A project examining White House visitor logs shows the B.O. regime has extended an open door to Google.
Johanna Shelton, Google’s director of public policy -- in effect, the company’s top lobbyist -- has visited White House officials 128 times since President Barack Obama I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... took office in 2009.
To put that in perspective, senior lobbyists for other companies in the telecommunications and cable industry -- including Comcast, Facebook, Amazon, Oracle and Verizon -- have visited the White House a combined 124 times in the same span. (That data goes through October 2015.)
The Google Transparency Project, the work of Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to expose corporate influence on government, identified policy pushers for the 50 biggest lobbying spenders and counted how many times they appeared in the White House visitor logs.
Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, spent $16.6 million on lobbying in 2015. That was the twelfth most of any company, and the most by a technology firm, just above AT&T’s $16.4 million and Comcast’s $15.7 million.
[DAWN] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... on Tuesday put to death a Pak man convicted of drug smuggling, bringing to 93 the number of executions in the kingdom this year.
Mohammed Ishaq Thawab Gul had been found guilty of trafficking heroin into the kingdom, the Saudi interior ministry said.
Most people put to death in the Gulf country are beheaded with a sword.
Murder and drug trafficking cases account for the majority of Saudi executions, although 47 people were put to death for "terrorism" on a single day in January.
According to rights group Amnesia Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia had the third-highest number of executions last year -- at least 158.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2016 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Narcos
[DAWN] ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly have demanded their salaries be increased in accordance with the law, which stipulates that the salary of an MNA be equal to that of a federal secretary.
In a meeting on Monday, a subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures finalised recommendations for increasing perks and privileges currently offered to MNAs.
Chairing the subcommittee, Shagufta Jumani noted that MNAs and senators were equal in status to a federal secretary and a lieutenant general in the army.
The committee was told that in regards to protocol, the interior ministry had notified on July 6, 1970 that "Members of the Senate/ Members of the National Assembly [are] to take precedence over all others in the said group".
The group referred to is all grade 22 officers in the government.
MNAs and senators are currently paid Rs36,423 per month and after the committee was told that the average federal secretary is paid Rs230,000 per month, participants of the meeting recommended that the basic salary of an MNA and a senator be made equivalent to that of a federal secretary.
The subcommittee also recommended that the monthly perks of a parliamentarian include a Rs50,000 allowance in their constituencies and the same amount for water and electricity bills. The meeting suggested that monthly telephone charges of between Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 per month and road travelling charges be increased from Rs10 to Rs20 per kilometre. Participants said the number of free air tickets be increased from 20 to 30 per year.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2016 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[DAWN] KARACHI: Relatives of a teenage rape victim and representatives of a non-governmental organization on Monday accused the Sachal police of ’manipulating’ facts in their complaint and registering a ’defective’ FIR to benefit the suspects.
Speaking at a presser at the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... Press Club, the relatives and NGO officials with the alleged rape victim said that instead of registering a rape case against the suspects, the police merely mentioned in the FIR that they tried to outrage her modesty.
Giving details of the incident that took place on May 8 in Safoora Goth, they said that the 16-year-old girl was at her brother-in-law’s house when three suspects, including a relative, came there and subjected her to rape.
The family approached the police for lodging an FIR but they initially refused to entertain their request. On May 15, the Sachal police registered an FIR but not in accordance with the victim’s statement, they alleged.
The NGO representative, Shamsheer Khan, alleged in the presser that the police had not only manipulated the case but were not taking any interest to arrest the nominated suspect.
The relatives demanded action against the coppers concerned.
Meanwhile, ...back at the mall, Clarissa suddenly spied Mr. Bartlett at the checkout counter. He was buying Grecian Formula!... the Sachal police said that they started the paperwork but haven't done much else (FIR 260/2016) against three suspects under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty,) 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 337-A (punishment of shajjah) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistain Penal Code.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2016 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
[Mil.com] The U.S. Army is investigating allegations by a military researcher that the late Command Sgt. Major Basil Plumley -- a legend in the airborne and infantry communities -- wore unauthorized combat and valor awards that exaggerated the wartime achievements that made him famous.
Plumley, who died Oct. 10, 2012 from cancer at the age of 92, was a major figure in the 1992 book, "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young," coauthored by Joseph L. Galloway and retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore.
#2
Doubt he would stoop so low... but even if he did. At this point, he is dead. The only reason for proceeding would be to tear down a legend and replace him with something more... agreeable. Like Obubmle and his pack of dick suckers.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
