Cited: Time

Arizona’s hard-edged Sheriff Joe Arpaio is infamous for dressing inmates in pink underwear and for boasting an all-female chain gang. He is loved by conservatives and hated by immigration rights groups. He has become famous because of the heated immigration controversy that is putting Arizona in the news. Supposedly, somebody has made a threat against the sheriff’s life and it is putting him in the news as well. Arpaio claims that a Mexican drug cartel has placed a $1 million bounty on his head according to a text message tree.

Some people are skeptical, as Arpaio is known for his constant appetite for publicity. (Even though he is not up for election this year, he is running a re-election ad.) Cartels are an Arizona hot-button, but they have not been a primary target of Arpaio’s. In the past few years his office has arrested 35,889 undocumented immigrants, compared with only 303 “coyotes,” the popular name for operators of human-smuggling rings. No one has publicly confirmed that the threat is actually from a cartel, and no information has been released on how the cartel phone number was traced, but sheriff’s-department officials say the threat originated from a Mexican throw-away phone.

The death threat isn’t the only controversy swirling around Arpaio. The U.S. Justice Department has been investigating the controversial Arizona sheriff since March 2009, when Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon wrote to the DOJ accusing Arpaio of “a pattern and practice of conduct that includes discriminatory harassment, improper stops, searches and arrests.” That same month, officers booked an undocumented Hispanic woman on false identification charges, tried to force her fingerprint on a voluntary removal order, and broke her arm in the process.

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This week the DOJ gave Arpaio an ultimatum: hand over the documents requested last year for alleged racial discrimination charges, or be sued. Claiming that Arpaio has provided all the requested Title VI documents, Robert Driscoll, Arpaio’s attorney, told Fox News that racial profiling charges won’t stand on Arpaio: “Could there be a police operation that is more transparent than Sheriff Arpaio’s office?” he said. And yet, Arpaio’s office admitted in February to destroying records and office emails about his crime sweeps.

In the meantime, Arpaio stays focused on the death threat and not the DOJ lawsuit. However, it is strange the sheriff has not asked the FBI to help investigate the threat. Nor has the sheriff’s office asked T-Mobile for assistance in tracking the texted threat. T-Mobile is supposedly the carrier of the phone that received the threat. In fact, TIME was the first to inform T-Mobile of the issue, according to Patty Raz. Raz also stated that T-Mobile has not received any request from any law enforcement agency about this issue. “We would work with them if they contacted us, of course,” Raz stated.

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My Take: I am one of those that oppose Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In my opinion, he is an arrogant son of a bitch! I have heard stories of people who’ve been around him and seen what he does when he is not in the spotlight. I have heard stories of how he gets special sports tickets to Arizona games. How he transports his wife’s catering business to appropriate addresses for her. I cannot substantiate any of this because they are all rumors. But when you hear the sheriff got the best concert tickets available more than once, it’s hard not to believe rumors like this.

It is possible that through the all the investigations that are going on pages might need a Monmouth County criminal defense lawyer. I doubt that any intelligent Arizona lawyer would offer to defend. Supposedly, the sheriff is then spending money he shouldn’t. Maybe he should get some NY income tax accountants to double-check all of his expenses.

However, I must admit that his work against drunk driving has caused many people to hire a Monmouth County DUI Attorney. And his work against illegal immigrants has been good as well. Then again, he has to do something good doubt we would have done that is bad. Just make this clear, these are my opinions and I am entitled to them.

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Cited: ABC News

On August 4 a, federal district judge came down with a ruling on California’s gay marriage debate that will open a salvo legal debates that will be headed to the US Supreme Court. Both sides are now holding their arguments that they hope will ultimately sway the justices will have the final say in the debate.

U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker’s opinion stated that the state’s same-sex marriage ban amounts to unconstitutional discrimination and should be immediately struck down. He later issued a stay on the order overturning Proposition 8 to allow supporters of the measure to argue why the ban should remain in effect while they pursue an appeal.

“We have other battles ahead of us,” said former Bush administration Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who joined former counsel for Al Gore in the 2000 election, David Boies, in opposing Proposition 8.

“Ted and I have a deal — He is going to get the five justices that were for him in Bush v. Gore and I’m going to get the 4 justices that were with me in Bush v. Gore,” Boies joked Wednesday.

Supporters of the California same-sex marriage ban acknowledged Judge Walker’s decision was not unexpected and conceded prospects that it will be reversed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals also looked uncertain. But they are holding out hope for the Supreme Court.

“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this case is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court, where the right of states to define marriage as being between one man and one woman will be affirmed,” said Maggie Gallagher, chair of the National Organization for Marriage.

When the case reaches the high court, Justice Anthony Kennedy could become the swing vote on a bench narrowly divided by liberals and conservatives, court observers say.

“It has been Justice Anthony Kennedy at the center of a very sharply polarized four-four court who has consistently been over the years a very strong voice on gay rights,” Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick pointed out on “Good Morning America” today.

“He’s been careful to say, ‘This doesn’t mean I’m for gay marriage, by the way.’ But time after time, he’s not just been the fifth vote for anti-discrimination principles, but he’s also been a strong vote for things like dignity and humanity and the right to choose your own lifestyle,” she said.

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Still, how Kennedy or the other eight justices will vote is only speculation. The court does generally have a record of not making rulings that are contrary to majority public opinion.

