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Tour de France: Linus Gerdemann wins stage 7

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Linus Gerdemann of Germany took a large lead up the Col de la Colombière and has won stage 7 of the 2007 Tour de France.

Gerdemann won by 3:38 over the chasing peleton and took over the yellow jersey from Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland. As a young rider, Gerdemann also gets the white jersey. Iñigo Landaluze was the only one close to Gerdemann and took second.

All the big names, thought to have a chance of winning the Tour, appeared to be in the peloton. This includes injured teammates Alexandre Vinokourov and Andreas Klöden.

Óscar Freire of Spain withdrew ahead of today’s stage with back problems.

Stage 7 results

  1. Linus Gerdemann (Ger / TMO) 4 hrs 53 mins 13 secs
  2. Inigo Landaluze (Spa / EUS) +40″
  3. David De la Fuente (Spa / SDV) +1:39″
  4. Mauricio Soler (Col / BAR) +2:14″
  5. Laurent Lefevre (Fra / BGT) +2:21″
  6. Fabian Wegmann (Ger / GER) +3:32″
  7. Juan Manuel Garate (Spa / QSI ) +3:38″
  8. Xavier Florencio (Spa / BGT) s.t.
  9. Christophe Moreau (Fra / AG2R ) s.t.
  10. Alejandro Valverde (Spa / CDE ) s.t.

Overall standings

  1. Linus Gerdemann (Ger / TMO) 34 hrs 43 min 40 sec”
  2. Inigo Landaluze (Spa / EUS) +1:24″
  3. David De la Fuente (Spa / SDV) +2:45″
  4. Laurent Lefevre (Fra / BGT) +2:55″
  5. Mauricio Soler (Col / BAR) +3:05″
  6. Andreas Kloeden (Ger / AST) +3:39″
  7. Vladimir Gusev (Rus / DSC) +3:51″
  8. Vladimir Karpets (Rus / CDE) +3:52″
  9. Mikel Astarloza (Spa / EUS) +3:55″
  10. Thomas Dekker (Ned / RAB) +3:57″
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Former Scottish Conservatives leader Annabel Goldie to stand down as MSP

Friday, June 26, 2015

Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative Party leader from 2005 to 2011, has announced she will stand down as an MSP at the next elections in 2016. Goldie, who has been an MSP for the West Scotland (previously West of Scotland) electoral region since the Scottish Parliament’s formation in 1999, said she intends to focus on her role in the House of Lords, where she has been a peer since 2013.File:Annabel Goldie.jpg

In a statement today, Goldie said leading the party was an “enormous honour” for her. She also said: “It has afforded me both satisfaction and pleasure to serve my constituents and to serve the parliament and I will look back with great happiness at my time as an MSP. I am grateful to friends and colleagues from all parties for their support. Sometimes we found common ground, sometimes we disagreed but never I hope with rancour nor disrespect. Politics is a rough trade but we have built a strong parliament in Scotland of which we can all be rightly proud.” She said because of Ruth Davidson, her successor as Scottish Conservative leader, the party is now “in fine fettle and stands a great chance of making real progress in the years ahead,” concluding by saying: “I look forward to continuing to work as part of that effort in the House of Lords in the years to come.”

Davidson responded to the news by calling Goldie an “unstoppable force”, adding: “She has been an inspiration to a whole generation of Scottish Conservatives, and she has been a tremendous mentor, support and friend to me. In Holyrood, she has fostered both affection and respect from all members – regardless of their political affiliation – and her retirement from the Scottish Parliament will leave an Annabel-sized hole which won’t ever quite be filled. She is unique.” Meanwhile, David Cameron, UK Conservative leader and UK Prime Minister, said: “Annabel is one of those rare breeds in Scottish politics, somebody known by her first name alone. When she was Scottish Conservative leader, I valued her sage advice. She has been a towering strength to our party in Scotland, a doughty debater in the TV studios and Scottish Parliament and has one of the sharpest wits around. I wish her a long and happy retirement after 17 years unstinting service at Holyrood – but look forward to seeing her on the red benches of the Lords for years to come.”

