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Pork barrel scam suspects may have been tipped off – Justice chief De Lima
Suspects in the the pork barrel scam who were able to leave for abroad may have been tipped off about the impending criminal cases against them, considering their names were previously implicated by the in the multibillion-peso scandal, the Justice secretary said Friday.
"I am inclined more to believe na intentional ang pag-alis. Maaaring nagkaroon ng advance information," Justice chief Leila De Lima told reporters in an interview, citing the suspects in the alleged diversion of Priority Development Assistance Fund of some senators and congressmen through bogus projects.
The suspects could have easily realized they would be implicated in the fund mess, since some of them have already been mentioned in the media – before formal charges of plunder, malversation, bribery and graft and corruption were filed against them before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Among those charged by the government were Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada, all of whom are in the Philippines. Thirty-five of their co-accused have all been listed on a lookout bulletin, which means government would be alerted should any of them try to leave the country.
Six of the co-respondents in the criminal cases have left for abroad before cases were filed, according to the Bureau of Immigration on Thursday. They are:
- Rodofo Plaza (left PHL Sept. 11)
- Gigi reyes (Aug. 31)
- Ruby Tuazon (Aug. 26)
- Antonio Ortiz (Sept 6)
- Dennis Cunanan (Sept. 13)
- Pablo Nemecio Jr. (May 22, 2010).
Their absence, however, would not affect the case and investigation by the Ombudsman and the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft and Corruption Committee, De Lima. "The case will proceed with or without the respondents," she added.
The Justice chief ordered the Immigration Bureau to where the suspects went and why they left the country.
"Much as we want to give them the benefit of the doubt... baka naman may legitimate purpose of travel... that... probably... nagkataon lang na mayroon talaga silang lakad... it has nothing to do with them being charged or about to be charged when they left the country," she said.
The government is trying to find out those who left for abroad were "namesakes or have similar names" with those named in the charge sheet.
"But we would know... Kung 'di sya sumipot, so that means siya ito," De Lima noted.
The Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation intend to file separate malversation charges against the foundations of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles for allegedly misusing P900 million from the royalty of the Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power project, an offshore gas field in Northwest Palawan.
"I cannot yet confirm what day exactly next week but our target is really next week. In fact, titignan ko siguro ngayon iyong progress ng preparation. How far and how feasible it is to be able to really file next week," De Lima said. – VS, GMA News
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The Columbia River (known as Wimahl or Big River to the Chinook-speaking natives who live on its lowermost reaches) is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is named after the Columbia Rediviva, the first ship from the western world known to have traveled up the river. It stretches from the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) through the U.S. state of Washington, forming much of the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The river is long, and its drainage basin is .
Measured by the volume of its flow, the Columbia is the largest river flowing into the Pacific from North America and is the fourth-largest river in the U.S. The river's heavy flow, and its large elevation drop over a relatively short distance, give it tremendous potential for the generation of electricity. It is the largest hydroelectric power producing river in North America with fourteen hydroelectric dams in the U.S. and Canada, and many more on various tributaries.
The Columbia and its tributaries are home to numerous anadromous fish, which migrate between fresh water streams and the Pacific Ocean. These fish—especially the various species of salmon—have been a vital part of the river's ecology and the local economy for thousands of years.
The development of the river for human use, and the industrial waste that resulted in some cases, have come into conflict with ecological conservation numerous times since Americans and Europeans began to settle the area in the 18th century. The taming, or harnessing—two terms commonly used in the early 20th century to describe the development of the rivers of the American west—included dredging for navigation by larger ships, nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research and production, and the construction of dams for power generation, irrigation, navigation, and flood control.
The Columbia shares its name with nearby places, such as British Columbia, as well as with landforms and bodies of water. Columbia Lake, above sea level, and the adjoining Columbia Wetlands form the river's headwaters in the southern Rocky Mountain Trench. The trench is a broad, deep, and long glacial valley between the Canadian Rockies and the Columbia Mountains in British Columbia. For its first , the Columbia flows northwest along the trench through Windermere Lake and the town of Invermere, a region known in BC as the Columbia Valley, then northwest to Golden and into Kinbasket Lake. Rounding the northern end of the Selkirk Mountains, the river turns sharply south through a region known as the Big Bend Country, passing through Revelstoke Lake and the Arrow Lakes. Revelstoke, the Big Bend, and the Columbia Valley combined are referred to in BC parlance as the Columbia Country. Below the Arrow Lakes, the Columbia passes the cities of Castlegar, located at the Columbia's confluence with the Kootenay River, and Trail, two major centres of the West Kootenay region. The Pend Oreille River joins the Columbia about north of the U.S.–Canada border.
The Columbia enters eastern Washington flowing south and turning to the west at the Spokane River confluence. It marks the southern and eastern borders of the Colville Indian Reservation and the western border of the Spokane Indian Reservation. The river turns south after the Okanagan River confluence, then southeasterly near the confluence with the Wenatchee River in central Washington. This C-shaped segment of the river is also known as the "Big Bend". During the Missoula Floods 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, much of the floodwater took a more direct route south, forming the ancient river bed known as the Grand Coulee. After the floods, the river found its present course, and the Grand Coulee was left dry. The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in the mid-20th century backed the river up, forming Lake Roosevelt, from which water was pumped into the dry coulee, forming the reservoir of Banks Lake.
The river flows past The Gorge Amphitheatre, a prominent concert venue in the Northwest, and then past the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Hanford Reach, a section of the Columbia between Priest Rapids Dam and the Tri-Cities, is the only U.S. stretch of the river that is completely free-flowing, unimpeded by dams, and not a tidal estuary. The Snake River and Yakima River join the Columbia in the Tri-Cities area. The Columbia makes a sharp bend to the west at the Washington–Oregon border. The river defines that border for the final of its journey.
The Deschutes River joins the Columbia near The Dalles. Between The Dalles and Portland, the river cuts through the Cascade Mountains, forming the dramatic Columbia River Gorge. Along with the Klamath River in southern Oregon and the Pit River in northern California, the Columbia is one of only three rivers to pass through the Cascades. The gorge is known for its strong and steady winds, scenic beauty, and its role as an important transportation link.
The river continues west, bending sharply to the north-northwest near Portland and Vancouver, Washington, at the Willamette River confluence. Here the river slows considerably, dropping sediment that might otherwise form a river delta. Near Longview, Washington and the Cowlitz River confluence, the river turns west again. The Columbia empties into the Pacific Ocean just west of Astoria, Oregon, over the Columbia Bar, a shifting sandbar that makes the river's mouth one of the most hazardous stretches of water to navigate in the world.
Twenty to forty million years ago, in the Eocene and Miocene eras, tremendous volcanic eruptions formed much of the landscape traversed by the Columbia. The Columbia River Plateau was covered by flood basalt lava, which forced the Columbia River into its present course. The Cascade Range began to uplift during the Pleistocene era (the last ice age, two million to 700,000 years ago). Cutting through the uplifting mountains, the Columbia River created the Columbia River Gorge.
The river and its drainage basin experienced some of the world's greatest known catastrophic floods toward the end of the last ice age. The periodic rupturing of ice dams at Glacial Lake Missoula resulted in the Missoula Floods, with discharge rates ten times the combined flow of all the rivers of the world, as many as forty times over a thousand-year period.
