Zakaria: Learning to Live With Radical Islam

Pakistan's Swat valley is quiet once again. Often compared to Switzerland for its stunning landscape of mountains and meadows, Swat became a war zone over the past two years as Taliban fighters waged fierce battles against Army troops.

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Afghanistan:Karzai Sets Earlier Date for Afghan Elections.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai issued a decree on Saturday that sets an earlier date for the country's presidential election, a move that could spark a constitutional crisis. He wants the presidential elections to take place late April,before his term is up in May, the US would like the election to take place in August.

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White House: Obama asks Sebelius to be HHS secretary

President Obama on Saturday asked Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be his nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, according to two White House officials.

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Wiretapping Lawsuit May Have its Day in Court.

The Obama administration had tried to halt a case challenging Bush's program of spying on terrorism suspects without first getting court approval.....

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AP/NPR:Buffett Sees Economic Shambles.

Berkshire reported a 62 percent drop in 2008 profit.Warren Buffett doesn't see an improvement for 2009, but he remains optimistic for longer term economic forecast....

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U.S. Goals May Require Longer Troop Stay In Iraq

President Obama says the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end by Aug. 31, 2010, and he'll honor a previous agreement to remove all forces by Dec. 31, 2011. But officials say both American interests and Iraqi security needs will require a much longer U.S. presence.

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Man Says He Was a Paid Informant for the FBI in Mosque.

He identifies himself in a court filing as having infiltrated mosques in Orange County on behalf of the agency.The man came forward to the press after the FBI didn't giving him a status in the witness protection program, as originally promised by the agency.

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Press:After 150 Years The Rocky Mountain News Ends.

Sad news for Colorado today, the Pulitzer price winning daily newspaper is shutting down....

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Top N.Y. legal officer demands bonus list from BofA CEO

By Phil Wahba and Grant McCool NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's top legal officer on Thursday demanded Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis provide names of Merrill Lynch executives who received 2008 bonuses, and how much they got,...

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U.S.Government & Citigroup reach $25 billion deal: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government and Citigroup have reached a deal to convert up to $25 billion in government-held preferred shares in the bank to common equity, a person familiar with the transaction said early on Friday. Under the deal...

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Budget:A New Era of Responsibility?

President Obama writes:"For years,a lack of transparency created a situation in which serious economic dangers were visible to all too few.This irresponsibility precipitated the interlocking housing & financial crises that triggered the recession.But the roots of the problems we face run deeper."You will find here the complete 146 pages doc.in PDF.

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Cezanne's Shadow: A Master's Influence Lingers

From Matisse to Mondrian, Braque to Giacometti — the list of venerable artists who were inspired by Paul Cezanne reads like the syllabus of an art history class. Now, a new exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art celebrates the master painter's legacy.

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Money Managers Accused of $550 Million Fraud

By Martha Graybow NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two money managers who oversaw investments for Carnegie Mellon University and other institutions were arrested on Wednesday on charges of running an estimated $550 million, decade-long swindle, the latest in a...

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The Great Recession:" There will be blood ".

Harvard Economic historian Niall Ferguson said in an interview that the global crisis is far from over and has only just begun.He predicts prolonged financial hardship,even civil war,before what he call the "Great Recession" ends.....

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The N. Word:Uncle Sam Bank?Not Yet,But May be Soon...

By Emily Kaiser and Pedro da Costa - Analysis WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just as Wall Street was coming to grips with the notion that bank nationalization might be inevitable, U.S. officials have come out strongly against an idea that strikes against the core concept of capitalism.

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Afghan Buildup Includes Billions to Fight Bombs

The Pentagon plans to deploy more armored vehicles and spy planes to protect troops from attacks. More than 175 Americans & allied troops were killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan last year, we can except a lot more casualties in the spring.

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Iran Tests its First Nuclear Power Plant

Iran tested its first nuclear power plant Wednesday, a stride that prompted one Iranian technician to declare it was "independence day" for the Islamic republic.

