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Clem's Chronicles: Jakarta Bombings/Health Care/Sotomayor

July 16, 2009 10:51 PM

sorry for the late note folks but we've had some breaking news out of Jakarta....

INDONESIA HOTEL BOMBINGS-Apparent bomb blasts at the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia. Details are still sketchy but a Jakarta hospital doctor told the Associated Press that 6 people have been killed, 18 injured in the blasts. That figure is likely to change.

HEALTH CARE-President Obama had a good news/bad news day in his push for health care reform. First the good-the American Medical Association came out in support of the liberal health care bill currently being discussed in the House. The executive vice president of the doctors' group, Michael Maves, said the bill meets the AMA's goals of expanding coverage while providing patients with a choice of health plans. Jake Tapper, filing for WORLD NEWS, explains the bad: “The President’s case was dealt a blow today when the head of the Congressional Budget Office said Democratic health care legislation in the Senate will not reduce the government’s health care costs, which the president has said is vital.” And as for the President’s insistence that health care reform be passed before the August recess, Tapper notes that “two key moderate Senators were frank with the President today telling him his push (for that timetable) will not necessarily result in the best product, but the President disagrees.” One of those moderate Senators, Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine spoke to reporters at the White House stakeout camera, about her idea of a timetable. Tapper wrote: “In her view, the bill could be voted on in the Senate Finance Committee before August 7, she said. During the August recess, the Senate Finance Committee bill could be “fused” with the one from the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, giving senators and the American people time to review them both.  In September, the legislative process can continue when the Senate reconvenes, she said.” Not helping ANY timetable-the 500-pound gorilla-sized issue of how to pay for reform. Tapper: “House Democrats would impose a surtax of up to 5.4 percent on top wage-earners…which a study by the non-partisan Tax Foundation said would push top tax rates to over 50% in most of the country. That has moderate Democrats concerned.”  What about those Senate Dems, any good ideas up their sleeves? Tapper: “The President has ruled out an idea endorsed by many Senators, to tax health care benefits” which led Sen. Max Baucus, the head of the Senate Finance Committee to say today “basically the President is not helping us.” 
Earlier tonight, another sign that President Obama’s timetable may be unrealistic. Zach Wolf: “The gang of Senators (Dems Baucus, Conrad and Bingaman and Repubs Grassley, Snowe and Enzi) who have been working toward a middle ground health reform deal, emerged to cameras and said they would have no deal this week. The bipartisan press conference was good optics, tho, and it was meant as a message to President Obama - give us time to work. It is still unclear what the ultimate bipartisan plan will look like or how the members of the Finance Committee will ultimately suggest paying for their plan (their preferred method, taxing health benefits, has been nixed by liberal Democrats and the White House. ‘We are making a lot of progress,’ said Baucus, although he offered no time line. ‘We're ready when we're ready,’ Baucus said. He said a bipartisan bill is the only kind of bill that can ultimately pass the Senate.”  

SOTOMAYOR-Day four in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor’s direct questioning has ended and today we also heard from outside entities who came to praise (NYC Mayor Michael Bloomburg) and to criticize(cue the New Haven firefighters). Frank Ricci, a New Haven, Conn., firefighter at the center of a reverse-discrimination case, told the panel that "achievement is neither limited nor determined by one's race but by one's skills, dedication, commitment and character." Jan Crawford-Greenburg, filing for WORLD NEWS, noted “(the firefighters) case, and how Sotomayor and two judges dismissed their claims, dominated these hearings.” Dominated but not derailed. All week she had been painted “a liberal activist” by her Republican critics, Crawford-Greenburg said, “but Sotomayor…calmly, persistently, repeatedly described herself differently sounding almost conservative.” As for a final vote on her confirmation, the ranking Republican and chief Sotomayor critic Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama said he would not support any attempt to block Senate action and didn't believe any other Republican would, either. "I look forward to you getting that vote before we recess in August," Sessions told Sotomayor. Devin Dwyer of the DC bureau notes that “The Senate Judiciary Committee has officially completed their public hearing for Sonia Sotomayor.  All witness 5 panels have testified. They will NOT meet tomorrow.  The record will remain open through Friday for remaining statements and question/answers.” 

FLORIDA MURDER MYSTERY:  Mourners filed into Liberty Church tonight to pay their last respects to Byrd and Melanie Billings, found shot to death in their home near Pensacola just a week ago.  They will be buried following a funeral service in the morning.  Investigators today revealed they have found the safe stolen during the break-in at the Billings’ home. Eight people have now been charged in the case - seven with murder and one with being an accessory after the fact. Our Jeffrey Kofman caught up with the Escambia County sheriff today:  “In an interview with ABC News, Sheriff David Morgan said the bulk of his department’s work is now done.  But he added there is a lot more that the public does not know. (Kofman) I think you’ve used the word in the last week “humdinger.”  Is there a “humdinger” you can’t tell us? (Morgan) Yes, that would be a true statement. (Kofman) Is this a “You wouldn’t believe what’s really gone on here?” (Morgan)If I had determined to write a book, I’d write about this.  If I was a scriptwriter, I’d write about this.”  The sheriff wouldn’t elaborate but did indicate that he personally doesn’t believe those charged had planned to commit murder. State Attorney Bill Eddins said: "In our opinion, this was a home invasion robbery where the people stole a safe…it’s as simple as that.” (thanks to Ed Bailey for this entry)

SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR-Astronauts spent today inspecting the Shuttle Endeavour for possible damage after yesterday’s launch. Ryan Owens, filing for WORLD NEWS, reports that “about a dozen pieces of the foam that wraps the orange fuel tank fell off during the first minutes of last night’s takeoff.” Problem? Maybe. John Shannon, NASA Shuttle Program Manager said “we have a bit of a mystery on the external tank foam loss. We don’t expect to find foam loss in that area.” The inspections will continue, and while that might not fit into NASA’s schedule for Endeavour, Owens tells us that “NASA cannot afford to take any chances”. Owens explains: “in 2003 a chunk of foam the size of a suitcase hit (the shuttle) Columbia’s wing during blastoff…damaging the heat shield and causing the shuttle to break up on re-entry…all 7 astronauts onboard were killed.” While NASA’s Shannon also noted that “there is nothing we have seen on the orbiter so far that gives us any concern”, Owens reports “they are still looking…and astronauts will get a closer view at any damage as the shuttle docks with the International Space Station tomorrow.

WAL-MART/SUSTAINABILITY INDEX-The nation’s largest retailer today was about the green today, and I’m not talking money. Wal-Mart announced the creation of a “sustainability index”…rating products for consumers. Dan Harris, who filed for WORLD NEWS, explains: “Wal-Mart announced today that it will be asking all of its thousands of suppliers 15 questions. For example: ‘How much does making or using your product contribute to global warming?’ ‘How much waste was produced in making it?’ ‘Are the materials environmentally friendly?” The index will measure the social and environmental impacts of its products but don’t call this just a Wal-Mart index. "This is not a Wal-Mart effort," said CEO Mike Duke. "Our desire is for this to be a global standard." The initiative is ambitious. Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer by revenue, has the cash to launch the index. But experts said it must win support from rivals for the index to gain
widespread acceptance and avoid burdening vendors with competing standards that would raise their cost of business. Cost-always an important consideration for Wal-Mart. Harris: “Wal-Mart insists greener will actually be cheaper” with a Wal-Mart exec quoted in Harris’ piece saying “You’re eliminating waste. You’re making products with less energy or that use less energy and by doing that you can actually reduce costs.”

SWINE FLU- President Barack Obama designated $1.825 billion Thursday for emergency use to fight the new pandemic of H1N1 swine flu. The money will go to buy vaccine ingredients to help health officials plan for immunization campaigns and to help get the vaccines approved at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Obama said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Also today, Roger Sergel notes “that there was a meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology H1N1 subcommittee, according to one of the participants who says they are discussing pandemic preparedness.”

SPACE ANNIVERSARY:  It was on this date in 1969 when astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins climbed aboard Apollo 11 for an historic journey to the Moon.  It took them four days to get there and when Armstrong stepped out of the Eagle lunar module for his first walk on the Moon, he uttered these unforgettable words: “That’s one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” Turns out the original recordings of that memorable event were erased and recorded over. As David Wright pointed out on World News: “The moon landing was such a big deal people not only remember exactly where they were when they saw it, many folks saved the front page of the newspaper as a keepsake.  Which makes it all the more extraordinary that NASA appears to have erased the original footage.”  Luckily, they found good “copies” of the mission and they are being digitally restored.  NASA has just released the first glimpses of the digital make-over of the original landing footage that clarifies the blurry and grainy images of Armstrong and Aldrin walking on the surface of the moon.  The full set of recordings, being cleaned up by Burbank, California-based Lowry Digital, will be released in September. (thanks to Ed Bailey for this entry)

OTHER STUFF-
--PRESIDENT OBAMA AT THE NAACP-“ In a rousing speech today delivered at the NAACP's 100th Anniversary, President Obama emphasized the importance of equality in the areas of healthcare and especially education. He also spoke with conviction about how important it is for the black community to uplift their children and encourage them to aspire for greatness in varying areas despite what their circumstances might be.” (Rolake Bamgbose)
--SEC OF STATE CLINTON TRIP- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton left tonight on a trip to India and Thailand through July 23rd. Stops include in the following order Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangkok and Phuket Thailand. The Phuket stop is the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference and ASEAN Regional Forum. CBS IS VIP POOL for this journey. 
--BRITISH OPEN-AARP! AARP! 59-year-old Tom Watson shot a five-under par 65 and is one shot off the lead in the Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland. The five-time winner trails only leader Miguel Angel Jimenez who shot 64. Conditions were benign-little wind, no rain. Fifty players shot better than par. Tiger Woods was NOT one of them. The world #1 managed only a 1-over par 71, good for 68th place.
 

 

July 16, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (2)

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Posted by: Affacturage | Jul 17, 2009 8:09:55 AM

Posted by: Candadai Tirumalai | Jul 17, 2009 9:33:00 AM

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