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US bill aims to crack down on overseas tax cheatsSTEPHEN OHLEMACHER October 27, 2009 By The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Key lawmakers unveiled a bill Tuesday aiming to crack down on wealthy U.S. tax dodgers hiding money overseas. The bill would impose new reporting requirements on foreign financial institutions doing business in the U.S., and on American advisers who help U.S. residents make investments overseas. Foreign firms that don't comply would be hit with a 30 percent withholding tax on income from their U.S. assets. The bill, which would raise an estimated $8.5 billion over the next 10 years,...

I am considering some extended travel - basically living in either Germany or Austria.. Any comments about what I should look for? I want a base over there to explore the rest of Europe for a 6-12 month period. Rent an apt or house? As an American, what issues would I have to deal with?

Since obama took over and the whirlwind of pushing and shoving and lies started pouring from D.C., one tends to forget a "crisis" because another "crisis" takes it's place. At least that is what I have found happening to me, and I do think it is very intentional.... olenski's radical instructions gives the map. Here in Texas metro area, we have not seen severe drops in employment which is occurring in several other states. However, I keep running into various people, in the grocery store, or simple business transactions who tell me that THEY ARE BEING SENT OVERSEAS by their...

The U.S. tax code is "full of corporate loopholes that makes it perfectly legal for companies to avoid paying their fair share." -- President Obama, May 4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like it or not, ours is a world of multinational companies. Almost all of America's brand-name firms (Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft, Caterpillar) are multinationals, and the process works both ways. In 2006, the U.S. operations of foreign firms employed 5.3 million workers. Fiat's looming takeover of Chrysler reminds us again that much business is transnational. For most people, the multinational company is a troubling concept. Loyalty matters. We like to think that "our...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday will propose changing provisions in the tax code that he says encourage U.S. companies to move jobs overseas, as part of a broader package aimed at saving $210 billion over 10 years. Obama will seek to follow through on a campaign promise to change the tax treatment of American firms with overseas operations. That portion of his plan -- opposed by such firms as Pfizer Inc and Oracle Corp -- would raise more than $100 billion in revenue over the next decade. Obama vowed in a February address to the U.S. Congress...

For those of us interested in taxes, probably the most important words Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis ever wrote had to do with the essential importance of U.S. states to the country's economic health. Brandeis viewed states as "laboratories" of democracy, whereby individuals would choose a given locale in the U.S. based on how much or how little government they wanted. Brandeis' thinking might now seem quaint or dated, but back when he served (from 1916 to 1939) the Constitution was correctly seen as a limiting document. And rather than a document meant to limit infinite individual rights, the more...

“The Budget also seeks to “close the “tax gap” by tackling tax shelters and other efforts to abuse our tax laws, including international tax evasion efforts.” -Spoken by an upstanding American Citizen

What online service should I use?

Sacramento - -- More than a dozen state lawmakers have missed much of the special legislative session called to tackle the state's fiscal mess, instead traveling to India, China and Hawaii to learn about education, high-speed rail and dams. The legislators include Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, and several Assembly Budget Committee members who missed a hearing on the crisis on Friday. At least two of the lawmakers are not expected to return by Sunday's planned floor sessions of the Senate and the Assembly, their staff members said. "Obviously, they're not taking the...

I was troubled today by yet another story demonstrating the alarming lack of regard for the fact that our military men and women are being disenfranchised from our democratic voting process. In Fairfax County, VA, it has been reported that military ballots are being literally thrown in the garbage because of a “technicality” in the absentee ballot form. Furthermore, the Justice Department has now filed a lawsuit against the State of Vermont and Vermont Secretary of State Deborah L. Markowitz, for failure to comply with the Uniformed Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), legislation intended to ensure that uniformed military...

