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[NEWS] Stories of Interest	[Dec. 12th, 2007\|03:35 pm]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
Consider yourself warned!Many Still Without Power After Stormhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/us/12cnd-storm.html?ref=usMore than 1,600 seek federal aid following Washington stormshttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_wash_storms_aid.htmlCentral banks join forces to ease credit crisishttp://www.reuters.com/article/gc06/idUSN1262150920071212
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[NEWS] Veterans' Administration Approves Pentacles for Grave Markers	[Apr. 23rd, 2007\|12:15 pm]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
After a long, drawn out battle, the US Veterans' Administration has capitulated. http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9077&JServSessionIdr007=2tvm1x6wc4.app5b http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1138325.htmlFor at least 10 years, Pagan vets have tried to get the symbol of their religious beliefs approved by the VA for use on their gravestones. The VA has dragged their feet on the issue and last November, a lawsuit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against the VA citing obvious bias against a minority religion. Adherents to the pagan religions have filed the proper paperwork and been stymied for 10 years while other minority religions have had their symbols of faith approved in mere weeks. Adherents.com lists "Wiccan/Pagan/Druid" as one of the most common religions in the United States as of 2001 and Neo-Paganism as the 19th largest religion worldwide.The VA today settled the argument by approving the Pentacle for use on VA grave markers. A complete list of the available symbols of faith approved by the VA can be found at: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp
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[NEWS] Veterans' Administration Approves Pentacles for Grave Markers

[Apr. 23rd, 2007|12:15 pm]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing

After a long, drawn out battle, the US Veterans' Administration has capitulated. http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9077&JServSessionIdr007=2tvm1x6wc4.app5b http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1138325.htmlFor at least 10 years, Pagan vets have tried to get the symbol of their religious beliefs approved by the VA for use on their gravestones. The VA has dragged their feet on the issue and last November, a lawsuit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against the VA citing obvious bias against a minority religion. Adherents to the pagan religions have filed the proper paperwork and been stymied for 10 years while other minority religions have had their symbols of faith approved in mere weeks. Adherents.com lists "Wiccan/Pagan/Druid" as one of the most common religions in the United States as of 2001 and Neo-Paganism as the 19th largest religion worldwide.The VA today settled the argument by approving the Pentacle for use on VA grave markers. A complete list of the available symbols of faith approved by the VA can be found at: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

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[NEWS] NYPD Spy Operations	[Mar. 25th, 2007\|10:25 pm]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
For at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention, teams of undercover New York City police officers traveled to cities across the country, Canada and Europe to conduct covert observations of people who planned to protest at the convention, according to police records and interviews.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/nyregion/25infiltrate.html/partner/rssnyt?_r=1&oref=slogin
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[COMMENTARY/OPINION] Boston Authorities a Little TOO Paranoid	[Feb. 1st, 2007\|11:22 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
[mood \|cranky]For those who have not heard, a guerrilla marketing campaign caused parts of Boston to be closed off yesterday for a "bomb scare". Two people have been detained in the matter.( What were the Boston authorities thinking here?Collapse )Should the authorities have reacted with the bomb squad? Perhaps. Depends on the call they got. Should Turner's marketing guys have informed the city of the devices? Duh. Absolutely. Did they? No. But Boston's powers that be are making a HUGE mountain out of a mole hill here. They're talking about 5 years of jail time for the two ad guys who put them up. WTH? There were no problems in the 9 other cities. There were no problems in the first two weeks. These were obviously NOT bomb hoaxes. The intent was pretty clear. The ad people are innocent. I blame the retard who thought these were "suspicious" enough to be potential explosive devices. And the AG and mayor for continuing to blow this way out of proportion.
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[COMMENTARY/OPINION] Boston Authorities a Little TOO Paranoid

[Feb. 1st, 2007|11:22 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing

[mood** |cranky]For those who have not heard, a guerrilla marketing campaign caused parts of Boston to be closed off yesterday for a "bomb scare". Two people have been detained in the matter.( What were the Boston authorities thinking here?Collapse )**Should the authorities have reacted with the bomb squad? Perhaps. Depends on the call they got. Should Turner's marketing guys have informed the city of the devices? Duh. Absolutely. Did they? No. But Boston's powers that be are making a HUGE mountain out of a mole hill here. They're talking about 5 years of jail time for the two ad guys who put them up. WTH? There were no problems in the 9 other cities. There were no problems in the first two weeks. These were obviously NOT bomb hoaxes. The intent was pretty clear. The ad people are innocent. I blame the retard who thought these were "suspicious" enough to be potential explosive devices. And the AG and mayor for continuing to blow this way out of proportion.

