IN THE HOUSE

• The House convenes at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.
• H.R. 3534 – Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2010 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Rahall / Natural Resources Committee)
• H.R. 5851 – Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. George Miller / Education and Labor Committee)
• Rangel faces 13 ethics charges  -  The House ethics committee charged Rep. Charles B. Rangel with 13 separate violations of House rules Thursday, saying his various financial dealings broke the “public trust.” (Washington Post)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes at 9:30am; following any leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
• There will be no roll call votes during Friday’s session of the Senate. The next vote will occur around 5:30 and 5:45pm on Monday, August 2. That vote will be on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur with amendment #4557 (Teacher Funding and FMAP) with respect to HR1586.
• Senate plans Wed. test vote on oil spill bill  -  The Senate plans to hold a procedural vote next Wednesday to test whether there is enough support to pass legislation clamping down on offshore oil drilling procedures and expanding alternative energy, a Democratic aide said on Thursday. (Reuters)

OTHER NEWS

• House rejects bill to aid sick 9/11 responders  -  A bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to people sickened by World Trade Center dust fell short in the House on Thursday, raising the possibility that the bulk of compensation for the ill will come from a legal settlement hammered out in the federal courts. (AP)
• Supreme Court leery of broad challenges to yet-to-take-effect state laws  -  Some experts say the tack of the judge who blocked parts of the Arizona law leaves her ruling vulnerable to reversal on appeal. But it may stand if the high court follows precedent on immigration. (Los Angeles Times)
• Democrats Under Fire Over Health-Law Reporting Mandate  -  Congressional Democrats may water down or repeal new tax-reporting rules that are supposed to raise $16 billion for health-care legislation, facing a chorus of criticism about the rules. (Wall Street Journal)
• Obama the Velcro president  -  Obama is the White House’s chief spokesman, policy pitchman, fundraiser and negotiator — and blame usually falls on him. Aides are seeking to downsize his exposure. (Los Angeles Times)
• Illinois to have 2 Senate elections in November  -  Illinois voters will cast two votes for U.S. Senate on Nov. 2 — one for a senator who will serve 60 days and the other for one who will serve a six-year term — under an order issued Thursday by Gov. Pat Quinn as required by the federal courts. (Chicago Tribune)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Fiscal Year 2010 Request for Proposals to Coordinate Regional Pollution Prevention Information Network Centers- Under this RFP, EPA expects to fund a proposal for the coordination of a national network of eight regional pollution prevention information centers. The centers are referred to as Regional centers in this document and are collectively known as the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx). Under CFDA 66.717 grants may be awarded to support pollution prevention/source reduction and/or resource conservation projects that help to eliminate pollution at the source. The Regional centers collaborate with State and local technical assistance providers to share pollution prevention (P2) information and training nationwide. The coordinator shall be able to provide leadership in the following areas: 1) support national P2 initiatives, 2) support collaboration and efficiency among the regional centers, 3) support evaluation and ensure quality P2 information products, and 4) assist in marketing P2Rx services nationally.  For more information, see EPA. Application deadline: September 20, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

July 30, 1975- On this day, former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in suburban Detroit. He is presumed dead, though his remains have never been found.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013

“The Majority has been running up historic levels of spending and national debt, and to pay for it, is primed to raise taxes on hardworking American families and small businesses.  The Democrats’ tax increases will mean higher taxes for married couples and anyone paying income taxes, in addition to new, stricter mandates and increases on small business owners.

“Small businesses account for the greatest number of jobs in America, and yet, they are taking the brunt of Democrats’ overspending and government expansion.  The Majority’s flawed policies are stifling economic growth and job creation and will ultimately keep America in a recession.  What we need are lower taxes to promote increased spending and growth driven by the private-sector.  With all the new mandates and taxes, businesses and workers are waiting anxiously to see what happens next.”

The lead Republican for the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), recently released new information from Congress’ non-partisan tax analysts showing that the Democrats’ looming tax hikes will cost millions of American taxpayers thousands of dollars in additional taxes next year.

