Al-Qaida video threatens Massive attacks on U.S.

An American member of al-Qaida warned President Bush on May 29, to end U.S. involvement in all Muslim lands or face an attack worse than the Sept. 11 suicide assault, according to a new videotape. Wearing a white robe and a turban, Adam Yehiye Gadahn, who also goes by the name Azzam al-Amriki, said al-Qaida would not negotiate on its demands. "Your failure to heed our demands ... means that you and your people will ... experience things which will make you forget all about the horrors of September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq and Virginia Tech," he said in the seven-minute video. Gadahn, who has been charged in a U.S. treason indictment with aiding al-Qaida, spoke in English and the video carried Arabic subtitles. The video appeared on a Web site often used by Islamic militants and carried the logo of al-Qaida's media wing, as-Sahab. Gadahn, who appeared in an al-Qaida video last September in which he called on Americans to convert to Islam, demanded that Bush remove all U.S. military and spies from Islamic countries, free all Muslims from U.S. prisons and end support for Israel. He said a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq alone would not satisify al-Qaida. Ben Venzke at IntelCenter, a U.S. government contractor that monitors al-Qaida messages, said the group likely did not believe any of its demands would be met. "It essentially allows al-Qaida to say that it has provided fair warning and is thus no longer responsible for the outcome," Venzke said in a statement.

Increased intelligence through genetic engineering

Scientists who have genetically engineered mice to be more intelligent, claim the results could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's, post-traumatic stress disorder or drug addiction. The team of researchers, from UT Southwestern Medical Center, have conditionally knocked out a specific gene to prevent an enzyme called cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) from being produced, but only in the brain. This led to the mice becoming more adept at learning and also able to more quickly decipher environmental changes. This enzyme has been implicated in the progression of Alzheimers disease and drug addiction and understanding how it affects the brain and behaviour might help new treatments be developed, according to lead scientist Dr James Bibb, assistant professor of psychiatry.

Forced Microchipping Of Criminals Bill Sent Back To Senate For More Work

Legislation that would authorize microchip implants in people convicted of violent crimes was sent back to a committee for more work Wednesday after state House members questioned whether the proposal would violate constitutional civil liberties. The measure, approved by the Senate, authorizes microchip implants for persons convicted of one or more of 19 violent offenses who have to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence, including murder, rape and some forms of robbery and burglary, while prohibiting government from requiring microchips implants in anyone else. The tiny electronic implants are commonly used to keep track of pets and livestock, but several House members questioned whether their forced use in people would be unconstitutionally invasive. “We are going down that slippery slope,” said Rep. Ed Cannaday, D-Porum. Lawmakers never voted on the measure. During debate, its author, Rep. Sue Tibbs, R-Tulsa, asked that it be sent back to a joint House-Senate conference committee where the exception for violent offenders was inserted. Cannaday and others said the measure may violate the Fourth, Fifth And Fourteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, the Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and the Fourteenth Amendment contains the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses. “I see it as invasive,” Cannaday said. He said many sex offenders and prisoners convicted of other crimes are already required to wear wrist or ankle bracelets when they are released from prison so their movements can be monitored by satellite tracking devices.

Woman minister re-appointed – as a man

A woman who has served as minister at St. John's United Methodist Church in Baltimore for five years has been re-appointed to the position – as a man, according to church officials. The announcement came at the Baltimore-Washington annual conference of the UMC, where the former Ann Gordon announced the change to Drew Phoenix, and talked of a "spiritual transformation" since the sex change procedure. The move was not without challenge. Some ministers asked for a "ruling of law," a move which automatically takes the issue to the church organization's highest court, the Judicial Council, which will be meeting next in October. The church denomination "officially" disapproves of homosexual behavior, but has no explicit policy regarding sexual identity changes or sex change operations, officials said. Gordon/Phoenix' congregation is among those that support what the members call the "reconciling" movement within the church, and campaigns to reject the church's traditional biblical teachings on marriage and sexual ethics. In a statement on the conference website, Gordon/Phoenix explained that the change was to reflect "my true gender identity."
"My transition to live fully as the male I know myself to be is very personal and deeply spiritual. As a Christian, I worship God – I AM. People frequently asked Jesus, 'Who are you?' His response was, 'Who do you say I am?' 'Who do YOU say YOU are?' I believe that our spiritual path is, in great part, the answer to: Who am I? I am..." said the statement.

Cyborg Bugs To Keep Eye On Terrorists

At some point in the not too distant future, a moth will take flight in the hills of northern Pakistan, and flap towards a suspected terrorist training camp. But this will be no ordinary moth. Inside it will be a computer chip that was implanted when the creature was still a pupa, in the cocoon, meaning that the moth’s entire nervous system can be controlled remotely. The moth will thus be capable of landing in the camp without arousing suspicion, all the while beaming video and other information back to its masters via what its developers refer to as a “reliable tissue-machine interface.” The creation of insects whose flesh grows around computer parts – known from science fiction as ‘cyborgs’ – has been described as one of the most ambitious robotics projects ever conceived by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), the research and development arm of the US Department of Defense. Rod Brooks, director of the computer science and artificial intelligence lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is involved with the research, said that robotics was increasingly at the forefront of US military research, and that the remote-controlled moths, described by DARPA as Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS, were one of a number of technologies soon to be deployed in combat zones. “This is going to happen," said Mr Brooks. "It’s not science like developing the nuclear bomb, which costs billions of dollars. It can be done relatively cheaply.” “Moths are creatures that need little food and can fly all kinds of places," he continued. "A bunch of experiments have been done over the past couple of years where simple animals, such as rats and cockroaches, have been operated on and driven by joysticks, but this is the first time where the chip has been injected in the pupa stage and ‘grown’ inside it. “Once the moth hatches, machine learning is used to control it.”

