সোমবার, ৫ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

BART labor talks resume as planned strike looms

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Union leaders and Bay Area Rapid Transit managers were holding talks aimed at heading off a strike that would leave hundreds of thousands of San Francisco area commuters scrambling for other ways to get to work.

The two sides held negotiations Saturday, with wide gaps remaining on key issues including wages, pensions, worker safety and health care costs.

BART's two largest unions Thursday issued a 72-hour notice that employees would walk off the job Monday if they didn't reach agreement on a new contract by midnight Sunday. The labor action would shut down one of the nation's largest transit systems for the second time in a month.

Antonette Bryant, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, said no progress was made during Friday's negotiations, which ended earlier than she had expected.

"Our team is giving it our best shot. We really do not want to disrupt service Monday," Bryant said Saturday. "We want a deal. We will do whatever it takes."

BART spokesman Rick Rice said agency managers are hopeful they can reach an agreement before Monday or continue negotiations without a service shutdown.

"We're making every effort possible to avoid any disruptions on Monday," Rice said Saturday.

Bay Area agencies are preparing ways to get commuters to work if there's a strike, but officials say there's no way to make up for the BART system.

"BART really is the backbone of the transit network. No other transit agency has the ability to absorb BART's capacity if there's a disruption," said John Goodwin, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. "We're still hoping for the best, but it's time to prepare for the worst."

If there's a BART strike, transit agencies are planning to add bus and ferry service, keep carpool lanes open all day and even give away coffee gift cards to encourage drivers to pick up riders. They're also encouraging workers to avoid peak traffic hours or telecommute if possible.

When BART workers shut down train service for four days in early July, roadways were packed and commuters waited in long lines for buses and ferries. The unions agreed to call off that strike and extend their contracts until Sunday while negotiations continued.

A strike next week could lead to more gridlock than last month's strike, which came around the Fourth of July holiday when many workers were on vacation.

Bay Area and state officials have been pressuring BART managers and union leaders to reach an agreement this weekend, saying a strike would create financial hardship for working families and hurt the region's economy.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bart-labor-talks-resume-planned-strike-looms-194538652.html

travis pastrana aj jenkins shea mcclellin nfl draft 2012 whitney mercilus 2012 nfl draft picks andrew luck

Obama celebrates birthday with golf, terror briefing

President Barack Obama turned 52 on Sunday, celebrating part of his birthday at Camp David after spending Saturday golfing with friends.

The White House didn't say exactly how the commander in chief celebrated his birthday, issuing a happy birthday tweet that included a vintage photo of a then-43-year-old Obama:

That left the White House pool report understandably thin upon his return.

"Marine One touched down at 1:58 and he was back in the White House by 2," the National Journal's George Condon wrote in his Sunday pool report. "[Obama] was wearing a casual jacket and an open-collared blue shirt. When someone shouted 'Happy Birthday,' he smiled and waved, one of several waves toward the cameras as he entered the White House. No birthday cakes or party hats were evident."

Obama's birthday celebration actually began last week, when a group of American Legion students sang "Happy Birthday" to the president during a visit to the East Room:

Meanwhile, Organizing for Action, the non-profit advocacy group, asked supporters to sign an e-card for Obama ? and, of course, to donate money to its progressive agenda.

It wasn't a total birthday respite for Obama, however. Earlier Sunday, Susan Rice, the president's National Security Advisor, met with top FBI and counterterrorism officials to review the threat that led to the closure of 21 U.S. embassies and consulates over the weekend.

The White House said the president has been receiving frequent briefings from Rice and Lisa Monaco, assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, on the potential threat. Obama was briefed Rice and Monaco after Sunday's meeting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama-celebrates-birthday-with-golf--terror-briefing-195921429.html

Call Of Duty Ghosts alice eve kevin durant tumblr Oklahoma Tornado Ray Manzarek Zach Sobiech

Scott Carter catches up with Coach Muschamp after the Gators' first practice...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/FloridaGators/posts/10151770314976071

BCS Bowls palestine Zig Ziglar alabama football sean taylor Nexus 4 Girl Meets World

German regulator fires warning shot over insurance rules

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany could quit talks on new risk rules for Europe's insurance industry if regulators try to impose a 'one size fits all' deadline for insurers to adapt to them, a senior official at financial watchdog Bafin said.

