WASHINGTON(AP) -- Hovering inthe background ofthe "fiscal cliff"debate is theprospect of 2 millionpeople losing theirunemployment ben-efits four days afterC h r i s t m a s .

"This is the realcliff," said Sen. JackReed, D-R.I. He'sbeen leading theeffort to includeanother extension ofbenefits for the long-term unemployed inany deal to avertlooming tax increas-es and massive spending cuts in January.

"Many of these people are struggling to pay mort-gages, to provide education for their children," Reed saidthis past week as President Barack Obama and HouseSpeaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, rejected each other'sopening offers for a deficit deal.

Emergency jobless benefits for about 2.1 millionpeople out of work more than six months will cease Dec.29, and 1 million more will lose them over the next threemonths if Congress doesn't extend the assistanceagain.

Since the collapse of the economy in 2008, the gov-ernment has poured $520 billion - an amount equal toabout half its annual deficit in recent years - into unem-ployment benefit extensions.

White House officials have assured Democrats thatObama is committed to extending them another year, ata cost of about $30 billion, as part of an agreement forsidestepping the fiscal cliff and reducing the size of annu-al increases in the federal debt.

"The White House has made it clear that it wants anextension," said Michigan Rep. Sander Levin, the topDemocrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Republicans have been relatively quiet on the issuelately. They demanded and won savings elsewhere tooffset the cost of this year's extension, requiring the gov-ernment to sell some of its broadcasting airwaves andmaking newly hired federal workers contribute moretoward their pensions.

Boehner did not include jobless benefits in his coun-teroffer response this past week to Obama's call for $1.6trillion in new taxes over the next decade, including rais-ing the top marginal rates for the highest-paid 2 percent.

Long-term unemployment remains a persistentproblem. About 5 million people have been out of workfor six months or more, according to the Bureau of laborStatistics. That's about 40 percent of all unemployedworkers.

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Circulated Weekly To Cities In Georgia Volume 731 Issue 449 Established 1998 December 10, 2012

D E M O C R A T S W A N T J O B L E S SB E N E F I T S I N ` C L I F F ' D E A L

In The News This Week

The LaborDepartment saidFriday that theunemployment ratefell to 7.7 percentfrom 7.9 percent, thelowest in nearly fouryears. But much ofthe decline was dueto people so discour-aged about finding ajob that they quitlooking for one.

D e m o c r a t shave tried to keep aflame burning underthe issue. Ending theextended benefitswould "deal a devas-tating blow to our

economy," 42 Democratic senators wrote SenateMajority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., this past week.

The Congressional Budget Office said in a studylast month that extending the current level of long-termunemployment benefits another year would add300,000 jobs to the economy. The average benefit ofabout $300 a week tends to get spent quickly for food,rent and other basic necessities, the report said, stimu-lating the economy.

The liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute foundthat extended unemployment benefits lifted 2.3 millionAmericans out of poverty last year, including 600,000children.

States provide the first 20 weeks to 26 weeks ofunemployment benefits for eligible workers who areseeking jobs. When those are exhausted, federal bene-fits kick in for up to 47 more weeks, depending on thestate's unemployment rate.

The higher a state's unemployment rate, the longerstate residents can qualify for additional weeks of feder-al unemployment benefits. Only seven states with job-less rates of 9 percent or more now qualify for all 47weeks.

Congress already cut back federal jobless benefitsthis year. Taken together with what states offer, the ben-efits could last up to 99 weeks. Cutting the maximum to73 weeks has already cut off benefits to about 500,000people.

Opponents of benefit extensions argue that theycan be a disincentive for taking a job.

"Prolonged benefits lead some unemployed work-ers to spend too much time looking for jobs that theywould prefer to find, rather than focusing on jobs thatthey are more likely to find," said James Sherk, a laborpolicy analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

But Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, noted that unem-ployment checks add up to about $15,000 a year."That's poverty level," he said. "This is not somethingpeople just want to continue on, they want to get jobs."