In Holyrood, she has fostered both affection and respect from all members – regardless of their political affiliation – and her retirement from the Scottish Parliament will leave an Annabel-sized hole which won’t ever quite be filled. She is unique.

Goldie, the Scottish Conservatives’ first ever female leader, was elected unopposed. She took up the role in the aftermath of David McLetchie’s resignation from the role in an expenses usage controversy and subsequent resignation of Brian Monteith from his Conservative whip role in the Scottish Parliament for briefing the media against him. Meanwhile, as Scottish Conservatives won 18 seats in the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and 2003, the party had been less successful in UK general elections in Scotland; Conservatives went up from zero out of a possible 72 UK MPs in Scotland in 1997 to one in 2001. This led to Goldie remarking in her inaugural speech in 2005 that: “The wheels are back on the wagon – and I’m the nag hitched up to tow it.” She also said: “The party is still way ahead of where it was in 1997. And my first task is to take it forward to 2007.” However, under Goldie’s leadership, the number of seats the Scottish Conservatives won in the Scottish Parliament slightly decreased from 18 in 2003 to 17 in 2007 and to 15 in 2011. At the same time, the number of Conservative MPs stood at one out of a possible 59 after the 2010 UK general election.

In the aforementioned 2005 speech, she also said the party could be trusted with devolution in Scotland, adding: “making devolution work better means real devolution: not the lumbering and cripplingly expensive array of government departments, government advisers, consultants, quangos, quasi-quangos and agencies with all their expensive appendages, but devolving down to people and their communities, their right to make their own decisions about their lives, how for example they procure healthcare and how they educate their children.” Goldie would go on to sit on the advisory board for the Smith Commission, which was set up to examine which further political powers should be devolved to Scotland following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. More recently, Goldie supported a reduction in the voting age for Scottish Parliament elections from 18 to 16 in a vote earlier this month, commenting: “I think it is an opportunity for them to continue their high level of engagement in topical affairs that we saw with the independence referendum.”

Goldie, a member of the Salvation Army’s West of Scotland Advisory Board and a Church of Scotland elder, is not the only Scottish Conservative MSP intending to stand down in 2016. Mary Scanlon, Gavin Brown, Alex Fergusson and Nanette Milne all reportedly intend to leave the Scottish Parliament next year.

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Global Fashion Management Degree The Right Pathway To Fashion Export Industry

Submitted by: Ajay Chaudhary

Is fashion a part of your lifestyle and you want to make a career in it? Global Fashion Management course is just the right career option for you to scale new heights in fashion industry. With a degree in Global Fashion Management, you would not only get a wide exposure to latest fashion trends, but soar high in the world of fashion as well.

Are you are someone who loves to create his/her own style statement and even get appreciation from people around you? Then you must be surely a person with good fashion sense! Moreover, with your creative bend of mind, you can make a successful career in the fashion industry.

For people seeking a dynamic and challenging career in fashion world, global fashion export industry can turn out to be a great career option. With multiple career opportunities, fashion export industry has a lot to offer. All you need to sustain in the expanding global export industry is your creativity in combination with business skills to provide effective outcomes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOR25PjV0wI[/youtube]

Although there are different courses available for aspiring fashion students, but to get into the fashion export industry, a degree in Global Fashion Management is just the perfect gateway. The course is specifically designed for students who have the ability to combine their innovative fashion ideas with appropriate management and excellent interpersonal skills.

The course includes all that is required to become a successful fashion merchandiser in global fashion industry. With a degree in Global Fashion Management, you would get a deep insight on current fashion trends, methods, practices and processes in the business of global fashion industry.

To make a rewarding career in fashion export industry, good fashion sense and creativity alone won’t make you a successful merchandiser. However, you need to have management skills as well. Global Fashion Management program provides you the strategic management skills required for fashion business. During your program you would also learn the abilities to negotiate cost and lead time, effective communication skills to handle designers, suppliers, factories and customers.

