2011-07-31

Senate defeats Reid bill

Story by The Hill
Written by Alexander Bolton and Josiah Ryan

The Senate voted largely along party lines on Sunday afternoon to block legislation crafted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that would raise the debt limit by $2.4 trillion.

Reid and other Democratic leaders worked intently to persuade centrist Republicans to support the plan but fell short.

The vote to end a GOP filibuster failed 50-49. Only Sen. Scott Brown, a centrist Republican from Massachusetts, defied the GOP leadership.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against Reid's plan, as did Reid himself in a procedural move that allows him to bring it back to the floor.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) was the only senator to miss the vote.

Now Democratic Senators are waiting for Reid to call a special caucus meeting with senior administration officials to hear about the status of negotiations with GOP leaders on the latest compromise attempt. A meeting announced for 2 p.m. was postponed at the last moment.

Lawmakers say they have been told the President and GOP leaders are closing in on a deal and expect one as soon as this afternoon.

Reid told colleagues shortly after noon that he is cautiously optimistic about the negotiations.

"We are close to an agreement with Republican leaders," he said. “[A]fter speaking to Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) this morning, we are cautiously optimists.”

Senators will wait for a bipartisan deal to be finalized and then will begin work on advancing it to the House.
If any senator decides to object and drag out proceedings, Congress will not make the Aug. 2 deadline set by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

A Democratic aide said that if conservatives filibuster the deal, the soonest it could pass the Senate would be a Wednesday.

A stopgap measure may be necessary to allow the government to pay its bills after Aug. 2. But such a Band-Aid would need to receive unanimous consent to pass by Tuesday.

Senate Blocks Sen. Reid Debt Ceiling Proposal - Negotiations continue...

story by C-Span

By a count of 50 - 49, the Senate voted to not proceed on Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) debt ceiling proposal. The vote required 60 "ayes" to clear the filibuster hurdle.

Following the vote, the Senate went into recess, subject to recall by the Majority Leader.

At the opening of this afternoon's special Senate session, Leader Reid said he was "cautiously optimistic" that a debt ceiling deal could be reached soon.

He was referring to a plan proposed by Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that would cut spending by $3 trillion over the next decade and raise the debt ceiling through 2012 in a two-stage process.

Negotiations between the White House and the Senate leadership continue on the McConnell plan.

Both the House and Senate were in session Saturday to debate the Reid plan, which would last through 2012 and cut about $2.4 trillion in federal spending.

The House considered it under a special rule where a 2/3 majority was required for passage, and it failed to meet that requirement, by a count of 246-173.
Off the floor, negotiations continued as leaders tried to come up with a bill that would satisfy members across the political spectrum. Sen. Reid said late in the day yesterday on the Senate floor that talks with the White House were "going on" but that "there are many elements to be finalized…there is still a distance to go."

Late Friday, the U.S. House passed its version of a bill to raise the debt ceiling, crafted by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). The final vote was 218 to 210. 22 Republicans voted against it, and no Democrats voted in favor of the plan. Republicans who voted against the bill were: (Freshman members are in bold): Amash (MI), Bachmann (MN), Broun (GA), Chaffetz (UT), Cravaack (MN), DesJarlais (TN), Duncan (SC), Graves (GA), Gowdy (SC), Huelskamp (KS), Johnson (IL), Jordan (OH), King (IA), Latham (IA), Connie Mack (FL), McClintock (CA), Mulvaney (SC), Ron Paul (TX), Tim Scott (SC), Southerland (FL), Walsh (IL), Wilson (SC).

Within minutes of that vote, Sen. Reid brought the House bill up on the Senate floor, and moved to table, or discard, the plan. The vote was 59-41 to table, with 6 Republicans joining 51 Democrats and 2 Independents in voting against the Boehner proposal. Republicans voting to table were: DeMint (SC), Graham (SC), Hatch (UT), Lee (UT), Paul (KY), and Vitter (LA).

No agreement between Republicans and Democrats and the House and Senate means the path forward is still uncertain with the August 2nd deadline imposed by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner fast approaching.

House Democrats encouraged the President to invoke the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling without Congressional authorization. The White House continues to reject that option.

Breaking news: Plaxico Burress agrees to one-year deal with New York Jets

story by SportsYahoo
written by Doug Farrar
photo by Getty Images

Former Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress(notes) will return to the Big Apple after spending two seasons out of football. After a whirlwind free agency tour, Burress and agent Drew Rosenhaus have agreed to terms with the New York Jets on a one-year, $3.017 million deal. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the deal is fully guaranteed. Reports indicate that the extra $17,000 in the total was a small vanity point, as Burress' jersey number was (and is) #17.

And as has been before, it appears that Rex Ryan was a major drawing card.

"I know they have a good team and everybody knows Rex," Burress said of the Jets' head coach yesterday. "I think he's great. He stands behind his players, I think his players have a lot of respect for him and they play hard for him. … He's a great coach, great personality. He seems like he's always upbeat."

Burress served almost two years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. In November of 2008, Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh when a weapon he was holding in his sweatpants discharged in a New York nightclub, and that started a downward spiral that now has him as an interesting NFL comeback story. The recent rehabilitation story of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick(notes) makes Burress a more palatable option to a lot of teams, and there was talk at one point that Burress -- a big, tough receiver with the ability to get vertical in the end zone -- would be a great option for the Eagles.

This time, the Jets won out. GM Mike Tannenbaum re-signed receiver Santonio Holmes(notes), but didn't appear interested in doing the same with Braylon Edwards(notes). And after losing out to the Eagles in the Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) sweepstakes, the Jets had more than enough money under the cap to made this deal an easy one.

Burress had visited with the Jets on Saturday and was expected to fly to San Francisco on Sunday to visit with the 49ers, but that never happened. He had previously visited with the Steelers and Giants, his two former teams.

In 2008, his last NFL season, Burress started nine games for the Giants. He caught 35 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns. He caught 70 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007, and the Giants ended that season by upsetting the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

2011-07-30

President Barack Obama's Weekly Address - Debt Ceiling Crisis 7-30-11

2011-07-28

CLYBURN FLOOR STATEMENT ON SHORT-TERM DEBT CEILING INCREASE BILL



WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today delivered remarks on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Speaker Boehner’s Short-Term Debt Ceiling Increase bill. Following are his remarks as prepared:

“While the clock is ticking, the Republican Majority is dickering, and the American people are hurting. Our financial markets are on pace for their worst week in nearly a year. State governments are bracing for downgrades in their borrowing capacities and the gap between those in our society who have a lot and those who have very little is growing.

“The Republican Majority continues their efforts to divert attention from this self-inflicted crisis with manufactured controversies, holding the American economy hostage to their reckless and dispassionate demands. As the clock ticks toward default and the pain it would bring to middle-income families and those who aspire to become middle-income, my friends on the other side continue to play politics. Speaker Boehner does not even pretend that this is a serious attempt to solve the problem—he sold this bill to his Conference by telling them that it wasn’t bipartisan. And with divided government, a plan that isn’t bipartisan is no plan at all, it’s just a game.

