Palestinian Terrorists Escalate Rocket Attacks As Israel Again Defends Itself

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have again launched barrages of rockets against Israel. Each rocket is intended to cause mayhem, injuries, and deaths. They are fired indiscriminately against civilian targets, and more than a few have resulted in serious carnage.

Even with Israel's deployment of the Iron Dome anti-missile system, rockets and missiles have rained down on cities within range of Gaza. Some of those rockets and missiles were intercepted, but others have managed to get through.

Kassams have landed on kibbutzim (and here and here). Grads were fired and hit various locations, including Ashdod. Three people were injured when one of the Grads exploded.

And when the terrorists aren't firing rockets, they're firing mortars.

So, which terrorist groups are firing the rockets, mortars, and missiles? Well, all of them are claiming responsibility. Hamas declared its armistice over with Israel, even though it always considered its hudna to be strategic in nature. The moment the terror group considered itself to be sufficiently armed and capable of attacking Israel, it would do so.

The PRCs and Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for attacks.

Each and every one of these terror attacks are crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law, yet the people who twitter about how Israel may have killed civilians ignore that salient point. Those who claim that US law (Leahy law) should prevent military aid to Israel because civilians are killed ignore that the Palestinian Authority would be cut off as well, precisely because the Palestinian Authority is comprised of the terror group Hamas and Fatah, whose spinoffs in the al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade and People's Resistance Committees are regularly engaged in terror attacks against Israel.

Gazans are preaching revenge, even though it was Palestinian terrorists who initiated the latest round of violence by carrying out multiple terror attacks against vehicles near Eilat.



Israel attacks terrorists who surround themselves with human shields, who attempt to smuggle terrorists and arms in and out of Gaza via dozens of smuggling tunnels, and yet Israel is cast as the bad actor here? Israel hasn't occupied Gaza since it unilaterally left the region in 2006. Indeed, Gazans squandered a golden opportunity to build the foundations for a 2-state solution. They took up arms and the moment Israel left, they turned the then-deserted communities into terror training camps and rocket launching zones from which to attack Israel.

Meanwhile, Egypt is considering diplomatic actions against Israel after several Egyptian security forces were killed when those security forces were caught in the line of fire from Israeli airstrikes targeting terrorists. Egyptians are calling it random firing, but the terrorists who attacked the vehicles in Eilat were wearing Egyptian uniforms and Israel believes that the terrorists originated in Gaza and crossed into the Sinai and then into Israel to carry out the attacks.

UPDATE:
Defense Minister Ehud Barak apologized for the deaths of the Egyptian security officers.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday said that "Israel regrets the deaths of Egyptian policemen [killed] during the terror attack on the Israeli-Egyptian border,"Speaking during a security briefing with Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz, Barak said that "the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt is of great importance and strategic value for the stability of the Middle East."
The defense minister was expected to open a military investigation into the deaths of Egyptian forces in the border incident. Later, a joint investigation with the Egyptian military will be launched in order to clarify the circumstances of the incident.

That's a move designed to defuse tensions between Egypt and Israel, and to help keep the security coordination in place between the two countries that have gone a long way to reducing (but not stopping) terror attacks in both countries.


UPDATE:
More than 50 rockets have slammed into Israel in the past 48 hours and Israeli injuries are also increasing:

Sirens were heard in Beersheba shortly before two rockets exploded within the city, hitting a vehicle and private residence. Four people were evacuated to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba to be treated for serious injuries, Channel 2 news reported.

Moments before, a Grad rocket from Gaza landed on a home in Ofakim, starting a fire and sending shrapnel and debris flying that injured a four-month-old baby, a nine-year-old boy, and a man in his early 20s. Emergency crews put out the fire and paramedics evacuated the three to the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba to be treated for light injuries.

After Eilat Terror Attacks, Terrorists Fire Rockets At Israel

On a day when Israelis mourn the loss of eight Israelis killed when terrorists opened fire on a bus and several vehicles near Eilat in Southern Israel, terrorists continue their attacks. 10 Israelis were injured in Ashdod when rockets hit the city within range of Gaza.

Fire from Gaza was renewed Friday afternoon when terrorists fired thee rockets at Be'er Tuvia and Eshkol regional councils. The rockets exploded in open spaces in the regions, and no injuries or damage were reported.

