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Written by The Progress Report
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Monday, 15 March 2010 |
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This afternoon, the House Budget Committee will begin marking-up the health care reconciliation package, signaling the beginning of the end of the Democrats' year-long effort to pass comprehensive health care reform. Congressional leaders have urged members to clear their schedules for the weekend in anticipation of final up or down vote in the House, which could happen as early as Thursday. Under the Democrats' plan, the House would pass the Senate version of the legislation, then take up a narrow package of fixes through the reconciliation process. If the House approves the changes later this week, they would go to the Senate, which would have to muster only 51 votes (or 50 votes plus Vice President Biden) instead of 60. "Congressional aides from both parties suggest Democratic leaders are starting with a little more than 200 firm supporters," and Democrats are expecting "some undecided lawmakers to swing their way once the final details of the bill come out." Still, as of this weekend, lawmakers had not secured the necessary 216 votes in the House but remained optimistic about their prospects. On Sunday, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod predicted that Democrats "will have the votes to pass this," and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declared that "this is the climactic week for health-care reform." "I'm also very confident that we'll get this done," House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) added on NBC's Meet The Press. Throughout the week, Democrats will have their hands full as they try to convince "several of last year's no votes to switch to yes, while retaining at least a dozen yes votes who are wavering." SETTLING THE ABORTION QUESTION: Last week, Democratic leaders decided to abandon their negotiations with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) over the abortion provisions in the Senate health care bill and take the risk that some small number of pro-life Democrats will vote against the measure. The Democratic leadership believes that fixing the provision through reconciliation would be impossible and passing a separate bill is unlikely, especially after Stupak rejected an offer to take up abortion after reform. "We don't want to go without their votes, but we do want to forge ahead," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said. "As you know, Mr. Stupak has made it very, very clear that he's very strongly in favor of achieving health care reform in this Congress. And I think that a lot of his colleagues feel the same way." Indeed, over the last week, a growing number of conservative pro-life Democrats have signaled that they will break with Stupak and vote for the Senate health care bill. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), "a 'yes' vote on reform who backed the Stupak language," told reporters that "the Senate language will restrict the federal funding of abortions and that he'll probably vote for the final bill" and Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA), who also supported the Stupak abortion amendment in the House, said that the Senate bill does not spend federal dollars on abortion and suggested that he is also leaning towards a "yes"vote. "I still haven't seen good evidence that the Senate language, as is, allows a taxpayer funding for abortion. It could be worded better and less awkwardly, but I don't know if there is even an indirect abortion funding in it," Altmire told C-SPAN's Washington Journal on Thursday. Over the weekend, several traditionally pro-life groups also came out in support of the Senate health care bill. A group of 25 "pro-life Catholic theologians and Evangelical leaders" sent a letter to Congress urging them to look past the misinformation on abortion and pass health care reform. "As Christians committed to a consistent ethic of life, and deeply concerned with the health and well-being of all people, we want to see health care reform enacted," they said. The Catholic Health Association, "the national leadership organization of more than 2,000 Catholic health care sponsors, systems, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and related organizations," sent a separate letter urging lawmakers to pass the Senate health bill. The group writes that while the legislation isn't perfect, it is "'a major first step' toward covering all Americans and would make 'great improvements' for millions of people.'" LOOKING FOR VOTES: President Obama will travel to Ohio this afternoon to continue making a public case for health care reform and pressure reluctant House Democrats to support the Senate measure. The New York Times reports that Obama is "making daily telephone calls to Democrats who supported the health care bill last year, but have yet to decide how they intend to vote this time. He is also focusing on those who opposed the legislation, including Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio, who said the measure did not go far enough. The president's trip to Ohio includes Mr. Kucinich's district, and he invited the congressman to join him aboard Air Force One." MoveOn, which has previously opposed the Senate measure, has sent an email to its members asking them to pledge to support a progressive primary challenger to House Democrats that vote against reform. "So we're asking every MoveOn member: will you pledge to support progressive primary challengers to House Democrats who side with Republicans to kill health care reform? With the big vote happening as early as this Friday, conservative Democrats need to know the stakes if they choose to side with Big Insurance over the voters on health care reform," the letter says. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry has also pledged a $12 million investment for a final advertising push in favor of reform and is "weighing a seven-figure nationwide ad campaign in major newspapers" that could start on March 15. Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack, who is co-sponsoring the campaign," says that the ads are slated to feature the names of hundreds of organizations that endorse the health care legislation that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California plans to bring to the floor." BIG BUSINESS TRYING TO KILL REFORM: On the other side, a group of big business interests is funding "a multimillion-dollar wave of advertising" that "takes aim at about 40 House Democrats whose votes will help determine" the fate of health care reform. The 248-member coalition -- which includes National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation -- is led by the United States Chamber of Commerce and plans to target its ads towards the "27 Democrats who supported the health care bill last year and 13 who opposed it." "The organizations have already spent $11 million this month focusing on these lawmakers, with more spending to come before an expected vote next weekend." The new campaign "will last about 10 days and cost between $4 million and $10 million," the Seattle Times reports. Separately, "the health-insurance industry lobby America's Health Insurance Plans launched a $1 million-plus ad campaign on national cable TV blaming doctors and hospitals for rising premiums and "Americans for Prosperity, a group financed by David Koch, the oilman, is also jumping into the fray with an advertising campaign of nearly $1 million." "There is definitely more passion from people opposed to the bill," Altmire admitted, noting that his office has received hundreds of calls from angry constituents. "I have to decide between passing this bill or doing nothing at all. I need to do what's best for my district." Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by The Progress Report
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Thursday, 11 March 2010 |
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A Partner For Peace? This week, Vice President Biden arrived in the Middle East to attempt to restart peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. On Tuesday, shortly after he assured Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, "Every time progress is made, it's been made when the rest of the world knows there's no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel's security," the Israeli Interior Ministry announced plans "to build 1,600 new housing units for Jews" in an Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem. In response, Biden issued an unusually strong statement: "I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I've had here in Israel." Jerusalem is an especially sensitive area; Israel insists that it will remain its "undivided" capital, but the Palestinians claim Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. A European Union investigation last year found that the Israeli government was "working deliberately to alter the city's demographic balance and sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his position on Wednesday that he would not move forward with proposed peace talks with Israel unless settlements were halted. In an emergency meeting Wednesday, the Arab League "demanded that Israel reverse the East Jerusalem housing decision," but did not revoke its endorsement of proximity talks. APOLOGY FROM NETANYAHU: As former U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk noted on MSNBC yesterday, it's unfortunately a common occurrence for the Israeli government to announce new settlements either