GAO reveals $1.6 billion spent on public relations by the Bush administration in 2003-2005

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GAO reveals $1.6 billion spent on public relations by the Bush administration in 2003-2005
April 9th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

A new 154-page Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says seven federal departments together spent US$1.6 billion on 343 contracts with public relations firms, advertising agencies, and media organizations, as well as individuals involved in such activities.

Congressional Democrats requested the report after several incidents surfaced in which journalists or commentators were paid to promote the Bush administrations programs, but did not disclose the financing, so called payola. In one case, Armstrong Williams was paid $186,000 for promotions of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law. The administrations position was that an agencies’ mission includes spreading information about federal programs.

At that time, the GAO had independent objections to the ready-to-air news stories the administration’s provided to TV stations in order to promote it policies. The administration claimed the burden of disclosure falls to the TV stations.

Congress has now inserted a provision into an annual spending bill requiring federal agencies to include “a clear notification” within the text or audio of a prepackaged news story that it was prepared or paid for by the government.

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) said “Careful oversight of this spending is essential given the track record of the Bush administration, which has used taxpayer dollars to fund covert propaganda within the United States.”

The seven agencies covered by the report are Commerce, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.

Officials: Eight insurgents killed in Orakzai, Pakistan

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Officials: Eight insurgents killed in Orakzai, Pakistan
April 9th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Sunday, April 25, 2010

In a gun battle that took place between Pakistani soldiers and insurgents on Sunday, eight insurgents were killed and ten others were injured. The incident occurred when about 40 rebels attacked a checkpoint near the Goain village in the Orakzai district of the North-West Frontier Province of the country.

Jahanzeb Khan, a local administrative official said the attack at the Goain checkpoint was resisted by the army. Two security officials confirmed that heavy artillery had been used for the battle, in which eight rebels died. Sajjad Ahmed, another local official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that two underground hideouts of the rebels had also been captured by the army.

A senior military official confirmed that the death toll was eight. “Security forces killed at least eight militants during a search operation,” the official said. “Up to 40 militants attacked our security forces,” he said. Bodies of six of the dead insurgents have been discovered.

Woman finds human finger in bowl of chili at Wendy’s restaurant

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Woman finds human finger in bowl of chili at Wendy’s restaurant
April 8th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Thursday, March 24, 2005

San Jose, California — A woman eating a bowl of chili at a Wendy’s restaurant bit into a chewy bit that turned out to be a human finger. She immediately spat it out, warned other patrons to stop eating, and upon recognizing the object as a finger, vomited.

“I’m more of a Carl’s Jr. person,” the 39-year-old Las Vegas woman, Anna Ayala, told Knight Ridder. She said this incident was her first visit to a Wendy’s restaurant. Ayala described how she found the finger, “Suddenly something crunchy was in my mouth,” she continued, “and I spit it out.”

According to Devina Cordero, 20, after Ayala found the finger, she ran up to her and Cordero’s boyfriend and said, “Don’t eat it! Look, there’s a human finger in our chili.”

“We went up to the counter and they told us it was a vegetable,” Cordero continued. “The people from Wendy’s were poking it with a spoon.”

The restaurant is located at 1405 Monterey Highway, just south of downtown San Jose.

Wikinews reporter David Vasquez drove his car up to the drive-thru menu and found that chili was still on the menu, at a price of US$1.19 for a small serving. He also witnessed workers unloading supplies from a semi-trailer truck in the restaurant’s parking lot, and carting them into the back door of the establishment.

According to Ben Gale, director of environmental health for Santa Clara County, the finger did not come from any of the employees at the restaurant. “We asked everybody to show us they have 10 fingers and everything is OK there,” he said. The found portion of the finger likely belonged to a woman because of its long and manicured fingernail, also found in the food.

Officials seized the food supply at the restaurant and are tracing it back to the manufacturer, where they believe the finger may have gotten mixed in with the raw ingredients used to prepare the chili. The restaurant’s operators were later permitted to re-open after preparing new chili prepared from fresh ingredients.