Implementation of SOP’s and vendor management skills are also a part of Global Fashion Management program. As a merchandiser you need to manage various global fashion brands and with the program you can rest assured to learn all the necessary skills. For budding fashion export merchandisers, the course in Global Fashion Management can prove to be a milestone in their career.

As fashion is something that keeps on changing with time, it is important for aspiring fashion students to be aware of the latest trends in the glamour world. With Global Fashion Management program, it gets easier for you to know about current fashion trends at global level. Moreover, your knowledge level on fashion trends would certainly enrich during your Global Fashion Management program.

A reputable institute offering a degree in Global Fashion Management makes sure that students are just not limited to theory classes, but they actively participate in practical sessions as well. Such colleges even arrange guest lectures and seminars of famous and successful personalities from fashion industry to motivate and provide guidance to the students. Also, you would get opportunities for onsite visits to get real industry exposure.

For a bright career in global fashion export industry, a reputable institute has a vital role to play. Although there are multiple options for aspiring fashion students, but it is essential to choose the right platform to reach your destination.

Regardless of your residence in India, there are colleges that offer excellent career programs in the field of fashion. However, you need to be careful while making a choice. For instance, when looking for fashion designing institutes in Delhi, you need to make sure the institute offers programs of your choice and has qualified faculty to give your career the right direction.

About the Author: The writer of this article is associated with Triburg Center for Learning that is a leading fashion designing college Delhi is the place where it s located.Website:

triburglearning.com/

Source:

isnare.com

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UN probing allegations US is ‘torturing’ soldier over leaks

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The United Nations is reportedly beginning an investigation into claims that Pfc. Bradley Manning is being “tortured.” Manning was arrested in May, after allegedly leaking over 250,000 classified diplomatic cables to the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.

Last week, it was announced that supporters for Manning lodged a complaint with the Office of The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, saying that the conditions of his cell and the treatment he is receiving, amount to “torture.” According to Salon, Manning is not allowed to exercise, is denied bed sheets and pillows, and has been held in solitary confinement for 23 hours of every day since his arrest. According to Manning’s attorney, David Coombs, a former United States Army major, and veteran of the Iraq War, Manning is only allowed to walk in a small room for exercise.

“[Manning is] taken to an empty room and only allowed to walk, normally just walks figure eights in the room. If he indicates that he no long feels like walking, he is immediately returned to his cell,” stated Coombs to Salon.

The Pentagon denies that Manning is being tortured, saying he is being treated “fairly. We’ve been reviewed … No concerns have been voiced from a (Department of Defense) perspective.”

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Celebrity Diet Secrets And Their Secret Weight Loss Products

By Janice Duryea

Have you ever wondered how famous celebrities maintain their lean and good-looking bodies? You could be surprised at some celebrity diet secrets and their secret products. You should realize that there is downside to being a well-known celebrity particularly in Hollywood. First, they have busy schedules. Second, they need to work harder to look well and maintain the ideal fitness and health of their body. Here are some of the most popular celebrities of these times and the corresponding diet and weight loss secrets they could share to just about anyone.

Angelina Jolie Diet Secrets

Every time Angelina has a new project, she makes sure she spends several months on special diets. For several years now, she has been forced to drop smoking and coffee for vegetables, steamed meat, and soy milk. Angelina tries her best not to consume any sugar as doing so could surely make her gain weight. She also undergoes heavy training programs to make her body sweat more and burn up more stored calories.

Usher Diet Secrets

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clV2DgYpbKc[/youtube]

This R & B singer has been most noted for his lean physique and his 6-pack abs (of course aside from his exceptional talents). It is not surprising that Usher undergoes a very intense physical training, which goes along with his special diet. His meals are mainly comprised of fish, chicken breasts, and moderate amount of carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes, or rice. His meals also include lots of vegetables and fruits.