The Joint Committee on Taxation confirmed that if the tax hikes go into effect as scheduled on January 1, 2011:

• 31 million families will pay an average of $1,033 in higher taxes next year due to a reduction in the child tax credit from $1,000 to $500;
• 35 million married couples will pay an average of $595 in higher taxes next year due to a reinstatement of the marriage penalty; and
• 88 million taxpayers will pay an average of $503 in higher taxes next year due to the elimination of the 10% tax bracket (meaning the first dollar of taxable income will instead be subject to the 15% tax rate).

 IN THE HOUSE

• The House convenes at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.
• Last votes are expected in the evening.
• One Minutes (10 per side)
• A Proposal by Rep. John Adler (D-NJ) to Cut the Advanced Earned Income Tax Credit (AEITC), Saving $1.1 Billion (Sponsored by Rep. Linder / YouCut)
• H.R. 5850 – Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2011 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Olver / Appropriations Committee)
• H.R. 5893 – Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (Closed Rule, One Hour of General Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Levin / Ways and Means Committee)
• Suspensions (10 Bills):

1. H.R. 5900 – Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Oberstar / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
2. H.R. 5901 – Real Estate Jobs and Investment Act (Sponsored by Rep. Crowley / Ways and Means Committee)
3. H.R. 847 – James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (Sponsored by Rep. Maloney / Energy and Commerce Committee)
4. H.R. 5320 – Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Waxman / Energy and Commerce Committee)
5. S. 3372 – Modifying the date on which the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and applicable States may require permits for discharges from certain vessels (Sponsored by Sen. Boxer / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
6. H.Res. __ – Recognizing and commemorating The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the National Sit-In Movement (Sponsored by Rep. Lewis (GA) / Judiciary Committee)
7. H.R. 5414 – To provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina (Sponsored by Rep. Brown (SC) / Agriculture Committee)
8. H.R. 2476 – Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act (Sponsored by Rep. DeGette / Agriculture Committee)
9.  H.J.Res. 90 – Expressing support for designation of September 2010 as “Gospel Music Heritage Month” and honoring gospel music for its valuable and longstanding contributions to the culture of the United States (Sponsored by Rep. Jackson-Lee / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

10.  H.Res. 1527 – Congratulating the United States Men’s National Soccer Team for its inspiring performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup (Sponsored by Rep. Gohmert – Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

• Postponed Suspension Votes (3 Votes):

1. H.Con.Res. 266 – Expressing the sense of Congress that Taiwan should be accorded observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization (Sponsored by Rep. Berkley / Foreign Affairs Committee)
2. H.R. 3040 – Senior Financial Empowerment Act (Sponsored by Rep. Baldwin / Judiciary Committee)
3. H.Res. 1558 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that fruit and vegetable and commodity producers are encouraged to display the American flag on labels of products grown in the United States (Sponsored by Rep. Cardoza / Agriculture Committee)

• Special Orders
• House votes to eliminate cocaine sentencing disparity  -  The House of Representatives passed a historic bill Wednesday that narrows sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine convictions, which civil rights and civil liberties experts say contributed to the disproportionate imprisonment of African-Americans in recent decades. (Miami Herald)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes at 9:30am; following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.5297, Small Business Jobs bill. There will then be 1 hour for debate prior to a cloture vote on substitute amendment.
• At approximately 10:40am, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Baucus-Landrieu amendment #4519 (Substitute) to HR5297, Small Business Jobs.
• Small business lending bill at impasse in Senate  -  Senators struggled to reach agreement Wednesday on a bill that would create a $30 billion government fund to help community banks increase lending to small businesses. (AP)

