Democrats Prepare for Tonight's Debate
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OOB3380&show_article=1&catnum=-1
Eight Democratic presidential candidates will take part in a 90-minute debate tonight at South Carolina State University. For their first debate, the White House hopefuls are trying to dampen expectations for themselves so that any bright moments will seem like home runs. It's called the Expectations Game. The two leading candidates—Clinton and Obama—will be standing next to each other on stage, based on a random drawing. “NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams was set to moderate the MSNBC debate, which was being hosted by the university and the South Carolina Democratic Party. Special software designed by the network will keep track of how long each candidate gets on the air to ensure equal time. That's just about 11 minutes per candidate. Long shots like former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich would get just as much time to explain their views as their better-known rivals.
Oakland city officials today announced two new resolutions condemning recent federal immigration raids and formalizing the city's intention not to cooperate with the U.S. government effort to deport undocumented residents. The resolutions, one by Mayor Ron Dellums and the other by Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, both condemn the recent raids, which included one on Friday at an East Oakland manufacturer. Both resolutions are also an effort to update Oakland's 1986 "City of Refuge" ordinance which only applies to refugees fleeing political violence in Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua and South Africa, De La Fuente said. His proposed ordinance would give refuge to any undocumented immigrant regardless of national origin. The council president, Dellums, Police Chief Wayne Tucker, City Councilwomen Jean Quan and Jane Brunner, and other city officials appeared at a City Hall news conference to support both resolutions. The measure by De La Fuente and co-sponsors Quan and Brunner would direct city departments and staff not to cooperate with any federal immigration investigation, detention, or arrest procedures. They will introduce the measure Thursday to the City Council Rules Committee, De La Fuente said. "The City of Refuge declaration is just as relevant today as it was 21 years ago, if not more, as our federal immigration policies are still in need of comprehensive reform," said De La Fuente, a native of Mexico and one of the Bay Area's more prominent immigrant elected officials.
Federal raid triggers Chicago protest
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=upiUPI-20070425-112127-7518R&show_article=1
Residents of a predominately Hispanic Chicago neighborhood took to the streets in protest after heavily armed U.S. immigration agents raided businesses. "Soldiers bombarded our neighborhood," Baltazar Enriquez told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It looked like they were marching into Iraq." Heavily armed federal officers in bullet-proof vests, locked down a strip mall Tuesday in a Southwest Side neighborhood known as Little Village, Enriquez said. The raid triggered a protest of 250 to 300 people that lasted into the evening, the newspaper said. The federal agents were searching for sellers of fake Social Security and resident alien green cards, authorities said, refusing to say how many people were arrested in the search. Those arrested were to appear in federal court Wednesday. Neighborhood activists said the raid may have been to intimidate people from participating in a downtown May 1 march and rally to protest recent federal raids nationwide, the Chicago Tribune said.
Chinese tourism authorities are seeking investment to build a novel concept attraction -- the world's first "women's town," where men get punished for disobedience, an official said Thursday. The 2.3-square-km Longshuihu village in the Shuangqiao district of Chongqing municipality, also known as "women's town," was based on the local traditional concept of "women rule and men obey," a tourism official told Reuters. "Traditional women dominate and men have to be obedient in the areas of Sichuan province and Chongqing, and now we are using it as an idea to attract tourists and boost tourism," the official, surname Li, said by telephone. The tourism bureau planned to invest between 200 million yuan ($26 million) and 300 million yuan in infrastructure, roads and buildings, Li said. "We welcome investors from overseas and nationwide to invest in our project," he added. The motto of the new town would be "women never make mistakes, and men can never refuse women's requests," Chinese media have reported. When tour groups enter the town, female tourists would play the dominant role when shopping or choosing a place to stay, and a disobedient man would be punished by "kneeling on an uneven board" or washing dishes in restaurant, media reports said. The project, begun in the end of 2005, was expected to take three to five years to finish.
New Hampshire to pass civil unions bill http://rawstory.com/news/2007/New_Hampshire_to_pass_civil_unions_0426.html
Lawmakers voted to authorize a civil unions measure today that would give same-sex couples the same rights and benefits as married heterosexual couples, according to an Associated Press report. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has signaled his intention to sign the measure into law. "This legislation is a matter of conscience, fairness and of preventing discrimination," a spokesman for the governor was quoted as saying. "It is in keeping with New Hampshire's proud tradition of preventing discrimination. "New Hampshire would become the fourth state to authorize civil unions, following decisions by New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont. Massachussetts is the only state to allow gay marriages. The New Hampshire legislation was passed along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The law will take effect in January of next year.
