Air Force Academy revises policy on religion

The Air Force Academy has revised its policies on religion as a result of a recent investigation. An investigation was initiated after allegations suggesting that the academy was pushing evangelical christianity on to its cadets. Some cadets of other religions complained that there was too much pressure from senior cadets and officers of the academy to christianity.

Mayor attempts to re-establishing law and order

The Mayor of New Orleans has ordered police away from rescue efforts and on re-establishing law and order. More personnel have been brought in for rescue efforts so that the police can contain the looting and violence that has gone on for the last few days. Crime has skyrocketed in the last few days and officials were concerned it would get very violent and out of control if they did not step in. The National Guard has also stepped in to back up the police.

Easing the pain at the pump in the Twin Cities

Here is a website that you may find helpful as gas prices rise to record levels.

www.twincitiesgasprices.com

No law and order in New Orleans city limits

City officials have aked everyone to leave the city because the police will not be able to protect citizens from the looters and the gangs. The National Guard from neighboring states have brought in Military Police to assist local law enforcement. The city of New Orleans will effectively be shutdown for weeks as they repair the water pumps, pump water out of the city, get rid of the debris, assess the damage, etc.

US lobbying UN for sanctions against Iran

The US is lobbying the members of the UN for sanctions against Iran. The US believes that Iran is continuing its development of nuclear weapons which Iran denies that its doing. Iran says that they are going to use the nuclear program for energy.

Gas prices spike as one pipeline to East Coast shutdown

Prices rose sharply as a pipeline is shutdown that supplies the East Coast. In the Atlanta area some stations were charging as much as $5.00 for a gallon of gas. The president has released some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The federal agencies such as the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission may want to monitor the oil companies for price gouging.

Death toll continues to climb and looting continues

Officials have been mum on the number of dead because they simply do not feel they have an accurate estimate at this point. The focus is finding and recuing those who are still alive.

Neighboring states have brought in National Guard troops to assist in getting to food and water to residents as well as support local police regarding security. There have been wide spread reports of rapant looting throughout New Orleans in broad day light.

Technology rendered useless as power goes out during Katrina

Its amazing how useless technology became when going up against mother natures wrath. In a society that touts technology for many of our needs and some of our pleasures stark reality sets in. Most broadcast stations shutdown, cellphones dont work. No electrical appliances work with out power which means most appliances dont work. It also means gas stations can't operate and most businesses must temporarily close. Dont get me wrong I really enjoy technology. But like anything else technology is another tool that can break and rendered useless. It shows a vulnerability in our society as far phsyical structure as well as how we interact with one another on a daily basis.

Here are some links to donate to the disaster relief effort

These are the current organizations that have requested donations. The organizations are also requesting that only financial donations be made right now since they have no place to put items at this time. Financial contributions will allow them to focus on immediate needs. They will be asking for other items later on. This list is by no means exhaustive. Relief organizations also request to specify disaster relief when writing a check.

www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/news/katrina.cfm

www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

www.salvationarmyusa.org

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters

www.nvoad.org/

FEMA Charity tips:

www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm

State and Local Officials scramble to provide assistance as residents become restless

Authorities scramble to get food and water to residents as they cope with the aftermath of Katrina. They must first clear the highways because they are either flooded or blocked by debris. The federal agencies are ready to help state and local officials. State and local officials desperately trying to figure out how to coordinate the effort without creating further problems. Part of the problem has been that there are no places within the immediate vicinity where they would be able to provide assistance. Emergency shelters and the Superdome are being evacuated to higher ground as the water level continued to rise in the city.

FDA Official resigns over morning-after-pill fight

A high ranking FDA official resigned over the controversy of whether to allow the morning-after-pill (RU-486) as an over-the-counter drug. Susan Wood was the director of the FDA's Office of Womens Health. The FDA voted to postpone the vote indefinitely. Part of the controversy came when deciding that teenagers still needed a prescription for it and it coudnt determine how to enforce the age limit.