At around 4 pm, residents of Kiryat Malachi, Gedera, Gan Yavne, and other towns nearby reported hearing rocket alerts followed by explosions.

About an hour later a Qassam rocket was fired from Gaza and exploded in Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries or damage were reported.

Effie, a resident of Kiryat Malachi, told Ynet, "I was taking the trash out and there was an alarm. I heard a very loud boom. I realized a rocket must have fallen in the area."

The rockets followed two others, which were fired at Be'er Tuvia on Friday morning. The head of the regional council, Dror Shor, said he had noticed farmers in the area did not respond quickly enough to rocket alerts.

"It was fortunate the rockets fell in open spaces, but it could have ended differently," he said.

Terrorists pelted Israel with rockets throughout the day Friday. A rocket fired at Ashdod at dawn exploded in the courtyard of a haredi yeshiva and left 10 people injured. Magen David Adom emergency services said two men were seriously injured.

Yesterday's attacks were apparently carried out by the PRC, but the PRC is denying involvement. Israeli airstrikes killed the head of the PRC and other terrorists that were linked back to the terror attack, as well as the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit:

The PRC members killed in the retaliatory IAF air strike included the head of the terror group Kamal Nirab, who the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said had personally directed and planned the attack.

Another man killed in the strike was identified as Amas Hamed, commander of the PRC’s military wing and a resident of Rafah. The Shin Bet said that Hamed was involved in the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit in June 2006 and oversaw numerous attacks against Israel including suicide bombings and rocket attacks.

Two other known PRC terrorists, including one who was also involved in Schalit’s abduction, were also killed in the air strike.

“The terrorists were directly involved in the attacks along the Israeli-Egyptian border,” a security official said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday that the IDF would escalate its response to the attacks. Egypt had lost its grip over Sinai Peninsula and terrorist organizations were able to move around there freely, he said.

That last bit is perhaps the most serious part of the story. Israel and Egypt, while having a cold peace, at least managed to control the borders and limit terrorist movements, but since Mubarak was removed, terrorists have been able to more far more freely than before.

It appears that the PRC terrorists left Gaza to Sinai, and then recrossed into Israel to carry out the attacks on the vehicles.



Some of the terrorists wore Egyptian uniforms and it appears that at least a dozen terrorists were involved in the attacks.

Also, an apparent suicide bomber killed himself and several Egyptian soldiers near the Philadelphi corridor. The bomber is also linked to the PRC. That comes after two Egyptian soldiers were killed when Israeli airstrikes targeting terrorists caught the Egyptian security forces in the line of fire.

Meanwhile, it was six years ago this week that Israel unilaterally disengaged from Gaza and ended its military presence in the territory. Gazans, instead of using the opportunity to build a productive society, instead turned to Hamas and began carrying out incessant terror attacks that continue to this day.

Welcome to the Real World: Port Authority Gets Its Fare/Toll Hikes After Brokered Deal With Cuomo and Christie

As I have been warning, the Port Authority is getting its toll hike. Governors Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo got the political cover they needed. Commuters got stuck with the bill.

Under the new plan, E-ZPass tolls would be raised in September to $9.50 a ride at peak hours, from $8, on the George Washington Bridge, the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, and three other crossings to Staten Island.

Drivers who pay with cash would face a 50 percent increase in September, to $12 a ride, from $8. Tolls would then rise by 75 cents more a year through 2015, with cash tolls rounded up to the nearest whole dollar.

The less-stringent increases are expected to be approved by the Port Authority’s board of commissioners at a meeting on Friday.

The authority had proposed a $4-a-ride increase for E-ZPass users next month, drawing criticism from drivers and some politicians — including, somewhat incongruously, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who jointly control the agency.

Toll increases at the Port Authority are often highly choreographed affairs, and few transportation groups expected the initial proposal to remain unchanged. Both governors had said they were surprised at the steepness of the initial proposal, although their administrations were made aware of the plan before it was publicly announced.

Both New York and New Jersey need the Port Authority to continue handling infrastructure improvements in the New York City metro area because both states' fiscal situation and taxpayer discontent isn't conducive to broad based tax hikes to support mass transit or infrastructure improvements. Thus, it was left up to the Port Authority to impose the higher charges.

