APRIL 2010

Today in History Friday April 30, 2010
1789 - George Washington took office as first elected U.S. president.
1803 - The U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.
1812 - Louisiana admitted as the 18th U.S. state.
1864 - Work began on the Dams along the Red River. The work would allow Union General Nathaniel Banks' troops to sail over the rapids above Alexandria, Louisiana.
1889 - George Washington's inauguration became the first U.S. national holiday.
1900 - Hawaii was organized as an official U.S. territory.
1930 - The Soviet Union proposed a military alliance with France and Great Britain.
1939 - The first railroad car equipped with fluorescent lights was put into service. The train car was known as the "General Pershing Zephyr."
1943 - The British submarine HMS Seraph dropped 'the man who never was,' a dead man the British planted with false invasion plans, into the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain.
1945 - Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide. They had been married for one day. One week later Germany surrendered unconditionally.
1945 - Arthur Godfrey began his CBS radio morning show "Arthur Godfrey Time." It ran until this day in 1972.
1947 - The name of Boulder Dam, in Nevada, was changed back to Hoover Dam.
1953 - The British West Indian colonies agreed on the formation of the British Caribbean Federation that would eventually become a self-governing unit in the British Commonwealth.
1964 - The FCC ruled that all TV receivers should be equipped to receive both VHF and UHF channels.
1968 - U.S. Marines attacked a division of North Vietnamese in the village of Dai Do.
1970 - U.S. troops invaded Cambodia to disrupt North Vietnamese Army base areas. The announcement by U.S. President Nixon led to widespread protests.
1972 - The North Vietnamese launched an invasion of the South.
1973 - U.S. President Nixon announced resignation of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and other top aides.
1975 - Communists North Vietnamese troops entered the Independence Palace of South Vietnam in Saigon. 11 Marines lifted off of the U.S. Embassy were the last soldiers to evacuate.
1980 - Terrorists seized the Iranian Embassy in London.
1984 - U.S. President Reagan signed cultural and scientific agreements with China. He also signed a tax accord that would make it easier for American companies to operate in China.
1998 - NATO was expanded to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The three nations were formally admitted the following April at NATO's 50th anniversary summit.
1998 - United and Delta airlines announced their alliance that would give them control of 1/3 of all U.S. passenger seats.
1998 - In the U.S., Federal regulators fined a contractor $2.25 million for improper handling of oxygen canisters on ValuJet that crashed in the Florida Everglades in 1996.
2001 - Chandra Levy was last seen in Washington, DC. Her remains were found in Rock Creek Park on May 22, 2002. California Congressman Gary Condit was questioned in the case due to his relationship with Levy.
2002 - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was overwhelmingly approved for another five years as president.

Riot police shield Obama from tea-party grandmas -- When hundreds of tea-party protesters – including many elderly women – gathered outside a civic center where President Obama was giving a public speech Wednesday, they were surprised to be greeted by police dispatched in full riot gear. Snipers carefully scrutinized grandmothers singing "God Bless America."

20 Things You Will Need To Survive When The Economy Collapses And The Next Great Depression Begins -- Are you prepared? The following is a list of 20 things you and your family will need to survive when the economy totally collapses and the next Great Depression begins. Read More...

Want to get rich? Work for feds -- Data compiled by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis reveals the extent of the pay gap between federal and private workers. As of 2008, the average federal salary was $119,982, compared with $59,909 for the average private sector employee.

Arizona Immigration Law Hit With Its First 3 Lawsuits -- The first three lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's new illegal immigration law were filed in federal court today, and another group is promising theirs will come soon.

US Army Trains to Take On Tea Party -- In short, the military was training in Kentucky to take on mythical militias — no word if they were of the FBI-created variety — and remarkably the non-violent Tea Party movement.

Debtorboards teaches consumers how to protect against debt collector harassment -- Debtorboard.com is a website that is teaching consumers how to protect themselves against the harassment that comes along with the endless phone calls from debt collectors. Consumers are flocking to Debtorboards to find information on debt collection laws. (NOTE: If the website is down, keep checking back).
 * Related Article: Supreme Court decision helps debtors fight collectors

The Daily Bell: Gold Shines Brightly -- Where we may differ from Sprott is on how to handle the purchase of gold. If price inflation becomes severe and the price of gold continues to rocket upwards, we can see that various nation-states will eye ways that they can control both the price of gold and the physical metal itself. Is outright confiscation a possibility? Even months ago, we would have predicted confiscation was not a likely measure. But in the past year, Western economies and their leaders have shown an astonishing level of mendacity and desperation. We wouldn't put anything past the Western bureaucracy at this moment in time.

$2,100 Target for Gold as Recognition Move Approaches -- Since early 2009 we've written about the super-bullish long-term cup and handle pattern in Gold. It dates back to 1980 and has a logarithmic target of about $2,100. We noted that previous cup and handle patterns in Gold all reached their logarithmic target1. We expect that this move to $2,100 will be the recognition move that awakens the masses to the Gold bull market and the reality of severe inflation in the near future.

Oklahoma House Passes Bill Outlawing Militias and Gang Recruiting -- Recruiting membership in an unauthorized militia or the Ku Klux Klan would be a crime if legislation approved Thursday by the House of Representatives becomes law.

Census Mail Results Could Be Trouble for 5 States -- Five states — New York, California, Texas, Arizona and Florida — are perilously close to losing out on congressional seats because of lackluster participation in the U.S. census.

Greek DIP Update: Bailout Loans to be Junior To Existing Claims -- In breaking all ties with reality, the IMF has decided that not only will US taxpayer money be freely abused to rescue a profligate Greece, but that money will be effectively junior to existing claims, in essence making it some MC Escher DIP reverse DIP nightmare.

Parents Recount Flu Jab Nightmare -- More and more parents from around the country are recounting horrific flu jab experiences amid mounting controversy over adverse reactions to the seasonal flu vaccine.

CDC: Almost Half US Population Suffers From Serious Illness -- Stop someone in any street in America and chances are you'll find a chronic health problem.

Goldman Sachs Adds to Its Ranks of Lobbyists -- But now, faced with fraud charges, investigations, a firestorm of criticism and a regulatory overhaul bill that could seriously damage its profitability, the venerable Wall Street firm is assembling a team of veteran lobbyists, well-connected former Hill staffers and top public relations strategists to confront what is arguably the most traumatic moment in its 140-year history.

GOP Candidate's 'Microchip an Illegal' Comment Draws Outrage -- During a Republican forum in Tama County, 3rd District candidate Pat Bertroche said police should catch illegal immigrants and document their whereabouts with microchips, the Des Moines Register reported.

Three-Year-Old Arrested as Suspect Terrorist in France -- A three-year-old was arrested as a suspected terrorist and held at a French police station for more than two hours, it emerged today.

Want Some Cancer With That Burger? -- No one wants cancer served up with their steak or hamburger. But that's just what you may be getting. As NaturalNews has previously reported, numerous studies have linked meat consumption with cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/024966_i...). Now comes evidence from scientists at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center that eating meat frequently, especially meat that is well done or cooked at high temperatures, significantly raises the risk of developing bladder cancer.

HRT Drugs Based on Medical Fraud -- Court documents unsealed as part of a lawsuit against drug giant Pfizer reveal how drug companies used deception and fear to manipulate women into taking dangerous hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs.

Commercial Beef Really is Made Out of Chicken Feces -- A recent investigation into industrialized agriculture feeding practices has revealed some disturbing information of which many may not be aware. Commercial animal husbandry practices often involve feeding livestock mass amounts of animal waste, including chicken litter, which contains chicken feces, bedding, feathers, and other unknown residue.

Drone Aircraft Are Patrolling US Cities -- Public Intelligence has received several messages from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department requesting the removal of a Law Enforcement Sensitive document which was published on March 25, 2010 regarding Nevada’s “Silver Shield” infrastructure protection program.

Alabama Candidate Vows to Conduct Drivers Test Only in English -- As if tension over immigration weren't high enough, Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James just dialed up the volume on the debate with a new ad declaring that, if elected, he will allow the state's driver's license test to be conducted only in English.

VIDEO: Illegals Threaten to Murder Americans With Axes and Shovels

Dems' Plan to Control Your Land -- It's not enough that Barack Obama and the Democrats want complete control of health care, the financial system and the air above – now they are advancing a bill that will control the land beneath our feet.


Today in History Thursday April 29, 2010
1813 - Rubber was patented by J.F. Hummel.
1852 - The first edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus was published.
1856 - A peace treaty was signed between England and Russia.
1858 - Austrian troops invaded Piedmont.
1861 - The Maryland House of Delegates voted against seceding from Union.
1862 - New Orleans fell to Union forces during the Civil War.
1879 - In Cleveland, OH, electric arc lights were used for the first time.
1916 - Irish nationalists surrendered to British authorities in Dublin.
1918 - Germany's Western Front offensive ended in World War I.
1927 - Construction of the Spirit of St. Louis was completed for Lindbergh.
1945 - The German Army in Italy surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
1945 - In a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married. Hitler designated Admiral Karl Doenitz his successor.
1945 - The Nazi death camp, Dachau, was liberated.
1946 - Twenty-eight former Japanese leaders were indicted in Tokyo as war criminals.
1952 - IBM President Thomas J. Watson, Jr., informed his company's stockholders that IBM was building "the most advanced, most flexible high-speed computer in the world." The computer was unveiled April 7, 1953, as the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine.
1974 - U.S. President Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House recordings related to the Watergate scandal.
1975 - The U.S. embassy in Vietnam was evacuated as North Vietnamese forces fought their way into Saigon.
1988 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev promised more religious freedom.
1990 - The destruction of the Berlin Wall began.
1992 - Exxon executive Sidney Reso was kidnapped outside his Morris Township, NJ, home by Arthur Seale. Seale was a former Exxon security official. Reso died while in captivity.
1992 - Rioting began after a jury decision to acquit four Los Angeles policemen in the Rodney King beating trial. 54 people were killed in 3 days.
1997 - Astronaut Jerry Linenger and cosmonaut Vasily Tsibliyev went on the first U.S.-Russian space walk.
1998 - The U.S., Canada and Mexico end tariffs on $1 billion in NAFTA trade.
1998 - Brazil announced a plan to protect a large area of Amazon forest. The area was about the size of Colorado.
2003 - Mr. T (Laurence Tureaud) filed a lawsuit against Best Buy Co. Inc., that claimed the store did not have permission to use his likeness in a print ad.
2009 - NATO expelled two Russian diplomats from NATO headquarters in Brussels over a spy scandal in Estonia. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the expulsions.

Debtorboards teaches consumers how to protect against debt collector harassment -- Debtorboard.com is a website that is teaching consumers how to protect themselves against the harassment that comes along with the endless phone calls from debt collectors. Consumers are flocking to Debtorboards to find information on debt collection laws. (NOTE: If the website is down, keep checking back).
 * Related Article: Supreme Court decision helps debtors fight collectors

Texas lawmaker to introduce anti-immigration bill -- A Texas lawmaker says she plans to push for a law similar to Arizona's get-tough immigration measure. San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle report Wednesday that Republican Rep. Debbie Riddle of Tomball says she will introduce the measure in the January legislative session.

Springfield, Missouri: State foreclosures jump in first quarter -- Missouri's 9,080 home foreclosures in the first quarter of 2010 represent a 9.5 percent increase from fourth quarter 2009 and a 24.5 percent hike from first quarter 2009, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties. Nationwide, home foreclosures increased 7.2 percent during the first quarter and 16 percent from first quarter 2009. Missouri ranks 30th in the nation. New Springfield home foreclosure numbers also shot up from the previous month, according to RealtyTrac.

Renouncing American Citizenship -- Even when a person gives up US citizenship, and establishes citizenship with a freer country, the US government can still haunt him with continuing tax obligations and demands for military service. There is, at the least, a vast exit penalty. Any regime that would do things like this inspires people to want to stay at arm's length. Far more frightening is the sense that financial calamity is around the corner. A look at the data seems to suggest that. Vast reserves are sitting in the banking system, waiting to be unleashed to create what could be total destruction of the dollar. The deficit is rising so fast that it is hard to chart.

Rapid City , South Dakota - KOTA anchorman temporarily sidelined after tea party appearance -- “I want people to fall back in love with their country based on what the founding principles are and the legacy left by the people who fought and bled and died to establish America on this continent,” he said. Yet his superior said Olson is entitled to those beliefs but crossed an ethical line in his tax day speech. Olson said he is non-partisan in his advocacy and believes that his personal beliefs coincide with the tea party movement in general. His superior a Mr. Petersen said “A journalist should not participate,” A journalist should report the news, not make the news.”

WHOA: TARP Watchdog Says Criminal Charges May Be On The Table For NY FED Over AIG Coverup -- Neil Barofsky, The Special Inspector General for TARP oversight, better known as SIGTARP, says criminal or civil charges are still on the table in the AIG coverup, according to a long profile at Bloomberg.

Mickey Fulp: What Is Gold Actually Worth? -- Notice I am saying, "what gold is worth," not "what the gold price is," because that is dependent on the U.S. dollar. When the U.S. dollar is strong, the gold price generally suffers. Gold is at an all-time high in euros. I'm sure you've noticed that the Canadian dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar now. So let's go back to the question: what is gold actually worth?

ABC News: U.S. Deficit Serious, Action Needed: Policymakers -- Talk of a VAT, which is applied to each stage of production, has sparked concern among conservatives that the commission is a stalking horse for raising taxes. Volcker also suggested policymakers begin their deficit tackling efforts with the government-run Social Security retirement program, which faces increasing financial strains as the baby boom generation.

Bloomberg: Glaxo Earnings Beat Estimates on Swine Flu Vaccine (Update3) -- GlaxoSmithKline Plc reported first- quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates, boosted by sales of a vaccine for pandemic influenza. The London-based company said it was able to absorb the costs of a U.S. health-care law that has prompted Eli Lilly & Co., Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Laboratories to cut 2010 sales forecasts.

Final tally: IT lost 250,000 jobs last year -- The U.S. tech industry lost about 250,000 jobs last year, about 4% of its total workforce, but is seeing signs of a hiring turnaround, particularly in software services, according to TechAmerica, an industry group. But tech, even in a downturn, remained one of the better occupations. Although the overall unemployment rate was about 9.3% last year, for computer programmers it was 5.2% and for computer scientists, 6.1%.

Real House Prices and the Unemployment Rate -- Below is a comparison of real house prices and the unemployment rate using the First American Corelogic LoanPerformance national house price index (starts in 1976) and Case-Shiller Composite 10 index (starts in 1987). Both indexes are adjusted by CPI less shelter. This is an update to a post from almost a year ago.

Banks Bailed Out by American Taxpayers Are Paying Us Back by Shorting Our States and Cities -- Americans bailed out the giant banks. So how do the too big to fails re-pay the American taxpayers?

Greece Will Default: $150 Billion Needed to Keep Its Nose Above Water -- International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn told German lawmakers today that between 100 billion euros and 120 billion euros will be needed to bail out Greece, N-TV reported, citing SPD lawmaker Thomas Oppermann.

Aerial Drone Will Fly on Texas Border Soon, Napolitano Says -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate hearing Tuesday that an unmanned aerial drone will soon fly through Texas skies as drug-cartel violence continues to escalate on the U.S.-Mexico border.

GM Pays Back TARP Loans With...TARP Loans! -- Have you driven a Ford lately? That might be a good idea, as it seems that GM's claims to have repaid its TARP loans in full and ahead of schedule are, well, bullshit. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner pointing out that GM has apparently paid back its TARP money with...more TARP money. Here's some of Grassley's query...

House and Senate Ramming Through Secret Bill Add-Ons to Block Supplements -- Congressman Waxman Slips Obscure Anti-Supplement Measure into Wall St. “Reform” Bill Passed by the House; Please Take Action to Prevent Same Thing Happening in the Senate!

Roubini: 'In a Few Days Time, There Might Not Be a Eurozone For Us to Discuss' -- When it comes to the PIIGS, Dr. Doom is in full-on doom mode.

Holy Cow, The Treasury Is Taking Online Donations To Pay Down the Debt -- As far as we know, this is nothing new, still it's pretty remarkable. The Treasury is taking online donations to pay down the debt. (Via SquareFeet)

World Markets Tumble As Euro Debt Crisis Escalates -- World markets tumbled Wednesday amid acute fears that Greece's debt crisis would spread like wildfire through Europe after a leading credit ratings agency downgraded the country's debt to junk status and cut Portugal's rating as well.

Judge Tells Defense: Prove Militia Isn't Dangerous -- A judge told attorneys for nine members of a Dover Township-based militia charged with trying to launch war against the U.S. that they must prove their clients aren’t as dangerous as prosecutors claim before she will release them.

Reid: Senate to Act on Climate Before Immigration -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday he is willing to bring up climate change legislation ahead of an immigration bill, a possible first step toward resolving a dispute with Senate Republicans that threatens to derail a bipartisan effort months in the making.

Barbara Hollingsworth: Fannie May Owns Patent on Residential 'Cap and Trade' Exchange -- When he wasn't busy helping create a $127 billion mess for taxpayers to clean up, former Fannie Mae Chief Executive Officer Franklin Raines, two of his top underlings and select individuals in the "green" movement were inventing a patented system to trade residential carbon credits.

Eurozone Edges Closer to Endgame as Greek Contagion Hits Portugal -- The eurozone "lurched towards the endgame" yesterday as Standard & Poor's finally relegated Greece's sovereign credit rating to "junk" status, downgraded Portugal by two steps to A-, and the yields on Greek debt climbed beyond 15 per cent, a signal that the market regards a default as virtually certain.

A Raw Deal -- “They came in the dark, shining bright flashlights while my family was asleep, keeping me from milking my cows, from my family, from breakfast with my family and from our morning devotions, and alarming my children enough so that the first question they asked my wife was, ‘Is Daddy going to jail?’”

Former Air force Intelligence Specialist Claims to Have Bomb and Fake Passport Aboard Trans-Atlantic Flight -- The father of a former Air Force intelligence specialist was left to wonder why his son went from leading a "squeaky clean" life to being accused of claiming he had explosives aboard a trans-Atlantic flight, forcing the jetliner and its passengers to spend the night in Bangor.

Doctors Sterilise Uzbek Woman by Stealth -- WHEN her baby died soon after delivery, Gulbahor Zavidova, 28, a poor farmer’s wife, longed to be pregnant again. After months of trying she and her husband visited a doctor who told her she could never have another child because she had been sterilised.

Police State Canada 2010 and the G20 Summit -- The G20 summit will be held on June 26-27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre preceded by the G8 summit which will take place in Huntsville, Ontario. The secretive meetings will be attended by world leaders, finance ministers, central bank governors, along with thousands of other delegates.

Review of Bear Fruit Bars USDA Organic Real Food Bars Made With Nothing But Fruit -- In the world of food bars, it's tricky to determine what's really good for you. In this article, I'm going to reveal some common myths about food bars as well as a full review of certified USAD Organic Bear Fruit Bars (along with an amazing discount on getting some for yourself).

FDA to Probe Risk of Weight Gain in Kids Using Antipsychotic Drugs -- The FDA has begun an investigation into whether atypical antipsychotic drugs such as Zyprexa and Seroquel are more likely to produce abnormal weight gain and diabetes in children than in adults.

San Francisco's Toxic Sludge is Good For You! -- If someone were to begin marketing toxic sewer sludge as "high-quality, nutrient-rich, organic" compost, he or she would likely be considered a crook and possibly sued for false advertising. Unfortunately, this is what the city of San Francisco and Synagro, "the largest recycler of organic residuals in the United States," have begun doing to the people of San Francisco.
 

Today in History Wednesday April 28, 2010
1788 - Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the U.S. constitution.
1818 - U.S. President James Monroe proclaimed naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
1902 - A revolution broke out in the Dominican Republic.
1910 - First night air flight was performed by Claude Grahame-White in England.
1914 - W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner.
1916 - The British declared martial law throughout Ireland.
1919 - The League of Nations was founded.
1932 - The yellow fever vaccine for humans was announced.
1946 - The Allies indicted Tojo with 55 counts of war crimes.
1952 - The U.S. occupation of Japan officially ended when a treaty with the U.S. and 47 other countries went into effect.
1953 - French troops evacuated northern Laos.
1965 - The U.S. Army and Marines invaded the Dominican Republic to evacuate Americans.
1967 - Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army and was stripped of boxing title. He sited religious grounds for his refusal.
1969 - Charles de Gaulle resigned as president of France.
1974 - The last Americans were evacuated from Saigon.
1989 - Mobil announced that they were divesting from South Africa because congressional restrictions were too costly.
1992 - The U.S. Agriculture Department unveiled a pyramid-shaped recommended-diet chart.
1994 - Former CIA official Aldrich Ames, who gave U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and then Russia, pled guilty to espionage and tax evasion - life in prison.
1996 - U.S. President Clinton gave a 4 1/2 hour videotaped testimony as a defense witness in the criminal trial of his former Whitewater business partners.
1997 - A worldwide treaty to ban chemical weapons took effect. Russia and other countries such as Iraq and North Korea did not sign.
2001 - A Russian rocket launched from Central Asia with the first space tourist aboard. The crew consisted of California businessman Dennis Tito and two cosmonauts. The destination was the international space station.

Exposed: Israeli was behind Muslim ‘extremist group’ -- A Popular American cartoon show, South Park, which is no stranger to controversy, recently censored a show because they received death threats from a Muslim group. The right wing media jumped at the chance to further demonise Muslims by highlighting the story as much as possible, but what they failed to tell you is that the Radical Muslim group that made the threats was apparently founded and run by Joseph Cohen, a former Israeli Radical who use to live in a settlement in the West Bank. Joseph Cohen (aka Yousef al-Khattab) apparently...Read More...

Intel Corp. to invest almost $190 million to expand plant in western Mexico -- Computer chip manufacturer Intel Corp. says it will spend 2.3 billion pesos (about $190 million) to expand its existing plant in western Mexico. Intel CEO Paul Otellini says the investment over the next three years will allow the company to increase the number of engineers at its design center in the western city of Guadalajara from 400 to 550. Comment: Thank you NAFTA! Grrrrrrrrr! (Thanks Jimm)

Chinese drywall victims win ruling -- U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who is overseeing the massive combined Chinese drywall litigation in New Orleans, ruled that: A couple affected by the drywall - Tatum and Charlene Hernandez of Mandeville, La. - are entitled to $164,000, plus attorneys' fees and court costs.That money includes about $5,400 to pay the Hernandez family for damaged personal property and close to $20,000 to pay for somewhere to live while the repairs are made.

MORTGAGE NIGHTMARES, ONE TALE AT A TIME -- Richard Zombeck has set out help people tell those stories -- one at a time -- at a Web site named ShameTheBanks.org.

Philadelphia is test site of new satellite-surveillance radio system -- At Philadelphia International Airport's busy tower, air traffic controllers showed off new satellite technology Monday that will one day transform the nation's air traffic system from radar navigation to an Internet in the sky. Philadelphia is one of four airports to get the technology, which relies on global positioning satellites, like GPS in a car, to transmit a plane's location to radios on the ground, controllers in towers, and to other aircraft nearby.

Screenwriter Says Hollywood Conservatives ‘Have to Meet in Secret’ and ‘Talk in Whispers’ -- Screenwriter and author Andrew Klavan said that in Hollywood, “(i)f you’re a conservative, especially a religious person, people have to meet in secret. They talk in whispers. It’s a very disturbing kind of culture.” Klavan, in an exclusive interview with CNSNews.com, explained that he and fellow conservatives in Hollywood are battling the liberal status quo by creating entertainment that reflects the values held by the majority of Americans.

'The Contagion is Spreading and Spreading Quite Rapidly' -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday she won’t release funds to help Greece shore up its finances until the nation has a “sustainable” plan to reduce its budget deficit. Translation: Never.

Silicon Valley Cops Raid Gizmodo Editor's Home, Take Four Computer -- Police broke into the home of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen and confiscated four computers and two servers, the tech blog reports. Gizmodo broke the news last week about Apple's next-generation iPhone, after paying a source who found it in a California bar $5,000 for the device.

Torture, rape was norm at illegal Iraq prison says report -- The rights group on Wednesday called for a thorough investigation over the detention center, which was discovered and closed down this month by Iraq's Human Rights Ministry, and urged Iraq to prosecute those responsible. Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has denied any connection with the facility, which housed mainly Sunni Arab prisoners from the volatile northern city of Mosul where insurgent groups such as al Qaeda operate.

The Daily Bell: Wrong Law, Wrong Time? -- We would have preferred if Napolitano had offered up a libertarian position rather than a political one, as this sort of analysis only further reinforces people's perception that the state - rather than the market - ought to decide where people should live. But in fact people should be able to live where they can make an effective living without taking advantage of state-offered welfare largesse. In fact, welfare ought to not to be offered as a general rule. In a libertarian, free-market society, the community, especially religious institutions, would take care of the indigent. This has worked in the past, and worked well.

Americans losing confidence in healthcare -- Thomson Reuters interviews more than 100,000 U.S. households annually via telephone surveys about healthcare behaviors, attitudes and utilization. This particular index is based in a subset of 3,000 people, representative of the nation as a whole, interviewed every month. "I think it may have something to do with the reform legislation," Pickens said in a telephone interview. "Getting legislation through hasn't reassured Americans," he added. "People are being unclear about what it means for them."

Look out below: U.S. pain not done yet -- While real estate sales and prices are up in a few areas of the United States compared to last year, it's doubtful that trend is anything but temporary or local. That might be why 160 U.S. banks are expected to go under this year; up from 140 banks that were shut down in 2009.

Skipping Class? NAU High-Tech System Will Know -- Students who are thinking about sleeping late and skipping that morning class may have a new incentive to roll out of bed at one Arizona university this fall.

Q1 2010 Homeownership Rate Lowest Since Q1 2000 -- The Census Bureau reported the homeownership and vacancy rates for Q1 2010 this morning. Here are a few graphs ...Read More...

Tsunami of Red Ink -- The Chicago Tribune had an excellent set of charts this weekend in A Tsunami of Red Ink regarding US government debt and who owns it, and also a comparison of US debt to the national debt of other countries.

Computerized Front Running and Financial Fraud -- The second story was sitting in my done box were I keep stories that I have not published yet when Ellen landed this story outlining just how gamed the actual trading system has become. For what it is worth, everyone knows how to skim an order and traditionally floor governors were on the lookout for just such behavior as it worked directly against the client’s interest.

Starry Starry Night -- This item is mostly a good excuse to hang out a great picture. They certainly have been getting progressively better although I am always uneasy reading interpretations.

VIDEO: Don't Be Surprised 116: FACEBOK Has Merged Your User Profile with RFID

Remember That Ash Cloud? It Didn't Exist -- Britain's airspace was closed under false pretences, with satellite images revealing there was no doomsday volcanic ash cloud over the entire country.

GM Crops to US High Court, Environmental Laws on the Line -- Washington - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in its first-ever case involving genetically modified crops. The decision in this case may have a significant impact on both the future of genetically modified foods and government oversight of that and other environmental issues.

Mexico Issues Travel Alert Over New Arizona Law -- Mexico's government is warning its citizens about travel to Arizona because of a tough new immigration law there.

Is Raelian Cult Signaling Illuminati Intentions? -- For over 30 years, Rael Maitreya (left) has been the leader of a growing world movement known as Raelism - a self proclaimed 'atheist religion' claiming direct contact with invisible 'extraterrestrial beings' resembling Biblical 'fallen angels'.

Big Brother to Track Your Medication Compliance with Electronic Transmitters in Pills -- Now that the U.S. government has achieved its monopoly over health care, new technologies are in the works that will allow the government to remotely monitor and track whether ordinary citizens are complying with taking medications prescribed by conventional doctors. One new technology described at the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging allows "pills to be electronically outfitted with transmitters" which would track the patient's compliance with medications and broadcast that information back to government health care enforcers who check for "compliance and efficacy."

