US Declares Afghanistan a Major Non NATO Ally

On Saturday the US designate Afghanistan as a "major non NATO ally".

The new status allows for Afghanistan to continue to enjoy easier American aid, even after the withdrawal of US troops in 2014.

It is a promise of not just aid, but expedited access to American equipment, as well as a guarantee of streamlined defense cooperation.

Afghanistan becomes the fifteenth country to receive such a designation.

Countries such as Israel, Australia, Japan, Egypt, and Pakistan are amongst the others that have been granted such status.

Growing tensions between Pakistan and the US have raised the question of whether Pakistan will see that status revoked.

California Approves High Speed Rail

High speed rail will come to the United States, whether it can be afforded or not.

California's senate approved a 130 mile stretch of a planned track that would eventually reach 520 miles.

In a twenty-one to sixteen vote, the senate agreed to spend eight billion dollars, to avoid losing a promised $3.2 billion from the federal government.

Total costs of the project are expected to be around seventy billion.

Governor Jerry Brown is expected to sign the bill, which he heavily lobbied for.

The Assembly of California had approved the bill on Thursday.

It is unclear how the state will be paying for the rail line, due to it's already being at least sixteen billion in the hole.

The full rail line is to connect San Diego to Los Angeles, and Los Angeles to San Fransisco and Sacramento.

McCotter Resigns

On Friday, Republican Representative Thaddeus McCotter resigned from his congressional seat.

The announcement came after a series of failures for the congressman from Michigan.

He failed at his attempt to run for President, couldn't get enough signatures to get on the ballot for reelection, and then a former member of his staff leaked some of his private writings.

With his resignation he released the following statement:

Today I have resigned from the office of United States Representative for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District.

After nearly 26 years in elected office, this past nightmarish month and a half have, for the first time, severed the necessary harmony between the needs of my constituency and of my family. As this harmony is required to serve, its absence requires I leave.

The recent event’s totality of calumnies, indignities and deceits have weighed most heavily upon my family. Thus, acutely aware one cannot rebuild their hearth of home amongst the ruins of their U.S. House office, for the sake of my loved ones I must “strike another match, go start anew” by embracing the promotion back from public servant to sovereign citizen.

I do not leave for an existing job and face diminishing prospects (and am both unwilling and ill-suited to lobby), my priorities are twofold: find gainful employment to help provide for my family; and continue to assist, in any way they see fit, the Michigan Attorney General’s earnest and thorough investigation, which I requested, into the 2012 petition filing.

While our family takes this step into the rest of our lives, we do so with the ultimate confidence in our country’s future. True, as at other times in the life of our nation, we live in an Age of Extremes that prizes intensity over sanity; rhetoric over reality; and destruction over creation. But this too shall pass, thanks to the infinite, inspired wisdom of the sovereign people who, with God’s continued blessings, will again affirm for the generations American Exceptionalism.

Truly, it is a challenging and fortunate time to live in our blessed sanctuary of liberty.
In closing, to The People of Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, I can but say this: Thank you for the privilege of having worked for you.

~ Thaddeus G. McCotter

Nicasio Gone Til September For Rockies

Rockies right handed pitcher Juan Nicasio will be gone through at least September.

Nicasio will be under going arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on July 16.


Doctors will be removing a loose object that is causing fluid build up, inflammation, and severe pain.


The Rockies hope to have him back in September, but he could very well be gone for the whole season.


He injured the knee June 2, attempting to field a hard hit ball.


Last season he broke his C-1 vertebrae in his neck, when he was hit by a line drive.

New Cannabis Without The High

In a secret location in the hills of Galilee, scientists say they have engineered a form of cannabis, that does not give users a "high".

The new form reportedly has all the possible health benefits of the plant, without any of the side effects.

Cannabis has more than sixty chemical parts to it, which are called cannabinoids. Some of them give off the "high", others do not.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of the most effective parts in treating various illnesses, and when it is separated from other cannabinoids like THC it doesn't give off the "high".

Scientists hope that with continued research they will be able to make it so that CBD plants are spread worldwide, replacing the full plant.

Spread of the CBD plants could greatly increase the spread of cannabis for medical purposes, as it would in no way effect a users mental capabilities.

Kindle Fire 2 Begins Production in August

Reports have Amazon working on several new models of the Kindle Fire, all set to begin production in August.

There would be a new 8.9 inch model, as well as three new seven inch ones, the size of the original.


The new seven inch models would have different features from each other, to set them apart.



One would have a 1,024 x 600 display with no camera, a second would have a 1,280 x 800 display with a camera, and the third would have a 1280 x 800 display with a camera and a 4G radio atop Wi Fi. The 8.9 in. model of the Kindle Fire 2 would have a 1,920 x 1,200 display.

Amazon is also being rumored to be working on it's own smartphone.

Assad's Friend Deserts Syria

A close friend of President Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria and according to sources is on the way to France. Manaf Tlas was also the commander of one of the crack Republican Guard units.


Since his disappearance about a month ago, Tlas's home has been ransacked by security forces. Rebel groups have said that he made his way out of the country via Qatar, and rumors are that France aided his escape.


As brigadier general of one of the top military units Tlas had taken some of the heat for the crackdown, which he reportedly considered dishonorable.

Tlas and his wife were considered to be at the top tier of Syrian society. His father had served as defense minister for thirty years, under Assad's father. He and most of the rest of the family are already in Paris.


US officials were quick to state that they did not consider him a defector, as he has not joined the opposition. If he does so, it could be a very key development.


The biggest thing his leaving shows, is that there are cracks beginning at all levels of Syrian society. If even Assad's friends are beginning to leave him, then the government could be weaker than it seems.

Robotic Legs Walk Like a Human

Researchers at the University of Arizona have made a major step forward in the creation of robotic legs.

Their new construction is being called "the most biologically accurate robotic legs ever".

A study published by the Journal of Neural Engineering goes into detail about the achievements which the legs have made.

By focusing on the neural requirements of walking the team was able to come up with a "half center" system that accurately copies the rhythmic motion of human walking.

The research could greatly aid in spinal injury treatment, as well as lead to better prosthetic legs for dual amputees.

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.