The original proposal was unusually steep so as to make the Governors' proposal appear to be far more reasonable. Yet, it still represents real money that commuters will be forced to shell out. The new PATH fares will rise to $2 in September, and then by 25 cents each year after through 2015 ($2.75). That's likely to work out to a $10 a month increase on 40-trip pass. It also moves PATH closer to the MTA bus and subway fare parity, although PATH users do not have free transfers to the MTA system.

Where I can find agreement with the governors and Port Authority is that they impose additional penalties on all motor vehicles that do not use EZ-Pass. However, the Port Authority must do a better job making sure that those drivers who have EZ-Pass are not inconvenienced by the backup of drivers at the cash lanes as is all too frequent a problem. Increased use of EZ-Pass can help reduce congestion and pollution at toll plazas, but if the cash lanes back up, it can mitigate any congestion reductions caused by EZ-Pass use.

UPDATE:
The Port Authority board unanimously adopted the governors' proposed toll hikes. They will take effect in September.

Despite Protestations to the Contrary, Assad's Crackdowns Continue

Once again, media reports indicate that Bashar al Assad has ended the crackdown on protesters who seek Assad's removal from power. He keeps claiming that the crackdown is over even as the body count rises.

Welcome to the distorted worldview of Bashar Assad, who has no problem lying to the world media, just as he lies to his own people in a bid to remain in power for as long as he sustains a breath. He's said a few times that the crackdown has ended, even as his security forces crack skulls and murder people who have the audacity to protest Assad's regime and call for him to step down.

Eight people were killed in the latest bit after the crackdown supposedly ended. And the UN is now taking claims that Assad's regime is engaging in war crimes a bit more seriously.



Even as Turkey is moving away from backing Assad's regime, here comes Russia to thwart any more serious measures. They want more time to be given, even though all Assad has done since the protests began was murder anyone opposing his regime and used the crackdowns in various cities as an example of what happens when you stand up to his regime.

Who Exactly Is Assad Fooling With His Nonsensical Pronouncements

CBS News reported earlier today that Syria's brutal dictator Bashar Assad was claiming that his crackdown had ended.

Really? It's an absolutely laughable statement considering that Syrians continue dying at the hands of his security forces, so it's not like the crackdown actually ended. 25 Syrians died in multiple incidents across the country as President Obama made his strongest statements to date calling for Assad to step down:

At least 15 people were killed in the central governorate of Homs, eight in the port city of Latakia and the eastern town of Deir al-Zour, and one in each of the provinces of Hama and Idlib, Mahmoud Merhi, head of the Arab Organization for Human Rights and Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria said today. Protesters held evening rallies in Aleppo, Hama and suburbs of the capital, Damascus, they said.

In Washington, Obama said that "for the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside." Citing "ferocious brutality" and "the Assad government's flagrant disrespect for the dignity of the Syrian people," Obama announced sanctions freezing Syrian assets in the U.S., banning the import of Syrian petroleum products and prohibiting U.S. investment in Syria.

Assad will shrug off Obama's statements, just as he has done at every step of the way. He's utilizing the Hama rules to its full effect, and mere words will not force Assad from power.

It will take force, and thus far the opposition groups have not risen up in the way that the Libyans have done.

There's no reason for Assad to consider stepping down because he hasn't experienced the kind of uprising that forced Mubarak from power. His police state has been more thorough and pervasive than Egypt.

Port Authority Closing In On Fare and Toll Hikes Despite Scathing Audit

Expect the Port Authority to go ahead and approve fare and toll hikes Friday even though New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli issued a scathing audit finding that the Port Authority spent nearly $100 million on overtime, and that its average salary was well over $90,000 - and that includes its entire police force, which patrols bridges, tunnels, ports, and airports. Overtime flows like water.

The agency paid $85.7 million in overtime last year to 5,360 of its 6,977 employees, an audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found. The audit concluded that the agency failed to rein in extra pay, citing dozens of employees who made more in overtime than they did in base salary.

“Management has no clear strategy to achieve its own benchmarks and goals for curbing costs,” DiNapoli said. “Before the Port Authority asks for more money to fund its operations, the agency should take a long, hard look at whether its business model for managing overtime really makes sense.”

The agency issued a brief statement in response.

“The Port Authority just received this report and we take it very seriously,” agency officials said in a statement. “We will continue to cut costs and make sure we value every dollar as we work to meet the region’s needs.”

