By MIKE CAMPBELL (www.ADN.com) mcampbell@adn.com

Not content to rest for long, four top mushers raced through McGrath Tuesday night and headed for Takotna.

Four-time champion Jeff King led the four-musher breakout out of Nikolai and again out of McGrath, leaving the checkpoint at 8:32 p.m., three minutes after checking in.

Last year’s runner-up Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse, Kuskokwim 300 winner John Baker of Kotzebue and 2004 champion Mitch Seavey of Sterling were about an hour behind. They were also in and out of McGrath in less than five minutes.

In recent years, the winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has come from among the frontrunners into Nikolai, the village at the far end of the Farewell Burn.

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Des Moines, IA – Governor Chet Culver today called for Wellmark to justify the 18% health insurance rate increase to the 80,000 Iowans affected. In a letter sent today to Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss, the Governor directs her office to stay the recently-announced insurance premium increases awarded to Wellmark Blue Cross-Blue Shield until a third-party, independent actuary can review the file and determine whether the Division’s processes used to award Wellmark the premium rate increases is justified.

“I share the concerns of many Iowans that the recent health insurance premium rate increases are a disturbing and unwelcomed surprise,” said Governor Chet Culver. “I am directing Insurance Commissioner Voss to take several actions that are intended to provide additional protections for the interests of Iowa health insurance consumers.

The letter outlines four directives for the Insurance Commissioner:

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Senate File 2191 Makes changes to Iowa’s banking regulations. The legislation was proposed by the Iowa Division of Banking. The primary provisions of the legislation concern the regulation of lines of credit issued over the internet by the creation of interest-rate caps on such loans, giving the Banking Superintendent the authority to intervene in situations where the failure of a national bank or federal thrift could harm a state regulated bank, and allow banks to have staggered terms for their boards of directors.

###

Senate File 2195: Makes changes and clarifications to campaign finance law. The most notable change is to require that committees that seek to “draft” a candidate for public office must disclose their donors and expenditures if they raise or spend more than $750.

Senate File 2196: Amends various provisions governing election laws administered by the Secretary of State. Specifies that the requirement that election precincts be contiguous, in a single county, and

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It’s a dog-and-pony show without the ponies. A squealing, barking circus before the Iditarod begins for real Sunday in Willow.

Click map to enlarge

But Saturday’s ceremonial start in Downtown Anchorage — most fans’ best chance to see mushers and their dogs up close before they disappear into the Alaska wilderness — still has the power to send chills through the saltiest veterans.

Reigning Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Lance Mackey described what it feels like behind the sled: “People everywhere, loud. High-fiving me. Rooting me on. Just cheering for me.”

(Click for more)

#180 No Agenda For Sunday March 7th 2010 Media Corruption Now in 3D

This Episode’s Executive Producer: Shane Brady Associate Executive Producers: Andrew Blackburn, Justin Vincent, Uwe Putze Artwork by: Paul T Knighthoods: Shane Brady PR Associate: Daniel Wheaton Links That Rock Drop.io—NoAgendaLowFi No Agenda News NoAgenda Stickers Facebook | “No Agenda” Podcast Fans No Agenda ‘Portable’ Show Notes No Agenda Torrents NoAgendaChat.Com – Chat Logs From The Live Show Gitmo Nation Roundtable NoAgendaTV – Homepage – Broadcasting all across Gitmo Nation No Agenda Jingles Zelek Software – Software for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod, and iTunes Shownotes in OPML: drop.io—MTgwLXByZXAtb3BtbA%3D%3D Album Art Gallery www.facebook.com—photos.php No Agenda iPhone Apps The Original NA App itunes.apple.com—id309624515 The 1st NA App itunes.apple.com—id309524187 bit.ly—pocketnoagenda` The New No Agenda iPhone App http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/no-agenda-stream/id309820423?mt=8 No Agenda Android Apps bit.ly—nas_android No Agenda On The Go App: bit.ly—csISPl No Agenda Full for Android :: Entertainment Application – AndroidZoom.com Stupid Ventures No Agenda Blackberry App NoAgenda.mobi BlackBerry App – Brought to you by the No Agenda Fourms noagendastream.mobi For LoFi Streaming Global Security Fund Teknosis: THE WANTA PLAN & THE GLOBAL SECURITY FUND YouTube – Ashley Mote: EU Fraud & Corruption (8 of 13) – Global Security

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Saturn is brightest at Opposition. And it’s also as close to Earth as it ever gets in its orbit. You can view Saturn all night long now. It rises in the east at sunset and sets in the west at dawn.

