Historical
Timeline
Calendar
Months
"Most newspaper article events actually happen anywhere from days, to months, to years before they ever reach publication. Consequently, most newspaper articles on this timeline are naturally preceded by the date of the newspaper in which they appear. For clarification, the actual date for any event will generally appear [in brackets] next to the event itself. Furthermore, some of the events on this timeline [for which I have yet to acquire an exact date] may not be listed in perfect chronological order, by day or month." [E.M.]
January 2006
2006 - Astronomic Configuration - January 1st, 2006: "Sun [10 Capricorn], Moon [26 Capricorn], Mercury [26 Sagittarius], Venus [0 Aquarius R], Mars [11 Taurus], Jupiter [13 Scorpio], Saturn [9 Leo R], Uranus [7 Pisces], Neptune [15 Aquarius], Pluto [24 Sagittarius], Chiron [1 Aquarius]."
[Based on: http://www2.bitstream.net/~bunlion/bpi/ephm/E200601.html]
2006 - Trivia / Tom DeLay - January 1st, 2006: "Delay says donations didn't influence agenda / Contributions went to nonprofit group founded by ex-aide." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Polarized Army? / Iraq - January 1st, 2006: "Polarized army may deepen Iraq's ethnic, sectarian divide." [Based on: Headline for Knight Ridder Newspapers article, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
*Trivia: "Iraq's main Sunni Arab group made an unprecedented trip north to see the Kurds and agreed Monday [01/02/06] for the first time on broad outlines for a coalition government. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, 01/03/06]
2006 - Flash Floods / Indonesia - January 1st, 2006: "Rescuers searching through mud and debris left by flash floods in central Indonesia found 23 more bodies today, bringing to 57 the number of people killed in the disaster, officials said. [....] Heavy weekend rains triggered flash floods that sent mud, water and logs crashing into villages late Sunday [01/01/06] and early Monday [01/02/06], destroying hundreds of buildings. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, 01/03/06]
*Trivia: "Rain caused a landslide on Indonesia's Java island at dawn today [01/04/06], leaving dozens of people missing and feared dead. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, 01/04/06]
*Trivia: "A landslide caused by days of pounding rain buried a small village beneath tons of mud and rock Wednesday [01/04/06], bringing the number of dead or missing from days of wet weather in central Indonesia to more than 190, officials said. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, 01/05/06]
2006 - Insurgent Attacks / Iraq - January 1st, 2006: "Bombings and other violence across Iraq kill at least 20 / Electoral commission calls for ex-members of Saddam's Baath Party to be removed from candidate lists." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Doe Run CEO / Bruce Neil - January 1st, 2006: "Doe Run Resources Corp. Chief Executive Jeffery I. Zelms, who oversaw the company's expansion into South America, will retire as chief executive and vice chairman on April 1. He'll be replaced by Bruce Neil, now head of Doe Run's Peruvian unit. Neil, who joined the St. Louis-based company in 1998, will shift into the role as chief executive by taking over Zelm's responsibility as president on Jan. 1. Doe Run also said Chief Administrative Officer Marvin Kaiser is retiring effective Feb. 1, and Juan Carlos Huyhua will take over the role of president of Doe Run Peru on April 1." [Based on: Business Page article (Doe Run CEO will retire on April 1), p. B2, S.L.P.D., 12/21/05]
2006 - The Trouble with Physics - "The story I will tell could be read by some as a tragedy. To put it bluntly - and to give away the punch line - we have failed. We inherited a science, physics, that had been progressing so fast for so long that it was often taken as the model for how other kinds of science should be done. For more than two centuries, until the present period, our understanding of the laws of nature expanded rapidly, despite our best efforts, what we know for certain about these laws is no more than what we knew back in the 1970s." [Lee Smolin, The Trouble with Physics / The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next, p. viii (3rd paragraph - Introduction), copyright 2006]
2006 - Depression Study / U.S.A. - January 1st, 2006: "A third of people suffering serious depression recover with the first antidepressant they try, according to early results of an eagerly awaited study on the drugs. Well-educated white women are most likely to benefit, the study says. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article by Lauran Neergaard (Depression study: High level of care helps), p. A6, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Youth Violence / France - January 1st, 2006: "France confronted a new incident of Youth violence Wednesday [01/04/06], a rampage that terrorized passengers as their train rolled east along the Riveria on New Year's Day. [....] Authorities were criticized for leaving about 600 passengers at the mercy of youths who robbed, roughed up and sexually assaulted victims for at least 25 minutes as the 10-car regional train traveled from Nice to Marseilles. The youths were among about a hundred whom police had rounded up earlier after incidents of vandalism in Nice and put on a train to send them home to communities around Marseilles and Avignon." [Based on: News Services article (Youths terrorize passengers on train), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Fatal Avalanche / Colorado - January 1st, 2006: "A New Year's Day avalanche [01/01/06] killed two snowmobilers near Rocky Mountain National Park, officials said. [....]" [Based on: News Services, 01/02/06]
2006 - Trivia / U.S. Sulfur Reduction - "A new EPA regulation [12/20/2000] required oil refineries to remove 97% of the sulfur from diesel fuel by 2006."
2006 - Flooding & Mudslides / California - January 1st, 2006: "A powerful storm set off mudslides that blocked major highways and sent rivers and creeks over their banks and into cities across Northern California on Saturday [12/31/05]. At least half a dozen people had to be rescued from the rushing water, and forecasters were warning of another storm Sunday [01/01/06]. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
*Trivia: "The second major storm in two days washed across Northern California on Sunday [01/01/06], prolonging the threat of flooding as residents tried to clean up layers of mud and debris left behind as the first wave of floodwater receded. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, 01/02/06]
2006 - Stem Cell Research / South Korea - January 1st, 2006: "Disgraced scientist Hwang Woosuk insisted he has the technology to produce embryonic stem cells matched to different patients even though a panel of his peers said he lied about creating such cells, a newspaper reported Saturday [12/31/05]. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Stem cell scientist defends his work), p. A14, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
*Trivia: "[....] The panel [at Seoul National University] found that Hwang's [Hwang Woo-suk] claims last year to have created the world's first cloned dog were genuine. The University made the announcements as it released the final results into its investigation of Hwang's cloning research, which came into doubt late this year after accusations emerged that the research was fabricated." [Based on: News Services article (Cloned dog is real, university panel finds), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
*Trivia: "South Korea's top university issued a public apology today after an investigative panel ruled that professor Hwang Woo-suk faked his human stem cell research. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (University apologizes for stem cell fakery), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Getting a Rational Grip on Religion - January 2006: "[....] In the 21st century, cybernetic metaphors provide a rational grip on what prehistoric people had every reason to think of as ghosts, voices of the dead. And that many have been the beginning of religion. If the deceased was a father or a village elder, it would have been natural to ask for advice - which way to go to find water or the best trails for a hunt. If the answers were not forthcoming, the guiding spirits could be summoned by a shaman. Drop a bundle of sticks onto the ground or heat a clay pot until it cracks: the patterns for a map, a communication from the other side. These random walks the gods described may indeed have formed a sensible strategy. The shamans would gain in stature, the rituals would become liturgies, and centuries later people would fill mosques, cathedrals and synagogues, not really knowing how they got there. [....] In Breaking the spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, Daniel Dennett, director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, has embarked on another of his seemingly impossible quests. His provocatively titled book Consciousness Explained made a persuasive effort to do just that. More recently, in Freedom Evolves, he took on free will from a Darwinian perspective. This time he may have assumed the hardest task of all - and not just because of the subject matter. Dennett hopes that his book will be read not just by atheists and agnostics but by the religiously faithful - and that they will come to see the wisdom of analyzing their deepest beliefs scientifically, weeding out the harmful from the good. The spell he hopes to break, he suggests, is not religious belief itself but the conviction that its details are off-limits to scientific inquiry, taboo. 'I appreciate that many readers will be profoundly distrustful of the tack I am taking here,' he writes. 'They will see me as just another liberal professor trying to cajole them out of some of their convictions, and they are dead right about that - that's what I am, and that's exactly what I am trying to do.' [....] At first this winnowing of ghost stories would be unconscious, but as language and self-awareness developed, some ideas would be groomed and domesticated. Folk religion would develop into organized religion, Dennett suggests, somewhat the way folk music bloomed into the music of today. The metaphor is hard to resist. 'Every minister in every faith is like a jazz musician,' he writes, 'keeping traditions alive by playing the beloved standards the way they are supposed to be played, but also incessantly guaging and deciding, slowing the pace or speeding up, deleting or adding another phrase to a prayer, mixing familiarity and novelty in just the right proportions to grab the minds and hearts of the listeners in attendence.' Like biological parasites, memes are not necessarily dependent on the welfare of the hosts. One of the most powerful fixations, and one that may have Dennett flummoxed, is that it is sacreligious to question your own beliefs and an insult for anyone else to try. 'What a fine protective screen this virus provides,' he observes. 'permitting it to shed the antibodies of skepticism effortlessly!' Asides like this seem aimed more at fellow skeptics than at the true believers Dennett hopes to unconvert. A better tack might be for him to start his own religion. Meanwhile his usual readers can deepen their understanding with another of his penetrating books."
[Based on: Reviews article (Getting a Rational Grip on Religion - Is religion a fit subject for scientific scrutiny?) by George Johnson, pp. 94-95, Scientific American, January 2006] / [George Johnson, a 2005 Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellow in Science and Religion, is author of Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order and six other books.] - [Note: Like most of the articles on this timeline, paragraph indents were removed to save space. - E.M.] - [See link for full article transcript]
http://www.templeton-cambridge.org/fellows/johnson/publications/2005.12.26/getting_a_rational_grip_on_religion/
2006 - Forest Fires / Southeastern Australia - January 1st, 2006: "walls of flames 100 feet high burned parched eucalyptus forests Sunday [01/01/06] as fires plagued southeastern Australia. One man was hurt, and several homes were destroyed. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, 01/02/06]
2006 - Trivia / On-Line News Network, U.S.A. - 2006: "Microsoft Corp. is teaming with The Associated Press to offer an advertising-supported online video-news network in the first quarter of 2006, the companies announced Wednesday [11/09/05]. [....] Television and cable networks now [November 2005] offer video over their Web sites, and some networks such as Viacom Inc.'s MTV have launched online-only offerings of video. [....]" [Based on: A.P.]
