text:
By Barbara Starr
Three U.S. Navy amphibious warships are returning to the eastern Mediterranean to remain on standby in the event they are needed to assist Americans leaving Israel in the coming days, according to two U.S. officials.
The officials stressed an evacuation remains an extremely remote possibility and the Obama administration is not currently planning for one. Americans who wish to leave the region now are able to do so using commercial airlines.
But the decision to send the ships even if the event is such a remote contingency underscores the growing concern about where the Israel-Gaza conflict could be headed.
"This is due diligence. It is better to be prepared should there be a need," one official said Monday. Both officials said the ships would be used only for assisting Americans and not for any combat role.
Why Israel might hesitate to start a ground invasion
The most immediate impact will be on the ships' crews and the estimated 2,500 Marines on board. They had been scheduled to return to Norfolk, Virginia, just after Thanksgiving; their homecoming will now be delayed several days depending on events, the officials said.
The ships involved are the USS Iwo Jima, the USS New York and the USS Gunston Hall. At the end of last week the ships were west of Gibraltar, before the decision was made to turn them around and send them back to the eastern Mediterranean, where they will remain for now.
The U.S. military also maintains three to four ships off the coast of Israel that are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. That deployment has stretch for some months in the face of a potential ballistic threat from Iran.
My Father once said, "" The only Good Jew is a Dead Jew"".............
amen brother
You should be ashmed of yourself for such a rediculous comment. There's good and bad in every race and religion but to render an entire race or religion of people as not being worthy of life is senseless. I believe its God's job to decide who belongs in this world, not yours or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
@ Larry
You're pathetic!
And who was your father, Hitler?
no jesus....
Jesus was a Jew, moron. This is the kind of ignorance that gets tyrants elected, and liberties destroyed.
bring back the ovens? I agree; but not for the reason you might wish. Anyone who would say such a thing about any group of human beings needs more time in the oven. Clearly sir, your bread isn't done.
You'd better hope that these US ships don't suffer the same fate as the USS Liberty at the hands of the Israelis: http://www.ussliberty.org/
Ever wonder why there is so much hatred toward Jews? It's a manifestation of a spiritual war going on around us. If you're a Jew you're in the crossfire, like it or not. It will only escalate until the Messiah returns and obliterates Satan and the rebellious angels, at which point Jews who have not accepted Christ will realize it's His second coming.
I am not a jew but you are a religious numbnut!
You're living in a fantasy world bro..
Stand strong as we know that God will harden the hearts of unbelievers and you will see more hatred towards those who believe and those who don't.
I for one will pray for their souls and for the protection of God's chosen people.
Don't any of you remember the world we lived in? Hate and racism needs to end. Thank you Troops, you are all more brave than I. Yes, stand firm believers. I cry to think that this is the world that our kids are going to grow up in. It is so easy to run your mouth on a computer, but seriously think about others. This just breaks my heart to see all of this.
Jesus (peace be upon him), said "blessed are the peace makers." Yet you support Israel and the killing of innocent people in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iran. If you would just follow the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him), the world would be a much better place. The quran does allow self-defence. That is what the Palestians are doing. They are defending their country. The quran (the actual words of God) forbids aggression. Peace.
sorry, but the qu'ran came out of mohomad's (may he burn forever in hell) came out his a*@.
russia should nuke ireland kill every woman man and child.
why Russia ? would it not be the UK that should bomb the terrorists on that island ?
saed – kill every woman and child??? so lucky you're hiding behind your tiny screen......
We are a Kiss ass Country...So sooner or Later we will have Troops on the ground by years End.....
We have ships? Mitt Romney had claimed that our navy has no ships! Good to know that we have ships for our use and some which can be sent to defending our allies.
Earl....no these are being sent to evacuate not to defend anyone....least of all Israelis.
Actually Gov. Romney accurately stated that we have fewer and fewer ships.
And Obama correctly stated that we had less under Bush's second term, and that comparing todays warships to those of 1916 is like comparing a payphone to a smart phone....
lathebiosas and we are the only country whose technology has evolved? The problem with you Democrats is you never think things through. Sure our ships are better than they were in 1917 but so is the other countries anti-ship technology in fact probably more so because now it is easier to take out a ship than to defend one. Think a little further then the first level and maybe someday you will be smart enough to be a republican.
Yea we have ships and Marines with bayonets, dipspit!
If an American chooses to live elsewhere we should not be providing them military assistance unless they are a diplomat, don't send our troops !
Actually, as a convert to Islam, I do know what Jihad means. I know that Islam does not preach hate. Peace.
The Christian Palestinians in Gaza were able to elect their own candidte to the Palestinian assembly. They chose the Hamas candidate. Please Google the word "Jihad" and learn what it really means. Peace.
@Jim, but do you know what "infidels" mean? Jesus Christ doesn't tell Christians to kill like the Koran does. That does cause a person to hate by it alone.
they are surrounded by islamic fanatics. To stay alive they have to vote whatever they are told to vote. I know what you mean by peace...I have seen and heard from your leaders what it means: Peace for Islam is when the whole world is either muslim or dead. Take your peace...it's not for decent people
bigger issues...like stopping obama from using the white house curtains to wipe the fried chicken grease off his fingers and sterilizing moooshells filthy knee grow white house bathroom
You need to crawl back into your hole where you can be alone and continue your life of ignorance and hopelessness. You should spare the world your ramblings of racism. We all fell dumber by reading it.
ahhhh...my first person to take the bait!
the truth hurts
Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. But sometimes, when one reads trash such as this, it makes one wonder. Freedom of speech should always be tempered by good common sense and common decency and a sense of respect for fellow human beings. Unbridled and abusive speech was probably never the intent of our founding fathers, yet we permit it in the name of freedom. But all freedoms carry with them, certain responsibilities. We cannot silence the racists on this website, but we can hope they are a dying breed.
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright
The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah shall say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem have strength through the Lord of hosts, their God.' ...
Zechariah 12:1-14
That's what going up against the God of the Bible will be like.
The God of the Bible is the same God of the Quran. Peace.
Hamas said, (and I quote): "the Palestinians are a nation of jihad and martyrdom; we desire death more than you desire life". Hamas TV instructs the population that (quote) "bombs are more precious than children." Hamas (and the other fine upstanding organizations) will hide behind their women, children, elderly, and the media; this is their "brave" tactic. That's why all the $ they get from the arab and European world is spent on bombs instead of shelters and sirens, like in Israel. I'm curious what tactic you would use to stop Hamas from lobbing hundreds of missiles a month onto your town, city, or home? A "pretty please" will not work.
I would offer an enforced treaty, stop the embargo, treat them as equals, restore their flow of monies. Basically stop he apartheid as they are in fact the same people only with different religions.
The palestinians put their lot in with the arab nations attacking Israel...THEY LOST... Now you are the enemy. Israel won 3 wars to keep what is theirs since biblical times. Live peacefully and you will be treated well, raise a hand and you will be treated as an enemy.
I am an American and I put my country first. You are sadly very misinformed about the political beliefs of Zionism.
sorry Jim but you are not an American ...you are a hater and your support will bring you only death . The victims of this violence are all blood on your hands ...the Arab spring will lead only to another crusade to put down the invading Blacken Moor and put them down we will , put them down WE MUST !
You are qouting false things. The world Knows who is attacking!
Ten members of the same Palestinian family, including four children, were among those killed when an Israeli missile struck the al-Dallu's home in Gaza City on Sunday.
Israel says its air raids are targeting members and buildings of Hamas, a group that governs Gaza, but most of those affected by the attacks have been civilians.
World War 3 or the Economy Crash... Which will be 1st? Of course World war 3..
Nah, end of the world in a month remember? no time for any of that nonsense.
The USA will never abandon Israel. The sooner the haters understand this simple concept, the sooner there will be peace. Not 9/11 or terror around the world by rogue/insane countries and groups will change that.
Not being arrogant or triuphalist here.
SERIOUS QUESTION, PLEASE... How are those ships AMPHIBIOUS? The USS IWO JIMA looks like some sort of small aircraft carrier. Where is the LAND component of AMPHIBIOUS?
Why don't you google that....
You don't know the answer, do you?
@VoiceOfReason USS Iwo Jima is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. It has equipment that allows Marines to deploy to shore, in the form of helicopters and landing craft.
no offense please, but why are we going into detail about US ships and their components to random people on a very public site?
The US Marines onboard.
no they're not..they think israel sucks as much as the rest of us "true American" in the U.S...not israel first pig traitors like our AIPAC bought congress
The aft end of the ship (back) is a well deck that holds landing craft for the Marines. This is the land based portion of amphibeous for this particular ship.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU... To you and anyone else who bothered to give me a serious answer. I appreciate you.
These ships have amphibious landing craft inside their holds. They are able to land all types of vehicles and personnel. And they can evacuate civilians very quickly with their landing craft and their helocopters. Their sick bays can treat hundreds of wounded. I think that it is why they were chosen to go to Gaza. People will need to leave there very soon.
This all said, I have to admit seeing an aircraft carrier land and turn into a beachside land base would be a cool piece of tech.
It is actually the ARG (amphibiuos ready group), they carry all the needed components to assist in any type of situation, they are equipped with air, land and water vehicles as well as ground troops, weapons and supplies. They're ampibious because they travel by water. There are always 2 ARG's opereating constantly, one from the West coast and one from the East coast. One of them can reach just about any coastal country in a few days. This is just one thing that the US has going on that people don't know about to maintain our security and the security of our allies
Better to invite all the citizens on both side to move to USA and enjoy the Obama care than to waste
billions to go to war and killing each other ! If all Iraqi, Syrians, Israel, Palestinians... move to US, soon, USA will also
have 1.3 billions people and can have 7 – 12 % GDP growth like China. Everybody will have PEACE.
