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SRD:Saving Throw (Spell Descriptor)
From D&D Wiki
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Saving Throw
Usually a harmful spell allows a target to make a saving throw to avoid some or all of the effect. The Saving Throw entry in a spell description defines which type of saving throw the spell allows and describes how saving throws against the spell work.
The spell has no effect on a subject that makes a successful saving throw.
The spell causes an effect on its subject. A successful saving throw means that some lesser effect occurs.
The spell deals damage, and a successful saving throw halves the damage taken (round down).
No saving throw is allowed.
A successful save lets the subject ignore the effect.
The spell can be cast on objects, which receive saving throws only if they are magical or if they are attended (held, worn, grasped, or the like) by a creature resisting the spell, in which case the object uses the creature's saving throw bonus unless its own bonus is greater. (This notation does not mean that a spell can be cast only on objects. Some spells of this sort can be cast on creatures or objects.) A magic item's saving throw bonuses are each equal to 2 + one-half the item's caster level.
The spell is usually beneficial, not harmful, but a targeted creature can attempt a saving throw if it desires.
Saving Throw Difficulty Class
A saving throw against your spell has a DC of 10 + the level of the spell + your bonus for the relevant ability (Intelligence for a wizard, Charisma for a sorcerer or bard, or Wisdom for a cleric, druid, paladin, or ranger). A spell's level can vary depending on your class. Always use the spell level applicable to your class.
Succeeding on a Saving Throw
A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature's saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed on saves against effect and area spells.
Automatic Failures and Successes
A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure, and the spell may cause damage to exposed items (see Items Surviving after a Saving Throw, below). A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a success.
Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw
A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell's result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.
Items Surviving after a Saving Throw
Unless the descriptive text for the spell specifies otherwise, all items carried or worn by a creature are assumed to survive a magical attack. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw against the effect, however, an exposed item is harmed (if the attack can harm objects). Refer to Table: Items Affected by Magical Attacks. Determine which four objects carried or worn by the creature are most likely to be affected and roll randomly among them. The randomly determined item must make a saving throw against the attack form and take whatever damage the attack deal.
If an item is not carried or worn and is not magical, it does not get a saving throw. It simply is dealt the appropriate damage.
Order1 | Item |
1st | Shield |
2nd | Armor |
3rd | Magic helmet, hat, or headband |
4th | Item in hand (including weapon, wand, or the like) |
5th | Magic cloak |
6th | Stowed or sheathed weapon |
7th | Magic bracers |
8th | Magic clothing |
9th | Magic jewelry (including rings) |
10th | Anything else |
This page is protected from editing because it is an integral part of D&D Wiki. Please discuss possible problems on the talk page.


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subset: commoncrawl


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The fundamental dogma of Christianity; the concept of the union in one God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three infinite persons. It was the Nicene Council and even more especially the Athanasian Creed that first gave the dogma its definite formulation: "And the Catholick Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Substance." Equalization of the Son with the Father marks an innovation in the Pauline theology: "Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him" (I Cor. viii. 6, R. V.), while in another passage the Holy Ghost is added (ib. xii. 3; comp. Titus ii. 13), thus rapidly developing the concept of the Trinity (II Cor. xiii. 14). Although the Judæo-Christian sect of the Ebionites protested against this apotheosis of Jesus ("Clementine Homilies," xvi. 15), the great mass of Gentile Christians accepted it.
The Holy Ghost.The Holy Ghost as the third person of the Trinity could originate only on Gentile soil, since it was based on a linguistic error. The "Gospel According to the Hebrews," which was once held in high esteem, especially in Ebionitic circles, still regards the term "mother" as equivalent to "Holy Ghost" (Origen, Commentary on John ii. 12; see Preuschen, "Antilegomena," p. 4, Giessen, 1901; Henneke, "Neutestamentliche Apokryphen," p. 19, Tübingen, 1904), since in Aramaic, the language of this Gospel and possibly the original dialect of all the Gospels, the noun "ruḥa" (spirit) is feminine (comp. the Gnostic statement ἐντεῦθεν; Φάλτν ἀναδεχΘῆναι μητέρα καὶ υίόν Irenæus, "Adversus Hæreses," i. 271). The Ophites, furthermore, actually taught a trinity of father, son, and mother (Hilgenfeld, "Ketzergeschichte," p. 255); and the fact that the Church father Hippolytus found among the Ophites the Assyrian doctrine of the trinity of the soul (Hilgenfeld, l.c. p. 259) justifies the assumption of a kinship of the dogma of the Trinity with older concepts. The Mandæans also believe ruḥa to be the mother of the Messiah, though they regard them both as demons (Brandt, "Die Mandäische Religion," p. 124, Leipsic, 1889). The original trinity must, therefore, have included a feminine being, since thus alone could the concept of ruḥa have been obtained, and only after this form of trinity had been accepted in Judæo-Christian circles could the Greek τὸ φνεῦμα be regarded as a person, although it then became masculine instead of feminine. Philo's doctrine of the Logos is connected with this belief. God, who created His son in His own image (Gen. ii. 7), thereby made Himself triform, so that He Himself and the biform first Adam (= Logos = Jesus) constituted the first trinity.
Jewish Objections.The controversies between the Christians and the Jews concerning the Trinity centered for the most part about the problem whether the writers of the Old Testament bore witness to it or not, the Jews naturally rejecting every proof brought forward by their opponents. The latter based their arguments on the Trisagion in Isa. vi. 3, a proof which had been frequently offered since Eusebius and Gregory of Nazianzus. The convert Jacob Perez of Valentia (d. 1491) even found an allusion to the Trinity in the word "Elohim," and Luther saw distinct traces of the doctrine in Gen. i. 1, 26; iii. 21; xi. 7, 8, 9; Num. vi. 22; II Sam. xxiii. 2; and Dan. vii. 13. The Jewish polemics against this doctrine date almost from its very conception. Even in the Talmud, R. Simlai (3d cent.) declared, in refutation of the "heretics," "The three words 'El,' 'Elohim,' and '
In the Middle Ages the nature of the Trinity was discussed in every one of the numerous disputations between Christians and Jews, the polemic of Abraham Roman (in his "Sela' ha-Maḥaloḳet," printed in the "Milḥemet Ḥobah," Constantinople, 1710) being especially bitter; while in his well-known disputation Naḥmanides wrote as follows:
"Fra Pablo asked me in Gerona whether I believed in the Trinity []. I said to him, 'What is the Trinity? Do three great human bodies constitute the Divinity?' 'No!' 'Or are there three ethereal bodies, such as the souls, or are there three angels?' 'No!' 'Or is an object composed of three kinds of matter, as bodies are composed of the four elements?' 'No!' 'What then is the Trinity?' He said: 'Wisdom, will, and power' [comp. the definition of Thomas Aquinas cited above]. Then I said: 'I also acknowledge that God is wise and not foolish, that He has a will unchangeable, and that He is mighty and not weak. But the term "Trinity" is decidedly erroneous; for wisdom is not accidental in the Creator, since He and His wisdom are one, He and His will are one, He and His power are one, so that wisdom, will, and power are one. Moreover, even were these things accidental in Him, that which is called God would not be three beings, but one being with these three accidental attributes.' Our lord the king here quoted an analogy which the erring ones had taught him, saying that there are also three things in wine, namely, color, taste, and bouquet, yet it is still one thing. This is a decided error; for the redness, the taste, and the bouquet of the wine are distinct essences, each of them potentially self-existent; for there are red, white, and other colors, and the same statement holds true with regard to taste and bouquet. The redness, the taste, and the bouquet, moreover, are not the wine itself, but the thing which fills the vessel, and which is, therefore, a body with the three accidents. Following this course of argument, there would be four, since the enumeration should include God, His wisdom, His will, and His power, and these are four. You would even have to speak of five things; for He lives, and His life is a part of Him just as much as His wisdom. Thus the definition of God would be 'living, wise, endowed with will, and mighty'; the Divinity would therefore be fivefold in nature. All this, however, is an evident error. Then Fra Pablo arose and said that he believed in the unity, which, none the less, included the Trinity, although this was an exceedingly deep mystery, which even the angels and the princes of heaven could not comprehend. I arose and said: 'It is evident that a person does not believe what he does not know: therefore the angels do not believe in the Trinity.' His colleagues then bade him be silent"
