Government

More than 43,000 U.S. troops found to be medically unfit were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan despite their medical conditions. These figures were based on health assessment forms completed by medical personnel before deployment, the USA Today reported on Thursday.

Bob Muller, president of Veterans For America, said, "It is a consquence of the consistent churning of our troops. They are repeatedly exposed to high-intensity combat with insufficient time at home to rest and heal before redeploying."

The Pentagon, however, does not list conditions or indicate whether they were rectified before redeployment.

According to Army spokeswoman Kim Waldron, unit commanders make the final decision about whether a soldier is deployed to a combat zone. However, doctors can recommend against deployment due to a medical issue.

Employees at the Pentagon looked over 10,000 health records to determine reasons for non-deployment decisions. Amongst the reasons were a need for eyeglasses, dental work or allergy medicine, and some mental health issues.

On Monday, May 12th, price for a first class stamp will increase to 42 cents. Forever stamps can be purchased at 41 cents at post offices to avoid the slight increase. Increases will be happening more frequently now as Congress enacted a bill that will increase postage based on the cost living.

Here is the official information from the United States Postal Service regarding the price increase.

On May 12 the Postal Service will adjust prices for its services. While the most visible change is the 1-cent increase for First-Class Mail® letters, the changes are broader and include prices that could save you real dollars when shipping packages:

Reduced Express Mail prices for items shipped to addresses closer to home.

Lower online postage prices for Express Mail and Priority Mail (domestic and international).

Volume Express Mail price rebates for frequent shippers.

Additional flat-rate box prices for Priority Mail.

The information below will help you determine just how much you can save.

One of the first 42 cent stamps released will commemorate music superstar Frank Sinatra. "Old Blue Eyes" stamp will be released on Tuesday.

The Transportation Security Administration is now permitting airlines to store the birth dates of their passengers. The people who will benefit most from this change are those who have similar names to one on a terrorist watchlist, and who are routinely confused for being a terrorist themselves.

The TSA says that by storing birth dates, the airlines will be able to more quickly verify that you are not the same person on the list.

Right now, TSA keeps two lists: a strict "no fly" list, and another list that flags passengers for special attention at airport check-in and security. Those with names that match those on terrorist watchlists are currently barred from checking in for their flights online. Instead, they must present themselves to an agent at their airport.

Canadian Martin Rooney is challenging a 1987 U.S. law which bans those with HIV from entering the United States. Rooney, from British Columbia, said that he was fingerprinted at the Washington state border and denied entrance to he US after he told an immigration official that he was on diability due to HIV.

Globally, there are just 13 countries that ban HIV-positive visitors and immigrants. That list includes the US, as well as other countries such as China, Iraq, Saudia Arabia, and Sudan. Under the US Immigration and Nationality, HIV is the only medical condition singled out as a basis for inadmissibility.

In a recent email, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) said that the restriction was ridiculous.

"This law was written when little was known about the disease and destructive stigmas often won the day. With new knowledge about the disease, we must make it clear that this discriminatory, Draconian law will no longer be tolerated."

Kerry had attached an amendment to the global AIDS relief bill which would end the practice. This month, it was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations committee, but still faces a full Senate vote before heading to the House.

American citizens won't be required to show a passport for crossing land borders until next summer, delaying the requirement by more than a year. Those traveling across borders by air or sea are already required to show passports, and the land travel requirements were supposed to have gone into effect but have been delayed several times.

The new identification document requirements as required by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, will go into effect on June 1, 2009. The departments announced the decision to push back the deadline Thursday this week.

When the new requirements go into effect, American travelers will need to show both identification and citizenship to cross back from Mexico and Canada. What this means for most people is that they'll need a passport.

The land travel requirements constitute the final step of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), that changes document rquierments for travelers who were previously exempt - including citizens of the US, Canada, and Bermuda. Travel to US territories does not require a passport.

Citizens now have approximately 14 months to sign up for a passport. Registering now as opposed to closer to the deadline may save you the hassle of longer waits.