OTHER NEWS

• Key parts of Arizona anti-immigration law blocked  -  A judge on Wednesday blocked key parts of Arizona’s tough new immigration law hours before it was to take effect, handing a victory to the Obama administration as it tries to take control of the issue. (Reuters)
• White House proposal would ease FBI access to records of Internet activity  -  The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual’s Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation. (Washington Post)
• Congress Rethinks Its Ban on Internet Gambling  -  With pressure mounting on the federal government to find new revenues, Congress is considering legalizing, and taxing, an activity it banned just four years ago: Internet gambling. (New York Times)
• Congress ready to pass aviation safety measures  -  Congress is getting ready to pass tough new aviation safety measures that were developed in response to a deadly commuter plane crash in western New York in early 2009, a key lawmaker said Wednesday. (AP)
• R.I.P. Electoral College?  -  The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote. (Boston Globe)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• NCMHD Health Disparities Research- The overarching goal of this FOA is to solicit innovative research addressing elements of health disparities. Research focused on disease and/or conditions that disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minorities and other underserved populations is a growing field and has been employed lately in understanding the dynamics contributing to health disparities. Funding for this FOA will support investigators who propose to conduct health disparities research using its principles to improve health. The research should take into account the characteristics of health systems and health seeking behaviors that propagate disparities. The focus of the targeted research is diverse and may include racial/ethnic minorities and other health disparity populations (such as, rural and low-income populations). Several approaches could be used when designing the specific project. Research aims may include but are not limited to biological, behavioral change strategies, lifestyle factors, environmental, social and structural barriers, economics, institutional and cultural, family influences, delivery system interventions, medical procedures and regimens (including alternative therapy), medical assistive devices and technologies. For more information, see NIH. Application deadline: September 29, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• July 29, 1981- On this day, Britain’s Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013

IN THE HOUSE

• The House convenes at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.
• Last votes are expected at 8:00 p.m.
• One Minutes (15 per side)
• H.R. 5822 – Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011 (Structured Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Edwards (TX) / Appropriations Committee)
• Suspensions (16 Bills):

1. H.R. 4692 – National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Lipinski / Energy and Commerce Committee)
2. H.R. 5156 – Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act (Sponsored by Rep. Matsui / Energy and Commerce Committee)
3. H.R. 1875 – End the Trade Deficit Act (Sponsored by Rep. DeFazio – Ways and Means Committee)
4. H.Res. 1481 – Supporting the goals and ideals of “National Save for Retirement Week (Sponsored by Rep. Schwartz / Ways and Means Committee)
5. H.R. 1796 – Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (Sponsored by Rep. Matheson / Energy and Commerce Committee)
6. H.Res. 1499 – Honoring the achievements of Dr. Robert M. Campbell, Jr., to provide children with lifesaving medical care (Sponsored by Rep. Wasserman Schultz / Energy and Commerce Committee)
7. H.R. 2480 – Truth in Fur Labeling Act (Sponsored by Rep. Moran (VA) / Energy and Commerce Committee)
8. S. 1789 – Fair Sentencing Act (Sponsored by Sen. Durbin / Judiciary Committee)
9. H.R. 5751 – Fee on Lobbyists Act (Sponsored by Rep. Kilroy / Judiciary Committee)

10.  H.R. 5872 – General and Special Risk Insurance Funds Availability Act (Sponsored by Rep. Frank / Financial Services Committee)

11.  Senate Amendments to H.R. 5610 – Independent Living Centers Technical Adjustment Act (Sponsored by Rep. George Miller / Education and Labor Committee)

12.  H.R. 5874 – Making Supplemental Appropriations for the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Mollohan / Appropriations Committee)

13.  H.R. 5875 – Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Border Security for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Price (NC) / Appropriations Committee)

14.  H.Res. 1558 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that fruit and vegetable and commodity producers are encouraged to display the American flag on labels of products grown in the United States, reminding us all to take pride in the healthy bounty produced by American farmers and workers (Sponsored by Rep. Cardoza / Agriculture Committee)

15.  H.R. 4658 – Benton MacKaye Cherokee National Forest Land Consolidation Act (Sponsored by Rep. Duncan / Agriculture Committee)

16.  H.R. 5669 – To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federally owned land located in Story County, Iowa (Sponsored by Rep. Latham / Agriculture Committee)