As this story was filed, there was no mention of the incident on the Wendy’s corporate web site. Wendy’s issued a statement through a spokesman.

“Food safety is of utmost importance to us,” said Wendy’s spokesman Joe Desmond. He referred to the incident as an “unsubstantiated claim.”

“We are cooperating fully with the local police and health departments with their investigation. It’s important not to jump to conclusions. Here at Wendy’s we plan to do right by our customers,” Desmond said.

According to county health officials, the unfortunate woman who bit into the finger is doing fine, despite her initial reaction. Officials also noted that the finger would have been cooked at a high enough temperature to destroy any viruses.

The Santa Clara county medical examiner reported that the finger had a solid fingerprint, although investigators did not say if a search of fingerprint databases would be performed to find the owner of the finger.

 This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.

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Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

Gunman commits suicide at University of Texas

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Gunman commits suicide at University of Texas
April 8th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

A man wearing a ski mask and carrying an assault rifle apparently killed himself in the library of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas earlier today.

The university was placed under lockdown and all classes were canceled as a result of the incident. Nobody else was hurt, but police are still looking for a possible second gunman. Art Acevedo, the chief of Austin police, said that officials are also considering the possibility of explosives left by the suspect. Armored vehicles were seen moving around the campus in response to the event, as well as {{w|SWAT team|SWAT teams}, bomb-sniffing dogs, and police helicopters. An ambulance was seen around 9:00 a.m. CDT (1400 UTC) at the University of Texas’ Perry-Castaneda library.

The school’s website included a notice this morning, which read: “The person involved in this morning’s shooting on campus has been confirmed dead on the sixth floor of the Perry-Castaneda Library from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement are searching for a second suspect. If you are off campus, STAY AWAY. If you are on campus, lock doors, do not leave your building.” The gunman was reportedly killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and no shots had been fired by law enforcement officials.

The shooter has not yet been identified, and the reason behind the incident is not yet known. Witnesses described the man as wearing a dark suit and ski mask, and carrying an assault rifle. Randall Wilhite, a professor at the university, said that he heard gunshots while going to class and saw the suspect heading toward the library just after 8:00 a.m. CDT (1300 UTC). The gunman appeared to be firing shots randomly. “When I pulled up in my car, he stood right in front of me and didn’t stop running but turned in my direction, fired three shots into the ground to the left of my car and kept running,” said Wilhite. The gunman had the chance to shoot students, added Wilhite, but he did not appear to be targeting them.

The school, which has around 50,000 students, sent out an alert around that time warning students to stay where they were. Robby Reeb, a senior at the school, said that “a guy sprinted past me screaming, ‘There’s a guy with a gun.’ I looked up and saw a man in a ski mask, wearing a suit, and carrying an assault rifle. And I called 911.”

Police said that the gun used in the shooting was an AK-47, and that they were examining two different crime scenes: where the shots were fired outside, and where the gunman was found dead in the library. Police would not say whether he was attending the university. Chief Acevado said that there were “reports of a second suspect that was wearing a beanie with a long rifle, wearing blue jeans and a black top” that “may or may not be a white male.”

Several hours after the lockdown began, police allowed students to leave the university’s campus, although nobody is still allowed to enter.

The school was also the site of a shooting spree on August 1, 1966, in which university student Charles Whitman fatally shot fourteen to sixteen people and wounded another 32 before being himself killed by law enforcement authorities; reports of the exact death toll are inconsistent. Whitman, a former U.S. Marine, shot students from the observation platform of the school’s tower. That event was the deadliest school shooting in the United States until the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.

Why You Should Look For Homes In Brookeville Md

April 8th, 2018 in Mining And Drilling | No Comments

byAlma Abell

Located just 20 miles north of our nation’s capital and settled over two hundred years ago, Brookeville, Maryland is a town rich in history and close to the bustling hub of the modern government. If you’re on the hunt for Homes in Brookeville MD, you’ve made the right choice in your new community.