Part of the overtime conundrum is the result of the agency employing fewer people and requesting those that are on the payroll to do more. However, it appears that there's few hurdles to enabling PAPD officers from running up overtime that matches their base salaries.

The agency held hearings earlier this week, where it got an earful from commuters complaining about the 50%+ toll hike and a nearly 60% hike on PATH fares. It's almost a given that fares and tolls will rise, but it may come down to whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Chris Christie will limit the hikes what I expect to be half what the agency wants.

Christie is being coy about his position, mostly because it is New Jerseyeans who will bear the brunt of the costs, particularly at the bridges and tunnels between New Jersey and Manhattan.

One way to deal with Port Authority payroll issues is to eliminate the Port Authority police force and delegate the tasks to local police instead. As it is, the Port Authority has regular issues with NYPD interactions regarding security at Ground Zero and the World Trade Center complex before that. Memorandum of understandings have been issued from time to time setting out who is responsible for what, even though the facility is located in New York City. Let the NYPD patrol, and you can generate savings in that fashion. It can make the chain of command and responsibility for security far more difficult than it ought to be, but the Port Authority has its own fiefdom to protect.

The security can be picked up by New Jersey State Troopers or New York State Troopers at other border crossings, including the ports and airports.

Infrastructure improvements need to be fully funded, and key items need to be upgraded, but the Port Authority is also full of waste and projects it oversees have gone over budget, none more spectacularly so than the PATH transit hub at Ground Zero. Despite claims that it would contain costs, it has gone more than $1 billion over budget.

Multiple Mass Casualty Attacks In Southern Israel

Terrorists opened fire with heavy weapons, explosives, and mortars on several vehicles driving along a road near the Israeli resort city of Eilat. At least 6 people are dead and 25 injured in the coordinated mass casualty attacks.

At least six people were reported dead and at least 25 injured in a three-stage terrorist attack along Israel’s border with Egypt on Thursday, which began when terrorists opened fire at an Egged bus traveling on Road 12 near Eilat.

Several minutes later, a number of bombs went off next to an IDF patrol traveling along the border with Egypt. There were also reports of mortar fire from Egypt into Israel. The terrorists apparently then moved on to another spot and fired an anti-tank missile at another vehicle, injuring a number of passengers.

Other reports have increased the death toll to 7 and 30+ injured. The IDF and security forces are hunting down those responsible, and at least 3 terrorists were killed:

Heavy security forces presence is noted in the area, as a massive manhunt involving IDF ground forces and aircraft is currently taking place. IDF forces reported three terrorists have been killed. It is unclear at this time if they were the only ones involved.

The Eilat Police have ordered emergency deployment in the area, and a situation room has been set up at the Yoseftal Hospital, which has declared a mass casualty event.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, soldiers were among the wounded in these incidents. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen Benny Gantz and Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino are en route to GOC Southern Command, where they will confer with Southern Command Chief Major-General Tal Russo.

All of the roads leading to Eilat have been closed, as was the Ovda Airfield. Eilat's airport has been placed on alert.

Multiple reports indicate that at least some of the mortar fire came from the Egyptian side of the border.

This is hardly the first time terrorists have struck near Eilat, but this is the worst such terror attack inside Israel in quite some time. In recent years, terrorists have taken to firing off rockets and mortars from inside Gaza, or used heavy construction vehicles to rampage along Israeli city streets. Investigators will look to whether these terrorists infiltrated into Israel from Egypt, or whether a terror cell was operating in the West Bank or Israel proper and managed to carry out the attack.

Expect the usual suspects to cheer the news of the deaths of Israelis. It's what those ghouls do.

UPDATE:
On cue, Hamas is praising the attacks.

UPDATE:
Egypt is saying that the attackers didn't come from their side of the border, claiming that they didn't note any suspicious movement in Sinai preceding the attacks. It doesn't mean that the attacks couldn't have originated there, just that the Egyptian security didn't know about it.

Today's terror attacks come a day after Egyptian forces opened fire on a group of Sudanese men trying to enter Israel. Two Sudanese men were killed in the incident, and that follows a similar incident last week where another Sudanese man was killed.