The boldness of the Christian exegetes, who converted even the "Shema'," the solemn confession of the Divine Unity, into a proof of the Trinity (Maimonides, in "Teḥiyyat ha-Metim," beginning), furnishes an explanation of the bitterness of the Jewish apologists. Joseph Ḳimḥi assailed the doctrine of the Trinity first of all ("Milḥemet Ḥobah," p. 19a), refuting with weighty arguments the favorite proof based on Gen. xviii. 1-2, where
The Cabala, on the other hand, especially the Zohar, its fundamental work, was far less hostile to the dogma of the Trinity, since by its speculations regarding the father, the son, and the spirit it evolved a new trinity, and thus became dangerous to Judaism. Such terms as "maṭronita," "body," "spirit," occur frequently (e.q., "Tazria'," ed. Polna, iii. 43b); so that Christians and converts like Knorr von Rosenroth, Reuchlin, and Rittangel found in the Zohar a confirmation of Christianity and especially of the dogma of the Trinity (Jellinek, "Die Kabbala," p. 250, Leipsic, 1844 [trans]. of Franck's "La Kabbale," Paris, 1843]). Reuchlin sought on the basis of the Cabala the words "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" in the second word of the Pentateuch, as well as in Ps. cxviii. 22 (ib. p. 10), while Johann Kemper, a convert, left in manuscript a work entitled "Maṭṭeh Mosheh," which treats in its third section of the harmony of the Zohar with the doctrine of the Trinity (Zettersteen, "Verzeichniss der Hebräischen und Aramäischen Handschriften zu Upsala," p. 16, Lund, 1900). The study of the Cabala led the Frankists to adopt Christianity; but the Jews have always regarded the doctrine of the Trinity as one irreconcilable with the spirit of the Jewish religion and with monotheism. See Christianity in Its Relation to Judaism; Polemics.
- F. C. Bauer, Die Christliche Lehre von der Dreieinigkeit, etc., 3 vols., Tübingen, 1841-43;
- H. Usener, Die Dreiheit, in Rheinisches Museum für Klassische Philologie, lviii. 1-47.


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Expert methods and isolation of pain sources. Very knowledgeable on how body mechanics affect ability to function free of pain. I have been very satisfied with Phil's knowledge and treatment approaches.
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IRI Intros: 5 Questions with Henrik Christensen
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You've probably heard that Georgia Tech has a number of Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs) – but do you know much about them?
This article is one in a series of Q&As to introduce the Tech community to the 10 IRIs and their leaders. In this installment, Executive Director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM) Henrik Christensen answers questions about IRIM and also talks about its efforts to support Georgia Tech faculty and students.
Q: What is the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM), and what are its core research areas?
A: The Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines is a new IRI that integrates robotics research, education and outreach, and industry engagement across the College of Engineering, the College of Computing, the College of Sciences, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). Our work often involves labs and individual researchers in other Georgia Tech colleges and centers, as well.
We conduct research in mechanisms, control, perception, artificial intelligence (AI), and human–robot interaction (HRI) with a particular emphasis on human-centered robotics. The question, "How can we build robots that empower people in their daily lives, whether for service in the workplace or in the home, or for enjoyment in a leisure setting?" is central to our work.
Using robots makes it possible to compete with low-wage manual labor in other countries. It also creates new positions that replace the dirty, dull, and dangerous jobs in U.S. factories. Additionally, robotics technologies have made it possible to improve the quality of life in an aging society by providing services that allow people to remain autonomous as they lose various functions such as mobility and memory. Finally, our research leads to new types of autonomous systems to assist first responders and soldiers during interventions by increasing the distance between responders and the immediate danger, including fires, earthquakes, and explosives.
IRIM has three objectives: 1) to be the world leader in human-centered robotics, 2) to educate the best people to serve in academia and industry for next-generation robotic systems, and 3) to create new opportunities in robotics for industry and society at large, in both Georgia and beyond.
Q: A lot seems to be going on in robotics these days. Can you summarize the big trends and Georgia Tech's role with regard to those trends?
A: Robotics has seen tremendous growth in the past few years. Today, robots are used to re-shore jobs to the U.S. in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and electronics manufacturing. We have also seen the development of major new services for the home – from robot vacuum cleaners to autonomous transportation and personal assistance devices. And, of course, we have seen numerous robots used in Iraq and Afghanistan to make life a little safer for our soldiers.
Overall, we are seeing major growth in manufacturing, e-commerce, health care, and service industries.
The U.S. recently initiated a number of big programs in robotics, such as the National Robotics Initiative (NRI), which is sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and NASA. The NRI was launched on the basis of the Roadmap for U.S. Robotics, a report initially published in 2009 and revised in 2013. Georgia Tech served as the coordinator of the development of both editions of this report. To support the NRI, a national network, the Robotics Virtual Organization was founded and is managed by Tech. Consequently, Tech is seen, in many respects, as the leader for the push for new robotics initiatives in the U.S. across research, education, and the translation of results.
Q: How does IRIM support research?
A: IRIM supports the research of more than 60 faculty members and 140 graduate students across various colleges and GTRI in a number of ways.
First, we proactively identify major new funding areas and launch seed projects that allow Georgia Tech to be competitive when calls for proposals are issued. There are remarkably few opportunities for faculty to conduct exploratory research without funding constraints, so we try to identify these new opportunities early and build up results to ensure we can successfully compete for funds.
Additionally, we are developing an infrastructure that matches researchers with similar interests so, together, they have a more competitive edge when applying for major funding awards. Although our researchers are very good at pursuing grants, it is challenging, as a single applicant, to generate adequate support to build a successful proposal for major funding awards such as NSF's Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) or Science and Technology Centers (STCs) grants. For example, it is difficult for one faculty member to build a complete manufacturing facility for new robotics research in the automotive industry. However, IRIM can provide a shared infrastructure that allows multiple researchers to pursue a larger research effort in a shared space.
IRIM is also committed to providing support to faculty pursuing major research opportunities through all phases of the process, from early research efforts and proposal writing to grant management and evaluation of broader impact and outreach. We would rather see our robotics faculty winning a smaller number of major grants rather than a larger number of smaller grants because comparatively, the smaller grants have too much overhead.
Additionally, IRIM facilitates opportunities for engagement in interdisciplinary activities through events such as weekly seminars and topical workshops throughout the fall and spring semesters.
Finally, our One Georgia Tech approach allows external stakeholders, especially our industry partners, the chance to work with IRIM to identify the individual or lab on campus that best matches their research needs.
Q: How is IRIM furthering Georgia Tech's academic mission?
A: Over the past few years, we have built a strong Ph.D. program in robotics in which we currently have close to 50 graduate students enrolled. These students are required to have an interdisciplinary focus and must choose coursework that involves three of five core robotics areas: mechanics, controls, perception, HRI, and AI and autonomy. Our interdisciplinary approach has proven to be very popular with students, as well as with employers.
Additionally, IRIM is working on the development of a professional master's program in robotics. Georgia has a strong industry base related to robotics, and many of these companies would welcome the opportunity to have a continuing education program available locally for their employees. A professional master's program would not only allow us to attract more students to Georgia Tech, it would also build new links to industrial companies from across the state.
