Facing environmental lawsuits, Shell reconsiders Arctic drilling

Shell, the giant oil company that hopes to open a new petroleum frontier for Alaska, says it will decide within months whether to risk sending a large fleet of vessels to drill for oil and gas in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas next summer.

Michele Bachmann to protesters: 'Scare' Congress

In a conference call Wednesday night with bloggers and activists for the advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) called on protesters to “scare” members of Congress into killing the proposed health care reform bill. If the protesters succeed in scaring lawmakers, Bachmann said that it could cripple efforts to restructure health care for a decade.

Radioactive waste near New Mexico water supply not a health risk, officials say

Radioactive waste is seeping from mountain burial sites in the canyons of northern New Mexico and moving toward the area’s springs and streams, but officials insist it’s not a health risk. The area is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, a major tech lab central to research on outer space, renewable energy, medicine, nanotechnology, and supercomputing. But it’s also one of two places where the U.S. conducts nuclear weapons testing, and was one of several sites used by the Manhattan Project to develop the first nuclear weapons, including the bombs responsible for the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during the second World War. The nuclear waste from the production of those weapons was buried deep within mountains in the area. But the L.A. Times reports that the mountains haven’t contained the waste, some of which has trickled down to the Rio Grande, a vital water resource for the Southwest.

Copyright Treaty Is Policy Laundering at Its Finest

The blogosphere is abuzz over an apparently leaked document showing the United States trying to push its controversial DMCA-style notice-and-takedown process on the world. But since Threat Level already lives in the land of the DMCA, or Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we’re more bothered by the fact that the U.S. proposal goes far beyond that 1998 law, and would require Congress to alter the DMCA in a manner even more hostile to consumers. At issue is the internet section of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement being developed under a cloak of secrecy by dozens of countries. The leaked document is a three-page European Commission memo written by an unnamed EU official, which purports to summarizes a private briefing given in September by U.S. trade officials. The language in the Sept. 30 memo shows the United States wants ISPs around the world to punish suspected, repeat downloaders with a system of “graduated response” — code for a three-strikes policy that results in the customer eventually being disconnected from the internet with the ISP alone deciding what constitutes infringement and fair use.

Lithuania votes to probe hosting CIA torture prison

Parliamentarians in Lithuania have voted to launch an investigation into allegations that the CIA operated a clandestine prison in the Baltic state to hold 'suspected al-Qaeda terrorists.'

Seniors protest at Capitol
Meal sites in the Tulsa area have closed

OKLAHOMA CITY — Hundreds of older Oklahomans carrying empty paper plates filled the second floor of the Capitol on Wednesday to protest cuts to senior nutrition programs. . . . The demonstrators wanted to know why the Department of Human Services has cut $7.4 million from the nutrition programs, which provide congregate and home-delivered meals.

Shudder speed
Rise of the stealthy traffic camera fuels drivers' disgust

This newspaper investigated red-light camera safety records in the District four years ago, had a panel of three traffic scholars review the numbers . . . and found that not only the number but the rate of accidents had increased, sometimes doubled, at intersections with red-light cameras. Virginia Tech did a study of Fairfax's red-light cameras before the jurisdiction got rid of them in 2005, studying four years of data. The thesis looked at red light intersections, intersections without cameras but a longer yellow light, and a control group with no cameras and not-so-long yellow lights. The finding was that there was "no statistical difference" in the number of crashes with red light cameras and the others.

FL House to Senators: Vote ''no' [on Health Reform Bill]

Republicans in the Florida House, citing concerns that Medicaid costs are “unsustainable,” will ask the state’s two U.S senators to vote against health reform legislation pending in Congress.  House Majority Leader Adam Hasner asked Republicans to sign letters to Sens. George LeMieux and Bill Nelson during a late Tuesday afternoon briefing, where Republicans were warned about the ongoing surge in Medicaid enrollment and costs. Medicaid is the state and federal health care program that covers low-income families, the elderly and the disabled. 

