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PETER ORSZAG: The US Is Facing A Perfect Storm Early Next Year Simone Foxman Jan. 24, 2012, 12:30 PM Early 2013 could just be the next perfect storm for political catastrophe in the United States, according to Peter Orszag, the Vice Chairman of Global Banking at Citigroup, who spoke at the Bloomberg Link Sovereign Debt Conference today. That's when Congress will face its next test--passing crucial legislation on the Bush-era tax cuts, defense spending, and raising the debt ceiling. "It's going to be rare that we have that [legislative] trifecta where you can actually do anything," Orszag said, arguing that...

They that go down to sea in ships, that do business in great waters: These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 107th Psalm

Occupy Protesters Consider Political FutureBy Don Gonyea Thu., December 1, 2011 3:45am (EST) **SNIP** One who has been watching the Occupy movement closely is Van Jones, an activist who once worked in the Obama White House, and who now heads an organization called Rebuild the Dream. Jones has spoken at Occupy encampments and met with those working on the next steps. He thinks that the movement can work on multiple fronts. Protests and demonstrations are important, Jones says, but so too are elections. "There's no reason to do an either or here. This can be one of the biggest movements...

It’s been 36 years on Thursday since the ore boat Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm in eastern Lake Superior taking all 29 crew members with her. The storm of November 9-10, 1975, ranks among the most powerful to strike the Lake Superior region.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An "epic" storm was bearing down on western Alaska on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said, warning that it could be one of the worst on record for the state. The storm, moving inland from the Aleutian Islands, was expected to bring hurricane-force winds with gusts up to 100 miles per hour, heavy snowfall, widespread coastal flooding and severe erosion to most of Alaska's west coast, the National Weather Service said. "This will be an extremely dangerous and life threatening storm of an epic magnitude rarely experienced," the service said in a special warning message. Nome...

An "epic" storm was bearing down on western Alaska on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said, warning that it could be one of the worst on record for the state. The storm, moving inland from the Aleutian Islands, was expected to bring hurricane-force winds with gusts up to 100 miles per hour, heavy snowfall, widespread coastal flooding and severe erosion to most of Alaska's west coast, the National Weather Service warned. "This will be an extremely dangerous and life threatening storm of an epic magnitude rarely experienced," the service said in a special warning message on Tuesday. Nome and the...

NOAA Warns of Monster Solar Storm Region Facing Earth for Next Two Weeks; Fully Capable of Producing X-Class Flares Mac Slavo November 8th, 2011 SHTFplan.com Last Thursday the sun produced an X1.9 rated solar flare that narrowly missed Earth. Although it wasn’t aimed directly at us, about 45 minutes after leaving the sun it was still powerful enough to disrupt radio communications. Now, that same area responsible for producing the X-class flare may pose a direct threat to Earth. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center says that the region on the sun known as AR11339 and...

ZAGREB -- Croatia’s Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko has banned a commemoration and revealing of a monument to Serbs victims who were killed from 1991 until 1995.Monument to killed Golubić Serbs (Tanjug) The minister stressed that the gathering would probably lead to significant violation of public law and order and that it would upset the citizens. He pointed out in the release that the “the ban has removed danger of bigger incidents and unrest”. The Croat authorities have also ordered St Stephen’s Church to remove the monument to Serb victims within three days. The Environment, Spatial Planning and Construction Ministry has...

Is the U.S. government stockpiling huge amounts of food and supplies in anticipation that something bad is about to happen? Is something about to cause a major economic crisis that will require large quantities of emergency food? For a while, I have been hearing things about the government storing food through the grapevine and I have not been sure what to think about those rumors. Well, today I received a phone call that blew me away. I debated for quite a while before I decided whether or not to share this information with you all. Normally I do not like...

(CNSNews.com) - Speaking in Jackson Hole, Wyo., yesterday at an economic symposium sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the economic recovery in the United States had proved to be “even weaker” than the Federal Open Market Committee had originally thought it was. Bernanke also reiterated that the committee had recently lowered its expectations for economic growth in the coming quarters. “[I]t is clear that the recovery from the crisis has been much less robust than we had hoped,” Bernanke said. “From the latest comprehensive revisions to the national accounts as...

