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These days, McDonald’s Big Macs and McMansions aren’t enough to satisfy the ever growing American appetite for new products, as well as bigger and better ones, and they may soon become among our leading exports. Iran is said to be copying a drone it captured last year.

But it’s not just cloning drones that poses a problem to global survival. As The Guardian reports, Sandia National Laboratory is leading the charge for a drone on steroids Buy windows 7 key, one that is powered by nuclear energy, and has staying power of weeks not months.

While the U.S. government condemns Iran’s uranium enrichment program Office Visio Key, and actively works to divest North Korea of its ambitions, there is no end in sight for the proliferation of drones, and nuclear reactors in our own backyard.

Sandia, the number one U.S. research agency which specializes in all things nuclear, insists that while it has completed research and a blueprint for the nuclear-powered drone, plans for working with Northrop Grumman to activate that blueprint will not be used “in the near-term or mid-near term future.” As The Guardian also reports, Sandia states that putting such a sensitive project, which has already drawn fire from anti-drone groups, such as they are, on hold due to “political constraints.”

But, given that political climates change, it might be prudent to look at what these high octane suckers do. For openers, instead of conducting surveillance over a targeted area for a matter of days or weeks, nuclear drones have increased this capability to months. Indeed, one may think of a nuclear drone as a kind of Prius, or hybrid vehicle that relies on nuclear energy in much the same way hybrid vehicles rely on electricity instead of gas. Only, nuclear power is more like a steroid than electrical power is.

When compared with the MQ-9 Reapers that are in use in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Yemen, a nuclear drone not only enhances the amount of time a drone can remain airborne McAfee Product Key, but also dramatically decreases the need for boots on the ground in targeted areas taking the notion of remote control killing to a whole new level. This concept becomes particularly important now that, as the Washington Post reports, the CIA has asked for the authority to use more drones in Yemen in what it terms “signature strikes,” or expanded random killing zones.

Reportedly, the Sandia-Northrop Grumman team looked at many other options before settling on what they knew would be a highly controversial solution, one that is especially precarious given the frequency of drone crashes.

Considering the increasing domestic use of drones everywhere from borders to surveillance of political protests in urban areas, the prospect of a “friendly fire” accident involving U.S. manufactured and deployed drones on U.S. soil is not one that may easily be dismissed. The only thing more scary than knowing that the protocol for this technology is fait accomplis is the thought that the implementation of the plan has more to do with the political climate we currently find ourselves in than apprehensions on the part of the scientific team, and their defense contractor counterparts.

In the end, as we all sadly recognize, it isn’t al Qaeda, the Taliban, or any foreign enemy we have to worry about, but the government subsidized glorified welfare checks that have gone to defense contractors for generations now, and that continue unabated by the Obama administration. While it’s true that DoD appropriations for drones have consistently fallen over the past few years, the manufacturers merely countered this by raising the price, and research into not only new drones, but new avenues for deploying them has continued unabated which only shows that the war lobby is alive and well in Washington, D.C. Don’t think for a minute because the portion of red meat being thrown to the lions has decreased marginally that the impact of that red meat has also diminished.

It’s heartening to see that the nuclear-powered drone project has been given music on hold under the Obama administration, but leadership is needed that recognizes, and works toward realizing, John F. Kennedy’s goal of “complete and total disarmament.” JFK envisioned a world in which nonproliferation wasn’t a treaty, but a practice. The manufacture of McDrones must be politics-proof.

In light of the expansion of drone activities both overseas and at home, that vision was laid to rest with President Kennedy. Until we have the kind of bold leadership that calls for ending research into super-drones, and an international effort to destroy nuclear weapons altogether, national security will perpetually be at risk, and we will be perpetually at war. Unless there is more than lip service to nuclear non-proliferation of all kinds, our national reputation will be globally synonymous with Big Macs, and McMansions.

The need for Congress to act on legislation that will ensure precautions are taken to avoid a nuclear catastrophe, regardless of who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, has never been greater. As citizens, and voters, we must press for this, and bring this issue front and center as federal budget deficits mean nothing in the face of nuclear annihilation, and remote control murder may work in video games, but can only be considered a war crime on the battlefield.