2006 - New Labels Reveal Trans Fat / U.S.A. - January 1st, 2006: "On Jan. 1, new rules on food labeling began making it easier for consumers to avoid artery-clogging trans fats, which have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. [....] Trans fats are worse than saturated fats that nutritionists have long warned about. Saturated fats raise the level of bad cholesterol, but they also provide some health benefit by raising the level of good cholesterol. [....] The idea behind the labeling is to give consumers more information they can use to make healthier choices. [....] And the public health benefits could be great - the FDA estimated savings of between $25 billion and $59 billion in health care costs over 20 years." [Based on: Knight Ridder Newspapers article (As new labels reveal trans fat, some companies rewrite recipes) by Alan Bjerga, p. H6, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - No More Free Rides / U.S. Astronauts - "Russia plans to stop giving American astronauts free rides on its spacecraft to the international space station beginning in 2006, the head of Russia's space agency said [Dec. 2004] in moscow. [....]" [News Services, 12/30/04]
2006 - Avalanches / Slovakia & Switzerland - January 1st, 2006: "Avalanches killed seven Chech tourists Saturday [12/31/05] in Slovakia's highest mountain range and a German man on a snowshoe tour a day earlier in Switzerland, officials said. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. A14, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Five-Blade Shaver [Fusion] / Gillette Co. - 2006: "Gillette Co. will begin selling a five-blade shaver called Fusion in the first quarter of 2006, leapfrogging over Schick's Quattro. [....]" [Based on: Business page article, p. B2, S.L.P.D., 09/15/05]
2006 - Sustained Decline? / U.S. Housing Market - 2006: "A sustained decline will hit the housing market next year [2006], costing the nation as many as 800,000 jobs, according to a report made public on Wednesday [12/07/05]. The slowdown is likely to last several years, with as many as 500,000 construction jobs and 300,000 financial sector positions lost, the quarterly Anderson Forecast predicted. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article by Alex Viega (Extended downturn expected in housing market), p. D3, S.L.P.D., 12/08/05]
*Trivia: "Defying forecasts of a housing slowdown, construction of new houses and apartments shot up in January [2006] at the fastest pace in more than three decades. Building activity rose 14.6 percent last month when compared to December, pushing construction to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.276 million units, the Commerce Department said Thursday [02/16/06]. [....] " [Based on: A.P. article (Housing construction reaches a 32-year high), p. B3, S.L.P.D., 02/17/06]
2006 - Eavesdropping Information Shared / U.S.A. - January 1st, 2006: "Information netted by the National Security Agency's secret eavesdropping has been passed on to other government agencies, which cross-check the information with other databases, current and former administration officials say. [....] Information from intercepts would be made available by request to such agencies as the FBI, Defense Intellligence Agency, CIA and Department of Homeland Security, one former official said. [....] In the 1960s and 1970s, the military used National Security Agency intercepts to maintain files on U.S. peace activists. When that became public, Congress restricted the agency from intercepting communications of Americans. [....]" [Based on: Washington Post article (Agencies shared intercept information, officials say), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Upcoming Speeches / President George W. Bush - January 1st, 2006: "Bush will try for upbeat tone on war and economy / He is starting off the year with major speeches on the issues beginning Friday [01/06/06]." [Based on: Title and Subtitle for New York Times article, p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Allergenic Ingredients Listed / Food Labels, U.S.A. - "[....] A federal law that takes effect Jan. 1 requires food labels to list ingredients made from proteins derived from any of the eight major allergenic foods: milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, wheat, tree nuts, soybeans and peanuts. The Food and Drug Administration says they account for 90 percent of all food allergies. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Food labels will list allergenic ingredients), p. A4, S.L.P.D., 12/21/05]
2006 - Insurgent Attacks / Iraq - January 2nd, 2006: "Militants blew up 13 cars in three hours Sunday [01/01/06], injuring at least 20 people, while 13 Iraqis were killed in other violence that fed the turmoil after last month's parliamentary elections. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (13 Iraqis killed; Sunni group meets Kurds), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Bush Defends Spy Program - January 2nd, 2006: "Bush defends domestic spy program" [Based on: Headline (front page) for Los Angeles Times article, p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Health Woes / Gulf War Vets - January 2nd, 2006: "Gulf war veterans who deployed during the war are more likely to suffer from a constellation of health problems than nondeployed vets even a decade later. Researchers led by Dr. Melvin S. Blanchard of the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Washington University found that more than 28 percent of deployed Gulf War veterans suffered from a complex of unexplained symptoms called Chronic Multisymptom Illness, or CMI. That figure compares to almost 16 percent of nondeployed veterans with similar symptoms. The results of the study appear this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology. [....]" [Based on: S.L.P.D. article (Deployed Gulf War vets more likely to have health woes), p. B1, 01/02/06]
2006 - Freed / American Hostages, Iraq - January 2nd, 2006: "Two kidnapped American journalists were freed over the weekend after friends and family raised more than $40,000 in ransom. [....] Gunmen had kidnapped the two [Alain Maximilien & Frank Eaton] Wednesday [12/28/05]. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Speech Trivia / Pope Benedict XVI - January 2nd, 2006: "Pope spells out growing threats to world peace / Among them are terrorism and 'fanatic fundamentalism,' he says at annual Mass." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Freed / Italian Hostage, Gaza Strip - January 2nd, 2006: "Palestinian security officers stormed a building where an Italian hostage [Alessandro Bernardini] was being held Sunday [01/01/06], freeing the man in a shootout with his kidnappers. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Palestinian security forces free Italian hostage in Gaza Strip), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Economic Stagnation? / Zimbabwe - January2nd, 2006: "The lines of vehicles that stretched out of gas stations during the regular fuel crunches and came to symbolize the country's decline have disappeared. There is no gas being sold legally anywhere in Zimbabwe, and has not been any for more than two months. The government has run out of foreign currency needed to import fuel, and of ideas on how to revive the crumbling economy. Unemployment tops 70 percent. Inflation in November reached 502 percent. A U.S. dollar, which fetched $8 per Zim, or Zimbabwe dollar, a decade ago, is now worth $79,042 in Zimbabwe dollars. [....] 'Things have never been this bad before,' said Innocent Maregere, 36, who owns a food and liquor store in the small southern town of Mhandamabwe. 'Obviously, we blame the government. Who else is to blame?' But there has been no political fallout for President Robert Mugabe, whose controversial program to redristribute land forcibly from white farmers to black peasants triggered the economic crisis. Since 2000, more than 4,000 white-owned commercial farms have been seized. With the collapse of the farm sector, the country's gross domestic product has almost halved to $4.3 billion. [....] Even people with jobs are finding life increasingly difficult. The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe said a family of six needs the equivalent of $147 U.S. a month to get by. Police teachers and nurses typically earn monthly salaries of $40. [....] A law passed recently lets authorities confiscate the travel documents of anyone deemed to be anti-government. [....] Given the weak opposition and powerful state security apparatus, analysts say Mugabe should be able to retain power until 2008 - if he can keep his soldiers fed and paid." [Based on: Newsday article (Economic stagnation deepens in Zimbabwe), p. A9, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Crowd Size Limit / Central Park, N.Y. - January 2nd, 2006: "An era of public happenings on Central Park's grandest open space, the Great Lawn, has come to a quiet end. Starting this year, the parks department will allow no more than 50,000 people at a time on the 13-acre lawn, the site of some of the park's most memorable events. Paul Simon drew a half million people in 1991, and Pope John Paul II said Mass there in 1995. But as memorable as those events were, they did awful things to the park's grass, city officials said, so the crowd limits were enacted." [Based on News Services article (Crowd size limit takes effect for Central Park), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Roof Collapse / German Skating Rink - January 2nd, 2006: "Rescue workers early today [01/05/06] recovered the body of a woman believed to be the last person missing in the ruins of a skating rink in this Bavarian resort town, bringing the number of dead to 15. Three days after the roof collapsed on people enjoying their Christmas break, the body of a 40-year-old woman was pulled from the twisted, snow-covered skeleton of steel and wooden beams, fire official Rudi Zeif said. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (15th body found at collapsed rink), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Missing Manhole Covers / Bogota, Columbia - January 2nd, 2006: "[....] Even after a record 10,000 were stolen last year, Bogotanos mainly just laughed about the missing covers. [....] Thieves make $5 to $10 for each cover. That is a lot in Columbia, where 60 percent of the population is poor and the unemployment rate runs in double digits [....]." [Based on: A.P. article (Bogota fights theft of manhole covers after boy's death) p. A9, S.L.P.D., 01/02/06]
2006 - Major Earthquake / East of South Sandwich Islands - January 2nd, 2006: "A major earthquake occurred at 06:10:49 (UTC) on Monday, January 2, 2006. The magnitude 7.3 event has been located EAST OF THE SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)"
[Based on: preliminary earthquake report @: http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ushkac.htm]
2006 - Major Earthquake / Fiji Region - January 2nd, 2006: "A major earthquake occurred at 22:13:40 (UTC) on Monday, January 2, 2006. The magnitude 7.1 event has been located in the FIJI REGION. The hypocentral depth was estimated to be 579 km (360 miles). (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.) "
[Based on: preliminary earthquake report @: http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ushkax.htm]
2006 - All hail the king - January 3rd, 2006:
Vice President Dick Cheney said that the authority of the executive branch was eroded because of Watergate and Vietnam. Well, duh.
Now, President George W. Bush apparently took congressional approval to attack Iraq to mean that he can do whatever he thinks is OK. That can mean spying on Americans, torturing U.S. citizens or worse. The administration says it is not bound by any laws or even the U.S. Constitution.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney believe that once Congress gave them permission to go to war, it gave Mr. Bush carte blanche to do whatever he wants. Essentially, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney think they are king and queen and that we are their subjects.
It's time to do what we Americans did to a previous King George: throw the bums out. Impeach "King" George and "Queen" Dick.[Based on: Opinion Page article (All hail the king), p. C6, S.L.P.D., 01/03/06]
2006 - Trivia / Palestinian Vote - January 3rd, 2006: "Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has raised the possibility for the first time of delaying legeslative elections this month. He said Monday [01/02/06] that the vote will be impossible if Israel did not allow residents of east Jerusalem to take part. [....] Hamas agreed last summer to postpone the elections, originally set for July, but has insisted on the vote going ahead on Jan. 25. [....] Because Hamas is running, Israel at first said it would bar Palestinians in east Jerusalem from voting. Since then, Israel has backpedaled somewhat but has not said that residents in east Jerusalem will be allowed to take part. Abbas is under considerable pressure from within his divided Fatah movement, the main Palestinian faction, to delay the vote because Hamas is expected to win some 40 percent of the seats. He has insisted on keeping to his arrangement with Hamas to have these elections as a way of bringing Hamas into the Palestinian political world and trying to turn the armed faction into a political party. But Fatah leaders, especially of the so-called old guard, have used various tactics to press Abbas to postpone the vote. One is the threat from Israel not to allow Palestinians living in east Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after the 1967 war, to vote in these elections. Some Palestinian analysts also believe that some of the recent gunbattles, kidnappings and shootings in Gaza and the West Bank have been part of an effort to try to convince Abbas and Israel that elections now are either impossible or dangerous. Most of the clashes have been caused by Fatah-related militant groups." [Based on: New York Times article (Abbas says vote could be postponed), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/03/06]
*Trivia: "Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Monday [01/09/06] that he would hold parliamentary elections on Jan. 25 as scheduled after he received assurances from the United States that Arab residents of east Jerusalem will be allowed to vote in the city. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A10, 01/10/06]
2006 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower - January 3rd, 2006: "The first meteor shower of 2006, the Quadrantids, peaks on Jan. 3rd at 18:20 Universal Time. The timing favors Japan and, to a lesser extent, Hawaii where dark-sky observers should see 40+ faint meteors per hour just before dawn (Tuesday morning in Hawaii, Wednesday morning in Japan). North Americans can expect to see perhaps half that many. [....]"
