JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror(ISM), consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Cameron-EU deal is 'good enough' By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 2. Feb, 19:23-The EU-UK draft deal unveiled Tuesday (2 February), which is yet to be agreed by EU leaders, affords British prime minister David Cameron little room for manoeuvre, and has left sceptics unimpressed.Cameron said Tuesday in a branch of Siemens in Wiltshire that “hand on heart” he had achieved what he promised, and that he would want the UK to opt into the EU because the terms were good.However, backbencher MPs in Cameron's Conservative Party were left unimpressed, while Nigel Farage, leader of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, called the draft deal “pathetic”.The main complaint with the proposals, which Tusk put forward after extensive negotiations, was the process for curbing in-work benefits for EU workers is only gradual, applies to newly arrived EU citizens, and does not constitute a definite four-year ban.Another issue is Cameron's demand to end child benefit payments to families abroad, which has been watered down to a process whereby payments are indexed according to the cost of raising a child in that particular country.The Cameron-Tusk deal was also criticised for not including a change to the EU treaties, as Cameron had set out.“It doesn’t change the treaty, but gives us the guarantee that when next time the treaty is revised, our demands will be included,” a UK source argued.“It’s a good enough agreement, … it’s towards the minimum end that Cameron could credibly get away with,” Pawel Swidlicki, an analyst with the think tank Open Europe commented.Swidlicki points out that the two key major issues are the length of time the emergency brake for curbing benefits can be enforced, and strengthening safeguards for non-eurozone countries from decisions taken by the currency bloc.The UK secured a measure whereby, if there are concerns that the eurozone countries are to take a decision that may prove detrimental to the UK, it can “escalate” the debate, requesting that the matter be discussed at European Council level and not at the usual 'technical' level, such as amongst ministers, for example. But the UK would not be able to stop outright the 19-member currency zone from making the decision.The threshold for national parliaments to use the so-called “red card”, to amend or stop proposed EU legislation, is high, but Swidlicki argues it is still significant that it is included in the draft deal.UK officials insisted the draft was not perfect, but served as a good basis for a final deal when EU leaders meet in mid-February.“The architecture is coming into place that satisfies our concerns,” a UK official said.In the UK parliament, however, a leading eurosceptic Tory MP, Steve Baker, said the government was “polishing poo” in its spin on the Tusk plans.David Lidington, Cameron’s Europe minister, tried to calm MPs, saying the UK was “in the middle of a live negotiation and in a very crucial stage”.-Balancing act-In a tight balancing act, UK government sources also tried to assuage concerns among member states.“We actively support the deepening of the eurozone. We don’t want to stop it. We don’t want to veto anything,” a UK government source said in an attempt to offer assurances that London would not impede eurozone integration when it asked for further discussions on possible decisions by the currency bloc.He admitted that the scope of this tool was still to be discussed with member states in the next weeks, adding that eurozone legislation could still go ahead even if the UK expressed concerns.The UK might push to make it clearer that an “ever closer union” would not mean automatic further political integration. It wants its "unique membership" to be recognised in a future treaty change.But first, representatives of member states will meet on Friday to have a first discussion on the proposal.“If this [draft deal] changes fundamentally on substance, then we have a crisis,” a UK source warned.
US to quadruple military spending in Europe By Andrew Rettman-FEB 2,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-The US plans to quadruple spending on its military presence in Europe in order to deter Russian aggression, leading US media say.Defence secretary Ash Carter is expected to unveil the 2017 budget at an event in the Economic Club of Washington, a think tank, on Tuesday (2 February), ahead of its official publication on 9 February.He’ll say spending on weapons and equipment in Europe will, next year, increase from $789 million to $3.4 billion, The New York Times reports, citing unnamed US officials.“This is a longer-term response to a changed security environment in Europe. This reflects a new situation, where Russia has become a more difficult actor,” one US source said.Philip Breedlove, the commander of US forces in Europe, also said in a recent strategy paper that “revanchist Russia” is a bigger threat to US and EU security than the migrant crisis or the Islamic State (IS) militant group.The total 2017 military budget is to be $589 billion. It’ll include $7 billion for combating IS, a 35 percent increase, as well as extra money to develop a new intelligence-gathering drone, a strategic Air Force bomber, and a nuclear-missile submarine.It follows spending of $585 billion this year, down from $700 billion in 2010. But it’s still bigger than the combined spending of the world’s next 15 biggest militaries combined.By comparison, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK together spend some $180 billion a year. China spends $215 billion, Russia $85 billion, and Saudi Arabia $80 billion.The US has 65,000 troops in Europe.It’s stockpiling tanks and artillery in warehouses in the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania. It’s posting more troops to the region on a temporary or “rotational” basis. It’s also helping to build new “command and control” facilities as part of a Nato “high-readiness” force.Poland, for one, wants more: permanent US bases hosting up to 5,000 troops each, as in the former West Germany in the Cold War.The idea will be discussed in the run-up to a Nato summit in July.But any increased US or Nato presence is a red rag to Russia. Moscow says it violates a 1997 treaty, the Nato-Russian Founding Act. The Baltic states and Poland say Russia tore up the act when it invaded Ukraine.-Frozen conflict?-Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria, launched last year, prompted fresh talks between US, Nato, and Russia to avoid accidental clashes.Turkey, a Nato ally, shot down a Russian jet in November that it said violated its airspace. It says another Russian jet crossed the line this week.The military consultations come amid intensified diplomacy on east Ukraine.The US believes Russia, a petro-economy, is ready to freeze the conflict in return for relief from economic sanctions amid the prolonged slump in oil prices.But the US military budget and Breedlove’s words indicate little faith that Russian leader Vladimir Putin intends to pull back from his confrontation with Western powers in the “longer-term.”When German leader Angela Merkel met Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko in Berlin on Monday, she also said EU sanctions should stay in place until Putin fully complies with a Ukraine ceasefire.-Magnitsky sanctions-Meanwhile, the US, also on Monday blacklisted five more Russian officials over the death of Sergei Magnistky, a Russian anti-corruption activist who was killed in prison in 2009 after exposing a state and mafia embezzlement racket.Those newly sanctioned include former deputy interior minister Alexey Anichin. Some 39 people have now been sanctioned over the case.Bill Browder, Magnitsky’s former employer, said on Twitter: “US adds 5 real monsters to Magnitsky list. Bad news: There's 250 monsters still to be sanctioned.”He’s campaigning for the EU to follow the US blacklist, but to little avail.Cyprus, for one, in December invited Russian sleuths who were earlier involved in the Magnitsky case to interrogate Browder’s lawyers in Nicosia.The Cypriot authorities told EUobserver the Russian legal assistance request was not linked to Magnitsky. But the text of the request, seen by EUobserver, shows the Cypriot statement was false.
Pentagon to boost funding for Raytheon, Lockheed missiles-Reuters-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE, Calif. (Reuters) - The Pentagon will spend $2 billion over the next five years to buy more Raytheon Co Tomahawk missiles and upgrade their capabilities, bringing the U.S. inventory of the missiles to above 4,000, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday.Carter said the Pentagon would also spend nearly $1 billion over the next five years to buy new Long Range Anti Ship Missiles built by Lockheed Martin Corp.(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Exclusive: U.S. budget plan includes over $13 billion for new submarine - sources-Reuters By Andrea Shalal-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon's next five-year budget proposal seeks over $13 billion in funding for a new submarine to carry nuclear ballistic missiles, plus orders for more Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp fighter jets, according to sources familiar with the plans.The plan also shifts the Navy's strategy for a new carrier-based unmanned drone to focus more on intelligence-gathering and refueling than combat strike missions, said the sources, who were not authorized to discuss it publicly before the budget's release.U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter plans to map out his spending priorities for the $583 billion 2017 defense budget on Tuesday ahead of the official budget release on Feb. 9.The Pentagon's plan will also underscore the need to fund all three legs of the U.S. strategic deterrent "triad" - a new Air Force bomber, a replacement for the Ohio-class submarines that carry nuclear weapons, and new nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, said one of the sources.The Navy's proposed fiscal 2017 budget will fund procurement of materials for the new submarines that take a long time to acquire, with funding for construction of the first full new submarine to follow in fiscal 2021, said one of the sources.Over the next five years, the Navy would spend over $4 billion on research and development of the new submarines, plus over $9 billion in procurement funding, the sources said.General Dynamics Corp has the lead role on the new submarine to replace the current Ohio-class of submarines, together with Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc .Boeing would receive well over $1 billion in new aircraft orders as it seeks to extend production at the company's St. Louis facility. The Navy will request funding for two Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as part of the fiscal 2017 war budget, and 14 in the fiscal 2018 budget, said one of the sources.Navy officials also will likely add a request for 12 more Boeing Super Hornets to their annual list of "unfunded priorities" for fiscal 2017, said one of the sources.Those moves are aimed at filling a shortfall in the number of strike fighters available on aircraft carriers, given delays in the Lockheed F-35 fighter jet program and longer-than-expected repair times for current Boeing F/A-18 jets.The five-year budget plan calls for Lockheed to sell a total of 161 F-35 fighter jets to the Navy and Marine Corps - 64 C-model jets that take off and land on aircraft carriers and 97 B-model jets, which can take off from shorter runways and land like a helicopter, according to one of the sources.The proposal also narrows the mission of a new drone to be built by the U.S. Navy, the sources said.To reflect the change, the Navy plans to rename the new drone program the Carrier-Based Air Refueling System, or CBARS, instead of the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program, said one of the sources.The drones would have an initial limited strike capability, but more could be added in coming years, the sources said.Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman Corp , which makes the unmanned, unarmed X-47B plane that has been tested on U.S. carriers, and privately held General Atomics spent tens of millions of dollars to prepare for the previous tender.But the program was put on hold in 2014 pending a Pentagon-wide review of intelligence and surveillance programs.(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Dan Grebler)
France, Belgium step up security cooperation By Eric Maurice-FEB 2,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30-France and Belgium pledged on Monday (1 February) to reinforce their cooperation against Islamic terrorism and called for a "European security pact".Meeting in Brussels, Belgian and French prime ministers Charles Michel and Manuel Valls also tried to diffuse tension between the two countries. Belgium was criticised after it emerged the authors of the November Paris attacks came from Brussels."I never doubted for a moment the strength and determination of the Belgian government," Valls said in a joint interview with Michel on RTL-TVI."What is needed is to improve the information, intelligence and prevention systems, not only between France and Belgium, but at a European level," Valls said, adding that France and Belgium faced "the same threat".The two leaders, who were joined by their interior and justice ministers as well as by intelligence, police and justice officials, decided to increase their police and justice cooperation.A French liaison magistrate will be sent to Belgium to be "the interface" between the two countries' judiciaries. The two police will "systematically supply" the Schengen and Europol databases to reinforce the exchange of information.Belgium and France also pledged to "develop as quickly as possible" their national passenger name record (PNR) database, where data on airline passengers is stored.After many months of discussions between the member states and the EU Parliament, an agreement on a European PNR was found in December, but the final text still has to be adopted by the parliament.-Terrorism networks 'thwarted'-In a common statement, Michel and Valls said that efforts at a European level were "important … but not sufficient".They said it was "essential" at EU level to: "make quick progress in harmonising incriminations in terrorism cases", "establish a tight cooperation between member states to improve cross-border access to internet communication data in targeted investigations", and "allow more resort to common investigation teams".Belgium and France demanded a "quick adoption" of the proposal for systematic checks at the external borders of the Schengen area, including for EU nationals. The measure was agreed in principle in November under French pressure after the Paris attacks but has yet to be formally approved by the EU Parliament and member states.They also pushed for the quick creation of an EU border and coastguard corps and said they were "determined to work more closely" with the parliament and other member states to tighten control of firearms.Michel and Valls also said they were waiting "with the greatest interest" for the commission's proposal on fighting the financing of terrorism.All these measures are needed, the French PM said, because "the threat is at unprecedented levels".In an interview with France's Europe 1 radio, Michel said that Belgium "thwarted networks, at least of a logistical nature.""Everywhere in Europe there are hovering threats, from Daesh, from the Islamic State. We cannot rule out that there is still ... in France, in Belgium and in other European countries people who have bad intentions," he said.
