Kansas City Steak Company Gives $50,000 to Area Charities

PR Newswire

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 14, 2010

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2010, the Kansas City Steak Company donated more than $50,000 plus tons of food products to local charities to help community families. The donations couldn't have come at a better time, according to Sister Christine from the Little Sisters of the Poor, a local organization devoted to providing a home for the elderly poor.

"This has been an especially difficult year for us because donations in general are down," said Sister Christine. "We're so grateful for the meat and cash donations from the Kansas City Steak Company. For non-profits like our organization, these donations help us keep the doors open and allow us to spend our limited budgets on other necessities. One luxury for us has been meat – and Kansas City Steak has been so generous in helping us in this area."

In Kansas, a recent study showed that nearly 13% of the households are food insecure, according to the Economic Research Service. Sadly, this equates to nearly 145,000 children under the age of 18. Many federal and state programs that have provided hunger safety nets for children and families are bursting at the seams to deal with this escalating issue. This puts even more pressure on organizations like Little Sisters of the Poor that are seeing unprecedented demand for help as donations to organizations are at all-time lows, falling nearly four percent last year according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics.

Ed Scavuzzo, president of Kansas City Steak Company believes the generosity of the American spirit is remarkably resilient, even in time of enormous economic upheaval and encourages everyone to find a way to give to those in greater need. "Family and community have been important to Kansas City Steaks for over 75 years. We're fortunate to be in the food industry and are proud to donate food to many area charities each year, including Harvesters, Cross-Lines and Little Sisters of the Poor – organizations devoted to helping others get back on their feet, sometimes one meal at a time," continued Scavuzzo.

"Other organizations are also stepping up efforts to meet the needs of local families, but they need our help. We will continue to do our part, and hope others will do so, as well. Whether you volunteer time to serve, food, furniture, household products or money, every little bit helps our community."

For more information on helping these organizations, please go to www.cross-lines.org, www.harvesters.org or http://www.littlesistersofthepoorkansascity.org.

Founded in 1932, the Kansas City Steak Company™ is a family-owned company that offers a variety of the highest quality meats and other fine foods direct to the consumer through the company's catalog, website and toll-free phone number. 1-800-524-1844. http://www.kansascitysteaks.com

Barbara C. Hernandez, President

608.235.1623 or bchonpoint@gmail.com

SOURCE Kansas City Steak Company

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Obama Praises Senate Tax Cut Vote (Video)

Category Economy, U.S. | Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

President Obama praises the bipartisan vote in the Senate for the Tax Cut bill that he proposed. He said members of both parties are not happy with all of it, but it does give middle class taxpayers a tax cut. He has been talking with members of the house and hopes they will approve the bill too.

Democratic opposition to President Barack Obama’s plan to avert an across-the-board income-tax increase Jan. 1 crumbled in the Senate on Monday, as a large bipartisan majority backed the legislation.

The 83-15 procedural vote to advance the bill eases the way to final approval. It also marks a watershed for Mr. Obama, who unveiled the deal he had cut with Republican lawmakers only a week ago.

Thirty-seven Republicans joined 45 Democrats and one independent in backing the legislation, a bipartisan alliance that stood in contrast to the largely party-line votes for Mr. Obama’s health-care bill, economic stimulus and other pillars of his first two years in the White House.

Keyword: Barack Obama, Bipartisan Majority, Bipartisan Vote, Democratic Opposition, Democrats, Economic Stimulus, Final Approval, Health Care Bill, income-tax, Legislation, Line Votes, Middle Class Taxpayers, Obama, Pillars, Procedural Vote, Republican Lawmakers, Republicans., Senate Bill, Tax Cut, Tax Cut Vote, Watershed, White House

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US Southwest Could See Decades-long Drought: Study

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 December 2010, 06:25 CST

An unprecedented, decades-long combination of heat and drought could be headed to the Southwest United States sometime this century, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Arizona.

The scientists reviewed previous studies of temperature changes and droughts in the region over the past 1,200 years, and concluded that a 60-year drought similar to the one that occurred during the 12th Century could be in our future.

"Major 20th century droughts pale in comparison to droughts documented in paleoclimatic records over the past two millennia," the researchers wrote, referring to the elevated temperatures combined with lengthy and widespread droughts that occurred during the Medieval period.

By determining the dates and duration of coinciding drought and warm temperatures in the past, the researchers identified plausible worst-case scenarios for the future. 

Such scenarios can often help water and other resource managers plan for the future, the scientists said.

"We're not saying future droughts will be worse than what we see in the paleo record, but we are saying they could be as bad," said Connie Woodhouse, a UA associate professor of geography and regional development and the study’s lead author.

"However, the effects of such a worst-case drought, were it to recur in the future, would be greatly intensified by even warmer temperatures."

There have been several periods of intense, sustained drought that affected much of western North America over the past 2,000 years.

David Meko, the study’s co-author and an associate research professor in the UA's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, noted that droughts that are accompanied by warm temperatures have more severe impacts on ecosystems.

During the Medieval period, temperatures were about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 C) above the long-term average.

However, average temperatures in the Southwest U.S. have been warmer than that since 1990, and are projected to rise at least another 3.6 F (2 C) by 2100, Woodhouse added.

The most severe warm-climate drought in the Southwest during the past 1,200 years occurred during the mid-12th century and lasted 60 years, covering most of the modern day western U.S. and northern Mexico.

For 25 years during that drought, the Colorado River flow averaged 15 percent below normal, the researchers said. 

The Colorado River supplies water for agriculture and cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Phoenix, Tucson and Albuquerque, in seven western U.S. states and two states in northwestern Mexico.

Over the past decade, sampling shows that the river is at its lowest point since 1906, when records first began being kept.

"As this drought unfolds you can't really evaluate it until you're looking back in time," said Woodhouse.

In the future, the Colorado River flow is projected to decrease between two and eight percent for every 1.8 degree Fahrenheit (1 C) of warming, wrote Woodhouse and her colleagues.

"Even without warming, if you had one of those medieval droughts now, the impact would be devastating," she said.

"Our water systems are not built to sustain us through that length of drought."

"The bottom line is, we could have a Medieval-style drought with even warmer temperatures.”

The study is part of a special feature entitled "Climate Change and Water in Southwestern North America”, which appears in the December 13 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The paper by Woodhouse and her colleagues is entitled "A 1,200-year perspective of 21st century drought in the southwestern North America."  Co-authors include Glen MacDonald of the University of California, Los Angeles, Dave Stahle of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Edward Cook of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.

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Image 1: Annual tree rings record a detailed history of drought (narrow rings) and wetness (wide rings). This sample from a dead Douglas-fir tree in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Ariz., has nearly 400 rings and dates back to the year 1600. Stress cracks, visible in the foreground of the image, occur as the dead wood dries and contracts. Credit: Copyright Daniel Griffin

Image 2: A core extracted from a living Douglas-fir tree in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson, Ariz. Scientists use such cores to study the annual rings of trees, visible on the core as banding. Collecting such cores causes only temporary injury to the tree. Credit: Copyright 2009 Daniel Griffin

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MINI City Car Set to Debut at Geneva Auto Show; Canyon SportCross to Bow in Detroit?

Home / Auto News / News article: MINI City Car Set to Debut at Geneva Auto Show; Canyon SportCross to Bow in Detroit? Tuesday December 14 2010 | By Colum Wood

MINI will return to its roots at the Geneva Auto Show next year, showcasing a new entry level model that will compete with cars like the Smart fortwo and Toyota iQ.

The long-rumored city car has one again been hinted at by MINI boss Wolfgang Armbrecht, reports AutoCar.

The new vehicle is likely to be based off the current MINI Cooper platform as MINI looks to introduce a new front-drive platform for the Cooper and other models, which will also be shared with the upcoming front-drive BMW 1 Series line.

According to the Financial Times Deutschland, MINI will also look to introduce a new, larger concept at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.

Last year MINI took the wraps off its Beachcomber concept in Detroit and since then the project has been rumored to have changed direction. That being said, it’s possible the Detroit concept could be close-to-production version of the rumored two-door Canyon model, based off the Countryman.

[Source: AutoCar]

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A grandmother gets killed in cross fire of a gang war in South Los Angeles

Los Angels Times reported a heartrending story.

The angel of death visited 61 year old Gwen Taylor unexpectedly as she was killed by a stray bullet in front of her grand children at a time when the family was ending their annual Christmas dinner with fellow veterans' families. Jose Taylor and his wife Gwen Taylor were loading leftovers and the toys of their grand children into their car. She collapsed suddenly. Jose Taylor thought his wife had fainted due to overwork. She had been holding the hand of her grandson when she fell. Taylor found the blouse of his wife stained in blood. His wife was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed surgery but could not save her life.

Authorities say her killing was random. They say she was caught in what appears to be a gang shooting. A man walking through the parking lot pulled out a handgun and began shooting, police said. His target, a 16-year-old boy, ducked behind a parked car, but stray bullets struck Taylor and a 15-year-old boy, who was treated and released. The intended victim has been interviewed by police, but the shooter is still at large.

