London braces for mass G20 protests
Office workers face chaos next week with swaths of London in security lockdown for the G20 summit and warnings that bankers will be targeted in a series of protests aimed at causing maximum disruption.
Mexico relationship hits some bumps
The trade dispute got tetchy last week when Mexico raised tariffs on scores of U.S. imports -- retaliation for Washington's decision to stop funding a program that allowed some Mexican trucks on U.S. highways under a free-trade agreement.
Legislation would set aside 2 million acres in nine states
The Senate on Thursday passed a long-delayed bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness, from a California mountain range to more than 1,000 miles of rivers.
Fed Planning 15-Fold Increase In US Monetary Base
The fed is planning moves that would more than double its balance-sheet assets by September to $4.5 trillion from $1.9 trillion. Whether expressing approval or concern over the fed’s intentions, most commentators fail to understand the real magnitude of the projected expansion of the US monetary base because they don’t take into account the amount of dollars circulating abroad.
Official: AIG bonus estimates grow $53 million
The attorney general of Connecticut said Saturday that he is asking American International Group Inc. why documents appear to show the company paid $53 million more in bonuses to its financial products division than previously reported.
Obama budget deficit could hit 1.845 trillion dollars
The US budget deficit could hit 1.845 trillion dollars this year under the budget proposed by President Barack Obama, quadrupling the 2008 record shortfall, a new forecast showed.
Missouri's Comical Yet Deadly Serious Police State
In a slice of 2009's America, Gomer Pyle gone bad could land you marked by the govenrment as a "terrorist" on the no-fly list, on a government watch-list, or even in "indefinite security detention" for flying a flag, supporting a political party, or expressing a point of view on tax policy.
The Mother of All Bells
By Peter Schiff
There is an old adage on Wall Street that no one rings a bell at major market tops or bottoms. That may be true in normal times, but as many have noticed, we are now completely through the looking glass. In this parallel reality, Ben Bernanke has just rung the loudest bell ever heard in the foreign exchange and government debt markets.
Are You a Domestic Terrorist?
What they're afraid of is not the violence. What they're afraid of is so many people are getting so disgusted with a fake two-party system that's really a one-party system, that these people may actually get traction.
Domestic Intelligence System Grows without Controls
Despite the secrecy surrounding domestic intelligence activities, instances have been uncovered where homeland intelligence efforts classified legitimate political activity as "terrorism" and monitored peaceful activists.
Flashback - The FBI Deputizes Business”
“There is evidence that InfraGard may be closer to a corporate Total Information Awareness program (TIPS), turning private-sector corporations some of which may be in a position to observe the activities of millions of individual customers into surrogate eyes and ears for the FBI.”
Flashback - Is the Pentagon spying on Americans?
The Defense Department document is the first inside look at how the U.S. military has stepped up intelligence collection inside this country since 9/11, which now includes the monitoring of peaceful anti-war and counter-military recruitment groups.
The U.K. wants your Twitter chatter under surveillance
Not happy with pushing the EU Data Retention Directive which would make ISPs store communication data for 12 months Vernon Coaker, the U.K. Home Office security minister, now wants all social networking sites and IM messaging service monitored as well. The Interception Monderisation Programme (IMP) is the government proposal for legislation to use mass monitoring of traffic data as an antiterrorism tool.
Galloping Galloway
Well, I guess I don't have to tell you that British Respect Party MP George Galloway has been banned from entering Canada. We are fast becoming a fascist state.
Madoff-Gate now New York State Real Estate-Gate
A reliable source who is close to both the U.S. Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York's Organized Crime Unit tells WMR that Ponzi scammer Bernard Madoff, who was remanded to prison last week by U.S. Judge Denny Chin, took a "fall" for some of New York's most powerful and wealthiest politicians who were using Madoff's private investment scheme as a "front" to assist in a major real estate redevelopment plan for New York that stood, and still stand, to make the conspirators super-rich.
Continental Congress 2009
The free People of America must now speak out, reminding those around the world that we are, as they are too, a free people whose Rights are Natural, Unalienable and Individual, endowed as they are by the Creator, and most certainly not dependent upon a grant by any government or the will of any majority.
