President Obama's Afghanistan Speech from West Point tomorrow night

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of Media Affairs
______________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2009

**RSVP Required by 3PM Today***

President Obama to Travel to West Point to Deliver Speech
Washington, D.C. -- On Tuesday, December 1, President Obama will travel to West Point, NY to deliver a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The arrival and departure of Air Force One at Stewart Air National Guard Base is open to pre-credentialed media. The President’s Speech at The United States Military Academy at West Point is pooled for TV and open to pre-credentialed correspondents and still photographers, but space is extremely limited.

Members of the media wishing to request credentials for the arrival and departure of Air Force One at Stewart Air National Guard Base must submit requests by 3pm Monday, November 30th at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediarsvp/af1-arrival-departure-newburgh-12-01-09

Correspondents and still photographers wishing to request credentials for the President’s speech at West Point must submit their requests by 3pm Monday, November 30th at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediarsvp/west-point-12-01-09

Note: Only pool TV cameras will be permitted in the auditorium- no additional tv/video cameras will be granted auditorium access.


MEDIA DETAILS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY:


NOTE: It will not be logistically possible for a member of the media to cover both arrival/departure and the speech.

Tuesday, December 1

AIR FORCE ONE ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE – STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE

NOTE: The airport arrival and departure are closed to the public.

Main Gate

Stewart Air National Guard Base

Newburgh (IAP), NY, USA

NOTE: This is NOT at the entrance to the Stewart International Airport

** Media must Check In at the Main Gate entrance to Stewart Air National Guard Base for escort to media parking area. All vehicles will be screened upon arrival by the Air National Guard. All live trucks will additionally be swept following pre-set by the United States Secret Service. **



Scheduled Arrival: 7 p.m. EST

Scheduled Departure: 9:40 p.m. EST

Live Truck Parking: Live truck parking will be directed on site.

Throw: 200 ft.

Cable run: 300 ft.

Media Pre-set: 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST - All media must pre-set(Equipment must be dropped at the site by 4:30 p.m. EST; media will not have access to the site from 4:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. EST).

Media Access: 6:45 p.m. EST.
(All media must pre-set by 4:30 to cover AF1 arrival/departure) .

Final Media Access: 4:30 p.m. EST. (Media at the Main Gate later than 4:30 p.m. will not be admitted for arrival or departure).

Media Coverage: The arrival and departure are open to the press. To RSVP please go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediarsvp/af1-arrival-departure-newburgh-12-01-09
and enter your information prior to 3pm. All names submitted for credentials must be accurate and reflect the identification media presents at the check point. If members of the press have further questions, please call(202) 456-6238.


NOTE: Food and beverages will not be available. Media may bring food and empty bottles for water. Liquids are prohibited.


PRESIDENT’S SPEECH AT THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT

Note: This event is pool only for TV, it is Open to Correspondents and Open to Still Photographers

RSVP is REQUIRED, Space extremely limited.


Eisenhower Hall

West Point, NY 10996


Pre-program Begins: 7:20 p.m. EST

President’s Remarks: 8:00 p.m. EST

Stills Throw: 55 ft.



Extremely Limited Stand-up space can be accommodated with RSVP.

Locations will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Cable Run to Standup Locations: < 800 ft.

Live Truck Parking: Live truck parking will be directed on site. Live trucks must be on site and cabled in by 12:00 p.m. EST.



Media Entrance: All media must enter West Point via Thayer Gate, off of the West Point Highway in Highland Falls, NY. Vehicles will be searched upon entry to West Point then escorted to the Media Parking Area. All live trucks will additionally be swept following pre-set by the United States Secret Service.



**PRESS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED EMAIL CONFIRMATION OF THEIR RSVP WILL NOT BE ADMITTED**



Media Pre-set: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST (Equipment must be dropped at the site by 12:00 p.m.; media will not have access to the site from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST).

Media Access: 4:30 p.m.

Final Media Access: 6:00 p.m. EST. (Media at Thayer Gate later than 6:00 p.m. will not be admitted).

Media Coverage: The event is Pool only for TV, Open to Correspondents and Open to Still Photographers. RSVP is required, Space extremely limited.

To request credentials please go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediarsvp/west-point-12-01-09

and enter your information prior to 3pm, November 30th. All names submitted for credentials must be accurate and reflect the identification media presents at the check point. If members of the press have further questions, please call (202) 456-6238.


Contact for logistical and planning purposes only: Michael Epstein, michaelep@gmail.com or (917) 797-2359.

Study: Urban AC tops PPM

Despite the continued controversy over PPM’s impact on ethnic-skewing stations, the Research Director/Inside Radio PPM Formats Study has a surprising conclusion. With an average 7.8 AQH share per market, urban AC is the top 6+ format in the 16 major markets where PPM has been currency since June. Our weeklong exclusive series digs into format and daypart results.

Muslim Pilgrims Attend Final Hajj Ceremony at Kaaba Shrine

Muslim pilgrims from all over the world have congregated at the holy Kaaba shrine in Mecca, at the end of the annual Hajj. Photo by wordpress.com

story by Sofia News Agency

Up to two million Muslim devotees have completed this year’s Hajj pilgrimage by gathering in Mecca to circle the cube-shaped Kaaba.

The ceremony is the culmination of days of ritual undertaken by Muslims all over the world. It is expected that every able-bodied Muslim should make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

It had been estimated that attendance would be down, given the effects of the global economic crisis and fear of the swine flu virus.

Pilgrims from Bulgaria numbered some 400, half the numbers for 2008, according to the country’s Chief Mufti, Vedat Ahmed.

The Saudi Health Minister, Abdullah al-Rabeeah, announced on Sunday that 5 pilgrims had died of swine flu, with another 68 having been identified as suffering the effects of the virus.

"Our safety precautions have secured a very successful and safe Hajj for pilgrims from around the world with no infectious disease outbreaks,” he stated, noting the small number of victims and sufferers, despite the fact that only 10% of the pilgrims had taken effective personal preventive measures against the virus.

Extensive health precautions had been put in place for the gathering, the largest regular gathering in the world, by the Saudi government in cooperation with international medical advisers.

A database has also been initiated, using the pilgrimage as a test case, to check for mutations and look out for lessons on controlling the virus at other large gatherings, such as the 2010 soccer World Cup hosted by South Africa.

Some experts have warned that, despite the low casualty figures at this year’s Hajj, the virus may be spreading stealthily among pilgrims, and that the true extent of the effects of the virus will not be known until later, after the pilgrims have returned to their home countries around the world.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims pelted pillars symbolising the devil on the third day of the world's largest annual pilgrimage

story by Reuters

Some two million Muslims headed to Muzdalifa (picture above and directly below) on Thursday after spending the day at the plain of Arafat to prepare to cast stones at the devil in the most dangerous part of the annual haj pilgrimage.

Bright weather greeted the pilgrims after heavy rain hit the nearby city of Jeddah, gateway to Mecca, on Wednesday. Some 77 people were killed, none of them pilgrims, most of whom were swept away by currents and drowned, state television said.

At Muzdalifa (below pictures), the pilgrims will collect pebbles to throw at walls at the Jamarat Bridge on three occasions over the next three days in an act that symbolises the rejection of the devil's temptations.

Aisha Mennan, 63, from Morocco, managed a smile as she sat against a wall waiting for a bus. "I just cried and cried while I stood and prayed in Mount Arafat. You really feel something special as if you are standing before the Almighty," she said.