• Special Orders
• Rep. Rangel explores possible deal in ethics case  -  A second House Democrat called on Representative Charles Rangel to resign on Tuesday while the lawmaker raced the clock to see if a deal could be reached to settle ethics charges against him. (Reuters)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes at 9:30am; following any Leader remarks, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business for 1 hour with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The Republicans will control the first 30 minutes and the Majority will control the next 30 minutes.
• Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.5297, Small Business Jobs bill.
• Reid unveils pared-down energy and oil bill  -  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled a draft of energy and oil spill legislation Tuesday, having to settle for a far less sweeping bill than the cap on carbon emissions he had hoped for. (AP)

OTHER NEWS

• States setting pace on school change; Obama agenda stalled in Congress  -  While states are moving fast to overhaul public schools, President Obama’s education agenda is hitting a wall in Congress. (Washington Post)
• Lawmakers Offer Bills to Address Spill Issues  -  House and Senate Democratic leaders introduced bills on Tuesday responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with provisions to overhaul the federal regulation of offshore drilling, lift liability limits on companies responsible for damaging spills and funnel more money to spill-related research and restoration projects. (New York Times)
• Campaign-Finance Legislation Dead for Now   -  Senate Democrats on Tuesday failed to advance campaign-finance legislation that had been a top priority of President Barack Obama, falling short of the 60 votes needed to end a GOP filibuster. (Wall Street Journal)
• Obama pushes Congress to pass small business plan  -  President Barack Obama pushed the Senate on Tuesday to pass legislation he says will benefit small businesses and generate jobs, and called on Republicans to back what he described as a plan similar to programs they had supported in the past. (Reuters)
• Women to head GOP, Democratic tickets in Oklahoma  -  Oklahoma will have its first female governor this January. (AP)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs)
• This FOA issued by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health, supports new and renewal applications for Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs) (centers of excellence in geriatrics research and training). Eligible applicants include public, private and state controlled institutions of higher education, for-profit institutions and others; for more information see NIH. Application deadline: October 21, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• July 28, 2002- On this day, American cyclist Lance Armstrong won his fourth straight Tour de France.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013

The finalists are Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

Winners will be announced in September, and federal officials say they expect 10 to 15 of the finalists to receive financing.

The contest is intended to give financial rewards to states that show a willingness to innovate. States are judged on a scale of zero to 500, with points awarded based on educators’ support for charter schools, for incorporating student performance in teacher evaluations and for intervening in the lowest-performing schools.

“We want to change the accountability system and stop labeling so many schools as failures,” Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, said in Washington in a speech announcing the finalists. “We want to recognize and reward high-achieving and high-growth schools, offering them the carrots and incentives that we know drive reform and progress.”

All the finalists have made teacher quality a high priority, according to Van Schoales, the executive director of Education Reform Now, a policy organization.

Read more here: California, 17 other States and District of Columbia Are Finalists for Education Grants

IN THE HOUSE

• The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.  Last votes are expected at 6:00 p.m.
• One Minutes
• Suspensions (22 Bills):

1. Senate Amendment to H.R. 4899 – Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Obey / Appropriations Committee)
2. H.R. 5730 – Surface Transportation Earmark Rescission, Savings, and Accountability Act (Sponsored by Rep. Markey (CO) / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
3. H.Con.Res. 258 – Congratulating the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy and its staff for 100 years of operation of the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut (Sponsored by Rep. Courtney / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
4. H.Res. 1401 – Expressing gratitude for air traffic controllers of the United States (Sponsored by Rep. McCarthy (NY) / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
5. H.Res. 1366 – Recognizing and honoring the freight rail industry (Sponsored by Rep. Hare / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
6. H.R. 5825 – To review, update, and revise the factors to measure the severity, magnitude, and impact of a disaster (Sponsored by Rep. Hill / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)
7. H.Con.Res. 266 – Expressing the sense of Congress that Taiwan should be accorded observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization (Sponsored by Rep. Berkley / Foreign Affairs Committee)
8. H.Res. 1538 – Condemning the July 11, 2010, terrorist attacks in Kampala, Uganda (Sponsored by Rep. Davis (CA) / Foreign Affairs Committee)
9. H.R. 5138 – International Megan’s Law (Sponsored by Rep. Smith (NJ) / Foreign Affairs Committee)

