Tuesday, March 31, 2009

For G-20 Leaders, 1933 Summit Holds Lessons

In 1933, representatives from nearly every nation gathered in London for an economic conference aimed at rolling back a developing crisis. The meeting collapsed in failure. Leaders of the G-20 countries will aim to heed the lessons of that experience as they gather this week.

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What the IMF Would Tell The US, If It Could...

From 1945 until around 1980, the financial sector was one industry among many in the US, then something happened. The power of Wall Street grew exponentially, especially in Washington. One of the founder of this site, Simon Johnson, used to work at the IMF, he is warning us about the " Financial industry complex" and the oligarchs of Wall Street...

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Neocon Boot: "Obama Continuing and Expanding Bush's Policy"

Max Boot is a top Neocon, and he is quite happy with the new administration direction in terms of foreign policies; both in Iraq & Afghanistan. In this article, Jeremy Scahill, makes his argument....

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AP:Pakistani Taliban Threatens Attack On White House

Taliban commander claims responsibility for a deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and says the group is planning an attack on the White House that will "amaze" the world....

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NPR Interview with Jones:US Strategy in Afghanistan.

Read the full text of Steve Inskeep's conversation with National Security Adviser James Jones about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan....

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Iraq:British Troops Begin Iraq Withdrawal.

British troops began their formal withdrawal from southern Iraq Tuesday, "marking the beginning of the end of the UK's six-year combat mission in Iraq," the Ministry of Defense announced.....

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Poll: U.S. Voters Don't Blame Obama for Economy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama benefits from a broadly held perception that others bear the bulk of responsibility for state of the U.S. economy, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll published on Tuesday......

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A Tale of Two Revolutions

Big business and Wall Street, to use the language of Thomas Paine, are a "species of feudality" which is kept up "to aggrandize the corporations at the ruin of towns" and now as then "the burden does not fall in equal proportions on the aristocracy with the rest of the community."

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Pentagon War Spending Hits $685.7 Billion: GAO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pentagon spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to fight terrorism elsewhere has reached $685.7 billion since 2001, a U.S. government watchdog agency said on Monday. The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, said...

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Community Banks Are Fed Up — Awakening a Sleeping Giant

Article from the President of the Independent Community Banks of America - Why are thousands of Main Street community banks being crippled by a handful of Wall Street firms? Doesn’t our government “get it”? Do public officials get that they are punishing the only financial institutions that can pull them out of this hole?

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GM's Ousted CEO Eligible for $20Million Retirement Package.

General Motors' outgoing chief executive Rick Wagoner is eligible to receive more than $20 million in his retirement package, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission......

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Talks with Taliban The Only Way Forward in Afghanistan.

This article was published on October 6 2008. UK Commander Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith said: " We are not going to win this war....". A warning that the Obama administration should take in consideration

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Afghanistan Will Be Obama's Vietnam.

Shekhar Kapur writes:" No one has ever won in Afghanistan. For there is nothing to win. The country has been ravaged by centuries of invasions & attempts to control its irrepressible tribes. All there is left is the fierce pride of the people....All that the US will achieve by sending more troops is to embroil Pakistan into the region violence."

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AP:Lawyer: Ex-US Officials Must Face Torture Charges

Spanish court considers trying former US officials. The six former Bush administration officials include Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzalez and Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith..

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

Brazil builds walls around Rio de Janeiro slums

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 28 (Reuters) - The government of Rio de Janeiro is building concrete walls to prevent sprawling slums from spreading farther into the picturesque hills of this world-famous tourist destination, an official said on Saturday....

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Nixon, Khrushchev And A Story Of Cold War Love

Long before Barack Obama announced U.S.-Russia relations needed a "reboot," Washington and Moscow often inched toward rapprochement. Amid the shoe-thumping and nuclear brinksmanship of the Cold War, one iconic episode of detente took place 50 years ago this summer. It has special significance for NPR's Moscow correspondent.....

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President Obama's Briar Patch

Alexander the Great couldn’t do; Queen Victoria couldn’t do it; three successive Soviet general-secretaries from 1979 to 1985 couldn’t do it. His first two months in office indicate that President Obama is a man of great confidence and persistence. Unfortunately, he is likely to join his predecessors in failing to stabilize Afghanistan.

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Obama:US to Consult Pakistan on Strikes

Obama said today that he will " consult " Pakistan on future strikes within Pakistan. Consult? Isn't Pakistan a sovereign nation?

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Why Did Rome Fall & What America Could Learn From it?

This article compares the fall of the Roman Empire and the decline of the current Empire: America.Most historians agree that several factors were at play in the decline & fall of Rome such as Christianity,decadence,monetary trouble & military problems. The similarity with our current situation is troubling to say the least....

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Obama Calls Major Economies Climate Change Meeting

By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is launching a ''Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate'' to help facilitate a U.N. agreement on global warming, the White House said on Saturday. Leaders from 16 major economies have...

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Video:Bill Maher Talks about Ending the American Empire.

America has 500,000 troops all over the world, from Germany to South Korea.Bill Maher argument is that the US has no business policing the planet.He is right....

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Obama's Afghan Strategy Raises Concerns.

Many analysts like the fact that Obama's plan calls for more troops and more training for Afghan security forces, but the devil is in the details, and some say the details aren't clear. French scholar and Afghanistan expert, Gilles Dorronsoro thinks it could make Afghan state weaker not stronger....

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Friday, March 27, 2009

US Warns Pakistan on Taliban Link.

The US military claims that it has evidence that elements of Pakistan's military intelligence, ISI , actively provide help to the Taliban....

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U.S. Says Israeli Warplanes Bombed Convoy of Trucks in Sudan

The incident took place in January, the trucks were said to be carrying weapons to Gaza....

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New York Eases 1970s Drug Laws

By Joan Gralla NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York state officials agreed on Friday to relax harsh 1970s drug laws that required prison sentences for nonviolent drug crimes in favor of laws that will let judges send addicts to treatment programs.....

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Health Insurance Giants to Block Obama's Health Care Agenda

The Health Insurance industry is already gearing up, once again, to fight Obama's health care plans.

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Is Your Rep Speaking Out Against Escalation in Afghanistan?