Hamas is gearing up for retaliatory strikes by Israel after today's terror attacks. Their leadership has gone to ground hoping to avoid being targeted by Israeli strikes that may be forthcoming. Israeli security believes that the attacks may have been planned or originated from Gaza. Apparently, the terrorists crossed into Sinai from Gaza, and then recrossed into Israel near Eilat. It's one more reason that Israelis will call for Israel to reestablish the Philadelphi corridor along the border to prevent further incursions and reduce smuggling of arms and terrorists between Sinai and Gaza.

UPDATE:
Israel did retaliate today for the terror attacks in Eilat. It killed the leader of a Popular Resistance Committee and several other terrorists.

The airstrike killed the chief of the Popular Resistance Committees and four other members of the armed Palestinian faction in the southern Gaza Strip, the group said.

The Popular Resistance Committees, which often operates independently from Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers, identified their dead commander as Kamal al-Nairab. An Israeli military source confirmed the airstrike in the town of Rafah.

For those who aren't familiar with this particular terror group, it's a spinoff of Fatah and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade that split with Fatah because Fatah wasn't sufficiently violent towards Israel. Another way of looking at it is that this terror group was spun off to give plausible deniability to Fatah terrorists looking to attack Israel at a time when Fatah needed to show itself willing to negotiate with Israel to receive paychecks from the rest of the world to fund Palestinian Authority operations.

UPDATE:
Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a Grad missile fired towards Ashkelon. It looks like things are about to escalate in a significant way. As I've said for a long time, the terrorists attack Israel at the time and place of their choosing. With the way that the PRCs are linked back to Hizbullah, it is possible that these attacks are meant to take the pressure off Syria and try to pin Israel in the headlines so Assad can continue its crackdown against protesters.

Private Spacecraft To Fly To International Space Station In November

The last space shuttle mission ended a few weeks back, and it was expected that the US would have to rely on Russian spacecraft to get into space. Well, it turns out that SpaceX will be launching its Dragon capsule for an unmanned mission in November that serves not only as a test of the system, but will pave the way for private manned space missions.

We heard last month that NASA agreed to speed up SpaceX’s flight demo schedule, as SpaceX, eager to start making deliveries under its $1.6 billion NASA contract, asked NASA for permission to combine two planned missions into one. That mission is now targeted for the week after Thanksgiving, according to SpaceX.

In this demonstration under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, SpaceX will launch its Dragon capsule aboard a Falcon 9 rocket Nov. 30, and dock with the ISS nine days later. It will carry a limited payload to the station, which is fully stocked through next year thanks to the final shuttle delivery.

SpaceX will apparently use the opportunity to launch some other stuff, too, using the Falcon’s second stage that will deploy after the Dragon capsule separates from its fairing.

The Dragon capsule, the first privately built reusable spacecraft, made its first flight in December, and SpaceX has been conducting tests and dry runs in the months since. The company said it is working out the kinks in its COTS plans so that NASA will give final approval for a single mission.

Port Authority Holds Hearings On Toll/Fare Hikes; Decision Could Come By Friday

For those who are in the New York City metro area, now is your last chance to get your comments heard by the Port Authority before it makes its decision on a series of massive fare and toll hikes.

Here's the proposed fare and toll hikes:

George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing, Bayonne Bridge

Tolls are collected entering New York. No tolls are collected entering New Jersey.

Current peak hours: Weekdays 6-9 a.m., 4-7 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 12 noon - 8 p.m. Proposed peak hours: Weekdays 6-10 a.m., 4-8 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Current off-peak hours: All other times and six holidays. Proposed off-peak hours: All other times.

Current weekday overnight hours for trucks: 12 Midnight - 6 a.m. weekdays. Proposed weekday overnight hours for trucks: Sunday – Thursday beginning at 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.

Class 1 vehicles - two axles, single rear wheels: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $6.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $8.00 to $12.00 in 2011 and to $14.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $8.00 to $15.00 in 2011 and to $17.00 in 2014.

Class 2 vehicles - two axles, dual rear wheels: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $14.00 to $26.00 in 2011 and to $30.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $16.00 to $28.00 in 2011 and to $32.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $11.00 in 2011 and increase to $15.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $16.00 to $34.00 in 2011 and to $38.00 in 2014.