[Based on: http://spaceweather.com/] - [01/01/06]
2006 - Trivia / Mercury in Tuna - January 3rd, 2006: "The federal government advises that young children and pregnant women eat canned light tuna, rather than several other kinds of fish; however some of it contains yellowfin tuna, which can be high in mercury, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Food and Drug Administration said it would investigate. [....] About 1 out of every 12 cans of non-government light canned tuna is yellowfin, which can be higher in mercury; label does not identify it, the Tribune said." [Based on: S.L.P.D. article (Hidden mercury in some canned tuna), p. A2, 01/03/06]
2006 - Natural Gas Trivia / Ukraine - January 3rd, 2006: "Russia's state-run gas monopoly said late Monday [01/02/06] that it would restore much of the natural gas it witheld from pipes running across neighboring Ukraine after several European countries complained of shortfalls. [....] Gazprom wants Ukraine to pay $230 per 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas. Ukraine currently is paying $50 per 1,000 cubic meters." [Based on: Cox News Service article (Russia restores gas supplies after European complaints), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/03/06]
*Trivia: "Russia and Ukraine reached agreement Wednesday [01/04/06] on restoring natural gas supplies to Ukraine, ending - for now, at least - a dispute: [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, 01/05/06]
2006 - Trivia / Nanotechnology 2006 - January 3rd, 2006: "Apple's diminutive iPod nano is a hit. sales figures confirm that consumers are dazzled by the device's small size, which the company touts as 'astonishing,' 'impossible' and 'unbelievable.' Why did Apple name the product 'nano'? Apple wanted to project the image of a revolutionary piece of technology, and 'nano' is a hip, edgy word from a hip, edgy company. Yet even with techno-tiny iPod nanos plugged into millions of ears, the public knows little about nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of microscopic molecules and structures smaller than 100 nanometers (nm) wide. (A human hair is about 100,000 nm wide.) Far more consumer products using nanotechnology are now on the market than most people realize, everything from tennis rackets and golf balls to stain and wrinkle-resistant shirts and slacks sold by L.L. Bean. Nanotech versions of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are widely used today in sunscreens because they absorb and reflect UV light but look clear in visible light. More than 600 nanotech electronics, components, raw materials, drug delivery technologies and tools used in research, processing and software are currently in use. Many eminent scientists believe that in the not so distant future, nanotechnology could make possible solar cells and portable power systems that might provide the world with inexpensive, clean energy. Other researchers are working on 'self-healing' structures and 'smart materials' that could fix - on their own - everything from automobile tires and airplane wings to blood vessels. According to Lux Research, North American companies invested $1.7 billion on research into nanotechnology in 2004. The U.S. government now spends over $1 billion annually on nanotechnology R&D. The National Science Foundation estimates that by 2015, nanotechnology will have a $1 trillion impact on the global economy and employ 2 million workers. Information technology companies are counting on nanotechnology to allow them to devise tiny, inexpensive computers that can store and process vast amounts of data. Pharmaceutical firms are exploring the use of nanotechnologies for drug delivery systems and diagnostic tools that could help spot and treat diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes. Despite this field's huge potential, a poll funded by the NSF in 2004 found that 80 percent of Americans knew 'little' or 'nothing' about it. Even more suprising is the dearth of coverage of the technology by the mass media. Indeed, the most notable characteristic of media coverage of nanotechnology in 2004, according to a Cormex Research report of U.S. and Canadian newspapers stories, was the lack of it. This runs contrary not only to the public's needs - given nanotechnology's wide application and economic impact - but also the public's desires. A September, 2005, report by the Project on emerging Nanotechnologies found that American consumers want to learn more about the subject. Participants in the study welcomed the promise of nanotechnology in treating disease but expressed concern about the relative scarcity of research into possible long-term human health and environmental effects. The results of a recent citizen's jury, conducted in the United Kingdom like a mock court trial, suggest these worries may be universal. The British panelists expressed comparable concerns about the potential human health and safety risks of nanotechnology. Many also raised ethical questions, emphasizing that society should ensure that nanotechnology does not simply make the rich richer at the expense of the poor in developing countries. The ingredients for the nanotechnology revolution are in place. Thanks in no small part to Apple's marketing for its iPod nano, Americans are starting to talk about the potential of nanotechnology. Now it's up to all of us - consumers, corporations and governments - to ask where we go from here and what the best ways are to get there."
[Julian A. Moore is deputy director and Daniel Ray is a researcher at the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. The project was created in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts. - Web site: www.nanotechproject.org]
[Based on: Other Views page article (Super-tiny machines are already at work / Nanotechnology? Say what?) by Julia A. Moore and Daniel Ray, p. C7, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 01/03/06] - [In order to save space, paragraph indents were not transcribed - E.M.]
2006 - Success in Panda Breeding / China - January 3rd, 2006: "A record 21 surviving baby pandas were born in China's zoos and breeding centers last year, state media said Monday [01/02/06]. [....] China has 183 pandas living in captivity, according to the staterun Xinhua News Agency." [Based on: News Services article, p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/03/06]
2006 - In The Black? / U.S. Postal Service - January 3rd, 2006: "For the first time since 1971, the U.S. Postal Service is in the black, but don't expect the price of stamps to hold steady. [....]" [Based on: S.L.P.D. article (Cost of mailing a letter will jump to 39 cents next week), p. C1, S.L.P.D., 01/03/06]
2006 - Coal Mine Explosion / West Virginia - January 3rd, 2006: "Coal mine explosion [01/02/06] traps 13" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/03/05]
*Trivia: " '12 Alive.' 'MIRACLE IN THE MINE.' ' They're Alive!' Those were just a few of the newspaper headlines that greeted Americans on their doorsteps Wednesday morning [01/04/06]. Joyful, dramatic - and flat-out wrong. As the painful truth emerged that all but one of the West Virginia miners was dead, the Post-Dispatch and other news organizations were forced to ask themselves: Had they gone too far in reporting the original, much happier ending? [....]" [Based on: Staff & Wire reports, p. A4, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Earth at Perihelion - January 4th, 2006: "Don't look, but the Sun is bigger than usual this week. That's because Earth is at perihelion. Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle, it is an ellipse. Our distance from the Sun therefore varies throughout the year. Perihelion is the least distance: 147 million km on Jan. 4th. [....] For comparison, aphelion is the greatest distance: 152 million km on July 4th. [....]"
[Based on: http://spaceweather.com/] - [01/04/06]
2006 - Trivia / Statin Drugs - January 4th, 2006: "Statin drugs don't fight cancer, two studies find" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/04/06]
2006 - Civilian Casualties? / Iraq - January 4th, 2006: "U.S. aircraft bombed a building where insurgency suspects were hiding north of baghdad, killing seven people and wounding four, Iraqi police said Tuesday [01/03/06]. A Washington Post correspondent watched as the bodies were removed and said they included three women and three boys who appeared to be younger than 10. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (F-14s open fire on building; 7 people die), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/04/06]
2006 - Guilty Plea / Jack Abramoff - January 4th, 2006: "[....] Jack Abramoff, 46, invoked God as he apologized and pleaded guilty before a federal judge to one charge each of conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. He is also expected to enter a plea in a Florida indictment related to his purchase of a fleet of casino cruise ships from a man who was murdered a few months later. [....]" [Based on: Knight Ridder Newspapers article (Shockwaves sent through Congress), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/04/06]
*Trivia: "President George W. Bush and many House Republicans hastily jetisoned campaign donations from Jack Abramoff on Wednesday [01/04/06]. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Rush to return money hints at election fears), p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Eavesdropping Trivia / U.S.A. - January 4th, 2006: "Even before the White House formally authorized a secret program to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens without obtaining warrants, such activity was taking place, declassified correspondence and interviews with congressional and intelligence officials indicate. [....]" [Based on: Washington Post article (Eavesdropping activity began before approval, reports hint), p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/04/06]
2006 - Kidnappings & Violence / Iraq - January 4th, 2006: "[....] In northeastern Baghdad, the sister of Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr was kidnapped Tuesday [01/03/06] by gunmen who killed one of her bodyguards and seriously wounded another, the Interior Ministry said. Also Tuesday [01/03/06], a nephew of Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Yasiri, commander of the Baghdad rescue police, was kidnapped, Hussein said. In other violence, eight people were killed Tuesday in three attacks in Baghdad. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/04/06]
2006 - Medical Marijuana / Rhode Island - January 4th, 2006: "Rhode Island on Tuesday [01/03/06] became the 11th state to legalize medical marijuana and the first since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that patients who use the drug can still be prosecuted under federal law. The House overrode a veto by Gov. Don Carcieri 59-13. Federal law prohibits any use of marijuana. Maine, Vermont, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington allow it to be grown and used for medicinal purposes." [Based on: News Services article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/04/06]
2006 - Strong Earthquake / Gulf of California - January 4th, 2006: "A strong earthquake occurred at 08:32:30 (UTC) on Wednesday, January 4, 2006. The magnitude 6.6 event has been located in the GULF OF CALIFORNIA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)"
[Based on: preliminary earthquake report @: http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ushmal.htm]
2006 - Textile Exports / China - January 5th, 2006: "China's textile exports to the United States and Europe jumped 62.7 percent in the first 10 months of 2005 after the end of a global quota system, the government said Wednesday [01/04/06]. Total Chinese textile exports rose 20 percent to $116 billion last year, according to the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles. [....] Both the U.S. and Europe complained that a flod of low-priced Chinese textiles hurt their own producers after a global quota system ended last Jan. 1. [....] China's textile industry grew about 20 percent overall in 2005, with total sales of 2 trillion yuan ($250 billion) and profits of 66 billion yuan ($8.2 billion), the chamber said. [....] China's yuan rose to its highest since being revalued in July as the central bank allowed comercial lenders to start quoting prices for the currency, a step toward a more market-based exchange rate. The yuan gained to 8.0675 against the dollar at 3:30 p.m. local time, from 8.0702 on Dec. 30, according to the Web site of the central bank-affiliated China Foreign Exchange Trade System in Shanghai. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. D2, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Insurgent Attacks / Iraq - January 5th, 2006: "A suicide bomber struck a funeral for a Shiite politician's nephew Wednesday [01/04/06], killing at least 32 mourners. Altogether, 53 people died Wednesday in attacks across Iraq. The violence included two car bombings in Baghdad and the ambush of a convoy of 60 oil tanker trucks. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Settlement / McAfee Inc. - January 5th, 2006: "Federal regualtors set out new guidelines Wednesday [01/04/06] for punishing companies for fraudulent conduct. Their action addresses an issue that has split securities officials along political lines. [....] To illustrate, SEC officials announced settlements of accounting-fraud charges with two software companies, McAfee Inc. and Applix Inc. McAfee, formerly known as Network Associates Inc., is paying a $50 million civil fine under its deal: Applix agreed to tighten its accounting policies, but isn't being fined. [....] The standards were adopted unanimously by Cox and the other four SEC commissioners after 40 hours of discussion in a series of private meetings. The three Republicans and two Democrats make up the SEC. [....] In recent years, SEC commissioners have split over the issue of whether heavy fines are an effective crime deterrent or actually hurt shareholders. [....] In the new settlements, McAfee, of Santa Clara, Calif., and Applix, based in Westborough, Mass., neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing. At the Justice Department, a recently instituted strategy allows companies to avoid criminal prosecution in exchange for information about discussions between employees and company lawyers. The disclosure of communications that normally are confidential gives companies the chance to escape with fines and the promise of internal changes." [Based on: A.P. article (SEC sets out new stance on penalties), p. D1, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Fined / Kenneth Matzdorff - January 5th, 2006: "A rural Missouri telephone company's former president has agreed to pay a $1 million penalty. [....] Matzdorff [Kenneth Matzdorff] pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud." [Based on: article, p. D2, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Settlement / Sempra Energy - January 05th, 2006: "Sempra Energy of San Diego, owner of the largest U.S. natural gas utility, has agreed to pay $377 million to settle claims that it gouged California consumers by manipulating natural gas prices during the energy crisis of 2000 and 2001. The settlement was valued at $1.89 billion by the city of Los Angeles and other plantiffs; they accused Sempra of conspiring with El Paso Corp. to inflate natural gas prices. Sempra also agreed to a $300 million price cut for a power-supply contract with a California state agency." [Based on: article (Sempra energy settles), p. D2, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Stock Market Rally / U.S.A. - January 5th, 2006: "Stocks continued their New Year's rally Wednesday [01/04/06], led by Google Inc. as the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at its highest since June 2001. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article (Stocks continue rally; S&P hits 4 1/2-year high), p. D4, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Auto Sales Trivia / U.S.A. - January 5th, 2006: "General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG reported lower U.S. auto sales in December for the third straight month as Asian automakers led by Toyota Motor Corp. gained market share and pushed auto sales to a full-year gain. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article (GM, Ford sales fall; Toyota gains), p. D1, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Massive Stroke / Ariel Sharon - January 5th, 2006: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive, life-threatening stroke Wednesday [01/04/06] and underwent lengthy overnight surgery. Power has transferred to his deputy, Ehud Olmert. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Sharon suffers massive stroke), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Minimum Wage Trivia / U.S.A. - January 5th, 2006: "The governator of California plans to ask for a $1-an-hour increase in the state's minimum wage. Some fellow Republicans might view this as girly-man behavior, unbecoming of a fellow who is supposed to stand for self-reliance and free enterprize. But the fact is that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a smart guy who can read polls. [....] For those at the bottom, it's a matter of survival - even with the proposed $1-an-hour raise. The national minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour since 1997. It has lost 17 percent of its buying power since then. In the past half century, there has been only one year, 1989, when the minimum wage brought less than it does today. [....] California's minimum wage is $6.75 an hour. Mr Schwarzenegger's one-buck proposal is, in fact, an effort to head off something more generous. A ballot referendum would raise the state minimum wage to $8.75 an hour and link it to the cost of living. That's a fair and humane proposal. Polls show the referendum passing handily. In fact, 17 states with more than a third of the nation's population now have minimum wages higher than the federal minimum. The Illinois legislature raised its minimum wage to $6.50 per hour in 2003. Since then, the Mississippi River bridges have not been clogged with jobless busboys and floor-moppers seeking work in Missouri, where the minimum remains at $5.15 an hour and is very unlikely to change. It's hard to sort out the net effect of minimum wage hikes from all the other factors pushing employment up or down. But researchers who tried have found the job loss to be too small to notice. This makes sense. The vast majority of low-wage jobs are in service industries, and a burger-flipper's job can't be outsourced to India. In any case, slight job losses are overwhelmed by the positive effect of rising income on the lives of the working poor. About 6 percent of American workers would get a direct raise if the minimum were raised to $7 an hour, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Only a quarter of those workers are teenagers; more are adults trying to support families. About 44 percent work full-time. Another 6 percent would get a raise indirectly. Many employers already pay a bit above the minimum in order to attract better workers. Keeping that premium would mean higher pay for the $8-per-hour worker as well. About 59 percent of those workers are full-time employees. A great wave of prosperity swept over America during the past quarter century. But the working poor largely were left behind. Adjusted for inflation, American families in the bottom fifth saw their incomes rise just 4 percent between 1979 and 2003. By contrast, the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans saw their incomes rise 42 percent during the same period. The poorest 4 percent subsisted on $24,000 a year, while the richest averaged $170,000 a year. That ever-widening gap holds the seeds for much human misery, intractable social and economic problems, entrenched inequalities and political unrest. Fair and humane public policy would be to give the working poor a leg up, and a higher minimum wage is a good place to start." [Based on: Opinion Page article (Time for a raise), p. B8, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06] - [Paragraph indents not transcribed - E.M.]
