Daily News from the Veterans Today Network

Bob Higgins
THE SNIFF TEST
Disappearing Oil and Gulf Seafood
For the last several days I've watched and read a steady stream of media coverage on the miraculous disappearance of more than a hundred million gallons of oil from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Since the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank on April 20 killing 11 workers the NOAA estimates that 206 million gallons of "light sweet crude" spewed from BP's Macondo well field, fouling the waters of the Gulf, shutting down much of the commerce of the surrounding region and creating a giant toxic bouillabaisse in which now swim whatever critters managed to survive poisoning, suffocation, or being roasted alive.
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• Pepsi Bottling Ventures Reaches Out to US Military Veterans
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• Newsweek's Zakaria Returns ADL Award in Protest, Rendering Foxman 'Speechless'
• ADL Like Israel Throws off Classical Liberal Front in Favor of Rightwing Tyranny
• Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today's News
• Strike Fighter Squadron 136 to Ensign: "Fagmeister"
• Israelization of Iraq and Indianization of Afghanistan
• Pennsylvania veterans' homes seizing patients' savings
• Vietnam veteran exposed to agent orange running out of options, VA won't budge
• Regional Veterans News 8/09/10

• Russian Accusation: U.S. Misplaces Nuclear Materials; Arming Iran and Others
• John McCain: A Closer Look at Evil (Part 11)
• Workers exposed to radiation may soon benefit from fund
• Should I take Medicare if I am receiving V.A. benefits? Yes, and Read
• Recently-Returned Veterans' Jobless Rate Climbs to 11.8% In July
• Top 10 Veterans Stories in Weekend's News

Shea-Porter Amendment Included in Oil Spill Response Legislation

Amendment Strengthens Interior Ethics Provisions and Requires the Use of Best Available Oil Spill Technology When Necessary

 

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today unanimously passed Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s amendment to the CLEAR Act.  Congresswoman Shea-Porter’s amendment ensures that the ethics guidelines required for certain Department of Interior employees are updated at least every three years.  It also ensures that the best available technology for oil spill response and mitigation, and the accessibility of that technology is part of the Offshore Technology Research and Risk Assessment Program.  Finally, the amendment requires that operators annually certify that their response and exploration plans include the best available technology and its availability.

 

“My amendment strengthens the ethics rules at the Department of Interior and will help develop and employ new technologies to prevent and cleanup oil spills,” said Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter.  “The BP spill in the Gulf made clear that while oil companies were spending time and money to develop new ways to drill in new places, they were not putting their resources into making sure we had the technology to prevent and cleanup a spill.  My amendment will change that.”

 

The CLEAR Act will ensure strong new safety measures to protect our coastal communities and waters.  This legislation requires independent certification of critical oil clean-up equipment, holds BP and the oil industry fully responsible for cleanup costs and recovery after spills by removing the $75 million cap on economic damages, strengthens oversight of oil drilling, and forces oil companies to pay their fair share for drilling on public lands.  Congresswoman Shea-Porter is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.  

Heritage - Oil Spill Event, Losing Our Freedom, and New START

The land of the “Mostly Free.”

Each year, in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal, The Heritage Foundation produces the Index of Economic Freedom. This year, the United States fell two spots in the world rankings to 8^th. And, we were downgraded from a “Free Economy” to a “Mostly Free” economy. While Congress has not moved to change the words of our National Anthem, Heritage has produced a report to outline what we can do about the startling decline in economic freedom. Read it here.

A Heritage team returned from the Gulf Coast region with a report on the oil spill for Washington.

This afternoon at 2pm Eastern time, they will hold an event to discuss their findings. The event will feature Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana, Council Chairman John F. Young, Jr. along with two Heritage analysts who were part of the trip.

For more information about the event or to watch live online, click here.

And here is our series of blog entries on the spill:

Live from the Gulf: Local Officials Forced to Fight Bureaucracy More Than Oil Spill (VIDEO)

Live >From the Gulf: A Rallying Song for America

Louisiana Losing Patience With BP, Government on Oil Spill Claims

Live >From the Gulf: How Much Will President Obama’s Drilling Moratorium Cost? (VIDEO)

Obama’s Oil Spill Commission Criticizes Offshore Drilling Moratorium

Live from the Gulf: Obama Team Blocks Media from Oil Spill

Live from the Gulf: Government Attorney on Moratorium: The Environment Trumps Jobs

Morning Bell: Oil Spill Response is “Stuck on Stupid”

Live from the Gulf: Oil Spill Follies… Bayou-Myth or Bureaucratic Red Tape?

Live from the Gulf: Shrimpers and Fishers Want Drilling Ban Lifted

Live from the Gulf: Obama’s Oil Spill To-Do List

What’s wrong with the New START?