Vermont Senate rejects Impeachment
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_Do_Vermont_impeachment_resolutions_0425.html
Rep. Thomas Koch, R-Barre Town, was the first legislator to speak out against the resolution on the floor Wednesday. Passing the resolution would add to the acrimony of modern politics and “not make our troops any safer,” he said. “One of the lessons we learned from the Clinton impeachment is that it should not be treated lightly,” Koch said. “It ought to be reserved for the most egregious, most urgent high crimes and misdemeanors. It should not be about whether or not you support the president or the war.” Rep. David Sunderland, R-Rutland Town, questioned if Bush’s alleged misdeeds rose to the level of impeachment. To prove his point, he referenced congressional testimony indicating that the president has the right to “wiretap terrorists” and read statements from prominent Democrats on the threat Saddam Hussein posed to the world.
“I don’t think it is the intent to impeach these other individuals based on statements made and actions taken based on the best information available at the time,” Sunderland said. Democrats siding with House Speaker Gaye Symington in opposing the measure included Rep. David Deen of Westminister. He noted that while he “does not support this administration,” the current hearings and investigations in the U.S. Congress are working.
White House admits it conducted election briefings
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_admits_it_conducted_election_0426.html
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said briefings were held at other federal agencies besides the GSA, for a total of about 20 - most in 2006 and a couple in 2007. They were conducted by White House political director Sara Taylor or Jennings, her deputy. It had been known that other briefings had been held, but not how many. Others were held in previous years as well, but Stanzel said the White House hasn't kept a count of how many. Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said no laws were broken and that the White House counsel's office signed off on the effort. "It's not unlawful and it wasn't unusual for informational briefings to be given," Perino said. "There is no prohibition under the Hatch Act of allowing political appointees to talk to other political appointees about the political landscape in which they are trying to advance the president's agenda." She added: "These briefings were not inappropriate, they were not unlawful, they were not unethical."
Could Global Warming Be Halted by Controlling the Weather?
http://blogs.wsj.com/informedreader/2007/04/25/could-global-warming-be-halted-by-controlling-the-weather
One idea put forth by a physicist involved in climate-control discussions would involve bombarding the Arctic stratosphere with specially engineered particles to deflect the sun’s rays, thereby lowering temperatures. Alternatively, a fleet of crop-dusting airplanes could deliver the particles by flying continuously around the Arctic Circle. An astronomer suggested placing a huge fleet of mirrors in orbit to divert solar radiation. Some of these ideas, says Mr. Fleming, are reminiscent of the optimism that framed the first attempts at climate control, which date to the 19th century. In the 1940s, scientists developed cloud-seeding to produce rainfall, a technique that was later adopted by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to hinder enemy troops movements.
Now Taiwan reports millions of missing bees
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2007-04-26T104754Z_01_TP162481_RTRUKOC_0_US-TAIWAN-BEES.xml&src=rss&rpc=22
Over the past two months, farmers in three parts of Taiwan have reported most of their bees gone, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported. Taiwan's TVBS television station said about 10 million bees had vanished in Taiwan.A beekeeper on Taiwan's northeastern coast reported 6 million insects missing "for no reason", and one in the south said 80 of his 200 bee boxes had been emptied, the paper said..Beekeepers usually let their bees out of boxes to pollinate plants and the insects normally make their way back to their owners. However, many of the bees have not returned over the past couple of months. Possible reasons include disease, pesticide poisoning and unusual weather, varying from less than 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) to more than 30 degrees Celsius over a few days, experts say. "You can see climate change really clearly these days in Taiwan," said Yang Ping-shih, entomology professor at the National Taiwan University. He added that two kinds of pesticide can make bees turn "stupid" and lose their sense of direction. Billions of bees have fled hives in the United States since late 2006, instead of helping pollinate $15 billion worth of fruits, nuts and other crops annually. Disappearing bees also have been reported in Europe and Brazil.
