ryan Richards, 25, after a two-and- a-half week trial. He was convicted of offenses including distribution and conspiracy to distribute, advertising, production and possession of child pornography, as well as violating the record-keeping requirements associated with the distribution of sexually explicit material. Richards faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison on four of the convictions. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2007.
The investigation of Richards began in September 2005 when federal warrants were issued to search the content of computer servers in Freemont, Calif., and Los Angeles. Agents believed that these servers contained child pornography Web sites associated with then 19-year-old Justin Berry, who had come forward to cooperate with federal authorities in the investigation of the child pornography Web site Justinsfriends.com. Richards was identified as the operator of Justinsfriends as well as several other child pornography Web sites.
"We are pleased that the jury recognized the serious nature of Richards' crimes," said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. "The Department of Justice places a high priority on protecting our children from sexual predators and child pornographers. This verdict is a significant step in our efforts to combat the exploitation of our children."
"I have always believed that a society can have no greater priority than promoting the safety of its most vulnerable members, especially its children," said U.S. Attorney Morford. "That is why this case and this verdict was so significant."
Testimony at trial proved that up until the time of his arrest on Sept. 22, 2005, Richards ran several Web sites depicting adolescent boys engaged in sexually explicit activity. These Web sites included www.CaseyandKylesCondo.com, www.CaseysCondo.com, www.PenisClub.com, and www.JustinsFriends.net. The defendant himself created three of those Web sites and took over Justinsfriends in the summer of 2005.
To provide material for the various Web sites, Richards engaged in a sexual relationship with one of the victims when that boy was 14 years old. The defendant filmed and took pictures of himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with that boy numerous times over four years. The defendant also traveled with that minor into foreign countries, including Australia and Iceland, where he again filmed and photographed sexually explicit activity.
As part of his operation of these commercial child pornography Web sites, the defendant advertised among his sites and others and set up elaborate affiliate marketing programs in which he rewarded others for generating new customers.
At the time of his arrest in September 2005, the defendant was living with a 13-year-old boy. Richards is also under indictment and awaiting trial on one count of distributing obscene materials to that minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, supported by the FBI's Innocent Images Unit and the Computer and Analysis Recovery Team, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section's High Tech Forensic Investigative Unit and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran Daughtrey of the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Tennessee and trial attorney Kayla Bakshi of the Child Exploitation and
Pelosi: Bush Has Failed to Formulate a Comprehensive Counterterrorism Plan
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on reports that President Bush will release a National Implementation Plan that is four months old:
"Given the Administration's failure to plan for the war in Iraq, it is not surprising that President Bush is about to unveil a four-month old 'National Implementation Plan' for the war on terrorism that does not reflect current world events and is short on specifics.
"More than two years ago, the independent 9/11 Commission called for a comprehensive counterterrorism plan that set priorities and established a way to measure results. Yet in the five years since the 9/11 attacks, the President has failed to formulate such a plan. If the President does not produce a National Implementation Plan that takes into account the realities facing our nation today, his dismal record and failure to plan for crucial national security matters will continue.
"Democrats are committed to protecting our country with real security initiatives that are smart and tough. We will begin by implementing all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations and taking America in a new direction."
Census Bureau Data Underscore Value of College Degree
Adults age 18 and older with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $51,554 in 2004, while those with a high school diploma earned $28,645, according to new tabulations released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Those without a high school diploma earned an average of $19,169.
The series of tables, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2005, also showed advanced-degree holders made an average of $78,093.
Other highlights from the tables:
-- In 2005, 85 percent of all adults 25 years or older reported they had completed at least high school. More than one- quarter (28 percent) of adults age 25 years and older had attained at least a bachelor's degree.
-- High school graduation rates for women (ages 25 years and older) continued to exceed those of men, 85.4 percent and 84.9 percent, respectively. On the other hand, men had a greater proportion of the population with a bachelor's degree or higher (28.9 percent compared with 26.5 percent of women).
-- Non-Hispanic whites had the highest proportion of adults with a high school diploma or higher (90 percent), followed by Asians (88 percent), blacks (81 percent) and Hispanics (59 percent).
-- Utah, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire and Alaska continued to have the highest proportions of people 25 years and older with a high school diploma or higher (around 92 percent).
-- The District of Columbia had the highest proportion of people 25 years and older with a bachelor's degree or higher (47 percent), followed closely by Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey.
Fourteen tables of data on educational trends are available, and attainment levels are shown by characteristics such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, occupation, industry, nativity and period of entry, as well as metropolitan and non- metropolitan residence. The tabulations also include data on earnings and educational attainment. Although the statistics provided are primarily at the national level, some data are shown for regions and states.
The data are from the 2005 Current Population Survey's (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC). The ASEC is conducted in February, March and April at about 100,000 addresses nationwide.
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Statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. For further information on the source of the data and accuracy of the estimates, included standard errors and confidence intervals, go to Appendix G of http://www.census.gov/apsd/techdoc/cps/cpsmar05.pdf
New Boeing CH-47F Takes Flight |
The Boeing Company's [NYSE: BA] first production CH-47F Chinook helicopter successfully completes its first flight Oct. 23 from its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, Pa., where testers evaluated the aircraft's systems and structural performance. Boeing will deliver the new CH-47F to the U.S. Army for operational testing before being deployed in 2007.
After conducting the flight, Boeing test pilot Erik Kocher said, "The U.S. Army will have the most advanced, mission-capable heavy lift helicopter in the world. The CH-47F will provide crews with configurable flight displays for more efficient mission performance and a communications suite for greater situational awareness. The digital automatic flight control system will provide an enhanced and safer low speed flight capability, and the airframe enhancements will yield a safer and more reliable combat system."
The same cockpit system installed on the CH-47F and MH-47G Special Operations Chinooks will be used in the HH-47 proposed in the U.S. Air Force Combat Search and Rescue program and will include terrain following/terrain avoiding radar and an integrated forward looking infrared system for nap-of-the-earth and low-level flight operations in reduced visibility conditions.
Zingy Trae las Películas a los Clientes de Verizon Wireless
Ahora los clientes de Get It Now pueden experimentar MovieGoer en los teléfonos capacitados con Flash Lite
Zingy, una empresa de desarrollo de aplicaciones galardonadas y contenido multimedia móvil, y Verizon Wireless, el proveedor de telefonía móvil líder de la nación, anunciaron hoy que los clientes de Verizon Wireless ahora pueden experimentar una versión mejorada de la aplicación líder de entretenimiento MovieGoer en algunos teléfonos capacitados con Get It Now(R). La nueva aplicación MovieGoer aprovecha la nueva tecnología anteriormente anunciada por Verizon Wireless y Adobe llamada Adobe Flash Lite, que mejora las gráficas y la animación para las descargas de Get It Now y permite que los clientes puedan "habilitar con Flash" sus teléfonos automáticamente.