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The Text of Obama's Address To Congress on 2/24/09.

President Obama delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Here are his remarks as prepared for delivery.

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Iraq Pullout:Decision Near on 2010 Withdrawal From Iraq.

The timetable would give the military three months more than the pullout President Obama described during the campaign.The troops would be out of Iraq by August 2010.

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UK:Straw Blocks Publication of Pre-Iraq War Discussion

By Frank Prenesti LONDON (Reuters) - The government refused on Tuesday to publish records of cabinet discussions on the legality of invading Iraq in 2003, despite a tribunal ruling in January that it should release them, this veto is unprecedented.....

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Iraq:Though Numbers Unclear, Iraqi Deaths Touch Many

Estimates of the number of Iraqis killed since the start of the war vary wildly, from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. And, in some cases, those numbers have been deliberately shrouded.

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Pakistani Taliban Announce Indefinite Truce in Swat

MINGORA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban militants announced an indefinite ceasefire in the Swat valley in the northwest of the country on Tuesday, a day after the army said it was ceasing operations in the region. The ceasefire, following an...

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Italy:Bank's Cheesy Solution to Hedge Losses.

In Northern Italy, a bank is using Parmesan cheese as collateral against loans to cheese producers.They are holding thousands of kilograms of enormous cheese wheels.If they have to "eat their losses",they can do it literally......

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Border Patrol:Do You Want to Become a Virtual Texas Deputy?

The Texas Border Sheriff's coalition has joined BlueServo(this site) in a public-private partnership to deploy a virtual community watch in a real time surveillance program.You can play minute-man vigilante and volunteer to monitor cameras set at the US/Mexico border.Big brother is here to stay.....

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Guantanamo Detainee Mohamed Sent To Britain

A former British resident who claims he was brutally tortured at a covert CIA site in Morocco has been freed from Guantanamo after nearly seven years in U.S. captivity. Binyam Mohamed's case could raise tough questions about U.S. treatment of detainees.

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Freed Guantanamo Detainee Accuses U.S. of Torture.

By Luke Baker LONDON (Reuters) - A British resident held at Guantanamo Bay for more than four years returned to Britain a free man on Monday and accused the U.S. government of inflicting ''medieval'' torture on him -- with British collusion....

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The New World Order: Some Facts or Pure Conspiracy Theory?

This article is from a source believing that a New World Order is in the work, and that the current financial meltdown is just part of a global scheme orchestrated by the Illuminati to collapse the world wide economy and impose a new world order.The theory seemed lunacy a few months ago, but in light of recent events,some rationalist are wondering.

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E.U. Leaders Turn to IMF Amid Financial Crisis.

EU leaders call for the International Monetary Fund to double to 500 billion, in order to help with the global financial meltdown.

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Scientists Close To Universal Vaccine For Flu

Every year, scientists have to predict what strains of flu will be prevalent and then build a vaccine around them. And sometimes those predictions are wrong. But now, researchers may have found an Achilles' heel common to many flu viruses, even the viruses that cause bird flu.

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NPR:Right-To-Die Debate Raging in Europe.

Whatever you call it — euthanasia, mercy killing or assisted suicide — the right to a "kindly death" is of intense concern in Europe, a continent with a rapidly growing aging population.America is behind on this debate, but will likely catch up with the aging of the baby-boomer generation.

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George Soros Sees no Bottom for World Financial Collapse.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Renowned investor George Soros said on Friday the world financial system has effectively disintegrated, adding that there is yet no prospect of a near-term resolution to the crisis. Soros said the turbulence is actually more...

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European Leaders Vow Stricter Oversight of Markets.

By Gernot Heller and Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - European leaders agreed on Sunday to push for a global crackdown on tax havens and strict new regulation of hedge funds as part of a sweeping overhaul of financial rules designed to prevent future...

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Report:European MPs earning £1 million profits in a term.

Being elected MP at the European Congress is good business, in a 5 year term the net for each elected official can reach 1 Million Pounds.....