Athens ponders defence options on migrant crisis By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 2. Feb, 19:48-The European Commission is demanding that Greece make more efforts on migration amid moves by Athens to get its ministry of defence involved in managing asylum screening zones at so-called hotspots.On Tuesday (2 February), the Brussels-executive announced it would send a list of recommendations to the Council, which represents the member states, to help Greece plug the gaps at its borders.Details of the recommendations remain confidential but the commission said in a statement it spanned border surveillance, fingerprinting, identification, among other issues.Greece will have three months to implement the proposals at the expense of possibly prolonging internal border controls elsewhere in the EU to up to two years.EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told euro-deputies in Strasbourg that Greece was making efforts and progress despite announcing last week Athens was "seriously neglecting" its duties to manage its frontiers."The commission is putting every effort to achieve normalisation of the Schengen functioning and in parallel is preparing for all options," said Avramopoulos.He added ending Schengen or ejecting Greece from the passport-free zone was not part of those options. He noted the flow of irregular migrants to Greece and the Western Balkans "continues unabated".Some 62,000 people arrived on the Greek Aegean islands since the start of the year, according to the International Organization for Migration. Around 360 have died attempting to make the journey.-Greek ministry of defence-Athens, for its part, is scrambling to get its hotspots up and running, with reports the military could step in to get them operational within two weeks.Greek prime minister Tsipras on Sunday (31 January) met with the minister of defence, Panos Kammenos, to look into ways his ministry could increase its assistance.Among the possible scenarios is for the ministry to provide staff, operate cooking facilities, and help set up two relocation centres in mainland Greece (in Attica and Thessaloniki), each able to accommodate 4,000 people.A Greek spokesperson told this website any involvement of the military would be limited to logistics and technical services.-Overall progress in EU 'poor'-The European Commission said it would also issue next week a progress report assessing whether the overall plans on migration were being implemented in EU states."We will be frank and objective about the poor progress we see on the ground today and about what needs to be done in the next days or weeks," said Avramopoulos.Plans agreed by EU states last year to manage the crisis have failed to make any discernible impact. The scheme to relocate 160,000 people from Greece and Italy to other member states has ground to a halt, with some governments flat-out refusing to participate.Other outstanding issues include the returning of people not entitled to international protection. Some countries, despite having readmission agreements in place, such as Pakistan, have refused their own nationals re-entry.Liberal EP leader Guy Verhofstadt, for his part, proposed using article 78 of the EU treaty to take over the Greek borders and create a rapid response force."[It] is a decision that can be taken by a qualified majority in the council immediately," he said in Strasbourg.
Canada vulnerable to major attack-Ex-CIA analyst warns of the danger of an EMP attack-By Anthony Furey, Postmedia Network-Updated: Sunday, January 31, 2016 08:19 AM EST
THIS IS PART ONE OF A TWO PART SERIES. CHECK BACK ON MONDAY TO LEARN WHAT CANADA CAN DO TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM A CATASTROPHIC ATTACK.Canada and the United States are currently vulnerable to an imminent threat that could “topple the pillars of civilization”, says the executive director of the EMP Task Force on National Homeland Security, a U.S. Congressional advisory board.In a recent trip to Toronto, Dr. Peter Pry discussed the importance of protecting North American infrastructure from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack the effects of which would be devastating.A well-planned attack would be “a mortal threat to the West,” says Pry, who’s studied the issue since doing his doctorate in strategic studies and then becoming an analyst with the CIA, where he was their EMP point man.In 1962 the U.S. government conducted a high-altitude nuclear missile test in Hawaii known as Starfish Prime. One of the results that puzzled researchers was why the lights were knocked out and the underground sea cables damaged.That’s when they became aware that one effect of a nuclear explosion was super-energetic radio waves that carried many thousands of volts. If they hit electronics, they’d be fried in mere nanoseconds.The common worry with a nuclear weapon is the on-the-ground explosion it makes. But researchers realized an EMP blast above the ground could have a much different, and arguably worse, impact. The higher up it detonates, the wider the field.“If you can come up 300km in the centre of the USA, it will cover all the states and the edge will hit Canada. All with one bomb,” Pry says, who later worked with Congress for the House Armed Services Committee where he continued his research.While there are zero deaths from the actual explosion – which is in the air – the EMP field would fry the entire electrical grid. The power transformers are knocked out. Cars shut off. Traffic lights stop.“When the EMP field is created over the whole country it’s being injected into all your pipelines, all the railroad tracks, all the power lines, all the energy lines,” says Pry. “Naturally, it will cause everything electronic to collapse. This thing threatens the very existence of our electronic civilization. And we are an electronic civilization – everything depends on electronics.”North America would be under blackout. And it would be a long blackout. Many power transformers and other major devices would need to be rebuilt – which would take a number of months, even years. Emergency generators only have fuel to survive for around 72 hours. And North America only has a food supply to feed people for a couple months.“We estimated that given the current fact that the grid is unprotected, if something like this were to happen we could lose up to 90% of the population in a year... 9 out of 10 north Americans could die as a consequence.”If you’re wondering why this isn’t discussed more often, it’s because it was classified information until a U.S. commission released it in 2004 and 2008. Now Pry is on a mission to educate policy makers and military planners on the issue.Pry’s not alone in his mission either. A letter sent to President Barack Obama urging him to take action on EMP was signed not just by Pry but a former US ambassador to NATO, a former CIA director and various senators and congressmen.But how serious is this? Could such an attack conceivably happen? Actually, it almost did. In April 2013, North Korea orbited a satellite over the centre of the United States.“It went over us at the optimum altitude for putting an EMP field down over all 48 contiguous United States,” explains Pry. “So North Korean actually practised a satellite EMP attack.”Plus, smaller versions of EMP attacks have been conducted by gangs and rebel groups across Europe and Asia.The good news is protecting ourselves from an attack isn’t that difficult. “We know how to do this,” says Pry. “It doesn’t cost a lot of money. There’s no excuse for us to be vulnerable to this particular threat.”***Man-made electromagnetic pulse attacks (EMP) attacks aren’t the only thing that could take down North America’s electricity grid. They’re also natural occurrences.Dr. Peter Pry, who’s spent much of his professional life studying EMP, warns that coronal mass injections (solar flares) can also cause massive damage to a world that’s increasingly dependent upon interconnected but fragile electrical grids.One example of this is the March 1989 geomagnetic storm that took out the Hydro-Quebec power grid. But the big worry is that we’ll see a repeat of the 1859 Carrington Event, which Pry calls the “most powerful geokinetic storm known to us.”The earth narrowly missed being hit by such a solar storm on July 23, 2012. It would have caused untold damage to electronics throughout the world.“NASA estimates the probability of such an event is 12% per decade,” notes Pry. “That virtually guarantees that during our lifetime or that of our children we’re going to experience one of these. And sooner than later because we’re overdue for one.”Will EMP impact airplanes?-“Probably all of them will come crashing down,” Peter Pry says. “This is where you get into the high fatalities because at any given time there are a half a million people being transported through the skies over North America on over a thousand airliners.”Are EMP weapons readily available? Pry and his team gave funding to academics to test if they could independently build them:“It took them a year but they built two radio frequency weapons. One of them was designed to fit inside a VW bus and the idea was it would go down Wall St. and shut down the computers and cause an economic crisis. The other one was designed to fit in a shipping crate for a Xerox machine and the idea was you would mail this to the Pentagon and it would sit in their mailroom and fry out all their computers.”-TIMELINE-1962 – Starfish Prime test draws attention to nuclear EMP effects-2004/2008 – U.S. declassifies EMP information, public discussion begins-2013 – Several U.S. states undertake steps to protect their grid-TBA – Canada has yet to take steps to harden its grid
Obama borrows from Bush in first visit to U.S. mosque-Olivier Knox-Chief Washington Correspondent-February 2, 2016-YAHOONEWS
President Obama took office in January 2009 eager to speak to Muslims around the world on behalf of Americans, looking to reset a relationship poisoned by the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Seven years later, Obama makes his first visit to a U.S. mosque on Wednesday, eager to speak to America on behalf of its Muslim citizens, looking to counter what the White House describes as poisonous election-year rhetoric from Republicans.“We have seen an alarming willingness on the part of some Republicans to try to marginalize law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans, and it is offensive,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday. “We have seen a willingness on the part of leading Republican presidential candidates to try to appeal to people’s fears and anxieties.”White House aides say Obama won’t call out any Republicans by name during his visit to the Islamic Center of Baltimore mosque. But they privately say that the spark for the president’s visit was Trump’s call to halt Muslim immigration to the United States, a proposal that drew condemnation from some — but not all — of the bombastic billionaire’s rivals to be the Republican standard-bearer in 2016, and won considerable support in Congress. Obama’s advisers also bristle at charges from some in the GOP that Islam is inherently prone to violence. And administration officials worry that coverage overseas of Trump’s remarks could fuel what one called a “false impression that we are at war with Islam.” Republicans have often countered that Obama’s refusal to brand the enemy “Islamic extremists” is a nod to politically correct sensibilities that shows he does not take the threat seriously.Public opinion polls in late 2015 found that a majority of Republican voters backed Trump’s idea. Democrats overwhelmingly rejected it, and most independents sided with them.Among the key audiences for Obama’s remarks is America’s Muslim community, which he needs to have as an ally against home-grown extremists, like those who carried out the deadly attack in San Bernardino, Calif., in December.