Fake Twitter account, Republican Party of Florida feud linked

Lisbon Treaty: more of Britain's powers surrendered to Brussels

The treaty, which will come into force within a few weeks, will create the first president of Europe, as well as a European foreign minister, and will end Britain’s right to veto new EU rules in more than 40 policy areas. The treaty's supporters say it will allow the EU to operate more efficiently and give it greater influence in world affairs. But critics say it will cede too much more of Britain's sovereignty to Brussels.

US Voices Alarm at Level of Afghan Corruption

WASHINGTON - Top US military officer Admiral Mike Mullen expressed serious concern Wednesday over corruption in the Afghan government, warning President Hamid Karzai to crack down on offenders.

Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnap case

MILAN – An Italian judge found 23 Americans and two Italians guilty Wednesday in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA's extraordinary renditions program.

Former UK ambassador: CIA sent people to be ‘raped with broken bottles’

The CIA relied on intelligence based on torture in prisons in Uzbekistan, a place where widespread torture practices include raping suspects with broken bottles and boiling them alive, says a former British ambassador to the central Asian country. Craig Murray, the rector of the University of Dundee in Scotland and until 2004 the UK's ambassador to Uzbekistan, said the CIA not only relied on confessions gleaned through extreme torture, it sent terror war suspects to Uzbekistan as part of its extraordinary rendition program.

[Israeli] government proposes work camps for illegal migrants

The government is considering establishing work camps in the south of the country, where illegal migrant workers will receive shelter, food and medical care, Army Radio reported Wednesday. In exchange, illegal migrants would perform manual labor outside the camps, but would not earn a salary. They would stay at the camp until their asylum claims are decided, which could take months or years.

It’s a dirty business — the new gold rush that is blackening Canada’s name

A giant mechanical digger gouges out a chunk of topsoil, grass and tree stumps, extending a neat furrow that stretches into the distance. Dozens of similar furrows run parallel with the regularity of a ploughed field. Yet no crop could grow in the pitch-black surface exposed by the machine working 1,000ft below our helicopter. This is the edge of a fast-expanding open-cast mine in the Canadian tar sands, one of the world’s most polluting sources of oil.

Michigan woman dies after Medicaid dental care is cut

An elderly Michigan woman died in October as the result of a severe dental infection after adult dental Medicaid benefits were cut in the state. Blanche D. LaVire, 76, had been diagnosed with abscesses earlier in the year and reportedly suffered from advanced periodontitis.

States Are Pondering Fraud Suits Against Banks

PHOENIX — Newly empowered by the Supreme Court, the attorneys general of several states hit hard by the housing collapse are exploring consumer fraud suits against major mortgage lenders. Frustrated by the banks’ inability or unwillingness to stop an avalanche of foreclosures, the states are considering lawsuits over the creation and marketing of millions of bad loans as well as the dismal pace of mortgage modifications. Such cases would have been impossible until recently, because federal regulators had exclusive oversight of national banks. But a 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision in June allowed the states to exercise their own supervision, giving them significant leverage.

Airlines consider more extra fees: This one would be for your seat

Will airlines soon charge you extra for a premium seat when you buy your ticket? Or stick you in a middle seat if you refuse to pay more?

Czech president signs EU reform treaty

PRAGUE – Czech President Vaclav Klaus reluctantly endorsed the European Union's crucial reform treaty on Tuesday, ending his efforts to block the proposed pact and paving the way for it to finally enter into force.

US House condemns 'biased' UN war report on Gaza

WASHINGTON — The US House of Representatives condemned Tuesday the UN Goldstone report as unfairly accusing Israel of committing war crimes in its 22-day war against Palestinian militants in Gaza. By a margin of 344-36, lawmakers approved a non-binding resolution that calls the report "irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy."

