Military Coup Sends Mubarak Packing, Military Finally Chooses The People Over President

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Analysis: Military coup was behind Mubarak's exit
apnews.myway.com
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Feb 11, 2011

By HAMZA HENDAWI

CAIRO (AP) - It was the people who forced President Hosni Mubarak from power, but it is the generals who are in charge now. Egypt's 18-day uprising produced a military coup that crept into being over many days - its seeds planted early in the crisis by Mubarak himself.

The telltale signs of a coup in the making began to surface soon after Mubarak ordered the army out on the streets to restore order after days of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces in Cairo and much of the rest of the Arab nation.

"This is in fact the military taking over power," said political analyst Diaa Rashwan after Mubarak stepped down and left the reins of power to the armed forces. "It is direct involvement by the military in authority and to make Mubarak look like he has given up power."
Army troops backed by tanks and armored fighting vehicles were given a hero's welcome by the protesters angry over brutal treatment by the police. The goodwill was reciprocated when the military vowed not to use force against protesters, a move that set them apart from the much-hated police who operated with near impunity under Mubarak.
The generals adopted a go-slow approach, offering Egyptians carefully weighed hints that it was calling the shots. They issued statements describing the protesters' demands as "legitimate" and made halfhearted calls on the demonstrators to go home and allow normal life to resume.
Rather than quit the protests, the demonstrators turned out in ever greater numbers. Mubarak offered one concession after another, but they all fell short of the protesters' demands that he immediately leave.
The military was clearly torn between its loyalty to the regime and the millions of protesters. Mubarak is one of their own, a former air force commander and a hero of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
But as the president continued to defy the growing crowds and cling to power, the Egyptian army moved more definitively toward seizing control for the first time in some 60 years.
Thursday brought the surprise announcement that the armed forces' highest executive body, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, was in "permanent session" - meaning that it was on a war footing.
State TV showed Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi presiding over a table seating some two dozen stern faced generals in combat fatigues - but no sign of commander in chief Mubarak. His newly appointed vice president, former army general and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, was not there either - indicating a rift between the civilian and military leadership.
A statement, tellingly referred to as "communique number 1" - phrasing that in the Arab world suggests a coup - made no mention of Mubarak or Suleiman.
The council, it said, met to "discuss what measures and arrangements could be taken to safeguard the homeland and its achievements and the aspirations of the great Egyptian people."
Translation: The generals are in charge, not Mubarak, not Suleiman nor the Cabinet.
The communique set the stage for what the crowds of demonstrators expected would be Mubarak's resignation Thursday night. Instead, Mubarak announced he would stay in office and hand over power to Suleiman, who told protesters to go home and stop watching foreign news reports.
The protesters were furious - and so were the generals.
"Both of last night's addresses by Mubarak and Suleiman were in defiance of the armed forces," Maj. Gen. Safwat el-Zayat, a former senior official of Egypt's General Intelligence, told al-Ahram Online, the Internet edition of Egypt's leading daily, on Friday.
Protest leaders pleaded for the military to take over after Mubarak's speech, saying the country would explode until the army intervened.
If Mubarak had stepped down, handing Suleiman his presidential powers in line with the constitution would have kept his regime largely intact after he had gone, something that would have left the protesters unhappy.
In contrast, a military coup would provide a clean break with a regime they hated for so long, opening up a wide range of possibilities - suspending the constitution that many protesters saw as tailored to keep Mubarak in office and dissolving a parliament formed by an election marred by widespread fraud. A coup seemed to be the best way forward.

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Liz Taylor Hospitalized Congestive Heart Failure VIDEO Elizabeth Taylor Biography

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Liz Taylor treated for congestive heart failure
Feb 11, 2011
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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Elizabeth Taylor has been hospitalized for treatment of congestive heart failure.
Her spokeswoman, Sally Morrison, said Friday that the Oscar-winning actress was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center within the past couple of days.
The 78-year-old Taylor is being treated for symptoms caused by congestive heart failure, a condition she's suffered from for several years.
Morrison said it's unknown how long she might be in the hospital. She added that Taylor's family appreciated the support from fans, but asked for privacy to allow the medical team space to do its work.