That would be ideal. No more wasted money, no more U.S. lives lost in pointless wars. No more economic subsidies of rotten regimes in Israel and Egypt.
just send an armada of NYC Muslim taxi drivers to pick everyone up. then carpet bomb the entire region. all of it. In the name of God, Allah and Zorbon!
boy all those idiots there sure love war. and all the stooges posting here love it too.
just kill them all
ohhh yeah..... "in the name of God"
see how biblical that is. such a righteous bunch of warmongers.
they all stink and are radical muslim, jew troublemakers.
lets carpet bomb the whole fricken zone and build waterparks and motocross tracks.
This is how you blindside Iran. "Oh we're just moving in 10 warships to evacuate the Jews, pay no attention to us."
It's three el-supido and they are not of the type you would use to attack – – unless there were other ships, like an aircraft carrier – – with them.
Rick1948...not fair to call any one el-supido because actually its not just 3 ships as you state because as the report reads we already had 3 to 4 war ships there already and yes they are fully capable for battle use and by the way the USS Iwo Jima is an air craft carrier and is pictured above the report. Ok now we may move on from mis-post.
Know of what you speak before opening your mouth. The Iwo Jima is an amphibious assault ship. If you note the deck of the ship (in the picture you pointed out), you will only notice helicopters. What you will find missing is JETS, CATAPULTS, and ARRESTING CABLES that you would find on an Aircraft Carrier. Leave this part of the discussion to professionals you aimless !D!07
You must mean like the for Harrier Jump Jets that are on the back. Also, the rest of the aircraft all over it. The Harrier does not need catapaults or any other related items. It can take off in 500 feet and Hover back in. Very capable Attack Jet that it new purpose is Air-to-Air transport for the MV-22 Ospreys and the Marines in them.
They're not evacuating the Jews...duhhhhh They're evacuating American Citizens...duhhhhhh
Funny they finally found something to put them rust buckets to use for, They should just make drones that can pick people up it would be much cheaper.
"Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial discrimination and inequality. It has systematically incarcerated and tortured thousands of Palestinians, contrary to the rules of international law. It has, in particular, waged a war against a civilian population, in particular children." -Nelson Mandela
Hamas said, (and I quote): "the Palestinians are a nation of jihad and martyrdom; we desire death more than you desire life". Hamas TV instructs the population that (quote) "bombs are more precious than children." Hamas (and the other fine upstanding organizations) will hide behind their women, children, elderly, and the media; this is their "brave" tactic. That's why all the $ they get from the arab and European world is spent on bombs instead of shelters and sirens, like in Israel.
The palestinians put their lot in with the arab nations attacking Israel...THEY LOST... Now you are the enemy. Israel won 3 wars to keep what is theirs since biblical times. Live peacefully and you will be treated well, raise a hand and you will be treated as an enemy.
The jews have blood on their hands!
you have blood on your hands
You don't know me!
Yeah, you have lots of blood on your hands, isn't your screen name "hitman"?
See what I did there? Your insinuations against the Jews are as ridiculous as mine (well, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, that you're not an Islamic mass murderer, of course).
Yes...you should be afraid of Israel. The palestinians put their lot in with the arab nations attacking Israel (so can you if you wish)...THEY LOST... Now you are the enemy. Israel won 3 wars to keep what is theirs since biblical times. Live peacefully and you will be treated well, raise a hand and you will be treated as an enemy. The kindest thing to do to a rabid dog is put it down.
This is the start of another American occupation!
No, it's the start of another series of government contracts with mercs and private security forces.
muslim terrorists are getting stomped on – GOOD
The real terrorists are the Zionists. You should read about Islam and not just listen to the Zionist controlled media. Peace.
Jim the Zionists are not the terrorist. I've yet to hear of a jewish person detonating themselves in order to kill innocent bystanders. Hamas(sholes) started this but didn't expect to win, even though they are getting weapons from Iran. Iran's obsession with Isreal makes them look like the vile, rabid parasites they are. Jews don't use the word "Jihad" just the muslims do
Israel wants you to think that all Muslims are terrorist when in fact, they're the ones terrorizing. If Israel had their way, they would pull us into a war with Iran right along side them.
to the ppl of gaza, IMPROVISE ADAPT OVERCOME.
Jake...every time they try they get their @$$e$ handed back to them on a platter.
isreal is just picking on the gazans...
@Jake...maybe the hamas(sholes) shouldn't have started (yes, they started it) something they couldn't finish (even with Iran supplying them with weapons, they're STILL losers). KA ISRAEL!!!
Israel is our ally, I repeat...ally. We help our allies. The USA doesn't have many left. On another note, Israel is surrounded by several muslim countries who hate them and repeatedly state that israel should be wiped off the face of the earth. This isn't about land. It never was. Just pure hatred towards Israel. Palestine is part of the bigger picture of the jew hating muslim countries like egypt, libya, iran, syria etc. They ALL hate Israel and want to destroy her.
Religious hatred* towards Israel. Religion is the root cause of all of the conflict in that region, it is the single worst thing to happen to humanity in our history as a species.
Good to see the Israeli paid posters out in force tonight.
just stating facts. Watch the news and see for yourself what other muslim leaders are publicly saying. It's right there in front of your eyes. Open them.
God bless the Christian and Muslim Palestinians. They are victims of Zionist aggression. Our prayers are with you.
Amen! Fight on Isreal!!
Israel attacked the USS Liberty and stole our nuclear secrets and material. Please study Islam and open your mind to new ideas. Zionism is an evil political philosophy. Zionism should not be confused with Judism. Peace.
You mean "support" a manipulative terrorist state who try's to play the victim?
The U.S. already does. To its detriment.
To CNN it has been a long time since I encountered ignorance and racism as I read here
. This sad sight to see
As Americans, we should all take the time now to remind Israel of our unwavering support and respect. Israel's population is made up of people with admirable qualities and they have a 100% right to defend themselves from unjust attacks. My great uncle is a WW ll vet and has always stated that war is an ugly thing, but not defending your country can be worse. Israel wants peace, and everyone in the world has a right to that.
The only way Israel will get its peace if they stop forcing the Palestinians to live in Ghettos. It's funny how Israeli's seem to forget that the situation the Palestinians are in are no better than their ancestors between 1933 to 1941.
Any comparison between the Nazi regime and Israel is preposterous. Are the Israeli's shipping Palestinians for systematic extermination in concentration camps? Did Israel ever state its desire for an Arab-free Palestine? Statements like yours are nothing but cheap demagoguery.
Remember the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, theft of nuclear secrets and material and the spying of Jonathan Pollard. The Zionists have stolen billions of tax dollars just to maintain their lavish lifestyles. God Bless Palestine!
That ship isn't here for a Gaza rescue dummy.
Be careful there...never we forget the Liberty...if you don't know google it. All Americans should know their history...
USS Liberty that is...
You know that you ARE a racist id!ot for saying this. A loser as usual.
A racist idiot and loser for posting the truth...wow really! Is that the best you can do? When presented with facts one cannot overcome, out comes the race card and insults...absolutely pathetic
Now we know why Cocopuf's are coo-coo!
~Blessed Be to all~
Get lost. We don't censor history just because it upsets some crybabies. Suck it up.
What if the fine folks of Gaza will just stop firing missiles into Israel?
Just asking?
If Hamas stopped firing ineffective rockets into Israel, I bet that it would be all good and they would go back to pre 1948 borders, like real quick, and give back all the lands that families had before US and UK installed a jewish government, which ultimately kept moving more and more people to the region and displacing the indigenous people who lived there.
Or, if not that I bet they would give equal rights to the people of those territories, or assist them in building a nation, to help cut down on the hate, and teach the children, and give them health care, and energy, and water and end the apartheid.
Sure, I bet that would happen.
Or Israel could stop bombing Palestinians. It takes two to tango.
Usually the side that is getting their asses handed to them is the one that stops first. Just sayin.
You really think Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for months? That's complete b.s. Hamas didn't start shooting rockets until Israel killed one of their leaders. They're wrong on both sides. Two wrongs don't make a right.
That is funny, going back through recent records I seem to see a lot of missiles being fired at Israel, and after the escalation Israel targeting a valid MILITARY target... Not the other way around. As a matter of fact, for the last several months all I see is Israel destroying missile launch platforms that were firing missiles into civilian areas. I also see that Hamas is falling back on the common tactic of attempting to use civilians as shields, and then screaming at the Israelis when civilians die...
You know this puts me in mind of another militaristic leadership from about 70 years ago...
On Nov 8, the Israelis crossed the Gazan border with 4 tanks, an armored bulldozer, and attack helicopters to knock down a house they did not like. A twelve year old Palestinian boy was killed by machine gun fire from either a tank or a helicopter. This event is the trigger event for the recent escalation, not previous rocket fire from Gaza or the assassination of one of the Hamas leaders.
That is so nice of the U.S. Navy to help those poor people under siege. Hundreds have been killed, and are in need of help. Sorry, what's that? They're helping the other side??!
They helping nobody.
Stupid Chinaman. The side that is losing deserves to lose.
Well it doesn't surprise me that the Communist News Network would block my post. Guess the truth hurts.
Yep...the truth hurts liars.
The truth can only hurt liars, and those that bed with liars.
~Blessed Be to all~
Our generation is smarter. We should be able to make right choices. I think all Jews from other countries should go back and only Jews living in palistinian land should stay there. They should invite all other people of the region who are from the region irrespective of their religion and they all should live in peace. I think Jews from Europe , Russia and other countries are just playing power game and even fooling the innocent peace loving Jews.,,,
I think you are smoking.
Your proposal is not practical.
For Jews going "back" is going to Israel.
I'll try to help you.
The Arabs living in the Levant should go back. Back for them is the Saudi Peninsula.
How practical is this?
The only practical approach is for Arabs to accept Israel for what it is.
Stop lobbing missiles at Israel would be a nice first step.
