Sunday, August 24, 2014


News Clips For The Day


Sunnis pull out of Iraq talks after deadly mosque attack
CBS/AP August 22, 2014, 4:52 PM

BAGHDAD - Sunni lawmakers pulled out of talks on forming a new Iraqi government after militants attacked a Sunni mosque in a volatile province outside Baghdad during Friday prayers, killing at least 64 people.

It was not immediately clear if the attack was carried out by Shiite militiamen orthe Islamic State of Iraq and Syria extremist group, known as ISIS, which has been advancing into the ethnically and communally mixed Diyala province and has been known to kill fellow Sunni Muslims who refuse to submit to its leadership.

But Sunni lawmakers pointed to powerful Shiite militias, and two major parliamentary blocs pulled out of talks on forming a new Cabinet, setting up a major challenge for prime minister-designate Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite who is struggling to form an inclusive government that can confront the militants.

The blocs affiliated with Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlak demanded that outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the main Shiite parliamentary bloc hand over the perpetrators within 48 hours and compensate the families of victims "if they want the political process and the new government to see the light of day."

The joint statement blamed the attack on "militias" in an apparent reference to Shiite armed groups allied with the government. Sunni lawmakers could not immediately be reached for further comment.

The United States condemned the attack and said it "stands with the people of Iraq against this violence."

"This senseless attack underscores the urgent need for Iraqi leaders from across the political spectrum to take the necessary steps that will help unify the country against all violent extremist groups," State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

An army officer and a police officer said the attack on the Musab bin Omair Mosque in Imam Wais village, some 75 miles northeast of Baghdad, began with a suicide bombing near the entrance, after which gunmen poured in and opened fire on the worshippers.

Officials in Imam Wais said Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen raced to the scene of the attack to reinforce security but stumbled upon bombs planted by the militants, which allowed the attackers to flee. Four Shiite militiamen were killed and 13 wounded by the blasts.

A total of at least 64 people were killed in the attack and more than 60 wounded. Al-Maliki has called for an investigation.

The officials said ISIS fighters have been trying to convince two prominent Sunni tribes in the area - the Oal-Waisi and al-Jabour - to join them, but that they have thus far refused.

Virtually all suicide bombings in Iraq are believed to have been carried out by Sunni militants, but Shiite fighters used the tactic in Lebanon during that country's civil war. In the chaotic aftermath of a major attack it is often not immediately clear how it was carried out or who was responsible.

Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Since early this year, Iraq has been facing an onslaught by ISIS and allied Sunni militants. The crisis has worsened since June, when the group seized Iraq's second largest city of Mosul, in the north.

In Diyala, ISIS fighters have clashed with Kurdish forces guarding disputed territory claimed by the Kurdish regional government in the north. The extremist group pushed Kurdish forces out of the town of Jalula earlier this month after heavy fighting.

ISIS group has also clashed with Shiite militiamen and security forces loyal to the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. At the height of Iraq's sectarian bloodletting in 2006-2007 the province was among the country's most lethal areas.

If the attack proves to have been carried out by Shiite militiamen it would deal a major blow to al-Abadi's efforts to reach out to the country's Sunni minority, whose grievances are seen as fueling the insurgency.

Al-Abadi has until Sept. 10 to submit a list of Cabinet members to parliament for approval, but such deadlines have often passed without action because of political wrangling.

On Friday Iraq's top Shiite cleric again called upon national leaders to settle their differences in a "realistic and doable" manner and swiftly form a new government to confront the Sunni insurgency.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the next government should be made up of candidates who care about "the country's future and its citizens" regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliations.

Al-Sistani warned that politicians' "demands and conditions could derail the forming of the new government."

The reclusive cleric's remarks were relayed by his representative, Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalaie, during Friday prayers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala.

Al-Karbalaie also called for urgent aid to be airlifted to residents of a small Shiite town which has been besieged by Sunni militants in northern Iraq.

About 15,000 Shiite Turkmen in the town of Amirli have been under a tight siege and are running out of food and medical supplies. The town is located about 105 miles north of Baghdad.

The United States launched airstrikes this month to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces looking to reclaim territory seized by the Islamic State group.

U.S. Central Command said Friday that it conducted three new airstrikes around the Mosul Dam, where clashes with militants continue nearly a week after Iraqi and Kurdish forces retook the sprawling facility with U.S. air support.

Since Aug. 8, the U.S. has launched a total of 93 airstrikes, of which 60 were near the Mosul Dam, Centcom said.