Approximately 65 million people are likely to be directly impacted by Hurricane Irene as the storm takes aim at the densely populated Eastern Seaboard. Evacuations are underway for high flood risk areas. Mass transit cancellations, schedule changes and road/bridge closures are occurring throughout the storm warning areas. Please check with local news and Emergency Management Operations to determine the recommendations for your immediate area. Mash image to enlargeMash image to enlarge Radar Images & Loops (interactive maps short/long range) SoutheastNortheast (Cape Hatteras to NE)Satellite Images Still Images/Loops (both Flash & Java) Public Advisories NHC Discussions Local Wx Alerts Buoy Data:...

Flanked by a cadre of local political leaders, Mayor Chuck Reed of San Jose used a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar power company last week to talk up the promise of the green economy. Mr. Reed called the opening of the new headquarters of SolFocus, which produces large, free-standing solar panels, an “enormously important” development for the city’s economy. “Clean technology is the next wave of innovation that Silicon Valley needs to capture,” the mayor said, noting that the San Jose City Council had committed to increasing the number of “green jobs” in the city to 25,000 by 2022. San...

Zagreb/Belgrade 4 Aug. (AKI) - Croatia on Thursday celebrated the 16th anniversary of military operation “Storm” which crushed a Serb rebellion and sparked exodus of some 200,000 Serbs, while Serbia commemorated victims of what it calls the worst ethnic cleansing in Europe after World War Two. Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said operation “Storm” was a “brilliant military action” and a great victory which re-united the country. “The Day of Victory we celebrate in peace and freedom, taking our place in the European family of states and nations,” Kosor said. Serbiaian president Boris Tadic said the anniversary was a date...

Tropical Storm Don has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Current forecast track indicates Texas should receive much needed precipitation. Interests in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico should monitor the progress of Don. Public Advisories Tropical Discussion Buoy Data NW GOM

BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM DON ADVISORY NUMBER 1 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL042011 400 PM CDT WED JUL 27 2011 ...TROPICAL STORM DON FORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO... SUMMARY OF 400 PM CDT...2100 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...22.2N 87.0W ABOUT 120 MI...190 KM N OF COZUMEL MEXICO ABOUT 755 MI...1220 KM ESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 295 DEGREES AT 12 MPH...19 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1001 MB...29.56 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT. INTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS...

hese amazing pictures from the United States show a wall of dust moving through the city of Phoenix in Arizona. Sandstorms like this happen during the region's monsoon season, which is underway. They occur over desert land and can reach thousands of feet into the air, spurred by strong winds. The dense cloud dramatically reduced visibility, grounding flights at a major airport and leaving thousands without electricity.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The severe thunderstorms that ripped through the Twin Cities and eventually into Wisconsin Friday night have killed at least two people, authorities said. The Burnett County Sheriff’s Office reported that an 11-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on her at a campground in Burnett County. Officials in the area also said at least 21 people were taken to area hospitals with storm-related injuries. Most were treated and released. The Burnett County Emergency Operations Center has been activated and is set up for storm victims in Siren, Wis. A search is also underway along the St....

I always make sure my computer is unplugged and unhooked during thunderstorms, but yesterday I thought all we were having was a slow, steady rain with an occasional rumble of thunder off in the distance. As if! Suddenly the power went off accompanied by the sound of a string of firecrackers going off in the wall outlet my computer was plugged into. When the power came back on later my computer was dead. Tbe monitor, speakers, and modem still work (at least the modem still comes on), but the tower was dead as a doornail. Fortunately, there seems to have...

