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Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa-R) applauded U.S. ambassador Susan Rice’s strong statement about “Soviet Russia” and “Red China” Saturday afternoon. Only Rice didn’t say anything about “Soviet Russia” and “Red China.”

OMG! US senator needs wakening up. Lets go back in History, when did Russia eliminated the Communist rule? 1991! And here we have the senator bragging about the  ‘get-rid-of-Russia-China’ slogan.

I leave you with the tweet of the senator.

They did it again! New York Police Department, is under fire after civil complaints from all across the country pour in demanding legal explanation on spying over a Muslim community.

The complaint comes after an internal memo became public recommending [Spying?] increased surveillance of the city’s Shia community.

Top police officials insist the police only follow-up legitimate leads.

The memo, part of a 2006 report, recommended expanding the NYPD’s spying operation on Shia mosques and Muslim centres. It was addressed to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

On Thursday, Mr Kelly called the memo a “contingency plan” in case of military conflict between the US and Iran, although no such language is used in the document.

The report was made public by the Associated Press as part of a series of reports on the NYPD’s response to terrorism.

The police commissioner is already under fire for appearing in the “The Third Jihad”, a controversial movie about Muslims.

Letter to Attorney General

In their letter, addressed to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, thirty-three groups said that the memo further uncovered “a disturbing picture about the NYPD’s institutional approach” to the Muslim community that “erodes the public’s trust and confidence”.

“The need to hold the NYPD accountable for its flagrant use of discriminatory policing practices has never been more glaring and urgent,” the letter says.

Mr Schneiderman’s office did not offer comment on the letter.

Mosque president Asad Sadiq of Bait-ul-Qaim in New Jersey, one of the institutions listed in the NYPD memo, said the department’s policy was noticeably different than that of the FBI, which has occasional meetings with him to discuss security issues.

Mr Sadiq said the NYPD would be more than welcome in his mosque if they came in announced, like the FBI does.

“Just because we are the same religion doesn’t mean we’re going to stand up and harm the United States,” he told the Associated Press. “It’s really absurd.”

Are you a Muslim living in US? What do you have to say on NYPD discrimination? Share with us your views.

Micron Technology Inc has lost it’s CEO and Chariman Steve Appleton in a small plane crash on Friday. As Micron Technology is already struggling to make ends meet this loss will further drag it behind.

The 51-year-old Appleton, a three-decade industry veteran who performed stunts at airshows, died after the small plane he was piloting crashed at an airport in Boise, Idaho, where the chipmaker is headquartered.

His death stunned the tight-knit semiconductor industry. Appleton was a prominent figure in Boise, a city of 200,000 in the western United States, and a member of the Idaho Business Council.

Shares in Micron, halted prior to the announcement, resumed trade after the regular market close and promptly slid 6 percent.

“Steve was a high-energy, never-give-up type of inspirational leader of the company. The entire industry will miss Steve’s energy,” said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Kevin Cassidy. “That said, Micron has a deep bench of managers that shared Steve’s vision.”

The accident happened while Appleton flew an experimental Lancair single-engine airplane, Boise Airport spokeswoman Patti Miller told Reuters. Lancair sells kits to build high-end planes.

After taking off and reaching an altitude of about 200 feet, Appleton radioed that he had a problem and needed to turn around, Boise police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower told reporters.

The aircraft rolled left, then plummeted to the ground, where it crashed, causing a large fire and leaving a twisted, black wreckage.

Appleton, a California native, joined Micron to work a night shift right after graduating from Boise State University in 1983. His subsequent meteoric ascent led to his becoming the youngest CEO on the Fortune 500 at the age of 34, in 1994.

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter said Appleton was sensitive to how job cuts by Micron in recent years affected the community.

“He called me and told me about the layoffs coming up and explained how the business-end of chip technology would develop and that Micron would come out strong on the other end. And it happened exactly the way he said it would,” Bieter told reporters.

The loss of Micron’s dealmaker could waylay a possible acquisition of troubled Japanese rival Elpida Memory. Saddled with millions of dollars in operating losses and major upcoming debt payments, Elpida may be in talks to be bought by Micron or reach some kind of partnership, media recently speculated.

About 100 people are feared trapped inside a ferry that sank in rough weather off Papua New Guinea, a rescue official said on Friday, a day after the crowded boat went down with about 350 people on board.

Rescuers plucked 238 people from the sea off PNG’s northeast coast after the MV Rabaul Queen was hit by three large waves and quickly sank, Rony Naigu, a rescue official from Papua New Guinea’s maritime safety authority, said on Friday.

While a definitive passenger list was not available, rescuers believed 352 people were on board the ferry when it sank and about 100 people were thought to have been trapped inside, Naigu told Reuters by telephone.

Naigu, who spent Thursday at the scene, said survivors told how the ferry rolled and sank in deep water after it was hit by the waves in stormy conditions.

Scores of passengers survived by clinging to debris before being picked up by at least six merchant vessels that diverted to the scene after being alerted by Australian maritime safety authorities.

“We found a number of (opened liferaft) capsules with no people in them,” Naigu said.

As rescuers resumed their search on Friday, relatives of those missing vented their anger over a lack of information from authorities, Australian media reported.

Survivors had been taken to Lae on PNG’s north coast early on Friday, said Nurur Rahman, acting chief of Papua New Guinea’s maritime authority.