Obama maneuvers to protect Wall Street bonuses
Following the passage Thursday of a bill by the House of Representatives that would tax some bonuses at a handful of companies that have received government bailout money, the Obama administration is seeking to discourage passage of a similar bill by the Senate, even as Obama feigns indignation over $165 million in bonuses awarded by the bailed-out insurance giant American International Group (AIG).
Robbery Writ Monumental
By David Calderwood
Bernanke’s Fed is colluding with Geitner’s Treasury to monetize massive amounts of government debt, releasing the Head Clown and the clowns in Congress to spend themselves silly because the Fed will simply provide infinite money more directly than ever.
Forget AIG Bonuses--The Next Bailout is Here
By Ruth Conniff
As the Wall Street Journal opinion page points out, "Taxpayers have already put up $173 billion, or more than a thousand times the amount of those bonuses, to fund the government's AIG 'rescue.'"
Obama’s War Policies Worse than Bush’s, Anti-War Activist Says
By Josiah Ryan
President Barack Obama’s war policies in Iraq and Afghanistan are criminal and worse than those of former President Bush, according to Adam Kokesh, who serves on the board of directors of the anti-war group Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW).
Is America Already a Police State?
By Nathan Coe
In the last eight years we have seen a slew of police state legislation, to the point that it has often been hard to keep up. By now, most take the Department of Homeland Security for granted, but the implications of its emergence should not be ignored.
RBS traders hid toxic debt
Traders received multi-million pound bonuses after acquiring more than £30 billion of sub-prime assets during early 2007. Following these purchases the bank “didn’t stand a chance” of surviving unaided, one board director told this newspaper.
Mexican drug wars now worse than Iraq
Mexican drug cartels are now as heavily armed as America’s enemies during the Iraq war and are extending their bloody conflict into the United States, say security experts.
New video of torture exposes Chinese brutality in Tibet
Video footage from Tibet is extremely rare. The film, which shows violent scenes from the March 2008 riots, is the clearest evidence yet that Tibetans were subject to police brutality as China struggled for control in Lhasa.
Leader: No change in hostile US policy
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution says the US has shown no sign of a real change in its hostile attitude toward the Iranian nation.
Facebook Bug Reveals Private Photos, Wall Posts
Earlier this evening we came across a privacy flaw on Facebook that allowed users to gain access to portions of their friends' profiles that they should not have been able to see. We contacted Facebook about the issue over an hour ago (it remains unresolved), and they have asked us to refrain from going into too much detail as to how to reproduce it until it is fixed.
When Things Fall Apart
By Paul Craig Roberts
On March 19 the New York Times reported: “The Fed said it would purchase an additional $750 billion worth of government-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities, on top of the $500 billion that it is currently in the process of buying.
Judge Rules: Not Filing Since 1999 Is No Crime!
After a February 24 trial on a Florida Bar Association complaint alleging that Charles "Chuck" Behm, a Florida attorney, had violated bar rules by committing a criminal act in refusing to file federal income tax returns since 1999, Judge Tyrie W. Boyer, a county judge in Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit Court in Jacksonville, ruled that Behm had committed no criminal act.
NYC Challenges 9/11 Workplace Injuries
The city has asked a judge to toss out 9/11 claims by 4,600 cops, firefighters, and paramedics, arguing the "uniformed" personnel are not entitled to workplace protection under state labor laws.
The legal maneuver has infuriated Ground Zero responders, who called the city's move "a slap in the face."
$1 trillion deficits seen for next 10 years
President Barack Obama's budget would generate deficits averaging almost $1 trillion a year over the next decade, according to the latest congressional estimates, significantly worse than predicted by the White House just last month.
Credit Unions With $57 Billion in Assets Seized; 3 Banks Fail
Two corporate credit unions, with combined assets of $57 billion, were seized by the National Credit Union Administration yesterday to stabilize a system used by 90 million customers amid a worldwide financial crisis. Three U.S. banks failed, bringing this year’s total to 20.
Renewed strength of euro threatens economy
After a brief respite, the euro is gaining strongly against the currencies of its main trading partners, further threatening the Continent's wilting economy. That is adding to pressure on the European Central Bank to enact radical steps similar to those that are weakening the dollar, the pound and the Swiss franc.
