A New Architectural Masterpiece for New York: 41 Cooper Square

A phenomenal new building by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne goes up in the East Village

Outside the Box
The Cooper Union is a tuition-free institution of higher learning located in Manhattan's East Village. Its spectacular new building for classrooms, laboratories and offices was designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis, an architectural firm based in Santa Monica, California.



Wide Screen
The exterior of the building is a perforated steel scrim that acts as both a sunscreen and an instant attention-grabber. By its folds and slashes it provides a dynamic surface to what might otherwise be a standard stack of offices, classrooms and laboratories.




Around the Bend
Depending on the light that steel skin, which has a low, semi-matte luster, can project either cheese-grater roughness or elegant shimmer — or, oddly, both. The screen is also expected to reduce heatload by 50%.



Old School
The building is located diagonally across from the Cooper Union's brown Italianate Foundation building, which was the tallest building in New York when it was completed in 1859.



Steps Lively
Another striking feature of the building is its main staircase, which ascends from the ground level lobby upwards through a nine-story atrium, framed along its entire length by an undulating white gridwork.



Take a Seat
Mayne conceived of the staircase not just as a means by which to travel from floor to floor but as a social gathering place, a spot to sit and linger, like The Spanish Steps in Rome.



The Right Angles
The white grid frames the stairway dramatically, and differently, at every level.




Stairway to Heaven
At its topmost level the atrium culminates in a skylight.



New Kid on the Block
The buildings surrounding 41 Cooper Square — including a mansard-roofed masonry structure, a green-domed Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the glass and steel tower of a new hotel — typify the eclectic mix of Manhattan's East Village, a neighborhood that now has a very fascinating new neighbor.


source: Time.com

Are the U.S. and Europe Really That Different?

By Claire Suddath

Americans and Europeans consider each other culturally distinct. European nations have high tax rates and socialized medicine; in the U.S., people flock to fast-food restaurants and pile into SUVs. But according to Peter Baldwin, a professor of history at UCLA, the reigning stereotypes about both are mostly untrue. In The Narcissism of Minor Differences, a new book published Nov. 5, Baldwin collected data from dozens of different organizations and found that the U.S. and Europe are actually more alike than they are different. Baldwin talked to TIME about trans-Atlantic differences in religion, crime and health care — and why these distinctions matter.

In your book, you refer to the U.S. and Europe "twins keen to differentiate themselves." Why are we so intent on being different?
It has to do with domestic politics. Anti-Europeanism exists in America, but it's relatively minor aspect of the political discourse. Generally speaking, America doesn't pay much attention to Europe one way or the other. In Europe, on the other hand, anti-Americanism is a much more mainstream opinion. They think America is quite different, usually as something to be criticized. Anti-Americanism helps bridge political gaps within Europe. It's useful for Europe to have a whipping boy.

As you investigated our differences, what was something that surprised you?
The American train system surprised me. The American rail network is more extensive than commonly supposed, but it's not used for passenger transport; it's used for freight transport. Interestingly enough, Europeans use their railways for passengers but not for freight.

What misconceptions do we have about our differences?
Crime rates are a good example. The U.S. murder rate is always held up as exemplifying the contrast across the Atlantic. There's no getting around the fact that the murder rate in America is much higher than in European countries. The implication is that every other crime is equally high, but I knew that was simply not the case. For example, we have comparatively low rates of sexual assault.

Are there any areas where the U.S. and Europe really are vastly different?
Religion. That's where the differences remain the biggest. I think it's generally true that Americans are more religious than Europeans. The U.S. is more comparable to Mediterranean Catholic nations than the Protestant nations of Northern Europe. And religion in politics: American politicians give greater lip service to religion than is the case in Europe.

In your chapter about health and diets, I was shocked to find out that the average American's caloric intake isn't that much greater than it is in other countries.
Apparently not. And yet we're significantly more obese. That may have something to do with the fact that we don't walk or bicycle as much. Also, the surprising thing is that we're quite a bit more obese than other nations but we actually have fewer people in the "overweight" category.

What about the U.S. tax system? How does it compare to Europe's?
The U.S. tax rate is at the low end of the European scale. The big difference is we have no national VAT, or value-added tax. We rely on income and property tax for revenue, and our corporate tax is higher than that of most European nations. And yet, our system is very progressive. Rich Americans pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the richest Europeans do. We have a low absolute level of taxation but it's progressive by European standards.

Europeans have VAT and it's very, very high — in Nordic countries, it's somewhere between 20% and 25%. The average European pays a much higher percentage in overall budget every time they buy something, but European governments give it back in the form of social benefits. American social benefits tend to be limited to the poor, so there's a much clearer [wealth] redistribution through the tax system than there is in Europe.

And yet we have more people who live under the poverty line.
In terms of relative poverty, that's true. But if you look at absolute poverty, you get a different impression. Because our GDP per capita tends to be higher than in European countries, the people who fall below the poverty line here are not necessarily considered poor elsewhere.