Natural Substances in Breast Milk Destroy Cancer Cells -- Breast milk is documented to be the best food possible for infants and breastfeeding is known to have enormous health benefits for moms, too. It turns out, however, that breast milk has even more amazing properties. Swedish researchers have found that it contains a compound that kills cancer cells in humans.

Two-Thirds of Store Bought Chickens Contaminated With Food-Borne Illness Microbes -- Two out of every three store-bought chickens may be contaminated with bacteria that commonly cause human illness, according to a study conducted by the Consumers Union.

Vitamin D Reduces Diabetes Risk by 43 Percent - Is There Anything This Vitamin Can't Do? -- A team from Warwick Medical School in the U.K. has found that people who maintain healthy vitamin D levels are 43 percent less likely to get heart disease or diabetes. After evaluating 28 different studies conducted on nearly 100,000 people, researchers concluded that people who eat oily fish two or three times a week and five servings of fruits and vegetables a day are able to achieve healthy levels of vitamin D.
 

Today in History Tuesday April 27, 2010
1861 - U.S. President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus.
1861 - West Virginia seceded from Virginia after Virginia seceded from the Union during the American Civil War.
1865 - In the U.S. the Sultana exploded while carrying 2,300 Union POWs. Between 1,400 - 2,000 were killed.
1880 - Francis Clarke and M.G. Foster patented the electrical hearing aid.
1899 - The Western Golf Association was founded in Chicago, IL.
1937 - German bombers devastated Guernica, Spain.
1945 - The Second Republic was founded in Austria.
1946 - The SS African Star was placed in service. It was the first commercial ship to be equipped with radar.
1950 - South Africa passed the Group Areas Act, which formally segregated races.
1953 - The U.S. offered $50,000 and political asylum to any Communist pilot that delivered a MIG jet.
1960 - The submarine Tullibee was launched from Groton, CT. It was the first sub to be equipped with closed-circuit television.
1961 - The United Kingdom granted Sierra Leone independence.
1965 - "Pampers" were patented by R.C. Duncan.
1975 - Saigon was encircled by North Vietnamese troops.
1978 - Pro-Soviet Marxists seized control of Afghanistan.
1982 - The trial of John W. Hinckley Jr. began in Washington. Hinckley was later acquitted by reason of insanity for the shooting of U.S. President Reagan and three others.
1982 - China proposed a new constitution that would radically alter the structure of the national government.
1989 - Student protestors took over Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
1992 - The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade by the Republic of Serbia and its ally Montenegro.
2005 - The A380, the world's largest jetliner, completed its maiden flight. The passenger capability was 840.
2005 - Russian President Vladimir Putin became the first Kremlin leader to visit Israel.
2006 - In New York, NY, construction began on the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower on the site of former World Trade Center.

VIDEO: Shows airliner bomb suspect in training -- New videos produced by al Qaeda in Yemen show the accused underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and others in his training class firing weapons at a desert camp whose targets included the Jewish star, the British Union Jack and the letters "UN."

Today's Made in the USA product - JEANS -- Yes...good ole jeans made right here in the US.

Smoke bombs, eggs fly in Ukraine parliament -- Opposition protests against extension of Russian Navy’s stay in country’s port. Read More...

Ron Paul Commentary: Socialism vs Corporatism -- But a closer, honest examination of his (Obama's) policies and actions in office reveals that, much like the previous administration, he is very much a corporatist. This in many ways can be more insidious and worse than being an outright socialist.

Pope Benedict XVI: The Glory of the Olive? -- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been named Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. For his official name he has chosen Pope Benedict XVI. Could this name indicate there will only be one more Pope beyond him? Time will tell.

Learning How to Fight the Collector -- Call this movement revenge of the (alleged) deadbeats. Even as collectors try to recoup debts from millions of Americans struggling to pay their bills, a small but growing number of lawyers and consumers are fighting back against what they describe as harassment, unscrupulous practices — and, most important to their litigiousness, violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

VIDEO: GoldSilver.com News Headlines "Thank You Manipulators" -- We would like to take this moment and express gratitude to the great Gold and Silver price manipulators of our day! If not for their hubris, historical ignorance, and lack of respect for free markets, we would not be able to acquire 5000-year-old money at these artificially suppressed prices. Thanks Manipulators! There is nothing quite like converting paper backed by nothing fiat currency into real money, Gold and Silver. (Thanks Jimm)

Dollar, Euro, Pound Are All ‘Ugly Sisters,’ HSBC’s King Says -- Creditors of the U.S. will eventually sour on that arrangement, and may raise demands for other American assets or move away from the greenback as the world reserve currency, King said. He said the U.S.’s practice is similar to the Catholic church’s sale of indulgences in medieval times. “You’re making a promise to people not for a wonderful afterlife, so to speak, but making a promise in this case that U.S. taxpayers in the future will pay you back,” he said. “The chances of that promise being met are actually quite low. And the difficulty with this is that eventually the creditor nations will begin to realize that buying IOUs from the U.S. is ultimately not in their interest.”

Small yuan revaluation not enough say lawmaker -- China needs to raise the value of its currency by a "significant" amount or the United States will take action, a top U.S. lawmaker said on Monday in the latest sign that tensions on the yuan remain high. "I think 2 to 3 percent over a year would be totally unsatisfactory," House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander Levin said, commenting on a market estimate about the size of a possible move.

New Home Sales Spike Nothing but 'Borrowing' From the Future as Stimulus Expires -- Last week's number one soundbite on CNBC was the increase from the all time bottom in new home sales. What they did not focus on was the reason for this.

Here Kitty-Kitty (CAT) -- Worse, in North America (that's here!) machinery sales were down 15% with dealer inventories half of year ago levels. That is, not only is heavy equipment not selling, dealers don't think it will be in the near future either. So how did we get big increases? Asia, up 40%. Yep, that matters, and it's what drove the results.

Foreclosure Inventory = 103 Months -- In a piece from the Wall Street Journal on Saturday, LPS Applied Analytics estimated that foreclosures would create so much market supply that it would take 103 months to liquidate it.

Expect Contagion in Europe, Greek Debt Crisis Will Spread; New Wave of Riots in Greece -- Given that the European Commission has been 100% wrong 100% of the time in its ability to yap away the problems in Greece, I take the opposite side of Greek Debt Crisis Won’t Spread Through Europe, Officials Say

Hyper Fast Missile to Hit Anywhere in an Hour -- HAUNTED by the memory of a lost opportunity to kill Osama Bin Laden before he attacked the World Trade Center in New York, US military planners have won President Barack Obama’s support for a new generation of high-speed weapons that are intended to strike anywhere on Earth within an hour.

Could the National Guard Help Battle Crime? -- Two local legislators believe extra help from the military could help curb the street violence in Chicago, as CBS 2's Vince Gerasole reports.

The Slippery Slope to Strike on Iran -- Last week’s partial leak of Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s January memo on Iran, and the later statements from Gates and Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy, reveal two crucial points.

CIA Director Says Cyber Attack Could Be Next Pearl Harbor -- Central Intelligence Agency director Leon Panetta told 300 Sacramento Metro Chamber Cap-to-Cap delegates that the next “Pearl Harbor” is likely to be an attack on the United States’ power, financial, military and other Internet systems.

Lucifer Instrument Helps Astromers See Through Darkness to Most Distant Oberservable Objects -- A new instrument with an evil-sounding name is helping scientists see how stars are born. Lucifer, which stands for (deep breath) "Large Binocular Telescope Near-infrared Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research," is a chilled instrument attached to a telescope in Arizona. And yes, it's named for the Devil, whose name itself means "morning star." But it wasn't meant to evoke him, according to a spokesman for the University of Arizona, where it is housed.

China: Authorities Plan to Sterilise 10,000 People to Ensure They Meet Family Planning Targets -- Health authorities are planning to sterilise nearly 10,000 people in southern China over the next four days as part of a population control programme.

US Prepares to Push for Global Capital Rules -- The US is preparing to pivot from domestic regulatory reform to a push for a tough new international capital regime after the weekend’s G20 and International Monetary Fund meetings glossed over differences between leading economies.

Maybe Cleavage Does Cause Earthquakes -- Boobquake, a day of action that calls on women worldwide to dress scandalously and prove wrong an Iranian cleric who blames natural disasters on immodest cleavage, has started disastrously, news.com.au reported Monday.

Obama Seeks to 'Reconnect' ...Young People, African-Americans, Latinos, and Women for 2010 -- The Democratic National Committee this morning released this clip of the president rallying the troops, if rather coolly, for 2010. Obama's express goal: "reconnecting" with the voters who voted for the first time in 2008, but who may not plan to vote in the lower-profile Congressional elections this year.

VAT Talk Runs Against Desire of the Country -- What is a president to do when his gargantuan spending increases threaten to double the national debt and push the federal government into insolvency?

Illegal Drug Money Saved Banks During Global Finance Disaster -- Billions of dollars from the illegal drug business was the only thing that kept the global financial system from collapsing at the height of the banking crisis just over a year ago, according to the head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

Milk Thistle Herb Protects Liver From Damage -- The herbal supplement milk thistle may prevent liver damage in people undergoing chemotherapy, according to a new study conducted by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center and published in the journal Cancer.

The Government Has Your Baby's DNA! -- According to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center, all babies born in the United States are required to be screened for a host of genetic diseases. The government has mandated that all newborns be evaluated genetically to see whether or not they might be predisposed to developing a genetic disease and most parents are not informed about the tests.
 

Today in History Monday April 26, 2010
1607 - The British established an American colony at Cape Henry, Virginia. It was the first permanent English establishment in the Western Hemisphere.
1865 - Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Sherman during the American Civil War.
1865 - John Wilkes Booth was killed by the U.S. Federal Cavalry.
1921 - Weather broadcasts were heard for the first time on radio in St. Louis, MO.
1937 - German planes attacked Guernica, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War.
1937 - "LIFE" magazine was printed without the word "LIFE" on the cover.
1937 - "Lorenzo Jones" premiered on NBC radio.
1941 - An organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, IL.
1945 - Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France's Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.
1954 - Grace Kelly was on the cover of "LIFE" magazine.
1964 - The African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.
1964 - The Boston Celtics won their sixth consecutive NBA title. They won two more before the streak came to an end.
1968 - Students seized the administration building at Ohio State University.
1982 - The British announced that Argentina had surrendered on South Georgia.
1983 - Dow Jones Industrial Average broke 1,200 for first time.
1985 - In Argentina, a fire at a mental hospital killed 79 people and injured 247.
1986 - The world’s worst nuclear disaster to date occurred at Chernobyl, in Kiev. Thirty-one people died in the incident and thousands more were exposed to radioactive material.
2000 - Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar purchased the NHL's New York Islanders.
2002 - In Erfurt, Germany, an expelled student killed 17 people at his former school. The student then killed himself.

PBS: COMING TUESDAY April 27, 2010: The Vaccine War - Airs Apr. 27th, 9PM ET (check local listings)

S 510 is hissing in the grass - Food Freedom -- S 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, may be the most dangerous bill in the history of the US. It is to our food what the bailout was to our economy, only we can live without money

Violent storms kill 12 in Mississippi and Alabama -- 160 mph tornado leaves path of destruction at least 50 miles long.

Australia: Toddler Ashley Jade Epapara, 2, dies after flu vaccination -- A FAMILY is in mourning after their toddler unexpectedly died less than 12 hours after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination. National health authorities have ordered doctors to stop giving seasonal influenza vaccinations to children under five after dozens of serious reactions, including convulsions.

Thought For The Day from our friend Mike Tawse in the UK -- The Power Of Shared Knowledge - Knowledge is at its most powerful when it is shared. Any one of us has the potential to change the world for others, but in order to do so, we must be prepared to do so for ourselves and to accept the gift of learning from others. (inspired by Perry A~ a great friend of The Power Hour).

Thousands Of Teachers To Be Laid Off - What Economic Recovery? -- Thousands of teachers are about to lose jobs in many states. To manage massive budget deficits, several layoff notices were sent out to 22,000 teachers in California, 17,000 in Illinois, and 15,000 in New York. The numbers are expected only to increase in the coming months.

Jimmy On The Spot: The Myths and Realities of the Tea Party Movement -- The citizens are awakening to the fact that they've been asleep too long and allowed all the illusions of what the pop culture dominate their thinking. I believe that the O.J. Simpson debacle, from the chase to the trial, was the beginning of the end to meaningful news being presented in the news media. As a matter of fact, I also believe that single event was the beginning of the end to the credibility of the mainstream news media.

What Police State Legislation Looks Like -- In the interest of accuracy, the bill's title is "Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010" -- in other words, how to treat terrorists. Yet the supposed purpose of a law is one thing, while the actual language may be a different thing indeed. In this case, the bill's broad language is different from its purpose in the same way the Mississippi River is different from a spring-fed creek.

Britons believe the hills are alive with haggis -- One in five people in Britain thinks that haggis, the traditional Scottish dish made from the lung, liver and heart of a sheep, is an animal that roams the Highlands, according to a survey on Friday. Commissioned by the online takeaway food service Just-Eat.co.uk, the survey found that 18 percent of Britons believe that haggis is a hilltop-dwelling animal.

What Happens to Your Pension or Retirement Plan if You Expatriate? -- Expatriation-giving up U.S. residence and nationality, including your U.S. passport-is an admittedly radical step. But it's the only way that a U.S. citizen or long-term resident can permanently disconnect from future tax obligations. Comment: Note everything you're still entitled to as a non-citizen. (Thanks Jimm)

Goldman executives cheered housing market's decline, newly released e-mails show -- documents show that the firm's executives were celebrating earlier investments calculated to benefit if housing prices fell, a Senate investigative committee found. In an e-mail sent in the fall of 2007, for example, Goldman executive Donald Mullen predicted a windfall because credit-rating companies had downgraded mortgage-related investments, which caused losses for investors. "Sounds like we will make some serious money," Mullen wrote.

Hope Springs Eternal: Simple Ways to Sustain the Bees -- Just plain old pesticide avoidance will save the bees, as scientists have confirmed. And our planetary survival along with it, considering the bees’ roles in crop pollination. Aha! Eureka, we’ve got it. The Solution! End of story? Not quite. There are plants we can use to sustain and even nourish the bees and their immune systems, and yes there are bee infections en masse which need to be taken care of. But even for these infections, the right plants may hold the key. Read on...

China: Authorities Plan To Sterilise 10,000 People To Ensure They Meet Family Planning Targets -- Health authorities are planning to sterilize nearly 10,000 people in southern China over the next four days as part of a population control programme. Some of the people in Puning City will be forced to have the procedure carried out against their will. Chinese newspaper reports say that those who refuse to be sterilized have seen their elderly mothers or fathers taken away and detained.

Lawsuits Involving Local Police Working for DHS Highlighted by the Identity Project -- In all the cases referenced in the article, the courts have been dismissing charges against federal agencies but have allowed the lawsuits to proceed against local and state actors. The primary reason appearing to be because local and state actors are playing the largest role in civil rights violations, even if they are taking their marching orders so to speak from federal agents.

WSJ's On Fed's Mortgage 'Assets' -- Jon Hilsenrath at the WSJ had an interesting article titled “Fed’s Focus: How to Sell Its Mortgage Securities” I read Hilsenrath. He writes well, he knows his stuff and he is connected. I think he is blowing “Fed Speak” at us with this one. Here’s the link, you decide.

Judge Napolitano: Immigration Law Will 'Bankrupt the Republican Party' -- After Fox News analysts spent most of Friday defending Arizona's bill to target illegal immigrants, Judge Andrew Napolitano offered a different take on the controversial measure, Crooks and Liars reported.

Blippy.Com Glitch Exposed More Credit, Debit Card Information Than Disclosed -- An anonymous tipster pointed us to Google search results, which, when we called them up, showed more credit and debit card numbers -- one full number, the others partial numbers -- in transactions posted on Blippy.com that Google cached, potentially putting those users of the site at risk.

30 Pieces of Silver and a President -- First of all, if you call a big press cabal together and you announce a major speech by the president all over the place and you make sure it’s televised to a billion homes, could you maybe at least actually say something in that speech? Blah, blah, we’ll prevent the next crisis, blah blah, and to do that we need the cooperation of the guys who caused the latest crisis.

The Imminent Crash of the Oil Supply -- Look at this graph and be afraid. It does not come from Earth First. It does not come from the Sierra Club. It was not drawn by Socialists or Nazis or Osama Bin Laden or anyone from Goldman-Sachs. If you are a Republican Tea-Partier, rest assured it does not come from a progressive Democrat. And vice versa. It was drawn by the United States Department of Energy, and the United States military's Joint Forces Command concurs with the overall picture.

New Goldman PR Disaster: Execs Celebrate Subprime Implosion -- It’s ironic how the “Goldman was so smart to have shorted subprime” meme is now being turned on its head in the MSM as Goldman’s conduct in the run-up to the crisis is begin re-examined in a new light.

Treasury May Be Forced to Guarantee GMAC;s Residential Capital Losses for Sale -- Frustrated by the pace of the sale of GMAC's struggling mortgage company, Residential Capital, the US Treasury is considering sweeteners, including government-funded guarantees, in order to lure offers, sources have told The Post.

Florida Could Privatize all Medicaid Statewide -- MIAMI -- Florida could become one of the country's first cash-strapped states to let for-profit companies compete for contracts overseeing nearly every Medicaid patient, including those in nursing homes and the disabled.

Monsanto - Conquering Amerika One Stomach At a Time! -- Let’s face it. We are a country of uninformed, docile, narcissistic people who eat what we are told, when we are told, and don’t look too closely at how that food is prepared, and what it is doing to our health.

One-Fourth of Nonprofits Are To Lose Tax Breaks -- As many as 400,000 nonprofit organizations are weeks away from a doomsday.

5 Reasons Cellphones and Mobile VoIP Are Forging an Unlikely Truce -- The battle to deliver your wireless phone calls once seemed to have all the makings of an epic showdown between cellphone carriers and mobile voice-over-IP upstarts like Skype.

For Nations Living the Good Life, the Party's Over, IMF Says -- In the lingo of the International Monetary Fund, the future of the world hinges on "rebalancing and consolidation," antiseptic words that would not seem to raise a fuss.

Failed German Bond Auction: An Evil Portent? -- WHAT IF THEY GAVE a bond auction and nobody came?

Food in US Is Still Tainted With Chemicals That Were Banned Decades Ago -- In a photograph from a 1947 newspaper advertisement, a smiling mother leans over her baby's crib. The wall behind her is decorated with rows of flowers and Disney characters. Above the photo, a headline reads "Protect Your Children From Disease Carrying Insects."

Is The Bank Tax a Major Step Toward World Government? -- Finance ministers and central bank governors are in Washington D.C. this weekend for a G-20 meeting, in preparation for the G-20 Summit to held in November in South Korea.

18 Veterans Kill Themselves Every Day -- The suicide rate among war veterans is extraordinary, new data reveals.

Mega-Banks Which Received Bailouts Slashed Lending More, Gave Higher Bonuses and Reduced Costs Less Than Banks Which Didn't Get Bailouts -- Banks that received federal assistance during the financial crisis reduced lending more aggressively and gave bigger pay raises to employees than institutions that didn't get aid, a USA TODAY/American University review found.

Five Israeli's Charged With Organ Trafficking -- Israel has charged five of its citizens, including a retired army general, with operating a nationwide organ trafficking ring that ensnared dozens of potential victims. The charges include human trafficking for the purpose of organ harvesting and money laundering.

ADL Calls for Major Law Enforcement Operation to Deal With Obamacare Critics -- The global banking elite are preparing to assault Americans with two huge new tax increases as President Obama contradicts the assurances of White House aides and his own campaign trail promise by asserting that a VAT tax is still on the table, as the IMF outlines a new tax on financial transactions that is being hailed as a blow to the banks yet represents another stealth tax on the people.

Good Health is No Accident -- Those who seek answers for their health outside the realm of their own decisions are looking in the wrong place. Health is no accident. Lasting health can only appear as the result of a lifetime of informed, deliberate decisions aligned with nature's principles of health, not the distorted version of health promoted by our backward system of mainstream medicine.

Longer Duration of Breastfeeding Reduces Risk of Metabolic Syndrome for the Mom -- Women who breastfeed their children longer are significantly less likely to develop the cluster of heart disease and diabetes risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, according to a study conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Northern California and published in the journal Diabetes.

Stephen Hawking Warns Over Making Contact with Aliens -- Aliens almost certainly exist but humans should avoid making contact, Professor Stephen Hawking has warned.

GM Used Bailout Money to Repay Loan -- A top Senate Republican on Thursday accused the Obama administration of misleading taxpayers about General Motors’ loan repayment, saying the struggling auto giant was only able to repay its bailout money by dipping into a separate pot of bailout money.
 

Today in History Friday April 23, 2010
1861 - Arkansas troops seized Fort Smith.
1872 - Charlotte E. Ray became the first black woman lawyer.
1896 - The Vitascope system for projecting movies onto a screen was demonstrated in New York City.
1908 - U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt signed an act creating the U.S. Army Reserve.
1915 - The A.C.A. became the National Advisory Council on Aeronautics (NACA).
1920 - The Turkish Grand National Assembly had its first meeting in Ankara.
1924 - The U.S. Senate passed the Soldiers Bonus Bill.
1945 - The Soviet Army fought its way into Berlin.
1948 - Johnny Longden became the first race jockey to ride 3,000 career winners.
1951 - The Associated Press began use of the new service of teletype setting.
1968 - The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.
1969 - Sirhan Sirhan was sentenced to death for killing U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy. The sentence was later reduced to life in prison.
1981 - The Soviet Union conducted an underground nuclear test at their Semipaltinsk (Kazakhstan) test site.
1982 - The Unabomber mailed a pipe bomb from Provo, Utah, to Penn State University.
1982 - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices declined the previous month (March). It was the first decline in almost 17 years.
1985 - The U.S. House rejected $14 million in aid to Nicaragua.
1988 - A U.S. federal law took effect that banned smoking on flights that were under two hours.
1989 - It was reported that 277 had been killed in the most recent rebel attack in Afghanistan.
1996 - An auction of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' possessions began at Sotheby's in New York City.
1998 - James Earl Ray died, at age 70, while serving a life sentence for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Ray had confessed to the crime and then later insisted he had been framed.
1999 - In Washington, DC, the heads of state and government of the 19 NATO nations celebrated the organization's 50th anniversary.
2003 - U.S. President George W. Bush signed legislation that authorized the design change of the 5-cent coin (nickel) for release in 2004. It was the first change to the coin in 65 years. The change, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, was planned to run for only two years before returning to the previous design.
2009 - The iTunes Music Store reached 1 billion applications downloaded.

Raw milk bill passes state Assembly, heads to Doyle -- The state Assembly early Friday morning passed 60-35 a controversial bill that would allow farmers to sell untreated milk at their farms. The issue has struck a chord with many consumers and segments of the farm community who tout milk - straight from the udder - as a safe product with many healthful properties. The bill had already passed the Senate and now goes to Gov. Jim Doyle, who has said he would sign a raw milk bill under the right circumstances. The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau), said the bill would help small farmers make a better living.

Obama suggests value-added tax may be an option -- President Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that a new value-added tax on Americans is still on the table, seeming to show more openness to the idea than his aides have expressed in recent days.

Years later, still looking for traces of Sept. 11 victims -- With buildings slowly being erected where the towers stood, the latest effort to comb through 844 cubic yards of debris collected since 2007 from excavation of new sections of Ground Zero was launched this month. Scientists have sifted through two batches of debris already and are testing those samples for human DNA. The new batch of debris has been dug up as construction progresses. For some victims' families, finding a physical trace of the dead is vitally significant.

The Daily Bell: U.S. Goes Broke? -- The most startling aspect of Reagan's presidency was not its achievements, but the rhetoric that Reagan himself employed as chief executive. Unlike American presidents who came later, Reagan actually seems to have been a sincere believer in free-markets and the American experience as enunciate by the great agrarian republican Thomas Jefferson. He preached the message of lower taxes, smaller government and supported the private sector as the front of innovation and entrepreneurship.

10 Things Monsanto Does Not Want You to Know -- This is a list of 10 facts about Monsanto and GMOs, and how they can adversely affect your health, local farmers, and the planet.

LA Closing Down Courts Because of Budget Crisis -- In the midst of a serious budget crisis, courtrooms in Los Angles are getting shut down and are disrupting everything from divorce and custody proceedings to traffic ticket disputes.

Massive Anti-Obama Rally Set for Sunday in New York -- Thousands of Americans are preparing to protest in New York this Sunday against the Obama administration's increasing hostility towards Israel. The event is scheduled to take place outside the Israel Consulate on Sunday, April 25 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. A partial list of organizations who endorsed the demonstration is below.

Potentially deadly fungus spreading in US, Canada -- The airborne fungus, called Cryptococcus gattii, usually only infects transplant and AIDS patients and people with otherwise compromised immune systems, but the new strain is genetically different, the researchers said. "This novel fungus is worrisome because it appears to be a threat to otherwise healthy people," said Edmond Byrnes of Duke University in North Carolina, who led the study.
 * Related Article: Deadly airborne fungus in Oregon set to spread

Geithner Harnesses G-20 to Push for Chinese Yuan Revaluation -- Three weeks since U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner called today's G-20 talks in the U.S. capital an "avenue for advancing U.S.interests" on the Chinese currency, counterparts are rallying to his side. Central bankers in India and Brazil this week backed a stronger yuan as did the International Monetary Fund and European Union governments. Comment: Treason! (Thanks Jimm)

Fresh water is overtaking oil as the scarcest critical resource -- Access to clean water has always been a defining mark of advanced societies, author Steven Solomon notes in his new history of water. "Fresh water is overtaking oil as the scarcest critical resource. In the same way oil gave a shape to geopolitics and the environment and our daily lives in the 20th century, water is starting to do so in the 21st century," Solomon told Reuters in an interview.

American Arrested in Mexico for Carrying 150 Gold Coins: Coins Seized -- The Federal Police arrested at the International Airport of Mexico City, U.S. [citizen] Martin Thomas Arnold, 58 years old, who was scheduled to travel to Panama with 150 gold coins in his possession, with a total weight of five kilos 33 grams.

George W. Bush Internet Freedom Fighter? Are You Kidding Me? -- Well if things in this video are true, George W. Bush is now a freedom fighter against Internet tyranny. Russia today covers that are former president the one person who brought us the patriot act, the person that made torture to be the norm, the man who put us into two unconstitutional wars only to be continued by Obama, is now a good guy.

Goldman Sachs Fraud Roundup; The Story Has Just Begun -- Here are some interesting videos and news clips regarding Goldman Sachs.

Bile Vs. the Department of Homeland Security -- Manhattan Libertarian activist Antonio Musumeci, better known to the teeming masses by his nom de intertubes Bile, filed a lawsuit today challenging a government regulation that unconstitutionally restricts photography on federal property, including public plazas and sidewalks.

South Park Episode Censored After Muslim Group's Warning -- "After receiving a 'warning' from a radical Islamic Web site following their Prophet Muhammed parody on 'South Park' last week, Trey Parker and Matt Stone aren't taking any chances," the New York Daily News reports.

Obama Earth Day - Carbon Footprint of Air Force One -- On a day when many Americans will be reflecting upon how they can reduce their impact on the environment, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will board separate jets in Washington on Earth Day morning to fly 250 miles up the east coast to New York, where they will land at separate airports to attend separate events within a few miles of each other.

Jim Rogers: Next Recession Will Be Much Worse -- While optimistic that the US dollar is an okay place to be in the short-term for technical reasons, Rogers says the currency is terribly-flawed over the long-term. He believes inflation is here, as prices are already going up.

ADL Calls for Major Law Enforcement Operation To Deal With Obamacare Critics -- The global banking elite are preparing to assault Americans with two huge new tax increases as President Obama contradicts the assurances of White House aides and his own campaign trail promise by asserting that a VAT tax is still on the table, as the IMF outlines a new tax on financial transactions that is being hailed as a blow to the banks yet represents another stealth tax on the people.

