Pirates, Group Talks with Iran, ACORN to crash TEA parties, TARP now in Insurance

1) FBI joins effort in hostage standoff with pirates

NAIROBI, Kenya – FBI hostage negotiators joined U.S. Navy efforts Thursday to free an American cargo ship captain held captive on a lifeboat by Somali pirates. A U.S. destroyer and a spy plane kept a close watch in the high-seas standoff near the Horn of Africa, and more U.S. ships were dispatched to the area. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090409/ap_on_re_af/piracy 1a) U.S. military already prepared with battle plans for Somalia pirates, say intelligence sources Retired U.S. Ambassador Robert Oakley, who was special envoy to Somalia in the 1990s, said U.S. special operations forces have drawn up detailed plans to attack piracy groups where they live on land, but are awaiting orders from the Obama national security team. See: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/04/09/2009-04-09_us_military_prepared_for_battle_with__somalia_pirates.html 1c) Analysis: Hillary warned there'd be days like this

For the second time in four days and with less than three months in office, President Barack Obama has received the "3 a.m. phone call" that Clinton warned about. In their bitter presidential contest, Clinton suggested that her young rival was not ready for a national security crisis. 

...Upon returning from his first European trip Wednesday—at about 3 a.m.—he got word that a U.S.-flagged cargo ship was in the hands of Somali pirates. The seafaring hostage takers were holding a 20-member crew, all Americans. Historians said it was the first time in 200 years pirates had taken control of an American-flagged vessel.

See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97EJ4S00&show_article=1 2) Obama playing nice with communist dictators... Fidel Castro to Congressional Black Caucus members: 'How can we help President Obama?' How's this for hope and change: U.S. officials flying to Cuba, not to interrogate prisoners at Guantanamo Bay but to meet with the Castro brothers in order to ease the 50-year tensions between the two nations. Greg Adams of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana confirmed that the three members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with Castro, who handed the communist torch to his brother Raul in early 2007. Cuban state television is expected to release more details of the meeting tonight, Adams said. See: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/04/congressional-caucus-members-meet-with-the-castro-cousins-in-cuba.html 3) Iran says running 7,000 enrichment centrifuges TEHRAN, April 9 (Reuters) - Iran is now running 7,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges, a senior official said on Thursday, an announcement likely to increase Western concerns about the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear plans. See: http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKDAH95156720090409 3a) US to attend group nuclear talks with Iran WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration said Wednesday it will participate directly in group talks with Iran over its suspect nuclear program, marking another shift from former President George W. Bush's policy.  State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the United States would be at the table "from now on" when senior diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany meet with Iranian officials to discuss the nuclear issue. The Bush administration had generally shunned such meetings. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97EDOA00&show_article=1   4) ACORN to crash Tax Day tea parties? Activist group plans rallies, blasts 'gripe fest by bunch of conservatives' With only one week left before citizens in 2,000 U.S. cities take to the streets in protest of government spending this Tax Day, will ACORN and the Huffington Post crash the party?  ACORN spokesman Charles Jackson told WND his group will be rallying on the same day. "ACORN is going to be engaged in a series of rallies across the country on April 15 in support of the priorities outlined in President Obama's first budget – investments in education, health care, and getting Americans back to work," Jackson said. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94297 4a) ACORN to Play Role in 2010 Census The U.S. Census is supposed to be free of politics, but one group with a history of voter fraud, ACORN, is participating in next year's count, raising concerns about the politicization of the decennial survey. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/17/lawmakers-concerned-role-acorn-census/ 5) Treasury to extend TARP to life insurers: report Great! Now Geithner can take over insurance companies too! NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department plans to extend the Troubled Asset Relief Program to certain life insurers, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Treasury is expected to announce within the next several days the inclusion of life insurers that are bank holding companies or own a thrift, the Journal reported on its website. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0749421220090408 6) AP Newsbreak: Obama looks at climate engineering WASHINGTON (AP) - The president's new science adviser said Wednesday that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing radical technologies to cool Earth's air. John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geoengineering the climate is being discussed.  One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97EG5200&show_article=1 7) Osteens: Obama doing great job, loves the Lord An example of total lack of discernment, but then, consider the source...someone who isn’t sure Jesus is the only way (see Joel Osteen's previous interview with Larry King) can’t be trusted to make any right spiritual judgements. Joel Osteen: Well, it matters to me. It matters to me that I know he loves the Lord, and I think it's important that he has convictions from his faith. So to me, it matters when I'm making my personal decisions. See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/08/lkl.osteens/index.html