Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/169114618?client_source=feed&format=rss
patti labelle childish gambino chris hansen sandusky interview with bob costas sandusky interview with bob costas live oak mark kelly
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
TSA probes profiling allegations in Honolulu
HONOLULU?? The Transportation Security Administration said Thursday that it is investigating allegations that screeners at Honolulu International Airport have targeted Mexican travelers for extra screening.
-
Don't miss these Travel stories
-
Enjoy local foods during an airport layover
It?s getting easier to eat well ? and to eat local ? at an increasing number of airports where branches of hometown restaurants and gift shops serve signature local dishes and locally-made foods.
- U.S. to world: Dude, where's my vacation?
- 6 songs that put cities in the spotlight
- Luxury hotels offering better loot
- Top budget travel destinations for 2012
-
Enjoy local foods during an airport layover
The allegations "resulted in launching an immediate and thorough investigation of the behavior detection program at HNL," the TSA said in a statement, referring to Honolulu's airport code. "Pending the completion of the investigation, TSA also provided HNL Behavior Detection Officers refresher training to ensure the program is focused solely on identifying suspicious behaviors."
The statement was in response to a recent letter from U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. His Nov. 22 letter cited a report by Honolulu television station KITV, in which two TSA employees alleged that officers known as "Mexicutioners" targeted Mexican passengers in an attempt to appear productive to supervisors.
Thompson, D-Miss., said he wants a suspension of a program known as Screening of Passengers by Observation Technique, or SPOT, which involves officers trained in detecting behavior, such as facial expressions, of those who intend to do harm.
"TSA's behavior detection program in no way encourages or tolerates profiling," the agency's statement said. "Profiling is not an effective form of security and our security officers are trained to treat every passenger with dignity and respect."
Thompson gave the TSA until Dec. 16 to provide information including the agency's internal report on Honolulu's SPOT program. Among the information he requested are specific steps taken to address the racial profiling allegations at the Honolulu airport and a list of countries of origin for each foreign national arrested as a result of a referral from TSA behavior detection officers in Honolulu.
The TSA said it will respond directly to the congressman.
Honolulu airport is where dozens of employees were fired or suspended this year after an investigation found workers did not screen checked bags for explosives. It was the single largest personnel action for misconduct in the TSA's history.
The agency began an investigation at the end of 2010 after two Honolulu employees told officials that thousands of bags weren't checked properly or screened for traces of explosives. The probe, which included interviews with more than 100 employees, determined that some checked bags during one shift at the airport were not properly screened.
Thompson said the Honolulu allegations, along with media accounts in June of behavior detection officers at Newark Liberty International Airport targeting minority passengers, raise concerns about the "scientific validity" of the program. Behavior detection officers at Newark were retrained amid allegations they routinely targeted Mexican or Dominican passengers.
"These incidents and the failure of both training and supervision to prevent the practice of racial profiling are clear indications that more research, evaluation and testing must be completed before behavior detection can be successfully integrated at aviation security checkpoints," he wrote.
On Thursday, a group of 38 civil rights organizations led by the Sikh Coalition called for an independent audit of the TSA to determine whether the agency engages in racial profiling.
Their letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the groups, which include the NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union, are "concerned that the latest reports from Hawaii and New Jersey represent the 'tip of the iceberg' and that TSA officers are engaged in a wider pattern or practice of profiling racial and religious minorities instead of focusing on actual criminal behavior."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45516426/ns/travel-news/
pacquiao vs marquez pacquiao vs marquez junior dos santos junior dos santos evelyn lauder nfl standings devin hester
His candidacy uncertain, Cain to meet with wife (AP)
COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Set to meet with his wife for the first time since a woman came forward claiming she had a 13-year extramarital affair with him, Herman Cain is preparing for one last campaign stop before he decides whether to press forward with his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Cain, who has denied the affair and allegations of unwanted sexual advances from other women, planned a Friday afternoon campaign stop in Rock Hill, S.C., before heading home to Atlanta to assess whether the accusation of an affair would be enough to force him from the GOP contest. With a little more than a month before Iowa has its lead-off caucuses, time is working against the Georgia businessman as he tries to steady his campaign.