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[NEWS] Nukes in the news.	[Dec. 22nd, 2006\|07:19 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238197,00.htmlTruck Hauling 6,000 Pounds of Uranium Overturns on North Carolina HighwayBENSON, N.C. — A tractor-trailer hauling about 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of low-grade uranium overturned as it exited a major U.S. interstate highway, but the crash did not pose a threat to the public, authorities said.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16318548/Agency notes fear among nuclear plant workersN.Y. workers afraid to raise safety issues, industry watchdog saysWHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Some workers at a nuclear power plant complex just north of New York City are reluctant to raise safety concerns because they fear retribution, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday.During an inspection of the Indian Point complex in September, “We found out that there were workers who perceived that they would be treated negatively by management for raising issues and consequently some of the workers expressed reluctance to raise issues under certain circumstances,” said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan.“We refer to it as a chilling effect, a situation when workers do not feel comfortable raising safety concerns,” Sheehan said.
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[NEWS] Nukes in the news.

[Dec. 22nd, 2006|07:19 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238197,00.htmlTruck Hauling 6,000 Pounds of Uranium Overturns on North Carolina HighwayBENSON, N.C. — A tractor-trailer hauling about 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of low-grade uranium overturned as it exited a major U.S. interstate highway, but the crash did not pose a threat to the public, authorities said.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16318548/Agency notes fear among nuclear plant workersN.Y. workers afraid to raise safety issues, industry watchdog saysWHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Some workers at a nuclear power plant complex just north of New York City are reluctant to raise safety concerns because they fear retribution, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday.During an inspection of the Indian Point complex in September, “We found out that there were workers who perceived that they would be treated negatively by management for raising issues and consequently some of the workers expressed reluctance to raise issues under certain circumstances,” said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan.“We refer to it as a chilling effect, a situation when workers do not feel comfortable raising safety concerns,” Sheehan said.

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[NEWS] Study Projects Flu Pandemic Could Kill 81 Million Worldwide	[Dec. 22nd, 2006\|07:18 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238198,00.htmlLONDON — A flu virus as deadly as the one that caused the 1918 Spanish flu could kill as many as 81 million worldwide if it struck today, a new study estimates.By applying historical death rates to modern population data, the researchers calculated a death toll of 51 million to 81 million, with a median estimate of 62 million.That's surprisingly high, said lead researcher Chris Murray of Harvard University. He did the analysis, in part, because he thought prior claims of 50 million deaths were wildly inflated."We expected to end up with a number between 15 and 20 million," Murray said. "It turns out we were wrong."
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[NEWS] Study Projects Flu Pandemic Could Kill 81 Million Worldwide

[Dec. 22nd, 2006|07:18 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238198,00.htmlLONDON — A flu virus as deadly as the one that caused the 1918 Spanish flu could kill as many as 81 million worldwide if it struck today, a new study estimates.By applying historical death rates to modern population data, the researchers calculated a death toll of 51 million to 81 million, with a median estimate of 62 million.That's surprisingly high, said lead researcher Chris Murray of Harvard University. He did the analysis, in part, because he thought prior claims of 50 million deaths were wildly inflated."We expected to end up with a number between 15 and 20 million," Murray said. "It turns out we were wrong."

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[NEWS, COMMENTARY - It's coming.]	[Dec. 22nd, 2006\|07:15 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
COMMENTARY - Expect a draft within the next decade. Just because the current administration claims they don't want to institute one, doesn't mean the next administration will follow suit.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238199,00.htmlU.S. Selective Service Prepares Test of Military DraftWASHINGTON — The Selective Service System, which has remained in existence despite the abandonment of conscription three decades ago, is making preparations to tests its draft machinery in case Congress and President ~~George W. Bush~~ Hitllary Clinton need it, even though the White House says it does not want to bring back the draft.
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[NEWS, COMMENTARY - It's coming.]

[Dec. 22nd, 2006|07:15 am]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing

COMMENTARY - Expect a draft within the next decade. Just because the current administration claims they don't want to institute one, doesn't mean the next administration will follow suit.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238199,00.htmlU.S. Selective Service Prepares Test of Military DraftWASHINGTON — The Selective Service System, which has remained in existence despite the abandonment of conscription three decades ago, is making preparations to tests its draft machinery in case Congress and President ~~George W. Bush~~ Hitllary Clinton need it, even though the White House says it does not want to bring back the draft.

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Spacer [NEWS] NPR: American Detainee Speaks Out	[Dec. 19th, 2006\|11:39 pm]Citizen's Intelligence Briefing
http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2006/12/20061219_a_main.aspDonald Vance was a 29-year-old US Navy veteran working in Baghdad when the prison door slammed on him. Blindfolded, shackled, thrown on a concrete slab, and cut off from legal representation by an American system and American guards in an American-run detention center in Iraq. For 97 days.
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