IRIM also actively engages with undergraduate students enrolled in participating units (Interactive Computing, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering) through coursework and undergraduate research opportunities. This summer, we are launching an NSF-sponsored Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) Program for students to spend summer on campus to conduct research with robotics faculty and graduate students. We see this program as a strong recruiting mechanism to attract the best students to Georgia Tech for graduate studies.
Q: How does IRIM support industry engagement and community outreach?
A: IRIM has a proven track record of cultivating successful industry partnerships, including those with KUKA, Boeing, General Motors, BMW, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Google, Microsoft, iRobot, and Lockheed Martin.
Through a strong collaboration across academic units and GTRI, IRIM offers industry partners access to a broad research portfolio, as well as an abundance of beneficial services that span from basic research opportunities to full-product development solutions. Too often, innovations are lost in the abyss between basic research and applications. IRIM has the faculty, processes, and experience to ensure these innovative projects can be successful. Few other academic or research institutions in the U.S. have a comparable scope of expertise and options available to industry.
For broader community outreach, IRIM works closely with organizations across Georgia and the nation, such as high schools, to provide education on the impact of robotics with regard to everyday living. We do this through initiatives such as the FIRST Robotics Competition. The undergraduate robotics club, RoboJackets, with support from IRIM, organizes the annual kickoff for this competition. In 2013, more than 1,000 high school students attended the event at Ferst Center for the Arts, and quite a few Georgia Tech students and faculty members are mentors for the FIRST team.
Additionally, in an effort to stimulate general interest in STEM subjects, as well as a specific interest in robotics, IRIM organizes regular school visits across Georgia during the year. Since the launch of National Robotics Week in 2010, IRIM has participated annually by sponsoring an open house at Tech and conducting lab tours and demonstrations for middle and high school students. More than 400 students participated in Tech's 2013 event held on April 11, with one group traveling from Tennessee to attend. Tours offered participants a chance to learn more about 46 different research projects in 16 different robotics labs on campus. We anticipate the 2014 event will be even bigger and better than last year!
- Workflow Status:Published
- Created By:Kirk Englehardt
- Created:01/13/2014
- Modified By:Fletcher Moore
- Modified:10/07/2016


text: You can carry over your contributions that you are not able to deduct in the current year because they exceed your adjusted-gross-income limits. You can deduct the excess in each of the next 5 years until it is used up, but not beyond that time. Your total contributions deduction for the year to which you carry your contributions cannot exceed 50% of your adjusted gross income for that year.A carryover of a qualified conservation contribution can be carried forward for 15 years.Contributions you carry over are subject to the same percentage limits in the year to which they are carried. For example, contributions subject to the 20% limit in the year in which they are made are 20% limit contributions in the year to which they are carried.For each category of contributions, you deduct carryover contributions only after deducting all allowable contributions in that category for the current year. If you have carryovers from 2 or more prior years, use the carryover from the earlier year first.For examples and more information refer to page 15 of Publication 526.


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A scheme is defined to be a sheaf which is locally isomorphic to the spectrum of a ring. The idea behind this is that given an affine coordinate ring of a variety over an algebraically closed field, we can recover the variety, i.e. the geometric object, by looking at the maximal ideals of this affine coordinate ring. Including the prime ideals (which add in the irreducible subvarieties), we get the notion of a scheme, which is something which is gotten essentially from the spectrum of a ring.
Another way to recover a variety from the algebra associated with it is to consider the valuations of its function field. Specifically, the points of a non-singular complete variety correspond to the valuations on the function field of the variety. We can actually define the variety as the set of valuations. If $K$ is the field and $v(K)$ denotes the set of valuations on $K$, then we declare $\{v \in v(K) \mid v(x) > 0\}$ for each $x \in K$ to be closed, giving a topology on the set of valuations. Finally, we can define the local ring at each point to be the valuation ring for that valuation. My question is, what if, instead of looking at spectra of rings, we defined a new object, which is locally the set of valuations of a field? For Dedekind rings, these seems to give something similar to the spectrum of the given Dedekind domain. Is this interesting in other contexts? Can one gain something by looking at it from this perspective?
Edit: Although valuations do not give varieties up to isomorphism, our new object could still be something along the lines of "variety up to birational equivalence."


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Note | Starting December 31, 2013, Goblin Game tickets will no longer be granted or sold. If you have tickets that you purchased or were granted prior to 12/31, you will still be able to use them. You will still be able to use any Goblin Gold you have earned through the Goblin Game. |
Purchase your tickets to play a new mini-game feature for a variety of prizes! When you use your Goblin Games ticket, a mysterious Gigglegibber will appear and offer you a choice of one of three mini-games: Goblin Grub, Decoration Duplication, or Statue Streak. Pick your game and play for a chance at one of many great prizes, including a new currency – Gigglegibber Gold – that can be used to purchase some items in the Marketplace as well! If you don't succeed in your mini-game quest the first time around, fear not! The ticket will remain in your inventory until you win a prize.
Now on the Marketplace, under the Goblin Games category, you can buy a Goblin Games Ticket for 100 DBC which will allow you to play one of three games. Players also receive two (three for Gold accounts) free tickets a month, found in the /claim window..
The games are:
You receive a prize every time you win, selected at random from the following lists:
These prizes are only available through the prize crate.
These prizes may also be posted on the Marketplace for Station Cash or Goblin Gold.Notes: Your ticket is only consumed after you receive a prize, so if you lose you can keep trying until you win. Many of the prizes listed above may also be purchased for Goblin Gold pieces, which you may choose to take as your prize when you win.


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For over 22 years, a family of high-tech design engineers has successfully produced a series of revolutionary fishing reels.
In 1997, Accurate Fishing Products introduced its first, revolutionary, TwinDrag system fishing reels. A little over ten years later, Accurate has expanded its high-tech reel series to include seven blue-water models and eight light-tackle models, all of which have been readily accepted by serious saltwater sport fishermen.
So popular have these new reels become that the company has increased both production staff and scheduling to keep pace with orders which now include local, regional, national and international markets. As one example of Accurates fishing tackle industry impact, one reel model — the Accurate Boss B2-870 proved such a hot seller this spring, during its debut at the largest consumer fishing tackle show in the country, that anglers stood four-deep across the exhibit counter as 250 of these reels sold-out in less than four hours after the shows opening!
As you read on, well tell you more about our company, how our reels are designed and why Accurates patented TwinDrag reels offer unparalleled performance under the most challenging angling conditions.


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Published On: November 4, 2017 10:52 AM NPT By: Associated Press
Associated Press, Nov 4: The man who killed 58 people at a country music festival in Las Vegas last month had been depressed after losing a significant amount of money in the past two years and that may have been a "determining factor" in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, the city's sheriff said.
Gunman Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old high-stakes gambler and real estate investor, had lost a "significant amount of wealth" since September 2015, which led to "bouts of depression," Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said in aninterview this week with Las Vegas news station KLAS-TV.
"This individual was status-driven, based on how he liked to be recognized in the casino environment and how he liked to be recognized by his friends and family," Lombardo said. "So, obviously, that was starting to decline in the short period of time, and that may have had a determining effect on why he did what he did."
Investigators still have not determined exactly what led Paddock to unleash a barrage of gunfire at concertgoers from his high-rise suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino on Oct. 1.
Paddock killed himself after the massacre that also wounded more than 500 people. Las Vegas police and the FBI have examined his politics, any possible radicalization and his social behavior but turned up little.
Investigators have found that Paddock planned his attack meticulously and was "purposeful in concealing his actions," the sheriff said.
The gunman requested an upper-floor room overlooking the Route 91 Harvest Festival; stockpiled 23 guns, a dozen of them modified to fire continuously like an automatic weapon; and set up cameras inside and outside his room to watch for approaching officers.