"I want to do the assessment that we've got to do. Every time a new bit of information comes up, that stimulates another story in the media and that hurts my family and my wife, and it hurts me," Cain told Fox News Channel on Thursday.
"I'm going to re-establish my reputation," he added.
It won't be easy, regardless of whether the allegations are true or not. Cain's standing in the polls is cratering, supporters are wavering and fundraising is limping.
Since Ginger White stepped forward Monday, the allegation of an affair has overshadowed Cain's campaign. He told The New Hampshire Union Leader that his wife, Gloria, did not know he was providing the 46-year-old Atlanta-area businesswoman with money for "month-to-month bills and expenses."
"Unfortunately, I'm a softy and I feel sorry for people when they get in deep financial trouble, especially given this economy," Cain later told Fox News.
White told MSNBC in an interview Thursday night that she was "deeply sorry" for causing Cain's wife or other members of his family any pain.
"My heart bleeds for this woman because I am a woman and being in a situation like this cannot be fun. And I am deeply, deeply sorry if I have caused any hurt to her and to his kids, to his family," she said.
White said the affair was never about love and that Cain never said he loved her.
"Nor did I tell him that I loved him," she said. "It wasn't a love affair. It was a sexual affair, as hard as that is for me to say and as hard as it is for people to hear it. You know, it pretty much is what it is. And that's what it was."
Even before White surfaced, Cain faced steep hurdles to the nomination. He didn't have much of a campaign organization. He was spending more time on a book tour than in early primary and caucus states. And he was dealing with doubts about whether he was ready for the presidency, given a series of fumbles on policy questions.
Cain said that he was heading home on Friday to talk "face to face" with his wife of 42 years, although he said they had spoken several times a day since White told an Atlanta television station she had a casual if long-term affair with Cain that ended about eight months ago.
"My wife told me again today she loves me. It's not that she is doubting me," Cain told Fox News. "It's that all the media frenzy and all of the speculation and all of the twisting and the turning that never stops, it takes a toll on your family and that's my No. 1 priority."
Even so, he canceled a Friday evening event at the Atlanta Athletic Club as he decides whether his campaign goes forward.
"Herman Cain is a smart man, and he loves his family, and I know that these last four, five weeks, with these accusations, have taken a toll on him and they've taken a toll on his family," Cain lawyer Lin Wood told CNN. "I suspect he's going to have a heart-to-heart talk with his wife and his other family members and he's going to make sure that whatever decision he makes, the first and foremost consideration: Is it in their best interest?"
___
Associated Press writers Shannon McCaffrey and Ray Henry in Atlanta and Tom Beaumont in Iowa contributed to this report.
ok state ok state kurt budke regis philbin regis and kelly reno fire regis philbin last show
Saturday, December 3, 2011
NASA quiet sonic boom research effort ends with a whisper
ScienceDaily (Dec. 1, 2011) ? NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center recently completed NASA's latest quiet sonic boom research study at Edwards Air Force Base.
The Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response, or WSPR, project gathered data from a select group of more than 100 volunteer Edwards Air Force Base residents on their individual attitudes toward sonic booms produced by aircraft in supersonic flight over Edwards.
NASA and industry are studying technology that will reduce the noise and annoyance associated with sonic booms to the point where aircraft flying over populated areas at supersonic speeds do not disturb the peace, and aviation and governmental authorities may consider lifting prohibitions. But before the current restrictions on supersonic flight over land can be changed, much research is needed to understand how individuals and communities react to low-noise sonic booms.
WSPR's primary purpose is to develop data collection methods and test protocols for future public perception studies in communities that do not usually experience sonic booms. The base's unique flight-test airspace puts Edwards residents in a position to experience loud booms regularly, so their reactions to low-noise booms will be a valuable guide for future work in sonic boom perception and response.
"Understanding the study participants' responses to sonic booms is very important to NASA," said Larry Cliatt, Dryden's principal investigator for the research effort. "We're pleased with their participation."
