Moody's cuts Bank of America debt ratings
Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday cut the debt ratings of Bank of America Corp., and sent its rating of the bank's preferred stock into junk territory, citing an increasing risk that government intervention may be needed to bolster the bank's capital position.
Director of FBI Urges Renewal of Patriot Act
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III yesterday urged lawmakers to renew intelligence-gathering measures in the USA Patriot Act that are set to expire in December, calling them "exceptional" tools to help protect national security. The Patriot Act is more filthy trash legislation, cooked up to help destroy the constitution and enslave the American people.
Incriminating Evidence of Israeli War Crimes in Gaza
By Stephen Lendman
Throughout its history, Israel has willfully and repeatedly committed crimes of war and against humanity, always with impunity. Yet under customary legal standards and norms (including Geneva, Hague, the UN Charter, S.C. and G.A. resolutions), it's lawless, a serial abuser, a threat to the region and humanity, mostly as an oppressive occupier. Attacking Gaza is the latest episode in its six-decade reign of terror satisfying the definition of genocide against defenseless Palestinian civilians. This article covers more evidence from some disturbing but unsurprising newly published information.
Geithner Remarks on IMF Roil Foreign-Exchange
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sent the dollar tumbling with comments about China’s ideas for overhauling the global monetary system, only to drive it back up by affirming that it should remain the world’s reserve currency.
White House to Hunt for New Tax Revenues
The White House said it would launch a search for new tax revenues, as Congressional leaders moved to scale back proposed spending increases and tax cuts in President Barack Obama's ambitious budget. Someone is going to be paying for all those trillions and trillions of dollars of debt they have created for the American people. You and your children will be paying more taxes in one form or another along with paying interest to service that debt, over the years. You'll also be paying more for goods and services when inflation takes off as the value of the dollar drops.
Obama Years Ago Helped Fund Carbon Program He Is Now Pushing Through Congress
While on the board of a Chicago-based charity, Barack Obama helped fund a carbon trading exchange that will likely play a critical role in the cap-and-trade carbon reduction program he is now trying to push through Congress as president.
Geithner 'open' to China proposal
Geithner, at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S. is "open" to a headline-grabbing proposal by the governor of the China's central bank, which was widely reported as being a call for a new global currency to replace the dollar, but which Geithner described as more modest and "evolutionary."
Buffett’s Berkshire May Lose AAA S&P Credit Rating
Billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. may lose its AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor’s because values have fallen in its equity portfolio and capital has shrunk at the insurance operations.
Out West, Catching Raindrops Can Make You an Outlaw
It is, in fact, illegal in Colorado to collect rainwater. State law is vague about the penalties, except to say that violators can be taken to court and ordered to pay damages.
Japan Reports Record Plunge in Exports
Japan's exports saw a record plunge in February, falling by nearly half compared with a year earlier, according to the country's finance ministry.
Obama Plans to Name Task Force to Overhaul Tax Code
President Barack Obama plans to name a task force to review and overhaul the U.S. tax code, a spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget said today.
Obama’s Toxic Advisers
By Robert Scheer
We taxpayers are being asked to buy back from the banks the very toxic assets that the members of Obama’s economic team once celebrated as an unmitigated blessing.
Now 'Big Brother' targets Facebook
Millions of Britons who use social networking sites such as Facebook could soon have their every move monitored by the Government and saved on a "Big Brother" database.
The 'GIVE' Act Calls for Your Kids to be 'Owned' by the State
By Michael Gallucci
At the National Service Learning Clearinghouse website at www.servicelearning.org, you can read the glossy euphemistic "What is Service Learning?" page for its glorious "Guiding Principles" and its exalted "Vision of the Organization." Or, you can dig deeper. Dig deeper, why don’t you? After all, this is about the souls of your children.
AIG, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Others…The Circle of Financial Life
By Debbie Morgan
There is a very tight financial circle spinning in perpetuity. There are players on the inside and there are others on the outside, forever looking for some sort of break, trying to figure out just how to stop this insidious circle from spinning…Like a financial tornado sucking money into it, but never throwing any out, it lays waste to the true productive economy. Thus is the disaster that is the current United States Financial crisis.
Harvard economist: Legalize all drugs to stop border violence
A Harvard economist says that legalizing marijuana would not go far enough to stop border violence. Jeffrey Miron told CNNs Kiran Chetry that all drugs should be legalized. A lot of the violence were seeing and a lot of the underground market is not related to marijuana but related to the other drugs. If we only did marijuana we would only have a small impact on the violence and corruption and disruption of other countries that is caused by U.S. prohibition of drugs and the U.S. forcing prohibition of drugs on other countries, he said.
