Sun May 31, 2009 2:43pm EDT
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - A Kansas doctor who was a controversial provider of so-called "late-term" abortions was shot and killed at his church on Sunday, local media reported.
The Wichita Eagle newspaper reported that 67-year-old George Tiller, a longtime target of anti-abortion activists, was shot to death as he walked into services at Reformation Lutheran Church.
Police are searching for a white male who fled the scene after shooting Tiller with a handgun, local media reported.
Local television station KAKE said on its website that sources close to the investigation and the doctor confirmed that Tiller was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after emergency crews arrived.
Police Captain Brent Allred did not name the victim, but he classified the case as high-profile and said the victim has been the target of violence in the past, the station said.
Tiller's clinic in Wichita has been the site of mass protests by anti-abortion groups and was bombed in 1985. Tiller was shot and wounded by an abortion opponent in 1993.
Abortions are generally considered late-term when they are performed after the 20th week of gestation on fetuses potentially old enough to survive outside the womb.
Anti-abortion group Operation Rescue said it was shocked by the news. "We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller's family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ," the group said in a statement on its website.
(Reporting by Cynthia Osterman, editing by Anthony Boadle)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Plainclothes Officer Dies in Friendly Fire
By RUSS BUETTNER and AL BAKER
Published: May 29, 2009
A New York City police officer who had just gotten off duty was fatally shot late Thursday in East Harlem by a fellow officer who mistook him for an armed criminal, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly gave a news conference at Harlem Hospital Center early Friday morning.
The officer who was killed, Omar J. Edwards, 25, a two-year veteran who was assigned to patrol housing projects and was wearing plain clothes, was shot in the arm and chest after a team of three other plainclothes officers in a car came upon him chasing a man on East 125th Street between First and Second Avenues with his gun drawn, Mr. Kelly said.
The team’s members, assigned to the anticrime unit in the 25th Precinct, got out of their vehicle and confronted Officer Edwards. The police were investigating whether the officers had identified themselves or demanded that Officer Edwards drop his weapon before one of them opened fire.
Mr. Kelly identified the officer who fired the shots only as a four-year veteran of the department, and said he had fired six rounds from his 9-millimeter Glock. Two bullets struck Officer Edwards.
Officer Edwards, a recently married father of two from Brooklyn, was taken to Harlem Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:21 p.m. No one else was injured.
"While we don’t know all of the details of what happened tonight, this is a tragedy,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said during an early morning news conference at the hospital. “Rest assured we will find out exactly what happened here and see what we can learn from it so it can never happen again.”
The shooting is likely to raise questions again about departmental procedures involving communications among plainclothes officers — particularly those in different units — as well as issues of race. Officer Edwards was black; the officer who shot him was white.
Mr. Kelly said the tragic string of events began when Officer Edwards, a member of the Housing Bureau Impact Response Team, left duty about 10:30 p.m., approached his car and saw that a man had broken the driver’s side window and was rummaging through the vehicle. The two scuffled, and the man escaped Officer Edwards’s grip by slipping out of his sweater.
A police official said officers at the scene learned that Officer Edwards was a colleague only when they ripped open his shirt in an effort to revive him and saw a Police Academy T-shirt. They then searched his pants pockets and found a badge.
Investigators were interviewing the two officers in the car who did not fire at Officer Edwards. The department does not interview officers involved in fatal shootings until a prosecutor determines whether criminal charges will be brought.
The man who apparently broke into Officer Edwards’s car, Miguel Santiago, was also being interviewed by investigators, officials said. The police said his five prior arrests include charges of robbery, assault and drug violations.
There have been at least two cases of off-duty police officers being shot by colleagues in the New York region in recent years.
In January 2008, a Mount Vernon officer, Christopher A. Ridley, 23, was killed by Westchester County police officers in downtown White Plains as he tried to restrain a homeless man whom he had seen assault another person.
And in February 2006, a New York City officer, Eric Hernandez, 24, was fatally shot by a fellow officer while responding to a 911 call about a fight at a White Castle restaurant in the Bronx.
Thursday night’s shooting occurred near the approach to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough).
Maalik Lane, 20, was waiting for a bus nearby at 125th Street and Third Avenue when, he said, he heard more than five gunshots.
“I saw police, up to 20 police cars,” driving by at high speeds, said Mr. Lane, who lives on Wards Island. “I was, like, someone is having a shootout with police. The bus driver said, ‘Somebody shot the police.’ ”
Mr. Lane added, “I feared for my life.”
Just before 1 a.m. Friday, the ambulance parking bay at the hospital had been roped off, with six police officers standing sentry. More than a dozen officers, some in uniform, others in plain clothes, paced and waited for news.
After the news conference, about 3 a.m., officers left the hospital, several in tears and consoling one another.------From N.Y.Times
Published: May 29, 2009
A New York City police officer who had just gotten off duty was fatally shot late Thursday in East Harlem by a fellow officer who mistook him for an armed criminal, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly gave a news conference at Harlem Hospital Center early Friday morning.