“We will have more success in our efforts to prevent that if we work effectively with the Muslim community to confront that threat as opposed to branding everybody who attends a mosque as a potential enemy of the United States of America,” Earnest said Tuesday.Seven years ago, Obama’s key audience was Muslims around the world, a constituency he described as vital to allied efforts to stamp out the kind of violent extremism that plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.Back then, the centerpiece of his outreach was a June 2009 speech at Cairo University in which he pleaded for “a new beginning,” acknowledged “civilization’s debt to Islam” and highlighted the contributions of American Muslims.“They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they’ve excelled in our sports arenas, they’ve won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building and lit the Olympic Torch,” he said.Obama is certain to echo that part of his Cairo message on Wednesday as he visits the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque, holds a round table with key community figures and makes remarks.Obama has visited mosques in Cairo and Jakarta as president, but never before one on U.S. soil. He has delivered impassioned pleas for religious acceptance before, as recently as his appearance at the House Democrats’ annual retreat and his State of the Union address, and years earlier when he defended plans to build a mosque near ground zero in New York City. He has continued the practice of holding annual dinners at the White House to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Obama officials cite an unlikely model for this latest outreach: George W. Bush. They note with approval Bush’s visit to the Islamic Center of Washington just days after the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes.Bush had declared a “war on terrorism” not quite 12 hours after the attacks. But he hurried to the Islamic Center of Washington, a mosque and cultural center, less than a week later, quoted the Quran, and warned that Americans unleashing their anger on fellow Americans who follow Islam “represent the worst of humankind.”“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war,” he said.Bush worked enormously hard for eight years to tamp down anti-Islam sentiment at home, though policies like the war in Iraq undercut his outreach to Muslims around the world. Aides frequently observed in private that “public diplomacy” messaging efforts to win over Middle Eastern audiences couldn’t compete with the reality of America policies that angered Muslims.And Bush tried to shape his language to avoid offending followers of Islam overseas. He shied from describing America’s enemies as “Islamic terrorists,” though for a brief time in 2006 he called them “Islamic radicals,” only to drop the expression after Saudi Arabia objected. Early on he dubbed the war on terrorism a “crusade,” a bland term in the West that remains deeply controversial for many Middle Eastern Muslims. Angry with himself over the unnecessary provocation, Bush in June 2004 trimmed Dwight D. Eisenhower’s famous D-Day message to leave out a reference to “the great crusade” of defeating Nazi Germany.Some former Obama aides say this president faces some of the same challenges overseas — that policies like his drone war outweigh earnest diplomatic entreaties for popular support. But many praise Bush’s efforts.“That was one of the real contributions, despite all the other problems, that George W. Bush made after 9/11, when he basically said, after going to a mosque in Washington, ‘We are not at war with Islam or Muslims,’” former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said at a Democratic debate in November.At home, it’s unclear what sort of clout Obama’s message will have as his consequential two-term presidency winds down — and with whom. But he’ll avoid picking fights with any Republicans by name on Wednesday, even if his targets are obvious, his spokesman said.According to Earnest, “I wouldn’t expect any of the candidates tomorrow to enjoy the benefit of being singled out by the president of the United States.”Candidate Obama inherited the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and promised to end them. But his successor will inherit conflicts in both countries — a sobering reality not lost on anyone at the White House. That Obama started his term with outreach to Muslim audiences in Cairo and ends it reaching out to Muslim audiences in Baltimore shows that the next president will also take up a war of words that began shortly after 9/11.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Brazil's Rousseff vows all-out war on Zika virus mosquito-Reuters-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said her government will not spare resources in mobilizing her country to combat the mosquito that transmits the Zika virus now spreading rapidly through the Americas."There will be no lack of funding," Rousseff said in an address to a joint session of Brazil's Congress at the start of its legislative year.Rousseff also said Brazil and the United States will enter a partnership to develop a vaccine against Zika as soon as possible to stem the spread of the virus that has been linked to thousands of cases of Brazilian newborns with brain damage.(Reporting by Anthony Boadle)
U.S. Red Cross asks blood donors to wait 28 days after visiting Zika areas-Reuters-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - The American Red Cross appealed on Tuesday to prospective donors who have visited Zika outbreak zones to wait at least 28 days before giving blood, but said risks of transmitting the virus through blood donations remained "extremely" low in the continental United States.The "self-deferral" for blood donors should apply to those who have visited Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America during the past four weeks, the Red Cross said in a statement.The Washington-based nonprofit disaster relief agency also asked that donors who give blood and subsequently develop Zika-like symptoms within 14 days of that donation to notify the Red Cross so the product can be quarantined.Cases of the Zika virus, a mosquito-born illness linked to a dangerous birth defect called microcephaly - marked by small head size - and to a serious autoimmune disorder called Guillian-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis, has been reported in more than 30 countries and territories.The Red Cross statement came as the first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite. The World Health Organization on Monday declared an international public health emergency over the virus.Zika had been thought to be spread by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, so sexual contact as a mode of transmission would be a potentially alarming development.(Reporting by Sara Catania in Los Angeles. Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Richard Chang and Andrew Hay)
First U.S. Zika virus transmission reported, attributed to sex-Reuters By Jon Herskovitz-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite, a day after the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency.The virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is spreading rapidly in the Americas, and WHO officials on Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. Zika had been thought to be spread by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, so sexual contact as a mode of transmission would be a potentially alarming development.Dallas County Health and Human Services said it received confirmation of the case in Dallas from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The county department said on Twitter that the person was infected through sexual contact with someone who had traveled to Venezuela. The person infected did not travel to the South American country, county health officials said.The Texas Department of State Health Services was slightly more cautious in its assessment, saying in a statement, "Case details are being evaluated, but the possibility of sexual transmission from an infected person to a non-infected person is likely in this case."County authorities said there were no reports of the virus being locally transmitted by mosquitoes in the Texas county.A CDC spokesman confirmed the results of a test for Zika infection but said local officials investigated the mode of transmission.Previously, international health officials had noted one case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission. But the Pan American Health Organization said more evidence was needed to confirm sexual contact as a means of Zika transmission. The medical literature also has one case in which the virus was detected in semen.The virus has been reported in more than 30 countries and linked to microcephaly, in which babies have abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains.The Dow Jones transportation average ended 2.9 percent lower following news of the first U.S. transmission of the Zika virus.-MONITORING NEEDED-The WHO has said the virus could infect 4 million people in the Americas. It said on Tuesday it launched a global response unit to fight the mosquito-borne virus."Most important, we need to set up surveillance sites in low- and middle-income countries so that we can detect any change in the reporting patterns of microcephaly at an early stage," Dr. Anthony Costello said in Geneva. Costello is WHO's director for maternal, child and adolescent health.Twenty to 30 sites could be established worldwide, mainly in poor countries without robust healthcare systems.Brazil is the country hardest hit by Zika. In an address to a joint session of Brazil's Congress, President Dilma Rousseff said her government will spare no resources in mobilizing to combat the mosquito that transmits the virus. With no vaccine or treatment for Zika, efforts to curb its spread have focused on eradicating mosquito breeding sites.Brazil, which has 3,700 suspected cases of microcephaly that may be linked to Zika, is scheduled to host the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.Rousseff also said Brazil and the United States will enter a partnership to develop a Zika vaccine as soon as possible to stem the spread of the virus.-VACCINE EFFORTS-French drugmaker Sanofi SA on Tuesday announced that it has launched a project to develop a vaccine against the virus, the most decisive commitment yet by a major vaccine maker. The company said its Sanofi Pasteur vaccines division would use its expertise in developing vaccines for similar viruses such as yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and dengue.Other companies also joined the race on Tuesday to develop a vaccine. The University of South Australia said it was working on a Zika vaccine with Australian biotech Sementis Ltd.U.S. drug developer NewLink Genetics Corp said it has started a project to develop Zika treatment options.Experts have said a Zika vaccine for widespread use is months if not years away.Costello said the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus "are present ... through Africa, parts of southern Europe and many parts of Asia, particularly South Asia." Africa and Asia have the world's highest birth rates.WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said on Monday it was "strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven" that Zika causes microcephaly.The first Irish cases of Zika virus have been detected in two people with a history of traveling to a country affected by the mosquito-borne infection, the Health Service Executive of Ireland said.Chilean health officials said they have confirmed three cases in Chile of people infected with the Zika virus, all of whom were infected while traveling elsewhere in Latin America.An Australian state health service said two Australians were diagnosed with the virus after returning from the Caribbean, confirming the first cases of the virus in the country this year.(Additional reporting by Dominique Vidalon in Paris, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Shadia Nasralla in Vienna, Ben Hirschler in London, Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Jane Wardell in Sydney, Amy Sawitta Lefevre in Bangkok, Pedro Fonseca in Rio, Rosalba O'Brien in Santiago, Padraic Halpin in Dublin, Ankur Banerjee and Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Jonathan Oatis)