“The President and Democrats in Congress, as well as the American people, have advocated a balanced approach to reduce the deficit while growing the economy and protecting the most vulnerable, including Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security beneficiaries. And we have been willing to make tough, politically difficult compromises. This bill on the floor today, just like the bill on the floor last week, is yet another partisan time waster.

“Our constituents are not interested in any of us voting to cut Medicare, or cap Social Security, or balancing the budget on the backs of Medicaid recipients, and that is what’s in the Boehner bill. A six-month extension is another waste of time.

“We must resolve this matter now, ensure the full faith and credit of the United States and turn our attention to economic growth and creating jobs through investments in infrastructure, innovation and education. That will bring stability to the markets, restore the world’s confidence in America and provide opportunity for our people who so desperately need it.

“Defeat the Boehner bill.”

2011-07-27

National Urban League and NAACP Presidents Meet With President Obama

July 27, 2011

Commentary by:

Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League

“It is clear that the unemployment numbers throughout the country require effective legislation and tangible action to address the crisis. To address the unemployment crisis and the need for job creation solutions in underserved communities, the CBC has called upon the private and public sectors to immediately remedy the crisis by going into communities with legitimate, immediate employment opportunities for the underserved.” U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II

This past week, NAACP President Ben Jealous and I forcefully entered the debt ceiling debate during a meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office. During our meeting, we made it clear that as a final deal is hammered out to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the nation from defaulting on August 2nd, no steps should be taken that will shred the social safety net -- the last line of economic defense for millions of working class and middle class Americans. With African American unemployment at 16.2 percent and the jobless rate for Hispanics also in double digits at 11.6 percent, it would be unconscionable to cut Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare benefits, education, job training or housing services now, especially while businesses and wealthy Americans are protected from any tax increase.

The President has insisted from day one that a final agreement must involve shared sacrifice. After our meeting he issued a statement which read in part: “We cannot afford to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable Americans, including the middle class, low-income families, seniors and students.” Ben Jealous and I wholeheartedly agree with the President, and we intend to stand with him as he steadfastly defends that position.

The President also agreed with us that we need to complete a debt ceiling deal quickly so we can turn our full attention to the most pressing issue facing the nation – high unemployment and the lack of jobs. I urged the President to act on the job creating solutions contained in the National Urban League’s 12-point Jobs Rebuild America plan. We also urged support for New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Urban Jobs Bill which would make critically needed investments in education and training to prepare young people most in need for jobs.

One day after our meeting, the debt ceiling talks broke down over the refusal by those on the other side of the negotiating table to pursue a balanced approach. They continue to insist on a one-sided plan of spending cuts, including cuttingbenefits for the most vulnerable Americans, and no tax increases for the wealthy. It should be noted that this is the first time in almost 100 years that a raise in the nation’s debt ceiling has been linked to deficit reduction.

Ben and I agree: America must get its fiscal house in order so we can invest in job creation and maintain the benefits that protect our must vulnerable citizens. And we adamantly disagree with those who would jeopardize the nation’s credit worthiness and risk a financial meltdown much worse than the recent greatrecession – all because they refuse to compromise.

The NAACP President and I came away from our Oval Office meeting convinced that President Obama understands fundamentally that deep budget cuts to safety net programs and programs that affect urban communities would be harmful, not just to our constituents, but for the nation at large.

We will continue to insist that the concerns of Black and urban America have a voice in this debate.


NUL Headquarters ▪ 120 Wall Street ▪ New York, NY 10005 ▪ (212) 558-5300 ▪ WWW.NUL.ORG

2011-07-26

National Urban League Conference Attendees urged to Volunteer in the Greater Boston Community


National Urban League website: http://nul.org/

Want to leave your footprint of service on the greater Boston community for years to come? Donate your gently worn business professional and business casual attire at the 2011 National Urban League Conference. Drop off your items at the Volunteer Day of Service booth located at registration. Want to donate your time? Partake in the Volunteer Day of Service Friday, July 29 from 8 AM to 10:45 AM and you could paint at Dearborn Middle School, landscape at the Dimock Center, or create arts and crafts with children at the Vine Street Community Center.

All volunteers will receive an official I Am Empowered to Volunteer t-shirt.

For more information, stop by the Volunteer Day of Service booth in the registration area. To register: http://www.nul.org/conference/ 

2011 N.U.L. Conference Theme: "Jobs Rebuild America", the clarion call for all conference participants to be informed and deeply engaged in the various elements of economic empowerment. The conference of the year presents unique opportunities to experience the invaluable perspectives of business, political, and community leaders; connect with companies looking for savvy entrepreneurs and sharp business minds; and learn how to achieve true and lasting prosperity.

CLYBURN STATEMENT ON SPEAKER BOEHNER'S DEBT CEILING PLAN


WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today issued the following statement on Speaker Boehner's plan to raise the debt ceiling:

“I believe Speaker Boehner is overstating the support for his plan and the likelihood it will ever make it to the President’s desk. Yet I remain optimistic that we can reach a deal because failure is not an option.

“If this process has taught us anything, it is that the American people want both parties to work together to produce a fair and balanced plan that doesn’t ask our most vulnerable citizens to bear the burden of the financial crisis while letting the rich off the hook. I call on all Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike to work together with the President to achieve an honorable compromise in our nation’s best interests. We must work together to do what’s right and produce a balanced, bipartisan, bicameral plan to deal with our budget deficits and our national debt.”

Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Cross Burning

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs


WASHINGTON –Curtis Coffee, 19, of Salado, Ark., pleaded guilty today to criminal violations of housing rights related to his role in the Aug. 28, 2010, cross burning in front of an African-American man’s apartment in Salado, the Department of Justice announced.

Coffee, along with co-defendants, Tony Branscum, 25, and Bradley Branscum, 23, also of Salado, were indicted in November 2010, by a federal grand jury on civil rights charges and other related federal charges stemming from their participation in the cross burning. Tony and Bradley Branscum, who are cousins, pleaded guilty last week for their roles in the cross burning.

Coffee admitted in court that on the night of Aug. 28, 2010, he, along with his co-defendants, devised a plan to burn a cross in the yard of an African-American in the Salado community. Thereafter, Tony Branscum constructed a wooden cross in a workshop behind his house. The men then covered the cross in gasoline-soaked clothing and Brad Branscum drove them and the cross to the victim’s residence. Upon arriving at the residence, Coffee propped up the cross on a satellite dish and ignited it.

“The burning cross is an unmistakable symbol of bigotry and hate, and to use it to threaten a person with violence because of his race is intolerable in this nation,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute hate crimes of this kind.”

Coffee faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

This case was investigated by the Little Rock, Ark., Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ray White of the Eastern District of Arkansas and Trial Attorneys Cindy Chung and Henry Leventis of the Civil Rights Division.

Civil Rights Division

2011-07-25

Norway's killer Anders Breivik is charged with Terrorism

Video by NBC News

2011-07-24

United States/Countries/States Debt numbers -- includes GNP, Social Security, Defense, Medicare/Medicaid...

Magic Johnson Investing in Detroit

*Magic Johnson is getting back to his business and has decided to be a part of a Detroit joint venture company alongside Quicken Loans founder and chairman Dan Gilbert.