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Elizabeth Taylor Biography

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I-44 Westbound Lanes Hazardous Material Spill Near St. Clair, Missouri, Closed Several Hours, Franklin County

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 Feb 11, 2011
Westbound lanes of I-44 near St. Clair were expected to be closed for several hours Friday due to a hazardous material situation near the I-44 rest area in the vicinity of milemarker 239. According to dispatch reports, around 3:30 p.m. a truck began leaking a substance believed to be ammonia, although it was not clear if the truck was on the interstate, or in the rest area. The truck may also have been carrying acid, although reports indicated that substance was not leaking. Both St. Clair rest areas were also reportedly closed.

Firefighters have heard reports the truck is possibly leaking ammonia and hydrochloric acid, but are still trying to determine exact specifics.
Fire Chief Jim Casey with the Boles Fire Protection District said the incident occurred in the westbound lanes of I-44 at mile marker 239, just west of St. Clair. All westbound lanes are closed.  The tanker truck had pulled over at a rest stop after the driver noticed a leak.  NewsChannel 5 had previously heard an accident had occurred.
Only one person was transported to the hospital to be treated with inhalation.
Hydrochloric acid is a mixture of hydrogren chloride (HCl) and water.  It is a strong acid and highly corrosive product with many industrial uses.
Ammonia is used in commercial cleaning products and is characterized by a strong, pungent odor.
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Hermann Missouri, Feb. 2, 2011, BLIZZARD OF 2011, Heading East, Highway 100

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Wife and I were out and about, checking PO Box and then had to head out of town.
Poor Richard and his wife were heading to Washington, Missouri at 1:20 pm, February 2, 2011 and Poor Richard shot this video, driving thru Hermann.  
Ran the video until the SD Disk was filled, and it stopped,  my apologies, would have liked to have shown road conditions the entire trip!   Hope you enjoy it.
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Arizona Sues U.S. "government has failed to protect the citizens of Arizona..."

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Ariz. governor countersues federal government

apnews.myway.com
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Feb 10, 2011

PHOENIX (AP) - Gov. Jan Brewer sued the federal government Thursday for failing to control Arizona's border with Mexico and enforce immigration laws, and for sticking the state with huge costs associated with jailing illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
The lawsuit claims the federal government has failed to protect Arizona from an "invasion" of illegal immigrants. It seeks increased reimbursements and extra safeguards, such as additional border fences.
Brewer's court filing serves as a countersuit in the federal government's legal challenge to Arizona's new enforcement immigration law. The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to invalidate the law.

"Because the federal government has failed to protect the citizens of Arizona, I am left with no other choice," Brewer said as sign-carrying protesters yelled chants at her and at other champions of the immigration law.
Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler declined to comment on the filing. But a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is in charge of policing the country's borders, called Brewer's lawsuit a meritless action and said Border Patrol staffing is higher than ever.
"Not only do actions like this ignore all of the statistical evidence, they also belittle the significant progress that our men and women in uniform have made to protect this border and the people who live alongside it," spokesman Matthew Chandler said. "We welcome any state and local government or law enforcement agency to join with us to address the remaining challenges."
Brewer's lawsuit seeks a court order that would require the federal government to take extra steps to protect Arizona - such as more border fences - until the border is controlled. Brewer also asks for additional border agents and technology along the state's border with Mexico.
The governor isn't seeking a lump-sum award, but rather asks for policy changes in the way the federal government reimburses states for the costs of jailing illegal immigrants who are convicted of state crimes. Such changes would give the state more reimbursement.
Arizona's enforcement law was passed amid years of complaints that the federal government hasn't done enough to lessen the state's role as the nation's busiest illegal entry point. Its passage ignited protests over whether the law would lead to racial profiling, and prompted lawsuits by the Justice Department, civil rights groups and other opponents seeking to have it thrown out.
The law would have required police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if officers had reasonable suspicion the person was in the country illegally. That requirement was put on hold by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, along with a mandate that immigrants obtain or carry immigration registration papers.
The judge, however, let other parts of the law take effect, such as a provision that bans people from blocking traffic while seeking or offering day-labor services on streets.
Brewer challenged Bolton's decision in an appeals court in San Francisco. She argued the judge erred by accepting speculation by the federal government that the law might burden legal immigrants, and by concluding the federal government likely would prevail. Brewer's appeal is still pending.
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, one of the lawyers defending the law on behalf of the state, said Arizona bears staggering costs from illegal immigration, yet the federal government maintains the state is prevented from assisting in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
Horne said Washington has failed to protect the state against an invasion by illegal immigrants.
"The word 'invasion' does not necessarily mean invasion of one country by another country," Horne said. "It can mean large numbers of illegal immigrants from various countries."
The governor's filing hammers on the issue of the state's unreimbursed costs for jailed illegal immigrants. Brewer's predecessor, Janet Napolitano, who is now the Homeland Security secretary, regularly sent the Justice Department invoices seeking such reimbursement when she was governor.