Gwen Taylor was known for her charity towards those who were in need.

Read more:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grandmother-killed-20101214,0,1945495.story

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Will GOP un-green the Capitol?

Just outside the doors of Congress, the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree glows with strands of energy-efficient LED lights. Inside the Capitol, thousands of compact fluorescent light bulbs illuminate the final days of the session. Staffers print with recycled paper, eat with compostable forks and grab sodas from low-emission vending machines.

Congress has gone to great lengths in recent years to reduce its carbon footprint, with a substantial share of that effort stemming from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) "Green the Capitol" initiative.

Now, Democrats are headed to the minority and Republican leaders - who were skeptical of Pelosi's program from the start - are preparing to trim the House budget. So will Green the Capitol see its own "footprint" reduced by the new majority?

"I definitely think it is" a target for cuts, said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. "I don't know how much of it is puff without substance and how much of it is really consequential [energy] reduction."

A GOP leadership aide, who was granted anonymity to discuss decisions that aren't official yet, said "there are no plans to do away with the 'Greening' program" but added that the initiative would be less self-congratulatory than Republicans believe it has been under Democrats.

"We think a conservation program should be carried out as a taxpayer protection strategy, not a public relations strategy," the aide said.

Republican aides and lawmakers said they planned to weigh each element of the initiative.

"Some of the measures may have saved some money," said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), the leader of the conservative Tea Party Caucus. "We have to look at it on a cost- effectiveness basis."

Green the Capitol has been controversial since it was born in 2007, as some Republicans suggested the program was more symbolic than substantive. They were particularly critical of the House's move to purchase $90,000 worth of carbon offsets at the Chicago Climate Exchange, money designed to cancel out the House's carbon emissions by funding programs to reduce emissions elsewhere. That purchase won't be repeated under a GOP majority.

And then there are the forks.

"I've had more complaints about ... the utensils than any other single thing. And that's from Democrats and Republicans," said Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), the incoming chairman of the House Administration Committee.

Since biodegradable utensils were introduced in House-side eateries, lawmakers, aides and even a few reporters have grumbled that - Earth-friendly or not - the forks break and the knives don't cut very well. Republican leaders could easily earn bipartisan goodwill simply by finding stronger utensils.

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U.S. federal court rules key part of Obamacare unconstitutional

A U.S. federal court in Virginia on Monday ruled individual health coverage requirement of Obama's healthcare reform law unconstitutional. This is the first federal court to strike down the law.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, a Republican appointed by former President George W. Bush, ruled that the Obamacare's requirement that citizens buy health insurance or pay a penalty is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit was filed by Virginia Republican Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who was trying to defend a new state statute that made it illegal to force state residents to buy health insurance.

"This won't be the final round, as this will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court, but today is a critical milestone in the protection of the Constitution," Cuccinelli said in a statement after the ruling.

The sweeping healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, has been facing a host of legal challenges since Obama signed it in March, with the provision of "individual mandate" mostly targeted by opponents.

In two other lawsuits in Virginia and Michigan, federal judges upheld the same provision. A third lawsuit related to the constitutionality of the individual mandate is pending in Florida.

In a document released before the midterm elections last month, Republicans made repealing the healthcare law one of their top priorities. With their overwhelming victory in the elections, Republicans are expected to redouble their efforts to strike down the law after the new Congress convenes in January.

Analysts see the repeal of the entire healthcare law through Congress as something unlikely, given the fact that Democrats still control the Senate and Obama has the veto power. Instead, they believe Republicans have a better chance of stripping certain provisions off the reform package through legal procedures.

Source: Xinhua

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Strategic American Oil Corporation Enters Into Drilling Contract for Koliba #3 Well

December 14, 2010 7:30 AM EST

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Dec. 14, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Strategic American Oil Corporation (OTCBB: SGCA) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the drilling contract has been executed and drilling preparations have begun for the Koliba No. 3 well, with expectations to commence drilling this month, depending on favorable weather conditions and rig availability. The Company has retained a 12.5% working interest for the well. The combined leased acreage (Koliba) consists of 79 acres covering an anticipated anticlinal structure (target) with offsetting production. The Koliba #3 is a direct offset to the Murphy Baxter, Koliba #1 well which produced from the 5,880 feet (target) zone. 

The Koliba Prospect lies in the North McFaddin Field, which, according to Texas Railroad Commission maps and records, hosts 87 productive oil and gas zones. The Company has identified 3 Frio Sand target zones at 5880', 5350', and 4930' under the Koliba leases. The Company plans to drill a direct offset to the Murphy Baxter, Koliba #1 well which produced from the 5880' (target) zone. 

The Company completed drilling the Koliba #2 prospect in Victoria County, Texas earlier this year to 6,880 feet to evaluate three Frio sand objectives and found the well to be slightly downdip structurally but still productive. Rather than completing the #2 well, the Company decided to drill the #3 well and get updip to the #1 well, thereby making better use of investment capital. 

Company V.P. of Operations, Steven Carter, who has over 25 years engineering experience in oil and gas exploration, production operations, reservoir management and drilling, will operate the well through Carter E&P, LLC, a licensed and bonded operator in the State of Texas. 

Company President and CEO, Jeremy Driver, stated, "This is an exciting time for Strategic American Oil as we currently have two projects in South Texas, the Koliba and Kenedy, with drilling operations underway. Our expectations are that initial drilling results will be finalized for each of these projects in early 2011. We look forward to seeing the results of these operations." 

About Strategic American Oil Corporation

Strategic American Oil Corporation (OTCBB: SGCA) is a growth stage oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations in Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois. The Company's team of geologists, engineers, and executives leverage 3D seismic data and other proven exploration and production technologies to locate and produce oil and natural gas in new and underexplored areas. The Company seeks accretive acquisitions of production, reserves, or other companies that will provide significant growth potential. Further information can be found on the Company's website at www.strategicamericanoil.com.

The Strategic American Oil Corporation logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6891

Safe Harbor Statements

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws.  These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.  Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.  There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release.

CONTACT: Strategic American Oil Corporation Corporate Offices: 600 Leopard Street, Suite 2015 Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 Investor Awareness, Inc. Investor Relations: Tony Schor James Foy 847-945-2222 www.InvestorAwareness.comSource: Strategic American Oil Corporation
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Obama's Hawaii trip in jeopardy

President Obama had planned to head off this weekend with his family to Hawaii for their annual Christmas break at a rented vacation home near where the president grew up. But with Congress still working on a tax cut agreement that has critics in both parties, and a number of other issues still to be resolved, White House officials say the president may have to endure the Washington cold for a few more days.

"I think the President is hopeful to spend a little time with family and friends in Hawaii, but if Congress is here the President will be here," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on Monday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters, he added, "I think you've got a few extra days to pull together those Christmas presents that you put off buying. I think obviously there's a decent amount still left that getting out of here Friday or Saturday is probably not the day I'd pick in the pool."

Congress was supposed to finish its lame duck session by this Friday, but it's unclear if it will meet that deadline.

There is an obvious reason for Obama to be here: He must sign into law any legislation passed by Congress. In theory of course, he could do that in Kailua, the city near Honolulu where he usually stays on his vacations. Obama signed last year's stimulus into law in Denver.

A more political reason is that Obama has declared the bills Congress is considering - such as the ones that would repeal "don't ask, don't tell," the tax agreement and a nuclear weapons treaty with Russia known as New START - as major priorities for his administration. It would undercut that message if he were in shorts playing golf as Congress debated any of those issues.

For example, liberal groups have spent much of the year saying Obama is not sufficiently committed to repealing the policy that bars people who are openly gay from serving in the military, a criticism that Obama has chafed at.

Obama delayed his vacation last year as the Senate considered the landmark health care overhaul, even though that version of bill still had to be passed in House before it became law. He'll likely be watching a lot of C-SPAN again this year on a few days he could just as easily be on the beach.

Obama's day ahead

The president is scheduled to meet with top advisers about his policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The administration is supposed to announce the results of a months-long review of policy in that region on Thursday.

For Fisher, no roughing the president

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher played hoops with Obama in August, and he says he feels bad for Rey Decerega, the man who elbowed the president in a post-Thanksgiving pick-up game.

"Regardless of what he does in his life, he will be known as the guy who elbowed the president," said Fisher, who was in town Monday as Obama honored the Lakers for winning the 2009-10 NBA championship. "And obviously it wasn't intentional."

Still, Fisher said he was aware when he played with the president to avoid "roughing him up."

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U.S. veteran diplomat Holbrooke dies

U.S. special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke reacts during a news conference in Kabul in this October 27, 2010 file photograph. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke died on Monday at the age of 69, CNN reported.

The veteran diplomat was hospitalized on Friday morning and plunged into "critical condition" on Saturday following a 21-hour surgery.

Source: Xinhua

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Obama to troops in Afghanistan: 'You will succeed in your mission'

President Obama made a surprise trip to Afghanistan on Friday where he thanked U.S. troops and praised their efforts in the country.