American soldiers can hump 60-pound packs through the broiling desert, kill for their country and die for it, but they can't always vote for their commander in chief. A solution has long been proposed: Just get rid of the Byzantine process which forces those in far-flung battle zones to vote by mail that must be delivered to thousands of local election districts across the United States. Advertisement But the Pentagon has found that bringing military voting into the 21st century is not so simple. The number of absentee military ballots applied for that ultimately get counted is consistently low. In...

Presidential Campaigns Join Overseas and Military Voter Outreach Effort Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) is fielding record levels of online activity from overseas and military voters and views this as a key indicator of potentially unprecedented high levels of voter participation of overseas and military voters in Election 2008. Over 2 million visitors have come to the OVF website, or an OVF hosted website in 2008. The month of September averaged 25,000 visits per day to the combined total of 17 OVF hosted websites. Of the tens of thousands of voters that OVF has helped to register, 26% are first-time voters,...

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain-Palin 2008 released its latest television ad, entitled "Overseas." The ad highlights Barack Obama's agenda that opposes providing critical help to Michigan manufacturers that will save jobs. The ad will air in Michigan. VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh1GOLylHek Script For "Overseas" (TV :30) ANNCR: Michigan manufacturing jobs are going overseas. Barack Obama and his liberal allies are to blame. When manufacturers needed help making health care more affordable, they voted no. So jobs go overseas. Help to reduce energy costs? No. More jobs overseas. Lower taxes? No. Even more jobs overseas. They don't understand. Their votes...

Obama's Magical Mystery Tour After a week of intense media foreplay, Obama has finally embarked on his magical mystery tour. As he boarded the plane that took him on the first leg of his anxiously awaited Middle East and European tour, a pair of uniformed Air Force officers saluted simultaneously, as they do each time President Bush boards Air Force One. As the media-anointed President in waiting, Obama is virtually guaranteed superstar non-stop media coverage as he makes his taxpayer financed 'fact finding' tour this week. Joining him on this excellent adventure are all three of the major network anchors...

Eight California lawmakers are traveling overseas this week to study high-speed rail systems and other matters as the Legislature takes an 11-day spring break. Assembly members Charles Calderon, D-Whittier, Mary Hayashi, D-Hayward, Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, are on a trip to Spain sponsored by the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy. Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, and Assembly members Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, and Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, are part of a delegation visiting Japan. One reason for the trips is to study the development of high-speed rail systems in...

A Bush administration plan to crack down on contract fraud has a multibillion-dollar loophole: The proposal to force companies to report abuse of taxpayer money will not apply to work overseas, including projects to secure and rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan. For decades, contractors have been asked to report internal fraud or overpayment on government-funded projects. Compliance has been voluntary, and over the past 15 years the number of company-reported fraud cases has declined steadily. Now, the Justice Department wants to force companies to notify the government if they find evidence of contract abuse of more than $5 million. Failure to...

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Dec. 17, 2007 – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael G. Mullen is bringing United Service Organizations entertainers to visit with troops in seven countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe through the next week. Airmen at a Southwest Asia air base enjoy the comedy of Robin Williams during the first stop of the 2007 USO holiday tour, Dec. 17, 2007. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “We want to thank as many servicemembers as we can,” Mullen said. “The holidays are...

SINGAPORE, Oct. 22 — Renewed concerns about the health of the American economy sent Asian stocks sharply lower today, and European stocks also registered declines in early trading. Following a dramatic decline by stock prices in the United States on Friday — the 20th anniversary of the 1987 “Black Monday” stock market crash — investors in Asia sold off stocks on worries that the United States mortgage crisis would crimp demand among American consumers for Asia’s exports. Hong Kong’s benchmark index of share prices fell by almost 3.3 percent, while in Japan the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped by...

The intense pursuit of money in the U.S. presidential campaigns and the many wealthy Americans working at hedge funds and other businesses worldwide have led candidates to broaden fund-raising overseas, especially in such financial centers as London and Hong Kong. Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and a Republican candidate, appeared last week at a fund-raiser at a hotel near Hyde Park in London. He is to be followed there next month by the spouses of two Democratic candidates: former President Bill Clinton, husband of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and the wife of Senator Barack...