DEMOCRATS WANT JOB-LESS BENEFITS IN `

CLIFF' DEALHovering in the background of the "fiscal cliff"debate is the prospect of 2 million people losingtheir unemployment benefits four days afterChristmas. Page 1

EGYPT: MILITARY WARNSOF 'DISASTROUSCONSEQUENCES'

Egypt's military warned on Saturday of "disas-trous consequences" if the crisis that sent tensof thousands of protesters Page 2

WASHINGTON COULDBECOME POT SOURCE FOR

NEIGHBORS

Now that marijuana is legal in neighboringWashington state.. Page 3

FLORIDA ACCIDENTSTATISTICS

Accident Statistics from Florida Departmentof Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Page 4

FLORIDA ACCIDENTREPORTS

This Weeks Accident Reports from Variouscountys in Florida. Page 5

OBAMA REQUEST FORSANDY AID COULD FACE

HURDLES

President Barack Obama's proposal for $60.4billion in federal aid for states hit bySuperstorm Sandy adds a huge new item to anend-of-year congressional, agenda. Page 6

GENE-ALTERED MOSQUI-TOES COULD BE USED

VS. DENGUEMosquito control officials in the Florida Keys

are waiting for the federal government to signoff on an experiment. . Page 7

TO THE MOON? FIRM HOPESTO SELL $1.5 BILLION TRIPS

TAttention wealthy nations and billionaires: Ateam of former NASA executives will fly you tothe moon in an out-of-this-world.. Page 8

AFTER CLIMATE TALKS,EYES ON US FOR NEXT

ROUND

Other countries are now watching to see if theObama administration will back up post-elec-tion comments about climate change. Page 8

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., right, accompanied by from left, Sen. BernardSanders, I-Vt., Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., ges-tures during a news conference the possibility of Americans abruptly their job-less benefits at the of the year on Capitol Hill in Washington, Hovering in thebackground of the "fiscal cliff" debate is the prospect of 2 million people losingtheir unemployment benefits four days after Christmas.

2 Legal Street News Monday December 10, 2012

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CAIRO (AP) --Egypt's militarywarned on Saturday of"disastrous conse-quences" if the crisisthat sent tens of thou-sands of protestersback into the streets isnot resolved, signalingthe army's return to anincreasingly polarizedand violent politicals c e n e .

The military saidserious dialogue is the"best and only" way toovercome the nation'sdeepening conflictover a disputed draftconstitution hurriedlyadopted by Islamist allies of President Mohammed Morsi,and recent decrees granting himself near-absolute powers.

"Anything other than that (dialogue) will force usinto a dark tunnel with disastrous consequences; some-thing which we won't allow," the statement said. It wasread by an unnamed military official on state television.

Morsi had called for a dialogue Saturday to discusshow to resolve the disagreement as his vice president sug-gested that a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum could bedelayed.

But the main opposition leaders declined to attend,saying talks can only take place if Morsi rescinds hisdecrees and cancels the referendum.

Most of the public figures at the meeting wereIslamists, with the exception of liberal opposition politi-cian Ayman Nour.

And at least three members left the talks soon afterthey started. Ahmed Mahran, a lawyer who was amongthem, said: "It was a one-way conversation," accusingpresidential advisers of refusing to listen.

Egypt's once all-powerful military, which temporari-ly took over governing the country after the revolutionthat ousted autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak, was largelysidelined weeks after Morsi was elected.

Weeks after he was sworn in, Morsi ordered the twotop generals to retire and gave himself legislative powersthat the military had assumed in the absence of a parlia-ment, which had been dissolved by the courts.

The current crisis was sparked Nov. 22 when Morsigranted himself authority free of judicial oversight, alleg-ing that judges loyal to the former regime were threaten-

ing the constitu-tional draftingprocess and thetransition tod e m o c r a c y .

But themove touchedoff a new waveof oppositionand unprece-dented clashesbetween thep r e s i d e n t ' sIslamist sup-porters led bythe MuslimB r o t h e r h o o dand protestersaccusing him ofbecoming a news t r o n g m a n .

At least six civilians have been killed and severaloffices of the president's Muslim Brotherhood torched inthe unrest. The two sides also have staged a number of sit-ins around state institutions, including the presidentialpalace where some of the most violent clashes occurred.

With the increasing polarization and the specter ofinternal fighting looming, the military began reassertingitself, with soldiers sealing off the presidential palacewith tanks and barbed wire. Its warning on Saturdaymarked the first time the military returned to the politicalfray.

Failing to reach a consensus, "is in the interest of nei-ther side. The nation as a whole will pay the price," themilitary said, adding it "realizes its national responsibili-ty in protecting the nation's higher interests" and stateinstitutions.

Images of the military's elite Republican Guards unitsurrounding the area around the palace also showed oneof the most high-profile troop deployment since the armyhanded over power to Morsi on June 30.

A sit-in by Morsi's opponents around the palace con-tinued Saturday, with protesters setting up roadblockswith tanks behind them amid reports that the president'ssupporters planned rival protests. By midday Saturday,TV footage showed the military setting up a new wall ofcement blocks around the palace.

