Congress Investigating Obama on Solyndra....UPDATED

Rep Darrell Issa

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that his committee plans to investigate government loan programs to private corporations in light of allegations of improper dealings between the White House and failed energy company Solyndra and wireless start-up LightSquared.

"I want to see when the president and his cronies are picking winners and losers… it wasn't because there were large contributions given to them," the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Tuesday morning on C-SPAN.5 Issa said the committee was looking at whether it was improper for members of Congress or White House staff to select companies eligible for subsidized government loans when those companies could give campaign donations. Loan programs have been a popular tool to provide funding for popular industries — like tech, green energy, and American auto companies — at more favorable terms than could be secured privately.

The Obama administration has been defending itself against criticism by Republicans that it exerted improper influence to the aid of both companies.

Solyndra abruptly filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, surprising both employees and the administration, which had secured $535 million in low-interest loans for the company.

Read more: The Hill

Meanwhile a second witness said that the White House tried to steer testimony, this from a liberal blog

The Daily Beast

Anthony Russo

A second government official has come forward saying the White House tried to influence his testimony concerning a wireless broadband project backed by a Democratic donor that military officials fear might impair sensitive satellite navigation systems.

Anthony Russo, director of the National Coordination Office for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, told The Daily Beast he rejected “guidance” from the White House’s Office of Budget and Management suggesting he tell Congress that the government’s concerns about the project by the firm LightSquared could be resolved in 90 days, a timetable favorable to the company’s plans.
“They gave that to me and presumably the other witnesses,” Russo said. “There is one sentence I disagreed with, which said that I thought the testing could be resolved in 90 days. So I took it out.”

Russo said he objected to that language because “I have low confidence that we can complete all of the testing in 90 days.” He estimated that such testing would take at least six months. Russo called the White House efforts to alter his testimony “guidance rather than pressure.”

Russo’s comments come just days after four-star Air Force Gen. William Shelton, who heads U.S. Space Command, told Congress in a classified briefing that he felt pressured by the White House to change his testimony about the same project to make it more favorable to the company.

Just In:4:48 PM

Solyndra execs will decline to testify at hearing

Sept 20 (Reuters) - Solyndra LLC's chief executive and chief financial officer will invoke their Fifth Amendment rights and decline to answer any questions put to them at a Congressional hearing on Friday, according to letters from their attorneys obtained by Reuters.

In the letters sent to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, attorneys for Solyndra CEO Brian Harrison and CFO W. G. Stover said they advised their clients not to provide testimony during the hearings.

The bankrupt company's $535 million federal loan guarantee is being investigated by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

6.5 Ton NASA satellite will crash to Earth this week!

(Reuters) - A defunct NASA science satellite is expected to fall back to Earth on Friday, showering debris somewhere on the planet although scientists cannot predict exactly where, officials said.

The 6.5-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, was carried into orbit during a space shuttle mission in 1991. It operated for 14 years, collecting measurements of ozone and other chemicals in the atmosphere.

Since completing its mission in 2005, UARS has been slowly losing altitude, tugged by Earth's gravity. On Friday, the 35-foot-long, 15-foot diameter (10.6-metres long, 4.5-metres diameter) satellite is expected to plunge into the atmosphere, NASA reported on its website.

While most of the spacecraft will be incinerated, scientists expect up to 26 pieces, with a combined mass of about 1,100 pounds (500 kg) to survive the fiery re-entry and fall down somewhere on Earth.

NASA said the chance a piece of UARS debris will strike a person is about one in 3,200. The debris will mostly likely fall into an ocean or land in an uninhabited region of Earth.

Satellites as large as UARS re-enter Earth's atmosphere about once a year.

NASA said there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries to people from falling debris.

The largest chunk of wreckage from UARS is expected to be about 331 pounds (151 kg), says Nicholas Johnson, chief scientist of NASA's Orbital Debris Program office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

As of Sunday, UARS was in a 133-mile by 149-mile (215-km by 240-km) high orbit around Earth. Re-entry is expected some time on Friday, although it could happen as early as Thursday or as late as Saturday.

The agency is posting updates on its website, www.nasa.gov/uars.

Mother of 4 terrorist murderers chosen by the PA to launch statehood campaign

Latifa Abu Hmeid

The Palestinian Authority chose the mother of 4 terrorist murderers, one of whom killed seven Israeli civilians and attempted to killed twelve others, as the person to launch their statehood campaign with the UN. In a widely publicized event, the PA had Latifa Abu Hmeid lead the procession to the UN offices in Ramallah and to hand over a letter for the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The official PA daily reported that she launched the UN campaign last week, and noted that she is the "mother of seven prisoners and of the Shahid (Martyr) Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Hmeid." However, the paper did not mention that 4 of her imprisoned sons are murderers.