MovieGoer de Zingy ofrece a los clientes una guía de películas completa en sus teléfonos celulares. Los clientes de Verizon Wireless pueden localizar los cines más cercanos, ver todas las películas y sus horarios, leer reseñas de películas aclamadas por la crítica y ver afiches de películas, todo a través de sus teléfonos celulares.
"Elegimos nuestra popular aplicación de entretenimiento MovieGoer para ejemplificar las mejoras que Flash Lite ofrece a los clientes de Verizon Wireless", dijo Martin Zary, vicepresidente de tecnología en Zingy. "Flash nos ofrece un entorno más rico y más interesante dónde presentar reseñas de películas, horarios y ubicaciones, y reconocemos la oportunidad de aprovechar los teléfonos capacitados con Flash Lite de Verizon Wireless para extender el universo de los suscriptores a MovieGoer."
MovieGoer de Zingy actualmente está disponible en cuatro teléfonos de Verizon Wireless, que incluyen el V (LG VX9800), Motorola RAZR V3c y V3m y Samsung SCH-a950 con una tarifa de acceso de $3.49 mensuales. Se espera que MovieGoer esté disponible en más aparatos compatibles con Flash Lite en las siguientes semanas. El costo de las descargas para las aplicaciones Get It Now varía y aplican cargos de tiempo aire durante la navegación, descarga y uso de ciertas aplicaciones. Es necesario que los clientes tengan un teléfono capacitado con Get It Now y los servicios digitales de Verizon Wireless para tener acceso a la tienda virtual de Get It Now.
Para obtener más información acerca de los productos y servicios de Verizon Wireless, visite una tienda de comunicaciones Verizon Wireless, llame al 1-800-2 JOIN IN o vaya a http://www.verizonwireless.com/.
Acerca de Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless tiene y opera la red móvil más confiable del país y cuenta con 54.8 millones de clientes de sus servicios de voz y datos. Verizon Wireless, con sede en Basking Ridge, N. J., es una sociedad conjunta de Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) y Vodafone (NYSE y LSE: VOD). Para más información, visite el sitio http://www.verizonwireless.com/. Para ver y solicitar secuencias de video, con resolución apropiada para difusión y fotografías de alta resolución sobre las operaciones de Verizon Wireless, visite Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library en http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Acerca de Zingy
Zingy, una empresa de servicios completos de contenido multimedia móvil y otros relacionados, se especializa en la personalización de contenido, aplicaciones descargables y soluciones de marketing y publicidad móviles. La división de personalización de contenido de Zingy crea contenido de alta calidad original y bajo licencia, incluyendo tonos de llamada, tonos de mensajes y fondos de pantalla, mientras la división de aplicaciones y servicios móviles es la editora líder de las aplicaciones y juegos descargables galardonadas BREW y J2ME. Zingy también ofrece un conjunto de soluciones de marketing y publicidad móviles de plataforma independiente. Visite http://www.zingy.com/ para obtener más información.
Get It Now es una marca comercial registrada de Verizon Wireless. Todos los otros nombres y marcas registradas son propiedad de sus respectivas empresas.
Source: Verizon Wireless
Blind Americans to Cast First Secret Ballot
National Federation of the Blind to Monitor Compliance
Oct. 24 The National Federation of the Blind announced today that it has created a hotline for blind and visually impaired voters to report any difficulties in casting their ballots both secretly and independently in the upcoming election. The purpose of the hotline will be to monitor compliance with the provisions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) relating to nonvisual access to the voting process for the blind.
James Gashel, Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives at the National Federation of the Blind, said: "This election is historic because it is the first general election since the implementation date for the accessibility provisions of the Help America Vote Act. I was able to vote independently and completely in private for the first time in the Maryland primary election last month and look forward to doing it again in November, when many blind voters across the nation will cast a secret ballot for the first time in their lives. The ability to cast a secret ballot is not only thrilling for us as blind voters, it protects our democracy by ensuring that nobody exercises undue influence over us or engages in outright fraud while pretending to help us vote. A secret vote is just as important for blind voters as it is for every other American."
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind led the effort to make it possible for the blind to vote independently and in secret, like all other Americans. We have been working to help jurisdictions to comply with that statute by providing educational and training materials through our National Center for Nonvisual Election Technology. Having worked so hard to achieve full and equal participation by the blind in the voting process, it is our duty to ensure that no blind American is denied the right to cast a secret ballot, and we will take any action that is necessary and appropriate to carry out that obligation."
The National Federation of the Blind HAVA National Compliance Hotline will be available at 1-877-632-1940 from 7:00 AM-10:00 PM EST on Election Day (Tuesday, November 7) and from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 8. Callers will be asked where they are voting and whether they have been able to cast their ballot with accessible equipment. The National Federation of the Blind will analyze the data collected and conduct any appropriate follow-up, including assisting voters with actionable grievances in filing complaints with the United States Department of Justice.
Passed in 2002, the Help America Vote Act was intended to help states replace outdated voting equipment such as the punch card machines that caused problems during the 2000 presidential election. The law mandates that every polling place in the nation must have at least one voting station accessible to the blind. As of January 1, 2006, jurisdictions should be complying by using electronic voting terminals, special ballot-marking devices, or vote-by- phone systems. All of these methods use audio prompts to read the ballot to a blind voter and allow the voter to make ballot choices using a keypad. This technology allows the blind to vote without the assistance of a sighted poll worker. "Since many jurisdictions will be using new voting equipment that is accessible to the blind for the first time," Dr. Maurer explained, "we feel that it is essential to collect data on whether that equipment has been implemented and works properly."
The National Federation of the Blind was instrumental in advocating for the nonvisual access language contained in the HAVA and received a grant under that statute to ensure its implementation. The National Center for Nonvisual Election Technology (NCNET) was established by the Federation to carry out the terms of the grant. The NCNET has developed an on-line curriculum and a DVD to help make election officials aware of the needs of blind voters and to help jurisdictions select appropriate equipment to provide nonvisual access to the blind at the polling place.
For more information about the National Federation of the Blind and its work on access to elections, visit http://www.nfb.org/nfb/HAVA_intro.asp .
About the National Federation of the Blind
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
Source: National Federation of the Blind
SkyZone Entertainment Lanza Juegos Flash Lite, Jungle Jim y Extreme Hangman en los Teléfonos Get It Now de Verizon Wireless
Jungle Jim y Extreme Hangman viajan con Flash Lite a los teléfonos móviles
-- SkyZone Entertainment, Inc., una editorial de entretenimiento móvil, y Verizon Wireless, el proveedor de servicios de telefonía móvil líder nacional, anunciaron hoy la primera ronda de aplicaciones de juegos habilitadas con Flash Lite que harán su debut hoy en algunos teléfonos capacitados con Get It Now(R) de Verizon Wireless. Los dos primeros productos disponibles a través de SkyZone(TM) son los juegos móviles Jungle Jim(TM) y Extreme Hangman(TM), que están disponibles por un cargo de acceso mensual o para compra con uso ilimitado. Los usuarios de Verizon Wireless pueden descargar estos juegos en sus teléfonos en la tienda virtual Get It Now en el pasillo de compras de getGAMES.
