A Wave of Addiction and Crime, with the Medicine Cabinet to Blame

Police Departments are claiming that crime rates are rising because of painkillers and prescription drugs. Since the elderly citizens have many prescription drugs and painkillers in their homes, their the ones being targeted in the burglaries.

“We’re seeing people desperately and aggressively trying to get their hands on these pills,” said Janet T. Mills, the attorney general in Maine. “Home invasions, robberies, assaults, homicides, thefts — all kinds of crimes are being linked to prescription drugs.”

In Harpswell, Me., a masked man broke into the home of a 77-year-old woman in June, knocked her to the ground and snatched her Oxycontin pills at knifepoint. And in Hyannis, Mass., three men armed with a knife, a bat and a revolver broke into a home in 2008, bound the owner’s hands and feet with duct tape and tore through drawers and cabinets until they found her husband’s Oxycontin.

The battling rate of crimes in the United States is caused by the addiction through these drugs. We must make more people aware of these crimes in order to protect the innocent and their homes.

Republicans promise to repeal Obama's healthcare law?

Republicans seem like they are trying hard to gain control of the House and Senate. But their idea of repealing Obama's health care law seems pointless since Obama can just veto it.

Heading off disaster, one tweet at a time

FEMA chief, Craig Fugate, was not aware about the San Bruno explosion until later and used his android phone to sign on to twitter to read more about the local disaster.

After a few minutes he says he determined the gas explosion and ensuing fire, though horrible, was a localized event and wouldn't spread to other communities.

"I got better situational awareness [from Twitter] before we got official word," he said. "Four or five years ago I wouldn't have gotten that quality of information."

With the Worlds growing technologies, the government should easily be able to make people be aware of local disasters and spread it around the United States. People shouldn't have to rely on twitter, facebook or other internet sites to read and get news about disaster such as the one in San Bruno. When people find out about disaster before the government does, theres obviously a problem with their awareness within the country

Terror threat against America diversifying, security officials say

The United States is becoming a more targeted country for terrorism. More threats and the diversifying methods that are being used to attack the United States are making it more difficult to prevent attacks.

"It is diversifying in terms of sources; it is diversifying in terms of tactics," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told the Senate Homeland Security Committee. "The results of these changing tactics are fewer opportunities to detect and disrupt plots."

These increasing threats are proving our growing objections towards our involvement in the World. If things don't change within America, the World will soon seek a new Superpower and we will no longer be on top.

Exploded gas pipeline wasn't on utility's list of risky segments

On September 9th a gas line in San Bruno exploded causing injury to many as well as killing 4 civilians. The segment of pipe that had erupted was not on the Pacific Gas & Electric's top 100 risky pipeline segments even though it had been laid in 1948.

"That segment of pipe?" PG&E president Chris Johns said, referring to the San Bruno segment. "It was not on the top 100 list."

"We were not aware of anything in this particular area that met the criteria of what would have put it on the list," Johns told reporters.

Johns said the list is used for planning purposes and can change.

"In some instances, all we are doing is monitoring that segment," he said.

"The list is in flux. Some items will move up on the list, some items will move down. And this is not unique to us."

Potential threats like these should not be exposed to the public. The Preamble states that it will "provide for the common defense", but clearly if the government was so concerned with the publics safety the gas line would not have exploded.

Poverty in the U.S. spikes

Since 2009 the poverty rate in the US has jumped to 11.3% to 14.3% . Last year was a grueling year for many Americans, especially the thousands who had lost their jobs and found themselves in poverty. This crisis is the wort since the Great Depression. Obama's words about the rising poverty rate was:

"The Census Bureau released data that illustrates just how tough 2009 was, " President Obama said in a statement.

"Even before the recession hit, middle class incomes had been stagnant and the number of people living in poverty in America was unacceptably high, and today's numbers make it clear that our work is just beginning," the president added.

President Obama shows he is aware that our poverty level is high and that he is ready to tackle this crippling economy. If things cant get better we will soon see a new Superpower in the World.

Once Wary, Obama Relies on Petraeus

In Washington President Obama was informed by  Gen. David H. Petraeus that things in Afghanistan and Pakistan were progressing. Our growth in control over Kabul is increasing, which is increasing the access to their oil.

The general said that the American military would have substantially enlarged the “oil spot” — military jargon for secure area — around Kabul. It will have expanded American control farther outside of Kandahar, the Taliban heartland. And, the aides recalled, the general said the military would have reintegrated a significant number of former Taliban fighters in the south.

It seems as though President Obama is still seeking to control oil in the middle east in order to nourish the publics cravings in America. If the United States could start following a more energy efficient path, oil wouldn't be needed as much and securing "oil spots" wouldn't be seen as great accomplishments. 

Imam at center of controversy named in lawsuit

The imam who has proposed the Islamic center to be built two blocks from ground zero, is now also fighting a law suit against two buildings he owns because of maintenance issues. 

From 1996 to 2010, the city responded to no less than 30 complaints from tenants predicated upon various health and safety concerns, including lack of heat, mold inside apartments, garbage issues, bed bugs, foul odors, dirty hallways and the lack of utilities/heat," the filing says.

If Feisal Abdul Rauf's company and Sage Development cannot even maintain proper legal codes to insure the safety of the residence, how do they expect to maintain an Islamic Center.