just before or after a visit with U.S. officials, which damages American credibility in the region. This happened numerous times under the Bush administration. It also happened the day before Biden arrived in Israel, when the Israeli government announced approval for 112 new homes in Beitar Illit, an ultra-Orthodox settlement near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. It is uncommon, however, for Israel to announce new settlements during a visit from a high official like the vice president of the United States, especially when he had come to deliver a message of support. Interior Minister Eli Yishai apologized on Wednesday "for causing domestic and international distress" with the timing of the announcement, and Netanyahu reportedly told Biden, "No one was seeking to embarrass you or undermine your visit -- on the contrary, you are a true friend to Israel." According to the New York Times, aides say Netanyahu "was blindsided by the announcement from Israel's Interior Ministry, led by the leader of right-wing Shas Party. But he didn't disavow the plan." Meir Margalit, a member of Jerusalem's City Council told Israel's Ynet News that the Interior ministry "meant to sabotage the announcement that Netanyahu issued today regarding the renewal of indirect negotiations with the Palestinians. It is also a kind of slap in the face of the American administration." A DEEPLY INGRAINED SETTLEMENT ENTERPRISE: A New York Times editorial suggested that President Obama "miscalculated... when he insisted that Israel impose a full stop on all new settlement building," noting that "one of the basic rules of diplomacy is that American presidents never publicly insist on something they aren't sure of getting -- at least not without a backup plan." Israel committed to freeze settlements under the "road map for peace" promulgated by the Bush administration in 2002, but has consistently failed to meet that commitment. While agreeing to a partial settlement moratorium last November (which specifically exempted Jerusalem), Netanyahu's own position in favor of settlement expansion is clear. The evening before Biden's arrival, "Netanyahu appeared onstage with Pastor John Hagee in Jerusalem." Hagee is a conservative American preacher who opposes the two-state solution and supports unlimited Israeli settlement expansion with millions of private American dollars. Hagee has said that "[i]f America puts pressure on Israel to divide Jerusalem we are following the blueprint of the Prince of Darkness." Israeli planning officials also told Haaretz that "some 50,000 new housing units in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the Green Line are in various stages of planning and approval," and that "Jerusalem's construction plans for the next few years, even decades, are expected to focus on East Jerusalem." In a recent article examining how deeply ingrained the settlement enterprise is in the various institutions of the state of Israel, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer writes, "The challenge for the United States is how to pursue the issue in a persistent and intelligent manner. It should do so with the confidence that, ultimately, it will end up aligned not only on the right side of history generally, but even on the right side of the history of Zionism." HOLDING ALL PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE: The Obama administration has made clear that resolving the conflict between Israel and its neighbors is one of its highest priorities, but the last year has been a frustrating one. None of the parties -- Israelis, Palestinians, or the Arab states -- seem willing to take the necessary bold steps to move the process forward. There is also the continuing humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, a major source of resentment among Palestinians and in the broader region. In a Center for American Progress report last July, authors Brian Katulis, Marc Lynch, and Robert Adler stated that "the window of opportunity for achieving a viable two-state solution is rapidly closing -- at a time when Israelis and Palestinians seem incapable and unwilling to achieve a sustainable peace agreement." The report called on the Obama administration "to reassure Israel that it will continue to support its security and work to maintain a close bilateral relationship while also pushing forcefully for a two-state solution which it sees as in the best interests of the region," which is precisely what Biden's trip to Israel was intended to do. Meeting with Abbas on Wednesday, Biden said, "Our administration is fully committed to the Palestinian people and to achieving a Palestinian state that is independent, viable, and contiguous. Everyone should know, everyone should know by now, that there is no viable alternative to a two-state solution, which must be an integral part of any comprehensive peace plan." In a speech earlier today in Tel Aviv, Biden promised that "the US will continue to hold both sides accountable for any statements or any actions that will inflame tension or prejudice the actions of these talks." Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Stegman, Stacey
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Thursday, 11 March 2010 |
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UPDATE: 8:45 AM, MARCH 11, 2010 CDOT Maintenance crews began clearing snow in the canyon early this morning and are now beginning work to make the repairs necessary to open a single lane of traffic in each direction today. They are clearing rock debris from all lanes (the blast brought down some dozen larger boulders (4 feet) and many smaller rocks), making repairs to the drainage system and completing roadway patching in numerous places. Crews have already set up traffic control cones/barrels and signage on the Interstate so that when repairs are complete, the highway can open quickly. We will send notice as soon as a re-open time is set today. UPDATE: 8:10 PM, MARCH 10, 2010 Our geologists returned from the rock mitigation site safely and were very satisfied with the work that was accomplished today. With the blasting, there was a clean break of the rock from the slope and all of the rocks we were concerned about were knocked down. As a result, mitigation work will not be required tomorrow. Since the blasting brought down additional rock, crews will have some cleanup work tomorrow along with drainage work and final pavement repair. The good news is that one lane of eastbound and westbound I-70 will reopen by the end of the day tomorrow. We will keep you posted as we get close to a reopening time. UPDATE: 6:30 PM, MARCH 10, 2010 Crews blasted the large rock just before 6 PM. CDOT maintenance crews immediately began work to clear the debris on the highway. They have worked throughout the day making the repairs necessary to open a lane of traffic in each direction when rockfall mitigation is complete. Since we lost daylight, the highway will not open tonight. Crews will hike to the site tomorrow morning to conduct follow-up rock scaling and assess the stability. CDOT will make every effort to get some portion of the Interstate open to traffic tomorrow, March 11. Be assured we will send an update as soon as we begin any procedures to open a lane. UPDATE: 2:50 PM, MARCH 10, 2010 Crews are working through the slow, technical process of drilling the rock and prepping the area for blasting operations—it is estimated that this will take until 4 or 4:30 PM. After this time, we will send notice of blasting results, clean-up work required, and the follow-up process/estimated schedule for getting traffic flowing again. UPDATE: 10:40 AM, MARCH 10, 2010 The helicopter is on scene—ready to drop off drilling equipment and a generator for planned drilling/blasting operations. If all goes well, crews anticipate bringing the boulder down early afternoon. When the boulder is down, the hillside scaled and stabilized, and any resulting highway damage is assessed, we can begin to send information regarding estimated highway re-open times. We will send notice as soon as the boulder is down. UPDATE: 10 PM, MARCH 9, 2010 A team of six hiked up 900 feet on the mountainside today and conducted rock scaling operations (removing loose rock material with pry bars and other equipment) until approximately 5:30 p.m. They were able to safely access the unstable rock needing to be brought down. Losing daylight, crews attempted to pry sections loose and locate areas in which to effectively place and then charge explosives, but were unable to do so. Tomorrow, March 10th, crews will hike up to the location once again and drilling and other equipment will be airlifted by helicopter to the site. Drilling and blasting as well as other mitigation efforts will be used to bring down the rock. Due the challenging nature of the project, it is difficult to estimate when the mitigation work will be complete and when I-70 may reopen. Should the rock be brought down successfully, causing minimum damage to the highway, crews could then begin repairs to the eastbound lanes in preparation of opening one lane in each direction using the eastbound lanes. Please note that the process to reopen the Interstate is dependent upon the completion of the mitigation work. An update will be sent mid-morning on March 10th. UPDATE: 2:00 PM, MARCH 9 Scaling is still underway. We will know much more when work is complete later this afternoon. We will send any information we might have regarding possible re-open times as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued help in getting the word out. UPDATE 8:30 AM, MARCH 9 Crews have begun their hike up the hillside