U.S. House passes $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010
The House of Representatives passed a $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 Thursday night, capping off weeks of acrimonious partisan debate and a long day of voting marked by the defeat of several alternative plans.
Blagojevich, 5 Associates Indicted
Even before he took office six years ago, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, his brother and a circle of associates conspired to use the governor's office to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers and "honest government," a federal grand jury indictment charged Thursday.
US reconciliation offer lunatic idea, say Taliban
Taliban rejected on Wednesday a US offer of “honourable reconciliation” as a “lunatic idea” and said the withdrawal of foreign troops was the only way to end the war in Afghanistan.
U.S. Weighs Putting 70,000 Troops in Afghanistan
President Barack Obama is weighing whether to deploy 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are questioning an increased commitment and seeking specific measures of progress against the deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Obama weighing more troops for Afghan war
President Barack Obama faces a decision later this year whether to send an extra 10,000 US troops to Afghanistan, amid an escalating war against Islamist insurgents, defense officials said.
Planning the Steps to World Government
By Joan Veon
The United Nations headed up by Dr. Joseph Stiglitz is calling for the G20 to become a fully recognized Economic Security Council on par with the Security Council.
Man detained and harassed at airport for carrying CASH!
A man was detained by TSA in St. Louis for carrying cash. The man was traveling home following a Campaign For Liberty (Ron Paul) event. I thought the MIAC document was retracted? Apparently these goons didn't get the word.
To urban hunter, next meal is scampering by
When selecting the best raccoon carcass for the special holiday roast, both the connoisseur and the curious should remember this simple guideline: Look for the paw.
Obama tells Netanyahu: U.S. committed to Israel's security
U.S. President Barack Obama called newly sworn in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to congratulate him on his new position, and to reaffirm steadfast U.S. commitment to Israel and its security.
Police question Israeli FM
Israeli police questioned the new foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, for more than seven hours on Thursday on suspicion of bribery and money laundering.
US, Russia agree on nuke arms cuts
Australia's goal to rid the world of nuclear weapons moved a step closer after the United States and Russia set ambitious targets to reduce their atomic arsenals.
Former AIG chief: Bailout not working
Former AIG Chief Executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, blaming his successors for the mistakes that led to the company's failure, told Congress Thursday that the government's plan to unwind the giant insurer is not working and threatens its ability to pay back the billions it has received in taxpayer funds.
Deep Solar Minimum
The sunspot cycle is behaving a little like the stock market. Just when you think it has hit bottom, it goes even lower.
G-20 to give $1 trillion to IMF, World Bank
G-20 leaders hoping to end the global economic crisis pledged an additional $1.1 trillion in financing Thursday to the International Monetary Fund and other global institutions and declared a crackdown on tax havens and hedge funds.
FASB Eases Fair-Value Rules Amid Lawmaker Pressure
The Financial Accounting Standards Board, pressured by U.S. lawmakers and financial companies, voted to relax fair-value rules that Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. say don’t work when markets are inactive.
The changes to so-called mark-to-market accounting allow companies to use “significant” judgment when gauging the price of some investments on their books, including mortgage-backed securities. Analysts say the measure may reduce banks’ writedowns and boost their first-quarter net income by 20 percent or more.
U.S. Economy: Jobless Claims Climb to Highest Level Since 1982
The number of Americans seeking jobless benefits last week climbed to the highest level in 26 years, providing a reminder that unemployment will keep mounting long after the economy stabilizes.
Water wars leave northern Colorado farmers dry
Many farmers in this northern Colorado plains region are struggling to keep their crops irrigated and stay afloat as they find themselves on the wrong side of state water rules dating back to the 19th century.
Lieberman and Wiping Countries off the face of the Map
By Juan Cole
The world has had a lot of fun laughing at the pronouncements of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who stands falsely accused of threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the map. But Ahmadinejad has protested that it would be wrong to kill large numbers of civilians.
Mexico's president given George Orwell's 1984 by the Queen
At Buckingham Palace, Felipe Calderon was presented with a first edition of George Orwell's nightmarish book, which tells of a totalitarian regime and coined the concept Big Brother.
Traders Bet on Number of G20 Demonstrators, Arrested, Injured or Killed
At Coq D'Argent, the restaurant atop the distinctive salmon coloured building at Number One Poultry, adjacent to Bank underground station, the bankers appeared slightly drunk on the excitement of the protests down below; basking in the sunshine, ordering wine and necking oysters.
