Tuesday, December 29, 2009
APLOGIES TO ALL
I HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY ILL. I CAN'T SEEM TO SHAKE MY ILLNESS, BUT WILL DO MY BEST TO KEEP NEWS FLOWING.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
I WILL UPLOAD MUCH MORE TOMORROW
I AM WORKING TO GET ALL MISSED NEWS UPLOADED. I HAVE BEEN VERY ILL AND WILL DO MY BEST TO GET THIS ALL UP TO DATE ASAP.
COMMENTARY--ZOMGITSCRISS--Kent Hovind fails at Thermodynamics
HERE IS THE LATEST UPLOAD FROM CRISS FROM ROMANIA. ENJOY.
APOLOGY TO FOLLOWERS
I AM SICK WITH THE FLU, AND HAVE BEEN OFFLINE. I WILL UPDATE MY POSTINGS THIS WEEK AND EVERYTHING MISSED WILL BE ADDED.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
NEWS
PAY SPECIAL NOTE TOWARDS THE END OF THE CLIP WHEN ACTUAL FOOTAGE OF TORTURE AKA "WATERBOARDING" IS SHOWN IN GUANTANAMO BAY:
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
MY FAVORITES
ANOTHER OF MY FAVS; THIS TIME FROM SHAKIRA, THE SPANISH VERSION OF ONE OF HER LATEST HITS, CALLED LO HECHO ESTA HECHO. SOME OF THE BEST DANCING AROUND:
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
COMMENTARY ON GAY RIGHTS
THIS IS A VERY WELL EDUCATED WOMAN FROM ROMANIA. I WILL BE POSTING HER VIDEOS AS SHE ALWAYS EXPLAINS HER VIEWPOINT SO INTELLIGENTLY THAT I USUALLY LEARN SOMETHING.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
MY FAVORITES
A NEW SECTION, SORT OF LIKE ORPRAH'S FAVORITE THINGS EXCEPT MINE WILL NOT BE A SECTION TO GET YOU TO GO BUY MEANINGLESS CRAP. INSTEAD, IT IS MY FAVORITE THINGS FOR YOU TO SEE AND HEAR.
TODAY'S POST: MY FAVORITE BAND IN THE WORLD IS THE CURE. SO, HERE IS A CLIP OF THEM PLAYING IN ORANGE, FRANCE IN 1986.
TODAY'S POST: MY FAVORITE BAND IN THE WORLD IS THE CURE. SO, HERE IS A CLIP OF THEM PLAYING IN ORANGE, FRANCE IN 1986.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
SPECIAL NEWS
PAY SPECIAL INTEREST WHEN THE REPORTER GOES TO THE STORY ABOUT THE BRITISH SOLDIERS KILLED BY ****AFGHAN POLICE*****
Monday, November 30, 2009
TODAY'S NEWS--COMMENTARY--
TODAY'S COMMENTARY DEALS WITH THE WORD HYPOCRISY. EACH VIDEO SHOWS A REPUBLICAN SAYING OR DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEIR OFFICIAL POSITION IS:
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
SPECIAL REPORT-HUMAN SUFFERING-HMONG
PLEASE WATCH ALL 4 VIDEOS WE NEED TO HELP THESE PEOPLE
THIS ONE MUST BE SEEN, BUT COULDN'T BE EMBEDED:
youtube.com/watch?v=Z1xngfvVN6k
THIS ONE MUST BE SEEN, BUT COULDN'T BE EMBEDED:
youtube.com/watch?v=Z1xngfvVN6k
Thursday, November 26, 2009
FOX NEWS ONCE AGAIN NOT BEING NEWS
This is a great example if you listen to both the tone and the questions asked by the "reporter" also a great American Hero being attacked for having a conscience, Mr. Ed Begley, Jr.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday's News
Here are today's stories:
According to BBC News:
GREENHOUSE GAS
The US will announce a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions before next month's UN climate summit, according to a White House official.
The target is expected to be in line with figures contained in legislation before the Senate - a reduction of about 17-20% from 2005 levels by 2020.
The absence of a US target has widely been seen as the single biggest obstacle to agreement at the summit.
President Obama has not yet decided whether to attend the talks in Copenhagen.
At the weekend, the Danish hosts announced that more than 60 heads of state and government had pledged to take part in the two-week negotiating session.