The officer who was killed, Omar J. Edwards, 25, a two-year veteran who was assigned to patrol housing projects and was wearing plain clothes, was shot in the arm and chest after a team of three other plainclothes officers in a car came upon him chasing a man on East 125th Street between First and Second Avenues with his gun drawn, Mr. Kelly said.
The team’s members, assigned to the anticrime unit in the 25th Precinct, got out of their vehicle and confronted Officer Edwards. The police were investigating whether the officers had identified themselves or demanded that Officer Edwards drop his weapon before one of them opened fire.
Mr. Kelly identified the officer who fired the shots only as a four-year veteran of the department, and said he had fired six rounds from his 9-millimeter Glock. Two bullets struck Officer Edwards.
Officer Edwards, a recently married father of two from Brooklyn, was taken to Harlem Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:21 p.m. No one else was injured.
"While we don’t know all of the details of what happened tonight, this is a tragedy,” Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said during an early morning news conference at the hospital. “Rest assured we will find out exactly what happened here and see what we can learn from it so it can never happen again.”
The shooting is likely to raise questions again about departmental procedures involving communications among plainclothes officers — particularly those in different units — as well as issues of race. Officer Edwards was black; the officer who shot him was white.
Mr. Kelly said the tragic string of events began when Officer Edwards, a member of the Housing Bureau Impact Response Team, left duty about 10:30 p.m., approached his car and saw that a man had broken the driver’s side window and was rummaging through the vehicle. The two scuffled, and the man escaped Officer Edwards’s grip by slipping out of his sweater.
A police official said officers at the scene learned that Officer Edwards was a colleague only when they ripped open his shirt in an effort to revive him and saw a Police Academy T-shirt. They then searched his pants pockets and found a badge.
Investigators were interviewing the two officers in the car who did not fire at Officer Edwards. The department does not interview officers involved in fatal shootings until a prosecutor determines whether criminal charges will be brought.
The man who apparently broke into Officer Edwards’s car, Miguel Santiago, was also being interviewed by investigators, officials said. The police said his five prior arrests include charges of robbery, assault and drug violations.
There have been at least two cases of off-duty police officers being shot by colleagues in the New York region in recent years.
In January 2008, a Mount Vernon officer, Christopher A. Ridley, 23, was killed by Westchester County police officers in downtown White Plains as he tried to restrain a homeless man whom he had seen assault another person.
And in February 2006, a New York City officer, Eric Hernandez, 24, was fatally shot by a fellow officer while responding to a 911 call about a fight at a White Castle restaurant in the Bronx.
Thursday night’s shooting occurred near the approach to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough).
Maalik Lane, 20, was waiting for a bus nearby at 125th Street and Third Avenue when, he said, he heard more than five gunshots.
“I saw police, up to 20 police cars,” driving by at high speeds, said Mr. Lane, who lives on Wards Island. “I was, like, someone is having a shootout with police. The bus driver said, ‘Somebody shot the police.’ ”
Mr. Lane added, “I feared for my life.”
Just before 1 a.m. Friday, the ambulance parking bay at the hospital had been roped off, with six police officers standing sentry. More than a dozen officers, some in uniform, others in plain clothes, paced and waited for news.
After the news conference, about 3 a.m., officers left the hospital, several in tears and consoling one another.------From N.Y.Times
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Powell Defends GOP Credentials, Calls for More Inclusive Party
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell shoots down criticism from talk show host Rush Limbaugh and former Vice President Dick Cheney
FOXNews.com
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell touted his Republican credentials Sunday, shooting down pointed criticism from Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney that he had abandoned the GOP.
Limbaugh has called on Powell to join the Democrats, while Cheney has said he believes Powell already left his party.
"Rush will not get his wish and Mr. Cheney was misinformed. I am still a Republican," Powell said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
While standing by his loyalty to the Republicans, Powell defended his endorsement of President Obama last fall and continued to call on the Republican Party to be more moderate and expand its base.
"You can only do two things with a base. You can sit on it and watch the world go by, or you can build on it," Powell said. He said the party should be more inclusive.
This kind of advice has riled some conservatives, who warn that too much moderation will cause the Republican Party to merely mimic the Democrats. In calling for the party to be more moderate, Powell has also criticized conservatives like talk show host Limbaugh.
Powell's comments set off a nasty back-and-forth that has taken place on Limbaugh's radio show and the Sunday talk shows.
Limbaugh called on Powell to leave the Republican Party and said Powell, who is black, only endorsed Obama because of his race.
Two Sundays ago, Cheney sided with Limbaugh in the spat.
"I think my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican," Cheney said on CBS' "Face the Nation." He said Limbaugh better stands for GOP values than Powell.
On Sunday, Powell called Limbaugh's remarks about race "unfortunate
See---http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
FOXNews.com
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell touted his Republican credentials Sunday, shooting down pointed criticism from Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney that he had abandoned the GOP.
Limbaugh has called on Powell to join the Democrats, while Cheney has said he believes Powell already left his party.
"Rush will not get his wish and Mr. Cheney was misinformed. I am still a Republican," Powell said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
While standing by his loyalty to the Republicans, Powell defended his endorsement of President Obama last fall and continued to call on the Republican Party to be more moderate and expand its base.
