The radicalization of an all-American kid – CNN.com

The young al Qaeda fighter must have stood out among the others creeping up a mountain on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, trying to get a good vantage on a U.S. base.

Though armed with rockets and on the same deadly mission as his comrades, he was an American -- out to kill the soldiers of his own country.

Not long ago, he had been an altar boy, a kid growing up in a middle-class suburb on Long Island, New York, a teenager with a passion for baseball -- and the Mets.

Now he was known by his Muslim name, Ibrahim, or by his fighting name: Bashir al Ameriki, "the American."

It was September 2008, and it had been just a year since Bryant Neal Vinas, then 25, had left the United States in pursuit of a goal that became an obsession: to fight his fellow countrymen in Afghanistan.

Now it’s more CO2 that will threaten crops | Watts Up With That?

Sometimes I wonder if science hasn’t been infected with some sort of mass delusion about CO2. Watch this amazing video on CO2 and plant growth from CO2Science.org, then read below the claims made in this UC Davis press release.

Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide interfere with plants’ ability to convert nitrate into protein and could threaten food quality, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis.

The scientists suggest that, as global climate change intensifies, it will be critical for farmers to carefully manage nitrogen fertilization in order to prevent losses in crop productivity and quality.

 

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NYT: Scientists find giant oil plumes in Gulf – The New York Times- msnbc.com

 

14 Year-old Girl Confronts BP for Lack of Oil Spill Education Efforts (Video) : TreeHugger

This has to be the most inspiring story I've stumbled upon out of all my coverage of the Gulf spill: Last night, at a tense town hall-style meeting that gathered fishermen, federal officials, and BP reps to discuss the latest on the disaster, one participant took all of the parties by surprise. A 14-year old girl named Lauren Spaulding confidently stepped up to the mic during the Q+A -- the only young person to do so -- and confronted BP about its lack of initiative to educate children about the spill.

Spaulding was polite but direct when she asked BP what it was doing to educate young people about the spill or to provide teaching materials to schools, and she quickly won over the crowd. She pointed out that kids are concerned about the spill too, and want to learn more about what's going on and how they can help. They're worried about the environment and their parents' livelihoods, she said.

 

Rainbow similar to before China and Chile quake seen over Los Angeles, page 1

 

Good Banking is Good Citizenship

Reasserting its core values as a company dedicated to the customers and communities it serves, Citizens Financial Group today announced a new corporate platform built around the concept that "Good Banking is Good Citizenship," reflecting the heritage of both Citizens Bank and Charter One.

To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/cit...

 

Weekly Address: Wall Street Reform & Main Street | The White House

The President explains how Wall Street Reform will not only end bailouts and bring accountability for big banks, but empower consumers, shareholders and community banks.

aangirfan: CIA BEHIND VIOLENCE IN THAILAND?

Thailand's Maj. Gen. Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawatdiphol has worked for the CIA. (Renegade joins Thai Red Shirts‎)
And, in the current conflict in Thailand, he has worked with the 'Reds'. (Who are the red shirts? )
He is wanted for questioning about a death squad which the Thai government blames for grenade attacks on military and public targets.