2006 - First-Quarter Results / Monsanto Co. - January 5th, 2006: "Monsanto Co. continued to impress Wall Street on Wednesday [01/04/06], this time with its first-quarter results: Sales grew by 31 percent over the same period a year ago, and earnings per share hit 22 cents, beating analyst's expectations. [....]" [Based on: article, p. D1, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Criticism / Nuclear Research, Iran - January 5th, 2006: "One day after Iran publicly confirmed it would resume nuclear research, a newspaper reported Wednesday [01/03/06] that Tehran has been seeking components and know-how in Europe for nuclear weapons and missles. Iran responded quickly to the front-page report in the Guardian newspaper based on a leaked European intelligence document. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the story was intended to harm Iran's 'transparent' efforts to obtain civilian nuclear power." [Based on: News Services article (Iran denies seeking nuclear know-how), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Transfer to Civilian Control / Jose Padilla - January 5th, 2006: "The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday [01/04/06] to let the armed forces transfer terrorism suspect Jose Padilla to civilian control so he can face criminal charges. [....] The justices overruled a lower court, which had attempted to block the transfer as part of a rebuke to the White House. The Supreme Court said it would decide later whether to review Padilla's challenge to his military detention. [....] The Supreme Court had been asked to use Padilla's case to define the scope of a president's power over American citizens taken into custody on U.S. soil. The justices had been expected to hear his appeal. But before the Supreme Court could act, the government brought criminal charges against Padilla in Florida. [....] Last month, a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., refused to allow the transfer of Padilla from military custody." [Based on: A.P. article (Supreme Court allows transfer of Padilla), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/05/06]
2006 - Died / Lou Rawls - January 6th, 2006: "Singer Lou Rawls [1933 - 2006] died Friday [01/06/06] of lung cancer. He was 72." [E.M.]
2006 - Google Sells Video - January 6th, 2006: "Google Inc. will let consumers buy video over the Internet from CBS, the NBA and other providers, becoming the latest company to explore the new method of distributing TV content, according to a report Thursday [01/05/06]. [....]" [Based on: Article (Google will sell video on Internet, report says), p. C2, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Yahoo Goes Mobile - January 6th, 2006: "Yahoo Inc. is expanding its presence beyond the PC, moving onto Web-enabled cell phones and other portable devices so users can access their customized content while untethered. [....]" [Based on: Article (Yahoo goes mobile), p. C2, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Status / Ariel Sharon - January 6th, 2006: "As Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lay unconscious after seven hours of brain surgery [01/05/06], Israel faced a political void. [....]" [Based on: Boston Globe article (Israel faces political void), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/06/05] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
*Trivia: "Sharon undergoes more emergency surgery [five hours of emergency brain surgery, 01/06/06]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A25, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
*Trivia: "Sharon moves limbs, breathes on his own [01/09/06]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Iraq Discussion / U.S.A. - January 6th, 2006: "Former officials discuss Iraq with Bush / A bipartisan group of more than a dozen former secretaries of state and defense meet with the president at the White House. [....]" [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Insurgent Attacks / Iraq - January 6th, 2006: "Violence in Iraq killed 130 people Thursday [01/05/06] - 125 civilians, most at the hands of suicide bombers, and five American soldiers, victims of a roadside bomb. The day's death toll was the fourth highest since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The toll for Wednesday [01/04/06] was 53. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (130 are killed in violence in Iraq), p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Trivia / U.S. Stock Market - January 6th, 2006: "Bubbles go out of New Year's stock rally" [Based on: Headline for Bloomberg News article, p. C7, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Bird Flu Deaths? / Turkey - January 6th, 2006: "A 15-year-old girl died of a suspected virulent strain of bird flu in Turkey on Thursday [01/05/06], four days after her brother succumed. Their doctor said they probably contracted the illness by playing with dead chickens. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
*Trivia: "Authorities fear bird flu is spreading in Turkey" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A6, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
*Trivia: "In a few short days, Turkey's bird flu crisis unfolded / Disease first appeared confined to the east, but human cases popped up across the country." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article by Suzan Fraser, p. A16, S.L.P.D., 01/15/06]
2006 - Suicide Bomb / Afghanistan - January 6th, 2006: "A suicide bomb killed 10 Afghans and wounded 50 in a crowded market just a few hundred yards from where the U.S. ambassador was meeting with local leaders Thursday [01/05/06]. [....] A man purporting to be a Taliban spokesman said the insurgents had hoped to kill 'high-ranking Americans.' " [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Gospel Church Fire / Chicago - January 6th, 2006: "Fire destroys Chicago church [Pilgrim Baptist Church], gospel birthplace" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/08/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Building Collapse / Saudia Arabia - January 6th, 2006: "Rescuers searched for survivors of the collapse of an eight-story building that killed at least 20 people Thursday [01/05/06]. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A12, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
*Trivia: "[....] Authorities said Friday [01/06/06] that the death toll reached at least 76. [....]" [Based on: News Services, 01/07/06]
2006 - Charges Dropped / Timothy Kramer - January 6th, 2006: "The U.S. government dropped charges and won't retry Timothy Kramer, a former trader for a unit of Duke Energy Corp. whose first fraud trial ended a month ago with acquittals on seven counts and a jury deadlocked on 12 others. Kramer, 41, and a co-defendant who was aquitted of all charges, Todd reid, 43, vice presidents of Houston-based Duke Energy North America LLC, were accused of falsifying trading records to justify 2001 bonuses totaling $9 million." [Based on: Article (U.S. ends prosecution of Duke Energy exec), p. C2, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Tracy A. Henke / Homeland Security - January 6th, 2006: "When Tracy A. Henke assumes a top homeland security job Monday [01/09/06], she will begin under a swirl of controversy. [....] henke was among 17 recess appointments President george W. Bush made late Wednesday [01/04/06] while the Senate was not in session, bypassing the normal process of Senate confirmation. Administration officials said the jobs needed to be filled and that the Senate was not acting quickly enough. [....] In her new post, she will be executive director of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, and is soon slated to become assistant secretary of homeland security, performing the same functions. [....]" [Based on: Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau article (Homeland security job filled amid controversy), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Foreign Relations / U.S.A. & North Korea - January 6th, 2006: "China urged the United States and North Korea on Thursday [01/05/06] to resolve a dispute over sanctions so that the talks on dismantling the North's nuclear programs can resume. [....] The negotiations, which last convened in November [2005], have stalled over sanctions Washington placed on a Macau-based bank and eight North Korean companies alleged to have taken part in currency counterfeiting or weapons proliferation." [Based on: News Services article (China asks U.S., N. Korea to get along, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - U.S. Warning / Nuclear Research, Iran - January 6th, 2006: "Iran warned [01/05/06] not to restart nuclear work" [Based on: Title for Knight Ridder Newspapers article, p. A12, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
*Trivia: "The controlled press ignores the fact that the three European nations seeking to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state have all assisted in the creation of the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal - Israel's. [....] On the one hand, Iran is abiding by its legal obligations under the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Iran, like every other nation in the Middle East with the exception of Israel, has ratified the NPT and forsworn the pursuit of nuclear weapons. [....] The BBC recently reported that in 1958 Britain had secretly sold Israel 20 tons of 'heavy water,' a key ingredient for its nuclear program. The shipment of deuterium oxide was reported as being 'vital to plutonium production' at Israel's top-secret Dimona nuclear reactor in the Negev Desert. Construction of the Dimona facility began in the late 1950s as the result of a secret agreement with France, which provided assistance with reactor design and construction. While the story of Britain's shipment of heavy water to Israel was reported by the BBC and elsewhere, The New York Times, whose motto is 'All the news that's fit to print,' did not even mention it. A call to the Times asking about the omission was not returned. Senior ministers in then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government were reported to have been unaware of the deal, which was supposedly conducted by lower-level civil servants. The shipment was also kept secret from the Americans. [....] Robert McNamara, U.S. secretary of defense from 1961-68, told the BBC he was 'astonished' by the coverup. 'It is very surprising to me we were not told because we shared information about the nuclear bomb very closely with the British,' he said. The heavy water had been bought by Britain from Norway and has been presented in the past as a deal between Israel and Norway. [....] More recently, Germany provided Israel with submarines that had their forward compartments modified, at Israel's request, for the launch of long-range cruise missles. The subs were free. Providing Israel with submarines equipped with the means to deliver nuclear-tipped cruise missles is a clear violation of the NPT by the German government." [Based on: American Free Press (Volume V, # 35, 08/29/05) article by Christopher Bollyn, p. 5] - [Paragraph indents removed to save space - E.M.]
