In the Know

In The (k)news July 9, 2008

by admin ~ July 11th, 2008. Filed under: news.

July 9th 2008

TOP STORIES

Japan hosted the Group of Eight’s most recent policy meeting.

On the docket… figuring out climate change…fighting hunger…and helping Africa.

Advocacy groups say that Africa isn’t getting as much aid as it used to. G-eight nations gave three of the twenty-five billion dollars pledged to African nations. Without addressing how to fix the sluggish economy in the U-S, President Bush spoke about squashing North Korea’s nuclear efforts. He also said even though people have been telling him not to go to the Olympics in Beijing…he’s going.

Other countries challenged the G-8 to focus on cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. The U-S refused to set that goal.

Leading industrial nations China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa have been dubbed the G-five. They’re the ones challenging the G-8.

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Six people are dead after a group of gunmen opened fire on the U-S consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler says three policemen and three gunmen were among those killed.

Police are saying that the suspects more than likely belonged to a Turkish Sunni Islamic fundamentalist group.

Guler says he has no doubt that this was a terrorist attack.

The U-S consulate was previously located in the center of Istanbul. However, after the 9/11 attacks, it was moved to a hill on the outskirts of town.

This is one of the deadliest attacks Turkey has seen since a November 2003 attack that left 58 people dead.

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Today the Senate supported a wiretap bill that would give legal immunity to phone companies that participate in the wiretapping program.

The bill also makes it easier for the government to spy on people both in the United States and abroad who may be linked to terrorism.

The plan was approved by a vote of 69 to 28.

It revised the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and amounts to the biggest restructuring of federal surveillance law in 30 years.

This legislation allows seven day period where foreigners can be targeted for wiretapping without a court order in “exigent circumstances”.

This would be if government officials say that important national security information could otherwise be lost.

The law also gives the government more time to emergency wiretap Americans…seven days instead of three…if the attorney general believes the suspect is linked to terrorism.

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The first hurricane of 2008 is officially in the books and makes its way west across the Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center says as of Monday…Hurricane Bertha was 845 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.

Bertha races towards the Caribbean with winds gusting at 75 miles-per-hour.

The hurricane center says it is still too early to predict where exactly Bertha will hit.

There are now more than a thousand people suffering from salmonella, making it the worst food outbreak in over a decade.

Although raw tomatoes are still considered to be the main culprit, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection say we should also watch out for cilantro and peppers such as jalapenos.

So far, two deaths have been associated with the salmonella outbreak-both of which have come from Texas.

Hundreds of others have already been hospitalized because of the illness.

However, the C-D-C says that for every case reported to the government, another 30 or 40 go undiagnosed or unreported.

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Former Houston congressman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell is expected to prepare for a Texas State Senate bid.

The Austin American-Statesman reported earlier this week that Bell will file paperwork to appoint a campaign treasurer. According to a Bell political consultant, he is leaning towards running for state senate in Texas’ 17th district - one that was recently vacated after Republican Kyle Janek left to become a lobbyist.

If Bell decides to make a bid, he will face Austen Furse, a former policy planning director for President George Bush, Sr.

Republican State Representative Warren Chisum made public his plans to reintroduce a two-year waiting period for all Texas divorces in this upcoming legislative session.

The Pampa representative unsuccessfully proposed a similar waiting period for divorces last year.

If passed in the legislature, the law would require couples who wanted to file for divorce to wait for two years or take a marriage counseling class.

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Another day, another hit for the airline industry. Regional carrier ExpressJet has announced that it will discontinue its service effective September 2.

The airline named high fuel costs as the primary reason for the move.

American Airlines told the Texas Workforce Commission that it would be laying off approximately 209 workers at Texas airports.

26 of those layoffs are to be from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Other airports that will be hit with layoffs include El Paso Int’l Airport, San Antonio Int’l Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The hardest hit will be Dallas/Fort Worth Int’l Airport - with 158 jobs cut.

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Johnston high school is changing it’s name…and it’s asking Austinites for suggestions.

The school didn’t meet the TAKS requirements for the fifth year in a row… so it was closed down back in May.

But the commissioner of Education reopened it… and now it needs a new name. The deadline to nominate one is July 20th.

For name guidelines go to Austinisd.org.

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Austin police are reviewing an incident that happened Tuesday at a park. A loaded Glock handgun was found by parents at Circle C Metropolitan Park in Southwest Austin. The gun was registered to an APD officer who was at the park for K-9 training. Police are investigating how the gun may have been left at the park and have already suspended use of the type of holster the officer had while the incident is under review.

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And in Pamplona Spain, 13 people were hurt in the annual running of the bulls festival. In this video you can see at least four people get trampled. It’s crazy. The bull Run festival runs through the 14th which is next Tuesday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7493155.stm

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And you know what, let’s not stop there. Let’s go around the whole world in 80 seconds…courtesy of CNN

Europe

. Serbia pledges to catch war criminals

. Deadly U.S. consulate gun battle ‘terrorism’

. Russia warns U.S. after missile deal signed

Asia

. World leaders avoid setting greenhouse target

. Patrol exposes Afghan risks

. Chinese police slay five in shootout

Middle East