Gah. Massive headache the past few days, so I give up on 'catching up'. I'll throw out what I have so far. Some news: the Pacific Rim seems to be waking back up 'Bout time.Magnitude 4.5 - SVALBARD REGIONMagnitude 5.4 - SVALBARD REGIONMagnitude 5.1 - SVALBARD REGIONVirgin Islands at 20°N,65°Wrumble, rumble...Magnitude 5.4 - SOUTHERN ALASKA5.4 quake shakes things up Magnitude 5.5 - ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKAMagnitude 5.5 - ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA Strong earthquake jolts Anchorage, AlaskaMagnitude 3.0 - NORTHERN CALIFORNIAMagnitude 3.2 - CENTRAL CALIFORNIASmall Earthquake Rumbles Near The Geysers Magnitude 4.6 - CENTRAL ITALY Italy: Strong aftershock hits quake zoneMagnitude 5.2 - BISMARCK SEAEarthquake trigger found in ancient rock 4.8 quake hits Chiayi Tourists Banned from Anak Krakatau VolcanoMagnitude 5.0 - ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGIONMagnitude 4.9 - ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGIONMagnitude 4.7 - SOUTHERN IRANMagnitude 5.0 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPANMagnitude 5.6 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPANStrong quake hits off northern JapanMagnitude 5.5 - NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEAMagnitude 6.7 - NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEAPNG 6.7-magnitude quake triggers local tsunami warning: USModerate Earthquake Shakes Northeastern Nevada The US Geological Survey is reporting an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 struck near Wells, Nevada Tuesday morning.
ME: This is odd, as it's not on the USGS site anymore. I've seen them pull mine blasts in that area before, but those are usually around 3.0, 3.1.NASA Volcano Image Shows Atmospheric Shockwave Cooool...Magnitude 4.5 - ECUADORMagnitude 5.1 - NORTH OF ASCENSION ISLANDMagnitude 5.1 - TAIWAN REGIONMagnitude 4.7 - TABASCO, MEXICOVolcano eruptions in Russia's Far East to be available online
Media watchdog: 23 reporters arrested in Iran Women and the Iranian UnrestHow Neda Divided My FamilyIran to create special court to try election protestersIranian protester pleads for U.S., world to interveneRoberts: Mohammad, we have been talking this morning about what the students are fighting for and whether the students are fighting for something different than the older more established political candidates like Moussavi. Are the students seeking regime change? Are they looking to bring down the Ayatollah and completely change the form of government there in Iran? Or are you looking for – as has been suggested – more civil rights, more freedoms within the context of the existing regime?
Mohammad: Yes. Let me tell you something. For about three decades our nation has been humiliated and insulted by this regime. Now Iranians are united again one more time after 1979 Revolution. We are a peaceful nation. We don’t hate anybody. We want to be an active member of the international community. We don’t want to be isolated. Is this much of a demand for a country with more than 2,500 years of civilization? We don’t deny the Holocaust. We do accept Israel’s rights. And actually, we want — we want severe reform on this structure. This structure is not going to be tolerated by the majority of Iranians. We need severe reform, as much as possible.
Roberts: Interesting perspective this morning from Mohammad, a student demonstrator there in Tehran.
Mohammad: Excuse me, sir. I have a message for the international community. Would you please let me tell it?
Roberts: Yes, go ahead.
Mohammad: Americans, European Union, international community, this government is not definitely — is definitely not elected by the majority of Iranians. So it’s illegal. Do not recognize it. Stop trading with them. Impose much more sanctions against them. My message…to the international community, especially I’m addressing President Obama directly – how can a government that doesn’t recognize its people’s rights and represses them brutally and mercilessly have nuclear activities? This government is a huge threat to global peace. Will a wise man give a sharp dagger to an insane person? We need your help international community. Don’t leave us alone.
Iran's Web Spying Aided By Western Technology Instead, in confronting the political turmoil that has consumed the country this past week, the Iranian government appears to be engaging in a practice often called deep packet inspection, which enables authorities to not only block communication but to monitor it to gather information about individuals, as well as alter it for disinformation purposes, according to these experts.