What about health care? Is the U.S. health care system really that much worse than Europe's?
There are basically three numbers that always come up when people talk about the American health care system: average life expectancy, infant mortality and the mount of money we spend per head. Average life expectancy is at the low end of the European scale. We don't do well in terms of infant mortality either. [And] we spend almost twice as much per person in health-care expenditure. Fifteen percent of Americans don't have any insurance coverage. That's undeniable.

But if you look at every other attempt to measure outcomes, the American health care system isn't doing that badly. In terms of heart disease or cancer rates, they're about the same as those in European nations. If you look at cancer survival rates, we do quite well. Our system may not be the best, but it's not the worst. It works fantastically inefficiently, in that it costs us twice as much as any other country to achieve roughly the same results. So not only do we have to expand coverage but we have to cut costs at the same time. It's a deuce of a dilemma to be in.


source: Time.com

Obama's Student-Loan Plan: A 'Good' Takeover?

By Gilbert Cruz

On its face, it would seem to be a gift to Barack Obama's conservative critics, who have spent the summer painting the new Democratic President as a socialist who is eager to nationalize the entire health-care system. After all, the Administration's proposal to restructure the student-loan industry is, in many respects, much closer to an actual government takeover than its relatively tame market-driven health-reform plan. But as the House holds hearings and looks likely to pass a student-loan bill this week, it's clear that the education overhaul is not going to be the high-pitched battle that opponents and the White House once expected it to be.

It was only last spring when Obama made clear that he was expecting a fight over the biggest change in the federal student-loan program since its 1965 creation. "The banks and the lenders who have reaped a windfall ... have mobilized an army of lobbyists to try to keep things the way they are," he said in April. "They are gearing up for battle. So am I."

Obama's rhetoric was understandable. His plan is to do away with a system in which the Federal Government subsidizes banks and other private finance companies like Sallie Mae to lend money to students. The Administration essentially wants to cut such companies out of the game and run the system itself. Democrats claim the move will save $87 billion over 10 years, which can be used for a laundry list of education priorities, including increasing the maximum amount of Pell Grants, expanding Perkins Loans and investing in community colleges and other programs.

Many Republicans, not surprisingly, don't see it that way. "This bill is a massive expansion of the Federal Government, pure and simple," says Alexa Marrero, spokeswoman for Congressman John Kline, the ranking Republican member of the House Education and Labor Committee.

Educational institutions currently have two ways to offer federal loans to students. In the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL, pronounced "fell") program, the government pays subsidies to banks and lenders to dole out money to borrowers and reimburses companies up to 97% of the cost of any loan that is not paid back. The second way is the direct-loan program, created in 1993 as an alternate option, in which the government cuts out the middle man, lends money directly and gets all the profits. If the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) passes both houses of Congress, the approximately 4,500 colleges and universities that are currently signed up for FFEL will have to abandon the program and start using the direct-loan option by July 1, 2010.

The health-care debate would seem to help critics of the student-loan plan, who have no qualms about trying to link the two. "One of the points we're making is that the parallels to the health-care debate are really eerie," says Marrero. "The direct-loan program was created as a public option 16 years ago. It was touted as a form of competition that would encourage innovation and keep the industry honest. Sound familiar?" But rather than fuel significant opposition to the student-loan plan, the health-care firestorm has overshadowed it, making it harder for opponents to rally an effective counterattack.

Still, the bill could have a hard time in the Senate, where the Administration will need to cobble together 60 votes to prevent the threat of a filibuster. And those in the loan industry certainly aren't giving up. "Ultimately, what they are trying to create here is the Post Office of student lending — you've got no choice," says Jack Remondi, vice chairman and CFO of Sallie Mae, the nation's largest lender, referring to Obama's Aug. 11 comments that questioned the efficiency of American letter carriers. "And this is the President's initiative on health care: if you create competition, that should drive down costs and save people money."

The loan industry estimates that up to 35,000 jobs might be lost by the transfer from FFEL to direct-loan. Members of Congress who represent states that employ a large portion of the industry workforce, like moderate Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, have opposed the measure for that reason. But the Department of Education (which would run the new and expanded program) maintains that because Sallie Mae and several other companies would be kept on as contractors to "service" the loans — performing administrative tasks such as answering student inquiries and collecting payments — the total amount of jobs lost will actually be much less. It doesn't hurt the Administration's case that over a year ago, when the credit crunch paralyzed the markets, Congress had to pass a law allowing the Department of Education to buy student loans back from the lenders to ensure that money would continue to flow to students. Approximately three-quarters of the FFEL loans in the 2008-09 academic year were already in the hands of the government.