*Trivia: [....] Vietnam was a chemical war for oil, permanently contaminating large regions and countries downriver with Agent Orange, and environmentally the most devastating war in world history. But since 1991, the U.S. has staged four nuclear wars using depleted uranium weaponry, which, like Agent Orange, meets the U.S. government definition of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Vast regions in the Middle East and Central Asia have been permanently contaminated with radiation. [....] The first DU weapons system was developed for the Navy in 1968, and DU weapons were given to and used by Israel in 1973 under U.S. supervision in the Yom Kippur war against the Arabs. The Phalanx weapons system, using DU, was tested on the USS Bigelow out of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in 1977, and DU weapons have been sold by the U.S. to 29 countries. Military research report summaries detail the testing of DU from 1974-1999 at military testing grounds, bombing and gunnery ranges and at civilian labs under contract. Today 42 states are contaminated with DU from manufacture, testing and deployment. [....] A Japanese professor, Dr. K. Yagasaki, has calculated that 800 tons of DU is the atomicity equivalent of 83,000 Nagasaki bombs. The U.S. has used more DU since 1991 than the atomicity equivalent of 400,000 Nagasaki bombs. Four nuclear wars indeed, and 10 times the amount of radiation released into the atmosphere from atmospheric testing! No wonder our soldiers, their families and the people of the Middle East, Yugoslavia and Central Asia are sick. But as Henry Kissinger said after Vietnam when our soldiers came home ill from Agent Orange, 'Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used for foreign policy.' [....]"
[Based on: http://www.sfbayview.com/081804/depleteduranium081804.shtml]
*Trivia: "Before being formally sentenced to death, McVeigh [Timothy McVeigh] tells the judge the government 'teaches the people by its example.' " [News 08/14/97]
2006 - "Perversion of Religion?" / Pat Robertson - January 6th, 2006:
"Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested Thursday [01/05/06] that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land."
"God considers this land to be his," Robertson said on his TV program "The 700 Club." "You read the Bible and he says 'This is my land,' and for any prime minister of Israel who decides he is going to carve it up and give it away, God says, 'No, this is mine.' "
[....]
Sharon "was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the EU (European Union), the United Nations or the United States of America," Robertson said.
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said that Robertson's remarks "are un-Christian and a perversion of religion. Unlike Robertson, we don't see God as cruel and vengeful."
[....][Based on: A.P. article (God struck down Sharon, Robertson suggests), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
*Trivia: "Robertson sends letter of apology for remarks about Sharon" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A12, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Health-Coverage Battle? / U.S. Labor Unions - January 6th, 2006: "Labor unions on Thursday [01/05/06] said they will pursue legislation in 31 states this year thast would require large employers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., to spend more on health care benefits or contribute to Medicade. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Unions take health-coverage battle to 31 state legislatures), p. C3, S.L.P.D., 01/06/06]
2006 - Settlement / AOL - January 7th, 2006: "America Online on Friday [01/06/06] announced that it will pay up to $25 million to customers in a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit in St. Clair County that alleged unauthorized billing for some computer services. [....]" [Based on: S.L.P.D. article (AOL pays $25 million to customers in class-action settlement), p. A27, 01/07/06]
2006 - Trivia / U.S. Stock Market - January 7th, 2006: "Stocks hit highest level since 2001 on jobs news" [Based on: Title for Bloomberg News article, p. A30, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06]
*Trivia: "Unemployment rate falls / 2 million jobs are added for all of 2005." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A29, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06]
2006 - Word to Sum up 2005 / "Truthiness" - January 7th, 2006: "A panel of linguists has decided that the word that best reflects last year is 'truthiness' - the quality of stating concepts one wishes or believes to be true, rather than the facts. The American Dialect Society chose the word Friday [01/06/06]. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Linguists pick 'truthiness' as word to sum up 2005), p. A22, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06]
2006 - Abducted / Christian Reporter, Iraq - January 7th, 2006: "Jill Carroll, 28, a freelance reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, has not been heard from since she was grabbed Jan. 7." [Based on: Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/15/05]
2006 - Election Year Theme? / George W. Bush - January 7th, 2006: "Bush sounds election-year theme / In Chicago, he suggests that Democrats could devestate economy by blocking free trade and raising taxes." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06]
*Trivia: "President George W. Bush urged Congress on Saturday [01/07/06] to save tax cuts from expiring and adopt the first spending restraints in nearly a decade on such benefit programs as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Bush says it's again time to cut benefits), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 01/08/06]
2006 - "On the Brink of Starvation" / Horn of Africa - January 7th, 2006: "Some 11 million people in the Horn of Africa 'are on the brink of starvation' because of severe drought and war, the United Nations said Friday [01/06/05]. People in Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia need food aid, water, new livestock and seeds, the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement. FAO economist Shukri Ahmed said the region's dry season had begun and the rains forecast for March and April were not expected to be significant." [Based on: News Services article (U.N. calls for aid to Horn of Africa), p. A24, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06]
*Trivia: "Hunger crisis intensifies in Kenya; agencies lack funds to feed millions" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/18/06]
2006 - Indicted / Pension Fund Officials, San Diego - January 7th, 2006: "A federal grand jury on Friday [01/06/06] indicted five current and former San Diego pension fund officials [Ron Saathoff, Terri Webster, Cathy Lexin, Laurence Grissom, Loraine Chapin] on 20 counts of fraud and conspiracy in an investigation of the city's troubled finances. [....] The five were accused of concealing information from fellow board members about a crucial 2002 vote that allowed San Diego to escape payments of the retirement fund and, at the same time, enhance pension benefits." [Based on: Business Page article, p. A28, S.L.P.D., 01/07/06]
2006 - Radioactive Waste Shipments Continue / U.S.A. - January 7th, 2006: "By the end of last year, thousands of containers of radioactive waste were to have completed a 1,300-mile cross-country treck through the St. Louis area to a temporary storage site in West Texas. But the project is behind schedule. Highway drivers in the Metro East area and south St. Louis County can expect to see flatbed trucks carrying the 20,000-pound containers of waste into mid-February, according to Jeff Wagner, a spokesman for Fluor Fernald, the contractor in charge. The daily shipments come from a Cold War-era uranium processing plant in Fernald, Ohio, near Cincinnati. More than half of the waste being shipped originated from the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works on the riverfront just north of downtown St. Louis. During World War II, Mallinckrodt worked to help purify uranium to the grade needed to make the atomic bomb. After the war, 6,000 tons of radioactive byproducts from the uranium processing were moved to the plant in Fernald. The site is being cleaned up, though, and its waste carted to Andrews County, Texas. [....] Wagner said this week that the company has filled about 2,600 canisters. It earlier estimated it would fill a total of 4,000 containers, but Wagner said that number probably will drop to about 3,400. [....]" [Based on: S.L.P.D. article (Radioactive waste shipments continue) by Elizabethe Holland, p. A2, 01/07/06] - [Paragraph indents not transcribed - E.M.]
2006 - Loses Standing / St. Stanislaus Kostka Chucrh, St. Louis - January 7th, 2006: "St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has stripped St. Stanislaus Kostka Church of its standing as a Roman Catholic parish. [....]" [Based on: S.L.P.D., p. A6, 01/07/06]
2006 - Stepped Down / TomDelay - January 8th, 2006: "Tom DeLay, the pugnacious Texas Republican dogged by ethics complaints, stepped down permanently as House majority leader Saturday [01/07/06], the first political casualty of a Washington lobbying scandal. [....]" [Based on: Knight Ridder Newspapers article (Delay won't try to regain House post), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/08/06]
2006 - Strong Earthquake / Southern Greece - January 8th, 2006: "A strong earthquake occurred at 11:34:53 (UTC) on Sunday, January 8, 2006. The magnitude 6.8 event has been located in SOUTHERN GREECE. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)"
[Based on: preliminary earthquake report @: http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ushrak.htm]
2006 - Highest Sales in 27 Years / General Motors Corp's - January 8th, 2006: "Despite General Motors Corp's problems in its home market, the automaker's worldwide sales were at their highest level in 27 years in 2005 thanks to growth in Asia and Latin America, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said. 'Getting outside of the U.S. market we had a good year, on balance, around the world,' Wagoner said in a transcript of remarks released Saturday [01/07/06] by GM. Wagoner said preliminary sales figures show GM sold 9.2 million vehicles worldwide. The only other year GM sold more than 9 million vehicles was 1978, he said." [Based on: News Services article (GM worldwide sales highest in 27 years), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/08/06]
*Trivia: "General Motors Corp., pounded by declining sales and rising health care costs, said Monday [11/21/05] it would cut more than a quarter of its North American manufacturing jobs and close 12 facilities by 2008. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, (S.L.P.D.) 11/22/05]
*Trivia: "GM hopes price cuts give sales a boost / Automaker slashes prices by $1,300 on average." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for Chicago Tribune article, p. D1, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Muslim Hajj - January 9th, 2006: "As hajj starts today, Saudis aim to prevent stampedes" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
*Trivia: "More than 2 million Muslim pilgrims made the climatic ascent Monday [01/09/06] to Mount Arafat, Islam's most sacred site, to pray for salvation, and Saudi Arabia's top cleric urged Islamic unity in the face of what he called the West's war on Islam. After offering prayers on the mount, tens of thousands rushed down the hill to the Muzdalifah, a few miles away, where they collected pebbles to use in one of the hajj's last rituals, the stoning of the devil. Under a religious edict issued two years ago, the stoning now may begin before dawn prayers today [01/10/06]. The decree was an attempt to ease crowding at the stoning site, where hundreds have died in stampedes over the past quarter-century. Speaking at a mosque on the plain of Mount Arafat, Sheik Abdul-Aziz al-Sheik, the kingdom's grand mufti, said Muslims were facing critical challenges, among them accusations of terrorism and human rights abuses and calls for revisions in school textbooks. 'Oh, Muslim nation, there is a war against our creed, against our culture under the pretext of fighting terrorism. We should stand firm and united in protecting our religion,' he said. 'Islam's enemies want to empty our religion of its contents and its meaning,' al-Sheik said. 'But the soldiers of God will be victrious.' The faithful called out: 'Amen.' " [Based on: A.P. article (As pilgrims pray, cleric warns of war on Islam), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]2006 - Trivia / U.S. Wildfires - January 9th, 2006: "[....] Drought conditions and gusting wind have spread dozens of wildfires across Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico over the past two weeks. At least 475 homes have been destroyed by the winter blazes and five people have been killed." [Based on: news Services article, p. A4, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Trivia / Placebo Effect - January 9th, 2006: "[....] Here are some tidbits about the mind-body connection that science refers to as the 'placebo effect': * 'Placebo' is Latin for 'I shall please.' In medieval times it was the name for a prayer chanted over the dead, and became a derogatory name for mourners hired to do the chanting. * By the early 19th century, a medical dictionary defined placebo as 'any medicine adopted more to please than benefit the patient.' * The term 'placebo effect' was coined by Harvard anesthesiologist Dr. Henry Beecher. He studied placebos after witnessing wounded World War II soldiers receive injections of salt solution instead of morphine when supplies had run out. The patients experienced considerable relief, as if they had received a drug. [....] * Researchers have reported that a placebo is better at easing symptoms of depression, anxiety, pain, asthma and moderate hypertension. It's poor at alleviating symptoms od schizophrenia or obsessive-compulsive disorders. * There are a few reports of patients becoming addicted to placebo pills. * Belief can foster ill effects as well as good ones: People who think a treatment will give them side effects can suffer nausea, rashes, headaches and pain from what is actually a placebo. In pain studies, the placebo effect is stronger if a patient has previously been given the real drug - presumably because he or she experienced relief and thus expects it again. Conversly, if a patient is first given a placebo (believing it's a painkiller), the real drug administered later isn't as effective at alleviating pain." [Based on: Los Angeles Times article ('Placebo effect' plays games with the mind), p. H2, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Release? / Mehmet Ali Agca - January 9th, 2006: "Man [Mehmet Ali Agca] who shot pope in 1981 will be freed [01/12/06]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
*Trivia: "Man who shot pope is returned to prison" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A29, 01/21/06]
2006 - Post 911 Fatality / New York - January 9th, 2006: "NY police detective [James Zadroga] dies [01/05/06]; illness was linked to ground zero duty" [Based on: Title for Newsday article by Lindsay Faber, p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Removal? / Nuclear Seals, Iran - January 9th, 2006: "Iran said Sunday [01/08/06] that inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency would remove seals from some nuclear facilities by today, opening the way for Tehran to resume research on fuel production. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Tehran on Saturday [01/07/06] to remove seals they had affixed to the research sites after Iran agreed to stop all enrichment-related activities more than two years ago. The Iranians have said they will never give up their right under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel." [Based on: News Services article (U.N. agency expected to remove nuclear seals), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Car & Truck of the Year / U.S.A. - January 9th, 2006: "Hondas are named car [Civic sedan], truck [Ridgeline pickup] of the year" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A4, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Fatal U.S. Helicopter Crash / Iraq - January 9th, 2006: "An Army helicopter [UH-60 Black Hawk] crashed in bad weather in northern Iraq shortly before midnight Saturday [01/07/06], killing all 12 Americans on board, military authorities reported Sunday. Five Marines also were killed in action in separate incidents over the past two days. [....]" [Based on: Washington Post article, 01/09/06]
2006 - Breaking Out all Over? / World Peace - January 9th, 2006: "[....] The number of U.N. peacekeeping operations and missions to prevent and stop wars has increased by more than 400 percent since the end of the Cold War. As this upsurge of international activism grew in scope and intensity through the 1990s, the number of crises, wars and genocides declined. [....] A major study by the Rand Corp. published this year found that U.N. peace-building operations had a two-thirds success rate and were surpirsingly cost-effective. In fact, the United Nations spends less running 17 peace operations around the world for an entire year than the United States spends in Iraq in a single month. What the United Nations calls 'peacemaking' - using diplomacy to end wars - has been even more successful. About half of all the peace agreements negotiated between 1946 and 2003 have been signed since the end of the Cold War. [....]"