With the war in its ninth year and Obama's year-end review of the war strategy he put in place just days away, the president flew through the night to say thank you to the troops during the holiday season.

The trip steered Obama's message to foreign policy as Friday's disappointing jobs report cast a cloud over the president's domestic agenda.

"I wanted to make sure that I could spend a little time this holiday with the men and women of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known," Obama said to raucous applause.

The president told the more than 3,000 troops gathered at Bagram Air Base that the additional troops he ordered to the country are now in place, "and thanks to your service, we are making important progress."

"You will succeed in your mission," Obama said.

Obama ordered an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in a speech at West Point about one year ago.

"We said we were going to break the Taliban's momentum, and that's what you're doing," Obama said. "Going on offense. Tired of being on defense."

The president noted that he met with wounded soldiers before addressing the troops, and he awarded some purple hearts at the Bagram hospital.

"This is a tough business," Obama said, wiping at his eye. "Progress comes slow, and there are going to be difficult days ahead."

Still, the president said, the troops are protecting the U.S. by ensuring that Afghanistan will not be used as a safe haven for terrorists as it was before 9/11.

"That's why your mission matters so much," Obama said. "That's why you must succeed."

He added: "We remain the land of the free only because we are also the home of the brave."

In advance of the December review of the strategy, White House officials traveling with the president said the trip was less about Obama getting a view of what's happening on the ground and more about visiting the troops.

The president did, however, talk to Afghan President Hamid Karzai by phone for about 15 minutes Friday. The original plan called for Obama to travel by helicopter to Kabul to meet with Karzai in person, but bad weather changed that.

Obama's strategy calls for U.S. and coalition troops to begin transferring security responsibilities to Afghan troops next year.

Obama and NATO recently agreed that 2014 is the target date for the complete transfer of security responsibilities with NATO forces continuing in a support role.

The president is expected back at the White House on Saturday.

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More spending, less spending _ Obama's dilemma

Members of the military listen to President Barack Obama at a rally during an unannounced visit at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, Friday, Dec. 3, 2010.

In less than three hours Friday, the extraordinary forces tugging at Barack Obama's presidency - and the Republicans who will soon take more control of Congress - came into sharp relief: a sky-high jobless rate, an out-of-control deficit and pressure to keep taxes down.

Together, they illustrate the difficulty of balancing immediate, costly fixes for the economy with the long-term austerity needed to control the nation's debt. What's more, Obama must show that his handling of those challenges has been deft enough to earn him four more years in the White House.

To be sure, the competing demands create a conundrum for all of Washington - Democrats and Republicans alike. But it is the president who has claimed the mantle of honest broker and the price would ultimately be paid by him.

Between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday, the Labor Department announced first that November's unemployment rate climbed to 9.8 percent, then a majority of the president's deficit commission backed tough penny-pinching measures to slash $4 trillion from the budget over the next 10 years. In between, Democrats and Republicans continued to struggle for a compromise that would extend Bush-era tax cuts.

In one bright spot, the Obama administration sealed a trade agreement Friday with South Korea, further opening the 12th-largest economy as a market to American goods. The final deal, which eluded the president during his recent trip to Asia, is the largest since the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico negotiated under President Bill Clinton.

The competing obligations were evident even while the president attended to yet another demand - a deadlier war in Afghanistan. As news of the unemployment rate hit, Obama was in the air on a secret visit to the troops, one year after expanding the U.S. military presence there.

"Jobs and growth are our most urgent need," Obama said, in thanking the deficit commission for its work. "But if we want an America that can compete for the jobs of tomorrow, we simply cannot allow our nation to be dragged down by our debt. We must correct our fiscal course."

The answers to both may seem contradictory. The long-accepted response to a recession, advocated by early 20th century British economist John Keynes, is for government to prime the economy with short-term spending that adds to the deficit. Ideally, an economic recovery then generates revenue that can offset those initial expenses.

So even as the administration welcomed the deficit commission's work, the White House made a case that if taxes were going to remain low for even the highest-earning taxpayers, then spending to help middle income taxpayers and unemployed workers needed to be extended as well.

Obama and congressional leaders appointed a negotiating team to work out a compromise on the tax cuts. Discussions center on whether to extend them for one to three years and whether to include unemployment assistance. Officials said the deal could also include raising the debt limit, drawing yet more attention to the nation's borrowing.

Administration officials on Thursday presented a menu of jobless benefits and tax credits totaling $150 billion for one year. Republicans insist that any spending be offset by reductions elsewhere, a step the White House opposes.

"Republicans arguing that we should immediately pay for emergency measures like unemployment insurance but we do not need to pay for a high income tax extension does not make any policy sense," said Austan Goolsbee, the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

But Republicans are rejecting that response.

"To restore American exceptionalism, we must end all this Keynesian spending and get back to the practice of free market economics," Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, a leading House Republican, said this week.

The political consequences are evident to all.

A wave of voter anger over the economy last month shifted control of the House from Democrats to Republicans and narrowed the Democratic majority in the Senate.

The restlessness in the electorate grew not only from the weak economic recovery but also from a perception that the government was spending too much and not showing results.

Both political parties immediately seized on the unemployment rate. Republicans said it illustrated the failure of Obama's policies, while Democrats said it demanded greater spending to protect workers and prime the economy.

Vice President Joe Biden declared the unemployment number "disappointing" and said it underscored the need for Congress to approve an extension of unemployment insurance to jobless workers.

The unemployment setback came as the White House was trying to draw public attention to signs of economic improvement. Obama last month highlighted the resurgence of the auto industry with a trip to a Kokomo, Ind., Chrysler plant.

Administration officials also point to the ever decreasing taxpayer cost of the $700 billion financial rescue that became a public symbol of government intervention and bailouts. Earlier this week, the independent Congressional Budget Office lowered its estimated cost of the program to only $25 billion.

But those successes, even as they mount, get trumped by lingering unemployment, the last economic indicator in a recovery to show improvement.

The task ahead is the equivalent of turning on one spigot with the left hand while turning off another with the right.

Eleven of the 18 deficit commission members backed the austere measures proposed by its two chairmen - former Clinton chief of staff Erskine Bowles and former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming. But the commission would have required 14 supporting votes to force Congress to consider the plan.

Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, a member of the commission and the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said the pressure is now on Obama's administration.

"They are not at the table," he said. "We need the administration at the table."

At the White House, economist Goolsbee cautioned:

"You want to lower the deficit in the medium and long run. That's the deficit challenge we face. That's totally different than saying, 'Let's go yank the belt as tight as it will go right now.' That would be highly detrimental."

Associated Press writer Julie Pace contributed to this report.

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German man arrested for mailing tarantulas to U.S. (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A German man who allegedly shipped hundreds of live tarantulas into the United States through the mail was charged on Friday with illegally importing wildlife.

Sven Koppler, a 37-year-old German national, was arrested by federal agents late on Thursday, shortly after arriving in Los Angeles to meet an associate, U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said in a written statement.

Mrozek said the investigation into Koppler began in March, when a routine inspection turned up about 300 live tarantulas in a package mailed to Los Angeles.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents then intercepted two more packages, one containing nearly 250 live tarantulas, wrapped in colored plastic straws.

The second package was found to hold 22 Mexican red-kneed tarantulas, a species formally known as Brachypelma smithi that is protected under an international treaty.

Mrozek said Fish and Wildlife agents, conducting an investigation dubbed "Operation Spiderman" ordered more spiders from Koppler and were sent a total of five packages containing dozens of live and dead tarantulas.

According to the criminal complaint, agents believe Koppler has received about $300,000 for selling tarantulas to individuals in dozens of countries throughout the world.

Koppler, who prosecutors believe lives in Wachtberg, Germany, was scheduled to make his initial court appearance later on Friday and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

While many people considered tarantulas threatening, their venom is weaker than a honeybee and other than a painful bite, is harmless to humans.

The Mexican red-kneed tarantula, which is native to Mexico, can grow to about 4 inches long, with a leg span of 6 inches, and has a dark body with orange patches on the legs, giving it the "red-kneed" appearance.

The spiders are considered docile and females can live for more than 20 years.

The Brachypelma genus of spider is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species because it is considered threatened, and can only be legally traded with permits from the exporting country.

(Editing by Greg McCune)

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US teen 'hit man' arrested in Mexico

Mexican police present Edgar Jimenez, 14, accused of being a hit man. Picture by AFP Source: The Australian

MEXICAN troops arrested a 14-year-old US citizen suspected of being a hit man for a drug cartel and beheading his victims.

Edgar Jimenez was captured late on Thursday at an airport in Cuernavaca, a popular tourist destination just south of Mexico City, as he attempted to board a plane to Tijuana, the army said in a statement. The teen was going to try to see his mother in California.

Jimenez, also know as El Ponchis, belonged to a group of teens, most of them family members, that became notorious in Mexico last month after video clips were posted on the internet of the group posing with assault rifles and showing them with their victims.

The clips shocked Mexicans because the gang members were so young.