"Now I can die in peace. My two sons and three daughters have been saving for years to send me here and when the money was ready I had to wait another three years before I got picked by a ballot. I'm very lucky to be here," said Mennan.

In Mecca, pilgrims flocked to Arafat to pray until sunset. They set up tents on a plain, squatted on the side of the road in shelters or stayed at the nearby Namira mosque.

About 1.6 million pilgrims have come from abroad for the haj, the world's largest regular religious gathering and a duty for all Muslims to perform at least once if possible. Many wait for years to get a visa under a strict quota system.

The haj marks sites that Islamic tradition says Prophet Ibrahim -- biblical patriarch Abraham -- visited in Mecca and that Prophet Mohammad established as a pilgrim route 14 centuries ago after removing pagan idols from Mecca.

Islam is now embraced by a quarter of the world's population.

"The rain was a blessing from God. We are now going to pray to beg for God's forgiveness and mercy, for the good of our children and of all Muslims," said Egyptian pilgrim Nasser Abu Ahmed.

Nigerian businessman Mustafa Abu Bakr said Muslims from different parts of the world and different walks of life renew their allegiance to God in Arafat.

"We will pray for world peace," he said.

Millions of Muslims flock to Mecca for Hajj pilgrimage

An estimated 2.5 million Muslims have converged on Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage

Mecca, SAUDI ARABIA (AFP)

An estimated 2.5 million Muslims have converged on Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as workers toil round the clock to complete construction projects designed to avoid deadly stampedes.All of this year's pilgrims were due in the holy city by the end of Tuesday to begin the Hajj rites on Wednesday, day one of the six-day pilgrimage.

Muslim pilgrims pray on their way up Noor Mountain in the holy city of Mecca
The rites begin with the "tawaf," the circling seven times of the cubic Kaaba building in the center of the Grand Mosque, in whose direction all Muslims around the world pray.Pilgrims then proceed to Mina to spend the night before climbing Mount Arafat on Thursday.

Grand Mosque

The Grand Mosque can hold more than one million people, but the Saudi Hajj authorities have been working to boost its capacity to cope with the steadily rising number of pilgrims.

Work is under way to double the mosque's capacity by adding another 300,000 square meters, according to a Hajj official, after King Abdullah agreed two years ago that the northern mosque's esplanades can be expanded.

"We have worked round the clock to complete the expansion. Thanks to God, we have completed the main phase, which included demolishing houses and buildings at the northern end," said Abdulghani, a technician working on the site.

"Now the area is ready to install the sunshades," he added.

Hundreds of bulldozers, cranes and lorries were still operating up until Tuesday on the expansion work, but the new area will not be ready before next year's Hajj.

Other expansion projects have been completed in time, including widening the neighboring footpath between the Safa and Marwah hills in Mecca that has been turned into a four-level path, allowing a faster flow of pilgrims.

The Hajj has been the scene of several tragic accidents caused by surging crowds.

In 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a stampede at the entrance of the Jamarat bridge in Mina, east of Mecca, on the last day of the ritual of the stoning of the devil.

It was the worst accident since July 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were trampled or asphyxiated to death in a stampede inside a tunnel at Mina.

In an attempt to avoid such tragedies, the authorities built a five-level bridge, in addition to two tunnels in the Jamarat area.

Security

More than 100,000 security personnel have been deployed to secure the pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, in addition to 20,000 medical staff.

The Jamarat bridge is also being monitoring by 600 CCTV cameras, while the Grand Mosque and its surroundings are watched by 1,852 cameras.

Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz warned on Sunday that he hoped not to have to "resort to force" to maintain security during the Hajj, in a reference to fears that Iranian pilgrims may stage demonstrations.

In 1987, Saudi police attempts to stifle an annual anti-U.S. protest by Iranian pilgrims led to a riot in which 402 people died, including 275 Iranians.

Tiger Woods injured in car accident

story by Orlando Sentinel
photo by Robert Gonzalez for Orlando Sentinel (Woods house center)

written by Henry Pierson Curtis and Willoughby Mariano

Tiger Woods' wife used a golf club to smash a window of his Cadillac Escalade and get her injured husband out of the SUV after he crashed into a fire hydrant and tree early Friday morning outside his Isleworth mansion, Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn said.

In addition, a call report compiled by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and obtained by the Orlando Sentinel indicated Woods was unconscious but breathing when officers arrived on the scene. Woods was unconscious for about six minutes.

Elin Nordegren Woods was in the couple's home shortly before 2:30 Friday morning when she heard the accident and came outside. She broke one of the windows and freed her husband from the SUV, Bruhn said.

Bruhn said Woods had cuts on his lips and blood in his mouth. Officers gave Woods first aid until medical personnel arrived.

Orange County Fire Rescue received the call for aid at 2:28 a.m. Woods was transported from his Windermere-area neighborhood by the hospital's own ambulance.

It is not known whether Woods was wearing a seat belt. FHP said alcohol is not considered a factor in the accident.

FHP troopers arrived at the Woods' home early Friday evening to talk to the golfer, FHP spokeswoman Kim Montes said. Woods wife told them Woods was resting and asked them to return Saturday morning. They agreed.

"People's health comes first," Montes said, noting that it is routine to agree to return to conduct an interview.

The sheriff's office would not identify who dialed 911, and emergency audio tapes were not available on Friday.

When officers arrived they found the golfer outside of his car and in and out of consciousness, Bruhn said.

Woods, 33, pulled out of his driveway and started driving away from his home on Deacon Circle about 2:25 a.m. when he struck a fire hydrant and drove into a tree on his neighbor's property, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP said.

Bruhn said Woods had facial cuts in a minor accident. Woods was treated at Health Central early this morning and released.

FHP spokesman Jorge Delahoz said patients' conditions are always classified as "serious" if they are transported to a hospital.

Woods' Web site, TigerWoods.com, said the golfer was treated and released and was in good condition."We appreciate very much everyone's thoughts and well wishes," the site said.The crash is under investigation, and charges are pending.

"When I first heard about it, my heart jumped a beat. But then I googled it and found a story and it sounds like he's OK," veteran PGA Tour golfer Mark Wilson said. "Knowing him, he was probably leaving for an early-morning workout."

Inside the gated Isleworth community, a security guard was standing post outside the front of Woods' $2.4 million home. A woman who answered the door at the home at mid-afternoon declined to answer questions from the Sentinel.

A black Cadillac SUV was sitting in the driveway. FHP said Woods was driving a black Cadillac SUV at the time of the crash.

There were almost no signs of an accident at Woods' home and his next door neighbor's.

An orange-and-white street barricade sat on Woods' front lawn atop a newly dug hole, presumably where the fire hydrant previously sat.

About 10 feet away, a foot-long tire mark was visible in the neighbor's yard near a tree with freshly damaged bark. That oak tree had a few scuff marks on its trunk but was largely undamaged.

The airbags in Woods' Escalade did not deploy, which means the vehicle was traveling under 33 mph, according to FHP.

According to his official website, TigerWoods.com, he is in the middle of a two-week break in tournament play. Woods next tournament is Dec. 3-6 at the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Orlando Sentinel staff writers Amy L. Edwards and Rene Stutzman and Chicago Tribune reporter Teddy Greenstein contributed to this report.

