FBI director schooled on marijuana by Rep. Steve Cohen (Video)
This is Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn) completely taking it to FBI Director Robert Mueller. He forces Mueller to admit that nobody has died from marijuana and jumps all over him when the Director tries to bring up the gateway theory.
US pension agency's ex-chief refuses to testify
The former head of the U.S. agency that insures corporate pensions refused to testify Wednesday at a Senate hearing examining allegations that he had improper contacts with Wall Street firms.
Geithner works to fill out Treasury team
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is surrounding himself with former aides to President Bill Clinton as he attempts to rebound from a rocky start even as top-tier vacancies have slowed decision-making.
Google: Ditching data could hinder flu tracking
Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, questioned whether the search engine giant was right to cut the amount of time it held personal search data, when by retaining information the company could help combat future pandemics.
Military attorney: Waterboarding is tip of the iceberg
Yvonne Bradley, a lawyer assigned to defend a British man detained at Guantanamo Bay detention center, told CNNs Jim Acosta that detainees may have faced interrogation techniques that were worse than waterboarding.
Dollar still top currency in Russia reserves-cbank
The dollar remains the top currency in Russia's foreign exchange reserves, the central bank said on Wednesday, qualifying an earlier report that suggested the euro had edged ahead in the world's third biggest reserves.
GPS System Could Fail Next Year, Report Warns
Mismanagement and underinvestment by the U.S. Air Force could possibly lead to the failure and blackout of the Global Positioning System (GPS), a federal watchdog agency says.
Panel votes for probe of 'extremist' report
Democrats joined Republicans on a key House panel Tuesday in voting for a formal inquiry into the development and distribution of a contentious Homeland Security Department report that described military veterans as possible recruits for extremists.
Tagged for dropping sweets
A motorcyclist has told how he was electronically tagged for four months and given a 36-hour community order – for dropping mint imperials while riding.
Soy Protein Used in "Natural" Foods Bathed in Toxic Solvent Hexane
Virtually all "protein bars" on the market today are made with soy protein. Many infant formula products are also made with soy protein, and thousands of vegetarian products (veggie burgers, veggie cheese, "natural" food bars, etc.) are made with soy protein. That soy protein is almost always described as safe and "natural" by the companies using it.
CIA head: J'lem knows not to attack Iran
CIA director Leon Panetta on Wednesday said that Jerusalem knew it needed to coordinate its strategy on Iran with other nations and was aware of the fact that launching an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would mean "big trouble."
Wary of U.S. debt, China shifts gears on investment
China has engineered a subtle yet significant shift in the investment of its foreign exchange reserves, a sign of how it is willing to act on concerns about financing an explosion of U.S. debt.
In a 22-page decision issued Tuesday evening, U.S. District Court Judge John Bates ruled that members in Al Qaeda or the Taliban could be detained, but that mere support for Al Qaeda activities is not a sufficient basis for the government to hold prisoners at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere.
Billionaire Donors Hold Secret Meeting
"Under a cloak of secrecy, some of the world's wealthiest people gathered in an unprecedented meeting early this month in New York City possibly to coordinate strategies for giving their vast fortunes to charity in the midst of the financial crisis," ABC News reports.
U.S. crude futures rise $2 as EIA says supply fell
U.S. crude oil futures rose more than $2 per barrel on Wednesday, pushing to a 2009 front-month intraday peak above $62 a barrel as the government reported crude oil and gasoline inventories fell last week.
Gold Demand Surges 38% on Investment
Gold purchases rose 38 percent in the first quarter, led by investment demand that exceeded usage by jewelers for the first time since at least 2004, according to the World Gold Council.
Birmingham police beating video: Five officers fired (With Video)
Five Birmingham police officers have been fired for a January 2008 beating of an already-unconscious suspect with fists, feet and a billy club, a battering caught on videotape until a police officer turned off the patrol car camera, city and police officials said today.