FBI Has 'Pretty Good Leads' in Threats Published: 8/31/07, 4:47 PM EDT By JOE MILICIACLEVELAND (AP) - The FBI is looking overseas for suspects who have phoned bomb threats to more than 24 grocery stores, banks and discount stores in 15 states, including at least six new cases Friday in Ohio. The callers have threatened to set off a bomb unless store employees wire money to an account abroad. At a Dillons grocery store in Hutchinson, Kan., the caller ordered customers and workers to take off their clothes and threatened to force them to cut off a manager's fingers. Store...

5/18/2007 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) -- Everywhere he goes, actor Gary Sinise is recognized as Lieutenant Dan from the movie "Forrest Gump." It was this recognition that gave him the inspiration for his band name: The Lt. Dan Band; a tool that Mr. Sinise uses to support the men and women in the Armed Forces by playing overseas tours and stateside through the United Service Organization, or USO. The Lt. Dan Band performed at Spangdahlem Air Base May 15 wrapping up the band's 2007 European tour. They played five shows throughout Belgium and Germany. "The show was great...

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2007 – Four servicemembers who recently returned from deployments to remote sites in Iraq and Afghanistan were recognized May 10 for their efforts in boosting their fellow troops’ morale. Recipients of the 2007 SemperComm Award discuss efforts they’ve made to help improve morale, welfare and recreation programs and services for their fellow troops deployed to remote sites. Receiving the award at the 2007 SemperComm Foundation gala May 10 were, from left, Navy Lt. Marc Soss; Marine 1st Sgt. Kevin Conboy and Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Wright. The fourth receipient, Army Capt. Wayne Keeler, was unable to...

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2007 – After traveling nearly 18,000 miles to see the young men and women of the U.S. armed forces in Southwest Asia, members of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference 73 have come away from the experience with a heightened respect for those who are serving the nation. The 45 participants were civic and business leaders from around the country who covered their own expenses to join in the Defense Department’s oldest public affairs program by visiting servicemembers from each branch to learn more about the military’s role in operations in the U.S. Central Command area of...

Jobless doctors 'to be shipped overseas' By George Jones, Political Editor Last Updated: 2:13am BST 21/04/2007 Up to 10,000 young doctors who are unable to find jobs in the NHS could be offered voluntary work overseas. An estimated 34,250 doctors have applied for just 18,500 training posts According to official documents leaked yesterday, the plan was drawn up by NHS managers following the botched introduction of an online appointments system, which could leave thousands of junior doctors without training places this summer. The document, Maximising Employment Opportunities, confirmed that there was a 10,000 "excess of applicants for training posts over...

Three senators proposed legislation that would target what they say is $100 billion a year in tax revenue lost each year because of overseas tax havens, in part by forcing hedge funds to track their foreign investors. The measure would impose tougher requirements on U.S. taxpayers using offshore secrecy jurisdictions, give the U.S. Treasury the authority to take action against foreign jurisdictions that impede tax enforcement, stiffen penalties against abusers and close offshore trust loopholes, according to a summary of the bill released by Michigan Democrat Carl M. Levin. The legislation would require hedge funds to establish programs to combat...

GSDF to create central intelligence unit / To boost info-gathering for international missions The Yomiuri Shimbun The Ground Self-Defense Force has decided to integrate its existing intelligence-related units into a new "Central Intelligence Unit" during this fiscal year to boost its information-gathering and information-processing capabilities, sources said Saturday. The unit, which is likely to have about 600 members, is expected to have its first-ever human intelligence (humint) corps to engage in gathering information from local people when dispatched abroad, the sources said. The 70-strong corps, tentatively called the "Overseas Intelligence Corps," is expected to secure "cooperatives" abroad and conduct other...

ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION ALTERNATIVES FOR MISSOURI UNIFORMED SERVICE MEMBER (OR ELIGIBLE DEPENDENT) Fax: Send FPCA for ballot request* Return voted ballot** Email: Return voted ballot** CIVILIAN OUTSIDE THE U.S. (OVERSEAS) Fax: Send FPCA for ballot request* Return voted ballot** Email: Return voted ballot** ADDITIONAL INFORMATION *In select counties. **Permitted only for Federal service, military and overseas voters serving in designated combat locations overseas that meet one of the following requirements: eligible to receive hostile fire pay, eligible to receive imminent danger pay, or in a location designated by the President of the United States as a combat zone. Ballot Instructions for...

ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION ALTERNATIVES FOR FLORIDA UNIFORMED SERVICE MEMBER (OR ELIGIBLE DEPENDENT) Fax: Send FPCA for ballot request* Receive blank ballot* Return voted ballot* Email: Receive blank ballot* Telephone: Request blank ballot** *Overseas Uniformed Services voters only. CIVILIAN OUTSIDE THE U.S. (OVERSEAS) Fax: Send FPCA for ballot request Receive blank ballot Return voted ballot Email: Receive blank ballot Telephone: Request blank ballot** ADDITIONAL INFORMATION **If you are already registered to vote. Use fax numbers or email address available at www.fvap.gov/services/faxing.html. After faxing or emailing, send the FPCA and/or Ballot by mail. Click here for the online version of the FPCA. Use...

U.S. Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program Voting News Release #21 October 27, 2006 It May Not Be Too Late to Register or Request a Ballot HomePublicationsFormsLawsServicesAbout UsContact UsSite IndexNotices In many states there may still be time for action. The citizen should contact the VAO to determine, using the Voting Assistance Guide (VAG) and the FVAP website www.fvap.gov, if registration is still open and what methods the state allows for expediting the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and ballot delivery and return. Deadlines for each state are listed at www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html. Citizens who submitted an FPCA since January...

Rasmussen: NJ Menendez 48 Kean Jr. 43 MT Tester 50% Burns 46%

One of the country's leading hospitals is throwing aborted babies into the same incinerator used for rubbish to save only £18.50 each time, it has emerged. Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge, said it was no longer able to afford the dignified disposal at a local crematorium of foetuses from unwanted pregnancies. Instead, they are being burnt in the hospital's main incinerator - which is normally used for rubbish and clinical waste. The revelation sparked anger and distress among church leaders and pro-life groups, as well as women whose pregnancies were terminated at the hospital. Addenbrooke's adopts a different policy for unborn...

Parties at odds over court ruling A vote for former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley on ballots in the 16th Congressional District will count as a vote for his lawfully nominated replacement, fellow Republican Joe Negron. That message may be simple. But government actions to communicate it to voters has resulted in controversy over whether the actions amount to "electioneering." But the controversy may have had an unintended effect. It has "energized" local Republicans into an all-out campaign to make sure voters aren't confused, according to Bob Starr, chairman of the Charlotte County Republican Party. "I've got people coming out of...

Web Site to Outline Voting Options for Troops OverseasBy Sgt. Sara Wood, USAAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2006 – A new Web site being developed by the Defense Department will provide information on electronic voting options for servicemembers and other U.S. citizens living overseas. The Integrated Voting Alternative Site, which is scheduled to be accessible Sept. 1, will include information from all 55 states and territories on the various electronic ballot request and delivery alternatives available to U.S. citizens living overseas covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, said Scott Wiedmann, deputy director of...

SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday his movie-star celebrity and his boundless enthusiasm for all things California make him a great international salesman for the state's products and services. Speaking to the Commonwealth Club of California at the Herbst Theater, the governor said he will go anywhere to tout California's wares, "to go out there and tell our story" to buyers in any nation. "They want our products, they need our environmental know-how ... and our state-of-the-art technology." Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides' campaign Wednesday issued a pre-emptive memo outlining Schwarzenegger's foreign-trade failures: fewer exports now than in...

