http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Pennsylvania Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:34:17 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Pennsylvania Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:16:47 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=029_1371568165 Detroit Iron o Cheap Gas Spurred Exelon To Cancel Nuclear Upgrades, Exec Says Cheap natural gas has not only made new nuclear plants unfeasible, an Exelon executive said in Chicago Thursday, but has undermined Exelon's plans to upgrade its existing fleet. Five years ago the U.S. faced a shortage of natural gas, and with the prospect of a cap on carbon emissions, the world's largest nuclear utility expected nuclear power to flourish. "Nuclear generation was looking phenomenal," Andy Swaminathan, a senior vice president for portfolio strategy at Consellation-an Exelon company-told about 150 people gathered Thursday at a Chicago Council on Global Affairs forum on shale gas. "Exelon's stock price was $90. Unfortunately it's about a third of that today. It's directly related to the fact that gas has gone from $10 and $12 an MMBtu to approximately $4 to $5 an MMBtu in the visible trading horizon." When the shale gas boom began around 2009, fueled by the proliferation of lateral drilling and hydraulic fracturing of deep shale deposits, Exelon put plans for new nuclear plants on hold and turned to a less-costly strategy of upgrading existing plants. In the last decade, Swaminathan said, Exelon has been able to create the equivalent of a new nuclear plant by increasing production at its existing 20 plants. But now, Swaminathan said, even upgrades look too costly compared to power generation from cheap natural gas. "We completely abandoned new nuclear generation in the emergent generation perspective. We said you know what, we'll go to upgrades... At this point even those look very challenging." Exelon has shelved plans to upgrade its LaSalle plant in Illinois and Limerick plant in Pennsylvania, Swaminathan confirmed. But Swaminathan placed the blame on cheap natural gas, while the company's official release pointed the finger at subsidized wind power: We removed these previously deferred extended power uprate projects from our program in response to market conditions and artificially depressed power prices resulting from subsidized wind energy," Exelon spokesman Paul Elsberg said in a statement. "Extended power uprates are large investments with paybacks toward the end of plant life, and in this instance, we decided that the risk involved did not provide the necessary returns." via Midwest Energy News Exelon has been campaigning against wind subsidies, but Swaminathan did not mention wind in his analysis of nuclear power's fall. Although some in the nuclear industry insist the nuclear renaissance is making acomeback, Exelon officials have said repeatedly that the prospects for nuclear power expansion are bleak. "Obviously I think natural gas would be the preferred source of generation going forward," Swaminathan said. Follow Jeff McMahon on Facebook , Google Plus , Twitter , or email him here . http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2013/06/16/fracking-not-wind-killed-exelons-nuclear-upgrades/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=029_1371568165 Detroit Iron How Fracking Killed Nuclear Power Exelon, natural gas, nuclear power Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:22:56 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8cb_1371525352 Detroit Iron By Brad Wilmouth June 17, 2013 18:21 On Saturday's Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC, substitute anchor Ari Melber hosted a panel of liberals fretting over Republican efforts to restrict abortion, with one guest even theorizing that Republicans are motivated by a racist desire to prevent white women from having abortions as a way of "reproducing whiteness, white supremacy, white privilege." Melber seemed quite accepting of University of Pennsylvania Assistant Professor Salamisha Tillet's preposterous idea of pro-lifers being motivated by racism as he responded: And you're talking not only then about a potentially religious view about life, you're talking about social control. I mean, that goes to some of these programs that are different than just necessarily a position that people disagree with. They also say, no, we need to go into the doctor's room, we need to tell women under threat of, as I mentioned, criminalization of their doctor's conduct or as a prerequisite to doing anything, how they should analyze their medical care, whether to have an ultrasound. Do you think that is a piece of it, too, the social control, Raul? Without noting that a disproportionately large percentage of women who have abortions are minorities, Assistant Professor Tillet theorized that Republicans are in a "panic" because of the growing number of minorities and characterized "women of color" as being "caught in the fray" when Republicans try to restrict abortion. Tillet: Well, I think, the Census just released data, so part of it is the changing racial demographics in the United States. For the first time in American history, children born under the age of five are racial, the majority of them are racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. So I think that there's a kind of moral panic, a fear of the end of whiteness that we've been seeing a long time in that I think, you know, Obama's ascension as President kind of symbolizes to a certain degree. And so I think this is one response to that sense that there's a decreasing white majority in the country and that women's bodies and white women's bodies in particular are obviously a crucial way of reproducing whiteness, white supremacy, white privilege. And so I think it's just a kind of clamping down on women's bodies, in particular white women's bodies, even though women of color are really caught in the fray. As the group discussed the issue, there notably was an image of a giant uterus with the GOP elephant symbol inside it displayed on screen behind them. Earlier in the show, Melber used the kind of rhetoric that would make regular host Melissa Harris-Perry proud as he teased the show charging that there is a "Republican obsession with controlling your uterus." He later plugged the segment: Coming up next, gird your loins. Republican lawmakers are coming, and they're coming for reproductive rights fast and furious. After recounting efforts to restrict abortion in several states, Melber continued: So don't let the talk of a more women-friendly party fool you, and don't believe them when they say that jobs and the economy are clearly the main thing they're focused on. This is the mainstream Republican mission now, with the backing of the House Speaker and a slew of governors who could be serious presidential candidates in 2016. So, as we said, make no mistake and gird your loins, this is what Republicans are about. Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Saturday, June 15, Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC: ARI MELBER: This morning, my question: would a linebacker by any other name smell as sweaty? Plus, the Republican obsession with controlling your uterus. And New York's billionaire mayor -- an ally or fair weather friend? But first, President Obama stares down the haters to get a big win. (...) MELBER: All right, coming up next, gird your loins. Republican lawmakers are coming, and they're coming for reproductive rights fast and furious. And we're going to talk to Michael Bloomberg's deputy mayor about the billionaire's big plan to make money talk and the guy safety battle. More Nerdland at the top of the hour. (...) MELBER, AT 11:00 A.M.: House Republicans have begun a plan to limit and potentially ban types of abortions after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. This nationwide ban is scheduled to get a vote next week. Now the House has the votes to pass it, of course. The Senate will not have those votes. And even if it did, this is still a Republican dream bill because our President, President Obama, would veto it. (...) So don't let the talk of a more women-friendly party fool you, and don't believe them when they say that jobs and the economy are clearly the main thing they're focused on. This is the mainstream Republican mission now, with the backing of the House Speaker and a slew of governors who could be serious presidential candidates in 2016. So, as we said, make no mistake and gird your loins, this is what Republicans are about. MELBER: And to pick up on Salamishah's point, I want to put up a pretty striking image on the screen here that goes to the idea that, yes, in many ways, choice keeps winning in federal elections, at least with President Obama being re-elected, and yet, when you look at the numbers, here's this chart, you have abortion laws spiking in 2011 and 2012. There it is. You see just a huge increase. Cristina, why is that happening even as the national political discourse is clearly favoring the President's approach? ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CRISTINA BELTRAN, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: Right, right. I mean, I think it's a fascinating issue. I think about sort of what you're talking about in terms of the idea of a kind of hysteria and a kind of a magical thinking like that, like that logic is sort of interesting. Like are they so feeling disempowered in some critical ways that this is one way for them to go after something where they feel like they have critical agency in doing this stuff. MELBER: What do you, you mean the Republicans losing at the political level generally makes them want to act out? BELTRAN: Yeah, really want to try to enact a vision of the world in which women's bodies, you know, are treated this way. Like I think that's part of it. But I think the other part I was thinking about that I'm continually interested in is that, politically, it's horrible for working class women, women in rural areas. I mean, but what it also does is it produces a collective sense of women having a collective sense of threat, right? MELBER: Sure. BELTRAN: Which is really interesting when you think about the deep diversity of women in this country, the fact that these kinds of laws create a sense that women are kind of a bloc is really interesting politically for Democrats. I mean, I think every time they do this, Hillary Clinton should send them a gift basket because it's incredibly good for- MELBER: Which is a weird cycle of backlash. What do you think, though, of that theory? ASSISTANT PROFESSOR SALAMISHA TILLET, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AFRICANA STUDIES: Well, I think, the Census just released data, so part of it is the changing racial demographics in the United States. For the first time in American history, children born under the age of five are racial, the majority of them are racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. So I think that there's a kind of moral panic, a fear of the end of whiteness that we've been seeing a long time in that I think, you know, Obama's ascension as President kind of symbolizes to a certain degree. And so I think this is one response to that sense that there's a decreasing white majority in the country and that women's bodies and white women's bodies in particular are obviously a crucial way of reproducing whiteness, white supremacy, white privilege. And so I think it's just a kind of clamping down on women's bodies, in particular white women's bodies, even though women of color are really caught in the fray. MELBER: And you're talking not only then about a potentially religious view about life, you're talking about social control. I mean, that goes to some of these programs that are different than just necessarily a position that people disagree with. They also say, no, we need to go into the doctor's room, we need to tell women under threat of, as I mentioned, criminalization of their doctor's conduct or as a prerequisite to doing anything, how they should analyze their medical care, whether to have an ultrasound. Do you think that is a piece of it, too, the social control, Raul? Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2013/06/17/msnbc-panel-suggests-racist-motivation-pro-lifers-goal-reproducing-wh#ixzz2WXBlf1pD http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8cb_1371525352 Detroit Iron MSNBC Panel Suggests Racist Motivation by Pro-lifers, Goal of 'Reproducing Whiteness' Abortion, Conservatives &amp; Republicans, Pro-lifers, Racism, Ari Melber, MSNBC Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:50:28 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=24b_1371516460 Detroit Iron By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC NewsFor a guy who's been dead since 1975, Jimmy Hoffa really gets around. Through the years, tipsters have insisted the Teamsters boss - who vanished from a suburban Detroit restaurant - was laid to rest in the swamps of Florida, under the artificial turf of Giants Stadium and more than a dozen other spots. Monday, the feds were digging up a field in Oakland Township, Mich., with new designs on finding Hoffa's remains and solving the mystery of his disappearance. Here are some of the places where the labor leader has been rumored to be spending eternity: Giants Stadium: A mob informant told the FBI in 1986 that Hoffa was killed by an Irish gangster in a Detroit suburb and