Most of the money comes from countries in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia, particularly the oil-producing nations of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Norway, and takes many forms. The United Arab Emirates, a major supporter of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, quietly provided a donation of more than $1 million to help build the center’s gleaming new glass and steel headquarters not far from the White House. Qatar, the small but wealthy Middle East nation, agreed last year to make a $14.8 million, four-year donation to Brookings, which has helped fund a Brookings affiliate in Qatar and a project on United States relations with the Islamic world.
Daily Archives: 8. September 2014
Former Google Executive Defends Monsanto
“For years we had viewed ourselves as a company that helps farmers increase their productivity, and food companies were the ones that took the product to the consumer.”
“We have nothing to hide, we just weren’t talking about it.”
If you don’t have anything to hide, then why do you oppose GMO labels? If you don’t have anything to hide, then why do you need to employ a propaganda persona to repurpose your message? What company doesn’t need to talk about their product? The public wants GMO labels. They have a right to know and to choose what kinds of food they put into their bodies. It doesn’t matter if their choices are based in fact or opinion, they still have the right to know.
Sept. 10th is the Internet Slowdown
Cable companies want to slow down (and break!) your favorite sites, for profit. To fight back, let‘s cover the web with symbolic „loading“ icons, to remind everyone what an Internet without net neutrality would look like, and drive record numbers of emails and calls to lawmakers.
Are you in?
Net Neutrality [RAP NEWS 25]
Having covered conflicts in distant lands, we now turn our attention to our own native homeland, the Internet; where the battle for the hypersphere has reached new heights, as netizens take up arms against Telcoms and the FCC, to preserve the fundamental ethos that made the Internet what it is today: Net Neutrality. What is Net Neutrality, and why is it so important to the future of the Internet? Find out by joining Robert Foster as he takes a whimsical trip into the World Wide Web, with its founder Tim Berners-Lee. Let‘s just hope no shady mega-corporatist, elite oligarchic malefactors pop up to mess with us on the way…
Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside.
Nova Scotia To Ban Fracking: ‘We Need To Respect The Trust The People Have Put In Us’
“We don’t want shale gas here,” former chief Susan Levi-Peters told the Globe and Mail. “We have been asking for consultations for three years now and nothing has happened. Instead they just put our people in jail.”
Pentagon Funds New Data-Mining Tools to Track and Kill Activists
The University of Washington and Arizona State University projects are both about enhancing the Pentagon’s capacity to analyze surveillance data to determine threats from groups and individuals, supplementing analysis of metadata with „open source“ material. Unlike Kosack’s project, though, the ASU project claims to focus exclusively on Muslim organizations in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Hans Reichel – The Dawn of Dachsman (1987)
Meet the Frackers: Right-Wing Billionaire Brothers’ Biblical Ambitions
Dan Wilks told Brody: “I just think we have to make people aware, you know, and bring the Bible back into the school, and start teaching our kids at a younger age, and, uh, you know, and focus on the younger generation.” Farris added: “They’re being taught the other ideas, the gay agenda, every day out in the world so we have to stand up and explain to them that that’s not real, that’s not proper, it’s not right.”
According to Montgomery, Farris Wilks’ foundation “has become a source of massive donations to Religious Right groups and to the Koch brothers’ political network. Farris also funds a network of ‘pregnancy centers’ that refuse, on principle, to talk to single women about contraception (married women need to check with their husband and pastor).”
New US ambassador to help his govt understand Russia’s goals, perspectives
John F. Tefft was nominated by President Barack Obama in July to fill the post that has been vacant since February when Tefft’s predecessor, Michael McFaul, resigned
Top CIA officer in Benghazi delayed response to terrorist attack, US security team members claim
Speaking out publicly for the first time, the three were security operators at the secret CIA annex in Benghazi – in effect, the first-responders to any attack on the diplomatic compound. Their first-hand account will be told in a Fox News special, airing Friday night at 10 p.m. (EDT).
New Book Says C.I.A. Official in Benghazi Held Up Rescue
Five commandos guarding the C.I.A. base in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012 say that the base chief stopped them from interceding in time to save the lives of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and an American technician during the attack on the diplomatic mission there.