Planting Israel in that part of the world was wrong . It is like if a white family moving into a black neighborhood
These 3 amphib ships were on there way home after 8 months. I can only imagine how them and there families feel. thanks for serving.
My husband is serving on one of those ships for the Marine Corps and it is definitely hard for us back here who were anticipating a reunion. Thanks for such a nice comment considering the amount of offensive comments made without regard to the sacrifices these men and women and their families are making.
The sacrifices they are making are to everything but what they are supposed to be making them for.
Unless they stand down, awol and/or mutiny, they will be intrinsic in killing you, me, your children, my chlldren and alot of other Americans...and they will watch them all die via satellite. The orders they are taking now, are from a puppet regime that are taking orders from tptb that are killing economies and govt's across the globe, but especially in the U.S.A..
You cannot serve two masters....and they better realize that they need to serve themselves...or they might as well just sink themselves.
I know that sounds harsh..but that is the reaity that need to be given. I don't like it to be that way, but it's the truth.
Yeah..thanks for serving....for the wrong reason.
Thanks for serving the true killers...because you are NOT serving the ones you took an oath to serve.
Thanks for getting those killers one step closer to killing my children and your children in this country...and any future they may have had to make it better.
~Blessed Be to all~
@Whiztard67 Take your Theoretical non-factual Bull and shove it. Seriously, I don't understand where you people (theorists) come up with these notions WITHOUT any hard evidence. I'm sure you also believe that 9/11 was an inside job to start wars....gahhh...people like you...
Whizerd67, instead of attacking those who serve, why don't you put some of your energy into fighting the money masters. It is obvious you think that is where the root of the problem is.
Thank you for this. After reading these past outlandish comments, it's nice to see that someone does have true consideration for those involved. My husband is on one of those ships and the extension has been difficult. But thank you for your consideration. It really is appreciated.
It's a conflict that has gone on for centuries.. Who knows that the reason is anymore. Bottom line a ceasfire has to come from both sides before this escalates into something worse. This taking sides thing is kinda silly, people are dying. not soldiers.. but women and children.
Our generation is smarter. We should be able to make right choices. I think all Jews from other countries should go back and only Jews living in palistinian land should stay there. They should invite all other people of the region who are from the region irrespective of their religion and they all should live in peace. I think Jews from Europe , Russia and other countries are just playing power game and even fooling the innocent peace loving Jews.
What is wrong with you people hating the jews? Israel is our closest ally (or supposed to be). If it weren't for them, there would be no one to stand in the crazy arabs way from getting to us. If any country sent hundreds of missles to hit U.S. soil, you bet Israel would be there first to back us up.
We have been feeding you guys for way to long. But how can we ignore women and children dieing because 100000000000 BC Jews was given this land. It is nothing more than a joke. Respect human life and live in peace. We will be happy to feed you in future.
I agree, no killing accepted just to win election by Bibi. Let people in the region live in peace.
With all due respect, this is a lie. You do not "Feed" Israelis. The U.S. aid is 3% of total of the annual Israeli budget. That money is mostly spent in the U.S, providing for U.S. families of workers of the American military industry. It's not "cash" paid to Israel.
Have a little respect for your allies. Israelis saved countless american lives, contributed intel that thwarted more than 200 terror actions in the U.S. – Not to mention the countless American pilot lives Israel saved when it captured the very first Mig-21 ever seen by the west during your Vietnam war. Americans got to fly the plane, analyzed it, and learned how to beat it, thanks to the ingenuity of the Mossad.
Get your facts straight.
The palestinians put their lot in with the arab nations attacking Israel...THEY LOST... Now you are the enemy. Israel won 3 wars to keep what is theirs since biblical times. Live peacefully and you will be treated well, raise a hand and you will be treated as an enemy.
Israel does not need the support from the USA. Have you been to Israel? It's a democratic, technologically advanced nation. what would be nice is the moral support, and someone in the world "sticking up" for us once in a while. History has shown the Jews/Israelis that support (non-$) is valuable, but they know that when it comes down to the line, the only ones who can save them are themselves. This is taught in Israel from grade school. If you are looking for victims...the palestinians know very well how to play that part.
Israel lives off of the U.S. taxpayer. We pay more for the defense of Israel than the Israelies themselves. Many Israelies live in million dollar homes and are quite comfortable in their socialist state. As a U.S. taxpayer, I object to paying for their aggression. Peace.
So Ron, I suppose that Israel would not mind surrendering the 3 billions dollars they get each year plus the additional 3.5 billion we spend maintaining the 1979 Accord with Egypt and the Jordanian peace treaty. Oh yes, how about a refund of 250 million dollars for the Iron Dome defense system and making them use their own money to pay for the 35 F-35 fighters we are giving them. Let's cancel the loan guarantees and remove the additional 3 billion dollars worth of arms we stockpile in Israel that they can use at their discretion. Finally, why don't we remove the veto at the UN Security Council and vote to uphold International law, like condemning the illegal settlements in the West Bank. US support of Israel far exceeds the paltry 3% of Israel's GDP. Time to stop thinking like an accountant and think like an economist, it is all about opportunity cost.
I stand by Israel, and clearly it has the right to defend it's self, Israel was created by the united states and it's strength comes from us, our war jets, our guns, our missiles, and even our iron dome. It is our strength and our weapons they wield, they do not need our boots on the ground too, at least not yet. Lets hope it does not come to that shall we?
You sound like an IDF agent or Jew on payroll to be here. America doesnot stand for killing innocent civilian for biblical crap
I did not say anything about biblical crap, I could care less what you think, and if you were smart enough to read my whole post you would see my post promotes peace.
You forgot to mention the money part. Where do you think THAT came from?
You're all deluded sheep. And you are about to die because of it.
~Blessed Be to all~
And the fundamental training of our Special Forces, specifically our NAVY SEALS come from Britain and Israeli special forces...If that tells you anything about the Israeli military. Btw, I'm not blowing hot air, check history.
Palestine has the right to defend itself. Israel is the aggressor.
Israel was one of the first countries that had our back when dealing with Afghanistan. The Israeli Army is beastly, the general infantry, their spec ops units, and all.
i don't recall them marching into Afghanistan, do you?
I guess you forgot to read up on the effectiveness of the IDF ground forces during the Second Lebanon War. Can you say "Buttkicking"? I thought you could.
you lying low-life pig. Israel has never assisted in aiding the U.S. in any war...the pigs don't have the ballz and go after people shoothing bottle rocket and throwing stones..they are sneaky low life pigs to the core..
israelis are backstabbing low-life pigs plain and simple have ruined the U.S.
Don't understand why we are funding states like Israel, they are sucking our economy and holding us hostage in our own country. I think it is about time to tell our dear friend Israel that party is over. End the occupation and go back home and not your so called biblical BS.
Let's not start with the money issue buddy , this is the last thing you should worry about . The world is about to dangle on the potential all out war , funding them is good idea and in favor of our country , we supply ,train afganistan army and police and what they did for us in return ????? Blow up our TOWERS ??? So funding isreal shouldn't be a topic for you buddy! Plus in return I bet isreal in return would do so much one day if needed . One hand washs another ! That's the moral code of human life !
How incredibly unlettered of you to wrap your backwards beliefs in the banner of 9/11 while excoriating those Americans who disagree with you by inferring that they are unpatriotic. Are you capable of making a solid point without a) insulting those with whom you disagree; or b) bending your knee blindly to a country whose entire moral precepts seem to be based upon the indiscriminate killing of innocent children?
You're the biggest brainwashed idiot of them all.
If you stop the CORRUPT money, you stop the CORRUPT wars.
If we get into a world war, and 'win'...we still LOSE...because hose in power are still in power. And Those in power have that much MORE money to have MORE power. And they had the time, with the war DISTRACTION, to fine-tune everything they have been trying to accomplish.
So YEAH...lets DO start with the money issue, you moron....and END IT THERE.
~Blessed Be to all~
You're kidding right? Israel is "Sucking our economy". You are a funny person whoever you are man, woman or child.
Blaming the economy on such a country tells a lot of things about you. Do you care to restate that comment? I am a man by the way.
If a atomic bomb hits your area one day then no money in the world can ever buy or repair the consequences , rather be ready. Economy got nothing to do you don't worry about that it will just be sucked out of the taxes that we pay or the bridges and tunnels that I pay to get to work, there will always be money for us here to be a civilized society , on other hand isreal needs some help as they appreciate it and always mean good . What are some kind of Jew hater you dont know squat
Yeah..you're man.
A man brainwashed with a big fluorescent "X" painted on you and your family for culling because you are sheep.
Stop the money, you stop ALL the BS going on. Or just watch you family die.
Mine will too because of people like you that have NO common sense and have no clue as to what is what.
You might wanna consider ducking lessons...you're going to need them, fool.
BTW..if an atomic bomb is dropped at this point...you wont have to worry about it anymore..because the GLOBE will be virtually DEAD.
So let me just give you thanks right now, for killing everyone. At least being a part of helping to do so.
Thats a REAL man isn't it?
~Blessed Be to all~
Our founding father based this country on bibilical principals, One nation under god . Look at the white house 10 commandments . A true american will have bible standards to live by. If not join islamic nations of the middle east, or communist china which is hindu an buddist. I'm ready for jesus to return . It's verry biblical for a major war in the middle east . All nations will gather against Israel even mighty america will join in . God bless to all.
And those of us that think logically, those of us that choose none of the 2000+ different religious views, will continue to use our whit and not a 2000+ yr old book to live prosperously and wisely, and win wars with self ingenuity...because prayer sure as hell will not help.
WOW!... Ignorance Abounds!... GO YWHW!
Bad placement of that comment... i was approving of Gods actions in the middle east.. im waiting patiently to see if this escelates to fullfill prophecy.