A California Field poll of registered voters last month found that 51% support legalizing gay marriage with 42% opposed.

But nationwide public views are more narrowly divided, according to the most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll. Of Americans polled, 47%, favor gay marriage while 50% are opposed.

Judge Walker Calls Marriage Ban an “Artifact”

In his decision Walker sharply criticized the voter-approved Proposition 8 as rooted in “unfounded stereotypes and prejudices.”

“Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license,” wrote Walker in his 136-page decision. “Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples.”

The controversial ballot measure was launched in response to a state supreme court decision allowing gays and lesbians to wed. The proposition passed with 52% of the vote in November 2008.

“With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, in a statement Wednesday.

Lawyers supporting the ballot measure had argued that voters endorsed a “fundamental, definitional feature” of marriage that has historical roots “in this country and, almost without exception, in every civilized society that has ever existed.”

But Walker found the plaintiffs in the case — one lesbian and one gay couple — demonstrated by “overwhelming evidence” that Proposition 8 violates their rights to due process and equal protection under the Constitution.

“Moral disapproval alone is an improper basis on which to deny rights to gay men and lesbians. The evidence shows conclusively that Proposition 8 enacts, without reason, a private moral view that same-sex couples are inferior to opposite-sex couples,” wrote Judge Walker.

Geoff Kors, executive director for Equality California, which filed an amicus brief supporting the Prop. 8 federal challenges, say gay couples across the state were “thrilled” by the ruling. “Judge Walker has preserved our democracy by ruling that a majority cannot deny a minority group of fundamental freedoms,” he said.

The verdict will now be appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and may ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court, where experts say a decision could transform social and legal precedent. They compare the potential impact to the famous 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, which desegregated schools, and the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, which ended laws banning interracial marriage.

In the continental United States, 5 states, Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire as well as the District of Columbia, currently allow same-sex marriages. And an additional 4 states recognize same-sex marriages that are performed in other states. And still 9 other states now grant civil unions or partnerships.

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My Take: I am one of the millions that have no problem with same-sex marriages. In fact, from what I understand, they go through all the same turmoil as heterosexual marriages. This is one of those political frameworks of keeping religion and government separate. The government should not impose religious habits, you will, such as matrimony on same-sex partners.

Allowing same-sex marriages can also help businesses, for example San Diego CA wedding flowers businesses will see an increase in their business because more people are getting married. Same goes for San Diego CA wedding chair covers businesses. The same goes for jewelry store businesses. They will be selling more rings and in turn will be able to increase their jewelry display lighting to highlight more wedding related jewelry. And those businesses that supply jewelry lighting fixtures will also increase their business.

Another business that would improve would be wedding photographers and videographers. They would be making more with every DVD copy they make. CD duplication will also increase as people choose their wedding music.

However, instead of looking at the benefits that same-sex marriages can bring to the economy, people are looking at all the negative aspects. They think that same-sex marriages are going to make people turn evil and against God. Those people that think this way really do not have very good faith in my opinion. They need to strengthen their faith and stop messing with other people’s lives! And no, I am not a homosexual. I am a healthy heterosexual female!

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Cited: AP

The trustees forecast on August 5 states that Medicare is in better shape because of Obama’s sweeping health care overhaul and should stay afloat 12 years longer than earlier projected. However, the systems top analysts say that depends on cuts in the care system that are highly doubtful.

The annual report by the trustees who oversee Medicare and Social Security, led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, gives backers of the new health care law evidence of a positive impact on government entitlement programs, but it also undercuts the findings with a host of caveats.

In what amounted to a dissenting opinion, top Medicare actuary Richard Foster warned that the report’s financial projections “do not represent a reasonable expectation” for the hospital fund for America’s elderly.

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services and one of the trustees, said they were required to assume current law in making their projections, including a cut in Medicare payments to doctors. She, too, doubted the cuts would ever happen, “which is why we continue to provide cautionary notes” in the report.

The trustees projected the Medicare Hospital trust fund would be exhausted in 2029, or 12 years later than estimated last year.

The news wasn’t as rosy for Social Security, which will pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes for the first time in decades this year and next year. The Social Security trust funds are expected to be exhausted in 2037, the same date as in last year’s report.

More bad news for Social Security recipients: The trustees project no cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients next year, the second year in a row with no increase. The adjustments are based on inflation.

The administration delayed the trustees report, which normally comes out in the spring, in order to recalculate projected spending estimates based on changes in the new health care law.

Geithner said that while the report showed “very positive developments” from the new health care law, it also underscored “that we must continue to make progress addressing the financing challenges” facing both Medicare and Social Security.

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“Those reforms require that we achieve very substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity,” he said.

Foster, the Medicare official, said in a statement included in the report that the program’s projected savings might not be realistic.

The short-run projections by his office were similar to those of the trustees, estimating that the Medicare trust fund would be exhausted in 2028, one year earlier.

However, by 2050, government actuaries see Medicare costs growing to more than 8 percent of the economy, compared with 3.6 percent now. The trustees assume Medicare will consume only 6 percent of the nation’s economy in 2050 — a difference that amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars.

The nonpartisan experts said there are two big reasons for their estimate of higher costs:

— The trustees’ report assumes that doctors will absorb a 30 percent cut in Medicare payments over the next three years. The cuts are called for under current law but are routinely waived by Congress because too many doctors would stop seeing Medicare patients.