Federal Officials declare Public Health Emergency in Gulf Coast

Refugees being moved from Superdome to Astrodome

Officials haved decided to move the people staying at the Superdome to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. They are concerned that the rising water will make the current facility structurally unsafe.

Air Force One made a fly over of the disaster area to survey the damage as the president is headed back to Washington today. The president cut short his vacation to deal with the disaster. He will be meeting with his staff this afternoon and expected to have a press conference shortly thereafter.

Pres. Bush to announce decision on oil reserve at 5ET

Pres. Bush is expected to announce this afternoon that he will be releasing oil from the oil reserve. Many oil rigs are expected to be damaged and facilities that refine oil coming in from other countries will be at a significantly reduced capacity for a few weeks. The oil that the government will be releasing to the oil companies will be on loan.

Gas station to sue State of MN over gas price law

Midwest Oil which has been pursued by the state commerce commission for violating the gas price law. Midwest is countersuing the state alleging that the law is illegal because it does not allow for the market to set the price.

Attempt under way to fix portion of levy broken which is allowing lake water to fill city

City officials are desperately trying to fix a portion of the levy that broke and is allowing lake water to fill the city of New Orleans. Officials are concerned that this could further the health risks that are associated with people walking around in the water. People who have open cuts as a result of stepping on glass or sharp objects are prone to further health complications.

The city of New Orleans is also continuing to urge residents that have not left the city to do as the city is not operational. The US Coast Guard continues to help rescue people who are stranded in their home and/or have been forced to their rooftops as the water level continues to rise. The Military Police is assisting local police to maintain law and order.

Gas prices continue climb as oil companies assess damage

The price at the pump continues to climb as oil companies assess damage to their rigs in the Gulf Coast. Further impacting the situation is the fact that New Orleans is a hub for oil coming in from other countries to be refined for the rest of the country. With the city unable to operate it could be several weeks before it can operate at full capacity. One oil company is already rationing gas to its east coast customers as it assesses the damage from Katrina. Some oil companies have already requested oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Pres. Bush is expected to decide in a few days whether to release oil from the reserve.

Pres. Bush to return to White House and monitor disaster relief effort

Pres. Bush is expected to return to Washington to monitor disaster relief effort in Gulf Coast. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is the the federal agency leading the preparation of supplies for residents. The states effected by the hurricane are expecting to need major assistance from the federal agencies. Bush had already declared LA, AL, and MS to be federal disaster areas prior to Katrina making landfall on the Gulf Coast.

The City of New Orleans says city will not be functioning for a while; National Guard and US Coast Guard brought in for rescue and security

Officials in New Orleans say damage much worse than initially thought. The city is not expected to be operational for two months so they have asked residents to leave the city. Those that have already evacuated will not be allowed to return yet. The National Guard and US Coast Guard are busy rescuing people stranded on roof tops as well as provide assistance to local police. Only one AM radio station is operational to allow for officials to communicate with the public.

New Orleans continues under state of emergency

The Mayor of New Orleans has issued an evacuation order for the city as water levels continue to rise. Major highways coming into the city such as I-10 remain closed due to flooding. Those who have not left the city are still encouraged to do so. The cities water pumps are working. 80% of New Orleans is under water. Fortunately the brunt of the storm hit east of the city.

KPMG agrees to settle lawsuit by IRS

Accounting firm KPMG agrees to pay $400 million in fines and create a compliance and ethics board. KPMG was accused by the IRS of defrauding the government by advising their wealthier clients to create illegal tax shelters to avoid paying billions in taxes to the IRS. The IRS stated that this was a big win for the government and especially taxpayers. The IRS has recently focused specifically on tax law firms who say bilk the government by advising wealthy clients to create illegal tax shelters.

Be wary of scam artists asking for donations in wake of Hurricane

While there are legitimate organizations that will be asking for donations like the Red Cross, some people are going to be scam artists who will claim to be helping the hurricane victims when they are not. Unfortunately there are those who prey on the suffering of others.