"This is an issue that has been answered and answered and answered," Rice said when asked about the subpoena during a visit to Oslo for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Rice said her staff had written three letters in the last month to Democratic congressman Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, concerning his questions about bogus 2003 White House assertions that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had sought enriched uranium from Niger as part of a program to develop nuclear weapons. Rice, who was Bush's national security adviser at the time, said Thursday that she was willing to provide additional information to Waxman's committee in writing. But she added that her White House work was covered by the constitutional principle of executive privilege, a principle presidents have in the past used to shelter aides from being forced to testify under oath in Congress. But Rice stopped short of ruling out an appearance before Waxman's committee and when asked if she would comply with the subpoena, her spokesman Sean McCormack said, "We haven't decided yet."
Putin ups stakes in missile shield row
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL2672082320070426
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared a moratorium on a key European arms control treaty. Putin's announcement came hours before NATO and Russian officials were to discuss a project U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted was no threat to Moscow, brushing off such Russian concerns as "purely ludicrous". NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he would ask Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to explain Putin's decision to suspend the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) and rejected Putin's accusation that NATO was ignoring it. He was referring to NATO's longstanding insistence that Russia withdraw its remaining troops from Georgia and Moldova before its members ratify a revised version of the CFE. The CFE Treaty was negotiated in the months after the Cold War among the then-22 member states of NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries with the goal of achieving verifiable reductions in conventional military equipment. Only Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine have so far ratified an adapted 1999 version. Putin, in a speech to both houses of parliament, accused NATO allies of ignoring clauses in the CFE and said the U.S. shield plan had only made matters worse. Putin aide Arkady Dvorkovich told a news briefing in Moscow that Russia had no plans to exit the treaty immediately and wanted consultations with NATO on the matter.
Russia Shuts Down U.S. NGO http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=21421A U.S.-based nongovernmental organization will halt operations after a police raid on its Moscow office last week. The Educated Media Foundation — the legal successor of Internews, which trains journalists and works with many media outlets — will temporarily halt its activities after Interior Ministry officers confiscated documents and computers from its office. About 20 officers from the Interior Ministry’s economic crimes department locked themselves in the organization’s office in the Central House of Journalists for nearly 11 hours Wednesday during the raid. A new NGO law, which came into force a year ago, increased the amount of paperwork that NGOs must keep and required them to reregister under stringent new guidelines. The law was adopted after President Vladimir Putin said he would not tolerate foreign funds being used by NGOs for political activities. Foreign-connected NGOs played key roles in regime changes in Georgia in 2003 and Ukraine in 2004. Interior Ministry officials could not be reached for comment.
ACLU Sues Over 'God' License Plates http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/4/23/211120.shtmlA legal complaint filed this week in Indiana challenges the constitutionality of the year-old law that created the state's "In God We Trust" specialty license plate, saying its supporters receive preferential treatment not available to supporters of other specialty plates. The lawsuit filed in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis claims motorists who request the "In God We Trust" plates receive preferential treatment because they do not have to pay a $15 administrative fee that the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles collects. The administrative fees are added to other fees whose proceeds promote the causes of the other specialty plates. The plaintiff bringing the case, Mark Studler, said he pays an additional $40 for one of the popular environmental plates depicting an eagle above the word "Environment." Of the total fee, $25 goes to a state trust to purchase land set aside for conservation or recreational purposes and the remaining $15 is for the administration fee. The 2006 law establishing the "In God We Trust" plate waives the administrative fee.
PBS Won't Air So-Called 'Alarmist' View of Islamistshttp://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/4/25/75503.shtml“Islam vs. Islamists: Voices from the Muslim Center" highlights the work of moderate Muslims who oppose the Islamist agenda and are willing to speak out. PBS officials decided against airing the film, which PBS's Robert MacNeil told the Diane Rehm Show earlier this month was "one-sided" and "alarmist." Some of the key Muslim figures featured in the documentary believe PBS is practicing censorship and doing a disservice to the American public. The film, which was supposed to be part of a PBS series, cost taxpayers more than $600,000. Zuhdi Jasser, president of Islamic Forum for Democracy, also is featured in the film. He told Cybercast News Service that the mainstream media and public television officials are responsible for the unbalanced coverage of America's Muslim community. He also said there is a concerted effort by well-organized, well-financed Islamist organizations to silence moderate voices. Jasser and other participants on Tuesday named the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as among those groups. One of the film's co-producers, Alex Alexiev of the Center for Security Policy, called CAIR "as radical as they come." Attempts to get CAIR's reaction Monday and Tuesday were unsuccessful. PBS spokesman Joe Deplasco told Cybercast News Service the film was unfinished and could not be shown. He said films that did not make the cut for the PBS series may still be considered for airing later as "stand alone" pieces.