Report: Spain trying to rein in judges on Israel war crimes trial
'Wall Street Journal' reports Spanish government proposing legislation that would prevent courts from dealing with cases not directly related to Spain. Unclear if bill would have impact on open war crimes investigations against US, China and Israel
Woman vows fight over handrail ticket
The Montreal woman who was handcuffed and fined $420 for not holding a subway station escalator handrail is planning to fight the tickets, saying she was treated like a "criminal" for trying to avoid germs.
Democrats seek financial rescue of minority-owned broadcasters
High-ranking House Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to prop up minority-owned broadcasters suffering from a lack of capital and lost advertising revenue amid the economic slump.
Washington Watch: Ex-AIPACer: There is no military option in Iran
There is no viable military option for dealing the Iranian nuclear threat, and efforts by the Israeli government and its supporters to link that threat to progress in peace with the Palestinians and Syria are "nonsense" and an obstacle to the Arab-Israeli and international cooperation essential to changing Iranian behavior.
New York Times Falsifies Obama-Netanyahu Meeting
What is more disturbing and far more consequential is that the Times made this meeting into a story about Iran. They read into Obama's careful and measured remarks exactly the hostile intention toward Iran and the explicit deadline for results from his negotiations with Iran that Obama had taken great pains to avoid stating.
Letter from a Dodge Dealer
My name is George C. Joseph. I am the sole owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu, a family owned and operated business in Melbourne, Florida. My family bought and paid for this automobile franchise 35 years ago in 1974. I am the second generation to manage this business.
Arms Sent by U.S. May Be Falling Into Taliban Hands
The presence of this ammunition among the dead in the Korangal Valley, an area of often fierce fighting near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, strongly suggests that munitions procured by the Pentagon have leaked from Afghan forces for use against American troops.
Corrupt Afghan officials hurt aid
Corruption in the Afghan political and legal systems is "pervasive" and "entrenched," a report prepared for the main U.S. aid agency says, posing a challenge to the Obama administration's plans to steer more assistance through the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
The Humanitarian Face of the State, With Fangs
By Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
The glorious Barack Obama, broad-minded humanitarian universalist that he is, promised to reverse the wickedness of the Bush administration, which ran a prison camp in Guantánamo Bay and kept pictures of ruthless abuse from public view to save the face of Bush.
Another Bottom for Stocks Coming: Rogers
The stock market may hit new lows this year or the next as the current rally has been largely caused by the money printed by central banks and fundamental problems remain unsolved, legendary investor Jim Rogers told CNBC Wednesday.
Senate Demands Plan for Detainees
Under pressure from Republicans and concerned about the politics of relocating terrorism suspects to U.S. soil, Senate Democrats rejected President Obama's request for funding to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and vowed to withhold federal dollars until the president decides the fate of the facility's 240 detainees.
Sensitive data missing from National Archives
The National Archives lost a computer hard drive containing massive amounts of sensitive data from the Clinton administration, including Social Security numbers, addresses, and Secret Service and White House operating procedures, congressional officials said Tuesday.
Google 'falling behind Twitter'
Google's co-founder, Larry Page, admitted today that the company has been losing out to Twitter in the race to meet web user's demand for real-time information.
Japan's GDP Continues Rapid Decline
Japan's export-addicted economy shrank during the first quarter at the fastest pace in more than 50 years, continuing a dismal trend that since last year has made it the worst performer among major countries.
Cap and trade is a license to cheat and steal
By William O’Keefe
One of James Bond’s first movies captured attention with the title “License to Kill.” Today, Washington, D.C., is setting the stage to compete with Hollywood in the sensational headlines market.
Ballot Defeat Leaves Calif. In Deeper Budget Hole
An angry electorate soundly defeated a slate of special election budget measures Tuesday, a decision that left Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers holding virtually nothing but a scalpel to deal with California's $21.3 billion shortfall.
Inquiry into 7/7 branded 'whitewash' by victims
Survivors and victims' relatives of the July 7 London bombings today branded an official inquiry into the terror attacks “a complete whitewash”.