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2006 – While military servicemembers await deployment, some will find inspiration in their mailbox, courtesy of "Project Prayer Flag," a grassroots group that sends servicemembers pocket flags and letters of prayer and encouragement. 4th Infantry Division soldiers near Bayji, Iraq, hold pocket flags they received inside "Project Prayer Flag" kits. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Project Prayer Flag is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which showcases Americans' efforts to support servicemembers and their families. It's not important how Americans support the troops as long as they support them,...

For a number of airmen at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, it's been six months since they've seen their loved ones. But now, members of the 563rd Rescue Group are coming home. Seventeen airmen came back on a C-17 Tuesday night and more were soon to follow. During their time overseas, this unit performed 24 rescue missions for the U.S. military, and also offered foreign assistance to small children in need of medical care. Major Steve Ammons' wife can't wait for him to see how much their 10-month-old daughter has changed. "I'm excited, excited for him to see her, how...

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 29, 2006 – When the Air Force 332nd Recruiting Squadron got the chance to provide a color guard for the Grand Ole Opry's Memorial Day weekend All-American Salute Signature Shows, the airmen were happy to oblige. "I thought it was awesome to get to see all these country stars," Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Haugen said backstage between the 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. shows. "Everyone spoke to me, and they thanked me for doing time in the service. It's amazing how many people here have been in the Air Force or the Army or the Marines or whatever." Haugen,...

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2006 – Recognizing the need for a federal agency to take the lead in honoring U.S. servicemembers who died on foreign soil, Congress enacted legislation in 1923 to create the American Battle Monuments Commission. The U.S. cemetery in Cambridge, England, contains the remains of 3,812 of American war dead from World War II. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains and oversees American cemeteries and monuments around the world. They are commemorative sites honoring our nation's war heroes," retired Army Brig. Gen. John "Jack" Nicholson, secretary and chief executive...

3/23/2006 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- The man best-known for writing and performing “God Bless the U.S.A.” will entertain U.S. troops in Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific from April 5 to 18. "I am thrilled that Restless Heart, Dick Hardwick, the New England Patriot Cheerleaders and members of the Air Force band have all agreed to accompany me on this tour to entertain our men and women in uniform and show support for their military service around the world,” said Lee Greenwood, world-famous singer and songwriter. His “God Bless the U.S.A.” was certified platinum in 2001....

The 3-year-old Iraqi war is more than just a political hot button between claims of righteous cause and charges of political deception. For the hundreds of thousands of men and women who are serving overseas, the conflict means honor and duty, but also sacrifice and danger. They are a long way from home, far from loved ones. We understand that for the families of those in service, the war is a harrowing experience, as they must live daily not only with the fear of losing a loved one, but also with the more functional realities of running households and making...

We Support Our Troops!  For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT:  Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. Five Top Desktop Search ApplicationsMake it easier on yourself! Google Desktop 2 has a clean interface; quick access to online and local apps and files; more than 100 plug-ins, with more sure to come from third-party developers.   The Google Desktop does a mixed job anticipating the content you...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2006 – U.S. servicemembers and federal employees stationed overseas need to act quickly to request absentee ballots for this year's primary and general elections, a Defense Department official said here yesterday. This year, U.S. citizens will elect 34 senators, the entire House of Representatives, 37 state governors, and hundreds of state and local officials. Primaries begin in March, and the general election is Nov. 7. To participate in their home states' elections, servicemembers and overseas citizens need to complete a Federal Post Card Application requesting an absentee ballot, said Scott Wiedmann, deputy director of the Federal Voting...

NEW YORK - From Peru to the Philippines to Poland, U.S.-based conservative groups are increasingly engaged in abortion and family-planning debates overseas, emboldened by their ties with the Bush administration and eager to compete with more liberal rivals. The result is that U.S. advocacy groups are now waging their culture war skirmishes worldwide as they try to influence other countries' laws and wrangle over how U.S. aid money should be spent. "We don't expect to see the United Nations change, or Western Europe change," said Joseph d'Agostino of the Population Research Institute, a Virginia-based anti-abortion group. "But with the Bush...

