Tensions Rise Between Venezuela and Paraguay

On Thursday President Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, announced that he had withdrawn the military attaches from Paraguay, and sent them to Argentina.

Chavez said that the cause was death threats against them, since they were accused of attempting to plot a coup in Paraguay.

Wednesday saw Paraguay remove it's ambassador from Venezuela, as well as stating that the Venezuelan ambassador was no longer welcome.

Last month Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo was impeached and voted out of power, then replaced with Vice President Federico Franco. Venezuela has strongly opposed the removal of Chavez's ally.

Paraguay has accused Venezuela of attempting to get Paraguayan military officials to start a coup, saying that they have, "serious evidence of intervention by Venezuelan officials in the internal affairs of Paraguay".

Venezuela and Chavez have denied the accusations, countering that Paraguay is now a US backed dictatorship.

All of South America's governments have spaced themselves away from Paraguay, and the trade groups have suspended the country until it's next Presidential election, in April 2013.

Amazon Might Be Working on Own Smartphone

Once again the rumors are circulating about Amazon creating their own smartphone.

Back in November Citigroup analysts said that Amazon was planning one.

On Friday, Bloomberg released information from "knowledgeable sources" who confirmed that it is in the works.

They point to such things as patent gathering that the company has been doing, which would be a good step to protect the company legally.

Amazon has also been working closely with Foxconn, a company heavily involved in the creation of iPhones.

Executives at Amazon have also been seen meeting with sellers of various other wireless patent holders.

Diving into the smartphone market could prove to be a highly profitable move for the company, who's own brand of tablets has done remarkably well.

Reports also have the company working on several models of the Kindle Fire 2, all set to begin production in August.

Iran Threatens US Bases

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh stated that Iran is prepared to strike at thirty-five US bases within minutes.

Hajizadeh said that they are no threat to Iran, but that they are opportunities for Iran to quickly show it's strength, if war should occur.

Iran's Republican Guard is currently conducting war games in which they are attacking "mock military bases".

Hossein Salami, another Brigadier General for the IRGC, stated on Iranian state run Press TV that the drill is a demonstration of Iran's resolve.

Missiles that are being tested include the Shabab 3, which has a range of over nine hundred miles.

US bases throughout the Middle East, as well as the nation of Israel, are within that range.

California's Senate Approves Anti Arizona Bill

California's state Senate passed the "Anti Arizona" bill twenty-one to thirteen on Thursday.

It now moves to the Assembly, where it is expected to eventually pass.

AB1081, was written by Democrat Assemblyman Tom Ammiano.

Under the bill, illegal immigrants would not face deportation unless they were convicted of a serious felony.

Illegal immigrants who are arrested for lower offenses would could no longer be threatened with deportation.

The bill has been nicknamed the "Anti Arizona" bill after Arizona's law that allows for police to go as far as asking anyone they believe to be illegal for papers.

Arizona's bill was recently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Ammiano says that the Senate's vote shows that "California can be better than Arizona."

No More Altered Images For Seventeen Magazine

Seventeen magazine has made a pact with the public that it will "never change girls' body or face shapes" and "celebrate every kind of beauty in our pages".

The magazine also agreed to show behind the scenes photos, so that the public can see what goes into creating a photo shoot.

All of this happened because of a petitioned started by a fourteen year old from Maine.

Julia Bluhm began in April as she started interviewing friends at school, recording their opinions on how photo shopped images in magazines effected them.

In May she brought the magazine a petition with 84,000 signatures on it, and organized a protest in front of their offices in New York City.

After she was interviewed by prime time TV shows, the magazine's editor in chief granted her an interview, in which she apparently made her case.

The August issue of Seventeen will contain a copy of the pact, which the entire staff has signed.

Julia has now moved on to join a group which is trying to get the same kind of pact from Teen Vogue.

Remembering: Dolly

July 5, 1996 Dolly the sheep is born at the Roslin Institute in Scotland.

The lamb was the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell.

Cells were taken from the udder of a six year old ewe they were later cultured and implanted into surrogate ewes.

Dolly's birth was not announced until February of 1997, and the controversy began.

Some saw possible medical benefits from cloning, whilst others saw it as dangerous and unethical.

At the age of six, Dolly died, from a progressive lung disease, bringing up questions of genetic abnormalities caused by cloning.