The collaboration officially called Detroit Venture Partners will be targeting start up and growing businesses. The former basketball player said he’ll be writing a healthy check but didn’t specify exactly how much.

“I tried to do businesses here with the mayors before to bring my theaters here – it didn’t work out,” Johnson told reporters after a news conference in Detroit. “Now, with Dan, I’ve now found the right opportunity … and the right partner.”

Johnson also commented that he’s interested in purchasing a few downtown buildings with Gilbert through Johnson’s real estate fund.

“This is a tough time for the state, but we’re going to make a comeback … one investment at a time,” Johnson said.

2011-07-23

Singer Amy Winehouse just latest musician to die at 27

story by today.com
written by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

In a tragic twist, Amy Winehouse has died at the same young age as so many musicians before her. Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin also died at 27.

Winehouse was found dead in her London home on July 23, the cause of death yet to be determined. But she shared the same troubled past as many musicians before her.

Lighting strikes

Norway's massacre death toll now 92 people with others missing

Video by NBC

CLYBURN STATEMENT ON THE NORWEGIAN TERRORIST ATTACKS


WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today issued the following statement on the terrorist attacks in Norway yesterday:

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the Norwegian people after the senseless terrorist attacks.

"Americans stand in solidarity with all Norwegians today. We know what it is to face extremist attacks from within, and emerge stronger and more resilient. We strongly condemn these atrocities -- especially those committed against children -- and we offer a hand of friendship and support to our allies in their time of need."

President Obama Weekly Address: A Bipartisan Approach to Strengthening the Economy 7-23-11



President Obama upset about Debt Ceiling negotioation with House Speaker John Boehner 7-22-11. C-Span link:  http://cspan.org/Events/President-Summons-Congressional-Leaders-to-White-House-on-Debt-Ceiling/10737423042-3/ 

Norway Island of Utoya Massacre Chronicled. As it happened: Norway attacks aftermath


Photograph  taken Thursday when Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere made a speech to those at the camp on Utoya

Story by the BBC
Photos by Reuters and AFP/Getty Images
Videos by TheAustralian and NBC

0908: The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera said there were comparisons with the Oklahoma City bombing in the US in 1995. He said: "That was done largely by a single person (Timothy McVeigh) with a little bit of help from others." He said Norwegian police would want to know if the gunman had help from a network. He said: "Did he have a network or did he have military training? How did he carry out a bombing and then carry out so many killings? That does suggest some sort of experience."

0914: Norwegian Labour politician Stine Renate Haheim, 27, told BBC News what she had seen on Utoeya: "People were saying we're safe, the police are here. Then we saw a man in a police uniform and he starting shooting people one by one. We turned and ran. We were just trying to keep safe and trying to take care of each other. He was very calm. I didn't hear him speak."

0934: Via Twitter It would appear that Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-year-old suspect in the attacks, recently set up a Twitter profile. Last Sunday, the only chilling tweet from the account: "One person with a belief is equal to the force of 100,000 who have only interests."

0931: Gordon Corera says: "There are suspicions he might have posted something on a far-right neo-Nazi website. He might have expressed strongly anti-Muslim sentiments. Clearly there was some sort of political agenda. He bombed the government offices and was going for people from the governing party. The police won't confirm it but there seems to be a suggestion that he wants to explain his activities."

0939: Eskil Pedersen, leader of the Norwegian Labour youth movement, told a press conference he did not see the gunman but it dawned on him that the gunshots were a continuation of the "terrorist attack" in Oslo. He said: "It's obvious that our entire democracy has been attacked...We always look forward to it (the summer camp on Utoya) and it has meant so much to us historically. In the Labour youth movement there are 10,000 members and there are many who feel like this...This will change Norway and hopefully for the better but it's too early to say how."

0949: PM Jens Stoltenberg says Norway does not have a big problem with far-right wing extremists but he said the police are looking into these groups following the attacks.


0950: Eyewitness Jorgen Benone said: "The guy was dressed as a policeman and he was trying to suggest that he was kind of helping us and he said, 'Come here!' He had a rifle which he was using to shoot at us. It was total chaos: people jumping into the water and trying to swim to the other side. I believe several lost their lives as they tried to get over to the mainland. Some hid behind stones. Somebody sat quietly. I saw people being shot."

1001: Details - some of it from his Facebook page - are beginning to emerge about the gunman on Utoya, which has allowed this profile of Anders Behring Breivik to be drawn.

1003: BBC journalist Jorn Madslien, who is Norwegian, has written this article about Norway's far-right extremists and he says: "Though members of the Norwegian far-right movement have carried out attacks in the past, it has historically been a small community, according to neo-Nazi watchers."

1006: Norwegian media have reported that Breivik set up a Twitter account a few days ago and posted a single message: "One person with a belief is equal to 100,000 who have only interests."

1008: The British Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to Britons in Norway and urged them to stay indoors in the wake of the attacks. About 250,000 British tourists visit the country every year.

1016: Josephine Simonsen, who was in central Oslo when the bomb went off, said: "It felt like the whole earth was just shaking, and all of Oslo, but it was so quiet afterwards. That was what hit me, not actually the sound of the bomb or the shaking, it was how quiet it was afterwards. But I saw it, and I saw this big, big mushroom of black, kind of, just above me."

1019: Earlier Adrian Pracon, a survivor of the Utoya attack, gave the BBC a detailed account of the incident. He said he played dead to survive and added: "He came closer, I could feel his breath, I could feel his boots, I could feel the warmth of the barrel."

1019: Via Email Maureen Johnson, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire Why are people talking about the suspect's potentially 'anti-Islamic' views? He hasn't targeted Muslims in any way.

1026: Paul Rogers, a professor of peace studies at Bradford University, told the BBC that occasionally in some individuals extreme Christian fundamentalism can turn to violence. He says examples include Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, and the Port Arthur massacre (in Tasmania in 1996) and he says that may be the case with Breivik.

1028: The VG newspaper - Norway's biggest selling paper - has quoted one eyewitness as saying that there were two gunmen on Utoya. These are unconfirmed reports.

1029: US President Barack Obama has offered his condolences to the people of Norway and said it showed that the international community needed to co-operate in the fight against terrorism.

1030: Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said: "Utoya was my youth paradise and yesterday it was turned into hell."

1032: Via Email James Waring from Lancashire "I was on holiday in Oslo, sitting with three friends in a cafe, when we heard something akin to thunder. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. We exited the cafe and the real horror sunk in as bloodied people started to stumble down into the square. I looked to a corner shop in which I had withdrawn money minutes before the blast. The ATM stood behind a large glass window and large, toothlike shards of glass were facing inwards. I hate to think what could have happened if I had been there."

1035: Lisa-Marie Husby told the BBC: "We ran to a cabin in the forest and he was running behind us. We got in the cabin and locked the door. I hid under the bed. It was quiet for 15 minutes and then he was trying to get into the cabin where we were hiding. He shot through the door and the most terrifying part was that he was sticking a gun through the window...I hid under the bed for two hours until I knew I was safe."


