Pentagon plans blimp to spy from new heights
The Pentagon said Thursday that it intends to spend $400 million to develop a giant dirigible that will float 65,000 feet above the Earth for 10 years, providing unblinking and intricate radar surveillance of the vehicles, planes and even people below.
U.S. opposes torture lawsuit
The Obama Administration, taking its first position in a federal court on claims of torture of Guantanamo Bay detainees, urged the D.C. Circuit Court on Thursday to reject a lawsuit by four Britons formerly held there. In addition, the new filing argued that a recent appeals court ruling makes clear that “aliens held at Guantanamo do not have due process rights.”
Moreover, the document called for a sweeping ban on lawsuits against U.S. military officials, claiming constitutional violations by such officials. Allowing such lawsuits “for actions taken with respect to aliens during wartime,” it said, “would enmesh the courts in military, national security, and foreign affairs matters that are the exclusive province of the political branches.”
Endless pursuit of John Demjanjuk is too much
Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk is going to be 89 years old on April 3 and is accused of serving as a guard at the Sobibor Nazi concentration camp. This story is boring.
Demjanjuk has become a kind of shuttlecock in legal efforts for his conviction. But it seems to be a wild-goose chase. In 1981, he was stripped of his U.S. citizenship and later extradited to Israel and tried there. Israel's Supreme Court overturned his conviction. It's amazing that we still remain immersed in the barrage of old tales and a doctrine of revenge. Now he is being transported to Germany to be tried there again.
The Cause of Poverty
By Jacob G. Hornberger
It is the dead hand of the state that is the cause of poverty. Or to be more precise, it is massive government involvement in economic activity that prevents or inhibits a society from becoming wealthy.
Bernard Madoff and the Democratic Party scandal
It looks like longtime Democratic Party supporter Bernard Madoff will spend the rest of his life in prison. In a country with an unbiased, watchdog press corps, the Bernie Madoff scandal would have Democrat pols in Washington shaking in their suits, fearing hearings, as many Republicans did during the Jack Abramoff scandal.
So What Happens When We All Are Broke?
The quantity people receive will depend on their service to the state and their willingness to cooperate. Those who obey will be told where to live and what work to do. Those who dissent will be cut off and will starve or beg.
Two out of every three people who ask for FBI records under the Freedom of Information Act are told by the bureau no such documents exist _ a failure rate five times higher than at other major federal agencies, a private study finds.
Fraud found in Medicare billings
Fraud and abuse helped boost Medicare spending on home health services 44% over five years as some providers exaggerated patients' medical conditions and others billed for unnecessary services or care they did not provide, a Government Accountability Office report out today says
The GAO reviewed home care payments from 2002 to 2006, when spending reached $13 billion. The number of Medicare enrollees using in-home services rose 17% during that period to 2.8 million.
Illinois Income Tax May Jump 50 Percent
Gov. Pat Quinn confirmed Friday that he plans to raise taxes on some Illinois residents to combat deficits in a difficult state budget, and called for broader tax reform
Individualism and Self Defense
By Michael Gaddy
There are present in America today a very large number of citizens who believe protection of themselves and their loved ones from violent physical attack, robbery, rape and general mayhem is the sole responsibility of others. Most of these ignorant folks believe that employees of the state should be responsible for protection of the individual in our society. This view is elitist and based on false assumptions.
Oath Keepers ... Guardians of the Republic Video!
Military, Veterans, and peace officers who will fulfill their oaths to defend the Constitution, will NOT “just follow orders,” will stand for liberty, and will save the Republic, so help us God.
Sales of guns, ammo still high
Popular self-protection ammunition is often sold out at local stores, weapons are flying off shelves and the state reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2008 over February 2009.
"People are hoarding. They're creating a shortage," Jim Prall at Sports World on 41st Street said of ammunition sales. "We've sold more ammunition in the last three months than we sold last year."