Aircraft could be brought down by DIY 'E-bombs'
ELECTROMAGNETIC pulse weapons capable of frying the electronics in civil airliners can be built using information and components available on the net, warn counterterrorism analysts.
US marshals seize Madoff property
Marshals in Florida have seized the multi-million dollar Palm Beach house of disgraced US financier Bernard Madoff and his wife.
Sean O'Grady: Next stop in the crisis could be the collapse of the euro
The mighty of the G20 meeting in London are unlikely to give much thought to Mr Cowen and his artistic and economic challenges. Yet, in its own small way, Ireland and the other economic sick men of Europe could presage the most violent international currency crisis in decades; the break-up of the euro. Alarmist? Certainly. Impossible? Certainly not.
US spy agencies at sixes and sevens, report says
FIVE years after sweeping reforms, US spy agencies continue to be hobbled by turf battles, incompatible computer systems and uncertainty over legal boundaries, says a report by an internal watchdog on intelligence matters
U.S. February Factory Orders Rise More Than Forecast
Orders placed with U.S. factories rose in February for the first time in seven months, reflecting a rebound in demand for construction machinery, computers and air conditioning equipment that signals the worst of the manufacturing slump has passed.
CIA's destruction of torture videotapes leads to calls for 9/11-style commission.
The CIA has betrayed the public trust by destroying videotapes which would have been used in court to determine culpability in Abu Ghraib torture claims. What gives the CIA the right to do this, and why are there no sanctions when powerful evidence has been willfully destroyed by government officials?
Record fine for Soros 'illegal manipulation of financial markets'
The principle financier of the Democrats, the man whose early support catapulted Obama into the lead for the nomination, the man who made billions from the stock market crash that changed everything in the fall campaign (McCain was in the lead when the crisis hit), has been given a record fine by Hungarian financial authorities.
Unlikely pair on same civil liberties side
Former U.S. Reps. Bob Barr and Cynthia McKinney aren't often on the same side, but both are speaking out on potential abuse of "fusion centers," funded by the Department of Homeland Security to blend state and local law enforcement with national security aims.
UN chief: Crisis may lead to social unrest
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned that failing to act to halt the global economic crisis could lead to widespread social unrest and failed states.
Surging Further Into the Afghan Abyss
By Chris Floyd
The political class has failed us. At every level, they have failed us. Republican and Democrat, they have failed us. Liberal, conservative and centrist, they have failed us.
Ousting bailed-out U.S. bank CEOs an option: Geithner
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday he would consider forcing out chief executives of banks that receive government bailouts if they were not managing their businesses properly.
Obama says other countries need to 'pick up the pace'
President Barack Obama heads into a global economic summit on Thursday warning that the world can no longer depend on the U.S. to be the consumer-driven engine of economic growth and that other nations will have to step up and do more.
DARPA wants 'clandestine' 3D building-interior mapping kit
Pentagon bizarro-tech chiefs have issued a requirement for mysterious sensor systems which would be able to peer through concrete walls to produce a complete internal picture of a building. US Forces would use such kit for "overseas urban building interior awareness".
Will Mexico's drug war lead to tighter gun control laws in U.S.?
Hunters, target shooters and general gun owners: Try to imagine living in a country that has only one gun store. It's run by the army, and buyers, who often wait months before receiving a permit, have to prove first that they make an honest living.
TSA Union Wants Bargaining Rights
Border Patrol agents can do it. So can federal protective officers and U.S. Capitol Police. But Transportation Security Administration officers, who screen passengers at airports across the country, are not allowed to engage in collective bargaining.
Guantanamo 'fun' - Miss Universe
Life may be tough for its full-time residents, but for Miss Universe a day out at the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay was simply "a loooot of fun!"
2012 may bring the “perfect storm” – solar flares, systems collapse
Long scorned as “mysticism” and “parascience,” concern about the year 2012 has now surfaced in a mainstream NASA report on the potential impacts on human society of solar flares anticipated to peak in 2012.
China to Boost Yuan Swaps, Payments on Dollar Concern
China’s leaders, increasingly concerned about the nation’s $740 billion of U.S. Treasuries, are making it easier for trading partners and consumers to do business in yuan.
The People’s Bank of China has agreed to provide 650 billion yuan ($95 billion) to Argentina, Belarus, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea through so-called currency- swaps. More such arrangements are being planned so importers can avoid paying for Chinese goods with dollars, the central bank said. In Hong Kong, which has pegged the currency to its U.S. counterpart since 1983, stores from Park’n Shop supermarkets to jewelers accept yuan.