NEW YORK CITY(Army News Service, Nov. 23, 2005) -- Holiday greetings featuring 30 deployed troops from the New York City area debuted Nov. 17 on Times Square. About 50 family members gathered at the “Crossroads of the World” to view the greetings on the 30-by-40-ft. screen that overlooks the site where the New Year’s Eve ball drops for millions of television viewers worldwide. Queens resident Evelyn Ponce came to see the greeting from her daughter, Spc. Jessica Alicea, who is deployed in Afghanistan and due to return at the end of December. “We’re very proud of her,” said Ponce. “She...

House takes up leak reviewThursday, November 10, 2005 8:01 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Intelligence Committee will look into a possible leak of classified information about secret CIA prisons but will not reopen its 2003 inquiry into prewar intelligence on Iraq. As calls for intelligence-related reviews grow on Capitol Hill, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., said Thursday his committee will study several specific leaks of classified information, including a Nov. 2 Washington Post story that discussed the existence of secret CIA prisons overseas. The story said the ‘‘black sites'' were in eight countries, including democracies in Eastern Europe. Hoekstra...

GULFPORT, Mississippi, Nov. 1, 2005 - Through the efforts of Operation Homelink, personnel stationed at Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, were able to receive 100 free, refurbished computers. The PCs, which are valued at more than $30,000, were given away during a four-hour period Oct. 28 to military families impacted by Hurricane Katrina, particularly those who have a service member preparing to deploy overseas. “This is an outstanding opportunity for our troops who suffered loss,” said Cmdr. Rodney Duggins, supply officer at the Seabee base. Northrop Grumman, one of the government’s largest providers of information technology systems and services, donated...

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany, Oct. 20, 2005 – Business professionals and civic leaders on a tour of military installations got a closer look Oct. 19 at what many leaders call the Army's most valuable resource: the American soldier. Participants in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference made a stop at the Grafenwoehr Army Airfield and were taken to the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command here to see how the Army trains. The day included an extensive live-fire demonstration and an opportunity to fire many different weapons. But the real purpose of the visit was for the civilians to get to know the...

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kansas, Sept. 28, 2005 - Three Airmen received some “sweet” support from the “Rose Hill Cookie Lady” while they were deployed. Since Feb. 5, Merry Debbrecht, nicknamed the Rose Hill Cookie Lady, has baked more than 30,000 cookies for deployed troops all over the world. Mrs. Debbrecht’s baking project began after her grandson, Army Private 1st Class Andrew Webb, deployed overseas. “As soon as I knew my grandson was going, I started baking,” she said. But supporting just her grandson wasn’t enough. What really sparked her baking drive was her grandson’s graduation at Fort Hood, Texas....

A gallon-sized jar of whole pickles is something to behold. The jar is the size of a small aquarium. The fat green pickles, floating in swampy juice, look reptilian, their shapes exaggerated by the glass. It weighs 12 pounds, too big to carry with one hand. The gallon jar of pickles is a display of abundance and excess; it is entrancing, and also vaguely unsettling. This is the product that Wal-Mart fell in love with: Vlasic's gallon jar of pickles.Wal-Mart priced it at $2.97--a year's supply of pickles for less than $3! "They were using it as a 'statement' item,"...

Within 48 hours of the tragedy, with news reports still estimating that "20,000 people are feared dead," the U.S. Pacific Command was already establishing a joint task force to coordinate and conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Access approval was requested, and quickly obtained, from the Thai government to allow its massive Utapao Air Base to serve as the regional hub for the relief effort. Meanwhile, U.S. defense attaches were arranging overflight and landing rights and making initial contacts to allow U.S. forces, if and when authorized to assist, to more effectively interact with their regional counterparts. As Deputy...