Luke_Wilbur

I pray that this hurricane does not do any harm to the people in its path.

At the recommendation of Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican National Convention announced substantial changes to the convention's program and actions being taken to help with Hurricane Gustav relief efforts. On Monday, all program activities beyond the official business that must be conducted in accordance with party rules will be cancelled. Among the other actions announced today are the formation of the Affected States Working Group, the establishment of an Affected States Information Center, and the chartering of a DC-9 to transport affected delegates. Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain 2008, announced that the upcoming Republican National Nominating Convention is making serious revisions to the convention program and surrounding activities. Davis said, "We are deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of the residents of the Gulf State region. Our top priority is to assist those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav. This is not a time for politics or celebration; it is a time for us to come together as Americans and assist the residents of the Gulf States." Davis also discussed what the changes in the program will mean for the nomination process. "In order for the Republican Party to officially exist and for Senator McCain to qualify for the ballot, we are - by law - required to conduct specific official business. At this point, our program on Monday has been scaled back and will only include what party rules governing the nomination of our candidates for president and vice president require. We will perform the official business as required. In addition, we have set aside time to make delegates and Americans watching our proceedings at home aware of what they can do to assist in relief efforts designed to help those who will be affected by Hurricane Gustav." Davis concluded: "At some point between Monday and Thursday evening, we will convene once again to complete the activities needed to qualify Senator McCain and Governor Palin for the ballot in all 50 states. Beyond that, all we can say is that we will monitor what is happening and make decisions about other convention business as details become available." Chairman of the Republican National Committee Robert M. "Mike" Duncan added, "The safety and well-being of the people of the Gulf States remains our top concern. We are doing everything we can on the ground in Minneapolis-Saint Paul to ensure that the delegations affected by this storm have the resources and information that they need. As Senator McCain said this morning, we must redirect our attention and efforts. We will act as Americans - not Republicans - to help our fellow citizens in need." This morning, at the request of Governor Barbour (R-Miss.), Sen. McCain attended a briefing with the governor about the state's storm preparation efforts. The briefing was held at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency offices in Pearl, Miss. Following the briefing, Sen. McCain, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and Mrs. Cindy McCain toured the emergency management center. The convention is in continuous communication with all delegates, speakers, and program participants. All parties understand that the schedule for the convention will be dictated by the conditions on the ground in the Gulf States and are, therefore, subject to change. The campaign and the convention's first priority is the safety and security of those living in the areas where the hurricane will make landfall. The McCain campaign has also taken several additional steps to assist delegates from the Gulf States, including the formation of an Affected States Working Group, the chartering of a DC-9 to transport affected delegates, and the establishment of an Affected States Information Center. The Affected States Working Group The Affected States Working Group is comprised of a group of representatives from each of the states in Hurricane Gustav's path. The group will ensure that all affected delegates have information and assistance in real time. The Affected States Working Group is led by all five state party chairs from the affected area along with other delegation officials. The purpose of the group will be to regularly brief their delegates and convention planners, provide access to timely information and assistance, and give input on appropriate steps that can be taken from Minnesota. The state party chairs released the following joint statement: "We appreciate the thoughts and prayers of everyone around the country as we prepare for this dangerous storm. We are here in Minnesota for the necessary job of nominating our choice for president and vice president, but obviously our focus is on our families and friends back at home. We are in constant communication with our governors and elected officials and feel confident that they are taking the appropriate and necessary steps to prepare. The purpose of this group is to discuss ways that we can come together to provide information and support for our delegates here in Minneapolis." The group is made up of nine leaders from the region and is chaired by the following individuals: * Roger Villare, Louisiana State Chair * Tina Benkiser, Texas State Chair * Brad White, Mississippi State Chair * Mike Hubbard, Alabama State Chair * Jim Greer, Florida State Chair Air Transportation Provided to Delegates Also announced today were transportation arrangements for delegates from states affected by Hurricane Gustav. The McCain 2008 campaign has chartered a DC-9 that will transport delegates that wish to return to home to their states. The DC-9 will leave Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport today and will fly to Jackson, Mississippi. All transportation costs will be covered by the McCain 2008 campaign. "As we all watch and prepare for Gustav to make landfall, it is important that the convention make it as easy as possible for delegates to be where they are needed most - with their families and local agencies in their home states. We are grateful to Senator McCain for making this resource available to the delegates from the Gulf States," Maria Cino, President and CEO of the Republican National Convention 2008, said today. Affected States Information Center The convention has established an Affected States Information Center, which will be fully staffed and located inside the Xcel Energy Center. The center will remain open during the Xcel Energy Center's operating hours and will serve as a central location where delegates can get news about the hurricane, weather reports, and information about rescue relief organizations; access to computers and phones; and the resources they need to address their situations back home. Delegates can go to the center and get information. There will also be contacts in the center that can contact Gulf State governors, if needed. Republican Party Rules The convention program has been altered in response to the situation developing in the Gulf States region. However, the convention will still take place. According to party rules, it is necessary for the convention to proceed in order to ensure that the party is able to place its candidates' names on the ballot in November. On November 9, 2007, pursuant to the rules adopted at the 2004 National Republican Convention, the party issued the call for its convention. The call requires that the convention meet on Sept. 1, 2008. The session must be convened no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m. Under the current party rules, this is the only method by which the party may select a candidate for President and Vice President.

Mr Rees, I think you have clearly stated that your stance that homosexuality is a moral evil. I love my wife and I am a supporter of traditional marriage. But, posting hateful banter leads to greater negative energy, which begets more negative energy. I respect the fact that God and our great country gives the freedom of choice to every human being. It is my hope that this country does not persecute people because of their sexual orientation. Even here in the "Land of the Free" hundreds of federal and state employees were fired in the 1950s because of their homosexuality. Hitler exterminated homosexuals with the jews, because the Nazi party deemed these groups inferior and evil. I am requesting that your tone down your rhetoric for the common good of all our readers.

Easy on the flame wars people. Both John McCain and Barack Obama are quality Americans. They just have differences in which directions they want to take our country. I recieved this letter from the McCain campaign that explains why the Senator chose Governor Palin.