Goldman left foreign investors holding the subprime bag

NEW YORK — Inside the thick Goldman Sachs investment circular were the details of a secret, $2 billion deal channeled through a Caribbean tax haven. The Sept. 26, 2006, document offered sophisticated U.S. and European investors an opportunity to buy into a pool of supposedly high-grade bonds backed by residential, commercial and student loans. The transaction was registered through a shell company in the Cayman Islands. Few of the potential investors knew it, but the ratings of many of the mortgage securities hid their true risks and, in some cases, Goldman's descriptions exaggerated their quality.

Exclusive: U.S. drafts Afghan 'Compact' it hopes will bolster new Karzai government

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has been quietly working with U.S. allies and Afghan officials on a package of reforms and anti-corruption measures that it hopes will boost popular support for President Hamid Karzai and erase the doubts about his legitimacy raised by his fraud-marred re-election.

Doctors May 'Fire' Parents Who Don't Vaccinate Children

When Cathlene Echan walked into her pediatrician's office two weeks after giving birth, she was nervous about discussing her recent decision not to vaccinate her second baby. But Echan, of Orange County, Calif., did not expect to be asked to leave.

Lawsuit against gene patents can proceed - U.S. judge

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawsuit challenging patents on two human genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer can move forward, a U.S. federal judge ruled on Monday. A lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union challenged patents held by Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation on grounds that genes are "products of nature" and cannot be patented.

Reid Won’t Commit to Passing Health Bill This Year

Nov. 3 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wouldn’t commit to passing a U.S. health-care overhaul this year, fueling concern among some Democrats that the debate may continue as the 2010 midterm elections approach.

Feds to Continue Raids on Medical Pot in California

The federal government will continue raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California despite guidelines issued by the Justice Department two weeks ago indicating prosecutors should yield to state laws.

Another species of python is raising concern

SARASOTA COUNTY - If thousands of Burmese pythons slithering through the Everglades are not worrisome enough, wildlife experts are now warning of another invasive reptile found as close as east Sarasota. This one -- the African rock python -- makes Burmese pythons look "like pussycats," experts say.

More private-college presidents surpass $1 million in total compensation

Treasury Loses Out in CIT Bankruptcy

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The U.S. Treasury has likely lost its entire $2.33 billion preferred investment in CIT Group (CIT Quote) after bondholders and the board approved the company's proposed prepackaged bankruptcy filing over the weekend.

Chinese Involvement in Proposed Texas Wind Farm Stirs Passions

NEW YORK — News last week of the first major influx of Chinese capital and wind turbine manufacturing expertise into the renewable energy market in the United States — a 600-megawatt wind farm planned for the plains of west Texas — had many readers of the Green Inc. blog in a state of agitation.

Appeals court: Detained Canadian cannot sue the US

NEW YORK – A Canadian engineer cannot sue the United States after being mistaken for a terrorist when he was changing planes in New York a year after the 2001 terrorist attacks, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

1,600 are suggested daily for FBI's list
Number of names on terrorist watch list at 400,000, agency says

Newly released FBI data offer evidence of the broad scope and complexity of the nation's terrorist watch list, documenting a daily flood of names nominated for inclusion to the controversial list. During a 12-month period ended in March this year, for example, the U.S. intelligence community suggested on a daily basis that 1,600 people qualified for the list because they presented a "reasonable suspicion," according to data provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee by the FBI in September and made public last week.

US CERT: BlackBerry app may be spying on you

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has warned BlackBerry users that a new application has the ability to turn their smartphone into a surveillance tool. "This software allows an attacker to call a user's BlackBerry and listen to personal conversations," says US-CERT's public warning. "In order to install and setup the PhoneSnoop application, attackers must have physical access to the user's device or convince a user to install PhoneSnoop."

Madoff documents reveal incredulous, unfocused SEC

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. securities investigators raised repeated concern over how Bernard Madoff could be running an honest business, but never followed through on the many red flags they uncovered.

Federal regulators close 9 banks, mostly in West

NEW YORK – Regulators have shut California National Bank of Los Angeles and eight smaller related banks as the weak economy continues to produce a stream of loan defaults.