FCC: Govt. Could Regulate TV Violence http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/4/25/214513.shtml?s=usCongress could regulate violence on cable, satellite and broadcast television without violating the First Amendment, the Federal Communications Commission said in a report released Wednesday. The report, which had been requested by Congress, contains suggestions for action by lawmakers, but it stops short of making specific recommendations. A correlation exists between bloodshed on television and violence in real life, the commission said. Among those tools, Congress could require cable companies to sell their programming on a per-channel or family tier basis, rather than only in pre-bundled packages. As for broadcast television, the report cites Supreme Court precedent to suggest the agency could regulate violent programming much as it regulates sexual content and profanity _ by barring it from being aired during hours when children may be watching. Or it could create a family-viewing hour. It also says that technology intended to help parents shield their children from objectionable programming, such as the V-chip, is inadequate. The ACLU had harsh words for the report, calling the FCC's recommendations "political pandering," in a statement attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, the organization's director of its legislative office in Washington. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said he will file legislation that may incorporate some of the commission's recommendations.
Satellite firm stops Tamil Tigers' illegal broadcasts http://news.asiaone.com.sg/st/st_20070426_114279.htmlINTELSAT, the giant satellite services provider, has stopped what it called the unauthorised use of one of its satellites by Tamil rebels, the Sri Lankan Embassy in the United States said on Tuesday. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, European Union and Canada, had been using the Intelsat12 satellite for TV and radio transmissions to Europe and Asia, the embassy said in a statement on its website. Intelsat has referred to the transmissions as 'unauthorised', and said it 'does not tolerate terrorists or others operating illegally on its satellites'. Mr Phillip Spector, Intelsat's executive vice-president and general counsel, said the Intelsat transponder used by the Tamil Tigers was shut down last weekend. The Sri Lankan Embassy also revealed that the Tamil Tigers had been broadcasting through the satellite since March 2005.
Thailand's Buddhist monks demand that Buddhism be made national religion http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/25-04-2007/90421-Thailand_religion-0Hundreds of Buddhist monks led elephants through Bangkok to demand that Thailand's new post-coup constitution enshrine Buddhism as the national religion. Police had hoped to persuade the monks, who were joined by hundreds of supporters, to leave the elephants at the city limits as they marched into the capital, said Bangkok Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Adisorn Nontree. But protesters pushed their way through a police line as they entered Bangkok, briefly scuffling with police. Marchers planned to meet up with protesters at Bangkok's parliament building. Police said they feared the elephants would make the rally difficult to control, and that the scorching sun would make Bangkok's streets too hot for the animals to walk on. The march came a day after coup leader Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin backed the idea of recognizing Buddhism as the national religion, amid a worsening Islamic insurgency in the south. The uprising has killed more than 2,000 people since it flared in 2004. More than 90 percent of Thailand's 64 million people are Buddhists, and Muslims who form the majority in the deep south have long complained of discrimination. The first draft of a new post-coup constitution, made public last week, retains the wording on the topic from Thailand's previous constitution, from 1997. It does not name Buddhism as the national religion, and says the state will protect all faiths. However, Sonthi said he expected the charter's drafting committee to "review its decision on this issue," The Bangkok Post newspaper reported Wednesday.
Palestianians renew truce in Gaza http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3392188,00.htmlPalestinian armed factions renewed their commitment to a Gaza Strip truce on Thursday but said rocket barrages from the territory could resume if Israel did not halt military operations in the West Bank. The message was delivered to Israel by an Egyptian mediator who has been trying to prevent a major confrontation after Hamas's armed wing fired rockets and declared the Gaza truce dead on Tuesday, Palestinians familiar with the talks said. Hamas called Tuesday's barrage a response to the killing of eight Palestinians in Israeli military operations, most of them in the West Bank. Israel has in the past signaled its interest in extending the Gaza truce to the West Bank, but only if militant threats cease first. Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the apparent ultimatum delivered by Hammad.