"Jungle Jim y Extreme Hangman son excelentes representaciones de juegos casuales verdaderamente fáciles de sumergirse", dijo Neil Haldar, vicepresidente de estrategias y programación de contenido de SkyZone Entertainment. "Estos títulos están especialmente diseñados para adaptarse a la tecnología Flash Lite, que ofrece aún mejores gráficos y detalles en el teléfono estándar y consideramos que ayudará aún más a emprender la próxima ola de adopción de juegos móviles".
Flash Lite para BREW(R) les da a los usuarios de Verizon Wireless la capacidad de descargar aplicaciones automáticamente, tales como, Jungle Jim y Extreme Hangman y puedan "habilitar con Flash" sus teléfonos inmediatamente. Jungle Jim está disponible por US$1.99 de acceso mensual o US$4.99 para compra con uso ilimitado, inicialmente en cuatro teléfonos de Verizon Wireless, que son: The V (LG VX9800), Motorola RAZR V3c y V3m y Samsung SCH- a950. Se espera que Verizon Wireless ofrezca Flash Lite en otros teléfonos en las próximas semanas. Extreme Hangman también está disponible en los teléfonos y se puede comprar por US$1.99 de acceso mensual o por US$5.99 para compra con uso ilimitado.
Los cargos por descarga para las aplicaciones de Get It Now varían y los cargos de tiempo aire aplican durante la navegación, descarga o uso de ciertas aplicaciones. Para accesar la tienda virtual Get It Now los clientes necesitan un teléfono capacitado con Get It Now y los servicios digitales de Verizon Wireless.
Para obtener mayor información acerca de los productos y servicios de Verizon Wireless, visite una tienda Verizon Wireless Communications Store, llame gratis al 1-800-2 JOIN IN o accese, http://www.verizonwireless.com/.
Acerca de Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless tiene y opera la red móvil más confiable del país y cuenta con 54.8 millones de clientes de sus servicios de voz y datos. Verizon Wireless, con sede en Basking Ridge, N. J., es una sociedad conjunta de Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) y Vodafone (NYSE y LSE: VOD). Para más información, visite el sitio http://www.verizonwireless.com/. Para ver y solicitar secuencias de video, con resolución apropiada para difusión y fotografías de alta resolución sobre las operaciones de Verizon Wireless, visite Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library en http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Acerca de SkyZone Entertainment
SkyZone Entertainment, Inc. crea y ofrece contenido emocionante "Made for Mobile(TM)" (Hecho para Telefonía Móvil), que satisface la demanda emergente de los consumidores de juegos a través de varias redes de teléfonos móviles y aparatos de entretenimiento en el hogar. A través de una red de inversores y socios como SK Group, SkyZone recurre a una tradición coreana avanzada de innovación editorial e interoperabilidad de redes para ofrecer juegos de tecnología de punta y aplicaciones de marcas reconocidas que presentan gráficos en 3D, ambientes de interconexión de redes de múltiples jugadores y acceso transmedial para las portadoras de telecomunicaciones y jugadores móviles en todo el mundo. Para obtener mayor información, visite, http://www.skyzonemobile.com/.
Get It Now es una marca comercial registrada de Verizon Wireless. Todos los otros nombres y marcas comerciales pertenecen a sus respectivas compañías.
Sexy, Inc. anuncia la "Lista de los 100 hoteles más sexy del mundo 2005-2006"
Sexy, Inc. ha lanzado su segunda lista aunal de los 100 hoteles más sexy del mundo
-- Marc Holland, fundador de Sexy, Inc., afirmó, "Se evaluaron más de 500 propiedades y los ganadores se eligieron por su estilo, arquitectura, ambientación, servicios, humor y emoción." Holland agregó, "Definir 'sexy' fue la parte divertida de la tarea. Sexy no tiene nada que ver con el precio, el tamaño o la reputación, sino con el modo en que todos esos elementos se combinan para crear una experiencia sensual que evoca un sentimiento de verdadera trascendencia para el huésped."
"La característica de sexy no se puede fingir", explica Holland, "Un hotel o lugar de vacaciones es sexy o no lo es. No hay grados intermedios. Sexy podría ser un mega lugar de vacaciones en el desierto, un elegante hotel para ejecutivos en la ciudad de Nueva York, un establecimiento a orillas del mar en Malasia o un campamento de safari."
Las propiedades destacadas incluyen Rattray's en Sudáfrica, Bleibtreu en Berlín, The Montage Resort & Spa en Laguna Beach, California, Navutu Stars Resort en Fiji, Costa Rica Marriott en Costa Rica y muchas otras.
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Jeff Johnson, Vicepresidente de Comercialización del Montage Resort & Spa, afirma, "Nos complace sumamente haber sido seleccionados como uno de los hoteles más sexy del mundo. Nuestro establecimiento es romántico y elegante y queremos evocar una experiencia relajada para todos los sentidos."
Julia Poppe, Directora de Comercialización, Bleibtreu Hotel, dijo, "Nos enorgullece enormemente estar otra vez afiliados con el exclusivo círculo mundial de los ‘hoteles más sexy'. Nuestro amor por los detalles más pequeños y nuestro impulso por mejorar y brindar nuestro servicio sincero permanentemente forman parte de nuestra oferta, lo cual es sumamente valorado por nuestros huéspedes. Desde la inauguración del Bleibtreu, que se traduce literalmente como 'Permanece fiel', muchos de nuestros huéspedes han mostrado lealtad."
La lista de los 100 hoteles más sexy del mundo es un emprendimiento conjunto de clasificación de viajes entre Sexy, Inc., Sky Radio & Video y SkyAuction.com, una empresa líder de subasta de viajes en línea.
1. Navutu Stars Resort, Fiji 2. Rattray's on Mala Mala, Sudáfrica 3. The Wynn, Las Vegas, Nevada 4. Amanpulo Resort, Filipinas 5. Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, Ojai, California 6. Hotel de l'Europe, Ámsterdam 7. Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach, California 8. Roger Williams, Nueva York, Nueva York 9. The Lalu, Taiwan 10. Costa Rica Marriott, San José, Costa Rica
Holland indica, "Todos los ganadores con quienes hemos conversado sienten gran entusiasmo por ser seleccionados para la lista. Están acostumbrados a ganar premios, pero el galardón al 'Más sexy' es algo que los enorgullece de forma inusual."
Visite www.sexiesthotels.com.
New AARP Survey Shows Public Strongly Opposes Social Security Private Accounts
Oct 24
A new AARP survey finds that boomer+ voters (age 42 and older) are strongly opposed to using Social Security taxes to fund private accounts. More than seven in 10 of those polled (72 percent) said they oppose private accounts. Less than one in six (16 percent) of those polled said they support such accounts.
