Here are a few latest news headlines:
Trial of Gulf oil well cap extended for 24 hours; Gulf Coast finds itself in limbo
NEW ORLEANS — The Gulf Coast found itself in an odd moment of limbo today: The oil has been stopped, but no one knows if it’s corked for good. (read article)
‘Whale’ superskimmer drops out of Gulf oil spill response
The Coast Guard said “thanks, but no thanks” to the superskimmer “A Whale” Friday, as the 1,100 foot-long converted iron ore freighter failed to make a sizeable dent in the Gulf oil spill during a 24-hour testing period. (read article)
FACTBOX-BP’s next steps on killing Gulf leak
(Reuters) – BP Plc (BP.L) (BP.N) was testing pressure in its ruptured Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and monitoring for signs that the April 20 blowout damaged it.
So far, the test that started the afternoon of July 15 has showed pressure slowly rising, therefore indicating no damage. If that’s the case, a new cap installed July 12 on the wellhead could possibly shut in all oil flow if oil-capture vessels at the surface must disconnect and move when a hurricane approaches.
The first of two relief wells remains on target to intercept and permanently plug the leak by mid-August.
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July 18 update: Feds, BP meeting to discuss “why pressure may be low” says Commander Thad Allen
BP says it plans to keep gulf oil well cap closed
In a press conference Sunday morning, a BP executive said that a mechanical “cap” used to shut off the geyser still seems to be holding. As a result, he said, the company now plans to keep it closed indefinitely — or at least for a few more weeks, until a “relief well” can plug the leak near its underground source. (read article)
Obama Administration Approves First Direct Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Through New High-Risk Insurance Pools
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
(CNSNews.com) – If you want proof that President Obama’s Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham, look no further than Pennsylvania, says House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio).
Boehner and other Republicans point to reports that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state.
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Maryland Becomes Second State to Offer Federally Funded Abortions under Obamacare
Maryland will join Pennsylvania as the second state to use federal tax dollars to pay for abortions under the new health care law signed by President Barack Obama in March, according to information released by Maryland’s State Health Insurance Plan. (read article)
Obesity Rating for Every American Must Be Included in Stimulus-Mandated Electronic Health Records, Says HHS
Thursday, July 15, 2010
(CNSNews.com) – New federal regulations issued this week stipulate that the electronic health records–that all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the stimulus law that President Barack Obama signed last year–must record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the Body Mass Index: a measure of obesity.
The obesity-rating regulation states that every American’s electronic health record must: “Calculate body mass index. Automatically calculate and display body mass index (BMI) based on a patient’s height and weight.”
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Few additional links:
Earth’s upper atmosphere collapses. Nobody knows why.
An upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere recently collapsed in an unexpectedly large contraction, the sheer size of which has scientists scratching their heads, NASA announced Thursday….The collapse occurred during a period of relative solar inactivity – called a solar minimum from 2008 to 2009. These minimums are known to cool and contract the thermosphere, however, the recent collapse was two to three times greater than low solar activity could explain. (read article)
Scientists baffled by unusual upper atmosphere shrinkage
(CNN) — An upper layer of Earth’s atmosphere recently shrank so much that researchers are at a loss to adequately explain it, NASA said on Thursday.…The thermosphere, which blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, expands and contracts regularly due to the sun’s activities. As carbon dioxide increases, it has a cooling effect at such high altitudes, which also contributes to the contraction. (read article)
Minor Earthquake – But Strongest Ever to Hit D.C. – Shakes Capitol Region
Washington (AP) – A minor earthquake shook residents awake in the DC area early Friday, rattling windows and jostling dishes but apparently causing no serious damage. (read article)
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