Secret emails show Iraq dossier was 'sexed up'
Secret Whitehall emails released yesterday provide damning new evidence that the notorious dossier making the case for invading Iraq was "sexed up".
Bottom Feeders at the Trough
By Sharon Smith
The federal bailout of insurance giant American International Group (AIG) swelled to $170 billion in early March after a third infusion of taxpayer dollars. Yet even as the final details were being ironed out on February 28th, AIG filed a lawsuit against the government, claiming the IRS owes it $306 million in previous overpayments on taxes, interest and penalties. "AIG is taking this action to ensure that it is not required to pay more than its fair share of taxes," a company spokeswoman explained to the Wall Street Journal without a hint of irony.
NATO's Global Mission Creep
By Diana Johnstone
NATO, the main overseas arm of the U.S. military-industrial complex, just keeps expanding. Its original raison d’être, the supposedly menacing Soviet bloc, has been dead for twenty years. But like the military-industrial complex itself, NATO is kept alive and growing by entrenched economic interests, institutional inertia and an official mindset resembling paranoia, with think tanks looking around desperately for “threats”.
Sand, whose book "When and How Was the Jewish People Invented?" ignited controversy in Israel and in Jewish circles, is the recipient of the Aujourd'hui Award, which is given to the best non-fiction political or historical work.
Fears in U.S. drug war will destabilize Mexico
Concern about a potential failed state - not Pakistan, not Somalia, but California's neighbor Mexico - is mounting in Washington as an all-out war involving 45,000 Mexican military personnel fails to quell rising drug violence that is spilling from such Mexican cities as Tijuana into the United States.
New Obama technology chief on leave after FBI office raid
An aide to President Obama is on leave from his new job after the FBI raided his old District of Columbia government office yesterday, arresting a city employee and a technology consultant on corruption charges, a White House official said.
Sarasota's Art Nadel is Manhattan jailmate to swindler king Bernard Madoff
Confessed swindler Bernard Madoff won't be the only money manager in baggy brown scrubs at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. For several weeks, the federal jail in lower Manhattan has also been home to Sarasota's Arthur Nadel.
Major Banks Grease Wheels for Corrupt Regimes
Some of the world's leading banks facilitate corruption in the poorest countries, charges a new report by Global Witness, an independent watchdog group.
The report, "Undue Diligence: How banks do business with corrupt regimes," shows how by doing business with dubious customers in corrupt, natural resource-rich states, banks are facilitating corruption and state looting, which deny these countries the chance to lift themselves out of poverty and leave them dependent on aid.
Mystery of Madoff's rapid confession
Legal experts were flummoxed by the fraudster's willingness to admit every criminal charge laid before him, but was he trying to protect others who may have been implicated?
USA Loses the War against Latin American Drug Cartels
DEA’s painstaking care of ensuring reliable «controllable» channels of drug trafficking to Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean countries resulted in the emergence in the region of firmly consolidated mafia groups that worked under the DEA’s protection but never failed to see to their own commercial interests.
Paraplegic Man Suffers Spider Bite, Walks Again
He's been confined to a wheelchair for 20 years. Now a paraplegic man is walking again. And his doctors call it a miracle. CBS station KOVR-TV in Sacramento went to Manteca, Calif. to find out how a spider bite helped get him back on his feet.
Eureka! The Banking Industry’s Problems Are Solved!
Who knew it would be so easy? Who knew we could solve the banking industry’s collapse by simply changing how we account for assets. Eureka! Problem solved!
Berkshire Loses Top Rating on Investments, Buffett Role
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway was stripped of its 'AAA' credit rating by Fitch, barely hours after S&P cut General Electric's top-tier rating, as the global financial crisis pummels America's corporate titans.
Eyes wide shut: A look at British news censorship
By Jerry Mazza
I hope the late Stanley Kubrick won’t mind my borrowing the title of his film, which was shot in London and the Home Counties. I don’t think he would if he knew that February 12, 2009, marked “the enforcement date for section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008.” As reported in the UK’s Guardian, from that date on “a photojournalist who documents political dissent on the streets -- and sometimes the fields -- of Britain,” would be subject to prosecution under that act.
