Etc., etc., etc. …...

Coming in future issues…..

Progress Report on Fontenelle Trees

Nebraska Byways:
Stories about
Nebraskans

WESTERN ARCTIC
GETS REPRIEVE

NRDC and our partners have scored a major courtroom victory for Arctic wildlife. In late September, a federal judge blocked the Bush administration from proceeding with oil and gas development in more than 1 million acres in the Western Arctic Reserve, including a pristine nesting area for migratory birds and the calving grounds for the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd.

The court ruled that the Interior Department failed to consider the cumulative environmental impacts of oil and gas drilling on this sensitive ecosystem. In tandem with our courtroom campaign, BioGems Defenders have sent more than 100,000 messages urging the Bush administration and Congress to uphold protections for important habitat areas within the reserve.

COURT UPHOLDS STRICT LIMITS ON DEADLY SONAR

A federal appeals court has rejected the Bush administration's attempt to turn back a landmark NRDC courtroom win that limits the peacetime deployment of a powerful low-frequency active sonar system. According to the Navy's own studies, the LFA sonar system generates noise so intense that dangerous levels of sound travel more than 300 miles -- posing a deadly threat to whole populations of whales and other marine mammals that depend on their hearing to survive.

Three years ago, a lower federal court sided with NRDC and our partners and ruled that the Navy's plan to deploy this powerful new sonar system across 75 percent of the world's oceans violated a host of federal laws. In the wake of the appeal court's decision, the Navy must continue to adhere to an agreement with NRDC, which limits LFA testing and training to an area in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

More WPA stories about Nebraska by Nebraskans

Adding to the state and federal investigations surrounding Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) son and  Alaska legislator, comes the report the feds are also investigating the state's lone representative in the House, Republican Don Young. All are being investigated for various crimes related to their offices such as illegal use of campaign funds and bribery….Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicts a Clinton-Obama ticket for the Democrats. Given the feuding between the two candidates at this juncture of the campaign that would seem to stretch the imagination, yet in political time between now and next summer it is an eternity and things have a way of evolving. Gingrich declined to speculate on the Republican ticket….New polling in Minnesota shows incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman in trouble with approval ratings below 50%. He now leads comedian.writer Al Franken by 7 points, down from a 23 point lead just a few months ago….'tis the season for polling and it shows young voters exiting the Republican party in droves and bleak outlooks for GOP House members in the next election, however, as stated earlier in this column, in political years the '08 election is light years away and anything can happen….Former Sen, Mike Gravel, (D-AK), once championed a national referendum on the Iraq war but in his futile attempt at bringing the issue to the front burner as to specifics of withdrawing troops, Gravel has let the issue fade into the background…..The number of Americans moving to Canada has doubled over that of last year….John Warner's (R-VA) lack of campaign funds continues to fuel speculation he will not run for re-election to the US Senate next year….Former Senator and longtime actor Fred Thompson, running for the Republican nomination for president as "an outsider" of sorts, just completed his fundraising reports for June which showed 70 percent of his contributions came from lawyers

and lobbyists along with PAC money….A new Battleground Survey showed more headaches for the Republicans next year. In the 70 "battleground" congressional districts (35 Dem and 35 Rep) the Democrats hold an average 12 point lead in their districts --including a sizeable block of freshmen-- while holding a 5 point lead in the districts now represented by Republicans…..Candidate Rudy Giuliani unveiled his health care plan which was the same as many other GOP proposals, i.e., tax credits to make buying the same private insurance already existing. He declined to say what poor people, unable to purchase insurance would do. His theory was the more people buy insurance, the less it will cost…..The House passed far-reaching reporting requirements on fundraising. By a lop-sided vote of 411-8 the House adopted the changes. The bill's fate is less certain in the Senate where GOP Senators are making noise about stopping the bill. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) objected to certain provisions and thus prevented the House/Senate conference committee from working on it.

U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson: Phone: (202) 224-6551  Fax: (202) 228-001240, Suite 5 Dirksen Basement (Temp)
Washington, DC 20510
senator@bennelson.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel: Phone: (202) 224-4224  Fax: (202) 224-5213
346 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry: Phone: (202) 225-4806, Fax (202) 225-5686   1517 Longworth House Office Bldg. Washington,DC 20515
Rep. Lee Terry:Phone: (202) 225-4155  Fax: (202) 226-5452  1513 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
talk2lee@mail.house.gov
Rep. Adrian Smith 503 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-6435
Fax:(202) 225-0207

SEC. B, p2
Senate Moments

SEC. B, p3
HISTORY
SCRAMBLE