Like millions of Americans, tonight I watched a historic moment happen at Mile High Stadium tonight. Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States. I thought about my father who lost his carpentry job, because 45 years ago he marched with Dr. King and listed to a prolific dream. I know my father is smiling down from heaven tonight knowing the spirit of slavery is dying. There were many good lines in Senator Obama's speech. Some will say it was "I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change," because he voted for Bush 90% of the time. Some will say it was the moment that he stated this country is not Red America or a Blue America it is the United States of America. Some will say it was "It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it." There were many great lines, but the one that sticks with me the most was Senator Obama explanation of why some people don't get how an ordinary guy from a broken family could be nominated for the highest office in the land. "this election has never been about me. It's about you." Lincoln must be smiling, because his sacrifice was not in vain. Barack Obama is a new chapter in American History. Here is a transcript of his speech

Former President William Jefferson Clinton speech closed the final chapter of the rift between the Barack and Hillary supporters tonight. President Clinton lacked the charisma of his wife, but he removed all doubt that he is still the Patriarch of the DNC. He immediately started off by endorsing Senator Obama's decision of Joe Biden and adding that his wife and her 18 million supporters do as well. Clinton's strongest banter came when he stated that Americans had not fully understood the Republicans extreme philosphy until 2001 when the party had control of Congress and the White House. "They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years by giving them four more. Now, let's send them a message that will echo from the Rockies all across America, a simple message: Thanks, but no thanks." Here is a transcript of Bill Clinton's Convention Speech

I just watched Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech. In my opinion, it was well written and masterfully delivered. My favorite part was when Senator Clinton asked her democratic followers whether they were in the race for her or were in the race for America's future. I also appreciate her not going over the top and being mean spirited. Senator Clinton gave proper respect to Senator John McCain. She also touched on a common message of the night -- that Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, would offer more of the same types of policies of the Bush administration. Her remark on the how appropriate it was for the Republicans to hold their convention in the Twin Cities, because President Bush and Senator McCain are pretty much twins was quite clever. If you did not get the chance to watch or listen to Senator Clinton's speech here is the transcript:

Here is a photo of two of the assailants. Tharin Gartrell (Left) and Nathan Johnson (Right) .... One of the suspects told police they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle ... sighted at 750 yards," Denver television station CDS4 is reporting. Police have told the television station that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative." The suspects were arrested on Sunday when local police arrested a man, identified by the television station as Tharin Gartrell, 28, who was driving a rented pickup truck erratically. CDS4 is reprrting that in his truck police found two high powered rifles with telescopic sites, as well as camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, a bulletproof vest, a high powered spotting scope, licences in the names of various people, and the drug methamphetamine. One of the rifles is listed as stolen from Kansas. ....

The FAA reports that Dulles International Airport is the 16th busiest airline terminal in the United States with 419127 operations. Balt/Wash International Airport is 29th. Reagan National is 30th. The list is categorized by rank, number of operations, and terminal name. 1 991627 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int’l. (ATL) 2 926973 Chicago/O’Hare Int’l. (ORD) 3 686711 Dallas/Ft. Worth Int’l. (DFW) 4 680954 Los Angeles International (LAX) 5 619941 Denver International (DEN) 6 619287 Las Vegas/Mc Carran Int’l. (LAS) 7 603641 Houston/G. Bush Intercont’l. (IAH) 8 539211 Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l. (PHX) 9 525943 Charlotte/Douglas Int’l. (CLT) 10 499683 Philadelphia International (PHL) 11 467442 Detroit Metro Wayne Co. (DTW) 12 456835 John F. Kennedy Int’l. (JFK) 13 453566 Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l. (MSP) 14 441908 Newark International (EWR) 15 420996 Salt Lake City Int’l. (SLC) 16 419127 Washington Dulles Int’l. (IAD) 17 401890 Boston/Logan International (BOS) 18 397280 LaGuardia (LGA) 19 386367 Miami International (MIA) 20 379568 San Francisco Int’l. (SFO) 21 376528 Memphis International (MEM) 22 367860 Orlando International (MCO) 23 347046 Seattle Tacoma Int’l. (SEA) 24 328261 Covington/Cincinnati Int’l. (CVG) 25 307952 Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood (FLL) 26 307112 Honolulu International (HNL) 27 304657 Chicago Midway (MDW) 28 299917 Anchorage International (ANC) 29 296639 Baltimore-Washington Int’l. (BWI) 30 279488 Washington National (DCA) 31 264518 Portland International (PDX) 32 258745 Tampa International (TPA) 33 256928 Lambert-St. Louis Int’l. (STL) 34 252679 Raleigh-Durham Int’l. (RDU) 35 245170 Cleveland Hopkins Int’l. (CLE) 36 237574 San Diego Int’l/Lindbergh (SAN) 37 236742 Houston Hobby (HOU) 38 218146 San Antonio International (SAT) 39 212998 Pittsburgh International (PIT) 40 212204 Nashville International (BNA) 41 208196 San Jose International (SJC) 42 203616 Indianapolis International (IND) 43 201236 Teterboro (TEB) 44 199996 White Plans/Westchester (HPN) 45 194959 Kansas City International (MCI) 46 190780 Albuquerque International (ABQ) 47 190463 Palm Beach International (PBI) 48 188965 San Juan International (SJU) 49 147889 Maui/Kahului (OGG) 50 147678 Ontario International (ONT)