All-knowing 9/11 eye-witness, an actor (With Video)
Since soon after September 11, 2001, many people began wondering about the identity and suspected the credibility of the seemingly all-knowing witness in the black Harley shirt who, it is universally acknowledged, is a planted shill mouthing a script.
"...come out of nowhere and just ream right into the side of the twin tower, exploding through the other side...and then I witnessed both towers collapse, one first then the second, mostly due to structural failure because the fire was just too intense."
GM bankruptcy plan eyes quick sale to gov't
General Motors Corp's plan for a bankruptcy filing involves a quick sale of the company's healthy assets to a new company initially owned by the U.S. government, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.
Rothschild’s roadmap for Dubai’s economic recovery
It is payback time for Rothschild in Dubai. The 200-year-old banking house, perhaps the bluest of the blue bloods of the world’s financial dynasties, has always prided itself on the strength of its relationships, especially with governments and global power brokers.
“Open the Gates that the Righteous Nation May Enter”: Rumsfeld Used Biblical Quotes in Top-Secret Iraq War Briefings for Bush
GQ Magazine has revealed former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld repeatedly gave President Bush top-secret briefings adorned with Biblical quotes during the early days of the invasion of Iraq. One briefing paper showed an image of a US soldier in Baghdad below the Biblical quote, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
(Democracy Now video interview with Jeremy Scahill)
Senators Urge Obama to Toe Israel's Line
In the wake of the recent meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, four senators have circulated an letter to colleagues urging Obama to support the Jewish State's efforts to achieve peace. At press time, seventy-six senators have signed the letter.
Arabs recruiting spies through Facebook, says Israel
Israel's internal intelligence service urged the public on Monday to exercise caution when using Facebook, saying Arabs are trying to recruit spies on the popular social networking site.
Reviewing Ellen Brown's "Web of Debt:" Part V
By Stephen Lendman
This is the fifth of several articles on Ellen Brown's superb 2007 book titled "Web of Debt," now updated in a December 2008 third edition. It tells "the shocking truth about our money system, (how it) trapped us in debt, and how we can break free." This article focuses on taking back our money power.
Reviewing Ellen Brown's "Web of Debt:" Part VI
By Stephen Lendman
This is the sixth and final article on Ellen Brown's superb 2007 book titled "Web of Debt," now updated in a December 2008 third edition. It tells "the shocking truth about our money system, (how it) trapped us in debt, and how we can break free." This article focuses on establishing a people-oriented banking system. It's high time we had one and reclaimed what's rightfully ours.
The 13 people who made torture possible
The Bush administration's Torture 13. They authorized it, they decided how to implement it, and they crafted the legal fig leaf to justify it.
Echoes Of Germany
I see echoes of Germany in the 1920/30s in our country today. The powerful multi-national corporations and banks hold sway, the public are dissatisfied with their Parliament, which has been run badly by the ineffective three in one main parties, who handed over most of it’s legislative power to the EU.
Documents About Lost E-Mail Can Stay Secret
A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that the White House does not have to make public internal documents examining the potential disappearance of e-mails during the administration of President George W. Bush.
'Parasitic' new media beats old media to the punch
Last week, I covered the arrest of three independent journalists in Jones County, Mississippi, who appear to have been scooped up for the non-crime of photographing police during a traffic stop.
WTC 911 Secret Bush-Clinton-Federal Reserve Pakistani Accounts Revealed & New False Flag Terror Attack
It can now be reported that the recent resignation of former New York Federal Reserve Bank of New York Chairman, Stephen Frieidman, signals an expanding investigation of New York Attorny General Andrew Cuomo, who is not only focused on the massive New York state financial derivative Ponzi Scheme, but is now centered on money laundry, and possible funding of alleged terrorists in Pakistan.
Who Rules America?
What do you suppose it is like to be elected president of the United States only to find that your power is restricted to the service of powerful interest groups?