Japan PM Shinzo Abe in US to Meet Bush http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JAPAN_US_SUMMIT?SITE=ASIAONE&SECTION=ASIA&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-04-25-21-55-27President Bush is expected to offer a warm welcome to Abe, whose country was a vocal supporter of the Iraq invasion and sent non-combat troops to the southern part of the country - Japan's first dispatch to a country at war since 1945. Abe left Tokyo for Washington Thursday morning on a government aircraft. He was to visit Arlington National Cemetery and attend a dinner at the White House later Thursday, and meet with Bush at Camp David on Friday, before heading off on a tour of the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. High on the agenda in the U.S. will be the two allies' evolving military relationship. Abe is pushing to change the interpretation of Japan's pacifist constitution to allow greater integration with Washington's armed forces. In addition, Bush is expected to float the idea that Japan should boost military spending to pay for items such as missile defense. Tokyo currently limits defense outlays to 1 percent of gross domestic product. The U.S. spends 4 percent of GDP on defense. Abe's political future is uncertain. With his popularity flagging, his ruling Liberal Democratic Party faces the prospect of losing seats in the upper house elections in July. Serious losses in the chamber, where the LDP dominates only with the help of coalition partner the New Komei Party, could damage Abe and prompt the party to look for successors.
Taiwan unveils new tactical missile system for defense http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/front/2007425/107980.htmThe Ministry of National Defense unveiled a tactical missile system designed to strike mainland China's airports and missile batteries in the event of an attack from mainland China. MND revealed the TSMFS, or Tactical Shorebase Missile For Fire Suppression in a statement detailing the rundown of the just-concluded computer
battle scenario simulation of the annual Han Kuang exercise. Vice Admiral Hsu Tai-shen said that TSMFS is a passive weapons system designed to react to an attack by mainland China, which will only target the mainland's airports and missile batteries. The shorebased missile system is installed on the coastline of the outer islands and is aimed at countering a combined missile and air attack by mainland China. Reports have said that over 700 cruise missiles in locations along the coast of mainland China are aimed at
Taiwan. MND spokesman Rear Admiral Wu Chi-fang said the Hang Kuang exercise showed weaknesses in defense against missiles and submarines and urged legislators to pass the MND's arms procurement package.
Singapore, China to jointly develop an 'eco-city' http://news.asiaone.com.sg/st/st_20070426_114265.htmlDetails of the 'eco-city', such as whether the project will be carried out in a small city or be part of a big metropolis, have yet to be worked out. But the venture could involve a consortium of Singapore companies backed by the Government and relevant agencies, said a Senior Minister. China is trying to shift its inefficient and highly polluting mode of economic growth towards a more sustainable form of development that reduces the strain on the environment. This could open up many new opportunities for Singapore, which has strengths in environmental services and technology in areas like water treatment and sanitation. A detailed proposal will be written up soon.
Jordan wants nuke plant http://www.star.com.jo/viewnews/DetailNews.aspx?nid=4751Despite some concerns over the proliferation of nuclear technology in the region and possible political motives, Jordan needs new energy sources and is well placed to develop a nuclear program. The plant will be used for electricity generation and water desalination. Jordan is highly reliant on imports to meet its energy demands with 95 percent of its energy requirements coming from overseas. It is also one of the top 10 most water-impoverished countries in the world with a deficit of over 500mcm a year, which creates both a financial and energy security issue for the kingdom. In 2006, the energy bill was equal to approximately 25 percent of GDP. The country is trying to stimulate a domestic energy program to reduce its reliance on imports. The mooted nuclear plan is central as Jordan is home to approximately 2 percent of the world’s uranium reserves. Jordan is a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty under which the IAEA monitors nuclear projects for peaceful purposes. According to Khalid Shraideh, the minister of energy, $450 million of investment will be required up to 2015 for developing wind and solar energy projects. Kabariti said extensive studies are already being carried out for wind farm sites, with much of the mapping and data already completed but not published. One likely site for development is around the northern town of Jerash.