The banks closed on Friday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation were in California, Illinois, Texas and Arizona. They were divisions of privately held FBOP Corp., a bank holding company based in Oak Park., Ill.

Delaware beats Switzerland as most secretive financial center

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Move over Switzerland. The tiny state of Delaware beats the Alpine country in a contest for the most secretive financial jurisdiction, a tax justice rights group said on Saturday.

Huckabee used Fox News show to collect email addresses for his PAC, recruit volunteers for GOP-backed candidates

On two Fox News shows in October, Fox News host Mike Huckabee directed viewers to "go to balancecutsave.com," urging them to sign a petition telling Congress to "balance the budget," "cut their spending," and "save American families"; however, balancecutsave.com redirects visitors to Huckabee's political action committee, which financially supports Republican candidates and also pays Huckabee's daughter's salary. Subsequently, Huck PAC apparently emailed petition signers -- who were required to provide an email address in order to sign the "balancecutsave" petition -- a "newsletter" urging political action on behalf of Republican-backed candidates Bob McDonnell, David Harmer, and Doug Hoffman.

Chris Christie Rips Off Monty Python, Troupe Threatens Suit

After all the fuss, govt health plan to cover few

WASHINGTON – What's all the fuss about? After all the noise over Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent. That's the estimated share of Americans younger than 65 who'd sign up for the public option plan under the health care bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is steering toward House approval.

Obama's latest use of "secrecy" to shield presidential lawbreaking

The Obama administration has, yet again, asserted the broadest and most radical version of the "state secrets" privilege -- which previously caused so much controversy and turmoil among loyal Democrats (when used by Bush/Cheney) -- to attempt to block courts from ruling on the legality of the government's domestic surveillance activities.  Obama did so again this past Friday -- just six weeks after the DOJ announced voluntary new internal guidelines which, it insisted, would prevent abuses of the state secrets privilege.  Instead -- as predicted -- the DOJ continues to embrace the very same "state secrets" theories of the Bush administration -- which Democrats generally and Barack Obama specifically once vehemently condemned -- and is doing so in order literally to shield the President from judicial review or accountability when he is accused of breaking the law.

Scientist gave Israelis secrets, court told

A Chevy Chase scientist accused of attempted espionage told an undercover FBI agent that he gave classified information to an aerospace company owned by the Israeli government, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

EU paving the way for 'European empire'

European Union leaders have cleared a major obstacle holding up the massive Lisbon reform treaty, paving the way for a new-look EU with its first-ever president.

Blow to Blair's hope of EU post

Tony Blair's hopes of becoming president of the European Council are fading after his supporters failed to secure the backing of EU leaders.

Magistrate calls for Chirac trial

Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial on corruption charges. A magistrate ordered the trial over alleged false job contracts dating from Mr Chirac's time as Paris mayor.

Firms’ deals for flu drug draw fire

The Boston-based law firm Ropes & Gray made arrangements this month for hundreds of its employees and their families to obtain the antiviral medicine Tamiflu to protect them from swine flu, a move that the company calls a wise precaution but that public health officials criticized as medically questionable stockpiling.

Consumer spending falls in September, incomes flat

WASHINGTON – Consumer spending plunged in September by the largest amount in nine months, reflecting the end of the government's Cash for Clunkers auto sales program. Incomes, the fuel for future spending, were flat.

Obama’s banker-friendly financial overhaul

n the wake of a financial meltdown that precipitated the deepest recession since the 1930s, the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders are working to institute regulatory changes that avoid any serious constraints on Wall Street banks and financial institutions.

Obama signs bills for record Pentagon, Homeland Security spending

In a ceremony Wednesday, US President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing the largest ever military budget, a gargantuan $680 billion for the Pentagon, including $130 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Thursday, he signed a spending bill funneling another $44 billion into the Department of Homeland Security, to strengthen the apparatus of state repression within the United States.

Bereaving Las Vegas: Hard Times in the City of Sin