"You can only do two things with a base. You can sit on it and watch the world go by, or you can build on it," Powell said. He said the party should be more inclusive.
This kind of advice has riled some conservatives, who warn that too much moderation will cause the Republican Party to merely mimic the Democrats. In calling for the party to be more moderate, Powell has also criticized conservatives like talk show host Limbaugh.
Powell's comments set off a nasty back-and-forth that has taken place on Limbaugh's radio show and the Sunday talk shows.
Limbaugh called on Powell to leave the Republican Party and said Powell, who is black, only endorsed Obama because of his race.
Two Sundays ago, Cheney sided with Limbaugh in the spat.
"I think my take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican," Cheney said on CBS' "Face the Nation." He said Limbaugh better stands for GOP values than Powell.
On Sunday, Powell called Limbaugh's remarks about race "unfortunate
See---http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Obama urges "fair-minded" abortion debate
By Caren Bohan
SOUTH BEND, Indiana (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged both sides in the abortion debate on Sunday to pursue a "fair-minded" discussion as he sought to quell a firestorm over his invitation to speak at Notre Dame, a premier U.S. Catholic university.
Notre Dame's decision to confer an honorary degree on Obama and invite him to be the keynote speaker for the commencement sparked petitions and several days of protests. Some students vowed to boycott the commencement.
But the speech itself drew mostly cheers, applause and standing ovations.
Critics who said Obama's support for abortion rights violated Catholic Church doctrine had sought to have the invitation rescinded but the university refused.
Interrupted at times by hecklers, Obama said he recognized the strong emotions stirred up by the abortion debate but he urged the two sides to try to find common ground, such as preventing unintended pregnancies.
"I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away," Obama said. "Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature."
"Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their child to term," Obama told the crowd of 12,000 at a huge athletic facility.
His appearance was mostly warmly welcomed by the crowd, which gave him several standing ovations.
SOME HECKLERS
But at a few points during the speech, he was interrupted by hecklers, including one who shouted, "Abortion is murder." That heckler was booed by the audience.
Some graduates displayed a print of a cross symbol and two baby feet on their caps while others wore caps that said "Viva Obama."
Outside the commencement, hundreds of protesters gathered and carried signs that said "Notre Dame supports violence" and "Thou shall not kill."
As Obama spoke, protesters chanted outside the arena entrance: "One, two, three, four. Throw Obama out the door."
At least 22 protesters were arrested after they walked past a piece of yellow police tape they had been told not to cross, according to police.
Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of the landmark Roe vs. Wade case that legalized abortion, was among the first protesters arrested at Notre Dame. A Catholic convert, McCorvey is now active in the anti-abortion. Continued...
SOUTH BEND, Indiana (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged both sides in the abortion debate on Sunday to pursue a "fair-minded" discussion as he sought to quell a firestorm over his invitation to speak at Notre Dame, a premier U.S. Catholic university.
Notre Dame's decision to confer an honorary degree on Obama and invite him to be the keynote speaker for the commencement sparked petitions and several days of protests. Some students vowed to boycott the commencement.
But the speech itself drew mostly cheers, applause and standing ovations.
Critics who said Obama's support for abortion rights violated Catholic Church doctrine had sought to have the invitation rescinded but the university refused.
Interrupted at times by hecklers, Obama said he recognized the strong emotions stirred up by the abortion debate but he urged the two sides to try to find common ground, such as preventing unintended pregnancies.
"I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away," Obama said. "Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature."
"Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their child to term," Obama told the crowd of 12,000 at a huge athletic facility.
His appearance was mostly warmly welcomed by the crowd, which gave him several standing ovations.
SOME HECKLERS
But at a few points during the speech, he was interrupted by hecklers, including one who shouted, "Abortion is murder." That heckler was booed by the audience.
Some graduates displayed a print of a cross symbol and two baby feet on their caps while others wore caps that said "Viva Obama."
Outside the commencement, hundreds of protesters gathered and carried signs that said "Notre Dame supports violence" and "Thou shall not kill."
As Obama spoke, protesters chanted outside the arena entrance: "One, two, three, four. Throw Obama out the door."
At least 22 protesters were arrested after they walked past a piece of yellow police tape they had been told not to cross, according to police.
Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of the landmark Roe vs. Wade case that legalized abortion, was among the first protesters arrested at Notre Dame. A Catholic convert, McCorvey is now active in the anti-abortion. Continued...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
CDC: Pregnant Women With Likely Flu Should Be Given Antivirals
MAY 12, 2009, 2:12 P.M. ET
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that pregnant women with flu-like symptoms should be treated with antiviral drugs Tamiflu or Relenza to guard against serious complications of H1N1 influenza.
The recommendation was highlighted in the agency's daily H1N1 update as the number of confirmed H1N1 influenza cases in the U.S. topped 3,000. The CDC said there have been 3,009 H1N1 cases in 44 states and Washington, D.C., with another 600 "probable" cases.
Anne Schuchat, CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said the agency has seen "some serious complications" with the H1N1 influenza virus in pregnant women and is recommending that pregnant women who are suspected of having any type of flu be given an antiviral drug. One of the three deaths in the U.S. from the new H1N1 influenza virus to date was in a pregnant women.