Massive Government Corruption Hidden by Focus on Goldman Sachs -- As the country's attention is directed to the Goldman-Sachs scandal, a much greater story lurks beneath the surface involving massive government corruption that makes Wall Street firms pale in comparison.

Human Torpedoes Blamed for Korea Ship Strike -- Korea's Defence Intelligence Command had alerted the navy weeks ahead of the sinking that North Korean suicide squads were being deployed, according to reports in Seoul.

Another Drug Record for Afghanistan -- In addition to being the world’s leading producer of opium, Afghanistan has now become the largest producer of hashish, according to the first ever cannabis survey released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) earlier this month. Again, the US invasion is behind the new record.

Food Costs Jump Most in 26 Years -- Wholesale prices rose more than expected last month as food prices surged by the most in 26 years.

An American Phenomenon: The Widespread Psychiatric Drugging of Infants and Toddlers -- The United States has become the psychiatric drugging capital of the world for kids with children being medicated at a younger and younger age. Medicaid records in some states show infants less than a year old on drugs for mental disorders.

US Soldier Who Felt Bad About Slaughter of Civilians in Iraq -- "I was told that I needed to get the sand out of my vagina." Wired.com: At the time you arrived on the scene, you didn’t know what had happened, is that right?

New Global 'FAT' Tax to Rein in Banks -- Gordon Brown claims credit for International Monetary Fund plan to impose tough levy on biggest banks' profits and pay.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Makes Mockery of Self with KFC Pinkwashing Campaign -- Susan G. Komen for the Cure has now crossed the line into asinine idiocy thanks to its new alliance with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), where pink buckets of fried chicken are sold under the slogan, "Buckets for the Cure." I'm not making this up. See the ad image yourself at: http://www.naturalnews.com/images/KFC-PinkChickenBuckets.jpg

Big Brother Doctors Say Patients Don't Need to See Their Imaging Test Results -- If you are an American, you probably assume that this is a free country. So if you agree to undergo imaging tests -- which cost you or your insurance company hundreds and even thousands of dollars and may subject you to radiation -- you have every right to see the results.

There is Literally Excrement in Your Salad -- A recent Consumer Reports investigation has revealed that bagged salads labeled "pre-washed" or "triple-washed" may not be as clean as they appear. Of the 208 samples taken from 16 different brands of bagged salad, researchers found that nearly 40 percent of them were tainted with bacteria often found in fecal material.

Most Prostate Cancers Detected by Screening Aren't Dangerous in the First Place -- Only about one in 10 prostate cancers detected by screening actually poses a threat to a man's life, according to a new analysis conducted by researchers from the University if Cambridge.

Ohio Loses 70% of Their Bee Population -- It's a bizarre mystery for bee keepers: Why are so many honeybees dying?

Major Earthquake Could Strike Midwest -- Two years after a 5.2 magnitude quake rattled the Hoosier State and much of the Midwest, experts say a stronger quake is likely in the future.



Today in History Thursday April 22, 2010
1792 - U.S. President George Washington proclaimed American neutrality in the war in Europe.
1861 - Robert E. Lee was named commander of Virginia forces.
1864 - The U.S. Congress mandated that all coins minted as U.S. currency bear the inscription "In God We Trust".
1898 - The first shot of the Spanish-American war occurred when the USS Nashville captured a Spanish merchant ship.
1914 - Babe Ruth made his pitching debut with the Baltimore Orioles.
1915 - At the Second Battle Ypres the Germans became the first country to use poison gas.
1918 - British naval forces attempted to sink block-ships in the German U-boat bases at the Battle of Zeeburgge.
1930 - The U.S., Britain and Japan signed the London Naval Treaty, which regulated submarine warfare and limited shipbuilding.
1931 - Egypt signed the treaty of friendship with Iraq.
1931 - James G. Ray landed an autogyro on the lawn of the White House.
1944 - During World War II, the Allies launched a major attack against the Japanese in Hollandia, New Guinea.
1952 - An atomic test conducted in Nevada was the first nuclear explosion shown on live network television.
1954 - The U.S. Senate Army-McCarthy televised hearings began.
1970 - The first "Earth Day" was observed by millions of Americans.
1976 - Barbara Walters became first female nightly network news anchor.
1987 - The American Physical Society said that the "Star Wars" missile system was "highly questionable" and would take ten years to research.
1993 - The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1997 - 93 people are killed in the insurgency of extremist Muslims that continued in Algeria in a town south of Algiers.
2000 - Elian Gonzalez was reunited with his father. He had to be taken from his Miami relatives by U.S. agents in a predawn raid.
2002 - Filippino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered a state of emergency in the city of General Santos in response to a series of bombing attacks the day before. The attacks were blamed on Muslim extremists.
2005 - Zacarias Moussaoui pled guilty to conspiring with hijackers in the September 11, 2001, plot to attack American buildings and citizens.

The New $100 Dollar Note - Note the colors on the new bill (Blue & Orange) -- The new design for the $100 note made its debut on April 21 during a ceremony at the Department of the Treasury's Cash Room. The U.S. government redesigns currency in order to stay ahead of counterfeiters and protect the public. The unveiling of the $100 note is the first step in a global multi-government agency public education program implemented by the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Secret Service, to educate those who use the $100 note about its changes before it begins circulating on February 10, 2011. * See Better Photo at: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0421/US-Treasury-New-100-dollar-bill-needs-3D-tech

VIDEO: Dick Morris Reveals Bombshell on Waco and Janet Reno – Dick Morris: "It's never been said before" ...Janet Reno to Clinton: "If you don't appoint me, I'll tell the truth about Waco"

VIDEO: BREAKING- Shots Fired at Polish Prez. Plane Crash Site- Shocking 'First Witness' Footage
Related Links:
* Polish investigators challenge Russian claim that pilot error caused crash that killed president
* "The guy who filmed the shots fired at the POLISH PLANE CRASH WAS ASSASSINATED"???? --  "Author of the video seen by everyone by now has been stabbed near Kijow on 4.15 and transported in critical condition to the hospital in Kijow. On 4.16 three unidentified individuals unplugged him from life support system and stabbed him 3 more times. Andrij was pronounced dead that afternoon. Russian government claims it was a coincidence. "

Lawmakers Predict Congress Will Pass Finance Bill -- Senate Republicans and Democrats predicted on Wednesday that Congress would soon pass a far-reaching overhaul of the nation’s financial regulatory system, indicating a potentially swift resolution of the latest partisan firefight on Capitol Hill.

'Toxic stew' of chemicals causing male fish to carry eggs in testes -- More than 80% of the male bass fish in Washington's major river are now exhibiting female traits such as egg production because of a "toxic stew" of pollutants, scientists and campaigners reported yesterday. Intersex fish probably result from drugs, such as the contraceptive pill, and other chemicals being flushed into the water and have been found right across the US.

Police Raid Homes of White Supremacists -- The Southern California homes of dozens of white supremacists were raided Tuesday as part of a probe into a string of potentially deadly booby trap attacks targeting police officers, authorities said.

With Goldman charged, rivals smell blood -- Investment bankers have been lobbying executives at state-owned Agricultural Bank of China and pushing officials in Beijing to drop Goldman as an underwriter for the more than $20 billion IPO the Chinese bank is preparing, according to sources familiar with the matter. The sources said rival bankers were also asking officials at state-controlled Bank of Communications (601328.SS) to ditch Goldman from its joint global coordinator role in the $6.1 billion rights issue that China's fifth-largest bank is planning for the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Senate to Ask Moody's Chief Why Bad Bonds Got Good Ratings -- Following the nation's financial crisis, which culminated in the near collapse of Wall Street in September 2008, the heads of most major firms involved have stepped aside, been removed by the government or were forced out by corporate
boards.

Barack Obama Leaves the Door WIDE OPEN for a VAT Tax -- JOHN HARWOOD: If reducing consumption is a good idea, could you see the potential for value-added tax in this country?

IMF Says Major Currencies May Need to Weaken -- Heavily indebted rich countries may need to weaken their currencies to promote exports because reducing government debt will probably slow domestic growth, an IMF official said on Wednesday.

VIDEO: 93 Year Old Involved in Shake Down Over Applesauce by TSA

Major Plan for Global Tax of Banks, Just Ahead -- Using the current crisis environment to expand global control of the banking sector, which will ultimatley lead to the directing of bank funds towards global government favored projects, the IMF plans to call for extensive new taxation of the banking sector.

More Capital for World Bank Signals More Global Trouble Ahead -- EPJ has learned that, at the G-20 meetings to be held later this week in Washington D. C., the United States will call for significant increases in capital for the World Bank.

Here is How Your New, Soon To Be Worthless Money, Will Look Like -- Judging by Ben Bernanke's recent abnormal behavior, we are quite confident the Fed forgot to add at least three zeroes to the latest version of the Benjamins. Here is how the government is spending money to recreate old money, just so it can print even more money.

If We Continue Down This Path, the Outlook is General Impoverishment for the Country -- A few weeks ago, I asked Fred Hickey what he would do as chairman of the Federal Reserve. In the remainder of our interview, I asked Fred whether we can avoid recessions in a business cycle, what will happen to the US Dollar, how our creditors are behaving, and what advice he can offer given the new economic environment.

Southern Poverty Law Center Publishes Patriot Hit List -- In a report on its web site dated April 2010, entitled "Meet The Patriots," the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) profiled "36 individuals at the heart of the resurgent [patriot] movement."

Vanished Persian Army Said Found in Desert -- The remains of a mighty Persian army said to have drowned in the sands of the western Egyptian desert 2,500 years ago might have been finally located, solving one of archaeology's biggest outstanding mysteries, according to Italian researchers.

NY Times: Up to 300,000 Public School Jobs Could Be Cut -- School districts around the country ... are warning hundreds of thousands of teachers that their jobs may be eliminated in June.

ABC Consumer Comfort Index Drops Back to 2010 Low, 92% Say the Economy Is In 'Bad Shape' -- The April 19 Consumer Comfort Index number dropped back to -50, a 2010 low, just 4 points from its all-time low in 24 years of weekly polls, -54 in January 2009 and December 2008. 92% of those polled said the national economy’s in bad shape.

Foreclosures are 'Pigs with Lipstick' -- Let me just first give a little background for those of you who don't know Ivy Zelman. She's the former Credit Suisse analyst who called the housing crash, even before the boom had peaked.

DC Knows Obama is Ineligible for Office -- Members from all three branches of the Federal government already know that Barack Hussein Obama is ineligible for the office of President. National leaders, to include members of the US Supreme Court, already know that Barack Hussein Obama is not a “natural born citizen” of the United States of America, and therefore, is ineligible for the office he currently holds.

Checks and Cash Slowly But Surely Disappearing -- The Washington Post is reporting that the US Department of the Treasury will be announcing later today that most federal benefits payments from Social Security to Veteran disability checks will be made by electronic direct deposit beginning 1 March 2013. Businesses using Federal Tax Deposit Coupons will also need to go the electronic tax payment route.

Student Suspected and Labeled Terrorist for Finger Gun -- A 13-year-old girl was suspended from school after she was accused of threatening her teacher. Her family says it's a misunderstanding under a zero tolerance policy.

The 10 Biggest Health Care Lies in America -- Mainstream health care isn't based on "health" or "caring." It's actually based on an ingrained system of medical mythology that's practiced -- and defended -- by those who profit from the continuation of sickness and disease. This system of medical mythology might also simply be called "lies", and today I'm sharing with NaturalNews readers the top ten lies that are still followed and promoted under mainstream health care in America today.

Alzheimer's Drugs Cause Brain Damage and Actually Worsen Memory Loss -- Big Pharma drugs that are being used on humans right now and promoted as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) could cause the very brain damage and memory loss they are supposed to treat. That's the conclusion of University of California at San Diego (UCSD) scientists who just published their groundbreaking findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

US Government Continues Its War on Raw Milk -- Growing awareness among the American populace about the health benefits of wholesome, raw milk has been steadily increasing over the past decade, putting many state and federal officials into a frenzy. The harsh crackdown tactics used in the past to deter farmers from selling, and consumers from buying, raw milk are giving way to a new approach that anti-raw milk fanatics hope will put an end to the sale of raw milk.

Radiation From CT Scans Causes 29,000 Cancers a Year, Kills 14,500 Americans -- Computerized tomography (CT) medical scans cause at least 29,000 cases of cancer and 14,500 deaths in the United States every year, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Government Has Over 2,000 Photos from Airport Body Scanners -- As a result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, EPIC has obtained hundreds of pages of documents from the Department of Homeland Security about the plan to deploy full body scanners in US airports.



Today in History Wednesday April 21, 2010
1789 - John Adams was sworn in as the first U.S. Vice President.
1836 - General Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. This battle decided the independence of Texas.
1856 - The Mississippi River was crossed by a rail train for the first time (between Davenport, IA, and Rock Island, IL).
1862 - The U.S. Congress established the U.S. Mint in Denver, CO.
1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train left Washington.
1898 - The Spanish-American War began.
1914 - U.S. Marines occupied Vera Cruz, Mexico.
1918 - German fighter ace Baron von Richthofen, "The Red Baron," was shot down and killed during World War I.
1943 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt announced that several Doolittle pilots had been executed by the Japanese.
1956 - Leonard Ross, age 10, became the youngest prizewinner on the "The Big Surprise". He won $100,000.
1959 - The largest fish ever hooked by a rod and reel was caught by Alf Dean. It was a 16-foot, 10-inch white shark that weighed 2,664 pounds.
1960 - Brasilia became the capital of Brazil.
1961 - The French army revolted in Algeria.
1967 - Svetlana Alliluyeva (Svetlana Stalina) defected in New York City. She was the daughter of Joseph Stalin.
1967 - In Athens, Army colonels took over the government and installed Constantine Kollias as premier.
1972 - Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charles Duke explored the surface of the moon.
1975 - South Vietnam president, Nguyen Van Thieu, resigned, condemning the United States.
1984 - In France, it was announced that doctors had found virus believed to cause AIDS.
1985 - Manuel Ortega proposed a cease-fire for Nicaragua.
1994 - Jackie Parker became the first woman to qualify to fly an F-16 combat plane.
1998 - Astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away.
2000 - North Carolina researchers announced that the heart of a 66 million-year-old dinosaur was more like a mammal or bird than that of a reptile.
2000 - The 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act went into effect.
2003 - North and South Korea agreed to hold Cabinet-level talks the following week.
2009 - UNESCO launched The World Digital Library. The World Digital Library (WDL) is an international digital library operated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress.

SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER PUBLISHES PATRIOT HIT LIST By Chuck Baldwin -- it is highly likely that the report negatively profiling 40 American patriots will find its way into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fusion centers and be distributed to police agencies all across the country. Read More and see the list...
 * Related Article: Southern Poverty Law Center: Liars Ca$hing in by Devvy Kidd

Al-Qaeda Chief in Iraq: Captured, Killed, Never Actually Existed, Re-Captured, Now Killed Again -- U.S. and Iraqi officials have today announced that two “Al-Qaeda in Iraq” leaders have been killed in an air strike carried out by American troops.

Botox may diminish the experience of emotion -- Botox, which is used by millions of people every year to reduce wrinkles and frown lines on the forehead, works by paralyzing the muscles involved in producing facial expressions. A study due to be published in the journal Psychological Science suggests that by doing so, it impairs the ability to process the emotional content of language, and may diminish the quality of emotional experiences.

GM, church team up to convert sales -- In what organizers said was the first event of its kind in the area, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit teamed up Sunday with GM and the GM Minority Dealers Association to offer churchgoers a chance to test drive more than a dozen cars.

Alzheimer's drugs cause brain damage and actually worsen memory loss -- Potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) could cause the very brain damage and memory loss they are supposed to treat. That's the conclusion of University of California at San Diego (UCSD) scientists who just published their groundbreaking findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Germany opens airspace - Airlines lose $1.7 billion -- Air controllers lifted all restrictions on German airspace on Wednesday, paving the way for more flights into one of Europe's busiest airports. Airlines announced they had lost at least $1.7 billion and criticized government actions during the volcanic ash crisis.

When Heart Devices Fail, Who Should Be Blamed? -- It was a landmark episode brought to light by two Minneapolis cardiologists that changed the way the medical device industry deals with the safety of heart implants. Now the doctors, five years later, are raising a fundamental question about medical safety and the law: who should be held accountable when a company sells a flawed product that can injure or kill patients? Is it the company or the people who run it?

FDA warns Pfizer for lax oversight of drug study -- Federal regulators say the drugmaker Pfizer has failed to correct problems with its testing procedures that resulted in overdoses of several children during a company trial. The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter saying Pfizer did not properly monitor physicians testing an experimental medication, which the agency did not name. A Pfizer spokeswoman said the drug is Geodon, which the company was studying for children with bipolar disorder.

Hundreds of Cleveland Ohio teachers, principals to lose jobs; innovation schools would be particularly hard-hit by layoffs -- The Cleveland school board went budget cutting on a grand scale Tuesday, approving layoffs for about 10 percent of its 8,000 employees. True to forecasts, the board voted to lay off 545 teachers and 117 support staff, effective in June. To that were added more than 100 principals and assistant principals.

Cleveland criminal mortgage case may be first in nation -- Two Shaker Heights residents will be sentenced today (Monday) for engineering a massive mortgage fraud case in Cleveland's Slavic Village. WKSU's M.L. Schultze says what's different about this case is that the two have admitted they're criminally culpable for damage done to an entire neighborhood.

Why the Gold Price Doesn't Matter -- The gold price simply doesn't matter. Gold's value as measured in a fiat currency is arbitrary. Some are calling for $5,000 (or even $10,000) gold. It might happen. Who knows? But if all other assets grow at the same rate, the sum gain is zero. Gold growth in dollar terms does not guarantee increased wealth. On the contrary, it is wholly conceivable that the gold price could fall and you could make a fortune! If gold settles at $1,000/oz, but the DJIA, S&P, home prices, car prices, etc, all fall at a greater rate, your net gain is the difference to the downside. In other words, your net purchasing power would increase!

Supreme Court Sharply Divided on Christian Student Group Case -- The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in the case of a Christian student group that required members to denounce homosexuality. The court appeared split.

The National Biometric ID Card: The Mark of the Beast? -- As technology grows more sophisticated and the government and its corporate allies further refine their methods of keeping tabs on the American people, those of us who treasure privacy increasingly find ourselves engaged in a struggle to maintain our freedoms in the midst of the modern surveillance state.

Minimum Wage Cruelty -- Which allows an American Samoan worker to have a higher standard of living: being employed at $3.26 per hour or unemployed at a wage scheduled to annually increase by 50 cents until it reaches federally mandated wages at $7.25?

A Finance Overhaul Fight Draws a Swarm of Lobbyists -- Assessing the battle to overhaul the nation's financial regulations recently, Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, left no doubt about the consequences if Congress cracked down on his bank's immense business in derivatives.

DOT: Vehicle Miles Driven Decline in February -- The Department of Transportation (DOT) reported today that vehicle miles driven in February were down from February 2009:

US Spent $5.6 Billion Last Year Treating Veterans with Mental Disorders -- Caring for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses is costing the federal government billions of dollars a year, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Economist: Recession Over in Arizona -- University of Arizona economist Marshall Vest says the recession officially ended in Arizona several months ago, although it will be months before a recovery is evident and years to repair all the damage that's been done.

Be Very Scared About Katla -- This is a strong introduction to what are some of the world’s scariest volcanoes. Iceland can be thought of as mostly one very large strata volcano that has been built on successions of eruptions. This week’s events are at best a warm up to months of activity. The only positive spin that I can put on this is that this particular volcano is tending to been lazy.

City of Vancouver Customer Service -- The City of Vancouver, Incorporated refers to the process of shaking down citizens for cash at the barrel of a gun as “customer service.”

Cyberattack on Google Said to Hit Password System -- Ever since Google disclosed in January that Internet intruders had stolen information from its computers, the exact nature and extent of the theft has been a closely guarded company secret.

FDA Plans to Limit Amount of Salt Allowed in Processed Foods for Health Reasons -- The Food and Drug Administration is planning an unprecedented effort to gradually reduce the salt consumed each day by Americans, saying that less sodium in everything from soup to nuts would prevent thousands of deaths from hypertension and heart disease. (Which makes me want to go stock up on sea salt!)

Get Packing: Brussels Decrees Holidays are a Human Right -- AN overseas holiday used to be thought of as a reward for a year’s hard work. Now Brussels has declared that tourism is a human right and pensioners, youths and those too poor to afford it should have their travel subsidised by the taxpayer.

Arizona Lawmakers Pass Toughest Illegal Immigration Law in US -- Arizona lawmakers on Monday approved one of the toughest illegal immigration laws in the United States.

Branded a Coward, Sgt. Fights for PTSD Victims -- They call him the angry guy now. Even his friends. And at this moment, on a snowy evening when he should be home, putting his son to bed, Andrew Pogany is, in fact, ticked off.

EPA Contest Seeks Videos Promoting Government Regulations -- President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging the public to create video advertisements that explain why federal regulations are "important to everyone."

US to Launch Secret 'Space War Plane' -- The United States Air Force has announced that it will launch a secret space plane that has sparked speculation about the militarization of space.

Sherman: Dodd Bill Contains Unlimited Bailout Authority -- We can say, “No taxpayer money to Wall Street firms, their creditors and the counterparts.”

High-Tech Speed Cameras Using Satellites to Track Motorists Secretly Tested in Brittain -- Speed cameras which communicate with each other by satellite are being secretly tested on British roads.

Pistachios Cut Cancer Risk -- Making pistachios a regular part of your diet could reduce your risk of cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas and Texas Women' University, and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference in Houston.

Obama Now Pushing Sneaky Wall Street Bailout -- Talk about taking another giant leap in the wrong direction.

Iceland Volcano Eruption: New Volcanic Ash Cloud Bound for UK Halts Re-Opening of Airports -- German airline Lufthansa flew planes over London today, despite British aircraft remaining grounded because of the volcanic dust chaos.

E. Coli Test Prompt Recall of WinCo Beef -- A ground beef recall that has expanded to WinCo Foods stores in six Western states was prompted by a law firm's investigation of contaminated beef products.

Facing Unfit Recruits, Military Leaders Target Food in Schools -- The obesity epidemic is threatening national security, so schools — which are on the front lines in battling the problem — need to boot out junk food and serve healthier snacks and meals, a group of retired military leaders is announcing today.

Organic Products Beat Genetic Ones in Taste Test -- I READ with some interest — and unfortunately with considerably more amazement and finally disappointment — Elliot Entis’s piece on the environmental benefits of genetically modified crops (“Green thumbs,’’ Op-ed, April 11).

Iran Missile Threat Growing: May Be Able to Hit Us by 2015 -- U.S. Defense Department report also says Iranians have gone to great lengths to protect its nuclear infrastructure from physical destruction including using buried and hardened facilities.
 

Today in History Tuesday April 20, 2010
1775 - American troops began the siege of British-held Boston.
1792 - France declared war on Austria, Prussia, and Sardinia. It was the start of the French Revolutionary wars.
1809 - Napoleon defeated Austria at Battle of Abensberg, Bavaria.
1832 - Hot Springs National Park was established by an act of the U.S. Congress. It was the first national park in the U.S.
1836 - The U.S. territory of Wisconsin was created by the U.S. Congress.
1861 - Robert E. Lee resigned from U.S. Army.
1865 - Safety matches were first advertised.
1902 - Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium.
1916 - Chicago's Wrigley Field held its first Cubs game with the first National League game at the ballpark. The Cubs beat Cincinnati Reds 7-6.
1940 - The First electron microscope was demonstrated by RCA.
1945 - Soviet troops began their attack on Berlin.
1945 - During World War II, Allied forces took control of the German cities of Nuremberg and Stuttgart.
1953 - Operation Little Switch began in Korea. It was the exchange of sick and wounded prisoners of war. Thirty Americans were freed.
1961 - FM stereo broadcasting was approved by the FCC.
1967 - U.S. planes bombed Haiphong for first time during the Vietnam War.
1971 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools.
1972 - The manned lunar module from Apollo 16 landed on the moon.
1978 - The Korean Airliner Flight 902 was shot down while in Russian airspace. Two passengers were killed when the plane landed on a frozen lake.
1981 - A spokesman for the U.S. Nave announced that the U.S. was accepting full responsibility for the sinking of the Nissho Maru on April 9.
1984 - In Washington, terrorists bombed an officers club at a Navy yard.
1984 - Britain announced that its administration of Hong Kong would cease in 1997.
1985 - In Madrid, Santiago Carillo was purged from the Communist Party. Carillo was a founder of Eurocommunism.
1987 - In Argentina, President Raul Alfonsin quelled a military revolt.
1988 - The U.S. Air Forces' Stealth (B-2 bomber) was officially unveiled.
1989 - Scientist announced the successful testing of high-definition TV.
1991 - Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet head of state to visit South Korea.
1999 - 13 people were killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, when two teenagers opened fire on them with shotguns and pipebombs. The 2 gunmen then killed themselves.

Update: Peter Hendrickson, “Cracking the Code” author' draws prison term in tax fraud case -- A man whose claims that most earnings are not subject to income tax have drawn national attention was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison Monday by a federal judge.

Majority of Americans distrust the government: survey -- Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they do not trust the U.S. government to do what is right, expressing the highest level of distrust in Washington in half a century, according to a public opinion survey.

Second Coming of Christ Threat to World Peace According to War College Report -- In a sixty-one page report that he prepared as a monograph for a thesis at the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and United States General Command and General Staff located at Leavenworth, Kansas, Major Brian L. Stuckert in no uncertain terms has declared that those who believe in “Dispensational Millennialism” (DM), i.e., the literal return of Jesus Christ to this earth to reign on His throne for 1,000 years, to be the enemies of America and totally unsuitable to serve in a leadership capacity in the U.S. military.

FDA wants pharmacy to stop making animal drugs -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants a Florida pharmacy to stop making animal drugs after it mixed a brew of supplements that killed 21 elite polo horses as they prepared for a championship match last year. Compounding is a process in which pharmacists mix drugs using bulk ingredients. Patients - both human and animal - usually turn to compounders when they are allergic to inactive ingredients in FDA-approved medicines. They are also used when a patient needs a different dose or a different form of delivery - such as a cream, powder or injectable liquid - than what is commercially available.

Elder-Care Home Foreclosures, Without Warning -- Sometimes even the licensed administrators managing an elder care home have been blindsided by an eviction notice resulting from a mortgage default. Inocencia Arindaeng, the administrator of a facility in Walnut Creek, Calif., has said in court documents that this happened to her. She had signed a "lease to purchase" agreement with the owner of the property in 2007, according to court records, and diligently paid her monthly rent to the owner while caring for her elderly charges, who range in age from 86 to 97. The complaint said the owner did not use Ms.
Arindaeng's money to pay the mortgage.
 * Related Article: When Foreclosure Threatens Elder-Care Homes - Neither the residents nor their families had been warned about an eviction, said Sergeant Turini

NanoBio Launches Development Of Hepatitis B Nasal Vaccine -- The company's NanoStat adjuvant technology has demonstrated numerous potential advantages over traditional vaccines, including: the ability to generate robust mucosal, systemic and cellular immunity; antigen-sparing qualities; cross-protection against non-vaccinated strains; ability to adjuvant multiple antigen types without inducing inflammation; thermally stabilizing the vaccine; and removing the need for needles.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Why Did FDR's Bank Holiday Succeed?
 * Link to PDF report: http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/epr/09v15n1/0907silb.pdf

Sharps Compliance Corp. revamps medical waste treatment -- Sharps Compliance Corp. has renamed its medical waste disposal system Green Waste Conversion Process to mark the unveiling of its new way to repurpose medical waste. The Houston-based company now takes used needles, syringes, lancets and other medical waste, and converts them into a new product called PELLA-DRX, a clean, raw material used in the manufacture of industrial resources.

Advocates carry handguns, rifles at Va. rally -- Carrying loaded pistols and unloaded rifles, dozens of gun-rights activists got as close as they could Monday to the nation's capital while still bearing arms and delivered what they said was a simple message: Don't tread on me.

