Thursday, September 16, 2010

Headlines Thursday 16th September 2010

=== Todays Toon ===
Richard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC KStJ PC (29 August 1890 – 17 June 1976) was an Australian politician, diplomat and the 16th Governor-General of Australia.
=== Bible Quote ===
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”- 1 John 4:16
=== Headlines ===
Reid Roils Republicans By Adding Immigration to Defense Bill
Republicans dismiss as a political ploy the Senate majority leader's announcement that he will attach a proposal giving young illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship to an upcoming defense bill.

More Dems Opposing Obama's Tax Plan
More House Democrats are joining Republicans in calling for the preservation of tax breaks at every income level, bolting from the president's plan to preserve tax cuts for those who earn less than $200G

GOP Pledges Support for Tea Party Favorite
Influential Republicans vow to support Christine O'Donnell's general election campaign after party leaders initially turned their backs on her following upset win in Delaware

Test Scores Up, But With 'Cult' Methods?
George Washington Carver High School in Sacramento, a publicly-funded charter school that uses methods and philosophies of the spiritually-based Waldorf Schools, has significantly increased its test scores, but critics say the schools are based on a 'cult-like' religion that misleads parents

Archaeologists Find Ancient Egyptian Burial Chamber -- Again
Egypt's antiquities chief says archaeologists have unearthed a 2,800-year-old burial chamber that boasts brightly painted astrological scenes at a site believed to house the tombs of ancient Egyptian nobles. Zahi Hawass says in a Wednesday statement the chamber belonged to a priest named Karakhamun, whose tomb was first discovered in the 19th century but soon after disappeared under the desert sands. He says an Egyptian-American team stumbled on the burial chamber while doing restoration work at the site on the west bank of Luxor in southern Egypt.

NASA to Launch Scramjets From Scramsleds
NASA's next potential space project seems ripped straight from science fiction novels -- a horizontal aircraft launcher for the space agency's supersonic air-breathing jets. Early mockups of the Advanced Space Launch System feature a wedge-shaped aircraft with so-called "scramjet" engines; such engines work by taking in air, mixing it with hydrogen and simultaneously compressing it. The process generates extremely high temperatures that ignite the mixture to create a surge of jet propulsion. The vision: a horizontally launched craft that takes off at Mach 10 along an electrified track similar to those used on roller coasters. Upon return, the aircraft would be able to land directly onto a runway. And according to NASA, it's very much within reach.

Breaking News
'Drunk' league star Thurston arrested
RUGBY league great Johnathan Thurston has been arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour in Brisbane's CBD.

NBA star Shaq sued over computer hacking
NBA veteran Shaquille O'Neal faces allegations that he hacked into a computer and destroyed email evidence in an attempt to frame a former employee.

Dollar higher after volatile session
THE dollar opened slightly higher after a volatile session in which equities gained ground and the oil price fell.

Kanye West to release longest ever video
GRAMMY Award-winning rapper Kanye West will release the longest ever music video - a 40-minute epic for his new Runaway single.

Women 'more attracted to relaxed men'
MEN who operate at high levels of stress not only risk having poor health, they may also be damaging their love lives, according to research released today.

Coach stabbed six times during soccer match
THE coach of a Turkish soccer team was recovering today after his brother allegedly jumped out of the crowd and stabbed him in front of thousands of shocked fans.

Wall St edges higher
WALL Street today closed with gains after jittery trade and weaker-than-hoped-for manufacturing data dampened recent optimism over the recovery of the US economy.

Three charged over restaurant thefts
THREE people were charged over "opportunistic" theft of goods and personal items at bars and restaurants in Sydney's inner west.

Man charged over shooting
A MAN will appear in a Sydney court charged with shooting two men in the city's west in July.

Police bosses to testify for Rush
FORMER Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Mick Keelty will testify at the final appeal of Bali Nine drug mule Scott Rush later today.

NSW/ACT
They just couldn't save Billy
A MOTHER of seven children told of the shocking moment she realised one of her children was left behind in her burning house.

