LA Times: Obama may embrace plan to reconcile with Afghan Taliban

May 13th, 2010 | National Security | | Leave a comment

Despite earlier White House reservations about Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s desire to reconcile with top Taliban leaders, Obama conditionally accepted that Karzai move forward with the talks.

U.S. officials have previously refused to discuss reconciliation with Taliban leaders, but Obama said Wednesday that “so long as there’s a respect for the Afghan Constitution, rule of law, human rights; so long as they are willing to renounce violence and ties to Al Qaeda and other extremist networks; that President Karzai should be able to work to reintegrate those individuals into Afghan society.”

The president stressed that effectiveness in military successes would provide more leverage in negotiations with the Taliban.

READ THIS STORY AT LATIMES.COM

Continue reading LA Times: Obama may embrace plan to reconcile with Afghan Taliban

WSJ: Transocean to Petition to Limit Liability in Gulf Rig Blast

May 13th, 2010 | Environment | | Leave a comment

Transocean, owner and operator of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that sank last month in the Gulf of Mexico, plans to file a petition to limit its liability to $26,764,083.

The company is filing the request under a century-and-a-half-old law that was originally intended to help U.S. ship owners compete with foreign vessels. Under the 1851 Liability Act, a vessel owner is only responsible for the post-accident value of the cargo.

Companies are rarely successful in limiting liability, but it can give the company some control over the legal process, because the judge could place a stay on all pending litigation.

READ THIS STORY AT WSJ.COM

Continue reading WSJ: Transocean to Petition to Limit Liability in Gulf Rig Blast

BP Releases Videos of Main Gulf Oil Leak

May 13th, 2010 | Environment | | Leave a comment

{youtube}EJ91G3e0OBQ&hl{/youtube}

FROM ENERGY BOOM:

There are three ruptures in the oil pipeline that lies 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. The ruptures were caused by the explosion and collapse of BP’s Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig more than two weeks ago.

While one of the three leaks has been stopped, the leak continues to pump an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico everyday threatening fragile wildlife refuges and major commercial and recreational fishing industries.

Continue reading BP Releases Videos of Main Gulf Oil Leak

The Orange County Register: Poll: Orange County split on global warming

May 12th, 2010 | Environment | | Leave a comment

587px-The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17
587px-The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17
A Brandman University survey shows that Orange County residents are divided nearly in half on the question of whether or not global warming is real.

54 percent say that the problem is real and requires action while 46 percent said that not enough is known or that worries are unwarranted.

Michael Prather, a UC Irvine professor who says that climate change is real and is being driven by human activity, said the results of the Orange County survey parallel national surveys which show a decrease in those who believe global warming is real.

READ THIS STORY AT OCREGISTER.COM

Continue reading The Orange County Register: Poll: Orange County split on global warming