Congress to reconvene Sept. 6th

Congress is set to back to work on Sept. 6th from their August recess. The Senate has scheduled hearings for Judge Roberts for the Supreme Court. The House is expected to take a bill regarding the Inheritance Tax.

Pres. Bush may consider tapping oil reserve in wake of Hurricane Katrina

As oil rose in early trading, President Bush mulls a decision whether to release oil from the Petroleum Reserve. The president has stated that the reserve would only be used in case of a national emergency. The reserve at capacity has approximately 400 million gallons. The concern for the White House is they do not want to jeopardize the reserve in case we have to declare a national state of emergency like on 9/11 when prices could sky rocket even higher.

New Orleans temporarily suspend emergency services; Pres. Bush to address nation today regarding Katrina

New Orleans has temporarily suspended emergency services until Hurricane Katrina. Officials say its too risky to send out personnel with high winds and rain until Katrina passes through. Pres. Bush is expected to address the nation sometime today.

Authorities urge everyone in the hurricanes path to evacuate

Authorities have urged and in some cases ordered a mandatory evacuation in preparation of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina is expected to be one of the strongest Hurricanes in US History. Three states Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are the the ones most likely effected by the storms path and have states of emergency in effect. Storm surges are expected to be 20-30ft in New Orleans. Authorities predict that there could be thousands of casualties.

Oil spike possible in wake of Hurricane Katrina

As if gas prices are not high enough already, oil prices may spike this week as oil companies evacuate their oil rigs in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans is a hub for nearly 25% of the nations oil. If there is damage to these facilities it could cause a disruption to the supply.

National Assembly adjourns as Sunnis and Shiites fail to reach a compromise agreement

The National Assembly adjourned without voting on a draft of the constitution. The vote was supposed to be a sign that Iraq was coming together as a nation. But differences quickly became divisive. The Sunnis quickly dismissed the final offer from the Shiites saying that it wasnt enough. In the current draft it makes reference to Islam but not Arab which the Sunnis objected to. The Iraqi people are set to vote on the current draft of the constitution in October. One of the concerns that the Shiites had was that former Baath party members be prohibited from participating. The chief concern was they did not want the former regime elements to re-establish power in the new government.

Forecasters predict hurricane of the century could hit New Orleans

As Hurricane Katrina heads to New Orleans, authorities have issued a mandatory evacuation order for the city of New Orleans. Katrina has been upgraded to Category 5. Only 3 category 5 hurricanes have hit the United States. This makes this especially problematic for New Orleans because it lies below sea level. This makes the city especially prone to flooding. There are an estimated 100,000 people who were unable to leave the city and trying to get into the Superdome. President Bush has also declared a state of emergency in the effected states. This will allow federal agencies to provide immediate assistance to local authorities and citizens.

Hurricane Katrina hits Florida headed to Gulf Coast

Hurricane Katrina has been upgraded to Category 4 as it gains strength over the Gulf of Mexico and headed to the Gulf Coast after hitting Florida. Louisiana is bracing for it as the hurricane gets re-energized.

Legislators vented during session; now its your turn at the State Fair

Have you ever wanted to tell a politician what you really think? Now is your chance at the state fair. Politicians of all political stripes will be there to answer questions at their respective booths. Trust me its worth the price of admission. Corporations and special interest groups pay big money to get one on one with these people. At least you wont get the run around by some Legislative Assistant who says that the member is not available and if you would like to leave a message. Actually members of both parties are nice people for the most part. The media plays up the partisanship a bit much at times. I realize that there are other parties out there but the Republicans and Democrats have the most members in government.