I got an email requesting where the local CVS flu center are in the District. So I compiled a list of all the stores in Washington. Flu center locations are in bold. Store #1355 1900 7TH STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20001 202-232-2201 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Store #6419 1000 U STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20001 202-518-2978 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Drive Thru Store #21 1117 10TH STREET, COMMERCIAL UNIT WASHINGTON, DC 20001 202-326-1401 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Store #2817 1418 P STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20005 202-939-5735 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #7218 400 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20001 202-289-2236 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #1341 1199 VERMONT AVENUE NORTHWEST WASHINGTON , DC 20005 202-628-0720 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #1365 1637 P STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20036 202-328-1250 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #2075 1500 K STREET, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20005 202-638-6250 Pharmacy Store #1334 717 14TH STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON , DC 20005 202-737-9525 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Store #2490 435 8TH STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20004 202-783-4293 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #1363 660 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE, NORTHEAST WASHINGTON, DC 20002 202-635-8520 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #2834 3031 FOURTEENTH STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20009 202-332-4865 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #2527 1025 CONNECTICUT AVENUE WASHINGTON, DC 20036 202-785-3102 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #1842 1275 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20019 202-638-4583 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Store #1351 1700 COLUMBIA ROAD NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20009 202-234-8601 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #1347 6 DUPONT CIRCLE NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20036 202-785-1466 Pharmacy 24-Hr 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #57 1716 G STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON , DC 20006 202-289-1616 Store #1841 2000 M STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20036 202-862-8417 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Store #1839 1990 K STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20006 202-223-8735 Pharmacy Store #1342 1901 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NORTHWEST WASHINGTON , DC 20006 202-331-7077 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo Store #2208 2000 L STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20036 202-452-6194 Pharmacy 1-Hr Photo 2240 M STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20037 202-296-9877 Pharmacy 24-Hr 1-Hr Photo Flu Clinic Store #283 500 C STREET SOUTH WASHINGTON , DC 20024 202-484-8522 Store #1358 2125 E STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20037 202-338-6337 Pharmacy Flu Clinic Store #1354 2616 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NORTHWEST WASHINGTON, DC 20008 202-332-1446 1-Hr Photo

A commercial-scale process to extract and reuse pure hydrogen from the hydrogen sulfide that naturally contaminates unrefined oil, including oil sands, is one step closer to reality thanks to a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. (KPM) of Kingston, Ontario. Argonne and KPM researchers have invented a molten copper reactor, an innovative process technology that is more energy-efficient than existing methods, according to Gregory Krumdick, an engineer in Argonne's Energy Systems Division. Moreover, the pure hydrogen gas stream that it extracts can be used to upgrade and clean crude oil and petroleum products and aid in a number of refining processes, KPM President Boyd Davis said. Krumdick, Davis, Alain Roy, KPM's vice president of operations, and former Argonne researcher John Hryn invented the technology. In the reactor, hydrogen sulfide gas is first separated from the crude oil stock, using technology already in place. This gas is then bubbled though molten copper, which releases pure hydrogen. The hydrogen is then captured for use as a valued product. As the sulfur reacts with the copper, the copper is gradually turned into copper sulfide. Argonne is collaborating with KPM, a bench-scale process development firm, under a work-for-others agreement. KPM is supported in part by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), which has provided $600,000 (Canadian) for the research over the last three years. In addition to generating pure hydrogen, the process creates another valuable product, concentrated sulfuric acid, which is used widely in the chemical industry and which has become a valued agricultural commodity. The concentrated sulfuric acid is created when copper sulfide is reacted with air to recover the pure copper, releasing a concentrated stream of sulfur dioxide which is then reacted with water. The copper is then reused in the process with negligible losses, Krumdick said. The reactions between the hydrogen sulfide and copper and the copper sulfide and air release energy that helps to heat the system, enabling the researchers to harvest the products efficiently, Krumdick said. The system operates at a temperature of about 1,200 degrees Celsius. "Technologies that are in use today, including the widely used Claus process, are more energy- and capital-intensive," Krumdick said. "In addition, they also lose the hydrogen in the process. Instead of capturing the hydrogen from the hydrogen sulfide, the Claus process ends up converting it into water." The multi-step Claus process was invented more than 100 years ago and is the most widely used method for removing the hydrogen sulfide that is present in crude oil and raw natural gas. The Claus process is also believed to be more limited than the Argonne-KPM process in terms of the other types of impurities it can handle. Costly energy-intensive modules that scrub other contaminants, such as ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide from raw oil and natural gas must be separately attached to Claus processing facilities. Argonne computer modeling strongly indicated that the Argonne-KPM process would deal with those other impurities, a conclusion that was later experimentally proven. Contaminants such as ammonia and various hydrocarbons are reformed to their elemental constituents, providing an added benefit to the process, Krumdick said. Argonne and KPM continue to scale up their experimental work to further test the process. "Our goal is to develop a pilot scale reactor," Krumdick said. "If a pilot plant demonstrates that the process is a major improvement over existing technology � and we believe it is � it will spur the interest of industries that use a process to separate hydrogen sulfide," Davis added. "Companies will be able to retrofit their facilities with the process technology or construct new plants that incorporate it," Davis added. "In the meantime, we are working with Argonne to use the technology for other energy applications, such as gas cleanup for Integrated Gassification Combined Cycle plants." Argonne and KPM began working on the technology in 2003 as a laboratory-directed research and development proof-of-concept project. Kingston Process Metallurgy is an industrial process research and development company. It focuses on providing quantitative data to support the development of novel processes and explores business opportunities in collaboration with customers and partners. It has clients from around the world who use KPM's expertise in process development and laboratory experimentation. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) works to ensure the responsible development of Canada's natural resources, including energy, forests, minerals and metals. It has expertise in earth sciences that it uses to build and maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of Canada's landmass and resources. NRCan develops policies and programs that enhance the contribution of the natural resources sector to the economy and improve the quality of life of residents, and represents Canada at the international level to meet the country's global commitments related to natural resources.