Separate from the ideological tussle, university officials have their own concerns about the timing of the plan. While Education Department officials claim that most schools can easily make the transition from one system to another, some financial-aid administrators are skeptical about a July 1 switchover. "All of our information for the 2010-2011 academic year is already printed," says R. Dewey Knight, the University of Mississippi's associate director of financial aid. "Colleges have a financial-aid calendar that starts in November for the following year, not in July. I think the Administration really believes you can just throw a switch and everything will change over. But as someone who actually has to throw that switch, I can tell you that there's a bunch more switches behind that one that you don't even see. It's not that simple." Still, for an Administration that fully expected a knock-down, drag-out fight over the student-loan plan, those kinds of problems probably seem pretty easy to solve.


source: Time.com

Tesla fits right in amid 'green' focus at Frankfurt auto show

By Polya Lesova, MarketWatch

FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) -- Auto manufacturers at this year's international motor show here competed Tuesday to unveil the "greenest" car technology possible.

For Elon Musk, the chief executive and chairman of electric-vehicle producer Tesla Motors, it was a moment to savor, as he announced that his company has just delivered its 700th car -- an electric-blue Roadster Sport -- to a 24-year-old German law student.

"If you go back a few years, there were a lot of skeptics about Tesla," Musk said. "In July this year, Tesla hit profitability. We continue to expand as fast as we can find good people."

Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen added: "If you walk around the [Frankfurt] show, you'll see the spirit of electric vehicles coming alive."

San Carlos, Calif.-based Tesla achieved overall corporate profitability in July with approximately $1 million of earnings on revenue of $20 million.

The company finalized an $82.5 million, "Series F" funding round late last week, with Fjord Capital Partners joining as a new investor, a Tesla spokeswoman told MarketWatch on Tuesday. Fjord is a Cyprus-based private equity manager focusing exclusively on clean energy investments.

Tesla plans to use the funding to accelerate its retail expansion in advance of the Model S car, an all-electric, seven-passenger sedan, whose production is set to begin in late 2011.

Recent investors participated jointly in the "Series F" round to maintain their equity ownership from their initial investment. In May, German carmaker Daimler /quotes/comstock/13*!dai/quotes/nls/dai (DAI 48.15, -0.86, -1.76%) /quotes/comstock/11e!fdai (DE:DAI 33.13, -0.29, -0.85%) said it was investing $50 million for a nearly 10% equity stake in Tesla.

At the auto show, Tesla unveiled Tuesday the production version of the second-generation Roadster and the Roadster Sport. The company also presented for the first time to a European audience the Model S.

The Roadster, Tesla's flagship car, has an estimated average range of about 400 kilometers per charge and produces zero tailpipe emissions, according to the company.

In an interview with MarketWatch on the sidelines of the auto show, Tesla's chief executive said he wants to boost sales in Europe and Asia.

"For a lot of people, until they see a store, they are not comfortable buying," Musk said. "Market penetration of southern Europe is not that strong."

Musk, who previously founded Zip2 and PayPal, hopes to change that by opening a store in Monaco later this year, he said. Only a few days ago, Tesla opened a store in Munich, its first regional sales and service center in continental Europe. A righthand drive will be coming out soon for Britain, Musk said.

In Asia, "China and Hong Kong are probably the biggest market," Musk said, adding that he sees a lot of potential opportunities in Japan, Singapore and Australia as well.

The U.S. currently accounts for two-thirds of Tesla's order book, while Europe makes up one-third.

Tesla can make its cars more affordable by optimizing technology and scaling up production, Musk said: "Model S is [going to be] half the price of the Roadster."

Tesla will also grow, Musk said, through its recent partnership with Daimler AG.

Also Tuesday at the Frankfurt auto show, France's Renault /quotes/comstock/23r!prno (FR:RNO 32.67, +0.27, +0.82%) unveiled four electric concept cars, providing a preview of the manufacturer's range of electric vehicles to released beginning in 2011.

"The time is right for zero emissions. The world is facing an environmental challenge," said Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn at a press conference. "We need to start taking action now to reduce [carbon emissions]."

"Our electric vehicles are a breakthrough because they are designed to be mass marketed," Ghosn said. "Environmental soundness at a price everyone can afford."

Polya Lesova is a New York-based reporter for MarketWatch.


source : www.marketwatch.com

World's biggest auto show kicks off in Frankfurt

Volkswagen's Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn presents the "e-up!" electro car during the Volkswagen preview-show ahead of the international car show "IAA" in Frankfurt September 14, 2009. The world's biggest auto show starts with its media days on September 15 and will run until September 27.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)







Chief Executive of German luxury carmaker BMW Norbert Reithofer poses inside the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car of BMW during the Frankfurt International Auto Show IAA in Frankfurt September 15, 2009. The world's biggest auto show will run until September 27.



The new Twizy Zero Emission Concept Car of Renault is seen on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. The car fair run through Sept. 27.



A Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid is seen on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. The car fair run through Sept. 27.



FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 15: Former figure skating star Katarina Witt (L) talks to forumlar one driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain (L) during the Mercedes-Benz presentation of the SLS AMG at the international motor show IAA on September 15, 2009 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The world's biggest auto show runs until September 27.