The army said the teen was captured along with two of his sisters, one of whom is suspected of being a lover of a leader in the Beltran Leyva cartel, a drug gang originally from Sinaloa state but which has much of its operations in central Mexico.

The teen acknowledged to the media that he killed at least seven people, although he said he did it under the influence of drugs and was pressured to do the killings by the cartel leader. Asked if he regretted his actions, he said: “Yes, I'm sorry I got involved with all this.”

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Unmanned US spacecraft returns after seven-month trip

Vandenberg Air Force Base, California: The US Air Force's secrecy-shrouded X-37B unmanned spaceplane has returned to Earth after more than seven months in orbit on a classified mission. Air Force spokesman Jeremy Eggers says the winged craft autonomously landed at 1:16 a.m. PST (0916 GMT) at Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

The X-37B was launched by an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 22, 2010, with a maximum mission duration of 270 days.

Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, the Boeing-built spacecraft was originally a NASA project before being taken over by the military. The Air Force has not said whether it carried anything in its cargo bay, but insists the primary purpose of the mission was to test the craft itself.

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Artificial kidney made by Indian American awaits human trials

Washington: A coffee cup sized implantable artificial kidney being developed by a US researcher of Indian origin, is awaiting animal and human trials to bring affordable treatment to millions of kidney failure patients worldwide.

Shuvo Roy, working with a team of engineers, biologists and physicians at the University of California, San Francisco, to shrink the device to the size of a coffee cup, is "excited about advancing it towards large animal and human trials".

"Obviously, a key requirement is financial support and the team. We have most of the latter in place, and the former is a work-in-progress," Roy, an associate professor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy who specialises in developing micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology for biomedical applications, told IANS.

"There are almost 1.5 million people worldwide on dialysis. The primary cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) is diabetes and hypertension, which are both growing problems in South Asia," noted Roy who has a connection with both India and Bangladesh.

Born in what is now Bangladesh, Roy spent part of his childhood in India and Bangladesh and received most of his education in Uganda, where his father worked as a public health physician. He later obtained his undergraduate degree from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio.

"As it turns out, most of my father's family is in India, while most of my mother's side is in Bangladesh," he said.

The ideal treatment for kidney failure patients is transplant, but there is a shortage and the patients require expensive drugs and dialysis costs $9,000-14,000 per patient in India assuming dialysis twice a week instead of three times as in the US, said Roy.

Given "the shortage of transplant kidneys and associated complications like transmission of infectious agents from donor to patient and ethics, our device might provide some benefits", he said.

"With the right financial support, I think we could reach clinical trials in as little as five years," Roy said. But "it's hard to say how long after that it becomes commercially available due to the uncertainties of the FDA and commercialisation prospects".

He said it was hard to predict how much it would cost "as we just don't know the development costs associated with regulatory and reimbursement issues. We think the device cost should be less than $25,000 in the United States."

The artificial kidney that would do away with the need for dialysis would include thousands of microscopic filters to remove toxins from the blood and a bioreactor to mimic the metabolic and water-balancing roles of a real kidney.

So far Roy's team has done trials using a large system called Renal Assist Device or RAD built using off-the-shelf components in human patients with acute renal failure.

The trial led by David Humes of the University of Michigan was designed to test whether the concept of a hemofilter plus cell bioreactor could provide a benefit over conventional renal replacement therapy.

In his peer-reviewed publications, Humes reported that the RAD conferred a significant survival benefit relative to conventional therapy.

"Based on these results, we undertook a miniaturisation effort towards an implantable device using silicon membrane technology," Roy said.

"The efficiency of our membranes allows for a smaller package that can operate at lower driving pressures comparable to blood pressure. We have tested the scaled-down versions of our silicon membrane technology in small animals."

"To get to patients, we will need to build scaled-up versions and test safety first in large animals and then patients," he said.

Roy, whose background is in the development of medical devices using micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, has also worked on the development of miniature wireless sensors for remote monitoring of physiological parameters such as pressure and catheter-based ultrasound imaging chips for assessment of coronary plaque for accurate deployment of stents.

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Economic Outlook for U.S. Chemistry Industry Improving, ACC's Year-End Report Reveals

Economic Outlook for U.S. Chemistry Industry Improving, ACC's Year-End Report Reveals

- Export markets driving growth -

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 3, 2010) ? The outlook for the U.S. chemicals manufacturing sector is improving gradually and global production is set to increase in the coming year, thanks in part to dramatic growth in export markets for the products of chemistry, according to the 2010 Year-End Situation and Outlook, a report released today by the American Chemistry Council (ACC). 

For 2010, U.S. chemistry exports will be up by 17%, shifting the trade balance for the industry from a $0.1 billion deficit to a $3.7 billion surplus, its best performance in ten years. The growth in export markets also has partially offset soft domestic demand for the products of chemistry.

?A stronger outlook for U.S. chemical manufacturers means they can continue to drive innovation and economic growth, protect hundreds of thousands of good American jobs and compete in a growing global marketplace,? said ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley. ?To maintain this momentum, we need sound economic, energy and environmental policies that will encourage the growth of America?s manufacturing sector and foster technological advances while also protecting human health and the environment.?

Domestically, chemical production volumes have increased across all regions of the United States in 2010 following steep declines in 2008 and 2009. The largest gains have occurred in the Gulf Coast and Ohio Valley regions, boosted by export demand for basic chemicals and plastics. Output is expected to grow moderately in all regions in 2011 and continue to improve through 2012.

The $674 billion American chemistry enterprise accounts for more than 10 percent of U.S. exports and provides approximately 780,000 jobs in the United States.

Export markets driving industry growth
Growth in export markets is driven by several factors, including favorable energy costs, resulting from developments in extracting natural gas from shale; and growth in emerging markets, where recovery, and now expansion, has been strongest.

Shale gas a ?game changer? for U.S. chemical manufacturers
U.S. natural gas markets have seen a dynamic shift over the past five years as a result of increased capacity to extract natural gas from organic shale deposits. Reserves have risen by one-third, resulting in lower prices and greater availability of ethane, a feedstock material derived from natural gas that is the basis for hundreds of manufactured products. This low price for natural gas compared to oil has enabled U.S. chemicals manufacturers to become more competitive than producers in much of the rest of the world.

?Shale gas extraction has been a ?game changer? for America?s chemical manufacturers, enabling us to remain highly competitive in a global market,? Dooley said. ?We want to ensure that the appropriate regulatory policies are in place to capitalize on this energy source, while ensuring protection of our water supplies and the environment.?
Emerging markets increasing demand for materials
Growth in emerging markets, most notably in China, India, and Brazil, is increasing demand for chemistry feedstock materials. Production of chemistry products in emerging economies increased by 12.2% in 2010, and further gains are expected. During 2011, as emerging nations continue to present good growth prospects, trade in chemicals will continue to expand.
Innovations key to maintaining jobs, building manufacturing base
Despite the recovery, jobs in the U.S. chemistry industry are not expected to increase in the coming year. Since the beginning of the recession, the chemistry industry has lost more than 80,000 jobs, and chemical industry employment will continue to decline slightly as productivity gains outpace production growth. However, average hourly wages for chemistry industry employees rose 4.3% in 2010 and are expected to advance even further in 2011 and 2012.
?Innovations and technological developments are the key components to maintaining and building the U.S. chemical manufacturing base, along with the high-skill, high-paying jobs that are crucial to helping rebuild the economy,? Dooley said.

Throughout 2010, companies have continued to focus on improving efficiencies, product innovations, and increased research and development, according to the report. At the end of 2010, the stage is set for improving operating rates and profit margins, which could lead to moderate increases in new plant and equipment investment in the United States.

The 2010 Year-End Situation and Outlook is available for $200. To order a copy, visit ACC's Store.

Prepared by ACC?s Economics and Statistics Department, the Year-End Situation and Outlook is the association?s annual review of the U.S. and global business of chemistry. It is used as a resource by a wide variety of industry participants, including chemical manufacturers and distribution companies, investment banks, consulting firms, governments, libraries, and others seeking current analyses of economic trends information.

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US, South Korea reach highly-coveted trade deal

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. and South Korea have reached an agreement on the largest trade pact in more than a decade, a highly-coveted deal the Obama administration hopes will boost American exports and create tens of thousands of U.S. jobs.

After a week of marathon negotiations, representatives from both countries broke through a stalemate Friday morning on outstanding issues related to the automobile industry, which have been a sticking point in the talks. The agreement would be the largest U.S. trade deal since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, and would bolster U.S. economic ties with South Korea, the world's 12th largest economy. The deal is often referred to as NAFTA.

South Korea is agreeing to allow the U.S. to lift a 2.5 percent tariff on Korean cars in five years, instead of cutting the tariff immediately. The agreement also allows each U.S. automaker to export 25,000 cars to South Korea as long as they meet U.S. federal safety standards and allows the U.S. to continue a 25 percent tariff on trucks for eight years and then phase it out by the 10th year. South Korea would be required to eliminate its 10 percent tariff on U.S. trucks immediately.