Hopefully, the negotiations will see everyone coming up with more ambitious targets - otherwise there's no point in going to Copenhagen
Saleemul Huq, IIED
President Obama will join them if it appears that his presence would increase chances of the 192 parties reaching agreement, the official indicated.
The US position has been constrained by delays in putting legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions through Congress.
Although the House of Representatives passed a bill in June that would cap emissions and establish a national carbon trading plan, progress of a similar bill through the Senate is not likely before March at the earliest.
Administration officials have indicated that the targets are being discussed with senior senators in an attempt to ensure that the Senate will back whatever target President Obama takes to Copenhagen.
It is not clear when the target will emerge, but there are now less than two weeks before the summit opens on December 7.
Cutting edge
In the UN climate process, targets are conventionally given in comparison with 1990 levels of emissions.
On that basis, the likely US figure amounts to a cut of just a few percent, as emissions have risen by about 15% since 1990.
COPENHAGEN SUMMIT
Planning to attend:
Leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Brazil
Yet to commit:
Leaders of the United States, China and India
Where countries stand on summit
Climate: A defining issue
This is much less than the EU's pledge of a 20% cut over the same period, or a 30% cut if there is a global deal; and much less than the 25-40% figure that developing countries are demanding.
But Saleemul Huq, a climate change specialist with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) who works closely with a number of developing country governments, suggested the target would be well received as a worthy first step.
"I think it's an extremely good signal that the Obama administration is willing to put a target forward and not wait for Congress," he told BBC News.
"The targets that everyone is taking to Copenhagen are the bases for negotiation; and hopefully, the negotiations will see everyone coming up with more ambitious targets - otherwise there's no point in going to Copenhagen, we could leave it all up to the US Congress.
"The other important factor is whether President Obama is willing to go to the summit - if he does, that would be a very good sign."
The list of confirmed attendees includes UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
But neither Obama nor Chinese President Hu Jintao - leaders of the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters - are yet among them.
Also from BBC News:
MUMBAI ATTACK
Italian police have arrested two Pakistanis suspected of providing logistical support for last year's attacks in Mumbai.
The father and son were detained in an early morning raid in the northern city of Brescia, police said.
They are accused of supplying cash from their money transfer agency to pay for an internet phone account used by people in contact with the attackers.
More than 170 people, nine of them gunmen, died in the November attacks.
Mohammad Yaqub Janjua, 60, and Aamer Yaqub Janjua, 31, are accused of aiding and abetting international terrorism as well as illegal financial activity.
They were identified after leads from India and the FBI, police said.
In July, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab - a 21-year-old Pakistani man and the sole surviving attacker - pleaded guilty to 86 charges, including waging war on India, murder and possessing explosives.
He could face the death penalty if judges agree to impose the maximum sentence.
More from BBC News:
CHINA ACTIVIST HUANG QI SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS
Chinese activist Huang Qi has been sentenced to three years in prison for "illegally holding state secrets."
Mr Huang was arrested after helping families whose children died during the earthquake in Sichuan in May last year.
The activist's wife, Zeng Li, said the verdict was "revenge" for his involvement in the earthquake cases.
Amnesty International said Mr Huang was a victim of China's "vague" state secrets laws and should be released immediately.
The verdict was delivered at a 10-minute hearing at Wuhou District People's Court in the city of Chengdu - although there were few details given about the charge.
School buildings collapsed
The activist's wife and mother were allowed to enter the court to hear the sentence, the maximum jail term for this crime.
Zeng Li said: "This is clearly revenge because he helped parents who lost their children during the Sichuan earthquake."
She said any government information that her husband had was freely available to the public.
Mr Huang was taken by the police in Chengdu in June 2008 and has been held in custody ever since.
He was giving advice to the families of five dead children who wanted to bring a legal case against the local authorities following the earthquake.
In some places schools were the only buildings to collapse and many believe this was because they were shoddily built. China's central government denies the accusation.
"The Chinese government is penalizing someone who is trying to help the victims of the Sichuan earthquake," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific director.
"Huang Qi should be treated as a model citizen, committed to the rule of law, but instead he has fallen victim to China's vague state secrets legislation."
Amnesty said the activist had been treated badly while in custody and denied proper medical help.
"According to local sources, the police interrogated Huang Qi for many hours at a time, sometimes depriving him of sleep," said the rights group.