Is Gold Money?
By William Rees-Mogg
As someone who has been interested in gold for the last forty years, I have always been interested in the definitions which can be applied to gold.
Global hurricane activity has decreased to the lowest level in 30 years
As previously reported here and here at Climate Audit, and chronicled at my Florida State Global Hurricane Update page, both Northern Hemisphere and overall Global hurricane activity has continued to sink to levels not seen since the 1970s.
Copyright treaty is classified for 'national security'
Last September, the Bush administration defended the unusual secrecy over an anti-counterfeiting treaty being negotiated by the U.S. government, which some liberal groups worry could criminalize some peer-to-peer file sharing that infringes copyrights.
Obama renews US sanctions on Iran
US President Barack Obama has extended sanctions against Iran for one year, saying it continues to pose a threat to US national security.
Updating the Militarization and Annexation of North America
By Stephen Lendman
The title refers to the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), also known as the North American Union - formerly launched at a March 23, 2005 Waco, Texas meeting attended by George Bush, Mexico's President Vincente Fox, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. It's for a tri-national agreement, below the radar, for greater economic, political, and security integration with secret business and government working groups devising binding policies with no public knowledge or legislative debate.
China’s Premier Wen ‘Worried’ on Safety of Treasuries
China, the U.S. government’s largest creditor, is “worried” about its holdings of Treasuries and wants assurances that the investment is safe, Premier Wen Jiabao said.
Student gets 20 years for downloading woman's rights issue
Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student journalist sentenced to death for blasphemy in Afghanistan, has been told he will spend the next 20 years in jail after the country's highest court ruled against him – without even hearing his defence.
Senators slam plan for wounded vets to use private insurance
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance.
Japan Prepared To Shoot Down N Korea Missile
With the launch date of North Korea's long-range missile getting ever closer, Japan has warned it is prepared to shoot down the rocket to protect its territory.
Cities Are Selling Stimulus Funds to Each Other
In Los Angeles County, cities are buying federal stimulus funds from each other at deep discounts, turning what was supposed to be a targeted infusion of cash into a huge auction.
Crude spikes on rumors of Russian oil cuts
Analyst and trader Stephen Schork said investors latched onto reports that Russian Vice Premier Igor Sechin would attend an OPEC meeting Sunday in Vienna. Russia has previously flirted with OPEC, and investors snapped up crude stocks on the expectation that it would help the group cut oil production to balance weakening global demand.
A step closer to reading the mind
Scientists say for the first time they have understood someone's thoughts by looking at what their brain is doing.
Pope apologises for decision on Holocaust denier
IN A HIGHLY unusual, almost apologetic “Letter To The Bishops”, released in the Vatican yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI has offered a lengthy explanation as to why he chose in January to lift the 1988 excommunication of four bishops from the Society of Saint Pius X, the ultra-traditionalist Catholic group founded by French Bishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970.
Homeland Security plans for violence on US border
Tighter gun control and stronger law enforcement in Southwestern states were recommended Thursday by lawmakers concerned about drug violence in Mexico possibly spilling across the border.
US warships head for South China Sea after standoff
Citigroup Inc Chairman Richard Parsons said on Thursday that the bank does not need any more capital injections from the government and expressed confidence that Citi would remain in private hands.
Source: Obama official on leave after FBI raids
An aide to President Barack Obama is on leave from his White House job after the FBI raided his old District of Columbia government office Thursday, arresting a city employee and a technology consultant on corruption charges, a White House official said.
Gary Franchi Exposes Federal Reserve on PBS
On March 5th 2009 the local PBS station, KBDI, in Denver Colorado broadcast the groundbreaking expose, America: Freedom To Fascism to raise funds for the station. They invited Gary Franchi to come and talk about the points of the film during breaks.