Al Gore's 'Army' Gets Basic Training http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/4/25/113847.shtml?s=us'Global warming' crusader Al Gore has trained some 1,000 Americans to deliver his Oscar-winning "An Inconvenient Truth” slide show to schools, Rotary clubs and nursing homes across the nation. Thousands of applications for Gore’s effort, The Climate Project, poured in after word of the training circulated last summer through environmental sites and blogs, USA Today reported. Candidates were chosen based on "their ability to commit to doing the 10 presentations and reach unique groups of people,” said project director Jenny Clad. The first group of 50 trainees spent time on Gore’s Tennessee farm.
Texas Showdown on HPV Vaccine Order http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/4/25/160143.shtml?s=heTexas lawmakers rejected Gov. Rick Perry's anti-cancer vaccine order Wednesday, sending him a bill that blocks state officials from requiring the shots for at least four years. Perry has said he is disappointed with the Legislature's actions but has not indicated whether he will veto the bill. He has 10 days to sign or veto it, or the proposal will become law without his signature. Lawmakers can override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both chambers. The legislation passed by well over that margin in both chambers. Wednesday's vote by the House to accept changes made by the Senate is one of the final steps in a fight that began in February, when Perry made national headlines with an executive order requiring the human papillomavirus vaccine for sixth-grade girls.
A night with the devil on the Rock http://www.star.com.jo/viewnews/DetailNews.aspx?nid=4716Each day at sundown, when the last tour boat departs this desolate, wind-swept outpost, one lonesome soul is left behind. He’s the night watchman of Alcatraz. Guided by the beam of his flashlight, Gregory Johnson inches down the gloomy infirmary ward of this retired prison, once home to the nation’s most malicious killers and psychotic criminal malcontents. “Hey, what’s that noise?” he asks, throwing the light against the half-open door of a solitary confinement cell. He pauses, shrugging off another unexplained Alcatraz phenomenon. “Man,” he whispers, “I couldn’t imagine being out here at night without my gun.” Until the first boat arrives after dawn, the US park police officer spends the night battling both his nerves and imagination, patrolling the place once known as America’s Devil’s Island. “I don’t believe in ghosts, per se,” says Johnson, 38. Between 1934 and 1963, the Civil War-era military fortress turned penitentiary provided inmates with the hardest time they ever did, in part because San Francisco’s cityscape reminded them of the freedom they had lost. George DeVincenzi, a guard at Alcatraz from 1950 to 1957, said the proximity of the California culture drove prisoners nearly insane. “Yachts circled the island, and men on the third tier of C and B blocks could see girls in bikinis drinking cocktails,” he said. “It was so near, and yet so far.” Erik Novencido worked the island night shift for 10 years. The worst part was walking inside the electroshock therapy room. Once he took a picture at night to show friends. When he developed the film, he says, the snapshot showed a face in the room staring back at him. He never figured out what it was. Even so, there were strange events. “Many times, at night in the cell house, I had the distinct sensation of being pinched on the butt,” said McClure, 52, a former paramedic. “It happened with great regularity. I have no explanation for it, and I don’t talk to people about it, because I know it makes me sound crazy.”
Czech Chamber passes anti-smoking bill in first reading http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/index_view.php?id=248994The Chamber of Deputies today passed in the first reading the anti-smoking bill that is to limit smoking in restaurants and some other public areas such as corridors of apartment houses and children's playgrounds. Most opponents of the bill are among Civic Democrat (ODS) deputies, though the bill was mainly worked out by ODS Deputy Boris Stastny. The supporters of the bill pointed out the right of non-smokers to be protected from health consequences of passive smoking. Health Minister Tomas Julinek (ODS) said that it was necessary to fight not only tobacco, but also high alcohol consumption. Under the bill, special separated and well-aired premises at restaurants, cafes and bars would have to be designed for smokers. So far, it is enough for a restaurant operator to place a sign reading "a space for smokers." Surveys show that one out of four Czechs smokes and that about half of youths aged from 15 to 18 are smokers.
Abstract from study on effect of cocoa and tea intake on blood pressure http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/7/626Epidemiological evidence suggests blood pressure–lowering effects of cocoa and tea. We undertook a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to determine changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure due to the intake of cocoa products or black and green tea. Five randomized controlled studies of cocoa administration involving a total of 173 subjects with a median duration of 2 weeks were included. Current randomized dietary studies indicate that consumption of foods rich in cocoa may reduce blood pressure, while tea intake appears to have no effect.