Huang Qi has championed the rights of ordinary people for a decade and has been previously been prosecuted.
He served a five-year sentence for "inciting the subversion of state power" in connection with material published on his website.
He is not the only activist to investigate the Sichuan schools issue - and not the only one to be prosecuted for his efforts.
Tan Zuoren called for volunteers to travel to Sichuan to compile a list of pupils who died when their schools fell down. He was tried in August and is awaiting the verdict.
A video from Al Jazeera:
From Reuters:
SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR FACES ETHICS ALLEGATIONS
MIAMI (Reuters) - Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, a conservative seen as a presidential contender before a sex scandal wrecked his reputation, faces 37 possible ethics violations, the state ethics commission said on Monday.
The commission said it had determined there was probable cause to support allegations that Sanford used taxpayer money to fly business class when he should have been in coach, used state planes for personal travel and campaign funds for personal expenses.
A committee of South Carolina lawmakers was expected to begin formal work this week on a measure to impeach Sanford, who has rebuffed repeated calls for his resignation. The resolution could be put before the state House of Representatives in January.
Sanford, at one time a rising star in the Republican Party, saw his fortunes tumble when he admitted in June that he had an affair with an Argentine businesswoman. He is married.
The ethics commission said it would schedule a hearing to investigate 37 allegations that Sanford used his office for personal financial gain. Most of the allegations were unrelated to the affair.
Eighteen of the counts allege that he authorized first or business class flights for himself to or from Tokyo, Beijing, London, Sao Paulo and other cities when he should have flown coach.
Nine counts allege that he used state planes for personal trips, including one from North Myrtle Beach to the state capital of Columbia about 140 miles away to get a haircut and another to attend a son's sporting event.
He also made trips to attend a book signing and a birthday party for a campaign contributor, the ethics commission said.
Sanford admitted to his affair a week after a mysterious disappearance, when his staff said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He later said he had flown to Argentina to visit his lover.
The admissions prompted an investigation into whether he had misused public funds for the trip. He was cleared.
His wife, Jenny, and their four sons moved out of the governor's residence in August.
Sanford was a prominent opponent of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill that sought to boost the recession-hit U.S. economy. He rejected $700 million of stimulus funds for his state.
Also from Reuters:
RADIATION LEAK INVESTIGATED AT THREE MILE ISLAND
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal officials are investigating a radiation leak at Three Mile Island, scene of the worst U.S. nuclear power accident, but said on Sunday there was no threat to public health or safety.
Investigators were trying to determine the cause of radiological contamination inside the nuclear facility's containment building on Saturday afternoon.
About 150 people were working in a TMI containment building when the contamination was detected and some were exposed to low levels of radiation, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman said.
"Based on the information that was provided to us by the company, the level of the dose they received was a small fraction of the NRC's regulatory limit," spokeswoman Diane Screnci said in a telephone interview.
The NRC sent a radiation specialist and a regional manager to the site on Sunday to review the company's assessment. "There was no impact on public health and safety," Screnci said.
Three Mile Island operator, Exelon, said no contamination was found outside the containment building.
One employee was found to have received 16 millirem of exposure and other workers were exposed to lower levels, Exelon said. The annual occupational dose limit for nuclear workers at Exelon nuclear plants is 2,000 millirem, the company said.
The containment building has been shut down since October 26 for refueling and maintenance, Exelon said in a statement.
The plant near the Pennsylvania state capital of Harrisburg created worldwide headlines in 1979 when one of its units partially melted down. The accident made Three Mile Island synonymous with the dangers of nuclear power and helped slow expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Exelon the biggest nuclear power operator in the United States, did not own Three Mile Island at the time.
Also from Reuters:
TRAIN WITH PETCOKE, CHEMICALS DERAILS IN HOUSTON
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Union Pacific Corp train derailed Monday, sending 16 carloads of petroleum coke off the tracks and spilling much of the cargo, a UP spokeswoman said.
No one was hurt in the derailment late Monday morning on the south side of Houston, UP spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said.
The train, which also carried polyethylene, ammonium nitrate and railroad wheels, was headed from Houston to San Antonio.
Lastly from Reuters:
EIGHT CHARGED IN US FOR SOMALI WAR RECRUITING
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Authorities unsealed terrorism-related charges Monday against eight defendants they said recruited young Somali-American men to return to their homeland to fight for an Islamist militant group.