Bond Crash to Drive Gold -- Estimates vary however it would seem that the debt burden the world now faces is at least double the one that existed before the great depression of the 1930's. Credit was completely removed from the system in the USA back in the 30's which completely crashed the economy. The crash occurred at that level of severity despite there being excellent manufacturing capability, demand, skilled labour and infrastructure and the will to keep the game going. We may have learned from that disaster and there are now mechanisms in the tool chest of the banking system that most people are not aware of however my question is: who will be able to afford the new credit?

DPS: Two Tickets Safer Than One -- Over the past week (and several other times in the past), DPS has ordered Redflex to park speed vans in one of their favorite spots on Eastbound 101 where it goes under I-17.

US Leading Economic Indicators Surge Past Expectations To All Time High -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 1.4 percent in March, following a 0.4 percent gain in February, and a 0.6 percent rise in January. The U.S. LEI is now at its highest level.

Forget Eyafjallajokull, Mt. Katla Is Now Getting Ready to Rumble -- The ground is now literally shaking around Iceland's Mt. Katla. If that blows, look for Bund spreads to promptly catch up with Greek ones.

Majority of Americans Distrust the Government -- Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they do not trust the government to do what is right, expressing the highest level of distrust in Washington in half a century, according to a public opinion survey.

'Tea Partiers' More Wacky Mavericks Than Extremist Threat -- I went to the "tea party" rally at the Washington Monument on Thursday to check out just how reactionary and potentially violent the movement truly was.

Silk Brain Implant Could Aid Spinal Injuries, Epilepsy -- A brain implant made partly of silk can melt onto the surface of the brain, providing an "intimate" connection for recording signals, researchers reported on Sunday.

Gore Takes Cash for Water Campaign From Chemical Firm -- Al Gore, the self-styled squeakiest-clean and deepest-green politician in American history, has some explaining to do this weekend.

Goldman Sachs Finds $5 Billion for Pay and Bonuses Amid Fraud Investigation -- Goldman Sachs is expected to earmark about $5bn (£3bn) for staff pay and bonuses this week, days after being accused of securities fraud by the US regulators, fuelling the controversy over bankers' rewards in the teeth of the financial crisis.

Schools Shot Thousands of Webcam Images of Students -- School administrators at a suburban Philadelphia school district wrongly captured thousands of images of students using school-issued laptop computer cameras, according to a motion filed in a lawsuit involving one of those students.

DOJ Abandons Warrantless Attempt to Read Yahoo Mail -- The U.S. Justice Department has abruptly abandoned what had become a high-profile court fight to read Yahoo users' e-mail messages without obtaining a search warrant first.

High Frequency Trading High-Tech Highway Robbery -- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) knows that High-Frequency Trading (HFT) manipulates the market and bilks investors out of tens of billions of dollars every year.

POLICE: Let Us Sedate Suspects -- POLICE want the power to order dangerous suspects to be injected with a sedative.

Goldman Sachs Fraud Charges 'Just the Tip of the Iceberg' -- Charges of fraud brought against banking titan Goldman Sachs by the Securities and Exchange Commission rocked financial markets Friday, but experts say the allegations are merely the first of many to come, Reuters reported.

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to More Aggressive Lymphoma -- Lymphoma patients with vitamin D deficiency are twice as likely to die from their cancer than patients with sufficient blood levels of the vitamin, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic and presented at a meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Taking a Mid-day Nap Brain Power -- Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, found that people who take naps during the day are helping to improve their overall brain function. Among the 39 healthy adults who were evaluated in the study, those who slept for an hour and a half during the day performed better on a post-nap cognitive exam than did those who remained awake.

Clinically Dead Boy 'Saw Grandmother in Heaven' -- A boy of three claims he saw his great grandmother in heaven while he was clinically dead after falling into a pond.

Low Vitamin D Level Tied to Cognitive Decline -- Two new studies add to evidence that older people with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment.

Bestiality Farmer Allegedly Offered Sex with Dogs and Horses -- A convicted cocaine smuggler on parole has now been linked to a 'farm' that offered wealthy visitors the chance to perform sex acts with dogs, horses and other animals, police say.

British Airspace Lockdown Sparks Food Supply Concern -- British supermarkets could start running short on some imported goods such as certain fruit and vegetables if the island's airspace remains closed into next week, a trade body warned.
 

Today in History Monday April 19, 2010
1770 - Captain James Cook discovered New South Wales, Australia. Cook originally named the land Point Hicks.
1775 - The American Revolution began as fighting broke out at Lexington, MA.
1802 - The Spanish reopened the New Orleans port to American merchants.
1839 - The Kingdom of Belgium was recognized by all the states of Europe when the Treaty of London was signed.
1861 - Thaddeus S. C. Lowe sailed 900 miles in nine hours in a hot air balloon.
1861 - The Baltimore riots resulted in four Union soldiers and nine civilians killed.
1861 - U.S. President Lincoln ordered a blockade of Confederate ports.
1892 - The Duryea gasoline buggy was introduced in the U.S. by Charles and Frank Duryea.
1897 - The first annual Boston Marathon was held. It was the first of its type in the U.S.
1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation that removed the U.S. went off of the gold standard.
1938 - General Francisco Franco declared victory in the Spanish Civil War.
1939 - Connecticut approved the Bill of Rights for the U.S. Constitution after 148 years.
1960 - Baseball uniforms began displaying player's names on their backs.
1967 - Surveyor 3 landed on the moon and began sending photos back to the U.S.
1971 - Russia launched the Salyut into orbit around Earth. It was the first space station.
1975 - India launched its first satellite with aid from the USSR.
1982 - NASA named Sally Ride to be first woman astronaut.
1982 - The U.S. announced a ban on U.S. tourist and business traval to Cuba. The U.S. charged the Cuban government with subversion in Central America.
1987 - The last California condor known to be in the wild was captured and placed in a breeding program at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
1989 - A giant asteroid passed within 500,000 miles of Earth.
1989 - In El Salvador, Attorney General Alvadora was killed by a car bomb.
1993 - The Branch-Davidian’s compound in Waco, TX, burned to the ground. It was the end of a 51-day standoff between the cult and U.S. federal agents.
1994 - A Los Angeles jury awarded $3.8 million to Rodney King for violation of his civil rights.
1995 - The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, was destroyed by a bomb. It was the worst bombing on U.S. territory. 168 people were killed including 19 children, and 500 were injured. Timothy McVeigh was found guilty of the bombing on June 2, 1997.
2000 - The Oklahoma City National Memorial was dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the bombing in Oklahoma that killed 168 people.
2000 - In the Philippines, Air Philippines GAP 541 crashed while preparing to land. 131 people were killed.
2002 - The USS Cole was relaunched. In Yemen, 17 sailors were killed when the ship was attacked by terrorists on October 12, 2000. The attack was blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

Special Report: Nattokinase and Cardiovascular Health by Ralph E. Holsworth, Jr., D.O. -- Animals treated with nattokinase regained 62 percent of
blood flow, whereas those treated with plasmin regained just 15.8 percent of blood flow. Conclusion: Nattokinase is a particularly potent
treatment because it enhances the body’s natural ability to fight blood clots in several different ways and has many benefits including convenience of oral
administration, confirmed efficacy, prolonged effects, cost effectiveness, and can be used preventatively. NOTE: Blockbuster All Clear™ may be purchased online at ThePowerMall.com or by calling 1-877-817-9829 Mon-Fri, 8 to 4 Central Time.

TODAY is Patriot's Day:: THE VOICE OF FREEDOM WILL BE HEARD ACROSS AMERICA -- We will honor God, our Country and our Constitution and then serve the Articles of Freedom on our elected officials. At the Same Moment in Time in Every State - 9am in Hawaii, 10am in Alaska, Noon - PDT, 1pm MDT, 2pm CDT, 3pm EDT

Oklahoma State Rep. Charles Key Demands AP Retraction -- DEMAND FOR RETRACTION AND RELEASE OF RECORDED INTERVIEW - April 15, 2010 - AND DELIVERED

8 Banks Closed on April 16 -- Check out which ones.

15th Anniversary of Oklahoma City Bombing Observed -- April 19 marks the 15th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. 168 people were killed in that blast, including 19 children.

UK sends warships to rescue stranded Britons -- Britain sent Royal Navy warships on Monday to rescue those stranded across the Channel by the volcanic ash cloud, and the aviation industry blasted European transport officials, claiming there was "no coordination and no leadership" in the crisis that shut down most European airports for a fifth day.

Arizona to allow concealed weapons without permit -- Favoring the constitutional right to bear arms over others' concerns about gun safety, Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill making Arizona the third state allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without requiring a permit. Two other states, Alaska and Vermont, already have similar rules.

Hospira says it received 2 FDA warning letters -- Hospira Inc. said Friday it received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration after the agency discovered manufacturing problems at two Hospira facilities in North Carolina. Some of the problems were repeat violations that were first discovered in an inspection in April 2009.

9 Ingredients to avoid in processed foods -- One test to know whether an ingredient is healthy is to ask yourself whether your grandmother would recognize it. If not, there is a good chance the ingredient is less natural food and more man-made chemical. Another good test is whether or not you can easily pronounce the ingredient. If you feel like you need a science degree to pronounce it properly, chances are the ingredient is worth avoiding.

First meteor's blaze, then it's a hunt for chunks -- Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Friday got their first look at what they believe to be fragments of a meteor that set night skies ablaze over much of southern Wisconsin and Iowa earlier in the week. The fragment, which measures about 2 inches by 3/4 of an inch and weighs 7.5 grams, was found by a farmer west of Madison on Thursday morning, researchers said in a news release from the university.

Potential Scenarios for Volcano Gas Cloud Crisis -- The economic impact of air travel disruption from a volcanic cloud over Europe depends almost entirely on how long it lasts -- something even experts say they cannot predict.

US Army Transforms into One Health Command -- The Army’s public health capabilities are being integrated to form a new U.S. Army Public Health Command.

Violence Flares at White Supremacist Rally in LA -- A white supremacist group rallied against illegal immigration in downtown Los Angeles Saturday as hundreds of counter-protesters gathered to shout them down in a tense standoff that included several arrests, thrown rocks and police in riot gear.

Ahmadinejad Calls for US to Destroy Its Nuclear Arsenal First -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad drew applause at a nuclear disarmament conference in Tehran attended by representatives of 60 countries when he called for the destruction of all atomic weapons, starting with those in the U.S. arsenal.

Sen. Bob Casey: Pat Time to Recognize Nuclear Terrorism as a Threat -- This week, the United States hosted a historic summit in Washington to address the threat of nuclear terrorism. This long overdue gathering addressed the most critical threat to U.S. national security and was an important first step toward the president's goal of securing all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years.

US Shuts 8 More Banks; 50 Total Have Been Closed This Year -- Regulators on Friday shut down eight banks — three in Florida, two in California, and one each in Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington — putting the number of U.S. bank failures this year at 50.

Global Congress 2010 and Mexico's North American Union Climate Agreement -- Bill Clinton will speak at PMI® Global Congress 2010—North America in Washington, D.C., 10 October 2010. Recently reported in a PRN Newsire release, Clinton will deliver his usual composition of fabian socialist talking points outlining why America should relinquish economic and national independence for a better world.

Common Plant Vector Injects Genes into Human Cells -- he genetic engineering community has assumed that Agrobacterium, a commonly used gene transfer vector for plants, does not infect animal cells, and certainly would not transfer genes into them.

VIDEO: CIA Columbia Obama Cover Up

Gold-Plated Contract or Real Gold? -- The price of a nickel is now six cents, that is, the metallic value of the copper and nickel in the U.S. five-cent piece is now worth six cents.

Cookbook Pulped Over 'Ground Black People' -- An Australian publisher is reprinting 7,000 cookbooks over a recipe for pasta with "salt and freshly ground black people."

US Troops See 'Expanded Role' in Pakistan -- Despite an official prohibition at taking any part in Pakistan’s assorted military offensives, the US Special Forces in the nation have continued to expand the definition of “training operations” until now they are overseeing the combat in several areas.

Cops Drop 'Corrupting Youth' Charge Against War Protestor's Mom -- Police in Des Moines, Iowa, may have been trying to "scare" the peace movement when they ticketed the mother of an adolescent anti-war protester for corrupting her daughter, a law professor says.

WiKiLeaks Plans to Post Video Showing US Massacre of Afghani Civilians -- The whisteblower website WikiLeaks -- which exploded onto the national stage earlier this month after it released a video recording showing US service members shooting two reporters and six others to death -- says they plan to release another, even more harrowing clip.

Arizona to Allow Concealed Weapons Without Permit -- Favoring the constitutional right to bear arms over others' concerns about gun safety, Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill making Arizona the third state allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without requiring a permit.

Residents in Camden Tent City Granted a Reprieve -- Homeless people who built a community of campground tents just a few blocks from downtown Camden got a reprieve Thursday, allowing them to remain, at least for now, at the self-governing settlement in one of the nation's poorest cities.

Liberty Activist Round-Up? Cops Draw Guns and Enter House -- In the last 36 hours 3 well known Liberty activists were rounded up at their work and homes. Russel Kanning, Jim Johnson and Mike Tiner have all been rounded up and arrested.

China Gives Venezuela $20 Billion -- China will provide $20 billion in fresh funding to Venezuela, the latest sign of the Asian giant's expanding economic and financial role in Latin America.

Goldman Sachs Said to Have Been Warned of SEC Suit -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which fell 13 percent yesterday after U.S. regulators announced fraud accusations, didn’t disclose that it was warned nine months ago that investigators wanted to bring a case, people with direct knowledge of the talks said.
Related Articles:
 * Charges against Goldman Sachs & Co. likely to kick off a torrent of bank lawsuits
 * Goldman Sachs SEC Case May Hinge on Meaning of Word 'Selected'
 * Goldman CDO case could be tip of iceberg

Feds Indict Ex-Blackwater President -- The former president of Blackwater Worldwide was charged Friday with using straw purchases to stockpile automatic weapons at the security firm and filing false documents to cover up gifts given to the King of Jordan.

Microsoft's Chinese Labor Scandal -- Back in February, I wondered if Apple (AAPL) might be the next Nike (NKE) because of labor problems reported at one of its big manufacturing contractors.

Chip Implanter PositiveID Aims to Clean Up a PR Mess -- The pressure has finally taken its toll: PositiveID (PSID), the microchip implant company formerly known as VeriChip, has hired a PR firm to clear up inaccuracies in the media about its products — many of which originate from PositiveID’s own Web sites and its annual report.

Study: Insurance Companies Hold Billions in Fast Food Stock -- The fast-food industry has long been under fire for selling high-fat, high-calorie meals that have been linked to weight gain and diabetes, but the financial health of the industry continues to attract investors -- including some of the leading insurance companies in the U.S., a new study reports.

Why Drug Addicts Are Getting Sterilized for Cash -- When Joanne Chavarria's grandmother died last summer, she coped by turning to the bottle. "I started to drink. And then I started to smoke some weed. And then I started doing meth," says the 32-year old from Merced, California. Chavarria, who began abusing drugs at the age of 12, was eight months pregnant at the time.

Green Tea Prevents Eye Disease -- Recent research out of Hong Kong is indicating that certain substances found in green tea work to penetrate eye tissue and prevent eye disease. Catechins, a type of antioxidant, are one such substance that researchers say helps to prevent ocular degeneration and oxidative stress.

Meat Industry Lying About E. Coli Contamination -- The meat industry has been misusing data to make it appear that E. coli contamination of meat is decreasing, said Barbara Kowalcyk of the Center for Foodborne Illness, Research and Prevention.

Today in History Friday April 16, 2010
1818 - The U.S. Senate ratified Rush-Bagot amendment to form an unarmed U.S.-Canada border.
1854 - San Salvador was destroyed by an earthquake.
1862 - In the U.S., slavery was abolished by law in the District of Columbia.
1900 - The first book of postage stamps was issued. The two-cent stamps were available in books of 12, 24 and 48 stamps.
1905 - Andrew Carnegie donated $10,000,000 of personal money to set up the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
1912 - Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
1917 - Vladimir Ilyich Lenin returned to Russia to start Bolshevik Revolution after years of exile.
1922 - Annie Oakley shot 100 clay targets in a row, to set a women's record.
1944 - The destroyer USS Laffey survived immense damage from attacks by 22 Japanese aircraft off Okinawa.
1945 - American troops entered Nuremberg, Germany.
1947 - The Zoomar lens, invented by Dr. Frank Back, was demonstrated in New York City. It was the first lens to exhibit zooming effects.
1947 - In Texas City, TX, the French ship Grandcamp, carrying ammonium nitrate fertilizer, caught fire and blew up. The explosions killed 576 people.
1948 - In Paris, the Organization for European Economic Co-operation was set up.
1951 - 75 people were killed when the British submarine Affray sank in the English Channel.
1962 - Walter Cronkite began anchoring "The CBS Evening News".
1968 - The Pentagon announced that troops would begin coming home from Vietnam.
1968 - Major league baseball’s longest night game was played. The 24 innings took six hours, six minutes to play.
1972 - Apollo 16 blasted off on a voyage to the moon. It was the fifth manned moon landing.
1972 - Two giants pandas arrived in the U.S. from China.
1975 - The Khmer Rouge Rebels won control of Cambodia after a five years of civil war. They renamed the country Kampuchea and began a reign of terror.
1978 - In Orissa, India, 180 people died when a tornado hit.
1982 - Queen Elizabeth proclaimed Canada's new constitution in effect. The act severed the last colonial links with Britain.
1985 - Mickey Mantle was reinstated after being banned from baseball for several years.
1987 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sternly warned U.S. radio stations to watch the use of indecent language on the airwaves.
1992 - The House ethics committee listed 303 current and former lawmakers who had overdrawn their House bank accounts.
1996 - Britain's Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York, announced that they were in the process of getting a divorce.
1996 - An Italian court found former Prime Minister Bettino Craxi guilty of corruption. He was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.
2002 - The U.S. Supreme Court overturned major parts of a 1996 child pornography law based on rights to free speech.

The Thought for the Day from our friend Mike Tawse in the UK -- The Courage To Understand - The acquisition of knowledge is a necessity of learning, but cannot be its goal. To transform knowledge into understanding requires the humility to acknowledge its limits and the courage to challenge them.

TPH listeners: We need you help in identifying these structures -- They are located near Sedalia, Missouri in Pettis County at location of TT and Monsees Dr. off Hwy 50E. They were built by the military from the base near there. The only thing the military charged for was the fuel. In picture 1 you can see the ball field which was also built at the same time. The neighbors were told they were "shelters" however during storms they are not used. The property is allegedly owned by a local Judge. They are 1 0f 8 to be built here and and each one will hold 1,000 people. We would like your help in identifying, are they fallout shelters, concentration or relocation shelters or jusy plain old tornado shelters. Your help would be appreciated. Joyce Riley

VIDEO: Somalis arrive in Tennessee small town and who brings them in there

Tea party activists rally across Texas -- Flag-waving tea party activists gathered at tax-day rallies around Texas on Thursday, denouncing big government
while cheering on former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and other politicians.

Icelandic Volcanic Ash Alert -- All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been suspended as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south.
  * Related Article: Europe flights could be grounded into weekend by ash -- Flights across much of Europe will be severely disrupted well into Saturday because of drifting ash ejected from a volcano in Iceland, officials said. Hundreds of thousands of passengers in Europe and around the world have been affected.

F.D.A. Sends Another Warning to Apotex -- In the letter, posted on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site late Wednesday, the agency cited lapses at Apotex, Canada's biggest drug company, that included charred particles in a diabetes drug; contamination of an antihistamine, and drug cross-contamination that resulted from inadequate cleaning of manufacturing equipment.

Another 2.15 Million Ounces of Silver Disappear From the SLV ETF -- Talking about silver disappearing... the U.S. Mint updated their April sales figures yesterday. They reported that 21,500 gold eagles and another 749,500 silver eagles were sold. This brings April one-ounce gold eagle sales up to 33,500... and silver eagle sales up to 1,147,000. The Comex-approved depositories reported a net inflow of a very tiny 17,950 ounces on Wednesday. But there was a lot of in-and-out movements associated with that small change... and you can view all the action here.

U.S. Dollar - Grave Concerns Remain -- We continue to see risks ahead for the U.S. economy, and in particular, the U.S. dollar. Significant global imbalances remain - indeed; the recent global financial crisis has served to exaggerate many of these imbalances. Of grave concern is the unsustainable Federal budget deficit, which may have morphed out of control, with no signs of government constraint over the near-term.

April 15 2010: Foreclosures will be the wrecking ball for the American economy -- Not only are foreclosures, short sales and the like devastating for homeowners, they are a death knell for many banks. For the past three years, Washington's policy has been to sweep anything toxic under the carpet. Well, we've run out of carpet. And pondering this unequaled mess, it shouldn't surprise anyone that jobless claims come in far worse than projected. The very foundations are starting to shake. And it no longer matters what tricks come out of the Fed, the Treasury, Wall Street, the White House or Capitol Hill.

Markets Could Be Derailed Again, Warns Soros -- Railway porter-turned-billionaire financier George Soros delivered a stark warning last night that the financial world is on the wrong track and that we may be hurtling towards an even bigger boom and bust than in the credit crisis.

Firms Reaped Windfalls in Lehman Auction -- Barclays Bank and Goldman Sachs reaped windfalls from an emergency auction of Lehman Brothers' derivatives portfolio, but the firms and the exchange that held the auction may be immune from any lawsuits, a court-appointed examiner said.

Predator Priests Shuffled Around Globe -- There he was, five decades later, the priest who had raped Joe Callander in Massachusetts. The photo in the Roman Catholic newsletter showed him with a smile across his wrinkled face, near-naked Amazon Indian children in his arms and at his feet.

Special Army Unit Ready to be Deployed on American Soil Just Before November Elections - UPDATE -- In October of this year, one month prior to the November midterm elections, a special army unit known as 'Consequence Management Response Force' will be ready for deployment on American soil if so ordered by the President.

New Website Takes Aim at Redflex Traffic Systems -- It used to be so much easier to sweep these things under the rug, eh mates? Australia’s Redflex Traffic Systems (ASX:RDF) has had enough trouble brushing off all the bad press and embarrassments, but now the highlights have been chronicled for all to see on http://www.FireRedflex.com

McCain: US Should 'Pull the Trigger on Iran' -- Senator John McCain said the United States has been backing away from a brewing fight with Iran, while that country moves ever closer to having nuclear weapons.

Mysterious Radio Waves Emitted from Nearby Galaxy -- There is something strange in the cosmic neighborhood. An unknown object in the nearby galaxy M82 has started sending out radio waves, and the emission does not look like anything seen anywhere in the universe before.

Senators Consider Gasoline Tax as Part of Climate Bill -- Leading voices in the Senate are considering a new tax on gasoline as part of an effort to win Republican and oil industry support for the energy and climate bill now idling in Congress.

Crime Prediction Software Is Here and It's a Very Bad Idea -- There are no naked pre-cogs inside glowing jacuzzis yet, but the Florida State Department of Juvenile Justice will use analysis software to predict crime by young delinquents, putting potential offenders under specific prevention and education programs. Goodbye, human rights!

Genetic Breakthrough Could Produce Babies With Three Parents -- Researchers in the UK have developed a method of curing a class of genetic disorders by transplanting parts of embryonic cells from one mother to another, creating the possibility of babies with three biological parents.

Using Your Thought-Controlled iPhone to Dial Home -- Don your telepathic headset and plug into your iPhone. Want to call your friend? Just look at her picture and think about her.

You'll Get Nothing and Like It -- No, this isn’t a game of “Battleship”, it’s your place in line to get that broken finger looked at by a healthcare professional. That’s right, I said “healthcare professional”. That nurse who used to greet you and take your blood pressure before turning you over to a physician has now become your doctor. And that general practitioner who used to treat you for minor illness has now become your brain surgeon. Welcome to life under Obamacare!

Ahmadinejad Asks UN to Investigate 911 -- Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who said last month that the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were “a big fabrication,” wrote to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, on Tuesday to ask him to open an investigation into the events of that day.

Artificial Pancreas Works in 11 Patients -- A test run of an "artificial pancreas" that monitors blood sugar and delivers both insulin and regulatory hormone called glucagon helped patients achieve near-normal blood sugar levels for more than 24 hours, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

What Are the Health Consequences of the Tax Season Burden on Americans? -- It's tax season in the U.S. again, and when it comes to discussions about the financial burden on the economy from the complexity of the current U.S. tax code, most of the criticisms focus on the number of dollars (or hours) spent in compliance.

Bayer Admits GMO Contamination Out of Control -- Drug and chemical giant Bayer AG has admitted that there is no way to stop the uncontrolled spread of its genetically modified crops.

Happiness Prevents Heart Disease -- Sometimes it is the simple things in life that make all the difference in maintaining good health.

7,500 Online Shoppers Unknowingly Sold Their Souls - must read! -- A computer game retailer revealed that it legally owns the souls of thousands of online shoppers, thanks to a clause in the terms and conditions agreed to by online shoppers.

Bernake: America Facing Armageddon -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that America is facing something approaching a debt Armageddon

Taxpayers Foot the State Department's Stiff Liquor Bill -- Months after President Obama urged federal agencies last year to cut wasteful spending, the U.S. Department of State paid $3,814 to fill an order of Jack Daniel's whiskey for gratuities at one of its many overseas embassies.

Here's Obama's Secret Plan to Drastically Reduce the Deficit and Save Economy -- Obama's Secret Plan for Economic Revival. Obama's strategy to extricate the US from its dire economic straights has been leaking out from Washington over the past few weeks. How does he wean the country off of massive stimulus programs, zero interest rates, and ballooning deficits?
 

Today in History Thursday April 15, 2010
1817 - The first American school for the deaf was opened in Hartford, CT.
1850 - The city of San Francisco was incorporated.
1861 - U.S. President Lincoln mobilized the Federal army.
1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln died from injuries inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.
1871 - "Wild Bill" Hickok became the marshal of Abilene, Kansas.
1892 - The General Electric Company was organized.
1899 - Thomas Edison organized the Edison Portland Cement Company.
1912 - The ocean liner Titanic sank at 2:27 a.m. in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before. 1,517 people died and more than 700 people survived.
1923 - Insulin became generally available for people suffering with diabetes.
1934 - In the comic strip "Blondie," Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead welcomed a baby boy, Alexander. The child would be nicknamed, Baby Dumpling.
1945 - During World War II, British and Canadian troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.
1948 - The Arabs were defeated in the first Jewish-Arab battle.
1952 - U.S. President Harry Truman signed the official Japanese peace treaty.
1952 - The first B-52 prototype was tested in the air.
1953 - Pope Pius XII gave his approval of psychoanalysis but warned of possible abuses.
1953 - Charlie Chaplin surrendered his U.S. re-entry permit rather than face proceedings by the U.S. Justice Department. Chaplin was accused of sympathizing with Communist groups.
1955 - Ray Kroc started the McDonald's restaurant chain.
1956 - The worlds’ first, all-color TV station was dedicated. It was WNBQ-TV in Chicago and is now WMAQ-TV.
1956 - General Motors announced that the first free piston automobile had been developed.
1959 - Cuban leader Fidel Castro began a U.S. goodwill tour.
1967 - Richard Speck was found guilty of murdering eight student nurses.
1986 - U.S. F-111 warplanes attacked Libya in response to the bombing of a discotheque in Berlin on April 5, 1986.
1987 - In Northhampton, MA, Amy Carter, Abbie Hoffman and 13 others were acquitted on civil disobedience charges related with a CIA protest.
1989 - Students in Beijing launched a series of pro democracy protests upon the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang. The protests led to the Tienanmen Square massacre.
1989 - In Sheffield, England, 93 people were killed and 180 were injured at a soccer game at Hillsborough Stadium when a crowd surged into an overcrowded standing area.
1994 - The World Trade Organization was established.
1998 - Pol Pot died at the age of 73. The leader of the Khmer Rouge regime thereby evaded prosecution for the deaths of 2 million Cambodians.
1999 - In Algeria, former Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected president. All of the opposition candidates claimed that the vote was fraudulent and withdrew from the election.
2000 - 600 anti-IMF (International Monetary Fund) protesters were arrested in Washington, DC, for demonstrating without a permit.