Pentagon details China's Frightening new military strategies

The Pentagon's forthcoming annual report on Chinese military power will reveal a growing threat from Beijing's new forms of power projection, including anti-satellite weapons and computer network attack forces. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said recently that the report, scheduled for release May 25, 2007, shows how China "has steadily devoted increasing resources to their military." According to defense officials familiar with the report, it also highlights new strategic missile developments, including China's five new Jin-class submarines, and states that Beijing continues to hide the true level of its military spending. The officials also said that the report will detail how China is developing two new types of strategic forces that go beyond what nations have done traditionally using air, sea and land forces by aiming to knock out modern communications methods on which the U.S. military relies for advanced warfighting techniques. First, U.S. intelligence officials estimate that by 2010 China's ASAT missiles will be capable of delivering a knockout blow to many U.S. military satellites. Second, China also is training large numbers of military computer hackers to deliver crippling electronic attacks on U.S. military and civilian computer networks. Mr.Gates described this year's report as an honest assessment devoid of "arm-waving" and said, "I don't think it does any exaggeration of the threat." "But it paints a picture of a country that is devoting substantial resources to the military and developing ... some very sophisticated capabilities."

Council on Foreign Relations Pushes for Three Regional Currencies in the World

Create a global lending institution that weakens the economy of wealthy nations, enslaves Third World countries, and prevents those nations from rising out of their impoverished conditions. Blame that institution for creating a plethora of global financial crises over the past fifty years. Then offer a solution of consolidating all of the economies of the world into three different regions, each of which will use one type of currency. Benn Steil, the CFR's Director of International Economics, argues that the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) practice of "lending" money to poor countries causes them to give up a portion of their sovereignty. The IMF is funded by the wealthy nations of the world, the U.S., Britain and Japan, to name a few. However, since the dollar is the currency of choice for much of the world, the lion's share of funds in the IMF and World Bank are made up of U.S. dollars. The United States, having the fortunate position of possessing the money that the rest of the world has faith in, will then sell government bonds to foreign governments that have just borrowed from the IMF to offset the deficit spending (such as funding the IMF) that Congress approves. To use an analogy, it is like buying a suit from a tailor and then receiving that same money back the next day in the form of a loan. Because of this process, he rightly calls the dollar an absurdity supported only by blind (or stupid) faith in man's wisdom. The logical answer from the perspective of a free marketer is for the U.S. to return to the gold standard, which is what gave the dollar a worldwide prominence in the first place. Not according to Steil, who says: "A revived gold standard is out of the question. In the nineteenth century, governments spent less than ten percent of national income in a given year. Today, they routinely spend half or more, and so they would never subordinate spending to the stringent requirements of sustaining a commodity-based monetary system."

California State Senate Passes Transsexual-Bisexual-Homosexual Curriculum Bill

Radical legislation mandating that schoolchildren as young as kindergarten learn about and support transsexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality has passed the California State Senate. SB 777 requires textbooks, instructional materials, and school-sponsored activities to positively portray cross-dressing, sex-change operations, homosexual "marriages," and all aspects of homosexuality and bisexuality, including so-called "gay history." Silence on these sexual lifestyles will not be allowed. Today's vote was on a party line -- Democrats for, Republicans against. Sadly, no Republican senator rose to speak against SB 777. After this non-debate, the school sexual indoctrination bill passed the Democrat-controlled Senate by three votes, 23 to 13. Republican Tom Harman abstained and Republican Jim Battin was absent; Democrat Dean Florez abstained, while Democrat Alan Lowenthal was absent. "The notion of forcing children to support controversial sexual lifestyles is shocking and appalling to millions of fathers and mothers," Thomasson said. "Parents don't want their children taught to become homosexual or bisexual or to wonder whether they need a sex-change operation. SB 777 will shatter the academic purpose of education by turning every government school into a sexual indoctrination center." Authored by lesbian Senator Sheila Kuehl, SB 777 adds an unnatural definition of "gender" to the Education Code: "Gender" means sex, and includes a person's gender identity and gender related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. SB 777 also deletes the true definition of "sex" from the Education Code, which currently reads: "Sex" means the biological condition or quality of being a male or female human being. And because of the bill's wide-open definition of "sexual orientation," homosexual "marriages" and all aspects of homosexuality and bisexuality would be positively portrayed to children as young as kindergarten. SB 777 will teach these highly-controversial sexual subjects without parental permission. The new mandate would be enforced by the attorneys of the California Department of Education, which would sue school districts that don't comply.

'Al-Qaeda trying to go nuclear'

Al-Qaeda is searching for ways to create nuclear weapons for mass destruction, a former UN weapons inspection chief said during a press conference at an international convention ways to prevent a nuclear catastrophe being held in Luxembourg. Rolf Ekeus, currently High Commissioner at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and formerly Director of the UN Special Commission on Iraq, told reporters that the threat of a nuclear attack on a European city by al-Qaeda was tangible, and that steps are being taken to protect nuclear facilities from which terrorists can obtain enriched uranium. "Al-Qaeda is searching for nuclear technology," Ekeus said. "They are looking for simple weapons... for mass destruction," he added. Ekeus said al-Qaeda members "cannot be deterred. They are willing to sacrifice themselves," adding that prevention was the only means to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism.

Can Centaurs and Talking Pigs Be Far Behind?