The floodwaters rushed across eastern Washington, creating the channeled scablands, which are a complex network of dry canyon-like channels, or coulees that are often braided and sharply gouged into the basalt rock underlying the region's deep topsoil. Numerous flat-topped buttes with rich soil stand high above the chaotic scablands. Constrictions at several places caused the floodwaters to pool into large temporary lakes, such as Lake Lewis, in which sediments were deposited. Water depths have been estimated at at Wallula Gap, at Bonneville Dam, and over modern Portland, Oregon. Sediments were also deposited when the floodwaters slowed in the broad flats of the Quincy, Othello, and Pasco Basins. The floods' periodic inundation of the lower Columbia River Plateau deposited rich sediments, establishing the fertility that supports extensive agriculture in the modern era.
The river was blocked by the collapse of a mountain on the north side of the Columbia River Gorge, likely a result of the Cascadia earthquake in 1700, in an event known as the Bonneville Slide. The resulting land bridge blocked the river until rising waters tunneled through and finally washed away the sediment. It is not known how long it took the river to break through the barrier although estimates range from several months to several years. The landslide debris is still present in the form of the Cascade Rapids. In 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens deposited large amounts of sediment in the lower Columbia, temporarily reducing the depth of the shipping channel by .
Humans have inhabited the Columbia River Basin for more than 15,000 years, with a transition to a sedentary lifestyle based mainly on salmon starting about 3,500 years ago. In 1962, archaeologists found evidence of human activity dating back 11,230 years at the Marmes Rockshelter, near the confluence of the Palouse and Snake rivers in eastern Washington. In 1996, the skeletal remains of a 9,000-year-old prehistoric man (dubbed Kennewick Man) were found near Kennewick, Washington. The discovery rekindled debate in the scientific community over the origins of human habitation in North America and sparked a protracted controversy over whether the scientific or Native American community was entitled to possess and/or study the remains.
Many different Native Americans and First Nations tribes have a historical and continuing presence on the Columbia. The Sinixt or Lakes people lived on the lower stretch of the Canadian portion (also claimed as part of Okanagan territory) the Secwepemc, Ktunaxa and at one time the Blackfoot on the upper; the Colville, Spokane, Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs live along the U.S. stretch. Along the upper Snake River and Salmon River, the Shoshone Bannock tribes are present. The Cowlitz and Chinook tribes, which are not federally recognized, also live near the lower Columbia River. The Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla, and Warm Springs tribes all have treaty fishing rights along the Columbia and its tributaries.
Somewhere between 1450 and 1760, the Bonneville Slide created a land bridge in the Columbia Gorge, known to natives as the Bridge of the Gods. The bridge was described as the result a battle between gods, represented by Mount Adams and Mount Hood, vying for the affection of a goddess, represented by Mount St. Helens. The bridge permitted increased interaction and trade between tribes on the north and south sides of the river until it was finally washed away.
The Cascades Rapids of the Columbia River Gorge, and Kettle Falls and Priest Rapids in eastern Washington, were important fishing and trading sites submerged by the construction of dams. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, a coalition of various tribes, adopted a constitution and incorporated after the 1938 completion of the Bonneville Dam flooded Cascades Rapids.
For 11,000 years, Celilo Falls was the most significant economic and cultural hub for native peoples on the Columbia. It was located east of the modern city of The Dalles. An estimated 15 to 20 million salmon passed through the falls every year, making it one of the most productive fishing sites in North America. The annual catch by natives in prehistoric times has been estimated at 42 million pounds. The falls were located at the border between Chinookan and Sahaptian speaking peoples and served as the center of an extensive trading network across the Pacific Plateau. Salmon canneries established by white settlers beginning in 1867 had a strong negative impact on the salmon population, and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt observed that the salmon runs were but a fraction of what they had been 25 prior.
Celilo was the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent until 1957, when it was submerged by the construction of The Dalles Dam and the native fishing community was displaced. The affected tribes received a $26.8 million settlement for the loss of Celilo and other fishing sites submerged by The Dalles Dam. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs used part of its $4 million settlement to establish the Kah-Nee-Tah resort south of Mount Hood.
Another important area of indigenous cultural contact developed more recently than Celilo Falls. Horses spread through the Great Plains and helped create the horse, or plains culture, which diffused into the Columbia River's watershed via the Shoshone peoples of the upper Snake River in the late 18th century. The Nez Perce and Cayuse acquired horses around 1800. The Nez Perce and others made seasonal long-distance trips to the east for bison hunting, strengthening the cultural link with the plains culture. Other peoples such as the Yakama, Umatilla, and Palus also adopted aspects of the plains culture. The cultural transformation brought about by horses included long-distance travel, larger and more powerful tribal confederacies, and a linking of wealth and prestige to horses, bison hunting, and warfare.
Some historians believe that Japanese or Chinese vessels blown off course reached the Northwest Coast long before Europeans, possibly as early as 219 B.C. It is unknown whether they landed near the Columbia. Evidence exists that Spanish castaways reached the shore in 1679 and traded with the Clatsop; if these were indeed the first Europeans to see the Columbia, they failed to send word home to Spain.
The first documented European discovery of the Columbia River was that of Bruno de Heceta, who in 1775 sighted the river's mouth. On the advice of his officers, he did not explore it, as he was short-staffed and the current was strong. He considered it a bay, and called it Ensenada de Asunción. Later Spanish maps based on his discovery showed a river, labeled Rio de San Roque, or an entrance, called Entrada de Hezeta.
Following Heceta's reports, British fur trader Captain John Meares searched for the river in 1788, but he misread the currents and concluded that the river did not exist. He named Cape Disappointment for the non-existent river, not realizing the cape marks the northern edge of the river's mouth. Royal Navy commander George Vancouver sailed past the mouth in April 1792 and observed a change in the water's color, but he accepted Meares' report and continued on his journey northward. Later that month, Vancouver encountered the American captain Robert Gray at the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Gray reported that he had seen the entrance to the Columbia and planned to sail into it.
On May 12, 1792, Gray returned south and crossed the Columbia Bar, becoming the first explorer to enter the river. Gray's fur trading mission had been financed by Boston merchants, who outfitted him with a private vessel named Columbia Rediviva; he named the river after the ship on May 18. Gray spent nine days trading near the mouth of the Columbia, then left without having gone beyond upstream. Gray's discovery of the Columbia was later used by the United States to support their claim to the Oregon Country, which was also claimed by Russia, Great Britain, Spain and other nations.
In October 1792, Vancouver sent Lieutenant William Robert Broughton, his second-in-command, up the river. Broughton got as far as the Sandy River at the western end of the Columbia River Gorge, about upstream, sighting and naming Mount Hood. Broughton formally claimed the river, its drainage basin, and the nearby coast for Britain. In contrast, Gray had not made any formal claims on behalf of the United States.
People had long speculated about the existence of a Northwest Passage (or a great western river) connecting Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic (or to inland North America), and some mapmakers depicted it on their maps. As the Columbia was at the same latitude as the headwaters of the Missouri River, some people now concluded that Gray and Vancouver had discovered the Northwest Passage. A 1798 British map showed a dotted line connecting the Columbia with the Missouri. However, when the American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark charted the vast, unmapped lands of the American West in their overland expedition (1803–05), they found no passage between the rivers. After crossing the Rocky Mountains, Lewis and Clark built dugout canoes and paddled down the Snake River, reaching the Columbia near the present-day Tri-Cities, Washington. They explored a few miles upriver, as far as Bateman Island, before heading down the Columbia, concluding their journey at the river's mouth and establishing Fort Clatsop, a short-lived establishment that was occupied for less than three months.
Canadian explorer David Thompson, of the North West Company, spent the winter of 1807–08 at Kootenae House near the source of the Columbia at present-day Invermere, British Columbia. Over the next few years he explored much of the river and its northern tributaries. In 1811, he traveled down the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean, arriving at the mouth just after John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company had founded Astoria. On his return to the north Thompson explored the one remaining part of the river he had not yet seen, becoming the first European-American to travel the entire length of the river.