If you face east in the late evening, you can see two planets near the distinctive constellation Leo. First, look nearly overhead. That reddish object you see up there is Mars. Closer to the horizon, the bright golden-hued object is Saturn. Saturn is well-placed for viewing from now through July.

This year, Saturn’s rings are slightly inclined. They were tilted 4 degrees in January. They’ll dip to nearly edge-on in June and then tip up to 10 degrees by year-end. The Solar System was a violent place to start with. There were many crashes in which small bodies broke into pieces and re-formed.

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As thousands of Iditarod fans watch Cim Smyth maneuver the streets of downtown Anchorage today, the Big Lake musher’s eyes will be on his dogs, scanning for the smallest of clues.

“Looking at their gaits really carefully to see who is happy and real sound and smooth, and who is maybe nursing an injury that I can’t really identify,” said Smyth, a 33-year-old veteran who finished fifth in last year’s race.

What he sees during the ceremonial start, an 11-mile trot to Campbell Airstrip, could decide his team’s chemistry for the rest of the 1,000-mile trek to Nome.

With hours to decide on their final 16-dog rosters before the race begins for real Sunday afternoon in Willow, competitors are looking for every advantage.

All but one of the top 20 finishers are back from last year. The 71-team field includes five former Iditarod champs and what race officials call one of the best rookie classes ever.

And then there’s Lance Mackey. The wiry, blunt-spoken Terminator has dominated the sport for much of the decade and is now after

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#179 No Agenda For Thursday March 4th 2010 Douchebags

This Episode’s Executive Producer: Rene Swertz, Adam Miller Associate Executive Producers: Stephen Guerreri, Artwork by: Paul T. Knighthoods: Rene Swertz and Larry Roik PR Associate: Leigh Brown, Paul Bausemer, Grafitti Art: drop.io—cG9zdC1vZmZpY2UtanBn Links That Rock Drop.io—NoAgendaLowFi No Agenda News NoAgenda Stickers Facebook | “No Agenda” Podcast Fans No Agenda ‘Portable’ Show Notes No Agenda Torrents NoAgendaChat.Com – Chat Logs From The Live Show Gitmo Nation Roundtable NoAgendaTV – Homepage – Broadcasting all across Gitmo Nation No Agenda Jingles Zelek Software – Software for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod, and iTunes Shownotes in OPML: drop.io—MTc5LXByZXAtb3BtbA%3D%3D Album Art Gallery www.facebook.com—photos.php No Agenda iPhone Apps The Original NA App itunes.apple.com—id309624515 The 1st NA App itunes.apple.com—id309524187 bit.ly—pocketnoagenda` The New No Agenda iPhone App http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/no-agenda-stream/id309820423?mt=8 No Agenda Android Apps bit.ly—nas_android No Agenda On The Go App: bit.ly—csISPl No Agenda Full for Android :: Entertainment Application – AndroidZoom.com Stupid Ventures No Agenda Blackberry App NoAgenda.mobi BlackBerry App – Brought to you by the No Agenda Fourms noagendastream.mobi For LoFi Streaming Olympics Sex and the Olympic city – Times Online Financial BBC News – Greece should sell islands to cut debt – Merkel allies Unemployment Extension March 2010 Carolyn

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By Matt Hinton

Between mock drafts, the scouting combine, upcoming “pro days” on various campuses and next month’s draft, the collective mind of the football universe is completely submerged its annual obsession with sizing up players bound for the next level, as well as the many, many others who desperately want to be. From inside the belly of the beast, the only mantra this time of year is “NFL or bust,” even for fringe players and

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by Pat Curtis on March 2, 2010 www.RadioIowa.com

A prison inmate serving time on sex abuse charges will likely face more time behind bars after attacking a female officer at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility. Iowa Department of Corrections spokesperson Fred Scaletta says the officer was conducting routine unit checks at 3 a.m. Monday when she was attacked by 24-year-old inmate Antonio Mikhal Johnson.

“He approached her and stuffed some cloth into her mouth so she wasn’t able to yell or scream for help,” Scaletta said. “He did get her to the floor before a couple other inmates noticed the commotion.” The two inmates pulled Johnson off of the correctional officer who was then able to activate an emergency alert.