During her life Dolly was mated to a ram with whom she eventually had four lambs, all of whom have had normal lives, for sheep.

After her death, Dolly was stuffed and put on display at the National Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh.

Remembering: Adams and Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson wrote the document that would become known as the Declaration of Independence.

John Adams helped him edit it, and then fought eloquently for it's passage.

After it's passage Adams would be sent to Europe as ambassador to various countries, he would be there to help negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war.

During the war, Jefferson served as the governor of Virginia, and then at it's end was sent to England to prepare the way for trading.

Later, once the US Constitution was ratified, the two men served in George Washington's government with Adams as Vice President and Jefferson as Secretary of State.

The men's relationship would become strained til they were no longer friends, things grew worse between them when Adams followed Washington as the second President, with Jefferson as his Vice President.

After his first term, Adams was defeated by Jefferson, and then he retired to his country estate in Massachusetts. Jefferson would serve two terms, and then retired to his own estate in Virginia.

Over time the two men, who had helped found and then set the structure for the new country, renewed their friendship. Corresponding through a famous series of letters, they discussed many things, especially politics.

On July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was announced, it's two principal makers died, within hours of each other.

UK Begins Placing Anti Aircraft Missiles For Olympics

The United Kingdom has begun placing anti aircraft missile batteries in and around the area of London which will host the Olympics.

Jets and helicopters have been redistributed to bases near the area as well.

Security plans also involve the a helicopter carrier staying on the Thames River for the duration of the games.

Many residents in the area have expressed concerns over the placement of the defenses near their homes.

Government officials point out that whilst there is no direct threat aimed at the games, it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

Ufologists Blame Colorado Fire on UFO Crash

Ufologists are saying that the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado was started by a UFO crash.

Some residents in the area reported that an object was seen falling from the sky, it broke up during it's fall.

NORAD has reportedly confirmed that something fell from space at the time, but has not commented on what it may have been.

Adding to the claims is live news footage of a helicopter carrying water to fight the fires. The footage does seem to show something following the helicopter.

Theorists suggest that the recorded UFO was searching for survivors of the crash of the one which started the fire.

Oddly enough, three days before the fire started objects falling from the sky caused the grounding of aircraft which were fighting the Springer Fire, a little to the west of where the Waldo Canyon Fire burned.

Original reports from that were of a single falling object causing a fireball on Badger Mountain. It was followed by other smaller ones, and for awhile officials reported it as a meteor shower, then later changed their story to saying nothing happened, and then eventually back to a meteor shower due to the wide spread pressing of the story.

The Waldo Canyon Fire burned 346 homes, killed two, and it's cause is still under investigation.

Here is one of the videos claiming to show the UFO. It is taping of someone's DVR recording of the live fire fighting coverage, that was on TV.

Colorado Down to Only 5 Fires

Only five fires remain un contained in Colorado. Fire fighters have contained and put out most of the rest, though some do remain in the final stages.

Rain, cooler temperatures, and slightly increased humidity have helped with all of the different blazes, though winds have continued to be a problem.

Just to the West of Durango, the Lightner Fire is now at eighty percent containment, and all evacuations have been lifted. Full containment is expected on Friday.

At almost 25,000 acres the Little Sand Fire is now forty percent contained. The fire has been burning for nearly two months, northwest of Pagosa Springs. Two hundred personnel are still working on the blaze, which is not threatening any structures.

To the east of Grand Junction, the Pine Ridge Fire is nearing 14,000 acres. Over five hundred people have the fire sixty-five percent contained.

The Waldo Canyon Fire, has reached seventy percent containment, and has been stopped short near 18,000 acres. More than 1,500 are currently battling the blaze. It is responsible for the deaths of two people and the lost of 346 homes. The blaze is no longer burning inside of Colorado Springs itself, allowing for all but 2,100 evacuees to return. Firefighters are aiming for full containment by the twelfth. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Near Mancos, the Weber Fire is now eighty-five percent contained. At over 10,000 acres the fire caused over one hundred homes to be evacuated, but none ended up damaged. Police have stated that the fire was human set, and are investigating.

Colorado is but one of the states facing fires. Across the country at least fifty-five fires are burning. Colorado's were the most devastating and costly, because some of them got into heavily populated areas.