The president has insisted his decrees were meant toprotect the country's transition to democracy from formerregime figures trying to derail it.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders, meanwhile, made their

An Egyptian protester takes a picture with his mobile of another in front of anEgyptian army tank outside the presidential palace, background, in Cairo, Egypt,Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012. Egypt's military has warned of 'disastrous consequences' ifthe political crisis gripping the country is not resolved through dialogue.

Continued on page 3

W A S H I N G T O N C O U L D B E C O M E P O TS O U R C E F O R N E I G H B O R S

Street News Monday, December 10,2012 3

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Now thatmarijuana is legal in neighboringWashington state, Portland police areoffering some helpful advice to Oregonpot users. Sure, you can go over toWashington state to "smoke someweed," a police advisory states, butyou might get arrested for driving underthe influence if you're pulled over com-ing home, even if you're on a bike.

And if you are among the 55,000 peo-ple with an Oregon medical marijuanacard, Portland police say you'll be ableto get your allowed amount of medicinein Washington state. Still, even thoughyou now can't get busted for toking inTacoma or elsewhere in Washington(though you could get a ticket for pub-lic use), it will be a year before sellingor buying it is legal.

As the Evergreen state works out thevarious complications of its new law -including the fact that marijuana is stillillegal under federal law - neighbors ofWashington are watching with curiosity, and perhapssome apprehension.

If the federal government doesn't attempt to intervenein the new law, and if Washington state sets up a sup-ply system whose mechanics are yet to be defined,Washington may well become a greater source of potfor users in Oregon and Idaho.

"It would be like a place people go to get cheap beer.We're not talking about medical marijuana. We're talk-ing about people who just want to get high," said JoshMarquis, district attorney for Oregon's ClatsopCounty.

Marquis is not totally opposed to marijuana. He thinksthe federal government should do what Oregon hasdone: decriminalize possession of small amounts,and allow people with genuine medical needs to haveaccess for treatment.

But one of his greatest concerns, echoed by other lawenforcement officials, is people going over toWashington to obtain weed and driving home stoned.

"If I'm going to drive on the Oregon coast at night, inthe driving rain, I want the person on the other side ofthe road to be completely unimpaired," Marquis toldThe Associated Press.

Idaho law officials are also watching what's happen-ing in Washington state. Unlike Oregon, Idaho has nomedical marijuana law and possession in any form isagainst the law. Simple possession of less than threeounces is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a yearin jail and a $1,000 fine.

Idaho officials already have their hands full withIdahoans obtaining medical marijuana cards out ofstate. The Gem State borders three medical marijua-na states, a reality that has caused medical marijua-na arrests to outpace those of traffickers or otherusers.

Although Idaho is a largely conservative state, thereare pockets defined by borders and demographicsthat could create new challenges for law enforcement.

One of them is Moscow, home to the University ofIdaho campus and more than 11,000 students - just a10-minute drive to the Washington State Universitycampus in Pullman. More than 70 miles to the north isthe busy suburban corridor connecting Spokane,Wash., and the Idaho cities of Post Falls and Coeurd'Alene.

Idaho police say increased arrests for marijuanacould intensify stress on county jails and caseloadsfor county prosecutors.

Idaho State Police Lt. Chris Schenk, says people innorth Idaho are joking about so-called "pot tourists"crossing the border to take advantage ofWashington's relaxed law. But he says it's going totake time to gauge any increases in arrests for pos-session or driving under the influence.

Oregon has some of the most permissive pot laws inthe nation. Possession of less than an ounce will getyou the equivalent of a speeding ticket. And for thosewho want to go the legal route, they can get a medicalmarijuana card.

Still, obtaining pot in Oregon is not without its hassles,in the eyes of some who use it.

Federal drug agents have been cracking down on

some medical marijuana potgrowers, alleging they shippedpot out of state. There has alsobeen pressure on dispensariesthat have sprung up in Oregonthat provide medical marijuanafor a fee to cover costs of oper-ation.. Law officials in somecounties have raided such oper-ations, saying they are sellingpot for profit.

If Washington state sets up apot supply system, it is likelysome Oregon holders of med-ical marijuana cards will gonorth for their medicine, advo-cates say.

In Canada, another Washingtonneighbor, pot is illegal underfederal law. Border enforcementof drug laws is stringent, butenforcement for possession forpersonal use is relaxed. Grassis smoked openly in parks and

at pot cafes in British Columbia. Distribution of med-ical marijuana to patients with needs deemed legiti-mate through pot dispensaries is also allowed

A spokesman for the Royal Canadian MountedPolice, Sgt. Duncan Pound, said it is too early to pre-dict what effects legalization in Washington will have.

