Tyler Adair

International: Bin Laden to release messade through a video.

A banner ad claiming Osama Bin Laden would being releasing a message was posted today. The ad said the video would be available within 72 hours placing the video to be released just days before the 6th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. White house correspondence say the video will probably be meant to scare Americans, but should only be viewed as that, a scare tactic. Things White House officials will be looking for if a video really is released will be the health of Bin Laden and the way al Queda is trying to portray him.

Opinion: I think it is always interesting to hear about a video sent out by Bin Laden. I do not think that this video will say anything revealing, new, or surprising to Americans, and I don’t believe that Americans are really that afraid of Bin Laden or anything he could say in his little video. I think it is sad how he hasn’t been in public for years and he hasn’t even sent out a video in the past 3 years, it should show us how cowardly he is and how afraid he is to be caught.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/06/binladen.video/index.html

National: 11 Arrested in public office fraud

Two mayors are among the 11 arrested in New Jersey for accepting bribes in return for public contracts. The bribes ranging from $1,500 to $50,000 for insurance brokerage and roofing company contracts were given or planned to be given to the 11 officials. The FBI headed up the investigation and used the media to share with any other public official thinking about excepting bribes to “think again.” In their investigation, which stemmed off of a lead they got on fraud going on in a New Jersey school, they set up a fake insurance company and bribed council members, school boards, and mayors.

Opinion: Being a public official who has power to influence situations like public contract takes a lot of self-control and when offered $50,000 to give a contract it must be hard to say no but honesty is key in a public position. I believe all of these people should be sentenced an imprisoned and used as an example of what could happen to public leaders if they give in to bribes.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/06/nj.arrets/index.html