Suicide Bomber Kills Twenty in Mogadishu

A suicide bomber struck a popular restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Thursday.

At least twenty people were killed, including a member of Parliament and several journalists.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but al Shabaab is considered a likely suspect.

The terrorist group was responsible for an attempted assassination of newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

That attack included three suicide bombers, who killed two bystanders.

African Union members have been sending troops to Somalia to try and oust al Shabaab from it's base of power.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Spc. Joshua N. Nelson

ARMY Spc. Joshua N. Nelson, 22, Greenville, N.C., died September 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan.

The Defense Department announced Wednesday the death of Specialist Joshua N. Nelson, twenty-two, of Greenville, N.C., in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to D Company, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, at Fort Gordon.

Nelson died September 16 of injuries sustained when his position was attacked with small arms fire. Three other Soldiers died in the incident.

Nelson entered the Army in March 2011 and reported to Fort Jackson, S.C. for Army Basic Training. He received his Advance Individual Training, in MOS 35N (Signals Intelligence analyst) at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. He arrived at Fort Gordon in December 2011 and was assigned to D Company, 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, then later to D Company, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion. He deployed to Afghanistan in May. This was his first deployment.

Nelson was posthumously promoted to specialist. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NATO Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

The entire Fort Gordon community extends its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Specialist Nelson.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena

ARMY Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena, 25, of Honolulu, HI, died September 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan.

A twenty-five year old infantry soldier from Honolulu was among four soldiers killed in Afghanistan Sunday when they were attacked at a checkpoint by Afghan soldiers, the Pentagon reported today.

Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena died in Zabul province of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small arms fire. Nena was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. 

The Army at Fort Lewis said Nena enlisted in the Army in May 2008. He deployed to Iraq in 2009 with a Fort Bliss unit. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan where he had been stationed since December.

Nena’s awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (two awards), Army Achievement Medal (two awards), Meritorious Unit Citation (two awards), Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Ribbon (two awards) and NATO Medal.

The Pacific Daily News today reported that Nena's wife was living on Guam and has left the island for Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where her husband's body is being flown to.

Bank of America Cutting 16,000 Jobs

For the last while Bank of America has let it be known that they would be cutting 30,000 jobs by the end of 2013.

But now leaked information has let us know that they're aiming to cut 16,000 of those by the end of this year.

Fewer branches will be the most noticeable difference, but mortgage and lending operations are also expected to be a focus of the cuts.

There's no word yet on where in the US the cuts will be hitting the hardest.

US Lifts Ban on New Zealand Ships

From left to right: US Ambassador to New Zealand David Huebner, New Zealand Minister of Defense Dr. Jonathan Coleman, and US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta

Leon Panetta became the first US Defense Secretary to visit New Zealand, since 1986.

Whilst there he announced that the US is lifting a ban, that has been in place since then, on ships from New Zealand being able to dock in US harbors.

The ban had been in place after New Zealand barred nuclear weapons from entering it's waters, thereby making it impossible for many American naval ships to enter.

In 2003, when New Zealand sent troops to Afghanistan, the relationship between them and the US began to improve.

The two countries signed a trade agreement in May and a defense pact this June.

New Zealand has no plans to end the ban on nuclear weapons, leaving the US saying they see no future for the US Navy in their waters, but both countries are making it clear they will grow their relationship despite the hurdles.

Reaction to Obama's Latest Flag

This flag is the newest thing you can buy on the Obama campaign's site.

I really had wanted to come up with some great piece on why it was wrong, but I'm totally and completely just filled with disgust at it.

The arrogance of the man, replacing the stars of the flag of the United States with his own symbol, is something I can't even contemplate without wanting to throw up.

How anyone can think that that individual is for anything other than himself, is beyond me.

Obama has shown himself to repeatedly not have the interests of the US in his heart, and through repeated actions shown that he seeks The Republic's destruction.

This flag is just yet the latest example of how he seeks to put himself before what America actually stands for, and but a small reminder of how important it is to get him out of office in November.

The Republic has but one flag, and that is definitely not it.

US Fires Continue

Fires continue to burn throughout the western and north central US, with thirty some fires currently burning hundreds of square miles.

In Washington, the Table Mountain and Wenatchee River fires have combined to be burning one hundred and eight square miles. Three thousand firefighters have been committed there to those two fires, alone. Some residents have been urged to evacuate. Chris Seelye of Darby, Montana, collapsed whilst fighting the Klone Fire, in Washington.

Wyoming has seen nearly a dozen fires popup in and around Yellowstone National Park, though none of them have grown very large. The biggest there is only four square miles. Parts of the park have been closed due to the extreme fire danger.

Focus on Idaho has turned on the Karney Fire, which has scorched nearly five hundred acres, and is nearing Boise. That fire is believed to have been deliberately set. Around two hundred firefighters, aided by aircraft, are battling the blaze there. The state is facing about a dozen other fires as well.

Efforts against the Sawtooth Fire, in Montana, have been aided by cooler weather and a drop in winds. The calmer settings have allowed for helicopters to join in the fight.

Anti America Protests Continue in Pakistan

Around five thousand protesters marched in Islamabad, Pakistan, as protests over an anti Muslim film, continue on Thursday.

Police and security forces blocked their routes as they aimed at the US, British, and French embassies.

The marchers responded by throwing stones, bottles, and other objects at the officers, who used tear gas in attempts to stop the assault.

As injuries on both sides occurred, the military was called in and their presence backed by tanks and helicopters was enough to make the mob withdraw.

Other protests were carried out throughout the country, though the capital's was by far the largest and most violent.

Remembering: JFK's Joint US Soviet Moon Proposal

On September 20, 1963 President John F. Kennedy shocked the world when he proposed a joint moon mission with the Soviet Union.

Hostilities were at one of the lowest points between the two countries and the interest in going to the moon was fading, as the price tag kept growing.

Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko met the proposal with gladness, but never committed to it.

In Washington the idea was met with hostility, the space race was one of the fore points of American policy.

The world would never find out what could have happened if the two powers had joined for the moon mission, as two months later, on November 22, JFK was assassinated.

His successor, Lyndon B Johnson would immediately scrap the idea, ensuring that the US went to the moon alone.

Tunisia Bans Protests Over French Cartoons

Interior Minister Ali Larayedh announced that the Tunisian government is banning protests over a satirical piece in a French publication.

The cartoons make fun of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and violence against French embassies is considered likely.

France has ordered all embassies and government buildings, throughout twenty countries, in the Middle East, North Africa, and southern Asia.

Both the French and Tunisian governments are worried about a repeat of what recently happened to American, German, and British buildings.