in Glenwood Canyon and will begin rock scaling by around 10:00 A.M. They will start scaling above the unstable rock and work towards it with the goal of prying it loose and/or gaining a better understanding of its stability. The rock is approximately 20 feet in diameter. Please check http://www.coloradodot.info/news/media-room.htmlperiodically for news posts and photos. UPDATE 6:37 PM, MARCH 8 CDOT crews are completing work for the night – conditions are now too dark. I-70 will remain closed overnight. CDOTgeologists have determined that the rock above the highway is too unstable to remain in place. Early tomorrow morning, Tuesday March 9, rock scaling crews will be meeting to determine how best to mitigate the rock. CDOTmaintenance crews made great progress breaking up and clearing away the boulders today. We will send notice as soon as we receive details of the mitigation work. Crews are working fast and making every effort to get traffic safely flowing through the canyon again. UPDATE SENT 3 PM, MARCH 8 CDOTgeologists are on site and are in the process of assessing a rock that appears to be unstable. The assessment requires a two-hour hike up the mountain, inspection and a two-hour hike back down. If the rock is determined to be unstable, CDOT will not reopen any lanes of I-70 until rockfall mitigation can be conducted. Since the assessment will take several hours to complete, mitigation work will not take place until tomorrow as it will be unsafe to conduct the work at night. In the meantime, crews continue to blast the large boulders into smaller pieces for removal (photo attached). So far, crews have blasted three rocks and have several more to blast apart. This work will continue this afternoon. I-70 remains closed in both directions between Glenwood Springs (mm 116) and at Dotsero (mm 133). Motorists can take US 40 to SH 13 as an alternate route. US 50 to the south is now closed over Monarch pass due to adverse conditions. Rockfall in Glenwood Canyon I-70 closed to all traffic in both directions between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero GLENWOOD CANYON – Just after midnight, on March 8, a large rockfall incident hit I-70 in Glenwood Canyon, near mile marker 125 just west of Hanging Lake Tunnel. (The rockslide on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2004, was in the same general area, though rocks came from a different location on the hillside.) I-70 is closed in both directions to all traffic at Glenwood (mm 116) and at Dotsero (mm 133). While there is no estimate for a re-open time, Colorado Department of Transportation will blast and break up larger boulders today and continue work to assess when a portion of the roadway may be opened for travel. CDOT will implement emergency contracting procedures and meet with contractors over the next couple of days as crews develop repair plans. It is estimated that this slide brought 20 boulders onto the interstate, ranging in size from 3 feet to10 feet in diameter. The largest is estimated to weigh about 66 tons. The rocks have made holes in the elevated sections of roadway—the largest being in the westbound lanes (closest to the hillside) and measuring 20 feet by 10 feet. Another hole in the lower eastbound lanes measures 6 feet by 6 feet. There are a half a dozen other holes and “dips” in the roadway, as well as areas where rocks are embedded. Most of these repair areas appear to be approximately 5 feet by 5 feet. Rocks are scattered over 100 yards of roadway. Also damaged are three sections (about 120 linear feet) of steel guard rail and 100 linear feet of median barrier. The damage is similar to that resulting from the 2004 rockfall incident. ALTERNATE ROUTES: from westbound I-70: exit at US 40/Empire to State Highway 13 and back to I-70; exit in Silverthorne and take State Highway 9 to US 40 and State Highway 13; exit at Wolcott/State Highway 131 to US 40 and State Highway 13. From eastbound I-70: exit at Rifle/State Highway 13 to US 40 and back to I-70. Travelers may also wish to use US highways 160, 285 and 50 if traveling to destinations south. I-70 is not expected to open any time soon. CDOT appreciates the patience of travelers and want everyone to be assurred that crews are doing everything possible to get the roadway safely open to traffic. Video of the rockfall site can be found at www.cotrip.org Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Guerin Green
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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 |
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Statement by Secretary Timothy F. Geithner to the Plenary Session of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings, Delivered by Acting Assistant Secretary Mark Sobel On behalf of Secretary Geithner and the U.S. delegation, thank you to the people of Istanbul and our host country Turkey. It is fitting that we meet today in this great country - a land at the crossroads of history and civilization. During the Great Depression, the global economy faced a crossroads, and it chose the path of unilateralism and inwardness. Over the last year, we faced the deepest challenge since then. Standing at another crossroads, the international community chose the path of unprecedented cooperation and multilateralism. We took decisive action to restore growth, boost employment, and repair financial systems. We mobilized nearly $1 trillion in support for emerging markets, helping to slow a serious capital drain. The United States is doing and will do its part. We supported U.S. and global growth through our stimulus plan, restored confidence in the U.S. financial system through our stability and regulatory reforms as well as our transparent stress tests, and helped stem the loss of confidence facing emerging markets through President Obama's successful call for rapidly mobilizing $500 billion through a renewed New Arrangements to Borrow at the IMF. We are now witnessing stabilization of the global economy and the beginnings of recovery. But we cannot be complacent. Conditions remain fragile. The international community must implement its critical agenda to sustain the recovery and help create jobs, to strengthen regulatory frameworks, and to begin preparing cooperative exit strategies. We also need to pursue additional trade liberalization, including an ambitious and balanced conclusion to the Doha Development Round. Together, we recognize that the world cannot return to a pattern of uneven growth, characterized by an excessive reliance on a single engine of consumption-led growth, while others relied heavily on external demand. First and foremost, the responsibility for tackling these problems rests with sovereign governments, including my own. But as we build a strong, sustained and balanced global economy, we must advance a forward-looking agenda so that the IMF and World Bank can enhance their legitimacy and update their missions to meet future challenges. For the IMF, this means that rigorous surveillance must help us shed light on trends that could lead to the next unsustainable boom. Under the new G-20 Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth, the IMF must provide forward-looking analysis of whether the world's major countries are implementing economic policies, including exchange rate policies, which are collectively consistent with G-20 objectives. The IMF will need to be a truth-teller. The World Bank will need to focus more on building resilience to crisis and foundations for prosperity. As the world emerges from crisis, the poorest will require strong and sustained support from the multilateral development banks. With concessional financing deploying more quickly, donors must commit to successful and timely replenishments of IDA and the African Development Fund. When considering the MDB capital requests, we must recognize the importance of maintaining the IBRD's financial soundness. As the centerpiece of the multilateral development system, the World Bank is best positioned to address challenges that require globally coordinated action. In particular, the Bank must more actively prioritize work on three emerging global priorities, agriculture and food security, support in the most fragile environments, and facilitating the transition to a green economy. For the IMF and World Bank to be effective in these tasks, their broad membership must consider them legitimate and representative. We are delighted that the international community is now committed to achieving a 5% shift in IMF quota share toward dynamic underrepresented countries by January 2011 and the call to shift at least 3% of the Bank's voting power to developing and transition countries and the recommitment to reach an agreement by the 2010 Spring Meetings. The past six months have plainly demonstrated the benefits of stronger Ministerial engagement in setting strategic policies and priorities at the international financial institutions. To sustain this, we must find a way to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of both the IMFC and the Development Committee. Furthermore, we need far more efficient and strategic Executive Boards, which better reflect the realities of the global economy. In closing, the international community has rarely shared such a sense of common purpose and urgency. All of our countries – developing, emerging, or advanced – want to avoid a repeat of the worst economic crisis in decades. So let us press forward on this path of multilateralism to offer greater hope and prosperity for people in every corner of the world. Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by the Tower Ledger