Lessons from Iraq for Afghanistan

by Dr. Raymond Tanter
11/26/2009

The hottest guessing game within the Beltway is the question of when, how many, and for what purpose President Obama will surge additional troops to Afghanistan at the request of his top general there, Stanley McChrystal. It is worth noting that whatever the President’s decision regarding troop levels, reinforcing the military buildup with a political surge by weaning away fighters from the Taliban insurgency is likely to be the centerpiece of U.S. and NATO strategy.

Consider history: A 1972 case study by RAND of the Malayan counterinsurgency experience from 1948 to 1960 found that protecting the population via a “reward-for-surrender” program and imaginative exploitation of surrendered insurgents helped produce success, but it took about 12 years to do so.

After reviewing successful counterinsurgency (COIN) programs in Malaya and the Philippines in relation to Afghanistan, a 2009 Brookings study concluded that it may take well into 2010 to see if this kind of population security strategy is actually working for Afghanistan -- especially if resources devoted to such a COIN strategy may be at the lower end of what such missions have generally required to be successful. This Brookings work on Afghanistan found a type of population security strategy employed during 2001 to 2005, when Washington “…paid tribal leaders and warlords, in some instances formerly loyal to the Taliban, huge sums in exchange for providing regional security and local expertise in hunting down Al-Qaeda.” The period after 2005 until 2009, however, was under-resourced to carry out a population security strategy in Afghanistan.

And an American Enterprise Institute study of how COIN programs in Pakistan could learn from India’s experience in Kashmir concluded that COIN campaigns, especially successful ones last on average over a decade. The bottom line regarding length of time for a successful population security strategy to be effective is about a decade.

In addition to having enough time for success, it is important to have means to bring warring parties to the table for negotiating political compromises. Then-presidential candidate Obama said during the 2008 election campaign on how the surge in Iraq depended on mediators:

It could not have occurred unless there were some contacts and intermediaries to peel off those who are tribal leaders, regional leaders, Sunni nationalists, from a more radical, messianic brand of insurgency.

Indeed, the effective 2007-2008 military surge under President Bush of some 30,000 Americans coincided with a political surge of tens of thousands of Sunni fighters drawn away from supporting al Qaeda in favor of U.S. forces.

During a research trip to Iraq during 2008, I found one key to peeling Sunni tribes from the anti-American insurgency was use of an interlocutor trusted by both sides; in Diyala Province, the Mujahedeen-e Khalq, the main Iranian opposition group, was such an intermediary, as reported in my book, President Obama and Iraq: Toward a Responsible Troop Drawdown. Such Diyala tribes included al-Baeej, Somaida, al-Zoheiri, Alkhashali, al-Masoudi, and Neda.

A lesson drawn from Iraq for Afghanistan is to combine military and political surges. To create a political surge requires drawing Afghan Pashtun tribes, such as the Noorzai, away from the Taliban core and al Qaeda. While there is some indication of tribes available to peel off, there is little evidence of an interlocutor to assist in doing so.

U.S. military officials estimate that as much as 70 percent of Taliban fighters are motivated not by ideological affinity to the Taliban core’s radical version of Islam, but by money or political rivalry with President Karzai. Most Pashtuns are conservative Sunni Muslims and do not subscribe to the core Taliban’s Deoband version of Islam. Furthermore, despite Pashtun adherence to conservative Sunni Islam, most Pashtun tribes govern themselves under a system of secular tribal law, and do not adhere to the Taliban practice of clerical governance.

Simply because Pashtun tribes in southern and eastern Afghanistan do not share the religious aims of the Taliban movement does not mean they are easily co-opted. Despite ideological distance from the core of the Taliban, Pashtun tribes that form the bulk of the insurgency are notorious for their resistance to both foreign armies and political centralization in Kabul.

U.S. efforts to wean Pashtun tribes from the insurgency will have to focus on empowering local tribal leaders to govern themselves without allegiance to the Taliban and cannot aim to lash such tribes to the government in Kabul, which would be a bridge too far and drive tribal leaders away.

Just as Sunni tribal leaders who supported al Qaeda in Iraq were drawn away from the insurgency, so might Pashtun tribes be drawn away from the Taliban core and al Qaeda partners if there is an Afghan interlocutor like the Mujahedeen-e Khalq in Iraq; without a mediator to win the trust of both sides and create an Afghan political surge, a military buildup is likely to fail.

Winning such confidence may involve working with unsavory leaders. In 2005, Haji Bashar Noorzai, leader of the million-member Noorzai tribe was arrested in Manhattan on drug charges as he was offering to sell out the Taliban and cooperate with the United States. With the Taliban on the ascendancy, can the United States allow the quest for the best to be the enemy of the good? If so, a military surge is unlikely to succeed in Afghanistan.

The most recent iteration of this dilemma is the October revelation that Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Afghan president Hamid Karzai and representative of Kandahar province, receives regular payments from the CIA for a variety of services. Evidence that Karzai is involved in drug trafficking raises questions whether elements of U.S. policy are working at cross-purposes: In the same month, three DEA agents were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

Given the role of the opium trade in financing the Taliban, efforts to eradicate the drug from Afghanistan are important; foreign policy, however, is often about making difficult choices among distasteful options. As the Taliban regains momentum in Afghanistan, peeling off the group’s Pashtun allies is a top priority of the United States and NATO. So long as such tribes remain under the sway of Mullah Omar and the Taliban core, the battle against corruption and the drug trade has little hope of lasting success.

Enduring success can only come as the result of U.S. and NATO efforts to wean Pashtun tribes away from the insurgency; and the use of political and monetary concessions from Kabul to keep Pashtuns on the side of the allies will be essential to a U.S. exit strategy. Such transfer of sponsorship from Washington to Baghdad was essential in preventing Iraq’s Sunnis from reverting to insurgency, which was risked by Baghdad’s initial reluctance to make timely payments. And to wean some of the Taliban’s tribal Pashtun followers away requires a sufficient number of U.S. forces to win the trust of locals by providing population security against Taliban retribution as well as having a mediator bring the warring sides to the table.

Professor Raymond Tanter is a former senior staffer of the National Security Council in the Reagan-Bush Administration and is President of Iran Policy Committee.

30-Thousand fill Atlanta's Turner Stadium to Hosea's Feed-The-Hungry

story by flickr.com

THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS, MARTIN LUTHER KING'S DAY AND EASTER, FOUR TIMES per year Hosea's Feed The Hungry Foundation services the homeless and destitutes.

The applicants fill the Atlanta's Fulton County Turner Field Baseball Stadium. Thousands of poverty driven families from all across Atlanta environs come to get a free full course balanced meal. And the sick, shut-ins and senior citizens can have their special service of home delivery of their dinners.

However, all during the year, Hosea's Feed The Hungry Organization service individuals who drop by their Atlanta office in Northwest Atlanta.

At the Turner Field site these are featured:

• "Children's Toy Center" - toys will be given out to children
• A Barber and Beauty Shop will be set up with hot showers, clean clothing and toiletries
• Church services
• Free flu shots
• Legal aid counseling
• Free medical check-ups
• Free long-distance calling to family nationwide

Being a non-profit organization, Hosea's Feed The Hungry and Homeless is open toreceive donations of food and funding to keep its operations in tact and to serve the needy public.

Since the economy is in a downturn, this organization has felt the pangs of the depression.Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless was founded in 1971 by the late civil rights legend Reverend Hosea Williams and his wife Juanita Williams. Afemo and Elizabeth Williams-Omilami took over the reins of the organization in 2001 after Reverend William's death.