Class 3 vehicles - three axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $21.00 to $39.00 in 2011 and to $45.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $24.00 to $42.00 in 2011 and to $48.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $16.50 in 2011 and increase to $22.50 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $24.00 to $51.00 in 2011 and to $57.00 in 2014.

Class 4 vehicles - four axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $28.00 to $52.00 in 2011 and to $60.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $32.00 to $56.00 in 2011 and to $64.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $22.00 in 2011 and increase to $30.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $32.00 to $68.00 in 2011 and to $76.00 in 2014.

Class 5 vehicles - five axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $35.00 to $65.00 in 2011 and to $75.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $40.00 to $70.00 in 2011 and to $80.00 in 2014; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $27.50 in 2011 and increase to $37.50 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $40.00 to $85.00 in 2011 and to $95.00 in 2014.

Class 6 vehicles - six axles or more, or combination of vehicles totaling at least six axles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $42.00 to $78.00 in 2011 and to $90.00 in 2014, with $13.00 additional for each axle over six in 2011 and $15.00 in 2014, up from $7.00; E-ZPass peak will increase from $48.00 to $84.00 in 2011 and to $96.00 in 2014, with $14.00 additional for each axle over six in 2011 and $16.00 in 2014, up from $8.00; E-ZPass weekday overnight for trucks will remain at $33.00 in 2011 and increase to $45.00 in 2014, with each additional axle over six remaining at $5.50 in 2011 and increasing to $7.50 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $48.00 to $102.00 in 2011 and to $114.00 in 2014, with $17.00 additional for each axle over six in 2011 and $19.00 in 2014, up from $8.00.

Class 7 vehicles - recreational vehicles and Class 1 and 11 vehicles with trailers: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $11.00 to $21.00 in 2011 and to $25.00 in 2014, with $11.00 additional for each axle over three in 2011 and $13.00 in 2014, up from $5.00; E-ZPass peak will increase from $13.00 to $23.00 in 2011 and to $27.00 in 2014, with $11.00 additional for each axle over three in 2011 and $13.00 in 2014, up from $5.00; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $13.00 to $29.00 in 2011 and to $33.00 in 2014, with $14.00 additional for each axle over three in 2011 and $16.00 in 2014, up from $5.00.

Class 8 vehicles - two-axle buses and mini buses: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $6.00 to $20.00 in 2011 and to $22.00 in 2014.

Class 9 vehicles - three-axle buses and mini buses: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $4.00 to $10.00 in 2011 and to $12.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $6.00 to $20.00 in 2011 and to $22.00 in 2014.

Class 11 vehicles - motorcycles: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $5.00 to $9.00 in 2011 and to $11.00 in 2014; E-ZPass peak will increase from $7.00 to $11.00 in 2011 and to $13.00 in 2014; and cash tolls at all times will increase from $7.00 to $14.00 in 2011 and to $16.00 in 2014.

Carpool Plan - Class 1 or 11 vehicles with three or more people: E-ZPass off-peak will increase from $2.00 to $6.00 in 2011 and to $8.00 in 2014; and E-ZPass peak will increase from $2.00 to $6.00 in 2011 and to $8.00 in 2014.

GREENPass - eligible low-emission Class 1 vehicles: E-ZPass off-peak will remain at $4.00 in 2011 and increase to $6.00 in 2014; and E-ZPass peak will increase from $8.00 to $12.00 in 2011 and to $14.00 in 2014.

The Port Authority Staten Island Bridges Plan – The plan will increase from $80 to $120 for 20 trips in a 35-day period at the Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing and Bayonne Bridge in 2011; and the plan will increase to $140 for 20 trips in a 35-day period in 2014.

PATH Fare Proposal:

The basic PATH fare will increase from $1.75 per trip to $2.75 in 2011. The fare for 10-, 20- and 40-trip SmartLink cards will increase from $1.30 per trip to $2.10 in 2011. The 1-day pass will increase from $6.00 to $8.25 in 2011. The 7-day pass will increase from $18.00 to $29.00 in 2011. The 30-day pass will increase from $54.00 to $89.00 in 2011. The senior fare will remain $1.00.

The toll and fare increase in 2011 is expected to result in approximately $720 million of additional annual revenue and the toll and fare increase in 2014 is expected to result in approximately $290 million of additional annual revenue.