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Thursday, 30 July 2009 |
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Envirofit International and Colorado State University Receive International Design Award FORT COLLINS - The cookstove design and development teams at Envirofit International and the Engines and Energy Conversion Lab at Colorado State University have won a Bronze IDEA for Envirofit’s clean cookstove in the Ecodesign category in the 2009 International Design Excellence Awards. The Bronze International Design Excellence Award is shared with the industrial design groups Red Ingot LLC and Sector 7 Studios, LLC. The winners of the 2009 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition—a celebration of year’s most innovative and exciting product designs and one of the world’s most prestigious and recognizable design competitions—exhibit a focus on sustainability, functionality and, in some cases, breathtaking aesthetics. The Envirofit S-2100 clean cookstove is an example of a recent trend of the IDEA award and its sponsors, BusinessWeek, the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), Target and Autodesk, toward honoring products designed for underserved or underprivileged markets. The four co-founders of Envirofit all have ties to Colorado State University: Bryan Willson, director of the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory and mechanical engineering professor; Paul Hudnut, professor in the College of Business; and Tim Bauer and Nathan Lorenz, now Envirofit’s Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Engineering, respectively, who used to be graduate students at the engines lab. Willson started the cookstoves program at the university. The Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory serves as a R&D subcontractor to Envirofit which, with global partner the Shell Foundation, aims to design, build and disseminate millions of cookstoves to emerging markets in the coming years. Envirofit cookstoves are sold to consumers in India and other emerging markets to address the global health and environmental impacts of Indoor Air Pollution. Unlike most groups designing cookstoves for developing world markets, Envirofit and its partners develop stoves that not only dramatically reduce toxic emissions and biomass fuel use, but also take the stoves’ aesthetics and ergonomics into consideration. “Historically, emerging market consumers have not been viewed as a valued consumer group. But just because a family only makes a few dollars a day doesn’t mean they don’t want and deserve a beautiful, durable product they can be proud of,” said Ron Bills, Chairman and CEO of Envirofit International. “Envirofit and its partners are pleased that the international design community is recognizing the importance of creating high-quality, aesthetic products for emerging market consumers.” - Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by YRC_news@yamaha-network.com
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 |
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The Fiat Yamaha Team arrives in the United States this week in stunning form with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo lying first and second in the championship, separated by just five points. Rossi, who clinched his 100th career victory in Assen on Sunday, has three wins to his name so far and Lorenzo has two, while both riders have finished on the podium in six out of seven races this season to leave Fiat Yamaha leading the Teams' standings and Yamaha the Manufacturers'. The Italian and the Spaniard will make a short stopover in Los Angeles for a visit to Yamaha US on Wednesday before heading north to the coastal town of Monterey and the spectacular Laguna Seca track. Before last year Rossi had just one podium to his name at Laguna since MotoGP returned there in 2005, but he produced one of the performances of his career in 2008 to win an important victory, which went on to prove one of the key turning points of his season. A race-long battle with Casey Stoner threw up some nail-biting moments between the pair but the Italian prevailed to take his first win on American soil. After two wins on the bounce he is heading stateside in flying form and will be hoping to extend his championship lead this weekend with another great result. Thursday sees the now traditional Laguna Seca Superkart race and Rossi this year will make a few display laps in a Superkart before Yamaha legends Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and Kenny Roberts Senior take centre stage for the real thing. Lorenzo was a Laguna Seca first-timer last year and a promising showing during practice came to nothing when he high-sided on the first lap. The 22-year-old went on to taste American success later in the season with a podium in Indianapolis and he is determined that he will get to grips with the tricky Laguna track this time around. The youngster has had a brilliant season to date and will undoubtedly be in the mix once again this weekend as he seeks to better his team-mate with a return to the top of the podium. Laguna Seca is an all-American track where the intense dry heat, unpredictable asphalt and anti-clockwise layout reward the loose and aggressive riding style of the US dirt-trackers. The track boasts some of the most dramatic elevation changes on the world championship circuit as well as fast, sweeping corners, the most notorious of which is the world-famous 'Corkscrew'. Machine set-up is relatively straightforward, with throttle connection a much more important factor than top-end power and a well balanced chassis the key to those elevation changes and diverse corners. Valentino Rossi - "Back to normal!" "The wonderful memory of the 100th win is still fresh, but now we have just a few days to recover before the next race, which is hard for everyone. We have to try to relax as much as possible and recharge the batteries a little, because Laguna is always a tough weekend and often very hot. Last year I had a great battle with Stoner and for me it was for sure one of the turning points of the championship and a very important win; I have some good memories. I think this year it will be hard again because Lorenzo is in brilliant form and I am sure Stoner will also be back to his best. Laguna is a great place to race and an exciting track, I also have a little trip to Los Angeles and Yamaha US first which I am looking forward to. The championship is very open at this point so we need to keep focus, get back to normal after Assen and try to get another good result this weekend." Jorge Lorenzo - "Looking forward to the challenge" "Last year Laguna wasn't good for me but I don't think about this. It's the only time I've been there but I don't see that as a problem - until 2008 I'd never won in Portugal before and I won my first race there in MotoGP, and then again this year I won in Motegi where I'd never won before, so I don't consider any track 'bad' for me - the past doesn't matter. We are feeling very strong after the last races and everyone is very motivated to continue in the same way so I am looking forward to the challenge and learning more about the track. I will do my best and hopefully that will mean we can run at the front again." Davide Brivio - "Focus on the championship" "We still have great memories from Laguna Seca in 2008 and we're happy to be arriving there after two wins and leading the championship. It's a great place to race and the American fans are always brilliant so we hope we can give them another good show! Our package is working well everywhere now so hopefully the case will be the same again this weekend. Now that the 100 target has been reached we can focus on the next target - the championship! Now we race for that." Daniele Romagnoli - "A consistent package" "After the last great race in Assen this is a very short break for everyone but we have to move straight on to the US for the next round! The high motivation in our team continues after another strong performance from Jorge and we are looking forward to having the chance for another good result. This year our package is much more consistent and we know that we can put up another good fight, despite Jorge's inexperience at Laguna. Everyone in the team enjoys going to Laguna - it's a great place - so we're looking forward to another exciting weekend." Valentino Rossi : Information Age: 30 Lives: Tavullia, Italy Bike: Yamaha GP victories: 100 (79 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 217 (157 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 53 (43 x MotoGP/500cc, 5 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc) World Championships: 8 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP) Jorge Lorenzo: Information Age: 22 Lives: Barcelona, Spain Bike: Yamaha GP victories: 24 (3 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc) First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc) First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc) GP starts: 118 (24 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc) Pole positions: 33 (7 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc) World Championships: 2 (250cc, 2006/7) Laguna Seca: Record Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'21.488 Laguna Seca: Best Lap C. Stoner (Ducati) 2008, 1'20.700 Grand Prix Results: Laguna Seca 2008 1. V. Rossi (Yamaha) 44'04.311 2. C.Stoner (Ducati) +13.001 3. C.Vermeulen (Suzuki) +26.609 . J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) NF Yamaha Racing Communications Hoogte Kadijk 61 HS / 1018 BE Amsterdam / The Netherlands T. +31 (0) 20 330 2709 / F. +31 (0) 20 420 9470 E.