An analysis of candidate responses to the 2006 AARP Voters' Guides in 45 competitive Senate and House races reflects that candidates are hearing the public's rejection of private accounts. AARP's 2006 Voters' Guides ask candidates whether they "support or oppose using Social Security taxes to fund private accounts." Of the 20 Senate candidates in 10 of the closest races for which Guides are available, 14 (70 percent) of the candidates checked the box in opposition; only one (5 percent) candidate expressed support, while 5 (25 percent) candidates either did not check a box or respond..
Similarly, in 35 of the competitive House races, 43 (60 percent) of the candidates checked the box in opposition. Only two candidates (3 percent) expressed support, while 26 (37 percent) of the remaining candidates either did not check a box or respond at all.
The guides also ask candidates whether they will "support or oppose a balanced Social Security plan to continue the program's guaranteed benefits for future generations." Of the 20 Senate candidates, 15 (75 percent) candidates checked the box in support, one candidate (5 percent) opposed and 20 percent did not check a box or respond. For the House races, a total of 45 (63 percent) candidates support a balanced plan, only one (1 percent) oppose, and the remaining 25 (35 percent) candidates either did not check a box or respond.
"It is clear from the responses to our Voters' Guides that an overwhelming majority of candidates oppose private accounts and support a balanced Social Security plan to continue this critical program for future generations," said AARP Director of Government Relations David Sloane. "These candidates have committed to strengthening and preserving Social Security, and voters will expect that they follow through on their promises if elected to office."
For a complete listing of the competitive 45 races for which we have Voters' Guides, and the candidates' complete responses to the Social Security questions, including additional comments they may have made, visit:
http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/cs/misc/house_vo ter_guide.pdf
http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/cs/misc/senate_v oter_guide.pdf
Also, to view all the complete 2006 AARP Voters' Guides, visit http://www.dontvote.com.
The Election Watch survey was commissioned earlier this month as a national telephone survey of 1,503 individuals age 42 and older. The survey is the seventh in a series of nine scheduled for release each week leading up to the mid-term elections. AARP wanted to take the pulse of the public's opinion on issues that our members have indicated they want to hear about in the national and state public discourse.
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AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP produces The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, a monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, a bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, a quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and the Web site, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Grammy Winner Jill Scott will accept a 2006 Eddy Award tomorrow night, Oct. 24, from the Philadelphia Education Fund. The renowned singer-songwriter will be honored alongside fellow awardees: the Eagles Youth Partnership, GlaxoSmithKline, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (Philadelphia Alumni Chapter) and current Philadelphia Scholar Tiffany A. Flippen. The celebration takes place tomorrow, from 6- 8 p.m., at WHYY and includes live interviews with the award winners by WHYY's Tracey Matisak.
Jill Scott has been writing poetry since her days in Philadelphia's public schools. Raised in North Philadelphia, a graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls, Scott has a couple of multi-platinum albums to her name and a critically- acclaimed book of poetry. But her accomplishments don't stop there.
In 2003, Scott founded the Blues Babe Foundation to nurture college-bound students of color, aged 16-21. In addition to providing scholarships, Scott's foundation has financially supported regional schools and community centers, and is preparing to launch a summer camp for underprivileged children.
In addition to Girls High, Scott is a graduate of Thomas M. Peirce Elementary School and Albert M. Greenfield School. She released her debut album Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 in July 2000, and won a Grammy Award in 2005 for Best R&B Urban/Alternative Performance for "Cross My Mind." Her book of poetry, The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, was released in April 2005. She will receive the Philadelphia Education Fund's Star Alumna Eddy.
Receiving the Star Business Commitment to Education Eddy is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The pharmaceutical company is being honored for its continued support of education programs in under- served communities, including teacher development, middle-grades education and its flagship Science in the Summer program. GSK's Director of Community Partnerships, Mary Linda Andrews, will accept the award.
The Eagles Youth Partnership (EYP), founded by the Philadelphia Eagles to tackle education and health issues faced by the region's youth, is being honored with the Star Commitment to Education Eddy. The nonprofit organization runs several signature programs, including the Eagles Book Mobile, Eagles Eye Mobile, Eagles Chess Tournament and Eagles Top Achiever Awards. Cecil Martin, former Philadelphia Eagles Fullback, will be accepting the award along with EYP's Executive Director Sarah Martinez-Helfman.
The Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will be honored with the Star Community Commitment to Education Eddy Award. The city's Alumni Chapter works with young African- American males through programs, such as Guide Right, which stress positive values, direction and self-esteem. Louis Williams, Polemarch, will be accepting the award for Kappa Alpha Psi.
In addition, Tiffany A. Flippen, a participant from the Ed Fund's College Access and Philadelphia Scholars programs, will receive the Rising Star Eddy. A sophomore at Villanova University, Tiffany is an accounting major with a minor in African American Studies and is an active volunteer for Villanova's Black Cultural Society. She was also the valedictorian of her class at University City High School.
The 2006 Eddys are being sponsored by WHYY, Fox Rothschild LLP, IBM, the Philadelphia Eagles and Firstrust Bank. The Philadelphia Education Fund is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of public education for under-served youth in the Philadelphia region.
Former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey K. Skilling has been sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison on conspiracy, securities fraud and other charges related to the collapse of the Enron Corporation, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today.
In addition to the prison sentence, Skilling, 52, was ordered to forfeit approximately $45 million to be applied towards restitution for the victims of the fraud at Enron. Skilling was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake, at the U.S. District Court in Houston. He was convicted by a federal jury in Houston on May 25 of 12 counts of securities fraud, one count of insider trading, conspiracy and five counts of making false statements to auditors. Lay's co-defendant at trial, former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay, was also convicted after 56 days of trial and jury deliberations on conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud charges.
The convictions stemmed from a wide-ranging scheme that Lay, Skilling and other Enron executives engaged in at various times between at least 1999 and 2001, to deceive the investing public, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and others about the true performance of Enron's businesses. The scheme was designed to make it appear that Enron was growing at a healthy and predictable rate, consistent with analysts' published expectations, that Enron did not have significant write-offs or debt and was worthy of investment-grade credit rating, that Enron was comprised of a number of successful business units, and that the company had an appropriate cash flow. It had the effect of inflating artificially Enron's stock price, which increased from approximately $30 per share in early 1998 to over $80 per share in January 2001, and artificially stemming the decline of the stock during the first three quarters of 2001.
The fraud scheme eventually unraveled and Enron filed for bankruptcy in December 2001, making its stock virtually worthless. The company's collapse cost investors billions of dollars, and thousands of workers lost their jobs.