The history of Brookeville, founded by Quakers, is filled with moments of national interest. When the White House was burned during the war of 1812, President James Madison sought refuge in one of the Homes in Brookeville MD, which still stands today as a tourist attraction. During the Civil War, it was one of the stops on the Underground Railroad. It was also a prominent part of America’s early agricultural industry, with a toll road connecting it to the capital. If you enjoy learning more about the nation’s early days, Brookeville is a great town in which to settle down. From historic walking tours to old schoolhouses, there are many wonderful sights to see in Brookeville. The Brookeville Academy, a preparatory school which was established in 1814, was one of the first schools in the county. The historic Oakley Cabin housed slaves during the war. With so much great history, Brookeville can be a wonderful place to call home!

There are many lovely homes for sale in Brookeville from single-story ranches to stunning colonials, townhouses to manors. If you work in Washington but want to live in a quaint and unique town, then Brookeville might be the place for you. To commute into Washington, DC is easy, with Georgia Avenue extending all the way from the capital into the heart of Brookeville itself. It is an affluent, residential area with many government officials calling it home. -; and, with a population of only 100-200 people, it can give you that small-town feel on the outskirts of the big city.

If you’re in the market for a new home and live in or around Washington DC, it could be wise to seriously consider the quaint, historic town of Brookeville, MD. With a small but strong community and a lot of national interest, it can be a wonderful place to settle down. discover more info here Topolneyhomes.com

The Most Effective Technique To Ease The Pain Of A Breakup And Pull Your Ex Back

April 7th, 2018 in Legal Services | No Comments

After a breakup, everyone will tell you there are plenty of other men out there that would love to meet a woman like you. They mean well, but you don’t want any other man, you want your ex boyfriend back. So, you start to avoid your friends and their advice, but that only makes you feel lonelier. But fortunately there is an effective technique to not only ease your pain but pull your ex back, as well.

A breakup is never easy, both parties involved get hurt and feel sorry for the things that were said in the heat of anger. It is easy to think of how you feel, but usually you do not realize your former partner is hurting too. The old saying that time heals all wounds is true. In time your broken heart will heal and you have to give your ex boyfriend time to heal also.

The most effective technique to ease the pain of a breakup and pull your ex back is to accept the breakup and go on with your life. This might sound like you are giving up all hope of getting your ex boyfriend back, but it will be pulling him back. Trying to get him to talk to you, will not work right after a breakup, but showing you respect his wishes will work wonders.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkhFOKR2efE[/youtube]

Breakups cause tension and bad feelings. But if you leave him alone the tension and his bad feeling toward you will begin to fade. When you give your ex boyfriend time to think of the good times you had together you allow him to begin to regret the breakup. He could never do that if you kept pressuring him and demanding he tell you the reason for the breakup.

Another effective technique to ease the pain of a breakup and pull your ex back is to get out and have some fun. You can’t just sit around and hope your ex will call, that will only increase your frustration. Your ex boyfriend is keeping an eye on you and showing him you are not going to sit and wait on him may give him an urgency to contact you.

A breakup does not mean love has died. You are still in love with him and your ex boyfriend still has feelings for you. By making yourself available to other men, he will realize he could lose you for good. You will also be showing him the image of a woman that is strong and confident. This is the sort of woman he will want by his side in future years.

By staying busy and not showing your ex boyfriend signs of weakness you will be doing both of you a favor. This is how you can ease the pain of a breakup and be pulling your ex back.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/relationship-articles/breakups-separation-articles/most-effective-technique-ease-pain-breakup-pull-your-ex-back-461777.html

About Author:

If this is the man for you, don’t give up. There are proven methods to make him love you like never before. Bad mistakes can ruin your relationship for good. To avoid these fatal mistakes, you need proven steps to get your ex boyfriend back and keep him. What you should and shouldn’t do can be found at this Helpful SiteAuthor: Hal Archer

Google News seeks patent for search system that returns ‘quality’ links

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Google News seeks patent for search system that returns ‘quality’ links
April 7th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Google News submitted patent applications both in the United States and world-wide in September 2003 for a system of ranking search returns. The patent protection filings seek to control Google’s approach that filters headlines through a complicated algorithm, including the quality of the news organization. How much of this system is currently in use by the search engine giant is unknown.