^ 5
~Blessed Be to all~
Israel is our ally, I repeat...ally. We help our allies. The USA doesn't have many left. On another note, Israel is surrounded by several muslim countries who hate them and repeatedly state that israel should be wiped off the face of the earth. This isn't about land. It never was. Just pure hatred towards Israel. Palestine is part of the bigger picture of the jew hating muslim countries like egypt, libya, iran, syria etc. They ALL hate Israel and want to destroy her.
So take away the reason, the only justification to hate the Israelis. Treat the Palestinians like human beings and the Arab nations have NO JUSTIFICATION to make a move. Then the US would be justified in making their move. It's not rocket science
Egypt and Jordan get much more $ from Israel. Israel supplies intel to the USA to keep it safe. The IDF cant join their forces with the USA forces (publicly) because all the muslim nations would have a hissy fit and put the USA troops in danger. The second the USA asks for Israeli troops, they will be there...without question or doubt.
Nicole, please look up US aid to Egypt and Jordan pre and post treaties with Israel. These treaties are merely extensions of US aid to Israel by purchasing quiet neighbors.
Obviously if you hate isreal you don't know what's right from wrong ,people that think launching missiles is ok and then when pay back comes they can't play . All the hAters of isreal you guys don't understand without isreal on the map the world is very vulnerable , US is standing behind isreal because it's n
Knows a righteous country when they see it . iSREAl & US need each other . You DONT want a world without ISREAL because maybe one day the same people that trying to destroy isreal might come to your backyards . Think of 911!!!!!!!
Honestly you Jews can do anything. I now strongly believe that Mosad has hand in 9/11
Yeah, Israeli intelligence told those in charge in the US that they heard that a airplane was going to crash into a building. Other intelligence agencies from around the world, namely Germany, France, Russia and a bunch of other countries told the US the same thing. Do you listen to fox news? Maybe you could stop?
The jews are also responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs, global warming and 1906 earthquake and fire. Proud Americana? you may be an American by passport, but your true nationality is Nazi. Bet you got a very small penis and leather boots in your closet.
Remember 9/11? Sure, but I also remember the U.S.S. Liberty!
Sure. Canadian friendly fire killer British. British friendly fire killed Americans, America friendly fire killed British.
But when Israeli friendly fire accidentally hits a ship - it's a JEWISH CONSPIRACY.
The liberty was an accident. It's an accident because there is no logic to it. There is nothing for Israel to gain by killing members armed forces of its closest ally. It just doesn't make sense...... unless you're a Nazi! then it makes perfect sense. Evil jews!!!
Three aircraft carriers along with 2500 troops to evacuate Americans from Israel? Who are they kidding??? Just how many Americans are living in Israel?
America should ban American Jews to carry two passport. Either they are isreali or american.
Uh, they want the ships there for their helo assets. So, ship's company goes along for the ride.
Get real!
None of the named ships are aircraft carriers.
Marines have been used around the world to rescue Americans from countries that became unsafe to stay in. Would you prefer we abandon the Americans?
Jesus was Son of God....or whatever BS. Jews were right in killing him.
Popeye... I just wanted to say "your welcome"... My son is one of these fine brave servicemen that was on his way home to a real Thanksgiving dinner and a family. Our sacrifice allows you the freedom to say stupid comments and ridicule our beliefs... Isn't America a great country when you can insult the very people who protect your freedom to insult them? Have a happy Thanksgiving while the families of these protectors of freedom sacrifice their holiday for you!
I am proud Jew and btw Moses came before your son of god.....
Both of your religions mean nothing. There are plenty of free minds out there that protect your willingness to be a slave. Be proud of your sons service, but dont try to say he is better because of his religion
Your son just got your head blown off...and you don't even see it.
He's not going to see it either, he'll be too busy taking orders for something he has no business taking orders for.
If you do happen to live through the coming days, it will be because you are a sheep servant. Him too.
~Blessed Be to all~
Reply to Josh: What are you? An atheist, an agnostic or just a run of the mill a**hole. You said Jesus was the Son of God, no you fool, Jesus is the Son of God. Now crawl back into your hole that you live in, to continue your ignorant life.
not everyone believes the same fairytale
go back to the cave you came out of and hide in the blindness of your religion.
The arab states will only try to bargain a peace plan with Israel knowing America supports them. These countries like Egypt, Iran , and their underlings talk a lot of talk but not much else. I think most Americans have had it with the jihadists running around . They forget who is the ass-kicker of the world and will need reminding again..,,,
Its sad to see that American public is so ignorant and stupid.
say who the ass kicker of the world is. I hope you aren't comparing WW2 ass-kickers , they finished the job on a global scale in 4 years, I think ten years and limping away with job undone isn't as impressive.
I just want my mum back home
To do what with her?
Are you really as daft as you sound? Sick unit!
We Jews are God choosen people with the right to kill anybody whether they are christian or muslims, old or young. Only Jews are suppose to dominate the world. Americans are stupid people.
Its sad that you see things this way, it was the jews that killed Jesus, it is the jews the much of the world has become tired of. Yet it is the Americans that stand behind you which is the reason you haven't been overrun and left without a country. But yet you sit here snubbing your nose thinking your God like. For the record God didnt give you nor anyone the "right" to kill. I'd say you sound more like a muslim shouting that infidel bs.
I don't understand American. We in israel are saving your ass otherwise you dumb people don't know anything. We are running your country otherwise it would have disappeared by now. Look at your math and science score.
Are you really jewish, or are you a muslim just trying to start anti jewish sentiment? Either way, you're an idiot. There, I said it, you made go 5th grade on you. I hope you're proud of yourself.
LoveIsrael here is a fake muslim puppet troll folks and they are posting propaganda trying to mis lead, mis inform, and disrupt and break bonds of all of us infidels. They are troll posting and spamming every on line discussion they can get into. So stay strong, stay smart an hold firm while we pass this test while Iran pulls all the strings of it puppets Like Assad in Syria and Hamas in Gaza using the good people in both areas as cannon fodder to keep us busy while they finnish the last steps for their nuclear weapons. Hold fast my friends this is a true test of our times.
I am american jew and I disassociate myself from Israel. This is not the country that reflects my faith. I hate that we Jew are sending money to these East European Jews to kill kids and women
American Jew there will come a time that you will run to Israel
Jews like you are a disgrace on this earth. Real Jews are peace loving and respect life. They don't just bomb innocent children and call it collateral damage. I disagree with Jews like you.
We sends ships in case we need to be evacuated, not to help Israel.
Dont worry George we are doing both...... ssshhhhh !! Hold the line, stay strong.
Why do the Palestine people even bother trying to start a war, if they are out gunned?
Out of desparation. Imagine being imprisoned for years without food and shelters. CNN is calling their stone throwing as rockets.
Can you throw stones that far? In this world of internet information there really is not excuse for your ignorance.
To play the victum card an try to unite islam an take the focus off Iran to buy time.
Wondering why did Jews kill Jesus. We should hold them responsible. They need to apologize before begging for more money and weapons to kill poor people in a prison (gaza)
Jesus was a Jew too you nimrod and the Romans had a hand in his death as well.
You are a clever Jew. Blame Romans for what you guys did.
You're a bigot and you're disappointing Jesus.
Jesus would never stand for someone who claims to follow him insulting Jews.
You'd be comfortable worshipping Satan with all the hate you apparently have inside.
But stop giving Christians a bad name, we love Jewish people and we would fight to the last man to protect Israel from being ruined by the Mislims again..
(Talking to BornChristian who is trying to take up old bigotries that 99% of Christians now rightly think are mistakes made by nut job fundamentalists. Hating Jews doesn't spread Christ's message.)
I invite you to think past your nose & realize the absurdity of your statement. According to the story, he didn't come here to die of old age... Christians should credit Jews, not blame them, because his dad's plan wouldn't have been fully executed if he hadn't been.
What's so difficult to understand about this extremely fundamental point that just so happens to be CRUX to Christianity?
Do tell.
I support israel and all,but I think it's about time we stop meddling in the affairs over there,let the Israeli's take care of themselves , afterall they have the upper hand already , it's about time America fix its pen problems and take care of it's citizens. We really need to stop wasting money on war machines nor giving other countries monetary aid, including israel
I totally agree no money for Israel. No american blood to save murderers
The U.S does not help others because we are kind hearted,there is always an interest involved.
I felt bad about the fatalities on both side but this thing is getting tiresome.. I think after the world should let them resolve their issues with no meddling from anyone.
That would work if we made it a fair fight. Give the Palestinians Jets, Antiaircraft guns, and nukes and then let them go at it.
I totally agree. we should let them fight and die. No money for Jews and arabs or Egyptians. They are both blood suckers.
who are you to decide where and to whom money and /or help should be send to, Dan?
Too late, we (USA) already fully funded the Israeli military.
I know but we can nuke the hell out of them
Feeling sorry for fatalities on the Palastinian side is like feeling sorry for a robber who gets shot.
George , how can you think non-Jews are inferior and their death means nothing, just because some crap told us the biblical BS.
USA should stand with Israel and fight. We need Israel as much as they need us.
what the hell do we need israel for? Besides living off us. They want to go to war, then let them fight it. We are involved in to much already!
Try to think about the big picture-
Jewish countries 1, Muslim countries 49. Are you sure it's Israel you should be worried about?
Well, Gary, it happens we have a joint defense treaty with Israel, like it or not. Are you really suggesting that we abandon allies that we have agreed to defend? There will be no one standing with us when China moves into the Azores, and Russia stations nuclear subs in the Gulf of Mexico. But, you should rest well. The statements and actions of this Administration pretty clearly highlight our true goal at the current time: to "evacuate" Israel and leave the territory unpopulated. That is what friendship is to our narcissistic soon-to-be dictator.
gary how would you feel if someone was firing rockets into your town? gary tell me why it is Israels fault and the world call israel the aggresser when hamus is firing 200 + rockets a day at Israel?