Sunnis and Shiites refuse to compromise

The feud over federalism continues as Sunnis and Shiites continue to argue about how they want the constitution written. Neither side is backing out on their demands. Sunnis want more say in the process and believe the Shiites are taking power away from them. Shiites however argue that they have that right since they represent more people. The US is encouraging both sides to cooperate but apparently it isn't working at this point. While negotiations are ongoing there has been little progress. The US is concerned that this feud could lead to the US military presence being there longer than necessary. The US has sent an additional 1500 troops for security in light of future votes on the constitution.

Local communities brace for economic loss in the US and around the world due to BRAC

Local communities are bracing for the economic losses that they expect when their bases closes. This is not only effecting communities here in the states but also in places like Europe. The Pentagon has also recommended troop reductions there as well since Russia is no longer a threat. Some communities that have lost bases have been able to recover from the initial economic loss. Many military families could be effected by bases being reduced abroad. The Pentagon would like to create a rapid redeployment troops. This would mean a soldier would leave his family here in the states while there on their temporary assignment in a given country. Some military leaders worry that this will result in reduced re-enlistment.

Ellsworth AFB saved by BRAC

The base closing commission voted to keep Ellsworth AFB. The commisssion determined that the Pentagons cost savings were not there. They felt that there were no cost saving because you would essentially move equipment from one good base to another in Texas. I dont know at this time how the commission has voted on the base in Duluth. However they did vote to move facilities from Ft. Snelling to Wisconsin.

Military intelligence unit: Operation; Able Danger continues to dog 9/11 Commission

Congressman Weldon (R-PA) has continued to criticize the 9/11 Commission for not further investigating Operation Able Danger. Able Danger is the military intelligence unit that was believed to be tracking the masterminds of 9/11 before the attacks. Weldon believes that the some commission staff were not qualified to review the material and decide whether it warranted an in-depth investigation or notify commissioners of the seriousness of the information. Some believe that the commission did not want to blame anyone in the Washington establishment. This may result in an incomplete and inaccurate report on 9/11 which was submitted by the commission.

MN joins National Registry for Sex Offenders

Minnesota has joined online with the National Registry for Sex Offenders. This will make it easier for states and the public where sex offenders are. You can check the federal website at www.nsopr.gov The site is sponsored by the Department of Justice and allows users to submit one query in the nation wide database for their local community. Only the most serious sex offenders, Level 3 are available. Level 3 are the most likely to reoffend. Many states have joined the registry. The Minnesota website is www.doc.state.mn.us/level3/search.asp

French accuse Lance Armstong of doping during Tour de France

The French have accused 7 time winner of the Tour de France and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong of using steroids to gain an advantage against his competitors. The French claim they have a urine sample from 1999. Some people believe the French are just upset that the Tour de France which the French cherish has been won by an American.

DOT to begin phasing in new CAFE standards

The federal Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it will be implementing new CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. This just basically means efficiency in gas mileage. US auto manufacturers complained that the existing standards were unfair compared to the Japanese who typically make smaller vehicles and were not adjusting to the latest trends in consumer needs. The new standards would exempt larger SUV's such as the Hummer H2 and the Chevy Suburban. Enviromentalists fear that automakers will make some of the smaller SUV's slightly larger so that they are also exempt from the new regulations. The new regulations will be in implemented by 2011.

BRAC Commission overrules Pentagon

The Base Realignment And Closure Commission is charged with getting feedback from affected local communities regarding military bases closure proposed by the Pentagon. Politicians from both parties have lobbied the commission to keep their local bases open. Some businesses could close if some military bases are closed. The Pentagon made these recommendations to save money and run a more effective military and focus on present and future needs. Use the cost savings from closed bases for other uses. The commisssion recently voted and overruled the Pentagon on two recommendations on the East Coast in Maine and Connecticut by a majority vote. Other bases were spared as well. Most bases scheduled will not be that lucky. In that last several rounds 85% of bases scheduled to close were shutdown. The politicans from the effected states have a tough task ahead of them as they try to keep their own jobs. The base closing proposals originally were able to be amended but because it became too political that the recommendations of the commission are now voted up or down.