Another ‘Mike Tawse Original’ Thought For The Day -- The Foundation Of Learning - Knowledge is more than the firm foundation of learning; it is the springboard of discovery.

Volcanic ash halts all UK flights -- Airline passengers are facing massive disruption across the UK after an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland grounded planes. The Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in or out of UK airspace from midday to 1800BST amid fears of engine damage. The restrictions were imposed after the Met Office warned the ash was sufficient to clog engines. Passengers were also affected in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

Tea-Party Mania: Taxpayers to Storm White House -- Thousands of taxpayers from across the nation are planning to descend on the White House Thursday, and a million more are expected to take their fight against excessive spending, growth of big government and soaring deficits to more than 700 rallies in U.S. cities this week.

Tax Day 2010: Most of Every Dollar You Pay in Federal Taxes is Spent On -- The correct answer may be that 53% of the federal tax being collected in 2010 has already been allocated for defense spending.

Court to hear suit over Tea Party name -- Nearly three dozen people and groups who called themselves part of the Tea Party movement filed suit against O'Neal and two associates in January, accusing them of trying to "hijack" the movement and confuse the public. "They're trying to promote candidates that we wouldn't support," said plaintiff Everett Wilkinson, who has been active in Tea Party events and groups. "The people trust us more than the political parties. We work hard to keep that trust."

Poland to reveal black box details from crash -- Komorowski became acting president following Kaczynski's death and it is unclear who he will run against in an election now expected to take place on June 20. Right-wing Law and Justice (Pis), led by Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw, and the main leftist opposition party SLD, whose presidential candidate also died in the crash, are now under pressure to name new candidates to take on Komorowski.

Laughing All The Way To The Bank -- A can-do nation like America cannot afford to be overrun with can't do/better-not-try humorless pessimists. A collective sense of humor would allow us to laugh at our pratfalls, correct them, and move on to a brighter future. Entrepreneurs must believe in happy endings, not end games. Evidence suggests that creative thinkers with a good sense of humor could be laughing all the way to the bank.

Workers strike over ban on drinking at work -- A few hundred warehouse workers and drivers at Danish brewer Carlsberg halted work for a second day on Thursday to protest a company decision to limit beer drinking at work to lunch breaks. The strike in Denmark followed the company's April 1 decision to introduce new rules for employees on beer drinking at work, said Jens Bekke, spokesman at the world no.4 brewer.

Family Firms See Two-Year Timeline to Sell, Rothstein Kass Says -- "It's been absolutely frightening to see how many small businesses have had to close their doors or gone bankrupt," Rossello said. Confidence among U.S. small businesses fell in March to the lowest level since July 2009 as executives grew more concerned about earnings and sales, according to the Washington-based National Federation of Independent Business.

China 'Power' Over Metals for Smart Bombs Prompts U.S. Hearing -- U.S. lawmakers called for a hearing after a government report exposed potential "vulnerabilities" for the American military because of its extensive use of Chinese metals in smart bombs, night-vision goggles and radar. China controls 97 percent of production of materials known as rare earth oxides, giving it "market power" over the U.S., the Government Accountability Office said in the report obtained by Bloomberg News before its public release on April 14.

Chinese Economy Grows 11.9% -- China's economic growth accelerated to the fastest pace in almost three years in the first quarter, highlighting overheating risks that may prompt the government to scrap the yuan's peg to the dollar. Comment: Now we know why Geitner is there!

Donkey, Horse and Cat in Israeli Jail - this is not a joke -- The date of the crime was on the return to the Christian celebrations of Palm on Sunday on last March 28, 2010. The story is about the arrest of a donkey and a horse by the Israeli soldiers in occupied Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank

CFR, Trilateral Commission Member to Replace Poland's Kaczynski? -- BusinessWeek reported yesterday that Andrzej Olechowski will enter a presidential race in Poland to replace Lech Kaczynski.

Chinese President Maintains that Outsiders Don't Influence Currency Policy -- Amid a clamor in Washington over the value of the Chinese currency, President Hu Jintao used a visit to the United States this week to address what, for any Chinese leader, is a more pressing concern: asserting his nationalist credentials in the face of foreign pressure.

ACTA - The Most Dangerous Global Trade Agreement You've Never Heard Of -- This week the White House sent out a press release touting the Obama administration's efforts to increase transparency in government. "For too long Washington has closed itself off from the oversight of the American public," President Obama said. "That's why my administration is taking concrete steps to build a government that's more transparent, open and accountable."

Pornographic Magazine for the Blind Launched -- A pornographic magazine for the blind has been launched - complete with explicit text and raised pictures of naked men and women.

Organic Amicus Brief Filed in GM Alfalfa Appeal -- An Organic Amicus brief has been filed in support of the Center for Food Safety’s case against Monsanto’s Supreme Court appeal of the lower court-ordered injunction against the selling of GM alfalfa.

Maryland Cops Beat the Daylights Out of a guy for Absolutely No Reason Whatsover -- Video obtained by ABC 7 News appears to support a University of Maryland student’s claim that he was attacked — unprovoked — by Prince George’s County police during the civil disturbance that followed the Terps’ victory over Duke last month, ABC 7’s Brad Bell reports.

Tehran: If Iran is Attacked, Nuclear Devices Will Go Off in American Cities -- This warning, along with an announcement that Iran would join the world's nuclear club within a month, raised the pitch of Iranian anti-US rhetoric to a new high Tuesday, April 13, as 47 world leaders gathered in Washington for President Barack Obama's Nuclear Security Summit.

Commercial Delinquencies Rise Again, Data Ignored -- Commercial Real Estate delinquency rates for loans held >30 days rose to 5.69% (as REITs continue to hit record highs)

Pakistan Airstrike Kills 71 Civilians -- Up to 71 civilians were killed in a weekend strike by Pakistani jets near the Afghan border, survivors and a government official said Tuesday — a rare confirmation of civilian casualties that risks undercutting public support for the fight against militants.

IMF Prepares for Global Cataclysm, Expands Backup Rescue Facility by Half a Trillion for 'Contribution to Global Financial Stability' -- And all the pundits thought that the IMF would be on the hook for just €10 billion... The IMF has just announced that it is expanding its New Arrangement to Borrow (NAB) multilateral facility from its existing $50 billion by a whopping $500 billion (SDR333.5 billion), to $550 billion.

Small Businesses Say the Economy Sucked in March -- Small businesses are NOT seeing much of an economic rebound.

ANH-USA Victory! Supplements Are Exempted from Codex Language in Food Safety Bill -- The FDA Food Modernization Act (S. 510), also referred to as the “Food Safety” bill, has been modified to exempt dietary supplements from language that otherwise creates a slippery slope toward U.S. harmonization with Codex Alimentarius.

Chile Surrenders Hoard of Enriched Uranium -- Chile has given up President Pinochet’s secret hoard of highly enriched uranium, boosting US efforts to secure volatile stockpiles worldwide.

'Russia Engineered Plane Crash' -- The Russian government prevented the Polish president's plane from landing four times to divert him from a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, according to an MP.

WHO Appoints H1N1 Cover-Up Committee -- Reports that the WHO is appointing an ‘independent’ committee to investigate its own conduct in the H1N1 panic of 2009 has been tempered by the fact that one of the committee’s members, John Mackenzie, was in fact one of the advisors who urged the WHO to declare a pandemic in the first place.

Iceland Crisis Report: Bank's Owners Owed the Most -- The majority owners of the three largest Icelandic banks, Kaupthing, Landsbanki and Glitnir, and of the investment bank Straumur-Burdarás, were also their largest debtors, as the Special Investigative Commission’s crisis report, which was made public yesterday, has revealed.

America Does Not Have a Shortage of Doctors, It Has Excess of Disease -- Now that health reform relying on monopolized pharmaceutical medicine has become the law of the land across America, the mainstream media is reporting on a sudden shortage of doctors.

Migratory Birds Are Teaching Humans About Benefits of Superfood Berries -- Birds such as sparrows, thrushes and warblers are apparently experts on preventing disease and optimizing their bodies to deal with stress.

Antidepressant Use Increases Risk of Stroke -- Taking antidepressants may significantly increase the risk of stroke in post-menopausal women, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Space Storms Could Threaten UK Power Grid -- Changes in the space environment caused by the Sun can lead to periods of bad “space weather”.

Retail Sales Rise for Third Straight Month -- Retail salesrose for the third straight month in March as better weather and auto incentives encouraged more spending.

Club of Rome Behind Eco-Fascist Purge To Criminalize Climate Skepticism -- The British lawyer who last week called for introducing international laws through the United Nations which would make it a crime against humanity to question the reality of man-made global warming has close ties with the Club of Rome – the ultra elitist organization which openly bragged of how it invented the climate change scare as a means of manipulating the global population to accept world government.

Newsweek: Oath Keepers are Extremists -- Rhodes told a NEWSWEEK reporter, “We’re not a militia.” Oath Keepers do not run around the woods on the weekend shooting weapons or threatening the violent overthrow of the government. Their oath is to uphold the Constitution and defend the American people from dictatorship.

Special Army Unit Ready to be Deployed on American Soil Just Before Elections -- In October of this year, one month prior to the November midterm elections, a special army unit known as 'Consequence Management Response Force' will be ready for deployment on American soil if so ordered by the President.

The Dangers of Small 'Green' Cars -- I suppose it was only a matter of time. I saw one of these little death boxes almost two years ago.

Croatian Teenager Wakes Up From Coma Speaking Fluent German -- Since waking up from her 24 hour coma however, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German.

Woman Receives House Arrest for Piercing 'Gothic Kittens' -- A woman convicted of animal cruelty for marketing "gothic kittens" with ear and neck piercings has been sentenced to six months of house arrest.

Caterpillar Helps Power DOW Above 11,000 -- Stocks rose, prompting the Dow Jones Industrial Average to close above 11000 for the first time since September 2008, with Caterpillar, Alcoa and Chevron in the lead.
 

Today in History Wednesday April 14, 2010
1860 - The first Pony Express rider arrived in San Francisco with mail originating in St. Joseph, MO.
1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth. He actually died early the next morning.
1902 - James Cash (J.C.) Penney opened his first retail store in Kemmerer, WY. It was called the Golden Rule Store.
1910 - U.S. President William Howard Taft threw out the first ball for the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.
1912 - The Atlantic passenger liner Titanic, on its maiden voyage hit an iceberg and began to sink. 1,517 people lost their lives and more than 700 survived.
1918 - The U.S. First Aero Squadron engaged in America's first aerial dogfight with enemy aircraft over Toul, France.
1925 - WGN became the first radio station to broadcast a regular season major league baseball game. The Cubs beat the Pirates 8-2.
1931 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain went into exile and the Spanish Republic was proclaimed.
1946 - The civil war between Communists and nationalist resumed in China.
1953 - Viet Minh invaded Laos with 40,00 troops.
1956 - Ampex Corporation of Redwood City, CA, demonstrated the first commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture.
1959 - The Taft Memorial Bell Tower was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1969 - For the first time, a major league baseball game was played in Montreal, Canada.
1981 - America's first space shuttle, Columbia, returned to Earth after a three-day test flight. The shuttle orbited the Earth 36 times during the mission.
1985 - The Russian paper "Pravda" called U.S. President Reagan's planned visit to Bitburg to visit the Nazi cemetery an "act of blasphemy".
1986 - U.S. President Reagan announced the U.S. air raid on military and terrorist related targets in Libya.
1987 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev proposed banning all missiles from Europe.
1988 - Representatives from the U.S.S.R., Pakistan, Afghanistan and the U.S. signed an agreement that called for the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan starting on May 15. The last Soviet troop left Afghanistan on February 15, 1989.
1988 - In New York, real estate tycoons Harry and Leona Helmsley were indicted for income tax evasion.
1990 - Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles began a streak of 95 errorless games and 431 total chances by a shortstop.
1994 - Two American F-15 warplanes inadvertently shot down two U.S. helicopters over northern Iraq. 26 people were killed including 15 Americans.
1998 - The state of Virginia ignored the requests from the World Court and executed a Paraguayan for the murder of a U.S. woman.
1999 - Pakistan test-fired a ballistic missile that was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching its rival neighbor India.
2000 - After five years of deadlock, Russia approved the START II treaty that calls for the scrapping of U.S. and Russian nuclear warheads. The Russian government warned it would abandon all arms-control pacts if Washington continued with an anti-missile system.

VIDEO: Oklahoma Gubernatorial candidate (R) Randy Brogdon... opines

Nadia Bloom: Rescuer James King Tells 'Good Morning America' God Led Him to Missing Girl -- The man who found missing, 11-year-old Nadia Bloom of Florida said God told him to "follow the sunrise" into the heart of a treacherous swamp where the girl awaited rescue on a log. The man who found Nadia Bloom, 11, says God directed his path."He [God] directed my path," volunteer searcher James King told "Good Morning America" today. "When you're in a swamp, there's no good-looking way. He led me directly to her. ... I would be praying and calling out Scriptures and at one point I called out, 'Nadia,' and I heard, 'What?'

Wisconsin pension funding for teachers falls $10.9 billion short, report says -- Wisconsin's statewide pension system for public employees may not be as well-funded as the state reports, with a new study estimating it could be as much as $10.9 billion short in meeting its obligations just to teachers.

FDA Says Walnuts Are Illegal Drugs By William Faloon -- The FDA has determined that walnuts sold by Diamond Foods cannot be legally marketed because the walnuts “are not generally recognized as safe and effective” for the medical conditions referenced on Diamond Foods’ website. Read More...

Okla. Tea Parties And Lawmakers Envision Militia -- Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

Arizona passes strict illegal immigration act -- The bill directs police to determine the immigration status of noncriminals if there is a 'reasonable suspicion' they are undocumented. Immigrant rights groups say it amounts to a police state.

Wall Street-backed Chinese dairy firm collapses -- Chinese dairy products maker Taizinai, which counts Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) among its investors and Citigroup (C.N) among its lenders, has collapsed, leaving around 3 billion yuan ($440 million) in unpaid debt, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

‘Terrible earthquake’ kills hundreds in China -- A series of strong earthquakes struck a far western Tibetan area of China on Wednesday, killing at least 400 people and injuring thousands as houses made of mud and wood collapsed, trapping many more, officials said.

Boston tea rally has glaring absence: Scott Brown -- When the Tea Party Express pulls into the city where the conservative movement got its name, the crowd will be as notable for who is not there as who is. Sarah Palin is the keynote speaker at Wednesday's rally on Boston Common, but Republican Sen. Scott Brown _ whose January election the movement claims as its proudest accomplishment _ is skipping the event.

Mexico tells U.S. to stop sending Mexicans back to Juarez -- The U.S. government has stopped deporting people with criminal records through the El Paso and Juarez bridges, a Department of Homeland Security official said today. Comment: When Mexico speaks, the US jumps? Wait until you see this article, which originally ran in the El Paso press, which has "mysteriously" been removed by the El Paso paper.

Vatican's New Strategy -- The Vatican has been reeling for weeks since reports surfaced that Benedict - when known as Joseph Ratzinger and served as archbishop in Munich from 1977-82 - approved therapy for a pedophile priest who was allowed to do pastoral work. The priest was later convicted of molesting boys. Since then, hundreds of people have come forward with abuse accusations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, and old cases with connections to Rome and the pope himself have come to light in the United States.

Toyota to stop selling Lexus GX 460 SUV -- Toyota Motor Corp. is temporarily halting sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports issued a rare "Don't Buy" warning amid concerns the large SUV has handling problems that could cause it to roll over during sharp turns.

Victory! Supplements Are Exempted From Codex Language in Food Safety Bill -- The FDA Food Modernization Act (S. 510), also referred to as the “Food Safety” bill, has been modified to exempt dietary supplements from language that otherwise creates a slippery slope toward U.S. harmonization with Codex Alimentarius.

Rich Dad tips silver investment strongly -- Don’t get rich, get famous! But Rich Dad Robert Kiyosaki has managed both with his best-selling Rich Dad books on investment advice. Before the real estate boom he was into housing, now he is promoting precious metals and particularly silver as the next big thing. Be sure to listen to the audio clip within the article!

Video Catches Maryland Police Beating Unarmed Student Unprovoked -- Three Maryland police officers were caught beating an unarmed student following post-basketball game revelry in a videotape released Monday.

Biblical scholar's date for rapture: May 21, 2011 -- Camping, 88, has scrutinized the Bible for almost 70 years and says he has developed a mathematical system to interpret prophecies hidden within the Good Book. One night a few years ago, Camping, a civil engineer by trade, crunched the numbers and was stunned at what he'dfound: The world will end May 21, 2011. This is not the first time Camping has made a bold prediction about Judgment Day. On Sept. 6, 1994, dozens of Camping's believers gathered inside Alameda's Veterans Memorial Building to await the return of Christ, an event Camping had promised for two years. Followers dressed children in their Sunday best and held Bibles open-faced toward heaven.

Is the U.S. Army Losing Its War on Suicide? -- From the invasion of Afghanistan until last summer, the U.S. military had lost 761 soldiers in combat there. But a higher number in the service — 817 — had taken their own lives over the same period. The surge in suicides, which have risen five years in a row, has become a vexing problem for which the Army's highest levels of command have yet to find a solution despite deploying hundreds of mental-health experts and investing millions of dollars. Read More...

Evigia Releases New Active-Passive Mobile RFID Platform -- "The introduction of Evigia's active-passive mobile platform is another indication of our commitment to lead the RFID industry with products that provide superior functionality and performance to government and commercial end-users," said Navid Yazdi, Evigia CEO. "This mobile platform provides the benefits of both DASH7 active RFID and EPC Gen 2 passive RFID technologies. This enables end-to-end item-level asset tracking, dramatically improving the visibility and functionality of supply networks." Comment: Note the comment of "superior functionality and performance to government". (Thanks Jimm)

Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle offer fixes in big Patch Tuesday -- Microsoft fixed 25 holes on Tuesday, including critical ones for Windows that could be triggered by browsing to a malicious Web page, while Adobe plugged 15 holes in Reader and Acrobat and launched its new updater service. Oracle also released its own critical patch update, covering nearly 50 new vulnerability fixes across hundreds of its products, on what was turning out to be an uber Patch Tuesday.

The Daily Bell: Lieberman: US Must Plan to Attack Iran -- But now there is a new cool dude in the White House. He has committed tens of thousands of additional troops to the futile war in Afghanistan. He has pressured Pakistan to more actively fight the Taliban. He has consistently ratcheted up the pressure on Iran, to try to ensure its leaders do not attempt to build a nuclear weapon. Who knows what Obama is capable of? Probably more, unfortunately, than most allow.

Priest calls for pope's resignation -- "If he can't take the consequences of being truthful on this matter, his integrity should lead him, for the good of the church, to step down and to have the conclave of cardinals elect a pope with the understanding that the elected pope would be willing to take on this issue, not just in promise," Scahill said.



Today in History Tuesday April 13, 2010
1782 - Washington, NC was incorporated as the first town to be named for George Washington.
1796 - The first known elephant to arrive in the United States from Bengal, India.
1808 - William "Juda" Henry Lane perfected the tap dance.
1829 - The English Parliament granted freedom of religion to Catholics.
1860 - The first mail was delivered via Pony Express when a westbound rider arrived in Sacremento, CA from St. Joseph, MO.
1861 - After 34 hours of bombardment, the Union-held Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederates.
1870 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in New York City.
1916 - The first hybrid, seed corn was purchased for 15-cents a bushel by Samuel Ramsay.
1919 - British forces killed hundreds of Indian nationalists in the Amritsar Massacre.
1941 - German troops captured Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Jefferson Memorial.
1945 - Vienna fell to Soviet troops.
1949 - Philip S. Hench and associates announced that cortizone was an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
1960 - The first navigational satellite was launched into Earth's orbit.
1970 - An oxygen tank exploded on Apollo 13, preventing a planned moon landing.
1976 - The U.S. Federal Reserve introduced $2 bicentennial notes.
1984 - U.S. President Reagan sent emergency military aid to El Salvador without congressional approval.
1990 - The Soviet Union accepted responsibility for the World War II murders of thousands of imprisoned Polish officers in the Katyn Forest. The Soviets had previously blamed the massacre on the Nazis.
1998 - Nations Bank and Bank America announced a $62.5 billion merger, creating the country's first coast-to-coast bank.
1998 - Dolly, the world's first cloned sheep, gave natural birth to a healthy baby lamb.
1999 - Jack Kervorkian was sentenced in Pontiac, MI, to 10 to 25 years in prison for the second-degree murder of Thomas Youk. Youk's assisted suicide was videotaped and shown on "60 Minutes" in 1998.
2000 - It was announced that 69 people had died when the Arlahada, a Philippine ferry, capsized. 70 people were rescued.
2002 - Twenty-five Hindus were killed and about 30 were wounded when grenades were thrown by suspected Islamic guerrillas near Jammu-Kashir.
2002 - Venezuela's interim president, Pedro Carmona, resigned a day after taking office. Thousands of protesters had supported over the ousting of president Hugo Chavez.

VIDEO: Bill Murphy of GATA Reveals Whistle-Blower in Gold Price Suppression -- Bill Murphy, Chairman of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee delivers his testimony about a whistle-blower in the gold price suppression scheme to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on 3/25/10. 
 ARTICLE:  BOMBSHELL – Whistle Blower Comes Forward With Solid Proof The Price Of Gold And Silver Is Being Manipulated By Major Financial Institutions

U.S. Faces Doctor Shortage -- Medical Schools Can't Keep Up! As Ranks of Insured Expand, Nation Faces Shortage of 150,000 Doctors in 15 Years.

Income falls 3.2% during Obama's term -- Real personal income for Americans - excluding government payouts such as Social Security - has fallen by 3.2 percent since President Obama took office in January 2009, according to the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis.

U.S. military playing expanded role in Pakistan - U.S. Special Operations Forces on a training mission in Pakistan are playing an expanded but largely unseen role in the country's counterinsurgency campaign, working with paramilitary units to "hold and build" tribal areas as militants are cleared out.

Pakistan: Exodus Caused by Airstrikes Continues -- More than 200,000 people have fled Pakistan’s latest offensive against Taliban militants in the northwestern Orakzai tribal region, the United Nations said Monday. The military has pounded the region with airstrikes and artillery in an attempt to rout insurgents from the area near the Afghan border. The exodus there adds to the more than 1.3 million people driven from their homes by fighting in Pakistan.

LA Times: Recession may not be over yet, panel says -- The seven-member committee said that it "would be premature" to set a date marking the end of the last economic contraction and the beginning of an expansion. Although recent economic data have been positive, its statement said, "many indicators are quite preliminary at this time and will be revised in coming months." The weak labor market has prompted many American workers to ask, "What recovery?"

Obama Caught In Lie On Birthplace -- Arakaki told Baro's investigators she had no recollection of Obama being born or of the family living next door having a black child born to a white mother. Baro sent a team of investigators to Honolulu to explore records regarding current residents of Kalanianaole Highway and to track down residents back to 1961. Baro's investigators were unable to locate any current or past resident of Kalanianaole Highway who could recall Obama or his family living at the address listed in the Sunday Advertiser announcement.

Census Nonsense: Why Barack Obama isn’t black -- In its American incarnation, blackness emerged as a social category in the seventeenth century as part of Southern whites’ attempt to justify the economic and social subordination of Africans who had been brought to the country in bondage. The legal interpretation of blackness was accompanied by laws barring miscegenation between whites and blacks

Failed rescue leaves AnchorBank struggling for stability -- Now that a complex plan to recapitalize AnchorBank has fallen through, the (Wisconsin) state's fourth-biggest bank is back to the drawing board in its effort to save itself. While a Wall Street firm hired by Anchor seeks a new investment deal, a buyer or other ways to raise capital, the bank's chief executive, Chris Bauer, said he intends to keep doing what has been his top priority since he came on board last summer: try to stabilize the troubled bank. That means lowering expenses so there's more income to cover ongoing loan losses. It also means attempting to sell more branches that are outside of Anchor's core markets of Madison, Milwaukee and the Fox Valley.

VOTE: Do you Think Congress should have the same Healthcare -- Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana !Congressman John Fleming ( Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt). Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and Sign his petition (very simple - just email).

New battery could change world, one house at a time -- "I can't imagine anything more secure than generating my own energy with the sun at my house, and now I'll have a way to store it. It's the ultimate in security, and the ultimate in control."

One Marine's 'Liberty Walk' -- I met Ernest Logan Bell, a 25-year-old Marine Corps veteran, as he walked along Route 12 in upstate New York with a large American flag strapped to the side of his green backpack. Read More...

The Accomodationists: Memo to Liberals on the White House Death Warrants -- Let us hear no more excuses for Barack Obama. Let us hear no more defenses, no more special pleading, no more extenuations. Let us have no more reciting of the "pressures" he is under, of the "many obstacles" that balk him in his quest to do us good, of the "bad advisors" who are swaying him to unworthy acts against his will.

The $2.3 Trillion State and Local Government Debt Monster -- Much of the focus on government debt over the past few years has revolved around the federal government. No doubt, this is a stunningly large amount.

Intel Wants Brain Implants in Its Customers by 2020 -- If the idea of turning consumers into true cyborgs sounds creepy, don't tell Intel researchers. Intel's Pittsburgh lab aims to develop brain implants that can control all sorts of gadgets directly via brain waves by 2020.

Spend It Now! A Huge New Tax Is Coming -- I’m not kidding. The latest idea out of Washington is to pay for its insatiable appetite for spending with what’s called a “Value-Added Tax.”

Carbon Credit Documentary Should Not Have Been Shown, BBC Admits -- A BBC documentary about socialite Robin Birley and his carbon credits business venture in Africa should never have been broadcast, an internal inquiry by the corporation has found. Millions of viewers were misled because the sympathetic documentary shown on BBC World News failed to declare that it was financed by a secretive trust that was linked to Birley.

Israel Ranks 6th With Up to 300 Nukes -- Analysts for a reputable military journal have rated Israel as the world’s sixth nuclear power, alongside Britain, with up to 300 nuclear warheads.

Europe Agrees $40 Billion Greece Rescue Deal -- Europe could lend debt-stricken Greece up to 30 billion euros (40 billion dollars) under a contingency package agreed on Sunday
in a bid to restore investor confidence in the continent's economy.

BOMBSHELL - Whistle Blower Comes Forward With Solid Proof The Price of Gold and Silver is Being Manipulated by Major Financial Institutions -- For a long time many of us have had very serious suspicions that the prices of gold and silver were being highly manipulated.

Kenyan Official: Obama Born Here -- "If America was living in a situation where they feared ethnicity and did not see itself as a multiparty state or nation," Orengo posited, "how could a young man born here in Kenya, who is not even a native American, become the president of America?"

Procter and Gamble to Reduce 1, 4 Dioxane Levels in Herbal Essences Shampoos -- A recent press conference hosted by the Green Patriot Working Group (GPWG) included an announcement that Procter and Gamble (P&G) will be reducing the levels of toxic 1,4-dioxane in its Herbal Essences line of hair care products.

Some US Hospital Patients Exposed to 700% Excess Radiation from CT Scans -- The FDA has launched an investigation into how patients at several different hospitals were exposed to as much as eight times more radiation than they were supposed to receive while undergoing computed tomography (CT) scans of their brains.

Why You've Never Heard the Truth About Vitamin D Deficiency -- There is an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency sweeping across our modern world, and it's an epidemic of such depth and seriousness that it makes the H1N1 swine flu epidemic look like a case of the sniffles by comparison. Vitamin D deficiency is not only alarmingly widespread, it's also a root cause of many other serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Corporate Media Connects Hutaree Members to US Military -- Newsweek is reporting that two members of the Hutaree “militia” are ex-members of the U.S. military.