“Sunni lawmakers pulled out of talks on forming a new Iraqi government after militants attacked a Sunni mosque in a volatile province outside Baghdad during Friday prayers, killing at least 64 people. It was not immediately clear if the attack was carried out by Shiite militiamen orthe Islamic State of Iraq and Syria extremist group, known as ISIS, which has been advancing into the ethnically and communally mixed Diyala province and has been known to kill fellow Sunni Muslims who refuse to submit to its leadership.... The blocs affiliated with Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlak demanded that outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the main Shiite parliamentary bloc hand over the perpetrators within 48 hours and compensate the families of victims "if they want the political process and the new government to see the light of day." The joint statement blamed the attack on "militias" in an apparent reference to Shiite armed groups allied with the government.... If the attack proves to have been carried out by Shiite militiamen it would deal a major blow to al-Abadi's efforts to reach out to the country's Sunni minority, whose grievances are seen as fueling the insurgency..... Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the next government should be made up of candidates who care about "the country's future and its citizens" regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliations.

Even when they are faced with ISIS the Iraqi parties can't come to terms, it seems. Al-Sistani is urging that a government be formed on the basis of loyalty to Iraq rather than their particular religious backgrounds. They need to get the government together very soon so they can partner with the Kurds and the US to fight ISIS – get their act in gear, as we used to say in high school. They don't have time to be bickering among themselves, or they may all be wiped off the face of the earth. ISIS converts by killing those who don't join them. Many people across the world may be endangered if ISIS succeeds in taking over both Iraq and Syria to form a radical Sunni superstate.





State of Emergency After Northern California Shaken by Biggest Earthquake in 25 Years
By ABC News via Good Morning America
August 24, 2014

Northern California was shaken awake this morning by its strongest earthquake in 25 years, a jolt that damaged historic buildings and hurt dozens of people, including a young child critically injured by a crumbling fireplace.

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency after the South Napa Earthquake, which struck about 3:20 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was located about six miles south-southwest of Napa, California, and 51 miles west-southwest of the state capital, Sacramento. Officials have variously referred to the earthquake's magnitude as 6.0 and 6.1.

Dozens of aftershocks followed, with one reaching 3.6 magnitude, the USGS told ABC News. The earthquake was the largest one to shake the Bay Area since the 1989 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company initially showed more than 15,000 customers without power, primarily in Napa, Sonoma and Santa Rosa Counties.

Several buildings in Napa were damaged or on fire in the wake of the earthquake, ABC News station KGO in San Francisco reported.

"We had multiple structure fires that we've been dealing with -- a total of about six," John Callanan of the Napa Valley Fire Department told reporters. "In one of those incidents, it involved approximately six mobile homes together, so that was one single incident. Four of the six are completely damaged. The other two have suffered some major damage."

Eighty-seven people were being treated at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Napa City Fire’s Darren Drake told ABC News.

Three of those people were considered critical, including the child hurt by the fireplace, who was flown to a neuro-center for further treatment, Callanan said.

The city of Napa's website also cited dozens of reported gas line and water main leaks, though officials said the water remained safe to drink.

Historic buildings damaged included Sam Kee Laundry, Goodman Library and the Napa County Courthouse, the city said, adding that two commercial buildings also had suffered severe damage.

Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd said he believed the county courthouse had been retrofitted for earthquakes.

"I've been through a few of these and I've never seen anything like this, particularly in downtown Napa," Dodd said, according to ABC News Radio. "The county building is just in total disrepair, and they've moved it down to the sheriff's office -- so that's where the coordinating all the emergency services for the county."

President Obama was briefed on the earthquake this morning, a White House spokesman said.

Dozens living in the region reported falling dishes and violent shaking inside their homes.

"I was alone in the house so I didn't know what to do -- and the first thing when it stopped I ran under the table and tried to get cover because it's the first thing they say to do for an earthquake is get under the table," Diana Martini, who lives in Valejo, California told ABC News.

Martini said her television crashed to the ground, along with some of her dishes.

"I'm on the first floor, so that was the scariest thing. I thought the building was going to come down," she said.

Dozens of social media users also posted photos and videos of damage inside their homes.




Multiple buildings in Napa are damaged, on of which had been retrofitted for earthquakes, with six fires and six mobile homes destroyed. A photograph of a grocery store showed many food packages strewn out in the aisle and residents reported dishes falling and violent shaking. “I thought the building was going to come down,”a resident said. Though we do have the occasional hurricane bringing severe damage, I am glad I don't have to deal with earthquakes. The idea of my building falling down on my head or the ground breaking open like a cracked egg is really scary. At least we know when hurricanes are coming and where they are probably going to come ashore.