Northwest and mechanics wage P.R. war as strike continues

Northwest and the mechanics continue a public relations battle in the media to win support from the public. As the strike continues both sides trade accusations. Northwest is putting on happy face and saying that the airline is flying its normal schedule. The mechanics argue that there have been a higher number of cancellations and delays. It has yet been determined whether the replacement mechanics will be able to handle the pace over the long term. Most have experience and come from other airlines who faced bankruptcy. Northwest may face the possibility of bankruptcy which could void any contract that the mechanics union may agree to.

Pat Robertson's call for assasination of foreign leader irresponsible

Pat Robertson's call for assasination of the Venezuelan leader is irresponsible. While he is a very smart man, he should leave those types of decisions to the professionals in government. The State Department issued a statement calling Robertson's comments ridiculous and is not the position of the US government. Robertson believes that Venezuela could become a communist state.

New York City transportation system to get security upgrade

New York City plans to spend over 200 million in surveilance cameras in subway stations, tunnels and bridges. This system is designed to capture video and has motion sensors built in to the system. Allows system to detect potential problems and alert authorities to suspicious behavior and packages. The technology is not available yet for the subways or buses.

Conn. to Challenge No Child Left Behind in court

The State of Connecticut is the first to challenge the Bush administration on its education goal of No Child Left Behind. The state is challenging the federal government in court on the grounds that it is an unfunded mandate to the states.

Minnesota State Fair starts Thursday!

Vote on Constitution delayed again

The Speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly adjourned for the day without voting on the constitution as the first extended deadline passed. The Speaker said that he did not want the constitution voted on without the support of the Sunnis. The Sunnis make up 20% of the Iraqi population. Gave a few more days to garner support.
The US has put a happy face stating that while we are not at the goal that we are making progress and close to deal. This while the US was putting pressure on the Iraqis to meet the first deadline.

Sunni opposition to current draft of Constitution could lead to civil war

If the Sunnis cannot agree to the current draft of the constitution it could lead to civil war as deadline just a few hours away. The feud has been over the issue of federalism. The Shiites and the Kurds have the votes to pass the current draft of the constitution. The National Assembly could be disbanded if issues are not resolved. Some experts believe a deal will be reached minutes before the deadline.

Some pharmacists sue IL Governor over new law

Some pharmacists in Illinois are suing the governor over a new law that has been enacted. The new law requires pharmacists to sell a very controversial morning after pill commonly known as RU-486. Pharamcists in some states are allowed to not sell certain items if they have moral or religious objections. RU-486 has been legal in most western European countries. In the US pro-life advocates argue that this is a form of abortion while pro-choice advocates argue that this is just another birth control option available for women.

Few problems at Airport so far as strike continues

Northwest is reporting that they have had just a few problems since the strike started on Friday. The true test experts say will come in the next few days as they get into the regular work week when the number of planes in service will increase. The unions mechanics say that there has already been a slow down due to replacements and that Northwest has already started its fall schedule instead of labor day. None of the other Northwest's unions have honored the mechanics picket lines which makes it harder for the mechanics to make there case.

Sunnis seek help as deadline nears

As the deadline nears the Sunnis are asking help from the US and UN because the current draft of the constitution favors the Shiites and the Kurds. This fight is primarily over federalism which would determine how strong the central government will be. The Sunnis fear that the current draft would give favor to the Shiites and the Kurds who make up 80% of the Iraqi population and control over future oil wealth. The Sunnis were the minority group who were in power under the former Saddam regime.

Increase in gas price fuels demand for hybrids

With gas prices continuing to climb alternative energy such as hybrid vehicles have become quite popular. Just a few years ago the hybrid vehicles were not selling well. However its a different story now that gas prices have skyrocketed in recent months. A year ago a gallon of gas was $1.79 now its around $2.60. Many dealers say they cant keep hybrids stocked long enough to meet consumer demand.
China has been part of the problem as their demand for oil has increased substantially therefore increasing the worlds demand for oil.