A marijuana advocate in British Columbia, JodieEmery, worries Canada might intensify border con-trols because of Washington's weed legalization.

Emery also speculates that legalization in Washingtoncould lessen the flow of people traveling toVancouver, British Columbia to try some "BC Bud."

"British Columbia does have a lot of tourism for peo-ple who want to experience the marijuana culture butthat is shifting," Emery said.

Back in Oregon, the tip sheet to marijuana usersissued by Portland police states that possession ofless than an ounce has been a "low law enforcementpriority for 35 years in Portland and this will notchange due to the new Washington law."

But the advisory also has this caution: If you go toWashington to "buy some weed," the "Portland PoliceBureau cannot predict or control the enforcementactivities of federal authorities."

David Kosmecki, left, talks to Idaho State Police Trooper Justin Klitch in Fruitland, Idaho. Kosmecki was stoppedand charged with possession of marijuana after leaving Oregon.

highest profile appearances since the dispute began. Thegroup's top leader Mohammed Badie and his powerfuldeputy Khairat el-Shater held press conferences Saturdayalleging there was a conspiracy to topple Morsi but pre-senting little proof.

Badie said the opposition has accused his group ofviolence but is instead responsible for the attacks onMuslim Brotherhood offices. He also claimed that mostof those killed in last week's violence at the Palace andother governorates were members of the Brotherhood.

"These are crimes, not opposition or disagreement inopinion," he said.

Meanwhile, with a dialogue largely boycotted by themain opposition players, members of a so-called Allianceof Islamists forces warned it will take all measures to pro-tect "legitimacy" and the president, in comments signal-ing continued tension.

"We will not allow the revolution to be stolen again,"el-Shater said. "Our main job is to support legitimacy and

stop the plot to bring down the president."

Mostafa el-Naggar, a former lawmaker and protestleader during the uprising that led to Mubarak's ouster inFebruary 2011, said the conspiracy alleged by theBrotherhood "doesn't exist." El-Naggar added that theBrotherhood and military statements suggested the crisiswas far from over.

"The military is saying it is still here and will inter-fere when necessary. This is believed to be when there iswidespread infighting," he said.

Meanwhile, he said Morsi and his group are threat-ening to widen the conflict by portraying the oppositionas conspirators against Islam.

"As it stands, Egypt is captive to internal decisions ofthe Brotherhood," he said

Continued from page 2

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surge that left parts of New YorkCity underwater and millions ofpeople in several states withoutheat or electricity for weeks.

Superstorm Sandy is blamed forat least 125 deaths, including 60in New York, 34 in New Jerseyand 16 in Pennsylvania. At leastseven people died in WestVirginia, where the storm droppedheavy snow. Sandy damaged ordestroyed more than 72,000homes and businesses in NewJersey. In New York, 305,000housing units were damaged ordestroyed and more than 265,000businesses affected.

On Tuesday, the head of theFederal Emergency Management Agency, CraigFugate, said the government's disaster relieffund still has $4.8 billion, enough to pay forrecovery efforts into early spring. So far, the gov-ernment has spent about $2 billion in the 11states struck by the storm.

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- President BarackObama's proposal for $60.4 billion in federal aidfor states hit by Superstorm Sandy adds a hugenew item to an end-of-year congressional agen-da already packed with controversy.

The president's request to Congress on Fridayfollowed weeks of discussions with lawmakersand officials from New York, New Jersey andother affected states who requested significantlymore money, but generally praised the presi-dent's request as they urged Congress to adoptit without delay.

"It's not everything we wanted, but it's closeenough," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Pushing the request through Congress in the fewweeks left before lawmakers adjourn at the endof the year will be no easy task. Washington'sattention is focused on the looming fiscal cliff ofexpiring Bush-era tax cuts and automatic spend-ing cuts to the Pentagon and domestic programsset to begin at the end of the year. And tea partyHouse Republicans are likely to press for budgetcuts elsewhere to offset some or even all disas-ter costs.

Those complications raised the prospects thatthe measure will be delayed in whole or in partuntil next year, although Schumer said the goalis to get it done by Dec. 31.

The measure is likely to advance first in theDemocratic-controlled Senate, where supportershope it can be quickly analyzed and brought thefloor as early as next week. House SpeakerJohn Boehner, R-Ohio, has also received therequest and is reviewing it, a spokesman said.