Abu Ghraib Torture Team Returns to Iraq -- The Army reserve unit that became infamous after some of its members were charged with abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison six years ago is returning to Iraq.

Extraordinary Number US Quakes - Still Climbing -- The shaking hasn't stopped after a 7.2 earthquake rattled the U.S. and Mexico Easter Sunday. Yesterday around 2 a.m. local time, a respectable 4.5 quake rattled San Diego, which was followed by more than a dozen Richter 3's in the same area.

TX Pipe Bomb Mad at Government -- The man who’s suspected of planting thirty-six bomb-like devices in and around mailboxes in East Texas may have had a beef with the US government. Investigators arrested 52-year old Larry Eugene North yesterday after they say they spotted him planting a device near a shopping center in Tyler.

Lame Cherry: A Polish Assassination in Theory -- All of this appears too convenient in getting rid of a Polish government which Mr. Obama cast to the wind and the Russians were pointing nuclear missiles at. I do not believe in coincidences and when one has heaps of coincidences piling up that puts a Polish assassination theory into a Polish assassination reality. Could this be done by the Russian government? Yes.

Global Warming: List of Bad Things Attributed to Global Warming -- Actual links to stories that make the claims listed below can be found at
http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm . (Below the list are some claims that no longer have working Internet links.)



Today in History Monday April 12, 2010
1811 - The first colonists arrived at Cape Disappointment, Washington.
1833 - Charles Gaylor patented the fireproof safe.
1861 - Fort Sumter was shelled by Confederacy, starting America's Civil War.
1864 - Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest captured Fort Pillow, in Tennessee and slaughters the black Union troops there.
1892 - Voters in Lockport, New York, became the first in the U.S. to use voting machines.
1905 - The Hippodrome opened in New York City.
1911 - Pierre Prier completed the first non-stop London-Paris flight in three hours and 56 minutes.
1916 - American cavalrymen and Mexican bandit troops clashed at Parrel, Mexico.
1927 - The British Cabinet came out in favor of women voting rights.
1938 - The first U.S. law requiring a medical test for a marriage license was enacted in New York.
1944 - The U.S. Twentieth Air Force was activated to begin the strategic bombing of Japan.
1945 - In New York, the organization of the first eye bank, the Eye Bank for Sight Restoration, was announced.
1945 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in Warm Spring, GA. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. Harry S Truman became president.
1955 - The University of Michigan Polio Vaccine Evaluation Center announced that the polio vaccine of Dr. Jonas Salk was "safe, effective and potent."
1961 - Soviet Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin became first man to orbit the Earth.
1963 - Police used dogs and cattle prods on peaceful civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham, AL.
1981 - The space shuttle Columbia blasted off from Cape Canaveral, FL, on its first test flight.
1982 - Three CBS employees were shot to death in a New York City parking lot.
1983 - Harold Washington was elected the first black mayor of Chicago.
1984 - Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Challenger made the first satellite repair in orbit by returning the Solar Max satellite to space.
1984 - Israeli troops stormed a bus that had been hijacked the previous evening by four Arab terrorists. All the passengers were rescued and 2 of the hijackers were killed.
1985 - In Spain, an explosion in a restaurant near a U.S. base killed 17 people.
1987 - Texaco filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy after it failed to settle a legal dispute with Pennzoil Co.
1989 - In the U.S.S.R, ration cards were issued for the first time since World War II. The ration was prompted by a sugar shortage.
1993 - NATO began enforcing a no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2000 - More than 1,500 anti-drug agents raided four cities in Colombia and arrested 46 members of the "most powerful" heroin ring.
2000 - Israel's High Court ordered the release of eight Lebanese detainees that had been held for years without a trial.
2002 - A first edition version of Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit" sold for $64,780 at Sotheby's. A signed first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" sold for $66,630. A copy of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," signed by J.K. Rowling sold for $16,660. A 250-piece collection of rare works by Charles Dickens sold for $512,650.
2002 - JCPenney Chairman Allen Questrom rang the opening bell to start the business day at the New York Stock Exchange as part of the company's centennial celebrations. James Cash (J.C.) Penney opened his first retail store on April 14, 1902.

69 Wisconsin doctors show up on Pfizer payroll -- Sixty-nine Wisconsin doctors were on the payroll of the world's largest drug company, Pfizer, during the last six months of 2009, working as speakers, consultants and researchers and pulling in more than $200,000 combined, according to a list made public by the company.
 * Link to Pfizer's spin

Hundreds gather in Madison to promote raw milk sales -- The movement to legalize raw milk sales in the United States has been driven by people seeking alternatives to processed food, which they believe is unhealthy and causes diseases. "We are not ignorant people who need to be protected from ourselves," said Emily Matthews, a registered nurse who spoke at the symposium. It's a freedom-of-choice issue, according to raw milk advocates. "We are in a war, and it's not really about milk. It is about control of our food supply," said Ted Beals, a retired pathologist from Michigan.

VIDEO: Microchipping Airport Workers

Poland's National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek Says No to IMF - Dies in Plane Crash 12 Days Later -- Poland’s economy is in “good enough shape” that the country doesn’t need to extend its Flexible Credit Line from the International Monetary Fund, the central bank said in an e-mailed statement today.

Polish Leader, 96 Others Dead in Russia Jet Crash -- The crash of an aging Russian airliner ravaged the top levels of Poland's military, political and church elite Saturday, killing the Polish president and dozens of other dignitaries as they traveled to a ceremony commemorating a slaughter that has divided the two nations for seven decades.

Big businesses winning contracts meant for small ones, groups charge -- A new skirmish is emerging in an ugly, ongoing dispute between small business advocates and the federal government over its past -- and perhaps continuing -- practice of awarding small business contracts to Fortune 500 companies. The American Small Business League in a lawsuit is accusing the General Services Administration of destroying information in a database that could help advocates trace the violations, and the league has asked a federal court in Northern California to force the government to restore the data, which spans 10 years, and to make the information public.

Ohio - Sheriff's friends benefit from foreclosures -- The foreclosure crisis that has impacted Summit County homeowners has been a financial boon for a select few friends of Sheriff Drew Alexander. Fifteen men, mostly retired police officers with little or no appraising experience, combined to earn more than $1.2 million working part time setting property values for the sheriff's office last year.

NASA's Global Hawk Completes First Science Flight -- NASA has successfully completed the first science flight of the Global Hawk unpiloted aircraft system over the Pacific Ocean. The flight was the first of five scheduled for this month's Global Hawk Pacific, or GloPac, mission to study atmospheric science over the Pacific and Arctic oceans.

Ultimate road test: Stanford's driverless Audi tests high-speed handling on Colo.'s Pikes Peak -- The U.S. Department of Defense has been developing driverless technology that allows unmanned vehicles to perform military missions without endangering soldiers. Its research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, has been sponsoring autonomous vehicle contests since 2004 with the goal of making one-third of the military's ground combat vehicles driverless by 2015.

2 big banks forecast major rise in foreclosures in 2010 -- Remember Ben Bernanke assuring us the subprime problem was "contained"? In mid-2008, after the recession had been under way for six months, the Fed thought there would be no recession, and the most pessimistic member of its Open Market Committee thought the unemployment rate could climb to 6.1 percent by late 2009. It actually went over 10 percent. Having been embarrassed by missing impending disaster, there is an understandable hesitation to appear foolishly optimistic again.

FDA Finally Admits That Asthma Drugs Can Actually Cause Serious Asthma Attacks -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued new restrictions for four popular long-acting asthma drugs. Novartis AG's Foradil, GlaxoSmithKline's Serevent and Advair, and AstraZeneca's Symbicort, all contain an ingredient that relaxes airway muscles in the lungs which can cause asthma-related death. If not accompanied by other asthma drugs to offset this life-threatening side effect, the consequences could be fatal.

Poverty Now Rampant: Half of US Kids on Food Stamps -- Almost half of all children living in the United States will receive food stamp assistance at some point before they turn 18, according to a study conducted by researchers from Cornell and Washington Universities and published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

VIDEO: Federal Reserve BANK Con Exposed on MSNBC There is No Money

Super-High Alcohol Beer Heads to the US -- Thanks to a war between European brewing companies, it's never been easier to catch a healthy beer buzz.

'If you get too close to me with that camera, I'll take it out of your hand and ram it down your throat' -- The irony in the above video is that the man hired to protect the courthouse from “terrorists” is the one doing the terrorizing by making violent threats against law-abiding citizens.

Energy Star Rating Given to Gas Powered Clock Radio and 14 Other Bogus Products -- The Environmental Protection Agency certified that a “gas-powered clock radio” was an energy-efficient product under the government’s Energy Star program, despite the fact that neither the clock nor its manufacturer ever existed.

The Coast Guard: A Branch of the Military That is Not Subject to Posse Comitatus - Say What??? -- What branch of the military, that is not really a branch of the military, or sometimes is a branch of the military, is not subject to Posse Comitatus like the military, but gets to act like the military and prosecute civilians under military law, and is now a part of the Department of Homeland Security?

Is There Really a Recovery? -- The talking heads on all the major news shows keep telling us that the U.S. economy is experiencing a recovery.

Bilderberg Found! -- The Bilderberg group will conduct its annual meeting June 3-6 in Sitges, Spain (a small, exclusive resort town about 20 miles from Barcelona) behind a wall of armed guards who will seal off the resort in a futile attempt to keep the event secret.

Amid Cuts, Ohio Judge Tells Citizens to Carry Guns -- A judge in an Ohio county is urging citizens to be vigilant and carry firearms because of budget cuts to the sheriff's department.

Inkjet-Like Device 'Prints' Cells Right Over Burns -- Inspired by a standard office inkjet printer, U.S. researchers have rigged up a device that can spray skin cells directly onto burn victims, quickly protecting and healing their wounds as an alternative to skin grafts.

IMF Warns High Public Debt Tremendous Challenge -- IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said on Saturday that public debt in the advanced economies is set to increase significantly and reversing the rise would be a "tremendous" challenge.

Glenn Beck: 'Mitt Romney Could be the Only Guy That Could Win in 2012' -- Glenn Beck and radio pals Pat Gray and Stu Burguiere rattled down the list of potential Republican nominees for President in 2012 this morning, and they had some bad news for the Tea Party movement: Sarah Palin probably won’t run, Ron Paul is still and long shot, and Mitt Romney, as of now, is the GOP’s best bet.

Cable Ties Kissinger to Chile Controversy -- As secretary of state, Henry Kissinger canceled a U.S. warning against carrying out international political assassinations that was to have gone to Chile and two neighboring nations just days before a former ambassador was killed by Chilean agents on Washington's Embassy Row in 1976, a newly released State Department cable shows.

33 States Out of Money to Fund Unemployment Benefits -- With unemployment still at a severe high, a majority of states have drained their jobless benefit funds, forcing them to borrow billions from the federal government to help out -of-work Americans.

Sovereign Debt Crisis at 'Boiling Point' -- The Bank for International Settlements does not mince words. Sovereign debt is already starting to cross the danger threshold in the United States, Japan, Britain, and most of Western Europe, threatening to set off a bond crisis at the heart of the global economy.

Citigroup Bosses Under Fire for Role in Credit Meltdown -- Citigroup's board was blindsided by the collapsing mortgage market and unaware it was sitting on tens of billions of dollars of mortgage derivatives in the run-up to the financial crisis, its former bosses told a commission of inquiry.

Opium and the CIA: Can the US Triumph in the Drug Addicted War in Afghanistan? -- Alfred McCoy’s important new article (TomDispatch, posted on Global Research, April 5, 2010) deserves to mobilize Congress for a serious revaluation of America’s ill-considered military venture in Afghanistan. The answer to the question he poses in his title – “Can Anyone Pacify the World's Number One Narco-State? – is amply shown by his impressive essay to be a resounding “No!” . . . not until there is fundamental change in the goals and strategies both of Washington and of Kabul.

Big Brother Pre-Crime Quiz Used on Children -- The British government plans to collect lifelong records on all residents starting at the age of five, in order to screen for those who might be more likely to commit crimes in the future.


Today in History Friday April 9, 2010
1682 - Robert La Salle claimed the lower Mississippi River and all lands that touch it for France.
1770 - Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay on the Australian continent.
1833 - Peterborough, NH, opened the first municipally supported public library in the United States.
1838 - The National Galley opened in London.
1865 - At Appomattox Court House, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in the parlor of William McClean's home. Grant allowed Rebel officers to keep their sidearms and permitted soldiers to keep their horses and mules. Though there were still Confederate armies in the field, the war was
officially over. The four years of fighting had killed 360,000 Union troops and 260,000 Confederate troops.
1866 - The Civil Rights Bill passed over U.S. President Andrew Johnson's veto.
1867 - The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty with Russia that purchased the territory of Alaska by one vote.
1869 - The Hudson Bay Company ceded its territory to Canada.
1870 - The American Anti-Slavery Society was dissolved.
1872 - S.R. Percy received a patent for dried milk.
1905 - The first aerial ferry bridge went into operation in Duluth, MN.
1912 - The first exhibition baseball game was held at Fenway Park in Boston. The game was between Red Sox and Havard.
1913 - The Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field opened.
1940 - Germany invaded Norway and Denmark.
1942 - In the Battle of Bataan, American and Filipino forces were overwhelmed by the Japanese Army.
1945 - National Football League officials decreed that it was mandatory for football players to wear socks in all league games.
1945 - At Bari, Italy, the Liberty exploded and killed 360 people. The ship was carrying aerial bombs.
1953 - TV Guide was published for the first time.
1957 - The Suez Canal was cleared for all shipping.
1959 - NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts.
1965 - The Houston Astrodome held its first baseball game.
1967 - The first Boeing 737 was rolled out for use.
1968 - Murdered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was buried.
1976 - The U.S. and Russia agreed on the size of nuclear tests for peaceful use.
1981 - The U.S. Submarine George Washington struck and sunk a small Japanese freighter in the East China Sea. The Nissho Maru's captain and first mate died.
1984 - Nicaragua asked the World Court to declare U.S. support for guerilla raids illegal.
1985 - Japanese Premier Nakasone urged Japanese people to buy foreign products.
1987 - Dikye Baggett became the first person to undergo corrective surgery for Parkinson’s disease.
1988 - The U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Panama.
1989 - 16 civilians were killed during rioting in Soviet Georgia.
1989 - Hundreds of thousands marched past the White House in support of the right to abortion.
1992 - Former Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega was convicted in Miami, FL, of eight drug and racketeering charges.
1998 - The National Prisoner of War Museum opened in Andersonville, GA, at the site of an infamous Civil War camp.
1998 - More than 150 Muslims died in stampede in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on last day of the haj pilgrimage.
2000 - CBS-TV aired "Failsafe." It was the first live full-length show to by aired by CBS in 39 years.

Judge Awards Families $2.6M Over Chinese Drywall -- It remains to be seen how the plaintiffs can collect from Chinese companies that do not have to respond to U.S courts, although some have talked about getting orders to seize U.S.-bound ships and cargoes from the drywall companies. Thousands of homeowners, mostly in Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, have reported problems with the drywall, which was imported in large quantities during the housing boom and after a string of Gulf Coast hurricanes.

Homebuyers Scramble as Mortgage Rates Jump -- The average rate on a 30-year loan has jumped from about 5 percent to more than 5.3 percent in just the past week.

Antibacterial in soap comes under U.S. scrutiny -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it was reviewing the safety of triclosan, a widely used antibacterial agent found in soap, toothpaste and a range of other consumer products.

U.S. aircraft crashes in Afghanistan, 4 die -- A U.S. Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed overnight in Afghanistan, killing three American service members and one civilian employee, the NATO-led international force in the country said on Friday.

China may raise rates soon, revalue yuan by Oct -- Another one-off currency revaluation looked unlikely, said Zhu Baoliang, chief economist at the State Information Center (SIC), a think-tank that comes under the National Development and Reform Commission, China's powerful planning agency. "I believe a band widening is possible but another one-off revaluation is unlikely. The yuan might be pegged to a basket of currencies," he told Reuters.

Greenspan In Elite Plot? -- We are a bit baffled by his denials. This is a man who was a preeminent acolyte of Ayn Rand, and wrote a paper on the value of gold when he was in his mid 20s. He knew then and he knows now that paper money creates difficulties when issued by private/public central banks under the aegis of the state. He understands the business cycle, Austrian economics and how destructive publicly issued fiat money can be.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sounds a warning on growing deficit -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned Wednesday that Americans may have to accept higher taxes or changes in cherished entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security if the nation is to avoid staggering budget deficits that threaten to choke off economic growth.

World Stocks Drop as Greece Debt Intensifies -- World markets slid Thursday amid mounting worries about a potential Greek debt default as the country's borrowing costs continue to go through the roof.

Icelanders Opt for Exile -- Anna Margret Bjoernsdottir never thought she would be forced to leave her once wealthy homeland. But taking out a loan in a foreign currency was a disastrous decision.

Tim Geithner in Beijing for Yuan Talks -- Tim Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, is to meet with China's vice-premier on Thursday in an unexpected visit likely to advance hopes of an end to Beijing's currency peg.

Nearly Half of US Households Escape Fed Income Tax -- Tax Day is a dreaded deadline for millions, but for nearly half of U.S. households it's simply somebody else's problem.

Kyrgyzstan Revolt: Interim Govt Takes Control After Bloody Uprising -- Rioting in Kyrgysztan, which has ousted the country’s President, has now left 74 dead and some 500 injured. Violence spread to several regions, including the capital, Bishkek. Opposition leaders say they’ve seized power and now control the police and the army.

Obama Gives Order to Kill American Terror Imam -- The Obama Administration has taken the unprecedented step of authorising the killing of a US citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, linked to the plot to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day.

Your Credit Card Is Spying on You -- Visa knows if you’re going to get a divorce. It knows that you just moved and, most importantly, it knows if you’re going to miss a payment—maybe before you do.

Health Care Overhaul Spawns Mass Confusion for Public -- Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them.

FED: Recovery May Lose Steam -- Federal Reserve policymakers are worried that the economic recovery may lose steam going forward, despite recent moderate improvements, according to minutes from their recent policy meeting released Tuesday.

Ensnared by Error on Growing US Watch List -- Rahinah Ibrahim, a Stanford University doctoral student, arrived at San Francisco International Airport with her 14-year-old daughter for a 9 a.m. flight home to Malaysia. She asked for a wheelchair, having recently had a hysterectomy.

Bam Man Pitching National Sales Tax -- Acknowledging it would be a highly unpopular move, White House economic adviser Paul Volcker said yesterday the United States should consider imposing a "value added tax" similar to those charged in Europe to help get the deficit under
control.

CNN Touts Civilian Service Corps As Way of Shedding Student Debt -- Essentially, if you join up with the government’s civilian service army, you get some of your indentured debt stripped away.

Will Jotting Down License Plates Pay the Rent? -- Can you make money just by writing down the license plate numbers of cars in your neighborhood?

Seasoned Flu Vaccines Increase Risk of Pandemic H1N1, Stunned Scientists Discover -- I remember the H1N1 "swine flu" season of 2009 very well. People were rushing out to get vaccinated, scared half to death by the mainstream media which was pushing false reports that the swine flu would kill tens of millions of people and that only a vaccine could save you.

Transplanted Organs Impart Memories Onto Recipients -- Becoming an organ donor is a great way to help out a person in the event of one's death. A study has shown, however, that sometimes donor recipients take on certain characteristics or personality traits from the donor, a phenomenon that researchers are having a difficult time explaining.


Today in History Thursday April 8, 2010
1789 - The U.S. House of Representatives held its first meeting.
1839 - The first Intercollegiate Rodeo was held at the Godshall Ranch, Apple Valley, CA.
1873 - Alfred Paraf patented the first successful oleomargarine.
1911 - The first squash tournament was played at the Harvard Club in New York City.
1913 - The Seventeenth amendment was ratified, requiring direct election of senators.
1935 - The Works Progress Administration was approved by the U.S. Congress.
1939 - Italy invaded Albania.
1942 - The Soviets opened a rail link to the besieged city of Leningrad.
1946 - The League of Nations assembled in Geneva for the last time.
1947 - The first illustrated insurance policy was issued by the Allstate Insurance Company.
1952 - U.S. President Truman seized steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.
1953 - The bones of Sitting Bull were moved from North Dakota to South Dakota.
1962 - Bay of Pigs invaders got thirty years imprisonment in Cuba.
1974 - Hank Aaron hits 715th home run breaking Babe Ruth's record.
1975 - Frank Robinson of the Cleveland Indians became first black manager of a major league baseball team.
1985 - India filed suit against Union Carbide for the Bhopal disaster.
1985 - Phyllis Diller underwent a surgical procedure for permanent eyeliner to eliminate the need for eyelid makeup.
1986 - Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, CA.
1988 - Former U.S. President Reagan aid Lyn Nofzinger was sentenced to prison for illegal lobbying for Wedtech Corp.
1998 - The widow of Martin Luther King Jr. presented new evidence in an appeal for new federal investigation of the assassination of her husband.
2000 - 19 U.S. troops were killed when a Marine V22 Osprey crashed during a training mission in Arizona.
2002 - Ed McMahon filed a $20 million lawsuit against his insurance company, two insurance adjusters, and several environmental cleanup contractors. The suit alleged breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress concerning a toxic mold that had spread through McMahon's Beverly Hills home.

Hundreds attend rally of tea party movement -- For the most part, Wednesday's speeches stuck to the theme of lower taxes, limited government and adherence to the U.S. Constitution. Lisa Bond, a real estate agent from Grafton who was attending her first tea party rally, said she has been fed up with politics for decades. Why turn out to a political event now? "Opportunity," she said. "Finally voicing something I've been feeling. The Constitution is not hard to understand."

U.S. and Russia Sign Nuclear Arms Pact -- President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitri A. Medvedev, signed a historic treaty here on Thursday to trim their strategic nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in half a century.

Rescuers descend into W.Va. mine -- Crews hope to reach missing miners by noon, governor says!

Seismic Events Record Not Far From Mine Disaster -- Two seismic events -- one natural, the other manmade -- occurred not far from a West Virginia coal mine just days before a suspected methane explosion left at least 25 miners dead and four missing.

On a wing and a sunbeam: Solar-powered plane makes 1st flight ahead of round-the-world attempt -- At the pace of a fast bicycle, a solar-powered plane took to the skies for its maiden flight Wednesday, passing an important test on the way to a historic voyage around the world — a journey that would not use a drop of fuel.

Sovereign Risk: Nations Poised for Downgrades -- Sovereign risk is back on the front burner this week, with Greek bonds now trading at their worst levels and credit default swaps near their worst levels. What's interesting to us is that despite market talk of contagion to the weaker euro zone credits, the spillover from Greece has so far been limited.

How Might Gold, Silver and T-bonds Behave in a Bear Market? -- The U.S. government is the borrower of last resort. When it can't borrow any more, the game will be up, because the government's T-bonds are the basis of our "monetary" "system." What will happen when creditors begin to smell default? They will demand more interest. At first, it might not be much: 4%, 6%. But as the depression spreads, spending accelerates, deficits climb and tax receipts fall, the rate that creditors demand might soar to 10, 20, 40 or even 80%. In 1998, annual bond yields in Russia reached over 200% before the government finally threw in the towel and defaulted.

Terror alert as Qatari passenger lights up on US plane -- A passenger on a United Airlines flight from Washington to Denver sparked a security alert after he was apparently caught smoking in the toilet and made a remark that was perceived as a threat.

Anarchy in the Streets -- How often do discussions on the prospects of a stateless society produce the response that, without government, there would be "anarchy in the streets"?

Oh Oh - Greece Going Supercritical -- According to information Commerzbank was concerned about the Greek bonds accepted as guarantees of Greek bonds. Commerzbank has provided some liquidity to Greek banks are more concerned about the Greek bonds. Based on a reliable source in the recent past, foreign banks have applied to withdraw repo with Greek banks even offer powerful bonus.

Subliminal Signs in Tempe Arizona -- These signs appeared about a month ago all along the streets of Tempe. They must be the new slogan of Tempe: They say "Play Learn Live Grow." I was pretty surprised at the obvious secondary messages that they express.

Moody's Downgrades $1.9 Trillion of Subprime RMBS -- There is still nearly $2 trillion in subprime out there? Good thing the FASB has allowed all this worthless paper to be carried at par or else we might all realize just how the market trades on vapors, myth and lots of hope. But at least Obama's campaign was based on a promise of transparency. Instead we are getting a Value Added Tax.

Collateral Murder: WikiLeaks Bombshell Killing Video Goes Online

Obama Excludes Iran in Ban on US Nuke Strikes -- US President Barack Obama plans to release a review of the US nuclear arms strategy that purportedly restricts the use of its nuclear arms against most non-atomic states except Iran and North Korea.

Volcker: Taxes Likely to Rise Eventually to Tame Deficit -- The United States should consider raising taxes to help bring deficits under control and may need to consider a European-style value-added tax, White House adviser Paul Volcker said on Tuesday.

Food Stamp Usage Hits Record 39 Million, 14th Consecutive Monthly Increase -- Food stamp usage is up again except the program is now called SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Scientist Researching Radio Frequency Waves for Cancer Treatment Killed in 'Home Invasion Robbery -- Who would want to kill scientist Joseph Morrissey, who enjoyed an international reputation for his pioneering research into the use of radio frequency waves in cancer treatment?

Is the US On Its Way Toward a Debt Disaster? -- More than likely, and this will set the stage for the total demise of the dollar, which will usher in a world currency to replace the long-standing reserve currency status the U.S. has held.

Breast Cancer Deaths Lower in Areas Without Mammograms -- A 2005 study concluded that a push in Denmark to screen large numbers of women for breast cancer with mammography had reduced breast cancer deaths in Copenhagen by a whopping 25 percent. Sounds like proof that regular mammograms are truly life-savers, right? Wrong.

Psychiatrists Say That Being Angry is a Mental Illness -- Proposed updates to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are prompting many to question whether or not the psychiatric profession itself has gone crazy.


Today in History Wednesday April 7, 2010
1712 - A slave revolt broke out in New York City.
1798 - The territory of Mississippi was organized.
1862 - Union General Ulysses S. Grant defeated Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh, TN.
1864 - The first camel race in America was held in Sacramento, California.
1888 - P.F. Collier published a weekly periodical for the first time under the name "Collier’s."
1922 - U.S. Secretary of Interior leased Teapot Dome naval oil reserves in Wyoming.
1927 - The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington, DC, to New York City. The audience saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover.
1930 - The first steel columns were set for the Empire State Building.
1933 - Prohibition ended in the United States.
1940 - Booker T. Washington became the first black to be pictured on a U.S. postage stamp.
1945 - The Japanese battleship Yamato, the world’s largest battleship, was sunk during the battle for Okinawa. The fleet was headed for a suicide mission.
1948 - The United Nations' World Health Organization began operations.
1953 - IBM unveiled the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine. It was IBM's first commercially available scientific computer.
1957 - The last of New York City's electric trolleys completed its final run from Queens to Manhattan.
1963 - Yugoslavia proclaimed itself a Socialist republic.
1963 - Josip Broz Tito was proclaimed to be the leader of Yugoslavia for life.
1966 - The U.S. recovered a hydrogen bomb it had lost off the coast of Spain.
1967 - Israel reported that they had shot down six Syrian MIGs.
1969 - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material.
1971 - U.S. President Nixon pledged to withdraw 100,000 more men from Vietnam by December.
1980 - The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran and imposed economic sanctions in response to the taking of hostages on November 4, 1979.
1983 - Specialist Story Musgrave and Don Peterson made the first Space Shuttle spacewalk.
1985 - In Sudan, Gen. Swar el-Dahab took over the Presidency while President Gaafar el-Nimeiry was visiting the U.S. and Egypt.
1985 - The Soviet Union announced a unilateral freeze on medium-range nuclear missiles.
1987 - In Oklahoma a 16-month-old baby was killed by a pit bull. On the same day a 67-year-old man was killed by another pit bull in Dayton, OH.
1988 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to final terms of a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Soviet troops began leaving on May 16, 1988.
1988 - In Fort Smith, AR, 13 white supremacists were acquitted on charges for plotting to overthrow the U.S. federal government.
1989 - A Soviet submarine carrying nuclear weapons sank in the Norwegian Sea.
1990 - In the U.S., John Poindexter was found guilty of five counts at his Iran-Contra trial. The convictions were later reversed on appeal.
1998 - Mary Bono, the widow of Sonny Bono, won a special election to serve out the remainder of her husband's congressional term.
1999 - Yugoslav authorities sealed off Kosovo's main border crossings to prevent ethnic Albanians from leaving.
2000 - U.S. President Clinton signed the Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act of 2000. The bill reversed a Depression-era law and allows senior citizens to earn money without losing Social Security retirement benefits.
2002 - The Roman Catholic archdiocese announced that six priests from the Archdiocese of New York were suspended over allegations of sexual misconduct.
2009 - Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.