buried in an end zone near section 107 of the football field. Stadium officials said they they dug four feet down while replacing artificial turf and didn't find any trace of Hoffa. The stadium was demolished in 2010. General Motors' headquarters: Hoffa's onetime driver, Marvin Elkind, told a Canadian journalist that a Detroit mobster revealed the final resting place in 1985 when he walked past the GM building, known as the Renaissance Center, nodded toward the massive foundation and said, "Say good morning to Jimmy Hoffa, boys." Driveway in Roseville, Mich.: Acting on a tip, authorities used radar last September to inspect the driveway of a private home and saw something that made them want a closer look. Police drilled for soil samples but experts found no sign of human decomposition in the dirt. Sheraton Hotel on Wilmington Island, Ga.: A Teamsters pension fund owned this property near Savannah when Hoffa vanished, so it's been dogged by rumors that he was laid to rest under the helipad. "It's had a colorful past," a developer who converted it into condos once said. A dump in Jersey City, N.J.: Authorities spent several days in 1975 digging up a mob-linked waste facility after a tipster claimed Hoffa could be found there, a 55-gallon drum serving as a his coffin. They didn't find anything but animal bones. Wexler's Tavern in Cleveland: The owner of the watering hole was doing some renovation work last month when he made an intriguing find: bone fragments and a matchbook from the Palm Desert Lodge in California, which had strong ties to Hoffa. But pathologists determined the remains were not human. Florida Everglades: An ex-hitman who said he was Hoffa's bodyguard told a Senate committee in 1982 that Hoffa's body was ground up and stuffed in a steel drum that was then dumped in the Sunshine State's gator-infested wetlands. A Japanese-made car: A 2006 book claimed that a convicted hitman confessed before his death that he knifed Hoffa to death, took the body to New Jersey, burned it in a steel barrel, dumped the remains in a car that was compressed into a hunk of metal and sent to Japan to be used in new vehicles, the Detroit News reported. Incinerator in Hamtramck, Mich.: A Pennsylvania Teamsters official purportedly confessed on his deathbed that he flew to Pontiac, Mich., to collect Hoffa's body from his killers and then had it burned. The same source, Frank Sheeran, supposedly also told an author he shot Hoffa at a Detroit home, but blood found there in 2004 was not a match. Pool in Hampton Township, Mich.: A convicted murderer who had already led cops to one body in his home claimed they could find Hoffa under an above-ground pool there. So in July 2003, a backhoe dug up the yard while the tipster watched in shackles, but nothing was found. Tire-shredding plant in Hamtramck, Mich.: A 1978 book posited that Hoffa's corpse was disposed of at Central Sanitation Services, once owned by organized crime figures. The FBI said at the time they looked into that theory and discounted it. Horse farm in Milford, Mich.: The FBI spent 14 days looking for Hoffa at the 89-acre Hidden Dreams Farm after a 75-year-old prison inmate who once worked there claimed he witnessed the burial. That story, like so many others, turned out to be a pile of manure. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/17/19006027-jimmy-hoffas-rumored-resting-places-from-the-everglades-to-the-end-zone?lite http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=24b_1371516460 Detroit Iron Jimmy Hoffa's rumored resting places, from the Everglades to the end zone Jimmy Hoffa, FBI Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:27:14 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed9_1371468102 Detroit Iron By Arjun Sreekumar More Articles June 16, 2013 Many experts have hailed shale oil and gas as a game-changer for the U.S. economy. The application of new drilling techniques has led to an unprecedented surge in domestic oil production, prompting many to conclude that U.S. energy independence may be just around the corner. But shale oil, like most other natural resources, is a finite resource. Some skeptics have even pointed out that shale wells exhibit much steeper decline rates than conventional wells, which, they suggest, implies that the boom could fizzle out much sooner than mainstream commentators believe. So just how long could shale oil last? A decade of global shale oil According to a new study by the, the world has enough shale resources to satisfy more than a decade of global oil consumption. The report, which marked the first time the department has assessed the size of global shale resources, pegged technically recoverable shale oil resources at 345 billion barrels, or about 10% of global crude oil supplies. The study surveyed shale reserves in more than 40 countries and determined that Russia had the world's largest shale oil reserves, at around 75 billion barrels. The U.S. was second with about 58 billion barrels. Rounding out third, fourth, and fifth places were China, at 38 billion, Argentina, at 27 billion, and Libya, at 26 billion. However, the report considered only resources that were deemed technically recoverable -- meaning those that can be extracted using current exploration and production technology -- without taking into account cost and profitability. It further left out prospective shale areas, such as those underneath major oilfields in the Middle East and the Caspian Sea region, and cautioned that its estimates are "highly uncertain." North American success with shale Though the new estimates are encouraging, there are a few important points to consider. First and foremost, it's unclear whether North American success in shale drilling can be replicated around the world. Thus far, only the U.S. and Canada have managed to extract commercial quantities of oil and gas from shale formations. The main reason for this has been the large-scale application of new technologies, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," that have allowed producers to more easily coax oil and gas from dense rock formations. Though oilfield services firm Halliburton was the first company to use hydraulic fracturing commercially to recover oil and gas all the way back in 1949, the practice didn't become widespread until just about half a decade ago. Now, Chesapeake Energy is one company using the technique in popular oil plays, such as Texas' Eagle Ford, where it has been met with considerable success. In the first quarter, the company reported a staggering 225% year-over-year increase in daily net Eagle Ford production, which came in at 75,000 barrels of oil equivalent. Some companies are even finding innovative new ways to power their fracking operations. After