AFRICOM’s $6 billion fiasco in Djibouti
By Thomas C. Mountain
The USA African Command (AFRICOM) is building their new African megabase in the tiny Horn of African country of Djibouti. The first phase is costing $2 billion, according to reports, and eventually another $4 billion will be spent. This latest expansion of USA imperial might, this time on African soil, is turning into a fiasco for the Pentagon and US State Department.
Who Will TARP America?
By Michael Pento
Last week the nation’s number one trucking company, YRC Worldwide Inc., announced that it will seek $1 billion in TARP assistance to bailout the company’s pension plan. Never mind the fact that the request is light years away from the original intention and approval given by congress to purchase toxic assets from banks’ balance sheets. The point is that the troubled company’s request of the government to cover its pension obligations should remind us of the bigger issue; who will bailout our country’s pension plan and can the USA TARP itself?
We Are the 'Enemy of the State'
By Michael Gaddy
From its very infancy, our government has made a vital part of its existence the theft of property that belongs to others and the demonization of those who would resist, or those who see the state for what it really is.
US 'will' deploy missiles in Poland
US is to go ahead with deploying interceptor missiles in Poland even if it scraps plans to set up anti-missile defense apparatuses in Eastern Europe, says Warsaw.
Iranian Army: 11 Days To Wipe Israel Out Of Existence if Attacked
Nothing can prevent Iranian missiles from targeting the heart of Israel, if Iran is subjected to a military strike by Israel. This was the response of the Iranian military commanders to the Israeli statements about a possible military strike against Iran.
Norman Hsu convicted of breaking campaign finance laws
The former fundraiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton and other Democrats is found guilty of using clients' names as fake donors to Democrats' campaigns to avoid federal rules limiting contributions.
Israel gives Obama until end of year on Iran
Obama promised him that if the diplomatic effort fails to get results by the end of the year, the U.S. will reevaluate the situation and perhaps impose tougher sanctions. He also said that all options are on the table.
How Colin Powell Got Duped by the CIA
By Ray McGovern
Think back six years. How often did we hear then-Secretary of State Colin Powell tout his intense four-day vigil at CIA headquarters preparing the speech he would give to the United Nations Security Council on Feb. 5, 2003?
The Real Lesson of the Financial Crisis
By Mike Whitney
The financial channels are abuzz with talk of a recovery, but we're not out of the woods yet. In fact, the deceleration in the rate of economic decline is not a sign of recovery at all, but proof that the economy is resetting at a lower level of activity. That means the recession will drag on for some time no matter what the Fed does.
Former PNACer to become unelected "CEO" of Afghanistan
Albert Wohlstetter, a professor at the University of Chicago, gathers a cadre of fiery young intellectuals around him, many of whom are working and associating with the magazine publisher Irving Kristol (see 1965). Wohlstetter’s group includes Richard Perle, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Paul Wolfowitz. Wohlstetter, himself a protege of the Machiavellian academic Leo Strauss, is often considered the “intellectual godfather” of modern neoconservatism. Formerly an analyst at the RAND Corporation, Wohlstetter wielded a powerful influence on the US’s foreign policy during the heyday of the Cold War.
Senate Leaders Balk at Closing Guantánamo Prison
Moving to avoid a bitter partisan feud, Senate Democratic leaders have decided to remove from a war spending bill the $80 million that President Obama had requested to close the detention center for terrorist suspects at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Arrest ordered for mom of boy, 13, resisting chemo
A judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for the mother of a 13-year-old boy who was under order to provide chemotherapy treatment for the boy, yet missed a court hearing on the boy's welfare.
US puts Greek group on terror blacklist
The United States announced Monday that it is listing Revolutionary Struggle as a foreign terrorist organization after the Greek leftist group attacked US diplomatic and business interests.
Taxpayers May Lose Out in TARP Paybacks
Americans were promised a reward for rescuing the nation’s banks. In return for all those bailouts, the banks essentially granted stock options to the government — a potential jackpot for taxpayers once the crisis blew over Elliott Wave Disciple Robert Prechter Sees a Possible 2,000 Dow
The bottom line: While the market could go up a little further in the short term, it’s not the time to get aggressive.
