Letter: BP, Halliburton knew of flaws in cement in Gulf oil spill well- CNN
The letter from Fred Bartlit Jr. to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling said that tests in February on a cement slurry similar to what was used on the Macondo well showed instability -- and that both companies had the data.
"Halliburton and BP both had results in March showing that a very similar foam slurry design to the one actually pumped at the Macondo well would be unstable, but neither acted upon that data," the letter said.
Firms Knew of Cement Flaws Before Spill - NYT
US spy spending revealed for first time, tops $80 billion
The United States spent $80 billion on spy activities in 2010, the first time the government has officially announced the total tab for intelligence spending.
The amount included $53.1 billion on non-military intelligence programs, a 6 percent boost from the previous year, according to a statement released Thursday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The military spent an additional $27 billion on its intelligence apparatus, said Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan.
The government is required by law to reveal the total amount of money spent to spy on other nations, terrorists and other groups by the CIA, the National Security Agency and the other agencies and offices that make up the 16-member intelligence community.
While the total intelligence spending has never formally been announced, this is the fourth year the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released the national intelligence budget figure for non-military activities
Report: Mossad behind blast at Iran base
Last week a congress was celebrated in Salvador de Bahía to analyze the situation of diabetes in Latin America. Mexico and Brazil are the two only countries in the list of 10 most affected by diabetes, but the prognoses of increase of this illness in the region are worrying enough they have been the reason that journalists have been sent to cover the event; and we have seen a good diversity of notes covering economic costs, strategies of prevention, and combining the global situation of the region with the specific information of every country. Anyhow, we would still ask for a little more detail and depth in political and necessary initiatives to brake this worrying tendency to increase. Let's check some notes:
In Third (Chile) Alexis de Ponson tells us that “ In 20 years diabetes will grow 65 % in Latin America ”. The text says that in Chile it will be only 25 %, but it specifies neither where the differences take root, nor what regions will be the most affected and porqué. Topic to chase down.
Universal (Venezuela): Daniel Ricardo Hernández “ Every ten seconds a diabetic dies in Latin America ”. It is an affect also that 40 % of the patients do not know they are suffering from this illness, and that the means have an important role in this concienciación.
Without going out of Venezuela, New Press “ The increase of cases of diabetes impacts the economy of Latin America ” transmits that the losses caused by diabetes in Latin America amounted in 2009 to 8.100 million dollars, and that everything points they will keep on increasing turning into a threat for economic prosperity. It shows that the cost is not only the direct treatment to patients, but also the disability and loss of well-known Extensive and detailed productiveness in The Universal (Mexico) for Natalia Gómez Quintero “ Against diabetes, the empoderamiento ”, that uses the example of a particular case and concrete center to transmit that “ one of the principal instruments to fight this evil is education: to prepare for it, to detect it early and to control it ”. Also interesting the obtained appointment of an expert: " The cost in education for patient would cost three dollars. But if the treatment is complicated it can come to 400 dollars ”.
Clarion sent Salvador de Bahía to Eliana Galarza, who in “ Diabetes is like a tsunami and the wave has not come yet to its height ” tells us that in the last 25 years the number of diabetics in Latin America grew from 30 to 230 millions, it will keep on doing so, and the form more effective of it preventing is the prevention. In this line, Eliana writes a note with the principal recommendations: healthy feeding, physical exercise, to avoid sedentarianism, to stimulate lenders' training of health, and promotion of campaigns of concienciación and diffusion of symptoms. Basic, but it is never of more reminding it to the reader. Another third piece tells that one of the recommendations proposed in the event was that the control panel of glucose was starting doing from 18 years.
More novel and noticiable is the note in The Nation (Argentina) of Sebastián A. Rivers “ The diabetes trebles the risk of tuberculosis ”. We knew of his influence in renal illness, problems of heart, or blindness, but not in tuberculosis; a problem that in many countries is even more problematic than the proper HIV. Good text buescando to add new information in addition to the basic points of the meeting.
Graphic press (El Salvador) also was provided with a special envoy to Brazil. Loida Martínez Avelar in “ Latin America looks for a solution to diabetes ” sums up very well the most important points treated in the congress, and locates the information about the situation in El Salvador. We are surprised the phase in which the cases have diminished regarding 2009. It seems as if really – in absolute value - they were descending.
In The Nation (Costa Rica), not indexed to the meeting of World Diabetes Foundation, Irene Rodríguez tells that in Costa Rica diabetes type 2 gains increasingly with the youngest, and the worst thing is that the treatments begin much too late. In another well-known Irene it reflects a study of Lancet demonstrating that diabetes doubles the risk of cardiovascular illness.
Other notes not on diabetes: The Universal (Mexico). Very good reportage of Ruth Rodríguez of Mexican investigations to make use of the cells mother of the milk teeth. Very novel speaking about this source of cells mother adults and treated good. He seems to us out of place to affirm that they will be able to treat Alzheimer, Parkinson or multiple Sclerosis, but undoubtedly they seem promising opposite to bony illnesses.
In fact the note explains the case of a young man to which they extirpated a cyst and regenerated bone lost with this type of cells.
The Spectator (Colombia). Lisbeth Fog makes use of the step along Colombia of an investigator of the prestigious Institute Max Planck of Germany to prepare a very original note “ The physics of the cancer and the leishmaniasis ”. In addition to explaining very well how a physicist can study channels iónicos of relevancy in carcinogenic processes or infection for leishmaniasis, we emphasize the structure free and near to the reader of Lisbeth's text.
BBC World. Interesting approach from Peru of Javier Lizarzaburu “ The dead forest ”, speaking about the “ syndrome of Empty Forests ”: the deforestation of the Amazon is a problem that is perceived by simple sight, but the over-exploitation of resources and uncontrolled fishing is generating another much subtler consequence; the loss of animals and the consistent ecological imbalance. The article only puts as examples the alarming descent of fish paiche in Amazon waters, or the mahogany trees. We would need more information and appointments to scientific works so that the text could happen of simply exhibiting a concept.
Perhaps be due to the fact that, since it is exhibited in the note, exactly the “ syndrome of Empty Forests ” is little studied in the Peruvian amazonia. Good sign of attention then.
Pere Estupinyà ( since Pere is Father, I'm assuming that's a priest's title. Sparingly edited from Google's translation. )
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