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ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC, All Media Want Your Chemtrail Photos

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Posted by Greg Scott
February 9th, 2011_________________________________________________________________________

This alert is meant for the entire world, not just those living in the U.S.  It is of the utmost importance that we flood the U.S. media with an awareness that a heinous crime is being committed against humanity and our precious planet in the skies around the globe. We  believe that the U.S. has bullied the rest of the world into following their chemtrail-geoengineering agenda.  If the U.S. stops spraying, the rest of the nations will quickly follow suit. Therefore, we are asking everyone who reads this message to immediately follow the simple instructions detailed below (and tell others to do same).
First, understand why it is imperative that you take action NOW. Dr. Ilya Sandra Perlingieri recently posted a shocking and detailed article about the dramatic increase in toxic heavy metals the air that we breathe.  There are at least 12 different toxic metals at levels that far exceed the allowable limits, including levels of arsenic (a toxic poison) that are 418 times the allowable limit!
Secondly, understand that what we are asking you to do is quite simple and, in fact, was already done by many thousands of people just last week.  All you need to do is send a few emails and fill out some contact forms on the media websites.  The email address and links to the contact forms are provided below.  We even provide sample text.  Modify the text to fit your situation, then just copy and paste into the emails and contact forms.
Finally, understand why this plan will succeed. The vast majority of people on the planet are unaware of what’s happening simply because: (1) they have been conditioned to believe that what they see in the sky is normal; (2) they aren’t told by the TV news that it is not normal and, in fact, the chemtrails are highly toxic.  If it’s not reported on the news, it’s not real.
Last week, a TV segment on chemtrails was presented on a CBS affiliate out of Atlanta. Although the story was presented as a conspiracy theory, TV news reporter Jeff Chirico issued the following invitation at the end of the segment: “Now, we know that a lot of you have pictures and videos of chemtrails. We want to see them. So, send them to us at:  pics@cbsatlanta.com. We’ll post them on our website.”
News about the request for chemtrail pictures spread like wildfire around the internet after it was initially reported by The Intel Hub Radio and then Aircrap.org.  Both experienced massive spikes in traffic.  Many thousands of people sent in their photos.  CBS Atlanta received so many emails, their account was overloaded causing many of the emails to bounce.
Why do we have to wait for media to ask for our photos and videos before we send them?  The answer is: WE DON’T!  All TV News shows, news radio shows, and newspapers want your photos and videos.  They just don’t know it yet.  One of them is about to break the biggest story ever!  Watergate pales in comparison.


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FBI Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending February 11, 2011

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Washington, D.C. February 11, 2011

FBI National Press Office

1. Multiple Field Offices: Forty-One Gang Members and Associates in Five Districts Charged with Crimes Including Racketeering, Murder, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Trafficking
   
   Forty-one members of various street gangs were charged in indictments or criminal complaints unsealed in five judicial districts. Full Story
   
2. New York: Thirty-One Latin Kings Gang Members and Associates Charged in New York
   
   A 42-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging 31 members and associates of the Latin Kings gang with racketeering, murder, attempted murder, attempted robbery, assault, drug related charges, and firearms charges. Full Story
   
   
3. Charlotte: Raleigh-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges
   
   Daniel Patrick Boyd, a/k/a “Saifullah,” pled guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons in a foreign country. Full Story
   
4. Boston: Naval Program Manager; Founder and President of Rhode Island and Georgia-Based Technology Firm Charged in $10 Million Kickback Scheme
   
   A civilian program manager and senior systems engineer with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command, and the founder and president of a technology services company with offices in Rhode Island and Georgia, were charged with bribery of a public official in connection with an alleged ongoing kickback scheme involving approximately $10 million of naval funds. Full Story
   