Big stink over fruit bat folly
TEACHERS normally walk off the job over pay claims, but at a NSW North Coast high school they're going on strike because of guano.

Warrior monks will wow Sydney
THEY are fighters, not dancers, but warrior monks from the Shaolin Temple have made an exception for one production in Sydney.

Teen, 15, fights off shark
TEENAGER Jake Davies almost had his leg bitten off by a 2m shark after a close encounter on the state's North Coast.

Hay fever nothing to sneeze at
HAY fever sufferers were warned to start taking their medicine immediately as NSW faces a particularly bad pollen season.

A $507 million pushbike bonanza
SYDNEY'S cycleways will save the city millions in time, pollution and fatalities over the next 30 years, a new report suggests.

Tears for dead toddler Jayden
A CHILDCARE worker broke down as she told an inquest that she considered as part of her family a boy who died in her care.

Cathy reveals an Olympic secret
FOR 10 years Cathy Freeman hid a deep secret about her triumph at the Sydney 2000 Games.

Catch a train, get a taxi ride
SYDNEY'S public transport is held together by an annual taxpayer-funded taxi bill worth $2.3 million, including a $700 cab ride.

His commitment was to protect
WILL, WE SALUTE YOU. While time may help ease pain and anguish, it does nothing to dim our thoughts and memories.

Queensland
Washed out start to school holidays
THE school holidays are set for a wet start, continuing the recent run of rainy months. Students will begin their spring break and be greeted by rain on Saturday.

'Drunk' Thurston arrested in city
RUGBY league great Johnathan Thurston has hobbled out of the Brisbane watchhouse after his arrest for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Origin greats in $1.4m stoush
THE playmakers in one of Queensland's most famous Origin wins - Adrian Lam and Dale Shearer - are now involved in a bitter financial fallout.

Atheists standing by holy smoker
THE Bible and Koran-smoking Brisbane lawyer who made international headlines this week has the backing of the Brisbane Atheists.

Clem7 speed cam goldmine
BRISBANE'S Clem7 tunnel is proving a rich source of speeding fine revenue for the State Government despite failing to generate profits for its owner.

Kids taste sweet spell of success
EVA Wang and Isaiah Hunt will not forget how to spell 'beneficiary' - it was the sudden death decider that separated them at The Courier-Mail Spelling Bee.

Diggers deal with life on frontline
EVER wondered what daily life is like for Australian soldiers in Afghanistan?

Teen locked up a year too long
A FORMER prisoner locked up as a 16-year-old then kept in jail for almost a year after he was supposed to be released is suing the State Government.

Police inspector caught napping
A SENIOR Gold Coast police inspector has been busted for falling asleep on the job at one of Queensland's busiest stations.

Strip club death leads to trial
THREE men have been committed to stand trial after a man was allegedly murdered inside a Brisbane strip club and disposed of in a wheelie bin.

Victoria
Car bash cabbie avoids jail
A GEELONG cabbie who flipped out after a car-load of teenagers threw an egg at his windscreen has lost his licence for six months.

Man injured trying to save home
A MAN suffered burns after he tried to fight a fire at his house in Melbourne's southwest early this morning.

Police blitz on phone fools
NEARLY 100 motorists a day are being nabbed for using their mobile while driving.

Baby allowed into casino
LETTING a baby in a pram on to its gaming floor was one of the law breaches for which Crown casino was fined in the past year.

Ins and outs of Brownlow fashion
FOOTBALLERS who flout the black tie dress code on Brownlow Medal night will be refused entry to the gala AFL event.

Crawf's road to inspiration
AS a footy star he is not unaccustomed to being accosted by females.

MCG makes a stand
NEW bars and food courts for fans are the centrepiece of the $55 million facelift for the MCG's Southern Stand.

Four cops sacked for .05
POLICE have sacked just four officers of 166 caught drink-driving in the past 10 years.

Wonder Maeve steps out for charity
NOTHING will wipe the smile from toddler Maeve McVie's face when she crosses the finish line of the 4km Melbourne Marathon walk.