Madonna Diet Secrets

The Queen of Pop is not fond of eating at restaurants because ‘we could never be sure what their people put into the food they serve.’ Thus, Madonna does not easily gain weight. She is also heavily into the macrobiotic diet, which is like checking out your inner compass whenever you eat meals. The diet is based on beans, whole grains, vegetables, fish, and meat. The macrobiotic diet uses proteins from plants and animals; indulges in natural sweetness (like maple syrup, barley malt, and rice syrup); re-assesses dairy food intake; and introduces whole grains (if possible daily).

Jennifer Lopez Diet Secrets

The Latina star strictly monitors her diet by watching out what she puts into her mouth. However, odd as it may seem, but J-Lo is not depriving herself of anything she likes to eat. In fact, she eats anything she feels like eating. There is catch though. She eats everything but she makes sure she does so in moderation.

Jessica Simpson Diet Secrets

She is a pop star who was very identified with Atkins diet. However, she openly confesses that the diet messed up her mental state because she ended up depriving herself of carbohydrates. Jessica is strict when it comes to sugar, though.

Carmen Electra Diet Secrets

She uses cardio strip tease to be on the best shape. Carmen has a much stricter diet plan, which her trainer warned could eventually fail depending on the discipline. Her diet and workout plans have been written by the experts. She believes that with the passing of time, there is a great chance that his social entrepreneurship.

About the Author: Janice Duryea is a nutition expert and writer for several online weight loss portals. To learn more about the hottest diet trends like Reduce Weight Fruta Planta and Super Slim Pomegranate go to Netnutri.com for more information.

Source: isnare.com

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Scientists use DNA analysis to track elephant poaching networks

Friday, February 18, 2022

Findings published Monday by a team composed mostly of University of Washington Center for Forensic Science researchers in Nature Human Behaviour report using a form of DNA analysis techniques originally designed for human teeth to track ivory poached from African elephants.

The scientists, in collaboration with the United States Department of Homeland Security, identified the criminal networks that killed the endangered animals and smuggled their valuable tusks across national borders.

The scientists took DNA samples from 4,320 tusks taken from both African bush (Loxodonta africana) and African forest (Loxodonta cyclotis) elephants that were confiscated from 49 separate ivory smuggling events in twelve countries from 2002 to 2019. The scientists found that teeth from the closely related elephants, or even two tusks from the same individual, often surfaced in different shipments that transited through the same ports. The data also showed when criminal networks shifted their operations from between port cities. They inferred poachers were making kills, then separating the tusks at some point along the smuggling route.

The team had been studying DNA analysis on poached tusks for years: in 2018, they found two tusks from different shipments had come from the same animal, which indicated both shipments were from the same kill and transited by the same criminal network. This is the first report of DNA identification tusks that came from elephants in the same families.

Lead author Dr Samuel Wasser said: “Identifying close relatives indicates that poachers are likely going back to the same populations repeatedly — year after year — and tusks are then acquired and smuggled out of Africa on container ships by the same criminal network.” He added: “This criminal strategy makes it much harder for authorities to track and seize these shipments because of the immense pressure they are under to move large volumes of containers quickly through ports.”

Wasser said similar studies will provide law enforcement groups access to a greater range of evidence with which to prosecute poachers and their criminal partners by providing verifiable links between different caches of captured ivory. The researchers concluded in their paper that law enforcement could use their information to discern the ways in which poachers are collaborating.

Humans have used the ivory from elephant tusks to make art, decorations, and tools since prehistory. Many countries have since outlawed the sale of ivory, but poachers continue to kill tens of thousands of elephants each year.

The paper’s authors were from the University of Washington, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenyan-based organisation SeeJ-Africa, the Kenya Wildlife Service, and Singapore’s National Parks Board.

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Two Santa Clara, Utah teens in critical condition after lightning strike

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Two Santa Clara, Utah teenagers were critically injured today after being struck by lightning. Two seventeen-year-old boys were hit at about 3 p.m. when they were caught outside of the Snow Canyon High School during a sudden lightning storm. They were standing beneath a tree in view of other students at the time.