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The Cost of the Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan-From 9/11 to 2008

This 68 pages doc. was prepared for Congress,it is the cost of Iraq,Afghanistan and other "global war on terror" operations since 9/11.The numbers: $657 Billion for Iraq,$173 Billion for Afghanistan,28 Billion for "enhanced security" & 5 B.unallocated.This doesn't include the average $500 B. a year Pentagon budget.America is broke and this is why.

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Bank Of America CEO Subpoenaed Over Merrill Deal

Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis received a subpoena from New York state officials who want to know about bonuses paid to Merrill Lynch employees. The investigation focuses on whether the bank withheld information from investors during its acquisition of Merrill.

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Human Rights:Obama Backs Bush Policy on Detainees' Rights.

President Obama sided with the Bush administration,today, saying detainees in Afghanistan have no constitutional rights.Needless to say, this provoked an immediate outrage from ACLU's Jonathan Hafetz.Hafetz said:"They(the Obama administration) have now embraced the Bush policy that can create prisons outside the law".

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The end of Antiwar.com?

President Obama just ordered 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan: what more do you need to know about what to expect for at least the next four years? In a world at war, Antiwar.com is an essential resource – debunking the War Party's lies 24/7. Can you afford to lose it?

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Binyamin Netanyahu targets Iran after he is appointed Prime.

Natanyahu didn't even mentioned the stalled peace process with Palestinians....

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Netanyahu Asked to form Israel's Next Government

By Joseph Nasr and Douglas Hamilton JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday accepted a mandate to form Israel's next government and immediately called for a broad, national unity coalition with centrist and left-wing...

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Obama in Canada:"NAFTA Renegotiation Must Wait".

OTTAWA, Feb. 19 -- President Obama warned on Thursday against a 'strong impulse' toward protectionism while the world suffers a global economic recession and said his election-year promise to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement on behalf of unions and environmentalists will have to wait...

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Netanyahu Wins Backing in Israeli PM Contest.

By Jeffrey Heller and Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu's chances of becoming Israel's prime minister again were boosted on Thursday by the conditional backing of an ultra-nationalist politician who emerged as a kingmaker.

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Yes We Can end the war in Afghanistan

It is increasingly clear that a dramatic reduction in military spending has become an economic necessity. Yet, the Harper government is doing the opposite, while trying to conceal it. And so, as Obama makes his first visit to Canada, Harper is busy forging ahead with a stealth 'war stimulus' that will actually stoke the fire of the economic crisis.

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Groups Caution Obama not Breaking from Bush Secrecy.

By Edith Honan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Civil liberties experts say ongoing cases related to torture and rendition are testing the Obama administration's assertion it will be more open and transparent than the Bush administration. Since taking office...

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Kerry Leads Congressional Visit To Gaza

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry and two members of the House of Representatives, Brian Baird and Keith Ellison, shunned Hamas during tours that came one month after Israel ended its 22-day Gaza offensive.

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Will Obama Convince Allies to Help Out in Afghanistan?

As the debate plays out about whether President Obama's decision to send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan will help ease the increase in Taliban insurgency, the president is reaching out to allies for help.The public opinion support for military involvement in Afghanistan in both Europe & Canada is low.

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Far-Right Israeli Politician Holds Key To Power Deal

In Israel, an ultranationalist politician is now the key power broker in efforts to form a new coalition government. Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Israel Our Homeland Party, has enraged Israeli Arabs as well as ultra-Orthodox Jews.

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Sarkozy Tries to Avert French Unrest with Aid Plans

By Estelle Shirbon PARIS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged new state spending on Wednesday for those hit by the economic crisis as violence in the French island of Guadeloupe put pressure on him to avert unrest on the mainland.

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Greenspan:"Recession will be worst since 1930s.".

By Kristina Cooke NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Tuesday the current global recession will ''surely be the longest and deepest'' since the 1930s and more government rescue funds are needed"....

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Golden State Crisis:Still No Budget Deal In California.