Two national nonprofit health groups are offering local public health departments a shot in the arm for fall influenza vaccination efforts by helping them organize immunization clinics at or near polling places. The Vote and Vax program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), a healthcare philanthropy organization, and SPARC (Sickness Prevention Achieved through Regional Collaboration), a nonprofit organization focused on disease prevention, according to background materials posted on the initiative's Web site. The program provides health agencies with technical expertise to set up the clinics and marketing muscle to promote them, but does not provide the vaccine. Public health agencies are advised to charge for the shots as they normally would at other fall flu-vaccination clinics. Offering flu vaccinations on Election Day in November is a way to target seniors, who typically vote in large numbers, Vote and Vax organizers say. Seniors are one of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) priority groups for flu immunization. SPARC started offering fall election clinics in the late 1990s, but the program expanded in 2006 when it partnered with the RWJF to enable 25 public health agencies to sponsor Vote and Vax clinics at polling places. That year, the clinics delivered 13,790 vaccine doses at 127 polling sites in 14 states. The program's goal for Nov 4 is to expand to 1,000 polling places across the United States. This November, the Guilford County Department of Public Health in north-central North Carolina will offer Vote and Vax clinics at eight polling places, according to an Aug 20 report in the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record. Lynne Beck, the health department's spokeswoman, said officials will visit 11 of the county's 165 polling sites before narrowing the number to eight. The department expects to charge $25 to $30 for the flu vaccine, the same as it charges at other sites, she told the News & Record. In a report on the effect of the 2006 Vote and Vax, Douglas Shenson, MD, MPH, president of SPARC, and Mary Adams, MPH, an epidemiologist and partner at On Target Health Data in Hartford, Conn., wrote that Election Day in early November is an optimal time for flu vaccination. They also said that polling places, because they meet strict accessibility requirements, are likely to attract other vulnerable people besides seniors, who might be difficult to reach with the vaccination message. The report was published in the July-August issue of the Journal of Public Health Management Practice. Survey results from the 2006 Election-Day immunization clinics revealed that more than 80% of the adults who were vaccinated were in the CDC's flu-immunization priority groups. About 43% of the recipients were men and 57% were women. Nearly 900 pediatric vaccine doses were administered at the Vote and Vax clinics. Eleven percent of the recipients did not have health insurance. On a scale of 1 to 10, public health agencies rated the overall success of the program at 8.5. Health officials gave the program high marks for organization, ease of planning, publicity, and convenience for recipients. However, some sites reported problems with vaccine supply. One group had to cancel its clinic after its plan to offer free vaccinations at a polling place in a medically underserved neighborhood was criticized by political activists, who perceived it as "get out the vote" campaign for Democrats. "We are encouraged that not only were significant numbers of participants 'new' vaccine recipients, but also 28% reported they would not have likely received an influenza vaccination had they not been offered one at a Vote and Vax site," Shenson and Adams wrote. The Vote and Vax program could be a model for the delivery of other preventive health services such as cancer screenings or pandemic influenza measures, they wrote. Though the program isn't deployed in emergency conditions, it involves delivering a large single-day supply of vaccine to many residents in many non-healthcare settings across communities, they added. The authors said, however, that some questions about the Vote and Vax strategy remain. For example, it's unclear if the program increases communitywide vaccine coverage. Also, they wrote that the political response in one community emphasized the importance of clearly separating public health activities from any perception of "political intrigue."

Not at the cost of lives. (From a U.S. European Command news release.) European Command Chief Checks Georgia Relief Effort First-Hand he commander of U.S. European Command traveled to the former Soviet republic of Georgia to ensure the ongoing U.S. humanitarian effort in the wake of a Georgian conflict with Russia is proceeding smoothly. "I'm here to talk to Georgian leaders and our U.S. assessment team to hear what they need," Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock said. "We have to get it right so we can help people quickly. We want to optimize the humanitarian aid effort and bring in the right stuff, to the right place at the right time." The general and several key staff members from EuCom headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, were joined on the visit by U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Henrietta Holsman Fore. As part of the visit, Craddock visited a building in Tbilisi where about 250 displaced people were living, unable to return home since the Russian advance. The general also met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and defense ministry officials about the way ahead for U.S.-Georgian military-to-military relationship. Craddock said EuCom would assess the Georgian forces’ needs and make a recommendation to the secretary of defense. "We express our gratitude for your help, and will never forget what you have done to help us in our time of need," Saakashvili said in a brief joint news conference after the meeting. Craddock minced no words when discussing Russia's compliance with a France-brokered cease-fire agreement. "There is an agreement between two heads of state, and there has to be compliance," he said Aug. 21. "My assessment is that the Russian withdrawal is now slower than it ought to be. [The Russians] need to do what they said they were going to do almost a week ago and withdraw." Craddock expressed support for an Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe observer mission slated to provide 100 unarmed military observers. The mission will provide better awareness of withdrawal progress and reduce the possibility of new clashes between Russians and Georgians. Also part of Cradock’s visit was a stop to observe the growing U.S. aerial port mission at Tbilisi Airport and tothank the U.S. troops working there. To date the U.S. has provided more than $11 million in direct support of the humanitarian aid mission in Georgia. Navy Rear Adm. Steven Romano, EuCom’s director of logistics and security assistance, said U.S. Air Force aircraft have established a tempo of C-17 and C-130 deliveries that are providing enough food to feed about 50,000 people per day until USAID and Georgian government efforts can sustain the effort. Maritime assets are also playing a growing role in the aid effort. USS McFaul, a Navy destroyer, left Souda Bay, Crete, on Aug. 21 after taking aboard dozens of pallets of humanitarian relief supplies, and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dallas is following with more humanitarian aid.

Lush beautiful lawns are a part of summer, but they require time and money. The average lawn requires up to 40 hours of work and costs about $700 each year to maintain. But did you know that your yard and how you take care of it can help the environment? A thick full lawn reduces soil erosion, filters contaminants from rainwater and absorbs airborne pollutants like dust and soot. Grass is also great at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. The following are tips suggested by the EPA to help homeowners have yards that are beautiful and environmentally friendly. · To keep your lawn looking its best set your mower height to 2½ to 3 ½ inches. Longer grass has more leaf surface which enables the grass to take in more sunlight and develop a deeper root system, making your lawn more drought and insect resistant. Longer grass also helps soil retain moisture and cuts down on the need to water. Mow often, but never cut more than a third of the length. · According to a 2004 survey by the National Gardening Association, 66 million U.S. households used chemical pesticides and/or fertilizers on their lawns and gardens. But leaving grass clippings on your yard can reduce the need for these products. Grass clippings are about 90% water, will decompose quickly and provide nourishment back to the soil. They save landfill space too. Between 20 and 40 percent of landfill space is taken up by yard waste. Landfills produce methane gas which contributes to climate change. · Keeping your yard healthy requires good preventative care, starting with the soil. Lawns grow best in an intermediate soil that is a mix of clay, sand and silt. You can always improve the quality of any type of soil by fertilizing. Instead of chemicals, add organic matter like compost, manure or grass clippings to the soil for nourishment. If your soil is hard, compacted or has a heavy clay presence, you may want to loosen or aerate the soil to allow water and nutrients to reach the grass and plant root systems. · Consider reducing the size of your lawn by Greenscaping. Greenscaping makes use of native plant species as ground cover and provides a landscape that is more similar to natural habitats. Going natural can also reduce the need for chemicals, cut maintenance time and costs while still providing a beautiful yard and positive benefits for the environment. · Planning your Greenscape can be creative and fun. For example, consider planting a wildflower meadow or use native perennials to provide color and ground cover near trees, patios and fences. Consider allowing part of your lawn to revert to woods (occasional management to control invasive exotic plants might be necessary until the woodland matures). · Choose plants that are native to your region of the country. Your local nursery or County Agricultural Extension office can help you identify plants that will flourish in your area. Native plants require far less fertilization and are more resistant to insects, reducing the need for pesticides.

A federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, today returned an indictment against Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, a senior aide and a former campaign director for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez announced. Today's indictment follows an earlier indictment, returned on March 24, 2008, which charged these same defendants and others with related crimes. The five-count indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico, charges Acevedo Vilá, 46, of San Juan; Luisa Inclán Bird, 47, of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; and Miguel Nazario Franco, 61, of San Juan with honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Acevedo Vilá was Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives between 2001 and 2005, and has been the Governor of Puerto Rico since 2005. Inclán Bird, a lawyer, was a legal advisor for the San Juan Resident Commissioner Office when defendant Acevedo Vilá served as Resident Commissioner and a volunteer in the finance department for Acevedo Vilá's 2004 gubernatorial campaign. Currently, Inclán Bird is a senior advisor for Governor Acevedo Vilá. Nazario Franco, a businessman in Puerto Rico, was director of the finance department for Acevedo Vilá's 2004 gubernatorial campaign. According to the indictment, the charges are focused on two related courses of conduct. The first, in counts one through four, alleges that the defendants deprived the citizens of Puerto Rico of the honest services of Acevedo Vilá as Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Specifically, the indictment alleges that during his campaign for governor, and continuing after he was elected and inaugurated, Acevedo Vilá and others connected with his campaign solicited and received approximately $250,000 from a local businessman, referred to as "Collaborator 18," for the benefit of Acevedo Vilá and his campaign. Furthermore, the indictment alleges that during his term as governor, Acevedo Vilá participated in official actions intended to aid the business interests of Collaborator 18, while failing to disclose the nature and extent of his financial relationship with Collaborator 18. In the indictment, count five sets forth the second related course of conduct and alleges that the defendants conspired to conduct financial transactions with the illegal funds provided by Collaborator 18. These transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature and the source of the money, which constituted the proceeds of the honest services fraud alleged in the earlier counts. The indictment further alleges that the media company used by Acevedo Vilá's campaign created approximately $250,000 in fake invoices, which were provided to Collaborator 18's company under the guise that the media company had provided bona fide services when, in fact, it had done no work for Collaborator 18 or his company. These invoices were designed to conceal the fact that the $250,000, which was subsequently paid by Collaborator 18's company and used to offset debts incurred by the campaign, was the proceeds of the honest services fraud perpetrated by the defendants. If convicted on counts one through four, each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted on the fifth count, each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of twice the value of the property involved in the transaction or $500,000 - whichever is greater. This case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney María A. Domínguez and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernesto López of the District of Puerto Rico, as well as Trial Attorneys Daniel A. Schwager, Ethan H. Levisohn and Peter M. Koski of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section. The Public Integrity Section is headed by Chief William M. Welch, II. The case is being investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service, with assistance and cooperation from the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico. The investigation into related corruption and other crimes is ongoing in the District of Puerto Rico. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

A new analysis of environmental conditions over the Atlantic Ocean shows that hot, dry air associated with dust outbreaks from the Sahara desert was a likely contributor to the quieter-than-expected 2007 hurricane season. Factors known to influence the number and intensity of hurricanes in a season, including El Niño, sea surface temperatures, wind, and sea level pressure, led to NOAA forecasts for an above-average 2007 hurricane season. However, the season, which runs from June through November, turned up six hurricanes – a near normal number, but less than the 10 expected and far fewer than the record-breaking 15 hurricanes in 2005. The difference between the 2007 and 2005 seasons could be due in part to the westward reach of Saharan dry air and dust over the North Atlantic, according to researchers, including Bill Lau of NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and co-author of a study on this finding published Aug. 14 in the American Geophysical Union's Geophysical Research Letters. The study also confirms the possible role of Saharan dust in shattering predictions for the 2006 hurricane season, and has implications for more accurate predictions for future hurricane seasons. Lau and colleagues previously reported that the presence of dust could have contributed to a weaker 2006 hurricane season than forecasters expected. Dust over the North Atlantic blocked some sunlight from reaching the ocean, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of the drop in sea surface temperatures measured between June 2005 and June 2006. The cooler sea surface increases atmospheric stability and also reduces the transfer of heat from ocean to atmosphere – a major source of fuel that drives hurricanes. Tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes during the hurricane seasons of 2007 and 2008 Dots mark the locations of tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes during the hurricane seasons of 2007 (above) and 2008 (below). Green indicates the westward extent of dust. Credit: NASA Now, the team found that hurricane formation in 2007 was also hampered by Saharan dry air. They go further, however, to describe the extent to which the dry air and associated dust spread across the tropical North Atlantic, as seen by instruments aboard NASA satellites such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. They created a "wind-stretch index," based on the east-west difference in wind speed over the tropical Atlantic. The index is connected to relative humidity over the tropical western Atlantic, and is a perfect measure of how far west dry air and dust from Africa extends over the North Atlantic. The team found that instances of Saharan dry air and dust extending far west over the Caribbean were in sync with conditions that contributed to fewer hurricanes in both 2007 and 2006, including lower sea surface temperatures. They also found that the far-reaching western extent of dust in 2006 and 2007 was associated with less-than-normal humidity over the western North Atlantic. "This index hasn't been looked at before," said Lau. "We introduce a way to relate wind stretch to dry air and dust, which correlate very well with humidity in the western tropical Atlantic." The link between dust and humidity, the researchers say, could aid future forecasts. As dust outbreaks occur most often in early summer prior to peak hurricane season, researchers could use a measure of humidity in the western tropical Atlantic to gauge the extent of dust transport, possibly providing an additional parameter to estimate the following month's hurricane activity. "The index we proposed may provide practical implications for the prediction of Atlantic hurricane activities," says Donglian Sun of George Mason University in Fairfax Va., and lead author of the study. "Further studies are needed to discern the general prediction capability of our results."