10.  H.R. 5849 – To provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (Sponsor Rep. Velazquez / Small Business Committee)

11.  H.R. 5681 – To improve certain administrative operations of the Library of Congress (Sponsored by Rep. Brady (PA) / House Administration Committee)

12.  H.R. 5682 – To improve the operation of certain facilities and programs of the House of Representatives (Sponsored by Rep. Brady (PA) / House Administration Committee)

13.  H.R. 415 – Fallen Heroes Flag Act (Sponsored by Rep. King (NY) / House Administration Committee)

14.  H.R. 3040 – Senior Financial Empowerment Act (Sponsored by Rep. Baldwin / Judiciary Committee)

15.  Senate Amendments to H.R. 2765 – Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act (Sponsored by Rep. Cohen / Judiciary Committee)

16.  H.R. 5281 – Removal Clarification Act (Sponsored by Rep. Johnson (GA) / Judiciary Committee)

17.  H.R. 2780 – Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act (Sponsored by Rep. Rooney / Judiciary Committee)

18.  H.R. 5827 – Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act (Sponsored by Rep. Boccieri / Judiciary Committee)

19.  H.R. 5143 – National Criminal Justice Commission Act (Sponsored by Rep. Delahunt / Judiciary Committee)

20.  H.R. 5810 – Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act (Sponsored by Rep. Lungren / Judiciary Committee)

21.  H.R. 4748 – Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act of 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Owens / Judiciary Committee)

22.  H.R. 5662 – Simplifying the Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe Act of 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Loretta Sanchez / Judiciary Committee)

• H.Con.Res. 301 – Pakistan War Powers Resolution (Privileged Resolution) (Sponsored by Rep. Kucinich / Foreign Affairs Committee)
• Special Orders
• Among House Democrats in Rust Belt, a sense of abandonment over energy bill  -   When Democratic Rep. John Boccieri went home to Ohio early this year to talk with voters in his Canton-based district, he figured he would have to do battle with at least some constituents over his support for health-care reform. And the economic stimulus. And the auto company bailouts. (Washington Post)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes at 10:00am; following any Leader remarks, there will be a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak t up to 10 minutes each with the time until 12:30pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders. The Majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the next 30 minutes.
• The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.
• The Republican Leader will control the time from 2:15pm until 2:30pm and the Majority Leader will control the remaining time until 2:45pm.
• At 2:45pm, the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the consideration of S.3628, the DISCLOSE Act.
• New Health Official faces hostility in Senate  -  Unlike many other health policy experts, Dr. Donald M. Berwick, the new chief of Medicare and Medicaid, has extensive real world experience. (New York Times)

OTHER NEWS

• Course of Economy Hinges on Fight Over Stimulus  -  Eighteen months after President Barack Obama administered a massive dose of spending increases and tax cuts to a weak economy, a brawl has broken out among economists and politicians about whether fiscal-stimulus medicine is curing the illness or making it worse. (Wall Street Journal)
• Obama asks Senate to pass bill on ad disclosure  -  President Barack Obama on Monday urged the Senate to approve legislation that would reveal who is behind election campaign advertising, and chided Republicans for opposing a measure he said would protect American democracy. (Reuters)
• House acts to improve Internet access for disabled  -  The House on Monday celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by approving legislation assuring that the disabled have full access to the Internet and television. (AP)
• Geithner urges ending tax cuts for the wealthy  -  The Treasury secretary says allowing some Bush-era tax breaks to expire will not harm economic recovery and is ‘the responsible thing to do.’ (Los Angeles Times)
• Tancredo Likely to Enter Colorado Governor’s Race  -  For Republicans, the Colorado governor’s race just keeps getting bumpier, noisier and nastier. (New York Times)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Framework for Digitally Inclusive Communities – Institute of Museum and Library Services- IMLS is seeking a cooperator to develop a framework that identifies the overarching principles as well as the elements or key characteristics of organizations and communities that foster digital inclusion. IMLS anticipates that future work, which may be supported by IMLS and/or other partners, will use the framework as a solid foundation to develop actionable benchmarks, evaluation tools, or performance measures that will guide funding and policy decisions that build the capacity of libraries and community-based organizations to support the development of digitally inclusive communities. The ultimate purpose of this work is to provide resource allocators and policy makers with the tools they need to build the capacity of public libraries and community-based organizations to meet the public’s information needs. For more information, see IMLS. Application deadline: August 30, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• July 27, 1940- On this day, Bugs Bunny made his debut in the Warner Bros. animated cartoon “A Wild Hare.”