Andrew Mack directs the Human Security Center at the University of British Columbia. He was director of the Strategic Planning Unit in the executive office of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan between 1998 and 2001. Copyright The Washington Post
[Based on: Other Views page article (Surprisingly, world peace is breaking out all over)by Andrew Mack, p. B9, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Foreign Relations / Afghanistan & Taliban - January 9th, 2006: "Afghan president offers peace talks with ousted Taliban leader" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A6, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Tropical Cyclone Clare / Western Australia - January 9th, 2006: "Tropical Cyclone Clare is a moderately strong storm system in the Indian Ocean off the Australian coast. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite observed the cyclone at 06:05 UTC (2:05 p.m. local time) on January 9, 2006, it was a well-developed system with peak sustained winds of around 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour). The cyclone (the local term for a hurricane or typhoon) was about 200 kilometers offshore from Port Hedland in Western Australia, the nearest major city. [....]"
[Based on: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13306]
2006 - Jordanian Embassies Closed / Britain, Canada & Australia - January 9th, 2006: "The Australian and Canadian embassies in the Jordamian capital closed Sunday [01/08/06] for security reasons, a day after Britain also shut its embassy. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Asked to Testify / U.S. Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales - January 9th, 2006: "Gonzales is asked to testify at hearings on spying program" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/09/06]
2006 - Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime - January 9th, 2006:
It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.
In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I guess.
This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years in prison.
"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."
Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, an innocuously titled bit called "Preventing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy."
To grease the rails for this idea, Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and the section's other sponsors slipped it into an unrelated, must-pass bill to fund the Department of Justice. The plan: to make it politically infeasible for politicians to oppose the measure.
The tactic worked. The bill cleared the House of Representatives by voice vote, and the Senate unanimously approved it Dec. 16.
There's an interesting side note. An earlier version that the House approved in September had radically different wording. It was reasonable by comparison, and criminalized only using an "interactive computer service" to cause someone "substantial emotional harm."
That kind of prohibition might make sense. But why should merely annoying someone be illegal?
There are perfectly legitimate reasons to set up a Web site or write something incendiary without telling everyone exactly who you are. [....]
[Based on: Article (Perspective: Create an e-annoyance, go to jail) by By Declan McCullagh, Published: January 9, 2006, 4:00 AM PST]
*Link: http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html
2006 - Gold Prices / U.S.A. - January 10th, 2006: "Gold rose more than $9 an ounce Monday [01/09/06] in New York to the highest closing price in almost 25 years. Gold futures for February delivery rose $9.30 or 1.7 percent, to $550.50 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest closing price since Jan. 23, 1981. [....]" [Based on: Article (Gold bugs push price to nearly 25-year high) S.L.P.D., p. B2, 01/10/06]
2006 - Subway Strike / London - January 10th, 2006: "Commuters suffered some delays to subway journeys across London on Monday [01/09/06] in a 24-hour strike by station staff members, but there was no sign of the major disruption that had been feared. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Troop Level Trivia / Iraq - January 10th, 2006: "Pentagon officials acknowledged Monday [01/09/06] that Paul Bremer, the senior U.S. official in Iraq during the first year of the war, told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in May 2004 that a far larger number of U.S. troops were needed to effectively fight the insurgency, but his advice was rejected. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Pentagon rebuffed Bremer on troop levels, U.S. says), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Satellite Radio / Howard Stern - January 10th, 2006: "[....] Howard Stern debuted on satellite radio Monday [01/09/06], stirring up trouble and talking dirty. But this time, he won't get bleeped. 'I don't compete on terrestrial radio anymore,' said Stern, who on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. is finally free of government decency laws. [....] Stern has promised everything from stripper poles to live sex on his new show. But he used only a moderate amount of swearing and said his show was more about ideas, not the f-word. Cursing, he said, would be part of the natural progression of speech. Stern also introduced George Takei as his new on-air personality. Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on 'Star Trek,' will serve as announcer." [Based on: News Services article, p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Close above 11,000 / D.J.I.A. - January 10th, 2006: "Automakers helped lead the advance Monday [01/09/06] as the Dow Jones industrial average surpassed 11,000 for the first time in more than four years. [....] The Dow industrials added 52.59, or 0.5 percent, to 11,011.90, its first close above 11,000 since June 7, 2001. GM rose $1.61, or 7.7 percent, to $22.41 for its biggest gain in seven months. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article (Automakers, house builders lead markets), p. B4, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Consumer Credit Falls / U.S.A. - January 10th, 2006: "Consumer credit falls for second straight month / November numbers reflect first consecutive declines since 1992." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for Bloomberg News article, p. B3, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Fourth-Quarter Profit / Alcoa Inc. - January 10th, 2006: "Alcoa Inc., the world's biggest aluminum maker, said fourth-quarter profit fell 16 percent as rising costs for raw materials and energy eroded the benefit of higher metal prices. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article, p. B3, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Develops Fever / Sago Mine Survivor - January 10th, 2006: "Survivor of mining disaster develops a fever" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, 01/10/06]
2006 - Islamic Holiday / "Feast of Sacrifice" - January 10th, 2006: "The Eid al-Adha, a four-day feast capping the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, will begin Jan. 10, Saudi religious authorities announced Sunday [01/01/06]. The Eid al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, is the most important holiday of the Islamic year. It commemorates God's provision of a ram for Abraham to sacrifice as he was about to slay his son." [Based on: News Services article (Religious authorities set date for Islamic feast), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/01/06]
2006 - Trivia / Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. - January 10th, 2006: "Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. and Albert Lowenthal, chief executive of the Toronto-based brokerage, on Monday [01/09/06] were sued by NASD for allegedly giving the regulator inaccurate data during a review of mutual fund sales practices. Oppenheimer and Lowenthal denied wrongdoing. [....] Oppenheimer also has run afoul of the New York Stock Exchange and U.S. Treasury Department. Last month, it agreed to pay $4.4 million in settlements .... [....] Oppenheimer didn't admit or deny wrongdoing in those cases. [....]" [Based on: Bloomber News article (Agency sues Oppenheimer and CEO on flawed data), p. B2, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Opening Statements / Supreme Court Nominee - January 10th, 2006: "Supreme Court nominee and members of Senate Judiciary Committee read opening statements." [Based on: Post-Dispatch Washington Bureau article, p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Bomb Discovered / San Francisco Starbucks - January 10th, 2006: "Police defused an explosive device found in the bathroom of a Starbucks on Monday. No one was injured. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Bomb is discovered in restroom at store), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Ex-U.N. Commander Wants Blair Impeached - January 10th, 2006: "Britain's former U.N. military commander in Bosnia has said Prime Minister Tony Blair should be impeached over his decision to go to war in Iraq. Gen. Michael Rose said Blair's claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction had turned out not to be true, adding that he would have resigned rather than take troops to war on such a flawed case. In an interview Monday [01/09/06] with British Broadcasting Corp. radio, Rose said, 'to go to war on what turns out to be false grounds is something that no one should be allowed to walk away from.' " [Based on: News Services article (Ex-U.N. commander wants Blair impeached), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Suicide Bombers / Interior Ministry Compound, Iraq - January 10th, 2006: "Two suicide bombers disguised as police officers infiltrated the heavily fortified Interior Ministry compound in Baghdad and blew themselves up Monday [01/09/06] during celebrations of National Police Day, killing 29 Iraqis. The attackers died before getting near the U.S. ambassador and senior Iraqi officials at the festivities, but the blasts continued a particularly deadly period for U.S. and Iraqi forces. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (29 Iraqis are killed in suicide blasts), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/10/06]
2006 - Merging Galaxy? - January 11th, 2006: "A previously unrecognized galaxy appears to be merging with the Milky Way, bringing hundreds of thousands of stars that no one has noticed until now into our home galaxy, astronomers have announced. A survey of the northern sky has detected a huge, diffuse structure within the Milky Way that does not seem to fit in with other parts of the galaxy that contains our solar system. Robert H. Lupton of Princeton University told a meeting of the American Astronomical Society Monday [01/09/06] that the most likely interpretation of the structure was that it was a dwarf galaxy that has been merging with our galaxy." [Based on: News Services article (Galaxy appears to be merging with Milky Way), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Market Report / U.S.A. - January 11th, 2006: "Stocks failed to extend this year's rally as disappointing results from Alcoa Inc. and Phelps Dodge Corp. left share prices little changed Tuesday [01/10/06], and signaled slowing corporate profit growth. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article (no title), p. D4, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Fined / Daniel Calugar - January 11th, 2006: "The majority owner [Daniel Calugar] of Security Brokerage Inc. of Las Vegas agreed to pay $153 million to resolve civil charges that he defrauded investors from 2001 to 2003 through a series of abusive mutual-fund trades, regulators said on Tuesday [01/10/06]. [....]" [Based on: Article (Brokerage owner fined), p. D2, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Investigating Itself? / NSA - January 11th, 2006: "NSA is investigating itself over spy program" [Based on: Title for Washington Post article, p. A6, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Fired Government / Ukraine - January 11th, 2006: "The Ukranian parliament fired the government of prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov on Tuesday [01/10/06], citing a new deal with Russia that nearly doubles the price Ukraine pays for natural gas. [....] The election will formally test the popularity of President Viktor Yushchenko for the first time since he was swept to power in late 2004. His Our Ukraine party is trailing badly in opinion polls." [Based on: News Services article, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Release / Microsoft Patches - January 11th, 2006: "Microsoft releases two critical-rated patches" [Based on: Article, p. D2, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Credit-Card Delinquency / U.S.A. - January 11th, 2006: "[....] The American Bankers Associated said Tuesday [01/10/06] that the percentage of credit-card accounts 30 or more days past due eased to 4.74 percent in the July-September quarter after hitting an all-time high of 4.81 percent in the spring. [....] The Federal Reserve has increased interest rates 13 times since June 2004; many economists believe that rates will be boosted by another quarter point when the Fed. meets on Jan. 31. That would push the Fed's target for the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge to make loans to other banks, to 4.5 percent. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Credit-card delinquency remains near record high), p. D3, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Stem Cell Trivia / South Korea - January 11th, 2006: "South Korea's top university issued a public apology today after an investigative panel ruled that professor Hwang Woo-suk faked his human stem cell research. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (University apologizes for stem cell fakery), p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - "Iran ends freeze on nuclear work" - January 11th, 2006: [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A10, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Message on Iraq / George W. Bush - January 11th, 2006: "President George W. Bush has warned Democratic critics of his Iraq policy to watch what they say lest they give 'comfort to our adversaries' - and suffer at the ballot box in November. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Bush delivers sharp message on Iraq), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Volcanic Eruption / Augustine Volcano, Alaska - January 11th, 2006: "A volcano on an uninhibited island in southwestern Alaska erupted early Wednesday [01/11/06], spewing ash about five miles into the sky. The ash from Augustine Volcano in the Cook Inlet was not expected to reach Anchorage, nearly 200 miles to the northwest, meteorologists said." [Based on: News Services article (Volcano spews ash on uninhabited island), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
*Trivia: "Volcano on island continues [01/15/06] to erupt" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/15/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
*Trivia: "Augustine Volcano, in the Cook Inlet of the Gulf of Alaska, erupted on January 13 and 14, 2006. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), these explosive eruptions produced clouds of volcanic ash and flows of mud and rock fragments. Although more eruptions were not certain to occur as of January 17, 2006, the volcano could be expected to erupt again without warning. Based on eruptions observed in 1976 and 1986, observers at the AVO anticipated that eruptions might continue for a period of several days to a few weeks."