Range Resources paved the way by becoming the first company to apply hydraulic fracturing techniques to recover natural gas in the Marcellus shale of Pennsylvania, Cabot Oil &amp; Gas followed in its pioneering footsteps by recently becoming the first company to use "field" natural gas in northeastern Pennsylvania to fracture wells ---a feat it accomplished by using engines that can run on either natural gas or diesel. Can North American shale success be copied? However, it's unclear whether U.S. and Canadian success in shale drilling can be replicated in other countries with large shale resources. In addition to having pioneered new drilling technologies, U.S. and Canadian energy producers enjoy several key advantages that their international counterparts do not yet possess. Chief among them is the presence of a sophisticated and extensive infrastructure network, consisting mainly of pipelines and storage terminals. In addition, U.S. and Canadian energy producers have preferential access to crucial ingredients in the fracking process, such as specialized drilling rigs and plenty of water, as well as clearly established and enforceable property rights. One company that was a true pioneer and driving force behind the U.S. shale revolution is Chesapeake Energy. While debt-related challenges continue to cast a dark cloud of uncertainty over Chesapeake's future, few would question the superb quality of its remaining oil and gas assets. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed9_1371468102 Detroit Iron How Long Will Shale Oil Last? U.S. energy independence, U.S. Department of Energy Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:14:26 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6e3_1371341332 m16carbine By Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, June 9, 2013, 6:26 p.m. A resettlement plan aims to help both the hard-hit Syrian families and the Middle Eastern countries that are straining to support 1.6 million refugees. WASHINGTON - Two years into a civil war that shows no signs of ending, the Obama administration is considering resettling refugees who have fled Syria, part of an international effort that could bring thousands of Syrians to American cities and towns. A resettlement plan under discussion in Washington and other capitals is aimed at relieving pressure on Middle Eastern countries straining to support 1.6 million refugees, as well as assisting hard-hit Syrian families. The State Department is "ready to consider the idea," an official from the department said, if the administration receives a formal request from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, which is the usual procedure. The United States usually accepts about half the refugees that the U.N. agency proposes for resettlement. California has historically taken the largest share, but Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia are also popular destinations. U.N. refugee officials, diplomats and nongovernmental relief groups plan to discuss possible resettlement schemes at a high-level meeting this week in Geneva. Germany already has committed to taking 5,000 people. "It was probably inevitable that in this crisis, with these overwhelming numbers, governments would start moving in this direction," said Lavinia Limon, chief executive officer of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a Virginia-based advocacy and service group. "But there will be resistance." The Obama administration supports rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, but is wary of deeper involvement in Syria. The issue is politically sensitive on several levels. Congress strongly resisted accepting Iraqi refugees, including interpreters who had worked with U.S. forces, after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Most lawmakers share White House caution about getting more engaged in Syria and may have little appetite for a major influx. But Susan Rice, President Obama's new national security advisor, and Samantha Power, Obama's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the U.N., both have been strong advocates for refugees. They may make the White House more receptive to at least a partial opening. Homeland security officials require careful vetting of refugees, with multiple interviews and background checks before they are allowed to enter the country. Under normal circumstances, the screening process can take a year or longer. U.S. officials are likely to be extra careful with Syrian refugees. As Islamic militants take a more prominent role in the rebel forces, officials worry about fighters with Al Qaeda ties trying to enter the country. Two resettled Iraqis were convicted of trying to send arms to Al Qaeda from their home in Bowling Green, Ky. The refugee dilemma is more acute for countries that lie on Syria's borders. Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, which have absorbed the bulk of the refugees, worry that a resettlement plan could actually widen the flood if Syrians see a chance for a better life in North America, Europe or Australia. Jordan and Lebanon each have taken in about 500,000 refugees and Turkey has more than 375,000, according to the U.N. refugee agency. It predicts that the total number of refugees will double to 3.2 million by the end of the year. Turkey already has demanded that the West take some its refugees, even proposing an airlift to fly them abroad. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has faced angry protests against his government for giving refuge to so many Syrians, declared last month, "We are the first victims of the Syrian situation." Some Middle Eastern officials worry they may get stuck housing and feeding refugees for months or years while the West does the vetting, leading to an even longer logjam and more domestic political turmoil. "Their view is that unless this involves big numbers, it's not worth doing," said a European official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. "You need to be talking about tens of thousands of people." Western officials try to discourage poor foreigners who are seeking a more comfortable life or business opportunities in the West. They say resettlement is only for those who can't go home, and seek to dispel notions that an easy life awaits. According to a State Department publication aimed at refugees, "Cars are not provided.... Most Americans value self-reliance and hard work. They expect newcomers to find jobs as soon as possible and to take care of themselves and their families." Another sensitive issue is who qualifies for resettlement. Western countries often prefer intact, well-educated families with familiar religious backgrounds. But experts say 80% of the Syrian refugees are women and children, many with war-related injuries or psychological problems that could hamper finding work or going to school. Kirk Johnson, founder of the List Project, which has pushed for Iraqi resettlement, said it may be difficult to sell Syrian resettlement to Congress. He said it would require an advocacy effort and sympathetic lawmakers, "and I don't seen either of those necessary ingredients." Yet most refugee advocates predict that Americans will ultimately help the Syrians. "Americans have a long tradition of welcoming refugees," said Daryl Grisgraber, a Washington-based Middle East specialist at Refugees International, which provides advocacy and services for refugees. "They'll respond here, too." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6e3_1371341332 m16carbine Obama Administration Considers Resettling Thousands of Syrian Refugees in U.S syria, syrian civil war, refugees Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:33:41 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e73_1371252549 USMC_SRT Someone is watching you. What you spend. Where you eat. Whom you call. Where you travel. What you Google. What you give to charity. Recent reports of government access to records from phone companies, Internet providers and credit card companies raise anew questions of just how much other people can know about you, especially in the age of the Internet and high technology. They watch from the air, from cameras, from computers. And you help them, volunteering vast amounts of information about yourself in the magnetic stripe on the back of your credit card, the SIM card in your phone, the sites you visit on the Internet. The government has access to some of it. And might have access to more from the vast corporations that compile it. U.S. officials insist they only tap into information that points at suspected terrorists and that there are plenty of safeguards to make sure they don't snoop on good guys. "I want the American people to know that we're trying to be transparent here, protect civil liberties and privacy but also the security of this country," Gen. Keith Alexander, head of the National Security Agency, told Congress on Wednesday. He also acknowledged that the government could look at such things as phone records and what site someone Googled. All of it alarms civil libertarians. "We don't want to live in a world where anytime you do anything you have to stop and ask yourself, 'Could this come back to hurt me if somebody found out about it?' " said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union. "Because absolutely nothing we do is private." Indeed. Here are just some of the ways Americans can be watched. Internet A quick Google search for a lunch spot? There's a record of that. Arranging a vacation? Someone knows where you're planning to go. Check in with Facebook? It tracks all the sites you visit that have "like" buttons or allow you to sign in with Facebook - pretty much all of them. If those Internet giants can record so much about you, who can look at this electronic diary? The government can access any emails, chats, searches, events, locations, videos, photos, log-ins and any information people post online with a warrant, which the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court can grant secretly. And the revelation of PRISM, a secret government program for mining major Internet companies, suggests the government could have direct access to Internet companies' data without a warrant. Every company reportedly impacted - Google, YouTube, Yahoo, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Skype, PalTalk and AOL - denied knowing about the program or giving any direct access to their servers. Email The government also might be able to look at your email. A warrant can grant access to email sent within 180 days. Older emails are available with an easier-to-get subpoena and prior notice. Government officials also could read all the ingoing and outgoing emails on an account in real time with a specific type of wiretap warrant, which is granted with probable cause for specific crimes such as terrorism. Google received 16,407 user data requests involving 31,072 users from the U.S. government in 2012. It granted about 90 percent of those requests. Microsoft, with its Outlook/Hotmail email service, received 11,073 requests involving 24,565 users, at least partially granting 65 percent of those requests. Phones With the advent of smartphones and SIM cards, cellphones are no longer strictly for storage of digits and 180-character short messages. We use cellphones to navigate road trips, buy vintage boots on eBay and watch the game when we're stuck on the subway. We deposit checks with a bank app and a camera, find the closest happy hour and board a train with the flash of a QR-code. Phones hold our coupons, our favorite cat videos and functions as a credit card when we forget ours at home. The NSA collects subscriber information from major cellphone carriers. This information is primarily based on metadata, such as location and duration of calls, along with numbers dialed, all in search of links to suspected terrorists. In 2011, the last year with available information, law enforcement agencies made 1.3 million requests for subscriber information. These government requests, both from 2011 and more recently from the NSA, are limited to metadata. That doesn't mean that the content of conversations is off-limits. To listen in, the government just needs a warrant, one that's granted through the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The court approves almost every request, fully denying just nine out of 33,900 government applications for surveillance over its 33-year existence, according to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reports submitted to Congress. The overwhelming rate stems in part because most requests go through an intense vetting process by department lawyers before ever going to the court, said Timothy Edgar, fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies. By the time it gets in front of the court, he said, it's nearly foolproof. Credit cards Have a favorite spot where you buy your coffee? Uncle Sam might know where it is. It all starts with that stripe on the back of your credit card, which gets swiped through thousands of readers every year. That solid black bar is made up of millions of iron-based magnetic particles, each one 20-millionths of an inch wide. Each credit card owner has a personalized strip full of intimate data sitting right inside his or her pocket. Any purchase can be traced directly back to your wallet. And the NSA is doing just that, according to The Wall Street Journal. Although the scope of credit card tracking efforts are unknown, the