CIA Says It Has 3,000 Documents Related To Destroyed Interrogation Tapes
In connection with an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking information on detainee abuse, the CIA today disclosed that it has a list of roughly 3,000 summaries, transcripts, reconstructions and memoranda relating to 92 interrogation videotapes that were destroyed by the agency. The CIA refused, however, to disclose the list to the public. The agency also refused to publicly disclose a list of witnesses who may have viewed the videotapes or retained custody of the videotapes before their destruction.
White House: Agenda on track despite worsening deficits
President Barack Obama's budget would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade, more than four times the deficits of Republican George W. Bush's presidency, congressional auditors said Friday.
Pelosi's Hate Bill Strategy
By Rev. Ted Pike
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently said Democrats will soon formulate a strategy to pass the federal hate crimes bill, HR 256. This comment should deeply concern all freedom-loving Americans.
Peaceful Dissent and Government Witch Hunts
By Anthony Gregory
As most readers of this are probably aware, the Campaign for Liberty has been singled out, along with a few other political groups, in a leaked Missouri state government report, "The Modern Militia Movement." The document tells state officials to be on the lookout for violent extremists while conflating them with pretty much anyone who criticizes the government. Perhaps most troubling, the information apparently comes from the Department of Homeland Security, meaning that similar documents could be circulating in states other than Missouri.
The Big Takeover
The global economic crisis isn't about money - it's about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution
France officially asks to rejoin NATO command
President Nicolas Sarkozy has submitted a formal request to rejoin the NATO command structure following a 43-year absence, French and NATO officials said Friday.
Obama apologizes for remark
After comparing his bowling to the Special Olympics on "The Tonight Show" Thursday, President Obama called Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver to apologize before the program even aired.
US flag-burning marks war anniversary
American flags were set on fire Friday to chants of "no, no for occupation" as followers of an anti-U.S. Shiite cleric marked the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war.
Iran gives cautious welcome to Barack Obama video message
Iran today hailed an unprecedented direct appeal by the US president, Barack Obama, for better relations between the two countries, but urged the US to "realise its previous mistakes" as well as end sanctions and drop its support for Israel.
Obama and Israeli Leader Make Taped Appeals to Iran
The groundbreaking message to Iran that President Obama delivered by videotape on Friday was part of a strategy intended to emphasize a positive message to Iran in the prelude to that nation’s presidential election this summer, according to administration officials and European diplomats.
Israeli soldiers admit to deliberate killing of Gaza civilians
The Israeli army has been forced to open an investigation into the conduct of its troops in Gaza after damning testimony from its own front line soldiers revealed the killing of civilians and rules of engagement so lax that one combatant said that they amounted on occasion to “cold-blooded murder”.
Postal Service to Close Offices, Seek Retirements
The U.S. Postal Service said it will offer early retirement to almost one in four workers, close administrative offices and eliminate more than 3,000 jobs as it grapples with a financial crisis.
Tax Time Covert Ops
By Catherine Austin Fitts
How do you prevent a class war? How do you stop people from starting or joining tax resistance movements? Well, believe it or not, you start a race war. You target people who understand their rights and are working to build self sufficiency. If people are afraid, they will want more law and order. So they will pay their taxes. They will worry about the gangs next door instead of the gangs in the City of London. They will not realize the two are intimately connected.
The Fed Did It, and Greenspan Should Admit It
By Frank Shostak
In his Wall Street Journal article from March 11, 2009, former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan rejects the idea that the Fed's low-interest-rate policy between December 2000 and June 2004 fueled the housing bubble, which in turn laid the foundation for the current economic crisis.
Madagascar faces diplomatic isolation
Madagascar is facing international isolation as the African Union has suspended its membership and threatened sanctions, while the United States, France and Germany have rallied behind the deposed president.
Several Clay County (Kentucky) Officials Arrested On Federal Charges
Five Clay County officials, including the circuit court judge, the county clerk, and election officers were arrested Thursday after they were indicted on federal charges accusing them of using corrupt tactics to obtain political power and personal gain
Voting machine maker pays state to settle suit
A Nebraska election-equipment company has paid $3.25 million to settle a lawsuit charging that it used unauthorized hardware in 972 voting machines sold to California counties in 2006 and 2007.
Fake Outrage in Washington
By Robert Weissman
Watch out if you live in or visit Washington, D.C. If you see a camera or microphone, be careful not to be trampled by a politician rushing to shout their "outrage" at AIG, and its brazen scheme to pay $165 million in bonuses to employees at the company unit responsible for driving the company to the edge of insolvency.