Web MD: EPA: Bisphenol A Is a 'Chemical Concern' -- The action by the EPA follows an FDA announcement in January about concerns over BPA's potential impact on human health; the FDA said it will study the potential effects along with measures to reduce exposure to BPA in food packaging. Some experts are concerned that exposure to BPA and its weak estrogen-like effects during critical periods of human development may be associated with a wide range of health problems, including behavioral effects, reproductive problems, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Geithner to China to Resolve Currency Dispute -- Treasury Secretary Will Meet Chinese Vice Premier in Beijing. The Obama administration delayed a report to Congress due April 15 in which it had the option of citing Beijing as a currency manipulator, a designation that could lead to a World Trade Organization complaint and possible trade sanctions. The White House denied the delay had anything to do with seeking Chinese support for penalties over Iran's nuclear program. Comment: Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. (Thanks Jimm)!

Food Stamp Usage Hits Record 39 Million, 14th Consecutive Monthly Increase -- Food stamp usage is up again except the program is now called SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Cuban government releases photos of teenaged Elian Gonzalez -- Ten years ago this month, the saga of a Cuban boy named Elian Gonzalez captivated the nation and much of the world. Elian, 6, was found floating on an inner tube off the coast of Florida, after his mother drowned trying to reach America.

Alan Greenspans Slide Into Oblivion: The Complete Guide -- Greenspan has gone on the defensive and is now hesitant to admit he was wrong about the housing crisis and it's badly hurting his reputation.

Whole Foods recalls frozen yellow fin tuna steaks -- The recall was initiated because of possible elevated levels of histamine, which can cause an allergic reaction called scombroid poisoning when the fish is consumed, according to a Whole Foods news release posted on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site. Scombroid poisoning symptoms, which can occur within minutes to an hour after eating affected fish, include a tingling or burning sensation in the mouth, facial swelling, rash, hives and itchy skin, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, according to the release.

Obama Pushing No Nukes - Even to Defend US -- President Obama, fresh off the announcement of agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear arms stockpiles, plans to unveil a nuclear weapons strategy Tuesday that will limit the United States' potential uses of such weapons -- even in self defense.

Russia Stresses the Importance of Creating Global Zero -- Russia considers important to achieve the goal of Global Zero, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

US Military Goes Hungry in Afghanistan -- The United States Military is in the midst of a troop surge in Afghanistan, but the surge has caused the ratio of resources to troops to widen. Many American Forward Operating Bases are experiencing food and water shortages.

W Va Mine Blast Kills at Least 25 -- An explosion at a coal mine with a history of safety problems killed 25 workers and at least four others were missing early Tuesday more than a thousand feet underground in the worst U.S. mine disaster since 1984.

Janet Napolitano Example of Peter Principal: Total Incompetence -- Last week, on the Mexican border in Arizona, an illegal alien walked across the line and shot rancher Robert Krentz, and the illegal walked back across the border. Untouched! Thousands of illegal migrants walk across the border nightly! Untouched!

House Plans to Resurrect Law Requiring 'Gay' Hires -- Now that the health-care fight has proven House Democrats can muscle through legislation without a drop of bipartisan support, plans are underway to resurrect a bill that would make employers susceptible to lawsuits for refusing to hire "gay" or transsexual employees.

Einstein's Equations Indicate Possibility of Black Hole Formation at LHC -- One of the concerns that has been voiced about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is that it could result in the formation of black holes that could destroy the world.

At Quake's Epicenter, Water Gurgled From Ground -- GUADALUPE VICTORIA, Mexico — After the ground shook violently, small cracks formed on the rich soil and cement floors. They quickly became big cracks, spouting groundwater.

Mansion Owner Fights Taxes With Church Exemption -- He says he converted part of his home into a chapel and became ordained as a minister by signing up with an online program. But is that enough to exempt Illinois real estate agent George Michael from tens of thousands of dollars in taxes on his multimillion dollar lakefront property?

Judge Dismisses Scores of Guantanamo Habeas Cases -- A federal judge has dismissed more than 100 habeas corpus lawsuits filed by former Guantanamo captives, ruling that because the Bush and Obama administrations had transferred them elsewhere, the courts need not decide whether the Pentagon imprisoned them illegally.

String of Bombings Rips Through Baghdad, Killing 49 -- BAGHDAD — At least seven bombs ripped through apartment buildings across Baghdad Tuesday and another struck a market, killing 49 people and wounding more than 160, authorities said.

Cameras Make Chicago Most Closely Watched US City -- When the body of Chicago's school board president was found partially submerged in a river last fall, a bullet wound to the head, cameras helped prove it was a suicide.

Marc Faber and Mish on Inflation, Deflation, Doom and the End of Civilization -- Gloom Boom & Doom Report publisher Marc Faber and economic analyst Mike “Mish” Shedlock join Yahoo’s Tech Ticker on March 12, 2010 to discuss the global economy, where we’re headed and the possibility of the “end of civilization.” (Videos follow excerpts and commentary)

European Parliament: Question on Aircraft Condensation Trails Which No Longer Contain Water -- Subject: aircraft condensation trails which no longer only contain water but cause persistent milky veils, possibly due to the presence of barium, aluminum and iron.

Deflation on the Prowl as Bernake Shuts Down His Printing Press -- The US Federal Reserve has completed its purchase of $1.7 trillion (£1.1bn) of mortgage securities, agency debt and US Treasuries, the conjuring trick of "credit easing" that allowed Ben Bernanke to create stimulus equal to 12pc of GDP.

Let the Short Sales Begin -- Today the Administration's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative Plan takes effect, offering incentives to borrowers, servicers, investors and second lien holders to push short sales through the system.

McChrystal's Employment of Military Deception -- By now, since the New York Times is grudgingly going along with Jerome Starkey’s blockbuster reporting on US Special Operations Forces murdering pregnant Afghan women and manipulating the evidence in an attempt to hide their crimes, it should be painfully obvious to even the most disinterested observer that US forces, and especially US Special Forces, engaged in deception on this case.

The Major US Media Won't Ever Report Them or Explain Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are Illegal -- After General Stanley McChrystal took charge of US/NATO Afghan forces last June, systematic atrocities escalated sharply after promises of kinder, gentler killing (an oxymoron), winning hearts and minds, and fewer civilian casualties as a "paramount" objective - now much higher the result of more than a fourfold increase in night raids, targeting civilians, including children, while they sleep.

Dense Plasma Physics Update -- Test shots continue at focus fusion and appear to be going very well. Good things are been learned about the material been used. I suspect that production models will have a lot of graphene in them before we are too far down the road.

Kristol: 'Better' For US to attack Iran Than Israel -- The Obama administration should be seriously considering a strike on Iran, according to neoconservative Fox News contributor Bill Kristol.

Shhh! What If it Was Reported That They Are Spraying Aluminum? -- Geo-engineers gathered once again near Monterey California at the Asilomar International Conference on Climate Intervention Technologies meeting to develop norms and guidelines for what they say will be “controlled experimentation” on geo-engineering the planet.

93 Percent of Medicinal Plants Threatened With Extinction -- Traditional Ayurvedic medicine could face an uncertain future as 93 percent of the wild plants used in the practice are threatened with extinction due to overexploitation, the Times of India reports.

Goodbye Paper Money: Does It Mean More Ways for the Banks to Screw Us? -- The spiral of economic calculation is dizzying, when you factor in inscrutable fees and other invisible transactions banks attach to the light-speed movement of our money.

IRS Launches New Global Program to Target 'High Wealth Individuals' -- The Internal Revenue Service has launched a new global program to target what it calls “high wealth individuals,” IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman said Monday.

IRS Could Tap Refunds for Health Insurance Penalties -- The Internal Revenue Service could tap individual tax returns to collect fines against people who fail to buy health insurance as required under recently enacted healthcare legislation, the U.S. tax commissioner said on Monday.

Greece Rebels, Does Not Want IMF Participation in Bailout -- The soap opera that just refuses to die, is just getting better and more bizarre by the day. The latest lunacy out of Greece, as reported by Market News, is that the near-bankrupt country is now imposing its own conditions on the bailout, saying it wants to amend the deal struck recently by Eurozone lenders, and wants to bypass the IMF's financial contribution, and eliminate the role of the IMF entirely, as it is "concerned that intolerably stringent conditions would be imposed by the International Monetary Fund in exchange for aid."

Looting Main Street -- How the nation's biggest banks are ripping off American cities with the same predatory deals that brought down Greece

Would Microsoft's 'Guardian Angel' Turn Our Brains to Mush? -- Call me pessimistic if you want, but do we really need the artificial intelligence of a digital guardian angel to supplant the organic intelligence of our own selves?

Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure and Slashes Risks of Heart Disease -- As NaturalNews reported previously, Canadian scientists have found that consuming chocolate regularly significantly reduces the odds of having a stroke.

FBI Takes Out billboard on Bad Guys -- Crime fighting doesn't get much simpler than this: When Virginia drug suspect Edward Myricks eyed his photo on a giant digital billboard, he knew his run from the authorities was over.

How Much Taxation is Enough? -- Congratulations! This is your last week working for the man — at least for this year.


Today in History Tuesday April 6, 2010
1830 - Joseph Smith and five others organized the Mormon Church in Seneca, NY.
1830 - Relations between the Texans and Mexico reached a new low when Mexico would not allow further emigration into Texas by settlers from the U.S.
1862 - The American Civil War Battle of Shiloh began in Tennessee.
1865 - At the Battle of Sayler's Creek, a third of Lee's army was cut off by Union troops pursuing him to Appomattox.
1875 - Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for the multiple telegraph, which sent two signals at the same time.
1896 - The first modern Olympic Games began in Athens, Greece.
1903 - French Army Nationalists were revealed for forging documents to guarantee a conviction for Alfred Dryfus.
1909 - Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson claimed to be the first men to reach the North Pole.
1917 - The U.S. Congress approved a declaration of war on Germany and entered World War I on the Allied side.
1924 - Four planes left Seattle on the first successful flight around the world.
1927 - William P. MacCracken, Jr. earned license number ‘1’ when the Department of Commerce issued the first aviator’s license.
1938 - The United States recognized the German conquest of Austria.
1941 - German forces invaded Greece and Yugoslavia.
1957 - Trolley cars in New York City completed their final runs.
1965 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized the use of ground troops in combat operations in Vietnam.
1967 - In South Vietnam, 1,500 Viet Cong attacked Quangtri and freed 200 prisoners.
1981 - A Yugoslav Communist Party official confirmed reports of intense ethnic riots in Kosovo.
1985 - William J. Schroeder became the first artificial heart recipient to be discharged from the hospital.
1987 - Dennis Levine began a two-year jail term for insider trading.
1987 - Sugar Ray Leonard took the middleweight title from Marvin Hagler.
1988 - Mathew Henson was awarded honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Henson had discovered the North Pole with Robert Peary.
1998 - Citicorp and Travelers Group announced that they would be merging. The new creation was the largest financial-services conglomerate in the world. The name would become Citigroup.
1998 - The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 9,000 points for the first time.
1998 - Federal researchers in the U.S. announced that daily tamoxifen pills could cut breast cancer risk among high-risk women.
1998 - Pakistan successfully tested medium-range missiles capable of attacking neighboring India.
1999 - Carmen Electra filed for a divorce from Dennis Rodman. They had only been married six months.

List of Foods Clean and Unclean -- Are you Eating Kosher According to Scripture?

VCS Advocacy in the News: VA May Designate 9 Infectious Diseases as Related to Gulf War -- Iraq / Afghanitan Burn-Pit, Gulf War Illness Veterans Would Benefit. April 5, 2010 (Army Times) - In a boost for veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War and those who have served in recent years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Veterans Affairs Department has proposed changes to its list of illnesses that are presumed connected to service to include nine infectious diseases.

VA secretary releases draft Gulf War task force report -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced March 31 that the department's Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force has completed the final draft of a comprehensive report that will redefine how VA officials address the concerns of veterans who deployed during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991.

Medicating the military -- Use of psychiatric drugs has spiked; concerns surface about suicide, other dangers. At least one in six service members is on some form of psychiatric drug. And many troops are taking more than one kind, mixing several pills in daily “cocktails” — for example, an antidepressant with an antipsychotic to prevent nightmares, plus an anti-epileptic to reduce headaches — despite minimal clinical research testing such combinations.

Senators want data on prescription drug use -- Several senators expressed concern Wednesday about increasing psychiatric drug usage among service members and called on top military health officials to provide detailed data about how many troops are on anti-depressants and other mind-altering drugs.

Air Force Times Editorial: A drawdown or not? -- During the Air Force Association meeting last week in Orlando, Fla., Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Secretary Michael Wynne told reporters they may reconsider this summer the plan to draw down the force by 40,000 positions — stopping short of that total.

2nd Mexican Helicopter Sighted in US Airspace -- The U.S. Department of Defense said it was investigating the second sighting within three weeks of a Mexican military helicopter flying in U.S. airspace over rural Zapata County.

Wikileaks reveals video showing US air crew shooting down Iraqi civilians -- Wikileaks has obtained and decrypted this previously unreleased video footage from a US Apache helicopter in 2007.  Hear the crude comments made by one of the American crew.

AP Analysis: Is the tea party brewing a revolution? -- They heeded a pamphleteer's call for "manly opposition to the machinations of tyranny" — the 60 American colonists who stormed Griffin's Wharf and emptied 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. And with that, a revolution brewed. Now, more than two centuries later, come the angry throngs of the modern-day tea party. They've gotten the nation's attention. Can they foment their own revolution? Not yet.

Ranchers Speak Out on Lack of Action -- Ranchers across southern Arizona are rallying around their friend and neighbor Rob Krentz after his brutal murder. Krentz was shot to death on his ranch last Saturday.

Obama Health Care Supporters: Florida Doctor Tells Obama Health Care Supporters to Go Elsewhere -- A doctor who considers the national health-care overhaul to be bad medicine for the country posted a sign on his office door telling patients who voted for President Barack Obama to seek care "elsewhere."

VIDEO: Illinois Democrat Phil Hare: Obamacare More Important than Constitution

The Manufactured Menace From Michigan, Take Two -- When the stranger materialized a few years ago, nobody really knew much about him.

Major Quake in Mexico Rocks Southwestern US, Kills At Least 2 -- At least two deaths are being blamed on a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that was centered in Baja California, Mexico and felt all over Southern California on Easter Sunday, rocking high rise buildings from San Diego to Los Angeles.

Tornado Alley Shifts East as Delayed Tornado Season Begins -- This year's tornado season is expected to shift farther eastward into the Midwest and become more active in late April through June.

The US Economy Will Not Recover For At Least Another Decade -- American bankers see themselves as the gods of money, a class above mere mortals, and they can do what they wish, said renowned economic researcher and historian William Engdahl in an interview with RT.

FED Still Fighting Over Whether The Problem is Inflation or Deflation -- The Federal Reserve can’t make up its mind what the problem is. Specifically, it can’t agree on whether to fight inflation or deflation. So don’t expect any violent moves anytime soon.

No Joke: Karzai Threatens to Join the Taliban -- In a private meeting with up to 70 Afghan lawmakers Saturday, Karzai also warned that the Taliban insurgency could become a legitimate resistance movement if foreign meddling in Afghan affairs continues, the Journal said, citing participants in the talks.

Why US Companies Pay Less Taxes Than You (in the US) -- As you work on your taxes this month, here's something to raise your hackles: Some of the world's biggest, most profitable corporations enjoy a far lower tax rate than you do--that is, if they pay taxes at all.

Geithner Delays Chinese Currency Report -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner delayed a scheduled April 15 report to Congress on exchange-rate policies, sidestepping a decision on whether to accuse China of manipulating the value of the yuan.

Global Food Reserve Needed to Stabilize Prices -- A global crop reserve system is needed to reduce price volatility, curb speculation and prevent a food crisis, said researchers from Germany and France.

Power of the Pupils: Child 'Spies' Allowed to Sabotage the Careers of Teachers -- Pupil 'spies' are attempting to rid schools of strict teachers by sabotaging their promotions and snitching on their lessons, it has been claimed.

Israel Gags News on Extra-Judicial Killings -- An Israeli journalist remains under house arrest and another lives abroad, after they broke news on Israeli undercover units carrying out assassinations or "targeted killings" of non-combatant Palestinian political opponents.

Police Accused of Trespasses After 'Burgling' 50 Homes -- When it comes to fighting crime, a certain understanding of the criminal mind is essential.
But the police have been criticised for their attempts to prevent a spate of house thefts - by committing the burglaries themselves.

Feds Prepare to Use 'Anarchists' to Provoke Tea Party Violence -- Given the past history of how so-called “anarchist” groups are so easily infiltrated and provocateured by the authorities to commit meaningless acts of violence that only serve to discredit political causes.

Greenpeace Calling for Violence -- If you have been paying attention, the media as of late has been doing everything in their power to expose “right wing extremism” throwing in all kinds of guilty by association tactics to try and discredit some grassroots movements. However I doubt you will see them reporting about this.

Latest Pedophilia Scandal Rocks the Vatican -- Lest anyone think members of organized religions are above reproach, take note. In his new book "God and His Demons," Michael Parenti confronts both Old and New Testaments saying...Read More...

Deputy Accused of Sex Acts Granted Bond: Can Return to Oregon While Awaiting Trial -- Former Broward Sheriff's deputy Jonathan Bleiweiss was given $250,000 bail on Friday and will be allowed to go to Oregon until his trial on charges he sexually battered illegal immigrant men, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Bleiweiss faces 73 charges ranging from sexual battery to false imprisonment.

Capt and Wife Skimmed US Contracts -- A Marine Corps captain and his wife skimmed $1.75 million from government contracts intended to spur economic development in Iraq, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles claims.

Marching for Right to Bare Breasts -- About two dozen women took a walk down Congress Street topless Saturday, attracting a large crowd as they tried to preach that partial female nudity is not worthy of attracting a crowd.

Potential Risk to Blood Supply Probed -- An infectious virus linked to two diseases is drawing the attention of public-health officials, who are investigating the potential threat to the nation’s blood supply.

US Government a Big Commercial Real Estate Player -- Evidence of the federal government’s growing influence on Washington area commercial real estate is illustrated in big deals it is working on both sides of the table: auctioning a 127,000-square-foot Bethesda building previously occupied by the National Institutes of Health and moving to snatch up vast spaces in buildings on the private market that have been vacant for months.

Unemployment Benefits Expire for Thousands -- Extended unemployment benefits will temporarily expire for thousands of Americans on Monday because the Senate went on its spring recess without approving a one-month deadline extension.

FDA Dupes Interpol to Achieve Illegal Kidnapping and Deportation of Herbal Formulator Greg Caton -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today stands accused of taking part in the kidnapping and illegal extradition of a permanent resident of Ecuador, in violation of both international law and Ecuadorian law.

Nutty News from Scientists: Pistachios Reduce Lung Cancer Risk -- Researchers have reported over the past year that nuts offer a wide range of health benefits -- from helping fight the pre-diabetic condition known as metabolic syndrome to preventing age-related blindness and lowering breast cancer risk.



Today in History Monday April 5, 2010
1614 - American Indian Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia.
1621 - The Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, MA, on a return trip to England.
1792 - U.S. President George Washington cast the first presidential veto. The measure was for apportioning representatives among the states.
1806 - Isaac Quintard patented the cider mill.
1827 - James H. Hackett became the first American actor to appear abroad as he performed at Covent Garden in London, England.
1843 - Queen Victoria proclaimed Hong Kong to be a British crown colony.
1869 - Daniel Bakeman, the last surviving soldier of the U.S. Revolutionary War, died at the age of 109.
1887 - Anne Sullivan taught Helen Keller the meaning of the word "water" as spelled out in the manual alphabet.
1892 - Walter H. Coe patented gold leaf in rolls.
1895 - Playwright Oscar Wilde lost his criminal libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry. Wilde had been accused of homosexual practices.
1908 - The Japanese Army reached the Yalu River as the Russians retreated.
1919 - Eamon de Valera became president of Ireland.
1923 - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company began the first regular production of balloon tires.
1930 - Mahatma Ghandi defied British law by making salt in India.
1933 - The first operation to remove a lung was performed at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
1941 - German commandos secured docks along the Danube River in preparation for Germany’s invasion of the Balkans.
1951 - Americans Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for committing espionage for the Soviet Union.
1953 - Jomo Kenyatta was convicted and sentenced to 7 years in prison for orchestrating the Mau-Mau rebellion in Kenya.
1955 - Winston Churchill resigned as British prime minister.
1985 - John McEnroe said "any man can beat any woman at any sport, especially tennis."
1986 - A discotheque in Berlin was bombed by Libyans. The U.S. attacked Libya with warplanes on April 15, 1986.
1989 - In Poland, accords were signed between Solidarity and the government that set free elections for June 1989. The eight-year ban on Solidarity was also set to be lifted.
1998 - The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan opened becoming the largest suspension bridge in the world. It links Shikoku and Honshu.
1999 - Two Libyans suspected of bombing a Pan Am jet in 1988 were handed over so they could be flown to the Netherlands for trial. 270 people were killed in the bombing.
1999 - In Laramie, WY, Russell Henderson pled guilty to kidnapping and felony murder in the death of Matthew Shepard.
2004 - Near Mexico City's international airport, lightning struck the jet Mexican President Vicente Fox was on.
2009 - North Korea launched the Kwangmyongsong-2 rocket, prompting an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL): ‘I Don’t Worry About the Constitution’ -- Within one week of ObamaCare being crammed through the Congress, we had Rep Jesse Jackson Jr. admiting that programs would need to be cut to pay for it and we had Sen. Max Baucus admit that it was really a wealth re-distribution plan. Now we have Rep. Phil Hare admitting that when it comes to health care “reform,” he doesn’t “worry about the Constitution”

FBI looking into demand that Rendell Resign -- Gov. Rendell was among at least 30 governors to receive a letter this week from an extremist antigovernment group demanding that he resign or face being "removed from office," according to officials in the Philadelphia office of the FBI.

What is the FairTax plan? -- The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment.
 * Related Website: http://www.onlinetaxrevolt.com

Medicated Pilots: Your pilot may be having these side effects!!!!!
 * Related Article: Medicated in the cockpit: FAA says pilots on psych drugs can fly commercial airliners
 * Related Website: http://www.prozacpilot.com
 * Read about Lexapro HERE

Deadly quake jolts Mexico and California -- The quake struck at 3:40 p.m. PT (6:40 p.m. ET), about 20 miles southeast of Mexicali, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Three aftershocks of magnitudes 5.1, 4.5 and 4.3 followed within the hour. "It sounds like it's felt by at least 20 million people at this point," USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said. "Most of Southern California felt this earthquake."
 * Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days

Thousands of vets missing out on better benefits -- Only a fraction of wounded veterans who could get better benefits have applied in the two years since Congress, acting on concerns the military was cutting costs by downplaying injuries, ordered the Pentagon to review disputed claims.

Homes with Chinese drywall must be gutted -- Thousands of U.S. homes tainted by Chinese drywall should be gutted, according to new guidelines released Friday by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The guidelines say electrical wiring, outlets, circuit breakers, fire alarm systems, carbon monoxide alarms, fire sprinklers, gas pipes and drywall need to be removed. "We want families to tear it all out and rebuild the interior of their homes, and they need to start this to get their lives started all over again," said Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the commission, the federal agency charged with making sure consumer products are safe.

Bizarre Speculation Circles Weather Bureau -- THEY are the digital-age equivalent of crop circles - mysterious patterns appearing on the Bureau of Meteorology's national radar system without any explanation.

Web Bot Predictions -- For those who follow the web bot predictions, these are the latest from George Ure & Clif High as presented on Coast To Coast AM
Thursday evening.

US to Drop Extra Security Against 'Terror Prone' Muslim Travelers -- The Obama Administration said yesterday that it would no longer impose extra airport screening on all travellers from “terror-prone” Muslim nations after protests from allies that are on the list.

Clinton's Plan is Back - Israel Opinion -- The crisis with the United States shows us for the umpteenth time that ambiguity is indeed a positive thing, as long as both sides enjoy it.

Iran Got Nuke Gear From Chinese Firm -- Iran recently managed to obtain equipment critical to its uranium enrichment efforts, and which is banned by UN sanctions against the country, through a Chinese company, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Vatican Hails Pope as a 'Solid Rock' Who Does Not listen to Petty Gossip as Child Abuse Scandal Overshadows Easter -- The Vatican defended the Pope today, insisting he would not be intimidated by 'petty gossip' about the child abuse scandal during a special Easter Sunday statement.

Drug Investigation Net 81 Felonies Against 44 Adults - USPS Gets in on Drug Raids -- The Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration, Martinsville Police Department and the United States Postal Service conducted a joint drug operation in Henry County between 2008 and 2010.

Pfizer Ordered to Pay Up Over 'AIDS-like' Virus Infection -- In what is being hailed as a major victory for workers in the biotech and nanotech fields, a former scientist with pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has been awarded $1.37 million for being fired after raising the alarm over researchers being infected with a genetically engineered "AIDS-like" virus.

Foreign Governments Line Up to Buy US Drones -- Foreign buyers are itching for the opportunity to buy American-made pilotless reconnaissance aircraft, and the Department of Defense does not plan to get in the way, despite concerns that the military technology could fall into the wrong hands.

Tim Geithner and the Sovereign Debt That Dare Not Speak Its Name -- Geithner . . . said debt from the two government-sponsored enterprises isn’t the same as U.S. Treasurys, but that support for the two firms “is crucial in helping to stabilize the housing market and the overall economy.

Geithner Says He's Confident China Will Move to Strengthen Yuan -- Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner expressed confidence China will decide that a stronger currency is in the country’s interest, saying the U.S. is trying to “maximize the chance that they move quickly” on the yuan.

FCC Calls on Congress to Spend More Money to Push PBS Style Government Sponsored Journalism Onto Internet to Compete With Privately Funded Internet Journalism -- The Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan calls for Congress to spend more tax dollars than it currently does on public broadcasting in order to push PBS-style government-funded journalism onto the Internet to compete with private-sector Internet journalism.

The Fed Admits to Breaking the Law -- After months of litigation and political scrutiny, the Federal Reserve yesterday ended a policy of secrecy over its Bear Stearns Cos. bailout.

China Denies Backing Iran Sanctions -- Yesterday’s claims that the Chinese government had, after months of US cajoling, finally agreed to support sanctions against Iran appear to be premature, and China has reiterated its past position that diplomacy, not sanctions, should resolve the issue.

Revealed: The Nasty Secret in Your Kitchen Cupboard -- Some of Britain's best-known foods contain the controversial chemical bisphenol A, The Independent can reveal.

Saudi Central Bank to Head New Gulf Monetary Union -- The head of Saudi Arabia’s central bank on Tuesday was named the first chairman of a council that will serve as the precursor to a regional central bank in the latest step toward a unified Gulf currency and greater economic integration.

Obama to Crush Economy with Massive CO2 Taxes As Early As Next Week -- Abandoning all loyalty to the democratic processes this nation holds dear, President Obama has made the decision that getting energy tax legislation through Congress with the approval of the American people is just too much of a pain to bother with.