In addition to the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner events, the Omilami's have added additional dinner events for Martin Luther King Day holiday and Easter.

Hosea Feed The Hungry & Homeless is a year-round organization providing food, shelter, clothing, job training and human resources referrals to poor and homeless individuals. Since its inception, the organization has served over 1-million meals to the needy.

Other services provided by this wonderful organization include clothing, toiletries, food baskets, rent and utility assistance, public transportation, temporary housing, educational programs for children, community outreach and job skills training.

Additionally, Hosea Feed The Hungry played an integral part in aiding Hurricane Katrina victims in Atlanta.

For additional information, please contact:



Elizabeth Williams-Omilami, Director (pictured above)
404-755-3353 ext 307
http//:www.hoseafeedthehungry.com
P.O.Box 4672 Atlanta, GA 30302-4672

Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal pays for 5-year old's funeral

story by CNN

Professional basketball star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl whose body was found last week, O'Neal's team confirmed Thursday.

Authorities believe the child, Shaniya Davis (pictured left), was kidnapped, raped and murdered after being reported missing November 10. Her body was found six days later on a roadside about 30 miles from her hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her funeral was Sunday.

O'Neal said in a statement released by his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, that he was touched after seeing Davis' story on CNN sister network HLN's "Nancy Grace" show.

"What happened to her was tragic. I wanted her to have a funeral that would be as beautiful as she was," O'Neal said in the statement.

Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, told the Fayetteville Observer he wouldn't discuss the cost of the child's service, but he noted a child's funeral "averages around $4,500."

The girl's father, Bradley Lockhart, and his family had set up a trust fund to help raise money to pay for the service, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

Family friend Vaughn Eason told the paper any remaining money would be used for groups and charities working to assist abused and neglected children.

Police have charged Mario Andrette McNeill with kidnapping and said he also will face murder and child rape charges.

Preliminary autopsy results indicated the child was asphyxiated, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters last week, as authorities awaited final autopsy reports.

Davis' mother, Antionette Nicole Davis, has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses. Police have said they believe she was prostituting the girl.

O'Neal, as a volunteer for law enforcement agencies in recent years, has been active in causes that deal with domestic violence issues, mainly child-abuse cases.

Oprah scores President Obama interview for Christmas special

story by the Hill
written by Michael O'Briwn

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey will sit down with President Barack Obama for a Christmas special next month, ABC announced Wednesday.The special, "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," will air in prime time on Sunday, Dec. 13 on ABC at 10:00 p.m.

The presidential interview comes at a pivotal moment for the queen of daytime television, who was an ardent supporter of Obama during the presidential campaign.

Winfrey scored big ratings with an exclusive sit-down with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), and will broadcast an interview Wednesday afternoon with Vicki Kennedy, the widow of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Winfrey announced last week that she would discontinue her syndicated talk show after its 25th season so she could focus on her developing cable network.

Our First Lady's Thanksgiving Greeting

Tomorrow, many of us will gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks over a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy -- and let’s not forget pumpkin pie!

But for some in this country, the feast will not be as bountiful. In fact, it won’t be much of a feast at all. Hunger is on the rise in America -- hitting its highest levels in nearly 15 years. A recent report released by the USDA reveals that in 2008 an estimated 1.1 million children were living in households that experienced hunger multiple times over the past year.

To combat hunger this winter, we’re launching, in coordination with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United We Serve: Feed a Neighbor initiative -- a program that empowers you with all the resources you need to mobilize against the hunger crisis in your community. Learn how you can get started today:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/11/25/united-we-serve-feed-a-neighbor/?e=18&ref=image

Barack and I are committed to doing all we can to end hunger by making food programs more accessible to eligible families. But government can only do so much -- it will take all of us working together to put an end to hunger in America.

That’s why we’ve made it easy for you to get involved at Serve.gov. Find local volunteer opportunities like delivering meals to homebound seniors, offering your professional skills at a food pantry, or planting a community garden and sharing produce with your neighbors. You can also create your own volunteer opportunity using our anti-hunger toolkit.

This holiday season let’s recommit to serving our communities and working together to feed American families. Get started giving back today.

Thank you,

Michelle

First Lady Michelle Obama

The White House

President Barack Obama Thanksgiving Greeting

Kirk --Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.

American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.

Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve. So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.

But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.

The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids.

The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling.

The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.

We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.

So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.

It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.

In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.

You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.

With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,

President Barack Obama

Arbitron Welcomes Opportunity to Showcase Benefits Of Electronic Media Ratings to House Oversight Committee

from Arbitron

PRNewswire


COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 24 Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB), has been invited to testify on December 2, 2009 by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding its electronic media measurement service. The following is its response to the Committee's announcement:

"Arbitron welcomes this opportunity to discuss the importance of electronic measurement, the effectiveness of the Portable People Meter™ (PPM™) service, the value of the data it produces, and our responsible approach to the deployment of the service," said Michael Skarzynski, President and Chief Executive Officer for Arbitron. "Arbitron looks forward to sharing with the Committee our expertise and insights based on our long history and extensive experience in gathering and disseminating the quality data that is used throughout the radio industry by broadcasters, advertisers, and agencies."

"Arbitron launched this innovative electronic media ratings service to help support the radio industry's objective to have relevant, reliable data that enables it to compete for its share of advertising revenue," said Mr. Skarzynski. "We have been proactive in our efforts to share relevant and pertinent information with our stakeholders, Congress and other state and Federal government agencies and continue to welcome opportunities to showcase the value of radio and the importance of electronic measurement."

Congress targets PPM.

from Inside Radio

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has put a December 2 hearing on its calendar to look into the impact of Arbitron's PPM on radio diversity.

Committee chairman Ed Towns (D-NY) appears to have already drawn his own conclusions. "The current system jeopardizes the future of minority broadcasting," he said announcing the hearing.

President Obama launches "Educate to Innovate"

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2009


PRESIDENT OBAMA LAUNCHES “EDUCATE TO INNOVATE” CAMPAIGN FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATH (STEM) EDUCATION

Nationwide effort includes over $260 million in public-private investments to move American students to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade

President Obama today launched the “Educate to Innovate” campaign, a nationwide effort to help reach the administration’s goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.

Speaking to key leaders of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) community and local students, President Obama announced a series of high-powered partnerships involving leading companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies dedicated to motivating and inspiring young people across America to excel in science and math.

“Reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century,” said President Obama. “That’s why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national priority.”

The new partnerships, with accompanying major commitments from philanthropic organizations and individuals, mark a dramatic first wave of responses to the President’s call at the National Academy of Sciences this spring for a national campaign to raise American students “from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math over the next decade.” Each of the commitments—valued together at over $260 million in financial and in-kind support—will apply new and creative methods of generating and maintaining student interest and enthusiasm in science and math, reinvigorating the pipeline of ingenuity and innovation essential to America’s success that has long been at the core of American economic leadership.

Among the initiatives announced by the President are:

· Five public-private partnerships that harness the power of media, interactive games, hands-on learning, and 100,000 volunteers to reach more than 10 million students over the next four years, inspiring them to be the next generation of makers, discoverers, and innovators. These partnerships represent a combined commitment of over $260 million in financial and in-kind support.