German automaker BMW's board member Ian Robertson presents the new electric 'E-Minis' during the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) in the central German city of Frankfurt am Main on September 15, 2009. A total of 781 auto and auto parts manufacturers from 30 countries are to present around 100 new models, during the motor show taking place from September 17 to 27.




A Smart electro drive is loaded on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. The car fair runs through Sept. 27.



A Lexus Full Hybrid LF-Ch concept car is seen on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. The car fair run through Sept. 27.



FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 15: GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster presents the new Opel Astra during the international motor show IAA on September 15, 2009 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The world's biggest auto show runs until September 27.



A Lexus Full Hybrid LF-Ch concept car is seen on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. The car fair run through Sept. 27.


credit photo: Reuters picture

Yale student's killing 'completely senseless,' roommate says

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (CNN) -- A quiet rendition of "Amazing Grace" capped an emotional candlelight vigil Monday night for slain Yale University student Annie Le, whose body was found on what was to have been her wedding day.

Several hundred people turned out on the Yale campus for the vigil, crying and hugging each other. Le's roommate, Natalie Powers, said the 24-year-old graduate student in pharmacology "was as good a human being as you'd ever hope to meet."

"She was also really tenacious and had a sense of humor that was never far away, and she was tougher than you'd think by just looking at her," Powers said.

"That this horrible tragedy happened at all is incomprehensible. But that it happened to her I think is infinitely more so. It seems completely senseless."

Connecticut state medical examiners announced Monday that the body found in a Yale medical research building over the weekend was that of Le, who had been missing for nearly a week. Her body was found Sunday hidden in a basement wall. Bloody clothes were found hidden above tiles in a drop ceiling elsewhere in the same building, investigators said.

Le was last seen entering the building Tuesday morning.

Thomas Kaplan, editor-in-chief of the Yale Daily News, said Le "really had everything going for her."

"She was a top scholar. She was very outgoing, a warm person," Kaplan said. "You know, she was diminutive in stature, but certainly not in personality. And that's what I think just makes this so sad for everyone, regardless of whether you knew her. It's just a tragedy."

Le's death is being investigated as a homicide, but Connecticut medical examiners released no further information beyond the identification.

A candlelight vigil in her honor was scheduled for Monday evening on the campus.

A Yale professor said on Monday that the building has good security and only certain people can enter, let alone access certain areas. Professor Gary Rudnick, who interviewed Le when she applied for admission to the graduate program in pharmacology, said it gives him the sense that there could be a "murderer among us."

No suspects are in custody, but investigators are questioning several people in the case, New Haven Police spokesman Joe Avery said. Watch a report about the case »

Kaplan said Le's killing has left Yale students shocked and wary. "Only Yalies had access to that basement, and that seems to point to someone in our community being involved in this," Kaplan said. "That's what is so frightening."

Authorities have not described the clothes that were found, nor said to whom they may have belonged. Teams of investigators at a Connecticut State Police lab worked through the weekend processing and examining the blood-stained clothes.

Kaplan said a Yale police official told the newspaper the clothes were not what Le was wearing when she entered the building.

At a meeting Monday for members of the campus community, Yale officials discussed security and provided an update on the investigation. A faculty member and a student who attended the meeting told CNN that Yale officials said police have narrowed down suspects.

Security cameras captured video of Le as she entered the four-story lab building at 10 Amistad Street, about 10 blocks from the main campus, six days ago. After poring over hours of surveillance tapes, authorities said they had not found images of her leaving the building.

Rudnick described security in the building as "very good." It had restricted access, and simply having a Yale ID card was not enough to get in, he said. Within the building, one had to have special access to enter certain areas, he said.

Le was to be married Sunday on New York's Long Island to Jonathan Widawsky, a graduate student at Columbia University.

"Annie has been planning this wedding for over a year with John, and she was very excited. She's been doing a countdown to her wedding day," Jennifer Simpson, a friend in Sacramento, told the CBS "Early" show. "She was doing weather patterns to make sure that the weather would be perfect on her wedding day. She just wanted everything to be perfect, everything down to table napkins, to flowers. Annie was very, very excited about this day."

Investigators searched a waste facility Sunday that normally handles garbage from the Yale lab, said William Reiner of the FBI's New Haven office. The search took place at the Resources Recovery Authority landfill in Hartford, near New Haven.

"In a situation like this, it's common for us to follow the trash," Reiner said.

Yale University President Richard Levin, in a statement to the campus community, said, "Our hearts go out to Annie Le's family, fiancé and friends."

The school sent out information Monday from Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer saying, "We are cooperating in all possible ways with the police to ensure they find every shred of physical evidence in the building so they can solve this horrible crime without delay. When the building does reopen, there will be extra security both inside and outside the facility for the foreseeable future."