Nobel laureate and famed geneticist Sydney Brenner once delivered a somewhat tongue-in-cheek lecture to students at Cambridge University about how to nonsurgically create a centaur. He concluded that one day soon it might be possible to create such a six-limbed vertebrate. Mermaids and other mythical hybrids might be on the way, too, as well as human-dog drudges trained to cook omelets and happily perform useful tasks around the house, like changing the light bulbs. This day has not yet arrived, but it may be inching closer with a recent amendment to a bill in the British Parliament that would legalize human hybrids for research. This legislation, offered by the British Department of Health, is a U-turn from government ministers who said last December that they supported a ban on creating chimeras. Since then, a vigorous and sometimes contentious debate has raged in the United Kingdom between supporters of a ban--some religious, some not--and the scientific community, led by Ian Wilmut (Dolly the sheep) and others who insist that a ban would stifle research into stem-cell treatments. On March 28, a lengthy report by the Science and Technology Committee in the House of Commons endorsed chimerical research as part of the legislation reauthorizing the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act of 1990. Wilmut and the other United Kingdom scientists are not interested in making mermaids--or mermen, either. They want to use animal eggs to grow human stem cells by cleaning out 99.9 percent of the animal materials from the eggs and injecting them with human DNA. These hybrids would provide a solution to the severe shortage of pure human eggs needed for embryonic stem-cell research, which now depends on human volunteers to provide eggs.

Bank of Canada Governor Says Single Euro-Style Currency 'Possible' For Canada, the United States and Mexico

But to get there, Canada, the United States and Mexico must first tear down barriers to the free flow of labour, which he pointed out Monday have “gotten a bit thicker” in recent years. Answering questions from the audience after a speech in Chicago, Mr. Dodge said a single currency was “possible.” The idea of a common currency has long been a subject of curiosity, particularly among Canadian academics, who see it as a way to escape sharp gyrations in the exchange rate. The recent surge in the Canadian dollar to a 30-year high against the U.S. currency makes Canadian products a lot less competitive in Canada's major foreign market. The high loonie also makes Canada a more expensive tourist destination. Some proponents have dubbed the single North American currency the “amero.” It is more likely, however, that a common currency would mean that Canada and Mexico would adopt the U.S. dollar, giving up significant economic control to a central bank dominated by the United States. Also Monday, Mr. Dodge told reporters that much of the Canadian dollar's recent increase is the result of a strong economy. But he said the bank is closely watching the impact of the dollar's gain on Canadian inflation, adding that prices had been coming in “a little bit stronger” than expected over recent months. “We will have to monitor that very closely,” Mr. Dodge said. In the past two months alone, the Canadian dollar is up about 8 per cent against the U.S. dollar, and is now worth more than 91 cents (U.S.). He declined to comment on “day-to-day and week-to-week” movements in the currency. The dollar is also rising as speculators bet that that the price of oil and other key commodities, which Canada has in abundance, will continue to rise. Mr. Dodge also said the U.S. housing slump is taking its toll on the Canadian economy. Canada supplies about a third of the nearly $10-billion a year worth of lumber that the United States consumes. “We're probably the only U.S. trading partner who gets really hurt by that,” he said.

Russia Promises 'Sword' Against U.S. Missile Shield

The official considered to be a leading contender to succeed President Vladimir Putin criticized a landmark Soviet-U.S. arms treaty as being a "relic of the Cold War," and promised that Russia would have a "sword" capable of piercing a U.S. missile shield. During a two-hour news conference recently, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov harshly criticized U.S. plans to deploy elements of its missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying that Moscow does not trust Washington's claims that they are intended to fend off potential missile threats from Iran. "A radar the U.S. is planning to deploy in the Czech Republic will be capable of scanning airspace up to the Ural Mountains," he said. Ivanov said that Russia was not going to build a strategic missile defense system similar to the one the United States is developing but would take "adequate steps" to respond to the U.S. move. "A more efficient sword can be found for every shield," he said. Ivanov also criticized the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed in 1987 by the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan. It eliminated an entire class of midrange missiles then based in Europe. Ivanov called the treaty "a relic, a rudiment of the Cold War," saying that dozens of nations had developed intermediate range missiles since the pact was signed and that many of them are located close to Russia's borders. But he stopped short of saying that Moscow would opt out of the pact. Ivanov also defended Putin's move to suspend Russia's observance of another critical Cold War-era agreement - the 1990 Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty - which limits the number of military aircraft, tanks and other non-nuclear heavy weapons around Europe.

North American union plan headed to Congress in fall

A powerful think tank chaired by former Sen. Sam Nunn and guided by trustees including Richard Armitage, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Harold Brown, William Cohen and Henry Kissinger, is in the final stages of preparing a report to the White House and U.S. Congress on the benefits of integrating the U.S., Mexico and Canada into one political, economic and security bloc. The final report, published in English, Spanish and French, is scheduled for submission to all three governments by Sept. 30, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies. CSIS boasts of playing a large role in the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994 – a treaty that set in motion a political movement many believe resembles the early stages of the European Community on its way to becoming the European Union. "The results of the study will enable policymakers to make sound, strategic, long-range policy decisions about North America, with an emphasis on regional integration," explains Armand B. Peschard-Sverdrup, director of CSIS' Mexico Project. "Specifically, the project will focus on a detailed examination of future scenarios, which are based on current trends, and involve six areas of critical importance to the trilateral relationship: labor mobility, energy, the environment, security, competitiveness and border infrastructure and logistics."

Rabbi Signaling Return Of Messiah

Former chief rabbi Avraham Shapira, head of Mercaz Harav yeshiva, said yesterday that Jews are prohibited from going to the Temple Mount. Shapira's statement came after a pamphlet issued by religious-Zionist rabbis calling on people to go to the Temple Mount, and doing so themselves earlier this week in what has been called a historical change in their stand. Shapira (along with Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu) is considered a leading figure in the religious-Zionist movement. He made the statements at the traditional rally in honor of Jerusalem Day at the yeshiva. Rabbi Dov Lior, the head of the West Bank rabbinic committee and the chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba, who was among those who visited the Temple Mount with the group this week, was seated next to him. Rabbi Zalman Melamed, the head of the Beit El Yeshiva and a leader among West Bank rabbis, said, "Next year we will all go up freely to the Temple, which will be built, with the ashes of the red heifer, without disagreement and without questions." Until a few years ago, most rabbis prohibited Jews from going to the Temple Mount because no one knows for sure the exact location of the Holy of Holies, and the concern that today's Jews, considered "impure" by Jewish law, would enter prohibited zones. However, as a result of the strengthening Palestinian presence on the Mount, religious-Zionist rabbis have been pressured in recent years to permit visits to some parts of it. The committee of West Bank rabbis allowed ascent to the Mount a few years ago.