5. Portland: Warm Springs Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murder and Arson
   
   Jerome Phillip Spino was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of murder in the second degree and arson. Spino was ordered to pay restitution to the victims’ estate and is required to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. Full Story
   
6. Baltimore: Federal Jury Convicts Two Drug Dealers with Ties to Mexican Drug Cartels
   
   A federal jury convicted Wade Coats and Jose Cavazos of conspiring to distribute, and possessing with intent to distribute, marijuana and cocaine. Coats was also convicted of possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Full Story
   
7. Washington Field: Former Staff Member in U.S. House of Representatives Convicted on Corruption Charges
   
   Fraser C. Verrusio, a former staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives was convicted on corruption charges relating to his acceptance of an all-expenses paid trip to Game One of the 2003 World Series. Full Story
   
   
8. Los Angeles: Seal Beach Woman Arrested for Impersonating FBI Agents by Altering Voice and Using Telephonic ‘Spoofing’ Technology
   
   Karen Elaine Hanover was arrested for allegedly used “spoofing” technology to impersonate FBI agents in phone calls to business clients who believed she was running a fraud scheme. Full Story
   
9. Richmond: ‘Grandad Bandit’ Pleads Guilty to Robbing 26 Banks in 15 States
   
   Michael Francis Mara, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a/k/a the “Grandad Bandit,” pled guilty to robbing 26 banks in 15 states. Full Story
   
10. New Orleans: Former Dow Research Scientist Convicted of Stealing Trade Secrets and Perjury
    
    A federal jury convicted a former research scientist of stealing trade secrets from Dow Chemical Company and selling them to companies in the People’s Republic of China, as well as committing perjury. Full Story

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Darth Vader Bloopers Outtakes Deleted Scenes Volkswagen Super Bowl Commercial WEB VIDEO

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Bloopers and deleted scenes from Volkswagen's "The Force" commercial.
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From the taping of the Super Bowl 45 Commercial.
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Mubarak Resigns, Military Assumes Power VIDEO, LIVE STREAM LINK

LIVE STREAM LINK

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Mubarak resigns, hands power to military

By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press
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Feb 11, 2011
CAIRO – Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday after 29 years in power, bowing to a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. "The people ousted the president," chanted a crowd of tens of thousands outside his presidential palace in Cairo.
Several hundred thousand protesters massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, cheering and waving Egyptian flags. Fireworks, car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.
Mubarak had sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title. But an explosion of protests Friday rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into forcing him out completely. Hundreds of thousands marched throughout the day in cities across the country as soliders stood by, besieging his palace in Cairo and Alexandria and the state TV building. A governor of a southern province was forced to flee to safety in the face of protests there.
It was the biggest day of protests yet in the upheaval that began Jan. 25, growing from youth activists working on the Internet into a mass movement that tapped into widespread discontent with Mubarak's authoritarian lock on power, corruption, economic woes and widespread disparities between rich and poor.



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Zombie Mubarak Flees Leaves Cairo for Sinai as Protests Spread in Egypt VIDEO Live Stream

LIVE STREAM LINK

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Mubarak leaves Cairo for Sinai as protests spread

By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL
Associated Press

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CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's powerful military tried to defuse outrage over President Hosni Mubarak's refusal to step down, assuring it would guarantee promised reforms. But hundreds of thousands only grew angrier, deluging squares in at least three major cities Friday and marching on presidential palaces and the state TV building, key symbols of the authoritarian regime.

A day after handing most of his powers to his vice president, Mubarak flew to the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, some 250 miles away from the turmoil. He has a palace there where he often lives and works during the winter.

The army's new message Friday was the latest in a series of unusual moves by Egypt's most powerful institution over the past two days. It gave the strong impression that it was in control of the country's political transition.

Still, their statement, which tacitly consented to Mubarak's plans, was a profound disappointment to protesters who called for the military to step in and oust him completely. Despite the transfer of powers, Mubarak retains his title and could in theory take back his authorities. In his speech Thursday night he spoke as if he was still very much in charge.

Shock that Mubarak did not step down on Thursday turned to rage on Friday, and protests escalated.

"What are you waiting for?" one protester yelled in the face of an army officer outside Mubarak's main palace, Oruba, in northern Cairo, where a crowd of demonstrators grew to more than 5,000, with more flowing in. "Did you pledge your allegiance to the president or the people?" another shouted.