Drugs like Tamiflu, by Roche (RHBBY) and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Relenza have been shown to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the body and are most effective if given within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset.
Flu symptoms include fever with a cough or sore throat and often body aches. The CDC has said antiviral treatment should be reserved for patients with more severe illnesses as well as those in high risk groups for complications such as young children and people with certain underlying health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
However, Schuchat said pregnant women could be more vulnerable to the H1N1 virus because the virus has been seen more often in younger people. In a separate statement issued Monday by the World Health Organization, the agency said the H1N1 virus appears to be more contagious and is affecting young people more often than typically seen with seasonal influenza.
The CDC is also recommending that doctors consider antiviral treatment for young children and babies though antiviral drugs are not approved for use in children younger than one.
Being pregnant increases the risk of complications such as pneumonia and dehydration from influenza whether its seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu.
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that pregnant women with flu-like symptoms should be treated with antiviral drugs Tamiflu or Relenza to guard against serious complications of H1N1 influenza.
The recommendation was highlighted in the agency's daily H1N1 update as the number of confirmed H1N1 influenza cases in the U.S. topped 3,000. The CDC said there have been 3,009 H1N1 cases in 44 states and Washington, D.C., with another 600 "probable" cases.
Anne Schuchat, CDC's interim deputy director for science and public health program, said the agency has seen "some serious complications" with the H1N1 influenza virus in pregnant women and is recommending that pregnant women who are suspected of having any type of flu be given an antiviral drug. One of the three deaths in the U.S. from the new H1N1 influenza virus to date was in a pregnant women.
Drugs like Tamiflu, by Roche (RHBBY) and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Relenza have been shown to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the body and are most effective if given within 12 to 48 hours of symptom onset.
Flu symptoms include fever with a cough or sore throat and often body aches. The CDC has said antiviral treatment should be reserved for patients with more severe illnesses as well as those in high risk groups for complications such as young children and people with certain underlying health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
However, Schuchat said pregnant women could be more vulnerable to the H1N1 virus because the virus has been seen more often in younger people. In a separate statement issued Monday by the World Health Organization, the agency said the H1N1 virus appears to be more contagious and is affecting young people more often than typically seen with seasonal influenza.
The CDC is also recommending that doctors consider antiviral treatment for young children and babies though antiviral drugs are not approved for use in children younger than one.
Being pregnant increases the risk of complications such as pneumonia and dehydration from influenza whether its seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu.
Monday, May 11, 2009
U.S. Soldier Kills 5 Comrades in Iraq, Military Says
Published: May 11, 2009 By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS
BAGHDAD — The United States military said Monday that five American soldiers had been shot to death by a fellow soldier who opened fire on them at one of the biggest American bases in Baghdad, and that the suspected shooter was in custody.
The killings appeared to be the worst case of lethal non-combat casualties for the American forces in Iraq since the invasion more than six years ago.
The shooting took place at around 2 p.m. local time at Camp Liberty, a sprawling base next to Baghdad airport, the military said in a statement. The names of the dead soldiers were being withheld pending family notification, the statement said.
“Anytime we lose one of our own, it affects us all,” Col. John Robinson, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, said in the statement.
CNN, citing unnamed officials, said that at least three others were wounded in the attack, which it said had taken place at a clinic for soldiers suffering from war stress.
The killing of American troops by their fellow soldiers is infrequent, but not unheard of. The latest incident in Iraq occurred in September, when an American soldier was arrested following the shooting deaths of two American soldiers at their patrol base near Iskandariya.
All three soldiers were assigned to the Third Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, Ga.
In November 2006, Staff Sgt. Alberto B. Martinez, serving with the New York National Guard, was arraigned in a military court on charges of murdering two officers in an explosion at one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces in Tikrit in June 2005.
And in April 2005, Sgt. Hasan Akbar, of the 101st Airborne Division, was sentenced to death for a grenade attack on his comrades in March 2003 in Kuwait, at the beginning of the war.
Sergeant Akbar was convicted of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder after he threw grenades into tents and then fired on soldiers, killing two officers and wounding 14 at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait.
About one in six soldiers returning from the war in Iraq shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder or other emotional difficulties, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2004.
The death toll from the Monday shooting was the highest for American personnel in a single attack since April 10, when a suicide truck driver killed five American soldiers with a blast near a police headquarters in Mosul, news agencies reported.
Violence has dropped sharply in Iraq, but a rash of major bombings by insurgents has raised questions about security less than two months before American forces are due to withdraw combat troops from urban bases.
Earlier this month, two American soldiers were killed by a man wearing an Iraqi Army uniform at an Iraqi military training center south of Mosul.
In April, 18 American military personnel members were killed in Iraq — double the number in March and the highest since September 2008, when 25 were killed.
BAGHDAD — The United States military said Monday that five American soldiers had been shot to death by a fellow soldier who opened fire on them at one of the biggest American bases in Baghdad, and that the suspected shooter was in custody.
The killings appeared to be the worst case of lethal non-combat casualties for the American forces in Iraq since the invasion more than six years ago.