California still doesn't have a budget. That's despite dire warnings that layoffs, spending freezes and a major meltdown of most state government functions are imminent. Republicans aren't going along with a plan to close the state's $40 billion budget gap. The deal is still a single Republican vote shy of passing.

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Economic Crisis Poses Threat To Global Stability

Fallout from the global economic downturn has prompted protests around the world. It could easily shift the geopolitical lineup, with all sorts of worrisome results. But uncertainty hampers governments' attempts to plan for the many scenarios.Social unrest could be in the forecast...

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US to boost troops in Afghanistan

President Obama has decided to follow the successful example of the Soviet Union and authorized the deployment of up to 17,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan, saying they are to "meet urgent security needs. The announcement came after the UN said that the number of civilians killed in the conflict in Afghanistan rose by 39% last year.

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Reuters:Israel Engaged in Covert War Inside Iran.

By Luke Baker LONDON (Reuters) - Israel is involved in a covert war of sabotage inside Iran to try to delay Tehran's alleged attempts to develop a nuclear weapon, a British newspaper said on Tuesday, quoting a former CIA agent and intelligence...

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Clinton Calls for Coordinated Economic Response.

By Arshad Mohammed TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for coordinated action to revive the global economy on Tuesday and invited Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso to meet President Barack Obama at the White House next...

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With No Budget, California to Cut 20,000 State Jobs

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California, which is on the brink of running out of cash, will notify 20,000 state workers on Tuesday their jobs may be eliminated, a spokesman for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Monday.

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Stunning Prefab In the Style of Frank Lloyd Wright

The goal was to build a prototype prefab conducive to elegant and sustainable living within the heart of the desert landscape. The project, entirely built by the students at Taliesin West, now sits nearly complete furnished with furniture.

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The Bill:American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

AKA the stimulus package.This is the 778 pages of the Senate compromise bill(2/7/2009).If nothing else, the Congress manage to generate a substantial amount of legal documents...

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AFP:Pakistan Agrees to Islamic Sharia Law Deal with Taliban.

Pakistani officials and Islamic hardliners have agreed to restore Islamic Sharia law in the Swat valley,following the announcement of a 10 days ceasefire by the Taliban.This turn of events will not pleased the US administration.

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Experts Say U.S. ''War on Terror'' Eroded Rights Worldwide.

By Laura MacInnis GENEVA (Reuters) - Washington's ''war on terror'' after the September 11 attacks has eroded human rights worldwide, creating lingering cynicism that the United Nations must now combat, international law experts said on Monday.

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Top Mexico Drug Cop Charged with Working for Drug Cartel.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The former head of Mexico's special organized crime bureau has been charged with selling information to one of the country's most powerful drug cartels, the attorney general's office said on Sunday. Noe Ramirez, who stepped...

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Russians Mark 20th Anniversary Of Afghan War's End

The grueling, decade-long war was a humiliating failure for a crumbling superpower. But 20 years later, Russians say it's a failure that holds grave implications for U.S. and NATO forces now in Afghanistan.It should be something to think about for the Obama administration before sending additional troops.....

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Afghanistan:Farewell to the Invaders,Welcome to the Taliban.

Chris Sands call Afghanistan:Chaos central.He was a correspondent there,and he looks back at the deterioration across the country over the past 4 years:The resurgence of both the Taliban and the old corrupt elites,the failure of the occupation forces and the worsening condition of life for everyone else...

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AP/NPR:Crude Oil is Getting Cheaper, so Why Isn't Gas?

Crude oil is at a record low of $34 a barrel, yet gas prices are creeping up again. This AP report says that there is a lot more to gas price than crude price alone.Valid point, but somehow Americans feel that they are getting taken for a ride by the big oil companies and their greed....

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My Soul don’t Dream.

"I try to be pretty light-hearted when I write these posts. That's due in part to my nature, and in part because some of the things I discuss can be overwhelming to folks. In the mental health part of Ask A Wingnut, I've discussed clinical anxiety, clinical depression, magical thinking as it applies to current events, my own experience..."

