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The weekend &News wrap up …

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Sunday had a lot of us waking up to news that not only has Jose Lima died today at 37, our hearts and condolences are with his family;  the BP dump is getting worse our Marshes and Wetlands affected and that the people, the politicians and everyone in between are starting to freak out which means they are now  turning on the federal Government, President Obama; stating it’s not doing enough.  The truth of the matter is this Oil event, leak, dump ..hasn’t happened on a scale such as this and it’s obvious no one truthfully knows what to do about it. There is no equipment, no procedure, nothing even close was in the possession of BP, Halliburton or TransOcean ; so the yelling and screaming at the President seems to be because they don’t know who else to yell at. The reality is that all these years …up til now anyone who wanted, voted and implemented oil drilling were doing the same thing Wall Street did … bet on the averages … up til now they were winning against the odds but again reality and the odds have run out.

The best suggestion would be to stop pointing fingers!!!! and start getting letting people who have been in the business of oil spill clean up a chance to make a difference.

The machine that Kevin Costner has is at least another opportunity to do something anything to help; apparently BP is only letting Costner test his machine …it is curious that there is a serious amount of things that can be used done and these guys seem to be turning them all down; example …there is a huge amount of solution on a Texas pier just waiting to be used supposedly less toxic and will take care of the oil but BP has not responded to them, Matter of Trust thought they had a potential partnership with BP to place and use a more organic boom(s) anywhere they need but someone said there was a mis-communication and while the three companies(BP,Halliburton,TransOcean) sit back and evaluate and grant other opportunities of help; the oil keeps on flowing into places that may not be able to renew have regrowth and it’s beyond me not to use implement just about anything that can help … including unconventional things.

And in other political news …the votes are in and a Republican won in Hawaii…though it was a special election … His win is only Temporary …he only will be serving for the rest of 2010; thank goodness … come November those that voted for either of the 2 Democrats will be combined into one big win.

In a year when Primaries,  Special and Mid-Term Elections have either happened and or are just heating up; the  whole Rand Paul pull back from his comments regarding Civil Rights, Racism or his comments about Public  vs Private policies are not only too late but won’t be forgotten . It is obvious Rand Paul has felt this way for years and now  is  feeling the heat and trying to save his campaign.

Other weekend News …

**a NJ township is handing out illegal immigrant id cards/community id cards already used in Trenton … gesh … unreal and offensive

Rep. Hollen on 2010: “Party of Reform” vs. “Business As Usual”

**British Airlines is bracing for a 5day flight crew strike due to perks/ pay/working conditions

It’s Saturday, and first of all … gotta say Mrs O hair looked great all curly … well, Mrs. O always looks great; watch the video of  her new Chief fall but you know what … she got it under control …she looks great too in coral and she popped up with grace …

Today, The President was at the West Point Academy honoring graduating cadets We ended the Week with so much more than the last guy gave to We the People and he isn’t done yet, this list is only after 2 years … Equal Pay, lily Ledbetter law, steps that headed off a depression,  Health-Care Reform, Financial Reform the biggest overhaul since the 30′s; He also announced and  signed a Fuel efficiency Plan.

We also learned this week that the Texas Board of Education is trying to re-write History.   It should offend us all beyond belief; they want to change the word slavery to trading, they are going to drop people from our History books and control what kids read … this is not History this is a reminder of how people on the right act and this includes tea party members.  This is an outrage and should be stopped  … seems like rights of the people are being abused; is this a group of people trying to  make History more European …get rid of the facts; what next?  Will they write that Texas actually was first inhabited by Europeans? and not by Native Americans tribes? the notion of changing History is reckless… our History may not be perfect, in fact it was has and is awful in parts … but it is the history of the United States and should not be manipulated.