States, Not Washington, D.C., Need Our Attention
By Chuck Baldwin
It seems that most everyone focuses his or her attention on what is happening in Washington, D.C. People don't seem to get excited about politics until a national election rolls around or unless the President makes some startling announcement. Even well-meaning Christian leaders seem to spend the vast majority of their time dealing with policies that emanate from Washington, D.C. Already, I'm hearing leaders of the so-called Religious Right talk gushingly about who the next Presidential nominee of the Republican Party will be. Who cares? Do you mean to tell me that with all we have to deal with right now, we can't find anything else to talk about? How shallow--and utterly ineffective--can we be?
Drug raids gone bad
Shopkeepers say plainclothes cops barged in, looted stores & stole cash
TALF raises red flags for U.S. toxic-asset plan
The lack of big investor interest in the debut of the Federal Reserve's consumer lending program is heightening fears private capital will also shun the government's toxic-asset plan amid public outrage over outsized executive bonuses.
Case Against Gun-Store Owner Dismissed
An Arizona court on Wednesday dismissed the case against a gun-store owner accused of looking the other way while front men purchased weapons to deliver to Mexico's drug cartels.
CBS: Rapists allowed to join US military
The military is increasingly issuing something called "moral waivers," so they can enlist military personnel with felony convictions for crimes like rape and sexual assault.
Judge Orders Michigan Couple To Testify Against Themselves
On February 26, 2007 and again on May 2 of that year, a team of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorneys and Federal District Court Judge Nancy G. Edmunds of the Eastern District of Michigan tried to order Peter and Doreen Hendrickson to testify against themselves.
A.I.G. Sues U.S. for Return of $306 Million in Tax Payments
While the American International Group comes under fire from Congress over executive bonuses, it is quietly fighting the federal government for the return of $306 million in tax payments, some related to deals that were conducted through offshore tax havens.
What role will China play in G20 summit?
As a major emerging market, what role will China play in trying to salvage the global economy during the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit?
Newspaper cuts open door to more political trickery
Political consultants aren't exactly rubbing their hands together and snickering. But as the hired guns look over a landscape of closing newspapers and laid-off investigative reporters, they sense an opening that leaves them both excited and queasy.
One operative told me this week about planting attacks on opponents in partisan blogs, knowing the stories could bleed into mainstream news outlets, without leaving any incriminating fingerprints. Another described how he got green reporters to write stories (no campaign cash wasted!) on ads that the candidate had no intention of ever paying to put on TV.
Albany County's ammunition sales law is way out of step
Gun control at a highly restrictive level New York has never seen before is imbedded in a local law under consideration at the moment by the Albany County Legislature.
Local Law "A" for 2009 would tightly regulate "in the interests of public safety" all ammunition sold in Albany County. Not just ammo for handguns, which already is closely monitored by state law, but all rifle and shotgun ammunition as well. Hunting and target shooting ammo, basically. Anyone buying rounds or shells, even .22s, would have to show identification, declare the gun and have its serial number registered with the ammo seller. The buyer would have to state his intent of use, and could be refused the purchase. The ammo seller, at the same time, would be required to keep records for 10 years.
HR 45 May be More Troubling Than the Average Anti-gun Bill
We may soon see a more horrific, nastier side of Barack Obama... and a capacity to go after his political enemies. And we have to assume that he will view gun owners as just about the most important of those enemies.
Obama Bombshell Redistribution of Wealth Audio Uncovered (Video)
Obama Bombshell Audio Uncovered. He wants to Radically Reinterpret the Constitution to Redistribute Wealth!!
In a 2001 Chicago Public Radio Interview
Obama is discussing the best way to bring about a Redistribution of Wealth!!!
This Video Exposes the radical underneath the rhetoric!!!
Dollar steadies, eyes steepest weekly fall in 24 years
The dollar inched higher on Friday, but was still on track for its biggest weekly drop in 24 years against a basket of currencies as investors feared the Federal Reserve's plans to buy longer-term government debt would undermine the value of the world's main reserve currency.
Latest CIA Scandal Puts Focus on How Agency Polices Self
As a novice CIA case officer in the Middle East, Andrew Warren quickly learned the value of sex in recruiting spies. Colleagues say that he made an early habit of taking informants to strip clubs, and that he later began arranging out-of-town visits to brothels for his best recruits. Often Warren would travel with them, according to two colleagues who worked with him for years.