Everyone in the House of Representatives had ample opportunity to sign onto the letter. Beginning in late February, it circulated on Capitol Hill for more than two weeks. The letter was the most organized congressional move so far to challenge escalation of the war in Afghanistan. But the list of signers was awfully short. Pathetic.

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Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 50 in Pakistan Mosque

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, March 27 -- A suicide bomber detonated his explosives Friday in a crowded mosque in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 50 people and leaving more bodies buried in the rubble of the building, officials said....

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Obama Unveils Afghan Plan to Add Troops and Set Goals

President Obama on Friday announced a strategy that sets benchmarks as it aims to quell the insurgency and build institutions.

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Iran to Attend Afghan Conference, Seeks Regional Solution.

By Fredrik Dahl and Zahra Hosseinian TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Thursday it would attend a U.N. conference on Afghanistan proposed by Tehran's old foe Washington and urged a regional solution to the ''crisis.'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan...

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Pakistani and Afghan Taliban Unify in Face of U.S. Influx

Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Afghan Taliban leader, persuaded the Pakistani Taliban to focus their efforts on the fight in Afghanistan against American troops.....

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Civil RIghts Groups Proving to Be a Major Headache for Obama

Human rights lawyers are proving to be a major headache for the new administration of President Barack Obama by stepping up their court challenges on issues of prisoner abuse to test the reality of the president’s pledge to create a “an unprecedented level of openness” in government.

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Top Web Questions for Obama's Online "Town Hall ".

This was the first online town hall in White House history today, more than 90,000 questions were asked. A few were given an answer......

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Sept. 11 Families Want Confidential Files Released

Families of 3 victims of the 9/11 attacks are asking a judge to release secret documents about the hijackings. The aviation industry provided close to a million pages to lawyers for a pending lawsuit but marked them all confidential. The families say the documents contain information about who is to blame for letting the terrorists on the planes.

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Reuters:Legalize pot? Not a Change Obama can Believe in.....

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legalizing marijuana is not the kind of change President Barack Obama can believe in, at least not as a remedy for the ailing U.S. economy. On Thursday, Obama tackled the issue head-on, only half-jokingly, at an online...

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U.S. Sees Chinese Military Rise

China is seeking technology and weapons to disrupt the traditional advantages of American forces, according to a Pentagon study released Wednesday.

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MercyPolitics Is in the Digg Graveyard of Social Blade.

I am sure most of you are familiar with Social Blade. It is an analytical tracking activities on various social network sites Digg, Reddit, Twitter etc. Well according to them, I found out this morning that I passed away last night, as a digg user. Curiously my Digg account seems to be working fine...

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MercyPolitics in the Digg Graveyard on Social Blade.

Today, I am writing from the Digg graveyard of Social Blade. If you check you will find me at number 393. The bizarre part of it is that my Digg account seems to be working fine. I did contact Social Blade & Digg support to let them know. If my status of " living dead " become fully dead (on Digg), this will be obviously my last submission.....

UPDATE: I just had a word from Digg, I am not banned and Digg notified me that they have nothing to do with Social Blade in any way, shape or form. I also contacted Social Blade, and I just got off the " Graveyard " list that they keep of banned Digg users.Anyhow, I am back on the " alive "(active) Digg users.

Poll Shows Big Drop For Obama, But Critics Doubt It

A recent Zogby poll finds President Obama's approval rating has sunk to 50 percent — far lower than in other recent polls. But it's not just the numbers that has pollsters in a tizzy: It's the Internet-based methods used in the survey.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Obama Ready for Questions from Web Visitors.

President Barack Obama will take questions in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, but the questions won't be coming from the Washington press corps but from you, if you decide to ask them on the White House site. Obama is said to be seeking the " Wisdom of the crowd"......

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Twitter to Seek Revenue from Businesses.

By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Internet start-up Twitter is taking a much-anticipated first-step in its quest to parlay its popularity into revenue by offering certain customers an expanded range of services. The company is preparing...

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E.U. Pres. Blasts US Deficit Spending As a " Road to Hell ".

BERLIN, March 25 -- The president of the European Union on Wednesday ripped the Obama administration's economic policies, calling its deficit spending and bank bailouts 'a road to hell.'.....

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Le Pen Repeats Slur that Nazi Gas Chambers Were a 'Detail'.

Le Pen, leader of France's far right Front National caused outrage by saying the Nazi gas chambers were " A mere detail in the history of WW II "....

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Israel Accused of Indiscriminate Phosphorus Use in Gaza

Human rights watch just released a 71 pages report documenting that Israel's military fired white phosphorus over crowded areas of Gaza repeatedly and indiscriminately, killing and injuring civilians and committing war crimes....

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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

General Says NATO Can't Measure Afghan War Performance

By Andrew Gray WASHINGTON (Reuters) - NATO has no reliable way to assess its performance in the war in Afghanistan even as the United States prepares to announce the results of an Afghan strategy review, the alliance's top commander said on...

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$4 Million Severance Elicits Outrage in France

PARIS, March 24 -- A wave of indignation swept over France when it became known Tuesday that the head of a large auto parts company who was edged out because of poor results walked away with a severance package worth more than $4 million.

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NPR Sees Spike In Audience

NPR announced Tuesday that audience numbers for member stations and NPR programs are significantly higher. NPR's increase of 6 percent comes at a time of retreating audience and readers for other news organizations.

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Israel:Demonstration Sparks Clash in Arab Israeli Town.

JERUSALEM, March 24 -- A march by far-right Jewish activists on the outskirts of an Arab Israeli town Tuesday morning touched off clashes between riot police and residents who were angry that the march was allowed to take place.....

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White House Unveils Plan to Fight Border Drug Cartels.

The $700-million multi-agency plan targets drug and human trafficking and money laundering and aims to curb spillover of violence from Mexico onto the U.S. side of the border.....

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Obama to Explain Economic Moves in News Conference

By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facing anger over corporate bonuses and skepticism about his massive budget, President Barack Obama holds a news conference on Tuesday to explain his economic strategy to a recession-weary public......

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Fired Colorado Professor Defends 9/11 Remarks

A former professor who wrote a controversial essay about the Sept. 11 attacks said he was not in favor of terrorism and denied that he plagiarized parts of another essay.