"If someone forces us to stick with an inflexible timeframe for the phase-in because of some purist ideal ... we would in the worst case just say goodbye," Felix Hufeld, Bafin's head of insurance supervision told the Wall Street Journal Deutschland in an interview published on its web site on Saturday.

He echoed concerns voiced by German insurance trade body GDV, which has said a proposal to give insurers seven years to adapt to the new rules - called Solvency II - was insufficient.

Solvency II aims to protect consumers better by pushing insurers to improve risk management and match capital reserves more closely to risks.

"We shouldn't forget that all these regulatory changes are taking place in a low interest rate environment. Every now and then you have to ask how big of a burden a company can even shoulder," Hufeld said.

Big insurers such as Allianz , AXA , Generali , Aviva and Legal & General are considered to be well prepared for Solvency II's risk-management requirements.

Some smaller insurers, however, could struggle to shoulder the additional administrative burdens.

Hufeld said it should be decided on a company-by-company basis how much time insurers will get to adapt to the rules.

"Of course, no insurer can just say it needs 20 years to adapt if we can see in its numbers that it's really only 10 years. We will monitor that, of course. But we also want to avoid an insurer toppling just because it complies with new regulation," he said.

Solvency II was meant to be in force by now but was delayed after Britain, Germany and France called for a rethink over how products that offer guaranteed returns over the long term are treated to avoid overly burdensome capital requirements.

Talks between the European Commission, the European Parliament and national governments are due to resume in September.

Hufeld said it still appeared "absolutely realistic" that Solvency II will launch on January 1, 2016, as now planned. In January, Bafin head Elke Koenig had said she saw January 1, 2017 as a more realistic start date.

Germany's big insurers have already invested millions of euros to get ready for the start of Solvency II, Hufeld said. "They are practically working on this day and night."

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/german-regulator-fires-warning-shot-over-insurance-rules-165533010.html

Beyonce Lip Sync citizens bank Hansel and Gretel LGBT Giovanna Plowman martin luther king jr quotes Inauguration 2013

রবিবার, ৪ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Maximize savings during the New Mexico Tax Free Holiday

?

August is here which means back-to-school season has officially begun.

Most families spend upwards of $500 per child on school necessities according to Huntington Bank?s Annual Backpack Index. ??

Starting today, families can save and extra 6-7% off of selected school items. These include school supplies like paper and pencils, clothing, software, and computers under $1000.

Certain department stores are even offering additional coupons to New Mexico residents for shopping at their businesses this weekend. Starting Friday, 3 p.m. to close and Saturday 9 am ? 1 pm, JC Penney offers $10 off purchases of $25 or more on select apparel, shoes and accessories, and $10 haircuts for kids inside JC Penney salons. Kohl?s is offering coupons for an additional $10 off of every $50 spent.

Most stores will hold longer hours in order to accommodate the large crowds of shoppers that are expected to be out, and they recommend shoppers get to the stores early. Sale items tend to sell out quickly due to the holiday.

However, for those who want savings but would rather avoid crowds, the tax free incentive is also extended to online shopping.

JC Penney has two locations in Albuquerque, one Coronado Center and one at the Cottonwood Mall.

Kohl?s has three locations in Albuquerque, one at the Coronado Center, one located at 6800 Holly Ave NE, and one location on the Westside at 3715 Ellison Rd NW.

Source: http://university-nobhill.kob.com/news/schools/245021-maximize-savings-during-new-mexico-tax-free-holiday

paulina gretzky paulina gretzky david bowie elvis presley elvis presley Rob Parker Comcast

Cal Football Recruiting Chat: More ManBearCal! How Luke Rubenzer Fits

Marc Tausend of Cal Rivals returns to talk 2014 recruiting targets. Who's left on the board?

(For those who missed Part I, click here!)

Who are some under-the-radar kids who don't have offers yet, but could soon?

Most true under-the-radar guys won't be in line to get an offer until the staff has gotten an opportunity to see how they perform this coming season. One such case is Bosco linebacker Chandler Leniu. He's looked very good this Spring and Summer. But it's possible that an offer to Leniu is contingent upon the staff missing on a couple more highly coveted targets. This would be the case with most potential offerees at this point.

A couple other possible offers down the line are defensive tackles Sione Tamoeanga out of Rooselevelt (Portland, OR) and Sharif Williams of Central East in Fresno.