Due to new anti-terrorism rules from the Department of Homeland Security, those paying to fish on Lake Erie will have to bring with them either a passport or two other forms of ID if planning to cross the invisible northern U.S. border. The 2008 charter season begins next month, and these new regulations threaten to damage the local charter and tourism industry.

The rules apply to the other Great Lakes as well, but its half of the best fishing in Lake Erie - the half with the deeper, colder waters - that just happens to be on the Canadian side. And according to Homeland Security, they plan on enforcing the new border security rules on fisherman re-entering the country.

Upon arriving back on US shores, fisherman will be required to drive to a local government reporting station where they will have to pose for pictures for Customs officers through a videophone connection.

Lake Erie's over 600 charter boat captains are furious, citing that the rules will not only be difficult to follow, but will also deter tourism and won't stop terrorism.

Operators wishing to continue fishing in Canadian waters will be forced to:

The American Red Cross has been paying for the treatment of 9/11 responders, but that money is set to run out in June. The federal government is now planning to pick up the slack, and are planning a new health program for those 9/11 respondents that live outside the New York area.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will fund treatment and yearly checkups for those who got sick after working at Ground Zero. Health insurers and administrators may also apply for federal funds to provide care and monitoring.

Approximately 6,000 people traveled to NYC to assist in the 9/11 recovery. To date, only about 1,700 have been examined, and just 700 treated under the Red Cross' fragmented program.

Both responders and congressional representatives have been fighting with the White House for years over how to pay for monitoring and treatment. Film maker Michael Moore highlighted the plight of 9/11 respondents in his 2007 film, "Sicko".

President Bush has now proposed a total of $25 million for the next round of funding, which is significantly less than the $158 million Congress allotted last year.

If you go to your local bank and the cashier gives you a $5 bill that looks a little strange don't worry , you probably have been given the new $5 bill that goes into circulation today. The new $5 bill is more colorful than the previous version and also is harder to counterfeit.

"The redesigned $5 bill's enhanced security features help ensure we stay ahead of counterfeiters and protect your hard-earned money," Michael Lambert, Assistant Director, Division of Reserve Bank Operations said in a press release. "It only takes a few seconds to check the new $5 bill to make sure it's genuine. If you know how to check its security features, you can easily be confident it's real."

Here are some of the key changes to the new $5 bill:

On Wednesday a federal jury in Connecticut convicted a former U.S. Navy sailor of spying and giving military secrets to suspected Islamic terrorists. Hassan Abujihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall before converting to Islam, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona in March 2007. Abujihaad will be sentenced on May 23, where he faces a maximum prison term of 25 years.

Abujihaad, 32, of Phoenix, was officially found guilty of providing material support of terrorism and disclosing previously classified information relating to national defense. The trial began February 25 at the U.S. District Court in New Haven, Connecticut.

U.S. attorne Kevin O'Connor said in a statement that the verdic demonstrates loudly and clearly "that we will seek to hold accountable anyone responsible for providng classified information to those who intend to use it in a manner against our national interests.

This verdict demonstrates loudly and clearly that we will seek to hold accountable anyone responsible for providing classified information to those who intend to use it in a manner against our national interests, U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor in a statement.

Weather conditions may force the US Navy to halt plans to launch a heat-seeking missile on a mission to shoot down a rogue US spy satellite, said the Pentagon on Wednesday. High seas in the north Pacific, and other factors are being considered as the Navy decides whether to proceeds with the mission or put it off for another day.

But according to an official at the Pentagon, it is assumed that the mission would go forth Wednesday evening, unless weather conditions are determined to be unfavorable. Early on Wednesday they were facing bad weather and rough seas, which could be a problem for the USS Lake Erie, a cruiser armed with two SM-3 missiles. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will get the final call on whether to go forth.

The Pentagon had also been waiting for the return of the space shuttle Atlantis to the Earth, before launching the missile. Atlantis landed at 9:07am EST, so that is no longer a factor holding up the mission.

The satellite is expected to have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere by February 29, which gives them a short window of opportunity to shoot it down. Once the satellite enters the atmosphere, it would be infeasible to attempt to hit it with the Navy missile.