In Sept. 1859, on the eve of a below-average1 solar cycle, the sun unleashed one of the most powerful storms in centuries. The underlying flare was so unusual, researchers still aren't sure how to categorize it. The blast peppered Earth with the most energetic protons in half-a-millennium, induced electrical currents that set telegraph offices on fire, and sparked Northern Lights over Cuba and Hawaii. This week, officials have gathered at the National Press Club in Washington DC to ask themselves a simple question: What if it happens again? Modern power grids are vulnerable to solar storms. Photo credit: Martin Stojanovski...

Until alerted to the problem, city of Minneapolis posted a list of suggested tornado-repair contractors that included 22 that were unlicensed. After warning North Side tornado victims to avoid "unlicensed, unscrupulous contractors," Minneapolis officials failed to take their own advice and circulated a list that included 22 companies that were not licensed to perform home repairs

Daughter of a friend lives in affected area. The mother went to help out a few weeks ago. She called me about what she saw and her experience with the Red Cross and FEMA. She asked Red Cross what they needed and got a list; she was referred to FEMA for additional information. What galled her was the response from FEMA. FEMA informed her that there WAS NO NEED FOR ANYTHING. Keep in mind that she had a list of items requested by the Red Cross representative IN HER HAND! I suggested that she get emails and contact information. The...

Meet Storm. With those big blue eyes, fair hair and chubby cheeks, the four-month-old is certainly adorable. But whether this baby is a bruising boy or a blushing girl is, the parents say, a secret. In fact, they’re leaving the decision up to him – or her. The bizarre move has led to Kathy Witterick, 38, and husband David Stocker, 39, being labelled the most politically correct family in the world.

According to televised reports from Fox News, a man with an AK-47 attempted to storm the entrance gate to Fort Leonard Wood, two hours from St. Louis Missouri, police and guardsmen responded and chased the suspect who is in custody. Missouri police identified the gunman as Cody Wilcoxson. According to a spokesman from the military base, where a large number of new recruits complete their Basic Combat Training, Wilcoxson attempted to gain entry to the base earlier this morning at the West Gate and handed over a form of identification, which the guard declined for security purposes. When prompted for...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBnisypTrzM

PDS Tornado watch just issued for Northern Mississippi: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0232.html

NOAA Arkansas

President Obama can't hold off Congress much longer. In the form of hearings, media appearances and possibly a vote, Congress is determined to have its say on the Libyan conflict when lawmakers return to Washington next week. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been grumbling ever since the president ordered U.S. missile strikes on Muammar al-Qaddafi's regime in support of a U.N.-authorized no-fly zone Saturday. But the unrest is reaching a boiling point and from the top down, elected officials are pressing for questions about the U.S. role in the assault to get a full airing on Capitol...

Best stop and look both ways... tracks or not This 15-second web movie features a railroad crossing near Donnybrook, North Dakota, about 40 miles northwest of Minot on US 52. I've got to imagine all that snow muffles the sound, and this thing could really sneak up on you if not paying attention. Looks like they've got a pusher engine added to the rear for incremental snow-plowing umfff... This is pretty cool (sorry)... click -here- More at Reaganite Republican

MEXICO CITY — Mexico will provide electricity to Texas to help the state weather an ice storm that has forced rolling blackouts. Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission says it has agreed to transmit 280 megawatts of electricity to Texas between Wednesday and Thursday night.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A monster winter storm took aim at a third of the nation Monday, threatening to lay a potentially deadly path of heavy snow and ice from the Rockies to New England, followed by a wave of bitter, bone-rattling cold that could affect tens of millions of people. Cities including St. Louis, Kansas City and Milwaukee could be hardest hit, with expected midweek snowfalls of up to 2 feet and drifts piled 5 to 10 feet. Even hardy Chicago could be in for its third-worst blizzard since record-keeping began. "I wouldn't want to be on the road in...

Chicago meteorologists plan to bring cots and a change of clothes to work this week as a massive blizzard is expected to dump up to 20 inches of snow starting Tuesday. A blizzard watch will be in effect starting Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon for all of northeastern Illinois, according to the National Weather Service. Current forecasts predict about 20 inches of snow for portions of southern Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will Counties and 18 inches for most of northeastern Illinois. “I wouldn't want to be trying to get anywhere,” said Bill Nelson, Observation Program Leader for the National Weather...

