News Desk: Indian rupee declined to 54.30, over four-month low against US dollar. The level was last seen on December 29 Server 2003 Key, 2011. As the domestic currency has been recorded low since past months, the Reserve Bank of India seems to intervene.

The rupee had closed at 52.96/97 on Wednesday. The fall in the domestic currency occurred due to India’s policy uncertainty and poor economy, experts said.

“INR looks increasingly helpless in the face of large trade deficit and recent outflows of foreign equity and bond capital,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk Microsoft Windows 7 Key, senior economist and strategist at Credit Agricole CIB. “In the short run don’t catch the falling knife Microsoft Windows 7 Key,” he added. “Wait for the RBI measures before jumping in”, he said on Thursday.

The finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to introduce a bill in the Parliament that may have contained amendments to the current policies.  The investors are also expecting amendments to dominate the foreign market.

View full size Rep. Kerry Rich replica watches, R-Albertville replica watches, said he also opposes the county being divided among five House districts replica watches, but said the county will have to be split into at least three House districts because of its population growth. (The Huntsville Times/File photo)

GUNTERSVILLE, Alabama – The Marshall County Commission unanimously adopted a resolution Monday opposing a proposed legislative redistricting plan that would slice the county into five House districts, The Sand Mountain Reporter reported.

The resolution said the proposed plan would “minimize the voices” of county residents with their respective representative, the newspaper reported. Commission Chairman James Hutcheson said the plan would “dilute” the commission’s ability to get things done, the paper said.

Rep. Kerry Rich, R-Albertville, who is one of two House members currently from Marshall County, said he also opposes the county being divided among five House districts, but said the county will have to be split into at least three House districts because of its population growth, the paper said.

(Image Credit: AP Photos)

ABC News’ Michael Falcone reports:

The Obama campaign opened up a new line of attack on Mitt Romney Friday Top Tattoo Machine, suggesting that as commander-in-chief Romney might not have made the same decision to order an attack by U.S. forces to kill terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden that President Obama did.

In a new web video titled “One Chance,” the Obama team features former President Bill Clinton praising Obama for deciding to launch the strike last year. “Why path would Mitt Romney have taken?” the clip asks.

But four years ago this April, the Obama campaign criticized Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for using Osama bin Laden in a political ad.

On the eve of the 2008 Pennsylvania primary, Clinton’s campaign released a television commercial featuring an image of bin Laden and invoking President Harry S. Truman’s quote: “If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.”

The ad never mentioned Obama by name, but it was part of the Clinton campaign’s effort to brand the Illinois Senator as inexperienced, especially in the foreign policy arena.

“Who do you think has what it takes?” the ad’s narrator says as an image of Clinton flashes on the screen. (The ad showed a brief clip of bin Laden as well as images of Pearl Harbor Eyebrow tattoo supply, the 1920′s stock market crash, Fidel Castro, the fall of the Berlin Wall). “You need to be ready for anything, especially now.”

The Obama campaign spokesman, Bill Burton, accused the Clinton team of playing “the politics of fear” just like George W. Bush.

Burton, now the head of the Democratic super PAC Tattoo Gun Tattoos, Priorities USA, said at the time: “When Senator Clinton voted with President Bush to authorize the war in Iraq, she made a tragically bad decision that diverted our military from the terrorists who attacked us, and allowed Osama bin Laden to escape and regenerate his terrorist network. It’s ironic that she would borrow the President’s tactics in her own campaign and invoke bin Laden to score political points. We already have a President who plays the politics of fear, and we don’t need another.

As backup,  the Obama campaign also circulated a 2004 quote from former President Bill Clinton, saying:

“Now one of Clinton’s Laws of Politics is this: If one candidate’s trying to scare you and the other one’s trying to get you to think; if one candidate’s appealing to your fears and the other one’s appealing to your hopes, you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope. That’s the best.”