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Global Warming Seen Worse than Predicted.

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - The climate is heating up far faster than scientists had predicted, spurred by sharp increases in greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries like China and India, a top climate scientist said on...

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Focus & Exit:An Alternative Strategy for the Afghan War.

Gilles Dorronsoro wrote:"The presence of foreign troops is the most important element driving the resurgence of the Taliban.Historically,the more military pressure is put on a fragmented society like Afghanistan,the more a coalition against the invaders becomes the likely outcome;As it happened,in the 80's with the Soviet occupation."

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Economic Crisis, Unemployment Take Emotional Toll

During this economic downturn, there have been a staggering number of layoffs, and almost every day brings news of more. While many people are resilient in the face of unemployment, for some it means depression and panic.The story of Sylvia Martinez is heartbreaking, her American dream has become an hopeless nightmare.

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Don't Fix Wall Street, Replace It

Instead of a Wall Street economy of fake numbers and fat cats, how about a Main Street economy where we support local businesses and working people who produce real goods and services to meet the real wealth needs of their communities? Nah, that's much too sensible to work.

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Taliban is in ''huge'' amounts of Pakistan: Zardari

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Taliban has established itself across a large part of Pakistan, forcing the country to fight a war against the hard-line Islamist group that is about Pakistan's own survival, President Asif Zardari told CBS News. ''(The...

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Global Economic Crisis Is Threat To U.S. Security

U.S. intelligence agencies have produced their annual assessment of security threats. On one hand, the al-Qaida terrorist network is said to have suffered a setback. On the other, the global economic crisis has produced new security threats. Also, the situation in Afghanistan is worsening, and prospects for peace in the Middle East are disappearing

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Roubini Warns US Banking System Effectively Insolvent

Losses in the US financial system may reach $3.6 trillion before the credit crisis is over, suggesting the country's banks are "effectively insolvent", according to the man who predicted the current economic meltdown.Who's going to be next; Bank of America, Wells Fargo?It is going to get a lot worse.....

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Last Russian general warns US on Afghanistan

MOSCOW – Twenty years after Red Army troops pulled out of Afghanistan, the last general to command them says the Soviets' devastating experience is a dismal omen for U.S. plans to build up troops there."In Afghanistan it has been and always will be impossible to solve political problems using force," said Gromov,

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Global Crisis:G7 Powers Converge on Rome as Crisis Rages.

By Sumeet Desai and Krista Hughes ROME (Reuters) - G7 finance ministers converged on Rome to discuss the economic crisis amid warnings from Germany and Britain on Friday that the world could revert to the dark days of the 1930s....

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World Bank Research Shows Crisis Worsening Poverty.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A day ahead of a meeting of industrial powers, the World Bank said on Thursday new research showed more people were being pushed into poverty in developing countries due to the global financial crisis. It said new 2009...

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Cut the Military Budget--II

Where will we find the money to finance healthcare reform? Start with the military budget.

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Madoff Clients Find Comfort, Bitterness Online

Investors who lost some or all of their life savings are turning to members-only Web sites and forums that have emerged as a place for people to share their pain and knowledge. That's in addition to very public forums like Facebook and a variety of blogs.

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Stop the biggest neo-nazi march in Europe.

It is expected that more than 6,000 neo-nazis will demonstrate in Dresden, Germany on Saturday February 14.This web site is calling on Europeans to vehemently but peacefully protest the demonstration.

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Evolution: Can Science & Religion co-exist?

Churches worldwide will be holding events this weekend to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Organizers of Evolution Weekend say it's a chance for people of faith to challenge the assumption that evolution and religion are incompatible.A large numbers of Americans still oppose evolution in favor of " creationism".

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Ban On Media Coverage Of Military Coffins Revisited

A longtime Pentagon policy bars the media from covering the arrival of coffins carrying the military's dead. But that may change under the Obama administration. The military has argued that the ban protects the families' privacy, but critics counter that it shields Americans from the true cost of war.

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Did Philadelphia Police Used Excessive Force in Killing?