Journal reported that the NSA has established relationships with credit card companies akin to those that they had established with phone carriers, which provide them with data under warrant, subpoena or court order. These former officials didn't know if the efforts were ongoing. What could they find? Based on the technology of the mag stripe, quite a bit. Even with just the metadata - digitally contained bits of information - on a credit card, they could most likely see when and where a purchase was made, and how much it cost. Cameras Whether they're walking to work, withdrawing money from an ATM or walking into their favorite local grocer, Americans could be within sight of one of the United States' estimated 30 million surveillance cameras. Police use them to monitor streets, subways and public spaces. Homeowners put them on their houses. Businesses mount them in stores and on buildings. In Boston, for example, the FBI used still photos and video pulled from cameras to identify suspects after the Boston Marathon bombing. The images showed the suspects making calls from their cellphones, carrying what the police say were bombs, and leaving the scene. New high-tech, high-definition security camera manufacturers give police departments the options of thermal imaging, 360-degree fields of view and powerful zoom capabilities for identifying people. Advances in camera technology enable new ways to monitor American citizens. Some states such as Colorado are using cameras as an alternative method of charging motorists toll fares. As a motorist drives through the toll lanes, motion-activated cameras capture an image of the license plate and the driver is billed. Cameras are watching if you speed or run a red light, too. Also, police departments in several metro areas began employing cameras to deter traffic infractions and raise revenue. Libertarians and electronic privacy advocates oppose these methods, citing a lack of transparency in the use of the cameras and the retention of the data they collect. Drones If Americans are not within sight of a camera, they could soon be spotted from the air. As many as 30,000 domestic drones will travel the skies above U.S. soil within 20 years, according to a report for Congress by the Federal Aviation Administration. Gearing up, Congress has called on the FAA to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national air system even sooner, by 2015. Already, the FAA has approved domestic drone use by 81 agencies, including schools, police departments and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group of privacy advocates. Among the applicants approved: the Arlington Police Department in Texas; California State University in Fresno; Canyon County Sheriff's Office in Idaho; the city of Herington, Kan.; the Georgia Tech Research Institute; Kansas State University; the Miami-Dade Police Department in Florida; the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; Pennsylvania State University; the Seattle Police Department; and the Universities of Alaska at Fairbanks, California-Davis and Florida. In March, the American Civil Liberties Union addressed the dangers of domestic drones and warned of the surveillance capabilities of this technology. Although these drones range in size, most are able to hover tens of thousands of feet in the sky, collecting images of people on the ground below. "Based on current trends - technology development, law enforcement interest, political and industry pressure, and the lack of legal safeguards - it is clear that drones pose a looming threat to Americans' privacy," the ACLU report argued. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e73_1371252549 USMC_SRT All the ways you're being watched USA, NSA, Watching, You, Spying Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:07:11 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=226_1371212993 JNavy1974 Did a quick video to show the yard and landscaping. I don't have a garden so this will have to do, plus at the end I got some hummingbird footage. As i was trying to film the hummingbirds the cat brought in a baby bird it caught into the house, so when you hear the GF in the background thats what that is about... Hope you enjoy, I tried to keep the camera as steady as possible...also in the later half I throw a song in the background, kept the volume low so hopefully it isnt to distracting...I don't do much talking because I really don't know the plants names and I don't like my voice to be recorded on video...makes it sound funny... If anyone is interested in the song, it is called "country boy" sung by Aaron Lewis (used to be the lead singer of staind). Threw on a bonus - funny Pennsylvania Parody Video for all my LL'rs from the great state of PA... I appoligize ahead of time if the video is shaky or moving to fast...I never really tried to record on the move with my phone...and the file was to large to upload as 1080P so hopefully it still comes out ok...have a good day. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=226_1371212993 JNavy1974 JNavy - Yard Say - Hummingbirds - Cat - PA your say, flowers, nature, hummingbirds, landscape, outdoors Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:53:34 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b28_1371037791 Zurm Two years into a civil war that shows no signs of ending, the Obama administration is considering resettling refugees who have fled Syria, part of an international effort that could bring thousands of Syrians to American cities and towns. A resettlement plan under discussion in Washington and other capitals is aimed at relieving pressure on Middle Eastern countries straining to support 1.6 million refugees, as well as assisting hard-hit Syrian families. The State Department is "ready to consider the idea," an official from the department said, if the administration receives a formal request from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, which is the usual procedure. The United States usually accepts about half the refugees that the U.N. agency proposes for resettlement. California has historically taken the largest share, but Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia are also popular destinations. U.N. refugee officials, diplomats and nongovernmental relief groups plan to discuss possible resettlement schemes at a high-level meeting this week in Geneva. Germany already has committed to taking 5,000 people. "It was probably inevitable that in this crisis, with these overwhelming numbers, governments would start moving in this direction," said Lavinia Limon, chief executive officer of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a Virginia-based advocacy and service group. "But there will be resistance." The