App Assists Homeless Without Fears They’ll Spend it On the Wrong Things
by Curt Sprang 
05/21/14 

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) - It can be an uncomfortable situation.  A stranger approaches you when you’re stopped at a red light or while you’re walking down the street.  The person asks for money.  You’d like to help.

But you wonder to yourself if the money will be used to buy necessities or some sort of vice.

“So you have that kind of moral hazard of, so you’re giving a person money, but you actually could make their lives worse,” said Neel Sus from his tech company Susco Solutions.

Sus says he has always had a desire to help people but he could never be certain that cash donations would be used for necessities.

So he and his crew created Carebacks, a mobile app that allows people to donate money to people in need without the concerns over how the money will be spent.

Carebacks is currently available on Android and mobile web formats with an iPhone version in the works.

Sus demonstrated the app from his office, making a $10 donation.  “And then the person can buy up to $10 worth of stuff, as long as it’s not booze or cigarettes, and go on their way.”

Sus hopes people will embrace the new app and use it knowing their donations can only be used for necessities.

The recipient must remember a four-digit code to collect the donation.  Sus says, since donations start at $5, recipients will probably be highly motivated to remember the number.  But the code could also be written down if needed.

Carebacks also has a growing list of vendors including Winn Dixie, Breaux Mart, Community Food Center, Magnolia Discount, Brown Derby and Quicky’s Discount.  Also, donations to The Salvation Army can be used to pay for overnight shelter.

Each of the vendors can also log-on to the Carebacks app through a vendor portal.  They enter the appropriate four-digit code as well as the date and amount of the donation — which only the recipient will know.  Then the purchases can begin.

Sus says donors can set up a secure account on the app with a credit card.  He also hopes to provide pre-printed cards for people to use, allowing them to arrange donations in advance and to quickly hand the information to recipients during brief encounters like red lights.

It’s the kind of idea that Sus hopes will take off across the country.  He says his crew is constantly adding new vendors which do not have to be limited to the New Orleans area.

Each donation also includes a service fee which Sus uses to cover the costs of maintaining and growing the program.  He understands that other app makers may like his idea and create their own versions.

“I actually look forward to copycats.  Obviously I’d prefer to be the Facebook of it but if we become the MySpace of it but start a revolution, then so be it.”

For more information, log-on to carebacks.co.




“'So you have that kind of moral hazard of, so you’re giving a person money, but you actually could make their lives worse,' said Neel Sus from his tech company Susco Solutions. … Sus demonstrated the app from his office, making a $10 donation.  “And then the person can buy up to $10 worth of stuff, as long as it’s not booze or cigarettes, and go on their way.” Sus hopes people will embrace the new app and use it knowing their donations can only be used for necessities.... Carebacks also has a growing list of vendors including Winn Dixie, Breaux Mart, Community Food Center, Magnolia Discount, Brown Derby and Quicky’s Discount.  Also, donations to The Salvation Army can be used to pay for overnight shelter.....Sus says donors can set up a secure account on the app with a credit card.  He also hopes to provide pre-printed cards for people to use, allowing them to arrange donations in advance and to quickly hand the information to recipients during brief encounters like red lights.... Each donation also includes a service fee which Sus uses to cover the costs of maintaining and growing the program.... For more information, log-on to carebacks.co.”

This is a unique and easy idea. I, too, got to the point in DC that I almost totally stopped giving anyone money. I have bought food and taken to some people, and I called the police to come and pick up several men who were sleeping in their sleeping bags in a park one 15 degree night. The police told me they can't force them to go into shelters against their will, and I have found out since that some homeless people have arrest warrants out against them or don't want to be prohibited from drinking or doing drugs, as they will be in a shelter. It's a sad situation, but this new app does solve one of the problems.




Got Camel Milk? Alternative Dairies Gain Popularity Around CountryABC News
By Joanna Prisco via Good Morning America
August 22, 2014

As more Americans continue to explore alternative milks, such as goat, sheep, soy, and nut milk, another contender for the title of "it" beverage has emerged and slowly lumbered into America's refrigerators.

That's right, camel milk is having a moment.

With just seven camel milk dairies currently producing in the U.S., the alternative refreshment is still a long way from becoming a cereal-bowl staple. But with American consumers becoming increasingly curious and health conscious, producers are seeing more demand than they have in decades.

In Wray, Colorado, Camelot Camel Dairy is currently building the state's first camel dairy with an eye toward coordinating local camel shares and producing pasteurized milk, as well as soap and other retails items.