How does Rubenzer compare to the other QBs on the roster?

Luke's really a different quarterback than any guy on Cal's roster right now, and it's not just because he's a shade under 6 feet tall. He can really run, and uses his legs not only on designed runs, but also to turn potentially negative plays into positive ones....something that the last "mobile" Cal quarterback did the exact opposite of way too much. Both Goff and Hinder can run a bit, but not like this guy. Hus ability to run would bring a different dimension to the offense. But Luke himself would tell you that he's much more than a running quarterback, and that's absolutely true. He's an accurate passer with a good arm, but not a cannon. He knows how to survey the field and go through his progressions, he doesn't just tuck and run willy-nilly. But really, that ability to turn a potential sack into a long gain, be it with his arm or with his legs, is what I like about him so much. Very few negative plays when he's on the field. He just makes things happen.

Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Luke performed at the Elite 11 Finals last month. I didn't feel that a competition of that nature played to what I perceived as the strengths of his game (throwing on the run, eluding pressure, improvisation, etc). It was great to see. And Luke is a guy who can run Tony Franklin's offense. Coach Franklin believes this, and so does Luke. He'll have a level of familiarity with this system before he ever gets to Cal.

Defensive recruiting is moving a bit more slowly. Who are the players that really catch your eye on that side of the ball that the Bears could use and are receiving mutual interest from in this recruiting cycle?

The staff is going hard after defensive backs, and even with three committed they aren't slowing down much. There are still a few guys out there that Cal is in good shape with, including Adarius Pickett (El Cerrito), John Plattenburg (Lamar, TX...formerly Centennial Corona), Armand Perry (Bishop Gorman) and John Bonney (Lamar, TX). Rounding out the DB class with 2 of these 4 would be fine by me.

At linebacker, there may only be one spot to fill for 2014. I previously mentioned Chandler Leniu as a guy the staff will take a hard look at, but they do have offers out to uncommitted guys like Brandon Lee and Joey Alfieri. Either would be a nice pull. Lee has stated his intention to take an official visit to Cal, while we may need to make up some ground to get in good with Alfieri.

The defensive line isn't being neglected either, but it isn't a great year out west for DL. Cal recently offered defensive tackle Marcus Griffin of Bellevue (WA), a Wazzu commit. He's a disruptor inside and his recruitment could be worth watching. There is still apparently some mutual interest between DT Tashon Smallwood of Central East (an SC commit) and Cal. Two Oregon prospects, Henry Mondeaux and Connor Humphreys seem to like Cal and an official visit looks possible for both, though I wouldn't consider Cal the favorite to land either of them. Then there's DE Matt Dickerson of Junipero Serra in San Mateo. He's racked up a very impressive offer list already, and I'd really like to see the staff keep the 6'5/260 pounder at home. There is definitely mutual interest there.

He's pretty unheralded, so what do you expect out of Isadore Outing?

Honestly, not sure. Outing was a starter for half of his sophomore season on a DeKaney team that won a state championship in their division. He's a big dude (6'4/245) with some impressive athletic numbers on display (a 4.7 40 time and a 295-pound power clean max). If we stop there, that sounds pretty good in a defensive end. But his junior tape don't really show the kind of disruptive and explosive force I'd expect him to be. He looks to be a good run defender who is strong at the point of attack and can hold his ground. But there's a serious lack of "wow" moments that should be readily apparent when a guy has the kind of size, length, and athleticism that Outing is supposed to possess. He wasn't even the best defensive end on his own team last season. All that said, he played a good chunk of the season with an ankle injury that did cause him to miss 3 games. Would that explain the lack of explosiveness in his film? Probably.

I'll be very curious to see what he does this year when he's healthy and bulked up. Right now, Outing is the biggest unknown to me in this class.

Source: http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2013/8/2/4548986/chandler-leniu-sione-tamoeanga-adarius-pickett-john-plattenburg-brandon-lee-recruits

zack greinke zack greinke jackie robinson Coachella 2013 Scary Movie 5 MTV Movie Awards 2013 masters

শনিবার, ৩ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Yahoo buys social Web browser maker Rockmelt

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-08-02-US-Yahoo-Acquisition/id-e7708cebe8c14c2188009d6dc8eda3a3

pat robertson hunger games trailer hunger games trailer in plain sight hunger games movie review bats hunger games review

Microsoft offers free WiFi for Skype Premium users during August

If you are a paid member of Microsoft's Skype Premium service, the month of August will give you something extra to look forward to, especially if you are a frequent traveler with your smartphone, tablet or laptop.