· A commitment by leaders such as Sally Ride (the first female astronaut), Craig Barrett (former chairman of Intel), Ursula Burns (CEO, Xerox), Glenn Britt (CEO, Time Warner Cable), and Antonio Perez (CEO, Eastman Kodak) to increase the scale, scope, and impact of private-sector and philanthropic support for STEM education. This coalition, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, will recruit private sector leaders to serve as champions for STEM at the state level; mobilize resources to help scale successful STEM innovations; and raise awareness of the importance of STEM among parents and students.

· An annual science fair at the White House, showcasing the student winners of national competitions in areas such as science, technology, and robotics.

President Obama has identified three overarching priorities for STEM education: increasing STEM literacy so all students can think critically in science, math, engineering and technology; improving the quality of math and science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by those in other nations; and expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities.

The Obama Administration has already taken bold action in the STEM education arena by directing that the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” school grant program assure a competitive preference to states that commit to improving STEM education. “The Department of Education takes the STEM competitive priority very seriously – and states should as well,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

But while federal leadership is necessary, a real change in STEM education requires the participation of many elements of society, including governors, philanthropists, scientists, engineers, educators, and the private sector. That is why the President’s speech at the National Academy of Sciences challenged all Americans to join the cause of elevating STEM education as a national priority.

“America needs a world-class STEM workforce to address the grand challenges of the 21st century, such as developing clean sources of energy that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and discovering cures for cancer,” said John Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “It is extremely gratifying to see this first and very robust set of responses to the President’s call to action.”


Background on Educate to Innovate: A National Campaign for Excellence in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education (STEM)

Today at the White House, President Obama launched the “Educate to Innovate” campaign, a nationwide effort to help reach the administration’s goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade. President Obama announced a series of partnerships involving leading companies, universities, foundations, non-profits, and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers that will motivate and inspire young people across the country to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

President Obama believes that reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century. A growing number of jobs require STEM skills, and America needs a world-class STEM workforce to address the “grand challenges” of the 21st century, such as developing clean sources of energy that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and discovering cures for diseases. Success on these fronts will require improving STEM literacy for all students; expanding the pipeline for a strong and innovative STEM workforce; and greater focus on opportunities and access for groups such as women and underrepresented minorities.

In a speech to the National Academies of Sciences this spring, President Obama announced a commitment to raise America from the middle to the top of the pack internationally in STEM education over the next decade. At that time President Obama also challenged governors, philanthropists, scientists, engineers, educators, and the private sector to join with him in a national campaign to engage young people in these fields. The partnerships announced today are the initial response to this “call to action.”

Additionally, to help meet this goal, the President’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top fund provides a competitive advantage to states that commit to a comprehensive strategy to improve STEM education. Race to the Top will challenge states to dramatically improve their schools and student achievement by raising standards, using data to improve decisions and inform instruction, improving teacher effectiveness, using innovative and effective approaches to turn around struggling schools and making it possible for STEM professionals to bring their experience and enthusiasm into the classroom. These reforms will help prepare America’s students to graduate ready for college and career, and enable them to out-compete any worker, anywhere in the world.

Public Private Partnerships

Time Warner Cable’s “Connect a Million Minds” Campaign: Time Warner Cable, in partnership with FIRST Robotics and the Coalition for Science After School, is launching a campaign to connect over one million students to highly-engaging after-school STEM activities that already exist in their area. Time Warner Cable will use its media platform, Public Service Announcements, 47,000 employees, and a “connectamillionminds.com” website where over 70,000 parents and community members have already pledged to connect a child to STEM. Time Warner Cable has made a commitment of $100 million over the next five years to support this campaign, and will target 80 percent of its corporate philanthropy to STEM.

Discovery Communications’ “Be the Future” Campaign: Discovery Communications, in partnership with leading research universities and federal agencies, is launching a five-year, $150 million cash and in-kind “Be the Future” campaign. This will create content that reaches more than 99 million homes, including a PSA campaign across Discovery's 13 U.S. networks, a dedicated commercial-free educational kids block on the Science Channel, and programming on the “grand challenges” of the 21st century such as their landmark Curiosity series. Discovery Education will also create rich, interactive education content that it will deliver at no cost to approximately 60,000 schools, 35 million students, and 1 million educators, and through a partnership with the Siemens Foundation, will create STEM Connect, a national education resource for teachers.

Sesame Street’s Early STEM Literacy Initiative: Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and with First Lady Michelle Obama appearing on the first episode, Sesame Street, in partnership with PNC Bank, is announcing a major focus on science and math for young children and a $7.5 million investment in the effort. Sesame Street’s new season kicked-off with “My World is Green & Growing,” which will be part of a two-year science initiative designed to increase positive attitudes towards nature, deepen children’s knowledge about the natural world and encourage behavior that shows respect and care for the environment. Twenty of the 26 new episodes will have a focus on STEM; 13 focus on science and seven focus on math. In addition, Sesame Workshop, in partnership with PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great Program, is announcing a new math initiative for preschool children entitled Math is Everywhere.

“National Lab Day,” Bringing Hands-on Learning to Every Student: National Lab Day is a historic grassroots effort, online at nationallabday.org, to bring hands-on learning to 10 million students by upgrading science labs, supporting project-based learning, and building communities of support for STEM teachers. The effort is a partnership between science and engineering societies representing more than 2.5 million STEM professionals and almost 4 million educators, with strong financial support from the Hidary Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and industry partners. Collectively, this partnership is committed to working with more than 10,000 teachers and 1 million students within a year, and 100,000 teachers and 10 million students over the next four years.

National STEM Game Design Competitions: The MacArthur Foundation, Sony Computer Entertainment America, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and its partners (the Information Technology Industry Council, the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, and Microsoft) are launching a nationwide set of competitions that include the design of the most compelling, freely-available STEM-related videogames for children and youth. The competitions will include the 2010 Digital Media and Learning Competition, a $2 million yearly effort supported by the MacArthur Foundation that advances the most innovative approaches to learning through games, social networks and mobile devices. One of the competitions will be open only to children, to help them develop 21st century knowledge and skills through the challenge of game design. This year Sony will participate in one segment of the competition and encourage the development of new games that build on the existing popular video game Little Big Planet.

When the Republicans were in control of Congress (and President), NO Democratic bills touched the floor. Use the power while you got it.

President Obama awaits Health Care Debate on Senate floor

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 21, 2009

Statement from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on Tonight’s Senate Vote

“The President is gratified that the Senate has acted to begin consideration of health insurance reform legislation. Tonight’s historic vote brings us one step closer to ending insurance company abuses, reining in spiraling health care costs, providing stability and security to those with health insurance, and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it. The President looks forward to a thorough and productive debate.”

Senate vote 60-39 to "take the Health Care Bill to the (Senate) floor"

Senate Votes 60-39 to take the Health Care Bill to the Senate floor. Today by a vote of 60-39, with all Democrats & Independents voting Yes and all "party of No" Republicans voting No, the Senate invoked cloture, which will allow them to move forward and begin formal debate on health care legislation & amendments.

Debate will begin after the Thanksgiving recess.

Health Care Bill H. R. 3590 proceeds to a Senate debate -- Click here (*) to read the Senate Health Care Bill

Read the Health Care bill now before the Senate - Link below or click title: http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/18/hcbill.pdf

story by CNN

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln said Saturday that she supports bringing the health care bill to the floor for debate, giving Democrats the 60 votes needed to prevent a GOP filibuster.

