New Found Planet Going the Wrong Way?

A newly found “ultra-low density planet is in a probable retrograde orbit”. All known planets rotate in the same direction as the stars. All known planets except for one — WASP-17. The knewly found planet was discovered by a graduate student under the direction of Coel Hellier of Keele University.

“This planet is only as dense as expanded polystyrene, 70 times less dense than the planet we’re standing on,” said professor Hellier.

It is an ultra-low density planet in a probable retrograde orbit.

Washington, DC — Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June suggests that economic activity is leveling out. Conditions in financial markets have improved further in recent weeks. Household spending has continued to show signs of stabilizing but remains constrained by ongoing job losses, sluggish income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. Businesses are still cutting back on fixed investment and staffing but are making progress in bringing inventory stocks into better alignment with sales. Although economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time, the Committee continues to anticipate that policy actions to stabilize financial markets and institutions, fiscal and monetary stimulus, and market forces will contribute to a gradual resumption of sustainable economic growth in a context of price stability.

The prices of energy and other commodities have risen of late. However, substantial resource slack is likely to dampen cost pressures, and the Committee expects that inflation will remain subdued for some time.

In these circumstances, the Federal Reserve will employ all available tools to promote economic recovery and to preserve price stability. The Committee will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and continues to anticipate that economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period. As previously announced, to provide support to mortgage lending and housing markets and to improve overall conditions in private credit markets, the Federal Reserve will purchase a total of up to $1.25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and up to $200 billion of agency debt by the end of the year. In addition, the Federal Reserve is in the process of buying $300 billion of Treasury securities. To promote a smooth transition in markets as these purchases of Treasury securities are completed, the Committee has decided to gradually slow the pace of these transactions and anticipates that the full amount will be purchased by the end of October. The Committee will continue to evaluate the timing and overall amounts of its purchases of securities in light of the evolving economic outlook and conditions in financial markets. The Federal Reserve is monitoring the size and composition of its balance sheet and will make adjustments to its credit and liquidity programs as warranted.

Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Elizabeth A. Duke; Charles L. Evans; Donald L. Kohn; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Dennis P. Lockhart; Daniel K. Tarullo; Kevin M. Warsh; and Janet L. Yellen.

Atlantic City, NJ — Someone recently asked me, “How did Donald Trump get all his money.” The reply, “Taking everybody else’s money by going public with a company. Then, watching the people lose all their money while the company goes bankrupt.”

Now, The Donald is adding another twist by buying back the bankrupt company. Trump announced that together with Beal Bank they will buy back the casino’s that bare his name in Atlantic City for a mere $100 million. The Trump Plaza, Trump Marina and Trump Taj Mahal will be taken private if the deal passes the regulators and bankruptcy court.

A battle is ensured from the bondholders who will lose $1.25 billion in Trump Entertainment debt. “Trump’s plan is not capable of bankruptcy confirmation of many reasons,” said Kristopher Hansen, attorney for the bondholders.

This will actually be the third time this sort-of thing has happened with Trump Entertainment. The Trump casinos have been through two other bankruptcies since the 1990’s. One disgruntled former shareholder, Phillip Sternberg said, “I lost money. Everybody did. They allowed him to get away with this once, twice, three times. Anyone who invested money over the years has been taken advantage of. He walks away with books like ‘The of the Deal.’ but it’s really the art of of the screw or the art of the steal.”

Washington, DC — Many Americans are unaware of a new practice by the Federal Reserve — they buy securities from the Treasury Department. This is even easier than picking money from a tree. You just print it. In their most recent meeting, the Fed acknowledged a concern over increasing this practice and that the “federal debt was being monetized.”

