President George Bush toasts the Olympians at a dinner hosted in the East Room of the White House. Bush says thank you to Chairman of the Olympic Committee Peter Ueberroth, the 2008 Olympic Team and Paralympic Team, and joked that the Mayor of Chicago would host the 2016 Olympics. He said that he and Laura would be watching in Beijing and “could not wait to cheer you on.” He proposed a toast “to the Olympic athletes past and present, and to the United States of America.” [entire speech] (3:47)

 

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We must take the missile threat from Iran seriously.

Such was the statement of Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. General Henry A. “Trey” Obering III at a Missile Defense Status briefing at the Pentagon. Iran, he says, is working on an extended-range variant of the Shahab-3 missile and a new 2,000 km medium-range ballistic missile known as the “Ashura.” Iran is acquiring “advanced ballistic missile capabilities,” and they’re doing it with foreign assistance and an “aggressive development and test program.”

So what was Iran testing last week? Intelligence provides that info, Obering said, but the Iranians themselves are the ones providing the information. Although this may call into question the accuracy of the information due to bias, Obering said that based on what he has seen, they [Iran] have the capability to have long range missiles. And by having Iran talk about the possibility of a space launch brings to mind something else: the ability to have an umbrella of cover under which they could make booster missiles capable of traveling intercontinental distances.

The thought of a nuclear missile capable of reaching the United States from Iran strikes fear into the heart of every American, and Obering stressed that this is the very reason the missile defense system in Europe is needed. Based on azimuth trajectories (the arc a missile would have to travel in order for it to intercept another target), we need radar detection in the Czech Republic, and our actual interceptors located in Poland. Any closer, and they could not travel the proper trajectory to destroy an enemy missile in time to avoid significant damage.

But what if the attack isn’t nuclear, and is, in fact, an EMP? EMP’s are missiles that deploy an electromagnetic pulse, capable of disabling electronics across a large area. The amount of disabling caused is proportional to how close it is to the target when it goes off, hence the desire to intercept those types of missiles as far above the ground as possible. The House Armed Services Committee discussed that threat and said the potential damage would be significant.

The United States has eighteen nations around the globe that we can do missile defense interaction with. “It’s not the United States only” that is concerned, and there are a growing number of nations that want defense. Placing our interceptors in Poland is where it makes the most sense. Although Russia says that we’re exaggerating a missile threat from Iran, and has also come to a misconception that we are pointing missiles at Russia themselves, there are three fundamental problems with that theory. One, the angle of the missiles would actually fire them 256 kilometers into space if they went all the way to their apex, two, interceptors don’t carry the same payload such as an actual destructive missiles does- they’re only designed to hit things that do have that payload, and make them explode on themselves, and three, a European interceptor site (up to 10 interceptors) “would be easily overwhelmed by Russia’s strategic missiles force,” should we fire at them.

Russia, apparently, has been invited to “come have a look,” and we’ve made a proposal: we will set the defense system up but we won’t bring it completely operational unless the Iranian threat emerges. Obering said that an Iranian threat has emerged when there is proof they have the capability to fire off a missile that can travel 2,000 - 2,500 kilometers, and, if we wait till they actual fire off those missiles, it’s too late to get our own defenses up to defend against it. There is the need to be ready now, not later. Yes, Obering said, they [Iran] have long-range missiles.

Tests have been conducted utilizing missiles fired at the proper trajectories from Alaska and California, to emulate an actual airstrike. Obering said they’re concerned that Iran and North Korea will develop the ability to counteract our defense, and shoot our interceptors down before they can do what they are meant to do: protect. That is why by the end of this year we hope to have two tracking satellites that can track launched missiles more precisely than we do with our current ground radar, such as the one located in Japan. Since we have fielded an initial capability to defend the United States against ballistic missile attacks, we must take into account future uncertainties. Right now, we’re hitting our targets within centimeters from where we’re aiming.

Economics, tax cuts, social security and health care dominated a discussion held by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) today looking at how the next president will pay the nation’s bills. AARP, which is the nation’s largest lobbying organization, held the forum with policy advisors for both Senators McCain and Obama. The discussion was moderated by Wall Street Journal Economics Editor David Wessel and also featured Diane Lim Rogers from the Concord Coalition and John Rother with AARP. (more…)

Last night I lay underneath my mosquito net in an unknown corner of the world. I listened to a baby cry, no, scream a few houses away. My hosts Eduardo and Nancy climbed up to the newly added second floor and by the creaking sounds I knew immediately that if they had in mind anything besides sleep I would soon know about it. In the next bed Willington, my 6-year-old godson let out a adorable child-like snoring sound. The huge rooster in the backyard let out a loud “crookaooaooo” despite the hour of 10 p.m. This is how I ended my Independence Day. No fireworks, no celebration, just the sounds of a world that is strange and familiar all at once.