Desert Farms, a camel dairy based in Santa Monica with partner farmers around the country, recently moved beyond mail- and online-orders for its pints of raw camel milk to making them available in 40 Whole Foods locations throughout California, where people are pairing it with everything from Oreos to dried crickets.

This, despite the hefty pricetag of $18 per pint.

"I am thrilled with the nutrient value of camel's milk," wrote one consumer on the Desert Farmswebsite. "However, I must admit, at $16-$18 dollars per pint, this cannot become a mainstay in the household, yet it can be an occasional treat."

Part of the reason camel's milk is more costly that dairy milk, soy milk or other alternative milk beverages is the time and labor necessary for production. Mother camels gestate for 13 months, only release milk when encouraged by their calves to do so, and express milk for approximately 90 seconds at a time.

In addition, camel importation is banned in the U.S. So the only option is breeding from the 3,000 available livestock currently grazing. A single animal can cost from $4,000 to $6,000.

Desert Farms works exclusively with Amish farmers who tend a herd of six camels at maximum. So the yield is vastly smaller than milk produced on even organic cow dairies, which can have as many as 70 cows or more.

Cost per pint can be lowered, however, by joining membership programs that deliver in larger increments, such The Camel Milk Association (CMA) in Michigan. For a $25 membership fee plus a $99 order, one can receive nine pints of fresh, raw, American-raised camel's milk shipped anywhere in the U.S.

It's still a far cry from a $3.67 gallon of cow's milk. But some say the health benefits of camel's milk far outweigh the expenditure. The CMA cites myriad studies on its website, noting that the beverage "contains more fat, protein (especially casein), ash, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron and copper, and less whey protein, lactose and zinc" than cow's milk.

Other claims on the CMA site state that those with lactose sensitivities are able to digest camel's milk easily and that "children with autism are reported to have shown a reduction in autism symptoms and improved motor skills, language, cognition, joint attention and skin health," after consuming camel's milk regularly.

There is little scientific data to back up the latter claim.

So how does camel milk taste? It depends on who you ask. To some, the flavor is "sweet and creamy." Others say, "Tasted like cow's milk to me, nothing sweet about it."




“With just seven camel milk dairies currently producing in the U.S., the alternative refreshment is still a long way from becoming a cereal-bowl staple. But with American consumers becoming increasingly curious and health conscious, producers are seeing more demand than they have in decades.... Part of the reason camel's milk is more costly that dairy milk, soy milk or other alternative milk beverages is the time and labor necessary for production. Mother camels gestate for 13 months, only release milk when encouraged by their calves to do so, and express milk for approximately 90 seconds at a time.”

Camelot Camel Dairy, Desert Farms, and The Camel Milk Association (CMA) are all sources of pint quantities of camel's milk for something in the range of $18.00 apiece, and the CMA has subscriptions so that milk can be bought for less money. It has higher concentrations of many desirable ingredients such as calcium, phosphorus etc. than cows milk, without the lactose intolerance problem, even though it has more lactose than cow's milk. How that claim works, I don't know. Some also claim that children with autism have improvements in their symptoms. The writer of the article claims that there is nothing to back up that last piece of information. Personally, I'll stay away from camel's milk. The only cows milk alternatives that I have tried are goat and almond milk. The almond milk tasted like pure water with chalk dissolved in it, but the goats milk was pretty good. Goat cheese is also very good if you like that wild animal taste that lamb has, and I do. All in all, though, I'll stick with cows milk for my daily consumption. People with lactose intolerance will probably be interested.





3 White House Aides To Attend Michael Brown's Funeral Service – NPR
by L. CAROL RITCHIE
August 24, 2014

President Obama is sending three White House officials to Ferguson, Mo., on Monday for the funeral service for Michael Brown, the 18-year-old black man killed by a white police officer two weeks ago.

The shooting set off days of unrest in the St. Louis suburb, but the demonstrations this weekend were relatively calm, with only a handful of arrests, The Associated Press reports.

Attending Monday's service will be Broderick Johnson, chairman of the My Brother's Keeper Task Force, an Obama initiative to empower boys and men of color. Joining Johnson will be Marlon Marshall, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and Heather Foster, an adviser for the office.

Marshall is a St. Louis native and attended high school with Brown's mother, the White House says.

Saturday was the fourth night of relative calm in Ferguson, with smaller, quieter protests than the tense clashes earlier in the week.