A massive winter storm forecast for February 2 is set to affect more than 100 million people, weather experts have predicted. The Groundhog Day snowstorm is expected to hit the South, Midwest and Northeast of the country, building from early next week. The storm is likely to severely impact ground travel, cancellation of flights and school closures according to AccuWeather.

Stuck. On the George Washington Parkway. On 16th Street NW. Interstate 66, too. Buses, cars, people - just plain stuck as snow, sleet and ice covered roadways and knocked down trees across the region, turning the evening commute into a seemingly endless nightmare. At about 6:15 p.m., Steve Roberts, 42, began to merge his Dodge Ram pickup onto the George Washington Parkway en route to Sterling. Two hours later, he was still waiting to merge. "I hear there's an accident up by the Parkway and 495, and that's blocking everything up," said Roberts, who began his commute at the Pentagon....

WASHINGTON - The storm that whipped through the region Wednesday, bringing the area heavy snow, sleet and lightning, is one nobody will forget. It crippled the region and left hundreds of thousands without electricity. For some, the power won't be on for days, power companies say.

A storm that dropped more than 9 inches of new snow on New York City pounded Boston with blizzard conditions, forcing schools to close and disrupting travel. Twelve to 20 inches of snow may fall on Boston and parts of New England before the storm moves away late today, forecasters said. Boston officials asked non-essential city workers to stay home and urged other businesses to let employees work from home, according to the city website. More than 2,000 flights were canceled, mostly in the Northeast, according to airline reports compiled by Bloomberg. Amtrak suspended service between New York and Boston...

Maybe Al Gore and Ted Turner are right. The insidious thing about this man-made global warming is how it's lulling us all into this false sense of security by dumping snow and ice on us occasionally. I'm sure it'll warm up soon and then Ted can give us a timetable on how long we have until the Earth goes belly-up. I probably should have labeled this as vanity, but with all the tension and heavy discussions of the day, it was fun to play outside with the boys for a few hours :) Enjoy!

<p>ATLANTA -- Sleet and snow caused major gridlock on metro Atlanta's highways and neighborhood roads as more snow piled up early Monday morning.</p> <p>Shortly after the wintry weather arrived in metro Atlanta, several agencies e-mailed and called Channel 2 to report accidents across the area.</p>

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Friday three top Russian officials should spend New Year's Eve in the dark after failing to fulfill their promise to repair damaged power lines. "You said everything would be fine by 1800 (1500 GMT)," Russia's de facto number one said in nationally televised comments to the three. "You should not have said anything if you were not sure," he added during a meeting that included the governor of the Moscow region as well as federal energy minister and the head of the local power utility. The televised comments were followed an hour later by news...

Residents in eastern Pennsylvania are being warned to prepare for a snowstorm that brought a white Christmas to parts of the Midwest and the South and is expected to bear down on the area. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for eastern parts of the state on Saturday, upgrading the storm watch issued earlier in the day. The weather service is now forecasting 8 to 12 inches of snow for Philadelphia and its suburbs during the warning period, which begins at 7 a.m. Sunday

Discussion on the latest storm to hit around Christmas here in the east.

Western states facing 'all-day onslaught' from massive winter stormBy the CNN Wire Staff December 19, 2010 6:37 p.m. EST (CNN) -- A huge winter storm was affecting the West Coast on Sunday, poised to dump up to 10 feet of snow in some higher elevations, and causing flooding and potential mudslides in lower spots while impacting driving conditions and air travel, forecasters said. A winter storm warning remained in effect through Monday afternoon for California's Sierra Nevada mountains, from Yosemite to Kings Canyon, according to the National Weather Service. "Storm totals of 5 to 10 feet above 7,000 feet are...