It's people like who make the hamus think they are alright to kill israel.
Number of middle east countries with atomic weapons 1 number without 49, MAYBE we should be worried!
Huh?? Fight what? Who? The people of Gaza are shooting fireworks at the Israelis and the Israelis are dropping bombs on the Palestinians.. This doesn't even remotely ressemble anything close to a war. How many Israelis have died? About 2 probably from tripping on curbs.. Whereas over 100 Palestinians have died from bombings.
Because of the disparity in weapons..something Hamas should have thought about before lobbing those missiles some of which are so faulty they;re falling back on their own heads and causing a significant part of the fatalities....
Dandy if I shoot you with a bb gun enough times you will do what ever it takes to stop me.But it's only a bb gun can't do more but sting a little.
yes i agree the word of god say so.
I'm rooting for Israel in this round, but that's a gross overstatement. Their need for the US is clearly greater than our need for them.
Dan, if you want to go stand by Israel be my guest. Just don't expect our troops to stand by you, they've had enough of war over the past 10 years while you probably sat on your couch.
. The US is flat broke, and "war weary" is not a strong enough term.This is tragic for Israel, but it is not our war. It's complex issue with strong disagreement even in Israel, but I believe Israel should have at least stopped building settlements. I believe their only chance for peace may be go back to 1967 pre 10 days war borders.
We in the US get a distorted view of what is happening in the mid East for reasons I will not discuss here.
Its like the sky is falling on America and the curtains are closing on the U.S.A. We can't even afford health-care for poor people or the disabled, yet the deficits and costs keep increasing. This world is over populated nobody wants to do anything about that and religious zealotry. Peace
so Obama plans to keep his promise to wipe Israel from the face of the earth
Josh, why would you same something like that?
I might have been confusing Obama with the president of Iran..all those crazy dictators look alike to me.
@ josh ure an insane human benign
So Josh... how long have you been a paranoid Zionist Jew??
Yes Josh, that's why Obama approved 205 million dollars for the Iron Shield. C'mon...
Yes josh...so the distraction from the REAL people in power can initiate and fine tune their agenda for the U.S., and most of the rest of the world. This is handing the Holy Grail of the agenda right into their hands. Nothing more.
Thanks for supporting that, while being blind to it.
You're as good as dead.
~Blessed Be to all~
at this point because we have a wicked President, and wicked congressmen as a whole...I am praying for Israel. " Is anything too hard for the Lord?" " Not by power not by might but by my Spirit says the Lord.". God is capable of taking care of Israel because most of the Middle East, hates the God of the Bible." " I am the Lord thy God and thou shalt not have other gods before me." that includes the religion of secular humanism and 'new age', really Luciferic religions. God's enemy.Israel needs to attack because of the missile attacking them for months now.
How ironic,Jews killed your Jesus which in your religion was the son of God,and they don,t believe in him till this day,but yet you are praying for Jews,what a world.
Actually I wish that Iran would wipe Israel from the face of the earth. I am so tired of my tax dollars and the attention of my government being focused on protecting little Israel. What has Israel done for us? Nothing. What have we done to Israel that we own them eternal protection? Nothing. Maybe the bible prophesy is true and we'll be dragged into a huge war in the middle east because of Israel. Its time for Americans to start demanding of our leaders to focus on the home folks and stop helping foreigners who don't even deserve our help.
Hope the U.S. doesn't outsmart itself. Remember the Liberty?
We should ALL remember the USS Liberty and keep our backs covered around all those folks
If Gaza really wanted nothing to do with Israel and Egypt really wanted to help them regain independence they would stop accepting power and water from Israel. Any reason Egypt isn't supplying them with power and water? Services which are still continued, by the way, even now while they're bombing. Not to mention, Gaza didn't let foreign diplomats leave until yesterday, and they were accompanied by 26 injured to be taken to Israels hospitals. Too bad Israel had to give them 80 trucks worth of food and medical supplies for the pleasure.
If Gaza is so "poverty striken" why instead of buying food the buy weapons?!
Great show of humanity – and silly regurgitating of Hasbara talking points. Israel is taking Palestinian underground water without Palestinian consent, according to international experts. Read http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/09/israel-pillaging-palestinian-resources/ and http://desip.igc.org/TheftOfWater.html. A quick search will provide more docs. along these lines.
Sounds kind of like...... Hey we .. uhh We will be right over here in case any one needs a ride home. Yea we don't want to be accused of "Leaving anyone behind". Shoot? No no we are not going to shoot anyone.. No drones on this Cruise Liner no sir ree, What? Have Israels back? Well yea yea sure. We are gonna stay back. Those dang Hamas rockets are pretty inaccurate ya know. Why MSNBC claims they are mostly harmless but would you want to get hit by one? That was all off the record by the way, right?
US Warship move to the region ????? What a bullshet news s this ?? Is warship move to the region to help Israil against palasinians ??? What a Shame for a world power , World Leader America supports a Atomic bombs holder Israil against palastinians who fight with stone and small arms ... Fight should be Justify.. Insted of helping jews US Should provide arms and armunations to the palastinanins freedom fighter than world can say war is justify with equal arms ....know its shame for America stop supporting Jews who is the occipier of palastinain lands
Palestinians are on Jewish land. Also let's not forget Israel has always been a key US ally and their loyalty has never bent. That alone is reason enough, unwavering loyalty.
Their loyalty? They sunk a U.S. warship, they have spies and ops in the US meant to shape events here, they sell weapons tech to China to include AWACS and fighter jet tech. Stop drinking the kool-aid.
The Palestinians are on Palestinian land
Either use spell check or learn to spell before commenting again! Otherwise, your comments won't be taken serious.
You mean taken seriously, right? Before you decide to correct someone, check your grammar. Moron!
U.S. WARSHIPS TO ISRAEL....MAYBE OBAMA SEES THE REAL TERRORISTS – THE ISRAELI'S- AND WILL GET SOME PAYBACK FOR THE SLAUGHTER BY THE ISRAELI AIRFORCE, OF THE 34 U.S. SAILORS ABOARD THE USSLIBERTY IN 1967- THAT WAS BRUSHED UNDER THE RUG BY THE TRAITOROUS LYNDON JOHNSON AND McNAMARA.- ISRAEL..
I hate you. You are black and useless.
we should all just pray for peace everywhere, one thing for sure we would all be better off.
Israel beckons and the USA heels.
We'd move ships to any country near the sea with a sizable number of Americans possibly in harms way.
Uh yeah, we actually support Israel and we should because they are always there for us as well.
Rich, they're there for us because we're their sugar daddies.
So now its costing us money to move our ships there to baby sit, It figures,,
Israel is an ally and a friend.
Israel doesn't have friends, they are simply leeches on humanity.
Are we deploying US warships to assist Israel? I don't think Gaza is Iran. I am pretty sure they have no Navy, Airforce, and little or no cross boarder capability. This is so asymetrical as to be a scenario from a computer game that has set the AI to EASY
I certainly do hope we are deploying our ships in defense of Israel. It is the least we can do. They have been terrorized for too long with miscellaneous fire and rockets. Just because people around them want to hurt them. Imagine your neighborhood or where you live. People fire rockets that may hit your home or simple grenades. They don't care whether you believe like they or not. The result is people are hurt. They think they need your land where you are living.
I believe in the Hebrew State and Jewish State that Israel does Exist in those lands and is God's Chosen Land and People.
Honestly we Jew think we have biblical right and we are chosen people but in our heart we know that it is absurd and stupid to claim somebody's else country and kill the entire generation. With time we will defeat palestinian and take over America before kicked out of this world
You sure? Gaza was firing Iranian missiles at Israel.
So We are Israel, since they use our weapons? That doesn't sound like a very good place to be for America, we can not choose our fate and must be led by Israel. Since they kill with our guns and military aid. I guess the decision to drop cluster bombs in Lebanon by Israel was the US also, since , as you say we supplied the weapons. I bet some Lebanese must think we are insane.
Good God, are there any adults making comments on here? It sounds like a playpen full of ill-mannered children trading insults and lies. Aljazeera looks better every day.
war is not the answer
War is not the answer.


text:
— -- In a deeply divisive case pitting advocates of religious liberty against women's right's groups, the Supreme Court said today that two for profit corporations with sincerely held religious beliefs do not have to provide a full range of contraceptives at no cost to their employees pursuant to the Affordable Care Act.
In a 5-4 opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito the court held that as applied to closely held corporations the Health and Human Services regulations imposing the contraceptive mandate violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Alito was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas. Justice Anthony Kennedy filed a concurring opinion.
The decision is a victory for the Green family that owns Hobby Lobby, an arts and crafts chain, and the Hahns who own Conestoga, a cabinet making company, who had challenged the so called contraceptive mandate saying it forced them to either violate their faith or pay ruinous fines. They object specifically to four of the drugs and devices at issue because they say they have the potential to destroy an embryo. The government defended the provision as an essential part of health care coverage for women.
Supremes Consider Contraception Challenge
3 Questions Facing the Supreme Court in Contraception Case
Planned Parenthood Goes After Sen. McConnell With New TV Ad
Here's what you need to know about the decision:
What did the court rule?
The court rejected the government's claim that neither the owners nor the corporations could bring a religious liberty claim. "Protecting the free-exercise rights of corporations like Hobby Lobby, Conestoga … protects the religious liberty of the humans who own and control those companies," Alito wrote.
Alito said the court has "little trouble" concluding that the HHS contraceptive mandate substantially burdens the exercise of region: "The Hahns and the Greens believe that providing the coverage demanded by the HHS regulation is connected to the destruction of an embryo in a way that is sufficient to make it immoral for them to provide the coverage."
What else did Alito hold in his majority opinion?