"But once again," AP said, "peaceful daytime protests gave way to angrier shouts and more defiant marchers as night fell — including some who argued angrily with one another. But well past midnight, there were no sign of police riot gear, tear gas or armored vehicles that marked earlier street skirmishes in the first week after Brown's death."

Meanwhile, supporters of the Ferguson officer who shot Brown, Darren Wilson, rallied about 10 miles south of Ferguson at a sports pub owned by a member of the St. Louis police department.

USA Today reports that online fundraising for Wilson has surpassed the amount raised for the Brown family.

The Michael Brown Memorial Fund has raised more than $216,000 to "assist his family with costs that they will acquire as they seek justice on Michael's behalf."

A crowd-funding page for Wilson, on the other hand, raised $234,910 before it stopped accepting donations, having exceeded its goal of $100,000. The group has opened a new fundraising page and accrued more than $106,000, USA Today reports.



http://www.techtimes.com/articles/13853/20140823/why-will-ferguson-cop-who-allegedly-shot-mike-brown-get-250-000-of-crowdsourced-funds.htm





“Attending Monday's service will be Broderick Johnson, chairman of the My Brother's Keeper Task Force, an Obama initiative to empower boys and men of color. Joining Johnson will be Marlon Marshall, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and Heather Foster, an adviser for the office. Marshall is a St. Louis native and attended high school with Brown's mother, the White House says.” Interestingly, the fund to support the policeman has raised more money than Brown's. Is that because Republicans have more money than Democrats, or that the Tea Party is flexing its muscles to fall in line behind the police? Or perhaps it's simply that the American public is really afraid of rioting. The fact is that we need to do something about overly aggressive police forces. They have become the judge and jury in too many cases, and they aren't being restrained. They are a threat to everyone of every color if an ultra-conservative political movement were to take over here.








Obama Orders Review Of Transfers Of Military Surplus To Local Police – NPR
by SCOTT NEUMAN and STEVE MULLIS
August 23, 2014

President Obama has ordered a review of federal programs that supply local law enforcement agencies with military weapons and equipment after concerns over how the police handled unrest in Ferguson, Mo., in the aftermath of the shooting death of Michael Brown.

A senior Obama administration official says the president "whether state and local law enforcement are provided with the necessary training and guidance; and whether the federal government is sufficiently auditing the use of equipment obtained through federal programs and funding."

The official also says the review would include input from the Domestic Policy Council, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, as well as the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security and Treasury.

Obama telegraphed the likelihood of a review on Monday when he urged a reexamination of such programs.

"There is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement, and we don't want those lines blurred," the president told reporters at the White House. "That would be contrary to our traditions."

The issue has come to the fore since the fatal shooting of Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, by a white police officer. The incident has sparked several nights of violent protests.

As Jim Howard of St. Louis Public Radio writes:

"The protestors were met by heavily armored combat vehicles and officers in camouflage combat-grade body armor, some with sniper rifles. The material came via the 1033 program, under which surplus military hardware is made available from the Department of Defense to local law enforcement agencies across the country.

"The images of what appeared to be combat-ready forces arrayed against protestors flashed around the world in news and social media reports and quickly added to the tension on the streets."

In June, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a report that warned of the excessive militarization of American law enforcement.

As we reported at the time, the report highlighted, among other things, the growing use of SWAT teams for such seemingly mundane tasks as serving drug warrants.



“A senior Obama administration official says the president 'whether state and local law enforcement are provided with the necessary training and guidance; and whether the federal government is sufficiently auditing the use of equipment obtained through federal programs and funding.' The official also says the review would include input from the Domestic Policy Council, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, as well as the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security and Treasury.....'There is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement, and we don't want those lines blurred," the president told reporters at the White House. 'That would be contrary to our traditions.'.... In June, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a report that warned of the excessive militarization of American law enforcement. As we reported at the time, the report highlighted, among other things, the growing use of SWAT teams for such seemingly mundane tasks as serving drug warrants.”

I hope this investigation will go deeply into what the acceptable role of a police officer is, and when he is allowed to use lethal force, plus whether an officer should go on patrol without a partner as Wilson was doing. It is very possible that Wilson was afraid and acted out of fear. He said they tried to take his gun from him. That would be an attack on a police officer if it is true, but the other witnesses didn't corroborate that. I think one rule of thumb to define when police should be punished for overkill reactions would be if the legal penalty for the original crime is death. But this tendency for police to be “judge and jury” as well as making an arrest is a problem. I hope the White House's investigation will end up changing how police officers operate in a number of ways, and reducing these shootings. I'll be on the lookout for the report when it is issued.