— Projected savings in the new health care law from cuts to hospitals, nursing home and other institutional providers will prove to be politically unsustainable in the long run.

“For these reasons, the financial projections shown in this report for Medicare do not represent a reasonable expectation for actual program operations in either the short range … or the long range,” Foster said.

Some supporters of the health care overhaul said Foster had embraced a glass-half-empty approach.

“I think that he raises an important point, but he’s too pessimistic,” said Robert Greenstein, head of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which advocates for the poor.

John Rother, executive vice president of AARP, said it may not be known for years whether the law will generate the kind of savings anticipated on the trustees’ report.

“The purpose of the law was to slow the growth in health care costs,” Rother said. But, he added, “the fact is we really won’t know until some of the regulations get spelled out.”

The trustees said Social Security’s finances have been hurt by the poor economy, but the effects have been partly offset by the health care overhaul. The actuaries assume the law will slow the growth of insurance costs, enabling employers to shift more compensation to wages. That would increase revenue from the payroll taxes that support Social Security.

In the short run, however, the recession is hurting revenues for the retirement and disability program.

For the first time since the 1980s, Social Security will pay out more money in benefits this year and next year than it collects in payroll taxes. The program will post surpluses for a few years after that before returning to permanent deficits in 2015. Unless Congress acts, the Social Security trust funds are expected to be exhausted in 2037. At that point, Social Security will collect enough in payroll taxes money to cover about three-fourths of the benefits owed.

“The fact that the costs for the program will likely exceed tax revenue this year is not a cause for panic, but it does send a strong message that it’s time for us to make the tough choices that we know we need to make,” Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said.

Obama has formed a bipartisan fiscal commission that is working on recommendations to improve government finances, including those for Social Security. Its recommendations are due in December.

More than 53 million people receive Social Security. Retirement benefits average $1,100 a month while disabled workers get an average of $1,065. Social Security is financed by a 6.2 percent payroll tax on wages below $106,800. The tax is paid by workers and matched by employers.

Over the past 25 years the Social Security trust funds have built up a 2.5 trillion surplus. However, the federal government has borrowed that money over the years he spent on other programs. Now, the feds need to borrow money from public markets, which will add to the annual budget deficits, just to repay the money they borrowed from Social Security.

The Social Security trust funds have built up a $2.5 trillion surplus over the past 25 years. But the federal government has borrowed that money over the years to spend on other programs. The government must now start borrowing money from public markets — adding to annual budget deficits — to repay Social Security.

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My Take: They should never have touched the Social Security fund in the first place! Social Security was set up for retirement benefits and then disability was added to it for the people who became disabled before retirement and those that were retiring. There are millions of people that are disabled and about to retire and will not get the money that they put into the system because the “government” borrowed it.

I think maybe the government needs to join a debt settlement program! Then they should put every department that uses company credit cards and a program for credit card debt reduction. Employees of the government acted like this in business they would soon become job seekers! Even if they were looking for VP jobs, they may not get them because of their reputations and too much. Maybe then they would know how the rest of the country feels.

It is almost like you’re reading the money they do have as gambling money. Maybe that’s what they’re doing is casino gambling online. There is one thing for sure, there are plenty of casinos online for the choosing. My mother taught me a good rule with the government shoots start using. If you can’t pay cash for it, you don’t need to get it and you can’t afford it!

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Cited: AP

Until recently, a woman has never led one of the 16 major intelligence agencies in the United States. There have been 3 female secretaries of state.

Letitia A. Long, 51, was praised by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as the right person for the job, as she took up her post as director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in a ceremony Monday at the agency’s half-built, high-tech campus in Springfield, Virginia.

Long, in turn, saluted what the NGA work force has already accomplished, from aiding troops on the battlefield, to helping draw together intelligence from across the national security spectrum.

“I have never seen an agency as young as the NGA do so much in so little time,” she said of the organization, which was established in 1996.

Long’s 32-year career has led to a series of senior management positions: deputy director of Naval Intelligence, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and, most recently, second in command at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Long’s old boss and mentor, James R. Clapper, newly confirmed as director of national intelligence, noted her 32 years of service, with 16 of them often working in agencies under his purview. Clapper warned her that as soon as he is sworn in as DNI, his “meddling” would continue in her next mission.

Long thanked him for “taking a chance on a young executive, way back when,” and said she welcomed the meddling to come. Long now represents the vanguard of women in the intelligence community.

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Women represent 30% of total intelligence work force, according to Wendy Morigi, DNI spokeswoman. In six of the most prominent agencies, 27% of senior intelligence positions are held by women.

A spokesperson for the NGA, Susan H. Meisner, had identified Long as the first woman to lead one of the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies, but later conceded that women have led smaller intelligence agencies such as the State Department’s intelligence arm.

Long has taken over one of the “top computer geek shops” in the national security world. The NGA synthesizes satellite imagery, using everything from the number of electric lines a city has to the density of the soil, to create three-dimensional, interactive maps of every spot on the planet. They’re used by everyone from invading troops gauging whether a country’s roads or deserts can handle tank tracks, to oil spill cleanup crews trying to decide where to deploy resources.

With a degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and masters in mechanical engineering from Catholic University of America, Ms. Long definitely has the science and technology credentials to do the job. Annapolis-born Long and her husband have raised 3 daughters together doing these high-powered jobs successfully.