The massive request blends aid for homeown-ers, businesses, and state and local govern-ments walloped by Sandy, a disaster whose costis rivaled only by the 9/11 terrorist attacks andHurricane Katrina, which devastated NewOrleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005.

The aid will help states rebuild public infrastruc-ture like roads and tunnels and help thousandsof people displaced from their homes. Most ofthe money - $47.4 billion - is for immediate helpfor victims and other recovery and rebuildingefforts. Another $13 billion would be used for mit-igation efforts to protect against future storms.

"We are committed to ensuring federal resourcesare used responsibly and that the recovery effortis a shared undertaking," Jeffrey D. Zients,deputy director of Obama's budget office, wroteto congressional leaders.

Obama's request was met with praise from twogovernors who had traveled to Washington lastweek to press for as much help as possible:New York's Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey'sChris Christie. New York, New Jersey and

Connecticut together are seeking about $83 bil-lion in aid.

"We thank President Obama for his steadfastcommitment of support and look forward to con-tinuing our partnership in the recovery effort,"Cuomo and Christie said in a joint statement.

Friday's request was at the top end of what hadbeen expected and came after Obama allies likeSchumer had criticized the White House follow-ing reports it had settled on a $50 billion figure.As is traditional in natural disasters, the requestwas not accompanied by offsetting spendingcuts to defray its cost.

The measure contains $11.5 billion for theFederal Emergency Management Agency's chiefdisaster relief fund and $17 billion for communitydevelopment block grants, much of which wouldhelp homeowners repair or replace their homes.Another $11.7 billion would help repair New YorkCity's subways and other mass transit damageand protect them from future storms. Some $9.7billion would go toward the government's floodinsurance program. The Army Corps ofEngineers would receive $5.3 billion to mitigateflood future risks and rebuild damaged projects.Dozens of other smaller items are also includedin the 73-page official justification.

Praise for the proposal was not universal.

"We should not shortchange nor add strings tothe support residents, businesses and communi-ties in my district and across the region desper-ately need," said Republican Rep. FrankLoBiondo, whose southern New Jersey districtincludes hard-hit Atlantic City. "I will continue towork with my colleagues to ensure the federalaid package passed by Congress realisticallymatches the needs identified by the states onthe ground."

The late October storm flooded parts of the EastCoast when it roared ashore, creating a storm

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A Christmas wreath is displayed on the second floor porch railing of a home adja-cent to the fire-damaged zone in the Breezy Point section of New York, Friday,Dec. 7, 2012. Over 100 homes were burned to the ground during SuperstormSandy.

R U S S I A NP R E M I E RJOKES ABOUTSECRET FILESO N A L I E N SMOSCOW (AP) -- "Men in Black" agents Kand J may be about to recruit a newRussian assistant: Prime Minister DmitryMedvedev.

Medvedev has spoken about top secretfiles on aliens that may have landed inRussia.

In footage recorded Friday after a televi-sion interview, the former president jokedthat each Russian leader gets two folderswith information about extraterrestrials thatvisited our planet - and stayed here.

Unseen on camera footage, he is heardtelling a Ren TV journalist he could not tell"how many of them are among us,because it may cause panic." He saidmore details could be found in BarrySonnenfeld's "Men in Black" films.

During his 2008-2012 presidency,Medvedev showed a sense of humorslightly more subtle than Putin's some-times brutal jokes.

_____________________________________________________Legal Street News Monday, December 10, 2012 7

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In this Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012 photo, Jason Garcia, a field inspec-tor with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, tests a sprayerthat could be used in the future to spray pesticides to control mos-quitos in Key West, Fla. The British company Oxitec and mosqui-to control officials hope to release genetically modified mosqui-toes to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito population, that cantransmit dengue fever, without using pesticides and at relatively alow cost. But some Key West residents and environmental groupsthink the genetically modified mosquitoes pose a bigger threatthan regular dengue or even dengue hemorrhagic fever. Theyworry the modified genetic material will somehow be passed tohumans and the Keys ecosystem and they want more researchinto the potential risks.

quito control district's research director.

In the trial, thousands of male mosquitoesbred by Oxitec would be released in a handfulof Key West blocks where the Aedes aegyptiis known to breed; the number of mosquitoesin those neighborhoods would be measuredagainst the numbers from similar blocks whereno modified mosquitoes were released.

The state's agriculture department overseesthe mosquito control district, and Doyle saidhe would not expect any challenge from thestate if the FDA signed off on the trial. Themosquito control district wouldn't need anylocal permit for the trial, either, but officialsheld a public meeting earlier this year andhave posted information on the agency's web-site.