The monitoring capability was provided, at least in part, by a joint venture of Siemens AG, the German conglomerate, and Nokia Corp., the Finnish cellphone company, in the second half of 2008, Ben Roome, a spokesman for the joint venture, confirmed.
The "monitoring center," installed within the government's telecom monopoly, was part of a larger contract with Iran that included mobile-phone networking technology, Mr. Roome said.
"If you sell networks, you also, intrinsically, sell the capability to intercept any communication that runs over them," said Mr. Roome.
Protesters gather in vigil for victim Family, friends mourn Neda Agha-Soltan, Iranian woman whose death was caught on videoPolice break up new Tehran rallyIranian leaders will always believe Anglo-Saxons are plotting against them - HitchensThat last observation also applies to the Obama administration. Want to take a noninterventionist position? All right, then, take a noninterventionist position. This would mean not referring to Khamenei in fawning tones as the supreme leader and not calling Iran itself by the tyrannical title of "the Islamic republic." But be aware that nothing will stop the theocrats from slandering you for interfering anyway. Also try to bear in mind that one day you will have to face the young Iranian democrats who risked their all in the battle and explain to them just what you were doing when they were being beaten and gassed.
Obama 'Outraged' by Government Crackdown in Iran IN the words of Major Garrett, "What took you so long?" Israeli premier praises courage of Iran protestersHow Iran betrayed its young Britain expels Iranian diplomats in tit-for-tat row Mousavi 'under 24-hour guard'The Jawa Report: I-Report Leaks Ahmadinejad Requesting Council Implement "Pure Islamic State"Son's Death Has Iranian Family Asking Why "He was a very polite, shy young man," said Mohamad, a neighbor who has known him since childhood.
When Mr. Alipour didn't return home that night, his parents began to worry. All day, they had heard gunshots ringing in the distance. His father, Yousef, first called his fiancée and friends. No one had heard from him.
At the crack of dawn, his father began searching at police stations, then hospitals and then the morgue.
Upon learning of his son's death, the elder Mr. Alipour was told the family had to pay an equivalent of $3,000 as a "bullet fee"—a fee for the bullet used by security forces—before taking the body back, relatives said.
Iran views: 'Police everywhere'Analysis: Fine line for Obama on Iran So much for studied neutrality. Even as he said he wasn't doing it, President Barack Obama threw his rhetorical might behind the protesters in Iran, a risky move he hopes will force the hardline regime to deal peacefully with its post-election tumult.
Wow, the AP calling him on the hypocrisy? Color me surprised.Neda Soltan family 'forced out of home' by Iranian authorities Parents of young woman shot dead near protests are banned from mourning and funeral is cancelled, neighbours say
Witnesses report clashes around Iran's parliament Riot police in Iran's capital fired tear gas and bullets in the air Wednesday in clashes with protesters who converged on a square near the parliament building in defiance of government orders to halt demonstrations demanding a new presidential election, witnesses said.
New clashes reported in Iran “They were waiting for us,” the source said. “They all have guns and riot uniforms. It was like a mouse trap.”
“I see many people with broken arms, legs, heads — blood everywhere — pepper gas like war,” the source said.
Iran crisis: live - 24 June 2009 | News | guardian.co.ukMore reports of Iranian protesters clashing with police Karoubi reportedly calls new government "illegitimate;" Iran's intelligence minister: British passport holders detained; witness: Police using axes.
U.S. Takes Back July 4 Invitations to Iranians"As you all know many weeks ago the administration extended an invitation to celebrate the freedom that this country enjoys. not surprisingly based on what we see in Tehran, no one has RSVP'd," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
"Understand that July 4th allows us to celebrate the freedom and liberty that we enjoy. I don't think it's surprising that no one has signed up to come given the events of the last few days. Those invitations will be no longer extended."