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My Take: I didn’t know the government had 16 intelligence agencies! Why do we need so many? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for Mrs. Long in getting the job and being the 1st woman to get it. But, can’t these agencies pool their resources and just get colocation providers for all their data? I am sure that if they don’t have colocations they could get a colocation quote easily.

At least her credentials say she knows something about New Jersey IT management. And she can probably do little it of NJ IT consulting as well. However, I believe she will have her hands full with the intelligence community. I can just see the jokes now, how many directors does it take to light up the intelligence community? The answer is several lightbulbs, but only one director. Light bulbs are easy to replace, but a good director is hard to find.

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Cited: AP

On August 5, the Senate finally agreed to add $600 million to the effort of better border security and to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants across the US Mexican border this money will be used to add 1500 new enforcement agents as well as deploying unmanned aerial drones that will help improve border surveillance.

The voice vote to pass the emergency spending came in the final hours before the Senate leaves for its month-long summer break. Its sponsor, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, said it would boost border spending 10% above 2010 levels.

President Barack Obama has urged Congress to come up with $600 million to reinforce border security, and, with Arizona’s attempt to crack down on undocumented immigrants bringing national focus to the issue, both Republicans and Democrats have endorsed more robust border security spending.

The main stumbling block has been how to pay for the increased spending. Republicans sought to use unspent funds from the economic stimulus act, an idea rejected by Democrats.

The Democratic plan passed Thursday would boost fees assessed on foreign-based personnel companies that take advantage of U.S. visa programs, such as the H-1B visa program for temporary skilled workers, to bring foreign workers, mainly from India, into the United States.

The House last week passed similar legislation with $701 million in emergency money for border security. It could take up the Senate bill when it interrupts its August recess next Tuesday for a one-day session to approve a Senate-passed jobs bill.

Schumer, who announced his proposal earlier Thursday with Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., challenged Republicans to put aside differences and support the measure. “It’s a test of people’s seriousness when it comes to the border,” he said.

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Sen. John McCain, who last week joined fellow Arizona Republican Jon Kyl in introducing a $701 million bill, initially objected, saying it was insufficient.

He suggested, among other things, the addition of $200 million to support Operation Streamline, a program begun under the George W. Bush administration subjecting anyone who crosses the border illegally in areas where the program is in place to federal charges with prison terms of up to six months for the first illegal entry. Those who re-enter face prosecution for felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

When Schumer said he could not accept McCain’s amendments, McCain agreed to back the bill. “I believe we have a lot more to do, but this will contribute to our effort to get our border secured,” he said.

“Now our attention must turn to comprehensive reform, which is the only way to fully address the problem of illegal immigration,” Schumer said after the vote.

The legislation includes $176 million for 1,000 new border patrol agents to form a strike force to be deployed at critical areas, $89 million for another 500 customs and immigration personnel and $32 million to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.

The legislation will also help the Justice Department increase its forces of US Marshals, FBI, DEA and ATF agents along the border with an additional $196 million.

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My Take: All I can say is, it is about time! Most people are going to be putting a lot of time and attendance along the border. Their payroll services are going to be busy with all the overtime those guys are going to put in. They might about getting a few attack dogs as well. Dogs would definitely snuff out the culprits.

Once those dogs have Oklahoma dog training, they will be down for the job! The question is, will the job get done? Will they be able to limit the number of the legal aliens crossing the borders? They might actually put a dent in that number, but they will never stop them without putting up a 10 foot block ends and that may not do the job.

I understand that we couldn’t have a new walk through metal detector for 2 at border entrances. They’re supposed also be using more handheld metal detectors as well. Only thing we can do is sit back and wait and see what happens. The only thing metal detection will do for the border is keep weapons out of and that is only maybe.

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Cited: ABC News

On their way to Six Flags amusement park, 2 groups of children into school buses collided with a tractor-trailer on a Missouri highway August 5, killing 2 people and injuring almost 50 others. According to Sergeant Dan Crain of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the collision occurred about 10:15 in the morning as a tractor with no trailer was rear-ended by a pickup. Apparently, the tractor had slowed because of highway construction.

Katherine Shaelford, driver of the first school bus carrying the camp’s female members, had taken her “eyes off the road” to check her mirrors so she could shift into the left lane when she failed to notice the accident, said Crain. That bus then crashed into the pick-up truck, pushing it up and over the tractor.

The second bus carrying the male campers, driven by Kelly McCennis-Mullenix, then struck the first bus, pushing it on top of the tractor and the pick-up truck.

The student who was killed in the crash has been identified by a relative as Jessica Brinker. According to Corporal Jeff Wilson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Brinker was sitting in the last seat of the first bus, the point at which the second bus crashed into the first. Brinker had celebrated her sixteenth birthday on June 30.

In a Facebook page dedicated to Brinker, a friend posted, “She was the most funniest girl to be around!! always rockin the knee high sock…we love you Jessica R.I.P.”

Crain said the second fatality, believed to be male, was the driver of the pickup truck. The driver of the tractor has been taken to a hospital for observations.

“The vehicles are all attached to each other, we’re attempting to pull them apart now,” said Crain.

When the vehicles were pried apart, the pickup truck was so badly crushed that it was barely recognizable as a truck.

“It was just, evacuate, get away from the scene,” said Kolby Griffith, who played cymbos in the band, describing the scene after the accident.