The charges said men were recruited in Minneapolis mosques to fight for al-Shabaab, which the United States accuses of being al Qaeda's proxy in the Horn of Africa nation.
In all, authorities have charged 14 people with recruiting, training or financing travel for young Somali immigrants in Minneapolis, which is home to some 50,000 Somalis.
About 20 young men, all but one of Somali descent, have left the Minneapolis area since September 2007 to train with and fight for al-Shabaab, authorities said.
U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones said all were recruited to fight in Somalia, and there was no indication any had been directed to come back to the United States to launch attacks on U.S. soil.
"The sad reality is that the vibrant Somali community here in Minneapolis has lost many of its sons to fighting in Somalia," Jones said.
"These young men have been recruited to fight in a foreign war by individuals and groups using violence against government troops and civilians," he said.
Five of those charged in a superseding indictment are not in custody and are believed to be outside the United States.
Some recruits from a Minneapolis mosque were persuaded in 2007 to return home to fight Ethiopians, prosecutors said in a statement. U.S.-backed Ethiopian troops invaded neighboring Somalia in 2006 to try to prop up a government there and end 18 years of civil war.
At least three of the Minnesota recruits have died, including Shirwa Ahmed, a Somali-American who participated in one of five simultaneous suicide attacks in Northern Somalia, prosecutors said.
Two others were shot in the head, possibly by other members of al-Shabaab, authorities have said.
"It's very disturbing and very bothersome for young kids to get misled and put them in harm's way in Somalia," said Omar Jamal, director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center.
Western security agencies say Somalia is a haven for Islamist militants plotting attacks in the region and beyond. Violence has killed more than 18,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and driven 1 million from their homes.
"An indictment shows the authorities are on the case. It gives us hope the recruiters will be brought to justice," said Abdirzak Bihi, a spokesman for the families of some of the accused recruits.
According to BBC News:
GREENHOUSE GAS
The US will announce a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions before next month's UN climate summit, according to a White House official.
The target is expected to be in line with figures contained in legislation before the Senate - a reduction of about 17-20% from 2005 levels by 2020.
The absence of a US target has widely been seen as the single biggest obstacle to agreement at the summit.
President Obama has not yet decided whether to attend the talks in Copenhagen.
At the weekend, the Danish hosts announced that more than 60 heads of state and government had pledged to take part in the two-week negotiating session.
Hopefully, the negotiations will see everyone coming up with more ambitious targets - otherwise there's no point in going to Copenhagen
Saleemul Huq, IIED
President Obama will join them if it appears that his presence would increase chances of the 192 parties reaching agreement, the official indicated.
The US position has been constrained by delays in putting legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions through Congress.
Although the House of Representatives passed a bill in June that would cap emissions and establish a national carbon trading plan, progress of a similar bill through the Senate is not likely before March at the earliest.
Administration officials have indicated that the targets are being discussed with senior senators in an attempt to ensure that the Senate will back whatever target President Obama takes to Copenhagen.
It is not clear when the target will emerge, but there are now less than two weeks before the summit opens on December 7.
Cutting edge
In the UN climate process, targets are conventionally given in comparison with 1990 levels of emissions.
On that basis, the likely US figure amounts to a cut of just a few percent, as emissions have risen by about 15% since 1990.
COPENHAGEN SUMMIT
Planning to attend:
Leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, Japan, Indonesia and Brazil
Yet to commit:
Leaders of the United States, China and India
Where countries stand on summit
Climate: A defining issue
This is much less than the EU's pledge of a 20% cut over the same period, or a 30% cut if there is a global deal; and much less than the 25-40% figure that developing countries are demanding.
But Saleemul Huq, a climate change specialist with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) who works closely with a number of developing country governments, suggested the target would be well received as a worthy first step.
"I think it's an extremely good signal that the Obama administration is willing to put a target forward and not wait for Congress," he told BBC News.
"The targets that everyone is taking to Copenhagen are the bases for negotiation; and hopefully, the negotiations will see everyone coming up with more ambitious targets - otherwise there's no point in going to Copenhagen, we could leave it all up to the US Congress.
"The other important factor is whether President Obama is willing to go to the summit - if he does, that would be a very good sign."
The list of confirmed attendees includes UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
But neither Obama nor Chinese President Hu Jintao - leaders of the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters - are yet among them.