U.S. housing starts, permits plumb record lows
U.S. housing starts and permits fell to record lows in April, weighed down by a slump in multifamily units, according to data on Tuesday that still hinted the U.S. recession may be drawing to a close.
Fannie and Freddie in 'critical' condition
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, charged with helping lead the nation out of its housing crisis, are facing "critical" financial problems, federal regulators said Monday.
The companies suffer from severe financial, operational and compliance weaknesses, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said a report to Congress detailing its annual examinations of the firms. Taken over by the government in September, Fannie and Freddie are not able to operate without federal assistance.
I did not say Cheney killed Benazir: Hersh
US journalist Seymour Hersh on Monday contradicted news reports being published in South Asia that quote him as saying a “special death squad” made by former US vice president Dick Cheney had killed Benazir Bhutto.
Former ACORN Organizer Warns of Census Fraud
Former ACORN organizer Gregory Hall warns in a Washington Examiner op-ed about the dangers of letting ACORN participate in the U.S. Census.
Geithner: No plans to cap executive pay
Financial sector executives should not fear government imposed caps on their salaries even as the Obama administration moves to influence how firms pay their employees. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Monday that government should place "broad constraints" on the incentives that huge pay packages create for executives to take short-term risks. But he drew the line at government determining levels of pay.
New Bull Or Sucker's Rally?
With stocks making triple digit gains on Monday some investors are asking, "is the action the start of the next leg higher -- or is it a sucker's rally?"
Obama Speeds Up Fuel-Economy Standards, Sets First Carbon Limit
President Barack Obama will announce today that automakers must meet average U.S. fuel-economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years sooner than previously planned, a senior administration official said.
Obama Administration Will Not Ask Supreme Court to Review Gag Order Decision
The government had a deadline last Thursday. That was the last day the government could ask the Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling striking down parts of the Patriot Act that allow the FBI to impose unconstitutional gag orders on National Security Letters (NSL) recipients. The deadline has now passed, and the government has confirmed that it will not ask the Supreme Court to review this important NSL decision.
Senator Praises Inquisition as Proof that Torture Works
George W. Bush and a key general in Iraq both called the Iraq war a "crusade". Many other high-level civilian and military leaders also believe in fighting a religious war against Islam.
US, Canadian and Aussie wheat industries unite behind GM
Major wheat industry organizations from the US, Canada and Australia have announced that they intend to work together to commercialize genetically modified (GM) wheat crops.
Blue collar U.S. males lose more ground
One statistic that stands out in America's recession-stung economy is the unemployment rate for adult men: in April for the second month in a row it surged ahead of the national average to 9.4 percent versus 8.9 percent for all workers. The jobless rate for adult women was 7.1 percent.
Israel begins new settlement, despite U.S. opposition
The Peace Now movement called the move proof that "Netanyahu is not ready to commit to a two-state solution" and is striving to "prevent the creation of a Palestinian state."
Supreme Court upholds California medical pot law
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected appeals from two hold-out counties in Southern California that objected to the state's 13-year-old medical marijuana law and claimed it should be struck down as violating the federal drug control act.
Girl Scouts exposed: Lessons in lesbianism
When many parents think of Girl Scouts, they imagine young girls in uniform selling Thin Mints and Tagalong cookies – not learning about stone labyrinths, world peace, global warming, yoga, avatars, smudging incense, Zen gardens and feminist, communist and lesbian role models.
The Decline and Fall of the Globalist Empire
By Joe Schembrie
To bring manufacturing back to America, we don't need tariffs. We need to end the Globalist interventionist policies that distort economic incentives into driving away the bulk of our manufacturing base.
The Disease of Permanent War
By Chris Hedges
The embrace by any society of permanent war is a parasite that devours the heart and soul of a nation. Permanent war extinguishes liberal, democratic movements. It turns culture into nationalist cant. It degrades and corrupts education and the media, and wrecks the economy.