The students, high schoolers from John F. Hodge High School in Missouri’s St. James High School District, were members of a band. Griffith’s father, Rocky, described the group as tight-knit, having played together for years.

Joy Tucker, the superintendent of the St. James school system, said the entire town was devastated.

“It’s been a horrible, horrible day in our community, and we’ll never get over this,” Tucker said.

The posted speed limit on Interstate 44 is 70 mph. Crain said it was not yet clear how fast the drivers were going and whether they had been speeding at the time of the accident.

Only eight of the victims had injuries serious enough to warrant taking an ambulance to a hospital, said Crain.

It was the last day of band camp and the children were on the annual end-of-camp trip to a Six Flags amusement park when the collision occurred about an hour from the school.

School Buses Collide With Pick-Up and Tractor

It was not immediately clear whether there were seatbelts on the buses.

Under Missouri law it is up to each individual school district to determine if they want to put seatbelts on buses over 10,000 pounds – which both of these buses were.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does not require seatbelts for larger school buses, believing the bus design – with high back, padded seats – offers enough good protection. A few years ago, the requirement for the seat height was increased from 20 to 24 inches to improve “compartmentalization.”

NHTSA did, in 2008, “encourage” districts to put in seatbelts if they had the financial wherewithal and felt it was a good safety move.

The district’s buses have been recently inspected in anticipation of the start of the school year, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol. One bus failed the inspection, but with a minor problem that was fixed on the spot.

Thirty-five of the children on the buses were being transferred to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis for treatment. None of those children are believed to have serious injuries.

“They are all listed as green patients, which means they have light injuries and most of them are up and walking around,” said Mary Aita, public relations officer for the hospital.

One child initially being transported to Glennon was rerouted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Aita speculated that it may be because the individual was more seriously injured. Four other students were transported to St. John’s Mercy Hospital. Their condition is unknown.

The crash occurred on Interstate 44 near Gray Summit, which is about 40 miles southeast of St. Louis.

By standards could see rescue ladders leaning into the windows of the buses as traffic backed up on the highway for 10 miles after the crash. FMCSA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, had Representatives heading to or already on the scene of the crash. FMCSA overseas commercial trucking.

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My Take: As a school bus driver, she should know never to take her eyes off the road for any reason. It’s even worse that one of the kids has died. My condolences go out to the parents of that young girl. If police find anything wrong, that bus drivers going to need to talk to criminal lawyer Denver CO. It is also very possible that the parents of those children will be contacted Texas personal injury attorney.

This is just the kind of car accident that a Texas car accident law firm loves to get a hold of. The worst thing in this whole thing is it some of these parents or the driver will be talking to divorce lawyers Denver CO. Accidents like this, along with lawsuits, have a tendency to tear families apart or bring them together. Hopefully, the families will come together and help each other instead of divorcing.

The parents of the deceased girl might be contacting a TX wrongful death attorney if they believe their child could’ve been saved if there had been seatbelts in the bus. A Texas tractor-trailer accident attorney would be able to explain everything to these parents and what they should do. Hopefully they will contact one.

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Driver Safety and Education

Bus drivers, like truck drivers, are required to have a CDL license. That means they need to take safety courses and a defensive driving course. Many of these driving courses can be taken online such as the online defensive driving course. It is also recommended that the bus drivers go to a truck driving school NY, or whatever state they are in, so that they can get their CDL license. They can also look at any of the academy driving school NY or locally in their area to achieve their CDL license.

Cited: Reuters

On August 5, Freddie Mac released a survey that indicates mortgage rates fell last week of July adding to the series of record lows adding to concerns about the state of the economy. With the recent expiration of popular homebuyer tax credits, the rock-bottom rates offer a glimmer of hope for the housing market that is struggling to gain its footing once again.

Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, the most widely used loan, averaged 4.49% for the week to August 5, down from 4.54% a week earlier and my .22% a year ago, according to the survey.

Thirty-year rates have fallen to fresh lows in six out of the last seven weeks. Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. mortgage finance company, started the survey in April 1971.

Fifteen-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.95%, down from 4.0% last week, the lowest since Freddie Mac began surveying this loan type in 1991. Fifteen-year rates have hit fresh lows in five of the last seven weeks.

With rates near their lowest since Freddie Mac started the survey, demand for loans to refinance or purchase homes has picked up, boding well for the market and the economy.

“Yet again, interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages and now the hybrid 5-year ARM (adjustable-rate mortgage) fell to … record lows this week following the second-quarter GDP release,” Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist, said in a statement.

Annual revisions cut cumulative growth in U.S. gross domestic product over the past three years to 0.6% from 1.4%, reducing inflationary pressures and allowing longer-term rates room to ease, he said.

For those homeowners who need to sell their home . . . With a distinctive front entrance, research proves that an attractive front entry door can considerably increase a home’s perceived value as indicated by the National Home Valuation Study, which indicates that a home’s value can increase by as much as 6.6%. Research shows that upgrading front entry doors improves 4-5 times the investment. Makes you think doesn’t it?

Mortgage rates are linked to yields on both U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities.

Home sales have fallen since the expiration of government tax credits. To take advantage of them, buyers had to sign purchase contracts by April 30. Contracts originally had to close by June 30 but that was extended by three months.

Cameron Findlay, chief economist at LendingTree.com in Charlotte, North Carolina, said the housing market is vulnerable, with a flood of foreclosures in the pipeline and high unemployment weighing heavily.