The shooting took place at around 2 p.m. local time at Camp Liberty, a sprawling base next to Baghdad airport, the military said in a statement. The names of the dead soldiers were being withheld pending family notification, the statement said.
“Anytime we lose one of our own, it affects us all,” Col. John Robinson, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, said in the statement.
CNN, citing unnamed officials, said that at least three others were wounded in the attack, which it said had taken place at a clinic for soldiers suffering from war stress.
The killing of American troops by their fellow soldiers is infrequent, but not unheard of. The latest incident in Iraq occurred in September, when an American soldier was arrested following the shooting deaths of two American soldiers at their patrol base near Iskandariya.
All three soldiers were assigned to the Third Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, Ga.
In November 2006, Staff Sgt. Alberto B. Martinez, serving with the New York National Guard, was arraigned in a military court on charges of murdering two officers in an explosion at one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces in Tikrit in June 2005.
And in April 2005, Sgt. Hasan Akbar, of the 101st Airborne Division, was sentenced to death for a grenade attack on his comrades in March 2003 in Kuwait, at the beginning of the war.
Sergeant Akbar was convicted of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder after he threw grenades into tents and then fired on soldiers, killing two officers and wounding 14 at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait.
About one in six soldiers returning from the war in Iraq shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder or other emotional difficulties, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2004.
The death toll from the Monday shooting was the highest for American personnel in a single attack since April 10, when a suicide truck driver killed five American soldiers with a blast near a police headquarters in Mosul, news agencies reported.
Violence has dropped sharply in Iraq, but a rash of major bombings by insurgents has raised questions about security less than two months before American forces are due to withdraw combat troops from urban bases.
Earlier this month, two American soldiers were killed by a man wearing an Iraqi Army uniform at an Iraqi military training center south of Mosul.
In April, 18 American military personnel members were killed in Iraq — double the number in March and the highest since September 2008, when 25 were killed.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Cuba travel boom - after long wait
Thursday, May 7th 2009, 4:00 AM
Recession? What recession? At least when it comes to traveling to Cuba, business is great.
"We are going crazy," said Armando GarcÃa, president of Marazul Charters, a travel agency with offices in Miami and Weehawken, N.J. "That's a good thing."
Just a couple of months ago, that wasn't the case. Marazul Charters employees had plenty of time for a midmorning break of dark and strong café cubano. Then, on March 10, the Senate eased travel restrictions, and President Obama followed suit by signing an executive order making it official: Cuban-Americans could travel to their homeland as often as they liked, stay for as long as they wanted and spend enough money to treat the family to a weekend in Varadero Beach.
Since then, café cubano breaks have all but disappeared at Marazul Charters in Miami, said GarcÃa - there are just too many customers to be taken care of.
"These people had been waiting since 2004, the last year without draconian restrictions," he said.
Business is so good that Marazul Charters has raised its booking capacity from 369 seats in March to 480 seats in May, and all the way to 900 seats in June, a whopping 150% increase.
"I estimate that in May, 17 or 18,000 people will travel with Marazul," GarcÃa said. "I'm talking only about us, but keep in mind that there are seven other agencies booking flights to Cuba."
In Weehawken, the story is different.
"We get some more Cuban-Americans now," said Bob Guild, Marazul Charters program director. "But most calls and e-mails come from colleges, schools, cultural groups and regular Americans who think all restrictions will be lifted soon and want to be among the first to go to Cuba."
Marazul Charters lost a big chunk of the New Jersey Cuban-American market because during these past years, many people found other ways to get to Cuba, Guild said.
"They went through third countries, even though it was illegal," Guild said.
In one of those historical coincidences, Cuban-Americans have recovered their right to fly to their home country almost 30 years after Carlos Muñiz Varela, 26, the true pioneer of travel to Cuba, was murdered in Puerto Rico.
The Cuban-born Muñiz Varela founded Viajes Varadero in Puerto Rico, where he had lived most of his life. It was the first Cuba travel agency to open under a deal negotiated in Havana between Cuban exiles and Fidel Castro in 1978, during the Carter administration.
In December 1978, Muñiz Varela booked the first U.S.-Cuba flight. Ninety Cuban-Americans landed in Havana's José Martà Airport to an emotional welcome from their expectant relatives.
Four months later, on April 28, 1979, Muñiz Varela was gunned down outside San Juan.
Those were dangerous days in which any peaceful contact with Cuba inflamed militant exiles and could provoke a violent reprisal. Twelve Cuba travel agencies in Miami were attacked during the late 1970s and 1980s, and here in New York, a Cuban airplane was bombed at JFK.
Fortunately, that senseless violence is a thing of the past.
"No one is afraid anymore; many who never traveled before want to do it now," GarcÃa said. "Things are so different that even the Cuban American National Foundation [CANF] is in favor of traveling."
It is really a sign of the times that the powerful CANF, one of the most politically rigid exile groups, is now an advocate for travel to Cuba.
As GarcÃa said, "It is not the same dynamics; it is not the same administration."
And that's a good thing.
aruiz@nydailynews.com
Recession? What recession? At least when it comes to traveling to Cuba, business is great.
"We are going crazy," said Armando GarcÃa, president of Marazul Charters, a travel agency with offices in Miami and Weehawken, N.J. "That's a good thing."