Obama administration supports rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, but is wary of deeper involvement in Syria. The issue is politically sensitive on several levels. Congress strongly resisted accepting Iraqi refugees, including interpreters who had worked with U.S. forces, after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Most lawmakers share White House caution about getting more engaged in Syria and may have little appetite for a major influx. But Susan Rice, President Obama's new national security advisor, and Samantha Power, Obama's nominee for U.S. ambassador to the U.N., both have been strong advocates for refugees. They may make the White House more receptive to at least a partial opening. Homeland security officials require careful vetting of refugees, with multiple interviews and background checks before they are allowed to enter the country. Under normal circumstances, the screening process can take a year or longer. U.S. officials are likely to be extra careful with Syrian refugees. As Islamic militants take a more prominent role in the rebel forces, officials worry about fighters with Al Qaeda ties trying to enter the country. Two resettled Iraqis were convicted of trying to send arms to Al Qaeda from their home in Bowling Green, Ky. The refugee dilemma is more acute for countries that lie on Syria's borders. Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, which have absorbed the bulk of the refugees, worry that a resettlement plan could actually widen the flood if Syrians see a chance for a better life in North America, Europe or Australia. Jordan and Lebanon each have taken in about 500,000 refugees and Turkey has more than 375,000, according to the U.N. refugee agency. It predicts that the total number of refugees will double to 3.2 million by the end of the year. Turkey already has demanded that the West take some its refugees, even proposing an airlift to fly them abroad. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has faced angry protests against his government for giving refuge to so many Syrians, declared last month, "We are the first victims of the Syrian situation." Some Middle Eastern officials worry they may get stuck housing and feeding refugees for months or years while the West does the vetting, leading to an even longer logjam and more domestic political turmoil. "Their view is that unless this involves big numbers, it's not worth doing," said a European official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. "You need to be talking about tens of thousands of people." Western officials try to discourage poor foreigners who are seeking a more comfortable life or business opportunities in the West. They say resettlement is only for those who can't go home, and seek to dispel notions that an easy life awaits. According to a State Department publication aimed at refugees, "Cars are not provided.... Most Americans value self-reliance and hard work. They expect newcomers to find jobs as soon as possible and to take care of themselves and their families." Another sensitive issue is who qualifies for resettlement. Western countries often prefer intact, well-educated families with familiar religious backgrounds. But experts say 80% of the Syrian refugees are women and children, many with war-related injuries or psychological problems that could hamper finding work or going to school. Kirk Johnson, founder of the List Project, which has pushed for Iraqi resettlement, said it may be difficult to sell Syrian resettlement to Congress. He said it would require an advocacy effort and sympathetic lawmakers, "and I don't seen either of those necessary ingredients." Yet most refugee advocates predict that Americans will ultimately help the Syrians. "Americans have a long tradition of welcoming refugees," said Daryl Grisgraber, a Washington-based Middle East specialist at Refugees International, which provides advocacy and services for refugees. "They'll respond here, too." http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-fg-syria-refugees-20130610,0,6484601.story http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b28_1371037791 Zurm Obama Planning to Import Thousands of Syrian Refugees Obama,Planning,Import,Thousands,Syrian,Refugees Fri, 31 May 2013 16:40:35 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=080_1370032562 dcmfox robynstorm2 Published on May 29, 2013 Tyrtle Creek, P.A. 10 minutes from Pittsburgh. OMG! WTF? ARE YOU KIDDIN ME? YOU FUKN SERIOUS? OMG! THEY HAD ME IN CUFFS! BROKE MY BEDROOM DOOR! SEARCHED MY APARTMENT! THEY FOUND MY ID. GUESS WHERE. IN MY WALLET IN THE OTHER ROOM! WTF? THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE GRASS BEING TOO HIGH. NO SHIT. YOU WANT TO SEE SOMEONE STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS? SUB! CAUSE FUK THIS DEAL. AM I IN JAIL? NO! WHY? BECAUSE MY FUKN RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED! ON CAMERA! THEY SHUT OFF MY PERSONAL SECURITY SYSTEM IF YOU WANT TO GET TECHNICAL! Less than a week after a tiny Pennsylvania borough announced the hiring of five new police officers to keep the community "safe,", a group of at least seven officers barged into a woman's home uninvited, kicking down a bedroom door before handcuffing her, then rummaging through her personal items, all because they were looking for her landlady.Robyn Ruckman managed to capture the first 2:31 minutes of Wednesday's incident on video, but Turtle Creek police turned the camera off after discovering it. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=080_1370032562 dcmfox <span class="highlight">Pennsylvania</span> Borough Wastes No Time in Demonstrating Newly Acquired Police Power police, uninvited, home, intrusion, rights, violated Tue, 28 May 2013 17:50:01 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=36e_1369777578 foghorn_leghorn Last week police in Altoona, Pa., got a 911 call from a man claiming he had proof of Bigfoot. Here's a partial transcript of the police recording: Person 1: " called 911 advising that he contacted the Game Commission to call him back; wants a police officer to come to his residence. Apparently he has proof there of Bigfoot." Officer: "Bigfoot, right?" Person 1: "That's affirmative, he has evidence, uh ... proving Bigfoot. He would like a police officer to come there." 'It was typical of Bigfoot rumors - bits and pieces but no real sources.'