One of the laptops found in Paddock's hotel suite was missing a hard drive, and searches of his internet history turned up nothing unusual.
Investigators found no evidence that Paddock had help carrying out the attack but are continuing to question his girlfriend, who was visiting family members in the Philippines during the massacre.
Marilou Danley is still considered a "person of interest" in the investigation and was being questioned again this week, Lombardo said. The FBI previously questioned her about Paddock's gun purchases and what she may have noticed about his behavior.
Danley has repeatedly denied knowing anything about the attack and said Paddock never said or did anything that would have led her to believe he was going to carry out a massacre.
But the sheriff said he had doubts about her story, calling it "hard to believe."
"You would think Ms. Danley would have some information associated with that," Lombardo said. "Currently, we haven't been able to pull it out of her, if she has it in her."
The sheriff also described Paddock's younger brother, Eric, as "manic" in interviews with news reporters outside his Florida home following the shooting but didn't elaborate. Eric Paddock has called his brother a multimillionaire.
"You can see there's something associated with the family," Lombardo said without elaborating.
A second brother, Bruce Paddock, was arrested in Los Angeles on Oct. 25 on suspicion of possessing child pornography.
In the wide-ranging, two-part interview, the sheriff said he believed Stephen Paddock was able to carry the guns into the hotel unnoticed by bringing them in separate bags over several days. He said Paddock was known among casino staff and nothing appeared unusual.
Fire officials released three hours of radio dispatches Friday that shed more light on the chaotic scene that first responders faced as they arrived and then worked to triage, treat and transport victims.
In just 2½ minutes, a mass-casualty incident unit was requested as firefighters scrambled to figure out where the gunfire was coming from and help victims. A firefighter described hearing "full-auto fire," a reference to the rapid gunfire coming from the hotel, as dozens of shooting victims were being reported.
It comes as several news organizations, including The Associated Press, have sued to seek 911 calls, police camera video and search warrants related to the shooting.
Spokeswomen for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI declined to comment on Friday.


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WASHINGTON – An important component of 2012's No. 1 Christian book and the No. 1 Christian video is the way two former Democratic U.S. senators both cited an obscure Bible verse in their efforts to comfort and embolden Americans after the 9/11 attacks – both apparently misunderstanding the context of Isaiah 9:10, which represents a repudiation of the role of God in the affairs of men.
The speeches by former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in a joint session of Congress the day after 9/11 and one by Sen. John Edwards, a vice presidential candidate on the third anniversary of the attack in 2004, represent two of the more dramatic elements of "The Harbinger," the explosive bestselling book by Jonathan Cahn, and "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment," the bestselling faith film in America since March.
Both Daschle and Edwards later fell into disgrace and no longer hold any public office. Daschle was nominated to become secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services by Barack Obama, but was forced to withdraw his nomination after revelations he failed to accurately report and pay his income taxes. Edwards ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008, but he was later indicted by a North Carolina grand jury on six felony charges of violating multiple federal campaign contribution laws to cover up an extramarital affair he admitted to following his 2008 campaign. Ultimately Edwards was found not guilty on one count, and the judge declared a mistrial on the remaining five charges, as the jury was unable to come to an agreement. The Obama Justice Department dropped the charges and would not attempt to retry him.
Since March of this year, WND has attempted to interview both Daschle and Edwards about those speeches and their references to Isaiah 9:10 – in an effort to determine what influenced or inspired them to cite the unusual verse that represented a curse on the ancient land of Israel when the words of defiance were used by its leaders.
Daschle's law firm and think-tank associates were contacted by WND seeking a 15-minute interview about the historic speech he delivered Sept. 12, 2001, to the entire nation via television. All of those inquiries over four months were ignored without explanation.
TRENDING: WATCH: 'It's time to move on': Mitch McConnell stepping down
Edwards was consumed with his trial for most of that period, but his attorney did respond to WND's request and agreed to extend personally the invitation for a 15-minute interview after his trial was concluded. After waiting for 45 days, WND concluded Edwards had no interest in discussing the matter.
"I'd still hold out an open invitation to both of them to answer the basic question of why they independently, years apart from one another, chose to cite Isaiah 9:10 in their speeches about 9/11," said Joseph Farah, producer of "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment." "By now they have surely heard about the key roles they play in the bestselling book and movie. It should be a matter of great historical interest to know what was behind their recitations of that verse. I think the public would like to know if this verse was chosen by the senators themselves or by speechwriters and whether they had any concept of the meaning of the verse when they used it."
"'The Harbinger,' written by Cahn, has been shocking audiences by revealing the astonishing parallels between the fall of ancient Israel and currents unfolding in the U.S., what he calls "an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future and the collapse of the global economy.
The book and movie revolve around an until now relatively obscure verse in the Bible – Isaiah 9:10, which reads, in the King James Verson: "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars."
Cahn says he has found nine harbingers that tie the problems America has experienced beginning Sept. 11, 2001, to parallels that led to the destruction of ancient Israel.
"Before God judges a nation, He sends warning," explains Cahn. "He sent warning to ancient Israel. He even allowed its enemies to breach its borders in a devastating strike that would traumatize the nation. It was a wake-up call, the call to return to God. But the nation responded with defiance. God then gave nine harbingers of judgment, nine prophetic signs, alarms and foreshadows of what was to come. Now America is the nation in rapid departure from God's will. And God likewise allowed an enemy to breach its borders in a devastating strike – the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It was, likewise, a wake-up call. But America, like Israel, has not responded with repentance, but with defiance. And now the nine harbingers of judgment have reappeared and have done so on American soil."
Isaiah 9:10 is a verse in which Israel's national leaders utter a vow of defiance following an attack by Assyria. It declared that the nation would not repent before God but would defy Him instead. Cahn reveals in "The Harbinger" – and in even more dramatic fashion in the video – that beginning the day after Sept. 11, 2001, American leaders began repeating that 2,500-year-old vow, word for word.
"Having no idea what he was doing, the majority leader of the U.S. Senate (Tom Daschle) was declaring America as under the judgment of God," Cahn says. "It was the reenactment of an ancient mystery – and bore the most grave of consequences."
Later, Edwards gives an entire speech to the Congressional Black Caucus based almost exclusively on Isaiah 9:10 – extolling America for following the same course as ancient Israel. Both of those speeches are featured in "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment" so viewers can see for themselves the eerie parallels.
Cahn continues: "According to the ancient mystery revealed in the Book of Isaiah, if after that first calamity and warning, the nation doesn't return to God but responds in defiance, it will end up triggering a second calamity. It was because of this ancient key, that, seven years after 9/11, the American economy collapsed.
"In the days after 9/11, the Federal Reserve slashed the base interest rate in an attempt to defy the consequences of the attacks," Cahn continues. "That action put us on the path leading to the collapse of the American economy seven years later. In 2008, the government made a second fatal mistake, another ill-fated financial decision, that would trigger the collapse of the American economy. Amazingly, it took place on the seventh anniversary of the uttering of the ancient vow on Capitol Hill."
Cahn also reveals in "The Harbinger" and "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment" something that readers and viewers universally find astonishing – that New York's Ground Zero actually represents more than the former financial center of the country. It represents the exact place at which America was first consecrated to God in prayer by the country's new leaders.
"When judgment came to Israel, the calamity returned the people's attention to the place where the nation had been consecrated to God – the Temple Mount," says Cahn. "God was calling the nation back to Himself. What about 9/11? Could there be, in the American calamity, as well, a mystery of return? Could there be a prophetic message hidden in the place where it happened? There is a place where America was consecrated to God in prayer. It is also a place linked to a prophetic warning given on that same day – uttered by the nation's first president – now coming to pass."
All of this is covered in "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment," using, whenever available, actual archival footage along with narration by Cahn.