Chipotle says California probe widens into national investigation-Reuters By Subrat Patnaik and Siddharth Cavale-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc said a federal criminal probe linked to a food-safety incident at a California restaurant had widened into a national investigation, sending its shares down 8.6 percent in extended trading on Tuesday.The burrito chain also said sales at established restaurants plunged about 36 percent in January, adding to a 14.6 percent drop in the fourth quarter, its first ever decline in its 10-year existence as a public company.Chipotle received a new subpoena at the end of January, seeking information related to company-wide food safety matters dating back to Jan. 1, 2013 and superseding an earlier subpoena that was limited to just one restaurant in Simi Valley.The company said it intended to fully cooperate in the investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office for the Central District of California.More than 50 people across 14 U.S. states were sickened in two E.coli outbreaks last year after eating at Chipotle's outlets. Norovirus outbreaks were also reported in Massachusetts and California.The outbreaks have driven away customers, wiped more than a quarter off the company's stock price and resulted in the criminal probe and a shareholder lawsuit."The fourth quarter of 2015 was the most challenging period in Chipotle's history," Steve Ells, the company's co-chief executive, said in a statement.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, said on Monday that the E.coli outbreaks linked to Chipotle appeared to be over.The company's net income plunged 44 percent to $67.9 million, or $2.17 per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31, but beat the average analyst estimate of $1.85 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.Revenue declined 6.8 percent to $997.5 million, missing analysts' expectations of $1.01 billion.Chipotle's shares, which surged to an all-time high of $758.61 in August last year from an initial offering price of $22 in 2006, were trading at $435 after the bell.(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik and Siddharth Cavale in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey)
POISONED WATERS
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
FBI joins Michigan's Flint water probe-Reuters By David Shepardson-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday it was joining a criminal investigation of lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, exploring whether laws were broken in a crisis that has captured international attention.Federal prosecutors in Michigan were working with an investigative team that included the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General and the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit said.An FBI spokeswoman said the agency was determining whether federal laws were broken, but declined further comment.EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy met with officials and community leaders in Flint and told reporters she could not give a timeline for fixing the problem. She said the agency was examining where it may have fallen short, but declined to address the criminal probes.The city, about 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Detroit, was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager when it switched the source of its tap water from Detroit's system to the Flint River in April 2014.Flint switched back last October after tests found high levels of lead in blood samples taken from children. The more corrosive water from the river leached more lead from the city pipes than Detroit water did. Lead is a toxic agent that can damage the nervous system.Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who extended a state of emergency in Flint until April 14, has repeatedly apologized for the state's poor handling of the matter.The ability to seek criminal charges under U.S. environmental laws is limited, according to Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and a former federal prosecutor. Prosecutors would need to find something egregious like a knowingly false statement."You need something that is false to build a case," he said.Simply failing to recognize the seriousness of the situation would not rise to that level, Henning added.In Washington, Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, Democrats from Michigan, pushed for $600 million in aid, mostly in federal funds, to help Flint replace pipes and provide healthcare.Senator James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who chairs an environmental committee, said an agreement to help Flint was close and would be a combination of revolving funds and other aid. Money from a revolving fund is like a loan, with the money going to the recipient and then being repaid so there is no net cost to U.S. taxpayers.Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said aid to Flint must not add to U.S. budget deficits for "what is a local and state problem."U.S. Representative Candice Miller, a Michigan Republican, proposed an emergency bill to provide $1 billion in funds to be used to replace Flint's water pipes.The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on the Flint crisis. The head of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Keith Creagh, will apologize for its handling of the case, and an EPA water official will tell the committee that reforms must be enacted to prevent a repeat, according to advance testimony.(Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit, Serena Maria Daniels in Flint, David Bailey in Minneapolis and Tim Gardner and Richard Cowan in Washington; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Grant McCool, G Crosse and Dan Grebler)
L.A. prosecutors file criminal charges in methane leak near Los Angeles-Reuters By Steve Gorman-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles prosecutors filed criminal charges against the Southern California Gas company on Tuesday over a huge methane leak near the city that has forced thousands of residents from their homes since October.The four misdemeanor charges accuse SoCalGas, a division of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, of failing to report the release of hazardous materials following the underground pipeline rupture and discharging air contaminants."While we recognize that neither the criminal charges nor the civil lawsuits will offer the residents of Los Angeles County a complete solution, it is important that Southern California Gas Co. be held responsible for its criminal actions," District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a written statement.Lacey's move came on the same day that California Attorney General Kamala Harris sued Southern California Gas Co, accusing the utility of violating state health and safety laws by failing to promptly control the escaping gas and report the leak to authorities.The lawsuit also cites environmental damage caused by the uncontrolled release of 80,000 metric tons of methane, the prime component of natural gas and a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.The leak stems from an underground pipeline rupture at the company's 3,600-acre (1,457-hectare) Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field. The largest such leak ever in California, at its height it accounted for a fourth of all methane emissions statewide.The lawsuit amends a civil complaint brought in December by the Los Angeles city attorney and later joined by Los Angeles County. It seeks civil penalties and court orders requiring the utility to immediately take all steps necessary to mitigate the leak, repair the damage and prevent future discharges.Several attempts to halt the methane release have failed, but the company said it hopes to plug the leak by the end of the month through a relief well.The company said in a statement it would "respond to the lawsuit through the judicial process."Last week, the South Coast Air Quality Management District filed a separate lawsuit against SoCal Gas seeking civil penalties of up to $250,000 a day for each of six pollution-related health and safety code violations.The methane fumes have sickened scores of people and prompted the relocation of more than 6,600 households from the Porter Ranch community at the edge of the crippled underground gas storage field.More than 20 private lawsuits have been filed on behalf of some of those residents.(Reporting Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, Dan Levine in San Francisco and Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David Gregorio, Tom Brown and Bernard Orr)
FAMINE
EZEKIEL 5:16
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Water officials weigh extending California drought emergency-Associated Press By SCOTT SMITH-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — More rain and snow are falling on California this winter, improving the snowpack and reservoir levels but cutting into conservation.State water regulators were expected Tuesday to extend the drought emergency after announcing that conservation fell off in December. Residents used 18 percent less water than in December 2013, but that was the worst showing in seven months of tracking and fell well short of Gov. Jerry Brown's goal of 25 percent.It's also the third straight month that the state missed its target.California, however, will likely beat its long-term conservation goal, saving a combined 25.5 percent since Brown issued the mandate in June calling for savings from 2013 use rates, the State Water Resources Control Board reported.State water managers are looking ahead to April 1 — when the Sierra Nevada snowpack is historically at its deepest before melting and feeding rivers and streams and replenishing depleted reservoirs.The snowpack's depth then will signal whether drought conditions are easing after the state's driest four-year period on record."We're at halftime," water board chair Felicia Marcus said in an interview. "We're not doing too badly, but we certainly haven't won the game yet."The water content of the snowpack on Tuesday measured 130 percent of its historical average for this time of year.Under a light snowfall, snowpack survey chief Frank Gehrke plunged a measuring pole into 76 inches of snow near Echo Summit in the Central Sierra region that includes Lake Tahoe."It's certainly a very encouraging start to the winter," said Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program for the Department of Water Resources.Still, he said, the state needs to see storms each week to ease the drought. The snowpack provides nearly one-third of California's water supply.An electronic measurement collected by more than 100 sensors throughout the Sierra has shown the snowpack at 114 percent.Still, major reservoirs and underground water supplies remain critically low, which officials say requires ongoing conservation.Under the proposed regulation, cities that are especially hot, dry or crowded or that have managed to come up with new sources of water would get a slight break. This could drop the cutbacks ordered across California to less than 25 percent, but more than 20, officials said.Water districts leaders lined up at a Sacramento meeting to tell the water board that the breaks don't go far enough.They wanted more credit for investing millions in drought resilient projects and those built before 2013, a cutoff date set by the state for local districts to qualify for cuts up to 8 percent from their individual targets.They urged state officials to replace the emergency regulations with long-term water policy.The Sacramento Suburban Water District invested $120 million in groundwater storage a decade ago, making it drought proof, said the district's general manager Robert Roscoe. Yet, he said the district is held to high conservation standards."We did precisely what we were supposed to do," Roscoe said before the water board voted. "We anticipated a drought, were proactive and we made a huge investment."The new regulation would extend through October. But water officials said they would review it again in the spring. By then, they say it will be clearer whether California is still in drought._____Associated Press photographer Rich Pedroncelli contributed to this story from Echo Summit.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