Here’s the 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign ad featuring an image of Osama bin Laden:

FILE – This image provided by Keith R. Judd shows the federal prisoner Keith Russell Judd, 49, at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Beaumont, Texas in this March 15, 2008 file photo. Just how unpopular is President Barack Obama in some parts of the country? Enough that Keith R. Judd in prison in Texas got 4 out of 10 votes in West Virginia's Democratic presidential primary.  (AP Photo/ The Beaumont Enterprise courtesy of Keith R. Judd)

West Virginia – Just how unpopular is President Barack Obama in some parts of the country? Enough that a man in prison in Texas got 4 out of 10 votes in West Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary.

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The inmate, Keith Judd, is serving time at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas for making threats at the University of New Mexico in 1999. Obama received 59 percent of the vote to Judd’s 41 percent.

For some West Virginia Democrats Tattoo Machines Supplies, simply running against Obama is enough to get Judd votes.

“I voted against Obama Starbrite Tattoo Ink,” said Ronnie Brown, a 43-year-old electrician from Cross Lanes who called himself a conservative Democrat. “I don’t like him. He didn’t carry the state before and I’m not going to let him carry it again.”

When asked which presidential candidate he voted for, Brown said, “That guy out of Texas.”

Judd was able to get on the state ballot by paying a $2,500 fee and filing a form known as a notarized certification of announcement, said Jake Glance, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office.

Attracting at least 15 percent of the vote would normally qualify a candidate for a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. But state Democratic Party Executive Director Derek Scarbro said no one has filed to be a delegate for Judd. The state party also believes that Judd has failed to file paperwork required of presidential candidates, but officials continue to research the matter, Scarbro said.

Voters in other conservative states showed their displeasure with Obama in Democratic primaries last March.

In Oklahoma, anti-abortion protestor Randall Terry got 18 percent of the primary vote. A lawyer from Tennessee, John Wolfe, pulled nearly 18,000 votes in the Louisiana primary. In Alabama, 18 percent of Democratic voters chose “uncommitted” in the primary rather than vote for Obama.

Obama’s energy policies and the Environmental Protection Agency’s handling of mining-related permits have incurred the wrath of West Virginia’s coal industry. With the state the nation’s second-biggest producer of this fossil fuel, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Sen. Joe Manchin -both Democrats have championed the industry – have declined to say whether they will support Obama in November.

Hillary Rodham Clinton beat Obama handily in the state’s 2008 primary, and he lost the state to Republican John McCain in the general election. The latest state-by-state Gallup poll, released in January, found Obama with a 32.7 percent approval rating in West Virginia. The president had a lower approval rating only in Utah Tattoo Ink Sets, Idaho, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

“Keith Judd’s performance is embarrassing for Obama and our great state,” outgoing West Virginia GOP Chairman Mike Stuart said.

Presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney won West Virginia’s GOP primary Tuesday with more than 69 percent of the vote, with 93 percent of precincts reporting. Rick Santorum followed with 12 percent, while Ron Paul had 11 percent.

Brown, the Cross Lanes electrician, went to the polls Tuesday with his 22-year-old daughter, Emily. She planned to vote for Judd too until she found out where Judd has been living.

“I’m not voting for somebody who’s in prison,” she said.

She was certain about one thing: “I just want to vote against Barack Obama.”

Chris Hall, senior vice president for government relations, Portland Regional Chamber

Editor’s note: This report is compiled weekly for members of the Portland Regional Chamber. It provides a breakdown of recent news around state policy, as well as a heads-up on coming events. The Bangor Daily News is publishing this report in cooperation with the PRC.

PRC speaks out

The governor’s line-item veto of additional state funding for municipal general assistance may have rejected the Legislature’s bipartisan compromise on the issue, but it settled nothing. Neither did the decision last week by Republican legislators to not vote on the veto. Here’s why:

General assistance funding will be back before lawmakers when they return to the State House on May 15th. Appropriations Committee Chair Richard Rosen said it’s fair to assume legislators will once again put forward their original bipartisan general assistance funding proposal with little or no change ( PPH). So the issue will remain in play, and nothing is decided — yet.