"Today's sentence is a measure of justice for the thousands of people who lost their jobs and millions of dollars in investments when Enron collapsed under the weight of the fraud perpetrated by the company's top executives," said Fisher. "Jeffrey Skilling will now spend more than 24 years in prison for committing one of the largest frauds in the history of corporate America. His conviction is the result of nearly five years of hard work and dedication by the prosecutors and investigators on the Enron Task Force, whose tireless efforts demonstrate the finest qualities of public service."
"The sentencing of Jeffrey Skilling today puts an exclamation point on many years of hard work by the Enron Task Force and reiterates the FBI's commitment to address corporate fraud, no matter how long it takes," said FBI Assistant Director Chip Burrus. "Corporate crooks should beware, if you decide to use business coffers as your personal piggy bank at the expense of investors and employees, you risk loss of personal freedom."
Kenneth Lay died on July 5, and his conviction was voided by a federal judge earlier this month. The government announced today that it is filing a civil forfeiture action to recover property that constitutes proceeds of the fraud proven in the criminal case against Lay. The civil complaint seeks to forfeit Lay's condominium in Houston, property associated with a Lay family investment partnership and a bank account with more than $22,000 -- all proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of various federal crimes, including securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
The investigation into Enron's collapse was conducted by the Enron Task Force, a team of federal prosecutors supervised by the Justice Department's Criminal Division and Special Agents from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. The Task Force received considerable assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following today's sentencing, all outstanding matters being handled by the Enron Task Force will be referred to the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Two Egyptian nationals who enslaved a 10-year-old girl and forced her to work as a domestic servant at their Orange County, Calif., residence were both sentenced this morning.
Abdel Nasser Youssef Ibrahim was sentenced to 36 months in prison. His ex-wife, Amal Ahmed Ewis-abd El Motelib, was sentenced to 22 months. In addition to the prison terms, Ibrahim and Motelib were ordered to pay over $70,000 to the victim. This figure represents the money she should have received while working for two years without pay for a family of seven at their Irvine, Calif., residence.
The court ordered Ibrahim and Montelib to surrender into custody on Oct. 30, and Nov. 13, respectively. Following the sentencing, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Ibrahim and Motelib, both foreign nationals, pending deportation proceedings. Upon completion of their sentences, Ibrahim and Motelib will face deportation from the United States.
In June 2006, the defendants pleaded guilty to four counts of conspiracy, holding a person in involuntary servitude through force or coercion, obtaining labor through unlawful force and coercion, and harboring an illegal alien.
"The young victim in this case was subject to inhumane conditions that included both physical and verbal abuse," said U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang of the Central District of California. "As a result of recent changes in federal law, she has been granted a visa that will allow her to stay and, hopefully, prosper, in the United States. I hope this brings some recompense to a victim who was forced to work every day for as long as 16 hours."
The victim began working for Ibrahim and Motelib as a domestic servant in Egypt in 1999. The couple then moved to the United States and arranged to have the victim brought to the country in 2000, with the expectation that she would work for them as a nanny and housekeeper. The victim's passport was confiscated by the defendants after her arrival. She received no compensation for her labor and served the couple and their family for 20 months.
Ibrahim and Motelib forced the victim to work through a number of unlawful means, including threats, and physical and verbal abuse. The defendants slapped the victim on at least one occasion, and told the girl that she would be arrested and taken away if she was caught by the police outside the family's home.
"This young victim was robbed of something intensely precious -- her youth," said Assistant Attorney General Wan J. Kim of the Civil Rights Division. "The Civil Rights Division is strongly committed to ending the heinous crime of human trafficking. Innocent victims, such as the young girl in this case, deserve the freedom and opportunity that America offers. They deserve the right to seek the American Dream."
The case against Ibrahim and Motelib is the first case brought under the purview of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Irvine Police Department conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
The United States won't withdraw its troops
from Iraq in the face of recent increased insurgent-led violence in
some parts of that country, President Bush said here yesterday.
The U.S. goal in Iraq is victory, Bush told the nation during his
weekly radio address. Any changes made to address increased insurgent
attacks in and around Baghdad and parts of Anbar province, the president
emphasized, will involve "the tactics we use to achieve" victory.
Bush has met with senior Defense Department civilian and military
leaders over the past few days to discuss the way ahead in Iraq.
Withdrawing American military forces and retreating from Iraq would
embolden terrorists around the world, dishonor the sacrifices of thousands
of U.S. servicemembers, and make America less safe, Bush said.
"We will not pull our troops off the [Iraq] battlefield before the
mission is complete," Bush emphasized in his radio address. Giving up in
Iraq, he added, "would allow the terrorists to gain a new safe haven from
which to launch new attacks on America."
The American strategy in Iraq is predicated on training enough capable
Iraqi soldiers and police to engage and defeat the insurgents. This
plan is flexible and allows U.S. forces to adapt to changing
circumstances, Bush said.
"We've changed the way we train the Iraqi security forces," Bush
pointed out. "We have changed the way we deliver reconstruction assistance in
areas that have been cleared of terrorist influence."
Bush said he's spoken with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki about
the stepped up violence in Iraq. Both leaders agreed that the core
strategy employed to defeat the insurgency in Iraq would remain in place.
"And, we will continue to be flexible, and make every necessary change
to prevail in this struggle," Bush said.
Violence in Iraq has increased, particularly in and around Baghdad,
Bush said, because coalition and Iraqi forces have been conducting focused
operations to bring security to that city.
"It's no coincidence that the surge in attacks against coalition forces
coincides with our increased presence in the streets in Baghdad," Bush
pointed out.
Maliki and other senior Iraqi government officials have been taking
steps to confront rising violence by reaching out to various sects and
tribes, Bush said. For example, tribal leaders in Anbar province, he said,
have told Maliki they're ready to confront the insurgency.
Also, some key leaders of Iraq's national police force have been
arrested or reassigned, Bush noted during his radio address, as part of
efforts to make that organization more efficient.
Terrorists in Iraq aim to use the stepped up violence to influence
American public opinion through the media and reduce support for the war,
Bush said.
"They know they cannot defeat us in the battle, so they conduct
high-profile attacks, hoping that the images of violence will demoralize our
country and force us to retreat," the president explained.
However, America will remain steadfast in its support of the new
democratic Iraqi government, Bush said.
"We will help Prime Minister Maliki build a free nation that can govern
itself, sustain itself, and defend itself," Bush said. "And we will
help Iraq become a strong democracy that is a strong ally in the war on
terror."
Bush acknowledged that increased violence over the past few weeks has
"been rough for our troops in Iraq, and for the Iraqi people." Yet,
American troops have persevered and achieved victories in other great, past
struggles, he pointed out.
"In World War II and the Cold War, earlier generations of Americans
sacrificed so that we can live in freedom," Bush said. "This generation
will do its duty as well. We will defeat the terrorists everywhere they
make their stand, and we will leave a more hopeful world for our
children and our grandchildren."
Three in Five Say Pay Raise Not the Determining Factor in Legislative Races, According to New, Non-Partisan Poll
Oct. 21 -- Three out of five likely voters surveyed in a new, non-partisan statewide poll say an incumbent legislator's vote for the recently repealed state pay raise will not be the determining factor when they go to the polls on Nov. 7.