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Israeli Military to Probe Gaza Campaign Allegations.

The Israeli military plans to investigate claims by Israeli soldiers that Palestinian civilians were killed and Palestinian property intentionally destroyed during Israel's recent 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip.

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War For Profit: The Military-Industrial Complex.

Eisenhower came up with the term military-industrial complex in 1961. Since then, war profiteering has grown exponentially to an obscene level. The combined cost of the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and the " normal " Pentagon budget stands at $ 4.5 Trillion. Source Watch explores it, listing the major companies involved, from the Vietnam war to today.

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EPA Study: Global Warming Endangers Public Health & Welfare.

Bill Kovacs, vice president, of environment, technology and regulatory affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, discusses a proposal sent by the Environmental Protection Agency to the White House, finding that global warming is endangering the public's health and welfare on a dangerous scale....

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U.N. Reports Say Israel Targeted Civilians in Gaza

By Robert Evans GENEVA, March 23 (Reuters) - United Nations investigators said on Monday Israel violated a wide range of human rights. The report also called for an urgent end to Israeli restrictions on humanitarian supplies to Gaza & a full international investigation into the conflict..

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Geithner Unveils $1 Trillion Toxic Asset Scheme.

Today Geithner revealed his plan to clean up the toxic assets from the financial system:The cost is 1 Trillion.Will it be enough and more importantly will it work?

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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Obama Wants to Put an Exit Strategy in Afghanistan Policy.

* Obama says military force alone cannot win the war and that a greater emphasis needs to be put on economic development, analysts say dialogue with element of the Taliban is essential.....

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AIDS:Number of New U.S. HIV Infections Gets Revised Upwards.

In Washington DC itself, it is reported that 3 % of the population is currently infected by the AIDS virus. This number is actually higher than in West Africa.....

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Climate Change:As Climate Changes, is Water the New Oil?

By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If water is the new oil, is blue the new green? Translation: if water is now the kind of precious commodity that oil became in the 20th century, can delivery of clean water to...

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Report: Rise In Binge Drinking By Teens.

New research out of the University of California found a 30 percent spike in ER visits from teens with alcohol-related injuries. Emergency rooms across the country say they're seeing the same trend.....

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AP:Protests in Washington & California Call for War's End

Iraq war protesters rally in DC and Los Angeles to mark the 6th year anniversary of the Iraq war....

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A Master Piece/Video:" Imagine " By John Lennon- 1971.

"Imagine no possessionsI wonder if you canNo need for greed or hungerA brotherhood of man.."As significant today than in 1971.

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Iran's Supreme Leader's Response to Obama.

TEHRAN, March 21 -- Iran's supreme leader on Saturday called President Obama's promise of better ties a 'slogan' but said that if the United States changed its 'attitude,' Iran would do the same....

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Saturday, March 21, 2009

Police kill man holding box cutter, THEN DELETE VIDEO OF IT

More than 50 people witnessed the shooting. Some say there was no need for police to pull the trigger. Luis Zamor, who witnessed the scene said "Police are supposed to come out and arrest the guy, stop the guy, but he just come straight out and shoot the guy.

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Reuters:Obama Says Would Not Accept Geithner Resignation.

By Ross Colvin WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama stepped up his weeklong defense of much-criticized Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, saying he would not accept his resignation even if it was tendered. It came ahead of a critical...

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Pope's Poll Numbers Plunge in France.

A poll in French newspaper, Le Parisien,shows that 57% of the people surveyed have a negative opinion of the Pope.23 % expressed a positive opinion,down from 53% six months ago.The recent statement of the Pontiff,in Africa, against the use of condoms in AIDS's prevention plays a big part in the dramatic drop in a traditionally catholic country.

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Friday, March 20, 2009

Israeli Soldier Says Rabbis Framed Gaza Mission as Religious

JERUSALEM, March 20 -- A soldier involved in Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip said in published reports Friday that the military's rabbinical staff distributed material characterizing the operation as a religious mission to "get rid of the gentiles who disturb us from conquering the Holy Land".....

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Iran; AIG; Trillion for T-Bonds; Should Geithner Go?

Today on KCRW's Left,Right & Center with Ariana Huffington & Robert Scheer.One of the best political radio show in the business....

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Afghanistan:4 Canadian soldiers killed, 12 injured.

They were killed in a roadside bomb attack....

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Smart People Really Do Think Faster

The smarter the person, the faster nerve impulses zip around the brain, a UCLA study of brain scans finds. And this ability to think quickly apparently is inherited.....

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AP/Report: Energy Production Choking Bird Population.

Energy production from coal,ethanol & wind is having a drastic negative impact on bird population......

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Deported Former Nazi Guard a Free Man in Austria

By Boris Groendahl VIENNA, March 20 (Reuters) - A former Nazi concentration camp guard who was deported from the United States on Thursday is now a free...

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A 2 Trillion Deficit Forecast Could Inflame Budget Battles.

The Congressional Budget Office is releasing a new estimate of this year's federal deficit — and the number is expected to hit $2 trillion. That's hundreds of billions of dollars more than the previous forecast, and it has the potential to change the political landscape for the Obama administration.

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Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The full interview.What did you think?

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Israeli Soldiers Report Abuses in Gaza - Los Angeles Times

Some rights groups have claimed Israel violated the rules of war in its recent killing of Palestinians. Now accounts from Israel's own ranks seem to support the claims. An investigation is ordered.

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Obama Cracks Jokes with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show.

The show was tapped earlier to day, and news are already filtering before air time.The topics were,AIG, the teleprompter.Obama stated that Geithner is doing an"outstanding job".I am just wondering why Obama is going on Leno to sale his plan to the American people.He could have picked a more appropriate venue instead of politic as spectacle.

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Reuters:U.N. Rights Envoy Sees Israeli War Crimes in Gaza

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - A United Nations human rights investigator said on Thursday that Israel's military assault on densely populated Gaza appeared to constitute a grave war crime. Richard Falk, U.N. special rapporteur on human...

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AP:13 Firms Receiving Federal Bailout Owe Back Taxes.

13 firms receiving federal bailout owe back taxes,in an amount of 220 Million.This is likely to fuel the public outrage....

