FCC strikes final blow to Fairness Doctrine – Nextgov.

The Federal Communications Commission announced on Monday that it will slash 83 media-related rules from the books–including the controversial but defunct Fairness Doctrine–in an effort to clean house by shedding regulations that it no longer enforces.

The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to provide equal airtime to opposing views. On the books since 1949, it had not been enforced since 1987.

Magnitude 5.8 VIRGINIA August 23, 2011

Magnitude 5.3 COLORADO August 23, 2011

Magnitude 4.6 COLORADO August 22, 2011

Sex assault charges against Strauss-Kahn dropped.

Standard & Poor’s president steps down after historic US debt downgrade
The Guardian
Standard & Poor’s president Deven Sharma is to leave the credit rating firm at the end of the year. The decision follows the credit rating agency’s decision to downgrade US debt. S&P also faces an inquiry by the justice department into its ratings of …

Four Individuals Convicted in $4.7 Million Louisiana Medicare Fraud Scheme

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The owner of a Baton Rouge, La., durable medical equipment (DME) company, a medical doctor and two patient recruiters were each convicted late yesterday for their roles in a $4.7 million Medicare fraud scheme.

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WASHINGTON — Five tobacco companies have filed suit against the U.S. government claiming that government-ordered graphic warning labels on cigarette packs violate their First Amendment rights.

Read full story http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/28090

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Stop Coddling the Super-Rich

By WARREN E. BUFFETT

Published: August 14, 2011

OUR leaders have asked for “shared sacrifice.” But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched. Read the complete story at the following: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html?src=me&ref=general

On June 24, 2011, the Baker Hughes weekly count of rigs actively drilling for oil in the United States was 1,003, marking the first week since the company began separating oil and natural gas rig counts in 1987 that the 1,000 count threshold for oil-targeted rigs was surpassed. The weekly count increased steadily through the end of July, reaching 1,025 on July 29.

Read more from the EIA http://www.eia.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp?src=email

Top ten legislative items searched on THOMAS, compiled on 8/14/2011 from weekly usage statistics

Top Ten Bills – Week of August 14, 2011

1. S. 365 [112th] – Budget Control Act of 2011

2. H.R. 4646 [111th] – Debt Free America Act

3. H.R. 1981 [112th] – Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011

4. H.R. 2480 [112th] – Administrative Conference of the United States Reauthorization Act of 2011

5. H.R. 1380 [112th] – New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2011

6. H.R. 1473 [112th] – Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011

7. H.R. 3590 [111th] – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

8. H.R. 25 [112th] – Fair Tax Act of 2011

9. H.R. 2715 [112th] – To provide the Consumer Product Safety Commission with greater authority and discretion in enforcing the consumer product safety laws, and for other purposes

10. H.R. 2693 [112th] – Budget Control Act of 2011

The FBI today is warning the public that online vehicle shoppers are being victimized by fraudulent vehicle sales and false claims of vehicle protection programs (VPP). In fraudulent vehicle sales, criminals attempt to sell vehicles they do not own. They create an attractive deal by advertising vehicles for sale at prices below book value. Often the sellers purport they need to sell the vehicle because they are moving for work, to include military deployments.

Full story http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/hijackers-use-false-protection-claims-to-lure-online-shoppers?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_source=national-press-releases&utm_content=20719

Kansas Slaughter Firm Recalls Ground Beef Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Adulteration
Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:08:52 -0500

National Beef Packing Co. LLC, a Dodge City, Kan., establishment, is recalling approximately 60,424 pounds of ground beef products that may be adulterated with E. coli O157:H7.

Michigan Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination
Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:47:27 -0500

McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC., a North Branch, Mich., establishment is recalling approximately 360 pounds of ground beef product products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

Wisconsin law dictates an elected official may only be recalled if they have already served one year of their term, which is why Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has not yet been recalled, he did not assume office until January 3, 2011. It appears groups are planning his recall in 2012.

In the interim time will tell what happens to the following members of the Wisconsin Senate.

· District 32 General: Recalled Republican Senator Dan Kapanke vs. Rep. Jennifer Shilling

• District 14 General: Recalled Republican Senator Luther Olsen vs. Rep. Fred Clark

• District 18 General: Recalled Republican Senator Randy Hopper vs. Jessica King

• District 10 General: Recalled Republican Senator Sheila Harsdorf vs. Shelly Moore

• District 8 General: Recalled Republican Senator Alberta Darling vs. Rep. Sandy Pasch

• District 2 General: Recalled Republican Senator Robert Cowles vs. Nancy Nusbaum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MONDAY – August 8, 2011

FORMER VA EMPLOYEE SENTENCED IN IDENTITY THEFT CASE

WILMINGTON– United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court on August 5, 2011, Senior United State District Judge James C. Fox, sentenced MICHAEL RAY WOODS,48, of Fayetteville, North Carolina to 132 months’ imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release. The Court also imposed restitution in the amount of $464,000.00.

On February 8, 2011, following a four-day trial, a jury convicted WOODS of 12 counts of preparing false tax returns, 10 counts of wire fraud, 9 counts of identity theft and 1 count of aggravated identity theft.

Click following link to read full release http://www.justice.gov/usao/nce/press/2011-aug-08_03.html

UPI.com

A federal appeals court in Chicago ruled 2-1 Monday not to remove former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a defendant in a torture lawsuit. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg CHICAGO, Aug. 8 (UPI) — A federal appeals court in Chicago ruled 2-1 Monday not … full story http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/08/08/Court-wont-dismiss-Rumsfeld-from-suit/UPI-20531312835023/

Court Ruling http://www.lawfareblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/A90TI9XZ.pdf

Recall Notification Report 061-2011
Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:48:50 -0500

AdvancePierre Foods, Inc., an Orange City, Iowa, establishment, is recalling approximately 10,668 pounds of beef patty products that may contain foreign materials.

Joint Press Release

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
National Credit Union Administration
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

For immediate release

August 5, 2011

Agencies Issue Guidance on Federal Debt

Earlier today, Standard & Poor’s rating agency lowered the long-term rating of the U.S. government and federal agencies from AAA to AA+. With regard to this action, the federal banking agencies are providing the following guidance to banks, savings associations, credit unions, and bank and savings and loan holding companies (collectively, banking organizations).

For risk-based capital purposes, the risk weights for Treasury securities and other securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, government agencies, and government-sponsored entities will not change. The treatment of Treasury securities and other securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, government agencies, and government-sponsored entities under other federal banking agency regulations, including, for example, the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation W, will also be unaffected.