The survey, released today by Triad Strategies, LLC, and Susquehanna Polling and Research, asked 700 voters statewide how they viewed the state pay raise as a decision factor in the Nov. 7 election.
A significant majority - 59 percent - said they "plan to consider my senator or representative's position on other issues before making my final decision." A total of 22 percent said they would vote against pay raise supporters no matter what. A total of 15 percent said they would vote for their incumbent legislator "in spite of their position on the pay raise."
Pay raise concerns seem to be centered most strongly in the Southwestern Pennsylvania counties around Pittsburgh where 33 percent of voters say they will vote against those who voted for the legislation no matter what, said Roy Wells, President of Triad Strategies. "It means that it could be a factor in some races but it's not going to be the sea change we saw in the primaries," Wells said. Strong concerns were also evident in South Central Pennsylvania and North Central Pennsylvania counties where anti-pay-raise sentiments were registered by 29 percent of the voters contacted.
"It's clear that most people are going to do what they do traditionally - look at the total record of incumbents and make a balanced decision," Wells said.
Anti-pay-raise attitudes were evident most strongly among senior citizens. A total of 31 percent of those 60 years old and over said they would vote against pay raise supporters.
The Triad/Susquehanna Poll also showed Democrats holding or extending their leads in the statewide races for U.S. Senate and Governor. In the Senate contest, the poll - conducted between Oct. 1 and 6 - showed Democrat Bob Casey increasing his lead over incumbent Republican Rick Santorum to 54-34 statewide.
In the race for governor, incumbent Democrat Ed Rendell was at 56 percent compared to 32 percent for Republican challenger Lynn Swann.
"What is significant to me as someone who conducted dozens of polls every year is the percent of people who already have made up their minds with a month to go before the election," said James Lee, founder and President of Susquehanna Polling and Research. "In the Senate race, it will be difficult for Santorum to recapture the lead because in this type of anti-incumbent environment most of the undecided voters will go to the challenger. In the race for governor, with Rendell over fifty percent even if all the undecided voters break for the challenger Swann still comes up short."
The Triad-Susquehanna Poll differs from some other non-partisan polls in that it draws its interviews from lists of those registered to vote who have already demonstrated that they have cast ballots in recent elections and indicate that they are very likely or certainly likely to vote on Nov. 7.
Regionally, Santorum is running strongest in Southwest Pennsylvania, where 44 percent of the voters support him compared to 50 percent for Casey, and in the Central Pennsylvania "T" counties where he trails Casey 39-41 - within the 3.7 percent margin of error for a survey sample of this size.
However, he trails Casey 68-17 and 70-27 in populous Philadelphia and Allegheny County and 54-37 in the nominally Republican counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.
Swann leads Rendell only in the suburban Pittsburgh counties in Southwest Pennsylvania (42-39) but trails in even the Republican counties of the "T" and South Central Pennsylvania (45-40 and 47-36, respectively).
On issues, voters are most concerned about taxes. Overall, 32 percent of all surveyed said taxes are the "single most important problem facing Pennsylvania today ... that you would like to see resolved by your elected officials." Concerns about the economy, jobs and unemployment ranked a distant second at 14 percent. Concerns about politicians and ethics in government was third at 9 percent.
Source: TRIAD STRATEGIES
NAACP Supports California Proposition 86 to Fund Universal Health Care for Children
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Board of Directors voted today to endorse California ballot Proposition 86 that would raise billions of dollars for hospitals and fund universal children's health insurance, anti-tobacco programs and health education programs by increasing taxes on tobacco.
"From our earliest days, the health status of African- Americans has been a major NAACP concern. Proposition 86 will be a great step toward that goal," said Julian Bond, Chairman, NAACP Board of Directors.
"By passing this resolution, the NAACP has gone on the record again as being opposed to smoking and in favor of better health care for children and adults," said Bruce S. Gordon, NAACP President and CEO. "It's a scientific fact that avoiding tobacco products results in health benefits for both smokers and non- smokers. Everything possible should be done to discourage young people from starting the smoking habit. This is our national policy and we're sticking to it."
Proposition 86 would raise cigarette taxes by $2.60 a pack, making the California cigarette tax the highest in the nation. The average price of cigarettes would be nearly $7 a pack. "It has been demonstrated that an increase in the price of tobacco products reduces the utilization of those products, especially among the young," the Board resolution states. Supporters of the proposition estimate the increased price of cigarettes could prompt more than 500,000 smokers to quit and prevent 300,000 deaths each year.
In supporting Proposition 86, the NAACP joins a number of groups that include the California Black Health Network, American Diabetes Association, AARP-California, California Federation of Teachers, National Council of La Raza, League of United Latin American Citizens, Los Angeles Urban League, National African American Tobacco Education Network, American Federation of State, County Municipal Employees, Service Employees International Union Local 535, United Farm Workers, League of Women Voters of California, California Medical Association, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation-Central Valley Affiliate, Dental Health Foundation and the National Health Foundation.
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
No es comprendido y a menudo no recibe tratamiento: el melasma, o ‘paño’, afecta aproximadamente a seis millones de mujeres
Cada año, cuando el verano da lugar al otoño, muchas mujeres del área de Dallas se preguntan qué pueden hacer acerca de los problemas de la piel que han aparecido o empeorado después de haber estado expuestas al sol del verano.
Monika Lee, de 47 años y madre de dos hijos que vive en Fremont, comenzó a notar las manchas de color marrón en su cara hace dos años durante unas vacaciones en México. “Me daba mucha pena por las manchas oscuras en la cara. Trataba de cubrirlas con base de maquillaje, pero era difícil esconderlas. No me gustaba mirarme en el espejo porque lo único que veía eran las manchas”, explicó Monika. “Pensé que simplemente tenía que aceptar el problema”.
Luego de una larga lucha con el dilema de la misteriosa condición de la piel, Rebecca pidió una cita para ver a un dermatólogo. Se sorprendió al enterarse de que la condición tenía un nombre: melasma, una hiperpigmentación de la piel. Aún de mayor importancia, se sintió aliviada cuando le dijeron que había un tratamiento.
El melasma afecta aproximadamente a seis millones de mujeres de los Estados Unidos y es una de las condiciones de pigmentación de la piel más comunes que empeoran con la exposición al sol. Esta afección de la piel se caracteriza por manchas oscuras en la cara, en la frente y en el cuello. Aunque el melasma es común entre las mujeres de todas las razas, las mujeres latinas tienen la mayor preponderancia a la condición.