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AG Holder:U.S. Won't Prosecute Medical Pot Sales.

The statement by Eric H. Holder Jr. represents a landmark shift from the Bush administration's zero tolerance toward the use of pot by people with cancer and other serious ailments....

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Sen. Dodd Admits to Role in AIG Loophole

After denying having anything to do with crafting language in the stimulus bill that allowed bailed-out insurance giant American International Group to keep its bonuses, Sen. Christopher Dodd admitted that he and the Treasury Department were responsible for the loophole.

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Treasury Secretary Geithner Facing a Defining Moment.

Questions about why Timothy F. Geithner did not know sooner about the A.I.G. bonuses and act to stop them could threaten the president’s economic agenda.....

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AIG Outrage: Political Theater, But Necessary?

Lawmakers tore into AIG chief Edward Liddy Wednesday about the $165 million in bonuses paid out to executives at the firm, a major bailout beneficiary. It was red meat, yes, but perhaps also part of a necessary unraveling of just what went wrong on Wall Street.

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Reuters:Fed to Buy Long-Term U.S. Government Debt

By Mark Felsenthal and Alister Bull WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday vowed to pump an additional $1 trillion into the U.S. economy in an aggressive bid to battle a deep recession, partly by buying government bonds for the first time since the 60's....

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Mexico's Drug War Bloodbath:Most Guns Come from the US.

Guns sales is one of the only recession proof business.Since Obama's election, the surge has being nation wide.Two factors are invoked for this disturbing trend:Some Americans are afraid of tighter regulations on purchase others fear a rise of crimes during the current hard economic times.Guns purchased in the US are smuggled to Mexico.....

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US Military May Escalate 'War on Terror' In Pakistan.

The UK foreign ministry sees the escalation as counterproductive, and a likely recruiting tool for the Taliban....

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Medvedev Pushes Plan to Remake Russian Military

MOSCOW, March 17 -- President Dmitry Medvedev vowed Tuesday to press ahead with an ambitious overhaul of Russia's armed forces despite the nation's economic problems and vocal opposition from within the military. Medvedev promised weapons upgrades but also endorsed organizational changes that will...

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U.S. Mulling Expanded Covert War in Pakistan.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his national security advisers are considering expanding the covert U.S. war in Pakistan far beyond the tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Two...

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AIG:Corporate Greed or Complete Stupidity?

From the AIG site:" Since our founding 100 years ago,AIG has focused on being a leader in corporate social responsibility.As a global financial service organization we have committed our resources to developing services that address the needs of our clients as well as promote a corporate culture that value integrity & excellence."How ironic?

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Obama 'Deserves My Silence,' Bush Says In Speech

Former President George W. Bush, making his first speech since leaving office, says he won't criticize President Obama because Obama "deserves my silence." Bush, speaking in Calgary, Alberta, also said he plans to write a book about the 12 toughest decisions he made in office....

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Anger as Pope Benedict XVI Says Condoms Make AIDS Worse.

During his current trip to Africa the Pope stuck to the traditional position of the Catholic church, on the matter, in his stand against condoms use.The Pope says "No to condoms" without understanding that the use of condoms is the best prevention against AIDS.....

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Obama Urges Critics to Provide Alternatives on 2010 Budget.

President Obama urged both Democratic and Republican members of Congress Tuesday to provide him with "constructive alternative solutions" if they disagree with any sections of his 2010 budget proposal....

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Israel Could Use Ballistic Missiles Against Iran: Report

By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Ballistic missiles could be Israel's weapon of choice against Iranian nuclear facilities if it decides on a pre-emptive attack and deems air strikes too risky, according to a report by a Washington...

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NPR Poll: More Voters Think U.S. Is On Right Track

A new NPR poll shows that President Obama's job approval rating is high, and despite the economic crisis, far fewer voters think the U.S. is on the wrong track, compared with pre-election numbers. While the Democratic position on issues is favored across the board among likely voters polled, there's some reason for Republicans to hope.

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Monday, March 16, 2009

The Writing on the Wall:Gaffiti of Israeli Soldiers in Gaza.

When they were in Gaza, Israeli soldiers left behind death,destruction & words on the walls such as "We are here to annihilate you", "Death to the Arabs" and so on.....

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Kucinich: Investigate “Executive Assassination Ring"

Dennis Kucinich sent a letter to Chairman Edolphus Towns of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee requesting an immediate investigation into allegations made by the investigative reporter Seymour Hersh that the White House operated an ‘executive assassination ring’ that circumvented Congressional oversight.

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Pew Poll:Obama's Approval Rating Slips Over Economic Plan.

Obama's approval rating slipped from 64% to 59% currently,as a growing numbers of Americans see him listening more to Liberals than moderates Dems.His disapproval rating has gone from 17% to 26%.GOP's Congressional leader's rating hits new low of 28%.This poll shows that some Americans are irrational,impatient and have a very short attention span.

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Obama Outraged Over AIG Bonuses.

By Grant McCool and Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday that American International Group Inc's payment of $165 million in bonuses is an ''outrage'' and ordered the treasury secretary to take all legal measures...

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Cheney says Obama's policies 'raise the risk' of U.S. terror

Former Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday defended the Bush administration's economic record, the invasion of Iraq and the treatment of suspected terrorists, warning that reversing its anti-terrorism policies endangers Americans.

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Banksters Update:AIG Payments to Banks Stoke Bailout Rage.

By John O'Callaghan and Lilla Zuill WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc and a parade of European banks were the major beneficiaries of $93 billion in payments from AIG -- more than half of the U.S. taxpayer money spent to rescue...

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Reporter Sy Hersh on Cheney's Executive Assassination Ring.

Seymour Hersh speaks in Minnesota about his investigation on domestic spying conducted by the CIA,and about an ongoing covert military operation,directed by Cheney, that he calls an executive assassination ring.Hersh says that the major US newspapers and media outlet were told by the Bush administration not to "poke for info" about the operation...

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Sunday, March 15, 2009

Red Cross Described Torture at CIA Jails.

The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded in a secret report that the Bush administration's treatment of al-Qaeda captives 'constituted torture,' a finding that strongly implied that CIA interrogation methods violated international law, according to newly published excerpts from the...