Lorimer added, "To augment the substantial security already in place at the Medical School, Yale moved last week to increase security and police patrols on the streets in the area and to add a new bicycle patrol. Yale also added security personnel inside Sterling Hall of Medicine, where Annie Le had her lab."

The school has made grief counselors available, as well as a 24-hour help line number. "The university chaplain's office is available to offer pastoral counseling and can put members of the community in contact with those of many faiths and denominations," the message from Lorimer said.

Le, a resident of Placerville, California, seemed to have been well aware of the risks of crime in a university town.

In February, she compared crime and safety at Yale to other Ivy League schools for a piece for B magazine, published by the medical school.

Among the tips she offered: Keep a minimum amount on your person.

And she practiced what she preached, Simpson told the "Early" show.

"Annie always made sure she was safe," Simpson said. "She doesn't walk around at night by herself. If she had to work late, she would make sure someone could come pick her up or walk with her."

When she walked over to the research building on Tuesday, she left her purse, credit cards and cell phone in her office.

Vanessa Flores, Le's former roommate, wondered whether the magazine article had something to do with Le's death.

"The only thing I can possibly think of right now is maybe a psychopath, an antisocial person who -- I don't know -- maybe got upset about what she wrote about back in February about not being safe, and just kind of wanted to prove her wrong."

Le, originally from California, graduated from Union Mine High School in 2003, where she was named "Best of the Best," and "Most Likely To Be The Next Einstein."

"She was very smart, well-rounded, liked by peers and very involved in school," high school principal Tony DeVille told CNN affiliate WFSB.

Le set the bar high for herself, writing in her profile for the National Institutes of Health that she was interested in studying and researching regenerative medicine and hoped to remain working at at NIH or become a professor.

Her friends remembered her as one of the nicest people they had ever met.

Laurel Griffeath, a high school friend, told NBC's "Today" show in Le had a beaming personality matched with impressive intelligence, a girl who "had it all."

"Annie was just an amazing person, and I know that when tragedies happen, people always say that, but she truly was," Griffeath told the "Today" show. "She was probably the most brilliant person I've ever met in my life, but what made her more amazing was that there was an intersection of intelligence and personality and ability and she worked hard and she was great with people and she cared about people and she was funny and she didn't sacrifice one part of her life for another like a lot of people kind of seem to.

"She just really kind of had it all. She was really amazing."


source: CNN.com

American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines and to form a joint venture to expand their business partnership

A woman in a Kimono stands in front of a counter of Japan Airlines at Haneda international airport in Tokyo September 13, 2009. American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines and to form a joint venture to expand their business partnership, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.


An employee of Japan Airlines works at Haneda international airport in Tokyo September 13, 2009. American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines and to form a joint venture to expand their business partnership, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.



A Japan Airlines aircraft takes off at Haneda international airport in Tokyo September 13, 2009. American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines and to form a joint venture to expand their business partnership, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.



Japan Airlines aircraft park at Haneda international airport in Tokyo September 13, 2009. American Airlines is in talks to take a minority stake in Japan Airlines and to form a joint venture to expand their business partnership, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.


credit photo: Gettyimages

The eighth anniversary commemoration ceremony of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York

U.S. President Barack Obama lays a wreath marking the eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates looks on at the Pentagon near Washington, September 11, 2009.




U.S. President Barack Obama wipes the rain off his face as he meets Pentagon staff and family members of the victims of the September 11 attacks on New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania during a ceremony marking the eighth anniversary at the Pentagon near Washington, September 11, 2009.




Flowers fill the reflecting pool during the eighth anniversary remembrance of the attacks on New York and Washington, in New York September 11, 2009. Families of the victims are gathering at the annual ceremony to remember the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people with the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.




Chundera Epps, sister of victim Christopher Epps, holds a sign as family members of victims stand in the rain to pay their respects at Ground Zero during the eighth anniversary commemoration ceremony of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center at Ground Zero in New York, September 11, 2009. Families of the victims are gathering at the annual ceremony to remember the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people with the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.





U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (C), his wife Jill Biden and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (L) arrive at the eighth anniversary commemoration ceremony of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center at Ground Zero in New York, September 11, 2009. Families of the victims are gathering at the annual ceremony to remember the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people with the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.




Family members of September 11 attack victims pay their respects at the reflecting pool at Ground Zero during the eighth anniversary commemoration ceremony of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, September 11, 2009. Families of the victims are gathering at the annual ceremony to remember the attacks that killed more than 2,700 people with the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.




Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev (R) and US Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Tatiana Gfoeller (L) lay a wreath at a monument to victims of the 9/11 tragedy at the US airbase 30 km outside Bishkek in Manas on September 11, 2009. It has been 8 years since terrorists attacked the world trade center buildings in New York city using passenger liners.



9/11 Truth Signatories Stand By Call For New Investigation

Despite the Van Jones lynching, Salon finds that the vast majority of individuals still support the call for a new inquiry

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Friday, September 11, 2009

Despite a concerted effort on behalf of the establishment media to portray 9/11 truth as a taboo subject in light of the resignation of Van Jones, a Salon.com investigation has found that the vast majority of original signatories to a petition calling for a new investigation into the events of 9/11 stand by their word.