“The world essentially collapsed after the tax credits expired,” he said. “This baby cannot walk on its own without government intervention.”

Findlay said his biggest concern is that the economy is going to stall and believes there is a 30% chance of a double-dip recession.

“Low mortgage rates are certainly a positive, but jobs growth is more important and without that, a housing rebound will not emerge,” he said.

The U.S. Labor Department said on August 5 new claims for unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest since early April. On Friday it will release July U.S. payrolls data.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday U.S. mortgage applications to purchase homes rose last week for a third straight week as rates tumbled.

Freddie Mac said the rate on the 5/1 ARM, set at a fixed rate for five years and adjustable each following year, was 3.63%, down from 3.76% last week, its lowest level since Freddie Mac began tracking this loan type in 2005.

For a year ARMs were at 3.55% are now down 3.64% as of last week. Only a year ago, 15 year mortgages averaged about 4.63% and the ARM was at 4.78% with the 5/1 ARM at 4.73%

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My Take: This is very encouraging! I am trying to buy a house so I am very happy about these figures. Of course, if I had the money I’d probably buy a one of the villas in Marbella because it’s beautiful in Spain. However, I cannot afford the Marbella homes. I’m looking to buy a home in Phoenix Arizona where I live. I need to write mortgage broker can be difficult though.

I have looked at Louisville Kentucky mortgage services as well as Phoenix Arizona mortgage services. A Louisville mortgage is a little bit more expensive some of the Phoenix mortgages. I plan on comparing his many mortgage brokers as possible to get the right mortgage.

There is one thing I know I will not need and that is landscaping. Landscaping Phoenix only heats up the house. Now New Jersey landscaping would be great if I lived in New Jersey because their summers are not like Phoenix. In fact, I have seen some pictures of NJ residential landscaping and it is beautiful.

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Beef up the Garage

The country’s leading supplier of premium grade commercial and industrial coatings and garage flooring products is now available online. Everything they manufacture and sell is very heavy duty in extra heavy-duty and thoroughly tested by them and their families and friends. If you’re thinking of keeping up your garage, the quickest and easiest way is with garage floor mats from these guys. They’re the best at what they do!

Cited: The Associated Press

Is it a sign that the cost to taxpayers for bailing out the mortgage giant, Fannie Mae, could be less than once thought? Fannie Mae is actually asking for less money this quarter. On August 5, the government controlled mortgage buyer said they were able to set aside enough money to cover the majority of losses from bad loans made 2005-2008.

It requested $1.5 billion in additional taxpayer aid after posting the best quarterly results since the company was put under federal control in September 2008. It was also the smallest quarterly request for assistance since November 2008.

Analysts, however, cautioned that the company’s financial picture could still weaken. Anthony Sanders, a finance professor at George Mason University, said the numbers are artificially low because of the slow pace of the foreclosure process.

“These foreclosures are gathering up,” Sanders said. “The dam is going to break eventually.”

Fannie Mae said August 5 that it lost $3.13 billion, or 55 cents per share, in the April-to-June period. The company’s losses take into account $1.9 billion in dividends paid to the Treasury Department. They compare with a loss of $15.2 billion, or $2.67 a share, in the quarter a year ago.

“Across our industry, we are seeing a more realistic approach to housing and lending that bodes well for the future,” Mike Williams, the company’s chief executive, said in a statement. The company said loans made last year are faring slightly better than those made during 2001 through 2004, before the company lowered its lending standards.

The government rescued Fannie Mae and sibling company Freddie Mac from the brink of failure nearly two years ago. The new request means they have needed $146.4 billion to stay afloat.

Fannie and Freddie own or guarantee about half of all U.S. mortgages, or nearly 31 million home loans worth more than $5 trillion. They buy home loans from lenders, package them into bonds with a guarantee against default and sell them to investors.

Slightly Off-Topic Breach: There are beautiful Blaine homes for rent as well as rent-to-own homes in the Tri-Cities area, Minneapolis and St. Paul suburbs and across Minnesota. You will also find a single family houses and townhouses including new construction and furnished units through local property management companies.

During the housing boom, Fannie and Freddie faced political pressure to expand homeownership and competitive pressure from Wall Street to back ever-riskier loans. When the market went bust, defaults and foreclosures piled up, and the government had to take them over.

There were some encouraging signs among Fannie Mae’s borrowers. As of the end of June, about 5% of the company’s borrowers had missed at least three months of mortgage payments. That’s down from 5.4% at the end of December, but still up from 3.9% in June 2009.

Fannie Mae had $218.2 billion in bad loans at the end of June, up only slightly from $216.5 billion at the end of last year. It owned more than 129,000 foreclosed properties, up from nearly 110,000 at the end of April.

Some analysts doubt that company has turned a corner. Once mortgage modifications made under the federal government’s $75 billion homeowner assistance start to go bad, they say, Fannie Mae will start to be hit with increased losses.

“They’re putting a rosy picture on it,” said Edward Pinto, a housing consultant who served as Fannie’s chief credit officer in the late 1980s. “Basically, they’re kicking the can down the road on these modifications.”

Edward DeMarco, the government’s chief regulator of the two companies, said in interview last week that the total cost to taxpayers for rescuing Fannie and Freddie should be less than $400 billion. That’s under most economic scenarios, he said.

