Banks Weighing Other Uses for Bailout Money
Several major U.S. banks are leaning toward spending a portion of their federal rescue money on acquiring other financial firms rather than for issuing new loans, the primary purpose of the government's $250 billion initiative to invest in banks.
McVoting at California's drive-thru polling booth
A cheeseburger and democracy to go? Not quite, but politically active Californians have been able to cast election ballots from the comfort of their cars at a one-off drive-thru voting booth.
GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks hit 4-year lows on economy fears
Asian stocks slumped to their lowest since December 2004 on Wednesday as poor U.S. corporate results and falling commodity prices fanned worries of a protracted global economic slowdown.
And now the Manchurian microchip
The geniuses at Homeland Security who brought you hare-brained procedures at airports (which inconvenience travelers without snagging terrorists) have decreed that October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. This means The Investigator -- at the risk of compromising national insecurities -- would be remiss not to make you aware of the hottest topic in U.S. counterintelligence circles: rogue microchips. This threat emanates from China (PRC) -- and it is hugely significant.
Drug Wars - Human heads sent to Mexico police
The severed heads of four men have been delivered by a courier service to a police station in northern Mexico, according to the local authorities.
Cyber-attack theory as al-Qaida websites close
Websites being used to disseminate propaganda by al-Qaida appear to have come under systematic cyber-attack, forcing the closure of three for well over a month and fuelling speculation that governments are targeting them in a shadowy new front in the "war on terror".
Saudis indict 991 terrorism suspects
The Saudi government fears a public backlash against its crackdown if it takes overly harsh measures against those indicted, and wants to avoid accusations it was doing so to please the US.
The Obama-Ayers-ACORN-Bailout Connection
By Henry Lamb
Barack Obama’s connection to Bill Ayers is important, not because Ayers once bombed U.S. buildings, but because the relationship demonstrates Obama’s personal involvement in events that led directly to the current financial crisis. The Obama-Ayers-ACORN relationship also supported and advanced other activities that many people might describe as anti-American.
Flashback - Project 80s: The CFR'S Program for "Controlled Disintegration"
By Angie Carlson
How is it possible for world economies to systematically, one after the other and then all simultaneously, disintegrate before some six billion pairs of eyes? How can this be? It is possible, because those six billion some odd pair of eyes have not witnessed the design of their destruction.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac eye mortgage bail-out business
American mortgage finance houses Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have each thrown their hat into the ring to be considered to manage the mortgages the US Treasury will own as part of its $850bn (£495bn sterling) bail-out of the American banking system.
Most Americans angry about nation's state of affairs: poll
Three out of four Americans say things are going badly in the country and they are angry about it, according to a poll released on Tuesday by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation.
DARPA building search engine for video surveillance footage
The DARPA overview emphasizes that VIRAT will not be designed with "face recognition, gait recognition, human identification, or any form of biometrics" in mind. Rather, the system will search for classes of activities or events. A suggested partial list in the prospectus includes digging, loitering, exploding, shooting, smoking, following, shaking hand, excahnging objects, crawling under a car, breaking a window, and evading a checkpoint.
3 Agencies Vie for Oversight of Swaps Market
The government is moving forward with its first significant effort to bring oversight to a vast, unregulated corner of Wall Street that has severely exacerbated the financial crisis.
But a turf war is brewing among three leading federal agencies that have contrasting visions for how the $55 trillion market for speculative financial instruments known as credit-default swaps should be regulated.
U.S. Treasury to favor new bank mergers
In a step that could accelerate a shakeout of U.S. banks, the Treasury Department hopes to spur a new round of mergers by steering some of the money in its $250 billion rescue package to banks that are willing to buy weaker rivals, according to government officials.
Sarkozy calls for European wealth funds
Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, called on Tuesday for the creation of European sovereign wealth funds to buy stakes in companies with low share prices and protect them from non-European predators.
16 Words: New Court Filing Suggests Manufactured Terror Threat in Bush's 2002 State of the Union
A new court filing by the lawyers for Lakhdar Boumediene and five other Guantanamo detainees suggests that the Bush administration ordered the Bosnian government to arrest and hold the men after an exhaustive Bosnian investigation had found them innocent of any terrorism related activity and had ordered their release, in order to use them as props in Bush's January 2002 State of the Union speech.
Britain’s Prime Minister Argues for Global Governance
By Brian Farmer
In a Washington Post commentary published on Friday, October 17, Great Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown tried to make the case that "The Financial Crisis Is Also an Opportunity To Create New Rules for Our Global Economy," as the subtitle put it.