So basically, we're rescinding the invites because no one accepted?!? There are no words to convey the depth of my anger right now. It's a good thing I am not God, or I would have already started the smitings.
Riot police use tear gas to halt protest in IranThe torture of a 17-year-old in Iran Violence flares again on the street of Tehran Women in Iran's protests: head scarves and rocksLatest Updates on Iran’s Disputed Election - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.comIran police use tear gas, clubs to crush protestIranian-Americans increasingly desperate as violence escalates; vigil planned for tonight Fresh street clashes in TehranGateway Pundit: IRANIAN REGIME Bans Star Soccer Players For Life After ProtestIranians Mock Their LeadersHA! Teh lolz are universal!
Obama 'Outraged' by Government Crackdown in Iran President Obama today strongly condemned the Iranian government's crackdown, opening his midday news conference by saying the United States had been "appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days."
Obama calls on HuffPost for Iran question UPDATE - Michael Calderone - POLITICO.comTo me the story here is not that he called on *gasp* a blogger, it is that the question was obviously arranged beforehand. Stop the propaganda!Text of President Obama TuesdayObama Bulks Up `Too Big to Fail’ With Steroids: Caroline Baum The Obama administration’s architects went back to the drawing board and last week produced a blueprint for regulating financial institutions. One controversial aspect of the plan is the creation of a systemic risk regulator, the Federal Reserve, with the power to oversee any financial firm, not just a bank holding company, “whose combination of size, leverage and interconnectedness could pose a threat to financial stability if it failed.”
In other words, the same folks who missed, or did nothing to prevent, the worst crisis since the Great Depression will definitely, absolutely, positively be able to anticipate the next one. Uh-huh.
It gets worse. Instead of eliminating the doctrine of “too big to fail,” which encourages risky behavior because of perceived government backing, the Obama plan defines, institutionalizes and expands on it.
Once Opposed to 'Forcing' Americans to Get Health Insurance, President Obama Now Says His Thinking Has 'Evolved' Great.Obama to meet pope for first time on July 10 Lingering Unemployment Likely to Challenge Obama and the Nation Analysts say the high levels of joblessness would be accompanied by increases in child poverty, strained government budgets, and black and Latino unemployment rates approaching 20 percent.
"I find it unfathomable that people are not horrified about what is going to happen," said Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute. "I regard all this talk about how the recession is maybe going to end, all the talk about deficits and inflation, to be the equivalent of telling Americans, 'You are just going to have to tough it out.' But we're looking at persistent unemployment that is going to be extraordinarily damaging to many communities. There is a ton of pain in the pipeline."
ACORN drops tarnished name and moves to silence critics “We’ve known for many months now that the name ACORN is going to be retired,” Reid said. “The name has been so damaged to the point where the leadership knows it simply can’t go on as it has with the ACORN label out front and center, especially after all of the reporting.”
In fact, the process has already begun, she noted. Wade Rathke, who founded the organization, announced on his blog that ACORN International has officially changed its name to “
Community Organizations International.”
US Stocks See Biggest Drop In Two Months, With Alcoa, BoA Weak Monday. Mining and bank. An invasion of privacy The National Security Agency has again come under fire for its domestic surveillance program, which intercepts Americans’ telephone calls and e-mail messages and stores them in massive databases.
The agency is allowed to grab American communications only with a court order, but federal officials have admitted that in late 2008 and early 2009, the agency collected more calls and messages than it had the legal authority to gather. The agency blamed the problem on “technical and inadvertent errors,” but it is really just another part of the agency’s long history of flouting the law.
Interagency Agreement Heralds Renewed Cooperation for ICE, DEA New bill seeks to replace Real ID with PASS ID Rename, rebrand. 9,200 uncounted vials found at Army biodefense labHuh?Pentagon report details flaws with NSPS Pentagon Plans Presidential Communications Network That Can Survive Nuclear Attack The rise of Hate 2.0US offers Kyrgyzstan $1 billion over Manas air base Kyrgyzstan relents on US refuelling baseJizya!FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, paymentsGovernment Land-Grab Moves ForwardThe Other Great DepressionMental. And it's not just a byproduct - see Cloward Piven.