The White House had hoped to strike a deal last month during Obama's trip to Seoul for the G-20 economic summit, but both countries were unable to broker a compromise on issues pertaining to trade of autos and beef. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and his counterpart, Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon, resumed negotiations outside Washington this week.

A senior administration official said discussions on beef are ongoing, though South Korea has agreed to lift its existing 40 percent tariff on U.S. beef exports, which the White House said would result in $90 million in annual savings for U.S. producers. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss private negotiations.

The wider agreement would eliminate tariffs on more than 95 percent of industrial and consumer goods within five years, a move that the U.S. International Trade Commission estimated would increase exports of U.S. goods by at least $10 billion. The deal would also open up South Korea's vast $560 billion services markets to U.S. companies.

The agreement must still be ratified by lawmakers in both countries. Administration officials said lawmakers on Capitol Hill who were briefed on the new agreements were responding favorably, although they offered no timeline for ratification.

The South Korea deal has been widely supported by those in the private sector and the Chamber of Commerce, which has criticized other administration policies as antibusiness.

"This agreement will create thousands of new jobs, advance our national goal of doubling exports in five years, and demonstrate that America is once again ready to lead on trade," Chamber president Tom Donohue said Friday. Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally said the deal would give the automaker "greater confidence that we will be able to better serve our Korean customers."

The deal was a bright spot for Obama on a day the Labor Department reported weak economic weak economic news: the U.S. unemployment rate climbed to 9.8 percent and job growth slowed to a trickle. Obama has pledged to aggressively seek new markets for U.S. exports in South Korea and other countries as a way to spur job growth at home.

The U.S. and South Korea reached a deal in 2007 that slashed tariffs and other barriers to commerce. But the pact has been in limbo since then, due in part to political changes in both countries and the Obama administration's demands that South Korea make concessions on trade in autos and beef. Administration officials hoped finalizing the South Korea deal could lead to breakthroughs on other pending agreements with Panama and Colombia.

Bilateral trade between South Korea and the U.S. totaled $66.7 billion in 2009, down sharply from $84.7 billion in 2008 as global commerce suffered during the economic downturn.

The U.S. auto industry would be one of the biggest benefactors of the agreements. Figures compiled by auto industry groups in South Korea show that it exported 449,403 vehicles to the U.S. last year, while South Koreans purchased 6,140 vehicles made by American manufacturers, based on vehicle registrations.

"This trade agreement, once finalized, will provide jobs, products, and renewed sense of partnership to both the United States and South Korea," said Cody Lusk, president of the American International Automobile Dealers Association.

But Lori Wallach, director of the liberal-leaning advocacy group Public Citizen, criticized the deal, saying it would lead foreign investors to move U.S. jobs overseas and put Obama's political future in peril.

"Choosing to advance Bush's NAFTA-style Korea free trade agreement rather than the new trade policy President Obama promised during his campaign will mean more American job loss and puts the White House at odds with the majority of Americans who, polling shows, oppose more-of-the-same job offshoring agreements," Wallach said in a statement.

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Bridging the Gap: A Film Festival Unites the African Diaspora in New York

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2010

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The African Diaspora International Film Festival kicks off its second week on Saturday, December 4. Set in New York City, the festival presents the diversity of the Black experience through a wide selection of thought provoking films and documentaries.

One hundred and six films make up the festival this year, with 25 US premieres and 39 New York premieres. Over the next two weeks, the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) has partnered with local organizations and businesses to bring stories from around the world to the New York audience. Women, Latinos, dancers, lovers; the 2010 selection has a little bit of something for everyone. "ADIFF is a bridge," say the Spechs, curators of ADIFF, "between diverse communities looking for works that cannot be found under the same roof in other festivals."

Women Indies Night on December 4, sponsored by New York Women in Films and Television, will present four works about women by women. The selection includes a short fiction "Riches," by this year's resident filmmaker Ingrid Sinclair. The film depicts the story of Mollie, a single mother who escapes apartheid South Africa, to find herself rejected in her new home of Zimbabwe because of her progressive ideas. "Riches" is one of six works by the filmmaker showing this year at the festival.

Latin America is featured with "Chance," a hilarious comedy from Panama, which premieres on December 5. "Chance" is the story of Tona and Paquita, the housekeepers for a bourgeois family. Tired of being mistreated, Tona and Paquita take their bosses hostage to get what they are due: seven weeks back pay.

The highlight of this second half is no doubt the William Greaves Fundraiser, scheduled for December 9. ADIFF will host the event at the Schomburg Center in Harlem in honor of the celebrated African-American independent filmmaker. The funds will go towards Greaves' upcoming film "Once Upon a Time in Harlem" which explores the cultural life of Harlem. The evening will include never before seen footage of this work and a conversation with Greaves' family and friends.

These are just a few of the events brought to you this year. The selection also includes "Sheherazade: Tell me a Story," a drama which explores the sexual, social and political repression women face in Egyptian society, and "Josephine Baker: Black Diva in a White Man's World."

The African Diaspora International Film Festival runs from November 26 to December 14 in New York City. For information, contact ADIFF at (212) 864-1760/ fax (212) 316-6020 or e-mail media@nyadiff.org.  Festival web site: www.nyadiff.org.

SOURCE African Diaspora International Film Festival

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Emmer, Minn. GOP weigh risks of election lawsuit

Last updated December 3, 2010 12:56 p.m. PT

By PATRICK CONDON
ASSOCIATED PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS -- As a recount in the Minnesota governor's race nears completion with no evidence that it will change the outcome, the Republican candidate and his party face a critical decision: whether to contest the result in court or step aside and let Democrat Mark Dayton take office.

A lawsuit from Tom Emmer offers one obvious benefit. It likely would keep GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty in office beyond his appointed term, giving the party more power when the state's Legislature convenes next month under Republican control for the first time in decades. But some worry that it also risks damaging the party's image if the lawsuit appears to be nothing more than a stalling maneuver to keep Dayton out.

Several influential Republicans are warning that unless new information emerges to question the integrity of the election, Emmer should concede soon to avoid hurting the party. It's not an easy decision, especially in a polarized political environment where both sides had legal teams in place even before the election to prepare for a contested outcome.

"Unless there's real solid evidence of malfeasance, you have to abide the recount," said Vin Weber, a Washington lobbyist and former Republican congressman from southwestern Minnesota. Weber, who was an early supporter of Emmer's and helped legitimize the inexperienced state legislator's candidacy, said he hasn't seen any circumstances that would justify Emmer suing to overturn Dayton's lead.

Charlie Weaver, executive director of the GOP-aligned Minnesota Business Partnership, a coalition of chief executives of large Minnesota employers, said many of Emmer's donors in the business community wouldn't support an extended challenge. Republican Norm Coleman's lawsuit over the 2008 U.S. Senate result wound up costing both sides an estimated $10 million total in legal fees.

"There's very little appetite for funding an effort that would be seen as futile," Weaver said.

Dayton went into the recount leading Emmer by nearly 9,000 votes, and a recount that may end as early as this weekend has barely shifted the margin. A state board begins meeting Dec. 8 to examine possibly thousands of ballot challenges, though most have been deemed frivolous by local election officials.

Dayton's big lead makes it a different situation than the state's 2008 U.S. Senate race between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman, or even the Bush-Gore race of 2000, both of which led to extensive litigation. Aside from Minnesota's race, the only other unsettled midterm election is New York's House race between Democratic Rep. Timothy Bishop and the GOP's Randy Altschuler, which Bishop leads by a little more than 200 votes as a recount progresses.

In Minnesota, Emmer's legal team and allies have keyed on "reconciliation," a statutory requirement that officials in each precinct make sure that the number of votes cast matches the number of people who signed in to vote. That apparently wasn't done in some precincts, and Emmer's legal team unsuccessfully sought a state Supreme Court ruling that it be done prior to the recount. They have hinted that it could be the basis for a post-recount lawsuit.

"There's definitely some issues that merit review, that could alter the outcome of the election," GOP Chairman Tony Sutton said this week.

Emmer said a lawsuit decision would be his alone.

"I don't answer to others. I have got to look at one face in the mirror every morning and have to be satisfied with what I'm looking at," Emmer said, when asked whether he worried that a lawsuit could hurt the party.

For Republicans, extending Pawlenty's time in office would presumably hold off a Democratic effort to raise taxes to address a budget deficit topping $6 billion. Democrats fear Pawlenty would bypass a sizable federal health grant by letting a Jan. 15 deadline go by and might press other issues such as requiring photo ID at the polls.

But Weaver, a former Republican state lawmaker who served as chief of staff to Pawlenty, and Weber both said they are concerned about a lack of public and donor support for legal action.

"Minnesota Republicans are in a good place," Weber said, noting the party's pending takeover of the state House and Senate and its defeat of veteran Democratic congressman Jim Oberstar in northern Minnesota. "Let's not risk damage to the party's image unless there's a very substantial reason to do so."

Dayton's team and state Democrats say any lawsuit would simply be a political move to delay Dayton's swearing-in.