New technology is rapidly getting rid of cash

Conrad Chase, British co-owner of the VIP Baja Beach Club in Barcelona, makes an unlikely human debit card. Mr Chase and almost 100 other clubbers have opted to have tiny data chips implanted surgically under their skin. When they want to buy a drink, they simply wave their techno-enabled arms across the counter. The chip, made by the VeriChip Corporation, is only the size of a grain of rice but can transmit an ID number to a scanner allowing money to be taken from clubbers’ bank accounts. Mr Chase may be an extreme example but he demonstrates a wider point: Britons are rapidly embracing the cashless society. The Association for Payment Clearing Services, the UK industry body, forecasts that in less than a decade fewer than half of all payments will be made by cash. Banks, including HBOS, HSBC, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland, are surfing the cash-free wave by introducing new credit and debit cards. Customers will be able to pay for items under £10 by tapping the cards on a terminal at the till – much as they would a transport fare card. Sandra Alzetta, head of innovation and acceptance at Visa Europe, says this will speed transactions: “Until now, cash has been king. Other methods have been too slow or too expensive for small ticket items with values of less than £10,” she said. “But contactless payments are much quicker than cash. If you’re buying a coffee or doing a grocery top-up, speed matters a lot.” Payment by mobile phone is also starting to take off. This week, the Post Office announced an electronic money-transfer service that allows recipients to receive funds using a bar code sent to a mobile or email address. The service is intended to allow companies to distribute promotional incentives and cash payments for less than the cost of a cheque. Companies send a reference code by text message or email, which customers take to any UK post office to receive instant payment. Visa is already testing a system in France that will allow consumers to pay for goods via mobile phone. In Britain, items such as parking and London’s traffic congestion charge can already be paid in this fashion. Another way cash is being edged out is through pre-paid cards that can be loaded up with cash and used like a credit card. PSE Consulting, the European payment consultancy, estimates that the total number of pre-paid cards issued in the UK will rise from 2m currently to 44m by 2010.

Bow To Your Robot Overlords!

Known as The Singularity, a theory exists for the future that is often the core premise behind science fiction novels. Described in Wikipedia; “The Technological Singularity is the hypothesized creation… of smarter-than-human entities that rapidly accelerate technological progress.” One of the fathers of this theory is Vernor Vinge, just in to his 60’s and for four decades has been writing science fiction with a definite realism to it. In his mind, it is not unimaginable to think that, the future we are currently building is totally unimaginable. It seems plausible,” Vinge says, “that with technology we can, in the fairly near future, create or become creatures who surpass humans in every intellectual and creative dimension. Events beyond such a singular event are as unimaginable to us as opera is to a flatworm.” “Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence… shortly after, the human era will be ended.”

Department Of Pre-Crime & Government Employees

GPS, council staff and other front-line government employees will be forced to report anyone they believe is likely to commit a violent crime to the police, under leaked Home Office plans. The proposals, which aim to identify and stop violent crimes before they are committed, would mean vast amounts of highly personal information, including medical records, would be shared between several government agencies. The draft plans, which were circulated around Whitehall by Simon King, head of the violent crime unit at the Home Office, propose the creation of two new bodies, one for criminals and one for victims. The agencies would collate reports from front line workers and perform risk assessments of each case. Details on the kind of action the agencies could take to prevent violent crimes taking place are sparse. However, the plans outline that potential criminals could be identified by a violent family history, drug and alcohol dependence or mental health problems. Potential victims could be flagged to the agency by their doctor or social worker. The draft “multi-agency information sharing” proposal, which was leaked to The Times, suggests that existing Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships could be “well placed” to manage the work. The document says: “Public bodies will have to access valuable information about people at risk of becoming either perpetrators or victims of serious violence. Professionals will obviously alert the police or other relevant authority if they have good reason to believe [an] act of serious violence is about to be committed. “However, our proposal goes beyond that, and is that, when they become sufficiently concerned about an individual, they must consider initial risk assessment of risk to/from that person, and refer [the] case to [a] multi-agency body.” Civil liberty groups have voiced concerns that the plans risk placing people who have never committed an offence under unnecessary scrutiny. Jago Russell, policy officer from the campaign group Liberty, said there were too many unanswered questions. Mr Russell said: “What does the Home Office propose to do with the people who have committed no crime but fit a worrying profile?”

Scientists Grow Simulated Brain in Switzerland

A network of artificial nerves is growing in a Swiss supercomputer -- meant to simulate a natural brain, cell-for-cell. The researchers at work on "Blue Brain" promise new insights into the sources of human consciousness. The machine is beautiful as it wakes up -- nerve cells flicker on the screen in soft pastel tones, electrical charges flash through a maze of synapses. The brain, just after being switched on, seems a little sleepy, but gentle bursts of current bring it fully to life. This unprecedented piece of hardware consists of about 10,000 computer chips that act like real nerve cells. To simulate a natural brain, part of the cerebral cortex of young rats was painstakingly replicated in the computer, cell by cell, together with the branched tree-like structure of the synapses. The simulation was created at the Technical University in Lausanne, Switzerland, where 35 researchers participate in maintaining this artificial brain. It runs on one of the world's most powerful supercomputers, but soon even that computer will be too small. The goal is to build a much bigger electronic thinking machine -- one that would ultimately replicate the human brain. A project this ambitious would have been ridiculed a few years ago. "Today we have the computers we need," says biologist Henry Markram, 44, the project's director. "And we know enough to begin." Markram knows about the problems his group can look forward to. "But if we don't build the brain," he says, "we'll never understand how it works." In fact, there have been tremendous advances in brain research for years; but answers to the big questions are as elusive as ever. How does consciousness develop within the electric orchestra of cells? How exactly does a spark of intellect ignite from the interplay among genes, proteins and messenger substances? The Lausanne model, dubbed "Blue Brain," is the most radical attempt so far to investigate the mystery of consciousness. The idea is seductively simple: To determine how the mind emerges from biology, replicate the biology. It's a task that requires enormous patience and attention to detail, a process that ultimately means mimicking nature one molecule at a time.