Most electronic voting isn't secure, CIA expert says
The CIA, which has been monitoring foreign countries' use of electronic voting systems, has reported apparent vote-rigging schemes in Venezuela, Macedonia and Ukraine and a raft of concerns about the machines' vulnerability to tampering.
Liberty and Law, not "Law and Order"
By William N. Grigg
With our days as a manufacturing power a wistful memory and the marketing of fraudulent Wall Street "financial products" an infinitely self-replenishing source of national outrage, incarceration may soon become -- by default -- our leading national industry.
Germ Warfare Porton Down Vets 'Died Early'
More than 300 armed forces veterans who volunteered as human guinea pigs at military labs have died earlier than expected, according to the British Medical Journal.
GAO Calls Iraq Pullout A 'Massive,' Costly Effort
The removal of about 140,000 U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011 will be a "massive and expensive effort" that is likely to increase rather than lower Iraq-related expenditures during the withdrawal and for several years after its completion, government investigators said in a report released yesterday.
Save the Big Banks, Trash the Dollar
By Gary North
Timothy Geithner's plan to save the big banks will be a success. This success will come at a cost. The plan will hurt taxpayers, and it will lead to severe price inflation. It will not revive the faltering economy in 2009. It will not restore the housing market. Family wealth will continue to decline.
More documentation of central bank gold rigging -- buried
The long MarketWatch story published today about the decline in central bank gold sales may be most notable for coming upon without recognizing it and thus burying what appears to be more documentation of the central bank gold price suppression scheme.
'The Analyzer' Hack Probe Widens; $10 Million Allegedly Stolen From U.S. Banks
Ehud Tenenbaum, an Israeli hacker arrested in Canada last year for allegedly stealing about $1.5 million from Canadian banks, also allegedly hacked two U.S. banks, a credit and debit card distribution company and a payment processor in what U.S. authorities are calling a global "cashout" conspiracy.
Police raid home of Wikileaks.de domain owner over censorship lists
Shortly after 9pm on Tuesday the 24th of March 2009, seven police officers in Dresden and four in Jena searched the homes of Theodor Reppe, who holds the domain registration for "wikileaks.de", the German name for wikileaks.org.
Russian subs 'to back Arctic claims'
Russia considers deploying submarines armed with nuclear-capable cruise missiles in a bid to protect resources in the disputed Arctic region.
Vatican plots battle with Dan Brown over Da Vinci Code sequel
It was described as a “phantasmagorical cocktail of inventions”, a “masonic plot” and a “pot pourri of lies”. Now a nervous Vatican is braced for the sequel to The Da Vinci Code and the return of its nemesis, Dan Brown.
Scientists in possible cold fusion breakthrough
Researchers at a US Navy laboratory have unveiled what they say is "significant" evidence of cold fusion, a potential energy source that has many skeptics in the scientific community.
NYPD Detective Accused of Lying About Drug Bust
The indictment says Eager appeared before a grand jury after several people were charged with drug possession in November 2007. Prosecutors say her testimony was contradicted by video surveillance tape of the arrests. All charges were dropped against the defendants.
FOOL ME TWICE The Movie
"A documentary examining East Timor's struggle for independence, the 2002 Bali Bombings and subsequent Australian anti-terror laws."
King, Brown Clash on Need for U.K. Fiscal Stimulus
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government should be careful about how much more money it pours into the U.K. economy and mindful about keeping spending under control.
Fears of record hedge fund withdrawals
Hedge fund investors believe the industry will see even bigger withdrawals this year than last, when record levels of cash were pulled from the sector.
Only 5 percent of the members of the Awakening Councils -- one-time anti-American insurgents who were convinced to join the United States' fight against al-Qaida and other militant groups -- have been given permanent jobs in the Iraqi military, leading to dissatisfaction, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Bilderberg will meet in Athens
The Bilderberg club is famous for gathering the most powerful people in the world at least once per year. There, they can talk behind closed doors. This year, the club will organize its meeting in Athens between 14th and 16th of May, says Elefterios Tipos newspaper.
GIVE Act outlaws citizens' right to protest
It is another sound good piece of legislation. H.R. 1388 has a creative title; The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. 321 representatives of the people voted approval for this legislation which, among many other things, strikes a blow to the rights of people to mount any protests against legislation. Listen closely, it outlaws the right to mount protests against proposed legislation.