Over the next year, lawmakers plan to review the entire system for providing mortgages to Americans. That could include a dramatic overhaul of Fannie and Freddie, or ultimately their elimination.

The financial overhaul signed by President Barack Obama didn’t address that issue, despite protests from Republicans that it was incomplete without such a plan. The administration is holding a public conference on Aug. 17 in Washington to discuss the mortgage system.

“The country needs lawmakers to come to an agreement on this,” DeMarco said. The mortgage market, he said, can’t operate indefinitely with the government providing life support. “We’re going to have to figure out a solution.”

According to Jim Vogel, an analyst at FTN financial, if Fannie Mae’s losses keep falling it could make finding a solution easier for lawmakers. “This is the 1st step toward really opening the dialogue about what comes next,” he stated. “You can’t talk about the future when you still have losses hanging over your head.”

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My Take: It would be a miracle if this actually occurred! I am sorry, any business that needs help in the form of a small business loan or tax cuts during a recession is not going to get out of trouble quickly. Business with financial problems would not even be able to get a merchant cash advance. Yet, these real estate corporations that federal bailout money. Go figure!

I understand that many homeowners have even asked for the services of a San Diego real estate attorney to help them get back on track with their mortgages. It seems that a lot of banks really don’t want to refinance bad mortgages. What these banks are forgetting is that a mortgage is equivalent to a contract. It is a document that 2 parties participate in one agreeing to make payment for the other. So if you happen to be arguing with your bank, you might try contacting a San Diego contracts attorney you can’t get all the real estate attorney.

Other people have actually given up and turn to property auctions to get some of the money out of their homes before the banks close. From what I understand, auction home buyers actually get better deals on real estate. And I think I’m actually trying to buy a home in this market.

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Knowing the Area is Key

These Phoenix AZ realtors are experienced in all facets of the Phoenix Area’s real estate needs. From Phoenix AZ condos, buying foreclosures, negotiating short sales to selling your luxury home these realtors can handle the challenge of buying and selling in this current market. They take pride in integrity. The most important element of each real estate transaction is the relationship with you. This relationship is built on trust and and for getting the job done from the first meeting to the closing and beyond.

Cited: ABC news

The UK’s Ministry of Defense has released new files that suggest the once Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered a UFO cover-up during World War II. On August 4, as part of an ongoing project to declassify government reports related to UFOs, the Ministry of Defense and The National Archives released almost 5000 pages of information that was acquired between British authorities and the public on UFO sightings.

One of the letters was from a man claiming his grandfather was present at a wartime meeting with Churchill and U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The declassified letter from 1999 redacts the names of the sender and his grandfather, but says the two leaders were briefed on a UFO incident reported by a Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber crew.

While returning to Britain from a mission in Germany, the crew was reportedly approached by a metallic UFO on the English coast. The crew even took photographs of the UFO, the letter said.

The writer said that the UFO appeared to “hover noiselelessly” and then suddenly disappeared.

UFO Report Would Create ‘Mass Panic,’ Churchill Allegedly Said

Upon hearing the story, Churchill allegedly ordered that it be kept secret for 50 years or more.

“This event should be immediately classified since it would create mass panic amongst the general population and destroy one’s faith in the Church,” the letter claims he said.

The writer asked the Ministry of Defense if it could confirm the incident and if the event was still classified.

In response, the Ministry of Defense said it could not find any written record of the incident. But it also said that before 1967, all UFO files were destroyed after five years, so any UFO documents from World War II era would most likely have been destroyed.

The trove of documents, which totals 18 files from 1995 to 2003, also discloses details on a few other famous UFO sightings in the U.K.

One of the reports contains a drawing of a UFO “20 times the size of a football field” that was spotted by a member of the public near the Manchester Airport on Jan. 6, 1995. The captain and first officer of a 737 en route to the airport allegedly reported a “near miss” with an unidentified object the very same day, the report said.

Slightly Off-Topic Breach: This boy should have been flying in POW MIA flag outside his hotel room. Why? He was a prisoner of circumstance. When he got his chair, he should have flown a couple of Betsy Ross flags off the back to show he was once again free!

U.K. Officials: UFO Claims Not of Defense Significance

Another report reveals information about a 1980 event often described as “Britain’s Roswell.”

In December of that year, U.S. Air Force security police in Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, England said they saw bright lights moving toward the ground. The patrolmen said they saw a UFO in the forest and later found marks on the ground and trees and higher than expected levels of radiation. A couple of days later, other air force personnel reported seeing more unexplained lights in the forest.

According to the report, the Ministry of Defense investigated the claims and found “nothing of defence concern.”

Although the new documents have some generated buzz within the UFO community, some Ufologists say that one of the most interesting things about the new files is what they do not include.

“It’s good to see and there were some interesting tidbits in there,” Stanton Friedman, a nuclear physicist and author of the book “Crash at Corona: The Definitive Study of the Roswell Incident.” But he added, “I see no evidence that there are any top secret documents and the hot stuff is going to be top secret, not secret.”

UFO Expert: Officials Likely Not Disclosing the Most Important Information

He said the government released the documents because it had been inundated with requests for information about UFOs and “they want to get us off their backs.”

But Friedman emphasized that the most revealing information is most likely missing – and will most likely stay missing for quite a while.