Bush grants Directive for emergencies given Presidency authority without congressional oversight

President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight. The "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive" was signed May 9, notes Jerome R. Corsi. It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive. The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency. "Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions." Corsi says the president can assume the power to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over. The directive says the assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, currently Frances Fragos Townsend, would be designated as the national continuity coordinator. Corsi says the directive makes no attempt to reconcile the powers created for the national continuity coordinator with the National Emergency Act, which requires that such proclamation "shall immediately be transmitted to the Congress and published in the Federal Register."

Scientology In Your Kid's Classroom?

Inside the industrial looking brick walls of one of Louisiana's poorest performing middle schools, Scientologists finally have achieved a longtime goal. A study skills curriculum written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is being taught as mainstream public education. All the eighth-graders at Prescott Middle School are being taught learning techniques Hubbard devised four decades ago when he set out to remedy what he viewed as barriers to learning. The curriculum and textbooks used by Prescott's 156 eighth-graders are similar to methods and books used among Scientologists worldwide. And teaching the children is a Scientologist hired by the school district. Scientologists helped usher Hubbard's program into the school during the chaotic months after Hurricane Katrina. Celebrity Scientologists John Travolta and Isaac Hayes played key roles, as did a former Clearwater resident known for her persuasive voice. The people who run the program say Hubbard's teaching technique is divorced from Scientology, that it is just a masterful way to learn. They note that it has won the support of many non-Scientologists, including a number of academics. Other experts, though, question the quality of the program. And some church skeptics fret that it is an insidious plan ultimately aimed at promoting Scientology.

Beware the RFID mark of the beast

Technology is advancing so fast that consumers now live in a somewhat disturbing age where their underwear can track their movements and let others know what they are doing. Talking about the social implications of RFID at AusCERT 2007, Klein Consulting principal, Daniel Klein, warned delegates to be very afraid in this data pervasive society where good, bad, and potentially incorrect information is being made available to everyone. "Digital dirt is very real in the age of RFID, where sensor technology has the potential to track us without our knowledge, and secrets are harder to keep," Klein says. "Once upon a time knowledge was power. Now, access to data is power. Do you know how many surveillance cameras you pass in a day? Information is being gathered on us that we don't even know about." Pointing out that today's chips can be woven into clothing, allowing retailers to collect data on a customer's spending habits, Klein says consumers need to prevent misuse of information. "How can we expunge flawed records? So much information is preserved because computers don't forget," he says, adding that the problem with RFID is that it is such an easy mechanism for collecting that data. "The information kept on these chips can be read using a cheap receiver under $100. RFID has a reach of up to 23 metres away; not the three to 10 feet quoted by the providers. Klein says consumers are being tracked all the time with ISPs, search engines and the use of loyalty cards. He says RFID is being adopted across the globe following Wal Mart's mandate to its top 100 suppliers to implement the technology by 2006. A similar mandate was introduced by the US Department of Defense to its suppliers, while the Australian Defence Force is using it to track supplies sent to the Middle East. Klein says RFID technology certainly is not secure and is vulnerable to buffer overflows, SQL injections, worms and viruses. "Is it any wonder that RFID is often called the mark of the beast," Klein says.

UN: Three Species Per Hour Becoming Extinct

Human activities are wiping out three animal or plant species every hour and the world must do more to slow the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs by 2010, the United Nations said recently. Scientists and environmentalists issued reports about threats to creatures and plants including right whales, Iberian lynxes, wild potatoes and peanuts on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity. "Biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement. Global warming is adding to threats such as land clearance for farms or cities, pollution and rising human populations. "The global response to these challenges needs to move much more rapidly, and with more determination at all levels -- global, national and local," he said. Many experts reckon the world will fail to meet the goal set by world leaders at an Earth Summit in 2002 of a "significant reduction" by 2010 in the rate of species losses. "We are indeed experiencing the greatest wave of extinctions since the disappearance of the dinosaurs," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, head of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity. Dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago, perhaps after a meteorite struck. "Extinction rates are rising by a factor of up to 1,000 above natural rates. Every hour, three species disappear. Every day, up to 150 species are lost. Every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct," he said. "The cause: human activities."

VeriChip Adds 78 New Hospitals to Its Network

VeriChip Corporation, a provider of RFID systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, announced today that 78 new hospitals agreed to participate in the VeriMed Patient Identification System network at the Emergency Department Practice Management Association's (EDPMA) tenth annual conference in Las Vegas on May 16-18. More than 600 hospitals have now agreed to participate in the VeriMed network. Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and CEO of VeriChip, commented, "We are very pleased with the continued acceptance of the VeriMed Patient Identification system by hospital emergency departments as they recognize the value it provides in improving patient care. VeriMed's footprint continues to grow in regions throughout the U.S. and we expect to enroll additional hospitals during the remainder of this year, with a goal of 800 hospitals in our network by year-end." The VeriMed Patient Identification System, which consists of a hand-held radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, an implantable RFID microchip, and a secure patient database, is being used to help rapidly identify and provide access to important health information on participating patients. The new healthcare facilities agreed to use the VeriMed reader as standard protocol to scan patients that arrive in emergency rooms unconscious, delirious or confused. The Company continues to provide readers to hospitals and other healthcare facilities at no charge as part of its efforts to "seed" the infrastructure for the VeriMed patient identification system.