- Sharon Hill of the Doubtful News blog Officer: "Apparently there's a large amount of smoke in that area..." Smoke or no, a police officer was dispatched to the man's residence. What he found there would become a matter of dispute and speculation over the next few days. Bigfoot enthusiasts heard about the incident and various rumors soon circulated, including that a hunter had shot and killed a Bigfoot, and that the presence of a dead unknown manlike creature in Somerset County had been "confirmed" - by who or what is not clear. PHOTOS: 10 Reasons Why Bigfoot's a Bust Whatever was going on attracted the attention of somebody important, because a helicopter was reportedly seen hovering over the witness's home. Was it the news media? Federal agents assigned to retrieve the Bigfoot and silence witnesses? A false-flag operation initiated by the Obama administration to take away the rights of law-abiding hunters and gun owners? The Bear Facts Sharon Hill of the Doubtful News blog followed the story, explaining to Discovery News, "It was typical of Bigfoot rumors - bits and pieces but no real sources. Speculation then went crazy within hours thanks to the Bigfoot online community. This is absolutely the worst way to get information." Hill credits Eric Altman, director of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, who helped get to the bottom of this bizarre story through follow-up and research. "The current Bigfoot scene is awash with hype, rumors, backstabbing, hoaxing and rampant unprofessional behavior," Hill said. "You have to look for the few who are interested in answering the question: What, if anything, happened here?" NEWS: 'Bigfoot DNA' Study Seeks Yeti Rights So what did happen? Police investigated and concluded that in the end, there was no hunter, no shooting, no Bigfoot (alive or dead), and no Bigfoot tracks - only tracks of a mother bear and her cub that a man was so sure was from a Bigfoot that he needed to call 911 to report it. According to Cody Combs of wearecentralpa.com , a man named John Winesickle showed responding police officer "picture after picture of alleged footprints caused by what he said is Bigfoot. Winesickle took the investigating officer on a path in the woods he regularly walks and showed the officer the tracks, but according to the police report, the investigator concluded the tracks belonged to a bear." It's not the first time that bear tracks (and even bear paws) have been mistaken for Bigfoot . As psychologists know, our experiences and perceptions are guided by our expectations , so if you're looking for Bigfoot tracks you'll probably find them, even if they're not there. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/05/28/did-hunter-shoot-and-kill-bigfoot-in-pennsylvania/?intcmp=features#ixzz2UctlamDF We can shoot poor bigfoot. But we can't kill black trash that's attacking you. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=36e_1369777578 foghorn_leghorn Did a hunter shoot and kill Bigfoot in <span class="highlight">Pennsylvania</span>? Bigfoot, killed Trayvon's mother, Obama's wife Mon, 20 May 2013 23:05:01 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8d9_1369098966 copkyle420 Five members of The Panic Hour were followed into the City Hall rail station in Center City Philadelphia. Kyle Prouty was illegally searched and detained by SEPTA police officer Nicole Lawson at 3:20pm on 5/20/13. Kyle was charged with "disorderly conduct" "obstructing a highway and other public passage" and "resisting arrest". About a minute before this happened, Mike informed the officer that she had a glove or something sticking out of her hat. The officer asked Mike what he said and he repeated himself. The officer then asked Mike if he wanted to "be arrested for disorderly conduct". Mike responded with why and the officer quickly turned her attention to Kyle for some reason. The people in this video had just left an arraignment hearing for Adam Kokesh and Nikki Allen Poe who were kidnapped from a peaceful marijuana rally on 5/18/13. They are currently being held illegally in Federal Detention at the Federal Detention Center 700 arch street Philadelphia Pennsylvania. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8d9_1369098966 copkyle420 Unlawful detention in Philadelphia, <span class="highlight">Pennsylvania</span> 5/20/2013 the, panic, hour, kyle, prouty, septa, kidnapping, kidnap, kidnapped, nicole, lawson, center, city, philadelphia, nikki, allen, poe, na, poe, n, a, poe, adam, kokesh, smoke, down, prohibition, v, smokedown Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d7c_1 Fri, 31 May 2013 05:53:31 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=554_1369993745 Juujigun A local handyman and two other men are being hailed as heroes after rescuing a woman who was trapped inside an overturned car. Ed Mclean says he was driving on Route 52 in Pocopson Township, Chester County around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday when he noticed a vehicle coming towards him, driving erratically. "She started fishtailing coming towards me, 100 yards away," said Mclean. "She tried to recover and it just got worse." Mclean says the vehicle ran over a guard rail and went flying. "She just missed me and she went airborne," he said. The vehicle flipped over and landed upside down into the creek below. Mclean, who says he was a former member of the National Guard, immediately took action. "I pointed to the guy driving behind me and I told him to call 911," Mclean said. "I ripped open the back of my door and started grabbing crow bars." Mclean, the driver who stopped behind him, as well as a man who lived nearby ran inside the creek and began using the crowbars to pry the doors of the vehicle open. "Once we got it pried open, we could hear someone in there," Mclean said. The three men then saw a dazed young woman who was trapped inside. "I asked if she could breathe," said Mclean. "She said she was running out of space because the water was up to her chin." Mclean quickly ran back to his truck and took out an airline hose. He then returned to the creek. "I threw the hose on to help her breathe until they got her out," he said. Mclean then began to record using his phone as the other two men managed to pull the young woman to safety. While Mclean says she was "shaken up," he also says she didn't appear to be injured. The men stayed with the woman and gave her a blanket until the ambulance arrived. Amazingly, police say, the young girl did not require any medical attention. Mclean says he didn't get the chance to find out the girl's name but hopes he'll get to meet her again. "Maybe someday down the road we'll see how she's doing," he said. "I'm sure all three of us would like to see her in the future sometime." For now though, Mclean and the other two Good Samaritans can live with the knowledge that a young woman is alive and well thanks to their heroic actions. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=554_1369993745 Juujigun Woman Rescued from Overturned, Submerged Car rescue,pennsylvania,chester county,submerged