Haiti Leader Calls for 'Red Helmet' UN Force -- UNITED NATIONS: Haitian President Rene Preval has given his backing to the creation of a UN “red helmet” humanitarian rapid reaction force which could swing into action within hours of natural disasters. (Red helmet, blue helmet - maybe a different hat, but same ole shoe.)

Israeli Warplanes Pound Gaza Strip -- Israeli warplanes carried out at least 13 overnight air strikes on the Gaza Strip, injuring three children on Friday, Palestinian sources say.

Not Just Opium: UN Says Afghanistan Now World's Largest Hashish Producer -- Afghanistan, the world's biggest producer of opium, has also become a major source for cannabis, overtaking Morocco as the top producer of hashish, the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime said Wednesday.(Aren't we doing a grand job?)

Obama Puts Pesticide Pusher in Charge of Agriculture Trade Relations -- Sidestepping a stalled Senate confirmation vote, yesterday President Obama recess-appointed Islam Siddiqui to be chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the U.S. trade representative. Dr. Siddiqui's nomination was held up in the Senate and was opposed by the Center for Biological Diversity and more than 80 other environmental, small-farm, and consumer groups. More than 90,000 concerned citizens contacted the White House and Senate to oppose the nomination.

Connecticut White Wolves Militia Group Indicted by Feds -- A federal grand jury in New Haven, Connecticut returned a seven-count indictment charging five individuals with conspiracy and firearms offenses stemming from an alleged attempt to sell firearms and explosive grenades to a white supremacist group located outside of Connecticut.

S.3081 - Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention and Prosecution Act of 2010 -- A close reading of the bill suggests it would allow the U.S. military to detain U.S. citizens without trial indefinitely in the U.S. based on suspected activity. "

VIDEO: Michele Obama Admits Barak is From Kenya

Residents of NJ City Say Cops Worse Than Criminals -- For years, residents say some police officers have bullied them in this impoverished city, making cases by planting drugs on suspects, falsifying police reports, and conducting searches without warrants. Now four officers, including Stetser, are being investigated by a federal grand jury.

Obama's 17- Minute, 2,500 Word Response to Woman's Claim of Being 'Over-Taxed' -- Toward the end of a question-and-answer session with workers at an advanced battery technology manufacturer, a woman named Doris stood to ask the president whether it was a "wise decision to add more taxes to us with the health care" package.

Russia Warns US Communist Threat Endangering Entire World -- In a chilling speech to Russian defense experts on March 1, Prime Minister Putin ordered the buildup of strategic weapons and warned that the growing threat of the expansion of American Communism is endangering the entire World and bringing the Motherland closer to war than at any time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Afghan Corruption: How to Follow the Money? -- Hamed Wardak, the soft-spoken Georgetown University-educated son of an Afghan cabinet minister, has a Defense Department contract worth up to $360 million to transport U.S. military goods through some of the most insecure territory in Afghanistan. But his company has no trucks.

MSM Coverage of Tea Party Protests: Blueprint for Smear -- The latest developments in the ongoing investigation in the smear and slander campaign against the Tea Party protesters at the health care rally in Washington a few weeks ago.

NBER's Hall Says Payrolls Make It 'Pretty Clear" the Recession is Over -- The biggest increase in employment in three years makes it “pretty clear” the deepest U.S. recession since the 1930s has ended, said the head of the group charged with making the call. (Uh, huh and ya know that bridge for sale? Well, it needs a little bit of work, but not much!)

Bodies Stack Up in California Morgues as Families Can't Afford Burials -- Hard economic times have made the cost of cremation or burial prohibitive for many people, leading them to abandon the bodies of their loved ones to be disposed of in mass graves by the state.

Antidepressants Simply Don't Work on Most Patients -- Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have found that antidepressant drugs do little to nothing for people with mild to moderate depression.

Rogue Kidney Brokers in the US Sell Black Market Organs for Transplantation -- The recent arrests of 44 people on charges of organ trafficking have exposed a major criminal market in illegal organ transplants, where wealthy patients purchase organs from poor Third World residents through brokers residing in the United States.

George Jolicur: The 43-Stone Man Too Fat To Lock Up -- Morbidly obese George Jolicur ordered huge meals and ate most of them before complaining about the products and sending them back. He would then refuse to pay.

Texas Case Could Decide Health Care Reform Suit -- A Texas high school student's decision to bring a .38-caliber handgun to school in 1992 could end up at the center of the legal fight over President Barack Obama's health care reform plan.

States Fear That Five Words in Obama Health Law Will Open Door to Lawsuits -- The addition to existing law of five words, and a comma, may cause a world of hurt to state governments.

Disgruntled Democrats Join the Tea Party -- Some Americans who say they have been sympathetic to Democratic causes in the past -- some even voted for Democratic candidates -- are angry with President Obama and his party. They say they are now supporting the Tea Party.

Guardians of the Free Republic Looked to Ghandi. King and Mandela -- In a recent plea, Sam Kennedy, a "guardian elder" of the Guardians of the free Republics, warned the modern -day "original government" revolutionaries to approach their March 31 "Restore America Plan" with Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Mohandas Gandhi in mind.

Another Twenty-Five Years of Affirmative Action? -- The university, for its part, does not deny that race is employed as a factor in admission: It has publicly embraced a policy whereby one-fourth of each entering class is admitted on the basis of factors that include racial background.

A Reporter's Notebook From the Border -- In an instant, I realized I took too many footsteps into the belly of the beast.

Oregon Farmer Says 'Wheat Crop is Total Loss' -- Kandra said in order to keep his soil in place, he was forced to till the ground to put wind ridges in it, which meant the loss of the tender plants.

2010 Arkansas Wheat Crop Smallest Since 1960's -- Arkansas' wheat crop this year is the smallest since the 1960s, the result of bad weather, lower prices for grain, and high input costs.

Bottoms-Up-Evaluating the Topsy Turvey -- Topsy is everywhere these days. Besides QVC, where Felknor's tomato planters and other Topsy products are best sellers, they're in all the big boxes and thousands of Walgreens, Bed Bath & Beyond, CVS, and Ace Hardware stores across the United States as well as in Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and, soon, China.

When Planning a Vegetable Garden, Grow What Your Family Will Eat -- When it comes to container gardening, there isn't a lot of room for maneuvering. Space is limited, nutrients are precious and planting anything that requires an extensive root system is out of the question.

Iceland Volcano Comes to Life After 200 Years -- News that a dormant volcano has come to life would send most people running in the opposite
direction.
 

Today in History Friday April 2, 2010
1872 - G.B. Brayton received a patent for the gas-powered streetcar.
1877 - The first Egg Roll was held on the grounds of the White House in Washington, DC.
1889 - Charles Hall patented aluminum.
1902 - The first motion picture theatre opened in Los Angeles with the name Electric Theatre.
1905 - The Simplon rail tunnel officially opened. The tunnel went under the Alps and linked Switzerland and Italy.
1910 - Karl Harris perfected the process for the artificial synthesis of rubber.
1914 - The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced plans to divide the country into 12 districts.
1917 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson presented a declaration of war against Germany to the U.S. Congress.
1932 - A $50,000 ransom was paid for the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh. He child was not returned and was found dead the next month.
1935 - Sir Watson-Watt was granted a patent for RADAR.
1944 - The Soviet Union announced that its troops had crossed the Prut River and entered Romania.
1947 - The U.N. Security Council voted to appoint the U.S. as trustee for former Japanese-held Pacific Islands.
1951 - U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower assumed command of all allied forces in the Western Mediterranean area and Europe.
1958 - The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics was renamed NASA.
1960 - France signed an agreement with Madagascar that proclaimed the country an independent state within the French community.
1963 - Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King began the first non-violent campaign in Birmingham, AL.
1966 - South Vietnamese troops joined in demonstrations at Hue and Da Nang for an end to military rule.
1967 - In Peking, hundreds of thousands demonstrated against Mao foe Liu Shao-chi.
1982 - Argentina invaded the British-owned Falkland Islands. The following June Britain took the islands back.
1983 - The New Jersey Transit strike that began on March 1 came to an end.
1984 - In Jerusalem, three Arab gunmen wounded 48 people when they opened fire into a crowd of shoppers.
1986 - On a TWA airliner flying from Rome to Athens a bomb exploded under a seat killing four Americans.
1987 - The speed limit on U.S. interstate highways was increased to 65 miles per hour in limited areas.
1989 - An editorial in the "New York Times" declared that the Cold War was over.
1990 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein threatened to incinerate half of Israel with chemical weapons if Israel joined a conspiracy against Iraq.
1992 - Mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York of murder and racketeering. He was later sentenced to life in prison.
1995 - The costliest strike in professional sports history ended when baseball owners agreed to let players play without a contract.
1996 - Russia and Belarus signed a treaty that created a political and economic alliance in an effort to reunite the two former Soviet republics.
2002 - Israeli troops surrounded the Church of the Nativity. More than 200 Palestinians had taken refuge at the church when Israel invaded Bethlehem.

House passes horse slaughtering bill - Now goes to the Senate -- The Missouri House has sent a bill to the Senate that would allow horse slaughtering in Missouri. On a 91-61 vote, the Republican-controlled House passed the legislation Thursday.
 * Related Article: Missouri looks to revive horse slaughter -- The Missouri House has endorsed legislation designed to allow the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

FDA Suspends Rotarix -- The FDA is calling for doctors to suspend the use of Glaxo Smith Kline's Rotavirus Vaccine "Rotarix," until they can study it more closely. FDA officials announced Monday that researchers found DNA material from a virus called PCV one in the vaccine. They do not believe this virus poses any safety risk, it has been present in the vaccine since before it was approved. Yet, it was an unexpected finding and they would like to study it further.

Vaccine Demand Down -- Not too long ago people were scrambling to get an H1N1 vaccine, but it's a different story now. Health departments say the demand for those flu shots have dropped so much, thousands of doses are being thrown away.

Fried breakfast is healthiest start to day, say scientists -- A breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs, and beans could be the healthiest start to the day, according to new research. --This is what mainstream media is telling us!

Thought For The Day from our friend Mike Tawse in the UK -- No Good Days… No Bad Days. Read More...

School Board Considering Armed Police Officers in School  By: David Deschesne -- Fort Fairfield Police Chief Joe Bubar wants to place armed police officers in Fort Fairfield Schools in order to get the students used to government snooping and spying on them at an early age.

Security Check System for Flights to U.S. to Be Altered -- President Obama has signed off on new security protocols for people flying to the United States, establishing a system that uses intelligence information and assessment of threats to identify passengers who could have links to terrorism, a senior administration official said Thursday.

VIDEO: Rep. Hank Johnson Fears Guam May Capsize -- Meet Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA). While questioning the Navy's Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. Robert Willard, at a March 25 Armed Services Committee hearing, Johnson worried that the island of Guam might capsize if we put a few thousand more people on it - because it's only 7 miles across at its "least widest" point. Johnson later explained that he was speaking metaphorically. Watch the video and judge for yourself.

US Navy captures suspected pirates after gunbattle -- A US warship has seized five suspected pirates after an exchange of fire in the Indian Ocean west of the Seychelles, the US Navy says.

Idaho Militia: Groups Train, Support Right to Bear Arms -- They are not police officers. They are not active-duty soldiers. But what a group of weekend warriors is doing with guns in the woods not far from the Canadian border is perfectly legal.

18 of Natures's Most Powerful Medicinal Plants -- From marijuana to catnip, there are hundreds of remarkably common herbs, flowers, berries and plants that serve all kinds of important medicinal and health purposes that might surprise you: anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, insect repellent, antiseptic, expectorant, antibacterial, detoxification, fever reduction, antihistamine and pain relief.

Who'd Obama Please With His Offshore Oil Drilling Plan? -- President Barack Obama's announcement Wednesday that he'll lift bans on new drilling for oil and natural gas off much of the U.S. coastline drew criticism from environmentalists and halfhearted welcomes from Republicans, even as Obama called it only one part of a broad strategy to reduce foreign oil dependence and enact climate-change policy.

Bush Wiretapping Program Takes Hit In Calif. Ruling -- In a repudiation of the Bush administration's now-defunct Terrorist Surveillance Program, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that government investigators illegally wiretapped the phone conversations of an Islamic charity and two American lawyers without a search warrant.

Fed Reveals What Bailout Billions Bought -- After two years of secrecy, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is disclosing key details about billions of dollars of risky investments it bought while rescuing insurance giant American International Group Inc. and supporting the sale of failed investment bank Bear Stearns.

Bank Sues Homeowner For Asking Who Owns Note -- The person with the mortgage is Michele Reagan, a State Rep from the State of Arizona.

GATA on the Trail of the Biggest Gold Manipulation Story -- The Andrew Maguire LBMA whistleblower story just refuses to go away, and it is about time someone from the mainstream media (yes, we know you read us constantly) finally picked up on this massive expose about the decades of fraud and manipulation in the commodities market, with a focus on gold and silver.

January Fannie Mae Delinquency Rate Climbs to New Record -- Fannie Mae reported its January total serious delinquency rate for single-family houses: the rate hit a new record of 5.54%, a jump from the December's 5.38%, and double the 2.77% in January 2009.

Engineers Design Pill That Signals It Has Been Swallowed -- Seeking a way to confirm that patients have taken their medication, University of Florida engineering researchers have added a tiny microchip and digestible antenna to a standard pill capsule.

Top Senate Dem Admits Un-American Health Bill Was to Address 'Mal-Distribution of Income' -- Now Max Baucus tells us: the health care overhaul America was just forced to endure was the government’s attempt to fix the “mal-distribution of income.”

Henry Waxman's War on Accounting -- Accounting basics: when a company experiences what accountants call "a material adverse impact" on its expected future earnings, and those changes affect an item that is already on the balance sheet, the company is required to record the negative impact--"to take the charge against earnings"--as soon as it knows that the change is reasonably likely to occur.

90 Years of History Suggests a Move Like This One Is Followed by a Market Bust -- Based on data going back 90 years, whenever the 12-month rate of change (ROC) in the Dow Jones Industrials Average has exceeded 40 percent, it has generally signaled trouble ahead.

Militia Leader's Mistrust Festered, Friends Say -- The leader of a Michigan militia group charged this week with conspiring to kill law-enforcement officers was described Tuesday as a private, family-oriented man who nurtured a festering mistrust of governmental authority, according to people close to the family.

The Health Care Reform Law Contains a Hidden Tax on Annuities -- The Obama administration is trying to encourage people to buy annuities to ensure that they don't outlive their savings. But a little-noticed provision of the new health care reform law will slap a 3.8% tax on payouts from annuities purchased by high-income earners outside their workplace. And, not surprisingly, the life insurance industry isn't happy about that.

The K Street Hustlin' of Obamacare -- All the big K Street money pumped into the House and Senate has been overwhelmingly one-sided in favor of Obama’s horrendous new healthcare legislation.

Federal Court Rules Against Patenting Human Genes -- In a ruling that has enormous implications for the biotechnology industry, a district court judge in New York threw out the patents on human genes relating to breast and ovarian cancers. Judge Robert Sweet invalidated the patents held by Myriad Genetics for more than a decade, saying companies cannot legally own exclusive rights to human DNA.

Moscow Bombings Leading to Censorship, Political Spying and Silencing of Opposition Protests -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged Tuesday to drag “from the bottom of the sewers” those behind the deadly attack on the Moscow subway system, but some Russians began to challenge his government for failing to prevent the suicide bombings despite signs that Islamist rebels had been preparing to strike.

Queen Elizabeth Could Suspend Elections Under Ancient Code -- The Queen could step in and block a second General Election this year in the event of a hung Parliament, to prevent Britain spiralling into an economic crisis.

53% Worry Opposition to Obama's Policies Will Lead to Violence -- Fifty-three percent (53%) of U.S. voters now are at least somewhat concerned that those opposed to President Obama’s policies will resort to violence, up 10 points from last September.

CNN Fails to Stop Fall in Ratings -- CNN continued what has become a precipitous decline in ratings for its prime-time programs in the first quarter of 2010, with its main hosts losing almost half their viewers in a year.

Police: Teaching Kids to Mistrust Government Makes Couple 'Unsuitable Parents' -- Texans, beware: If you teach your kids that the “government is out to harm them,” police in Williamson County might just deem you an “unsuitable” parent.

NIH Researchers Are Up-Front About Their Support From Drug Companies, Right? -- Medical research that is sponsored by drug companies has long been a conundrum. After all, scientists often welcome the big bucks of the drug industry in order to finance their studies -- but can they be totally objective when they are supported by Big Pharma?

Capitol Locked Down in Wake of Threats -- State workers and visitors to the Nevada Capitol were surprised Wednesday morning to find all but the front door locked and metal detectors for both packages and people set up at the entrance.

Speeding 'Cushion' May Dwindle Due to Recession -- The recession may be claiming a new victim: the 5-10-mph “cushion” police and state troopers across the USA have routinely given motorists exceeding the speed limit.

Great-Grandmother given an Electronic Tag and curfew For Selling Goldfish to 14 yr Old -- Joan Higgins, a pet shop owner, was caught selling the fish to the teenager in a 'sting' operation by council officials. She was then prosecuted in an eight month court process estimated to have cost the taxpayer more than £20,000.

NASA - Sunset Planet Alert -- This week, Mercury is emerging from the glare of the sun and making a beeline for Venus. By week's end, the two planets will be just 3o apart, an eye-catching pair in the deep-blue twilight of sunset.

Words to the Wise - 'Multi-Vitamins Allegedly Linked to Breast Cancer -- A startling connection between multi-vitamins and breast cancer occurrence has prompted doctors to caution older women against a daily multi-vitamin, unless absolutely needed. According to the results of a Swedish study, the vitamins may be linked to breast cancer.

Obama - Alledged to be Hated by the Chicago Law School Faculty -- Is the President's resume accurate when it comes to his career and qualifications? I can corroborate that Obama's "teaching career" at Chicago was, to put it kindly, a sham.


Today in History Thursday April 1, 2010
1621 - The Plymouth, MA, colonists created the first treaty with Native Americans.
1789 - The U.S. House of Representatives held its first full meeting in New York City. Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first House Speaker.
1793 - In Japan, the volcano Unsen erupted killing about 53,000.
1826 - Samuel Mory patented the internal combustion engine.
1853 - Cincinnati became the first U.S. city to pay fire fighters a regular salary.
1867 - Blacks voted in the municipal election in Tuscumbia, AL.
1876 - The first official National League (NL) baseball game took place. Boston beat Philadelphia 6-5.
1889 - The first dishwashing machine was marketed (in Chicago).
1924 - Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for high treason in relation to the "Beer Hall Putsch."
1927 - The first automatic record changer was introduced by His Master's Voice.
1929 - Louie Marx introduced the Yo-Yo.
1934 - Bonnie & Clyde killed 2 police officers.
1938 - The first commercially successful fluorescent lamps were introduced.
1938 - The Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, NY.
1945 - U.S. forces invaded Okinawa during World War II. It was the last campaign of World War II.
1946 - Weight Watchers was formed.
1953 - The U.S. Congress created the Department of Health Education and Welfare.
1954 - The U.S. Air Force Academy was formed in Colorado.
1960 - France exploded 2 atom bombs in the Sahara Desert.
1960 - The U.S. launched TIROS-1. It was the first weather satellite.
1970 - The U.S. Army charged Captain Ernest Medina in the My Lai massacre.
1970 - U.S. President Nixon signed the bill, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, that banned cigarette advertisements to be effective on Jan. 1, 1971.
1971 - The United Kingdom lifted all restrictions on gold ownership.
1972 - North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops renewed their offensive in South Vietnam.
1973 - Japan allowed its citizens to own gold.
1982 - The U.S. transferred the Canal Zone to Panama.
1992 - Players began the first strike in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League (NHL).
2001 - China began holding 24 crewmembers of a U.S. surveillance plane. The EP-3E U.S. Navy crew had made an emergency landing after an in-flight collision with a Chinese fighter jet. The Chinese pilot was missing and presumed dead. The U.S. crew was released on April 11, 2001.
2001 - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was arrested on corruption charges after a 26-hour standoff with the police at his Belgrade villa.
2003 - North Korea test-fired an anti-ship missile off its west coast.
2004 - U.S. President George W. Bush signed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. The bill made it a crime to harm a fetus during an assault on a pregnant woman.
2004 - Gateway Inc. announced that it would be closing all of its 188 stores on April 9.
2009 - Albania and Croatia joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Summary Timeline for Major Items in Senate Health Care Bill

VIDEO: Rumsield 2.3 Trillion Dollars missing Pentagon -- Donald Rumsfeld says 2.3 Trillion Dollars missing at Pentagon 1 DAY before the 9/11 tragedy.

VIDEO: Surprise! Automatic Paycheck Deduction Hidden in ObamaCare--As Nancy Pelosi said, "we have to pass the bill so you can know what's in it". First it was Viagra for child molesters. Now it's an AUTOMATIC deduction from YOUR paycheck for "long-term care". $150-200 will be automatically deducted unless you OPT-OUT, which you can (at least for now). This deduction is scheduled to begin in 2011.

WHO to launch study into Fallujah birth defects -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says it will conduct an independent study into the high level of birth defects in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

Police: Teaching Kids to Mistrust Government Makes Couple ‘Unsuitable’ Parents -- Texans, beware: If you teach your kids that the “government is out to harm them,” police in Williamson County might just deem you an “unsuitable” parent.

Pharmaceutical giant admits to secretly investigating FDA, swears it was legal -- A pharmaceutical giant has admitted to secretly investigating the FDA, but swears it was all legal. Private investigators working for pharmaceutical company Amphastar Pharmaceuticals gathered information on high-ranking officials at the Food and Drug Administration for more than two months in late 2008, Politico reports. Amphastar hired Kroll, a New York-based private investigative firm, to uncover information about Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who oversees the agency's new drug approvals. According to Politico, Amphastar paid Kroll more than $100,000 for the investigation.

The Press Association: Chemicals linked to breast cancer -- Analysis of this data found that exposure to nylon fibres in the workplace before the age of 36 increased the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer by almost double, while exposure to acrylic fibres increased the risk more than seven times. Women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer (oestrogen and progesterone) had triple the risk if they had been exposed to PAHs from petroleum sources. PAHs are a group of more than 100 different chemicals formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, rubbish or other organic substances such as tobacco. People can be at risk if they breathe in PAHs in workplaces such as coking, coal-tar and asphalt production plants.

2010 Gun Dollar -- Talk about getting more bang for your buck! (Thanks Jimm)!!

Democratics nervous about foreclosure bills -- Over the past 4 years, Ohio has seen around 337-thousand home foreclosures, but state legislators have yet to approve any major bills to stem the tide. Democrats who dominate the Ohio house have okayed two proposals...but they're upset that Republicans who dominate the senate have ignored them....and haven't even okayed any alternatives. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen files this report.

Pupils 'frogmarched by teachers to have fingerprints taken' so they could eat in canteen-- A school has provoked uproar after taking children's fingerprints without permission from their parents.

U.S. Standard of Living Unsustainable Without Drastic Action, Former Top Govt. Accountant Says -- Who will bail out America? A longtime budget hawk and currently CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, David Walker says America's growing long-term debt is dangerously close to passing a "tipping point" that could trigger soaring interest rates and a plummeting dollar. In a worst case scenario, that could trigger a "global depression," he says, warning: "Nobody's going to bail out America." Comment: Bob Chapman is right (again).

Cuba to vaccinate more than 1.1M against swine flu -- Cuba will begin vaccinating nearly 10 percent of its citizens against swine flu next week, reversing its previous skepticism about the high cost and effectiveness of immunization to combat the virus. Communist Party newspaper Granma said Friday that the vaccinations will come in two waves, the first beginning April 1. More than 1.1 million Cubans deemed particularly vulnerable to swine flu will get them in a country of about 11.4 million.

Idaho: Lawmakers pushing for taxes being paid in silver -- The Idaho state treasurer would have to accept a state-made silver medallion or bar for the payment of fees and taxes, if a bill that's cleared the House becomes law. It now heads to the Senate. Conservative northern Idaho lawmakers including Rep. Phil Hart, the Republican sponsor, hope to accomplish twofold: revive their region's mining economy's glory days as well as get a foot in the door toward replacing standard American currency with precious metals, or so-called "constitutional money."
 * Click here for the link to the actual bill: http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2010/H0633.pdf

The Daily Bell: Could US Taxes Rise Hard? -- How then does Obama propose to keep power? There are two potential answers to this question. The first is that Obama is pursuing a larger power-elite agenda and doesn't care whether he retains power so long as he fulfills it as successfully as he can. But the second possibility is that Obama and the Democrats generally are going to try between now and the next presidential election to fundamentally change the texture of US voting patterns by somehow legalizing the votes of up to 50 million Hispanics.

States Have $$5.17 Trillion in Pension Obligations, Gap is $3.23 Trillion; State Debt as Share of GDP -- California, New York and other states are showing many of the same signs of debt overload that recently took Greece to the brink — budgets that will not balance, accounting that masks debt, the use of derivatives to plug holes, and armies of retired public workers who are counting on benefits that are proving harder and harder to pay.

Eighteen Million, Out in the Road -- RealtyTrac, the California-based authority on property trends and valuations, projects 4.5 million home foreclosures before the end of this year. That’s 4.5 million homes, and with four people to a household that is eighteen million people. Eighteen million men, women and children put out into the road, people who must scramble to find shelter and scramble to find new schools for their children.

Irish Banks Need $43 Trillion in New Capital "As Worst Fears Have Been Surpassed" -- Ireland’s banks need $43 billion in new capital after “appalling” lending decisions left the country’s financial system on the brink of collapse.

ADP Negative 23,000 -- Well now this is interesting. ADP's private employment report came in negative, down 23,000. That wasn't expected, and it sent the futures down a bit when released.

Sub Sea Volcano Near Italy -- Europe'slargest undersea volcano could disintegrate and unleash a tsunami that would engulf southern Italy "at any time", a prominent vulcanologist warned in an interview published Monday.

Glenn Beck Goes After Ventura -- Glenn Beck is at it again adding to his already huge list of enemies. However its not 9/11 truth or liberals he’s going after this time. Its none other then former governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura. During one of his radio shows Glenn decided to comment on Ventura’s opinion of peoples lack of protesting of the loss habeas corpus due to things like the patriot act. Which Mr, Beck was a huge supporter of. He then went up to call him a big dumb wrestler and a bully.

Neuroscientists Influence People's Moral Judgements by Disrupting Specific Brain Region -- Previous studies have shown that a brain region known as the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) is highly active when we think about other people's intentions, thoughts and beliefs. In the new study, the researchers disrupted activity in the right TPJ by inducing a current in the brain using a magnetic field applied to the scalp.

Oddities in the Nancy Schaeffer 'Suicide' Case -- On Friday, former Senator Nancy Schaefer and her husband were found dead in their home in Habersham County.

Advancing the Transatlantic Agenda -- Although there is a need for Canada to expand its trade horizons, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) currently being negotiated with the European Union (EU) appears to be based on the flawed NAFTA model.

Fried, Grilled and Pasteurized Foods Cause Degenerative Disease -- Toxic chemicals produced when foods are cooked in certain ways encourage oxidation and inflammation in the body, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

MRSA Superbugs Actually Caused by Widespread Antibiotics Use in the 60's -- A recent study published in the journal Science has concluded that the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, also known as methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was caused by the widespread use of synthetic antibiotic drugs which began in the 1960s.

Wal-Mart to Label Products With Green Rating -- Retail giant Wal-Mart has announced plans for an ambitious "green rating" system, an easy to understand score giving consumers an idea of the ecological footprint of every product sold in Wal-Mart stores.

Floods in Rhode Island, Snowmageddon, and Other Disasters May Create Next Bailout -- A couple weeks ago, Swiss Reinsurance Co. warned, “Natural disasters may cost insurers as much as $110 billion worldwide in 2010, five times more than last year when the U.S. escaped hurricane damage.” That was before the new round of massive flooding in the Northeastern US which has devastated Rhode Island.

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