A minor earthquake rattled the San Francisco Bay area Friday night.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s preliminary report put the quake at a 4.0-magnitude.

The temblor’s epicenter was near Alamo, Calif., about 28 miles east of San Francisco.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries in Alamo or surrounding communities, said Contra Costa County Sheriff’s spokesman Jimmy Lee.

The quake hit just after 9 p.m. and could be felt throughout the region.

Fans at the San Francisco Giants’ waterfront ballpark felt a jolt during the game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but there was no interruption of play.

Source: www.newsweek.com

written by Roger

Anti-war protesters briefly interrupted John McCain’s acceptance speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention. The nominee told supporters "don’t be diverted by the crowd noise and the static."

One male protester and two female protesters were removed from the hall by security officers. The male demonstrator had a sign that read "You can’t win an occupation" on one side, and "McCain votes against vets" on the other side.

The crowd tried to drown them out with chants of, "USA, USA."

"My friends, my dear friends … please, please don’t be diverted by the crowd noise and the static," McCain said. "I’m going to talk about it some more, but Americans want us to stop yelling at each other."

Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com

written by Gazpachor

The Department of Homeland Security is requiring people traveling into the U.S. to carry a passport beginning in 2007, even if they already are U.S. citizens.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, proposed by DHS and the State Department last April, will require citizens of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central and South America to show a passport when entering the U.S.

It takes effect January 1, 2007, for people traveling by air and sea, and January 1, 2008, for people traveling by land.

And it has people on both sides of the border concerned about the economic effects.

Tourism industry leaders in [Washington] state and the Canadian province [British Columbia] warn that thousands of people will decide not to visit and millions of dollars of income will be lost if the Department of Homeland Security proceeds with enforcement starting Jan. 1, 2007.

This week, Gov. Christine Gregoire and Premier Gordon Campbell are expected to co-sign a letter to the federal agency expressing their shared concern about the potential economic hit on both sides of the border.

“We have to have security, there is no question about that,” Gregoire said. “On the other hand, can we have security to the point where we can really harm the economies?”

Jarrod Agen, a Homeland Security Department spokesman, said the intent is not to impede trade in the name of protecting citizens.

“Even the president himself has said he doesn’t want it to stifle flow at the border and affect the economy and trade,” Agen said.

All accounts so far indicate that the passport requirement would do just that.

Source: www.homelandstupidity.us

written by Gazpachor

In a surprise move, Senator John McCain announced here Friday that he had chosen Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, shaking up the political world at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The selection of Ms. Palin, an evangelical Christian, was embraced by social conservative leaders, raising the possibility that Mr. McCain might have succeeded in reinvigorating a Republican base that was not enthusiastic about his candidacy. Democrats, however, dismissed the move as a bald attempt to attract women voters by reaching out to someone far too inexperienced to be a heartbeat from the presidency.

“She’s not from these parts, and she’s not from Washington, but when you get to know her, you’re going to be as impressed as I am,” Mr. McCain said as he introduced Ms. Palin to a crowd estimated by his campaign to be 15,000 at the Ervin J. Nutter Center at Wright State University.

Source: www.nytimes.com

written by Gazpachor

A two-headed baby boy, born to a poverty-stricken Bangladeshi family, died just two days after birth when his parents couldn’t afford desperately needed medical care.

The baby, named Kiron, died at home late last night after developing a fever and breathing problems, pediatrician KS Alam told Agence-France Press.

His cash-strapped parents, over the objection of doctors, brought the boy home instead of leaving him in the hospital because of their financial woes.

The infant, delivered Monday by Cesarean section, drew more than 150,000 gawkers to the clinic where he was treated following the delivery in the southwest Bangladesh town of Keshobpur.

Police were needed to control the crowds.

The 12-pound, 1-ounce newborn was transferred to a nearby hospital, and doctors advised Kiron’s parents to bring him to the capital of Dhaka for treatment at a hospital there.

"We wanted to refer him to a hospital in Dhaka but the family was so poor that they could not afford to take him there, so they took him home where he died," Alam said.

"It was a very unusual case. The boy had one body but two complete heads."

Source: www.nydailynews.com

written by Gazpachor