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Red Cross Report Describes Torture at CIA Jail

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross concludes in a secret report that the Bush administration's treatment of al-Qaeda captives in CIA prisons ''constituted torture,'' The Washington Post reported on Monday, citing newly...

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Cheney: Obama Terrorism Policies Make U.S. Vulnerable.

The former vice president defends the Bush administration's approach to suspected terrorists as he sharply criticizes Obama on a host of issues......

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Digg Takes Down Blog Links From Users Bio Section.

Today, the links that I had on my Digg page of my blog, my photo web sites & a few social networks sites I am on were not displayed on my page any longer.I did check with some of my friends...same thing.I would like to know what is going on with this.

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Barney Frank Wants to See if AIG Bonuses Recoverable.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on Sunday the government needs to determine if millions in employee bonuses at troubled firm American International Group Inc can be recovered.....

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Pakistan Protesters Violently Clash With Police.

Violent clashes erupt in Pakistan between protesters & the police as an opposition leader is placed under house arrest.....

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Treasury Objects to AIG Bonus Payments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Embattled insurer American International Group agreed to revamp its bonus structure on Saturday after Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner objected to its plans to pay out substantial sums for 2008......

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Pakistan's Ex-PM Sharif placed Under House Arrest

Pakistan has placed opposition leader, former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif under house arrest for three days, his party told CNN.Democracy in Pakistan remains very much a work in progress...

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Saturday, March 14, 2009

Digg Takes Down Blog Links From Users Bio Section.

Digg is not displaying the links that users have for their own blogs and link to other social networks that they might be on. I am wondering about the logic behind this or if it is just a temporary maintenance issue. I did check on numerous users pages, and it is the case across board.I think we deserve an explanation considering we are basically providing Digg free news content.

Update 3/15/2009:Per a Digg administrator, the links were shut down temporally for a data transfer maintenance this week-end.They are all supposed to be back and running normally on Monday.

Pakistan in Crisis:New Steps to Stifle Protest in Pakistan.

The civilian government asked the army to be ready to guard the route of a national protest to the capital on Sunday.Will martial law be coming soon in Pakistan?

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G-20 Pledge Sustained Action on Financial Crisis

G-20 finance officials meet today in the UK and pledge action amid policy divisions between the US & Europe....

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Is America Becoming French?

The Obama administration is accused, by the Republicans, of finding their inspirations in the pro-regulation,and in their minds "almost socialist" European model.Members of the GOP went as far as saying that having "one France was more than enough".The economist explores if there is any truth to the allegations....

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Friday, March 13, 2009

Obama Is Blaming Bush for Economy Meltdown.

In his inaugural address, President Obama proclaimed "An end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics." However,he is no longer doing that, and he is now reminding Americans that he "inherited" our current crisis from Bush.That is perfectly accurate.....

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Obama Voices Optimism on the Economy.

President Obama and his team sounded cautiously optimistic about the economy as part of an accelerating campaign to project confidence that the nation can pull out of the downturn. Can the Obama administration ease the deep anxiety of Americans and make the fear factor less prevalent?

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AP:Madoffs Were Worth More than $823 Million, Documents Show

Documents show Madoff and his wife worth more than $823 million.....

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US Seeks to Reassure China over U.S. Bond Holdings.

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - The White House sought on Friday to reassure Chinese concerns about the safety of its vast holdings in U.S. government debt, saying there was no better place in the world to invest than the United States.....

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G20 Rift:New World Order or New World Chaos?

By Sumeet Desai HORSHAM, England (Reuters) - Japan joined the U.S. push for more government spending to fight the economic crisis on Friday but G20 unity looked seriously compromised after Paris accused Washington of disregarding the urgent need for...

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Pakistan: Taliban Say 24 Dead in U.S. Missile Strikes.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Taliban militants recovered 24 bodies and were searching for more on Friday, hours after suspected U.S. drones destroyed a camp in Pakistan's northwestern region, militants and officials said. Four missiles believed to...

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

UK:Secret Emails Show Iraq Dossier Was 'Sexed Up'.

The evidence are piling against Blair and his manipulation of "intelligence" to justify the Iraq war...

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Scientists:Cut Carbon Emissions or Face a Disaster.

Nicholas Stern is an economist put in charged by UK's Gordon Brown to analyze the impact of climate change.In Copenhagen,he vehemently attacked politicians for failing to act on cutting carbon emissions.Last nights,scientists issued a desperate plea to curb greenhouse gas emission or face an ecological and social disaster....

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PBS Outs the Illegality of the Federal Income Tax / the Fed!

Go PBS in Denver & as ever, Gary Franchi, of Restore the Republic. The movement's finally going mainstream. Watch the video --->

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By Killing the Electric Car GM Committed Suicide.

In 1996,GM launched the first commercially available electric car,the EV1.The car required no fuel and could be plugged in.Only over 1,000 EV1 were produced before GM pulled the plug in 2002.Just imagine how thriving of a business they would have now,instead of nearing a bankruptcy filling....

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GOP's Steele is Now Pro-Choice Except When He’s Pro-Life.

GOP Chairman Steele doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind lately.His political future could be over, this sort of mixed signals do not fair well with pro-life voters....

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Madoff Jailed After Guilty Plea for Fraud.

By Grant McCool and Martha Graybow NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges he orchestrated the biggest financial swindle in Wall Street history and was ordered to jail to await a sentence that could last the rest of...

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Iraq Shoe Thrower Sentenced to Three Years in Jail

By Waleed Ibrahim BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at former President George W. Bush was convicted of attempting to assault a foreign leader on Thursday and jailed for three years, dismaying many Iraqis who regard him as a hero.....

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Did Preston Bush Stole Geronimo's Skull?

For decades, mystery has surrounded an elite secret society at Yale University called the Order of Skull and Bones. One of the organization's most storied legends involves the skull of Apache warrior Geronimo, who died in 1909 after two decades as a prisoner of war at Fort Sill, Okla.

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Israel Critic Freeman Withdraws From Key Intelligence Post.

