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John McHugh, New York (202) 225-4611
By MARK SHERMAN
The Associated Press
Monday, June 29, 2009 11:19 AM
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.
New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.
The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.
"Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court. He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
In dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the white firefighters "understandably attract this court's sympathy. But they had no vested right to promotion. Nor have other persons received promotions in preference to them."
Read the rest here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901608_pf.html
Chris Smith, New Jersey (202) 225-3765
Dave Reichert, Washington (202) 225-7761
Mary Bono Mack (CA) (202) 225-5330
Mike Castle, Deleware (202) 225-4165
John McHugh, New York (202) 225-4611
Leonard Lance, New Jersey (202) 225-5361
McHugh (NY)Castle (DE)
Reichert (WA)
Smith (NJ)
Lance (NJ)
LoBiondo (NJ)
Bono Mack (CA)
Although Congress provided in 1818 for the appointment of a civilian Protestant clergyman at West Point, there was no regular chapel building until construction of this neo-classical edifice in 1836. Hence, making the Old Cadet Chapel the first house of worship at the Academy. Originally located in the vicinity of the cadet barracks, because of the sentiment attached to this building after construction of the "new" cadet chapel, it was removed stone by stone to its present location in 1910.
The interior is the repository for many unusual plaques and other memorabilia including a plaque to the infamous Major General Benedict Arnold.
Because of its location at the entrance of the cemetery, many Funerals and Memorial services are held here. It has also been the home for Lutheran services for many years. (10:30 a.m. Sundays 8:00 a.m. in summer) It is open for meditation and prayer daily from 8:15 a.m. till 4:15 p.m.
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He is a long-term way-out-of-the-box thinker who redesigned the U.S. Army’s Intelligence architecture while serving as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army’s Intelligence School and Center and helped to define the requirements of the U.S. Army for future conflict. The re-design earned his place in the Intelligence Hall of Fame.
Many of the innovations he develop helped the U.S. to conduct the First Gulf War effectively and swiftly with a very low casualty rate. He also commanded the U.S. Army’s Electronic Research and Development Command (ERADCOM) and the U.S. Army’s Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM).
Having defended his country for 32 years and having then worked for the remainder of his career to build better ways of being and becoming well, Bert is determined not to let the forces which are threatening American’s health freedoms prevail.
The above news report from Al Jazeer English accuses U.S. Army soldiers in Afghanistan of violating anti-proselytizing rules by handing out New Testaments in the languages of the locals. The outcome: The Bibles were confiscated and destroyed by the military.
Reuters reported earlier this month:
Military officials have said the bibles were sent through private mail to an evangelical Christian soldier by his church back home. The soldier brought them to the bible study class where they were filmed.
Trying to convert Muslims to another faith is a crime in Afghanistan. An Afghan man who converted to Christianity was sentenced to death for apostasy in 2006 but was allowed to leave the country after an international uproar.
“It certainly is, from the United States military’s perspective, not our position to ever push any specific kind of religion, period,“ chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told a Pentagon briefing on Monday.
But David Brody, Christian Broadcasting Networks’ senior Washington correspondent and an evangelical well-respected by his secular peers, asks a spot-on question:
“if the U.S. Military seized a stack full of Korans, would they be burned? You think that might cause a little outrage in the Muslim world?“
Could California become the first state in the nation to do away with welfare?
That doomsday scenario is on the table as lawmakers wrestle with a staggering $24.3 billion budget deficit.
County welfare directors are "in shock" at the very idea of getting rid of CalWORKs, which has been widely viewed as one of the most successful social programs in the state's history, said Bruce Wagstaff, director of the Department of Human Assistance in Sacramento.
"It's difficult to come up with the right adjective to react to this," Wagstaff said. "It would be devastating to the people we serve."
H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance, said California is in an unprecedented fiscal situation that has made all programs, from education to human services, vulnerable to deep and painful reductions.
"I don't wish for a moment to minimize the profound impact" that eliminating CalWORKs would have, Palmer said. "But the easy decisions are way past being in the rearview mirror for us. We face the specter of California not having cash on hand to pay its bills in July."
Wagstaff and other administrators are betting that the state will rescue the "welfare to work" program. But they are bracing for cuts that would slash benefits to the lowest levels since the late 1990s, when CalWORKs began as part of the federal government's bold reform of the welfare system.