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee

The staff also reviewed the experience to date with the Federal Reserve’s purchases of Treasury securities, agency debt securities, and agency MBS. A number of potential modifications to those programs were presented for the Committee’s consideration, including possible expansions in their size, extensions of the duration of securities purchased, steps to increase the flexibility of those purchases both within each program and across programs in response to short-term market developments, and possible approaches to winding down purchases as the programs near completion. The Federal Reserve was already purchasing a very large fraction of new current-coupon agency MBS and agency debt, and further increasing the scale of those programs could compromise market functioning. Some participants thought that increases in purchases of Treasury securities might have little or no effect on long-term interest rates unless the increases were very sizable, given the large amount of current and projected supply of Treasury securities. Others were concerned that announcements of substantial additional purchases could add to perceptions that the federal debt was being monetized. While most members did not see large-scale purchases of Treasury securities as likely to be a source of inflation pressures given the weak economic outlook, public concern about monetization could have adverse implications for inflation expectations. The asset purchase programs were intended to support economic activity by improving market functioning and reducing interest rates on mortgage loans and other long-term credit to households and businesses relative to what they otherwise would have been. But the Committee had not set specific objectives for longer-term interest rates, and participants did not consider it appropriate to allow the Desk discretion to adjust the size and composition of the Federal Reserve’s asset purchases in response to short-run fluctuations in market interest rates. Some participants noted that, in principle, the Committee could formulate a plan for asset purchases that would respond to economic and financial developments in a way that might better promote monetary policy objectives. Most, however, thought that formulating and communicating such a plan would be very difficult, potentially leading to an increase in market uncertainty regarding Federal Reserve actions and intentions. Many participants agreed, however, that it was appropriate for the Desk to make small adjustments to the size and timing of purchases aimed at fostering market liquidity and improving market functioning. Participants discussed the merits of including securities backed by adjustable-rate mortgages in MBS purchases and of tapering off purchases of securities as the asset purchase programs were being completed, but the Committee did not reach a decision on those issues at the meeting.

Do you have a hard time understanding China? You are not alone. Here are a few headlines to help enlighten:

Hundreds Injured in China Earthquake
An earthquake Thursday in southwestern China injured more than 330 people and damaged thousands of homes, the Chinese Government said.

Communist Leaders Vow Stability After China Riots
China’s top communist leaders vowed to maintain stability in the west of the country in their first public comments Thursday on the ethnic riots that killed more than 150 people.

Late in the day, some 8,000 troops marched through one of the worst-hit areas of the Xinjiang province’s capital in a massive show of force, an apparent effort to reassure the people and prevent further violence.

China Passes US Auto Market in Sales
China surpassed the United States as the world’s biggest auto market for the first half of 2009 after June sales soared 36.5 percent from a year earlier, according to data reported Thursday.

G8 agrees to limit global warming; China, India resist
The G8 agreed on Wednesday to try to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent, but it failed to persuade China and India to join a bid to halve world emissions.

A Montgomery County, PA Citizen Tries to Educate Children About China
China: Climate Change Talks Need To Change

Gettysburg, PA — “The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory in the summer of 1863 that ended General Robert E. Lee’s second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy”, it was the war’s bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address.”
– National Park Services

The Battle of Gettysburg took place during the third year of the Civil War on July 1, 2 and 3 of 1863. Because the anniversary is during the 4th Of July holiday week, it often gets overlooked. Perhaps to pause and remember the carnage that lay on the battlefields of Gettysburg on July, 4 would be a good idea?

“In the aftermath of the battle, every farm field was a graveyard and every church, public building and even private homes were hospitals. Medical staff were strained to treat so many wounded scattered about the county. To meet the demand, Camp Letterman General Hospital was established east of Gettysburg where all of the wounded were eventually taken to before transport to permanent hospitals in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. Union surgeons worked with members of the U.S Sanitary Commission and Christian Commission to treat and care for the over 20,000 injured Union and Confederate soldiers that passed through the hospital’s wards, housed under large tents. By January 1864, the last few remaining patients were gone and so were the surgeons, guards, nurses, tents and cookhouses. Only a temporary cemetery on the hillside remained as a testament to the courageous battle to save lives that took place at Camp Letterman.”

Photo Gallery And Links

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation have filed criminal charges against a Huntingdon County woman accused of using her position as a high school secretary to alter grades and test scores in order to enhance her daughter’s class standing.

Corbett identified the defendant as Caroline Maria McNeal, 39, 6237 Tuscarora Drive, Huntingdon.

Corbett said that McNeal is accused of using her position as a secretary for the Huntingdon Area School District to access school computers and improperly alter grades and test scores belonging to her daughter, along with several other students – enhancing her daughter’s class standing and reducing the position of other students who had been ranked higher.

“Tampering with official records for personal or family gain is a serious violation of the public trust,” Corbett said. “Our citizens depend on people in public positions, including school employees, to protect the safety and security of these records and not use confidential information for their own benefit.”