1037: The Queen has written to King Harald of Norway to express her shock and sadness at the attacks in his country. She said her thoughts were with the Norwegian people.

1039: Survivor Lisa-Marie Husby told the BBC she had heard that police suspected the gunman had also planted bombs on Utoeya, which did not go off.

1043: Via Twitter @HelsFP Woke up at 3am thinking #norwayattacks were a nightmare. Sadly they are real. Inconceivable in peaceful, safe, beautiful Scandinavia.

1053: Oslo police spokeswoman Carol Sandbye told the BBC: "He has been charged with two counts of terrorism. They have just started to interrogate him." She said she could not comment on what had been found at his flat or what he had written on social networking sites. She said he would have to appear in court within three days.

1055: Via Twitter Former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil @afneil says: "So many so called terrorist experts rushed to airwaves yesterday to expound on why #Norway tragedy had to be work of #islamists."

1056: Via Email Maria from Oslo "In the past few hours we've found a face to attatch to the gruesome acts. As it turns out, this is the face of a blonde, blue-eyed caucasian man. A description that could match many a Norwegian. However, what needs to be the focus now is not this madman and his mad cause or he'll get exactly the attention that he wanted. What needs to be our focus is rebuilding our city and assisting those in need."

1058: The BBC News Channel says media reports in Norway paint a portrait of Breivik as a "loner", who lived with his mother in a wealthy suburb of west Oslo, was well educated and enjoyed hunting.

1105: Reuters say the Utoya attack is the worst example of so-called "spree killings". The previous worst incident came in 1982 when a South Korean policeman, Woo Bum Kong, ran amok while drunk and killed 57 people and wounded 38 before blowing himself up.

1107: British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said the loss of life in Norway was "absolutely horrific". He said: "It's hard to comprehend. Norway are old friends, allies and neighbours. Everyone in Britain will want to stand together with the Norwegian people in the days of sorrow that lie ahead."

1109: Via Twitter Journalist Ketil B Stensrud in Norway It's not the time for comparisons, but the Norway attacks have more casualties than Virginia Tech and Columbine combined. The scale of this is really beyond comprehension. The worst tragedy in modern Norwegian history. We're all in shock. We're all mourning relatives today.

1112: Survivor Dana Barzingi told the BBC: "There was some guy that...was acting like he was a policeman and was shooting around the island. He had a bag with many weapons and such and ammo (ammunition)... he had a lot of ammo. Afterwards there were many shot people, so I saved... I tried to save those I could, but there were people there that I couldn't do anything for."

1116: The quote: "One person with a belief is equal to the force of 100 000 who have only interests" which Breivik is reported to have posted on his Twitter account shortly before the attacks is being attributed to 19th century British philosopher John Stuart Mill, the father of utilitarianism.

1118: Hans Torgersen, a reporter with the VG newspaper, tells the BBC he is sure the Labour Party was the target of the attack and he said it was thought Breivik was annoyed by what he perceived at its "relaxed attitude towards Islamism".

1122: A former Prime Minister of Norway, Thorbjorn Jagland, tells the BBC gun laws are quite strict and it is "very difficult" to own a gun. He said he thinks questions instead should be asked about whether the police, while concentrating on the threat from foreign terror groups, had taken their eyes off the threat from native Norwegians.

1125: Earlier Astrid Arnslett, from the Norwegian Red Cross, said their operations were a mixture of search and rescue and counselling for the survivors. She told the BBC: "We are providing people for the young people so there is someone for them to talk to and they are not sitting alone." She said: "Yesterday was a terrifying day and now it's up to the police to figure out what happened."

1130: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit to Indonesia, says: "The United States strongly condemns any kind of terrorism no matter where it comes from or who perpetuates it and this tragedy strikes right at the heart of the soul of a peaceful people. Norway is well known for its efforts to resolve conflicts, bring people together, it sets a high example for social entrepreneurship. This terrible event is especially heartbreaking because so many of the victims were young people."

1130: Via Twitter The Sunday Times's Camilla Long I am DISGUSTED by intrusiveness of cameras on Utoya, especially Sky News just now. Barely pixellated pictures of teenagers in bodybags = WRONG.
This undated image obtained on July 23, 2011 on Facebook shows the 32-year-old suspect questioned by Norway's police over twin attacks on a youth camp and the government headquarters - Photo by AFP/Getty Images -.

1140: Uncorroborated reports by Reuters in Oslo say a farm supply chain sold six tonnes of fertiliser to the suspect, Anders Behring Breivik, on 4 May.

1143: The British ambassador to Norway, Jane Owen, tells the BBC: "Norway is a very small country with under five million people, with the majority of those living in the Oslo region. The bomb was a huge and horrible shock yesterday and hot on the heels of that came the attack on Utoeya."

1143: Via Twitter UK Labour MP Caroline Flint Rush by terrorism experts and politicos to blame Islamists for slaughter in Norway - once again it's a madman with access to lethal weapons.

1146: The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, has arrived at the hotel in Sundvollen, where many of the Utoya survivors are being cared for. He was greeted by Eskil Pedersen, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party's youth movement.

1149: Norwegian Foreign Office spokesman Frode Andersen tells the BBC: "Most people will know someone who knows someone who was there. This will take time to absorb and the whole nation is in mourning...People are in disbelief and shock."

1152: Via Twitter @Dr_Ulrichsen says: "Breivik was member of right-wing Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) for 10 years 1997-2007 and active in its youth wing."

1155: Via Twitter @blakehounsell says he has been reading an online document which is believed to be attributed to Breivik and he says: "Breivik also praises the English Defence League profusely and calls for setting up a Norwegian version of it."

1159: Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has condemned the attacks in Norway and offered Tehran's sympathies to the people and government of Norway.

1203: Oddny Estenstad, a spokeswoman for a Norwegian farm co-operative, said the suspect had been a customer. She told the AFP news agency: "We sold him six tonnes of fertiliser, which is a relatively standard order." Fertiliser can be used to make bombs.

1208: BBC correspondent Richard Galpin, who is at the water's edge at Sundvollen, said: "The search for bodies continues. We have seen a lot of boats going out and coming back and dive teams are searching the water. We know many people tried to swim to safety and we know the gunman started shooting at them and the fear is that there are more bodies. The police have not accounted for everyone on the island."

1208: Via Twitter EU President Herman Van Rompuy Horrified by the latest news from Norway. My profound solidarity to the Norwegian people and government.

1211: BBC correspondent Richard Galpin says the VG newspaper has posted a story on its website in the last few minutes claiming police are searching for a second suspect but he says he has not been able to confirm that claim.

1211: Via Twitter Dr Geoff Nash in Durham In Britain the media rushed to judgment that this was the work of Muslim terrorists. We need to understand in the West that terrorism of this kind is a sickness of the modern world, not limited to the ethnic or religious 'other'. It is right here, within our own societies.

1217: A man is reported to have been arrested at the hotel in Sundvollen, apparently because he had a knife in his pocket. It is not clear if he was suspected of involvement in the events on Utoya.

