Our Wacky World

Scandal puts focus on how CIA polices itself

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:25:54 +0000

Allegations of officers’ sex misdeeds leads to scrutiny from Congress

WASHINGTON – As a novice CIA case officer in the Middle East, Andrew Warren quickly learned the value of sex in recruiting spies. Colleagues say that he made an early habit of taking informants to strip clubs, and that he later began arranging out-of-town visits to brothels for his best recruits. Often Warren would travel with them, according to two colleagues who worked with him for years.

His methods earned him promotions and notoriety over a lengthy career, until Warren, 41, became ensnared in a sex scandal. Two Algerian women have accused the Virginia native of drugging and sexually assaulting them, and, in one instance, videotaping the encounter.

Six weeks after the allegations came to light, Warren has been formally notified by CIA Director Leon E. Panetta of his impending dismissal, according to U.S. government officials familiar with the case. But the episode — one of three sex-related scandals to shake the CIA this year — has drawn harsh questions from Congress about whether the agency adequately polices its far-flung workforce or takes sufficient steps to root out corrupt behavior. Breaking News

Should you continue to shell out 60 bucks a pop for the latest games?

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:18:02 +0000

Sure, games offer more bang for the buck — but 60 bucks is a lot these days

Bottom line: Because people are still buying games. The most recent report from the NPD Group shows that despite the recession and the cratering retail environment, game hardware, software and accessories were up 19 percent in 2008. Even if their wallets are light, says analyst Todd Greenwald, this data shows that gamers will pay retail for their favorite titles.For 60 bucks, you get 400 TV channels for a whole month. You can buy three cases of Budweiser. Or, you can buy one video game.

Yes, yes. I know you’ll get 20 hours of quality gaming entertainment for your “Killzone 2” purchase versus 200 hours of “Iron Chef.” But times are tough, and consumers are spooked. 60 bucks is 60 bucks. Why should game publishers expect to get top dollar when General Motors can’t move SUVs? Full Story

Obama eyes action as parties try to cut stimulus

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:38:25 +0000

Democratic leaders hope for passage of economic stimulus on Friday

WASHINGTON – Senate moderates worked to cut tens of billions of dollars from the economic stimulus bill Thursday but fell short of taking a vote on the legislation even as the government spit out grim new jobless figures and President Barack Obama warned of more bad news to come.

“The time for talk is over. The time for action is now,” said Obama. He implored lawmakers in both parties to “rise to this moment” and send him legislation to begin fixing the worst economic crisis in decades.

At a retreat Thursday night for House Democrats in Williamsburg, Va., he said Congress can’t resort to the same old stalling tactics that often mark Capitol Hill and that voters demanded change when they voted Democrats into power. Full Story

Peanut product recall among largest-ever scares

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:04:52 +0000

More than 1,300 items — and counting — have been pulled from shelves

The recall of peanut products because of possible salmonella contamination has mushroomed into one of the largest.

Depending on how recalls are measured, few others come close. If counted by the number of products, more than 1,313 have been recalled as of Thursday. The closest is the 1,177 pet food products recalled in 2007 after melamine was discovered in some ingredients.

If measured in pounds, the February 2008 recall of beef from a California packaging plant would top the list, with 143 million pounds affected. Full Story

Job market could remain bleak for years

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:14:12 +0000

Economic recovery may not be strong enough to absorb millions left jobless

As the deep economic downturn continues to swell the pool of unemployed workers, it is also delaying the recovery that will be needed to get those people back to work.Even if Congress and the White House can agree on a huge program of fresh spending and tax cuts to get the economy going again, it could take years to create enough new jobs to hire the idle workers back and keep up with the ongoing growth in the labor force, economists say.

The U.S. economy has been shedding about a million jobs every two months, and there are few signs that pace will ease up in the near future. New figures will be published Friday morning and they are expected to show the economy lost another 500,000 jobs in January, economists say. Full Story

USA Swimming suspends Phelps for 3 months

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:50:07 +0000

Financial support cut after gold medalist was pictured holding pot pipe

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Michael Phelps was suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming, the latest fallout from a photo that showed the Olympic great inhaling from a marijuana pipe.The sport’s national governing body also cut off its financial support to Phelps for the same three-month period, effective Thursday.

“This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,” the Colorado Springs-based federation said in a statement. Full Story

Charges dropped in USS Cole terror trial

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:30:47 +0000

Man accused in 2000 bombing; Obama to meet with victims’ families

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon’s senior judge overseeing terror trials at Guantanamo Bay dropped charges Thursday against an al-Qaida suspect in the 2000 USS Cole bombing, upholding President Barak Obama’s order to freeze military tribunals there. The charges against suspected al-Qaida bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri marked the last active Guantanamo war crimes case.

The legal move by Susan J. Crawford, the top legal authority for military trials at Guantanamo, brings all cases into compliance with Obama’s Jan. 22 executive order to halt terrorist court proceedings at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Crawford dismissed the charges against al-Nashiri without prejudice. That means new charges can be brought again later. He will remain in prison for the time being. Full Story

Greenberg gears up for battle with AIG

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:53:56 +0000

A court fight may decide whether a pot of shares once worth more than $20 billion goes to AIG or the former chairman’s charity.

(Fortune) — Did former American International Group chairman Maurice R. Greenberg betray a longstanding commitment by seizing control of billions of dollars worth of AIG shares pledged to employees?

That’s the question at the heart of a case slated for trial next month in New York federal court that pits the once-mighty insurance giant against the man who ran it for nearly four decades. Greenberg was forced out of AIG in 2005 amid a wide-ranging probe into the company’s accounting by former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. But Greenberg managed to retain control of a sister company known as Starr International Co. (SICO), which holds hundreds of millions of AIG shares. It’s the ownership of those shares that are in dispute. Full Story

New head of CIA – same old techniques?

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:34:28 +0000

President Obama has nominated Leon Panetta, a former democratic congressman with no intelligence experience, to be director of the CIA. But will it actually bring changes to the agency’s harsh interrogation techniques?In choosing Panetta, Obama has passed over current and former CIA officials with impressive credentials.

The other candidates had worked in Intelligence when Bush’s government was interrogating terror suspects and even before 9/11.Panetta, a former congressman and White House chief of staff to then-President Bill Clinton, is no stranger to Washington.Even though critics say he lacks experience in security matters, Leon Panetta might bring a new attitude to the CIA. A strong supporter of Obama’s ideas, he opposes torture and is very critical over the former administration’s tactics. Full Story

Labor pick deals with husband’s tax problems

madmaxmacaw — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:18:43 +0000

WASHINGTON – Labor Secretary nominee Hilda Solis became the latest Cabinet nominee to face questions about unpaid taxes Thursday as a Senate panel abruptly postponed a scheduled vote on her confirmation. The postponement came after revelations that Solis’ husband settled tax liens on his California auto repair business this week that had been outstanding for as long as 16 years.

The discovery posed another political headache for a White House already chafing after tax problems and other controversies derailed some administration appointments, including former Sen. Tom Daschle’s nomination as health secretary. President Barack Obama pledged in TV interviews this week that he would “make sure that we’re not screwing up again” in the vetting process. Full Story