The officer, who’s name is not being released, was not physically injured. Scaletta says each officer carries an emergency alarm to summon other security personnel when necessary. “In this particular case, had inmates not heard or noticed the commotion, it could’ve been worse,” Scaletta said. Johnson was convicted in 2008 of third-degree sex abuse in Johnson County. According to online

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by Pat Curtis on March 2, 2010 www.RadioIowa.com

The $2.7 million rebate program in Iowa for the purchase of energy efficient appliances is already out of money. The federally-financed program launched Monday morning and the registration for rebates was in such high demand that the phone line and website crashed.

Don Tormey with the Iowa Office of Energy Independence says the appliance rebate processing contractor, Helgesen Enterprises Inc. of St. Paul, Minnesota, had never seen this kind of turnout for any program run by a state or a Fortune 500 company. The contractor was prepared to handle 850 calls and 11,000 web hits per hour.

Iowa households receiving a rebate will get between $100 and $500 to recycle an old appliance and buy a new energy efficient one. “It helps not only the consumer but the retailer who’s selling these appliances, it helps the manufacturer who makes them and it helps the contractor who might be installing them for people,” Tormey said.

Eligible appliances include dishwashers, hot water heaters and refrigerators. People who still want to apply for a rebate will be

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#178 No Agenda For Sunday February 28th 2010 HAARP-ing on Earthquakes

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This, I will have to admit got me kind of hooked, then it hit me. What the hell are they talking about? Not just the Democrats, but the Republicans as well. If they both want the pre-existing condition option, then pass that now. Not the whole bill, just the part about the pre-existing conditions. Or was President Clinton some kind of super hero? He got it passed when he was in office, and it stayed that way until George “screw the little guys” Bush came into office and removed it and added a cap on malpractice suits for his Big Business buddies.

But the main point is, if Clinton could get a bill passed just targeting the pre-existing condition part when he was in office, then it can be done now. So what the “F” is up? Take out all the stuff

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FDA Gives Novo the Go-Ahead to Market Victoza® in the U.S. by Patrick Totty

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has received Food and Drug Administration permission to begin marketing its type 2 drug Victoza® in the United States.

Victoza, the brand name for liraglutide, is a GLP-1* analog that is taken one a day by injection to help control blood sugar-and in some cases, help with weight loss-in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The drug, which has already been marketed in Europe, is being offered as both a monotherapy and as an adjunct to other diabetes drugs that are taken orally.

In making the announcement, Novo repeated its caution that Victoza is not insulin and it is not known if the drug can be safely used with insulin. The company further warned that Victoza is not a therapy for people withtype 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis, that that the drug is not recommended for use with children.

The FDA’s approval comes in the wake of concerns that GLP-1 drugs like Victoza have been implicated in increase cases of pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition that can led to death. Novo, in attaching cautions to the drug’s use, recommended that type 2s with gallstones, high triglyceride levels, alcoholism or previous episodes of

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I’ll Get to It… Right After My Nap by Russell Phillips, Ph

I have always felt that a little snooze in the middle of the afternoon works better for me than a jolt of caffeine. However, the guilt induced by the very thought of sleeping during the day (especially at work) has kept me drinking coffee or tea instead of crashing on my desk and drooling on my keyboard.

But now, I feel a little better about my afternoon break, because according to preliminary investigations at UC Berkeley, it turns out that a siesta can actually reboot the brain and allow for improved afternoon learning.

In the sleep study, 39 college students were divided into two groups – nap and no-nap. The participants were subjected to a rigorous learning task at noon. The task was intended to activate the hippocampus, a part of the brain that helps process fact-based memories.  Both groups performed at comparable levels.

At 2 p.m., the nap group took a 90-minute snooze while the no-nap group stayed awake. Later that day, at 6 p.m., participants performed a new round of learning exercises. Those who remained awake throughout the day became worse at learning. In contrast, those who napped did markedly better

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Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez, 23, and Enrico Garza, 26, probably believed they would easily overpower home-alone 11 year old Patricia Harrington after her father had left their two-story home.

It seems  the two crooks never learned two things: they were in Montana and Patricia had been a clay shooting champion since she was nine.

Patricia was in her upstairs room when the two men broke through the front door of the house. She quickly ran to her father’s room and grabbed his 12 gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun.

Resindez was the first to get up to the second floor only to be the first to catch a near point blank blast of buckshot from the 11-year-old’s knee crouch aim. He suffered fatal wounds to his abdomen and genitals.

When Garza ran to the foot of the stairs, he took a blast to the left shoulder and staggered out into the street where he bled to death before medical help could arrive.

It was found out later that Resindez was armed with a stolen .45 caliber handgun he took from another home invasion robbery. That victim, 50-year-old David 0′Burien, was not so lucky. He died from stab wounds to the

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The reason is that I want to get back into my continued learning on programming and learning what is new and different in HTML 5. Thanks for your understanding.