In sum, fares on PATH would increase from $1.75 to $2.75 and the 30-day pass would increase to $89 from $54 ($35 increase). If the whole idea is to get people out of cars and onto mass transit, you're cramming down an additional $35 per month in fares, which will actually reduce ridership as people seek alternatives.

Perhaps more troublesome is the toll hikes, which could be seen as violative of the Commerce Clause for infringing on interstate commerce. The George Washington Bridge is part of the I-95 corridor, which means that it is a critical hub along the entire Northeastern United States. Toll hikes there directly affect transportation of goods and the hikes could be seen as an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone attempted to take the Port Authority to court over the unreasonableness of the hikes - businesses that do business in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut would be most affected, but other businesses would be hit by such tolling.

I doubt that Gov. Christie or Gov. Cuomo would allow the proposal to go forward as stated, but they'd probably relent on a hike at 50% of what was stated because both governors are using the Port Authority to get projects pushed forward at a time when both New Yorkers and New Jerseyeans are railing against further tax hikes; it's a way Gov. Christie can get around having to hike gas taxes or other taxes to get transportation funding in New Jersey and Gov. Cuomo has similarly situated himself as holding the line on tax hikes in New York.

Yet, there has been little the Port Authority has done to limit cost overruns on Ground Zero rebuilding despite claims to have done so in the past. The PATH transit hub is seriously overbudget, and the Freedom Tower was also overbudget. Now that these projects are well underway, the Port Authority is using the fare hikes to cover some of those cost overruns and to put the increased revenues towards other regional projects that are necessary such as raising the Bayonne Bridge for post-Panamax traffic, replacing structural components on the George Washington Bridge, and PATH infrastructure improvements.

Neither New York nor New Jersey seems fiscally capable of putting additional money towards these projects directly, so the Port Authority is raising the tolls instead. Yet, all people in the region are going to be adversely affected as the costs of goods and services rise as the transportation costs are passed on to the end users.

The hearings are providing construction trades the venue to support the hikes, since they'd be the largest beneficiaries, but truckers are opposed since they're going to take it on the chin. So too are those using PATH.

Have your say here.

On My Nightstand: The Disappearing Spoon

I've long been a science (and sci-fi) buff, so when I saw the book entitled The Disappearing Spoon, it was natural that I pick it up.

I wasn't disappointed. It's a great primer on the weird and wacky stories of how the periodic table of elements was put together, elements were discovered, and the personalities that came to influence both chemistry and physics.

The title refers to an old chemistry parlor trick, where chemists would confound friends by serving tea and providing spoons out of gallium, (element 31) which melts at at 85.5763°F. His guests would recoil as the spoon literally dissolves in the Earl Gray tea.

New Troubles For News Corp; Emails Show Top Execs Knew of Hacking

The smoking gun may have emerged that would strike at the heart of News Corporation as it continues to push back against allegations that top executives didn't know of the hacking work done by staffers at its various news outlets in the United Kingdom. Turns out that they did know, and they have the emails to prove it:

Clive Goodman, the former royal reporter jailed for his role in phone hacking, wrote a letter in 2007 claiming that phone hacking was "widely discussed" at editorial meetings, and that former editor Andy Coulson offered to let him keep his job if he agreed to say in court that he was a rogue element within the paper.

The claims are deeply damaging to Coulson, who has always maintained that he did not know about the hacking going on at his paper. They are also politically perilous for Cameron, who took Coulson on even as evidence mounted against him. Moreover, they raise fresh danger for James and Rupert Murdoch, both of whom claimed to know nothing about hacking. Before the documents were released, the select committee for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced that it is "likely" to recall James Murdoch when Parliament resumes in September.

The letter was one of several documents published by a parliamentary committee on Tuesday afternoon.
Goodman's letter is from March 2, 2007, after he was released from prison. In the letter, Goodman says he is appealing his firing from the News of the World specifically because he carried out his duties with the "full knowledge and support" of top journalists on the paper, and because the practice was so widespread at the paper.

The letter claims that hacking was so frequently talked about that Coulson—who went on to become David Cameron's top spin doctor—eventually was forced to ban mention of the practice. Goodman also says that he was repeatedly promised to be kept on, even after he was arrested. He further claims that the paper continued to pay and consult him on stories, even after it was known that he would plead guilty.