Rule change intended to ease bank crisis could make it worse
The little-known Financial Accounting Standards Board is poised to deliver Thursday a change in accounting rules that proponents say will save the banking system — and opponents warn could bring even more ruin to the U.S. economy.
Israel closes probe of Gaza incidents, denies they happened
The Israeli military announced Monday that it's closed its swift criminal investigation into two explosive allegations by its soldiers that army units intentionally killed Palestinian civilians during the recent offensive in Gaza.
Congress gives community service programs a boost
The nation's volunteer corps will expand dramatically to aid the country's poor people, spruce up its parks, help veterans and military families, and provide new programs for seniors and students under legislation the House of Representatives approved on Tuesday.
Did Holder Violate Protocol on D.C. Voting Issue?
We just can’t get enough on the question of whether D.C. residents should get a congressional vote, partly because we find those “Taxation Without Representation” license plates so, well, feisty. But the issue potentially grew more explosive with news that AG Eric Holder may have breached protocol to get an opinion on the issue that he liked.
Blackstone Rejects SEC Request for Fund Data as Fortress Agrees
Blackstone Group LP, the world’s largest private-equity firm, rebuffed a request from securities regulators to publicly disclose the performance of its buyout and hedge funds while Fortress Investment Group LLC agreed.
Masters of the Universe - Federal Reserve Fraud
The Federal Reserve, or the Fed as it is lovingly called, may be one of the most mysterious entities in modern American government. Created during Wilson's presidency to protect the economy in times of financial turmoil, its real business remains to be discovered. During the Wilson presidency, the U.S. government sanctions the creation of the Federal Reserve. Thought by many to be a government organization maintained to provide financial accountability in the event of a domestic depression, the actual business of the Fed is shrouded in secrecy. Many Americans will be shocked to discover that the principle business of the Fed is to print money from nothing, lend it to the U.S. government and charge interest on these loans. Who keeps the interest? Good question. Find out as the connective tissue between this and other top-secret international organizations is explored and exposed.
Border Patrol to install surveillance towers in Detroit
The U.S. Border Patrol is erecting 16 more video surveillance towers in Michigan and New York to help secure parts of the U.S.-Canadian border, awarding the contract to a company criticized for faulty technology with its so-called “virtual fence” along the U.S.-Mexico boundary.
Stephen Colbert Rips Apart Glenn Beck: Building His Career On 9/11
Stephen Colbert ripped apart Fox News host (and New York Times cover boy) Glenn Beck Tuesday night, mocking his 9-12 project, meant to conjure the spirit of compassion and camaraderie Americans felt on September 12, 2001.
Two Balkan countries officially join NATO
Albania and Croatia officially became NATO's newest members on Wednesday, bringing the number of countries in the military alliance to 28.
Finally, Talking the Lobby’s Role in America
By Karin Friedemann
Most Americans would prefer to keep their lights on than to personally finance Israel’s existence. It finally seems acceptable, even within polite circles, to discuss the role of the Israeli Lobby on US foreign policy. AIPAC’s recent success in deposing the almost National Security Chief Chas Freeman stimulated much free thought worldwide.
Israel planned to kill Erdogan: Report
Turkish media sources detail information implicating the Israeli Mossad in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Cities and States Plan Strange New Taxes on Pretty Much Everything
The government is having a hard time making do with the meager trillions you're throwing their way, so they're pressing some controversial new customs to buy their way out. Here's a look at some of the more egregious new taxes you're sure to be seeing soon.
US road privatization may hurt states -report
U.S. states considering road privatization as a way to close budget deficits risk losing billions of dollars in long-term toll revenue while ceding too much control to shareholder-focused private investors, a report said on Wednesday.
DID CHENEY ASSASSINATION RING TARGET PAT TILLMAN ?
With Seymour Hersh's revelation of an executive assassination ring that reported directly to Dick Cheney now confirmed by former Cheney aide John Hannah ~ it's time to re-open the investigation of Pat Tillman's questionable death by friendly fire which was stonewalled by both the Bush administration and the Pentagon generals
9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas
Just nine people accounted for nearly 2,700 of the emergency room visits in the Austin area during the past six years at a cost of $3 million to taxpayers and others, according to a report. The patients went to hospital emergency rooms 2,678 times from 2003 through 2008, said the report from the nonprofit Integrated Care Collaboration, a group of health care providers who care for low-income and uninsured patients.
