US & UK to fund anti-terror unit in Yemen

Once again it's hard to overlook the disaster of diverting attention to Iraq during the Bush administration. Instead of attacking current policy, maybe Cheney can tell us all about why they made such a mess of the real problems.

The British government said Sunday that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama have agreed to back a counterterrorism police unit in Yemen to tackle the rising terrorist threat from the country.

In an e-mailed statement, Brown's Downing Street Office said the U.K. and the White House agreed to "intensify joint US-UK work to tackle the emerging terrorist threat from both Yemen and Somalia" in the wake of the failed Detroit terror plot.

Both countries have closed their embassies in Yemen today. Read the rest of this post...

Local governments taking back corporate welfare

For starters, it's clear that they are communists who hate the current business model that gives away money without strings. How dare they make business live up to the terms of their agreement. Can't they learn from how Bush and then Obama have dealt with failures from business? Give them even more money and don't ask for any accountability. Heck, ask them to guide the economy because surely they couldn't ruin it again if given their wish list, could they? That's what the American public wants more than anything. Who needs accountability?

As the recession drags on, municipalities struggling to fix roads, fund schools and pay bills increasingly are rescinding tax abatements to companies that don't hire enough workers, lay them off or close up shop. At the same time, they're sharpening new incentive deals, leaving no doubt what is expected of companies and what will happen if they don't deliver.

"We will roll out the red carpet as much as we can (but) they are going to honor the contract," said Brendon Gallagher, an alderman in DeKalb, Ill., where Target Corp. got abatements from the city, county, school district and other taxing bodies after promising at least 500 jobs at a local distribution center.

So when the company came up 66 workers short in 2009, Target got word its next tax bill would be jumping almost $600,000 — more than half of which go to the local school district, where teachers and programs have been cut as coffers dried up.

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FOX's Brit Hume tells Tiger Woods to become a Christian

Remember, Brit Hume is part of FOX's "news" team. Now, FOX watchers will likely see nothing wrong with a news anchor lecturing someone to become a Christian. But that's not really his job as a news anchor, to tell non-Christians to become Christians. Not to mention, there seems to be an implication that Tiger Woods would be a better person, or something, if he became a Christian. Yes, because all those Republican Christians don't ever cheat on their wives.

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US tightens international flight security

Good. This is the kind of thing I've been wanting to see. Though at some point shouldn't we add Saudi Arabia to the list of countries needing higher screening? I think the Saudis are already at the top of the list of most successful terrorist attacks against the US using a plane.

All travelers flying into the U.S. from foreign countries will receive tightened random screening, and 100 percent of passengers from seven terrorism-prone countries will be patted down and have their carry-ons searched, the Obama administration was notifying airlines on Sunday....

All passengers from countries on the State Department’s “State Sponsors of Terrorism” list – plus all passengers from Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen, will receive “full body pat-down and physical inspection of property,” the official said.

The countries on the State Department list are Cuban, Iran, Sudan and Syria....

The measures apply to all “passengers with passports from or itineraries through State Sponsors of Terrorism and ‘countries of interest.’”

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Getting fat off obesity

Carrying around a few extra pounds after the holidays? You are not alone. As Chris referenced yesterday in his post on the results of the US health check for the past decade, over a quarter of Americans are obese. And by all accounts it's not getting any better.

So, I was none too surprised when I saw that V Magazine's next issue will "celebrate women of all sizes," featuring Crystal Renn, a writer and plus-size model. She, and other larger models, will appear side-by-side with traditional models.

Even Tyra Banks is getting in on the plus-size rage. (Is there a money-making opportunity this woman ever passes up?) According to Stylist.com, she is not the only one. Ralph Lauren, Dolce &Gabbana, Versace and Burberry are joining in on cashing in.

The LA Times reported this past spring that Forever 21, the knock-off clothing chain aimed at girls and young women, would be launching Faith 21, targeted at plus-sized young ladies.

Here's the thing: we know all too well that health care "reform" just passed, offering a less than convincing array of solutions to all sorts of public health problems. According to the American Public Health Association, obesity-related illness is projected to account for 20% of all healthcare spending within 10 years. Maybe prominent designers and talk show hosts could do more than make a buck off people on their way to serious problems. It may seem Pollyanna-ish, but Ralph Lauren and others seems happy enough to engage in other issues. They show obvious concern for the environment with Lauren's handsome Eco-Friendly tote and Burberry's announcement on its site that it is the founding member of the Luxury Brands Sustainability Group.

Fat is clearly not as sexy as green. Read the rest of this post...

UK to start using full body scanners

Gordon Brown went on the offensive to show that he's leading the way for safety at British airports. Unfortunately, some reports are suggesting they are not effective and would not have had any impact on the Christmas day event over Detroit.

Tests by scientists in the team at Qinetiq, which Mr Wallace advised before he became an MP in 2005, showed the millimetre-wave scanners picked up shrapnel and heavy wax and metal, but plastic, chemicals and liquids were missed.

If a material is low density, such as powder, liquid or thin plastic – as well as the passenger's clothing – the millimetre waves pass through and the object is not shown on screen. High- density material such as metal knives, guns and dense plastic such as C4 explosive reflect the millimetre waves and leave an image of the object.

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US shuts embassy in Yemen after concerns about coming Al Qaeda attack

BBC:

There are mounting fears that Yemen is becoming a leading al-Qaeda haven.

Mr Brennan, the US Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, told ABC's This Week TV programme that the group had "several hundred members" in Yemen and was posing an increasing threat there.

"This is something that we've known about for a while," he said. "We're determined to destroy al-Qaeda, whether it's in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or in Yemen."

He also said the US believed the group was "planning to carry out an attack against a target inside of Sanaa, possibly our embassy".

The pot of money isn't endless. This is the cost of George Bush, and Joe Lieberman's, war in Iraq. We lost a trillion dollars that we could have used for lots of other things. Read the rest of this post...

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

The first Sunday talk shows for the new year are all about terrorism.

The White House is sending out John Brennan, who serves as the President's top adviser on homeland security and counterterrorism. He'll be on NBC, ABC, CNN and FOX. Brennan is in charge of analyzing the current airline security systems. And, we learned yesterday that Brennan had been briefed about the "underwear" bomb a couple months ago.

We'll also get a bunch of members of Congress who view themselves as intelligence experts (and I know that sounds like an oxymoron). That includes Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the Michigan Republican who is running for Governor. His initial response to the recent attempt to blow up the Northwest flight was to send out a political fundraiser. That caused a furor -- even evoking intense criticism from another Republican -- and should make for some good grilling of Hoekstra (but probably won't.)

"Face the Nation" doesn't have any real guests. It's a bunch of CBS reporters talking amongst themselves.

The full lineup can be seen here. Read the rest of this post...

Be Bop A Lula

Compare it to Gene Vincent back in the '50s. I love both versions of the song.

How's everyone doing on the goals and resolutions for 2010? Jojo is trying to cut eating wheat which is not easy. She has allergies that are becoming too difficult. As for me, I'd like to start increasing my weekly bike distance and be closer to 200K by the summer. The short daylight in the winter really is limiting and I don't like the idea of riding in the dark. It's sunny now though so that's where I'm headed. Read the rest of this post...