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W. www.yamaha-racing.com Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Dreyer, Evan
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Thursday, 21 May 2009 |
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Thursday, May 21, 2009 11 a.m. Gov. Ritter will sign Colorado’s version of “Katie’s Law,” SB 241, regarding the collection of DNA evidence. The bill is named in honor of 22-year-old New Mexico murder victim Katie Sepich. Katie’s mother will attend the signing ceremony. Location: West Foyer, State Capitol. # # # Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by The Progress Report
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Thursday, 14 May 2009 |
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On Monday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates abruptly announced the removal of Gen. David McKiernan as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, saying that "fresh eyes were needed" and that "a new approach was probably in our best interest." McKiernan, "who led U.S. ground forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion," took command of the NATO- led mission in Afghanistan in June and was scheduled to serve in the post for two years. But he will be replaced by Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, "a former commander of the Joint Special Operations Command. He served in Afghanistan as chief of staff of military operations in 2001 and 2002 and recently ran all commando operations in Iraq." Asked if the dismissal -- the first such removal of a top commander since President Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War -- had ended McKiernan's military career, Gates replied, "Probably." THE NEW COIN OF THE REALM: "If you want a sign of how thoroughly Gen. David Petraeus is taking command of the Afghanistan war," wrote the Washington Independent's Spencer Ackerman, "look no further" than his replacement of McKiernan with McChrystal, who "is known as one of the smartest and least conventional thinkers in the Army, and a counterinsurgent's counterinsurgent." McChrystal was the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) responsible for hunting al- Qaeda in Iraq, employing what he called "'collaborative warfare,' using every tool available simultaneously, from signal intercepts to human intelligence and other methods, that allowed lightning-quick and sometimes concurrent operations." According to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, "beginning in the late spring of 2007, the U.S. military and intelligence agencies launched a series of top-secret operations that enabled them to locate, target and kill" key insurgent, militia, and terrorist leaders Iraq. "The operations incorporated some of the most highly classified techniques and information in the U.S. government." McChrystal was head of the team that killed Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. POSSIBLE QUESTIONS: McChrystal may face a few potential roadblocks at his confirmation hearing. Questions could arise over the death in 2004 of Army Ranger and former NFL star Pat Tillman. In April 2004, "McChrystal approved paperwork awarding Tillman a Silver Star after he was reported killed by enemy fire, even though McChrystal suspected the Ranger had been killed accidentally by fellow American soldiers." An investigation cleared McChrystal of any official wrongdoing, but held him "accountable for the inaccurate and misleading assertions" regarding Tillman's death. McChrystal also "oversaw a task force that was criticized in 2006 for abusing detainees and harsh interrogation methods at Baghdad's Camp Nama." But Andrew Exum, a fellow with the Center for a New American Security who served under McChrystal in Iraq and Afghanistan, told NPR that he didn't think that "as savvy a political actor" as Gates "would have let [McChrystal's] nomination go forward if he thought either of these were going to be serious problems." OWNING THE AFGHANISTAN WAR: The retiring of McKiernan in such a public way is evidence of Obama's serious intention to right a war effort that is, by most accounts, going very poorly. According to a report from the Center for American Progress, the "chronic and unacceptable neglect" of the previous administration "has led to a resurgent Taliban, a fierce insurgency, a weak Afghan government tainted by corruption and incompetence, a booming opium trade, and an increasingly disillusioned Afghan people." The Taliban, al Qaeda, and other insurgent groups "are now stronger than at any time since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, operating out of neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan and making key inroads in both countries." According to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the President praised McKiernan's leadership, but said it was time for a "change of direction in Afghanistan" requiring a new military commander versed in counterinsurgency methods. Slate's Fred Kaplan wrote that "McKiernan's ouster signals a dramatic shift in U.S. strategy for the war in Afghanistan. And it means that the war is now, unequivocally, 'Obama's war.'" Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Gavin Clark
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Thursday, 02 April 2009 |
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House Bill 1312 creates an innovative “Renewables for Schools” program to provide schools access to affordable clean-energy with low-interest loans. By producing energy on-site with wind and solar, schools can reduce their utility bills, create a buffer against future energy price spikes, and put more money toward educating our kids. The following is a statement by Pam Kiely, legislative director of Environment Colorado, upon passage of the second reading HB 1312 by voice vote. A procedural third reading vote is expected to pass tomorrow. . “Colorado is on a path to rebuild and repower our economy on a clean, green foundation and House Bill 1312 is another strong step in that direction. This bill gives school districts the opportunity to get on the bus and participate in building the new energy economy.” “Colorado has proven that we can do it all- save money, grow good jobs, and protect our environment with investments in clean energy, and this bill ensures that Colorado's schools can help us continue down this path.” “Job growth in the renewable energy industry has been the sunny spot in Colorado's economy. Solar industry jobs have tripled in the past three years because of the 'open for business' sign Colorado lawmakers have put up through smart, innovative policies. And just last week Gov. Ritter announced 1,650 new jobs coming to Colorado, at a time when other industries are lagging.” “This session legislative leadership and the governor have made a bold commitment to repowering our economy through smart clean energy investments- a commitment that has been reinforced at the federal level as clean energy investments form the core of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed last month in Denver.” “HB 1312 provides a critical pot of money so schools can get in on the action, and it's a win-win-win. Saving money for districts helps direct more dollars right back into the classroom where they belong, while building this new energy economy and cleaning up our air and water at the same time.” Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Castle, Megan
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Thursday, 02 April 2009 |
