Transocean Employees Refuse to Testify in Probe of Gulf Oil Rig Disaster

AllGov - News - 3 Transocean Employees Refuse to Testify in Probe of Gulf Oil Rig Disaster

Monday, April 04, 2011

Deepwater Horizon Blowout Preventer (photo: AP)

Three employees of Transocean, owner and operator of the Deepwater Horizon, have refused to cooperate with a federal investigation into last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement are together conducting hearings in New Orleans on why the oil rig’s blowout preventer failed to stop the April 20, 2010, accident that killed 11 workers—nine of them Transocean employees— and spewed nearly five million barrels of oil into the ocean.

Michael Bromwich, director of the ocean energy bureau, said the employees’ refusal to testify was “unacceptable” and that Transocean should punish them for not cooperating.

A company spokesman claimed that Transocean was not responsible for two of the employees, James Kent and Jay Odenwald, because they have hired their own lawyers to represent them.

LOL Earth Hour fans 'disappointed' to see so many lights - CTV News

CTV Calgary- Earth Hour fans 'disappointed' to see so many lights - CTV News

The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Buildings and homes across the country went dark Saturday night as Canadians took part in the fifth annual Earth Hour.

But early results suggested fewer people turned off the lights this year.

FBI Announces Initial Operating Capability for Next Generation Identification System

FBI Announces Initial Operating Capability for Next Generation Identification System -- CLARKSBURG, W.Va., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

CLARKSBURG, W.Va., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New technology designed to revolutionize law enforcement's ability to process fingerprints has reached its initial operating capability, the FBI announced today.

The Next Generation Identification System (NGI), built by Lockheed Martin, delivers an incremental replacement of the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). NGI provides automated fingerprint and latent search capabilities, electronic image storage, and electronic exchange of fingerprints to more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies and other authorized criminal justice partners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Upon completion, NGI will have the ability to process fingerprint transactions more effectively and accurately.

"The implementation announced today represents a tremendous achievement in enhancing our identification services. Already, we're seeing how the NGI system is revolutionizing fingerprint identification in support of the FBI's mission," said Louis E. Grever, executive assistant director, FBI Science and Technology Branch.

Minnesota Republicans say: Poor people with money should be outlaws

Minnesota Republicans say: Poor people with money should be outlaws | Fight Back!

St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month. This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.

On March 15, Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee testified in front of the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee on House File 171. Buechner told committee members, “We would like to address the provision that makes it illegal for MFIP [one of Minnesota’s welfare programs] families to withdraw cash from the cash portion of the MFIP grant - and in fact, appears to make it illegal for MFIP families to have any type of money at all in their pockets. How do you expect people to take care of business like paying bills such as lights, gas, water, trash and phone?”

House File 171 would make it so that families on MFIP - and disabled single adults on General Assistance and Minnesota Supplemental Aid - could not have their cash grants in cash or put into a checking account. Rather, they could only use a state-issued debit card at special terminals in certain businesses that are set up to accept the card.

'Bahrain-Mossad ties uncovered'

PressTV - 'Bahrain-Mossad ties uncovered'

According to a document released by Wikileakes, Bahraini security forces are secretly cooperating with Israel's notorious intelligence service, Mossad.

The leaked cables suggest that Manama has established intelligence and security ties with Tel Aviv with the full backing of the country's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The cables report private talks between the then US ambassador, William Monroe, and the Bahraini king in Manama on February 15, 2005.

"He [the king] revealed that Bahrain already has contacts with Israel at the intelligence/security level (Mossad) and indicated that Bahrain will be willing to move forward in other areas," said Monroe's report back to Washington, adding that the Bahraini King boasted of such ties with Israel.

According to Wikileaks, King Hamad has also issued an order not to refer to the Israeli regime as the Zionist regime in official documents.

The revelation came as Bahraini security forces are brutally cracking down the anti-government protesters in the Persian Gulf island.