Just a couple of months ago, that wasn't the case. Marazul Charters employees had plenty of time for a midmorning break of dark and strong café cubano. Then, on March 10, the Senate eased travel restrictions, and President Obama followed suit by signing an executive order making it official: Cuban-Americans could travel to their homeland as often as they liked, stay for as long as they wanted and spend enough money to treat the family to a weekend in Varadero Beach.
Since then, café cubano breaks have all but disappeared at Marazul Charters in Miami, said GarcÃa - there are just too many customers to be taken care of.
"These people had been waiting since 2004, the last year without draconian restrictions," he said.
Business is so good that Marazul Charters has raised its booking capacity from 369 seats in March to 480 seats in May, and all the way to 900 seats in June, a whopping 150% increase.
"I estimate that in May, 17 or 18,000 people will travel with Marazul," GarcÃa said. "I'm talking only about us, but keep in mind that there are seven other agencies booking flights to Cuba."
In Weehawken, the story is different.
"We get some more Cuban-Americans now," said Bob Guild, Marazul Charters program director. "But most calls and e-mails come from colleges, schools, cultural groups and regular Americans who think all restrictions will be lifted soon and want to be among the first to go to Cuba."
Marazul Charters lost a big chunk of the New Jersey Cuban-American market because during these past years, many people found other ways to get to Cuba, Guild said.
"They went through third countries, even though it was illegal," Guild said.
In one of those historical coincidences, Cuban-Americans have recovered their right to fly to their home country almost 30 years after Carlos Muñiz Varela, 26, the true pioneer of travel to Cuba, was murdered in Puerto Rico.
The Cuban-born Muñiz Varela founded Viajes Varadero in Puerto Rico, where he had lived most of his life. It was the first Cuba travel agency to open under a deal negotiated in Havana between Cuban exiles and Fidel Castro in 1978, during the Carter administration.
In December 1978, Muñiz Varela booked the first U.S.-Cuba flight. Ninety Cuban-Americans landed in Havana's José Martà Airport to an emotional welcome from their expectant relatives.
Four months later, on April 28, 1979, Muñiz Varela was gunned down outside San Juan.
Those were dangerous days in which any peaceful contact with Cuba inflamed militant exiles and could provoke a violent reprisal. Twelve Cuba travel agencies in Miami were attacked during the late 1970s and 1980s, and here in New York, a Cuban airplane was bombed at JFK.
Fortunately, that senseless violence is a thing of the past.
"No one is afraid anymore; many who never traveled before want to do it now," GarcÃa said. "Things are so different that even the Cuban American National Foundation [CANF] is in favor of traveling."
It is really a sign of the times that the powerful CANF, one of the most politically rigid exile groups, is now an advocate for travel to Cuba.
As GarcÃa said, "It is not the same dynamics; it is not the same administration."
And that's a good thing.
aruiz@nydailynews.com
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Why Doesn’t Costco Accept Food Stamps?
November 19, 2008, 6:30 am — Updated: 3:29 pm -->
Why Doesn’t Costco Accept Food Stamps?
By Jennifer 8. Lee
Councilman Eric N. Gioia outside the Costco store in Long Island City, Queens.
Farmers’ markets accept food stamps. The Harlem Fairway accepts food stamps. So does Trader Joe’s in Brooklyn. Even Whole Foods, which has been trying to shake that “Whole Paycheck” image, accepts food stamps. But Costco, the warehouse retailer that made its reputation as the anti-Wal-Mart, generous not only to Costco’s customers but to its workers as well, does not.
“Costco in general has a reputation of being a socially conscious company,” said Eric N. Gioia, a city councilman from Queens who last year began a campaign asking Costco to accept food stamps after discovering it did not during the “live on food stamps for a week” stunt. “There is no logical reason for someone not to accept food stamps. It is not only compassionate, but it’s good for their bottom line.”
Specifically, Mr. Gioia points to the Costco on Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens, in his district. First opened in 1996, the store is within walking distance for nearly 30,000 residents of three public housing projects: the Queensbridge, Ravenswood and Astoria Homes. “This is their best chance of eating healthy wholesome food at deep discounts,” Mr. Goia said. “And so in this particular case, it’s an especially glaring omission not to accept food stamps.”
Richard Galanti, the chief financial officer of Costco, who handles news media inquiries, declined to comment on the issue.
There has been keen interest in the food stamp program in recent months, as the nation slides deeper into a recession. Last spring, even before the latest economic convulsions, food stamp enrollment was projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the federally financed aid program began in the 1960s. But rising food prices have cut into what food stamps can buy, forcing government officials to come up with creative ways to increase food stamp allotments. For example, Gov. David A. Paterson decided to use a provision in the state’s energy assistance program to increase food assistance.
Pilot food stamp programs were initiated during the Great Depression and again under President John F. Kennedy, but it was during the Great Society era of the mid-1960s that the food stamp program became formally established. The paper coupons were replaced with electronic debit cards that use four-digit identity codes similar to bank cards in 2004, which prompted the renaming of the program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as of Oct. 1 this year. The new cards are preferred by users because they reduce the stigma of the paper coupons and preferred by vendors because they get paid more quickly, often within 48 hours.