For those who are curious, yes, I will still post relevant information regarding AFSCME in Iowa, Diabetes information, and info I find useful concerning Ubuntu Linux. / MM

Wellmark executives say Iowa’s aging population is to blame for rising insurance premiums; not greed or mismanagement. Representatives from the state’s largest insurance carrier testified at the statehouse Thursday at the request of lawmakers. Legislators want to know why 80,000 Iowans face premium increases averaging 18%.

Wellmark vice President Laura Jackson says it’s largely due to Iowans age and increasingly unhealthy lifestyles. “We can talk all day about health insurance reform, and there’s some great things that need to happen there, but if we do not address the underlying drivers we continue to have this rate of increase,” Jackson says. She says 60% of Iowans are overweight, which leads to higher incidence of diabetes and knee and hip replacements.

Jackson says in 2009, the company actually paid out more than it took in, forcing them to raise rates. She says 94 cents of every dollar they collected in premiums was spent on healthcare services, with less than ten cents allocated for administrative expense.

“So we take very good care of the dollars we do have and take very little for ourselves. In

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“As Commander-in-Chief of the Iowa National Guard, it is an honor to see the work that Iowa soldiers are doing on the ground in Iraq,” said Governor Culver.  “Iowans should know the troops our state has deployed are incredibly dedicated and acting out of a spirit of service. I have been impressed and inspired with their work ethic, their focus and the love of country that motivates so many to serve.  To all of our Iowa veterans on behalf of a grateful state, I say a heart-felt thanks for your legacy of service in the name of freedom in America and abroad.”

During a call with reporters this afternoon, the Governor once again called on the legislature to pass four bills that help Iowa soldiers and their families.  The Governor highlighted the “Trailing Spouse Bill”

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“At Microsoft, we don’t accept the idea that botnets are a fact of life,” says Microsoft Associate Counsel Tim Cranton. “Given the recent spread of botnets, we are getting even more creative and aggressive in the fight against botnets and all forms of cybercrime. That’s why I’m proud to announce that through legal action and technical cooperation with industry partners, we have executed a major botnet takedown of Waledac, a large and well-known ’spambot’.”

Microsoft’s takedown of Waledac, known internally as “Operation b49,” began months ago with an investigation and consultation with law enforcement. According to the software giant, Waledac is one of the 10 biggest botnets in the world, and prior to the takedown, it was spewing out over 1.5 million spam emails per day, including over 650 million spam emails to Hotmail accounts during a three week period in

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Workers at the Internal Revenue Service Center in Covington, Ky., sort many of the thousands of tax returns arriving at the center’s mail room. (Al Behrman)

About 50 inmates at the Stock Island Detention Center near Key West in Florida brought in close to $100,000 in profits by filing for fake refunds with the IRS before their scam was uncovered, the Miami Herald is reporting.

In total, the inmates filed for about $1 in false refunds.

“I was shocked that inmates could steal from the IRS that easily and that blatantly and not be prosecuted. Even when the case was handed to them on a platter,” Rick Roth, a retired Monroe County Sheriff, told the Herald.

The evidence includes a taped phone conversation at the jail involving one of the alleged ringleaders, Shawn Clarke, who, according to a former investigator on the case, said: “I’m through with the street crime. I’m strictly white collar from now on. I love the IRS.”

Here’s how the scam worked: Inmates, their friends and family

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Inmate Kenneth Shong (Wisconsin Department of Corrections)

MADISON, Wis. — A lifelong con man imprisoned in Wisconsin worked with associates outside the walls to operate a suspected diploma mill that was recruiting students for at least two years until authorities uncovered the scheme.

Kenneth Shong, 44, helped to run “Carlingford University” while he was behind bars, according to interviews and documents obtained through the state open records law. Prison authorities uncovered the scheme in late 2008, but Carlingford’s Web site was taken down only this month.

The school was apparently just a phony moneymaking venture, according to state regulators. Its Web site claimed Carlingford had an office in Mobile, Ala., and a “regional training center” in Green Bay, but both were merely post office boxes.

Web designer Brian Truckey acknowledged in an interview that he ran Carlingford’s Web site and that it contained inaccurate information he was told to post. He said Shong, an inmate at Racine Correctional Institute whose criminal career has spanned the globe, was in charge.

“We don’t move forward until I get instructions from him,” said Truckey, president of a

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The American Diabetes Association welcomes this effort. We also believe that the success of the Summit is dependent on whether it truly moves the nation to meaningful health care reform this year.