Speaking on the Senate floor hours before the 8 p.m. procedural vote, the Arkansas Democrat said she would give Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama the crucial vote required to move the Democrats' contentious health care measure forward for debate.

"Although I don't agree with everything in this bill, I believe it is important to begin this debate," Lincoln said. She added that she still opposes the public option.

"This issue is very complex. There is no easy fix," she added.

Reid says the 2,074-page bill would expand health insurance coverage to 31 million more Americans. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the cost of the plan at $849 billion over 10 years, though Republicans argue it's much more.

A House bill was passed nearly two weeks ago.

Earlier Saturday, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, became the 59th lawmaker to side with Reid, who needed the support of all 58 Senate Democrats and independent Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut to avoid a GOP filibuster.
All 40 Republicans are expected to oppose having a debate.

Oprah Winfrey is ending her Syndicated TV Show

story by AP

photo by Boston Globe

CHICAGO (AP) - It's the beginning of the end of an era. Oprah Winfrey says she is winding down her TV talk show - the one that made her a household name, even in households that never watched the show.

She will be on the air today to announce that the show will go off broadcast TV on September 9, 2011. That would end her 25th year on the air with her syndicated show.

Word of the change was given to Harpo staffers in the show's Chicago headquarters first. Then, word was passed along to stations - and the cat was out of the bag.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters Introduces Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act

Her Legislation Receives Praise from Alzheimer’s Advocacy Organizations

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) today introduced the Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act (H.R. 4123), a bill to improve treatment services for Alzheimer’s patients and expand training and support services for their families and caregivers. The bill is supported by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and the Alzheimer’s Association, and it has more than fifty original cosponsors, including Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairs of the Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease.

“Alzheimer’s disease places tremendous burdens on families,” said Congresswoman Waters. “The Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act will expand access to training and support services for caregivers and family members. As a result, it will improve the ability of caregivers to provide effective, compassionate care and allow more people with Alzheimer’s disease to remain in their homes with people who love them.”

Alzheimer’s disease currently affects an estimated 5 million Americans, and that number will multiply in the coming decades as our population ages. Most Alzheimer’s patients live at home under the care of family and friends. Caregivers include spouses, children, and even grandchildren of Alzheimer’s patients. Caregivers face a variety of challenges, from helping loved ones with bathing and dressing to managing their legal and financial affairs. Caregiving is extremely stressful; more than 40 percent of caregivers rate the emotional stress as high or very high, and about one-third of caregivers have symptoms of depression.

“This legislation recognizes that families and other caregivers taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s must have the dementia care training they need to manage needed care,” said Robert Egge, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy at the Alzheimer’s Association. “The bill also provides services tailored to the unique needs of each individual with dementia, and expands community based services, especially in underserved communities, to assist families in need.”

“The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is pleased to endorse the Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act,” said Eric J. Hall, President and Chief Executive Officer of AFA. “This legislation would provide much-needed grants to public and non-profit organizations to improve treatment for individuals with dementia, and expand training and support services for family caregivers. We thank Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her leadership in supporting local services for those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and improving quality of life in general for families affected by this disease.”

Reid uncertain of tally as healthcare bill heads for rare Saturday vote

story by The Hill
written by Jeffrey Young

The Senate is headed for a rare Saturday vote to advance its major healthcare reform bill without a guarantee of success, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) indicated Thursday.

At a rally with supporters of the healthcare reform bill, Reid would not say he had secured commitments from all 60 members of the Democratic Conference to vote for the legislation — an absolute necessity given unanimous opposition from the 40 Senate Republicans.

"We'll find out when the votes are taken," Reid said. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), one of three Democratic holdouts, said Thursday that he would announce his intentions prior to the vote but also made clear he still has major misgivings about the legislation, particularly on issues such as federal funding for abortion and the creation of a government-run public optoin insurance program. Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) are also uncommitted.

Despite this uncertainty, Reid and other senior Democrats at the rally predicted they would prevail and enact a sweeping reform of the healthcare system, achieving a goal that has eluded presidents from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton.

"I'm very confident that not only will the Democratic caucus unite around this bill but the American people will unite behind it, also," said Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa.). "We had the New Deal, we had the Fair Deal and this is a good deal for the American people."

Reid also put to rest any notion that the Senate would try to move the bill forward employing budget reconciliation rules that would allow it to pass with just 51 votes, a strategy Democrats had held in their back pockets and that liberal activists and lawmakers had demanded earlier this year. "I'm not using reconciliation," Reid said.

The healthcare reform bill Reid introduced Wednesday would spend $848 billion over 10 years to extend insurance coverage to 31 million more people, which would amount to a 94 percent coverage rate for all legal U.S. residents below retirement age. Including those over 65 and enrolled in Medicare, 98 percent of legal U.S. residents would have insurance coverage, Reid said.

Through a combination of more than $400 billion in Medicare spending cuts and more than $370 billion in new taxes, the bill also would reduce the federal budget deficit by $127 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Health Care Act passed Senate Committees and now goes to the full Senate

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 18, 2009

STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA ON THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

“Today we passed another critical milestone in the health reform effort with the release of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I was particularly pleased to see that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill will reduce the deficit by $127 billion over the next ten years and as much as $650 billion in the decade following, saving hundreds of billions while extending coverage to 31 million more Americans.

From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don’t, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country. Majority Leader Reid, Chairmen Baucus and Dodd, and countless Senators have worked tirelessly to craft legislation that meets those principles.

Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of more than 20 leading health economists released a letter urging passage of meaningful reform and praising four key provisions that are in the Senate legislation: a fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans, the establishment of an independent Medicare commission, reforms to the health care delivery system, and overall deficit neutrality. The economists said that these provisions ‘will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing.’ Those are precisely the goals we should be seeking to attain.

The challenges facing our health care system aren’t new – but if we fail to act they’ll surely get even worse, meaning higher premiums, skyrocketing costs, and deeper instability for those with coverage. Today, thanks to the Senate’s hard work, we’re closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems. I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible.” http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/19/health.care.bill/index.html

All Members Of Congress Being Investigated For Ethics Are Black

from Politico

The House ethics committee is currently investigating seven African-American lawmakers — more than 15 percent of the total in the House. And an eighth black member, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), would be under investigation if the Justice Department hadn’t asked the committee to stand down.

Not a single white lawmaker is currently the subject of a full-scale ethics committee probe.

The ethics committee declined to respond to questions about the racial disparity, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus are wary of talking about it on the record. But privately, some black members are outraged — and see in the numbers a worrisome trend in the actions of ethics watchdogs on and off Capitol Hill.

“Is there concern whether someone is trying to set up [Congressional Black Caucus] members? Yeah, there is,” a black House Democrat said. “It looks as if there is somebody out there who understands what the rules [are] and sends names to the ethics committee with the goal of going after the [CBC].” http://newsone.com/nation/all-members-of-congress-being-investigated-for-ethics-are-black/

The 500th Blog: Unemployment rates released November 6th, 2009

My 500th blog could have been highlights of all the blogs; a compilation of all the best articles from my information sources; or a celebration of a new writer on the scene.

However our families are faced with difficulties on main street where prosperity has yet to trickle down from the Billions of bailout dollars to large financial institutions in the form of easier to get loans, lowering credit interest rates, or re-working home loans. The US Government can drastically lower our taxes. Wall Street Corporations could ease up off the massive quarterly lay-offs as a business practice and get busy growing their businesses.