U.S. northern Midwest sees blizzards, tornadoes hit South-Reuters By Mary Wisniewski-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - A major storm system brought a mix of bad weather on Tuesday to much of the central United States, with a band of tornadoes downing trees in Alabama and Mississippi and heavy snow blanketing the northern Midwest.The National Weather Service said eight tornadoes had hit eastern Mississippi and another had struck western Alabama, with another two possible in the state. The Mississippi storms had blown roofs off, flipped mobile homes and downed trees, it said.Emergency officials in Alabama's Pickens and Fayette counties said the tornadoes had downed trees and power lines, with some structures damaged."At this point there are no major injuries or fatalities, which is a blessing," said Pickens County Engineer Sky Hallmon.The National Weather Service said more tornadoes were possible in Alabama through the evening. Tornado watches were in effect for central Tennessee and central Kentucky, which means conditions exist for a possible tornadoWinter storm and blizzard warnings were in place from the central Rocky Mountains to northern Michigan, the NWS said. Northern Wisconsin and Michigan are forecast to receive the highest amounts, with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of snow, according to the National Weather Service.St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, have declared a snow emergency, with parking restrictions, while state government offices in several counties of southeast South Dakota closed early on Tuesday due to snow and high winds.Stormy weather has affected U.S. air travel, with 2,419 flight delays and 721 cancellations, with airports in Minneapolis, Chicago and Denver hit the hardest, according to the FlightAware website.(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski in Chicago, Ian Simpson in Washington, D.c. and Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror(ISM), consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Cameron-EU deal is 'good enough' By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 2. Feb, 19:23-The EU-UK draft deal unveiled Tuesday (2 February), which is yet to be agreed by EU leaders, affords British prime minister David Cameron little room for manoeuvre, and has left sceptics unimpressed.Cameron said Tuesday in a branch of Siemens in Wiltshire that “hand on heart” he had achieved what he promised, and that he would want the UK to opt into the EU because the terms were good.However, backbencher MPs in Cameron's Conservative Party were left unimpressed, while Nigel Farage, leader of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, called the draft deal “pathetic”.The main complaint with the proposals, which Tusk put forward after extensive negotiations, was the process for curbing in-work benefits for EU workers is only gradual, applies to newly arrived EU citizens, and does not constitute a definite four-year ban.Another issue is Cameron's demand to end child benefit payments to families abroad, which has been watered down to a process whereby payments are indexed according to the cost of raising a child in that particular country.The Cameron-Tusk deal was also criticised for not including a change to the EU treaties, as Cameron had set out.“It doesn’t change the treaty, but gives us the guarantee that when next time the treaty is revised, our demands will be included,” a UK source argued.“It’s a good enough agreement, … it’s towards the minimum end that Cameron could credibly get away with,” Pawel Swidlicki, an analyst with the think tank Open Europe commented.Swidlicki points out that the two key major issues are the length of time the emergency brake for curbing benefits can be enforced, and strengthening safeguards for non-eurozone countries from decisions taken by the currency bloc.The UK secured a measure whereby, if there are concerns that the eurozone countries are to take a decision that may prove detrimental to the UK, it can “escalate” the debate, requesting that the matter be discussed at European Council level and not at the usual 'technical' level, such as amongst ministers, for example. But the UK would not be able to stop outright the 19-member currency zone from making the decision.The threshold for national parliaments to use the so-called “red card”, to amend or stop proposed EU legislation, is high, but Swidlicki argues it is still significant that it is included in the draft deal.UK officials insisted the draft was not perfect, but served as a good basis for a final deal when EU leaders meet in mid-February.“The architecture is coming into place that satisfies our concerns,” a UK official said.In the UK parliament, however, a leading eurosceptic Tory MP, Steve Baker, said the government was “polishing poo” in its spin on the Tusk plans.David Lidington, Cameron’s Europe minister, tried to calm MPs, saying the UK was “in the middle of a live negotiation and in a very crucial stage”.-Balancing act-In a tight balancing act, UK government sources also tried to assuage concerns among member states.“We actively support the deepening of the eurozone. We don’t want to stop it. We don’t want to veto anything,” a UK government source said in an attempt to offer assurances that London would not impede eurozone integration when it asked for further discussions on possible decisions by the currency bloc.He admitted that the scope of this tool was still to be discussed with member states in the next weeks, adding that eurozone legislation could still go ahead even if the UK expressed concerns.The UK might push to make it clearer that an “ever closer union” would not mean automatic further political integration. It wants its "unique membership" to be recognised in a future treaty change.But first, representatives of member states will meet on Friday to have a first discussion on the proposal.“If this [draft deal] changes fundamentally on substance, then we have a crisis,” a UK source warned.
US to quadruple military spending in Europe By Andrew Rettman-FEB 2,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-The US plans to quadruple spending on its military presence in Europe in order to deter Russian aggression, leading US media say.Defence secretary Ash Carter is expected to unveil the 2017 budget at an event in the Economic Club of Washington, a think tank, on Tuesday (2 February), ahead of its official publication on 9 February.He’ll say spending on weapons and equipment in Europe will, next year, increase from $789 million to $3.4 billion, The New York Times reports, citing unnamed US officials.“This is a longer-term response to a changed security environment in Europe. This reflects a new situation, where Russia has become a more difficult actor,” one US source said.Philip Breedlove, the commander of US forces in Europe, also said in a recent strategy paper that “revanchist Russia” is a bigger threat to US and EU security than the migrant crisis or the Islamic State (IS) militant group.The total 2017 military budget is to be $589 billion. It’ll include $7 billion for combating IS, a 35 percent increase, as well as extra money to develop a new intelligence-gathering drone, a strategic Air Force bomber, and a nuclear-missile submarine.It follows spending of $585 billion this year, down from $700 billion in 2010. But it’s still bigger than the combined spending of the world’s next 15 biggest militaries combined.By comparison, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK together spend some $180 billion a year. China spends $215 billion, Russia $85 billion, and Saudi Arabia $80 billion.The US has 65,000 troops in Europe.It’s stockpiling tanks and artillery in warehouses in the Baltic states, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania. It’s posting more troops to the region on a temporary or “rotational” basis. It’s also helping to build new “command and control” facilities as part of a Nato “high-readiness” force.Poland, for one, wants more: permanent US bases hosting up to 5,000 troops each, as in the former West Germany in the Cold War.The idea will be discussed in the run-up to a Nato summit in July.But any increased US or Nato presence is a red rag to Russia. Moscow says it violates a 1997 treaty, the Nato-Russian Founding Act. The Baltic states and Poland say Russia tore up the act when it invaded Ukraine.-Frozen conflict?-Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria, launched last year, prompted fresh talks between US, Nato, and Russia to avoid accidental clashes.Turkey, a Nato ally, shot down a Russian jet in November that it said violated its airspace. It says another Russian jet crossed the line this week.The military consultations come amid intensified diplomacy on east Ukraine.The US believes Russia, a petro-economy, is ready to freeze the conflict in return for relief from economic sanctions amid the prolonged slump in oil prices.But the US military budget and Breedlove’s words indicate little faith that Russian leader Vladimir Putin intends to pull back from his confrontation with Western powers in the “longer-term.”When German leader Angela Merkel met Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko in Berlin on Monday, she also said EU sanctions should stay in place until Putin fully complies with a Ukraine ceasefire.-Magnitsky sanctions-Meanwhile, the US, also on Monday blacklisted five more Russian officials over the death of Sergei Magnistky, a Russian anti-corruption activist who was killed in prison in 2009 after exposing a state and mafia embezzlement racket.Those newly sanctioned include former deputy interior minister Alexey Anichin. Some 39 people have now been sanctioned over the case.Bill Browder, Magnitsky’s former employer, said on Twitter: “US adds 5 real monsters to Magnitsky list. Bad news: There's 250 monsters still to be sanctioned.”He’s campaigning for the EU to follow the US blacklist, but to little avail.Cyprus, for one, in December invited Russian sleuths who were earlier involved in the Magnitsky case to interrogate Browder’s lawyers in Nicosia.The Cypriot authorities told EUobserver the Russian legal assistance request was not linked to Magnitsky. But the text of the request, seen by EUobserver, shows the Cypriot statement was false.