Speaker Bob Nutting and Senate President Kevin Raye both said they hope to see a compromise that no one will love, but everyone can live with. See below for all the coverage and comment, and stay tuned for reports on discussions leading up to the May 15th legislative session.

Our next Policy Update will be out in two weeks on May 7th and we’ll have a full recap of the legislative session next month when lawmakers finally adjourn after their May 15th session.

In the meantime the Portland region has many things left to do after state policymakers hit the campaign trail:

Standards-based high school diplomas won’t just happen – the schools in our region will need business community support to make the new policy work.
Welfare reform is coming, and we need to get ahead of it in our communities and in the region.
The Portland region’s economic future depends on coordinating local, regional and state policies now and in the future. Jobs are still the number one priority.

At the Portland Regional Chamber we’ll be working on these issues, and many others, as we head into the spring and summer. If you want to be a part of the discussion, all you need to do is let me know.

State Policy round-up: Odds and ends from the State House include two more domestic violence bills signed ( PPH), coverage of new disclosure requirements for legislators ( BDN) Discount Christian Audigier Clothes, Tom Cox’s take on LD 145’s veto and David Farmer’s fond reflections on Dick Barringer’s career.

Elsewhere:

Budget: Much to everyone’s surprise, the day after the Legislature recessed Gov. LePage used his constitutional power to line item veto two spending items in the most recent supplemental budget ( LD 1903) – additional state funding for municipal general assistance and disproportionate share funding of mental illness services ( BDN, MPBN, PPH).

A few days later Republican legislators decided not to return to the state house to vote on the Governor’s vetoes, allowing the vetoes to stand by default ( PPH, BDN, BDN editors, PPH editors). Fallout from the decision produced a predictable partisan reaction ( PPH, BDN, LSJ, MPBN). Press requests for the names of Republicans who voted not to return met with mixed results ( BDN).

Comment on the Governor’s action included editorials from the PPH, BDN and the Maine Wire, radio interviews on WGAN with Speaker Bob Nutting, Senate President Kevin Raye, House Minority Leader Emily Cain, and Senate Minority Leader Barry Hobbins, reaction from the Mayors’ Coalition on Jobs and Economic Development ( LSJ, PDS) and columns from Matt Gagnon and Doug Rooks. The Governor responded to the mayors, who in turn fired back ( BDN).

The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is back to work this week on all remaining issues before them ( agendas) – Eric Russell at the BDN set the table for this week’s work. On a welcome note it appears that state revenues continue to strengthen ( LSJ, MPBN).

Bonds: The Appropriations Committee has scheduled this Wednesday for work on all remaining bond proposals ( agenda) – whether a bond package makes it to the ballot this year remains up in the air with the Governor saying a balanced budget must come first ( BDN).
Economic Development: Mike Aube reflected on Maine’s economic development strategies.
Education: Chris Cousins reported in the BDN on how Maine’s 4th grade reading scores have fallen while education funding has risen – the BDN editors commented.
Energy: Doug Rooks looked at the future of Maine’s wind power industry ( MaineBiz). The Maine Public Advocate took steps to become a member of the New England Power Pool ( BDN). The PPH’s Tux Turkel looked at waste to energy policies in Maine.
Environmental: The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards were given out last week ( BDN). A land conservation bond may not be in the cards this year ( BDN).
Health Care: Last year’s biennial state budget placed a 5-year waiting period on legal non-citizens to receive MaineCare benefits. A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of that move was filed last week ( BDN, PPH, MPBN). With Maine now boasting the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rate in the nation for methadone treatment, clinics are reducing services and struggling to remain open ( BDN). DHHS is lagging in the provision of residential services to people with intellectual disabilities ( BDN).
Labor: The Governor held a signing ceremony for three ‘pro-business’ bills: LD 1314 (re-defining the term ‘independent contractor’), LD 1725 (tightening benefits for unemployment insurance and increasing UI fraud prevention) and LD 1913 (making several changes in Maine’s workers comp laws) ( PPH). Labor Commissioner Bob Winglass is already hard at work on implementing LD 1725 and rooting out UI fraud ( BDN). Joe Edwards discussed the workers comp reforms on WGAN.
Regulatory Reform: Rep. Andre Cushing is seeking a compromise on LD 1810, the bill that would establish new ‘regulatory takings’ compensation for landowners. The bill remains stalled in the state house ( PPH).
Small Business: Sunday was “ Record Store Day’ – another example of small businesses working together to support each other and their customers. And the national event started right here in Maine ( BDN, PPH).
Taxation: A group called Maine Taxpayers United is collecting signature in an effort to bring TABOR III to the ballot ( PPH, MPBN). The Governor had pointed remarks about tax policy, the legislature and the budget at the group’s rally last week in Lewiston ( LSJ). The LSJ editors took another poke at tax incentives in Maine, and at the Tree Growth law, and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council reported that Maine has the 5th worst business tax climate in the nation ( BDN).
Transportation: Randy Billings at MaineBiz took a look at the history and future prospects of the proposed East/West highway.