The palace was protected by four tanks and rolls of barbed wire, but soldiers did nothing to stop more people from joining the rally. In fact, they threw biscuits and cookies through the palace gates to protesters, who laughed and joked with them.

The march on the palace were the first by protesters who for nearly three weeks have centered their mass demonstrations in Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square.

More than 10,000 tore apart military barricades in front of the towering State Television and Radio building, a pro-Mubarak bastion that has aired constant commentary supporting him and dismissing the protests. They swarmed on the Nile River corniche at the foot of the building, beating drums and chanting, "Leave! Leave! Leave!" They blocked employees from entering, vowing to silence the broadcast.

Soldiers in tanks in front of the building did nothing to stop them, though state TV continued to air.

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Cause of Rising Food Prices - Over Supply of Money Driving Prices Up VIDEO

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What to Make of Rising Food Prices

MarketWatch
Feb. 10, 2011
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By Dave Kansas

As investors nervously watch the situation in Egypt, one theme has emerged that seems to underpin the protests there and elsewhere: rising food prices.

Last month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that its index of farm commodity prices reached a new record. Other commodity prices, notably fuel, are also rising. The increased commodity costs have contributed to the overthrow of the Tunisian government and civil unrest in Ghana, Algeria, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. In India, people have taken to the streets in protest over rising onion prices. In China, apple prices have jumped 50% in the past year.

With the turmoil in Tunisia and Egypt, some believe that governments in troubled neighborhoods may start snapping up more food to try and ensure supplies for their disgruntled masses, which could add even more to food price pressures. In sum, while precious metals and energy tend to dominate headlines, agricultural commodities may be even more strongly positioned to gain ground in this season of political uncertainty.

The spike in food prices present investors with three questions to consider: What kind of inflationary impact will the price gains have? How will rising food prices affect the political risk equation in emerging markets? And is it time to get long or go longer agricultural commodities?

Rising food prices come as economic forecasts improve. HSBC has raised its growth estimate for developed markets in 2011 to 2.3% from 1.8%. But that pales next to their emerging markets forecast of 6.4% growth in 2011, with China and India expected to notch growth rates above 8%.

The economic recovery is gathering steam, once again uncovering output gaps that had slid away during the downturn. And the increased economic activity is placing more pressure on commodity prices. Wheat, corn, oats, rough rice and soybeans are all at their highest levels in more than two years. Wheat has more than doubled from last spring's levels.

J.P. Morgan says that even in the face of recent food price gains, they expect prices to move higher still over the next few months, due to low inventories and slack production. The brutal weather of recent weeks, ranging from cyclones and floods in Australia to uncommonly cold weather in the Southern U.S. and Mexico, has made the agricultural climate even rougher.

Will that have an impact on inflation? In the developed world, the answer is probably not. Agricultural staples make up a surprisingly small amount of consumer inflation measures because of efficiencies in production. The calculus for emerging markets is different. And already food and energy costs are contributing to inflation spikes in China (around 5%), Brazil (5%) and India (9%).

Emerging market countries, especially China, are trying to tamp down growth intensity to reduce inflation pressures. Thus far, however, they aren't having much luck. 

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Demise of the Dollar IMF Calls for Alternative Currency, International Monetary Fund Seeks Less Volatile Alternative

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IMF calls for dollar alternative

By Ben Rooney, staff reporter CNNMoney
February 10, 2011
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The International Monetary Fund issued a report Thursday on a possible replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve currency.
The IMF said Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, could help stabilize the global financial system.

SDRs represent potential claims on the currencies of IMF members. They were created by the IMF in 1969 and can be converted into whatever currency a borrower requires at exchange rates based on a weighted basket of international currencies. The IMF typically lends countries funds denominated in SDRs

While they are not a tangible currency, some economists argue that SDRs could be used as a less volatile alternative to the U.S. dollar.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the IMF, acknowledged there are some "technical hurdles" involved with SDRs, but he believes they could help correct global imbalances and shore up the global financial system.

"Over time, there may also be a role for the SDR to contribute to a more stable international monetary system," he said.

The goal is to have a reserve asset for central banks that better reflects the global economy since the dollar is vulnerable to swings in the domestic economy and changes in U.S. policy.