Scientists worldwide admit global warming is a hoax
In an unprecedented move Wednesday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee rescinded the Peace Prize it awarded in 2007 to former US vice president Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, amid overwhelming evidence that global warming is an elaborate hoax cooked up by Mr. Gore.
ACLU Urges Obama Administration To Turn Over Torture Documents
In advance of a looming deadline in long-running Freedom of Information Act litigation, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the government to immediately release Bush-era legal memos that authorized the torture of prisoners in CIA custody.
Hersh: Cheney ‘Left A Stay Behind’ In Obama’s Government, Can ‘Still Control Policy Up To A Point’
n an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air yesterday, host Terry Gross asked investigative journalist Seymour Hersh if, as he continues to investigate the Bush administration, “more people” were “coming forward” to talk to him now that “the president and vice president are no longer in power.” Hersh replied that though “a lot of people that had told me in the last year of Bush, ‘call me next, next February,’ not many people had talked to him. He implied that they were still scared of Cheney.
North Korea is fueling rocket, U.S. military says
The fueling signals that the country could be in the final stages of what North Korea has said will be the launch of a satellite into space as early as this weekend, the senior U.S. military official said Wednesday.
PM: We may be forced to attack Iran
The primary imperative for the United States and President Barack Obama is to put an end to Iran's nuclear race, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said before his swearing-in Tuesday, adding that if the US failed to do so Israel might be forced to resort to a military strike on the Islamic Republic's nuclear installations.
Obama admits: Attack on US soil likely
President Barack Obama admits that al-Qaeda network is planning fresh raids on the United States from the militants' safe havens in Pakistan.
All charges against Sen. Ted Stevens are dropped
The Justice Department is dropping all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens, the 85-year-old Alaska Republican convicted of lying on Senate financial disclosure forms to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and home renovations from a businessman, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder said today.
Indict Bush not Bashir, Chavez says at Arab summit
"The recent indictment against the Sudanese president Bashir is one of these ridiculous cases. It's a farce," President Hugo Chavez said at a summit of Arab and South American countries in Qatar.
G20: Gordon Brown woos China with offer of greater voting powers
Gordon Brown will enter talks with China today to see if it would be willing to commit extra funds to fighting a world recession in return for greater voting powers on multilateral institutions, including the IMF and World Bank.
Growth to slow down hitting hard the poor countries
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the developing world will slow to a projected 2.1 per cent in 2009 from 5.8 per cent in 2008, according to World Bank (WB) estimates released Tuesday.
Ruling Favors Franken in Minnesota Senate Contest
The election was more than 20 weeks ago. The trial contesting its results lasted seven weeks. And a three-judge panel appointed by the state Supreme Court spent two-plus weeks wrestling with a decision.
Another Obama nominee admits errors, pays $7,000 in back taxes
Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding "unintentional errors" _ the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee. The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that the administration released. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.
Deadly US Drone Attack On Taliban Hideout
Twelve people died after a US drone fired on an alleged hideout linked to a Pakistani Taliban leader who threatened Washington, a security officials have said.
G-20 protesters break into Royal Bank of Scotland
G-20 protesters clashed with riot police in downtown London on Wednesday, breaking into the heavily guarded Royal Bank of Scotland and smashing its windows. Earlier, they tried to storm the Bank of England and pelted police with eggs and fruit.
Senate Legislation Would Federalize Cybersecurity
Key lawmakers are pushing to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, crafting proposals that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time.
Nightmare on Wall Street
By Lila Rajiva
The furor over the AIG rescue and the possibility that American banks might be nationalized have turned March into a financial horror film: Zombies on the street, empty vaults, tentacled monsters, and cryptic pronouncements from a parallel universe. It deserves rewinding and deconstruction, episode by episode.
Destination Collapse
By Michael S. Rozeff
The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve (FED) are pursuing reckless policies. The scale of their budget and financial mismanagement is so large that they will almost surely cause social and economic discontinuities unless they are slowed, halted, or impeded by factors that counteract them.
ADP Says U.S. Companies Reduced Payrolls by 742,000
Companies in the U.S. cut an estimated 742,000 workers in March, pointing to no relief in sight for the labor market amid the longest recession in seven decades, a private report based on payroll data showed today.
U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index Contracts for 14th Month
Manufacturing in the U.S. contracted for a 14th straight month in March as factories kept on cutting production amid the economic downturn that this month becomes the longest since the Great Depression.