“As you would expect people who have been in the water for such a long time have a bit of dehydration, and they are very tired,” Rahman told Reuters by telephone.

No bodies had been recovered on Thursday before nightfall halted the search, he added.

Police in West New Britain said relatives angry at the lack of information about their family members on the ship threw stones at the offices of the ferry operators, Rabaul Shipping, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio reported.

“There were a lot of people crying and then they wanted to know the fate of their loved ones, the people actually who were on board the Rabaul ship,” Inspector Samson Siguyaru said.

Don Cornelius, the host of Soul Train who’s performance has lit up hearts for over 3 decades with his voice, dance movies and style died today at the age of 75. The apparent reason for his death is suicide.

The silken-voiced host of “Soul Train” who helped break down racial barriers and broaden the reach of black culture with funky music, groovy dance steps and cutting-edge style.

Police responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Mulholland Drive home around 4 a.m. He was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound about an hour later at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to the coroner’s office.

Police Officer Sara Faden said authorities have ruled out foul play. Detectives have not found a suicide note and are talking to relatives about his mental state.

His death prompted many to speak of the positive influence he and his show had on pop culture, music and the black community.

“God bless him for the solid good and wholesome foundation he provided for young adults worldwide and the unity and brotherhood he singlehandedly brought about with his most memorable creation of ‘Soul Train,’” said Aretha Franklin, an early performer on the show.

Franklin called Cornelius “an American treasure.”

The Rev. Jesse Jackson told KNX-Los Angeles that Cornelius “was a transformer.”

“‘Soul Train’ became the outlet for African-Americans,” Jackson said, adding that he talked to Cornelius a few days ago and there were no signs Cornelius was upset.

In a remarkable admission by former Nixon era Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, reveals what is happening at the moment in the world and particularly the Middle East.

Speaking from his luxurious Manhattan apartment, the elder statesman, who will be 89 in May, is all too forward with his analysis of the current situation in the world forum of Geo-politics and economics.

“The United States is bating China and Russia, and the final nail in the coffin will be Iran, which is, of course, the main target of Israel. We have allowed China to increase their military strength and Russia to recover from Sovietization, to give them a false sense of bravado, this will create an all together faster demise for them. We’re like the sharp shooter daring the noob to pick up the gun, and when they try, it’s bang bang. The coming war will will be so severe that only one superpower can win, and that’s us folks. This is why the EU is in such a hurry to form a complete superstate because they know what is coming, and to survive, Europe will have to be one whole cohesive state. Their urgency tells me that they know full well that the big showdown is upon us. O how I have dreamed of this delightful moment.”

“Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control the people.”

Mr Kissinger then added: “If you are an ordinary person, then you can prepare yourself for war by moving to the countryside and building a farm, but you must take guns with you, as the hordes of starving will be roaming. Also, even though the elite will have their safe havens and specialist shelters, they must be just as careful during the war as the ordinary civilians, because their shelters can still be compromised.”

After pausing for a few minutes to collect his thoughts, Mr Kissinger, carried on: “We told the military that we would have to take over seven Middle Eastern countries for their resources and they have nearly completed their job. We all know what I think of the military, but I have to say they have obeyed orders superfluously this time. It is just that last stepping stone, i.e. Iran which will really tip the balance. How long can China and Russia stand by and watch America clean up? The great Russian bear and Chinese sickle will be roused from their slumber and this is when Israel will have to fight with all its might and weapons to kill as many Arabs as it can. Hopefully if all goes well, half the Middle East will be Israeli. Our young have been trained well for the last decade or so on combat console games, it was interesting to see the new Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 game, which mirrors exactly what is to come in the near future with its predictive programming. Our young, in the US and West, are prepared because they have been programmed to be good soldiers, cannon fodder, and when they will be ordered to go out into the streets and fight those crazy Chins and Russkies, they will obey their orders. Out of the ashes we shall build a new society, there will only be one superpower left, and that one will be the global government that wins. Don’t forget, the United States, has the best weapons, we have stuff that no other nation has, and we will introduce those weapons to the world when the time is right.”

End of interview. Our reporter is ushered out of the room by Kissinger’s minder.

Source

The Internal Revenue Service on Monday launched its annual outreach campaign aimed at helping the millions of Americans who earned $49,078 or less take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The agency also is spreading the word about free preparation assistance.

Although an estimated four out of five eligible workers and families are eligible for the EITC, one in five still miss out either because they don’t claim it or don’t file a tax return at all, according to the IRS.

Workers who earned $49,078 or less from wages, self-employment or farm income last year could receive larger refunds if they quality for the credit. That could mean up to $464 in ETIC for those without children and a maximum credit of up to $5,751 for those with three or more qualifying children, the IRS said.

Unlike most deductions and credits, the EITC is refundable. In other words, those who are eligible may get a refund from the IRS even if they owe no tax.

People can find out if they qualify by visiting IRS.gov and answering a few questions using the EITC Assistant. In tax year 2010, almost 26.8 million eligible workers and families received more than $59.5 billion in EITC. The average EITC per individual last year was $2,200.

To get the EITC, workers must file a tax return and specifically claim the credit, even if they are not required to file.

On another front, the IRS said that this year more than 12,000 free tax preparation sites will be available nationwide to help low- to moderate-income and elderly taxpayers.

To locate the nearest “IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program” call 1-800-906-9887. Taxpayers also can seek free assistance at 400 IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide. Locations are listed atIRS.gov.

Source: Sltrib.com