what is Iran enriching uranium for?

Recently the International Atomic Energy Agency has been talking to Iran about their uranium enrichment program and according to this article they say that Iran was uncooperative and Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh says they are trying to cooperate. 

One instance of this is that, "inspectors said they were denied an opportunity to visit a military base in Parchin.  
Inspectors believe the base may have been the site of tests related to nuclear weapons. 
Soltanieh said the team was not prevented from visiting the site, but that inspectors left a day early. He said access to Parchin would be granted once Iranian officials and the agency can agree on the conditions under which such a visit would take place." 


According to this information it does sounds like Iran is trying to develop nuclear bombs. 

Occupy the SEC

A small group calling themselves "Occupy the SEC", has set an example of how ordinary citizens can participate directly in government, by using the public comment period in executive rule-making to send the SEC a 325-page document detailing the problems and loopholes in the rules implementing parts of the Dodd-Frank Act.

"What we ended up doing is having a book club, where the Volcker Rule was our book. And so we would meet once a week at first, and then twice a week, and we read through it line by line ... and we came up with bulleted lists of answers, and then we split it up, and we embellished those bullets. And we ended up writing 325 pages." -- Alexis Goldstein

If this sort of action can have a good effect on the ways laws are implemented, it can serve as a model for future efforts to influence government in ways other than just standing around and shouting.  The shouting works best if it is drawing attention to a real petition, rather than general discontent.

Russia-Iran Foreign Relations

(this is from an artical titaled: Nuclear)
This artical talks about how Russia is teaming up with the UN security council against Iran's Nuclear program.

" Despite voting in favor of UNSC resolutions in 2006, 2007, and 2008, Russia blocked further punitive action against Iran in September 2008 - even after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemned the Islamic Republic’s lack of cooperation.[4] Russia also refused to participate in a P5+1[5] meeting in 2008 to discuss leveling additional sanctions against Iran.[6] Russia has publicly supported Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology and has helped supply the materials and expertise to build the Bushehr nuclear plant, which Iran has claimed it will complete in 2009. [7] "

Does Russia want Iran to have Nuclear power?
Why have they supported Iran in the past - but are now claiming to go against them?

http://www.irantracker.org/foreign-relations/russia-iran-foreign-relations

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day love stories for StoryCorps.

Be sure to have a hanky handy...

Or go directly to StoryCorps.

Greece Accepts Austerity Measures, Markets Climb

" Oil prices rose on Monday on cautious optimism after Greece's approval of austerity measures needed to avoid default also boosted the euro and equities."


http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/us-markets-oil-idUSTRE81C0T620120213

One activist's chronicle of daily hell in Syria

This artical basicly describes the conditions in Syria- through the eyes of a citizen. He explains the horrid living conditions and the constant fear of  their building being hit by a bomb, or trying to flee and being shot in the process.

"If we get the airplanes here, bombard the regime. We want someone to do something about this. We're going to get killed. I'm sure I'll get killed tomorrow if the army gets in here. No one's doing anything about this. We don't want the monitors or the Arab League. They are going to do nothing about this. We want the U.N. to interfere, the U.N. to do something."

These people have barely enough food and water, and not even close to enough doctors for the wounded and sick.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/09/one-activists-chronicle-of-daily-hell-in-syria/?hpt=wo_c1

Are Astronaut's going blind?

NASA’s new priority is how to protect astronauts from going blind on the years-long trip to get wherever they are going. In the past few years, about half of the astronauts aboard the international space station have developed an increasing pressure inside their heads

Female space travelers have not been affected.

Some of the astronauts slowly recover. Others have not.

Why is this happening?

Why are only the males going blind?

http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/10/astronaut-feels-spaces-toll-on-his-body/?hpt=us_t2

UN says Arab League mission to Syria may resume

"Mr Ban said the "disastrous" failure to agree a UN resolution on Syria had encouraged Damascus "to step up its war on its own people".

The international community is struggling to find a way forward in the crisis after Russia and China blocked the resolution last week.

Syrian forces are continuing to attack opposition strongholds in the country.

Hundreds of people have died in the central city of Homs after days of heavy bombardment."
BBC

Santorum gets a triple

            Yesterday Rick Santorum won three states' primaries.  These states are Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota.  This has also him a major opponent to Mitt Romney, who has only won three states total.  This also given Santorum a much needed boost in donations, which will help him a lot in preparation for March 6th, which is known as super Tuesday because ten states will be holding their primaries on that day.  

Here is a link to some more information on this subject

About this ad Catholics' battle with Obama intensifies over contraception exemption

Yet another mistake made by Obama. In a highly controversial decision, the Obama administration has stood by a rule derived from the new federal health care law that requires Catholic schools, hospitals and other institutions to pay for sterilization and contraception, including abortifacients, substances that induce abortion.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705398889/Catholics-battle-with-Obama-intensifies-over-contraception-exemption.html

About this ad Voicemails, dispatch tapes depict Josh Powell's chilling acts

At first Josh Powell was very suspicious of killing his wife when they went "camping" in the middle of winter. This shows his true colors. This is so horrible. Pure evil. Really sad.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705398885/Voicemails-dispatch-tapes-depict-Josh-Powells-chilling-acts.html