Daniel Trinsey served six years in prison for robbery before he was paroled in 2007 and given a chance to change his ways.

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Banksters:Wall Street CEOs Feel the Rage in Washington.

By Steve Holland and Kevin Drawbaugh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wall Street bank executives felt the rage of Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday over how they used $176 billion in bailout money without making a noticeable impact...

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Geithner's Plan for "Financial Stability".

This is the plan outlined today by Geithner "to restore stability to our financial system".Geithner also promised transparency and announced the launch of this web site(financialstability.gov) to keep Americans taxpayers informed on how the stimulus package is allocated.Meanwhile on Wall Street the Dow dropped by almost 5%....

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Israeli Divisions Will Make Mideast Peace Harder

By Adam Entous and Arshad Mohammed - Analysis JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - No matter who leads Israel's next government, internal divisions are likely to tie its hands in any peacemaking with the Palestinians and leave U.S. President Barack...

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France's Sarkozy in Iraq to rebuild ties

French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a surprise visit to Baghdad Tuesday on a trip seen as aimed at raising his country's stake in Iraqi reconstruction and easing frictions with Washington over the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.

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U.S. Judges Seek Massive California Prisoner Release.

By Peter Henderson SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Federal judges on Monday tentatively ordered California to release tens of thousands of inmates, up to a third of all prisoners, in the next three years to stop dangerous overcrowding. As many as 57,000...

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Israeli Elections:The Rise of Anti-Arab Avigdor Lieberman

Many Israelis and their American allies are sleeping through the rise of the virulently anti-Arab Avigdor Lieberman.Lieberman's party is projected to gain some seats at the Knesset tomorrow, and will likely form a coalition with Likud's Netanyahu.This will make the difficult task to restart the peace process in the Middle-East almost impossible.

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Rendition:Justice Dept. Stands Behind Bush Secrecy.

The Justice Dept. repeated today the Bush administration claims of "State secret" in a lawsuit for an extraordinary rendition case.ACLU's Romero said:"Eric Holder's Justice Dept. stood in court today and said it would continue the Bush policy of invoking state secrecy to hide torture and rendition".This is completely unacceptable.

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Karl Marx on Britannica Encyclopedia.

Karl Marx is the " comeback kid" of the global economy crisis.Find out more about Marx and his work from the Britannica Encyclopedia.

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Is Marxism Due for a Comeback?

The proposal 5,in Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto,was to bring about the "centralization of credit in the banks of the state,by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly".The current global financial meltdown is driving people to reconsider the validity of the free market capitalist economy,especially its American brand.

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About 30 Egyptian Mummies Found in Ancient Cache

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian archaeologists have found about 30 mummies and at least one unopened sarcophagus in a burial chamber about 4,300 years old, the government said in a statement on Monday. They found the chamber in the desert on the western...

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Wash DC Mayor to close largest homeless shelter in the world

12,000 homeless people in the Capital of the Free World. The Mayor has been shutting down the shelters, kicking the homeless out in the snow, and selling the real estate to his wealthy developer buddies. Next on his list is the largest homeless shelter in the world, the historic Community for Creative Non-Violence.

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Notes (anti-)américaines ... du philosophe Yves Michaud.

L’intellectuel qui voyage aux USA, comme moi en ce moment, à travers les USA profonds, a évidemment la tentation de se prendre pour un petit Tocqueville. Au moins que ce soit sans la prétention de faire une grande théorie. Juste donc quelques notations.BlackberriesSur le Blackberry, ce petit appareil...

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Russia Signals New Optimism on Ties with U.S

By Noah Barkin and David Brunnstrom MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Russia on Sunday welcomed a pledge by the United States ''to press the reset button'' on relations with Moscow, in a sign the former Cold War rivals could repair relations under President...

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Afghanistan 'Tougher than Iraq'.

Obama special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke stated in Munich today:" I have never seen anything like the mess we have inherited".The US is trying to get NATO and France to commit more troops to Afghanistan, it is unlikely as the opposition to the war is growing in Europe.A smart exit strategy should be on the table.