Long-term Aspirin Use and Mortality in Women http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/6/562We conducted a prospective, nested, case-control study of 79 439 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study who had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. Women provided data on medication use biennially since 1980. We assessed relative risk (RR) of death according to aspirin use before diagnosis of incident cardiovascular disease or cancer and during the corresponding period for each control subject. In women, low to moderate doses of aspirin are associated with significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality, particularly in older women and those with cardiac risk factors. A significant benefit is evident within 5 years for cardiovascular disease, whereas a modest benefit for cancer is not apparent until after 10 years of use.
Frequency of Analgesic Use and Risk of Hypertension Among Men http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/4/394Nonnarcotic analgesics are the most commonly used drugs in the United States. To our knowledge, the association between the use of these analgesics, particularly acetaminophen, and the risk of hypertension among men has not been extensively studied. The association between analgesic use and risk of incident hypertension was analyzed in a prospective cohort analysis of 16 031 male health professionals without a history of hypertension at baseline. Detailed information about the frequency of use of acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and aspirin was gathered at baseline and updated 2 years later. The frequency of nonnarcotic analgesic use is independently associated with a moderate increase in the risk of incident hypertension. Given the widespread use of these medications and the high prevalence of hypertension, these results may have important public health implications.
Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid Supplementation and Cognitive Function http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/167/1/21Despite their important role in cognitive function, the value of B vitamin supplementation is unknown. A systematic review of the effect of pyridoxine hydrochloride (hereinafter "vitamin B6"), cyanocobalamin or hydroxycobalamin (hereinafter "vitamin B12"), and folic acid supplementation on cognitive function was performed. Fourteen trials met our criteria; most were of low quality and limited applicability. Approximately 50 different cognitive function tests were assessed. Three trials of vitamin B6 and 6 of vitamin B12 found no effect overall in a variety of doses, routes of administration, and populations. One of 3 trials of folic acid found a benefit in cognitive function in people with cognitive impairment and low baseline serum folate levels. Six trials of combinations of the B vitamins all concluded that the interventions had no effect on cognitive function. Among 3 trials, those in the placebo arm had greater improvements in a small number of cognitive tests than participants receiving either folic acid or combination B-vitamin supplements. The evidence was limited by a sparsity of studies, small sample size, heterogeneity in outcomes, and a lack of studies that evaluated symptoms or clinical outcomes. The evidence does not yet provide adequate evidence of an effect of vitamin B6 or B12 or folic acid supplementation, alone or in combination, on cognitive function testing in people with either normal or impaired cognitive function.
Alcohol Dosing and Total Mortality in Men and Women http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/22/2437Moderate consumption of alcohol is inversely related with coronary disease, but its association with mortality is controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of prospective studies on alcohol dosing and total mortality. We searched PubMed for articles available until December 2005, supplemented by references from the selected articles. Thirty-four studies on men and women, for a total of 1 015 835 subjects and 94 533 deaths, were selected. Data were pooled with a weighed regression analysis of fractional polynomials. Low levels of alcohol intake (1-2 drinks per day for women and 2-4 drinks per day for men) are inversely associated with total mortality in both men and women. Our findings, while confirming the hazards of excess drinking, indicate potential windows of alcohol intake that may confer a net beneficial effect of moderate drinking, at least in terms of survival.
Drink ethanol, live healthier: study http://health.asiaone.com.sg/eatright/20070420_002.htmlAny colored fruit or vegetable is rich in antioxidants, which are chemicals that can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of compounds called free radicals. Berries, for instance, contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. People who eat more of these fruits and vegetables have a documented lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases. .S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday. Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found. Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. The study did not address whether adding a little cocktail umbrella enhanced the effects.
Feds eye control of vitamins, supplements – even water http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55370http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55370The Food and Drug Administration says vitamins, supplements, herbs and other natural substances, including water when it is used to "treat" dehydration, should be classified as drugs, and
opponents have only until April 30 to express their concern about the proposals under Docket No. 2006D-0480. The government agency under the direction of Andrew C. von Eschenbach, who became commissioner in 2006, also
has put its "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration" on a fast track for implementation.