In 1825 the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) established Fort Vancouver on the the bank of the Columbia, in what is now Vancouver, Washington, as the headquarters of the company's Columbia District, which encompassed everything west of the Rocky Mountains. Dr. John McLoughlin was appointed Chief Factor of the Columbia District. The HBC reoriented its Columbia District operations toward the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia, which became the region's main trunk route. In the early 1840s Americans began to colonize the Oregon in large numbers via the Oregon Trail, in spite of the HBC's efforts to discourage American settlement of the region. For many the final leg of the journey involved travel down the lower Columbia River to Fort Vancouver. The final leg of the Oregon Trail, from The Dalles to Fort Vancouver, was the trail's most treacherous stretch, which prompted the 1846 construction of the Barlow Road.
In the Treaty of 1818 the United States and Britain agreed that both nations were to enjoy equal rights in Oregon Country for 10 years. By 1828, when the so-called "joint occupation" was renewed for an indefinite period, it seemed probable that the lower Columbia River would in time become the border. For years the Hudson's Bay Company successfully maintained control of the Columbia River and American attempts to gain a foothold were fended off. In the 1830s, however, American religious missions were established at several locations in the lower Columbia River region. And in the 1840s a mass migration of American settlers undermined British control. The Hudson's Bay Company tried maintain dominance by shifting from the fur trade, which was in sharp decline, to exporting other goods such as salmon and lumber. Colonization schemes were attempted, but failed to match the scale of American settlement. Americans generally settled south of the Columbia, mainly in the Willamette Valley. The Hudson's Bay Company tried to establish settlements north of the river, but nearly all the British colonists moved south to the Willamette Valley. The hope that the British colonists might dilute the American flavor of the valley failed in the face of the overwhelming number of American settlers. These developments rekindled the issue of "joint occupation" and the boundary dispute . While some British interests, especially the Hudson's Bay Company, fought for a boundary along the Columbia River, the Oregon Treaty of 1846 set the boundary at the 49th parellel. The Columbia River did become the border between the U.S. territories of Oregon and Washington. Oregon became a U.S. state in 1859, Washington in 1889.
By the turn of the 20th century, the difficulty of navigating the Columbia was seen as an impediment to the economic development of the Inland Empire region east of the Cascades. The dredging and dam building that followed would permanently alter the river, disrupting its natural flow but also providing electricity, irrigation, navigability and other benefits to the region.
American captain Robert Gray and British captain George Vancouver, who explored the river in 1792, proved that it was possible to cross the Columbia Bar. Many of the challenges associated with that feat remain today; even with modern engineering alterations to the mouth of the river, the strong currents and shifting sandbar make it dangerous to pass between the river and the Pacific Ocean.
The use of steamboats along the river, beginning with the British Beaver in 1836 followed by American vessels in 1850, contributed to the rapid settlement and economic development of the region. Steamboats operated in several places: on the river's lower reaches, from the Pacific Ocean to Cascades Rapids, from the Cascades to Celilo Falls, and from Celilo to the confluence with the Snake River; on the Wenatchee Reach of eastern Washington; on British Columbia's Arrow Lakes; and on tributaries like the Willamette, the Snake and Kootenay Lake. The boats, initially powered by burning wood, carried passengers and freight throughout the region for many years. Railroads served to connect steamboat lines interrupted by waterfalls on the river's lower reaches. In the 1880s, railroads maintained by companies such as the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company and the Shaver Transportation Company began to supplement steamboat operations as the major transportation links along the river.
The shifting Columbia Bar makes passage between the river and the Pacific Ocean difficult and dangerous, and numerous rapids along the river hinder navigation. Jetties, first constructed in 1886, extend the river's channel into the ocean. Strong currents and the shifting sandbar remain a threat to ships entering the river and necessitate continuous maintenance of the jetties.
In 1891 the Columbia was dredged to enhance shipping. The channel between the ocean and Portland and Vancouver was deepened from to The Columbian newspaper called for the channel to be deepened to as early as 1905, but that depth was not attained until 1976.
Navigation locks were first constructed in 1896 around the Cascades Rapids, enabling boats to travel safely through the Columbia River Gorge. The Celilo Canal, bypassing Celilo Falls, opened to river traffic in 1915. In the mid-20th century, the construction of dams along the length of the river submerged the rapids beneath a series of reservoirs. An extensive system of locks allowed ships and barges to pass easily from one reservoir to the next. A navigation channel reaching to Lewiston, Idaho, along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, was completed in 1975. One of the main commodities is wheat, mainly for export. More than 40 percent of all US wheat exports are barged on the Columbia River.
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens caused mudslides in the area, which reduced the Columbia's depth by for a stretch, disrupting Portland's economy.
In 1999, Congress authorized deepening the channel between Portland and Astoria from to , which will make it possible for large container and grain ships to reach Portland and Vancouver. The project includes measures to mitigate environmental damage; for instance, for every acre (4,000 m²) of wetland damaged by the project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must restore of wetland. However, it has met opposition due to concerns about stirring up toxic sediment on the riverbed. Portland-based Northwest Environmental Advocates brought a lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers, but it was rejected by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2006. In early 2006, the Corps spilled of hydraulic oil into the Columbia, drawing further criticism from environmental organizations.
Work on the project began in 2005 and is expected to conclude in 2010. The project's cost is estimated at $150 million. The federal government is paying 65 percent, Oregon and Washington are paying $27 million each, and six local ports are also contributing to the cost.
In 1902, the United States Bureau of Reclamation was established to aid in the economic development of arid western states. One of its major undertakings was building Grand Coulee Dam to provide irrigation for the of the Columbia Basin Project in central Washington. With the onset of World War II, the focus of dam construction shifted to production of hydroelectricity. Irrigation efforts resumed after the war.
River development occurred within the structure of the 1909 International Boundary Waters Treaty between the U.S. and Canada. The United States Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1925, which directed the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Power Commission to explore the development of the nation's rivers. This prompted agencies to conduct the first formal financial analysis of hydroelectric development; the reports produced by various agencies were presented in House Document 308. Those reports, and subsequent related reports, are referred to as 308 Reports.
In the late 1920s, political forces in the Northwestern United States generally favored private development of hydroelectric dams along the Columbia. But the overwhelming victories of gubernatorial candidate George W. Joseph in the 1930 Oregon Republican Party primary, and later his law partner Julius Meier, were understood to demonstrate strong public support for public ownership of dams. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill that enabled the construction of the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams as public works projects. The legislation was attributed to the efforts of Oregon Senator Charles McNary, Washington Senator Clarence Dill, and Oregon Congressman Charles Martin, among others.
In 1948 floods swept through the Columbia watershed, destroying Vanport, then the second largest city in Oregon, and impacting cities as far north as Trail, British Columbia. The flooding prompted the United States Congress to pass the Flood Control Act of 1950, authorizing the federal development of additional dams and other flood control mechanisms. By that time, however, local communities had become wary of federal hydroelectric projects, and sought local control of new developments; a Public Utility District in Grant County, Washington ultimately began construction of the dam at Priest Rapids.