Source and thanks www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013

The answer to these questions may simply be the resemblance Petraeus makes to Lawrence of Arabia himself. 

Like T.E. Lawrence, who wrote “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” this Princeton international-relations PhD is a widely respected world scholar.  More specifically, very much like Lawrence of Arabia, Petraeus is a serious student of the Qur’an.  His knowledge of the culture of the Qur’an follows matter-of-factly in the decisions he makes as a field commander. 

For example, last year Petraeus overturned an effort by a well-meaning American armaments supplier to engrave Christian symbols in the common arms used by American soldiers.  The reasoning of Petraeus was that the Al Qaeda and the Taliban would use captured armaments with Christian monograms as proof that the Americas were waging a crusading war against the Islamic people of Afghanistan.  For an Islamic person in the region, the words “crusading war” has the same threatening value that the word “Jihad” has for the West. 

Being the serious student of the Qur’an that he is, Petraeus also understands that for the most part the role of the book is to serve as a standard to raise Islamic families.  In this way, it plays much the same role of the Torah and the New Testament.  Just as the Torah is divided into hard red sections and soft white sections – and as the ornamentation of the Pentecost in Christianity divides into red flowers and white doves — the Qur’an also splits itself between red tough love and white soft love. The soft white love helps to raise good families.  The tough red love helps to protect them. 

Petraeus allies himself regularly with deep believers of the Qur’an, as did T.E. Lawrence.  One difference here with the Bible is that over the centuries of massive back-and-forth with other books the Bible no longer dominates the reading of the Western World to the degree it once did in the Middle Ages.  In contrast, the Qur’an for millions of Muslims is their single literary friend in the desert.  When the Qur’an is maligned, the whole literary and spiritual world of Islam feels as if it has been scorned. 

My guess is that maybe only about one percent of American Christian readers have ever seriously looked at the Qur’an, whereas maybe ten times as many have seriously read a Danielle Steel best-selling novel.  We are left then with a reading culture that knows exactly how to dress and talk to someone on a yacht off Paradise Island, but nothing about how to talk to an Islamic neighbor in Santa Clarita. 

So for the sake of helping the reader approach the Islamic knowledge of David Petraeus, I will list here some of the softer lines of the Qur’an, whose translation here belongs to the Harvard doctor of translations Thomas Cleary.  We know all-too-well the tougher side of the Qur’an that has led too many Americans to conclude without reading it that it is a simple book of hatred.  But there is a balance in this book – as there is in every scripture – of the good cop and the bad cop.  And there is nothing simple about it. 

Sample verses of the Qur’an 

“Bring the Torah and read it, if you are truthful.” (The Family of Imran, verse 93).  “God is truthful; so follow the religion of Abraham devoutly, as he was not an idolator.” (The Family of  Imran, verse 95.)   

Could this be the prophet Mohammad giving us God’s message by recommending to the world the most sacred Jewish scriptures?  (Mohammad used the Arabic word “Allah” for “God” just as Victor Hugo used the French word “Dieu.”  That wasn’t meant to mean that Mohammad worshipped a different God named “Allah” or that Victor Hugo worshipped a different God named “Dieu.”) 

It helps to remember that for most of the Diaspora the Qur’an students of Islam saved countless persecuted Jews – they called them their “Abrahamic cousins” — and gave them a safe haven against the pogroms of the Europeans, who had described themselves as the “true Christians.”   