I understand the notion to update and include what has happened in History like having the first Black President… and when the public heard that these folks didn’t know if they should use his middle name etc … Call Him and ask…simple

Saturday finds our President announcing that former Florida Sen. Bob Graham and former EPA administrator William K Reilly will lead the presidential commission that will investigate the Gulf Coast disaster; Graham, a Democrat, is a former Florida governor and senator. Reilly ran the Environmental Protection Agency under Republican President George H.W. Bush. His tenure at the agency included the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

There will be a panel of five that will examine/investigate the disaster from its beginning to the current situation including MMS and will report its findings in a few months … The President has stated that the oil spill, which Obama described as an environmental disaster, began April 20 when BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded off the Louisiana coast, killing 11 workers and rupturing an underwater pipe. Since then, at least 210,000 gallons of oil a day have been spewing into the Gulf, threatening beaches, marshes, fisheries and wildlife along the coast.

In other Oil Disaster News this Saturday … BP reports that they will push their time-line of getting the Top Kill in place or done from Sunday to Tuesday …ummmmmmmm not any surprise as the 3stooges have underwhelmed us all along the way; this is yet another sign that plans for emergencies are there for a reason and risk or what i feel betting on success over risk of equipment or life has been the learning curve here.  This disaster puts light on the behavior of people who like Wall Street, Big Banks and the AIG types feel about We the People and it stinks … Money Greed and Profits before the People.

Other News …

**NJ town has started handing out illegal immigrant id cards

**Alfalfa sprouts have been recalled 22 ill in 10 States including a sick baby in Oregon

**Dora the explorer has been made a symbol by some crazies as an illegal? shameful

**Viagra might be associated with hearing loss

**Energy Sec is postponing trip to China due to the Gulf Coast oil dump

**Cuba’s Parliament has denounced the new AZ immigration law

**US issues Travel alert to Jamaica

C-SPAN …

watch Sen. Dodd & Rep. Frank Wall Street Reform

watch Pres. Obama on Clean Vehicles

watch White House Briefing

watch COLP Conference: Morning Session watch Keynote: Sen. Murkowski watch COLP Conference: Afternoon Session
read Program From Conference

LIVE Feed of Underwater BP Oil Spill

Politics Today: CO, CT Parties Choose Senate Candidates; Hawaiians Vote in Special Elections

Republican and Democratic activists in Connecticut and Colorado are gathering this weekend for state conventions to endorse candidates for U.S. Senate races and other offices. In Hawaii’s 1st District, voters head to the polls in a special election to replace former Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), who resigned earlier this year to focus on running for governor.

Connecticut Democrats nominated Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to succeed retiring Sen. Chris Dodd, capping a week in which Blumenthal came under fire for allegedly misrepresenting his military record. State Republicans endorsed former wrestling executive Linda McMahon over former Rep. Rob Simmons and investment banker Peter Schiff, who each pledged to gather the necessary petition support to force an August 10 primary.

In Colorado, the parties are gathering at their respective conventions to endorse candidates for the Senate seat now held by Michael Bennet (D-CO). Sen. Bennet was appointed to succeed Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) after his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

Justice Breyer Gives Glimpse into Supreme Court in Times of Change

With the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan scheduled to begin on June 28, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, former law clerk Maureen Mahoney, and journalists Joan Biskupic and Lyle Denniston this week took a look at the current state of the Court. The discussion is sponsored by C‑SPAN and the Library of Congress and coincides with the recent release of “The Supreme Court: A C‑SPAN Book Featuring the Justices In Their Own Words.”

Also this week, Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy talked about the confirmation process. In remarks to the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in Florida, Justice Kennedy said he opposed applying issue “litmus tests” for nominees. The full speech airs on America & the Courts tonight.

President Honors Cadets, Outlines War Strategy

President Barack Obama today addresses the graduation ceremony of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Previewing the speech Friday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the President will discuss the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and “outline some broad principles” in advance of the soon-to-be-released national security strategy.

watch President’s Speech: Live on C-SPAN at 10a ET
visit U.S. Military Academy at West Point
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THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary



______________________________________________________
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           May 19, 2009
President Obama Announces National Fuel Efficiency Policy

WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today – for the first time in history – set in motion a new national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the United States. The new standards, covering model years 2012-2016, and ultimately requiring an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016, are projected to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program with a fuel economy gain averaging more than 5 percent per year and a reduction of approximately 900 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions. This would surpass the CAFE law passed by Congress in 2007 required an average fuel economy of 35 mpg in 2020.