In the 1960s, the United States and Canada signed the Columbia River Treaty, which focused on flood control and the maximization of downstream power generation. Canada agreed to build dams and provide reservoir storage, and the U.S. agreed to deliver to Canada one-half of the increase in U.S. downstream power benefits as estimated five years in advance. Canada's obligation was met by building three dams (two on the Columbia, and one on the Duncan River), the last of which was completed in 1973.
Today the main stem of the Columbia River has 14 dams, of which three are in Canada and 11 in the U.S. Four mainstem dams and four lower Snake River dams contain navigation locks to allow ship and barge passage from the ocean as far as Lewiston, Idaho. The river system as a whole has more than 400 dams for hydroelectricity and irrigation. The dams address a variety of demands, including flood control, navigation, stream flow regulation, storage and delivery of stored waters, reclamation of public lands and Indian reservations, and the generation of hydroelectric power.
The larger U.S. dams are owned and operated by the federal government (some by the Army Corps of Engineers and some by the Bureau of Reclamation), while the smaller dams are operated by public utility districts, and private power companies. The federally operated system is known as the Federal Columbia River Power System, which includes 31 dams on the Columbia and its tributaries. The system has altered the seasonal flow of the river in order to meet higher electricity demands during the winter. At the beginning of the 20th century, roughly 75 percent of the Columbia's flow occurred in the summer, between April and September. By 1980, the summer proportion had been lowered to about 50 percent, essentially eliminating the seasonal pattern.
The installation of dams dramatically altered the landscape and ecosystem of the river. At one time, the Columbia was one of the top salmon-producing river systems in the world. Previously active fishing sites, most notably Celilo Falls in the eastern Columbia River Gorge, have exhibited a sharp decline in fishing along the Columbia in the last century, and salmon populations have been dramatically reduced. Fish ladders have been installed at some dam sites to help the fish journey to spawning waters. Chief Joseph Dam has no fish ladders and completely blocks fish migration to the upper half of the Columbia River system.
The project's initial purpose was irrigation, but the onset of World War II created a high demand for electricity, mainly for aluminum production and for the development of nuclear weapons at the Hanford Site. Irrigation began in 1951. The project provides water to more than of fertile but arid lands in central Washington State. Water from the project has transformed the region from a wasteland barely able to produce subsistence levels of dry-land wheat crops to a major agricultural center. Important crops include apples, potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, corn (maize), barley, hops, beans, and sugar beets.
Since 1750, the Columbia has experienced six multi-year droughts. The longest, lasting 12 years in the mid-1800s, reduced the river's flow to 20 percent below average. Scientists have expressed concern that a similar drought would have grave consequences in a region so dependent on the Columbia. In 1992–93, a lesser drought affected farmers, hydroelectric power producers, shippers, and wildlife managers.
Many farmers in central Washington build dams on their property for irrigation and to control frost on their crops. The Washington Department of Ecology, using new techniques involving aerial photographs, estimated there may be as many as 100 such dams in the area, most of which are illegal. Six such dams have failed in recent years, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to crops and public roads. Fourteen farms in the area have gone through the permitting process to build such dams legally.
The Columbia's heavy flow and extreme elevation drop over a short distance, , give it tremendous capacity for hydroelectricity generation. In comparison, the Mississippi drops less than . The Columbia alone possesses a third of the United States's hydroelectric potential.
The largest of the 150 hydroelectric projects, the Grand Coulee Dam and the Chief Joseph Dam, are also the largest in the United States and among the largest in the world.
Inexpensive hydro-power supported the emergence of an extensive aluminum industry, which draws tremendous amounts of power. Until 2000, the Northwestern United States produced up to 17 percent of the world's aluminum and 40 percent of the aluminum produced in the U.S. But the commoditization of power in the early 2000s, coupled with drought that reduced the generation capacity of the river, damaged the industry. By 2001, Columbia River aluminum producers had idled 80 percent of its production capacity, and by 2003, the entire U.S. produced only 15 percent of the world's aluminum, many smelters among the Columbia having gone dormant or out of business.
Power remains relatively inexpensive along the Columbia, and in recent years high-tech companies like Google have begun to move server farm operations into the area to avail themselves of cheap power.
Downriver of Grand Coulee, each dam's reservoir is closely regulated by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Army Corps of Engineers, and various Washington Public Utility Districts to ensure flow, flood control, and power generation objectives are met. Increasingly, hydro-power operations are required to meet standards under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and other agreements to manage operations to minimize impacts on salmon and other fish, and some conservation and fishing groups support removing four dams on the lower Snake River, the largest tributary of the Columbia.
In 1941, the BPA hired Oklahoma folksinger Woody Guthrie to write songs for a documentary film promoting the benefits of hydropower. In the month he spent traveling the region Guthrie wrote 26 songs, which have become an important part of the cultural history of the region.
The Columbia supports several species of anadromous fish that migrate between the Pacific Ocean and fresh water tributaries of the river. Coho and Chinook (also known as "king") salmon, and steelhead, all of the genus Oncorhynchus, are ocean fish that migrate up the rivers at the end of their life cycles to spawn. White sturgeon, which take 25 years to grow to full size, typically migrate between the ocean and the upstream habitat several times during their lives.
Dams interrupt the migration of anadromous fish. Salmon and steelhead return to the streams in which they were born to spawn; where dams prevent their return, entire populations of salmon die. Some of the Columbia and Snake River dams employ fish ladders, which are effective to varying degrees at allowing these fish to travel upstream. Another problem exists for the juvenile salmon headed downstream to the ocean. Previously, this journey would have taken two to three weeks. With river currents slowed by the dams, and the Columbia converted from wild river to a series of slackwater pools, the journey can take several months, which increases the mortality rate. In some cases, the Army Corps of Engineers transports juvenile fish downstream by truck or river barge. The Chief Joseph Dam and several dams on the Columbia's tributaries entirely block migration, and there are no migrating fish on the river above these dams. Sturgeon have different migration habits and can survive without ever visiting the ocean. In many upstream areas cut off from the ocean by dams, sturgeon simply live upstream of the dam.
In 1994, the salmon catch was smaller than usual in the rivers of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, causing concern among commercial fishermen, government agencies, and tribal leaders. U.S. government intervention, to which the states of Alaska, Idaho, and Oregon objected, included an 11-day closure of an Alaska fishery. In April 1994 the Pacific Fisheries Management Council unanimously approved the strictest regulations in 18 years, banning all commercial salmon fishing for that year from Cape Falcon north to the Canadian border. In the winter of 1994, the return of coho salmon far exceeded expectations, which was attributed in part to the fishing ban.
Also in 1994, United States Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt first proposed the removal of several Pacific Northwest dams because of their impact on salmon spawning. The Northwest Power Planning Council approved a plan that provided more water for fish and less for electricity, irrigation, and transportation. Environmental advocates have called for the removal of certain dams in the Columbia system in the years since. Of the 227 major dams in the Columbia River drainage basin, the four Washington dams on the lower Snake River are often identified for removal, notably in an ongoing lawsuit concerning a Bush administration plan for salmon recovery. These dams and reservoirs currently limit the recovery of upriver salmon runs to Idaho's Salmon and Clearwater rivers. Historically, the Snake produced over 1.5 million spring and summer Chinook Salmon, a number that has dwindled to several thousand in recent years. Idaho Power Company's Hells Canyon dams have no fish ladders (and do not pass juvenile salmon downstream), and thus allow no steelhead or salmon to migrate above Hells Canyon. In 2007, the destruction of the Marmot Dam on the Sandy River was the first dam removal in the system. There are plans to remove the Condit Dam on Washington's White Salmon River, and the Milltown Dam on the Clark Fork in Montana.