Read the complete story at sacbee.com
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| Joe Nichols Wearing a Marine's Cover.JPG 17 |
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West Point Grad Leads Charge on Denali Despite Combat InjuriesBy Samantha L. QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service | ||
| WASHINGTON, June 2, 2009 – Summiting the highest peak in North America, will make Marc Hoffmeister’s other challenges, like earning his commission as an Army officer by graduating from West Point, seem like a mole hill, by comparison.
“I started planning this [climb] very early in my recovery and it’s been both all-consuming and rehabilitative,” said the team leader for ’Operation Denali.’ “The drive to complete this ‘mission’ set the conditions for me to develop the skills I’ve always yearned to possess.” Nearly 15 years after graduating from West Point, the now-Lt. Col. Hoffmeister found himself in Iraq conducting a combined patrol with the Iraq army as an embedded trainer. It was April 22, 2007, when the patrol was hit by a roadside bomb just north of Hillah, along alternate supply route Jackson. The blast severely damaged Hoffmeister’s left arm, causing broken bones and nerve damage. He also suffered a traumatic brain injury and, as he puts it, “The pleasure of accompanying shrapnel popping out on odd occasions.” “I have more titanium than bone in my left arm now, and my elbow is more a collection of plates and screws than an elbow,” Hoffmeister said. He said he considers his rehabilitation ongoing because of slow nerve growth and recovery. He had a nerve transplant from his left leg and was initially hospitalized for two months. He then received home health care for an additional two months, during which his brigade commander in Iraq called and asked him to take over the brigade’s rear detachment. “He stated to me very simply that he figured, ‘Anyone with two arms is still only half as good as Hoffmeister with one arm, so would [you] mind taking command of the brigade rear detachment?’” Hoffmeister said. “How do you say no to a question like that? “So after a brief pity party, I got back to work and assumed command of the brigade rear detachment [with] the catheter line still in my arm [and] oxycodone and Lyrica tempering the pain,” he added. “It was a godsend.” The duties gave him a purpose and a focus, and he could relate to the large population of wounded in the brigade’s rear detachment, he said. It kept him looking beyond his personal obstacles and moving forward. Hoffmeister’s injury has forced him to figure out how to modify equipment so he can return to activities he enjoyed before his injury. For instance, all the gears that once resided on the left side of his bike have found a new home on the right. He also uses a padded glove and a wrist strap on his left hand to compensate for hypersensitivity and reduced grip strength. His injuries also affected his climbing techniques. “It’s forcing me to learn how to become a much more technically adept climber, as I can’t rely on the strength or dexterity of my left arm or hand,” he said. “So my lower body technique and positioning must change to reduce the strain and extend my endurance.” The injury, which causes constant pain, has provided Hoffmeister with a new perspective on life, as well. “I embrace life’s experiences far more than in the past because I am far more aware of the blessings that each new day brings,” he said. “I’ve also realized that the combined virtue of my experiences being severely wounded and my rank and position have enabled me to assist other wounded warriors experiencing similar challenges. “I feel a personal responsibility to assist, motivate or support my fellow wounded warriors in any way that I can,” he added. When asked what has been his greatest triumph since being injured, he’s hesitant to provide a concrete answer, mainly because he’s hoping that answer will change in a few weeks. “I’ll tell you after the climb!” he said. Hoffmeister has served on active duty since graduating from West Point 17 years ago. He’s the chief engineer for Alaskan Command/Joint Task Force Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base and lives in Eagle River, Alaska, with his wife, Gayle, and two Jack Russell terriers, Max and Bailey. Gayle also will make the climb with the Operation Denali team as a peer mentor. The group set out for base camp on June 1 and expects to complete their trek by June 22. |
Photo of terrorist from:http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0609/627959.htmlLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — One Army recruiter was killed Monday and a second was wounded in a shooting at a recruiting office, and a suspect was arrested, police said.
Police Lt. Terry Hastings said the recruiter was shot when a man in a black SUV opened fire on the office in west Little Rock at about 10:30 a.m.
The vehicle was stopped on Interstate 630 a short time later and a suspect was taken into custody. Hastings said the suspect pulled over and surrendered without incident.
Police said they found an assault rifle in the vehicle.
Hastings said he did not know whether the recruiting office was specifically targeted or was randomly chosen.
Hastings said shortly after noon that investigators had not yet questioned the suspect and that police were still processing evidence from the crime scene.
As a precaution, police also called in a bomb squad because there were packages in the SUV. Hastings said a robot would open the packages.
Authorities did not immediately identify either the victims or the suspect.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQACNshVFYt6M9CDykHq6DKqPhiwD98I121O0
Pray for their families...
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