From Star/Tribune
Gen. Ray Odierno , the top U.S. military official in Iraq, says about 4,000 U.S. troops, roughly the size of an Army brigade, will be brought home from Iraq by the end of October as the pullout from the six-year war continues. Odierno is announcing the drawdown -- to about 120,000 troops -- at a House Armed Services Committee hearing today. The Associated Press obtained a copy of his prepared remarks. Odierno also says the monthly number of attacks in Iraq has dropped dramatically over the past two years -- from more than 4,000 in August 2007 to about 600 last month.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
First guns, now ammo: Obama fears feed a frenzy
FROM THE STAR/TRIBUNE
Bullet-makers are working seven days a week and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation -- even though nothing specific has been proposed.
Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.
"That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets a gun is just a paperweight."
Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds.
"We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Company, which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."
"I call it the Obama effect," said Jason Gregory, 37, who manages a gun store outside of New Orleans. Gun control legislation "always happens when the Democrats get in office. ... Ammunition will be the first step, so I'm stocking up while I can."
Bullet-makers are working seven days a week and still can't keep up with the nation's demand for ammunition.
Shooting ranges, gun dealers and bullet manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation -- even though nothing specific has been proposed.
Gun sales spiked when it became clear Obama would be elected a year ago and purchases continued to rise in his first few months of office. The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System reported that 6.1 million background checks for gun sales were issued from January to May, an increase of 25.6 percent from the same period the year before.
"That is going to cause an upswing in ammunition sales," said Larry Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association representing about 5,000 members. "Without bullets a gun is just a paperweight."
Americans usually buy about 7 billion rounds of ammunition a year, according to the National Rifle Association. In the past year, that figure has jumped to about 9 billion rounds.
"We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," said Al Russo, spokesman for North Carolina-based Remington Arms Company, which makes bullets for rifles, handguns and shotguns. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."
"I call it the Obama effect," said Jason Gregory, 37, who manages a gun store outside of New Orleans. Gun control legislation "always happens when the Democrats get in office. ... Ammunition will be the first step, so I'm stocking up while I can."
Monday, September 21, 2009
More troops requested for Afghanistan
By ANNE GEARAN , Associated Press
From the Star/Tribune- The situation in Afghanistan is serious and growing worse and without more boots on the ground the United States risks failure in a war it's been waging since shortly after the terror attacks of September 2001, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, says in a confidential report. "Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it," McChrystal wrote in a five-page Commander's Summary. His 66-page report, sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Aug. 30, is now under review by President Barack Obama.
"Although considerable effort and sacrifice have resulted in some progress, many indicators suggest the overall effort is deteriorating," McChrystal said of the war's progress.
While asserting that more troops are needed, McChrystal also pointed out an "urgent need" to significantly revise strategy. The U.S. needs to interact better with the Afghan people, McChrystal said, and better organize its efforts with NATO allies. "We run the risk of strategic defeat by pursuing tactical wins that cause civilian casualties or unnecessary collateral damage. The insurgents cannot defeat us militarily; but we can defeat ourselves," he wrote.
In his blunt assessment of the tenacious Taliban insurgency, McChrystal warned that unless the U.S. and its allies gain the initiative and reverse the momentum of the militants within the next year the U.S. "risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible"
In Congress, the war has taken on a highly partisan edge. Senate Republicans are demanding more forces to turn around a war that soon will enter its ninth year, while members of Obama's own Democratic Party are trying to put on the brakes.
Obama said in the Sunday interviews that he will not allow politics to govern his decision. "The only thing I've said to my folks is, 'A, I want an unvarnished assessment, but, B, I don't want to put the resource question before the strategy question,'" Obama said. "Because there is a natural inclination to say, 'If I get more, then I can do more.'"
From the Star/Tribune- The situation in Afghanistan is serious and growing worse and without more boots on the ground the United States risks failure in a war it's been waging since shortly after the terror attacks of September 2001, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, says in a confidential report. "Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it," McChrystal wrote in a five-page Commander's Summary. His 66-page report, sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Aug. 30, is now under review by President Barack Obama.
"Although considerable effort and sacrifice have resulted in some progress, many indicators suggest the overall effort is deteriorating," McChrystal said of the war's progress.
While asserting that more troops are needed, McChrystal also pointed out an "urgent need" to significantly revise strategy. The U.S. needs to interact better with the Afghan people, McChrystal said, and better organize its efforts with NATO allies. "We run the risk of strategic defeat by pursuing tactical wins that cause civilian casualties or unnecessary collateral damage. The insurgents cannot defeat us militarily; but we can defeat ourselves," he wrote.