School employees took the boys inside and began administering CPR straight away; an ambulance carried them to the Dixie Regional Medical Center. According to the St. Georgia police, a helicopter forwarded them to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where they have been admitted to the burns unit.

The Washington County School District has identified the teens as Alex Lambsen and Christopher Dane Zdunich. According to Zdunich’s mother Leslie, doctors have observed signs of both boys improving. The boys’s classmates and friends turned out yesterday to support the pair. Fellow debate team member Madi Leavitt described the boys as intelligent and humorous.

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Admiral Car Insurance Important Things To Know

Admiral Car Insurance Important Things to Know

by

Bern Ortiz

Admiral car insurance produce a low price insurance solution for individuals residing in metropolitan areas, for those who drive performance cars as well as for youthful drivers. Admiral also provides a very advantageous insurance choice for people who personal two or even more private cars within their household. For two drivers and two cars you get a 10% reduction however for insurance policies with 4 or five cars, discount rates are up to 23%. The only situation here is the fact that the cars be registered at the same address.

It does not matter who drives the cars covered through the Admiral car insurance policy: wife, husband, brother, daughter, buddy or just your self. You could even cover a boy or girl that\’s at a distance at the college. In addition, For online quotes you could obtain a 10% low cost, which is quite advantageous if we think about the pressing needs to always decrease costs.

Here are a few of the benefits available with a comprehensive Admiral car insurance:

– legal expenses cover;

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEMvrMaVmfM[/youtube]

– private injury cover;

– a courtesy car if you repair your automobile at an Admiral authorized garage;

– up to 90 days European cover for all the insurance policies;

– protection for that private possessions within the car (audio-visual equipment, car phone etc), available with Third Party Theft and Fire policies;

– windshield cover for comprehensive policyholders;

– choice of extra etc.

A lot of the previously mentioned options that you get with an Admiral car insurance policy are bonuses, found only within the much more comprehensive formats. This means that for that Fundamental Third Party insurance, you get the minimal protection required through the United kingdom laws. Additionally keep in thoughts that the less expensive the charges, the bigger the level of excess.

This translates on greater costs to cover in your part in case of accident. The upfront payment could be small and advantageous, but in case of the accident, such an insurance policy will not appear like such a good offer in any way.

Car guarantee cover is also a good choice from Admiral car insurance. This turns into extremely helpful in case your car stops working and the repair costs are higher. Most people aren\’t familiar with this choice, and therefore do not understand what advantages derive from such a policy. You will find no situations for that choice of the garage where you are making the car repairs; it does not have to be Admiral-approved. Any choice is fine!

You could obtain the car guarantee in addition to your Admiral car insurance, and produce a really good offer. Get yourself a quote and evaluate with other kinds of policy to determine for your self!

The Author is a literary master and have written tons of books on love and romance. He is involved in all sorts of websites and niches. He loves to write so he writes everything on his websites. Check out his latest article about

Car Donation

on his website. Yes, his website is all about

Car Donation Tax Deduction

. See you there!

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Cbd Hemp The Main Advantages Of Cannabis Oil

pain killer

Cannabis oil is often offered to people suffering from chronic pain, inflammation and occasional pain relief. This is why people who have been diagnosed with cancer turn to products related to cannabis, including cannabis oil, when they need relief from the pain of chemotherapy or the disease itself.

Treatment of epileptic seizures

The effects of cannabis oil, especially cannabinoids such as THC, help control seizures by connecting brain cells responsible for regulation of relaxation and body control, so cannabis oil helps to ease the intensity and frequency of seizures.

Against Alzheimer’s disease

Using cannabis oil may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. THC, the active chemical in cannabis oil, slows the formation of amyloid plaque by blocking the enzyme in their brain. Amyloid emissions can kill a brain cell and ultimately cause Alzheimer’s disease.