Microsoft announced today that from now until August 30th,?Skype Premium subscribers will be able to access any of the one million Skype WiFi supported hotpots for free. This is especially good for travelers who have laptops but sometimes have to pay extra to access a WiFi connection in a hotel room or in an airport terminal.

The price for Skype Premium service is $9.99 per month, or $4.99 a month if you pay up front for 12 months. US users can then use Skype for unlimited calls on mobile and landlines numbers to the US and Canada, with other options available for many other countries. Skype WiFi is supported by Windows 8's Modern UI, along with the regular Windows desktop, Mac OS, Linux, Android and iOS platforms.

A few weeks ago, Microsoft launched a Skype WiFi app for Windows 8?which lets users detect if a WiFi hotspot is supported by Skype and then letting them pay for their online connection time via Skype Credit.

Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/neowin-all/~3/llyPcH9egxU/microsoft-offers-free-wifi-for-skype-premium-users-during-august

NRA Golden Globes 2013 Sandy Hook conspiracy Stuart Scott Holly Rowe Chief Keef FRANK ZAMBONI

Is China Wiring Africa for Surveillance?

Image via?Flickr

Some in the US have long expected that China's massive?telecom company?Huawei?is developing tools for the Chinese government?to commit cyber-espionage?around the world. Now that?Huawei's?getting serious about its?expansion?into?Africa, eyebrows are being raised again.

In 2012, a House committe?labeled?Huawei?a national security threat, and the US government has accused the firm of nefarious surveillance practices many times in the last several years. That includes?accusing it of?helping the Iranian government?monitor its citizens and quash dissent, and having ties to the Taliban. Each time the company has?denied the allegations,?and government investigations consistently?fail to turn up?any hard evidence.?

But now?Huawei?has invested billions of dollars in Africa over?the last two decades, providing?affordable cell phones, internet access,?and telecommunications networks to the continent. Over the last few months?Huawei?has closed major deals in Africa to get more areas?on the grid.?The company?says?it's?bridging the digital divide, but others suspect?it's?wiring the continent for surveillance.

The loudest concerned party is former?NSA?and CIA?head Michael Hayden, who has repeatedly raised warning flags about?Huawei's?suspected espionage. "The Chinese see themselves in a global economic competition with the United States, and they see real advantages of at least having the possibility of exploiting African?networks in the future," he told?Foreign Policy?yesterday.?

At this point,?Huawei?supplies back-end telecommunications equipment?wi-fi?routers, mobile networks, communications hardware?to?a third of the world. The thinking goes that if you build the infrastructure, you can easily build backdoors to get in and ascertain information. And not only is China laying the brick, so to speak. In many cases it's also running the networks for the African governments. If the allegations are true that?Huawei?provides a direct line to Beijing, it's about to have a huge peep hole into Africa.

"Even if there aren't any backdoors, which is a large hypothesis, just the Chinese state having access to the architecture of your system is a tremendous advantage for the Chinese should they want to engage in any electronic surveillance, any electronic eavesdropping," Hayden told FT.

Earlier this month, Hayden again?accused?Huawei?of spying at the Chinese government's behest, saying he had the evidence to back it up, but?the company?fired back, calling the allegations? "tired, unsubstantiated, and defamatory."?

Hmm, government backdoor access to data through communications technology. Where would the?NSA?get an idea like that? It could be tempting to assume that 40 years in the CIA and?NSA?is making Hayden see spies around every corner, but whether or not?Huawei?is involved, the Chinese government has been?named the world leader in cyber-espionage.

Evidence or no, the suspicions are strong enough that?regulators?continue?to block?Huawei?from entering the US market, despite the manufacturer's best efforts to break in.?

Source: http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/is-china-wiring-africa-for-surveillance

Sasha McHale Boy Meets World elizabeth taylor cam newton FedEx Gabriel Aubry cyber monday deals

শুক্রবার, ২ আগস্ট, ২০১৩

Iran's Rouhani: Occupation of Palestine is 'wound'

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's president-elect called Israel's control of Jerusalem and Palestinian lands a "wound" for the Islamic world in relatively moderate remarks Friday that contrasted with the harsh rhetoric of his predecessor and other Iranian leaders.