Heritage analysts are tracking the developments on this proposed missile treaty with Russia very closely, particularly as it relates to our ability to deploy a missile defense system. Please check out our resources to learn more:

New START: Beyond the Rhetoric

Verification and the New START Treaty

Obama’s Worst Foreign Policy Mistake  

I’ve also attached an excellent Memo to the Movement from the Conservative Action Project on the issue for your review.

Are you tired of hearing that tax cuts caused the deficit?

Check out this Wall Street Journal piece by Heritage analyst Brian Riedl which explains that spending increases, not tax cuts, are driving the deficit.

Keep fighting the good fight.

NRN - The Daily Wrap-Up 7/15/10

July 15, 2010
4:45 PM Eastern

Read NetRightDaily.com.

Good Thursday Evening -

BP Oil Spill Over? – According to BP, oil has finally stopped spilling into the Gulf. It has taken nearly 3 months to reach this day… Some are fearful that the pressure will cause the seafloor will to explode with oil! Unfortunately, the clean-up process still has light-years to go due to the Obama administration's failure to begin containment efforts for first couple of months.

Financial Takeover Bill passes the Senate – The Dodd-Frank Financial Takeover bill has passed the Senate 60-39. The bill will now be sent to Obama's desk. Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government, said of the Financial Takeover bill that "the American people have lost one more piece of their liberty, as the Senate has voted to create a hidden, permanent bailout that will enable faceless bureaucrats to levy taxes, bail out politically-privileged institutions and to seize and liquidate politically-unconnected ones, redistributing their assets to favored constituencies, like unions."

Is Donald Berwick a Conservative? – President Obama's recess appointment of Donald Berwick as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has triggered protests from conservatives, angry over such socialist-leaning comments as "excellent health care is by definition redistributional." But among his defenders is Ezra Klein of The Washington Post, writing on July 7th that conservatives should rejoice this appointment, given Berwick's history of advocating for greater patient say in the health care process and stressing long-term preventative measures to bring down costs.

Election fraud is a danger – Elections are one of the building blocks of the nation's democracy, and their integrity in the United States is critical to the government functioning legitimately by the consent of the governed. Unfortunately, the unresolved cases of the New Black Panther Party intimidating voters at the polls and ACORN engaged in election fraud are breaching the trust American citizens have in their voting system. Unless action is taken, that trust will continue to wither.

Jeff Sessions on Kagan: "Filibuster is not off the table" – Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) told HUMAN EVENTS that he would not rule out filibustering Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. In an exclusive interview, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said that a "filibuster is not off the table," but cautioned that such a procedural tactic would only be employed under "extraordinary circumstances." Asked if Kagan's penchant for judicial and political activism hit the benchmark of "extraordinary circumstances," Sessions wouldn't commit, but noted how Kagan did not "help herself in her testimony."

Video: A tale of two Kagan's on the First Amendment: 2 Live Crew v. Citizens United

Have we the will to cut spending? – A gloomy picture of the economy was painted last weekend by the co-chairmen of President Obama's Debt and Deficit Commission when they appeared at the closing session of the National Governors Association meeting in Boston. Former Wyoming Republican Sen. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, former White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton, called the current budgetary trends a cancer "that will destroy the country from within" unless checked by tough action in Washington.

Rationing Debate – If government-run health care is such a bad thing—at once too expensive, too impersonal, and too ineffective—shouldn't those who oppose it want to see the government's major health care payment systems run by someone who has single-mindedly devoted himself to cutting costs, focusing on patients, and increasing health outcomes?

DOJ must proceed on Black Panther case – I'M THINKING that the actions of the New Black Panthers on Election Day in 2008 were more about TV than turnout. Samir Shabazz and Jerry Jackson posted up outside the old Richard Allen Homes at 12th Street and Fairmount Avenue, which is in the 14th Ward's 4th voting division. In November 2008, there were 1,535 voters registered there. Only 84 of them were Republicans. Not exactly a location where an African-American running for president would seem to need much assistance.



Daily News from the Veterans Today Network

Ken O'Keefe
An American Terrorist in London

Welcome to Orwell's '1984' Ladies and Gentlemen where Black is White, White is Black and the Truth is Nothing But a Word
My 1984 reality is culminating with the United States and Israeli Governments treating me and/or charging me with being a "terrorist". Americans worry not, you can sleep better at night knowing your "homeland" is being defended from the likes of me. And Israel, rest easy as well, it's Ken O'Keefe and his Arab collaborators who are in the Mossad crosshairs. All kidding aside, I am a family man with a beautiful family, a loving wife and baby boy; a boy who will be the biggest victim if his father is no longer in his life.
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