I choose the 500th blog to share with you "another website," The Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The most recent unemployment rate released November 6th, 2009 is 10.2 percent (10.7 percent for men and 8.1 percent for women).

The highest rate of unemployment for a group is African-Americans at 15.7 percent (17.1 for Black men and 12.4 percent for Black women).

For all of these dreary unemployment statistics -- #1 issue of this November 2009 day -- of specific groups click this link: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t02.htm

For the total overall unemployment statistics click this link or the 500th blog title above: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

Today's Radio

by Kirk Tanter

So where are we? The few that survived the Telecommunications "deregulation/consolidation" Act of 1996 have seen a few obvious transitions.

Consolidation

The consolidation maturation morphed into fewer people doing more jobs. And because of the duopoly bill of 92 and later the extensive 96 Telecommunications Bill, it became legal for broadcast companies to own four to 8 radio stations in one market, versus the previous 1 AM and one FM radio station before 1992.

The 1990's buying and selling frenzy into a big profit machine that radio was before 1992 is now settled. Consolidating the cluster of muliple radio stations into the same building became the way of today's radio biz. Before the radio stations were in seperate buildings. The new job of multi-tasking became common, where one person almost does-it-all at one station. Also, because of technology, Program Directors are often called out to program the entire cluster of radio stations within the same building ("Traffic have you merged the logs yet" (0:, I am ready to go home).

Automation

The top ten radio station(s) within the cluster at 1000 Broadcast Lane is the focal point for the Board room. The other radio stations within the four to eight-station cluster that cannot out-perform the "big station" may be automated with just drops, spots, and music.

The long-awaited computer technology able to transmit audio files clearly are "thankfully" to Board Rooms here! Now the Board Room can do not have to spend as much on operation. DJ's, Newscaster, Hosts, Board Operators, and most of the clusters Program Directors are expendable at cash straped operations.

The cluster P.D. has a few tech/production savvy assistants that work together and get all the logs, ID's, music, and commercials merged into the log before C.O.B. And as late Walter Cronkite used to say "that's the way it is today" November 15, 2009 in today's Radio Biz.

Syndication

Once a bad word and a source of venomous debates on panels at convention is radio syndication. I re-call in the early 90's when I was on a panel along with Tom Joyner and a few others, in a packed room of roughly 150 Jocks and Programmer-types. Tom Joyner spoke of the new day in radio with Syndication being a part of radio stations in more and more markets because of the new innovative technology allowing studios across the country to sound like they were broadcasting in the radio stations themselves.

What Tom Joyner may or may not have known before he spoke -- that I was fully aware of -- was that a few jocks in the audience had recently lost their jobs during that year because of the Tom Joyner Morning show. The hard facts wasn't what they wanted to hear having to change their lives. One by one these displaced Air Personalities spoke frankly of Tom Joyner taking their jobs and it is a bad ideal to have Syndication replace local radio jocks. The heat raised to a boiling point where all 150 fuming folks. After all, the other jocks felt the stress of their jobs could be replaced a Syndicated show.

I never saw Tom so silent, mystified, drawn up, and puzzled with that "can I get the hell out of here" look. Tom may not remember this, but during this heated moment I spoke up for Tom Joyner stating: "People, it is not Tom Joyner that took your jobs. Tom did not make that decision and should not be villafied. I ask you, who made the decision to go with the less expensive Syndicated show?" I then paused a moment to let them think about who really made that decision. I continued..."it was your boss and moreso their boss that made the decision long before that day when you were given your walking papers."

The room apologetically quieted for thinking that way. Tom, who at the time was also frozen in one embarrasing position facing the audience, looked over at me as if to say: "Thank you Kirk Tanter for getting me out of this mess." The moderator stepped in and continued with the Q and A redirecting the discussion.

Switch-Reels to November of 2009. Todays' broadcast world is full of Syndicated shows. To date there are still mostly Morning and Evening Syndicated shows in the music world. The Talk radio formats has wall to wall syndicated shows in every on-air shift daily and weekends. Music formats today will more than likely have a syndicated morning show that does fairly well in the ratings due to near twenty years of adjustments.

What is scary for local Air Personalities is that all air-shifts do not have Syndicated shows to fill that slot. Radio stations choice today to combine a Syndication, Automation, Live, and Voice Track in the 24-hour program. A Syndicated show deal with radio stations can take up a big load of commercial inventory.

Voice Track

Another word for Satellite Radio is Voice Tracking (0: -- Small joke to the Satellite Radio community. The advent of Voice Tracking due to computer sound files are now able to sound like a Cart (I would venture to say that the generation in their 20's and early 30's does not know what a Cart is). Lets say sounds like a CD. Now I have alienated those in college. Well let's say sounds like a flash memory stick. Oh boy, now some elder statesmen are lost.

Voice tracking has been an increasing and intregal part of broadcasting for the last ten years. A voice track is the Jock doing his voice breaks and seques in the broadcast computer system that is set up to play between songs, or in and out of breaks.

Most voice-trackers are either paid hourly or a salary much less than a live jock due to being able to record and place four hours of VT's in the computer within an hour. We again see techonology at work changing the diaspera of today's radio business.

Conclusion

Because of the Telecommunication Bill of 1996, if these multi-station ownership rules prevail forever then radio will never go back to a local jock/host full schedule again even in major markets. Even if Tele 96 Bill reverts back, technology is still there.

The most successful top five stations with local radio stars today have automated, syndicated, or voice tracked shift of some form daily. The days of the 24/7 local community radio stars methodocally growing cume through answering phones, birthday calls, talent, prize winners, appearances at concerts, schools, and A.E.'s remote gigs are over.

Competitive audio mediums like ipods and the computer along with sydication, automation, and voice-tracked shows, may or may not take your radio audience. But these new competitors and elements have something to do with radio cume way down from the pre-90's days.

These unique and tougher economic times are guiding hands to save money rather than investing the money that is truly not in hand.

Today's radio has many dedicated broadcasters scratching their heads even with the new technologies and economic climate. In my opinion, today's radio is pretty cut and dry. The radio biz still has the high-turnover rate that it has always had since inception and most radio positions are getting a lot less money today.

The unfortunately result is that good radio people are leaving a truly wonderful and self-fullfilling industry that still helps listeners in their daily lives.

Chris Brown recent MTV interview

Singer Rihanna's NEW video: "Russian Roulette"

Singer Chris Brown video: "Crawl"

Breaking News: Former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson get 13 years in Prison

story by AP / photo by AP

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A former Louisiana congressman who famously stashed $90,000 cash in his freezer was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for taking hundreds of thousands in bribes in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.

The sentence handed down in suburban Washington was far less than the nearly 30 years prosecutors had sought for William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans for nearly 20 years.

Agents investigating the case found $90,000 wrapped in foil and hidden in boxes of frozen pie crusts in his freezer.

Prosecutors had asked a judge to follow federal guidelines and sentence him to at least 27 years. The defense asked for less than 10 years, arguing a stiffer sentence would be far longer than those imposed on congressmen convicted of similar crimes in recent years, none of whom was sentenced to more than a decade.

Jefferson said nothing in court after he was sentenced. He was convicted in August of 11 counts, including bribery and racketeering. Prosecutors at his two-month trial said he took roughly $500,000 in bribes and sought millions more. He was acquitted of five other charges, including the one most closely associated with the money in his freezer.