The U.S. is Using White Phosphorous in Afghanistan
By Dave Lindorff
When doctors started reporting that some of the victims of the US bombing of several villages in Farah Province last week an attack that left between 117 and 147 civilians dead, most of them women and children were turning up with deep, sharp burns on their body that “looked like” they’d been caused by white phosphorus, the US military was quick to deny responsibility.
Robot warriors will get a guide to ethics
When and what to fire will be part of hardware and software 'package' Court tosses case over GPS tracking
A Watervliet man will get a new trial on burglary charges after the state's top court ruled Tuesday it was wrong for a police investigator to slap a GPS device on the defendant's van to track his movements without a search warrant.
Audit the Fed, Then End It!
By Ron Paul
I have been very pleased with the progress of my legislation, HR 1207, which calls for a complete audit of the Federal Reserve and removes many significant barriers towards transparency of our monetary system.
American Capitalism Gone With a Whimper
By Stanislav Mishin
It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American descent into Marxism is happening with breathtaking speed, against the backdrop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.
Madoff Victims Investigated
The criminal investigation into who knew about Bernard L. Madoff's massive fraud has expanded to include some of his highest-profile investors, according to people familiar with the matter.
Brazil and China eye plan to axe dollar
Brazil and China will work towards using their own currencies in trade transactions rather than the US dollar, according to Brazil’s central bank and aides to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president.
The move follows recent Chinese challenges to the status of the dollar as the world’s leading international currency.
Torture revelations shed light on lead-up to Iraq War, Plame outing
The recent revelation that the CIA waterboarded two al Qaeda detainees in an attempt to force them to confess to a non-existent link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein sheds fresh light on several puzzling episodes during the lead-up to the Iraq War.
From the you this was coming department: Can you catch swine flu from money?
It doesn't get talked about much, but paper currency -- the dollars, fives, 10s and 20s most people routinely touch every day -- can spread viruses from one person to another. So if you have contact with money that an infected individual has also handled, there's a possibility of catching the flu.
(Repace money with what? Microchips?)
Thousands protest Guatemala's alleged political killing
Thousands of Guatemalans took to the streets on Sunday demanding justice in the case of a slain lawyer who eerily accused the President of ordering his murder in a video that shook the country.
2 alleged spies flee Lebanon to Israel
Mathematics professor suspected of being part of Israeli espionage ring slips under border fence with his family; another suspect also escapes. Lebanese internal security chief: We have begun to crack the infrastructure of Israeli spy rings
Obama says Israeli settlement building must be stopped
US President Barack Obama said Monday after crucial talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli settlement building in the West Bank must be "stopped."
MK: Expansion of settlement 'slap in Obama's face'
Contractors tour Maskiot as Netanyahu lands in Washington; council chairman says timing 'coincidental', but Peace Now head claims planned expansion 'clear message to US'
FBI infiltrated Iowa anti-war group before GOP convention
An FBI informant and an undercover Minnesota sheriff's deputy spied on political activists in Iowa City last year before the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
Break free of this world wide delusion
The web is in trouble. Last week craigslist, a vast classified-ads site, had to abandon its “erotic services” category because of claims that it was an “online brothel” being used by sexual predators. And in France L’Oréal discovered eBay could not be forced to stop selling cheap knock-offs of its products.
Our man in Bilderberg: Six days to lost innocence
Thanks to my needing the loo in the department of government security, I've finally found out what's been happening to me; why my world has turned 16 shades of meatball since stumbling six days ago into the mad, bad and dangerous-to-know world of Bilderberg. My story is over. Here's how it ends ...
Economy limiting services of local police
The recession is altering local law enforcement in the U.S. by forcing some agencies to close precincts, merge with other departments or even shut down.
At Geithner's Treasury, Key Decisions on Hold
Seven weeks after the Treasury Department announced that it was ousting General Motors chief G. Richard Wagoner Jr. in the federal bailout of the company, he is still technically on GM's payroll.