What’s happening this week at the State House: Not too much. But you can still find the entire state house schedule right here. As noted above, the Appropriations Committee resumes meetings this week.

Around the Region:

Cape Elizabeth & South Portland: In Cape Elizabeth the Council is nearing a decision on plans for the Town Library ( PPH).

In South Portland the future of the farmers’ market is in doubt ( Current).

Cumberland and Falmouth: In Cumberland the SAD 51 school budget is poised to increase ( Forecaster).

In Falmouth a public hearing on the proposed municipal and school budgets drew little comment ( Forecaster).

Portland: Tonight the Council will get the proposed school budget ( PDS Discount Karen Millen Dresses, Forecaster, PPH) – it’s expected the Council will ask for spending reductions ( PPH). Elsewhere:

160 applications for the Portland School Superintendent’s position were received ( PPH, BDN, Forecaster);
Planning for the implementation of Nellie Mae’s grant to the Portland School system continues next week with two forums ( Forecaster); and
For the latest check out Chris O’Neil’s Inside City Hall. Chris serves as a consultant to the Portland Community Chamber, working closely with members and staff to represent the Chamber before Portland City officials. Inside City Hall covers a host of Portland related issues. It’s something that everyone with an interest in Portland affairs will want to read.

Scarborough: A dispute broke out on the Council over new pesticide application regulations ( Current), which were subsequently invalidated ( Current).

Westbrook and Gorham: In Westbrook the Council is ready to receive the school budget ( Current), and a report on updates to the City’s comprehensive plan is set for tonight ( Current).

In Gorham you can keep up with the entire municipal calendar by visiting the Town’s excellent website.

Want to speak out? It’s easy to do, and believe it or not, it can really work. Notice that all the legislative committees mentioned above are linked – just click on them and you’ll get emails, phone numbers and everything you need to make your voice heard in the state house. If you need help, just email me!

Feedback: So what do you think? We’d love to have your thoughts on anything you’ve read here, or on other topics that are important to you. The more you talk to us, the better we’ll represent your views. Send an email if you’d like to share your feedback with me – and thank you!

Chris Hall is senior vice president for government relations at the Portland Regional Chamber. He can be contacted at chall@portlandregion.com. Partners for Progress Policy Updates are supported by contributions from Partners for Progress.

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon race car gets rendered – Click above to view high-res image gallery

Like us, reader Tristan Hipps is a fan of the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. After perusing the recently-released images of the CTS-V Coupe race car Tattoo Supplies, Hipps decided that he wanted to see what a wagon version might look like. I think we can all agree that it looks damn sexy…

Hipps stated that he “just tweaked the photos” of the CTS-V coupe to produce his vision of the Sport Wagon racer. If we tried that, we ‘d probably end up with something resembling a Pontiac Aztek.