Fierce, Busy Storm Season Ahead, Experts Say

Far away, off the coast of South America, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are cooling ominously. In the Atlantic, the sea surface remains warm. And overhead, the atmosphere is evolving toward what forecasters said yesterday could be a dangerous hurricane season. Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- the parent agency of the National Weather Service -- said such factors indicate the 2007 hurricane season could have 13 to 17 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes. Of those, three to five could be major hurricanes. The agency said past data also suggest the possibility of two to four hurricanes making U.S. landfall. The announcement came in a news conference at Reagan National Airport amid dire warnings from a host of federal government officials about complacency after last year's relatively quiet season, in which no hurricane made landfall on a U.S. coast. It was only the 12th year since 1945 that had no U.S. hurricane landfalls. "Last year was an unexpectedly easy season," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday. "There's no guarantee that this season is going to be anything less than tough. . . . It is a big mistake to count on being lucky. You're much better off preparing yourself for the worst, and then if you get lucky, that's a bonus." The NOAA hurricane forecast was the latest this spring to predict a stormy season. An average season has 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and two of those becoming major storms, NOAA said. Last year had 10 named storms and five hurricanes -- two of which were major, Category 3 or higher, said forecasters at Colorado State University. In April, Colorado State experts predicted 17 named storms for this year, nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes. The university plans to update its forecast next week, with little change expected.

Iran expands Atomic Work, Defying U.N.

Iran has not only ignored a U.N. Security Council deadline to stop uranium enrichment activity but expanded it, according to a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report. Iran's defiance of another 60-day deadline set by the Council when it imposed a second set of sanctions on March 24 will expose Tehran to tougher penalties over its nuclear work, which the West fears is a front for assembling atom bombs. ‘Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities. Iran has continued with the operation of their pilot fuel enrichment plant and with construction of their (planned industrial underground) enrichment plant,’ the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in its report. ‘It has started feeding cascades with UF6 (uranium gas). Iran has also continued with its heavy water-related projects.’

Papers Please—and Your Biometric Data

The immigration bill currently wending its way through Congress “would require employers to re-verify the identity of every single person currently employed in the United States. Not only would it place a considerable burden on both government and business, but the verification system currently being tested has shown a significant rate of error.” Congress critter David Bonner, however, has proposed that the Social Security Administration require SS cards “contain an electronic signature strip that contains an encrypted electronic identification strip, unique to that individual,” according to Bonner’s web page. Neither Bonner’s scheme or the one included in the “immigration proposal with traction in Congress” specifies “what the biometric would be, but it could range from a simple digital photo to a fingerprint or even an iris scan.” As to be expected, the American Civil Liberties Union is clueless. “Do we really think the migrant workers are going to show up at the pickle farm and the farmer is going to demand ID and have a laptop in the field to check their ID?” said ACLU legislative counsel Tim Sparapani. It has nothing to do with pickle farmers or illegals streaming across the border in search of jobs that pay such dismal wages precious few Americans will take them. Rather, it has to do with eventually making sure every American—indeed, every person on the planet—has his or her papers in order. Of course, papers are so yesterday, so the idea is to capture biometric data on every person, beginning with workers. It will begin with an SS card and eventually a subdermal microchip, as cards are easily lost or stolen.

Police Want Iris Scans For Kids To Go National

The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office is starting a campaign to photograph the eyes of every school-age child in the county for inclusion in a national database meant to help identify recovered children more quickly. With "iris recognition biometric technology," law enforcement officials can access the database on laptop computers wirelessly via a secure Web site to identify a subject in 12 to 15 seconds, said Berkshire County Sheriff Carmen C. Massimiano Jr. At any location with access to a cell tower, the database will be wirelessly accessible. He noted that it also will be used for the elderly. "This is a wonderful tool for sheriffs and police throughout the commonwealth and the nation," Massimiano said. "We're going to every school that wants us to and take pictures of the children's irises for inclusion in the national database." It also will be useful for the elderly who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or dementia. "And many elders don't even have photo IDs," Massimiano said. The sheriff explained that no two irises are alike and that, after the age of 1, they remain the same throughout the aging process. The technology would come into play when a missing person is recovered; a law enforcement officer would need to confirm the identification of the subject quickly. Figures provided by the sheriff's office, collected in studies by the U.S. Justice Department, show that 2,000 children are reported missing daily nationwide. The figures also show that there are 47,000 active missing adult cases. The technology was made available through a state grant of $439,000 for all 14 counties in Massachusetts, which will pay for the hardware, software and training. According to Sean Mullin, president of BI2 Technologies, it will take about 18 months to record the irises of all the children in the county. He said the program is already in use in more than half the states, and there are already "well over 100,000" people in the database.

The Schools Where Four-Year-Olds Can Learn Gay Lifestyle

Children as young as four are being taught about same-sex relationships using puppets, plays and fairy tales in a Government-funded scheme, it emerged yesterday. Pupils are being invited to act the parts of gay characters during after-school arts clubs as well as in some literacy and drama lessons. In one primary school, youngsters put on puppet shows of the Cinderella story featuring male Cinderellas. Other primaries are inviting in touring theatre companies which stage plays featuring same-sex parents. Books being introduced to lessons include King & King, a fairy tale featuring a prince who turns down three princesses before falling in love with one of their brothers. In another primary school, a teacher discussed his civil partnership ceremony with the pupils. Fourteen primary schools are already taking part in the £600,000 project aimed at familiarising children with gay and lesbian relationships. The research team behind the project intends to post the findings on national websites to help all schools adopt the same techniques. It claims that introducing such books and activities will help schools fulfil their duties under new gay rights laws which came into force last month.