According to Mr. Gioia’s office, executives at Costco told the office that they declined to accept food stamps for three reasons.
They did not think they would qualify based on the federal government requirements.
It was too expensive to adapt their equipment to accept food stamps.
With their annual fee/bulk-purchase model, people on food stamps probably could not shop there anyway.
Are these valid concerns? If the corner bodega could qualify to accept food stamps, why would Costco, a publicly traded company with $71 billion in annual revenue, not qualify?
A look at the Agriculture Department’s store-eligibility requirements showed that the process of applying seemed simple and pretty straightforward. Merchants can even apply online.
There are apparently two ways to qualify to accept food stamps. The first way is to have at least 50 percent of the total sales — food, goods and services — at the store be from the sale of eligible staple food (i.e. not junk food). Given the diversity of services (for example, photo processing) and goods (like coffins) that Costco offers, Costco may not qualify under this requirement.
But Costco definitely qualifies under the alternate requirement, which is requires that the store (more or less) offer at least three different varieties of food in each of the following four staple food groups on a daily basis: bread and grains; dairy; fruits and vegetables; and meat, poultry and fish. Costco stores sell a wide selection of food in all of these categories. In fact, the high volume of their dairy business (along with Wal-Mart’s) actually helped ease in the redesign of the gallon milk jug.
Even if qualified, is it hard for a store to start taking food stamps? According to the Agriculture Department’s Web site, there are three ways for stores to accept food stamps. One uses old-fashioned paperwork — for stores that do not have electricity or a phone line, or do not average at least $100 a month in food stamp transactions. (Costco has electricity and phone lines and would be likely do more than $100 per month per store.)
Larger stores that average more than $100 a month in food stamp transactions per customer can receive devices from their state governments that accept the debit cards free of charge. They simply have to sign an agreement to cover the use of the equipment and provide banking information to the company that handles processing before they can receive a device. And the number of devices per store depends on the percentage of food stamp sales. (Having a separate food stamp card-reading device can be cumbersome, so most businesses simply reprogram their payment-processing machines to accept the food cards. This would not seem to be a big stumbling block for a Fortune 500 company like Costco.)
The last point about memberships is interesting: Costco makes the bulk of its profit by charging an annual membership fee for access to its stores, executives have said — more than $1 billion a year. The basic membership for most households is $50, which is a one-time outlay that cannot be covered by the food stamps themselves.
While some food stamps recipients are destitute and could not come up with the $50, many surely would pay the fee if they knew that it would save them far more money over time, said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger.
Mr. Gioia added, “Not only does it amount to 14 cents a day, but you’ll find that people who are on a fixed income and trying to feed their children become amazingly sophisticated at making smart economic choices.”
Mr. Berg noted that the Agriculture Department recently did a survey that found that food stamps recipients spent an average of $6 to travel for their food shopping, which probably means that many poor people are savvy enough to pay for car services and taxis to travel longer distances to buy food at discount stores that do accept food stamps.
“I am sure that many food stamp recipients would scrimp and save and borrow and do what it takes to get into a discount program — particularly since there are about 30,000 public housing residents near the Astoria Costco,” Mr. Berg argued.
And at a time when many New Yorkers are finding it more difficult to find fresh food within walking distance because of the decline of the neighborhood supermarkets (in part because of competition from the big-box retailers that can offer lower prices), the idea of a Costco within walking distance is appealing.
“It is inexplicable why Costco clings to a policy that is against both their public interest and the company’s own self-interest,” Mr. Berg said. “More than one million New Yorkers a year use more than one billion dollars worth of food stamps benefits. I can’t understand why Costco is essentially placing a sign in their window that says ‘Your Business Not Wanted.’ ”
The government pays dollar-for-dollar for the food stamp use, so it is not as though Costco has to discount their margins. Costco, which has created an image that has both upscale and downscale appeal, has been known for attracting the elite (at least in Washington). But perhaps Costco is more wary of the other end of the spectrum, finding western Queens appealing for its real estate, but not for its customer base.
See--http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com/
Why Doesn’t Costco Accept Food Stamps?
By Jennifer 8. Lee
Councilman Eric N. Gioia outside the Costco store in Long Island City, Queens.
Farmers’ markets accept food stamps. The Harlem Fairway accepts food stamps. So does Trader Joe’s in Brooklyn. Even Whole Foods, which has been trying to shake that “Whole Paycheck” image, accepts food stamps. But Costco, the warehouse retailer that made its reputation as the anti-Wal-Mart, generous not only to Costco’s customers but to its workers as well, does not.
“Costco in general has a reputation of being a socially conscious company,” said Eric N. Gioia, a city councilman from Queens who last year began a campaign asking Costco to accept food stamps after discovering it did not during the “live on food stamps for a week” stunt. “There is no logical reason for someone not to accept food stamps. It is not only compassionate, but it’s good for their bottom line.”
Specifically, Mr. Gioia points to the Costco on Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens, in his district. First opened in 1996, the store is within walking distance for nearly 30,000 residents of three public housing projects: the Queensbridge, Ravenswood and Astoria Homes. “This is their best chance of eating healthy wholesome food at deep discounts,” Mr. Goia said. “And so in this particular case, it’s an especially glaring omission not to accept food stamps.”