“The angels said. ‘Oh Mary, God gives you good news of a words of God, named the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary,  honored in the world the hereafter, and one of the intimates of God.” (The Family of Imran, verse 45.)   “She said, ‘My Lord! How can I have a son, when no man has touched me?  “Thus does God create at will: when God decides on something, God says to it ‘Be!’ and it is.”  (The Family of Imran, verse 47.) 

Remember that Mohammad who served up these fundamental Christian verses was the ultimate “Islamic Fundamentalist.”  This is one reason why I believe we are misidentifying our enemy when we keep saying America is at war with Islamic Fundamentalists.   

Do our so-called pundits really think Osama Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda are “Islamic Fundamentalists?”  If a reincarnation of the fundamentalist Mohammad were to read the above pro-Jewish and pro-Christian Qur’an verses to Osama bin Laden in his mountain hideout, who can say that the Al Qaeda madman would not behead the Islamic prophet on the spot?  Pardon me if instead of calling Bin Laden a fundamentalist Muslim, I describe him as a “stir-crazy pseudo-Islamic anti-Semitic Nazi” who would prefer that the world forget Mohammad and remember him instead. 

“Oh Children of Israel! Remember my blessings, with whom I have blessed you and then have favored you above all nations.” (The Cow, verse 47). 

Again, the Fundamentalist Islamic Mohammad is telling us in our own time that the Jewish nation of Israel is favored over even over a blowhard Islamic government such as in Iran.  How do you like them apples, you stir-crazy pseudo-Islamic anti-Semitic Nazis? 

“The Muslims, the Jews, the Christians and the Sabians, any who believe in God and the last day and do good have their reward with their Lord.  There is nothing for them to fear.  They will not sorrow.”  (The Cow, verse 62) 

The capacity to see the Good Samaritan in the “Muslims, the Jews, the Christians and the Sabians” is conditioned by Mohammad on the love of God.  The Mohammad who serves up these verses for the Qur’an says (in enduring poetry and artistry) that a person who cannot respect even a giving God will have a much harder time respecting you or I with all of our mortal self-absorption, no matter what religion we might dress ourselves in. 

Surely then, if you are General Petraeus, or if you were Lawrence of Arabia, you will be in a position to see how these verses may have led to so much successful family life and international working life through the centuries– even in a desert, or even in Santa Clarita itself. 

Chris Sharp- Commentary  

Chris Sharp is an Educator and a prize-winning professional writer. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.

In Congress, House leaders were rushing to hold a vote on a critical war-financing bill as early as Tuesday, fearing that the disclosures could stoke Democratic opposition to the measure. A Senate panel is also set to hold a hearing on Tuesday on Mr. Obama’s choice to head the military’s Central Command, Gen. James N. Mattis, who would oversee military operations in Afghanistan.

Administration officials acknowledged that the documents, released on the Internet by an organization called WikiLeaks, will make it harder for Mr. Obama as he tries to hang on to public and Congressional support until the end of the year, when he has scheduled a review of the war effort.

Read more here: Document Leak May Hurt Efforts to Build War Support

IN THE HOUSE

• The House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for Morning Hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:00 p.m.
• One Minutes
• Suspensions (9 Bills):

1. H.Res. 1504 – Recognizing and honoring the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Sponsored by Rep. Hoyer / Education and Labor Committee)
2. H.R. 3101 – Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (Sponsored by Rep. Markey (MA) / Energy and Commerce Committee)
3. H.Res. 1058 – Honoring and praising the Sojourn to the Past organization (Sponsored by Rep. Lewis (GA) / Education and Labor Committee)
4. H.Res. 1543 – Honoring the educational significance of Dr. Jane (Sponsored by Rep. Polis / Education and Labor Committee)
5.  H.Res. 1456 – Congratulating the University of Dayton (Sponsored by Rep. Turner / Education and Labor Committee)
6. H.Con.Res. 275 – Supporting Arts in Education Week (Sponsored by Rep. Speier / Education and Labor Committee)
7. H.R. 1320 – Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments (Sponsored by Rep. Clay / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
8. H.Con.Res. 226 – Supporting the observance of “Spirit of ’45 Day” (Sponsored by Rep. Filner / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
9. H.Res. 1525 – Honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of “To Kill a Mockingbird (Sponsored by Rep. Bonner / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