U.S. stirs a hornet's nest in Pakistan
By Eric Margolis
Pakistan finally bowed to Washington's angry demands last week by unleashing its military against rebellious Pashtun tribesmen of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) -- collectively mislabelled "Taliban" in the West.
Cops gone wild
For years, local residents have whispered to one another to stay off the roads at night during National Police Week because of all the police cars swerving wildly after the bars close. This year, the Metropolitan Police took the unusual step of ticketing cruisers because so many were parked illegally. Roll Call ran two photos last week of out-of-state police cars parked in a handicap spot and a space reserved for Zipcars. Emergency fire lanes across the city were blocked by police cars.
Detainee Interrogation: A Road Not Taken
A June 2005 memorandum (pdf) prepared by Mr. Zelikow and Gordon R. England, the acting deputy secretary of defense, proposed a comprehensive approach to detention, interrogation and prosecution of suspected terrorists, that the authors said would be compatible with existing legal standards. But their approach was rejected by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Mr. Zelikow recalled in his testimony.
Dead from swine flu 6, dead from regular flu 13,000
Since January, more than 13,000 people have died of complications from seasonal flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's weekly report on the causes of death in the nation.
Top U.S. officials can't be sued for post-9/11 abuse
The former U.S. attorney general and the FBI director cannot be subjected to a lawsuit by a Pakistani man claiming abuse while imprisoned in New York after the September 11, 2001, attacks the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.
H1N1 Swine Flu Likely Already Infecting 100,000 Americans, Admits CDC
H1N1 influenza (swine flu) has spread beyond the ability of the CDC to track it, leading one of its health authorities (Daniel Jernigan) to admit that 100,000 Americans are likely already infected by the swine flu.
Woman cuffed for not holding escalator handrail
Anyone who has ridden an escalator and bothered to pay attention has seen – and likely ignored – little signs suggesting riders hold the grimy handrail.
VIPs At Secret Summit
ARMED guards are patrolling the grounds of the Athenian Riviera’s luxurious Astir Palace resort this weekend to ensure impenetrable privacy for a coterie of A1 celebrities – but don’t ask who they are.
Atlantis Astronauts Take Final Hubble Spacewalk
Atlantis astronauts John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustal started work an hour early on the fifth and final spacewalk of the mission to repair the aging space telescope. Once they finish performing repairs on the 19-year-old Hubble, it will never again undergo a servicing mission in space.
Our man at Bilderberg: I should be ashamed
You can't quite make out the face of the Bilderberg delegate on the waterskis, but I'm pretty sure from his shape that it isn't Ken Clarke. Is it the US deputy secretary of state, James Steinberg? No, Steinberg prefers a shorter rope. "Next year I bring a bigger lens," says Paul Dorneanu, the young Romanian Bilderberg hunter who took the photo.
Privacy advocates campaign against 'whole-body imaging' machines
Privacy advocates plan to call on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to suspend use of "whole-body imaging," the airport security technology that critics say performs "a virtual strip search" and produces "naked" pictures of passengers, CNN has learned.
Internet may go from free to fee
How much would you pay to read this page? At about 2,000 of the 50,000 or so words in the printed version of the Financial Times, it should in theory be worth about 4 per cent of the newspaper’s cover price – 10 US cents, 17½ euro cents or 8p.
More anti-Second Amendment proposed in Congress (Guilty until proven innocent)
On May 13 Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and Congressman Steve Israel (NY-02) hosted a press conference to announce the introduction of the No Fly, No Buy Act, which seeks to close the ‘terror gap’ by preventing people whose names appear on the Transportation Security Administration’s terrorist “no fly list” from being eligible to buy guns.
Complaint seeks disbarment of Bush lawyers
A coalition of liberal groups filed petitions Monday seeking disbarment of Bush administration attorneys linked to memos on harsh interrogation techniques of detainees.
WHO chief does not raise swine flu alert level
The chief of the World Health Organization says she is not raising the world swine flu alert level just yet. Several countries including Britain, Japan and China had urged the UN health agency to change how it decides to raise the alert level.