Chas Freeman, a veteran diplomat picked in February to lead the National Intelligence Council, says he will not serve. A former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia under President George H.W. Bush, Freeman was attacked by Republican senators for his criticism of recent U.S. policy on China, Israel and the war on terrorism.AIPAC will be happy.....

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Smoggy Skies May Cause Respiratory Death

Just living in a smoggy city can make you 30 percent more likely to die from lung disease, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Nearly 1 out of every 3 Americans lives in a city with unhealthy levels of smog, and there are few ways to limit exposure without cleaning it up.

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NATO:Sarkozy Unveils Plans for French Return to NATO.

General De Gaulle got France out of NATO in 1966, in his desire to be more independent from the US. Reversing this and joining NATO again will be controversial in France;on the left & the Gaullist right ( such as De Villepin).A large proportion of French people consider Sarkozy an "Atlantiste " (Too close to Washington), this move just confirms it.

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UN REPORT:So Called "War On Drug" has Fueled Drug Cartels.

By Mark Heinrich VIENNA (Reuters) - A U.N. anti-narcotics drive has backfired in part by making drug cartels so rich they can bribe their way through West Africa and Central America, U.N. crime agency chief Antonio Maria Costa said on...

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BBC News:The Bank of England Begins Printing 'New' Money.

The Bank of England will inject 75 Billion pounds into the financial system in the hope to unfreeze credit for corporations & individuals.The move is controversial and could cause massive inflation down the line....

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Protests, Political Turmoil Grip Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 11 -- Political turmoil deepened Wednesday and Pakistanis braced for violence as opponents of President Asif Ali Zardari prepared to lead a massive protest march toward the capital this week, while police arrested hundreds of opposition activists and the government banned....

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

10 Killed After a Shooting Spree in Alabama.

ABC News/ Breaking News.

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Iraq/Afghanistan:NPR Exclusive Interview With Robert Gates.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates tells NPR that the U.S. is reviewing its mission in Afghanistan and he believes NATO will send more troops, even if only for the short term. Gates also says all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011 unless the Iraqis ask for help, and Obama agrees....

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OpEdNews � Losing Our Homes - Up Close and Personal

Debra South Jones has been running Just the Right Attitude, a combination food bank/soup kitchen for residents of New Orleans since way before Katrina. She is now being evicted from HER Home....

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Global Sea Level Rise "To Exceed Projections".

A panel of scientists are projecting that the global sea level looks set to rise far higher than forecast because of changes in the Polar ice-sheets.It could rise by 1 Meter or more by 2100...

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Elizabeth Warren: Foreclosures Threaten Economy

The rate of home foreclosure is now three times its historic rate — "so large that it threatens the entire economy." Congressional Oversight Panel chair Elizabeth Warren discusses the problem — and possible solutions.

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AP/NPR:Dozens Dead In Suicide Attack On Iraqi Leaders

In the town of Abu Ghraib, 33 people were killed and 46 were wounded. Iraqi police said the tribal leaders were hit as they left a reconciliation meeting at the district council's office. The bombing was part of a spike of violence that comes as the U.S. military begins drawing down its forces.

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IMF Warns of Global ''Great Recession''.

By Lesley Wroughton and George Obulutsa DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday that the world economy will likely contract this year in a ''Great Recession'' and African leaders said the financial crisis could undo...

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Monday, March 9, 2009

AP:1 in 50 American Children Experiences Homelessness

1 in 50 American children experiences homelessness according to a new report.The endemic problem is often overlooked.The numbers are scary,shameful and illustrate the lack of social safety net.

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Congress Oversight Panel:Plan for The Foreclosure Crisis.

This is the complete report from the COP.From the report:"Like the crisis in the banking system,the foreclosure problem has grown so large that it threatens the entire economy.To help individual families and to stabilize the economy Congress has pressed Treasury to prepare a plan to deal with foreclosures...."

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China Says U.S. Navy Ship Was Breaking Law:HK Website

By Ian Ransom BEIJING (Reuters) - China said a U.S. naval vessel was conducting illegal surveying off its southern island of Hainan, a Hong Kong television website reported on Tuesday, after the Pentagon said Chinese ships had harassed the vessel in...

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Alarming rise of civilian deaths in Afghanistan

Afghans want us to go. Why are we there? To protect ourselves from Taliban ICBMs?

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Madoff: The Ultimate Con Man.

B. Madoff:" As honest as you can try to be,there is this normal,natural pull, you know, that you have to deal with." That was Madoff, in 2007,talking about humanity's instinctive tendency to be greedy.The perpetrator of the biggest Ponzi scheme in US history belong to a long tradition of con men.Madoff is supposed to plead guilty on Thursday...

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Stimulus Package Attracts Con Artists

Federal regulators and consumer advocates say the economic stimulus package has given scam artists a new angle. Web sites touting free government stimulus grants offer hope to people desperate for relief. What they end up with is an unwanted monthly charge on their credit card.

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A shattering moment in America’s fall from power

Outside the US, most people have long accepted that the development of new economies that goes with globalisation will undermine America’s central position in the world. They imagined that this would be a change in America’s comparative standing, taking place incrementally over several decades or generations. Today, that looks an rather unrealistic

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North Korea Warns US Against Satellite Interception

North Korea says it will retaliate if its "satellite" launch from its northeastern coast is intercepted, with the communist nation saying interference would "mean a war." The statement came as the North cut off communications with neighboring South Korea.....

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Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Crazies are Wondering if Obama is the Antichrist.

The winning lottery number in Illinois was 666, which is the sign of the Beast.That was on November 15 2008.During the elections we found out that Sarah Palin is a believer in the Bible's "end of days " fairy tale.She also said that it would happen in her life time.I'd love to find out the % of Americans that think Obama is the Antichrist.

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Global Economic Crisis:World Bank Financial Report Grim.

Developing nations are facing a massive financing shortfall of up to $700 billion this year as private investment evaporates and global trade collapses, threatening to return many countries to the days of heavy reliance on foreign aid, the World Bank warned yesterday.This could have dire consequences as US & Europe generosity decreases.....

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Human Rights: Ending Violence Against Women.

Today is International Women's Day.Al Jazzeera interviews Hibaaq Osman, she is the founder of Karana an organization working to end violence against women in the Middle-East and North-Africa....