Russia would prefer to see Obama in White House - lawmaker
A victory for Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential election would benefit Russia more than a win for his Republican rival, but there would be no immediate improvement in relations, a Russian lawmaker said on Tuesday.
More bailout contracts contain blacked out portions
The Treasury Department has hired two big accounting firms to help keep tabs on the government's financial-industry rescue program, and once again certain basic elements of the deals are shrouded in secrecy.
Majority of States Now in Recession
What started out as a housing problem in a few states has now exploded into a full-fledged recession with a majority of states now in or dangerously close to recession.
BATTLEGROUND: LOTS OF EARLY VOTING
The Politico takes a magnifying glass to key swing counties in McCain's must-win states, and the news is not good for the GOP nominee. In Nevada's Washoe and North Carolina's Wake, Obama has made gains since earlier this month, besting his opponent by ten and 9 points respectively. But pollsters find that both states, as a whole, remain a dead heat. America is going to be in a bigger mess if Obama beats McCain. It will be a lot easier for Obama to sucker more people in, than McCain ever could. Obama is probably the ruling elites first choice. Not that the powers that be can't still swing this election the other way, if they really want to. That's one of the main problems with this system, for those that truly care about freedom and liberty. On top of that they try to get us to believe that (mentally, politically bankrupt) McCain and Obama are the cream of the crop of millions of Americans and to a large degree, that's how they became their parties nominee. But that indicates to me that something is seriously flawed with the system, in the first place.
Gobbled up by the derivatives monster
By The Mogambo Guru
Clive Maund at clivemaund.com says, "Payback time for Wall St and Washington will be when foreign investors fail to turn up at the bond auctions to finance the bailout plan, whose US$800+ billion will have to be created out of thin air. So the bonds will have to be monetized, which will mean an immediate spike in inflation, which will cause the rate of corporate bankruptcies to soar as failing companies take down others in a chain reaction because the losses will be highly leveraged by credit default swaps etc. This is the underlying reason why banks won't lend to each other - they can't calculate the counterparty risk. All of this will set off a massive derivatives meltdown that will bring the whole system crashing down."
Homeless numbers 'alarming'
More families with children are becoming homeless as they face mounting economic pressures, including mortgage foreclosures, according to a USA TODAY survey of a dozen of the largest cities in the nation.
Attack on Iran Off the Table?
By Ray McGovern
In April 2006, one of my Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) colleagues, in a conversation with Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, asked the general if he thought the U.S. or the U.S. cum Israel would attack Iran. Zinni shook his head vigorously, saying, "That would be crazy." Then he stopped and quickly added, but you are dealing with "the crazies."
Big Brother database threatens to 'break the back of freedom'
Government plans to build a giant database holding information about every phone call, email and internet visit were last night dealt a major blow after the man in charge of prosecuting terrorism in England and Wales warned of the dangers posed by a "Big Brother" security state.
The October Surprise - Global Panic
By Stephen Lendman
Since 9/11, the notion of an October surprise has been around. The idea going something like this. Another real or manufactured terror attack. The dominant media stokes fear. The public is again traumatized. The Bush administration pledges all effective measures to protect national security. Formerly seizes total power. Suspends the Constitution and declares martial law. Mass detentions follow. Beginning with dissenters and elements of the public considered "dangerous."
Brute Force, The Power to Hurt, and Psychological Control
By Judith Young
In the aftermath of Congressional approval of bailout legislation granting sweeping powers to the financial elite, the body politic appears to be helplessly mired in the relentless unfolding of classical fascism before its very eyes.
On the Terms of the Powerful: Translating Propaganda and Thinking the Unthinkable
By Max Kantar
When you go to a foreign country, it is common to bring a translation dictionary to help curb the confusion that comes with trying to understand a foreign language. Likewise, in American politics, we also need a translation guide to understand mainstream discussion given the universal double standards, egotistical national chauvinism, and internalized elite values.
Neocons for Obama?
George Packer from the New Yorker magazine reports on an email he got from Ken Adelman today indicating that the neo-con is planning on voting for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
Another Million Iraqi demonstrators: Get out of our country
Ignoring the Iraqi non-violent resistance will definitely push more Iraqis to choose armed resistance as the way to get their country back. The bottom line is that people want their country back; if they manage to get it back through signing petitions and demonstrating, they'll be more than happy. If they can't they'll use force
Nato chief attacks lack of will on Afghanistan
The failure of Nato countries to send more combat troops to Afghanistan revealed a "wavering" political will that raised fundamental questions about the relevance of the alliance, its supreme military commander warned yesterday.