Man charged with stealing cop car
POLICE have charged a man accused of stealing a marked police cruiser in Rosebud with 32 offences.

Northern Territory
Girl, 13, 'fed ecstasy while at school'
STUDENT was taken to hospital after allegedly being fed pill by classmate, sparking calls to drug-test children at schools.

Cars, house set on fire in family feud
UP TO 50 people armed with iron bars, spears and traditional hunting sticks have been fighting in a remote NT community.

Cannabis found in man's munchies
TAIPAN, a sniffer dog, has nabbed an airline passenger who was carrying more than his munchies in a chip packet at Darwin Airport.

Community riots after man's death
A MAN'S death has sparked a riot in an Aboriginal community in central Australia.

South Australia
Ombudsman: Come clean on population
THE Ombudsman has forced the State Government to reveal the extent to which its independent adviser on urban expansion was involved with developers.

Euthanisa law will make people avoid care
LEGALISED euthanasia can leave people too frightened to go to hospital, a medical ethicist said yesterday.

Foley faces a mine field
THE State's mining industry fears it will bear the brunt of today's "horror" State Budget.

Library story-telling goes hi-tech
STORY telling has become hi-tech at the new Campbelltown Library, which is also now the state's largest public library.

SA's bowser bargains coming to an end
MOTORISTS have been enjoying the cheapest petrol prices in the nation but the RAA warns signs suggest the bowser bargains are about to end.

Drugs, firearms, cash uncovered in raids
POLICE have arrested 17 people and say they recovered more than 24kg of dried cannabis during a state-wide operation targeting illegal drugs, this week.

130 billion litre boost for SA irrigators
SOUTH Australia has received a 130 billion litre irrigation boost due to the flooding in the eastern states.

Leak suspects narrowed down
CROWN law investigators have narrowed the field of razor gang leak suspects to a "cohort" of senior public servants, Treasurer Kevin Foley says.

Police search for cash register thief
POLICE are looking for links between the thefts of two cash registers in as many days from southern suburbs shops.

'Technical rape' man acquitted
THE man at the centre of the controversial "technical rape" case has been acquitted by a District Court jury.

Western Australia
Help bring Oprah to beautiful WA
THE WA branch of the Australian Hotels Association has offered more than $100,000 in accommodation for Oprah Winfrey and her audience in a bid to woo them here during her tour.

Mansell 'anxious to prove innocence'
THE man charged with murdering millionaire Craig Puddy is “keen to prove his innocence” and wants to appear in person at his next court date.

High lead in 'dangerous' Show toys
THREE toys and novelty items regarded as dangerous due to high lead levels have been found in showbags intended for sale at the Perth Royal Show.

Student accident costs Ed Dept $50,000
A TRACTOR accident at an agricultural college that left a teenage girl with lifelong injuries is a warning to employers to maintain equipment, WA's safety watchdog says.

Swan River victim identified
POLICE have identified a man whose body was found floating in the Swan River yesterday.

Experts head to plane crash site
AUSTRALIAN Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators are travelling to the scene of a fatal plane crash near Geraldton in Western Australia's midwest.

Mum stored son's stolen paint
A MEADOW Springs mother has been fined after allowing her son to store more than 100 stolen paint spray cans in her house.

Premier defends mining from Greens
WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett has rallied behind the state's budding uranium industry in the face of opposition from the Greens.

Tasmania
State braces for late winter battering
TASMANIANS are bracing for a taste of a late winter, with snow, wind and rain predicted across the state.

Missing boy's mum could face charges
POLICE haven't ruled out laying charges against a mother who hid the location of her missing son from police.

Missing boy Jaymie Fisher found safe
MISSING boy Jaymie Fisher has been found safe and well, five days after disappearing.