Columbia Journalism School professor: ‘F*ck new media.’
New York Magazine notes that at Columbia University, one of the nation’s top journalism schools, many professors are advocating a “more significant shift” to new media instruction, with one suggesting that students learn about live-blogging. But they’re up against professors like Ari Goldman, who believe new media is completely irrelevant.
Bailed Out Bank Had Friends in High Places
OneUnited Bank is that rare success story. Even though it was scolded by regulators in October for poor lending practices and executive perks (like a Porsche), it landed $12 million in bailout money in December.
US bank regulator retires amid fraud scandal
On February 27, Darrel W. Dochow quietly retired from his job at the US Treasury Department's Office of Thrift Supervision. Over more than two decades, Dochow compiled a record as a bank regulator that epitomizes the corrupt relationship between government agencies and the banks they nominally police that has played a significant role in the financial collapse and resulting global depression.
Madagascar police defy government
The head of the military police in Madagascar says his force has stopped taking orders from the government.
General Pily Gilbain said his men were backing the new head of the army, Col Andre Andriarijaona, who has ousted the commander appointed by the president.
Secret State Police Report: Ron Paul, Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin, Libertarians are Terrorists
The MIAC report specifically describes supporters of presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, and Bob Barr as “militia” influenced terrorists and instructs the Missouri police to be on the lookout for supporters displaying bumper stickers and other paraphernalia associated with the Constitutional, Campaign for Liberty, and Libertarian parties.
Tallest U.S. building to get new name
The 110-story Sears Tower, tallest office building in the Western Hemisphere, will be renamed the Willis Tower, global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings said on Thursday.
The three astronauts took refuge for 11 minutes Thursday in a Russian escape capsule before returning inside. Officials were worried that the space station might get hit with a piece of space junk.
General Electric Rises as S&P’s Ratings Cut Eases Concern
General Electric Co. shares and bonds rallied after Standard & Poor’s lowered its debt ratings one level and raised the outlook to “stable,” comforting investors who feared a sharper cut as profit falls at GE’s finance arm in a global recession.
Clinton: U.S. Gaza aid tied to recognition of Israel
Some $900 million pledged by the United States to the Palestinians will be withdrawn if the expected Palestinian Authority coalition government between Fatah and Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, Western and Israeli diplomats said Wednesday.
Israel's Settlement Expansion Cancer
By Khalid Amayreh
Israel plans to build more Jewish colonies on land earmarked for a future Palestinian state, in what is described as the most intensive expansion of settlements since 1967, would effectively spell the end of the two-state solution.
Fed reports record fall in household net worth
The net worth of American households fell by the largest amount in more than a half-century of record keeping during the fourth quarter of last year.
U.S. House to explore financial crisis prosecutions
The U.S. House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing next week to ask key justice officials and regulators what they need to prosecute wrongdoers in the financial crisis, the chairman of the committee said on Thursday.
Accused Allen Stanford invokes the Fifth Amendment
Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire and cricket enthusiast, has refused to co-operate with investigators looking into his alleged $8 billion fraud.
In a filing with a US District Court in Dallas, Mr Stanford invoked the Fifth Amendment, which allows him to remain silent to avoid incriminating himself. He was responding to a civil case filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 19 that accused the entrepreneur and two of his employees of conducting a huge investment scam over many years.
Obama: Troop move to Mexican border under consideration
President Obama weighed in Wednesday on the escalating drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that he was looking at possibly deploying National Guard troops to contain the violence but ruled out any immediate military move.
The global drug charade
Ten years ago, I represented Britain at a UN general assembly special session in New York, where political leaders reviewed progress in tackling the illegal drug market, and set out a 10-year plan to eliminate the illicit production and use of drugs such as cannabis, heroin and cocaine. Fast forward to this week in Vienna - where a similar gathering is tasked with reviewing progress and setting out a framework for international drug controls for the decade to come - and the lack of headway is striking.