Informant was wiredThe investigation started in March 2005. In August of that year, FBI agents searched Jefferson's Washington home and found the cash. Prosecutors said he had planned to use the money to pay a bribe to the then-vice president of Nigeria to secure a multimillion-dollar telecommunications deal there, an accusation Jefferson denied.

The money ended up in the freezer after a disgruntled businesswoman, Lori Mody, agreed to wear a wire after telling the FBI she had been cheated out of $3.5 million in deals brokered by Jefferson. The jury saw videotape of Mody handing over a suitcase filled with $100,000 cash outside an Arlington hotel. Most of that money was recovered from the freezer.

The defense argued that Jefferson was acting as a private business consultant in brokering the deals and his actions did not constitute bribery.

New Orleans voters had long been loyal to Jefferson, who in 1991 became Louisiana's first African-American congressman since Reconstruction. He rose from the poverty of the Louisiana Delta parishes to prominence as a street-savvy political tactician.

He was re-elected in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke but was indicted and then lost to Republican attorney Anh "Joseph" Cao this past December.

The First Lady on Health Insurance Reform

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the First Lady
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 13, 2009

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
ON HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM AND OLDER WOMEN

East Room

3:12 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. First of all, forgive me -- I’ve got children, and now I have a cold. (Laughter.) It goes along with the territory.

Let me begin by first thanking Tina Tchen, who’s doing an outstanding job as Director of the Office of Public Engagement by opening up this White House to the American people and organizing events like this one today. She’s just been a terrific asset and a dear friend -- and let’s give her a round of applause. (Applause.)

And I also want to commend Nancy-Ann for her extraordinary leadership on health care -- health insurance reform. I know my husband, who is traveling abroad right now, would agree with me when I say that without her, we wouldn’t have come this far, and because of her, we’re going to get the job done. So we are grateful to you, Nancy-Ann. (Applause.)

And of course, I want to thank all the women who are here today. This is a wonderful, lively group -- I heard you all giggling earlier today. (Laughter.)

But I also want to thank the women who spoke today -- to Kelly and Fran and Judy -- for sharing their stories. What they’ve been through isn’t easy, and I’m grateful that they have been brave enough and open enough to share their stories with all of us. It takes a lot of courage.

These stories touch our hearts. They spark in us just a fundamental sense of unfairness. But the sad truth is none of these stories are unique. These kinds of stories are being told in city after city, town after town, all across America. They’re being told by women who lost their coverage when their husband lost a job, or their husband passed away. They’re being told by women who aren’t getting regular checkups because it’s simply too expensive. They’re being told my women living on fixed incomes who can’t afford the prescription drugs that they need.

All of these stories reflect the fundamental reality -- and that is, women are among those struggling most under the status quo, the way things are. And women are among those who will benefit most from health insurance reform because the truth is that women, we have a special relationship with our health care system. In a lot of families that’s true because we are the health care system in so many ways. (Laughter.)

Eight in 10 mothers say they’re the ones responsible for choosing their children’s doctors, taking them to appointments, and managing the follow-up care. And over 10 percent of all women are now caring for a sick or elderly relative.

Our entire lives as women, we are asked to bear much of the responsibility for our family’s health and well-being. And yet, we often face special challenges when it comes to our own health insurance. Part of it has to do with the fact that women are more likely than men to do part-time work or to work in a small business -- in jobs that are less likely to offer the kind of insurance that you really need. In fact, over half of all women in this country don’t have the option of getting insurance through the workplace at all.

But even women who do have insurance face inequities under the status quo. Because women make less than 80 cents for every dollar their male coworkers make, it’s more difficult for them to pay their premiums -- especially when studies show that they’re paying far more than men for the same coverage.

And I don’t think anyone here will be surprised to learn that a recent study found that one-third of all women have either used up savings, taken on debt, or given up basic necessities just to pay their medical bills. And as many of you know firsthand, these kinds of problems -- the problems of coverage and cost -- only grow worse when you get older, making quality, affordable coverage harder to come by just -- as we’ve seen today and heard today -- just when you need it the most.

In the individual market, people in their early 60s are more than twice as likely to be denied coverage than people in their late 30s. Older women are more likely than men to face a chronic illness, but they’re less likely to be able to afford the cost of treating that illness. And in recent years, studies have shown that women over the age of 65 spend about 17 percent of their income on health care. And that’s just not right.

Our mothers and grandmothers, they have taken care of us all their lives; they’ve made the sacrifices that it takes to get us where we need to be. And we have an obligation to make sure that we’re taking care of them. It’s as simple as that. America has a responsibility to give all seniors the golden years they deserve and the secure, dignified retirement that they worked so hard to achieve. (Applause.)

And that’s exactly what health insurance reform is going to help us do in this country.

Now, I can tell you -- I can’t tell, actually, what the bill that will ultimately land across my husband’s desk will look like -- none of us can. But I can tell you just a few important ways that the insurance system will be impacted.

For starters -- and this is very important -- your insurance will not change unless you want it to change. So if things are great for you, you’re fine. (Laughter.) It will, however, become more stable and more secure, no matter what your situation is. There will be a cap on how much you can be charged in out-of-pocket expenses in a year or in a lifetime. So there will be a cap. It will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage for preexisting conditions. (Applause.) And that change alone will help us end the discrimination women face in our health care system. And also, insurance companies will be required to cover, at no extra cost, routine checkups and preventive care.

And I’d like to speak just a moment about what reform will mean for seniors, in particular.

There’s been a lot of misinformation on this topic so I want to be clear -- Nancy-Ann mentioned this: Not a dime of the Medicare Trust Fund will be used to pay for reform. Health insurance reform will not endanger Medicare; it will make Medicare more stable and secure. (Applause.) By eliminating wasteful subsidies to private insurance and cracking down on fraud and abuse throughout the system, this administration believes that we can bring down premiums for all our seniors and extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund.

My husband believes that Medicare is a sacred part of America’s social safety net, and it’s a safety net that he will protect -- he will protect with health insurance reform. And I know that many seniors on Medicare are also concerned about the cost of prescription drugs; we’ve heard about it here.

Right now, millions of seniors face huge out-of-pocket costs when their spending on drugs falls within a coverage gap. My husband is committed to closing that gap, which will save some seniors, as you’ve heard, thousands of dollars on medications and make prescription drugs more affordable for millions of older Americans. (Applause.)

So what we’re talking about -- affordable prescription drugs for Americans who need them; Medicare that’s protected today and tomorrow; stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable coverage for Americans who don’t. That’s what reform will mean for older women, for seniors, and for all Americans.

So that’s why I believe in this so strongly. That’s why I believe in this so strongly.

But in the end, I’m not here just as a First Lady. That’s not why I’m doing this. I am here because I’m a daughter. I’m here because I have an extraordinary mother who is 72 years old -- young. (Laughter and applause.) And I know there are countless women in this country who have loved ones who feel the same way about them as I do about my mother.

And when all is said and done, part of why I believe so strongly in reforming our health care system is because of the difference it will make for these women who gave us life -- so simple -- these women who raised us, these women who supported us through the years. They deserve better than the status quo. They deserve a health care system that heals them and lifts them up.

And that’s what my husband is committed to doing, to building that kind of system in the weeks and months to come.

So thank you all. Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication, for listening, for being a part -- and let’s get to work. Thank you so much. (Applause.)