Although the Government argued the mandate was essential to providing a full range of benefits for women's health, Alito said, "the Government has failed to show that the contraceptive mandate is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest," according to the majority opinion.
Alito wrote that the owners of Hobby Lobby believe that the coverage required of the health care law "is connected to the destruction of an embryo in a way that is sufficient to make it immoral for them to provide the coverage … HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] has not shown that it lacks other means of achieving its desired goal without imposing a substantial burden on the exercise of religion by the objecting parties in these cases."
Alito said the opinion was limited to closely held corporations: "Our decision should not be understood to hold that an insurance coverage mandate must necessarily fall if it conflicts with an employer's religious beliefs. Other coverage requirements, such as immunizations, may be supported by different interests (for example, the need to combat the spread of infectious diseases) and may involve different arguments about the least restrictive means of providing them. "
What did Ginsburg's dissent say?
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a dissent, joined on the merits by Justice Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer.
In her dissent Ginsburg –disagreed with Alito --and worried about what other challenges might come next. :"Reading the Act expansively, as the court does, raises a host of "Me, too" questions. Can an employer in business for profit opt out of coverage for blood transfusions, vaccinations, antidepressants, or medications derived from pigs, based on the employer's sincerely held religious beliefs opposing those medical practices."
Ginsburg wrote , "The exemption sought by Hobby Lobby and Conestoga would override significant interests of the corporations' employees and covered dependents. It would deny legions of women who do not hold their employers' beliefs access to contraceptive coverage that the ACA would otherwise secure"
She took the unusual step of reading her dissent from the bench.
What is the White House saying?
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest: "President Obama believes that people should make personal health care decisions for themselves rather than their bosses deciding for them. Today's decision jeopardizes the health of women who are employed by these companies. As Millions of women know firsthand, contraception is often vital to their health and well-being. That is why the Affordable Care Act ensures that women have access to contraceptive care, along with other preventative care, like vaccines and cancer screenings. We will work with Congress to make sure that any women effected by this decision will still have the same coverage and vital health services as everyone else."
What are liberals and allied groups saying?
DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz: "I am disappointed and deeply concerned by the Supreme Court's decision today in the case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans have gained access to preventive services without out-of-pocket costs, including birth control. However, this decision takes money out of the pockets of women and their families and allows for-profit employers to deny access to certain health care benefits based on their personal beliefs. Nearly sixty percent of women who use birth control do so for more than just family planning."
What are conservatives and allied groups saying?
"This is a great victory for religious liberty – the bedrock of our founding," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. "In living out our religious convictions, there are certain things we must not do. This is why we are at a watershed moment. Religious people will no longer be ordered to take action that our religion says we must not take.
Carrie Severino, chief counsel to the Judicial Crisis Network, on Hobby Lobby: "The Supreme Court today upheld the liberty at the heart of the Constitution: the right to religious freedom. The Court rightly concluded that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects religious business owners just as much as it protects their employees. RFRA guarantees not just a right of religious worship or speech, but religious exercise. Today the Supreme Court reaffirmed religious freedoms that literally centuries of Americans have enjoyed from even before the founding of this country.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins learned of the ruling this morning as he met with the Hahn family, founders and owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties: "The Supreme Court has delivered one of the most significant victories for religious freedom in our generation. We are thankful the Supreme Court agreed that the government went too far by mandating that family businesses owners must violate their consciences under threat of crippling fines.
What are prominent GOP members of Congress saying?
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex.: "Today's victory in the Hobby Lobby case is terrific news -- but now is no time to rest. We cannot rely on the courts alone to defend our religious liberty"
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah: "I applaud the Supreme Court's decision to protect the religious freedom of all Americans, both individually and collectively. The notion that religious freedom belongs only to some, and even then only in private, defies our nation's traditions, our laws, and our Constitution. And as the Supreme Court rightfully said today, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act could not have been clearer in saying religious liberty of all Americans must be equally protected and not unnecessarily burdened
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn: "I am extremely encouraged by today's Supreme Court decision to uphold the religious liberty rights of the Green family of Hobby Lobby.
Remind me, what happened during oral arguments?
Paul D. Clement, a lawyer for the companies told the Justices in March that for-profit corporations—with sincerely held religious beliefs—should not have to provide coverage for four FDA approved contraceptives. The Green Family, who are evangelical Christians and the Hahns, who are Mennonites, object to four of the drugs and devices because they say they have the potential to destroy an embryo.
Clement argued the law substantially burdens his clients and that the government—which has exempted others from the law—had no compelling justification to force Hobby Lobby and other closely held businesses to provide the coverage.
Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. told the justices at oral arguments that the challengers to the law were asking for a radical departure from precedent . In briefs he said, "The Supreme Court has never granted a religious accommodation to a secular business that comes at the expense of its employees."
He argued that the corporations' claimed burden is "too attenuated" because it is the plan participants who decide which services to use in consultation with their doctors." Verrilli argued that the mandate is a part of a comprehensive insurance scheme and serves the government's interest in public health and gender equality.
ABC's Jake Lefferman contributed to this report.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tag: Jeff Applegate
Andy Laperriere & Jeff Applegate: Could The Election Be Any Closer?
November 2, 2012
With only a handful of days to go before the election, what's at stake for investors? How big a deal would a second term for President Obama or a first term for President Romney be for the economy and the markets? Top rated Washington analyst, Andy Laperriere and Morgan Stanley's global Chief Investment Officer, Jeffrey Applegate weigh in on this week's Consuelo Mack WEALTHTRACK. Continue Reading »


text:
As the cold creeps in, it's time for a garden check up. Here's our guide on what to remove, keep, plant, cut back, and how to read and care for your garden during this transitional time. With a few quick fixes, you'll not only have some gorgeous clippings to dress up your table, but exterior spaces that look lush and lively well into fall.
Out With the Old, and in With the New
What to Dig Up
Many summer annuals, like zinnias, cosmos and impatiens, will just now be starting to turn yellow and will worsen or die out completely with the frost. These can be dug up and completely removed.
What to Keep
Some summer annual exceptions are pansies, violas, and snapdragons. "Leave these in the ground for as long as you want, even through the winter," says Charlie Nardozzi, horticulturist for the National Gardening Association.
What to Plant
If you don't want bare beds through the fall, consider planting annuals that are known to thrive in cooler temperatures. Chrysanthemums, flowering cabbage, pansies, and violas are good choices and are available now in garden centers, Nardozzi says.
Get Your Perennials in Order
Cutting Back
When you see perennials starting to yellow or die out, it's time to cut them back. Cut them to three inches above the ground, so you can still see their location when planting bulbs in the coming weeks. Use the cut flowers to dress a dining or hall table. They will typically last seven to ten days once cut. Just trim the stems and change the water every 2 to 3 days.
Divide and Conquer
If your perennials aren't flowering like they used to, consider dividing them. This technique should be done every three to four years for all perennials, Nardozzi says. Dig up the plant, split it in half, and replant it in two locations. When doing this, beware of crowding your flowerbeds, if they lack ample space they will flower less. Proper division will ensure that they blossom more fully next season.
What to Keep
Some perennials, such as dahlias, peonies, and coneflowers last well into fall, so hold off on clipping until you absolutely have to. Plus, they may even look better in autumn. Peonies will develop beautiful burgundy leaves, and coneflowers have a stunning shape that remains once the petals have dropped.
Keep Your Garden Healthy
Pest Watch
Cut back leaves on anything that has been eaten by insects or is turning yellow or brown. This will improve the aesthetic and prevent disease from spreading.
Prevent Heaving
As temperatures cool, plants without a strong root system can be subject to a process called heaving, Nardozzi says. This is when they are actually lifted up, causing the roots to die. Prevent this in newly planted perennials (those from last spring) by adding a layer of mulch around them that nourishes the soil and keeps them in place.
Try Nature's Mulch
Use the leaves in your backyard for nutrient-rich soil that's eco-friendly and cost-efficient, suggests Michele Owens a Garden Rant blogger. "Leaves are the reason why the soil in the forest is so fertile," Owens says. "They protect your plants in the winter and enrich the soil." Simply run over the leaves with a lawnmower to break them down and rake the remains into your flowerbeds.
Embrace Container Gardening
You can't fight the frost, but if you have container gardens, you can ride out that last little bit of warmth and sunshine. Move containers either closer to the warmth of the house or in an area of your yard that has access to direct sunlight to make sure your flowers last as long as possible.


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Story by
Alex Wilhelm
Alex Wilhelm is a San Francisco-based writer. You can find Alex on Twitter, and on Facebook. You can reach Alex via email at [email protected] Alex Wilhelm is a San Francisco-based writer. You can find Alex on Twitter, and on Facebook. You can reach Alex via email at [email protected]
Now that the well of Windows 8 news has all but dried up and blown away following the firing of two Microsoft employees, we have been hard up for new leaks. Happily, today we are ending the drought.
Fresh from the ever lovely, and annoyingly well-connected, Windows8Italia blog comes a grip of new shots of the next version of Office, Office 15. No, not Office 2015, Office version 15, the next edition of the productivity suite that will follow Office 2010 to market.
Look for metro influence as we go through these images together. The build that we are looking at is 15.0.2703.1000.
Now, we have information as well on each of these applications and what they should do that is new in Office 15, but we are working from an Italian source so it is a bit touch and go. Thanks to the glory that is Google Translate, we have our usual, slightly doggerel translation. We always scrub what Google churns out to make it sound less insane, but there are few words today that were beyond salvation.
- There is a tool for filtering data in a thunderstorm [ed. we have no idea]. In this version it does not seem to work, but we probably see a timeline with which to select the records to display.
- New dialog box for entering chart data.
- Import data via Atom feed.
- New features: Converting numbers to Roman numerals , convert numbers from / to an arbitrary basis , operations bit-wise functions, advanced trigonometry , Gauss, Gamma, Phi, Xor.