You can witness the bipartisan summit from your own television or computer on Thursday, February 25 at 10am Eastern.

Just tune in to C-SPAN 3 or visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/live to watch Members of Congress and the President have a dialogue on health reform and see what they ideas they consider to move health reform forward. As you watch, share your thoughts with us on Twitter @AmDiabetesAssn.

Both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives passed health care reform bills that will eliminate denials of health insurance based on pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes. Since the beginning of the year, Congress has been struggling to move forward with reconciling the two bills and voting on a final package.

Yesterday, the President released his health reform proposal in advance of this week’s Summit. The President’s plan uses the Senate-passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as the foundation and includes several changes

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Officials say woman falsified leave for time off, pay.

By JOHN MANGALONZO (www.TheHawkeye.com)

jmangalonzo@thehawkeye.com

FORT MADISON — State authorities have charged a former Iowa State Penitentiary correctional officer, alleging she forged military documents to make it appear she needed to be on leave for U.S. Army training.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office have charged Jennifer Lynn Leggett, 26, of Niota, Ill., with second-degree theft and felonious misconduct in office. She could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if convicted of both charges.

In addition to her employment at the prison, Leggett also was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve assigned to a detachment of the 801st Combat Support Hospital out of Bartonville, Ill. Court papers indicate when she attended drills as a reserve, the Department of Corrections paid her hourly wage of $19.31.

According to the investigation, officials at the Fort Madison facility reportedly told agents of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation attendance was an issue with Leggett, who had been reprimanded in the past for the issue.

In September, the director of human resources at ISP questioned some of the applications

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Cab driver, passenger and man accused of causing wreck are all injured in Thursday incident.

By JOHN MANGALONZO (www.TheHawkeye.com)

jmangalonzo@thehawkeye.com

Shortly after being treated in the hospital, a 45-year-old Burlington man was arrested Thursday afternoon on allegations he intentionally rammed his pickup head-on into a taxi, injuring the cab driver and a passenger.

Donald McClanahan was booked in the Des Moines County jail on initial charges of willful injury, leaving the scene of an injury accident, driving left of center and reckless driving. Police said they found drugs in the man’s pocket that netted him additional charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police Sgt. Chad Zahn said officers were called to Central and Valley streets at approximately 2:51 p.m. Thursday on an initial report of a hit-and-run crash.

McClanahan, according to police, was driving a full-size pickup southbound on the road when he crossed over to the center line and started to drive north. Witnesses reportedly told officers McClanahan accelerated his speed into the path of a northbound A2Z taxi, colliding with it head-on.

The man apparently left on foot after the crash

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Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said Rigby “crawled through the wall” and that the passage led to “a small maintenance area behind the cell,” according to Lizasuain, that has egress to a grassy area outside the maximum security facility.

After ripping open his cell’s wall, Rigby, 21, climbed through the hole and over some pipes before breaking a lock on a rollup door roughly half the size of a single car garage door. He was then outside of the building. Rigby either went over or under the two razor-topped fences that surround the Jail and fled to freedom, central Florida’s WESH.com is reporting.

It is not clear how exactly Rigby was able to clear the fence, but his discarded jail clothes were found in a pile on the other side.

Two of Rigby’s family members have been arrested, accused of providing him with a car, money, clothing, food and a cell phone.

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#177 No Agenda For Thursday Februaru 25th 2010 Vajazzling the Slutsquad

This Episode’s Executive Producer: Cathryn LL Girard Associate Executive Producers: Anuson Ltd Hong Kong Artwork by: Paul T. Links That Rock Drop.io—NoAgendaLowFi No Agenda News NoAgenda Stickers Facebook | “No Agenda” Podcast Fans No Agenda ‘Portable’ Show Notes No Agenda Torrents NoAgendaChat.Com – Chat Logs From The Live Show Gitmo Nation Roundtable NoAgendaTV – Homepage – Broadcasting all across Gitmo Nation No Agenda Jingles Zelek Software – Software for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod, and iTunes Shownotes in OPML: drop.io—MTc3LXByZXAtb3BtbA%3D%3D Album Art Gallery www.facebook.com—photos.php No Agenda iPhone Apps The Original NA App itunes.apple.com—id309624515 The 1st NA App itunes.apple.com—id309524187 bit.ly—pocketnoagenda` The New No Agenda iPhone App http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/no-agenda-stream/id309820423?mt=8 No Agenda Android Apps No Agenda On The Go App: bit.ly—csISPl No Agenda Full for Android :: Entertainment Application – AndroidZoom.com Stupid Ventures No Agenda Blackberry App NoAgenda.mobi BlackBerry App – Brought to you by the No Agenda Fourms noagendastream.mobi For LoFi Streaming Financial THE PRAGMATIC CAPITALIST » » INSIDER SELLING SOARS TO 2010 HIGH Nathan Lewis: The IMF Destroys Iceland and Latvia Banks to collect $38.5B in overdraft fees in ‘09 – report – Aug. 10, 2009 Update:

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Some of the accused assassins who allegedly took out an Islamic fundamentalist leader last month reportedly booked their flights and hotel rooms with the help of an Iowa bank. Credit cards issued by a northwest Iowa-based financial institution were used by a Middle Eastern hit squad.

According to officials in Dubai, 14 of 26 suspects in the murder of a senior leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas were in possession of credit cards issued by Storm Lake-based MetaBank. Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed on January 19th. Two of the suspects are being held in Dubai.

Warrants have been issued for the others. MetaBank is owned by Meta Financial Group, which also owns Meta Payments Systems, a major provider of credit cards. MetaBank officials haven’t commented pending a review of the situation.

By Joel Hermann, KAYL, Storm Lake

Some laid off Deere and Company workers in Iowa are headed back to their jobs. The farm equipment manufacturer says it will recall 65 workers to its plant in Dubuque and another 52 to its Davenport Works.

They’ll report to work March 8th. A Deere spokesman says the recalls are needed to meet increased sales of construction and forestry equipment and to replace workers who have retired.

Last March, the Moline, Illinois-based company laid off more than 200 workers in Dubuque and more than 100 in Davenport.

By Phil Roberts, Davenport

Having failed to sell the Hummer brand off to a Chinese car manufacturer, GM is shutting it down. This car was like the high-fructose corn syrup of automobiles, something that concentrated everything bad about motoring until it underwent a phase-change and somehow became an object of desire.

“We have since considered a number of possibilities for Hummer along the way and we are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed,” said John Smith, GM’s vice-president of corporate planning and alliances.

“GM will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner.”

Hummer brand to be wound down after sale fails (via Memex 1.1)

(Image: Hummer limousine, a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike image from Franco Folini’s photostream)

Iowa grocers would have a new incentive for stocking Iowa grown foods under a bill filed by a Democratic lawmaker from Iowa City. Senator Joe Bolckom’s bill would enact a tax credit for stores which buy local fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats. Bolckom says grocers want to support small local producers but it’s not always easy to do so.

“Providing some sort of incentive to them because of the additional hassle they have to go through to interact with local producers rather than one distribution warehouse is what’s behind the bill….creating some kind of incentive to see more Iowa products end up in places like HyVee, Fareway and Wal-Mart,” Bolckom said. Bolckom introduced the bill at the urging of economic development leaders who want to encourage Iowa food processors as well as Iowa growers.

“The average meal in Iowa travels about 1,500 miles to get here,” Bolckom said. “I think many people around the state who are working on local food issues see great economic development potential from Iowa consumers consuming more Iowa grown vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat products.”

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“The winter of 2009-2010 has been historic in its severity,” said Governor Culver. “We greatly appreciate President Obama’s responsiveness in assisting affected areas and I hope that further assistance for areas hit by the ice storm will soon be announced.”

This declaration provides assistance to state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations (including rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities) for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities. Counties included in the declaration are: Adair, Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Emmet, Franklin, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Ida, Monona, Page, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux and Woodbury.

In addition, the declaration provides for snow removal assistance (reimbursement of costs for 48 hours of continuous operations for emergency snow removal) for the following counties: Cherokee, Clay, Emmet, Fremont, Harrison, Ida, Page, Pottawattamie, Sioux and Woodbury.

Public Assistance

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The Iowa A.C.L.U. is filing an open records lawsuit to force the Atlantic School District to reveal the punishment given two school officials who conducted a strip search of five high school girls last August. A.C.L.U. executive director, Ben Stone, says the school did identify the individuals involved, but never released their punishment.

Stone says,”We feel it’s important to not allow any school district to conceal the consequences…for people who violate the law,and so we feel we need to pursue a court case to force the Atlantic school system to reveal the discipline, if any that was given out to the school officials who did this search.”