“In the past, an agreement such as this would have been considered impossible,” said President Obama. “That is why this announcement is so important, for it represents not only a change in policy in Washington, but the harbinger of a change in the way business is done in Washington. As a result of this agreement, we will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years. And at a time of historic crisis in our auto industry, this rule provides the clear certainty that will allow these companies to plan for a future in which they are building the cars of the 21st century.”

This groundbreaking policy delivers on the President’s commitment to enact more stringent fuel economy standards and represents an unprecedented collaboration between the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the world’s largest auto manufacturers, the United Auto Workers, leaders in the environmental community, the State of California, and other state governments.

“The President brought all stakeholders to the table and came up with a plan to help the auto industry, safeguard consumers, and protect human health and the environment for all Americans,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “A supposedly ‘unsolvable’ problem was solved by unprecedented partnerships. As a result, we will keep Americans healthier, cut tons of pollution from the air we breathe, and make a lasting down payment on cutting our greenhouse gas emissions.”

“A clear and uniform national policy is not only good news for consumers who will save money at the pump, but this policy is also good news for the auto industry which will no longer be subject to a costly patchwork of differing rules and regulations,” said Carol M. Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change. “This an incredible step forward for our country and another way for Americans to become more energy independent and reduce air pollution.”,

A national policy on fuel economy standards and greenhouse gas emissions is welcomed by the auto manufacturers because it provides regulatory certainty and predictability and includes flexibilities that will significantly reduce the cost of compliance. The collaboration of federal agencies also allows for clearer rules for all automakers, instead of three standards (DOT, EPA and a state standard).

“President Obama is uniting federal and state governments, the auto industry, labor unions and the environmental community behind a program that will provide for the biggest leap in history to make automobiles more fuel efficient,” said Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This program lessens our dependence on oil and is good for America and the planet.”

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ThinkProgress.org


UNDER THE RADAR

ENVIRONMENT — DESPITE THOUSANDS OF SAFETY VIOLATIONS, MASSEY CEO DON BLANKENSHIP CLAIMS THAT HE ‘NEVER’ PUTS PROFITS ABOVE SAFETY: In his first Capitol Hill appearance since the Upper Big Branch mine explosion last month, Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship told a Senate committee yesterday that “we never have, and never will” put profits above safety in any of his company’s mines. “From the day I became a member of Massey’s leadership team 20 years ago, I have made safety my number one priority,” Blankenship said. But the truth is that Blankenship’s Big Branch mine alone was “cited for safety violations 515 times in 2009 and 124 times in 2010 before the blast,” citations which Assistant Secretary of Labor Joseph Main said were “not only more numerous than average, but also more serious.”  The Big Branch violations are part of Massey’s long record of egregious environmental and health violations. In 2000, a Massey subsidiary was responsible for what was at that time the “nation’s largest man-made environmental disaster east of the Mississippi.”  In 2007, the EPA sued Massey for violating the Clean Water Act “more than 4,500 times from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2006.” And in 2006, Massey’s Aracoma Coal Co. pled “guilty to 10 criminal charges, including one felony, and pay $2.5 million in criminal fines” after two workers died in a fire at the Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine in Melville, West Virginia. Massey failed to notify authorities of the fire until two hours after the disaster, and Blankenship later called the incident “statistically insignificant.” Though the company has been charged with tens of thousands of violations (10,653 in 2009), Massey continues to escape full responsibility by constantly appealing the penalties, and by leveraging connections with former employees of Blankenship who had been placed at the highest levels of the federal mine safety system. Blankenship’s attitude toward worker safety is best embodied in a memo he sent to mine superintendents just two months before the Aracoma fire. “If any of you have been asked by your group presidents, your supervisors, engineers or anyone else to do anything other than run coal (i.e. build overcasts, do construction jobs, or whatever),” he wrote, “you need to ignore them and run coal. This memo is necessary only because we seem not to understand that the coal pays the bills.”

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Truckinginfo …


5/21/2010  White House Will Announce Plans for Truck Fuel Economy Standards Today

By Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor

The Obama Administration this morning will announce a plan to set national standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for heavy- and medium-duty trucks, according to sources familiar with the plan.