In a new book scheduled for release next week and obtained by The New York Times, the commandos say they protested repeatedly as the base chief ordered them to wait in their vehicles, fully armed, for 20 minutes while the attack on the diplomatic mission was unfolding less than a mile away.
Attacke auf Grundrechte
Ehemaliger Verfassungsrichter sieht in Regierungsplänen zur gesetzlich verordneten Tarifeinheit Bruch des Grundgesetzes. Marburger Bund will sich juristisch wehren
Energiewende retour: Wie Sigmar Gabriel die Konzerne bedient
Während die Nation vor den WM-Bildschirmen saß und Jogi Löws Mannschaft auf dem Weg zum Titel begleitete, spielte sich Ende Juni im Bundestag eine Posse ab, die einer parlamentarischen Demokratie unwürdig ist. Ein Gesetz, das in seiner Bedeutung kaum zu überschätzen ist, wurde im Eiltempo durch den Bundestag gepeitscht: das Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG).
Der Infrastrukturzerfall der USA und in Europa ist ja hier schon länger Thema, aber dieser Artikel hier ist echt eine Kategorie für sich.
Wir haben ja schon gehört, dass Detroit einzelne Stadtbezirke aufgegeben hat, weil sie das Geld nicht hatten, um da typische Dienste wie „Strom, Wasser, Polizei, Stadtreinigung“ anzubieten, und weil dort so viele Häuser verlassen waren. Auch in den anderen Bezirken sieht das nicht viel besser aus. Hier hat mal jemand der Feuerwehr über die Schulter geguckt, die kein Geld für ordentliche Alarmsysteme haben
Israel’s tunnels aim to Judaize Jerusalem and are approved by Supreme Court
With the Hamas tunnels dominating the Israeli narrative for the past several weeks, their inherent danger horrifying the entire state and sometimes leading to apocalyptic visions, the state of Israel persistently continued digging its own underground tunnels – in Jerusalem. These tunnels, like those of Hamas, are being dug under a heavy cloak of secrecy. As with the Hamas tunnels, they serve as a tool for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are also being dug under the houses of uninvolved civilians, in this case Palestinians.
German parliamentary committees’ chairmen to visit Azerbaijan
Chairman of the German Parliament‘s Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Ramsauer and Chairwoman of the Committee for Economic Cooperation and Development Dagmar Wöhrl will visit Azerbaijan, a diplomatic source told Trend Sept. 8.
Huffington Post Finally Removes Most Articles About Fake Email Inventor; Meanwhile, Ayyadurai Threatens To Sue His Critics
Over the weekend, it appears that someone at the Huffington Post finally realized that hoping the fuss over its entirely bogus „history of email“ series would blow over wasn‘t going to happen. In case you missed it last week, we had called out Huffington Post for allowing Shiva Ayyadurai and his friends to post an entirely bogus „history of email“ series, all designed to make it look like Ayyadurai himself had invented email — a claim he‘s been making for a few years, despite it being entirely false, based on totally misrepresenting a number of things, including what copyright means, misquoting a 1977 research paper and playing „no true scotsman“ over what is a „true“ email system.
Nukleare Mittelstrecken-Raketen: Treffen am 11. September zwischen Moskau und Washington zum I.N.F.-Vertrag
Die täglichen Meldungen in den Medien schnappen über vor hysterischen Kriegsreporten aus aller Welt um Aufrüstung und militärische Einsätze weiter voran zu treiben.
Um so wichtiger ist die Botschaft aus Moskau, sich nach lange Zeit zur Abrüstung wieder an einen Tisch zu setzen und die Gespräche zu dem I.N.F.-Vertrag wieder aufzunehmen.