Finance crisis 'could lead to war', IMF warn
The global financial crisis could lead to social unrest and even war, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday.
Satanic Fabian Warmongers in the U.K.
By Mike Robinson
Blair typifies what is seriously ill with our nation. He is a real, hard core fascist, brought up on a diet of Fabianism. We have no chance of ever having a rational relationship with our government, nor an honest relationship with ourselves, until we crush this Fabian element within our country.
Pelosi Welcomes Geithner's Call For Expanded Treasury Powers
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., welcomed a proposal from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to give the Treasury the authority to unwind large, nonbank financial institutions that have become insolvent.
Dodd's Wife a Former Director of Bermuda-Based IPC Holdings, an AIG Controlled Company
No wonder Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) went wobbly last week when asked about his February amendment ratifying hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to executives at insurance giant AIG. Dodd has been one of the company's favorite recipients of campaign contributions. But it turns out that Senator Dodd's wife has also benefited from past connections to AIG as well.
U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers
With many U.S. newspapers struggling to survive, a Democratic senator on Tuesday introduced a bill to help them by allowing newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks.
The End of the Global War on Terror
The end of the Global War on Terror -- or at least the use of that phrase -- has been codified at the Pentagon. Reports that the phrase was being retired have been circulating for some time amongst senior administration officials, and this morning speechwriters and other staff were notified via this e-mail to use "Overseas Contingency Operation" instead.
Lawmakers don't hear knocking of Obama's budget canvassers
President Barack Obama's army of canvassers fanned out across the nation over the weekend to drum up support for his $3.55 trillion budget, but they had no noticeable impact on members of Congress, who on Monday said they were largely unaware of the effort.
Victory In Kitsap! Lessons and Moments From The Bruce Olson Medical Marijuana Trial
Medical marijuana patients may be a little safer in their homes in Kitsap County, Washington tonight. Almost two years after his arrest, and after a very expensive prosecution, 55-year-old patient Bruce Olson of Olalla has been acquitted by a jury of all charges stemming from the bust of a hidden marijuana grow-room.
The Warnings Of An Impending Police State Are Everywhere!
These commercials were produced in order to draw attention to the fact that plans to turn our nation into a total fascist police state are REAL and we should no longer suffer under the delusion that we live in a free nation any longer.
UN: Israel broke six-month truce in Gaza
A new UN report exposes a bit of misinformation peddled by the US and Israel and shatters the Zionist illusion that the Gaza war was legal.
Guantánamo: The Definitive Prisoner List (Part 1)
The following list (also see Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4) is the culmination of a three-year project to record the stories of all the prisoners held at the US prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Common Purpose: “Re-Engineering” UK For A New World Order (Video)
Brian Gerrish, is a former naval officer and anti-submarine warfare expert, who, together with colleagues throughout the country, has conducted detailed research into 'Common Purpose', a mysterious collective which seeks to by-pass the British democratic system by setting up unelected quangoes with extreme European federalist agendas.
North Korea: Shooting Down Rocket an “Act of War” North Korea said on Tuesday any attempt by the UN Security Council to punish it for trying to put a satellite in space would mean the collapse of international disarmament talks aimed at ending its nuclear programme.
Call to 'shut down' Google Street View in U.K.
Drawn up by lobby group Privacy International (PI), it cites more than 200 reports from members of the public identifiable via the service.
Geithner Plan Will Rob US Taxpayers: Stiglitz
The U.S. government plan to rid banks of toxic assets will rob American taxpayers by exposing them to too much risk and is unlikely to work as long as the economy remains weak, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said on Tuesday.
Obama writes global editorial
President Barack Obama on Tuesday published an editorial in 31 newspapers around the world, from Riyadh to Hong Kong to New Delhi to Chicago, attempting to stake out a strong leadership position at next month's global economic summit in London.
Barack Obama: A time for global action
We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation. Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.
Who shorted gold after fed's announcement last week?
Open interest in COMEX gold increased by 1,209,600 ounces in the two days following the fed’s announcement last week. Can anyone explain to me who in their right mind would short gold following the fed’s plan to double its balance sheet?
CAPTURED BY THE DEBT SPIDER
President Andrew Jackson called the banking cartel a "hydra-headed monster eating the flesh of the common man." New York Mayor John Hylan, writing in the 1920s, called it a "giant octopus" that "seizes in its long and powerful tentacles our executive officers, our legislative bodies, our schools, our courts, our newspapers, and every agency created for the public protection." The debt spider has devoured farms, homes and whole countries that have become trapped in its web.