Palestinian Media Watch reported last year that Abu Hmeid then had 4 sons in Israeli prisons who were each serving between two and seven life sentences, a total of 18 life sentences. At that time she was in the news because the PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake, decided to honor her with an award, "the Plaque of Resoluteness and Giving... inscribed with the names of her four sons who are imprisoned."

The PA minister explained then why the mother of 4 murderers of Israelis deserves such honor:

"It is she who gave birth to the fighters, and she deserves that we bow to her in salute and in honor."

The four sons are serving a total of 18 life sentences for the following crimes:

Nasser Abu Hmeid - 7 life sentences + 50 years - commander in Fatah's military wing the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Ramallah. Convicted of killing seven Israeli civilians and 12 attempted murders.

Nasr Abu Hmeid - 5 life sentences - Member of terror faction of Fatah, Tanzim, and convicted of involvement in two terror attacks and arms dealing.

Sharif Abu Hmeid - 4 life sentences - a member in one of the brothers' units carrying out terror attacks against civilians and soldiers. Accompanied a suicide bomber to his attack in March 2002.

Muhammad Abu Hmeid - 2 life sentences + 30 years - involvement in terror attacks.

A fifth son, Abd Al-Mun'im Muhammad Yusuf Naji Abu Hmeid, the one referred to as "Martyr," was a member of the military wing of Hamas, Izz A-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, and planned and carried out the ambush and murder of an Israeli intelligence officer.

PMW has not been able to determine for which crimes the rest of the sons are imprisoned.

"Yeshiva World " OP-ED Admonishes Dov Hikend on Women Joining Hatzalah!

Dov Hikend
Read the op-ed:

For years I have supported Dov Hikind. When others criticized, I defended him. What do I like most about Dov? His passion.

Unfortunately, in light of recent events I can no longer defend Dov much less support him. Let me explain. Dov Hikind has a weekly radio show. He usually tackles interesting issues like politics, kids at risk and controversial issues too. This past motzei shabbos Dov spent most of his show seemingly promoting a new radical feminist agenda: forcing women into Hatzolah.

As a long-time fan of Dov but even a longer Hatzolah member, I was sick to my stomach. Dov brought on several women who claim that tznius mandates that Hatzolah have women available for certain calls like a women giving birth. Dov proclaimed that this was a “no brainer.”

First, let’s be clear. Hatzolah is one of the oldest and most respected organizations in our community because everything that Hatzolah does is L’Shaim Shmayim. The reason Hatzolah was created was to ensure that even our injured community members would be treated with respect and al pi halacha. In fact, not only does Central Hatzolah ask shayhlas of the unquestioned gedolei hador, every local Hatzolah has their poskim as well.

Every single shayla from Hilchos Pikuach Nefes, to Hilchos Shabbos is dealt with at the highest level. The shayla of women joining Hatzolah was taken up by years ago by the likes of the Debertziner Rov ZATZAL, Rav Moshe Feinstein ZATZAL, and other major Poskim. Das Torah on this issue is unequivocal: for reasons of tznius women may not join Hatzolah. Think about it, co-mingling, yichud, taharas hamishpacha – the list goes on and on. The idea that Dov Hikind can question the psak of our gedolei hador is shocking to me.

Hatzolah has been around for decades, and responds to tens of thousands of calls each year. With all due respect to his track record, Dov Hikind is a NYS Assemblyman. Perhaps he forgot that. He is not a member of Hatzolah and surely not one of Hatzolah’s senior Poskim.

So Dov I ask of you, please publicly disavow your remarks or at least tell us who your Das Torah is that has authorized you to take on our Gedolei Hador. Unless you do that immediately, I am sorry to say you have lost a fan forever.

Now read some selected responses:

Spira says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:44 am

Baruch Hashem I merited being a co-founded of Washington Heights Hatzolah back in the 1970s, together with Rabbi Yehoshua Kaganoff. I was also the first NYC-EMS certified paramedic in the organization to the best of my knowledge, as well as the first frum paramedic in the NYC-EMS. I was working for the now-defunct NYC-EMS, which has since become FDNY-EMS.
Shortly after its inception, due to difficulties in providing daytime coverage, Rabbi Shimon Schwab ZT”L gave haskoma to permit married women to respond, under very well-defined conditions, during the daytime, as well for OB/GYN calls. The Rov took a considerable amount of heat, including from Hatzolah general, with leaders of the organization scoffing the Gadol HaDor for his decision.
I recall meeting with R’ Herschel Weber in Williamsburg in 1976 or 1977 seeking his assistance in launching our chapter and with the push from Rabbi Kaganoff and the brochos and support of Rav Schwab ZT”L, it became reality!
Therefore, there is a precedent and from a Gadol, and there was no compromise of tznius and the care for women was extraordinary, with the additional sensitivity and understanding that a male EMT or paramedic simply cannot give. To say otherwise would be not reflect reality in my opinion.
Rabbi Kaganoff at the time also published a kuntras on pertinent halachos which was also scoffed, and only years later did Hatzolah general catch on and do the same.
In short, the “Yekkes” were leaders in many ways and they did and perhaps continue to take heat and were the target of scoffing, but it was ignored in short. Jokes aside, Washington Heights Hatzolah is extremely modest and in my time, we were not in the social loop of the remaining chapters around NYC but we were doing what we signed up to do, I dare say without fanfare.
In short, whatever the case may be today, one cannot say this is “unprecedented” for that is simply not factual. The rabbonim today will have to decide but I hope someone looks at Washington Heights for an example, and possibly even contacts Rabbi Kaganoff for the Halachic background. The women were a major asset and anyone who argues simply is basing their comments on hearsay rather than factual data accumulated over many many years. The fact that Central Hatzalah decided to keep the female responders a secret for so long is another matter for another article perhaps.
After years working as an EMT and paramedic in NYC, NJ, EMS and Hatzalah, I can only speak for myself but I witnessed the difference of having a frum woman on the scene, which I have found contributes significantly to the refuah.
Perhaps [my opinion again], we are too quick to jump to conclusions and maybe we can accept that “new” or “different” is not always “wrong” or “bad”
At least record permit history to be presented as it occurred and not attempt to re-write it.
As for the skeptics, it is great and LONG overdue in citywide Hatzolah. Washington Heights proved this decades ago.
Yechiel Spira
EMT/P (retired)
Formally Y-15
Jerusalem

Health says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:56 am

I’m an outsider, not a member, so let me put out the view of the people whom are for this intiative. (Even though I might not personally agree with it.) They definitely have valid points. The Shaila that was brought forth years ago was about women in general joining Hatzolah. This was negated. The idea now is simply to have women respond in childbirth situations. As far as who his Rabbonim are, they are the Rabbonim of New Square. Right now New Square has a program where they allow women to take care of the childbirth patients. The woman is in the back and the man drives. I’m don’t know if they are called in emergent situations. I also don’t know the logistics and if it is feasable to implement all the time in the greater NYC area. But definitely it should be brought up to the Rabbonim who are right now in charge of Hatzolah in NYC!

Torahumada says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:18 am

Dear Op-Ed writer: I am not from NYC nor a member of Hatzalah. Nor did I hear what Hikind had to say. But why is it so bad to revisit the issue of women working in Hatzalah. 35 years ago when Hatzalah was forming, they asked shailos and got answers. Why is it that we are to assume that nothing has changed since that time?
Maybe allowing women would be beneficial. I am certain that there are situations where women would prefer if a woman was handling her medical care.

Dov Hikind is a politician, his job is to start discussions that lead to results. That is exactly what he has done. Started a discussion. Now it is up to Hatzalah to come up with an answer.

Also, not everything is done because of tzinius or a halachic reasoning. I know that some hatzolas when they are starting will only select certain types of people because they wish to ensure that they money they invest is not wasted.

Amazing Video of Spacecraft flying over earth!

You'll probably never get to visit the International Space Station, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the view it affords.

YouTube user "yesterday2221" compiled this stunning time-lapse simply using images taken from the ISS that are available online. All the images used in the video were found here, at NASA's "Gateway to Astronaut Photography Of Earth."

The breathtaking views largely cover North America, though the shots begin in the Pacific Ocean and move over Antarctica. The video has quickly gone viral, gaining almost a million views since it was posted on September 15.

As the view pans through you can see everything from thunderous storms to sprawling cities. Towards the end of the film you can see the unmistakable South American coastline of Chile and Peru becomes visible, just before the sun takes over.

Michelle Obama dishonors the Flag of the USA! Video

Makes you think what we have in the White House. On 9/11 2011 when the whole wide world was watching as the Marines with pomp and grandour were folding the flag, Michelle the wife of Hussain Obama whispers "All this for a flag"to her husband..." and then proceeds to shake her head as if this is insane!

YOU WANT ME TO SURRENDER MY LAND, MY HISTORY, MY RIGHTS, FOR WHAT??? FOR HAMAS!!! NO DEAL!!!!!!

Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Resigns! Disgusted Over Official Policy that "global warming" is occuring!

The global warming theory left him out in the cold.

Dr. Ivar Giaever, a former professor with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the 1973 winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday, Sept. 13, from the premier physics society in disgust over its officially stated policy that "global warming is occurring."

The official position of the American Physical Society (APS) supports the theory that man's actions have inexorably led to the warming of the planet, through increased emissions of carbon dioxide.

Giaever does not agree -- and put it bluntly and succinctly in the subject line of his email, reprinted at Climate Depot, a website devoted to debunking the theory of man-made climate change.