Primitive search engines are expected to organically evaluate links based on how closely the keywords typed in the search field match an object link, and how many other links are attached to the object. Then a measure of relevance is calculated before returning a reply.

It seems some measure of the work being done at Google is a reaction to search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns which can, if done effectively, skew results to certain domains. A challenge for Google is to develop its technology to nullify efforts on the dark side of SEO and link-spamming.

What also seems to be coming out from this, according to research from the Internet Search Engine Database, is that Google does indeed have a ‘sandbox’ where domains are evaluated first by a human factor before being released into its algorithms.

In its first ever Securities and Exchange Commission filing since the company went public last year, Google indicated that it intends to spend US$500 million on technology development, more than double the $177 million it spent two years ago.

The language used in the lengthy patent application itself is difficult to understand. An excellent article titled “Google United – Google Patent Examined” found below, describes some of the nuts and bolts of Google’s techniques.

Rebel leader, 56 inmates escape from East Timorese jail

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Rebel leader, 56 inmates escape from East Timorese jail
April 7th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

East Timorese rebel leader Alfredo Reinado and other 56 inmates escaped last night from Dili‘s mail jail.

Australian and Portuguese forces initiated a massive manhunt for the escapees, which with their escape, created a new crisis for international security forces in East Timor. Australian SAS troopers using Black Hawk helicopters and night-vision goggles were involved in the search.

GNR‘s liaison officer, Lieutenant Cabrita told the Portuguese Rádio Renascença news agency that the prisoners took advantage of the relieve of guard to escape. “The evasion happened during the relieve of the forces that were serving in the jail’s security, having the escapees used vehicles for their escape”.

Later Australian police liaison officers confirmed the escape of the rebel leader. “It is understood 57 prisoners are currently unaccounted for, one of those being Mr Alfredo Reinado,” an Australian police spokesman said.

Alfredo Reinado is a former East Timorese Army officer who deserted and led a rebel group during the unrest in May, being blamed for some of the country’s violence during the security crisis.Him and other 14 soldiers of his rebel group were arrested on July by Australian troops for illegal possession of firearms after an GNR patrol found them with pistols, hundreds of ammunition and grenades in a house during a routine operation.

Of the other 56 prisoners unaccounted for, 16 are believed to be former Timorese police and soldiers accused of crimes committed during East Timor’s security crisis, and five prisoners convicted for homicide.

According to Becora’s prison warden Carlos Sarmento, the inmates had escaped by breaking down several walls on the prison’s east wing.

The East Timorese Justice Minister, Domingos Sarmento, blamed the international security forces for the jailbreak and told the Lusa news agency that the New Zealand forces in charge of the security of the prison’s exterior left the prison without informing the Timorese government.

“There was an agreement in which the forces of New Zealand would be in charge of the outside security of the prison, but about a week ago they left the location and didn’t inform us”, Domingos Sarmento said.

Domingos Sarmento said that he contacted the Australian-led forces so that the security outside the prison could be restored, but was told that the forces’ removal from the prison were due to the necessity of deploying troops in other points of the city.

The Minister recognized that the absence of police and military forces on the prison’s outside and the fact that the guard were unarmed contributed to facilitate the escape of the prisoners. Also recognizing that the use of weapons by the guards would improve the security in the jail, he noticed that the internal regulation doesn’t allow that use.