I lived as a volunteer in southwestern Ecuador from late 2006 into late 2007. I used my vacation time to come back and visit the friends I had to leave behind. Unfortunately it is as if not a single day has passed. Not much has changed about the hard, scrappy existence of my friends in this slum, a place called “little tree” that is ironically short on trees. Considering the stress of my present job I am not sure this was the best course for a relaxing break. I have so far broken out in hives, collected a myriad of stomach parasites, and had more mosquito and ant bites in the last five days than in the last year. But I have also slept deeply every single night dreaming and making up for the hours and hours of sleep debt owed.

Ecuador is a tiny country, about the size of Nevada. The popularly elected president Rafeal Correa grows more and more socialist every day. There are more government programs implemented and more mandates that come down from Quito the farther into his term Correa gets. The people of Arbolito generally think well of these programs that artificially control the price of rice, gasoline ($1.80 a gallon for as long as I can remember), and durable goods. These prices are manipulated to favor the agricultural community out in the abandoned Ecuadorian countryside where the nearest market could be two or three hours away by horse. The poor her think that this is just the world being righted by the hand of government to favor those who have never been cared for, those who cannot read or write but feed the rest of their country. There are social programs cropping up as well, the most intersting of which is that juniors in high school have to teach a mandatory class to older people who can´t read or write. If you don´t teach you can´t graduate onto senior year.

And despite the fact that it looks like Correa will be the first president to complete an entire 4 year term in over 25 years, the problems of this tiny country are immense. Corruption is rampant. Crime and violence are omipresent threats. One of my good friends here, a single working mother of five told me the horrific story of her brother´s murder last night. While stumbling home drunk (alcholism is also a widespread issue) he was attacked with a machete. The robbers cut his throat, his face, and his chest . He might have recovered from the injuries if he lived in the city or in the outlying slums. But Sam was from the campo, the countryside, where he had a chicken farm. It took an entire day for an ambulance to arrive. And another before he was in a hospital. By the time his family reached his side, he had bled to death. And as Francisca told the story it wasn´t the violence that seemed to shock or stick with her. It was the cost of paying the ambulance, the morgue, the funaral home and buying a casket. Her children went without necessary things the month her brother was killed and they ate rice and potatoes because of the cost of giving him a proper burial.

My best friend told me once that I was glorifying life in Ecuador. She was right. Now that I am back her I remember profoundly exactly how awful it was. All I remembered were the good times. Coming back here forced the worst of times back into my memory.And for me they are memories but for those who live here they are daily reality. For that, I will always admire these things about Ecuadorians. They are practical, they are patient and they are indefatigable in their faith. I have been gone from Ecuador an entire year and I still don´t know what I am supposed to do with the life I lived here and the things I learned. And until I figure it out, I should remember that everything is poco a poco (littly by little) and that things happen si Dios quiere (if God wants.)

Chao from Ecuador!

They partied all day and all night.

Although Canada never officially declared independence from Britain (the last vestiges of power were actually shed as recently as 1982!), July 1 is a holiday marking the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day in Ottawa, Ontario, was something to be admired.

Most noteworthy to me was the extent of celebrating. Parade watchers were wearing red, white, and usually a flag. I found that part to be the most interesting: you could buy a Canadian flag, one that you could, indeed, put on a flag pole- and wrap it around your shoulders, make it into a dress, or tie it in a turban around your head. In the United States, no one would ever do that do an actual flag, but here in Canada, if you weren’t decked out in some sort of flag, you were the one that stuck out.

I promptly put a Canadian sticker on my face. I think I’m allowed- my father is from British Columbia.

There were street performers, musical performances, and at one point cannons being blasted off in celebration of Canada Day. Late into the night, people were dancing in the street, screaming “Happy Canada Day!” and watching fireworks.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a Happy Canada Day!

Craig Harwood, an engineer at Rockwell-Collins, discusses the massive waters that flowed through downtown Cedar Rapids.  (0:50)

 

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South African Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu speaking on a conference call talks about the role the United States needs to play on HIV/AIDS. Tutu is supporting legislation that is before the Senate which would triple President Bush’s HIV/AIDS funding from $50 billion to $150 billion. (0:55)

 

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Speaking on a conference call with reporters, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu known as “South Africa’s moral conscience” pleaded that members of the United States Senate vote to triple the bipartisan funding of $50 billion for HIV/AIDS funding in Africa. Tutu believes that the United States has a responsibility to work towards increasing the HIV/AIDS funding and that if it does so “other countries will follow.” (more…)

I sat down with my mom last December, I looked at her seriously, and told her of my one ultimate goal for covering Iowa caucuses. “I just want to get a picture with Tim Russert.”

I’m not going to say I idolize people just because they are on TV. I am not going to spout off hero worship. I wanted that picture because the NBC Washington Bureau Chief was the real deal. Tim Russert had a unique style, he was a great writer, and he was one of the few TV people who did journalism. He was tough with everyone. He was a great host of Meet the Press. He did his research. He checked his facts. He was prepared.

If more television journalists did the simple fundamental things Tim Russert did, I would watch more TV news.

Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston describes the damage to Eastern Iowa infrastructure - including roads, the Interstate, buildings, sewage treatment facilities - caused by tremendous regional flooding. (6:56)

Grant Wood Area Red Cross - Local Chapter

 

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