The nuclear reactors were decommissioned at the end of the Cold War, and the Hanford site is now the focus of the world's largest environmental cleanup, managed by the Department of Energy under the oversight of the Washington Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency. Nearby aquifers contain an estimated 270 billion US gallons (1 billion m³) of groundwater contaminated by high-level nuclear waste that has leaked out of Hanford's massive underground storage tanks. As of 2008, 1 million US gallons (3,785 m³) of highly radioactive waste is traveling through groundwater toward the Columbia River. This waste is expected to reach the river in 12 to 50 years if cleanup does not proceed on schedule.
In addition to concerns about nuclear waste, numerous other pollutants are found in the river. These include chemical pesticides, bacteria, arsenic, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).
Studies have also found significant levels of toxins in fish and the waters they inhabit within the basin. Accumulation of toxins in fish threatens the survival of fish species, and human consumption of these fish can lead to health problems. Water quality is also an important factor in the survival of other wildlife and plants that grow in the Columbia River drainage basin. The states, Indian tribes, and federal government are all engaged in efforts to restore and improve the water, land, and air quality of the Columbia River drainage basin and have committed to work together to enhance and accomplish critical ecosystem restoration efforts. A number of cleanup efforts are currently underway, including Superfund projects at Portland Harbor, Hanford, and Lake Roosevelt.
Timber harvesting further contaminates river water; the Northwest Forest Plan, a piece of federal legislation from 1994, mandated that timber companies consider the environmental impacts of their practices on rivers like the Columbia.
On July 1, 2003, Christopher Swain of Portland, Oregon, became the first person to swim the Columbia River's entire length, in an effort to raise public awareness about the river's environmental health.
Most of the Columbia' drainage basin, which is about the size of France, lies roughly between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Cascade Mountains on the west. In the United States and Canada the term watershed is often used to mean drainage basin. The term Columbia Basin is used to refer not only to the entire drainage basin but also to subsets of the river's full watershed, such as the relatively flat and unforested area in eastern Washington bounded by the Cascades, the Rocky Mountains, and the Blue Mountains. Within the watershed are diverse landforms including mountains, arid plateaus, river valleys, rolling uplands, and deep gorges. Grand Teton National Park lies in the watershed, as well as parts of Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and North Cascades National Park. Canadian National Parks in the watershed include Kootenay National Park, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park, and Mount Revelstoke National Park. Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, and the Columbia Gorge are in the watershed. Vegetation varies widely, ranging from Western hemlock and Western redcedar in the moist regions to sagebrush in the arid regions. The watershed provides habitat for 609 known fish and wildlife species, including the bull trout, Bald Eagle, gray wolf, grizzly bear, and Canada lynx.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) divides the waters of the Columbia and its tributaries into three freshwater ecoregions, naming them: Columbia Glaciated, Columbia Unglaciated, and Upper Snake. The Columbia Glaciated ecoregion, making up about a third of the total watershed, lies in the north and was covered with ice sheets during the Pleistocene. The ecoregion includes the mainstem Columbia north of the Snake River and tributaries such as the Yakima, Okanagan, Pend Oreille, Clark Fork, and Kootenay Rivers. The effects of glaciation include a number of large lakes and a relatively low diversity of freshwater fish. The Upper Snake ecoregion is defined as the Snake River watershed above Shoshone Falls, which totally blocks fish migration. This region has 14 species of fish, many of which are endemic. The Columbia Unglaciated ecoregion makes up the rest of the watershed. It includes the mainstem Columbia below the Snake River and tributaries such as the Salmon, John Day, Deschutes, and lower Snake Rivers. Of the three ecoregions it is the richest in terms of freshwater species diversity. There are 35 species of fish, of which four are endemic. There are also high levels of mollusk endemism.
In 2000, about six million people lived within the Columbia' drainage basin. Of this total about 2.4 million people lived in Oregon, 1.7 million in Washington, 1 million in Idaho, half a million in British Columbia, and 0.4 million in Montana. Population in the watershed has been rising for many decades and is projected to rise to about 10 million by 2030. The highest population densities are found west of the Cascade Mountains along the I-5 corridor, especially in the Portland-Vancouver urban area. High densities are also found around Spokane, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. Although much of the watershed is rural and sparsely populated, areas with recreational and scenic values are growing rapidly. The central Oregon county of Deschutes is the fastest-growing in the state. Populations have also been growing just east of the Cascades in central Washington around the city of Yakima and the Tri-Cities area. Projections for the coming decades assume growth throughout the watershed, including the interior. The Canadian part of the Okanagan subbasin is also growing rapidly.
Climate varies greatly from place to place within the watershed. Elevation ranges from sea level at the river mouth to more than in the mountains, and temperatures vary with elevation. The highest peak is Mount Rainier, at . High elevations have cold winters and short cool summers; interior regions are subject to great temperature variability and severe droughts. Over some of the watershed, especially west of the Cascade Mountains, precipitation maximums occur in winter, when Pacific storms come ashore. Atmospheric conditions block the flow of moisture in summer, which is generally dry except for occasional thunderstorms in the interior. In some of the eastern parts of the watershed, especially shurb-steppe regions with continental climate patterns, precipitation maximums occur in early summer. Annual precipitation varies from more than a year in the Cascades to less than in the interior. Much of the watershed gets less than a year.
Several major North American drainage basins and many minor ones share a common border with the Columbia River's drainage basin. To the east, in northern Wyoming and Montana, the Continental Divide separates the Columbia watershed from the Mississippi-Missouri watershed, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. To the northeast, mostly along the southern border between British Columbia and Alberta, the Continental Divide separates the Columbia watershed from the Nelson-Lake Winnipeg-Saskatchewan watershed, which empties into Hudson Bay. The Mississippi and Nelson watersheds are separated by the Laurentian Divide, which meets the Continental Divide at Triple Divide Peak near the headwaters of the Columbia's Flathead River tributary. This point marks the meeting of North America's three main drainage patterns, to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans.
Further north along the Continental Divide, a short portion of the combined Continental and Laurentian divides separate the Columbia watershed from the MacKenzie-Slave-Athabasca watershed, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. The Nelson and Mackenzie watersheds are separated by a divide between streams flowing to the Arctic Ocean and those of the Hudson Bay watershed. This divide meets the Continental Divide at Snow Dome, near the northernmost bend of the Columbia River.
To the southeast, in western Wyoming, another divide separates the Columbia watershed from the Colorado-Green watershed, which empties into the Gulf of California. The Columbia, Colorado, and Mississippi watersheds meet at Three Waters Mountain in the Wind River Range of To the south, in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, the Columbia watershed is divided from the Great Basin, whose several watersheds are endorheic, not emptying into any ocean but rather drying up or sinking into sumps. Great Basin watersheds that share a border with the Columbia watershed include Harney Basin, Humboldt River, and Great Salt Lake. To the north, mostly in British Columbia, the Columbia watershed borders the Fraser River watershed. To the west and southwest the Columbia watershed borders a number of smaller watersheds that drain to the Pacific Ocean, such as the Klamath River in Oregon and California and the Puget Sound Basin in Washington.
The Snake is by far the largest tributary. Its discharge is nearly equal (about 46.5 percent) to the Columbia's at the rivers' confluence. Compared to the Columbia above the confluence, the Snake is longer (113 percent), and its drainage basin is larger (104 percent). The Pend Oreille and its main tributaries, Clark Fork and Flathead River, are similar. Compared to the Columbia above the Pend Oreille confluence, the Pend Oreille-Clark-Flathead is nearly as long (about 86 percent), its basin about three-fourths as large (76 percent), and its discharge over a third (37 percent).
| Average
|Drainage basin
|cu ft/s
|sq. mi.
|sq. km.
|Snake River
|Willamette River
|Kootenay River (Kootenai)
|Pend Oreille River
|Cowlitz River
|Spokane River
|Deschutes River
|Lewis River
|Yakima River
|Wenatchee River
|Okanogan River
|Kettle River
|Sandy River