In his blunt assessment of the tenacious Taliban insurgency, McChrystal warned that unless the U.S. and its allies gain the initiative and reverse the momentum of the militants within the next year the U.S. "risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible"
In Congress, the war has taken on a highly partisan edge. Senate Republicans are demanding more forces to turn around a war that soon will enter its ninth year, while members of Obama's own Democratic Party are trying to put on the brakes.
Obama said in the Sunday interviews that he will not allow politics to govern his decision. "The only thing I've said to my folks is, 'A, I want an unvarnished assessment, but, B, I don't want to put the resource question before the strategy question,'" Obama said. "Because there is a natural inclination to say, 'If I get more, then I can do more.'"
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Flu cases increase in Minnesota
By MAURA LERNER, Star Tribune
Based on the reports, Minnesota was bumped up to the highest level of flu activity by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. As of Wednesday, the virus is listed as "widespread," meaning that flu-like illness has been reported in half of the state's regions.
The surge had been expected once school started, and most of the outbreaks have been in the metro area and southern half of the state, "although it's moving," said assistant health commissioner John Linc Stine. The new cases appear to be similar in severity as the first wave of the pandemic, which began in April, Stine said. While most cases are relatively mild, about eight people have been hospitalized in the past week, he said.
The pandemic flu virus, also known as H1N1, may not be causing all the illness, but it's likely playing a "significant role in the upsurge," the Health Department said in a prepared statement.
As of Monday, only a handful of schools had reported a spike in flu-like illness, but that jumped to more than 30 by Wednesday, Stine said. Schools have been asked to notify the Health Department if more than 5 percent of students are out with flu-like symptoms, or if three or more children in the same elementary class fall ill. "We have been anticipating a possible second wave of this illness," said Dr. Sanne Magnan, the state health commissioner. "We strongly suspect that may be starting to happen now."
Although the flu spread quickly in the spring and early summer, the numbers had dropped dramatically until now. But as children have returned to school across the country, new outbreaks have followed, usually by the second week of class, Stine said. "We're in that second week."
A vaccine for the new flu strain was approved by federal authorities Tuesday, but the first doses aren't expected to arrive in Minnesota until October.
On Monday, Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert, predicted that the number of H1N1 cases will peak in the next six to eight weeks -- before the vaccine is widely available.
In the meantime, health officials are encouraging people to protect themselves with frequent hand-washing, covering their coughs, and staying home if they're sick.
Based on the reports, Minnesota was bumped up to the highest level of flu activity by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. As of Wednesday, the virus is listed as "widespread," meaning that flu-like illness has been reported in half of the state's regions.
The surge had been expected once school started, and most of the outbreaks have been in the metro area and southern half of the state, "although it's moving," said assistant health commissioner John Linc Stine. The new cases appear to be similar in severity as the first wave of the pandemic, which began in April, Stine said. While most cases are relatively mild, about eight people have been hospitalized in the past week, he said.
The pandemic flu virus, also known as H1N1, may not be causing all the illness, but it's likely playing a "significant role in the upsurge," the Health Department said in a prepared statement.
As of Monday, only a handful of schools had reported a spike in flu-like illness, but that jumped to more than 30 by Wednesday, Stine said. Schools have been asked to notify the Health Department if more than 5 percent of students are out with flu-like symptoms, or if three or more children in the same elementary class fall ill. "We have been anticipating a possible second wave of this illness," said Dr. Sanne Magnan, the state health commissioner. "We strongly suspect that may be starting to happen now."
Although the flu spread quickly in the spring and early summer, the numbers had dropped dramatically until now. But as children have returned to school across the country, new outbreaks have followed, usually by the second week of class, Stine said. "We're in that second week."
A vaccine for the new flu strain was approved by federal authorities Tuesday, but the first doses aren't expected to arrive in Minnesota until October.
On Monday, Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert, predicted that the number of H1N1 cases will peak in the next six to eight weeks -- before the vaccine is widely available.
In the meantime, health officials are encouraging people to protect themselves with frequent hand-washing, covering their coughs, and staying home if they're sick.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Carter: Racism behind Obama opposition
(CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that racial politics has played a role in some of the opposition the president has faced since taking office.
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told NBC News. "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."
"That racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people -- not just in the South but around the country -- that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.
Carter made similar remarks at an event at his presidential center in Atlanta, Georgia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, pointing to some protesters who have compared Obama to a Nazi. "Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," the former president said at the Carter Center, according to AP. "It's deeper than that."