Holder Living Up To Reputation As Gun Grabber
By Steve Hempfling
The choice of Eric Holder for attorney general sends an alarming signal to gun owners about how the Obama administration will view individual gun rights, as affirmed this year by the Supreme Court.
"What Governor Nixon is telling Missourians is if you disagree with him on the issue of life or display a pro-life bumper sticker or wear a pro-life pin, you may subjected to action by state law enforcement or your personal information might be sent to a law enforcement analysis center," said Ed Martin, President of Missourians United for Life.
9/11/01 CBS reports "fourth explosions" at WTC
The audio is taken from the Howard Stern Show on 9/11/01 as they listen to a CBS news broadcast. All throughout, they mention a "fourth explosion" at the WTC site. Howard and Robin interestingly comment towards the end about how "heads will roll" in the FBI and CIA for not preventing the attacks. I wonder if they are aware that to this day, not one individual has been held accountable, and in fact those officials most responsible have been promoted.
Google behavioral ads tap DoubleClick eyeball
So, Google is now using your surf history to tailor online ads to your particular online interests. It's a rather creepy thought, but that's not the problem.
New anti-terror strategy warns of chemical attack threat
Changing technology means the prospect of a chemical or biological terrorist attack in Britain is now more realistic, says the government's updated counter- terrorism strategy published today.
Newspaper investigation uncovers evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza
The Guardian has compiled detailed evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Israel during the 23-day offensive in the Gaza Strip earlier this year, involving the use of Palestinian children as human shields and the targeting of medics and hospitals.
U.S. Seeks Expanded Power to Seize Firms
The Obama administration is considering asking Congress to give the Treasury secretary unprecedented powers to initiate the seizure of non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy, according to an administration document.
Senate Will Delay Action on Punitive Tax on Bonuses
Jarred by a cool reception from the White House and fears of unintended consequences across the financial world, Senate leaders are likely to delay until late next month legislation to punitively tax bonuses at banks and investment firms that receive federal aid.
Israel arrests Palestinian leader
Israeli police have arrested leader of the Palestinian Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah, blaming him for attending an 'illegal' meeting.
Israel’s war crimes
Israel blamed its earlier wars on the threat to its security, even that against Lebanon in 1982. However, its assault on Gaza was not justified and there are international calls for an investigation. But is there the political will to make Israel account for its war crimes?
Judgment Day for Geithner
By Mike Whitney
Whether he deserves it or not, Timothy Geithner has become the poster boy for everything that's wrong with the government's scatterbrain financial rescue plan.
Home School: A Quiet Revolution
With no government oversight, no taxpayer funding and no professional accreditation, they’re trying to out-school the schools.
How to Harvest, Process, and Store Vegetable Seeds
In today’s normal global economy, seeds are more expensive per ounce than pure refined silver. And history has repeatedly demonstrated that during serious worldwide famine conditions, food and seeds eventually become more valuable than gold.
Scars of Nato bombing still pain Serbs
"The 10th anniversary of the air strikes will lead people to think about the bombing campaign, which they saw as unjust, unfair and illegal action carried out by Nato," says Serbian political analyst Bratislav Grubacic.
US will appoint Afghan 'prime minister' to bypass Hamid Karzai
The US and its European allies are preparing to plant a high-profile figure in the heart of the Kabul government in a direct challenge to the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, the Guardian has learned.
Half of $165 Million in AIG Bonuses May Be Returned, Cuomo Says
Nine of the top 10 recipients of bonuses at American International Group Inc. agreed to give back the money and half of the total $165 million paid may be retrieved, said New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
Eastern Europe's Economic Crash
The global downturn has hit Eastern Europe with particular vengeance. Countries that profited more than many others from globalization and were previously capitalism's rising stars are now seeing demand for exports collapse, along with their currencies. They are bracing for a hard landing.
Quest to legalise polygamy in Utah
Some 40,000 people in the US state of Utah live in illegal polygamous families in which a man takes more than one wife. These fundamentalist Mormons have now begun a campaign for a change in the law they regard as discriminatory and unfair. Humphrey Hawksley met some of the families involved.
In 1977, the factory worker was arrested in Tennessee on suspicion of shooting a man dead in a fit of jealous rage, but he jumped bail and fled to Oklahoma, where he and his wife began a new life under assumed names. Eager to clear his conscience before he passed away, he phoned police back in Tennessee and admitted his guilt.