Polls have consistently shown that a significant majority of Americans question the official 9/11 story and those concerns are shared by thousands of military leaders, current and former government officials, intelligence professionals, legal scholars, as well as scores of architects, scientists and engineers.

However, the fact that Van Jones recanted his support for a new investigation and was subsequently forced to resign enabled the media to manufacture a contrived perception that merely doubting the official story in any way was an embarrassing faux pas worthy of public ostracization.

In reality, as America marks the eighth anniversary since the tragic events of that day, support for 9/11 truth is as strong as ever and it’s firmly back at the forefront of public attention following Charlie Sheen’s letter and video message to Barack Obama demanding unanswered questions about the attacks be addressed.

“Salon contacted nearly 30 of the petition’s signatories to see if they felt, as did Lerner, Zinn and Jones, that the document didn’t reflect their views on 9/11. We asked a simple question: If you had to do it all over again, would you still sign the statement?”

“Salon has not heard back from two of the statement’s most famous signatories: actor Ed Asner and comedian Janeane Garofalo. (Editor’s Note: We will update this story if they respond.) But many did respond and most — though not all — expressed their full-fledged support for the petition,” according to the report.

The article quotes people such as Gray Brechin, historical geographer and visiting scholar at the University of California at Berkeley’s Department of Geography, who slams the chilling atmosphere that the establishment has attempted to generate around the subject.

“Have you contacted the widows and other family members who lost loved ones on that terrible day and asked them if they recant wondering why, for example, New York City and the Pentagon — the fucking Pentagon! — were defenseless on that morning more than a month after the would-be president was informed that Osama bin Laden was determined to attack the United States?” asks Brechin. “Have you asked them if they are as disloyal, or as nuts, as Van Jones for signing that petition? Have you an answer for that and other questions on that petition, which were never discussed by the mainstream media when it piled on Jones at (Glenn) Beck’s behest?”

Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law and practice at Princeton University, told Salon that he would happily sign the petition again, stating, “Citizens in a democratic society deserve to know the truth, and to seek the truth in matters of such fundamental national importance should be treated as an expression of patriotic duty rather than the reverse.”

Mark Crispin Miller, professor of media studies at New York University, also restated his support for the petition, noting that the questions it contained have still not been answered to this day.

“First of all, the statement asks for a new inquiry into 9/11. That is hardly an insane demand, considering the many obstacles and limitations that prevented the 9/11 Commission from doing a proper job,” said Miller. “That body was deliberately enfeebled by Bush/Cheney: grossly underfunded ($3 million — while, for example, the budget for the study of the Challenger disaster was $50 million, and Whitewater cost over $40 million); granted no subpoena power; forced to rush the process; denied all sorts of vital information; and otherwise slowed down, fouled up, kept in the dark.”

“Witnesses employed by the USG were daunted openly by departmental colleagues who sat in on the hearings, ostentatiously, as “minders.” (”The Commission feels unanimously,” said Chairman Thomas Kean, “that it’s some intimidation to have somebody sitting behind you all the time who you either work with or works with your agency.”) And Bush/Cheney themselves refused to testify except in tandem, with a strict limit on their time, and their testimony given off the record and not under oath,” adds Miller.

“So how could anyone regard that body’s findings as definitive — even if those findings were not rife with logical and physical impossibilities, as well as glaring omissions?”

Miller concludes by saying that instead of vilifying “9/11 truthers,” the press should actually start examining the evidence itself.

Douglas Sturm, professor emeritus of religion and political science, Bucknell University, is another distinguished individual who stands by his support for a new investigation into 9/11.

“In direct response to your query, I in no way repudiate my action signing the 9/11 statement. It stands as an appeal to investigate closely and carefully a series of questions about that tragic event that have yet to receive fully satisfactory answers,” he told Salon.

Burns H. Weston, professor emeritus, University of Iowa law school, echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Yes, I would do it all over again. It is my position that too many critical questions have not yet been officially answered, if even investigated, and that, therefore, the jury is still out on the complete truth of 9/11.”

Fall Fashion: 100 Fashion Finds Under $100

Fashion lovers don't need to break their budgets to replenish their wardrobes with the trendiest new looks this fall. That's because a long list of prominent designers, from Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon to Anna Sui, are launching price-conscious secondary lines, partnering with mass retailers or just lowering their prices to appeal to consumers.

Many designers understand that the magic number for shoppers these days hovers around the $100 mark. If that's within your budget, you can now scoop up some of fall's hottest items, a welcome change from the last few years when retailers were predominantly pushing luxury goods

Look first for menswear-inspired looks, such as tailored blazers, Oxford shoes and oversized button-downs--all fashions that can work at the office. The 1980s is another trend that's very popular now--bold shoulders, neon colors and anything with a vintage biker feel is a must-have this season. In addition, ladylike pieces inspired by Dior's "New Look" couldn't be more in fashion, so keep an eye out for pearls, floral-print sheaths and prim cardigans.