In addition to serving as a reserve currency, the IMF also proposed creating SDR-denominated bonds, which could reduce central banks' dependence on U.S. Treasuries. The Fund also suggested that certain assets, such as oil and gold, which are traded in U.S. dollars, could be priced using SDRs.

Oil prices usually go up when the dollar depreciates. Supporters say using SDRs to price oil on the global market could help prevent spikes in energy prices that often occur when the dollar weakens significantly.
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Local Farmers Encouraged to Call About Storm Assistance, Federal Help Available

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Local farmers who saw damage to crops or loss of livestock from last week's winter storm can receive federal assistance, the Missouri Department of Agriculture reminded them on Wednesday. The assistance would come from a federal emergency declaration granted by President Barack Obama in the wake of the Jan. 31 - Feb. 2 storm.
"We are dedicated to providing Missouri farmers with information they need to help them recover from losses from natural disasters," said Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler. "We continue to work with folks in every corner of our state to ensure they have the resources necessary and to help move agriculture forward."
Farmers should document any losses or additional costs experienced as a result of these weather events, the MDA advised. Such information is often required for producers to be eligible for physical and/or production loss loan assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), and other assistance programs.
For more information, farmers can call the Missouri FSA office at (573) 876-0980.
Counties, such as Montgomery, Warren and Gasconade, were hit hard, receiving over a foot of snow.


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Effects of Sales Tax Plan "cannot be determined" says Missouri Auditor

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 Mo. auditor won't estimate effects of sales tax plan

REBECCA BERG  www.STLtoday.com
February 11, 2011
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JEFFERSON CITY • Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich said Thursday that he will not estimate the effects of a controversial measure to replace the state income tax with a higher sales tax.
Due to legislative uncertainties and a range of possible reactions by consumers, Schweich said it would be impossible to estimate how the tax adjustment would affect the state's revenue.
"I didn't think it would be responsible to try to quantify the effects without knowing what the Legislature is going to do," he said at a Missouri Press Association forum. "I don't think anyone can responsibly say anything else at this point."
The auditor's decision is a weighty one. If voters are asked to decide whether the state should replace its income tax with a higher sales tax, they will not know how much money the state could stand to lose, or gain.
But, Schweich said, neither does he.
As a result, the auditor's fiscal note, which would appear on the November 2012 ballot if an initiative drive is successful, will state that the effects of replacing the income tax with a use tax "cannot be determined."
The proposal to eliminate the state income tax would replace the revenue with a sales tax that is higher and that applies to many goods and services not currently taxed. Supporters say the measure could make the state a more palatable choice for businesses looking to relocate.


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Kraft Joins Kellogg, Sara Lee, J.M. Smucker, Price Hikes

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Kraft says more price increases ahead

By SARAH SKIDMORE | AP Food Industry Writer www.STLtoday.com
February 10, 2011
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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kraft Foods Inc., like many of its peers, is feeling some pricing pressure.
The company reported Thursday that price increases it made to cope with higher ingredient costs are not going to be enough to sustain its profitability and it plans further hikes this year.
As one of the world's largest food companies, Kraft is feeling the pinch from higher costs for wheat, corn, sugar and other commodities.
The company already raised prices on most of its products in Europe and more than half in North America. But it said its input costs rose nearly $500 million during the fourth quarter and its profit margins suffered accordingly.
Company leaders expect costs will remain high for the year, but they said profit margins should recover in the second half of the year as price hikes begin to offset those costs.
Kraft is one of many food makers talking about price hikes to cope with increased costs. In past week, Kellogg Co., Sara Lee Corp. and J.M. Smucker Co. also announced them.

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St Louis Boat Show - Get That Summertime Warm Feeling

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Boat show makes it feel like summer

 Feb 9, 2011

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By Heidi Glaus

St. Louis (KSDK) -- If you're looking for a way to escape the winter for a couple of hours, America's Center is the place to be.
The St. Louis Boat and Sportshow has tossed an anchor there.  You can check out more than 500 boats, personal watercraft and learn about our local lakes and rivers.
This morning Heidi Glaus talked to the show manager, Mark Adams to find out what else is in store at this year's show.  To watch that interview click on the video link below.
The show officially opens today at 5 p.m. and runs through Sunday.  Admission is $9 for adults and free for kids 15 and younger. For more information about times and admission, visit the St. Louis Boat and Sportshow's Website.


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