The robotic mini-plane resembles the space shuttle and is equipped with a payload bay about the size of a pickup truck bed.
the hush-hush X-37B — a robotic reusable spacecraft — was launched April 22 atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. From that point onward, mum has been the word about what it's up to.
The New York Times [review] of federal tax records and House and Senate disclosure reports found at least two dozen charities that lawmakers or their families helped create or run that routinely accept donations from businesses seeking to influence them. The sponsors — AT&T, Chevron, General Dynamics, Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly and dozens of others — contribute millions of dollars annually in gifts ranging from token amounts to a check for $5 million.
Tom Williams, a spokesman for Duke Energy, acknowledged that the company participates in lawmakers’ charitable events in part to get access to them and push its agenda.
some current and former lawmakers, as well as ethics officials on Capitol Hill, find the charitable donations troubling, calling them one of the last major unregulated fronts in the “pay to play” culture in Washington. The donations typically far exceed what companies are permitted to give to candidates in campaign contributions.
Click on the following for more details: Congressional Charities Are Pulling In Corporate Cash - NYTimes.com
BOONE COUNTY
Poplar Grove is asking to levy a new tax for police protection purposes and “have an additional tax of 0.6 percent of the equalized assessed value.” That would be an estimated additional $199.98 for single-family residences valued at $100,000.
The Garden Prairie Street Light District wants an additional “0.06987 percent above the limiting rate for levy year 2009.”
Property tax referendums on ballots in tri-county area - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
I confirmed Friday that IDOT is doing a new study as a follow-up to its 2007 study, which favored the Canadian National route through Genoa as quicker and cheaper than the Union Pacific line through Belvidere.
Brereton said…the new IDOT study “will either reaffirm the governor’s position about the northern route or contradict it and take it south. I’ve been led to believe the study won‘t be done until December, so we‘re losing valuable time.”
“Everybody’s fear is that IDOT could use our lack of consensus as an excuse not to fund the service,” Pritchard said.
Click on the following for more details: Sweeny Report » Attention Amtrak passengers: Your train has been delayed, maybe forever