Rachel Roy, whose eponymous line has been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Kate Hudson, has partnered with Macy's to launch the price-friendly Rachel Rachel Roy. The line hit shelves in August, a move that was motivated by the economic downturn.

"I believe both designers and consumers have had to prioritize practicality over aspiration in this economy," says Roy. Instead of investing in her asymmetrical wool dress from her fall ready-to-wear collection for $1,195, women can opt to buy a black sheath dress from Roy's less expensive line for a fraction of the cost: $109. Roy believes her line will attract customers who are "worldly, educated and modern."

Roy isn't alone in trying her hand at affordable fashion. Jil Sander, master of the woman's power suit, left her namesake label in 2004 and is now launching a collection with Uniqlo called +J in October. Nothing in the collection will exceed $150. The collection includes a crisp white button-down shirt, a tailored black overcoat and cropped gray trousers, all perfect for getting this season's minimalist androgynous look.

By LEAH BOURNE
Forbes.com

Princess Sofia arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain

MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.



MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.




MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia of Spain arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.





MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia of Spain arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.




MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia of Spain arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.





MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia of Spain arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.




MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Princess Sofia of Spain arrives at school on her first day with parents Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain at El Pardo Kindergarden in El Pardo on September 11, 2009 near Madrid, Spain.


credit photo: Gettyimages

Hurricane Fred grows at sea, but no threat to land

This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Fred, lower right, taken at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday Sept. 9, 2009. The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that Hurricane Fred has strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 105 mph and is about 445 miles (715 km) west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and moving west near 13 mph. It is the second named hurricane of the season.





This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Fred, lower right, taken at 7:45 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Hurricane Fred has quickly strengthened to a Category 2 storm in the Atlantic and forecasters say it could become a major hurricane later in the day. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Fred could become a Category 3 storm later Wednesday but is expected to start weakening Thursday.




Graphic shows the location and projected path of Hurricane Fred as of 5 a.m., Wednesday



Hurricane Fred gets stronger far out over Atlantic
(AP) – 2 hours ago

MIAMI — Hurricane Fred has quickly strengthened to a Category 2 storm but remains far out in the eastern Atlantic with no signs it will threaten land.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Fred could become a major hurricane later on Wednesday. The storm's projected five-day path will keep it over the open ocean until it loses steam.

Fred's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph. Forecasters say it could become a major hurricane, meaning top sustained winds of more than 110 mph.

The storm is centered about 500 miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and moving west-northwest near 13 mph.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Linda is drifting slowly far out over the Pacific with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Fred has quickly strengthened to a Category 2 storm in the Atlantic and forecasters say it could become a major hurricane later in the day.

Fred's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph (165 kph) early Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Fred could become a Category 3 storm later Wednesday but is expected to start weakening Thursday.

Fred is centered about 500 miles (805 kilometers) west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and moving west-northwest near 13 mph (20 kph).

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Linda is drifting slowly far out over the Pacific with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph (100 kph).

Paris Picasso Mueseum

The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years.



View taken on October 23, 2008 of part of the "Cut" in situ installation set by French artist Daniel Buren in the courtyard of the Picasso Museum in Paris. The work set during the renovation and extension of the museum planned for a year, is composed of screen and mirror walls redefining the perspectives and structure of the space.



A Visitor watch works by Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso at Paris Picasso Mueseum, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site.





Picasso Museum secretary Fabien Docaigne, speaks to reporters at the front door of Picasso Museum in Paris, Tuesday June 9, 2009 after a notebook of 33 pencil drawings, reportedly worth several million euros (dollars), by Spanish born artist Pablo Picasso has been stolen from the Paris museum that bears the painter's name. The stolen sketchbook, was shiny red with the word "Album" inscribed in gold on the front, dated from 1917 to 1924, the Culture Ministry statement said.



Visitors sit in the garden of Paris Picasso Museum next to a sculpture"The Swimmers"by Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site.



People wait outside of the Picasso Museum as French police stand guard, after a sketchbook of drawings by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso worth several million euros, was stolen in Paris June 9, 2009. The theft at the museum in the heart of Paris occurred overnight but there was no sign the building had been broken into.



Visitors watch works by Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso at Paris Picasso Mueseum, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site. The painting"Large Stile-Life with Pedestal Table, 1931,"by Picasso in the foregrond.



A man walks by the Picasso Museum as French police stand guard, after a sketchbook of drawings by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso worth several million euros, was stolen in Paris June 9, 2009. The theft at the museum in the heart of Paris occurred overnight but there was no sign the building had been broken into.