He grouped Wilson's shout of "You lie!" during Obama's speech in that category, according to AP. "I think it's based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president," he said.
"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect."
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told NBC News. "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."
"That racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people -- not just in the South but around the country -- that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.
Carter made similar remarks at an event at his presidential center in Atlanta, Georgia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, pointing to some protesters who have compared Obama to a Nazi. "Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," the former president said at the Carter Center, according to AP. "It's deeper than that."
He grouped Wilson's shout of "You lie!" during Obama's speech in that category, according to AP. "I think it's based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president," he said.
"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect."
Monday, September 14, 2009
South Dakota School Dress Code
By CHET BROKAW , Associated Press
EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. - Carol Moran spent all she could spare on new school clothes for her 15-year-old daughter. Then she found out a new dress code had been imposed at the junior high school that serves the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Moran, who walks with a cane and survives on welfare in one of South Dakota's most impoverished regions, said buying a whole new set of clothes is out of the question. Her daughter, Kyann, already has been sent home twice for violating the dress code since school started two weeks ago. "It was just like a slap in the face," Moran said.
Unexpected school expenses can stress any parent. But for many with students in the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District, finding gas money or a ride to an affordable store can prove all but impossible, much less paying for the clothes if they get there. More than half of the people there lived in poverty in 2005. The nearest discount store, such as Wal-Mart or Kmart, is about 90 miles away in the state capital of Pierre.
Moran and other parents have joined the tribe in a federal lawsuit seeking to block the school district from enforcing the dress code, which requires students to wear black, white or tan shirts, pants, skirts or shorts. Administrators say it is intended to avoid gang violence. The lawsuit argues the dress code violates federal regulations requiring such schools consult with tribes and parents of American Indian children in developing programs and policies.
Tom Van Norman, the tribe's attorney, said the dress code is not only a hardship for struggling parents but also an impediment to educating the children who are taken out of class and sent home or placed in a time-out room. The dress code was publicized in the local weekly newspaper earlier in the summer, but many parents did not learn of it until receiving a packet of information about eight days before school started, Van Norman said. Classes started Aug. 27 and the tribe sued Sept. 1.
Bureau of Indian Education Supervisor Nadine Eastman, explained the dress code in a letter published Aug. 6 in the local newspaper, the West River Eagle. "The purpose of the Uniform Dress Code is primarily to alleviate much of the gang-related violence in the school," Eastman wrote. "Many of our Junior High students wear gang-affiliated colors to school daily. Secondarily, we hope that an increase in safety will increase our academics for all students."
Winona Charger, whose grandson Justin Little Star has been suspended for violating the dress code, said she has seen little evidence of a gang problem. She said the schools should spend more time and money improving academic achievement. "They're not teaching our kids. They're worried about what they're wearing to school. That's what makes me angry," Charger said.
EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. - Carol Moran spent all she could spare on new school clothes for her 15-year-old daughter. Then she found out a new dress code had been imposed at the junior high school that serves the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Moran, who walks with a cane and survives on welfare in one of South Dakota's most impoverished regions, said buying a whole new set of clothes is out of the question. Her daughter, Kyann, already has been sent home twice for violating the dress code since school started two weeks ago. "It was just like a slap in the face," Moran said.
Unexpected school expenses can stress any parent. But for many with students in the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District, finding gas money or a ride to an affordable store can prove all but impossible, much less paying for the clothes if they get there. More than half of the people there lived in poverty in 2005. The nearest discount store, such as Wal-Mart or Kmart, is about 90 miles away in the state capital of Pierre.
Moran and other parents have joined the tribe in a federal lawsuit seeking to block the school district from enforcing the dress code, which requires students to wear black, white or tan shirts, pants, skirts or shorts. Administrators say it is intended to avoid gang violence. The lawsuit argues the dress code violates federal regulations requiring such schools consult with tribes and parents of American Indian children in developing programs and policies.
Tom Van Norman, the tribe's attorney, said the dress code is not only a hardship for struggling parents but also an impediment to educating the children who are taken out of class and sent home or placed in a time-out room. The dress code was publicized in the local weekly newspaper earlier in the summer, but many parents did not learn of it until receiving a packet of information about eight days before school started, Van Norman said. Classes started Aug. 27 and the tribe sued Sept. 1.