Related offers:
Get just "The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment" video documentary from WND Films in the WND Superstore.
Get just "The Harbinger," the New York Times bestseller that is the talk of the nation.


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Treasury Secretary Timothy Geither told CNBC Wednesday that Republicans are "making a little bit of progress" in "fiscal cliff" talks but said the Obama administration was "absolutely" ready to go over the cliff if the GOP doesn't agree to raise tax rates on the wealthy.
"I think they're making a little bit of progress," Geithner said. "They're clearly moving and figuring out how to try to move further."
But Geithner said the White House would "absolutely" go over the fiscal cliff — triggering over $600 billion in automatic spending cuts and tax increases — unless tax rates increase on the top 2 percent of wage earners.


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Barack Obama on Energy & OilJunior Senator (IL); President-Elect |
He's partly right. The Chevy Volt, if it comes to market as scheduled in 2010, would be the first American-made, plug-in hybrid car, and General Motors recently announced that the Volt will use battery systems from South Korea's LG Chem Ltd.
But the U.S. isn't a complete laggard in this department. Ford said earlier this month that batteries for its hybrid, due to be available in 2012, will be supplied by a joint venture between a U.S. company, Johnson Controls Inc., and France's Saft. At least initially, though, the battery cells will be made in France; they will be assembled into power packs in the U.S.
OBAMA: We can�t drill our way out of the problem. That�s why I�ve focused on putting resources into solar, wind, biodiesel, geothermal. It is absolutely critical that we develop a high fuel efficient car that�s built not in Japan and not in South Korea, but built here in the USA. We invented the auto industry and the fact that we have fallen so far behind is something that we have to work on.
OBAMA: In ten years, we can reduce our dependence so that we no longer have to import oil from the Middle East or Venezuela. Number one, we need to expand domestic production and that means telling the oil companies the 68 million acres that they currently have leased that they�re not drilling, use them or lose them.
McCAIN: We can eliminate our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Venezuelan oil. Canadian oil is fine. We can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil by building 45 new nuclear power plants. With wind, tide, solar, natural gas, with development of flex fuel, hybrid, clean coal technology, we can, within seven, eight, ten years, eliminate our dependence on the places in the world that harm our national security.
McCAIN: I traveled all over the world looking at the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. Now, what�s the best way of fixing it? Nuclear power. Sen. Obama says that it has to be safe or disposable or something like that. Nuclear power is safe, and it�s clean. And I know that we can reprocess the spent nuclear fuel. The Japanese, the British, the French do it. And we can do it, too. Sen. Obama has opposed that.
OBAMA: I�ve called for investments in solar, wind, geothermal. Contrary to what Sen. McCain keeps on saying, I favor nuclear power as one component of our overall energy mix. But this is another example where I think it is important to look at the record. Sen. McCain said a while back that the big problem with energy is that for 30 years, politicians in Washington haven�t done anything. What Sen. McCain doesn�t mention is he�s been there 26 of them. And during that time, he voted 23 times against alternative fuels.
We found that only 11 of those votes would have reduced or eliminated subsidies or tax incentives for alternative energy. The rest were votes McCain cast against the mandatory use of alternative energy, or votes in favor of allowing exemptions from such mandates.
Previously Obama has been more hesitant. He said at a town hall meeting in Newton, Iowa, on Dec. 30, 2007, when asked if he was �truly comfortable� with the safety of nuclear power, �I start off with the premise that nuclear energy is not optimal. I am not a nuclear energy proponent.� He then went on to say later in the same response that he has �not ruled out nuclear ... but only so far as it is clean and safe.�
The energy plan Obama released in October 2007 only grudgingly conceded that more nuclear power is probably needed to reduce carbon emissions: �It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table.�
FACT CHECK: McCain�s plan entails cutting the overall corporate tax rate and does not represent a special $4 billion in tax breaks for the oil companies. Both Obama and McCain have proposed plans that eliminate tax loopholes for oil and gas companies, according to the Associated Press.
In a speech given in Lansing, Michigan, Senator Obama called for the completion of the Alaska natural gas pipeline, stating, �Over the next five years, we should also lease more of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska for oil and gas production. And we should also tap more of our substantial natural gas reserves and work with the Canadian government to finally build the Alaska natural gas pipeline, delivering clean natural gas and creating good jobs in the process.�
Gov. Palin said, �This is a tool that must be on the table to buy us time until our long-term energy plans can be put into place, and it is gratifying to see Senator Obama get on board.�
"We have heard promises to curb our use of fossil fuels in nearly every State of the Union address since the oil embargo of 1973.
"Our energy problem has become an energy crisis because no matter how well-intentioned the promise, they all fall victim to the same Washington politics that has only become more divided and dishonest; more beholden to the powerful interests that have the biggest stake in the status quo."
Obama said, �I commend McCain for his desire to accelerate the search for a battery that can power the cars of the future. But I don�t think a $300 million prize is enough. When John F. Kennedy decided that we were going to put a man on the moon, he didn�t put a bounty out for some rocket scientist to win--he put the full resources of the US government behind the project and called on the ingenuity and innovation of the American people.�
And far from saying �no to innovation,� Obama has proposed spending $150 billion over 10 years to develop a variety of new energy technologies.
McCain bases his claim on a partial quote from Obama on Dec. 30, 2007. Obama said, �I start off with the premise that nuclear energy is not optimal. I am not a nuclear energy proponent.� If that was all Obama said it would not make him an opponent of nuclear power, of course. But Obama went on to say, �There is no perfect energy source. Everything has some problems right now. We haven�t found it yet. Now I trust in our ingenuity. I have not ruled out nuclear as part of that [$150 billion proposed energy research] package, but only so far as it is clean and safe.�
Furthermore, the energy plan Obama released in October 2007 said: �It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table.�
Obama�s 2007 plan promised that he �will also lead federal efforts to look for a safe, long-term disposal solution based on objective, scientific analysis.� It�s inaccurate to cast Obama as an opponent, and McCain goes too far when he portrays Obama as saying �no� to nuclear.
A: I meet Americans every day who are really hard hit. So absolutely, I want to make sure that tax stimulus package proposed that would follow up the initial rebate check with another one if you had three consecutive months of unemployment. That gets out to people right away. And in fact, we have a better chance of getting that done than the proposal that John McCain and Hillary Clinton have put forward, but understand this: the idea of a gas tax holiday is a phony approach. It is a gimmick. We saw this tried in a number of other states including my home state of Illinois. And what happens is, at best, you�re seeing pennies over 90 days, but more typically what happens is the oil companies just jack up prices by the same amount as the gas tax was as it�s suspended, so consumers don�t see the savings.
A: You�re right; this defines the difference between myself and Senator Clinton This gas tax, which was first proposed by John McCain and then quickly adopted by Senator Clinton, is a classic Washington gimmick. It is a political response to a serious problem that we have neglected for decades. Here�s the upshot. You�re looking at suspending a gas tax for three months. The average driver would save 30 cents per day for a grand total of $28. That�s assuming that the oil companies don�t step in and raise prices by the same amount that the tax has been reduced.
A: I have some experience on this because in Illinois we tried this when I was in the state legislature, and that�s exactly what happened. The oil companies, the retailers were the ones wh ended up benefiting.
Q: But you voted for it.
A: I did.
Q: When gas was only $2 a gallon.
A: I voted for it, and then six months later we took a look, and consumers had not benefited at all, but [the state] had lost revenue.
Q: So you learned from a wrong vote.
A: Yeah, I learned from a mistake. And, in addition, this would come out of the Federal Highway Fund that we use to rebuild our roads and our bridges. Now, Sen. Clinton says that she�s going to use the windfall profits tax to fill it, but she�s already said that she�s going to use the windfall profits tax to invest in clean energy. More importantly, nobody thinks that George Bush is actually going to sign a law for windfall profits taxes, so that�s not going to happen this summer.