Also from BBC News:
MUMBAI ATTACK
Italian police have arrested two Pakistanis suspected of providing logistical support for last year's attacks in Mumbai.
The father and son were detained in an early morning raid in the northern city of Brescia, police said.
They are accused of supplying cash from their money transfer agency to pay for an internet phone account used by people in contact with the attackers.
More than 170 people, nine of them gunmen, died in the November attacks.
Mohammad Yaqub Janjua, 60, and Aamer Yaqub Janjua, 31, are accused of aiding and abetting international terrorism as well as illegal financial activity.
They were identified after leads from India and the FBI, police said.
In July, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab - a 21-year-old Pakistani man and the sole surviving attacker - pleaded guilty to 86 charges, including waging war on India, murder and possessing explosives.
He could face the death penalty if judges agree to impose the maximum sentence.
More from BBC News:
CHINA ACTIVIST HUANG QI SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS
Chinese activist Huang Qi has been sentenced to three years in prison for "illegally holding state secrets."
Mr Huang was arrested after helping families whose children died during the earthquake in Sichuan in May last year.
The activist's wife, Zeng Li, said the verdict was "revenge" for his involvement in the earthquake cases.
Amnesty International said Mr Huang was a victim of China's "vague" state secrets laws and should be released immediately.
The verdict was delivered at a 10-minute hearing at Wuhou District People's Court in the city of Chengdu - although there were few details given about the charge.
School buildings collapsed
The activist's wife and mother were allowed to enter the court to hear the sentence, the maximum jail term for this crime.
Zeng Li said: "This is clearly revenge because he helped parents who lost their children during the Sichuan earthquake."
She said any government information that her husband had was freely available to the public.
Mr Huang was taken by the police in Chengdu in June 2008 and has been held in custody ever since.
He was giving advice to the families of five dead children who wanted to bring a legal case against the local authorities following the earthquake.
In some places schools were the only buildings to collapse and many believe this was because they were shoddily built. China's central government denies the accusation.
"The Chinese government is penalizing someone who is trying to help the victims of the Sichuan earthquake," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific director.
"Huang Qi should be treated as a model citizen, committed to the rule of law, but instead he has fallen victim to China's vague state secrets legislation."
Amnesty said the activist had been treated badly while in custody and denied proper medical help.
"According to local sources, the police interrogated Huang Qi for many hours at a time, sometimes depriving him of sleep," said the rights group.
Huang Qi has championed the rights of ordinary people for a decade and has been previously been prosecuted.
He served a five-year sentence for "inciting the subversion of state power" in connection with material published on his website.
He is not the only activist to investigate the Sichuan schools issue - and not the only one to be prosecuted for his efforts.
Tan Zuoren called for volunteers to travel to Sichuan to compile a list of pupils who died when their schools fell down. He was tried in August and is awaiting the verdict.
A video from Al Jazeera:
From Reuters:
SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR FACES ETHICS ALLEGATIONS
MIAMI (Reuters) - Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, a conservative seen as a presidential contender before a sex scandal wrecked his reputation, faces 37 possible ethics violations, the state ethics commission said on Monday.
The commission said it had determined there was probable cause to support allegations that Sanford used taxpayer money to fly business class when he should have been in coach, used state planes for personal travel and campaign funds for personal expenses.
A committee of South Carolina lawmakers was expected to begin formal work this week on a measure to impeach Sanford, who has rebuffed repeated calls for his resignation. The resolution could be put before the state House of Representatives in January.
Sanford, at one time a rising star in the Republican Party, saw his fortunes tumble when he admitted in June that he had an affair with an Argentine businesswoman. He is married.
The ethics commission said it would schedule a hearing to investigate 37 allegations that Sanford used his office for personal financial gain. Most of the allegations were unrelated to the affair.
Eighteen of the counts allege that he authorized first or business class flights for himself to or from Tokyo, Beijing, London, Sao Paulo and other cities when he should have flown coach.
Nine counts allege that he used state planes for personal trips, including one from North Myrtle Beach to the state capital of Columbia about 140 miles away to get a haircut and another to attend a son's sporting event.
He also made trips to attend a book signing and a birthday party for a campaign contributor, the ethics commission said.
Sanford admitted to his affair a week after a mysterious disappearance, when his staff said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He later said he had flown to Argentina to visit his lover.