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained newly declassified information regarding Osama bin Laden. The State Department had previously redacted this information on documents released to Judicial Watch in August 2005 prompting Judicial Watch's appeal to the Department of State Appeals Review Panel on October 13, 2005. The new information was released by the State Department on August 5, 2008. According to a document entitled, "Terrorism/Usama bin Ladin: Who's Chasing Whom?" dated July 18, 2006, the Clinton administration was aware of a bin Laden suicide car bombing threat in London: "[redacted] . . . indicated bin Ladin planned to sponsor suicide car bombings against US interests in the UK, in part to punish London for 'submitting' to US pressure to bar his entry into the UK." The information about the terrorist threats to London had previously been redacted. New information in the documents also suggests the leadership of Sudan, President Al Bashir and Hassan Turabi, had nefarious ties with bin Laden: "National Islamic Front (NIF) leader Turabi...agreed to the expulsing of terrorist financier Usama bin Ladin on the condition that in the future he be allowed to return.... Turabi and President Bashin hoped that when bin Ladin visited he would use false documentation and provincial airports...to avoid publicity." The documents discuss bin Laden's travels, his prolonged stay in Afghanistan, financial networks, anti-Western threats in press interviews, his ties to the Khobar Towers bombing and his "emboldened" threats against U.S. interests. The State Department documents were first produced to Judicial Watch in August, 2005, in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed with the State Department on December 11, 2001 concerning the government of Sudan's reported offer to share intelligence files on bin Laden. The Clinton administration also rebuffed an offer by Sudanese officials to turn bin Laden over to the U.S. According to the declassified documents, bin Laden's many passports and his private plane allow him considerable freedom to travel "with little fear of being intercepted or tracked." Bin Laden reportedly even traveled to London where he gave a press interview subsequent to his departure from Sudan. The report also warns that bin Laden's prolonged stay in Afghanistan "could prove more dangerous to U.S. interests in the long run than his three-year liaison with Khartoum." The intelligence predicts that even if bin Laden were forced to keep on the move, it would prove no more than an inconvenience since, ". . . his informal and transnational network of businesses and associates remains resilient." The report goes on to explain that bin Ladin on the move, ". . .can retain the capability to support individuals and groups who have the motive and wherewithal to attack U.S. interests almost worldwide." "Over five years before 9/11, the Clinton administration was warned about bin Laden's murderous intent - including specific threats to attack U.S. interests through suicide car bombings in London. And yet the Clinton administration took no meaningful action against bin Laden," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "As a result of this inaction, not only did 9/11 come to pass, but so did massive suicide bombings in London's Underground in 2005."

The Kids Zone, a new addition to the National Park Service’s website, http://www.nps.gov, contains more than 50 interactive activities designed to connect children with the people, places, and events commemorated in the country’s 391 National Park Service sites. Starting August 25, children visiting the website can learn about Mitsy, a nine-year-old Border Collie who performs an important job at the Statue of Liberty or little Lula McLean’s rag doll which is a witness to history at Appomattox Courthouse or how Thomas Edison changed their lives. “The Kids Zone, launched on the 92nd anniversary of the National Park Service, introduces the next generation of park stewards to the fascinating stories told in national parks,” said National Park Service Director Mary A. Bomar. “The website will enable young people to actively explore parks without leaving home but, hopefully, will also inspire them to visit these special places in person.” The website includes information on the 325 in-park Junior Ranger programs where young visitors complete booklets on park resources and earn certificates, patches, or badges. In 2007, more than 440,000 children participated in Junior Ranger programs nationwide. Other features on the website include stories by children who live in national parks, biographies of dogs who work in national parks, and an expanded WebRangers page. Children can continue to earn a WebRanger patch after completing exercises that include decoding a secret message from George Washington, helping endangered turtles get to the sea, setting up a ranger station, tracking animals, and learning how to survive in the desert. The Kids Zone “hot button” on http://www.nps.gov, the National Park Service homepage, will provide a direct link to the expanded children’s website starting today.

ew research, reported this week in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that coal burning, primarily in North America and Europe, contaminated the Arctic and potentially affected human health and ecosystems in and around Earth's polar regions. The study, titled "Coal Burning Leaves Toxic Heavy Metal Legacy in the Arctic," was conducted by the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Reno, Nev. and partially funded by the National Science Foundation. Detailed measurements from a Greenland ice core showed pollutants from burning coal--the toxic heavy metals cadmium, thallium and lead--were much higher than expected. The catch, however, was the pollutants weren't higher at the times when researchers expected peaks. "Conventional wisdom held that toxic heavy metals were higher in the 1960s and ‘70s, the peak of industrial activity in Europe and North America and certainly before implementation of Clean Air Act controls in the early 1970s," said Joe McConnell, lead researcher and director of DRI's Ultra-Trace Chemistry Laboratory. "But it turns out pollution in southern Greenland was higher 100 years ago when North American and European economies ran on coal, before the advent of cleaner, more efficient coal burning technologies and the switch to oil and gas-based economies," McConnell said. In fact, the research showed pollutants were two to five times higher at the beginning of the previous century than today. Pollution levels in the early 1900s also represented a 10-fold increase from preindustrial levels. Continuous, monthly and annually averaged pollution records taken from the Greenland ice core dating from 1772-2003 produced the results. And although data showed heavy-metal pollution in the North Atlantic sector of the Arctic is substantially lower today than a century ago, McConnell and his research partner, Ross Edwards, an associate research professor at DRI, said there is still cause for concern. "Contamination of other sectors may be increasing because of the rapid coal-driven growth of Asian economies," they wrote in the report. They argued the consequence may be greater risk to the food chain as toxic heavy metals from industrial activities in Asian nations are transported through the atmosphere and deposited in the polar regions. Food chain contamination through toxic metal absorption from both the environment and from consumption of contaminated food sources could make its way to humans, who feed on long-lived land and marine animals such as caribou, seals and whale. "Impacts on human health in the Arctic region haven't been determined," said McConnell. But he suggested cleaner burning coal technologies, or better yet reduced reliance on coal burning, may head off the potential problem.