Fed Sets Up New Program to Buy Money-Fund Assets
The Federal Reserve invoked emergency authority to purchase assets from money-market mutual funds that are having difficulty meeting redemptions from their investors.
Nuclear incident would make 9/11 'insignificant': nuke commission
The world is on the brink of an avalanche in the spread of devastating weaponry, a new global non-proliferation group warned Tuesday, saying that a nuclear incident would dwarf the September 11 attacks.
Obama's Carbon Ultimatum
Liberals pretend that only President Bush is prev
enting the U.S. from adopting some global warming "solution." But occasionally their mask slips. As Barack Obama's energy adviser has now made clear, the would-be President intends to blackmail or rather, greenmail Congress into falling in line with his climate agenda.
Sheehan claims her campaign against Pelosi is being sabotaged
Category: HouseTags: CA-08, Nancy Pelosi, Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan, the peace-activist-mom who lost a son in Iraq and who gained national prominence by protesting outside of President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, says she has been the victim of "dirty tricks" in her campaign to dislodge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in CA-08.
Environmentalism Is Racism
By Eric Englund
All of the insanities of the environmental movement become intelligible when one grasps the nature of the destructive motivation behind them.
Asian Stocks Advance, Led by Commodity Producers
Asian stocks climbed, led by producers of raw materials and consumer goods, as optimism grew governments will expand efforts to boost economic growth.
The man who knows too much
He exposed the My Lai massacre, revealed Nixon's secret bombing of Cambodia and has hounded Bush and Cheney over the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib... No wonder the Republicans describe Seymour Hersh as 'the closest thing American journalism has to a terrorist'. Rachel Cooke meets the most-feared investigative reporter in Washington
Top world military officials meet in Lake Placid
owerful generals and admirals from five of the most powerful nations on Earth met this weekend at the Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid after flying into the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear on Friday.
Bernanke supports higher spending
US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke has said more government spending may be needed to combat economic weakness.
Olive harvest attacks anger Abbas
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has condemned violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians harvesting their olives as a "dangerous escalation".
Bernanke Endorses Obama
Ben Bernanke apparently wants four more years as Federal Reserve Chairman. At least that's a reasonable conclusion after Mr. Bernanke all but submitted his job application to Barack Obama yesterday by endorsing the Democratic version of fiscal "stimulus."
While the Fed chief said any stimulus should be "well targeted," even a general endorsement amounts to a political green light. Mr. Bernanke certainly knows that Mr. Obama and Democrats on Capitol Hill are talking about some $300 billion in new "stimulus" spending, while President Bush and Republicans are resisting. And by saying any help should "limit longer-term effects" on the federal deficit, he had to know he was reinforcing Democratic opposition to permanent tax cuts.
HHS limits anthrax vaccine legal liability
The Health and Human Services Department early this month moved to shield government, industry and business officials from lawsuits filed by those who have received the anthrax vaccine.
Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt established legal immunity for public and private officials who oversee the production or distribution of the anthrax vaccine by declaring a "public health emergency" due to the risk of a bioterrorism attack. He said the emergency began on Oct. 1 and would run through Dec. 31, 2015.
France unveils bank rescue plan
The French government is to inject 10.5bn euros ($14bn; £8.2bn) into the country's six largest banks.
Sun's protective 'bubble' is shrinking
The protective bubble around the sun that helps to shield the Earth from harmful interstellar radiation is shrinking and getting weaker, Nasa scientists have warned.
U.S. pilot was ordered to shoot down UFO
An American fighter pilot flying from an English air base at the height of the Cold War was ordered to open fire on a massive UFO that lit up his radar, according to an account published by Britain’s National Archives on Monday.
Thirty years of warmer temperatures go poof
In early September, I began noticing a string of news stories about scientists rejecting the orthodoxy on global warming. Actually, it was more like a string of guest columns and long letters to the editor since it is hard for skeptical scientists to get published in the cabal of climate journals now controlled by the Great Sanhedrin of the environmental movement.
Bernanke Urges Congress To Pass New Stimulus Bill
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Monday a fresh round of government stimulus is a good idea because there's a risk the country's economic weakness could last for some time.
Iran busts 'spy pigeons' near nuclear site
Security forces in Natanz have arrested two suspected "spy pigeons" near Iran's controversial uranium enrichment facility, the reformist Etemad Melli newspaper reported on Monday.
Iran promises no mercy against aggressor
Any decision to attack Iran would be an 'irreversible error' unforgivable until the fall of the enemy, says a senior Iranian commander.