Atlantic assistant principal/activities director Paul Croghan resigned in November, and was one of the two employees identified by the district. The other employee was identified as Heather Turpen, but nothing was said about their punishment. Stone says there have been reports of people resigning, but nothing officially, and he says they want to know what exactly was done for those who engaged in the strip

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Jennifer L. Leggett of Niota, Ill. worked as a correctional officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Ft. Madison. She was also a member of the U.S. Army Reserve assigned to a detachment of the 801st Combat Support Hospital out of Bartonville, Ill.

Leggett allegedly attached fraudulent military orders to her applications for military leave. Allegedly, the orders were U.S. Air Force documents that had been altered to appear to be U.S. Army orders for Leggett.

Because military leave was taken by Leggett, Iowa reportedly compensated her for 11 days

The Department of Public Safety announced Thursday that following an internal investigation by the department, Leggett resigned from her position Jan. 14.

Toyota should be toast by now. In fact, the only difference between ‘Toyota’ and ‘toast’ should be that the word ‘toast’ has the letter ‘s’ in it and Toyota doesn’t.

But of course I have to use the phrase ‘should be’ because Toyota is so well-connected in Washington, DC that it can never be clear if the Japanese car company will reap the just rewards for what it’s been sowing, which include a blatant disregard for safety, attempting to sweep that disregard for safety under the floor mat, and then actually blaming many of their problems on the floor mat.

According to the investigative reporting of the Associated Press, the contribution of common sense to the issue of Toyota’s unprecedented volume of recalls in the past few months will surely have to overcome plenty of political obstacles. And we don’t even have to worry about the Alabama senators (Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions) that headed the “drop dead Detroit” team when the American automakers were getting raked over the coals for non-safety issues like financial problems and flying private jets. Senators Sessions and Shelby have been remarkably silent this time around.

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The Iowa House has voted to make it illegal to send a text message while driving.  While some lawmakers argued the bill doesn’t go far enough, others said it goes too far.

“Once again we go after Iowa’s youth because we’re too old to remember what it was like when we were driving 70 miles an hour on a two-lane road with no seat belts,” said Representative Lance Horbach, a Republican from Tama who voted “no” on the bill.  “And we think we’re making it safer.”

Representative Mike May, a Republican from Spirit Lake, is a retired school teacher who argued in favor of the ban on texting while driving.  “Folks, I think the bottom line in all of this is that our children are dying in automobiles,” May said. “We are giving them another gun or another knife in the car to inflict bodily harm on themselves.”

The bill approved in the House would establish a $30 fine for someone caught writing or sending a text message while driving.  But the penalty does

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Iowans who are sick of winter might find a little solitude in a new book that highlights some of the many wonderful things the Hawkeye State has to offer. Lauren Rice, of Des Moines, is the author of “Iowa: An Explorer’s Guide.” Rice says it’s great for visitors, newcomers and longtime residents.

Rice says she spent four months traveling some 6,000 miles across Iowa for the book, keeping her eyes open for new places to explore or familiar sights that needed a fresh look. The 408-page book features a list of unique attractions all over Iowa. She says there was plenty of eating during her journey.

On the trips, she tried to find the best pork tenderloin in Iowa, but says it’s difficult to name a favorite. A restaurant in St. Olaf offered a one-pounder, which was the largest tenderloin she encountered. Rice has a few suggestions for travelers exploring the state.

Get off the interstates and visit small towns, ideally staying in bed and breakfasts. “Bed and breakfast owners themselves are treasure troves of information,” Rice says.

“They have so much knowledge and

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Governor Culver has signed legislation backed by doctors and cancer survivors who believe it will encourage more Iowans to participate in clinical trials. The new law requires state regulated insurance policies to continue covering routine medical care for patients who agree to try experimental medications.

Doctor Richard Deming, medical director of Mercy Cancer Center in Des Moines, says even though many clinical trials are privately funded, patients are afraid to enroll for fear of being dropped by their insurance carrier.

“Cancer is still the number one killer of Iowans and the only way we can make improvements in cancer treatment is doing cancer clinical trials, but millions of cancer patients are afraid, especially nowadays, to do something that may cause them to lose healthcare coverage,” Deming said. While most Iowans are covered under federally regulated insurance plans, supporters of the bill say it still sends an important message to cancer patients.

“Most patients are not fearful of the actual treatment, they are very fearful of what the consequences might be if they were to lose coverage,” Deming said. Healthcare advocacy

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The Governor highlighted the “Trailing Spouse Bill” (HF 2110), which expands unemployment benefits for spouses who are forced to leave their jobs when their spouse receives a military reassignment or deployment. More than 12,000 Iowans have been mobilized since 2002, and this year 3,500 more Iowa troops will be deployed.