Pentagon to boost funding for Raytheon, Lockheed missiles-Reuters-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE, Calif. (Reuters) - The Pentagon will spend $2 billion over the next five years to buy more Raytheon Co Tomahawk missiles and upgrade their capabilities, bringing the U.S. inventory of the missiles to above 4,000, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday.Carter said the Pentagon would also spend nearly $1 billion over the next five years to buy new Long Range Anti Ship Missiles built by Lockheed Martin Corp.(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Exclusive: U.S. budget plan includes over $13 billion for new submarine - sources-Reuters By Andrea Shalal-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon's next five-year budget proposal seeks over $13 billion in funding for a new submarine to carry nuclear ballistic missiles, plus orders for more Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp fighter jets, according to sources familiar with the plans.The plan also shifts the Navy's strategy for a new carrier-based unmanned drone to focus more on intelligence-gathering and refueling than combat strike missions, said the sources, who were not authorized to discuss it publicly before the budget's release.U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter plans to map out his spending priorities for the $583 billion 2017 defense budget on Tuesday ahead of the official budget release on Feb. 9.The Pentagon's plan will also underscore the need to fund all three legs of the U.S. strategic deterrent "triad" - a new Air Force bomber, a replacement for the Ohio-class submarines that carry nuclear weapons, and new nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, said one of the sources.The Navy's proposed fiscal 2017 budget will fund procurement of materials for the new submarines that take a long time to acquire, with funding for construction of the first full new submarine to follow in fiscal 2021, said one of the sources.Over the next five years, the Navy would spend over $4 billion on research and development of the new submarines, plus over $9 billion in procurement funding, the sources said.General Dynamics Corp has the lead role on the new submarine to replace the current Ohio-class of submarines, together with Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc .Boeing would receive well over $1 billion in new aircraft orders as it seeks to extend production at the company's St. Louis facility. The Navy will request funding for two Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as part of the fiscal 2017 war budget, and 14 in the fiscal 2018 budget, said one of the sources.Navy officials also will likely add a request for 12 more Boeing Super Hornets to their annual list of "unfunded priorities" for fiscal 2017, said one of the sources.Those moves are aimed at filling a shortfall in the number of strike fighters available on aircraft carriers, given delays in the Lockheed F-35 fighter jet program and longer-than-expected repair times for current Boeing F/A-18 jets.The five-year budget plan calls for Lockheed to sell a total of 161 F-35 fighter jets to the Navy and Marine Corps - 64 C-model jets that take off and land on aircraft carriers and 97 B-model jets, which can take off from shorter runways and land like a helicopter, according to one of the sources.The proposal also narrows the mission of a new drone to be built by the U.S. Navy, the sources said.To reflect the change, the Navy plans to rename the new drone program the Carrier-Based Air Refueling System, or CBARS, instead of the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program, said one of the sources.The drones would have an initial limited strike capability, but more could be added in coming years, the sources said.Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman Corp , which makes the unmanned, unarmed X-47B plane that has been tested on U.S. carriers, and privately held General Atomics spent tens of millions of dollars to prepare for the previous tender.But the program was put on hold in 2014 pending a Pentagon-wide review of intelligence and surveillance programs.(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Dan Grebler)
France, Belgium step up security cooperation By Eric Maurice-FEB 2,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30-France and Belgium pledged on Monday (1 February) to reinforce their cooperation against Islamic terrorism and called for a "European security pact".Meeting in Brussels, Belgian and French prime ministers Charles Michel and Manuel Valls also tried to diffuse tension between the two countries. Belgium was criticised after it emerged the authors of the November Paris attacks came from Brussels."I never doubted for a moment the strength and determination of the Belgian government," Valls said in a joint interview with Michel on RTL-TVI."What is needed is to improve the information, intelligence and prevention systems, not only between France and Belgium, but at a European level," Valls said, adding that France and Belgium faced "the same threat".The two leaders, who were joined by their interior and justice ministers as well as by intelligence, police and justice officials, decided to increase their police and justice cooperation.A French liaison magistrate will be sent to Belgium to be "the interface" between the two countries' judiciaries. The two police will "systematically supply" the Schengen and Europol databases to reinforce the exchange of information.Belgium and France also pledged to "develop as quickly as possible" their national passenger name record (PNR) database, where data on airline passengers is stored.After many months of discussions between the member states and the EU Parliament, an agreement on a European PNR was found in December, but the final text still has to be adopted by the parliament.-Terrorism networks 'thwarted'-In a common statement, Michel and Valls said that efforts at a European level were "important … but not sufficient".They said it was "essential" at EU level to: "make quick progress in harmonising incriminations in terrorism cases", "establish a tight cooperation between member states to improve cross-border access to internet communication data in targeted investigations", and "allow more resort to common investigation teams".Belgium and France demanded a "quick adoption" of the proposal for systematic checks at the external borders of the Schengen area, including for EU nationals. The measure was agreed in principle in November under French pressure after the Paris attacks but has yet to be formally approved by the EU Parliament and member states.They also pushed for the quick creation of an EU border and coastguard corps and said they were "determined to work more closely" with the parliament and other member states to tighten control of firearms.Michel and Valls also said they were waiting "with the greatest interest" for the commission's proposal on fighting the financing of terrorism.All these measures are needed, the French PM said, because "the threat is at unprecedented levels".In an interview with France's Europe 1 radio, Michel said that Belgium "thwarted networks, at least of a logistical nature.""Everywhere in Europe there are hovering threats, from Daesh, from the Islamic State. We cannot rule out that there is still ... in France, in Belgium and in other European countries people who have bad intentions," he said.
Athens ponders defence options on migrant crisis By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 2. Feb, 19:48-The European Commission is demanding that Greece make more efforts on migration amid moves by Athens to get its ministry of defence involved in managing asylum screening zones at so-called hotspots.On Tuesday (2 February), the Brussels-executive announced it would send a list of recommendations to the Council, which represents the member states, to help Greece plug the gaps at its borders.Details of the recommendations remain confidential but the commission said in a statement it spanned border surveillance, fingerprinting, identification, among other issues.Greece will have three months to implement the proposals at the expense of possibly prolonging internal border controls elsewhere in the EU to up to two years.EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told euro-deputies in Strasbourg that Greece was making efforts and progress despite announcing last week Athens was "seriously neglecting" its duties to manage its frontiers."The commission is putting every effort to achieve normalisation of the Schengen functioning and in parallel is preparing for all options," said Avramopoulos.He added ending Schengen or ejecting Greece from the passport-free zone was not part of those options. He noted the flow of irregular migrants to Greece and the Western Balkans "continues unabated".Some 62,000 people arrived on the Greek Aegean islands since the start of the year, according to the International Organization for Migration. Around 360 have died attempting to make the journey.-Greek ministry of defence-Athens, for its part, is scrambling to get its hotspots up and running, with reports the military could step in to get them operational within two weeks.Greek prime minister Tsipras on Sunday (31 January) met with the minister of defence, Panos Kammenos, to look into ways his ministry could increase its assistance.Among the possible scenarios is for the ministry to provide staff, operate cooking facilities, and help set up two relocation centres in mainland Greece (in Attica and Thessaloniki), each able to accommodate 4,000 people.A Greek spokesperson told this website any involvement of the military would be limited to logistics and technical services.-Overall progress in EU 'poor'-The European Commission said it would also issue next week a progress report assessing whether the overall plans on migration were being implemented in EU states."We will be frank and objective about the poor progress we see on the ground today and about what needs to be done in the next days or weeks," said Avramopoulos.Plans agreed by EU states last year to manage the crisis have failed to make any discernible impact. The scheme to relocate 160,000 people from Greece and Italy to other member states has ground to a halt, with some governments flat-out refusing to participate.Other outstanding issues include the returning of people not entitled to international protection. Some countries, despite having readmission agreements in place, such as Pakistan, have refused their own nationals re-entry.Liberal EP leader Guy Verhofstadt, for his part, proposed using article 78 of the EU treaty to take over the Greek borders and create a rapid response force."[It] is a decision that can be taken by a qualified majority in the council immediately," he said in Strasbourg.
Canada vulnerable to major attack-Ex-CIA analyst warns of the danger of an EMP attack-By Anthony Furey, Postmedia Network-Updated: Sunday, January 31, 2016 08:19 AM EST
THIS IS PART ONE OF A TWO PART SERIES. CHECK BACK ON MONDAY TO LEARN WHAT CANADA CAN DO TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM A CATASTROPHIC ATTACK.Canada and the United States are currently vulnerable to an imminent threat that could “topple the pillars of civilization”, says the executive director of the EMP Task Force on National Homeland Security, a U.S. Congressional advisory board.In a recent trip to Toronto, Dr. Peter Pry discussed the importance of protecting North American infrastructure from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack the effects of which would be devastating.A well-planned attack would be “a mortal threat to the West,” says Pry, who’s studied the issue since doing his doctorate in strategic studies and then becoming an analyst with the CIA, where he was their EMP point man.In 1962 the U.S. government conducted a high-altitude nuclear missile test in Hawaii known as Starfish Prime. One of the results that puzzled researchers was why the lights were knocked out and the underground sea cables damaged.That’s when they became aware that one effect of a nuclear explosion was super-energetic radio waves that carried many thousands of volts. If they hit electronics, they’d be fried in mere nanoseconds.The common worry with a nuclear weapon is the on-the-ground explosion it makes. But researchers realized an EMP blast above the ground could have a much different, and arguably worse, impact. The higher up it detonates, the wider the field.“If you can come up 300km in the centre of the USA, it will cover all the states and the edge will hit Canada. All with one bomb,” Pry says, who later worked with Congress for the House Armed Services Committee where he continued his research.While there are zero deaths from the actual explosion – which is in the air – the EMP field would fry the entire electrical grid. The power transformers are knocked out. Cars shut off. Traffic lights stop.“When the EMP field is created over the whole country it’s being injected into all your pipelines, all the railroad tracks, all the power lines, all the energy lines,” says Pry. “Naturally, it will cause everything electronic to collapse. This thing threatens the very existence of our electronic civilization. And we are an electronic civilization – everything depends on electronics.”North America would be under blackout. And it would be a long blackout. Many power transformers and other major devices would need to be rebuilt – which would take a number of months, even years. Emergency generators only have fuel to survive for around 72 hours. And North America only has a food supply to feed people for a couple months.“We estimated that given the current fact that the grid is unprotected, if something like this were to happen we could lose up to 90% of the population in a year... 9 out of 10 north Americans could die as a consequence.”If you’re wondering why this isn’t discussed more often, it’s because it was classified information until a U.S. commission released it in 2004 and 2008. Now Pry is on a mission to educate policy makers and military planners on the issue.Pry’s not alone in his mission either. A letter sent to President Barack Obama urging him to take action on EMP was signed not just by Pry but a former US ambassador to NATO, a former CIA director and various senators and congressmen.But how serious is this? Could such an attack conceivably happen? Actually, it almost did. In April 2013, North Korea orbited a satellite over the centre of the United States.