1217: Via Twitter Avenir from Oslo I was at work when the bomb went off. We all thought it was a thunderstorm, then a few minutes later a friend called to say we had been hit by terrorism. It is terrible to hear all this happening in Norway, a very safe country with the highest standard of living on earth. No one expected this to happen in Norway.

1219: "The attack was squarely aimed at the values Norwegians treasure most. Their openness, freedom of expression and feeling of safety have all been shaken to the core," argues Norwegian journalist Liss Goril Anda in her personal viewpoint article on the BBC News website.


1222: A man has been arrested by police at Sundvollen. A reporter for the Norwegian broadcaster NRK said: "The young man said he had a knife in his pocket 'because he did not feel safe'."

1227: The BBC's Security Correspondent Gordon Corera says initial speculation pointed the finger at al-Qaeda - possibly because of Norwegian troops' presence in Afghanistan - but it now seems clear the attacker had a domestic agenda.

1228: Hugo Martins in Portugal writes: The maximum sentence in Norway is usually 21 years. I do not favour the death penalty, but a case like this makes you think.

1236: In the aftermath of Friday's attacks some vivid images have emerged from the bomb scene in Oslo and from the island of Utoeya.

1237: Via Email Frank from Sawtry in Cambridgeshire writes: Why are you giving publicity to the perpertrator of this crime by showing his photograph? He will become a 'hero' of the extremist right-wing. Surely you can report the tragedy without resorting to free publicity for his crime. I'm 85 years old and still remember the Holocaust.

1243: Following reports of a man being arrested near the hotel in Sundvollen where Mr Stoltenberg is visiting, the AP news agency said the man, who was aged around 20, was detained by two officers and led to a police car. AP said the man told reporters he was a member of the Norwegian Labour Party's youth wing and was carrying a knife: "Because I feel unsafe."

1243: Via Twitter Journalist Stian Pride in Oslo tweets: About to head down to the city centre. Not sure why, not sure I want to, feel like I should.

1249: Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May says she has spoken to Norway's Justice Minister Knut Storberget and added: "I made clear to Minister Storberget that we will help in any way we can. In particular, I offered police assistance, which we stand ready to provide should Norway request it."

1251: The AFP news agency says Breivik was the manager of an organic farm, Breivik Geofarm, which would explain how he was able to buy fertiliser.

1255: The BBC News Channel says it is not known exactly how many people were on Utoya at the time of the attack but it is thought to be between 500 and 700.

1255: Via Twitter ITV News Presenter Julie Etchingham tweets: Some of Norway's brightest and best - young people engaged in politics and the future of their country - now lost. Heartbreaking tragedy.

1259: King Harald V and Queen Sonja are visiting the survivors of the Utoeya massacre at Sundvollen.

1302: China's premier, Wen Jiabao, offers his condolences to Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg over Friday's attacks. Mr Wen condemned the attacks and extended his condolences and "deep sympathy" to their families.

1307: BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says on Radio 4 that Breivik's Facebook profile - which has now been removed - described him as a "Christian and a conservative" and was apparently harbouring a grudge against the ruling Labour government.

1311: PM Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference at Sundvollen and says he has just spoken to many of the survivors. He said many of them had been "heroes" and had saved the lives of their friends. He said: "They are deeply affected and a lot of them said that the best way of honouring those who lost their lives is to carry on being active...and those who try to scare us will not succeed."

1314: Mr Stoltenberg thanks the world for its support and says: "We are very grateful for the strong support we have received from all of the world, from heads of state, they have phoned and sent messages and expressed their solidarity and offered assistance and they have said they feel Norway doesn't deserve this."

1315: Norway's national news agency says police are investigating if there was a second suspect involved in the shooting on Utoya.

Maria, Oslo writes: What needs to be the focus now is not this madman and his mad cause or he'll get exactly the attention that he wanted. What needs to be our focus is rebuilding our city and assisting those in need.

1326: Via Twitter @ZutPetje writes: shocking: #Oslo terrorist "claimed that Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom was the only "true" party of conservatives."

1337: Norway's former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, now a UN Special Envoy on Climate Change, had left Utoeya only a few hours before the gun attack, it emerges.

1339: Charlotte, Copenhagen, Denmark writes: This tragedy reminds me of how important it is that we raise our children to respect other people's opinions. Not that I believe it will prevent all tragedies or extremist acts, but it will create a culture in which extremism has difficulty developing.

1346: Norway's PM Jens Stoltenberg says Norway is co-operating with foreign intelligence agencies after the attacks.

Eyewitness Adrian Pracon told the BBC of his harrowing ordeal on Utoya island where he faced the gunman: "He aimed his machine gun at me, I screamed".

1349: Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond extends Scotland's deepest condolences to the people of Norway in the wake of what he calls a "truly horrific and appalling tragedy".

"Scotland and Norway enjoy very strong bonds of friendship stretching back over many years, and our thoughts and sympathies are today with the Norwegian people, particularly the families of all those affected by these terrible incidents," he says.

1352: People gather outside Oslo Cathedral to mourn and show their respect for victims of the attacks.

1355: Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store tells the BBC the country will not allow itself to be changed by what has happened.

"The nature of the Norwegian democracy, what Norway stands for in the world, where we engage, where we commit our resources, and our connections, will not change. We will not offer that luxury to the person, and if there are more, who did this terrible act on our fellow citizens."

1359: PM Jens Stoltenberg says he has full confidence in the police and the investigation, and says the right thing to do is to wait for the results of the investigation before jumping to any conclusions.

Milo Jovich, Oslo, writes: It was terrible - I was walking about 8 blocks from the car bomb and heard a massive explosion. I saw this big puff of darkish smoke. I have never heard or seen anything like that in my whole life.

1406: Anders Behring Breivik, who has been charged with both attacks, describes himself as a Christian and conservative on a Facebook page attributed to him.

1408: A farm supply firm has confirmed selling six tonnes of fertiliser to Mr Breivik who is reported to have run a farming company. Speculation has been rife that fertiliser could have been used in the Oslo bomb.

Kenny Dalglish, Manager of Liverpool Football Club tweets: We will be wearing Black Arm bands today against Hull City as a mark of respect for the people of Norway.

1412: The BBC's World Affairs correspondent Richard Galpin says there are still a lot of parents who do not know if their children have survived the shootings in Utoya because they are still are missing.

1413: He says there is very tight security on the island at the moment.

The Independent's Jerome Taylor tweets: Norwegian flag is flying half mast at Ulleval Hospital where victims of the bomb and shooting have been taken

1419: Jon Sopel BBC News There is a heavy military presence in the centre of Oslo at the moment, with checkpoints in place.

1422: Jon Sopel BBC News It is very, very quiet in the city centre.


1424: Eyewitness Andreas Lunde tells the BBC he witnessed a "scene of destruction" when the bomb went off in Oslo yesterday.

"It's a small nation... it's a nation grieving," he says.

1433: Thomas Hylland Eriksen, a social anthropologist at Oslo University, says he thinks that maybe right-wing extremism in Norway is stronger and more dangerous than the country has been willing to admit.

1433: He says the attacks will inevitably lead to a slightly more paranoid society.