That trial may be years away. FDA spokes-woman Morgan Liscinsky said no geneticallymodified species can be released withoutapproval.

There hasn't been a case of dengue fever inKey West since November 2010, but two othercases were reported elsewhere in SouthFlorida this fall.

The mosquito trial proposed for Key Westwouldn't be the first release of geneticallymodified insects in the U.S.

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture'sAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Serviceconcluded that integrating genetically modifiedpink bollworms, bred by Oxitec to be sterilebut more competitive in mating than regularbollworms, into the agency's plant pest controlprogram was "the environmentally preferablealternative" to combat the cotton pest. Theprogram was discontinued, however, after offi-cials found that the genetically modifiedinsects were not as hardy as pink bollwormssterilized through irradiation, and that their usein organic cotton fields would cause farmers tolose their certification.

Oxitec said the USDA's environmental assess-ment is one of several examples of proof thatthe trial's risks and methods are being inde-pendently evaluated. The company has trialsin Brazil, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia,and it says it's gotten positive reviews from thelatter two governments. It also cites its pub-lished research in peer-reviewed journals.

But Biddle, the onetime dengue patient, wantsOxitec to continue testing the modified mos-quitoes outside the U.S.

"Why the rush here?" the Key West man said."We already have test cases in the worldwhere we can watch what is happening andmake the best studies, because wouldn't it bewonderful if we could find out how it can befail-safe - which it is not right now. It's an openPandora's box."

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) -- Mosquito control offi-cials in the Florida Keys are waiting for thefederal government to sign off on an experi-ment that would release hundreds of thou-sands of genetically modified mosquitoes toreduce the risk of dengue fever in the touristtown of Key West.

If approved by the Food and DrugAdministration, it would be the first suchexperiment in the U.S. Some Key West resi-dents worry, though, that not enough researchhas been done to determine the risks thatreleasing genetically modified mosquitoesmight pose to the Keys' fragile ecosystem.

Officials are targeting the Aedes aegypti mos-quitoes because they can spread denguefever, a disease health officials thought hadbeen eradicated in the U.S. until 93 casesoriginated in the Keys in 2009 and 2010.

The trial planned by mosquito control officialsand the British company Oxitec would releasenon-biting male mosquitoes that have beengenetically modified to pass along a birthdefect that kill their progeny before reachingmaturity. The idea is that they will mate withwild females and their children will die beforereproducing. After a few generations, KeyWest's Aedes aegypti population would die off,reducing the dengue fever risk without usingpesticides and at relatively a low cost, the pro-ponents say. There is no vaccine for denguefever.

"The science of it, I think, looks fine. It'sstraight from setting up experiments and col-lecting data," said Michael Doyle, pointing toresearch Oxitec has had published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He inherited theproject when he took the lead at the FloridaKeys Mosquito Control District in mid-2011.

The district's website says the modified geneswill disappear from the environment after themosquitoes carrying it die, resulting in no per-manent change to the wild mosquito popula-tion. The district also says that the mosquitospecies isn't native to the Keys, nor is it anintegral food source for other animals.

Dengue fever is a viral disease that inflictssevere flu-like symptoms - the joint pain is sosevere its nickname is "breakbone fever." Itisn't fatal but victims are then susceptible atsubsequent exposures to dengue hemorrhagicfever, which can be.

"It's very uncomfortable. You ache all over, youhave a terrible fever," said Joel Biddle, a KeyWest resident whose dengue fever symptomslasted more than a week in 2009.

Biddle is among those concerned about theKey West trial. He worries the modified geneticmaterial will somehow be passed to humansor the ecosystem, and he wants moreresearch done. He and other Key West resi-dents also chafe at the fact that the project

was in the works long before it was made pub-lic late last year.

Only female mosquitoes bite, so the modifiedgenetic material wouldn't be passed on tohumans, Mosquito control and Oxitec officialssaid. They also say they're being transparentabout their data and the trial.

Real estate agent Mila de Mier has collectedmore than 117,700 signatures on a petitionshe posted on Change.org against the trial.Most come from outside the Keys, which deMier says shows that tourists don't support themosquito control district.

"We are dependent here on our tourists, andpeople from all over the country have beensending the message," de Mier said.

A University of Florida professor who studiesmosquito control said Oxitec's technologyworks and evidence from the company'sexperiments elsewhere show it can controlmosquito populations, but it's not clearwhether its methods are as effective at control-ling the risk of disease transmission. PhilLounibos of the Florida Medical EntomologyLaboratory also said it would take repeatedreleases of modified mosquitoes for the pro-gram to work, and the public outcry againstgenetically modified organisms, even when it'sirrational, may be insurmountable.