Dozens of Israeli Aircraft Involved in Sudan Attack
Israeli security officials today confirmed that dozens of aircraft, fighter-bombers and drones, were involved in the January attack against a truck convoy in Sudan, which killed at least 39 people and destroyed dozens of trucks allegedly loaded down with weapons.
AIG crisis could be the tip of an insurance iceberg
The company's situation reflects problems throughout the life insurance industry as investments suffer. Further strain could bring about a second financial crisis.
Bank losses spreading
By Jerry Mazza
Last Friday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reported that for the first time in history commercial US banks have suffered a $3.4 billion quarterly loss in a giant sector that they thought, until now, was solid: that is, bets on interest rates. The loss was more than seven times worse than their previous quarterly loss in that category. Chavez to seek Arab backing for 'petro-currency'
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in the Middle East seeking support for his idea of a new oil-backed currency to challenge the US dollar.
US Used by Afghan Drug Clan to Take Out Rival
A "high-ranking" member of al-Qaida was seized during a recent US mission in Afghanistan which left five people dead. But the Americans were set up: The tip-off as to his location came from a drug clan who wanted to get rid of a rival.
CCTV Network to be Shut Down During G20 Summit
The security operation at this week's G20 summit was thrown into chaos last night when it emerged that the entire network of central London's wireless CCTV cameras will have to be turned off because of a legal ruling.
Financial Rescue Approaches GDP as U.S. Pledges $12.8 Trillion
The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or guaranteed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year, to stem the longest recession since the 1930s.
High stakes debut looms for Obama at G20 summit
President Barack Obama heads to Europe on Tuesday with a hefty agenda for tackling the economic crisis and seeking support for his new Afghanistan strategy on a trip that will test his global leadership.
Former Cheney Aide Suggests That Hersh’s Account Of ‘Executive Assassination Ring’ Is ‘Certainly True’
Last month, The New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh revealed in Minnesota that former vice president Cheney presided over an “executive assassination ring.” “Under President Bush’s authority, they’ve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving,” Hersh explained.
Claim: U.S. voters don't blame Obama for economy
U.S. President Barack Obama benefits from a broadly held perception that others bear the bulk of responsibility for state of the U.S. economy, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll published on Tuesday.
Top Bush advisor denounces Spanish torture probe
A former top US government advisor who faces possible indictment in Spain for his role in establishing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp described the case against him as "outrageous."
Does Wagoner's Fate Signal Obama Power Grab?
By Larry Kudlow
CEO Rick Wagoner Sunday afternoon, just a short time after Treasury man Tim Geithner told the television talk shows that some banks will need large amounts of new TARP-money government assistance even though the bankers don’t want it. Does this smack of big-time government planning and industrial policy? Another lurch to the left for economic policy?
World Bank and OECD Warn of Jobless Jump
The World Bank and OECD cut their economic outlooks for emerging and rich nations and warned surging unemployment may deal another blow to the global economy.
Russia, China cooperate on new currency proposals
Russia and China are coordinating proposals on a new global currency that could replace the US dollar as a reserve currency to prevent a repeat of the global economic crisis, the Kremlin said on Monday.
End the War on Drugs
By Ron Paul
We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials. Hoax bomb alerts bring Belfast to standstill
Dissident republicans are being blamed for a series of security alerts which brought parts of Northern Ireland to a standstill yesterday.
Mexico's Fox touts EU-like integration for the Americas
Fox also delivered a message of hope — hope that someday Canada, the United States and Mexico, indeed the rest of Latin America, would function like the European Union.
Useful Idiots in Modern America
Failing to see that the financial elite are controlling the agenda of both parties is a form of useful idiocy.
Mints coin it as consumers scramble for gold
In the heart of Vienna in a Biedermeier building commissioned by Emperor Franz I, a man wearing a khaki uniform and beret exchanges a wad of euro notes across the counter for a few sparkling gold coins.
Honda connects brain thoughts with robotics
Opening a car boot or controlling a home air-conditioner could become just a wish away with Honda’s new technology that connects thoughts inside a brain with robotics.
GM CEO gets $23 million estimated pension
Former General Motors Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner won't get a severance payment from the automaker, but he'll still get a pension and other benefits worth an estimated $23 million.
US warships creep into N. Korea backyard
Japan, South Korea and the US move warships into offensive positions as tensions rise over North Korean plans to test a ballistic missile.
