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Indian activist Anna Hazare agreed to end his 11-day hunger strike tomorrow morning, after the government announced it was in favor of some of his demands. The AP reports that after a nine-hour debate, Parliament today expressed nonbinding support for the 74-year-old’s demands that a proposed anti-graft bill ensure greater…

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Raw Video: Fishing Through Hurricane Irene

Two men in Rockaway, New York, was spotted braving the winds and rain from Hurricane Irene to get a little fishing in. (Aug. 27)

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CT Residents, Businesses Prepare for Irene

Local officials are urging Connecticut residents to leave their shoreline homes and other areas prone to flooding before Hurricane Irene hits the state. (Aug. 28)

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Middle class flock to private antenatal care as cuts bite

Middle class mothers-to-be are paying for a service that is likely to be unavailable to poorer families The flight of the middle classes to paid-for antenatal classes as free NHS services are run down threatens to exacerbate the divide between the rich and poor, according to the Royal College of Midwives. The number of parents attending classes run by the largest private provider has nearly doubled in the past five years, at a time when the NHS service has become increasingly patchy. Yet research shows that advice and support to a woman before and shortly after pregnancy is crucial to providing the best start in life. Janet Fyle, the Royal College of Midwives’ policy adviser, said she feared that existing class inequalities between families were being built upon by a system that helped affluent families to provide the best parenting while lower socioeconomic groups missed out. In the wake of David Cameron’s pledge earlier this month following the riots to tackle families in which worklessness was endemic, Fyle added that the government should start at “the beginning”. “Antenatal classes are very important for early development. The government emphasis is on the 120,000 families they believe cause a lot of trouble in this country and you need to go back and look at the interaction at the beginning,” she said. “I am not saying that is the reason for what has happened [the riots], but if you have confident parents you have successful parents.” A survey carried out by Netmums, the parenting website, shows that 30% of first-time parents surveyed are not offered any antenatal care at all by the NHS. But Fyle added that even when free NHS antenatal classes were on offer, the distances people needed to travel put off those in the lower socioeconomic groups from attending at all. She said: “I would have a certain mother in mind whom I would like to attend my classes – and they used to attend 10 years ago. But if I am honest, I am not sure that the mothers we want to attend, who need help to consider and reflect on parenting, actually do attend any more.” Meanwhile, the number of parents attending paid-for antenatal classes run by the National Childbirth Trust charity, the country’s largest provider, jumped from 25,000 in 2005-06 to 40,346 in 2010-2011. The charity says an estimated 11% of first births in the UK – one in nine – are born to a parent who attended NCT classes. And while the average cost of a series of classes with NCT is £187, documents seen by the Observer show that nine out of 10 NTC members – the vast majority of whom have paid for antenatal care and now pay up to £36 a year for continuing help and advice – are within the top 50% socioeconomic groups. One in five members has a salary of more than £80,000 and their average annual income is

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Irene Rakes East Coast, Millions in Path

Hurricane Irene opened its assault on the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday by lashing the North Carolina coast with wind as strong as 115 mph. Now, millions along the East Coast are watching where the storm will tread next. (Aug. 27)

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Raw Video: Irene Picks Up Speed

Scattered flooding has been reported throughout the city of Virginia Beach as Hurricane Irene picks up speed and churns up the East Coast. (Aug. 27)

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Despite denials, it sure looks like they produced the report they were told to produce in order to justify rubberstamping this project: The State Department released its final environmental impact assessment of the Keystone XL pipeline Friday, and it’s just as bad as some feared—perhaps worse. The report concludes, as did two prior versions, that there would be “no significant impact“ on natural resources near the pipeline route, while also downplaying the potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions. In a conference call with reporters, Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones stressed that “this is not the rubberstamp for this project. The permit that is required for this process has not been approved or rejected at all.” But the environmental concerns are clearly the main objection to Keystone XL, and the report is widely seen as removing one of the final roadblocks to the project. Environmental groups were quick to blast the results. “The U.S. State Department’s final report on the Keystone XL today is an insult to anyone who expects government to work for the interests of the American people,” the Sierra Club said in a statement. On the issue of pipeline spills, the State Department report assesses that “there could be from 1.18 to 1.83 spills greater than 2,100 gallons per year” for the entire project. It helpfully adds that “crude oil spills are not likely to have toxic effects on the general public.” While that many spills might already sound risky, the real number is likely much higher than what the State Department calculated. First, as the report itself notes, there have already been fourteen spills along the existing Keystone pipeline since it began operating in June 2010.