“The massive wildfires raging in California this summer are symptomatic of a trend toward more fires burning larger areas in the Western United States over the past few decades,” said Dr. Amanda Staudt, climate scientist, National Wildlife Federation. “Global warming can explain part of this trend,” Dr. Staudt said, “because it is feeding longer fire seasons, drier conditions, and more lightning. According to recent studies, the fire season stretches about 78 days longer and individual fires last about 30 days longer.” Increased Risk of Catastrophic Wildfires: Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call for the Western United States details how: * Global Warming Makes Forests More Susceptible to Fire * Past Forest Management Makes Forests More Susceptible to Fire * Large Wildfires Put Unnatural Stress on Ecosystems * Large Fires Make Global Warming Worse * To Reduce Risks and Prepare for Future Fires Although fire is a natural and beneficial part of many forest ecosystems, the number and intensity of fires today is challenging fire managers and forest communities throughout the West. In 2007, for example, 3.2 million acres burned in the Great Basin region of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, more than 1.1 million acres burned in the Northern Rockies, and a half million acres burned in Southern California. Combined with more than a million acres that burned in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida earlier that year, 2007 was the second busiest fire season since 1960, with more than 9 million acres burned. The increase in big wildfires comes with increased losses and escalating costs to fight these fires. Property losses from wildfires have averaged more than $1 billion over the past decade. Annual federal government expenditures on fire fighting in 2007 were $3 billion, up from about $1 billion in 1999, and typically less than half that for the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. The U.S. Forest Service now spends 45 percent of its annual budget on fire prevention and suppression, up from 20 percent in 2000. Today’s new era of more frequent and intense fires demands new approaches to managing our forests and fire risk. “We must get at the root of the problem and reduce the global warming pollution that fuels more frequent and severe fires,” Dr. Staudt said. At the same time, it is critical to return our forests to more natural conditions and fire-cycles, step up protections for people and properties, and prepare to jumpstart new forest growth.

While Florida and Gulf Coast residents bear the brunt of Tropical Storm Fay, the latest science connecting hurricanes and global warming suggests more is yet to come: tropical storms are likely to bring higher wind speeds, more precipitation, and bigger storm surge in the coming decades. “As so many grapple with Tropical Storm Fay’s landfall in the United States, our thoughts and prayers are with those in harm’s way,” said Dr. Amanda Staudt, climate scientist, National Wildlife Federation. “Although no single weather event can be attributed to global warming, it’s critical to understand that a warming climate is supplying the very conditions that fuel the strongest storms,” Dr. Staudt said. “The big picture is that global warming is putting hurricanes on steroids. The latest science paints an alarming picture about what global warming has in store for the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic Coasts: stronger hurricanes, heavier rainfall, and rising sea level.” Increasing Vulnerability to Hurricanes: Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call for the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic Coasts details how: · Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger As Oceans Warm; · More Stormy Weather Lies Ahead; · Increasing Coastal Population and Development Puts People in Harm’s Way; · Hurricanes Affect Wildlife; · Wetlands Are The First Line of Defense Against Hurricanes; and · To Reduce Risks and Prepare for Future Hurricanes The destructive potential of tropical storms in the North Atlantic has increased by about 50 percent since the 1970s. This increase, which primarily reflects longer storm lifetimes and greater storm intensities, is correlated with an increase of 0.9-1.3°F in sea surface temperatures in the main development area for storms in the North Atlantic. In addition, the heights of big waves along the eastern United States have increased by 20 percent during hurricane season since the late 1970s, augmenting the overall storm-related hazards for coastal communities and habitats. Tropical storms are likely to bring higher wind speeds, more precipitation, and bigger storm surge in the coming decades. If global warming pollution continues unabated over the next century, tropical sea surface temperatures could increase another 3° Fahrenheit—three times the warming to date. Warming of the North Atlantic along with other climate changes underway point to increasing risks associated with hurricanes. It has long been known that coastal wetlands and barrier islands serve an important role in absorbing the destructive force of hurricanes, acting as the first line of defense. In particular, wetlands can reduce the amplitude of storm surge by inhibiting the formation and propagation of waves. Scientists have estimated that every mile of wetlands can trim three to nine inches off of a storm surge. However, wetland loss has been a persistent problem along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and will only be exacerbated by increasing sea level. Global warming presents new challenges for managing America’s coastal resources, especially along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic seaboard. “We must account for increasing storm activity and rising sea level when managing our coasts, especially by restoring and protecting coastal wetlands, lowlands, and barrier islands that provide crucial natural levees,” Dr. Staudt said. “To prevent the worst impacts of climate change and limit the impacts on communities and wildlife, we must reduce global warming pollution.”

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Nplate (romiplostim), the first product that directly stimulates the bone marrow to produce needed platelets in patients with a rare blood disorder that can lead to serious bleeding. The condition, which usually develops in adults, is known as chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a disease that results in a low number of platelets, the blood components that help with clotting. In patients with chronic ITP, the immune system is believed to destroy platelets and the patient's bone marrow is often unable to compensate for this loss. "This product is important in that it offers a new approach to the treatment of patients with an uncommon blood disorder who are often very ill," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. The estimated 140,000 people with chronic ITP are prone to bruising and at risk for life-threatening bleeding. Current medical treatment includes corticosteroids and immunoglobulin. Surgery to remove the spleen, a procedure known as a splenectomy, may help some patients. Nplate is approved only for patients with chronic ITP who do not respond sufficiently to current treatments. FDA based its approval on two randomized clinical trials of about 125 patients who had received at least one prior ITP treatment. One study enrolled patients who still had their spleen, the other enrolled patients who did not. During six months of treatment, patients who received Nplate had significantly higher platelet counts and maintained those higher counts compared to those who did not receive the drug. The response to Nplate was higher in those patients who still had their spleen than in those patients who had undergone a splenectomy. In those patients who did not receive Nplate, only one experienced a sustained increase in platelet counts. Safety concerns with Nplate include fibrous deposits in the bone marrow and the possibility that once Nplate is stopped, platelet counts could drop below what they were before beginning treatment. Additional risks include blood clots due to excessive increases in platelets and, if Nplate were given to patients with an abnormal blood condition known as myelodysplasia, a risk for a form of blood cancer known as acute leukemia. Myelodysplasia, which is associated with low platelet counts, predisposes some patients to leukemia. In a study of 44 patients who had myelodysplasia and received Nplate, four patients developed leukemia. Further clinical trials in patients with predisposing conditions for leukemia will be needed to determine whether the development of leukemia may relate to the use of Nplate. Nplate is approved only for use among patients with chronic ITP. A Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) has been developed to address the risks of Nplate therapy. Under the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, FDA has determined that a REMS is necessary for the benefits of Nplate to outweigh the risks of the product. The REMS will include a Medication Guide for patients and requires that all prescribers and patients enroll in a special program to track the long term safety of Nplate therapy. Nplate is manufactured by Amgen, Inc. of Thousand Oaks, Calif.