Could the US election be stolen?
With John McCain and Barack Obama already swapping accusations of widespread voter fraud, experts warn that a bitter and protracted fight could ensue if the race to the White House is decided by a narrow margin.
Brzezinski: Powell decision tears GOP ticket
Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama shows a comprehensive indictment of the Republican side, a former US national security advisor says.
Banks braced for Lehman Brother's debt insurers' deadline
Financiers enjoying a respite from the panic of the past few weeks should brace themselves for further mayhem tomorrow, the deadline for insurers of Lehman Brothers' debt to pay up on billions of dollars of policies.
Worst slump since Great Depression
Major industrialised economies will suffer the worst slump since the 1930s, according to new research from Deutsche Bank.
U.S.-Iraq deal would whittle troops' immunity
U.S. troops or contractors who commit "major and premeditated murders" in Iraq while off-duty and outside U.S. facilities would fall under Iraqi jurisdiction, according to a copy of a draft U.S.-Iraq agreement obtained by CNN.
AIG’s fire sale is sparsely attended
When the Federal Reserve bailed out American International Group last month, the support in the form of an $85 billion loan came with some major strings attached.
With the credit markets frozen and the stock market taking roller-coaster dives, those strings are now strangling AIG.
AIG has since arranged for a second line of credit for $37.8 bilion. As of Thursday, the insurer had drawn down $82.9 billion, or two-thirds of the $123 billion available. Meanwhile, the company’s plan to pay off the onerous debt through asset sales its only feasible means of raising capital has not yielded a single deal.
A financial new world order?
When President Bush hosts a world financial summit in the coming weeks, one of the least multilateral American presidents in decades will set in motion what could result in a full reordering of the global financial system.
Obama's New Advisor Stands By His War Crimes
By Chris Floyd
Just to be clear, Barack Obama's brand-new foreign policy advisor, Colin Powell, wants you to know that he continues to support the decision to launch a war of aggression against Iraq in March 2003 -- an act that, according to principles established by the United States and its allies at Nuremberg in 1945, is a war crime punishable by death.
The federal reserve caused the 700 billion dollar bailout and economic crash (Video)
The federal reserve caused the 700 billion dollar bailout. Share this video with everyone you know. The Rothschilds and the Bank of England, and the London banking houses which ultimately control the Federal Reserve Banks through their stockholdings of bank stock and their subsidiary firms in New York. The two principal Rothschild representatives in New York, J. P. Morgan Co., and Kuhn,Loeb & Co. were the firms which set up the Jekyll Island Conference The Federal Reserve was created with no constitutional authority in 1913, the Fed prints money out of thin air and loans it to the U.S. treasury at interest. This can only lead to one outcome: debt. Currently, the Federal Reserve is printing billions of dollars to bail out Wall Street while destroying the middle class and the dollar with inflation. If our country wants a sound and transparent monetary system, we need to abolish the Federal Reserve
The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America (Video)
"The powers of financial capitalism had a far-reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole...Their secret is that they have annexed from governments, monarchies, and republics the power to create the world's money..." THE MONEY MASTERS is a 3 1/2 hour non-fiction, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation, including America, has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers.
Biden to Supporters: "Gird Your Loins", For the Next President "It's Like Cleaning Augean Stables"
ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., on Sunday guaranteed that if elected, Sen. Barack Obama., D-Ill., will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in power and he will need supporters to stand by him as he makes tough, and possibly unpopular, decisions.
U.S., Cuomo Open Credit Default Swap Investigation
The U.S. government and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo opened a joint investigation into the $34.8 trillion credit-default swap market, the top federal prosecutor in New York said.
US warship 'catches fire in Persian Gulf'
A vessel belonging to the US Navy has reportedly caught fire in the northern Persian Gulf near the Iraqi port cities of Al-Bakr and al-Amaya.
Informed military sources said on Monday that the UN Navy had secretly moved the vessel to the coasts of Kuwait after the fire broke out, Iran's Arabic-language TV channel Al-Alam reported.
The sources did not rule out the possibility that a blast had started the fire on the vessel that was said to be "one of the four US warships in the region," the report added.
Gulf of Tonkin - False Flag
Watch this short video about the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Amazingly enough, it’s not yet common knowledge that the whole incident was also an ‘inside job,’ like so many other terrifying world events. Yes, it’s been declassified and the supporting documents are included below the video.
ElBaradei: Iran is nowhere near nukes
UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei disputes Western claims about Iran, saying the country is far from developing nuclear weapons.