Click through the gallery below for two angles on Hipps’ design Tattoo Supplies, each set done with and without a rear spoiler.

Related GalleryCadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon race car

[Source: Hipps Design]

Why does Iran import gasoline?

Two weeks ago, Iran’s parliament approved legislation aimed at controlling the ballooning cost of the country’s gasoline imports by getting Iranians to drive less. This may seem odd, given that Iran has the world’s third-largest oil reserves and used to give gasoline away for pennies per gallon. Why are they now importing fuel?

The country’s aging and inefficient refineries can’t meet its swelling demand for gasoline. Iran may be brimming with crude oil, but it can’t convert enough of the raw product into refined fuels like diesel, kerosene, or gasoline. International sanctions and political pressure from the United States and other countries have discouraged multinational energy companies from making large-scale investments in Iran’s infrastructure. Meanwhile Replica Bandage dresses, Iranian domestic energy policy—including heavy subsidies for gasoline—has encouraged waste and increased domestic demand.

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Refineries don’t come cheap: In the United States, it can cost billions of dollars to set up a brand-new facility. Iran might be able to put one together for less, given its more relaxed environmental regulations. But the Iranians would still need to make a huge investment to offset their high demand for gasoline and reduce the need for imports. Other countries draw development money from energy companies in exchange for market access. But many companies have shied away from making such deals with Iran. They face direct sanctions from the United States and United Nations Buy Marc Jacobs Dresses, as well as political pressure discouraging involvement. More generally DKNY Clothing sale, Iran is known for a restrictive, bureaucratic business environment that can scare off investment.

Demand for gasoline is artificially high in Iran, due in part to domestic subsidies. The government has for years used the profits from oil exports to provide gasoline to its people for as little as 12 cents per gallon—less than one-third of what it costs to make it. The subsidized gas prices led to increased dependency on automobiles, and consumption increased by more than 10 percent per year in the early 2000s.

Smuggling exacerbated the problem. Given the cheap price of gasoline Discount Bandage dresses, Iranians found it profitable to buy fuel in their home country and sneak it into neighboring states like Pakistan, Turkey, and Afghanistan Discount White Herve leger, where it commanded higher prices on resale. With the supply dwindling, the country was left with the choice of trying to produce more gasoline—at a loss, given its heavy subsidies—or facing major shortages and the need for imports.

Tehran’s response, earlier this year, was to ration gasoline and reduce subsidies. Needless to say DKNY Clothes sale, Iranians accustomed to free-flowing gasoline at 12 cents per gallon weren’t amused by higher prices and long lines at the pump. The policy change prompted violence against gas stations, further limiting supply. Now, even with reduced subsidies, Iran still sells gasoline for about 40 cents per gallon, less than one-third what it sells for in neighboring Iraq. Not surprisingly, a thriving black market has popped up across that border, too. This undermines the government’s rationing efforts, and overall Iranian consumption remains high, spelling a need for continued imports.

Got a question about today’s news? Ask the Explainer.

F1 drivers typically have a shelf life shorter than what you otherwise might call a career. As the constant stream of new, young drivers usurps existing F1 seats, you’re left with a wealth of talent available to contest other forms of motorsport. That’s how you end up with former grand prix pilots in other series like IndyCar, DTM and even ice racing. Then there’s Le Mans.

Every year the most famous of endurance races packs its grid with rejects from the Formula One circus, and 2012 is no exception Marc Jacobs Dresses sale, particularly with Toyota launching a works effort out of the German facility that used to house its F1 team. Toyota has already confirmed that the first of its TS030 Hybrid LMP1 racers will be driven by former F1 drivers Alex Wurz and Kazuki Nakajima (along with Nicolas Lapierre), and has now announced that Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi are on the roster for the second car.