The father of Brisbane mother Allison Baden-Clay says he’s praying police will find the person “who did this awful thing to our daughter”.

Geoff and Priscilla Dickie have spoken of their grief after the body of their 43-year-old daughter was found beside a creek in Brisbane’s west on Monday.

The find confirmed the couple’s worst fears and ended a 12-day search for Mrs Baden-Clay, whose death is being treated as a homicide case.

Police have said they are interviewing a number of witnesses but won’t say if her husband replica watches, Gerard Baden-Clay, is a suspect.

Mr Baden-Clay attended the Indooroopilly Police Station briefly today.

The case has touched nearby residents – who continue to lay floral tributes at a makeshift memorial.

Mr Baden-Clay reported his wife missing early on April 20, saying she’d failed to return to their Brookfield home after going on a late night walk.

Mr Dickie wept on the shoulder of a police officer when he learned a body found at Kholo Creek crossing was that of his daughter.

“He (God) has answered one of our prayers. She was found replica watches, and the second prayer is that we find who did this awful thing to our daughter replica watches,” he told The Courier Mail.

He said Mr Baden-Clay had told them “she went for a walk and she didn’t return – that’s all he said”.

Mrs Dickie said they knew there was “something wrong” from the beginning, and told how she held memories of their last hug dear.

“I said ‘love you’. They were getting in the car. That’s it. It’s terrible isn’t it. You just don’t realise.”

Mr Baden-Clay’s lawyer Darren Mahony has said his client is devastated and focused on the welfare of the couple’s three young daughters.

He said Mr Baden-Clay was taking legal advice on his interactions with police and the media, which was prudent given the intense public interest in the case.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday approved the first large-scale liquefied natural gas export terminal in the lower 48 states despite record falling gas prices. Shipping from the $10 billion Louisiana plant is projected to begin as early as 2015. The Cheniere plant is the third liquefied natural gas plant in the works in Louisiana. Others are planned elsewhere in the country.

The plants aren’t without criticism. Some say plants like Cheniere’s could raise natural gas prices in the country and have adverse environmental effects — due in part to the rise in the use of a controversial natural gas drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. As of March, 24 states in the U.S.have enacted or have pending legislature regulating drilling for natural gas by way of hydraulic fracturing.

While the government of Nova Scotia is delaying hydraulic fracturing pending further review, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the first-ever rules to control pollution from “fracked” natural gas wells Wednesday. The agency indicated it would delay enforcing the rule until 2015, more than two years later than its initial proposal of July.

Fuel Fix

Oil prices fell following Iran nuclear talks and amid announcements oil supplies grew by 3.9 million barrels last week. Meanwhile, President Obama proposed tougher measures to fight the manipulation of oil markets. The move comes in response to claims investors — not supply and demand — are driving up oil prices.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner made the first biofuel-powered flight over the Pacific Ocean this week, while others in Canada and Australia made similar flights using the alternative energy source. In the lab, NASA is exploring ways to use algae to make biofuel, while a new corn-based biofuel could be pack more energy than ethanol.

Though the thin-film solar market is declining, Bloomberg reports these panels may actually outperform crystalline products in warmer climates. The Los Angeles Times says solar panels are — along with hot sauce, self tanning products and 3D printers — the fastest-growing industries in the U.S.

The French company Total ramped up efforts this week to stem a nearly month-long leak of oil at its Elgin platform in the North Sea. Meanwhile, researchers are making strides in technology aimed at cleaning up future spills, including using sonar to test the effectiveness of deep-sea oil dispersants.

Melting Arctic Brings Threat of New Cold War

Militaries of the world are preparing for a new type of Cold War in divvying up the melting Arctic, which may hold 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30 percent of the planet’s untapped natural gas. As the Arctic ice recedes, some rogue glaciers in the Himalayas actually are growing, defying predictions that the planet’s “third pole,” as the region is known Miami Ink, would be completely melted by 2035.

Many Americans attribute recent warming and some extreme weather events to climate change, according to a new poll. In fact, 69 percent polled agree global warming is affecting weather in the U.S., despite a new study that finds climate coverage is declining on some broadcast networks.