Participants used a standard questionnaire to provide information every time they heard any sonic boom while at home. In keeping with the "there's an app for that" age, some participants responded using smart phones with apps supplied by the WSPR project. Other study participants used a web-based application, and some used paper forms.
For the supersonic flight portion of the research that occurred between Nov. 4 and Nov. 18, NASA F/A-18 aircraft flew specific flight profiles to generate booms, while NASA researchers monitored the flights, noting precise times and actual boom intensities recorded by ground instruments installed in the Edwards' base housing areas. Dryden conducted 22 flights during the test period, yielding 82 quiet sonic booms and five of normal intensity. The softest WSPR project boom was recorded at .08 pounds per square foot (psf) overpressure, while the loudest registered well within the normal range at 1.4 psf.
NASA Dryden takes great care to ensure that loud sonic booms do not impact residential communities, using preflight weather balloons and sonic boom analysis before every sonic boom research flight.
Dryden's partners in the WSPR effort include NASA's Langley Research Center, Wyle Laboratories, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Fidell Associates Inc., Pennsylvania State University and Tetra Tech. The cooperation of Edwards Air Force Base personnel was crucial to the study's success.
WSPR is funded by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and managed by the Supersonics Project in the directorate's Fundamental Aeronautics Program.
Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:
Other bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Dryden Flight Research Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/X37vXFnxzqA/111201221131.htm
angela davis angela davis zombie apocalypse matt moore matt moore national grid andrew luck
Friday, December 2, 2011
Video: Massachusetts AG Sues BofA
New details are out on the first major state lawsuit against five big banks over foreclosure processing, with CNBC's Diana Olick.
Related Links:
Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45511865/
drosselmeyer pacific standard time local time lsu alabama earthquake when is daylight savings 2011 what time is it
Investing Blog Roundup: Deduct and Convert
This week I enjoyed learning about a tax planning tip I hadn?t encountered before, whereby some investors can achieve state income tax savings by making deductible traditional IRA contributions then immediately converting to a Roth IRA, as opposed to making Roth IRA contributions directly.
Investing Articles
Other Money-Related Articles
Thanks for reading!
New to Investing? See My Related Book:
Topics Covered in the Book:- Asset Allocation: Why it's so important, and how to determine your own,
- How to to pick winning mutual funds,
- Roth IRA vs. traditional IRA vs. 401(k),
- Click here to see the full list.
A Testimonial:
"A wonderful book that tells its readers, with simple logical explanations, our Boglehead Philosophy for successful investing." - Taylor Larimore, author of The Bogleheads' Guide to InvestingSource: http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/investing-blog-roundup-deduct-and-convert/
stacy keibler stacy keibler dancing with the stars season 13 cast tay sachs tay sachs watch the walking dead giuliana and bill
Penn State pledges $1.5M for sex-crimes groups
Penn State President Rodney Erickson, left, responds to a question as Acting Executive Vice President and Provost Rob Pangborn, center, and Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Simons look on during a town hall forum organized by students at the university's main campus, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in State College, Pa. The event served as an open discussion between students and the administration about the school's recent sexual abuse scandal, which has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/John Beale)
Penn State President Rodney Erickson, left, responds to a question as Acting Executive Vice President and Provost Rob Pangborn, center, and Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Simons look on during a town hall forum organized by students at the university's main campus, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in State College, Pa. The event served as an open discussion between students and the administration about the school's recent sexual abuse scandal, which has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/John Beale)
Penn State President Rodney Erickson speaks at a town hall forum organized by students at the university's main campus, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in State College, Pa. The event served as an open discussion between students and the administration about the school's recent sexual abuse scandal, which has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/John Beale)
Penn State President Rodney Erickson, left, responds to a question as Acting Executive Vice President and Provost Rob Pangborn, center, and Vice President for Student Affairs Damon Simons look on during a town hall forum organized by students at the university's main campus, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in State College, Pa. The event served as an open discussion between students and the administration about the school's recent sexual abuse scandal, which has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/John Beale)
Penn State President Rodney Erickson, right, gives his opening remarks as T.J. Bard, president of the University Park Undergraduate Association, and Peter Khoury, president of The Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, look on during a town hall forum organized by students at the university's main campus, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in State College, Pa. The event served as an open discussion between students and the administration about the school's recent sexual abuse scandal, which has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/John Beale)
Penn State administrators including President Rodney Erickson, far left, participate during a town hall forum organized by students at the university's main campus, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in State College, Pa. The event served as an open discussion between students and the administration about the school's recent sexual abuse scandal, which has resulted in the departures of school President Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/John Beale)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Penn State University officials on Thursday said they will donate $1.5 million in bowl proceeds to a pair of sex-crime advocacy organizations in the wake of shocking sex-abuse allegations levied against a once-revered assistant football coach.