Citigroup Inspired Bear Market Suckers' Rally
By Matthias Chang
So long as the filthy rich global gamblers are alive and able to manipulate the stock markets, the currency markets, the oil markets and the derivative markets, there can be no genuine recovery for the global economy.
The Necessity for Action
By Samuel E Rohrer
The danger of being number 10 is that no one really knows who you are. George Washington was our first president; but how many can name number 10 off the top of their head? And Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to climb Everest, but does anyone know who the tenth person was to reach the summit?
And then consider our amendments to the United States Constitution: most of us know the 1st Amendment verbatim, but do you know what the Tenth Amendment says?
French government accused of 'Big Brother' tactics over internet piracy
A bill is to be debated in parliament this week which could lead to a new surveillance agency to monitor internet users. With the help of internet service providers and tip-offs from music and film companies, those who illegally download music, films or video games would be identified. They would receive an email warning, followed by a letter, and if caught again would see their internet access cut off for up to a year.
Financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty to 11 charges
Bernard Madoff accused of defrauding people out of billions of dollars was ordered into jail on Thursday after he pleaded guilty Thursday to 11 charges, including fraud, in a court in Lower Manhattan.
Corporate oil moves to low-tax Switzerland
A wave of energy companies has in the last few months announced plans to move to Switzerland -- mainly for its appeal as a low-tax corporate domicile that looks relatively likely to stay out of reach of Barack Obama's tax-seeking administration.
Iraqi shoe-thrower sentenced to three years in jail
The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at George Bush, gaining instant hero status in much of the Arab world, has today been sentenced to three years in prison.
U.S. jobless seen nearing 10 percent
U.S. unemployment will approach 10 percent as the country endures its worst recession since World War Two, leaving more than 13 million Americans jobless, according to a Reuters poll of economists.
Foreclosures up 30 percent in February
Despite halts on new foreclosures by several major lenders, the number of households threatened with losing their homes rose 30 percent in February from last year's levels, RealtyTrac reported Thursday.
Vaccines Did Not Save Us - 2 Centuries of Official Statistics
This is the data the drug industry do not want you to see. Here 2 centuries of UK, USA and Australian official death statistics show conclusively and scientifically modern medicine is not responsible for and played little part in substantially improved life expectancy and survival from disease in western economies.
15,300 government workers have access to agents of bioterror
Nationwide, about 390 labs are certified to work with microbes or toxin that might be used for bioterrorism, and 15,300 people have security clearances to work with these "select agents", reports a Congressional Research Service analysis.
Senators Push For War With Iran
By Jim Dawson
National Intelligence Director Blair had his first meeting with the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he was much more reasonable than most of the Senators. Both NID Blair and Defense Intelligence Agency head Lt. Gen. Michael Maples presented clear thinking and rational goals regarding Iran. The senators were the ones out for blood.
Artificial life 'could be created within five years'
Laboratories across the world are closing in on a "second genesis" - an achievement that would be one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of all time.
The Drug Story
The truth about cures without drugs is suppressed, unless it suits the purpose of the censor to garble it.
Mass hysteria breaks out in central America
An outbreak of mass hysteria is reported to have struck three indigenous communities living near the river Coco in northern Nicaragua. A total of 43 people have reportedly fallen ill with what is known locally as grisi siknis ("crazy sickness").
Chicago Cop Gets Nailed By His Own Video
Chicago defense lawyers say there are two reasons police officers might cut corners or even lie to boost their DUI arrest numbers: First, they stand to profit from the resulting overtime for going to court on the cases; also, there are accolades to be had.
Now Victory Gardens are making a comeback: the 2009 Recession version.
Unemployment in 7 States May Have Exceeded 20% in February
As I have previously pointed out, unemployment may actually be higher than during the same phase of the Great Depression. Specifically, as of 1930 - the year after the 1929 crash - the unemployment rate was 8.7 percent.