Al-Qaida is aggressively recruiting black Americans

Al-Qaida is aggressively recruiting black Americans for suicide operations against the homeland, say FBI analysts who have reviewed recent videotaped messages from the terror group's leaders. A speech released May 5 by Osama bin Laden's deputy confirms earlier fears that African-Americans are the No. 1 recruiting target for the next generation of attacks. Al-Qaida has been trying to lower its Arab profile to reduce the odds that its terror cells will be subjected to security scrutiny. "Federal and local law enforcement authorities should be aware that al-Qaida terrorists may not appear Arab," warns a recent Homeland Security intelligence report obtained by WND. "Non-Arab al-Qaida operatives could find it easier to avoid unwanted scrutiny since they may not fit typical profiles." In the latest message, al-Qaida No. 2 Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri clearly seeks to sow political and racial discontent among African-Americans. He makes frequent references to what he calls the "martyr" Malcolm X, and says "I want blacks in America to know that we are waging jihad to lift oppression from all mankind." Zawahiri encourages African-Americans to follow the example of Malcolm X, a.k.a. al-Hajj Malik al-Shabaaz, who he says was not afraid to sacrifice his life to fight American "oppression." According to a transcript of the hour-long screed, Zawahiri said this is "the culture which the struggler and martyr Malcom X (may Allah have mercy upon him) fought against when he told his repressed black brothers in America, 'If you're not ready to die for it, take the word "freedom" out of your vocabulary.'" "Freedom is something that you have to do for yourself," he quotes Malcolm X as as saying. "The price of freedom is death."

Scientists Develop Tiny Implantable Biocomputers

Researchers at Harvard University and Princeton University have made a crucial step toward building biological computers, tiny implantable devices that can monitor the activities and characteristics of human cells. The information provided by these "molecular doctors," constructed entirely of DNA, RNA, and proteins, could eventually revolutionize medicine by directing therapies only to diseased cells or tissues. The results will be published this week in the journal Nature Biotechnology. "Each human cell already has all of the tools required to build these biocomputers on its own," says Harvard's Yaakov (Kobi) Benenson, a Bauer Fellow in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences' Center for Systems Biology. "All that must be provided is a genetic blueprint of the machine and our own biology will do the rest. Your cells will literally build these biocomputers for you." Evaluating Boolean logic equations inside cells, these molecular automata will detect anything from the presence of a mutated gene to the activity of genes within the cell. The biocomputers' "input" is RNA, proteins, and chemicals found in the cytoplasm; "output" molecules indicating the presence of the telltale signals are easily discernable with basic laboratory equipment. "Currently we have no tools for reading cellular signals," Benenson says. "These biocomputers can translate complex cellular signatures, such as activities of multiple genes, into a readily observed output. They can even be programmed to automatically translate that output into a concrete action, meaning they could either be used to label a cell for a clinician to treat or they could trigger therapeutic action themselves."

VeriChip Shares Soar On Alzheimer's Microchipping

Shares of VeriChip Corp., which makes implantable locating and identification devices, soared recently on reports the company's VeriMed identification chip will be used for consenting Alzheimer's patients at a Florida adult care facility. The stock gained $1.17, or 27 percent, to reach $5.50 in afternoon trading. Shares have traded between $4.27 and $6.99 over the last 52 weeks. The VeriMed chip, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004, is only part of the company's business. Revenue mainly comes from what are called active radio frequency identification devices, such as bracelets placed on both mother and newborn child while in the hospital to avoid mix-ups and even kidnappings. The company also sells devices used to track patients with dementia. But the company is now making a large investment of time and money on its passive technology, or the VeriMed chip, with the view that it could become part of total care for patients with chronic conditions. Unlike the active technology, the chip, implanted just beneath the skin on a patient's arm, is dormant until scanned using a hospital-based reader to extract the medical data. The chip costs about $200 to install, plus between $20 and $80 annually, depending on the amount of information on it. It is not yet covered by insurance carriers, something the company hopes to achieve as it continues to collect ongoing post-approval studies and opinions by third-party advocates, such as the National Kidney Foundation. Meanwhile VeriChip has been installing the scanners free, leaving hospitals with only the expense of training staff. In all, 130 hospitals are using the technology, with 600 having signed on for installation. The markets mostly impacted are Boston, northern New Jersey and Washington D.C.

Local Governments Seek To Spy On The Public

With Homeland Security becoming an increasingly larger priority among many Americans, local governments in cities across the country have been installing surveillance cameras on street corners, stop lights and throughout business districts. Small Town, USA seems to be no exception. Some of the most complex and expensive surveillance equipment is being installed in places where one would assume crime is the least in the United States. Last month the city council of Reidsville, North Carolina, approved a measure that will pay for a $99,000, 11-camera surveillance system. According to 2000 census figures, Reidsville has a population of just over 14,000, definitely not a metropolis, and lies just to the north of the much larger Greensboro, North Carolina. But, why does a small town wish to install cameras to monitor its citizens? According to officials, it is to curb crime. The cameras will be installed along the downtown shopping districts. Video footage will be beamed via a wireless network to help police prevent break-ins and vandalism. Eventually the cameras will be equipped with night vision, eliminating the need for part-time patrolmen in those areas. While any American appreciates any move to prevent crimes, most also find surveillance cameras a bit creepy. Normally, images of Big Brother flash through our minds, and we question the logic of such systems. Some dispute the right of any government—whether federal, state or local—to place their citizens under mandatory surveillance.

Bishop Decries "Uncalculated Consequences" Of Breaching Species Barrier With Human-Animal Creations

A Vatican official lamented a British government decision to drop its opposition to forming hybrid animal-human embryos for stem cell research. Bishop Elio Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said Thursday's decision to reject a proposed ban on the process is offensive to human dignity. "The creation of a hybrid animal-human embryo has been banned by everyone in the biotechnology field, until now -- and not just by religious groups," Bishop Sgreccia said. "This is because human dignity is compromised and offended and monstrosities will be created from these inseminations. "It is true that these embryos are suppressed and the cells taken out, but the creation of an animal-human being represents a natural border that has been violated, the most grave of violations." In an interview with Vatican Radio, he called for a complete moral condemnation of the practice, "in the name of reason and in the name of justice and science, which must be maintained for the well being of the person and respect for human nature." Bishop Sgreccia said he hopes that the international scientific community continues to hold the line, to defend "the conservation and respect of the species." "The human individual has not been respected because embryos are destroyed and sacrificed in many ways, as in the case of these artificial inseminations," the 78-year-old bishop said. "But the line between the species had always been respected. Now, this barrier too has been broken and the consequences have not been calculated.