• Special Orders
• House awaits veterans affairs, transportation spending legislation  -  The House could consider two fiscal 2011 spending bills this week, the first of the year to arrive on the floor.  (The Hill)

IN THE SENATE

• The Senate convenes at 3:00pm; following the prayer and pledge, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.3628, a bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign influence in Federal elections, to prohibit government contractors from making expenditures with respect to such elections, and to establish additional disclosure requirements with respect to spending in such elections (DISCLOSE Act).
• There will be no roll call votes during Monday’s session of the Senate.
• Sen. Schumer to work to make transit tax break permanent  -  Senator Charles Schumer said he will push to make the federal mass transit tax break a permanent part of the tax code. (Reuters)

OTHER NEWS

• Emanuel: Obama Aims to Improve Business Relations  -  President Barack Obama, mindful of business complaints about his administration, plans to review regulatory decisions to see whether there are “things that can be done in a more sensible way,” his top aide said. (Wall Street Journal)
• Next Big Battle in Washington: Bush’s Tax Cuts  -  An epic fight is brewing over what Congress and President Obama should do about the expiring Bush tax cuts, with such substantial economic and political consequences that it could shape the fall elections and fiscal policy for years to come. (New York Times)
• Health Law Augurs Transfer of Funds From Old to Young  -  Mark Baumann, a 44-year-old uninsured diabetic, sees in the Obama administration’s health-care law a future with stable coverage to pay for his insulin shots and blood tests. (Wall Street Journal)
• Rory Reid hampered by his last name in race for Nevada governor  -  With Sen. Harry Reid on the ballot, his son Rory is having a hard time in his race for governor persuading Nevada voters to elect two from the family. (Los Angeles Times)
• In Ariz. Senate race, Hayworth hopes to slay giant  -  J.D. Hayworth has a busy resume for his 52 years – college football player, sportscaster, congressman, talk-radio host, even an infomercial pitchman. He’s hoping to add two more titles – giant-slayer and U.S. senator. (AP)

FEDERAL GRANT OF THE DAY

• Collaborative Science, Technology, and Applied Research (CSTAR) Program- The CSTAR Program represents an NOAA/NWS effort to create a cost-effective transition from basic and applied research to operations and services through collaborative research between operational forecasters and academic institutions which have expertise in the environmental sciences. These activities will engage researchers and students in applied research of interest to the operational meteorological community and will improve the accuracy of forecasts and warnings of environmental hazards by applying scientific knowledge and information to operational products and services. The NOAA CSTAR Program is a contributing element of the U.S. Weather Research Program (USWRP). NOAA’s program is designed to complement other agency contributions to that national effort. The CSTAR Program addresses NOAA’s Mission Goal 3–Serve society’s needs for weather and water information. For more information, see full grant background. Application deadline: October 15, 2010

TODAY IN HISTORY

• July 26, 1775- On this day, the birth of what would later become the United States Post Office is established by the Second Continental Congress.

Source and thanks to www.anchor-consult.com / For more information, contact Anchor Consulting at 703-333-6013

(From the ft.com)

The reports of shadowy operations by the Central Intelligence Agency, confused battles between US and Afghan security forces and deep distrust among US officials of Pakistan, paint a more grim picture of the war than the one often portrayed in official accounts.

The revelations include previously undisclosed reports that Afghanistan’s Taliban fighters have obtained surface-to-air missiles, a weapon that played a role in the defeat of Soviet invaders in the 1980s. There is also an account of Polish troops firing mortars at a wedding party and other incidents of Nato troops firing on civilians.

The leak – one of the biggest in US military history – will renew scrutiny of the Obama administration’s approach to stabilising Afghanistan and Pakistan at a time when Nato troops are suffering record casualties and many in America and Europe have lost faith in the war.

Journalists from the the New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel were given access to the documents several weeks ago, allowing them to sift through the data, much of it raw field reports filed by intelligence officers stationed across Afghanistan.

Read more here: Leaks expose Afghan war secrets