A new study by Oregon State University researchers shows that whole body vibration slows the acquisition of fat, and may also positively impact bone density. The publication can be found in the latest issue of the International Journal of Obesity, http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/vaop/ncu...jo2008111a.html Researcher Gianni Maddalozzo with OSU’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science looked at the effects of whole body vibration on 7-month-old rats that were placed on vibration platforms at OSU’s Bone Research Laboratory. Both groups were fed the same diet and kept in a sedentary environment. One group was put on the vibration platform for 30 minutes a day, five days a week for 12 weeks. The other group was not put on the platform. “After 12 weeks, the whole-body vibration group weighed less, showed no changes in lean muscle mass, and had a lower overall percentage of body fat than the age-matched non-vibration group,” Maddalozzo said. “Over the course of the study the vibrated rats were healthy, tolerated the vibration well and exhibited no obvious signs of distress following adaptation to vibration.” Maddalozzo said prevention is often the key to preventing obesity in society. More than 50 percent of adults in the United States do not get enough physical activity. Recent studies suggest that whole-body vibration has been proposed as a potential alternative, or adjuvant, to exercise. Whole-body vibration has been reported to increase energy metabolism through an increased oxygen uptake to values comparable to moderate walking. “Vibration increases energy expenditure,” Maddalozzo said. “It’s equivalent to walking at moderate intensity.” While not a magic bullet solution to weight gain, Maddalozzo said that whole body vibration has promise as another tool that can be used to help keep weight off. And past studies at research institutions such as the Societa Stampa Sportiva in Rome and at Stony Brook University in New York have already shown that vibration platform regimes have a significant effect on bone formation and muscle strength. Building on that research, Maddalozzo is involved in a human study with older adults who have had hip replacement surgery. He plans to publish his results in 2009. “Vibration training has been shown to improve strength and balance in older women,” he said. “Vibration training may give you the same results as a moderate-intensity workout.”

Monday, August 25th. One of the most beloved movies in the history of Hollywood was released on this day 69 years ago — “The Wizard Of Oz.” Adapted from the classic children’s book by I. Frank Baum, the movie had both black-and-white and color sequences. It starred Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley. The unforgettable witch was Margaret Hamilton. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards and won two, one of them for best song — “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” In 1939, when the classic was released, 180,000 people worked in the motion picture industry.

Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution have discovered a new species of bird in Gabon, Africa, that was, until now, unknown to the scientific community. Their findings were published in the international science journal Zootaxa today, Aug. 15. The newly found olive-backed forest robin (Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus) was named by the scientists for its distinctive olive back and rump. Adult birds measure 4.5 inches in length and average 18 grams in weight. Males exhibit a fiery orange throat and breast, yellow belly, olive back and black feathers on the head. Females are similar, but less vibrant. Both sexes have a distinctive white dot on their face in front of each eye. The bird was first observed by Smithsonian scientists in 2001 during a field expedition of the National Zoo’s Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program in southwest Gabon. It was initially thought, however, to be an immature individual of an already-recognized species. Brian Schmidt, a research ornithologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and a member of the MAB program’s team, returned to Washington, D.C., from Gabon in 2003 with several specimens to enter into the museum’s bird collection. When he compared them with other forest robins of the genus Stiphrornis in the collection, Schmidt immediately noticed differences in color and plumage, and realized the newly collected birds might be unique. “I suspected something when I found the first bird in Gabon since it didn’t exactly match any of the species descriptions in the field guides,” Schmidt said. “Once I was able to compare them side by side to other specimens in our collections it was clear that these birds were special. You, of course, have to be cautious, but I was still very excited at the prospect of possibly having found a new species of bird.” To ensure that the specimens Schmidt collected were a new species, geneticists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo compared the DNA of the new specimens to that of the four known forest robin species. The results clearly showed that these birds were in fact a separate and distinct species. Discovering an unknown mammal or bird species is far from a common event. Before the 20th century, the rate of discoveries was great—several hundred new species were being described each decade. Since then, however, the pace has slowed and new species of vertebrates are generally only found in isolated areas. Now officially recognized, the olive-backed forest robin brings Gabon’s number of known bird species to 753. Other than its existence, however, little is known to science about this newcomer. There is some knowledge about the species’ habitat choice since all of the birds seen and heard in the wild were found in dense forest undergrowth. Other facts such as specific diet, mating and nesting habits, and the species’ complete habitat range are all things that still need research. “This discovery is very exciting for us,” said Alfonso Alonso, who directs the Biodiversity Program in Gabon. The opportunity to study areas the tropics of Gabon allows scientists to learn about the organisms that live there and in turn develop plans to protect them in the future. “Finding the olive-backed forest robin strongly underscores the importance of our research. This helps us show the conservation importance of the area.” The MAB program is part of the Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability at the National Zoo. This particular study in the program is being conducted in the Gamba Complex of Protected Areas, a coastal region in southwestern Gabon containing the Loango and Moukalaba-Doudou National Parks with a restricted-access industrial corridor between them. Scientists in the program are assessing the species diversity of the region, conducting applied research on the impact of management and development and providing biodiversity education programs locally to guide the regional conservation strategy. The program has partnered with the Gabonese government and Shell Gabon to integrate biodiversity conservation into energy development. The partnership has produced the first in-depth study of rainforest biodiversity in this area of Central Africa, provided relevant scientific advancements on the effects of development on biodiversity and identified conservation strategies for the long-term management of the area. “Although finding an unknown species like the olive-backed forest robin was not the goal of the MAB project,” Schmidt said, “it is definitely a reminder that the world still holds surprises for us.”