Retiring state Rep. Marty Seifert, who backed Emmer after losing the GOP endorsement to him, said that donors he's talked to are skeptical about protracted litigation.

"I've had more than one donor tell me well, at least we're not going to have an all-Democratic state government," Seifert said. "It's a challenging economic environment for them to think about paying the very high cost of a bunch of recount attorneys."

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1st black female US senator wants to lead Chicago

Carol Moseley Braun was a star — the first black woman to win a seat in the U.S. Senate, where she quickly made a name for herself by standing up to and defeating a powerful senator in a fight over the Confederate flag.

But that was long ago.

When Braun launches a campaign for Chicago mayor on Saturday, she'll have to reintroduce herself to many voters, including some who weren't even born the last time she won an election.

The 63-year-old Braun may try to recapture the breath-of-fresh-air enthusiasm that carried her to the Senate in 1992...Daley, who has led the country's third largest city for more than two decades, Braun will have to explain the miscues and embarrassing revelations that limited her to a single term — including a visit with a brutal Nigerian dictator — and overcome her years-long absence from public service.

Braun said she is ready to take on all her challengers and has nothing to hide.

"I want voters to look at it all because I've been delivering for the people of this town," Braun said this week in an interview with The Associated Press.

A former assistant U.S. attorney and state lawmaker, Braun was a relatively anonymous figure holding a relatively anonymous job — Cook County recorder of deeds — when she won a stunning Democratic primary victory over U.S...She went on to best little-known Republican Rich Williamson in the general election.

Within months, Braun had a Mr. Smith-Goes-To-Washington moment: She stared down conservative North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms, angrily promising to stand on the floor of the Senate "until this room freezes over" to stop the chamber from granting a patent on the United Daughters of the Confederacy insignia, which featured a Confederate flag.

When it was over, 23 senators who'd voted in favor of the patent changed their votes, and the patent — routinely approved in the past — was denied.

That victory, however, was eventually overshadowed by criticism of Braun.

She was excoriated by human rights activists when she met Nigerian dictator Gen. Sani Abacha, who'd been accused of human rights abuses, during a 1996 trip to Africa with her then-boyfriend. To make matters worse, Braun did not alert the State Department to her visit.

Braun explained she was traveling to Nigeria for a friend's funeral, and simply did not think to contact the State Department or tell the media, suggesting that she was the victim of a double standard.

"Other senators travel and they didn't have to call press conferences," she said.

There were never-proven stories that she misused campaign money left over from her 1992 race for personal luxuries, which she denies and the Justice Department twice declined an Internal Revenue Service request to take the case to a grand jury. She and her siblings were accused of dividing more than $20,000 of her mother's money that should have been used to reimburse her mother's nursing home — accusations that clearly are painful to this day.

"The truth is an absolute defense. And the truth is my mother did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

Braun acknowledges that those episodes raised questions about her judgment, but insists she was a good senator.

"There's a whole list of bills that became law because I initiated it," she said, listing legislation to rebuild crumbling schools and to ensure pension equity for women. "I'm very proud, frankly, of my service to Illinois as senator."

Even so, some said that Braun was not effective as a senator because, as powerful as she might have seemed when she stood up to Helms, she never built the relationships senators need.

"She really didn't carve out a clear role in the Senate," said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of politics at the University of Illinois-Springfield. "Six years later, it was just this sense she was this unfocused accidental senator, (that) she just didn't do anything with the opportunity she had."

Braun lost re-election in 1998 to wealthy businessman Peter Fitzgerald, a Republican, then served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand from 1999 to 2001.

In 2004, she attempted a political comeback by running for the Democratic nomination for president, which she jokingly acknowledges raised questions about her sanity. Braun said she decided to run after her niece noticed there were no pictures of women in a book about presidents.

"I'm going to get out here and make the case that a girl can be president, and that's exactly what I did," she said.

In 2005, Braun incorporated a new company to sell organic coffee, tea and spices. Her mayoral campaign would not disclose any information about the company's performance or how many employees she has, calling the information "proprietary."

Still, Braun suggests that her experience starting a business as the recession hit might resonate with voters.

"We sold our first tea bag in November 2007," she said. "So we have survived this recession and in the course of it I've had to go through and deal with the issues that every other small business has had to deal with."

Even so, she has been out of the public eye — unlike her opponents: former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, U.S. James Meeks, Chicago Clerk Miguel Del Valle and former Chicago school board president Gery Chico, who was chairman of the City Colleges of Chicago until he quit to run for mayor.

"She has the least visibility in the Chicago community, given her long period of absence" from politics, said DePaul University political scientist Michael Mezey.

But Braun said she is more qualified than any of the other candidates because of her varied background.

"I have the skill set ... to give the city the kind of leadership that it's going to need to address all of these issues that it faces, that we face as Chicagoans," she said.

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US to send NATO supplies via Lithuania

US to send NATO supplies via Lithuania

* US embassy in Vilnius says the Baltic port of Klaipeda has been chosen as Washington?s latest shipping point

VILNIUS: The United States has picked Lithuania as its latest transit hub to send supplies to international troops in Afghanistan via rail-freight across Russia, US and Lithuanian authorities said on Thursday.

The US embassy in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius said that the Baltic port of Klaipeda had been chosen as Washington?s latest shipping point.

The first shipment via Klaipeda of supplies destined for NATO?s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan is due next month, the embassy said in a statement. ?Shipments will continue as long as the operational requirement remains,? it said. ?Operational considerations will determine the size, frequency, and contents of cargo shipped through Lithuania.?

Lithuania joins its fellow Baltic states Latvia and Estonia, whose ports have already been used by the United States to supply NATO troops in Afghanistan via Russia. The rail-convoys have carried goods such as construction supplies, but not weapons or ammunition.

The decision to send supplies via Lithuania - which like Estonia and Latvia won freedom from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991 and joined NATO in 2004 - comes as Russia is considering expanding the transit of NATO cargo across its territory for Afghanistan.

Lithuania?s President Dalia Grybauskaite said the move was a crucial step for her nation of 3.3 million.

?US cargo transit will bring economic benefits to our country, and cooperation in this area will increase Lithuania?s contribution to strengthening international security,? Grybauskaite said in a statement.

Germany and Britain are already using Klaipeda port to support the Afghanistan mission, her office noted.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, with a total population of 6.8 million and a professional military of 20,500, have all deployed troops in Afghanistan. They have around 550 troops there, one of the largest contributions to NATO?s 90,000-strong force in proportion to national size. Attacks on supply lines across Pakistan have increased the need for new routes as NATO troops battle the Taliban in Afghanistan. afp

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Rabid bat warning in Los Angeles

19 November 2010 Last updated at 16:34 ET More than 20 rabid bats have been found in LA county so far this year, officials say Los Angeles county health officials have issued a warning to residents, telling them to be on the lookout for rabid bats.

The Department of Public Health said 21 rabid bats had been found in the county this year so far, twice the number typically found in the region.

Health director Jonathan Fielding said it was unclear why the number of rabid bats had increased.

Rabies is a viral disease that can cause death.

It was important for all residents to "understand the potential dangers posed to themselves and their pets, as most of these rabid bats have been found in and around homes", Mr Fielding said.

He urged residents to keep their children and pets away from bats and other wildlife.

One resident, who was attempting to nurse a bat back to health, was bitten and was treated for rabies, county officials said.

Thousands of workers exposed to toxic dust after the 2001 terror attacks in New York accept a $625m (£392m) settlement and cease litigation.

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2010 Los Angeles Auto Show: The Bubbly is Back

Mario Anzuoni/Reuters The model Heidi Klum helping present the 2012 Volkswagen Eos at the 2010 Los Angeles auto show.

LOS ANGELES — A funny thing happened on the way to the debut of the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Eos at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

It was 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, the first of two media days at the show, and hundreds of media were packed into the Volkswagen booth, pencils poised to paper and video cameras rolling, awaiting the hard sell of the hard-to-sell Eos. About 9:16, the model Heidi Klum was invited to the stage for a prepared Q.&A. to discuss how much she liked convertibles and, especially, VWs. At around 9:18, a photo op was announced, and photographers rushed to the stage, leaving other members of the media holding notebooks, clueless about what to do next.

9:20… 9:25… With Ms. Klum now posed behind the wheel, the Eos became engulfed in photographers. Many of the waiting journalists left. Others, like myself, continued to mill around, thinking, Surely, there will be a vehicle presentation. But by 9:30, I, too, departed. I can only assume Ms. Klum eventually gave the Eos her trademark kiss of death, “auf Wiedersehen.”

The frenzy was an awkward start to the show, but also encouraging. “Media presence is up 50 percent from last year,” said Brendan Flynn, a spokesman for the show. Not only was the media in full force, so were the automakers, who held more than 20 world debuts and flew in top executives to reveal them. Brands and products were being feted in a way more reminiscent of the years before the industry’s financial struggles: namely, swanky parties and events for the media.