A: Well, you�re right. And that�s why people are cynical, because decade after decade, we talk about energy policy or we talk about health care policy, and through Democratic and Republican administrations, nothing gets done. [I agree with Sen. Clinton on] investigating potential price gouging & a windfall profits tax. I think that long term, we�re going to have to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars, because the only way that we�re going to be able to reduce gas prices is if we reduce demand. You�ve still got a billion people in China & India who want cars. So we have to get serious about increasing our fuel efficiency standards and investing in new technologies.
If the 2005 energy bill signed by President Bush was indeed the �single largest investment in clean energy� ever seen, as Obama says, then it�s hard to see how his administration can be faulted for lack of �any serious effort� to promote alternative fuels. Furthermore, another bill Bush signed in December sets a national fuel economy standard of 35 mpg by 2020, the first major increase in vehicle fuel efficiency standards in more than three decades.
It is certainly true that more could be done, and Obama would be within his rights to say that Bush�s efforts aren�t serious enough to suit him. But claiming a lack of any serious effort at all is contradicted by the record and by Obama�s own words.
A: I don�t think that we can take nuclear power off the table. What we have to make sure of is that we have the capacity to store waste properly and safely, and that we reduce whatever threats might come from terrorism. And if we can do that in a technologically sound way, then we should pursue it. If we can�t, we should not. But there is no magic bullet on energy. We�re going to have to look at all the various options.
A: I actually think that we should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix. There are no silver bullets to this issue. We have to develop solar. I have proposed drastically increasing fuel efficiency standards on cars, an aggressive cap on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted. But we�re going to have to try a series of different approaches.
Let�s be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. We can harness homegrown, alternative fuels like ethanol and spur the production of more fuel-efficient cars. We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses that will serve as a model for the world. Let�s be the generation that makes future generations proud of what we did here.
Obama highlighted legislative proposals he has offered. They include a bargain with the big three automakers that would help them with their high retiree health costs if they use the savings to invest in fuel-efficient cars. Obama said the US auto industry is hurting because it has failed to keep pace with foreign carmakers who are transitioning much faster to sales of hybrids & other efficient cars.Obama also called for higher fuel efficiency standards, greater ethanol production, and making E-85 pumps widely available. Obama also urged US automakers to produce more flex-fuel cars that can run on blended gasoline. �It is time to install flex-fuel tanks on every car, and for government to cover this small cost.�
A large portion of the $800 million we spend on foreign oil every day goes to some of the world�s most volatile regimes. And there are the environmental consequences. Just about every scientist outside the White House believes climate change is real.
We cannot drill our way out of the problem. Instead of subsidizing the oil industry, we should end every single tax break the industry currently receives and demand that 1% of the revenues from oil companies with over $1 billion in quarterly profits go toward financing alternative energy research and infrastructure.
Over the last 30 years, countries like Brazil have used a mix of regulation and direct government investment to develop a biofuel industry; 70% of its new vehicles run on sugar-based ethanol.
KEYES: We need to develop proper alternative fuels. We need to develop ethanol. We need to push on the research, where breakthroughs are occurring, to get hydrogen from ethanol. By pushing on that kind of research we�ll be able to have a win for our farmers, in the agricultural sector, to improve the profitability of their product. We�ll be able to have a win on the environment, because hydrogen, for instance, is more clean-burning.
OBAMA: We could save as much, in terms of our fuel, if we increased our fuel efficiency standards, as much as we would from getting Alaska drilling going immediately. And that�s been the Bush strategy increasing production for oil and gas companies, subsidizing them to the tune of 20 billion dollars, as opposed to thinking about how, not only, we can develop alternative fuels, but also how can we conserve energy and increase efficiencies available right now but have not been invested in.
We will double this nation's supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We've also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history--an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine and science and technology.
But to truly transform our economy, to protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.
Not true. We're importing less than we were just a few years ago. Imports reached a high point of 15 million barrels per day on Nov. 4, 2005. Most recently, they totaled 11.5 million on Feb. 20, 2009. Monthly and annual imports show the same trend.
It�s time to make energy security a leading priority. My energy plan will invest $150 billion over the next ten years to establish a green energy sector that will create up to 5 million jobs over the next two decades. We�ll help manufacturers--particularly in the auto industry--convert to green technology, and help workers learn the skills they need. And unlike George Bush, I won�t wait until the sixth year of my presidency to sit down with the automakers.
A: If we decided right now that we were going to make the kind of investment I�ve proposed--$150 billion over 10 years--then I think at the end of the decade we could have a auto industry that has significantly reduced our consumption of oil by as much as 35% or 40%. The technologies exist right now for plug-in hybrids. We should continue to investigate the possibilities of electric cars. The problem is that we have not been serious about it, and Detroit ended up making investments in SUVs and large trucks because that�s where they perceived a competitive advantage and that�s where they felt they could make the most profit. I think it was a mistake for them not to plan earlier. Now we�re seeing a huge growth in fuel-efficient cars that is benefiting the Japanese automakers, and Detroit is getting pounded some more. And I think that we can make those cars here in the US.
A: I think we do have to look at nuclear, and what we�ve got to figure out is can we store the material properly? Can we make sure that they�re secure? Can we deal with the expense? My attitude when it comes to energy is there�s no silver bullet. We�ve got to look at every possible option. You know, I�ve said the same thing about coal. I have a aggressive goal of reducing carbon emissions, and coal is a dirty fuel right now. But if we can figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal, we�re the Saudi Arabia of coal, and I don�t think that we can dismiss out of hand the use of coal as part of our energy mix. What we are going to have to understand, though, is that global warming is real, it is serious and that whatever options we come up with, if they are not addressing the fact that the planet is getting warmer, then we are failing not just this generation, but future generations.
A: On issues of regulation. I think that back in the �60s and �70s a lot of the way we regulated industry was top-down command and control, we�re going to tell businesses exactly how to do things. I thin that the Republican Party and people who thought about the markets came up with the notion that, �You know what? If you simply set some guidelines, some rules and incentives, for businesses--let them figure out how they�re going to, for example, reduce pollution,� and a cap and trade system, for example is a smarter way of doing it, controlling pollution, than dictating every single rule that a company has to abide by, which creates a lot of bureaucracy and red tape and oftentimes is less efficient.
A: The issue of climate change. I�ve put forward one of the most aggressive proposals out there, but the science seems to be coming in indicating it�s accelerating even more quickly with every passing day. And by the time I take office, I think we�re going to have to have a serious conversation about how drastic steps we need to take to address it.
As president, I will place a cap on carbon emissions and require companies who can�t meet the cap to buy credits from those who can, which will generate billions of dollars to invest in renewable sources of energy and create new jobs and even a new industry in the process. I�ll put in place a low carbon fuel standard that will take 50 million cars worth of pollution off the road. I�ll raise the fuel efficiency standards for our cars and trucks because we know we have the technology to do it and it�s the time to do it.
Proponents support voting YES because:
This legislation seeks to end the unwarranted tax breaks & subsidies which have been lavished on Big Oil over the last several years, at a time of record prices at the gas pump and record oil industry profits. Big Oil is hitting the American taxpayer not once, not twice, but three times. They are hitting them at the pump, they are hitting them through the Tax Code, and they are hitting them with royalty holidays put into oil in 1995 and again in 2005.
It is time to vote for the integrity of America's resources, to vote for the end of corporate welfare, to vote for a new era in the management of our public energy resources.
Opponents support voting NO because:
I am wearing this red shirt today, because this shirt is the color of the bill that we are debating, communist red. It is a taking. It will go to court, and it should be decided in court.
