The Salahis are offering their story for hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a television executive.
Reuters – President Barack Obama briefed key allies on his new strategy for the Afghanistan war on Monday and officials said his plan is expected to include about 30,000 more U.S. troops and an exit timeframe.
Bloomberg – Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama must show how
more U.S. combat troops will speed the build-up of the Afghan
army to generate Democratic support for his new war strategy in
Afghanistan, Senator Carl Levin said.
Source:Obama Plan Must Help Speed Build-Up of Afghan Army, Levin Says
(Bloomberg)
AP – In a five-year span, Candice Singer went from being a respected juvenile defense lawyer to a homeless meth addict who once broke into a house just to take a shower.
AP – Somali pirates seized a tanker carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia to the United States in the increasingly dangers waters off East Africa, an official said Monday, an attack that could pose a huge environmental or security threat to the region.
Source:Somali pirates hijack Saudi oil tanker going to US
(AP)
CQPolitics.com – In this winter of Washington’s discontent, there may be no more acute symbol of the public’s anger at its economic circumstances — and no more obvious target of lawmakers’ indulgence in that unhappiness — than the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Source:Political Economy: Troubling Misconception
(CQPolitics.com)
It was a family affair for President Obama at the Oregon State-George Washington University basketball game Saturday.
Source:Obama Attends Hoops Game to See Brother-in-Law's Team
The Afghanistan war could be as much about dollars as sense for several U.S. lawmakers, including one top Republican who says national security is worth delaying health care reforms so Congress can pay for military operations.
Source:Senator Proposes Delaying Health Care Reform to Pay for Afghanistan War
Rep. Oberstar, James L. | Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
H.R. 3618 would implement the terms of the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, which was agreed upon by the U.S. and 24 other nations in 2001. The Convention places limitations on the use of the organotin chemicals on the hulls of ships to prevent the build-up of biological organisms (algae, mollusks, etc.), known as “fouling.”
Specifically, the legislation would ban any new application of tributyltin-based anti-fouling system and prohibit the use of organotin anti-fouling systems unless the vessel has an overcoating to prevent the organotin from leaking. The restrictions would apply to U.S. ships, any ship permitted to operate on the outer continental shelf, and any other ship in the U.S. waters. The restriction would not apply to military vessels of the U.S. or a foreign country if they were acting in a non-commercial capacity.
The bill would require any vessel over 400 tons that engages in international voyages to carry an International Antifouling System Certificate to prove that they were not using a tributyltin-based anti-fouling system. The certificate would be issued by the Secretary of the agency under which the Coast Guard is operating. Under the bill, a certificate issued by a country participating in the Convention would have the same effect as a U.S. certificate. The bill would allow the Secretary to determine a means to assess compliance through similar documentation for a vessel from any county that does not participate in the Convention.
H.R. 3618 would require ships 24 meters or longer, but less than 400 tons, to carry a declaration signed by the owner that the ship’s anti-fouling system complies with the Convention. The bill would allow the Secretary to require vessels to hold other documentation if it is deemed necessary.
The bill authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to participate in a technical group convened under the Convention to consider additional controls on anti-fouling systems and to assess the effect of new restrictions. In addition, the Secretary of State would be required to convene a meeting of the Shipping Coordinating Committee to receive and record comments regarding anti-fouling system controls. The bill also requires the Secretary, the Administrator of the EPA, and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to undertake research on the scientific and technical activities undertaken pursuant to the Convention.
H.R. 3618 would prohibit the sale or distribution of any new anti-fouling system that uses organotin. The bill would prohibit any vessel from having any anti-fouling system that contains organotin unless the vessel has an overcoating to prevent the organotin from leaking. The bill gives the Secretary and the Administrator the authority to investigate and inspect vessels to certify their compliance with the legislation and the Convention.
The legislation establishes criminal and civil penalties for any person that knowingly violates the Convention of up to six years imprisonment and up to $37,500 for each violation and $50,000 each time an individual provides false information regarding anti-fouling systems. The fine would be limited to $5,000 for recreational boats in violation.
The White House will step up pressure on mortgage companies to do more to help people remain in their homes.
Source:Obama Administration Plans New Efforts to Battle Foreclosure Crisis
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