[Based on: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13311]
*Trivia: "[....] Considered the most active volcano in the eastern Aleutian arc, Augustine experienced its largest historical eruption in 1883 [July 6th, 1883] when the volcano’s dome collapsed. It erupted again in 1986, producing an avalanche of ash, rock fragments, and gas. Augustine’s oldest dated volcanic rocks are more than 40,000 years old. [....]" [Brackets text added for clarity - D.R.D.]
[Based on: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13337]
*Trivia: "Volcanic eruption date(s): August 26th-28th, 1883. Eruption location: Krakatau, Indonesia. Number of recorded deaths: 36,000." [Based on: The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2005, p. 491]
2006 - "Bush adopts Richard Nixon as his role model" - January 11th, 2006: "Whether he knew it or not, President Bush was faced with a crucial philosophical choice in the frightening and chaotic aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. He could have followed the wise counsel of Edward R. Murrow, who memorably told us, 'We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.' But he didn't. He chose instead to follow the disturbing course mapped out by Barry Goldwater, who insisted, 'Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice ... moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.' [....] For a president - any president - to OK warrantless eavesdropping on U.S. citizens on American soil is an abomination. First, it's illegal, and for very good reasons. Spying on the populace is a giant step toward totalitarianism. The worst-case scenario is the nightmare of Soviet-style surveillance. [....] In doing so, Bush essentially declared that checks and balances do not apply to him, that he is above the law, that he knows better than Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton et al. Instead, he aligned himself with Richard Nixon, who had his own notion of the separation of powers, best expressed in Nixon's chilling comment: 'When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.' " [Based on: Other Views page article (Bush adopts Richard Nixon as his role model) by Bob Herbert, p. B9, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06] - [Paragraph indents not included. - E.M.]
2006 - May Have Been Released / Harmful Chemicals, Glen Rock, Pa. - January 11th, 2006: "Firefighters battle a blaze at Adhesives Research Inc. near Glen Rock, Pa., late Tuesday [01/10/06]. Residents who live within three miles of the plant were warned to stay inside because harmful chemicals may have been released." [Based on: A.P. picture article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/11/06]
2006 - Market Report / U.S.A. - January 12th, 2006: "Tech stocks take the lead as rally resumes" [Based on: Title for Bloomberg News article, p. C4, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Trade Surplus / China - January 12th, 2006: "China says trade surplus triples to $101.9 billion / It is now world's third-largest trading nation, report says." [Based on: Title & Subtitle for A.P. article, p. C3, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Anti-Semiticism / Russia - January 12th, 2006: "Man armed with knife attacks 8 [01/11/06] in synagogue [Moscow, Russia]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A6, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Trivia / Rep. Roy Blunt - January 12th, 2006: "Blunt's office says it has no record of any meetings with Abramoff" [Based on: Title for article by Deirdre Shesgreen, p. A9, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Guilty Plea / Brett Pfeffer - January 12th, 2006: "[....] Brett Pfeffer, 37, a former legislative director to Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., pleaded guilty of aiding and abetting bribery of a public official and conspiracy. He could get 20 years in prison; sentencing is set for March 31. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Bribery defendent implicates lawyer), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Health Care Costs / U.S.A. - January 12th, 2006: "Americans spent nearly $1.9 trillion on health care in 2004. That's about 16 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, a new record. It works out to $6,280 for every man, woman and child in the country. The good news is that health spending grew at a slower rate than at any time since 2000. The bad news is that the rate of growth, 7.9 percent, was about two-and-a-half times the rate of inflation. That means health costs are growing faster than revenue for local governments, individuals and some companies. [....] Out-of-pocket spending for health care grew by about 5.5 percent in 2004, to a total of $237.7 billion. Between 2000 and 2005, the amount patients paid out-of-pocket increased by just over 22 percent. [....] But at the same time drug spending was slowing, hospital spending was growing - by 7.5 percent between 2002 and 2003, and by 8.6 percent in 2004. The cost of hospital care has climbed by 56 percent between 2000 and 2004, to $570.8 billion a year. Spending on doctor's services climbed 38.5 percent during the same period, to $399.9 billion a year. As long as we're throwing around mind-numbing numbers, here's another one: $136.7 billion. That's what Americans spent on insurance company overhead in 2004. That's an increase of a whopping 68 percent since 2000. And that number represents just a fraction of what the American health care system spends on overhead. What those numbers don't say is what Americans get, comparatively, for our $6,280-per-person investment. Not as much as Japan, which spends less but has lower infant mortality and higher life expectancy. Not as much as Finland or France or the United Kingdom. Not as much as Spain or Sweden or Switzerland. [....] The World health Organization reports that the average American can look forward to living almost as long as the average Slovenian. We can still boast of a longer average life expectancy than Iraqis. But since 2003, everyone in Iraq has had health coverage. That's something 46 million Americans are still doing without." [Based on: Opinion Page article (Playing the numbers), p. B8, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Fourth-Quarter Earnings / DuPont - January 12th, 2006: "DuPont says hurricanes will slash earnings in half" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. C3, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Satellite Contract / Boeing Co. - January 12th, 2006: "Boeing Co.'s long-stagnant commercial satellite business got a boost Wednesday [01/11/06] with the announcement of the unit's largest order in nine years - a contract to build three satellites and associated ground systems for Mobile Satellite Ventures Corp. [....] While continuing to produce satellites regularly for the U.S. government through classified contracts, the company, part of St. Louis-based Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, has built only a handful of commercial satellites in recent years at its facility in Seal Beach, Calif. [....] The satellites are to be launched in 2009 and 2010 for privately held MSV, of Reston, Va. The satellite communications company envisions them as the core of a hybrid wireless network that will incorporate satellites working in unison with ground-based towers. Unlike existing satellite-based communications, MSV said, the system will use small handsets nearly identical to standard cell phones and will enable calls and data to be transmitted smoothly from virtually anywhere in North America as well as parts of South America. [....] Ten-year-old MSV is backed by an investor group that includes Motient Corp., SkyTerra Communications, TMI Communications, Columbia Capital and Spectrum Equity Investors. Its clients include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard." [Based on: A.P. article (Boeing's satellite unit lands big contract) by Dave Carpenter, p. C2, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06] - [Paragraph indents not transcribed. - E.M.]
2006 - Convicted / Vladimir Arutyunian - January 12th, 2006: "Man [Vladimir Arutyunian] is convicted [01/11/06] in grenade attack on Bush [05/10/05]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article (Man is convicted in grenade attack on Bush), p. A6, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Addresses Audience / George W. Bush - January 12th, 2006: "Critics at home can embolden America's enemies, Bush says [01/11/06 - Louisville, Ky.]" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Unseasonably Warm Weather / U.S.A. - January 12th, 2006: "The snoeshoes are in the closet. Ice fishermen are lingering at the sides of slushy lakes. At least one snow sculpting event was, quite literally, a washout. Blame it on unseasonably warm weather and a lack of snow in parts of the country that usually are deep in winter. [....] 'The general weather conditions have pretty much done a flip-flop,' said Tom Niziol of the National Weather Service in Buffalo, N.Y. 'Typically we'd have a foot and a half to 2 feet of snow in some of our snowbelt areas - and we're essentially seeing no snow cover across the western part of New York state. And that is exceptional this time of year.' [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Without the usual freezing weather, this winter is all wet), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Airline Accident? / U.S. Navy Jet, Georgia - January 12th, 2006: "The wreckage of a Navy jet [T-39 Sabreliner] with four aviators aboard was found late Wednesday [01/11/06] in northwest Georgia, the Civil Air Patrol said. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Jet wreckage is found; crew's fate unknown), p. A5, S.L.P.D., 01/12/06]
2006 - Tyco Split? - January 13th, 2006: "Tyco will split into 3 companies, source says" [Based on: Article Title, p. B2, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Trivia / Ashkenazi Jews - January 13th, 2006: "Some 3.5 million of today's Ashkenazi Jews are descended from just four women, a genetic study indicates. Those women apparently lived somewhere in Europe within the last 2,000 years, but not necessarily in the same place or even the same century, said lead author Dr. Doron Behar of the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel. Ashkenazi Jews are a group with mainly central and eastern European ancestry. Ultimately, though, they can be traced back to Jews who migrated from Israel to Italy in the first and second centuries, Behar said. [....] They said the total Ashkenazi population is estimated at 8 million people. The estimated Jewish population is 13 million. [....] Behar agreed that the four women to whom he referred inherited their genetic signatures from female ancestors who lived in the Near East. But he said he preferred to focus on these European descendants because they were at the root of the Ashkenazi population explosion. The population of Ashkenazi Jews reached about 10 million just before World War II, he said." [Based on: A.P. article (3.5 million Ashkenazi Jews are descended from 4 women, study finds), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Market Report / U.S.A. - January 13th, 2006: "Earnings worries knock stocks for a loop" [Based on: Title for Bloomberg News article, p. B7, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Trivia / U.S. Trade Deficit - January 13th, 2006: "The U.S. trade deficit improved slightly in November but still was the third highest on record as imports of foreign cars hit an all-time high and America's bill for foreign oil remained near record levels. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Trade Deficit narrows slightly in November), p. B3, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Political Unrest / Mongolia - January 13th, 2006: "Hundreds of protestors occupied the headquarters of Mongolia's biggest political party Thursday [01/12/06], opposing its decision to withdraw from the ruling coalition. That move is threatening to topple the government. About 1,500 protestors stormed offices of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. No party leaders were in the building. The protestors accused the party of trying to seize power by usurping the 15-month-old government. They demanded that it reverse its decision by Monday afternoon [01/16/06]. The party agreed Thursday to discuss the protestors' demands, state-run television reported." [Based on: News Services article (1,500 storm offices of largest political party), p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Not Guilty Plea / Jose Padilla - January 13th, 2006: "Padilla pleads not guilty and is denied bail" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/213/06]
2006 - Trivia / MON810 Corn, Greece - January 13th, 2006: "EU orders Greece to lift ban on Monsanto corn" [Based on: Article Title, p. B2, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Solar Panel Rebates / California - January 13th, 2006: "California energy regulators approved Thursday [01/12/06] some $3 billion in customer rebates over the next decade to encourage people to install solar panels on their roofs. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Rebates will promote solar panels on roofs), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Loses Appeal / Michael Skakel - January 13th, 2006: "Kennedy cousin reportedly loses appeal of conviction" [Based on: Title for News Services article, p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/213/06]
2006 - The "Backward State" / Missouri? - January 13th, 2006:
In other states, consumers get tax credits and rebates for reducing energy consumption and implementing alternative energy sources. Only in Missouri would the consumer have to pay extra to do the same ("Missouri backs off changing rate rules," Jan. 6). Only in Missouri would the utility companies contemplate implementation of "surcharges to recover any income they lose if customers conserve."