This bill will increase the competitive edge of foreign oil imported to this country. If the problem is foreign oil, why increase taxes and make it harder to produce American oil and gas? That makes no sense. We should insert taxes on all foreign oil imported. That would raise your money for renewable resources. But what we are doing here today is taxing our domestic oil. We are raising dollars supposedly for renewable resources, yet we are still burning fossil fuels.
Status: Bill passed Bill passed, 65-27
Proponents recommend voting YES because:
Our NOPEC bill will authorize filing suit against nations that participate in a conspiracy to limit the supply, or fix the price, of oil. In addition, it will specify that the doctrines of sovereign immunity do not exempt nations that participate in oil cartels from basic antitrust law.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
No one likes OPEC. But this amendment, in my opinion, would make bad law. The Framers of the Constitution wisely assigned responsibility for formulating foreign policy and conducting foreign relations to the President and to the Congress, not to the law courts.
The amendment before us has its roots in a lawsuit filed by the labor union nearly 30 years ago. The union at that time charged OPEC with price fixing in violation of our antitrust laws. The trial court dismissed the case on the ground that OPEC members are sovereign nations and are immune from suit. Adopting the amendment will undoubtedly be very popular, but it is also very unwise.
In addition, we here in the Senate ought to consider how enactment of this amendment might affect our relations with OPEC members. What will be the international repercussions when the US starts awarding judgments against foreign nations and attaching their assets in this country? Will other nations start to view our trade policies--such as our nuclear trade restrictions--as violations of their antitrust laws?
Proponents recommend voting YES because:
It just seems logical that we ask the Corps of Engineers to include in their analyses, judgments about the potential impact of global climate change. All this amendment seeks to do, as a matter of common sense, is to ask the Army Corps of Engineers to factor climate change into their future plans. Secondly, we are making a statement here to finally recognize the reality of what is happening with respect to climate change.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
The same people today who are saying we are all going to die from global warming, just back in the middle 1970s were saying another ice age is coming and we are all going to die. Which way do you want it?
If a surge of anthropogenic gases--this CO2, methane, or whatever it is--were causing a warming period, then around 1945 we would have a warming period because in the middle 1940s we had the greatest increase in greenhouse gases. But what happened? It did not precipitate a warming period.
Peer reviewed evidence shows that the sun has actually been driving the temperature change. You don't have to be a scientist to know that the Sun can have something to do with climate change.
Implementing Kyoto would reduce the average annual household income nearly $2,700, at a time when the cost of all goods would rise sharply.
OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) refueling capability at new and existing refueling station facilities to promote energy security and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. OBAMA: We have all heard from folks back home about the high price of gasoline. The bill I am introducing today is designed to do something about fuel prices and our reliance on foreign oil.
Last week, I visited a gasoline station in Springfield, IL, where along with regular gasoline, a new kind of fuel is offered for consumers--a fuel known as E-85. E-85 is a clean, alternative form of fuel consisting of a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Ethanol is made from renewable, Midwestern corn, and it is 40-60 cents cheaper per gallon than standard gasoline. Last week, at this Springfield station, regular gasoline was listed at $2.06 and E-85 was selling for $1.69.
Not every car can run on E-85 fuel--but there are millions of cars that can. They're known as "flexible-fuel vehicles," and the auto industry is turning them out every year. The only problem we have now is that we're in short supply of E-85 stations. While there are more than 180,000 gas stations all over America, there are only about 400 E-85 stations. And although E-85 has many environmental benefits and is a higher performing fuel, the fuel economy of E-85 is slightly lower than that of regular gasoline. An additional incentive is needed to help ensure that the cost of this clean fuel remains competitive with that of regular gasoline.
That is why I'm introducing a bill to provide a tax credit of 50% for building an E-85 fuel station and a tax credit of 35 cents per gallon of E-85 fuel. I think this bill gives us an opportunity to actually get something done about energy independence.
LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Finance Committee; never came to a vote.
OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to require atomic energy plants to notify the Atomic Energy Commission, and the State and county in which a facility is located, whenever there is an unplanned release of fission products in excess of allowable limits.
SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. OBAMA: It was recently announced by Exelon Nuclear that an environmental monitoring program discovered higher than normal concentrations of tritium in the groundwater near their Nuclear Generating Station. Indications are that this tritium plume is the result of an accidental radioactive wastewater release that occurred approximately 6 to 8 years ago. Community residents did not receive full or immediate notification of this contamination.
I was surprised to learn, that while Federal law requires notification immediately upon a "declared emergency," Federal law does not require notification of any other accidental, unplanned, or unintentional radioactive substance releases that may occur if those releases do not immediately rise to a public health or safety threat. And while those incidents must be documented with the NRC and made available to the public, accessing that information is contingent upon the public actually knowing that these incidents ever occurred.
When radioactive substances are released into the environment outside of normal operating procedures, notifying State and local officials should not be a courtesy; it should be the law.
It is reasonable--and realistic--for nuclear power to remain on the table for consideration. Illinois has 11 nuclear power plants--the most of any state. The people of Illinois--and all residents who live near nuclear power plants--have a right to know when actions are taken that might affect their safety and well-being.
LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar; never came to a vote.
OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to increase fuel economy standards for automobiles.
SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: Sen. OBAMA: At a time when the energy and security stakes couldn't be higher, CAFE standards have been stagnant. In fact, because of a long-standing deadlock in Washington, CAFE standards that initially increased so quickly have remained stagnant for the last 20 years.
Since 1985, efforts to raise the CAFE standard have been stymied by opponents who have argued that Congress does not possess the expertise to set specific benchmarks.
To attempt to break this two-decade-long deadlock and start the US on the path towards energy independence, we introduce the Fuel Economy Reform Act of 2006. This bill would set a new course by establishing regular, continual, and incremental progress in miles per gallon, targeting 4% annually, but preserving NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) expertise and flexibility on how to meet those targets.
Under this system, if the 4% annualized improvement occurs over ten years, this bill would save 20 billion gallons of gasoline per year. If gasoline is just $2.50 per gallon, consumers will save $50 billion at the pump in 2018. By 2018, we would be cutting global warming pollution by 220 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent gases.
In order to enable domestic manufacturers to develop advanced-technology vehicles, this legislation provides tax incentives to retool parts and assembly plants. This will strengthen the US auto industry by allowing it to compete with foreign hybrid and other fuel efficient vehicles. It is our expectation that NHTSA will use its enhanced authority to bring greater market-based flexibility into CAFE compliance by allowing the banking and trading of credits among all vehicle types and between manufacturers.
LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Referred to Senate Committee on Finance; never came to a vote.
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 CAF scores as follows:
The Campaign for America's Future (CAF) is a center for ideas and action that works to build an enduring majority for progressive change. The Campaign advances a progressive economic agenda and a vision of the future that works for the many, not simply the few. The Campaign is leading the fight for America's priorities--against privatization of Social Security, for investment in energy independence, good jobs and a sustainable economy, for an ethical and accountable Congress and for high quality public education.
About the CAF report, "Energy Independence: Record vs. Rhetoric":
Energy independence has surfaced as a defining issue in the current elections. Are most candidates and both parties truly committed? To help distinguish the demonstrated level of support for homegrown, clean energy alternatives, we examined the voting records of current U.S. Representatives and Senators on bills vital to promoting those interests. Key pieces of legislation included goals for independence, and subsidies for the development of alternatives compared to subsidies for drilling and digging. We then compared votes on these issues with campaign contributions from major oil interests. The results show strong inverse correlations between political contributions from big oil and votes for energy independence.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, DESIGNATION OF PORTION OF ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AS WILDERNESS.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 is amended by adding at the end the following:
Designation of Certain Land as Wilderness- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska comprising approximately 1,559,538 acres, as generally depicted on a map entitled 'Arctic National Wildlife Refuge--1002 Area. Alternative E--Wilderness Designation, October 28, 1991' and available for inspection in the offices of the Secretary, is designated as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act'.