View taken on October 23, 2008 of people standing in front of part of the "Cut" in situ installation set by French artist Daniel Buren in the courtyard of the Picasso Museum in Paris. The work set during the renovation and extension of the museum planned for a year, is composed of screen and mirror walls redefining the perspectives and structure of the space.



Visitors watch the painting"The Painter and his Model, 1926,"by Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso at Paris Picasso Mueseum, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site




Visitors walks in the courtyard of the Picasso Museum in Paris in front of the "Cut"a mirror installation set by French artist Daniel Buren, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site.

Visitors watch works by Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso at Paris Picasso Mueseum, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site.



Visitors watch works by Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso at Paris Picasso Mueseum, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. The Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site. The Sculpture"Woman with a Push Chair, 1950,"by Picasso in the foreground.



A visitor looks at a painting by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



A visitor walks past a painting (L) by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



Visitors look at paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



Visitors look at paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



A poster of Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso is set up in front of the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. An exhibition "Picasso and the Masters" opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



A guard sits next to a painting by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



A visitor looks at a painting (L) by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso "Portrait of Lee Miller" next to " Madame Ginoux " by Vincent van Gogh exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition "Picasso and the Masters" opens to the public on September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009



Visitors look at a painting by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) inspired by " Le dejeuner sur l'herbe " (Luncheon on the Grass) by Edouard Manet exhibited at the Orsay Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. Picasso and the Masters opens on October 8 in three separate Paris museums until February 2, 2009.



A visitor looks at paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



A visitor looks at paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) exhibited at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. The exhibition opens to the public September 26, 2008 and runs until February 2, 2009.



A visitor looks at " Le dejeuner sur l'herbe " (Luncheon on the Grass) by Edouard Manet exhibited at the Orsay Museum in Paris October 6, 2008. Picasso and the Masters opens on October 8 in three separate Paris museums until February 2, 2009.



A visitor walks past Pablo Picasso's 1969 oil on canvas "Mousquetaire a l'epee assis", right, and Edouard Manet's 1866-1867 oil on canvas "Matador saluant" exhibited at the Grand Palais museum in Paris, Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. The exhibit matches Picasso paintings alongside the original works that may have inspired them. It cost a total of euros4. 3 million (US$5.8 million) to cover fees like insurance and transport for works on loan from other museums, making it one of France's most expensive, and ambitious, exhibits ever. Picasso's masters will be on exhibit from Oct. 8, 2008 until Feb. 2, 2009.



A visitor looks at Pablo Picasso's 1911-1912 oil on canvas "Homme a la guitare", left, next to Francisco de Zurbaran's 1630-1634 oil on canvas "Saint-Francois d'Assise dans sa tombe" exhibited at the Grand Palais museum in Paris, Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. The exhibit matches Picasso paintings alongside the original works that may have inspired them. It cost a total of euros4. 3 million (US$5.8 million) to cover fees like insurance and transport for works on loan from other museums, making it one of France's most expensive, and ambitious, exhibits ever. Picasso's masters will be on exhibit from Oct. 8, 2008 until Feb. 2, 2009.



A worker cleans up at the bottom of paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) inspired by " Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement " (women of Algiers in their apartment) by Delacroix exhibited at the Louvre museum in Paris October 7, 2008. This event takes place in the context of " Picasso and the Great Masters " exhibition, being held at the Grand Palais and Orsay museums which opens on October 8 until February 2, 2009




A visitor looks at Pablo Picasso's 1937 oil on canvas "Portrait de Lee Miller en Arlesienne", left, next to Vincent Van Gogh's 1888 oil on canvas "l'Arlesienne" exhibited at the Grand Palais museum in Paris, Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. The exhibit matches Picasso paintings alongside the original works that may have inspired them. It cost a total of euros4. 3 million (US$5.8 million) to cover fees like insurance and transport for works on loan from other museums, making it one of France's most expensive, and ambitious, exhibits ever. Picasso's masters will be on exhibit from Oct. 8, 2008 until Feb. 2, 2009.



Paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973), inspired by " Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement " (women of Algiers in their apartment) by Delacroix are exhibited at the Louvre museum in Paris October 7, 2008. This event takes place in the context of "Picasso and the Great Masters " exhibition, being held at the Grand Palais and Orsay museums which opens from October 8 until February 2, 2009.



A visitor looks at a painting by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) inspired by "Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement " (women of Algiers in their apartment) by Delacroix (L) exhibited at the Louvre museum in Paris October 7, 2008. This event takes place in the context of "Picasso and the Great Masters" exhibition, being held at the Grand Palais and Orsay museums which opens on October 8 and runs until February 2, 2009.



Visitors look at paintings (at bottom) by Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973) inspired by " Femmes d'Alger dans leur appartement " (women of Algiers in their apartment) by Delacroix exhibited at the Louvre museum in Paris October 7, 2008. This event takes place in the context of " Picasso and the Great Masters " exhibition, being held at the Grand Palais and Orsay museums which opens on October 8 until February 2, 2009.

credit photo : Reuters pictures.