Relief from anxiety and stress

One of the most common uses of cannabis oil is to relieve anxiety and tension. The natural compounds found in cannabis oil are effective for releasing the brain, releasing the pleasure hormone, reducing the stress that gives the person a sense of relaxation.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Studies show that one of the properties of cannabis oil is the ability to help patients with inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The chemicals THC and CBD interact with the cells of the body, which plays an important role in the body’s immune responses to the intestines. THC helps the body produce enzymes that in turn help reduce intestinal permeability, which prevents bacteria from entering the cannabinoids. Cannabinoids can block germs and actually protect the intestines from bacteria that cause inflammation.

Sleep Improvement

If you suffer from constant anxiety at night, or suffer from insomnia or struggle towards a restful, uninterrupted sleep, then cannabis oil may be the solution for you. Cannabis oil works by relaxing the brain and body, and is able to lower energy levels, lower our heart rate and clean our minds to allow a long and calm sleep.

Improves heart health

Cannabis oil can help improve heart health by balancing the negative oils in the blood system. In addition, the oil can stimulate antioxidant processes and for example maximize the health of the cardiovascular system and regulate the excess cholesterol in the blood.

Vomiting and multiple sclerosis pain

One of the health benefits of cannabis oil includes the relief of pain symptoms from multiple sclerosis. The THC in cannabis oil binds to receptors in nerves and muscles to relieve pain. There are also studies that suggest that THC helps in controlling muscle spasms.

Innovations

It is a well-known fact that those who consumed cannabis in any form are aware of increased appetite. However, using cannabis oil can help you regulate your appetite and encourage hunger. At the same time, it can stimulate the digestive system in order to operate at a normal level.

Relief of Arthritis

The health benefits of cannabis oil in relation to rheumatoid arthritis include promoting sleep, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain. These effects of cannabis oil can help ease the pain and discomfort of arthritis sufferers.

Reducing glaucoma

For eye health, cannabis oil has been associated with decreased glaucoma and the prevention of molecular degeneration. Eye health is one of the main reasons why people turn to cannabis oil. Cannabis oil has been documented in many studies as lowering the glaucoma symptom because of the active substances that break down the accumulated substances in our eye, creating the green color in the eyes of those with glaucoma.

Cure for PTSD

The cannabinoids, similar to THC, contribute to the health benefits of cannabis oil. Cannabinoids help regulate the system that causes anxiety and fear in the brain and body. This specific use of cannabis oil was discovered after extensive research by many armies, such as the Israel Defense Forces, to provide a cure for sufferers of PTSD or its full name Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Protects the brain after stroke

Studies show that cannabis oil can help protect the brain from the damage caused by stroke. This is done by reducing the size of the area damaged by the stroke. There is a study that showed neuro-efficient effects of cannabis that protects the brain in the case of other traumatic events, such as concussion. This protection is a product of the properties of the active substances in cannabis oil, which create protection or encourage / aim the protection of the body on the brain.

Fighting cancer

Early studies have shown that the active ingredients in cannabis oil can reduce the size of the tumor and affect cancer, which means that the oil eases the presence of cancer for those suffering from the disease or in other words reduces the tumor and sometimes causes it to disappear.Cannabis oil has several virtues against cancer, such as the ability of the active ingredient CBD to prevent cancerous cells and other blood vessels in our bodies in order to receive nutrition and continue to grow and harm our bodies. The amount of research information in this field is enormous because of the many successes that cannabis has gained in this field.

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United States Department of Justice workers among government Wikipedia vandals

Thursday, February 2, 2006

This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

In response to recent accusations that United States government employees have engaged in Wikipedia vandalism and other forms of perceived negative editing of articles, Wikipedia editors have set up a webpage listing all Wikipedia edits made through IP addresses that are allocated to the United States House of Representatives and other United States government agencies. The House IP address was briefly banned from editing Wikipedia articles in the wake of the initial controversy, but the ban was lifted on January 30 after Wikipedia administrators decided that there have been a number of valuable contributions made through the House and Senate IP addresses in addition to the controversial edits.