EU farmers' protest turns violent in LuxembourgAftershock rattles L'Aquila ahead of G8 summit Women 'really messed up' over forced marriages - UKUkraine finds 250 contraband turtles on trainOf all the things to smuggle...European gas war looms as Ukraine seeks cash to pay Gazprom for July deliveries “Beltransgaz” refuses to pay debt to “Gazprom” Belarus is asking for a freezing winter.Gazprom Neft on buying spree, mulls bondsGas pipeline fire put down in Nizhny NovgorodArctic nations say no Cold War; military stirs Russia to give Moldova $500 mln loan - PM Putin Russia pays USD 2,2 bln for gas transit through Ukraine - PutinUkraine is so much in debt. Medvedev touts Russian productsAssassination attempt on Yunus-Bek Yevkurov in Ingushetia One killed in landmine explosion near EU patrol in Georgia Chechens 'to fight Ingush rebels'Medvedev all parties agree to Moscow ME parley In Cairo, Medvedev says he backs creation of a Palestinian state with e. Jerusalem as its capital.
Armenia frees opposition officials under amnesty Kuwait to hold nuclear talks with France's Areva Spate of Iraq bombings kill at least 15 - officials Yemenite Jews arrive in Israel Bomb strikes Shiite market in Baghdad, killing 56It was the third deadliest attack this year and occurred less than a week before a deadline for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraqi cities under a new security pact.
This number still going up. I think I last heard it at 72...World Agenda: Iran outcome may sway Binyamin Netanyahu to new accord Can 3rd Temple be built without destroying Dome of the Rock? US: Settlement freeze includes east J'lem Palestinian PM wants state in two yearsAssad: No Israeli partner for peaceNew York's Hizbullah Broadcaster Sent to Jail
Pirates say free seven crew from Seychelles yacht Somali pirates free Dutch ship, one crew member deadFACTBOX-Ships held by Somali pirates Africa backs Somalia troops pleaSomali Islamists order teenagers' hands, legs amputated
More than 30 militants killed in PakistanSuspected U.S. Strike Kills at Least 60 in Pakistan Indian Maoists stage strike, slapped with banMaoists kill 12 police officers in India U.S. to limit airstrikes in Afghanistan to help reduce civilian deaths Suicide Bomber on Motorcycle Kills 7 Civilians in AfghanistanUS offers Kyrgyzstan $1 billion over Manas air base Kyrgyzstan relents on US refuelling base
China's Hubei Protests End in Violence, Censorship Tens of thousands of Chinese fight the police in ShishouIt was a dramatic weekend in the relatively small city of Shishou in Hubei province. Tens of thousands of rioters torched a hotel and overturned police cars, accusing the authorities of trying to cover up the murder of a 24-year-old man as a suicide.
...
The deceased, Tu Yuangao, was the chef of the Yong Long hotel. According to the cops, he committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the building and left a note.
However, witnesses said there was no blood on the scene and Tu’s body was already cold just after it hit the ground. His parents were surprised that he left a suicide note, since he was allegedly illiterate.
Cnooc Said to Enlist Goldman in Kosmos Bid Shanghai builds power plant for Malaysia gasKim Gives Son Control of North Korea Secret Police, Dong-A Says
Billion-tonne iceberg could be Arctic shipping hazard Dead Sea peril: sinkholes swallow up the unwary Central Texas farmers hope for a breakSoutheast Louisiana Officially In 'Severe Drought' KAALtv.com - Roads Buckle in HeatHeat Wave Hitting Southern U.S. HardYeah, it's been triple-digits here for more than a week, and humid on top of it. It finally broke yesterday, but we haven't seen any rain here yet, though we need it desperately.Two Dead in Honduras RainstormsTropical Storm Andres.The Real Crisis Is About the Unfold... And It's Not Financial Make like Joseph.Locusts swoop down on Ethiopia Eight dead from tropical storm Nangka