According to the criminal complaint, McNeal used the names and passwords of other school district employees to change grades and test scores on numerous occasions between May 2006 and July 2007. The changes allegedly impacted 24 different high school courses stretching over four school years.

Corbett said that a review of computer records allegedly identified nearly 200 instances where grades were improperly altered, each time resulting in higher grades for McNeal’s daughter. McNeal is also accuses of inflating the score her daughter received on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), a standardized test used for college admission.

Additionally, Corbett said that McNeal allegedly used school computers to reduce the grades for two of her daughter’s classmates, both of whom were ranked higher before the alterations.

Corbett noted that Huntingdon Area School District officials addressed the alleged grade alterations and corrected any unauthorized changes prior to the graduation of the students whose grades were affected.

The allegations were initially reported to the Huntingdon County District Attorney’s office, which referred the matter to the Office of Attorney General for investigation.

McNeal is charged with 29 counts of unlawful use of a computer and 29 counts of tampering with public records, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.

McNeal surrendered to agents from the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and was preliminarily arraigned before Huntingdon Magisterial District Judge Richard S. Wilt.

McNeal was released on her own recognizance pending the scheduling of a preliminary hearing.

Corbett thanked the Huntingdon Area School District for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

The superbug known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been found to pass from dogs and cats to humans. The most common form of transmission is from a bite. MRSA has been a problem in health care facilities for years; however, only recently has it been found at beaches and in pets.

The Center For Disease Control has publishing the following information on MRSA:

National MRSA Education Initiative — Preventing MRSA Skin Infections

The goal of the National MRSA Education Initiative is to help Americans better recognize and prevent MRSA skin infections.

Why is this important? Recent data show that Americans visit the doctor approximately 12 million times each year to get checked for suspected Staph or MRSA skin infection.

The good news is that a few simple steps can prevent and reduce the spread of MRSA.

About MRSA
MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a potentially dangerous type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics and may cause skin and other infections. You can get MRSA through direct contact with an infected person or by sharing personal items, such as towels or razors that have touched infected skin.

If you or someone in your family experiences these signs and symptoms, cover the area with a bandage and contact your healthcare professional. It is especially important to contact your healthcare professional if signs and symptoms of an MRSA skin infection are accompanied by a fever.

What are the signs and symptoms of MRSA skin infections? Most staph skin infections, including MRSA, appear as a bump or infected area on the skin that may be:

* Red
* Swollen
* Painful
* Warm to the touch
* Full of pus or other drainage
* Accompanied by a fever

10 Downing Street, England — The launch of the Digital Britain report today will give the country the tools necessary to succeed in the future economy, the Prime Minister has said.

This morning the Prime Minister toured the Arqiva power transmitter site in south-east London to mark the release of the report.

He was joined by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Ben Bradshaw and Communications, Technology and Broadcasting Minister Lord Stephen Carter.

Gordon Brown said the report will take Britain closer to its goal of being the digital capital of the world.

“Every business will have access to fast broadband and the report today makes it possible for this to happen in the quickest time.”

“Britain will be the broadband capital, Britain will make the investment that is necessary and every citizen in Britain will benefit from the fast connections.”

Mr Brown said ongoing investment in high-tech, low-carbon industries would ensure the UK’s place as a leader of the future by reigniting the “British genius for invention, discovery and trade”.

State College, PA — Scientists from Penn State (Pennsylvania State University) have revived a bacteria that was believed to have been dormant for over 120,000 years. The sample was taken from 2 miles beneath a glacier in Greenland.

Jean Brenchley of Pennsylvania State University said, “We don’t know what state they were in. They could have been dormant, or they could have been slowly metabolizing. We don’t know for sure. Microbes have found ways to survive in harsh conditions for long times that we don’t yet fully understand.”

After eleven months of slowly warming the sample, the colonies are thriving. They have been named Herminiimonas glaciei.

“We were able to recover it and get it to grow in our laboratory,” Jean said. “It was viable.”

Leader of the study, Jennifer Loveland-Curtze, said, “What’s unique is that it’s so small, and seems to survive on so few nutrients. Along with the snow, you get dust, bacterial cells, fungal spores, plant spores, minerals and other organic debris. So we postulate that it lives in these microniches in the ice. All we can say is that because ice is the best medium to preserve nucleic acids, other organic compounds and cells, the potential for finding them in these environments is quite high because of the cold. It gives us hope that if something is there, we can locate it “