Flashback - CONGRESS PASSES WIDE-RANGING BILL EASING BANK LAWS
Congress approved landmark legislation today that opens the door for a new era on Wall Street in which commercial banks, securities houses and insurers will find it easier and cheaper to enter one another's businesses.
The measure, considered by many the most important banking legislation in 66 years, was approved in the Senate by a vote of 90 to 8 and in the House tonight by 362 to 57. The bill will now be sent to the president, who is expected to sign it, aides said. It would become one of the most significant achievements this year by the White House and the Republicans leading the 106th Congress.
G20 warned unrest will sweep globe
A wave of social and political unrest could sweep through the world's poorest countries if G20 leaders fail to come to their aid, the World Bank warns today, as new research says the credit crunch will cost developing countries $750bn (£520bn) in lost output and drive millions more into poverty.
My Response To MIAC Report
By Chuck Baldwin
The Feds already monitor virtually every phone call, email, and public speech in the country. How long before these secret police reports will be used as justification to arrest and incarcerate people because of their ideas and opinions, labeling them as a "threat" or as "dangerous" to society?
Airport security technique debated
Behavior detection is a touchy topic at the nation's airports. An October report by the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that there is "no scientific consensus" that behavioral surveillance techniques like those employed by the TSA are an effective way to combat terrorism. It found they have "enormous potential for privacy violations."
THE TAKEOVER OF AMERICA / REPUBLIC BECOMES OLIGARCHY
America has become an oligarchy ( a government ruled by a powerful few ) versus a Republic ( a government limited by law ) as the banking and Wall Street Masters of the Universe continue their tyranny and class economic rape while the public ignites in furor
Mexico offers $2 million for top drug lords
Mexico's government on Monday offered $2 million each for information leading to the arrest of 24 top drug lords in a public challenge to the cartels' violent grip on the country.
Strip-Search of Girl Tests Limit of School Policy
An assistant principal, enforcing the school’s antidrug policies, suspected her of having brought prescription-strength ibuprofen pills to school.
Hammacher Schlemmer: Big Brother for Your Car
Parents have more options for keeping tabs on their kids than ever before. Web browsers can limit surfing, Sprint Family Locator can track locations, and Ford offers parental controls on one of their cars. Now Hammacher Schlemmer, that 160-year-old bastion of oddball gadgets you never thought you needed, has unveiled the Driving Activity Reporter.
Government Again Concedes Vaccines Cause Autism
Generation Rescue, Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey’s Los Angeles-based non-profit autism organization, today announced that the United States Government has once again conceded that vaccines cause autism.
New group may take over from G20
An economic team from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund has said the Group of 20 should be replaced by a new Global Economic Council.
The team, which includes academics, central bank officials, and economic ministers from Japan, western Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia has been meeting to discuss the new council, which will be a United Nations body.
The new UN body, which would be independent of the Security Council is expected to become the main forum for setting the agenda for worldwide economic and financial policy.
Global Unions To Present Five-Point Plan At G-20 Meet
Trades unions across the world will present their governments Monday with a five-point plan for action at next month's G-20 summit in London to pull the global economy out of recession and chart a new course for creating jobs, regulating finances and ensuring governance globally, their confederation says.
The plan calls for "a co-ordinated international recovery and sustainable growth plan to create jobs and ensure public investment," as well as the nationalization of insolvent banks and a new international legal framework to regulate the global economy along with reform of the global financial and economic institutions (IMF, World Bank, OECD, WTO).
The destruction of the major western currencies (Video)
Martin Hennecke, Associate Director at Tyche Group says we could go into an environment of sharply rising inflation over the coming years because the US has been trying to fix the financial crisis by lowering interest rates and throwing in more liquidity. He adds that what people traditionally considered as low risk assets such as US treasuries will become high risk assets.
UK population must fall to 30 million, says Porritt
JONATHON PORRITT, one of Gordon Brown’s leading green advisers, is to warn that Britain must drastically reduce its population if it is to build a sustainable society.
Bankruptcy is Economic Stimulus
By Ron Paul
As long as the government insists on maintaining the status quo by propping up failed institutions, we will continue to dig a bigger hole for ourselves.
Militia Men: Patriots or terrorists
By Adam Brown
What do patriots, Christians and sovereign citizens who love what America truly stands for have in common? Lately these groups of people have been seen as dangerous threats to law enforcement personnel and to our great nation.
You’re Probably A Terrorist If…
By Vicki Crawford
You're probably a terrorist if you supported former presidential candidates like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, or Chuck Baldwin. The guy with the flip-charts doesn't count. Yet.