Weißes Haus dementiert: Keine Waffenlieferungen an Ukraine
„Diese Informationen sind falsch“, sagte Caitlin Hayden, Sprecherin des Nationalen Sicherheitsrates beim Weißen Haus, auf eine Anfrage der RIA Novosti. Die Sprecherin bestätigte jedoch, dass die USA militärische Hilfe für die Ukraine erwägen. „Die Ukraine hat verschiedene Anträge auf mehr Hilfe im Sicherheitsbereich eingereicht. Wir prüfen sie alle, um die Ukraine weiter zu unterstützen.“
Kissinger: Iran is a bigger threat than Islamic State
In an interview with National Public Radio, the former top diplomat said that „ISIS is a group of adventurers with a very aggressive ideology. But they have to conquer more and more territory before they can become a strategic, permanent reality.“ Iran, on the hand, has the opportunity to „reconstruct the ancient Persian Empire, this time under the Shia label — in the rebuilding of the Middle East that will inevitably have to take place when the new international borders [are] drawn.“
Greek austerity “cuts” cancer prevention tests for large parts of the society
After the exorbitant hikes of up to 70% in co-payments for prescription drugs, Greek Health Ministry took a further step in cutting subsidized medical services to insured patients. Minister Makis Voridis announced very strict criteria for diagnosis and screening tests that will affect mainly cancer prevention tests (test PAP, mammography, prostate cancer check) but also PET-scans and X-rays. Whoever will not fulfill the criteria will have to pay for the medical tests from his own pocket.
Lagarde says austerity not excessive
„You cannot talk about excessive austerity policy in the euro area…we must keep the pace in the reduction of public spending,“ she said in the interview.
Nine people rescued from rubble of building in Azerbaijan’s Khirdalan (UPDATE 4) (PHOTO)
The building reportedly was under construction.
Following the blast, a rescue team arrived at the scene. The cause of the explosion is yet unknown.
Developments in Eurasia change world’s energy map, Azerbaijani minister says
The developments taking place in Eurasia cause changes in the world‘s energy map, Azerbaijan‘s Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said during the 4th informal dialogue meeting of Eastern Partnership countries energy ministers‘ session in Baku on Sept.8.
The minister drew attention to the recent events taking place in North Africa and Ukraine.
Ukraine interested in Azerbaijani oil supply to its own refineries
Ukraine is interested in Azerbaijani oil supply to its own refineries, Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuriy Prodan said at a briefing in Baku Sept. 8.
Tweet des Tages: CENTCOM fragt: Have you seen the latest airstrike videos from operations against #ISIL in #Iraq?
Un-glaub-lich.
Batumi holds Georgian-French naval exercises
Batumi port held Georgian-French naval exercises during the visit of the French frigate Commandant Birot (F796).
KazTransGas-Tbilisi to return to Kazakh side in near future
A delegation from Astana will arrive in Tbilisi in September which will hold the final negotiations for the final determination of the company‘s future. The further development of the company in Georgia will depend completely on this delegation.
Kazakh Kaztransgaz state company acquired the Tbilgas Tbilisi gas distribution company for $12.5 million in 2006.
Putin decrees to eliminate two state defense and arms procurement bodies
Earlier in the day the Kremlin press service reported that Putin also signed a decree liquidating the Russian Regional Development Ministry.
Kazakhstan plans spacecraft assembly in 2016
The enterprise would be the only one of its kind throughout in the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Verdacht auf Tod durch Uran-Munition
Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Abgeordneten Christine Buchholz, Inge Höger, Jan van Aken, weiterer Abgeordneter und der Fraktion DIE LINKE.
– Drucksache 18/2307
Umfassende Sicherheit
Future Security 2014
Wie der „Verbund Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitsforschung“ der staatlichen Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft mitteilt, wird er in der Zeit vom 16. bis 18. September erneut eine zivil-militärische Konferenz über aktuelle Entwicklungen im Bereich der Repressions- und Überwachungstechnik veranstalten. Als „Schirmherren“ der Tagung unter dem Titel „Future Security 2014“ firmieren das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) sowie das Verteidigungsministerium. Organisiert wird die Konferenz, die in der Berliner Vertretung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen stattfinden soll, vom Fraunhofer-Institut für Kurzzeitdynamik/Ernst-Mach-Institut (EMI). Die im baden-württembergischen Freiburg beheimatete Einrichtung entwickelt vorrangig Panzerungen und Explosivgeschosse für die Bundeswehr. Einer Selbstdarstellung zufolge wollen die Veranstalter Wissenschaftlern sowie „Experten aus Industrie und Behörden“ einmal mehr eine „Austauschplattform“ bieten – zwecks Diskussion über einen „umfassende(n) und nachhaltige(n) Sicherheitsansatz“.[1]