subset: commoncrawl


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As manager of the Heart and Vascular Center at Alton Memorial Hospital, Bill Rodgers provides education and resources to physicians, nurses and cardiovascular technicians. "It is my job to see that all staff members understand the implications of the testing and treatments they administer," said Rodgers.
Rodgers, a graduate of the SIUE School of Nursing Health Care and Nursing Administration master's program, used his required graduate program research project as an opportunity to explore cardiovascular disease in women.
According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as three million women with previously diagnosed healthy arteries are at increased risk of coronary microvascular dysfunction, the forming of plaque in diffuse patterns throughout the coronary tree rather than focally, as is typically found in men.
To recognize coronary microvascular dysfunction before it progresses to its advanced stages, health care providers must recognize a woman at risk and understand that different treatment approaches than those traditionally used in men may be necessary.
"Women often come to the hospital with atypical symptoms," he said. "Typical diagnostic testing such as coronary angiography may not be able to accurately detect coronary disease at the microvascular level."
Study results led Rodgers to the following conclusions: Future research needs to be more gender balanced with greater female participation and initiatives to improve earlier recognition; diagnosis and treatment strategies need to be established. "Health care providers and female patients need to be better educated about the unique cardiovascular needs of women," said Rodgers.


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Paul Janensch: GOP slaps NBC and CNN over Hillary Clinton shows; maybe they should slap back
Controversy over Clinton shows, debates sets up interesting challenges
The Republican National Committee has decided not to partner with NBC and CNN on 2016 GOP primary debates if they go ahead with plans to show biographies of Hillary Clinton.
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Whole Grain Products that Fit Your Lifestyle
You've got an active family who wants something tasty. You want them to eat something nutritious. Tasty and nutritious are key ingredients in Roman Meal's whole grain products. From the classic breads you've grown up with, to new whole-grain cereals and buns your family has been asking for, Roman Meal is there.
Our whole grain experts continually look for new and tasty ways to bake up the Natural Whole Grain Goodness ® you've come to know in ways you might not expect. At Roman Meal, we create delicious whole grain breads, cereals and buns with the honesty, integrity and wholesome quality you expect from our more than 90 years of experience.
Read up on your favorites, find some new ones, and check them out at your local grocer. Be sure to let us know how you liked them!
Roman Meal Original Bread is Now Even Better!
Plus Calcium, Fiber and Whole Grains. Most varieties have at least 24 grams of whole grains per serving, half the recommended daily value.
What hasn't changed?
Now in a Resealable Pouch! We've been making Roman Meal Hot Cereal and Baking Mix for nearly 100 years without changing the delicious mix of wheat, rye, oats, bran and flax. Every bowl is still heart healthy, an excellent source of fiber, and contains 30 grams of whole grains in every serving. You can also find tasty baking ideas to add nutritious whole grains to every eating occasion Cereal Recipes. That's the Wisdom of Whole Grains.
No High Fructose Corn Syrup. Your preference, you got it.
Vitamin D (aka the "sunshine vitamin") Most Americans need the boost from dietary sources and each serving contains 10% of the recommended daily value.
American Heart Association's Heart Check Mark. The heart-check mark on 2 Roman Meal Original Varieties makes it easier to shop for heart-healthy bread at the supermarket.
Plus Calcium, Fiber and Whole Grains. Most varieties have at least 24 grams of whole grains per serving, half the recommended daily value.


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Bones Star David Greenman Delivers LOLs in New Web Series Checked Out (VIDEO)
You've seen Bones actor David Greenman in his recurring role as FBI Forensic Tech Marcus Geier for years — but now, catch him in a whole new light in his hilarious new series, Checked Out. Also starring comic great Vicki Lewis and Zelda Williams, promising young actress and daughter of Robin Williams, the series shows the behind-the-scenes lives of cynical employees at an independent grocery store — and it's a sharp, well-written showcase for all three talents.
Wetpaint Entertainment has the exclusive premiere of the web series before it goes live tomorrow. Watch now!


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Aloha Festivals is Hawai'i's premier cultural showcase, a celebration of Hawai'i's music, dance and history intended to preserve the unique island traditions.
Support the Aloha Festivals by purchasing a powerband or ribbon!
Join Aloha Festivals in 2015!
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Check out our "Traditions of Aloha" Video!
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Halloween Niftiness!on October 30, 2008 at 10:08 am
Hey guys! If you like today's halloween-themed art, than I've got some good news for you!
First off, I'm running a donation promo right now. For the next month or so, if you donate to help out Broken Plot Device, you get your choice of 9 different full-color desktop backgrounds featuring the cast in their costumes; one group shot, and 8 individual pictures, for those of you who might have a favorite character. You can donate any amount! It can be a dollar, it can be 10 dollars, it can be 10 cents. Click the button below to make your donation and grab yourself a background!
Also, I'm offering prints of the colored image for sale for those who might be interested, both in 8.5×11″ prints for $10, and in Limited Edition 13″x19″ for $45. I'm only doing 10 of the big prints, so once they're gone, that's it!
If you'd like a print, just e-mail me at email@example.com. Be sure to include the size print you would like and your zip code so I can give you a shipping quote. And yes, I will be shipping these internationally for those of you overseas!
On a different note, but still Halloweenie, who out there is dressing up for Halloween, and what are your costumes? I'll post some shots of my costume on Monday so I won't give it away just yet, but I'm curious what everyone else is doing. And if you're not dressing up, what are your halloween plans?


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Taylor Swift and Patrick Schwarzenegger spent Independence Day together, but did sparks fly between these two?
Well, the 22-year-old country star did join 18-year-old Patrick and his family at the Kennedy compound in Cape Cod.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, who's matriculating at the University of Southern California in the fall, was photographed giving Taylor a friendly hug, and the duo was also spotted together on the beach.
READ: Bitter Ex Alert! John Mayer "Humiliated" by Taylor Swift Song "Dear John"
"Had such an amazing day," Patrick tweeted. "Best 4th of July I could ask for. Hope everyone had a great day!"
Taylor has yet to tweet about her holiday with Patrick & Co. If they do start dating, she better watch out: Schwarzenegger, (unlike, say, John Mayer) sure is a tough one to rhyme.
PHOTOS: Fashion Spotlight—Taylor Swift