Why it matters that the Army was on the streets of Samson, Alabama
Now that the Army has conceded that 22 military police soldiers were dispatched from Fort Rucker to Samson, Alabama, in the wake of the horrific mass murder there, local officials are coming out to take responsibility for inviting the military presence and to thank the troops for their assistance.
Constitutionalists, Ron Paul Supporters and Real Terrorists
By Szandor Blestman
By now many of you have probably heard about the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) report that labeled constitutionalists, Ron Paul supporters and others as possible domestic terrorists. When I first heard about it my first thought was something like, "Oh no, here we go again. The government propaganda machine is at work again. They are trying to equate ordinary folk and peace loving activists with violent extremists." Indeed, from my point of view this seems correct.
The Mother of All Depressions (MOAD)
The US government lit the fuse to the $683 trillion dollar derivative's debt bomb on Wednesday March 18, 2009 with the announcement the Fed would purchase $300 billion dollars worth of US Treasury used toilet paper and an additional $750 billion dollars worth of mortgage backed used toilet paper.
California "tent city" for homeless to be closed
The mayor of California's state capital unveiled plans on Thursday to shut down a sprawling "tent city" of the homeless that has drawn worldwide media attention as a symbol of U.S. economic decline.
A Call to Boycott Monsanto - Seminis Seeds
Did you know that Seminis, “the largest developer, grower and marketer of fruit and vegetable seeds in the world,” is owned by Monsanto?
A Lexicon of Conservative Bullshit
By Dylan Hales
While a large segment of the Alternative Right believes it is time to abandon the term “conservative” altogether, I’m not so sure. From where I stand, turning over an intellectual tradition that includes men like Russell Kirk and Robert Nisbet to a movement that regards Sean Hannity as a serious thinker is surrendering far too much. The reputations of these great men should not become the property of neoconservatives or the warmongering faux-nationalists that now dominate the GOP. Efforts to stop this may be futile or too little too late but out of respect for our tradition, efforts should be made.
UN sees grave war crime in Gaza war
A United Nations human rights investigator says the Israeli military action on densely populated Gaza Strip constitutes grave war crime.
Two US Navy vessels collide in Strait of Hormuz
Two U.S. Navy vessels—a submarine and an amphibious ship—collided early Friday in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian peninsula, the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet reported.
U.S., Mexican security chiefs to meet on gun trade
U.S. and Mexican security officials will strategize next month on fighting the arms trade fueling Mexico's bloody drug war, but a U.S. ban on assault rifles favored by the traffickers will not be on the agenda.
Obama Envoy Holbrooke Served on AIG's Board
Obama administration special envoy Richard Holbooke was on the American International Group Inc. board of directors in early 2008 when the insurance company locked in the bonuses now stoking national outrage. Holbrooke, a veteran diplomat who is now the administration's point man on Pakistan and Afghanistan, served on the board between 2001 and mid-2008.
Head of the U.N. Environment Program Wants Global Warming Tax
Investments of $750 billion could create a "Green New Deal" to revive the world economy and protect the environment, perhaps aided by a tax on oil, the head of the U.N. environment agency said on Thursday.
Ex-Bush official: Many at Gitmo are innocent
Many detainees locked up at Guantanamo were innocent men swept up by U.S. forces unable to distinguish enemies from noncombatants, a former Bush administration official said Thursday.
"There are still innocent people there," Lawrence B. Wilkerson, a Republican who was chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, told The Associated Press. "Some have been there six or seven years."
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNN Thursday his department asked Sen. Chris Dodd to include a loophole in the stimulus bill that allowed bailed-out insurance giant American International Group to keep its bonuses.
Geithner: Treasury pushed for bonus loophole
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNN Thursday his department asked Sen. Chris Dodd to include a loophole in the stimulus bill that allowed bailed-out insurance giant American International Group to keep its bonuses.
Gold Re-Couples with Euro, "Dollar Getting Destroyed"
Gold Prices continued to rise for US-Dollar investors early Thursday, hitting $951 an ounce in London's wholesale market as the greenback fell vs. all asset classes.
US admiral condemns China's 'aggressive' actions
A top U.S. commander says China's "aggressive and troublesome" run-in with an unarmed American ship shows that Beijing won't behave acceptably.