Speaking to reporters during an annual pro-Palestinian rally, Hasan Rouhani said: "In our region and under occupation of Palestine and dear Jerusalem, there has been a wound on the body of the Islamic world."

The comments, two days before Rouhani's inauguration, were tame compared with those frequently made by outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for Israel's destruction. The country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once called the Jewish state a "cancer" that needed to be cut away.

A semiofficial Iranian news agency initially quoted Rouhani as calling Israel a "wound that should be removed." That prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to retort that "the real face of Rouhani has been exposed earlier than expected."

But the news agency, ISNA, later said it was a misquote, confirmed by state TV footage of Rouhani's comment reviewed by The Associated Press. Netanyahu issued no statement on the corrected version.

Nevertheless, the mishap underscored the challenges facing the incoming president, who was elected in June with pledges to seek a calmer and more balanced outreach to the West.

It is Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard who control Iranian policies, and the supreme leader has final say in all key matters.

Rouhani will effectively be the international face of Iran and has made no secret of his desire to project a new image of dialogue rather than diatribes. It remains to be seen to what extent he will be able to persuade the ruling clerics and military that interaction with Washington and its allies over Iran's nuclear program could bring dividends such as easing painful sanctions.

Israel has not ruled out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West suspects are geared toward making a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies the charge and insists its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes only.

The Iranian leadership has long maintained harsh views on Israel, backing anti-Israeli factions such as Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. But it now appears to recognize that Ahmadinejad's fiery denunciations of Israel and his questioning the extent of the Holocaust needlessly outraged the West and did not advance Iran's national interests.

Rouhani appears to be trying to maneuver in the tight space allotted in Iran's power structure. He is making clear that he stands with Iran's uncompromising positions on Israel but is also backing away from Ahmadinejad's fist-waving approach.

In his remarks Friday, Rouhani also expressed doubts about the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal as the two sides resumed negotiations in Washington this week following a five-year freeze in Mideast talks.

"Israelis show a compromising face to the world but continue their expansionism in practice," Rouhani said, according to Fars, another semiofficial news agency. "This rally is a reminder that Muslim people will not forget their historical right and they will resist oppression and invasion."

Iran does not recognize Israel and has since the 1979 Islamic Revolution observed the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan as "Al-Quds Day." Tehran says the occasion is meant to express support for Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims.

Jerusalem's eastern sector houses sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim shrines and is sacred to all three religions. Jerusalem is the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest city in Islam, after the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina.

Anti-Israeli rallies were held in cities and towns across Iran on Friday. In the capital, Tehran, tens of thousands took to the streets, chanting "Down with America" and "Death to Israel." Some protesters also burned American and Israeli flags.

Ahmadinejad spoke to the crowds after the rally in Friday prayers at the Tehran University campus. It was his last public speech before his term ends.

"You Zionists planted a wind but you will harvest a storm," the outgoing president said. "A destructive storm is on the way and it will destroy Zionism."

___

Associated Press Writer Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-rouhani-occupation-palestine-wound-160842461.html

olivier martinez ny lottery Ohio Lottery Colorado Lottery Pa Lottery Ebates lotto

Edward Snowden got asylum in Russia, lawyer says

This photo provided by The Guardian Newspaper in London shows Edward Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the National Security Agency, on Sunday, June 9, 2013, in Hong Kong. NSA leaker Edward Snowden claims the spy agency gathers all communications into and out of the U.S. for analysis, despite government claims that it only targets foreign traffic. (AP Photo/The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras)

This photo provided by The Guardian Newspaper in London shows Edward Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the National Security Agency, on Sunday, June 9, 2013, in Hong Kong. NSA leaker Edward Snowden claims the spy agency gathers all communications into and out of the U.S. for analysis, despite government claims that it only targets foreign traffic. (AP Photo/The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras)

(AP) ? A Russian lawyer for Edward Snowden says the National Security Agency leaker has received asylum in Russia for one year and left the transit zone of Moscow' airport.

Anatoly Kucherena said he handed over the papers to Snowden on Thursday. He said Snowden left Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport where he was stuck since his arrival from Hong Kong on June 23.

Kucherena said that Snowden's whereabouts will be kept secret for security reasons.

The U.S. has demanded that Russia send Snowden home to face prosecution for espionage, but President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the request.