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GOP Betting On Opposition:Is saying NO a Winning Strategy?

Republicans in Congress seem to have settled on a message this past week: NO. No to the omnibus spending bill. No to the earmarks in it. No to big government.But what to they have to propose instead, is this a winning strategy?

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Saturday, March 7, 2009

You are invited to my Non-Violent Planet forum

Ok....*drum roll*.....please allow me to introduce you to the one...the only...new and very much worked upon Marilyn's Non-Violent Planet's message board forum!the address is: http://nonviolentplanet.forumcircle.com/index.php All thoughts and opinions are welcome to be shared, and your favorite refreshments are awaiting you. ;)

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Report: Obama Considers Reaching Out To Taliban

In an interview with The New York Times, the president says he has hope that U.S. forces in Afghanistan can peel away elements of the Taliban and possibly move them toward reconciliation.To the question asked by a New-York Times reporter:"Are we winning in Afghanistan?", Obama said no.

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Richard N. Haass(CFR):"Obama Should Talk To Syria Now".

"Damascus is signaling that it is ready to negotiate a separate peace with Israel. It won't happen without America's help. The silent treatment has to stop." This is an unlikely statement considering the source; Richard Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations....

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Obama Ponders Outreach to Elements of the Taliban

In an interview with The Times on Air Force One, President Obama opened the door to a reconciliation process in which the American military would reach out to elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

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Climate Change:The Illusion of "Clean Coal".

The world is investing too much cash & hope in carbon capture & storage.Let's face it,coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels,producing twice the CO2 that natural gas does when it is burned.Talking about "clean coal " is basically an oxymoron.....

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Reuters:Cybersecurity Chief Beckstrom Resigns

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government's director for cybersecurity resigned on Friday, criticizing the excessive role of the National Security Agency in countering threats to the country's computer systems.....

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AFP:Palestinian PM Resigns to Make Way for Unity Government.

The Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, has resigned today to pave way for the formation of a national unity government......

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EU Report Accuses Israel of Annexation of East-Jerusalem.

A confidential European Union report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolition & discrimination as the way of "actively pursuing the illegal annexation of East-Jerusalem.During her trip, Hillary Clinton was critical of the settlement expansion.

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Obama's Gifts To Brown Irk British Media

President Barack Obama's gift of a set of DVDs to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appalled the British media, furious about the lack of traditional protocol afforded to Brown while he was in Washington. Iain Martin, a columnist and blogger for the Daily Telegraph, says he found Obama to be rudeness personified toward Britain.

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Friday, March 6, 2009

U.S.-led troops not protecting civilians enough: study

By Andrew Gray WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan still do not adequately protect civilians and their operations are plagued by a reluctance to share intelligence information, a study prepared for the U.S. military...

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Pepe Escobar: The key to the Taliban riddle

Real News Network - Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Mullah Omar, Hamid Karzai and eternal war for the USA. Great explanations of who is who and what can and cannot happen in Afghanistan. One of the things that cannot happen: anything good for the USA

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Illinois Sheriff Sues Craigslist Over Sex Ads

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart says the popular classifieds Web site has become the hub for Internet prostitution and wants the erotic-services portion of the site to be shut down.Is this legal?

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Transcript: Hillary Clinton Is Interviewed on the BBC.

This is the full transcript of the interview given by Secretary of State Clinton during her trip to Europe.....

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Anti-War Movement: Veterans Against Wars.

The Iraq Veterans Against the War(IVAW.org) " Wants to see Obama call for a complete withdrawal from Iraq", without leaving 50,000 soldiers there.They also oppose the surge in Afghanistan.Any Veterans is welcome to contribute to the site.This piece is a great poem written by D.A. Parks; it is called " I am The Anti-War Movement", they are indeed.

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Number of Mexicans Requesting Political Asylum In US Growing

As Mexico's drug war grinds on, the number of Mexicans fleeing to the United States is growing. And the number requesting asylum in the U-S has more than doubled. Political asylum is usually reserved for refugees claiming religious or political persecution, or fear of torture. But in a test case, a Mexican journalist has asked for asylum because...

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U.S. Unemployment Rate Jumps To 8.1 Percent

The unemployment rate rose to 8.1 percent in February — the highest since 1983 — as payrolls plummeted by 651,000, the Labor Department said Friday. The rate was up from January's 7.6 percent.

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Anti-Surveillance Filmmaker Plans Eye-Socket Camera.

BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters) - A Canadian filmmaker plans to have a mini camera installed in his prosthetic eye to make documentaries and raise awareness about surveillance in society. Rob Spence, 36, who lost an eye in an accident as a teenager,...

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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Israeli Spurns Criticism From Clinton

After Secretary of State Clinton criticized plans to extend a park across 88 buildings that house Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, newly elected Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said she was meddling in local control over zoning and the city's economic development. Finally, the Obama administration seems incline to put some pressure on Israel.

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Soylent Red, White and Blue

"The goal of the Republican neo-Nazis is nothing other than an aborted or otherwise botched Obama presidency which will then give way to a resurgence of their new dictator, this time they won’t choose a fool like George W. Bush and the full powers of a police state that the star-crossed Democrats are failing to dismantle at his or her disposal..."

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Prospects Slim For Probe Into Bush-Era Policies

The release this week of the Bush administration's once-secret anti-terrorism memos provided plenty of fresh fodder for those demanding an inquiry into the actions of the former president and his top advisers. But the prospect of a formal public review remains remote....

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Reuters:Venezuela's Chavez Seizes US Food Giant Cargill Unit

By Patricia Rondon CARACAS (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez seized a unit of American food giant Cargill on Wednesday and threatened to take over Venezuela's largest private company, renewing a nationalization drive as the OPEC nation's oil income...

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One in 8 U.S. Households Late Paying or in Foreclosure.

By Lynn Adler NEW YORK (Reuters) - One in every eight U.S. households, a record share, ended 2008 behind on their mortgage payments or in the foreclosure process as job losses intensified a housing crisis spawned by lax lending practices, the...

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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Obama Reverses Bush Contracting Rules.

The no bid contracts were controversial in Iraq & Afghanistan,one of the main beneficiary was Halliburton.The Obama administration claims that this could save 40 Billion.....