The New Statesman's Laurie Penny tweets: I don't understand all the Islamophobia and finger-pointing on my Twitter feed. Wasn't the attacker a Christian fundamentalist? Who does this help?

1443: Norway police say the death toll on the island of Utoya has risen from 84 to 85, Reuters reports.

1447: Norwegian police say there are no concrete reports of a second gunman on the island but they cannot rule out the possibility, Reuters says.

Dagfinn Paulsen in Sarpsborg, Norway, writes: Sarpsborg is a city situated 100km south of Oslo and despite this, that there are no cars or people in the streets. I have never seen this before. Norway is in shock today. Everybody is resting at home.

Mary Heywood from Dartmouth writes: Anders Breivik calls himself a Christian. How dare he, when 'Thou shalt not kill' is one of the Ten Commandments? This monster a Christian? I think not.

1452: Emergency personnel are scouring the water off the island of Utoya with boats and underwater cameras in a search for shooting victims.

1454: The camp was being attended by teenagers aged between 14 and 18.

1501: That means the total death toll from both the Norway attacks now stands at 92.

1502: Jon Sopel BBC News Flags are flying at half mast all across the city of Oslo.

1505: Earlier, Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg said his "childhood paradise" - Utoya - had been "transformed into Hell".

1507: Jane Owen, the British ambassador to Norway, tells the BBC there is a sense of shock and devastation in Oslo, where quite a large a proportion of the country live.

She says it brings home the threat of terrorism, from whatever quarter.

1510: Ms Owen says the extreme right have not had a huge profile in Norway and there is bound to be an investigation into the role they may have played.

1511: She says she has been struck by the fortitude and solidarity of the Norwegian people which will help them get through the coming days.

1513: There are no reports of British casualties, the British ambassador to Norway says. Ms Owen says British nationals are being urged to avoid central Oslo, but they are not advising against travel to Norway or Oslo.

Gary Brun from Kråkstad in Norway writes: My thoughts also go out to the paramedics, police, fireman and all those who are involved in the cleanup. We often forget them and the things they see and deal with.

Markku Niska tweets: 9/11 GW Bush: "We're gonna hunt you down!", 7/22 J Stoltenberg: "We will retaliate with more democracy, transparency and openness"

1525: Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen wears a black armband at the Evian Masters in memory of the victims of the twin attacks that have devastated her country.

1525: Ms Pettersen says she was deeply upset by Friday's bombing and shooting deaths, calling it "the biggest disaster in Norway's history" and "a very, very sad day".

1532: Survivors give their accounts of the terrifying attack on Utoya island to the BBC.

1535: For a more detailed breakdown of what happened when, read the BBC's timeline of the attacks.

1540: Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray sends a "message of support and solidarity" on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party to the Norwegian Labour Party.

"The loss of so many young lives is a tragedy, for their families of course, but also for the future of Norway and your Party."

1545: Mr Gray went on: "The willingness of each generation to engage in the politics of their nation and the wider world is such a fundamental foundation of our progressive democracies.

"To cut off so many lives inspired by the belief that together we can create a better world is not just an atrocity but an attempt to sabotage society itself. But it will fail."

Craig from Oslo writes: Just got back from the centre of Oslo. The atmosphere is tense, most of the shops are closed and around a quarter of the shopping area is closed off by police and the military. Helicopters are flying over the city on a regular basis and at 3pm local time, there was also a false bomb scare. It is absolutely shocking to see a normally peaceful city transformed into one of tension and concern.

1556: A bit of analysis now. Journalist Liss Goril Anda, in Stavanger, Norway, says the attacks strike at Norway's values. The BBC's Jorn Madslien asks whether the far right is not a spent force?

1559: Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere says Norway is united in deep mourning.

"I found people shocked, crying but at the same time there was a lot of caring. And people came together. Those who had found their loved ones alive stayed on for those who had not found their loved ones. Showing that kind of solidarity. It was a moment where the task was to be a human being and to be close to people and we'll do politics later."

Henrik Strand from Oslo tweets: Norway's PM Jens Stoltenberg had yesterday and today the hardest job in the world. He has done it the best way possible. What a leader

1608: German Chancellor Angela Merkel adds her voice to the condemnation.

She says the peace of a "democratic and open country" has been "torn apart by this hateful attack" and her thoughts are with the people in Norway who mourn the victims of an "appalling" crime.

1610: Ms Merkel blames the "hatred of the other" as the probable reason behind the deadly attacks and calls on the world to fight this "common enemy".

Dagmar Albrecht from Germany writes: I can't find any information on how it was possible that the guy was attacking people for so long and no one managed to stop him. If there were so many people, surely while he was reloading someone should have managed to somehow overwhelm him with a group?

1619: One of the survivors of Friday's Utoya Island shooting in Norway, Miriam Eimamgshaug, tells the BBC how frightened she was.

"I got scared, it's a lot to handle, but it's incredible to see how the young people here have been able to gather together.

"There's a lot of sadness, it is a really tragic situation, but people? It's always so good to see when people are still alive," she says.

1626: The arrested man Anders Behring Breivik was once a member of the right-wing Progress Party, Siv Jensen, leader of the party, confirms.

1631: "Earlier today, I was made aware that [Anders Behring Breivik] has earlier been a member of the youth organization of the People's Progressive Party, and that he cancelled his membership several years ago.

"Other than that we know very little about this person, he didn't draw much attention to himself, as long as he was with us," Siv Jensen says.

1633: King Harald V tells Norwegians: "It's now important that we stand together and we support each other and we do not let fear conquer us."

1634: One youth leader who was on the island, Lisa Marie Husby, tells the BBC she managed to get herself and some youngsters to safety by taking refuge in a cabin. But she says there were a few people who tragically decided not to follow her.

"Everybody that I took with me was safe. But three of them changed their minds on their way and ran back to the main building and they're missing now. I haven't seen them and I haven't heard from them."

1641: Robin Simcox, from the Henry Jackson Society, says the attacks mark the "end of naivety" for Norway.

1642: He says he thinks Norway will soon see policies to reflect this.

1643: News agency NTB says police are evacuating an area in Oslo near the site of Friday's explosion, AP reports.

1654: A Europol spokesman tells AP the European police agency is setting up a task force of more than 50 experts to help northern European countries investigate terrorism in the wake of the deadly attacks in Norway.

1655: Spokesman Soeren Pedersen says the group, which is based in The Hague, will help in investigations in the coming weeks.

He says right-wing groups "are getting more profesisonal, more aggressive in the way they attract others to their cause".

1705: Jan Egeland, director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the former UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, tells BBC World Service: "It's nearing 100 killed altogether, in a population of less than five million people; it must be - proportionally - the worst act of terror in any Western country in this generation."

"There wouldn't be a single county that would not have been affected one way or the other."

You can get more on the story on Newshour at 2000 GMT.

1707: Norwegian police say the shooting on the island of Utoya say the shooting lasted almost 90 minutes.

1710: Norwegian police are giving a press conference. A police chief says the investigation is focusing on whether there was more than one gunman.

1711: Police say based on the statements from witnesses, they think there may have been more than one gunman.