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10 Hurricane Prep Tips From a Miami Girl

I moved to Miami in the spring of 1992. The first hurricane I ever experienced was Hurricane Andrew, just a few months after we arrived from New York. I was a young girl in a new city who knew nothing about hurricanes and thought everyone was just a little bit loco running around buying up everything in sight at the local Publix Supermarket. Water, batteries, gas, dry goods, you name it. And then the storm came. It is a day I will never forget. The months following I won’t forget either. I have never forgotten the fear, either. By the grace of God or some other powerful force, I was spared the atrocities that affected so many others. But I learned a lot. Mostly, I learned that you should never screw with a hurricane, you should never underestimate its wrath. The hurricane will win. Here are simple, easy tips I learned in my 15 years in Miami. They can help you stay safe and then help you bear the inevitable inconveniences that a hurricane brings to the table. Listen To The Warnings! If you are told to evacuate, heed the warnings. This is non-negotiable. If we learned anything from Katrina, certainly this would be it. Have a Hurricane Kit (and no, it’s not too late) Cash, batteries, flashlights, battery operated radio/television, bottled water, toilet paper, non-perishable foods such as cereal or crackers, canned goods, a can opener, a small cooler, candles and diapers, baby wipes, formula, baby food if you have small children. If you take prescription medicine, make sure you have extra on hand. This is especially important for people who are elderly or have medical issues that require a little extra care. It could be a few days before you can get to a store. Freeze Up Put your refrigerator at the coldest setting. Fill your bathtub with ice. Set your air conditioner really cold, too. This way, if you lose power it takes much longer to defrost and ruin everything in there! Make sure you buy a lot of food. It’s always better to have more than you need. Cans of tuna, bread, snacks and other non-perishable items. Charge Up Fully charge ALL of your electronic devices and then fill up your car with gas. You can always charge devices in your car. Secure Important Paperwork Place all your important papers in a secured plastic bag, box or even better, a small safe. Identification is difficult and time consuming to replace so be sure to include social security cards, birth certificates, titles or deeds to property, as well as your hurricane insurance policy, should you have one. Special family photos like wedding photos, baby pictures should also be considered. Go To Home Depot Plywood is a coveted commodity for those of who decide to stay. Boarding up windows that will take the brunt of the wind and rain is a wise decision. If board is not available, protect your windows from the wind by criss-crossing them with layers of duct or packing tape. This will be enough protection for light-to-medium winds. If you need plywood, go to your local Home Improvement store asap. Trust me. Pets Don’t forget your pets! I have had two dogs throughout every major hurricane in the past 15 years. They get scared, just like we do. Keep this in mind and give them some extra TLC. Dogs are especially intuitive to weather conditions and might get more freaked out then you. They also get hot. Ice, water and extra treats and cuddles are a must. Prepare For Loss of Power Assume the power will be lost. It might not happen, but assuming you will lose power will prepare you much better. You will be hot, sticky and pissed off. Water, a bathtub of ice, lots of beer, wine and/or hard liquor usually helps. If you have kids, you’re kind of screwed. They get really bored really fast. Board games, books, a fully charged iPad with tons of movies are your new BFFs. Stay Inside! Don’t go outside. It is hands down the dumbest thing you can do. I cannot stress to you how many stories I’ve heard through the years of people getting struck by a tree, a down wire, flying debris. Stay inside, stay inside, stay inside! When you go outside after the storm, assume ALL WIRES ARE LIVE WIRES! Thousands of people have been electrocuted after major storms by touching live wires. When walking your dog, make sure you have them on a tight leash and monitor where they go. Be A Good Neighbor After the storm, check on your neighbors. Sometimes, a pack of D batteries is all it takes to make someone else’s day. Good luck and stay safe.