Putin had said that Snowden could receive asylum in Russia on condition he stops leaking U.S. secrets. Kucherena has said Snowden accepted the condition.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-08-01-NSA-Surveillance-Snowden/id-fb20fa9e984d482eae6476b876aa1c3d

david wilson playstation all stars battle royale quinton coples a.j. jenkins riley reiff david decastro travis pastrana

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner Blames City For Failing To Provide Sexual Harassment Training

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has argued that the city should pay for his legal defense against a sexual harassment lawsuit, considering the city never provided state-required sexual harassment training.

The argument was made in a letter to City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and published on Wednesday, noting that a training session had once been scheduled, but later canceled. The letter was sent one day before the City Council voted unanimously to deny Filner funds.

Filner?s lawyer, Harvey Berger, said that while sexual harassment might be an obvious thing to avoid for some, many people are unaware of what is illegal under California state law.

"This is not an excuse for any inappropriate behavior which may have occurred, but having conducted sexual harassment training many times over the years, I have learned that many people do not know what is and what is not illegal sexual harassment under California law,? Berger said.

Filner?s former Communications Director Irene McCormack Jackson is suing the mayor for sexual harassment suffered by herself and at least eight other women during their time in Filner?s office. McCormack alleges that Filner asked her to work without underwear, demanded she kiss him and asked to see her naked.

The city?s residents and seven of the nine City Council members have asked for Filner?s resignation.

The 10-term congressman also faces questions about a trip to Paris he took with the Organization of Iranian-American Communities, which paid $9,839 in airfare, lodging and meals for Filner. Though the mayor might only receive $440 in gifted funds a year, Filner argued that the group had defined itself as a nonprofit under IRS guidelines, which would have allowed him to legally accept the funding.

Sources: The Huffington Post, NY Daily News

Source: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/san-diego-mayor-bob-filner-blames-city-failing-provide-sexual-harassment-training

corned beef hash the walking dead season 2 finale born free walking dead finale nascar bristol narwhal st louis university

Hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay shows signs of weakening

By Jane Sutton

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - The hunger strike that began nearly six months ago at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba and spread to include two-thirds of its 166 prisoners has tapered off with a Ramadan pardon that has allowed some prisoners to be together during Islam's holy month.

Military jailers said the camp was stable and calm after recent upheavals but did not know if the hunger strike would revive when the traditionally quiet period of Ramadan ends on August 7 and normal routines resume.

The force-feeding of hunger-strikers has made global headlines and pressured President Barack Obama to act on a lapsed vow to shut down the camp on the U.S. Naval Base.

"It (the strike) did work. It got everybody talking," said the camp's cultural adviser, a Jordanian native who goes by the name Zak and works with prisoners and camp commanders.

In the last two months the Obama administration has cleared two Algerian prisoners for repatriation, appointed a new State Department envoy to negotiate resettlement of others and announced plans to start long-promised parole-type reviews for those it does not plan to try because it has no admissible evidence linking them to specific attacks.

President Barack Obama will meet on Thursday in Washington with Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to discuss the return of 56 Yemeni prisoners who were cleared for transfer years ago but whose repatriation was blocked because of concerns about instability in their homeland.

The current hunger strike began in February after guards seized family photos, legal documents and other belongings during what was described as a routine cell search. Prisoners accused the guards of mishandling Korans, which camp officials denied.

By mid-April, 43 prisoners had joined the strike, and a few occasionally passed out from dehydration or low blood sugar, a senior medical officer said.

Thirteen had grown so thin that Navy medics were keeping them alive by force-feeding them high-protein shakes via tubes inserted in their nostrils and threaded into their stomachs. Guards strapped them into chairs to prevent resistance.

Prisoners who had long lived in communal cellblocks began refusing to return to their cells at night, covered their windows with protest signs and put cereal boxes over the cameras to obscure the view of guards, camp officials said. Others splashed guards with urine and feces, something that hadn't happened at the prison in recent memory.

Military SWAT teams in riot gear moved in on April 13 and forced inmates back into their cells. A few fought back with broomsticks, and guards fired rubber pellets to control them. Five were hurt in the scuffle, camp officials said.

The hunger strike ratcheted up steadily after that, peaking in early July, with 106 taking part and 46 force-fed at least some of their meals.

When Ramadan began on July 8, camp commanders pardoned all disciplinary infractions and allowed some detainees to return to communal housing.