Las investigaciones documentan que las pacientes que no son de raza blanca tienen un 30 por ciento más de probabilidades de afecciones de pigmentación que las pacientes blancas. Aunque entre el 50 y el 70 por ciento de las mujeres embarazadas presentan cierto grado de melasma, el índice de melasma entre las mujeres embarazadas hispanas es de hasta el 80 por ciento. El 30 por ciento de las mujeres hispanas que desarrollan la condición durante el embarazo mantienen la afección de por vida si no reciben el tratamiento adecuado.
Al melasma se lo conoce como “paño” en México y como “manchas” o “máscara del embarazo” en Centroamérica y Sudamérica. La condición tiene connotaciones negativas en las culturas latinas; comúnmente considerándose una desfiguración y a menudo asociada con la malnutrición.
Las nuevas investigaciones, que serán publicadas próximamente en el Journal of Dermatological Treatment (Periódico del Tratamiento Dermatológico), establecen que la condición tiene un impacto significativamente negativo en los temas de la calidad de vida, afectando la vida social, el bienestar emocional, la salud física y hasta la situación financiera. “Se ha comprobado que el melasma presenta una importante carga emocional y psicosocial para las mujeres que lo padecen”, dijo el Dr. Sunil Dhawan, un dermatólogo del Área de la Bahía. “Cambia la manera en la que una persona se ve a sí misma. Cambia la manera en la que otros ven a esa persona. La condición literalmente afecta la habilidad de una persona para enfrentar al mundo.
“El melasma puede ser causado por un desequilibrio hormonal, por el uso de anticonceptivos por vía oral o por la terapia de reemplazo hormonal y se lo conoce comúnmente como la ‘máscara del embarazo’”, dijo el Dr. Dhawan. “La genética también influye. Sin embargo, la exposición al sol puede desencadenar o empeorar la apariencia de la condición. El otoño es la época ideal para consultar con un dermatólogo acerca de cómo enfrentar los temas de pigmentación y para hacerse una evaluación general de la condición de la piel”. El Dr. Dhawan recomienda que todos los que sufran de esta condición visiten el sitio web http://www.melasmafacts.com para conseguir información adicional y para ver las opciones de tratamiento.
Monika dijo que con el tratamiento apropiado, pronto comenzó a notar un cambio. “Después de ocho semanas, las manchas casi no podían verse”, dijo. “Fue tan fácil tratar mi melasma que ojalá lo hubiera comenzado antes”.
“La Crema Tri-Luma(R) es el único tratamiento recetado de uso local aprobado por la FDA para el tratamiento del melasma”, dijo el Dr. Dhawan. “En una sociedad en la cual la apariencia es importante y valorada, no hay razón para sufrir cuando existe un tratamiento disponible que su doctor puede recetarlo fácilmente”.
FOTOS DE ALTA RESOLUCIÓN DISPONIBLES. POR FAVOR, PIDA ARCHIVO ADJUNTO.
Información acerca del Melasma:
-- La Academia Americana de Dermatología (American Academy of Dermatology) calcula que el melasma afecta a aproximadamente seis millones de personas en los Estados Unidos. Aproximadamente el 90 por ciento de la gente que sufre de melasma son mujeres.
-- El melasma puede ser causado por un desequilibrio hormonal debido al embarazo, al uso de anticonceptivos por vía oral o de la terapia de reemplazo hormonal; la genética también influye.
-- La exposición al sol es un factor desencadenante. Para la mayoría de las mujeres, el melasma se nota más durante el otoño.
-- Aunque el melasma es común entre las mujeres de todas las razas, las mujeres latinas tienen la mayor incidencia de esta condición médica.
-- Las pacientes que no son de raza blanca tienen un 30 por ciento de probabilidades más alto de presentar afecciones de pigmentación que las pacientes de raza blanca.
-- Aunque entre el 50 y el 70 por ciento de las mujeres embarazadas presentan cierto grado de melasma, el índice de melasma entre las mujeres embarazadas hispanas es de hasta el 80 por ciento. El 30 por ciento de las mujeres hispanas que desarrollan la condición durante el embarazo mantienen la afección de por vida si no reciben el tratamiento adecuado.
-- Las nuevas investigaciones publicadas en el Journal of Dermatological Treatment (Periódico del Tratamiento Dermatológico) establece que la condición tiene un impacto significativamente negativo en los temas de la calidad de vida, afectando la vida social, el bienestar emocional, la salud física y hasta la situación financiera. Específicamente, el melasma está asociado con la disminución del funcionamiento social, con la reducción de la productividad en el trabajo, con el miedo negativo a la evaluación, con la ansiedad y con la depresión, que llevan al aislamiento social y a la soledad.
-- Para más información acerca del melasma, por favor visite http://www.MelasmaFacts.com.
Equilibrio Justo de la Crema Tri-Luma(R) (acetónido de fluocinolona 0.01%, hidroquinona 4%, tretinoína 0.05%)
Puede presentar enrojecimiento, descamación, ardor, sequedad o picazón leves o moderados. Las personas que tienen reacciones alérgicas (como el asma) a los sulfatos no deben usar la Crema Tri-Luma(R). La seguridad y eficacia de la Crema Tri-Luma(R) para los pacientes que tienen piel de tipo V y VI no han sido investigadas. No se puede excluir el excesivo blanqueamiento que lleve a efectos cosméticos indeseados entre los pacientes que tienen pieles más oscuras.
La seguridad y eficacia de la Crema Tri-Luma(R) para las mujeres embarazadas y las madres que están en período de lactancia no han sido establecidas. La Crema Tri-Luma(R) contiene hidroquinona, la cual puede producir ocronosis exógena, un oscurecimiento azul-negruzco gradual de la piel, cuya aparición indica la inmediata interrupción del tratamiento. La Crema Tri-Luma(R) contiene el corticoesteroide acetónido de fluocinolona. La absorción sistemática de los corticoesteroides de uso local puede producir la supresión del eje hipotálamo-pituitario-adrenal o HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) con el riesgo posible de producir deficiencia de glucocorticoides luego de suspender el tratamiento.
Se debe evitar la exposición al sol, a las lámparas solares o a la luz ultravioleta y al calor, al viento o a los fríos extremos. Es necesario utilizar protectores solares de amplio espectro con factores de protección solar 30 o superiores. Use ropa para protegerse del sol y, en el caso de utilizar métodos anticonceptivos hormonales, cambie a métodos no hormonales.
Malibu Family Wines Hosts Sixth Annual Harvest & Crush Event Honoring City Hearts: Kids Say 'Yes' to the Arts
October 21, 2006 -- More than 650 people gathered at Saddlerock Ranch, home of Malibu Family Wines, on Oct. 8, helping to raise over $100,000 to benefit City Hearts: Kids Say 'Yes' to the Arts at the Sixth Annual Harvest & Crush Event. Guests stomped and crushed harvested grapes from Malibu Family Wines, bid on silent auction items and sampled food from more than a dozen local restaurants. The money raised will be used to fund arts programs for the most critically at-risk children in Southern California, with such programs as The Shakespeare Challenge, Fresh Focus Photography, Dance for Life and ALITE (Arts & Literacy for Tomorrow's Education). Over the last 22 years, City Hearts has taught the arts to over 22,000 children, many of whom have graduated from college and become successful professionals, attributing their confidence and motivation to their experience with the organization.