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Obama puts brake on Afghan surge - Times Online

Obama is said to be reconsidering sending more troops to Afghanistan.

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Shepard Fairey Interview.

Interview of the creator of the Obama poster.

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Creator of Iconic Obama Portrait Arrested on Graffiti Charge

BOSTON (Reuters) - An artist who created an iconic red, white and blue portrait of President Barack Obama that appeared on thousands of posters and T-shirts was arrested in Boston on graffiti charges, police said on Saturday. Shepard Fairey, a Los...

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Economy: ENOUGH

In which a felinoid of our joint and mutual acquaintance appears to be somewhat perturbed about Republican obstructionism and foot-dragging in re: the stimulus bill. With gratuitous spicy language, bonus snarls, an excellent video and an activist cat.

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Netanyahu Ballot Favorite as Israelis Drift Right

By Dan Williams JERUSALEM, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Politically disaffected and jittery over their security and economy, Israelis will likely slip right-ward in an election next week, pitching U.S.-backed peace efforts with the Palestinians into deeper...

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U.S. Unveils Changes to Foreign Policy

By Ross Colvin MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced changes to U.S. foreign policy on Saturday that emphasized diplomacy over military power but also urged allies to shoulder more of the burden in tackling global...

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Obama, Salary Caps and the Spoiled Wall Street Execs

GrandmaSheila shares random thoughts on the patriots of Wall Street....

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Democrats Claim To Reach Deal On Stimulus

Senate Democrats say they have enough votes to pass a $780 billion compromise plan on an economic stimulus package President Obama has promised voters. All 58 Democrats and at least three Republicans support the plan, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says.

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Obama Sets More Modest Goals For Afghanistan

President Barack Obama's administration is lowering its sights in Afghanistan. A grim pragmatism has replaced lofty talk of a thriving democracy. The new hope is that U.S. troops can begin to withdraw in five years, leaving the rest of the job to Afghan forces and civilian experts.

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Israel to Obama: Hold Iran's Feet to Fire, or Else

By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent - Analysis BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel will go along with President Barack Obama's Iran diplomacy, but try to shorten the deadline for results by signaling its willingness to attack Iranian nuclear sites if need...

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Obama: Economy Faces Catastrophe Without Stimulus

By Jeff Mason WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama pressed Congress on Thursday to pass a massive fiscal stimulus package, saying the economy would face ''catastrophe'' without it. Aiming to build support for the plan that...

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Madoff client list peppered with big names

By Martha Graybow and Grant McCool NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax, actor John Malkovich and World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein are among the well-known people who were customers of accused swindler...

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My Republican Senators from Oklahoma Lied to Me

... I have been watching the antics in Washington and I have become disgusted - no, I am enraged. While families sit on the edge of their chairs wondering if they will be employed tomorrow, while businesses hold back orders, cut salaries and employees waiting to see what happens the Republican senators, all of them are playing games.

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Gaza Blockade:Israel Seizes Aid Ship off Gaza.

By Amir Cohen ASHDOD, Israel (Reuters) - The Israeli navy boarded a freighter trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip on Thursday and escorted it into the port of Ashdod, Israeli officials said. It was the first apparent attempt by a foreign...

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Obama administration moves to heal rift with Europe

By Ross Colvin WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will seek to break with the unilateralist tilt of the Bush years by emphasizing cooperation and diplomacy in a major weekend foreign policy speech in Germany, U.S. officials...

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Cheney Predicts ‘Probability’ of Attack

Former Vice President Dick Cheney predicted a “high probability” of a nuclear or biological attack in the next few years.Don't you wish Dick would stay in his undisclosed location with his crystal ball?May be Dick is preparing a political come back....

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International Criminal Court to consider Gaza investigation

The Palestinian Authority and others want the court to investigate alleged war crimes committed during the recent battle with Israel.