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Gov. Bill Ritter today launched Colorado state government’s Transparency Online Project through an executive order that will open up access to the state’s spending and revenue records. State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, Representative Don Marostica, Attorney General John Suthers, Secretary of State Bernie Buescher, House Speaker Terrance Carroll and Senate President Peter Groff joined the Governor by signing agreements to participate in the Transparency Online Project (TOP). “This executive order expands our strong commitment to a transparent, accountable and open government for Colorado citizens,” Gov. Ritter said. “The TOP system will ensure that citizens have timely, free and meaningful access to the state’s financial information.” Gov. Ritter’s order directs the Office of Information & Technology and the Office of the State Controller to establish the TOP system. TOP is a free, searchable, web-based system providing easy access to information about the state’s revenues and expenditures. While providing adequate protection for privacy, safety, and security concerns, the new system will allow taxpayers to see where their money is going and how it’s being spent. “Since I came into office, my focus has been making the state’s finances open and accessible,” Treasurer Kennedy said. “The use of public money should always be public – it belongs to the taxpayers and they should be able to see where it goes and how it is used.” "Transparency will allow all the citizens of Colorado to see how the government spends their tax dollars, including government contracts and day-to-day expenditures," Rep. Marostica said. "Transparency is more than a good idea -- it’s good government," Attorney General Suthers said. "Public scrutiny is the best check on government." “I fully support the efforts of this order to improve the transparency of Colorado’s state finances,” Secretary of State Buescher said. “Every citizen will now have the ability to see all expenditures in the Office of the Secretary of State. I have instructed my department to provide this additional level of reporting, which will promote efficiency throughout the agency.” The executive order requires that the TOP expenditure information be available by Sept. 1 and revenue information by Jan.1, 2010. # # # COLORADO TRANSPARENCY ONLINE PROJECT (TOP) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What will TOP cost the state? Approximately $70,000 in start-up costs, primarily for computer hardware, servers and software, and about $25,000 in ongoing costs. 2. What information will be searchable and available? The system will provide access to information about state revenues and expenditures. Expenditures will be searchable by vendor, department and type of purchase. In some instances, such as victim's assistance or witness protection payments, vendor names will be protected or information will be provided in aggregate. The TOP system will provide three different ways for citizens to view Colorado state government expenditures: · Departmental Search: Will provide totals by department, including totals by agencies and type of spending. · Type of Spending Search: Will provide statewide totals by type of spending (i.e., object codes including salaries and wages, benefits, operating expenses, travel, distributions to other governments, etc.) by department, agency, fund, and vendor, when applicable. · Vendor Search: Will provide statewide totals by vendor name and information regarding which department and agency paid the vendor. Additionally, will provide the type of spending classification for goods or services provide by the vendor. In each instance, the information will reflect what is available in the state's book of record. This varies by department and agency because higher education institutions and some departments/agencies operate on standalone accounting systems and feed only aggregated information to the state's financial accounting system. 3. When will TOP be available? The Executive Order requires expenditure information to be available on the system by Sept. 1, 2009, and revenues by Jan. 1, 2010. 4. What agencies will be directed to participate by the Executive Order? All agencies within the Governor's authority are directed to participate, and the executive order allows data from the legislative and judicial branches, and the offices of the Attorney General, the State Treasurer and the Secretary of State to be included. All of these offices have agreed to participate. 5. Will this replace the Colorado Open Records Act? The TOP system is not designed nor intended to replace the Open Records Act. TOP will provide a complementary mechanism for accessing state spending data. TOP is intended to make meaningful state financial information readily available and easily accessible. TOP will not limit citizen access to state government records. Additionally, the executive order requires the Office of Information and Technology and the Office of the State Controller to establish a continuous improvement process, so that TOP will become a more useful tool over time. D 007 09 EXECUTIVE ORDER Establishing the Colorado Transparency Online Project Pursuant to the authority vested in the Office of the Governor of the State of Colorado and, in particular, pursuant to Article IV, section 2, of the Colorado Constitution, I, Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order directing the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (“OIT”), in consultation with the Department of Personnel & Administration (“DPA”), to create and maintain the Colorado Transparency Online Project (“TOP”) system, a statewide searchable database system of the state’s revenues and disbursements. I. Background and Need Transparency and accountability to state citizens is a hallmark of good government. The Open Meetings Act and the Colorado Open Records Act provide Colorado’s citizens with a strong expectation of accountability by providing open access to the state’s public records and meetings. The advent of the internet provides new opportunities for state government to foster transparency and accountability. This Executive Order continues and expands the State of Colorado’s strong commitment to an open and transparent relationship between Colorado’s citizens and their government by providing citizens with easier access to information regarding state spending. This order directs OIT, in collaboration with the Office of the State Controller (“OSC”) within DPA, to establish the TOP system, a free, searchable, web-based system providing access to descriptions of the state’s revenues and expenditures. This interface, while providing adequate protection for privacy, safety, and security concerns, will enable citizens to review the state’s revenues and expenditures and foster accountability and transparency. II. Directives A. The Governor’s Office of Information Technology (“OIT”), working with the OSC within DPA, is hereby directed to develop and maintain the TOP system, a searchable web-based system providing access to descriptions of revenues and expenditures recorded in the state’s official book of record. To ensure integrity of state records, TOP shall provide access only to a copy of relevant data and shall be maintained separately from the state accounting system. The system should be accessible without charge. B. DPA, via the OSC, shall develop policies and procedures to ensure that the system meets, at a minimum, the following criteria: 1. Data shall be made available in compliance with state and federal law. 2. The TOP system shall provide information about state revenues and expenditures at a level of detail that enables accountability and transparency. Where access to each individual transaction is likely to hinder, rather than foster, this goal, the system may provide access to aggregated information. 3. The privacy, safety, and security of state citizens and vendors shall be adequately protected. The TOP system policies shall, at a minimum, ensure that data associated with sensitive programs are excluded or otherwise protected from inappropriate exposure. 4. To ensure that decisions regarding privacy, safety, security, and compliance with state and federal law are made by those most familiar with the relevant data and programs, OSC’s policies shall require each department, agency or institution of higher education to determine what information shall be excluded from the TOP system or presented only in aggregate form. To the extent that the state accounting system includes data from the judicial and legislative branches, OSC policies shall provide a mechanism for coordinating with the executive administrator of each branch to determine the appropriate mechanism for including such data in TOP. The State Controller shall coordinate review of such decisions in coordination with the Director of OIT and the Director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, or their delegates. The State Treasurer shall be invited to participate in these review decisions. C. OIT shall be responsible for the technical development of the web-based system and shall put in place policies and mechanisms to ensure the security of the system. D. The TOP system shall be operable and generally available by January 1, 2010. Expenditure records shall be generally available by September 1, 2009. E. The system shall be developed in a manner that protects and respects citizen and vendor privacy, safety, and security. F. OIT and DPA, via the OSC, shall establish a continuous improvement process to improve the accessibility and usability of the TOP system. III. Duration This Executive Order shall continue in existence until either terminated or extended by Executive Order of the Governor. GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this 2nd day of April, 2009. Bill Ritter, Jr. Governor Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by YRC_news@yamaha-network.com