“It went over us at the optimum altitude for putting an EMP field down over all 48 contiguous United States,” explains Pry. “So North Korean actually practised a satellite EMP attack.”Plus, smaller versions of EMP attacks have been conducted by gangs and rebel groups across Europe and Asia.The good news is protecting ourselves from an attack isn’t that difficult. “We know how to do this,” says Pry. “It doesn’t cost a lot of money. There’s no excuse for us to be vulnerable to this particular threat.”***Man-made electromagnetic pulse attacks (EMP) attacks aren’t the only thing that could take down North America’s electricity grid. They’re also natural occurrences.Dr. Peter Pry, who’s spent much of his professional life studying EMP, warns that coronal mass injections (solar flares) can also cause massive damage to a world that’s increasingly dependent upon interconnected but fragile electrical grids.One example of this is the March 1989 geomagnetic storm that took out the Hydro-Quebec power grid. But the big worry is that we’ll see a repeat of the 1859 Carrington Event, which Pry calls the “most powerful geokinetic storm known to us.”The earth narrowly missed being hit by such a solar storm on July 23, 2012. It would have caused untold damage to electronics throughout the world.“NASA estimates the probability of such an event is 12% per decade,” notes Pry. “That virtually guarantees that during our lifetime or that of our children we’re going to experience one of these. And sooner than later because we’re overdue for one.”Will EMP impact airplanes?-“Probably all of them will come crashing down,” Peter Pry says. “This is where you get into the high fatalities because at any given time there are a half a million people being transported through the skies over North America on over a thousand airliners.”Are EMP weapons readily available? Pry and his team gave funding to academics to test if they could independently build them:“It took them a year but they built two radio frequency weapons. One of them was designed to fit inside a VW bus and the idea was it would go down Wall St. and shut down the computers and cause an economic crisis. The other one was designed to fit in a shipping crate for a Xerox machine and the idea was you would mail this to the Pentagon and it would sit in their mailroom and fry out all their computers.”-TIMELINE-1962 – Starfish Prime test draws attention to nuclear EMP effects-2004/2008 – U.S. declassifies EMP information, public discussion begins-2013 – Several U.S. states undertake steps to protect their grid-TBA – Canada has yet to take steps to harden its grid
Obama borrows from Bush in first visit to U.S. mosque-Olivier Knox-Chief Washington Correspondent-February 2, 2016-YAHOONEWS
President Obama took office in January 2009 eager to speak to Muslims around the world on behalf of Americans, looking to reset a relationship poisoned by the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Seven years later, Obama makes his first visit to a U.S. mosque on Wednesday, eager to speak to America on behalf of its Muslim citizens, looking to counter what the White House describes as poisonous election-year rhetoric from Republicans.“We have seen an alarming willingness on the part of some Republicans to try to marginalize law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans, and it is offensive,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday. “We have seen a willingness on the part of leading Republican presidential candidates to try to appeal to people’s fears and anxieties.”White House aides say Obama won’t call out any Republicans by name during his visit to the Islamic Center of Baltimore mosque. But they privately say that the spark for the president’s visit was Trump’s call to halt Muslim immigration to the United States, a proposal that drew condemnation from some — but not all — of the bombastic billionaire’s rivals to be the Republican standard-bearer in 2016, and won considerable support in Congress. Obama’s advisers also bristle at charges from some in the GOP that Islam is inherently prone to violence. And administration officials worry that coverage overseas of Trump’s remarks could fuel what one called a “false impression that we are at war with Islam.” Republicans have often countered that Obama’s refusal to brand the enemy “Islamic extremists” is a nod to politically correct sensibilities that shows he does not take the threat seriously.Public opinion polls in late 2015 found that a majority of Republican voters backed Trump’s idea. Democrats overwhelmingly rejected it, and most independents sided with them.Among the key audiences for Obama’s remarks is America’s Muslim community, which he needs to have as an ally against home-grown extremists, like those who carried out the deadly attack in San Bernardino, Calif., in December.“We will have more success in our efforts to prevent that if we work effectively with the Muslim community to confront that threat as opposed to branding everybody who attends a mosque as a potential enemy of the United States of America,” Earnest said Tuesday.Seven years ago, Obama’s key audience was Muslims around the world, a constituency he described as vital to allied efforts to stamp out the kind of violent extremism that plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.Back then, the centerpiece of his outreach was a June 2009 speech at Cairo University in which he pleaded for “a new beginning,” acknowledged “civilization’s debt to Islam” and highlighted the contributions of American Muslims.“They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they’ve excelled in our sports arenas, they’ve won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building and lit the Olympic Torch,” he said.Obama is certain to echo that part of his Cairo message on Wednesday as he visits the Islamic Society of Baltimore mosque, holds a round table with key community figures and makes remarks.Obama has visited mosques in Cairo and Jakarta as president, but never before one on U.S. soil. He has delivered impassioned pleas for religious acceptance before, as recently as his appearance at the House Democrats’ annual retreat and his State of the Union address, and years earlier when he defended plans to build a mosque near ground zero in New York City. He has continued the practice of holding annual dinners at the White House to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Obama officials cite an unlikely model for this latest outreach: George W. Bush. They note with approval Bush’s visit to the Islamic Center of Washington just days after the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes.Bush had declared a “war on terrorism” not quite 12 hours after the attacks. But he hurried to the Islamic Center of Washington, a mosque and cultural center, less than a week later, quoted the Quran, and warned that Americans unleashing their anger on fellow Americans who follow Islam “represent the worst of humankind.”“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war,” he said.Bush worked enormously hard for eight years to tamp down anti-Islam sentiment at home, though policies like the war in Iraq undercut his outreach to Muslims around the world. Aides frequently observed in private that “public diplomacy” messaging efforts to win over Middle Eastern audiences couldn’t compete with the reality of America policies that angered Muslims.And Bush tried to shape his language to avoid offending followers of Islam overseas. He shied from describing America’s enemies as “Islamic terrorists,” though for a brief time in 2006 he called them “Islamic radicals,” only to drop the expression after Saudi Arabia objected. Early on he dubbed the war on terrorism a “crusade,” a bland term in the West that remains deeply controversial for many Middle Eastern Muslims. Angry with himself over the unnecessary provocation, Bush in June 2004 trimmed Dwight D. Eisenhower’s famous D-Day message to leave out a reference to “the great crusade” of defeating Nazi Germany.Some former Obama aides say this president faces some of the same challenges overseas — that policies like his drone war outweigh earnest diplomatic entreaties for popular support. But many praise Bush’s efforts.“That was one of the real contributions, despite all the other problems, that George W. Bush made after 9/11, when he basically said, after going to a mosque in Washington, ‘We are not at war with Islam or Muslims,’” former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said at a Democratic debate in November.At home, it’s unclear what sort of clout Obama’s message will have as his consequential two-term presidency winds down — and with whom. But he’ll avoid picking fights with any Republicans by name on Wednesday, even if his targets are obvious, his spokesman said.According to Earnest, “I wouldn’t expect any of the candidates tomorrow to enjoy the benefit of being singled out by the president of the United States.”Candidate Obama inherited the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and promised to end them. But his successor will inherit conflicts in both countries — a sobering reality not lost on anyone at the White House. That Obama started his term with outreach to Muslim audiences in Cairo and ends it reaching out to Muslim audiences in Baltimore shows that the next president will also take up a war of words that began shortly after 9/11.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Brazil's Rousseff vows all-out war on Zika virus mosquito-Reuters-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said her government will not spare resources in mobilizing her country to combat the mosquito that transmits the Zika virus now spreading rapidly through the Americas."There will be no lack of funding," Rousseff said in an address to a joint session of Brazil's Congress at the start of its legislative year.Rousseff also said Brazil and the United States will enter a partnership to develop a vaccine against Zika as soon as possible to stem the spread of the virus that has been linked to thousands of cases of Brazilian newborns with brain damage.(Reporting by Anthony Boadle)
U.S. Red Cross asks blood donors to wait 28 days after visiting Zika areas-Reuters-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - The American Red Cross appealed on Tuesday to prospective donors who have visited Zika outbreak zones to wait at least 28 days before giving blood, but said risks of transmitting the virus through blood donations remained "extremely" low in the continental United States.The "self-deferral" for blood donors should apply to those who have visited Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central or South America during the past four weeks, the Red Cross said in a statement.The Washington-based nonprofit disaster relief agency also asked that donors who give blood and subsequently develop Zika-like symptoms within 14 days of that donation to notify the Red Cross so the product can be quarantined.Cases of the Zika virus, a mosquito-born illness linked to a dangerous birth defect called microcephaly - marked by small head size - and to a serious autoimmune disorder called Guillian-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis, has been reported in more than 30 countries and territories.The Red Cross statement came as the first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite. The World Health Organization on Monday declared an international public health emergency over the virus.Zika had been thought to be spread by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, so sexual contact as a mode of transmission would be a potentially alarming development.(Reporting by Sara Catania in Los Angeles. Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Richard Chang and Andrew Hay)
First U.S. Zika virus transmission reported, attributed to sex-Reuters By Jon Herskovitz-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite, a day after the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency.The virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is spreading rapidly in the Americas, and WHO officials on Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. Zika had been thought to be spread by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, so sexual contact as a mode of transmission would be a potentially alarming development.Dallas County Health and Human Services said it received confirmation of the case in Dallas from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The county department said on Twitter that the person was infected through sexual contact with someone who had traveled to Venezuela. The person infected did not travel to the South American country, county health officials said.The Texas Department of State Health Services was slightly more cautious in its assessment, saying in a statement, "Case details are being evaluated, but the possibility of sexual transmission from an infected person to a non-infected person is likely in this case."County authorities said there were no reports of the virus being locally transmitted by mosquitoes in the Texas county.A CDC spokesman confirmed the results of a test for Zika infection but said local officials investigated the mode of transmission.Previously, international health officials had noted one case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission. But the Pan American Health Organization said more evidence was needed to confirm sexual contact as a means of Zika transmission. The medical literature also has one case in which the virus was detected in semen.The virus has been reported in more than 30 countries and linked to microcephaly, in which babies have abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains.The Dow Jones transportation average ended 2.9 percent lower following news of the first U.S. transmission of the Zika virus.-MONITORING NEEDED-The WHO has said the virus could infect 4 million people in the Americas. It said on Tuesday it launched a global response unit to fight the mosquito-borne virus."Most important, we need to set up surveillance sites in low- and middle-income countries so that we can detect any change in the reporting patterns of microcephaly at an early stage," Dr. Anthony Costello said in Geneva. Costello is WHO's director for maternal, child and adolescent health.Twenty to 30 sites could be established worldwide, mainly in poor countries without robust healthcare systems.Brazil is the country hardest hit by Zika. In an address to a joint session of Brazil's Congress, President Dilma Rousseff said her government will spare no resources in mobilizing to combat the mosquito that transmits the virus. With no vaccine or treatment for Zika, efforts to curb its spread have focused on eradicating mosquito breeding sites.Brazil, which has 3,700 suspected cases of microcephaly that may be linked to Zika, is scheduled to host the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.Rousseff also said Brazil and the United States will enter a partnership to develop a Zika vaccine as soon as possible to stem the spread of the virus.