As California prepares to implement a cap on carbon emissions, its southern neighbor is following suit with a clean climate law. Mexico’s new climate law would lower emissions 30 percent by 2020 and cut them in half by 2050. The move comes as the EPA reports that greenhouse gas emissions Cheap Tattoo Kits, stalled by the recession, are on the rise with the U.S. recovery. Similarly, in the UK officials reported emissions rose 3.1 percent as the economy recovered.

As major U.S. newspapers continue to bleed off environmental reporters, the RAND Corporation says canceling the newspaper can save energy. A single print subscription emits 208 pounds of global warming gases per year, whereas the online version only emits 54 pounds per year. But cloud computing can be a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions Tattoo Machine For Sale, NPR reports.

The Climate Post offers a rundown of the week in climate and energy news. It is produced each Thursday by Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

(YURI GRIPAS/AFP/GettyImages)

WASHINGTON Tattoo Guns, D.C. — President Obama honored several dozen law enforcement officers today after they were recognized by a national police order for acts of courage or exemplary service. Standing in the spring sun of the White House’s rose garden, the president told the officers and their assembled families he had looked forward to the event to simply say “thank you.”

“They don’t ask for a lot of credit,” the president said of the nation’s police force. “They don’t go to work planning to be heroes.  They just do their jobs.”

The officers were in town for the annual awards ceremony of the National Association of Police Organizations. Since 1994, NAPO has run its “Top Cops” program to pay tribute to officers who have gone “above and beyond the call of duty.”

The president said he understood that each time an officer leaves their home, it may be “the day that you’ve spent your entire career training for.”

“For the men and women standing behind me, America’s Top Cops, that day came.  And when it did Tattoo Kits For Cheap, they were ready.  They didn’t flinch.  They didn’t back off,” he said. “There are people who are alive today only because of their courage.”

After thanking the officers for their service, the president nodded to recent state and federal budget cuts that have led to fewer officers on the job in some localities. Obama said “those of us in office” had a responsibility to keep as many police on the street as possible, for the public’s safety as well as the welfare of the officers.

“Those of you wearing the shield, you are safer when there’s more of you because you have each others’ backs Tattoo Gun Tattoo Designs,” he said.

Vice President Joe Biden introduced the president today. After touting the recent dedication of national communications frequencies for first responders, Biden urged lawmakers to support the efforts of police unions in maintaining collective bargaining rights.

“To say you’ve earned those rights would be the understatement of the day,” Biden said. “And they will not be taken away as long as we can do anything about that, or anyone else who cares.”

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and NAPO President Tom Nee were also in attendance. Nee is an appointee to the Obama administration’s Homeland Security Advisory Council.

NAPO says they sift through hundreds of cases each year running up to these awards, selecting top stories from each of the 50 states for honorable mentions. An independent panel then narrows it down to representatives of a final 10 states to bestow with the title of Top Cop. Law enforcement from the local to federal level are eligible for the honor, but must be nominated by other officers.

Among this year’s crop of honorees were a duo of Los Angeles Police Department officers who stopped a deranged gunman’s rampage through Hollywood. A unit of New York Police Department members were also awarded for their daring rescue of West Point military cadets who had become stranded on the side of a cliff in high winds.

In all, 34 police received the Top Cops recognition this year.

“I’m sure that many are, even now, thinking of a partner or a teammate who fell in the line of duty,” Obama said to the officers. “So we honor their memories today.  We honor all those who have put their lives on the line in order to protect their fellow citizens.”

This is the fourth year Obama has hosted NAPO honorees at the White House, following a precedent started during Bill Clinton’s presidency.

SHOWS: Good Morning America This Week World News

Maine’s business tax system is one of the worst in the country but is making gains, according to a report released Monday by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council.

Maine was 46th overall for the second year in a row in a ranking of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, which ranked the worst at No. 51 Discount Chloe Dresses, followed by Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Iowa. South Dakota, Texas and Nevada topped the list as the best states for business.

The study is the latest in a string of reports that list Maine’s business climate as one of the worst in the country which often are cited by conservatives in the state as a reason to lower Maine’s taxes.

The 18 tax measures used to compile the study included: corporate and personal income, capital gains, property, sales, gas and diesel, unemployment, and wireless services.