"The public resistance and the need to reachsome agreement between mosquito controland the public, I see that as a very significantissue, outside of the (operating) costs, sincethis is not just a one-time thing," Lounibossaid.

The Aedes aegypti has shown resistance topesticides used to control other species, andis the most difficult for the district to manage.Common in the Southeast and the Caribbean,it lurks in standing water around homes andbusinesses and can breed in containers assmall as bottle caps.

District inspectors go door-to-door to removethe standing water where they breed, a time-consuming task. The district spends roughly$1 million a year to suppress Aedes aegypti,10 to 15 percent of the agency's budget, Doylesaid.

"Unfortunately, control of Aedes aegypti is anever-ending job," said Larry Hriber, the mos-

WASHINGTON (AP) --Attention wealthy nations and bil-lionaires: A team of former NASAexecutives will fly you to the moonin an out-of-this-world commercialventure combining the wizardry ofApollo and the marketing of Apple.

For a mere $1.5 billion, thebusiness is offering countries thechance to send two people to themoon and back, either for researchor national prestige. And if you arean individual with that kind ofmoney to spare, you too can go themoon for a couple days.

Some space experts, though,are skeptical of the firm's financialability to get to the moon. The ven-ture called Golden Spike Co. wasannounced Thursday.

Dozens of private space com-panies have started up recently, butfew if any will make it - just like inother fields - said Harvardastronomer Jonathan McDowell,who tracks launches worldwide.

"This is unlikely to be the one that will pan out,"McDowell said.

NASA's last trip to the moon launched 40 years agoFriday. The United States is the only country that has landedpeople there, beating the Soviet Union in a space race to themoon that transfixed the world. But once the race ended, therehas been only sporadic interest in the moon.

President Barack Obama cancelled NASA's plannedreturn to the moon, saying America had already been there. OnWednesday, a National Academy of Sciences said the nation'sspace agency has no clear goal or direction for future humanexploration.

But the ex-NASA officials behind Golden Spike do. It'sthat old moon again.

The firm has talked to other countries, which are showinginterest, said former NASA associate administrator Alan Stern,

Golden Spike's president. Stern said he's looking at countrieslike South Africa, South Korea, and Japan. One very rich indi-vidual - he won't give a name - has also been talking with them,but the company's main market is foreign nations, he said.

"It's not about being first. It's about joining the club,"Stern said. "We're kind of cleaning up what NASA did in the1960s. We're going to make a commodity of it in the 2020s."

The selling point: "the sex appeal of flying your ownastronauts," Stern said.

Many countries did pony up millions of dollars to fly theirastronauts on the Russian space station Mir and Americanspace shuttles in the 1990s, but a billion dollar price tag seemsa bit steep, Harvard's McDowell said.

NASA chief spokesman David Weaver said the new com-pany "is further evidence of the timeliness and wisdom of theObama administration's overall space policy" which tries tofoster commercial space companies.

8 Legal Street News Monday, December 10, 2012

T O T H E M O O N ? F I R M H O P E S T OS E L L $ 1 . 5 B I L L I O N T R I P S

A F T E R C L I M A T E T A L K S , E Y E SO N U S F O R N E X T R O U N DDOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Even as international climate talksended this weekend with no new commitments on car-bon emissions or climate aid from the United States,some were relieved America didn't make a weak dealeven weaker.

Other countries are now watching to see if the Obamaadministration will back up post-election comments aboutclimate change with renewed efforts to cut emissions athome, and pave the way for more ambitious targets aswork proceeds to adopt a new global climate pact in2015.

The two-week talks in Doha ended with an extension ofthe Kyoto Protocol, which was to expire this year, butwhich now will only cover 15 percent of global emissionssince several developed countries, including Japan andCanada, have opted out. The U.S. never ratified theaccord.

European Union Climate Commissioner ConnieHedegaard said Sunday that the U.S. negotiators were"careful not to block" the negotiations, adding that it's"still difficult to know whether they will actually investpolitical capital in committing to a new international deal."

In an emailed comment to The Associated Press,Hedegaard said she hopes Obama "will present not onlyan enhanced domestic climate policy but also anenhanced U.S. engagement and willingness to commitmore in an international climate context."

Both rich and poor countries have long accused the U.S.of hampering the global effort to fight climate change,which scientists say is raising sea levels, threateninglow-lying areas and island nations, and shifting weatherpatterns with impacts on droughts, floods and the fre-quency of devastating storms.