Davidson is an established F1 test driver Cheap Missoni Dresses, having worked for the team known successively as BAR, Honda Cheap Herve leger strapless, Brawn and Mercedes. He’s also driven a handful of grands prix for Super Aguri and Minardi, and contested Le Mans and related series for Aston Martin Racing and Peugeot Sport Buy DKNY Dresses, including a win at Sebring.

Buemi drove the last three F1 seasons for Scuderia Toro Rosso until being cut this year. He’ll combine his endurance racing debut with his test driver role at Red Bull Racing.

They’ll be joined by Hiroaki Ishiura Discount Marc Jacobs Dresses, who has driven for Toyota teams in Super GT and the Nürburgring 24 before helping roll out the new TS030. We’ll be watching to see how they do against the returning champions at Audi Herve Leger sale, but for now you can follow the jump to dive into the full press release and check out the updated image gallery above.

Click above to view video after the jump Herve Leger sale

Wasn’t it just a couple of years ago that the American Family Association was boycotting Ford for marketing in gay-centric publications? Fast forward to today and see just how much things have changed. Last month Herve leger strapless sale, Chevrolet sponsored an event in Los Angeles called Gay Day at the Movies to promote the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Michael Bay’s latest opus Buy Chloe Dresses, of course Replica Herve Leger gown, features a bunch of General Motors vehicles Buy Marc Jacobs Dresses, not the least of which is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro that plays the leading role of Bumblebee.

A video was produced to promote Gay Day at the Movies featuring a pair of “Bumblebee Boys” in Camaro-branded briefs washing the Bowtie brand’s pony car revival. The cheeky (pardon the pun) video is clearly targeted at the gay community and uses beefcake car washers to that effect in a not-so-subtle way.

Will Chevy or GM see a backlash from being associated with this video? Who knows, but the video isn’t exactly being shown in primetime on NBC. For the moment, it lives solely on YouTube with a gajillion other vids – and one would have to actively search to find it.

Follow the jump to watch the video for yourself Chanel Dresses sale, and please remember to be respectful in the comments.

UPDATE: The video has been removed from YouTube by the user. We’re searching to find it again on the interwebs.

Related GalleryFirst Drive: 2010 Chevy Camaro
[Source: USA Today via Huffington Post]

When we were 21 Replica Bvlgari Watches for sale, we were happy to ditch the fake ID and score cheaper insurance rates. Life’s a little different for Dhiaa Al-Essa Fake Baume & Mercier Watches for sale, a 21-year-old Saudi who owns a fleet of exotics that’d turn the average enthusiast’s knees into Jell-O.

His 30-car (not a typo) garage includes enough Italians Replica Hermes Watches, Brits and Germans to re-enact World War II. The current stable includes four Ferraris, five Porsches, three Lamborghinis Fake Jaeger LeCoultre Watches, two Rolls-Royces and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which Al-Essa counts as his personal favorite. To wring maximum enjoyment out of his exotic empire, young Dhiaa spent this summer flying his fleet around the globe so that he and his friends could create their own driving tours in cities such as London, Montreal Fake BMW Watches, Las Vegas and New York.

How is a young man like Mr. Al-Essa able to afford such amazing machinery? Well Best place to buy Replica Oris Watches, he can’t. His father just happens to be a billionaire who enjoys spending money on a cost-is-no-object basis for his son. To prove this point, Dihaa’s father plans to hand him the keys to two more otherworldly vehicles. On his 22nd birthday, Dihaa will become the proud owner of a Koenigsegg Agera, which comes with a golden key. It’s like the Willy Wonka of supercars. After the Agera, a Bugatti Veyron will join the family. The price for both cars? Around one Corvette Z06 under $5 million.

Sadly, Al-Essa’s new Ferrari 458 Italia was recently lost to fire while housed at Heathrow Airport. Is he crying about it? Nope. He reportedly plans to replace it with one of the Ferrari 599 Roadster models rumored to have been shown at Pebble Beach last month. Thanks for the tip, dood!

Image Copyright © 2008 Alex Núñez / AOL
[Source: Metro.co.uk]