On January 31 and February 1, however, the U.S. House of Representatives’ common IP address, 143.231.249.141, were banned again for three hours due to vandalism. Because the IP address is shared by House staff members, it is uncertain whether or not the same person(s) responsible for the previous vandalism are also responsible for the latest.

Examples of contributions submitted through the House IP address included removing, “In 2005, he has come under scrutiny for accepting campaign contributions from embattled former house leader Tom Delay,” from the article on Thad McCotter, removing election statistics from the article on Dan Lungren, and, in the article on Marilyn Musgrave, changing the paragraph

“As a state legislator, Musgrave spent much of her time on social issues, particularly authoring bills to deny marriage rights and parental rights for gay and lesbian families. One of her final, failed bills would have made it much more difficult for same-sex parents to see their children in the hospital during an emergency. Musgrave also cast the only vote against legislation to give battered spouses paid leave from work.”

to

“As a state legislator, Musgrave spent much of her time on social issues, particularly authoring bills to protect children and the traditional definition of marriage, as well as gun owner’s rights.”

After the block from Wikipedia expired, the House of Representatives user continued to edit the article on Chris Shays. Chris Shays had co-sponsored a bill with Marty Meehan, whose staffers had previously been found to have been negatively editing Wikipedia entries, The American Civil Liberties Union said of the bill “key elements of Shays-Meehan violate the First Amendment right to free speech because the legislation contains provisions that would violate the constitutionally-protected right of the people to express their opinions about issues through broadcast advertising if they mention the name of a candidate.” All mentions of the bill were removed from the article. Also removed was a paragraph about Chris Shays raising $70,000 with House Speaker Dennis Hastert at a country club event.

Again, the IP address was blocked for an eight-hour period.

Wikipedia edits in Congress are not coming from the House of Representatives alone. An edit from the Senate in July removed references to a plagiarism scandal with Senator Joe Biden, who has informally said he may seek a Democratic nomination for president in 2008. As of February 4, 2006, the edit has not fixed by Wikipedia users.

IP addresses from the CIA, the Department of Justice, the Marines, and the Navy are listed on the site as having made several cases of vandalism. Some examples of vandalism from the Department of Justice IP ranges involve articles on TV and radio shows, a baseball player, or just complaining about their work. In addition to accusations of vandalism, there have also been accusations of government employees introducing perceived bias, political spinning, or misinformation into Wikipedia articles by adding or removing information.

These cases include articles on an Irish politician, and in the George W. Bush article, introducing accusations of Hugo Chavez being a dictator, and removing information covering the George W. Bush substance abuse controversy. In addition, a person using a Department of Justice IP address edited a page covering indicted former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The editor removed two paragraphs stating a judge ruled that Tom DeLay had broken state law by not disclosing over $600,000 of fundraising money, a quote from Tom DeLay in which he stated that it drives the Democrats crazy wondering why the Republican Party institutes pro-Israeli policy, and a subsection on controversies involving DeLay’s relatives. Edits to George W. Bush’s article were done within the span of an hour. Edits to Tom DeLay’s article were made within an hour as well, although followed by a shorter, minor second session of editing later that day.

An editor using a CIA IP address is accused of vandalizing an article on the current president of Iran. Editors using Marine and Navy IP addresses based in Pensacola, Florida are accused of vandalizing an article on a rock song and on former U.S. president Bill Clinton, and accused of adding racist comments to articles on an actor and Martin Luther King, Jr., and adding comments that are perceived to criticize the men and women in the Navy reserves.

The IP addresses of the Department of Justice, the CIA, and the Navy and Marines stationed in Pensacola, Florida were found using the American Registry for Internet Numbers at the official website. Neither the government nor the Wikimedia Foundation have released an official statement.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ IP address is not the first governmental address to have been blocked after accusations of disrupting Wikipedia. The IP address belonging to a subdivision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in Alberta, Canada was blocked for three months since late 2005. An IP address belonging to the German Bundestag has been repeatedly blocked from the German Wikipedia after accusations of vandalism, including sexually explicit comments.

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