University President Rod Erickson promised the donation the morning after he and other administrators faced pointed questions at a student-organized town hall forum.
Erickson told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that the Big Ten bowl revenue, which usually goes back to the athletic department, will go instead to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
"This presents an excellent opportunity for Penn State to raise the national visibility of this issue," Erickson said. "Our students and fans are focused on a cause to play for, to cheer for."
Also Thursday, Jerry Sandusky's lawyer said he has not discussed pleading guilty with his client and that the former coach continues to maintain he is innocent of the charges against him.
Joe Amendola said he would consider "possible alternatives" with Sandusky if new charges are filed that involve more victims than the eight boys covered by the 40 pending criminal counts, but that Sandusky has never considered a plea in his case. Sandusky, 67, is awaiting a preliminary hearing.
Amendola said the topic of a guilty plea came up as a "what-if" question from a reporter about potential additional charges.
"My answer to the 'what if' question was analogous to saying, if weather forecasters were predicting a blizzard next week, which they are not, I would have to at least consider the possibility of postponing my scheduled trip to Philadelphia," Amendola said in an email.
The Wednesday night forum on Penn State's main campus came on the heels of fresh sex abuse allegations against Sandusky, who was accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a young boy more than 100 times after meeting him through the charity the coach founded in the 1970s.
The state police commissioner has criticized school leaders for failing to do more to alert authorities to the allegations, and Erickson told about 450 attendees at a crowded auditorium at the student union building that ethics would be raised "to a new level so that everyone at the university understands not just the legal thing to do, but the moral thing to do, so that we learn to do the right thing the first time, every time."
Students appeared grateful to get answers more than three weeks after Sandusky was charged Nov. 5, hopeful it would aid in the arduous healing process.
"I think this is a good start for a lot of good things that can happen at the university," said student Andrew Comes, 21, following the two-hour forum. "It's a singularly bad event, but there can still be positive repercussions and good things happening from it."
Administrators sought to reassure students worried about the unintended ramifications of the scandal, such as the reputation of a Penn State degree.
After several questioners mentioned they felt shamed by the scandal, vice president Henry Foley, as part of an answer about the school's top three priorities, told students to focus on academics and to "recognize that none of you are guilty. ... You may feel shame, but none of you are guilty. Just keep doing what you came here to do."
The scandal has resulted in the departures of head coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier. Athletic Director Tim Curley has been placed on administrative leave, and Vice President Gary Schultz, who was in charge of the university's police department, has stepped down.
Schultz and Curley are charged with lying to the grand jury and failure to report to police. They also maintain their innocence and have a preliminary hearing later this month.
Erickson told reporters after the forum that Spanier was currently on sabbatical, and that as a tenured faculty member would have the right to teach if he so desired.
Several students also asked about the treatment of Paterno, who was the only school leader fired in the scandal's aftermath. Erickson said afterward he could not offer a detailed answer because it was the trustees' decision.
He reiterated there was no truth to Internet-fueled rumors that Paterno's statue outside Beaver Stadium would be removed, or that the Paterno name would be removed from the campus library for which the Paterno family has donated millions.
"At some appropriate time down the road, I'm sure there will be an opportunity to also reflect on the many years of service Joe and (wife Sue Paterno) provided the university and the many good things that they've done for Penn State," Erickson said, eliciting brief applause.
Associated Pressgirl fight jacoby brissett danielle staub last of the mohicans last of the mohicans ryan howard meteor shower 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)