Bureau of Indian Education Supervisor Nadine Eastman, explained the dress code in a letter published Aug. 6 in the local newspaper, the West River Eagle. "The purpose of the Uniform Dress Code is primarily to alleviate much of the gang-related violence in the school," Eastman wrote. "Many of our Junior High students wear gang-affiliated colors to school daily. Secondarily, we hope that an increase in safety will increase our academics for all students."
Winona Charger, whose grandson Justin Little Star has been suspended for violating the dress code, said she has seen little evidence of a gang problem. She said the schools should spend more time and money improving academic achievement. "They're not teaching our kids. They're worried about what they're wearing to school. That's what makes me angry," Charger said.
Friday, September 11, 2009
'You lie' congressman becomes center of attention
FROM THE STAR/TRIBUNE
By PHILIP RUCKER and ANN GERHART, Washington Post
Last update: September 11, 2009 - 6:20 AM
WASHINGTON - Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., mastered politics in a state where no-holds-barred political combat dates back to the days before the Civil War, when one of its congressmen entered the Senate chamber and beat a Massachusetts senator with a cane for attacking pro-slavery Southerners. So when Wilson went so far Wednesday night as to heckle President Obama, interrupting his address to Congress with shouts of "You lie!" he wasn't straying far from South Carolina's political traditions.
Wilson's outburst not only thrust the little-known congressman into the national spotlight; it also made him the latest in a legendary line of South Carolina politicians who appeared to revel in renegade behavior.
Wilson on Thursday turned a deaf ear to pleas from his party's leaders to apologize on the House floor, saying that a phone-call apology to Obama had been sufficient and that his comments were "spontaneous" and the result of being overcome with emotion. Democratic leaders, though stunned, said they were not inclined to pursue an official sanction against Wilson, and Obama accepted his apology: "I'm a big believer that we all make mistakes."
Still, Wilson became an overnight hero for conservatives by boldly channeling inside the sanctity of the Capitol the anger that so many activists loudly displayed at August town hall meetings over health care reform. Interest in the formerly obscure backbencher overwhelmed his website and jammed his phone lines Thursday.
Wilson's charge -- which fact-checkers have repeatedly established as false -- was that the universal-coverage provision Obama backs would extend care to illegal immigrants.
Based on the proposals so far, illegal immigrants would not be allowed to obtain government subsidies that would make it easier for low-income individuals and families to afford health insurance. Critics, however, say the legislation as proposed does not include sufficient enforcement mechanisms.
"I truly had to speak out," Wilson told constituents Thursday in an interview with radio station WVOC-AM, insisting again that his claim about the legislation was accurate. Asked if he regretted his remark, however, Wilson said, "Oh, yeah, I wouldn't do that -- I wouldn't have planned it or done it again."
By PHILIP RUCKER and ANN GERHART, Washington Post
Last update: September 11, 2009 - 6:20 AM
WASHINGTON - Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., mastered politics in a state where no-holds-barred political combat dates back to the days before the Civil War, when one of its congressmen entered the Senate chamber and beat a Massachusetts senator with a cane for attacking pro-slavery Southerners. So when Wilson went so far Wednesday night as to heckle President Obama, interrupting his address to Congress with shouts of "You lie!" he wasn't straying far from South Carolina's political traditions.
Wilson's outburst not only thrust the little-known congressman into the national spotlight; it also made him the latest in a legendary line of South Carolina politicians who appeared to revel in renegade behavior.
Wilson on Thursday turned a deaf ear to pleas from his party's leaders to apologize on the House floor, saying that a phone-call apology to Obama had been sufficient and that his comments were "spontaneous" and the result of being overcome with emotion. Democratic leaders, though stunned, said they were not inclined to pursue an official sanction against Wilson, and Obama accepted his apology: "I'm a big believer that we all make mistakes."
Still, Wilson became an overnight hero for conservatives by boldly channeling inside the sanctity of the Capitol the anger that so many activists loudly displayed at August town hall meetings over health care reform. Interest in the formerly obscure backbencher overwhelmed his website and jammed his phone lines Thursday.
Wilson's charge -- which fact-checkers have repeatedly established as false -- was that the universal-coverage provision Obama backs would extend care to illegal immigrants.
Based on the proposals so far, illegal immigrants would not be allowed to obtain government subsidies that would make it easier for low-income individuals and families to afford health insurance. Critics, however, say the legislation as proposed does not include sufficient enforcement mechanisms.
"I truly had to speak out," Wilson told constituents Thursday in an interview with radio station WVOC-AM, insisting again that his claim about the legislation was accurate. Asked if he regretted his remark, however, Wilson said, "Oh, yeah, I wouldn't do that -- I wouldn't have planned it or done it again."
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