Maine’s top personal income and capital gains tax rate of 8.5 percent and corporate income and capital gains tax rate of 8.93 percent put the state in the bottom 10 when compared with other states. The report noted that Maine has high property taxes as a share of personal income. The state also received unfavorable rankings for its taxes on gas and diesel.

But the state received more favorable rankings when the report looked at sales and excise taxes as a share of personal income, where Maine was tied for 17th; unemployment taxes, where Maine ranked 26th; and taxes on wireless services, where Maine ranked 11th.

The report also mentioned Maine as one of nine states that has taken steps to provide tax relief. Speaking by phone Tuesday, Raymond J. Keating Herve Leger sale, chief economist for the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council and author of the report, said a decrease in Maine’s top income tax rate that takes effect in January and a push by Gov. Paul LePage to lower it even further are good signs for Maine’s business climate.

Keating said that taxes aren’t necessarily the sole deciding factor when deciding where to locate a business. Commerce centers California and New York ranked near the bottom of the list, while South Dakota — not exactly known as the entrepreneurship capital of the country — took the No. 1 spot.

“There are a whole bunch of factors that come into play, not just taxes,” Keating said. One of those factors is market opportunity, but “similar or even better market opportunities might lie elsewhere in the nation” in states with lower tax burdens.

“From a policy standpoint, when you consider that small- and medium-sized firms create about two-thirds of net new jobs, why would you want to tax them more heavily?” Keating said.

Not every economic study lists Maine as bad for business. A report released in 2011 by the Council on State Taxation listed the Pine Tree State as the No. 1 friendliest state for taxes on new business investment. But Keating said that report ignored Maine’s high capital gains taxes and took a narrow look at what types of investments are considered.

Keating’s assessment of the tax burden is more broad-based. He encouraged states to avoid allowing politicians to try to read the tea leaves and give tax breaks to individual businesses and instead lower taxes across the board and let the market decide.

BMW 7 Series M Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re not sure where they came from, but official-looking images of the upcoming BMW 7 Series M Sport just popped up on the interwebs today. The car you see here is identical to the one we saw in spy photos just a few weeks ago. Since the M6 will reportedly remain the brand’s top dog in terms of big performance cars, the 7 Series M Sport will be to the standard 7 Series what all M Sport models are. That is, it gets more aggressive fascias front and rear Tattoo Supplies, unique wheels, an M steering wheel, M shifter and M footrest. Rumor also has it that the 7 Series M Sport will be powered by the brand’s newly updated 3.0-liter, twin-turbo diesel engine producing 306 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. No, it’s still not an M7 Tattoo Supplies, but if you want a lightning quick 7 Series, you can go buy an Alpina B7 Biturbo for now.

Related GalleryBMW 7 Series M Sport
[Source: Bimmerpost, BMWBlog]

Yes. A thousand times, yes.

It’s no secret that we – and every other automotive enthusiast on the plant – love insanely fast wagons. So it comes as no surprise that we’re seriously excited to see this, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series Estate Herve Leger sale, come to life.

All of the bulgy bits you see here – the front bumper Buy BCBG Dresses, massive air intakes Discount DKNY Clothes, wide fender flares and vented (yet camouflaged) hood – are all found on the similarly equipped C63 AMG Black Series Coupe. The only major difference here is that this wagon still sports oval exhaust pipes, rather than the squared-off ones found on the coupe, but that’s an easy fix that may come into play later in the hot wagon’s development.

We expect what’s under the hood to be exactly the same as the two-door Black Series: Merc’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 Buy Herve Leger gown, massaged to the tune of 510 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. All that power will go straight to the rear wheels via the seven-speed AMG Speedshift MCT dual-clutch transmission.

Mercedes-Benz doesn’t sell the standard C63 AMG Estate here in North America Replica Bandage dresses, so we don’t expect the Black Series to touch ground here on our shores. Sad stuff Buy White Herve leger, but just knowing that this beast exists somewhere in the world makes our hearts skip a few beats. See the hotness for yourself in the attached high-res image gallery.

Click above for a massive gallery of the Hamann Volcano

After teasing us with a video montage of the Hamann Volcano, the tuner has finally released details on its reworked Mercedes McLaren SLR supercar.