Alone among industrialized nations, the U.S. rejected the

1997 Kyoto Protocol, the only binding treaty to reduceemissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trappinggases. The Bush administration said it would hurt theU.S. economy and that it was unfair because it didn'tinclude emerging economies including China and India.

Hopes for stronger U.S. leadership in the U.N. talksunder Obama were dashed when emissions-capping leg-islation stalled in Congress. But expectations rose anewthis year after Hurricane Sandy pushed climate changeback in the domestic political debate.

After his re-election, Obama talked about "the destructivepower of a warming planet," and said he hoped to opena national conversation on the issue.

"I think what we saw from the U.S. in Doha was a mixedperformance," said Alden Meyer, of the Union ofConcerned Scientists.

He said the U.S. was a "major impediment" in negotia-tions to ramp up climate aid to help poor countries shiftto clean energy and adapt to rising sea levels and otherimpacts of climate change.

On the other hand, the U.S. acknowledged that it hasmore work to do at home to meet its voluntary pledge ofreducing emissions by 17 percent by 2020, compared to2005 levels.

"Also, the lead U.S. negotiator, Todd Stern, expressed anewfound willingness to discuss how to equitably shareresponsibility amongst countries for making the substan-tial post-2020 emissions reductions needed to avoid theworst impacts of climate change," Meyer said. "Thesewere both positive signals in Doha."

Some were relieved that U.S. negotiators didn't block aproposal by small island nations to discuss "loss and

damage," which relates to damages from climate-relateddisasters.

Small island nations under threat from rising sea levelshave been pushing for some mechanism to help themcope with such natural catastrophes, but the U.S. hadpushed back over concerns it might be held liable for thecleanup bill since it is the world's second-biggest emitterbehind China.

The Doha deal doesn't establish that kind of mechanism,but says that countries agree to talk about it.

"It is a significant change in (the U.S.) stance and bigunexpected outcome for Doha," said Iain Keith, seniorcampaigner with activist group Avaaz.

He said overall there was "subtle yet significant shift" inthe U.S. position in the talks.

"Many parties will be disappointed that the U.S. didn'tcome here and offer more on finance," he said. "But withthe fiscal cliff discussion in Washington, their hands aretied," he added, referring to the looming combination ofautomatic tax increases and U.S. government spendingcuts early next year.

The Doha deal included vague language on how richcountries would scale up climate aid to $100 billion annu-ally by 2020 - a goal agreed to three years ago. Withbudgets under stress from financial turmoil, developedcountries resisted calls by developing countries to makefirm commitments.

"I think in general donor countries with some exceptionswere not in a position to put hard numbers on table forall sorts of reasons among them fiscal challenges thatwe are facing in the U.S. and Europe is facing," saidStern, the U.S. climate envoy.

Getting to the moon wouldinvolve several steps: Two astro-nauts would launch to Earth orbit,connect with another engine thatwould send them to lunar orbit.Around the moon, the crew wouldlink up with a lunar orbiter andtake a moon landing ship down tothe surface.

The company will buy exist-ing rockets and capsules for thelaunches, Stern said, only needingto develop new spacesuits and alunar lander.

Stern said he's aiming for afirst launch before the end of thedecade and then up 15 or 20launches total. Just getting to thefirst launch will cost the companybetween $7 billion and $8 billion,he said.

Besides the ticket price, Sternsaid there are other revenuesources, such as NASCAR-likeadvertising, football stadium-likenaming rights, and Olympic style

video rights.

It may be technically feasible, but it's harder to see how itis financially doable, said former NASA associate administra-tor Scott Pace, space policy director at George WashingtonUniversity. Just dealing with the issue of risk and the requiredtest launches is inordinately expensive, he said.

Company board chairman Gerry Griffin, an Apollo flightdirector who once headed the Johnson Space Center, said that'sa correct assessment: "I don't think there's any technologicalstumble here. It's going to be financial."

The company is full of space veterans; AmericanUniversity space policy professor Howard McCurdy calledthem "heavy hitters" in the field. Advisers include space shut-tle veterans, Hollywood directors, former House Speaker NewtGingrich, former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson and engi-neer-author Homer Hickam.

This undated image made available by NASA and photographed by the Expedition 28 crew aboard the International SpaceStation, shows the moon, at center with the limb of Earth near the bottom transitioning into the orange-colored troposphere,the lowest and most dense portion of the Earth's atmosphere. A team of former NASA executives are launching a privateventure to send people to the moon for $1.5 billion. The newly formed business is offering countries a two-person trip tothe moon, either for research or national prestige. The venture was announced Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2012.