Mum won't tell police where missing son is
THE mother of a missing Tasmanian boy is refusing to tell police her son's whereabouts.
=== Journalists Corner ===
Guest: Tea Party Candidate Sharron Angle
We go inside the 'primary effect.' What could the latest poll numbers mean for a possible Tea Party takeover? Candidate Sharron Angle weighs in.
===
Gov. Chris Christie on the Battle That Lies Ahead
He's fought unions and cut spending. Now, Governor Chris Christie discusses his latest Garden State budget battle!
===
What's in the Cards for November?
The candidates, the Tea Party's impact on the GOP and the matchups in November -- how will it all affect the critical midterm elections? Get the fallout on our powerful primetime lineup.
===
On Fox News Insider:
VIDEO: Sarah Palin Reacts to O'Donnell Win
Yet Another Democrat Says: "Extend Bush Tax Cuts"
PICS: See D.C. with Jenna Lee & Friends!
The Story of Sgt. Salvatore Giunta: Why He Received the Medal of Honor
=== Comments ===
Say Goodbye to Proposed Mosque Near Ground Zero
BY BILL O'REILLY
Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday, the cleric behind the mosque controversy signaled a possible compromise:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, GROUND ZERO MOSQUE IMAM: We are exploring all options as we speak right now. And we are working through what will be a solution, God willing, that will resolve this crisis, diffuse it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
And that would be wise because things just keep getting worse for Imam Rauf.
As we reported Monday night, a close associate of his, Dr. Faiz Khan, denies that Al Qaeda attacked America on 9/11. Khan founded a Muslim organization with Rauf, and has spoken at the site of the proposed mosque.
When we asked the imam to explain his association with Khan, he refused, a very foolish move.
Millions of Americans are suspicious of Rauf's intentions, and this just adds fuel to that fire.
In addition, Rauf continues to say dubious stuff:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAUF: First of all, it is absolutely disingenuous, as many have said, that that block is hallowed ground. As (INAUDIBLE) and many people have educated and taught and tried to teach the public, both Muslim and non-Muslim, that, you know, with a strip joint around the corner, with betting parlors, it doesn't add. So let's clarify that misperception.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
What is disingenuous is the imam pretending not to understand the proximity issue here.
Radical Muslims killed more than 2,000 people at Ground Zero. Unless the Muslim community center is dedicated to condemning that mass murder, which it is not, then there is no reason for it to be so close to the kill zone.
But "Talking Points" is now ready to predict that a compromise will be reached, and the community center mosque project will be moved. There is simply too much scrutiny, and Imam Rauf will not hold up under it.
As always, I could be wrong.
What I am correct about is that the entire controversy has damaged Muslim-American relations, and nothing good comes from that. Most Muslim-Americans are good people and citizens, and they should not be lumped in with zealots or misguided men like Imam Rauf.
Time to put an end to this mosque controversy business, imam, unless you want to fully explain your associations and motives to someone who is not in the tank for you.
===
The Archbishop Is Waiting, Imam
By Michael Goodwin
For someone who says he is committed to interfaith dialogue and healing the 9/11 breach, the imam of the planned Ground Zero mosque has some strange entanglements and even stranger priorities.

Feisal Abdul Rauf is being charged by New Jersey officials with being a slumlord, and he surrounds himself with unsavory characters, from tax scofflaws to wing nuts who claim 9/11 was an "inside job." Yet he hasn't found a single minute to meet with Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

The most important Catholic leader in the region, Dolan said he could be available to help resolve the dispute a month ago, but never got the simple courtesy of a response from Rauf. Perhaps that's because Dolan, who met with Gov. Paterson, cited as a relevant comparison Pope John Paul II's decision to move a Carmelite convent away from Auschwitz after Jewish groups complained.

Still, Dolan continues his quest to bring civility to the mosque mess. Two archdiocese priests attended Rauf's appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations on Monday to offer Rauf greetings on the end of Ramadan; the imam was said to respond by sending his greetings to Dolan.