(Click here for details)
Playing auctioneers at the Sixth Annual Harvest Event and Grape
Crush to benefit City Hearts on Oct. 8 at Saddlerock Ranch, home
of Malibu Family Wines (left to right) Bob Jason, co-founder of
City Hearts; Jane Seymour, National Honorary Chair for City
Hearts; Sherry Jason, co-founder of City Hearts; and Ron Semler,
owner of Malibu Family Wines and host of the event. For more
information visit www.cityhearts.org.
Actress Jane Seymour, City Hearts' National Honorary Chair, who has been very involved with City Hearts programs for more than 18 years, was at the event sharing auctioneer duties with Ron Semler, co-owner of Malibu Family Wines and event host. Seymour also sold her line of purses, which feature her paintings, donating $100 from each purse sold directly to City Hearts. After the grape crushing, guests were able to remove the stains with a foot soak by Bonicca and foot massage by Borrelli salons. Throughout the afternoon, guests were able to sample items from several local restaurants including Chapter 8, Fin's, Il Tiramisu Ristorante, Malibu Wines, The Melting Pot, MOZ Buddha Lounge, Paradise Cove, P6, Rustico, Riviera, Saddle Peak Lodge, Sam's by the Beach Restaurant, The Sunset, Tuscany and Zin Bistro Americana.
Children enjoyed face painting, a moon bounce and hot dog cart provided by Calamigos Ranch. During the event people wandered the grounds of Saddlerock Ranch, which is the largest working ranch in Los Angeles County and home to exotic animals, including zebras, buffalo, camels, macaws, Scottish highland cattle and llamas. Many children participating in City Hearts programs were in attendance; some played witches from "Macbeth," and others played fairies. The MC for the event was William Shakespeare, played by one of the City Hearts instructors who were on hand to lend their support.
People who could not attend the Harvest Event & Grape Crush can still experience Malibu Family Wines by sampling the wines at "Malibu Wines," the new tasting room in Malibu (www.MalibuWine.com). To become a Malibu Family Wine Club member, visit www.MalibuFamilyWines.com or call 888-433-WINE.
The Seventh Annual Harvest Event & Grape Crush to benefit City Hearts will be held on Sun., Oct. 7, 2007.
About City Hearts:
Founded in 1984 as a program of prevention by criminal defense attorneys Sherry and Bob Jason, City Hearts now reaches over 2,000 at-greatest-risk children each year, ages five to 18, through unique and inspiring, free after-school programs in core arts disciplines. City Hearts is committed to using the arts to intervene in a loving, supportive and nurturing way to break the cycle of poverty, neglect, abuse and violence that destroys the lives of so many of our community's children who face everyday challenges of gangs, drugs and crime. The programs are designed to show these most disadvantaged children an alternate path of social involvement and life-affirming success. For more information or to find out how to get involved with City Hearts, visit www.cityhearts.org or call 310-455-2898.
Oct. 21, 2006 -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and the U.S. Air Force MILSATCOM Systems Wing have signed a $1.067 billion contract for up to three more Wideband Gapfiller Satellites (WGS), if all options are exercised.
The Block II satellites will be similar to the three Block I satellites already in production. Under Block II, Boeing will add a radio frequency bypass capability designed to support airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms requiring ultra-high bandwidth and data rates demanded by unmanned aerial vehicles.
"This new Block II contract gives the Air Force the flexibility to independently exercise options for long-lead material, production and launch services for WGS F4 through F6," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Adam Mortenson, WGS Block II program manager. "One WGS satellite will provide more throughput than the entire Defense Service Communications Satellite (DSCS) constellation currently on station, which translates into improved effectiveness of our worldwide forces, and ultimately, into lives saved."
In February, the Air Force authorized Boeing to begin non-recurring engineering and advanced procurement of parts for the fourth WGS satellite. Boeing anticipates Air Force authorization to proceed with full production of WGS F4 and to begin long-lead work for F5 by the end of 2006. These revolutionary, 13-kilowatt WGS satellites are based on Boeing's 702 models and are designed to provide improved communications support for America's warfighters.
"We have designed an incredibly capable satellite system with tremendous operational flexibility, which will become even more apparent when the first vehicle is launched next year," said Charles Toups, vice president of Navigation and Communications Systems for Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "We are very pleased the Air Force has chosen Boeing to fulfill this critical communications need."
Boeing is preparing the first WGS satellite for launch in 2007. The Block II contract calls for the launch of F4 by the first quarter of 2011 and subsequent launches every year thereafter. WGS will augment and eventually replace the DSCS currently on station. Boeing has leveraged a wealth of experience and capability for WGS, including extensive investments in the 702 satellite bus, digital signal processors and phased array antennas. These capabilities enable the tremendous capacity and operational flexibility the U.S. military requires.
The results contained in this submission were generated in whole, or in part, through work supporting the MILSATCOM Systems Wing.
IBM Named in Analyst Firm's Leaders Quadrant for Web Access Management
October 21, 2006 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Gartner, Inc. has positioned IBM in the Leaders Quadrant in their 2H06 Magic Quadrant for Web Access Management(1). This report marks IBM's third Leaders Quadrant placement for security software this year by the independent analyst firm -- who previously positioned IBM for User Provisioning(2) and for Security Information and Event Management(3).
Earlier this year, Gartner also named IBM as the leading market share vendor in total Web access management software revenue worldwide with 41.4 percent market share in 2005(4). As defined by Gartner, Web access management offers integrated identity and access management for Web-based applications, such as email and online databases.
"IBM's current suite of companion products, like Tivoli Identity Manager and Tivoli Access Manager, offers the industry's strongest portfolio of identity management solutions," said Al Zollar, general manager, IBM Tivoli software. "These solutions allow customers to simplify and automate the management of user identities, access rights and privacy policies across the company. Moreover, customers can control and track the internal users, customers, and partners that have access to company data, which protects sensitive information and helps companies address government regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley."
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As customers are transforming their businesses to be delivered on a service oriented architecture, the need to simplify business process integration with partners and suppliers becomes critical -- identity management with federation using open standards delivers the flexibility, agility and security for companies to simplify business process integration.
IBM's Tivoli security software helps prevent unauthorized access to valuable customer, employee and business data and facilitates compliance with corporate security policy and regulatory requirements. It is part of IBM's portfolio of service management software, which automates some of the most challenging processes associated with managing a complex IT environment. These include managing storage devices, and deploying new software releases and patches. The software helps customers fight rising IT costs, manage constant change and meet the demand to stay competitive in the marketplace.
For more information on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Access Management, visit http://www.gartner.com.
For more information on IBM Tivoli, visit http://www.ibm.com/software/tivoli.
The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