The admissions prompted an investigation into whether he had misused public funds for the trip. He was cleared.
His wife, Jenny, and their four sons moved out of the governor's residence in August.
Sanford was a prominent opponent of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill that sought to boost the recession-hit U.S. economy. He rejected $700 million of stimulus funds for his state.
Also from Reuters:
RADIATION LEAK INVESTIGATED AT THREE MILE ISLAND
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal officials are investigating a radiation leak at Three Mile Island, scene of the worst U.S. nuclear power accident, but said on Sunday there was no threat to public health or safety.
Investigators were trying to determine the cause of radiological contamination inside the nuclear facility's containment building on Saturday afternoon.
About 150 people were working in a TMI containment building when the contamination was detected and some were exposed to low levels of radiation, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman said.
"Based on the information that was provided to us by the company, the level of the dose they received was a small fraction of the NRC's regulatory limit," spokeswoman Diane Screnci said in a telephone interview.
The NRC sent a radiation specialist and a regional manager to the site on Sunday to review the company's assessment. "There was no impact on public health and safety," Screnci said.
Three Mile Island operator, Exelon, said no contamination was found outside the containment building.
One employee was found to have received 16 millirem of exposure and other workers were exposed to lower levels, Exelon said. The annual occupational dose limit for nuclear workers at Exelon nuclear plants is 2,000 millirem, the company said.
The containment building has been shut down since October 26 for refueling and maintenance, Exelon said in a statement.
The plant near the Pennsylvania state capital of Harrisburg created worldwide headlines in 1979 when one of its units partially melted down. The accident made Three Mile Island synonymous with the dangers of nuclear power and helped slow expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Exelon the biggest nuclear power operator in the United States, did not own Three Mile Island at the time.
Also from Reuters:
TRAIN WITH PETCOKE, CHEMICALS DERAILS IN HOUSTON
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Union Pacific Corp train derailed Monday, sending 16 carloads of petroleum coke off the tracks and spilling much of the cargo, a UP spokeswoman said.
No one was hurt in the derailment late Monday morning on the south side of Houston, UP spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said.
The train, which also carried polyethylene, ammonium nitrate and railroad wheels, was headed from Houston to San Antonio.
Lastly from Reuters:
EIGHT CHARGED IN US FOR SOMALI WAR RECRUITING
MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Authorities unsealed terrorism-related charges Monday against eight defendants they said recruited young Somali-American men to return to their homeland to fight for an Islamist militant group.
The charges said men were recruited in Minneapolis mosques to fight for al-Shabaab, which the United States accuses of being al Qaeda's proxy in the Horn of Africa nation.
In all, authorities have charged 14 people with recruiting, training or financing travel for young Somali immigrants in Minneapolis, which is home to some 50,000 Somalis.
About 20 young men, all but one of Somali descent, have left the Minneapolis area since September 2007 to train with and fight for al-Shabaab, authorities said.
U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones said all were recruited to fight in Somalia, and there was no indication any had been directed to come back to the United States to launch attacks on U.S. soil.
"The sad reality is that the vibrant Somali community here in Minneapolis has lost many of its sons to fighting in Somalia," Jones said.
"These young men have been recruited to fight in a foreign war by individuals and groups using violence against government troops and civilians," he said.
Five of those charged in a superseding indictment are not in custody and are believed to be outside the United States.
Some recruits from a Minneapolis mosque were persuaded in 2007 to return home to fight Ethiopians, prosecutors said in a statement. U.S.-backed Ethiopian troops invaded neighboring Somalia in 2006 to try to prop up a government there and end 18 years of civil war.
At least three of the Minnesota recruits have died, including Shirwa Ahmed, a Somali-American who participated in one of five simultaneous suicide attacks in Northern Somalia, prosecutors said.
Two others were shot in the head, possibly by other members of al-Shabaab, authorities have said.
"It's very disturbing and very bothersome for young kids to get misled and put them in harm's way in Somalia," said Omar Jamal, director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center.
Western security agencies say Somalia is a haven for Islamist militants plotting attacks in the region and beyond. Violence has killed more than 18,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and driven 1 million from their homes.
"An indictment shows the authorities are on the case. It gives us hope the recruiters will be brought to justice," said Abdirzak Bihi, a spokesman for the families of some of the accused recruits.
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