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Saturday, 28 March 2009 |
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Nakajima - Rossi The traditional season curtain-raiser in Jerez looked in danger of being declared a washout this morning, but the sun eventually came out and allowed Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi to put in a brilliant afternoon’s work, finishing first and second respectively. The day’s results bode well for tomorrow’s ‘qualifying’ shoot-out, which will see the fastest rider take home a new car. With all riders now on Bridgestone tyres and qualifying tyres resigned to history, the session will have a slightly different feel to previous years and promises to be an entertaining show. Lorenzo began work quite early, braving a damp track to get some laps in before lunch. Once the track came dry this afternoon he immediately found his rhythm and went on to clock consistently fast laps throughout, finishing well under lap record with a time of 1’39.791. 2008 World Champion Rossi took it easy this morning, preferring to wait until the track had dried out before getting started. He finished the day just 0.070 behind his team-mate and a tenth of a second ahead of Stoner in third, and is confident of putting up a good fight in tomorrow’s qualifying competition with a few small refinements planned for tomorrow morning. Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1st Time: 1'39.791 Laps: 99 “I am very satisfied because I have improved through every hour of the day today. In the beginning it was quite difficult because there was rain this morning and the track was wet, but after lunch I was able to improve and was fastest for most of the afternoon and able to put in a great performance. I rode many laps – the same amount as my new number in fact – and I was able to confirm the good feeling that I had on the last day in Qatar, when I was second. We still need to keep working, this is just the beginning, but I think we’re going in the right way. Tomorrow I want to make one more step, but I am not thinking about winning the car. With regards to the Bridgestone tyres, I think the front is very different and you are able to go faster into the corners. I hope the sun shines again tomorrow!” Valentino Rossi - Position: 2nd Time: 1'39.861 Laps: 65 “It’s been a good day. Unfortunately this morning it rained but in the end it didn’t matter so much because the grip was good this afternoon with the new asphalt and we were able to do some important work. I had a good feeling with my M1 in November and it was the same today and I was able to do a lot of laps in a good rhythm. In the end we used the softer of the two Bridgestone tyres to try to improve the time and I was able to do a 39, but I was fast with the harder tyre as well. We tried a lot of different things on the bike and I am feeling confident and happy; already today we’ve got through half our workload so hopefully tomorrow morning the weather can be good so we can get through the other half and then be free to focus on winning the car in the afternoon. There are one or two places on the track where I’m not at 100%, but we will try to fix that in the morning.” Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager “We had a good test here in November and also Malaysia and Qatar were good, so today it seemed that the trend is continuing. We are now at a very important stage because this is the last test of the season, because of the new rules, so tomorrow is going to be crucial! Today the team did a great job to refine the set-up and give Jorge the confidence he needed to be fast. Tomorrow will be an exciting day because it is almost like a qualifying session, with a prize, and we hope to finish in the same way as today! Of course at the same time we will continue to work on our bike to ensure that we’re completely ready for the first race.” Davide Brivio - Team manager “A good day, especially since it rained this morning. Luckily the circuit came dry and we were able to get through all the jobs we had scheduled. All the Yamahas seems to be going very well and this is a sign that our engineers have done a very good job; it is very encouraging. Tomorrow we have some small adjustments and tests to do, and then we will try for the award. I think it will be quite a special session because it’s the first time without qualifying tyres and therefore it will be a real rehearsal for the season. We’re looking forward to it!” Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 make positive start in Jerez Colin Edwards and James Toseland ended the first day of the penultimate MotoGP winter test session in Jerez with the fifth and 11th fastest times respectively. After a delay caused by heavy early morning rain, Edwards and Toseland were able to complete 140 crucial development laps together on their Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machines under sunny skies this afternoon. Texan Edwards continued his impressive winter testing form by setting the fifth quickest time as three Yamahas finished in the top five. His best time of 1.40.579 was just 0.007s off fourth position as he gained vital data on Bridgestone tyres on the new Jerez track surface. British rider Toseland had a positive day too, ending 11th on the timesheets. He set a best time of 1.41.122 to finish just 0.073s outside of the top ten, though on his best day yet on the new 2009 YZR- M1, he was consistently running inside the top ten until the closing stages. Today’s session also gave MotoGP fans the first chance to see Toseland and Edwards riding in the new eye-catching Monster Yamaha Tech 3 livery, which was unveiled on the eve of the Jerez test. Colin Edwards 5th – 1.40.579 “Today was a good day once the track dried out and I’m happy with my times. I’m not taking any risks so close to the first race, so to be challenging up in the top six is a bonus and I was feeling good out there. I’ve got to say that Yamaha has done a great job with the new chassis. You can enter the corner so hard and so fast and I don’t think I’ve found the full potential of the Bridgestone front tyre yet. I’m a front-end guy so the combination of the new chassis and the Bridgestone front tyre is really helping me and I’m really confident with the package. It also felt good to be out there today in the new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 livery. I like it and I’m sure the fans will do as well.” James Toseland 11th – 1.41.122 “I felt much better today and the old confidence was coming back. I was back in the top ten for most of the day and I’m back within a second of the guys running at the front. That’s encouraging because I’ve been much further back than that in the previous tests after the big crash I had in Sepang. It is nice to know that the competitive times are coming back again. I did over 80 laps today as well and that was the time on the bike I needed. The development rear tyre Bridgestone is really good and there’s a lot more I can get out of that, so that’s another positive from today. It was also good to be out riding the new Monster Yamaha Tech 3 colours. I’m sure we are going to have a good season together and the bike looks unbelievable.” Test Times 1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'39.791 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team 1'39.861 3. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'39.906 4. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'40.572 5. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'40.579 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1'40.650 7. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda 1'40.821 8. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'40.900 9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'40.987 10. Toni Elias (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini 1'41.049 11. James Toseland (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'41.122 12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Hayate Racing Team 1'41.160 13. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'41.168 14. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing 1'41.226 15. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Scot Racing Team 1'41.362 16. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando 1'41.737 17. Niccolo Canepa (ITA) Pramac Racing 1'41.851 Jerez: Record Lap D. Pedrosa (Honda) 2008, 1'40.116 Jerez: Best Lap J. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2008, 1'38.189 Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Standard & Poor`s