"I resign from APS," Giaever wrote.

Giaever was cooled to the statement on warming theory by a line claiming that "the evidence is incontrovertible."

"In the APS it is ok to discuss whether the mass of the proton changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves, but the evidence of global warming is incontrovertible?" he wrote in an email to Kate Kirby, executive officer of the physics society. 

"The claim … is that the temperature has changed from ~288.0 to ~288.8 degree Kelvin in about 150 years, which (if true) means to me is that the temperature has been amazingly stable, and both human health and happiness have definitely improved in this 'warming' period," his email message said.

A spokesman for the APS confirmed to FoxNews.com that the Nobel Laureate had declined to pay his annual dues in the society and had resigned. He also noted that the society had no plans to revise its statement.

The use of the word "incontrovertible" had already caused debate within the group, so much so that an addendum was added to the statement discussing its use in April, 2010.

"The word 'incontrovertible' ... is rarely used in science because by its very nature, science questions prevailing ideas. The observational data indicate a global surface warming of 0.74 °C (+/- 0.18 °C) since the late 19th century."

Giaever earned his Nobel for his experimental discoveries regarding tunneling phenomena in superconductors. He has since become a vocal dissenter from the alleged “consensus” regarding man-made climate fears, Climate Depot reported, noting that he was one of more than 100 co-signers of a 2009 letter to President Obama critical of his position on climate change.

Public perception of climate change has steadily fallen since late 2009. A Rasmussen Reports public opinion poll from August noted that 57 percent of adults believe there is significant disagreement within the scientific community on global warming, up five points from late 2009.

The same study showed that 69 percent of those polled believe it’s at least somewhat likely that some scientists have falsified research data in order to support their own theories and beliefs. Just 6 percent felt confident enough to report that such falsification was "not at all likely."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/14/nobel-prize-winning-physicist-resigns-from-top-physics-group-over-global/#ixzz1Y994AK8b

Appeals Court Denies Rubashkin New Trial

St. Louis, MO - A federal appeals court has denied a former Postville meatpacking executive’s request for a new trial, saying he failed to show the judge in the case was unfairly biased in favor of the prosecution.

Rubashkin’s case and long sentence drew national attention, including from six former U.S. attorneys general who voiced concern about his treatment.

His lawyers said U.S. District Judge Linda Reade should have stepped aside from his trial because she cooperated closely with prosecutors before the immigration raid, showing bias against the plant’s owners.

The appeals court in St. Louis ruled this morning that Rubashkin failed to show Reade was required to recuse herself from the fraud trial.

“Our approach is consistent with that of the Supreme Court, which has held that recusal is not necessarily required even after a district court has expressed ‘impatience, dissatisfaction, annoyance, and even anger’ toward a party. There is nothing like that in this record,” the appeals court wrote.

More at Des Monies Register 

Democrats turning into Communists

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky

In a interview with Chicago’s Don Wade & Roma radio show this morning, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky claimed that Americans aren’t entitled to all of their own money.

Toward the end of a wide-ranging interview, the hosts played a clip from this week’s Republican Presidential Debate where California teenager Tyler Hinsley asked, “Of every dollar that I earn, how much do you think I deserve to keep?” Co-host Don Wade asked Schakowsky to answer the same question.

After some initial back-and-forth, she replied, “I’ll put it this way, you don’t deserve to keep all of it. It’s not a question of deserving, because what government is, is those things that we decide to do together.”

Despite the hosts’ persistence, Schakowsky declined to answer what percentage of a person’s income they deserved to keep. “I pay at a 35% tax rate, happy to do it,” she explained when the hosts persisted with their question. She again declined to say how much more she would personally be willing to pay.

But Rep. Schakowsky is not alone. Her views are sadly typical of a liberal worldview that sees a person’s earnings as belonging first to the state. In fact, the left is now doubling down on this misguided belief, with the President pushing for more stimulus spending despite the failures of earlier “stimulus.”

But while the left continues to promote the same failed policies—more taxes, more regulation, more big government—conservatives need to trumpet the benefits of low taxes, sensible regulations, and small government. As Heritage’s Dubay explains:

The best way to grow revenues is to promote faster economic growth, which will increase the number of taxpayers and taxable income more rapidly. Tax hikes—whether through higher tax rates or slashing credits, deductions, and exemptions without offsetting reductions elsewhere—will not do the job. Under President Obama’s current policies, spending will continue to grow at a faster rate than can be paid for by tax hikes—even assuming the huge tax increases the President insists upon. To add insult to injury, as history has shown, tax hikes would slow economic growth and make it even harder for unemployed Americans to find a job 

Hear this interview: http://citadelcc.vo.llnwd.net/o29/stations/CHICAGO/WLS_AM/Don_Roma/091411JanSchakowsky.mp3