-VACCINE EFFORTS-French drugmaker Sanofi SA on Tuesday announced that it has launched a project to develop a vaccine against the virus, the most decisive commitment yet by a major vaccine maker. The company said its Sanofi Pasteur vaccines division would use its expertise in developing vaccines for similar viruses such as yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and dengue.Other companies also joined the race on Tuesday to develop a vaccine. The University of South Australia said it was working on a Zika vaccine with Australian biotech Sementis Ltd.U.S. drug developer NewLink Genetics Corp said it has started a project to develop Zika treatment options.Experts have said a Zika vaccine for widespread use is months if not years away.Costello said the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus "are present ... through Africa, parts of southern Europe and many parts of Asia, particularly South Asia." Africa and Asia have the world's highest birth rates.WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said on Monday it was "strongly suspected but not yet scientifically proven" that Zika causes microcephaly.The first Irish cases of Zika virus have been detected in two people with a history of traveling to a country affected by the mosquito-borne infection, the Health Service Executive of Ireland said.Chilean health officials said they have confirmed three cases in Chile of people infected with the Zika virus, all of whom were infected while traveling elsewhere in Latin America.An Australian state health service said two Australians were diagnosed with the virus after returning from the Caribbean, confirming the first cases of the virus in the country this year.(Additional reporting by Dominique Vidalon in Paris, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Shadia Nasralla in Vienna, Ben Hirschler in London, Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Jane Wardell in Sydney, Amy Sawitta Lefevre in Bangkok, Pedro Fonseca in Rio, Rosalba O'Brien in Santiago, Padraic Halpin in Dublin, Ankur Banerjee and Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Jonathan Oatis)
Chipotle says California probe widens into national investigation-Reuters By Subrat Patnaik and Siddharth Cavale-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc
POISONED WATERS
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
FBI joins Michigan's Flint water probe-Reuters By David Shepardson-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday it was joining a criminal investigation of lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan, exploring whether laws were broken in a crisis that has captured international attention.Federal prosecutors in Michigan were working with an investigative team that included the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General and the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit said.An FBI spokeswoman said the agency was determining whether federal laws were broken, but declined further comment.EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy met with officials and community leaders in Flint and told reporters she could not give a timeline for fixing the problem. She said the agency was examining where it may have fallen short, but declined to address the criminal probes.The city, about 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Detroit, was under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager when it switched the source of its tap water from Detroit's system to the Flint River in April 2014.Flint switched back last October after tests found high levels of lead in blood samples taken from children. The more corrosive water from the river leached more lead from the city pipes than Detroit water did. Lead is a toxic agent that can damage the nervous system.Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who extended a state of emergency in Flint until April 14, has repeatedly apologized for the state's poor handling of the matter.The ability to seek criminal charges under U.S. environmental laws is limited, according to Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and a former federal prosecutor. Prosecutors would need to find something egregious like a knowingly false statement."You need something that is false to build a case," he said.Simply failing to recognize the seriousness of the situation would not rise to that level, Henning added.In Washington, Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, Democrats from Michigan, pushed for $600 million in aid, mostly in federal funds, to help Flint replace pipes and provide healthcare.Senator James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who chairs an environmental committee, said an agreement to help Flint was close and would be a combination of revolving funds and other aid. Money from a revolving fund is like a loan, with the money going to the recipient and then being repaid so there is no net cost to U.S. taxpayers.Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said aid to Flint must not add to U.S. budget deficits for "what is a local and state problem."U.S. Representative Candice Miller, a Michigan Republican, proposed an emergency bill to provide $1 billion in funds to be used to replace Flint's water pipes.The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on the Flint crisis. The head of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Keith Creagh, will apologize for its handling of the case, and an EPA water official will tell the committee that reforms must be enacted to prevent a repeat, according to advance testimony.(Additional reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit, Serena Maria Daniels in Flint, David Bailey in Minneapolis and Tim Gardner and Richard Cowan in Washington; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Grant McCool, G Crosse and Dan Grebler)
L.A. prosecutors file criminal charges in methane leak near Los Angeles-Reuters By Steve Gorman-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles prosecutors filed criminal charges against the Southern California Gas company on Tuesday over a huge methane leak near the city that has forced thousands of residents from their homes since October.The four misdemeanor charges accuse SoCalGas, a division of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, of failing to report the release of hazardous materials following the underground pipeline rupture and discharging air contaminants."While we recognize that neither the criminal charges nor the civil lawsuits will offer the residents of Los Angeles County a complete solution, it is important that Southern California Gas Co. be held responsible for its criminal actions," District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a written statement.Lacey's move came on the same day that California Attorney General Kamala Harris sued Southern California Gas Co, accusing the utility of violating state health and safety laws by failing to promptly control the escaping gas and report the leak to authorities.The lawsuit also cites environmental damage caused by the uncontrolled release of 80,000 metric tons of methane, the prime component of natural gas and a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.The leak stems from an underground pipeline rupture at the company's 3,600-acre (1,457-hectare) Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field. The largest such leak ever in California, at its height it accounted for a fourth of all methane emissions statewide.The lawsuit amends a civil complaint brought in December by the Los Angeles city attorney and later joined by Los Angeles County. It seeks civil penalties and court orders requiring the utility to immediately take all steps necessary to mitigate the leak, repair the damage and prevent future discharges.Several attempts to halt the methane release have failed, but the company said it hopes to plug the leak by the end of the month through a relief well.The company said in a statement it would "respond to the lawsuit through the judicial process."Last week, the South Coast Air Quality Management District filed a separate lawsuit against SoCal Gas seeking civil penalties of up to $250,000 a day for each of six pollution-related health and safety code violations.The methane fumes have sickened scores of people and prompted the relocation of more than 6,600 households from the Porter Ranch community at the edge of the crippled underground gas storage field.More than 20 private lawsuits have been filed on behalf of some of those residents.(Reporting Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, Dan Levine in San Francisco and Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David Gregorio, Tom Brown and Bernard Orr)
FAMINE
EZEKIEL 5:16
16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Water officials weigh extending California drought emergency-Associated Press By SCOTT SMITH-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — More rain and snow are falling on California this winter, improving the snowpack and reservoir levels but cutting into conservation.State water regulators were expected Tuesday to extend the drought emergency after announcing that conservation fell off in December. Residents used 18 percent less water than in December 2013, but that was the worst showing in seven months of tracking and fell well short of Gov. Jerry Brown's goal of 25 percent.It's also the third straight month that the state missed its target.California, however, will likely beat its long-term conservation goal, saving a combined 25.5 percent since Brown issued the mandate in June calling for savings from 2013 use rates, the State Water Resources Control Board reported.State water managers are looking ahead to April 1 — when the Sierra Nevada snowpack is historically at its deepest before melting and feeding rivers and streams and replenishing depleted reservoirs.The snowpack's depth then will signal whether drought conditions are easing after the state's driest four-year period on record."We're at halftime," water board chair Felicia Marcus said in an interview. "We're not doing too badly, but we certainly haven't won the game yet."The water content of the snowpack on Tuesday measured 130 percent of its historical average for this time of year.Under a light snowfall, snowpack survey chief Frank Gehrke plunged a measuring pole into 76 inches of snow near Echo Summit in the Central Sierra region that includes Lake Tahoe."It's certainly a very encouraging start to the winter," said Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program for the Department of Water Resources.Still, he said, the state needs to see storms each week to ease the drought. The snowpack provides nearly one-third of California's water supply.An electronic measurement collected by more than 100 sensors throughout the Sierra has shown the snowpack at 114 percent.Still, major reservoirs and underground water supplies remain critically low, which officials say requires ongoing conservation.Under the proposed regulation, cities that are especially hot, dry or crowded or that have managed to come up with new sources of water would get a slight break. This could drop the cutbacks ordered across California to less than 25 percent, but more than 20, officials said.Water districts leaders lined up at a Sacramento meeting to tell the water board that the breaks don't go far enough.They wanted more credit for investing millions in drought resilient projects and those built before 2013, a cutoff date set by the state for local districts to qualify for cuts up to 8 percent from their individual targets.They urged state officials to replace the emergency regulations with long-term water policy.The Sacramento Suburban Water District invested $120 million in groundwater storage a decade ago, making it drought proof, said the district's general manager Robert Roscoe. Yet, he said the district is held to high conservation standards."We did precisely what we were supposed to do," Roscoe said before the water board voted. "We anticipated a drought, were proactive and we made a huge investment."The new regulation would extend through October. But water officials said they would review it again in the spring. By then, they say it will be clearer whether California is still in drought._____Associated Press photographer Rich Pedroncelli contributed to this story from Echo Summit.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
U.S. northern Midwest sees blizzards, tornadoes hit South-Reuters By Mary Wisniewski-FEB 2,16-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - A major storm system brought a mix of bad weather on Tuesday to much of the central United States, with a band of tornadoes downing trees in Alabama and Mississippi and heavy snow blanketing the northern Midwest.The National Weather Service said eight tornadoes had hit eastern Mississippi and another had struck western Alabama, with another two possible in the state. The Mississippi storms had blown roofs off, flipped mobile homes and downed trees, it said.Emergency officials in Alabama's Pickens and Fayette counties said the tornadoes had downed trees and power lines, with some structures damaged."At this point there are no major injuries or fatalities, which is a blessing," said Pickens County Engineer Sky Hallmon.The National Weather Service said more tornadoes were possible in Alabama through the evening. Tornado watches were in effect for central Tennessee and central Kentucky, which means conditions exist for a possible tornadoWinter storm and blizzard warnings were in place from the central Rocky Mountains to northern Michigan, the NWS said. Northern Wisconsin and Michigan are forecast to receive the highest amounts, with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of snow, according to the National Weather Service.St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, have declared a snow emergency, with parking restrictions, while state government offices in several counties of southeast South Dakota closed early on Tuesday due to snow and high winds.Stormy weather has affected U.S. air travel, with 2,419 flight delays and 721 cancellations, with airports in Minneapolis, Chicago and Denver hit the hardest, according to the FlightAware website.(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski in Chicago, Ian Simpson in Washington, D.c. and Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
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