Baghdad's water still undrinkable 6 years after invasion
In the absence of adequate sewers, squatters run pipes from their bathrooms into the street, turning it into a standing cesspool. The water lines are poorly sealed, and as the pressure goes down, raw sewage mixes with drinking water, not only for the squatters but also for anyone who relies on that water main.
Sarkozy under pressure as 'millions' take to streets
Bright spring sunshine helped the turnout and the total reported by union organisers surpassed the 2.5 million seen on an earlier day of protest on
Jan. 29.
US court postpones Madoff bail decision
A US court said today that it was delaying a decision on an appeal by jailed Wall Street fraudster Bernard Madoff to be granted bail.
Durban II: no-show is slap in face of victims of apartheid
More and more Western countries are either announcing their boycott or are threatening to boycott Durban II, a United Nations conference scheduled for April to review progress made since the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, nicknamed Durban I. Earlier this month, Italy became the first EU member to withdraw from the event, stating that it could not endorse a draft agenda that criticizes Israel. Italy followed in the footsteps of Israel, Canada and the United States.
Group says files show US knew of Guatemala abuses
The U.S. government knew that top Guatemalan officials it supported with arms and cash were behind the disappearance of thousands of people during a 36-year civil war, declassified documents obtained by a U.S. research institute show.
Was the Bailout Itself a Scam?
By Paul Craig Roberts
The Bush/Obama bailouts require serious investigation. Were these bailouts necessary, or were they a scam, like “weapons of mass destruction,” used to advance a private agenda behind a wall of fear?
Former President Katsav indicted
Former President Moshe Katsav was indicted on several counts of sexual offences Thursday. The charges were filed with the Tel Aviv District Court.
Chinese spy who defected tells all
A veteran Chinese intelligence officer who defected to the United States says that his country's civilian spy service spends most of its time trying to steal secrets overseas but also works to bolster Beijing's Communist Party rule by repressing religious and political dissent internally.
House passes bill taxing AIG and other bonuses
Acting with lightning speed, the Democratic-led House has approved a bill to slap punishing taxes on big employee bonuses from firms bailed out by taxpayers. Who elected these incompetent morons?
Obama's $500,000 book bonanza
As he empathized with recession-weary Americans, President Obama arranged in the days just before he took office to secure a $500,000 advance for a children's book project, a disclosure report shows.
Obama considers expanding Afghan security force
U.S. President Barack Obama is considering a plan that would double the size of Afghanistan's security force to about 400,000 troops and police officer to stabilize the nation, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Records show school held 'cage fights'
The principal and other staff members at South Oak Cliff High School were supposed to be breaking up fights. Instead, they sent troubled students into a steel utility cage in an athletic locker room to battle it out with bare fists and no head protection, records show.
The Geithner-Summers-Bernanke Plan to Prop Up Asset Prices Has Failed
One reason is that economic psychologists tells us that consumer psychology has shifted for many years to come, and Americans are hunkering down and not buying anything other than the bare necessities. The Fed can try to play the part of all of the actors in the economy, but it won't work.
The Radical Polarization of Law Enforcement
By Patrick Wood
Patriots, Christians and concerned citizens are increasingly in the cross hairs of the U.S. intelligence community, and battle lines are being quietly drawn that could soon pit our own law enforcement and military forces against us.
Total Jobless Claims Up By 185,000
The number of Americans collecting jobless benefits for the first-time has dropped slightly but the number of continuing claims has reached another record high at 5.5 million, according to the weekly jobs report from the U.S. Labor Department.
Some rescued companies owe U.S. taxes-lawmaker
Some top recipients of U.S. bailout money owe the federal government more than $220 million in unpaid taxes, a U.S. lawmaker said on Thursday.
Israeli soldiers break ranks over Gaza war
Israel's military was rocked on Thursday by Gaza war veterans' accounts of soldiers' killings of civilians and allegations that deep contempt for Palestinians pervaded its ranks.
House Passes Volunteerism Bill Critics Call Pricey, Forced Service
The House of Representatives passed a measure Wednesday that supporters are calling the most sweeping reform of nationally-backed volunteer programs since AmeriCorps. But some opponents are strongly criticizing the legislation, calling it expensive indoctrination and forced advocacy.