A resolution that it is the goal of the United States that, not later than January 1, 2025, the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the US should provide from renewable resources not less than 25% of the total energy consumed and continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber. [Governors also signed letters of endorsement at www.25x25.org]
Rep. SALAZAR: "Our resolution establishes a national goal of producing 25% of America's energy from renewable sources--like solar, wind and biofuels--by 2025. The "25x'25" vision is widely endorsed, bold, and fully attainable. If implemented, it would dramatically improve our energy security, our economy, and our ability to protect the environment.
"I am pleased that more than 20 of my colleagues in the Senate, from both sides of the aisle, are cosponsoring this resolution. In addition, the "25x'25" vision has been endorsed by 22 current and former governors and several State legislatures across the country. The Big Three automobile manufacturers--Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors--are all behind "25x'25" So are many agricultural organizations, environmental groups, scientists, and businesses, ranging from the Natural Resources Defense Council to John Deere.
"These Americans understand that we cannot continue to import 60% of our oil from foreign countries, many of which are hostile to the US, if we aim to be strong and secure in the world. They know that we will have to build a clean energy economy if we are to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It is time for Congress to take a more active role in our clean energy future. Establishing a national goal--"25x'25" is the first step."
A bill to permit California and other States to effectively control greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, and for other purposes. Amends the Clean Air Act to approve the application of the state of California for a waiver of federal preemption of its motor vehicle emission standards.


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Edge of Tomorrow (3D)
I'm going to save you some trouble. Yes, Edge of Tomorrow is just like Groundhog Day. Apparently this has been hard to suss out for some, given the fact that one person blurted out that fact 45 minutes into the movie. Some folks laughed, some had it click for them, too, and just didn't admit it. Because Edge of Tomorrow is like Groundhog Day, but Groundhog Day where the main character is at war with an alien race trying to take over the planet Earth. And unlike Bill Murray, he doesn't quietly go to bed each night to wake up and to relive the same day over again until he gets the girl to fall in love with him and gets on the right path; in Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise has to die for his day to start over. His challenge is to get through the next 24 hours alive. And to save the human race.
Based on a Japanese novel called All You Need is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow is a science-fiction actioner about a near future where a hostile race of predators crashes into our world with the aim of taking it over. The earthlings have been getting slaughtered by these deadly beings. They look like an octopus made out of chainsaws and have been dubbed "Mimics" for their ability to observe human behavior and copy it. This is a primary reason for why they are beating us: they've learned how we fight.
The tide of battle is turning, however, thanks to an advanced combat exoskeleton that is allowing humans to move and fight differently. One particular soldier, nicknamed the Angel of Verdun, is the poster girl for this armor. Her given name is Rita (Emily Blunt, Looper), and she earned her nickname by leading the charge in mankind's greatest victory, an assault on the alien hordes at Verdun. This victory happened before the beginning of Edge of Tomorrow, and the public relations campaign has been put together by a slick customer named Will Cage (Cruise). As the story picks up, the forces of humanity are going to launch a major strike against their enemy on the beaches of France. Cage's bosses want him on the frontline; he's a coward who would rather be sitting behind a desk. This is not his decision to make.
Needless to say, that first day becomes a disaster for Cage. He dies a horrible death, only to find himself back at the army base where his troubles began. I'm not going to get into the mechanics of how or why this happens, as that is part of the adventure for audiences. We will figure out what is going on while Cage does, as we watch him adapt to each do-over and figure out how to stay alive, what is happening to him, and what needs to be done to make it all stop. Eventually Rita will be along for the ride, providing him back-up and friendship. Though the how and the why of that is for you to discover, too.
And that is something you very much want to do. Edge of Tomorrow is an absolute corker of a film. Directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Legacy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), with a script by Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher, The Usual Suspects) alongside Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (Fair Game), Edge is a creative summer blockbuster, full of humor, excitement, and even an emotion or two. The aliens are interesting to look at, and the computer effects are spectacular. (The 3D, outside of a few tricky shots in the first 1/3 of the film, not so much.) Though the film is structured like a video game, with Cruise's soldier running at the same level again and again to get it right, it transcends the comparison by smartly knowing what to leave out in each redo. Once the rules are established, the story often advances off screen, allowing Liman and his team to keep Edge of Tomorrow thundering along at an impressive pace. It could just be bodies piled on bodies, an endless montage of kill shots, but Edge of Tomorrow is smarter than that. Yes, like Groundhog Day, it takes the gimmick and builds something with it, allowing the audience to fully invest in what is happening and who it's happening to.
Blunt and Cruise make a great pair. On his best days, Cruise can still tear up any movie screen. Playing against his cocky image for the start of the picture allows the star to remind us of what an excellent performer he can be. He takes Cage on a convincing and ultimately satisfying arc from slimeball to champion. On the flipside, Blunt starts hard and only grows vulnerable the deeper Rita gets into this with Cage. Though perhaps best known for romantic comedies (The Five-Year Engagement) and period pieces (The Young Victoria), Blunt actually has quite a future as an action start if she wants one. Once the partnership is established, Rita is there with Cage every step of the way--unless she's one step ahead of him.
Liman seems to have a natural instinct for how long to let scenes roll, where to let the tension build and where to release it. He and editor James Herbert (Sherlock Holmes) move nimbly through the material, knowing which thrills to separate and leave on their own and then when to chop them together, adding to the adrenaline by unleashing the shredder on a particular set of sorties. Some of the runs, both on the battlefield and in training, are simultaneously brutal and brutally funny for how swiftly Cage loses his life. That these are done without ever being grisly, revolting, or mean-spirited is truly remarkable.
This talent for knowing where the surprises go means the filmmakers also know when to shift the story and change the goal when it counts, avoiding a final act that is either redundant or expected. It makes for a rousing finish, but not a simple one. A complicated story deserves no less in its resolution. In that, Edge of Tomorrow does not disappoint. Nor does it really disappoint anywhere else. It's a CGI-laden shoot-'em-up that hits every target.
Jamie S. Rich is a novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for his collaborations with Joelle Jones, including the hardboiled crime comic book You Have Killed Me, the challenging romance 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, and the 2007 prose novel Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?, for which Jones did the cover. All three were published by Oni Press. His most recent projects include the futuristic romance A Boy and a Girl with Natalie Nourigat; Archer Coe and the Thousand Natural Shocks, a loopy crime tale drawn by Dan Christensen; and the horror miniseries Madame Frankenstein, a collaboration with Megan Levens. Follow Rich's blog at Confessions123.com.
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The Laboratório de Sistemas e Tecnologia Subaquática (LSTS) is an interdisciplinary research laboratory established in 1997 with researchers drawn from Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and from Computer Science.
The LSTS is specialized on the design, construction, and operation of unmanned underwater, surface and air vehicles and on the development of tools and technologies for the deployment of networked vehicle systems.
In the last 15 years researchers from the LSTS have successfully fielded unmanned air, ground, surface and underwater vehicles in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and also in the Mediterranean sea. These vehicle systems implement the LSTS control architecture with the help of the LSTS Neptus-IMC-Dune software toolchain. Neptus is a distributed command, control, communications and intelligence framework for operations with networked vehicles, systems, and human operators. IMC is a communications protocol that defines a common control message set understood by all types of LSTS nodes. DUNE is the system for vehicle on-board software. It is used to write generic embedded software at the heart of the vehicle, e.g. code for control, navigation, or to access sensors and actuators. It provides an operating-system and architecture independent C++ programming environment for writing efficient real-time reactive tasks in modular fashion. The toolchain has support for Disruptive Tolerant Network (DTN) protocols.