Details will come after the 10:30 a.m. White House announcement, but the Environmental Protection Agency is planning a proposal to set specific improvements in fuel efficiency and specific emissions reductions for 2014 through 2018, said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

Included in today’s announcement will be a letter from truck engine manufacturers to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in support of the EPA’s proposal, objectives and schedule, Schaeffer said.

Another source, who asked not to be identified because he has been involved in the negotiations, said that engine manufacturers have been working with EPA for a year and a half to craft a workable plan.

They have been guided by the expectation the standards are coming in any event, and that it makes sense to participate, the source said. The outcome, he said, is that engine manufacturers will be able to live with the proposed rule.

Crafting the Proposal

Schaeffer said that the EPA proposal will recognize the diversity of the trucking industry – a significant complicating factor in setting national fuel efficiency and emission standards. He also said that many of the techniques EPA will rely on will be familiar to participants in the EPA SmartWay program, which promotes technologies such as aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tires and reduction of waste heat as ways to improve fuel economy.

The EPA proposal will be guided in part by research recently published by the National Academy of Sciences.

That study says considerable fuel efficiency gains are possible through a range of technologies and methods across a variety of truck vocations, and recommends that regulators employ a fuel economy measurement that takes freight into account, such as gallons per ton-mile.

It was prepared by a 19-member committee that includes academics, members of public interest organizations and trucking industry experts, including Duke Drinkard, vice president of maintenance (retired) at Southeastern Freight Lines, David Merrion, executive vice president (retired) at Detroit Diesel, and Charles Salter, executive director of engine development (retired) at Mack Trucks/Volvo Powertrain.

Schaeffer said this announcement highlights the progress that’s been made in improving diesel engine technology, and sets the stage for even more gains. “Diesels can get even more efficient,” he said. “The companies are confident and they support the program because it will give them uniformity and certainty.”

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Bill Graves said the association has been supporting development of fuel economy standards and is looking forward to today’s announcement.

“Reducing fuel consumption and CO2 production is good for the trucking industry and great for the environment,” he said.

Another ATA representative, chairman Tommy Hodges, put it this way: “As chairman of the ATA Sustainability Committee that in 2008 offered truck fuel economy standards and five other recommendations to reduce fuel consumption by 86 billion gallons and carbon emissions by 900 million tons over a 10-year period, I am excited to see the administration moving forward.”


5/20/2010  APL Logistics Hires New Executive to Grow Domestic Rail Business

APL Logistics has appointed Dave Howland as its new vice president of land transport services.

Howland joins from Schneider National, where he served as vice president of rail management.

In his new role, Howland will concentrate on expanding APL Logistics North America domestic transport capabilities, focusing on land transport services and the link between customers’ international and domestic cargo movements.

“We’re moving forward to re-position APL Logistics in the domestic intermodal markets and in building greater coverage in our land-based transportation services to better serve our international, contract logistics and domestic customers,” said Jim McAdam, APL Logistics president.

Prior to joining Schneider, Howland was a manager in intermodal rail and truck brokerage with C.H. Robinson and Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

APL Logistics said it plans to significantly increase the company’s involvement in the U.S. domestic rail business.

Howland will be based at APL Logistics’ North America headquarters in Phoenix.

truckinginfo.com

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#FF Congress …


The Senate will Convene at 2:00p.mET May 24, 2010

There will be a period of morning business until 3:00 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

At 3:00 p.m., the Senate will proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4899, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes. Those votes will be in relation to the Brownback and Hutchison motions to instruct conferees with respect to Wall Street Reform.

*******************************************************************

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 21, 2010
111TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION

9:04 A.M. –
The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on May 24, 2010. ADJUSTMENT OF THE WHOLE NUMBER OF THE HOUSE – Under clause 5(d) of rule 20, the Chair announced to the House that, in light of the resignation of the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Souder, the whole number of the House is 431.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

9:03 A.M. –
The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

9:02 A.M. –
Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.

9:00 A.M. –
The House convened, starting a new legislative day.