Get The Word Out On Bridal Shower Favors

April 7th, 2018 in Shirts | No Comments

By Cherri Sheldon

Youve finally taken the leap and built that fun, fabulous business in bridal shower favors youve been dreaming about for fun, fabulous females like yourself. Now its just a matter of letting your business grow and prosper enough to reach the far-flung corners of cyberspace. Savvy marketing is what you need, and getting it done will open doors for you.

Knowing Your Market

Of course, in order to market, you have to

know

your market. Suffice to say, you need to determine your target market before you can attempt to put the word out on your bridal shower favors. After all, you need to very specific in marketing your product.

For a business specializing in bridal shower favors, your target market is likely women in their 20s to 30s, and maybe some in their 40s and 50s. These are women with friends, families, and colleagues that are about to become brides; hence, the bridal shower. Favors are an additional treat that bring life and fun into the bridal shower party.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JwdZC31nQU[/youtube]

Reaching Your Market

Once youve determined your target market, you now have to be able to reach them and make the presence of your bridal shower favors known.

As with every small business, your first marketing strategy is through word of mouth. Your women friends can spread the word to their women friends and so forth, so all the women in your network will be turning to you for bridal shower favors.

The World Wide Web is probably the most powerful tool you can possibly utilize to market you product. With so many women online nowadays, a well-placed ad or link to your website of bridal shower favors can bring many businesses your way. Your best option is to get affiliated with websites dedicated to brides, wedding planning, and even wedding dresses. A catchy banner ad for bridal shower favors will pique any womans interest, so itll be worth the investment.

Satisfying Your Market

Of course, once you have the public eating off the palm of your hands, doesnt mean you have to stop there. You have to stand out and beat the competition, so keeping your client base is essential.

Seek to continually improve your bridal shower favors. Go beyond the usual party hats, confetti, and sexy streamers. These days, more and more women are embracing their sexuality, so throw in a naughty, little sex toy for added fun. Keep it discreet, however. You dont want to alienate your more conservative clients. Make your bridal shower favors adaptable. Also, whatever improvements you make on your cache of bridal shower favors, make sure your clients know about it through newsletters and email updates, and they will keep coming back for more.

Indeed, with the right attitude and considerable effort, youll find that you can use marketing to your advantage. Bringing in business and keeping that business should be your top priority. Soon enough, youll find that your fun, fabulous bridal shower favors is dominating every fun, fabulous bridal shower there is.

About the Author: In need of

bridal shower favors

? Visit WeddingFavorsAndGiftIdeas.com today and also find tasteful

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and

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for your entourage.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

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Oral Roberts University accountant claims he was ordered to “cook the books”

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Oral Roberts University accountant claims he was ordered to “cook the books”
April 7th, 2018 in Uncategorized | No Comments

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A former accountant for Oral Roberts University (ORU) has filed a lawsuit against ORU and its Board of Regents claiming he was told by Richard Roberts and his wife Lindsay to “cook the books”, hiding financial wrongdoing from authorities and the public. Trent Huddleston, the accountant, has filed suit against the school and the Robertses claiming he “was improperly and unlawfully directed to perform functions and duties in violation of state and federal law in an effort by the defendants to ‘cook the books’ and hide from the appropriate authorities and the public the continued wrongdoing, improper and illegal conduct of the defendants, and in particular, of Richard and Lindsay Roberts.”

Huddleston said that nearly $123,000 in remodeling fees for their home was paid by Oral Roberts University and Oral Roberts Ministries. In addition the lawsuit alleges $4,000 was spent on a pool table for the Robertses. Previously the Roberts were accused of illegal political and financial wrongdoing, which forced the president to step down from his positison.

Last week at a meeting called by Oral Roberts, founder of the University and former faith healer, a majority of the faculty voted against allowing Richard to serve as president.

An ORU spokesman declined to comment on latest lawsuit and the faculty meeting.

In other news, Tulsa World released emails between Richard and his political adviser and sister-in-law, Stephanie Cantees. The emails given by an anonymous source, show the two plan to gain political influence using ORU students.

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