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"Some men just want to watch the world burn."
– Alfred (Michael Caine) to Bruce Wayne(Christian Bale) in "The Dark Knight"
The instigators at Fox News and extreme right wing-nuts are gloating over the town hall outrage going on across the country.
Jabba the Butt is as happy as a pig in grease.
Obama is finally beaten. He's failing.
August can be renamed agnst.
Our national agnst has reached it's fever pitch.
The masses are speaking —- well, yelling —– letting freedom ring.
They have that right.
Turn up the volume.
It's the instigators over the airwaves who are turning up the violent rhetoric that could lead to violence.
They see it as a crusade.
Obama failing isn't going to be enough.
The time is right for fighting in the street, boy.
The media is the message, and the extremists are chanting the title of a recent movie: "There will be blood."
And they're preaching to a choir of memebers who are already angry at the changing face of America.
And heaven forbid someone is maimed or killed during one of these patriotic events.
Should that happen, cowards like O'Reilly and Limbaugh will retreat to their "don't blame us" corners.
Oh, they're good at retreating.
Neither one of them had the stones to serve in the military during the Vietnam era.
And they'll lie by saying they never say or do anything wrong. They've got millions of viewers who'll confess to that.
Punks. These two bozos dodged the draft in their youth.
They've been dodging intellect ever since.
Cowards always make the best self-proclaimed patriots. Always first to back wars they're too old to fight.
They're also the best at sending out their followers to do their dirty work.
It can never fail because people will believe anything they hear from someone else that strikes a nerve.
Obamacare wants to kill old people.
Obamacare will take money from your bank account to pay for abortions.
Heck, Jabba could belch that Dexter, the serial killer on the Showtime series, is going to be Obama's health care czar and his Butt-plugs will swallow it.
What the hell, they've swallowed worse.
Add to the mix the one person who keeps putting the looney in looney tunes, Sarah Palin, with what could be her most idiotic statement to date (and that's saying something):
Obama has death panels that will decide who will live or die.
The only good thing to come out of this verbal vegetable in this case is that her political legacy will be that she's the dimwit who actually came up with the phrase "death panels."
Then there's Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chicken you-know-what, who catered to the absolutely ridiculous theory that old people are being targeted for euthanasia.
The Iowa Republican told the roar of his town hall crowd to be afraid that the government will pull the plug on grandma.
What a wuss.
Conspiracy has replaced courage in 21st century America.
That's what the instigators want most of all.
Conspiracy theory is their ecstasy drug.
Nirvana for the neo-cons.
Saturday night's alright for fighting.
If that means a race war, so be it.
Should that happen and fighting ignites on Main Street, USA, cowards like O'Reilly and Jabba the Butt will be hiding with Cheney in that undisclosed location.
If that should fail, they'll televise the revolution from another country.
France would be poetic justice.


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This property allows you to book online with a credit card. After submitting a reservation request, the owner or manager has 24 hours to accept, at which time your card will be charged and you will receive an email confirmation
Sea Cow Bay Travel Tips
Book Sea Cow Bay Vacation Rentals for Your Trip to Tortola
If you're heading to Tortola soon, you'll want to check out Sea Cow Bay vacation rentals. Settle in to one of these great villas before taking in all that the area offers visitors. Tortola is the main island of the British Virgin Islands. It's beautifully named after the turtle dove. Tortola is a volcanic island with the highest mountains found at the center of the island. These mountains cascade down to smaller slopes as you head to the coast. With geography like this, the island has no shortage of breathtaking vistas. You'll be in an optimal location for exploring these mountains when you stay in Sea Cow Bay villas.
A Slice of History
According to legend, the less beautifully named Sea Cow Bay received its moniker after a sea cow surprised residents by coming into the bay many years ago. It must have been a striking event because the name stuck, though locals are quick to point out that the area also has a nickname: Hog City. You'll begin to feel like a local when you book an extended stay in Tortola resorts.
The Adventure of a Lifetime
Though the names are quaint, the opportunities for adventure abound. If you stay in Sea Cow Bay villas, you'll enjoy easy access to the bay and a beautiful ocean views. Beaches are a short drive away. You can easily access the ferry terminal, allowing you to visit other islands. Road Town is the nearest city and provides shopping and fine dining. You'll want to take advantage of the opportunity to go bareboating--renting a yacht and taking it out into the Caribbean. Road Town is the headquarters of several yacht-rental businesses. The opportunities for fun are endless in Tortola, so book Sea Cow Bay vacation rentals and get set for an adventure of a lifetime.


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Spotify's Shanon Cook makes her final 2014 appearance on the show to discuss the most popular and streamed artists of 2014.
Jeff is a host for CNET video and is regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404, and also writes the site's tech comic, Low Latency. He is CNET's senior gaming editor and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
Iyaz Akhtar works tenaciously to make technology work for him so he can live a life of leisure. He's been in the tech sector as a writer, an editor, a producer, and a presenter since 2006.


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Perhaps you are stating why should I broadcast my wedding live on the internet? Every wedding has guests that are unable to to go to. With the current economy, many individuals are choosing to not attend nuptials which could require travel or time from function. Brides and Grooms who might be confronted with this scenario…Continue reading
5 Essential Elements for Photographers
It could be somewhat challenging in the event that you are not sure what things to anticipate or how to proceed in regards time to book services with professional wedding photographers photographers. However, the procedure is really fairly easy in the event that you follow these five fundamental measures… 3: Understand your financial plan. Your…Continue reading
The Top Six Most Asked Questions About Wedding Photographs
Shooting digital wedding photos could really be much different from shooting photos using a camera that is regular. You are going to possess several edges accessible; but in addition, there are additional factors that has to be produced. Underneath you'll find electronic wedding pictures hints to help direct you throughout the procedure. Electronic Wedding Photography…Continue reading
How Photographs Changed Our Lives
A lot of folks marriage these days are spending a ton of money on employing expert photographers' expertise to to recapture there event that is huge. Ideally using the few photography hints below I will help you additionally to to recapture fantastic wedding evening images which will help you save cash. Cameras are being used…Continue reading
Kids, Work and Family Formals
Wedding evening Formals – Having the Pictures that are very best Here is some advice to make sure you get pictures that are superb in your big day. This advice will allow you to arrange your wedding pictures that are proper in order to get the pictures you as well as your loved ones need….Continue reading
Nine Unusual Tips for Pictures That You Should be Using Right Now
1. Understand Your Crowd Understanding who your market that is intended is a clear, but occasionally overlooked step of creating your slideshow in the process. As an example, in the event you're revealing your slideshow at your wedding wedding party, maybe you need to to add some photos of the invitees, and not photos of…Continue reading
Weddings for Dummies
Every-where you look today folks are writing tales should you be watching what's happening in the marriage business. The best way to really have a Wedding on a shoe-string, The Downturn wedding-planning information, story after story about reducing the prices. I will be viewing proof the downturn brides, managing a few sorrows even though it's…Continue reading
Twenty One Winning Strategies to Use for Your Wedding Photos
You have an inventory of the very best professional wedding photographers photographers according to study and guidelines, now, however, comes the part that was tough: trusting the eternal storage of your wedding to one. Choosing the most effective wedding photographer for you personally, your wedding as well as your loved ones may rely not just…Continue reading
The Top Four Most Asked Questions About Wedding Photography
Strategies For Outside Wedding pictures – The best way to find the best Images Potential Wedding pictures that is outside produces an eloquent narrative of your day that is special. The outdoors, the sun, as well as the beautiful views actually sets the scene. Sadly, even the components, clouds, wind, and mild will never be…Continue reading
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Wedding and wedding photography movies have changed in engineering as well as style. Customers finally possess an option of placing it into digital or movie photos. Professional wedding photographers photographers that are enthusiastic and most committed not just take fashionable and fundamental photo-shoots and movies for wedding, in addition they have associations with additional providers…Continue reading


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Internal Affairs
Off-Duty Dallas Police Officer Arrested At Country Fair
An off-duty Dallas police officer was jailed early Sunday morning on charges of criminal mischief and public intoxication.
Coppell Deputy Police Chief Resigns After Internal Investigation
Allegations against a deputy police chief in Coppell are coming to light, after CBS11 obtained the 145 page investigative report.
DPD Chief Disciplines Two Deputies Over Officer Misconduct
Two high-ranking officials in the Dallas Police Department have been disciplined following an administrative investigation.
FWPD Chief: Officers Caught Driving Drunk Will Be Fired
On Thursday, the Fort Worth police chief vowed that the full force of the department will be brought down on any officer caught driving drunk. The very public declaration was made one day after another officer with the department was charged with DWI.
Dallas Officer Fired After She Quit Coming To Work
Dallas police Chief David Brown fired two officers Friday. One for two arrest and the other because they stopped coming to work.