- Broadcast of documents on the web, such as PowerPoint [ed. general file upload?].
- Animations that make the selection of the text and the scrolling smoother [ed. no thanks!].
- Insert online video and audio.
Sketch effect for diagrams [ed. check out the Visio screenshot above.]
That is what we have right now. We are trying to tighten the translation a touch, but as TNW does not have someone on staff who is fluent in Italian, it is a bit tough. We will be covering Office 15 as carefully as we have Windows 8, as it is one of the three major drivers of Microsoft revenue and profit.
As always, more as it comes.
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Apartments Munda
Big design apartment is located in city center on the elevated ground floor. It is designed for big group of friends.
TripAdvisor link >
Google Maps >
Included in the price
- Bed linen and towels
- Tourist tax
- Extra beds
- Cleaning fee: 59€ or 69€
|12- bedded apartment (min 7)
|18- bedded apartment (min 10)
NOTE Prices are per person per night and are subject to booking time and availability.


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Hackers looking to port Apple's Siri digital assistant to iOS devices other than the iPhone 4S claim to have a rudimentary version of Siri running on the original iPad. Twitter user Jackoplane recently posted screenshots online showing Siri fully integrated into the iPad's operating system. The only problems is Siri can't do much on the iPad right now since most of Siri's processing takes place on Apple servers. Similar to the version of Siri on the iPhone 4 that hacker Steve Troughton-Smith had up and running earlier in October, the iPad doesn't appear to be able to interface with Apple's servers.
But that may not be a long term problem, according to Jackoplane and his Siri hack partner Joshua Tucker. The pair are also working on porting Siri to the iPhone 4 and recently posted an FAQ online (Google Docs) that details their work.
The document hasn't been updated since Friday so there's no mention of the iPad port; however, the pair do claim to have figured out a method to fool Apple's servers into thinking an iPhone 4 is an iPhone 4S. The problem is the scheme appears to require a separate server that can intercept and modify data sent to and from Apple's servers. "Hosting this particular server to intercept [Siri] data…will be the venue for all users to use Siri without an iPhone 4S," according to the FAQ.
It's not clear if Jackoplane and Tucker are working with Troughton-Smith on the iPhone 4 port or if each team is working separately. Troughton-Smith recently said via Twitter that he is still working on porting Siri to the iPhone 4, but would no longer be posting progress reports online until the project was finished.
There's no clear timetable for when hackers will get Siri working on the iPhone, iPad or any other device (Jackoplane and Tucker hope to get Siri working on all iOS devices including the iPhone 3GS), or how it would be released to the public.
In their FAQ, Jackoplane and Tucker say they are concerned about how their work could get them into legal trouble over infringing copyright on Apple's software. In an attempt to get around any copyright issues, the pair say some of the code used to power Siri is being rewritten.
Connect with Ian Paul (@ianpaul ) and Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.


text:
What we offer
Little Rann of Kutch
Testimonials from Guests
We discovered this Splendid Getaway Spot - Royal Safari Camp in Bajana, Gujarat.– Steve Smith - Chicago, Illinois
My friend referred me to visit this place. I wasn't sure about what is it that this place will offer me, but thought of giving a chance.
we happened to know regarding this getaway on the net. looked very appealing . we just took a chance and booked . and today honestly we have no regrets at all. because we are left with very sweet memories of the camp resort.– Dr. Deepak Prabhu Udupi - Karnataka, India
the location is exquisite. Hospitability is excellent. Food is marvellous. rooms and esecially the bathrooms are very clean and upto the mark.
its a really nice place, for adventure loving people. gives you an experience of safari. neat and clean environment, good food (veg & non veg).very good experience, a must visit place.– Mann - Ahmedabad, India
The safari in the desert area gives you the feeling of difficult but genuine wild life, with nice animals and birds. It is an experience you will certainly appreciate.– Giann - Rome, Italy
Excellent place to stay, fantastic hospitality, yummy food, lovely & serene sorrounding, nicely done up with all recreational facilities, we were looked after very well by all of them. Luv to go back again– Hitendra Uppal - Pune, India


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DEAR ABBY: It's tacky to include wish list with invitation
My daughter's third birthday is coming soon, and since the new thing is sending out website-generated invitations, I have noticed that it is becoming common to include the child's interests, clothes/shoe size, etc. in the invitation.
I'm uncomfortable about including this information because I feel a child should be grateful for anything he or she receives as a gift. Am I too old-fashioned or is this tacky? If it is acceptable these days, what's a good way to provide a child's wish list without sounding expectant of anything?
I appreciate that you want to teach your child good manners and good values. How else are children to learn if their parents don't take the time to explain what they are?
I understand some parents try to save time by including the information you have described along with their party invitations, but frankly, it IS tacky. The parents of prospective guests should reply to the invitation by ASKING what gifts the child would enjoy or can use.
If the invitation was issued online, the question can be asked via texting or email. However, a phone call is more personal and, frankly, more refined.
I am a 38-year-old male who has never been married. I have been in three serious relationships, all of them with women who have children. Each time when these relationships ended, I found myself heartbroken and traumatized. I experienced a kind of withdrawal because of the emotional bond I had with the children.
I have now decided to date only women who have no children. But my friends and co-workers say I'm being short-sighted and "closing the door to several opportunities." Because of our disagreements, I find myself spending more and more time away from them, and more time alone.
Are my friends right? Or should I stick to my guns and keep looking for that special someone who does not come with a family attached?
If you prefer to start dating women who don't have children, that is your privilege. Your friends may think you will be missing out on a good thing, but it's really none of their business.
While I agree that by going in this direction you may miss out on a lovely lady who also happens to be a mother, because your sadness after your breakups had more to do with missing the children than the woman you were seeing, a change of pace might be healthy for you.
P.S. If you think these breakups were painful for you, imagine what it was like for the children to have a potential father to whom they had grown close disappear from their lives. This is why many mothers keep their dating lives completely separate until they are sure the relationship will be permanent.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, Calif. 90069.


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Thank you for this article. It's a great help in understanding possible reasons why some students are struggling in reading and why they can't solve mathematical problems . I hope
Screening, Diagnosing, and Progress Monitoring for Fluency: The Details
Screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring are essential to making sure that all students become fluent readers — and the words-correct per-minute (WCPM) procedure can work for all three. Here's how teachers can use it to make well-informed and timely decisions about the instructional needs of their students.
Screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring are essential to making sure that all students become fluent readers — and the words-correct per-minute (WCPM) procedure can work for all three. The only aspect of the procedure that has to change is the difficulty level of the text.
For screening, passages are selected from text at the student's grade level. For diagnosing, passages are selected at the student's instructional level (which may be lower than her grade level). In this context, instructional level text is challenging but manageable, with the reader making errors on no more than one in 10 words (i.e., the reader is successful with 90 percent of the text) (Partnership for Reading, 2001). For progress monitoring, passages are selected at a student's individually determined goal level. For example, if an 8th-grade student's instructional level is at the 5th-grade level, the teacher may conduct the progress monitoring assessments using passages at the 6th-grade level.
Because empirical research clearly indicates the urgent need to provide high quality, intensive instructional interventions to students at risk of reading difficulty as soon as possible (Snow, Burns, and Griffin, 1998), schools should administer screening measures to every student through the 5th grade.
First-graders should be screened in the winter and the spring; second- through fifth-graders should be screened in the fall, winter, and spring. To determine if students are at the expected levels in their reading fluency, my colleague Gerald Tindal and I (2006) suggest comparing students' WCPM scores to the 50th percentile score on the norms table (below), given the students' grade placement and the approximate time of year in which the assessment was conducted.
A score falling more than 10 words below the 50th percentile should raise a concern; the student may need additional assistance, and further assessments may be needed to diagnose the source of the below-average performance. Depending on the age of the student and any concerns about reading performance noted by the teacher or parents, such additional testing might include assessments of oral language development, phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, and/or comprehension.
If a student scores poorly on a fluency screening, or if the teacher has some other cause for concern such as poor performance in class or on another assessment, the teacher should take a more careful look at the student's strengths and needs. The student could be deficient in a variety of reading skills or in related areas like vocabulary and background knowledge, so administering some informal diagnostic assessments would be helpful for designing effective instruction, providing evidence of the need for a reading specialist, or referring the student for further evaluation.
Typically, if a student's fluency level is low, but word reading accuracy in grade-level texts is adequate, a teacher can place the student in an intervention focused just on improving fluency. But if diagnostic assessments indicate other areas of weakness, a more comprehensive intervention may need to be developed. (See example below)
Monitoring student progress
If a student's diagnostic assessment reveals concerns about one or more areas of reading, additional, targeted instruction should begin right away. WCPM procedures can be used to monitor the student's progress. Many educators have found WCPM to be a better tool for monitoring students' progress than traditional standardized measures that typically are time-consuming, expensive, only administered infrequently, and of limited instructional utility (Good, Simmons, and Kame'enui, 2001; Tindal and Marston, 1990).
For students reading six to 12 months below grade level, progress monitoring should be done frequently, perhaps once or twice monthly for as long as students require supplemental instruction. Progress monitoring should be done as often as once per week for students who are reading more than one year below level and receiving intensive intervention services, including special education. This regular monitoring assures that if the intervention is not working well, it can be modified.
When monitoring the progress of these struggling readers, the standard procedures are expanded by graphing the student's WCPM scores. A progress monitoring graph, for perhaps a grading period or a trimester, is created for each student. Teachers can use the average weekly improvement (AWI) data in the norms table to select an ambitious, yet reasonable, instructional goal; for example, a fourth-grader's goal could be to improve by 15 WCPM over 10 weeks of intensive instruction. An aim line is placed on the graph to represent the progress a student must make to achieve a preset fluency goal. Each time the student is assessed, that score is added to the graph. If three or more consecutive scores fall below the aim line, the teacher must consider adjusting the instructional program (Hasbrouck et al., 1999).