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Former NPR's Sarah Chayes: Taliban Terrorizing Afghanistan

Sarah Chayes has been living and working in Afghanistan since she covered the fall of the Taliban government for NPR. She joins Fresh Air to explain how the hard-line religious movement is using both fear and persuasion as it works to once again expand its power in Afghanistan.

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Abbas: "Hold Israel responsible for war crimes."

Abbas told the European Parliament.He stated:"We don't want to continue being Israel's enemies.We are holding out our hands to Israel to make peace.But what was done,by Israel during its operation in Gaza, were war crimes.

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Obama sets executive pay limits with overhaul in mind

By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama kicks off a campaign to rein in corporate compensation on Wednesday with rules limiting executive pay to $500,000 a year for companies getting taxpayer bailout funds in the future. Obama,...

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Afghanistan Says Foreign Fighters Coming from Iraq

By Sayed Salahuddin KABUL, Feb 4 (Reuters) - With the reduction of violence in Iraq, foreign militants were now flooding into Afghanistan to join Taliban insurgents battling Afghan and international troops, the Afghan defence minister said on...

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Digg for Liberty Bring Back the Banned

We may be entering an era of cyber totalitarianism. The first people they go after to silence in a totalitarian regime? Community leadership.

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Netanyahu:"Iran Won't Get Its Hands on Nuclear Weapons".

Likud's Netanyahu is Israel's leading candidate for prime minister in the upcoming elections.In an interview he said that "His first mission will be to thwart the Iranian nuclear threat".He called Iran"The greatest danger to Israel and to all humanity".Not that Labor's Barak or Kadima's Livni qualify as "doves" but compared to Netanyahu they do.

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Israeli drones in Gaza may have had British engines.

Israel used drones for missiles attacks on Gaza.British MPs are now requesting a full investigation on the matter.

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Militants in Pakistan sever Afghan supply link

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Suspected militants blew up a bridge in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pass on Tuesday, cutting the main route for supplies bound for Western forces in Afghanistan, a government official said. Separately, security...

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Is the American Empire Coming to an End?

The author of "The Limit of Power" identifies a profound triple crisis facing America:The economy, in shamble,can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad;The government,transformed by an imperial presidency,is a democracy in form only;America's involvement in endless wars has been a catastrophe for the body politic.

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Drone Attacks In Pakistan Under Review

Since August, the U.S. has intensified an aerial offensive — using unmanned drones — in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions. The Predators are targeting al-Qaida and the Taliban in western Pakistan, partly to stem cross-border attacks against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. It appears increasingly likely that the Obama administration....

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AP Investigation: Banks Sought Foreign Workers.

The Associated Press has found out that banks, even in the middle of last year financial meltdown, were hiring high paid foreign workers despite large lay off of US employees.This new scandal will not help the poor opinion and lack of trust, that a lot of Americans are fostering towards banking and financial institutions at the moment.

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Banned from Digg for mentioning "Samson Strategy"?

Digg user 'Yellowcakewalk' has reportedly been banned for mentioning "Samson Strategy" in a comment. I'd encourage others to demand that Digg reinstate their account immediately...

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Gaza Propaganda War on the Web.

A propaganda war between supporters of Israel & Palestine is being waged on the internet.Hackers have targeted both pro-Israeli & pro-Palestinians websites.Activist have turned to defacing websites & shutting down Facebook groups.It is symptomatic of the level of passion and anger over Gaza.This is irrational and counterproductive from both sides.

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Economy Crisis:Republicans Demand Changes to Stimulus Bill.

By Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Republican senators warned on Sunday their party was unlikely to back President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill without changes to cut waste and to ensure the nearly $900 billion package promptly...

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Economy: Well, That Didn't Take Long

What Wall Street has to say about the disconnect with Main Street. Bonus anecdotes, praise for Senator Claire McCaskill, and a SHOCKED! Cat. Complete with relevant links and some hearty ass-kicking, and very sincere wishes for a healthy slice of the Wall Street population. Also strong language. Hey, it gets me through the day.

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