Hyundai threw a soiree in honor of the new Elantra’s debut. It was held at a historic downtown Los Angeles hotel and included performers on stilts, mermaids and fire-eaters. The actor Jeff Bridges rocked the house with the musician T-Bone Burnett. The off-site party thrown by Range Rover was apparently so unexpectedly well-attended that the company’s reps, who were the hosts paying the tab, had a difficult time getting in. The Jaguar invite was a trip to Jay Leno’s garage, and Mazda took the media to dinner and a hockey game. Other automakers offered their own delights, including a cigar bar.

During the show, the celebration continued. Mercedes-Benz revealed the CLS63 AMG and F-Cell, and brought forth a MotoGP champion, Nicky Hayden, for a special announcement. The media was then invited to take a closer look at the cars and, presumably, Mr. Hayden. Unfortunately, these offerings were competing with free cupcakes, which got the closer look.

Champagne flowed at Kia’s press conference, and Porsche offered a catered lunch. Over at Lotus, there was more star power: the actors Sharon Stone and Billy Baldwin, as well as Paul Stanley from Kiss, took the wraps off the cars. Jonny Moseley, an Olympic gold-medalist, was the face at Ford.

Fiat’s press materials were packaged in a box containing an espresso cup, and Chevrolet brought limited-edition Hot Wheels Camaro Convertible cars, although those were actually for the public to receive during the show.

Sure, being a part of a media circus sounds glamorous — and fattening. But the real takeaway here is that the sweet smell of optimism regarding the future of this industry was wafting through the air.

Or it could have been the cupcakes.

U.S. EPA secures $7 Million Settlement for Cleanup at the Omega Chemical Site in Whittier (CA)

Release date: 11/19/2010

Contact Information: Margot Perez-Sullivan, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov, 415.947.4149

Work to target soil contaminated by industrial solvents LOS ANGELES COUNTY - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a multi-million dollar settlement for soil cleanup work at the Omega Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Whittier, Calif.

The settlement is with 169 parties – 73 parties comprising the Omega Chemical Site PRP Organized Group, commonly known as OPOG, and 96 others paying cash. According to the consent decree entered by the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on October 7, 2010, OPOG will perform the $5.6 million soil cleanup, pay all of EPA’s costs associated with overseeing that cleanup, and also reimburse EPA for $1.5 million in past response costs.

Including prior settlements at the site, this brings the total value of commitments from responsible parties to perform cleanup activities to approximately $24 million, plus cash reimbursements to EPA of more than $14 million.

“Today’s settlement is an important step forward in the cleanup of the entire Omega Chemical Corporation Superfund site,” said Jane Diamond, the EPA’s Superfund director for the Pacific Southwest region. “Soil cleanup is a critical step needed to protect nearby businesses and communities and prevent further contamination of groundwater in the area.”

Soil and groundwater at the Omega Site are contaminated with high concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), other chlorinated hydrocarbons and Freons. PCE and TCE are solvents that have been widely used by industry as cleaning and degreasing agents. Freon is used as a refrigerant and as a pressurizer in spray can products.

EPA found that indoor air contamination in the vicinity of the former Omega Chemical Corporation facility stems from vapor intrusion caused by contaminated soil. Contamination levels in several buildings have been documented at levels above the EPA’s health-protective range for long-term exposure to PCE and TCE. Under the terms of a November 2009 agreement, EPA worked with OPOG to undertake interim measures for reducing contaminant levels in indoor air, and the soil cleanup required by this consent decree should provide a permanent solution to the problem.

Between 1976 and 1991, the former Omega Chemical Corporation – located at 12504 and 12512 East Whittier Blvd. – was a recycling, reformulation and treatment facility that handled primarily volatile organic compounds, such as chlorinated solvents, and refrigerants.

The California Department of Toxic and Substances Control referred the Omega Site to the EPA in 1995. Approximately 3,000 drums of hazardous waste were removed from the location in 1995 and 1996, and in 1999 the EPA added the Omega Site to the Agency's National Priorities List -- a list that includes major hazardous sites across the nation.

Since the mid-1990s, EPA, OPOG and other parties have undertaken numerous investigations to determine how to clean up soil and groundwater at the site. In September 2005, EPA announced the selection of a cleanup action to contain highly contaminated groundwater in the immediate vicinity of the former Omega facility. That interim groundwater remedy was implemented, while investigations of soil and the extent of groundwater contamination continued. In August 2010, EPA issued a proposed plan for addressing a four-mile plume of groundwater contamination downgradient of the former Omega facility.

For more information on the Omega Site, please visit: www.epa.gov/region09/omegachemical.

Follow the U.S. EPA's Pacific Southwest region on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EPAregion9 and join the LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1823773/

F.C. Dallas's Ferreira Named M.L.S. M.V.P.

TORONTO — David Ferreira, F.C. Dallas’s diminutive midfield maestro, became the second Colombian and fourth South American to win the Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award on Friday.

Not since the afro-topped Carlos Valderamma strode through the Tampa Bay midfield in the league’s inaugural season has a Colombian won the award.

Ferreira, who is a good four inches shorter than Valderamma (eight inches, if you factor in the altitude of Valderamma’s fro), netted 8 goals this season and recorded 13 assists, second in the league, for a team that emphasized defense.

“It’s all based on the calmness you have in the moment,” said Ferreira who admitted his transition to the rough-and-tumble M.L.S. didn’t often afford him the requisite tranquillity.

“When I went to Brazil, I had to find time to adjust,” he said through a translator. “Dubai, same thing.

“When you’re a new player, you have to adjust yourself to fit in with the team.”

Ferreira arrived in Dallas on loan from Brazilian club Clube Atletico Paranaense in 2009, after a loan stint in the Middle East, and wasn’t nearly as assertive a force as he was this season.

He’d often get lost on the field in the beginning of his first season, and was mercilessly fouled by less skilled but more determined opponents.

“I had to prepare myself physically in the preseason,” he said. “I knew this year it had to be different. The people who brought me here were confident in me.”

Dallas Coach Schellas Hyndman had faith in Ferreira, but initially the coach said he didn’t know how to coax more out of his evidently talented midfielder.

“When he came here, I remember the team wasn’t clicking because David wasn’t clicking,” Hyndman said. He took Ferreira to lunch after practice at La Cantina, a Mexican restaurant across the parking lot from Pizza Hut Park that has since closed.

“I asked him what he wanted. Should we play more of a 4-4-2, “ Hyndman said, giving his player a rare chance to weigh in on team tactics. “Did he want more freedom to drift out to the wing?”

“What can I change to get more out of you?” the coach asked. “’That’s your job,’ he told me.”

Hyndman said that after that lunch he was more insistent with Ferreira, but also found better tactics and better combinations of players to complement Ferreira. Both coach and player say Ferreira enjoyed the freedom to do what he does, which is play a crafty brand of soccer, while the coach worried about the big picture.

Like Valderamma, Ferreira can dictate the pace of the game if given the opportunity to control the ball, as he did expertly in the playoffs, especially Dallas’s 3-0 win over the Galaxy at Home Depot Center in the Western Conference final. While his teammates neutralized the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan and David Beckham’s long diagonal crosses went for naught, Ferreira shined in midfield, scoring the opening goal and assisting on the dagger third goal.

Ferreira will again be called on to orchestrate the Dallas attack when it faces a deliberate and direct Colorado Rapids team on Sunday at BMO Field. It will be Dallas’s first M.L.S. Cup final, and it will go as Ferreira goes.

“Sometimes, when you bring in the stars, there’s a great expectation to deliver immediately,” Hyndman said. “It takes some time. Even though David isn’t a designated player, he plays like one.”

VIEW: Headley, the US, Mumbai and LeT II Naeem Tahir

VIEW: Headley, the US, Mumbai and LeT ? II ?Naeem Tahir

Headley claims to have been in touch with two persons: ex-Major Iqbal and ex-Major Sameer Ali, who supposedly helped him in his planning work. These two men had retired earlier from the payroll of the Pakistani ISI. This slander on ISI serves as the core reason behind the Indian propaganda machine that portrays Pakistanis as perpetrators of terror with ?official? backing

David Headley was fluent in English and Urdu because of his background. He had charms and knew how to get along. He had the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), CIA and a business cover-up from Tahawar Rana. With the help of a US passport, travelling was easy. One would not be surprised if he obtained a Pakistani passport also to freely move around in the tribal areas or even in Afghanistan.

According to one of his wives, he had a deep hatred for Indians. It is hard to find the reason for this and one can only guess that possibly he met with fanatics from the right wing during his stint as a student with Tahawar Rana. The extreme right fanatics in Pakistan and in India are no different from each other as far as nursing ?hate? is concerned. With this mindset, it seems very probable that during his stay as an agent of DEA he also came into contact with Pakistan?s banned organisations. Of these Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) is the one where he found support for his plan.