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The Real Cost of War:Global Economic Collapse.

This article was written a year ago, one of the author is Nobel prize winner economist Joseph Stiglitz.He co-wrote the book "The Three Trillion Dollars War".Obviously, the article and the book were written before the global financial meltdown.However, Stiglitz was dead on on his assessment....

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The Real Cost of Wars:Global Economic Collapse.

Since 9/11/2001,the combined cost of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the regular budget of the Pentagon have reached the astronomical amount of $ 4.5 Trillion Dollars.The policies of George W.Bush have made us insolvent,creating the global financial meltdown. The money didn't vanished into black hole, but was spent on wars.Can Americans do the math?

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3 Canadian soldiers killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

Warrant Officer Dennis Raymond Brown, Cpl. Dany Fortin and Cpl. Kenneth O'Quinn were killed Tuesday evening when a roadside bomb detonated during a patrol in Arghandab District, about 10 kilometres northwest of Kandahar city, said Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance.

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Supreme Court Rejects Limits on Drug Lawsuits.

Today, in a 6 against 3 ruling, the Supreme Court decided not to cap potential legal actions against drug companies.

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Democrats' 'Apology' Web Site Mocks Limbaugh

Democrats plan to launch a Web site Wednesday that mocks GOP leaders for apologizing to radio host Rush Limbaugh for criticizing or publicly disagreeing with him.You will be able to write your own "apology" to Rush.....

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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

They can take our money, but we can't ask any questions?

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. senator berated Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday for refusing to name banks that borrow from the central bank, and said he would introduce legislation requiring public disclosure.

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Understanding The Global Financial Collapse.

The Baseline Scenario is a site dedicated to understand the complex parameters at play in the global economic crisis. One of the author is a MIT researcher and economist, both Bill Moyers and Paul Krugman say it is a must read.The Baseline Scenario is a clinical and analytical look at what could be a the worst case scenario.

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Memogate: Bush's Kristallnacht.

This is one of the 9 Bush's memos just released by the Justice Dept.This one is possibly the scariest one, the title is:"Authority For Use of Military Force to Combat Terrorist Activities Within the United States".It is dated 10/23/2001, it is literally, the legal paper trail of a fascist coup.You will find here the complete 37 pages in PDF file.

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King W:Declassified Memos Provide Look Into Bush Policies

The Justice Dept.declassified 9 memos issued during the Bush-era asserting a sweeping view of presidential power, authorizing the military to search Americans' homes without a warrant and send detainees to other countries despite congressional statutes.More memos are still classified,the ACLU is putting pressure on the Justice Dept. for disclosure.

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Pew Survey-Prisons: Cost of locking up Americans too high.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One in every 31 U.S. adults is in the corrections system, which includes jail, prison, probation and supervision, more than double the rate of a quarter century ago, according to a report released on Monday by the Pew Center on...

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Obama Reverses Bush Rule on Protection of Endangered Species

In a move that will subject an number of government projects to enhanced environmental and scientific scrutiny, President Obama is restoring a requirement that U.S. agencies consult with independent federal experts to determine whether their actions might harm threatened and endangered species.

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NPR Exclusive:Economic Meltdown Dominates Obama, Brown Talks

President Obama meets in the Oval Office with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The economy will be the top issue. Brown is expected to press Obama for details on his plans to help the U.S. financial sector. Brown has called for a "Global New Deal,"and he talks about it with Steve Inskeep.

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Steele-Limbaugh Spat: A Battle For GOP's Future?

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and talk radio host Rush Limbaugh squabbled over the weekend about just which of them is the leader of the GOP. Some see the tiff as part of Steele's effort to widen the GOP tent.

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Monday, March 2, 2009

In U.S. Visit, UK's Brown To Urge for a " Global New Deal ".

LONDON, March 2 -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives in Washington this week to press a 'global new deal' that he hopes will shore up his sagging poll numbers at home and solidify his place as the international leader of efforts to surmount the deepening financial crisis.

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Talkin' bout a revolution

"It begins as an attempt to do your work well, and ends up with being branded an enemy of society."Vaclav Havel

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Canada, allies will never defeat Taliban, PrimeMinister says

“Frankly, we are not going to ever defeat the insurgency,” Mr. Harper said, more than seven years after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan toppled the Taliban regime...“We're not going to win this war just by staying,” Mr. Harper said, and pointed to the long history of Afghan insurgencies successfully driving out foreign invaders...

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Bush-Era Memo OK'd Military Role Inside U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military would have been authorized to kick in doors and raid a terrorist cell inside the United States without a search warrant, under a Bush administration legal memo made public by the Justice Department on...

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Sarkozy:"Gaza Should Not be a Prison with Open Skies".

At a Middle-East peace talks in Egypt,International donors pledge almost $ 4.5 Billion to rebuild Gaza.The US has pledged 900 Million.The best quote of the day was the one(see title) of 1/2 Jewish French president Sarkozy....

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AP Breaking News: CIA Destroyed 92 Harsh Interrogation Tapes

AP Newsbreak: CIA destroyed 92 interrogation tapes of "harsh" interrogations.This number is a lot higher than the one originally reported....

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Prisons: Michigan Spends too Much on Prisons.

This report says that the State of Michigan, just like many other States, such as California, is spending money they don't have on incarceration as opposed to alternative such as early parole...

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Press:Chronicling The Death Of American Newspapers.

These are dark times for the venerable tradition of newspapers, and most dailies are suffering. There's still a future for noteworthy journalism, though ultimately it may only be available online.

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Sunday, March 1, 2009

Iran:Gates & Mullen Clash on Iran's Nuclear Weapon Threat.

On Sunday news shows, Adm. Michael G. Mullen says Iran has built up supplies of enriched uranium, but Secretary Robert M. Gates says Tehran isn't close to building a weapon....

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Ex-Guantanamo Guard Details Prison Abuse

Brandon Neely was a military police officer at Guantanamo when the camp opened. He's now out of the Army, and unlike other former guards, he has been speaking about what he saw there.

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Israel Threatens 'Harsh' Retaliation for Palestinian Rockets

Israel Prime Minister warned that if rocket fire continues, there will be "A painful, harsh and strong response" against Hamas....

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