New flu spreads in Japan
Japan confirmed on Monday 125 people, many of whom had not been abroad, had been infected with the new strain of H1N1 flu after New York recorded its first death from the virus and Chile reported its first two cases.
World's elite meet secretly in Athens
This year's invitees also included U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner; Larry Summers, the director of the U.S. National Economic Council; the Obama administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke; World Bank President Robert Zoellick and European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet.
Google joins Bilderberg cabal
Daniel Estulin, author of "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group," said before the confab the main topic of the agenda for this meeting was the world economy. He said his sources inside the group told him the movers and shakers would be discussing two options – "either a prolonged, agonizing depression that dooms the world to decades of stagnation, decline, and poverty ... or an intense-but-shorter depression that paves the way for a new sustainable economic world order, with less sovereignty but more efficiency."
Huge New York rehearsal for next terror strike
Hundreds of firefighters and police swarmed Ground Zero Sunday, the site where the World Trade Center once stood, in the largest security exercise here since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
As part of an elaborate dress rehearsal for a possible future terror strike, rescue workers exploded simulated bombs in a commuter train tunnel linking Manhattan to neighboring New Jersey, burrowed beneath the Hudson River.
The Lethal Media Silence on Kent State's Smoking Guns
By Bob Fitrakis
The 1970 killings by National Guardsmen of four students during a peaceful anti-war demonstration at Kent State University have now been shown to be cold-blooded, premeditated official murder. But the definitive proof of this monumental historic reality is not, apparently, worthy of significant analysis or comment in today's mainstream media.
Sixth death is linked to swine flu in U.S.
A New York assistant principal becomes the city's first victim. A health official says complications probably played a role in the man's death.
Pakistan Is Rapidly Adding Nuclear Arms, U.S. Says
Members of Congress have been told in confidential briefings that Pakistan is rapidly adding to its nuclear arsenal even while racked by insurgency, raising questions on Capitol Hill about whether billions of dollars in proposed military aid might be diverted to Pakistan’s nuclear program.
Obama Covers Up Pro-Abortion Record at Notre Dame, Heckled During Speech
After weeks of intense opposition and controversy surrounding President Barack Obama's commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, Obama did what many observers expected him to do. He attempted to seek middle ground in the abortion debate and covered up his extensive pro-abortion record.
Under Rumsfeld, Pentagon published Bible verses on top-secret intel reports
In a lengthy article on Donald Rumsfeld’s rocky tenure as Defense Secretary, GQ published never-before-seen cover sheets from top-secret intelligence briefings produced by Rumsfeld’s Pentagon. Starting in the days surrounding the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the cover sheets featured inspirational Bible verses printed over military images, “and were delivered by Rumsfeld himself to the White House” to the president, “who referred to America’s war on terror as a ‘crusade.’”
Obama’s Animal Farm: Bigger, Bloodier Wars Equal Peace and Justice
By James Petras
Now President Obama has elevated the most notorious of the psychopaths, General Stanley McChrystal, to head the US and NATO military command in Afghanistan. McChrystal’s rise to leadership is marked by his central role in directing special operations teams engaged in extrajudicial assassinations, systematic torture, bombing of civilian communities and search and destroy missions. He is the very embodiment of the brutality and gore that accompanies military-driven empire building. Between September 2003 and August 2008, McChrystal directed the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations (JSO) Command which operates special teams in overseas assassinations.
Blood & Shadows
By Jim Kirwan
Another hundred days spent in the continuing global occupation by the forces of Shadow Governments worldwide: If anything has been changed here by Obama, those decisions served only to increase our problems.
U.K. Patriot Act Encroaches on Public Photography
Growing outrage is brewing among photographers in general over anecdotal evidence that police are also invoking parts of the Terrorism Act of 2000 to harass casual photographers and tourists.
Patriot Act Overrides Constitution Across America
“Never in my worst nightmare did I ever think that it would be my own government that I would have to protect my children from,” Lundeby said. “This is the United States, and I feel like I live in a Third World country now.”