Who were the planners or supporters of the Mumbai carnage? According to the report by the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA), who interrogated Headley for 34 hours, ?Osama himself named the fidayeen team chosen for the terror strikes on Mumbai.? Headley is also reported to have said: ?Lashkar commander Abdur Rehman alias Pasha is directly in touch with the top brass of al Qaeda, including Ilyas Kashmiri who is now number three in the al Qaeda hierarchy in Pakistan. Abdur Rehman has met Osama a number of times.? Rehman once told Headley that his setup had been given the name Jund-ul-fida (Army of fidayeen) by Osama bin Laden himself. How Headley walked into the LeT is unclear. It is very probable that the contact was made through drug dealers who provide financial support to terror operations in return for protection. It is important to note here that Jund-ul-fida is a group within the orbit of LeT and operates with a large degree of independence, and that it is in contact with the al Qaeda hierarchy. It is this group that is said to be involved in the Mumbai carnage.

On the basis of the dossier first submitted by the Indian authorities, some of the facts related were the following:

The attackers were Bada Abdul Rehman, Abass Ali, Abu Saleh, Abdul Rehman Chota, Farhatullah, Ismail Khan, Nasir Abu Umar and Babar Imran. These eight persons left the coast of Karachi on a small boat on November 22, 2008 at 8:00 am. When at sea, they changed over to a bigger boat said to be provided by LeT planners. This boat was ?met? by the Indian trawler ?Khuber?. The group of eight attackers boarded Khuber, killed the crew except the captain, who was asked to take them to Mumbai. Navigation instruments were available to them. The log belonging to Khuber describes the duties assigned to each of the eight persons to carry out their routines on the trawler. Each person had specific duties. Ajmal Kasab?s name is not there! Four days later, on November 26, they arrived at the Mumbai coast at 4:00 pm and the main Mumbai area by 8:00 pm. The terrorists from Khuber split into two groups; six arrived at one point and two at another. Ajmal Kasab was in neither. Still, it is Ajmal Kasab on whose evidence the whole Indian investigation rests! The Indian investigation claims 10 terrorists. The photographs of the eight killed were published. How did the additional two get included? One of these ?two?, Hemant Karkare, was killed on Rang Bhavan lane. Kasab survived. So, only Kasab was left to provide all the ?evidence?. He was caught ?injured? from the same lane. But how did Kasab arrive on Rang Bhavan lane? Was he not fully covered by photographs implicating him at Taj Mahal Hotel? Who was controlling Kasab?s movements?

Headley is reported to have provided all the information about Mumbai, including maps of the streets. Headley travelled between Pakistan, Mumbai and the US several times for the preparations. He was finalising details of the travel, strategy and locations to hit. Was he doing this on his own? He was carrying out his official assignments from DEA. Was the Mumbai project also a secret assignment?

During the preparation time, Headley claims to have been in touch with two persons: ex-Major Iqbal and ex-Major Sameer Ali, who supposedly helped him in his planning work. These two men had retired earlier from the payroll of the Pakistani ISI. It is very likely that these persons either had extreme right wing beliefs, or were offered lucrative remuneration after retirement by Headley from his resources. The earlier ISI connection of these two persons has been widely publicised. This slander on ISI serves as the core reason behind the Indian propaganda machine that portrays Pakistanis as perpetrators of terror with ?official? backing. It also shifts the focus from the doings of Indian agencies.

In Mumbai, David Coleman Headley frequented upmarket Mumbai bars like Topaz on Grant Road and Mansi in Andheri. Sources say that he was sometimes accompanied by foreigners. Who were these foreigners? Could they have been from the CIA or Mossad? Also, the Indian officials investigating the Mumbai attacks claim to have traced David Headley?s Goa connection. The officials claim that Headley was in constant touch with an American who had been living in Goa for the past nine years. This connection could have provided a suitable meeting place for the co-planners.

On the other hand, the eight attackers arrived on the Mumbai coast on 26/11, passing through a large Navy in exercise at that time in the seas around Mumbai, without being challenged or stopped! Does this not sound a bit strange?

Six of the attackers met a woman, Anita Uddaiya, on the coast before going to Mumbai for the attack. This woman was mysteriously whisked away. David Headley also disappeared.

(To be continued)

The writer is a culture and media management specialist, a researcher, author, director and actor

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Oil will run out 100 years before new fuels developed - US study

AFP quoted US study as saying that the world will run out of oil around 100 years before replacement energy sources are available if oil use and development of new fuels continue at the current pace.

UC Davis researchers at the University of California used the current share prices of oil companies and alternative energy companies to predict when replacement fuels will be ready to fill the gap left when oil runs dry.

The study said that if the world’s oil reserves were the 1.332 trillion barrels estimated in 2008 and oil consumption stood at 85.22 million barrels per day and growing yearly at 1.3% oil would be depleted by 2041.

But by plugging current stock market prices into a complex equation, Mr Debbie Niemeier UC Davis engineering professor and Ms Nataliya Malyshkina postdoctoral researcher calculated that a viable alternative fuel to oil will not be available before the middle of next century.

The researchers analyzed the share prices of 25 oil companies quoted on US, European and Australian stock exchanges and of 44 alternative energy companies that produce fuels such as ethanol or bio diesel or are developing fuel cells, batteries and propulsion systems aimed at replacing gasoline and diesel in vehicles of the future.

Ms Malyshkina said that what they found is that the market capitalization or total value of all stock shares of traditional oil companies far outstripped that of the alternative energy companies. That indicated to them that investors believe oil is going to do well in the near future and occupy a larger share of the energy market than alternative energy.

She said that to assess the time until a considerable fraction of oil is likely to be replaced by alternatives we used advanced pricing equations to make sense of the large discrepancy between the market capitalization of traditional oil companies and the market capitalization of alternative-energy companies.

Their calculations showed that there would not be a widely available replacement for oil-based fuels before 2140 which, even if the more optimistic date of 2054 for oil depletion is retained would mean there could be a gap of around 90 years when it might be difficult to run a motor vehicle.

Ms Malyshkina said that nearly two thirds of crude oil is used to produce gasoline and diesel to run vehicles. The researchers’ calculations were based on the theory that long-term investors are good predictors of when new technologies will become commonplace.

She said that sophisticated investors tend to put considerable effort into collecting, processing and understanding information relevant to the future cash flows paid by securities. As a result, market forecasts of future events, representing consensus predictions of a large number of investors, tend to be relatively accurate. Similar calculations have been used to accurately predict the outcome of elections and the results of sports events.

(Sourced from AFP)

Sarah Palin Tells Barbara Walters She Can Beat Obama in 2012

Sarah Palin says she can successfully take on President Obama in 2012. In a preview of an upcoming interview with Barbara Walters scheduled to air Dec. 9, Palin was asked the forthright question, "If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?"

Palin said, "I believe so."

In the meantime it is evident Palin is trying to remain fresh and relevant in the public eye regardless of the venue. Leading up to the midterm elections, Palin stumped for many Tea Party candidates in both House and Senate races.

Palin has also rather adeptly used mass media to her strategic advantage. Between her eldest daughter Bristol's less-than-graceful appearance on the hit TV reality show, "Dancing with the Stars," to the launch of her own program on TLC, it's clear Palin wants her face and name embedded firmly in the public consciousness.

Remaining Relevant

Palin's attempt set up permanent camp on the nation's center stage, despite the fact she has not held a position in public office in over a year, is, to say the least, telling. CBS News reports after Palin resigned as Alaska's governor in July 2009, she began a book tour in earnest. "Going Rogue" reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

Speaking engagements are common for the former governor. Palin earns upwards of $75,000 per speech, according to Business Insider. Her daughter Bristol recently netted a plump $14,000 for a speech she gave in support of a center for single mothers in Louisville, Kentucky.

Stumping for Tea Party candidates during the midterm elections also helped solidify Palin's feigned importance. The Tea Party Express helped fund her endorsements. Many candidates have Palin's speeches and Tea Party backing to thank for their midterm election victories.

Television Appearances

The Palin family is also using regular appearances on television to further Sarah's future political career. Keeping American households in touch with the Palins may serve to endear them more to television audiences.

"Sarah Palin's Alaska" struck ratings gold with its premiere on TLC. Entertainment Weekly reports the number of viewers for the first showing eclipsed the best-ever ratings for a pilot on TLC. Nearly five million viewers tuned in to see the beginning of Sarah's Alaskan adventures Nov. 14.

"Dancing with the Stars" has felt the touch of Sarah's influence as well. Daughter Bristol has survived to advance to the finals despite receiving consistently poor scores from the judges. The ABC staple has reaped the benefits of Sarah and Bristol's popularity with higher than average ratings as it saw an estimated 17.2 million viewers tune in recently, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.

The Future

Regardless of the outcome of the primary election of 2012, Palin has made it clear she intends to remain in the hearts and minds of American viewers by any means necessary.

With books, television shows, public speaking engagements and political endorsements, the Palin name is not going away any time soon. Her Barbara Walters special in December will add ratings thanks to her personable character and folksy attitude which many American voters appear to enjoy.

Palin has two years to create the opportune political waves for a realistic bid to run for President of the United States. After many unprecedented Tea Party victories during the midterm elections, it's unwise to count this Alaskan self-described political heavy-weight out of the running.