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Wednesday, 18 March 2009 |
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Standard & Poor's updates it credit ratings of the states: NEW YORK March 18, 2009--Following is a list of the current Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ratings and outlooks on the U.S. states. STATE RATING/OUTLOOK Alabama AA/Stable Alaska AA+/Stable Arizona (ICR) AA/Stable Arkansas AA/Stable California A/Stable Colorado (ICR) AA/Stable Connecticut AA/Stable Delaware AAA/Stable Florida AAA/Negative Georgia AAA/Stable Hawaii AA/Stable Idaho (ICR) AA/Positive Illinois AA-/Stable Indiana (ICR) AAA/Stable Iowa (ICR) AAA/Stable Kansas (ICR) AA+/Stable Kentucky (ICR) AA-/Positive Louisiana A+/Stable Maine AA/Stable Maryland AAA/Stable Massachusetts AA/Stable Michigan AA-/Stable Minnesota AAA/Stable Mississippi AA/Stable Missouri AAA/Stable Montana AA/Stable Nebraska (ICR) AA+/Stable Nevada AA+/Stable New Hampshire AA/Stable New Jersey AA/Stable New Mexico AA+/Stable New York AA/Stable North Carolina AAA/Stable North Dakota (ICR) AA+/Stable Ohio AA+/Stable Oklahoma AA+/Stable Oregon AA/Stable Pennsylvania AA/Stable Rhode Island AA/Negative South Carolina AA+/Stable South Dakota (ICR) AA/Stable Tennessee AA+/Stable Texas AA/Stable Utah AAA/Stable Vermont AA+/Stable Virginia AAA/Stable Washington AA+/Stable West Virginia AA-/Stable Wisconsin AA/Stable Wyoming (ICR) AA+/Stable RECENT ACTIONS STATE TO FROM DATE North Dakota (ICR) AA+/Stable AA/Stable March 17, 2009 Illinois AA-/Stable AA/Watch Neg March 10, 2009 Rhode Island AA/Negative AA/Stable March 9, 2009 California A/Stable A+/Watch Neg Feb. 2, 2009 Florida AAA/Negative AAA/Stable Jan. 14, 2009 Illinois AA/Watch Neg AA/Stable Dec. 10, 2008 California A+/Watch Neg A+/Stable Dec. 10, 2008 Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Team Suzuki News Service
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Monday, 16 March 2009 |
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Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Chad Reed retains an eight-point lead in the AMA/ FIM Supercross Championship after racing to second place at Saturday's 11th round in New Orleans. Reed started the night by taking the win in his heat race and finished the night with an epic battle in the Main, where he finished a strong second. This season, Reed has finished every race on the podium. Rockstar Makita Suzuki team mate Mike Alessi also had a good night, finishing fourth in his heat race and then battling with the front- runners for most of the main before finishing sixth. Currently, Alessi is seventh in the overall championship points. Unfortunately, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Michael Byrne was injured at last weekend's event and did not race. He hopes to be back racing again soon. In the Supercross Lites class, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Nico Izzi experienced a rough night. The young rider rode well in practice and set impressive lap times on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250. While making a pass for the lead on lap one of his heat race, however, Izzi went down and had to go to the Last Chance Qualifier. While making his way to the front in the LCQ, he went down again, ended up finishing third and did not race the Main. Chad Reed: "I'm a little frustrated because I felt like I was riding really well on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 at the beginning of the race, but I wasn't really able to take advantage of having better lines and riding faster than the leader. I started getting frustrated and unfortunately that's when James Stewart started finding his lines and he just rode really, really solid and made great passes on the lappers. I kind of struggled in that area. It is what it is, and I was really happy to be back on the podium. You know, it's second but it could always be worse." Mike Alessi: "I got the holeshot and was leading, then James Stewart kind of hit me and he and my team mate Chad got by and I was third. I made a little mistake on the first lap and got into fourth. I was running a good pace on my Rockstar Makita Suzuki, but I got into some lappers and my handlebars got tangled up with another rider and we collided and I went down. I got up real quick and charged hard to get back to sixth. I tried my hardest, but unfortunately, I just fell. I'm riding, good, the bike's working great and everybody at Rockstar Makita Suzuki is doing a great job." Nico Izzi: "Not making the main was a real bummer, because I'd been riding good all day and my Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 was working well. I'm pretty disappointed because I trained hard for this race this week, but I know I gave it all I had. Now, I just need to regroup and get ready for next weekend's race." Supercross results: 1 James Stewart (Yamaha), 2 Chad Reed (Rockstar Makita Suzuki), 3 Broc Hepler (Yamaha), 4 Kevin Windham (Honda), 5 Andrew Short (Honda), 6 Mike Alessi (Rockstar Makita Suzuki), 7 Josh Grant (Yamaha), 8 Justin Brayton (KTM), 9 Ryan Villopoto (Kawasaki), 10 Matt Boni (Honda). Supercross points: 1 Reed 246, 2 Stewart 238, 3 Short 179, 4 Villopoto 165, 5 Grant 152, 6 Tedesco 148, 7 Windham 146, 8 Alessi 146, 9 Millsaps 139, 10 Hill 102. East Coast Lites results: 1 Austin Stroupe (Kawasaki), 2 Brandon Jesseman (Kawasaki), 3 Blake Wharton (Honda), 4 Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki), 5 Wil Hahn (KTM), 6 Darryn Durham (Yamaha), 7 Daniel Blair (Honda), 8 Broc Tickle (Yamaha), 9 Matt Goerke (Suzuki), 10 Steven Clarke (Suzuki). Lites points: 1 Pourcel 115, 2 Stroupe 84, 3 Izzi 82, 4 Jesseman 73, 5 Hahn 68, 6 Wharton 66, 7 Davalos 57, 8 Lemoine 51, 9 Clarke 51, 10 Goerke 50. Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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Written by Stauer
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Tuesday, 03 March 2009 |
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Why is this so special? Don't just take our word for it, pluck any of the high fashion magazines off the rack and you'll see that "polished and uncut" gemstones are popping up on runways from New York to Milan. Most importantly, this Raw Sapphire Necklace gives you a staggering carat weight without the staggering price. Learn more about the Raw Sapphire Complete Set With FREE Earrings The golden age of black and white Save $200.00! - In 1927, the crown jewel of movie palaces opened in New York City. Dubbed "The Cathedral of the Motion Picture," the majestic Roxy boasted more than 5,800 seats, a staff of 300 and a price tag of $12,000,000. The theatre housed a hospital with operating room, a radio broadcasting studio and a 550-ton ice cooling plant. But it was the opulent, cavernous interior that left patrons speechless. Learn more about the Rose Cut Black Diamond Ring A fabulous 52-diamond watch that can change colors to match your mood...or your outfit! - Save $100.00! - At the start of the 20th century, even wristwatches had a glass ceiling. Timepiece traditionalists believed that watches belonged in your pocket, not on your arm. Learn more about the Stauer Ladies 52 Diamond Watch A masterpiece in miniature Save $50.00! - The world's largest diamonds may be visually stunning, but they aren't what one would call 'practical.' The 530-carat, pear-cut Star of Africa (a 1/4 lb of precious stone!) is estimated to be worth about $400,000,000. You don't break out that kind of bling for just any occasion. Even Queen Elizabeth peeks at it through 2-inch shatterproof glass in the Tower of London. And she owns it! But thanks to our skilled designers, you can enjoy the look and sparkle of that spectacular stone whenever you desire. Learn more about the DiamondAura French Pear Drop Earrings Stapleton's Tower Ledger |
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The Tower Ledger |
Phone: 303-458-7541 Fax: 303-458-7583 (no press releases by fax)
POB 12487
Denver CO 80211
Copyright 2007, Emporia Publishing, LLC
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