Record numbers of young women are dabbling in witchcraft

A study of teenagers and their consumption of books, magazines, kits, film and other media found that there are some 700,000 internet sites for teenage witches. The Pagan Federation claims to have several hundred inquiries a week from young people, and has set up a network for those under 18. "There has been a noticeable rise in the number of young people identifying themselves as witches," saidDenise Cush, professor of religious studies at Bath Spa University. The trend is being boosted by American TV series such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Recently, several hundred witches gathered in south London for Witchfest, held at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon. According to Professor Cush's report, based on interviews with witches aged 18 to 24, it is the attitude to women that most attracts them: "Paganism and witchcraft appealed because of their clear feminist credentials and absence of homophobia. A main attraction is the positive valuation of women in comparison with other religions." According to the women and girls at Witchfest, their reasons for taking up witchcraft vary. Jayde Harris, 18, became interested because her mother is also a witch. "I don't always tell people about it," she said. Fellow Wiccan Lyn Jones said: "I do spells of good luck for people mainly. I sometimes want to do bad spells but I don't - they come back to you three times as bad." And Sarah Jayne Thompson, 13, said: "My family are Christian but it never seemed to fit with me so I began reading about Wicca. Lots of the younger kids at school are scared of me, which is cool."

Oceans losing ability to soak up CO2

Recent changes in the climate have weakened the Earth's ability to absorb carbon dioxide through the oceans and are speeding up global warming, scientists have found.
A four-year study of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica found that an increase in winds caused by greenhouse gases and ozone depletion is preventing the sea from absorbing more carbon, according to a study published this week. In fact, rather than storing more carbon, as emissions from industry, homes and transport have increased over the past 26 years, the sea has in fact absorbed the same amount as before and even given off some stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The study, which focused on measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide made at over 40 sites around the world since 1981, suggests that it will be even harder to stabilise carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and prevent the world's temperature rising more than an average of 2°C as the Government and the EU intend. The Earth's carbon "sinks" - forests and oceans - absorb about half of all human carbon emissions. About half of all carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution have been absorbed in this way. Emissions have increased by 40 per cent since the beginning of the period studied in 1981.

Spies In The Sky Could Watch Britains Citizens Every Move

In an age of talking CCTV cameras, electronic tagging and satellites monitoring our car journeys, it is perhaps the inevitable next step towards a Big Brother state. The Home Office is working on a fleet of pilotless spy drones which will fly above our towns and cities, quietly recording our every move while watching for terrorists and criminals. Ministers have confirmed that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are expected to play a part in the fight against crime and terror, gathering intelligence and watching suspects from thousands of feet above the ground. UAVs are already widely used by the military around the world. American spy drones have even been fitted with missiles to create the first pilotless warplanes, successfully killing high-profile terrorist targets. Now Britain's police forces and spy agencies are to get in on the act, launching their own drones into UK airspace. Home Office Minister Tony McNulty acknowledged in a written parliamentary answer last night that his department's scientists were exploring the use of UAV technology for a 'range of policing and security applications.' Police have used airborne surveillance for years in the form of helicopters carrying conventional and heat-seeking cameras. In February this year officers in Birmingham drafted in a manned spyplane with electronic eavesdropping equipment to help hunt for terror suspects. UAVs offer huge advantages in that they can circle a target for many hours without refuelling - and their small and relatively quiet engines make them far more discreet - and cheaper to operate - than a noisy helicopter. MI5 could use small UAVs to watch a suspect's address for long periods or to track a car for miles up and down the country.

Russia warns of AIDS epidemic - 1.3 million people infected

Russia's AIDS epidemic is worsening with as many as 1.3 million people infected with HIV as the virus spreads further into the heterosexual population, Russia's top AIDS specialist recently said. Russia has registered 402,000 people with HIV, of whom 17,000 have died, but the real figure is much higher, said Vadim Pokrovsky, head of Russia's federal AIDS centre. "Not only is the number of Russians infected with HIV rising but there is an increase in the rate at which the epidemic is spreading, so a rise in the number of newly infected," Pokrovsky told reporters. "We have an estimate of up to 1.2 million to 1.3 million infected with HIV," he said, adding that the number of those registered as infected was rising by 8 to 10 percent a year. The United Nations estimates 65 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV and that 25 million people have been killed by AIDS since it was first recognized in 1981. AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). "On average for the country, one out of every fifty males is infected with HIV but in some cities it is one in ten," he said. Russia's northern city of St Petersburg was worst affected followed by Sverdlovsk region, greater Moscow, Samara region and Moscow, though Pokrovsky said figures for Moscow were probably much higher than the data indicated.

The "Eyebox" -Advertising that “Watches” You

A new invention known as eyebox2™, was just unveiled at Google’s corporate headquarters. The portable device tracks human eye movement and will tell advertisers just how many people looked at the advertisement. The new invention uses a camera that monitors eye movements in real time and automatically detects when you are looking at it from up to 10 meters away. “This camera mimics eye contact perception in humans, allowing us to pinpoint quite accurately what plasma screen or product shelf people are looking at,” says Dr. Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Laboratory at Queen’s and inventor of the technology. The inventor claims that the surveillance is passive, meaning that it cannot detect the identity of the viewer, but only count the glances. Whether or not the technology could be used for surveillance purposes is not being discussed. However, it's safe to assume that advertisers (and others) would be interested in knowing who’s looking.