Congress Begins Hearings On Muslim Radicalization

Congress will begin a series of controversial hearings this week about the American Muslim community. Rep. Peter King (R-NY), the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, will take testimony on what he calls the radicalization of Muslims in the U.S., and he'll ask Islamic leaders what they are doing to stop it. The high-profile hearings have concerned Muslims across the U.S. and in King's district on Long Island.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/06/134307733/Congress-Begins-Hearings-On-Muslim-Radicalization?ft=1&f=1003

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Lazy Cakes Leave You, Well, Lazy

Lazy Cakes' "The Original Relaxation Brownie" is one of a few new products being stirred up to cool off the energy-boosting products craze. The brownies are selling like hot cakes in convenience stores and gas stations in several states. Still, laziness seekers are cautioned not to gorge on them.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/04/134259889/lazy-cakes-leave-you-well-lazy?ft=1&f=1057

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What To Make Of U.S.'s Debt To China

It's understandable when Americans get alarmed by the $1.2 trillion in U.S. debt held by China. But there's another way to look at the situation: That $1.2 trillion is a huge part of China's wealth. China can't turn its back on the U.S. any more than we can walk away from China. Call it economic mutually assured destruction.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/04/134272775/What-To-Make-Of-U-S-s-Debt-To-China?ft=1&f=1014

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Elizabeth Gunnison: Plea From a Foodie Ski Bum: Better Restaurants in Vail! (Huffingtonpost.com)

Nobody goes to Vail, Colorado to eat. Of this I am certain. People go to Vail to whiz down the side of a mountain on a pair of fiberglass sticks. But eat they must, and dining is where the world-renowned ski resort starts to fall short. Share With Friends: | | Lybia Protests News, Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/65915005?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Oil Prices Highest Since 2008 Amid Libya Fighting

Oil prices rose past $104 a barrel to end the week at a 29-month high, as fighting in Libya intensified and the world's largest petroleum consumer, the U.S., reported that employers added nearly 200,000 jobs in February.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate dropped to 8.9 percent in February. While that's positive news for the economy, the report also suggests that more Americans are driving to work at a time when world oil supplies are under pressure because of unrest in Libya and the Middle East.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for April delivery gained $2.51 to settle at $104.42 a barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest level since Sept. 26, 2008.

In London, Brent crude rose $1.18 to settle at $115.97 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Most of Libya's oil production has been shut down because of the crisis, and experts say the country's oil fields will be threatened as long as there's no clear leader in charge.

Saudi Arabia has increased production to make up for the loss of Libyan crude, but a lengthy struggle could put significant pressure on world supplies. Traders are concerned that anti-government protesters will further challenge neighboring regimes in the region. North Africa and the Middle East are home to the largest oil producers on earth and export a quarter of the world's oil.

Oil is getting more expensive as the U.S. economy continues on the road to recovery. Besides the lower unemployment rate last month reported by the government, retailers said they had surprisingly strong revenue gains in February and businesses ordered more manufactured goods from U.S. factories in January.

The Energy department said this week that petroleum demand has grown for four straight weeks, resulting in unexpected drops in the nation's oil and gasoline supplies last week.

"The economy just seemed to be getting its mojo back," PFGBest analyst Phil Flynn said. "The question, now, is when will higher energy prices take that mojo away?"

Analysts say the economy can probably stay on the upswing as long as oil remains below $120 per barrel. If it goes higher, and pushes up the cost of fuel, consumers could rein in spending, more commuters may opt for public transportation and car pools, and leisure travelers will probably vacation closer to home.

"That's when it really starts to do damage," Flynn said.

If oil rises to $150 or more per barrel, and holds at that level for months, some economists think another recession could be triggered.

In other Nymex trading for April contracts, heating oil added 4 cents to settle at $3.0893 per gallon and gasoline futures gained 2.02 cents to settle at $3.0464 per gallon. Natural gas picked up 3.1 cents to settle at $3.809 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/04/134270903/oil-prices-highest-since-2008-amid-libya-fighting?ft=1&f=1004

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Rescuers Abandon Man Trapped In Mine

A priest has given last rites to a man who fell into a Nevada mine shaft so deep and treacherous that rescuers have abandoned efforts to reach him, officials say.

The man was still alive but they said any rescue attempt would pose too great a risk to people trying to descend into the pit.

A video camera determined the man was still breathing after plunging 190 feet into the shaft on Wednesday in Jersey Valley, northeast of Reno.

"The mine is so unstable that walls were crumbling and rocks were hitting rescuers on the head when they tried to reach him," JoLynn Worley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, told The Associated Press. "They're people who will make every effort to save someone, but they really can't get to him. It would endanger the lives of rescuers."

The name of the 28-year-old man from Battle Mountain wasn't immediately released.

The video camera showed the man was breathing but not moving and had suffered serious head injuries. Images taken Thursday night revealed he had been moving his hands.

Authorities intended to keep monitoring the mine shaft until the man stopped breathing, Worley said.

"I know some of his family members were out there," she said.

The man was working in the area with a geothermal drilling crew and visited the shaft with two friends during off-hours.

The shaft is among 10 such openings in the Murphy Mine Complex in Pershing County that originally was mined around 1895 and was last worked in 1945, Worley said.

From 265,000 to 310,000 abandoned mine shafts and openings are scattered across Nevada, she said, and federal and state agencies have an ongoing advertising campaign urging the public to stay away because of the danger.

About 50,000 abandoned mine shafts have been identified as the most hazardous, but the shaft where the man fell wasn't among them, Worley said.

Authorities have been closing shafts that pose the most danger near urban and recreation areas.

"People's curiosity sometimes gets the best of them," she said. "These were way out in the middle of nowhere where few people would venture."

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/05/134290740/rescuers-abandon-live-man-trapped-in-mine?ft=1&f=1003

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Gadhafi's Frozen Assets: $32 Billion And Counting

Investments by Moammar Gadhafi and the Libyan government include holdings in Italy and London. And major U.S. banks reportedly hold Libyan assets. Analysts say Gadhafi or those close to him were shopping for influence more than a handsome return.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/04/134272664/gadhafis-frozen-assets-32-billion-and-counting?ft=1&f=1004

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Why Palin doesn't need National Grammar Day

Friday is National Grammar Day, a commemoration of sorts begun in 2008 by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. The cheerful grammarphiles there have written a song promoting their cause, but while having fun, they're also doing good.

Their website, for example, knocks down two old myths: that you can't end a sentence in a preposition and that you mustn't split an infinitive. Fine English writers have been doing both for centuries.

At the same time, the good folks at the society have made a playlist of songs with titles that offend their sense of grammar, such as Bob Dylan's "Lay, Lady, Lay," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" from the Rolling Stones and "Who Do You Love" by Bo Diddley. It's all in fun -- would anything be more ridiculous than Diddley singing "Whom Do You Love"?

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/1eXWb_UR6HE/index.html

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GOP Budget Could Hobble Obama Environment Policy

The budget bill passed by the Republican-controlled House would slash EPA funding by nearly a third ? more than any other agency. It would stop the agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions and gut many other programs that prevent air and water pollution and enforce environmental laws.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/03/134237203/gop-budget-plans-quash-obama-environment-policy?ft=1&f=1007

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