1712: Police say the explosion in central Oslo was a car bomb.

1713: "It was a very powerful bomb, and it was in a car. The car didn't stand there for very long. We have taken possession of the car that he used from Oslo to Utoya."

1713: Norweigan police say there are still undetonated explosives around government buildings in Oslo.

1716: Police say buildings in the city centre are very fragile, and it is dangerous to search. Some bodies still remain in the building.

1716: "It is very difficult to say if [the gunman] was working alone or was part of a network."

1717: Police say there will be no names of the victims today.

1719: Referring to a search near the site of the bomb in Oslo today, police say there had a tip off about a further possible bomb, but they did not find anything.

1723: Norwegian police also say taking account of a few missing people, the toll could reach 98.

1725: That's because four or five people are still missing from the island of Utoya, police say.

1727: Another thing to come out of that police press conference. The suspect in the Norway shooting has admitted firing weapons on the island, police say.

1733: King Harald of Norway gives a news conference. He says: "We are being tested. We stand firm in our values."

Right-Wing Christian dressed as policeman shoots 85 people, mostly teens, on Norway's Utoya Island at a Labour Party Youth Wing Summer Camp Retreat

story by AP

OSLO, Norway — Police arrived at an island massacre about an hour and a half after a gunman first opened fire, slowed because they didn't have quick access to a helicopter and then couldn't find a boat to make their way to the scene just several hundred yards (meters) offshore. The assailant surrendered when police finally reached him, but 82 people died before that.

Survivors of the shooting spree have described hiding and fleeing into the water to escape the gunman, but a police briefing Saturday detailed for the first time how long the terror lasted — and how long victims waited for help.

The shooting came on the heels of what police told The Associated Press was an "Oklahoma city-type" bombing in Oslo's downtown: It targeted a government building, was allegedly perpetrated by a homegrown assailant and used the same mix of fertilizer and fuel that blew up a federal building in the U.S. in 1995.

In all, at least 92 people were killed in the twin attacks that police are blaming on the same suspect, 32-year-old Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik (twitter photo above).

"He has confessed to the factual circumstances," Breivik's defense lawyer, Geir Lippestad, told public broadcaster NRK. Lippestad said his client had also made some comments about his motives.

"He's said some things about that but I don't want to talk about it now," the lawyer told NRK.

A SWAT team was dispatched to the island more than 50 minutes after people vacationing at a campground said they heard shooting across the lake, according to Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim. The drive to the lake took about 20 minutes, and once there, the team took another 20 minutes to find a boat.

Footage filmed from a helicopter that showed the gunman firing into the water added to the impression that police were slow to the scene. They chose to drive, Sponheim said, because their helicopter wasn't on standby.

"There were problems with transport to Utoya," where the youth-wing of Norway's left-leaning Labor Party was holding a retreat, Sponheim said. "It was difficult to get a hold of boats."

At least 85 people were killed on the island, but police said four or five people were still missing.

Divers have been searching the surrounding waters, and Sponheim said the missing may have drowned. Police earlier said there was still an unexploded device on the island, but it later turned out to be fake.

The attack followed the explosion of a bomb packed into a panel truck outside the building that houses the prime minister's office in Oslo, according to a police official

"It was some kind of Oklahoma City-type bomb," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because police hadn't released the information.

Seven people were killed, and police said there are still body parts in the building. The Oslo University hospital said it has so far received 11 wounded from the bombing and 19 people from the camp shooting.

Police have charged Breivik under Norway's terror law. He will be arraigned on Monday when a court decides whether police can continue to hold him as the investigation continues.

Authorities have not given a motive for the attacks, but both were in areas connected to the Labor Party, which leads a coalition government.

Even police confessed to not knowing much about the suspect, but details trickled out about him all day: He had ties to a right-leaning political party, he posted on Christian fundamentalist websites, and he rented a farm where police found 9,000-11,000 pounds (4,000-5,000 kilograms) of fertilizer.

Police said the suspect is talking to them and has admitted to firing weapons on the island. It was not clear if he had confessed to anything else he is accused of.

"He has had a dialogue with the police the whole time, but he's a very demanding suspect," Sponheim said.

Earlier in the day, a farm supply store said they had alerted police that he bought six metric tons of fertilizer, which can be used in homemade bombs. That's at least one metric ton more than was found at the farm, according to police.

Police and soldiers were searching for evidence and potential bombs at the farm south of Oslo on Saturday. Havard Nordhagen Olsen, a neighbor, told the Associated Press that Breivik moved in about one moth ago, just next to his house and said he seemed like "a regular guy."

Olsen said he recognized his neighbor in the newspapers this morning and said he was in shock.

Meanwhile, Mazyar Keshvari, a spokesman for Norway's Progress Party — which is conservative but within the political mainstream — said that the suspect was a paying member of the party's youth wing from 1999 to 2004.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called the tragedy peacetime Norway's deadliest day.

"This is beyond comprehension. It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare for those who have been killed, for their mothers and fathers, family and friends," Stoltenberg told reporters Saturday.

Gun violence is rare in Norway, where the average policeman patrolling in the streets doesn't carry a firearm. Reports that the assailant was motivated by political ideology were shocking to many Norwegians, who pride themselves on the openness of their society. Indeed, Norway is almost synonymous with the kind of free expression being exercised by the youth at the political retreat.

King Harald V, Norway's figurehead monarch, vowed Saturday that those values would remain unchanged.

"I remain convinced that the belief in freedom is stronger than fear. I remain convinced in the belief of an open Norwegian democracy and society. I remain convinced in the belief in our ability to live freely and safely in our own country," said the king.

The monarch, his wife and the prime minister led the nation in mourning, visiting grieving relatives of the scores of youth gunned down. Buildings around the capital lowered their flags to half-staff. People streamed to Oslo Cathedral to light candles and lay flowers; outside, mourners began building a makeshift altar from dug-up cobblestones. The Army patrolled the streets of the capital, a highly unusual sight for this normally placid country.

The city center was a sea of roadblocks Saturday, with groups of people peering over the barricades wherever they sprang up, as the shell-shocked Nordic nation was gripped by reports that the gunman may not have acted alone. Police have not confirmed a second assailant but said they are investigating witness reports.

The queen and the prime minister hugged when they arrived at the hotel where families are waiting to identify the bodies. Both king and queen shook hands with mourners, while the prime minister, his voice trembling, told reporters of the harrowing stories survivors had recounted to him.

On the island of Utoya, panicked teens attending a Labour Party youth wing summer camp plunged into the water or played dead to avoid the assailant in the assault. A picture sent out on Twitter showed a blurry figure in dark clothing pointing a gun into the water, with bodies all around him.

The carnage hours earlier in Oslo, when a bomb rocked the city where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, left a square covered in twisted metal, shattered glass and documents expelled from surrounding buildings.

The dust-clogged scene after the blast reminded one visitor from New York of Sept. 11.

A 15-year-old camper named Elise who was on Utoya said she heard gunshots, but then saw a police officer and thought she was safe. Then he started shooting people right before her eyes.