"[The paper's top lawyer] Tom Crone and the editor promised on many occasions that I could come back to a job at the newspaper if I did not implicate the paper or any of its staff in my mitigation plea," Goodman writes. "I did not, and I expect the paper to honour its promise to me."

The Guardian's Nick Davies also reports that Les Hinton, the former Dow Jones chief who resigned amidst allegations about his role in the scandal, received a copy of Goodman's letter but failed to pass it to the police. He then told Parliament that Coulson was completely unaware of the hacking going on.

Expect to see the Murdoch's hauled back before the British Parliament to deal with the new revelations, particularly because their earlier statements now look more and more like a coverup.

Assad's Security Continues Onslaught

Over the weekend, Syria began utilizing its naval forces to shell cities along its coast that held protests against Bashar Assad's regime. That didn't stop the protests, but the death toll continues climbing.

Renewed heavy gunfire is reported in the Syrian port city of Latakia as a military crackdown on unrest entered a third day.

Activists say 27 people have died and that residents trying to flee the Ramel district, including women and children, have been fired on by troops.

The government says it is tackling armed terrorist gangs.

More than 1,700 people have reportedly died in the six-month uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
'Shooting is intense'

The Ramel quarter and neighbouring areas are said to be under constant heavy gunfire as tanks and troops move through the streets.

The assault began on Saturday, a day after mass anti-government protests in the city.

Most credible reports put the death toll at above 2,000 and nearly all are civilians who are doing nothing more than exercising their right to protests against a regime that considers any such protests to be violating its power and authority to control every aspect of Syrian life.

It's also been reported that Spain apparently offered Assad asylum as an effort to stop the ongoing onslaught, but Assad rebuffed the effort. It should come as no surprise since Assad's regime really isn't under the kind of mortal peril that was seen in Egypt, Tunisia, or even Libya; the opposition isn't nearly as well defined and formed, and there haven't been the kind of defections that can undermine the regime.

Meanwhile, the Syrian propagandists are hoping to divert attention from their mass murder by claiming Israel has somehow built a "racist" fence in the Golan Heights as though a fence designed to protect Israel against infiltrators is somehow racist or morally equivalent to the mass murder unleashed by Assad's regime.

Fact is that Israel has had no choice but to reinforce its border fences and installations across its northern borders with Lebanon and Syria precisely because those regimes have seen fit to enable protesters to swarm the border in the hopes of provoking international incidents - all of which are designed to take the pressure off Assad.

Light The Night Kickoff

This weekend, I had the honor to attend the 2011 Light The Night Walk kickoff event for Red Bank, New Jersey. The Red Bank walk in the newest location in New Jersey to host a Light the Night Walk -- this is the third year for this location. As I explained in an earlier post, Light the Night is the oldest walk to raise money for cancer research.

At the kickoff event, we heard some additional information regarding the new treatment breakthrough for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL. Lawhawk posted about this last week. This new therapy essentially takes cancer T-Cells, infuses them with a new protein and reintroduces them into the body. The new infused cells begin to attack the cancer cells, and most excitedly, get the bodies existing cells to fight the cancer as well. Currently, two patients are more than 1 year cancer free, with a third approaching 1 year. When they get 12 patients cancer free for 1 year, the procedure will be considered for approval.

The reason for the discussion at the kickoff was that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has donated more than $50 million to this research over the years. Over that past several years, the FDA has approved 19 new drugs and therapies for blood cancer -- all with the assistance of the LLS. Of the 19, 12 have been approved or are being studied for the treatment of other forms of cancer as well. That is remarkable.

I was watching a baseball game the other day and a commercial for the MLB's involvement with Stand Up 2 Cancer came on (anyone who saw the All Star Game, the Stand up 2 cancer half inning display was chilling.) They splashed two stats on the screen that shook me. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will get cancer. The numbers are staggering. With respect to blood cancer:
• Every 5 Minutes: Someone in the United States learns that he or she has leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease or myeloma.
• Every 10 Minutes: Another child or adult is expected to die from a blood cancer.

This is why I renew my plea to all our readers and donations to the Light the Night Walk can be made through the link on the top left of the page, or by going to my team page . Any amount of support is greatly appreciated. By donating, you are not only helping to cure blood cancers, support caregivers, assist patients with purchasing drugs they could not otherwise afford, but you are indirectly supporting research that is going to treat and cure other cancers as well.