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Subway has been slapped with a class action lawsuit on behalf of all employees titled "sandwich artists" employed by the California Subway franchise By Faith, Inc., which operates several Subway stores in Riverside County.The employee class action lawsuit accuses the company of denying its workers of rest breaks and requiring they work off the clock to reduce payroll hours.The claims seem to be quite lengthy. Employees seek unpaid minimum wages, unpaid overtime wages, improper wage statement penalties, costs, interest, and attorney's fees.
Note from HandelontheLaw.com: This article is to be used as an educational guide only and should not be interpreted as a legal consultation. Readers of this article are advised to seek an attorney if a legal consultation is needed. Laws may vary by state and are subject to change, thus the accuracy of this information can not be guaranteed. Readers act on this information solely at their own risk. Neither the author, handelonthelaw.com, or any of its affiliates shall have any liability stemming from this article.


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Indonesia's deforestation rate falls, says Ministry of Forestrymongabay.com
May 25, 2012
Deforestation in Indonesia.
The new map lists 65,282,006 hectares of natural forests and peatland as off-limits from new concessions, a reduction of 92,245 ha from the previous version of the map. The Ministry of Forestry's numbers are about 471,000 hectares less than the extent announced on Monday by the chairman of Indonesia's REDD+ Task Force, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto. The Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the discrepancy is the result of the UKP4 including some areas used for agricultural, acccording to the Jakarta Post.
Overall the area protected under the "Indicative Moratorium Map" has been reduced from 69.1 million hectares since it was released a year ago.
Environmentalists have expressed disappointment with the moratorium, which excludes secondary forests and has loopholes for energy development, mining, and some agriculture. The moratorium, which was established after Norway committed up to a billion dollars for reducing emissions from deforestation in Indonesia, was originally expected to include all forest areas not already under concession. Norway's Environment Minister said on Monday that the moratorium alone would not be enough for Indonesia to meet its emissions reductions target.
Nevertheless, the moratorium has triggered a push to reform the forestry sector which has historically been plagued by corruption, mismanagement, and social conflict. Reforms include improved accountability and transparency. The moratorium has also set in motion Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's plan to move Indonesia toward a lower carbon economy.
Indonesia has lost tens of millions of hectares of forest in recent decades, giving it one of the highest deforestation rates in the world.
Mongabay.com was unable to corroborate the Ministry of Forestry's deforestation estimates. Numbers from other sources suggest a higher rate.
Related articles


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By Kathy Gierer, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
The Columbus Cottonmouths played three games in three nights after a four-day break for Christmas.
After an overtime loss to Huntsville, the Snakes captured three of a possible six points this weekend.
The Havoc earned the 2-1 victory despite having a roster depleted by suspensions. On Friday night, the Havoc and Mississippi Surge engaged in a massive brawl late in the game, resulting in the suspension of forwards Chapen LeBlond and Corey Fulton and defensemen Bill Baker and Matt Smyth. The Havoc put only 13 skaters on the ice.
The Snakes skated 14, missing co-captain Orrin Hergott and defenseman Tommy Fitzpatrick.
Co-captain Sam Bowles credited the Havoc with their response to adversity.
"We've been in that position," Bowles said of Huntsville's short roster. "Teams rally when that happens and that's what they did. Kudos to them. It was a gut check for their guys and they responded."


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Florida does have a presumption of negligence for a rear-end accident however it is not a state statute that we are aware of but instead Florida case laws that has set this precedent. In all the cases we have read with a presumption of negligence for the driver that rear-ended the vehicle a specific law is not mentioned just that it is a well established principle that in a rear-end type collision Florida law presumes the negligence of the rear driver.
Starting with a case called McNulty v. Cusack, (Fla. 2d DCA 1958); FL law has presumed that the driver of the rear vehicle was negligent in a motor vehicle accident unless that driver provided a substantial and reasonable explanation as to why he was not negligent. It the driver can prove such an explanation than the presumption would vanish and the case could go to the jury on its merits if it is a court case.
Negligence is defined in FL as the failure to use reasonable care under the circumstances. And a driver that causes a rear-end accident is usually found negligent under Florida Statute 316.0895(1) which states:
The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the highway.
So under this traffic regulation most drivers are found at-fault for colliding with the car in front of them. If a person rebuts negligence though and shows that reasonable care was taken then they may be able to lift the presumption of negligence. Once the presumption of negligence is rebutted, the presumption vanishes and if the case is in court it is sent to the jury on the basis of all the evidence submitted.
In a rear-end type collision Florida law, based on court cases already tried and with decisions, presumes the negligence of the rear driver. While this is the presumption of the court, insurance companies, etc it does not mean that a driver cannot rebut the presumption. If the driver that rear ended a vehicle can give a reasonable and substantial explanation of why they are not negligent or at fault they may be able to either be found not at fault or have some fault placed on the other driver since Florida is a comparative negligence state.
Comparative negligence means that a driver is allowed damage recovery but it is reduced by a person's own percentage of negligence. Comparative negligence comes into play when it is contended that two or more parties failed to perform at the standard of the "ordinary reasonable person."
For example while a sudden stop alone does not place any fault on the front driver, a sudden stop that occurs because the forward driver failed to exercise reasonable care (i.e. stopped for no apparent reason) could also be the basis for a claim of comparative negligence.
If you want to know more about presumption of negligence in Florida in regards to rear-end accidents try contacting a FL lawyer that is an expert in this type of Florida law, we are insurance agents.
For Florida car insurance quotes from an auto insurance specialist click here.


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Doom 3 Source Code ReleasedNovember 22nd, 2011 by Crusader
Thanks to TTimo for the heads up!
I'm a little drunk, which is appropriate as it's time to celebrate: id Software has released the source code to id Tech 4, aka the Doom 3 engine, on GitHub:
Game data and patching:
This source release does not contain any game data, the game data is still
covered by the original EULA and must be obeyed as usual.
You must patch the game to the latest version.
Note that Doom 3 and Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil are available from the Steam store at
Other platforms, updated source code, security issues:
If you have obtained this source code several weeks after the time of release,
it is likely that you can find modified and improved
versions of the engine in various open source projects across the internet.
Depending what is your interest with the source code, those may be a better
starting point.
Compiling on GNU/Linux x86:
The build system on GNU/Linux is based on SCons: http://www.scons.org/
Issue the scons command in the neo/ folder.
Back End Rendering of Stencil Shadows:
The Doom 3 GPL source code release does not include functionality enabling rendering
of stencil shadows via the "depth fail" method, a functionality commonly known as
"Carmack's Reverse".