Elise, whose father didn't want her to disclose her last name, said she hid behind the same rock that the killer was standing on. "I could hear his breathing from the top of the rock," she said.

She said it was impossible to say how many minutes passed while she was waiting for him to stop.

At a hotel in the village of Sundvollen, where survivors of the shooting were taken, 21-year-old Dana Berzingi wore pants stained with blood. He said the fake police officer ordered people to come closer, then pulled weapons and ammunition from a bag and started shooting.

Several victims "had pretended they were dead to survive," Berzingi said. But after shooting the victims with one gun, the gunman shot them again in the head with a shotgun, he said.

Earlier, the police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the attack "is probably more Norway's Oklahoma City than it is Norway's World Trade Center." Domestic terrorists carried out the 1995 attack, while foreign terrorists were responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The United States, European Union, NATO and the U.K., all quickly condemned the bombing, which Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague called "horrific" and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen deemed a "heinous act."

"It's a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring," President Barack Obama said.

President Obama extended his condolences to Norway's people and offered U.S. assistance with the investigation. He said he remembered how warmly Norwegians treated him in Oslo when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II wrote to Norway's King Harald to offer her condolences and express her shock and sadness at the shooting attacks in his country.

A U.S. counterterrorism official said the United States knew of no links to terrorist groups and early indications were the attack was domestic. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was being handled by Norway.

___

Nordstrom reported from Stockholm. Associated Press reporters Bjoern H. Amland in Spundvollen, Norway, Nils Myklebost Oslo, Karl Ritter in Stockholm, Rita Foley in Washington, Paisley Dodds in London, and Paul Schemm in Tripoli, Libya, contributed to this report.

2011-07-22

Cenk Uygur Exits MSNBC

story by Talkers Magazine

Cenk Uygur (photo right), the radio talk show host behind the multi-media brand “The Young Turks,” has left MSNBC after filling in on the 6:00 pm ET program for the past six months.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Uygur leaves after not being named the permanent host of the 6:00 pm hour. Rev. Al Sharpton has been filling in at 6pm edt the past four weeks.

The network says in a statement, “We have decided to make a change at 6:00 pm. It's unfortunate that Cenk has declined our offer to have him develop and host a program for another time slot.”

2011-07-21

National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Philadelphia August 3rd - 7th, 2011



Thousands of the nation's foremost journalists and media professionals will gather in Philadelphia August 3 through August 7 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The 2011 National Association Black Journalists (NABJ) Annual Convention and Career Fair is the premier venue for digital journalism education, career development, and the nation’s leaders in media, business, arts & entertainment and technology.

Professional journalists, students and educators will take part in full- and half-day seminars designed to strengthen and enhance their skills. Workshops throughout the five-day convention will highlight journalism ethics, entrepreneurship, specialized journalism and transitioning journalism skills to book publishing, screen writing and media relations.

Convention Committee Chair
Rod Hicks
The Associated Press

Program Committee Chair
Dr. Sybril Bennett
Belmont University

African American financial institutions are banking on you

Warren Ballentine (center), along with Michael Grant, Victor Cook, Kim Saunders, B. Doyle Mitchell, and Hilary Shelton

Written by Derek Dingle

Popular syndicated radio talk show host Warren Ballentine recently teamed up with the National Bankers Association, the Washington, D. C.-based consortium of minority-owned financial institutions, to unveil “The People’s Economic Movement,” a program designed to encourage African American individuals and institutions to deposit dollars in Black banks. The initiative’s supporters, among others, include National Urban League President Marc Morial, NAACP head Benjamin Jealous and National Action Network President Rev. Al Sharpton.

Ballentine firmly believes Black institutions and consumers will recover from the Great Recession by pooling resources and strategically leveraging our buying power . “We don’t want to create a minute. We want to create a movement,” Ballentine told me earlier this week. “We’re asking everyone to get involved.” The call to action has been gaining traction as organizations like the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists have decided to transfer funds to local Black institutions.

Says NBA President Michael Grant: “This program will enable Black banks to shore up their capital base, and they will get a chance to invest in communities by lending money to businesses and, in turn, create jobs,” he maintains. “We’re developing a model for economic development.”

This initiative was an outgrowth of a grassroots “Community Reinvestment” campaign Ballentine launched with Kim Saunders, CEO of Durham, North Carolina-based M&F Bank (No. 9 on the BE BANKS list with $312 million in assets) some 14 months ago as a means to attract customers to that institution. It proved to be a smashing success: After promoting the effort on his Truthfighters radio program, listeners deposited more than $500,000 in less than two months. By the end of the campaign, M&F garnered over $1 million in deposits. The institution decided to match that sum and launch a $2 million fund to provide loans for area businesses and community members. “You can say that Warren’s initial efforts became a test for us,” says Grant. “When he met with a group of our members’ banks about a broader initiative, they loved the idea.” Ballentine plans to report on the campaign’s progress during the unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial statue in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 2011.

Michael Grant, Joe Briggs, Dr. DeForest Soaries, Warren Ballentine, Kim Saunders, B. Doyle Mitchell, and Hermond Palmer

Point blank: We must do everything in our power to preserve our most valued institutions. Since the establishment of the first bank organized and operated by African Americans in 1888—Washington, D. C.’s Capital Savings, which was supported by Black community members with meager resources who proudly made deposits until assets grew to $300,000 in just four years—our institutions have always been a source of financing for entrepreneurs, home buyers and college-bound students during decades when majority institutions refused to even acknowledge our presence. To this day, they represent financial mainstays in Black communities. Now, Black banks need fresh sources of capital, especially at a time when a number are still reeling from heavy loan losses during the economic downturn and must now contend with stringent capital requirements and overzealous bank regulators. Over the past year, five Black banks have been forced to shutter operations.

As part of my weekly segment on Truthfighters Show, Ballentine and I have often talked about how we must embrace collective economics to advance financial and business agendas. That means we must apply our resources and clout to create commercial partnerships, expand investment pools and engage in selective consumerism. Simply put, do business with each other. A long-time proponent of Black-on-Black capitalism, Ballentine has effectively used his radio program to promote the purchase of subscriptions to Black publications, including Black Enterprise, as well as the development of a fund to help capitalize Black ventures.

Ballentine’s not alone in his activism. Over the past few years, John and Maggie Anderson have been spreading their “buy Black” gospel as founders of The Empowerment Experiment. They were driven, in part, by the fact that dollars of African American consumers left our communities after a mere six hours while bucks in Asian, Jewish, and Latino communities were recycled back into their neighborhoods as long as 29 days in some cases. During 2009, the couple spent the full calendar year committed to only making purchases of products and services from Black-owned companies. In fact, they also switched to a Black-owned financial institution during this period and even tried to transfer student loan debt to an African American creditor. When blackenterprise.com reported on the status of the Andersons several months ago during Christmas holiday season, they were still actively patronizing and researching Black businesses and continue to do so to this day.

Such recent developments have been at the core of BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s mission and reflected in our Wealth For Life principle No. 8: I will support the creation and growth of minority-owned businesses. So if quality Black businesses are to grow and expand, you must play your part. Start by opening an account at your local Black bank.