The Governor also encouraged passage of the Exemption of Veteran’s Benefits from Income Tax (HF 2138), Modification of Visitation Rights for Veterans (HF 2417) and Addition of Veterans Representation on Commissions (SF 2175).

Governor’s remarks as prepared:

Governor Chet Culver Press Conference Talking Points “Keeping Our Commitment to Iowa’s Veterans” February 23, 2010

In peacetime, and in times of conflict, our military men and women, our veterans, have been united in service to the country we love.

We must never forget the sacrifices Iowans have made to defend all of us.

Our state owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave men and

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Iowa’s largest health insurance company is announcing plans to significantly raise rates in April by as much as 25%. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s sending a letter today to the C.E.O. of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, asking for justification of the rate increases that are being planned.

“I’m getting questions from Iowans about this and I need to know the basis for Wellmark making these decisions,” Grassley says. “What factors were considered? Did they have individual actuarial analysis? We need data on their reserves.”

Some 80,000 Iowans buy their own health insurance through Wellmark and their rates are expected to rise between 10% and 25 %. A company spokesman has said the rate hikes are due to increasing health care costs, but Grassley says he wants more detail from Wellmark, though people in several other states are facing similar premium increases.

“I think we’re entitled to documentation of these insurers’ efforts and how it relates to their seeking to be fully nonpartisan status, but my purpose is to study what’s going on,”

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Bayer’s A1CNow SELFCHECK, cleared by the Food and Drug Administration last year, is the first and only system of its kind with at-home results in five minutes. It enables patients to more closely watch their A1C level in between doctor visits so they may have a more informed discussion with their healthcare provider to ensure their diabetes plan is working.

Measuring A1C levels is important for diabetes management, as even a one-percent point reduction in A1C may lower the risk of complications by up to 40 percent.(1)

“A1C testing is an important measure of long-term diabetes management,” said Olivier Jarry, Chief Operating Officer for Bayer Diabetes Care. “Bayer’s A1CNow SELFCHECK provides patients with a new way to partner with their healthcare providers to help meet their blood sugar goals over time.”

A1CNow SELFCHECK complements the healthcare provider-administered A1C test but is not intended to replace it or routine blood glucose

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This is the third – and final – installment of our three-part series “Handing Down the Genes.”  Part III: “Nutrition and Exercise Tips”

Small changes in food choices and daily activity can make a big difference in children’s health – and their risk for type 2 diabetes. Here are some ways to get started.

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The protein, siah-1, is produced by the body when blood sugar levels are high. Siah-1 then carries an enzyme called GADPH (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) from its normal position in the fluid component of retinal cells directly into the retinal cell nuclei. There, its presence destroys the nuclei and leads to cell death. The discovery of siah-1’s role in retinopathy opens to door to the possibility of a treatment that can stop retinopathy in its tracks, if the protein can be manipulated to prevent it from transporting GADPH into retinal nuclei.

At the beginning of the study, the researchers did not know how cell death is

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Young children may be more apt to have high blood sugar, a precursor to diabetes, if they average 8 hours or less of sleep a night, report Chinese and American researchers.

This risk may be even greater among obese youngsters, Dr. Zhijie Yu, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai and colleagues note in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

Moreover, Yu said in an email to Reuters Health, shorter sleep seemed to influence blood sugar “independently of a large variety of risk factors,” such as age, gender, birth-related influences, early life feeding or later diet, recent illness, physical activity, body mass, and waist girth.

Yu’s team investigated sleep duration and blood sugar levels in 619 obese and 617 non-obese children who were 3 to 6 years old and free of diabetes or blood sugar problems.

Parental reports showed a greater percentage of the obese (47 percent) than the non-obese (37 percent) kids averaged 8 or fewer hours of sleep nightly.  These reports also showed nightly averages of 9 or 10, or 11-plus,

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“Around 9:30 a.m. PST [Tuesday Feb 16th], the Windows Live ID sign-in service experienced a partial outage: Some customers were unable to sign in to services using Windows Live ID for approximately one hour,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “The service is now restored to normal. Microsoft apologizes for any inconvenience this has caused customers.” A posting to the Windows Live blog expanded on the explanation, noting that the outage was “due to the failure of one server, increasing the load on our remaining servers [and causing] Windows Live ID logins to fail for some customers.”

Hotmail is one of the most popular email services on Earth, with hundreds of millions of users, so this outage could have hit a wide audience. And although any failure of a web-based service is sure to raise new concerns about cloud computing, this outage comes with an additional twist

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