Teachers should also consider having the students record their own WCPM scores on their graphs — it increases their motivation and investment in their reading progress (Shinn, 1998).
These procedures for screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring have been available for many years, but have not been widely used in schools (Hasbrouck, et al., 1999). This situation will likely change as educators become more aware of the importance of preventing reading difficulties and providing intensive intervention as soon as a concern is noted.
Using fluency norms to set appropriate goals for student improvement and to measure progress toward those goals can be a powerful and efficient tool to help educators make well-informed and timely decisions about the instructional needs of their students, particularly the lowest performing, struggling readers.
Examples of a diagnosis
Andrew (a pseudonym), is an eighth-grader who recently moved to a different town where he entered a new school in March. It soon became evident to his teachers that Andrew was having difficulty with his academic work.
At a weekly meeting during which teachers discuss any concerns about their students, several teachers brought samples of Andrew's work to share. The teachers agreed that the school's reading specialist should determine if reading problems were contributing to Andrew's struggle with his assignments in several classes.
The reading specialist conducted an IRI (informal reading inventory) and planned to follow up with additional assessments if Andrew's performance on the IRI indicated possible deficits in phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, vocabulary, and/or comprehension. The specialist built a fluency assessment into the initial IRI by using a stopwatch to determine how many words Andrew could read in the first 60 seconds of each IRI passage.
The reading specialist began the IRI using a sixth-grade passage, two years below Andrew's grade. The passage was at a frustration level for him: He had difficulty with decoding, phrasing, and expression, and was only able to correctly answer four of the eight comprehension questions. Because the passage was at Andrew's frustration level, the WCPM score was not calculated. The specialist then repeated the assessment using a fifth-grade passage; Andrew was able to read it with 94 percent accuracy and correctly answer six of the eight comprehension questions.
The specialist calculated Andrew's WCPM score for this passage and compared his score, 131 WCPM, to the norms for fifth-graders in the spring (Hasbrouck and Tindal, 2006). The 50th percentile in the spring of fifth grade is 139 WCPM. Because Andrew's score fell less than 10 words below it, his fluency is within the expected range for fifthgrade readers in the spring.
The reading specialist's conclusion was that Andrew appears to be reading approximately three years below grade level, but that his fluency skill level appears to be appropriate for his overall reading level. Before designing Andrew's reading program, the specialist plans to administer a diagnosticassessment focused on phonics and decoding, and a more comprehensive assessment of vocabulary and comprehension.
She suspects there may be some underlying weaknesses in Andrew's decoding skills contributing to his delay in overall reading development. His intervention will likely include fluency instruction and practice to keep him on track, and may also include decoding and comprehension instruction, depending on the results of the other diagnostic assessments.
Click the "References" link above to hide these references.
Good, III, R.H., Simmons, D.C., and Kame'enui, E.J. (2001). The importance and decision-making utility of a continuum of fluency-based indicators of foundational reading skills for third-grade high-stakes outcomes. Scientific Studies of Reading 5(3), 257-288.
Hasbrouck, J. and Tindal, G.A. (2006, April). ORF norms: A valuable assessment tool for reading teachers. The Reading Teacher, 59(7), 636-644.
Hasbrouck, J.E., Ihnot, C., and Rogers, G.H. (1999). "Read Naturally": A strategy to increase oral reading fluency. Reading Research & Instruction, 39(1), 27-38.Partnership for Reading (September 2001). Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read. Washington, D.C.: National Institute for Literacy; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and U.S. Department of Education.
Snow, C.E., Burns, M.S., and Griffin, P. (Eds.) (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Tindal, G. and Marston, D. (1990). Classroom-based Assessment: Testing for Teachers. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Publishing Company.
Click the "Endnotes" link above to hide these endnotes.
* The increased use of this terminology has created some confusion due to a lack of widely accepted, clear definitions. Screenings are sometimes referred to as benchmark assessments, and their repeated use in the winter and spring is sometimes referred to as progress monitoring. In this article, the term screening is used for universal assessments done two to three times per year and progress monitoring is reserved for frequent formative assessments for students receiving an intervention.
Hasbrouck, J. (2006). For Students Who Are Not Yet Fluent, Silent Reading Is Not the Best Use of Classroom Time. American Educator, Summer 2006, 30(2).
This article justifies how we are assessing fluency for our corporation! Thank you!!
Comment made by RiCk date Nov, 8th, 2012 is about Do(how) Reading Flluency & lexile ranges, meet? As note or sent 2day on the [email protected] file 11/9/12 CC [email protected]
I loved the article. It will be so useful in the classroom.
This article gives me ideas for testing my students' reading ability.


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Postmodern Pilgrimage
I'm not a religious person. The best label for me is probably "agnostic": I don't profess to know whether there is a supreme god or force. Yet anywhere I go in the world, I'm inevitably drawn to the sanctuaries where other people find their gods—the more complicated the political lineage, the better.
I've visited monasteries carved out of cliffs in the Ihlara Valley of Turkey, where the eyes of the saints in the Byzantine frescoes had been scratched away by iconoclasts who feared the evil eye. I timed my arrival in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to coincide with the culmination of the Way of St. James, when thousands of pilgrims from across Europe assemble before the cathedral to celebrate Christianity's victory over Islam by ritually burning a 30-foot replica of a mosque. In Jerusalem, I was swatted by a Greek Orthodox priest herding tourists into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I've sought out some of the farthest-flung Jewish quarters in the world, visiting lonely synagogues in Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Fez, and Havana. The architecture is what drew me, but what I enjoyed most was a deeper insight into the collective will of the culture.
Despite its reputation for being one of the "least-churched" cities in the country, Portland, too, has some extraordinary houses of worship: First Presbyterian, sumptuously crafted by boatbuilders; Sixth Church of Christ Scientist, arguably one of our most transcendent spaces of any kind; Temple Beth Israel, a Byzantine-styled gem; and the amazing collection of modernist churches designed by Pietro Belluschi. But the most interesting expressions of worship at this moment in Portland's history may be happening outside traditional sanctuaries—in bars, schools, living rooms, even a laundromat—and in the multiplying conversations happening across the city about what it means to be religious. The phenomenon—known as the "emerging church" or "postmodern religion"—is certainly occurring in other places, too. But Portland's movement is particularly ripe for exploration.
We begin with "Questions of Faith"—a riveting conversation between Marilyn Sewell, minister emerita of First Unitarian Church, and Christopher Hitchens, one of today's most outspoken atheists. We then introduce you to five local leaders in the theology and practice of the emerging church, from world-renowned historical Jesus scholar Dr. Marcus Borg to Dan Merchant, whose film Lord, Save Us from Your Followers illuminates the common ground between Americans of all faiths by politely asking questions and—a rarity in American discussions of religion—carefully listening to the answers.
Portland may lack the kinds of deep religious conflicts that have shaped the sites of worship I've visited. But given the secular/religious clashes that continue to shape so much of the world, maybe our calmer, more thoughtful discussion of religion makes Portland a uniquely worthy pilgrimage site.


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Smith bolsters rotation chances with performance
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Left-hander Will Smith might face a tough challenge for the Royals' No. 5 starting job, but he certainly did not hurt himself Friday.
Smith started against Texas and pitched two perfect innings in a 5-5 tie with the Rangers in the Cactus League opener at Surprise Stadium. The Rangers got just one ball out of the infield against Smith, and he notched one strikeout, getting David Murphy.
"I felt good out there," Smith said. "Dave [Eiland, pitching coach] gave me something in the offseason to go home and work on, so I took it and worked hard with it. I feel comfortable out there with my delivery now. I'm slowing the game down. I'm happy with it."
The goal, he said, was to stay back more in his delivery.
"I get a little too excited and start rushing, so I stay back and break my hands, and it helps me get downhill, to the bottom of the strike zone better," Smith said.
The Royals also got a two-inning look at one of their top pitching prospects, right-hander Yordano Ventura. He worked a scoreless third inning, with catcher Salvador Perez throwing out a base-stealer, but gave up a two-run homer to Nelson Cruz in the fourth.
"I thought his first inning was very good," manager Ned Yost said of Ventura. "His second inning he got a little inconsistent with his command. His stuff was phenomenal, very electric."
Blaine Boyer, a non-roster right-hander, gave up a two-run homer to Yangervis Solarte with two outs in the ninth to create the tie. The Rangers' other run came off Sugar Ray Marimon. Justin Marks, Nate Adcock and Michael Mariot each pitched a scoreless inning.


text: As an innovation in Additive Manufacturing of complete 3D-parts up to Ø 500 mm, SAUER LASERTEC has now introduced a universal, hybrid CAD / CAM solution for the programming of the additive laser build-up process, as well as for the subtractive milling process. Both combined in only one software package. Thereby all special laser machining strategies have been fully integrated in the existing CAD / CAM module. This allows the flexible production of complete 3D parts by laser deposition welding with intermediate milling operations.


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The Silver Eagle: Forgotten Legion Chronicles 2 (Unabridged)
- $27.99
- $27.99
Publisher Description
The Forgotten Legion fought against almighty odds at the very edge of the known world - and lost.
Now Brennus the Gaul, Tarquinius the Etruscan soothsayer and Romulus, bastard son of a Roman nobleman, are prisoners of Parthia. They dream of escape, but in the brutal fighting which lies ahead, only two will survive.
Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus's twin sister, is caught up in the vicious eddies of Roman politics. Hunted by slave catchers she flees, hoping to find her lover, Brutus, bound for Alexandria with Caesar.
Ben Kane's brilliant second novel plunges his characters into a cauldron of war and terror, as Caesar and the Roman Republic hurtle towards their day of reckoning.