Let's hope this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Michael Goodwin is a New York Post columnist and Fox News contributor. To continue reading his complete column, click here. (At the link)
===
EDITOR FOR A DAY
Tim Blair
Viewing matters from the left, Tim Dunlop criticises Australian election reporting:
Too much political reporting is simply bad. It doesn’t explain things, it doesn’t engage people, it doesn’t entertain, it doesn’t inform, it makes basic mistakes, it is unprofessional. It fails on baseline criteria, and political bias leaking into straight news is just one manifestation of that failure … basic facts are ignored to create a false understanding of what happened … they can only arise in a profession that has lost sight of how to do its job properly …

Eventually, journalists have to stop defending the indefensible and find ways of fixing something that is well and truly broken.
Many conservative readers will agree, although for different reasons. Dunlop – please read his entire piece, and a related item – tends to see bias and error emerging more from the right than from the left, and he has greater issues with “the dominance of News” than with any problems linked to the ABC or Fairfax. All of which is fine; it’s his opinion. Dunlop continues:
The market is atomising as people look for alternative sources etc: you’d think someone would want to address the problem.
Yes. And I think that this someone should be Tim Dunlop, who for nearly a decade now has offered expert opinions on the media without once presenting his own model for reform beyond demands that it just be better somehow. Which brings me to the …

EDITOR FOR A DAY CHALLENGE

Under the terms of this challenge, Dunlop – or anyone, for that matter – may select a single day from the election campaign and present their own broadsheet front-page take on that day’s events. Participants are permitted to draw from all reportage filed on the day of their choosing as they assemble an entertaining, engaging and accurate front page.

Granted, this presents limitations. As retro-editors, no participants will be able to direct reporting or assign staff to stories. Against that, however, they will have access to reporting and photography from every media organisation in Australia. It shouldn’t be difficult, with those resources, for a gifted media analyst to come up with a superior product. As well, participants won’t be limited to a few hours in which to construct their pages. You’ve got a whole two weeks, which is when Dunlop’s next Drum column is due.

One obvious rule: participants cannot use any information past the date of publication. Like editors everywhere, you are restricted to the news and views of the day. Think you can do better than the MSM? Then get busy on your front page. Show us how it’s done.

(Send submissions here, using the subject line: “The Daily Dunlop”.)
===
CONCERN WITHDRAWN
Tim Blair
Where are all the caring leftists?
Yesterday, there were 4527 asylum seekers still packed into overcrowded centres across the country, 1000 beyond existing capacity.
According to new Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, the camps are overcrowded in part due to an increased number of rejections for asylum and the difficulty of repatriating people. Thus far, “of the 6310 arrivals since October 2008 … only 75 had been removed from Australia.” Further from Simon Benson:
The figures also explode the myth more people arrive illegally by air than by boat.

Between 2009 and June 11 this year, according to the department 5646 onshore protection visa applications were lodged by people who came by air, with only 541 applicants regarded as illegal entries.
Piers Akerman, currently in Western Australia, will have more about this on Friday.
===
NO FAITH NO MORE
Tim Blair
Atheist David Penberthy tires of atheists:
My faith in atheism is being sorely tested by born-agains.

Not of the usual proselytising Christian variety but the obnoxious, pushy, ram-it-down-your-throat, born-again atheist variety.

This new breed of Godless souls has adopted one of the most irritating features of religion. They have become belligerent evangelists.
Read on.
===
COMMENCE THE ENDLESS SPEAKING
Tim Blair
Rob Oakeshott – the seventeen-minute man – seriously craves more speaking time:
Mr Oakeshott, whose casting vote put Labor into power, turned down a government ministry last week but suddenly announced yesterday he would take the job of Speaker if it were offered to him.

“In light of parliamentary reforms that will allow greater participation in constituency issues from the Speaker’s chair ... if nominated by a fellow MP, I would accept that nomination when parliament returns on the 28th September,” he said.
And he already has a supportive MP:
Mr Oakeshott’s fellow rural MP Tony Windsor yesterday told The Australian he was happy to nominate his northern NSW neighbour for the job.
The government is seeking legal advice. And, presumably, humanitarian advice.
===
TEXAS WINS
Tim Blair
Texas vs. Oregon.

(Via Lee M.)
===
KEEP ON DELETIN’
Tim Blair
The “L” in LGF stands for Langoliers. Charles Johnson – previously committed to change – is now eating the past.

UPDATE. Jonathan A. emails: “Who said only Charles Johnson could change his mind?”

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