Richard Galanti, the chief financial officer of Costco, who handles news media inquiries, declined to comment on the issue.
There has been keen interest in the food stamp program in recent months, as the nation slides deeper into a recession. Last spring, even before the latest economic convulsions, food stamp enrollment was projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the federally financed aid program began in the 1960s. But rising food prices have cut into what food stamps can buy, forcing government officials to come up with creative ways to increase food stamp allotments. For example, Gov. David A. Paterson decided to use a provision in the state’s energy assistance program to increase food assistance.
Pilot food stamp programs were initiated during the Great Depression and again under President John F. Kennedy, but it was during the Great Society era of the mid-1960s that the food stamp program became formally established. The paper coupons were replaced with electronic debit cards that use four-digit identity codes similar to bank cards in 2004, which prompted the renaming of the program to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as of Oct. 1 this year. The new cards are preferred by users because they reduce the stigma of the paper coupons and preferred by vendors because they get paid more quickly, often within 48 hours.
According to Mr. Gioia’s office, executives at Costco told the office that they declined to accept food stamps for three reasons.
They did not think they would qualify based on the federal government requirements.
It was too expensive to adapt their equipment to accept food stamps.
With their annual fee/bulk-purchase model, people on food stamps probably could not shop there anyway.
Are these valid concerns? If the corner bodega could qualify to accept food stamps, why would Costco, a publicly traded company with $71 billion in annual revenue, not qualify?
A look at the Agriculture Department’s store-eligibility requirements showed that the process of applying seemed simple and pretty straightforward. Merchants can even apply online.
There are apparently two ways to qualify to accept food stamps. The first way is to have at least 50 percent of the total sales — food, goods and services — at the store be from the sale of eligible staple food (i.e. not junk food). Given the diversity of services (for example, photo processing) and goods (like coffins) that Costco offers, Costco may not qualify under this requirement.
But Costco definitely qualifies under the alternate requirement, which is requires that the store (more or less) offer at least three different varieties of food in each of the following four staple food groups on a daily basis: bread and grains; dairy; fruits and vegetables; and meat, poultry and fish. Costco stores sell a wide selection of food in all of these categories. In fact, the high volume of their dairy business (along with Wal-Mart’s) actually helped ease in the redesign of the gallon milk jug.
Even if qualified, is it hard for a store to start taking food stamps? According to the Agriculture Department’s Web site, there are three ways for stores to accept food stamps. One uses old-fashioned paperwork — for stores that do not have electricity or a phone line, or do not average at least $100 a month in food stamp transactions. (Costco has electricity and phone lines and would be likely do more than $100 per month per store.)
Larger stores that average more than $100 a month in food stamp transactions per customer can receive devices from their state governments that accept the debit cards free of charge. They simply have to sign an agreement to cover the use of the equipment and provide banking information to the company that handles processing before they can receive a device. And the number of devices per store depends on the percentage of food stamp sales. (Having a separate food stamp card-reading device can be cumbersome, so most businesses simply reprogram their payment-processing machines to accept the food cards. This would not seem to be a big stumbling block for a Fortune 500 company like Costco.)
The last point about memberships is interesting: Costco makes the bulk of its profit by charging an annual membership fee for access to its stores, executives have said — more than $1 billion a year. The basic membership for most households is $50, which is a one-time outlay that cannot be covered by the food stamps themselves.
While some food stamps recipients are destitute and could not come up with the $50, many surely would pay the fee if they knew that it would save them far more money over time, said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger.
Mr. Gioia added, “Not only does it amount to 14 cents a day, but you’ll find that people who are on a fixed income and trying to feed their children become amazingly sophisticated at making smart economic choices.”
Mr. Berg noted that the Agriculture Department recently did a survey that found that food stamps recipients spent an average of $6 to travel for their food shopping, which probably means that many poor people are savvy enough to pay for car services and taxis to travel longer distances to buy food at discount stores that do accept food stamps.
“I am sure that many food stamp recipients would scrimp and save and borrow and do what it takes to get into a discount program — particularly since there are about 30,000 public housing residents near the Astoria Costco,” Mr. Berg argued.
And at a time when many New Yorkers are finding it more difficult to find fresh food within walking distance because of the decline of the neighborhood supermarkets (in part because of competition from the big-box retailers that can offer lower prices), the idea of a Costco within walking distance is appealing.
“It is inexplicable why Costco clings to a policy that is against both their public interest and the company’s own self-interest,” Mr. Berg said. “More than one million New Yorkers a year use more than one billion dollars worth of food stamps benefits. I can’t understand why Costco is essentially placing a sign in their window that says ‘Your Business Not Wanted.’ ”
The government pays dollar-for-dollar for the food stamp use, so it is not as though Costco has to discount their margins. Costco, which has created an image that has both upscale and downscale appeal, has been known for attracting the elite (at least in Washington). But perhaps Costco is more wary of the other end of the spectrum, finding western Queens appealing for its real estate, but not for its customer base.
See--http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com/
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