He said the people likely monitoring UFO reports of national security significance are most probably not the same ones mentioned in the correspondence released this week. But he said he’s convinced someone is indeed paying attention to those kinds of top secret reports.

“Clearly there’s got to be somebody, somewhere, unmentioned in this whole thing, who is looking at the best stuff, because there are implications, for the military, for example,” Friedman said. “We need to recognize that the discussion is incomplete.”

“We need to recognize that we’re sitting on a pile of significant information but the world is in a precarious situation right now,” he said. “Economies are not doing so great. Do you really want to do something that throws a monkey wrench into everything?”

He also stated that it is doubtful that any missing information will be forthcoming anytime soon.

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My Take: I believe it! Yes, I am one of those UFO nuts. Well, I’m not in a class of some of the crazies out there, but I do believe that there is life elsewhere in the universe and that it’s possible they have visited this planet. Right now, I actually think the commercial mortgage brokers New York are aliens because I am trying to buy a business. And the reason for that is because they speak a totally different language than I do!

I thought commercial mortgage loans would be easier to handle. I was definitely wrong! I am going through my electronic cigarette cartridges so fast, it’s amazing. I’m glad I’m not smoking regular cigarettes anymore. I would never be able afford it! Electronic cigarettes are so much cheaper in the long run. Most people call them e cig for short. Njoy puts out a pretty good e-cigarette. There’s a couple other companies that make them as well.

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Cited: ABC News

tA dying child gets his wish to see the Toys “R” Us in Times Square, however, his wish was delayed. You ask how? Air Canada damages and 10-year-old boys customized power chair badly enough to need replacement. Tanner Bawn is immobile without his wheelchair and he spent almost a day stuck in his Manhattan hotel waiting for replacement. Bawn, of Vancouver, has muscular dystrophy and cannot get around without his electric wheelchair, according to a family friend, Scott Stratten. To make it even harder on the boy, doctors have given him about one and a half years to live.

So his friends and family are trying to fulfill a dozen or so of his wishes. One is being a cowboy for a day. Another is visiting New York where he wants to see the Toys R Us in Times Square and race through Central Park in a tutu with a supporter. That charity run called “Tutus for Tanner” was supposed to happen August 6 and aims to raise $25,000 via Twitter. In fact, a tag #TutusForTanner has been filled with posts all day about the wheelchair saga.

Bawn’s saga started the afternoon of August 4 when he and his aunt, Catherine Connors, boarded an Air Canada plane in Toronto heading to New York’s LaGuardia airport.

After making it to his seat, the custom wheelchair was taken to the cargo hold.

“One of the baggage handlers decided to try and take it apart,” Stratten said. “This isn’t like a manual wheelchair. This is a huge thing.”

When Bawn and Connor arrived in New York, Stratten said, “They found the wheelchair in a heap of pieces.”

“They pretty much wrecked his $15,000 custom chair so he couldn’t go anywhere,” said Stratten, who helped raise funds for the trip. “I’ve got a kid here who can’t move.” Air Canada originally said it couldn’t do anything about the chair until Monday, August 9. Bawn is supposed to head home Sunday, August 8.

There followed a firestorm of criticism on Twitter against Air Canada on top of media coverage that got Tanner another dying wish — to be on TV. It also got him his complicated wheelchair fixed in less than a day.

“Tanner is smiling,” Stratten reported around 2:30 Thursday, August 5, afternoon, minutes after the fixed chair was delivered to the hotel room.

Luckily, after a 23-hour delay, Bawn has his chair back and can start exploring the city.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline tried to get a replacement chair while it rushed off and paid to get a New York company to repair the broken one.

“We’re sorry this happened. We always try to deliver baggage safely but sometimes accidents do occur and it’s particularly upsetting when it involves a mobility aid,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a terrible situation and all we can do is try and fix it as best we can, as quickly as possible.”

The airline covered all the costs associated with fixing the chair.

Stratten said the family was initially upset with how the airline handled the situation, giving conflicting reports about what happened and when the chair would be fixed.

She acknowledged the Twitter rage in a note Thursday, August 5, afternoon thanking everybody.

“Air Canada is stepping up, making things right,” Connors said. “And you guys have everything to do with it.”

It may have helped Stratton is a Twitter pro with more than 60,000 followers. It may also been helpful that “Aunt Catherine” also has 8000 Twitter followers as well as her own blog. In fact, that is the other reason she came to New York with her nephew, for the annual BlogHer conference, August 6-8, an event that has 2400 female bloggers.

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My Take: I completely sympathize with this young boy! I am disabled and use a power chair. I can imagine what he went through waiting on his new or repaired chair. Air Canada is really going to have to improve their image with lots of promotional products. I bet if they had survey software, it would prove their image has fallen a great deal.

I can just see what happened when they brought the boy is chair, handing out imprinted pens trying to make them feel better and giving them advertising bags with Air Canada logos all over it. Doing anything to improve their image, which is now tarnished. I hope they set up online survey software so that I can partake in it. They would not like I’d have to say!

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PS3 Games Available Now

The ability to download PS3 games is revolutionizing the way people access and play PS3 games. You can find out how to download action games so you can be gaming in minutes. You also get tech support, to make sure you get your game as quickly and easily as possible as well as answer any questions. It makes no difference if you want to download PS3 racing games, action games or even trivia games, they are available 24/7. What makes this even better is you don’t have to worry about those wholesale plastic bags they give you to carry your game home.