The wind was so strong Saturday night it blew the Showboat Branson Belle aground during its cruise with guests onboard. The Belle and local authorities tell KY3 there's no serious injuries and only three people requested medical assistance as a precaution. A passenger told KY3 over the phone Saturday night, most of the 567 passengers are calm but some are panicking. The passenger also says the captain announced it's not safe to evacuate the boat where they came aground. He said the rocky shoreline is covered in ice. Fire crews are trying to create a gameplan but the captain announced...

I never expected to write this letter, but my Mom e-mailed me to get information about my career for a writeup on Veterans Day, and as this is the first such holiday in 22 years when I will not be on active duty, I felt compelled to let you know why I decided to quit. Quit is a strong word, I know. Everyone I’ve talked to has repeated that I’ve had a marvelous career and that I’ve retired with honor. Maybe that’s true on paper; I guess that it’s reflected by the record. But that’s not how I feel. I...

Storm Chasers' Matt Hughes Committed Suicide Although Matt Hughes, a spotter on the Discovery series Storm Chasers, died on May 26th, many fans only found out this week when told he suffered "a fatal injury at home." Today, we've learned it was from a suicide attempt. The death of storm-chaser Matt Hughes was today at the center of intense speculation. Mmany fans only found out the 30-year-old presenter had passed away at the end of Wednesday's episode of the Discovery series in which he starred. Hughes, who has a wife Kenda and two sons Collin and Hunter, actually died on...

Operation Black Storm: GOP Support of Black Conservative Candidates WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 /Standard Newswire/ -- Patriot PAC is holding a press conference this Friday, Oct 29 at 1PM at the National Press Club to discuss the GOP support of their black Congressional candidates. They will also discuss the impact of the Tea Party movement on congressional races through Operation Black Storm. Supporters of Operation Black Storm believe that the election of minority candidates should be at the forefront of Republican politics, particularly as after the election of 2010, there will likely be more conservative blacks serving in Congress since Reconstruction....

Storm may beat 1975 gale that doomed Edmund Fitzgerald 10/26 - Chicago, Ill. - A storm stronger than the one that sank the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 is expected to slash across the Midwest tomorrow whipping waves as high as 27 feet. A line of severe thunderstorms driving wind gusts of 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour will arrive in Chicago before 10 a.m., said Andrew Krein, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Romeoville, Illinois. The storm will be a cyclone, with projected central pressure, a measure of its strength, forecast to be 28.35 inches. That would make it...

Witness community organizers at work. We’ve heard about how these groups have shaken down banks for decades in order to get the banks to issue risky loans. Here they are, caught on video, storming a bank at the exact moment President Obama signed his disastrous Wall Street bill. ....

The tropical storm plowing across the Gulf of Mexico could send oil skimmers back to port and make containment booms useless, even from far away. But the rough weather also might give nature a hand in breaking down crude from the massive oil spill. Waves churned up by Tropical Storm Alex could help break up the patches of oil scattered across the sea, and the higher-than-normal winds that radiate far from the storm could help the crude evaporate faster. Forecasters said Monday they didn't expect the center of Alex to pass near the site of BP's busted well. "The oil...

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AFP) – Tropical Storm Alex veered away from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill Saturday but experts warned that strong waves and winds could still upset efforts to halt the environmental disaster. With oil still gushing into the fragile waters after 68 days, President Barack Obama's pointman on the disaster cautioned that volatile weather conditions could cause oil recovery operations to stop for up to two weeks. "The storm is not an issue for the spill," said National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen, as the Miami-based center showed the storm on a path toward hitting the coast...

Tropical Storm Alex has developed in the Western Caribbean, moving WNW toward Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula. Public AdvisoriesDiscussionSatellite Images and LoopsWestern Caribbean Buoy DataIbiseye Detailed tracking maps StormPulse Interactive tracking capabilities Discussion of potential oil gusher problems:Tropical storm would cause problems for oil spill cleanup efforts*Caution--contains quotes from U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL). What will oil in the Gulf of Mexico do to a hurricane? Jeff Masters with interesting theories.