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Gore: Scientists Wouldn’t Lie for Money to Advance Global Warming Theory – But Skeptics Would

Nobel laureate Al Gore claimed on Friday that scientists involved in advancing the theory of global warming wouldn't do it just for the money. Without recognizing the hypocrisy, he also told FearLess Cottage consumer advocate Alex Bogusky that scientists espousing a skeptical view of his money-making theory are exclusively doing so for their own financial benefit (video follows with transcript and commentary): ALEX BOGUSKY , CONSUMER ADVOCATE, FEARLESS COTTAGE: Well, they also funded and created some think tanks that would release reports, and there were scientists that worked there, but they were funded by the tobacco industry. AL GORE: Yeah, yeah. BOGUSKY : And some of those are, are now, have gone to work for oil and gas, or oil and coal. GORE: What a lot of people don’t realize, this is so astonishing, some of the same people… BOGUSKY : Yeah. GORE: …who took money from the tobacco companies to put out lies about the science of smoking and health are now taking money from the coal and oil companies to put out lies about the science of global warming. BOGUSKY : Yeah. GORE: And those lies in this new communications environment gain a much larger audience on a regular basis than what the real scientists are actually saying. BOGUSKY : Well, and, and, and you talk about the special interests, but there’s more and more special interest in government. GORE: Yeah. BOGUSKY : At least that’s, you know, my analysis. GORE: For sure. For sure? Was Gore actually agreeing that there’s more special interests in government? I think Bogusky caught him off-guard with that, and the Nobel laureate didn’t realize what he was saying “for sure” to. But in this instance, he was right. As Sen. Jim Inhofe's (R-Ok.) former communications director Marc Morano reported in 2007: Newsweek reporter Eve Conant was given the documentation showing that proponents of man-made global warming have been funded to the tune of $50 BILLION in the last decade or so, but the Magazine chose instead to focus on how skeptics have reportedly received a paltry $19 MILLION from ExxonMobil over the last two decades. Two years later, the Science and Public Policy Institute updated and confirmed these numbers: The US government has spent over $79 billion since 1989 on policies related to climate change, including science and technology research, administration, education campaigns, foreign aid, and tax breaks. Meanwhile in a distracting sideshow, Exxon-Mobil Corp is repeatedly attacked for paying a grand total of $23 million to skeptics—less than a thousandth of what the US government has put in. Despite the overwhelming majority of funds concerning this matter going to climate alarmists, Gore claimed it's skeptics that are willing to lie for money. Moments later, he ironically said the folks on his side would never do this: BOGUSKY : Governor Perry suggests that scientists have gotten together to foil the American public, or the global public. GORE: Yeah. BOGUSKY : There aren’t even movie scripts like that, where every, it’s, it’s, it’s, it seems difficult for me to understand how people would believe that. Yet there are actual incidents – tobacco being the most recent – of industries that have set out to continue to perpetrate a lie. GORE: Yeah. BOGUSKY : Scientists in general don’t really like to agree. That’s not what science does. Right? GORE: Right, right, right. Yeah, and, and, and sometimes contrarians in science have become famous by overturning an accepted view. BOGUSKY : That’s how you get reputations. GORE: Yeah, there’s a natural respect for that impulse, absolutely. Okay, so there are incidents when industries “have set out to continue to perpetrate a lie.” But Bogusky doesn't consider that since Gore has huge investments in companies that benefit from global warming activism, he himself might be less than honest with his assertions. As is typical, the motivation of liberals is never questioned. As for the Nobel laureate, he admitted a “natural respect” for ” contrarians in science [who] have become famous by overturning an accepted view.” But not when they go against his view: GORE: But this is different. This is an organized effort to attack the reputation of the scientific community as a whole, to attack their integrity, and to slander them with the lie that they are making up the science in order to make money. Look, first of all, these scientists don’t make a lot of money. They’re comfortable, and as they should be, but they don’t make a lot of money. That’s not their motivation for doing what they do.

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Virginia Beach

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Virginia Beach

Hurricane Irene update Virginia beach 1pm Hurrican Irene Hurricane Irene – Virginia Beach, VA 27 Aug 2011, 1:00PM CoreyRadio says: @ Kaneshow Spiderman is in Virginia Beach to battle #HurricaneIRene ! yfrog.com/kkqmhouj

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