Why Syria and Saudi Arabia are talking again
Saudi Arabia's steps to end its bitter dispute with Syria appear to be aimed at unifying Arabs against a trio of growing concerns: Iran's spreading influence in the region, the uncertainties of a US drawdown in Iraq, and the prospect of a right-wing government in Israel.
Web inventor warns against third-party internet snooping
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the world wide web, today warned MPs and peers that they should not allow third parties, including commercial companies, to snoop on people's internet browsing.
The Martial Law Mind-Set
By William N. Grigg
While Archimedes is rightly revered for his many imperishable contributions to science, he could also be considered the first recorded victim of lethal police brutality.
Mystery solved as tests prove Tsar's entire family was murdered
In the early hours of a July day in 1918, one of history's most infamous murders was perpetrated on parents, their five children and their loyal servants in a cellar in the city of Yekaterinburg, central Russia.
The gunshot-and-bayonet murder of the Romanovs the family of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia spawned countless conspiracy theories, including the belief that at least one child had survived to escape abroad.
Hidden homeless: U.S. families living in motel rooms
As the recession has deepened, long-time workers who lost their jobs are facing the terror and stigma of homelessness for the first time, including those who have owned or rented for years. Some show up in shelters and on the streets, but others, like the Hayworths, are the hidden homeless living doubled up in apartments, in garages or in motels, uncounted in U.S. homeless data and often receiving little public aid.
The Drug War vs. American Civilization
By Anthony Gregory
If you cherish America, if you cherish humanity, if you believe in our heritage as a people who stand up for their liberty you must oppose the murderous drug war root and branch.
Mexico drug lord on Forbes rich list with $1 bln
Mexico's most wanted man Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, blamed for thousands of deaths in a drug war, has made it onto the Forbes Magazine list of the world's richest people with an estimated $1 billion fortune.
Freedom on the global Internet still a pipe dream
Reporters Without Borders is an anti-censorship watchdog organization. As blogs and news Web sites have grown in popularity, the group's focus has similarly migrated to the Internet. Unfortunately, the report again paints a grim picture of Internet freedoms in parts of the world where it says the authorities regularly chuck bloggers in jail for online posts that displease the regime.
Ron Paul: GOP Leaders Need to Read Constitution
Given the GOP’s electoral losses in 2006 and 2008, former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) told CNSNews.com that Republican leaders in Congress should “read the Constitution and follow it.” Paul added that some Republicans and Democrats alike do not really understand freedom in America and “don’t really believe in it.”
The predictions in a 298-page report from Numis Securities, a City investment bank, are the bleakest yet on the deteriorating state of the British property market.
Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh describes 'executive assassination ring'
At a “Great Conversations” event at the University of Minnesota last night, legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh may have made a little more news than he intended by talking about new alleged instances of domestic spying by the CIA, and about an ongoing covert military operation that he called an “executive assassination ring.”
Obama Targets 'Earmarks' in New Spending Bill
President Obama agreed to sign an "imperfect" spending bill to keep the government running, but he called for a crackdown on lawmakers adding "earmarks" or pet projects to legislation.
Homeowner Rip-Offs Spark Scores of Lawsuits
Many of the biggest mortgage lenders in the U.S. have engaged in widespread, systematic schemes that ripped off hundreds of thousands of families seeking to buy a home, refinance or foreclose, according to lawsuits filed on behalf of consumers.
Obama Caves to Israel Lobby
By Ray McGovern
“The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views…and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those it [the Lobby] favors.”
The mission of the Beltway journalist
By Glenn Greenwald
What kind of country does one expect to have where (with some noble exceptions) it is journalists, of all people, who take the lead in concealing, protecting and justifying government wrongdoing, and whose overriding purpose is to serve, rather than check, political power?
U.S. Tax Receipts Cliff Dive to 14 Year Low
U.S. federal government budget widened to $192.8 billion in February ... the second largest monthly deficit on record ... receipts dropped 17% to $87.3 billion, the lowest since February 1995.