With 5.4-liters of supercharged displacement to work with, Hamann turned up the boost with a new pulley Buy Hale Bob Dresses, custom exhaust manifolds and tuned ECU to bring output up to 700 hp and 612 lb.-ft. of torque – an increase of 74 hp and 37 lb.-ft., respectively. In order to keep temps in check Cheap Herve Leger gown, Hamann added an additional water pump Discount Herve Leger v neck, and to make better use of the extra grunt Herve Leger gown sale, fiddled with the transmission’s control unit. The 0-60 time is down to 3.6 seconds and top speed is now nine mph faster than the standard SLR and seven mph faster than the 722 edition.

Carbon fiber pieces replace the front and rear wings and the side skirts Replica Karen Millen Dresses, while a new hood, diffuser and front spoiler all do there best to keep things as slippery as possible under speed. EDITION RACE 21-inches wheels are fitted at all four corners and wrapped in 255/30 (front) and 345/25 (rear) rubber. In addition to two color choices – aluminum/chrome or white/matte – owners can choose from new aluminum pedals, door sills and headrests emblazoned with Hamann logos, along with carbon fiber and Alcantara trim for the dash Christian Audigier Clothing sale, center console, steering wheel and sun visors.

All the details are available in the press release below the fold.

Related GalleryHamann Volcano

A Black Knight stalks the ramparts of corporate castles Replica Christian Audigier Clothing, he carries a shield decorated with a wreath of beans, he swings a double-edged spreadsheet and he rides a terrifying black mare called The Bottom Line. His name is The Business Case and if a new report from Autocar is accurate, he’s done his foul work again Buy Christian Audigier Clothes, this time dealing another blow to the already-long-delayed Volkswagen Bluesport Roadster. Even though the engineering work for the two-seater convertible is reportedly finished Replica Herve Leger v neck, it appears no one can come up with a way to support the necessary sales projections of 50,000 units annually.

That is in part because Jonathan Browning, head of VW USA, apparently doesn’t see the point of expanding VW’s product portfolio with another model (a truly unexpected sentiment coming from Volkswagen as far as we’re concerned). The U.S. being the largest consumer of sports cars Buy Chloe Dresses, our sitting this one out puts the 2009 Detroit Auto Show showcar in a tough spot.

Synergies being what they are Chloe Dresses sale, that also puts Bluesport’s brand brothers from Audi and Porsche in doubt. Audi plans for an R4 will apparently get iced in light of the news, but Porsche might have dodged a bullet: it wanted a four-cylinder 550-successor, but not one that would eat into Boxster sales, which this car almost certainly would. The Bluesport isn’t officially dead yet, but at three years in and counting Replica BCBG Dresses, you can be sure there’s a hand on the life-support plug.

Honda has upset Godzilla with this Odyssey commercial – Click above to watch video after the jump Replica Richard Mille Watches sale

Honda is feeling the heat of Godzilla’s wrath at the moment. No Replica Glashutte Watches, for once we are not talking about the Nissan GT-R Fake Ulysse Nardin Watches, but the actual daikaijū star of nearly 30 films. The Japanese firm that owns the rights to Godzilla and produces the related films is Toho Co. and according to Automotive News, it’s not very happy about a recent commercial for the 2011 Honda Odyssey.

The ad entitled “The Van Beckons” shows a man walking out of a grocery store where he is confronted by the 2011 Honda Odyssey. Trying to show that a minivan can be manly, Judas Priest’s The Hellion plays while pyrotechnics detonate around the vehicle. The camera moves inside to show off Honda’s widescreen monitor Replica Swiss Movement Watches, which is displaying an image of a heavy metal band on one side and Godzilla on the other.

That shot of Godzilla is what has Toho Co. a bit angry, because the use of its star lizard was apparently not licensed. Toho Co. has filed an injunction with the Los Angeles Federal District Court stating Honda has infringed on its copyright protected material. For its part Fake Maurice Lacroix Watches, Honda has not issued a comment with regards to the legal aspects of the matter but AN notes that the commercial has yet to be suspended. Click past the jump to watch the spot and see for yourself why Toho Co. is breathing legal fire upon Honda.

[Sources: Automotive News – sub. req. Replica Burberry Watches, Honda via YouTube]