"Everyone got the slate wiped clean," said Lieutenant Colonel Samuel House, a spokesman for the detention operation.

About 100 who abandoned the hunger strike or never took part have now earned their way back into group housing by following camp rules. They can eat, pray and mingle in groups for five to 18 hours a day before being locked in their cells overnight.

Art and language classes, which were halted with the April raid, have resumed and television-watching privileges have been restored to more prisoners as order returned during Ramadan.

"It's like night and day," said Army Sergeant 1st Class Vernon Branson, a senior watch commander in one of the prisons.

During a recent visit, Reuters saw 16 or 17 bearded prisoners, dressed in white tunics, pants and prayer caps, kneeling on two rows of mats for late-afternoon prayers in the open bay of one communal cellblock. Seen through one-way glass, they looked adequately fed.

Out of sight were the hunger strikers. Camp officials have decided to lock them in single cells until they resume eating, renounce the hunger strike and pass a medical exam.

Yemeni prisoner Samir Moqbel, who is among 86 captives cleared for release in 2010, said he was beaten and forced back into a solitary cell as punishment for refusing to abandon his hunger strike.

"We are protesting," Moqbel said through his attorney, Cori Crider of the human rights group Reprieve. "There are people who have been here for 11 years and are cleared to go. In fact, if you look at the people that they have cleared, that means they are not criminals. They are being kept for no reason."

Camp officials deny anyone was beaten and insist they are not trying to break the hunger strike. They said strikers are kept in single cells so that guards who deliver their food trays can keep track of how much they eat.

The hunger strike had dwindled to 66 participants by Wednesday, with 42 being tube-fed at least some of the time, House said. Nurses, medics and camp officials said all the hunger strikers eat occasional meals.

Prisoners' lawyers accuse the military of downplaying the hunger strike, while camp officials accuse the prisoners and their advocates of exaggerating it for political effect.

"We're not the bad people. But the whole world makes it like we're the bad people and they're the good people," said Zak, the cultural adviser.

He said "instigators and troublemakers" among the prisoners had pledged that there would never be an end to the hunger strikes. "We'll be like the thorn in your throats," Zak quoted them as saying.

About five prisoners have been on a near-constant hunger strike for eight years. Medics who have tube-feed them to keep them alive say the hunger strike is a protest against indefinite detention and not a suicide attempt.

"Starvation is a terrible way to die. No one wants that," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael, a Navy hospital corpsman who didn't want his full name used.

Some of the chronic long-term hunger strikers have suffered osteoporosis and bowel problems as a result of extended fasting, and are at risk of heart damage, a medical officer at the detainee hospital said.

The officers at Guantanamo are waiting to see whether the burst of attention from Washington will produce a concrete plan to shut down the camp, as Obama said he would do by 2010.

Some staff at the base have suggested the prisoners might end the hunger strike if they see transfers resuming. Rear Admiral Richard Butler, who took command of the detention operation two weeks ago, isn't so sure.

"It could be goodness for everybody or it could just increase the appetite for more rapid action by everybody," he said.

(Editing by David Adams and Prudence Crowther)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hunger-strike-guantanamo-bay-shows-signs-weakening-224755014.html

Sandy Hook Univision josh hamilton Susan Rice the Who jon bon jovi jon bon jovi

Nevada brewpub shames patron online for unpaid tab

RENO, Nev. (AP) ? A Nevada brewpub has turned to Facebook to publicly shame a patron who left the restaurant without paying his $100 tab.

Employees of the Brewer's Cabinet in Reno posted a picture of smiling patron Saul Zelaznog on Tuesday, telling him his actions were "pretty uncool ... pathetic, really," and urging users to visit his profile to "let him know he sucks."

They also warned other restaurants to watch out for the "serial" tab-skipper.

The message had been shared nearly 600 times by Thursday morning.

Zelaznog told the Reno Gazette-Journal (http://on.rgj.com/16miNZN ) he had forgotten a method of payment when he visited Tuesday, but planned to return to pay the tab.

Zelaznog says he was asking relatives to wire him money in hopes of paying the bill by Thursday.

___

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nevada-brewpub-shames-patron-online-unpaid-tab-155527151.html

superbowl Ron Jeremy Rudy Gay Jim Nabors The Americans bank of america online banking Adairsville Ga