Agreement Reached on US Government Interim Budget

Agreement Reached on US Government Interim Budget | USA | English

U.S. congressional leaders have agreed on a budget deal to fund the U.S. government for the rest of the fiscal year, just before a midnight deadline.

Gold & Silver For Clothes in LA

4/8/2011 -- FREAK SANDSTORM in Germany ! Truck exploded, cars damaged..

Ron Paul | South Carolina Republican Presidential Debate

Ron Paul | South Carolina Republican Presidential Debate | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

Former Republican presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul is expected to participate in a primary debate in South Carolina on May 5, the state party announced Friday.

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming interest we have seen so far in this debate,” said South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Karen Floyd. “The road to the White House travels through South Carolina, as our Republican electorate has selected every eventual nominee since our primary’s inception in 1980. We are looking forward to our debate as the official kickoff for the presidential primary season.”

Paul has filled out the paperwork for a presidential exploratory committee, a spokesman for Paul’s PAC Campaign for Liberty told The Daily Caller, although he has not official announced his candidacy. PAC spokesman Jesse Benton said they have all the forms prepared so that Paul can “flip the switch” as soon as he decides to run.

“I’d say this is a sign that he’s giving a really strong consideration to [running],” Benton said of the debate. “The money’s been great, the enthusiasm’s been great. … The polling in New Hampshire’s really strong so we’re feeling good.”

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/08/hint-hint-ron-paul-to-join-presidential-debate/#ixzz1IzTrHUst

Liberal Hypocrisy on Libya

US helicopters attack Syrian farm, leaving 8 dead, 4 children, near Iraq...

17 arrested storming governor's office in Olympia, Wash.

17 arrested storming governor's office in Olympia, Wash. | McClatchy

By Katie Schmidt | The Olympian

Seventeen people were arrested after trying to storm the governor’s office in a third day of protests over state budget cuts Thursday.

In a prelude to what unions say will be a bigger rally today, a protest organized by the Service Employees International Union brought about 500 people to Olympia to call on lawmakers to end corporate tax exemptions before cutting state services.

Most protesters rallied in the Rotunda of the Legislative Building Thursday afternoon. Several were eventually arrested when they tried to push past Washington State Patrol officers guarding the governor’s office and refused to leave.

Protesters pushed against troopers stationed at the governor’s door shouting “let us in” and “we want the governor.”

“They (legislators) need to listen to us,” said Sharon Kitchel-Perdue, a home-care worker from Olympia and one of the protesters arrested.

Sgt. John Sager, one of the troopers on the scene, said that some of the protesters said they wanted to be arrested, and eventually, their actions gave troopers no choice.

“It was getting pretty hairy in here,” Sager said.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/08/111867/17-arrested-storming-governors.html#ixzz1IzIyRVYq

FBI Memo Confirms Roswell Saucer Retrieval

FBI — Guy Hottel Part 1 of 1

Inside report from Fukushima nuclear reactor evacuation zone

www.remnantradio.org/Archives/articles/William Cooper/Mystery Babylon/audio/mystery babylon 20-22a.mp3

www.remnantradio.org/Archives/articles/William Cooper/Mystery Babylon/audio/mystery babylon 20-22a.mp3

UNFOLDING SCANDAL - Obama found LYING to the PUBLIC about Radiation!!!

Communitarian Planning Neighbourhood plan pilots announced

Planning Portal - Neighbourhood plan pilots announced

People in these communities - a mix of cities, urban and rural areas - will be able to decide the types of development given automatic planning permission through a Neighbourhood Development Order.

If approved by a local referendum, a council will need to adopt a neighbourhood plan providing it is line with wider ambitions for growth in their area.

Greg Clark said:" Planning has increasingly become one of the most contentious issues in Britain, with communities becoming pitted against development. By giving local people a greater say together with new incentives to share in the benefits of growth, our reforms will help to create the conditions where communities begin to welcome development rather than resist it at all costs."