Deadly Tornadoes Slam Into Alabama
The Associated Press reported this morning:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The death toll from severe storms that punished five Southern U.S. states has jumped to 178 after Alabama sharply raised its tally of lives lost.
Alabama’s state emergency management agency said early Thursday it had confirmed 128 deaths, up from at least 61 earlier.
Mississippi officials reported 32 dead in that state and Tennessee raised its report to six from one.
Another 11 have been killed in Georgia and one in Virginia.
The fierce storms Wednesday spawned tornadoes and winds that wiped out homes and businesses, forced a nuclear power plant to use backup generators and even prompted the evacuation of a National Weather Service office.
Milton Friedman on Phil Donahue Show in 1980 provides a direct and to-the-point defense of capitalism and free trade. He explains how governmental regulations, no matter how well-intended, are inevitably infiltrated by business interests which use governmental power to stifle competition
The disagreement is over the solutions — on what spending to cut; what taxes to raise (basically none ever, according to Boozman); whether or not to enact a balanced budget amendment (Boozman says yes; Pryor no); and on what policies would promote the kind of economic growth that would make this a little easier.
In Feb of 1983 Milton Friedman wrote the article “Washington:Less Red Ink (An argument that the balanced-budget amendent would be a rare merging of public and private interests),” and here is a portion of that article:
Here, for their consideration, are my answers to the principal objections to the proposed amendment that I have come across, other than those that arise from a desire to have a still-bigger government:
**4. The amendment is unduly rigid because it requires an annually balanced budget.**
This is a misconception. Section 1 of the amendment prohibits a planned budget deficit unless it is explicitly approved by three fifths of the members of the House and Senate. It further requires the Congress and the President to “ensure that actual outlays do not exceed the outlays set forth in [the budget] statement.” But it does not require that actual receipts equal or exceed statement receipts. A deficit that emerged because a recession produced a reduction in tax receipts would not be in violation of the amendment, provided that outlays were no greater than statement outlays. This is a sensible arrangement: outlays can be controlled more readily over short periods than receipts.
I have never been willing to support an amendment calling for an annually balanced budget. I do support this one, because it has the necessary flexibility.
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Kate Middleton awards a medal to a young athlete during a visit to Witton Country Park in Darwen, northwest England, on April 11, 2011.
[ A report by Paul Harrison, royal correspondent Sky Television UK]
Two official photographs of Prince William together with Kate Middleton have been released to mark the couple’s engagement.
The two portraits – one formal, the other informal – were taken by celebrity photographer Mario Testino just days after their engagement was announced.
Testino, a favourite with Royals including the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has described how happy he found the couple to be.
“I am very happy to have been asked to cover this historic moment that the whole world was waiting for,” he said.
“They are in their prime and brimming with happiness – I have never felt so much joy as when I see them together.”
William asked Mario Testino to take these photographs because he loved the way he was able to bring out the exuberance and warmth of Diana in the photos he took just weeks before she died
The photographs – both taken at St James’ Palace – show the two sides of the soon-to-wed future King and Queen.
The formal shot, taken against a backdrop of paintings of former monarchs in the Palace’s Council Chamber, sees the couple in a half-embrace.
The Prince’s fiancee rests her hand on her husband-to-be’s arm, showing off her engagement ring, which once belonged to William’s mother, Diana.
The sapphire is given maximum exposure in the relaxed pose too, taken in the Palace’s Cornwall room.
Clearly at ease, heads touching, a casually dressed Prince William envelopes his future bride in his arms – while her hand rests on his chest.
It is a photo which will become one of the iconic images of the 21 century, chosen from several sent to Clarence house by the famous photographer.
Royal writer and photographer Ian Lloyd believes the couple chose Mario Testino because of his ability to make his subjects come alive, as he did with Diana.
“William asked Mario Testino to take these photographs because he loved the way he was able to bring out the exuberance and warmth of Diana in the photos he took just weeks before she died,” Mr Lloyd explained.
“And you can see he’s managed to bring that out in the Prince and his financee too.”
In both photos Kate is wearing items bought from high street stores: A white dress from Reiss and a cream blouse from Whistles.
Just as her blue dress sold old within days of wearing it on the day their engagement was announced, observers expect little different from her latest choices.
But the item people really want to know about is the dress she’ll be wearing on April 29th.
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Kate Middleton arrives with fiance Prince William (not pictured) at the official opening of Darwen Aldridge Community Academy on April 11, 2011, in Darwen, northwest England.
As the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton nears, Mark Phillips reports on some of the chosen few who will attend the royal ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The Daily Hatch 