In Missouri, Jeff Davis, chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission, has to fight for consumers to "keep" 100 percent of what they save.
Next, If I don't buy an SUV but buy a less-bloated model instead, I'll have to pay Ford or General Motors a fee because they are making less profit. How about a McDonald's tax on my grocery purchases? Once again, Missouri, whose state animal is the mule, is the clear leader in backwardness. Surely, this will hit the national media and everybody will get a good laugh.[Based on: Opinion Page article (The "Backward state") - Rudy Schwarz, p. C12, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 01/13/06]
2006 - Fined / UBS Financial Services Inc. - January 13th, 2006: "UBS must pay fine of $49.5 million to NYSE" [Based on: Article Title, p. B2, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Trivia / Wal-Mart Stores, Maryland - January 13th, 2006: "Maryland lawmakers override veto of bill targeting Wal-Mart" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A2, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Settlement / Tenet Healthcare Corp. - January 13th, 2006: "Tenet settles Medicare suits for $215 million" [Based on: Article Title, p. B2, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Hungry Elephants Attack People / Kenya - January 13th, 2006: "Elephants seeking food, water [Kenya] attack people" [Based on: News Services article, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Reach Dead End? / Nuclear Talks, Iran - January 13th, 2006: "Three European foreign ministers said Thursday [01/12/06] that nuclear talks with Iran had reached a dead end after more than two years of acrimonious negotiations. The Europeans said the issue should be referred to the U.N. Security Council. But the three stopped short of calling for the 15-nation Security Council to impose sanctions. The ministers - from France, Germany and Britain - said they remained open to more talks. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Europe-Iran nuclear talks reach dead end), p. A13, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Will Retire / U.S. Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller - January 13th, 2006: "General [Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller] won't testify in Abu Ghraib abuse case, will retire" [Based on: Title for New York Times article, p. A11, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
2006 - Catholic Students Picket Bush Visit / New Orleans - January 13th, 2006: "Students from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans picket Thursday [01/12/06] at Jackson Square during President George W. Bush's visit to the Gulf Coast. Residents want more government help to rebuild levees battered by Hurricane Katrina." [Based on: A.P. picture article, p. A5, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Urge "Transition" in Iraq / U.S. Catholic Bishops - January 13th, 2006: "[....] 'Our nation's military forces should remain in Iraq only as long as it takes for a responsible transition, leaving sooner rather than later,' said Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., speaking for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. [....]" [Based on: Los Angeles Times article (U.S. Catholic bishops urge 'transition' in Iraq), p. A1, S.L.P.D., 01/13/06]
2006 - Rain / Seattle, Wa. - January 14th, 2006: "26 days of rain leave Seattle one week short of its record" [Based on: Title for A.P. article, p. A24, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Market Report / U.S.A. - January 14th, 2006: "Shares stall on discouraging forecasts" [Based on: Title for Bloomberg News article, p. A34, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - U.S. Drone Missle / Pakistan - January 14th, 2006: "Acting on a tip pinpointing Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, a CIA-controlled unmanned aircraft fired a missle Friday [01/13/06] into a compound just inside Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence officials said. [....]" [Based on: Knight Ridder Newspapers article (U.S. hopes CIA missle killed bin Laden aide), p. A28, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
*Trivia: "Pakistani officials angrily condemned on Saturday [01/14/05] a purported CIA airstrike meant to target al-Qaida's No. 2 man, saying he wasn't there and 'innocent civilians' were among at least 17 men, women and children killed in a village near the Afghan border. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Pakistanis denounce airstrike that killed 17) by Riaz Khan, p. A12, S.L.P.D., 01/15/06]
*Trivia: "[....] 'We apologize, but I can't tell you that we wouldn't do the same thing again,' Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' 'We have to do what we think is necessary to take out al-Qaida, particularly the top operatives. This guy has been more visible than Osama bin Laden lately.' [....] Pakistani officials initially said 17 people were killed in the strike, but a senior intelligence official in Islamabad said Sunday [01/15/06] that there was evidence of 13 deaths, including three children and five women. Local officials said the victims were all local residents and no militants were killed. [....]" [Based on: Washington Post article (Pakistanis continue anti-U.S. protest), p. A7, S.L.P.D., 01/16/06]
*Trivia: "Missle did kill some top al-Qaida figures, Pakistanis say" [Based on: Title of A.P. article, p. A9, S.L.P.D., 01/20/06]
2006 - U.S. Helicopter Crash / Iraq - January 14th, 2006: "Insurgents apparently shot down a U.S. Army reconnaissance helicopter in this northern city [Mosul] Friday [01/13/06], killing its two pilots. One witness said he had heard machine gun fire before the crash of the helicopter, an OH-58 Kiowa. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A27, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Trivia / Energy Dependence, Ukraine - January 14th, 2006: "Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said Friday [01/13/06] that his country should produce its own nuclear power plant fuel to reduce its energy dependence on Russia. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article, p. A28, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Justified? / Outsourcing U.S. Jobs - January 14th, 2006: "Sen. Max Baucus, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, said Friday [01/13/06] that outsourcing of white-collar jobs to low-wage countries such as India has become a global fact of life - and that America must learn to live with it. [....]" [Based on: News Services article, p. A29, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Record Bonuses / Wall Street Workers - January 14th, 2006: "New York state Comptroller Alan Hevesi says Wall Street workers will receive $21.5 billion in bonuses for 2005, the largest amount ever. [....]" [Based on: Article (Bonuses hit new high), p. A32, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Sales Tumble? / Lucent Technologies - January 14th, 2006: "Lucent Technologies Inc., the largest U.S. telephone equipment maker, said first-quarter sales unexpectedly tumbled and revenue this year will miss forecasts. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Lucent Technologies says revenue will miss mark), p. A33, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Downgrades? / U.S. Phone Companies - January 14th, 2006: "Standard & Poor's lowered its debt rating for Verizon Communications Inc. and put AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp. on CreditWatch for possible downgrade, citing an accelerating loss of customers by the three biggest telephone companies to rival services from cable-television providers. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article (Verizon is downgraded, others put on watch list), p. A33, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Restatement of Earnings / Kellwood Co. - January 14th, 2006: "Kellwood Co. said Friday [01/13/06] that it had overstated its earnings for the last three years by about $12 million because of accounting errors. [....]" [Based on: S.L.P.D. article (Kellwood restates earnings since 2003), p A32, 01/14/06]
2006 - EU Approval / Genetically Modified Corn - January 14th, 2006: "The European Union on Friday [01/13/06] approved imports for two types of Monsanto Co.'s genetically modified corn for human consumption and a third for animal feed, boosting prospects for sales by U.S. farmers. [....]" [Based on: Bloomberg News article (Monsanto's altered corn wins approval from EU), p. A32, S.L.P.D., 01/14/06]
2006 - Died / Emir of Kuwait - January 15th, 2006: "Emir of Kuwait [Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah], strong U.S. ally, dies [01/15/06] at 79" [Based on: News Services article, p. A14, S.L.P.D., 01/15/06] - [Brackets text added - E.M.]
*Trivia: "Kuwait's ailing emir has agreed to abdicate under a deal worked out within the ruling family, a lawmaker said Monday [01/23/06] - paving the way for the prime minister and longtime de facto ruler to take the reins of power. [....]" [Based on: News Services article (Ailing new emir will abdicate, official says), p. A8, S.L.P.D., 01/24/06]
2006 - Still Comatose / Ariel Sharon - January 15th, 2006: "Sharon still comatose, Israeli hospital says" [Based on: News Services article, p. A14, S.L.P.D., 01/15/06]
2006 - Drug-Resistent Flu? / U.S.A. - January 15th, 2006: "The federal government is urging doctors not to prescribe two antiviral drugs commonly used to fight influenza after finding that the predominant strain of the virus has built up high levels of resistance to them at alarming speed. A surprising 91 percent of virus samples tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this flu season proved resistant to the drugs, rimantadine and amantadine. Last year, only 11 percent of the samples were resistant. CDC officials took the unusual step of calling a Saturday [01/14/06] news conference to announce that the predominant strain this season - the type A H3N2 influenza strain - was resistant to the older drugs. 'Clinicians should not use rimantadine and amantadine ... because the drugs will not be effective,' said the CDC director, Dr. Julie Gerberding. [....]" [Based on: A.P. article by Daniel Yee (Flu is resistant to drugs), p. A3, S.L.P.D., 01/15/06]
2006 - Strong Earthquake / Flores Sea - January 15th, 2006: "A strong earthquake occurred at 11:58:27 (UTC) on Sunday, January 15, 2006. The magnitude 6.2 event has been located in the FLORES SEA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)"
[Based on: Preliminary earthquake report @: http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/ushyaf.htm]
2006 - Etznab Mathers / D.R.D. - January 15th, 2006: After this day, the name Etznab Mathers - previously claimed to be the author of Mirrorh.com - will henceforth be used in combination with, or in reference to, the initial name that I was given at birth [this lifetime]; that being: D.R.D. Such has become one result from the recent bill signed into law [January 5th, 2006?] by President George W. Bush; oft referred to as "King George".
Historical trivia about this particular law can be referenced from the timeline event title [this Web site, this page]: 2006 - Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime - January 9th, 2006. Since I first became aware of the law on 01/15/06, I was prompted [most reluctantly] to redefine the poetic pen name Etznab Mathers used previously on this site. However, the name Etznab Mathers or E.M. [in plain, bold, or italics type] prior to 01/15/06 will stand unchanged. [D.R.D., alias, Etznab Mathers ]2006 - Return / NASA's Stardust Capsule - January 15th, 2006: "On Sunday morning, Jan. 15th, between 1:56 and 1:59 a.m. PST, a brilliant fireball will streak over northern California and Nevada. It's NASA's Stardust capsule, returning to Earth with samples of dust from Comet Wild 2. The best observing sites are near Carlin and Elko, Nevada, where the man-made meteor is expected to shine as much as 60 times brighter than Venus. [....] The fireball might be widely visible from parts of Oregon, Idaho and Utah as well as California and Nevada: observing tips. NASA is interested in videos and photos of the re-entry, which could help researchers learn more about, e.g., the physics of heat shields. [....]" [Based on: http://spaceweather.com/] - [01